At his Ghazipur rally, prime minister Narendra Modi blamed the Congress government in Rajasthan for shielding the Alwar gang-rapists because they did not want the news to come out during the polls. In sharp language, Modi also attacked what he called the “award wapsi gang” and said the light of their protest candles have long since gone out.
A BJP youth leader in West Bengal’s Howrah, Priyanka Sharma, was detained and remanded in 14 days’ police custody after a complaint was lodged with police over a meme she had posted, where TMC chief Mamata Banerjee’s face was morphed onto a photo of Priyanka Chopra’s from the Met Gala.
At the end of his Robertsganj rally, prime minister Narendra Modi made the customary request for votes, this time for Apna Dal (Sonelal) candidate. He then said, “You know me, I was a chaiwala and had to live off washing cups and plates from which others had eaten. But now, as your chowkidar, I am asking for votes for the same symbol which has been a part of my life for so long,” he said. The analogy drew appreciative applause from the crowd and laughs from the likes of Yogi Adityanath on the dais.
At his Robertsganj rally, prime minister Narendra Modi mocked Sam Pitroda’s hua so hua remark on the 1984 Sikh riots, for the second straight day running. Using the Hindi line as a refrain as he described the reported faults of the Congress governments that have been in power earlier, Modi said people will soon tell people like these that they should disappear. “People will say hawa ho jao, hawa ho jao,” Modi said. Modi also criticised Congress chief Rahul Gandhi over his claims that he hugs in reply to vitriol.
Aam Aadmi Party’s West Delhi candidate, Balbir Singh Jakhar’s son Uday Jakhar said on Saturday that his father joined politics about three months ago and had had nothing to do with the AAP’s original movement. He further alleged that Balbir had paid Arvind Kejriwal Rs six crore for a ticket and said he had “credible evidence” that cash was directly handed over to the Delhi chief minister. Uday also said that when he had asked his father for financial assistance to complete his education, his father had refused. “I don’t know how my parents will react or if I will be allowed back into my house after this,” he said.
As many as 770 companies of Central forces will be deployed in West Bengal in the sixth phase of elections on Sunday. The state has seen violence and bloody clashes in every one of the five phases of the election so far.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra took up the issue of the TIME article on prime minister Narendra Modi, where he was called “divider-in-chief” by writer Aatish Taseer, at his press conference on Saturday. He said, “The man who called Modi divider-in-chief is a Pakistani man, he is a Pakistani citizen. You all know what Pakistan is like. They hate Narendra Modi because he did the two surgical strikes on them. What else can be left to say?” said Patra. Taseer is the son of journalist Tavleen Singh. His father is late Punjab governor, Salman Taseer, who is Pakistani.
BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra slammed Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu over his comment on Friday evening, when he called prime minister Narendra Modi a ‘kale angrez‘ (black English). “Kale hain toh kya hua dilwale hain,” he said, adding that the comment made by Sidhu, “upon Rahul Gandhi’s instructions” prove that he is a racist. Patra also quoted more lines from the song to express that Modi had won the hearts of Indians.
Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Saturday once again tore into the SP-BSP alliance by likening SP chief Akhilesh Yadav to Aurangzeb, who had imprisoned his father, emperor Shahjahan. Adityanath alleged that Akhilesh has “cornered” his father, SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, and tied up with Mulayam’s enemy, BSP.
Not one to ever make politically correct statements, Navjot Singh Sidhu delivered on Saturday yet another criticism of prime minister Narendra Modi, this time using a trope which can assuredly be called misogynist. Dubbing Modi “liar-in-chief and divider-in-chief”, Sidhu then went on to compare the prime minister to a wife who rather than making bread, prefers to clink her bangles together so that the whole neighbourhood can hear and surmise that she is working hard.
Leaders of the Uttar Pradesh gathbandhan Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati tore into both the BJP and the Congress, a day before polling in key constituencies of the state. Both leaders accused the BJP and Congress of trying to cut into the SP-BSP alliance’s vote share, and colluding to defeat the gathbandhan.
With the Congress party facing flak for Sam Pitroda’s “jo hua so hua” remark on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Congress president Rahul Gandhi has finally intervened. Rahul has said that Pitroda’s comment was ‘completely out of line’. Reports also said that Rahul has asked his political guru to issue an apology. Pitroda’s comment was also condemned by Congress veteran and Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh.
