Author: News Analysis India
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections on Monday, three days before the first phase of polling. Drafting a vision for the future, or making a set of commitments, for a party which has been in power for five years is a challenge because it gives rise to an obvious question: why have these promises not been fulfilled in the preceding five years? The BJP has addressed this question by focusing on both what it considers to be its achievements since 2014, especially in the realm of rural welfare and infrastructure, and the unfinished…
Suspected terrorists fired at a Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leader and killed his personal security officer at a hospital in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar, the police said. The local RSS leader, identified as Chandrakanta, was injured in the attack that targeted him, officials said. Mr Chandrakanta had gone to a local hospital for a check-up, they added. Officials said the suspected terrorists barged into the hospital and snatched the personal security officer’s weapon. They attempted to fire at the RSS leader. However, in a scuffle, the security official was shot dead while the RSS leader was injured Senior police officials…
The Congress on Friday moved the Election Commission (EC) alleging wilful non-disclosure of liabilities by BJP President Amit Shah and sought his disqualification from contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Gandhinagar. The party also demanded action against Shah for filing a “false affidavit.” In its complaint, the Congress said that Shah has “once again filed a false affidavit with two glaring omissions.” “First, with regard to a plot in Gandhinagar and second, with regard to loans taken from a commercial bank by his son for which he is the guarantor,” the Congress said in its complaint. Citing reports, the party…
Actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha joined the Congress on Saturday at the party headquarters in New Delhi. He was with the BJP till recently. Hours later, the Congress announced his candidature for the Patna Sahib Lok Sabha cinstituency in Bihar to take on Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad. Congress general secretary K.C. Venugopal, party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and in charge of party’s Bihar unit Shaktisinh Gohil welcomed Mr. Sinha into the party fold. Mr. Venugopal termed him the “best politician who was earlier with the wrong party“.
Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday said a US report which found none of Pakistan’s F-16s “missing” vindicated the country’s stand that it did not use the jets in the aerial dogfight with India on February 27. The finding by the US on the ground in Pakistan “directly contradicts” India’s claim that its air force shot down an F-16 fighter jet during the offensive. The Indian Air Force on February 28 displayed pieces of the AMRAAM missile, fired by a Pakistani F-16, as evidence to “conclusively” prove that Pakistan deployed US-manufactured F-16 fighter jets during an aerial raid targeting Indian…
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday warned voters of the BJP’s “sinister” designs and claimed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill is another ploy to turn legal citizens of this country into refugees. If Prime Minister Narendra Modi is returned to power, he will throw away the Constitution and change the country from a democracy to a totalitarian regime, she added at a rally in Cooch Behar. Union minister Smriti Irani today hit out at Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of betraying the people of Amethi by choosing to file his nomination from Kerala’s Wayanad. Irani, speaking from Gandhi’s turf…
The Bengal unit of the BJP has hired four special trains at a cost of Rs 53 lakh to bring in party workers and supporters to fill the iconic Brigade Ground where Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to address a public rally, a Bangla news daily Anandabazar Patrika reported. The Brigade Ground is as iconic as it is unforgiving. On one hand, political rallies at the venue — where Mamata Banerjee held her united opposition rally — is emblematic of a party’s strength, on the other hand, the vastness of the venue implies that any empty spaces in the…
Alleging that Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee created obstacles impeding the speedy development that he delivered in other states, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday described her as “speed breaker Didi” and urged the people to remove the hindrance from the way. “I have not been able to deliver development in Bengal at the pace that I have achieved in other states. This state has a speed breaker which is known as Didi,” remarked Modi. Incidentally, assembly elections will be held in Bengal in 2021 and BJP leaders have been saying in public rallies that the 2019 Lok Sabha polls will…
As the Congress announced its manifesto today, its soon-to-be recruit, actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha, posted a series of tweets that were addressed to “Honble outgoing Sirji”. “Sir-ji” is how Mr Sinha addresses Prime Minister Narendra Modi in tweets that are extremely critical of him. Over the last two years, Mr Sinha has been highly critical of PM Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah and his tweets over the last months have been increasingly provocative. Despite calls for action from the state party, the BJP had ignored the 72-year-old. Last week, after the BJP fielded Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad from Patna…
The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined urgent hearing to Patidar leader Hardik Patel’s plea against his conviction so that he can contest Lok Sabha polls. Hardik Patel, who had recently joined the Congress, had filed a plea in the top court challenging the Gujarat High Court ‘sorder rejecting stay on his conviction in the 2015 Vispur rioting case. The matter was mentioned for urgent listing before a bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra. The bench also comprising Justices M M Shantanagoudar and Navin Sinha told the counsel appearing for Patel that there was no urgency in hearing the matter as…