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Hours after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was quoted as saying he sees a better chance of peace talks with India if Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP wins the national election, reactions poured in from the opposition, which is often accused by the Prime Minister and the ruling BJP of “speaking Pakistan’s language”.

Leaders from the Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Jammu and Kashmir politicians Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti seized the chance to get back at the PM and the ruling party.

Imran Khan has said if the next government in India were led by the Congress party, it might be “too scared” to seek a settlement with Pakistan over Kashmir, fearing a backlash. “Perhaps if the BJP – a right-wing party – wins, some kind of settlement in Kashmir could be reached,” Imran Khan was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters.

“Pakistan has officially allied with Modi! A vote for Modi is a vote for Pakistan,” tweeted Congress spokesperson Randeep Sing Surjewala. “Modi-ji, first Nawaz Sharif, now Imran Khan is your friend. The secret is out,” he added.

“Why does Pakistan want Modi-ji to win? PM Modi, please tell the nation how deep your relationship is with Pakitan? All Indians should know that if PM Modi wins then crackers will be burst in Pakistan,” tweeted AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal.

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 tasks ahead. This ties in with the larger pitch that PM Narendra Modi has been making in his campaign rallies: of having fulfilled basic needs; and seeking an opportunity to fulfil aspirations.

There are three significant strands in the manifesto. The first is what the BJP clearly considers its strength in this election: nationalism or national security. It speaks of decisive action against terrorism, and taking steps to end infiltration. It promises to speed up defence purchases — though this will raise questions about how defence spending is not commensurate with its needs. The manifesto reinforces the party’s commitment to the Citizenship Amendment Bill, and while the BJP has sought to reassure the Northeast that its concerns about an assault on its distinct identity will be taken care of, this is bound to generate a backlash in the region once again. The BJP has also reiterated its traditional position on Jammu and Kashmir: of abrogating Articles 370 and 35A. This stand of the BJP manifesto is primarily aimed at appealing to its core base, projecting Modi as the only leader capable of making India secure, and the party as the only force committed to nationalism.

The second major strand of the manifesto is its focus on rural India. A consistent critique against this government over the past few years has been the fact that there is agrarian distress, and farmer incomes have actually dipped. The BJP once again reiterated its promise of doubling farmer income by 2022, a claim most experts are sceptical of. But more specifically, it said that it would invest Rs 25 lakh crore over the next five years in rural India; it would expand the PM Kisan scheme — of providing Rs 6000 annually to small and marginal farmers with land holdings of up to 2 hectares — to each and every farmer, and it would provide interest free loans for up to Rs 1 lakh. With these promises, the BJP is clearly trying to address what could be a vulnerability vis a vis its electoral prospects in rural areas. But whether it indeed leads to a much needed structural transformation in agriculture and whether fiscal implications of expanding the Kisan scheme have been thought through is not clear.

The third strand is the manifesto’s promises on the economy and employment. This once again has been an area of perceived weakness for the government, even though the accuracy of data has been contested. The BJP has spoken of further improving India’s rank in the ease of doing business; improving the share of manufacturing in GDP; increasing exports; supporting entrepreneurs; identifying champion sectors in which younger people can be productively engaged. India indeed needs all this. But the BJP will have to do a lot more in credibly communicating how India will address its unemployment crisis.

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 are at the scene of crime, they said.

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 said that Shah has “undervalued the property which as per the government guidelines is valued at (at least) Rs 66.5 lakh but Mr. Amit Shah has declared its value at Rs 25 lakh”.

The Congress said that before filing his nomination for the Lok Sabha polls, Shah had already mortgaged two of his properties (in 2016) to Kalupur Commercial Cooperative Bank (one of Gujarat’s largest cooperative banks) for his son Jay Shah’s business venture Kusum Finserve.

“The properties were mortgaged in lieu of a large and substantial loan of Rs 25 crore extended by the bank to his son’s company. It is therefore a fact that the properties are mortgaged to Kalupur Commercial Cooperative Bank and hence constitute a liability that should have been declared,” the complaint said.

The party alleged that the omission of liabilities was “deliberate and not inadvertent.”

“The Election Commission of India must take immediate note of this and initiate appropriate proceedings to disqualify Amit Shah from contesting the upcoming elections. Further, the ECI must initiate proceedings against Amit Shah for the filing of a false affidavit,” the Congress said in its complaint.

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 military installations in Kashmir.

Pakistan had categorically said that no F-16 fighter jets were used and denied that one of its planes had been downed by the IAF.

Taking to Twitter, Khan said, “BJP’s attempt to win elections through whipping up war hysteria and false claims of downing a Pak F 16 has backfired with US Defence officials also confirming that no F16 was missing from Pakistan’s fleet.”

Imran Khan✔@ImranKhanPTI

The truth always prevails and is always the best policy. BJP’s attempt to win elections through whipping up war hysteria and false claims of downing a Pak F 16 has backfired with US Defence officials also confirming that no F16 was missing from Pakistan’s fleet.

According to the Foreign Policy magazine, Pakistan invited the United States to physically count its F-16 planes after the incident as part of an end-user agreement signed when the foreign military sale was finalised.

“A US count of Pakistan’s F-16 fleet has found that all the jets are present and accounted for, a direct contradiction to India’s claim that it shot down one of the fighter jets during a February clash,” Lara Seligman of the magazine reported on Thursday.

The count of the F-16 fighter planes in Pakistan has been completed, and “all aircraft were present and accounted for,” an unnamed defence official was quoted as saying by the magazine.

The Department of Defence did not immediately respond to a question on its count of F-16 fighter jets in Pakistan.

“As details come out, it looks worse and worse for the Indians,” MIT professor Vipin Narang told Foreign Policy magazine. “It looks increasingly like India failed to impose significant costs on Pakistan, but lost a plane and a helicopter of its own in the process,” he said.

Generally, in such agreements, the US requires the receiving country to allow its officials to inspect the equipment regularly to ensure it is accounted for and protected, the news report said.

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 Amethi, said the Congress had ignored Amethi’s development and it was the BJP, which had taken up the issues plaguing the people. Irani earlier said, “A person who has been in Amethi for 15 years has decided to give up his supporters. Come elections he has chosen to file nominations from another constituency because Congress workers in Amethi know that Rahul does not enjoy popular support.”

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 middle get amplified, said party leaders.

Beginning from the Left since 1977 and Banerjee from 2011, a rally at the venue comes hand-in-hand with careful planning that can often go on for six months. For the Bengal BJP, which was told last week that the Prime Minister would be heading to Kolkata and Siliguri for the rally, this was a challenge, admitted leaders.

A state committee leader told News18, “This is perhaps the first time in the history of the state’s politics that any party has been able to fill up this venue so quickly, in such little time. Last week, we didn’t even have posters out on the streets.” 

BJP sources added that the Brigade Ground rally requires permission from not just the Kolkata police but also the Indian Army and the Election Commission — none of which were in place when the BJP announced its rallies.

The four special trains will reach Howrah Station from Jhargram, Lalgola and Rampurhat, reported Anandabazar Patrika. The state BJP added that supporters were also coming in from different parts of South Bengal, particularly South 24 Parganas district. 

The report added that a few days ago, the train was booked through ‘Flat Tariff Rate’ that is a fixed rent. A railway official told Anandabazar Patrika, “Four special trains were booked by BJP as per EC guidelines. These are general class trains and that they will be returned to specific destinations after the rally, along with the supporters.”

Meanwhile, the venue for PM Modi’s public rally on Tuesday in Siliguri had to be changed at the last minute, allegedly because the West Bengal government denied permission for the location sought by the BJP. The new venue will now be a ground belonging to the Indian Railways, adjacent to the New Jalpaiguri Railway Station.

This is not the first time the BJP has accused the TMC government of denying permission to hold public meetings and the landing of helicopters of BJP chief ministers and Union ministers. 

“We wanted to hold Prime Minister’s public meeting in the Kawakhali Ground, which belongs to Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA). Unfortunately, the local administration refused to give us permission. The ruling party is misusing its power to create hurdles before us,” Bengal BJP president Dilip Ghosh told News18. 

In response to Modi’s rallies, Mamata Banerjee preponed her campaign schedule by a day to kick off her public rally on Wednesday at Dinhata in Cooch Behar district

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 mark the beginning of the end for Trinamool Congress rule.

Modi alleged she (Didi) does not care about the poor. “If poverty is removed, her politics will end. The same is true for the CPI(M),” remarked the Prime Minister.

The BJP leader also stung Trinamool Congress leaders on the ponzi scams, alleging that they ran away with the money deposited in the schemes.

In a veiled threat apparently meant for state officials, Modi said, “Those who are on the payroll of the TMC and are often found spreading terror, will soon be taken to task.”

This rally in Siliguri was Modi’s fourth public rally in West Bengal this year and the first after the election dates were announced on March 10.

Modi also lashed out at the Bengal chief minister for pulling out of the Ayushman Bharat insurance project. He also accused “speed breaker Didi” for not implementing PM Kisan Samman Yojana in the state as well as the Real Estate Regulations Act that his government brought to protect the middle class investing their hard-earned money in apartments.

Modi also assured the Gorkha people that they will not be harmed if a citizenship screening exercise is conducted in the state. “The crowd here indicates that the boat of the Trinamool Congress has capsized,” said Modi.

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 Sahib, where Mr Sinha is the sitting lawmaker, he announced his intention to join the Congress.

Last week, after a meeting with Rahul Gandhi, Mr Sinha had tweeted that he was “Painfully….on the way out of BJP….But hopefully in the best direction under the dynamic leadership of my dear friend Lalu Yadav and the desirable, most talked about leader from the Nehru Gandhi family… the true family of nation builders…”

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.

His barbs today were directed at the speeches of the Prime Minister, which he said “lack content and depth” and have become “highly repetitive and irritating”.

“Sirji, I still remain your well wisher despite your EVM misuse and in-spite of all your arrogance. My humble suggestion for you at this eleventh hour would be to become straight and go straight,” tweeted Mr Sinha, who formally announced his intention to join the Congress last week.

Mr Sinha’s series of tweets came as his prospective boss, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, announced the manifesto before the media and handled a barrage of questions.