News Analysis India

Category: Politics

  • PM Modi to consecrate Ram Lalla in Ayodhya after 550 years, says home minister Amit Shah

    Guwahati: Union Home minister Amit Shah said that on January 22 Prime minister Narendra Modi in Ayodhya will do the Pran Pratishtha (consecration) of Ram Lalla, who was disrespectfully out of his home for almost 550 years.

    Shah while attending the passing out parade of Assam Police commandos in Guwahati said, “I want to congratulate you all, on January 22 our Prime minister will do the Pran Pratishtha (consecration) of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya. After staying away from his home disrespectfully for almost 550 years, Narendra Modi j.e will do the consecration and will establish the Lord in the large temple. It is a matter of pride for the whole country.”

    He said, “Under Modi’s leadership India is emerging as a power in the whole world. Modi has decided that by 2047 India will be a developed and self-reliant country and the beginning has started with the Lord Ram adorning his temple. This is a matter of joy and good wishes for the whole country.”Shah on Saturday in Sonitpur said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s mission of bringing peace and development in the northeast has been successful.

    The Congress had a policy to “divert attention from problems and enjoy power, which led to the deaths of thousands of people in the region”, particularly in Bodoland, Shah said at the 13th Triennial Conference of the All Bathou Mahasabha.

    “When I became home minister, the Bodo movement was underway and I made a sincere attempt to understand the problems and demands of one of the largest communities of the northeast,” he said.The prime minister also viewed it from a new perspective and the problem was resolved with Bodoland “today being free from bomb blasts, firing and violence”, Shah said.During the last three years, there has been no incident of violence in Bodoland, and it is scripting a new story by walking on the path of development, Shah asserted.

  • ED continues to quiz Soren in money laundering case, Section 144 clamped near CM’s residence

    Enforcement Directorate sleuths continued to question Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren at his official residence here on Saturday in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. The entire area has turned into a virtual fortress with heavy deployment of security forces, an official said.

    Soren, 48, who is also the executive president of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), had earlier skipped seven summonses by the ED. He finally gave his consent after the probe agency summoned him for the eighth time.

    The ED personnel reached Soren’s residence around 1 pm, the official said, adding, the questioning has been underway for more than six hours now. Security personnel, deployed in large numbers at the spot, are using high-resolution body cameras to keep track of activities around the house, he said.

    The measure comes in the wake of the recent attack on ED officials in West Bengal during a raid pertaining to an alleged multi-crore ration distribution scam.

    The Ranchi district administration has also imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC near Soren’s house, disallowing any demonstration, carrying weapons and public meetings. “The restrictions will be in place till 11 pm on Saturday,” Ranchi SDO Utkarsh Kumar told PTI. Security has also been bolstered outside the residences of key BJP leaders in the state and the party headquarters as a precautionary measure.

    Meanwhile, the JMM convened a meeting of its legislators at the chief minister’s residence.

    “The ED is questioning the CM… We are also holding our meeting… Any strategy about the future course of action will be made based on the outcome of the questioning,” JMM general secretary and spokesperson Supriyo Bhattacharya told PTI.

    Jamtara MLA Irfan Ansari, who met Soren before being quizzed by the ED officials, said the chief minister asked party workers to be patient.

    “The CM, after seeing me, turned emotional and asked us to have patience,” Ansari said.

    Opposing the ED action, JMM workers and tribal outfits staged protests across the state. Asked about the demonstrations, Bhattacharya said those were spontaneous, and his party had not taken any call on that.

    JMM workers armed with bows and arrows were also spotted at some distance from Soren’s house.

    Congress’ Jharkhand president Rajesh Thakur said that party MLAs were present to express solidarity with the CM.

    Those present inside Soren’s residence include Social Welfare Minister Joba Manjhi, Congress legislator Deepika Pandey Singh and Rajya Sabha MP Mahua Maji, besides several JMM legislators.

    Jharkhand Advocate General Rajiv Ranjan, DGP Ajay Kumar Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Ranchi, Rahul Kumar Sinha and SSP Chandan Kumar Sinha are also at the spot, officials said.

    The investigation pertains to a “huge racket of illegal change of ownership of land by the mafia” in Jharkhand, according to the central probe agency.

    It has so far arrested 14 people in the case, including 2011-batch IAS officer Chhavi Ranjan, who served as the director of the state’s Social Welfare Department and deputy commissioner of Ranchi.

    JMM MLA Ramdas Soren claimed that this was an attempt to destabilise the Jharkhand government.

    The BJP, however, alleged that the chief minister was playing the “victim card” by sponsoring protests across the state.

    “The CM should not have been given the privilege of interrogation at his official residence. Soren is scared of being arrested and that is why he did not visit the ED office for questioning,” senior BJP leader Amar Bauri told PTI.

    Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi said the ED agreed to Soren’s request for questioning at the chief minister’s house out of respect for him.

    “Now, we hope that the CM will also show generosity and issue an order to the Jharkhand Police today itself that instead of calling any accused to the police station and interrogating him, officers should go to the house of the accused and question,” Marandi wrote on X.

    He also claimed that tribals in the state are not with Soren anymore, and they want his exit.

    Soren had filed a petition before the Supreme Court and the Jharkhand High Court, seeking protection from the ED action, terming the summonses “unwarranted”. Both the courts subsequently dismissed his petitions.

    Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan had earlier this week said that the ED was doing its duty and Soren should provide the “right answers” to the probe agency.

    In the 81-member Jharkhand Assembly, the ruling coalition holds 47 seats, including 29 MLAs from the JMM, 17 from the Congress, and one each from the RJD and the Communist Party of India (Marxists-Leninist).

  • Cong condemns attack on Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam, accuses BJP of trampling people’s rights

    The Congress on Saturday condemned the attack on the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam “by BJP goons” and accused the ruling party in the state of seeking to “trample and demolish” every right and justice guaranteed by the Constitution to the people of India. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the party will not be cowed down by such tactics aimed at intimidating its workers and leaders.

    “We strongly condemn the shameful attack on the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra vehicles and tearing of the Congress party’s banners and posters by BJP goons in Lakhimpur, Assam,” he said in a post on X.

    “In the last 10 years, the BJP has attempted to trample and demolish every right and justice guaranteed by the Constitution to the people of India. It wants to subjugate their voices, thereby hijacking democracy,” he added. Kharge said the Congress will not be cowed down by this tactic of attack and intimidation “by the BJP government in Assam, which is responsible for this”. AICC general secretary K C Venugopal also shared a video of the purported attack and said, “Want more evidence of how scared ‘MostCorrupt’ CM Himanta is of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra? Look at his goons vandalise our Congress posters and vehicles!” “He’s so rattled because of the huge impact the Yatra is making, he will stoop to any level,” he said. The Congress alleged that banners and posters welcoming its ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’ to Assam’s North Lakhimpur town, through which it will pass on Saturday, have been vandalised.

    The Yatra, led by Rahul Gandhi, is on its third day’s journey in the state and will pass through several parts of the Lakhimpur district, including the headquarters town of North Lakhimpur, before entering Arunachal Pradesh later in the day.

  • Last 10 years a ‘Golden Era’ for Northeast: Amit Shah

    Union home minister Amit Shah on Friday said that if the last 10 years in northeast are compared with 75 years after the country’s independence, then this decade will definitely be considered as the golden period of the Northeast.

    He was addressing the 71st plenary session of the North Eastern Council in Shillong. While all the chief ministers and governors of eight northeastern states attended the meeting, Manipur chief minister N Biren Singh skipped it owing to law and situation in his state.

    Shah said that the last 10 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi have been the most significant for the development of the northeast in 75 years since independence. Shah said that the northeast, which was struggling with various ethnic, linguistic, border and extremist group-related problems, has also had the beginning of a fresh and durable era of peace in these 10 years.Shah urged all the states to control the Gross Fiscal Deficit and said that Manipur, Assam, Nagaland and Tripura have made commendable efforts in this direction. The Union home minister said that from 2004 to 2014, a total of 11,121 violent incidents took place in the northeast. It declined by 73% to 3,114 from 2014 to 2023. Deaths among security forces dropped by 71% from 458 to 132, while civilian deaths declined by 86%.

  • Expecting that President’s Rule be imposed in Manipur- Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma

    With the situation in Manipur not improving, Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma said that he has been expecting that President’s Rule be imposed in Manipur.

    Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the 71st Plenary Session of the North East Council in Shillong, he said, “There has to be a solution between the government of India, government of India and tribal leaders.”

    When asked if the situation warrants imposition in Manipur, he said, “That is what we are expecting as it has been very long. The situation does not change and sometimes it becomes worse”. He said those people from Manipur who have taken refuge in Mizoram are Indians. “Indian constitution provides that they can settle anywhere in the country. Unless normalcy returns to the state of Manipur, we will look after them.”

    When asked if there is the need for the Centre to intervene, the chief minister said, “Yes it is the responsibility of the Home ministry to intervene if there is trouble anywhere in the country. There has to be a solution between the tribal leaders and the state government; it must be liaised by the home ministry. We have nothing to do and we need to look after the people who are staying there.”

    He added, “People are fleeing from Myanmar to our for shelter and we are providing the same. The population, today is more tomorrow less. Soldiers of Myanmar keep on coming seeking shelter, we send them by air. Around 450 army personnel were sent back. “Around 276 Myanmar Army personnel, who took refuge in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai District after their camps were captured by the Arakan Army (AA) militants, would be repatriated soon.An official in Mizoram said 276 Myanmar soldiers with their arms and ammunition reached Bandukbanga Village situated on the Mizoram-Myanmar-Bangladesh border trijunction, in southernmost Lawngtlai district on Wednesday afternoon. They are now being taken care of by the Assam Rifles at their Parva camp in Lawngtlai district.

    Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma recently met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to apprise them of the concerns of the Mizos and the issue of Myanmarese refugees, especially with the present proposal by India to fence the border with Myanmar. He also pushed for a Greater Mizoram as part of Akhand Bharat.

    During his first official visit after taking over as chief minister after winning the assembly polls in December last year, the Mizoram CM apprised the PM that the current border with Myanmar was forced upon the two ethnic groups without their prior consent. Infact, he later said, during his meeting with the external affairs minister, that the demarcation of the two countries was forced upon by the British and that Mizos find it is impossible to accept the border. He said that if border fencing with Myanmar is done, it would be considered as a sign of separation “from our ethnic brethren”.

    Lalduhoma stated that the wish of people on both sides of the border is to come under one administration, and that the refugees seeking shelter inside Mizoram are not treated differently but as their brethren.

    Lalduhoma stated in his Instagram page that the PM had advised him to submit a proposal for a more uniformed system of Inner Line Permit (ILP).

    Over 38,000 people from Myanmar have taken refuge in Mizoram since the military coup in February 2021. Another 1,000 people from the Chittagong hill tracts of Bangladesh had also come to Mizoram.

    The former Mizoram government, led by the Mizo National Front (MNF), had opposed the Centre’s order to deport Myanmarese refugees while allowing them to take shelter in the state.

    Following the ethnic clashes in Manipur and ahead of the assembly polls in Mizoram, Zo unification had become an electoral issue with the MNF raking up the demand for a Greater Mizoram. Zo unification means bringing all ethnic communities — Mizos of Mizoram, Kuki-Zomis of Manipur, Chins of Myanmar and Bangladesh — under one administrative umbrella.

    The hilly area of Manipur, adjoining Mizoram, is inhabited by the Zo community which share the same culture, religion, tradition and ancestry.

    Around 13,000 people from Kuki-Zo community have taken shelter in Mizoram following ethnic violence in Manipur. The majority of those who have reached Mizoram belong to the Chin community (or Zos) who share their ancestry, ethnicity, and culture with the Mizos of Mizoram.

    Manipur witnessed unprecedented violent clashes, attacks, counter attacks and arsoning of houses, vehicles and government and private properties in more than 10 districts during and after May 3 ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ called by the All-Tribal Students’ Union of Manipur (ATSUM) to oppose the demand for inclusion of the Meitei community in the Scheduled Tribe category.

    Manipur is devastated by nine month long ethnic violence between the non-tribal Meitei and tribal Kuki-Zo community and over 185 people have been killed and over 1,500 people injured and displaced over 70,000 people of both communities so far.

  • Supreme Court rejects plea seeking quashing of notification that restored Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership

    The Supreme Court on Friday took a stern view on the filing of “frivolous” petitions and dismissed with a cost of Rs 1 lakh a plea seeking the quashing of an August 7, 2023, notification that restored the Lok Sabha membership of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The Lok Sabha notification restored the membership of Rahul Gandhi following an apex court order staying his conviction in a 2019 defamation case over his ‘Modi’ surname remark.

    The top court had on August 4, 2023, stayed his conviction in the defamation case. Gandhi represents Wayanad in the Lower House of Parliament.

    The plea filed by Lucknow-based Ashok Pandey came up for hearing before a bench of Justices B R Gavai and Sandeep Mehta. The bench observed that Pandey had not appeared before it despite the matter being called twice for hearing.

    It also referred to two previous orders passed by the court on separate petitions filed by the petitioner.

    The bench noted that the top court had dismissed those petitions with costs of Rs 5 lakh and Rs 1 lakh respectively. “Filing of such frivolous petitions waste precious time not only of the court but also the entire registry…,” it observed while dismissing the plea and imposing the cost. The petitioner had arrayed the Lok Sabha Speaker, the Union of India, the Election Commission of India and Rahul Gandhi as respondents in the plea.

    The bench also observed that the issue raised by the petitioner was identical to the one raised in his earlier plea, which was dismissed in October last year with a cost of Rs 1 lakh.

    In the plea dismissed in October, the petitioner had challenged the restoration of Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership.

    Last year, the apex court had also imposed a cost of Rs 5 lakh on the petitioner for claiming in a separate PIL that the oath taken by the Bombay High Court chief justice was “defective”.

    Gandhi was disqualified as an MP on March 24 last year after a Gujarat court convicted and sentenced him to two years imprisonment for criminal defamation for comments he made about the Modi surname.

    The Gujarat High Court later dismissed his petition for a stay on conviction, observing that “purity in politics” is the need of the hour. Thereafter, the apex court had stayed his conviction in the case.

    BJP leader Purnesh Modi had filed a criminal defamation case against Gandhi in 2019 over his “How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?” remark made during an election rally in Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019.

  • Threat to INDIA bloc, some may form separate alliance: Farooq Abdullah

    National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said there is a threat to the INDIA bloc if a consensus on seat sharing is not reached soon, asserting that some members may try to form a separate grouping. In a discussion with former Union minister Kapil Sibal on his YouTube channel, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said very little time is left for the Lok Sabha elections. When asked about lack of clarity on seat-sharing arrangements in the INDIA bloc, Abdullah said: “If we have to save the country, we will have to forget differences and think about the country… If seat-sharing arrangement is not finalised then there is a threat to the alliance. It should be done in a time-bound manner. It is possible some may come together to form a separate alliance, which I feel is the biggest danger. There is still time.”

  • Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi cannot move from the middle of Guwahati city: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

    Guwahati: Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that it is made clear that Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra led by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi cannot move from the middle of Guwahati city and if the same is not complied government will file case and ensure two or three leaders are brought to Assam by the police.

    Sarma on Thursday said, “We will give all the necessary permission for the rally however if they insist on going right from the middle of Guwahati city, we will not arrange for police security. If they do so we will register a case of violation and after elections will arrest them. There is a medical college here and people will really dislike them if they move through the middle of Guwahati.”

    Sarma said, “Those who break the law, we will not show off; however after one or two months, two people, one which include former personnel of SPG will be arrested. They will be the government’s guest if they violate this. We may even arrest them from Siliguri in West Bengal.” He said it is not a Nyay rally but a Miya rally.” In those places where there are Miyas there will be people in the rally and in the places where there is no Miya there will be no crowd. Even Women from the Miya community will not come, only some men from the community will turn up.

    Former Youth Congress leader Angkita Dutta who alleged harassment and gender discrimination Youth Congress president Srinivas BV had moved court. She protested on Thursday seeking justice for herself. On April 19 last year, she was expelled from Assam Youth Congress.

    Sarma said, “From Congress no one can expect justice, what to expect from them as 900 people were killed in Assam Agitation, they bombed the Aizawl.” The chief minister said that the Gandhi family is the most corrupt family in the country. “From Bofors deal to ensuring safe passage to Warren Martin Anderson, CEO of Union Carbide Corporation plant in Bhopal, Gandhi’s corruption is everywhere. In fact, this family is not originally Gandhi, they are duplicate. In case of duplicate license, one is arrested however I do not know what the consequences are of having a duplicate surname, that is why they are roaming around.” Bengali speaking Muslims are often referred as Miya Muslims. Muslims comprise 34% of the 3.12 crore population of Assam, of which 4% are indigenous Assamese Muslims and the remaining mostly Bengali-speaking Muslims.

  • mahua moitra case: Mahua Moitra moves Delhi HC challenging notice to vacate govt bungalow

    Expelled Lok Sabha MP Mahua Moitra approached the Delhi High Court on Thursday challenging a notice by the Directorate of Estates to vacate the government bungalow that was allotted to her but was cancelled following her expulsion. Moitra’s plea against the eviction notice is scheduled to be heard by Justice Girish Kathpalia shortly.

    The notice asking the Trinamool Congress leader to vacate the bungalow immediately was issued to her on Tuesday.

    Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha on December 8 last year, was earlier asked to vacate the house by January 7 after the allotment was cancelled. She was held guilty of “unethical conduct” and expelled from the House for allegedly accepting gifts and other favours from businessman Darshan Hiranandani in return for asking questions targeting his business rival Gautam Adani.

  • Lok Sabha Polls: Congress demands 20 seats in Uttar Pradesh; Samajwadi Party finds it ‘unreasonable’

    Congress has sought 20 of 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh from Samajwadi Party, a demand which the regional party found ‘unreasonable’. The two parties are likely to meet again on Thursday to take talks forward, according to some leaders.

    According to people present at the second formal round of seat-sharing talks on Wednesday, Congress and SP discussed a seat-sharing formula and agreed ‘winnability’ should be the main criterion for deciding which party gets which seat. Congress won only Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat in 2019.

    A senior leader, who did not wish to be identified, told ET: “The exact number of seats were discussed. Congress has sought 20 seats. The list of seats was also discussed. Both parties have decided to meet again, and hold talks seat by seat.” There was no discussion on an alliance with BSP or RLD. A senior leader said, “RLD is Samajwadi Party’s ally. It is clear that any alliance talk of RLD will be with Samajwadi Party and not Congress.” RLD has already held talks with SP. Though Mayawati has announced that BSP would contest elections alone, Congress is keen on a grand alliance in UP because it feels that it is the only way the Opposition could give BJP a tough contest.In 2019, BJP secured 49.56% vote share, BSP 19.26%, SP 17.96% and Congress 6.31%. Though the influence of SP and BSP have declined considerably, a united Opposition could change the equation. Emerging from the meeting, senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid told journalists, “we held a good round of talks… We put forward our wish list before each other and compared the details of each seat with each other and we hope that from their side we will receive more feedback before we can reach a final discussion.” On questions regarding BSP’s inclusion, Khurshid said the leadership would handle it. He said Congress hoped that the alliance would be finalised before the Bharat Jodo Nyaya Yatra reaches UP.

    SP MP Ram Gopal Yadav said, “we have come halfway and will complete the entire journey soon.” UP Congress chief Ajay Rai and MLA Aradhana Mishra too joined the discussions. SP MP Javed Ali Khan, former SP MLC and a close aide of Akhilesh Yadav, Udaiveer Singh, and Ram Gopal Yadav represented SP. After the meeting with Congress, SP went into a huddle.