News Analysis India

Tag: Amit Shah

  • Have adopted zero tolerance policy towards drugs, showing results: Home Minister Amit Shah

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: The Centre has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards narcotics and it was showing results, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday. This, he said, is necessary to achieve the objective of a healthy society and prosperous nation.

    Also, it was important from the security point of view as “the dirty money which is generated from the drug trade is used in activities against the country”, the minister said after inaugurating a two-day national conference on drug trafficking and national security.

    The conference is organised by the Narcotics Control Bureau. “When Narendra Modi ji became Prime Minister in 2014, Government of India adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs,” Shah said while adding the fight against drugs, which was progressing swiftly and in the right direction, has started showing results.

    Shah said that drugs adversely impact the younger generation, harming it like termites, and stressed that the government was committed to eliminating the scourge.

    He said that the drugs have an adverse impact not only on those consuming them but also on society, the economy and the country’s security. “We have to weed it out completely,” he said.

    Coinciding with the conference, nearly 31,000 kg of drugs were destroyed by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) teams in Delhi, Chennai, Guwahati and Kolkata.

    CHANDIGARH: The Centre has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards narcotics and it was showing results, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Saturday. This, he said, is necessary to achieve the objective of a healthy society and prosperous nation.

    Also, it was important from the security point of view as “the dirty money which is generated from the drug trade is used in activities against the country”, the minister said after inaugurating a two-day national conference on drug trafficking and national security.

    The conference is organised by the Narcotics Control Bureau. “When Narendra Modi ji became Prime Minister in 2014, Government of India adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards drugs,” Shah said while adding the fight against drugs, which was progressing swiftly and in the right direction, has started showing results.

    Shah said that drugs adversely impact the younger generation, harming it like termites, and stressed that the government was committed to eliminating the scourge.

    He said that the drugs have an adverse impact not only on those consuming them but also on society, the economy and the country’s security. “We have to weed it out completely,” he said.

    Coinciding with the conference, nearly 31,000 kg of drugs were destroyed by Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) teams in Delhi, Chennai, Guwahati and Kolkata.

  • Arrested for tweeting pic of Shah with jailed IAS officer, filmmaker Avinash Das gets bail

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Filmmaker Avinash Das, arrested by Gujarat Police in a case related to sharing on Twitter a photo of Union Home Minister Amit Shah with arrested IAS officer Pooja Singhal, was released on bail by a court here on Thursday.

    Metropolitan Magistrate M V Chauhan granted bail to Das on the condition that he shall remain present before the Ahmedabad Crime Branch during the first week of every month until the charge sheet is filed.

    The crime branch had arrested Das on Wednesday after picking him up from his Mumbai residence a day before.

    The filmmaker had also been booked for ‘insulting national honour’ by sharing on Instagram and Facebook a photo of a painting of a woman draped in the national flag.

    The court had remanded him in the crime branch custody for one day.

    When he was produced before the court again on Thursday, Das’s lawyer sought bail for him.

    The filmmaker did not share on social media any morphed or fake photos, argued advocate Uvesh Malik.

    The painting of a woman wearing the tricolor was the original creation of Canada-based artist Nimisha Bhanot and it had been put on display during a seminar in Canada about Indian culture and women, he said.

    Das had merely shared the original painting (its photo) in 2017 which did not amount to any crime because the piece of art was not morphed or distorted, advocate Malik argued.

    As to the photo of Shah and Singhal, Malik argued that it had been taken during a public function and it had already gone viral when Das tweeted it.

    Even the crime branch, in the FIR, admitted that the photo was not fake, he said.

    Sharing original art and already published photo was no crime, Malik argued.

    After hearing the arguments, the magistrate granted bail to Das on a personal bond of Rs 10,000.

    Director friend #AvinashDas @avinashonly was arrested today morning by crime branch of Gujarat Police . His anticipatory bail application is pending in Supreme Court . #ISTANDWITHAVINASHDAS pic.twitter.com/qlDw1wVQ9N— DHOOPASHWINI (@DhoopAshwini) July 19, 2022 Das had directed the 2017 film “Anaarkali of Aarah”, starring Swara Bhaskar, Sanjay Mishra and Pankaj Tripathi, and the 2021 movie “Raat Baaki Hai”.

    He had also helmed the Netflix series “She”.

    The Ahmedabad Crime Branch registered a First Information Report against the filmmaker under section 469 (forgery) of the Indian Penal Code as well as provisions of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act and Information Technology Act over his social media posts.

    The FIR against 46-year-old Das was registered in June after he shared a photo showing Singhal, who had been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, talking to Shah.

    As per the FIR, in the caption with the photo Das claimed the picture was taken a few days before Singhal’s arrest, while it was actually from 2017.

    This was done with the intention to tarnish Shah’s image, the police alleged.

    AHMEDABAD: Filmmaker Avinash Das, arrested by Gujarat Police in a case related to sharing on Twitter a photo of Union Home Minister Amit Shah with arrested IAS officer Pooja Singhal, was released on bail by a court here on Thursday.

    Metropolitan Magistrate M V Chauhan granted bail to Das on the condition that he shall remain present before the Ahmedabad Crime Branch during the first week of every month until the charge sheet is filed.

    The crime branch had arrested Das on Wednesday after picking him up from his Mumbai residence a day before.

    The filmmaker had also been booked for ‘insulting national honour’ by sharing on Instagram and Facebook a photo of a painting of a woman draped in the national flag.

    The court had remanded him in the crime branch custody for one day.

    When he was produced before the court again on Thursday, Das’s lawyer sought bail for him.

    The filmmaker did not share on social media any morphed or fake photos, argued advocate Uvesh Malik.

    The painting of a woman wearing the tricolor was the original creation of Canada-based artist Nimisha Bhanot and it had been put on display during a seminar in Canada about Indian culture and women, he said.

    Das had merely shared the original painting (its photo) in 2017 which did not amount to any crime because the piece of art was not morphed or distorted, advocate Malik argued.

    As to the photo of Shah and Singhal, Malik argued that it had been taken during a public function and it had already gone viral when Das tweeted it.

    Even the crime branch, in the FIR, admitted that the photo was not fake, he said.

    Sharing original art and already published photo was no crime, Malik argued.

    After hearing the arguments, the magistrate granted bail to Das on a personal bond of Rs 10,000.

    Director friend #AvinashDas @avinashonly was arrested today morning by crime branch of Gujarat Police . His anticipatory bail application is pending in Supreme Court . #ISTANDWITHAVINASHDAS pic.twitter.com/qlDw1wVQ9N— DHOOPASHWINI (@DhoopAshwini) July 19, 2022 Das had directed the 2017 film “Anaarkali of Aarah”, starring Swara Bhaskar, Sanjay Mishra and Pankaj Tripathi, and the 2021 movie “Raat Baaki Hai”.

    He had also helmed the Netflix series “She”.

    The Ahmedabad Crime Branch registered a First Information Report against the filmmaker under section 469 (forgery) of the Indian Penal Code as well as provisions of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act and Information Technology Act over his social media posts.

    The FIR against 46-year-old Das was registered in June after he shared a photo showing Singhal, who had been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, talking to Shah.

    As per the FIR, in the caption with the photo Das claimed the picture was taken a few days before Singhal’s arrest, while it was actually from 2017.

    This was done with the intention to tarnish Shah’s image, the police alleged.

  • Gujarat Police arrest filmmaker Avinash Das over tweets, to look for past ‘objectionable’ posts too

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Police on Wednesday arrested filmmaker Avinash Das in a case related to sharing on Twitter a photo of Union Home Minister Amit Shah with arrested IAS officer Pooja Singhal.

    The Ahmedabad crime branch, which arrested him from Mumbai, was also looking into another tweet of his which appeared to hurt the sentiments of the Hindus, and going through his older social media posts, an official said.

    As per the crime branch, Das intentionally gave a misleading caption to Shah’s photo in question.

    Das, director of the Swara Bhaskar-starrer “Anaarkali of Aarah”, was picked up from his Mumbai residence by a crime branch team on Tuesday.

    He was produced before a magistrate’s court here on Wednesday afternoon.

    The crime branch sought his custody for seven days, but Metropolitan Magistrate M V Chauhan sent Das in its custody only till Thursday afternoon.

    “Das was officially arrested at 4 am on Wednesday. We are now scanning his social media accounts to check if he had posted any other offensive material in the past,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) Chaitanya Mandlik.

    In a release, the crime branch said it has found another tweet posted by Das which appeared to be offensive and could hurt the sentiments of Hindus.

    In this Hindi tweet posted on May 1, 2016, cited in the Crime Branch release, Das had stated in a satirical way that he cannot give up alcohol because gods reside in different types of liquor.

    Das had directed the 2017 film “Anaarkali of Aarah” starring Swara Bhaskar, Sanjay Mishra and Pankaj Tripathi, and the 2021 movie “Raat Baaki Hai”.

    He had also helmed Netflix series “She”.

    The crime branch registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the filmmaker under section 469 (forgery) of the Indian Penal Code as well as provisions of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act and the Information Technology Act, as he had allegedly also posted on his Instagram and Facebook accounts a photo of a woman draped in the national flag.

    The FIR against 46-year-old Das was registered in June after he shared a photo showing IAS officer Singhal, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, saying something to Shah.

    As per the FIR, in the caption to the photo, Das claimed the picture was taken a few days before Singhal’s arrest, while it was actually from 2017.

    The misleading caption was given to tarnish Shah’s image, the crime branch claimed.

    The sessions court here in June had rejected Das’s plea for anticipatory or pre-arrest bail, observing that he had deliberately claimed that Shah’s photo with Singhal had been taken a few days before the latter’s arrest with the intention to “tarnish the image of the Home Minister.” The other photo, of a woman draped in the national flag, showed Das’s “mental perverseness”, the court had further said.

    The Gujarat High Court had also rejected his anticipatory bail application, observing that Das had violated the Prevention of Insults to the National Honour Act by circulating a painting showing a person wearing a dress made of the tricolour.

    The Bombay High Court too had rejected Das’s transit anticipatory bail application.

    AHMEDABAD: Gujarat Police on Wednesday arrested filmmaker Avinash Das in a case related to sharing on Twitter a photo of Union Home Minister Amit Shah with arrested IAS officer Pooja Singhal.

    The Ahmedabad crime branch, which arrested him from Mumbai, was also looking into another tweet of his which appeared to hurt the sentiments of the Hindus, and going through his older social media posts, an official said.

    As per the crime branch, Das intentionally gave a misleading caption to Shah’s photo in question.

    Das, director of the Swara Bhaskar-starrer “Anaarkali of Aarah”, was picked up from his Mumbai residence by a crime branch team on Tuesday.

    He was produced before a magistrate’s court here on Wednesday afternoon.

    The crime branch sought his custody for seven days, but Metropolitan Magistrate M V Chauhan sent Das in its custody only till Thursday afternoon.

    “Das was officially arrested at 4 am on Wednesday. We are now scanning his social media accounts to check if he had posted any other offensive material in the past,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime) Chaitanya Mandlik.

    In a release, the crime branch said it has found another tweet posted by Das which appeared to be offensive and could hurt the sentiments of Hindus.

    In this Hindi tweet posted on May 1, 2016, cited in the Crime Branch release, Das had stated in a satirical way that he cannot give up alcohol because gods reside in different types of liquor.

    Das had directed the 2017 film “Anaarkali of Aarah” starring Swara Bhaskar, Sanjay Mishra and Pankaj Tripathi, and the 2021 movie “Raat Baaki Hai”.

    He had also helmed Netflix series “She”.

    The crime branch registered a First Information Report (FIR) against the filmmaker under section 469 (forgery) of the Indian Penal Code as well as provisions of the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act and the Information Technology Act, as he had allegedly also posted on his Instagram and Facebook accounts a photo of a woman draped in the national flag.

    The FIR against 46-year-old Das was registered in June after he shared a photo showing IAS officer Singhal, arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case, saying something to Shah.

    As per the FIR, in the caption to the photo, Das claimed the picture was taken a few days before Singhal’s arrest, while it was actually from 2017.

    The misleading caption was given to tarnish Shah’s image, the crime branch claimed.

    The sessions court here in June had rejected Das’s plea for anticipatory or pre-arrest bail, observing that he had deliberately claimed that Shah’s photo with Singhal had been taken a few days before the latter’s arrest with the intention to “tarnish the image of the Home Minister.” The other photo, of a woman draped in the national flag, showed Das’s “mental perverseness”, the court had further said.

    The Gujarat High Court had also rejected his anticipatory bail application, observing that Das had violated the Prevention of Insults to the National Honour Act by circulating a painting showing a person wearing a dress made of the tricolour.

    The Bombay High Court too had rejected Das’s transit anticipatory bail application.

  • UP Dalit minister writes to Shah announcing his resignation, cites ‘bureaucratic indifference’

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: UP Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Dinesh Khatik, who is considered to be an influential Dalit leader, sent his resignation from Yogi Adityanath’s cabinet through a letter written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah here on Wednesday.

    In his letter, the minister claimed that he is not getting any support from the officials of his department.

    While announcing his resignation, Khatik, a two-time MLA, complained that the officials of his department neither listened to him nor did they inform him about the meetings and other developments taking place in Jal Shakti department.

    Khatik, in his letter, claimed that he was being purposely ignored by the officials because of his caste as he is from the downtrodden and deprived section of the society.

    The copy of the letter written by Khatik, a BJP MLA from Hastinapur in Meerut, is doing rounds on social media. He did not attend the cabinet meeting chaired by CM Yogi on Tuesday and is believed to have relinquished the security and official vehicle provided to him.

    After remaining incommunicado during Tuesday, Khatik, on Wednesday,  gave a cryptic reply to media persons’ query over his purported resignation saying that there was no issue at all.

    In his letter, Khatik targeted the bureaucracy directly saying that he was being made to feel by the officials of the department that the MoS should not expect anything more than an official car and there his role ended. However, the minister did not say anything about his senior minister, Swatantra Dev Singh, who is also state BJP chief.

    In the letter that repeatedly referred to the fact that he was a Dalit, Khatik said he was not taken into confidence by the officials in matters related to the ministry. He was not even invited to any of the departmental meetings.

    He also alleged corruption by the officers in transfers and postings. Referring to an instance where he sought information on July 9 about transfers in the department after receiving complaints of irregularities and corruption, the minister said that he was yet to get a response from the officials concerned. He even claimed that the PM’s favourite Namai Gange project was also marred in corruption on the ground.

    Some of his aides indicated that the minister may be meeting party leaders in Delhi soon.

    However, the Cabinet minister for Jal Shakti Swatantra Dev Singh, who is also the state BJP chief, had earlier denied rumours that Khatik was unhappy. “I talk to him daily,” said Singh.

    As per the buzz around, Khatik had also met BJP organisational secretary Sunil Bansal in Lucknow on Tuesday before heading to his constituency Hastinapur, to share his anguish and was directed by Bansal to talk to senior leaders.

    LUCKNOW: UP Minister of State for Jal Shakti, Dinesh Khatik, who is considered to be an influential Dalit leader, sent his resignation from Yogi Adityanath’s cabinet through a letter written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah here on Wednesday.

    In his letter, the minister claimed that he is not getting any support from the officials of his department.

    While announcing his resignation, Khatik, a two-time MLA, complained that the officials of his department neither listened to him nor did they inform him about the meetings and other developments taking place in Jal Shakti department.

    Khatik, in his letter, claimed that he was being purposely ignored by the officials because of his caste as he is from the downtrodden and deprived section of the society.

    The copy of the letter written by Khatik, a BJP MLA from Hastinapur in Meerut, is doing rounds on social media. He did not attend the cabinet meeting chaired by CM Yogi on Tuesday and is believed to have relinquished the security and official vehicle provided to him.

    After remaining incommunicado during Tuesday, Khatik, on Wednesday,  gave a cryptic reply to media persons’ query over his purported resignation saying that there was no issue at all.

    In his letter, Khatik targeted the bureaucracy directly saying that he was being made to feel by the officials of the department that the MoS should not expect anything more than an official car and there his role ended. However, the minister did not say anything about his senior minister, Swatantra Dev Singh, who is also state BJP chief.

    In the letter that repeatedly referred to the fact that he was a Dalit, Khatik said he was not taken into confidence by the officials in matters related to the ministry. He was not even invited to any of the departmental meetings.

    He also alleged corruption by the officers in transfers and postings. Referring to an instance where he sought information on July 9 about transfers in the department after receiving complaints of irregularities and corruption, the minister said that he was yet to get a response from the officials concerned. He even claimed that the PM’s favourite Namai Gange project was also marred in corruption on the ground.

    Some of his aides indicated that the minister may be meeting party leaders in Delhi soon.

    However, the Cabinet minister for Jal Shakti Swatantra Dev Singh, who is also the state BJP chief, had earlier denied rumours that Khatik was unhappy. “I talk to him daily,” said Singh.

    As per the buzz around, Khatik had also met BJP organisational secretary Sunil Bansal in Lucknow on Tuesday before heading to his constituency Hastinapur, to share his anguish and was directed by Bansal to talk to senior leaders.

  • Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis to meet PM Modi: Sources

    The duo also met Union Home minister Amit Shah. Earlier, the newly elected speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Rahul Narwekar also called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

  • ‘What about Adhikaris, Scindias and Vijayvargiyas?’ Trinamool mocks Shah’s vow to end ‘dynasty rule’

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Slamming Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his comment that the BJP will end “family rule” in West Bengal and Telangana, the TMC on Sunday asserted that people of the eastern state rejected the “divisive politics” of the saffron camp in the assembly elections last year and voted the Mamata Banerjee-led party to power for the third consecutive term.

    In his address at the BJP national executive meeting in Hyderabad, Shah called for ending the politics of dynasty, casteism and appeasement.

    He also said the party will end “family rule” in Telangana and West Bengal and form governments in states where power has so far remained out of its reach.

    Reacting to Shah’s comments, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said, “If the BJP holds a mirror to itself, the party will see how it has been abetting politics of dynasty. It inducted the entire Adhikari family of Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district in its fold – Suvendu and his two brothers – and Amit Shah had invited Suvendu’s father Sisir Adhikari in his public meeting. And what about the Scindia family and Kailash Vijayvargiya’s son? In Trinamool Congress, no such things happen.”

    He also claimed that “Shah, whose dream to occupy power in West Bengal was not fulfilled in 2021”, is yet to “digest the humiliating defeat” in the last year’s assembly polls.

    “His comments stem from frustration and desperation,” the TMC leader said.

    The TMC won 213 assembly seats in the last year’s polls, while the BJP bagged 77.

    Later, several saffron camp legislators joined the ruling party.

    Briefing reporters on the Shah’s speech, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the union home minister cited the BJP’s win in a series of polls to assert that it underlined people’s approval of the party’s “politics of development and performance”.

    Ghosh also criticised Sarma for “making political statement at the BJP’s national executive meeting at a time when people of his state are affected by floods”.

    “When Assam is reeling under major floods, and lakhs of people are hit by the deluge, the chief minister of the state is busy with making political statement at his party’s meet instead of standing by the side of those who elected him. Here lies the difference between the Trinamool Congress and the BJP”.

  • Next 30-40 years will be era of BJP: Amit Shah at party’s national executive meet

    By PTI

    HYDERABAD: Asserting that the next 30 to 40 years will be the era of the BJP which will make India a “vishwa guru” (world leader), its senior leader Amit Shah said on Sunday the party will end “family rule” in Telangana and West Bengal and also form governments in states where power has so far remained out of its reach.

    In his address at the BJP national executive meeting while proposing political resolution, the Union home minister called for ending the politics of dynasty, casteism and appeasement and cited the party’s win in a string of recent polls as an endorsement of its “politics of development and performance”.

    He identified southern India as the region for its next round of growth, and said the opposition had become disjointed and dispirited with members of the Congress fighting for democracy within their organisation as its ruling family clung to its position.

    He also hailed as “historic” the recent Supreme Court verdict dismissing a plea challenging the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) clean chit to 64 people, including then chief minister Narendra Modi, in the 2002 Gujarat riots case.

    The court had also come down hard on the petitioners. The apex court has exposed opposition parties, a section of media and some NGOs for their conspiracy to defame Modi, he said.

    The BJP leader said Modi received insults, maintained silence while facing the SIT and kept his faith in the Constitution while contrasting this with the Congress’ attempt to spread “anarchy” after its leader Rahul Gandhi was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate in the National Herald case.

    The opposition party had launched nationwide protests, blaming the ruling party’s vendetta for the probe against its top functionaries.

    Briefing reporters on Shah’s speech, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said Modi never did the kind of “drama” that Gandhi has done while facing a lawful investigation.

    The home minister said Modi drank all the poison thrown at him like Lord Shiva and faced the probe.

    Sarma parried queries on whether the killing of Udaipur tailor Kanhaiya Lal, who was hacked to death by two Islamic fanatics, or the row involving suspended BJP member Nupur Sharma over her objectionable remarks against Prophet Mohammad was part of deliberations at the national executive meet, but added that specific incidents are generally not discussed at such a conclave where the focus is on “macro” issues.

    He, though, alleged that had the Congress not started politics of appeasement, incidents like Udaipur killing might not have happened.

    The home minister in his address called for ending “dynastic politics, casteism and politics of appeasement” and termed them “greatest sins” and the reason behind the country’s sufferings over the years.

    Communalism and fundamentalism are products of appeasement, Sarma said.

    The home minister in his nearly hour-long speech cited the BJP’s win in a series of polls to assert that it underlined people’s approval of the party’s “politics of development and performance”. He also sought an end to political violence. Sarma, though, did not elaborate on this.

    The BJP has in the past accused parties such as the ruling Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and the Left in Kerala of resorting to violence against its workers.

    The party’s political resolution also praised the Agnipath scheme for short-term recruitment in armed forces which had sparked public protests and criticism from opposition parties, and lauded the government’s courage for taking a host of initiatives for the country’s development, Sarma said.

    Claiming that the BJP will end family rule in states like Telangana and West Bengal, Shah said it will come to power in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Odisha, states which have so far remained out of the saffron party’s power march since it formed government at the Centre in 2014.

    There was a “collective hope and finding” at the meeting that the BJP’s next round of growth will come from south India, Sarma added.

    Slamming Shah for his remarks, the Trinamool Congress said the people of West Bengal rejected the BJP’s “divisive politics” in the assembly elections last year.

    TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh claimed that “Shah, whose dream to occupy power in West Bengal was not fulfilled in 2021”, was yet to “digest the humiliating defeat”.

    “If the BJP holds a mirror to itself, the party will see how it has been abetting politics of dynasty. It inducted the entire Adhikari family of Bengal’s Purba Medinipur district in its fold — Suvendu and his two brothers — and Amit Shah had invited Suvendu’s father Sisir Adhikari in his public meeting. And what about the Scindia family and Kailash Vijayvargiya’s son? In Trinamool Congress, no such things happen,” Ghosh said.

    Targeting the Congress, Shah said it has become a party of family with the Gandhi family not letting internal organisational elections happen because it fears losing its control of the party.

    The opposition is disjointed and has been opposing everything good the government does, he said, referring to issues such as the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, construction of Ram temple, surgical strikes and abrogation of Article 370. “The Congress has been affected by ‘Modi phobia’ and opposes every decision of the Modi government taken in national interest,” he said.

    Lauding the prime minister’s leadership, the home minister said he is now considered as “one of the top leaders” in the world and is sought out for his views on a host of issues ranging from environment to terrorism.

    Referring to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance’s presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu, he said the saffron party under the Modi government chose a Dalit, incumbent President Ram Nath Kovind, and now a Scheduled Tribe during the two elections for the top constitutional post and asked party members to publicise the story of Murmu’s life and struggle.

    With the BJP in power in all the northeastern states either on its own or as part of alliances, Shah said the region will remain a stronghold of the party. All disputes in the region will be resolved by 2024, he added, a reference to boundary conflicts and militancy there.

  • ‘Next 30-40 years to be era of BJP’: Amit Shat at party’s national executive meet

    By PTI

    HYDERABAD: Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah asserted on Sunday that the next 30 to 40 years will be the era of his party and India will become a “vishwa guru” (world leader).

    While proposing the political resolution at the BJP national executive meeting here, Shah said “dynastic politics, casteism and politics of appeasement” were the “greatest sins” and the reason behind the country’s sufferings over the years.

    Briefing reporters on his speech, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Shah cited the BJP’s win in a series of polls to assert that it underlined people’s approval of the party’s “politics of development and performance” and called for ending the politics of family rule, casteism and appeasement.

    The home minister said the BJP will end family rule in states like Telangana and West Bengal and also come to power in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha among other states which have so far remained out of the saffron party’s power march since it formed government at the Centre in 2014.

    There was a “collective hope and finding” at the meeting that the BJP’s next round of growth will come from south India, Sarma added.

  • Devendra Fadnavis will join Maharashtra government in state’s interest: Amit Shah

    By Online Desk

    On the request of BJP president JP Nadda, party leader in Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis has decided to join the government in the interest of the state, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Thursday evening.

    During a press meet earlier in the day, Fadnavis had said that BJP would support a new minority government led by Shiv Sena rebel group leader Eknath Shinde, who will be sworn in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra.

    Then it was considered to be a foregone conclusion that Fadnavis will become the CM for the third time, in alliance with the Shinde-led Sena rebels.

    Fadnavis had sprang a surprise when he announced that Shinde will be the next chief minister.

    His announcement defied expectations that he would return to the post with the support of the Shinde faction.

    The BJP will extend support to Shinde’s group, said Fadnavis, a former chief minister and currently Leader of Opposition in the Assembly, while adding that he would be out of government but will ensure its smooth functioning.

    However, soon Nadda tweeted that Fadnavis will be part of the government “Devendra Fadnavis has shown big heart and decided to join the new Maharashtra cabinet,” Nadda said and added that it has been proved that BJP never had a desire for chief minister’s post and Shiv Sena leader Uddhav Thackeray left their alliance “for greed” of this post.

    This is a breaking news. The story will be updated soon

  • Rebel Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde met Amit Shah, Devendra Fadnavis in Gujarat on Friday: Sources

    Express News Service

    MUMBAI: While the BJP is said to be distancing themselves from Maharashtra minister’s Eknath Shinde rebellion, terming it as internal matter of Shiv Sena, it has now been reported that Union Home Minister Amit Shah and state Opposition leader Devendra Fadnavis had a confidential meeting in Vadodara with Shinde late Friday night. 

    According to highly placed sources, Fadnavis was seen at Mumbai airport on Friday night taking a flight to Gujarat and it is believed that Shinde, who left Guwahati’s Blue Radisson Hotel where all rebels are campled, had met Shah to discuss their further strategy and solve the crisis.

    “The rebel camp wasn’t expecting the party to disqualify them as MLAs for defacation, as they will be in trouble if the disqualifaction is a succes. The Assembly deputy speaker has also called them for an hearing to the disqualification notice and if all of them come together, then a solution can be brought opon to keep the flock together,” said a source requesting anonymity.

    “Even during Chagan Bhujbal’s revolt against Shiv Sena, initially 18 MLAs had rebelled but in reality only 11 were left.  Beside, when Narayan Rane left Shiv Sena, that time also same issue happen. Shinde is worried about repeating the same history and that will jeopardise both his political career and BJP’s dream of coming back to power in Maharashtra,” the source added.

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    He said that Shinde had asked the BJP to find out the solutions for this crisis. “It has been five days since the rebel MLAs are outside Maharashtra. Their restlessness is increasing due to insecurity and protests against them in their respective constituencies by Shiv Sainiks. If there is any delay in government formation, then things can slip out of their hand,” he said.

    “While such operations have to be carried out quickly, this is taking more time and it can damage to such an extent that the fight is likely to dragged to court and state assembly only. Therefore, Shinde asked for Shah and other leader’s immediate intervention and hence, the Vadodara meeting was arranged,” he added. Fadnavis, who also attended this high level meeting, wasn’t not available for a comment.

    Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said that six rebel ministers will be sacked from Uddhav Thackeray’s ministry and gave a ’24 hour ultimatum’ to come back and meet the chief minister to whom they can put forth their demands. 

    “Our government follows laws. Therefore, it will take little time but the ministers and MLAs who cheated us will face the public music. The legal team is working over and within 24 hours, we will see the result,” Raut said.These rebel ministers include Eknath Shinde, Gulabrao Patil, Dada Bhuse, Sandepan Bhumars besides Bacchu Kadu.

    Sources said that Thackeray will write to governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari demanding sacking of the said ministers.

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    Earlier today, Shinde alleged that the security of the rebel Shiv Sena MLAs and that of their family members was removed. “If something happens with them, then this Aghadi government including the chief minister and home minister will be held responsible,” he said.

    However, home minister Dilip Walse Patil denied the report that no such decision of removing security has been taken and in fact looking at the present political situation, the security has been provided.