News Analysis India

Tag: Amit Shah

  • Chhattisgarh encounter: Attack will be avenged, says Shah; cops to submit report to MHA on Monday

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a high-level meeting on Sunday evening to take stock of the situation in Bijapur following the encounter.

    Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla, Intelligence Bureau Director Arvind Kumar and senior officials of the home ministry and the CRPF attended the meeting.

    Shah, who returned to Delhi cutting short his poll trip to Assam, said, “Our security men have lost their lives. We will not tolerate this bloodshed and a befitting reply will be given at an appropriate time.” 

    “Our fight against Naxalites will continue with strength, perseverance and intensity and we will take it to the end,” the ministry said, in an official statement. 

    Shah also spoke to Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, who told him that the Naxals have indulged in such act just to make their presence felt as people are getting disillusioned with the Maoists ideology.

    The Chhattisgarh Police will submit a report on the encounter to Union Home Ministry on Monday, sources said.

    The report will be submitted first to CM Baghel before being sent to the Centre, they added.Baghel said the incident showed the desperation of the Maoists “who are now restricted to the small pockets” in south Chhattisgarh.

    “Our fight against the rebels will continue till we achieve a Maoist-free Bastar,” he said. 

    Baghel, who was spearheading the Congress’ election campaign in Assam, returned to Raipur on Sunday evening and faced criticism from opposition for his preoccupation with Assam polls.  

    Opposition flays CM over poll campaign

    CM Baghel, who was spearheading the Congress campaign in Assam, returned to Raipur on Sunday and faced criticism from opposition.

    The state is paying the price for his “irresponsible attitude and poor governance”,  said BJP’s Dharamlal Kaushik.

    Will set up more security camps in remote areas: CRPF DG

    Raipur: Maoists are “frustrated” because security camps have been set up in remote areas of Chhattisgarh and this process will be speeded up now to launch more serious operations against them, CRPF Director General Kuldiep Singh said.

    He said “lessons are learnt” from every incident and they will see and analyse “what changes have been brought by the Naxals” to effectively counter them. Singh said the Maoists are frustrated and troubled because of the induction of five new battalions in the Bastar and the creation of new bases in remote areas.

    “They (Naxals) think if they mount heavy casualties on us they can deter us… But this does not happen,” he said. The DG asserted that the new camps “will be established and now this process will be made fast so that we can launch more operations.”

  • Befitting reply to Chattisgarh Naxal attack will be given at appropriate time: Union Home Minister Amit Shah

    By PTI
    GUWAHATI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said a befitting reply will be given to the Naxal attack in Chhatisgarh at an appropriate time.

    He also said search operations are continuing in Chhattisgarh following the encounter.

    ”As far as the numbers are concerned, both sides have suffered losses and exact casualty figures cannot be ascertained immediately”, Shah said, after cutting short his election campaigning in Assam.

    The home minister is flying back to Delhi to take stock of the situation.

    ”Our securitymen have lost their lives, we will not tolerate this bloodshed and a befitting reply will be given at an appropriate time”, he added.

    Bodies of 17 of the 18 jawans missing after the encounter were recovered on Sunday, taking the death toll to 22, police said separately.

    Shah, addressed his first rally of the day at Sorbhog.

    Though he arrived at Sualkuchi, in Jalkubari constituency, to campaign for NEDA convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma, he left the area, without making any speeches to take a chopper back to Guwahati en-route to Delhi on learning of the Naxal attack.

    The home minister said that he was appealing to people to vote for Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to ensure Sarma’s victory by a huge margin.

    He added that the vote would strengthen the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his work for Assam and the North East.

    Shah said that both Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Sarma are working to develop the state and ”we want this to continue”.

  • Home Minister Amit Shah describes Rahul Gandhi as ‘tourist politician’ at poll rally in Kerala’s Wayanad

    By PTI
    MEENANGADI: Taking a dig at the Congress, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said Rahul Gandhi is a “tourist politician” who had represented Amethi for 15 years in Parliament, before shifting to Wayanad in Kerala.

    He alleged for the Congress and the Gandhi family, people are just a vote bank and government a money bank.

    Shah also ridiculed the left and Congress for their poll pact in West Bengal and said the Communists and Congress need to merge and form a new party which can be called ‘Comrade Congress Party”.

    Launching his attack on Gandhi who was in neighbouring Kozhikode district for campaigning earlier in the day, Shah said: “This Wayanad is a also the constituency of Rahul baba. He was representing Amethi for 15 years. Nothing changed there. Now he has come here.”

    “I have never seen a tourist politician like Rahul baba. Sometimes he will be in Amethi, sometimes in Wayanad. He is here as a tourist and don’t expect any development from his side,” the union minister said.

    The UPA government was ruling for ten years.

    The people voted them to power for development.

    Instead they engaged in corruption and scams worth Rs 12 lakh crore, Shah alleged, adding “for the Congress and the Gandhi family, people are just a vote bank and government is a money bank.”

    Shah, who arrived here from neighbouring Tamil Nadu, was addressing party workers at Meenangadi in Wayanad campaigning for the BJP-NDA candidate C K Janu, a tribal leader who is contesting from Sultan Bathery.

    If BJP candidates are voted, Wayanad will be made the most developed district in the country, he said.

    Attacking the LDF and UDF, Shah said development has taken a back seat in Kerala since the last two decades.

    The state was once a favourite destination of tourists in the country, besides also being the most literate.

    But the LDF-UDF fronts, which have been ruling the state alternatively for several years, have stalled the state’s development and was engaged in corruption, appeasement politics and political violence, the BJP leader alleged.

    “The UDF-LDF indulge in appeasement politics while the BJP-NDA is for development politics,” he said.

    Attacking the Communists and the Congress, he said “they are confused.”

    He pointed out that in Kerala, they were rivals and fight against each other, while in West Bengal they are allies and embrace each other.

    “I would like to ask the Congress and Communists if you are doing politics of ideology or politics of power. Congress and Communists begin with the letter ‘C’ and confusion also begins with the C.”

    “They are confused about their policies, leadership and ideology and this will not help the state in any manner. They need to merge and form a new party which can be called ‘Comrade Congress Party,” Shah said, lacing his speech with sarcasm.

    The CPI(M) has links with the SDPI (Social Democratic Party of India), the political arm of the Popular Front of India (PFI), while the Congress and the Indian Union Muslim League are allies, the Union minister said as he turned the heat on the LDF over the gold, dollar smuggling cases and the UDF in the Solar scam.

    The gold smuggling case relates to the seizure of around 30 kg of gold worth Rs 14.82 crore from a diplomatic baggage at the Thiruvananthapuram airport in July last year and the dollar scam pertains to alleged smuggling of USD 1,90,000 (equivalent to Rs 1.30 crore) by a former finance head of the UAE consulate.

    The Solar scandal, which hit the previous UDF government, relates to a couple cheating people of crores of rupees by promising to instal solar panels and offering franchise and jobs.

    Shah alleged that under the leadership of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, gold smuggling took place and if the Congress-UDF comes to power, they will appoint those involved in the solar scam as chief minister.

    He also repeated his questions with regard to the gold smuggling case to Vijayan and sought answers from him before the April 6 assembly polls.

    On the Sabarimala issue, the union minister said when the state witnessed violent protests after the left government decided to implement the Supeme Court verdict, lathis were used against Ayyappa pilgrims, including women, mothers, children and the Congress remained silent.

    The BJP-NDA wants the temple administration to be handed over to devotees,Shah said.

    He claimed the communists were engaged in violent politics and have killed thousands of RSS workers.

    “The BJP cannot be threatened and will ensure that the Lotus blooms in the state,” Shah said.

    The Union Home Minister later held a road show at Kozhikode for party candidate M T Ramesh.

  • EC should also bar PM Modi, Amit Shah from campaigning in Assam: Congress

    Randeep Singh Surjewala on Saturday said the EC should also ban Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and JP Nadda from campaigning to ensure free and fair elections in the state.

  • Amit Shah claims Mamata Banerjee has clearly lost the poll battle in West Bengal

    By PTI
    BARUIPUR: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday claimed that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has clearly lost the poll battle in West Bengal and said the Citizenship Amendment Act will be on the agenda in the first meeting of the new BJP government which will come to power in the state.

    Shah held two roadshows in the state during the day one at Baruipur in South 24 Parganas and another at Arambagh in Hoogly district.

    The top BJP leader claimed that going by the feedback he has received the party has already won 50 out of the 60 seats, election to which was held in the first two phases and will bag more than 200 of the total 294 assembly.

    “We will definitely win over 200 seats altogether,” he told a TV news channel during his roadshow at Baruipur.

    ALSO READ | Bengal polls: ‘Not your party’s member’, Mamata hits back at Modi over second seat contest dig

    To a question he said The Citizenship Amendment Act will be taken up in the first meeting of the new BJP government which will come to power in West Bengal.

    The party will give top priority to the safety of women in the state.

    Asked to comment on Banerjees claim that she will win from Nandigram with a comfortable margin, Shah said “It is clear that she has lost the battle.

    She is making such tall claims now as she has no option. She has to make such a statement.” Banerjee took on her former lieutenant turned BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari in the hotly contested seat, election to which was held in the second phase on April 1.

    BJP workers, carrying high the partys lotus symbol and balloons in its colors shouting Jai Shree Ram and Aar Noy Annay (no more injustice) were seen following the flower bedecked truck on which Shah stood waving as a large number of onlookers gathered on both sides of road braving the summer heat.

    At Baruipur the roadshow covered 1 km and at Arambagh 1.5 km.

  • Mamata government runs on 3T model of ‘Tolabaji, Tanashahi, Tushtikaran’: Amit Shah

    By PTI
    SITALKUCHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday lashed out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, accusing her of running the TMC government in the state on the 3T model of ‘Tolabaji’ (extortion), ‘Tanashahi’ (dictatorship) and ‘Tushtikaran’ (appeasement).

    Shah exuded confidence that Banerjee, who is contesting her former lieutenant and BJP candidate Suvendu Adhikari in Nandigram seat, will lose from the constituency in Purba Medinipur district.

    Identifying cross-border infiltration as the biggest problem of the north Bengal region, which he claimed faced injustice at the hands of the TMC government, the Union home minister promised to completely stop illegal immigration from neighbouring Bangladesh if the BJP is voted to power in the state.

    He also promised that the BJP will spend Rs 2,000 crore annually on north Bengal’s development and establish an AIIMS to cater to the medical necessities of the people of the region.

    Addressing an election rally in Coochbehar district’s Sitalkuchi, situated near the India-Bangladesh border, he said, “Cross-border Infiltration is north Bengal’s biggest problem.

    ALSO READ | Bengal, Assam polls: Doom of Opposition in Modi’s crystal ball

    The TMC government can never stop it, only we can.”

    “Mamata Banerjee runs the state government on the 3T model of ‘Tolabaji’ (extortion), ‘Tanashahi’ (dictatorship) and ‘Tushtikaran’ (appeasement),” he said.

    Exuding confidence of coming to power in the state with a massive mandate, Shah said, “We are winning in the first two phases of elections (held on March 27 and April 1). Mamata didi is losing in Nandigram.”

    Shah accused the TMC government of meting out injustice to the north Bengal region.

    “Mamata didi has done nothing for the development of the region.

    After coming to power, the BJP will constitute a North Bengal Development Board and spend Rs 2,000 crore annually on the region’s development.

    “We will also establish an AIIMS, which will cater to the medical necessities of not only Coochbehar district but also of the entire region,” he said.

    The constituencies in Coochbehar district will go to polls in the fourth phase on April 10.

    Results of all the 294 assembly seats will be declared on May 2.

  • Every promise in Bodo agreement will be fulfilled before 2022 for peaceful Assam: Amit Shah

    By ANI
    CHIRANG: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday, while addressing a public meet in Assam’s Chirang, said Bharatiya Janata Party will fulfil every promise made in the Bodoland agreement before 2022.

    “I have come here to promise you that the Government of India will implement every single promise made in the Bodo agreement before 2022 for a peaceful Assam,” Shah said.

    Speaking about the recurrent floods in the state, the former BJP National President said that it is very necessary that the state is made free from floods.

    “In our ‘Sankalp Patra’, we have promised to make Assam flood-free in the next 5 years,” he added.

    The senior leader attacked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over alliance with Badruddin Ajmal’s All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF).

    “Rahul Baba is in Assam as a tourist nowadays. He says Badruddin Ajmal is Assam’s identity. You tell me if Ajmal is Assam’s identity or Bhupen Hazarika, Upendra Nath, and Shankar Dev are the state’s identity,” Shah further said.

    The Union Minister also said that Ajmal can’t be Assam’s identity.

    The second phase of voting will be held on April 1 in the state.

    Polling for the last phase will be held on April 6 and counting of votes will take place on May 2.

    The first phase took place on March 27 with a voter turnout of nearly 77 per cent. (ANI)

  • Sharad Pawar might have met Amit Shah for ‘some work’: Maharashtra BJP chief

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: After Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party’s refusals of Amit Shah and Sharad Pawar meeting in Ahmedabad, Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil has stated that the NCP supremo might have met the Union Minister for “some work”.

    Speaking to the media, Patil said, “Such meetings take place at this level. This is our country’s culture, we must meet besides politics. A meeting is not only meant for political discussion. Amit Shah is the country’s Home Minister and Sharad Pawar might have met him for some work.”

    NCP leader Nawab Malik on Sunday dismissed the reports of meeting between Pawar and Shah. He also alleged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is ‘spreading rumors’.

    “A newspaper in Gujarat published a piece of news that (Sharad) Pawar Sahib and Praful Patel met Amit Shah. For the last two days, rumors are being spread on Twitter. No such meeting took place,” Malik said.

    On the other side, Shiv Sena MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut on Monday refuted reports about the alleged meeting between the NCP chief and the Union Minister.

    Earlier at a press conference, Shah had also refrained from confirming the reports of his meeting with NCP supremo, saying that “everything cannot be made public”.  

  • NCP’s Nawab Malik debunks Sharad Pawar-Amit Shah meet speculation, attacks BJP

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra minister and NCP national spokesperson Nawab Malik on Sunday rubbished talk of a meeting between his party chief Sharad Pawar and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

    He further alleged that such talk was the BJP’s way of creating “confusion”.

    “It is a completely false information deliberately pushed by some people to create confusion. It is something that BJP wants to create some confusion. Such a meeting has not taken place. There is no reason that Pawar should meet Shah,” Malik said.

    There has been speculation in political circles that Shah met Pawar and Praful Patel at a top industrialist’s residence in Ahmedabad on Saturday.

    At a press conference in New Delhi on Sunday, Shah parried a query on the purported meeting, saying everything cannot be made public.

  • What else they can do for face-saving: Shah on Kerala govt ordering judicial probe against central agencies

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said that the Kerela government does not have any other option left other than ordering a judicial inquiry against the central agency probe into Kerala gold smuggling scam for “face-saving”.

    Addressing a press conference in the national capital, Shah said, “What else they can do for face-saving? They don’t have any other option after their principal secretary has been arrested in the gold scam.”

    “It is their natural reaction. I’m not surprised,” he added.

    The Kerala Cabinet on Friday recommended a judicial probe against central investigation agencies subject to approval from the Election Commission, following an ongoing probe into several cases, including the Kerala gold smuggling case. The decision was taken at a virtual cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

    The Kerala gold smuggling case, which is being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA,) along with the Enforcement Directorate and the customs department, pertains to the smuggling of gold in the state through diplomatic channels.

    The matter had come to light after 30 kilograms of gold worth Rs 14.82 crores, smuggled in a consignment camouflaged as diplomatic baggage, was busted by customs in Thiruvananthapuram on July 5 last year. The customs department had also arrested Unitac Builders MD Santhosh Eappen also in a US Dollar smuggling case.