News Analysis India

Tag: Bhupesh Baghel

  • BJP’s double standard on CAA exposed, party scared to raise issue in Assam: Baghel

    He said the BJP had been avoiding answers on unemployment, inflation, devastating floods, the plight of tea plantation workers and the thriving syndicate of smugglers.

  • COVID-19: Amid surge in cases, Baghel asks Chhattisgarh officials to ramp up tests, vaccination

    By PTI
    RAIPUR: Amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday chaired a meeting of his cabinet ministers and senior officials to ensure guidelines are enforced to check the spread of the virus in view of the upcoming Holi festival and wedding season.

    Chhattisgarh on Saturday recorded 1,273 cases, the highest single-day spike in this year.

    The CM also directed that the number of daily COVID-19 tests be increased as well as the vaccination drive be expedited, a state public relations department official said.

    Discussions were held on closing schools, anganwadi centres, colleges and universities and holding online exams except Class X and XII board examinations, he said.

    Talking to reporters after the meet, state Agriculture Minister Ravindra Choubey said, “In view of the present situation, immediate directives have been issued to restrict children from visiting anganwadi centres and students from coming to schools and colleges, which have been asked to continue academic activities online.”

    However, official orders are yet to be issued for shutting these facilities, and schools, colleges and universities, which were shut since the coronavirus-induced lockdown imposed in the country last year, were reopened from February 15, though only students of Classes IX to XII had to attend.

    During the meeting, Baghel reviewed arrangements made to contain the spread of the virus and the status of the vaccination drive, the official added.

    “The CM asked various departments to hold meetings and issue necessary guidelines in view of Holi festivals, wedding season and other social functions,” he said.

    The state has a caseload of 3,23,153, as on Saturday, including 3,11,520 recoveries, and 3,940 deaths.

  • Congress to bag over 100 seats in Assam, says Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel

    By PTI
    DIBRUGARH: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who is in Assam on a three-day visit to canvas for Congress candidates, criticised the ruling BJP on Sunday for its alleged failure to fulfil promises, and asserted that his party will bag more than 100 seats in the 126-member Assembly.

    Baghel, who is also the senior observer of the Congress for Assam polls, said the saffron camp had vowed to take steps to seal the state’s border with Bangladesh, and construct expressways on the two sides of the Brahmaputra river, but none of that happened in the last five years.

    Hitting out at the ruling party for “not having a development agenda”, Baghel further claimed that members of the BJP are still confused if Sarabananda Sonowal is the state’s chief minister or Himanta Biswa Sarma.

    Baghel also accused the BJP government of running a ‘syndicate raj’ and institutionalising corruption in various sectors such as coal supply and betel leaf trade.

    “The BJP had promised to seal the Bangladesh border, construct Expressways on both sides of Brahmaputra river and raise daily wages of tea garden workers but they failed to deliver.

    The way things are going, we are confident that our party get hundred plus seats in Assam,” the Chhattisgarh CM, who is campaigning for the Congress in Upper Assam, said during a press conference here.

    Elections to the 126-member Assam House will be held in three phases between March 27 and April 6.

    Assembly seats in Upper Assam are scheduled to go to polls during the first phase.

    The Congress, which has formed a Grand Alliance with the AIUDF, BPF, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML), the Anchalik Gana Morcha (AGM) and the RJD, is set to contest 43 of the 47 seats, which are up for polls in the first phase.

  • Chhattisgarh deaths: Murder, not suicide, says BJP in Assembly

    Some BJP MLAs said they had visited Bathena village on Monday and their interaction with residents revealed shortcomings in the police probe.

  • BJP fears Gandhi-Nehru family most, very scared of Rahul too: Bhupesh Baghel

    By PTI
    GUWAHATI: The BJP “fears” the Gandhi- Nehru family the most in Indian politics, feels Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, who also insisted that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is the “only choice” for the party’s national president post.

    Baghel said the saffron party is also very scared of Gandhi as he constantly raises pertinent issues affecting the people.

    “If BJP fears someone or something the most, it is the Gandhi-Nehru family. When Indira Gandhi came to power, then the same Jan Sangh people used to call her ‘gungi gudiya’ (dumb doll). They made fun of her using that phrase. “But, Indira Gandhi proved that she was an iron lady through her work. When she got a chance, she divided Pakistan and created Bangladesh. The world has not seen anything like what she did,” Baghel told PTI in an interview.

    The Chhattisgarh CM, a close confidante of Rahul Gandhi, said the Lok Sabha MP is the only pan-India leader fighting against the BJP and RSS across the country.

    “Why is the BJP so scared of Rahul Gandhi? He is just an MP. Because Rahul is down to earth. He listens to the voice of common people and raises their issues,” Baghel said.

    Gandhi speaks about every segment – youths, the unemployed, women, farmers, Adivasis and scheduled tribes – he added.

    “That is why BJP is scared of him. because he speaks the truth. Rahul lives in the heart of people and that pinches BJP’s heart,” Baghel said.

    Baghel said Rahul Gandhi is the only choice for Congress national president, the election for which will take place by June after the completion of assembly polls in five states.

    Asked about the reason behind such confidence in the Congress leader despite a dismal performance by the party in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls under his leadership, the CM said, “That is why he resigned.

    He had the moral courage to accept that.

    ” The 2019 defeat was the worst for the Congress along with that of 2014, but nobody raised a finger at leadership, he said.

    “Rahul Gandhi worked hard throughout the country. BJP got votes on emotional ground due to the Balakot surgical strike. But, the issues raised by him are still valid. He is the only leader at the national level,” Baghel said.

    Talking more about the 2019 general elections, the Chhattisgarh chief minister said BJP leaders were leaving the party before the Pulwama incident took place.

    “They did not seek votes for demonetisation or GST. Instead, they asked for votes underscoring the valour of our army after the surgical strike. “And, they have still not been able to tell how 300 kg of RDX reached the place that killed our 40 jawans.

    There is no investigation into that. It is a big question,” Baghel said.

    On whether Priyanka Gandhi will be given more responsibility at the national level in days to come, he said it will be decided by the party high command, but all will “welcome that”.

  • Bhupesh Baghel arrives at Karneshwar Dham in Sihawa region

    Bhupesh Baghel reached Sihawa. CM Saptarishi reached the Karneshwar Dham in the Taposthali area of the sages and offered prayers. Let us know that the five-day-long Karneshwar fair has started from today. Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel participated in it. During the stay in Sihawa, he reached the residence of former minister and senior state Congress leader Madhav Singh Dhurva and paid tribute.

  • Today 3300 couples will get married, CM Bhupesh Baghel

    Today, under the Mukhyamantri Kanya Vivah Yojana, 3 thousand 300 couples will be tied together in 22 districts of Chhattisgarh. Keeping in mind the danger of corona infection, the Department of Women and Child Development has organized mass marriages at different places in 22 districts. Members of the cabinet, MPs, MLAs and several public representatives including Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel will attend the Chief Minister’s Kanya Vivah organized at the Sardar Balveer Singh Juneja Indoor Stadium complex near Budha Talab in Raipur and will give online blessings to the new couples from all the districts. In organizing mass marriages, instructions have been given to follow the guidelines issued for prevention of corona infection.
    On this occasion there will be a confluence of different religions Hindu, Muslim and Christian and they will be married according to the religious rituals of the bride and groom. In the capital Raipur, 3 Christian, 1 Muslim, 236 Hindu literature 240 couples will be married with their own customs. The state government will bear the entire cost of marriage under Chief Minister Kanya Vivah with an aim to alleviate the worry of marriage of daughters of poor families and reduce wasteful expenditure at weddings through mass marriages.
    Seeing that there is no shortage in the marriage of daughters, the state government has increased the amount given under the scheme from 15 thousand to 25 thousand. Now the department will spend up to 25 thousand rupees per pair. Out of this, material up to Rs 20 thousand is provided to the bride and groom and the remaining Rs 5 thousand per couple is spent in various events of marital programs.

  • Charges against Sonowal, Himanta to be probed if ‘Grand Alliance’ forms govt in Assam: Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel

    The Chhattisgarh chief minister alleged that his Assam counterpart is #39;directly involved #39; in running syndicates in almost every important sector.

  • Chhattisgarh government will bear cost of COVID-19 vaccination: CM Baghel

    Baghel said, instead of focusing on only three crore people, the Centre should provide free coronavirus vaccine to all 135 crore people in India.

  • Bhupesh Baghel gave the answer to the opposition – If the center allows, we will not have to sell paddy outside.

    Bhupesh Baghel said in the House that some opposition members are raising the question why the state government is selling surplus paddy? I want to say that you allow us to deposit 60 lakh metric tons in the central pool, we will not have to sell paddy or rice outside. He said that we procure paddy for the central government. There was a time when there was a shortage of food grains in the country, then there was a Green Revolution on the call of Indira Gandhi. Our farmers accepted that challenge. The country became self-supporting and today when it is overpriced, you are not able to make arrangements. He said that our government has increased the tendu leaf collection rate from Rs. 2 thousand 500 to Rs. 4 thousand per standard bag, as well as raising the number of 7 minor forest produce being purchased on support price to 52. Along with this, we are also doing value addition of minor forest produce. We have also resolved the cases of Forest Charter which were not resolved earlier. Chhattisgarh is the first in the country to distribute forest rights papers of forest land to the forest dwellers. We have given 9 lakh 3 thousand 520 acres in 4 lakh 33 thousand individual cases and 37 lakh 870 acres in 41 thousand 16 community cases, thus totaling 46 lakh 4 thousand 399 acres of forest land.