News Analysis India

Tag: Bhupesh Baghel

  • Not a postman, says irked Chhattisgarh Governor on Jheeram attack report

    Express News Service

    RAIPUR:  Amid the ongoing political sparring in Chhattisgarh over the judicial probe report on the May 2013 Jheeram Maoist attack in Bastar, Governor Anusuiya Uike finally broke her silence saying she does not know why the panel had submitted it to her.

    “I am not a postman to carry the report from one place to another. Where the commission had to submit, it’s their prerogative. So, ask the panel’s head why it was given to me. I have my rights. After taking legal advice, I sent the report to the government,” she informed.

    Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has refused to make the report public and reconstituted the probe panel while his cabinet colleague Ravindra Choubey expressed apprehension that the report has been leaked.

    The BJP countered the charge saying that Congress has needlessly given a political spin to the issue.

  • Bhupesh Baghel meets Sonia, discusses Cong preparations for Uttar Pradesh polls

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel who is the Congress observer for the forthcoming Uttar Pradesh assembly polls on Friday met party president Sonia Gandhi and discussed the political situation and party’s preparedness in the poll-bound state.

    He also informed the Congress chief about the initiatives taken by the party as well as his government in Chhattisgarh.

    Baghel met some leaders from Uttar Pradesh and later apprised Gandhi about the discussions he had with them and the feedback he received.

    Baghel’s meeting with Gandhi lasted about half an hour.

    The Chhattisgarh chief minister earlier in day met Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is the party general secretary for Uttar Pradesh.

    He later said he had a fruitful meeting with both Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. He left for Raipur later in the evening.

  • Bhupesh Baghel meets Priyanka Gandhi, discusses strategy for 2022 UP polls

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Friday met All India Congress Committee (AICC) Uttar Pradesh Incharge Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the national capital and discussed strategy for the upcoming Assembly elections.

    Baghel has been given the responsibility of the party’s senior observer for the Uttar Pradesh elections.

    He has been given the task of coordinating with the organization and the election machinery of the party.

    Baghel visited Uttar Pradesh four times in the last month and has addressed rallies in Gorakhpur and Varanasi along with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

    The Chhattisgarh Chief Minister also visited Lakhimpur Kheri, where eight persons, including four farmers, were killed during a farmers’ protest. Lakhimpur Kheri has witnessed a political slugfest after the violence.

    In the past, Congress has tried to make the initial election announcements among the people through the ‘Pratigya Yatras’ from different areas.

    Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is campaigning aggressively in the state against the BJP-led state government.

    She has made several announcements including a 40 per cent ticket for women in UP Assembly polls.

    The Congress general secretary has also kept possibilities open for alliance with small parties.

    Many leaders feel that if the voters who are annoyed with BJP are divided into many political parties, then the party will suffer.

    In such a situation, it would be appropriate to contest elections in alliance with some local political parties, they feel.

    At the same time, some leaders are in favour of going in the elections on their own. The Congress had last contested the elections in alliance with the Samajwadi Party, in which they had to face defeat.

    Bhupesh Baghel will also meet Congress Interim President Sonia Gandhi later in the evening.

    Uttar Pradesh is scheduled to go for Assembly polls in 2022.

    Previously, in the 2017 Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the Bharatiya Janata Party bagged 312 seats out of the 403-seat Uttar Pradesh Assembly while Samajwadi Party (SP) bagged 47 seats, Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) won 19 and Congress could manage to win only seven seats. The rest of the seats were bagged by other candidates.

    Notably, the Congress party has been out of power in the state since 1989, that is, for more than 30 years. The last Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh representing the Congress party was Narayan Dutt Tiwari from June 1988 to December 1989. (ANI)

  • Decision soon on setting up new commission to inquire into Jhiram valley attack: Baghel

    The chief minister had on Monday wondered why the report was submitted “suddenly”, pointing out that only in September the commission had sought extension of term, and decision on it was pending.

  • WATCH | Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel whipped to ‘bring prosperity’ for state

    By Express News Service

    Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel was whipped on Friday as part of a ritual on the occasion of Govardhan Puja. 

    As part of the Govardhan Puja tradition, the CM got whipped with ‘sonta’ (whip made up of kush, a grass) before he sought blessings for the prosperity of the state, according to officials. According to the villagers, the whip is a special one that is believed to bring prosperity and good fortune.

    प्रदेश की मंगल कामना और शुभ हेतु आज जंजगिरी में सोटा प्रहार सहने की परंपरा निभाई।सभी विघ्नों का नाश हो। pic.twitter.com/bHQNFIFzGv
    — Bhupesh Baghel (@bhupeshbaghel) November 5, 2021
    The video was recorded in a village in the Durg district of Chattisgarh when the CM was taking part in the ritual. The chief minister was clad in traditional attire and a green turban.

    Baghel was seen standing with his arms stretched before a man starts whipping him. After eight rounds, the man stopped and hugged the CM.

    In a video posted by Baghel on Twitter, a middle-aged man was seen whipping the Chhattisgarh CM as drums and other musical instruments were played in the background.

    As per the tradition, on Govardhan Puja, a person is beaten up with the whip with full force on his hands as people believe that the practice helps in getting rid of the problems and bringing good luck, a report said. 

  • Innovative products made using cow-dung elevate rural economy in Chhattisgarh

    Express News Service

    RAIPUR: The unutilised disposable cow-dung procured by the state from livestock owners and villagers has opened up the scope of employment, generation of trade activities and the potential to boost the rural economy.

    Under the scheme ‘Gaudhan Nyay Yojana’ launched last year, the Bhupesh Baghel government is buying cow-dung at Rs 2 per kg.

    The utility of the cattle dung besides producing massive vermi-compost manures has now been much diversified, creating varieties of useful products.

    Ahead of Deepawali festival, hundreds of women-run Self-Help Groups (SHGs) have got orders to supply lakhs of eco-friendly diva (earthen lamps) besides some other utility products made out of cow-dung to different cities of the country.

    The products include colourful Diwali diyas of different sizes, idols of Ganesha and Goddess Lakshmi, mobile & candle stand, name-plates, sleepers, key-chains, flower-pots, firewoods, incensed sticks, herbal Gulal for Holi festival among others. The process to make paints, pen, cement and bricks using the cow-dung has already begun. 

    Diwali diyas, slipper, idols prepared from cattle-dung.

    The varied products are being prepared at Gauthan (cattle shed premises), that the state government intends to develop as Rural Industrial Parks in different districts.

    Besides the three different types of vermi-compost, now various innovative products are being made through value addition on cowdung. Recently, the project on power generation from cow dung was inaugurated by the CM in various Gauthan units.

    Around 5 per cent of the available dung are being used for making innovative products presently and the remaining are returned to soil as organic manures (vermi-compost).

    “The novel initiative on buying cow-dung and covering it into vermicompost and other useful products in Chhattisgarh has helped revitalise rural economy, especially the women SHGs that secured an income of Rs 46 crore from the unique scheme. The move has emerged as a good source of livelihood in villages,” said Kamalpreet Singh, Agriculture production commissioner.

    “All different quality products which are being prepared in Gauthan would be standardised and the efforts will be put for sale on e-commerce market and online shopping. To begin, these would be available with single branch name at Chhattisgarh C-Mart stores (selling Chhattisgarhi products under one roof),” revealed Bhartidasan S, state nodal officer of ‘Garuva-Narva-Ghuruva-Badi’.

    In Chhattisgarh, out of the 7202 Gauthans, there are nearly 2000 where a group of women are seen engaged in multi-activities. Some are preparing a thick malleable blend of dung with added natural binding mixture of powdered herbs, tamarind etc, while another group mould the dung into different shapes and colours of diyas. 

  • Baghel government invokes Gandhi bhajans in Chhattisgarh school curriculum

    Express News Service

    RAIPUR:  The Chhattisgarh’s Congress Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has announced mandatory recitation of the devotional ‘Raghupati raghav rajaram’ and ‘Vaishnav jan to tene kahiye…’ – the favourite bhajans of Gandhi ji – across state schools.

    “The decision is meant to offer tributes to Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. It will strengthen the feeling of national unity among the people,” said the CM. The government has made several decisions in the last few days to foster Gandhian ideology and thoughts in the state.

    One of them is an ambitious project to create the Seva Gram of the 21st century on the lines of Wardha in the new capital city of Nava Raipur. The move will promote rural art, craft and folk music, besides being a platform for brainstorming.

    The state has earmarked around 80 acres for the project, which is inspired by the Seva Gram Ashram located in Wardha, set up in 1936 as the residence of Gandhi ji and his wife . The state had also decided to impart education on the teachings of Gandhi to be introduced in the curriculum of Classes V to XII. 

    Tushar Gandhi, great-grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, said such a move becomes more relevant to make an India that the founding father had dreamt of.  “Because of the adverse conditions that we see in the concept  of New India today, the relevance of Mahatma Gandhi’s ideals and practices  becomes even greater now. These initiatives and programmes shouldn’t be mere tokenism but sincerely implemented to make them more meaningful,” he added. 

  • ‘Unfortunate’: Bhupesh Baghel on Chhattisgarh Congress leaders brawling in public

    By PTI

    RAIPUR: In the wake of scuffles in public involving Congress leaders in Chhattisgarh, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel on Sunday said such incidents were unfortunate and asked the party to take cognizance of them.

    On Saturday, Sushil Sunny Agrawal, former secretary of Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee (CPCC). was suspended from the party’s primary membership after a scuffle broke out between him and a colleague over vehicle parking at Rajiv Bhavan, the party’s state office here.

    State unit chief Mohan Markam as well as media persons were present during the brawl.

    Talking to reporters at Swami Vivekanand Airport Raipur before leaving for Uttar Pradesh, Baghel said, “The incident was unfortunate. It should not have happened. The organisation should take cognizance.

    Saturday’s incident was the latest in a series of clashes between ruling party leaders in public.

    Last week, a clash took place between Congress leaders during a party convention in Jashpur district over a purported power sharing agreement between Baghel and state health minister TS Singh Deo.

    In another incident last month, a Congress unit in Bilaspur had demanded expulsion of a party MLA after he protested against the registration of a police case against a supporter of Singh Deo.

    Briefing reporters about his UP tour, the CM said there was resentment towards the Yogi Adityanath government among people there.

    “I will attend a farmers’ rally (to be addressed by Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra) in Gorakhpur. Paddy is being sold at (low rate of) Rs 800 to Rs 1200 per quintal and there is no proper arrangement for procurement. Farmers there are upset and are looking at agriculture welfare schemes of Chhattisgarh with great hope,” Baghel said.

    “They have been demanding that works being done in the interest of farmers in Chhattisgrah should be replicated in Uttar Pradesh. There is resentment among all against the UP government, he added.

  • People angry with Yogi government over unemployment, inflation: Baghel

    He further claimed that the farmers of Uttar Pradesh are impressed with the Congress-led Chhattisgarh government's agricultural schemes.

  • Three-day National Tribal Dance Festival off to grand start in Raipur

    Express News Service

    RAIPUR:  A march-past by tribal artists from seven countries as well as those from 27 Indian states and six Union Territories marked the opening of the three-day National Tribal Dance Festival in Raipur on Thursday.

    Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren inaugurated the event which was presided over by his Chhattisgarh counterpart Bhupesh Baghel. In a short message, Congress leader  Rahul Gandhi extended his best wishes to the cultural event. 

    Chhattisgarh is hosting the festival where Indian and international tribal artists and folk dance troupe will take part in  unique cultural shows, rituals and traditions. Over 1,500 members representing the diverse tribal ethnic communities are taking part in the event.

    On the occasion, Soren praised Chhattisgarh for its ‘innovative initiative on preserving, safeguarding and promoting the culture of the tribals’.

    “This is not just the dance festival but also recognising the tribals with high regard.”

    With a 32 per cent tribal population, Chhattisgarh has one of the largest  presences of tribals in the country.

    “Unity in diversity is our identity and strength. It’s the second edition of the Tribal Dance Festival. We wish to create Chhattisgarh as a world forum for the tribals,” Baghel asserted. 

    The daily tribal dance show will begin from morning 9 and will continue till late evening.

    The event will exhibit the varieties  of costumes, crafts and jewellery designs, food cuisine and much more related to lives and traditions of the tribal communities. 

    On the first day the folk artists from Uganda, Nigeria and Palestine along with the tribal groups from the north-east enthralled the spectators with their charming performance.