News Analysis India

Tag: BJP Government

  • Time for opposition to bury differences, join hands to dislodge dictatorial Modi govt, says RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav

    Express News Service

    The country is passing through an unprecedented phase of dictatorial governance and time has come for all opposition parties to unite against this “anti-people” BJP government, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav said while speaking to Rajesh Kumar Thakur.

    Excerpts from the interview:

    West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee has reached Delhi with an agenda to meet opposition leaders, including Sonia Gandhi. Do you see the opposition coming together and be able to challenge the BJP government in 2024?

    The country is not run by dictatorial moves. It is run through democratic and constitutional processes. But the Modi government has become one-man government taking the country through an unprecedented phase of dictatorial governance. The time has come for all opposition parties to forget all differences and unite so that the country can be ‘rescued’ from the grip of the dictatorial Modi government. 

    Have you taken any initiative forging opposition unity for next LS elections in 2024?

    I spoke to Congress president Sonia Gandhi recently and urged her to call a meeting of all the opposition parties immediately. There is a need of making an organised move against the autocratic Modi government. I have no doubt the opposition parties will show the kind of unity that farmers have displayed against the farm laws across the country.

    Opposition lacks a common accepted face to challenge PM Modi. How will it challenge him in 2024?

    The opposition does not face leadership crisis to take on the Modi government. The BJP’s game plans have been exposed before the people.

    What are the biggest issues the country is facing today?

    The people are hit hard by inflation and unemployment. These two are the biggest issues which the Modi government has completely failed to address and these will prove its nemesis. Privatisation is being promoted. Take the example of Railways: how this government has ruined it. It has sold Air India and is planning to sell the country’s assets. Democracy and Constitution are being attacked, innocent people are targeted and hatred is being spread.

    Will the government’s decision to repeal the farm laws help the BJP form the government in UP and other states like Punjab?

    The BJP will not win elections anywhere…People have recognised its real face.

    Will the RJD field candidates in UP polls? And will you go there to campaign?

    The RJD will not field its candidates in UP. It will support the SP, which is in a stronger position and will form the government. The wind is blowing against the Yogi government… I will go and campaign in favour of SP candidates, if needed.

  • BJP government has failed the country: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Saturday alleged that the government has failed the country with farmers upset, inflation soaring and the borders witnessing clashes.

    Taking to Twitter, Gandhi said the BJP government has been a failure and will continue to be so.

    “The farmer is upset, Inflation has touched the sky, there is a clash at the borders. India is still great. But the central government has been a failure and will remain a failure,” he said in a tweet in Hindi and used the hashtag “BJPfailsIndia”.

    The Congress also put out a video about farmers, the border clashes and high inflation and used the hashtag “#ModiHoshMeinAao” to bring Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attention on these issues.

    “PM Modi needs a reality check,” the Congress tweeted from its handle along with the short video.

    The Congress has been attacking the BJP and Modi over high inflation including soaring fuel prices and also over farmers’ issues.

  • JKNPP questions BJP government’s silence over former J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik’s ‘sensational disclosure’

    By PTI

    JAMMU: The JKNPP on Thursday questioned the silence of the BJP-led central government over the “sensational disclosure” made by former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik.

    Malik has claimed that he was told he would get Rs 300-crore bribe if he cleared two files belonging to “Ambani” and an “RSS-affiliated man” during his tenure but he cancelled the deals, and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supporting his decision by saying there is no need to compromise on corruption.

    Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) chairman and former minister Harsh Dev Singh said it is strange that “business tycoons and political syndicates” who had attempted to bribe the governor have been allowed to go scot free.

    “The fate of the files for which Rs 150 crore each was offered to the then governor should be made known to the public as Malik was relieved from Jammu and Kashmir shortly thereafter,” Singh said in a statement here.

    Referring to Malik’s “sensational disclosure”, he questioned the BJP government over its “cold criminal silence” in the matter.

    “The startling revelation having been made by none other than the constitutional head of the then state (of Jammu and Kashmir), it is shocking that no action has been even initiated against the corrupt mafia operational in the system,” he said.

    Seeking action, Singh claimed that Malik had made certain other revelations about corruption in the past which too were disregarded by the government for reasons best known.

    “He (Malik) had revealed that the cost of a power project was sought to be enhanced by 10 per cent and kickbacks accounting to 100 crore were offered for the same,” the JKNPP leader said.

    “He had pointed towards the financial scams of grave nature besides thousands of backdoor appointments having been made in J&K Bank and other departments during BJP-PDP government with hardly any action taken against those involved in the said frauds,” Singh claimed .

    Alleging that corruption had been legalised in Jammu and Kashmir especially under BJP-PDP rule, Singh said that even the reports of CAG revealing scams of thousands of crores between 2015 and 2018 were consigned to the dustbin only to protect the powerful politicians and a few bureaucrats.

  • Politicians continue to make a beeline for Lakhimpur Kheri

    By Express News Service

    LUCKNOW:  Lakhimpur Kheri violence continued to be a political flashpoint on Thursday with leaders of various parties jostling to visit the grieving families of deceased farmers. In all eight persons were killed of which four were farmers, one was a journalist and rest three were BJP workers.

    While former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party leader Satish Mishra went to Lakhimpur Kheri, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra went to Nanpara in Bahraich district to meet the farmers’ families.

    Raising the pitch of justice for the victim families, the SP chief expressed doubts over the intent of the government asking how justice would be ensured when the main accused was the son of a Union minister. Yadav said the main accused had not yet been arrested although evidence pointed to his role.

    “All fingers are raised towards MoS in the BJP government. The accused are not yet sent to jail,” said Yadav. The SP chief also launched a broadside on the BJP government over a Kanpur trader’s killing in Gorakhpur. “We want to know what was done in Kanpur’s Manish Gupta’s case. Why are policemen still absconding? Why an absconding IPS officer is not arrested?”

    Priyanka sought justice for the victim families of Bahraich and said the matter “should be probed by a sitting Supreme Court or high court judge”. For an unbiased probe, the minister must resign, she asserted.On the other, Punjab Congress chief Navjot Singh Sidhu was taken into custody in Saharanpur while leading a protest march by Congress workers to Lakhimpur Kheri. He was taken to Sarsawa Air Force station. The party members accompanying Sidhu were also taken into custody. Another delegation led by Uttarakhand Congress leaders including Harish Rawat was also taken into custody in Saharanpur.

  • BJP government weakening all pillars of democracy: Congress

    The Congress accused the BJP government of trying to weaken all pillars of democracy and said the Godse ideology can be defeated only by that of Mahatma Gandhi #39;.

  • Rahul Gandhi takes dig at BJP over rise in income

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi took a swipe at the ruling BJP on Saturday over reports of its income rising by 50 per cent through electoral bonds and asked people about the increase in their earnings.

    “BJP’s income rose by 50%. And yours?” he wrote on Twitter.

    Gandhi also shared a report by an NGO, Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), that said the saffron party’s income rose by 50 per cent in 2019-20 with a bulk of donations coming through electoral bonds.

    The Congress has opposed the electoral bonds, alleging that it helps the party in power.

    BJP’s income rose by 50%.And yours?BJP की आय 50% बढ़ गयी।और आपकी? pic.twitter.com/Q5HEISACDJ
    — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) August 28, 2021

  • Farm laws to benefit BJP’s billionaire friends: Priyanka Gandhi

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday alleged that the three farm laws were framed to benefit the BJP’s billionaire friends.

    Citing a report on Adani reducing apple procurement rates in Himachal Pradesh by Rs 16 which has led to a distress in the markets, she alleged this would happen if the right to decide rates of farmer’s produce is given to “billionaire friends” of the ruling party.

    “Why are the farmers opposing the three ‘black’ farm laws? Because if the right to decide the price and other things for crops grown by the hard work of farmers is given to BJP’s billionaire friends, then this will happen,” the Congress leader said in a tweet in Hindi.

    “The black agriculture laws are for the benefit of BJP’s billionaire friends,” she added.

    The Congress has been supporting the farmers’ agitation against the three new farm laws and demanding their withdrawal.

  • Election Commission should make cow rearing mandatory for contesting polls: Madhya Pradesh minister

    By PTI

    BHOPAL: A minister in the BJP government in Madhya Pradesh on Monday suggested that the rearing of cows be made mandatory for contesting elections.

    Minister for New and Renewable Energy and Environment Hardeep Singh Dang also proposed a collection of Rs 500 per month from those employees of the state government getting a monthly salary of more than Rs 25,000 for the protection of cows and law to ensure that all the sections of society contribute for protecting cows.

    The minister said he has made all suggestions in his personal capacity.

    Speaking to PTI, Dang said elected representatives are a part of society and they should work for protecting cows.

    “I demand that the Election Commission (EC) make cow rearing mandatory for contesting elections.  Forms of those candidates not involved in cow-rearing should be cancelled. I will write a letter to the EC in this regard,” he said.

    Dang said cow rearing should be made mandatory for people involved in farming or buying and selling agricultural products under a proposed agriculture law.

    “Since cow rearing is practically not possible for the government staffers, so the monthly contribution of Rs 500 should be collected from the employees getting a salary of more than Rs 25,000 a month,” he said.

    Dang said that instead of merely talking about cow protection, meaningful efforts should be made in this direction.

    “All the sections of the society should contribute to the protection of cows.

    “The government should ensure everybody’s contribution in this work (cow protection) by enacting law after consulting all sections of the society,” he said.

    Reacting to the demands raised by Dang, senior Congress MLA and former minister PC Sharma said the previous Kamal Nath government had announced the development of 1,000 smart Gaushalas (cowsheds) in Madhya Pradesh.

    “Had these cowsheds been developed, Dang would not have to worry for the cow protection,” he said.

    Sharma said developing these cowsheds would also have eliminated the problem of stray cattle.

    “I hope Dang will ensure the development of these 1,000 cowsheds as decided by the then Congress government,” he added.

  • Farmers will oust BJP government if it doesn’t repeal agri laws: BKU leader Rakesh Tikait

    By PTI

    GHAZIABAD: Farmers will oust the BJP government if it does not repeal the contentious agricultural laws and enacts a legislation guaranteeing minimum support price (MSP) for crops, farmer leader Rakesh Tikait said here on Monday.

    Tikait, the national spokesperson of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, made the remarks as he held a meeting with the BKU’s office-bearers from Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh at the Ghazipur border here.

    The meeting was held to formulate a strategy to intensify the farmers’ agitation in these states to press their demand for the withdrawal of the three farm laws and the guarantee for MSP, according to a BKU statement.

    “If the laws are not repealed and MSP not guaranteed, we shall force the BJP (government) to quit. We will reach out to farmers and expose the BJP. A government made by farmers cannot stay in power if it is anti-farmer,” the statement in Hindi quoted Tikait as saying.

    However, the influential BKU leader emphasised that the farmers are not against any political party.

    “We are not against any party. We are only against any group which is opposed to the welfare of the farmers and labourers,” he added.

    In his meeting, Tikait held discussions on the BKU’s press conferences scheduled for August 11 in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun and Himachal Pradesh’s Nahan, the farmer union’s media in-charge Dharmendra Malik said.

    The BKU will hold an event in Haryana’s Mewat on August 26 and one in Yamuna Nagar on August 29, he said.

    In September, a ‘kisan panchayat’ will be held in Muzaffarnagar, the BKU’s headquarters in western Uttar Pradesh, he added.

    Hundreds of farmers are encamped at Delhi’s border points of Singhu, Tikri and Ghazipur since November 2020.

    They have been demanding that the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; Farmers’ (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020; and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 be rolled back and a new law made to guarantee MSP for their crops.

    The government, which has held 11 rounds of talks with the farmer leaders, has maintained the laws are pro-farmer and will usher in new technology in farming.

  • Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi slam UP govt over misbehaviour with women, violence ahead of polls

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday slammed the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh over alleged violence and misbehaviour with women during the filing of nominations for blockhead elections, with party leader Rahul Gandhi saying that violence has been renamed “masterstroke” in the state.

    Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged that the BJP had “crossed” all limits to stop the nomination of a woman in the polls.

    “A few years ago, a rape victim raised her voice against a BJP MLA and an attempt was made to kill her and her family. Today, the BJP crossed all limits to stop the nomination of a woman. Same government. Same behaviour,” she said in a tweet in Hindi and also tagged a video purportedly showing a woman being stopped from filing her nomination in the polls.

    Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, in a tweet in Hindi, said that in Uttar Pradesh, violence has been renamed “masterstroke”.

    The brother-in-law of a block development committee member was killed in Bahraich as he resisted an alleged attempt to abduct his relative by a BJP candidate’s husband and supporters ahead of the polls for the block panchayat head.

    In another incident in Lakhimpur Kheri, a Samajwadi Party candidate was allegedly manhandled by BJP workers, after which six policemen were suspended with the administration ordering a magisterial probe.

    A woman BDC member’s saree was also pulled in front of police officers, alleged the Congress and sought an apology from the state government.