News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • BJP targets Uddhav over restrictions during ‘Gudhi Padwa’; Savarkar Memorial appeals people to fly ‘Hindu flag’ on houses

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The BJP on Tuesday hit out at Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray over the possibility of restrictions on the public celebration of festivals like `Gudhi Padwa’ (Marathi new year) that falls on April 2.

    Speaking to reporters here, BJP leader Ashish Shelar alleged that whenever it comes to Hindu festivals, “it seems the chief minister’s hand gets paralysed.”

    “Padwa is on April 2 and Ram Navami on April 10. Hindus should be allowed to take out processions on both the days. These are auspicious occasions for us,” he said.

    The state government has already issued prohibitory orders from March 10 to April 8 citing apprehension of terrorist attacks.

    Taking exception to Shelar’s comments about Thackeray, Shiv Sena leader Manisha Kayande said, “Shelar’s brain seems to have been paralysed as he wants to be president of the state BJP. I warn him that if he continues to make such comments, Sena workers will not tolerate it for long.”

    The Swatantryaveer Savarkar Memorial, an organization dedicated to the memory of Hindutva icon and freedom fighter V D Savarkar, has appealed people to put up a “Hindu flag” over their houses during ‘Gudhi Padwa’.

    Gudhi Padwa, the Marathi New Year, falls on April 2 this year.

    In a statement, the organization said flags in different sizes are available at its offices at Dadar, Mumbai, and in Pune.

  • ‘Intimidate committed BJP workers’: Trinamool MLA to party supporters in video

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Intimidate “committed” BJP workers to ensure that they refrain from casting their votes, TMC MLA Narendranath Chakraborty was heard as telling party supporters in a purported video, which has gone viral.

    Chakraborty, the MLA from Pandaveswar, was seen in the video speaking to TMC workers at a party office.

    Pandaveswar in Paschim Bardhaman district is part of the Asansol Lok Sabha seats where a by-election will be held on April 12.

    “Identify the committed BJP workers and intimidate them.Tell them that they will be responsible for their safety and security if they go out to vote,” he was heard as saying in the video, the authenticity of which could not be independently verified by PTI.

    “If they don’t cast their votes, we will presume that they are with us. We will consider them as our supporters and help them in all possible ways,” he said in the video.

    Chakraborty, however, denied making any such statement amid a barrage of attacks by the BJP.

    “It may be an old video. The then party president of Paschim Bardhaman (Jitendra Tiwari) had made us do many things. He has now joined the BJP,” he said.

    Senior TMC leader and state minister Firhad Hakim said the party does not approve of such comments as it has faith in people’s mandate.

    “We had won 213 seats as people had rooted for Mamata Banerjee in last year’s assembly polls. Our tally swelled as all subsequent elections went in our favour. We have trust in people. They will overwhelmingly vote for us again in the upcoming polls,” he said.

    BJP state president Sukanta Majumdar said it was a pity that such MLAs were gracing the West Bengal assembly.

    The BJP also lodged a complaint with the Election Commission over the comments.

    BJP leader Sisir Bajoria, who went to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to lodge the complaint, said, “Chakraborty should not be allowed to enter the Lok Sabha constituency, and the poll panel must take action against him, including arrest.”

    The CEO has promised to look into it, he said.

    The by-election to the Asansol Lok Sabha seat was necessitated after incumbent BJP MP Babul Supriyo resigned after joining the TMC.

    The TMC has fielded Shatrughan Sinha in the seat, while BJP nominated Agnimitra Paul and CPI(M) candidate is Partha Mukherjee.

  • Opposition must study why Modi keeps winning: NCP leader Majid Memon

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: At a time when ministers in the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra are facing fire from central investigating agencies, former Rajya Sabha member and NCP leader Majeed Memon on Monday appeared to praise Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    “If Narendra Modi wins people’s mandate and is also shown as world’s most popular leader, there must be some qualities in him or good work he may have done which the opposition leaders are unable to find,” he said in remarks that have raised eyebrows.

    Memon told PTI that the opposition should introspect why Modi keeps getting such a “positive mandate” and dismissed suggestions of manipulation of EVMs, an oft-repeated complaint of the Congress and other political parties.

    “Opposition must find out why he is returning with a majority of people’s mandate time and again. Why is he considered as the number one leader in the world? He must be doing something which we may not have been able to identify,” said Memon, who was a member of the Rajya Sabha between 2014 and 2020.

    “What is the secret of this man getting so much positive support from the people? Why are people not understanding that this NDA government is destroying the Constitution of India, destroying the concept of liberty, creating hatred,” said Memon, who continues to be associated with Sharad Pawar’s NCP.

    “Why are people not understanding this? What good has he done? It is the duty of the opposition to go to the bottom of the matter,” he said.

    Memon said while Modi has been claiming to have built toilets, providing electricity to several homes, and constructing roads, the ruling BJP has also “created hatred among neighbours, spread animosity among religions and not treated people equally as mandated by the Constitution”.

    “Are people happy with this,” he asked.

    “Despite trying to impose uniform civil code, high inflation, so much unrest, why is he getting a positive mandate,” Memon wondered.

    A leading criminal lawyer, Memon has held the legal brief for leading personalities, including politicians, film stars and human rights activists among others.

    He also defended several suspects in the 1993 Mumbai blast case and also held the brief for Yakub Memon, who was convicted and given capital punishment for his involvement in the terror act.

  • Exchange of fisticuffs at Bengal Assembly: A look at the other infamous scenes

    By PTI

    CHENNAI: The West Bengal Assembly witnessed bedlam on Monday marked by exchange of fisticuffs between TMC and BJP MLAs over the Birbhum killings, but this was not the first instance of acrimony in a House of elected representatives in the country.

    Following are the other well-known episodes of fracas involving the Treasury and Opposition benches in different states.

    Tamil Nadu, 1989: The House witnessed unruly scenes when the DMK was in the ruling saddle.

    The then Leader of Opposition, late J Jayalalithaa was allegedly attacked and humiliated by ruling party members during a debate, and her leaving the House with disheveled hair amid a security ring by party MLAs remains a stark picture in TN politics.

    Jayalalithaa vowed to return to the Assembly as Chief Minister and did so two years later.

    Tamil Nadu, 2017: During the trust vote of the K Palaniswami-led AIADMK government, pandemonium broke out inside the House and some opposition members even climbed atop the Speaker’s podium and sat on the chair, while the opposition DMK members were evicted physically.

    Then LoP and DMK chief M K Stalin and Speaker P Dhanapal said their shirts were torn in the melee.

    Maharashtra, 2009: Four MLAs of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) were suspended for four years for attacking Samajwadi Party member Abu Azmi for taking his oath as a legislator in Hindi.

    As the new MLAs were being sworn in, MLAs of the Raj Thackeray-led party pounced on Azmi, who was pushed and slapped until security guards were able to rescue him and escort him out of the House.

    Thackeray had earlier appealed to MLAs to take their oath in Marathi, a veiled warning aimed at Azmi, who repeatedly asked for Hindi to be added to the language of the legislature.

    Parliament, 2021: Rajya Sabha witnessed ugly scenes as some MPs tore papers, jostled with the marshals and attempted to go near the presiding officer’s chair and some marshals were allegedly attacked, even as the House was adjourned sine die two days ahead of its scheduled end of the monsoon session in August.

    Twelve opposition MPs were subsequently suspended in connection with the incident.

    Kerala, 2015: The assembly had witnessed unprecedented scenes on March 13 as then opposition LDF members tried to prevent Finance Minister K M Mani, who was facing charges in the bar bribery scam, from presenting the state budget.

    The speaker’s chair was flung from the podium while electronic equipment like computers, keyboards and mikes on the desk of the presiding officer were also allegedly damaged.

    Uttar Pradesh, 2017: Governor Ram Naik was pelted with paper balls by the opposition during an address, the House witnessed slogan-shouting and trooping into the well by opposition members, even as an SP member blew a whistle through the 35-minute address to ensure that the governor’s voice was drowned out.

    Jammu and Kashmir, 2019: House witnessed noisy scenes during a discussion on the implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST), with opposition members rushing towards the chair, prompting adjournments.

    Accusing Trinamool Congress MLAs of “violently assaulting” its legislators in the West Bengal Assembly on Monday, the BJP asserted that the Centre cannot remain a “mute spectator” to the state government “flouting” constitutional norms.

    Expressing concern over the state of affairs in West Bengal, Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told reporters at Parliament House Complex that criminal and anarchic elements have “hijacked” the constitutional machinery in the state.

    Ruling TMC and opposition BJP MLAs came to blows in the Assembly as chaos erupted after the latter demanded a statement from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over the “deteriorating” law and order situation in the state.

    Naqvi alleged that democratic normals are being “murdered” in Bengal under the patronage of the state government and Banerjee.

    BJP MLAs were physically attacked and their clothes torn in the Assembly, he alleged.

    People had given Banerjee the mandate in the 2021 polls to make amends for her government’s mistakes but she has again let loose a reign of violence and anarchy, he said.

    To a question if the Centre could impose President’s rule in the state, Naqvi said the government will not compete with Banerjee in flouting constitutional values but will not remain a “mute spectator” either.

    Locket Chatterjee, a BJP MP from the state, also hit out at Banerjee.

    She said five BJP MLAs were assaulted on the “directions” of the chief minister but the state government wants to throttle the opposition’s voice against the killing of eight people in Birbhum.

    Other BJP leaders also attacked the TMC.

    BJP general secretary C T Ravi tweeted, “BJP MLAs were violently assaulted by unruly TMC MLAs in the West Bengal Assembly.

    Mistake of Our MLAs? They asked for a discussion on the Birbhum massacre which was executed by TMC Goons.

    What is Mamata Benerjee trying to hide from the people? Does T in TMC stand for Taliban?” Unidentified people had on March 21 set ablaze 10 houses in Birbhum, killing at least eight people, including women and children.

    BJP chief spokesperson and Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni alleged that murders and anarchy have again started under Banerjee’s rule in the state, and the TMC government violently attacks BJP MLAs instead of discussing the “Birbhum massacre”.

    “The TMC government, murderer of democracy, should be ashamed,” he said.

    Around 25 BJP MLAs led by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari walked out of the West Bengal Assembly, claiming that several party legislators were roughed up by TMC MLAs inside the House.

    Five BJP MLAs, including Adhikari, were later suspended by Assembly Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay for the entire year for their alleged unruly conduct in the House.

  • Bengal Assembly speaker suspends 5 BJP MLAs for unruly conduct

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Five BJP MLAs, including Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, were suspended by West Bengal Assembly Speaker Biman Bandyopadhyay for their alleged unruly conduct in the House.

    Adhikari, along with BJP legislators Dipak Burman, Shankar Ghosh, Manoj Tigga and Narahari Mahato, were suspended by the Speaker for future sessions this year.

    WB | A ruckus erupted inside state Assembly in Kolkata, over Birbhum violence caseOpposition demanded discussion over law & order on the last day at least, govt declined. They brought Kolkata police personnel in civil dress to clash with 8-10 of our MLAs: LoP Suvendu Adhikari pic.twitter.com/RbYsVWba2M
    — ANI (@ANI) March 28, 2022
    Earlier in the day, the assembly plunged into pandemonium as ruling TMC and BJP MLAs exchanged blows after saffron party legislators demanded a statement by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee over “worsening” law and order situation in the state.

    Around 25 BJP MLAs led by Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari then walked out of the assembly, claiming that several party legislators were roughed up by TMC MLAs inside the House.

    TMC leader and state minister Firhad Hakim, however, told reporters that the BJP is staging a drama to create chaos in the assembly. He also said that some Trinamool Congress legislators were injured during the scuffle that took place inside the House.

  • Ahead of oath, Pramod Sawant hands over list of ministers to Goa Governor

    By ANI

    PANAJI: Ahead of the oath ceremony, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislature party leader and Chief Minister designate Pramod Sawant on Monday handed over the order for appointing Council of Ministers to Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai at Raj Bhavan.

    As per the order, Vishwajeet Rane, Mauvin Godinho, Ravi Naik, Nilesh Cabral, Subhash Shirodkar, Rohan Khaunte, Atanasio Monserrate, and Govind Gaude will take oath as Ministers along with Sawant today.

    The list includes three fresh faces — Ravi Naik, Atanasio ‘Babush’ Monserrate, and Subhash Siralkar.

    Among the Ministers who are being retained in the Cabinet are Goa Health Minister Vishwajit Rane, Transport Minister Mauvin Godinho, Law and Judiciary Minister Nilesh Cabral among others.

    Pramod Sawant will take oath as Goa Chief Minister for the second consecutive term today. Goa CM-designate Pramod Sawant has arrived at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Taleigao for the oath-taking ceremony.

    The list of invitees for the ceremony include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief JP Nadda, other Union Ministers and Chief Ministers of at least eight states.

    In the recently concluded state Assembly polls, the BJP emerged as the single largest party in Goa, winning 20 seats in the 40-member state Assembly and reducing Congress to 11 seats.

    The BJP fell one seat short of the majority figure in Goa but is set to retain power in the state with the help of the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party (MGP) and independent candidates.

  • Patel slammed for Yogi-Modi remark    

    By Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD:  “No one can break the Modi-Yogi jodi (pair), and no one has been able to become the chief minister in Uttar Pradesh for a second consecutive time. This is the first time a BJP chief minister has formed the government in UP for the second time,” said Uttar Pradesh Governer Anandiben Patel in Gujarat on Sunday She was speaking after presiding over the earth-breaking ceremony of the Kiran Medical college at Surat district.

    Meanwhile, the UP Governor’s statement was strongly opposed by the Gujarat Congress. According to party spokesperson Manish Doshi, “Both the Governor and the President of India are constitutional posts and the person holding the post should maintain the dignity of the post. A person sitting in this position, even if he/she belongs to a political party, should do away with political statements.”

    Incidentally, political analysts are also linking Anandiben’s statement with the forthcoming Assembly elections in Gujarat.  Dilip Patel, a political analyst, said, “One thing to remember is that Anandiben is a sharp politician who never states without a reason. After Bhupendra Patel’s regime came to power, the clout of Anandiben has increased and anyone here can feel it.”

    “So her Modi-Yogi account means that she believes that the C R Patil (state BJP chief)-Bhupendra Patel pair will mean similar connotations for the polls in Gujarat,” he said.  

  • BJP trying to influence CBI probe into Birbhum killings: TMC

    The BJP has forgotten the killings in Gujarat years back. It is now shedding crocodile tears for the Bogtui incident, in which prompt action has already been taken, claimed TMC spokesperson.

  • Yadav flays Yogi govt over suicide bids by two Jhansi girls, cops deny sexual harassment as reason

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Sunday attacked the Yogi Adityanath government over women’s safety in Uttar Pradesh, referring to an incident in Jhansi where two sisters, allegedly fed up with the police inaction over their complaint of sexual harassment, consumed poison.

    Police, however, refuted Yadav’s claim that the two sisters were sexually harassed, and said they had consumed poison, alleging police inaction over their complaint of harassment by their neighbours over a dispute on watering an under-construction house.

    “It’s saddening that losing hope from the police, two sisters, facing sexual harassment in Jhansi, consumed poison. All those criminals and officials involved and those patronising them should face an unbiased probe. Security of sisters and daughters should be the first indicator of law and order,” Akhilesh Yadav said in a tweet in Hindi.

    Responding to Yadav’s allegation, the Jhansi police claimed in a tweet that the two girls’ allegations of sexual harassment were false and they had a fight with a neighbouring woman and her son Rahul over the watering of an under-construction house.

    After the incident of the girls consuming poison came to light, police acted in the matter and have registered an FIR against the mother-son duo, the Jhansi police said on its Twitter handle. The police have also formed a team to arrest the accused, they said.

    The Jhansi police said it even suspended the police station in-charge J P Yadav with immediate effect for not taking proper action on the girls’ complaint and ordered a departmental probe against him. According to doctors, the condition of the girls is normal, police said.

  • Chandigarh will become country’s most disciplined & modern city: Amit Shah

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said Chandigarh will become the most disciplined and modern city in the country in the coming days as he inaugurated a slew of projects, including a state-of-the-art Integrated Command and Control Centre, in the union territory.

    Shah was in the city for inaugurating as well as laying foundation stones of projects worth Rs 632.78 crore.

    The projects that were inaugurated included the Integrated Command and Control Centre, a new office building of Chandigarh Housing Board, two government schools and an urban park. He also laid foundation stones of a college hostel block and a bus depot-cum-workshop.

    Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Banwarilal Purohit also attended the event.

    Addressing the gathering, Shah said he was visiting the “city beautiful” after a long time and felt very good. Chandigarh is known as the “city beautiful”. “In the history of the modern world, Chandigarh is the most developed city in the category of planned cities,” said Shah.

    He recalled that when he was young, children in Gujarat were given the example of Chandigarh as a planned and very good city. “When a city grows, its requirements also change and when times change, there is a change in needs and requirements. And those which do not change with time, they cannot keep themselves relevant,” he said.

    He also lauded the Chandigarh administration for making a system for adapting this change. “And that is not only for people’s facilities, it includes security and environment protection also,” he said, adding that the mixed culture of the city was also taken care of.

    Shah said that when Narendra Modi was the chief minister of Gujarat, he got many projects related to urban development implemented. He said Gujarat is among those states where urban population is perhaps maximum.

    Shah said that after Modi became the prime minister, he brought the smart city concept to the entire country. “How modern cities should develop. How to do planning, how to upgrade facilities and to synergise those facilities and integrate them,” he said.

    PM Modi brought the AMRUT scheme, solar mission and green city initiative. Shah said, “In the coming days, Chandigarh will become the country’s most disciplined and the most modern city.”

    Speaking about the Rs 300-crore Integrated Command and Control Centre project, Shah said it will bring a change in the delivery of citizen-centric services. “It will lead to monitoring of citizen-centric facilities,” he said. “This command centre will work for bringing traffic discipline or for security,” he stated.

    “People of Chandigarh should keep in mind that cameras will be watching your vehicles and after a violation, challan will reach home through email,” he said, adding, “with this, there will be an atmosphere of new discipline in the city.” He urged the administrator that a programme should be initiative so that school students are shown this command centre.

    Under ICCC, more than 2,000 CCTV cameras have been installed in the city to keep a check on traffic violations. ICCC is also integrated with major citizen services, including water supply, electricity, sewage, solid waste management, transport, e-governance, parking and public-bike sharing, for an effective monitoring of services and data analysis.

    Shah lauded the Narendra Modi government for the development of the vaccine for COVID-19 and its vaccination programme. He said 185 crore doses have been administered so far.

    “The world is surprised at how the vaccination programme worked smoothly in the country with a population of 130 crore,” said Shah. He said even some developed countries sought Cowin app for use there.

    “Many developed countries were worried over the third wave of COVID-19 but nobody knew when the third wave came and went in India because there was 100 per cent vaccination,” he said.

    Shah said with the use of technology, the Modi government ran a successful vaccination programme in the country. “Modi ji held video conferencing with the chief ministers 22-23 times irrespective of party politics,” he said.

    Shah also spoke about how the Modi government provided foodgrains free of cost to 80 crore poor people in the country.

    The government used technology in providing foodgrains to the poor. He said foodgrains worth Rs 3.40 lakh crore have been distributed so far. He said this scheme has been extended up till September 30.

    In March 2020, the Union government had launched the scheme — Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) — to provide free 5 kg foodgrains per person per month to over 80 crore beneficiaries covered under the National Food Security Act (NFSA) because of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Shah said that change was happening in every sector be it agriculture, industrial development, urban development, making the country a manufacturing hub, new education policy, rural development, facilities to poor people.