News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • Nobody can break Modi-Yogi pair: UP Governor Anandiben Patel

    By PTI

    SURAT: Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel on Sunday said nobody can break the Modi-Yogi pair, and added that the BJP retained power in UP with the support of a lot of people, including a large number north Indians settled in Gujarat’s Surat.

    She was referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Yogi Adityanath, who took oath as the Uttar Pradesh chief minister for a second term at a ceremony held on Friday, which was attended by the PM.

    In the UP Assembly polls held earlier this year, the BJP-led alliance has won 273 of 403 seats. While the BJP got 255 seats, its allies Nishad Party and the Apna Dal (S) bagged 18.

    This is the first time in over three decades that a party has won the assembly elections twice in a row in the crucial state.

    “We have formed the government in Uttar Pradesh, friends. Nobody can break the Modi-Yogi pair. Nobody can do this. A lot of people have given their support to achieve this. Several people from here (Surat) went there (UP) for campaigning,” she said.

    This is after 35 years that one party returned to power for a second term in a row, creating history, she added. “For this, you must congratulate us. A large number of north Indians are settled in Surat, and they have supported us to achieve this,” the former Gujarat chief minister said.

    Patel was in Surat to lay the foundation stone for Kiran Medical College, being set up by Samast Patidar Arogya Trust at Vadod in Olpad taluka of the district.

    Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel were also present on the occasion.

    Stating that India lags behind in the field of research, she suggested that the proposed college should have a dedicated department for this purpose.

    “India rose to the occasion to carry out research and came out with a vaccine against COVID-19,” the UP governor added. She also stressed the need for girls to get vaccinated against cervical cancer.

    “A new vaccine (against cervical cancer) has entered the market. As of now, it is very costly. I have been told that the price of this vaccine will come down in the range of Rs 100 to Rs 300 by August-September. Whenever this vaccine is available, I request you to get your daughters in the age group of 9 to 14 vaccinated against cervical cancer. I have started this vaccination work in UP irrespective of the price the vaccine,” she said.

    In his address, Mandaviya said the country is committed to provide quality education to students. From 55,000 seats for the MBBS course in 2014, the number has grown to 92,000 in seven years, which keeps increasing, he said.

    “In the past, people were concerned about getting permission for setting up a medical college. But we have provided relaxation in all the rules to set up a medical college. There is only one rule – education should be provided to the students at a reasonable cost without fleecing them,” he said.

    CM Bhupendra Patel said his government is committed to provide quality healthcare to people, for which Rs 12,240 crore have been allocated in the state budget for the year 2022-23.

    The state government is committed to set up one medical college in each district, he said, adding that the new services of air ambulance and green corridor have been added by the government for the treatment of patients in times of crisis.

  • Will never accept offer of President’s post, says Mayawati

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: BSP supremo Mayawati on Sunday alleged that the BJP and RSS had spread false propaganda to mislead her supporters that she will be “made the President” if the BJP is allowed to win the Uttar Pradesh polls and asserted that she will never accept such an offer from any party.

    In a statement after reviewing the party’s humiliating defeat in the state elections, the four-time former chief minister said she is a firm disciple of Kanshi Ram who had also refused such an offer in the past.

    “How can I accept such a post when we know that it will be the end of our party. So I want to make it clear to every BSP office bearer that in the interest of our party and movement, I will not accept any offer for the President’s post from the BJP or other parties and they should never be misled in future,” Mayawati said.

    The BSP chief said she will spend every moment of her life strengthening the party across the country and urged its members not to be disheartened.

    “In this election, through a well-thought-out strategy and conspiracy, the BJP, through its RSS organisation has spread false propaganda among our people that if a BSP government is not formed in UP, we will make your ‘Behenji’ the President of the country. That is why you should allow BJP to come to power,” Mayawati said while delving into the reasons for her party’s defeat.

    “Let alone becoming the President, I cannot even imagine such a thing in my dream. They (BJP) also know that long ago Kanshi Ram ji had rejected this offer and I am his firm disciple,” she said.

    The BSP had got only one seat out of 403 in the recently-held assembly elections while in 2017 it had won 19 seats.

  • Shiv Sena protests in Aurangabad against fuel price rise

    By PTI

    AURANGABAD: Shiv Sena activists in Aurangabad in Maharashtra on Sunday protested against rising fuel prices and shouted slogans against the BJP-led government at the Centre.

    The protest took place at Kranti Chowk here and was attended by local leaders, including MLC Ambadas Danve and MLA Sanjay Shirsat.

    “The BJP government came to power speaking about price rise. But under their rule, the cost of a gas cylinder has gone up from Rs 400 in 2014 to Rs 1,050 now. This rise in fuel prices is fanning inflation,” Danve said.

    Shirsat said the Union government was running away from its responsibility of controlling price rise.

  • Development works will be carried out without bringing in politics: Union Minister Nitin Gadkari

    By PTI

    PUNE: Senior BJP leader and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Saturday said that development works, be it in Maharashtra or India, will be carried out without bringing in any kind of politics.

    Speaking at the inauguration ceremony of two National Highway projects in Sangli, the Union transport minister said he considers himself an “ambassador of Maharashtra” and feels that the state should emerge on top in the country.

    “In the last seven years of my tenure, I got an opportunity to execute development works worth Rs 5 lakh crore in Maharashtra. I was in port, shipping, water resources, MSME and road transport (as a minister), but I always considered myself an ambassador of Maharashtra and feel that the land of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj should prosper and flourish,” Gadkari said.

    If any state should emerge as number one, it should be Maharashtra, he said. The minister further said that development works will be carried out without bringing in any politics and assured that the demands put forth before him will be fulfilled.

    “We are going ahead with an attitude that as far as development works are concerned, be it of anybody, if it is related to the development of Maharashtra or country, it will be carried out without bringing in any politics,” Gadkari said.

    As a minister for ropeways and cable cars, he appealed that proposals be sent for alternate modes of transport, especially for tourism purposes. State Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil, BJP MP from Sangli Sanjay Patil and others were also present at the inauguration of Rs 2,344 crore highway projects.

  • BJP put MVA government on backfoot on corruption issue: Fadnavis

    Darekar is accused of contesting election in the labour category even though he can not claim the status of labourer.

  • Sugar mills sold as per court orders during Congress-NCP rule in Maharashtra: Ajit Pawar

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Refuting the allegations of Opposition that the erstwhile NCP-Congress government in Maharashtra had sold sugar mills at undervalued rates, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday claimed in the Legislative Council that their auctions were carried out as per court orders and there were no irregularities in the entire process.

    Pawar, who also holds the finance portfolio, countered the allegations in this regard levelled by Leader of Opposition in the Council Pravin Darekar of the BJP on Wednesday.

    “The earlier state government auctioned sugar mills after court orders. Jarandeshwar sugar mill was sold for Rs 65 crore when its actual valuation was Rs 39 crore. The state even refused to stand as a guarantor as it wanted the mills to sustain on their own. Multiple people tried to revive the mill but they could not do so,” he said.

    The NCP-Congress coalition was in power in the state from 1999 to 2014.

    “When Harshwardhan Patil was the cooperation minister, a factory was sold for Rs 3 crore and a mill in Barshiv was sold for Rs 28 crore, but no one is talking about them,” taunted Pawar.

    Patil was a senior Congress leader who joined the BJP in 2019.

  • Yogi commits to fulfill party’s ‘sankalp’ for Uttar Pradesh with dedication, honesty

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: Extending his gratitude to the people of Uttar Pradesh for the huge mandate given to the BJP for a second consecutive term, a visibly emotional Yogi Adityanath, after being unanimously elected as legislative party leader on Thursday, reiterated his commitment to fulfill the ‘sankalp’ (resolutions and promises) mentioned in BJP ‘sankalp patra’ (manifesto) with utmost honesty anddedication.

    He also thanked the electorate for creating history by repeating a Chief Minister after a successful completion of five year term for the first time in UP.

    “For the first time, a Chief Minister completed his five-year tenure and the party came to power once again for the second time (in Uttar Pradesh). This has happened for the first time. It has happened under the guidance and leadership of PM Modi,” said Yogi with a lump in the throat.

    At the same time, he exhorted newly-elected BJP MLAs and allies alike to work together to take UP further on path of rapid development making it number one state in the country. “We have to work with conviction to take UP on top in the country realizing PM Modi’s dream by making it a number one economy,” said Yogi Adityanath. 

    During his first tenure, Yogi had been harping on making UP country’s number one economy worth one trillion dollars. Yogi Adityanath was elected as the leader of the BJP’s legislative party in UttarPradesh ahead of his swearing-in ceremony on Friday as the chief minister of the state for a second straight term.

    The party’s legislature party meeting, attended by senior leaders, including Amit Shah as central observer, began with chants of Bharat Mata ki jai and Vande Mataram in Lucknow on Thursday afternoon.

    Nine-time MLA from Shahjahanpur and Finance minister in previous Yogi cabinet, Suresh Khanna proposed the name of Yogi Adityanath as the leader of BJP legislative party and it was seconded by newly elected MLAs including Surya Pratap Shahi, Baby Rani Maurya, Ram Naresh Agnihotri, Sushil Shakya, and Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi, in the presence of all 273 NDA legislators at Lok Bhawan.

    “We have got a two-third majority as people acknowledged our diligence with which we worked during the last five years. We have proved our mettle in people’s court,” said Yogi Adityanath at the meeting. He said that the result of UP assembly polls was the rejection of the politics of dynasty, corruption andcasteism.

    However, he also cautioned his fellow MLAs against committing the mistake of considering themselves the master of people after getting power. “Instead work as the people’s servant following PM Modi who always works as a ‘Pradhan sewak’,” said Yogi.

    “Getting power should not be a matter of pride for us, rather it should be one of a bigger responsibility to serve the people of the state with more vigour, dedication and honesty,” said Yogi. He prepared the party MLAs for “the days of real test ahead”.

    “Now we will have to compete with ourselves. In our previous stint, our good governance had to compete with poor governance of previous governments but now we have to work hard on ways to make the benefits of good and clean governance reach every household and to those standing on the last rung of society,” he averred.

    Reminding the newly elected lawmakers of PM Modi’s mantra of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas and Sabka Vishwas, Yogi claimed it made an impact on the people despite the opposition’s false propaganda against the party.

    “For the first time poor believed that they could own a house, people realized that UP can be a riot-free state where festivals can be celebrated peacefully,” the CM-designate said.  Accepting his administrative inexperience in 2017, Yogi Adityanath thanked PM Modi to guide him the finer points of good governance.

    Later taking over the stage, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who supervised the proceedings of the legislature party meeting as central observer along with Raghubar Das a his co-observer, heaped praise on CM-designate Yogi Adityanath saying that though he was being elected legislative party leader today but the people of UP had elected him Chief Minister  on March 10.

    “Yogi Adityanath is the only CM who has been elected for a second consecutive term for the work he did during the last five years,”  said Shah while adding that it was under Yogi Adityanath’s government that the foundation of growth and development was laid in UP and hoped that in his second term as CM, that foundation would be consolidated with the equal dedication and honesty.

    Shah attributed the success of BJP to Yogi governance which brought about a major change in governance by ending politicization of bureaucracy, criminalization of politics and demolition of mafia syndicates. “For the first time in Yogi government a trust was created among the poor sections that therewas somebody to listen to them,” said Shah while calling upon the BJP MLAs to work unitedly as a team to take UP to the newer heights of development and good governance.

    Later in the evening, Yogi Adityanath, accompanied with senior BJP leaders and allies went to Raj Bhawan to hand over the letter of support of 273 MLAs and stake the calm for the formation of new government in UP.

  • You want to make films to create hatred, raise issues which divide people: Yechury slams BJP

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: The country cannot be saved if hatred and violence-based politics is not stopped, CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Thursday while accusing the BJP of “raising only those issues which divide the people.”

    At a press conference, he referred to the film, ‘The Kashmir Files’, which has kicked up a political storm, and said movies that tend to create a divide cannot solve any problems but will create new ones.

    “A film was made on Godhra and Gujarat riots — ‘Parzania’. But did you let it be screened? We can make films, but will you allow it to be shown? Or you want only those films which depict your ideology?” Yechury said.

    He stressed that to really understand what happened when the Kashmiri Pandits left the Valley, to know the reality, the role of the then governor of Jammu and Kashmir should also be highlighted.

    “Attacks took place on Sikhs and on Muslims as well. Why did not the Sikhs or others migrate? We need answers to those questions also. But you just want to make a film to create hatred. This will not solve any problems, but create new ones,” he said.

    He alleged that the BJP “does not talk about hunger or the condition of the people”.

    “The whole issue in the Uttar Pradesh elections was 80 per cent versus 20 per cent, or bulldozer at a public meeting, which was symbolic, or the prime minister talking about ‘qabrastaan and shamshaan’, or about jihad or dress code like Hijab.

    “They raise emotive issues which divide the people of the country. The condition is such that the Editors Guild has issued a statement expressing concern over polarisation, saying it is dangerous,” Yechury said.

    The CPI(M) general secretary said that militant attacks on people, including his party’s activists, happened even before 1990.

    The SSP of Srinagar, in a reply to an RTI last year, had stated that 89 Kashmiri Pandits were killed in militancy-related incidents since 1990, while 1,635 people from other faiths were killed, he mentioned.

    “This is the police saying and this is the truth. Why is it not coming forward? We have sympathy for the Kashmiri Pandits and have fought for their rights.

    “But, if this politics based on hatred and violence is not stopped, then this country cannot be saved. And for that, the Constitution and constitutional institutions need to be saved,” Yechury said.

  • BJP claims eight persons in Bengal’s Birbhum were beaten up and set on fire

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Taking on the TMC government over the Birbhum massacre in which eight persons were charred to death on Monday night, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday alleged that the eight people were beaten up brutally before being set on fire by the perpetrators.

    Accusing some leaders of Bengal of trying to cover up the ruthless killings, the BJP denied the fact that the cause of the blaze was due to a short circuit and subsequent multiple explosions of LPG cylinders.

    Sambit Patra-national spokesperson of BJP  here on Thursday at a press conference accused the TMC of indulging in ‘vendetta politics’ in which 8 people, including 6 women, were charred to death in Birbhum district.

    Quoting the post-mortems reports, Patra said: “The post-mortem reports have now come out clearly indicating that women and children, charred to death in Birbhum district of Bengal, were first brutally beaten up and then burnt. Where are now those leaders, who have been attributing the horrific incident to short-circuit?” He further alleged that 26 political murders have taken place in the last week in Bengal. The law and order in the state remain a big question mark.  “Mamata Banerjee should have stopped all those political murders, but she did not stop. In Birbhum, as local people said, the police were absent after the incident”, Patra alleged, complaining that the administration was instructed not to allow the police to reach there after the crime. “ Till date, the workers of Mamata Banerjee have killed about 200 BJP workers in the politics of revenge being done by Mamata Banerjee”, he alleged

  • VIP chief Mukesh Sahani refuses to resign from ministerial post, says CM Nitish to take call

    By ANI

    PATNA: A day after all the three MLAs of Vikassheel Insan Party (VIP) joined the BJP, party chief Mukesh Sahani on Thursday refused to resign from the post of Bihar cabinet minister stating that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has to take a decision on it and he will abide by his orders.

    VIP is part of the BJP-Nitish Kumar led Janata Dal (United) government in Bihar.

    Addressing a press conference in Patna, the VIP chief said that his political life has been full of struggle and he is ready to fight till his last breath.

    “My good wishes are with those three MLAs who were with us till yesterday and have joined another party (BJP) now. Our 3 MLAs made their total to 77 MLAs, they became the number one party of Bihar, I congratulate them,” said Sahani.

    When asked about his resignation from the ministerial post, the VIP chief said, “My resignation is the prerogative of CM Nitish Kumar, so I will do as he says. CM Nitish Kumar has to decide who will be a minister in his government. Remove me if you want.”

    Accusing the leaders of Bihar BJP, he said that there was a conspiracy to break him from the very beginning.

    “Whenever I have tried to move forward, I am a knock in the eyes of the people. I have not done any mistake by contesting the UP elections. I will fight till my last breath for my people but Sanjay Jaiswal lied a lot,” said Sahani.

    He said that BJP Bihar chief Sanjay Jaiswal had no knowledge of the VIP-BJP alliance and has lied a lot.

    “After talking to the BJP high command, I formed an alliance. Sanjay Jaiswal was not even standing outside the room then. What Sanjay Jaiswal and other BJP leaders are saying, if Union Home Minister Amit Shah says the same thing, then I will accept it. The party which becomes the single largest party by snatching the MLAs of others , that party does not have the right to demand my resignation on moral grounds,” he said.

    Sahni further said in 2020, when he joined the government under the leadership of Nitish Kumar, the people could not digest it.

    “BJP got angry because I demanded reservation of Nishad society in SC or ST category. BJP got angry with us for demanding caste census. I am the son of Nishad. I will continue to fight for the rights of my society. I am the son of Mallah. BJP will know that I have huge public support behind me. I will continue to fight for the most backward till my last breath. I am not afraid of anyone. People want me to do what they say but I am not one of those who do so,” he said.

    Sahni further said that if he had accepted the conditions of BJP and bowed down, then his party would not have broken.

    “It is the habit of BJP to cheat its allies. Bihar has a by-election in Bochahan. We will fight and win. This was my seat in NDA but BJP fielded a candidate from here. We fought against BJP in Uttar Pradesh. We will fight where it is needed. I will not disclose what was my deal during the time of alliance with the BJP. Amit Shah knows. If the deal is disclosed, it will not be good for the country,” he added.

    The VIP chief said that he has been struggling since the age of 18. “I knew that anything can happen in this fight, people took the decision they wanted to make but I will keep working for the people,” he said.

    In a major setback to Mukesh Sahani’s Vikassheel Insan Party, all of its three MLAs joined the BJP on Wednesday. Notably, Sahani who is now left as the only representative from his party as an MLC, is the sitting Minister in the Bihar government led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and has shown rebellious colours in the past.

    The three MLAs who quit the VIP and joined the BJP are Raju Singh, Mishri Lal Yadav, and Swarna Singh. 

    Sahani was blindsided on a day he was busy helping his party candidate Geeta Devi file nomination papers for by-election to the Bochahan assembly seat which has fallen vacant upon the death of VIP MLA Musafir Paswan.

    The day also marked the filing of nominations by the two other significant candidates, BJP’s Baby Kumari and RJD’s Amar Paswan, who is the son of the late Bochahan MLA and changed sides after realising that the VIP chief was faced with an insurmountable political crisis.

    In the evening, Swarna Singh, Mishri Lal Yadav and Raju Kumar Singh, all of them elected in 2020 as VIP candidates, met Speaker Vijay Kumar Sinha informing him that they wished to be merged with the BJP.

    The speaker issued the notification in this regard, thereby making the BJP the largest in the assembly in terms of numerical strength.

    The party now has 77 MLAs, two more than Lalu Prasad’s RJD, the principal opposition party.

    Emerging from the speaker’s chamber, the MLAs told reporters that they were “returning to their home” as they had all been previously associated with the BJP.

    They also said that Sahani’s confrontational stance towards the BJP was “suicidal”.

    Sahani, a former Bollywood set designer, had floated his party in November, 2018 and joined the RJD-led Grand Alliance soon afterward but left just ahead of the 2020 assembly polls, alleging that leader of the opposition Tejashwi Yadav was giving him a raw deal in sharing of seats.

    He was inducted into the NDA at the instance of the BJP after a meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

    In the elections, his party won four seats though Sahani lost his own.

    Nonetheless, the BJP backed him and helped him earn a place in the Nitish Kumar cabinet.

    However, he seemed to have entered his formidable former patron’s bad books after his foray into the Uttar Pradesh elections where the inexperienced politician contested around 50 seats and virulently attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

    He tied himself into more knots by fielding candidates against the BJP in seven legislative council seats where polls are due next month and failed to see the writing on the wall when the saffron party struck back, unilaterally announcing Baby Kumari’s candidature in an obvious snub to Sahani.

    The NDA in Bihar also includes Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s JD(U) and ex-CM Jitan Ram Manjhi’s Hindustani Awam Morcha (HAM).

    JD(U) sources have indicated that they treated the crisis as “a matter between BJP and Sahani” and the HAM, a small outfit with four MLAs, is expected to follow the same line.

    The minister, who holds fishery and animal husbandry portfolio, finds himself in a quandary as his own term in the legislative council where he won a seat vacated by a BJP MLC ends in July.

    (With PTI Inputs)