News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • UP polls: Mulayam appears at his first poll rally, seeks votes for his son

    By PTI

    KARHAL: Making his first appearance at an election rally, Samajwadi Party patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday sought votes for his son Akhilesh Yadav, promising that his party will fulfil the aspirations of the people.

    Yadav said the people want that the problems of poverty and unemployment are resolved, and his party’s policies are very clear on these issues. He appealed to the people to ensure the victory of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.

    The polling for the third phase will be held on February 20 in Karhal where the BJP has pitted Union minister SP Singh Baghel against Akhilesh Yadav.

    Incidentally, Union Home Minister Amit Shah also campaigned with Baghel almost simultaneously in this constituency on Thursday at a poll rally about three kilometres away.

    Addressing a rally in the SP stronghold, Shah also took potshots at the party for bringing veteran leader Mulayam Singh Yadav for campaigning.

    “The eyes of other countries of the world, including the United States, are on the Samajwadi Party in these elections and now the people of India will decide. But one thing is clear that your hopes will be fulfilled by the Samajwadi Party,” Mulayam Singh said.

    Akhilesh touched his father’s feet on stage and sought his blessings.

    Recalling the long association of his family with the area, the SP chief said “Netaji (Mulayam) did his studies, taught in a school and also started politics from here.

    “In his address, Mulayam Singh Yadav said, “It is the policy of the Samajwadi Party that our farmers should be given priority, arrangement of fertilizers and seeds should be made and they be provided the means of irrigation which will increase the yield.

    “If the yield increases, the condition of the farmer will improve. Similarly, jobs should be arranged for our educated youth. No government is doing this,” he said.

    He assured the people that if a Samajwadi Party government is formed, employment and jobs will be provided to the youth as they are essential for running families. He said traders will be extended facilities so that they can buy the produce of farmers.

    With this, both the farmer and the trader will prosper, he said. “The policies of the Samajwadi Party are clear. Farmers, youth and traders will together strengthen this state, and the country will prosper. Today, this huge crowd has proved that the people want farmers, youth and traders to develop the country together,” he said.

    He also advocated for providing facilities to the youth. If you give profit to the trader, then he will buy the farmer’s crop at a good price and that will benefit the latter.

    In his speech, SP president Akhilesh Yadav said his father’s presence has added to the grace of the election rally. “This is Netaji’s area where he studied, taught, started politics and also participated in wrestling bouts,” Akhilesh said.

    “The movement that Netaji has brought up till this point, it is our responsibility to take it ahead for the next hundred years,” he said.

    Responding to BJP’s attacks on the law and order situation under the SP government, Akhilesh said, “Those who take law and order in their hands, do not follow the law, should not vote for Samajwadi Party. Those wanting to do injustice to the poor should not vote for Samajwadi Party,” he said.

    He also said by the fourth phase of polling, his party will get enough seats to form government in the state.

    Exuding confidence of getting support from the people here, Yadav said, “The BJP workers would not be seen at the polling booths of Karhal Vidhan Sabha (on the polling day) as they neither have youth, farmers nor mothers and sisters with them.”

    The SP chief said that the BJP tells lies and instigates quarrels and hence it should be named as “Bharatiya Jhagda Party”.

    Former chief minister reiterated the promises made by his party of providing electricity, free ration, restoration of old pension to government employees and socialist pension on coming to power.

  • Shah takes jibe at SP over Mulayam taking part in poll campaigning

    By PTI

    MAINPURI: Addressing a rally in the SP stronghold of Karhal, from where its president Akhilesh Yadav is contesting the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, Union Home Minister Amit Shah took potshots at the party on Thursday for bringing veteran leader Mulayam Singh Yadav for campaigning.

    Accusing Akhilesh Yadav of indulging in dynastic politics, he said the previous SP government in Uttar Pradesh had 45 members from his family.

    “I had heard Akhilesh Yadav say on television that he would now come to Karhal only on March 10 (the day the poll results are scheduled to be announced). But he came here six days later and under this scorching sun, also had to bring Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav). When the beginning is like this, what will be the end result?” Shah asked.

    Incidentally, Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav made his first appearance in the ongoing election process on Thursday, addressing a meeting for his son Akhilesh Yadav at a distance of only about three kilometres from the venue of Shah’s rally.

    The home minister told the voters if they want the BJP to win 300 seats in Uttar Pradesh, then it can be achieved through an electoral victory in Karhal, from where the saffron party has fielded Union minister S P Singh Baghel.

    “Only one seat can do the work of 300 seats. Make the ‘kamal’ (lotus, BJP’s poll symbol) win in Karhal and the SP will be wiped out from the state,” he said.

    Shah said Baghel holds an important position in the Union council of ministers.

    “He is a big leader of the Baghels. When he joined the BJP, he did so after leaving power. We made him the president of the (party’s) OBC morcha. He contested the (Lok Sabha) election and won. (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji made him a minister and there was no need for him to contest the Assembly polls. But he said he does not want Uttar Pradesh to be run by gangsters again,” he said.

    The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said once again a government that works for the welfare of the poor, backward classes, Dalits and farmers has to be installed in the state and hence, Baghel has been fielded in the ongoing polls.

    Hitting out at the SP, Shah alleged that the party ruled Uttar Pradesh for a long time but did nothing for the poor, whereas, on coming to power in 2014, Modi had said the BJP government is a government for the poor and backward sections of the society and has worked in this direction since then.

    Talking about the welfare schemes initiated by the saffron party’s governments at the Centre and in Uttar Pradesh, he took a swipe at Akhilesh Yadav for initially rejecting the COVID-19 vaccines as “BJP vaccines” and then taking the jab 10 days later “out of fear”.

    “Had you not taken the vaccine going by his words, would you have been safe during the third wave (of the pandemic)?” Shah asked the gathering.

    “Modi is the son of a tea seller and understands the pain of the poor,” he said, adding that the prime minister introduced the Ayushman Bharat scheme for the health of poor people.

    “The SP describes itself as a party of the poor, but its ‘S’ means ‘sampatti ikattha’ (amassing wealth) and ‘P’ means ‘pariwarwad’ (dynasty). In its government, one family of Akhilesh Yadav had occupied 45 posts. They think only about their family, not even for their own caste (Yadavs) or the backward sections of the society,” the Union home minister said, while pointing out that Modi has given the slogan of “sabka sath, sabka vikas” for the welfare of all.

    Claiming massive improvement on the law-and-order front in Uttar Pradesh, Shah asked the gathering whether they were ever troubled by “bahubalis” (musclemen) since the BJP government came to power in the state.

    “Where is Azam Khan, Atiq Ahmed and Mukhtar Ansari? Will they remain in jail if an SP government is formed? The very next day, they will come out to see ‘gaana-bajana’ at the Saifai Mahotsav. Decide where you want to keep them. Under the government of Narendra Modi, there is no bahubali, only Bajrangbali in Uttar Pradesh,” he said.

    “We have fielded SP Singh Baghel after proper thinking to ensure that the mantra of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ reaches the last man. Ensure Baghel’s victory and I guarantee that all the backward classes will get proper participation,” Shah added.

    Referring to Akhilesh Yadav and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati as “bua-bhatija”, he asserted that only the BJP can keep the country safe.

    Addressing another rally in neighbouring Firozabad, Shah claimed that the SP has lost the ongoing election after the first two rounds of polling itself, adding that Akhilesh Yadav follows the mantra of “collecting money and going on a vacation” while that of the BJP is using funds for the welfare of people.

  • Won’t let UP, Bihar, Delhi ‘de bhaiye’ to enter Punjab: Channi lashes out at BJP, AAP

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Punjab Chief Minister Charanjit Singh Channi on Wednesday courted controversy during a poll rally by asking people not to let the “bhiyas” of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Delhi enter the state, a remark apparently aimed at AAP leaders.

    The word “bhiyas” in reference to people from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar is generally considered offensive.

    In a video circulating on social media, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was seen beside Channi clapping when he made the remarks during a roadshow in Rupnagar.

    “Priyanka Gandhi is the daughter-in-law of Punjab. Will not let the ‘Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Delhi de bhaiye’, who have come here to rule, enter the state,” the incumbent chief minister of Punjab said.

    His remark was met with criticism by the Aam Aadmi Party.

    AAP national convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal termed his Punjab counterpart’s comments “very shameful”.

    “We strongly condemn the wrong comments made against any individual or any particular community,” he replied when asked during a press conference to comment on Channi’s remark.

    Kejriwal added that Channi had earlier taunted him over his skin complexion, calling him ‘kala (dark)’.

    When Bhagwant Mann said Priyanka Gandhi also belongs to Uttar Pradesh, Kejriwal said she too is then a “bhaiya”.

    BJP leader Tejasvi Surya shared the video of Channi on Twitter and targeted Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over this.

    “Priyanka Vadra Ji calls herself a daughter of Uttar Pradesh when she visits the state and claps when people of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are insulted in Punjab. This is her double character and face as well,” Surya said.

  • BJP leader Kapil Mishra alleges that he has been ‘detained’ at Ranchi airport

    By PTI

    RANCHI: Bharatiya Janata Party leader Kapil Mishra on Wednesday alleged that he has been detained by Jharkhand police at Birsa Munda airport here.

    Mishra arrived at Ranchi to visit the kin of 17-year old boy Rupesh Kumar Pandey at Hazaribag who was killed during a clash at Barhi during immersion procession of Saraswati idol on February 6.

    Despite repeated efforts, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Ranchi, Surendra Kumar Jha could not be contacted for an official statement on the issue.

    “Detained by Jharkhand police at Ranchi Airport for last two hours,” Mishra tweeted.

    In his earlier tweet at 9.20 am, Mishra said he was stopped by the police at Ranchi airport and was not allowed to exit from the airport.

    “My point is clear. I have come to meet the bereaved family of Rupesh Pandey ji. I am ready to go to Rupesh ji’s house with a few people in a police vehicle. Stopping me raises questions on the intention of the Jharkhand government,” he said.

    Mishra said he had talked to deceased Rupesh Pandey’s mother on video call and have been prevented by police to come out of the airport.

    “Pandey’s mother says nothing is acceptable to her than hanging the culprits. I told him that the whole country is with him,” Mishra said in another tweet.

    Mishra also shared a video in which Pandey’s mother who has stopped eating demanding justice to his son, “I have come from Delhi to tell you that we all are your sons. You are not alone. You have support from all over the world,” Mishra said.

    Pandey’s mother is heard in the video demanding hanging of the culprits to which Mishra said culprits should be hanged as this was a planned murder.

    He said Rs 14 lakh has been collected from people and it will be transferred to her account and a legal team will be there.

    “We will not stop till justice is delivered to you. Entire country is with you. I have been detained by the police. I will come again. We are with your family. Rupesh Pandey has sacrificed his life. We are indebted to your family,” Mishra is heard telling this to mother of Pandey.

    Meanwhile, BJP legislative party leader Babulal Marandi in a tweet said: “Chief Minister Hemant Soren Ji, what message will be sent to the country and the world about Jharkhand by your repressive move in democracy. At least think about it. After all why are you stopping Kapil Mishra from going to visit the bereaved family?” Pandey’s murder had sparked tension in the region.

    A five-member Jharkhand government delegation had earlier this week met the parents of Pandey and promised the deceased’s kin of financial assistance and job to a family member.

    The delegation will submit a report to the chief minister.

    Hazaribag SP Manoj Ratan Chouthe, however, has been maintaining that the incident was not that of mob lynching and all the five accused, who had personal enmity with the deceased, have been arrested, referring to the findings of an SIT constituted by him.

    Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC were imposed in Ramgarh, Hazaribag, Giridih districts after Hindutva groups called for a 12-hour complete shutdown over the incident on Sunday.

    Hundreds of activists of right-wing outfits had taken to the streets, demanding justice for the deceased.

    Marandi had earlier visited the residence of the deceased and said that the incidents of lynching prove that there is no law and order in the state.

  • Raut wants Rashmi Thackeray’s ‘apology’ in Korlai bungalows case to become public: Kirit Somaiya

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: In a counter-attack, BJP leader Kirit Somaiya on Wednesday alleged that Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut deliberately referred to the old controversy over “19 bungalows” in Korlai village because he bore a “grudge” against Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and his family members for not backing him when certain allegations were raised against him.

    Speaking to reporters in New Delhi, Somaiya, a former MP from Mumbai, claimed that it was a known fact that Rashmi Thackeray, wife of Uddhav Thackeray who heads Shiv Sena, had tendered a written “apology” to the Korlai gram panchayat in the Raigad district in connection with the “19 bungalows” controversy.

    “But Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut deliberately dug out the issue of 19 bungalows in his press conference on Tuesday because he wants that letter of Rashmi Thackeray to come out in the public.”

    “Raut is harbouring a grudge against the Thackerays because none of them stood behind him when I had levelled allegations against him (Raut), his friends and his relatives. I had raised the issue of 19 bungalows in January 2021 but it was not even discussed in the last some months,” Somaiya alleged.

    He said Raut deliberately avoided speaking on the “scam” in the allotment of COVID care centres in Mumbai in his presser but chose to speak about these bungalows.

    Somaiya had alleged a scam in the allotment of COVID care centres in Mumbai and submitted a police complaint on Tuesday.

    “People should ask Sanjay Raut about the letter Rashmi Thackeray had submitted to the Korlai gram panchayat tendering apology in the case of 19 bungalows,” he said.

    When asked about Raut’s challenge to him to show where these bungalows are located, the BJP leader claimed, “Rashmi Thackeray and Manisha Ravindra Waikar have jointly paid the property tax on November 12, 2020. Why would they pay the property tax of a bungalow if it does not exist? It is an RTGS transaction and the Korlai gram panchayat has issued a receipt of receiving the payment”.

    Queried on the source of these details, Somaiya said he knew because his in-laws hailed from Revdanda village located opposite Korlai village.

    “Those people first pointed out this issue to me, thus I came to know. All those bungalows were constructed by the late Anvay Naik, who later sold it to the Thackerays and Waikar. The purchase agreement was signed in 2014,” he claimed.

    In May 2018, interior designer Anvay Naik, along with his mother Kumud Naik, were found dead at their bungalow in Alibaug.

    According to the police, Anvay had committed suicide.

    Addressing a press conference at the Shiv Sena headquarters in Mumbai on Tuesday, Sanjay Raut had launched a personal attack against Somaiya, who has been raising a slew of allegations against the Sena brass and other leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

    Raut had alleged that Neil Somaiya, son of Kirit Somaiya, had links with Rakesh Wadhwan, an accused in the PMC bank fraud and demanded the arrest of the father-son duo.

    Denying allegations, Kirit Somaiya had said that he was ready to face any investigation.

    “I have done nothing wrong. I was never indulged in corruption. I am ready to face any inquiry,” he had said.

  • PM Modi to preside launch of industrial investment in J-K in March: LG

    PM Modi to preside launch of industrial investment in J-K in March: LG

  • UP polls: 1 kg ‘ghee’, free ration to poor for 5 years if SP comes to power, says Akhilesh Yadav

    By PTI

    RAE BARELI: SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday promised a kilo of ‘ghee’ to the poor along with free ration for five years if his party comes to power in Uttar Pradesh while claiming that the BJP government was set to discontinue its own free-ration scheme.

    “The poor, who are availing their rations, will get it till the elections. It will not be available after the elections. Earlier it was to be given till November but when the UP elections were announced, they said they would get it till March,” Yadav said.

    Addressing an election rally here, he said the funds for ration has not been earmarked in “Delhi’s budget as they know that the election will end in March.”

    “Ration was given by the Samajwadis earlier as well. As long as there is an SP government, we will give ration to our poor. Along with it, we will give mustard oil as well as two cylinders in a year. To see that the health of our poor gets better, one kilogram of ghee will also be given,” the Samajwadi Party chief said.

    The quality of ration being distributed by the BJP government was bad and there were also reports of glass particles found in the salt, Yadav said and asked whether the salt was not coming from Gujarat.

    There are 11 lakh government vacancies in UP and the SP government will provide jobs to the youth by filling up those posts, he said.

    Yadav said, “BJP leaders were seeking votes moving from house to house. Their senior leaders were distributing pamphlets. But now that campaign has stopped because when they visited some villages, people showed them empty gas cylinders. From the day empty cylinders were shown, their door-to-door campaigning stopped.”

    Attacking the state government, the SP chief said the law and order situation under the BJP government has collapsed.

    “The highest number of custodial deaths have taken place under the BJP government. Corruption has also doubled in this double engine government,” he alleged.

    The SP president also made an appeal to the electorate to vote in favour of Samajwadi Party candidates of Rae Bareli.

  • Rajnath calls on Manipur militants to shun violence, come for peace talks

    By PTI

    IMPHAL: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has called on insurgent outfits in Manipur to shun violence and come for peace talks with the Centre.

    Speaking at a programme at Langthabal in Imphal West district on Monday, Singh said that the Union government is ready for dialogue with the insurgent groups if they wish to return to the mainstream.

    “We are ready for talks with militants. Violence in Manipur has been the lowest in the last five years. Insurgency has reduced drastically. The BJP will put an end to violence and bring lasting peace and development in the region,” he said.

    Singh said that the Centre is committed to resolving unemployment, poverty and other issues plaguing Manipur for years, and boost tourism to increase the state’s revenues.

    The defence minister exuded confidence that the BJP will win an absolute majority in the upcoming assembly elections in Manipur.

    He said that Northeast lags behind other parts of the country in terms of development due to “anti-people” policies of the previous Congress governments.

    “The Congress had neglected the region, and its anti-development policies reflect its anti-Northeast sentiment. After becoming PM, Atal Behari Vajpayee had formed a separate ministry for the development of the region. However, after his government was defeated in 2004, the region was continuously neglected for the next 10 years.”

    “However, Manipur has witnessed speedy development since the BJP came to power in the state in 2017. Five years back, the state was engulfed by violence, which has now ended. People of the state have witnessed development and good governance under the BJP,” he added.

  • Many CPM workers killed in Tripura in last four years: Manik Sarkar hits out at BJP

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: Leader of Opposition in Tripura Assembly Manik Sarkar has alleged that many CPI(M) leaders and workers have been murdered in the state in the past four years of the BJP-IPFT rule.

    “As many as 24 CPI(M) leaders and workers were murdered in the past four years and justice has not been done to none. The things will not move on in the way they (BJP-IPFT) think”, Sarkar said while speaking to reporters at Kamalpur in South Tripura district on Monday.

    However, the ruling dispensation strongly denied the allegations of political murders in Tripura after 2018 Assembly elections.

    “This was for the first time, no political murder took place after 2018 Assembly elections. Earlier, we used to witness heavy post poll violence”, said BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharjee.

    Sharply criticizing the BJP-IPFT government, the former chief minister said an-one sided rule is installed in the state.

    “People voices are being throttled. Elections are not taking place in a free and fair manner,” he said.

    Sarkar said the people, who had been befooled prior to 2018 Assembly elections have started realizing that they have made a big mistake.

    “The BJP MLAs, who had deserted the party and joined the Congress have been openly criticizing the BJP led government. Now, they are repenting for joining the saffron party with folding hands”, he said in an indirect reference to Sudip Roy Barman and Asish Saha quitting the saffron party and joining the Congress.

    “A new storm is hovering in the state. Now, the time has come for an eyeball to eyeball protest to the wrongdoings of the government”, he said.

  • BJP youth wing files over 1,0000 complaints filed against Rahul over remarks excluding Northeast in Tweet

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: The youth wing of the BJP in Assam on Monday claimed its activists have filed more than 1,000 complaints against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi at various police stations in the state over his tweets that left the Northeast out of India’s geographical expanse while he talked about the country’s unity.

    It was, however, not immediately known if any case has been registered over the complaints.

    A special DGP of Assam Police told PTI that the state has a total of 329 police stations, 293 outposts and 151 patrol posts.

    Though a complaint can be filed at outposts and patrol posts, a case can be registered only at a police station.

    Assam Bhartiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) media convenor Biswajit Khound claimed more than 1000 complaints have been filed against Gandhi but failed to share the names of police stations or districts where those were lodged.

    “Gandhi mentioned India as stretching from Kashmir to Kerala, and Gujarat to West Bengal, thereby eliminating Northeast from India. It carried a threat to India’s geographical integrity and security,” Khound said in a statement.

    In one of the purported complaints filed with the police and shared with media, the BJYM alleged that Gandhi’s tweet indirectly supported China’s claim that the North East, especially Arunachal Pradesh, was a part of it.

    Gandhi’s tweet reflected the “separatist mentality” of the grand old party, Khound alleged.

    “The Congress party is unfortunate (durbhagyapurna) for India and Rahul Gandhi is India’s problem,” the statement said.

    A BJP spokesperson, who did not want to be named, said the state unit of the party’s Mahila Morcha has also filed complaints against Gandhi at different police stations.

    Gandhi had on February 10 tweeted about the diversity and strength of India.

    “There is strength in our Union. Our Union of Cultures. Our Union of Diversity. Our Union of Languages. Our Union of People. Our Union of States. From Kashmir to Kerala. From Gujarat to West Bengal. India is beautiful in all its colours. Don’t insult the spirit of India,” he had said on the microblogging platform.

    The complaints against Gandhi came on the heels of FIRs filed by Congress leaders across several states against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over his controversial remark about the Congress leader’s parentage.

    At a rally in poll-bound Uttarakhand on February 11, Sarma had attacked Gandhi for demanding proof of the September 2016 surgical strike and the efficacy of the anti-Covid vaccines.

    Launching a personal attack on the Congress leader, he had asked whether the BJP ever demanded proof of Rahul Gandhi being the son of Rajiv Gandhi.

    Sarma’s remark sparked a huge controversy, with several opposition leaders, including chief ministers, criticising the “deplorable” statement.