News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • Suvendu Adhikari’s brother Soumendu not given BJP ticket in West Bengal municipal poll

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: BJP has not given ticket to Soumendu Adhikari, who had joined the saffron party following the footsteps of his elder brother and Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, for the February 27 municipal poll in Kanthi raising eyebrows in political circles in West Bengal.

    With this Kanthi municipality in Purba Medinipur district will not have a contestant from the Adhikari family for the first time in three decades.

    Soumendu Adhikari was a former chairman of the municipality before he joined BJP in January 2021.

    He had been its administrator till 2020 after the civic body’s term had expired a year ago.

    Soumendu, who is the secretary of BJP’s Kanthi organisational committee, rubbished speculations in political circles about his not being fielded by the party.

    “We (BJP) don’t believe in the culture of vesting the responsibility of running a municipalty to the same family forever. For me that is dynastic politics and BJP does not believe in it,” he said.

    Taking a swipe at the ruling TMC, Soumendu said “We (BJP) are not a private limited company like some other party. We will win Kanthi if there is no intimidation or terror on election day”.

    During the campaign for the 2021 state poll BJP had often described TMC as a private limited company run by its supremo Mamata Banerjee and her nephew and party general secretary Abhishek Banerjee.

    Soumendu’s father Sisir Adhikari, an MP, was the chairman of Kanthi municipality from 1990 to 2005 and Suvendu Adhikari occupied the post from 2006 to 2010.

    Soumendu had been at the helm of the civic body since then to 2020.

    Senior TMC leader Firhad Hakim when asked said, “Simply put he is scared of losing. Hence he does not want to contest”.

  • PM afraid of Congress: Rahul Gandhi on Narendra Modi’s attack in Parliament

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was afraid of the Congress as it spoke the truth which is why he attacked the party in both Houses of Parliament.

    He also said if the prime minister likes abusing the Congress and his great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru, “be my guest, but do your job”.

    “I do not need anyone’s certificate for my great-grandfather. I don’t care what anybody says about him,” the former Congress chief said.

    Replying to the motion of thanks on president’s address, Modi on Tuesday continued his no-holds-barred attack on the Congress declaring even Mahatma Gandhi wanted it dismantled and claiming there would have been no Emergency, no massacre of Sikhs, no caste politics and no exodus of Pandits from Kashmir had the Congress not been there.

    ALSO READ: Nehru didn’t send armed forces to liberate Goa to save his global image, says PM Narendra Modi

    Describing dynastic parties as the biggest threat to India’s democracy, he said Jawaharlal Nehru, “concerned about his global image”, refused to send the Army to help Ram Manohar Lohia led ‘satyagrahis’ working for Goa’s independence.

    The Congress staged a walkout from the House during the prime minister’s address, prompting Modi to say that one needs to listen too in a democracy and that the party was used to only preaching to others till now.

    Gandhi said the prime minister did not answer the issues of “two Indias”, China and Pakistan “getting together” and the attack on India’s institutions, raised by him in the Lok Sabha.

    “He is a little afraid of the Congress. There is a little anxiety because the Congress speaks the truth. He is in the business of marketing. He has spread lies. So fear is natural and that showed in Parliament.

    ALSO READ: PM Narendra Modi says family-run parties biggest threat to democracy, slams Congress

    “The whole speech was about Congress, what Congress did not do and Nehru did not do. But nothing on BJP’s promises. There is fear,” he said when asked about the prime minister’s attack on the Congress.

    Asked about PM Modi’s attack on India’s first prime minister, Gandhi said it does not matter whether he attacks the Congress or Nehru.

    “It is important that people understand what he is doing,” the former Congress chief said.

    “My great-grandfather served this country and gave his entire life to it. He did what he had to do as did other members of my family and millions of people of this country.”

    ALSO READ: Modi left farmers on road amid Covid, Congress won’t ever do that, says Rahul Gandhi

    Gandhi said in his speech in the Lok Sabha, he raised the issue of “two Indias”, one of the poor and the other of the rich, and that all institutions are being “captured” which is harming the country.

    He said that he also talked about China and Pakistan “becoming one” that presents a major danger to India.

    “The prime minister did not answer any of the three issues I raised,” Gandhi said.

    The Congress leader pointed out that he had earlier warned that Covid was a danger “but the prime minister did not agree”.

    ALSO READ: ‘Jumla for India, jobs for China’ – Rahul Gandhi slams Centre on ‘Make in India’

    “Now I said there is a danger from China and Pakistan and this is a serious issue. This is no joke. The other two issues must also be taken seriously. These are not jokes. The country is being weakened. The prime minister said nothing on these things.”

    About the statement of the external affairs minister’s comments that China and Pakistan were together earlier too, Gandhi said, “The gentleman obviously does not understand his job very well.”

    Following Rahul Gandhi alleging in Lok Sabha that the Narendra Modi government brought Pakistan and China together, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said, “Perhaps, some history lessons are in order: In 1963, Pakistan illegally handed over the Shaksgam valley to China; China built the Karakoram highway through PoK in the 1970s.”

    The external affairs minister said the two countries also had close nuclear collaboration from the 1970s.

    “In 2013, the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor started. So, ask yourself: were China and Pakistan distant then?” he said.

    Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday replied, “He has to understand that there is something new that is taking place. That Chinese and Pakistanis are now one and India is facing a cyber superpower. So, India needs to be very careful,” Cited the USD 90 billion Belt and Road initiative, Chinese troops in PoK, he claimed that Pakistan military people are sitting in China looking into Pakistan and China’s military strategy.

    He advised the government to “wake up on this serious issue”.

    “You are in sleep right now, ignoring the facts. The Chinese have entered Ladakh, positioned themselves in Doklam. You are asleep, please wake up. It is very dangerous for the country. If you like abusing the Congress and Nehru, be my guest but do your job,” Gandhi said.

  • Punjab elections: BJP manifesto promises to waive debt of farmers, grant aid for landless

    By ANI

    CHANDIGARH: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) released its manifesto for the Punjab Assembly polls on Tuesday, promising to entirely waive off the debt of all farmers with less than five acres of land-holdings in the state.

    Besides, the party also promised ‘Mehnat Da Pakka Mull’ under which the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers growing fruits, vegetables, pulses, and oilseeds will be guaranteed as part of the Central Governments MSP extension programme.

    For sustaining crop diversification and making it more rewarding, the alliance promised a dedicated annual budget of Rs 5,000 crore for agriculture.

    As per an official statement from the BJP, Union Minister and BJP in-charge for Punjab Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, along with Shiromani Akali Dal-Sanyukt leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa and BJP state general secretary Subash Sharma, said that this was a futuristic manifesto that is set to revolutionise the rural and agricultural economy in Punjab.

    ALSO READ| ‘Love jihad’ will result in 10-year punishment, Rs 1 lakh fine: BJP manifesto for Uttar Pradesh

    The BJP is fighting the Assembly polls in alliance with former Chief Minister Amarinder Singh-led Punjab Lok Congress (PLC) and Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa-led Shiromani Akali Dal (Sanyukt).

    The alliance promised that one lakh acres of ‘Shamlat Land’ in the state will be allocated to rural landless farmers for cultivation. Besides, every landless farmer in the state would be given an annual financial assistance of Rs 6,000 under Pradhan Mantri Kisan Sanman Yojana.

    For ‘Sustainable Green Revolution’, the manifesto promised an annual budget of Rs 5,000 crore to support Sustainable Agriculture and Organic Farming in the state.

    For special emphasis to protect Punjab’s depleting water table, free of cost rainwater harvesting units will be installed. Subsidy will be given for alternative automated and smart irrigation systems, which will help in water conservation. The irrigation department will be investigated for corruption and the corrupt officials will be brought to justice.

    To promote dairy farming, an organised milk marketing system shall be developed by establishing milk chilling centres in every village and milk processing units in a cluster of every 30 villages. Veterinary aid centres, artificial insemination and breeding centres will be established in every tehsil.

    It promised that subsidies and loans will be provided to women and those belonging to Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes and Economically Weaker Sections to start businesses in Dairy Farming, Poultry Farming and Beekeeping.

    The manifesto promised subsidies to agro-based industries under the Prime Minister Employment Generation Programme. Tax Exempted agro-based Industrial Clusters comprising small and medium enterprises shall be formed to attract investment in rural areas. Mega Food Processing Parks will be established also.

    CLICK HERE FOR COVERAGE ON PUNJAB ELECTIONS

    To promote rural entrepreneurship, the ‘Samriddh-Pind’ scheme will be launched and funds will be allocated annually to promote rural startups. To promote MSMEs, interest and collateral-free loans will be given to the rural youth with an easy payback mechanism.

    To improve the healthcare system in villages, under the ‘Healthy Villages’ scheme, each village will have Aarogya Kendras (clinics) with 24×7 doctor facility and laboratory, in which all kinds of tests can be done.

    Availability of ‘108 ambulance’ service will be ensured in all rural areas within 15 minutes. Permanent drivers will be recruited to achieve this endeavour.

    Under the ‘Pakki Chhatt – Har Ik Da Haqq’ (Housing for All) scheme permanent houses will be provided to all economically weaker sections of the society. Under ‘Har Ghar Jal’, clean and safe piped drinking water facilities will be provided to every household.

    All villages will have a 24×7 power supply. The government will provide free electricity up to 300 units to each household and above it, the electricity tariff will be Rs 3 per unit for domestic purposes.

    High-quality smart schools will be set up in the villages with modern classrooms, computer labs and playgrounds. Annual stipend will be given to EWS and handicapped students and all girls belonging to Scheduled Caste till 10th class.

    To promote sports in rural areas, playgrounds will be developed at the village level to encourage youngsters to participate in sports. To promote sportsmanship from the school level, sports kits will be given free of cost to all the registered sports clubs and government schools.

    The BJP said that world-class facilities will be provided for grooming international level hockey players. Kabaddi will be encouraged through rural tournaments. The amount of cash rewards given to medal winners in the important International and National Games will be revised on the lines of Haryana.

    Gold Medal winners in Olympics/Paralympics will get Rs 6 crores each, silver medalists Rs 4 crores each, bronze medalists Rs 2.5 crores each and those participating in these events will get Rs 15 lakhs each. Anyone qualifying for these games will get at least Rs 15 lakhs.

    For the Asian/ Para Asian Games, it will be Rs 3 crores, Rs 1.5 crores, Rs 75 lakhs and 7.5 lakhs for gold, silver, bronze medal and participation respectively. For Commonwealth Games/ Para Commonwealth, it will be Rs 1.5 crores, Rs 75 Lakhs, Rs 50 Lakhs and Rs 7.5 Lakhs for gold, silver, bronze medals and participation respectively.

    For World Cup/Para World Cup events held once in 4 years, the prize money will be Rs 1.5 Crores, Rs 75 Lakhs, Rs 50 Lakhs and Rs 7.5 Lakhs for gold, silver, bronze medals and participation respectively.

    For National Games/ Para National Games the prize money for gold, silver and bronze medals will be 5 Lakhs 3 Lakhs 2 Lakhs respectively, while for the State Level Games it will be Rs 21,000, Rs 10,000 and Rs 5,000 respectively for the gold, silver and bronze medals.

    Punjab will go to the polls on February 14 and the counting of votes will take place on March 10. In the 2017 Assembly polls in the state, Congress won an absolute majority by winning 77 seats and ousted the SAD-BJP government which had been in power for 10 years.

  • Uttar Pradesh polls: IPS officer-turned-politician Asim Arun seeks financial support

    By PTI

    NOIDA: “Is it possible to be in politics without leaving the path of honesty,” wonders IPS officer-turned-politician Asim Arun as he seeks financial support from people to fight the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections.

    The former Kanpur police commissioner had in January opted for voluntary retirement from the service and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has fielded him from the Kannauj (Sadar) seat for the polls.

    In his appeal on social media, 51-year-old Arun says he is now into “Lok Seva” (service of the people), which requires money for works to be done but he does “not want to compromise his basic principles”. He also suggests measures like maintaining less number of vehicles, having less staff and “transparency” in expenses for people in public service to keep the expenditure in check.

    ALSO READ| ‘Love jihad’ will result in 10-year punishment, Rs 1 lakh fine: BJP manifesto

    “My father late Shriram Arun is often cited as an example when it comes to honesty and I have always tried to follow his path. Now I am in ‘Lok Seva’ but on the condition that I will not compromise with my basic principles,” Arun said.

    “On the other hand, public service requires money for works to be completed. This is the reason why conscious people feel that they would have fixed certain problems if they were in a position of power but get discouraged thinking of the expenses required to fix the problem,” he added.

    “I consider my life to be an experiment in which I am now testing whether it is possible to engage in politics without leaving the path of honesty? I know several public representatives who have been successful at this and are inspiration to me,” Arun said in a statement.

    Appealing for crowd support, he said complete transparency would be maintained with the financial assistance which could be made through his website – “http://asimarun.in”.

    Kannauj (Sadar) falls in the Kannauj district of Uttar Pradesh. The seat is reserved for SC candidates and is a so-called bastion of the Samajwadi Party. The assembly seat goes to the polls on February 20 during the third phase of the elections in the state.

  • Bommai meets Shah in Delhi, presents compilation of his government’s achievements

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai met Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday in New Delhi and presented a handbook on the achievements of his government in the past six months.

    The chief minister also expressed gratitude to Shah for taking the time to meet and discuss various issues in the national capital with him.

    “I thank our Union Home Minister @AmitShah ji for taking the time to meet and discuss various issues at New Delhi today. Glad to have presented a compilation of the achievements of our government in the last six months,” Bommai had said in a tweet.

    He further informed that he also presented a study report of the Institute of Social and Economic Change (ISEC) on the impact of the welfare programs of the Bommai government for the welfare of the poor.

    “Also a copy of the ISEC study that shows how our schemes and policies reach the common man and the needy,” Bommai tweeted. 

  • ‘What compulsion do you have?’: Smriti slams Akhilesh for seeking Mamata’s support

    By PTI

    NOIDA: BJP leader Smriti Irani on Monday hit out at Akhilesh Yadav, wondering why the Samajwadi Party president was seeking support of Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who had “insulted” the people of Uttar Pradesh.

    While addressing a poll programme in Gautam Buddh Nagar’s Jewar, the Union Minister claimed Yadav’s reach out to Banerjee was an indication that he is “not getting people’s support on his own strength”.

    Irani claimed Yadav was seeking support from Banerjee despite her insulting the traditions, culture and food habits of the people of Uttar Pradesh.

    “I want to ask Akhilesh ji, what has happened now that you want support of those who had forgotten the glorious past of this state and openly insult the residents of the state. What compulsion do you have?” she said.

    “But Akhilesh ji is definitely giving indications that he is not getting public support on his own strength,” she added.

    Irani was addressing a gathering in support of BJP’s Jewar MLA Dhirendra Singh, who is once again in the fray from the seat for assembly polls.

    The Lok Sabha MP from Amethi said it was her good luck that she has been elected to parliament from Uttar Pradesh, which has been not only known as the land that has defined ‘sanskar, sanskriti’ but is also the land which is redefining development in India’s politics.

    Quoting the remarks of MLA Singh, she said the BJP has accomplished in five years in Jewar what could not be done even in 70 years.

    “It’s not easy that an international-level airport gets built in an assembly area or a medical device park for manufacturing modern equipment,” she said, talking of the big ticket projects Jewar has got since the BJP came to power in Uttar Pradesh in 2017.

    Polls in Gautam Buddh Nagar in western Uttar Pradesh are scheduled for February 10 during the first phase of elections in the state.

    Results will be declared on March 10.

  • Trouble for Biplab Kumar Deb? Two Tripura BJP MLAs resign, hit out at CM

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: BJP MLAs Sudip Roy Barman and Asish Saha on Monday resigned from the Tripura assembly, and also gave up the membership of their party.

    Roy Barman and Saha met Speaker Ratan Chakraborty and handed over their resignation letters in the morning.

    “Roy Barman and Saha called on me and submitted their resignation letters. I have asked the Secretary of Tripura Legislative Assembly to examine the resignation letters. I will accept their resignations only if their letters are as per the parameters laid down in the Business of Conduct of the assembly,” Chakraborty said.

    Roy Barman told reporters at the assembly that they will travel to New Delhi and finalise the future course of action amid speculation that they might join the Congress on Tuesday.

    “I am relieved after resigning because the BJP-led government has miserably failed to live up to the expectations. Democracy has been throttled in Tripura and no one is allowed to speak,” said Roy Barman, the former health minister and a known critic of Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb.

    “A ‘mukhia’ (headman) and some officers are running an autocratic government in Tripura where no one is there to hear the voice of the people. Ministers are not allowed to discharge their duties independently. We will bulldoze the conspiracy to hijack democracy,” he said Roy Barman claimed the BJP-led government in the state will be reduced to minority before the next assembly elections as many MLAs are planning to leave the party “out of frustration”.

    Asked whether they will return to the Congress, he said, “Let’s see what happens in Delhi.”

    Saha, the other BJP MLA, said they have also sent letters to BJP state president Manik Saha, resigning from the primary membership of the party.

    “We will be back in Tripura on February 12,” he said.

    The ruling BJP in Tripura rubbished any threat to the Biplab Kumar Deb government, stating that the party’s leadership was well aware of the development in advance.

    “Their recent activities do not suit the party. We tried to sort out the differences with the two MLAs but they were not convinced with our efforts. As politicians, they have the right to join or leave a party. We are keeping a close watch and will do the needful,” the BJP state president said.

    Dismissing the possibility of exodus of MLAs as claimed by Roy Barman, Saha said the party’s leadership would meet soon to review the political scenario in the aftermath of the resignations of the two legislators.

    The BJP’s tally went down to 33 in the 60-member assembly with the resignation of the two MLAs.

    While BJP ally IPFT has eight MLAs, the opposition Left Front’s tally stands at 15.

    Earlier, BJP MLA Asish Das was declared disqualified by the speaker on the ground of “misconduct”, while CPI(M) MLA Ramendra Chandra Debnath of Yubarajnagar died on February 2.

  • Two Tripura BJP MLAs resign

    By PTI

    AGARTALA: BJP MLAs Sudip Roy Barman and Ashish Saha on Monday resigned from the Tripura assembly, and also gave up the membership of their party.

    Roy Barman and Saha met Speaker Ratan Chakraborty and handed over their resignation letters.

    Roy Barman told reporters that they will travel to New Delhi later in the day and finalise the future course of action amid speculation that they may join the Congress on Tuesday.

    “We will be back in Tripura on February 12. We have also sent letters to BJP state president Manik Saha, resigning from the primary membership of the party,” said Saha.

    The BJP’s tally went down to 33 in the 60-member assembly with the resignation of the two MLAs.

  • UP polls: PM Modi’s rally in Bijnor cancelled due to weather issues

    By ANI

    NEW DELHI: Due to weather issues, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not travel to Bijnor district in Uttar Pradesh to address the BJP’s “Jan Chaupal Rally”.

    The Prime Minister will now address the people of Uttar Pradesh virtually at 12:30 pm today.

    The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had also made arrangements for people to listen to the Prime Minister’s address at about 75 locations expecting close to a lakh of people at these locations given the easing of restrictions by the election commission.

    The polling in Uttar Pradesh will be held on February 10, 14, 20, 23, 27 and March 3 and 7 in seven phases.

    The counting of votes will take place on March 10. 

  • Mob booked for manhandling BJP leader Kirit Somaiya in Pune, no arrest yet

    By PTI

    PUNE: A mob of 60 to 70 persons was booked on Sunday for allegedly manhandling Maharashtra BJP leader Kirit Somaiya in the Pune Municipal Corporation premises a day earlier, police said.

    No arrest has been made in the incident, which took place when Somaiya had come to the civic body complex to speak about alleged irregularities in the contract of a jumbo COVID-19 hospital, an official said.

    A case has been registered under IPC sections 143, 147, 149, 341, 336, 337, 323, 504 on the complaint of local BJP leaders, said Shivajinagar police station inspector Vikram Gaud.

    On Sunday, Somaiya told reporters outside the civic headquarters that he had submitted an application to the municipal commission and mayor about a health care firm obtaining the contract to run a jumbo COVID facility by giving “fake documents”.