News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • Administrative apathy fatal than Covid pandemic: Mehbooba Mufti hits out at BJP-led centre

    By PTI
    JAMMU: PDP president Mehbooba Mufti on Wednesday lambasted the BJP-led government at the Centre for abandoning people at the crucial juncture and alleged that administrative apathy coupled with mismanagement and nepotism was proving fatal than the coronavirus pandemic.

    She also alleged that efficiency, experience and competency are no more yardsticks for posting of officers at key places in Jammu and Kashmir “resulting in complete administrative chaos”.

    “Jammu, in particular, has a mixed population and it has always ensured balanced administration but in the last two years nepotism has resulted in an imbalance in administration,” the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said.

    Addressing PDP’s Provincial Committee Jammu in a virtual meet attended by senior party leaders from across the region, Mehbooba claimed that the Scheduled Tribe and Scheduled Caste population has been victimised in the name of anti-encroachment drives and people have been pushed to the wall to appease some political heavyweights.

    “All the sections of society including traders, industrialists, transports, farmers, labourers besides others were today at the crossroad due to the official apathy and administrative inertia,” she said.

    The PDP leader said Jammu in particular was given the impression that Article 370 was the only hurdle in the development and prosperity of the region.

    “Today even medicine was not available to the people battling the pandemic,” she said.

    Referring to the COVID-19 situation, Mehbooba said from the rising graph of positive cases and fatalities caused by it, it is clear that the administration in Jammu and Kashmir, like the rest of the country, was caught unprepared to meet the exigencies.

    “Nepotism and favouritism has crippled entire administrative setup in the erstwhile state compounding miseries of general masses,” she said, adding the administration at the district level has been crippled as the ruling dispensation in Delhi is not allowing even the officers to take decisions required for the welfare of people.

    “The independence and functioning of administration has been made hostage to the political aspiration of BJP and Jammu has been at the receiving end”, the PDP chief said.

    She said the Mughal Road and Kishtwar-Sinthan highways, alternate routes connecting the Jammu region with Kashmir, remained closed for vehicular traffic despite huge amount spend on snow clearance only because those sitting in Delhi consider surface connectivity of Pirpanchal and Chenab Valley with Kashmir region as detrimental to their political interests “The closure of these important road links has not only affected the business community but has also restricted options for those who are required to go for specialised medical treatment,” she said.

    Mehbooba urged the party leaders to formulate emergency response strategy at district level and reach out to the people at the grassroots level.

    “We must acknowledge non-government and social organisations across Jammu and Kashmir, that played key roles during the current crises.

    I hope our party leaders will also assist these organisations in reaching out to the people,” she said.

  • Preparations to capitalize on Bengal violence in Chhattisgarh, big leaders and workers of BJP will join digital meeting

    BJP has become aggressive regarding Bengal violence. In this sequence, Chhattisgarh BJP will hold a digital meeting today. The BJP has called a digital meeting in all the districts regarding the Bengal violence and the current situation.
    Big leaders and workers of BJP will join this meeting. The workers in the meeting will be told about the post-poll violence. Digital gathering will be held in every district through projector. More than 5000 workers have been claimed to be involved.

    There have been frequent reports of violence in West Bengal. At the same time, BJP leader Dilip Ghosh has said that 37 BJP workers have been killed. Dilip Ghosh has said that 37 workers were brutally murdered after the election results were out. However, the police is still probing the matter.

  • BJP top panel in Uttar Pradesh amid rumours of reshuffle

    By Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: Weeks after the ruling BJP’s poor show in the three-tier panchayat polls and amid growing speculation on Yogi Adityanath’s cabinet reshuffle, a high-powered panel landed in the state capital to draw the strategy for the 2022 Assembly poll in the in politically-crucial Uttar Pradesh.

    Party’s national general secretary (organisation) B L Santosh and party’s in-charge for UP Radha Mohan Singh reached Lucknow for a two-day meeting with top functionaries and senior ministers. 

    After meeting Yogi Adityanath, state party president Swatantra Deo Singh and state general secretary (organization) Sunil Bansal on Monday evening, the two leaders held discussions with senior functionaries from other parts of the state.

    Besides, there were closed-door meetings with senior ministers, including two deputy CMs Dr Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya, and other ministers, including Siddharth Nath Singh, Suresh Khanna and Satish Chandra Dwivedi on Tuesday.

    According to BJP sources, the detailed report of the two leaders would form the foundation of the party’s strategy for polls, which are barely ten months away. 

    While the deputy CMs Dr Dinesh Sharma and Keshav Prasad Maurya said the meetings were part of devising a roadmap for next Assembly polls, the central leaders are believed to have delved into various issues, including coordination between the party and government, handling of the pandemic’s second wave. Speculations are rife about the possibility of bureaucrat-turned BJP MLC A K Sharma’s inclusion in the cabinet as deputy CM or a minister.

  • Swapan Dasgupta, who unsuccessfully contested West Bengal polls, renominated to Rajya Sabha

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Former journalist Swapan Dasgupta, who had resigned from Rajya Sabha and unsuccessfully contested the recent West Bengal assembly elections on a BJP ticket, has been renominated to the Upper House of Parliament by the government.

    Noted lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani was also nominated to Rajya Sabha by the cental government.

    “In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-clause (a) of clause (1) of article 80 of the Constitution of India, read with clause (3) of that article, the President is pleased to renominate Shri Swapan Dasgupta to the Council of States to fill the seat which has fallen vacant due to his resignation for his reminder term viz – 24-04-2022,” according to a Home Ministry notification.

    In a separate notification, the Home Ministry said Jethmalani has been nominated to Rajya Sabha to fill the seat that has fallen vacant due to the demise of Raghunath Mohapatra for the reminder his (Mohapatra’s) term i.e till 13-07-2024.

    The President nominates renowned personalities to the Upper House on the advice of the government.

    The nominated members are drawn from fields such as literature, science, sports, art and social service.

  • Centre should apologise to countrymen for Covid-19 mismanagement: Sachin Pilot

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Monday said the BJP-led central government should apologise to the people of the country for the mismanagement of the COVID-19 situation instead of celebrating the completion of its seven years.

    The Centre failed to take timely steps to control the spread of the pandemic, he alleged.

    The Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government marked its seventh anniversary on Sunday.

    “Instead of celebrating the completion of its seven years, the BJP-led central government should apologise to the countrymen for the horrific coronavirus situation today.

    The Centre completely failed to make timely arrangements to control the spread of coronavirus” Pilot told reporters.

    A strong government is one that works in times of public misery.

    No government can be called powerful for giving speeches, managing events, making headlines and creating controversy, he said.

    As of Monday, India has recorded 2,80,47,534 COVID-19 cases and 3,29,100 deaths due to the viral disease.

  • Uttar Pradesh:  BJP MLA from Amapur Devendra Pratap Singh dies of cardiac arrest

    By PTI
    ETAH (UTTAR PRADESH): BJP MLA Devendra Pratap Singh died on Monday morning following a cardiac arrest. He was 55. The MLA from Amapur was rushed to a district hospital, where doctors declared him dead, family sources said.

    “Singh was brought to the hospital around 7 am and he was pronounced dead,” Chief Medical Superintendent of the hospital Dr Rajesh Agarwal said. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed profound grief over the demise of the Amapur MLA.

    Singh, a resident of Hajipur village under Amapur police station, was a three-term MLA. He is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter. On information about Singh’s death, a large number of BJP leaders and workers, including local BJP MLA Vipin Verma David and Marhara MLA Virendra Lodhi, rushed to the hospital.

    The party workers have alleged that a government ambulance was not provided for taking the MLA’s body to his village. They said the family had to arrange a private ambulance.

  • Nitin Gadkari is right man in wrong party: Maharashtra minister Ashok Chavan

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: Maharashtra Minister and senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan on Sunday praised Union Minister Nitin Gadkari saying that he is the right man in the wrong party.

    Addressing mediapersons via video conferencing, Chavan said, “I often talk about Nitin Gadkari. I had praised him the day before yesterday. He is an efficient minister. There are many issues which are related to basic amenities and infrastructure of Maharashtra. Gadkari takes those subjects seriously. I publicly praise his way of working either by writing articles or via tweets. But praising him does not mean that I support him politically. After all, he is a minister in the NDA government. So all I will say is that he is the right man but in the wrong party.”

    On Sunday when the NDA government at the centre was celebrating the completion of seven years in office, Congress leader Ashok Chavan accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government of failing to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. He alleged that the Centre has taken all decision-making powers into its hands, but now after the outbreak of COVID, it is blaming the state governments.

    Asked if he had a favourite minister in the NDA government, Chavan replied that “good words” could only be spoken about Union minister Nitin Gadkari who is also the MP from Nagpur. Chavan said Gadkari maintains a “dialogue with other parties despite ideological differences”. (ANI)

  • With return of Vasundhara Raje, factionalism erupts in Rajasthan BJP

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: With former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhra Raje returning to active political life, the state BJP is seeing the emergence of factionalism. Her supporters are distributing food to the needy in different parts of the state under a campaign called Vasundhra Jan Rasoi (Vasundhra public kitchen). The campaign puts the spotlight on Raje, not the party.

    The campaign was launched on May 21 by distributing food packets to about 300 families in Hasanpura Basti of Jaipur in the presence of Yunus Khan, former cabinet minister, who is considered very close to Raje.

    “Food packets are being distributed through ‘Vasundhara Jan Rasoi’ to the needy during this calamity by former CM Raje’s supporters and fans across the state,” said Yunus Khan. Supporters of the former chief minister are calling it public service. 

    But, internal sources say the participation of many sitting BJP MPs, former ministers, MLAs are to demonstrate the political clout of the former chief minister. A separate campaign to help the poor is already being run by the state BJP unit. It is called ‘Seva Hi Sangathan’.

    This includes blood donation campaigns, decoction, mask and sanitiser distribution and many other services. Demands have already been made to make Raje as the chief ministerial face in 2023 elections.

  • BJP’s West Bengal unit told to stay mum on chief secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay’s transfer

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: The BJP’s central leadership has asked leaders of the party’s West Bengal unit not to make comments on the transfer of the state chief secretary Alapan Bandopadhyay to New Delhi.

    Sources said that the aim is to keep the party’s Bengal unit out of the controversy that has erupted over the transfer of the state’s top bureaucrat, which was announced hours after Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee skipped a cyclone review meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday. 

    The ruling Trinamool Congress has claimed that Bandopadhyay’s transfer is yet another example of the BJP practising vendetta politics after its dismal performance in the state Assembly elections. “Our national leadership has asked us to desist from making any comments related to the chief secretary’s transfer. It seems, the party wants to make it clear that it was the Union government’s decision, and that the state BJP had no role to play,” a senior BJP functionary said in Kolkata.

    Reacting to Bandopadhyay’s transfer, Mamata said the BJP has not been able to digest its poor results in the recently-held Assembly elections.

    She also charged that the Centre is trying to cause harm to the state by transferring an officer who was overseeing relief operations in areas affected by Cyclone Yaas as well as the state’s fight against COVID-19.

    Both the CPM and Congress also echoed Mamata and described the Centre’s transfer order to Bandopadhyay, issued without consulting the state government, as revenge for the TMC defeating the BJP in the state.

    Sources in the state secretariat said Bandopadhyay is not likely to report in Delhi on Monday. “He will attend a meeting headed by the chief minister over the issue of the post-cyclone situation and relief operations,” said an official of the state government.

    The state government is yet to give a clearance to report to Delhi over Banopadhyay’s transfer. Nor has the Centre responded to the state government’s request to withdraw his transfer letter. Notable, the West Bengal government had sought a three-month tenure extension for Bandyopadhyay, who was scheduled to retire on May 31. The Centre had approved it.

  • BJP carrying out relief work amid COVID-19, opposition has gone into quarantine: JP Nadda

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  BJP president JP Nadda said on Sunday his party workers were standing with the people during the pandemic unlike the Opposition, which has gone into “quarantine” and working to lower the morale of the country.

    “In this pandemic, BJP workers, without being bothered about their wellbeing, are standing with the people. But the Opposition has gone into lockdown and quarantined itself. It is visible only in virtual press conferences or on Twitter,” Nadda said.

    The BJP chief was addressing party workers virtually on the seventh anniversary of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. In view of the pandemic, the party has decided not to celebrate the occasion and instead observe a “Seva Diwas” by organising relief work across the country under the ‘Sewa hi Sangathan hai’ campaign. 

    On Sunday, Nadda said BJP workers in one lakh villages were serving the needy to mark the occasion. Continue working like “doers” and help people during the pandemic, and not get bothered by the “obstructors” who have absolved themselves from all responsibilities, Nadda told party workers in a veiled attack on the Opposition.

    “Some are ‘sadhak’ (doers), while some are ‘badhak’ (obstructors). Such people are also in Delhi. But we don’t have to get bothered by them and continue in our endeavour to serve people and help them during the pandemic,” he said.

    Taking on opposition leaders over their statements about the Covid-19 vaccination drive, the BJP chief said, “Those making a noise about COVID-19 vaccine now, are the ones who earlier raised doubts about it.”

    Terming the PM’s leadership strong and visionary, Union Home Minister Amit Shah in a tweet said Modi has made the life of the poor, farmers and deprived sections better over the last seven years by bringing them into the mainstream of development. “India under Modi’s leadership will overcome all challenges,” Shah said.

    Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, meanwhile, termed the seven years of the Modi government as a new chapter of development and governance in the country’s history.