News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • Bengal polls: Trinamool MLA alleges bombs hurled by BJP-backed goons in North 24 Parganas

    By ANI
    NORTH 24 PARGANAS: TMC MLA Nirmal Ghosh has alleged that miscreants backed by the BJP hurdled bombs in the Panihati area on Saturday night.

    According to TMC workers, BJP miscreants hurdled bombs on BT Road in Panihati after the polling for the fifth phase ended on Saturday. The miscreants threw the bombs from running vehicles and fled immediately.

    “BJP is trying to create unrest in the area. They (BJP) hurdled bombs to panic people. The BJP goons came from Bhatpara, Kamarhati and Titagarh. People cannot tolerate this kind of violence,” TMC MLA from Panihati Assembly Nirmal Ghosh told ANI.

    However, the local BJP workers denied the allegations.

    Police reached the spot after the information. The investigation is underway.

    In another incident, BJP workers were allegedly attacked by TMC workers in the Madhyamgram area on Saturday night after the conclusion of polls. Four BJP workers sustained serious injuries in the incident.

    “Raj Kumar Ghosh sustained critical injuries. Initially, he was taken to Madhyamgram Rural Hospital but later referred to Barasat State General Hospital. The other injured are admitted to Madhyamgram Rural Hospital,” a BJP worker told ANI.

    The polling in the Panihati and Madhyamgram assembly constituencies were held on Saturday during the fifth phase of the West Bengal assembly elections.

    The state has a history of violence during elections. Keeping this in mind, the Election Commission has been conducting this year’s assembly polls in eight phases.

    The voting for the sixth phase will be held on April 22.

  • Attack on BJP candidate’s convoy in Bengal: Party protests outside police station

    By ANI
    SAINTHIA: The convoy of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Sainthia Priya Saha was allegedly attacked on Saturday by the Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers.

    “TMC miscreants attacked my convoy, bombs were hurled at our workers,” Saha said.

    Saha, along with other party workers, protested outside a police station late on Saturday night.

    “If the police don’t take any action against the culprits, we’ll sit here in front of the police station 24 by 7,” Saha said.

    BJP leader and candidate from Nandigram Suvendu Adhikari also commented on the incident saying that resorting to violence is TMC’s habit.

    “It is their habit. There’s no one with the TMC, besides goons,” Adhikari told media.

    The voting for the sixth phase will be held on April 22, where in 306 candidates will contest for 43 constituencies across four districts.

  • Moderate turnout in Rajasthan by-polls amid controversy

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: The by-elections to three assembly seats in Rajasthan went off peacefully on Saturday, with moderate to high turnout recorded across most areas of Rajsamanad, Sahada and Sujangarh constituencies.

    With the coronavirus crisis rapidly exploding across the country, polling was held from 7 am onwards amid strict adherence to Covid-19 protocols and Covid infected patients were also allowed to vote between 5 pm to 6 pm.

    The polling day saw long queues from the morning and by 11 am, around 23 per cent of voters had used their franchise. By the end of the day, Rajsamanad saw  67.18 per cent, Sujhangrah saw 59.20 per cent and in Sahada 56.56 per cent votes were cast. The chief electoral officer Praveen Gupta said all voters had to undergo thermal scanning and wore gloves and masks at polling booths to curb the spread of the Covid-19. 

    The officials also ensured that social distancing norms were followed strictly.

    The voting day also witnessed some controversies as the BJP leaders complained of poll code violations and misuse of government machinery by the ruling Congress. BJP state president Satish Poonia took to Twitter claiming that the Congress had misused government machinery to influence voters. The BJP chief alleged that in one area, local Congress leaders had brought in MNREGA workers to vote in two special buses.

    The Rajsamand assembly constituency was the centre of much controversy as some BJP-Congress workers had clashed on the eve of elections. The BJP also claimed that party leader Diya Kumari, the MP from Rajsamand, was the target of a serious attack though she escaped unhurt. As over 150 BJP workers were arrested by the local police, BJP chief Satish Poonia tweeted,  “The way the government machinery and the police in Rajsamand are being misused, we feel as if we are fighting the election not against the Congress party but the government machinery in the constituency.”

    In the high-stakes battle in Rajsamand, the BJP’s Deepti Maheshwari (the daughter of former minister Kiran Maheshwari who died of Covid-19 last November) is pitted against Congress candidate Tansukh Bohra, a social worker.

    The ruling Congress, however, was quick to dismiss the BJP charges as baseless. Congress President in the state Govind Singh Dotasara said, “The BJP allegations reflect their fear of losing these by-polls. If people are exercising their right to vote quite enthusiastically and the BJP says this is a misuse of government machinery, then it amounts to an insult of our democracy.” 

    On the charge of Corona guidelines not being followed, Dotasara remarked, “As regards to flouting of corona norms, the BJP has no moral right to comment. Just look at how Modi and Shah have violated all norms in Bengal and Assam.”

  • Political war of words over COVID crisis, supply of medical oxygen to worst affected Maharashtra

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI/AURANGABAD: As India recorded the highest single-day COVID-19 cases and deaths, a political feud broke out on Saturday over the Centre’s handling of the grave health crisis and on the issue of supply of medical oxygen and antiviral drug Remdesivir to the worst affected state of Maharashtra.

    The BJP and the Shiv Sena traded charges of playing politics over the COVID situation even as the Congress Working Committee(CWC), the highest decision making body of the party, accused the Centre of “colossal mismanagement” in the war against pandemic and warned of an “unprecedented catastrophe” unless urgent corrective measures are taken.

    The country added 2,34,692 new coonavirus cases and 1,341 fatalities due to the disease pushing its COVID-19 tally to 1,45,26,609 and the death toll to 1,75,649, the Union Health Ministry said.

    The Congress also accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “shocking callousness” for addressing rallies in poll-bound West Bengal “instead of staying in Delhi” to handle the COVID pandemic situation.

    Congress’ senior spokesperson P Chidambaram said the prime minister should be at his job, sitting at his desk and coordinating with chief ministers in handling the pandemic.

    Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said he had tried to contact Prime Minister Narendra Modi on phone regarding the supply of medical oxygen for the state but was told the PM was not available since he was busy campaigning for the West Bengal elections.

    He was speaking to industrialists and representatives of trade bodies like FICCI and CII via video conferencing.

    On Saturday, Maharashtra reported 67,123 new COVID-19 cases, its highest single-day rise so far, besides 419 deaths.

    Earlier in the day, Union minister Piyush Goyal attacked Uddhav Thackeray on the issue of availability of oxygen in the state, saying Maharashtra has so far received the highest quantity of oxygen in India and the Centre is in regular touch with state governments to assess their needs.

    “Maharashtra is suffering from an inept and corrupt government and the Centre is doing its best for the people. People of Maharashtra are following ‘Majha Kutumb, Majhi Javabadari’ dutifully. It is time the CM (chief minister) also follows his duties in the spirit of ‘Majha Rajya, Majhi Javabadari’,” the commerce and industry minister said.

    In a series of tweets, Goyal said he was shocked and saddened to see petty politics being played by the chief minister.

    “He needs to stop his daily dose of shameless politics and take responsibility. Saddened to see @OfficeOfUT’s gimmicks on oxygen. GoI (government of India), with all stakeholders, is ensuring maximum oxygen production in India.”

    Medical-grade oxygen is used for the treatment of critical COVID-19 patients and in other cases of respiratory diseases.

    “Maharashtra needs oxygen supply and all oxygen produced is being used for medical purpose. I contacted Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the need for oxygen supply, but he wasn’t available on phone yesterday since he was busy with the West Bengal poll campaign. But the Centre is cooperating with the state,” Thackeray is quoted as saying in a release issued by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).

    Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan spoke to Chief Minister Thackeray and reassured him of adequate and uninterrupted supply of medical oxygen and all possible support related to healthcare infrastructure, medicines and therapeutics.

    In a tweet, Vardhan said additional 1,121 ventilators are being rushed to the state considering the surge in coronavirus cases.

    Holding the Centre and the Election Commission (EC) responsible for the second COVID wave in India, the Shiv Sena said the virus spread across the country more rapidly from those states, where polls were either held recently or are still underway.

    Had the Centre reduced its “dose of politics” and focused on tackling the pandemic, the situation would been under control, it said.

    “China might have been responsible for the outbreak of the pandemic in India, but for the second wave of coronavirus, the Election Commission and the Centre are responsible.

    The virus spread at 500 times more speed to the rest of the country from the states where polls were either held recently or are still underway,” the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

    “For the sake of elections and their political interests, the rulers in Delhi created a wave of pandemic. There is a shortage of oxygen, Remdesivir medicine, hospital beds and ventilators in the country at present. Crematoriums are overflowing. But the central government is busy in electioneering in West Bengal. Had the Centre reduced its dose of politics and instead focused on the war against coronavirus, then the situation would have been under control,” it added.

    The Centre should keep aside ego and the “political profit-loss calculations” and talk to all with an open mind, the Sena said.

    A war of words also erupted between Union Minister Mansukh L Mandaviya and NCP leader Nawab Malik on the availability of Remdesivir.

    Malik, in a series of tweets, alleged that the central government  is not giving permission to various export oriented units (EoUs) in the country to sell the drug in the domestic market.

    The allegations were strongly refuted by Mandaviya, the Minister of State of Chemicals and Fertilisers, who said the government is making every effort to double the production of the drug in the country.

    “Tweets by @nawabmalikncp are shocking. It is full of half truths and lies and the threats issued are unacceptable. He is unaware of the ground situation. GoI has been in active contact with officers of GoM and is assisting with supply of Remdesivir in every manner,” Mandaviya tweeted.

    “Ensuring adequate supply of Remdesivir to the people of Maharashtra remains our priority,” he said on Twitter.

    Earlier, Malik, a minister in the Maharashtra government, alleged that there were 16 EoUs in the country that have 20 lakh vials of Remdesivir available with them.

    “Since exports are now banned by the government, these units are seeking permission to sell this medicine in our country but central government is denying the same,” he tweeted.

    Speaking to reporters later, Malik said, “Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was trying to speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over phone (on the issue), but was told that he (PM) is on a tour of West Bengal. This shows that the BJP is more interested in winning elections than tackling this crisis.”

    When contacted, state BJP spokesperson Keshav Upadhaye reacted sharply saying, “Instead of making such wild and baseless allegations, Nawab Malik should provide proof or else he should apologise. It is high time that Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) stops the blame game and does its job of handling the pandemic.”

    The Maharashtra Congress also accused the Centre of stopping the supply of Remdesivir to the state due to a “lust for power”.

    The accusation was made by the party’s state unit spokesperson Sachin Sawant.

    “Such brutal politics is a disgrace to humanity,” he said in a press release, and apparently targeting Prime Minister Modi claimed history would note that “modern day Nero” was busy with electioneering in West Bengal “while the country was burning”.

    A CWC statement accused the central government of failing on 14 different fronts in handling the pandemic.

    “We have indicted the government on the way it has handled the pandemic,” Congress leader Chidambaram told reporters in Delhi.

    Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra flagged the “deteriorating” COVID-19 situation in Uttar Pradesh and said the state government should try to solve the problems being faced by the people instead of “exacerbating” them and “hiding” statistics.

    Uttar Pradesh’s daily COVID-19 cases surged to a record high of 27,426 on Friday, taking its cumulative tally to 7,93,720.

  • WB elections: My phone is being tapped, will order CID probe, says Mamata Banerjee

    By PTI
    GALSI (West Bengal): A day after a purported audio tape -in which she is heard proposing a rally with the bodies of Cooch Behar firing victims- surfaced, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday alleged that her phone is being tapped and said she will order a CID probe into it.

    Addressing an election rally here, she accused the BJP of being involved in the conspiracy as the saffron party “cannot match” the ruling Trinamool Congress’ campaigning on development programmes.

    “They (BJP leaders) are even eavesdropping on our everyday conversation. It seems they are tapping our phone calls on cooking and other household chores.

    “I will order a CID probe into it and not spare anyone involved in such snooping activities. I have already come to know who is behind this,” the TMC supremo said.

    Banerjee also claimed she has information that the “central forces are being involved in such acts with some agents”.

    “It is clear that the BJP is behind it though they claimed they have no role in it,” she said.

    A controversy had erupted on Friday after the BJP released the purported audio clip in which Banerjee is heard telling the Trinamool Congress nominee of Sitalkuchi to hold rallies with bodies of the four persons killed in CISF firing during polling on April 10.

    Claiming that such a conversation never took place, the TMC had described the audio clip as “bogus” and wondered whether the Centre was tapping a chief minister’s phone.

    Launching an attack on the Election Commission (EC) for not clubbing the remaining three phases of the ongoing assembly elections into one, she accused the poll panel of paying heed to the demands of the BJP.

    “You (EC) have curtailed the campaigning hours, and in the name of COVID restrictions, you are doing whatever the BJP demands.”

    Worried over the COVID-19 surge, Banerjee had on Thursday urged the Election Commission to think about conducting polls for the remaining assembly seats at one go, while also stressing that her party had opposed the prolonged eight-phase poll schedule.

    The EC has curtailed the time for the campaigning up to 7 pm.

    Earlier, it was up to 10 pm.

    The poll panel also extended the silence period from 48 hours to 72 hours in each of the remaining three phases of the elections to be held on April 22, 26 and 29.

    “Street meetings are usually held in the evening hours in the summer. The decision was taken purposely to reduce the number of my campaign meetings,” Banerjee said.

    She also alleged that the EC is “favouring” the saffron party so that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah can address all their poll rallies.

    She once again blamed the BJP for bringing outsiders during campaigning and exacerbating the COVID-19 situation in the state.

    “The pandemic situation was not as alarming in Bengal as that of Gujarat or Uttar Pradesh. But the sudden surge in coronavirus cases is due to the presence of outsiders who came in the state without RT-PCR tests,” she said.

    Banerjee also condoled the death of Congress candidate Rezaul Haque and Revolutionary Socialist Party nominee Pradip Kumar Nandi, who tested positive for COVID-19.

    She flayed the prime minister for not acting on the state government’s suggestion to vaccinate every citizen in the past six months when the spread of the virus was much less.

    “This has led to the present situation when walls are being raised in Lucknow to hide the view of cremation of bodies and the pandemic took a heavy death toll in Gujarat,” the TMC chief said.

    She accused Modi and Shah of making a false promise to extend financial aid to members of the Matua community and said they have done nothing for backward castes and dalits.

    Accusing the two BJP leaders of peddling lies at poll rallies, the TMC supremo said, “They are saying that we are making false promises.

    We are running the Kanyashree project and beneficiaries are getting the aid.

    Can he explain what happened to the PM Cares fund? Who benefited from demonetisation?”

  • BJP alleges members of a political party were present during Sopore militant attack

    By PTI
    SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP alleged on Saturday that seven members of a political party wearing helmets were present at the site of a recent militant attack in Sopore, and demanded an investigation into it.

    A BJP spokesman asked whether the party members knew about the attack beforehand.

    “Seven members of a particular political party were wearing cricket helmets when two of our municipal councillors were killed in a militant attack in Sopore in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district recently.

    …Is this political terrorism? Did these seven members already know that there would be a militant attack?” BJP spokesman Altaf Thakur said, without naming the party.

    Two municipal councillors and a policeman were killed in the militant attack in Sopore on March 29.

    Thakur demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.

    “Why were they wearing helmets? Police must investigate it thoroughly,” he said.

  • Audiotape of Mamata’s conversation result of BJP’s ‘dirty tricks department’: TMC’s Yashwant Sinha

    By ANI
    KOLKATA: A Trinamool Congress (TMC) delegation led by leaders Yashwant Sinha, Derek O’Brien and Purnendu Basu met the Election Commission (EC) regarding the ‘illegal’ recording of a conversation between West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and party candidate Partha Pratim Ray.

    Speaking to the media, Sinha said: “We met the EC to register a complaint that a day before the elections, the BJP released a so-called tape of the West Bengal CM and it is clear that this is the result of BJP’s dirty tricks department. It is released just a day before voting to influence voters.”

    He further informed that the big question raised before the Commission was who was taping the conversations of the Chief Minister.

    “I have been a minister and I wanna say that there is a proscribed procedure even for recording the conversations of a criminal,” he said.

    ALSO READ | BJP urges EC to form SIT to probe CM Mamata Banerjee’s purported audiotape on Sitalkuchi firing

    Meanwhile, Basu told the media: “We have conveyed to the EC that is an act of wrongdoing. If this way the audiotape of a Chief Minister is released, this is a very bad thing. We have asked for an appropriate investigation in this matter, and adequate punishment should be given.”

    Prior to this, the delegation also wrote a letter to the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) accusing the BJP of illegally recording a conversation between Banerjee and Ray.

    “In the said conference, it has been alleged that in the aftermath of the CISF firing incident at Sitalkuchi, Mamata Banerjee had a conversation with Partha Pratim Ray. The BJP has not only illegally recorded and/or caused it to be recorded, but also played it at the press conference out of context. The entire exercise by the BJP is an illegal act and is a direct assault on legal rights, including the Right to Privacy of Mamata Banerjee and Partha Pratim Ray,” the TMC delegation said.

    Polling is underway in a total of 45 constituencies covering the districts of Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, Darjeeling and a segment of Nadia, North 24 Parganas and Purba Bardhaman in the fifth phase. A total of 319 candidates, including 39 women are in the fray in Phase-V.

    There are 15,789 polling stations designated for this phase. The security for this phase has been beefed up with the deployment of 1,071 companies of central forces for ensuring a peaceful election.

    The voting for the sixth phase will be held on April 22. 

  • BJP urges EC to form SIT to probe CM Mamata Banerjee’s purported audiotape on Sitalkuchi firing

    By ANI
    KOLKATA: A delegation of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) met the Chief Electoral Officer in Kolkata requesting the Commission to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for probing the purported audiotape of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in which she can be heard telling the TMC candidate from the Sitalkuchi constituency to hold protests with bodies of the four killed in Cooch Behar violence.

    “As far as the authenticity of the tape is concerned, Derek O’Brien and Sukhendu Sekhar Roy confirmed it in a conversation with the media. The only goal of the tape was to create further polarisation,” BJP leader Shishir Bajoria told mediapersons after meeting Election Commission officials in Kolkata.

    “It is requested that the Commission may examine the issue immediately and constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) for carrying out a detailed investigation in this regard,” reads the BJP’s letter to EC.

    CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW LIVE ELECTION UPDATES

    Just a day before the fifth phase of West Bengal Assembly polls, the BJP on Friday released an audiotape, in which Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee can be purportedly heard telling the TMC candidate from the Sitalkuchi constituency Partha Pratim Ray to hold protests with bodies of the four killed in firing by security forces in the fourth phase polling on April 10.

    Violence erupted at a polling booth in Cooch Behar during the fourth round of polling on April 10. The ruling TMC alleged that central forces opened fire twice at polling booths in Cooch Behar where people are casting their votes, killing four people.

    READ MORE HERE | Mamata’s purported conversation with Trinamool nominee after Sitalkuchi firing stirs row

    Following the incident, the EC ordered the adjournment of the poll in PS 126 of Sitalkurchi AC, Cooch Behar based on an interim report from Special Observers. Since the incident, the Election Commission has barred the entry of any political leader in the Cooch Behar district for the next 72 hours.

    Voting for the fifth phase of West Bengal Assembly polls began at 7 am on Saturday amid tight security.

    Polling is underway in a total of 45 constituencies covering the districts of Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, Darjeeling and a segment of Nadia, North 24 Parganas, and Purba Bardhaman in the fifth phase. A total of 319 candidates, including 39 women are in the fray in Phase-V.

    There are 15,789 polling stations designated for this phase. The security for this phase has been beefed up with the deployment of 1,071 companies of central forces for ensuring a peaceful election.

    The voting for the sixth phase will be held on April 22.

  • Bengal polls: What did BJP do for Gorkha community? asks Bimal Gurung

    By ANI
    DARJEELING: As polling got underway in North Bengal on Saturday, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) leader Bimal Gurung asked the BJP what has the party done for the Gorkha community.

    Speaking to ANI, Gurung said, “They (BJP) do not have people’s support in Bengal. They do not have much influence on ground zero. How can they form the government? Politics is not possible through violence, vandalism and shooting. Politics should be simple.”

    “I supported BJP for 15 years but what did it do for my community? Modi had assured us and made a commitment, it has been six-seven years now but it is yet to be completed,” he added.

    Voting for the fifth phase of West Bengal assembly polls began at 7 am on Saturday amid tight security.

    Out of the 45 constituencies, where polling is being held in the fifth phase, 13 constituencies are from North Bengal including five in Darjeeling, one in Kalimpong, and seven in Jalpaiguri.

    The most dynamic political development in North Bengal during this election is the switching of camp by GJM leader Bimal Gurung from BJP to TMC. Gurung, the man who has been spearheading the Gorkha movement, helped the BJP to get a foothold in this region is now with the state’s Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

    North Bengal has witnessed a lot of socio-political turbulence like the Gorkhaland movement. A separate state of ‘Gorkhaland’ has been a long-standing demand of Nepali-speaking Gorkhas since 1907 on the grounds that they are culturally and ethnically different from West Bengal.

    In the current scenario, GTA is the local autonomous body in the Darjeeling hills, which is headed by the Binoy Tamang-led faction of the GJM that supports the TMC.

    Apart from the political disturbance, the adversities of tea garden workers and lack of employment opportunities are the key issues in the region.

    The BJP has promised a political solution to the Gorkha issue. It has also promised an increase in daily wages for tea workers to Rs 350.

    Caste card is also in the fray as BJP is trying to woo the ethnic and tribal population of the region with the promise of Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.

    On the other hand, Mamata Banerjee-led TMC is counting upon the development and welfare works of her government.

    The most talked-about contests are in three seats — Darjeeling, Kalimpong, and Kurseong. Here the two factions of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) one led by Bimal Gurung and the other by his former deputy Binay Tamang are in a direct contest.

    In the Darjeeling constituency, Pemba Tshering is the candidate for GJM (Gurung) and Keshav Raj Sharma for GJM (Tamang). BJP has fielded Neeraj Zimba Tamang from the seat. Gautam Raj Rai is the CPI(M) candidate from Darjeeling.

    In these three constituencies, TMC has not fielded its candidate as GJM is backing the TMC. The GJM had won these seats in the last two Assembly elections.

  • Bengal polls phase five: BJP booth worker dies in Kamarhati, EC seeks report

    By ANI
    NORTH 24 PARGANAS: A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) polling agent died inside a booth in Kamarhati while voting was underway for the fifth phase of West Bengal Assembly polls on Saturday.

    “His name is Abhijeet Samanta. Nobody helped him, there is no facility for treatment here,” the brother of the deceased BJP polling agent told ANI.

    Another BJP worker said, “We do not know what exactly happened as we are not allowed in a radius of 200 metres. I went with water after seeing him lying on the ground.”

    Meanwhile, the Election Commission has sought a report over the sudden death of the BJP polling agent at booth number 107 in Kamarhati on Saturday.

    Voting for the fifth phase of West Bengal assembly polls began at 7 am on Saturday amid tight security.

    Polling is underway in a total of 45 constituencies covering the districts of Jalpaiguri, Kalimpong, Darjeeling and a segment of Nadia, North 24 Parganas and Purba Bardhaman in the fifth phase. A total of 319 candidates, including 39 women are in the fray in Phase-V.

    There are 15,789 polling stations designated for this phase. The security for this phase has been beefed up with the deployment of 1,071 companies of central forces for ensuring a peaceful election.

    The voting for the sixth phase will be held on April 22.