News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • Won’t allow smooth Assembly session until Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Rathod quits: Maharashtra BJP

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar on Friday said the party will not allow the Budget session of the Maharashtra legislature to run smoothly unless Forest Minister Sanjay Rathod stepped down.

    The opposition party has been demanding the resignation of Rathod, a Shiv Sena leader from Yavatmal, since his name was linked to the death of a 23-year-old woman in Pune. Rathod has denied that he had anything to do with the case.

    In a video message, Bhatkhalkar alleged that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray was “planting” stories of Rathod likely to resign before the session begins on March 1. “It is a shameless attempt to maintain image.Unless Rathod steps down or is removed from his post, the BJP will not allow the budget session to run smoothly,” the MLA said.

    “The chief minister can remove Rathod from the cabinet any time, but he is trying to protect the minister by delaying it,” Bhatkhalkar further said. Earlier, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had said whoever was guilty in the matter would not be spared.

    State BJP vice-president Chitra Wagh, meanwhile, claimed that there were 45 missed calls on the woman’s phone the day she died, and the police needed to probe who this caller was. “This government is sending the very wrong message that if you are in power, you can get away with a murder,” Wagh said.

    The woman, who was staying in Pune’s Hadapsar area, died after allegedly falling from the balcony of her flat on February 8.

  • BJP’s double-engine analogy will be non-starter in West Bengal: Trinamool Congress

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Taking a dig at the BJP for pitching that governments formed by the same party both at the Centra and the state will accelerate development in West Bengal, the Trinamool Congress on Friday said the double-engine analogy by the saffron party will be a non-starter in the state.

    Senior party leader and minister Bratya Basu told reporters at a press meet here here that while campaigning for the upcoming assembly polls in the state, BJP leaders are highlighting the need for same party’s government both at the Centre and the state.

    “This double-engine train will not have bogies for the common man to ride. These engines must be driven at a very slow pace on chord lines, if you take into account the number of killings, attacks on dalits and women in BJP-ruled states,” he said.

    “….they are not saying how their government(BJP) is working on the agenda to hand over railways to private parties. The saffron party wants to do something similar for Bengal. They only work to fulfill the interest of big corporate,” the minister said.

    ALSO READ| Bengal needs vaccine against cutmoney, ‘tolabaji’; BJP will arrange for it: Nadda

    Castigating he BJP for allegedly making false promise to Matua community members while doing little to stop discrimination among lower castes, Basu said that in BJP-ruled states like UP and Madhya Pradesh, the backward castes are not given equal treatment vis-a-vis upper castes. “They(backward caste members) are discriminated while being served food, which is never practiced in Bengal,” he said.

    During a recent meeting at Thakurnagar in North 24 Parganas district of the state, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had assured members of the Matua community about providing citizenship to them.

    “While the Matuas are already citizens in the country, BJP leaders are making promises to enforce Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) before the Matuas at meetings after vaccination for COVID-19 gets over. This is akin to total eradication of influenza, pneumonia and other virus-borne diseases in the world which will never happen,” he said.

    Matuas, originally from East Pakistan, are weaker section of Hindus who migrated to India during the Partition and after the creation of Bangladesh. Many of them have been accorded Indian citizenship but a sizeable section of the population has not got it.

    The Matua community, with an estimated population of three million in the state, can tilt the scales in favour of a political party. It once stood behind the TMC but had supported the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

    Asked about the slated announcement of assembly poll dates by the Election Commission, Basu said, “We are ready. We have no problems with the number of phases to be declared by the poll panel. We have been with the people for 365 days in past 10 years. We have been working for them. The first boy in the class is never afraid of exams as he has studied throughout the year. Those who had never been on the side of people are afraid of exams.”

  • BJP, Congress afraid of people who voted for AAP in Gujarat, says Arvind Kejriwal

    By ANI
    SURAT: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Convener and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday said that BJP and Congress are afraid of the people who voted for the AAP in the local body polls in Gujarat.

    “I have been listening to statements of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress, over the past few days after the results. They are perturbed and a little scared. We have to understand that they are not scared of you or AAP. They are scared of people who voted for you,” Kejriwal said addressing the newly elected corporators in Surat.

    Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal met newly elected corporators of the party and its volunteers here, after getting a rise in the local body elections in the state.

    Addressing the event, Arvind Kejriwal asked the reason of being BJP always the ruling party in the state for the last 25 years.

    “Why has BJP been governing here for the last 25 years? It is not because of they are doing great but because there is no opposition. People of the state are facing a lot of issues but when they saw option (AAP) against the BJP, they applauded you (by making AAP win),” he said.

    The BJP on February 23 put up a spectacular performance in the Gujarat municipal corporation elections improving its numbers over the 2016 polls and nearly decimating the Congress. The party has retained power in all municipal corporations, which went to the polls. The performance appears all the more credible as BJP has been in power in the state for the last 25 years.

    Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) put up a fight in Surat where it won 27 seats in its first outing. The BJP secured 93 out of the 120 seats in Surat, while the AAP secured 27. Congress and other parties did not win any seats. 

  • Chhattisgarh govt to auction paddy after record procurement of 92 LMT, Opposition says ‘flawed’ move

    Express News Service
    RAIPUR: A record procurement of over 92 lakh metric tonne (LMT) of paddy on the minimum support price (MSP) this year has apparently put the Congress-ruled Chhattisgarh government in a fix. The state cabinet on Thursday took a decision to auction 20.5 LMT of paddy, been cited as surplus.

    The state government expressed “disappointment” and put the blame for such situation on the Centre, which restricted the rice procurement from Chhattisgarh to 24 LMT. 

    “We were given the initial assurance by the central government on 60 LMT to be procured for the Central pool during the current kharif marketing season. So the state went ahead procuring 92 LMT paddy”, said Ravindra Choubey, the state agriculture minister.

    So far the Food Corporation of India (FCI) has got the Centre’s approval to lift 24 LMT custom milling rice from the state.

    The state government had repeatedly urged the Centre to increase the quantity from 24 LMT to 40 LMT but so far there has been no response.

    “Under the given circumstances we are left with little option except to auction the surplus paddy in an open market”, said Amarjeet Bhagat, the state food minister.

    However the opposition BJP cited that the Congress government is pursuing the faulty policy and trying to cover-up its failure by accusing the Centre.

    “After the Bhupesh Baghel government couldn’t facilitate the lifting of the approved 28 LMT custom milling rice by the FCI last year, how can the Centre now trust the state to raise the limit to 40 LMT? Auctioning now will surely be a severe loss-making flawed move and have a serious implication resulting into the poor fiscal health as the state’s debt owing to persistent loans is already rising substantially”, averred Dharamlal Kaushik, the leader of opposition.

    The state food and civil supplies department officials informed that besides the 24 LMT custom milling rice to be taken by FCI, the public distribution system (PDS) will consume another 24 LMT rice.

    “So, for 48 LMT rice around 71.50 LMT of paddy would be used up. About 20.5 LMT will remain as surplus (unallocated) to be sold through auction in an open market”, an official circular stated.

    The Chhattisgarh State Cooperative Marketing Federation (MARKFED) that executes the work of paddy procurement under price support scheme, has opted National Commodity and Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX)—an online commodity exchange platform, as an agency to negotiate with the interested firms on auction.

    The state government nurtured an apprehension on the possible spoilage of the additionally procured paddy, if not timely disposed of in the market.

    The government has fixed the base rate of Rs 2035 per quintal for the bidders. The official notification further stated that the auction clearance rate could be higher or lower than the base price, implying that the state government that procured paddy on Rs 2500 per quintal is prepared to sell it at lower price in an open market.

    “If there emerges any losses owing to the lower quoted price in the auction, even then its reasonably preferable option over the heavy losses likely when the surplus paddy get spoiled or damaged”, was the justification given by the state.

  • BJP accuses TMC of ruining Bengal’s heritage as culture conflict heats up

    Express News Service
    KOLKATA: Bengal’s cultural heritage and who understands it better has become a point of contention in the build-up to the state Assembly elections.

    BJP’s national leaders are saying Mamata Banerjee’s government has not paid attention to preserving the legacy, while Trinamool Congress is retorting what do the outsiders know about it.

    BJP’s national president JP Nadda visited the state on Thursday and accused the ruling party of destroying Bengal’s heritage, assuring that the saffron party would bring back the “state’s glory’’ if elected to power.

    He also promised electorates from the Matua community, a religious sect comprising Hindu Dalit refugees from Bangladesh, that BJP would set up a Matua welfare wing and launch schemes for their betterment.

    This is seen as an attempt woo the Matuas, who are not happy with the Centre still not announcing a date for the implementation of the Cirtizenship Amendment Act.

    “Bengal used to be famous for its rich culture. The state gave us so many social reformers like Swami Vivekanda, Rabindranath Tagore, Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay and Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. After coming to power,  we will bring back the state’s rich cultural glory,’’ said Nadda, flagging off BJP’s Lokhho Sonar Bangla (Target Sonar Bangla) campaign in Kolkata. Nadda’s comment comes in the backdrop of Mamata’s attack branding saffron leaders as outsiders and ignorant of the state’s cultural legacy.

    Shifting focus to allegations of corruption, Nadda accused TMC of stealing money and food grains sent by the Centre after last year’s super cyclone.

    “Kolkata High Court directed the Controller and Auditor General of India to do an audit of the distribution of relief materials and compensation in the cyclone ravaged areas. But Mamatadidi challenged the decision in Supreme Court. I would like to ask whom she is trying to protect?” Nadda said.

    He launched an outreach drive with the slogan “corruption mukt, vikas yukt’’ (free of corruption, eye on development). 

    Abhishek says BJP ignorant of Bengal’s identity

    Thakurnagar (WB): MP Abhishek Banerjee has taken a dig at BJP for labelling TMC’s ‘Jai Bangla’ (hail Bengal) slogan pro-Bangladesh.

    “How come they say ‘Sonar Bangla’ (golden Bengal) then, which is part of Bangladesh’s national anthem. Banerjee, also the youth wing president of TMC, alleged that water was poured at a helipad to prevent him from going to the Matua stronghold in Thakurnagar.

  • Rakesh Singh conspired to trap me in drugs case: BJP leader Pamela Goswami

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: BJP youth wing leader Pamela Goswami, who was arrested by the police for allegedly possessing cocaine, Thursday claimed that party leader Rakesh Singh had conspired to trap her.

    Goswami, who was being taken to the court in connection with the drug seizure case, told reporters that Singh was instrumental in keeping the contraband in her car which was subsequently seized by police.

    Singh, a BJP state committee member, was arrested by the police on Tuesday for his alleged involvement in the drug seizure case.

    He was apprehended from near Palsit in Purba Barddhaman district when he was fleeing through Durgapur Expressway in a car and was brought back to the city.

    Goswami, who was arrested along with a friend on February 19 for allegedly posessing cocaine, alleged that Singh had designs on her and she was avoiding him.

    She claimed that Singh had tried to physically assault her on many days.

    “He even threatened me of dire consequences when I went to the police station to lodge a complaint”.

    Goswami was quick to add that she had no complaints against any other BJP leader but only Singh.

    “Police is carrying out the investigation in the right direction and I have full faith in the legal system”, she said.

    The court remanded her to police custody till March 4.

    Meanwhile, the narcotics cell of Kolkata Police conducted searches in an under-construction house near Singh’s residence at Alipur.

  • Bengal needs vaccine against cutmoney, ‘tolabaji’; BJP will arrange for it: Nadda

    The TMC government represents corruption and anarchy, he alleged at a party rally here in North 24 Parganas district.

  • Maharashtra government shielding minister linked to woman’s death: BJP

    Rathod on Tuesday dismissed the allegations against him, and claimed quot;dirty politics quot; was being played following the woman #39;s death.

  • Mamata Banerjee goes personal, calls BJP’s top duo ‘Ravan and Danav’

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday launched a personal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, after a CBI team questioned her nephew’s wife in connection with a coal pilferage case. 

    At a rally at Hooghly’s Dunlop ground, Mamata took potshots at the duo without naming them.

    “I don’t want to malign the post of the Prime Minister. But two men from Delhi are visiting Bengal and spreading misleading words. One is hodol-kutkut (an overweight potbellied man) and the other is kimbhut-kimakar (grotesque).’’ 

    “Two persons are running the country. One is Ravan and another is a Danav (monster),” she added.   Referring to the CBI’s interrogation of Abhishek Banerjee’s wife Rujira, Mamata linked it to BJP’s conspiracy to defame Bengal’s women and daughters.

    “She (Rujira) has no involvement in the case. Bringing a daughter-in-law of a family under the scanner of a law enforcing agency is an insult of Bengal’s women. You (govt) are using the central agency to defame the women and daughters of Bengal,’’ the TMC supremo said.

    A team of eight CBI sleuths had interrogated Rujira at her Kolkata residence for one-and-a-half-hour on Tuesday.  

    “You (Modi and Shah) are raising voice against coal smuggling, but roaming with coal smugglers and lodging in a hotel in Burdwan owned by a coal mafia,” Mamata thundered.

    Retaliating Modi’s attack on her for lack of industrialisation in the eastern state, Mamata said her government wrote letters to the Centre in 2016 expressing interest to take over the Dunlop and Jessop factories.

    “But till date, there is no response from your end. … What have you done for them? Nothing,’’ she said. 

    JP Nadda in Bengal today

    BJP chief JP Nadda will be in Bengal on Thursday to launch the party’s Lokhho Sonar Bangla crowdsourcing campaign. He will also hold a meeting with Bengal’s intellectuals at Science City.

  • Bhopal diary: I-T searches, crores to be spent for bungalow reparation and more

    Express News Service
    BJP to field candidate for deputy speaker post 

    The hopes of opposition Congress to bag Vidhan Sabha deputy speaker’s post seem to have hit a roadblock after the ruling BJP said it would install a party member at the post. The saffron party already ensured that its nominee Girish Gautam elected as the speaker. Cabinet minister Vishvas Sarang said on Wednesday the practice started by previous Kamal Nath regime of having both the speaker and deputy speaker from the ruling party will continue. In 2019, while the Congress was in power, both parties contesting the election for both key posts of the assembly. Having majority, the Congress had won both posts. 

    BJP veterans from Vindhya eye ministerial berths

    The ruling BJP’s expectation that disappointment among its ranks in the Vindhya region would be a thing of the past following the election of four-time legislator Girish Gautam as Vidhan Sabha speaker on Monday, could be misplaced. Another four-time BJP MLA from the Vindhya region, Sidhi MLA Kedarnath Shukla, who was also in the race for speaker’s post has made it clear that like any other seasoned politician, after missing out on the speaker’s post, he is now keen at getting a ministerial berth in CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s team. The veteran politician isn’t the lone BJP politician from Vindhya region eyeing a ministerial berth, but other politicians, including three former ministers, Rajendra Shukla, Nagendra Singh and Nagendra Singh too are among those eyeing a place in the council of ministers.

    Rs 4.58 crore spent to repair bungalows

    Amid the pandemic, the stage government spent Rs 4.58 crore on refurbishing the bungalows of CM and ministers. The BJP government which has often talked about poor fiscal health during the Covid-19 times has spent a whopping Rs 4.58 crore on sprucing up official bungalows of the ministers in Bhopal during the same period. According to the information given by the PWD minister Gopal Bhargava in the Vidhan Sabha in reply to a Congress MLA’s question, maximum Rs 1 crore was spent on CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s bungalow.

    I-T searches lead to undisclosed income of Rs 450 crore

    Recent searches by the Income Tax department on the premises of a business group owned by Madhya Pradesh Congress MLA Nilay Daga’s family in MP, Maharashtra and West Bengal allegedly unearthed undisclosed income of over Rs 450 crore. As per the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) official statement, the ongoing probe also reflects unexplained cash payment and hawala transactions of over Rs 15 crore, besides financial links with Kolkata-based shell companies.