News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • BJP slams Bihar govt after leader allegedly dies in police lathi charge, doctors say no external injury

    Express News Service

    PATNA: A 40-year-old BJP leader died after allegedly sustaining injuries on his head when police on Thursday resorted to a lathi charge at Dakbunglow roundabout in the state capital to stop a march to the assembly by party leaders and workers.

    Angered over the death of BJP leader Vijay Kumar Singh, Jehanabad district general secretary of the BJP, the state BJP president Samrat Choudhary said that his party would file a murder case against Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.

    “We will continue our agitation against the state government. We have given a call for a Vidhan Sabha march on Friday to protest the police lathicharge,” BJP chief Choudhary said, criticising the grand alliance government for police atrocities and highhandedness.

    On the other hand, Patna’s senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajiv Mishra said that Singh was found in an unconscious condition in Chhajubagh locality. He was rushed to the PMCH for treatment.

    The SSP said that CCTV cameras were being verified to ascertain the truth. “We can’t confirm the reason behind Singh’s death at this stage,” he told media persons.

    Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) superintendent Dr I S Thakur said that Singh was alive when he was brought to the hospital and he was admitted to the ICU and put on a ventilator. Singh’s life could not be saved even though doctors made their best efforts to save him, he said.

    He said that no external injury was found on him and the exact reason behind his death would be known only after the post-mortem examination. “We have informed the family about the incident,” he added.

    ALSO READ | Proudly earthy and rustic: Bihari food is one of India’s underrated culinary traditions

    Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha said that BJP leaders and workers would march to Raj Bhawan on Friday in protest against the death of the party leader.

    Earlier, former deputy chief minister and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi tweeted confirming the death of the party functionary in the police lathicharge. Police carried out a lathi charge, used water cannons and lobbed tear gas shells on BJP leaders and workers when they were advancing towards the assembly against the rescinding of the domicile policy in recruitment of school teachers and in support of various demands.

    BJP leaders and workers started their march from the historic Gandhi Maidan but they were intercepted at Dakbunglow roundabout as a huge contingent of security personnel stopped them from advancing to the assembly.

    BJP MP Janardan Singh Sigriwal sustained injuries on his head in the police action. Several party workers were also injured when the police, apparently without exercising any restraint, used force to stop them.

    Later, police personnel also put up barricades to stop party leaders and workers from advancing further. State BJP Samrat Choudhary along with other senior party leaders including former minister Nitin Nabin squatted on dharna at the site. Choudhary alleged that the Nitish government ‘butchered’ democracy by beating up BJP leaders and workers during their protest.

    Reacting sharply to the lathi charge, BJP president JP Nadda tweeted, “The lathicharge on BJP workers in Patna is the result of the failure and indignation of the state government. The Grand Alliance government is attacking democracy to save the citadel of corruption. To save the person who has been chargesheeted, the Chief Minister of Bihar has even forgotten his morality.”

    Former deputy chief minister and BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi said that democracy was in danger as the state government took such a harsh measure to stop the march being taken out by party leaders and workers.

    PATNA: A 40-year-old BJP leader died after allegedly sustaining injuries on his head when police on Thursday resorted to a lathi charge at Dakbunglow roundabout in the state capital to stop a march to the assembly by party leaders and workers.

    Angered over the death of BJP leader Vijay Kumar Singh, Jehanabad district general secretary of the BJP, the state BJP president Samrat Choudhary said that his party would file a murder case against Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.

    “We will continue our agitation against the state government. We have given a call for a Vidhan Sabha march on Friday to protest the police lathicharge,” BJP chief Choudhary said, criticising the grand alliance government for police atrocities and highhandedness.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    On the other hand, Patna’s senior superintendent of police (SSP) Rajiv Mishra said that Singh was found in an unconscious condition in Chhajubagh locality. He was rushed to the PMCH for treatment.

    The SSP said that CCTV cameras were being verified to ascertain the truth. “We can’t confirm the reason behind Singh’s death at this stage,” he told media persons.

    Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) superintendent Dr I S Thakur said that Singh was alive when he was brought to the hospital and he was admitted to the ICU and put on a ventilator. Singh’s life could not be saved even though doctors made their best efforts to save him, he said.

    He said that no external injury was found on him and the exact reason behind his death would be known only after the post-mortem examination. “We have informed the family about the incident,” he added.

    ALSO READ | Proudly earthy and rustic: Bihari food is one of India’s underrated culinary traditions

    Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition Vijay Kumar Sinha said that BJP leaders and workers would march to Raj Bhawan on Friday in protest against the death of the party leader.

    Earlier, former deputy chief minister and Rajya Sabha member Sushil Kumar Modi tweeted confirming the death of the party functionary in the police lathicharge. Police carried out a lathi charge, used water cannons and lobbed tear gas shells on BJP leaders and workers when they were advancing towards the assembly against the rescinding of the domicile policy in recruitment of school teachers and in support of various demands.

    BJP leaders and workers started their march from the historic Gandhi Maidan but they were intercepted at Dakbunglow roundabout as a huge contingent of security personnel stopped them from advancing to the assembly.

    BJP MP Janardan Singh Sigriwal sustained injuries on his head in the police action. Several party workers were also injured when the police, apparently without exercising any restraint, used force to stop them.

    Later, police personnel also put up barricades to stop party leaders and workers from advancing further. State BJP Samrat Choudhary along with other senior party leaders including former minister Nitin Nabin squatted on dharna at the site. Choudhary alleged that the Nitish government ‘butchered’ democracy by beating up BJP leaders and workers during their protest.

    Reacting sharply to the lathi charge, BJP president JP Nadda tweeted, “The lathicharge on BJP workers in Patna is the result of the failure and indignation of the state government. The Grand Alliance government is attacking democracy to save the citadel of corruption. To save the person who has been chargesheeted, the Chief Minister of Bihar has even forgotten his morality.”

    Former deputy chief minister and BJP MP Sushil Kumar Modi said that democracy was in danger as the state government took such a harsh measure to stop the march being taken out by party leaders and workers.

  • Shinde, Ajit men to meet Amit Shah as Maharashtra Cabinet’s rift over key portfolios deepens

    Express News Service

    MUMBAI:  A tug-of-war continues between Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP over allocations of key portfolios such as finance, urban development department, cooperation, irrigation and agriculture. Both sides have decided to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to resolve the issue.

    Sources said Shinde has refused to concede the key portfolios to NCP ministers, including Ajit Pawar, arguing that it will reduce his importance in the government.

    “Shinde has conveyed to the BJP leadership that unless Shiv Sena MLAs are sworn in, he will not allocate the portfolios to the NCP ministers. Shinde fears that after the allocation of portfolios to the NCP ministers, the BJP may not allow him further cabinet expansion. Shinde plans to meet top BJP leaders in Delhi,” said a source.

    Another senior minister said the BJP has conveyed it will be reluctant to induct Shiv Sena MLA Bharat Gogawale and Sanjay Shirsat into the cabinet.

    “Shinde told the BJP leadership that if these two faces — Gogawale and Shirsat ­- are not inducted, then he will have a tough time keeping the flock together.  Most of the Shiv Sena MLAs of Shinde factions already started extending olive branches to Uddhav Thackeray and opening the communications line. If a significant number of Shiv Sena MLAs join Uddhav Thackeray, then Shinde’s CM chair will be in trouble and his party will also face another split. This can damage the BJP. Therefore BJP needs to stand by him,” said a Shiv Sena minister.

    Meanwhile, Sunil Tatkare, the state NCP chief (Ajit Pawar faction) said that there is no dispute over allocations of ministries.  

    MUMBAI:  A tug-of-war continues between Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena and deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar-led NCP over allocations of key portfolios such as finance, urban development department, cooperation, irrigation and agriculture. Both sides have decided to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to resolve the issue.

    Sources said Shinde has refused to concede the key portfolios to NCP ministers, including Ajit Pawar, arguing that it will reduce his importance in the government.

    “Shinde has conveyed to the BJP leadership that unless Shiv Sena MLAs are sworn in, he will not allocate the portfolios to the NCP ministers. Shinde fears that after the allocation of portfolios to the NCP ministers, the BJP may not allow him further cabinet expansion. Shinde plans to meet top BJP leaders in Delhi,” said a source.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Another senior minister said the BJP has conveyed it will be reluctant to induct Shiv Sena MLA Bharat Gogawale and Sanjay Shirsat into the cabinet.

    “Shinde told the BJP leadership that if these two faces — Gogawale and Shirsat ­- are not inducted, then he will have a tough time keeping the flock together.  Most of the Shiv Sena MLAs of Shinde factions already started extending olive branches to Uddhav Thackeray and opening the communications line. If a significant number of Shiv Sena MLAs join Uddhav Thackeray, then Shinde’s CM chair will be in trouble and his party will also face another split. This can damage the BJP. Therefore BJP needs to stand by him,” said a Shiv Sena minister.

    Meanwhile, Sunil Tatkare, the state NCP chief (Ajit Pawar faction) said that there is no dispute over allocations of ministries.  

  • TMC set to dominate Bengal rural polls, bags over 30,000 gram panchayat seats

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: TMC looked set to sweep the violence-scarred rural polls keeping intact the mandate it won two years back during the assembly polls by taking a seemingly unassailable lead in results declared till now by the State Election Commission.

    The ruling TMC has won in 30,391 gram panchayat seats, besides leading in 1,767 seats, according to the SEC as of 11.30 pm on Tuesday.

    Its nearest rival BJP has won 8,239 seats and is leading in 447 seats. In all elections are being held for 63,229 gram panchayat seats.

    The CPI(M) has won 2,534 and is leading in 237 seats. The Congress won 2,158 seats and is leading in 151.

    The ruling TMC won 2,612 Panchayat samiti seats while leading 627 seats.

    BJP has won 275 and is leading in 149 seats, while CPI(M) has won 63 seats and is leading in 53 others and Congress has won in 50 seats and is leading in 26 seats.

    Elections were held for 9,728 Panchayat Samiti seats.

    TMC has also won all 88 Zila Parishad results declared so far and is leading in 163 others while CPI(M) has is leading in 4 seats, while Congress is leading in 2 and the BJP in 13.

    In all, there are 928 Zila Parishad seats.

    Though the counting process was largely peaceful, there were stray incidents of bombs being thrown outside a counting centre and political workers of various parties clashing.

    Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who had suffered an injury during campaigning thanked people for reposing trust in her party.

    “It’s TMC all the way in rural Bengal. I want to thank the people for their love, affection and support towards the TMC. This election has proved that only TMC resides in the heart of the people of the state,” Banerjee said in a social media post.

    The elections were keenly contested as they were seen by all parties as an indicator of which way the wind will blow in the 2024 parliamentary elections from this part of the country.

    The violence which rocked the panchayat polls held on Saturday has claimed at least 15 lives with 11 of them from the ruling TMC.

    Since elections were announced last month, the number of people who died in poll-related incidents has been 33, with the ruling party suffering 60 per cent of the deaths.

    Allegations of vote tampering and violence by various parties forced the SEC to order re-polling in 696 seats on Monday, which passed more or less peacefully.

    Intervention by the Calcutta High Court had seen the deployment of central police forces on both election and counting days.

    Though Bengal has a long history of violent rural polls with 40 people killed in one single day of polling during the 2003 panchayat elections, this year’s violence which was covered extensively by the media focused national attention on it.

    Governor CV Ananda Bose who had rushed to Delhi to give a report on the violence told newspersons “Political parties should realise elections are not grounds to examine one’s physical strength”.

    Officials said the counting process was largely peaceful though stray incidents were reported, including allegations of bombs being thrown outside a counting centre at Bongaon, the beating up of a local ISF leader outside another counting centre and lathi charge by central policemen on duty at places where crowds had gathered in large numbers and breached the security of certain counting centres.

    Vote counting is on at 339 venues spread across 22 districts and is likely to carry over to Wednesday.

    The maximum number of counting centres is in South 24 Parganas at 28, while the minimum is in Kalimpong at four.

    Some northern districts are also facing inclement weather.

    “Counting began at 8 am and is likely to continue for the next two days. It will take time for the ballots to be counted and the results to be compiled,” an SEC official said.

    In Darjeeling hills, out of the 598 seats in Darjeeling and 281 in Kalimpong, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) was leading in many areas and looks likely to be the new numero uno in the Bengal hill districts.

    All the counting venues are manned by armed state police personnel and central forces, with prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC being imposed outside the venue to avoid any untoward incidents.

    There are a total of 767 strong rooms across 22 districts.

    Large crowds of supporters of various candidates gathered at various centres to ensure that counting was conducted correctly.

    In various districts, TMC supporters celebrated their victory by dancing and smearing each other with green colour, the party’s chosen colour.

    As initial trends started pouring in, a war of words broke out between the TMC and the BJP, with the latter accusing the ruling party of “making last desperate attempts to loot votes by blocking opposition agents from entering counting centres.”

    “TMC goons are making desperate attempts to steal the elections by obstructing the counting agents and candidates of the BJP and other opposition political parties from entering counting centres. They are being restricted from going towards the venue, and bombs are being hurled to intimidate counting agents,” leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, said.

    Refuting the allegations, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “Sensing defeat, they are making baseless allegations.”

    “Rejected by people and sensing humiliating defeat, this is BJP’s last attempt to come up with lame excuses to make up for its own organisational failures,” he said.

    “We salute the people that despite all these (hurdles), they have supported the Left Front candidates,” CPI(M) state secretary Mohd Salim said.

    The CPI(M) leader alleged that the ruling party was misusing the police and administration to get back to power in the panchayats.

    ISF MLA Nawshad Siddique who is leading his newly formed party told PTI, “Whatever chance the people have got to exercise their franchise despite violence and intimidation, they have expressed their opinion against the ruling party.”

    He added that the “myth that a certain community is a vote bank has been proven wrong”.

    A total of 5.67 crore people living in the state’s rural areas were eligible to decide the fate of 2.06 lakh candidates in 73,887 seats of the three-tier-panchayat system.

    Unlike earlier elections, the Opposition had fielded candidates in more than 90 per cent of seats, unlike in 2018 rural polls, when the ruling TMC had won 34 per cent of the seats uncontested.

    In the 2018 rural polls, the ruling TMC had emerged victorious in 90 per cent of the panchayat seats and all the 22 zilla parishads.

    The elections were marred by widespread violence, with the Opposition alleging they were prevented from filing nominations in several seats.

    KOLKATA: TMC looked set to sweep the violence-scarred rural polls keeping intact the mandate it won two years back during the assembly polls by taking a seemingly unassailable lead in results declared till now by the State Election Commission.

    The ruling TMC has won in 30,391 gram panchayat seats, besides leading in 1,767 seats, according to the SEC as of 11.30 pm on Tuesday.

    Its nearest rival BJP has won 8,239 seats and is leading in 447 seats. In all elections are being held for 63,229 gram panchayat seats.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The CPI(M) has won 2,534 and is leading in 237 seats. The Congress won 2,158 seats and is leading in 151.

    The ruling TMC won 2,612 Panchayat samiti seats while leading 627 seats.

    BJP has won 275 and is leading in 149 seats, while CPI(M) has won 63 seats and is leading in 53 others and Congress has won in 50 seats and is leading in 26 seats.

    Elections were held for 9,728 Panchayat Samiti seats.

    TMC has also won all 88 Zila Parishad results declared so far and is leading in 163 others while CPI(M) has is leading in 4 seats, while Congress is leading in 2 and the BJP in 13.

    In all, there are 928 Zila Parishad seats.

    Though the counting process was largely peaceful, there were stray incidents of bombs being thrown outside a counting centre and political workers of various parties clashing.

    Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee who had suffered an injury during campaigning thanked people for reposing trust in her party.

    “It’s TMC all the way in rural Bengal. I want to thank the people for their love, affection and support towards the TMC. This election has proved that only TMC resides in the heart of the people of the state,” Banerjee said in a social media post.

    The elections were keenly contested as they were seen by all parties as an indicator of which way the wind will blow in the 2024 parliamentary elections from this part of the country.

    The violence which rocked the panchayat polls held on Saturday has claimed at least 15 lives with 11 of them from the ruling TMC.

    Since elections were announced last month, the number of people who died in poll-related incidents has been 33, with the ruling party suffering 60 per cent of the deaths.

    Allegations of vote tampering and violence by various parties forced the SEC to order re-polling in 696 seats on Monday, which passed more or less peacefully.

    Intervention by the Calcutta High Court had seen the deployment of central police forces on both election and counting days.

    Though Bengal has a long history of violent rural polls with 40 people killed in one single day of polling during the 2003 panchayat elections, this year’s violence which was covered extensively by the media focused national attention on it.

    Governor CV Ananda Bose who had rushed to Delhi to give a report on the violence told newspersons “Political parties should realise elections are not grounds to examine one’s physical strength”.

    Officials said the counting process was largely peaceful though stray incidents were reported, including allegations of bombs being thrown outside a counting centre at Bongaon, the beating up of a local ISF leader outside another counting centre and lathi charge by central policemen on duty at places where crowds had gathered in large numbers and breached the security of certain counting centres.

    Vote counting is on at 339 venues spread across 22 districts and is likely to carry over to Wednesday.

    The maximum number of counting centres is in South 24 Parganas at 28, while the minimum is in Kalimpong at four.

    Some northern districts are also facing inclement weather.

    “Counting began at 8 am and is likely to continue for the next two days. It will take time for the ballots to be counted and the results to be compiled,” an SEC official said.

    In Darjeeling hills, out of the 598 seats in Darjeeling and 281 in Kalimpong, the Bharatiya Gorkha Prajatantrik Morcha (BGPM) was leading in many areas and looks likely to be the new numero uno in the Bengal hill districts.

    All the counting venues are manned by armed state police personnel and central forces, with prohibitory orders under Section 144 of CrPC being imposed outside the venue to avoid any untoward incidents.

    There are a total of 767 strong rooms across 22 districts.

    Large crowds of supporters of various candidates gathered at various centres to ensure that counting was conducted correctly.

    In various districts, TMC supporters celebrated their victory by dancing and smearing each other with green colour, the party’s chosen colour.

    As initial trends started pouring in, a war of words broke out between the TMC and the BJP, with the latter accusing the ruling party of “making last desperate attempts to loot votes by blocking opposition agents from entering counting centres.”

    “TMC goons are making desperate attempts to steal the elections by obstructing the counting agents and candidates of the BJP and other opposition political parties from entering counting centres. They are being restricted from going towards the venue, and bombs are being hurled to intimidate counting agents,” leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, said.

    Refuting the allegations, TMC spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “Sensing defeat, they are making baseless allegations.”

    “Rejected by people and sensing humiliating defeat, this is BJP’s last attempt to come up with lame excuses to make up for its own organisational failures,” he said.

    “We salute the people that despite all these (hurdles), they have supported the Left Front candidates,” CPI(M) state secretary Mohd Salim said.

    The CPI(M) leader alleged that the ruling party was misusing the police and administration to get back to power in the panchayats.

    ISF MLA Nawshad Siddique who is leading his newly formed party told PTI, “Whatever chance the people have got to exercise their franchise despite violence and intimidation, they have expressed their opinion against the ruling party.”

    He added that the “myth that a certain community is a vote bank has been proven wrong”.

    A total of 5.67 crore people living in the state’s rural areas were eligible to decide the fate of 2.06 lakh candidates in 73,887 seats of the three-tier-panchayat system.

    Unlike earlier elections, the Opposition had fielded candidates in more than 90 per cent of seats, unlike in 2018 rural polls, when the ruling TMC had won 34 per cent of the seats uncontested.

    In the 2018 rural polls, the ruling TMC had emerged victorious in 90 per cent of the panchayat seats and all the 22 zilla parishads.

    The elections were marred by widespread violence, with the Opposition alleging they were prevented from filing nominations in several seats.

  • BJP appoints 10 new national executive members 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: BJP president J P Nadda on Saturday nominated 10 party leaders, including many former state unit chiefs, to the organisation’s national executive.

    A party statement said the new national executive members are Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Deepak Prakash, Satish Punia and Sanjay Jaiswal, former BJP presidents in Telangana, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Bihar, respectively.

    Suresh Kashyap, Vishnudeo Sai and Ashwani Sharma, who headed the party in Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Punjab, respectively, before being replaced by the incumbents, are among the other appointees.

    Chhattisgarh BJP leader Dharamlal Kaushik, former Andhra Pradesh BJP president Somu Veerraju and Rajasthan leader Kirodi Lal Meena are other members, the party statement said.

    Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan are slated to go for assembly polls later this year.

    NEW DELHI: BJP president J P Nadda on Saturday nominated 10 party leaders, including many former state unit chiefs, to the organisation’s national executive.

    A party statement said the new national executive members are Bandi Sanjay Kumar, Deepak Prakash, Satish Punia and Sanjay Jaiswal, former BJP presidents in Telangana, Jharkhand, Rajasthan and Bihar, respectively.

    Suresh Kashyap, Vishnudeo Sai and Ashwani Sharma, who headed the party in Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Punjab, respectively, before being replaced by the incumbents, are among the other appointees.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Chhattisgarh BJP leader Dharamlal Kaushik, former Andhra Pradesh BJP president Somu Veerraju and Rajasthan leader Kirodi Lal Meena are other members, the party statement said.

    Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan are slated to go for assembly polls later this year.

  • After video of ‘BJP man’ urinating on tribal youth in MP goes viral, pressure tactics to cover-up the act

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL/CHENNAI: In yet another case of shocking caste violence, a caste Hindu- Pravesh Shukla, who is said to be associated with the ruling BJP party, urinated over a tribal man in Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi district. The horrendous crime came to the fore after the video of the said incident surfaced on social media.

    With the outrageous incident sparking political controversy in the assembly poll-bound state, a case was lodged in Sidhi district against the accused u/s 294 and 504 IPC as well as under provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act on Tuesday. The National Security Act (NSA) is being invoked against the accused man following directions by the state’s chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

    In the video, a labourer who is said to be from a tribal community is seen sitting on the roadside, when Pravesh Shukla, a BJP- supporter/ worker was smoking and urinating on the man’s face. 

    Meanwhile, News Laundry reported (‘BJP MLA’s aide’ urinates on tribal worker, victim ‘pressured’ to blame person who shared video) that the victim has filed an affidavit denying the incident ever took place. According to the report, the victim has also said that any police action, against the person who shared the “fake” video on social media, will be valid.

    The report also added that the villager who first shared the video on social media has claimed that he is now receiving threats. 

    In defence of the accused, Pravesh Shukla’s uncle has lodged a police complaint on July 1 alleging that his nephew has gone missing on June 29 and the family feared that he might take some extreme measures because of the “fake video that has been made by some others to get him implicated in a false case under the SC/ST Act.

    According to DIG-Rewa Range Mithilesh Shukla, “Preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused Pravesh Shukla and the victim Dashmat Rawat, both hail from Kubri village under Bahri police limits. A case has been lodged under the two IPC sections as well as the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act) provisions and police teams are conducting raids to nab the accused.” he said.

    Screenshot from the video.

    The outrageous incident sparked political controversy in the assembly polls-bound state, as the opposition Congress attacked the ruling BJP in the matter.

    “The cruelty which happened with the tribal man can have no place in civilized society. Also, the accused who is said to be associated with the ruling BJP, is even more shocking. MP is already number one in the country when it comes to crime against the tribals. This latest incident has shamed the entire state. I demand from the CM strictest action against the accused and an end to crime against tribals in the state,” state Congress chief and former CM Kamal Nath tweeted.

    प्रदेश के सीधी जिले से एक आदिवासी युवक के ऊपर पेशाब करने की क्रूरता का वीडियो सामने आया है। आदिवासी समाज के युवक के साथ ऐसी जघन्य और गिरी हुई हरकत का सभ्य समाज में कोई स्थान नहीं है।आरोप है कि पेशाब करने वाला व्यक्ति भारतीय जनता पार्टी से जुड़ा हुआ बताया जा रहा है।मध्य प्रदेश…
    — Kamal Nath (@OfficeOfKNath) July 4, 2023
    (With inputs from online desk)

    BHOPAL/CHENNAI: In yet another case of shocking caste violence, a caste Hindu- Pravesh Shukla, who is said to be associated with the ruling BJP party, urinated over a tribal man in Madhya Pradesh’s Sidhi district. The horrendous crime came to the fore after the video of the said incident surfaced on social media.

    With the outrageous incident sparking political controversy in the assembly poll-bound state, a case was lodged in Sidhi district against the accused u/s 294 and 504 IPC as well as under provisions of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act on Tuesday. The National Security Act (NSA) is being invoked against the accused man following directions by the state’s chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.

    In the video, a labourer who is said to be from a tribal community is seen sitting on the roadside, when Pravesh Shukla, a BJP- supporter/ worker was smoking and urinating on the man’s face. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Meanwhile, News Laundry reported (‘BJP MLA’s aide’ urinates on tribal worker, victim ‘pressured’ to blame person who shared video) that the victim has filed an affidavit denying the incident ever took place. According to the report, the victim has also said that any police action, against the person who shared the “fake” video on social media, will be valid.

    The report also added that the villager who first shared the video on social media has claimed that he is now receiving threats. 

    In defence of the accused, Pravesh Shukla’s uncle has lodged a police complaint on July 1 alleging that his nephew has gone missing on June 29 and the family feared that he might take some extreme measures because of the “fake video that has been made by some others to get him implicated in a false case under the SC/ST Act.

    According to DIG-Rewa Range Mithilesh Shukla, “Preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused Pravesh Shukla and the victim Dashmat Rawat, both hail from Kubri village under Bahri police limits. A case has been lodged under the two IPC sections as well as the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act) provisions and police teams are conducting raids to nab the accused.” he said.

    Screenshot from the video.

    The outrageous incident sparked political controversy in the assembly polls-bound state, as the opposition Congress attacked the ruling BJP in the matter.

    “The cruelty which happened with the tribal man can have no place in civilized society. Also, the accused who is said to be associated with the ruling BJP, is even more shocking. MP is already number one in the country when it comes to crime against the tribals. This latest incident has shamed the entire state. I demand from the CM strictest action against the accused and an end to crime against tribals in the state,” state Congress chief and former CM Kamal Nath tweeted.

    प्रदेश के सीधी जिले से एक आदिवासी युवक के ऊपर पेशाब करने की क्रूरता का वीडियो सामने आया है। आदिवासी समाज के युवक के साथ ऐसी जघन्य और गिरी हुई हरकत का सभ्य समाज में कोई स्थान नहीं है।
    आरोप है कि पेशाब करने वाला व्यक्ति भारतीय जनता पार्टी से जुड़ा हुआ बताया जा रहा है।
    मध्य प्रदेश…
    — Kamal Nath (@OfficeOfKNath) July 4, 2023
    (With inputs from online desk)

  • Gigantic gap between global talk and local walk: Congress takes a dig at government on World Environment Day 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: On World Environment Day, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh attacked the Modi government on Monday, alleging that there is a push for a radical loosening of environment and forest laws, with “more assaults” on the regulations in the offing.

    The former environment minister hit out at the government’s actions in the environment sector, saying there is a “gigantic gap” between the global talk and local walk.

    “Today is World Environment Day and undoubtedly self-styled Paryavaran Premi will give his gyaan. However, the reality is that he is pushing for a radical loosening of environment and forest laws and regulations,” Ramesh said in a tweet.

    Today is World Environment Day and undoubtedly self-styled ParyavaranPremi will give his gyaan. However, the reality is that he is pushing for a radical loosening of environment and forest laws and regulations.Environmental approvals have been hugely liberalised. The Standing…
    — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 5, 2023
    “Environmental approvals have been hugely liberalised. The Standing Committee I chair was deliberately bypassed to bulldoze far-reaching amendments to the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. The Forest Rights Act, 2006 has been rendered toothless affecting tribal communities. The National Green Tribunal has been emasculated. Elephant trade has been opened up,” he said.

    More assaults on regulations are in the pipeline while environmental activism has been intimidated, the Congress leader alleged. “There is a gigantic gap between the global talk and local walk,” he said.

    Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and held annually on June 5 since 1973, World Environment Day is the largest global platform for environmental public outreach.

    NEW DELHI: On World Environment Day, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh attacked the Modi government on Monday, alleging that there is a push for a radical loosening of environment and forest laws, with “more assaults” on the regulations in the offing.

    The former environment minister hit out at the government’s actions in the environment sector, saying there is a “gigantic gap” between the global talk and local walk.

    “Today is World Environment Day and undoubtedly self-styled Paryavaran Premi will give his gyaan. However, the reality is that he is pushing for a radical loosening of environment and forest laws and regulations,” Ramesh said in a tweet.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Today is World Environment Day and undoubtedly self-styled ParyavaranPremi will give his gyaan. However, the reality is that he is pushing for a radical loosening of environment and forest laws and regulations.
    Environmental approvals have been hugely liberalised. The Standing…
    — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) June 5, 2023
    “Environmental approvals have been hugely liberalised. The Standing Committee I chair was deliberately bypassed to bulldoze far-reaching amendments to the Forest Conservation Act, 1980. The Forest Rights Act, 2006 has been rendered toothless affecting tribal communities. The National Green Tribunal has been emasculated. Elephant trade has been opened up,” he said.

    More assaults on regulations are in the pipeline while environmental activism has been intimidated, the Congress leader alleged. “There is a gigantic gap between the global talk and local walk,” he said.

    Led by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and held annually on June 5 since 1973, World Environment Day is the largest global platform for environmental public outreach.

  • Congress, BJP trade barbs over Rahul Gandhi’s ‘IUML completely secular’ remark

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi’s remark that IUML is a “completely secular party” triggered a political slugfest on Friday with the BJP alleging that the Kerala-based party is guided by the same mindset which was behind the Muslim League and the Congress reminding the saffron party about its veteran leader LK Advani’s praise for Mohammad Ali Jinnah during his 2005 Pakistan visit.

    Gandhi, during a media interaction at the National Press Club in Washington, US, was asked about his party being in alliance with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in Kerala while talking about secularism, to which he answered “Muslim League is a completely secular party. There is nothing non-secular about the Muslim League.”

    Gandhi’s remark drew a sharp response from the BJP as its leaders alleged that the IUML is guided by the same mindset which was behind Jinnah’s All India Muslim League.

    Launching a scathing attack against Gandhi, Union minister Anurag Thakur said, “these are the same people who had stayed back after partition. They formed the Muslim League hereafter partition and became MPs. They advocated for Sharia law and wanted separate seats reserved for Muslims. They are the same people who are part of the same Muslim League. It is Rahul Gandhi and the Congress that see Hindu terrorism but feel Muslim League is secular. ”

    In a counter-attack, the Congress said the party Gandhi referred to was different from the Muslim League, for which the BJP has “more love” and whose leader Jinnah was hailed by Advani.

    In a tweet, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “Syama Prasad Mookerjee was in league with the Muslim League in the government in Bengal when (Mahatma) Gandhiji launched Quit India movement. SPM was singularly responsible for the partition of Bengal.”

    He also tagged a tweet by Congress leader Amitabh Dubey who had slammed BJP IT department head Amit Malviya for his criticism of Gandhi, saying “You’re confusing the Kerala-based IUML he is talking about with Jinnah’s Muslim League that took Savarkar’s two-nation theory to its logical conclusion.”

    “The same Muslim League with whom BJP founder SP Mookerjee and Hindu Mahasabha formed coalition governments in Bengal, Sind, NWFP (North-West Frontier Province),” Dubey said.

    Congress’ media department head Pawan Khera hit out at the BJP over its criticism and said the BJP-RSS have more knowledge of Pakistan’s politics and Jinnah’s Muslim League as they share a historical ‘jugalbandi’. He said the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee had sent IUML leader E Ahamed to Geneva to represent India.

    “IUML established the largest Sanskrit University in Kerala. The BJP also made an alliance with IUML for Nagpur Municipal Corporation. The omniscient Vishwaguru of WhatsApp nursery, please enrich your knowledge,” Khera claimed in a tweet in Hindi.

    Meanwhile, the IUML welcomed Gandhi’s statement that the Kerala-based party is completely secular, saying the Congress leader’s assertion came from his party’s experience.

    “Rahul Gandhi’s statement that the Muslim League is a secular party is based on his party’s experience. We look at it with great responsibility. The Muslim League’s close relationship with Congress dates back to the days of Indira Gandhi,” IUML general secretary P K Kunhalikutty said in a Facebook post.

    BJP national spokesperson and MP Sudhanshu Trivedi claimed a link between the regional party and Jinnah’s outfit, which spearheaded the partition stir among Muslims.

    “For the Congress, parties such as AIMIM, Muslim League and Indian Secular Front, a West Bengal party formed by a Muslim cleric, are secular and the PFI, a banned radical Islamic organisation, is a cultural body,” he said.

    Mocking Gandhi, the BJP leader said his claim raises a question mark on his wisdom.

    Reacting to the BJP’s criticism, Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said the party Gandhi referred to is IUML which is a registered political party in India.

    “Is a registered party in India not a secular party? Does the Election Commission get ineligible parties registered? I would like to remind the BJP that this is not the party with which Syama Prasad Mookerjee aligned to form the government in Bengal,” Vallabh said at a press conference at the AICC headquarters here.

    “That Muslim League of Jinnah is different, with which you formed the government. Rahul Gandhi has not talked about that Muslim League but the thing is that you have more love for that party, therefore, you think that the party being talked about is the one whose leader was Jinnah,” he said, slamming the BJP.

    Vallabh said he would like to tell the BJP people that the former Congress chief was not talking about the Muslim League of Jinnah on whose mausoleum in Pakistan, BJP co-founder Advani had hailed him and called him “secular”.

    In 2005, Advani visited Pakistan and praised the neighbouring country’s founder Jinnah, triggering criticism from within his own party.

    Hitting out at the BJP leaders for their criticism, Vallabh said, “so all those who today are talking about IUML should go and ask Advani ji,” he said.

    NEW DELHI: Rahul Gandhi’s remark that IUML is a “completely secular party” triggered a political slugfest on Friday with the BJP alleging that the Kerala-based party is guided by the same mindset which was behind the Muslim League and the Congress reminding the saffron party about its veteran leader LK Advani’s praise for Mohammad Ali Jinnah during his 2005 Pakistan visit.

    Gandhi, during a media interaction at the National Press Club in Washington, US, was asked about his party being in alliance with the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in Kerala while talking about secularism, to which he answered “Muslim League is a completely secular party. There is nothing non-secular about the Muslim League.”

    Gandhi’s remark drew a sharp response from the BJP as its leaders alleged that the IUML is guided by the same mindset which was behind Jinnah’s All India Muslim League.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2′); });

    Launching a scathing attack against Gandhi, Union minister Anurag Thakur said, “these are the same people who had stayed back after partition. They formed the Muslim League hereafter partition and became MPs. They advocated for Sharia law and wanted separate seats reserved for Muslims. They are the same people who are part of the same Muslim League. It is Rahul Gandhi and the Congress that see Hindu terrorism but feel Muslim League is secular. ”

    In a counter-attack, the Congress said the party Gandhi referred to was different from the Muslim League, for which the BJP has “more love” and whose leader Jinnah was hailed by Advani.

    In a tweet, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “Syama Prasad Mookerjee was in league with the Muslim League in the government in Bengal when (Mahatma) Gandhiji launched Quit India movement. SPM was singularly responsible for the partition of Bengal.”

    He also tagged a tweet by Congress leader Amitabh Dubey who had slammed BJP IT department head Amit Malviya for his criticism of Gandhi, saying “You’re confusing the Kerala-based IUML he is talking about with Jinnah’s Muslim League that took Savarkar’s two-nation theory to its logical conclusion.”

    “The same Muslim League with whom BJP founder SP Mookerjee and Hindu Mahasabha formed coalition governments in Bengal, Sind, NWFP (North-West Frontier Province),” Dubey said.

    Congress’ media department head Pawan Khera hit out at the BJP over its criticism and said the BJP-RSS have more knowledge of Pakistan’s politics and Jinnah’s Muslim League as they share a historical ‘jugalbandi’. He said the NDA government led by Atal Bihari Vajpayee had sent IUML leader E Ahamed to Geneva to represent India.

    “IUML established the largest Sanskrit University in Kerala. The BJP also made an alliance with IUML for Nagpur Municipal Corporation. The omniscient Vishwaguru of WhatsApp nursery, please enrich your knowledge,” Khera claimed in a tweet in Hindi.

    Meanwhile, the IUML welcomed Gandhi’s statement that the Kerala-based party is completely secular, saying the Congress leader’s assertion came from his party’s experience.

    “Rahul Gandhi’s statement that the Muslim League is a secular party is based on his party’s experience. We look at it with great responsibility. The Muslim League’s close relationship with Congress dates back to the days of Indira Gandhi,” IUML general secretary P K Kunhalikutty said in a Facebook post.

    BJP national spokesperson and MP Sudhanshu Trivedi claimed a link between the regional party and Jinnah’s outfit, which spearheaded the partition stir among Muslims.

    “For the Congress, parties such as AIMIM, Muslim League and Indian Secular Front, a West Bengal party formed by a Muslim cleric, are secular and the PFI, a banned radical Islamic organisation, is a cultural body,” he said.

    Mocking Gandhi, the BJP leader said his claim raises a question mark on his wisdom.

    Reacting to the BJP’s criticism, Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said the party Gandhi referred to is IUML which is a registered political party in India.

    “Is a registered party in India not a secular party? Does the Election Commission get ineligible parties registered? I would like to remind the BJP that this is not the party with which Syama Prasad Mookerjee aligned to form the government in Bengal,” Vallabh said at a press conference at the AICC headquarters here.

    “That Muslim League of Jinnah is different, with which you formed the government. Rahul Gandhi has not talked about that Muslim League but the thing is that you have more love for that party, therefore, you think that the party being talked about is the one whose leader was Jinnah,” he said, slamming the BJP.

    Vallabh said he would like to tell the BJP people that the former Congress chief was not talking about the Muslim League of Jinnah on whose mausoleum in Pakistan, BJP co-founder Advani had hailed him and called him “secular”.

    In 2005, Advani visited Pakistan and praised the neighbouring country’s founder Jinnah, triggering criticism from within his own party.

    Hitting out at the BJP leaders for their criticism, Vallabh said, “so all those who today are talking about IUML should go and ask Advani ji,” he said.

  • Late BJP leader Gopinath Munde’s daughters air different views of party 

    Express News Service

    The Munde sisters are airing different views about their official party, BJP. After BJP Lok Sabha MP Pritam Munde extended her support to the wrestlers protesting against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, former Maharashtra minister and National Secretary of BJP Pankaja Munde on Thursday said that while she is a member of the BJP, the party does not belong to her. 

    Pankaja Munde, daughter of late senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde expressed displeasure that she was side-lined in BJP. She has maintained a low profile since her defeat in the 2019 assembly elections. Munde also served as a cabinet minister during the tenure of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from 2014 to 2019. 

    Speaking at an event, she said that BJP is a big party and doesn’t belong to her. “I belong to the BJP. If I have a problem with my father, I will go to my brother’s house,” she said, pointing out at the Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP) led by Mahadeo Jankar.

    Jankar, a close associate of Gopinath Munde, said, “Our community will not benefit due to my sister’s party as the remote control will be with someone else.” He further added that the BJP has ignored the Munde family for ages although they have immense support from their community. 

    NCP leader and former home minister Anil Deshmukh said that they will welcome Pankaja Munde if she and her followers decide to join the NCP.

    Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said that BJP is downsizing Munde’s leadership but also mentioned that the family “has to make brave decisions if they really feel like doing something.”

    Reacting to this development, Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekar Bawankule said that Munde is very much in BJP though; her statements are just being twisted by the Opposition to suit their agenda. 

    The Munde sisters are airing different views about their official party, BJP. After BJP Lok Sabha MP Pritam Munde extended her support to the wrestlers protesting against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, former Maharashtra minister and National Secretary of BJP Pankaja Munde on Thursday said that while she is a member of the BJP, the party does not belong to her. 

    Pankaja Munde, daughter of late senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde expressed displeasure that she was side-lined in BJP. She has maintained a low profile since her defeat in the 2019 assembly elections. Munde also served as a cabinet minister during the tenure of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis from 2014 to 2019. 

    Speaking at an event, she said that BJP is a big party and doesn’t belong to her. “I belong to the BJP. If I have a problem with my father, I will go to my brother’s house,” she said, pointing out at the Rashtriya Samaj Paksha (RSP) led by Mahadeo Jankar.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Jankar, a close associate of Gopinath Munde, said, “Our community will not benefit due to my sister’s party as the remote control will be with someone else.” He further added that the BJP has ignored the Munde family for ages although they have immense support from their community. 

    NCP leader and former home minister Anil Deshmukh said that they will welcome Pankaja Munde if she and her followers decide to join the NCP.

    Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut said that BJP is downsizing Munde’s leadership but also mentioned that the family “has to make brave decisions if they really feel like doing something.”

    Reacting to this development, Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekar Bawankule said that Munde is very much in BJP though; her statements are just being twisted by the Opposition to suit their agenda. 

  • What is happening to Muslims in India today, happened to Dalits in 1980s: Rahul Gandhi in US

    By ANI

    SAN FRANCISCO: Targeting the BJP-led government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said, “what is happening to Muslims in India today, happened to Dalits in the 1980s” and it has “to be fought with affection”.

    Speaking at the ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukaan’ event in San Francisco in the United States, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the impact of some actions of the BJP-led government was being felt by minorities and people from the Dalit and tribal communities.

    “It is being felt by the Muslims most directly because it is done most directly to them. But in fact, it is done to all communities. The way you (Muslims) are feeling attacked, I can guarantee Sikhs, Christians, Dalits, and tribals are feeling the same. You can’t cut hatred with hatred., but only with love and affection,” Gandhi said.

    “Also, this is a periodical thing. What is happening to Muslims in India today happened to Dalits in the 1980s. If you went to UP in the 1980s, this was happening with Dalits…We have to challenge it, fight it and do it with love and affection and not with hatred and we will do that,” he added.

    ALSO READ | ‘PM Modi thinks he knows more than God’: Rahul Gandhi in US

    The Congress leader was responding to a question concerning Muslims in India from the ‘Bay Area Muslim community’ and the steps Congress will take to tackle the issues faced by them.

    Rahul Gandhi is on a six-day visit to the United States to interact with the Indian diaspora and express the Congress party’s “commitment to democratic values in India and across the world.”

    During the event, Rahul Gandhi also spoke about “economic inequality” and said that while some people were finding it difficult to make ends meet, about “five people have lakhs of crores” rupees.

    The Congress leader talked about the caste census conducted during the Congress-led UPA government, MNREGA and the NYAY (Nyuntam Aay Yojana) proposed by the Congress.

    “When we were in power, we had carried out the caste census. The idea was to take an X-Ray of society. Because without understanding the exact demographic and who is who, it is very difficult to distribute power effectively. We have been asking the BJP to release the numbers of the caste census and they are of course not doing it. When we will come to power we will do that,” he said.

    “We are committed to making India a fair place. We understand deeply that India today in terms of its treatment of Dalits, tribals, the poor and minorities is not a fair place. And there are many things that can be done. The NYAY scheme that we proposed, MNREGA, increases education and healthcare spending, all these things can be done.”

    Attacking the Narendra Modi government, he alleged that it does not want to discuss issues of price rise, unemployment, and inequality and was trying to cause distractions.

    “I would have to look at exactly how they are planning to do it (delimitation exercise to increase the number of MPs). What criteria they are using? I would be interested to know how have they come up with the number 800. These things should not be done flippantly. India is a conversation, a negotiation between its languages, its people, their history and its culture. And the negotiation has to be fair.

    “All sections of the country should feel that there is fairness in the process of negotiation. But, these are all distractions. The real issue is price rise, unemployment, and inequality. BJP can’t really discuss them, so they have to do the old sceptre thin. Lying down and doing all that. Aren’t you happy that I am not lying down?” he asked.

    Answering another query, he said as per Constitution, the definition of India is ‘Union of States’.

    “The idea is that the history, culture, and language of each and every state has to be protected under the union. BJP-RSS is attacking that idea as well as the Constitution of India. I know that Tamil is more than just a language for the people of Tamil Nadu. And I would never allow the Tamil language to be threatened. Because for me, an attack on Tamil, Bengali, Hindi, Kannada or Punjabi is an attack on India,” he said.

    Answering a query, he said allies of Congress had objections to the Women’s Reservation Bill and the party will work for its passage when it comes to power. 

    SAN FRANCISCO: Targeting the BJP-led government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said, “what is happening to Muslims in India today, happened to Dalits in the 1980s” and it has “to be fought with affection”.

    Speaking at the ‘Mohabbat Ki Dukaan’ event in San Francisco in the United States, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the impact of some actions of the BJP-led government was being felt by minorities and people from the Dalit and tribal communities.

    “It is being felt by the Muslims most directly because it is done most directly to them. But in fact, it is done to all communities. The way you (Muslims) are feeling attacked, I can guarantee Sikhs, Christians, Dalits, and tribals are feeling the same. You can’t cut hatred with hatred., but only with love and affection,” Gandhi said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “Also, this is a periodical thing. What is happening to Muslims in India today happened to Dalits in the 1980s. If you went to UP in the 1980s, this was happening with Dalits…We have to challenge it, fight it and do it with love and affection and not with hatred and we will do that,” he added.

    ALSO READ | ‘PM Modi thinks he knows more than God’: Rahul Gandhi in US

    The Congress leader was responding to a question concerning Muslims in India from the ‘Bay Area Muslim community’ and the steps Congress will take to tackle the issues faced by them.

    Rahul Gandhi is on a six-day visit to the United States to interact with the Indian diaspora and express the Congress party’s “commitment to democratic values in India and across the world.”

    During the event, Rahul Gandhi also spoke about “economic inequality” and said that while some people were finding it difficult to make ends meet, about “five people have lakhs of crores” rupees.

    The Congress leader talked about the caste census conducted during the Congress-led UPA government, MNREGA and the NYAY (Nyuntam Aay Yojana) proposed by the Congress.

    “When we were in power, we had carried out the caste census. The idea was to take an X-Ray of society. Because without understanding the exact demographic and who is who, it is very difficult to distribute power effectively. We have been asking the BJP to release the numbers of the caste census and they are of course not doing it. When we will come to power we will do that,” he said.

    “We are committed to making India a fair place. We understand deeply that India today in terms of its treatment of Dalits, tribals, the poor and minorities is not a fair place. And there are many things that can be done. The NYAY scheme that we proposed, MNREGA, increases education and healthcare spending, all these things can be done.”

    Attacking the Narendra Modi government, he alleged that it does not want to discuss issues of price rise, unemployment, and inequality and was trying to cause distractions.

    “I would have to look at exactly how they are planning to do it (delimitation exercise to increase the number of MPs). What criteria they are using? I would be interested to know how have they come up with the number 800. These things should not be done flippantly. India is a conversation, a negotiation between its languages, its people, their history and its culture. And the negotiation has to be fair.

    “All sections of the country should feel that there is fairness in the process of negotiation. But, these are all distractions. The real issue is price rise, unemployment, and inequality. BJP can’t really discuss them, so they have to do the old sceptre thin. Lying down and doing all that. Aren’t you happy that I am not lying down?” he asked.

    Answering another query, he said as per Constitution, the definition of India is ‘Union of States’.

    “The idea is that the history, culture, and language of each and every state has to be protected under the union. BJP-RSS is attacking that idea as well as the Constitution of India. I know that Tamil is more than just a language for the people of Tamil Nadu. And I would never allow the Tamil language to be threatened. Because for me, an attack on Tamil, Bengali, Hindi, Kannada or Punjabi is an attack on India,” he said.

    Answering a query, he said allies of Congress had objections to the Women’s Reservation Bill and the party will work for its passage when it comes to power. 

  • BJP can be defeated if Opposition is ‘aligned properly’: Rahul Gandhi 

    By PTI

    SANTA CLARA: The ruling BJP can be defeated if the Opposition is “aligned properly” and the Congress party is working towards it and it is “coming along very nicely”, Rahul Gandhi has told Indian Americans here, citing his party’s emphatic victory in the recent assembly elections in Karnataka.

    Responding to questions from the moderator and the audiences at an event at the Silicon Valley Campus of the University of California in Santa Cruz on Tuesday, Gandhi said he can clearly see “vulnerabilities” in the BJP.

    As a political entrepreneur, I can clearly see vulnerabilities in the BJP. The BJP can be defeated if the Opposition is aligned properly, he said.

    If you look at the Karnataka elections, the general sense is that the Congress Party fought the BJP and defeated the BJP. But what is not well understood is the mechanics that we used,” he said.

    The Congress party used a completely different approach to fighting an election and building a narrative, Gandhi said, adding that elements of what happened in Karnataka came out of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’.

    In the May 10 elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, the Congress won 135 seats, while incumbent BJP and the former prime minister H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) got 66 and 19, respectively.

    Gandhi said in the Karnataka elections, the BJP spent 10 times more money than the Congress party.

    He said the country needed an alternative vision to defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in addition to having a united Opposition in the 2024 general elections.

    On the matter of opposition unity, we are working towards it and it is coming along very nicely. But I think in order to defeat the BJP, you need more than just opposition unity. Just opposition unity, in my opinion, is not going to be enough to do the job. I think you need an alternative vision to the BJP, he said.

    Part of Bharat Jodo Yatra was the first step in proposing such a vision. It’s the vision that all opposition parties are aligned with. No opposition party would disagree with the idea of the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” he said.

    Bharat Jodo Yatra (Unite India March) was a Gandhi-led mass movement aimed at uniting India. The yatra began on September 7 from Kanyakumari, passed through 12 states and culminated in Jammu and Kashmir on January 31.

    During the course of the yatra, Gandhi, 52, addressed 12 public meetings, over 100 corner meetings and 13 press conferences.

    He had over 275 planned walking interactions and more than 100 sitting interactions.

    “So, I think bringing the opposition together is important, but also aligning the opposition and making the people of India understand that there is not just a group of opposition parties that have combined but a proposed way forward for the country. And we’re working on those things, Gandhi said.

    The ex-Wayanad MP said it is the president of the Congress party who will decide the prime ministerial candidate.

    We believe that everybody in India, regardless of who they are, whichever part of the society they come from, should have a voice that voice should be respected, to be listened to be appreciated. And I think that voice is an asset, he said.

    In his address, Gandhi also took a dig at the ruling BJP government, saying it is “threatening” the people and “misusing” the country’s agencies.

    “The BJP is threatening people and misusing government agencies. The Bharat Jodo Yatra started because all the instruments that we needed to connect with the people were controlled by the BJP-RSS,” he said.

    “We were also finding that in some way, it had become quite difficult to act politically. And that’s why we decided to walk from the southernmost tip of India to Srinagar,” he said. Gandhi said the yatra carried the spirit of affection, respect and humility.

    “If one studies history, it can be seen that all spiritual leaders including Guru Nanak Dev ji, Guru Basavanna ji, Narayana Guru ji united the nation in a similar way,” he said.

    Gandhi said India is not what is being shown in the media which likes to promote a political narrative that is far from reality, asserting that there is a “huge distortion”.

    “It was very clear to me in the Yatra that it’s in the media’s interest to project these things, it helps the BJP. So, don’t think that everything you see in the media is the truth,” he said. “India is not what the media shows. The media likes to show a particular narrative. It likes to promote a political narrative that is actually not what is going on in India,” he said.

    The Congress leader arrived here on Tuesday on a three-city US tour during which he will interact with the Indian diaspora and meet American lawmakers.

    He had a first-hand experience of the American immigration system as he had to wait for about two hours along with his other co-passengers on the Air India flight because of the common shortage of staff at the US airports.

    People were seen taking selfies with him and asking him questions.

    He was seen interacting and mingling with other travellers at the San Francisco airport.

    Last week, Indian Overseas Congress chairperson Sam Pitroda said Gandhi’s visit is aimed at promoting shared values and a vision of real democracy.

    “The purpose of his (Gandhi’s) trip is to connect, interact and begin a new conversation with various individuals, institutions and media, including the Indian diaspora that is growing in numbers in the United States and abroad to promote the shared values and vision of the real democracy with a focus on freedom, inclusion, sustainability, justice, peace and opportunities world over,” Pitroda said in a statement.

    SANTA CLARA: The ruling BJP can be defeated if the Opposition is “aligned properly” and the Congress party is working towards it and it is “coming along very nicely”, Rahul Gandhi has told Indian Americans here, citing his party’s emphatic victory in the recent assembly elections in Karnataka.

    Responding to questions from the moderator and the audiences at an event at the Silicon Valley Campus of the University of California in Santa Cruz on Tuesday, Gandhi said he can clearly see “vulnerabilities” in the BJP.

    As a political entrepreneur, I can clearly see vulnerabilities in the BJP. The BJP can be defeated if the Opposition is aligned properly, he said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    If you look at the Karnataka elections, the general sense is that the Congress Party fought the BJP and defeated the BJP. But what is not well understood is the mechanics that we used,” he said.

    The Congress party used a completely different approach to fighting an election and building a narrative, Gandhi said, adding that elements of what happened in Karnataka came out of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’.

    In the May 10 elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, the Congress won 135 seats, while incumbent BJP and the former prime minister H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) got 66 and 19, respectively.

    Gandhi said in the Karnataka elections, the BJP spent 10 times more money than the Congress party.

    He said the country needed an alternative vision to defeat the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in addition to having a united Opposition in the 2024 general elections.

    On the matter of opposition unity, we are working towards it and it is coming along very nicely. But I think in order to defeat the BJP, you need more than just opposition unity. Just opposition unity, in my opinion, is not going to be enough to do the job. I think you need an alternative vision to the BJP, he said.

    Part of Bharat Jodo Yatra was the first step in proposing such a vision. It’s the vision that all opposition parties are aligned with. No opposition party would disagree with the idea of the Bharat Jodo Yatra,” he said.

    Bharat Jodo Yatra (Unite India March) was a Gandhi-led mass movement aimed at uniting India. The yatra began on September 7 from Kanyakumari, passed through 12 states and culminated in Jammu and Kashmir on January 31.

    During the course of the yatra, Gandhi, 52, addressed 12 public meetings, over 100 corner meetings and 13 press conferences.

    He had over 275 planned walking interactions and more than 100 sitting interactions.

    “So, I think bringing the opposition together is important, but also aligning the opposition and making the people of India understand that there is not just a group of opposition parties that have combined but a proposed way forward for the country. And we’re working on those things, Gandhi said.

    The ex-Wayanad MP said it is the president of the Congress party who will decide the prime ministerial candidate.

    We believe that everybody in India, regardless of who they are, whichever part of the society they come from, should have a voice that voice should be respected, to be listened to be appreciated. And I think that voice is an asset, he said.

    In his address, Gandhi also took a dig at the ruling BJP government, saying it is “threatening” the people and “misusing” the country’s agencies.

    “The BJP is threatening people and misusing government agencies. The Bharat Jodo Yatra started because all the instruments that we needed to connect with the people were controlled by the BJP-RSS,” he said.

    “We were also finding that in some way, it had become quite difficult to act politically. And that’s why we decided to walk from the southernmost tip of India to Srinagar,” he said. Gandhi said the yatra carried the spirit of affection, respect and humility.

    “If one studies history, it can be seen that all spiritual leaders including Guru Nanak Dev ji, Guru Basavanna ji, Narayana Guru ji united the nation in a similar way,” he said.

    Gandhi said India is not what is being shown in the media which likes to promote a political narrative that is far from reality, asserting that there is a “huge distortion”.

    “It was very clear to me in the Yatra that it’s in the media’s interest to project these things, it helps the BJP. So, don’t think that everything you see in the media is the truth,” he said. “India is not what the media shows. The media likes to show a particular narrative. It likes to promote a political narrative that is actually not what is going on in India,” he said.

    The Congress leader arrived here on Tuesday on a three-city US tour during which he will interact with the Indian diaspora and meet American lawmakers.

    He had a first-hand experience of the American immigration system as he had to wait for about two hours along with his other co-passengers on the Air India flight because of the common shortage of staff at the US airports.

    People were seen taking selfies with him and asking him questions.

    He was seen interacting and mingling with other travellers at the San Francisco airport.

    Last week, Indian Overseas Congress chairperson Sam Pitroda said Gandhi’s visit is aimed at promoting shared values and a vision of real democracy.

    “The purpose of his (Gandhi’s) trip is to connect, interact and begin a new conversation with various individuals, institutions and media, including the Indian diaspora that is growing in numbers in the United States and abroad to promote the shared values and vision of the real democracy with a focus on freedom, inclusion, sustainability, justice, peace and opportunities world over,” Pitroda said in a statement.