News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • After Assam, JDU likely to go it alone in Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections

    Express News Service
    PATNA: JDU, the BJP’s political ally in Bihar, will turn political foe to the saffron party during the Uttar Pradesh assembly elections in 2022.

    Almost determined to go alone in the 2022 UP assembly polls suited to make political presence felt.

    According to party sources,  KC Tyagi-national general secretary of party will be in-charge of JDU in UP elections in 2022 after contesting in West Bengal, Assam and other states going to poll this year.

    The JDU will try to consolidate its position in the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh more than other parts primarily because of the areas being close to Bihar border. 

    The constituencies, which have a considerable population of ‘Kurmi, Koeri, and EBCs in addition to upper castes, will be preferred to be contested by the JDU. After Assam, UP will be the second state with BJP government in which JDU will go against the BJP.

    ALSO READ: No room for people charged with criminal cases in Bihar Congress, says State in-charge Bhakat Charan Das

    “The JDU has turned more aggressive than ever before after the recent Arunachal Pradesh incident of defection of its six MLAs to BJP. After that, the party has become obdurate to contest without being in alliance with the BJP outside Bihar,” said JDU source.

    In UP, the JDU may contest at least 100 to 120 seats depending upon the situation till then.

    To contest in UP assembly elections in 2022 alone was also decided unanimously at the meeting of party national executive in Patna recently. 

    KC Tyagi has also confirmed this to a section of media in New Delhi stating the decision to contest in the upcoming UP elections has nothing to take with the alliance with BJP in Bihar.

    “Alliance in Bihar with BJP is limited to Bihar only. In Jharkhand also, the JDU had fought alone earlier,” a JDU leader. 

    The JDU has also decided in principle to project KC Tyagi as the leader of party and CM candidate in Uttar Pradesh, if the party is voted to power in future.

  • Centre provoked farmers for violence to discredit anti-farm laws movement, says Shiv Sena

    By ANI
    MUMBAI: In order to discredit the sustained farmers’ movement against the farm laws, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government provoked the farmers to commit violence, the Shiv Sena alleged on Thursday.

    This comes two days after agitating farmers broke barricades to enter Delhi and indulged in vandalism across several parts of the national capital during their Kisan tractor rally organised to protest against the Centre’s three new farm laws on January 26.

    Through its mouthpiece, Saamana, the Shiv Sena said “no one will support what happened in the national capital on Republic Day.”

    Thousands of farmers have been agitating on the Singhu border for the last 60 days. Farmer leaders were saying that on January 26, they would conduct a ‘tractor parade’ in peace. But by breaking the barricades under siege by the police, the agitating farmers on their tractors entered the Delhi border and reached the Red Fort directly. The Republic Day ‘parade’ took place at Delhi’s Rajpath in the morning and the whole country was shaken by the farmers’ parade in the afternoon. There was a sudden panic in Delhi. Law and order condition was broken. Everyone is hurt by such an incident on Republic Day, it said.

    Sena attacked BJP for the violence that broke out in various parts of Delhi during a tractor rally on January 26.

    “Now, BJP has heavily come down on the agitating farmers. The programme to enter Delhi was a pre-planned program and the farmers’ movement has gone into the hands of the terrorists, according to BJP’s intelligence system. The crowd who stirred in the Red Fort was led by a young man named Deep Sidhu. It has been revealed that this Sidhu belongs to the camp of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah. BJP’s Punjab MP Sunny Deol has a close relationship with Sidhu. Farmer leaders like Rajesh Tikait say that Sidhu had been talking about revolt and separatism for the last two months by entering the crowd of farmers,” it said.

    ASO READ: Tractor parade violence and the curious case of Deep Sidhu

    “For the last 60 days, the farmers’ movement has been going on in a peaceful manner, demanding the repeal of three agricultural laws that are opposed in the interests of the country’s farmers. Despite this, there was no split in the farmer movement and the patience of the farmers was not broken. For this reason, the Central Government had to sit with folded hands. It was also said that the farmers’ movement is Khalistani. But still, the farmers remained calm,” the party added.

    According to Shiv Sena, it was the “desire of the government to discredit the movement by provoking the farmers to commit violence. If it had fulfilled its desire on January 26, then it has brought the country into disrepute.”

    “It is not right to put the responsibility of violence on farmers only. The government has done what it wanted. Its victims are farmers, policemen and young men who shed their blood,” it added.

    Sena said that if Punjab becomes turbulent again, then “it will not be good for the country.”

    “The farmers involved in the movement are from Punjab and they do not have the support of the whole country, this claim of the government is wrong. The whole country stands with Punjab,” it said.

    Commenting upon the vandalism and unfurling of the flag in Red Fort ramparts, Shiv Sena said, “The tricolour is flying over the Red Fort. BJP-backed media started shouting that agitating farmers insulted the tricolour. But the veil of lies was torn. Sidhu, who was leading the agitators on the Red Fort, has a relationship with the BJP. No one put a hand on the tricolour. A religious flag was hoisted on the second dome of the Red Fort, no one is ready to show this truth. Those who attacked the police should be apprehended and prosecuted. The government should deal strictly with those taking up the law.”

    The party stated that the three agricultural laws are not the present and future of the country.

    “Somebody has an interest in it. That is why the oppression of farmers is going on. It is not in the national interest,” it alleged.

    Nineteen people have so far been arrested and over 25 criminal cases registered by Delhi Police in connection with the violence that broke out during the farmers’ tractor march on Tuesday, Police Commissioner SN Shrivastava said on Wednesday.

    Farmers broke barricades to enter Delhi and indulged in vandalism across several parts of the national capital during their Kisan tractor rally organised to protest against the Centre’s three new farm laws. Several public and private properties were damaged in acts of vandalism by the rioting mob.

    Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws – Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

  • BJP issues show-cause notice to local Jammu leader for misconduct

    By PTI
    JAMMU: The BJP on Wednesday issued a show-cause notice to party activist Wasim Kohli for anti-party activities during the District Development Council (DDC) elections in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district.

    J-K BJP disciplinary committee chairman Sunil Sethi served the notice to Kohli, who is the BJP leader from Kalakote, based upon the complaints by local BJP leaders regarding anti-party activities in his assembly constituency.

    The leaders alleged that Kohli supported candidates from other parties and hence the party’s disciplinary committee served the notice to Kohli, Sethi said.

    In the notice, Kohli has been given seven days’ time to clarify his stand before the party, he added.

     Sethi said that the disciplinary committee received a complaint against Kohli about gross indiscipline in the recently concluded DDC elections, along with an audio clip allegedly containing his confession of indiscipline and of helping other candidates win elections, besides not supporting official party candidates.

    The matter has been referred to the disciplinary committee for appropriate proceedings by president of the Jammu Kashmir Bharatiya Janata Party, he said.

    “You (Kohli) are directed to submit your reply to the above allegations and complaint within 7 days positively to the disciplinary committee, either online or physical in party headquarters.

    In case of no reply within the period mentioned above, it will taken that you have accepted the allegations to be true,” Sethi said.

  • BJP MLA’s son, 2 others booked for assaulting liquor shop owner in Uttar Pradesh

    By PTI
    SHAHJAHANPUR: An FIR has been registered against the son of a BJP MLA and two others for allegedly beating a liquor shop owner in Puwayan area here, police said on Wednesday.

    The incident took place on Tuesday following which locals blocked the Puwayan-Pallia highway in protest and demanded that the police book the culprits.

    According to police, Neeraj Verma, son of BJP legislator from Puwayan Chetram Verma, and his two associates thrashed Shankar Verma, owner of the country liquor shop, following an argument.

    Additional SP, Praveen Kumar said an FIR was registered against Neeraj Verma and others on the basis of a complaint lodged by Shankar Verma.

    However, the BJP MLA claimed that some people were having liquor in front of his son’s office and when he objected, they clashed with him.

    “Some villagers reached his office and resorted to sloganeering.

    This is a political conspiracy against me and unnecessary hue and cry is being created over a petty issue by my rivals,” the MLA said.

  • BJP mainly responsible for violence during farmers’ tractor rally in Delhi: Akhilesh Yadav

    By ANI
    LUCKNOW: A day after violence which broke out during the farmers’ tractor rally in various parts of Delhi, Samajwadi Party president and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is mainly responsible for the situation.

    “The way the BJP government has consistently neglected, humiliated and blamed the farmers, it has played a decisive role in turning the anger of the farmers into a rage. BJP is mainly responsible for the situation that has been created now. The BJP, assuming moral responsibility, should immediately repeal the agricultural laws,” Yadav tweeted (translated from Hindi).

    ALSO READ | Farmers’ union calls meeting to discuss violence during tractor parade in Delhi

    Yadav had on Tuesday participated in a tractor rally parade in Saifai village of Uttar Pradesh’s Etawah district to show solidarity with the farmers protesting against the new agricultural laws at Delhi borders.

    More than 300 Police personnel were injured after being attacked by agitating farmers during the tractor rally on Tuesday, said Delhi Police.

    A total of 22 FIRs have been registered in different police stations across the national capital in connection with the violence which broke out during yesterday’s tractor rally.

    ALSO READ | Of tractors and detractors: BJP top brass silent on rally that turned unruly

    Farmers broke barricades to enter Delhi and indulged in vandalism across several parts of the national capital during their rally. Several public and private properties being damaged in acts of vandalism by the rioting mob.

    Farmers have been protesting on the different borders of the national capital since November 26 against the three newly enacted farm laws – Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020; the Farmers Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and farm Services Act 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

  • ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan at Netaji event: Trinamool likely to move censure motion in Bengal Assembly

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: The Trinamool Congress on Monday said that it is likely to move a censure motion in the West Bengal assembly over raising of ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan at an official programme to celebrate the birth anniversary of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, claiming that it was an insult to the freedom fighter as well as the chief minister.

    Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on Saturday refused to speak at the event attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after “Jai Shri Ram” slogans were raised by a section of the audience just before she was to start her address at the Victoria Memorial Hall in Kolkata.

    “The BJP is regularly insulting the icons of Bengal. No one has given them the right to insult our icons. On Saturday, Netaji was insulted. The chief minister of our state was insulted.”

    ALSO READ | Not forcing anyone to raise ‘Jai Shri Ram’ slogan: Yogi Adityanath on allged heckling of Mamata

    “There can be political differences, but you can’t insult the chief minister. We are thinking of bringing a censure motion against this in the upcoming session,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Partha Chatterjee said.

    The motion is likely to be placed in the assembly on January 28.

    Chatterjee, also the TMC secretary general, alleged that the saffron party has earlier insulted Bengal’s other icons such as Nobel Laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore and educationist and social reformer Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar.

    A censure motion is moved in a Legislative House to express strong disapproval of certain policies or acts.

  • No question of redrafting three farm laws, repeal them: Trinamool to Modi government

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Trinamool Congress on Monday urged the government to repeal the new contentious agrarian legislation in the upcoming budget session of Parliament and said there is no question of short cuts or rewriting the three farm laws.

    TMC Rajya Sabha floor leader Derek O’ Brien alleged that the three laws were bulldozed through the Parliament’s monsoon session and remarked that he was among the eight Rajya Sabha MPs who were suspended over protesting against the passage of these bills.

    “All of you know TMC’s stand on the three farm laws and Mamata Banerjee’s commitment on the issue of land and farmers. In the upcoming session of the Parliament, the government must introduce a Bill and turn it into an Act to repeal the three farm laws. There is no question of taking any shortcuts or rewriting the present bills,” Brien said.

    “The nation saw how democracy was murdered in the monsoon session,” he said.

    The TMC leader also countered the BJP’s criticism of the West Bengal government alleging that it was stalling implementation of the PM Kisan Yojana in the state.

    He said West Bengal has already successfully implemented the Krishak Bandhu Yojana which is far more effective than the PM Kisan Yojana.

    “Under Krishak Bandhi, Rs 5,000 per acre, while in case of PM Kisan the government gives only Rs 1,214 per acre. The Krishak Bandhu scheme covers all farmers. While PM Kisan is only for farmers with land holding two hectares or less,” he said.

    Dismissive of the discourse of the BJP’s resurgence in the state, where nearly a dozen TMC lawmakers have joined the saffron party in the last few months, the leader said the big test will be in 2024.

    “The big election is not in 2021 but in 2024. In 2021, BJP has already lost elections in West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. By 2024 elections, the opposition will once again have to fight for the constitution of India and the idea of India, what our founding fathers created over 70 years ago.”

    “There will be a lot of distraction, but this election will be fought on the development work done by the Mamata Banerjee government,” he added.

    He said the confidence in writing off the BJP came from working on the ground relentlessly.

    “It is the same confidence that a good student who has studied over a period of time goes into the exam with. There is no arrogance or cockiness, this is about believing that we have done a good job under Mamata Banerjee.”

    Questioning the BJP on its challenge to the TMC in the upcoming West Bengal polls, he said, “Under whose leadership is BJP fighting the 2021 assembly elections in West Bengal? The BJP is desperate to appropriate the minds and soul of Bengal but their senior most leaders get confused about basic details such as the birthplace of literary giant Rabindranath Tagore”.

    BJP President J P Nadda in a speech in December last year had claimed that Tagore was born in Visva Bharati.

    On November 10, Union Home minister Amit Shah during his trip to Bankura had garlanded the statue of a local hunter mistaking it to be that of Birsa Munda.

  • Scindia family pulled down Congress governments in MP twice: CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan

    By PTI
    BHOPAL: Jyotiraditya Scindia was the second member from his clan to pull down a Congress government in Madhya Pradsh, decades after ‘Rajmata’ Vijaya Raje Scindia toppled the “anti-people” Congress government in the state, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said on Monday.

    He also said the entire Scindia family is now part of one party (BJP).

    “Rajmata, who was one of thefounding members of the BJP, had toppled the anti-people DP Mishra-led Congress government in the state (in 1967). She would have been happy to see that her grandson (Jyotiraditya Scindia) helped in bringing down the minority government of Congress (in year 2020). Now, the entire (Scindia) family is in one party,” Chouhan said.

    He was addressing a programme organised at the state BJP headquarter to mark the death anniversary of Vijaya Raje Scindia, popularly known as the Rajmata of Gwalior.

    Chouhan was referring to the collapse of Kamal Nath-led Congress government in March last year, after 22 MLAs, who were loyalists of Jyotiraditya Scindia, resigned and quit the party.

    They later joined the BJP, which returned to power under Chouhan.

    Meanwhile, the Congress has taken a dim view of Chouhan’s remarks.

    “The sense of glory and pride in toppling an elected government is a shameful expression of democratic values. People’s verdict should be respected,” he said.

  • Modi the person through which Balakot information went to Arnab: Rahul lashes out at Republic TV chief

    By PTI
    KARUR: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the “person through which” prior information on India’s air strikes in Balakot in Pakistan in 2019 was made available to Republic TV editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami.

    The Congress MP, however, did not provide evidence to back up his claim.

    The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) also did not immediately respond to the unfounded claim.

    Addressing a roadshow here during his final day of election campaign in poll-bound Tamil Nadu, he said only five people including the PM and the Defence Minister would have prior information of the planned strikes.

    “Some days back it came out that a journalist knew about the air strikes in Balakot. Three days before the (Indian) air force bombed Pakistan, an Indian journalist was told it was going to happen,” he said.

    This meant the lives of our IAF pilots were put at ‘risk,’ he said.

    “Now, five people in this world knew about Balakot (air strikes). Prime Minister of India, the Defence minister of India, the National Security Adviser and the Chief of the Air Force and the Home minister.”

    “Nobody else in the world knew about Balakot before it happened. Now I want to understand why an enquiry has not started on who told this journalist about Balakot before it happened. The reason is that one of these five people told this man. One of these five people betrayed our Air Force,” he charged.

    He alleged that “one of these people put the lives of our pilots in danger.”

    “If the Prime Minister did not do it then why is he not ordering an enquiry. Think about it. The only reason that the Prime Minister has not ordered an enquiry is because he is the person through which that message has gone to this journalist,” Gandhi claimed.

    Else, the PM should investigate and tell which one of these five people did it, Gandhi demanded.

    Purported chats between Goswami and former Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) head Partho Dasgupta, which mentioned that the former was privy to the 2019 air strike, by the IAF on the biggest JeM training camp in Balakot had surfaced recently.

    The IAF had carried out the strike deep inside Pakistan on February 26, 2019 in the wake of killing of 40 CRPF personnel in Kashmir’s Pulwama district then by Pakistan- based Jaish-e-Mohammed.

    Gandhi also hit out at Modi once again over the Sino-India face-off, saying “today the Chinese army is sitting inside Indian territory.”

    “The Prime Minister has said he has a 56 inch chest, big chest. Today the Chinese army is sitting inside Indian territory. Thousand km of Indian land has been taken by the Chinese,” he said.

    He alleged that Modi cannot say the word China as he “does not have the courage to say” so.

    “You look at his speeches for the last 3-4 months, he does not say the word China. When the Chinese entered our territory he lied that nobody has come. After some days the Army and Defence minister said the Chinese army had come into Indian territory,” Gandhi added.

    “And the only reason the Chinese have the guts and the courage to come into this country is because Narendra Modi has destroyed the economy and weakened (the country) by dividing it,” he charged.

  • Nobody should feel pain while chanting ‘Jai Shri Ram’: Sanjay Raut

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Days after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee declined to speak at an event where “Jai Shri Ram” slogans were raised, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said nobody should feel pain while chanting the slogan.

    Talking to reporters here on Monday, Raut said he is sure Mamata Banerjee also has faith in Lord Ram.

    Banerjee on Saturday declined to speak at an official programme to celebrate Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s 125th birth anniversary in Kolkata after “Jai Shri Ram” slogans were raised from the audience in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    She said such “insult” was unacceptable.

    Asked about the BJP accusing Banerjee of feeling pained when chanting the slogan, Raut said, “Nobody should feel pained to say ‘Jai Shri Ram’ in the country.”

    “Nobody’s secularism will be under threat by saying Jai Shri Ram. We think Lord Ram is the pride of the country and support,” he said.

    “Jai Shri Ram is not any political word. It is a matter of our faith, and I am sure that Mamata Didi also has faith in Lord Ram,” the Rajya Sabha member said.

    An editorial in Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ also said Banerjee should not have got upset when “Jai Shri Ram” slogans were raised by some people during the programme.

    “Rather, tables would have turned on them (those who raised slogans) had she mixed her voice among theirs. But everyone is catering to their own vote banks,” it said.

    The BJP has identified Banerjee’s “weak point” and it will keep playing up such sensitive issues until the Assembly elections (in West Bengal) are over, it said.

    The editorial also launched a veiled attack on the BJP, accusing it of poaching TMC leaders in West Bengal to defeat the Mamata Banerjee-led party in the forthcoming polls in that state.

    It said the leadership of West Bengal, Punjab and Maharashtra were at the forefront of the country’s freedom struggle.

    The three states are fighting for their self-pride at present also and the Centre is against them, it claimed.

    Farmers from Punjab, who are agitating against the Centre’s new farm laws near Delhi border, are allegedly being trampled, it said.

    Maharashtra is being targeted in a “pre-decided” manner, the Marathi daily alleged, apparently referring to notices by central agencies to some of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) leaders.

    The BJP poached Congress and NCP leaders ahead of the 2014 Maharashtra Assembly polls and gave them candidature, it alleged and said most of such candidates had got elected.

    “What happened in Maharashtra is (now) happening in West Bengal. (BJP) doesn’t have anything of its own. It creates its legion poaching with whom it is going to fight. It happened in Bihar. Now, struggle is on to defeat the TMC by poaching TMC (leaders),” the Shiv Sena charged.

    Notably, West Bengal forest minister Rajib Banerjee quit the Mamata Banerjee cabinet recently, joining the growing list of dissenters who have put the ruling camp in a tight spot ahead of the Assembly elections.

    The editorial said the BJP winning 18 Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal is a matter of concern for Mamata Banerjee.

    “But this Bengal tigress (Mamata Banerjee) is the one who fights on the streets and will keep fighting,” it added.