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Tag: BJP

  • Uttar Pradesh: Murmu seeks support for July 18 presidential polls

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: NDA’s candidate Droupadi Murmu on Friday sought the support of BJP legislators and its alliance partners for the July 18 presidential elections citing her humble background and the work for weaker sections.

    “A woman born in a tribal society has come to you to seek your support. Despite odds, I got higher education on the strength of my strong will power. I have worked lifelong for the deprived sections and tribal society. I am sure that I will get the support of all of you,” she said, according to a BJP release.

    Addressing legislators of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the CM’s residence here, she said, “I call upon every MP and MLA of the state for positive cooperation.”

    Welcoming her, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said they are grateful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for nominating Murmu for the highest constitutional post of the country.

    This decision has not only been accepted by the NDA constituents with a positive spirit but also seems to be breaking boundaries between parties, he said.

    Appreciating Murmu, he said the commitment with which she has discharged her duties as an MLA and a minister in the past has been appreciated everywhere.

    She never deviated from her values and her dedication for the uplift of the tribal society has been exemplary, the CM said.

    Murmu has been pitted against Opposition candidate Yashwant Sinha in the elections.

    Murmu, who arrived in Lucknow to ramp up support for herself for the July 18 elections, was earlier accorded a warm welcome at Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport in Amausi here by senior BJP leaders.

    The meeting was attended by NDA allies Apna Dal (S) and the Nirbal Indian Shoshit Hamara Aam Dal, sources said.

    The Opposition Samajwadi Party’s ally Om Prakash Rajbhar and Shivpal Singh Yadav attended a dinner hosted by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in the honour of Murmu, a development showing chink in the opposition camp that is backing Yashwant Sinha for the post.

  • Eknath Shinde and Devendra Fadnavis to meet PM Modi: Sources

    The duo also met Union Home minister Amit Shah. Earlier, the newly elected speaker of the Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Rahul Narwekar also called on Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

  • BJP wants to destroy Shiv Sena, hits out MP Sanjay Raut

    By PTI

    NASHIK: Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Friday hit out at the BJP, saying it does not want to just engineer a split in the party, but intends to altogether finish the regional outfit to realise its dream of “breaking” Maharashtra into three parts.

    He also dubbed the newly-installed Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government as “illegal”.

    Talking to reporters here in North Maharashtra, the Rajya Sabha MP hit out at rebel Sena MLAs and said they may have returned home, but Shiv Sainiks will ensure they do not get re-elected to the Legislative Assembly whenever polls are held.

    The rebel Sena MLAs first reached Surat from Mumbai on June 21, then flew to Guwahati and also stayed in Goa before returning to the state capital.

    Raut, the Sena’s chief spokesperson, said the rebel MLAs have been changing the reasons for revolting against the party leadership, an act which brought down the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government late last month.

    “The BJP does not want to engineer a split in the Shiv Sena, but it wants to finish the party. Till the time Shiv Sena exists, they cannot realise their dream of breaking Maharashtra into three pieces. They cannot free Mumbai (from Maharashtra till the time Sena exists),” he asserted.

    Slamming the rebel MLAs, Raut said they keep changing the reasons for rebelling against the party leadership — from accusing the Sena of deserting the Hindutva plank to then-Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s inaccessibility, to the NCP (which handled the finance portfolio under MVA government) not allocating funds to their constituencies.

    The Sena MP described the new government led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, who took oath on June 30, as “illegal”.

    At a time when the disqualification plea of 16 Sena MLAs was pending before the Supreme Court, how can the Governor order a trust vote, Raut asked.

    The Shinde-led government won the trust vote in the Assembly on July 4.

  • Haryana: Amid Nupur Sharma row, BJP removes IT cell in-charge for old tweet over Islam

    By PTI

    GURUGRAM: The BJP on Thursday removed its Haryana IT cell in-charge amid calls for his arrest over an old tweet allegedly against Islam.

    A statement issued by state BJP president O P Dhankar said Arun Yadav is being removed from the post with immediate effect but did not give any reason for it.

    Yadav’s tweet dates back to 2017 but went viral on social media now.

    Though no complaint has been filed against him so far, people are demanding his arrest online.

    Meanwhile, the Nuh police has booked a man for allegedly declaring a Rs 2 crore reward for cutting off the tongue of now-suspended BJP leader Nupur Sharma over her remarks on Prophet Mohammad during a TV debate.

    The action by the police came after a purported video of Salaheri resident Irshad Pradhan declaring the reward surfaced on social media.

    In Chandigarh, asked to comment on the issue, state Home Minister Anil Vij said strict action would be taken as per the law.

    “Those elements who want to disturb peace in the country will be dealt with strictly,” he said.

    The video purportedly showed Pradhan offering the reward to a Youtuber on behalf of entire Mewat to cut off Sharma’s tongue.

    Tension had erupted in the area after the video was widely shared on social media.

    “Bring her tongue and take Rs 2 crore. Do it and take the money right now,” the man is heard purportedly saying in the video.

    Nuh Superintendent of Police Varun Singla said police have identified the accused and booked him under relevant provisions of the IPC.

    “Action will be taken as per the law. Our social media cell too has been pressed into action to ensure no such instigating content is supported or circulated in the district,” he said.

    “We appeal to people to not spread such videos and communal content,” Singla added.

    The Police said that the FIR against Irshad Pradhan and others was registered at the City Nuh police station.

    “Main accused Irshad did not just say this on video but later also uploaded the same on his Facebook page.

    Police teams are conducting raids to nab him,” a senior police officer said.

  • ‘Uddhav must talk to BJP for any possible patch up’: Rebel Shiv Sena camp amid faction war in party

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Rebel Shiv Sena MLAs have aligned with the BJP in Maharashtra and if there is any possibility of reconciliation with the parent party, then Sena president Uddhav Thackeray should talk to the party’s estranged ally, a spokesperson of the dissident faction said on Thursday.

    Deepak Kesarkar, who has been speaking to the media on behalf of the rebel faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, also targeted Sena MP and chief spokesman Sanjay Raut without naming him.

    In an oblique reference to Raut, who has been making harsh comments against the rebel MLAs, Kesarkar said Thackeray should keep a “little aside” the people responsible for the revolt in the party.

    “”We and the BJP have come together. So there is a new family now. If we have to go back to the old family, then we are not alone. The BJP is with us. When he (Thackeray) calls us, he also has to talk to the BJP and bless us,”” Kesarkar told reporters.

    He was responding to a question on whether the rebel group will go back to the parent party if Thackeray, a former CM, asks them to do so.

    Forty of the 55 Shiv Sena MLAs have joined the rebel camp led by Chief Minister Shinde.

    The MLAs had urged Thackeray to sever ties with the NCP and the Congress and align with the BJP.

    The NCP and the Congress were part of the Shiv Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government which collapsed last month after a section of the Sena MLAs revolted against the party leadership.

    The Shiv Sena snapped ties with its long-standing ally BJP and joined hands with the NCP and the Congress in November 2019.

    On June 30, Shinde took oath as the new CM with Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP as his deputy.

    Sena MP Arvind Sawant on Thursday asserted that Uddhav Thackeray continues to be the Sena chief, even as most of its MLAs have rebelled and joined the faction led by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.

    The Shiv Sena as a political party and the Sena legislature party are “two different entities”, Sawant told a web portal, and claimed the “rebel group does not have recognition”.

    “Even if two-thirds of the MLAs go, Uddhav Thackeray remains the Sena chief and according to law, only he is the one who can appoint leader of the legislature party,” he said.

    “”You cannot separate Thackeray and the Shiv Sena,”” Sawant asserted.

    Rebel Shiv Sena MLA Gulabrao Patil on Wednesday said the faction led by CM Shinde was the real claimant of the party’s ‘bow and arrow’ poll symbol, a claim contested by the Uddhav Thackeray-headed camp.

    Patil had also said that 12 of the 18 Shiv Sena MPs were supporting the Shinde-led group.

    Sawant, who has been one of the leaders handling the Thackeray camp’s legal front in the midst of the setback that it has been facing, said according to the anti-defection law, the “rebel MLAs have to merge their group with some another party immediately.

    “”The rebels have not merged their group with another party. They don’t have any recognition. The law says they have to merge with a political party,”” Sawant said.

    Last month, a majority of the Sena MLAs, led by Shinde, rebelled against the party leadership, asking it to snap ties with the NCP and the Congress.

    The revolt in the party led to the collapse of the Uddhav Thackeray-led government.

    Following the rebellion, Thackeray had removed Shinde as the Sena legislature party leader, and replaced him with Ajay Chaudhary.

    Sunil Prabhu, who was then appointed the chief whip, had called a meeting of the MLAs while the rebel group was in Guwahati.

    Sawant said since the rebels had not turned up, the party moved a disqualification plea before Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal.

    Zirwal had recognised Chaudhary as the Sena legislature party leader and Prabhu as the chief whip, and sought response from rebel MLAs on their disqualification plea.

    The rebels then moved the Supreme Court, which will hear their pleas on July 11.

    Notably, newly elected state Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar had reinstated Shinde as the Shiv Sena legislature party leader, removing Ajay Chaudhary.

    Narvekar also recognised the appointment of Bharat Gogawale from the Shinde camp as the chief whip of the Sena, removing Sunil Prabhu, who belongs to the Thackeray faction.

    Sawant said Narvekar recognised Shinde as the Sena legislature party leader, but he did not given any legal provision while overruling the deputy speaker’s order.

    MLA Sanjay Shirsat on Thursday said party founder late Bal Thackeray would have thrown Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut out of the party “in a minute” for the harsh language he used against dissident legislators in Maharashtra.

    Speaking to reporters here, he hit out at Raut, the party’s chief spokesperson, and also found fault with the way Sena president Uddhav Thackeray had been handling the affairs of the 56-year-old political outfit.

    Shirsat was one of the nearly 40 Sena MLAs who sided with Eknath Shinde – now the chief minister of Maharashtra – when he raised a banner of revolt against the party leadership, a move that subsequently led to the fall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government last month.

    The rebel MLAs first reached Surat from Mumbai on June 21 and later flew to Guwahati before coming back to the metropolis after Chief Minister Shinde took oath on June 30.

    “We were 39 party MLAs and eleven independent MLAs in Guwahati. Sanjay Raut called us street girls when we were in Guwahati when there were women MLAs with us. If Balasaheb Thackeray had been alive today, he would have kicked Sanjay Raut out of the party in a minute,” Shirsat said.

    The MLA from Aurangabad (West) repeatedly attacked Raut for his choice of words and acerbic statements against rebel legislators when they were staying in a Guwahati hotel.

    “The statements of Sanjay Raut have hurt me. The women MLAs accompanying us cried on hearing some of his statements. If his (Raut’s) mother or sister would have been there, would Raut have spoken in such a manner? But these comments are being tolerated (under the current leadership). Such people are trying to sink the Shiv Sena,” he said.

    Shirsat said the rebels supporting Shinde want to save the Shiv Sena and they will never go against the Thackeray family.

    “We want to save the Shiv Sena, we will never talk against the party or the Thackeray family. We are respectful today and will be the same tomorrow also,” the legislator said.

    Shirsat said no one is trying to understand why there was such a massive revolt in the Shiv Sena.

    “Earlier, if anyone betrayed the party, he used to run here and there fearing he would be beaten up. Even if a corporator tried to betray, he would thinks ten times over it. But the party has lost 50 MLAs, including ministers and senior leaders.”

    “Why one one is trying to understand (reasons for deep disgruntlement in the Sena). If the doors of Matoshree (Thackeray’s family residence in Mumbai) are shut for ‘four middlemen’ who are trying to finish the party, they will not survive for long,” the MLA maintained.

    Shirsat, however, did not elaborate on “four middlemen” comment.

    The MLA also took a dig at senior Sena leader Subhash Desai, a former Guardian Minister of Aurangabad district.

    “The Guardian Minister didn’t even make a phone call to me in the past two-and-a-half years. The BJP-represented Gangapur Assembly constituency got funds of Rs 11 crore, whereas my constituency (Aurangabad West) got just Rs 1 crore,” he said.

    Shirsat said fund distribution under the erstwhile MVA government was not equitable.

    “We should see the funds allocated to the districts of the region through the Public Works Department (handled by Congress’s Ashok Chavan under the MVA regime) and see how much money has gone to Nanded (Chavan’s home district). A sports university announced for Marathwada was also taken to Balewadi (in Pune),” he added.

    Meanwhile, former party MP Anandrao Adsul has resigned from his post as a leader of the party.

    Adsul had earlier represented the Amravati Lok Sabha seat, but was defeated by Navneet Rana in 2019.

    Talking to PTI, his son Abhijit Adsul said his father has resigned from the post of Shiv Sena leader.

    To a question on whether he will join the Eknath Shinde-led Sena faction, Abhijit said, “My father will continue to remain a Shiv Sainik.”

    Thackeray-led Shiv Sena recently faced a rebellion launched by senior leader Shinde.

    Majority of party MLAs sided with Shinde, leading to the collapse of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government helmed by Thackeray.

    Thackeray resigned from the post of chief minister on June 29, and a day after that Shinde took oath as the state CM.

  • BJP mission south push through four RS nomination

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: In what appeared to be a meticulously chalked-out strategy the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) gave another push to its ‘Mission South’ ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in some states and the next 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    As part of the mission, the Modi government after a month of deliberations within its think-tank nominated the four eminent personalities on Wednesday to the Rajya Sabha from various acclaimed fields.

    Sources in BJP on Thursday in private conversation with this daily stated that more such surprising moves are in the pipeline of the party as part of the well-thought-out ‘Mission South’ keeping regional electoral issues in mind.

    “Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala are the prime target of the party’s mission south in which every issue concerning the people and conducive to electoral gains are being included after the expert scrutinise,” shared a senior BJP functionary.

    ALSO READ | Athlete PT Usha, music maestro Ilaiyaraaja nominated to Rajya Sabha

    For example, athlete PT Usha, who belongs to Kerala carries a name and fame in mass electorates of Kerala and her nomination to the RS has given a strong message among a larger section of sport-loving young electorates.

    “In the same way, music composer Ilaiyaraaja, philanthropist Virendra Hedge and famous screenwriter-director V Vijayendra Prasad-all acclaimed in larger sections of electorates, who have not started appreciating the party’s decision to nominate them to the RS. In politics, perception matters a lot in deciding the final outcome of the electorate battles,” remarked a former BJP MP, who is still considered close to the senior central leadership of the party.

    He pointed out, “In this way, on the sideline of nominations to the Rajya Sabha, BJP has tried to give even more edge to its ‘Mission South’ and more is learnt to be in the pipeline to put the Opposition in a tatter.”

    ALSO READ | Ilaiyaraaja on RS nomination: It will inspire more younger minds to pursue music and art

    World acclaimed athlete PT Usha is from Kerala. Ilaiyaraaja hails from Tamil Nadu and belongs to the Dalit community while Hedge heads the famous shrine temple of Karnataka. Not only this, if we look, V Vijayendra Prasad comes from Andhra Pradesh and is widely acclaimed amongst the movie buffs for producing super-hit films like ‘Bahubali’.

    “The list from the south for the RS is a reflection of Modi’s vision of inclusivity in selecting people, who have delivered and made a mark of themselves without controversies. Certainly, their nominations will have a fruitful impact on BJP’s electoral success,” opined NKD Nambiar, a noted political analyst from South India argued.

    He added further that the BJP wants to cultivate the five states of the South – Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Telangana wherein 129 Lok Sabha seats are being eyed for electoral gains.

    Sources further said that the maximum, out of a total of 144 Lok Sabha constituencies, recently identified as weak for the BJP, is in these five states of South India.

    ALSO READ | Veteran music composer Ilaiyaraaja receives praises over Rajya Sabha nomination

    The recent meeting of the party’s National executive committee was also an initial part of this mission followed by the PM’s visit to Andhra Pradesh. The BJP wants to use Karnataka as the launching pad of its politics to other states of South India because of being in power here.

    In Karnataka, there are 28 Lok Sabha seats, out of which 26 are occupied by BJP+. In poll-bound Telangana and Tamil Nadu, the BJP is leaving no stone unturned to dislodge the ruling parties raising dynastic and other issues before the people ahead of the 2023 assembly elections.

    In AP, there are 25 Lok Sabha seats and the BJP in the 2029 LS elections had failed to win even a single seat. However, the BJP won the two seats in 2014 in Andhra Pradesh. Now, working to project as an alternative to Jaganmohan Reddy’s YSR Congress, the entire electoral stage is farmed here.

    In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the assembly elections are in 2026, so the BJP has given ample time for these two states right from bringing influential faces into the party to raising people-centric issues through various media platforms. In 2024, the party’s eye will be on opening an account in Kerala for its total of 20 Lok Sabha seats through proper electoral planning, which has been incorporated in the mission south.

  • Amravati pharmacist might be killed by gang ‘self inspired’ from ISIS: Officials

    Umesh Kolhe was killed on June 21 by two motorcycle-borne men by slitting his throat, allegedly for supporting now sacked BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma.

  • Will not rest till pro-Jihadi Mamata government is ousted, says Suvendu, Trinamool hits back

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: Senior BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari on Wednesday termed the TMC government in West Bengal as “pro-jihadi” and said he will not give up his fight against it till it is ousted and a “nationalist government” comes to power in the state.

    Adhikari and senior BJP leaders took part in a rally from Golpark to Hazra crossing during the day to commemorate the birth anniversary of Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee.

    His comment drew sharp reaction from the TMC which said it smacks of “frustration” of Adhikari and the saffron camp, which failed to clinch power in West Bengal despite the high pitch poll campaign.

    “We all know how Syama Prasad Mookerjee had fought and gave his life demanding the removal of special provisions in Kashmir. Drawing inspiration from his fight, the BJP in Bengal will continue its fight until the pro-Jihadi TMC government is ousted from power,” Adhikari said addressing the rally.

    “The day is not far away when we will succeed in ensuring a nationalist government comes to power in Bengal,” Adhikari said addressing the rally.

    The BJP leader also said “anti-national elements” are having a “free run” in West Bengal under the TMC regime.

    “The TMC government to appease its vote bank has turned into a mute spectator and is allowing these anti-national elements to call the shot. This situation has to change and we (BJP) will change it,” he said.

    Hitting back, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said Adhikari’s comments reflect his frustration as his dreams of becoming chief minister were “shattered” after the defeat that BJP suffered in the hands of Mamata Banerjee’s party in the state poll last year.

  • Ajmer dargah cleric arrested for call to ‘behead’ Nupur Sharma 

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: A cleric of the Ajmer dargah, who on camera allegedly offered his house to anyone who beheads now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma for her controversial remark against Prophet Mohammad, has been arrested, police said on Wednesday.

    Officials said accused ‘khadim’ Salman Chisti is a “history-sheeter” and that he might have recorded the video in an inebriated condition. The Ajmer police had registered an FIR against him on Monday night. “Salman Chisti was caught last night (Tuesday). He is a history-sheeter at the Dargah police station,” Dargah police station SHO Dalbeer Singh Foujdar said.

    Ajmer Assistant Superintendent of Police Vikas Sangwan said Chisti was caught at his residence in Khadim mohalla. “Prima facie, he made the video in an inebriated condition. He is being interrogated further,” the ASP added.

    In the video, the cleric is purportedly seen and heard announcing he would gift his house to anyone who brings Sharma’s head to him. Chishti is also allegedly heard saying he would shoot her dead for insulting the Prophet.

    “You have to give a reply to all Muslim countries. I am saying this from Ajmer, Rajasthan, and this message is from Huzur Khwaja Baba ka darbar,” he purportedly says in the video, referring to the Sufi shrine that sees many Hindu visitors, apart from Muslim devotees.

    Last week, four people were arrested in connection with another provocative speech allegedly delivered at the main gate of the Ajmer dargah on June 17.

    Though that video was in circulation earlier, the arrests were made following the killing of a Udaipur-based tailor Kanhaiya Lal by two men, who said they were avenging an insult to Islam. The two men were, however, caught by the police when they were fleeing on a motorcycle in Rajsamand.

    In all, five people have been arrested in connection with the murder case, which is being handled by the National Investigation Agency.

  • Murmu to meet NDA MPs, MLAs in Assam to seek support for presidential poll

    By PTI

    GUWAHATI: NDA presidential nominee Droupadi Murmu arrived here late on Tuesday night to seek support for the July 18 poll and will meet MPs and legislators of the ruling BJP and its allies the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the United Peoples’ Party Liberal (UPPL).

    Accompanied by Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Murmu arrived here from Manipur’s capital Imphal and was received at the airport by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

    The NDA presidential candidate’s visit to Assam is part of her campaign for the election. She will have a meeting with MPs and MLAs of the BJP and its allies at a city hotel here on Wednesday to seek votes, party sources here said.

    The BJP has nine Lok Sabha MPs and four parliamentarians in the Upper house while the AGP and the UPPL have one each in Rajya Sabha.

    The 126-member legislative assembly currently comprises 78 MLAs of the ruling NDA with the BJP having 62 legislators, while its allies AGP and UPPL have nine and seven respectively.

    AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal said that his party will also support Murmu. The party has Ajmal as the lone MP in the Lok Sabha besides 15 MLAs in the state legislature.

    Former Union minister Yashwant Sinha is the joint opposition candidate for the upcoming presidential poll and is also scheduled to visit Assam to seek votes from members of parties supporting him.