News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • Congress did nothing for OBCs, says Amit Shah

    Express News Service

    AHMEDABAD:  Trying to strengthen the BJP’s OBC vote bank ahead of the Gujarat Assembly election, Union home minister Amit Shah on Sunday reiterated that the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave constitutional recognition to the backward classes commission, which the Congress “failed” to do during its 70 years of rule.

    Attending a function in Godhra, Shah said the grand old party ruled the country for 70 years but “did nothing for the OBCs”. “The National Commission on Backward Classes (NCBC) has been given constitutional recognition by the Narendra Modi government. We have given reservation to OBCs in the central medical quota and included 27 ministers from the OBC community in the Cabinet to promote backward classes,” the senior BJP leader further said.

    Shah, who also holds the cooperative portfolio at the Centre, alleged that previous Congress governments failed to create an environment conducive for the sector. He further said the Centre has come up with a plan to computerise all cooperatives and connect them directly to NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development), for which Rs 6500 crore has been provisioned. Shah was addressing a large gathering of milk producers in Panchmahal district after remotely inaugurating two plants set up by the Godhra-based Panchamrut Dairy.

    Listing out the steps taken by the Modi government for the cooperative sector, Shah said the cooperative ministry was formed to give priority to the sector. “PM Modi increased the budget for cooperatives seven times, removed some taxes in the sugar sector, reduced the MAT (minimum alternate tax) to 15 from 18 per cent, and surcharge to 7 from 12 per cent on cooperative organisations,” he further said.

    Shah also inaugurated several projects related to the state police department. Launching a broadside on the Congress, Shah alleged that Congress worked to create communal riots in the state.

  • 2024 LS election: Yogi sets target of winning 75 seats in Uttar Pradesh

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW:  Exhorting the BJP cadre to be battle-ready for the 2024 Lok Sabha election, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday set a target of winning 75 of the 80 seats in the state. 

    Addressing the saffron party’s first day-long state executive after the Assembly polls, Adityanath said that the “historic mandate” earned by the party in the Assembly election was a clear indication of people’s changed perception about the parties and that the electorate valued transparency in administration and clean governance.

    In 2019, the BJP had won 62 Lok Sabha seats in UP while its ally Apna Dal (S) had registered victory on two seats despite a grand alliance of SP and BSP mounting a formidable challenge. “With people’s overwhelming support and our diligence, we got better results in the Assembly polls. In 2024, under the leadership of PM Modi, we have to march ahead with the target of winning 75 seats in Uttar Pradesh,” the CM said.

    Claiming that UP has become “free from communal conflagrations”,  Adityanath said all recent festivals, including Ram Navami, Hanuman Jayanti, Parashuram Jayanti and Eid, passed off peacefully in UP while several states witnessed tension.

    The CM claimed that for the first time, Alvida Namaz was not held on roads this year. “Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti went off peacefully. For the first time, the last Friday namaz before Eid was not held on the streets. For namaz there is a place of worship. Religious functions can be held at mosques.” BJP state chief Swatantra Dev Singh congratulated PM Modi and Home minister Amit Shah and other leaders for the recent election victory.

  • Start preparing for 2024 Lok Sabha polls, target winning 75 seats in UP: Adityanath to BJP workers

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Sunday asked BJP workers to start preparations for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and move forward with the target of winning 75 out of the state’s 80 seats.

    In 2019, the BJP had won 62 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh while its ally Apna Dal(S) registered victory in two seats.

    “We have to prepare the ground for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from now only. We should move ahead with the target of winning 75 seats,” Adityanath said at the BJP’s one-day state executive meeting in Lucknow.

    This was the first state executive meeting of the BJP after the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.

    “With the help of people and by dint of our hard work during Covid, we got better results in the assembly polls.”

    “In the 2024 general elections, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, we have to march ahead with the target of winning 75 seats in Uttar Pradesh,” he said.

    Congratulating Modi for completing eight years as prime minister, Adityanath said with the 2024 roadmap, the BJP will succeed in its achieving its target.

    Earlier, addressing the meeting, BJP state chief Swatantra Dev Singh congratulated PM Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda and senior party leaders and people of the state for the party’s victory in the assembly polls.

  • NC demands lodging of FIR against BJP’s Nupur Sharma over Prophet Muhammad comments 

    By PTI

    SRINAGAR: The National Conference on Saturday demanded stern action against BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma over her alleged remarks on Prophet Muhammad during a television show.

    “The party expresses dismay over the ‘blasphemous, offensive, and frighteningly hurtful’ remarks of the BJP spokesperson against Prophet Muhammad during a debate on a national TV news channel,” Salman Ali Sagar, provincial president, Youth National Conference (YNC) Kashmir, said in a statement.

    He termed Sharma’s views unfounded, unsubstantiated and uncalled for in entirety.

    “The BJP and the Union government must offer an unqualified apology for such sacrilegious comments in which the most sacred name for Muslims was used in a bid to stoke communal passions,” he said.

    The National Conference (NC) leader also demanded lodging of an FIR against the BJP leader.

    He said the smart alecks of the saffron brigade cannot hide behind Article 19 of the constitution which guarantees freedom of speech to the citizens.

    He added that action against Sharma could well send a strong message to all the nefarious elements of the country who are out to create a chasm between Hindus and Muslims for their own “political chicanery”.

  • JP Nadda likely to visit West Bengal in June 

    By PTI

    KOLKATA: BJP president JP Nadda is likely to visit West Bengal in June amid the exodus of party leaders to the ruling TMC in the state.

    Nadda will visit the state for a day to take stock of the organisation here, state BJP president Sukanta Majumdar said on Saturday.

    “Although the dates and the programme schedule are yet to be finalised, he will most probably visit the state either on June 7 or June 8. He will participate in organisational meetings,” Majumdar said.

    Nadda’s visit comes days after BJP state vice president Arjun Singh returned to the TMC.

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited West Bengal earlier this month, and asked the state unit to work for strengthening the organisation to fight the TMC.

    Nadda’s proposed visit also assumes significance as the state BJP is plagued with infighting and is still licking its wounds from the defeat in the assembly polls last year.

    The BJP in West Bengal has been fighting hard to keep its flock together as former union minister Babul Supriyo and five legislators, including its national vice president Mukul Roy, switched over to the TMC since the 2021 assembly elections.

  • BJP people don’t understand socialism, they need to read again: Akhilesh Yadav

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav Saturday mocked the BJP, saying its leaders don’t understand the concept of socialism and added that next time he visits the assembly he would carry a book on democracy, socialism and secularism for their benefit.

    His attack came a day after Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath accused him of “dumping” socialism and praised the SP chief’s uncle Shivpal Yadav, crediting him for “keeping alive” the ideals of towering socialist leader Rammanohar Lohia.

    Asked about the chief minister’s praise for Shivpal, Akhilesh told reporters on Saturday, “That is why I tell BJP people to read again about democracy, socialism and secularism. Next time I go to the House, I will bring a book for these people who are unable to understand socialism,” he told the media.

    This prompted a sharp reaction from Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak who said the Samajwadi Party has earned a “bad name” for itself because of its “misdeeds”.

    “These people will go to the rasatal (political abyss),” he said.

    Speaking on the Motion of Thanks on the governor’s address to the joint sitting of the state legislature, Adityanath had told Akhilesh on Friday, “However much you may talk of socialism, the fact is you have reduced socialism to a mirage. Whenever there is a talk about socialism, Dr (Rammanohar) Lohia and Jayprakash Narayan are discussed.”

    “Nowadays, occasionally I see Sahivpalji’s writing on Dr Lohia. You need to read about Dr Lohia.”

    The SP chief had responded by saying, “Till now, he was my uncle, but now the Leader of the House is also calling him ‘chacha’ (uncle).”

    While speaking to reporters outside the assembly on Saturday, Akhilesh also talked about the Adityanath government’s budget.

    “This government is playing with statistics. Development does not take place on (the basis of) statistics. The real development is when things actually change on the ground,” he said.

    Reacting to this, Pathak said, “The Samajwadi Party has earned a bad name because of its misdeeds, and these people will go to the abyss. People have understood this party. They have no policy, and have been proved to be a big flop. People have rejected them.”

    The deputy chief minister added Uttar Pradesh is moving ahead with pace, and soon it will be the number one state in the country in terms of economy and infrastructure.

    Shivpal Yadav, the Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party (Lohia) president, had contested recent state polls on the SP’s bicycle symbol, but has been distancing himself from the opposition camp and showing increasingly greater proximity with the BJP post elections in the state.

  • Nehru institution-builder, BJP weakening democracy by bulldozing institutions: Rahul Gandhi

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Friday remembered India’s first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru on his death anniversary and described him as an institution-builder who strengthened our democratic roots, but lamented that the BJP has weakened democracy by bulldozing institutions.

    He said India now needs a “Bharat jodo” more than ever before.

    His reference was towards uniting India in the present atmosphere.

    The Congress is holding a “Bharat jodo” yatra from Karnyakumari to Kashmir on Gandhi Jayanti.

    “IIT, IIM, LIC, ITI, BHEL, NID, BARC, AIIMS, ISRO, SAIL, ONGC, DRDO…Nehru ji was an institution builder who strengthened our democratic roots. In 8 yrs, BJP has weakened democracy by bulldozing institutions. India needs #BharatJodo now more than ever,” Gandhi said on Twitter.

    In another tweet, he shared a video showing pictures of Nehru with world leaders and how they described Nehru.

    “58 years since his passing, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru’s ideas, politics, and vision for our Nation are as relevant as they have ever been. May the values of this immortal son of India always guide our actions and conscience,” Gandhi also said.

    The Congress on Friday observed the death anniversary of Nehru with top party leaders paying rich tributes to him at his memorial in the national capital.

    Some leaders also took to Twitter to pay their homage and remember him.

  • Party can contest and win third Rajya Sabha seat if leadership asks: Maharashtra BJP chief

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil on Thursday said his party can field a third candidate for the June 10 Rajya Sabha elections and win that seat too if the central leadership instructed.

    Earlier in the day, the Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut and Sanjay Pawar filed their nomination papers for the elections to six Rajya Sabha seats from Maharashtra for which members of the state Assembly will be the electors.

    “If the central leadership instructs us, we will field a third candidate and win that seat as well. Going by the strength in the Assembly, two candidates of BJP can win easily,” Patil told reporters here.

    A candidate will need a quota of 42 votes to win. The BJP has enough votes to win two seats on its own. Ruling alliance partners Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress have the votes to get one candidate each elected separately, but together they can get another candidate elected to the Upper House of Parliament.

    Banking on this arithmetic, the Sena has decided to field two candidates in the election. The BJP has 106 MLAs in the 288-member Assembly.

    The strength of other parties is as follows: Shiv Sena 55, NCP 53, Congress 44, Bahujan Vikas Aghadi three, Samajwadi Party, AIMIM and Prahar Janshakti Party two each, MNS, CPM, Peasants and Workers Party, Rashtriya Samaj Paksha, Swabhimani Party, Jansurajya Shakti and Krantikari Shetkari Party one each.

    There are 13 Independents, while one seat is vacant.

  • Twenty BJP leaders in Bengal’s Jalpaiguri resign from posts, allege irregularities in local panel formation 

    By PTI

    JALPAIGURI: Days after BJP MP Arjun Singh rejoined the Trinamool Congress, at least 20 saffron party leaders in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri have tendered resignation together from their party posts, accusing the district leadership of taking money in lieu of inducting members in a local panel, a party functionary said on Wednesday.

    The dissent leaders, including party’s Jalpaiguri district general secretary Amal Roy, claimed that those who had worked for the saffron brigade and fled their homes due to the post-poll violence in the state did not get a place in the newly formed Maynaguri South Mondal committee.

    Roy alleged that the posts of the local panel have been handed out in lieu of money to those who were inducted into the party recently.

    “The dissent leaders have submitted their resignation letters to the district chief,” he claimed.

    When contacted BJP’s Jalpaiguri district president Bapi Goswami refused to make any comment on the allegations.

    The development came weeks after Union Home Minister Amit Shah, during his visit to West Bengal, had advised the BJP state unit to strengthen the party organisation in order to put up a fight against the ruling party.

    BJP’s state unit spokesperson Shamik Bhattacharya denied the allegation of new members being inducted into the local committee in lieu of money but admitted that there are “differences of opinion in the organisation” “The party will look into the matter and the problem will be sorted out soon,” he said.

    Notably, Jalpaiguri is a stronghold of the BJP as the party bagged four of seven constituencies in the district in the last assembly elections.

    Singh had on May 22 rejoined the state’s ruling party.

    One of the prominent Hindi-speaking leaders of the TMC, Singh had joined the saffron camp ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in 2019, and went on to win the Barrackpore Lok Sabha seat.

    The BJP in the state has been fighting hard to keep its flock together after former Union minister Babul Supriyo and five legislators, including national vice-president Mukul Roy, switched over to the TMC since the assembly poll results last year.

    Several senior TMC leaders like Rajib Banerjee and Sabyasachi Dutta, who had joined the saffron camp, too, returned to the Mamata Banerjee-led party.

  • BJP fumes as Rahul meets known India baiter Corbyn

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s meeting with British MP Jeremy Corbyn, who is known for his ‘anti-India’ views, in London has snowballed into a controversy back home. Rahul, who is on a visit to the UK, had met Corbyn on Monday and the Indian Overseas Congress shared a photo of the two along with Sam Pitroda, a close aide of the Gandhis. 

    Demanding a clarification from the Congress, the BJP on Tuesday alleged the photo is Rahul’s endorsement of Corbyn’s position on Kashmir. “Rahul Gandhi meets UK MP and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn who is known for his hatred and dislike for India, advocates Kashmir’s secession. Or how long and how much one can go on against one’s own country,” tweeted Union minister Kiren Rijiju.

    BJP’s national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said Rahul is a leader whose statement was once quoted by Pakistan in the dossier submitted to the UN against India. “The picture in which Rahul Gandhi is seen with Corbyn shows how Gandhi scion loves to be with those who nurture anti views against India”, Bhatia said. 

    Defending the meeting, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said there is nothing unsual in political leaders having divergent meeting. Surjewala also shared a picture of Corbyn with PM Modi and asked, “Does it mean PM has endorsed Jeremy Corbyn’s views on India?”