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Tag: Gajendra Singh Shekhawat

  • ‘If I’m Ravan, you become Ram & return Sanjeevani co-op money: Gehlot to Shekhawat

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot hit back at Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday for calling him “Ravan”.

    Referring to Shekhawat’s alleged involvement in the Sanjeevani Credit Co-operative Society scam, Gehlot said, “If I am Ravan, you become Ram and return the investors’ money.”

    He further challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, saying, “If you throw stones at me, I will use those to build houses for the poor.”

    Addressing a gathering after visiting an inflation relief camp in Rawatsar town of Hanumangarh, Gehlot said Shekhawat’s friends are in jail in connection with the scam and the Union minister is also likely to go to prison.

    He said if Shekhawat is guilty, either he should resign on moral grounds or Prime Minister Narendra Modi should sack him.

    At the BJP’s Jan Aakrosh rally in Chittorgarh on Thursday, Shekhawat said, “If you want to end (the rule of) Ashok Gehlot, this Ravan of politics in Rajasthan, raise your hands and resolve to establish Ram Rajya in the state.”

    Reacting to these remarks, Gehlot on Friday said, “Nowadays, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and other BJP leaders have started abusing me. Am I Ravan? You (Shekhawat) looted 2.5 lakh people in the Sanjeevani Society and they got ruined. Your friends are in jail. You can also go to jail anytime.”

    The Jodhpur bench of the Rajasthan High Court stayed Shekhawat’s arrest in connection with the scam recently.

    The Union minister has filed a criminal defamation case against Gehlot in a Delhi court for remarks linking him with the scam.

    Referring to the high court’s stay on Shekhawat’s arrest, Gehlot said, “He has taken a stay from the high court. He used to say that I am not an accused at all. If you are not an accused, why did you go to the court? Why did you get bail?”

    The chief minister further said, “You can get bail. You are an accused. You are a central minister, so either resign on the basis of morality or Prime Minister Modi should sack you. Why have you kept such a corrupt person in your cabinet?”

    Gehlot said, “He (Shekhawat) says Ashok Gehlot is Ravan. Okay, I am Ravan, but you become Ram. Pay the money of these 2.5 lakh people.”

    He accused Shekhawat of robbing people and buying farmhouses in other countries and said he should return the money of those poor people by selling all the properties of the Sanjeevani Society and those in his possession.

    The victims of the Sanjeevani scam met the chief minister several times.

    Referring to this, Gehlot said, “These people met me thrice. Tears welled up in my eyes. Now, those associated with the BJP are abusing me. My job is to serve.”

    “If you throw stones at me, I will use those to build houses for the poor. That is my thinking. I will get hospitals built. It is not my thinking that one cannot criticise and if one does, he will go to jail,” the Congress leader said.

    JAIPUR: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot hit back at Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday for calling him “Ravan”.

    Referring to Shekhawat’s alleged involvement in the Sanjeevani Credit Co-operative Society scam, Gehlot said, “If I am Ravan, you become Ram and return the investors’ money.”

    He further challenged the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, saying, “If you throw stones at me, I will use those to build houses for the poor.”googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Addressing a gathering after visiting an inflation relief camp in Rawatsar town of Hanumangarh, Gehlot said Shekhawat’s friends are in jail in connection with the scam and the Union minister is also likely to go to prison.

    He said if Shekhawat is guilty, either he should resign on moral grounds or Prime Minister Narendra Modi should sack him.

    At the BJP’s Jan Aakrosh rally in Chittorgarh on Thursday, Shekhawat said, “If you want to end (the rule of) Ashok Gehlot, this Ravan of politics in Rajasthan, raise your hands and resolve to establish Ram Rajya in the state.”

    Reacting to these remarks, Gehlot on Friday said, “Nowadays, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and other BJP leaders have started abusing me. Am I Ravan? You (Shekhawat) looted 2.5 lakh people in the Sanjeevani Society and they got ruined. Your friends are in jail. You can also go to jail anytime.”

    The Jodhpur bench of the Rajasthan High Court stayed Shekhawat’s arrest in connection with the scam recently.

    The Union minister has filed a criminal defamation case against Gehlot in a Delhi court for remarks linking him with the scam.

    Referring to the high court’s stay on Shekhawat’s arrest, Gehlot said, “He has taken a stay from the high court. He used to say that I am not an accused at all. If you are not an accused, why did you go to the court? Why did you get bail?”

    The chief minister further said, “You can get bail. You are an accused. You are a central minister, so either resign on the basis of morality or Prime Minister Modi should sack you. Why have you kept such a corrupt person in your cabinet?”

    Gehlot said, “He (Shekhawat) says Ashok Gehlot is Ravan. Okay, I am Ravan, but you become Ram. Pay the money of these 2.5 lakh people.”

    He accused Shekhawat of robbing people and buying farmhouses in other countries and said he should return the money of those poor people by selling all the properties of the Sanjeevani Society and those in his possession.

    The victims of the Sanjeevani scam met the chief minister several times.

    Referring to this, Gehlot said, “These people met me thrice. Tears welled up in my eyes. Now, those associated with the BJP are abusing me. My job is to serve.”

    “If you throw stones at me, I will use those to build houses for the poor. That is my thinking. I will get hospitals built. It is not my thinking that one cannot criticise and if one does, he will go to jail,” the Congress leader said.

  • Rajasthan CM Gehlot targets Z security for Union Minister Shekhawat

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: Two heavyweights of Rajasthan politics – CM Ashok Gehlot and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat – are openly ranged against each other these days. Rajasthan CM Gehlot has fired a fresh salvo at Gajendra Singh Shekhawat by targeting the Z security recently given to the union minister.

    Addressing mediapersons in his home district of Jodhpur, CM Gehlot said, “Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has taken Z security from the central government. What was the situation that he was given Z security? If he was in danger from anyone, he should have told us earlier and we would have provided him security. It seems that due to the fear of SOG arrest in the Sanjivani Co-operative case, security has been provided to him.”

    On a visit to Jodhpur, CM Gehlot even met the victims of the 953 crores Sanjivani Credit Co-operative scam at the Circuit House on Sunday. While expressing their hardships and pain, the victims of the Sanjivani Co-operative credit scam demanded help from the state government and said that after investing crores of rupees, they have been stumbling door to door for years for their money. The victims alleged that Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was involved in the matter, after which the Chief Minister assured justice to the victims. After meeting the victims, Gehlot accused Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh of having links with the Sanjeevani Credit Co-operative Society, which had embezzled investors’ money.

    CM Gehlot said, “He (Shekhawat) should understand the suffering of these victims and give back the lost amount to all these victims.” Gehlot said that Shekhawat is an accused and that he should clarify the situation in this matter. CM said that Shekhawat has taken Z category security only because he is an accused in the scam and he was afraid of being arrested by SOG.

    CM Gehlot has often attacked Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on various issues in recent years. Both the prominent leaders come from Jodhpur and in the last Lok Sabha polls, Shekhawat had defeated CM Gehlot’s son and RCA President, Vaibhav Gehlot. In the last few years, CM Gehlot has been persistent in his demand for getting a national status for ERCP which will provide water and benefit a dozen districts of Eastern Rajasthan. CM Gehlot has been nudging the BJP to take up the matter with the PM and as Shekhawat is the Union Jalshakti Minister and also the MP from Jodhpur he has frequently been at the receiving end of Gehlot’s attacks. 

    Now, with the CM speaking about the Sanjivani matter too, it is clear that these two issues will make Shekhawat politically vulnerable as Gehlot will surely raise these issues regularly in the election year according to political observers.

    However, in a sharp response to CM Gehlot’s latest attack, Union Minister Shekhawat asserted, “I have also come to know that the CM is making remarks about me. Surely he has some knowledge of Law. If he thinks that those who have some security cover cannot be arrested, then what can I say? I will respond to all his queries when the need arises.  

    More than 1 lakh people invested crores of rupees in the Sanjivani Credit Co-operative Society, which later grabbed the investors’ money.  The SOG had registered an FIR in August 2020 on the complaint of the people as a scam of over nine hundred crores was exposed in the investigation. The Society’s managing director Vikram Singh has been arrested in the case and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Vikram Singh have been business partners for many years.

    Transactions worth lakhs of rupees also came to light from the accounts of Vikram Singh in the bank accounts of Shekhawat and his family members.  Gajendra Singh Shekhawat ended his partnership with Vikram Singh before becoming an MP. Clearly, in election year every issue will be used to score political points. And security cover for a Union Minister is now only the latest one as Rajasthan moves towards elections later in the year.

    JAIPUR: Two heavyweights of Rajasthan politics – CM Ashok Gehlot and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat – are openly ranged against each other these days. Rajasthan CM Gehlot has fired a fresh salvo at Gajendra Singh Shekhawat by targeting the Z security recently given to the union minister.

    Addressing mediapersons in his home district of Jodhpur, CM Gehlot said, “Gajendra Singh Shekhawat has taken Z security from the central government. What was the situation that he was given Z security? If he was in danger from anyone, he should have told us earlier and we would have provided him security. It seems that due to the fear of SOG arrest in the Sanjivani Co-operative case, security has been provided to him.”

    On a visit to Jodhpur, CM Gehlot even met the victims of the 953 crores Sanjivani Credit Co-operative scam at the Circuit House on Sunday. While expressing their hardships and pain, the victims of the Sanjivani Co-operative credit scam demanded help from the state government and said that after investing crores of rupees, they have been stumbling door to door for years for their money. The victims alleged that Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was involved in the matter, after which the Chief Minister assured justice to the victims. After meeting the victims, Gehlot accused Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh of having links with the Sanjeevani Credit Co-operative Society, which had embezzled investors’ money.

    CM Gehlot said, “He (Shekhawat) should understand the suffering of these victims and give back the lost amount to all these victims.” Gehlot said that Shekhawat is an accused and that he should clarify the situation in this matter. CM said that Shekhawat has taken Z category security only because he is an accused in the scam and he was afraid of being arrested by SOG.

    CM Gehlot has often attacked Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on various issues in recent years. Both the prominent leaders come from Jodhpur and in the last Lok Sabha polls, Shekhawat had defeated CM Gehlot’s son and RCA President, Vaibhav Gehlot. In the last few years, CM Gehlot has been persistent in his demand for getting a national status for ERCP which will provide water and benefit a dozen districts of Eastern Rajasthan. CM Gehlot has been nudging the BJP to take up the matter with the PM and as Shekhawat is the Union Jalshakti Minister and also the MP from Jodhpur he has frequently been at the receiving end of Gehlot’s attacks. 

    Now, with the CM speaking about the Sanjivani matter too, it is clear that these two issues will make Shekhawat politically vulnerable as Gehlot will surely raise these issues regularly in the election year according to political observers.

    However, in a sharp response to CM Gehlot’s latest attack, Union Minister Shekhawat asserted, “I have also come to know that the CM is making remarks about me. Surely he has some knowledge of Law. If he thinks that those who have some security cover cannot be arrested, then what can I say? I will respond to all his queries when the need arises.  

    More than 1 lakh people invested crores of rupees in the Sanjivani Credit Co-operative Society, which later grabbed the investors’ money.  The SOG had registered an FIR in August 2020 on the complaint of the people as a scam of over nine hundred crores was exposed in the investigation. The Society’s managing director Vikram Singh has been arrested in the case and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Vikram Singh have been business partners for many years.

    Transactions worth lakhs of rupees also came to light from the accounts of Vikram Singh in the bank accounts of Shekhawat and his family members.  Gajendra Singh Shekhawat ended his partnership with Vikram Singh before becoming an MP. Clearly, in election year every issue will be used to score political points. And security cover for a Union Minister is now only the latest one as Rajasthan moves towards elections later in the year.

  • ‘Rajasthan setting new records in crime against women, Dalits’: Shekhawat attacks Gehlot

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The BJP on Wednesday hit out at Congress saying its government in Rajasthan was setting “new records” in crimes against women, atrocities against Dalits, and religious vandalism and questioned the silence of the party’s top leaders.

    Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, citing the National Crime Records Bureau data, said, “Today Rajasthan is at number one in the cases of rape in the country, second in terms of trafficking of minor girls.”

    Shekhawat, a senior BJP leader from Rajasthan, said Congress’ top leaders such as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra come to the state for vacation but never say anything about the deteriorating law and order situation there.

    “On August 15, when the country was celebrating Independence Day, a young man named Chiranjilal, who earned his livelihood by selling vegetables in a village in Rajasthan’s Alwar district, was beaten to death by the members of Muslim community,” Shekhawat said.

    He said that in the last three years Rajasthan has set “new records in mob lynching, abuse against women, and crimes against the religion of a particular community.”

    “Where have Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and the champions of human rights been since such a big incident happened in Rajasthan?” he asked.

    Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, who shed “crocodile tears” on incidents in Hathras and Unnao, should break their silence on the situation in Rajasthan too, Shekhawat said.

    NEW DELHI: The BJP on Wednesday hit out at Congress saying its government in Rajasthan was setting “new records” in crimes against women, atrocities against Dalits, and religious vandalism and questioned the silence of the party’s top leaders.

    Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters here, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, citing the National Crime Records Bureau data, said, “Today Rajasthan is at number one in the cases of rape in the country, second in terms of trafficking of minor girls.”

    Shekhawat, a senior BJP leader from Rajasthan, said Congress’ top leaders such as Priyanka Gandhi Vadra come to the state for vacation but never say anything about the deteriorating law and order situation there.

    “On August 15, when the country was celebrating Independence Day, a young man named Chiranjilal, who earned his livelihood by selling vegetables in a village in Rajasthan’s Alwar district, was beaten to death by the members of Muslim community,” Shekhawat said.

    He said that in the last three years Rajasthan has set “new records in mob lynching, abuse against women, and crimes against the religion of a particular community.”

    “Where have Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and the champions of human rights been since such a big incident happened in Rajasthan?” he asked.

    Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, who shed “crocodile tears” on incidents in Hathras and Unnao, should break their silence on the situation in Rajasthan too, Shekhawat said.

  • BJP slams Gehlot over his rape law remarks, brings up Rajasthan’s poor record on women safety

    By PTI

    JAIPUR: The BJP on Sunday slammed Ashok Gehlot for his rape law remarks and said that the Rajasthan chief minister is trying to hide his government’s failures to curb rising incidents of atrocities against innocent girls in the state.

    Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that the chief minister’s statement is “unfortunate”.

    “In the last three years, Rajasthan has become the centre for atrocities against young innocent girls. Nothing can be more unfortunate that the issue is being twisted by making controversial statements to hide their failures,” said Shekhawat.

    Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly Rajendra Rathore said Gehlot’s statement is “unfortunate and shameful”.

    The CM, who also heads the home department, cannot escape the failure of his government in curbing increasing rape cases in the state by making absurd statements, Rathore said.

    Addressing a press conference in Delhi on Friday, chief minister Gehlot said that the cases of murder after rape have increased in the country following the law providing death sentence for rape convicts came into force.

    “Ever since the death penalty (for rape convicts) is brought after Nirbhaya incident, the murders after rape have increased. The rapist sees that the girl will become a witness tomorrow, so he not only rapes but also kills her. This is happening across the country. This is a very dangerous trend,” Gehlot had said.

    The CM was referring to December 16, 2012 Delhi gangrape incident, which was later called as the ‘Nirbhaya’ incident.

    According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2020, Rajasthan has earned the dubious distinction of registering the highest number of rape cases in the country followed by Uttar Pradesh.

    Though the state continues to top in rape cases in 2020, the number of such cases (5997) has declined by 11.

    45% in comparison to 2019, the NCRB data shows.

    Reacting to the CM’s statement, BJP leader Rathore said the statistics of NCRB and police report show that the state ranks first in the country in rape cases.

    He also claimed that from January 2020 to January 2022, 4,091 cases have been registered under the POCSO Act.

    Rathore said that in the previous BJP government, a law was made for the provision of capital punishment to those accused of raping a minor.

    Unfortunately, the CM, who has failed to curb the incidents of rape of innocent girls, is now opposing the provision of capital punishment.

    “If you have the courage to bring a resolution against this law in the assembly, then we will give a befitting reply to them,” he said.

    Rathore claimed that 16 incidents of rape are taking place in Rajasthan every day and Gehlot has stated that 48% of rape cases are false.

    By making such statements again and again, the CM is doing an act of encouraging the morale of the brutal rapists instead of breaking them, the BJP leader said.

    Shashikant Sharma, OSD to CM Gehlot, said, “He (Gehlot) had given a statement on rising unemployment, inflation, and increasing crimes, which has been presented in a distorted manner by BJP’s IT cell.”

    Sharing a video of Gehlot, his another OSD Lokesh Sharma said, “Listen and understand. CM Gehlot expressed concern over the increasing trend of murder of rape victims across the country. The form in which he spoke is being made a matter of controversy without any reason. He called it a dangerous trend which is a matter of concern for all.”

    JAIPUR: The BJP on Sunday slammed Ashok Gehlot for his rape law remarks and said that the Rajasthan chief minister is trying to hide his government’s failures to curb rising incidents of atrocities against innocent girls in the state.

    Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said that the chief minister’s statement is “unfortunate”.

    “In the last three years, Rajasthan has become the centre for atrocities against young innocent girls. Nothing can be more unfortunate that the issue is being twisted by making controversial statements to hide their failures,” said Shekhawat.

    Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly Rajendra Rathore said Gehlot’s statement is “unfortunate and shameful”.

    The CM, who also heads the home department, cannot escape the failure of his government in curbing increasing rape cases in the state by making absurd statements, Rathore said.

    Addressing a press conference in Delhi on Friday, chief minister Gehlot said that the cases of murder after rape have increased in the country following the law providing death sentence for rape convicts came into force.

    “Ever since the death penalty (for rape convicts) is brought after Nirbhaya incident, the murders after rape have increased. The rapist sees that the girl will become a witness tomorrow, so he not only rapes but also kills her. This is happening across the country. This is a very dangerous trend,” Gehlot had said.

    The CM was referring to December 16, 2012 Delhi gangrape incident, which was later called as the ‘Nirbhaya’ incident.

    According to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) 2020, Rajasthan has earned the dubious distinction of registering the highest number of rape cases in the country followed by Uttar Pradesh.

    Though the state continues to top in rape cases in 2020, the number of such cases (5997) has declined by 11.

    45% in comparison to 2019, the NCRB data shows.

    Reacting to the CM’s statement, BJP leader Rathore said the statistics of NCRB and police report show that the state ranks first in the country in rape cases.

    He also claimed that from January 2020 to January 2022, 4,091 cases have been registered under the POCSO Act.

    Rathore said that in the previous BJP government, a law was made for the provision of capital punishment to those accused of raping a minor.

    Unfortunately, the CM, who has failed to curb the incidents of rape of innocent girls, is now opposing the provision of capital punishment.

    “If you have the courage to bring a resolution against this law in the assembly, then we will give a befitting reply to them,” he said.

    Rathore claimed that 16 incidents of rape are taking place in Rajasthan every day and Gehlot has stated that 48% of rape cases are false.

    By making such statements again and again, the CM is doing an act of encouraging the morale of the brutal rapists instead of breaking them, the BJP leader said.

    Shashikant Sharma, OSD to CM Gehlot, said, “He (Gehlot) had given a statement on rising unemployment, inflation, and increasing crimes, which has been presented in a distorted manner by BJP’s IT cell.”

    Sharing a video of Gehlot, his another OSD Lokesh Sharma said, “Listen and understand. CM Gehlot expressed concern over the increasing trend of murder of rape victims across the country. The form in which he spoke is being made a matter of controversy without any reason. He called it a dangerous trend which is a matter of concern for all.”

  • Bommai meets Union Water Resources Minister, discusses Mekedatu 

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s surprise trip to New Delhi on Friday sparked the buzz that the ruling BJP was close to firming up the outline of the much-anticipated cabinet expansion or reshuffle. Bommai was last in Delhi on May 20. He called on Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and later tweeted, “Had a courtesy meeting with the Finance Minister @nsitharaman Ji in Delhi. Various issues of mutual interest were discussed.”

    In another important meeting, Bommai met Union Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, apart from participating in the GST Council meeting. The meeting was in connection with the Mekedatu project and Tamil Nadu’s objection to the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA).

    Responding to a question by journalists, Bommai said Tamil Nadu has filed a miscellaneous application before the Supreme Court, and once notice is served to the state, the government will respond to it. “It (Mekedatu) is already on the (CWMA meeting) agenda, I will put pressure that it should be taken up and a final decision taken, regarding the project,” he added.

    The Tamil Nadu government last week moved the Supreme Court with an aim to seek direction to the CWMA, restraining it from holding any discussion on the project at its meeting. Bommai termed Tamil Nadu’s move a “political stunt”, and said it was against the “spirit of federalism”.

    Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin recently wrote a letter to the Prime Minister, requesting him to instruct the Jal Shakti ministry to advise the CWMA’s chairman to desist from taking up any discussion on the Mekedatu project, till the issues are heard and decided by the Supreme Court.The Tamil Nadu government has already moved the Supreme Court, seeking direction to the CWMA not to hold any discussion on the issue at its meeting.

    Mekedatu is a drinking water and power project proposed by Karnataka, for which a balancing reservoir has to be constructed near Kanakapura in Ramanagara district. But Tamil Nadu has been opposing the project, apprehensive that the project will affect the state. The project, estimated to cost around Rs 9,000 crore, will ensure drinking water to Bengaluru and areas around, besides generation of 400MW power.

    PROJECT WILL BE DISCUSSED AT CWMA MEET: CHAIRMANTHANJAVUR: Amid protest against the Cauvery Water Management Authority (CWMA) taking up the Mekedatu issue for discussion, S K Haldar, chairman of the Authority, reiterated that the issue is on the agenda and would be taken up for discussion in the forthcoming meeting. He was talking to reporters at Kallanai in Thanjavur on Friday, where he inspected the regulators.  When asked whether the CWMA has powers to discuss the Mekedatu issue, Haldar said, “It has all powers and can discuss anything and everything related to the basin.” 

  • BJP takes serious note of attack on party’s Punjab candidate; Shekhawat says violence is unacceptable

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Claiming that the BJP’s popularity graph in Punjab is rising and the opponents are feeling threatened, Union minister and party’s in-charge for Punjab, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Monday strongly condemned the attack on party candidate in Ludhiana district, Sucha Ram Ladhar.

    BJP candidate from Ludhiana’s Gill constituency Ladhar was injured and hospitalised after unidentified persons allegedly attacked his car Sunday evening, police had said.

    Ladhar was returning from a village in his constituency after campaigning.

    63-year-old Ladhar, a retired IAS officer, was later hospitalised in Ludhiana.

    Shekhawat said, violence in a civilized society is unacceptable.

    “Those responsible for the incident will be identified and strictly dealt with according to the law”, he said in a statement here, while adding, “we will not let our leaders and workers be threatened and intimidated by violence”.

    Shekhawat dared the Bharatiya Janata Party’s opponents to fight the battle with votes and not with violence.

    “These incidents are only an indication that the BJP candidates are leading everywhere and the opponents in sheer frustration are now trying to use violence to intimidate them”, he alleged.

    With Punjab going to polls on February 20 and Model Code coming into effect last month with announcement of polls, the union minister warned, “it is not the Congress rule in the state anymore where you will disrupt the Prime Minister’s programme”.

    “Everything is being noted and monitored to the minutest detail and everything will be taken to the logical conclusion”, he said, while warning, BJP will not take the attack on its candidates lying down.

    Shekhawat also asked the officials in the administration and police to perform their duty according to the law and not feel intimidated by anyone.

    “You are there to protect people and during current times, you have the added responsibility”, he asked the officials, while making it clear that they must not let themselves be influenced by anyone.

  • UP ranked best state in water conservation efforts, Rajasthan second: Jal Shakti Ministry

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh has been ranked as the best state in water conservation efforts for 2020, Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat announced on Friday.

    The Ministry of Jal Shakti awarded Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu second and third ranks, respectively, for their work and efforts towards water conservation.

    Addressing the 2020 National Water Awards, the Minister for Jal Shakti said the country required 1,000 billion cubic metres of water per year to cater to its agriculture, irrigation, industrial and domestic requirements.

    “The usage of water is increasing but its availability is decreasing. Rainfall patterns are changing. By 2050, the demand for water would rise from 1,000 billion cubic metres to 1,400-1,500 billion cubic metres. So, we must move ahead with a positive attitude and take effective steps,” Shekhawat said.

    Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh received the best district award in the northern zone, followed by Shahid Bhagat Singh Nagar in Punjab.

    In southern zone, Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala was awarded the best district, followed by Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh.

    East Champaran in Bihar and Godda in Jharkhand were awarded first and second ranks among districts in the east zone, while Indore in Madhya Pradesh ranked first in the western region.

    Vadodara in Gujarat and Banswara in Rajasthan won a joint second rank.

    In the northeast zone, Goalpara in Assam and Siang in Arunachal Pradesh were recognised for their water conservation efforts.

    This is the third National Water Award.

    The National Water Award was launched by the Jal Shakti Ministry in 2018.

    National Water Awards also aims to provide a good opportunity to start-ups as well as leading organisations to engage and deliberate with senior policy-makers on how to adopt the best water resources management practices in India.

    To encourage and recognise individuals and organisations doing exemplary work in the field of water resources management, the Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation gives 57 awards to states, organisations, individuals, etc. in 11 different categories.

    Under the best industry category, Welspun India Textile Ltd. Gujarat (first), Hyundai Motor India Ltd. Tamil Nadu (second), and jointly Trident (Textile) Ltd (third) Punjab and Steel Authority of India Ltd (third) New Delhi have been awarded.

    Under the best NGO category, Coastal Salinity Prevention Cell, Ahmedabad, Vivekananda Kendra NARDEP, Kanyakumari, Gramvikas Sanstha, Aurangabad and Vivekananda Research and Training Institute, Bhavnagar have been awarded first, second and joint third position respectively.

    ITC Limited, Kolkata, West Bengal; Adani Foundation, Gujarat; HAL, Bengaluru, Karnataka; and Dharampal Satyapal Ltd., Noida, UP have been awarded first, second and jointly third position respectively for Best Industry for CSR activities.

  • Punjab elections 2022: Amarinder Singh, Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat may meet on Tuesday

    By PTI

    CHANDIGARH: Former Punjab CM Amarinder Singh and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat are likely to meet on Tuesday over lunch and expected to hold discussions on seat sharing for the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls, said sources.

    Shekhawat is the BJP’s in-charge for the Punjab Assembly polls. Sources said that the meeting is likely to take place at Amarinder Singh’s farmhouse at Siswan in Mohali.

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday had said the BJP is in talks with Amarinder Singh and former Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa for an alliance with their parties ahead of the state Assembly polls.

    Earlier in the day, the former Punjab CM reiterated that his party along with the BJP and former Akali leader Sukhdev Singh Dhindsa’s outfit will form the next government in the state. Singh, who faced unceremonious exit as the Punjab chief minister in September, on Monday opened the office of his new party Punjab Lok Congress here. “We are very hopeful that in the upcoming elections, we will win the combination of seat adjustment with the BJP and Dhindsa sahib we will form the next government,” said Singh.

  • Society needs to think cleaning Ganga is its responsibility not just government’s job: Jal Shakti minister

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The society needs to consider cleaning the Ganga river as its responsibility and not see it as just the government’s job, Jal Shakti minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said on Wednesday.

    Addressing the valedictory function of the Ganga Utsav, he said everyone should think of themselves as the custodian of the environment.

    “We have the role of custodian of this environment. We need to make it better and pass on to the next generation and not deteriorate it further. The society needs to think that cleaning the Ganga river is its responsibility and not just the government’s job,” he said.

    Union minister Kiren Rijiju said a lot of work towards cleaning the Ganga needs to be done. “In the next three to four years, I am confident that the clean Ganga mission will be successful. As an Indian, I believe rejuvenating and cleaning the Ganga is the most crucial programme in the country.

    “Namami Gange (National Mission for Clean Ganga) is not just general government work but a mission and the work done under it inspires us,” he said.

    The government celebrated the three-day ‘Ganga Utsav-The River Festival 2021’ with a focus on encouraging stakeholder engagement and public participation towards the rejuvenation of the Ganga river.

  • Dharmendra Pradhan, Pralhad Joshi among BJP heavyweights in charge of poll-bound states

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The BJP on Wednesday set poll preparations in motion by making senior ministers in-charge of states headed for Assembly elections next year. Dharmendra Pradhan, Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Pralhad Joshi, Bhupender Yadav have been entrusted with the task of overseeing preparations in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, and Manipur, respectively. Former Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis will be in charge of Goa.

    Gajendra Singh ShekhawatPradhan, who had looked after the party affairs of Bihar before becoming a minister, will be assisted by Union minister Anurag Thakur in UP, for which the saffron outfit has appointed key leaders in different regions. The BJP has lined up eight senior leaders for the state. They include Union ministers of state Arjun Ram Meghwal and Shobha Karandjale.  Senior BJP functionaries like Saroj Pandey, Captain Abhimanyu, Annapurna Devi and Vivek Thakur are other co-incharges for UP. 

    The BJP has also created six zones for UP (Kashi, Braja, western UP, Avadh, Kanpur and Gorakhpur) which will be looked after by other senior functionaries.   Shekhawat will be election in-charge for Punjab. He will be assisted by Union minister Hardeep Singh Puri and Meenakshi Lekhi. Senior leader Vinod Chawra is another member of the team. Joshi has been appointed election in-charge for Uttarakhand. He will be assisted by West Bengal MP Locket Chaterjee and party leader RP Singh.   

    Union environment minister Yadav will be the election in-charge for Manipur. Barring Punjab, the BJP is in power in all four states, which are slated for the Assembly elections in February-March next year.By announcing star-studded teams for each of these states, the saffron brigade has shown that it is leaving no stone unturned in order to get ready.