News Analysis India

Tag: Jan Ashirwad Yatra

  • Out on bail, Union Minister Narayan Rane to resume ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ in Maharashtra soon

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Union minister Narayan Rane will resume his ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ in Maharashtra in a couple of days, a close aide said on Wednesday, a day after the BJP leader was arrested over his remarks against Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and later granted bail.

    The route of Rane’s tour will be the same and the date of its resumption will be conveyed soon, his aide Rajan Teli said in a statement.

    Rane is expected to address a press conference on Wednesday, BJP state spokesman Keshav Upadhye said.

    ALSO READ | Narayan Rane’s arrest justified, but custodial interrogation not necessary: Court

    The BJP leader, who was recently inducted into the Union cabinet, began his yatra from Mumbai on August 19.

    The seven-day yatra was to conclude in Sindhudurg.

    On Monday, during his yatra in Raigad, Rane sparked off a row over his remarks about slapping Chief Minister Thackeray for what he claimed as the latter’s ignorance of the year of India’s independence.

    Four FIRs were registered against him in Maharashtra over his remarks, which triggered a political row and protests across the state on Tuesday.

    Rane was arrested on Tuesday afternoon from Ratnagiri district in the state and granted bail by a court at Mahad in Raigad late at night.

  • Pilot says BJP’s ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ amid price rise, threats on nation’s borders beyond comprehension

    By PTI

    JODHPUR: Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Tuesday said it is beyond comprehension that the BJP is seeking people’s blessings through ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ when the prices of petrol and diesel have crossed Rs 100-mark and China and Pakistan are “attacking” India at its borders.

    He alleged that the BJP never did anything positive as the opposition party in Rajasthan in the last two-and-a-half years.

    The former deputy chief minister of Rajasthan also exuded confidence that the Congress will win in all six districts where Panchayat Samiti and Zila Parishad elections will be held starting Thursday.

    Pilot, who came here to visit Congress MLA Hemaram Choudhary’s family following the demise of his brother, was speaking to reporters at Jodhpur Circuit House before heading back to Jaipur.

    The Congress leader wondered what ‘ashirwad’ (blessings) the BJP is seeking from people when the prices of petrol and diesel have crossed Rs 100-mark, the price of cooking gas cylinder has surpassed Rs 800, the country faced a “pathetic” situation during the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic and “China and Pakistan are attacking the country at borders”.

    “They (BJP) are seeking the public’s blessings in such a situation, this is beyond comprehension,” Pilot said.

    Thirty-nine newly inducted and elevated Union ministers belonging to the BJP are undertaking ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatras’ to cover 212 Lok Sabha constituencies and travel over 19,567 km to reach out to people and tell them about the government’s achievements.

    Pilot claimed that the Congress will emerge victorious in all six districts of the state where panchayat polls will be held later this week.

    “The Congress will win in all the six districts where panchayat elections are taking place because the BJP has not done anything positive as the opposition party in the last two-and-a-half years.

    All this while, they remained engaged in a poster war and in establishing who is big and who is small,” he said.

    The election for 200 Zila Parishad and 1,564 Panchayat Samiti seats in Bharatpur, Dausa, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Sawai Madhopur and Sirohi districts will be held in three phases on August 26, 29 and September 1.

    On the farm laws, Pilot said it’s been nine months since these legislations were introduced but the government refuses to let go of its “obstinacy”.

    The government threatens and arrests farmers, “but you will never talk of justice. This is sheer obstinacy and such obstinacy is not a good sign for democracy,” he said.

    Reiterating the Congress’ stand on the contentious farm laws, he said that they must be rolled back and the government should listen to farmers.

    Asked about cabinet expansion in Rajasthan, Pilot said, “Let us see what happens in the time to come.”

  • Cops look for owner of painted horse seen at Scindia’s rally after receiving complaint

    By PTI

    INDORE: Indore Police in Madhya Pradesh are searching for the owner of a horse which was painted in the BJP’s flag colors and paraded during Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia’s `Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ after receiving a complaint from an animal welfare NGO.

    Incidentally, the founder of the complainant NGO, People For Animal, is BJP MP Maneka Gandhi.

    The horse, which also had the word `BJP’ in English and party symbol lotus painted on its body, was seen walking alongside Scindia’s `rath’ (decorated van) during the event on Thursday.

    Subsequently, Indore unit chief of the People For Animal Priyanshu Jain approached Sanyogitaganj police station here, seeking the registration of an FIR under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

    Painting and parading an animal in this way amounted to cruelty, the complaint said.

    “We have started an inquiry. We are looking for the owner of the horse,” police inspector Rajeev Tripathi said, adding that no First Information Report has been registered yet.

    Scindia, newly inducted in the Union cabinet, had taken out a three-day Jan Ashirwad Yatra (tour) which ended in Indore on Thursday.

  • BJP’s ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ runs into controversies in MP

    Express News Service

    BHOPAL: The ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ by the ruling BJP — an event aimed at connecting newly-inducted 39 Union ministers — has run into twin controversies in Madhya Pradesh’s saffron citadel Indore.

    The last leg of the three-days yatra in the state’s Malwa-Nimar region, saw Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia connect with people and seek their blessings in the city.

    But the event ran into not just one, but twin controversies.

    In the first incident, senior BJP leader Govind Maloo was pushed away by on-duty cops while he tried to enter the venue of Scindia’s Jan Ashirwad Yatra in the Indore III assembly segment. The constituency is represented by BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya’s son Akash Vijayvargiya.

    The video of the incident not only embarrassed the ruling BJP but also gave the opposition Congress the ideal opportunity to take potshots at the ruling party.

    Senior state Congress leaders, KK Mishra and Narendra Saluja tweeted the video of the incident, saying, “This incident marks the beginning of a feudal era in BJP’s politics, where gaddars (traitors) are being worshipped, while loyalists are being humiliated.”

    ALSO READ | Message of CM face from ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ of Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav

    Even before the controversy could die down, another row erupted over the use of a rented horse having been painted in BJP colours, being used at the same political event. The pictures of the horse having been painted in BJP colours and also bearing the image of the party’s poll symbol Lotus, forming part of Scindia’s procession went viral.

    Irked over the incident, BJP MP Maneka Gandhi-headed animal rights NGO ‘People for Animals’ (PFA) local representative Priyanshu Jain submitted a complaint at Indore’s Sanyogitaganj police station.

    In the complaint, the PFA representative demanded lodging of FIR under provisions of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1960, but no case has yet been registered by the police.

    According to informed sources in the BJP, the horse painted in the party’s colours and poll symbol was brought by ex municipal councilor Ramdas Garg and formed part of the procession in Chhawani area.

    Importantly, in its drive to reach out to the last person, the BJP has embarked upon its Jan Ashirwad Yatra, under which the newly inducted 39 union ministers are connecting with the people and seeking their Ashirwad (Blessings).

    The country’s new civil aviation minister Jyotiraditya Scindia led the yatra between August 17 and 19 in Dewas, Shajapur, Khargone, and Indore districts of MP’s Malwa-Nimar region.

  • Vasundhara Raje back on BJP posters as party moves to patch up rift in Rajasthan unit

    Express News Service

    JAIPUR: The ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ of the BJP in Rajasthan seems to have become a means to patch up the rift in the party’s state unit.

    As Union Minister Bhupendra Yadav set off on his three-day yatra from Alwar’s Bhiwadi town on Wednesday, it was interesting to see that the posters this time also included former CM Vasundhara Raje. She was dropped from all posters at the BJP headquarters in Jaipur two months ago. 

    This is being seen as an attempt to pacify Raje loyalists who are planning their own yatra in the state from next month. Last week, Raje said that she is more interested in living in people’s hearts than being seen on posters. 

    Significantly, in the poster of ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’, Vasundhara Raje has been put up along with PM Narendra Modi, National President JP Nadda, BJP in-charge for Rajasthan, Arun Singh, and Union Ministers Bhupendra Yadav, Gajendra Shekhawat, Arjun Meghwal, and Kailash Chaudhary. In addition, state BJP president Satish Poonia and Leader of Opposition Gulabchand Kataria are also seen on this poster. The poster has been put up even on the social media outlets of the Rajasthan BJP. 

    In Rajasthan, ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ will cover a distance of 417 km in three days. In this period, Yadav and BJP leaders will interact with the people of the state at 40 places and review the schemes of the central government in order to strengthen the party’s connection with people at the grassroots. 

    Politically, however, it is the poster of ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ that is being most talked about given the controversies over posters for the past few months. Pictures of Vasundhara Raje were removed from posters and banners outside the state party headquarters in June which angered the former CM’s followers. But now that Raje is back in state BJP’s posters, it is being widely speculated that the yatra may well become a truce-maker between the two major camps in Rajasthan BJP – one led by state party chief Satish Poonia and the other by former CM Raje. 

    Although Raje remained quiet for several weeks, her followers openly spoke against the party leadership in the state and last month. One of her loyalists, Rohitashv Sharma, was also expelled from the party for six years. A week ago, Raje hit back at the poster row for the first time and said, “I don’t believe in the politics of posters but want to live in the hearts of the people.” 

    BJP sources say the party’s central leadership is keeping its eyes on Rajasthan and sending teams to review and monitor the situation. While a few party veterans have already toured the state, Bhupender Yadav is now trying to balance the equations in the state BJP. 

  • NCP seeks sacking of Union minister Bhagawanth Khuba over celebratory firing incident in Karnataka

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Nationalist Congress Party on Thursday demanded that Union Minister of State Bhagawanth Khuba be sacked over celebratory firing during the BJP’s Jan Ashirwad Yatra in Karnataka.

    “Prime Minister Narendra Modi should immediately sack Union minister Khuba for organizing the Jan Ashirwad Yatra during which a very provocative incident of celebratory firing took place,” NCP spokesperson Mahesh Tapase said in a statement here.

    Two of the weapons seized by the police were unlicensed, he claimed, adding that the act “posed grave threat to the lives of bystanders”.

    “Why did police not intervene in time and seize the weapons during the Yatra? How can Khuba give justification that no live rounds were fired but only fire crackers were used when the videos clearly show evidence,” the NCP spokesperson asked.

    Khuba should take responsibility for the incident and resign, he demanded. Four people were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly firing in the air to welcome Khuba to Yadgir town in Karnataka.

  • Union ministers Mansukh Mandaviya, Parshottam Rupala begin ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ in Gujarat

    By PTI

    AHMEDABAD: Union ministers Mansukh Mandaviya and Parshottam Rupala embarked on a ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ in Gujarat on Thursday as part of the ruling BJP’s exercise to establish a dialogue with the common people and thank them for supporting the party in elections.

    Last week, the Gujarat BJP announced that five newly-inducted Union ministers from Gujarat, including Mandaviya and Rupala, will tour various parts of their home state from August 16 to 21. Rajya Sabha member and Union Health Minister Mandaviya started a vehicle rally on Thursday morning from Rajkot after addressing party workers at a hall in the city.

    The minister’s tour will end at his native place Bhavnagar on August 21 after covering several parts of Junagadh, Amreli and Botad.

    Another Rajya Sabha member and Union Minister of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Parshottam Rupala, commenced his journey from Unjha town in Mehsana district on Thursday after visiting the famous Umiya Mataji temple in Unjha.

    His cavalcade would cover parts of Morbi and Rajkot districts before culminating at his native place Amreli in Saurashtra region on August 21, said a release by the state BJP.

    Earlier, three other Union ministers from Gujarat – Mahendra Munjapara, Devusinh Chauhan and Darshana Jardosh – carried out their tours in the state over the last three days. Apart from thanking people for electing the BJP in elections held in the recent past, the yatras are also an exercise to establish a dialogue with people, the party release said.

    The BJP won by-elections to eight Gujarat Assembly seats held last year as well as polls to six municipal corporations and various other local bodies in the state earlier this year. The Gujarat Assembly elections are due in December next year.

  • Congress concerned with welfare of only one family: Jyotiraditya Scindia

    Under Modi #39;s leadership, the country is successfully curbing the spread of coronavirus, he said.

  • BJP begins ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ in Maharashtra

    By Express News Service

    MUMBAI: The BJP kick-started ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ in different parts of Maharashtra on Monday to spread the work of the BJP led central government.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his meeting with BJP members of parliament (MPs) had asked to reach out to the people and counter Opposition propaganda. He had asked them to inform people about the central government schemes and work done for the people during a pandemic.

    The 39 central cabinet ministers will participate in Jan Ashirwad Yatra at various points and address the people. Bharati  Pawar, the newly inducted minister for the state (health), said that they will take the Modi government’s work to people and expose the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) during this yatra.

    She said during a pandemic the Modi government tirelessly worked hard to help the people. 

    “We did not lag behind in extending the help to people during pandemic. The government started the free vaccinations, provided free ration and gas under the Ujjwala scheme.  All the good work credit goes to our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government ensured that no one gets deprived of the government’s welfare schemes,” Pawar said.

    She also said that the centre provided the highest number of vaccines to Maharashtra, but the Maha Vikas Aghadi could not use all given vaccines to vaccinate the people. 

    “The state government should not criticize the centre for not supplying the vaccines to Maharashtra. It has little truth, more propaganda in it. All ministers will take such kind of Yatra in their respective areas,” the minister said.

    She said that people should not see this as a political yatra but a social program to reach out to the masses.

  • With an eye on 2022 polls, BJP draws a major outreach programme

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: In a major outreach programme, the BJP has planned a nationwide ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ for all the new inductees in the Modi cabinet.

    The five-day yatra will kick start from different places on August 16 and will culminate on August 20.

    Covering a distance of over 3,500 km crisscrossing 36 Lok Sabha and more than 120 assembly constituencies in Uttar Pradesh, the ministers, mainly belonging to the state, will be conducting various meetings at public spaces, said the BJP official sources.

    As per the directives of the party’s national president JP Nadda, UP BJP general secretary and Member Legislative Council Govind Narayan Shukla has been made in charge of Jan Ashirwad Yatra in Uttar Pradesh. As per the schedule, the Minister of State for Development of North- Eastern Region and also Cooperation minister, BL Verma will lead ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ from Brij region comprising Vrindavan, Mathura on August 16. He will cover Mathura district and some assembly seats of the Agra city, Ghaziabad, Gautam Budh Nagar, Bulandshahr, and will culminate his journey at Budaun in western UP on August 19.

    Union Minister of State for Law and Justice, SP Singh Baghel will start the Yatra from Firozabad on August 18 and will end it in Mathura. On August 17, Union Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Bhanu Pratap Verma will start the yatra from Lalitpur and will reach Fatehpur on August 19 via Bundelkhand districts of Jhansi, Mahoba, Banda and will end in Chitrakoot.

    ALSO READ | 2022 UP polls: Challenges galore before Priyanka Gandhi as she gears up to revive Congress prospects

    The Mohanlalganj MP and Union Minister of State for Housing and Urban Affairs Kaushal Kishor will reach Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport in Lucknow on the morning of August 16 and will launch the Yatra from Mohan in Unnao on the same day.

    The yatra will end at Sitapur on August 18 via Unnao, Rae Bareli, and Barabanki in the Awadh region of the state.

    Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Ajay Mishra will reach Chaudhary Charan Singh Airport Lucknow on the morning of August 16 and will start his Jan Ashirwad Yatra from Sandila in Hardoi on the same day. This yatra will pass through Hardoi, Lakhimpur, Bahraich, Gonda, Ayodhya and will culminate at Ambedkar Nagar on August 19.

    Meanwhile Apna Dal (S) leader and Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Anupriya Patel will start the yatra from Prayagraj on August 18 and will end in Mirzapur, her parliamentary constituency on August 19. 

    At the same time, Union Minister Pankaj Chaudhary will also reach Lucknow in the morning on August 16 and will start the journey by reaching Basti via Barabanki and Ayodhya and this journey will end at Maharajganj via Basti and Siddharthnagar o August 18.