News Analysis India

Tag: Rajasthan

  • Infighting in Rajasthan BJP intensifies, Vasundhara Raje stays silent

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR:  The BJP infighting in Rajasthan has intensified following a clash between two senior leaders at the BJP Legislature Party meeting on Wednesday. 

    The sharp exchange involved former Speaker Kailash Meghwal and leader of the Opposition Gulab Chand Kataria, an RSS senior, who threatened to quit. Meghwal is considered close to former CM Vasundhara Raje, who was present when the altercation took place. She remained silent during the verbal duel. 

    In the battle of supremacy, the state BJP is torn between Raje loyalists and her RSS critics. Sources said in the Legislature Party meeting, Meghwal accused Kataria of bias while selecting party MLAs to speak in the Assembly. Last week he and 19 party MLAs had raised the issue in a letter to the state BJP chief.

    Meghwal questioned why the party had no chief whip in the Assembly. He raised the issue of the party’s ‘one person one post’ principle. He pointed out that the leader of Opposition was also chairman of the Public Accounts Committee and questioned why one was holding two posts.

    Kataria rejected the charge of discriminating against some MLAs, including Pratapsingh Singhvi (a signatory in the letter).

    “If you (Meghwal) have problems with me, inform those who gave me this responsibility. If need be, I will not take two minutes to resign. But I will serve the party with loyalty.”

    While the two senior leaders clashed, Vasundhara Raje kept her silence. Observers say the issue is not about speaking in the Assembly but is a test tool for the leadership conflict in the party.  

    Raje neither spoke in the core group meeting nor in the Legislature Party meeting. This is now being linked to the battle of leadership between the Raje and the RSS camps.

  • Rajasthan to present separate agriculture budget from next year: CM Gehlot

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday presented a “farmer-friendly” budget in the Rajasthan Assembly and announced that a separate ‘agriculture budget’ will be presented from next year. 

    In his budget speech, CM Gehlot listed a string of steps focused on providing big relief to farmers. He claimed that his government has waived off debts of over 20 lakh farmers amounting to Rs 8,000 crores. A total of over Rs 14,000 crore has already been spent on this, Gehlot said.

    The CM further said that his government is committed to a ‘One Time Settlement Scheme’ to waive off commercial loans of farmers.

    Gehlot said electricity bills for farmers would be sent only once in two months and the power connections would be specially provided to 50,000 farmers in the state. Over the next three years, an area of around 4.3 lakh hectares will be brought under the micro-irrigation sector. Automation will also be encouraged for which the budget is estimated at Rs 732 crores, the CM said.

    ALSO READ | Rajasthan govt to bring Universal Health Care scheme worth Rs 3,500 crore: CM Ashok Gehlot

    Gehlot said as per the new budget, mega food parks with a cost of Rs 200 crore and 1,000 Kisan Service Centers will come up in various districts. Solar pumps will also be provided to 50,000 farmers, and agricultural mandis will be modernized. Also, a farmer complex will be built in Jodhpur.

    Workers on MNREGA will get 200 days of employment instead of 100, Gehlot announced.

    He remarked, “Gandhi ji had said that the rich must realize that the soul of India resides in farmers. Keeping that in mind, our government has announced many steps to benefit farmers. Given their anger with the Centre’s farm laws, we had passed our own bills a few months ago and sent them to the Governor. It is in that spirit that our government has now initiated several steps to ensure a better future for farmers.”

    Gehlot’s budget also had a few special steps in the health sector. A Universal Health Care scheme worth Rs 3,500 crore will be started next year which will ensure universal health coverage. Under this scheme, every family in the state will get a medical insurance benefit of up to Rs 5 lakh. Gehlot said that a bill on ‘Right to Health’ will be introduced in the Assembly.

  • Mission Indradhanush 3.0 starts in Rajasthan

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: The first phase of Intensified Mission Indradhanush 3.0 started in Rajasthan from Monday to administer vaccines to pregnant women and children up to two years.

    According to a Health Department spokesperson, the campaign will run for 15 days in two phases as directed by the Centre.

    Vaccines will be provided free of cost to children and pregnant women who are deprived of regular vaccinations.

    Medical and Health Minister Raghu Sharma started the special vaccination campaign on Monday at a state-level function at the New Bapu Nagar Community Building in Bhilwara.

    Former Seeds Corporation chairperson Dharmendra Rathore and former minister Hari Sharma were also present and released two posters related to the campaign.

    In the first phase of the campaign, 24 districts of the state have been included and a total of 3,963 vaccination sessions will be organised in these districts.

    Medical and Health Secretary Siddharth Mahajan said a target had been set to protect 23,980 children and 6,268 pregnant women by administering vaccines.

    He said children and pregnant women who were deprived of vaccination due to the coronavirus pandemic will also be provided necessary vaccines.

  • Jilted lover threatens to shoot woman’s family, fires at police in Rajasthan’s Dholpur

    By PTI
    DHOLPUR: A high voltage drama was witnessed in Rajasthan’s Dholpur on Thursday when a jilted lover threatened to shoot the family of a woman if they did not send her with him.

    He also opened fire at police when they rushed to the spot but no one was injured.

    The accused was overpowered by commandos tactfully, SP Kesar Singh said.

    “Accused Akash Gurjar, aged around 22, reached the residence of the woman and threatened her family.

    “He was carrying a loaded countrymade pistol and threatened to kill them if they did not send her with him,” he said.

    The family rushed inside a room and closed the doors and called the SP following which an additional SP and a quick response team was rushed to the spot.

    The accused opened fire at police but the bullet missed the target.

    The accused, a bodybuilder, kept the weapon pointed at police all this while.

    However, he was convinced to lower the weapon.

    “The commandos handled the situation very tactfully and finally overpowered the accused after half an hour. Since it was a densely populated area, firing could have endangered the lives of others,” he said.

    The commandos overpowered the man and brought him to the police station where he was placed under arrest.

    Two FIRs were registered against him at the Nihal Ganj police station, one by the woman’s family and the other by police under relevant sections of the IPC and the Arms Act.

  • Rahul Gandhi’s trip does little to check factionalism in Rajasthan Congress

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: The political significance of Rahul Gandhi’s two-day trip in Rajasthan is now being discussed at length among political circles in Jaipur. While it may have led to a greater connect with farmers in the state, Rahul’s tour has hardly reduced the factionalism in the state Congress.

    Even a cursory look at Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Kisan Mahapanchayats’ in Rajasthan reflects the diminished stature for Sachin Pilot. Unlike earlier, Pilot was not made to sit beside Gandhi on the dais though CM Gehlot was seated next to Rahul in all rallies. Even the raising of hands in unity – with Gandhi in the center and Gehlot and Pilot on his two sides – was not seen at any rally on this tour.

    Instead of Pilot, it was the new Rajasthan PCC Chief Govind Singh Dotasra, who got more prominence on this trip of Rahul Gandhi. He not only sat beside Rahul on the dais but even travelled in the car with Gandhi along with CM Gehlot. Even during the tractor rally in Ajmer, it was Dotasara and Gehlot – and not Pilot – who were seated on the same tractor as Rahul Gandhi. Sources in the Congress say that Gehlot strategy in this tour was to promote Dotasra while Sachin’s stature is demoted.

    A Gehlot loyalist, on condition of anonymity, remarked, “Sachin Pilot held a series of farmer rallies before Rahul Ji’s visit and the Pilot camp had hoped that he would once again emerge as the second pole of Rajasthan Congress. But the Rahul Gandhi trip has dashed all those hopes. Ashok Gehlot has emerged stronger and as the unquestioned leader of the Congress in the desert state.”

    Political circles say that the Rahul trip has further strengthened the impression that Gehlot is providing able leadership in Rajasthan and his connect with the Gandhi family is a very special and strong bond.       

    Interestingly, at one rally where all leaders were seated on ‘charpais’ (cots) to create a rural ambience for the Mahapanchayat, the cot on which Pilot was sitting broke down. This too is being used by Gehlot loyalists to make critical comments on Pilot as they question why is it that ‘charpai’ of Sachin broke down – a clever effort to link this freak incident with Pilot’s sliding stars.

    While not many from the Pilot camp are willing to discuss these issues, they insist that the changed situations in the Rahul trip were only in accordance with party protocols. Since Pilot is no longer PCC Chief or Deputy CM, he could not be given any special treatment. But they argue that there is no decline in Pilot’s standing or rapport with the Gandhis and that all will be fine once the political appointments, including in the Gehlot ministry, are undertaken in the near future.

  • Farm laws will render 40% of people jobless: Rahul Gandhi at Rajasthan Kisan Mahapanchayat

    Express News Service
    JAIPUR: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a scathing attack on Modi government over farm laws as he began his two-day visit to Rajasthan on Friday. 

    Addressing a ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ at Pilibanga in Hanumangarh, Gandhi reiterated his ‘hum do humaare do’ comment. 

    The farm laws will benefit only a couple of big corporates and render 40% of people jobless, Gandhi said and added that farmers agitation had now spread all over India. Congress party would support farmers till the Modi government repeals the three farm laws, Gandhi further said.

    An aggressive Rahul argued: Agriculture is the largest business in India because it provides food to crores. “40% of India’s population runs this business in the country. These are farmers, labourers, small shopkeepers, and arthiyas. Congress has always tried to ensure that this business is never controlled by just one person.” 

    Gandhi added that the farm laws are designed to snatch agriculture from the 40% of people who currently earn a living from it. The real intent behind these laws is to ‘transfer agriculture into the hands of two to three wealthy businessmen,’ Gandhi thundered.

    ALSO READ | Ask your grandfather who gave up Indian territory to China: MoS Kishan Reddy to Rahul Gandhi

    “The first law will destroy the mandis. The second law will enable the hoarding of agricultural products. The third law will not allow the farmer to go to court if he asks for the right price for his produce.”

    Gandhi addressed another rally at Padampur in Sri Ganganagar district where all leaders on the stage sat not on chairs but on ‘charpais’ (cots) to create a rural ambience for the Mahapanchayat.

    Gandhi said: “Modiji says that we want to speak with farmers but we want to know what do you want to talk about? Repeal the Farm laws and farmers will speak with you. How can farmers talk when you (the PM) are taking away their land and future? Take back the laws first, then try to talk”.

    Gandhi also accused PM Modi of ceding Indian territory to China. “While Narendra Modi has handed over India’s territory and cannot stand up to China, he is standing like a wall against the interests of farmers and labourers.” 

    The Congress leader assured farmers that the Congress would stand with farmers till the laws are repealed. He ended his speech with loud, ‘Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan’ slogans.

    Pilot ‘not allowed’ to speak during Rahul’s tour

    Political circles in Rajasthan abuzz with talk of Congress leader Sachin Pilot being apparently sidelined during his colleague Rahul Gandhi’s tour of the state that began on Friday. Though Pilot was present on the stage with Gandhi, he did not address the ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ in Hanumangarh. He, howeve, spoke briefly in Sri Ganganagar.

    ‘Trudeau lauded India for holding talks with farmers’

    India on Friday said the Canadian PM commended New Delhi’s efforts to maintain dialogue with the farmers. “On the protests, Trudeau commended efforts of the government to choose the path of dialogue as befitting in democracy,” MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said.

  • Three dead, 22 injured as bus overturns in Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: Three passengers were killed and 22 others injured when a bus overturned while its driver was trying to save a motorcyclist in Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh district, police said.

    The accident occurred near Rithola crossing when the bus was on the way from Bhilwara to Udaipur, they said.

    While trying to avoid hitting the bike, the bus driver lost control over the wheels.

    Three passengers in the bus died on the spot and 22 others were injured, two of them referred to Udaipur for treatment, police said.

    The other injured were rushed to Sanwalia hospital in Chittorgarh, they said.

  • Rajasthan woman loses Rs 12 lakh in horse-trading, told she was buying one owned by Salman Khan

    By PTI
    JODHPUR: A Rajasthan woman here claims to have been duped of Rs 12 lakh by three fraudsters who offered to sell her a horse owned by actor Salman Khan.

    She gave them the money — Rs 11 lakh in cash and the rest through a cheque — but was delivered no horse, according to the complaint she made to police.

    The woman also approached court seeking a “fair and impartial” investigation.

    The Rajasthan High Court Thursday disposed of her petition.

    It asked her to submit her case to the concerned deputy commissioner of police, with a direction to him to decide strictly in accordance with law.

    Salman Khan is reputed to be a horse-lover and in the past has posted pictures indicating this on social media.

    Nirbhay Singh, Rajpreet and another person also allegedly showed Santosh Bhati a picture of the actor with a horse at his farmhouse and told her that this horse was available for sale, the petitioner’s counsel P D Dave said, referring to her complaint.

    The suspects convinced Bhati that they are known to the actor and have sold some of his horses earlier.

    They told her that Khan wanted to sell the horse and she will be able to rack up huge profit by selling the horse after purchasing, according to Dave.

    Bhati accepted the deal and handed them Rs 12 lakh as the price of the horse, but when they did not hand her the delivery, she filed a complaint with the police last August, he said.

    After no action was allegedly taken on her complaint, the woman moved a petition at the high court in Jodhpur seeking direction to the police to conduct a fair and expedited investigation into the matter.

    During the hearing, Additional Advocate General Farzand Ali argued before the single-judge bench that the police were already conducting a fair investigation and if any material was brought on record by the petitioner, it would be considered strictly in accordance with the law before completion of the investigation.

    Justice P S Bhati disposed of the petition with direction to the petitioner to submit a representation with the concerned deputy commissioner of police who would decide it in accordance with the law.

  • Ajay Maken takes stock of preparations in Rajasthan’s Kishangarh ahead of Rahul Gandhi’s rallies

    By PTI
    JAIPUR: Congress national secretary Ajay Maken arrived in Kishangarh on Wednesday to take stock of the preparations ahead of party leader Rahul Gandhi’s proposed farmers’ rallies in Ajmer and Nagaur.

    Gandhi will be on a two-day Rajasthan tour starting February 12.

    He will hold farmers’ rallies in Pilibanga of Hanumangarh and Padampur of Sriganganagar on February 12.

    The Congress leader will address rallies in Kishangarh of Ajmer and Nagaur on February 13.

    He will also offer prayers at the Tejaji temple.

    Maken was accompanied by former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot and Congress state president Govind Singh Dotasra along with other local leaders.

  • Auto driver, accomplice rape Rajasthan woman in Haryana’s Rewari: Police

    A woman from Rajasthan was allegedly raped by an autorickshaw driver and his accomplice in Haryana #39;s Rewari.