News Analysis India

Tag: Raman Singh

  • Raman Singh: Chhattisgarh: Former CM Raman Singh resigns as BJP VP

    After filing his nomination for the post of Speaker in the newly-elected legislative assembly of Chhattisgarh, former CM Raman Singh resigned from the post of National Vice President of the Bhartiya Janata Party on Sunday.

    “At present, I am discharging the post of National Vice President of the Bharatiya Janata Party but I have been nominated by the party for the post of Chhattisgarh Assembly Speaker. Therefore, I respectfully submit my resignation from the National Vice President of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Please accept my resignation,” Raman Singh wrote in his resignation letter addressed to BJP Chief JP Nadda.

    After submitting his nomination papers, Raman Singh said, “I will ensure the proper functioning of the Vidha Sabha and that all issues for the welfare of Chhattisgarh are raised.”Former Chhattisgarh CM and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel was also present at the time of the nomination.

    Meanwhile, senior BJP MLA Ramvichar Netam took the oath as the pro-tem Speaker of the newly-elected Chhattisgarh legislative assembly on Sunday.

    Pro-tem speaker is a temporary position of a speaker appointed for a limited period of time to facilitate the conduct of the business of the House in the absence of a regular speaker.Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan administered the oath of office to Netam at a function held at Raj Bhavan in the state capital.Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai was also present on the occasion.

    After taking the oath of office, Netam said, “Many best wishes and gratitude to all for providing me with this opportunity. This is a great honour and achievement in my life. I will delicately fulfil all the duties of a protem speaker.”

    Ramvichar Netam is an MLA from the Ramanujganj constituency.

    The polling in the state was held in two phases, with the first on November 7 featuring 223 candidates and the second seeing 958 candidates put their electoral fates to the test on November 17.

    Of the 90 assembly constituencies in Chhattisgarh, the BJP bagged 54 while the Congress won 35.

  • Shivraj Singh Chouhan breaks Raman Singh’s record to become longest-serving BJP CM

    By PTI

    BHOPAL: This year’s Holi is special for Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as he has achieved the distinction of being the longest-serving BJP chief minister.

    On Thursday, he broke a record which had been held by former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh.

    While Raman Singh, who was chief minister for three consecutive terms, remained in the post for fifteen years and ten days, 63-year-old Chouhan has now surpassed him.

    The Madhya Pradesh CM’s tenure, however, has not been unbroken: he was out of power for fifteen months as Congress formed government under Kamal Nath’s leadership after the 2018 Assembly polls.

    As far as Madhya Pradesh is concerned, Chouhan has another record under his belt.

    On November 19, 2015, when he completed ten years in office, he became the first non-Congress chief minister of the state to do so.

    Then he went on to become the longest-serving chief minister of MP by breaking the record of Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh who had ruled from 1993 to 2003.

    Chouhan became chief minister for the first time on November 29, 2005, after BJP leaders Uma Bharti and Babulal Gaur had to step down in a span of two years following controversies.

    He quickly consolidated his position and led the party to victories in 2008 and 2013 Assembly elections.

    But in the next election, the BJP fell short of the majority mark by a whisker and Chouhan resigned on December 12, 2018, making way for Congress’ Kamal Nath.

    Nath, however, had to step down on March 20, 2020, after his government was reduced to minority as Jyotiraditya Scindia quit Congress and his loyalist MLAs resigned.

    Three days later, Chouhan became chief minister for the fourth time.

    At present he seems to be firmly in saddle, but whether he will lead the party in 2023 elections is an open question as a rival has emerged in the shape of Union Civil Aviation Minister Scindia.

    State BJP spokesperson Pankaj Chaturvedi said Chouhan’s biggest asset is his humbleness.

    “He is a successful CM because he works for people by remaining in their midst. He works for people’s welfare day in and day out,” Chaturvedi added.

    Chouhan celebrated Holi on Friday at his official residence here, greeting people with his wife Sadhana by his side.

    The chief minister smeared `gulal’ colour on visitors’ faces and was also seen dancing and singing Holi songs.

    He also planted a sapling at the Smart City Park.

  • SC dismisses Chhattisgarh government’s pleas in toolkit case against ex-CM Raman Singh, Sambit Patra

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Wednesday refused to entertain two separate appeals of the Chhattisgarh government against orders of the high court granting a stay on investigation in an FIR registered against senior BJP leader and former chief minister Raman Singh and the party’s spokesperson Sambit Patra for their tweets in connection with the alleged fake toolkit case.

    “Let the Chhattisgarh High Court decide the case,” a bench headed by Chief Justice NV Ramana said.

    The bench, also comprising justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli, said that the present cases cannot be granted separate treatment as there are many cases pertaining to the toolkit issue that are pending in various high courts.

    “Don’t waste your energy here. We are not inclined to entertain the special leave petitions. We dismiss the SLPs,” the bench said when senior advocate AM Singhvi, appearing for the state, wanted to refer to records of the case.

    The apex court requested the Chhattisgarh HC to decide expeditiously the pleas related to the fake toolkit case, saying the matters be decided without being influenced by earlier observations.

    The Chhattisgarh High Court on June 11 passed two separate orders and granted interim reliefs in the same FIR lodged against Singh and Patra while noting that averments in the FIR reflected that “by the tweets, Congressmen are aggravated which clearly indicates that no public peace or tranquillity is being adversely affected and it is purely political rivalry between two political parties”.

    On May 19, an FIR was lodged based on the complaint of Akash Sharma, the president of the National Students’ Union of India’s (NSUI) Chhattisgarh unit, with the allegation that Singh, Patra and others had circulated fabricated content on social media platforms using a fake letterhead of the Congress by projecting it as a toolkit developed by the party.

  • Most churches built in Chhattisgarh during BJP regime: CM Bhupesh Baghel

    By Express News Service

    RAIPUR: The ruling Congress and opposition BJP in Chhattisgarh are now holding each other responsible for the existing number of Churches in the state. 

    CM Bhupesh Baghel had on Wednesday dismissed BJP’s allegations of rising religious conversion under his government and said the maximum number of churches were constructed under the BJP rule in the state.

    “Media reports on BJP Chintan Shivir highlight that the 15-year misrule of Raman Singh is being discussed. Religious conversion is also part of this discussion. Records show that the maximum number of churches were constructed under BJP rule in Chhattisgarh,” Baghel had said addressing a media query regarding BJP’s allegation.

    “BJP is desperate to return to the power in the state and so they are endevouring to raise the issue of religious conversion which they also discussed in their Chintan shivir (brainstorming session) of their senior leaders at Bastar. But in Chhattisgarh, the maximum number of churches were built during earlier 15-year-rule of Raman Raj (BJP)”, the CM said and claimed that any religious conversion if happening is only voluntarily. 

    “Let them bring a single case of religious conversion either by force or allurement, the state government will take action”, Baghel challenged the BJP.

    However, the opposition strongly countered Baghel saying that when the Congress leaders were knowing about the growing numbers of churches, why they had not raised the issue earlier.

    “Everyone knows under whose regime there has been an increase in religious conversion or the churches. Why the Congress leaders never discussed these issues in the Assembly or elsewhere? As an opposition we deliberated on religious conversion in the House and demanded to put a stop to it,” said Raman Singh, former CM, and BJP national vice-president.

    The Christian community is not happy with both the political parties for turning their worshipping place as the “political focal point”. 

    “It’s really sad. All these arguments seem to be the politically-motivated game plan. The Christian community of the state and church was used as a football by the parties. The number of Christians had actually decreased as per the census. So where does the question of religious conversion arise? Raking up such an issue may give the parties some short-term political gain but without ensuring peace how can the nation progress? What the church, that never receives any government funds, has to do with its development?”, asked Victor Henry, the Arch Bishop (Chhattisgarh) while talking to The New Indian Express.

    “Is our religious place of worship illegal or unconstitutional structure and building it is a criminal act? The Christians are deeply upset and feel insecure over such political feuds seen in the number of churches in Chhattisgarh. What’s the problem if more churches came up during the BJP’s rule”,  asserted Arun Pannalal, president of Chhattisgarh Christian Forum.

  • Sambit Patra, Raman Singh seek quashing of ‘Toolkit’ FIR against them

    By Express News Service
    RAIPUR: Former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh and BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra moved the Bilaspur High Court, seeking to quash an FIR lodged against them. Their counsel Vivek Sharma claimed that the “FIRs were falsely registered against both at the Raipur police station”.

    “The basis on which the cases were registered in the Toolkit issue is already in the public domain and the petitioners had only commented on the existing digital record. So there does not remain any reason against them to pursue any probe or legal proceedings,” he said. The court is yet to decide on the date of hearing. 

    Last month, the Raipur police had registered FIR against Patra and Raman Singh under IPC sections 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 505 (1b,c) (publishing or circulating statements or rumours conducing to public mischief), 469 (commits forgery) and 188 (for flouting orders under Epidemic Diseases Act 1897).

    Sambit Patra tweeting a post alleging Congress to have drafted a toolkit to malign the Centre’s image was branded as ‘manipulated media’ by Twitter, leading to Delhi Police landing at its offices as part of probe.

  • Sonia, Rahul directed Chhattisgarh CM to file FIR against us, says Raman Singh

    By ANI
    RAIPUR: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) National Vice President and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh on Monday alleged that the FIR registered against him in the alleged toolkit case was done on the direction of Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

    Addressing media here, the former chief minister said: “An FIR was filed on Sambit Patra and myself, as the Congress plan to tarnish the image of the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi was busted. The planning… was not done through Civil Line police station but from the Congress party office.”

    “Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi directed Chhattisgarh CM to file an FIR against us,” the BJP Vice President alleged.

    “All the allegations against us will be rendered null and void when we go to court. We will definitely present before the court and share our opinion strongly. We will take this matter to court,” Singh said.

    The former chief minister along with BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra have been summoned in court today after an FIR was filed on May 19 against them on a complaint registered by Chhattisgarh National Students’ Union of India president Akash Sharma, the student wing of the Congress.

    Singh along with other party leaders on Monday held a protest outside Civil Lines Police Station here.

    BJP had on May 18, slammed Congress for its “toolkit on COVID-19 pandemic”.

    Addressing the media BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra alleged that the toolkit contains instructions for social media volunteers of Congress to call the new COVID-19 mutant as “Indian strain” or “Modi strain” against the World Health Organization (WHO)’s instructions.

    Congress,however, denied the allegations and wrote to Delhi Police Commissioner seeking registration of FIR against Patra, BJP president JP Nadda, Union Minister Smriti Irani, party leader BL Santhosh and others alleging that they had shared “forged and fabricated documents with the intent to create communal disharmony and civil unrest” and to “divert attention from Modi government’s failure in providing necessary aid to people amidst the current pandemic”.

    The complaint was made after remarks by BJP leaders on social media with the hashtag #CongressToolkitExposed in which they accused Congress of spreading “false, negative news and stirring up discontent”. (ANI)

  • After FIR in toolkit case, Raman Singh, BJP leaders hold protest outside police station in Raipur

    By ANI
    RAIPUR: After FIR was registered against him in the alleged toolkit case, BJP National Vice President and former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh along with other party leaders on Monday held a protest outside Civil Lines Police Station here.

    An FIR has been registered against Raman Singh and BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra in the alleged toolkit case. They were summoned in the case today.

    “An FIR has been registered against BJP’s National Vice President Raman Singh and BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra. They both have been summoned for further investigation,” Raipur Civil Lines Police SHO RK Mishra had said.

    “Today, we have asked Sambit Patra to be present here in person or via video conference. The complaint was registered by Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress NSUI president,” he added.

    This comes after an FIR was filed on May 19 against Patra and BJP Vice President Raman Singh after a complaint was registered by Chhattisgarh National Students’ Union of India president Akash Sharma, the student wing of the Congress.

    Speaking to ANI earlier, the NSUI president said that he had filed the complaint regarding the ‘toolkit’ that BJP leaders had shared online.

    “The police investigated and an FIR has been filed. In this, Singh and Patra have shared a fake document to defame the Congress party. They have made several false allegations,” Sharma.

    He further alleged that members of the BJP were spreading rumours to hide their failure in managing the COVID-19 pandemic.

    The BJP had alleged that the Congress party has come out with a toolkit to tarnish Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s image and his government’s handling of the pandemic. 

  • ‘Toolkit’ issue: NSUI files FIR against BJP leaders Raman Singh, Sambit Patra in Raipur

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Congress’ students wing, NSUI on Wednesday lodged an FIR here against former Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh and BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra over the ‘toolkit issue’ for allegedly “forging” the letterhead of AICC Research Department and printing “false and fabricated” content.

    The BJP had hit out at the Congress on Tuesday over an alleged toolkit of the opposition party, saying it wants to tarnish the image of the country and Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling the new strain of the coronavirus the “India strain” or the “Modi strain”.

    The Congress had accused the BJP of propagating a “fake toolkit” to defame it.

    The case for `spreading fake news’ and “promoting enmity between classes’ was filed at Civil Lines police station on the complaint of Akash Sharma, state chief of the National Students Union of India.

    Sharma alleged that BJP leaders circulated fabricated content using a fake letterhead.

    The purpose of spreading this fake content was to divert the attention from the Modi Government’s mammoth failure to help people during the coronavirus pandemic, alleged Sharma.

    The case was registered under IPC sections 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 505(1)(b) (circulating rumour or report with intent to cause fear or alarm).

    The opposition BJP in the state said the Congress’s attempt to save its face by registering an FIR will not work.

    Senior BJP MLA Brijmohan Agrawal said the Congress had allegedly created a toolkit to defame the prime minister and the country.

    When it was exposed, it was trying to save its face by lodging FIRs, he said.

  • Will Trivendra Rawat be axed? Uttarkhand CM meets BJP top brass amid questions over his future

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI/DEHRADUN: Taking a grim view of the poll prospects in Uttarakhand next year, the BJP is exploring leadership change in the hill state, while incumbent Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat is camped in Delhi trying to somehow avert his ouster. The BJP is likely to name Rawat’s successor after calling a meeting of all legislators in Dehradun.

    Union home minister  Amit Shah is learnt to be acting on a report given by party vice president Raman Singh who was sent to Dehradun on Saturday as a Central observer along with party leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam. BJP chief J P Nadda has also reportedly briefed Shah about the Uttarakhand situation. Later, Rawat met Nadda. 

    The embattled CM also called on the BJP media head and the Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni at his residence on Monday evening. Baluni, who is known to enjoy the trust of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah, is also reckoned as a contender for the chief minister’s position. 

    “Leadership change appears imminent, for the BJP doesn’t want to repeat the Jharkhand experience when it persisted with the chief minister despite adverse reports against Raghubar Das. A section of the BJP MLAs in Uttarakhand has been up in arms against Rawat due to his working style,” said a senior BJP functionary.

    However, another section of the senior party leaders discounted the possibility of any leadership change in the state while acknowledging that a section of Uttarakhand leaders may have issues with the chief minister.

    BJP MP Ajay Bhatt, a senior party leader from the state, told PTI that “all is well” in the state and added that the two central leaders had visited Uttarakhand regarding preparations for the three-day state BJP executive meeting from March 12 and the Rawat government’s fourth anniversary on March 18.

    Gautam had also spoken on similar lines on Sunday.

    The state BJP on Monday said there has been no formal announcement about any meeting of the legislature party in Uttarakhand on Tuesday.

    “As far as my knowledge goes, no formal announcement has been made yet about any state legislature party meeting here tomorrow,” state BJP Chief Spokesman Munna Singh Chauhan told PTI in Dehradun.

    However, when asked whether a major change was in the offing as the sudden turn of events on the political front in Uttarakhand indicated, Chauhan briefly said, “Let us see.”

    He said the chief minister would return to Dehradun at noon on Tuesday.

    A section of state leaders are reportedly miffed with Rawat’s leadership and are of the view that the party’s electoral prospects under him may not be very bright.

    The party may also go for a cabinet reshuffle in the state, sources said.

    Rawat was named the chief ministerial candidate by the BJP after it stormed to power in 2017, winning 57 of 70 seats in the state assembly.

    Union education minister Ramesh Pokhriyal “Nishank” is seen as a frontrunner to replace Rawat. Nishank counts on the support of RSS leaders and the top BJP leadership. State BJP chief Ajay Bhatt and Uttarakhand minister Satpal Maharaj are also nursing CM ambitions, sources said.

    “The immediate trigger was the police caning in Gairsain against people who were protesting against the widening of a road,” sources said.  

    Why he’s a liability?

    While the trend is to vote out the incumbent government, the BJP is keen to reverse it. The CM’s over -centralisation and lack of access to MLAs may play the spoiler, party leaders feel.

    Rawat is also accused of not addressed the concerns of people hit by infrastructure projects, including roads and highways.

    (With PTI Inputs)

  • Article :- Congress ke liye Kraantikaaree Naksalee Dhamakiyon ke Baavajood

    Raman Singh, enthused by more than 70 percent voting in Chhattisgarh, claimed 14 seats in the first round

    Polling for the first phase of Chhattisgarh assembly has ended. Voted 18 assembly seats in the state. Voting was done on 12 seats of Naxal-affected Bastar and 6 in Rajnandgaon. This time, there was a lot of voting on Naxal-affected seats and many records were broken.

    Election commissioner Umesh Sinha said that a total of 304 complaints have been received, some of which were found by CWill Apes. Election Commission has thanked the security forces and the media for peaceful polling. Election Commission said that 70 percent voting has been received so far in the state. Final voting figures are yet to come.

    It is clear from this that polling has more than 70 percent. Heavy polling indicates that the threats of the Maoists who were telling the Congress star campaigner Raj Babbar revolutionary have not affected the voters. Encouraged by this, there has been a lot of truth in the claim that CM Raman Singh of Chhattisgarh has increased the 14 seats.

    • Children from Pochapani village of Naxal-affected Chakulia in Jharkhand carry arrows and arrows while going to school so that they can defend themselves in case of Naxalite attack. Local people say, ‘Children have to go through the forest area where many Naxalites have been seen.’
    Won democracy: Voting of surrender naxal couple Chief Election Commissioner OP Rawat said, “Nearly 900 polling personnel were transported through a helicopter so that they could be safely reached. 16,500 polling workers have reached polling station by road. I think all are in the situation that voting can be done peacefully. ”

    103-year-old Soni Bai put the votes cast in Sukma Sony Bai’s son arrived in his lap with poling station The crowd is crowded out of the polling booths
    • A 100-year-old woman who came to vote in Dronapal polling station of Sukma, a Naxal affected district.

    Elections in the first phase of Tatsagarh assembly elections have ended. Encounter with the DPG team and the Naxalites, bringing the police back to the polling party. There are 2 Naxalites in this encounter. During the voting, the Maoists tried to create violence but did not succeed.

    The deceased have been identified as Mitu and Joga. Both were working in Kangar Valley of Naxalite Darbhav Division of the deceased. Superintendent of Police Abhishek Meena has confirmed this incident. There was an encounter between the soldiers and the Maoists in Chintanar at 5:30 in the evening.

    Polls have ended for the first phase of Chhattisgarh assembly elections. Strict security arrangements were made. The Election Commission announced dates on October 6. This is the fourth assembly election in Chhattisgarh. The state is going to choose its government for the fourth time.
    Nearly one lakh soldiers of the security force were deployed for the first phase of the assembly elections in Chhattisgarh. In the state, the Maoists have opposed the election and have carried out many incidents in the last 15 days.