News Analysis India

Tag: Varun Gandhi

  • ‘Happy To Be In BJP’: Maneka Gandhi’s First Reaction After Son Varun Gandhi Denied Ticket From Pilibhit |

    Sultanpur: Days after BJP MP Varun Gandhi was denied a ticket from his constituency, his mother and BJP MP Maneka Gandhi, on her 10-day visit to Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur, broke silence and expressed happiness to be a part of the party. On being asked what Varun Gandhi would do now, she replied, “Ask him what he wants to do. We will consider this after the elections. There is time.”

    “I am very happy that I am in the BJP. I thank Amit Shah, PM Modi and JP Nadda Ji for giving me the ticket. The ticket was announced very late, so there was a dilemma as to where I should fight. From Pilibhit or Sultanpur. I am grateful for the decision the party has taken now,” she said.

    She further added, “I am very happy that I came back to Sultanpur because this place has a history where no MP came back into power again in Sultanpur.”

    It was her first visit to Sultanpur after getting the ticket. On her 10-day visit to the district, she will pay a visit to 101 villages of the entire Lok Sabha constituency.

    She was given a warm welcome by the party leaders and workers at various places like Katka Guptarganj, Tatianagar, Tedhui, Golaghat, Shahganj Square, Dariyapur Tiraha and Payagipur Square.

    During this, Maneka Gandhi also paid respect to the statues of Shyama Prasad Mukherjee and Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay.

    BJP District President Dr RA Verma, BJP State Minister Meena Choubey, Lok Sabha in-charge Durgesh Tripathi, Lok Sabha convenor Jagjit Singh Changu, MLA Raj Prasad Upadhyay, MLA Rajesh Gautam, and spokesperson Vijay Raghuvanshi, were present.

    Earlier, Varun Gandhi penned a heartfelt letter to the people of his constituency, saying that his relationship with Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit will not end till his last breath. Varun Gandhi recalled fond memories dating back to his childhood when he first set foot in the region. In his heartfelt message, he also reflected on how the land had become not just his workplace but also a cherished part of his identity, with its people forming an integral aspect of his life’s journey.

    Despite the political setback of not securing a ticket, Varun Gandhi vowed to continue serving the community. “If not as an MP, then as a son, I am committed to serve you throughout my life and my doors will always remain open for you as before.”

    The Pilibhit seat has remained with Maneka Gandhi or her son Varun Gandhi since 1996. Varun Gandhi won the seat in 2009 and 2019 as a BJP candidate.

  • Lucknow diary: LU to collaborate with SAARC nations 

    Express News Service

    LU to collaborate with SAARC nations 

    In a significant move towards promoting regional cooperation and knowledge exchange, Lucknow university is embarking on a path of collaboration to benefit students, faculty, and researchers alike. To provide the students international exposure and experience, Lucknow University is set to foster academic and research ties with South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations. The endeavour will expose the students to diverse cultures, languages and traditions, making it a fertile ground for academic exploration and cross-cultural understanding.

    New initiative kindles light of education

    UP government begins Atal Residential Schools (ARS), a key pro-rural and pro-poor initiative to empower minds and transform lives of children who lost their parents in pandemic. ARS will also offer better educational facilities to children of socially and financially backwards and deprived class. Conceived on the lines of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, ARSs are built to provide excellent residential facilities and quality education free of cost to the children. The state government had allocated `1,200 crore in this year’s budget for the project which covers all 18 divisions of the state in the initial phase. Later, each district will have one school.

    Varun Gandhi creates another stir in party

    After keeping quiet for some time, BJP MP from Pilibhit, Varun Gandhi has rubbed his own party’s government the wrong way by writing to UP deputy CM and state health minister Brajesh Pathak seeking reconsideration of suspension of licence of Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Amethi following the death of a 22-year-old owing to alleged medical negligence. The BJP MP said that the suspension would have far-reaching implications for the region’s health care access as people are dependent on hospital for primary health care services.

    LU to collaborate with SAARC nations 

    In a significant move towards promoting regional cooperation and knowledge exchange, Lucknow university is embarking on a path of collaboration to benefit students, faculty, and researchers alike. To provide the students international exposure and experience, Lucknow University is set to foster academic and research ties with South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations. The endeavour will expose the students to diverse cultures, languages and traditions, making it a fertile ground for academic exploration and cross-cultural understanding.

    New initiative kindles light of educationgoogletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    UP government begins Atal Residential Schools (ARS), a key pro-rural and pro-poor initiative to empower minds and transform lives of children who lost their parents in pandemic. ARS will also offer better educational facilities to children of socially and financially backwards and deprived class. Conceived on the lines of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas, ARSs are built to provide excellent residential facilities and quality education free of cost to the children. The state government had allocated `1,200 crore in this year’s budget for the project which covers all 18 divisions of the state in the initial phase. Later, each district will have one school.

    Varun Gandhi creates another stir in party

    After keeping quiet for some time, BJP MP from Pilibhit, Varun Gandhi has rubbed his own party’s government the wrong way by writing to UP deputy CM and state health minister Brajesh Pathak seeking reconsideration of suspension of licence of Sanjay Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Amethi following the death of a 22-year-old owing to alleged medical negligence. The BJP MP said that the suspension would have far-reaching implications for the region’s health care access as people are dependent on hospital for primary health care services.

  • No patient benefitted from health ministry scheme to treat rare disease: Varun Gandhi to Mandaviya

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: No patient has so far benefitted from a health ministry scheme which assures an assistance of Rs 50 lakh to people with rare diseases, BJP MP Varun Gandhi said on Saturday, warning that it endangers the lives of 432 patients, mainly children below six years of age.

    Ten children have died waiting for treatment, he tweeted, urging Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to act immediately by clearing these payments.

    In a letter to Mandaviya, Gandhi noted that the ‘National Policy for Rare Diseases, 2021’ was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on March 30, 2021 to save the lives of patients suffering from rare diseases.

    According to an amendment made to this in May, 2022, all groups of rare disease patients were assured a financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh for treatment, he said.

    However, he said in the letter, even after several months of the announcement, not a single patient has been able to reap the benefits of this scheme, “threatening the survival of 432 patients, mainly children below six years of age”.

    Most of these children suffer from Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSD) such as gaucher, pompe, MPS I, MPS II and fabry disease, he said.

    According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare crowdfunding platform, around 208 Lysosomal Storage Disorder patients can immediately be put on therapy since the Drugs Controller General of India-approved treatments for most of these diseases have been available in India for many yeas, Gandhi said.

    Despite several reminders from the ministry, he said, the 10 Centers of Excellence (CoEs) constituted under the policy are yet to seek financial assistance for patients with rare diseases.

    According to organisations committed to the cause of rare disease patients, more than half of the CoEs have not sent a single treatment request to the health ministry, he added.

    “Over ten children have lost their lives while waiting for treatment. Therefore, I request that the treatment of these 208 children at the Centres of Excellence start immediately. I hope you will consider this matter seriously as any delay in this regard will result in the loss of lives of many more children,” he said.

    NEW DELHI: No patient has so far benefitted from a health ministry scheme which assures an assistance of Rs 50 lakh to people with rare diseases, BJP MP Varun Gandhi said on Saturday, warning that it endangers the lives of 432 patients, mainly children below six years of age.

    Ten children have died waiting for treatment, he tweeted, urging Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya to act immediately by clearing these payments.

    In a letter to Mandaviya, Gandhi noted that the ‘National Policy for Rare Diseases, 2021’ was launched by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on March 30, 2021 to save the lives of patients suffering from rare diseases.

    According to an amendment made to this in May, 2022, all groups of rare disease patients were assured a financial assistance of Rs 50 lakh for treatment, he said.

    However, he said in the letter, even after several months of the announcement, not a single patient has been able to reap the benefits of this scheme, “threatening the survival of 432 patients, mainly children below six years of age”.

    Most of these children suffer from Lysosomal Storage Disorders (LSD) such as gaucher, pompe, MPS I, MPS II and fabry disease, he said.

    According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare crowdfunding platform, around 208 Lysosomal Storage Disorder patients can immediately be put on therapy since the Drugs Controller General of India-approved treatments for most of these diseases have been available in India for many yeas, Gandhi said.

    Despite several reminders from the ministry, he said, the 10 Centers of Excellence (CoEs) constituted under the policy are yet to seek financial assistance for patients with rare diseases.

    According to organisations committed to the cause of rare disease patients, more than half of the CoEs have not sent a single treatment request to the health ministry, he added.

    “Over ten children have lost their lives while waiting for treatment. Therefore, I request that the treatment of these 208 children at the Centres of Excellence start immediately. I hope you will consider this matter seriously as any delay in this regard will result in the loss of lives of many more children,” he said.

  • If Agniveers don’t get pension, why should public representatives: BJP MP Varun Gandhi

    By PTI

    PILIBHIT: In his fresh criticism of the Centre’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme, BJP MP Varun Gandhi Friday said if those recruited in the armed forces under this initiative are not eligible for a pension, then why should public representatives get this post-retirement benefit.

    Gandhi has been questioning the ‘Agnipath’ scheme since it was unveiled on June 14 by the Centre. The scheme envisages recruiting young soldiers on a contractual basis for four years and retire 75 per cent of them without pension and health benefits.

    अल्पावधि की सेवा करने वाले अग्निवीर पेंशन के हकदार नही हैं तो जनप्रतिनिधियों को यह ‘सहूलियत’ क्यूँ?राष्ट्ररक्षकों को पेन्शन का अधिकार नही है तो मैं भी खुद की पेन्शन छोड़ने को तैयार हूँ।क्या हम विधायक/सांसद अपनी पेन्शन छोड़ यह नही सुनिश्चित कर सकते कि अग्निवीरों को पेंशन मिले?
    — Varun Gandhi (@varungandhi80) June 24, 2022
    However, it assures them of an exit package of Rs 11.70 lakh. “If Agniveers who serve for a short period of time are not entitled to a pension, then why this ‘facility’ should be for public representatives? If those who protect the country do not have the right to pension then I am also ready to forego mine,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.

    “Can we, the MLA/sMPs, give up our pension to ensure that Agniveers get a pension,” he said. Earlier, he had extended support to students protesting against the Agnipath defence recruitment scheme, but had urged them to follow the path of non-violence.

  • ‘Agnipath’ will give rise to more disaffection in youth: BJP MP Varun Gandhi to Rajnath Singh 

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Questioning various provisions of the Centre’s ‘Agnipath’ scheme that envisages recruitment of soldiers on a short-term contractual basis, BJP MP Varun Gandhi Thursday said it will give rise to more disaffection among the youths and asked the government to make its stand clear.

    In a letter to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Gandhi said the young population has shared their questions and doubts with him about the radical changes in the soldiers’ recruitment process which also proposes that the 75 per cent of the recruits under the scheme will retire after four years of service without pension.

    As 75 per cent of soldiers will become “unemployed” after four years and their total numbers will keep rising every year, it will give a rise to more disaffection among the youth, Gandhi said.

    He asked what will be the prospects for these retired soldiers when the corporate sector does not show much interest in hiring even the regular military personnel who retire after 15 years.

    Four years of service will disrupt their education, and they will also face difficulties in getting another job or more education as they will be older to others with similar qualification, he said, adding they will face financial hardship as well.

    These soldiers with only six-month basic training may be a cause of disruption to the existing regimental formations, the Lok Sabha MP said.

    As only 25 per cent of the ‘Agniveers’ will continue after four years, the scheme will result in a waste of training cost and will prove to be an unnecessary burden on the defence budget, he has claimed in his letter to Singh.

    The government should keep the interest of unemployed youth paramount and bring out various policy aspects of this initiative, he said.

    The government on Tuesday unveiled a “transformative” scheme–“Agnipath”– for the recruitment of soldiers in the Army, Navy and the Air Force largely on a four-year short-term contractual basis.

    Officials said this will bring in fitter and younger troops to deal with future security challenges facing the nation.

    Sharing details during the launch, Singh had said, “Under the ‘Agnipath’ scheme, Indian youth will be provided an opportunity to serve in the armed forces as ‘Agniveer’. This scheme has been brought to strengthen the security of the country. It is a transformative scheme.”

  • ‘Unemployment most burning issue in country’: Varun Gandhi hits out at Centre again

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Noting that unemployment is the most burning issue in the country, BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Monday appreciated AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi for mentioning him while raising the issue in a speech.

    Gandhi, who has often put the government in a dock over a host of issues, posted a video of a speech of the fiery Hyderabad MP who cited a large number of vacancies in different sectors of government and added that the figures were first quoted by the BJP leader.

    “Unemployment today is the country’s most burning issue, and leaders from across the country should draw the government’s attention to this. Unemployed youths should be given justice. Only then the country will grow strong,” Gandhi tweeted.

    He said he was thankful to Owaisi for mentioning the questions raised by him over the issue in his address.

  • BJP MP Varun Gandhi targets party again over unemployment

    By PTI

    PILIBHIT (UTTAR PRADESH): BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Sunday said although 1.5 crore posts are lying vacant in the country, unemployed youths are roaming around on empty stomach. Gandhi, who is on a two-day visit to his constituency here, questioned his own party-led government over the unemployment issue, and said crores of unemployed do not know what will happen to them next.

    In a statement issued by his spokesperson MR Malik, Gandhi stated, “Our fight is for employment and economic equality, our constitution says everyone should get equal economic opportunities. That is possible when there is work with everyone. No one got money in his bank account and 2 crore jobs (as promised) were not given. The farmer’s income which was to be doubled also did not happen.”

    The local MP also referred to the Anna Hazare movement and the farmers agitation. “I was the first MP to support the Anna Hazare movement and sat with the agitators. When the farmers’ movement took place, I called the officers and instructed them to look into the protesters’ demands,” he said.

    Gandhi was accorded a grand welcome at the Khamaria bridge here as thousands of party workers turned up to listen to his speech. Addressing a gathering of workers, the BJP MP said politics is “a tool to build the country”.

    “The real fight of our country is the fight against unemployment and corruption. Political parties and leaders should leave their rivalry and think for the future of the country. The future of the nation is not made by speeches, or by winning and losing elections, but by true service to the country. I am worried for the future of the country. Here dreams are big and resources are limited. When privatisation happens, jobs will also be limited and unemployment will increase further,” he said.

  • Decide if our priority is poll rallies or curbing Covid: Varun Gandhi hits out at BJP

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Monday cited a Centre’s note to criticise the decision of several states, including Uttar Pradesh, to impose night curfew to curb Covid, and said it should be decided if our priority is to contain the disease or to indulge in a show of strength during elections.

    Policymakers should lead from the front so as inspire the common public to stay at home, he said.

    Criticising the night curfew decision, he said, “Imposing curfew in night after assembling lakhs of people for rallies in the day defies the common man’s wisdom”.

    Keeping in mind Uttar Pradesh’s limited health infrastructure, it has to be decided honestly if our priority is to contain the dangerous Omicron variant of coronavirus or to indulge in a show of power during polls, he said.

    Gandhi noted that maximum transmission typically happens during the day, as there are lesser people on the road during the night, and called for strongly cutting down on social gatherings which could emerge as Covid clusters.

    He cited a Centre’s note to the Maharashtra government in March 2021 which, he highlighted, had said that measures such as night curfews, weekend lockdowns have very limited impact on containing or suppressing the transmission.

    “Hence the administration should focus on strict and effective containment strategy,” it had said.

    Gandhi called for a holistic strategy.

  • No one raises issue of hiking MSP for sugarcane out of fear: BJP MP Varun Gandhi

    By PTI

    BAREILLY/PILIBHIT: BJP MP from Pilibhit Varun Gandhi claimed on Tuesday that he is the only one who raises the issue of increasing the MSP for sugarcane, while other MPs and MLAs do not have the courage to talk about it.

    He said his party colleagues do not raise such issues as they fear that they will not be given poll tickets.

    Interacting with villagers, the MP, who was on a two-day tour of the Baheri Assembly constituency in Bareilly (a part of the Pilibhit Lok Sabha segment), said barring him, no other MLA or MP from the ruling party has the courage to raise the issue of increasing the MSP for sugarcane.

    “Those leaders fear that they will not get (poll) tickets. If the voice of the people is not raised by the public representatives, then who will raise it? It makes no difference to me if I do not get a poll ticket. My mother has won elections as an Independent candidate. I will only say the truth. Governments come and go,” he said.

    Varun Gandhi also said he is a “revolutionary” leader and cannot see injustice being done to people.

    His mother Maneka Gandhi had won the 1998 and 1999 Lok Sabha polls from Pilibhit as an Independent candidate.

    The Pilibhit MP said whatever help he extends to people, it is from his own money, be it giving sports equipment to youngsters in villages or giving financial assistance to temples.

    Meanwhile, in a letter to Pilibhit District Magistrate Pulkit Khare, Varun Gandhi alleged that money is being extorted from traders for the “Baansuri Mahotsav” (flute festival) being organised in the district.

    However, the district magistrate has not reacted so far on the issue.

    Traders have alleged that the local administration has taken money from them to organise the festival.

    The BJP MP said the traders met him in Delhi recently and briefed him on the issue.

    He shared the letter with the media on Tuesday.

    Varun Gandhi also made an offer to give a cheque for Rs 4.5 lakh to the traders at the event.

    Addressing the traders, he said, “I am strongly against the practice of organising such events while banking on traders. Traders at this point in time are in a very bad shape. I and my mother have always considered the people of Pilibhit as our family members.”

    In the letter, Varun Gandhi has said putting an additional burden on traders, who have already been hit by COVID-19 and the Goods and Services Tax (GST), is like committing atrocities on them.

  • Accept farmers MSP demand; take action against Union Minister Ajay Mishra: Varun Gandhi to PM Modi

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: BJP MP Varun Gandhi on Saturday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to accept farmers’ demand for statutory MSP guarantee for their crops and also sought action against Union Minister Ajay Mishra for the violence in Lakhimpur Kheri.

    In a letter to the prime minister, the MP from Pilibhit in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh said that till this demand of farmers’ is not met, their movement will not end.

    Gandhi’s remarks came a day after the prime minister in his address to the nation announced repeal of the three farm laws which triggered a year of protests by farmers.

    The announcement of the withdrawal of the contentious laws was warily welcomed by leaders of the farmers’ unions spearheading the agitation but they said the protests will continue till the measures are repealed in Parliament and Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops gets legal guarantee.

    Gandhi thanked Modi for his “large-heartedness” in announcing the decision to repeal the three farm laws, but added “more than 700 farmer brothers and sisters have been martyred in this movement”, as they peacefully protested in extremely difficult and hostile conditions.

    “If this decision had been taken earlier, innocent lives would not have been lost,” he said.

    In his letter posted on Twitter, Gandhi underscored the need to accept the farmers’ demand for legal guarantee of MSP.

    “This movement will not end without the resolution of this demand and there will be widespread anger amongst them, which will continue to emerge in one form or the other.

    Therefore, it is very important for the farmers to get the statutory guarantee of MSP for their crops,” he wrote.

    The BJP leader said the legal binding on MSP will give sizeable economic security cover to farmers and will empower small and marginal farmers.

    “My humble request to you is that the government must immediately accept this demand in the interest of our nation,” Gandhi said in his letter to the prime minister.

    He said MSP should also be based on the C2+50 per cent formula of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices.

    Describing the October 3 Lakhimpur Kheri violence, in which farmers were among eight people killed, as heartbreaking and a “blemish on our democracy”, Gandhi said, “.

    It is my request to you that appropriately strict action is taken against the Union minister who has been connected to this incident, so that there is a fair enquiry.”

    The BJP MP Gandhi made the request to the prime minister without taking Mishra’s name.

    He also claimed that the Lakhimpur incident was outcome of the adversarial atmosphere created against the farmers’ movement by provocative statements of many leaders sitting in senior positions.

    Gandhi also demanded that Rs 1 crore compensation be given to farmers “martyred” in this movement against the laws and that all “politically motivated false” FIRs against the protesting farmers be quashed.

    Concluding his letter, Gandhi said that farmers expect that their demands will be resolved in a timely and sensitive manner and asserted that democracy runs on constitutionality, discourse and empathy.