Oppn parties to take out 'Tricolour March' from Parliament House

The Indian Express | 1 month ago | 06-04-2023 | 11:45 am

Several Opposition parties, including the Congress, will take out a ‘Tricolour March’ from Parliament House to Vijay Chowk on Thursday, alleging that “democracy is under attack” by the BJP. MPs of like-minded Opposition parties such as the DMK, the Samajwadi Party, the RJD and the NCP, and from the Left, besides the Congress, will begin their march at 11.30 am. Following the march, floor leaders of the parties will address a press conference at the Constitution Club.Opposition parties have been displaying coordination during the Budget Session of Parliament and have jointly held protests ever since it started on March 13.They have been unitedly demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani issue and have raised the matter both in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, leading to disruptions of proceedings.The BJP has been demanding an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his democracy remarks made in the UK.Gandhi was disqualified as member of Lok Sabha following his conviction and sentencing by a Surat court in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his “Modi surname” remark.

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At public meetings, BJP seeks to expose ‘nawabi mentality’ of Arvind Kejriwal

The Indian Express | 2 hours ago | 15-05-2023 | 11:45 am

The Indian Express

2 hours ago | 15-05-2023 | 11:45 am

Smarting from the recent Supreme Court verdict that handed the reins of ‘services’ to the AAP government, the BJP Sunday fanned out across the national capital to pitch Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s alleged VIP and anti-poor credentials as part of an informal bid for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.Aimed at exposing corruption allegations against the AAP government, the meetings saw party leaders juxtaposing the BJP-led Centre’s welfare schemes for the economically backward sections with the accusations related to Kejriwal’s “nawabi mentality” to the mix.The BJP announced it will intensify its fight against the AAP government’s “corruption” and “scams”, especially at unauthorised colonies, city slum clusters, and urbanised villages, at its public sensitisation meetings, or Jan Chetna Sabhas, in seven Assembly constituencies.“Drowned in corruption, the Kejriwal government is trying to showcase some administrative powers given by the Supreme Court as a clean chit to its government but Kejriwal should understand that the BJP will intensify its fight against corruption,” Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said at public meetings in Bawana and Rithala.Sachdeva especially sought to stoke anger on the issue of Arvind Kejriwal having allegedly spent Rs. 45 crore on the renovation of his official residence and accusing him of neglecting the development of Delhi Dehat and unauthorised colonies.While Sachdeva announced that the BJP’s “movement to expose Kejriwal’s Rajmahal bungalow scam” will continue, party National general secretary Dushyant Gautam brought up the issue of “freebies.” “Instead of doing development, Kejriwal has only shown dreams of freebies to the people of Delhi and has worked for his political development. Behind every scheme of Kejriwal government, either his personal benefit is hidden or there is corruption,” alleged Gautam.“Kejriwal has shown that he is not concerned about the poor by not implementing the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana in Delhi and building a lavish bungalow for himself,” he said and declared that voters would “uproot him from Delhi in the elections of 2024 and 2025.”At Rajendra Nagar, Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Ramvir Singh Bidhuri talked about the Delhi chief minister’s “special person” status. “Today, the people of Delhi want to ask why Kejriwal, who pretends to be a common man needed to become a special person…today Kejriwal has 106 security personnel of Delhi and Punjab Police engaged in his security whereas before joining politics, Kejriwal used to talk about not taking security,” Bidhuri alleged.“Today, he is running a government in which two ministers committed corruption and are in jail. His 45 crore Sheeshmahal is also giving proof of his corruption,” the LOP added.Union Minister of State Meenakshi Lekhi said while the Narendra Modi government was strengthening the road infrastructure of Delhi with projects like the Pragati Tunnel, and Mahipal Gurugram Tunnel among others, Kejriwal had “harmed the poor of Delhi” by not implementing the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ayushman Bharat Yojana, and Atal Bima Yojana. “After the construction of his palace, he has become the most luxury-loving chief minister of the country,” she alleged.Northeast Delhi BJP MP Manoj Tiwari said, “Kejriwal installed carpets worth Rs 20 lakh, curtains worth Rs 1 crore, interior worth Rs 11 crore, automatic doors, and toilet seats worth Rs 4 lakh in his Sheeshmahal…We will expose this nawabi mentality of Kejriwal.”

BJP Rajya Sabha MP Lahar Singh Siroya writes: We did not counter Congress’s corruption narrative effectively

The Indian Express | 2 hours ago | 15-05-2023 | 11:45 am

The Indian Express

2 hours ago | 15-05-2023 | 11:45 am

Written by Lahar Singh SiroyaThe Karnataka Assembly results have delivered a big setback to the BJP and the Congress has got a comfortable majority. People of the state have continued the trend of voting out the incumbent government. The BJP has many lessons to learn. We need to carefully examine the results as well as what happened in the run-up to the elections to get a better understanding of why things happened the way they did and take corrective actions. I followed the election process closely, as part of the campaign. There are many reasons why ended up with less than 70 seats. There were many avoidable missteps.We should have countered the corruption narrative better. Our response was very casual. Once people saw that, they perhaps believed some of it. Congress was making wild allegations based on discredited sources, yet we never challenged them in a structured way. I tweeted about filing a defamation case when the Congress party started releasing full-page ads in local newspapers before the polls. Even then our pushback was weak. When the pushback is weak, people start believing the allegations as the truth.Congress was raising the corruption issue right from the beginning. It was a defensive measure because several of its leaders at the national and state level are out on bail. They threw the ball in our court and ensured that they pushed the narrative hard. The first ones to raise it were heard the loudest and they were never challenged. We should have done better in terms of coordination.When it came to ticket distribution, drastic measures were necessary to get over the anti-incumbency factor. I was the first to advocate the Gujarat model of distribution of tickets — that is to deny tickets to more sitting legislators. This would have enthused the party worker, our karyakarta. He would have directly related himself with the message of Modi ji. It would have also created a new second-line leadership.We gave tickets to new faces. We were better than Congress in that aspect, but even then we were half-hearted in supporting them. This created confusion and we could not reap the benefit of our experiment.The party was excessively dependent on Modi ji to work hard and create a narrative, which he did in the last couple of weeks. If not for Modi ji, I don’t think we would have touched the number we will touch now.To rework caste reservations was very good, but we should have done that earlier and with greater conviction. We were not able to communicate our decision.When it came to issues of Hindu pride, we waited for the Congress to make a mistake. Our party workers and core voter expected us to be proactive on this issue, not react to Congress. It appeared the party was not effectively pushing our ideological agenda.We did not sufficiently attack Siddaramaiah or DK Shivakumar. We should have not just demolished their arguments and exposed their past acts of corruption far more effectively. We also did not sufficiently corner the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty. We allowed them to appear saintly, while the whole world knows they are not. Rahul Gandhi’s apology and defamation issues were dropped. We should get back to these issues.The people of Karnataka were hoping for a change in the political landscape and both BJP and Congress had a great opportunity to field untainted candidates and lead the reform process. Unfortunately, both parties failed to do that and people overwhelmingly rejected the BJP candidates and some from the Congress lost as well.I have travelled across Karnataka and it is clear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charisma is intact and there is a deep respect for his leadership. These results are in no way any reflection on the PM or his campaign. In fact, the PM‘s presence and campaign have helped the party including in Bengaluru city.I am confident that the people of Karnataka will demonstrate their support to the PM In the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections and we will give PM Modi all 28 seats from the state. Rest assured, people still have tremendous faith in the BJP.The Karnataka results will have no bearing on the assembly elections in Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and the BJP will come back to power in both these states.There is a need for us to introspect, especially on the mismatch between what people expected from us and what we offered. If the situation demands, the party must take tough decisions and win back people’s confidence in Karnataka.The writer is BJP MP, Rajya Sabha

‘You can’t sell the same product’: Sibal takes dig at BJP over Karnataka poll result

The Indian Express | 2 hours ago | 15-05-2023 | 11:45 am

The Indian Express

2 hours ago | 15-05-2023 | 11:45 am

Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal on Monday took a swipe at the BJP over its defeat in the Karnataka elections, saying the lesson from the poll outcome was that one cannot sell the same product, repeat the same lies or play the communal card all the time.In the May 10 elections, the Congress won 135 of the 224 seats, while the BJP and the former prime minister H D Deve Gowda-led Janata Dal (Secular) secured 66 and 19 seats, respectively.In a tweet, Sibal said, “Lesson from Karnataka outcome: You can’t: sell the same product, repeat the same lies, spew venom, vilify the past, align with a corrupt government and call others corrupt, play the communal card, all the time!” Earlier on Sunday, Sibal had urged the Congress to “win people’s hearts” for the next five years in the state by being open, honest and non-discriminatory.Sibal, who was a Union minister during UPA 1 and 2, had quit the Congress in May last year and was elected to the Rajya Sabha as an Independent member with the Samajwadi Party’s support. He recently floated a non-electoral platform ‘Insaaf’ aimed at fighting injustice.

198 fishermen released from Pakistan arrive in Gujarat’s Vadodara, welcomed by agriculture minister

The Indian Express | 2 hours ago | 15-05-2023 | 11:45 am

The Indian Express

2 hours ago | 15-05-2023 | 11:45 am

The first batch of 198 fishermen, who were released from Pakistan jail last Thursday, arrived at the Vadodara railway station in Gujarat early Monday and were received by state Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel and other local leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).The fishermen were handed over to Indian authorities at Wagah border near Amritsar in Punjab on Friday.The fishermen arrived at Vadodara on board the Amritsar-Kochuveli Express train from Amritsar in Punjab at around 5 am on Monday. As they de-boarded the two train coaches especially booked for them, the fishermen were garlanded by Patel, local BJP MLA Keyur Rokadia, BJP leader Vijay Shah, Vadodara Collector Atul Gor, and fisheries commissioner Nitin Sangwan among others.“The train was originally scheduled to arrive in Vadodara at 1 am on Monday. However, it was running four hours late and reached Vadodara at around 5 am,” a fisheries department official said, adding, “The agriculture minister had reached Vadodara on Sunday evening itself to welcome the fishermen.”“Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Agriculture Minister Raghavji Patel, and Union Minister Parsottam Rupala were in constant touch with the Central Government for securing the release of Gujarati fishermen,” an official release from the Gujarat government said.Of the 198 fishermen released by Pakistan, 184 are from Gujarat, five from Maharashtra, four from the Union Territory of Diu, three from Andhra Pradesh, and two are from Uttar Pradesh. Of the 184 Gujarat fishermen, 152 are from the Gir Somnath district, 22 from the Devbhumi Dwarka district, five from the Porandar and one each from Jamnagar, Junagadh, Kutch, Valsad, and Navsari, the government release said.Originally, 199 fishermen and a civilian prisoner were to be released from the Landi jail in Karachi, Pakistan on May 11. However, the civilian prisoner and the fisherman, from Gujarat, had died on May 6 and May 8 respectively.This is the first batch of fishermen to be released and repatriated from Pakistan in about a year. In June last year, Pakistan had released a group of 20 fishermen.From Vadodara, the fishermen boarded four buses bound for Veraval. The buses have been arranged by the fisheries department of Gujarat. “The buses will halt at the Kidivav village in Gir Somnath district for police verification. From there, the buses will take them to Veraval town where they will be handed over to the owners of the fishing boats on board which they were working on while being caught by Pakistan. Eventually, they will be reunited with their family members Monday evening,” the fisheries department official said.Pakistan has decided to release 499 of the 654 Indian fishermen languishing in its jail and the 198 fishermen, who reached Gujarat on Monday, are the first of the three batches to be released. The second and third batches of 100 fishermen each are scheduled to be released on June 2 and July 3, respectively.India and Pakistan have disagreements over the alignment of the notional International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) at the Arabian Sea. Pakistan Maritime Security Agency arrests a few hundred Indian fishermen every year for alleged violations of its territorial waters. On the other hand, Indian agencies also arrest a few dozen Pakistani fishermen every year for allegedly crossing over to the Indian side of IMBL.As of January 1 this year, there were 654 Indian fishermen and 51 Indian civilians in the custody of Pakistan. Similarly, there were 99 Pakistani fishermen and 339 Pakistani civilians in Indian custody.According to Jatin Desai, the former general secretary of Pakistan India People’s Forum for Peace and Democracy (PIPFPD), of the 654 fishermen, 631 had completed their prison terms by April this year and their nationalities have also been verified. Similarly, a majority of Pakistani fishermen too have completed their time in Indian jails.Following Pakistan’s decision to release 499 Indian fishermen, Desai demanded that India should also reciprocate by releasing Pakistani fishermen being held in its prisons.Activists like Desai in India and their counterparts in Pakistan have long been demanding a no-arrest policy with respect to fishermen violating territorial waters.

2 dozen people sustain injuries in violence after ULB polls in West UP towns

The Indian Express | 2 hours ago | 15-05-2023 | 11:45 am

The Indian Express

2 hours ago | 15-05-2023 | 11:45 am

Candidates, both who lost and won in the recently-concluded Urban Local Body (ULB) polls, and their supporters have sustained injuries in violent clashes in three towns of Western Uttar Pradesh since Saturday night.The police said four people, including BJP candidate Manmohan Yadav who was defeated by Independent Jitendra Kumar alias Jeetu in Bulandshahr, have so far been arrested while a hunt is on to nab around 30 others named in the FIRs lodged at area police stations in these districts.As per the FIR lodged at the Kotwali police station, after being declared the winner Jeetu and his supporters took out a victory procession to greet people for their support Saturday afternoon but Yadav and his aides raised objection stating that the Yogi Adityanath government has banned victory processions.The arguments soon turned violent and supporters of both leaders attacked each other with bricks, rods, and hockey sticks which led to injuries to around eight people from both sides. Jeetu went to the area police station to lodge a complaint against the BJP candidate and his supporters but he was allegedly not entertained by the area police Saturday evening.The Independent councillor then met Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Anukriti Sharma following which a report was lodged against the BJP leader and his supporters.Four people, including Yadav, his brother Sanjay Yadav, and two others, have so far been arrested in this regard while raids are being conducted to nab the remaining four in the incident. “We will also lodge an FIR against the newly elected Independent councillor for taking out the victory procession because the state government has banned the victory processions following the Supreme Court order in this regard,” said ASP Sharma.In Meerut, the winning All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) candidate Imran Pradhan from Khairnagar Ward Number 65 and others were allegedly attacked by the defeated Bahujan Samaj party nominee Haji Tufail Malik Sunday afternoon. Five people sustained injuries in the clash during which glass bottles and sticks were used as weapons by both sides. Within moments as the two groups started clashing with each other, shop owners closed their establishments in the Khairnagar market.Sub-inspector Amit Kumar of Meerut’s Delhi Gate police station lodged an FIR against both leaders and their supporters under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). “In total, 14 persons have been named in the FIR and we are going through available CCTV footage to identify those involved in the melee. Strict action will be taken against all those who are responsible for the clash which spread panic in the Khairnagar area,” said Piyush Singh, Superintendent of Police (City), Meerut.In Aligarh, an FIR was lodged at the Madrak police station by Kanchan Singh, a supporter of the BJP candidate Neelam Devi, who won from Fateh Khan Ward against BSP nominee Vasudev Kumar. Kanchan Singh claimed Kumar’s supporters attacked his house Saturday night and thrashed him, his wife, daughters, and other family members.“We have registered an FIR against 18 persons in this regard. Around a dozen persons, including two women, got injured in the clash. It was not because of the poll-related animosity between the two factions that the attack took place. The two groups have an old rivalry and they decided to settle the score on Saturday when results of the urban body polls were declared,” said Sanjay Jaiswal, Madrak police station in-charge.

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