Rahul Gandhi as Ravan and PM Modi as ‘Biggest Liar’: Congress, BJP engage in poster war on social media platforms

A combination of posters shows PM Narendra Modi and HM Amit Shah as ‘Jumla Boy’ (L) and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi as ‘Ravan’. | Photo Credit: PTI

Objecting to the BJP’s official X handle sharing an image of Rahul Gandhi, in which he is depicted as a new-age Ravan, the Congress on Thursday accused the BJP of trying to incite violence against Mr. Gandhi.

Congress general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal accused the BJP of trying to “murder” Mr. Gandhi while his party colleague and communication chief Jairam Ramesh called it “outright dangerous”.

“No words are enough to condemn the shameful graphic on the BJP handle comparing Sh. @RahulGandhi ji to Ravana. Their nefarious intentions are clear, they want to murder him,” Mr. Venugopal said in a post.

The Congress leader said the government first withdrew Mr. Gandhi’s SPG [special protection group] to score petty political points and haven’t allocated another house that he has requested for.

“All this points to a well-planned conspiracy of the BJP to eliminate their fiercest critic, someone who attacks the very core of their hate-filled ideology,” Mr Venugopal added.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, in a post on X, asked if the Prime Minister and BJP chief J.P. Nadda approved of the “provocative and inciteful post”.

The BJP’s poster comes a day after the Congress posted on X a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the caption “The Biggest Liar”. Another post called Mr. Modi a “Jumla Boy,” who was “Going to hit the election rally soon”.

Hitting back, the BJP on its official handle on X shared a poster of Mr. Gandhi with several heads with the title “Bharat Khatre Mein Hai [India is in danger] – A Congress party production. Directed by George Soros”.

“The new age Ravan is here. He is Evil. Anti Dharma. Anti Ram. His aim is to destroy Bharat,” the BJP said on X.

“What is the real intent of an atrocious graphic portraying Rahul Gandhi as Ravan by the BJP’s official handle? It is clearly intended to incite and provoke violence against a Congress MP and a former President of the party, whose father and grandmother were assassinated by forces that want to divide India,” Mr. Ramesh said in a post on X.

“It is one thing for the PM to give evidence daily of being a pathological liar and of suffering from a narcissistic personality disorder. But for him to get his party to produce something this obnoxious is not just completely unacceptable, but is downright dangerous,” he added.

Senior leader Anand Sharma said, “BJP is rattled by Rahul Gandhi’s rising popularity and their own falling graph”.

BJP, INDIA bicker over Parliament decorum: ‘Unsavoury remarks’ by Oppn, ‘Modi, Modi chants from visitors’ gallery’

This combination photo shows BJP MP Nishikant Dubey and Congress leader in the Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. (Photos via PTI, Chowdhury’s Facebook page)

Amid the political row over BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri’s derogatory remarks against Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) member Danish Ali in the Lok Sabha, the BJP and the Opposition INDIA bloc on Saturday engaged in a battle of letters on the sanctity of, and decorum in, Parliament.

BJP MP Nishikant Dubey wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla raising several instances of “unsavoury remarks” that Opposition leaders had made in the House and sought the constitution of an “inquiry committee to investigate the utterances” during the discussion on Chandrayaan-3’s success. Dubey said the committee should look into “the extent of culpability” of MPs who “instigate other citizens” with their comments in the House.

Source: https://indianexpress.com/article/political-pulse/unsavoury-remarks-in-lok-sabha-bjp-mp-nishikant-dubey-to-speaker-om-birla-8952911/

‘Emergency Mindset, Attack on Democracy’: BJP, Media Bodies Slam INDIA Bloc’s Boycott of 14 TV Anchors

The decision was made by INDIA bloc’s media committee in a virtual meeting on September 14. (Image: PTI/File)

Calling it a “bullying” tactic and an “emergency”, the BJP on Thursday hit back at the INDIA bloc’s decision to boycott the shows of 14 television anchors from different channels. Certain media bodies like the National Broadcasters & Digital Association, also slammed the move and called it an “attack on democracy”.

Earlier in the day, the newly formed opposition front listed the names of 14 journalists saying they will not be sending their representatives to their shows.

BJP national president JP Nadda said this was the opposition “emergency mindset era”, which is alive among these parties and this was an exercise of “making ‘lists’ in true Nazi style”.

Talking to news agency ANI, union minister Anurag Thakur said the step taken against the media by the INDIA bloc is “emergency 2.0″. “The steps that the INDI alliance have taken against the media is emergency 2.0… This shows that they do not believe in democracy…” he said.

Thakur said one emergency was declared by Indira, and the other has been declared by the ‘Ghamandiya’ alliance. “They do not trust democracy, you can see the state of affairs in West Bengal and Tamil Nadu. Those who used to talk about media autonomy have now taken such a drastic step to repress it,” he added.

BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya, however, said the 14 journalists should wear this as a “badge of honour” as they had “refused to bend when the opposition expected them to crawl”.

The BJP later issued a formal statement condemning the INDIA’s boycott decision, saying it reflected their “oppressive and dictatorial thinking”. “The decision taken by the INDI Alliance parties involved in the arrogant alliance to boycott and threaten journalists is highly condemnable. This reflects their oppressive and dictatorial thinking. BJP strongly condemns this poor mentality of the alliance”, posted Anil Baluni, BJP national media incharge.

Source: https://www.news18.com/politics/emergency-mindset-alive-bjp-slams-india-bloc-media-boycott-14-tv-anchors-8577834.html

“Only love, trust, respect, loyalty:” Priyanka Gandhi rubbishes BJP’s theory of ‘tussle’ between her, Rahul

Wishing the BJP on Raksha Bandhan, Priyanka Gandhi said that crores of sisters and brothers across the country will break their arrogance of lies, loot and hollow propaganda.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi. Image Credit: ANI

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Wednesday rubbished the claims by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT cell head Amit Malviya about a ‘tussle’ between her and her brother Rahul Gandhi saying that her brother and she shares “love, trust, respect and loyalty for each other and will remain so forever.” Lambasting the BJP for not focussing on “inflation” and “unemployment” and instead cracking their brains on such “nonsensical” issues, Priyanka Gandhi posted a message on X saying, “BJP people, in this era of inflation and unemployment, is this the only nonsense issue left? Sorry….but this dream from your little mind will never come true. My brother and I have only love, trust, respect and loyalty for each other and will remain so forever.”

Wishing the BJP on Raksha Bandhan, Priyanka Gandhi said that crores of sisters and brothers across the country will break their arrogance of lies, loot and hollow propaganda. “By the way, do not panic. We, both brother and sister, will break the arrogance of your lies, loot and hollow propaganda together with crores of sisters and brothers of the country. Happy Raksha Bandhan. It is a festival of love between brothers and sisters, celebrate it with a positive spirit,” she said on X.

Source: https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/politics/2576250-only-love-trust-respect-loyalty-priyanka-gandhi-rubbishes-bjps-theory-of-tussle-between-her-rahul

BJP Files Complaint Against Priyanka Gandhi, Kamal Nath Over ’50 pc Commission’ Allegation Against MP Govt

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Madhya Pradesh on Saturday filed a complaint against Congress national general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, former state Chief Minister Kamal Nath and Arun Yadav. The complaints were filed against the Congress leaders for sharing a “fake” letter to level allegations against the ruling BJP government in the state of taking 50 per cent of commission from contractors.

An FIR was lodged against Priyanka Gandhi, Kamal Nath and Arun Yadav in Indore in the case of 50 per cent commission allegation made on social media. According to reports, a complaint was also lodged against the Congress leaders in Bhopal.

Minister Vishvas Sarang and other BJP leaders lodged a complaint with the Bhopal crime branch, while Indore city BJP president Gaurav Randive led a delegation to the Sanyongitaganj police station to file a complaint against the Congress leaders.

Kamal Nath stated that when the cases of corruption are surfacing from across the states, the BJP does not have an answer.

Meanwhile, state BJP chief VD Sharma said that Kamal Nath issued a “fake” letter to misguide the people of Madhya Pradesh. He further stated that it is a conspiracy and that Priyanka Gandhi is also answerable. Sharma threatened to take legal action against the Congress leader.

Source : https://www.timesnownews.com/india/bjp-files-complaint-against-priyanka-gandhi-kamal-nath-over-50-pc-commission-allegation-against-mp-govt-article-102685479

PM Modi Lands In Delhi After Concluding Landmark US, Egypt Visits

PM Modi received Egypt’s highest state honour from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. It was the thirteenth state honour of its kind to be given to him.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Delhi early Monday after completing his maiden state visits to the United States and Egypt spanning six days. PM Modi was received at the Palam airport by BJP national President JP Nadda, Union Minister of State Meenakshi Lekhi and various party MPs including Hans Raj Hans and Gautam Gambhir among others.

Earlier today, PM Modi took to his Twitter handle to share glimpses of his first visit to Egypt. The video shows his arrival in the African country, meeting his Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouly, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi and interacting with members of the Indian diaspora.

Sharing the video on Twitter, PM Modi tagged the clip with a message stating, “My visit to Egypt was a historic one. It will add renewed vigour to India-Egypt relations and will benefit the people of our nations. I thank President @AlsisiOfficial, the Government and the people of Egypt for their affection.”

PM Modi Receives Egypt’s Highest Honour

PM Modi received Egypt’s highest state honour from President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi. It was the thirteenth state honour of its kind to be given to him. In the past nine years, PM Modi has received many international awards including Companion of the Order of Logohu, Companion of the Order of Fiji and Ebakl Award by the Republic of Palau, among others.

On Sunday, PM Modi held a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi during which they signed an agreement to elevate the bilateral relationship to a “Strategic Partnership”. The two leaders discussed ways to further deepen the partnership between the two nations, including trade, investment, defence, security, renewable energy, cultural and people-to-people ties.

PM Modi Visits Al-Hakim Mosque In Egypt

PM Modi visited the pyramids of Giza in Cairo and the Al-Hakim Mosque as well. After visiting the Al-Hakim Mosque, PM Modi went to Heliopolis War Cemetery and paid tribute to the Indian soldiers who made supreme sacrifices during the First World War.

On Saturday, PM Modi also held a roundtable meeting with his Egyptian counterpart Mostafa Madbouly in Cairo. He also met thought leaders in Egypt as a part of his two-day visit to the Arab nation. PM Modi was on a state visit to Egypt from June 24-25.

Source : https://zeenews.india.com/india/pm-modi-lands-in-delhi-after-concluding-landmark-us-egypt-visits-2626950.html

It’ll be BJP vs 15 in 2024 LS polls: Oppn parties resolve to stay united

BJP vs 15 in 2024 LS polls
Photo: PTI

Emerging from their four-hour ice-breaking meeting in Patna on Friday evening, 32 leaders from 15 political parties kick-started their collaboration for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, resolving to unitedly fight the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in a spirit of accommodating mutual interests.

A brief spat, which an Opposition leader dubbed a “misunderstanding” that lasted barely seven minutes, between Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, however, threatened to unsettle unity efforts. Kejriwal insisted the Congress join his party to publicly denounce the Centre’s ordinance on Delhi bureaucrats at the Patna meeting. He later skipped the joint press conference of the leaders and his party issued a stinging statement against the Congress.

At the meeting, the leaders said they would protest in one voice any vendetta of the Centre against their parties and meet again in Shimla in the second week of July to discuss the future course of action, including initiating a discussion on a common agenda.

Several leaders mooted strengthening the index of opposition unity, or IoU, sacrificing their claims on seats to ensure “one-versus-one” contests in the greater interest.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said he attended the meeting without “memory” of past likes or dislikes and prejudices. He said the Congress would do its utmost to sustain Opposition unity. Hinting that he could be open to seat sharing with the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav said he hailed from the state that sent the most MPs to the Lok Sabha and would show large-heartedness in looking at alliances.

Yadav said all parties attending the meeting were like-minded in their inclination towards the Congress and were anti-BJP. In his reaction to the Opposition meeting in Patna, Union Home Minister Amit Shah dubbed it a “photo session”.

Source : https://www.business-standard.com/politics/it-ll-be-bjp-vs-15-in-2024-opposition-parties-resolve-to-stay-united-123062301085_1.html

As Nandini vs Amul row heats up in Karnataka, electoral blowback concerns BJP

A majority of Karnataka Milk Federation’s 24 lakh milk producers come from Old Mysuru, which is part of the Vokkaliga belt where the Congress and JD(S) hold sway

The Nandini brand is popular across the state and closely tied to Kannadiga identity. Express

With Assembly elections due within a month, the political row over the entry of Amul, the Gujarat state milk cooperative brand, in the Karnataka market has political implications for the ruling BJP as it stands to alienate a crucial electoral vote bank. The Opposition has alleged Amul’s entry, backed by the BJP, would pose a threat to the Karnataka Milk Federation (KMF) brand “Nandini” that is closely tied to the identity of Kannadigas.

As the row intensified on Sunday, following Congress leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s allegation that the Basavaraj Bommai-led government for destroying the “state’s pride”, the state government got into damage-control mode. Minister for Cooperatives ST Somashekar said there was no proposal to merge KMF and Amul and hit out at the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) for turning the entry of Amul “into a political issue ahead of elections”.

“The production of milk during summer is relatively less and it is usual. There are 15 milk unions in Karnataka and all are making profits. Amul is selling milk online for Rs 57 per litre but Nandini milk costs only Rs 39 per litre. We send Nandini products to other states, including Tamil Nadu. We want to develop Nandini products like how Gujarat did it for Amul,” he said.

State Higher Education Minister C N Ashwath Narayan also dismissed rumours about KMF’s merger with Amul or its dissolution, saying, “KMF’s turnover is around Rs 20,000 crore to Rs 22,000 crore and without the cooperative department any merger is impossible.”

The seeds of the row were laid in December when Union Home Minister Amit Shah said at a rally in Mandya, “Together, Amul and Nandini will help set up primary dairies in every village of Karnataka within three years.” It gathered pace on Wednesday after Amul announced last week it would begin delivering milk and curd in Bengaluru.

To date, no government in the state has tried to dictate terms to the KMF, given its massive network that comprises 22,000 villages, 24 lakh milk producers, and 14,000 cooperative societies that procure approximately 84 lakh kg of milk every day. A majority of milk producers are from old Mysuru regions such as Mandya, Mysuru, Ramanagara and Kolar, and the central Karnataka district of Davangere, making them an important electoral constituency since they are spread across 120-130 Assembly seats.

While old Mysuru is a Vokkaliga belt where the Janata Dal (Secular) and the Congress hold sway, central Karnataka is part of the Lingayat belt. The Lingayats, who are electorally dominant, are the BJP’s biggest support base in the state. This explains why the ruling party has been actively trying to counter the Opposition on the issue since any move that may cause consternation among the ruling party’s support base and feed into fears of the supporters of the Opposition parties is likely going to backfire just weeks ahead of polls.

PM’s stinging attack on Oppn: ‘All corrupt now on one platform … anti-India forces trying to defame institutions’

Modi says Opposition “nervous” after BJP’s wins in Assembly polls in Northeast and Gujarat, tells party rivals’ attacks will become harsher.

At the BJP parliamentary party meeting, Tuesday. (Express photo by Anil Sharma)

Hours after he told his party MPs to brace for “below-the-belt attacks” from an Opposition “worried” over BJP gains as elections approach, Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a fresh salvo Tuesday at party rivals, saying “all corrupt faces are coming together on one platform… because the BJP is waging a war against corruption.”

Addressing party leaders at the BJP headquarters where a new building was inaugurated, Modi called the BJP the only “pan-India party” and slammed the Opposition and “anti-India forces” for targeting and “defaming” Constitutional authorities and institutions.

In a veiled reference to Opposition allegations following the disqualification of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi after his conviction by a Surat court in a defamation case, the Prime Minister said, “Our Constitutional institutions are our foundation and, therefore, our very foundation is being targeted and defamed to stop the development of India. Conspiracies are being hatched to end the credibility of our institutions.”

“Today, this foundation is being attacked to stop India. When the agencies take action against those who are involved in corruption, the agencies are attacked. When the court gives a decision, the court is questioned. Some parties together have launched a campaign to save the corrupt,” he said.

Earlier in the day, while addressing BJP MPs at the parliamentary party meeting, Modi said the Opposition is “nervous” after the BJP’s impressive performance in the recent Assembly elections in the North-East states and Gujarat. Opposition attacks, he said, will become harsher as the party continues to gain ground.

At the BJP headquarters, he singled out the Congress for attack. “Congress leaders once used to say they will uproot the Jan Sangh and throw it away. Today’s Congress says ‘Modi, your grave will be dug’. Several attempts were made to destroy Jan Sangh and BJP, but they failed completely,” he said.

Under Congress rule, he said, the country witnessed corruption, “eating it like termites” and “actions against corruption were farcical”. But India, he said, has seen how action has been taken against corruption in the last nine years of BJP rule. “In the last nine years, the BJP ran a campaign against corruption, which has rattled the corrupt. Whenever BJP comes to power, it deals a big blow to corruption,” he said.

Recalling the party’s track record, the Prime Minister said while the UPA government attached properties worth Rs 5000 crore between 2004 and 2014, the BJP government attached assets worth Rs 1.10 lakh crore in the last nine years. He said more than double the number of cases were registered and 15 times more arrests took place.

He praised BJP’s growth into the world’s largest political party. “Across the length and breadth of India, the BJP is the only pan-India political party. Unlike family-run political parties, the BJP is a political party which gives opportunities to the youth. We are the party that has the blessings of the women of India. Today, BJP governments are becoming synonymous with aspirations, development and progress. The BJP is a brand of governance,” he said.

Nitin Gadkari says India can become No. 1 EV maker, J&K reserves hold key

Gadkari, speaking at an event organized by Confederation of Indian Industry in New Delhi, explained that by reducing imports of lithium in the times to come, India has the potential to emerge as a strong EV player. “Every year, we import 1,200 tonnes of lithium. Now, in Jammu and Kashmir, we got lithium. (If) we can use this lithium ion, we will be the number one automobile manufacturing country in the world,” he was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.

India recently overtook Japan as the world’s third-largest vehicle market, only behind China and the US now. Gadkari says that the Indian automobile industry is worth around $7.5 lakh crore. With the discovery of around 5.9 million tonne of lithium which is a key component in manufacturing of EVs, India also has the potential to accelerate its ambitions of zero-emission mobility. Additionally, officials confirm that the lithium available in J&K is of a high grade.

Source: https://auto.hindustantimes.com/auto/electric-vehicles/nitin-gadkari-says-india-can-become-no-1-ev-maker-j-k-reserves-hold-key-41679661017751.html

Gujarat CMO’s PRO resigns over son’s alleged association with imposter ‘PMO officer’

Representative image. Credit: iStock Photo

Weeks after Ahmedabad resident Kiran Patel’s arrest in Jammu and Kashmir for posing as an officer from the Prime Minister Office (PMO) and questioning of his son in the case, additional public relations officer (PRO) to Gujarat chief minister, Hitesh Pandya, on Friday resigned from his post.

Pandya had been PRO of Gujarat chief minister office for over two decades since the time of late chief minister Keshubhai Patel, the first BJP CM of Gujarat. Pandya went on to serve Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was the chief minister for over 12 years, followed by Anandi Patel, Vijay Rupani and incumbent Bhupendra Patel.

When contacted, Pandya confirmed to DH that he had resigned. Giving reasons he told DH, “I have resigned taking moral responsibility…my son (sic) name has been dragged in the conman scandal by media…without proof.” He added, “Reports in media were baseless.”

On March 3, when Jammu and Kashmir police arrested Kiran Patel for impersonating an officer from PMO, there were at least two other persons who were accompanying him. One of them is reported to be Hitesh Pandya’s son, Amit. The J&K police have questioned Amit in this case. The third person has been identified as Jai Sitapara, who is a resident of Rajkot. Pandyas are also originally from Rajkot.

Source: https://www.deccanherald.com/national/west/gujarat-cmos-pro-resigns-over-sons-alleged-association-with-imposter-pmo-officer-1203320.html

BJP’s protest for widows of Pulwama heroes turns violent in Jaipur | Top points

The widows have been protesting since February 28, demanding a change in rules so that their relatives and not just children can get government jobs on compassionate grounds.

The widows of soldiers killed in the 2019 Pulwama attack are protesting in Jaipur, demanding jobs for families, and other issues. On Friday, the Rajasthan police removed the widows from the protest site outside Congress leader Sachin Pilot’s house and shifted them to hospitals near their respective homes.

The widows have been protesting since February 28, demanding a change in rules so that their relatives and not just children can get government jobs on compassionate grounds. Their other demands include construction of roads and installation of statues of the martyrs in their villages.

Meanwhile, the Bhatatiya Janata Party (BJP) slammed the state government, calling the police action “an insult to the widows” and accused the state of not fulfilling the promises made to the families.

Scores of BJP workers and leaders were detained by Rajasthan Police on Saturday as the saffron party continued its mega protest in Jaipur over the issue.

During the protest, the BJP workers pelted stones and breached barricades, prompting the police to resort to lathicharge.

Source : https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/pulwama-widows-protest-turns-violent-in-jaipur-bjp-leaders-detained-stones-pelted-top-points-2345299-2023-03-11

BJP slams Rahul Gandhi for seeking ‘US, Europe intervention in India’; Congress hits back

A heated war of words erupted yet again between BJP and Congress on Tuesday over a series of remarks made by Rahul Gandhi in UK against the state of democracy in India.

While the BJP lashed out at Rahul for apparently seeking the intervention of US and Europe in India’s internal affairs, the Congress accused the saffron party of “distoring and twisting” the Wayanad MP’s statements.

Here’s a roundup of the political slugfest …

‘Utterly irresponsible statement’

Launching a searing attack on Rahul, the BJP said that it’s clear that the former Congress president is completely in the grip of “Maoist thought process through his minions” and also “anarchist elements”.

Addressing a press conference, former Union minister and BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad expressed his party’s disapproval of Rahul “misusing the forum of British parliament” to spread shameful lies and unfounded claims, and said there needed to be a “proper rebuttal”.

He accused the Congress leader of shaming India’s democracy, polity, Parliament, judicial system and strategic security from a foreign land.

Terming the remarks as “utterly irresponsible” and “shameful”, Prasad asked Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge to clear the party’s stand over Rahul Gandhi ‘s statements.

Source : https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/bjp-slams-rahul-for-seeking-us-europe-intervention-in-india-congress-hits-back/articleshow/98475519.cms

Meghalaya: 6 parties meet to form govt after Sangma stakes claim

A day after the results of assembly polls in Meghalaya in which the ruling NPP emerged as the single-largest party, MLAs of other parties except National People’s Party and Bharatiya Janata Party held a meeting on Friday to decide their future course of action in an apparent bid to form the next government in the state.

IMAGE: NPP chief Conrad K Sangma submits his resignation as Chief Minister of Meghalaya before State Governor Phagu Chauhan and stakes claim for forming a new government in the state, in Shillong. Meghalaya. Photograph: ANI Photo

The development came on a day Chief Minister and National People’s Party chief Conrad Sangma staked claim to form the government.

He met Governor Phagu Chauhan to stake him claim.

The ruling NPP bagged 26 seats and BJP which has two MLAs had extended it support.

Conrad Sangma on Friday evening submitted the letter of support to Meghalaya Governor Phagu Chauhan at Raj Bhawan signed by 32 MLAs of NPP, BJP, Hill State People’s Democratic Party and two Independents.

The state has 60 seats and polling was held on 59 seats due to death of a sitting candidate.

The chief minister later said he has majority in the assembly.

United Democratic Party president Metbah Lyngdoh also said they have support of support of 31 MLAs and “sufficient numbers” to form the government.

“Thirty one MLAs of UDP, TMC, Congress, PDF, HSPDP and one Independent MLA were present in the meeting and we have the sufficient number,” he said.

The parties which met today included Trinamool Congress, Congress, United Democratic Party, People’s Democratic Front, Voice of People Party and Hill State People’s Democratic Party.

Trinamool Congress leader and former Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told ANI that the people of the state had given a fractured mandate and the result was for change of government in the state.

He said that they know how to get numbers and the name of the alliance of the grouping has not yet been decided.

“All parties, except BJP and NPP, were here. All parties are sensitive to responsibilities vested upon us. We are aware of our responsibilities that comes with the mandate. Certain things will be further discussed and when we submit our claim the other events will unfold. Do not worry about numbers, we know how to get the numbers. Numbers can be claimed and counter-claimed. You have to go and see what is happening everywhere, in every camp. Name of alliance yet to be decided but resolve to come together finalised,” he told ANI.

He said the meeting discussed the need to come together to ensure that the state is not subjected again to misrule.

Source: https://www.rediff.com/news/report/meghalaya-6-parties-meeting-to-form-govt-after-sangma-stakes-claim/20230304.htm

Rahul Gandhi’s Cambridge speech: ‘Modi blowing my country to smithereens … In Kashmir, militants were looking at me’

After Congress leader alleges Opposition leaders, including him, are under surveillance and democracy is under attack, BJP accuses him of “crying wolf on foreign shores”

At Cambridge, Gandhi gave a lecture titled “Learning to Listen in the 21st Century”. (Twitter: @ShashiTharoor)

Rahul Gandhi’s speech at Cambridge University earlier this week drew the BJP’s ire as it was learnt that the Congress leader spoke of the “threat to democracy” in India and alleged that several politicians, including him, were under surveillance.

Gandhi made the remarks during a lecture at the Cambridge Judge Business School (Cambridge JBS) on “Learning to Listen in the 21st Century”. BJP national spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill tweeted, “Instead of introspecting on loss of 172 seats out of 180 in N East polls, loss of 50+ elections out of 54 under his command, Rahul Gandhi is busy crying wolf on foreign shores! RG Cambridge speech is Classic Case of ‘Naach Na Jaane, Aangan Tedaa’ or ‘Bad Workman blames his tools’.”

Here are the 10 things that Gandhi spoke of:

On democracy in India

“Indian democracy is under pressure, is under attack. I am an Opposition leader in India and we are navigating that space. What is happening is that the institutional framework which is required for a democracy — Parliament, a free press, the judiciary — just the idea of mobilisation, just the idea of moving around … these are all getting constrained. So, we are facing an attack on the basic structure of Indian democracy.”

On federalism

“In the Constitution, India is described as a union of states and that union requires a negotiation, requires a conversation. It is slightly different than other countries. You can think about it much more at the scale of Europe. Multiple different states, much much bigger, requiring a conversation and a negotiation to actually move forward. It is that negotiation that is actually coming under and is under threat.”

Protests stifled

Showing a photograph of the police stopping him and several other party MPs at Vijay Chowk during a protest against Sonia Gandhi’s questioning by the Enforcement Directorate last July, he said, “That picture is taken in front of Parliament House. That is where a whole bunch of Opposition members of Parliament were just standing there talking about certain issues and we were just locked up and put in jail. And that has happened three or four times. And it has happened relatively violently.”

Attack on minorities

“You have also heard of the attack on minorities, the attack on the press. So, you get a sense of what is going on. The one way I would like to think about it is that in India democracy is a public good because it is by far the biggest democracy … so preserving Indian democracy is more than just about India. It is actually about the democratic structure and democratic system on the planet.”

Surveillance and attack on institutions

“Capture and control of media and judiciary. Surveillance and intimidation. I myself had Pegasus on my phone. A large number of politicians have Pegasus on their phones. I have been called by Intelligence officers who tell me, ‘Listen, please be careful of what you are saying on the phone because we are sort of recording the stuff.’ This is constant, constant pressure that we feel. Cases of opposition … I have got a number of criminal libel cases for things that should under no circumstances be criminal libel cases. So. that is the story. And that is what we are trying to defend. What we found as the Opposition is that it is very difficult to communicate with people when you have this type of assault on the media, on the democratic architecture.”

Bharat Jodo Yatra experience

“We started getting people who started talking to us about things that we never imagined that they would speak about … Suddenly, we were getting these emotional outbursts of people telling us the most personal things. So, I am walking and suddenly these two girls come, one of them grabs my hand on this side and the other one grabs my hand on the other side. When they grabbed my hand I felt something I have never felt before … I thought this is strange, the way they are holding my hand, there is something strange in it. It is almost like a desperate way of holding my hand. I looked at the girl and said tell me what’s happened, how you are doing? And she looks at me and she says well my sister and me were gang-raped by five guys. This is not a personal conversation that you will have with somebody who you have just met. I said let’s call the cops. That was my first reaction. I am like that’s a real problem, let’s call the cops.

“They were like, ‘Please, don’t call the cops, you can’t call the cops’ … And they are like, ‘If you call the cops we will be shamed.’ And then the girl says, ‘I will never be able to get married.’ So I said, ‘What do you want me to do?’ I said If I don’t call the cops how do I help you. They said, ‘No, we just wanted our brother to know what had happened to us.’ And I said, ‘You have told your brother what has happened to you, now what do I do?’ They said there is nothing you can do and they just walked away. You extrapolate that and then you can see thousands of women who have faced something like that and you can see the pain that is there, hidden, and you can see the difficulty that they are dealing with. I thought, these girls have dealt with this and now they are going to deal with it for the rest of their lives and they are never going to tell anybody. I thought that was crazy.”

‘Why not? Why can’t he be PM?’: Farooq Abdullah bats for this leader in 2024

2024 Lok Sabha election: Several opposition leaders, including Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal, have been touted as challengers to the BJP and Narendra Modi in next year’s poll.

Jammu and Kashmir National Conference leader and Lok Sabha MP Farooq Abdullah at Parliament House in New Delhi on the first day of the Budget Session. (ANI Photo)

National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday backed Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin to be a joint opposition’s prime ministerial candidate for the 2024 Lok Sabha election. “Why not? Why can’t he become the PM? What is wrong about it?” he asked reporters when asked about the possibility of a joint challenge to prime minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party.

However, the veteran politician – a former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir – also offered a gentle reminder of work be done to defeat the BJP.

“When we all unite and win… it will be at that time that they (a joint opposition) will decide who is the best man to lead and unite this nation.”

Farooq Abdullah is in Chennai for Stalin’s 70th birthday celebrations; the ruling DMK has organised a public meeting to also push for a united opposition.

As the opposition preps for next year, many names have been floated as possible challengers to Modi, including Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Telangana’s K Chandrashekar Rao. Neither is expected to be present today.

Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee was at the centre of a big push after her statement win over the BJP in the 2021 Bengal Assembly election, when she reached out to other parties, including the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party, but that buzz has dimmed in recent months.

“When we all unite and win… it will be at that time that they (a joint opposition) will decide who is the best man to lead and unite this nation.”

Farooq Abdullah is in Chennai for Stalin’s 70th birthday celebrations; the ruling DMK has organised a public meeting to also push for a united opposition.

As the opposition preps for next year, many names have been floated as possible challengers to Modi, including Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and Telangana’s K Chandrashekar Rao. Neither is expected to be present today.

Trinamool leader Mamata Banerjee was at the centre of a big push after her statement win over the BJP in the 2021 Bengal Assembly election, when she reached out to other parties, including the Congress and Sharad Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party, but that buzz has dimmed in recent months.

Pramod Sawant to take oath as Goa CM for second consecutive term today

Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Pramod Sawant to take oath as Goa Chief Minister for the second consecutive term on Monday.
The swearing-in ceremony is scheduled to take place at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium in Taleigao.
Earlier on Saturday, Sawant inspected the preparations for the swearing-in ceremony at Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Stadium.
The list of invitees for the ceremony include Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief JP Nadda, other Union Ministers and Chief Ministers of at least eight states.

Source: https://www.aninews.in/news/national/politics/pramod-sawant-to-take-oath-as-goa-cm-for-second-consecutive-term-today20220328070331/

Biren Singh Led BJP to Manipur Mandate, Now He May Be Part of A Triangular Contest for CM’s Chair

The elections are over, the results are out, but one battle is still raging in Manipur. Who will be the chief minister? Before going into the elections, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party had not officially nominated incumbent chief minister N Biren Singh as its choice.

N Biren Singh resigned from the CM’s post on Friday, as is customary, and the party may make its choice on Saturday. (Photo: Twitter @NBirenSingh)

Sources inside the party were of the opinion that since there was a faction fight, the central leadership did not reveal a CM face.

Biren ran the state successfully as chief minister over the past five years, but he did come up against rivals inside the party.

Thongam Biswajit Singh is one of the challengers. He actually joined the BJP before Biren Singh. Party insiders say he thought in 2017 that he would be the chief minister, being senior.

Source: https://www.news18.com/news/politics/biren-singh-led-bjp-to-manipur-mandate-now-he-may-be-part-of-a-triangular-contest-for-cms-chair-4866326.html

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