Bharatiya Janata Party Archives - Page 4 of 31 - Lokmarg

BJP Again Crying CAA For Votes: Mamata

By LokMarg 29th January 2024

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday saying that the party has again started crying “CAA CAA” for the sake of votes as Lok Sabha elections are approaching.

“We have fought against the NRC. Rajbanshis are citizens of India. They have again started shouting CAA, CAA for the sake of votes,” Mamata Banerjee said at a public distribution program in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar on Monday.

Banerjee’s remarks came after Union Minister Shantanu Thakur said on Sunday that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will be implemented across the country in a week.

The West Bengal Chief Minister said that her government has acknowledged all colonies as “permanent addresses,” and all residents who get the benefit of various state government benefits are citizens of the country.

“All of you are citizens. We have given permanent addresses to all colonies. They get ration, go to school, get scholarships, get Kisan Bandhu, Shikhashree, Oikoshree, Laxmir Bhandar. How could they get these benefits if they had not been citizens? Had they been able to cast votes if they were not citizens?” Banerjee questioned.

Hitting out at the central government for misusing central agencies, Banerjee said, “Do you remember the Sitalkuchi case? The CISF has earlier shot four people to death. They shoot people as if they are zamindars. If anyone oppresses you in your village, fire an FIR first. They instil fear and conduct elections through agencies.”

Various reports have claimed that four people were killed in West Bengal’s Sitalkuchi after being fired by CISF during the assembly elections in 2021.

Accusing the BJP of misusing the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation, to harass political opponents, Banerjee said, “They call leaders and say that if you do not come with us, we will send ED to your houses. What will the ED do? What will the CBI do? They are here today by they may not be there tomorrow.”

The CAA, introduced by the Narendra Modi government, aims to confer Indian citizenship to persecuted non-Muslim migrants – including Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians – who migrated from Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Afghanistan and arrived in India before December 31, 2014. Following the passage of the CAA by Parliament in December 2019 and its subsequent Presidential assent, significant protests erupted in various parts of the country. (ANI)

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Paltu Kumar: The Flip-Flop Man of Indian Politics Strikes Again

By Sanjoy Narayan 28th January 2024

When things turn darkly cynical, seek solace in humour. In Indian politics that’s a truism. When early rumours swirled last week that Nitish Kumar, the veteran Bihar politician, chief minister of that state, and the main mover behind the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A.), last summer’s alliance of more than two dozen Indian opposition parties, was likely to jump ship and ally instead with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) once again, a colleague reminded me that many have named him “Paltu” Kumar, which roughly translated could mean “Flip-flop” Kumar, a reference to the series of switches in allegiance that have marked the 72-year-old political career.

Last Saturday, Kumar, who has been the longest serving chief minister, resigned from the post (he will stay on as caretaker chief minister till a new government is formed) and announced that he was joining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the BJP-led alliance, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that is in power at the Centre.

The “Flip-flop” nickname fits Kumar well. In his political career, which he began in the 1970s as a student socialist leader, has changed his political alliances so many times that it can be easy to lose count of those changes. Here’s a recap of his political moves through the years (make of them what you will):

In 1996, Kumar left the Janata Dal and formed the Samata Party with the late George Fernandes, and allied with the BJP-led NDA. In 2003, he merged the Samata Party with the Janata Dal (United), or JD(U), and continued to be part of the NDA.

Then, in 2013, he broke away from the NDA over the BJP’s decision to project Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate, and joined the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), led by the Congress. But barely four years later, in 2017, he again switched sides and rejoined the NDA, after breaking the Grand Alliance that his party had forged with the Bihar regional party, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Congress, over corruption charges against his then deputy, Tejashwi Yadav.

Then, in 2022, Kumar resigned as chief minister and removed his party from the NDA, announcing that his party had rejoined the Grand Alliance, and would form a governing coalition with the RJD and the Congress. And two years later, last weekend, he resigned and joined the NDA once again. Yes, phew!

During all these hop-on, hop-off activities, one thing has remained constant: with the exception of a year, Kumar has remained chief minister of his state for the past nearly 20 years. Kumar has always defended his moves as being motivated by what is good for the people of Bihar and the good of the state. And as well as being known for his frequent changes of political loyalties he is also known for his development-oriented policies and governance in Bihar, which remains among the poorest and most economically backward states of India. And the fact that voters have in election after election, chosen to repose their faith in Kumar is indication of both his popularity and approval as the state’s chief minister.

There is, however, another consequence of Kumar’s latest move to hop aboard the alliance headed by Modi, an erstwhile arch political rival of his. After all, in 2013, when the BJP projected Modi as the NDA’s prime ministerial candidate, it was the reason why Kumar decided to exit the alliance. And, last summer, Kumar was the main political leader behind the formation of I.N.D.I.A., whose raison d’etre or reason for being was to ensure that Modi and the BJP do not win the 2024 parliamentary elections, which will be held in a few months.

That possibility, already quite unlikely, will now be dealt another blow as one of I.N.D.I.A.’s most prominent members doesn’t just quit the alliance but joins its main foe. In June 2023, it was Kumar who convened a meeting of 16 opposition parties in Patna, the capital of Bihar, to propose a new political front to challenge the ruling NDA government led by the BJP in the 2024 general elections. The alliance was formally created in July 2023 in Bengaluru, where 10 more parties joined the group and adopted the name I.N.D.I.A. The alliance currently has 26 parties, including two national and 24 regional parties, and accounts for 142 seats in the Lok Sabha and 98 seats in the Rajya Sabha.

I.N.D.I.A. is led by the Congress party, with that party’s president, Mallikarjun Kharge, as the chairperson but besides the departure of Kumar, the alliance faces other problems. Many of the alliance’s constituents disagree over several issues. Originally, I.N.D.I.A. had hoped to reach a consensus and put up one candidate to fight the BJP or its allies’ nominees in each of India’s parliamentary constituencies. It had also been expected to reach a consensus on fielding a prime ministerial candidate to take on Modi. None of these appears to have happened.

Seat-sharing has been an especially sore point. The Trinamool Congress leader and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee recently said that her party would fight the elections independently and not back a consensus candidate; and even before he quit the alliance, Kumar’s supporters have been demanding that he be projected as the prime ministerial candidate. Then there have been schisms and rifts elsewhere: the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress have been sparring over seat sharing in states such as Punjab, Delhi and Haryana. And in Kerala, the Congress and the CPI(M), traditional adversaries in the state, are unlikely to agree on a common candidates’ list.

On the other side, Kumar’s crossover to the NDA will strengthen the alliance’s prospects, particularly in Bihar where there are 40 parliamentary seats. As of now, after the 2019 elections, the BJP has 17 of those seats, while Kumar’s JD (U) has 16, the Lok Janshakti Party has 6, the Grand Alliance 1 and the Congress 1. With Kumar aligning with the BJP, the NDA’s increased heft in the state is obvious.

Whatever motivates Mr Flip-Flop to keep switching sides, his latest manoeuvre further bolsters the near certainty of a third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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RSS-BJP Want To Spread Hatred In Society: Rahul

By LokMarg 21st January 2024

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi said that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are spreading hatred in society by making each religion, caste or language turn against another so that they can distract the people.

“BJP-RSS are spreading hatred and violence in society by making one religion fight against another, one caste against another and one language against another, so that they can distract you. They aim to snatch your wealth and keep it with them,” the Congress MP said.

Rahul Gandhi resumed the second leg of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Assam by re-entering the state from the Rajgarh-Hollongi (Assam-Arunachal Pradesh) border on Sunday, the eighth day of his journey.

Highlighting issues of unemployment and farmers not getting right prices for their crops, Rahul Gandhi said, “We met lakhs of people in ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’. The youth raised issues of unemployment and farmers told us about not getting right prices for their crops. Now to hear your voice once again, we have started the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’.”

“The youths here spend lakhs of rupees to go to school and college, but then come to know that they cannot get employment in Assam. Farmers do not get the right price for their crops, small shopkeepers were ruined due to demonetization and GST. The entire government of the country is run for selected industrialists,” he added.

Hitting out at Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Rahul Gandhi alleged, “Who is the most corrupt Chief Minister of India? The people of Assam and the entire country know that the answer is Himanta Biswa Sarma.”

“Those who are threatening us should know that this is not the journey of Rahul Gandhi, it is the journey of the people of Assam. Rahul Gandhi and the people of Assam are not afraid of the Chief Minister, they can do whatever they want,” he added.

The Yatra re-entered Assam on Sunday after spending a night in Arunachal Pradesh. The first leg of the journey in Assam was from Thursday to Saturday afternoon, after which it crossed over to Arunachal Pradesh.

The Congress leader met with an all-party delegation over a cup of tea during the Yatra in Assam’s Rajgarh.

Rahul Gandhi paid tribute to Mahatma Gandhi by offering flowers on his statue during the Yatra. He also paid tributes to the statues of freedom fighters Swahid Kanaklata and Mukund Kakati.

The police stopped the convoy of Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra for some time in Assam’s Biswanath district on Sunday. However, after a discussion between the police and party workers, the Yatra resumed.

Earlier on Saturday, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh claimed that Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is making all efforts to prevent the party’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra program in Guwahati.

“On January 23, as per our schedule, we will be staying at Guwahati. We are trying our best to carry on with our Yatra as planned. Assam Chief Minister is trying his best not to allow our event in Guwahati. Several obstacles are being posed in front of us…We have written two letters to the Chief Minister,” Jairam Ramesh said speaking at a press conference at Assam’s Lakhimpur on Saturday along with Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhupen Kumar Borah.

On the party’s efforts to clear the way ahead of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’s scheduled plan at Guwahati on Tuesday, Ramesh said, “Our Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia has gone to Guwahati for ongoing talks with the police and the Chief Minister’s office about our program on January 23…Rahul Gandhi will interact with youths, about unemployment and the education system in Guwahati and will address a press conference.” (ANI)

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Gautam Gambhir Cleans Mandir Premises In Karol Bagh

By LokMarg 17th January 2024

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP and former cricketer Gautam Gambhir cleaned the premises of Shiv Mandir in Karol Bagh on Wednesday, as part of the Swachchata Abhiyan.

Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cleaned the premises of the Kalaram Temple in Maharashtra’s Nashik as part of the Swachchata Abhiyan.

Visuals showed the Prime Minister with a mop and bucket mopping the floor of the temple.

Earlier, he performed darshan and puja at the Shree Kala Ram Mandir. He also performed darshan and puja at Shree Ram Kund on the bank of River Godavari.

The PM appealed to the people to carry out Swachhata activities (cleanliness drives) at temples across the country ahead of the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya.

The X account of the Prime Minister included several pictures of him at the temple.

“Prayed at the Shree Kalaram Temple in Nashik. Feeling incredibly blessed by the divine atmosphere. A truly humbling and spiritual experience. I prayed for the peace and well-being of my fellow Indians,” PM Modi said.

Later, during his inaugural address at the 27th National Youth Festival in Nashik, the Prime Minister reiterated his call for cleanliness campaigns, urging citizens to clean pilgrimage places and temples across the country on ‘Pran Pratishtha’ day of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22.

“I had called upon all of us to clean the pilgrimage places and temples of the country by January 22 and run a cleanliness campaign. Today I have the privilege of visiting Kalaram Temple and cleaning the temple premises,” PM Modi said.

“I will reiterate my request to the countrymen to run cleanliness campaigns in all the temples and pilgrimage areas of the country and donate their labour on the auspicious occasion of the consecration of life in the Ram temple,” the Prime Minister said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) started a cleanliness drive on Sunday as part of the Swachchata Abhiyan campaign at all religious places until January 22 when the country will witness the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Speaking with ANI, party chief JP Nadda said, “On PM Modi’s direction, the party has decided that starting from January 14 (Makar Sankranti) till January 22 (Pran Pratishtha of Ram Temple), we will hold a cleanliness drive at all the religious places…”

Nadda on Sunday participated in a cleanliness drive at Guru Ravidas Mandir in Delhi as part of the ‘Swachhta Abhiyaan’.

In Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Sunday, visited and held a cleanliness drive at Kainchi Dham in Nainital, while his counterpart Yogi Adityanath participated in a cleanliness drive in Ayodhya.

Speaking with ANI on the ‘Swachhta Abhiyaan’ being carried out in temples across the country, the Union Railway Minister said, “PM Modi has started a campaign to keep our cultural legacy and our temples clean. Today, we did our bit after performing prayers at Jhadeswar Temple.”

Preparations are underway in full swing for the grand temple opening, which will draw dignitaries and people from all walks of life. The Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has decided to enthrone Ram Lalla at the sanctum-sanctorum of the Ram Temple at noon on January 22.

Vedic rituals for the Pran-Pratishtha ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya will begin on January 16, a week before the main ceremony.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the ceremonial installation of Shri Ram Lalla inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. Earlier, on Friday, PM Modi announced a special 11-day ‘anushthan’ (ritual) ahead of the Pran Pratishtha ceremony at Ayodhya’s Ram Temple. (ANI)

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BJP Tears Into Cong For Declining Ayodhya Invite

By LokMarg 11th January 2024

Labelling the Ram Temple inauguration an event of the BJP and RSS, Congress turned down the invitation for the ‘Pran Pratistha’ ceremony of Ram Temple, scheduled to be held on January 22, after which the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have slammed the grand old party, terming it “unfortunate, painful and shameful.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Congress declared that it would skip the massive inauguration ceremony being planned for the Ayodhya Ram Temple, saying it was a “political project” of the BJP and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh.

Reacting to the issue, BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad said that the ‘Pran Pratistha’ ceremony of Lord Ram is a matter of joy for the whole nation.

“It is very unfortunate, painful and shameful… They had always opposed Ram Janmabhoomi… The Congress Party had ruled the country, yet where has it reduced itself to today? It will be wiped out in future elections as well. Is this a programme of the Sangh? This is a programme of the nation; the whole world is waiting for it,” Prasad told ANI on Thursday.

BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi, addressing a press conference, said that Congress only boycotts everything, whether it is the ‘pran pratishtha’ ceremony of Ram Temple or the Bharat Ratna ceremony of former President Pranab Mukherjee.

“Congress boycotted the inauguration ceremony of the new Parliament building. Congress boycotted G20 Summit…From 2004 till 2009, Congress boycotted Kargil Vijay Diwas. Congress did not give any statement for 10 days after the Pokhran nuclear test conducted in May 1998 under the leadership of Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s government. Congress had also boycotted the Bharat Ratna ceremony of former President Pranab Mukherjee, who belonged to their party. The public is also boycotting them from power,” Trivedi said.

Meanwhile, Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said that declining the invitation has proven that Congress is against Lord Ram.

“The invitation was not sent by the government or the BJP. It was sent by the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust. Declining the invitation has only proved again that they are against Lord Ram. They had already called Lord Ram a fictional character,” Maurya said.

Meanwhile, the secretary of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi, Teerth Kshetra Champat Rai, said, “We have sent invitations to many people, but many invited people are not coming. Everyone has to see many issues.”

A former litigant in the Ayodhya land dispute case, Iqbal Ansari, asserted that he would be going to Ayodhya for the ‘Pran Pratistha’ ceremony at Ram Temple.

“This is a religious matter. Who will attend and who won’t is a personal matter of individuals. I am a resident of Ayodhya and I respect all religions. I too have received an invitation and I will attend it,” Ansari said.

Union Minister Giriraj Singh claimed that the grand old party does not have the “moral strength” to go to Ayodhya.

“These people are seasonal Hindus; when they feel they have to get votes, they try to become soft Hindus,” Giriraj Singh told ANI.

He further asserted that since Jawaharlal Nehru, no one in the Congress has gone to Ayodhya.

“It was the Congress party itself that had done the work of pending the case in the court; hence they do not have the moral strength to go to Ayodhya,” he added.

Earlier, Union Minister Smriti Irani accused the Congress and the INDIA bloc of having an anti-Sanatana mindset.

“Congress party’s anti-Lord Ram face is before the nation. It is no surprise that under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, the party that had filed an affidavit before the court that Lord Ram is a fictional character, its leadership declined the invitation to the ‘Pran Pratishtha’ of Ram Temple…Under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Congress, the INDI Alliance has insulted Sanatan Dharma again and again. Now, the declining of the invitation to the ‘pran pratishtha’ by leaders of the INDI Alliance reflects their anti-Sanatan mindset,” Smriti Irani said.

Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah on Thursday said that the Congress party is not against Lord Ram but the BJP is making politics out of it and we are opposing politics.

“We are not against Lord Ram. We all follow Lord Ram and we visit Ram Temples in our villages. They have built Ram Temple and we have no issue with it. But they are making politics out of it and we are opposing politics,” Siddaramaiah told reporters.

On Wednesday, senior Congress leaders–Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury–‘declined” the invitation for the grand event in Ayodhya, the party’s general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a statement.

“Lord Ram is worshipped by millions in our country. Religion is a personal matter. But the RSS/BJP have long made a political project of the temple in Ayodhya. The inauguration of the incomplete temple by the leaders of the BJP and the RSS has obviously been brought forward for electoral gain. While abiding by the 2019 Supreme Court judgement and honouring the sentiments of millions who revere Lord Ram, Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi, and Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury have respectfully declined the invitation to what is clearly an RSS/BJP event,” the Congress said in its statement.

Preparations are underway in full swing for the Ram Temple ‘Pran Pratishtha’ on January 22, which will draw dignitaries and people from all walks of life.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to attend the installation of the idol of Ram Lalla at the grand temple on January 22. As per temple officials, the ceremony will be held over a span of seven days, starting on January 16. (ANI)

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BJP Shares Video Of UBT Sena’s Sudhakar Partying With Dawood’s Aide Salim

By LokMarg 15th December 2023

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nitesh Rane during the legislative session on Friday made serious allegations against Uddhav Thackeray group office-bearer Sudhakar Badgujar in Nashik by showing some photos with Salim Kutta, the close aide of the 1993 bomb blast accused Dawood Ibrahim.

“Salim Kutta the close aide of the 1993 bomb blast accused Dawood Ibrahim during his parole organised a party and leaders of Uddhav Thackeray’s Shiv Sena were reportedly present. I have the videos of the party…It all should be investigated,” Rane said.

Rane showed the photos of Badgujar with Salim Kutta and demanded action against the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader.

“If political leaders associate themselves with terrorists, our state and country will not be safe.”

Salim was found guilty of taking part in the plot that resulted in the 1993 serial blasts and of distributing explosives and ammunition.

On March 12, 1993, Mumbai (then Bombay) was rocked by a series of bomb blasts which killed 257 persons, injured more than 700 persons and destroyed property worth approximately Rs 27 crore. The case was handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on the request of the state government.

A number of accused persons were convicted in the case including Mustafa Dossa and Abu Salem on June 16, 2017. Wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim allegedly planned the attacks. (ANI)

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Nadda Slams Cong Over Cash Recoveries From Dheeraj Sahu

By LokMarg 11th December 2023

Bharatiya Janata Party National President on Monday slammed the Congress over its MP Dheeraj Sahu and said that Congress and Corruption are two sides of the same coin. The BJP president led a massive protest by the BJP at the Gandhi statue in Parliament over the Cash recovered from it Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sadu during IT raids on premises linked to him.

“From the beginning, BJP has believed that Congress and Corruption are two sides of the same coin. Congress is known for malpractice; it is known for criminalisation. This is the policy of Congress. Right now money is being withdrawn from the accounts of Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu, the Almira is full of black money, the money of poor people and the counting is still going on. Don’t know where this counting will stop. This is the tip of the iceberg,” JP Nadda said.

The BJP president further asserted that PM Modi has clearly said that no corrupt person will be spared.

“Congress is a party steeped in corruption. They always keep blaming ED and IT. Today BJP wants to ask Rahul Gandhi what he has to say on this. Sonia Gandhi has always raised questions on central agencies, today everyone wants to know about them. PM Modi has clearly said that we will not spare any corrupt person. Congress will have to answer how this money of the poor was looted. BJP put all of them behind bars,” he added.

Rajya Sabha MP Prakash Javdekar said ” Rs 354 crore has been recovered at the house of Dheeraj Sahu, how has so much cash been found? Congress claims that he is a businessman and he has to explain, but which businessman keeps so much cash? This cash is the ATM of the Congress which is why the Congress has not even suspended the MP. Dheeraj Sahu is in the business of liquor and he has looted from the poor and become the ATM of the Congress. The nation is angry with this and will teach a lesson to the Congress.”

MoS MEA V Muraleedhanran said, “When people in the country are using digital payment mode even to buy vegetables now, the Congress should give an answer on the recovery of crores of rupees in cash from the premises of a Congress MP.”

Bharatiya Janata Party had staged a protest in the Parliament premises led by the party’s National President, JP Nadda, targeting the Congress over alleged Corruption with leaders having banners in their hand that read “C for Congress and C for Corruption.”

BJP MPs led by party president and Rajya Sabha MP JP Nadda marched towards Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in the Parliament premises.

Several MPs were chanting “Rahul Gandhi must answer, wherever there is Congress, there is corruption, from corruption to Congress.”

Meanwhile, as the currency counting of 176 bags is completed after the Income Tax raids at properties connected to Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sahu, the Income Tax department will deposit all the sized cash at the same bank in Balangir SBI main branch following the official procedure on Monday. SBI’s main branch will function smoothly for the public regularly, SBI Regional Manager said.

During the Income Tax raids at properties connected to Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sahu, huge stacks of currency notes were seized. According to sources the amount of cash recovered was in excess of Rs 300 crore.

Meanwhile, Income Tax officials continue to conduct the survey at properties linked to Dheeraj Sahu with the documentation process still on. Searches are on at Balangir in Odisha as well as in Jharkhand. (ANI)

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Vishnu Deo Sai Selected As Chhattisgarh New Chief Minister

By LokMarg 10th December 2023

Tribal leader and former Union Minister Vishnu Deo Sai is the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) pick as the new Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh.

BJP leader and Union Minister Renuka Singh Saruta said, “I am very happy that Vishnu Deo Sai will be the Chief Minister of Chhattisgarh. This is the first time a party worker from the tribal community belonging to a farmer’s family has been elected as the CM…”

Sai won the recently concluded assembly polls from Kunkuri in north Chhattisgarh, a region the BJP has swept.

Sai is a prominent figure in the BJP and has held various positions, including being the former state chief and former union minister.

Sai hails from the influential Sahu (Teli) community which has a sizable presence in the Durg, Raipur and Bilaspur divisions.

He served as State President of the party for Chhattisgarh from 2020 until 2022. He was the Union Minister of State for Mines, Steel in the first PM Modi cabinet. He is highly regarded among tribal voters.

Earlier, BJP central observers Sarbananda Sonowal and Arjun Munda held a meeting in Raipur.

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. (ANI)

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BJP To Declare CM Faces For Three States In Two Days: Murlidhar Rao

By LokMarg 8th December 2023

Madhya Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in charge, Murlidhar Rao on Friday claimed that the Chief Ministers for the three states- Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh would be revealed within the next two days.

Rao said, “The central observers have been appointed for the three states by the party. They will visit the respective states and the party will declare its Chief Minister faces for those three states within two days”.

Amid suspense over the Chief Minister’s post, Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday announced its Central observers in their recently won states–Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

“The Parliamentary Board of the Bharatiya Janata Party has approved Central observers of the party in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh,” a release from the party said.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Rajya Sabha MP Suresh Pandey and Vinod Tavde, National Secretary General have been appointed as observers in Rajasthan.

In Madhya Pradesh, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar, K Laxman, National President, OBC Morcha and Aasha Lakda, National Secretary have been given the responsibility.

Union Tribal Minister, Arjun Munda, Union Minister Sarbanana Sonowal and BJP leader Dushyant Kumar Gautam have been appointed as observers in Chhattisgarh.

Once the observers head to the states they are expected to meet the newly elected MLAs in the assembly before announcing the decision on who will become the next Chief Minister in the state.

The BJP, which had been battling close to 20 years of incumbency in Madhya Pradesh, won a resounding mandate bagging 163 seats while the Congress finished a distant second at 66 seats.

In Rajasthan, the vote count painted a starkly different picture to what some of the pollsters had predicted, as the BJP won 115 seats, emerging as the party crossing the halfway mark, and the Congress got 69 seats. Of the 90 assembly constituencies in Chhattisgarh, the BJP bagged 54 while the Congress won 35.

Meanwhile, the opposition MPs have been questioning the BJP over the delay in declaring the CM faces.

Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Thursday said that BJP is playing musical chairs right now with only two people Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah taking the call.

Priyanka Chaturvedi called the delay in naming Chief Ministers ‘Unfortunate’.

“Because they (BJP) are busy in musical chairs. They have the majority, and people have expressed their trust in him. Elected MLAs have to make a decision that who will be the leader. But that process has been done away in the BJP. Only two people make decisions on the CM – PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah. Results were out on December 3 and today is 7th December,” Priyanka Chaturvedi told ANI. (ANI)

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I Will Fight BJP For Next 30 Years: Mahua

By LokMarg 8th December 2023

Trinamool Congress leader Mahua Moitra, who was expelled from the Lok Sabha over the cash-for-query scandal, dared the Bharatiya Janata Party that she would fight it over the next “30 years, inside and outside Parliament, inside gutter, on streets”.

Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha after a discussion on the report of the Ethics Committee in the ‘cash for query’ that was tabled in the Lower House today.

“I am 49 years old and for the next 30 years, I will fight you inside the Parliament and outside; in the gutter and on the streets…We will see the end of you…This is the beginning of your end…We’re going to come back and we’re going to see the end of you,” Moitra said.

Mahua Moitra also invoked Ramesh Biduri’s objectionable remarks against BSP MP Danish Ali asking why no action was taken against the BJP leader.

“Ramesh Biduri stands up in Parliament and makes objectionable remarks against Danish Ali, one of the few Muslim MPs…. the BJP has sent 303 MPs but hasn’t sent one Muslim MP to Parliament. No action has been taken against Biduri for abusing Ali…You hate minorities, you hate women, you hate nari shakti,” she said.

The expelled Lok Sabha MP alleged that she has been found guilty of breaching a code of ethics that ‘does not exist’.

Following her expulsion from the 17th Lok Sabha as a Trinamool Congress MP in a ‘cash for query’ case, TMC leader Mahua Moitra on Friday said that the Ethics Committee probing the matter is another “weapon to crush opposition into submission” and that the panel has broken every rule in the book.

Soon after her expulsion, she read her statement on Parliament premises and said, “This LS has also seen the weaponisation of the Parliamentary committee. Ironically the Ethics Committee which was set up to serve as a moral compass for members, instead it has been abused egregiously today to do exactly what it was never meant to do, which is to bulldoze the opposition and become another weapon to ‘thok do’ (crush) us into submission.”

“This committee and this report have broken every rule in the book. In essence you are finding me guilty of breaching a code of ethics that does not exist,” Moitra said, adding that the committee is punishing her for engaging in a practice that is routine, accepted and encouraged in the House.

Moitra further alleged that the findings are solely based on the written testimonies of two private citizens whose versions contradict each other in material terms and her right to cross examine them was snatched.

“None of whom I was allowed to cross-examine. One of the two private citizens is my estranged partner, who with malafide intention, masqueraded as a common citizen in front of the committe. The two testimonies have been used to hang me there at polar opposites to each other,” she said.

“The complainant says (that) I accepted cash in consideration for my businessman to ask questions in furtherance of his commercial interests. But the businessman’s suo motu affidavit, says I pressurised him into uploading questions to further my agenda. The two are at pole of opposites,” she clarified on the issue.

The Ethics Committee report probing ‘Unethical Conduct’ of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP had recommended that Moitra “may be expelled” from the Lok Sabha and called for an “intense, legal, institutional inquiry” by the central government in a “time-bound manner”.

“The serious misdemeanours on the part of Mahua Moitra calls for severe punishment. The Committee, therefore, recommend that Mahua Moitra, MP may be expelled from the Membership of the Seventeenth Lok Sabha,” the report read.

Questioning the expulsion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra as a Member of the Lok Sabha, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram said that after finding somebody criminal, why are you asking for an inquiry?

“So the committee came to the conclusion that she is criminal but in the next line, the committee recommends an intense legal institutional inquiry by the Government of India in a time-bound manner. After finding somebody criminal, why are you asking for an inquiry? This recommendation itself is completely contradictory. The person who drafted it has to read it again,” Congress MP said.

Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Friday said that all of this is being done based on “baseless facts” and with a “sentiment of revenge.”

“This was done based on baseless facts and with a sentiment of revenge. This government has insulted women,” Adhir said.

Meanwhile, BSP MP Danish Ali also reacted to the expulsion and said that Moitra was not given the opportunity to speak for herself.

“I’ve put this (poster) because the committee also mentioned me in its recommendation because I want to bring her justice…She wasn’t given an opportunity,” Danish Ali said.

After the explusion of TMC MP Mahua Moitra from the Lok Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said that this isn’t an issue related to women, adding that Moitra admitted receiving gifts (from Darshan Hiranandani).

Moitra was expelled from the Lok Sabha after a discussion on the report of the Ethics Committee in the ‘cash for query’ that was tabled in the Lower House today.

“In 2005, when 10 MPs were expelled, at the time the report was presented on the same day. This isn’t an issue related to women. She herself admitted of receiving gifts (from Darshan Hiranandani). What other proof is required now?” Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs told reporters in Friday.

West Bengal BJP chief and MP Sukanta Majumdar said that if Moitra wanted to give any answer, she should have given it in front of the committee.

“Earlier too Congress had suspended 10 MPs in a day. This isn’t happening for the first time. Yes, it might be happening for the first time in the history of West Bengal…The accused can never present his side in the Lok Sabha, if the accused has to present the side it has to be infront of the Ethics Committee. Mahua Moitra was called before the committee. She presented her side for some time. Later, when she had to answer the questions, she could not answer and ran away… If you had to give any answer, you should have given it in front of the committee,” Majumdar said.

Meanwhile, the BJP’s IT Cell chief, Amit Malviya, said that Moitra’s expulsion was imminent to restore the credibility of the institution.

“Mahua Moitra had become the face of impropriety in Parliament. Her expulsion was imminent to restore the credibility of the institution,” Malviya posted on X (formerly Twitter).

“But it is Mamata Banerjee’s patronage and selective support for the delinquent MP that must be questioned. She had the state CID snooping on her so she was aware of everything Mahua Moitra was up to. Did she wilfully allow the MP to undermine the institution of Parliament to exercise leverage on corporate houses? What did the poor of Bengal gain? Poor have lost their land and acres of mango groves to Mamata Banerjee’s corporate friends. And the people of Krishnanagar, the constituency Mahua Moitra was elected from, suffered, since no one raised their issues,” he added.

“We now know what her priorities were! Mamata Banerjee must sack Mahua Moitra from the TMC, failing which it would be obvious that she was acting at her behest. Anyway, nothing moves in the TMC without Mamata Banerjee’s consent and active collusion,” he said.

Moreover, BJP MP Locket Chatterjee said that there should be no politics on the issue of national security.

Speaker Om Birla said, “…This House accepts the conclusions of the Committee that MP Mahua Moitra’s conduct was immoral and indecent as an MP. So, it is not appropriate for her to continue as an MP…”

The House was then adjourned till December 11.

The opposition MPs immediately staged a walkout after the Lok Sabha adopted the motion to expel Mahua Moitra as TMC Member of Parliament.

Union Parliamentary Pralhad Joshi had moved the motion to consider the report of the Ethics commitee which was further taken up for the debate.

Mahua Moitra is facing the heat of the “cash-for-query” allegations against her. The Lok Sabha Ethics Committee had recently recommended her expulsion from the Lower House.

The draft report was adopted by a 6:4 majority in the panel last month. As per the sources, the draft report on Moitra’s cash-for-questions case reveals that she visited the UAE four times from 2019 to 2023 while her login was accessed several times. (ANI)

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