LIVE: While boasting on air strikes, Modi insulted war strategy, says Cong

Narendra Modi will address public meetings in Punjab and Himachal today. Catch LIVE updates on Lok Sabha elections 2019 campaigns

3:01 PM

2:51 PM

UP CM in Kushinagar: Nandi (bull) is going to SP's rallies and asking "where are the friends of butchers?" saying it'll give them a lesson. I said to Nandi baba, elections are going on, MCC is in place, please spare them at this time, you can continue your work after elections.

2:40 PM

Navjot Singh Sidhu on medication due to continuous speech damaging his vocal cords

Navjot Singh Sidhu on steroid medication and injections due to continuous speech damaging his vocal cords. At the moment Sidhu is under the medication and in process of a quick recovery to return-back to campaigning at the earliest.

2:32 PM

While boasting on air strikes, Modi insulted war strategy, says Congress

The Congress on Monday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks that cloud cover could help IAF planes evade Pakistani radars during the Balakot strikes, saying that while "boasting" he "disrespected war strategy" and committed an "unforgivable crime".

 

In an interview to a private news channel aired on Saturday, Modi said he relied on his "raw wisdom" to dispel doubts of defence experts who wanted the air strikes to be deferred due to inclement weather.

 

Taking a swipe at Modi, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted, "In 70 years no PM has made fun of military might, but Modi ji kept his raw wisdom above military's professionalism." "He is so busy garnering votes in the name of military that he ended up insulting the forces. While boasting, Modi ji disrespected war strategy and committed an unforgivable crime," he said.

2:16 PM

Sam Pitroda must be ashamed of remark on 1984 riots, says Rahul

Congress President Rahul Gandhi in Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab: What Sam Pitroda said about 1984 is absolutely wrong and he should apologise to the nation for it. I told him this over the phone, I told him what he said was wrong, he should be ashamed and apologise publicly.

2:13 PM

'Hua to hua' remark shows arrogance of Congress: Modi

Tearing into Congress leader Sam Pitroda's "hua to hua" (whatever happened, happened) remark on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday said people are now saying "enough is enough" in response.

 

He sought to dismiss "claims by pundits and planted reports from Delhi" that there was no "Modi wave". "The wave is coming out from each home," he said.

 

Addressing an election rally here in Madhya Pradesh, Modi said in incidents like the Bhopal gas tragedy and scams like CWG, 2G spectrum and coal allocation happened under the watch of the Rahul Gandhi-led party, which brazenly says "hua to hua".

 

Modi also reiterated his claim that the Gandhis used warship INS Viraat for "picnic". But when questions were raised about it, the Congress said "hua to hua", he added.

2:02 PM

BJP accuses Congress of violating MCC by shaking 'hands' near polling booth

BJP leader Ashwani Upadhyay on Monday registered a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) against Congress stating that the party cadres are violating Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by shaking 'hands' (Congress symbol) near polling booth in the ensuing Lok Sabha elections.

 

In his complaint to the EC, Upadhyay mentioned that Congress workers and their election agents are affecting voters by 'shaking hands' in the 100 meters radius of the booth, which is a violation of public representative law and election code of conduct.

 

As per the guidelines issued by the EC, no names of any party and its election symbol should be seen within a distance of 200 meters from the polling station.

1:49 PM

Diggi Raja didn't feel the need to cast his vote: PM Modi in Ratlam

PM Modi in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh: The country is electing its representatives, even I went to Ahmedabad to cast my vote. President and Vice President of the country were standing in queues to cast their votes. But Diggi Raja didn't feel the need to cast his vote.

 

1:46 PM

1:38 PM

Who's with whom: Indian parties seek partners as election nears end

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling coalition is confident of a second term in office but opposition parties are talking to each other to seal an alliance, hoping to topple him after general election results are announced on May 23.

1:36 PM

Here's how you can track actual poll results on May 23

1:29 PM

BJP promised ache din in the manifesto and their promises were hollow like the Congress party: Mayawati

BSP supremo Mayawati, addressing an election rally in Gorakhpur, attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over Demonetisation and GST.

 

She said, "Demonetisation and GST were implemented in a hurry and this is why poverty in the country has risen. It's having an adverse affect on our economy. Our borders are not secure and that's why terror attacks are happening. Our jawans are losing their lives. However unfortunately BJP is using this issue to get electoral advantage."

1:28 PM

BJP President Amit Shah in Joynagar, West Bengal: I was to visit 3 places today, but Mamata's ji's nephew is contesting from one of the seats so she is scared her nephew will lose, and that's why she cancelled the permission for our rally.

1:21 PM

1:21 PM

Tamil Nadu: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao offers prayers at Ranganathaswamy Temple in Tiruchirappalli. Rao is scheduled to meet Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) President MK Stalin in Chennai later today.

12:45 PM

Mamata's dictatorship in Bengal, says BJP as permission denied to Amit Shah's rally

The BJP on Monday hit out at the Mamata Banerjee government in West Bengal, alleging the chief minister has replaced democracy with her "dictatorship" after the state administration denied permission to a rally by its president Amit Shah.

 

Shah was scheduled to hold a rally in Jadhavpur Monday but the state administration denied permission for it last night and also withdrew its nod to the landing of Shah's chopper in the constituency, BJP leader and Union minister Prakash Javadekar told reporters.

12:44 PM

JDS asks Congress to stop 'mischievous attitude,' efforts to sabotage coalition govt

Janata Dal (Secular) leader H Vishwanath on Sunday hit out at Congress asking them to stop their 'mischievous attitude' and efforts to sabotage coalition government.

 

"Congress leaders must stop their mischievous attitude. They must stop trying to sabotage the coalition government. They can do all this politics in 2022, this is not the time. We had brought Siddaramaiah to Congress, we created a situation that made him the chief minister," Vishwanath said speaking to media persons here.

 

 

Meanwhile, BJP leader Shobha Karandlaje on Monday also cornered Congres-JD(S) alliance and said: "Whatever Vishwanath has said is right. Siddaramaiah has failed as chief minister of Karnataka. He has not done anything. He came to power to divide society and religion in Karnataka. Now, Siddaramaiah is frustrated because people of Karnataka have rejected him."

 

Vishwanath's remarks come in contrast to JD (S) president and former prime minister HD Deve Gowda's statement. Gowda, affirming faith in the strength of the Congress-JD(S) alliance in the state, had said that both the parties are working without any misunderstandings.

 

"In this country, all regional parties do not have a good understanding with national parties, but we have a good relationship with Congress and are running the government without misunderstandings. We have to work together to reduce the power of BJP in Karnataka," Gowda had said.

12:39 PM

Mayawati claimed that Modi left his wife for vested political gains

Unleashing a personal attack on the Prime Minister, Mayawati claimed that Modi left his wife for vested political gains.

 

Citing the gang rape of a Dalit woman in Alwar, Mayawati said that Prime Minister Modi was initially silent on the issue and only spoke on it after she raked up the matter.

 

"The Prime Minister remained silent on the Alwar gang rape, however, after I spoke on the matter he started to do his filthy politics for political gains. He doesn't know how to respect the sisters and daughters of others as he has left his own wife for his vested political interests."

12:39 PM

BJP women netas afraid of their husbands meeting Modi fearing separation: Mayawati

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo Mayawati on Monday claimed that women leaders in BJP are afraid of their husbands meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as they fear being abandoned by their husbands, just like the Prime Minister did to his wife.

 

Speaking to ANI, Mayawati said, "I came to know that in BJP, married women are worried when they see their husbands meeting Modi as they fear that Modi may separate them from their husbands, just the way he left his own wife. I appeal all women not to vote for Modi, this would be a true tribute to Modi's wife who was abandoned."

12:38 PM

KCR steps up efforts for third front, to meet DMK chief MK Stalin

In his efforts to form a third front, Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief and Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao is set to meet Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) president MK Stalin on Monday.

 

The two leaders are expected to hold discussions on emerging political developments in the country and possibilities of forming a non-BJP, non-Congress federal front.

 

Earlier in the month, Rao met his Kerala and Karnataka counterparts Pinarayi Vijayan and HD Kumaraswamy to discuss the formation of a federal front government after the results of the Lok Sabha election.

12:33 PM

Lalu Yadav targets Nitish Kumar over JD(U) poll symbol, says 'arrow' marks violence

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Monday targeted Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over Janata Dal (United)'s election symbol, saying that 'arrow' marks violence while RJD symbol 'lalten' (lantern) lights up everyone's life.In a letter to Kumar ahead of the last phase of the Lok Sabha polls in Bihar on May 19, he said, "It seems that you have started strongly disliking 'light'. You do not know that 'lalten' is a symbol of light. It is a symbol of love and brotherhood. It is a tool to remove darkness from the lives of the poor."

 

Yadav said in the letter in Hindi, "With the help of 'lalten', we have removed the darkness of hatred, oppression and injustice from people's lives. But your arrow is a weapon of violence. It is a synonym and symbol of violence." Attacking Kumar, the former Bihar Chief Minister said, "If someone is open-hearted and open-minded then 'lalten' can remove the darkness of unemployment, oppression, hatred, atrocities, injustice and inequality...But how would you know all these ideologies because you have an old habit to get scared and take a short cut whenever you find it suitable." He wrote, "You have backstabbed 11 crore poor people with arrows. You may shoot or hide your arrow in the mud flower (BJP's poll symbol lotus), it is your wish. With missiles being there, the time of the arrow is over. Now the arrow is just a museum piece."

12:32 PM

SC dismisses plea to advance poll timing in Lok Sabha election due to Ramzan

The Supreme Court Monday dismissed a plea seeking a direction to the Election Commission to advance poll timings to 5:30 am from 7 am for the seventh phase of Lok Sabha polls in view of searing heat and the month of Ramzan.

 

A vacation bench comprising Justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna rejected the plea, saying the notified timings of voting are from 7 am to 6 pm and voters can cast vote in the morning also.

 

"The timings are for 7 am to 6 pm. People can come in the morning to cast their votes. They (EC) will face logistical problem (if timings are preponed)," the bench told advocate Mohammad Nizamuddin Pasha who had filed the petition.

11:17 AM

Mayawati suffering from 'political depression', symptoms clearly visible: UP deputy CM By Arunav Sinha

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Dinesh Sharma said BSP president Mayawati is suffering from "political depression" as she fears defeat of her party's candidates in the general election under way and as a result, she is losing her temper and patience.

 

Sharma claimed Mayawati is showing weakness and her memory is fading.

 

"All these symptoms are clearly visible in the statements of the BSP supremo," he told PTI in an interview. He said the Bahujan Samaj Party supremo needed a "political health tonic".

 

Mayawati, who is leading the BSP-SP-RLD alliance in UP with Akhilesh Yadav, has regularly hit out at the BJP on Twitter and in campaign rallies, claiming that its government at the Centre is "autocratic" and has resorted to various means to "scare" senior leaders of the opposition parties.

 

She has said the Centre "badly failed" to tackle issues like terrorism and naxalism.

11:05 AM

‘Will he hang himself’: Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge attacks PM Modi

Stoking a controversy, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge Sunday asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would hang himself at Vijay Chowk in Delhi if his prediction of the opposition party getting less than 40 seats in Lok Sabha polls is proven wrong.

 

Addressing a rally in support of Subash Rathod, the Congress candidate for the Chincholi Assembly bypoll in Karnataka, Kharge said, “It is you the people sitting here who are going to write the future and fate of this country, it is in your hands to write the fate of Subash and ours, not in their (BJP/Modi) hands.” “Wherever (Modi) goes, (he) says Congress will not get 40 seats (in Lok Sabha polls). Does any of you agree with this? If we get 40 seats, will Modi hang himself at Vijay Chowk in Delhi?” the senior Congress leader said.

11:04 AM

SC to hear bail plea of BJP youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma tomorrow

A Bench of Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice Sanjiv Khanna says, 'will hear the bail plea of BJP youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma on Tuesday.'

10:59 AM

ECI: DEO Faridabad has reported that a polling agent was arrested yesterday and FIR has been lodged. He was trying to effect at least 3 women voters. Observer visited the booth at Asawati in Prithla constituency of 10, Faridabad PC. He is satisfied that voting was never vitiated.

10:59 AM

10:58 AM

Himanta Biswa Sarma on BJP's youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma

Himanta Biswa Sarma on BJP's youth wing worker Priyanka Sharma who was arrested for sharing a morphed picture of Mamata Banerjee: If this continues, freedom of speech will not be left. BJP strongly condemns it. We will try to file an application in Supreme Court tomorrow.

10:57 AM

10:56 AM

EC removes Bankura DM from his post post poll violence

In the aftermath of violence marred polls in West Bengal, the Election Commission of India on Sunday removed Uma Shankar from the post of Bankura (West Bengal) District Magistrate. Mukta Arya will be replacing him as the new DM.

 

"The Commission had directed that Ms Mukta Arya (RR-2008), IAS to be posted as DM-cum-District Election Officer (DEO) with immediate effect," an order from the EC to the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal on Sunday said.