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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday alleged that Home Minister Amit Shah was behind the ploy of implementing the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, months before the assembly polls. Banerjee, addressing a rally here, called the SIR a politically-driven exercise aimed at unsettling voters. Amit Shah is behind this ploy of implementing the SIR in Bengal just before the elections, she claimed. He wants to capture Bengal at any cost, but he will get a befitting reply, the chief minister asserted. Claiming that the BJP miscalculated the political impact of the voter revision exercise, Banerjee said, By implementing the SIR in Bengal, the BJP has dug its own grave. Bengal and Bihar are not the same. She, however, said that her party, the TMC, was not opposing the exercise, but you have to give appropriate time to conduct it. You cannot just rush things to serve the political agenda of BJP. Banerjee also announced that from December 12
Andhra Pradesh ministers Nara Lokesh and V Anitha on Tuesday met Union Home Minister Amit Shah here, seeking immediate central assistance to help the state recover from the devastation caused by Cyclone Montha. The two Andhra Pradesh ministers also called on Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and briefed him on the agricultural damage due to the cyclone in the state. The state government led by the TDP, a key NDA ally, has pegged the total damage at Rs 6,362 crore and sought about Rs 902 crore as immediate relief from the Centre. In their meeting with Shah, the ministers submitted a comprehensive damage assessment report detailing the cyclone's impact across 3,109 villages in 443 mandals spanning 24 districts, the state government said in a statement. Cyclone Montha, which made landfall near Kakinada on October 28, brought winds of 100 kmph and torrential rainfall, affecting nearly 9.53 lakh people, it said. The damage assessment reveals significant losses across ...
Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said a refund of Rs 6,841.86 crore has been disbursed to 35.44 lakh depositors of Sahara Group Cooperative Societies so far. The refund has been given to 35.44 lakh depositors out of 1.41 crore who have submitted applications through the Sahara Refund and Re-submission Portals, he said in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. Presently, a payment of up to Rs 50,000 is disbursed to each genuine depositor of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies against verified claims through Aadhaar-seeded bank accounts. "The Ministry is taking all possible steps for payment to the genuine depositors...," Shah said. The Supreme Court has extended the time till December 31, 2026 for disbursement to the genuine depositors of the Sahara Group of Cooperative Societies. According to the minister, applications received on the portal are processed in a transparent manner, on proper identification and on submitting proof of their identity and deposits. The ...
Taking a swipe at the RSS-BJP on Constitution Day, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday alleged that the Sangh's role was to attack and undermine it, and that role had been taken forward by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah "who have been subverting constitutional principles in a calculated manner". Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the RSS "had no role whatsoever" in the making of the Constitution "On Saturday, November 26 1949, the Constituent Assembly met at 10 AM with Dr. Rajendra Prasad in the Chair. Before formally putting the motion for the adoption of the draft Constitution of India that had been moved by Dr. Ambedkar the previous day to the vote, Dr Rajendra Prasad made his remarks," Ramesh recalled. "In his speech explaining the background to and highlights of the Draft that was soon to be adopted, Dr. Rajendra Prasad recalled: 'The method which the Constituent Assembly adopted in connection with the ...
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday paid homage to B R Ambedkar, Rajendra Prasad and all the members of the Constituent Assembly on Constitution day, underlining that the Constitution provides every citizen with equal opportunity and rights to pave the way for strong nation-building. In a message on 'X' in Hindi, Shah said,"On this Constitution Day, | pay homage to Babasaheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Ji, Dr. Rajendra Prasad Ji, along with all the great members of the Constituent Assembly, and extend my heartfelt greetings to the fellow citizens." "The Constitution of India, the world's largest democracy, provides every citizen with equal opportunities, a life of dignity, national duties, and rights, thereby paving the way for strong nation-building," he wrote. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has initiated Constitution Day and worked to make the citizens more aware of democratic values, Shah said. Constitution Day or Samvidhan Divas commemorates the official adoption of the Indian ..
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday said the victory of the BJP-led NDA in the Bihar polls was a mandate against infiltrators in the country because citizens will never favour those parties that support such illegal immigrants. Shah said some political parties are opposing the ongoing SIR (special intensive revision) of the Election Commission as they want to make sure that names of infiltrators remain on the electoral rolls. He described the SIR as purification of voters' list. He was addressing the BSF Diamond Jubilee (61st Raising Day) celebrations in Bhuj, in Gujarat's Kutch district. Today, the BSF (Border Security Force) is engaged in preventing infiltration at all borders of the country. Stopping infiltration is not only essential for national security but also to protect the democratic system of the country from being polluted, he said. However, some political parties are trying to weaken the government's anti-infiltration campaign, he said. The Opposition, including t
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday extended greetings to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputies and all ministers on taking oath, and said this double-engine government will work with even more energy to realise the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In a message posted on 'X', Shah expressed gratitude to the people of Bihar for expressing their faith in "the development and good governance" carried out by the NDA for the past 20 years. "Heartfelt best wishes to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar ji, Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary ji, Vijay Sinha ji, and all ministers of the Council of Ministers on taking the oath," he said. "This double-engine government will work with even more energy to realise the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji's 'Developed Bihar' and to reach development works to all sections of society," Shah said. JD(U) president Nitish Kumar was on Thursday sworn in as the chief minister of Bihar for a record 10th time at a grand ceremony, w
Probe into the car blast near the Red Fort that killed 12 people was transferred to the National Investigation Agency on Tuesday, with Union Home Minister Amit Shah instructing the agency to submit a report "at the earliest". The Ministry of Home Affairs' decision to transfer the case to the NIA suggests that the government views the Monday evening explosion as an act of terror since the NIA is mandated specifically to investigate such cases. The agency was formed in the aftermath of 26/11 Mumbai terror attack. The instruction to the NIA came after Shah presided over two back-to-back high-level security review meetings on Tuesday. "The home minister has decided to hand over the investigation of the blast to the NIA. He has instructed the agency to investigate the case and submit a report at the earliest," said a ministry official. Shah has said top investigating agencies are probing the explosion and they will go in-depth into the blast that took place in a slow-moving car at a ...
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah can go anywhere, but they will eventually be caught for indulging in vote chori'. Gandhi, addressing a poll rally in Bihar's Kishanganj, also alleged that the BJP and RSS were trying to divide the nation, while the INDIA bloc was making efforts to unite the country. Modi, Shah and the Election Commission have no replies to our vote chori' (vote theft) allegations, as the truth is now out in front of people The PM, Shah can go anywhere they like, but they will eventually be caught for indulging in 'vote chori', the former Congress president claimed. Gandhi asserted that the INDIA bloc will 100 per cent form government in Bihar if the people come together and stop vote theft. The Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha also hit out at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, alleging that he does not want employment for the youth of Bihar.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday charged the INDIA bloc with trying to build a corridor for infiltrators, unlike Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who wanted to build an industrial corridor. Addressing a rally in Sasaram town of Bihar, on the final day of campaign for the second and final phase of assembly elections, Shah also promised a future that "mortar shells that will be dropped on Pakistan will be manufactured at an ordnance factory in this state". Recently, Rahul and Lalu's son (Tejashwi Yadav) took out a 'Voter Adhikar Yatra'. It was not aimed at bringing about any improvement in the lives of the poor living in Bihar, the Dalits and the EBCs. It was aimed at protecting infiltrators," Shah alleged. The former BJP president said that "the opposition's vote bank politics has led them to make attempts for building a ghuspaithiya (infiltrator) corridor, unlike Narendra Modi, who is setting up an industrial corridor. "When the government at the Centre was helmed by Manmohan .
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and RJD's Tejashwi Yadav were "hell-bent" on making Bihar's Seemanchal region a "den" of infiltrators, and asserted that the Centre will detect and identify every illegal immigrant, delete their names from electoral rolls and deport them. Addressing an election rally in Purnea, Shah asserted that the NDA would form the government in Bihar by securing over 160 seats in the 243-member House. "Half of the state has already shown the door to the Congress-RJD combine," he claimed, referring to the first phase of the polls held on November 6. "Rahul Gandhi and Tejashwi Yadav are hell-bent on turning the Seemanchal region of Bihar into a den of infiltrators... We will detect and identify every illegal immigrant, delete their names from electoral rolls and deport them to their country," he added.
Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday urged voters in Bihar to press the EVM button with the BJP's poll symbol lotus to prevent the return of 'jungle raj' during the RJD rule that had "devastated" the state. He promised that if the NDA returns to power, the government will spend Rs 26,000 crore to harness Koshi water for irrigation and to prevent floods. "Press 'lotus' button to prevent return of 'jungle raj' that devastated Bihar during the Lalu-Rabri's 15-year rule," Shah alleged, addressing a poll rally at Darbhanga. He said the NDA under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership could only lead Bihar to all-around development. "Altogether, Rs 26,000 crore will be spent to harness Koshi river water to irrigate 'Mithilanchal' and prevent floods in the area if the NDA is voted to power in Bihar...Water of the Ganga, Koshi and Gandak rivers will be utilised for irrigation and to prevent deluge in Bihar," the former BJP president said. If the NDA retains power in Bihar, people from ..
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday said a defence corridor will come up in Bihar and factories will be set up in each district if the NDA is voted to power. Addressing a poll rally in Sheohar, Shah exuded confidence that the NDA will again form government in Bihar, and the RJD-Congress will be wiped out by 1 pm on November 14 when the election results are declared. "From the time of Emperor Chandragupta Maurya to Narendra Modi, the Gandak, Koshi and Ganga rivers have wreaked flood havoc in Bihar. The NDA, if voted to power, will form a commission to make Bihar flood-free," he said. We will establish a defence corridor in the state, and set up factories in each district in addition to building MSME and industrial parks... We will launch the Vande Bharat train from Sitamarhi to Ayodhya on the consecration day of the Sita temple, the home minister said. Shah also said he performed the ground-breaking ceremony for the Rs 850-crore Sita temple at Punaura Dham here. He said the ...
Inclement weather cast a shadow on the election campaign in Bihar on Saturday, where leaders like Union minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda and Congress general secretary Priyanka Vadra had to either cancel their rallies or address those virtually. Shah had rallies scheduled in Gopalganj, Samastipur and Vaishali districts, but since he was advised against taking a helicopter, the former BJP president addressed the people at the venues through video conference. Nadda, who faced similar constraints, adopted the same strategy for rallies scheduled in Siwan and Muzaffarpur districts. Vadra, who canvassed in a Bihar election for the first time, travelled by road to address her rally in Begusarai, about 120 km from the state capital, though her next election meeting in Khagaria, which would have entailed another two-hour drive, had to be cancelled. While Shah called the election a choice between progress under Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar, and those who would bring back jungle
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said Friday that it was Prime Minister Narendra Modi who fulfilled Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel's dream of a unified India by abrogating Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir. Flagging off the 'Run for Unity' on the 150th birth anniversary of the country's first Home Minister, Sardar Patel, at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here, Shah said after India's independence, the British decided to leave the country divided into 562 princely states. "At that time, the entire world thought that it would be impossible to unite these 562 princely states into one nation. However, within a short span of time, Sardar Patel accomplished the monumental task of integrating all 562 princely states and the map of modern India that we see today is the result of his vision and efforts," he said. The Home Minister said some provinces were reluctant to integrate but Sardar Patel addressed every issue with determination. Because of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir was not fully