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Former Union minister Anurag Thakur attacked Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Sunday, saying the Congress has already lost around 90 elections under his leadership and he is now haunted by the fear of another defeat in the upcoming Bihar polls. Speaking at a private event held in Hamirpur, the BJP MP alleged that Gandhi blames VVPATs or EVMs after every electoral defeat, and "now, even before the polls, he is making baseless statements about the Election Commission of India". "It is very unfortunate if the opposition leaders have lost faith in the country's constitutional framework," he said. Thakur asserted that work to strengthen the constitutional institutions was undertaken during the tenure of the BJP-led governments. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made efforts to bring strict laws against corrupt leaders. In a veiled dig at AAP leaders, Thakur said that in Delhi, some ministers continued to sign files and take decisions from jail itself which is not good f
Former Union Minister and Hamirpur MP Anurag Singh Thakur on Saturday said that India aims to establish its own space station by 2035 and achieve the target of an Indian-crewed lunar landing by 2040. Interacting with students at the PM Shri Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya in Una on National Space Day, Thakur highlighted India's growing strides in the space sector. "Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has made a big leap in space sector. On this very day in 2023, our country achieved success in the Chandrayaan Mission 3. On this day, India became the fourth country to land on Moon and the first country to land near the Moon's southern pole, joining the group of leading space nations," he said. The MP said this was the result of tireless work by the country's great and diligent scientists. "Behind those scientists, Prime Minister Modi stands firmly as a visionary leader who embraces them during mission failures and pats their backs on successes," he said. "In 2014,
Former Sports Minister Anurag Thakur was once again rendered ineligible to contest the Boxing Federation of India (BFI) elections, with his name omitted from the electoral college released on Wednesday for the August 21 polls. The Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association (HPBA) had nominated Thakur and its President Rajesh Bhandari as its two representatives for the Annual General Meeting (AGM), where the key agenda is the election of new office-bearers for the 20252029 term. However, the BFI interim committee, constituted by World Boxing in April to oversee the federation's daily affairs, issued a 66-member electoral college after scrutiny, excluding Thakur's name. According to the interim committee chaired by Fairuz Mohamed, Thakur's nomination was found to be "in violation of Article 20 (iii) and (vii) of the Constitution of BFI approved by World Boxing." As per the revised BFI Constitution, approved by World Boxing on May 18, Clause (iii) states that the nominee to attend the Genera
Former Sports Minister Anurag Thakur has once again thrown his hat into the ring to become the next president of the Boxing Federation of India (BFI), even as his faction on Monday claimed to have legally challenged the constitutional changes made by the Interim Committee. The Himachal Pradesh Boxing Association (HPBA) has nominated both Thakur and its President Rajesh Bhandari as representatives for the upcoming elections, scheduled for August 21. Thakur was also in the fray for the elections initially planned for March 28, but his name was omitted from the Electoral College finalised by then BFI President Ajay Singh and subsequently approved by the then Returning Officer. "We have sent Anurag Thakur and my name as HPBA's representatives," Bhandari told PTI. Monday was the last day to file nominations. Thakur's exclusion had earlier prompted his camp to initiate legal proceedings, with the next hearing scheduled for August 18. Now, Bhandari claims a fresh suit has been filed, ..
BJP MP Anurag Thakur slammed Pakistan on Saturday for aiding and abetting terrorism, while asserting that India will take decisive action in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack and there will be no "pardon" this time. Pakistan is panick-stricken after India's retaliatory actions and hurling empty threats, "but we will not cow down", the member of Parliament from Himachal Pradesh's Hamirpur told Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) workers at Sundernagar in Mandi district and Bilaspur town. Twenty-six people, mostly tourists, were killed and several injured when terrorists opened fire at a meadow near the popular tourist town of Pahalgam in south Kashmir's Anantnag district on Tuesday afternoon, following which security has been beefed up across the valley, especially at vital tourist spots. Reacting to the threatening remarks of Pakistan People's Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on India's decision to suspend the Indus Waters treaty, Thakur said India is undeterred and will not chan
BJP MP Anurag Thakur on Tuesday said the implementation of the 'one nation, one election' formula would be a win-win situation for the country as it would not just cut the expenses incurred in conducting various polls but also save a lot of time. "Elections were held in Haryana and Jammu and Kashmir within a few months of the Lok Sabha polls (last year). Then elections were held in Maharashtra, Jharkhand and Delhi. So, there are at least five assembly elections in a year. "If all the polls are held simultaneously, it will reduce the expenditure, save time and increase the voting percentage as well," Thakur told reporters in Srinagar on the sidelines of a party event on 'one nation, one election' (ONOE). The former Union minister said conducting simultaneous polls would reduce the expenditure of the candidates, political parties, and help the country save money. "Around Rs 1.5 lakh crore was spent in the (2024) Lok Sabha elections -- by political parties, candidates, other instituti
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday hit back at Anurag Thakur for hurling "wild allegations" at him, and dared the BJP MP to prove the charges or else resign. Referring to certain remarks made by Thakur in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday during the discussion on the Waqf bill, the Congress president said the remarks have damaged his reputation. Thakur's remarks have been expunged from the records. Several opposition parties also staged a walkout from the House on the issue. Raising the issue during the morning session in the Rajya Sabha, Kharge said his life has always been an open book, and he has always upheld the highest values in public life. "After almost 60 years in politics, I do not deserve this. Yesterday, completely false and baseless charges were hurled at me in the Lok Sabha by Anurag Thakur. When he was challenged by my colleagues, he was compelled to withdraw his defamatory remarks," he said. "But the damage has been done. All the media
BJP leader Anurag Thakur on Tuesday launched a scathing attack on the Congress, alleging that the party's history was littered with broken promises and people of Himachal Pradesh were paying a price by voting it to power. Thakur, who is in Maharashtra amid the BJP's campaign for the November 20 assembly polls, urged people to vote for the Mahayuti if they wanted to save the state. Talking to reporters, the BJP leader highlighted Mahayuti's track record on development, asserting that it is the only choice for those seeking honest governance and sustained progress. He said the Congress came to power in Himachal Pradesh with a "laundry list of guarantees" about uplifting citizens, and months into its rule, people are left wondering about these promises. There was not a single party that the Congress never cheated, he said. "The party's history is littered with broken promises and false assurances, and this time, Himachal Pradesh is paying the price," the former Union minister said.
The Congress government in Himachal Pradesh took loans worth over Rs 27,000 crore in the last 18 months, former Union minister Anurag Thakur said on Monday. Thakur also made the sam allegation while addressing public meetings at several places in his parliamentary constituency Hamirpur, including in Nadaun, the home assembly seat of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, on Sunday evening. In a statement issued here on Monday, Thakur said, "During the tenure of only 18 months so far, the state government has taken a loan of more than Rs 27,000 crore, despite that this government does not have the budget to get development work done in the state." The BJP leader said the Congress government does not give anything, but it continuously makes plans to collect from the people. The condition of roads is bad in the entire state and the chief minister's assembly constituency Nadaun is no exception, he said. There is a burden of taxes everywhere, be it electricity, water, roads, education