Page 155 - Bjp

Centre denies Bihar's 'special category' status; no new designation allowed

The Centre said that no new states are being awarded 'special category' status at present, as the Indian Constitution does not accommodate such classification

MP minister threatens to quit after forest portfolio given to Cong turncoat

Madhya Pradesh Scheduled Caste Welfare Minister Nagar Singh Chouhan on Monday threatened to resign from his post after he was divested of the Forest and Environment portfolio, which has been allocated to new inductee and Congress turncoat Ramniwas Rawat. Chouhan said his wife Anita Singh Chouhan would also quit as Ratlam MP if BJP organisational leaders failed to respond "positively" to his concerns. The Forest and Environment Ministry held by Nagar was allocated to Rawat on Sunday. "My voice was not heard. I will first talk to organisational leaders and decide the next step. I will decide in a day or two after talking to the party organisation. If I feel I should not stay on the post, I will resign along with my wife Anita," Chouhan, a prominent tribal leader, told PTI over the phone. He said tribals form 23 per cent of the population in Madhya Pradesh. "This is the first time tribals have been given leadership, but now the Forest Department, which is closely associated with ...

HC points mistakes in Bharti's plea against Swaraj, asks to file it again

The Delhi High Court on Monday pointed out several mistakes in AAP leader Somnath Bharti's petition challenging BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj's election in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls on grounds of alleged corrupt practices, and asked him to file a corrected one. Justice Manmeet PS Arora said at the outset that there were a lot of typographical errors which made it difficult to understand the averments in the petition. Even the reference to respondents in the petition did not correlate with the respondents mentioned in the memo of parties and synopsis, the counsel said. The court gave Bharti 10 days to file a corrected petition and listed the matter for further hearing on August 14. When Bharti's counsel urged the court to issue notice to the respondents on the petition, the judge said, "There are too many mistakes. Correct the petition first. I can't issue notice like this. I will simply adjourn it. Please file a corrected petition." Both Bharti and Swaraj contested from the New Delhi Lok S

Explained: What was the RSS ban on govt servants; lifted after 58 years

Narendra Modi-led central government on July 9 passed an order lifting a ban imposed by then Deputy Prime Minister Sardar Patel, following Mahatma Gandhi's assassination

Ban on govt employees taking part in RSS activities removed: Congress

The Congress on Sunday cited a purported government order issued last week to claim that a "ban" on the participation of government employees in the activities of the RSS has been removed. While the veracity of the purported government order, which was posted on X by Congress leaders, could not be ascertained immediately, BJP's IT department head Amit Malviya also shared the screenshot of the order and said that an "unconstitutional" directive issued 58 years ago has been withdrawn by the Modi government. Congress general secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh shared an office memorandum, dated July 9, issued by the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pension pertaining to the participation of the government servants in the activities of the RSS. "The undersigned is directed to refer to the OM (office memorandum)..dated 30.11.1966, OM No. 7/4/70-Est.(B) dated 25.07.1970 and OM No. 15014/3(S)/80- Estt. (B) dated 28.10.1980 on the above subject. 2. The aforesaid instructio

BJP workers to boost SC outreach in 30 Delhi seats ahead of Assembly polls

The BJP will soon start working to intensify outreach in 30 assembly segments, including 12 reserved seats, with a significant number of SC voters, in the national capital ahead of next year's polls, according to party leaders. Dedicated 'vistarak' (senior Delhi BJP workers) have been appointed to intensify door-to-door contact with people living in these 30 constituencies, comprising mostly unauthorised colonies and slum clusters, said a senior party leader. The party performed well in the recent Lok Sabha polls in the 12 Scheduled Castes (SC) reserved assembly segments spread across the seven parliamentary seats. It got more votes than INDIA bloc candidates in 8 out of 12 constituencies, he said. "This has enhanced confidence within the party that these seats with dominance of Dalit voters can be won in the Assembly polls as well," the BJP leader added. The BJP has failed consistently to win the Dalit-dominated seats since 2013 and the party faces a tough task in forming a ...

BJP slams Mamata Banerjee for offering shelter to people from Bangladesh

The BJP on Sunday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for offering shelter to anyone coming in distress from Bangladesh and called it an "evil plan" of the INDIA bloc to settle illegal immigrants from the neighbouring country to Jharkhand to win elections. BJP co-incharge for West Bengal Amit Malviya also questioned Banerjee's authority to offer shelter to anyone coming from other country, saying immigration and citizenship are exclusively in the Centre's domain, and that states have no locus-standi in such matters. This came after the West Bengal chief minister said at a Kolkata rally that in the wake of the escalating violence in Bangladesh, she would keep the doors of her state open for people in distress from the neighbouring country and offer them shelter. Banerjee referred to the United Nations Resolution on refugees as justification for her stand over the possible humanitarian crisis that may emerge on account of the severe law and order breakdown that has ...

We lost seats not people's support, says Maha BJP chief at party convention

Maharashtra BJP president Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Sunday said his party maintained its support among people despite losing seats in the recent Lok Sabha polls. He was addressing the party's state convention in Pune, which is being attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the party's state in charge and Union minister Bhupender Yadav, co-incharge Ashwini Vaishnaw, among others. "The BJP lost some seats in the Lok Sabha elections, but our voter base remains strong. There is no need to worry about it. In the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the BJP secured 1,33,08,961 votes. The number increased in the subsequent assembly elections, with the BJP receiving 1,47,09,276 votes," Bawankule pointed out. "In the 2019 general elections, the BJP obtained 1,49,12,139 votes. In the 2024 general elections, we got 1,49,13,914 votes. This clearly indicates the support for the BJP among the people remains unwavering. Nonetheless, we only secured nine seats in this Lok Sabha election," he added. The BJ

BJP, JD(S) target Cong in K'taka over relief to those affected due to rains

The opposition BJP and JD(S) in Karnataka on Sunday targeted the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government, accusing it of having failed to provide immediate relief to those affected by flooding and landslides in several parts of the state, due to heavy monsoon showers. Leader of Opposition in the Assembly R Ashoka of BJP and Union Minister and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy today together visited rain and landslide affected areas in the districts, especially along the National Highway near Sakleshpur. While Ashoka claimed that the government was "dead" and too busy with scams to respond to the needs of the people, Kumaraswamy questioned the Chief Minister and his cabinet colleagues not visiting the affected areas so far. Monsoon rains in Karnataka since June have been 22 per cent above normal and have caused flooding and landslides, especially in coastal and malnad districts of the state. "Due to more rains this year there have been incidents of landslides and destruction, even deaths...

AAP MP Sanjay Singh accuses BJP of messing with Delhi CM Kejriwal's health

Aam Aadmi Party Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh on Sunday accused BJP of "messing" with the health of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who is lodged in Tihar jail. Addressing a press conference, Singh said that Kejriwal's medical report shows that anything can happen to him anytime. "The BJP is messing with Kejriwal's health. Initially, they were saying that he is eating sweets and trying to spike his sugar levels but now they are saying that he has reduced his food intake. Why will someone do this and pose a threat to their own life? Singh said. "There is a conspiracy to kill Kejriwal," he added. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday assailed Lt Governor VK Saxena's communication for allegedly insinuating that Kejriwal was "deliberately" making himself sick and accused the BJP of hatching a "sinister plan to kill" the AAP leader. A communication from the LG office to the chief secretary on Friday said that Saxena expressed concern over the "non-consumption" of prescribed medical

Ahead of Maharashtra polls, BJP and Cong announce teams for media connect

The BJP and the Congress have announced their teams to engage with the media ahead of the Maharashtra assembly polls, which are likely to be held in October. The BJP, which is part of the ruling alliance in he state, released a list of more than 30 leaders who will speak to the media at 9am and 4pm everyday. The list includes new entrants Ashok Chavan, who was a former Congress chief minister, and lawyer Ujjwal Nikam as well as Pankaja Munde, who was recently elected as MLC. The state BJP media coordinator Navnath Ban will coordinate with all the leaders. Apart from these three, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar, former Union minister Raosaheb Danve , BJP group leader in the legislative council Pravin Darekar, state ministers Sudhir Mungantiwar, Girish Mahajan, MLAs Nitesh Rane, Atul Bhatkalkar, Ram Kadam and senior party leader and vice president Madhav Bhandari have also been appointed as spokespersons. Newly elected Pune MP and Union minister Murlidhar Mohol has been appointed by .

Kanwar Yatra order: Eatery owners ask staff to quit, income likely to hit

For the past seven years, Brijesh Pal, a daily wager, would work at a roadside dhaba in Khatauli area of Muzaffarnagar during the two months of Shravan to help his Muslim owner manage the heavy footfall of customers, mainly the Kanwariyas. He would get Rs 400-600 and at least two meals every day for the job. This year, however, his employer, Mohammad Arsalan, asked him to look for other jobs as he cannot afford to hire extra staff, expecting that his earnings will take a hit due to the Uttar Pradesh government's orders to owners of hotels, restaurants, food carts and eateries along the Kanwar Yatra route to display the names of their owners at their outlets. After the Muzaffarnagar Police issued the order, the Uttar Pradesh government on Friday extended the controversial order across the state. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said similar instructions are already in place in his state as well. The order has snowballed into a controversy with opposition parties, civil

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Paswan backs caste census but says if made public, data will create divide

Union minister and LJP (Ram Vilas) chief Chirag Paswan has pitched for a nationwide caste census but warned against making the figures public as it will lead to "division" in society, and said no discussion within the ruling NDA has taken place so far over simultaneous polls and the Uniform Civil Code, both part of the BJP's manifesto. In an interaction with PTI editors, he flagged concerns about the UCC and said he cannot take a position unless a draft on it is placed before him. He, however, asserted that his Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) strongly supports the concept of simultaneous polls. Asked about his views on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) and if he supports it, Paswan said, "We don't have a draft for it yet. Until unless we go through that draft, because there are a lot of concerns... India is a country of diversities." Be it language, culture or lifestyle, everything is different in different regions of the country, he said, wondering "how can you bring everyone under one

Nothing wrong in UP police diktat to display names of shopkeepers: Manjhi

Union Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi on Saturday asserted that he saw "nothing wrong" with fruit sellers along the 'Kanwar Yatra' route in Uttar Pradesh being asked to display their names at their stalls. Manjhi was responding to journalists' questions about the controversial UP police directive, which has faced criticism from the opposition and some BJP allies, including Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) and Union Minister Chirag Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas). Manjhi, who heads the Hindustani Awam Morcha, said, "I cannot speak for other parties, but I see nothing wrong with such an order. What is the harm if people involved in businesses are asked to display their names and addresses prominently?" "In fact, such display only makes it easy for buyers to spot a favourite stall. It is wrong to view the episode through the prism of religion", said Manjhi, who made his parliamentary debut, at a ripe age of 79, in the recent elections. Manjhi's stance on the issue differs

BJP govt renames Biju Patnaik Sports Award to Odisha Rajya Krida Samman

The newly elected BJP government has renamed Biju Patnaik Sports Award as Odisha Rajya Krida Samman'. Odisha Sports and Youth Services Department on Friday issued guidelines for the Rajya Krida Samman' which will be awarded in eight categories annually, subject to availability of suitable candidates. The cash rewards remain unchanged. According to the guidelines, the lifetime achievement award for promoting sports will carry a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh, while Rs 2 lakh will be awarded for outstanding performance in sports, and Rs 1 lakh for excellence in coaching. Similarly, a cash award of Rs 1 lakh will be given in each of the following categories - best contribution to sports promotion, excellence in sports journalism, para-sports person of the year, upcoming athlete of the year (junior category), and sports technical official/support staff of the year. The award recipient must be a resident of Odisha and free of any criminal convictions. It will be conferred only once per lifetim

BJP unit in Karnataka dares Congress govt to probe scams during its rule

The BJP in Karnataka on Saturday challenged the Congress government to order a probe into the '21 scams' that allegedly took place during the last five years, when the saffron party was in power. The party accused Chief Minister Siddaramaiah headed government of 'shielding' those involved in the Rs 187 crore scam in the Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation. "The Chief Minister has said 21 scams have taken place during the BJP rule. You have been in power for the past 15 months. Why did you take so much time to investigate these scams? We are ready for a probe," Leader of the Opposition Party (LOP) R Ashoka said in a press conference. He said, "The way Rs 88 crore of Valmiki Corporation was 'Khata-Khat' transferred to different bank accounts in Telangana, you should have 'Khata-Khat' investigated the allegations of irregularities against us." Ashoka, a former Deputy Chief Minister, accused Siddaramaiah of trying to put the blame on Valmiki Corporation

Unable to digest defeat, BJP resorting to communal politics: Gaurav Gogoi

Congress's deputy leader in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, on Saturday alleged that the ruling BJP was resorting to its "old brand of communal politics", as it was "unable to digest the moral defeat" in the parliamentary elections. He claimed that this was being manifested in instances such as the order in Uttar Pradesh to owners of eateries to display their names during the Kanwar Yatra and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma targeting a specific community over population figures. "The BJP has not been able to digest the moral defeat it suffered in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, that is why in every state, they are back to their old brand of communal politics," Gogoi said here. He cited the instances of the Uttar Pradesh government asking owners of eateries along the route of Kanwar Yatra to display their names and in Assam, the "politics over the population of a specific community". Sarma had on Friday claimed that the decadal growth of Muslims in Assam was around 30 per cent and t

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