Page 199 - Bjp

PM lying about Sandeshkhali, but mum on allegation against Guv: Mamata

Claiming that PM Narendra Modi was continuing to "peddle lies" about Sandeshkhali, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday questioned why he was maintaining a stoic silence on the allegations of molestation against Governor CV Ananda Bose and not asking him to resign. Addressing an election rally in North 24 Parganas' Amdanga, which is a part of the Barrackpore Lok Sabha constituency, Banerjee said the PM should be ashamed that "BJP's conspiracy" about Sandeshkhali has become public. "The PM is still peddling lies about Sandeshkhali. He should be ashamed as the BJP's conspiracy has now become public," Banerjee said, apparently referring to a purported video in which a local BJP leader was heard saying that over 70 women had received Rs 2,000 each for taking part in protests against TMC strongman Shahjahan Sheikh who is accused of sexual assault and land grab. In an earlier clip, a man resembling BJP's Sandeshkhali mandal president Gangadhar Kayal was heard saying that t

Lok Sabha polls: Rahul can be scared of atom bomb, BJP is not, says Shah

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday said Congress leader Rahul Gandhi can be scared of "atom bomb" but the BJP is not, and that Pakistan-occupied Kashmir belongs to India and "we will take it". He was referring to Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar's remarks on Pakistan having an atom bomb. Addressing an election rally in Pratapgarh in support of BJP candidate from Kaushambi (SC) Lok Sabha seat, Shah said, "Rahul baba, if you want to be scared of the atom bomb, then be scared, we are not scared. Pakistan occupied Kashmir belongs to India and we will take it." In a video which had gone viral, Aiyar was heard saying that India should give respect to Pakistan as it is a sovereign nation and engage with it as it also possesses an atom bomb. He indicated in the video that if a "mad person" comes to power there and uses the atomic bomb, it will not be good and will have its effect here too. As the remarks triggered a row, the Congress had said it totally disagreed with the remarks m

Hope PM's 33% women's quota will aid Priyanka in future, says Thakur

Senior BJP leader and Union minister Anurag Thakur took a swipe at Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for not contesting Lok Sabha elections, saying she could possibly benefit from the 33 per cent reservation for women in Parliament brought by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make her electoral debut. In an interview with PTI, Thakur also taunted Priyanka Gandhi's husband Robert Vadra for failing to secure a Congress ticket for himself. The Union minister said Gandhi family members were welcome in active politics and Congress should in fact work hard because the country wants a strong opposition in a parliamentary democracy. Attacking Rahul Gandhi for abandoning his old Amethi seat, Thakur said the former Congress chief had "run away" to neighbouring Rae Bareli which his mother Sonia Gandhi represented in the outgoing Lok Sabha. Asked if the BJP considers Priyanka Gandhi a formidable rival since it has dubbed Rahul Gandhi as "non serious", the minister said that was for the people to decide. "W

PM Modi's roadshow will enthuse party workers in Bihar: Dy CM Chaudhary

Bihar BJP President and Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's roadshow in Patna on Sunday will enthuse party workers and motivate them to ensure victory of NDA nominees in all 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state. Talking to PTI on Sunday, Chaudhary said, "People of Patna are fully prepared to give a grand welcome to Modi Ji. It will be the first roadshow in Patna by any PM. This roadshow will certainly enthuse party workers and motivate them to ensure victory to NDA nominees in all 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state." The Bihar DyCM, said, "Our PM thinks for the overall development of the country and also for the welfare of the general public, including weaker sections of the society. The NDA government under the leadership of Modi Ji has launched several welfare schemes for the poor and weaker sections of the society. PM does not think for himself. He is a 'fakir' and will always remain a fakir." Meanwhile, foolproof security arrangements are in place

New video claims 70 women in Sandeshkhali received money to protest

In a purported video that surfaced from Sandeshkhali, a local BJP leader was heard saying that over 70 women had received Rs 2,000 each for taking part in protests against local TMC satrap Shahjahan Sheikh and his aides who were accused of sexual assault and land grab. In the video, lasting over 45 minutes, a man resembling Sandeshkhali mandal president Gangadhar Kayal told this to the questioner. It was Kayal who had earlier said in another purported clip, the first in a series in the past week, that the rape allegations were staged. PTI did not independently verify the authenticity of the videos. In the latest tape that surfaced on Saturday night, Kayal was heard saying that 70 women got Rs 2,000 each for taking part in protests against Sheikh who was arrested and later suspended by the police. "We will need Rs 2.5 lakh in cash for 50 booths where 30 per cent of protesters would be women. We have to keep the SC, ST and OBC people here in good humour by paying them satisfactorily.

LS polls: 'Black days' ahead if Modi govt is not defeated, claims Uddhav

Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray has claimed the country will see "black days" if the Modi government is not defeated. Speaking about the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Thackeray, in an interview to his party mouthpiece 'Saamana' which appeared in its Sunday edition, said the people of India will decide the future of their leaders. "The future of the country will be peaceful and democracy will thrive if the present government is defeated...else the country will see black days. Acche din (good days) never came, but black days will..," he claimed. The former Maharashtra chief minister also alleged that protection of the corrupt is the "Modi guarantee". All other political parties and the country are being cleansed of the corrupt people since the BJP has assured protection to them with their induction into its fold, the Shiv Sena (UBT) leader claimed. "The BJP is inducting all corrupt people like a vacuum cleaner which sucks all dust and dirt. Congress, Shiv Sena and the entire .

Lok Sabha polls: SC grants interim bail to Kejriwal in liquor policy case

Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21 in connection with the alleged Delhi liquor policy scam investigation

LS polls: PM Modi to hold roadshow in Bihar today during his 2-day visit

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead a roadshow in Patna on Sunday evening, followed by three election rallies elsewhere in Bihar, a day later. This is the first political visit to the state capital by the prime minister since the March 2009 rally at the historic Gandhi Maidan. He was on an official visit here a couple of years ago for a function held by the Bihar Assembly. Foolproof security arrangements are in place across the city. There will be a complete ban on flying drones in any locality and plying of vehicles will remain suspended on the roadshow route, Senior Superintendent of Police Rajeev Mishra told PTI. The roadshow will commence at the Income Tax office roundabout, situated a few hundred metres from the state BJP headquarters, and conclude at Udyog Bhavan in the vicinity of Gandhi Maidan, passing through crowded localities like Fraser Road, Exhibition Road, Kadam Kuan and Sahitya Sammelan. Barricades have been erected on both sides of the road along the route and .

Lok Sabha polls 2024: PM Modi to hold four rallies in West Bengal today

Voting will take place for eight Lok Sabha seats of West Bengal in the fourth phase of voting to be held on May 13

Highlights of the day: Delhi CM Kejriwal to hold meeting with AAP leaders on Sunday

From Jairam Ramesh hitting out at the BJP for giving a ticket to Brij Bhushan's SAon to the damage done by the dust storm in national capital on Friday, catch all the news from around the world here

West Bengal deprived by Centre for last 10 years, says Abhishek Banerjee

Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Saturday said the BJP government at the Centre had deprived West Bengal "wilfully" for the last ten years and it is time a righteous government be installed at the Centre now. Speaking at a public rally at Uluberia in Howrah district, Banerjee who is also the nephew of Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, said that the people of West Bengal should give a suitable reply to the BJP by pressing the appropriate button during the Lok Sabha elections. "The BJP government at the Centre has deprived the people of West Bengal for the last ten years. The Centre has stopped paying dues which the state owes under schemes like 100 days work and Awas Yojana", he said. "People should throw out this government at the Centre by pressing the appropriate button during polls. It is sure that the INDIA bloc will form the new government and all pending dues of the state will be realised", he said, adding that "It is only a matter of time that the new ..

People like Kejriwal, Sisodia, Jain never welcome in BJP: Anurag Thakur

Amid a recent influx of opposition politicians into the BJP, Union minister Anurag Thakur said that while the party continues to attract rivals, it will never accept Aam Aadmi Party leaders Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, who are facing serious charges of corruption. Hours after Kejriwal was released from jail on interim bail in the liquor scam case, Thakur said in an interview with PTI late Friday that Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal has not been absolved of the charges against him and will have to return to jail after June 1 and face trial. He also accused Kejriwal of "crushing" the Constitution by not resigning from his post despite being in jail pending trial on serious charges in the liquor excise policy case. Thakur said people of the country have seen his alleged corruption and will not support him anymore as he stands exposed before them now. Kejriwal was granted bail by the Supreme Court and came out of Tihar Jail on Friday evening and sought people's ...

Varun Gandhi's criticism of BJP govt cost him ticket, indicates Maneka

BJP leader Maneka Gandhi on Saturday indicated that her son Varun Gandhi's writings that were sometimes critical of the government may have cost him the party's Lok Sabha ticket from Pilibhit but asserted that he would do very well even without it. In an exclusive interview with PTI at her residence here, the former Union minister and BJP's Sultanpur candidate also said Varun Gandhi wants to come and campaign for her but a decision on that hasn't been taken yet. The Sultanpur seat in Uttar Pradesh goes to polls on May 25 in the sixth round of the seven-phase general elections. Polling was held in Pilibhit in the first phase on April 19. On Varun Gandhi being denied a ticket and if she felt bad as a mother, Maneka Gandhi said, "Well I can't say I was delighted but I am sure Varun will do very well even without a ticket." Asked about calls from Pilibhit that he should have been fielded from there this time also, she said, "Yes, he should have been there but the party has taken a ...

All Opposition leaders will be behind bars if BJP wins LS polls: Kejriwal

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said that all opposition leaders, including his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray and RJD leader Tejashvi Yadav, will be in jail if the BJP wins the Lok Sabha polls. Addressing his party workers at the AAP headquarters here, Kejriwal asserted the BJP will not return to power and said the INDIA bloc will form the government on June 4. "In last 20 hours after release from jail, I talked to poll experts and people and got to know the BJP is not going to form the government," said Kejriwal. "The AAP will be part of the government at the Centre. We will get full statehood for Delhi," he added. Kejriwal charged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is asking for votes for Union Home Minister Amit Shah. "These people ask INDIA bloc about their face. I ask BJP who will be their PM? Modi ji is turning 75 on September 17 next year. He had made the rule that people aged 75 will be retired. They retired

What is stopping govt from cancelling Revanna's passport, asks Congress

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Saturday asked the government what is stopping it from cancelling the diplomatic passport of suspended JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who is accused of sexual abuse. The 33-year-old Hassan MP reportedly flew to Germany soon after the Karnataka State Commission for Women chairperson Nagalakshmi Chowdhary wrote to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to order a probe into the sexual allegations against him after scores of explicit videos and pictures went viral on social media. In a post on X, Ramesh questioned how Prajwal was allowed to escape. "What is stopping the PM from having the diplomatic passport to Prajwal Revanna cancelled? How and why was he allowed to flee the country like Vijay Mallya, Nirav Modi, and Mehul Choksi were?" the Congress leader asked. Prajwal, the grandson of Janata Dal (Secular) patriarch and former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, has been accused of sexual assault after several videos allegedly featuring him with multiple wome

Rahul could not contest from Amethi but speaking of forming govt: BJP

The BJP on Saturday made light of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's readiness for a debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi as it questioned his knowledge of issues and his standing, noting that he is neither the president of his party nor the leader of the opposition. Addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi also took a swipe at Gandhi over his claim that the opposition INDIA bloc will win the Lok Sabha polls, saying someone who could not file his nomination from Amethi is speaking about forming government at the Centre. "Phenomenon thy name is Rahul Gandhi," he said mockingly. Gandhi, who lost Amethi to Irani in the 2019 general elections, has this time been fielded by the Congress from Rae Bareli and is contesting against BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh. Gandhi family aide Kishori Lal Sharma is taking on Irani in Amethi. Trivedi asked that in what capacity is Gandhi looking to debate with Modi as he is merely an MP of his party. In the Congress, one MP heads a

PM Modi, Odisha CM Patnaik two sides of same coin, says Jairam Ramesh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik are "two sides of the same coin", Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Saturday, accusing the BJP and the BJD of being "in cahoots" with each other. Modi is on a two-day poll campaign tour of Odisha and will address three rallies in the state on Saturday. Lok Sabha and assembly elections are being held simultaneously in Odisha. Attacking the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Ramesh said the Odisha party has bailed out the Modi government on a number of occasions in Parliament. "Na-veen and Na-rendra are two sides of the same coin. Why is the PM lying about his party's 'relationship status' with the BJD?" Ramesh said in a statement which he shared on X. He said the seat-sharing talks between the BJP and the BJD earlier this year only confirmed what was already known. "Despite officially claiming to be in opposition, the two parties are in cahoots with each other," Ramesh ...

Will win Amethi, Rae Bareli by 'big margin': Cong leader Bhupesh Baghel

BJP's Smriti Irani has carved her identity by opposing Rahul Gandhi but cannot do so in Amethi this time and will face defeat, Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel has said, exuding confidence that his party will win both the Amethi and Rae Bareli seats in Uttar Pradesh by "big margin" in the Lok Sabha polls. Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, who lost Amethi to Irani in the 2019 elections, has this time been fielded by the Congress from Rae Bareli and is contesting against BJP's Dinesh Pratap Singh. Gandhi family aide Kishori Lal Sharma is taking on Irani in Amethi. Both the seats have had close ties with the Gandhi family since Indira Gandhi contested and then Sanjay Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have all fought the polls from either of these two constituencies, Baghel said. "They have familial ties with every household here. The decision (of fielding Rahul Gandhi from Rae Bareli) was of the high command and our leaders have already spoken about it. We are fightin

Congress won't win 50 LS seats, will not get Oppn party status, says PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday claimed that the Congress will not win even 50 seats in the Lok Sabha elections and will not be able to get opposition party status after the polls. Addressing an election rally in Phulbani in Kandhamal Lok Sabha seat in Odisha, he asserted that a "double engine" government will be formed in the state and "a son or daughter of the soil who understands Odia language and culture" will be made the chief minister of the BJP government. Recalling the achievements of the previous BJP government at the Centre under Atal Bihari Vajpayee, he said that on this day 26 years ago, Pokhran tests had enhanced the image of the country across the globe. He also asserted that his government ended 500 years of people's wait by building Ram temple in Ayodhya.

LS polls: People of Odisha will create history in elections says PM Modi

Ahead of addressing three election rallies in Odisha on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that the state will create a history in the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls. The PM, who is set to address election rallies in Kandhamal, Bolangir and Bargarh Lok Sabha seats later in the day, took to X, saying, "It's clear that Odisha will create history in these elections!" He also attached some pictures of his road show in the state capital on Friday evening. Modi had on Friday night asserted that the BJP will sweep the Lok Sabha elections in both Odisha and West Bengal. Accusing the BJD government headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of being disconnected from the people, the PM claimed that a "deep emotional connect" has developed between him and the people of Odisha despite language differences. "Even during the era of rajas and maharajas, there was some connect between the rulers and the common man. This is grossly lacking now in Odisha," he alleged. Modi sa