The central parts of Delhi witnessed massive traffic snarls on Wednesday as roads towards DDU Marg were blocked due to the BJP's protest demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who has been arrested in the excise policy case. The BJP held the protest near the AAP headquarters on DDU Marg. Police used water cannons to disperse the protesters. In the commotion, the party's Delhi unit chief Virendra Sachdeva was injured and was taken to RML Hospital. Commuters faced a harrowing time in the ITO areas as traffic moved at a snail's pace. The Delhi Traffic Police issued a traffic advisory ahead of a BJP protest. In a post on X, it said, "In view of the proposed protest at DDU Marg, traffic will remain heavy at IP Marg, Vikas Marg, Minto Road and Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg. DDU Marg may remain closed for traffic movement from 11 am to 2 pm." The traffic police have urged the commuters to take alternative routes to avoid any inconvenience. Kejriwal was arrested on March 2
The Election Commission on Wednesday directed clear identification of the printer and publisher on printed election-related material, including hoardings, in a bid to ensure accountability and transparency in poll campaigning. The poll authority said the decision was taken by it after representations were received stating that in hoarding spaces controlled by municipal authorities, hoardings without the identity of the printer or publisher have been noticed. The Aam Aadmi Party had also approached the EC on the issue recently. The EC pointed to section 127A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 which prohibits the printing or publishing of election pamphlets, posters, placards, or banners without prominently displaying the name and address of the printer and publisher. This requirement of disclosing the identity of publishers serves as a cornerstone for regulating campaign financing and fixing of responsibility in case content is found unbecoming of the framework of the Mo
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday will visit Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra during which he will address three rallies to campaign for BJP candidates and attend other programmes, sources said. Shah will first travel to Mandla in Madhya Pradesh where he will perform puja at Maa Narmada Pujon Rapta ghat. After that, he will garland the statue of Rani Durgavati in the town. Subsequently, the senior BJP leader will address a rally at the local police ground under the Mandla Lok Sabha constituency, sources said. In the afternoon, he will travel to Katni in Madhya Pradesh where he will offer prayer at Vijaynath Dham mandir in the town and then he address a rally at the town, which comes under the Khajuraho Lok Sabha constituency. In the evening, Shah will travel to Nanded in Maharashtra where he will address a rally for the BJP candidate.
Amid the BJP's repeated 'Muslim League imprint' barb over the Congress manifesto, Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said history is witness as to who joined hands with the forces that wanted to divide the country and asserted that history does not change by "spewing lies" from political platforms. Gandhi said that the 2024 Lok Sabha polls are a fight between two ideologies, with the Congress, which has always united India, on one side and those who have always tried to divide people on the other side. "This election is a fight between two ideologies! On one side there is the Congress, which has always united India, and on the other side there are those who have always tried to divide people," the former Congress chief said in a post in Hindi. History is witness as to who joined hands with the forces that wanted to divide the country and strengthened them and who fought for the unity and independence of the country, Gandhi said. "Who stood with the British during the 'Quit India Movement'?
West Bengal's ruling party says BJP leader met with NIA officer Dhan Ram Singh at his home on March 26 and had an envelope of cash with him
The indigenous people of Assam can never accept the CAA, which will be a critical issue in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, asserted Dibrugarh parliamentary constituency's opposition candidate Lurinjyoti Gogoi. The illegal influx of foreigners has been a long-standing cause for concern in Assam, and the BJP has now legalised it with this act, which is unacceptable to the people, Gogoi told PTI in an interview, amid campaigning here. "Assam has borne the burden of illegal foreigners till 1971, and now, another 43 years till 2014 has been added to it, he said. "How can the people accept this? There was a long-drawn agitation in the state against illegal influx and with the CAA, the identity of the Assamese is at stake, Gogoi claimed. The United Opposition Forum Assam (UOFA) had announced Gogoi, the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) president, as the candidate for the Dibrugarh Lok Sabha seat, from where Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal is contesting as a BJP nominee. The Centre had in March
he mother-son duo were absent from the rally after they were not included in the list of star campaigners released by the party for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has become the face of India, a senior American Congressman has said as he applauded the Indian leader for the developmental work and the economic progress the country has seen since 2014. Brad Sherman, considered to be one of the best friends of India in the US Congress, said that India and the US have seen a strengthening of the bilateral relationship during the tenure of Prime Minister Modi. However, he said that India's defence relationship with Russia is a challenge in the Indo-US relationship "He (Modi) has become the face of India, and we've seen very significant economic progress. Of course, every country has its challenges, every leader has its challenges. I don't ascribe the success of a country just to one leader. I mean, you've got 1.3 (sic) plus billion people and they're all working together to try to make India a more successful country, Sherman told PTI in an interview on Tuesday. Sherman, 69, is the senior Democrat in the House Foreign
The Congress on Wednesday cited a media report which claimed that at least 20 newly incorporated firms purchased electoral bonds worth about Rs 103 crore, as it alleged that the Narendra Modi government's scheme deliberately "muddied the waters" of corporate political donations. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh cited a report by The Hindu, which said that despite companies in existence for less than three years not being allowed to make political contributions, data shows that at least 20 such newly incorporated firms purchased poll bonds worth about Rs 103 crore. Ramesh alleged there are four primary channels of corruption in the "electoral bond scam" and everyday a new dimension emerges to the "PayPM Scam", "confirming the shocking reality of the corruption which has engulfed this country through Narendra Modi's encouragement". "An update on the 'Farzi Companies' who have been donating chanda to political parties - 1.Chanda Do, Dhandha Lo. 2.Theka Lo, Rishvat Do 3.Hafta .
The Congress on Wednesday accused the BJP of repeatedly trying to impose its will on the people of Tamil Nadu and flagged issues such as "devastating impacts" of NEET in the state and insufficient devolution of taxes from the Centre. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of his rally in Coimbatore and posed questions to him on key issues affecting the state. "Today, PM Modi will be in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu. In a state which has a long history of advocating for cooperative federalism, the BJP has repeatedly tried to impose its will on the people," Ramesh said. He said, "The Modi Sarkar's track record in TN begs the question - does PM Modi want to represent the people, or does he want to rule over them?" Ramesh said the NEET exam was introduced by the BJP government in 2017, and it faced widespread public backlash due to fears that it would unfairly disadvantage students from poor and marginalised communities. "Very s
Union Social Justice minister Ramdas Athawale on Tuesday dismissed the Congress' allegation that the Narendra Modi-led NDA government was planning to change the Constitution. He would resign if there is any attempt to change the Constitution, said Athawale, a prominent Dalit leader from Maharashtra and BJP ally. The minister, who heads the Republican Party of India, was here to campaign for Sunil Mendhe, candidate of the ruling alliance from Bhandara-Gondia Lok Sabha seat. "With no issues against the present Modi-led NDA government, Congress along with other opposition parties is trying to mislead people alleging that if this government wins 400 plus seats, it would change the Constitution. Their accusation is completely baseless.... if government makes any such attempt, I will resign from the cabinet and withdraw support to the BJP," he said. Modi is a "man with vision", and working for the progress of the country, Athawale added.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said that the party is committed to "unity" while the BJP wants "artificial uniformity". Addressing media persons here at Congress Bhavan in Dimapur, the AICC general secretary, who arrived in the state during the day to campaign for Congress candidate S Supongmeren Jamir, said the 2024 elections will be the most important one for the people of the country as it will be a "battle between unity and uniformity". The Congress wants to strengthen unity by celebrating the country's diversity while the BJP and its allies want to impose artificial uniformity, he said. Article 371 (A) was included in the Constitution of India in 1963 when the state of Nagaland was formed, he said, adding that the Article that provides special provisions for Nagaland will "come under attack as the BJP had removed Article 370 from the Constitution that gave special status to Jammu and Kashmir. The framework agreement was signed between the Government of India a
A third of the Bharatiya Janata party (BJP)'s 303 members of Parliament are not contesting the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections
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Birender believes the farmers' issues have not been resolved to this day, says wife Prem Lata
Anil Antony is contesting as a BJP candidate from the Pathanamthitta Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala, after switching sides earlier this week
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The BJP leadership in Himachal Pradesh is making efforts to mollify party leaders who are disgruntled over distribution of tickets to six Congress rebels for the assembly bypolls, former chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said on Tuesday. They (disgruntled leaders) will fall in line as the BJP is a cadre-based party, the senior BJP leader told PTI. After announcement of tickets to all six Congress rebels for assembly bypolls, resentment was visible among BJP leaders who had lost the elections in 2022 to these Congress MLAs. Most of them denied tickets are considered close to Dhumal. Immediately after the announcement of tickets, senior party leaders, including former chief minister Jai Ram Thakur, state party president, Rajiv Bindal and bypoll candidates Rajinder Rana and Inder Dutt Lakhanpal made a beeline to Dhumal's native village Samirpur to seek his blessings. Ranjit Singh from Sujanpur, Maya Sharma from Barsar, former minister Varinder Kanwar from Kutlehar and Rajesh Thakur fr
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Tuesday claimed that the BJP-led NDA was "jittery" in Bihar, a reason why Prime Minister Narendra Modi's campaign in the state was being intensified. Yadav made the remark when journalists drew his attention to the fact that while Union Home Minister Amit Shah's rally in Aurangabad was scheduled on Wednesday, Modi was likely to address an election meeting in Gaya on April 16. The Lok Sabha polls in Bihar have been staggered across all the seven phases, and Modi has already held two rallies at Jamui and Nawada. While his Gaya visit is yet to be confirmed by the BJP, former Bihar chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, an NDA partner who is trying his luck from Gaya, claimed that the PM has agreed to canvass in his favour. People do visit different places during elections, but it is becoming clear that the BJP is jittery this time. The attention of its top leaders, as also the ED and CBI, which are being used for settling political scores, seems focused on Bihar
The Congress on Tuesday alleged that the youth have been "taken for a ride" by the BJP's "double engine" government in Uttar Pradesh and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to answer to their "woes" in the state. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh attacked Prime Minister Modi ahead of his rally in Pilibhit and posed questions to him on key issues in the state . "Today, the PM is in Uttar Pradesh, a state where the youth have been taken for a ride by the BJP's 'Double-Engine' Sarkar. Perhaps the PM can use some of his time to answer for the woes of UP's youth," Ramesh said in a post on X. He said that last year, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath promised that he would create two crore new jobs in the state over the next three-four years. "Remember this is the same promise that the Prime Minister had once made in 2014 before he came to office. We know what followed - years of record unemployment and slow growth. What have the Prime Minister and his acolytes done over the last decad