Page 12 - Opposition

Oppn convinced of loss in 2024 Lok Sabha polls, thus abuses me: PM Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi claimed on Tuesday that the opposition, convinced it won't win the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, resorts to abusing him as it allegedly lacks a roadmap for the nation's progress. Modi, speaking at the conclusion ceremony of the BJP state unit's padayatra at the Central Stadium here, urged Kerala's people to bless the saffron party with seats in double digits in the 2024 LS polls. He further said the BJP never sees a state from the perspective of vote-bank. Modi claimed that over the last 10 years, Kerala has benefited from development like other BJP-ruled states. He said it was his guarantee to make all possible efforts to realise the dreams and expectations of the people of Kerala. The PM said it was 'Modiyude guarantee' (Modi's guarantee) to make India the third largest economy in the world as well as eradicate poverty and corruption from the country.

Assam Cabinet's nod to repeal Muslim Marriage Act welcomed by BJP

The Assam cabinet's decision to repeal the Assam Muslim Marriages and Divorces Registration Act, 1935 has been welcomed by the ruling BJP, while opposition parties claimed that the move, which was 'discriminatory against Muslims', was made to polarise voters in the election year. The state cabinet on Friday night approved the decision to repeal the Act in a bid to end the social menace of child marriage as it contained provisions allowing registration of marriages even if the bride and groom had not reached the legal ages of 18 and 21 respectively, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. AIUDF Chief Badruddin Ajmal claimed that the repeal of the Act was the first step to bring in the Unified Civil Code (UCC) in Assam, but it will sound the death knell of the BJP government in the state. 'They are trying to provoke the Muslims and polarise voters in their favour,' Ajmal told reporters on the sidelines of a programme here. Congress MLA Abdul Rashid Mandal claimed that the decision i

Mamata Banerjee announces alternate Aadhaar card upon deactivation

UIDAI has declared that no Aadhaar number has been cancelled; BJP leaders assure that deactivated cards would be reactivated within 24 hour

Haven't joined INDIA, will support anyone with 'selfless' thought: Haasan

Actor-politician Kamal Haasan on Wednesday said discussions were on for his party MNM's political alliance and stressed it would support any bloc that would "selflessly" think about the nation but desist from being part of "feudal politics." Addressing reporters here after leading the 7th anniversary celebrations of his Makkal Needhi Maiam, Haasan also welcomed the recent political entry of top Tamil actor Vijay. Asked if MNM will join the multi-party opposition INDIA bloc, he said, "I have already told, this is the time when you have to blur party politics and think about the nation. Anybody who thinks selflessly about the nation, my MNM will be part of it." However, MNM won't join hands with those doing "local feudal politics," he said. Asked if he has joined the INDIA grouping, he said, "no, I haven't." On his party's possible political alliance, he said "discussions are on," and that any "good news" in this regard will be communicated to the media. The question was asked in t

Differences among INDIA allies in some states, to be resolved: Sharad Pawar

Rajya Sabha member Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said there are differences among some of the opposition INDIA bloc parties in a couple of states over issues including seat-sharing which senior leaders from other states would try to resolve. Speaking to reporters in Kolhapur, the senior politician said a meeting of the INDIA alliance, formed by several opposition parties to take on the ruling BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, has not been convened of late. A decision was taken earlier that all the parties of the opposition bloc will work together, he said. "But majority of the parties in the alliance are limited to their states, so it was decided that all these parties will sit with other allied parties in their respective states and that process is going on," Pawar said. He noted there are differences among some the opposition alliance parties in a couple of states like Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. "In Uttar Pradesh, there is an absence of a common understanding over the ...

ED being used for character assassination of Opposition leaders: Pilot

Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Tuesday alleged the Centre was using probe agencies like ED for "character assassination" of opposition leaders and crushing their voices. He also attacked the government over unemployment in the country. "95 per cent of cases the ED has registered are against Opposition leaders but the conviction rate is just one per cent. This means the ED (Enforcement Directorate) is being used for character assassination and crushing the voice of Opposition," the former Rajasthan deputy chief minister told reporters. He said protests by farmers in north India underline the problem of policy and intention of the government. "Country's assets have gone into the hands of select people because of the policies of the government," Pilot added.

People must be careful of rumours: Mayawati as she rejects alliance reports

Earlier, Mayawati reiterated her party's stand for the 2024 Lok Sabha election and said that her party will contest the polls alone

Country has made up its mind that PM Modi to be at helm for 3rd term: Shah

Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday likened the upcoming Lok Sabha polls to the Mahabharata war, asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leading the BJP-led camp working for the country's development while "INDI alliance" under the Congress is full of family-run parties and corruption. In his address at the BJP's national convention here, Shah lashed out at the opposition INDIA bloc for its promotion of dynastic and appeasement politics. He was speaking on the resolution "BJP: Desh ki aasha, vipaksha ki hatasha" (BJP: Country's hope, opposition's despair). He said the opposition is full of "2G, 3G and 4G" parties, a reference to the second, third and fourth generation of families running these parties. He said the prime minister has worked for the development of all sections of society and enhanced the country's global standing. Shah asserted there is no doubt in people's mind that the prime minister will retain power for a third term. While PM Modi thinks of the poor and the

Spoke to PM on BJP 'poaching' Oppn leaders by 'scaring' them: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday said he had recently spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the BJP's "poaching" of leaders from the opposition ranks and asserted it was being done by "scaring" them. Against the backdrop of former chief minister Ashok Chavan joining the BJP recently, Kharge said such switching of sides was an act of "cowardice". He was speaking after inaugurating a two-day state level training camp in Lonavala here for Congress functionaries. "During a tea meeting in Parliament where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present, I asked him how many people are you (BJP) going to poach as ministers and ex-chief ministers are joining your fold. I asked him about the appetite (to take leaders from opposition ranks into the ruling party)," Kharge told the gathering. "He (PM) said what could he do if people want to join the BJP. I told him they (BJP) are carrying out this work (poaching) by scaring people. He said these people want to join because of .

We will continue to remain in INDIA bloc, says AAP MP Sandeep Pathak

Amid a rift with Congress in the INDIA bloc, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sandeep Pathak on Wednesday said that the party will continue to remain in the alliance as winning the election is more important.AAP MP said "We will continue to remain in the alliance. We are not in the alliance for our benefit. We are here because we have to win. Winning is important. All our strategies and decisions are targeted towards victory...""In Punjab, local units of both AAP and Congress said they wanted to contest independently. We are contesting together in Delhi. I hope that seat-sharing discussions happen soon, and I hope they are productive... The basis of seat sharing should be the stronghold of candidates on their constituency," Sandeep Pathak added.Earlier, on Tuesday the Aam Aadmi Party offered the Congress Party a single Lok Sabha seat in Delhi. This is contrary to earlier reports that had suggested a 3-4 formula between Congress and AAP in Delhi.Further, AAP MP Sandeep Pathak said that even though ..

Oppn walks out of RS; CPI(M) refuses participation in Ram Temple discussion

Opposition parties on Saturday walked out of the Rajya Sabha opposing the BJP government's white paper on the economy, with the CPI(M) also refusing to participate in the discussion on the Ram temple in the House. The Left party said it will not become "party to communalise the political situation". Both Houses of Parliament -- the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha -- are holding a discussion on "the construction of historic Shri Ram Temple and Pran Pratishtha of Shri Ramlala". Members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) were among those who walked out over the white paper brought by the government in Parliament to compare the state of the economy during the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regimes. Participating in the discussion on the white paper in the Rajya Sabha, CPI(M) member John Brittas said, "Protesting against the discrimination shown to Kerala, we are walking out. "We are also n

Centre waging war against opposition govt: Arvind Kejriwal at Jantar Mantar

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday hit out at the BJP-led Centre, accusing it of waging a war against state governments led by opposition parties. Leaders and lawmakers from the Left Democratic Front of Kerala, led by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, staged a protest against the Union government at Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Thursday. Kejriwal participated in the protest. "Opposition parties represent 70 crore people in the country. The BJP has waged a war against the opposition-ruled states. The Centre is using all the tactics to harass the opposition governments," Kejriwal said at the protest. He added, "It is depriving them of valid funds, obstructs work through Governors and LGs. They are also harassing them by using central agencies to arrest opposition leaders." He said the protesters were not "here to beg or ask for anything for our families." "I have come here to ask for the right of 2 crore people. If you do not give us funds how will we build roads, provide .

If voted to power, INDIA bloc will remove 50% cap on reservation: Rahul

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday promised a nationwide caste census and removal of the 50 per cent cap on reservation if the INDIA bloc forms the government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha polls. He also alleged that the BJP tried to topple the JMM-Congress-RJD government in Jharkhand as the chief minister was a tribal. "Want to congratulate all alliance MLAs, (Champai) Soren ji as that they stopped the BJP-RSS conspiracy and protected the government of the poor," Gandhi said at a rally at the Shaheed Maidan here. Gandhi claimed that Dalits, tribals, Other Backward Classes (OBCs) were made bonded labourers and their participation was lacking in big companies, hospitals, schools, colleges and courts. "This is the biggest question before India. Our first step would be to get a caste census in the country," the former Congress chief said. Noting that more than 50 per cent reservation cannot be given under existing provisions, Gandhi promised that an Indian National Developmen

INDIA will easily win vote of confidence in J'khand Assembly: Jairam Ramesh

The two-day Assembly session will begin today. The newly formed Champai Soren-led coalition government in Jharkhand willl seek a trust vote

Union Ministers laud 'inclusive Budget', Oppn terms it 'election Budget'

PM Modi, in his first post-budget remarks, said that the Interim Budget empowers the four pillars of Viksit Bharat

Knew it would happen: Kharge on Nitish Kumar's exit from Mahagathbandhan

Meanwhile, Janata Dal (United) national president Nitish Kumar arrived at the Raj Bhavan in Patna and handed over his resignation to Governor Rajendra Arlekar on Sunday

BJP meeting underway in Bihar as political uncertainty in state continues

Leaders of the BJP in Bihar gathered here on Saturday to discuss the political situation in the state, amid indications that former ally, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, was planning yet another volte face. We have come here to deliberate on the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. The current situation in Bihar will also be taken up for discussion, state BJP president Samrat Choudhary told reporters ahead of the party meeting at its Veerchand Patel Marg office. The meeting is also being attended by the party's MPs. The BJP has the largest number of 17 MPs in Bihar, where the total number of Lok Sabha members is 40. The JD(U), headed by Kumar, has 16 while another NDA ally LJP, now split up between the uncle-nephew duo of Pashupati Kumar Paras and Chirag Paswan, has six. Earlier, the party's state in-charge Vinod Tawde had slammed the Congress for driving Kumar, the JD(U) president, towards a break up with the INDIA coalition of which he was widely regarded as the architect. Party leaders have s

TN CM Stalin chants unity mantra for INDIA bloc's win in Lok Sabha polls

DMK President and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday said INDIA bloc leaders have to realise that when the BJP was rattled at the prospect of a win for the opposition alliance even at the level of a mayor poll in Chandigarh, unity among constituents will dislodge the saffron party from power at the Centre. In his address at the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi's 'Democracy will win' conference here, Stalin said the pages of history, to be written in future should say that INDIA alliance was formed and it captured power at the Centre. "This must be the history." Citing the postponement of Chandigarh mayor polls and the tie-up between the AAP and Congress there, he said the BJP-led Central government 'cancelled' even a mayor-level election as the scenario was ripe for victory and the media billed the later deferred civic election as the 'to-be first victory' of INDIA alliance. "When they cancel even a mayor level poll, the INDIA alliance leaders must realise the fear of the

Taking along smaller parties Congress' responsibility: SP chief Akhilesh

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said that the Congress has a "big responsibility" of taking along smaller parties. When asked about West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC chief Mamata Banerjee's decision to go solo in the Lok Sabha elections, the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh said, "Mamata Banerjee has said to fight (alone) so Congress should persuade her. It is the big responsibility of Congress to take along smaller parties." The SP, Congress and TMC along with various opposition parties across the country are members of the INDIA (Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance) bloc. On the question of the possibility of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar joining the NDA, Yadav said, "There are no rumours and we hope that Nitish ji will not join the NDA. He will strengthen the INDIA bloc." Talking about alliance in Uttar Pradesh, he said that a "very good alliance is being made. The alliance is not of seats, but of victory." When asked how many seats th

Firmly with INDIA bloc but would like Congress to do introspection: JD(U)

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's JD(U) on Friday asserted that the party was "firmly with INDIA coalition" but wanted the Congress to do "introspection" with regard to alliance partners and sharing of seats. State JD(U) president Umesh Singh Kushwaha made the statement, refuting rumours that his party, headed by the chief minister, was thinking of a return to the BJP-led NDA. "All is well in Bihar's ruling Mahagathbandhan and the media speculations are driven by some agenda," Kushwaha told reporters. He also said, "I met the CM yesterday as well as today. It is a routine affair. There is no truth in the rumours doing the rounds. We also reject the rumours that party MLAs have been asked to rush to Patna". He also made light of Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, who is in RJD, sitting far from each other at the Republic Day parade, asserting that "we are firmly with INDIA coalition". Kushwaha, however, said, "We want the Congress, which is our alliance partner, to do some ...