Under attack for alleged misdemeanour of some of its top leaders, the BJP on Thursday maximised the 40th anniversary of the Emergency, imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975, to target the Congress. Not only did Prime Minister Narendra Modi send out an early tweet on Emergency but also dwelt at length on the subject during an official function, where he recalled the “darkest days” of Indian democracy when “the nation was bound with chains and turned into a jail due to one person’s lust for power”. He said the memorial being built to Jayaprakash Narayan, who led the Total Revolution movement, will be a guiding light and ode to democracy. BJP president Amit Shah presided over a function on the Emergency organised by Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation, which was attended by several party workers and leaders who had been jailed during the period. Those present included senior Delhi BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra and party office-bearers Ram Lal and Shyam … [Read more...] about BJP uses Emergency to target Congress
Bjp
BJP questions Telangana CM’s silence on Nagaraju’s murder
The Bharatiya Janata Party has questioned the silence of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao in the recent murder of Dalit youth Nagaraju, allegedly by his wife’s family members, for the inter-faith marriage. “Why has not the Chief Minister or anyone from the government bothered to reach out to the grieving family and alleviate their pain? Why is there a defeaning silence from the so-called progressive organisations and Dalit outfits to this heinous crime? Where is the Home Minister? Why have the police not arrested the remaining three accused persons,” questioned party president Bandi Sanjay Kumar while talking to the media at Marpally near Vikarabad on Monday. The Karimnagar MP on the very first day of coming to the party head office after the completion of his second phase of Praja Sangrama Yatra, decided to visit the house of slain Dalit youngster and left for Vikarabad to console Nagaraju’s family members. Regretting that none of the people witnessing the crime on the busy … [Read more...] about BJP questions Telangana CM’s silence on Nagaraju’s murder
Andhra Pradesh: BJP SC Morcha activists detained during protest
Many activists of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) SC Morcha, including its Andhra Pradesh unit president G. Devanand, were taken into custody when they tried to lay siege to the head office of the SC Corporation at Tadepalli in protest against the ‘anti-Dalit policies’ and alleged diversion of the SC Sub-Plan funds. The activists demanded that the SC Corporation must restore 36 schemes that had been scrapped recently and stop misuse of the funds meant for improving the living standards of the Scheduled Castes (SCs). A release from the BJP Andhra Pradesh unit office said that 400 protestors were detained by the police as they sought to highlight the ‘injustice being meted to the SCs’. BJP Andhra Pradesh unit president Somu Veerraju condemned the detention of the SC Morcha activists and insisted that the party would not yield to such ‘pressure tactics’. … [Read more...] about Andhra Pradesh: BJP SC Morcha activists detained during protest
Himachal BJP Banks on ‘Modi Magic’ to Cast A Spell on Voters, Ward Off Rivals ahead of Year-end Polls
With the Congress regrouping and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) trying to gain a toehold in the political landscape of Himachal Pradesh just months before the year-end assembly elections, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seems to be banking on “Modi magic” to thwart a bid to oust it from power. The party is planning a huge programme to mark eight years of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre. The event is being planned on the historic Ridge at Shimla and among those expected to attend include Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his senior party colleagues. Senior BJP leaders said that apart from chief minister Jai Ram Thakur having met the Prime Minister in this regard, the PM himself was keen because he too began his political journey from Himachal Pradesh as he was in charge of BJP affairs of the hill state for a long time and there would have been no better way to mark the eight years of the party’s government at the Centre. Though the exact date of … [Read more...] about Himachal BJP Banks on ‘Modi Magic’ to Cast A Spell on Voters, Ward Off Rivals ahead of Year-end Polls
NCP-BJP Workers Clash in Pune: Action Will Be Taken Against Guilty Irrespective of Party, Says Maha Home Minister
A day after a face-off between NCP and BJP workers at an event attended by Union minister Smriti Irani in Pune, Maharashtra Home Minister Dilip Walse Patil on Tuesday said police will register an offence against whoever is guilty irrespective of which party he/she belongs to. However, Maharashtra BJP’s chief spokesperson Keshav Upadhye, referring to several past incidents, claimed there was “state government-sponsored terrorism in Maharashtra with mute approval from (NCP chief) Sharad Pawar.” Pawar’s party shares power with the Shiv Sena and Congress in Maharashtra. The NCP Pune city unit on Monday alleged that a woman party member was assaulted by BJP workers inside an auditorium during the face-off between the two sides when Irani was attending a book release event at the venue. An NCP leader had claimed the incident took place when the woman NCP member along with other party workers went to submit a memorandum to Irani over the LPG price hike. To beat a woman office-bearer or … [Read more...] about NCP-BJP Workers Clash in Pune: Action Will Be Taken Against Guilty Irrespective of Party, Says Maha Home Minister
BJP Will Revive Plan for ‘Secured Camps’ In Kashmir to Resettle Pandits, Says Ram Madhav
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party will revive a plan to build secured camps to resettle scores of Hindus in the Kashmir Valley, senior leader Ram Madhav said, a proposal that would almost certainly heighten tensions in the restive region. Madhav, who is the BJP national general secretary responsible for Kashmir, said his party was committed to helping bring back some of the estimated 200,000-300,000 Hindus who fled the Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of an armed revolt that began in 1989. "Their fundamental rights of returning to the valley have to be respected. At the same time, we have to provide them proper security," Madhav said in an interview, referring to the Kashmiri Pandits. Nearly 7 million people live in the Kashmir Valley, 97% of them Muslim, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of troops and armed police deployed. About 50,000 people have been killed in the conflict in the last three decades, according to official figures. Madhav said that a previous … [Read more...] about BJP Will Revive Plan for ‘Secured Camps’ In Kashmir to Resettle Pandits, Says Ram Madhav
BJP workers told to work for a clean sweep in Kalaburagi
BJP State president Nalin Kumar Kateel has urged activists to work hard to ensure that the party wins all the nine Assembly constituencies in Kalaburagi and make the district Congress-free. “The Congress, which ruled the country for a long time, is struggling for survival these days. Corruption and dynastic politics have pushed the grand old party to the brink of extinction. We should learn lessons from Congress’ failures. You must aim at winning all the nine Assembly constituencies in the district and make the district Congress-free by defeating Priyank Kharge and Ajay Singh,” he said in his address after laying the foundation stone for a new BJP office building here on Monday. Training his guns at the Congress, Mr. Kateel said that Rahul Gandhi had run away from Uttar Pradesh to Kerala as he had sensed his defeat there. “At one time, Indira Gandhi was all powerful. Now, neither the Congress nor the Gandhi family have any political significance. Rahul Gandhi had to run away from … [Read more...] about BJP workers told to work for a clean sweep in Kalaburagi
BJP slams TTD for ‘scaling down’ Annamayya Jayanti’
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) accused the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTD) management of turning the much-acclaimed 614 th birthday fete of Tallapaka Annamacharya into an insignificant event. Addressing reporters on Monday, the party’s State secretary Nagothu Ramesh Naidu said that Annamayya Jayanti used to be a high-profile event, with the village of Tallapaka near Rajampeta — the birthplace of the saint-poet — witnessing a lot of activity from a fortnight in advance. Social activists and students would be invited to the event in large numbers, he said. “However, the event has turned out to be a damp squib this time, with pandals erected only one day before the event. Nobody gave any information about the event,” he rued. The party leader recalled that Srivari Laddus were made available on Saturdays at Tallapaka in the past, and also flayed the TTD for removing the ticket booking counter set up here. “The tall claims of launching a music college and consecrating a … [Read more...] about BJP slams TTD for ‘scaling down’ Annamayya Jayanti’
PAGD Urges Kashmiri Pandit Employees Not to Leave Valley; Delegations Meet LG, BJP Raises Security Issue
The Gupkar alliance of major J-K parties on Sunday urged Kashmiri pandit employees not to leave the valley as it was their home and it would be “painful for all”, after the community demanded their relocation following the killing of a member by terrorists. The appeal by the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) came after a delegation led by its president Farooq Abdullah met Jammu and Kashmiri Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at the Raj Bhavan here. The meeting was over the issue of security of Kashmiri pandit employees in the aftermath of the killing of Rahul Bhat that has sparked protests by community members. Briefing reporters after the meeting, the spokesperson of the five-party alliance, M Y Tarigami, said the valley is as much the home of Kashmiri Pandits as it is of Kashmiri Muslims. We appeal to them that this nation is yours as well as mine. Do not leave your home. It is very painful for you and us, Tarigami said. The alliance spokesperson said if Kashmiri … [Read more...] about PAGD Urges Kashmiri Pandit Employees Not to Leave Valley; Delegations Meet LG, BJP Raises Security Issue
Maratha leaders in Karnataka demand 2A reservation
Most of the leaders who spoke at the Guru Vandana event organised by the Sakal Maratha Samaj in Belagavi on Sunday, demanded that the State Government include Maratha community in the list of backward classes category 2A. The community is listed in category 3B now. Members of Legislative Assembly Anjali Nimbalkar and Anil Benake and community leader Kiran Jadhav and others demanded that the State Government issue orders effecting a change in the reservation category for the community. Dr. Nimbalkar said that the change in category is essential to ensure the overall development of the community. A large proportion of the community is still into farming and is educationally backward. It needs better representation in higher education and government employment. Hence, the need for change in category, she said. According to her, the community needed adequate political representation at all levels. She urged the community organisations to increase political awareness among the … [Read more...] about Maratha leaders in Karnataka demand 2A reservation