BJP to EC: Bring model code, central forces early in Bengal

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BJP to EC: Bring model code, central forces early in Bengal

Just days ahead of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s repeat visit to poll-bound West Bengal, the BJP has clearly upped the ante while urging the EC to invoke Section 15 of the Representation of the People’s Act.

In essence, the Bengal BJP has urged the Election Commission to impose the model code of conduct in the state early according to the provision of that section. Generally, it comes into effect only after the dates of the election are announced.

A delegation led by BJP MP Swapan Dasgupta made the submission to the poll body citing the law and order situation and “political bias”.

The BJP has also demanded early deployment of central police forces in the state, “else the ruling AITC with the active support of West Bengal Police will make campaigning very difficult, resulting in widespread violence.”

The BJP has also said that members of the state government employees federation are not used in the preparation of electoral rolls as “they have pledged their support to the Chief Minister and the AITC.”

They have also referred to an earlier complaint raising objection to this federation who the BJP claims had “committed” to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee here “electoral victory”.

The BJP has also complained of discrepancies in the draft voters’ list where it alleged names of the dead and relocated voters continue to remain. The party in its submission to the EC has also raised the issue of the recent attack on its National President J.P. Nadda’s convoy.

West Bengal is going to polls early next year where the BJP hopes to topple the TMC government after its success in last year’s Lok Sabha election.

T’gana Transport Minister tests positive for Covid

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T’gana Transport Minister tests positive for Covid

Telangana’s Transport Minister Puvvada Ajay Kumar has tested positive for Covid-19.

The minister is under home isolation in Hyderabad. He tweeted on Tuesday that he tested positive in the RT-PCR test.

“Please don’t try to call or meet me. I request all those who participated in the programs with me to undergo the tests,” he said.

Ajay assured me that there was nothing to worry about. He hoped that he would soon be able to resume his routine activities.

He is the third minister in the state to test positive. Earlier, Home Minister Mohammed Mehmood Ali and Finance Minister T. Harish Rao were found infected by the virus. Both have recovered.

While Mehmood Ali had to be hospitalized, Harish Rao recovered in home isolation. About a dozen legislators of various parties had also tested positive for coronavirus and they all have recovered.

BJP-RSS control Facebook in India: Rahul Gandhi

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BJP-RSS control Facebook in India: Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday attacked the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) after a report surfaced that Facebook did not act on hate content.

The former Congress president took to Twitter as he posted a video and said, “Further confirmation that BJP-RSS control Facebook in India.”

As per the report in the Wall Street Journal, Facebook discussed banning Bajrang Dal and termed it a dangerous organization but did not actively consider the safety of the employees.

This is not the first time that Facebook is in controversy. Earlier in August this year, the Wall Street Journal reported that the social media platform’s policies were allegedly biased and favored the ruling BJP due to business interests.

In the report, it had said that the head of Facebook’s Public Policy in India, Ankhi Das, had lobbied in favor of the ruling party and one of its leaders in spite of posting hate comments on the platform.

Facebook had denied the allegations but it went on to ban the politician, while Ankhi Das quit the company in October this year.

The Congress at that time had said that the matter will not be resolved by just changing one individual.

“Facebook must demonstrate its neutrality through a thorough revamp of its institutional processes and standard operating procedures (SOPs), so as to ensure foolproof checks and balances that cannot be tinkered by an individual’s whims and political leanings,” Congress General Secretary (organization), K.C. Venugopal had said.

“It must also outline the steps taken to curb false, polarising, and hate news/content spread rampantly on its platform, threatening India’s social harmony,” he added.

Wall Street Journal had on August 14 reported substantively on the blatant biases of Facebook India’s team headed by Ankhi Das, and the Congress had raised the issue.

It had reported that Das and her political partisanship towards the ruling party and its leaders, by way of wilful propagation, was spreading fake and hate the news.

Subsequently, Congress had written two letters to the CEO of Facebook Inc, Mark Zuckerberg, urging him to look into the matter seriously. Facebook had responded to the letters reiterating its neutrality and promising due action.

If BJP wants to ban cattle slaughter, stop beef exports: Goa Cong

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If BJP wants to ban cattle slaughter, stop beef exports: Goa Cong

The National Democratic Alliance government at the Centre should ban the export of beef, if the BJP is so committed to banning cattle slaughter in states where the party is in power, the Goa Congress said on Friday.

Addressing a press conference in Panaji, convenor of the Opposition party’s media cell Trajano D’Mello also said that beef would soon be in short supply in Goa, in view of the passage of a stringent law banning cattle slaughter in the Karnataka state Assembly.

Goa imports nearly all its beef from Karnataka in the form of live cattle and slaughtered beef.

“India is the second-largest exporter of beef in the world and if the BJP’s policy is to ban slaughter of bulls and buffaloes, then the first thing they should do is to ban the export of beef. Banning of cattle slaughter for public consumption in states and promoting beef exports is hypocritical,” D’Mello told a press conference.

On average, Goa consumes nearly 25 tons of beef every day. The demand for beef rises further during the tourism season which stretches from October to March.

The red meat is commonly consumed by tourists, as well as by members of the minority communities in the state, which account for more than 30 percent of the population.

Over the last few years, the supply of beef in Goa’s meat stores has been inconsistent on account of the erratic functioning of the state’s only authorized abattoir, the Goa Meat Complex, which is allowed to slaughter cattle. Raids by cow vigilante groups on trucks transporting live cattle as well as slaughtered beef from Karnataka have also taken a toll on the easy availability of the red meat.

Beef sellers in the state have already expressed anguish over the new law in Karnataka, which they said would dry up the sale of beef in the coastal state, especially during the Christmas season, when tourist footfalls and the demand for red meat peaks.

“Most of the ruling party MLAs and Ministers are voracious beef eaters. Are they listening to these cries of anguish over fears of beef drying up from the state’s markets,” D’Mello said.

15 out of the 27 BJP MLAs in the 40-member state legislative assembly are Catholic in religious orientation.

President of the Goa Forward party Vijai Sardesai also expressed apprehension over the impending beef shortage in the wake of the new law passed by Karnataka. He also said that when former Chief Minister late Manohar Parrikar as Chief Minister in 2017, the latter had given an assurance in the state legislative Assembly that he would ensure a steady supply of beef to Goa at any cost.

“BJP needs a diversion to create a vote-bank based on divisive politics. This announcement is made just before Christmas. We will have a shortage of beef during the festival if the government does not intervene and make arrangements,” Sardesai said.

New Parliament building will be a symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat: PM

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New Parliament building will be a symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said that the new Parliament building will be a symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat and that the aspirations of 21st century India will be fulfilled in the new building.

The Prime Minister expressed his views while laying the foundation stone of the new Parliament building which is proposed to be completed in 2022 when the country will celebrate the 75th year of Independence.

“If the old Parliament House gave direction to post-independence India, the new building would become a witness to the creation of a self-reliant India. The new Parliament building will be a symbol of Atmanirbhar Bharat,” said the Prime Minister while addressing members of Parliament and other dignitaries present in the event at the Parliament House premises.

“If work is done to fulfill the needs of the country in the old Parliament House, then the aspirations of 21st century India will be fulfilled in the new building.”

Continuing his speech with a vision of making “India as the mother of democracy” for the world, the Prime Minister said the world has been witnessing India achieving success in the 21st Century.

The Prime Minister appealed to citizens to give their best to make India gain the highest honors in the 21st Century.

Noting that the existing Parliament building was constructed 93 years ago, the Prime Minister said that the new Parliament building is a mixture of the new and the old.

“This is the need of the 21st Century India to construct a new Parliament building. The new building will improve the efficiency of parliamentarians as it will be equipped with modern infrastructure.”

He also said that every parliamentarian will have to be more dedicated to service to make the new Parliament building a temple with their conduct, thought, and behavior.

The new Parliament building will be built in an area of 64,500 sq meters at an estimated cost of Rs 971 crore.

The new Parliament building has been designed by HCP Design and Management Pvt Ltd Ahmedabad and the construction would be carried out by Tata Projects Ltd, keeping the needs and requirements for the next 100 years in mind.

The building is to be equipped with all modern audiovisual communication facilities and data network systems.

Each Member of Parliament would also be provided with a 40 square meter office space in the redeveloped Shram Shakti Bhawan, construction for which is slated to be completed by 2024.

The building will have a seating capacity for 888 members in the Lok Sabha chamber with an option to increase to 1,224 members during Joint Sessions. Similarly, the Rajya Sabha Chamber would have a seating capacity of 384 members.

JJP is of farmers, for farmers: Digvijay Chautala

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JJP is of farmers, for farmers: Digvijay Chautala

Sensing the tone and tenor of its lawmakers, Haryana BJP coalition partner Jannayak Janta Party (JJP) leader Digvijay Chautala on Monday said party leader and Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala has been in constant talks with the Central leadership over the protest of farmers, saying “the party is of the farmers and for the farmers”.

His assertion assumes significance a day after many legislators of the JJP, the crucial post-electoral coalition partner with the BJP-led government in Haryana, extended their support to the farmers against the new farm laws.

“The meeting is expected to resolve the issue (of farmers) on December 9. All 90 MLAs of Haryana are in favor of farmers,” Digvijay, the younger brother of Dushyant Chautala, said in a video tagged with his tweet.

“Dushyant Chautala is constantly holding talks with the Union ministers and he’s advocating for the cause of farmers so that they do not face problems,” he categorically said. At the same time, he said they were born in a farmer’s family.

“We all 10 legislators of our party are born in a farmer’s house. How is possible that we are not concerned about the issues of the farmers. The farmers should be listened to, the government should do whatever changes needed. PM Narendra Modi’s government is a farmer’s government,” he added.

Political observers told IANS that the political ‘wedge’ between the BJP and JJP is widening with the talks between the Centre and the protesting farmers remaining inconclusive despite five rounds of negotiations. The sixth one is slated for December 9.

The JJP legislators who posed a challenge to the just one-year-old alliance government included Ram Kumar Gautam and Amarjeet Dhanda.

They have asked the Centre to withdraw the newly introduced farm laws. They have joined their fellow party legislator Jogiram Sihag who last month turned down the government’s offer to be the Housing Board Chairman till the farm laws guarantee the minimum support price (MSP).

The JJP has also been facing criticism within the party too for not walking out of the alliance on the issue of farmers and ‘clinging to power’.

In an alliance, the JJP had extended support to the BJP, which won 40 seats, six short of the majority mark.

The latest issue of ‘irritant’ in the government led by BJP leader Manohar Lal Khattar is the registration of hundreds of cases against the farmers for violence, breach of barricades, and causing disruption in the discharge of duty by government employees.

Deputy Chief Minister Chautala has been maintaining stoic silence in public over the issue, but his firebrand brother Digvijay is taking the state government to task several times.

Earlier, he has demanded that the cases against farmers must be withdrawn.

The JJP — a defector of the state’s once-prominent regional outfit Indian National Lok Dal (INLD), is primarily a rural Jat-centric party with the farmers as its core vote bank. The Jat, a dominant farming community, comprises 28 percent of the state’s population.

Opposition trying to vitiate atmosphere: Yogi

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Opposition trying to vitiate atmosphere: Yogi

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has said that some political parties are trying to vitiate the atmosphere and their doublespeak on the issue of farmers should be exposed.

The Chief Minister said that the opposition parties are placing their guns on the shoulders of the farmers to shoot at the government.

He said that the stand taken by the opposition parties, particularly the Congress, on the APMC Act has exposed the double standards of these parties.

“The Centre has taken revolutionary steps in agricultural reforms that safeguard the interests of the farmers. But the opposition is trying to spread misinformation to mislead the farmers. During the UPA regime, all these parties had announced their support to the APMC Act, but now they have taken a U-turn,” he said.

The Chief Minister further said that parties like Akali Dal, Trinamool Congress, and Samajwadi Party had supported the APMC Act, but now they are showing double standards.

“Those who are supporting the call for Bharat Bandh on Tuesday should apologize to the farmers for misleading them over the farm laws,” he said.

He pointed out that the Modi government has taken revolutionary steps for the benefit of the farmers through the crop insurance scheme and the PM agricultural irrigation scheme, linking farming with technology.

Apart from this, through the ‘One Nation One Market’ scheme, the work of selling agricultural produce has been made easier, he added.

Hyderabadis give fractured mandate, TRS single largest party

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Hyderabadis give fractured mandate, TRS single largest party

Elections to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) threw up a hung house as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made big inroads to deny the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) a clear majority.

TRS emerged as the single largest party with 55 seats in the 150-member municipal body while the BJP won 48 seats, signaling its emergence as a dominant political force in the state.

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), which retained 44 seats, has emerged as the kingmaker. TRS and MIM are likely to enter into a power-sharing arrangement to rule the municipal body.

The Congress could win just two seats. Owning the responsibility for the party’s disastrous performance, state Congress chief N. Uttam Kumar Reddy announced his resignation from the post on Friday evening.

The results came as a big shock to the TRS, which had won a landslide majority in 2016 with 99 seats. With just four seats in the previous elections, the BJP improved its performance manifold.

The result in one division (Neredmet) was withheld as the number of ballots with ‘distinguished mark’ other than ‘swastik’ was more than the majority of TRS. The ruling party was leading by 505 seats but ballots with ‘distinguished mark’ other than ‘swastik’ were 544. The result will be subject to a High Court order in the matter.

The counting day saw several twists and turns in the fortunes of the parties. Though TRS appeared set to retain power with a lead in 70 divisions at around 4 p.m., the scene changed subsequently with the BJP racing ahead in divisions where it was locked in a neck-and-neck battle with the TRS.

The newly-elected corporators and 52 ex-officio members will elect the Mayor. Since TRS has majority of ex-officio members, it required 65 corporators to have its Mayor. The party may now have to negotiate a power-sharing agreement with the MIM if the latter doesn’t extend unconditional support. In 2009, when GHMC polls had thrown a similar verdict, the Congress had shared power with the MIM, leaving the post of Mayor to MIM for two years.

The post of Mayor this time has been reserved for women. Terming the results, not to the expectations of the party, TRS working president K.T. Rama Rao said the party fell short by 20-25 seats. When asked about the possibility of an alliance with the MIM, he said the party would discuss all the issues and then make a decision.

Performing beyond its own expectations and making big inroads in the state capital, the BJP replaced MIM as the second-largest party. The saffron party fought the polls with all the might with top Central leaders and Union ministers campaigning for its candidates.

The party’s state chief Bandi Sanjay said that people have taught a lesson to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao for his arrogance and corruption. He said despite all the unfair means adopted by the TRS, people gave their mandate to the BJP and they see it as the sole alternative to TRS.

Counting of votes cast in all 150 divisions began at 8 a.m. at 30 places in the city with Telangana State Election Commission deploying over 8,000 personnel.

The police made elaborate security arrangements in the city in view of the counting. Prohibitory orders and traffic restrictions were imposed around the counting centers.

The police in Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Rachakonda has imposed a ban on victory rallies for the next 48 hours.

Out of the total 74.67 lakh voters, 46.55 percent had cast their votes in 149 divisions on Tuesday. There were 1,925 postal ballots. Polling in one division was stopped due to discrepancy in the ballot paper and a re-poll was held on Thursday.

A total of 1,122 candidates tested their political fortunes. The bitterly contested elections saw a high-decibel campaign with the participation of several central ministers and top national leaders of the BJP.

Union Ministers Amit Shah, Prakash Javadekar and Smriti Irani, BJP President J.P. Nadda, and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath campaigned for the BJP.

The campaign also saw no holds barred attack by political opponents. The promise by BJP leaders to change the name of Hyderabad to Bhagyanagar if the party was voted to power also sparked a row.

1st T20I: Rahul, Jadeja help India set 162-run target for Australia

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1st T20I: Rahul, Jadeja help India set 162-run target for Australia

A well-compiled half-century from KL Rahul and a late onslaught from Ravindra Jadeja helped India post a 162-run target for Australia in the first T20I of the three-match series at the Manuka Oval on Friday.

Put into bat, India didn’t have a great start as they lost a wicket early in the innings. Shikhar Dhawan was undone by a brilliant outswinger in the third over bowled by Mitchell Starc and went back to the pavilion after scoring just one.

Skipper Virat Kohli, who came into bat next, then stitched a nice, little partnership with Rahul and took the Indian score to 48. Just when the scoring rate seemed to be going up, Mitchell Swepson got the prized scalp of Kohli who was caught & bowled by the leg-spinner at his individual score of 9.

However, Rahul continued his good run and kept scoring boundaries whenever the Australian bowlers erred and along with Sanju Samson, took forward the Indian innings. Samson, during his stay at the wicket, played some beautiful shots and made 23 off 15 before he was caught at covers while trying to hit a boundary against Moises Henriques.

Next batsman Manish Pandey (2 off 8) didn’t have a long stay at the crease and was sent back to the dressing room by Adam Zampa.

Rahul, who was till then holding one end, soon became the second scalp of Henriques who had the Indian wicketkeeper-batsman caught at long-on by Sean Abbott. Rahul smashed five fours and a six during his 40-ball inning.

Star all-rounder Hardik Pandya couldn’t cast his magic this time around as he did in the ODIs as he scored 16 off 15 before getting caught at long-off by Steve Smith while trying to go for a maximum against Henriques.

However, Jadeja who has been amongst the runs in recent times provided India the much-needed impetus and scored 44 off just 23 balls, with the help of five fours and a six to help the team end their innings at 161/7.

Henriques was the pick of the Australian bowlers as he returned with figures of 3/22. Starc made two scalps while Zampa and Swepson picked one wicket apiece.

Brief scores: India 161/7 (KL Rahul 51, Ravindra Jadeja 44*; Moises Henriques 3/22)

TRS leading in 70 divisions in Gr. Hyd

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TRS leading in 70 divisions in Gr. Hyd

Ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) continues to maintain the lead in most of the divisions of Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) despite a tough fight put up by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). TRS was leading in 70 out of 143 divisions, counting trends for which available till 3 p.m.

BJP was leading in 33 divisions while Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) appears to be retaining its strongholds as the party candidates were ahead in 37 divisions.

The Congress party was a distant fourth with a lead in just four divisions. Trends from the remaining seven divisions were not yet available. Results of 22 divisions were announced till 3 p.m. Of them, MIM won 13 while TRS bagged nine seats.

TRS, which had bagged 99 seats in 2016 polls, is locked in a neck and neck race with the BJP, which has improved its performance too and appears to be making big inroads in the divisions held by the ruling party.

The saffron party, which had won only four seats in previous polls, fought the polls this time with all the might at its disposal as top central leaders and union ministers campaigned for its candidates in the civic body polls.

Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi-led MIM seems to be holding on to the majority of 44 seats it won in 2016 polls.

The first result went in MIM’s favor as its candidate and former mayor Mohammed Majid Hussain was declared elected from Mehdipatnam.

As only 11,818 votes were polled in the division, the results were declared after the first round of counting.

Majid Hussain had become mayor of Greater Hyderabad in 2012 under a seat-sharing agreement between Congress and MIM following 2009 polls. At the age of 31, he became the youngest mayor in the country. MIM’s Rajmohan was elected from the Puranapul constituency in the old city.

TRS also opened its account when its candidate Rajkumar Patel was declared elected from the Yousufguda division.

Counting of votes cast in all 150 divisions began at 8 a.m. at 30 places in the city with Telangana State Election Commission deploying over 8,000 personnel.

Since paper ballots were used in the elections, the counting process is slow and results are likely to be known only by late evening. The authorities have arranged 150 counting halls with 14 tables in each hall.

State Election Commissioner C. Parthasarthy said a counting supervisor and two counting assistants were deployed at each table.

Police have made elaborate security arrangements in the city in view of the counting. Prohibitory orders and traffic restrictions were imposed around counting centers.

Hyderabad, Cyberabad, and Rachakonda police imposed a ban on victory rallies for the next 48 hours.

Out of the total 74.67 lakh voters, 46.55 percent has cast their votes in 149 divisions on Tuesday. There were 1,925 postal ballots.

Polling in one division was stopped due to discrepancy in the ballot paper and a re-poll was held on Thursday.

The day will decide the political fortunes of 1,122 candidates. The bitterly contested elections saw a high-decibel campaign with the participation of several central ministers and top national leaders of BJP.

Union Ministers Amit Shah, Prakash Javadekar and Smriti Irani, BJP president J.P. Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath campaigned for BJP, which fought hard to wrest the key municipal body from the TRS. Congress, MIM, and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were among the other major contesting parties.

The campaign saw no-hold-barred attacks by political opponents. Remarks by some leaders created controversies. The promise by BJP leaders to change the name of Hyderabad to Bhagyanagar if the party voted to power had sparked a row.

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