Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has decided to reduce the duration of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Uttar Pradesh in view of the state board examinations for Classes 10 and 12, party members said on Monday. "Setting an example of sensitivity, Rahul Gandhi ji has given public interest a priority on many occasions. Keeping in mind the UP Board examinations starting from February 22, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra will remain in Uttar Pradesh from February 16 to February 21," state Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi said in a statement issued here. The yatra was earlier scheduled to remain in Uttar Pradesh till February 26. "Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had cancelled his rallies in Bengal out of concern for the people during the COVID-19 period," the spokesperson said. Elaborating on the schedule of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Uttar Pradesh, Awasthi said it will enter the state through Varanasi on February 16, and then reach Amethi on February 19 via Bhadohi, Prayagraj and Pratapgarh. On
Maharashtra Congress in-charge Ramesh Chennithala on Sunday alleged the BJP's CAA pitch is a "jumla" (empty promise) with an eye on Lok Sabha elections. The Congress' reaction came a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah said the rules for implementing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will be issued before the coming Lok Sabha poll, and the process to grant Indian nationality to the beneficiaries will start soon after. "The BJP is stoking the discussion on CAA only because the general elections are approaching. The party wants to influence voters. It is just another 'chunavi jumla'. The CAA was passed a long time ago, but its implementation has been brought up now for political reasons only," Chennithala told reporters in Mumbai. He alleged the BJP wants to drive the political discourse on religious lines. "A discussion on CAA is being pushed for this very reason. It is a fact that some BJP-ruled states are against the implementation of the CAA," the Congress leader ...
BJP MPs on Friday said the violence in Uttarakhand's Haldwani appeared to be a "conspiracy" strict action must be taken against the guilty, with Rajya Sabha MP Harnath Yadav demanding a "shoot at sight" order against rioters. Asked about the Thursday violence, Yadav, a Rajya Sabha MP from Uttar Pradesh, said, "The incident in Haldwani is a conspiracy. Bombs, country pistols, and other weapons were used, and government officials and police were attacked. There should be an order to shoot rioters at sight... There is no need to be lenient with them." He said the Uttarakhand government should "search every house," and take action against the perpetrators. Rajya Sabha MP Brij Lal termed the razing of the madrasa a just move. "Removing encroachment is right. Even on the mountains they have made 'mazars' (shrines)..." he said. He added, "Violence cannot be tolerated. Their ring leaders who planned it should be jailed under National Security Act and the Uttarakhand government will defini
The source told ANI that the BJP has firmed its strategy and electoral roadmap for the high-stakes Lok Sabha polls
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday claimed that the BJP-led alliance will win at least 100 out of the state's 126 seats in the 2026 assembly polls, and form the third consecutive NDA government in Assam. Replying to the Motion of Thanks on the Governor's address in the assembly, Sarma said nearly 2.3 lakh indigenous people will be given land rights under 'Mission Basundhara' by his government. "In 2026, we will not get less than 100 seats and form the government. My government's tenure of three years is not a big time, but several landmark decisions have been taken in these three years. It has been the golden period for Assam," he claimed. There was no movement or agitation during this period as people believed in development and progress, he said. During Congress tenure, the number of medical colleges went up from three to six, while it has reached 25 during BJP's rule, Sarma said. "Over 7,000 youth came out of the jungle and joined the mainstream. The number of bridg
The Odisha leg of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, being spearheaded by Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, is scheduled to be completed on Thursday, party leader Jairam Ramesh said
The BJP-led government has failed to address issues like inflation, jobs and farmers' woes, said Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Wednesday and asserted that the credit for the Ram temple goes to crores of people who contributed to it. Addressing a press conference, he said people are fed up with the false promises made to them by the prime minister and there is a lot of resentment against the BJP. It will reflect in the upcoming elections, he claimed. Patole accused the government of looting money from the common people in the name of GST (Goods and Services Tax) and distributing it among its favourite businessmen. The government is promoting unemployment in the name of privatisation. It has allowed 100 percent FDI (foreign direct investment) in the defence sector and that has raised serious questions over national security, he said. China has breached the borders and captured Indian land, but the government remains mum over it, he alleged. The BJP is working on a system
"Our stand is we have shut the door for the BJP for the alliance. They can keep their doors open but our doors are shut. We won't take a step back" Jayakumar added
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Arrested former chief minister of Jharkhand Hemant Soren on Monday challenged the BJP to prove the corruption charges against him, asserting that if the accusations are proved, he will quit politics. Taking part in the confidence motion moved by his successor Champai Soren in the assembly, the JMM executive president also alleged that the Raj Bhavan was instrumental in his arrest after a conspiracy hatched by the Centre. JMM legislature party leader Champai Soren took oath as the chief minister of Jharkhand on February 2, after Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last week in a money laundering case. "I challenge BJP to prove corruption charges against me. If proved, I will resign from politics," said Hemant Soren. The ex-chief minister who is in ED custody now was allowed by a special PMLA (Prevention of Money Laundering Act) court to participate in the trust vote. "January 31 was a black chapter in India's history. A chief minister was arrested at the behest
Jharkhand Governor C P Radhakrishnan on Monday said the task is to make Jharkhand corruption-free and prosperous. He was addressing a special session of the Jharkhand assembly convened by the Champai Soren government to seek trust vote. "For past years, the government worked for the development of people. Now, our task is to continue the progress and make Jharkhand corruption-free and prosperous," the governor said. The ruling party legislators gave a rousing welcome to arrested former chief minister Hemant Soren on his arrival to the House and raised slogans like 'Hemant Soren Jindabad' and 'Hamara Neta Kaisa Ho Hemant Soren Jaisa Ho' for about five minutes. Earlier, MLAs of the BJP-led opposition raised slogans against the government for the late arrival of chief minister Champai Soren.
Crime Branch officials reached the residence of Delhi minister Atishi on Sunday to serve a notice in connection with allegations that the BJP was attempting to "poach" Aam Aadmi Party MLAs. Sources said Atishi was not present at her residence. The minister, however, has given directions to her office staff to receive the notice, sources in the AAP said. "The team will go again to serve notice to Atishi. This morning she was not present at her residence," a senior officer of Delhi Police Crime Branch said. This comes a day after Crime Branch officials served a notice to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, asking him to reply within three days in a probe into his claims that the BJP attempted to poach seven AAP MLAs. Kejriwal and Atishi are scheduled to lay the foundation stones of two schools in Rohini later in the day. On January 27, Kejriwal and Atishi had claimed that the BJP was trying to poach AAP MLAs by offering Rs 25 crore each and a ticket to contest next year's assembly
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday said no one can stop women from reaching the state assemblies and Parliament now. He said this while discussing the Nari Shakti Vandan Act during an address after launching the "Shakti Vandan Abhiyan" organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Indira Gandhi Pratishthan here. "The Nari Shakti Vandan Act (Women's Reservation Act) will be implemented across the state," Adityanath said. Under the Nari Shakti Vandan Act, there is a provision for 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies. Adityanath said "after this Act, no political party can stop women from reaching the legislative assemblies and Parliament". According to an official statement, the chief guest of the programme was BJP's national secretary Vijaya Rahatkar. On the Ram temple's consecration ceremony in Ayodhya, Adityanath said it has been achieved under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi after a long battle of 500
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday attacked the BJP, saying if it can "rig" the Chandigarh mayoral polls, it could go to any extent in assembly and Lok Sabha elections. He was addressing Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders and workers at a protest at the party's office here. The demonstration was planned in front of the BJP headquarters, a few hundred metres away on the DDU Marg, but AAP members could not reach there because of heavy police deployment and barricading. The world's biggest party was caught on camera "stealing" votes in the Chandigarh mayoral polls, Kejriwal said. The elections to the posts of mayor, senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor were held on Tuesday and the BJP won all defeating the Congress-AAP alliance "In the last few years, we had heard that BJP rigs polls. They tamper with EVMs, get names of voters deleted from voter lists, but never was any evidence found. They were caught red-handed in Chandigarh stealing votes," he alleged. "If they can indulge
The ruling BJP in Tripura announced a 73-member state executive committee months ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. All senior leaders of the party in the state, including Chief Minister Manik Saha, Rajya Sabha MP Bilab Kumar Deb, Union MoS for Social Empowerment and Social Justice Pratima Bhoumik and former deputy CM Jishnu Dev Varma, found a place in the committee announced on Thursday night. There are 14 invitee members in the committee. Names of 18 office-bearers of the party's state unit were announced on December 30. With an eye on the elections, the state BJP has reconstituted the committees of office-bearers of all its frontal organisations, including Mohila Morcha and Yuva Morcha.
The government said that the Budget was presented with a focus on economic policies that foster growth, facilitate inclusive development, improve productivity, and create opportunities
AAP MLAs and volunteers coming to participate in the party's protest outside the BJP headquarters here against the "cheating" in the Chandigarh mayoral polls are being stopped or detained, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged on Friday. Security has been stepped-up in Central Delhi with police barricading several roads leading to the Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Marg and deploying additional personnel in view of the Aam Aadmi Party's demonstration as well as a protest by the BJP against "corruption" in the Kejriwal government. The BJP will stage its protest near the AAP head office. The offices of both the parties are on the same road, a few hundred metres from each other. "First votes were stolen in the Chandigarh mayoral elections. Now, people coming to protest peacefully against this are being stopped at various places across Delhi," Kejriwal said in a post on X, ahead of the demonstration scheduled to begin at 11 am. In another post, he said that "across Delhi, they are detain
BJP candidate Manoj Sonkar on Tuesday defeated AAP's Kuldeep Kumar, who was fielded as part of an alliance with the Congress, to win the post of mayor in the Chandigarh mayoral polls. Sonkar polled 16 votes while Kumar secured 12. Eight votes were declared invalid. Councillors of INDIA bloc parties AAP and Congress protested as soon as the results were announced. From Delhi, AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal accused the BJP of "cheating". The newly elected mayor will hold the elections to the posts of senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor. As part of the alliance, the AAP was contesting for the mayor's post while the Congress has fielded candidates for senior deputy mayor and deputy mayor. The polls, being held following the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court, assume significance with opposition INDIA bloc members Congress and AAP joining hands, even though they are yet to agree on seat-sharing in Punjab. The BJP has 14 councillors in the 35-member Chandigarh Municipal ...
Hitting back at Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge for his "last election" barb, the BJP on Tuesday said dynastic politics under the garb of democracy is coming to an end in the country and emergence of true democracy is in the offing. Kharge on Monday had expressed apprehension that the 2024 Lok Sabha elections would be the last opportunity for the people to save democracy, and "If Narendra Modi wins another election, there will be dictatorship in the country. The BJP will rule India like Putin in Russia." Slamming Kharge for the remarks, BJP spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi said, "Dynastic politics under the garb of democracy is coming to an end, and they are wondering what will be their future". "Whether it is Abdullah and Mufti families in Jammu and Kashmir, or Badals in Punjab, Hooda family in Haryana, all of them lost elections. Ashok Gehlot's son also lost, Akhilesh Yadav's wife lost election, in Bihar Lalu Prasad Yadav's daughter lost election... or the biggest symbol of ..
Accusing the TMC of misusing central funds allocated for West Bengal, the BJP on Monday said the state's ruling party should not stage protests demanding dues from the Union government in February as it will inconvenience lakhs of students appearing for class 10 and 12 board exams. Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee on January 26 gave the Centre a seven-day ultimatum to clear all dues failing which the party would launch a massive protest. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari told reporters that if the TMC goes ahead with the programme, the BJP will hold counter-sit-ins demanding that the state come up with figures for utilisation of central allocations under various schemes. "Please think about lakhs of children who will appear for their class 10 and 12 board exams in February. You don't have the right. If you still go ahead with the dharna, BJP will launch counter-agitations," Adhikari said. Cass 10 and 12 exams of various boards including those of West Bengal wi