Archives for May 2019

Chandigarh/Amritsar: The rift between Punjab chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh and his cabinet minister Navjot Singh Sidhu is out in the open again. After it was reported that Navjot Singh Sidhu will be keeping away from campaigning for a while after suffering damage to his vocal cords, his wife Navjot Kaur Sidhu has taken up the reins and upped the ante against the chief minister.

With barely a week left for the Lok Sabha elections in Punjab, Navjot Kaur Sidhu, former state health minister, has claimed that it was Amarinder Singh and Punjab Congress affairs in-charge, Asha Kumari, who ensured she does not get a ticket from Amritsar. 

“Captain saab and Asha Kumari think madam Sidhu doesn’t deserve a single ticket. My ticket from Amritsar was cut on the pretext that after the Amritsar train accident, I can’t win from here. Captain Saab and Asha Kumari said it,” she said in Amritsar.

Indicating that Navjot Singh won’t be campaigning for the Congress in Punjab, she said, “Captain saab is our ‘chota’ (small) captain, while Rahul Gandhi is our ‘vadda’ (big) captain. When he has already said that he is winning all 13 seats, what is the need of campaigning for him?”

“There is no point doing anything for those who think we aren’t capable enough,” she added.

Taking another dig at Asha Kumari and Amarinder Singh, Sidhu said, “Captain saab is our senior leader, our captain. Asha Kumari is a star campaigner. They will do it (campaigning). Sidhu will campaign where Rahul ji has deployed him”.

Interestingly, Navjot Kaur had earlier stated that she and her husband had reused a ticket from Amristar when the party offered it to them. She had made the statement after Congress fielded Pawan Kumar Bansal from Chandigarh. Navjot Kaur was also vying for a ticket from the same city.

“I never wanted to contest from Amritsar. I had categorically said no to it. Amritsar is a big constituency and with my husband busy with poll campaigning across the country, it would have been difficult for me here,” she had said then.

Navjot Kaur’s name was previously doing the rounds for the Amritsar Lok Sabha seat but the Congress re-nominated sitting MP Gurjit Singh Aujla instead.

This is not the first time Amrinder Singh has been accused by the Congress leader of keeping him away from poll rallies. On May 7, Navjot Sidhu had said that neither Amarinder Singh nor the state Congress president, Sunil Kumar Jakhar, asked him to campaign for the 13 party leaders contesting the elections.

“Neither Captain Sahib, nor the PPCC chief or (party’s Punjab affairs in-charge in-charge) Asha Kumari have called me to campaign (in Punjab),” the 55-year-old cricketer-turned politician had said.

Punjab goes to the polls in the last phase on May 19 for its 13 Lok Sabha seats.

Agencies

Priyanka Sharma shared on her Facebook timeline a photo in which Mamata Banerjee’s face has been photoshopped on the form of actor Priyanka Chopra at the MET Gala in New York.

Priyanka Sharma was arrested after she shared a morphed photo of Mamata Banerjee.
NEW DELHI: 

BJP activist Priyanka Sharma, who was arrested last week for sharing a morphed photo of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Facebook, must apologise immediately after her release, the Supreme Court said on Tuesday. The 26-year-old was given a conditional bail after she approached the top court on Monday.

“Is there any difficulty in apologising? We are asking her to apologise for herself. Freedom of speech ends where it affects others’ rights,” the Supreme Court said. The court also issued notice to West Bengal Police over the way the the party activist was taken into custody.

Ms Sharma’s lawyer argued that “if one is asked to apologise for memes, will citizens come and apologise for a caricature”. Lawyer Neeraj Kishan Kaul said Priyanka Sharma did not create the morphed picture and she is being made to apologise only because of her association with the BJP. He said the order will have a “chilling effect on freedom of expression”. The court is being passed on the specific circumstances of the case.

Priyanka Sharma was arrested last Friday after she shared a photo in which Mamata Banerjee’s face has been photo-shopped on the form of actor Priyanka Chopra. In the original picture, the actor was photographed at the MET Gala in New York.

Ms Sharma was picked up by the police from her home and was sent to two weeks’ judicial custody. The charges cited on the complaint by a Trinamool Congress leader include “defamation and offensive messages”.

The Supreme Court bench, comprising comprising justices Indira Banerjee and Sanjiv Khanna, observed that since Priyanka Sharma is a member of a political party, the insinuation of posting such a picture will be different from those shared by common people.

BJP leader and Assam minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who had met the BJP activist’s family on Sunday, welcomed the top court’s decision. “Bengal police should have lodged the FIR against the person who created the meme and who have subsequently shared it. But why are you singling out a young lady? That means vendetta politics is at its peak in Bengal,” he told NDTV.

The BJP youth wing activist’s mother had claimed her daughter’s arrest was politically motivated. The arrest had provoked anger and strong protests, not just by the BJP but also by other social media users.

“Humour, wit, sarcasm survive in a free society. They have no place in autocracies. Dictators laugh at people. They don’t like people laughing at them. Bengal, today is a case in point,” Union Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted on Tuesday.

In 2012, Ambikesh Mahapatra, a chemistry professor at Jadavpur University, was arrested for circulating an email with a caricature of Mamata Banerjee.

Agencies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday responded to the “caste” jibe taken at him by BSP supremo Mayawati a few days ago, saying that his “caste” is “poverty”.

“I have only one caste – ‘poverty’; that is why I have rebelled against poverty,” the PM said at a massive election rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Balia.

Mayawati had on 10 May said that the PM is not an “OBC by birth”.

“These ‘mahamilavatis’ are asking ‘what is Modi’s caste?’. I’ve been CM of Gujarat for a longer time than both ‘Bua-Babua’ combined. I’ve contested and helped many in contesting elections, but never used my caste for support,” the PM said, taking a jibe at both Mayawati and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav.

Before becoming Prime Minister, Modi served as the Chief Minister of Gujarat for 13-and-half years from 2001 to 2014.

Mayawati, a four-time Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, has been at the top post in the state for just around seven years, while Akhilesh Yadav served 5 years as the CM of the state till 2017.

This is the second time the PM attacked the alliance parties for taking a caste jibe at him.

On Saturday, 11 May, the PM, at a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Robertsganj, said that that he has “only one caste – the caste of the poor of the country”.

“The people of the ‘Mahamilawat’ recently started picking on my caste, I want to tell them that I belong to the caste of the poor of the country,” he said, adding, “I provided housing, water facilities, and gas facilities to the poor because I belong to them.”

Mayawati had said that Modi has not “suffered from the atrocities of casteism”.

“Entire country knows he isn’t an OBC by birth; he hasn’t suffered from the atrocities of casteism. So he shouldn’t say such lies about ‘mahagathbandhan’,” she had said in response to PM Modi’s remark that the SP-BSP ‘mahagathbandhan’ is casteist

“PM’s accusation that ‘mahagathbandhan’ is casteist is laughable and immature. How can those who suffered from casteism be casteist?” Mayawati added.

The remaining 13 of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh will go to polls in the last phase of the elections, which will be held on 19 May.

Thane, May 14 : A 26-year-old Shiv Sena Corporator was booked by the Anti-Corruption Bureau(ACB) on Tuesday on the alleged charge of demanding bribe of Rs 1.50 lakh from a civic contractor.
ACB Deputy Superintendent of Police(DSP) of Navi Mumbai Ramesh Chavan said the accused Gorakh Jadhav is the Shiv Sena Corporator from the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation(KDMC).
Quoting the complainant, the DSP said the civic contractor was awarded a Rs 9,49,638 contract for construction of roads as well as other developmental works in the Atali village of Kalyan city of this district.
The accused Corporator demanded a bribe of Rs 1.50 lakh for not impeding the contractor’s work,mentioned the DSP.
The DSP further said on February 13 the contractor lodged a complaint with the ACB and subsequently on March 2, the ACB confirmed the allegations levelled against the accused.
“An offence under section 7 of the Prevention of Corruption Act has been registered on Tuesday against the Corporator with the Khadakpada Police Station,” stated the DSP.
“Further investigation into the case is underway and no arrest has been made so far,” informed the DSP.

Budge Budge, May 13 West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (TMC) supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday slammed the BJP national president for calling Bengal ‘kangal’ and called him “half-educated and ill-informed”.
She said people of the state will teach the BJP a lesson for insulting Bengal.
“He accuses us of being ‘tolabaj’. They say Mamata Banerjee has made Bangla ‘kangal’. Does he even know the meaning of ‘kangal’? How dare he? How does he get the audacity? People of Bangla will teach him a lesson for insulting our State. These half-educated, ill-informed leaders know nothing about Bangla,” Ms Banerjee remarked.
Addressing a public meeting here in South 24 Parganas district which falls under Diamond Harbour Lok Sabha constituency, the chief minister said, ” Narendra Modi is the biggest danger facing the country today. Ensure he is defeated. “
Ms Banerjee said leader does not fall from the sky. A leader is created from the grassroots,by working for the people
“In my family, everyone is involved in politics. But none of them are in public life, because I never wanted that. Only one member of my family is in public life, but BJP is jealous of him also,” she commented.
“Modi babu, before attacking Abhishek Banerjee, find out about your own wife. Do you even know what family means? ” The TMC supremo asked.
Ms Banerjee alleged, ” The BJP only orchestrates riots. They practice politics of division. I am ready to give my life, but never allow riots. “
She said, ” Before coming to power, he talked about ‘achhe din’. Instead, prices of fuel, cooking gas are skyrocketing. He picked people’s pockets by carrying out demonetisation. “
“Jagai-Madhai-Bidaai (BJP-CPIM-Congress) have become one. Do not give them a single vote,” the TMC supremo said.
“They promised to deposit Rs 15 lakh in every bank account by bringing back black money. Did he do that? No,” the chief minister commented.
“They come to Bengal and say Durga Puja has been stopped here. They do not even know how Maa Durga looks like. Who are they talk about religion? We worships many gods and goddesses. Hindu religion is ancient, much older than the BJP,” Ms Banerjee remarked.
“I feel ashamed of the prime minister, who is a big liar. When I am asked who is your prime minister, I feel like replying ‘I don’t know’ until the next government is formed,” she commented.
“On this day in 2011, Bangla voted for poriborton (change). Today, we are giving the clarion call once again ? Modi Hatao, Desh Bachao. Modi babu is on his way out,” the TMC supremo said.
“One minister from Assam, who received money from Saradha chit fund, has brought bags full of money. He has stationed himself in Diamond Harbour. In the next few days, they will try to buy your votes in lieu of money. Do not fall in their trap,” she warned.

Agencies