Archives for May 2022

Bengaluru: Denials poured in on change in the leadership in Karnataka, amid buzz over such a move by the BJP high command ahead of the Assembly polls next year, as Union Minister Amit Shah was on a day-long visit to take part in various events in the city on Tuesday.

This even as some party leaders expressed hopes about cabinet expansion or rejig soon, amid mounting pressure and simmering discontent within the ruling party over the delay.

It was widely expected that, during this visit, a month after he set a target of 150 seats for the Karnataka BJP for the 2023 Assembly polls, Shah was expected to assess the BJP’s preparations for the polls and may give a strong message to party’s leadership and office-bearers.

However, according to party sources his interaction was limited to select BJP leaders over lunch at Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai’s official residence.

With his visit coinciding with the birth anniversary of 12th century social reformer Basaveshwara, Shah began his day by paying floral tributes to the bust and statue of the Lingayat saint.

The move is seen as a reach out to Lingayats, a dominant community who have significant presence across the state and are considered as a strong vote-bank of the ruling BJP, ahead of Karnataka Assembly polls next year.

Amid buzz over possible change in the leadership, several top BJP leaders including BJP national general secretary Arun Singh, former Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa, party’s state unit President Nalin Kumar Kateel, ruled out Bommai’s exit.

Terming the speculation of leadership change as “hypothetical”, Singh said Bommai is a “common man” and people here like him.

Yediyurappa, who was replaced by Bommai in July last year, too said there are no such talks about leadership change and what is going on are mere “speculations”.

Kateel said there is no confusion in the party on the leadership issue, and BJP will go to the polls together as a team, under the leadership of Bommai and Yediyurappa’s guidance.

However, Bijapur City BJP MLA Basanagouda Patil Yatnal said the high command is thinking of big changes to make government more effective, speed up development, and to tackle corruption allegations. “It may happen before May 10.”

It may be noted that Yatnal, a known Yediyurappa critic was among the first to predict the state BJP strongman’s exit from the CM post.

The fresh round of speculation about leadership change in the state, was following BJP national general secretary B L Santhosh’s statement on Sunday that the party’s strength lies in the induction of new faces.

Amid murmurs in the party circles that a top-to-bottom overhaul of the cabinet cannot be ruled out, state BJP functionaries are hopeful that a decision is likely soon regarding cabinet expansion or reshuffle, amid talks that several incumbents could make way for fresh faces.

Bommai, who is under pressure to expand or reshuffle his cabinet at the earliest, had earlier indicated that he would try to discuss it with Shah during this visit.

There are currently five positions vacant in the state cabinet, which has 29 ministers, including the chief minister, against the sanctioned strength of 34.

Some legislators have even been advocating a Gujarat-like overhaul of the Karnataka cabinet soon, to make way for new faces, ahead of the assembly elections.

Yediyurappa, expressing hopes about cabinet expansion taking place in a couple of days, told reporters that Shah may announce a decision or do it after discussing with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other leaders in Delhi.

Though Shah as per his itinerary, was expected to meet party office-bearers, state core committee and presidents of party’s various wings, according to BJP sources they were cancelled citing a packed schedule.

However, a select few senior leaders of the party were closeted with Shah, during lunch at Bommai’s residence.

According to sources, several party leaders, legislators and Ministers who had expected some kind of interaction with Shah, amid speculations about leadership, cabinet and elections, seemed disappointed that it could not happen.

BJP MLC A H Vishwanath, who attended the lunch at the CM’s residence said, “nothing…there was good food, Amit Shah gave a handshake asking how do you do? That’s all. No issues came up for discussion.”

Former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar said, Shah had come to attend official programmes and in the meantime he was to have discussions with party state leaders, he met few of them over lunch.

Asked about meetings with party office-bearers and leaders being cancelled, he said, “…I think maybe as other programmes got delayed the meeting might have been cancelled. He (Shah) had addressed the core committee during his last visit itself.”

Shah had last visited the state on April 1 and attended the state BJP core committee meeting, during which the 150 seats target was set and discussions were held on induction of leaders from other political parties ahead of the elections, and strengthening the organisation.

The visit of Shah comes amid series of allegations against the state government including 40 per cent commission charge, resignation of senior minister K S Eshwarappa following the alleged suicide of a contractor naming him, and the alleged scam in the recruitment of police sub-inspectors, among others.

It also came after the state witnessed a series of incidents of communal flare ups in the recent past.

New Delhi: After clashes between two communities in Rajasthan, the Congress on Tuesday accused the BJP of spreading hatred in poll-bound states, including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has “unleashed a sinister and hateful agenda” in Rajasthan as also in the other election going states of Gujarat, Himachal, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Chhattisgarh.

He alleged that there will be no communal riots now in Uttar Pradesh or in Uttarakhand as elections are over there and the saffron party has served its agenda.

“Their agenda is to befool people. Their agenda is to divide people. Their agenda is always to do politics of Hindu-Musalman, Shamshan-Kabristan. Their agenda is to put religious and communal divide in the forefront so that the issues of inflation, unemployment, progress and development get relegated to the dustbin,” Surjewala told reporters.

“They want that Hindus and Muslims should fight so that nobody asks Modi Ji ‘where are the 15 lakh in every account that you promised’. They want Hindus and Muslims to fight in election going states so that people do not question them on their promise of 2 crore jobs a year and the 16 crore jobs to be created over eight years of the Modi government,” he said.

The Congress leader further said the BJP wants Hindu-Muslims to fight so that no questions are asked on the price of pulses, food items, atta, vegetables, milk and edible oil so that all these issues get relegated to the background.

He appealed to all fellow countrymen, particularly in the state of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Himachal, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, to not fall prey to the agenda of communal divide, hate and polarisation of the BJP government.

Surjewala also drew the attention of the public to the remarks of a BJP MLA, who said that if there are ditches in the road and people cannot walk, they should say “don’t pay attention to the ditches or lack of development and say – we are a Hindu Rashtra”.

“Hinduism is humanity. Hinduism is compassion. Hinduism is respect for all religions. Hinduism is not a tool for division. Only children of Godse or the successors of Godse can give you such a perverted explanation by disrespecting and dishonouring the tenets of Hinduism,” he added.

Navi Mumbai: Punjab Kings defeated Gujarat Titans by eight wickets in their Indian Premier League match here on Tuesday.

Gujarat Titans were restricted to 143 for eight by Punjab Kings after they opted to bat. Sai Sudharsan top-scored for the Titans with an unbeaten 65 off 50 balls.

In reply, Punjab Kings completed the chase with 24 balls to spare with opener Shikhar Dhawan making 62 off 53 balls.

Among PBKS bowlers, pace spearhead Kagiso Rabada finished with excellent figures of 4/33 in four overs. Sandeep Sharma conceded only 17 runs in his four overs, while Rishi Dhawan bagged a wicket for 26 runs in his full quota of four overs at the D Y Patil Stadium.

Brief scores: Gujarat Titans 143/8 in 20 overs (Sai Sudharsan 64 not out; Kagiso Rabada 4/33, Rishi Dhawan 1/26, Sandeep Sharma 0/17).

Punjab Kings: 145/2 in 16 overs (Shikhar Dhawan 62 not out, Liam Livingstone 30 not out, Bhanuka Rajapaksa 40).

New Delhi: Hours after its Kalkaji MLA Atishi opposed the BJP’s demand for removal of loudspeakers from religious places in Delhi, the AAP on Tuesday came out with a clarification, saying it agrees “in principle” with the idea that loudspeakers be removed from “every religious institution and centres of faith alike”.

The party also urged the BJP to approach the Delhi Police seeking action on its demand pertaining to use of loudspeakers at religious places in the national capital.

“The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in principle agrees with the concept of repealing (removing) loudspeakers from every religious institution and centres of faith alike,” the party said in a statement.

“The matter is subject to Delhi Police’s jurisdiction which comes under the BJP’s Central Government. Thus, we urge the BJP to seek action on the same from the Delhi Police itself,” it added.

Addressing a press conference at party headquarters earlier in the day, AAP leader Atishi had said her party would oppose any move to remove loudspeakers from religious places in the national capital and accused the BJP of playing with people’s faith.

She said loudspeakers are played during various religious occasions across the country and cited Ramlila as well as recitation of Hanuman Chalisa and ‘Sunderkand paath’ as examples.

“We will definitely oppose it,” Atishi told reporters when asked if her party would oppose any move to remove loudspeakers from religious places in Delhi.

“Be it Ramlila or Sunderkand recitation, people’s faith is attached to them. I want to ask what is their problem with the religious faith of people.

“Now you will tell us that we won’t organise jagran, that we can’t organise Sunderkand paath (recitation), can’t recite Hanuman chalisa,” she said, slamming BJP’s Delhi unit president Adesh Gupta for seeking the removal of loudspeakers from religious places.

“Who is Adesh Gupta to play with our faith?” she added.

Gupta had on Monday written to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal demanding removal of loudspeakers from religious and other places as per the Supreme Court’s order and on the lines of the action taken by other states in this connection.

This had came hours after BJP MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma made a similar request to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal and commissioners of the three municipal corporations in the national capital.

While ‘Ramlila’, organised during Dussehra every year across the country, is a dramatic re-enactment of the life of Lord Ram, ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ is a Hindu devotional hymn sung in praise of Lord Hanuman.

Sunderkand, a chapter in Hindu epic Ramayana, depicts the adventures of Lord Hanuman, highlighting his strength and devotion to Lord Ram.

Accusing Gupta of playing politics on the issue, the AAP leader questioned why he wrote a letter to the Delhi chief minister when it is the responsibility of the Delhi Police to ensure compliance of the apex court’s orders on the use of loudspeakers at religious and other places.

The Delhi Police comes under the BJP government at the Centre, Atishi pointed out.

“I feel that Adesh Gupta has now made up his mind that he has to play with the faith of people in this city and do ‘goonagardi’ (hooliganism) with them,” she charged.

Jodhpur, May 4: As many as 97 people have been arrested so far in connection with communal clashes over hoisting of a flag before Eid in Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s constituency Jodhpur where curfew continued in 10 police station areas for the second consecutive day on Wednesday.

The situation is under control and no fresh incident of violence has been reported, police said.

Nearly 1000 policemen have been deployed to maintain law and order.

The Jodhpur deputy commissioner of police had issued orders imposing a curfew besides suspending mobile internet services

Gehlot, who on Tuesday appealed to the people to maintain peace and harmony, has sent two ministers Rajendra Yadav and Subhash Garg, ACS home Abhay Kumar and ADG Law and Order Hawa Singh Ghumaria to Jodhpur.

Tensions broke out past Monday midnight over putting up of Islamic flags on the Jalori gate circle here, which led to stone pelting in which five policemen were injured.

The situation was brought under control in the early hours on Tuesday with heavy deployment of police but tensions escalated again in the morning after prayers at an Eidgah.

Shops, vehicles and houses were pelted with stones near the Jalori gate area.

Members of a minority community were installing Eid flags and they put up a flag on a roundabout alongside the statue of freedom fighter Balmukund Bissa.

This led to a confrontation as members belonging to another community alleged that a saffron flag, which they had put up there ahead of Parshuram Jayanti, had gone missing.

The issue led to stone pelting and clashes, officials said.

Police had to lob tear gas shells to disperse the mob.

The clashes triggered a war of words between Gehlot and the BJP.

Talking to news channels, Gehlot had charged that it was the agenda of the BJP to defame him.

“It is their job to incite Hindu-Muslim riots. How long can you do politics in the name of polarisation? This country belongs to all religions, all castes and PM Narendra Modi and central government also have to understand this, he said.

The BJP, on its part, targeted the state government over law and order.

Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat claimed that police are working under pressure.

Shekhawat threatened that he, along with other party leaders, will sit on a dharna at the Jalori gate circle if the rioters are not arrested.

“One man was stabbed and is struggling for life in hospital. The miscreants also insulted women and broke the leg of a minor girl. They also tried to damage a temple in the Sunaro Ka Baas area,” he alleged.

BJP state president Satish Poonia said, “Putting up an Islamic flag on the statue of freedom fighter Balmukund Bissa by anti-social elements and removing saffron flags put up on Parshuram Jayanti is condemnable.”

He appealed to the people to maintain peace and demanded that the state government establish the “rule of law”.

“A saffron flag was replaced with an Islamic flag at the statue of Bissaji last night and sabotage happened. It is proven from the incident of Karauli that such incidents are happening under the patronage of the state government,” Poonia said in a video statement.

Mumbai, May 4: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers played Hanuman Chalisa on a loudspeaker near a mosque in Charkop area of Mumbai on Wednesday morning, a day after their party chief Raj Thackeray gave a call to recite the religious hymn to protest against loudspeakers blaring ‘azaan’.

In a video, an MNS worker, holding the party flag, was seen playing the Hanuman Chalisa on a loudspeaker from a high-rise here. In the background, the ‘azaan’ could be heard from a loudspeaker of a nearby mosque.

In neighbouring Thane city, some MNS activists played the Hanuman Chalisa on a loudspeaker at a spot in Indira Nagar area. No mosque was located in the vicinity.

Undeterred by the registration of a case against him, MNS president Raj Thackeray had on Tuesday urged people to play the Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers on Wednesday wherever they hear loudspeakers “blaring azaan (Islamic prayer call)”.

In an open letter, Thackeray had asked people to lodge complaints with police by dialling 100 if they are disturbed by the sound of ‘azaan’.

“I appeal to all Hindus that tomorrow, the 4th of May, if you hear the loudspeaker blaring with azaan; in those places, play Hanuman Chalisa on loudspeakers. That’s when they will realise the hindrance of these loudspeakers,” the MNS leader had said.

Police have already beefed up security in Mumbai and several other parts of the state, especially where the MNS has a sizeable presence.

Guna : A Dalit family was allegedly stopped by some people from performing the last rites of a relative on an elevated platform at a cremation ground in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna district, following which police arrested three persons, an official said on Monday.

The family later performed the funeral on a land near the platform.

The incident took place on Friday in Chandpura village under Kumbhraj police station area, 62 km from the Guna district headquarters, and a video of it also surfaced on social media.

In the clip, a person was purportedly heard saying the family was not allowed to use the cremation ground’s platform for the funeral.

After the death of local resident Kanhaiya Ahirwar (70), his family members took the body to the cremation ground, but three persons from the village allegedly stopped them from performing the last rites on the facility’s platform, Kumbhraj police station in-charge Sanjeet Mawai said.

The family then performed the man’s last rites on a land near the crematorium’s platform, he said.

After getting information about the matter, the police reached the spot.

The police later arrested three persons, identified as Narayan Singh Meena, Rambharose Meena and Dilip Meena, and registered a case against them under provisions of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, the official said.

The accused were on Saturday produced in a court which sent them to jail, he added.

Mumbai: Launching a full-blown attack on the Shiv Sena on the issue of Hindutva, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday said he was present in Ayodhya when the Babri structure was brought down, and claimed that no Sena leader was there when it happened.

Needling the Sena on the issue of Hanuman Chalisa and the arrest of MP Navneet Rana and her MLA husband Ravi Rana, Fadnavis asked whether the Uddhav Thackeray-led party was on the side of Lord Ram or Ravana.

Addressing a BJP rally here, Fadnavis also claimed that he was lodged in Badaun central jail for 18 days for doing ‘kar seva’ for the Ram temple construction purpose.

The former Maharashtra chief minister’s attack on the Shiv Sena comes in the wake of the Uddhav Thackeray-led party asking where BJP leaders were when parts of the mosque were razed in the early 1990s in Uttar Pradesh’s Ayodhya.

“They asked the other day where were we hiding when the Babri structure was brought down they got scared like hell when they were asked to remove loudspeakers from mosques and are now claiming that they brought down the Babri mosque structure,” Fadnavis said.

He said he did not consider Babri a mosque, but a “dhancha” (structure) as “no Hindu can ever pull down a mosque”.

“I want to ask you where you were when the structure was brought down? I am saying with pride that, yes, I was there to bring the structure down. This Devendra Fadnavis was there to bring the structure down. Also, this Devendra Fadnavis spent 18 days in Badaun central jail before that for doing kar seva for the Ram temple,” he added.

Fadnavis asked which leader from Maharashtra had gone to Ayodhya when the structure was brought down.

“No Shiv Sena leader was present there at that time,” he said, adding that one of the 32 accused of the incident was present on the stage as he delivered his speech.

Fadnavis also heaped praises on late BJP leader Kalyan Singh, who was Uttar Pradesh’s chief minister when the demolition took place, for not allowing bullets to be fired at ‘kar sevaks’ and sacrificing the then state government there instead.

“And you (Shiv Sena) formed a government with those who opposed Lord Ram and questioned whether Lord Ram had actually been born,” Fadnavis alleged.

Attacking the Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government, Fadnavis also said that reciting Hanuman Chalisa amounted to sedition in Maharashtra on the alliance’s watch.

He was referring to the action taken against the Rana couple recently after they insisted on reciting ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ outside ‘Matoshree’ – Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray’s private residence in suburban Bandra here.

“What is said in their (Ranas’) charge sheet? That because of their announcement of reciting Hanuman Chalisa outside CM’s residence, they were toppling the government and hence, they were jailed,” Fadnavis said.

He also asked the Shiv Sena whether it was on the side of Lord Ram or Ravana.

Further attacking the Shiv Sena, Fadnavis also said the party alone does not mean Maharashtra or Hindutva and its insult does not mean the insult of the state.

The BJP is asked by its opponents in Maharashtra to talk about the alleged intrusion by Chinese troops into the Indian territory, he said while alleging that 50,000 hectares of Indian land was “donated to China” during the Congress’s regime.

Fadnavis said Indian soldiers showed valour in Galwan Valley against the Chinese troops.

“When you say China is intruding, whose insult is it? It is the insult of those jawans who killed Chinese soldiers without weapons risking their lives and forced the Chinese troops to withdraw from the valley,” he added.

Fadnavis praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi over abrogation of Article 370 that gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

He hit out at NCP chief Sharad Pawar for saying whether reciting Hanuman Chalisa will resolve unemployment issues in the state.

“The unemployment issue also cannot be addressed by attending iftar party as well. Don’t you need investment if you want to address the unemployment issue?” he asked.

Fadnavis questioned who will invest in Maharashtra which is facing load shedding.

“You sent a deputy secretary to attend to the Mauritius prime minister when he landed in Maharashtra (recently). You did not respect him. Who will bring industries here then?” he asked.

Fadnavis accused the MVA government of indulging in corruption and scam during the pandemic, and also alleged that it was working to keep interests of developers and bar owners instead of the common people.

New Delhi: At least 12 passengers on SpiceJet’s Mumbai-Durgapur flight were injured on Sunday when it faced severe turbulence during descent, sources said.

The injured passengers have been taken to hospital, they said.

A SpiceJet spokesperson said, “On May 1, SpiceJet Boeing B737 aircraft operating flight SG-945 from Mumbai to Durgapur encountered severe turbulence during descent which unfortunately resulted in injuries to a few passengers.”

Immediate medical assistance was provided upon the aircraft’s arrival in Durgapur, the spokesperson said.

“SpiceJet expresses its regret at this unfortunate incident and is providing all possible medical help to the injured,” the spokesperson added.