PM Modi, while criticizing the Congress government, also lashed out at Mayawati for continuing her support to the government.

LUCKNOW:  Alwar gang-rape case: Mayawati said PM Modi is trying to play dirty politics over it.

Accused by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “shedding crocodile tears” over the Alwar gang-rape, Mayawati today let loose a vitriolic attack on the PM, accusing him of “dramebaazi (playacting) with his love for Dalits” and also taunting him on his wife.

“Yesterday PM Modi, in his election rallies here, did dramebaazi of his love for Dalits to draw Dalits but he will gain nothing from this…He was silent on the oppression of Dalits. He is trying to play dirty politics over it,” the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader said today.

“How can he respect others’ sisters and wives when he has left his own wife for political gains? It is my special appeal to women of this country not to vote a person like this. PM Modi, in this election, kept changing his caste according to the situation.”

Mayawati’s comments invited a strong reaction from Union Minister Arun Jaitley who tweeted: “Behan Mayawati – She is firm on becoming a Prime Minister. Her governance, ethics and discourse stoops to an all-time low.  Her personal attack today on the Prime Minister exposes her as unfit for public life.”

Mamata Didi – Democracy has become a casualty in Bengal. Opposition workers are murdered, candidates are attacked, polling booths are captured and Opposition leaders are not entitled to organise rallies.

Behan Mayawati – She is firm on becoming a Prime Minister. Her governance, ethics and discourse stoops to an all-time low. Her personal attack today on the Prime Minister exposes her as unfit for public life

The political row involves the gang-rape on April 26 of a Dalit woman by six men who allegedly also beat up her husband in Alwar. The attackers filmed the act and allegedly posted the clip online. The woman’s family has alleged that the police delayed filing a case because of the national election in Rajasthan, where the Congress took power in December after the BJP’s defeat.

Alwar gang-rape case: Five people have been arrested in connection with the crime., saying the party had suppressed the incident till the end of elections to avoid any incidents.

PM Modi, while criticising the Congress government, also lashed out at Mayawati for continuing her support to the government.”Today the daughters of Uttar Pradesh are asking Behen-ji (Mayawati) that the government in Rajasthan is running with your support and there, a girl from Scheduled Castes got raped. So Behen-ji, why have you not withdrawn your support?” PM Modi said in a Hindi post on Twitter.

The Prime Minister had, in another recent attack, commented that the Congress and the Samajwadi Party were using Mayawati and playing a “big game” against her. Mayawati had responded by putting out a strong message of unity and asserting that the Congress would get every gathbandhan vote in Amethi and Raebareli, the seats of the Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi.

The Congress was left out of the Akhilesh Yadav-Mayawati gathbandhan or alliance and has contested along in many seats in Uttar Pradesh, raising the possibility of anti-BJP votes being split.

The PM has often raised the spectre of a weak and divided opposition in his campaign.

Kamal Haasan said in Tamil, “I am not saying this because this is a Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Independent India’s first extremist was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse.”

ARAVAKURICHI:  Kamal Haasan was campaigning for the bypolls in Tamil Nadu’s Karur district.

Actor-turned-politician Kamal Haasan said on Sunday that the first extremist in Independent India was a Hindu. Mr Haasan was referring to Nathuram Godse who assassinated Mahatma Gandhi in 1948.

“I am not saying this because this is a Muslim-dominated area, but I am saying this before a statue of Gandhi. Independent India’s first extremist (theevravaadi) was a Hindu, his name is Nathuram Godse. There it starts,” Kamal Haasan said while campaigning in the town of Aravakurichi in Tamil Nadu’s Karur district on Sunday night.

Aravakurichi is one of the four assembly constituencies where bypolls are scheduled on May 19. Kamal Haasan’s Makkal Needhi Maiam (MNM) has fielded a candidate from that seat.

Standing out of the sunroof of a vehicle, Mr Haasan, 64, said he is the Mahatma’s “great-grandson in spirit” and that he came there to question the his assassination.

“Good Indians desire for equality and want the three colours in the tricolour to remain intact. I am a good Indian, will proudly proclaim that,” he added.

In November 2017, the Tamil mega-star had stoked a controversy by saying that extremism has infected right-wing groups, provoking a confrontation with the BJP. “In the past, Hindu, right-wing groups would not indulge in violence. They would hold a dialogue with opponents. But now they resort to violence,” Mr Haasan said.

Months later, he said he is not “anti-Hindu” nor against any other religion.

Earlier this year, Kamal Haasan had blamed the right-wing the widespread protests that erupted in Kerala over the Sabarimala temple issue.

The actor launched his party in February last year and fielded candidates in all 39 Lok Sabha seats in Tamil Nadu

The other superstar from Tamil Nadu, Rajinikanth, who has also joined politics, skipped the mega polls to focus on the 2021 Tamil Nadu election.

Gautam Gambhir sent a defamation notice through Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s daughter Sonali Jaitley to AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Atishi.

NEW DELHI:  Manish Sisodia said the alleged impersonator is a Congress leader.

Gautam Gambhir, the BJP’s East Delhi candidate, has placed his “duplicate” to campaign for him as he has a problem with the heat, Delhi’s Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia alleged on Friday, amid the ongoing tussle between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP over the controversial pamphlet against AAP candidate Atishi. The AAP leader, in a couple of tweets, also shared the pictures of the alleged impersonator, who, he says, is a Congress leader.

“Have heard about a stunt double in movies, a runner in cricket, but have seen a duplicate in campaign for the first time,” Mr Sisodia tweeted in Hindi.

“This is the mahamilawat between the Congress and the BJP. Gautam Gambhir is sitting in an air conditioned car. He has problem with the heat. In his place, a duplicate wearing a cap is standing. Workers are garlanding the duplicate Gambhir. And this duplicate is a Congress leader in reality,” he added.

The East Delhi constituency is turning out to be the most hard-fought seat in Delhi, with a pitched battle raging on between the two candidates– Gautam Gambhir and Atishi.

The AAP candidate had recently raised technical objections, seeking Mr Gambhir’s nomination. The requests were turned down by the Election Commission.

On Thursday, Atishi broke down at a press conference called by the AAP, where leaders displayed a pamphlet full of religious and sexist attacks on the candidate. “If Gambhir can stoop so low to defeat a strong woman like me, how can he ensure security for women as an MP?” asked the 37-year-old Oxford alumnus.

On Friday, Mr Gambhir, who had denied the allegation, sent a defamation notice through Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s daughter Sonali Jaitley to AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia and Atishi. The AAP candidate also filed a complaint against her BJP rival with the Delhi Commission For Women.The women’s body had asked the police whether it had filed a First Information Report or FIR over the circulation of the derogatory pamphlets.

Mr Sisodia has also warned Mr Gambhir that he would send a defamation suit.

“How is he filing a defamation case? We are the ones being defamed, we will file a defamation case against him. We will try to send a defamation notice to him today. His party has endorsed the pamphlets and he has not questioned that,” the Delhi Education Minister told NDTV

Delhi will vote in the sixth phase of the national election on May 12. The counting of votes will begin on May 23.

Claiming that PM Modi is “afraid” of having a debate with him on corruption, defence matters, GST, the country’s economy and demonetisation, Rahul Gandhi alleged the country’s GDP fell by two per cent within one year of note ban.

CHANDIGARH:  Rahul Gandhi accused the PM of “failing” to keep his 2014 pre-poll promises.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi today claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is “flummoxed as the BJP is heading for defeat” and dared him for a debate on corruption, saying after that he will “not be able to face the public.”

He also accused the prime minister of “failing” to keep his 2014 pre-poll promises, including providing jobs to 2 crore youth, remunerative prices for farmers’ produce and Rs. 15 lakh into the bank accounts of every citizen.

“Modi is flummoxed as he can gauge that BJP is heading for a defeat in the polls. He is tense and is speaking improperly,” Mr Gandhi said at a poll rally, his first in Chandigarh after the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections.

As a dust storm hit the area where Mr Gandhi was holding the rally in favour of party nominee Pawan Kumar Bansal, the Congress president told the gathering, “This is the dress rehearsal for May 23 (the day poll results will be declared) as another storm will come that day wiping out the BJP.”

Mr Bansal has been pitted against sitting BJP MP Kirron Kher in the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat where polling will be held on May 19.

“He (Modi) says a lot of things about me, my father and my family in general. But I don’t mind. In fact, I would say Narendra Modiji, the more you hate me, the more I will love you, because I belong to Mother India and it’s only love that is in my heart,” he said.

He said PM Modi had told people ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls that he would fight corruption and dared him for a debate on the issue as he launched a counter-offensive on the prime minister who has been raking up alleged graft during the previous Congress regime.

“I am prepared for a debate. Call me anywhere… let me speak for 15 minutes. I guarantee that after the debate, Modi will not be able to face the public,” Gandhi said.

Claiming that PM Modi is “afraid” of having a debate with him on corruption, defence matters, GST, the country’s economy and demonetisation, he alleged the country’s GDP fell by two per cent within one year of note ban.

“Lots of youth became unemployed after demonetisation… 87,000 youth lost their jobs,” Mr Gandhi said.

The party president claimed that the “Nyay” scheme, which aims to provide Rs. 72,000 to the poor annually, will “jump start the derailed economy” of the country, bring back the purchasing power among the poor leading to functioning of defunct factories and subsequently job creation.

“The most hit section of society during Modi’s rule is the youth. Chinese government provides 50,000 jobs every 24 hours while in India, 27,000 youth lose their jobs every day,” he claimed.

Nilanjan Roy has been charged under the POCSO Act. The state BJP Vice-President Jayprakash Majumdar blamed the Trinamool Congress for a “false case.”

KOLKATA:  The incident took place on the 26th of April and a complaint was filed against Nilanjan Roy the next day

The BJP’s Lok Sabha candidate for Diamond Harbour has been charged for allegedly sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl last month when she and her father had gone to lodge a complaint with him.

Nilanjan Roy has been charged under the POCSO Act.

The incident took place on the 26th of April and a complaint was filed the next day.

According to the state child rights body, “A complaint was lodged at the Falta police station. Medical examination of the girl was done and her statement recorded, but the police did not arrest Roy,” says Ananya Chatterjee Chakrobarti, the chairperson of West Bengal State Commission for Protection of Child Rights.

They came to know of the incident on Friday and wrote to the Election Commission to immediately arrest Mr Roy. Ms Chakrobarti and her colleagues also visited the girl at her house.

The state BJP Vice-President Jayprakash Majumdar blamed the Trinamool Congress for a “false case.” He told NDTV, “It is a conspiracy to defame the candidate ahead of the elections. It was a false case filed in a police station where he was not present during the time of the incident. On primary investigation, police did not find a prima-facie case so they did not proceed. Now the TMC is using the Child Rights Commission, who has sent a letter to the EC to arrest him, which is beyond their jurisdiction.”

Though the Election Commission is yet to take a decision in this case, the Superintendent of Police of Diamond Harbour Srihari Pandey told NDTV, “The matter is part of ongoing investigation. We have heard from WBPCR, we shall comply with the investigating steps they have asked us to.

Nilanjan Roy has been fielded against Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee from the seat. Diamond Harbour goes to polls on May 19.

Chennai/Madurai, Apr 18 : Technical glitches in Electronic Voting
Machines (EVMs) in some of the polling booths in Tamil Nadu delayed
the voting process, as polling for 38 Lok Sabha seats and 18 Assembly
seats began on Thursday morning.

Polling with began at 0700 hrs has been progressing peacefully, police
said.

People were forced to stand in queue for additional time in several
booths as minor glitches were reported in EVMs leading to a delay
in polling process.

Reports of glitches in EVMs were received from Tiruchirapalli, Dindigul,
Kanyakumari, Nagapattina, Mayiladuthurai, Theni and Tirunelveli Lok Sabha
constituencies, besides in some booths in Chennai and other districts.

Reports said malfunctioning of EVMs were reported in Kamanaickenpalayam
and Kaduvetti in Tiruchirapalli, Padmanabhapuram in Kanyakumari,
Ottanchathram in Dindigul and Avaraikulam in Tirunelveli.

PMK candidate for Dindigul Lok Sabha, K.Jothimuthu returned from a booth
at KR Government Higher Secondary School in Ottanchathiram, while DMK
party’s Tirunelveli Lok Sabha candidate S.Gnanathiraviyam also returned
without casting his vote owing to glitches in EVMs in the polling booth
at Avaraikulam.

Election officials said engineers were sorting out the technical problem
and voting will commence very soon.

Meanwhile, polling has been stopped in seven booths in Madurai North
Assembly segment after the voters complained that stickers were found
on the EVMs with suspicious signature mentioning the letters AIADMK.

Election officials rushed to the booths and are verifying the complaints.

New Delhi, Apr 18 : Voting began at 0700 hrs on Thursday as polling kicked off for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections in 95 constituencies spread over 11 states and one Union Territory.

Polling is being held in 38 constituencies in Tamil Nadu, 14 in Karnataka, 10 in Maharashtra, 8 in Uttar Pradesh, five each in Assam, Bihar and Odisha, three each in Chhattisgarh and Bengal, two in Jammu and Kashmir and one each in Manipur and Puducherry. Elaborate security is in place to ensure peaceful and smooth conduct of Lok Sabha polls.

As per the original schedule, 97 seats were to go to polls in the second phase but the election to Vellore in Tamil Nadu was cancelled over allegations of excessive use of money power while polling in Tripura (East) has been deferred for the third phase over law and order situation there.

Out of 95 Lok Sabha seats going to polls in this phase, AIADMK had won 36 and BJP 26 seats in the 2014 general elections.

High voltage and hectic canvassing witnessed the star campaigners, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and Congress President Rahul Gandhi, addressing rallies in poll-bound states and taking potshots at each other.

About 1,600 candidates are in the fray and nearly 15 crore electors are expected to decide their fate.

Prominent candidates in the second phase include former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and Union Ministers Sadanand Gowda and Jitendra Singh. Film star-turned politician Hema Malini, erstwhile Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran, DMK leader Kanimozhi, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, ex-Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, former Law Minister Veerappa Moily, UP Congress chief Raj Babbar, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah, BSP leader Danish Ali and CPI(M) stalwart Mohammed Salim are also in the fray.

In Tamil Nadu, key seats in the second phase include Kanniyakumari, Sivaganga, Chennai Central and Thoothukkudi along with simultaneous byelections to 18 Assembly constituencies. In Odisha, the focus will be on Kandhamal seat and in Chhattisgarh all eyes will be riveted on Rajnandgaon constituency. The hot seats in Bihar include Katihar and Bhagalpur.