The Chhattisgarh

Tag: BJP

  • ‘1-Hour Timer Fixed For…’: DK Shivakumar Says 10 Injured In ‘Low-Intesnity’ Bengaluru Cafe Blast |

    New Delhi: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday called the explosion in Rameshwaram cafe a ‘low intensity blast’. The Dy CM said that a timer was fixed for blast to happen after 1 hour. Shivakumar also stated that a youth came and kept a small bag, which exploded after an hour.  He has also asked the people of Bengaluru not to worry. “7-8 teams formed to probe the incident. We are looking at all angles,” Shivakumar said while addressing the media in Bengaluru.

    A bomb blast at a popular eatery in the city on Friday left ten persons injured and police have launched a probe from all angles after it emerged that an earlier suspected gas leak was not the cause of the explosion.

    #WATCH | On Bengaluru cafe blast, Karnataka Dy CM DK Shivakumar says, “It was a low-intensity blast. A youth came and kept a small bag which exploded after an hour. About 10 people received injuries. 7-8 teams formed to probe the incident. We are looking at all angles. I ask… pic.twitter.com/UFlaVxfAV5
    — ANI (@ANI) March 1, 2024

    Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and State Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara, along with DGP Alok Mohan, also visited the Bengaluru explosion site for inspection. 

    A team from the National Investigation Agency also visited the explosion site in the Whitefield area.

    Earlier today, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that the accused involved in Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram cafe will be traced and punished, adding that opposition parties should refrain from indulging in politics over the incident.

    Addressing reporters in Mysuru, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said, “CCTV footage from the cafe is being examined. It has come to be known that someone had left a bag at the cafe. The accused in the incident will be punished.”

    Asserting that “multiple explosions have also taken place in previous governments,” the Chief Minister said, “This incident has happened in our government. Disciplinary and strict action will be taken against those involved. Politics should not be done in this matter.”

     

  • ‘We Worked For Jharkhand For Past 10 Years’: PM Modi Unveils Development Projects Worth 35,700 Crore |

    New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the importance of Jharkhand’s development in making India a developed country during a public rally in Dhanbad’s Sindri on Friday. He stated that his government has prioritized the development of the state over the past 10 years. “In the last 10 years, we have worked for Jharkhand, focusing on the development of the tribal community, the poor, youth, and women,” said PM Modi.

    Highlighting the country’s growth in the quarter of Oct-Dec, PM Modi mentioned, “the economic growth rate for the quarter of Oct-Dec was 8.4 percent.” He added, “India is among the fastest-moving economies in the world and has performed better than all expectations.”

    Underlining the importance of Jharkhand’s development, PM Modi remarked, “For a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India), making Jharkhand a developed state is equally important.”

    PM Modi Unveils Development Projects In Jharkhand

    PM Modi unveiled development projects worth more than Rs 35,700 crore, an initiative focused on the fertiliser, rail, power, and coal sectors in Jharkhand.
    The Prime Minister dedicated to the nation the Hindustan Urvarak and Rasayan Ltd (HURL) Sindri Fertiliser Plant. Developed at a cost of more than Rs 8,900 crore, the fertiliser plant is a step towards self-sufficiency in the urea sector.

    It will add about 12.7 LMT per annum of indigenous urea production in the country, benefiting the farmers of the country. This is the third fertiliser plant to be revived in the country, after the revival of fertiliser plants at Gorakhpur and Ramagundam, which were also dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister in December 2021 and November 2022, respectively.

    Rails Projects Worth 17,600 crore

    The Prime Minister also inaugurated, dedicated and laid the foundation stone of several rail projects worth more than Rs 17,600 crore in Jharkhand.
    The projects include the 3rd and 4th Line connecting Sone Nagar and Andal; the Tori-Shivpur first and second railway lines; and the Biratoli-Shivpur third railway line (part of the Tori-Shivpur Project); Mohanpur-Hansdiha new rail line; Dhanbad-Chandrapura rail line, among others. These projects will expand rail services in the state and lead to socio-economic development in the region.

    Three New Trains In Jharkhand

    The Prime Minister also flagged off three trains during the programme. This includes the Deoghar-Dibrugarh train service, the MEMU train service between Tatanagar and Badampahar (Daily) and the long-haul freight train from Shivpur station.

    Moreover, PM Modi dedicated to the nation important power projects in Jharkhand, including Unit 1 (660 MW) of the North Karanpura Super Thermal Power Project (STPP), Chatra.

    Developed at more than Rs 7,500 crore, the project will lead to improved power supply in the region. It will also boost employment generation and contribute to socioeconomic development in the state. Also, the Prime Minister dedicated to the nation projects related to the coal sector in Jharkhand.

    Later, the Prime Minister will participate in a public programme where he will inaugurate, dedicate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 7,200 crore in Arambagh, Hooghly, West Bengal. The Prime Minister is on a two-day visit to Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Bihar on March 1 and 2. 

  • Himachal Crisis Live Updates: Congress Rebel MLAs Take Chopper Route To Shimla |

    In Himachal Pradesh, the political turmoil is being claimed by the BJP. This morning, a delegation of BJP MLAs including Leader of Opposition Jairam Thakur met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla to make him aware of the developments that took place in the last few days. It includes denial of cut motions and division voting on the finance bill and cross-voting by the Congress MLAs in the Rajya Sabha election. Despite claiming the support of around 45 MLAs including independents, the Congress got just 34 votes. A cross-voting by the Congress and independent MLAs saw the BJP tally going up to 34 despite having just 25 seats. 

    10.10 AM: Six Congress Himachal Pradesh’s legislators who cross voted in Rajya Sabha elections on Tuesday and were staying at a hotel in Haryana left for Shimla in a helicopter for the Budget Session of the state assembly on Wednesday. Earlier on Tuesday, CM Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had claimed that opposition leaders were obstructing the work of counting officials, and that “5-6 Congress MLAs were taken away in a convoy of the CRPF and Haryana Police.”

    #WATCH | Haryana: Chopper boarded by Himachal Pradesh MLAs, takes off from Panchkula. https://t.co/2R5baFaAbZ pic.twitter.com/IqXBrvhweT
    — ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2024

    9.40 AM: Himachal Pradesh BJP Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Mahajan said that the BJP will form a government in the state. “BJP is going to form its government in the state. Some more MLAs of Congress are in touch with us. I got phone calls from some of their MLAs and ministers…The situation is going to change in the next few hours and you will see BJP will form its govt soon…For the next 10-20 years, Congress is not going to come to power here…” he said.

    #WATCH | HP BJP candidate Harsh Mahajan – who won the Rajya Sabha Elections says, “BJP is going to form its government in the state. Some more MLAs of Congress are in touch with us. I got phone calls from some of their MLAs and ministers…The situation is going to change in the… pic.twitter.com/2aPmfIhOrU
    — ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2024

    9.25 AM: Himachal Pradesh BJP Rajya Sabha MP Harsh Mahajan said that BJP is the game-changer in the politics. “People are upset with the Sukhu government. All good leaders are joining BJP. It is a future party…There has been cross-voting. On today’s date, Congress has lost its majority in the state. This Govt is not going to last for long…” he said.

    08.50 AM: Watch: BJP Delegation led by LoP Jairam Thakur Meets Himachal Governor

    #WATCH | Shimla: Himachal Pradesh LoP Jairam Thakur along with BJP’s legislative party met Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla at Raj Bhawan. pic.twitter.com/ZmnpXI2mxm
    — ANI (@ANI) February 28, 2024

    BJP Meets Governor

    BJP has claimed that the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu government in the state has lost its majority. Before meeting the governor today, former CM ahd LoP Jairam Thakur said, “We will apprise the Governor about what happened in the Assembly. We demanded division during the vote on the financial bill, it wasn’t allowed. The House was adjourned twice. This is not right, it has never happened in Himachal Pradesh. The government has lost the moral right to stay in power.”

    Number Game

    In the 2022 Himachal Pradesh assembly elections, the Congress emerged victorious with 40 seats out of the 68-member house. Additionally, the party secured the backing of three independent MLAs.  The majority mark is 35. The BJP, on the other hand, attained 25 seats. There is speculation that if Congress loses the support of nine MLAs, its count would decrease to 31 MLAs.

    Options With Congress

    If the BJP demands a trust vote, the Assembly speaker may disqualify the rebel Congress MLAs as they not only violated party’s whip but also indulged in anti-party activity by cross voting. In that case, the majority mark will come down benefitting the Congress. 

    Congress MLAs In Panchkula

    After yesterday’s cross-voting, many Congress MLAs are in Panchkula along with some BJP MLAs. Zee News TV also reported that many Congress MLAs are upset with CM Sukhu and have urged the party’s high command to change the Chief Minister. However, they left for Shimla in a helicoptre to attend the budget session.

    Congress Rushes Observers

    After the cross-voting led to the defeat of the Congress candidate in the Rajya Sabha, the grand old party rushed two observers – Bhupinder Singh Hooda and DK Shivakumar – to Shimla. They will meet the MLAs and the Chief Minister to bring the situation under control and prevent the collapse of the Sukhu government.

  • In Big Setback To INDIA Bloc In Bihar, 3 ‘Mahagathbandhan’ MLAs Join BJP |

    PATNA: The opposition INDIA bloc faced another setback in Bihar as three prominent ‘Mahagathbandhan’ MLAs joined the BJP on Tuesday. In a significant development, Congress MLAs Murari Prasad Gautam and Siddharth Saurav, along with RJD MLA Sangita Kumari, formally joined the BJP in the presence of top saffron party leaders. The trio later held discussions with Bihar Deputy Chief Ministers Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha.

     

    #WATCH | Patna | Congress MLAs Murari Prasad Gautam and Siddharth Saurav, and RJD MLA Sangita Kumari who joined the BJP today meet Bihar Deputy CMs Samrat Choudhary and Vijay Kumar Sinha pic.twitter.com/RVwxwOW77G


    — ANI (@ANI) February 27, 2024

     

    Blow To Opposition Ahead of Lok Sabha Polls

    This development comes at a crucial juncture, just weeks before the Election Commission announces the schedule for the Lok Sabha polls scheduled for April-May this year. The opposition Mahagathbandhan alliance, already grappling with the exit of Nitish Kumar last month, now faces internal dissent.

    Congress MLA Siddharth Singh Upset With Party Leadership

    Siddharth Singh, representing the Vikram constituency, is reported to be dissatisfied with the state leadership of the Congress. Notably, during a trust vote, Singh had refused to relocate to Hyderabad along with other Congress MLAs, citing prior commitments in his Bikram constituency.

    Impact On Mahagathbandhan’s Seat-Sharing Formula

    While the Mahagathbandhan alliance in Bihar, consisting of Congress, RJD, and Left parties, is working on a seat-sharing formula for the upcoming polls, the departure of these three MLAs is a significant blow. Murari Prasad Gautam, Siddharth Saurav, and Sangita Kumari hail from Chenari, Vikram, and Mohaniya Assembly seats, respectively.

    Congress Faces Internal Rebellion

    This development marks the first sign of rebellion within the Congress party. Siddharth Singh’s decision not to join the other MLAs in Hyderabad earlier and Murari Gautam losing his cabinet berth last month after Nitish Kumar’s exit indicate internal challenges within the Congress party in the state.

    In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the NDA secured a resounding victory with 353 seats, while the UPA managed 91 seats, and other parties won 98. With the political landscape shifting in Bihar, the upcoming polls will be closely watched for their impact on the state’s political dynamics. The departure of these three Mahagathbandhan MLAs is poised to influence the electoral narrative as parties gear up for another round of crucial elections.

  • Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Left’s Wayanad Bid Throws Another Challenge For Rahul Gandhi, Congress-Led INDI Alliance |

    In a move that hints at more rifts in the Congress-led Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) bloc, the CPI(M) today announced its candidate fro the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala, curently held by Rahul Gandhi. The CPI(M) indirectly asked Congress to vacate the seat for the Left pary. The move puts the Congress on backfoot once again as the INDIA bloc parties have been posing a new challenge to the grand old party every other day.

    CPI(M) leader Brinda Karat said, “CPI has declared its candidate for the seat in Wayanad, Comrade Annie Raja, who has played a key role in ‘Mahila Andholan’. Now she will be the candidate from the side of the whole LDF. Rahul Gandhi and Congress need to think, they say that their fight is against BJP. In Kerala, if you come and fight against Left, what message are you giving? So they need to think about their seat once again.”

    In the 2019 elections, the CPI had fielded 4 candidates but lost on all seats. Of the 20 Lok Sabha seats in Kerala, Congress bagged 15, the Indian Union Muslim League two and the CPI(M), KC(M), and RSP won 1 seat each.  

    Kerala Dare For Congress

    The Communist Party of India (CPI) has announced its first list of four candidates for Lok Sabha elections in Kerala yesterday. The CPI fielded Pannian Raveendran from Thiruvananthapuram, Annie Raja from Wayanad, VS Sunil Kumar from Thrissur and Arun Kumar from Mavelikara. Notably, all of the four seats are currently held by the Congress party – Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad and Shashi Tharoor from Thiruvananthapuram, T. N. Prathapan from Thrissur and Kodikunnil Suresh from the Mavelikara seat. By announcing the candidate for these seats first, CPI has played a similar card like Akhilesh Yadav did in Uttar Pradesh. Now, the ball is in Congress party’s court whether it accepts or rejects the Left party’s offer.

    The Left party has urged Congress to not contest from Kerala and insteat focus on North where the BJP is very strong. Just like Trinamool Congress in Bengal, Left and its allies want Congress to leave Kerala to them only. 

    Congress On Backfoot

    Congress is already on a backfoot when it comes to seat sharing as part of the INDIA bloc. While Mamata Banerjee has already refused to ally with Congress or Left in Bengal saying that TMC will contest all 42 seats alone against the BJP. Similarly, the AAP said that it will contest all 13 Lok Sabha seats in Punjab alone. While the AAP and SP sealed seat sharing deal with Congress for some states, that made Congress minorty shareholder. In Uttar Pradesh, Congress has just got 17 seats out of the 80 while in Delhi, it has got 3 out of seven seats.

    Will Rahul Gandhi Quit Wayanad?

    It’s unlikely that Rahul Gandhi will leave the Wayanad seat. Recently, Rahul Gandhi rushed to the Wayanad after elephant attacks happened in the region. Also, Gandhi won from the Wayanad seat but lost from Amethi. There are very low chances of Rahul Gandhi contesting from Amethi once again. Thus, it’s likely that while Congress may agree to take one or two step back in Kerala to appease the Left, but it may go for a friendly fight from the Wayanad seat.

  • Rajya Sabha Election 2024 Live Updates: Khela In Uttar Pradesh And Karnataka? 15 Seats Up For Grabs In 3 States |

    Rajya Sabha elections in three states are going to be held on Tuesday with 15 seats up for grabs in three states – Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh. The polls are anticipated to be highly competitive for three seats in two states governed by the Congress and one seat in Uttar Pradesh. Due to the fear of cross-voting in Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, the Congress and Samajwadi Party are keeping a close eye on their MLAs. 

    Resort Politics In Karnataka

    Ruling Congress in Karnataka has relocated its MLAs to a hotel to safeguard them from external pressures. On Monday, the Congress shifted all its MLAs to a hotel, marking the beginning of the state’s trademark resort politics. All parties have issued whips to their MLAs ahead of today’s election. On Monday, Janardhan Reddy, Karnataka MLA and chief of Kalyana Karnataka Pragati Paksha, met CM Siddaramaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar after he announced his support for Congress in the Rajya Sabha election. This further solidifies Congress’s winning chances. 

    While the Congress had a smooth path in securing four of Karnataka’s three seats due to its numerical strength, the BJP-Janata Dal Secular alliance complicated matters by nominating a second candidate. If there were four candidates, each would need 45 votes to win; however, in the case of additional candidates, preference votes would come into play. The Congress with 135 MLAs has the exact number to elect its three candidates, Ajay Maken, Nasir Hussain and G C Chandrashekhar.

    The entry of multi-millionaire real estate baron, D Kupendra Reddy, a Janata Dal (Secular)-BJP candidate has turned the elections to the fourth seat into a keen contest. Reddy, who declared Rs 1,200 crore assets in his election affidavit, has been fielded by the JD(S)-BJP combine. Reddy is confident that he will get the votes to win the election. Earlier, the Congress has complained that MLAs are being blackmailed to vote for Kupendra Reddy. A Congress delegation filed a complaint with the Bengaluru Police Commissioner. The BJP has 66 MLAs, which means it can easily get its main candidate, party worker Narayansa Bhandage, elected. Combined with the 19 JD(S) MLAs, the BJP-JDs second candidate Kupendra Reddy will need to get support of three Independents and get at least three Congress MLAs to cross-vote if he wants to win.

    Khela In Uttar Pradesh

    In Uttar Pradesh, the cross-voting fear has gripped the Samajwadi Party but the leading opposition party has maintained that all is well. According to Zee News TV sources, 8 to 10 of the Samajwadi Party MLAs may vote for the BJP alliance. The ruling BJP and SP had sufficient support to secure the unopposed election of seven and three members to the Rajya Sabha, respectively. However, the BJP escalated the competition by nominating Sanjay Seth, a former SP member and industrialist, as its eighth candidate. To secure an election, a candidate from the state requires approximately 37 first-preference votes.

    Ahead of voting, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav hoped that all three candidates of his party will win despite the BJP’s tactics. “BJP will do everything possible for victory. Some of our leaders who want personal gains can go to the BJP,” said Yadav expressing apprehension of the cross-voting.

    The SP has put forward Jaya Bachchan, an actor-MP, retired IAS officer Alok Ranjan, and Dalit leader Ramji Lal Suman. This decision has reportedly caused a rift with ally Apna Dal (Kamerawadi) leader Pallavi Patel, who expressed disagreement with the choice of Bachchan and Ranjan and stated she would abstain from voting.

    Congress’s Whip To MLAs In Himachal 

    In Himachal Pradesh, the actions taken were not as extreme as in Karnataka. The party has warned its MLAs about the election of its lone Rajya Sabha seat.  The focal point of the Congress’ contest in the state is its senior leader, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, pitted against the BJP’s core committee member, Harsh Mahajan. The Congress enjoys a clear majority with 40 MLAs, while the BJP has 25 members. Three MLAs, including two BJP rebels, identify as independents. Sources indicate that the BJP is currently seeking to woo dissatisfied Congress MLAs. 

    41 MPs Elected Unopposed

    Elections were due for 56 Rajya Sabha seats but since 41 leaders were elected unopposed including former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, BJP chief JP Nadda, Ashok Chavan, Union ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and L Murugan, the elections are being held for 15 seats in Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh.

  • Rajya Sabha Election: Several SP MLAs In Touch With BJP, Cross-voting Expected, Say Sources |

    New Delhi: A cross-voting is expected in the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in Uttar Pradesh as a number of Samajwadi Party MLAs are in touch with the Bharatiya Janata Party, sources have told Zee News TV. 

    This development follows the reports of absence from a recent important Samajwadi Party meeting focused on Rajya Sabha voting strategies. Six Samajwadi Party legislators, including Amethi’s Maharaji Devi, Pallavi Patel, Vinod Chaturvedi from Kalpi, and Pooja Pal from Kaushambi, failed to attend the meeting. Their absence has sparked concerns within the SP camp about the potential impact on the party’s performance in the upcoming elections.

    The absence of these key members, and the rumors of cross-voting, suggest a possible significant setback for the Samajwadi Party.

    The voting for the Uttar Pradesh Rajya Sabha elections will be held tomorrow with the BJP making efforts to secure an additional seat. The competition primarily involves the BJP-led NDA and the Samajwadi Party (SP). While ten seats are up for grabs, there are a total of eleven candidates – eight from the BJP and three from the Samajwadi Party. While victory seems assured for seven BJP candidates and two from the Samajwadi Party, the main contest revolves around the tenth candidate, given that the BJP has nominated one additional candidate. Both parties are striving to gather the necessary votes for victory, as a candidate requires 37 votes to emerge as the winner.

    The Number Game

    In the Uttar Pradesh Legislative Assembly, there is a total of 403 seats out of which 4 seats are vacant. Thus, the current strength of the assembly is 399 legislators. For the BJP to secure a victory for their eighth candidate, they require the votes of 9 legislators. The NDA has a total of 288 legislators from BJP+ RLD+ Apna Dal(S)+ Nishad Party+ SBSP+ Jansatta Dal (Loktantrik). However, one legislator from the Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party (SBSP) is in jail, reducing the BJP’s count to 287 legislators. It is being speculated that BSP MP Ritesh Pandey, who recently joined the BJP, may bring his father Rakesh Pandey’s vote to the BJP. Rakesh Pandey is a Samajwadi Party (SP) legislator. Therefore, the BJP needs the votes of 8 more MLAs.

    On the other hand, for the Samajwadi Party to secure a win for their third candidate, they need just three votes. The SP and Congress together have a total of 110 legislators. Among them, two SP legislators, Ramakant Yadav and Irfan Solanki, are in jail. Thus, the SP requires the votes of 3 more legislators. If SP legislator Rakesh Pandey votes for the BJP candidate, then they will need an additional 4 votes. Cross-voting by the MLAs will play a crucial role in deciding the 10th winner as a victory for both parties without cross-voting will be challenging.

    NDA:
    1. BJP- 252
    2. Apna Dal (S)- 13
    3. Nishad Party- 6
    4. SBSP- 6
    5. Jansatta Dal- 2
    6. RLD- 9

    INDIA:
    1. Samajwadi Party- 108
    2. Congress- 2

    Others-
    1. BSP- 1
    2. Vacant- 4

  • Farmers, Youth In Distress Under BJP Rule: Akhilesh Yadav`s Big Attack On Modi Govt

    Akhilesh Yadav accused BJP of  BJP of orchestrating corruption and electoral malpractices and said part’s agenda revolves around vote bank politics.

  • ‘Financial Terrorism’: Congress Slams Modi Govt After Rs 65 Crore Deducted From Account By Tax Department |

    New Delhi: The Congress party on Thursday slammed the Centre after over 65 crore rupees were deducted from its accounts by the Income Tax department. Addressing a press conference, Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal heavily criticized the BJP government and accused it of “financial terrorism.”

    “This is clearly financial terrorism imposed by the BJP government on the Congress party. According to the latest information from the banks, the BJP government compelled the banks to transfer approximately Rs. 65.89 crore from our deposits to the government,” said Venugopal.

    He further added that the amount was deducted from the accounts of AICC, IYC, and NSUI. “Unlike the BJP, we acquired this money from ordinary workers of the party,” said Venugopal.

    Venugopal alleged that withdrawal of money from the accounts just ahead of the parliamentary elections suggests that “they (BJP) are essentially stealing money from the bank.”

    Congress Party President Mallikarjun Kharge also came down heavily on the ruling party and said, “an autocratic Modi Govt is capturing Democracy through Extortion and Financial Terrorism!”

    Kharge accused the Modi government of stealing donation money from Congress and alleged that the BJP threatens corporate firms through ED, CBI, and IT. “On one hand, the Modi Govt wants to steal the hard-earned money of people donated to the Congress party in good faith, and on the other hand, it threatens corporate firms through ED, CBI, IT, etc., to grab a lion’s share of donations,” said Kharge.

    Raising concerns over the withdrawal of Rs. 65 crore “undemocratically” from the Congress’ bank accounts by the income tax department, party leader Ajay Maken said that despite the sub judice nature of the matter, the Congress party is facing an unprecedented demand of Rs. 210 crore when there is a common practice for National Political Parties to pay no income tax.

    Highlighting that neither the Congress nor the BJP pays income tax, Maken, in a post on X, said that their hopes now lie with the Judiciary.

    “Yesterday, the Income Tax Department mandated banks to transfer over Rs65 crores from INC India, IYC, and NSUI accounts to the government–Rs5 crores from IYC and NSUI, and Rs60.25 crores from INC, marking a concerning move by the BJP Government,” he said.

    “Is it common for National Political Parties to pay Income Tax? No,” he added.

    “Does the BJP pay Income Tax? No,” Ajay Maken asked.

    He continued to ask why the Congress Party is facing an unprecedented demand of Rs. 210 crores?

    He pointed out that this undemocratic act poses a threat to the country’s multi-party system.

    “This situation raises a crucial question about the state of democracy. Is it under threat?,” he said in his post on X.

    “During today’s ITAT proceedings, we presented our case. The hearing is set to continue tomorrow. The funds in question were raised through grassroots efforts, including crowdfunding and membership drives by the IYC and NSUI. This situation raises a crucial question about the state of democracy. Is it under threat? Our hope now lies with the judiciary,” Maken added.

    The hearing on Congress complaint in Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) against recovery of the outstanding tax due of Rs. 65 crore from INC’s account will resume on Thursday.

    Meanwhile, the Income Tax Department on Wednesday submitted before the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) that they acted with responsibility and their action was fully in line with the law to obtain demand drafts of Rs. 65 crore from the bank accounts of Congress party.

  • ‘Glad That Congress Has Accepted ‘Amethi’ Challenge’ For Rahul Gandhi: Smriti Irani |

    AMETHI: Union Minister and senior BJP leader Smriti Irani on Tuesday said that she was glad to hear that the Congress party has accepted her challenge to field Rahul Gandhi from Amethi – her Lok Sabha constituency where she had defeted the former Congress president in 2019 polls. Irani had challenged the former Congress chief to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls from Amethi without taking help from the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party and without going to Wayanad – his current Lok Sabha constituency.

    Hitting back at senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh, Irani told reporters, “I am happy that Jairam Ramesh has accepted my challenge that Rahul Gandhi is ready to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha polls without the help from Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and BSP chief Mayawati. I wish that the CWC (Congress Working Committee) would immediately accept Ramesh’s proposal.”

    Calling herself an ordinary BJP worker, Irani said that she awaits a formal announcement from the Congress party in this regard. 

    “I once again say, since Jairam Ramesh has said that Rahul Gandhi is ready to accept our challenge, our party workers from Amethi are eagerly waiting… Rahul Gandhi through the CWC should make an announcement (about him contesting the polls from Amethi and not Wayanad),” added Irani, who had defeated Rahul Gandhi from Amethi in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

     

    #WATCH | Amethi: On the statement of Congress General Secretary (Communication) Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister and Lok Sabha MP from Amethi, Smriti Irani says, “I am happy that Jairam Ramesh has accepted my challenge that Rahul Gandhi without Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati is ready… pic.twitter.com/kozHZdaCy7
    — ANI (@ANI) February 20, 2024

     

    Irani, who is in Amethi these days, attacked the Congress party and said that the empty streets that greeted Rahul Gandhi on Monday are a reflection of the people of Amethi’s anger towards the Gandhi family.

    Anger In Amethi Against Gandhi Family: Irani

    The BJP MP from Amethi spoke to the media on Monday and said, “The anger of the people of Amethi against the Gandhi family is visible. Today, when Rahul Gandhi) arrived, he was welcomed by empty streets. The anger of those who were deprived of development in Amethi has transformed into empty streets for the visit of the Gandhi family.”

    Speaking to the media Irani said, “In 2014, Amethi was promised a ‘Badlaav ki Raajneeti’ (politics of change) under our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Hence, Amethi received an investment of Rs 6,523 crore in the Investors Summit held in the national capital.”

    “This was not a memorandum of understanding, ‘ye dharatal par implement hua nivesh hai.’ From the period of independence till 2014, when Prime Minister Modi became PM, the small-scale industry in Amethi only received Rs 500 crore in over 60 years,” she said.

    “However, in the 10 years of PM Modi’s tenure, Rs 2107 crore was given to the same small-scale industry sector in Amethi so that over one lakh beneficiaries could start their small-scale industries,” said Irani.

    Dare Rahul To Contest From Amethi Alone: Irani

    Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi, Irani said, “Perhaps this is also the reason why the people of Amethi remained unavailable to welcome the people who did not serve Amethi well.”

    “The people of Amethi also haven’t forgotten that this particular person who had mentioned Amethi and said that ‘yaha ke logo ki samjh theek nahi hai’. This is the reason why the people of this constituency are angry,” she said.

    “The Ram Bhakts of Amethi are also angered with the fact that the former MP of Amethi and the Gandhi family rejected the invitation for Ram Lalla’s life Pran Prathistha ceremony,” she stated. “The anger of those who were deprived of development in Amethi has today transformed into empty streets for the visit of the Gandhi family,” said Irani.

    Rahul Gandhi arrived in Amethi, the parliamentary seat he represented earlier on Monday, the same day, Smriti Irani began her four-day visit to the Uttar Pradesh town.

    Amethi used to be a Congress stronghold in Uttar Pradesh, where Rahul Gandhi lost to Smriti Irani by a margin of around 55,000 votes in the 2019 elections.

    The Congress is still undecided on whether Rahul Gandhi will attempt to regain the Congress stronghold, especially since Sonia Gandhi has also left Rae Bareili for the Rajya Sabha.

    Rahul Gandhi had won Lok Sabha elections from erstwhile Nehru-Gandhi family bastion Amethi three times until the 2019 general elections when he faced defeat from Smriti Irani. Rahul Gandhi, however, won from Wayanad in Kerala, the second seat he contested in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

    Rahul Gandhi reached Amethi on Monday as part of his Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra, the campaign kicked off by him on January 14 from Thoubal in Manipur in the run-up to the upcoming 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

    Although it is improbable that the two leaders come face-to-face with each other, the coincidence proceeds ahead of the ensuing Lok Sabha elections in Amethi and beyond.