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Sachin Pilot was being followed and his phone was tapped: Here is what Ashok Gehlot’s OSD said, widening rift in Rajasthan Congress

OpIndia Staff
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Sachin Pilot was being followed and his phone was tapped: Here is what Ashok Gehlot’s OSD said, widening rift in Rajasthan Congress

Congress leader Ashok Gehlot who recently lost in the Rajasthan Assembly Elections, could face more troubles as he has been accused of tapping the phone of Sachin Pilot and snooping on him. While responding to a query, the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) of Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot admitted that Sachin Pilot’s movements were being followed and his phone was tapped. 

As per a News18 report, Gehlot’s OSD Lokesh Sharma made serious allegations against the former CM of Rajasthan. Sharma said that Gehlot was tracking the movement and communication of Congress leader Sachin Pilot. He was asked whether Sachin Pilot’s phone was being tapped and were his movements followed as has been alleged by the supporters of the Congress leader. Responding to the query, Sharma said, “It’s common knowledge for sure that where he was going, who he was meeting, who he was speaking to was kept track of.”

Following his admission, News18 reported that Sachin Pilot is likely to raise the issue at the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting. Pilot has stated that he would speak freely at the meeting. He said, “What Lokesh Sharma has said must be taken cognizance of and deliberated on.” 

Gehlot’s OSD, who was refused a ticket to contest in the state assembly elections, has said that Gehlot cheated the party’s high command and prevented accurate feedback from reaching the top.

He stated that he had expressed the desire to contest the elections from Bikaner and then from Bhilwara. These are the seat that Congress was losing for 20 years, but Gehlot “refused to experiment”, he added. 

Sharma also said that Congress could have easily prevented the defeat in Rajasthan if it had taken corrective measures in time. Speaking with News18, Gehlot’s OSD Sharma said, “Based on my surveys, I had told the CM that he needed to change the sitting MLAs and also pay heed to the paper leak issue mentioned by Sachin ji. Their infighting took a toll on the party in an election we could have won.” 

It is not clear how the Congress leadership will handle the infighting between the two leaders, Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot but the latter has firmly expressed that he will not leave Rajasthan. As per reports, in that case, the grand old party could adopt measures as it did in 2019 and appoint Sachin Pilot as the Rajasthan Pradesh Congress President in the wake of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. 

Delhi Police arrest Zishan and Zubair for posing as Police officials to loot spa and massage centres, used to demand sexual favours too

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi Police arrest Zishan and Zubair for posing as Police officials to loot spa and massage centres, used to demand sexual favours too

On 4th December, Delhi police arrested a gang led by Zishan, who posed as police officers and used to visit massage and spa centres for sexual activities. Three suspects in connection with the case have been arrested. Other than Zishan, Zubair, Imran, Amir and Amjad were involved in the criminal activities.

As per media reports, the gang targeted spa and massage centres in Delhi, many of which were involved in illegal activities. These members would pose as Delhi Police officials during their visits and engage in looting.

Zishan, alias Shanu, orchestrated the entire gang and engaged in fraudulent activities. The gang used information available on classified ad services like Justdial to collect information for spa centres and call girls in Delhi. Using the information, they would call the establishments posing as fake customers seeking sexual services. Subsequently, they would lead the imposters posing as Delhi Police officials to conduct raids at the targeted locations.

They employed a cinematic approach for their looting endeavours. First, they would confiscate spa employees’ phones to prevent them from informing anyone from the outside about the incident. Then, they would resort to violence and assault to threaten them and extort money.

Imran posed as Constable Ashok Rana of Delhi Police, and Zishan posed as Inspector Jakir Khan. Delhi Police recovered their fake ID cards during the arrest. As per the reports, they established credibility with the spa employees using fake Delhi Police uniforms, walkie-talkies, fake ID cards and other identification documents. Zubair helped in procuring the police uniforms for the entire gang.

Reportedly, Delhi Police received calls from the victims reporting home invasions. In two separate complaints, the victims said the accused invaded their houses and looted Rs 33,000 and Rs 50,000, respectively. During the investigation, police found a printout of a police verification certificate. After tracing the document, they found that the person for whom the document was printed was from Nepal. The person revealed he obtained the certificate from Zishan in Jafrabad.

The police collaborated with Nepal authorities, and further investigation led to the arrest of Imran and the other two accused. Further investigation into the matter is underway.

Ghaziabad: Teacher at Holy Trinity Church school smears student’s face with fluid for writing Jai Shri Ram, Bajrang Dal protests

OpIndia Staff
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Ghaziabad: Teacher at Holy Trinity Church school smears student’s face with fluid for writing Jai Shri Ram, Bajrang Dal protests

In a shocking case, a teacher reportedly poured fluid on the face of a student as punishment for writing Jai Shri Ram on his desk in a Ghaziabad-based missionary school on 4th December. While a report by Aaj Tak says that the fluid was whitner, Jagran says that it was ink remover.

A class 7th student named Ishant Chauhan was subjected to the alleged abuse for at least an hour and was also insulted by the teacher at the Holy Trinity Church school in Govindpuram. Moreover, before the school ended, the teacher used thinner to clean the student’s face which made his skin irritable.

The Hindu victim was crying the entire time and was made a laughing stock before his classmates by the teacher, who has been identified as Manisha Massey. The student reportedly said that he was scared about what ensued. A video shared by Zee News shows some marks of whitner on the back of the student’s head.

The incident came to light after the victim, Ishant reached home from school and his parents inquired about his messy appearance. The student narrated the entire incident to his parents who complained to the principal and said that their son could have suffered skin damage.

Speaking to Zee News, the victim narrated the incident. He said, “Yesterday we were playing and I wrote Jai Shri Ram on the desk and a Christian student complained to Mam that I wrote Jai Shri Ram on the desk and Mam put fluid on my whole face and hair. She said that you should be hurt the way the desk was hurt.”

The parents demanded strict action against the accused. The Bajrang Dal also came to the family and the student’s rescue and staged a protest. Bajrang Dal convener Gaurav Singh said that the presence of the teacher who holds such a mindset is bad for students.

He also questioned whether saying Jai Shri Ram is a crime. The police also arrived at the school. The accused teacher eventually confessed and apologised to the family and the school administration. The teacher in her apology letter claimed that she only put two dots of fluid on the student’s face and that she did not have any ill-intentions.

However, school principal Madhulika Joseph terminated the accused and issued her a letter about the same. The principal has assured the family that such incidents will not be repeated. Meanwhile, the entire incident has reportedly affected the victim mentally.

This is the second such case to emerge out of Ghaziabad. In October, an associate professor at the ABES Engineering College in Ghaziabad rebuked a student for chanting Jai Shri Ram during a college cultural festival.

Later, the teacher in question, Mamata Gautam, issued a video statement addressing the controversy, invoking her Hindu credentials to defend herself.

Khalistan Liberation Force chief and Bhindranwale’s nephew Lakhbir Singh Rode dies aged 72 in Pakistan

OpIndia Staff
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Khalistan Liberation Force chief and Bhindranwale’s nephew Lakhbir Singh Rode dies aged 72 in Pakistan

On 2nd December, the chief of the banned terrorist organisation Khalistani Liberation Force (KLF) and International Sikh Youth Federation, Lakhbir Singh Rode, died of cardiac arrest in Pakistan at the age of 72. He was accused of the 1985 Kanishka bombing and was listed as an “individual terrorist” under the UAPA. In 2002, he fled to Dubai and later shifted to Pakistan.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) identified him as the mastermind behind the 2021 Ludhiana court complex blast. He was involved in smuggling Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) from Pakistan.

According to Lakhbir’s brother Jasbir Singh Rode, he was unwell for the past fifteen days and underwent a bypass surgery. He also had diabetes. Rode’s family lives in Canada.

Soon after the reports of Rode’s death, Punjab Police arrested one of his alleged associates, Paramjit Singh Dhadhi. Notably, Dhadhi is a UK citizen. He was apprehended by the for his alleged involvement in terror funding and terrorist activities in Punjab. However, Rode defended Dhadhi and described him as a “friend” who regularly visited India. Jasbir claimed Dhadhi was “falsely implicated” in a terror case in 2006. Despite the arrest, he continued to visit India and was acquitted of the case in 2013. Dhadhi was detained by the authorities at the airport when he was returning to the UK.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Police, Gaurav Yadav, said, “In a breakthrough, SSOC Amritsar has arrested UK-based Paramjit Singh alias Punjab Singh alias Dhadi from Amritsar airport. An associate of Lakhbir Rode, Chief of banned terrorist outfit ISYF, Dhadi, has been involved in terror funding and other subversive activities in Punjab. The investigation is on to unearth and expose the terrorist network. Major blow to terror module attempting to disturb peace in the region.”

Recently, a report by The Intercept claimed that Indian agencies are targetting Khalistani terrorists living in Pakistan, including Lakhbir Singh Rode and his son Bhagat Singh. Rode is a relative of Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. In 2021, Gurmukh Singh, the son of Jasbir Singh Rode, was arrested by the National Investigating Agency (NIA) for receiving tiffin boxes loaded with explosives from his uncle, Lakhbir Singh Rode, in Pakistan and distributing them within Indian territory.

DMK MP Senthilkumar speaks the language of Pulwama terrorist, calls ‘Hindi Heartland’ states as ‘Gaumutra states’ in Lok Sabha

OpIndia Staff
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DMK MP Senthilkumar speaks the language of Pulwama terrorist, calls ‘Hindi Heartland’ states as ‘Gaumutra states’ in Lok Sabha

On the second day of the Winter Session of Lok Sabha, Senthil Kumar, the DMK MP from Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu made the pejorative ‘gaumutra’ remark to mock the Hindi-speaking states in the Northern part of India. While addressing the Parliament on ‘The Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill 2023’, the DMK leader referred to states in the Hindi heartland as “Gaumutra states”. 

Addressing the Lok Sabha members, he said, “The people of this country should think that the power of this BJP is only winning elections mainly in the heartland states of Hindi, what we generally call as the ‘Gaumutra states’.”

Further in his 7-minute speech, he tried to make false equivalence with the Unionhood of Jammu and Kashmir. The DMK MP alleged that the BJP could reduce South Indian states like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andra Pradesh, Telangana, and Karnataka into Union territory to have ‘indirect rule’ over these states. 

Meanwhile, it is not the first time that the DMK leader has made the Hinduphobic ‘Gaumutra’ comment inside the Parliament. In February 2022, he mocked the BJP government by making the Hinduphobic ‘gaumutra’ comment in the parliament. In his speech on the Motion of Thanks to the President, Senthilkumar said that if government at all wants to implement the National Education Policy, it should do it in their ‘gaumutra’ states.

Furious over the execution of the National Education Policy in the state of Tamil Nadu, he had said, “According to NEP, gross enrollment ratio has to be 50 percent which Tamil Nadu has achieved long ago. If they want to implement this policy, they should implement the Dravidian model for the development of the country. Why is their policy being thrust upon us? We reject it. If they want to implement it, they should do it in their gaumutra States.”

Earlier, TMC MP Mahua Moitra had also spoken the language of Islamists and mocked the BJP government by making the ‘gaumutra’ remark before addressing the Parliament in February 2022. 

It is worth noting that the ‘Gaumutra’ jibe has been used by Islamists and their apologists as a racist, derogatory slur against Hindus. The Pulwama terrorist Adil Ahmed Dar had also said that he killed the CRPF soldiers to kill those who ‘drink cow urine’, to mock Indians, especially Hindus. 

In 2019, a Pakistan-backed Jaish-e-Muhammad terrorist in a suicide attack had killed as many as 40 CRPF soldiers in Pulwama. Following the attack, a video was released in which the terrorist Ahmed Dhar could be heard saying he wanted to punish and kill the ‘cow urine drinkers’ in the name of Allah.

Jaipur, Rajasthan: Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi shot dead by unknown assailants

OpIndia Staff
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Jaipur, Rajasthan: Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena chief Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi shot dead by unknown assailants

Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi, national president of Rashtriya Rajput Karni Sena has been shot dead by unidentified bike-borne criminals in Jaipur. As per reports, unidentified assailants attacked Sukhdev Singh at his residence. Multiple bullets were fired at the Karni Sena leader on Tuesday afternoon, resulting in fatal wounds.

Sukhdev Singh was rushed to Metro Mass Hospital in Jaipur following the incident. However, he was declared dead by doctors at the hospital.

Along with Sukhdev Singh, one of his associates has also received critical gunshot wounds.

The incident occurred at a house in Shyam Nagar, Janpath where the Rajput Karni Sena leader was present. As per initial media reports, a passerby was also injured in the incident when the assailants fired at him and took away his scooter to flee. In retaliatory firing done by Sukhdev Singh Gogamedi’s security personnel, one of the assailants has been injured too.

PTI reported that the murderers had come to meet the leader. They introduced themselves and stated that they wanted to meet Gogamedi. After having tea, they started firing at the Karni Sena leader.

The Jaipur Police has cordoned off major roads and conduction searches to nab the killers.

This is a breaking news story. More details are awaited.

Riots reduced by 50% under PM Modi Govt, 2022 the most peaceful year: Riots reduced by 90% in BJP-ruled states, increased by 30% in Congress-ruled ones

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Riots reduced by 50% under PM Modi Govt, 2022 the most peaceful year: Riots reduced by 90% in BJP-ruled states, increased by 30% in Congress-ruled ones

In the last 6 decades, 2022 has been the most peaceful year for the country in terms of cumulative incidences of rioting in any calendar year. From the time Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister of the country, till 2022, last year recorded the lowest number of riots across the country, as per the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) data. In the year 2022, around 37,816 incidents of riots were recorded across the nation. 

In the last five years, cumulative incidences of rioting have been decreasing on a year-on-year basis. Notably, it has declined by more than 35% in the same period. 

The rioting incidents decreased by 9.5% in 2022 as compared to incidents recorded a year prior to that. As per NCRB data, the country recorded a total of 41,954 incidents of rioting in the year 2021. 

(Rioting cases have reduced by 35% in the last five years, as per NCRB data)

Strikingly, the NCRB data reveals that while BJP-ruled states have performed well in reducing riots and strengthening law and order, while Congress-ruled states have proved to be laggards in this. Notably, states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Assam have succeeded in reducing riots in the last five years. Incidentally, cases of rioting had increased in Chhattisgarh under the rule of the outgoing Congress government in the state. 

Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Assam have achieved the greatest success in reducing riots in the last five years. NCRB data of rioting cases in 2022 as against that of 2018 points out that the number of riots in Gujarat and Assam decreased by 90% and 80% respectively. In the country’s largest state Uttar Pradesh, there has been success in reducing riots by 50% during the rule of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.

(BJP-ruled states have attained success in curbing incidences of rioting, Congress-ruled states laggard in this aspect, Source – NCRB data)

In contrast, riots increased under the Congress government once it assumed power in Chhattisgarh in the year 2018. In the year 2018, Chhattisgarh under Bhupesh Baghel’s tenure registered 665 incidents of riots and by the year 2022, it increased by 30% to 961. With the announcement of election results, the state will now see a change of government in the state as BJP secured 54 seats while the outgoing ruling party, Congress won 35 seats. 

Pertinent to note that in BJP-ruled states, that have recorded a reduction in the number of rioting incidences, illegal properties of criminals have been bulldozed to the ground to maintain law and order. Additionally, criminals’ properties have been continuously confiscated and photographs of rioters have been displayed among the public.

A statistical analysis of cases of rioting in the country highlights that there was a continuous increase in riots in the country since independence. In the year 1981, when Indira Gandhi was the Prime Minister, this figure had crossed 1.10 lakh. The first sharp decline in the incidents of riots in the country was recorded during the tenure of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

(Incidences of rioting has seen sharp decline in Modi government, as per NCRB data)

However, cumulative incidences of rioting once again increased in the country during the UPA government. Since Prime Minister Modi came to power in 2014, the number of riots in the country has been continuously decreasing making every new year the most peaceful year in the country.

In 2013, the last full year of Congress’s rule, the number of riots in the country was 72,126, which has come down to almost half during PM Modi’s tenure. Thus, in the Narendra Modi government, the incidents of riots in the country have reduced by about 48 percent.

Viral Video: Congress MLA Phool Singh Baraiya who vowed to blacken his face if BJP won 50 seats in MP, reveals the date & time to act on his words

OpIndia Staff
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Viral Video: Congress MLA Phool Singh Baraiya who vowed to blacken his face if BJP won 50 seats in MP, reveals the date & time to act on his words

A video of Congress MLA Phool Singh Baraiya, who won from the Bhander seat of Datia district, is doing rounds on the internet. In the viral video recorded before the announcement of assembly elections in the state, the Congress leader had vowed that he would blacken his face himself if BJP won even 50 seats in the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections. 

When confronted about the viral video and his claims made before the election results, the Congress MLA said that he stands by his words and will blacken his face himself.

Notably, results for the Madhya Pradesh assembly elections alongside three other states were declared on 3rd December. BJP registered a landslide victory and retained power in the state securing 163 seats as against 66 seats of the Congress party. 

Once the election results were announced, netizens started sharing the said video challenging and perplexedly asking whether the Congress MLA would stand true to his words and himself blacken his face.

Phool Singh Baraiya told Aaj Tak that he is firm on his words and will blacken his face himself at 2 pm in front of Bhopal Raj Bhavan on 7th December.

However, he tried to defend himself and cast aspersions on the credibility of EVMs. According to the newly-elected Congress MLA, Congress was ahead in the counting of postal letters, but as soon as the counting started through EVMs, BJP went ahead. He even demanded that voting through EVMs should be stopped. He, however, did not explain how he won his seat if EVMs “favour” the BJP.

Notably, Phool Singh Baraiya won from his Bhander constituency by 29 thousand 438 votes and defeated BJP candidate Ghanshyam Pirounia. In 2018, Raksha Santram Sironia had won this seat on the Congress ticket. Later, he left Congress following the lead of the then Senior Congress leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and joined BJP. In the 2020 elections, Raksha won on the BJP ticket. However, this time BJP fielded former MLA Ghanshyam Pironiya but he could not lead the party to victory. 

Reacting to the viral video, the Bhartiya Janata Party also took a dig at the statement made by Phool Singh Baraiya before the elections. Taking to its official handle, the MP unit of BJP tweeted, “Phool Singh Baraiya ji, this arrogance of yours and Congress has been shattered by the people of Madhya Pradesh. If you are firm on your words then please tell the date and time of reaching Raj Bhavan in reply to this tweet.”

‘Kamal’ in, Kamal Nath out? Congress orders former MP CM to resign from post of state party president after defeat, reports say

OpIndia Staff
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‘Kamal’ in, Kamal Nath out? Congress orders former MP CM to resign from post of state party president after defeat, reports say

It seems like Kamal Nath’s impending exit from politics will be far from graceful or rather a fall from grace. After losing to the BJP in Madhya Pradesh (MP) with dismal numbers, top Congress leadership in Delhi has reportedly ordered the former MP CM to step down, India TV wrote.

The BJP secured a comfortable majority with 163 seats while Congress trailed abysmally with 66 seats. The defeat on 3rd December has put a stamp on Kamal Nath’s diminishing leadership in the state particularly after what the state witnessed in 2018 and 2020.

The Congress in the 2018 elections won 114 seats, two short of the majority mark. The party took support from the independent candidates, Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samajwadi Party (BSP) to form a government that struggled for a year. The power tussle between Kamal Nath and Jyotiraditya Scindia proved fatal for the Congress government in MP. Scindia defected to the BJP paving way for Shivraj Singh Chouhan government in 2020.

One would think that Kamal Nath would look to avenge his defeat albeit he barely appeared active during the election campaign, far from campaigning mood even as the Congress had declared him the CM face.

Following Congress’s defeat, Kamal Nath addressed the media saying that he accepts the mandate of the people and congratulated the BJP. He chaired a review meeting of Congress candidates.

Now, reports quoting sources claim that the former MP CM may tender his resignation as MP Congress chief in his meeting with Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge. The senior Congress leader reportedly spoke to Rahul Gandhi on call following the defeat.

India Today quoting sources claims that the Congress leadership is upset over Kamal Nath’s remarks against several leaders of the INDI Alliance including Samajwadi Party Chief Akhilesh Yadav and JD(U) chief Nitish Kumar over seat sharing.

The Samajwadi Party too has blamed Kamal Nath for Congress’s loss. SP spokesperson Manoj Singh Yadav reportedly said, “Former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath gave an indecent statement against the SP chief. He called the SP chief, who has been a four-time MP and the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh as ‘Akhilesh-Vishesh’ due to which not only Madhya Pradesh, but the people of Bahujan class and backward classes were hurt, and its adverse effect was reflected in the results.”

Despite everything, Kamal Nath did appear unaccepting of the result. Expressing surprise at the results, he reportedly said that the public mood was in Congress’s favour. He said, “Some MLAs are telling me that they did not get 50 votes in their own village. How is that possible?”

It is notable here that though officially Mallikarjun Kharge is Congress President, ‘high command’ in Congress essentially means Sonia Gandhi and her children.

I.N.D.I. Alliance meeting, called by Congress post defeat in Assembly elections, cancelled after several ‘allies’ pulled out

OpIndia Staff
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I.N.D.I. Alliance meeting, called by Congress post defeat in Assembly elections, cancelled after several ‘allies’ pulled out

Two days after the Congress party called for a meeting of the I.N.D.I. Alliance in New Delhi, it has now come to light that the meeting scheduled for Wednesday (6th December) has been cancelled.

The development was confirmed in a news report by Republic Bharat. It must be mentioned that several Congress allies, including Akhilesh Yadav, and Nitish Kumar had earlier pulled out of the meeting.

Screengrab of the news report by Republic Bharat

The alleged ‘snub’ by alliance partners comes days after BJP won the elections in three crucial States of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee had claimed that she did not receive any imitation about the I.N.D.I. Alliance meeting “.I don’t know, I have no information so I kept a programme in North Bengal…” she claimed.

“If we had the information, we wouldn’t have scheduled those programmes. We would have definitely gone (for the meeting), but we have not received any information,” Mamata Banerjee was heard saying.

Samajwadi party leader Akhilesh Yadav had lashed out at the Congress after its dismal performance in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

“Ab parinaam aa gaya hai toh ahankar bhi khatam ho gaya. Aane wale samay mein phir rasta niklega (Now that the results are out, the ego has also ended. In the coming days, a new way forward will be found),” he remarked.

“The SP’s fight in UP is bigger and the party SP has to make some big decisions. The talks will start from where they began. Wherever a party is strong the others should support it,” Yadav further added.

Janta Dal (United) leader Nitesh Kumar also skipped the meeting that was scheduled by the Congress on Wednesday (6th December), prior to its cancellation.

Party MP Sunil Kumar Pintu had previously said, “After results of the three-state elections came, they suddenly announced (INDIA Alliance meeting) and remembered their allies. What Congress is doing is that it is ignoring the allies on the support of which it is standing in states – JD(U) and RJD in Bihar, SP in Uttar Pradesh and Hemant Soren in Jharkhand.”

“Congress was ignoring them and these results are due to that. If Congress takes a major decision in the meeting on 6th Dec and puts forward regional parties, only then will INDIA have a future in 2024…There is a communication gap in INDIA alliance. Big leaders are not being consulted,” he pointed out the growing disillusionment within the Opposition parties.

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