Nitish Kumar, the Chief Minister of Bihar, has dropped a bombshell on its party as he quit as party chief. RCP Singh, a close confidant of Nitish Kumar, was chosen as the new president of JD (U) yesterday. Kumar had proposed the name of Singh for the top post, which was then approved by other members during the party’s national executive meeting. The chief minister, who was re-elected as the JD(U) president in 2019 for three years, relinquished the post in favour of Singh, the party’s leader in Rajya Sabha.
After quitting as party chief, Nitish Kumar has reiterated that he had no desire to become the Chief Minister of Bihar and that he always wanted the mandate to be respected, no matter who became the CM.
During the JD(U)’s national executive meeting, Nitish Kumar reportedly said, “People are saying that the BJP wants the CM’s position. I do not care. I am not attached to the position.” Kumar claimed that he had to take up the CM chair due to immense pressure and he doesn’t care who takes up the Bihar hot seat.
“After the election results came, I made my wish known to the coalition. But the pressure was so much that I had to take up work again,” he added.
Interestingly, Nitish Kumar had ditched the BJP in 2016 Assembly Elections and created an alliance with the RJD and Congress, precisely to ensure that he becomes the Chief Minister. When the criticism against RJD started mounting, he had then again ditched the RJD and re-joined BJP to continue to be the Chief Minister.
Speculations are now rife that his sudden epiphany that he never wanted to be the Chief Minister of Bihar comes from his own party MLAs abandoning the ship.
Recently, 6 JDU MLAs had quit the party to join BJP in Arunachal Pradesh, kicking up a massive storm in the JDU. While the party leadership and senior leaders expressed displeasure over JDU MLAs joining alliance partner BJP, they said that this move is unlikely to affect the alliance in Bihar.
West Bengal Assembly elections are scheduled for next year, and the recent development in Saradha Scam is going to intensify the political heat in the state. In a contempt plea in Saradha Chit Fund Scam, the Central Bureau of Investigation has said in the Supreme Court that the funds from Chief Minister Relief Fund of West Bengal were used purportedly for the salaries of employees of Tara TV that is under investigation in the case.
Tara TV is a part of the Saradha Group of Companies. CBI has said that the CM Relief Fund paid Rs.27 lakh per month for 23 months from May 2013 to April 2015 towards the salaries of Tara TV employees.
In its application, the CBI said, “It is submitted that the said amounts were purportedly given towards salary payments of the employees of the said media company that was under investigation being part of Saradha Group of Companies.” The total amount clocks to Rs.6.21 crore that was paid using CM Relief Fund to pay Tara TV Employees Welfare Association.
CBI has also reportedly mentioned in its application that they had written to the chief secretary, West Bengal, on October 16, 2018, to provide information about the constitution and functioning of the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund so that the agency can investigate the suspicious payments further. However, they only got incomplete or evasive information from the state government.
High Court order did not ask to pay salaried from CM fund
CBI, while citing the High Court order when the court asked to pay the salary of the employees from the available funds, said that that order did not say that the salaries of the employees of a private TV channel can be paid using the state funds that were collected in the name of relief work. It said, “The Court order expressly states that the employees are to be paid out of the funds of the company. The payments from CM Relief Fund, ex-facie point towards a larger conspiracy and nexus.”
Mamata Banerjee Named in the application
The CBI appeal has hinted at the involvement of the Mamata Banerjee administration. It said, “Communication between the CBI and state authorities will show that there has been a concerted effort to evade, avoid and to escape the process of law and a conscious effort on part of the authorities to scuttle the investigation.”
CBI also noted that when Enforcement Directorate questioned former Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Kumar Ghosh in October 2013, it was revealed that CM Banerjee and Saradha Group promoter Sudipta Sen had very good relationships.
Ghosh is also one of the accused in the case. CBI said, “It is submitted that the same establishes that the Chief Minister used to talk to Sudipta Sen using the phone of Kunal Kumar Ghosh,” said the application. During the investigation, when CBI checked the call details of two numbers of Sen for one year, the agency found that he and Ghosh talked 298 times on one number and nine times on the second number, as per a report by Business Standard.
Role of former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajiv Kumar
The CBI also sought custodial interrogation of former Kolkata Police Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and said that Bidhannagar police had concealed evidence related to the connection between the ruling party of the state and Saradha Group of Companies on the behest of Kumar. CBI alleged that the step was taken to save everyone in the case.
When ED questioned Ghosh as a witness in October 2013, it was revealed that Kumar was in contact with ED during the arrests of Sudipta Sen, Debjani Mukherjee, or witnesses Ghosh and others during September to November 2013. CBI said, “It was ensured by the officials that grave facts narrated by these accused persons or witnesses must not be taken on record as part of the investigation with a purpose to shield the influential persons.”
During the investigation, the agency reportedly found more evidence that proved Kumar was actively involved in shielding and protecting the influential co-accused in the case who had illegally collected funds using illegal business activities of the group of Ponzi companies.
Saradha chit fund scam
The Saradha scam broke out into the open in 2013 when a Ponzi scheme run by the Saradha Group, a consortium of over 200 private companies, collapsed after collecting hundreds and thousands of crores from over 15 lakh investors.
Rajiv Kumar was part of the Special Investigation Team set up by the West Bengal government to probe the scam. In 2014, the Supreme Court handed over the investigation to CBI. In November 2019, the Supreme Court had sought a response from the IPS officer on the CBI’s appeal against Calcutta High Court’s order to grant anticipatory bail to Kumar. It is notable here that when CBI officials had gone to interrogate Rajiv Kumar in the case, CM Mamata Banerjee had sat in a dharna for days. She had called the interrogation a ‘political vendetta’.
Sanchaita Gajapati, Chairperson at MGVR Learning, has alleged that The Hindu journalist K Srinivasa Rao has engaged in biased reporting against MANSAS Trust after she refused to give the insurance business for MANSAS to his wife. She said that the biased reporting was part of a fake news campaign against her. She has attached screenshot of text messages which purportedly show The Hindu journalist imploring to consider engaging the insurance services provided by her wife.
The @the_hindu reporter from VZM KSrinavasaRao’s biased reporting on MANSAS is part of the fake news campaign against me which began ever since I refused to give @MVGRlearning Insurance business to his wife! @MaliniP@nramind Attached are his WhatsApp msgs soliciting business1/2 pic.twitter.com/kjPfmzTctY
The attached screenshots show Sanchaita Gajapati receiving texts that say that many industrialists and ‘VIP families’ are exploring LIC policies. The sender also informs her that his wife is an advisor at LIC. The texts also inform her of the benefits of the policies. Gajapati, who is also the chairperson of the Varaha Lakshmi Narasimha temple, Simhachalam, claims that Srinivasa Rao proceeded to publish fake news against her because she refused the business proposal.
Report by K. Srinivasa Rao on MANSAS Trust
Only recently, Rao’s report had been published on The Hindu with the headline “MANSAS loses people’s trust in 2020”. The Maharaja Alak Narayana Society of Arts and Science (MANSAS) Trust was established by P.V.G. Raju in 1958 for the purpose of providing higher education. Gajapati said, “Reporters like K Srinivasa Rao who believe in quid pro quo journalism are a blot on this (The Hindu’s) news legacy.”
There is also internal feud between the members of the Royal Family of Vizianagaram as Pusapati Ashok Gajapathi Raju objected to his removal as the Chairperson of the institution and the appointment of Sanchaita Gajapati Raju in the same as he had claimed only male heirs of the MANSAS family are eligible to head the MANSAS trust as per the by-laws.
Radical Islamist preacher Zakir Naik, known for harbouring medievalist views and courting controversies, is yet in the news for spewing venom against non-Muslims, particularly Hindus, and preaching the extremist ideology of Islamic supremacism.
In a video released on the official YouTube channel of Naik earlier this month, the rabid Muslim cleric was seen ranting against the Mushriks (non-believers) and stating that Muslim men and women are far superior to them.
Naik was responding to a question raised by a girl who had allegedly converted from Hinduism to Islam three years back and intended to remain with Islam for the rest of her life. Stating that it is hard for her in this society to marry a Muslim man, the girl asked the Islamic preacher whether it is compulsory for her to marry a Muslim man or if she can marry a Hindu man as well.
To this Naik affirmatively responded that it was absolutely essential for the girl to marry a Muslim man. Naik backed his answer by citing verses from the Quran.
Source: YouTube
“The Quran clearly mentions in Surah Al Baqarah, Chapter number 2, verse no. 221, that marry not a Mushrika(an idolatry woman) until she believes. A believing woman, even if she is a bondswoman, she is much better than an unbelieving woman even if she allows you…a believing woman, even if she is a servant, she may be ugly, she is far superior to an unbelieving woman, an idolatrous, even if she may be the beauty queen, the wealthiest woman in the world,” Naik said.
Naik further continued, “Do not marry an unbelieving man, do not marry a Mushrik, do not marry an idolator, until he embraces Islam. A believing man, he may be a bondsman, he may be a servant, he may be ugly, but he is far superior to an idolator, an unbelieving man, even if he is the most handsome man in the world or the richest man in the world.”
The radical Islamic preacher also alluded that only Muslims are qualified for Jannah(paradise) and those do not follow Islam are condemned to hell.
“If you believe that Islam is the way that will get you salvation and you have accepted Islam three years back and you have promised you will be on Islam for the rest of your life, why do you want your husband to go to hell?” Naik questioned.
“We have an average life expectancy of 50-60 years. If you take the turmoil, the pain for 50-60 years, the next life is eternal, sister. As a businesswoman, it is a very good bargain. So sister, even if it is difficult for you, my advice to you is to bear those difficulties, marry a Muslim man, even if he is not good, even if he is ugly, even if he is not rich. He will be far more superior than the wealthiest and the most handsome of the idolatrous men,” Naik said.
No heaven for even ‘good non-Muslims’ such as Ravish Kumar: Zakir Naik
In June this year, the radical Islamist and terrorist influencer Zakir Naik, who has been hiding away in Malaysia after fleeing from the country, uploaded a video in which he declared that even ‘good non-Muslims like Ravish Kumar’ will not get to go to ‘Jannah’ after their death as they are still non-Muslims who are doing the crime of ‘Shirk’, meaning idolatry.
On a YouTube video uploaded on June 27, radical Islamist Zakir Naik was seen interacting with his followers and taking various questions from them to explain certain Islamic concepts. In the video titled, “Dr Zakir Naik on the fate of Ravish Kumar who stands for Muslims & Righteous Non-Muslims”, he explained how Ravish Kumar and other ‘good non-Muslims’ did not deserve the Muslim heaven or ‘Jannah’. Naik said that whatever the ‘good deeds’ people like Ravish Kumar may do for the benefit of Muslims since they have not converted to Islam, they will still go to hell because of the crime of ‘shirk’ (heresy, idol worship) is bigger than any other crime.
It is 100% wrong to wish ‘Merry Christmas’: Zakir Naik
It is not the first time that Naik had derided other religions and advocated Islam’s supremacy. Not just Hinduism and other polytheistic religions, Naik has also been nasty in his criticism of other Abrahamic faiths.
Earlier, he had promulgated the belief that Allah is the supreme creator of the world and thus the worship of Jesus Christ, aka anyone other than Allah, is, therefore, a sin. The Islamic scholar informed that he invites (Dawah) Christians on December 25, only to dismiss their belief that Jesus Christ is the son of God by coercing them to cite verses from the Bible as proof. “Is saying Merry Christmas wrong? I am telling you it is wrong. It is 100% wrong according to me,” he reiterated.
Naik further added, “If you don’t know what Christmas stands for and happen to wish someone, Allah may forgive you. If you drink alcohol, mistaking it for Pepsi, Allah may forgive you. But if you are doing it to build a relationship after knowing what Christmas stands for, you are building your place in Jahannam (Hell). Therefore, for reaching good means, you never have to follow bad means. You have to follow the guidance of the Quran and the Sunnah (literature based on life and deeds of Prophet Muhammad).”
NIA books Zakir Naik in love-jihad case
It is also worth noting that Zakir Naik, along with two Pakistani hardline preachers have been named as accused in an FIR filed by the National Investigation Agency in connection with the high-profile “love jihad” case. The said case involved the daughter of a Chennai-based businessman and the son of a top Bangladeshi politician, belonging to former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia’s Bangladesh Nationalist Party.
The father of the daughter had complained with the Chennai Central Crime Branch in May that his daughter, who was studying in London, was radicalised and forcibly converted to Islam. He had also alleged that his daughter was kidnapped by Bangladeshi men and spirited away to Bangladesh.
Rahul Gandhi has been a man of fine tastes and politics, is just a family business that he had to take up, it would seem like. Ahead of New Years’ Eve, Rahul Gandhi has left the storm he created in India by lying about the farm laws and has flown to Italy to allegedly meet his grandmother. The mother of Sonia Gandhi, who is originally from Italy, still lives there and Rahul Gandhi seems to have flown down to meet her.
After media reports emerged that Rahul Gandhi had left for Milan, Italy, on an impromptu surprise vacation in middle of Punjab farmers vs Govt of India farm laws tussle, Congress trolls kept themselves busy trying to refute these as ‘fake news’. Rahul Gandhi loyalist Saket Gokhale cried himself hoarse claiming that Rahul Gandhi has not gone for vacation.
However, the trolls were left red faced after Congress accepted that Rahul Gandhi has indeed gone off on a ‘personal trip’. While the party did not disclose the destination of his vacation, they have not denied Milan in Italy as the destination either. Congress also celebrates its 136th foundation day today.
While the Congress cried victim and claimed that poor Rahul was being victimised for simply going to meet his grandmother, it is pertinent to note that only did he miss the Foundation Day of Congress, he has also conveniently created trouble in India and himself escaped to Italy.
However, while fanning these protests and spreading fake news, he forgot that for politicians to gain mileage out of throwing the nation into chaos, they actually need to show up for the chaos too.
Reacting to Gandhi’s visit, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait said that the Congress leader neither visited their protest site nor spoke to them.
“Rahul Gandhi neither appeared anywhere in the farmers’ dharna nor did he talk to anyone … Our opposition is very weak,” he said.
It is pertinent to note here that BKU as an organisation had extended support to Congress ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. However, it is now interesting that their leader has openly spoken, expressing disenchantment with Rahul Gandhi never really appearing to either speak to them or meet them, while fanning these protests from afar.
The Congress party and its leaders, especially Gandhi have been targeting the Centre over three agriculture-marketing laws and have extended support to agitating farmers.
On Thursday, the Congress leader met President Ram Nath Kovind as part of his party delegation and urged that a session of Parliament should be convened to revoke the three agriculture laws.
Earlier, the former Congress chief had said that accepting anything less than the complete withdrawal of “black farm laws” would be a betrayal of India and its farmers.
The Congress went so far as to dismiss the Essential Commodities Act of 1955 as belonging to the “age of controls.” Imagine the situation when the Congress manifesto appears to take a potshot at Nehru.
It doesn’t end here. There is also an extensive trail of evidence of Dr. Manmohan Singh advocating for states to amend the APMC act and give more freedom to the farmer (see here in 2012 and here in 2009). But in typical UPA fashion, he didn’t actually get anything done. And now when the Modi government has implemented their own manifesto item, the Congress opportunistically has a problem with it.
While the Congress has no problem doing u-turns to ensure chaos ensued in the country, Rahul Gandhi seems to give preference to travelling to Italy, and the farm organisations are not happy.
Srivatsa, national campaign in-charge of Youth Congress, was spotted cheering for ‘farmers’ who are cutting off power supply to Jio mobile towers in Punjab. The former Karnataka Congress social media head appeared to be in a celebratory mood over the fact that 1300 of the 9000 Jio mobile towers in the state have no power supply.
Senior Youth Congress leader cheers for criminal behaviour
Srivatsa further said, “Farmers have understood that the only way to get Modi to directly talk to them is through making Ambani feel pain.” He also appeared to suggest that such criminal behaviour should also be replicated across the country. “If this starts happening across India, Modiji will come running to Singhu Border,” he stated.
Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder had appealed to the ‘protesting farmers’ to not inconvenience the general public by disrupting power and destroying infrastructure. He had also urged the ‘protestors’ to not shut down connectivity and manhandle the telecom workers. However, it seems the ‘protesting farmers’ did not pay any heed to the chief minister’s appeal. And now it appears even Congress leaders are cheering such lawlessness.
The ‘protestors’ have been targeting Reliance Jio towers because of claims that Reliance, as well as Adani group, are out to exploit farmers with help from the new farm laws. News agency PTI citing sources said that site managers were slapped and abused for trying to stop the protestors from destroying the infrastructure. Power lines were snapped and attempts were made to axe the towers.
In a gruesome incident, a 30-year-old cellphone thief died hours after he was allegedly tied to a pole and mercilessly thrashed by six people inside Muktanand Park in Mumbai’s Santacruz. The incident took place in early hours of December 25 when Sajjad Khan had allegedly come to the park with the aim of stealing the mobile phones of the labourers who had kept their devices for charging while they were asleep.
The six individuals—Hrishikesh Pasi (24), Hyat Ali (26), Alimuddin Shaikh (24), Motibur Alam (19), Maskar Firojjuddin (18) and Pintukumar Shah (25)—have been arrested by the Santacruz police from the park. The accused were reportedly employed for repair work at the park.
Sajjad Khan thrashed over suspicion of stealing mobile phones
After completing their work, the employees sleep in the work. The incident happened between 12:30 am and 4:30 am in the morning. According to the police, some of the labourers who were awake caught Khan while he was trying to steal their mobile phones. They allegedly tied him to a pole and brutally thrashed him before letting him off.
However, a few minutes later Khan again reached the spot and got embroiled in a heated argument with the accused who again attacked him. He was barely able to walk when two of his friends he spotted him and helped him to reach his house. He later slept in an auto near his house.
However, when Khan’s family members tried to wake him up, they found him in an unconscious state. He was then rushed to the Bhabha Hospital but was declared brought dead.
“Khan succumbed two hours after he was thrashed by the labourers. He was previously booked in cases of theft in Santacruz and Khar,” a senior inspector Shriram Koregaonkar said. The Santacruz police initially registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and began their investigations.
The autopsy report revealed that the victim died of multiple injuries and eyewitnesses also confirmed the incident after which police arrested the six accused from the park. They are arrested on the charges of murder and for house-trespass. All the accused were produced before the court on Sunday which remanded them to two days of police custody.
On Monday, the International Cricket Board (ICC) announced the awards of the decade, with the Indian cricket players bagging 3 awards and featuring in teams of the decade across formats but Pakistani cricket team getting
Indian captain Virat Kohli, who scored 94 fifties, 66 centuries and a whopping 20,396 international runs during the decade, was awarded the prestigious Sir Garfield Sobers Award for ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade. Kohli also scored 10,000+ runs in the ODI format at an average of 61.83 during the same period. He has also 39 centuries, and 48 fifties to his name. As such, he was awarded the ICC Men’s ODI Cricketer of the Decade.
The incredible Virat Kohli wins the Sir Garfield Sobers Award for ICC Male Cricketer of the Decade ?
At the same time, former Indian captain MS Dhoni was awarded the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade for his sportsmanship when he recalled English batsman Ian Bell back to the pitch, after he was given a run out in the Nottingham Test of 2011.
?? MS DHONI wins the ICC Spirit of Cricket Award of the Decade ??
The former India captain was chosen by fans unanimously for his gesture of calling back England batsman Ian Bell after a bizarre run out in the Nottingham Test in 2011.#ICCAwards | #SpiritOfCricketpic.twitter.com/3eCpyyBXwu
While India has bagged 3 awards, Pakistan cricket team had no luck working its favour. At the same, not a single Pakistani player featured in any of the ICC teams of the decade, be it for tests, T20s or ODIs. As such, many started questioning the integrity of the International cricket council instead of introspecting about their poor performance across formats.
One user wrote, “ICC is now Indian cricket council” while insinuating an ‘unseen’ BCCI hand in determining the results.
Another Pakistani, Kashaf Fatimah, claimed that Pakistan and New Zealand are like adopted kids of ICC, who are routinely ignored. “Believe me or not but Pakistan or New Zealand are adopted kids of ICC and this is fact no new Zealander no Paki player In odi or t20 team great ICC great,” she tweeted.
Believe me or not but Pakistan or New Zealand are adopted kids of ICC and this is fact no new Zealander no Paki player In odi or t20 team great ICC great ?#ICCAwards#NZvPAK#ICCTeamOfDecade
A supposed fan of Pakistani cricketer Babar Azam cried over the supposed ‘injustice’ meted out to the player. “Injustice of ICC with Pakistan. Why babar Azam is not nominated for ICC decade awards 2020?Why they do injustice with Pakistan,” he wrote.
After being snubbed by the ICC, Pakistan Cricket Board has now announced its own awards for 2020. Twitter user Mohan Raswant mocked the frustration of the PCB and said, “ICC ignored Pakistan players, so they created their our own awards….”
ICC ignored Pakistan players, so they created their our own awards….?? https://t.co/hpXRRmZmPa
It is important to mention that while Virat Kohli has been named the captain for the ICC Test team of the decade, MS Dhoni has been chosen the skipper for the T20 and ODI teams. At the same time, the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, R Ashwin and Rohit Sharma also feature in these teams.
Uttarakhand will witness Haridwar Kumbh Mela for 48 days in February 2021. Usually, the festival runs for three and a half months, but due to Covid protocols in place, the Uttarakhand government has decided to cut it short. Urban Development Minister Madan Kaushik said, “The Uttarakhand government will issue the notification for the Kumbh Mela in February instead of January 1.”
He further added that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the preparations had been made for main baths in March-April. “Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, preparations have been made for main baths to be held in March-April. Devotees can have the shahi snan during these 48 days,” the minister said. He further added that the duration of the festival had been reduced due to the pandemic.
Chief Minister approved funds for preparations
The chief minister of Uttarakhand, Trivendra Singh Rawat, has sanctioned funds for various projects ahead of Kumbh Mela 2021. Rs.17.34 crore has been approved for the surveillance system, of which the government has released 6.94 crores. Another 15.64 crores were approved for purchasing material for setting up a temporary 1,000 bed Covid care centre, out of which Rs. 6.18 crore will be released as the first instalment.
Railways planning to restart trains for Kumbh
The Moradabad Railway Divison has sent a proposal to the Railway Board to restart 20 trains for the passengers coming for Kumbh next year. The Railway Board is considering the request. The Railways administration is working to provide facilities to the devotees on Railway stations. The majority of the devotees will reach via Haridwar Rail Marg.
As of now, several trains are not running due to Covid-19 that includes Kumbh Express, Kochuveli Express, Okha Express, Utkal Express, Haridwar Prayag Express, Janta Express, Yoga Express, Kathdogam Express and others. The proposal sent by Moradabad Railway Board includes starting these trains before Kumbh festivities begin.
Hours after Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut exhorted the UPA parties to come together against the Modi government, Congress snubbed the Shiv Sena, stating that the party was not a part of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and its association with the Shiv Sena was limited only to Maharashtra.
Senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan on Sunday commented that it was not appropriate for the Shiv Sena to comment on the leadership of the UPA.
Following the Maharashtra state elections in 2019, Shiv Sena severed its alliance with the BJP and joined the unholy nexus of ideological rivals—Congress and the NCP—to form a government in the state and install a Shiv Sainik as the chief minister. The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena agreed to a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) with Congress and NCP to form the government in the state.
“Shiv Sena is yet to become a part of the UPA. Our alliance with the Sena in Maharashtra is based on a Common Minimum Programme (CMP) and limited to Maharashtra,” he said.
Chavan also bristled at Raut’s unwarranted remarks on the leadership crisis in the UPA. He also repudiated the speculations of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar taking over the reins of the UPA alliance.
“Sharad Pawar himself has denied the speculation that he will be the next chairperson of the UPA. UPA allies trust the leadership of Sonia Gandhi. So there is no need to discuss the issue,” Chavan said.
Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut exhorts parties to join the UPA alliance
Chavan’s biting remarks for the Shiv Sena came a day after Sanjay Raut unsolicitedly commented on the need for the UPA to expand to take on the “dictatorial” central government.
“It is important that all opposition parties come together against the dictatorial attitude of the central government. A weak opposition is not in the interest of the democracy,” the Rajya Sabha MP had said.
Raut further added that besides Sonia Gandhi, there was Sharad Pawar in the UPA fold to provide an effective alternative.
Raut stated that more parties should join the alliance and their leaders should raise their voice against the Centre. claiming that the central government was taking the farmers’ agitation lightly and not paying enough attention to the protests that were continuing against the newly introduced Farm Bills.
