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Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray to become the next chief minister, swearing-in ceremony to be held on December 1

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Uddhav Thackeray to become the next chief minister, swearing-in ceremony to be held on December 1

A joint meeting between the ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ alliance of the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress to form the government in the state was held in progress in Hotel Trident, Mumbai. The NCP chief soon after the meeting announced that three representatives of the parties will meet the Maharashtra Governor BS Koshyari, later in the day, to stake claim to form the government in the state.

“Three representatives of ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ will meet the Governor today. Swearing-in ceremony to be held at Shivaji Park in Mumbai on 1 December,” said NCP supremo Sharad Pawar.


Moreover, a resolution proposing Uddhav Thackeray’s name as the chief ministerial candidate and leader of the ‘Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi’ was passed unanimously by all the MLAs in the meeting.


Sources in the Congress confirmed that while Uddhav Thackeray had been shortlisted as the CM face in Maharashtra, NCP’s Jayant Patil and Congress party’s Balasaheb Thorat will be his deputies.

The new MLAs will take oath 8 am onward on Wednesday when the new Legislative Assembly is sworn in by Pro-tem Speaker Kalidas Kolambkar.

This development came in after BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis tendered his resignation as chief minister. A day prior to this, the Supreme Court had asked the newly sworn-in chief minister to prove the majority on the floor of the assembly. Devendra Fadnavis’ resignation follows NCP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s resignation from his post.

Wishing the other parties good luck with the formation of a government, Fadnavis had warned about the instability it may cause because of the difference in ideologies among them. “The hunger for power is such that now Shiv Sena leaders are even willing to ally with Sonia Gandhi,” he said.

Referring to the possible Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance government as ‘three-wheeler’ government, Fadnavis expressed doubts over its stability and said that the BJP will work as an effective opposition giving voice to the people of Maharashtra.

On Saturday, 23 November, BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis had taken oath as the CM of Maharashtra in a surprise development. NCP’s Ajit Pawar had also taken oath as the Deputy CM, claiming the support of a faction of NCP MLAs.

A confusion has since broken out in the state, with the Sena claiming that Ajit had backstabbed them, and NCP claiming that no MLAs are in support of Ajit Pawar.

Shiv Sena leader Ramesh Solanki resigns from party protesting against alliance with Congress and NCP

OpIndia Staff
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Shiv Sena leader Ramesh Solanki resigns from party protesting against alliance with Congress and NCP

A day after Shiv Sena MLAs were made to take oath swearing loyalty for Sonia Gandhi and Sharad Pawar along with Uddhav Thackeray, Sena leader Ramesh Solanki announced that he has resigned from the party protesting against the party’s alliance with Congress to form a government in Maharashtra.

In series of tweets posted on Twitter, Solanki congratulated the party for forming a govt in the state with a Shiv Sena chief minister, but said that his conscience and ideology doesn’t permit him to work with Congress. “So with a heavy heart I am making most difficult decision of my life, I am resigning from Shiv Sena”, he said.


Ramesh Solanki said that for the last few days people are asking his stand on Shiv Sena’s decision to end the alliance with BJP and join hand with Congress and NCP. Replying to that, he said in Hindi, ‘which is not for Shri Ram (Congress), that is of no worth for me’.

Giving a brief history of his association with Shiv Sena, Solanki said that he has served the party for 21 years without demanding any post, position or ticket, and he gave all his time to the party following the party’s orders till the hilt. He said he was motivated by the fearless leadership and charisma of Shri Bala Saheb Thackeray in 1992, and had decided to work for Shiv Sena at the age of 12. He had joined the party officially in 1998.

Ramesh Solanki said that he had worked in many elections for the party at various levels with only one dream and one aim, a Hindu Rashtra and Congress Mukt Bharat.

He noted that he is leaving the party in a winning note, saying he is leaving Shiv Sena when the party is forming government in Maharashtra, not abandoning the party in its bad time. “I am walking out as proud Shiv Sainik for my ideology and principles”, Solanki added.

In 3.5 days as CM, here is what Devendra Fadnavis did: Rs 5,380 crore aid for farmers, relief fund cell for poor patients

OpIndia Staff
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In 3.5 days as CM, here is what Devendra Fadnavis did: Rs 5,380 crore aid for farmers, relief fund cell for poor patients

Hours after taking oath as the chief minister of the state for the second time, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis sanctioned financial assistance of Rs 5380 crores to the farmers afflicted by the unseasonal rains in the state. This amount is in addition to the first instalment of Rs 2059 crores released last week.

According to the state estimates, Rs 8200 crores worth of crop losses happened in the month of October due to unseasonal rains. The monetary aide approved by Devendra Fadnavis in his second stint as the chief minister was aimed to address this pressing issue.

Following this, Fadnavis also chaired a meeting to deliberate upon the ‘Climate Resilience Improvement and Flood and Drought Management Program’ with the World Bank officials. He instructed the proposal to be placed for cabinet clearance. “Out of 3500 crores to be spent by the World Bank, 350 crores will be spent on technical assistance,” Fadnavis said. The plan envisages floodwater to be diverted to drought-prone region. Fadnavis also presided over the ‘Smart Village’ discussion, which constitutes connecting 20 lakh farmers to corporates, providing them with better opportunities.

After resuming the office of Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis also restarted the CM’s relief fund cell, which grants economic assistance to poor patients. Fadnavis signed a cheque of Rs 1.2 lakh for Kusum Vengurlekar, who is ailing from Cancer at the Dhanwantri hospital in Dadar.

Fadnavis sworn-in as chief minister early Saturday morning while NCP’s Ajit Pawar took oath as the deputy chief minister of the state. However, soon after the development, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar said that the NCP has not extended its support to the BJP. Amidst the political turmoil, Ajit Pawar today resigned as the deputy chief minister of the state and before long Devendra Fadnavis too tendered his resignation to the Governor of the state. It is being speculated that the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance will be staking a claim at the government with Uddhav Thackeray becoming the new chief minister tomorrow morning.

Maharashtra: In a high risk, high reward game, even if BJP, you can’t blame them for trying

Editorial Desk
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Maharashtra: In a high risk, high reward game, even if BJP, you can’t blame them for trying

The Maharashtra political drama has finally come to a grinding halt. Earlier today, Ajit Pawar unceremoniously resigned from the post of Deputy CM after only hours of being sworn in. Following Ajit Pawar’s resignation, Devendra Fadnavis of BJP too tendered his resignation. With that, the door is wide open for Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP to come together and form the government, presumably, with Uddhav Thackeray being sworn in as the Chief Minister for 5 years.

The manner in which the political drama in Maharashtra ended, left many wondering whether BJP played a game where they were stuck between a rock and a hard place. On the one hand, allying with NCP might have given the impression that BJP was compromising on their ideology and allying with a party that was diametrically opposite to their ideals. On the other, if the alliance fell through as it has now, BJP would be embarrassed beyond measure. In short, in this arrangement, BJP just couldn’t win.

Read: Hunger for power is such that Shiv Sena wants to align with Sonia Gandhi: Devendra Fadnavis resigns as Maharashtra Chief Minister

And that may as well be true. However, there are other angles to this that one must consider. Firstly, being in power is one of the greatest services to the ideology. Without power, none of the ideological goals that need to be fulfilled can be fulfilled. Was the alliance between BJP and Ajit Pawar ‘opportunistic’? Yes. Was it necessary? Yes as well.

Interestingly, it was not Devendra Fadnavis or the BJP that approached Ajit Pawar, it was Pawar who had approached BJP. In such a scenario, one has to look at how the entire drama unfolded. BJP and Shiv Sena fought the Maharashtra Assembly elections together. A pre-poll alliance was in place, and let’s face it, the seats that Shiv Sena won were greatly and positively impacted by the names of not only Devendra Fadnavis who has had a spotless run at governance but also Prime Minister Narendra Modi. After the elections, while BJP won 105 seats, Shiv Sena won 56 seats. BJP’s strike rate was about 70%, far, far more than Shiv Sena. After election results were announced, Shiv Sena wanted the Chief Minister’s position, which was apparently not discussed before the elections. BJP stuck to its guns and refused to cow down, and thus, started Shiv Sena’s tantrums.

Clearly, the mandate was for a BJP led government. After all, BJP was the largest party with 105 seats. That BJP could not form the government was a direct result of the greed of Shiv Sena. In such a situation, without resorting to downright immoral measures like horsetrading, the only way was to ally with Ajit Pawar when he approached BJP. Interestingly, BJP gave the other parties enough time to form their government. For days, BJP made no move. However, one has to ask if BJP would have betrayed the mandate had it refused to even try forming the government when Ajit Pawar approached them.

Read: BJP has shown ruthlessness in the game of power politics, and it is good for ideology too

One must realise that political parties are not NGOs or religious institutes. Their first aim is always going to be the quest for power. BJP often comes closest to staying true to its ideology despite its quest for power. And without power, their ideology would be useless since it is a political power that is needed to affect change.

Essentially, BJP was in a high risk, high reward game where if their gamble had paid off, their reward would be being in government for the next 5 years with the power to affect change. And if they lost, it might end up in humiliation.

However, when one plays a high risk, high reward game, even if the player loses, he can’t really be blamed for trying. BJP might have lost this round and the manner in which it unfolded could be seen as a humiliation, however, it would have been morally cheating the mandate had they not tried to form the government in Maharashtra.

Congress twists opposition boycott of Constitution day, claims it was excluded from the program

OpIndia Staff
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Congress twists opposition boycott of Constitution day, claims it was excluded from the program

After boycotting the Constitution Day celebrations in the parliament, Congress leader Anand Sharma tendered an abysmal explanation defending his party’s move of not participating in the program. Slamming BJP, Sharma said that the opposition was not allowed to voice their concerns in the program initiated by the central government.

Congress had earlier launched demonstrations and protests across the country in the view of the recent political developments in the state of Maharashtra. Congress has levelled serious allegations against the BJP, accusing it of undermining the democratic norms enshrined in the constitution.

Speaking to the media, Sharma said, “It is the Modi government which commenced the ‘Constitution Day’. But what kind of democracy is this where the opposition voices are gagged and only President, Vice-President, Prime Minister and Speaker of Lok Sabha have a voice? This is against the Constitution. The Constitution does not say that only government programs should be conducted.”

Sharma further contended that the Constitution entails the involvement of the Opposition and other political parties as a part of the legislative process along with the government. “How can it be termed as Parliamentary democracy if the opposition is left out from the government programs,” Sharma said.

The ‘Constitution Day’ that was celebrated today witnessed boycott from several senior Congress leaders such as Rahul Gandhi, Ghulam Nabi Azad, AK Antony and others. Congress leaders hit out on the streets outside the Parliament premises in front of the Ambedkar statue to mark their protest against the political developments by the BJP in Maharashtra.

Narendra Modi-led BJP government initiated the celebration of the ‘Constitution Day’ to commemorate the drafting of the Indian Constitution which happened on November 26, 1949. The Constitution of India was adopted by the Union of India on January 26, 1950. Dr BR Ambedkar was the Chairman of the Constitution drafting committee is also hailed as the chief architect of the Indian Constitution. The Indian Constitution composed by a Constituent Assembly and not a Parliamentary Assembly is the longest written constitution in the world.

Once threatened by Shiv Sainiks for calling Balasaheb ‘senile’, SP MLA Abu Azmi finds place beside Uddhav Thackeray in Sena-NCP-Congress meet

OpIndia Staff
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Once threatened by Shiv Sainiks for calling Balasaheb ‘senile’, SP MLA Abu Azmi finds place beside Uddhav Thackeray in Sena-NCP-Congress meet

In what came as a major shock amidst the show of strength of Siv Sena-NCP-Congress leaders on Monday, the Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Azmi was present and prominently found a place between Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray and party’s motormouth Sanjay Raut at Mumbai’s Grand Hyatt Hotel where the trio had gathered to display their party’s strength on Monday.

Shockingly, Shiv Sena members who had once threatened SP MLA Abu Azmi for insulting their founder and mentor Balasaheb Thackeray has now found a friend in him.

Abu Azmi was seated at the front row, alongside Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Balasaheb Thorat and Sena’s Sanjay Raut. The SP MLA took an oath with the leaders and MLAs of the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance of Sena, NCP and Congress.

Amidst the ongoing power tussle in Maharashtra, the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena on Monday demonstrated a show of strength at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai. In the meeting, all leaders and MLAs of NCP, Shiv Sena and Congress took an oath swearing loyalty for Sonia Gandhi, Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackerey in the presence of media.

Speaking to news agency ANI after the oath-taking at Hotel Grand Hyatt, he said he extended his support after orders from Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav. “After approval from the party chief Akhilesh Yadav, I have given a letter showing the support of SP for Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance,” he said.

Interestingly, he is the same man who was in loggerheads with Shiv Sena in 2009 when MNS lawmakers had beaten him black and blue for taking oath in Hindi and not Marathi. Making a sharp criticism of Azmi, Shiv Sena founder Balasaheb Thackeray also wrote about him in a Saamna editorial. Answering back, Azmi had, back then, called Thackeray old and senile.

This statement against their founder and mentor had provoked the Sainik’s, who had then threatened the Samajwadi Party leader inside the Maharashtra Assembly premises. Sena MLAs had reportedly stopped and surrounded Azmi’s car and warned him against commenting on Thackeray.

So staunch was the animosity between the two-party stalwarts that in the year 2000, Azmi had faced two years of rigorous imprisonment for allegedly delivering provocative speeches against Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray and the then Sena leader Narayan Rane.

Interestingly, Azmi had in 2014 made similar vailed attacks on NCP chief Sharad Pawar for then offering outside support to BJP government in Maharashtra. The Samajwadi Party leader had alleged that the move was intended to keep under wraps the NCP leader’s “corrupt dealings”.

Apart from being Shiv Sena’ arch-rival, the Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Azmi has an extremely intriguing past. Following the serial bomb blasts of March 1993 in Mumbai, he was arrested under TADA for his alleged role in the blast. He was accused of providing air tickets to some of the conspirators who fled the city. Azmi had, however, denied the charge and successfully challenged his detention. He was acquitted by the then chief justice of the Supreme Court Justice Ahmadi even as many of the accused stayed in detention.

Chhota Rajan, who had got some of the blasts accused gunned down had also targeted Azmi, however, changed his plans at the last moment.

In fact, Azmi was the one who had met Maharashtra Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao regarding the Yakub Memon case in 2015 and voiced his disapproval against the capital punishment provided to the convict in one of the most dreaded serial bomb blasts in India which had claimed over 257 lives.

Moreover, in 2010, Indian Mujahideen member Shahzad, an accused in the 2008 Delhi blasts case and the Batla House encounter, had named Abu Azmi as one of the two politicians who had helped in carrying out the attacks.

Shiv Sena and NCP’s promptness to forget the past and join hands with not only one of its arch-rivals but also a man with such a contentious past simply goes on to manifest that in politics, there is nothing like permanent friends or enemies, just permanent interests.

Activist Trupti Desai abandons plan to enter Sabarimala shrine after Kerala police refuse to give protection amid protests by devotees

OpIndia Staff
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Activist Trupti Desai abandons plan to enter Sabarimala shrine after Kerala police refuse to give protection amid protests by devotees

Controversial ‘activist’ Trupti Desai who had arrived in Kochi early on Tuesday to visit the Sabarimala shrine, irrespective of whether she was given security, declared later that she would be returning to Pune by midnight after the Kerala Police refused to give her protection for her planned visit to Sabarimala.

On November 15, Desai had declared her plans to enter Sabarimala and had urged Kerala police to escort her inside sanctum sanctorum. She had made the announcement after the Supreme Court refused to stay the earlier SC judgement allowing women of all ages to enter the shrine. The court had also referred the review petitions against the judgement to a larger bench. Welcoming the Supreme Court decision, Desai said she was planning to visit Sabarimala in the next few days and added that mere police protection by the Kerala government was insufficient to ensure that women could worship at the Ayyapa shrine in peace.

Calling the arrival of Desai in Kerala a conspiracy, State Minister Kadakampally Surendran has said that certain vested interests are behind her visit.

Soon after her arrival at Kochi Airport on November 26 (Tuesday), Desai was taken to the Police Commissionerate in Ernakulam, where a large number of activists belonging to the Sabarimala Karma Samithi arrived and staged protests demanding that Desai abandon her plans to visit Sabarimala. Some protesters attacked the activists with pepper spray also. The protesters, who included a large number of women, dispersed after the police assured that the activists would not be allowed to proceed.

According to media reports, Desai has demanded a “written statement” from the Kerala Police that she would not be provided protection to visit Sabarimala.

Notably, after the Kerala police’ excesses at the behest of the Left government in Kerala was slammed last year, it has been on a cautionary mode. They have made it clear that the SC’s decision to take on the review petitions for the September 2018 order and its statements on the regard have de facto stayed the earlier order and they will not provide state protection to women within the restricted age-group who are seeking entry into the shrine.

The Supreme Court of India led by CJI Ranjan Gogoi did not arrive at a conclusive decision in Sabarimala review petitions and referred the case to a larger bench by a 3:2 majority.

Trupti Desai, who was stopped from entering Sabarimala shrine last year, and was turned back from Kochi airport after being stranded there for almost 14 hours, had ‘vowed’ to offer prayers at the shrine when it opens for worship this year.

According to reports, Trupti Desai had announced that she will visit the Sabarimala temple “unannounced” in the future using “Guerilla tactics”. Desai, the founder of the ‘Bhumata Brigade’ had faced severe protest by Hindu groups last year after she attempted to enter the shrine in an attempt to violate and desecrate the age-old customs in the Sabarimala shrine.

In yet another development, another activist, named Bindu Ammini, one of the two women who were sneaked into Sabarimala last year by the communist government, was attacked with chilli spray by an unidentified person while she waited near a police station with an intent to visit the temple shrine today. She, later claimed that she arrived in Kochi after a request from Desai.

The efforts of non-Hindus, activists and atheists to forcibly enter a Hindu religious shrine under the garb of democratic rights and disregarding the faith and traditions of the devotees have been criticised widely by Hindus around the world.

Mudslinging continues as #MeToo activist Mahima Kukreja accuses standup comic Utsav Chakraborty of maligning her

OpIndia Staff
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Mudslinging continues as #MeToo activist Mahima Kukreja accuses standup comic Utsav Chakraborty of maligning her

A week after standup comic Utsav Chakraborty accused Mahima Kukreja, who had put allegations of sexual harassment, of fabricating allegations, Kukreja has released a statement accusing Chakraborty of trying to ‘malign her’ and the women who spoke up. A year after #MeToo movement took India by storm where scores of women had alleged men in media, film and tv industry and corporates of sexual harassment, it seems to have taken a new turn.

In her statement, Mahima has claimed that Utsav’s allegations are ‘baseless’. She has called Chakraborty’s tweets over past few days claiming the women who had accused him of sexual harassment, many of whom anonymously, as a ‘carefully planned and orchestrated PR-led campaign’ to malign her. Referring to Utsav’s tweets and viral audio clips as ‘hateful campaign’, Mahima said that the authenticity of the audio tapes is also disputed. She does, however, acknowledge that the voices in the audio clip are that of Utsav, her sister-lawyer Mansi Kukreja and herself.

Kukreja then gives a background to the incidents which led to the alleged incident of sexual harassment and refers to the exchange of texts between the two of them as banter in response to which Chakraborty allegedly sent her a d*ck pic. She says she has never asked Utsav for his nudes and hence the alleged image was unsolicited tantamounting to sexual harassment.

Read: ‘Send complaint within 24 hours or it will be dismissed’, The Wire’s external committee to the victim on allegations on Vinod Dua

Since last week, after the audio clips where Kukreja’s sister could be heard threatening legal action against Chakraborty should he put anything screenshots without Mahima’s permission, Chakraborty has taken to Twitter to put out screenshots of his conversation with various women who had alleged him of sexual harassment. In his defence he is claiming the sexting was consensual. In some case he has also claimed neither the sexting nor exchange of nudes as claimed by some women ever took place.

In October 2018, Mahima Kukreja in a series of tweets had accused Utsav Chakraborty, a standup-comedian, of sexually predatory behaviour. Mahima even shared various screenshots she had received from various girls who had come out and accused Utsav of sending unsolicited ‘d*ck pics’, asking for nude images of girls and even justifying them.

Later, in an interview with Zoom TV, Utsav attempted to whitewash his allegedly inappropriate behaviour by highlighting his mental health issues without offering any meaningful apology and then blamed the ‘rightwing’ for his predicament. Utsav had said, “A lot of it has been galvanised by rightwing Twitter accounts. Please check their Twitter accounts, their Twitter headers, whatever, a lot of it.”

Transgender Persons (Protection Of Rights) Bill 2019 passed in Rajya Sabha

OpIndia Staff
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Transgender Persons (Protection Of Rights) Bill 2019 passed in Rajya Sabha

The upper house of the Indian parliament has passed today the Transgender Persons Protection Bill 2019 that seeks to protect the rights of transgender persons by granting them recognition and making welfare provisions for them.

The bill, which was moved for consideration and passage in Rajya Sabha by Social Justice Minister Thaawarchand Gehlot, provides a mechanism for social, economic and educational empowerment of transgenders.

As per a report in Live Law, the Bill describes a transgender person as one whose gender does not replicate the gender designated at birth. It comprises trans-men and trans-women, people with intersex variations, gender-queers, and persons with socio-cultural identities.

It forbids discrimination against a transgender person, including refusal of service or prejudicial treatment in relation to: education, employment, healthcare, access to, or enjoyment of goods, facilities, opportunities available to the public, right to movement, right to reside, rent, or otherwise occupy property, opportunity to hold public or private office, and access to a government or private establishment in whose care or custody a transgender person is.

Read: Dear LGBT Community, Azadi slogans are clearly not working, it’s time to chant Jai Shri Ram

However, a section of the transgender community has been vehemently opposing the passage of the 2019 bill. The Transgender Persons Bill was first passed in 2014. Many persons belonging to the community had then hailed the bill as ideal, asserting that it was consistent with the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) judgment of the Supreme Court, which gave transgenders the right to “self-identification” as male, female or third-gender, and granted reservations in educational institutions as well as in jobs sector.

Several activists have alleged that the current bill dehumanises transgender people and openly disregard the 2014 Supreme Court judgment. The activists have asserted that inclusion of certain contentious provisions betrays the foundational principals of the originally conceived bill.

The Bill mandates transgender persons to go through a district magistrate to get certified as a trans person and a revised certificate may be obtained only if the individual undergoes surgery to confirm their gender. The bill also does not provide any provisions for an appeal or reconsideration of the decision taken by the District Magistrate if an individual is denied the certificate.

When Manmohan Singh congratulated himself for his handling of 26/11 terror attacks

Abhishek Banerjee
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When Manmohan Singh congratulated himself for his handling of 26/11 terror attacks

They say don’t politicize terrorism, nor the response to it. I don’t believe in that. On the one hand, terrorism is an intensely political act. On the other hand, national security is one of the primary responsibilities of the government. As such, response to terrorist attacks should every bit be a political issue, just as much as jobs, roads, electricity and water supply.

Remember how Joe Biden, then Vice President of the United States, campaigning for a second term for Obama-Biden in 2012, had famously said: “Osama bin Laden is dead and General Motors is alive!”

Yeah, nothing wrong with talking about terrorism or response to terrorism in political terms.

Anyone who tells you otherwise is either trying to cover up the motivations of terrorists. Or trying to shut up the conversation to avoid embarrassment to an incompetent government.

Every time PM Modi has mentioned the surgical strikes or the Balakot airstrikes, UPA’s apologists and India’s liberals have given the same whiny response: Don’t politicize.

Now, it is a matter generally agreed upon today that the UPA government’s response to 26/11 attacks was a complete disaster. Everyone remembers how the Chief Minister of Maharashtra arrived at Taj Hotel with a touring party from Bollywood. Everyone remembers India’s Home Minister more concerned with changing suits than coordinating the response of security forces.

Read: Tales of betrayal and Congress’ insensitivity as the 26/11 terror attack left 166 dead

What is not so well known is how then PM Manmohan Singh actually boasted about his handling of the 26/11 attacks. Congratulated himself on it and asked for votes on the basis of that in the 2009 elections.

Here, take a look!

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Economic Times article

That statement is from April 2009, at the peak of the Lok Sabha election campaign.

And do we have video? You bet!

For what it’s worth, in that speech, Dr Singh also reiterated his statement that Muslims should have the ‘first right’ to India’s resources.

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Economic Times article

Politicizing terror? Check.

Dividing people into first and second class citizens by religion? Check.

Folks, I give you the ‘honest’ Dr Manmohan Singh.

As I said, there would have been nothing wrong with the politicizing terror part if only the response to 26/11 had not been so disastrous. If there was ever a day that made India look like a weak state that would not stand up for itself, that was it.

A day for which we can never forgive the UPA.

Not only did Manmohan Singh do nothing to salvage India’s dignity after 26/11 attacks, he allowed his party members to drag India deeper into the mud.

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Congress leader Digvijay Singh releasing book blaming RSS for 26/11

Blaming 26/11 on RSS? Could there be anything more anti-national? Could anything have made Pakistan happier?

Incidentally, Aziz Burney, the author of that book, later apologized to RSS for making these ridiculous allegations. But Digvijay Singh did not.

What action did the Prime Minister take against Digvijay Singh? Nothing.

Read: ‘The party chose to pander to Muslim fears’: Wikileaks cable on Congress’ dangerous politics over 26/11 terror attack

In fact, one of Dr Singh’s ministers openly raised doubts on India’s official position on who was behind the attacks.

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India Today article

Manmohan Singh still did nothing. Things got worse and worse. By 2013, India’s Home Minister declared to the whole world that the BJP is a terrorist organization.

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Business Line article

Even at his latest UN speech, Pakistan PM Imran Khan gleefully reminded the world of this remark from Sushil Shinde. There is no doubt that Pakistan will keep bringing this up and embarrassing us. There is nothing we can do.

Dr Singh could have done something at the time. He could have chosen to retaliate against the 26/11 attacks. He did not.

When his minister questioned the government’s official position, he could have sacked Antulay immediately. He did not.

When Digvijay Singh went to release that book, Dr Singh could have chosen to throw him out of the Congress. He did not.

When Home Minister Sushil Shinde called BJP a terror outfit, Dr Singh could have chosen to sack him both from government and party. He did not.

And yet, Dr. Singh continued to claim credit for his handling of the attacks, even asking for votes on the basis of it!

Don’t politicize terror, they said. Ha!

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