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Udhayanidhi Stalin blames BJP for ‘twisting his words’ after comparing Sanatana Dharma to dengue, malaria that needs to be eradicated

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Udhayanidhi Stalin blames BJP for ‘twisting his words’ after comparing Sanatana Dharma to dengue, malaria that needs to be eradicated

In possibly his first reaction on a public forum to the controversy around his earlier rant against ‘Sanatanam’ (Sanatan Dharma), DMK leader and Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin, on Sunday, claimed that the BJP-led central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi “twisted, magnified and made the whole country talk about” his remarks.

The secretary of the DMK’s youth wing, Udhayanidhi reacted to the furore over his earlier remarks at the meeting of the party’s youth cadre in the Karur district on Sunday.

Invoking the row over his commentary on Sanatan Dharma, which he equated with “mosquitoes, dengue, malaria, fever, and corona” that need to be ‘eradicated’ and not merely opposed, Udhayanidhi said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which campaigning for the elections in Madhya Pradesh, brought up my speech and spoke about me. He said I had called for genocide (of followers of Sanatan Dharma). He accused me of saying things that I did not.”

“I was attending a conference (in Chennai) and spoke only for three minutes. All that I said was that everyone should be treated equally and not be discriminated against, and, that any attempts at discrimination must be eradicated. But they (BJP) twisted my comment, magnified it and made the whole country talk about me,” the DMK leader said.

“Some seers announced a bounty of 5-10 crore on my head. The matter is currently in court and I have full faith in the law. I was asked to tender an apology for my remarks. But I said I couldn’t apologise. I said that I am Stalin’s son, grandson of the Kalaignar and I was only articulating the ideology espoused by them,” the state minister for Sports and Youth Affairs added.

The son of Chief Minister MK Stalin, Udhayanidhi stoked a major controversy after he stated that Sanatana Dharma is incompatible with the concept of social justice and should be ‘eliminated’.

“Sanatana is like malaria and dengue and so it must be eradicated rather than opposed,” Udhayanidhi said at the event in Chennai.

Udhayanidhi drew severe backlash over his comment on social media, with many calling for legal action against the minister.

He later took to his official handle on X (formerly Twitter) to post, “Bring it on. I am ready to face any legal challenge. We will not be cowed down by such usual saffron threats.”

Hitting out at Udhayanidhi, Prime Minister Modi sought a “proper response” to his remarks.

However, CM Stalin jumped to his son’s defence saying that it was ‘unfair’ for PM Modi to “make comments without knowing what Udhayanidhi spoke” on Sanatana Dharma.

“It is disheartening to hear from the national media that the PM mentioned that Udhayanidhi’s remarks need a proper response during a meeting of his council of ministers. The Prime Minister has access to all the resources to verify any claim or report. So, is the Prime Minister speaking unaware of the lies spread about Udhayanidhi, or does he do so knowingly?” the CM posted from his official X handle.

He further accused BJP leaders of spreading a false narrative and alleging that his son called for the genocide of people harbouring and propagating Sanatan thoughts.

Udhyanidhi, too, released a statement earlier, clarifying his Sanatan remarks and accusing BJP leaders of twisting his speech as ‘inciting genocide’, saying that they were using it as a weapon to protect themselves.

Sharing a four-page letter on X, Udhayanidhi posted, “Let us resolve to work for the victory of the ideologies of Periyar, Anna, Kalaignar and Perasiriyar. Let Social Justice flourish forever.””It is in this background that the BJP leaders have twisted my speech at the TNPWAA conference as ‘inciting genocide’. They consider it a weapon to protect themselves. What is surprising is the Ministers of the Union government like Thiru. Amit Shah and Chief Minister of states ruled by the BJP demanding action against me based on fake news.”

Udhayanidhi was booked under Section 153A and 295A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) over his remarks against Sanatan Dharma on a complaint by advocates in Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, in September.

Congress leader and Karnataka minister Priyank Kharge was also booked under the same sections for allegedly endorsing the DMK leader’s remarks.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Election analysis: BJP puts up a strong fight in Telangana, trumps Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM

Dibakar Dutta
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Election analysis: BJP puts up a strong fight in Telangana, trumps Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM

The Election Commission of India (ECI) declared the polling results for the State of Telangana on Sunday (3rd December). While much of the election analysis remained fixated on the Congress that trumped the incumbent BRS government, the BJP’s electoral performance in Telangana is a success story in itself.

The saffron party came third in the race, beating the Communist Party of India (CPI) and Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM). BJP won 8 seats in the 2023 Telangana assembly elections, which is 7 times higher than the number of seats it won in 2018.

It has increased its vote share to 13.90% and secured a whopping 32. 57 lakh votes in the process. In contrast, the party’s vote share was only 6.98% in the 2018 Telangana assembly election. BJP had only won 1 seat at that time.

Screengrab of pie chart representing vote share of parties in the Telangana elections, graphic via ECI

As per the results declared by the Election Commission of India, BJP has increased its vote share by about 6.92% in the 2023 Telangana polls. This is remarkable in the sense that AIMIM, which has a stronghold in Hyderabad, could only secure 2.2% of the total votes.

Until five years ago, BJP relied heavily on its heavyweight candidate T Raja Singh and his performance in the Goshamahal constituency. However this time, the party has been able to defeat sitting Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and State Congress President Anumula Revanth Reddy in their bastion of Kamareddy.

In 2018, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) won in this particular constituency while the Congress party was the runner-up. The scenario changed completely in 2023. Katiapally Venkata Ramana Reddy of the BJP defeated both the BRS and the Congress despite the party being a distant third five years before.

Telangana map (marked in saffron) representing constituencies won by the BJP

On Sunday (3rd December), BJP’s Paidi Rakesh Reddy won from the Armur constituency while Dhanpal Suryanaryana emerged victorious from the Nizamabad (urban) constituency. Both the seats were won by the BRS in 2018.

The saffron party also trumped its opponents in the Adilabad and Sirpur constituencies where Payal Shanker and Dr Palvai Harish Babu managed to win comfortably. In the 2018 election, Payal Shanker was the runners-up from the Adilabad seat and had lost the polls by a margin of over 26,606 votes.

Despite this, the BJP reposed its faith in him and Shanker won by a margin of 6,692 votes in the 2023 Telangana election. Ram Rao Pawar of the BJP won from the Mudhole constituency, which the party had lost in 2018.

Final tally of seats in Telangana 2023 election, image via ECI

BJP candidate Alleti Maheshwar Reddy also managed to unseat BRS’ Allola Indrakaran Reddy in his bastion of Nirmal by over 50000 votes. T Raja Singh also continued his winning streak from the Goshamahal constituency, thus becoming a 4-time MLA.

While the BJP ranked third in the 2023 Telangana polls, it was able to outperform itself when compared to the electoral performance of 2018. This would boost the morale of the party cadre and would eventually help the saffron party to make deeper inroads in the Southern State.

When the result of the Telangana elections is analysed in the context of other States such as Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana, it becomes clear that the BJP has triumphed in every possible way ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Winter Session of Parliament begins today: Ethics Panel report on Mahua Moitra ‘cash for queries’ scam, CEC appointment bill expected to be hot topics

ANI
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Winter Session of Parliament begins today: Ethics Panel report on Mahua Moitra ‘cash for queries’ scam, CEC appointment bill expected to be hot topics

 The probe report by the Lok Sabha Ethics Panel in the ‘cash for query’ case against Trinamool Congress Mahua Moitra will top the list of business, as the Parliament convenes for what promises to be a stormy Winter Session of Parliament on Monday.

The Bills to be tabled on the opening day of the Winter Session include one to regulate the appointments for the Chief Election Commission and other election commissioners.

The government held an all-party meeting on Saturday for the smooth functioning of the session, which will have 15 sittings between December 4 and December 22.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh chaired the meeting of floor leaders of political parties in both houses of Parliament.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi later told reporters that the government is always ready to discuss, on the floor of the House, any issue as permitted under the rules of the respective presiding officers.

He also requested all party leaders for active cooperation and support for the smooth functioning of the two Houses of Parliament.”We have said that we are ready for discussion, but they will also have to follow the procedure for a structured debate. This is the last session of the 17th Lok Sabha. So there should be a structural debate. Our request is that the House run smoothly,” he said.

The government has 21 Bills on its agenda for the session, including the bills to replace the IPC, the Indian Evidence Act and the CrPC.

Congress members said that they will raise issues concerning the people and demanded a discussion on the Ethics Committee report on allegations faced by Mahua Moitra.

“Congress does not believe in taking away the rights of Parliamentarians. Congress believes that the membership of those elected by the public should not be taken away by any committee. There should be a discussion on this,” Congress member Pramod Tewari told the media.

The Revolutionary Socialist Party’s NK Premachandran said there should be discussion on unemployment, price rises, and the Israel-Palestine conflict.

“Most of the members have raised objections against imposing Hindi in the criminal laws by giving new names to the Indian Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code as well as Indian Evidence Act. It is even very difficult to pronounce as far as the people belonging to South Indian states are concerned. The government has not responded. I hope that the House will go without any disruption,” he said.

Sources said Trinamool Congress leaders said during the meeting that government does not share the full agenda at the all-party meeting and added that it “secretly added bills” in the middle of the last session.

They said that the three criminal law amendment bill should not be passed in the winter session as they have major ramifications. The bills should not be “bulldozed”, the Trinamool Congress MPs are known to have said.

They demanded discussion on federal structure–MNREGA dues, health funds, alleged interference in states–and issues of unemployment and price rise.

The Trinamool Congress MP is known to have said that reports of Parliamentary committees should not be made public until tabled on the floor of the House.

They alleged that the latest report of the Ethics Committee is already exposed to the the media and said they were seeing reports in the media that one member of the Trinamool Congress is “going to be expelled.”

The winter session will be held a day after the declaration of the results of assembly polls in five states: Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Mizoram and Telangana. The outcome of the polls is expected to have resonance in the session.

Samajwadi Party MP Dr ST Hasan demanded a discussion on communal harmony in the country.

“Some people want to create division in society. Discussion should be done in Parliament on communal harmony. If communal harmony is absent, there will be nothing left in the country.”

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) raised the demand for a caste census during the meeting.

BSP chief Mayawati, in a post on X, stated that her party conveyed that the central government should take ‘immediate positive steps’ in this regard. “In the all-party meeting today, before the winter session of Parliament, the BSP again demanded the government conduct a caste census in the country.

The central government must take immediate positive steps in this regard,” she said in a post on X.

Mayawati said that the demand of the public for a caste-based census is giving ‘sleepless nights’ to the ruling party in the country.

“The unprecedented interest and awareness towards the caste census among the people of the country, who are the victims of casteist exploitation and atrocities and are suffering from inflation, poverty, unemployment, poor roads, water, electricity, education, health and law and order, is giving sleepless nights to the BJP and the Congress is busy covering up its crimes,” she alleged.

The BSP supremo further said that the central government should ensure that people are given their rights in the true sense.

“Although various state governments are half-heartedly trying to satisfy the public sentiments to a great extent by conducting caste censuses in the name of ‘social justice’, its true solution is possible only when the central government conducts the correct caste census at the national level and ensures that people are given their rights,” she added.

The Bills on the agenda of the government include The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023 and The Bhartiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, 2023.

Opposition parties have opposed the Chief Election Commissioner and other Election Commissioners (Appointment, Conditions of Service and Term of Office) Bill, 2023.The Congress has alleged that the bill is a “blatant attempt” at making the poll watchdog a “total puppet in the hands of the Prime Minister”.

Other bills on the government’s agenda include The Repealing and Amending Bill, 2023 (passed by Lok Sabha), the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023 and the Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill, 2023, which have been passed by Rajya Sabha.They also include Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Castes Order (Amendment) Bill, the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, Jammu and Kashmir Reservation (Amendment) Bill, 2023, Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation (Amendment) Bill, Boilers Bill, 2023, the Provisional Collection of Taxes Bill, the Central Goods and Services Tax (Second Amendment) Bill, Jammu and Kashmir Reorganization (Amendment) Bill, Government of Union Territories (Amendment) Bill, The National Capital Territory of Delhi Laws (Special Provisions) Second (Amendment) Bill, Central Universities (Amendment) Bill and Post Office Bill.

Bills related to the first batch of supplementary demands for Grants for the years 2023-24 and demands for excess grants for 2020-21 are also on the agenda.

Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, Congress MPs Jairam Ramesh and Pramod Tiwari, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s Mahua Maji and TMC’s Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Derek O’Brien were among the leaders present at the meeting.

Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury has written a letter to Speaker Om Birla on the report of the Ethics Committee reportedly recommending the expulsion of Mahua Moitra in the cash-for-query case, saying that it would be an “extremely serious punishment and has very wide ramifications”.

In the letter, the Congress leader said that as per the records, prior to Mahua’s case, the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha dealt with a minuscule number of cases, mainly pertaining to purported acts of deviation from the general norms of conduct, with the punitive action recommended being confined to admonition, reprimand, and suspension from the sittings of the House for a specified period.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, who is also chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, said the views expressed by him are in his personal capacity.

“If the media reports on the recommendations of the Ethics Committee on choosing to recommend expelling Ms. Mohua Moitra from Parliament are right, it would, perhaps be the first such recommendation of the Ethics Committee of Lok Sabha. Expulsion from Parliament, you will agree Sir, is an extremely serious punishment and has very wide ramifications,” he said.

The Ethics Committee, which probed the ‘cash-for-query’ allegations against Mahua Moitra, is slated to lay its report in Lok Sabha on the first day of the winter session of Parliament on December 4.

The listed agenda of Lok Sabha for December 4 mentions that Vinod Kumar Sonkar and Aparjita Sarangi will lay the “First Report (Hindi and English versions) of the Committee on Ethics” on the table.

Lok Sabha Ethics Committee had last month submitted its draft report connection with the ‘cash-for-query’ case to Speaker Om Birla. Sources said the committee had recommended the expulsion of Moitra. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

“Hat-trick in assembly election is a guarantee of hat-trick in 2024 Lok Sabha polls”: PM Modi says while addressing party workers after winning 3 states

OpIndia Staff
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“Hat-trick in assembly election is a guarantee of hat-trick in 2024 Lok Sabha polls”: PM Modi says while addressing party workers after winning 3 states

On Sunday (3rd December), Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted and addressed a crowd of party workers and supporters at BJP headquarters in New Delhi following the saffron party’s electoral victory in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh.  

Delivering the victory address, PM Modi thanked the voters saying, “The people of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Chhattisgarh have showered love on the BJP, even in Telangana, people’s support for the BJP is increasing constantly. We are lucky to get so much love and trust from our family members.”

He hailed the party’s victory in the assembly polls as a victory for his government’s agenda of self-reliant India. He said, “Today’s victory is historical and unprecedented. The idea of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ has won today. Today’s victory is of a path towards developed India. It is a victory of our resolve towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. This is a victory of honest, transparent governance.” 

PM Modi asserted that BJP’s hat-trick in the state assembly elections is a guarantee that the saffron party will make a hat-trick of Lok Sabha poll wins in 2024. He added, “Some people are saying this hat-trick has guaranteed the 2024 victory.”

PM Modi stressed that today’s mandate proves people have zero tolerance for corruption, appeasement, and dynastic politics.

Further in his address, PM Modi took a dig at the opposition’s I.N.D.I.A. bloc. He stressed that BJP’s electoral victories in the three states should be a lesson for the Congress and the opposition’s I.N.D.I.A. bloc that the mere gathering of some dynasts on a dais may make for a good photograph but with that, they cannot win people’s confidence. 

PM Modi added that voters have delivered a warning to these parties involved in corruption to either mend their ways or people will finish them off.  

“Today’s result is a warning for those powers (who) are against the politics of progress. This is a big lesson for Congress and their ghamndiya (arrogant) alliance,” he told a jubilant crowd of party workers. 

Launching a scathing attack on opposition parties’ caste census push, PM Modi added that several attempts were made to divide the country on caste lines. He noted that for him, women, youth, poor, and farmers are the only castes in the country and their empowerment would further strengthen the country.

“But, I kept on saying that for me four castes are supreme – and they are Nari Shakti, Yuva Shakti, Kisaan, and the Gareeb Parivaar. The country will be strengthened if these four will be empowered,” he said.

PM Modi also expressed gratitude to Nari Shakti for supporting the BJP. He added, “I want to express my gratitude to the ‘Nari Shakti’ of the country. I would often say during my rallies that ‘Nari Shakti’ has decided that BJP’s flag will rise high in the elections.” 

“Today every poor is saying that he has won. Every deprived person has a feeling that he has won the election. Every farmer says that he has won this election. Today, every tribal brother and sister is happy thinking that the victory he has turned…his own. Every first-time voter is saying with great pride that my first vote has become the reason for my victory,” PM Modi said.

Stressing that in his political career, he has refrained from predictions, PM Modi pointed out that he broke this rule in Rajasthan. He said, “But this time, I broke this rule. In Rajasthan. I predicted that Congress would not return in Rajasthan…I had confidence in the people of Rajasthan.” 

PM Modi pointed out that the voters have realised that India progresses when the state moves forward and the life of their family improves and hence they are electing BJP continuously.  

He noted, “The voter needs a well-defined roadmap to improve his lifestyle…India’s voter knows that when India moves forward then the state moves forward and the life of every family improves. So, the voter is choosing the BJP continuously.” 

“If necessary EVM should be removed”: UP Congress spokesperson alleges EVM manipulation for BJP win 3 states, remains silent on Telangana result

OpIndia Staff
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“If necessary EVM should be removed”: UP Congress spokesperson alleges EVM manipulation for BJP win 3 states, remains silent on Telangana result

After the assembly election results show that BJP would comfortably form governments in three states – Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan – Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi raised questions on EVMs (Electronic Voting Machine). He made the claims even though Congress won the polls in Telangana by defeating BRS.

Anshu Awasthi said, “We have been saying again and again that a deliberation on EVMs needs to happen. All political parties have raised this question before the Election Commission. To ensure that the country’s trust in democracy continues, EVMs need to be removed and it needs to be deliberated upon.”

“It is not possible that people’s desire on the ground is something else and EVMs say something entirely different. So, it needs to be deliberated upon. The country wants this, we want this,” the Congress spokesperson added.

On Sunday (3rd December), the counting day in four states, the Congress spokesperson blamed the EVMs for the Congress party’s defeat in three states and asserted that it is necessary to introspect. 

However, the Congress spokesmen remained silent on the fact that the EVMs were also used in Telangana where the Congress party achieved victory by winning 64 seats in the 119 member house, against 38 won by incumbent BRS.  

In the 44-second video, Congress spokesperson Anshu Awasthi cast aspersions on the EVMs. According to the Congress spokesperson, it is important for people to not have faith in EVM but in the democracy of the country. The Congress leader also said that he has expressed his concerns to the Election Commission. He even went on to add that if necessary, EVMs should be removed.

According to media reports, earlier as well, many opposition leaders have raised doubts and aspersions on EVMs. Two months earlier, Congress leader and former Union Minister Manish Tiwari had also demanded that elections should be conducted through ballot instead of EVMs.

Expressing fear of rigging and tampering in EVM machines, Manish Tiwari said that the country’s democracy cannot be left to technology. Apart from raising aspersions on EVMs, Congress raised questions on the exit polls after it predicted that the BJP government would be formed in Madhya Pradesh.

As per the Election Commission of India, the BJP has retained its government in Madhya Pradesh with 163 seats while it has defeated the ruling Congress in Chhattisgarh with 54 seats against 35 won by Congress, In Rajasthan BJP has won 115 seats to win the polls against 69 won by Congress. On the other hand, the Congress won the Telangana election with 64 seats against 39 secured by BRS, where CM K. Chandrashekar Rao lost his seat.

Chhattisgarh: Labourer Ishwar Sahu, father of youth killed by Muslim mob in a riot, defeats 7-time Congress MLA Ravindra Choubey

OpIndia Staff
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Chhattisgarh: Labourer Ishwar Sahu, father of youth killed by Muslim mob in a riot, defeats 7-time Congress MLA Ravindra Choubey

In Chhattisgarh’s Saja constituency, BJP candidate Ishwar Sahu, a labourer by profession and a riot victim, defeated Congress sitting MLA and Minister Ravindra Choubey who had won the seat seven times in the past, by 5,196 votes. While Ishwar Sahu garnered 1,01,789 votes, the Congress candidate came in the second spot with 96,593 votes. 

Barring the 2013 assembly elections when he lost it to a BJP candidate, Choubey had been winning the Saja constituency seat since 1985. In Bhupesh Baghel’s cabinet, he was serving as parliamentary affairs minister of Chhattisgarh. From 2009 to 2013, he was the leader of the opposition in the Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly. 

On the other hand, Ishwar Sahu is not a career ‘politician’, he is a labourer and riot victim, whose son was killed by a Muslim mob, who was fielded by BJP against Congress’ veteran leader on this seat. During campaigning, Ishwar Sahu repeatedly launched a scathing attack on Congress’ sitting MLA and said that as a public representative, Ravindra Choubey did not fulfil his duty.

He had asserted that those who are giving protection to the accused murderers who were part of the Jihadi frenzy in Biranpur of Saja assembly constituency under appeasement politics and putting innocent youth in jail cannot understand our pain.

Minor cycle collision turned into a communal incident

Notably, Ishwar Sahu’s son Bhuvaneshvar Sahu was killed in a communal clash in Biranpur village in April, this year. The incident unfolded on 8th April when a Hindu youth was attacked and killed with a sword by a Muslim mob in the Bemetara district of Chhattisgarh. The clashes broke out after a minor dispute took place between two schoolchildren. About a dozen persons sustained injuries including police personnel in the subsequent clashes between Hindu and Muslim communities.  

The incident reportedly took place in the Bemetara district’s Biranpur village of the Saja assembly constituency. A bicycle collision occurred between two school students who belonged to two different communities. As a result, the Muslim student hit the Hindu student. Soon others present on the spot joined the fight and a Muslim teenager hit the hand of the Hindu student with a glass bottle. In this attack, the Hindu student’s hand was fractured, and this triggered communal violence.

Hearing about the clash, more people arrived, the matter took a heated turn and then escalated into full-blown communal violence. During this, some sword-wielding Muslims broke into the house of one Ishwar Sahu and started to hit them with swords. They dragged Ishar Sahu’s 22-year-old son Bhuneshwar Sahu out of the house, brought to a Muslim neighbourhood, and killed him with swords.

However, the Muslim community denied the charges and defended it claiming that he had gone there to attack Muslims and he was killed in a retaliatory attack.

As violence continued for several his body was lying at the murder spot for a long time. When the police team arrived in Biranpur village to settle the dispute after learning about the incident, the Muslim mob attacked them also, and pelted stones at the police team. Three police personnel including sub-inspector BR Thakur were injured in this attack. Several vehicles including a police vehicle were also set on fire by a mob and then tried to set some houses on fire.

Congress remembered I.N.D.I. Alliance after three months: Omar Abdullah doubts the possibility of the alliance winning Lok Sabha after assembly elections result

OpIndia Staff
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Congress remembered I.N.D.I. Alliance after three months: Omar Abdullah doubts the possibility of the alliance winning Lok Sabha after assembly elections result

Following the Congress party’s disastrous performance in the three Hindi heartlands of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has voiced concerns over the I.N.D.I. Alliance’s survival. Furthermore, he denounced the Congress for disregarding the opposition bloc and its affiliated political parties.

Talking about the Bharatiya Janata Party’s incredible performance he stated, “BJP should be congratulated because we were not expecting this result. We were hearing from our allies that in Chhattisgarh, the Congress would come to power easily, they would win in Madhya Pradesh as well, they were confident in Telangana and they were even saying that in the end, they would come out victorious in Rajasthan as well.”

He remarked that Congress was certain it would establish its government in Telangana and that only their claim in the southern state held up when the results were announced. “Neither could they save Chhattisgarh, nor win back Madhya Pradesh nor could they win in Rajasthan again.”

He added, “If you see Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath was the Chief Minister for a short time, but leaving that aside, for around 20 years BJP was in power. This is BJP’s fifth term. This is huge,” and further revealed, “On December 6, the Congress chief invited some I.N.D.I. Alliance leaders for lunch. They recalled the bloc after three months. Let’s see.”

The National Conference vice-president didn’t appear optimistic about the prospects of the opposition and noted, “I cannot say anything. The situation of the I.N.D.I. Alliance in the state elections, if the same continues in the future, then we will not be able to save ourselves.”

He also brought up the issue of denying a ticket to ex-Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav’s Samajwadi party in Madhya Pradesh. “The Congress could not understand the ground situation in Madhya Pradesh. What would have they lost if they had given 5-7 seats to Akhilesh Yadav,” he questioned and mentioned, “They have lost anyway. It is possible that if Akhilesh Yadav was given a few seats, we could save ourselves a little in MP. Now the results are out.”

“What storm could have blown? What have they won now? The results are in front of everyone now,” the exasperated politician asked. “The NC will be standing on its own,” he answered while addressing the issue of whether his party is going to contest with the I.N.D.I. Alliance in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly election.

“A former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh asked us about our performance in the state. We told him how many seats we had won and when as well as in which seats we stood at number two. We had a comprehensive discussion. They woke up Samajwadi Party leaders even at 1 a.m. They assured us six seats. However, when the lists were announced, there were zero seats for the Samajwadi Party,” Akhilesh Yadav had complained after Congress ignored his party before the assembly poll in Madhya Pradesh.

Meanwhile, on 6 December leaders of the opposition bloc which consists of twenty-six political parties are scheduled to convene at the Delhi home of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to devise a plan for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. According to reports in the media, the leaders are expected to meet and decide the strategy to fight the BJP before the elections.

“Idea of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ has won today”: PM Modi after party’s victory in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh

ANI
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“Idea of ‘sabka saath, sabka vikas’ has won today”: PM Modi after party’s victory in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday termed BJP’s victories in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh as historic and said various sections including the poor, farmers and tribal brothers and sisters were seeing it as their victory.

Addressing the party workers and supporters at BJP headquarters here, the Prime Minister said the idea of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ has won.

Attacking opposition parties, specially the Congress, he said there were efforts to divide the country based on castes.

“In this election, there were efforts to divide the country based on castes. I kept saying that for me, four castes are important – Nari Shakti, Yuva Shakti, Kisaan aur Gareeb Parivaar,” he said.

“Today’s victory is historical and unprecedented. The idea of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ has won today. Today’s victory is of a path towards developed India. It is a victory of our resolve towards Atmanirbhar Bharat. This is a victory of honest, transparent governance,” he added.

The Prime Minister expressed gratitude to women for their support to the BJP.

“I want to express my gratitude to the ‘Nari Shakti’ of the country. I would often say during my rallies that ‘Nari Shakti’ has decided that BJP’s flag will rise high in the elections,” he said.

“Today every poor is saying that he has won. Every deprived person has a feeling that he has won the election. Every farmer says that he has won this election. Today, every tribal brother and sister is happy thinking that the victory he has turned…his own. Every first-time voter is saying with great pride that my first vote has become the reason for my victory,” he added.

The Prime Minister said in his political career he has refrained from predictions.

“But this time, I broke this rule. In Rajasthan. I predicted that Congress would not return in Rajasthan…I had confidence in the people of Rajasthan,” he said.

He lauded party workers for their work during the polls. The Prime Minister said the BJP has also improved its performance in Telangana. Counting of votes was taken up for Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh assembly polls on Sunday.

PM Modi greeted BJP supporters on his arrival at the party headquarters. 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Telangana: BJP’s Katipally Venkata Ramana Reddy emerges as a giant slayer, defeats CM KCR and Congress CM candidate A Revanth Reddy

OpIndia Staff
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Telangana: BJP’s Katipally Venkata Ramana Reddy emerges as a giant slayer, defeats CM KCR and Congress CM candidate A Revanth Reddy

In a high-stakes battle in the Kamareddy constituency of Telangana, BJP’s Katipally Venkata Ramana Reddy defeated K Chandrasekhar Rao of BRS and state Congress chief A Revanth Reddy in a close fight. In a triangular fight, he garnered 66,652 votes while his competitors KCR and Revanth Reddy got 59,911 and 54,916 votes to finish in second and third positions respectively. 

While the Congress party has won the assembly elections in Telangana defeating the ruling BRS, the defeat of the state Congress chief has come as an embarrassment for the party, as he was the top contender for the CM’s post. Notably, there were 39 candidates in the constituency.

Following his victory, the businessman-turned-politician KV Ramana Reddy thanked the people of Kamareddy. He tweeted, “This victory belongs to all the people of Kamareddy constituency.”

Kamareddy assembly constituency is part of the Nizamabad district. Gampa Govardhan of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), now Bhartiya Rashtra Samithi (BRS) had won this seat last time, in the 2018 elections. 

Notably, KCR has twice served as the Chief Minister of the newest-formed state and has been in power since June 2014. On the other hand, it is being claimed that Congress state Chief A Revanth Reddy is leading the race for Chief Ministership if Congress forms its government in the state, as per the current trend seems highly likely, even though he has lost the elections.

As a result, after his triumph, he is being projected as a ‘giant killer’ who has defeated the outgoing and possibly the next CM of Telangana indicating a ground swell and emergence of leaders for the saffron party in the Southern state.

Hailing his victory, Former Union Minister Kiren Rijiju tweeted, “Please don’t ignore this great man! BJP’s Katipally Venkata Ramana defeated both the sitting CM of Telangana, KCR, and Congress CM candidate, Revanth Reddy from the Kamareddy Assembly seat. This is a major victory which is not being discussed at all!” 

BJP’s Telangana state President G Kishan Reddy tweeted, “It’s Saffron Wave in Kamareddy. Hearty Congratulations to Shri Katipally Venkata Ramana Reddy @kvr4kamareddy on winning the Kamareddy seat. It is extremely heartening that our Kamareddy Candidate, Shri Katipally Venkata Ramana Reddy has defeated both the Telangana CM KCR and the President of the Telangana Congress, Shri A. Revanth Reddy. This shows that the BJP candidates have the Telangana people’s support and can humble any leader of any stature.”

As per the current trend, Congress is set to win Telangana, defeating the ruling BRS. Congress is winning 64 seats, against 39 by BRS. BJP is winning 8 seats, 1 more than 7 expected to be won by AIMIM.

Mahadev ka shraap, Congress saaf: Union minister Anurag Thakur’s betting app jibe at Congress after massive victory in assembly polls

OpIndia Staff
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Mahadev ka shraap, Congress saaf: Union minister Anurag Thakur’s betting app jibe at Congress after massive victory in assembly polls

The Congress has suffered a major political loss after the Bharatiya Janata Party’s electoral triumph in the three key states of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh as well as strengthen its position in Telangana where the Congress party has managed to defeat the incumbent K. Chandrashekar Rao’s Bharat Rashtra Samithi government.

The defeat of Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel’s administration in Chhattisgarh has now been mocked by the winning party using the Mahadev app scam which grabbed a lot of headlines lately. Reacting to the phenomenal performance of his party, Youth Affairs and Minister of Information and Broadcasting in the Modi government Anurag Singh Thakur stated, “Mahadev ka shraap, Congress saaf,” which means that the Congress party lost in the three states including Chhattisgarh because of Lord Mahadev’s curse.

He pointed out that the Chhattisgarh administration helmed by the Congress had broken its promises while in office. While addressing the BJP’s exceedingly impressive election tally in the assembly elections, he highlighted that everyone in the region was aware that they could engage in corruption and then pay off Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. He called this strategy the “Bhupe campaign” a pun on the name of the chief minister and the online payment service PhonePe.

He charged that the state of Chhattisgarh became an ATM for the Congress party and one scam after another tarnished the name of the chief minister and the Congress party. Notably, the BJP has recorded outstanding numbers since late morning on the day of the results, 3rd December, even though the counting of votes is still ongoing in some constituencies.

On 15 November during the election campaign, Minister of Home Affairs Amit Shah accused CM Bhupesh Baghel of defaming Lord Mahadev by naming the controversial betting app after him. “If they had to engage in betting, they could have done it in the name of Bhupesh Baghel. Why did he use the name Mahadev,” he had asked at a rally in Chhattisgarh.

Mahadev App and its link with Bhupesh Baghel

The Mahadev app is an illicit online betting platform that laundered the money it collected from players who aren’t in India. Four individuals, including primary accused Saurabh Chandrakar and Madhya Pradesh’s Ravi Uppal, developed the Mahadev betting software which progressively supplanted at least ten other similar illegal betting apps that were in widespread usage across the nation.

A few of the apps that were formerly a part of the Mahadev betting fold are Lotus 365 and ReddyAnna. India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Pakistan are all connected to Mahadev Online Book (MOB) through its headquarters in the United Arab Emirates.

According to new evidence gleaned from a search operation on 2nd November, the Mahadev app promoters had previously made regular payments to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and as of 3rd November, they paid him around Rs 508 crore. The information was disclosed by the Enforcement Directorate which is looking into the Mahadev app fraud for possible money laundering activities.

Credible tips were received by the national agency which on 2nd November successfully carried out search operations in Chhattisgarh which resulted in the seizure of Rs 5.39 crore in cash in the state.

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