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Senior Congress leaders don’t want to campaign in West Bengal to avoid upsetting Mamata Banerjee: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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Senior Congress leaders don’t want to campaign in West Bengal to avoid upsetting Mamata Banerjee: Reports

ven as two phases of eight phase election in West Bengal are already over, senior Congress leaders are visibly absent from the campaigning in the state. Now, according to a report by CNN News 18, the reason is that, no senior leader wants to campaign in the state.

Reportedly, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have decided to concentrate on campaigning in Kerala at present, and may campaign in Bengal after the elections are over in the southern state. The Congress party, which is playing the role of a third front in West Bengal in alliance with left parties and ISF, does not see much prospect which has turned into a direct fight between ruling TMC and BJP. As a result, the central leaders of the party do not want to waste their time effort in a losing election.

The Congress party see TMC as an ally to combat BJP at the national level, therefore it is not too willing to upset that equation by offering a strong contest to the Mamata Banerjee led party in the state, which is already facing a tough contest from BJP. Therefore, even though state leaders like Adhir Ranjan Choudhury have been speaking against the CM and TMC, others in the party have refrained from making any comments against Mamata Banerjee and TMC.

The party is giving a contradictory signal on its position on TMC. While the state leadership has been openly criticising CM Mamata Banerjee, the central leadership has not criticised her openly. The party has cordial relation with the CM, and hence they are avoiding attacking her directly. Even though the party has upset Mamata Banerjee to some extent by allying with the left front in Bengal, they don’t want to upset her further by actively campaigning against her.

It is also being speculated that senior leaders of the Congress party do not want to be seen with the Islamic cleric Abbas Siddiqui led Indian Secular Front, the party’s ally in Bengal. Yesterday ISF chief Abbas Siddiqui had commented on the issue, saying that it is sad and unfortunate that the Congress party has been missing in the election campaign in the state so far. According to reports, Adhir Ranjan Choudhury has also refused to share the stage with Siddiqui, as he is not happy with the Islamic party.

It may be noted several allies of the Congress party in other states have decided to campaign against the party in support of TMC in West Bengal.  Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), allies of the Congress party in Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Bihar, have snubbed the party to campaign for TMC in the state.

Rahul Gandhi asks for American interference in India’s internal affairs, asks why the US establishment is silent

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi asks for American interference in India’s internal affairs, asks why the US establishment is silent

While the Indian government is rejecting any foreign interference in domestic matters in India, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has decided to take the opposite path. The Kerala MP stroked a massive outrage today by asking for American interference in India’s internal matters.

Rahul Gandhi made the comments during an online interaction with Ambassador Nicholas Burns of the Harvard Kennedy School. The Gandhi scion was invited by the Harvard Kennedy School’s Institute of Politics to talk about challenges and opportunities in India and reflections on politics and public service.

Nicholas Burns is a former American ambassador to Greece, and currently a Professor of the Practice of Diplomacy and International Politics at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government.

Rahul Gandhi asked for American interference in India towards the end of the program, after host Nicholas Burns had delivered his concluding remarks. After Burns concluded the session, Rahul Gandhi asks if he can make a quick ending comment. He then proceeds to say, “I don’t hear anything from the US establishment about what is happening in India. If you are saying partnership in democracy is, I mean, what’s your view on what is happening here?” Burns was visibly shocked after hearing this open offer from Rahul Gandhi for asking for America to comment on India’s internal matters.

Rahul Gandhi also added, “I fundamentally believe, that America is a profound idea. The idea of freedom, the way it is encapsulated in your constitution is a very powerful idea. But you got to defend that idea. And that’s the real question.” However, Nicholas Burns didn’t respond to this specifically, only saying that when they will hold the next session in two weeks with another guest from India, they will discuss these matters.

During the session, Rahul Gandhi also extensively criticised the Narendra Modi government in the program by the American university. He also brought the matter of poll officials using a vehicle belonging to a BJP leader to carry EVMs after the elections. He complained that this was a very serious matter which was not being covered by national BJP. He alleged that BJP has absolute dominance over media.

He also alleged that BJP has complete control over the system, including the judiciary, and therefore the opposition parties were not being able to contest against BJP.

Election Commission bans Himanta Biswa Sarma from campaigning for saying Congress ally BPF chief will be jailed if he encourages extremism

OpIndia Staff
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Election Commission bans Himanta Biswa Sarma from campaigning for saying Congress ally BPF chief will be jailed if he encourages extremism

The Election Commission has banned Assam BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma from campaigning in the elections for the next 48 hours. The EC decision came after the Congress party had filed a petition with the poll panel seeking a ban on him for allegedly threatening Hagrama Mohilary, leader of Congress ally Bodoland People’s Front (BPF).

The Election Commission found that Himanta Biswa Sarma violated the model code of conduct by his comments on Mohilary, and banned him from holding any public meeting, procession, rally, road show etc for the next 48 hours. He will also be not able to give any interviews and make any comments on any electronic, print and social media, as per the EC order. The Commission also said that it strongly condemns the impugned statements made by Sarma.

On March 30, the Congress had moved the Election Commission of India seeking registration of FIR and putting a blanket ban on Himanta Biswa Sarma from campaigning for the Assam Assembly elections. The Congress had sought action against the senior Assam minister and NEDA convenor for allegedly threatening BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary of “sending him to jail” during campaigning for BJP for the Assam Assembly elections.

“He has openly threatened his opponent party, INC alliance partner Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) chairperson Hagrama Mohilary of sending him to jail by misusing the Central Agency – NIA which is under the direct administrative control of the BJP led Central Government”, the Congress petition had said.

After receiving the petition, yesterday the EC had asked Sarma to submit explanation within 2nd April. Himanta Biswa Sarma submitted his response today accordingly, but EC was not satisfied with it, and imposed the ban.

The petition was filed after Himanta Biswa Sarma had alleged during an interaction with media that Hagrama Mohilary has links with terrorists. He had said that if it is proven that Hagrama Mohilary is collaborating with terrorist M Batha for return of extremism in the Bodoland area, he will be sent to jail. “If he does extremism with Batha, he will go to jail, that is straight talk. If Hagrama encourages Batha, he will go to jail, already there are of proofs”, he had said. Sarma had also said that a recent case of recovery of arms from a vehicle in the region will be handed over to NIA after the elections.

Saying that he is “not afraid” of either Batha or Hagrama, Sarma had said that violence will not be encouraged in the Bodoland region again. “There will be no bombings and there will be no guns in the BTR. Let me clarify that,” he had said. Talking about the Batha trying to revive terrorism, he had said, “The NIA will enquire everything and things will become clearer in the due course of time. Only someone who is having a rough time will encourage such acts after losing an election.”

The ban by EC effectively means that Himanta Biswa Sarma will not be able to campaign for the ongoing elections again. The last phase of the election in Assam will took place on 6th April, which means the last date for campaigning for the elections in those constituencies will be 4th April. This means, when the ban on Sarma will end, the campaigning for the third and last phase will also end.

Sarma is the biggest campaigner for BJP in the elections in Assam, and every day he addresses more than half a dozen election rallies, apart from participating in several roadshows every day. He had a packed schedule for the next two days for the third phase of polling, which will have to be scrapped now.

This also means that Himanta Bisaw Sarma will not be able to campaign for himself at the Jalukbari constituency. He has not campaigned for a single day in his constituency so far. However, party workers and his wife are running the campaign on his behalf. In the 2016 elections too, he had campaigned in Jalukbari only on the last day of the campaigning, and he had won the seat comfortably.

‘There will be a government of men with beard, cap and lungi in Assam’, says son of Badruddin Ajmal

OpIndia Staff
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‘There will be a government of men with beard, cap and lungi in Assam’, says son of Badruddin Ajmal

Congress alliance partner in Assam AIUDF seems to be working hard to prove the claim of BJP true that if they come to power, they will form a government of Miyas, a term used to denote Bangladeshi immigrant Muslims. Such a hint was given by Abdur Rahim Ajmal, the son of AIDUF chief Maulana Badruddin Ajmal, when he claimed that they will form a government by men with beard, skullcap and lungi.

Addressing an election campaign rally in Bhabanipur in Assam for party candidate Phanidhar Talukdar, Abdur Rahim Ajmal said in Bengali, ‘this time it will be a government of poor people, it will be a government of men with beard, cap and lungi’.

In another rally, he claimed that after they form govt, people will have to respect burkha, beard and skullcap. Campaigning for AIUDF candidate Ashraful Hussain in Chenga constituency, the junior Ajmal said, ‘Dupatta of our mothers and sisters will have to be respected, the Burkha of our mothers and sisters will have to be respected, our beard and cap will have to be respected’.

Abdur Rahim Ajmal is an AIUDF MLA from Jamunamukh constituency. However, this time Badruddin Ajmal’s brother Sirajuddin Ajmal has been nominated from the seat by AIUDF.

The beard, skullcap, lungi, burkha etc are commonly associated with Bangladeshi immigrant Muslims in the state. People from the Assamese Muslim community, descendants of people who were ethnic Assamese but converted to Islam centuries ago, are generally not distinguished by such appearance and attire. By repeatedly referring to beard, skullcap, lungi, burkha etc, Abdur Rahim Ajmal made it clear that should the Congress led alliance comes to power after the elections, they will form a government comprising of Miya Muslims, and the government will work for the benefit of the immigrants from Bangladesh.

This is the second controversy the AIUDF leaders have created in this week. Two days ago, party chief Badruddin Ajmal hat triggered a massive controversy by angrily throwing a Gamosa at a party worker. The act was widely condemned in the state, as it was seen as an insult of a cultural symbol of the state. PM Modi had also commented that everyone who loves Assam is hurt and angry after seeing the visuals of Ajmal insulting the Gamosa.

Ex assistant editor at Mint calls ‘Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa’ a ‘right wing whistle call’, netizens give befitting reply

OpIndia Staff
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Ex assistant editor at Mint calls ‘Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa’ a ‘right wing whistle call’, netizens give befitting reply

Ex-Assistant Editor at Mint, Nidheesh MK, described ‘Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa’, the invocation of Swami Ayyappa, as the ‘favourite whistle call of right wing protesters’. Nidheesh made the comment after Prime Minister Modi said the same at a rally in Kerala, the land of the Sabarimala Temple, while campaigning for the assembly elections in the state.

Source: Twitter

Netizens slammed the ‘journalist’ for what they saw as an insult to the sacred invocation.

People on social media also called Nidheesh a bigot for describing the invocation as a whistle call.

Mostly, however, people just quote-tweeted the controversial tweet saying ‘Swamiye Sharanam Ayyappa’.

The invocation became the rallying crying for the Hindus in Kerala who came out on the streets in large numbers to defend the unique traditions of the Sabarimala Temple following a Supreme Court verdict that permitted the entry of women into its premises.

Swami Ayyappa is worshipped in Sabarimala in His manifestation as a Naishtik Brahmachari and the entry of women would have resulted in the violation of the Brahmachari character of the Deity.

Columnist says Foreign Policy editors had forced him to write that the farm laws were “rammed through the Indian Parliament” by Modi govt

OpIndia Staff
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Columnist says Foreign Policy editors had forced him to write that the farm laws were “rammed through the Indian Parliament” by Modi govt

Days after American news publication Foreign Policy (FP) published an article insinuating that the Modi government rushed the farm laws through the Parliament, it has now come to light that the Editors of the publication had forced the columnist to make the exaggerated claim. This informed by the author of the article himself in his Telegram channel in a chat with another person.

On Tuesday (March 30), FP posted an article titled, “India’s Rich Farmers are Holding Up Reforms Designed to Help the Poor.” While the article debunked most of the Western propaganda about farm laws, the columnist Salvatore Babones cast aspersions about the manner in which the farm laws were passed in the Indian Parliament. “Rammed through the Indian Parliament in September on voice votes with little opportunity for a proper legislative scrutiny, the three bills sparked pandemonium in the upper house,” the article claimed.

Screengrab of the Foreign Policy document

It must be mentioned that the ruling BJP enjoys an absolute majority in the Lower House of the Parliament and they were easily passed in Lok Sabha. When the Bill was placed before the Rajya Sabha, Opposition parties created a ruckus in the Upper House. They broke the Deputy Chairman’s mic, tore the rule book and even manhandled and shoved the marshals on-duty. When the House reconvened, a voice vote was taken to determine those in support/against the Motion.

The Bill was thus passed in both the Houses of the Parliament and received the President’s assent to become a law. The farm laws, thus, followed the true democratic spirit and the mandate given by the people to the incumbent Modi government. The insinuation that the Centre somehow circumvented the Parliament or rushed through it is far from the reality.

Foreign Policy columnist succumbs to pressure tactics of Editors

Screengrab of the messages

When OpIndia joined the writer’s Telegram channel, we found a message in the group by the same columnist. He wrote, “Read my latest for Foreign Policy…it’s sure to cause controversy. Comments welcome!” While complimenting him for striking a balance, another user S Verma said, “Thank you for a balanced article. I will take exception to the statement that the Bills were rushed through the Parliament. These issues have been on the backburner for several years.”

Screengrab of the messages

The columnist of the Foreign Policy article replied to this comment, “The Editors insisted on it. Publishing is a compromise. Sorry!” He thus conceded that the Editors of the American news outlet made him add the contentious line, which creates doubt about the manner in which the laws came into existence. While Editors of foreign news publication with vested interests often allow or facilitate the publication of factually incorrect statements, it is one of the rare occasions when a columnist has openly acknowledged it.

Farm laws enacted by the Modi government

Realising the inadequacies in the existing APMC acts of various states to offer a proper marketing mechanism for the farmers to sell their produce, the Narendra Modi government in 2014 had announced a unified National Agriculture Market (NAM). NAM is a pan-India electronic trading portal that seeks to connect existing APMCs and other market yards to create a unified national market for agricultural commodities. Continuing the reform agenda, the Modi government introduced three farm laws to promote much easier trade for the farm produce and to provide a competitive market for the producers outside the existing APMC system.

The three bills introduced by the Modi government in the last year were – The Farmers Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Bill, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Bill, 2020, and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Bill, 2020. Earlier, these reforms were announced as part of the third tranche of the economic package announced under Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

The new bills passed by the Parliament gave effect to the amendments proposed to the Essential Commodities Act and brought about two new central laws on trading and marketing of farm produce in the country. The objective of the three proposed laws was to make way for creating the Modi government’s ambitious vision of ‘One India, One Agriculture Market’. The law intended to end the monopoly of Agriculture Produce Market Committees (APMCs) in carrying out the trade of farm produce in the country. 

Watch: Tulsi Gabbard speaks out in favour of persecuted Hindus of Bangladesh, condemns Pakistan Army’s genocide of Bengali Hindus

OpIndia Staff
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Watch: Tulsi Gabbard speaks out in favour of persecuted Hindus of Bangladesh, condemns Pakistan Army’s genocide of Bengali Hindus

Former US Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard has spoken out in favour of the persecuted Hindu minorities of Bangladesh. She has also condemned the genocide of Bengali Hindus by the Pakistani Army and called upon the world to work against Islamist extremism.

“As a member of Congress, I introduced a resolution that called for the protection of Hindus and religious minorities in Bangladesh. People who continue to be targeted and persecuted to this day. The height of this persecution actually began 50 years ago, when the Pakistani army systematically murdered, raped and drove from their homes, millions of Bengali Hindus because of their religion and ethnicity,” Tulsi Gabbard said in the video.

She continued, “March 25th, 1971 was the beginning of a systematic targeting of Hindus in Bangladesh by the Pakistani military. It began in Hindu neighbourhoods and villages, first at Jagannath Hall, which was a Hindu dormitory in Dhaka University, where five to ten thousand people were killed on that first night alone. This genocidal campaign continued for 10 months, resulting in two to three million people killed. Hundreds of thousands of women and girls raped and more than 10 million forced to flee their homes.”

Tulsi Gabbard also recalled US Senator Ted Kennedy who observed the genocidal campaign against Hindus. She also said that the “Islamist persecution of Hindus and other religious minorities in Bangladesh did not end with Bangladesh’s independence”. She mentioned the recent attacks against Hindu Temples in Bangladesh in the wake of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the country.

Gabbard also urged the USA to commit to defeating the Islamist ideology.

Mamata Banerjee raises ‘tampering’ bogie again hours after EC dismissed her claims, accuses central forces of working for BJP

OpIndia Staff
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Mamata Banerjee raises ‘tampering’ bogie again hours after EC dismissed her claims, accuses central forces of working for BJP

Ahead of the 3rd phase of the West Bengal State Legislative elections, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has stirred a controversy yet again by reiterating her claims of ‘poll rigging’. And not just BJP, she has also accused the central forces deployed by the Election Commission of helping BJP in the elections.

While addressing an election rally in Falakata in the Alipurduar district on Friday, Mamata Banerjee said, “The central security personnel, who have come from outside, will try to intimidate you. Yesterday, they did in Nandigram. About 48 prior to the commencement of elections, the central security forces go to villages and intimidate people to not vote for the TMC. They warn people against voting for the TMC.”

Mamata Banerjee claimed that the central security personnel have been working in cahoots with the BJP as a part of a sinister conspiracy to defeat the Trinamool Congress. “Don’t listen to them. If they try to intimidate you, then, you must unite and chase them away with sickles, sticks and brooms,” the West Bengal recommended the people of Falakata to resort to violent means.

Video Courtesy: Youtube/News18 Bangla

After accusing the central forces of being involved in ‘poll rigging’, she further claimed that miscreants from Assam will enter West Bengal to vote in elections. “After the conclusion of elections in Assam, they will come here to vote. I don’t mind if people from Assam will come here. They are our friends. But these people will come here to vote for BJP. They will also bring goons from outside like they did in Nandigram yesterday”

“Do you know why I sat at a booth in Nandigram? I had seen outsider goons, who were speaking in a foreign tongue. There are many in the crowd who may not speak Bengali but can understand. Those goons were speaking in a different language altogether. They warned me that they have petrol bombs and guns in their possession. I dared them to bring it on. BJP workers are hooligans/anti-social elements. “

Election Commission had earlier dismissed claims of Mamata Banerjee

Mamata Banerjee’s comments reiterating the bizarre theories of ‘poll rigging’, came hours after the Election Commission had dismissed her allegations about BJP stopping voters from polling. In a report, the Election Commission (EC) observed that polling was not disrupted in Booth No. 7 in Nandigram where Mamata Banerjee had camped herself for hours making wild allegations against BJP and EC.

It is pertinent to note that while Mamata Banerjee had parked herself in the area while on her wheelchair, there were slogans of Jai Shree Ram raised by the people of Nandigram. While sitting in the Boyal polling booth, Mamata Banerjee, for whom the Nandigram contest has become more of a battle of prestige, accused ‘goons from other states’ for the poll violence in Nandigram. She also called Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar to complain against the violence urging him to control the situation in the state.

Reportedly, EC said while reading out the report by observers, “Polling at PS no 7 ( Boyal Moktab Primary School) is going on smoothly. Hon’ble CM, who is also a contesting candidate, has left the place at about 3.35 pm after staying here for nearly one and half hour. It may kindly be noted that polling was not disrupted at any moment”.

Speaking to the media, the West Bengal CM said that she has complained to the Election Commission and the Home Minister about the ill-treatment being meted out at her and woman journalists at rallies by “BJP goondas”. Accusing EC of working at the behest of HM Amit Shah, Mamata Banerjee said “I have seen so many elections but have not seen such a badly conducted election so far”.

Another spitting in food video goes viral, this time in Shamli in Uttar Pradesh, police takes accused into custody: Watch

OpIndia Staff
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Another spitting in food video goes viral, this time in Shamli in Uttar Pradesh, police takes accused into custody: Watch

Another video has gone viral on the internet that shows a man spitting on the dough as he prepares to make Rotis. The visuals were captured at Shamli in Uttar Pradesh and have prompted much disgust from people on social media. It is not clear when the video was captured.

Shamli Police has said on Twitter that the accused has been taken into custody and appropriate action under the ambit of the law will be taken. The accused is currently being questioned over the incident.

There have been multiple incidents in recent times where cooks have been spotted spitting into the food. The Ghaziabad police had arrested one Mohammad Mohsin after a video of him making rotis while spitting on them at an engagement ceremony went viral.

Similarly, there was one incident involving one Mohammad Khalik in Delhi. Cases have also been reported at Meerut in Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere in the state.

Naushad’s spitting video was one of the first that came to the fore. There is some suspicion that there is a nexus of miscreants indulging in such activities. The Police had initiated an investigation into the same.

Numerous videos have come forward since then which suggests that the practice could be far more prevalent than previously suspected.

BJP files complaint against West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee with Election Commission for disrupting polls in Nandigram

OpIndia Staff
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BJP files complaint against West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee with Election Commission for disrupting polls in Nandigram

Following the chaos that erupted during the polling in Nandigram on Thursday, a BJP delegation led by Shishir Bajoria met with the Election Commission on Friday morning and expressed their strong protest against TMC chief Mamata Banerjee’s actions.

Bajoria accused the West Bengal chief minister of disrupting the polling in Nandigram and stated that another delegation will approach the central election commission in New Delhi as well.

Speaking to the media on Friday, Shishir Bajoria said that BJP did not approach the Election Commission yesterday as it did not want to exert ‘additional pressure’ on the election body. Emphasising that Section 144 had been imposed in Nandigram in the view of the polling, the BJP contended that Mamata Banerjee had disregarded the law by creating chaos at the polling booth.

“We did not come yesterday because we did not want to create additional pressure on the EC. TMC is levelling allegations every day, and they are pressurising the EC on various issues. Yesterday Mamata Banerjee went to Nandigram. She went to booth 7 and sat there for 2 hours. A candidate can always go to the booth but she should not break the laws,” the BJP delegation said. 

Bajoria stated that Mamata Banerjee might have been wary of the speed with which the voting was done and had therefore resorted to disrupting the polls. “Maybe she thought reducing the speed of voting can narrow her defeat margin. Because of her, the voting process was slowed down. We are satisfied by whatever EC has done,” Shishir Bajoria told media.

EC to investigate allegations of poll rigging by Mamata Banerjee

Mamata Banerjee, on the other hand, has accused central forces and the EC of helping the BJP in the polling process. As the polling in Nandigram drew to a close on Thursday evening, Mamata Banerjee and her rival Suvendu Adhikari alleged each other of indulging in voter suppression. The Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal released a statement after the polling concluded on Thursday, saying that action is being taken over violations of EC rules in some regions. 

In response to Mamata Banerjee’s allegations of poll rigging, the Chief Electoral Officer said, “We are keeping a tab on everything. We have the machinery and people are also deployed everywhere. Everything is normal. Action is being taken wherever needed.”

The Election Body rubbished Mamata Banerjee’s allegations of crowding at polling station no 7 at the Nandigram seat saying that voting was not disrupted at any moment in the region.

Mamata blames central forces for disrupting the polling in Nandigram, CRPF refutes allegations 

As chaos ensued at the Gokulnagar polling booth in Nandigram, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee accused the Central Forces for playing a role in disrupting the election proceedings. The TMC on Thursday filed a complaint with the Election Commission against the CRPF jawans deployed in the state for the conduct of polls, accusing them of not allowing the poll agents to work and beating them up.

However, the CRPF in its defence quashed the allegations levelled by the West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, alleging that they are baseless.

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