Strong govt needed to carry out strikes across LoC: Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said a strong government at the Centre is needed for taking decisions like carrying out strikes across the Line of Control and implementing the Enemy Property Act.
Addressing an election rally here, Mr. Modi said property worth ₹1,800 crore which belonged to people who moved to Pakistan during Partition had been acquired under the Enemy Property Act, something which the Congress “delayed for years after Partition for vote bank”.
He said it was the strong government of chowkida r that implemented the act.
“For years, the Congress remained kind towards the property of those who moved to Pakistan from India after Partition. They had their property here. Independent India should have acquired such enemy property but Congress delayed this for vote bank,” Mr. Modi said.
Congress cause of poverty, Rahul can’t end it, claims Gadkari
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Friday said Congress was the cause of poverty in the country and claimed there was no “serious policy” earlier to develop agriculture and villages.
Addressing a poll rally in Multai here, he claimed when former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi were unable to end poverty, then how would current Congress president Rahul Gandhi be able to do so.
“There is poverty in our country because of the Congress. Our nation is rich, but people are poor as no serious policy was made for the development of agriculture and villages which resulted in wheat getting cheaper, but biscuit costly, fruits cheaper and juice costly,” Mr. Gadkari said.
He alleged that under Congress rule, the poor became poorer while sycophants of the party managed to get rid of their own poverty.
“When former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi were unable to remove poverty from the country, then how will Rahul Gandhi be able to do it,” he asked.
He alleged that the Congress indulged in communalism and casteism, and politics of fear but the BJP wanted to finish the two (casteism and communalism).
Under Congress rule, farmers won’t face jail for loan default: Rahul Gandhi
Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday said no farmer will be jailed for non-repayment of loans if his party came to power at the Centre.
He also said that under the Congress rule, the country’s youth will not have to obtain any permission run a business for the initial three years.
“When Congress government comes to power in 2019, no farmer will be sent to jail for not repaying bank loans,” he said at an election rally here.
Mr. Gandhi said if his party was voted to power at the Centre, 22 lakh youth will be given government jobs in a year and 10 lakh others will be recruited in panchayats. “There will be no need for the youth to take any permission to run a business for the first three years,” he said.
Will sue Kejriwal for maligning my image: Hans Raj Hans
Punjabi singer and BJP candidate from the North West Delhi Lok Sabha seat Hans Raj Hans on Friday said he will take a legal action against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other AAP leaders for “maligning” his image.
The AAP has accused Mr. Hans of allegedly converting to Islam in 2014, and said he cannot contest the general election from the North West Delhi reserved seat.
Mr. Hans refused the charge and said he would have been ousted by his own family if he had converted his religion. “I was born in a Valmiki family and my mother worships saint Valmiki. She would have killed me had I converted to Islam,” he said.
Mr. Hans said he was deeply hurt by the accusations of AAP leaders, including Mr. Kejriwal, and will take a legal action against them.
- PTI
Protect farmers’ fields as that is nationalism as well: Priyanka tells PM Modi
Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra advised Prime Minister Narendra Modi to protect the fields of farmers on Friday, saying that was nationalism as well.
“You are protecting people from Pakistan’s aggression. This is a big achievement. Everyone is happy. But you should also protect the fields of farmers. That is nationalism as well,” she told an election meeting here in support of her mother and the Congress candidate from Rae Bareli in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, Sonia Gandhi.
“Loving people also means respecting them. If they are saying something, you (PM) should listen to them as their voice is the voice of democracy. What kind of nationalism is this that you ignore farmers, youngsters and women?,” the Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh said.
“When you demonstrate for your rights, your voice is curbed. Why is this done? Because the government is afraid of your power. They know that they did not honour any of the promises they had made in the last five years. They had a majority government, but did nothing in the interest of people,” she added.
Claiming that the government only focussed on its own publicity, Ms. Vadra said, “Wherever you go, you see his (Modi’s) face. Half of his speech targets the opposition. Everyone is a nationalist. What does nationalism mean? It means you should hear the voice of the people.”
Stating that wherever she went for campaigning in Uttar Pradesh, there were complaints about the “stray cattle menace”, the Congress leader said, “Those who call themselves ‘chowkidar’ (watchman) have made the farmers sit in their fields. No BJP leader does ‘chowkidari’ of farmers’ fields.”
Polling will be held in Rae Bareli, a Gandhi family bastion, in the fifth phase of the ongoing Lok Sabha election on Monday. Former Congress president Sonia Gandhi is the sitting MP from the seat.
- PTI
Shiv Sena slams Congress for questioning timing of JeM chief’s listing
Terming the United Nations’ move of designating Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist a “diplomatic win” for India, the Shiv Sena on Friday lashed out at the Congress for questioning its timing.
In an editorial in its mouthpiece ‘Saamana’, the party said there is no timing in the fight against terror.
The UN on Wednesday had designated Azhar as a “global terrorist” after China lifted its hold on a proposal to blacklist the Pakistan-based JeM chief, a decade after New Delhi approached the world body for the first time on the issue.
“Pakistan runs a factory of terrorism and Masood Azhar is its director...He is the number one enemy of India. He is the chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based terror organisation. He is not only responsible for the terror activities in Kashmir, but was also behind the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai,” the Sena said.
“Breaking India into pieces is Azhar’s dream. This satan was also behind the deadly Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 jawans. Although he claimed the responsibility for the attack, the Congress leaders and Modi opponents alleged that it was done for political gains ahead of the Lok Sabha elections,” the Uddhav Thackeray-led party said.
It added that it was unfortunate that the Congress even asked what did India gain by the UN’s listing of Azhar as a “global terrorist“.
“Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath went to the extent of questioning the timing of the UN move. There might be a fear in his mind that it may benefit Modi during the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. But he should ask the UN about its timing,” the Sena said.
One should not think about the timing and emotions while dealing with terrorists, it added.
The Sena praised Modi over the UN move saying, “This is a victory of Indian diplomacy...Earlier, Modi did air strikes in Balakot and now cracked down on Azhar through the UN...This is why people believe in Modi’s strong leadership.”
Navjot Sidhu slams PM, says he is yet to fulfil promises
Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he “ditched” people of the country by promising good days which are still “elusive“.
The cricketer-turned-politician also charged that no action was taken against those involved in scams like Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi as they belonged to Gujarat.
“Modi has ditched people by promising ‘acche din’, which are elusive. Good days have come only for people like Adani and Ambani. Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and others did scam worth crores and fled the country but no action is taken against them as they belonged to Gujarat,” he said addressing an election meeting here Thursday in support of Congress President Rahul Gandhi.
On black money, Mr. Sidhu said, “Modi used to talk about bringing back black money. Where it is? Has it come? Modi promised 2 crore jobs per year but did not give jobs to anyone.”
Claiming that Congress carried out a lot of development in Amethi, Sidhu said, “This time people of Amethi will not only elect an MP but PM also as Rahul will become PM after polls.”
- PTI
Does democracy for PM Modi mean forming govt by buying opposition party’s MLAs, asks Kejriwal
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Friday took potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the BJP claimed it was in touch with 14 “frustrated” AAP MLAs, asking if democracy for the PM meant forming government by “buying” opposition party MLAs.
MR. Kejriwal also asserted that it was not easy to buy AAP members.
Tagging a news report, Mr. Kejriwal hit out at the BJP in a series of tweets.
“Does democracy mean buying other party’s MLAs and forming government through it to Modi ji. How does BJP has this amount of money to buy MLAs. Earlier also you have tried to buy our MLAs but it isn’t that easy to buy AAP members,” he said in a tweet.
He tagged the same news report in a second tweet and asked senior BJP leader and Union minister Vijay Goel “why his talks over buying 14 AAP MLAs is stuck, how much are you offering and how much are they asking for“.
Mt. Goel on Thursday said the AAP MLAs were “deeply distressed” and ready to quit the party. “14 of the AAP MLAs are in contact with us and they might soon leave the party because they are frustrated by the work of their own party,” Mr. Goel said in a press conference.
The AAP has accused the saffron party of indulging in horse-trading in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Wednesday alleged the BJP was offering Rs 10 crore each to its seven MLAs to switch sides.
“Since the BJP does not have any development issue to raise, it has now come down to indulging in horse-trading by attempting to buy seven of our MLAs at Rs 10 crore each,” he had charged.
- PTI
Biopic on PM Modi to release on May 24 now
The makers of the Vivek Oberoi-starrer biopic on Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday announced that the film will be released countrywide on May 24, a day after the results of the Lok Sabha elections are declared.
The film, titled PM Narendra Modi , was earlier set to release on April 11 but was banned by the Election Commission of India.
