Patel was right, Nehru wrong on Kashmir: Ravi Shankar Prasad
Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad \said India’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru was wrong and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, the country’s first Home Minister, was right in handling the Jammu and Kashmir issue after Independence.
Mr. Prasad was addressing a press conference in Ahmedabad to mark the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government completing 100 days in office after being sworn in for a second consecutive term on May 30.
“I want to say that in Jammu and Kashmir, Sardar Patel was right and Jawaharlal Nehru was wrong,” Mr. Prasad said.
The Minister said Article 370, which gave special status to the northern State, was a “historical blunder” and by scrapping that special status, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has shown “immense courage and corrected that historical wrong”.
Former Maharashtra Minister Harshvardhan Patil joins BJP
Harshvardhan Patil.
Congress leader and former Maharashtra Minister Harshavardhan Patil joined the BJP on September 11.
Mr. Patil, 56, joined the saffron party at an event in south Mumbai in the presence of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who said he had been waiting for Mr. Patil to cross over for the last five years.
Mr. Fadnavis also indicated that Mr. Patil will be the BJP’s candidate from Indapur Assembly seat in Pune district in the elections next month.
Mr. Patil’s exit is the second major blow to the Congress in the State. Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, another senior leader, left the party after the Lok Sabha polls and became a Cabinet Minister in the Fadnavis government.
Somebody wants to take undue advantage, says Sadananda Gowda on protest against Shivakumar’s arrest
Union Minister D.V. Sadanada Gowda. File
Union Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda alleged that the protest rally held by thousands of people belonging to the Vokkaliga community in Bengaluru against the arrest of senior Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar was an attempt by somebody to take advantage of the situation.
The former Chief Minister, who also belongs to the Vokkaliga community, noted that the case involving Mr. Shivakumar is under investigation, an FIR had already been filed and he has been produced before the Court.
“Now, it’s not fair on my part to comment. I think they have to go for legal solutions; and they should not hit the streets [to protest], that’s what I feel,” Mr. Gowda told PTI .
Asked if he thought the issue was taking “caste colour”, the Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister said, “I don’t know about all those things... this issue... somebody wants to take some undue advantage of the situation, that’s all.”
Violence erupts during BJP’s protest rally in Kolkata
Police used water cannons and tear gas shells to disperse protesters.
Violence erupted in Kolkata’s Central Avenue area on Wednesday during a protest rally organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) youth wing on the issue of the power tariffs in Kolkata.
Hundreds of BJP workers marched towards the headquarters of Calcutta Electric Supply Corporation, the company which distributes power to Kolkata and adjoining areas. The BJP’s leadership was demanding a reduction in the existing power tariff in West Bengal.
D.K. Shivakumar arrest: Bengaluru roads choke as protesters gather for rally
Vokkaliga groups and D K Shivakumar supporters taking out a protest rally from National College Ground to Freedom Park, against BJP Governments, and in support for Congress strongman and former Minister D.K. Shivakumar, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate last week, in Bengaluru on September 11, 2019.
Motorists travelling through the central parts of Bengaluru are having a harrowing time, as several thoroughfares face gridlocks owing to a rally organised by several organisations representing the Vokkaliga community in protest against the arrest of former Minister and Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar.
As thousands of protesters thronged the National College grounds from where the rally is set to start towards Freedom Park, Mysuru Road — one of the main arterial roads leading to the City centre — saw slowing down of traffic.
Parts of Basavangudi, Mysuru Road, J.C. Road and roads around National College witnessed sluggish traffic movement due to the surge of people.
Nitish Kumar is captain of NDA in Bihar, says Sushil Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi being greeted by Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi during an election rally at Paliganj near Patna on May 15, 2019.
Days after party MLC Sanjay Paswan’s statement that Nitish Kumar should quit as Chief Minister and go for national politics, senior Bihar BJP leader and Deputy CM Sushil Kumar Modi on Wednesday tweeted saying, “Nitish Kumar is the captain of NDA in Bihar and will remain its captain in the Assembly elections in 2020 also.” Earlier, BJP MLC Sanjay Paswan had urged Mr. Kumar to relinquish his post for the BJP, at least for one term.
“Nitish Kumar is the captain of NDA in Bihar and will remain its captain in next Assembly elections in 2020 also…when captain is hitting 4 & 6 defeating rivals by winning where is the question of any change,” tweeted Mr. Modi, who is considered close to Mr. Kumar.
Amit Shah to hold meeting with Bengal BJP unit in Delhi today
Amit Shah
BJP national president Amit Shah will hold a meeting of top party leaders from Bengal in the national capital on Wednesday amid the ongoing tussle in the unit.
Party sources said on Tuesday that State BJP president Dilip Ghosh and senior leader Mukul Roy will take part in the meeting which will discuss organisational issues and the upcoming party organisational elections in the State.
Mr. Ghosh said the meeting is a routine one and denied that there would be discussions on his differences with Mr. Roy. .
“Every two months we have such meetings on organisational progress in the State. All the organisational issues will be discussed”.
(With inputs from Agencies)
