Nitish Kumar demands full statehood for Delhi
In his first rally in the National Capital after announcing that the JD(U) would contest in Delhi Assembly elections, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has supported for granting full statehood to Delhi.
Addressing workers of his party, which is the BJP-led NDA ally, JD (U) president Kumar also reiterated his demand for a special status for Bihar, even though the Modi government has already rejected it.
“Just like we want special status for Bihar, we have always wanted statehood for Delhi,” Mr. Kumar said.
Congress chief meets D.K. Shivakumar in Tihar jail
Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday visited Karnataka Congress leader D.K. Shivakumar in the Tihar jail. He is in judicial custody for the last 50 days since his arrest on September 3 by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with a money laundering case. She was accompanied by party general secretary (organisation) K.C. Venugopal.
Four opposition MLAs join BJP in Jharkhand
Four opposition MLAs in the Jharkhand Assembly, including two from the Congress, one from the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and an independent legislator joined the ruling BJP on Wednesday, party sources said.
Sukhdeo Bhagat and Manoj Yadav of the Congress, Kunal Sarangi of the JMM and Independent MLA Bhanu Pratap Sahi joined the BJP in the presence of Chief Minister Raghubar Das at the party office here.
The party’s election co-in-charge of the state Nand Kishore Yadav and former union minister Jayant Sinha were also present.
The sources said that another JMM MLA Jaiprakash Bhai Patel was supposed to join the saffron party on Wednesday but he did not turn up.
Former Jharkhand director general of police D K Pandey also joined the BJP, senior party leader Pradip Sinha said.
No detention centre will come up in Bengal: Mamata
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday ruled out any possibility of detention centres for illegal foreigners coming up in West Bengal on the lines of such camps being set up in States like Assam and Karnataka.
“I say with all responsibility in the presence of all government officers that we have no plans to undertake any NRC [National Register of Citizens) exercise in our State... So the question of constructing any detention camp does not arise. It can only come up if we construct it,” Ms. Banerjee said while addressing an administrative meeting at Uttar Kanya — the North Bengal branch secretariat of the State government near Siliguri.
PM Modi is using American P.R. firm to target opponents: Digvijaya Singh
Prime Minister Narendra Modi roped in an American public relations firm for raising a “troll army” on social media to “upstage himself and downgrade opponents as part of a political strategy”, said Congress MP Digvijaya Singh.
“The primary strategy of the firm, advising Mr. Modi since 2007, has been to find ways to upstage its clients across the world,” said Mr. Singh, former Chief Minister, without naming the firm. He was speaking at a discussion on the role of social media in the State organised by the Digital Press Club here on Tuesday.
Stating that he had joined social media in 2011, Mr. Singh said, “The abuses I have had to endure since then, never have I faced so many [abuses] in my life. But I don’t run away.”
Hindi imposition will undermine federalism, says TN Minister
Taking a strong stance against the imposition of Hindi, senior AIADMK leader and Minister for Personnel and Administrative Reforms D. Jayakumar on Tuesday said the imposition of any language on a State was against the principles of federalism.
When asked about the Centre’s recent proposal to make it mandatory for students to learn at least one classical language, Mr. Jayakumar said the State government will give its feedback on the issue to the Centre.
BJP meets L-G over CM’s photo on bus tickets
A Delhi BJP delegation on Tuesday called on Lieutenant-Governor Anil Baijal and submitted a memorandum regarding what it alleged was “blatant misuse of power” by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by way of printing his photograph on the tickets, which will be used to provide free bus rides to women.
Naidu talks tough, warns police
Telugu Desam Party national president N. Chandrababu Naidu has asked the party activists to lodge complaints against the Sub-Inspectors concerned if cases were foisted against them. The party will take serious view and take action against such police officials when it returns to power, he has warned.
As part of his two-day tour, Mr. Naidu on Tuesday interacted with the party leaders against whom cases were filed and assured them of extending moral and legal support.
(With inputs from our Correspondents, agencies)
