The Congress on May 8 sought the imposition of President’s Rule followed by fresh polls in Haryana after three Independent MLAs withdrew support to the BJP dispensation, reducing the Nayab Singh Saini government to a minority in the State Assembly.
The party said it would write to Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya to demand that the BJP government be dismissed. It also asked the JJP, the INLD and Independent MLA Balraj Kundu to write similar letters to the Governor to give credence to their claim of opposing the BJP.
However, talking to reporters in Sirsa on Wednesday, Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini asserted that his government was not in trouble and was working strongly.
“We are going to write to the Governor that three Independent MLAs have withdrawn support and they have extended support to our party... the government is in the minority and they have no right to stay in power. We will demand that the government be dismissed, President’s Rule be imposed and fresh elections be held,” Haryana Congress chief Udai Bhan said.
“Likewise, the JJP should also write a letter that the government be dismissed. INLD’s Abhay Singh Chautala and Independent MLA Balraj Kundu, who claim to be opposing the government, should also write similar letters to the Governor,” he added.
Bhan said the three Independent MLAs have already written to the Governor regarding their withdrawal of support. Senior Congress leader B.B. Batra said the Jannayak Janta Party (JJP), once an ally of the BJP in the State, should write to the Governor making it clear that they were not supporting the dispensation.
On Tuesday, JJP leader Digvijay Singh Chautala said that if Leader of Opposition B.S. Hooda takes steps to bring down the Nayab Saini government, his party would support the move.
“I want to tell Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda that going by the present numbers in the Assembly, if a step is taken that this government is brought down during [Lok Sabha] elections, then we will fully consider to support them in this,” Chautala told reporters in Hisar.
“Now, the Congress has to think whether they will take a step to bring down the BJP government,” he said. Asked whether his party will support the Congress, he replied, “We are clear that steps should be taken to bring down the government”.
Reacting to Chautala’s statement, Batra said, “Let the JJP write a letter to the Governor stating that they are not supporting the BJP government... We may know this fact [that JJP is not supporting them] but let them give a letter stating the same.
Like the three Independent MLAs wrote a letter to Governor stating they have withdrawn their support... The JJP should also do this,” he said.
The three Independent MLAs — Sombir Sangwan (Dadri), Randhir Singh Gollen (Pundri) and Dharampal Gonder (Nilokheri) — on Tuesday withdrew support to the BJP government in Haryana and announced they would back the Congress. Saini had replaced Manohar Lal Khattar as chief minister in March and the JJP’s four-and-a-half-year-old post-poll alliance with BJP had come to an end with Deputy Chief Minister Dushyant Chautala saying they will not be part of the new government headed by Saini.
BJP’s Jawahar Yadav said there was no danger to the BJP government in the state.
He said the Saini government won a trust vote on March 13 and if it has to prove its majority on the floor of the House, it will do so.
The government which has the support of two other Independents is now two short of the majority mark in the 90-member House which has a current strength of 88.
In recent days, some JJP MLAs have hinted at supporting the BJP. The BJP has 40 MLAs, the Congress 30 and the JJP 10 in the House. If the opposition seeks a no-confidence motion in the state assembly, the BJP may need JJP MLAs to abstain.
As the intervening period between holding two Assembly sessions should not be more than six months, the Governor will have to summon the House before September 13.
State Assembly polls in Haryana are due in October while the Karnal Assembly bypoll is scheduled for May 25 along with voting to the 10 Lok Sabha seats in Haryana.
Saini, the MP from Kurukshetra in the outgoing Lok Sabha, is the BJP candidate for the bypolls and if he wins, the party’s strength in the Assembly will rise to 41.
The Saini-led BJP government in Haryana on March 13 won the trust vote by a voice vote in the House after he took oath as the new chief minister replacing Khattar.
PM Modi slams Congress over Sam Pitroda’s ‘skin colour’ remarks, hits out at Rahul Gandhi; Pitroda resigns from Indian Overseas Congress
Hitting out at top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Modi said he has now understood that the national party sought to defeat President Droupadi Murmu in the presidential poll as her “skin colour is dark”.
As Pitroda’s reported comments kicked up a row, Modi asked, “Will the ability of people be decided in my country on the basis of skin colour …who gave the permission to ‘shehzada’ for this game of skin colour,” he asked while addressing an election rally at Warangal in the state.
In an interview with a newspaper, Pitroda, commenting on India’s diversity, had said that “people in the East look like Chinese, people in the West look like Arabs, people in the North look like maybe White, and people in the South look like Africans”.
In his speech, Modi said, “I am angry today. If anyone abuses me, I don’t get angry. I can tolerate that. But, the philosopher of ‘shehzada’ gave such a big abuse which has filled me with anger,” Modi said.
Coming close on the heels of the controversy over Pitroda’s ‘inheritance tax’ comment, the Congress was quick to distance itself from the remarks. “The analogies drawn by Mr. Sam Pitroda in a podcast to illustrate India’s diversity are most unfortunate and unacceptable. The Indian National Congress completely dissociates itself from these analogies,” read a post from the party’s communications in-charge Jairam Ramesh.
Later in the day, another post on X by announced, “Mr. Sam Pitroda has decided to step down as Chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress of his own accord. The Congress President has accepted his decision.”
Air India Express cancels 86 flights; government asks airline to resolve issues with staff ‘promptly’
After a large number of flight cancellations at Air India Express since May 7, as a section of its cabin crew went on a mass sick leave, the government has stepped in and asked the airline to resolve issues with its employees “promptly”.
As many as 86 flights were cancelled at Air India Express on Wednesday, and the airline has also asked its passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport. The airline operates nearly 360 flights daily.
“The Ministry of Civil Aviation has called for a report from Air India Express regarding cancellation of flights and asked them to resolve issues promptly,” a Ministry official said. The airline has also been advised to ensure facilities to passengers as per norms laid down by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
“A section of our cabin crew reported sick at the last minute, starting last night, resulting in flight delays and cancellations. While we are engaging with the crew to understand the reasons behind these occurrences, our teams are actively addressing this issue to minimise any inconvenience caused to our guests as a result,” an airline spokesperson said in a press statement.
Delays and cancellations started on Tuesday after an 18-month stalemate between the cabin crew and the airline management came to a head. The senior cabin crew of Air India Express are unhappy over a slew of measures taken since its merger with Air Asia India to form the low-cost arm of the Air India Group since the privatisation in 2022. While the former was a government-owned airline and was handed over to Tata Sons along with Air India, AirAsia India was already a Tata-owned airline.
The staff have been unhappy over withdrawal of allowances for international flights for the crew who were moved to domestic flights. Before privatisation Air India Express used to operate only international flights. Air India Express staff have also complained to the management of discrimination in internal postings. They have also been upset over terminations, revision of contracts reducing their tenure from five years to one year as well as shared accommodation being offered to crew at hotels for layovers.
Last month, Vistara too faced 1,000 flight cancellations as a section of its pilots were unhappy after a new pay structure was announced ahead of the merger with Air India.
Three Indians accused of killing Khalistan separatist Nijjar appear before Canadian court
Three Indian nationals accused of killing Khalistan separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar last year appeared before a Canadian court on May 7 through video for the first time to face homicide charges as hundreds of local Khalistan supporters showed up at the courthouse.
Karan Brar, 22, Kamalpreet Singh, 22, and Karanpreet Singh, 28, all Indian nationals residing in Edmonton, were arrested and charged on Friday with first-degree murder and conspiracy to commit murder.
The three — believed to be members of an alleged hit squad — appeared before the Surrey Provincial Court in British Columbia province, the Vancouver Sun reported.
Each of them appeared separately from North Fraser Pretrial Centre wearing jail-issued red T-shirts or sweatshirts and sweatpants.
All three agreed to have the proceedings heard in English and each of them nodded that they understood the charges of first-degree murder and conspiring to murder Nijjar, the report said.
Hundreds of local Khalistan supporters showed up at the courthouse. A separate overflow room inside the courthouse was opened to accommodate an additional 50 people who wanted to witness the hearing.
Another 100 or so people outside the courthouse waved Khalistan flags and carried posters supporting Sikh separatism. Nijjar, a Canadian citizen, was shot dead outside a gurdwara in Surrey on June 18, 2023.
The indictments Friday allege the conspiracy unfolded in both Surrey and Edmonton between May 1, 2023, and the date of Nijjar’s killing. The alleged hitmen entered Canada over the past five years and were suspected of involvement in the world of drug trafficking and violence, according to local police.
India had on Thursday rejected fresh comments by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the killing of Nijjar and said the remarks once again illustrated the political space given in Canada to separatism, extremism, and violence. Trudeau addressed a Khalsa Day event in Toronto on Sunday that was attended by some pro-Khalistan supporters.
The ties between India and Canada came under severe strain following Trudeau’s allegations in September last year of the “potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of 45-year-old Nijjar.
India has dismissed Trudeau’s charges as “absurd” and “motivated”. The presence of Sikh separatist groups in Canada has long frustrated India, which had designated Nijjar a “terrorist”. After three Indian nationals were arrested in connection with the murder, Police in Canada said they had worked with U.S. law enforcement agencies, without giving additional details.
The police suggested more arrests might be coming. Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Assistant Commissioner David Teboul, the force’s commander for the Pacific region, said Friday that he wouldn’t comment on the alleged links between the three men arrested and Indian officials but noted the force is “investigating connections to the government of India.”
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday said what is happening in poll-bound Canada over the killing of Nijjar is mostly due to their internal politics and has nothing to do with India. He said a section of pro-Khalistan people are using Canada’s democracy, creating a lobby and have become a vote bank.
The ruling party in Canada has no majority in Parliament and some parties depend on pro-Khalistan leaders, he said. “We have convinced them several times not to give visa, legitimacy or political space to such people which is causing problems for them (Canada), for us and also for our relationship,” Jaishankar said.
But the Canadian government has not done anything, Jaishankar said, adding that India sought the extradition of 25 people, most of whom are pro-Khalistan, but they did not pay any heed.
“Canada did not give any proof. They do not share any evidence with us in certain cases, police agencies also do not cooperate with us. It is their political compulsion in Canada to blame India. As elections are coming in Canada, they indulge in vote bank politics,” the Minister said.
Mayawati removes nephew Akash Anand as political heir, national coordinator
“It is known that the BSP, besides being a party, is also a movement for self-respect and self-esteem of Baba Saheb Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar and social change for which Shri Kanshi Ram Ji and I have dedicated our entire lives and a new generation is also being prepared to give it momentum. In the same sequence, along with promoting other people in the party, I declared Shri Akash Anand as the National Coordinator and successor, but in the larger interest of the party and the movement, he is being separated from both these important responsibilities until he attains full maturity,” wrote Mayawati on X (formerly Twitter).
The former four-time Chief Minister further added that Anand Kumar, Akash’s father, will continue in his role with the party. “His father Mr. Anand Kumar will continue to fulfil his responsibilities in the party and the movement as before. Therefore, the leadership of the BSP is not going to shy away from making every kind of sacrifice in the interest of the party and the movement and in taking forward the mission of Baba Saheb Dr. Ambedkar,” she added.
The BSP president in December last year declared Anand as heir apparent. The announcement was made during an all-India meeting of the party held in Lucknow to discuss about preparation for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
Mayawati’s announcement comes less than 48 hours after the BSP on May 6 replaced its candidates for Jaunpur and Basti Lok Sabha seats. In Jaunpur, the BSP, which earlier declared gangster-turned-politician Dhananjay Singh’s wife Shrikala as its candidate, named sitting party MP Shyam Singh Yadav as the party nominee.
Dhananjay Singh’s wife is considered a strong candidate in the seat against BJP leader Kripa Shankar Singh. In Basti, the BSP replaced Dayanshankar Mishra with Lavkush Patel. In the 2024 Lok Sabha campaign, Anand, who addressed multiple party meetings and public gatherings, remained equally critical of the ruling BJP and the opposition INDIA alliance, pitching the Dalit-centric social justice narrative of the BSP, along with the communal harmony plank in his speeches. The announcement came as a surprise amid Anand’s growing clout in the Dalit-centric party.
Poll roundup:
- Attacking the Congress party, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has alleged that the Congress party stopped its bitter criticism of Ambani and Adani ever since the Lok Sabha election notification was announced. They (Congress leaders) resorted to non-stop rhetoric against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) citing the names of “five industrialists” spreading false narratives in the last five years, he charged. In response to the Prime Minister’s remark, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s chair is “shaking” after three phases of elections as he has started attacking his own “friends”, and asserted this shows the “real trend” of the results.
- Hitting out at the INDIA bloc, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday said if the coalition of Opposition parties comes to power after the ongoing Lok Sabha polls, it will put a ‘Babri’ lock at the Ram temple in Ayodhya. He accused Rahul Gandhi of pushing Pakistan’s agenda and said the Congress leader would be defeated in Raebareli after which he should settle down in Italy, the only place left for him.
- Hitting back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his Adani-Ambani jibe, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on May 8 charged that the BJP has a nexus with industrialists and waived their loans worth ₹16 lakh crore. She also alleged that the entire BJP machinery is engaged in spreading “lies” about Rahul Gandhi. Referring to the prime minister’s remarks at a rally in Telangana that the Congress should explain to people why it has stopped raising the ‘Ambani-Adani’ issue as its ‘Shehzada’ used to do for the past five years, Priyanka Gandhi said, “Today he [Modi] is saying Rahul does not take the name of Adani, Ambani....He does so every day. He brings their truth in front of you every day”.
In brief:
Bengaluru Police issued notices to BJP chief J.P. Nadda, IT cell head Amit Malviya and BJP State president B.Y. Vijayendra to appear before the investigating officer within seven days for questioning over a controversial post on X put out by the party’s state unit. The controversial post contained a video showing the Congress party favouring Muslims for reservation at the cost of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the Other Backward Classes. This issue has been used by several top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during their election campaign, in the past few days.
The Evening wrap will return tomorrow