BJP fields more Muslim candidates in Jammu and Kashmir

November 17, 2014

Muslim candidatesJammu/New Delhi, Nov 17: The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), which has been trying to shrug off the 'communal' tag, has fielded nearly 40% Muslim candidates in Jammu and Kashmirassembly polls under its ambitious 'Mission 44 plus' to wrest power in the state.

BJP is contesting more than 70 Assembly seats out of 87 and has fielded 32 Muslim candidates. While the saffron party has fielded 25 Muslims in Kashmir Valley, six BJP candidates from the community are in the fray in Jammu region and one in Ladakh. BJP has also fielded four Kashmiri Pandit candidates and a Sikh leader in assembly constituencies in Kashmir Valley and three Buddhists from Ladakh region as a strategic move.

"BJP is not an untouchable in Kashmir Valley. People in the Valley come out in huge numbers in our rallies, road shows and programmes as they look towards BJP as an alternative to National Conference (NC) and The People's Democratic Party (PDP), which are ruled by Kashmir's two important dynasties," BJP in-charge for J&K and MP Avinash Rai Khanna said.

BJP hopes to improve on its success in the Parliamentary elections in May when it won three out of six seats in the state. The rest three went to PDP while NC-Congress coalition was wiped out.

"We won three seats in 2014 Lok Sabha polls and took a lead on 27 Assembly seats," Khanna said, adding "the battle to reach to our Mission 44 plus is just on 17 seats".

BJP is trying to focus more on poll plank of peace and development to reach out to people in the country's only Muslim-majority state rather than controversial issue like the demand for abrogation of Article 370 of Constitution which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir. It has put the issue of Article 370 virtually out of the poll frame, saying it would do only want the people of the state want.

The BJP's mantra for 2014 Assembly elections is freeing J&K from 'ruling families' of Kashmir and corruption along with a promise of good governance and development while invoking the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and performance of BJP governments in other states.

Khanna, who has been leading scores of road shows and rallies in Kashmir Valley, is optimistic about accomplishing 'Mission 44 plus'. "During the rallies at Ganderbal and Kangan, Modi's popularity was visible," he said, adding that "the communal tag used as propaganda tool in past, is not being referred to now at all. We are contesting this elections on poll plank of making Jammu and Kashmir an 'international tourism hub' by bringing peace and development to the region".

In 2008 Assembly elections, BJP had fielded 24 Muslim candidates and seven Kashmiri Pandits out of a total of 60 candidates in Jammu and Kashmir and bagged 11 seats. In 2002 Assembly elections, BJP gave tickets to 17 Muslims candidates out of 58 seats it contested in Jammu and Kashmir and won one seat.

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News Network
March 25,2020

New Delhi, Mar 25: The government is likely to agree an economic stimulus package of more than Rs 1.5 lakh crore ($19.6 billion) to fight a downturn in the country that is currently locked down to stem the spread of coronavirus, two sources familiar with the matter told news agency.
The government has not yet finalised the package and discussions are ongoing between Prime Minister Narendra Modi's office, the finance ministry, and Reserve Bank of India (RBI), said both the sources, who asked not to be named as the matter was still under discussion.

One of the sources, a senior government official, said the stimulus plan could be as large as Rs 2.3 lakh crore, but final numbers were still in discussion.

The package could be announced by the end of the week, both sources added.

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Agencies
May 26,2020

New Delhi, May 26: The in-fighting among the residents of housing societies over feeding of stray dogs is nowhere near ending, with yet another attack on a pregnant Russian woman again in the national capital region this time in Noida.

The Russian woman residing in a condominium in Noida's Sector 71 was allegedly attacked by two men for feeding foundling canines inside the complex.

"We have initiated an inquiry and a case has been registered against the men for voluntarily causing hurt and criminal intimidation," Amit Kumar Singh, Station House Officer of Phase 3 police station told IANS.

The police said that the victim is married to an Indian man and they live in that society.

The issue was raked up on social media by one of the residents of the society. Her post had even solicited a response and help from the Noida Police Commissioner.

Kaveri Rana Bharadwaj wrote, "Mob led by Vikas Sharma, and Mr. Chauhan beat up a pregnant woman in Jagriti Apartment, Sector 71 Noida. Request you to immediately arrest these men and provide security to the scared woman!"

When contacted, a member of the Resident Welfare Association (RWA) of the society said that the allegations levied by her are false and that he, along with a handful of other people, had only asked her not to feed the dogs.

Vikas Sharma divulged, "The woman was called at the society gate by the members of the RWA. When she was asked not to feed the street dogs, she became aggressive, started fighting with the residents of the society and even pushed a 70-year-old woman. The complaint that she registered against us is false. We did not even touch her."

He added that there are 70-80 street dogs in the society who have lately become extremely aggressive. "The lady was asked not to feed them as people feared stepping out of their houses and getting bitten."

In another incident on Tuesday, a Greater Noida man beat up a Chinese woman for allegedly fostering a stray dog which bit his canine.

Greater Noida District Commissioner of Police Rajesh Kumar Singh told IANS that the man named Amar Pratap Singh of ATS Paradiso misbehaved with the woman after his dog was bit by another dog who she used to feed every day.

The incident happened in the wee hours of the day when the accused took his dog out for a walk. "After his dog was bitten, in a fit of rage, he misbehaved with the Chinese woman." A Non-Cognizable Report (NCR) has been registered and no arrests have been made so far, the police said.

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News Network
June 2,2020

New Delhi, Jun 2: India on Tuesday reported 8,171 more COVID-19 cases and 204 deaths in the last 24 hours as the country's virus count inches closer to two lakh, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The total number of cases in the country now stands at 1,98,706 including 97,581 active cases, 95,527 cured/discharged/migrated and 5,598 deaths.

Cases in Maharashtra have crossed 70,000 including over 30,000 recovered while Tamil Nadu's COVID-19 tally jumped to 23,495.

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