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BJP's 'beef' ad fuels row, rivals complain, EC bans adverts

November 4, 2015

Patna/New Delhi, Nov 4: A controversial advertisement by BJP demanding explanation from Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for beef-eating remarks by his "friends" today stirred Bihar's electoral cauldron, with the rival alliance complaining to the poll panel about attempts to "polarize" the election by "promoting communal hatred".beef ad

Though the BJP defended its action, saying there was "nothing wrong in it", the Election Commission this evening banned publication of advertisements by any party or candidate tomorrow when, when Bihar goes to poll in the fifth and final phase, without those being "pre-certified" by an empowered media panel.

The BJP advertisement questioning the "silence" of Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over "repeated insult" to "revered" cow by his "friends" everyday appeared in vernacular newspapers in Kishanganj, Saharsa and other areas that will go to poll in in the fifth and final round of assembly election tomorrow.

The ad, with the photograph of a woman cuddling a cow, referred to the purported remarks of RJD supremo Lalu Prasad, his party's vice president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah over beef consumption and asked Kumar to "stop politics of vote bank and answer if he agrees with statements of his friends on beef."

The advertisement quoted Lalu Prasad's "Hindus also eat beef" remark and Singh's comment that "it is written in Vedas and Puranas that saints used to eat beef in ancient times."

It also quoted Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah's comment that "if I want to eat beef nobody can stop me."

The advertisement in Hindi with word "beef" highlighted in red, concluded with: "jawab nahi vote nahi" (if there is no answer, no vote).

Reacting angrily to the advertisement, the grand alliance today approached the Election Commission seeking action against the BJP for trying to "polarize Bihar elections by promoting communal hatred".

The BJP, however, defended its action with senior party leader Sushil Kumar Modi saying,"There is nothing wrong in our advertisement on beef issue. "We were not the first to raise the issue (of beef). It was Lalu who did. We have just responded."

However, the EC apparently felt otherwise when it said despite its advisory against publishing advertisements that have the potential of promoting ill-will, certain ads of "offending nature" have been brought to its notice which were published in today's newspapers in Bihar.

"In order that no such instance is repeated on the date of poll which is to take place tomorrow, and no untoward incident takes place because of any inflammatory or hate advertisements, the Commission...directs that no political party or candidate or any other organisation or person shall publish any advertisement in the newspapers tomorrow unless the contents proposed to be published are got pre-certified by them from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC)," the EC said, invoking its Constitutional powers under Article 324

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News Network
May 15,2020

New Delhi, May 15: The World Bank on Friday approved $1 billion 'Accelerating India's COVID-19 Social Protection Response Program' to support the country's efforts for providing social assistance to the poor and vulnerable households, severely impacted by the pandemic.

This takes the total commitment from the World Bank towards emergency COVID-19 response in India to $2 billion.

A $1 billion support was announced last month to support India's health sector.

The response to the COVID-19 pandemic around the world has required governments around the world to introduce social distancing and lockdowns in unprecedented ways, said Junaid Ahmad, World Bank Country Director in India in a webinar interaction with the media.

These measures, intended to contain the spread of the virus have, however, impacted economies and jobs – especially in the informal sector. India with the world's largest lockdown has not been an exception to this trend, he said.

Of the $1 billion commitment, $550 million will be financed by a credit from the International Development Association (IDA) – the World Bank's concessionary lending arm and $200 million will be a loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD), with a final maturity of 18.5 years including a grace period of five years.

The remaining USD 250 million will be made available after June 30, 2020.

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Agencies
July 28,2020

Ghaziabad, Jul 28: Days ahead of Eid-ul-Adha, Nand Kishore Gurjar, a BJP MLA from Loni assembly constituency in Ghaziabad, has stoked controversy as he asked people celebrating the festival to "sacrifice their children instead of animals" on the occasion. He also claimed that "meat spreads coronavirus" so people should not be allowed to sacrifice innocent animals.

"People who want to sacrifice on Eid should sacrifice their children. I will not let people consume meat and alcohol in Loni. We will not let people sacrifice innocent animals because meat spreads coronavirus," the BJP legislator said while speaking to reporters.

"The way people have followed the guidelines of the government by not offering prayers and namaz at temples and mosques to contain COVID-19, in the same way, they must not give the sacrifice of animals on this Eid," he added.

"Earlier, sacrifices of animals used to be done in Sanatan Dharam as well. However, now coconut is offered instead. I request the Muslim brothers not to give 'qurbani' of animals. We will stop those who will perform the ritual animal sacrifice. We will not let this happen in Loni," he said.

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Agencies
June 2,2020

Lucknow, Jun 2: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Tuesday said protests in the US after the death of George Floyd, an African-American man, is a clear message to the world that a common man's life has value.

She said this is also guaranteed by the India Constitution, but the governments don't follow it, resulting in the current plight of migrants workers.

Floyd, a 46-year-old restaurant worker from Houston, died in Minneapolis on Monday after a white police officer pinned him to the ground. Video footage showed the officer kneeling on Floyd's neck as he gasped for breath, sparking widespread protests across the US.

"Floyd's killing by police and the 'Black lives matter' agitation in the US have given a clear message to the world that a common man's life has value and it should not be taken for granted," Mayawati said in a tweet in Hindi.

"India's constitution guarantees independence, security, self-respect and pride and governments should give special attention to it. If it was followed, crores of migrants labourers would not have to witness such bad days," she added.

She also demanded better coordination between states to check the spread of coronavirus and said Centre should intervene.

"While coronavirus patients are rising, there is lack of coordination between states and with the Centre, and allegation and counter-allegations are going on and sealing of state borders is unjustified and it is weakening the fight against the virus.  The Centre should intervene," she said in a separate tweet.

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