BJP sinks into silence after UP, Bihar bypoll defeat

Agencies
March 14, 2018

The BJP sank into silence on Wednesday as the by-poll results, especially the defeat in Gorakhpur and Phulpur Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh, took the sheen out of its victorious run in Tripura trampling the formidable Left Front.

If the north-east victories brought a new vigour to the saffron camp ahead of Karnataka polls, the BJP scoring a 'zero' in the by-polls to three Lok Sabha seats -- the two seats in UP and Araria in Bihar -- has brought back broad smiles in the Opposition camp.

The defeat in Gorakhpur and Phulpur -- vacated by Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya after the UP Assembly polls last year -- has brought a rude shock to the BJP with a senior BJP MP from the state mincing no words to describe it a "big referendum".

While the leaders do not want to give much importance to the Opposition victories, the victory of the Samajwadi Party-BSP combine in both the seats has given them reasons to worry.

At least two senior leaders said if the SP-BSP combine continue to stick together and Congress joining it at a later stage would give BJP a strong fight in Uttar Pradesh in the next elections. One of them cited the Bihar experience where RJD and JD(U) were part of a grand alliance.

For BJP, a senior leader said, the UP was a saturation point in the last election as it had won 71 out of 80 seats. A united opposition would mean trouble for the party as one saw in the 2015 Bihar Assembly polls, he admitted.

Sources said the defeat in UP is more damaging as both the seats were held by the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister. While Phulpur was first one by BJP in the last polls, Gorakhpur has been represented by Adityanath.

However, one section argues that the choice of Upendra Dutt Shukla, a Brahmin, was faulty and it was foisted on the seat by the central BJP leadership - Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah - against the wishes of Adityanath.

The loss to RJD in Araria Lok Sabha by-polls despite support from JD(U) also has rattled the party. The result also comes as a setback for JD(U), which came out of an alliance with RJD and Congress to join hands with BJP.

Comments

JJ 100% right. Sangh Parivars biggest ever game plan to silence voice against EVM. Paid Meida and Sangh perivars' boot lickers already prepared dossiers of fake reports to legitimise EVM and bombard the people during forthcoming Assembly and General elections. This loss of UP, Bihar is a (ill)well calculated move by these gangs to fool the general public. BALLOT PAPER is the only solution, Surprised why opposition parties are silent about this?

JJ
 - 
Thursday, 15 Mar 2018

If sources are to be believed it’s a game plan of BJP itself to support the EVMs and play a bigger game in forth coming general elections. BJP want to distract the EVM allegations which recently BBC published….

JAI ho bhakto

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News Network
May 19,2020

New Delhi, May 19: In a fresh blow to saffronite journalist Arnab Goswami, the Supreme Court of India today rejected his plea seeking transfer of the investigation of a case, filed against him for defaming Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi, to the CBI. The court also refused to quash the FIRs filed against him.

Goswami, editor-in-chief of Republic TV, has been booked in connection with a TV show on the gathering of migrants outside Bandra railway station on April 14. This apart, multiple FIRs have been filed against him for his show on Palghar lynching. In that show, he had posed certain questions on the incident to Congress President Sonia Gandhi, following which Congress workers lodged complaints against him in various states.

Extending Goswami’s interim protection from arrest by three weeks, the Supreme Court said, “Right of a journalist under 19 1 (a) higher…Free citizens can’t exist if news media can’t speak.”

During the earlier hearing, Senior Advocate Harish Salve, appearing for Goswami, had urged the court to transfer the probe to an agency like CBI. He said the “nature of the” second FIR against Goswami over a show on the migrant gathering outside Bandra station on April 14 “shows that it’s arm-twisting tactic”. 

“They are trying to stifle an unpleasant voice. This is a political party targeting a journalist. All complainants are members of one political party. They have a problem with the government. They want to teach this journalist a lesson,” he added.

Objecting to Salve’s plea to transfer the case to the CBI, Maharashtra government counsel, Senior Advocate Kapil Sibal, had said, “CBI investigation will go into your hands”. 

Sibal denied that Goswami was being harassed and said he was only asked relevant questions. He said Goswami should “stop this communal violence and communal mongering”.

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News Network
February 4,2020

New Delhi, Feb 4: Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, on Tuesday attacked the BJP over Anantkumar Hegde's controversial remark on Mahatma Gandhi and termed the party as "Ravan ke aulad" (children of Ravana). "Aaj ye Mahatma Gandhi ko gaali dete hain. Ye Ravan ke aulad hain. Ram ke pujari ka ye apmaan kar rahe hain (Today, they abuse Mahatma Gandhi. They are children of Ravan. They are insulting Lord Ram's devotee)," Chowdhury said.

Later, BJP lawmakers object to Chowdhury's statement. Hegde, who is a Lok Sabha MP from Uttara Kannada, had on Saturday said that the freedom struggle led by Mahatma Gandhi was a "drama".

"None of these so-called leaders were beaten up by the cops even once. Their independence movement was one big drama. It was staged by these leaders with the approval of the British. It was not a genuine fight. It was an adjustment freedom struggle," Hegde had said while addressing a public event in Bengaluru. While several Congress leaders, including Karti Chidambaram and BK Hariprasad, have condemned Hegde's remark, BJP leaders too have distanced themselves from it.

Top leadership in BJP is unhappy with Anantkumar Hegde over his controversial remark on Mahatma Gandhi, party sources had said on Monday, adding that he has been asked to issue an unconditional apology.

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Agencies
August 4,2020

Ayodhya,  Aug 4: Various religious ceremonies have been conducted for the past 108 days by saints in Ayodhya and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will take part in `muhurat puja' at 12.44 pm on Wednesday as part of 'bhoomi pujan' for construction of a grand Ram temple.

PM Modi will arrive at 12:30 pm at the Ramjanmbhoomi and take part in various prayers including the main "bhoomi pujan".

Govind Giriji Maharaj, treasurer of Shri Ramjanmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, said that the religious ceremonies will begin from 8:30 am in the morning and will continue till 12:30 pm.

"The Prime Minister will arrive at 12:30 pm and he will offer `puja' for 15 minutes and take 'sankalp'. First Lord Ganesh will be worshipped then he will offer prayers of eight shilas. Some prayers at shilas we have conducted already," Giri told said.

"The muhrat of pooja is at 12: 44 pm. He will say words 'prathisthapayami' and it is crucial to be done in that muhrat," he said.

Elaborating on the rituals to be performed tomorrow by the Prime Minister, the trust member said that most important is `Kurm Shila' .

"The most important is Kurm Shila - this is right beneath the place where Ram Lalla will be seated. It is this ceremony that we are conducting tomorrow. A cone of Bakul tree wood will be kept in ceremony. This isn't an ordinary cone, it is made of various metals including gold and silver. 

A lotus with nine gems too will be part of pujan which will be offered to this cone by the Prime Minister," he said.

"These are intrinsic to main bhumi pujan. The first religious ceremony was of Devi Kali. There are two devi kalis here, `choti' and `badi'. She is kuldevi, family's goddess of Sita. Today we held Ramarchan ceremony," said Giri.

The Vedic pundits who are involved in religious ceremonies have come from Delhi, Mathura and Kashi.

Asked about the absence of Nepal's religious head of Janaki Mandir, he said that there are many, including 20 religious heads, who would not able to come because they can't leave their seat in Chaturmas.

On the design of temple, Giri said, the old design will remain as it is except a rise in height.

"The structure has become popular and we will keep it. Keeping in mind the modernisation of architecture, we have raised height from 128 feet to 161 feet and instead of three peaks we will have five peaks," he said.

Kanchi Pithadhishvar Maharaj has sent silver coins as souvenirs for every sadhu participating in it, Giri said.

Invitations have been sent to 175 people, including 135 saints of 35 religious organisations to attend the foundation stone-laying ceremony of Ram temple.

The construction of Ram temple will begin in Ayodhya after the ceremony to lay the foundation stone.

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