Eye on polls, BJP to hold Muslims' convention

Hubballi, Jan 15: Leaders of the Muslim community, Dalit organisations, Congress Party, and others are staging a hunger strike at Dr B R Ambedkar Circle in Hubballi, opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizens (NRC).

Raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, they demanded the withdrawal of the CAA and not to implement NRC.

"India is witnessing such a dictatorship for the first time. The BJP government is trying to divide people into the lines of religion, through CAA and NRC. This move is a threat for peace and harmony in the country," said AICC member Shakir Sanadi, who led the protest.

Sayed Tajuddin Quadri, Moulana Niyaz Alam, Moulana Nayimuddin and others took part in the hunger strike.

Former minister A M Hindasgeri, former MP I G Sanadi, F H Jakkappanavar, Pitambrappa Bilar, and others also extended support to the protest.

Amidst heightened border tensions between Indian and China, senior BJP leader and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's two year old tweet comparing his party with Communist Party of China started going viral. 

The tweet, dated 26 June, 2016 reads: "Communist Party of China & BJP have done numerous works in social field. This way, there is tremendous similarities between the two parties." (sic)

Twitterati dug up this tweet after over 20 Indian Army personnel, including a colonel, were killed in a clash with Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh earlier this week.

Soon after Chouhan's tweet went viral, netizens took to the micro-blogging site and slammed BJP. One user said, "Interesting comment by Hindutva ITSELF to recognise how similar they are with China. No doubt. Both believe in Dragon Throne .... and brutal absolute control." Another user said, "No wonder the BJP & China both agree that PLA never crossed into Indian territory."

No wonder the BJP & China both agree that PLA never crossed into Indian territory. https://t.co/fjguCNdGfc

— Pierre Fitter (@pierrefitter) June 18, 2020

Interesting comment by Hindutva ITSELF to recognise how similar they are with China. No doubt. Both believe in Dragon Throne .... and brutal absolute control. https://t.co/zDbmaMwBMH

— Devdutt Pattanaik (@devduttmyth) June 18, 2020

BJP EXPOSED!#IndiaChinaFaceOff https://t.co/f9WaZTYWVZ

— Youth Congress (@IYC) June 17, 2020

Indeed. Both deceive and betray. https://t.co/VR8brc9pbt

— Dushyant (@atti_cus) June 17, 2020

Always held that both these ideologies have "tremendous similarities". Best to be equidistant from both. https://t.co/hrvd07IQQV

— Rachit Seth (@rachitseth) June 17, 2020

didn't know this, no one talks of these similarities. https://t.co/y0TKXAPa70

— S lrfan Habib (@irfhabib) June 18, 2020

What!!! I never saw this before. https://t.co/gQLby93tIk

— Sanjukta Basu (@sanjukta) June 18, 2020

Mysuru, Jan 19: The 'City of Palaces', for the first time in history, got a Muslim woman as its first citizen, on Saturday.

Tasneem, a JD(S) Corporator, is elected as the 22nd Mayor of Mysuru. The 34-year-old Tasneem is a second-time corporator, representing Ward number, 26. She defeated BJP candidate Geetha Yogananda, representing Ward no 65 of Srirampura, by a margin of 24 votes. Out of 70 members, who were present during the election, 47 voted for Tasneem, 23 for Geetha Yogananda.

Tasneem thanking the party leaders said the JD(S) gave her an opportunity to serve the city and its people. JD(S) gives more priority for minorities. The party facilitated the first Muslim Mayor, Arif Hussian, in 1996. Later, Congress corporator Ayub Khan served as mayor in 2008.

Women from different communities had served as mayor of the city, but, Tasneem is the first Muslim woman to be elected as Mayor of Mysuru.

Tasneem, a BA Graduate from Maharani's College, was proud for being the first citizen and thanked party supremo H D Deve Gowda, leaders H D Kumaraswamy, MLAs Sa Ra Mahesh, G T Devegowda, K S Rangappa, and her colleagues in the Mysuru City Corporation. Tasneem extended her gratitude to her voters, who voted her for the second time.  

'Mysuru is known for cleanliness. Thus, my first priority is to maintain cleanliness and I will work towards retaining the 'Clean city' tag. The city is facing issues related to street lights among others for many days. I will make prompt attempts to resolve them,' she said.

JD(S) city president K T Cheluvegowda said the party nominated Tasneem for mayor's post as per the suggestion from the party supremo H D Deve Gowda and other leaders. There were other aspirants, but, they were convinced and nominated Tasneem, he said.