Varanasi fears polarisation as Kejriwal hits campaign trail

April 15, 2014

Varanasi, Apr 15: As political pitch gets stronger in this city of temples and weavers with the arrival of AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, leaders across party lines are fearing a highly polarised scenario on religious lines ahead of Lok Sabha polls next month.

kej_modiWhile senior leaders from BJP dismiss the impact of any anti-Modi polarisation among Muslims, who account for about 18 per cent votes here and close to 30 per cent in urban areas, local leaders from various parties including the saffron party said there was a high probability of Muslim votes being polarised towards the strongest candidate against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
Local leaders from various parties including Congress, SP and BSP, also accused Kejriwal of trying to influence Muslims by projecting himself as the strongest candidate against Modi.

Soon after arriving here this morning, Kejriwal met Benares Shahar-e-Kazi Ghulam Nasir and sought his support. According to AAP leaders here, Nasir told Kejriwal that he would pray for his success.
Kejriwal also met some Balmiki Samaj leaders and visited areas populated by Dalits to seek their support. He is staying at the house of Viplav Mishra, brother of late Veerbhadra Mishra, who was mahant of Sankat Mochan Mandir, a Hanuman temple which is very popular among locals and people visiting Varanasi.
Kejriwal is likely to file his nomination on April 23, before which he may go to Amethi for a couple of days to campaign for party colleague Kumar Vishwas who is fighting against Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.
When asked whether BJP was wary of any anti-Modi polarisation among Muslim voters in favour of Kejriwal, party leaders dismissed such claims, saying Modi's win was a foregone conclusion and the fight was only about margins.
BJP's Nalin Kohli, who is camping here for elections, said it was not at all concerned about polarisation and the party was fighting the elections with agenda of 'one India, great India' and the new government would work for solving the problems faced by people of this country.
However, some other local BJP leaders accepted that there were apprehensions about polarisation of votes against Modi, but the quantum would not be enough to defeat the party's prime ministerial candidate and the 'ever-growing' wave in his favour.
On the other hand, Congress candidate Ajay Rai said that it was BJP which was working towards creating a polarisation on the religious lines and the party had done similar things in last Lok Sabha elections.
Rai went on to blame BJP of conspiring to put Muslim strongman leader Mukhtar Ansari in the fray so that minority votes get divided between him and Samajwadi Party. Rai had fought last Lok Sabha elections as a SP candidate, while Ansari was BSP candidate.
Since then, Ansari and his brothers have formed Qaumi Ekta Dal and is currently an MLA, while Rai is a Congress MLA right now. Ansari had earlier said he would fight against Modi, but recently decided against contesting Lok Sabha polls and has said he does not want anti-Modi votes to get divided.
Also in the fray is SP's Kailash Chaurasia, and BSP's Vijay Prakash Jaiswal and both the parties are putting their claims on minority, Dalit and backward votes.
SP's state secretary and UP Janjatiya Lok Kala Sanskriti Sansthan Chairman Manoj Rai Dhoopchandi said that the party would get huge support from minorities, backward and extreme backward caste voters as the state government has worked hard for their development.
"We are asking for votes on the basis of development work done by our government," he said, while accusing Kejriwal and Rai of trying to usurp SP's vote bank of minorities.
He said that the people of Varanasi would not be lured by them as they now that Kejriwal was an outsider and even Rai was wrongly claiming to be a local leader as his MLA constituency was hardly within Varanasi Lok Sabha area.
"Besides, people know that Rai is an ex-BJP leader and he has changed many parties, making him unacceptable among people here," he said.
Some Muslim leaders, on the other hand said, they do not want to be very vocal against Modi and the community is rather focussing on supporting candidates who can fight corruption or those who can work for local issues.
In 2009, there was reportedly huge polarisation against Ansari in Varanasi, and Murli Manohar Joshi could sail through by a small margin. Local leaders say that Joshi could muster enough support at the last moment after some other candidates pledged their support to BJP to defeat Ansari and they fear a similar situation against Modi this time.
Usman Gani, State Incharge of Momin Conference, which had been a major participant in Gandhian Khadi movement, categorically said that Aam Aadmi Party would fulfil the dreams of clean and secular India.
Surprisingly, neither has any major party announced any Muslim candidate so far for Varanasi seat, nor has any strong minority leader announced plans to fight independently.
Gani said he is hopeful that Quami Ekta Dal would also lend its support to Kejriwal as he was the only leader to stand up to the stature of Modi.
Momin Conference in Varanasi has been supporting AAP and it has given its own office to AAP in Sigra locality for election campaign purposes.

Comments

Casie
 - 
Tuesday, 12 Jan 2016

Istniejemy kompania ustawiona w delikatnej spacje od Zaznania tudziez
zagarniamy sie zwykle armatura szamb dietetycznych, lokalne oczyszczalnie przylegle czerpia naturalnie z rozdzielaczy spójniki od ich producentów

Feel free to surf to my web-site ... przydomowa oczyszczalnia scieków: http://fjxlh.com.w010.mydns114.net/comment/html/?4509.html

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
April 6,2020

New Delhi, April 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said that people from every section of the society and age group demonstrated unity on Sunday by responding to the Prime Minister '9 pm-9minute' appeal and strengthened the resolve to the fight against COVID-19.

"We experienced yesterday at 9 pm, the strength of togetherness of 130 crores people of our country," said PM Modi.

He further praised the citizens of the country for their support to the lockdown imposed across India in the wake of coronavirus threat.

"The maturity shown by the people during the lockdown, in a large country like India, is unprecedented. No one could have imagined that the people will abide by this with such obedience and sense of service," said Prime Minister Modi.

"I state it with full responsibility that this is a long war against coronavirus pandemic. But we do not have to get tired or take a rest in this war. We have to emerge victoriously. Today, the country has only one goal and one resolve - to win this war," he added.

The Prime Minister continued saying, that the government has developed an Aarogya Setu app through which one can get information regarding the infected cases around them.

"I request all of you to tell people about it, everyone should make sure that at least 40 others install it. They will get info through it about possibly infected cases around them. In these tough times, we have to ensure this," he added.

The Prime Minister also advised everyone to take necessary preventive measures and stay protected by adopting the mantra of social distancing.

"Always remember, whenever you go out your face should be covered, I say you should keep your face covered even at your homes. The mantra today for the whole world is social distancing and discipline," he added.

Prime Minister Modi addressed the BJP workers and the nation on the occasion of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) 40th Foundation Day.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
April 21,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 21: Not just in China, but in Kerala also robot is now playing a key role in the health workers' fight against COVID-19, thanks to the innovative spirit of a group of young minds and the support of the state Health Department.

Named "Nightingale-19", the robot is deployed to provide food and medicines among patients at the district coronavirus centre in Ancharakandi in Kannur district where a large number of cases have been reported.

The special display facility, attached to it, also allows patients to communicate with health workers and their relatives if necessary, the health minister's office here said.

Designed by the students of Chemberi Vimal Jyothi Engineering College with the support of the Health Department, the remote control-operated robot can carry food and water for at least six persons at a stretch.

Also Read: Pandemic Podcast: How the lockdown is affecting women

The machine, which can travel up to one kilometre, distributes food, water and medicine in each room, a department statement said.

The robot would be disinfected after each use, it said.

Health Minister K K Shailaja inaugurated the new venture from here recently through the robot's video facility, the statement added.

Robots have been put to use in other parts of the country to help in the health workers' fight against COVID- 19.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
June 7,2020

New Delhi, Jun 7: A day after India and China military commanders held "cordial and positive" talks at Chushul-Moldo point along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh, Ministry of External Affairs said the two countries have agreed to "peacefully" resolve the situation in the border areas by continuing the military and diplomatic engagements.

The Indian delegation led by 14 Corps Commander Lt Gen Harinder Singh on Saturday met his Chinese equivalent Maj Gen Liu Lin, who is the commander of South Xinjiang Military Region of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, to address the ongoing tussle in Eastern Ladakh.

In a statement on Sunday, the MEA said that the meeting between the Corps Commander based in Leh and the Chinese Commander took place in a "cordial and positive atmosphere".

"Both sides agreed to peacefully resolve the situation in the border areas in accordance with various bilateral agreements and keeping in view the agreement between the leaders that peace and tranquillity in the India-China border regions is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations," the statement read.

They also noted that this year marked the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and agreed that an early resolution would contribute to the further development of the relationship.

"Accordingly, the two sides will continue the military and diplomatic engagements to resolve the situation and to ensure peace and tranquillity in the border areas," it further read.

China has moved its troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Eastern Ladakh areas including the Finger area, Pangong Tso Lake, and Galwan Nala area.

The meeting between military commanders was to discuss and resolve the stand-off in Eastern Ladakh.

Following the meeting, the Army Headquarters' Directorate General of Military Operations also briefed the Ministry of External Affairs and other concerned government officials about the discussions.

On Friday, officials of India and China interacted through video-conferencing with the two sides agreeing that they should handle "their differences through peaceful discussion" while respecting each other's sensitivities and concerns and not allowing them to become disputes in accordance with the guidance provided by the leadership.

In the last few days, there has not been any major movement of the PLA troops at the multiple sites where it has stationed itself along the LAC opposite Indian forces.

The Chinese Army's intent to carry out deeper incursions was checked by the Indian security forces by quick deployment.

The Chinese have also brought in heavy vehicles with artillery guns and infantry combat vehicles in their rear positions close to the Indian territory.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.