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PM Modi promises grand statue of Vidyasagar after his bust vandalised & EC curtailed Bengal poll campaign

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PM Modi promises grand statue of Vidyasagar after his bust vandalised & EC curtailed Bengal poll campaign

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today (Thursday, May 16) said his government would build a “grand statue” of Ishwar Chand Vidyasagar at the Vidyasagar College in Kolkata, where an existing bust of the social reformer was vandalised in clashes between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers during BJP president Amit Shah’s roadshow in the city two days ago, sparking off anger and mutual blame game between the two parties.

Vidyasagar is among Bengal’s tallest cultural icons, and a key figure in the Bengal Renaissance. He fought for remarriage of widows and abolition of Sati and initiated pathbreaking reform in traditional upper caste Hindu society.

Modi, speaking at a rally in Mau, Uttar Pradesh, this morning, Modi said, “Our government, dedicated to the vision of Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar, will set up a grand statue of panchdhatu (five metals) at the same spot.”

Accusing the TMC of breaking the statue, Modi said those responsible should be punished.

TMC leader Derek O’Brien responded to Modi’s proposal, calling him a “pathological liar”.

In the video footage of the incident, one clip shows a group of youths, some wearing saffron shirts and at least one sporting a saffron turban, vandalising a bust of Vidyasagar outside the Vidyasagar College hostel, reported The Indian Express (IE).

Another clip shows a separate group inside the campus hurling large stones across the wall at men wearing saffron shirts and turbans, carrying BJP flags.

Meanwhile, TMC chief and West Bengal Chief Minister has claimed that “Bengal is under attack” from outsiders brought in by the BJP, and called the episode a “planned criminal and communal conspiracy”.

Amid the war of words, the Election Commission yesterday, in an unprecedented decision, invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to curtail election campaigning in West Bengal by 20 hours. The poll body cited the “safety and security” of voters in the state while announcing that campaigning in all forms would end at 10 pm on Thursday in nine constituencies — Dum Dum, Barasat, Basirhat, Jaynagar, Mathurapur, Jadavpur, Diamond Harbour, South and North Kolkata. These go to polls in the last phase of the Lok Sabha polls on Sunday, May 19.

The decision has invited criticism, with many questioning the time, ‘from 10 pm’ instead of immediately if the situation was so bad, asking if it was done only to allow PM Modi’s two rallies scheduled in Bengal.

Also Read: Kamal Haasan booked for Godse remark, his party says comment taken out of context

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury tweeted: “If a ban is intended for 72 hours, why is it starting at 10pm tomorrow? Is it to allow the two rallies of the PM before that?”

The EC’s decision to curtail campaigning in West Bengal was reportedly based on the report submitted by Deputy Election Commissioner Sudeep Jain, who took stock of the poll preparedness Monday, and another submitted jointly by special observers Ajay Nayak and Vivek Dubey.

Jain, in his report, had informed the Election Commissioners of a “distinct resistance and non-cooperation from the district administration and district police” in providing a “level-playing field to all candidates for campaigning” and “a fearless threat free environment to the voters”.

“The Observers pointed out that while on the surface, everything looks fine, but in their frank interactions with the public the fear psychosis that is widely prevalent comes out. They pointed out that utterances of the AITC (All India Trinamool Congress) senior leaders on the lines of ‘Central Forces will leave after the elections while we will remain’ sends a chilling message among the officers as well as voters alike,” he wrote in his report submitted to the EC.

Citing incidents of violence being reported in the state, the EC order states, “…these campaign related violent incidents are creating an atmosphere of fear and hatred in the polling areas which is affecting the overall electoral environment…”

Asked about the logic behind the EC’s decision to end campaigning at 10 pm Thursday, a senior EC official told The Indian Express, “We did not want to disrupt campaigning when it is at its peak. Moreover, this gives all political parties a chance to demonstrate their commitment to peaceful campaigning.” “The 10 pm deadline was kept keeping the Supreme Court order on the use of loudspeakers,” another senior EC official said.

Reacting to the EC’s decision, Union Minister Arun Jaitley tweeted, “A constitutional authority, the Election Commission of India, has effectively held Bengal to be a state in Anarchy…A free campaign is not possible and therefore the campaign has to be cut short. This is a classical case of breakdown of the Constitutional Machinery.”

2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Election Commission orders AAP to modify Lok Sabha campaign song

AAP minister Atishi attacked the ECI for putting a ban on the party’s Lok Sabha election campaign song. She said this has happened for the first time in the history of India that the Election Commission has put a ban on the election song of a political party.

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The Election Commission of India asked the Aam Aadmi Party to modify its election campaign song on Sunday. The Election Commission pointed out that the phrase jail ke jawaab me hum vote denge shows an aggressive mob holding the photo of Arvind Kejriwal showing him behind bars, casts a bad impression of the judiciary. The ECI added that the phrase appears several times in the advertisement which contravenes the provisions of ECI Guidelines and Rule 6(1\(g) of Programme and Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994.

AAP minister Atishi attacked the ECI for putting a ban on the party’s Lok Sabha election campaign song. She said this has happened for the first time in the history of India that the Election Commission has put a ban on the election song of a political party.

The Election Commission listed some of the phrases that it found in violation of codes. The phrase: Tanashahi party ko hum chot denge with the video clip showing the protesters clash with the police (running from 00:21 to 00:23) incites violence. The phrase: gunda gardi ke khilaf vote denge and Tanashahi karne wali party ko hum chot denge running from duration 00:27 to 00:32 Sec with the video clip showing Manish Sisodia being escorted by the police. The words and the video clip shows the police in bad light.

The Election Commision said the phrase: Awazein khilaf thi jo sabko jail me daal dia, bas unko hi bahar rakha jisne inko maal dia. Itna lalach, itna nafrat, bhrastachari se mohabbat shows slanderous remarks and is a criticism of BJP on the basis of unverified facts and also casts bad impression of the judiciary. The Election Commission stated that the phrase Tanashahi party ko hum chot denge with the video clip showing aggressive mob clashing with the police shows criticism of the ruling party based on unverified facts.

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

PM Modi criticises Rahul Gandhi for allegedly insulting Hindu kings, accuses Congress of not addressing atrocities by Muslim rulers

The prime minister was addressing an election rally in Karnataka’s Belagavi where he said, the statements made by the Shehzada of Congress have been made very thoughtfully to appease their vote bank. But the Shehzada does not utter a word about the atrocities committed by the Nizams, Nawabs, Badshahs and Sultans.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday attacked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for allegedly insulting Hindu kings but not saying a word on atrocities committed by Muslim rulers like Aurangzeb. The prime minister was addressing an election rally in Karnataka’s Belagavi where he said, the statements made by the Shehzada of Congress have been made very thoughtfully to appease their vote bank. But the Shehzada does not utter a word about the atrocities committed by the Nizams, Nawabs, Badshahs and Sultans.

Congress does not remember the atrocities committed by Aurangzeb who destroyed thousands of Hindu temples.  He said Congress forms political alliances with parties who praise Aurangzeb. PM Modi said the Congress do not talk about all those who destroyed Hindu pilgrimage sites, looted them, killed Hindu people, and killed cows.

The Prime Minister was referring to a video clip of Rahul Gandhi which was shared by many BJP leaders. In the video clip, the Gandhi is heard saying, during the rule of Rajas and Maharajas, they could do whatever they wanted and even grab someone’s land. The Congress fought for India’s independence and brought democracy in the country.

PM Modi also mentioned the death of a Karnataka Congress corporator’s daughter, who was killed by her former colleague in her college.  He said the Congress government gives priority to appeasement and for them, the lives of daughters like Neha have no value. The prime minister further added that the Congress is only concerned about its vote bank.

Neha Hiremath, daughter of Congress Councillor of Hubballi-Dharwad Municipal Corporation Niranjan Hiremath, was murdered on the campus of BVB College on April 18 by her ex-classmate Fayaz. PM Modi accused Congress for supporting anti national parties like PFI (Popular Front of India) for votes which is an anti-national organisation that gives shelter to terrorism and which has been banned by the Modi government.

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Delhi Congress President Arvinder Singh Lovely resigns, says he feels handicapped under Deepak Babaria’s leadership

Arvinder Singh Lovely pointed out many instances when party leaders objected to the way Deepak Babaria, the Congress’s general secretary in-charge for Delhi, conducted the state of affairs. Lovely said that he was under great pressure to expel the leaders who objected to Babaria’s ways.

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Delhi Congress President Arvinder Singh Lovely on Sunday resigned from his post, citing interference by the party’s general secretary in-charge and alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi as major friction points. In his resignation letter to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, Lovely said he felt handicapped and unable to continue as the president of the Delhi Congress unit.

He pointed out many instances when party leaders objected to the way Deepak Babaria, the Congress’s general secretary in-charge for Delhi, conducted the state of affairs. Lovely said that he was under great pressure to expel the leaders who objected to Babaria’s ways. Arvinder Singh Lovely said the Congress’s alliance with the AAP in Delhi for the Lok Sabha elections, which he claimed was opposed by the  Delhi Congess unit.

 Lovely wrote in his letter to the Congress President that the state Congress Unit was against forming an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party which was formed on the sole basis of levelling false, fabricated and malafide corruption charges against the Congress, and in turn, whose half of the cabinet ministers are in jail on corruption charges. He further called the alliance a compromise to improve chances of victory for the Congress.

Arvinder Singh Lovely said while he respected the Congress’s alliance decision with Aam Aadmi party but he was upset by Congress’s North East Delhi seat candidate Kanhaiya Kumar praising AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal. Lovely further said that according to the alliance, the Congress was allotted 3 Lok Sabha seats, of which 2 – North West and North East – constituencies were given to total strangers.

Udit Raj is a Congress-AAP joint candidate in North West Delhi, whereas Kanhaiya Kumar is contesting from the North East seat. Arvinder Singh Lovely said the announcement of Raj and Kumar as candidates had caused an uproar and protests by Delhi Congress leaders and workers within the party.

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