After joining the election campaign for the Wayanad byelection, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi challenged his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to make Wayanad a top tourist destination. The Congress leader was in Wayanad’s Sultan Bathery to campaign for his sister, who is the Congress’s candidate for the key election in Wayanad.

Earlier, the Lok Sabha constituency was represented in Lok Sabha by Rahul Gandhi. The senior Congress leader won the seat in this general election too, but retained the Rae Bareli seat in Uttar Pradesh and vacated the Kerala constituency. His decision paved the way for the November 13 bypoll in which Priyanka Gandhi will make her electoral debut. The 52-year-old leader is contesting against the Left front’s Sathyan Mokeri and BJP’s Navya Haridas.

Addressing a public meeting, Rahul Gandhi said that beside being an MP candidate, Priyanka Gandhi is also his little sister, and therefore he has the right to complain about her to the people of Wayanad. The Leader of Opposition expressed that Wayanad owns a huge place in his heart that is beyond politics. He added that he is here to help everyone at any time. He continued that if he can show its beauty to the rest of the world then he will happily do it.

Subsequently, he challenged his sister to make Wayanad the best tourist destination. He remarked that when people think of Kerala, the first destination should be Wayanad, mentioning that it will benefit the people of Wayanad and its economy, and also the world will get to know its beauty.

Rahul Gandhi further said that the people of Wayanad had taught him that love has an important place in politics. He explained that he did not use that word, but the people of Wayanad taught him that the word has a great place in politics. He stressed that love and affection are the only weapons that can combat hatred and anger.

Karnataka minister Zameer Ahmed Khan sparked a massive row over his racist slur against Union minister HD Kumaraswamy.

While addressing a rally in Ramanagara on Sunday, Zammer Ahmed Khan said the Channapatna Congress candidate C P Yogeeshwara had no other option but to join the BJP. He said that due to some differences in his party, Congress, he contested as an independent. He continued that C P Yogeeshwara had no option but to join the BJP, as was not ready to join the JD(S) because ‘Kaaliya Kumaraswamy’ was more dangerous than the BJP.  

C P Yogeeshwara has a direct contest in the Channapatna assembly bypoll against Kumaraswamy’s son Nikhil who is NDA’s candidate on the JD(S) ticket.earlier.

Following Khan’s remark, HD Kumaraswamy’s Janata Dal-Secular (JDS) hit out at the state minister. Taking to X, the party said that the people of the state will give a fitting response to the words of disrespect and his negative mindset towards people of darker skin colour. Furthermore, the JD(S) also sought to know the colour of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, ministers H C Mahadevappa, Satish Jarakiholi, Priyank Kharge and K H Muniyappa.

Asking what difference does it make if a person’s skin colour is black or white, the JD(S) demanded that a low-minded person like Zameer Ahmed Khan should be immediately removed from Congress and Siddaramaiah cabinet.

Additionally, JD(S) ally BJP also came out in Kumaraswamy’s support, as its leaders recalled a similar, racist statement from Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda in May.

Union Minister  Kiren Rijiju tweeted that this is a racist remark, same as Rahul Gandhi’s adviser (Sam Pitroda) calling South Indians look like Africans, North East as Chinese, North Indians as Arabs.

Meanwhile, State minister Priyank Kharge urged people to refrain from making racist remarks against others, adding that senior Congress leaders will talk to Zameer Ahmed Khan.

With nearly a day left for Jharkhand elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah today announced that a committee would be formed if BJP forms government in the state to identify and drive out infiltrators besides reclaiming land grabbed by them. Addressing a rally at Seraikela, he said that a legislation will also be brought to prevent transfer of land to infiltrators on their marrying tribal women.

Accusing the JMM-led dispensation of patronising Bangladeshi infiltrators, the Home Minister said that the tribal population is declining in Jharkhand. Amit Shah asserted that infiltrators are grabbing land by marrying tribal daughters. He continued that the BJP will bring legislation to prevent transfer of land to infiltrators if they marry tribal women, and will also form a committee to identify infiltrators to drive them out and reclaim land grabbed by them.

Amit Shah further claimed that Champai Soren was insulted when he raised the infiltration issue and was forced to resign from Chief Minister’s post by Hemant Soren. Slamming the JMM-Congress and RJD leaders for only working for personal growth and indulging in corruption, he said that the corrupt leaders of the JMM-led coalition would be sent behind bars if BJP forms government in Jharkhand.

Alleging that the JMM-led dispensation was behind the Rs 1,000 crore MNREGA scam, Rs 300 crore land scam, Rs 1,000 crore mining scam and multi-crore liquor scam and devoured Rs 3.90 lakh crore sent by the Centre, he vowed that once the BJP government is voted to power in the state it will ensure that if the Centre sends rupee one, 25 more paise is added to it by the state so that Rs 1.25 reaches to people.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi while campaigning in Garhwa slammed Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s administration, accusing the ruling JMM, Congress, and Rashtriya Janata Dal of being supporters of Bangladesh infiltrators. He said that the JMM-RJD-Congress government has taken appeasement to its peak, and are destroying the state’s social harmony. He claimed that these parties are supporters of infiltrators. In an attempt to get votes of Bangladesh infiltrators, they are getting them settled across Jharkhand, he remarked.