India News
Hamid Ansari a ranga siyar: BJP trolls Hamid Ansari
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]~By Sucheta Dasgupta
Soon after Ansari’s interview, in which he speaks about a feeling of unease and insecurity among the country’s Muslims, was aired on Rajya Sabha TV, a section of BJP leaders attacked the outgoing VP, Twitter trolls, author and BJP sympathiser Tarek Fateh ask him to ‘go to Pakistan’, filmmaker Ashoke Pandit wonder if Ansari will join the separatist Hurriyat conference in Kashmir
Soon after Vice President Hamid Ansari’s televised interview, in which he talks about Indian Muslims feeling insecure and uneasy under the prevailing socio-political environment of the country, was aired on Rajya Sabha TV, on Thursday, a section of BJP leaders and an army of trolls on Twitter launched a virulent, even vituperative attack at him.
As Ansari demitted office – the only person since India’s first Vice President Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan to have completed 10 years in the constitutional post – he also delivered a statesman-like speech in the Rajya Sabha, of which he was ex-officio Chairman. Quoting Dr Radhakrishnan, Ansari said: “democracy is distinguished by the protection it gives to minorities, a democracy is likely to disintegrate into a tyranny if it does not allow the Opposition to criticize freely and frankly the policies of the government.”
The mild-mannered, soft spoken former career diplomat, who was heaped with praise from parliamentarians of all political hues in the Rajya Sabha, however came in for heavy and often abusive criticism on Twitter and also from some BJP leaders soon after.
Making matters worse was a not-so-veiled attack at Ansari from his successor, Venkaiah Naidu, who told news agency PTI: “Some people are saying minorities are insecure. It is a political propaganda. Compared to the entire world, minorities are more safe and secure in India and they get their due.”
While BJP national general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya hit out at Ansari for his comments and wondered if they were fuelled by his ambition of taking on a political role, national executive member of the saffron party’s Mahila Morcha, Priti Gandhi wrote on micro-blogging site Twitter: “For 10 years my Hindu majority nation accepted you with open arms, placed you at the pinnacle of power & you still feel uneasy? Agenda kya hai? (sic).”
On APN channel’s daily current affairs talk show – Mudda – BJP leader Chandrabhushan Pandey called Hamid Ansari a “ranga siyar” (jackal dyed indigo) and added: “I never read about the illustrious “(former) President Zakir Hussain making such a statement. Ansari is a beneficiary of this system which values merit over faith and caste. He has turned out to be a ranga siyar, who can’t help himself from aligning with the narrow interests of his community. Yeh retirement ke baad apne liye rozgar talashne ki koshish hai (This is only an attempt to find positions for himself post retirement).”
The discourse over Ansari’s comments quickly disintegrated from routine political jibes to unparliamentary, obnoxious attacks on Twitter.
Right-wing political commentator and writer Tarek Fateh wondered why Ansari he doesn’t “retire to Pakistan” while film-maker and BJP sympathizer Ashoke Pandit tweeted: “Will not be surprised if #HamidAnsari joins #Hurriyat” (sic).[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Others on Twitter put out pictures related to an earlier controversy with which Ansari was linked when news of him not saluting the Indian tricolor during a Republic Day parade (when the then US President Barrack Obama was special dignitary) led to right-wing activists raising questions over his “Indianness”. Ansari’s officer on special duty Gurdeep Singh Sappal had then explained: “When National anthem is played, Principal Dignitary and persons in uniform take the salute. Those in civil dress stand in attention.” Sappal had said that protocol dictates that at Republic Day parade, “the President of India, as the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, takes the salute and by protocol, the Vice-President is required to stand in attention”.
Ansari has himself explained his position on the controversy thus: “If people don’t know what the correct protocol etiquette is, well, then that’s it. If one thing I know very well, it’s protocol. I have been the longest serving Chief of Protocol in the history of modern India. I know protocol and etiquette. I didn’t deviate from it.”
But trolls on Twitter clear don’t care about explanations or protocol and etiquette as is evident from the posts that flooded the site in a bid to attack and shame Ansari.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]
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India News
PM Modi says change in government certain in Chhattisgarh
According to PM Modi, the second Parivartan Yatra was launched from Jashpur in north Chhattisgarh on September 15 while the first one left Dantewada in south Chhattisgarh on September 12.
On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the closing ceremony of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) two Parivartan Yatras in Bilaspur. This is PM Modi’s third trip to the state, which is governed by the Congress and will host assembly elections later this year.
The Prime Minister attacked the Bhupesh Baghel-led governance during a public rally by claiming that Chhattisgarh is steeped in corruption and misrule. Every plan of the Congress government contains a fraud.
According to PM Modi, the second Parivartan Yatra was launched from Jashpur in north Chhattisgarh on September 15 while the first one left Dantewada in south Chhattisgarh on September 12.
Before reaching their conclusion in Bilaspur, both yatras covered a distance of more than 3,000 km over 87 assembly segments (out of the total 90), he said, and included 83 Swagat Sabhas (welcome gatherings), four roadshows, and several public meetings.
The Maoist-affected districts of Bijapur, Sukma, and Antagarh are not on the schedule, although residents from these districts participated in the yatra when it went through their neighbouring districts.
The party officials and employees spirits were unaffected by the rain, he said, and they joyfully took part in the two yatras, which attracted a large number of people.
According to Sao, who expressed confidence that the Congress will be defeated in the 2019 elections, the two yatras, in which almost 50 lakh people participated, have converted the tide of change into a storm.
The program’s location has been heavily fortified with security, according to the police. There will be a total of 1,500 security personnel deployed, including police officers, members of the Special Protection Group (SPG), members of the Chhattisgarh Armed Force, and members of the National Security Guard (NSG).
According to a police, a three-kilometer radius around the city has been designated a no-fly zone, and anti-drone weaponry have also been deployed in anticipation of the PM’s visit.
The Congress gave the BJP, which had been in power for 15 years under Raman Singh, a crushing loss in the 2018 assembly elections. The BJP had only won 15 seats, while the Congress had won 68. There are 71 seats in the current Congress.
India News
Punjab: Farmer’s rail roko protest enters 3rd day, disrupts train services
Many trains have been cancelled, short-terminated, or diverted as a result of the unrest, according to railway officials.
The rail roko protest of Punjabi farmers demanding MSP legal protection, a broad debt relief, and compensation for crops damaged in the recent floods began its third day today.
Many trains have been cancelled, short-terminated, or diverted as a result of the unrest, according to railway officials.
As part of their three-day agitation, the farmers have been blocking railway tracks at various locations in Faridkot, Samrala, Moga, Hoshiarpur, Gurdaspur, Jalandhar, Tarn Taran, Sangrur, Patiala, Ferozepur, Bathinda, and Amritsar since Thursday.
In Punjab and Haryana, the protest has halted hundreds of rail passengers.
A train passenger at the Ludhiana station claimed that he had travelled by road from Jalandhar City in order to board a train to Gorakhpur, but the arrival time of the train was unknown.
Another passenger at the station claimed that the Amritsar-bound train that was scheduled to carry 12 members of his family to Bihar had to be cancelled due to the unrest.
Later, they discovered that the family had journeyed by road from Amritsar and that the train would leave from Ludhiana. He continued, however, there has still been no update on the train.
According to officials, the Ambala and Ferozepur railway divisions have suffered specifically as a result of the farmers’ unrest.
The Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, Bharti Kisan Union (Krantikari), Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta Azaad), Azaad Kisan Committee, Doaba, Bharti Kisan Union (Behramke), Bharti Kisan Union (Shaheed Bhagat Singh), and Bharti Kisan Union (Chottu Ram) are among the farmer organisations taking part in the three-day demonstration.
The angry farmers have stated that the three-day protest will end on Saturday.
Their requests include a financial aid package for those in north India hit by floods, a statutory guarantee of the minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, and a farmer debt forgiveness programme.
The Swaminathan Commission report’s proposals for MSP and a 50,000 crore flood relief package for the states of northern India are what the farmers are asking for.
In addition, they want the debt of all farmers and labourers to be forgiven, as well as compensation of Rs 10 lakh and a government job for the families of each farmer killed during the protests against the three farm laws that have since been repealed.
India News
Sankalp Saptaah: PM Modi today launches week-long initiative for aspirational blocks at Bharat Mandapam
The country’s Sankalp Saptah programme, which is being implemented in 500 aspirational blocks throughout 329 districts, seeks to increase block-level government while also improving civilian quality of life.
At Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi introduced a week-long project named Sankalp Saptaah for the country’s aspirational groups.
He also conversed with attendees, including members from the panchayat and the block level.
The week-long programme, which is described in an official news release, is closely correlated with the national Aspirational Blocks Programme (ABP), which Modi introduced in January of this year.
The country’s Sankalp Saptah programme, which is being implemented in 500 aspirational blocks throughout 329 districts, seeks to increase block-level government while also improving civilian quality of life.
Chintan Shivirs were held nationwide at the village and block levels to help with the effective execution of the ABP and to create strong block development strategies. The result of these careful considerations, which will be seen in each of the 500 aspirational blocks, is Sankalp Saptaah.
On October 9, the final day of the seven-day event, a celebration of the week’s worth of effort will take place under the banner of Sankalp Saptaah – Samavesh Samaroh.
Speaking at the inaugural function, the prime minister claimed that more than 25 crore people’s lives in 112 districts throughout the nation had been improved by the aspirational districts plan. He asserted that the quality of living had changed. Now, the aspirational blocks programme will be built on the success of the aspirational districts programme, he said.
According to the statement, about 3,000 panchayat and block level functionaries and representatives of the people are expected to attend the inaugural event at Bharat Mandapam, in addition to about two lakh farmers, block and panchayat level functionaries, and people from other walks of life who will participate virtually.
Starting on October 3 and running through October 9, each day of Sankalp Saptaah is devoted to a distinct development subject on which all aspirational blocks will focus. Sampoorna Swasthya, Suposhit Pariwaar, Swachhta, Krishi, Shiksha, and Samridhi Diwas are some of the themes for the first six days, according to the statement.
