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Preparing for 2019: PM Modi seeks list of projects to inaugurate, BJP plans a string of rallies

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8 years ago

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Preparing for 2019: PM Modi seeks list of projects to inaugurate, BJP plans a string of rallies

From August, the BJP will go into election mode, BJP president Amit Shah had said a few days ago. While that might sound amusing to many who feel that the party leadership is perpetually in campaign mode, the party plans to take it to another level.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in whose projection the party – and the government – has invested heavily, will obviously be at the centre of the campaign.

Taking the party campaign ahead, PM Modi, who has used official platforms earlier to bolster poll campaigns as in the last Jharkhand and UP by-elections, is reported to have asked all ministries to furnish state-wise details of projects that would be ready for foundation stone laying or inauguration over the next six months till December 31.

According to a report in The Economic Times (ET), the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) has asked all ministries to give detailed reports on projects that can be initiated or inaugurated over the next six months by PM Modi.

The ministries have been asked to give names of projects, their funding pattern (how much money would be provided by the Centre and state government) and whether all clearances have been taken to initiate the projects, said the ET report. The emphasis is on infrastructure ministries, including housing and urban affairs, road transport and highways, railways and civil aviation.

A pro forma has been circulated among ministries to provide a detailed account of projects and whether the PM could lay the foundation stone, inaugurate them or dedicate them “to the nation”.

The directive also lays emphasis on projects that Modi would lay foundation stones for, said ET. “It may be ensured that all clearances are available in respect of the projects intimated,” said ET, quoting the document. The exercise has been initiated well ahead of the Assembly elections in three BJP-ruled states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

The exercise, carefully coordinated by the PMO, indicates how conscious the BJP-led NDA government is of people’s perception. The Congress-led UPA government had faced a problem in appropriating credit for the central schemes in BJP-ruled states. PM Modi, in contrast, has managed to get good publicity even through inaugurating projects launched by the previous regime.

PM Modi opened the UP campaign when he inaugurated Samsung’s mobile manufacturing plant, touted as the biggest in the world, in Noida. Building on this, PM Modi will be touring Azamgarh, Varanasi and Mirzapur on July 14-15, said a News18 report. The PM will spend a night in Varanasi, his Lok Sabha constituency, on July 14. He will also attend a rally in Shajahanpur on July 21 and another in Lucknow for a smart city programme on July 29. It is expected that the PM will hit out at the mahagathbandhan plan of the opposition.

Before Lok Sabha dates are announced in February next year, PM Modi will have completed almost 50 rallies throughout the country, said News18 quoting sources. As Rajasthan, MP and Chhattisgarh go to polls later this year, October and November have been marked out for separate rallies by the PM for these state elections.

The party would drum up a campaign claiming phenomenal, unprecedented, all round progress under Modi while blaming the previous regimes for the problems. To counter the reports about growing joblessness, investors pulling out and stalling projects, falling industrial growth and farmers unrest, it is expected to play on reports of India becoming sixth largest economy, reports on ease of doing business index, the hike in minimum support price among steps for doubling farm income, and similar themes.

BJP president Amit Shah has been touring state after state to drive home the party’s message. Shah has been meeting party vistaraks, booth managers, and chalking out the success roadmap for the party. In essence, both the party and the government are in poll mode.

BJP also plans farmer rallies all over the country. In line with its campaign theme, it held the first such rally at Muktsar in Punjab on July 11 where PM Modi accused the Congress of using farmers as a vote bank during nearly 70 years of its rule as it believed in serving the interest of only ‘one family’. Another big farmer rally has been planned in UP’s Shahjahanpur on July 21. This will be followed by a rally each in Odisha and Karnataka. The PM is expected to talk about government initiatives at these rallies, especially the initiatives taken for farmers.

Other than PM Modi, senior leaders like Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh, Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari too will conduct their own separate rallies and these too will complete 50 rallies by February next year. Each rally will cover two to three Lok Sabha constituency. This means that by next year the BJP will have completed 200 rallies and reached out to 400 Lok Sabha constituencies, News18 reported. The BJP hopes this would to get the party in shape in time to take on a united opposition.

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Gandhi Parivar vs Sangh Parivar, Revanth Reddy’s remark sparks BJP attack

Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s remarks contrasting the Gandhi Parivar with the Sangh Parivar triggered a BJP response accusing Congress of prioritising the Gandhi family.

Published

3 hours ago

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September 26, 2026

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Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s remarks comparing the Gandhi Parivar and Sangh Parivar have triggered a political exchange, with the BJP hitting back at the Congress leader.

Speaking in Kerala on Friday, Mr Reddy described the contest over India’s future as a fight between the two “parivars”. He said the Gandhi family had made sacrifices for the country while accusing the Sangh Parivar of attempting to divide India on the basis of religion, caste, region and language.

What Revanth Reddy said

Mr Reddy cited Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi while speaking about what he described as sacrifices made by the Gandhi family.

He also referred to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, saying they had given up positions, power and high office.

The Telangana Chief Minister said he had no remaining personal political ambitions and described his objective as working towards a Congress-led government at the Centre with Rahul Gandhi as Prime Minister.

Mr Reddy also appealed to people to stand with the Gandhi Parivar and oppose the Sangh Parivar. He described the latter as a threat to India’s democracy.

BJP hits back

The BJP responded to Mr Reddy’s remarks on Saturday.

BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari said the Telangana Chief Minister’s comments amounted to an admission that Congress’s objective was to bring the Gandhi family back to power.

He also linked Mr Reddy’s remarks to the ongoing political debate around “vote chori”, the Election Commission, the Constitution and democracy, arguing that the Congress’s focus was instead on the Gandhi family.

The exchange adds to the political confrontation between the BJP and Congress, with Mr Reddy presenting the Gandhi Parivar and Sangh Parivar as opposing forces in India’s political future, while the BJP has interpreted his remarks as evidence of Congress’s focus on the Gandhi family.

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India hits back at Shehbaz Sharif at UN, says terror will have consequences

India hit back at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s UN speech, with New Delhi warning that terrorism will have consequences.

Published

10 hours ago

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September 26, 2026

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India has responded to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks at the United Nations, delivering a strong message on terrorism and warning that such actions will have consequences.

The response came after Mr Sharif addressed the UN and raised issues concerning India and Pakistan. New Delhi rejected the narrative presented by the Pakistani prime minister and highlighted the issue of terrorism.

India’s message was delivered by Petal Gehlot, who represented New Delhi in the response to Pakistan.

India warns Pakistan over terrorism

India’s response focused on Pakistan’s record and its approach towards terrorism. New Delhi made clear that terrorism cannot be separated from its consequences and that those responsible cannot expect such actions to go unanswered.

The Indian side also pushed back against the claims and allegations made by Mr Sharif during his UN speech.

The exchange comes amid continuing tensions between India and Pakistan, with terrorism remaining a major point of disagreement between the two countries.

Shehbaz Sharif’s UN remarks

In his address, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke about India-Pakistan relations and raised several issues concerning New Delhi.

India subsequently exercised its right of reply to respond to Pakistan’s statements at the United Nations.

New Delhi’s response underlined its position that terrorism remains a serious issue in the relationship and that there would be consequences for terrorist actions.

The latest exchange at the UN adds to the continuing diplomatic confrontation between the two neighbouring countries.

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Veeramani POCSO case: Vijay questions Stalin over earlier probe

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has questioned MK Stalin over the handling of the Veeramani POCSO case, while Stalin has rejected allegations that the previous DMK government protected anyone.

Published

23 hours ago

on

September 25, 2026

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Actor Vijay

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C Joseph Vijay has questioned DMK president MK Stalin over the handling of the POCSO case involving Gem Granites founder R Veeramani. The political exchange follows renewed investigation into allegations involving minor girls.

Vijay’s remarks came as the ruling TVK stepped up its questions about how the case was handled during the previous DMK government. The party’s IT wing has alleged that the earlier investigation was weakened and questioned why a final report was filed.

The allegations have been rejected by the DMK. Stalin has said that no order was issued by the DMK government to protect anyone in the case and has called the allegations false and defamatory.

What did Vijay say about the Veeramani case?

Vijay questioned Stalin over the handling of the case and demanded an explanation from the former chief minister.

The TVK has specifically questioned why action was not taken against Veeramani during the previous administration and why the earlier investigation resulted in a closure report.

The party has also raised questions about the role of officials involved in the earlier investigation. These are political allegations made by the TVK and have not been established as facts.

What is the Veeramani POCSO case?

The case concerns allegations of sexual abuse of minors involving R Veeramani, the founder of Gem Granites.

The case came under renewed scrutiny after a special POCSO court rejected an earlier closure report and ordered further investigation. The expanded probe has subsequently identified additional alleged survivors who were minors at the time of the alleged offences, according to current reporting.

The investigation is also examining the circumstances surrounding the earlier probe and whether there were any lapses in how the case was handled.

What has MK Stalin said?

Stalin has rejected allegations that the previous DMK government protected Veeramani.

He has said that no order was issued by the DMK government to shield anyone in the case. Stalin has also said that everyone responsible for the alleged offences, including anyone who aided or attempted to protect the accused, should face the law.

The DMK president has further said that the focus should remain on securing justice for the affected girls rather than making political allegations.

Why has the case become a political issue?

The Veeramani case has become the subject of a political dispute between the ruling TVK and the DMK over the handling of the earlier investigation.

The TVK is questioning the previous government’s handling of the case, while the DMK has denied that it intervened to protect the accused.

At this stage, claims about political interference or deliberate weakening of the earlier investigation should be treated as allegations unless established by the ongoing investigation or judicial proceedings.

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