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Rajasthan BJP MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari quits, says will fight corruption, undeclared Emergency

Published

8 years ago

June 26, 2018

Senior BJP MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari quits, says will fight corruption, undeclared Emergency

Six-term MLA Ghanshyam Tiwari of Rajasthan BJP has quit the party alleging rampant corruption under chief minister Vasundhara Raje and an undeclared Emergency in the country and in Rajasthan.

The allegations for the move hurt BJP where it hurts most, coming at a time when the BJP top brass chose to pull out the issue of Emergency without any apparent reason or occasion – this is the 43^rd year, not 10, 25, or even 40 years – to observe it as a ‘Black Day’ and attack the Congress.

A former minister, Tiwari said that he has submitted his resignation to party chief Amit Shah and accused him of not reining in corruption by CM Raje.

Tiwari’s move was anticipated. A rebel MLA sidelined for four years, he had announced two days earlier that he will field candidates on all 200 Assembly seats of the state under the banner of Bharat Vahini Party, whose founder president is his son Akhilesh Tiwari, said media reports. BVP was registered by the Election Commission of India on June 13.

Addressing a press conference later on Monday, Tiwari said the country was going through a phase of “undeclared emergency” for the last four years and he was ready to fight against it. “Undeclared emergency is more dangerous than actual emergency,” he told reporters, according to PTI. “I have witnessed both the phases and I am tendering my resignation from the party [BJP] to fight against it.”

Tiwari talked about Emergency days, recalling that he “went to jail, was beaten up, and operated while underground.” But, he said “the undeclared Emergency at present in the nation and state is more dangerous than declared Emergency.” He said he was immensely hurt at having to leave the party after being associated with the Sangh for decades. Tiwari has been with the party since its Jansangh days.

In his four-page resignation letter, he alleged that both the state and central leadership have kneeled down before Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

“I fought in 1975 against the declared emergency. Now, I will fight against undeclared emergency. There is an undeclared emergency in the country and the state. I am ready to fight for the protection of public and safeguarding their independence,” wrote Tiwari in his resignation letter.

While addressing Shah, the senior leader pointed out that his repeated complaints over the last four years on corruption and misrule in Rajasthan did not find an audience.

“I even attempted to tell that an individual has taken control of BJP in the state. But you did nothing. Instead, you tried to harass and defame the loyal workers of the party. It is now clear that first you agreed to side with corruption in Rajasthan and now, you have kneeled before it,” Tiwari wrote to Shah.

In his letter to BJP President Amit Shah, Tiwari wrote, “The present state government, in connivance with some leaders in Centre, has been looting the state. Under the leadership of the chief of the state government, a coterie of some ministers and officers has only one aim: to pick the pockets of the citizens and rob the state’s resources.”

Without naming Raje, he wrote, “New methods of corruption are being invented on a daily basis under the chief of BJP government. Be it appointing her confederates on creamy postings, or extortion through political appointments.or possession of Rs 2,000 crore government residence in Civil Lines – for life – through a Bill.”

Further, he wrote, “…the power and dignity of all the major constitutional offices – Vidhan Sabha, Vidhan Sabha committees, Raj Bhawan, Rajasthan Public Services Commission, council of ministers etc. – have been put at stake for fulfilling personal aspirations. False cases are filed on dissenters and their families harassed. Situation is such that newspapers are openly suppressed economically and politically.”

Tiwari is the MLA from Jaipur’s Sanganer Assembly seat — his sixth term in the State Assembly. In 2013 Assembly elections, he had won with the highest margin in the state, defeating Congress rival by over 65,000 votes.

Tiwari is a known adversary of Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje in the state’s political circles. He had been at loggerheads with her on several occasions during her current stint as the state Chief Minister and in 2017, the BJP’s national disciplinary committee issued show-cause notices to Tiwari after he alleged that the state party unit had become a place for mafias and sycophants, PTI reported.

Tiwari said he will contest from the same constituency – Sanganer – in the upcoming Assembly elections in Rajasthan from his son’s newly-floated party Bharat Vahini Party. The polls are scheduled for later this year.

While Tiwari’s party is unlikely to win on his own but he can harm the BJPs prospects in the assembly election. He could influence some Brahmin votes, a caste that constitutes 12.5 per cent of the population.

The Vasundhara Raje government is already facing anti-incumbency and the BJP has faced series of defeats in recent bypolls. In the bypolls to five assembly and two Lok Sabha seats so far, the BJP lost three and two respectively to the Congress.

In bypolls for two Lok Sabha seats held earlier this year, the BJP lost in all the 17 assembly constituencies.

The party’s state unit is plagued with infighting and dissensions and the central leadership has failed to appoint a state president, a post which has been lying vacant for a considerable period of time.

Officially, the BJP put up a brave face. Party’s Rajasthan in-charge, Avinash Rai Khanna, was quoted by media reports as saying that “no person has been able to establish himself politically after parting ways with the BJP. His case was pending before the disciplinary committee and he took this step on his own.”

Related Topics:Amit Shah BJP Emergency Vasundhara Raje

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Yogi Adityanath’s remarks came after the Samajwadi Party announced that Akhilesh Yadav would visit the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on December 12.

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Yogi made the remarks while addressing the 10th edition of Deepotsav in Ayodhya. He did not name Akhilesh Yadav directly.

Yogi’s remarks come after Akhilesh’s Ayodhya visit plan

The chief minister’s comments came after the Samajwadi Party announced that Akhilesh Yadav would visit the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on December 12. It would be his first visit to the temple since its inauguration, according to the report.

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“Let them apologise to the devotees of Lord Ram; let them apologise to the saints,” Yogi said, adding that they should repent for their past actions.

Reference to 1990 firing on kar sevaks

Yogi’s remarks referred to the 1990 police firing on kar sevaks during the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. At the time, the Uttar Pradesh government was headed by Mulayam Singh Yadav, Akhilesh Yadav’s father.

The chief minister said those who had once “bloodied” Ayodhya were now remembering the city. He also criticised political leaders over their conduct at religious gatherings, referring to the decorum of a katha.

Akhilesh has not yet visited the Ram Temple

Akhilesh Yadav has visited Ayodhya earlier but has not so far visited the Ram Temple. The SP leader was in the city on October 8 to attend a Bhagwat Katha organised by party leader Pawan Pandey.

According to the report, Akhilesh and his wife, Mainpuri MP Dimple Yadav, are scheduled to offer prayers at the Ram Temple and Hanumangarhi on December 12.

The planned visit comes amid political activity in Ayodhya ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections due by February 2027.

Yogi highlights Ayodhya’s transformation

During his Deepotsav address, Yogi also spoke about the changes in Ayodhya and described the city’s transformation as an ideological victory.

He said those who had previously neglected Ayodhya were now witnessing its development. He also said Lord Ram represented India’s national consciousness, culture, values and self-respect.

The chief minister further recalled the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and said Ayodhya had regained the glory for which kar sevaks and saints had struggled.

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Ahead of Diwali, Yogi govt hikes DA by 5% for UP government staff

The Uttar Pradesh government has increased Dearness Allowance by 5 percentage points, taking it from 58% to 63%. The revised rate will benefit lakhs of eligible employees ahead of Diwali.

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The enhanced DA will be paid along with employees’ regular November 2026 salaries.

Which employees will benefit from the DA hike?

The decision covers regular state government employees and several other categories of eligible staff.

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The revision is expected to benefit a large section of the Uttar Pradesh workforce ahead of the festive season.

What happens to the DA arrears?

The revised DA rate will apply retrospectively from July 1, 2026. Consequently, employees will also be entitled to arrears for the period preceding the November salary payment.

The government has made provisions for the payment of the arrears for July to October 2026. These amounts will be credited to employees’ provident fund accounts, according to the reported payment arrangements.

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Himanta Sarma to approach court over threat to gherao home in Zubeen case

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Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said the state government would bring before the Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court a threat by a group to gherao his residence in connection with the Zubeen Garg death case.

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Why Himanta Sarma plans to approach the courts

Sarma said he had instructed the state government’s legal department to bring the matter to the notice of both the Supreme Court and Gauhati High Court.

The Chief Minister objected to the group threatening to target his residence rather than holding a protest near the Chief Minister’s Office.

He said those questioning the judicial process should approach the Supreme Court or the high court instead of targeting him. Sarma also maintained that the courts should be allowed to carry out their work.

According to him, attempts to question the judicial process in this manner could obstruct the path of justice.

What the group said about the bail pleas

The Zubeen Garg Nyay Samiti, led by Raijor Dal MLA Akhil Gogoi, had announced on Thursday that it would gherao the Chief Minister’s residence under certain circumstances.

The group said it would carry out the protest if Shyamkanu Mahanta and Siddhartha Sharma were granted bail or if the Assam government failed to mount an effective legal opposition to their bail pleas.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the bail petitions of the two accused on November 30.

Bail granted to two accused in the case

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The high court has also granted bail to Sandipan Garg in the case.

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Responding to questions over the development, Sarma said the witnesses should be questioned about the discrepancy rather than him.

What happened to Zubeen Garg?

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