The BJP today slammed Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi for allegedly travelling to Vietnam to usher in the New Year just days after former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s death, saying he insulted and abused the late Congress leader. These allegations came in the wake of the Congress’s claim that the Central government insulted Manmohan Singh by not cremating him at a spot earmarked for his memorial.

BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said that while the country is mourning Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s demise, Rahul Gandhi has flown abroad to bring in the New Year even as the nation observes seven days of mourning. He added that Congress doesn’t care for Dr Manmohan Singh. He claimed that the grand old party abused and insulted him during his lifetime, and continues to do so now.

He said that yesterday nobody went to collect his ashes. He claimed that Congress denied the Bharat Ratna to Dr Manmohan Singh, and that is their true face. However, the Congress clarified that the party’s leaders didn’t accompany the family during the ashes immersion because they wanted to accord privacy to the bereaved relatives of the leader.

The BJP spokesperson further claimed that Rahul Gandhi has changed the meaning of LoP from Leader of Opposition to Leader of ‘paryatan’ (tourism) and Leader of the party. At a time when the country is in grief over the demise of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Rahul Gandhi has left for tourism and party, as per media reports, he continued. 

Shehzad Poonawalla said that Rahul Gandhi and tourism is nothing new. He said that at a time when the 26/11 attack happened in Mumbai, he was partying all night, adding that he is not concerned about the demise of Dr Manmohan Singh.

Furthermore, BJP leader Amit Malviya also stated that Rahul Gandhi had flown to Vietnam when the country was in mourning. He stated that while the country is mourning former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s demise, Rahul Gandhi has flown to Vietnam to ring in the New Year. 

Amit Malviya claimed that Rahul Gandhi politicised and exploited Dr Singh’s death for his expedient politics but his contempt for him is unmissable. He claimed that the Gandhis and the Congress hate the Sikhs. Never forget that Indira Gandhi desecrated the Darbar Sahib, he continued. 

A heated exchange broke out between political strategist-turned-politician Prashant Kishore and protesting students demanding cancellation of the Bihar civil service examination. The students asked Prashant Kishore to step back from the protest site at Patna’s Gardanibagh, accusing him of being absent during lathicharge by Bihar Police on Sunday night.

Prashant Kishor, who had voiced support for the students, was met with slogans of Prashant Kishor, go back, upon his arrival at the protest site, leading to heated exchanges with student leaders. Tensions further escalated when Kishor remarked that they take blankets from them and then show attitude.

This statement angered the protesters, who were already upset over a police lathicharge that took place earlier in the night and Kishor’s absence during the incident, and asked him where he was during the lathicharge?

Earlier on Friday, Jan Suraj chief Prashant Kishore had given an ultimatum to the Bihar government, saying that the demands of the protesting BPSC aspirants should be addressed within three days, or he would lead protests himself. Furthermore, on Sunday, Prashant Kishor expressed his support for the protesting candidates, calling for an end to the corruption in Bihar’s examinations.

Several aspirants protested at Gandhi Maidan on Sunday, seeking re-examination of the 70th BPSC preliminary examination and a meeting with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. The protest, which began on December 13, the day of the examination, has won the backing of several major politicians, educationists and activists.

The Jan Suraj chief addressed a press conference on Monday, hours after being asked to leave the protest site by angered BPSC aspirants upset over his absence during the lathicharge. He refuted the allegations and presented a detailed account of events, stressing his continuous support for the students’ cause.

He also claimed that the students themselves were leading the movement, as decided during the Chhatra Sansad (Student Parliament). He asserted that a prior permission for the event was unnecessary, contrary to the administration’s claim that it was unauthorised. He added that the march was peacefully organized to submit a memorandum to the government, but they were stopped at JP Golambar, where an agreement to meet the Chief Secretary was reached.

Prashant Kishor said that he left the site after advising students to disperse, only for the lathicharge to occur 45 minutes later. He also condemned the police action and announced plans to file an FIR against Patna Police, take the matter to court, and approach the Human Rights Commission. He further warned that if no resolution is reached during the delegation meeting, he would join the protest himself starting January 2. Reacting to allegations by RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, Kishor dismissed the claims, stating he had not abandoned the students but had acted in their best interest.

Meanwhile, the Bihar Police has filed a case against Prashant Kishor and others for allegedly instigating the students protest being held by the BPSC aspirants. The Police said that Prashant Kishor and other members of his party provoked the candidates, prompting them to take to the streets and create disturbances in different parts of the city.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced a new scheme that offers a monthly honorarium of Rs 18,000 to Hindu and Sikh priests. Arvind Kejriwal said that the registration of the Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana will begin on Tuesday. This announcement comes amid a huge row over a scheme that promises a monthly stipend to unemployed women.

Addressing a press conference, the former Delhi Chief Minister said that today he is making an important announcement regarding a scheme. He mentioned that the name of the scheme is Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana. He continued that under this scheme, there is a provision to give an honorarium to the priests of temples and the granthis of the Gurudwara, adding that they will be given an honorarium of about Rs 18,000 per month. 

He pointed out that this is happening for the first time in the country. He added that the priest is a class that has carried forward the rituals from generation to generation, who never paid attention to their family and the governments never paid attention to them. Arvind Kejriwal said he would kickstart the scheme after visiting the Hanuman Temple in Delhi’s Connaught Place tomorrow.

Earlier, the AAP national convenor launched the Mahila Samman scheme which offered a stipend of Rs 2100 per month to unemployed women. The AAP leaders started a registration drive for the scheme. Nonetheless, the next day, the government’s women and child development (WCD) department advertised that the Mahila Samman scheme was non-existent and urged residents not to share personal data.

Later, the AAP claimed the officers involved in the fiasco were under BJP’s pressure. They also vowed action against them. Meanwhile, the BJP alleged fraud and claimed that AAP and the Delhi government weren’t on the same page.

Delhi Lt Governor V K Saxena also ordered an inquiry against private persons allegedly collecting personal details of women in the name of enrolling them for the proposed scheme of the ruling AAP in Delhi. V K Saxena ordered the inquiry based on a complaint by Congress leader and party’s New Delhi Assembly seat candidate Sandeep Dikshit.

Additionally, the Delhi Police has formed multiple teams to identify camps which are allegedly gathering personal details of women in the name of Mahila Samman Yojana.