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If I was a job applicant, Jaitley wouldn’t have been finance minister: Yashwant Sinha

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Arun jaitely and Yaswant Sinha

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]War of words between Sinha and finance minister Arun Jaitley intensifies, BJP margdarshak says those who haven’t seen face of Lok Sabha are attacking him

A day after Union finance minister Arun Jaitley countered his senior party colleague’s criticism of his handling of the Indian economy by terming the BJP ‘margdarshak mandal’ member a “job applicant at 80”, former finance minister Yashwant Sinha has hit back with equal gusto.

“He (Jaitley) has made this personal by calling me a ‘job applicant’. He delivered a well researched speech but overlooked (LK) Advani Ji’s advice to refrain from personal attacks. That’s okay though, I’m happy he made a personal attack,” Sinha said on Friday. “If I would have been a job applicant, then he would not have been (there),” Sinha added.

Sinha said Jaitley didn’t have a leg to stand on because he is merely “a political appointee” who has never had to nurture a constituency or work at the grassroots. The BJP warhorse, who had in an article for The Indian Express blamed the Union finance minister for making a “mess” of the Indian economy and said that he was “working overtime” to ensure that all Indians see poverty at close quarters, countered Jaitley’s ‘job aspirant at 80’ remark by saying: “I didn’t come to politics after retirement. I left my post in the IAS (Indian Administrative Service)… I could not be asking for a job at the age of 80 years.”

Countering Sinha’s charges against him and his claims of the Indian economy facing an imminent doom, Jaitley had on Thursday also sought to project his opponent’s term as finance minister in the Atal Bihar Vajpayee and Chandra Shekhar government as a failure. “I must confess that I do not have the luxury as yet of being a former finance minister. Nor do I have the luxury of being a former finance minister who has turned a columnist,” Jaitley had said, firing a salvo at both Sinha and Congress leader P Chidambaram, who had endorsed Sinha’s broadside against Jaitley.

Though Jaitley didn’t name Sinha or Chidambaram, he went on to take a satirical swipe at the duo, saying: “Being a former finance minister I can conveniently forget a policy paralysis (during UPA-II). I can conveniently forget the 15 per cent NPAs of 1998 and 2002 (during Sinha’s term as finance minister). I can conveniently forget the USD 4 billion reserve left in 1991 and I can switch over and change the narrative.”

On Friday, Sinha sought to fire a counter offensive, reminding Jaitley of his inability to win elections. Jaitley is known as much for being the BJP’s poll strategist as he is for his either staying away from active electoral politics – or losing the only election he has contested (from Amritsar during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls) despite a massive wave in favour of his party.

Sinha said: “After entering politics, I selected my constituency soon. It did not take me 25 years to select a Lok Sabha constituency. Those who have not seen the face of the Lok Sabha are questioning and attacking me.”

Sinha also hit out at Jaitley for not acting against black money hoarders whose names India had got under various bilateral efforts. “Three years ago HSBC Bank shared the names of over 700 people (holding black money abroad) with India. How many of them have been arrested? Has action been taken against them? Due to Panama Papers the Pakistan Prime Minister has had to resign. But why no action is being taken here,” Sinha said.

The government had also fielded Union minister of state for civil aviation Jayant Sinha to counter his father, Yashwant Sinha’s charges. Jayant had written an opinion piece countering claims of a slowdown of the Indian economy and though he didn’t expressly name his father in the article, it was evident that the counter-charges were meant to puncture Yashwant Sinha’s charges. It was largely speculated in the political grapevine that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government had deliberately forced Jayant (though he denied the rumours a day later) to counter his father’s article. Yashwant Sinha had termed Jayant’s article a “cheap political trick” by the government while Chidambaram had called the piece a “PIB handout”.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Samosa row: Himachal CM Sukhu refutes BJP claims of CID inquiry into issue

He further clarified that the CID was involved in the issue of misbehaviour and not in the ‘samosa’ issue.

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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Friday refuted the BJP claims that the state government has ordered an inquiry into the ‘samosa case’.

According to reports, the saffron party has claimed that the Sukhu-led Congress government in the state ordered an inquiry into the case, which took place last month on October 21 when ‘samosa’ and cake meant for the Chief Minister, were accidentally served to his security staff, necessitating a CID probe that termed it an “anti-government” act.

Speaking to reporters, the Chief Minister said, “This is nonsense. BJP doesn’t have any other work.” He also clarified that the CID was involved in the issue of misbehaviour and not in the ‘samosa’ issue.

Naresh Chauhan, media advisor to the Chief Minister, said the state government has not ordered any inquiry and termed it unfortunate. The Chief Minister was the chief guest at the function, he said, adding it could be an internal matter of the CID.

All this brouhaha started when three boxes of refreshments were brought from Hotel Radisson Blue in Lakkar Bazaar to be served to the Chief Minister who had gone to the CID headquarters to attend a function. However, the eatables were served to the CM security staff, according to the enquiry report conducted by a deputy SP rank officer.

A senior official of the CID, in its report, said, “Those responsible acted according to their own agenda.”

Hitting out at the Congress government in Himachal Pradesh, the Opposition BJP said the Sukhu dispensation is not concerned about the development of the state but its only concern seems to be the “Chief Minister’s Samosa”.

“The state government is not concerned about the development of the state and its only concern seems to be the ‘Chief Minister’s Samosa’,” said BJP chief spokesperson Randhir Sharma in a statement issued here on Thursday.

He said the recent incident related to the samosas brought for Sukhu has given rise to a controversy. In the investigation, the mistake was termed as an “anti-government” act which is a big word, he said.

“This incident has become a topic of discussion in the political circles of Himachal Pradesh. In fact, the government machinery is embarrassed due to such coordination problems in a programme related to a VVIP like the Chief Minister,” Sharma said.

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PM Modi slams Congress-NC over its resolution demanding restoration of Article 370, calls it conspiracy against Kashmir

PM Modi said that as soon as Congress and the INDI alliance got the chance to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir, they started with their conspiracies against Kashmir.

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PM Modi slams Congress-NC over its resolution demanding restoration of Article 370, calls it conspiracy against Kashmir

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday slammed the Congress-National Conference alliance after the Jammu and Kashmir assembly passed a resolution demanding the restoration of Article 370. He said that the action was part of a conspiracy against the Union Territory.

Addressing a rally in Maharashtra’s Dhule, PM Modi said that as soon as Congress and the INDI alliance got the chance to form a government in Jammu and Kashmir, they started with their conspiracies against Kashmir. He continued that two days ago, they passed a resolution in the J&K legislative assembly to restore Article 370. 

The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly on Wednesday passed the resolution opposing the revocation of Article 370 by a voice vote. The BJP had opposed the resolution. The Prime Minister said that the BJP MLAs were thrown out of the assembly for opposing the resolution.

He said that banners were shown in the Jammu and Kashmir parliament in support of Article 370. Mentioning  that the Congress alliance passed a resolution to implement Article 370 there again, the Prime Minister questioned whether the country will accept this. When the BJP MLAs protested against this with all their might, they were picked up and thrown out of the assembly, he continued.

PM Modi further urged that the entire country will have to understand the truth of Congress and its alliance, adding that the country won’t accept the resolution. He also voiced that till Modi is there, Congress won’t be able to do anything in Kashmir. He stated that only Bhim Rao Ambedkar’s Constitution will run there, and no power can bring back 370.

Notably, the restoration of Article 370 and Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood were the main promises made by the National Conference in its manifesto for the Jammu and Kashmir assembly election. Addressing a rally in Nashik, PM Modi said the Congress and its allies want Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution to be thrown out of Jammu and Kashmir. He also recalled that by abrogating Article 370, he implemented the constitution of Dr. Ambedkar in Kashmir, adding that it was his biggest tribute to Babasaheb Ambedkar.

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Ahead of Jharkhand assembly election, Rahul Gandhi says BJP believes in grabbing tribal land under its newly-coined word development

He mentioned that if Congress is voted to power, they will raise the reservation of Scheduled Tribes to 28% from 26%; from 10% to 12% for the Scheduled Castes, and for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to 27% from 14%.

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Ahead of Jharkhand assembly election, Rahul Gandhi says BJP believes in grabbing tribal land under its newly-coined word development

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the BJP of trying to snatch the tribals’ water, forest, and land in Jharkhand. Addressing a public rally in Simdega, the Leader of Opposition said that BJP has always insulted tribal identity and has tried to snatch away their rights, but Congress will protest their water, forest and land at all costs.

The Congress MP further said that PM Modi calls the tribals vanvasi (forest dwellers) as his party believes that land, forest, and water belong to it, the RSS, and capitalists. He continued that BJP believes in grabbing tribal land under its newly-coined word, development, and wants to snatch land, water, forests from them.

Rahul Gandhi, who has been repeatedly claiming that the Constitution was under constant attack from the BJP, echoed his charge, adding that the Congress-led INDIA bloc was making all efforts to protect the Constitution. He also vowed to remove the 50% cap on reservation.

He mentioned that if Congress is voted to power, they will raise the reservation of Scheduled Tribes to 28% from 26%; from 10% to 12% for the Scheduled Castes, and for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) to 27% from 14%.

Reiterating on caste census, Gandhi mentioned the exercise was a must to identify the participation of tribals, Dalits, and OBCs in various institutions and wealth of the country. Alleging that PM Modi became silent when the issue of Caste Census was raised in the Parliament, the Congress MP claimed that he wants 90% of the people to get participation, while BJP wants the country to be run by a few people like Narendra Modi, Amit Shah and Ambani-Adani.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing a rally in Maharashtra today said that it was due to BJP efforts that an Adivasi woman Droupadi Murmu became the first Adivasi President of the country.

Jharkhand will hold elections on November 13 and 20. The counting of votes is scheduled for November 23.

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