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Asom Gana Parishad ends alliance with BJP over Citizenship Bill

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Asom Gana Parishad ends alliance with BJP over Citizenship Bill

In another jolt to BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections due in a few months, it lost yet another ally – the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) in Assam – today (Monday, Jan 7) , the break coming over the centre’s stand on the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill 2016.

While the break-up will have little impact on Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal’s government, it adds to the perception of the ruling party losing allies on the verge of a challenging bid for re-election.

“We have made our best efforts to convince the BJP leadership about the negative impact of the bill and the stand of the people of Assam. But the BJP has decided to go ahead with the bill leaving us with no option but to quit the alliance,” AGP president Atul Bora said after meeting Home Minister Rajnath Singh, reported NDTV.

“We tried our best to oppose the bill. We had support from Nitish Kumar and Shiv Sena and today when Assam is burning in protest against the bill, BJP has completely ignored the sentiments of the people of Assam. So there is no question of continuing in the alliance with BJP,” Bora said, according to media reports.

“We told the home minister in clear terms that this bill violates the Assam Accord and people of Assam do not want it. The home minister replied that the bill in all likelihood will be placed in the Lok Sabha tomorrow,” Bora said.

Former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and leader of the AGP had been threatening to part ways with the BJP if the government went ahead with an amendment aimed at allowing Hindu illegal immigrants from neighbouring countries to stay. The AGP is against illegal immigrants regardless of religion.

“Our alliance with the BJP is a pre-poll alliance, so the BJP should have the morality to face the verdict of the people,” Mahanta was quoted by NDTV as saying.

“Assam had voted for AGP and BJP combine. However, the BJP failed to keep the promises of the alliance partner. Being a regional party, we have to respect the wishes and sentiments of the people of Assam,” Bora added.

The AGP’s exit will make no difference to the ruling alliance’s majority. The two parties formed an alliance before the 2016 state election, in which the BJP won 61 of the 126 assembly seats and the AGP got 14. Along with the Bodo People’s Front’s 12, the BJP-led alliance’s tally went up to 87, well above the half-way mark.

The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 seeks to amend the Citizenship Act, 1955, to grant nationality to people belonging to minority communities – Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians – in Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan after six years of stay in India.

Opposition parties as well as the civil society have objected to the bill saying it would allow citizenship to illegal Hindu migrants from Bangladesh, who came to the state after March 1971, in violation of the agreement of the Assam Accord, 1985, which sought to identify illegal migrants into Assam and prepare a list of Indian citizens.

Opposition parties allege that the bill links religion to citizenship and want it to be religion and country neutral.

“Delink religion from citizenship issue. This is against the spirit of our civilisation, culture and of our Constitution. Citizenship can’t be linked with state, religion, caste, creed and be country specific. It should be universal,” said an opposition leader.

Protests were witnessed across Assam after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said his government was going forward with the controversial bill.

While speaking in Silchar, Assam on Friday, PM Modi had said, “The Citizenship Bill is an atonement of the wrong that was done during India’s partition. I hope this Bill is passed soon in Parliament. India will safeguard all who had been victims of partition,” he said.

The agitators burnt effigies of PM Modi in lower Assam and Dibrugarh, even as Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal assured the people that he would protect the interests of the state.

The protests intensified after Assam minister and BJP’s key strategist in northeast and Assam Finance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s statement that “without the bill, we are surrendering to the philosophy of Jinnah (Pakistan’s founding father Mohammad Ali Jinnah)”.

He said on Sunday that if the bill is not brought in, at least 17 districts in Assam will go the “Jinnah way”. He said that the updation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is being done to “drive out the Jinnahs”, in an apparent reference to the Muslims of Bengali origin residing in Assam.

Today Sarma said Hindus in the state will become a minority within five years if the Citizenship Bill is not passed.

Protesters observed “’Black Day’” today, waved black flags and burnt replicas of the bill. Certain members of a group even stripped themselves in Assam’s Tinsukia. Similar protests were witnessed in front of Parliament Complex in Delhi.

India News

Trouble for AAP Government in Punjab: Congress drops hints

Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa hints at the possible collapse of the AAP government in Punjab. With BJP’s alleged involvement and corruption claims, the political tension in the state is rising.

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Pratap Singh Bajwa, leader of the opposition in Punjab, has sparked major political speculation, hinting at a possible collapse of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government. Bajwa claimed that more than 32 MLAs of the AAP are in contact with him, and some may even be in touch with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). However, he stressed that the Congress will not be responsible for toppling the government. Instead, he pointed fingers at the BJP, suggesting it would orchestrate the downfall.

In an exclusive interview, Bajwa made it clear that the Congress, despite its claims, will not take steps to destabilize the AAP government. He explained that Congress wants the AAP to complete its five-year term so that the public can judge its performance. “The BJP will handle the rest,” Bajwa said, distancing his party from any direct involvement in the collapse.

Bajwa also accused the AAP of being involved in corrupt practices, with allegations of money laundering through hawala channels. He claimed that crores of rupees have gone to foreign destinations such as Australia under the AAP’s rule. Additionally, the Congress leader alleged that the Delhi model employed by AAP encourages looting.

In a strong rebuttal, the AAP accused Bajwa of already securing a ticket to join the BJP. AAP leader Neel Garg alleged that Bajwa had met senior BJP leaders in Bengaluru and warned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to keep a close eye on him.

The AAP government has come under intense scrutiny since its defeat in Delhi earlier this month. Amidst this, the Punjab government has ramped up its anti-corruption initiatives, dismissing 52 police officers for corruption. Senior officers, including Varinder Kumar and Rajesh Tripathi, have also been suspended or reassigned as part of the government’s effort to clean up corruption in its ranks.

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Arvind Kejriwal wants to listen to PM Modi’s Mann Ki Baat: IIT Kanpur’s exam question goes viral

After all, who knows? The next question might involve calculating the voltage drop across Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra route or designing a heat sink for Smriti Irani’s fiery speeches.

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In a move that’s equal parts genius and cheeky, IIT Kanpur has turned the spicy political rivalry between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal into a brain-tickling engineering question. Forget boring old circuits and resistors—this exam question is all about political shade and FM radio frequencies.

The question sets the stage for Kejriwal’s crushing defeat in the Delhi elections and his now limited funds (ouch!). It then dives into the real challenge: Kejriwal wants to tune into PM Modi’s Mann Ki Baat on 105.4 MHz, but there’s a catch. He needs to design a filter that lets him listen to Vividh Bharti while blocking out two neighbouring FM channels—Radio Nasha (107.2 MHz) and FM Rainbow Lucknow (100.7 MHz)—by at least -60 dB. Oh, and thanks to his election campaign spending spree, he’s on a tight budget and can only afford a 50-ohm resistor, a variable inductor, and a variable capacitor. Tough luck, Kejriwal.

The question then asks students to help the AAP chief design this filter and calculate (a) the quality factor (Q) and (b) the values of inductance and capacitance needed. Because, apparently, even in hypothetical exam scenarios, Kejriwal can’t catch a break.

As the question went viral, IIT Kanpur was quick to clarify that this wasn’t a political jab—just a creative way to make engineering problems more engaging. “This is a common practice employed by many teachers to keep students interested. The mention of the reference in the question was intended to make the topic more relevant,” the institute said in a statement. Sure, IIT Kanpur, we believe you—but we also see what you did there.

Meanwhile, students are probably wondering if they should brush up on their politics along with their circuit designs. After all, who knows? The next question might involve calculating the voltage drop across Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra route or designing a heat sink for Smriti Irani’s fiery speeches.

In the end, this hilarious yet brilliant question proves one thing: when politics meets engineering, even exams get a dose of drama.

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Delhi CM Rekha Gupta says Congress, AAP didn’t address issues of people of capital, BJP did so on day one

The Chief Minister reassured Delhi’s residents that her government would deliver on every commitment made during the election campaign. “We began our work on day one by visiting Yamuna Ghat, and we will ensure that 100% of our promises are kept,” she said, reiterating her administration’s focus on public welfare and development.

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Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta, who was sworn in on Thursday, February 20, along with six other ministers, launched a scathing attack on Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday, accusing them of failing to address the concerns of Delhi’s residents during their respective tenures.

Gupta emphasized that her government had already taken decisive action by approving the Ayushman Bharat health insurance scheme on its first day in office, a move she claimed the AAP had stalled for years.

“The Congress ruled Delhi for 15 years, and after that, it was the AAP. Yet, neither of them truly addressed the issues faced by the people of Delhi. Now, just one day after we took office, they have started questioning our government,” Gupta said during a press conference.

Highlighting her administration’s commitment to swift and effective governance, Gupta stated, “We passed the Ayushman Bharat scheme in our very first cabinet meeting. We took the oath of office and, on the same day, approved the scheme that the AAP had delayed for years.” She urged the opposition to focus on their internal challenges rather than criticizing the new government. “Many of their members are ready to leave their parties, and they are worried because we are determined to fulfil all our promises,” she added.

Gupta also accused the opposition of fearing transparency under her government. “They are scared because, in the first assembly session, we will present reports that were never submitted before. The truth about their actions will be revealed to the people,” she asserted.

The Chief Minister reassured Delhi’s residents that her government would deliver on every commitment made during the election campaign. “We began our work on day one by visiting Yamuna Ghat, and we will ensure that 100% of our promises are kept,” she said, reiterating her administration’s focus on public welfare and development.

The BJP’s return to power in Delhi after more than 26 years marks a significant political shift, with the party promising to address long-standing issues and bring transparency to governance. As the new government sets its agenda, the focus remains on fulfilling its pledges and improving the lives of Delhi’s citizens.

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