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Guj polls: War of words escalates, Modi says Rahul propagating Grand Stupid Thoughts

Published

9 years ago

November 29, 2017

Guj polls: War of words escalates, Modi says Rahul propagating Grand Stupid Thoughts

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, Patel Anamat Andolan Samiti leader Hardik Patel join Gujarat poll campaign trail

Civility in political discourse, especially during poll campaigns had never been the strong point of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whose vociferous albeit vitriolic attacks against the Congress party’s first family, have earned him a position of pride among his followers and BJP sympathizers. As Modi rejoined the BJP’s poll campaign in his poll-bound home state of Gujarat on Wednesday, the Prime Minister made his familiar attacks against the Nehru-Gandhi family, reserving the most crude jibes for heir-apparent, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi.

Amid reports that his rallies across Gujarat have been attracting fewer than usual crowds, with empty seats becoming a hitherto unthinkable fixture at his public meetings, Modi has perhaps decided to return to the basics while appealing to his followers to once again bring the BJP to power in Gujarat – a state that the saffron party has ruled for 22 consecutive years.

On Wednesday, as Modi hit the campaign trail in Morbi, situated in the state’s Saurashtra region, he shed the baggage of civility that burdens the shoulders of a Prime Minister and took on his previous avatar – that of the shrill BJP campaigner and political street-fighter.

What else would explain the semantics that he employed to hit out at Rahul Gandhi when he claimed that the Nehru-Gandhi scion was propagating a “grand stupid thought” by suggesting that GST rate be capped at 18 per cent? Modi’s comment was an obvious riposte to the sarcastic dig that Rahul Gandhi has been taking at the Goods and Services Tax regime rolled out by the Centre earlier this year – calling it the “Gabbar Singh Tax” while referring to the many complications and confusions that common citizens have been facing in filing their tax returns over the past five months.

With Rahul campaigning across the state at the same time as him, Modi made it a point to hit out at the Nehru-Gandhi scion who, by December 5, is likely to take over as Congress president from his mother Sonia Gandhi. But the attacks against the Congress, India’s first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and his family, weren’t missing for Modi’s speech.

Criticising Rahul’s visit to the state’s famous Somnath Temple earlier in the day, Modi said Jawaharlal Nehru had expressed displeasure over re-building the place of worship which in medieval times had been plundered and ransacked by Muslim invaders from Central Asia.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]The Prime Minister Narendra Modi credited the restoration and re-construction of Somnath Temple to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel – a Congress leader, country’s first home minister and a Gujarati who Modi and his BJP have been desperately trying to co-opt. “If there was no Sardar Patel, the temple in Somnath would never have been possible. Today, some people are remembering Somanth, I have to ask them: ‘Have you forgotten your history’? Your family members, our first prime minister, were not happy with the idea of a temple being built there,” Modi said during his election rally in Prachi.

During his rally in Morbi, where he attacked Rahul Gandhi for propagating a “grand stupid thought” – not exactly the language one expects from India’s Prime Minister – Modi sought to demolish Rahul’s ‘Gabbar Singh Tax’ swipe by saying: “Those who have looted people throughout their life, they can only remember dacoits.” Gabbar Singh was the name of the iconic villain from the Bollywood blockbuster “Sholay”.

Pandit Nehru’s daughter, Rahul’s grandmother and India’s first woman Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi was also not spared in Modi’s broadside.

“I remember when Indiraben had come here, Chitralekha (a local language magazine) had printed her photo with a handkerchief over her nose, trying to avoid the stench”, Modi told voters in Morbi – a town dominated by the Patidar community, a section of which has been revolting against the BJP under Hardik Patel’s leadership. Modi declared that for his party, it’s earlier avatar – the Jan Sangh – and the RSS “the street of Morbi are fragrant”. Some charm offensive![/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]Incidentally, Hardik Patel – the face of the Patidar Anamat Andolan Samiti – was also in Morbi on Wednesday, campaigning among members of his Patidar community and urging them to vote against the BJP.

With voices of discontent coming from another crucial vote-bank in Gujarat – the OBC voters– against the BJP, Modi made sure to also reach out to the community while trying to paint the Congress as their villain.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][vc_column_text]“I want to assure you, Congress may try to put roadblocks… I am committed to ensure their designs fail. Parliament is meeting soon and we are going to bring that issue (Bill for constitutional status to the National Commission for Backward Castes) on the floor of the House again. We want to give our OBC communities their due,” Modi declared.

Narendra Modi is not known for being defensive during his poll campaigns – or even otherwise. But given the content of his speeches in poll-bound Gujarat, it is no surprise that his party colleague and senior MP Shatrughan Sinh feels that the BJP is showing “signs of panic and desperation” in Gujarat.[/vc_column_text][vc_raw_html]JTNDYmxvY2txdW90ZSUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIydHdpdHRlci10d2VldCUyMiUyMGRhdGEtbGFuZyUzRCUyMmVuJTIyJTNFJTNDcCUyMGxhbmclM0QlMjJlbiUyMiUyMGRpciUzRCUyMmx0ciUyMiUzRUJ5JTIwcHVtcGluZyUyMGluJTIwc28lMjBtYW55JTIwbGVhZGVycyUyMGF0JTIwdGhlJTIwc2FtZSUyMHRpbWUlMjBpbiUyMG91ciUyMG93biUyMHN0YXRlJTIwR3VqYXJhdCUyQyUyMGxpa2UlMjB3ZSUyMGRpZCUyMGluJTIwRGVsaGklMkMlMjBhcmVuJTI2JTIzMzklM0J0JTIwd2UlMjBzaG93aW5nJTIwc2lnbnMlMjBvZiUyMHBhbmljJTIwJTI2YW1wJTNCJTIwZGVzcGVyYXRpb24lMjBpbiUyMGFudGljaXBhdGlvbi4uLmdlbmVyYWxseSUyMHNwZWFraW5nJTIwdGhpcyUyMGtpbmQlMjBvZiUyMHN0cmF0ZWd5JTIwZG9lc250JTIwd29yay4uLndlJTI2JTIzMzklM0J2ZSUyMHNlZW4lMjBpdCUyMGluJTIwRGVsaGklMjAlMjZhbXAlM0IlMjBCaWhhci4lMjBOb25ldGhlbGVzcyUyMG91ciUyMGJlc3QlMjB3aXNoZXMuLiUyMSUyMSUzQyUyRnAlM0UlMjZtZGFzaCUzQiUyMFNoYXRydWdoYW4lMjBTaW5oYSUyMCUyOCU0MFNoYXRydWdhblNpbmhhJTI5JTIwJTNDYSUyMGhyZWYlM0QlMjJodHRwcyUzQSUyRiUyRnR3aXR0ZXIuY29tJTJGU2hhdHJ1Z2FuU2luaGElMkZzdGF0dXMlMkY5MzU3OTIzOTA4MDMxMTE5NDElM0ZyZWZfc3JjJTNEdHdzcmMlMjU1RXRmdyUyMiUzRU5vdmVtYmVyJTIwMjklMkMlMjAyMDE3JTNDJTJGYSUzRSUzQyUyRmJsb2NrcXVvdGUlM0UlMEElM0NzY3JpcHQlMjBhc3luYyUyMHNyYyUzRCUyMmh0dHBzJTNBJTJGJTJGcGxhdGZvcm0udHdpdHRlci5jb20lMkZ3aWRnZXRzLmpzJTIyJTIwY2hhcnNldCUzRCUyMnV0Zi04JTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc2NyaXB0JTNF[/vc_raw_html][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Abhishek Banerjee alleges BJP attack on Kolkata home, calls it 7th attempt on his life

Abhishek Banerjee alleged that BJP workers attacked his Kolkata residence around 2 am and injured TMC workers. The BJP rejected the allegation and called the incident a “drama”.

Published

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November 7, 2026

APNLive Desk

Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee has alleged that BJP workers attacked his residence in Kolkata around 2 am on Saturday following a confrontation between workers of the two parties. The incident took place outside his Kalighat home during celebrations linked to his birthday.

Banerjee accused the BJP workers of throwing stones and bricks at his supporters and alleged that some of them were carrying revolvers. He also claimed that several TMC workers were injured in the confrontation.

According to the TMC leader, one of his colleagues, Tapas, suffered a serious injury near his thumb and would require plastic surgery. He also said another person suffered a fracture below the eye. These injury claims were made by Banerjee while speaking to the media.

Abhishek Banerjee calls it seventh attempt on his life

Banerjee said the incident was not an isolated one and claimed it was the seventh attempt on his life in the last six months.

In a post on X, he alleged that BJP workers had conducted reconnaissance around his residence before the alleged attack. He also accused the police and judiciary of failing to take action.

Banerjee referred to an earlier June 19 incident in Sonarpur, claiming that armed individuals had attempted to attack him while he was returning from Delhi. He said his workers had caught them and that a complaint was filed.

The allegations about the latest incident followed Banerjee’s earlier claim that unidentified individuals had been monitoring his office and residence for two days. He said they identified themselves as police personnel when confronted and sought an inquiry into the alleged surveillance.

BJP rejects allegation, calls incident ‘drama’

The BJP rejected Banerjee’s allegations. Bengal BJP minister Dilip Ghosh described the incident as a “drama” and questioned the circumstances surrounding the confrontation.

Ghosh said there was no reason to believe that anyone was attempting to kill Banerjee and accused the TMC leader of using emotional rhetoric to mislead people.

The BJP’s response came after the late-night confrontation between supporters of the two parties outside Banerjee’s residence. The episode began after a shouting match around 2 am following slogans directed at Banerjee, according to the report.

Banerjee had earlier raised surveillance concerns

A day before the alleged attack, Banerjee had claimed that unidentified people were conducting surveillance of his office and residence.

He questioned why the state police would allegedly monitor the premises of an elected MP and asked who had authorised such surveillance. He said he was bringing the matter to the attention of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, Kolkata Police, the Union Home Ministry and West Bengal Police.

The latest clash has intensified the political confrontation between the TMC and BJP in West Bengal, with Banerjee alleging a targeted attack and the BJP dismissing his claims.

India News

Pralhad Joshi accuses Rahul Gandhi of sharing cropped Amit Shah SIR clip

Pralhad Joshi accused Rahul Gandhi of sharing a cropped Amit Shah video over SIR and challenged the Congress leader to debate the issue in Parliament.

Published

37 mins ago

November 7, 2026

APNLive Desk

Union Minister Pralhad Joshi has accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of sharing a cropped and out-of-context video of Home Minister Amit Shah over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The latest exchange comes amid a growing political dispute between the BJP and the Opposition over SIR and allegations concerning the electoral roll revision process.

Joshi questioned Gandhi’s understanding of the issue and challenged him to take up the matter in Parliament rather than relying on selectively edited video clips.

The remarks came after Amit Shah challenged Gandhi to discuss SIR in Parliament. Shah said the government was prepared to hold a special session if the Congress leader wanted a debate on the issue.

Rahul Gandhi shares Amit Shah video

The controversy intensified after Rahul Gandhi shared a video featuring two statements by Amit Shah concerning whether SIR could be discussed in Parliament.

Gandhi used the video to question Shah’s position and urged him to persuade Prime Minister Narendra Modi to agree to an open debate on the issue.

The video highlighted what Gandhi described as differing positions on the discussion of SIR in Parliament. The Congress leader has continued to press for a debate on the electoral roll revision exercise.

Joshi challenges Gandhi over SIR

Responding to Gandhi’s position, Joshi accused him of circulating a cropped video that did not present Shah’s remarks in their complete context.

Joshi also questioned the Congress leader’s criticism of the electoral process, arguing that the party had faced defeats in Lok Sabha elections before the current SIR exercise.

The BJP has maintained that its concerns about the electoral rolls should be addressed through a discussion in Parliament. Amit Shah has separately pointed to the 2014, 2019 and 2024 Lok Sabha elections while arguing that there was no SIR during those elections and Congress still lost.

BJP-Congress clash over SIR

The dispute over SIR has become a major political flashpoint, with the Opposition raising concerns about electoral rolls and the BJP defending the revision process.

The latest confrontation follows protests by the INDIA bloc against alleged irregularities in electoral rolls and demands concerning the Election Commission. The BJP, meanwhile, has challenged the Opposition to take its arguments to Parliament.

The disagreement over the Amit Shah video is therefore part of the wider political battle between the BJP and Congress over SIR, electoral rolls and the conduct of elections.

India News

SIR 2026: EC gives voters in 7 states another chance to join final rolls

The Election Commission has opened another opportunity for voters left out of the draft SIR rolls in Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana and Nagaland.

Published

11 hours ago

November 6, 2026

APNLive Desk

The Election Commission has given another opportunity to certain voters whose names were not included in the draft electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

The decision applies to Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana and Nagaland. It covers electors who were issued Enumeration Forms but whose names were left out of the draft rolls after being marked under the ASDD categories — Absent, Shifted, Dead or Duplicate.

The move is aimed at ensuring that eligible voters get an opportunity to have their cases considered before the final electoral rolls are published. The EC has also directed officials to prevent duplicate enrolments while ensuring that eligible electors are not left out.

Lists of excluded voters to be displayed again

The Election Commission has directed officials to display booth-wise lists of voters falling under the specified categories again at the concerned polling stations.

The lists will also be made available at panchayat bhawans and urban local body offices and uploaded on the websites of the respective Chief Electoral Officers. They will mention the probable reasons why the voters’ names were not included in the draft rolls.

Fresh enumeration forms for affected voters

District election officials and Electoral Registration Officers have been asked to generate partially filled Enumeration Forms afresh through the ECINET system.

Booth Level Officers will be tasked with contacting the affected voters and helping ensure that the forms reach them. This can include physical delivery as well as communication through WhatsApp, email or SMS where contact details are available.

Voters can also download and fill their forms through the Election Commission’s website or ECINET using the same EPIC number that existed before their names were deleted from the draft roll.

What voters who have shifted need to do

The EC has made separate provisions for voters who have shifted their residence within the same state.

Such electors will not need to submit Form 8 for this process. They can submit the Enumeration Form along with a statement giving their new address and Assembly constituency, along with proof of address.

For homeless voters who do not have address documents, the Election Commission has provided for a field verification report by the Booth Level Officer to establish residence.

Forms will be verified before inclusion

The fresh submissions will not automatically result in inclusion in the electoral roll. The applications will be examined by the concerned Electoral Registration Officers under Rule 21(1) of the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.

Forms accepted after verification will be kept separately for inclusion in the final electoral rolls under the SIR exercise.

The Election Commission has also directed state and Delhi election officials to establish monitoring mechanisms to oversee the implementation of the process and ensure that eligible electors get the opportunity to seek inclusion while duplicate entries are prevented.