Round The States

New Delhi, 30 December 2023

Bihar Political Stir Up

NITISH TAKES CENTRE STAGE

By Insaf 

The political churnings in Bihar have led to a change of guard in the ruling Janata Dal (United). Chief Minister Nitish Kumar took over as party President on Friday, replacing Rajiv Ranjan Singh, popularly known as Lalan Singh, who has been his comrade in arms for past five decades. The timing of the party’s National Council meeting in Delhi appears to be a well-thought strategy or perhaps a compulsion given that the big battle of 2024 is just months away and Nitish must have centre stage. Besides, the rumour mill has it that Nitish is upset with Lalan Singh’s close proximity to ally RJD and that Singh had a meeting with deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav along with 14 MLAs in a bid to overthrow him! Though Singh has denied such shenanigans, he did eventually have to resign. The party too rubbishes the rumours saying the change is primarily because Nitish is its ‘most prominent face’ and he should take charge of the organisation at this crucial time to ensure “unilateral command to the party rank and file”.

Guess, not just within JD(U) but also with INDIA bloc, which has been ignoring the feelers of making Nitish its Convenor. Rumours of Nitish joining the NDA are also doing the rounds, which the party has denied vociferously. All eyes will be now on him and how he plays out the changeover. Whatever the plans, and whether it will work or not is anyone’s guess.    

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Respect Kannada

The language issue raises its ugly head again in Karnataka. Respect Kannada if you want to live and do business in Bengaluru, warns Karnataka Rakshana Vedike (KRV). On Wednesday last, the self-proclaimed caretaker of Kannada language and key issues chose to take law into its hands, with its members going on a rampage and vandalising commercial establishments, tearing down non-Kannada signages. They demanded the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) law that signages should have 60% Kannada, must be respected and now. While the police detained hundreds of its activists and arrested 28, including KRV President Narayana Gowda, the government has asked it to refrain till the deadline of February 28, as set for all establishments to have Kannada signboards prominently. Undermining of the official language is unacceptable to the KRV, which says “If you ignore Kannada or put Kannada letters in small, we will not let you operate here.” Bengaluru, a Cosmopolitan capital, did you say? 

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Religion Or Politics?

Religion or politics is a controversy brewing around the consecration of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, UP on January 22. Other than the temple’s grandness, the town is being given a makeover ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s visit on Saturday to inaugurate an international airport and redeveloped Ayodhya railway station. On Thursday last, preparations were on a war footing to give it a divine look-- orange and yellow strings of marigolds around ornamental lamp posts, structures, etc. The PMO said Modi will inaugurate four redeveloped, widened, and beautified roads, including Ram Path. Large posters hailing the town as ‘Maryada, Dharm and Sanskriti,’ have come up. But is it so? Controversy over the invites, who will or won’t attend is playing out. For example, CPM has snubbed saying: ‘Religion is a personal choice of every individual.... the inauguration ceremony has been converted into a state-sponsored event with PM, UP CM and others holding Constitutional positions.’ Some have termed it as a ‘show off’. BJP responds: ‘Insulting Hindus, Hindutva and Hindu values seems to have become part of the DNA of these socially thorn people!” Perhaps, it’s best to leave it as Hey Ram!

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CAA In West Bengal

‘No one can stop implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA)’, is Union Home Minister Amit Shah assertion and aimed particularly at West Bengal. Accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of misleading people, Shah reminded her that ‘it is the law of the land’ (passed by Parliament in 2019) and his party is committed to implement it. Clearly, the poll bugle has been sounded, as sharp focus was put on CAA, during a closed-door meeting of the party’s social media and IT wing members in Kolkata on Tuesday last, with few video clips being shared later. Shah aims now to win over 35 of the 42 Lok Sabha, (in 2019 it won 18) with the promise to ‘end of infiltration, cow smuggling and providing citizenship to religiously persecuted people.’ Didi has been vociferously opposing the CAA, but for how long and how is the big question. The BJP sees CAA as a major factor for its rise in this State and it requires no guessing to what length it could go to quash opposition. Fireworks are to be expected.   

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Nagpur Rally & Yatra

Congress has kicked off its 2024 poll campaign, and strategically in RSS’s backyard, Nagpur city. Thursday last, observing its 139th foundation day with a mega rally, 'Hain Taiyyar Hum' (we are ready), it asserted ‘INDIA alliance will win’ in ensuing polls. Both Rahul Gandhi and chief Mallikarjun Kharge drove home the point the battle with BJP is to save democracy: “If BJP and RSS came to power again, democracy will be finished. There are two ideologies in Nagpur, one is progressive which belongs to Ambedkar, and other is of RSS which is destroying the country.” Predictably, Prime Minister Modi was targeted as ‘being against social justice and equality’, and it’s Congress which will seek ‘justice for people,’ through Rahul’s 'Bharat Nyay Yatra'. It will begin on 14 January from Manipur to Mumbai, passing through 14 states and 85 districts in 67 days. His ‘Bharat jodo yatra’ had raised issues of “economic disparities, polarisation and dictatorship”, this one shall focus on “social, economic and political justice for the people.” Will the BNY rally support for the party as did the BJY in Karnataka and Himachal? Well begin is half done goes the saying and the Nagpur rally should keep the grand old party’s hopes alive.

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Covid Cases

Is there a need to panic or not? With Delhi joining other States in reporting its first case of COVID-19 sub-variant JN.1, the citizens are at a loss of how to react as the Union Health Ministry has urged people not to panic, saying it’s a mild version of Omicron and ‘mild infection.’ While the national capital has 35-odd cases since Wednesday last, 40 more cases of the variant were recorded across the country taking the tally of cases to 109—36 cases were detected from Gujarat, 34 from Karnataka, 14 from Goa, nine from Maharashtra, six from Kerala, four each from Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu, and two from Telangana. Most of the patients, it was said were currently in home isolation, however, there were 3 new fatalities (two from Karnataka and one from Gujarat) within a span of 24 hours. While it may be prudent for the Ministry not to frighten people, it’s equally important it keeps a close tab on the cases and have an action plan in case its understanding goes awry. As said, it’s better to be safe then sorry. ---INFA 

(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)