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Round The States
New Delhi, 6 January 2024
Rally,
Protests, Merger
SOUTH
INDIA GEARING UP
By Insaf
Ensuing general election and
consecration of Ram temple has kicked up a lot of heat and dust in southern
States. Protests, a rally and a merger hit headlines. In Congress-ruled
Karnataka, the arrest of a kar sevak in a 1992 case related to Babri Masjid
demolition violence in the state, triggered violent protests by BJP. It
also launched a campaign ‘I’m also a Karsevak, Arrest Me Too’ on Thursday,
accusing the government of indulging in “anti-Ram and anti-Hindu policies.”
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah rubbished it saying the kar sevak is a ‘social
miscreant and criminal suspect in multiple cases’ and warned ‘BJP leaders need
to understand that assigning caste and religious labels to criminals is
extremely dangerous.’ His colleague, MLC B K Hariprasad went a step further:
‘There’s absolute possibility of a similar (Godhra-like) situation created here
also…All arrangements should be made for those willing to go to Ayodhya so we
shouldn’t see another Godhra happening in Karnataka.’ The government, he said,
should be on high alert. BJP has demanded his arrest for instigating a “riot
for the Lok Sabha elections”. Mixing politics with religion is getting far too
toxic!
* * * *
Kerala Rally
In Kerala, the BJP had star
campaigner Prime Minister Modi launched the party’s election campaign. A
mammoth rally ‘Sthree Shakthi Modikkoppam’ (Women Power with PM Modi) in
Thrissur district on Wednesday last, preceded by a road show appears to have rattled
the Congress. Modi launched a frontal attack against it, other than the Left
parties, accusing them of delaying the women reservation bill and listed the
schemes his government had rolled out these past 10 years. Whether the ‘PM
guarantee’ will woo the women voters, like it did in Rajasthan, is to be seen,
the Congress had its workers stage a protest a day later near the stage from
where Modi spoke, over cutting of branches of a banyan tree for his programme.
They clashed with BJP workers as the tree is believed to have religious
significance and is adjacent to the Vadakkumnathan Temple. In turn, the BJP
accused the Congress of having its workers spray cow dung water on the venue of
the rally. The police had to be deployed and protesters were detained. Will God’s
own country be more accommodating to the saffron party?
* * * *
Andhra Merger
Andhra Pradesh gives some hope
to Congress. On Thursday last, founder of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu (YSR)
Telangana Party and sister of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, Y S Sharmila
not just joined the grand old party but merged hers with it. Timely alright,
before ensuing Assembly polls and battle 2024. “Today, it would give him (YS
Rajasekhara Reddy, former Congress Chief Minister) great joy that his daughter
is following in his footsteps and is going to be a part of Congress itself,”
she said and added that it was his dream to see Rahul Gandhi as PM. Sharmila
had launched her party in July 2021 after differences cropped up between her
and Jagan Reddy. Interestingly, brother Jagan called on former Telangana Chief
Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao at his residence in Hyderabad, the day of the
merger. In recent Telangana Assembly polls, she announced support to Congress,
as it ‘stood a chance of victory, and we didn’t want to break the anti-KCR
vote. Congress won and I am most happy that we contributed a part to that
victory.” Will this merger contribute again and revive Congress fortunes, is
the question.
* * * *
Delhi’s ED Match
A cat and mouse game is being
played out in national capital, Delhi. Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal again
skirted the Enforcement Directorate’s summons, the 3rd in a row on
Wednesday. He accused the ED of trying to hurt his greatest wealth, ‘honesty’
and it’s the Centre which wants to arrest him to stop him from campaigning for 2024
election! Citing reasons such as Rajya Sabha polls, R-Day preparations and ED’s
‘illegal’ summons for non-appearance, he offered to cooperate provided summons
were ‘legally valid.’ Eight months back, he said, ‘I was called by CBI, and I appeared’.
He insists there’s no excise policy scam and colleagues (Manish Sisodia, Sanjay
Singh and Vijay Nair) are in jail ‘not because they were involved in corruption,
but they didn’t join BJP’. Rubbishing it, BJP said if he ‘finds ED notices
wrong, he should go to the courts, but he won’t as he knows it’s almost
impossible to get relief.’ Besides, those in jail aren’t getting bail, plus
every court is reprimanding them. Is a 4th summons on its way?
* * *
Jharkhand Plans Ahead
Jharkhand is doing one better
than Delhi. Not only has Chief Minister Hemant Soren skipped ED’s 7th
summon alleging the probe in money laundering case was ‘biased’ but is
preparing for the future. On Wednesday last, he convened a meeting of JMM-led
coalition ministers and MLAs at his residence to muster support and did get solidarity
from 52 (JMM, Congress and RJD) of the 81. His office posted on social media: ‘latest
political situation was discussed…All MLAs expressed confidence in CM. He
(Soren) said he’s always with them and will continue to be so…Any kind of
conspiracy against government won’t succeed…’ The meet, however, had many
guessing the resignation of MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad two days ago for ‘personal
reasons.’ Opposition BJP claimed he was told to resign ‘to facilitate Soren’s
wife Kalpana to contest the bypoll so she takes over as CM in the wake of any
eventuality.’ Soren has rubbished it, but time will tell, as ED keeps the heat
on and raided premises of Sahebganj DC Ram Niwas Yadav and Soren’s press
advisor Abhishek Prasad the same day.
* * * *
Blissful Lakshadweep
Lakshadweep can start hoping for a spot on the global
tourist map. If so, it has Prime Minister Modi to thank. “For those who wish to
embrace the adventurer in them, Lakshadweep has to be on your list. During my
stay, I also tried snorkelling - what an exhilarating experience it was!” he wrote
on X. Though he went to inaugurate the Kochi-Lakshadweep Islands Submarine
Optical Fiber Connection, lay foundation-stone for renovation of primary
healthcare facility and 5 model Anganwadi centres, among others, it’s the
pictures he shared on X which made news: “And those early morning walks along
the pristine beaches were also moments of pure bliss.” But trust Congress to promptly
play spoilsport. It posted on X too: “The Prime Minister of India is having
fun. Great photography is taking place on the seashore… Photos are being taken
in different dresses. A wonderful pose is being given: Sometimes relaxing on
the shore, sometimes playing with the waves of the sea.” And, “Manipur has been
burning for 8 months. People are still being murdered. Indian citizens are
being killed, rendered homeless, and tortured. But… Where is India’s Prime
Minister?”----INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature
Alliance)
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