Category: Politics

On Friday, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) made a statement saying that the Congress party only talks about four leaders in its history. During a press conference, BJP spokesperson and former minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar pointed out that Congress seems to only remember Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, and the Gandhi family, which includes Rahul, Sonia, and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

Chandrasekhar made these comments while discussing the recent decision to open a college at Delhi University in honor of Veer Savarkar, a prominent figure in Indian history. He suggested that Congress should update their history books because they seem to focus only on these four leaders. He also noted that many colleges and universities are already named after members of the Gandhi family.

Congress leader Pramod Tiwari has accused the BJP of trying to divide people as the Delhi assembly elections approach, likely set for February 2025. His comments came as Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to lay the foundation stone for a college named after Veer Savarkar at Delhi University. Tiwari pointed out that Savarkar did not have a significant impact in Delhi, questioning why the college is named after him. He claimed that the BJP’s actions are aimed at stirring up division among people.

BJP spokesperson CR Kesavan responded to Tiwari’s comments, defending the honor given to Savarkar. He called Savarkar a brave patriot who fought against British rule and inspired future generations, especially the youth. Kesavan criticized Rahul Gandhi from Congress, suggesting that he spreads lies about Savarkar and questioned Gandhi’s credibility due to legal troubles he faces.

Earlier, Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain also criticized the decision to name the college after Savarkar, stating that many freedom fighters deserve recognition for their sacrifices for India’s independence. He argued that naming the college after one of them would have been a true tribute.

PM Modi has plans to visit the new homes for residents of slum areas in Ashok Vihar, Delhi, as well as to inaugurate various development projects throughout the city.

Bihar’s Chief Minister Nitish Kumar recently gave a mysterious answer when asked about RJD leader Lalu Prasad’s suggestion to join the INDIA bloc again. When reporters questioned him, he simply replied, “What are you saying?” This raised eyebrows because Lalu Prasad had offered to reopen the doors for Nitish to join the alliance they were part of before.

Lalu’s son, Tejashwi Yadav, tried to downplay this situation. He said that Lalu was just responding to the media’s curiosity and that it didn’t mean anything serious. Lalu had mentioned, “Our doors are open, and he should unbolt his gates too,” suggesting they could work together again.

Nitish Kumar, who has partnered with Lalu twice in the last 10 years, was at an event where Arif Mohammad Khan became the new governor. When reporters asked him about Lalu’s comments, he smiled and didn’t give a clear answer. Assistant Khan told reporters that this was a happy day and it wasn’t the right time for tough questions.

Tejashwi, who used to be the Deputy Chief Minister, said the new year would bring changes and hinted that the current NDA government, led by Nitish, might not last. He insisted that his father’s comments were just to help with reporters’ curiosity.

Union Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lalan also commented on Lalu’s remarks, stating that the NDA is strong and that there’s unity between JD(U) and BJP. He added that anyone could voice their opinions freely, allowing Lalu to say what he wants. Lalan is seen as having a close connection with Lalu, especially when Nitish was not part of the NDA.

On Thursday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised the Maharashtra government’s work to help improve remote areas affected by violence. His comments came after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’s visit to Gadchiroli, a district where Naxalites (a term for people involved in left-wing extremism) have been a problem. During Fadnavis’s visit, some Naxal members gave up their weapons, which showed that their control in the region is weakening.

Fadnavis also shared new development plans during his trip. Modi expressed his support on social media, saying, “I appreciate the Maharashtra government’s efforts to enhance the living conditions in these areas. This will definitely help people feel more comfortable and open the door for greater progress.” He also congratulated the residents of Gadchiroli and nearby places for their resilience. This was in response to Fadnavis’s post highlighting the government’s hard work to bring peace to the region.

Bengaluru: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of Karnataka has dismissed the BJP’s call for Minister Priyanka Kharge to resign following the tragic suicide of a contractor named Sachin. The chief minister described the BJP’s demand as a political attack driven by hatred. He pointed out that Priyanka Kharge’s name was not on Sachin’s death note and said there is no evidence linking her to the incident. “There is no reason for her to resign,” he told reporters.

Priyanka Kharge is open to any investigation. This situation is similar to another case where the BJP’s KS Eshwarappa was mentioned in a death note, which is currently being investigated by the CID. Appropriate actions will be taken once the investigation report is submitted.

When the BJP insisted that the investigation should be done by the CBI, the chief minister questioned their trust in the state police, pointing out that when the BJP was in power, they never requested CBI investigations.

The BJP accused Minister Priyanka Kharge of causing distress to contractors, claiming that threats from her close aide, Raju Kapanur, contributed to Sachin’s suicide. They argued that many contractors are struggling financially under the Congress government and that this stress is leading to tragic outcomes. BJP State President BY Vijayendra Yediyurappa shared that since the Congress took over, contractors have been facing great difficulties.

Siddaramaiah also mentioned he would discuss the cabinet’s expansion after talking to party leaders.

Newly appointed Kerala Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar shared his thoughts on his role in the state. He said, “Whenever I go somewhere, I don’t want to fight with the government or the administration. I am here to help.” Arlekar spoke about his mission to assist rather than to give orders or direct anyone.

Before officially starting his duties in Kerala, he met with Goa Governor PS Sreedharan Pillai at Raj Bhavan. Arlekar expressed his wish to learn as much as possible about Kerala from Pillai, who is originally from the state. He stated, “I want to hear a lot about Kerala from PS Sreedharan Pillai so I can work well there.”

To seek blessings before his new role, the Goa Governor performed special prayers at the Sabarimala Sree Dharma Sastha Temple, which is dedicated to Lord Ayyappa, and at Guruvayur Temple, which honors Lord Shri Krishna.

On December 21, President Droupadi Murmu appointed Arlekar as the new Governor of Kerala. Meanwhile, outgoing Governor Arif Mohammad Khan expressed his heartfelt thanks to the people of Kerala after finishing his term. He highlighted his strong bond with the state and appreciated the support he received during his time, noting there were no conflicts while he served.

On Monday, Tanvir Sadiq, a member of the National Conference party, strongly criticized the BJP for not bringing back public holidays to celebrate the birth anniversary of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah and Martyrs Day in Kashmir. The CPI (M) party also spoke out against this decision, calling it a way for the administration to create divisions and change the history of the region.

On December 29, the Jammu and Kashmir administration released a list of public holidays for 2025. This list did not include Martyrs Day, which honors 22 Kashmiris killed by Dogra forces on July 13, 1931, or the birthday of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, the founder of the National Conference, celebrated on December 5. After the changes made in 2019, when Article 370 was revoked and Jammu and Kashmir was split into two Union Territories, the previous administration removed these important holidays from the official calendar.

Sadiq expressed that this decision is a petty attempt by the BJP, but it won’t change the significance of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah and the martyrs from July 13, 1931. He believes that these holidays will be restored soon and that they will continue to fight for the restoration of statehood.

CPI (M) leader Muhammad Yusuf Tarigami from Kulgam also criticized the move. He stated that these actions try to erase important parts of their history and that they insult the people of Jammu and Kashmir. He called on everyone in J&K and Ladakh to come together against these divisive actions by the central government.

In response, retired Brigadier Anil Gupta from the BJP supported the administration’s decision to keep the holiday list the same, stating that these holidays were not suitable for all regions. He argued that the National Conference should stop pushing exclusive politics and instead work on promoting unity.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh announced that he will sue BJP MP Manoj Tiwari and BJP’s IT cell leader Amit Malviya. This is because Tiwari and Malviya said that Singh’s wife, Anita Singh, is not a registered voter in Delhi. Last Sunday, Singh accused the BJP of trying to remove his wife’s name from the voting list.

Tiwari and Malviya responded by insisting that, according to an affidavit from Anita Singh, she is a registered voter in Sultanpur, Uttar Pradesh. They claimed this means her vote in Delhi is not valid and is against the law. They also asked the Election Commission to act on what they called a serious problem.

In response, Sanjay Singh said he spoke about the issue of removing names of Purvanchali voters (people from the Purvanchal region) in Parliament. He claimed that after he raised this matter, BJP President JP Nadda insulted Purvanchali people by calling them “Rohingyas” and “Bangladeshis.”

“People from Purvanchal have been living and working hard in Delhi for 30-40 years. But now the BJP is trying to take away their votes. When I brought this up, they tried to get my wife’s name off the voter list as revenge,” Singh told PTI.

Singh also said, “Tiwari is lying about my wife’s voting status. She voted in Delhi during the Lok Sabha elections in May, while Tiwari is talking about an affidavit from January. They even submitted a request to remove her name from the Sultanpur list on January 4.”

Finally, Singh declared, “I will file a defamation case against them. Malviya and Tiwari will have to come to court and explain why they insulted me and my wife.”

On Monday, Ravidas Mehrotra, who is an MLA from the Samajwadi Party (SP), said that they will give checks of Rs five lakh to the families of those who died in the recent violence in Sambhal. He also made a surprising comment, saying that there is a Shiv Linga (a symbol of the Hindu god Shiva) under the house of the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, and that they should dig there to check.

Earlier, Akhilesh Yadav, the leader of the SP, announced the same amount of Rs five lakh for the families affected by the violence. Mehrotra said that they are going to Sambhal not just to give out checks, but also to see if the injured people are getting the treatment they need. They want to investigate what happened during the violence, including why the police fired their weapons at people.

Akhilesh Yadav joked that since there is digging happening to possibly find temples under mosques, there must be a Shiv Linga under the CM’s house too. He suggested that they should prepare to dig there as well, saying the media could go first.

In another update, Dr. Rajender Pensiya, the District Magistrate of Sambhal, announced that they are starting to fix the Chaturmukh Well, which is a historical site. The government is providing money to restore it, as well as other important pilgrimage sites in the area.

Due to recent violence that resulted in four deaths and injuries during digging work for an Archaeological Survey of India at a Mughal-era mosque, a new police post is also being built in Sambhal. The Rapid Action Force has been called in to keep the area safe and prevent more problems.

Maharashtra’s government minister and Shiv Sena leader, Bharat Gogawale, stated that the exclusion of NCP leader Chhagan Bhujbal from the cabinet is an internal matter for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). He emphasized that it doesn’t involve their ruling coalition, called Mahayuti, which includes Shiv Sena and the BJP. Gogawale told reporters that only the NCP can decide who should be in the cabinet, just like the Shiv Sena and BJP do for their own ministers.

Chhagan Bhujbal has expressed disappointment and blamed NCP president Ajit Pawar for not including him in the expanded cabinet of their government with the BJP. Bhujbal mentioned that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis wanted him to be part of the cabinet. Recently, on December 15, 39 lawmakers became ministers, with 33 being cabinet ministers and the rest taking on roles as ministers of state.