Home Blog Page 1057

Shiv Sena to get Good Spokesperson?

April 19, 2019

The general election season 2019 seems to be a rough ride for Congress and the party received another major blow on Friday when Priyanka Chaturvedi, former Congress national spokesperson, and social media convenor, resigned from the party a day after going public with her resentment on social media and joined rival Shiv Sena in the presence of Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray and Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray. She had resigned from all posts and primary membership of Congress on April 18. Priyanka was upset with the party leadership for taking back workers who had been thrown out for misbehaving with her. “Lumpen goons” get preference in the Congress over those who had “given their sweat and blood”, she lashed out at Congress in her tweet on Wednesday after reports of the party workers getting reinstated got confirmed. “Having faced brickbats & abuse across board for the party but yet those who threatened me within the party getting away with not even a rap on their knuckles is unfortunate,” her tweet read.

Chaturvedi’s distress refers to an incident in Uttar Pradesh when Congress had suspended some workers for misbehaving with her during a press conference on the Rafale deal in Mathura a few days ago. However, Chaturvedi’s decision to quit party was triggered on Monday when the party’s ‘disciplinary committee’ issued a communication in which it invalidated all actions taken earlier against the workers who “misbehaved” with Chaturvedi in Mathura. As per reports and claims by the Congress workers in UP, the decision to withdraw action was taken on recommendations of West UP Congress General Secretary Jyotiraditya Scindia considering the poll season and to keep the local workers satisfied.

Congress spokesperson Hemlata Patil expressed, “Priyanka was a good spokesperson of Congress. However, sometimes a member of the party starts thinking that he/she is bigger than the party. If you have any grievance, you should address it in a better manner. The manner in which Priyanka expressed her unhappiness on Twitter is unjustified. She shouldn’t have brought her ego in the way while working for the party’s development.”

“Everyone is eyeing for a post in the party but it can’t please everyone. The young generation is coming forward and Rahul Gandhi is assigning responsibilities to them. The manner in which Congress had projected Priyanka, no other party can do. I don’t think that Congress has meted any injustice to her,” Patil added.

Talks around her quitting the party emerged after Chaturvedi removed ‘Convener – AICC Communication’ and ‘national spokesperson’ from her Twitter description and reportedly exited the Congress’ WhatsApp groups.

Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted her resignation letter to Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday morning. In the letter, she wrote, “In the last few weeks, certain things have convinced me that my services are not valued in the organisation and that I have reached the end of the road. At the same time, I also feel that the more time I spend in the organisation will be at the cost of my own self-respect and dignity.”

Her resignation letter on Twitter was accompanied with a brief statement; she wrote, “I am absolutely overwhelmed and grateful with the love and support I have got across board from the nation in the past 3 days.

I consider myself blessed with this immense outpouring of support. Thank you to all who have been a part of this journey.”

Addressing a press conference flanked by Uddhav Thackeray and his son Aaditya, Chaturvedi said, “I want to go back to my roots and work for the development of Mumbai and that is why I joined the Shiv Sena. I want to work for women empowerment and for the youth, and there is no better platform than Shiv Sena to accomplish my goals.”

She further added, “I know my previous comments will be used against me and my ideology will be questioned, but I am satisfied with my decision. Being a Mumbaikar, I have always had an association with the Shiv Sena. There has been no change of heart.”

Talking about Shiv Sena’s newly welcomed member, Shiv Sena spokesperson Manisha Kayande stated, “Women are insulted and not given respect in Congress while Shiv Sena gives respect to women and therefore, Priyanka has joined the party. Naina Sahni was murdered during Congress’ reign. Priyanka’s entry in Sena augurs well for the party.”

The exit of Congress’ one of the most vocal and known faces is looked after as a major setback during the ongoing Lok Sabha polls and when Maharashtra too will go on polls later this year. On the other hand, another section of the political experts believes Chaturvedi’s agony is because of being refused to contest the elections from Mumbai. Many also believe that she is adopting the same modus operandi of playing the sulking and roping in-game as played by many Congress leaders previously while others have questioned her ideology and wondered what led to such a staunch supporter of Congress and secular India join the right-wing Sena! Questioning her integrity towards the party that she served for 10 long years, a part of political analysts has also blamed her unfulfilled political ambition as a reason for her switching sides.

BJP spokesperson and advisor to CM Maharashtra Shweta Shalini asserted, “Because of prevailing hooliganism in Congress, Priyanka has quit the party to join Shiv Sena. She has taken the right decision and we welcome her. Priyanka is also well aware that Congress won’t come to power. Even though Priyanka worked with a secular ideology so far, she has to follow the Sena’s Hindutva ideology now.”

Congress’ Face Off — Priyanka Chaturvedi

Vaidehi Taman

April 19, 2019

Priyanka Chaturvedi was one of the strongest and vocal faces of the Congress, who with her microblogging site made Congress’ presence on social media active when nobody knew the party on social media and other political opponents were using the platform in their favour. As termed by Priyanka, she has to resign from Congress for the sake of ‘self-respect’ and ‘dignity’. She joined Shiv Sena in the presence of party supremo Uddhav Thackeray and Yuva Sena chief Aaditya Thackeray on Friday. Priyanka took this step after the Congress high command reinstated the party workers who had misbehaved with her during a visit to Mathura sometimes ago.

Priyanka Chaturvedi resigned from all the posts of Congress and told Rahul Gandhi in her resignation letter that she can’t stay on at the cost of her dignity. Prior to this, in a tweet on Wednesday, Chaturvedi had lambasted the Congress and expressed that the “lumpen goons” get preference over those who had “given their sweat and blood” to the party. She has alleged that the party men had misbehaved with her and also issued rape threats to her. On Friday morning, an upset Chaturvedi removed ‘AICC Spokesperson’ from her Twitter profile and tweeted her resignation letter that she sent to the Congress President Rahul Gandhi announcing her resignation primary membership of the party.

According to the reports, the UP Congress workers had misbehaved with her and heckled her when she was addressing a press conference on the Rafale deal in Mathura. The leaders were reportedly miffed with her over the possibility that she was seeking a ticket from the area. The Congress had initially removed them but recently, because of the elections and the need for local support, they were taken back on Monday, after Jyotiraditya Scindia, in charge of the campaign in Western UP, gave the move a go ahead. It was said that the men had expressed regret about their behaviour. Before her distress against Congress came out in public, it is also reported that her appeal to the former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi did not work and she felt that she was not given the respect that she deserved.

Priyanka Chaturvedi was the National Spokesperson of the Indian National Congress who managed her show quite well and had every grace to counter-attack the opponents and simultaneously defend the stand of the Congress party. Those interchanges might be one of the first times that social media played a direct and credited role in a hearing Congress after the 2014 defeat. She joined Congress in 2010 and became the General Secretary of Indian Youth Congress from North-West Mumbai in 2012. Also, in 2010, Chaturvedi had a significant presence on Twitter and was known for defending the policies of Congress party on the microblogging site. Because of this, in May 2013, Chaturvedi was nominated as the Spokesperson of AICC. As a spokesperson of Congress Party, Chaturvedi often took part in political debates on TV News Channels. She was also a member of ‘Communication Department’ headed by Randeep Surjewala and took part in political debates on Social Media. She has been a vociferous critic of Bharatiya Janta Party and its leader Narendra Modi.

It is remarkable that there are two national parties in India and these days, both are very much active on social media. Both parties have their paid volunteers and followers to boost their voices. Congress became much more visible in the recent time, earlier they were there for namesake. BJP was always active on each social media especially Twitter, they started their campaign from microblogging sites. After a long haul, Congress too became active, Rahul Gandhi got acceptability in the young age group. He added a million Twitter followers. Facebook and Twitter following of the Youth Congress and National Students Union of India have seen similar spikes. The people behind this change of sorts are many, earlier the communications strategy group had Ghulam Nabi Azad, Mallikarjun Kharge, Anand Sharma, and Jairam Ramesh, encouraged with the inclusion of younger leaders like Randeep Singh Surjewala, Sushmita Dev, and Rajeev Gowda. As time passed, Congress needed new faces to add charm to their campaign and here came the fairer side of their team. Earlier, only Priyanka Chaturvedi was vocal and in support with Congress on social media.

On the other hand, there are some Congress leaders and party workers who believe that Priyanka Chaturvedi, being a follower of late Congress leader Gurudas Kamat, is adopting his tactics. It has been multiple times when Kamat blackmailed the party and threatened to quit and returned silently after getting political perks. A part of the party workers too was believed to be miffed with Chaturvedi’s behaviour which was the root cause of whatever happened in Mathura.

If Priyanka Chaturvedi would’ve been a real staunch supporter of Congress, resolving whatever discomfort she was having in the party would’ve been more mature. While the crucial general elections are on the run, such political drama looks inappropriate. She indeed has a lot of political ambitions but her political role got restricted only as the national spokesperson of Congress. She was denied an active and front role in national politics. Priyanka was also hoping a ticket from Mumbai. While Congress itself has a thin chance of victory in Maharashtra, many veteran leaders of the party are waiting to hold crucial posts even if the party wins somehow. In such a scenario, Priyanka’s political ambition to be MP or MLA remains a remote dream. Keeping these in mind, it is believed by many that she has taken an advantage of the timing and whatever incidents had happened to switch her side. A lady, who always believed in Congress’s ideology and voiced in favour of a secular India, all of a sudden adopted the right-wing ideology! Is it going to be easy for her or will she be proven another party-hopper?

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Who is being fooled this Election – leader or voter?

Afternoon Voice

April 19, 2019

Since the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the 2019 Lok Sabha polls schedule and in some of the states the elections are going on – all the political parties be, it national or regional started their campaigning and rallies with full of hoo ha, energy and media coverages across the nation. However, at the front there are always the Indian National Congress (INC) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) – who are the only biggest national parties of one of the biggest democracy of the world – India.

All parties and their leaders are on a verge to do anything to get the attention and most importantly the votes from the voters. While rallying for their candidacy and their party – they are even crushing the Model Code of Conduct without bothering about it and the legal action that the police can take against them. However, since the government is not taking any action against these perpetrators – the reaction of the government itself symbolises that it is busy in doing its own political rallies.

The general elections of the country which is also called as the biggest festival of the nation, is the time when all the leaders from a Ward Member to the Prime Minister comes out of their holes and meet with the people, discuss with them, know their problems, have tea, breakfast, lunch and dinner with them and try their best to convince them that they are the only grounded politician and their party is the only one which is completely determined, dedicated for the betterment of the nation and works for the harmony of the society.

However, the poor voters too enjoy the company of these celebrated leaders and feel themselves to be the luckiest one, moreover, in this day dreaming – they forget the pain, suffering, inconvenience, and lack of facilities in hospitals, schools, police stations, or in all of the government institutions that they had faced in the last five years. They forget that these leaders will go back to the same holes where they had been for five years after winning the elections.

To add it more, as always, these leaders success in fooling and emotionally blackmailing these soft-minded-hearted voters and retain the power, and the moment they retain the power they changes their colour completely and become unknown to every citizen and the voters remain the sufferers, fools, and useless for the leaders for the next five years. After five years on – the same story repeats and things go on. That’s how our country runs – it is run by a driver who never sits on the seat.

Recently, Congress released their 2019 election manifesto of 55 pages where they discussed and presented their plan to apply on the country after retaining power in the centre. The Congress said that it would reform the tax administration and medium-sized Indian business companies as well as start-ups would not have to go through many papers work for their first three years to get the loan from the government. It further said that there would be separate budget for the farmers. It also claimed that the Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) scheme will be Congress’ first priority which will fill 20 lakh job vacancies by March 2020 and the poverty of the country will be eliminated by 2030 through the same scheme.

The head of the committee, P. Chidambaram said that the manifesto will set the narrative for the upcoming elections, however, the reality seems to be different as Rahul Gandhi and his assurances do not have the same kind of mass acceptance now. Precisely, Gandhi through his party manifesto wants to construct a counter narrative of social justice to the common people in India, in contrast to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s narrative of strong Hindi nations.

During the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, BJP released its manifesto, which was full of everything that this country consists of, the then Prime Ministerial candidate from the BJP party, Narendra Modi in almost all of his political campaigning – shouted, swore, claimed, promised, and pledged to fulfil all those points mentioned in his party manifesto, however, how many of those promises are fulfilled is history and known to every single Indians.

We all know what Modi did after getting into power. However, after alleging Modi of committing so many scams, looting the country’s money, fooling all the voters, misusing the power, weakening all the governments institutions, grilling Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), manipulating the data regarding the country’s employment, education, healthcare, economy, farmer distress, Muslims’ actual population, and Dalits distress and etc. the Congress is playing on the front foot.

Rahul Gandhi – who has somewhere established himself as the Prime Ministerial candidate for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections which is not declared by the party yet, in a press conference, discussed his party’s manifesto that how it would remove all the crisis from the country and its people, seems to be hollow, as if we see his last five years history, then we will get him nowhere except criticising Modi in every way possible. I mean, to be precise, he has become Narendra Modi of 2014 elections – who during his political rallies during the 2014 Lok Sabha elections did nothing apart from talking big, shouting, talking ill about Nehru family, patting his 56 inch wide chest, and pledging to do everything for the country which neither any party nor any politician has ever think about after the nation got independence from the British and Pakistan was separated.

Since the nation got independence from the British, the country has been ruled by many parties and people but the root problems remained the same even today. People suffered during the British rule and still suffering even after getting independence. We got freedom from the British but if we look and observe the situation of the nation in actuality then we find that we got freedom from the British only who were white, apart from that nothing is changed. We are still slaves, slaves of religionism, casteism, regionalism, exploitation, scams, unemployment, of useless educational institutions and their third class plans, useless health institutions, hospitalities and their senseless plans, stupid leaders and their idiotic policies, discrimination between blacks and whites, between rich and poor, between male and female, between son and daughter, of idiots being intellectuals and intellectuals being idiots, and the most dangerous, undying and in-humanistic national as well as regional political parties who are the contractor of the all evils and crisis happening in this country.

Modi in actual sense has awaken all the countrymen and made them realised that what a democracy is as well as what role a voter plays in making and keeping the democracy alive. Since the elections are happening in some parts of the country – it becomes interesting to see if the voters of the country are even awaken or are still in deep sleep whose consciousness does not work when it comes to rationality, practicality, development, or choosing right representative.

The answer will be revealed on 23 May, 2019 that who is being fooled this time?

Mayawati-Mulayam share stage after 25 years at Mainpuri rally

Web Team

April 19, 2019

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati shared the stage with Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav after a span of 25 years. Mayawati campaigned for Mulayam Singh at Mainpuri. She stated, “People here respect Mulayam as their true leader. He is not fake like BJP and Narendra Modi who claims to be from backward classes. You should vote for Mulayam Singh so that he wins convincingly.”It took more than 25 years for both the parties to join hands once again to stop the BJP juggernaut in Lok Sabha polls.

Mulayam Singh thanked Mayawati and said, “Both the parties have come together after a long period of time. I hope that both BSP-SP alliance will win Lok Sabha polls by a big margin. I welcome Mayawati today and I have immense respect for her. We should continue to respect her as she has always come forward to lend a helping hand to Samajwadi Party.”

SP and BSP had an alliance to contest the 1995 UP assembly polls.

Hello Prime Minister Theresa May!

Salah Uddin Shoaib Choudhury

April 19, 2019

Most of us know, during recent years, the United Kingdom has become an epicenter of anti-Semitism. Radical Islam is seeing an alarming rise in that country and it is even anticipated that Islamists and jihadists may emerge as a dominant force in Britain within the next 2-3 decades. Unfortunately, Britons are either unaware or reluctant in taking any measures in checking the rise of anti-Semitism and radical Islam.

For centuries, Britain has been considered as a land of decent people and a country with good governance and rule of law. Most of the nations in the world follow the Westminster type democracy. But unfortunately, newspaper reports are showing extremely discouraging sign of the current days the United Kingdom, which already has emerged as the “capital of dirty money”. Last year, Robert Barrington is Executive Director of Transparency International UK in an article said London has become the money laundering capital. Due to failure or intentional ignorance of the issue of huge inflow of black money and dirty money into Britain, London truly is now becoming the epicenter of black money.

The United Kingdom is currently a safe haven for corrupt individuals looking launder the proceeds of their illicit wealth, enjoy a luxury lifestyle and cleanse their reputations. Surprisingly the UK economy sees trillions of pounds flow through it every single year. Inevitably most of this money is corrupt wealth – stolen public funds and bribes – which are given a seal of approval by passing through the UK.

Although Britain’s National Crime Agency (NCA) has said it is investigating the use of UK-registered companies and a number of so-called professional enablers in connection with the widening scandal, in reality, a large number of specific cases of money laundering are yet to be within the radar of NCA. It is not only the case of people living in Britain, who had entered with tons of laundered money, but some of these individuals are also directly involved in terrorism and militancy.

On December 7, 2018, Britain has suspended its top tier investor visas, which require 2 million pounds ($2.55 million) in investment, as part of a drive to crack down on organized crime and money laundering. From Russian oligarchs and Middle Eastern oil barons to newly-minted Asian entrepreneurs and corrupt individuals, the wealthy have flocked to London over the past two decades, snapping up everything from opulent homes to soccer clubs. The influx of super-rich has brought tens of billions of pounds in investment and helped London preserve its position as one of the world’s top two global financial capitals, though the government has been concerned by the provenance of some of the wealth.

Britons and the authorities in that country are letting a notorious man – a militancy funder to continue operating dangerous activities by sitting in London.

Shahid Uddin Khan and his family entered the United Kingdom under Tier 1 Investor’s Visa and obtained immigration. The tier 1 investor visas, which offered non-European Union residents over three years of entry in return for 2 million pounds in investment in United Kingdom bonds, share capital or loan capital in UK companies.

The United Kingdom never inquired about the legality of the money Shahid and his family had invested, although it is learned from various sources in Bangladesh that the family had never taken any permission from the Bangladesh Bank for repatriating such a huge amount of money.

In January 2019 it was learned from various Bangladeshi newspaper reports that Shahid Uddin Khan and his family were actively involved in jihadist activities and were funding militancy groups such as Islamic State (ISIS). There are militancy related cases against Shahid Uddin Khan, his wife Farjana Anjum and other members of the family which are pending with various police stations and courts in Bangladesh. This family is on the ‘Most Wanted’ list of Bangladeshi law enforcing agencies.

Britain’s National Crime Agency, which tackles serious and organized crime, said in September 2018 that it was stepping up efforts to tackle dirty money funneled into or through the United Kingdom by “corrupt elites”.

It said it planned to extend the use of Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs), one means by which the assets of corrupt “politically exposed persons” or those with links to serious crime can be seized. But unfortunately, the case of Shahid Uddin Khan, his wife Farjana Anjum and daughters had never been investigated.

(The author of the Article is the editor of Blitz.)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AFTERNOON VOICE and AFTERNOON VOICE does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)

Prime Minister Modi’s excellent Oratorship: Part I

Vinod Dixit

April 19, 2019

PM Modi is an excellent orator. Oratory is Modi’s great talent, a gift that very few politicians are blessed with. His command over several languages was praiseworthy. Modi is reckoned among the likes of great orators like Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and Adolf Hitler. Modi’s journey from a chai wala at Gujarat platform to making his residence at 7, Race Course Road defines a lot about his leadership qualities. He appreciates those who work hard by monitoring their performance on day to day basis. Modi sets an example for his ministers during times of uncertainty and provides reassurance to them. Everyone knows the fact that 11 years ago when PM Modi was a Chief Minister of Gujarat state, he was denied a diplomatic visa under 214 (b) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The denial was on grounds of “severe violations of religious freedom.” However, the same Modi, the dynamic PM, addressed the US Congress for over 45 minutes in a speech that saw nine standing ovations and several rounds of applause. He is one the most popular PM of India who has ever known and whatever he or his government does, he makes sure that the whole country knows about it. Often accused of being a one-man show, one cannot deny his skills in the public presentation which he has mastered over the years. With the addition of crowd-pleasing optics, artfully chosen backdrops and his inherent histrionics, his every speech becomes a spectacle, a conversation piece and an invitation to search for hidden meanings. In contemporary politics, he has no equal in the art of oratory, which is surprising considering that us Indians love talking. Modi’s oratory has played an important role in propelling parties to a position of strength. Yet, the contrary is also true. Many successful political leaders have not been good orators but have been good at working out a winning strategy like forging a winning alliance, or throwing up a catchy slogan like ‘Garibi Hatao’ or ‘Congress Ka Haath, Aam Admi Ke Saath’. A political speech is never just a simple expression of views or promises. Depending on the occasion it is meant to signal intent, put forth plans, create expectations as well as list out yours. Primarily, it is meant to engage its audience AND Modi’s speech has managed to do just that. There is no doubt that he is an artist of words. His command over the language straight forward appeals, pauses, clear agenda and goals, ample knowledge about the subject, voice modulation, clever use of words and delivering the punch lines in a truly artistic manner, won him a lot of crucial public support. They often display a sound, often profound, understanding of international history and politics. It is a fact that when Modi has delivered a speech, a large mass of people has gathered to hear and learn from him. This quality is well observed in our prime minister. Even his criticizers claim not to miss any speech from him as it leaves them spellbound. It is not because someone writes his speeches but because of good oratory skills, the man like Modi possess. He is master in delivering speeches without any prior preparations.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Help Parallel Media, Support Journalism, Free Press, Afternoon Voice

Letters to the Editor: April 19, 2019

Web Team

April 19, 2019

FEATURE LETTER DIARY 679x400 e1553672678487

Train troubles Local trains, lifeline of Mumbaikars is posing many problems for the locals. The main problem is the hawkers and the daily commuters will have to pass through these tricky movements to reach out to the station. Railway protection force proved to be a toothless one in securing the stations for the benefit of the passengers. The chain snatching in trains has been reduced but stone throwing and snatching of mobiles and handbags cause numerous problems to commuters. Moreover, the long distance train tickets are cornered by touts causing inconvenience to a number of holiday goers spoiling their trips. With Airlines industry in soup, the availability of train tickets pose a problem and the complaints and conniving did not reach the dump ears. It is a pathetic position indeed.

C.K. Subramaniam

Crying foul on water scarcity In the wake of the severe drought plaguing the state of Maharashtra, water has become a crisis in drought-affected villages. Water is really precious as Maharashtra is facing drought. They tried their best to save as much water as we can and we were lucky enough to have an abundant water supply. There are more than 11,500 villages that are not even getting water for survival. The dry riverbed of Tawarja Dam in Latur, Marathwada is a cause of worry. Around 90 per cent villages in the eight districts in the region have been declared drought-hit. The water crisis is running deep in 10 seats of Maharashtra and that is going to be vital. Marathwada, Vidharbha, and Western Maharashtra feel the heat of water scarcity and unless and until winning candidate does something for the benefit of the water scarcity-bound regions, the voters’ verdict would prove vital.

Anandambal Subbu

Temples have to be clean! Temples are a source of divine energy for Hindus. It should be continued and it is necessary for devotees to acquire such divine energy with their help. Cleaning of temples is equally important; besides, performing ‘puja’ as per the science. Cleaning of temples is one of the most important services which can be rendered for God. Devotees go to different temples on different days of a week as per the day of that particular Deity for acquiring Deities’ grace e.g. they go to Shiva temple on Mondays; to Shri Ganesh Temple on Tuesdays; to Shani Temple on Saturdays etc. Thus, they keep going to temples. We should participate in keeping God’s house clean just as we keep own house clean. Temples’ priests and other related people do the job of cleaning of temples but devotees visiting temples should also take part in that service and seek more grace of God. Activists of Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) and few pro-Hindu organizations were seen cleaning temples and I even read about the same. One meets new people through this medium and they come together for this cause to offer service. Cleaning of temples seemed to be a novel idea. Instead of thinking about what others would say if they see me with a broom cleaning temples, I felt that I must take part in this service.

Shakuntala Baddi

Save corporate groups, save employment Over 20,000 employees have become unemployed with Jet Airways shutting shops overnight. It has been a nightmare for families of Jet employees as they have even not been paid their salaries which is a matter of grave concern at a time when unemployment is on the rise and difficult to switch jobs in today’s scenario. Corporate takeover codes should be relaxed so that bleeding companies can switch ownership as that not only protects capital but helps to save employment. Mergers should be made easy so that stronger corporate groups can adopt corporate houses in trouble to not just save national wealth from eroding but social cause is also taken care of by creating employment opportunities for those who are idle.

S.N.Kabra

Pragya Thakur has all right to contest polls It refers to the unnecessary objections raised against Sadhvi Pragya Thakur on her filing nomination for Lok Sabha elections on the grounds that she is on bail on medical grounds. There are too many top politicians including from top-most political family who is on bail but contesting elections. Even argument of Sadhvi being medically unfit does not hold well because George Fernandes was made Rajya Sabha member despite his being so much medically unfit that he even could not read out oath for Rajya Sabha membership. Instead, Union Home Ministry MHA should take cognizance of shocking revelations by Sadhvi about alleged 24-days long physical and mental torture by Maharashtra ATS in UPA-regime bypassing all rules of the judicial system. Sadhvi even at an earlier occasion disclosed names of several male police-persons involved in torture. It is also a matter of investigation of how male police-persons could be involved in the physical torture of a woman. Significantly some of the named police-persons are presently seated on high police-posts in BJP-ruled Maharashtra. If allegations of Pragya Thakur are found true, then strict-most punishment should be given not only to torturing police-persons if any but also to political rulers of that time only on whose behest such torture was possible.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Priyanka Chaturvedi joins Shiv Sena

Web Team

April 19, 2019

Congress national spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi, who was miffed at the reinstatement of some party workers who had misbehaved with her, resigned from the party on Friday and joined Shiv Sena in the presence of Sena supremo Uddhav Thackeray, Yuva Sena chief Aditya Thackeray at Matoshree.

Soon after the news of Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi quitting the Congress after the party reinstated workers who allegedly misbehaved with her caught the fire, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut said that Chaturvedi is going to join Shiv Sena on Friday, as per ANI.

After quitting from all party posts Priyanka forwarded her resignation to Congress president Rahul Gandhi. She also removed National Spokesperson Congress from her Twitter bio. In a twitter post Priyanka expressed her unhappiness over Congress decision to support few party workers who were ousted for misbehaving with her. Few days back, Priyanka had organised a press conference at Mathura and some Congress workers had misbehaved with her.

I am absolutely overwhelmed and grateful with the love and support I have got across board from the nation in the past 3 days.
I consider myself blessed with this immense outpouring of support. Thank you to all who have been a part of this journey. pic.twitter.com/WhUYYlwHLj

— Priyanka Chaturvedi (@priyankac19) April 19, 2019

Uttar Pradesh Congress committee had taken action against erring party workers. However, later the party reinstated the expelled party workers. As a result of this Priyanka expressed her displeasure on Twitter. She posted, “Deeply saddened that lumpsum goons get preference in @incindia over those who have given their sweat and blood. Having faced brickbats and abuse across board for the party but yet those threatened me within the party getting away with not even a rap on their knuckles is unfortunate.”

She is a staunch critic of the BJP and voices her opinion against the policies of the government. Priyanka’s resignation can be termed as a major setback for Congress. Few days back she had taken a jibe at Union Minister Smriti Irani and posted “Kyunki Mantri Bhi Kabhi Graduate Thi.”

Bookies bet on Sadhvi Pragya

Rajesh Choudhary

April 18, 2019

BJP has stunned its political opponents by fielding Malegaon blast accused Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur against Congress’s veteran leader and the former CM of Madhya Pradesh Digvijaya Singh in Bhopal. It is seen as the PM Narendra Modi’s trump card against Congress, while opposition leaders are alleging that BJP has come back to its hard-line ‘Hindutva’ agenda. Moreover, the bookies of Madhya Pradesh are confident of the win of Sadhvi. They feel Hindu heartland constituency Bhopal will make it impossible for Congress’ Digvijaya to secure a major percentage of vote share.

A bookie from Madhya Pradesh (Asad Khwaja) told Afternoon Voice that the bookies of his state have placed BJP candidate Sadhvi Pragya at a better betting rate than Digvijaya Singh. He also stated, “Even if all the Muslim and tribal votes go to the Congress, BJP will secure nearly 60 per cent consolidated Hindu votes. BJP candidate Sadhvi Pragya has a major sympathy wave in her favour and she will be benefitted from this.”

On the other hand, Mumbai’s Satta Bazar does not think on similar tunes. A bookie from Mumbai on the condition of anonymity said, “It is not fair to bet entirely on Sadhvi Pragya. No one can completely predict who is going to win this Lok Sabha election. There is a fair chance of Digvijaya Singh’s victory too, though with a thin margin. He will get all the Muslim and tribal votes and even there are chances of him getting the support of some Hindus, who are distracted by propaganda against Sadhvi Pragya. There will be no wonder if Congress wins in Bhopal.”

Sadhvi Pragya is a strong critic of Digvijaya Singh. Her candidature has made the battle of Bhopal constituency interesting. It is worth mentioning that Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 1 at a rally in Wardha in Maharashtra said that the Congress had branded peace-loving Hindus as terrorists. PM Modi further said that Congress coined the term Hindu terror or Saffron terror. He asked the public is there a single incident of Hindu terrorism? He said that Congress insulted Hindus. People have decided to punish it in the elections. Until then, no one knew that BJP was going to declare a Hindu hardliner as its candidate in the electoral fray. On the other hand, the Congress leaders fear that any attack on the lines of Hindu terror will help Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP. They will raise the bogey of the Congress party being anti-Hindu.

Former Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said, “BJP has inducted Sadhvi Pragya and issued ticket to a Sadhu in Solapur. We politicians now will sit at home and they will run the nation. NIA special court had granted bail to Sadhvi Pragya and the government did not appeal against it.”

Sadhvi Pragya is accused of murder, conspiracy and other charges in the Malegaon bomb blasts in 2008. Currently, she is out on bail. In this case, she was cleared under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) but faces other charges. She is being tried under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). Sadhvi was also a key accused in the murder of RSS pracharak Sunil Joshi and her name had figured as an alleged conspirator in the Samjhauta Express blasts too. However, last year, she had been acquitted of all charges in the Sunil Joshi murder case. At the time, she had maintained that the case was filed against her as part of a conspiracy by Digvijaya Singh. Sadhvi Pragya had spent nearly nine years, until April 2017, lodged in an MP jail owing to her alleged involvement in the blasts cases. Pragya has often alleged that she was subjected to extreme torture, while in police and judicial custody.

Rural Development Minister of State Dada Bhuse said, “Police department had filed a case in the Malegaon bomb blast incident and they should investigate to find out who is the accused. Later, the case was forwarded to CID and the agency had filed chargesheet against two persons. CBI and SIT had carried out the probe. There were reports about some agencies which had conducted an improper investigation. We can’t directly hold Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur responsible for the act. If a ticket has been issued to Sadhvi Pragya, then what is the problem?”

Malegaon blasts accused Sadhvi Pragya formally joined the BJP on Wednesday. Hours after her joining BJP, she was declared the party’s candidate from Bhopal Lok Sabha constituency against Digvijaya Singh. Prior to this, Sadhvi Pragya met former CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and BJP leader Prabhat Jha in Bhopal and announced that she had joined the saffron party and will contest and win the upcoming election. Sources in the BJP also said that the party is banking on Sadhvi Pragya for the Bhopal seat as it hopes to benefit from the polarisation of votes. Bhopal constituency has nearly 40 per cent Muslim voters.

Former Maharashtra inspector general of police SM Musrif said, “There is a big force in Hindus who oppose Muslims. Sadhvi Pragya also belongs to that category as she is a hardline Muslim opposer. Hence, BJP issued ticket to her. A question which arises here is despite possessing evidence how bail was granted to Sadhvi Pragya? Indian judiciary has taken this decision due to pressure imposed by the government.”

Sadhvi Pragya has been a bitter critic of Digvijaya Singh and has consistently maintained that she was framed by the investigating agencies and charged with stringent sections of the UAPA Act in the Malegaon blasts case at the behest of Digvijaya Singh and former Union Home minister P Chidambaram.

“I am ready for a dharma-yuddh’,” Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur had told PTI last month when her name started doing rounds as a probable BJP candidate. She said, “I am ready to take on Digvijaya Singh if ‘sanghatan’ (organisation) asks me to do so.” she called the former Madhya Pradesh chief minister an “anti-Hindu leader who called Hindus terrorists”. On the other hand, Digvijaya Singh welcomed her candidature and prayed for her. However, the Congress party fears that the Hindu terror issue will be raised and it may benefit BJP.

BJP president Amit Shah said that it will punish the Congress for raising the bogey of Hindu terror. Digvijaya Singh had earlier been extremely vocal on saffron terror, questioning even the UPA government, which was led by the Congress, on the Batla House encounter in Delhi in 2008 which saw the police killing Muslim terrorist suspects.

Mehbooba Mufti, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in a coalition government with the BJP, tweeted on Pragya’s candidature, “Imagine the anger if I had fielded a terror accused. Channels would have gone berserk trending a hashtag.”

BJP National Vice President Vinay Sahasrabuddhe asserted, “I had tweeted Sadhvi Pragya post her entry; she represents women power. It also represents the collective fight of BJP against the vote bank politics. Congress has realised that they are going to lose, so they are definitely disturbed by the proceedings.”

Sadhvi Vs Digvijaya is nothing but Hindu Pride Vs Secular Bigotry

Vaidehi Taman

April 18, 2019

The 2019 elections in Madhya Pradesh are going to be very interesting as Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur is all set to take on Congress’s Digvijaya Singh from Bhopal. The 48-year-old Sadhvi, who spent nine years in jail, joined the BJP nearly three years after being cleared of charges under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act or MCOCA. However, she faces other charges for the series of bombings that killed six people and injured more than 100 in Maharashtra’s Malegaon in 2008. She is a Sannyasin and a Nationalist; this is what Madhya Pradesh wanted in their candidate. During her interview on a popular TV show Aap Ki Adalat, she revealed that she was brutally tortured in illegal police custody for 23 days continuously during interrogation and was denied access to her lawyer and family members. The goal of the interrogation was to force her confessing false charges brought against her. That was indeed a conspiracy hatched by then in power Congress-led UPA government, which resulted in her nine-year ordeal. The conspiracy was meant to endorse the bogey of saffron terrorism, a term coined by former home minister P Chidambaram and former home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde. Let us assume that she has some tainted background, still, criminals entering politics is the larger question. Any organisation chooses people from a talent pool and so, political parties select talents from the available pool to maximise their win ability in an election. It is likely to be the BJP now because it is a much larger party.

However, cases do not mean anything, while convictions automatically disqualify candidates from holding elected office. So, it is a waste of time to cry about cases.

An average Indian sees politics as a sub-standard profession even though politicians decide the fate and direction of a nation. It is such a wonderful paradox of modern India.

Sadhvi Pragya, who is contesting from the Bhopal constituency against Congress’ Digvijaya Singh, is currently out on bail in the 2008 Malegaon blast case. An ABVP activist during her college days, she had an affinity with the Hindu right-wing since her childhood. Thakur was given bail by the Bombay High Court in April 2017 on health grounds. According to the bail order, given by a Bombay High Court bench, she was given bail because she “suffering from breast cancer” and was “unable to walk even without support.” After her bail, there is no follow up on her case, whether she got operated, whether she has been cured, or what the current status of her cancer is. Anyways, since her release, she is seen active and busy in giving interviews to various channels. Well, she is known as an upholder of Hindutva; in such a scenario, wooing other votes would be difficult.

Around 4.5 lakh of the 18-lakh voters in Bhopal are Muslims. Thakur’s candidature against Singh could possibly see the poll battle turn into a bitter one with communal overtones. Digvijaya Singh has routinely targeted the RSS-BJP and other constituents of the Sangh Parivar and in turn, labelled “anti-Hindu” by saffron hardliners.

Congress recently has once again become strong spreading its tentacles in every nook and corner. A lot of regional parties tried to form an alliance but there was no uniformity, they were too diverse. India needed a top-down approach, a party that assimilated all the diversity within itself but still united different states; the only similarity between different states of India is Hinduism, which BJP used intentionally or otherwise to take the role of an alternative option. Looking at every clear possibility, BJP brilliantly came up with Pragya as a choice, and why not, as she was called what not — from a terrorist to someone who manufactured sainthood as she wanted to marry someone with whom she had an affair. While she is a religious mind and she has forgiven her persecutors, Thakur wants Digvijay Singh and media trials that have assassinated her character to get a lesson. Although the propaganda of Congress will not pay anything like the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had given Thakur a clean chit in 2016 by dropping her name from the chargesheet in the Malegaon case. Moreover, this battle is about Hindu Pride Vs Secular bigots. She was the ‘symbol’ of the party’s fight against the vote bank politics of the Congress. Thakur will attract women voters in Bhopal and Madhya Pradesh for the party, which has been winning the Lok Sabha seat since 1989. The battle in Madhya Pradesh is crucial for the BJP as it will be in a direct contest with the Congress, which ended the BJP’s 15-year-old rule in the state in the December assembly elections. Time will tell how much Sadhvi magic can speak for BJP’s prospects in the state.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

1...1,0561,0571,058...5,590 Page 1,057 of 5,590