After giving a nod to the Third Front to stop the UPA and the NDA from coming to power post the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, Samajwadi Party on Sunday held its first election campaign by holding a ‘Desh Bachao, Desh Banao’ rally here.

Addressing a large gathering at the Parade ground, SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, by calling him “a killer of humanity”.

“Musaalmano ka qatl-e-aam karke aur ab maafi mangte hai (First Muslims are mass murdered then they ask for forgiveness),” Yadav said.

Mulayam added, “When Gujarat riots happened, I went there without caring for security, that showed my courage.”

Further taking a dig at Congress, the senior SP leader said, “Both the major parties (Congress and BJP) are detrimental for the country’s prosperity.”

“The Congress has no policies for the poor and the minorities. Even the boundaries of the country are not safe in its hands,” he added.

Claiming that Modi’s charisma would not work in Uttar Pradesh, Yadav denounced the so-called Gujarat model of development.

“There is nothing in Gujarat. Experts have said that the most dirty and polluted rivers are in Gujarat,” the veteran SP leader said.

Defending the claims that people from Uttar Pradesh have to migrate to other states for employment, Yadav said, “In Gujarat there is filth everywhere, children and women are under-nourished and Modi ji says people from Bihar, UP go there for work.”

“37% women and 50% children in Gujarat are malnourished,” he added.

On recent development of LJP joining Bharatiya Janata Party, Mulayam said, “BJP lacks candidates to the upcoming General Elections. It is trying to break people from Congress.”

“Neither Congress nor BJP is in majority, both are scared. I’m happy that not one person has left Samajwadi Party to join Congress or BJP,” he added.

Addressing the same rally, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said his government had undertaken several welfare schemes which were now being aped by other state governments.

“Previous government only signed Memorandums of Understanding, we will implement those,” Akhilesh said.

JD(U) on Sunday ruled out any rethink on a return to NDA regardless of whether BJP decides to go for a prime ministerial candidate other than Narendra Modi after Lok Sabha polls.

“JD(U) will under no condition go back to NDA even if Modi is not made PM (candidate) and they make a leader such as LK Advani, Sushma Swaraj or Rajnath Singh as their PM candidate after the elections,” JD(U) secretary general KC Tyagi told PTI in an exclusive interview.

He was responding to a question on whether JD(U) would reconsider its stand if a situation arose after the elections where the BJP-led NDA would need to take the support of former allies to form the government.

The situation in June, 2013, was different, he said. The party had held that if BJP made anyone other than Modi the PM candidate, then it would remain within the NDA.

Asked about Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s political agenda, Tyagi said, “Modi is a threat to secularism, while Rahul is not. Not because he is secular, he is not a force.”

Asked whether Congress leaders had met Bihar Chief Minister and JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar on the issue of seat adjustment, Tyagi replied, “I neither confirm nor deny (that). Until and unless special status is granted to Bihar, there is no question of meeting, sitting or chatting with… Congress. But it is too late also.”

“Because of corruption, inefficiency and non-governance, the UPA government failed to check the communal growth of BJP and Modi,” Tyagi alleged.

“And, the Congress of today is no match for Modi’s politics. It is the Third Front which can fight both the communal Modi and the corrupt Congress,” he said.

“That is why Modi is going again and again after the Third Front. The Third Front is a reality. Our prime ministerial candidate will be decided by the elected members of the constituent (parties) after the polls,” said Tyagi.

Taking a dig at Rahul Gandhi over his fight against corruption, Tyagi wondered how Congress could forge an alliance with RJD supremo Lalu Prasad Yadav, who has been convicted in the fodder scam.

“Rahul has come out with a statement about not allowing corrupt people to be part of his new scheme of politics… Now, when corruption has become the focal point of Indian politics, how can Congress think of going in for an alliance with Lalu Prasad? This is double standards,” he said.

Tyagi claimed that after Lok Sabha polls, Lalu Prasad will be politically wiped out of Bihar.

“RJD is a frustrated house. Lalu Prasad has no role to play in Bihar politics after his conviction. After Lok Sabha elections, RJD will cease to exist in Bihar,” he said.

Former Army Chief General VK Singh on Sunday said social activist Anna Hazare is impressed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s personality and not influenced by her ideology.

“She (Mamata) lives with simplicity and thats is why Anna appreciates her. She stays in her own house in Kalighat and wears a slipper and a simple saree. It is not ideology, but about the personality,” Singh told.

He was on his way to attend Narendra Modi’s rally here.

“Anna is on a mission to develop rural India and from there the development should only move forward. Nobody should have any objection to it,” Singh said.

Stating that Anna wanted to get “good” people elected in the country for the formation of a strong Lokpal, the former Army Chief said, “a strong Lokpal should be made for that a good person must be elected for the purpose.”

A perfume shop of Indian Mujahideen co-founder Yasin Bhatkal in Karnataka became the hub in 2001 for establishment of the Darbhanga module which plotted a string of terror attacks in the country, the NIA has said.

According to NIA, IM’s Darbhanga module came into existence after some key IM members, including Yasin and Fasih Mahmood, developed close links in 2001 at the perfume and naturopathy medicines shop in Bhatkal in Udupi district.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA), in its charge sheet filed before a Delhi court against Yasin and three others, has said that around December 2001, Yasin had opened the shop ‘Almohtasham’ near Noor Masjid.

“The perfume shop was very popular amongst the students of Anjuman Engineering College. The shop used to be frequented by students like Fasih Mahmood, Tarique Anjum…

“…The visitors included a blend of locals and boys from Darbhanga who would discuss ‘jihad’ along with local and national/global issues together, fostering a very close relationship which in future would be the basis of Darbhanga module of IM,” NIA has said in its 277-page charge sheet.

NIA has said Fasih, one of the founding members of the banned outfit, was a resident of Darbhanga in Bihar while Anjum was from Nalanda in the state.

It has said that in and around November 2002, Yasin visited Darbhanga on the request of Fasih, who was deported from Saudi Arabia in 2012, and during his stay in Bihar, Yasin developed an “acquaintance” with Gowhar Azia Khomeni, another suspected IM operative.

The probe agency also said Yasin and other key operatives of the IM had also established safe hideouts in Darbhanga.

NIA, in its charge sheet, has named Yasin Bhatkal, his close associate Asadullah Akhtar, Manzer Imam and Ujjair Ahmed as accused for allegedly waging war against India, conspiracy for terrorist acts, membership of the terror organisation, radicalisation and recruitment of youths into IM.

Imam and Ahmed were arrested by NIA on October 1 and October 30 last year respectively on the basis of revelations and investigation done after the arrest of Bhatkal and Akhtar from Indo-Nepal border on the night of August 28 last year.

A college student was allegedly raped by two of her seniors, who are twins, police said. The police have arrested one of the boys, while the other is absconding.

The girl had, in her complaint lodged on Friday, alleged that the two brothers, her seniors in college, had raped her on February 23 after taking her to their house at Thudiyalur in Coimbatore, police said.

The three were friends on Facebook and had met through a common friend. She was allegedly tricked into coming to their house where she was assaulted.

The girl has undergone medical examination. Her parents are in the Middle East, police said.

With hectic consultations over candidates, the Bharatiya Janata Party is reportedly in talks with former IPS officer and close aide of anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare, Kiran Bedi to contest on a BJP ticket.

Sources say that the BJP is trying to convince Bedi to take on former Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party’s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal if he contests from Delhi.

On various occasions in the past, Bedi has voiced her opposition to Kejriwal after he formed the AAP. She had even expressed her support for BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi saying that Kejriwal is inexperienced.

“A vote for AAP is a vote for Congress. We are not sure whether Kejriwal will be able to form the government at Centre or not. Supporting Modi is a sacred call and I am in a bandwangon of India first to save the country from Congress and AAP,” she had said.

Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad on Sunday hinted at his willingness to negotiate further with the Congress on the seat sharing in Bihar. Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the RJD is trying hard to stitch an alliance with the Congress after the Lok Janshakti Party ditched them and forged an alliance with the BJP.

Lalu said, “I have offered 11 seats to Congress and one seat to Congress ally NCP. If they have any issues they should speak to me.” Bihar has 40 seats in the Lok Sabha and is considered to be one of the important states in the formation of the government at the Centre.

Lalu also appealed to Congress President Sonia Gandhi to help his party in fight against communal forces. He said, “I have no grudges against the Congress party. I appeal to Sonia Gandhi to help RJD fight communal forces.”

He added, “Secular forces are divided in this country. It’s a dangerous sign.”
Lalu had earlier given a deadline to Congress to decide on the seat share by Sunday. Putting pressure on the Congress, Lalu had asked the party to give its acceptance by Sunday before his party’s Parliamentary Board meet in Patna.

Lalu, who returned from Delhi on Friday night, said he had told Congress general secretary and in-charge of Bihar CP Joshi of the offer. “I have asked him to communicate acceptance before RJD Parliamentary Board meeting in Patna tomorrow at 3 pm,” Lalu had said.

Lalu, however, did not identify the 11 seats he has offered to Congress or the one to NCP of Sharad Pawar. He also refused to comment on reports that RJD-Congress alliance was stuck due to conflicting claims between the two parties on Madhubani and a few other seats.

While the Congress appears to be adamant about getting the Madhubani seat for its general secretary Shakeel Ahmad, RJD is in no mood to relent and claims it for its legislature party leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui.

Congress and RJD had fought separately in the 2009 polls and Siddiqui had secured second position after BJP’s Hukumdeo Narayan Yadav, while Ahmad was at third position in the seat.

Congress is reportedly asking for seats like Patliputra, Nawada and Bhagalpur which are RJD favourites. Lalu is expected to field his eldest daughter Misa Bharti from Patliputra constituency in Patna district against his friend-turned-enemy Ranjan Yadav.