by admin | May 25, 2021 | Corporate, News
Nitish Kumar
CM’s swearing-in ceremony on Monday; BJP names two non-entities from its lot to be deputy chief ministers
Shaheen Nazar | NEW DELHI
Nitish Kumar was elected leader of the NDA Legislature Party in Patna on Sunday, paving way for him to become chief minister of Bihar for the fourth time in a row. His swearing-in ceremony is scheduled for Monday, it was announced following the NDA meeting for which Defence Minister Rajnath Singh specially came from Delhi.
Leaders of four constituent parties of the NDA — JD(U), BJP, HAM(S) and Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) attended the meeting to take the “unanimous” decision on Nitish Kumar who is going to create history by becoming chief minister of Bihar for the fourth consecutive term.
Another announcement that followed Nitish’s election is that he is going to have two deputy chief ministers. According to reports, BJP MLAs Tarkishore Prasad and Renu Devi, both non-entities in the party, are going to replace three-term Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi. His stepping aside was in the air ever since the election results came. BJP may shift Bihar’s Modi to Delhi, either accommodating him in the Central government or party organisation.
The fractured Bihar result had left the BJP with no option but to re-elect Nitish as CM. It must be frustrating for the party’s state leadership that despite having 74 MLAs to JD(U)’s 43, they are obliged to remain a junior partner in the NDA government. Nitish knew his unique position. That’s why he preferred to go in slow motion and let the top leadership of BJP speak for him. The result came on 10th of November. He made no statements for the full three days. Then on Friday, he told the media that he has “made no claim on the CM chair, the decision will be taken by NDA.”
According to the Indian Express, senior BJP leaders had to persuade an ‘unwilling’ Nitish to continue as CM. they gave him an assurance that he would have “full independence as before” in running the government.
In a way Nitish is second time lucky. In 2015, too, when he fought in alliance with Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal, his party got less number of seats than his ally. Still Lalu stick to his pre-poll commitment and made him CM because Lalu was barred by court from holding any constitutional position and his son Tejashwi was then a novice.
Five years later, BJP, too, is in an awkward position. With 74 seats in the 243-seat Assembly, it can’t form a government. Antagonising Nitish would mean pushing him to Tejashwi who is anyway waiting to prey. Senior RJD leader Manoj Jha has already questioned Nitish’s continuation as CM and warned of a “spontaneous” development: “How can someone become chief minister after getting 40 seats? People’s mandate is against him, he is decimated and should decide on it. Bihar will find its alternative, which will be spontaneous. It might take a week, ten days, or a month but it will happen,” he has been quoted by ANI as saying.
The man to be watched in the current scenario is Jitan Ram Manjhi, leader of NDA constituent Hindustani Awam Morcha (Secular) which has won four seats. For last 40 years or so the Maha Dalit leader has been a minister in all the governments in Bihar, be it Congress, Lalu or Nitish. In between he has even been chief minister for ten months or so when, after parliamentary election in 2014, Nitish had stepped down taking moral responsibility for the poll debacle. Manjhi has said that he would not join Nitish government. If he really means it, then it’s alarming.
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
Pema Khandu
Itanagar : Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Monday changed his stance on the Citizenship Bill, asking Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh not to table the bill in the Rajya Sabha.
He made the appeal as he and his Manipur counterpart N. Biren Singh met Rajnath Singh in New Delhi to apprise him about the prevailing situation in their respective states in particular and in the northeast following the passing of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, 2016 in the Lok Sabha on January 8.
“We have requested the Home Minister not to table the Bill in the Rajya Sabha as there is lot of hue and cry in the northeastern states,” Khandu said.
Khandu, who is heading a BJP government in the border state, had been so far defending the bill which is facing strong opposition from civil society groups and the opposition Congress in his state and across the northeast.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
New Delhi : BJP President Amit Shah on Sunday said that the controversial Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was “very necessary” and added that the government was working on building a consensus with stakeholders in the northeast.
Addressing the media here, Shah also said that the government had brought the bill after much thought and Home Minister Rajnath Singh was holding consultations with various people to address the opposition to the issue.
“There are two sides of a coin. There are decisions that some like and some don’t… The fate of huge number of refugees can’t be kept hanging in the balance and we are firm on it,” he said.
Asked what would be the BJP’s stand if suggestions come to withdraw the Bill as it has created unrest in the entire northeast, Shah said: “Home Minister is holding discussions with political parties. Discussion with some parties have already taken place. If consensus emerges, we will definitely move ahead but the Citizenship Bill is highly necessary for the country.”
The Bill seeks to grant Indian citizenship to Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians from Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan who entered India before December 31, 2014.
Political parties and civic groups in the northeast say if this is implemented, “outsiders” will overwhelm the local population.
The BJP President was also committed to build a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya.
“The BJP wants the Ram Temple should be built at the same place in Ayodhya where Lord Ram was born. Our stand is clear. There is no confusion.”
Asking opposition parties not to create obstacles in the construction of Ram temple, he told them to clear their stand on the issue.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
Rajnath Singh
New Delhi : Commenting on the reports of violence in the northeastern states as a result of the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 being passed in the Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday informed the Rajya Sabha that “misconception” is being spread about the Bill.
He said the Bill, which seeks to remove hurdles in the way of eligible migrants from six minority groups from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan getting Indian citizenship, was not confined to Assam or the northeastern states but will apply to all states and union territories.
“The burden of these persecuted migrants will be shared by the whole country. Assam and northeastern states alone would not have to bear the entire burden and the government is committed to providing all help to the state government and the people of Assam.
“The purpose is that the migrants facing persecution anywhere in the country can apply for Indian citizenship. After that they can live in any state of the country like an Indian citizen,” the Minister said.
His statement came after violent incidents were reported from some northeastern states including Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya after the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 was passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid objections raised by the opposition parties.
Rajnath Singh said Assam had been facing illegal migrant problems for several decades and had also witnessed an agitation over the issue during 1979-1985 which led to the signing of the Assam Accord on August 15, 1985.
Dispelling the misgivings about the Bill, he highlighted the discrimination and religious persecution faced by minority communities in those countries.
“They have no place to go to except India. The Bill will provide relief to persecuted migrants who have come through western borders of the country to states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and others,” he added.
The Bill seeks to enable Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who fled to India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh without valid travel documents or those whose valid documents expired in recent years to acquire Indian citizenship through the process of naturalisation.
The Minister said the Bill would help the migrants facing religious prosecution in the three countries to get Indian citizenship.
He said religious minorities in Pakistan have been facing systematic discrimination and, though the present governments in Afghanistan and Bangladesh were committed to the welfare of the minorities, they have faced problems in the past.
He said no other country except India could have provided interim protection from punitive legal action to minorities facing difficulties in the neighbouring countries.
Rajnath Singh said that the Narendra Modi-led Central government had taken steps to properly implement the provisions of the Assam Accord and was effectively implementing the National Register of Citizens.
“We are committed to completing the process. As I said earlier, no Indian citizen will be excluded.”
The Minister said not much was done over the past 35 years to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord which provides for taking steps to promote the social, cultural and linguistic identity of the state. “But our government is committed to it,” he said.
Singh said that the Bill will give Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities in Assam.
The communities that are proposed to be included in the ST category include Koch Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Matak and Tea tribes of the state.
He said the Assam government had been making recommendations concerning these communities since 1980 and the Home Ministry had formed a committee in 2016 which gave its recommendations in December 2018.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
New Delhi : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday rejected allegation of corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal while asserting that a lie repeated again and again cannot become truth.
“The Congress should understand that a lie spoken many a times a cannot turn into truth. We have been ready for a discussion from the very first day. But why is the opposition party running away (from a discussion),” Singh said in the Lok Sabha.
He was responding to Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge’s accusations on the issue during Zero Hour amid protests and slogan shouting by opposition members including those of Congress, AIADMK and the TDP on different issues.
Raising the issue, Kharge reiterated his party’s demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the deal alleging that it was one of the biggest “scams” of the country.
“We are demanding a JPC probe for three weeks. Allow it,” he said, questioning the government for not disclosing the price of the aircraft.
He claimed that the Rafale fighter jets have been purchased at a price three times higher than the UPA government’s deal.
“Why the government is not disclosing the prices even as the French President has said it can be disclosed,” he said.
Not satisfied with the government’s response, the Congress members continued with their protest.
Earlier, the Lok Sabha witnessed a brief adjournment during question hour. Congress members trooped near the Speaker’s podium demanding a JPC probe into the Rafale deal.
AIADMK members were protesting against the proposed construction of a dam across river Cauvery. TDP members sought special status for Andhra Pradesh.
—IANS
