New Delhi:

BJP President JP Nadda today said that he cast his vote to make India even stronger and self-reliant. In an exclusive interview with NDTV, Mr Nadda said that the people of India are hopeful about the country’s future under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“I voted to make the country stronger, and self-reliant. The way India has progressed under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. So not just us, but crores of people now see an India different from how it was 10 years ago and are hopeful about the future,” Mr Nadda said.

“10 years ago, people had given up on politics and politicians. Now those people have placed their hopes on BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and are moving ahead,” he added.

The 63-year-old also dismissed the Opposition’s claims that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would change the Constitution if voted to power. He said that the Congress when Indira Gandhi was the PM, changed the Preamble of the Constitution themselves in 1976 and were now trying to raise the issue to divide the voters.

“Congress never works on a positive note. They never the country any positive message. They work with obstacle-creating powers, and always try to find issues that will divide the society,” Mr Nadda said.  

“Congress does not like when they see something that will unite the country and take it forward. Congress only wants to divide the society and keep playing vote bank politics,” the BJP chief added.

The BJP is hoping to win a third consecutive term and is up against a united Opposition, who are contesting under the banner of the INDIA bloc.

The BJP and its allies won 352 of the 543 seats in India’s lower house of parliament, Lok Sabha, in the last election in 2019 with the BJP alone winning 303 seats. The BJP is expecting to sweep the election this time, eyeing a third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He headlines the contest, followed by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is largely considered the face of the opposition.

Indore:

The Congress accused the ruling BJP government in Madhya Pradesh of stopping it from publicising the None Of The Above (NOTA) option in Indore, where polling was held on Monday in the fourth and final phase of the general elections in the state.

Dismissing the allegation, the BJP said the Congress was talking “nonsense” to hide its failure after its candidate withdrew from the fray.

The Congress campaign focussed on asking voters to press the NOTA option in the EVMs after its nominee, Akshay Kanti Bam, withdrew from the fray and joined the BJP.

Talking to reporters, Congress leader Surjit Singh Chadha said, “When we sought permission from the local authorities to campaign for NOTA via hoardings and FM radio, we were asked to approach the Bhopal-based State Election Commission for the nod.” He alleged that a BJP woman corporator recently tore a poster calling the electorate to press the NOTA option, and the development was reported on social media.

The Congress had put up tables near three polling booths, which were removed at the behest of the BJP, Surjit Chadha claimed.

NOTA was incorporated as an option in the EVMs in September 2013 to empower voters in the expression of their choice.

State BJP spokesperson Narendra Saluja said Congress leaders don’t understand that the EC grants permission for campaigns, as the model code of conduct is in force, and the BJP has nothing to do with it.

The Congress was talking nonsense to hide its failure after its candidate pulled out of the race, he said.

Meanwhile, local BJP MLA Malini Laxman Singh reached a polling booth at Ramakrishna Bagh in the Gaur Dhar Road area and accused a woman officer of asking voters to press the “NOTA” button.

In another incident, the police had to pacify workers of the Congress and BJP after they allegedly clashed over the NOTA option outside a polling booth in Nanda Nagar. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The BJP has called for an apology from Rahul Gandhi following the closure report filed by Telangana Police in the Rohith Vemula suicide case. It has also accused Congress and its allies of exploiting Dalits for political gains.

Pointing out that the Congress government is in power in Telangana, BJP asked: “Now that Telangana Police has filed a closure report in court, stating that Rohith Vemula was not a Dalit and his death was a suicide, will Rahul Gandhi apologise to the Dalits?”

Accusing Mr Gandhi of politicising the issue, BJP IT Cell head Amit Malviya took to his official social media handle on X and shared a video of his speech in Lok Sabha.

Mr Malviya captioned the video: “Rahul Gandhi used the floor of the House to politicise Rohit Vemula’s death for his ugly politics. Now that Telangana Police, under a Congress government, has filed a closure report, stating that Vemula did not belong to the SC community and died by suicide, will Rahul Gandhi apologise to the Dalits?”

Further criticising the Congress and other Opposition parties, Mr Malviya wrote: “The Congress and so-called ‘secular’ parties have often used Dalits for their politics but always failed to provide them justice. This is yet another instance.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

A social media post by a former Pakistani minister has sparked fresh tensions between the BJP and the Congress. The post from Ch Fawad Hussain featured excerpts from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s speech with the caption “Rahul on fire,” drawing sharp criticism from BJP leaders.

Amit Malviya, the BJP’s IT cell chief, took to social media to question the Congress’s association with Pakistan, pointing out Mr Hussain’s previous role in Imran Khan’s cabinet. 

“Ch Fawad Hussain, who served in the Imran Khan cabinet, as Minister for Information and Broadcasting, is promoting Rahul Gandhi. Is the Congress planning to contest election in Pakistan?”

“From a manifesto, that has imprints of the Muslim league to a ringing endorsement, from across the border, Congress’s dalliance with Pakistan can’t get more obvious,” he added.

Ch Fawad Hussain, who served in the Imran Khan cabinet, as Minister for Information and Broadcasting, is promoting Rahul Gandhi.
Is the Congress planning to contest election in Pakistan? From a manifesto, that has imprints of the Muslim league to a ringing endorsement, from… pic.twitter.com/XllqlWdlAR

— Amit Malviya (मोदी का परिवार) (@amitmalviya) May 1, 2024

BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala echoed similar sentiments, accusing the Congress of having a clear alliance with Pakistan. 

“Congress ka haath Pakistan ke saath,” Mr Poonawala posted. “Earlier Hafiz Saeed had said Congress is his favourite party. Mani Aiyer went to Pakistan for support to depose PM Modi! We remember Pakistan Zindabad slogans were raised recently by Congress leaders and BK Hariprasad openly batted for Pak. Time and again Congress leaders defended Pakistani terrorists too.”

Pakistani leader – someone who has spewed venom against Bharat is promoting Rahul & Congress

Earlier Hafiz Saeed had said Congress is his favourite party.. Mani Aiyer went to Pakistan for support to depose PM Modi!

We remember Pakistan Zindabad slogans were raised recently by… pic.twitter.com/VeXgm7CwTj

— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) May 1, 2024

In the video shared by Mr Hussain, Rahul Gandhi can be heard criticising the BJP, particularly targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The edited clip focuses on Mr Gandhi’s remarks regarding the Ram Mandir’s inauguration, where he accuses the BJP of neglecting the interests of the marginalised communities.

New Delhi:

A huge political row has broken out over senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s remarks on inheritance tax with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) claiming that this was a sign that the party, if voted to power, will redistribute the wealth of Indians. Mr Pitroda’s example of an inheritance tax in the US added fuel to the fire that the Congress has been trying to douse since Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue at a rally two days ago.

While Congress distanced itself from the remarks, Mr Pitroda also issued a clarification today saying that he was just expressing his views on the inheritance tax in the US.

“It is unfortunate that what I said as an individual on inheritance tax in the US is twisted to divert attention from what lies PM is spreading about Congress manifesto,” Mr Pitroda said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

The BJP has targeted the Congress claiming that the party’s manifesto promises to seize and redistribute the wealth of Indians, a charge it denies.

“This is what the Congress manifesto says. They will take stock of the gold that (our) mothers and sisters have, they will count and assess it, and then they will distribute that wealth, and they will give it to those people that Dr Manmohan Singh’s government had said – that Muslims have the first right to the nation’s wealth,” PM Modi said.

Does the Congress manifesto promise to redistribute wealth?  

In its manifesto for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress makes several statements regarding income inequality, India’s wealth, people belonging to economically weak sections, and the allocation of government land and resources.

“Congress will conduct a nationwide Socio-Economic and Caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions. Based on the data, we will strengthen the agenda for affirmative action,” says one of the points in the manifesto, called the ‘Nyay Patra’.

In another point, the Congress says “The economic empowerment of minorities is a necessary step for India to realise its full potential. We will ensure that banks will provide institutional credit to minorities without discrimination.”

But nowhere in their manifesto does the Congress claim that it will seize the wealth from the rich and distribute it among the poor. The party has promised a caste census to gather data, and accordingly implement affirmative action policy. Rahul Gandhi has called the census an ‘X-ray’ of India which the party believes will aid them in policy making.

The party’s manifesto adds that it will “address the growing inequality of wealth and income through suitable changes in policies.”

The manifesto also mentions “first charge” on resources in a point under the ‘Welfare’ section. It mentions that India has “nearly 22 crore people who are poor,” and under their governance, “the welfare of the poor will be the first charge on all government resources.” But it makes no statements regarding surveying gold owned by Indian women or about restributing the ‘surveyed’ wea

What Did Sam Pitroda Say

Sam Pitroda, chairman of the Indian Overseas Congress, said that India should discuss bringing a policy similar to the inheritance tax where the government takes 55 per cent of a person’s wealth after his death.

“If a person has property worth US dollars 10 million, then after his death, 45 per cent of the property goes to his children and 55 per cent of the property goes to the government,” Mr Pitroda told ANI and added that there is no such law in India.

“Such issues should be discussed. We are talking about policies that are in the interest of the people, not just the rich,” he added.

#WATCH | Chicago, US: Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda says, “…This is a policy issue. Congress party would frame a policy through which the wealth distribution would be better…We don’t have a minimum wage (in India)…If we come up with a minimum wage in the… pic.twitter.com/PO6Mnili5p

— ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2024

It is worth pointing out that the US does not have a federal inheritance tax. In some states, such as Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania, inherited assets are taxed. The payable tax depends on the amount of the inheritance and the relationship to the dead. This tax is only applied above a certain threshold and can go up to nearly 20 per cent of the inheritance.

What The Congress Say

Several Congress leaders have come out and clarified that there are no plans of ‘seizing and redistributing’ wealth if they are voted to power in the 2024 elections. The party has also filed a complaint with the Election Commission, highlighting PM Modi’s speech.  

But Sam Pitroda’s recent remarks have forced the party into firefighting mode saying that the comments do not reflect the party’s policies

“Mr. Pitroda’s views always reflect the position of the Indian National Congress. Many times they do not,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a tweet.

Sam Pitroda has been a mentor, friend, philosopher, and guide to many across the world, including me. He has made numerous, enduring contributions to India’s developments. He is President of the Indian Overseas Congress.

Mr Pitroda expresses his opinions freely on issues he…

— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 24, 2024

BJP’s Fresh Attack

Leading the BJP’s attack over senior Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s comments, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today alleged that the Opposition party plans to tax inheritance passed down from parents to their children.

Addressing a poll rally at Chhattisgarh’s Surguja, the Prime Minister said the Congress’s “dangerous intentions are coming out in the open”.

“The wealth you accumulate with your hard work won’t pass down to your children. The Congress’s hand will snatch it. The Congress’s mantra is ‘loot during your lifetime, loot after your death’,” PM Modi said.

Bhubaneswar:

Chikiti Assembly constituency in Odisha’s Ganjam district is all set to witness a contest between two brothers in the forthcoming elections to be held on May 13. The brothers facing each other in the electoral battlefield are sons of former Odisha Assembly Speaker Chintamani Dyan Samantaray.

While the opposition BJP has fielded younger brother Manoranjan Dyan Samantaray, his elder brother Ravindanath Dyan Samantaray has been picked up by the Congress. The Congress and BJP declared their candidatures on Tuesday.

Their father Chintamani Dyan Samantaray, a senior Congress leader, was elected three times from Chikiti – twice as an independent (1980 and 1995) and once on a Congress ticket (1985).

While junior Samantaray unsuccessfully contested the assembly elections twice – on Congress ticket (2014) and BJP ticket (2019), his elder brother is contesting for the first time.

The Biju Janata Dal has fielded Chinmayananda Srirup Deb, son of the state’s Urban Development minister Usha Devi as its candidate from the Chikiti assembly seat, as Usha Devi was reluctant to contest this time due to her age-old problem. Usha Devi had been elected from the seat five times.

“I have been active in Congress since my father’s period. As a result, I got a ticket from the party to contest. It will be a contest between two ideologies and not between two brothers,” said Ravindranath.

Manoranjan claimed that he was very active in politics for the last several years and got the BJP ticket to contest the election.

“Some vested interests might have instigated my brother to contest in Congress ticket to create disturbance in the family. However, it would have no impact on my poll prospects,” he said.

Chintamani Dyan Samantray said due to his ill health, he might not campaign.

The 84-year-old veteran leader, however, said he was a Congressman and opposed the policies of the BJP.

“My younger son’s decision to contest on BJP ticket was his own decision. In democracy, we cannot impose our decision on anyone,” he added.

Nabarangpur district in southern Odisha will witness a fight between an aunt and her nephew in the Odisha Assembly election to be held on May 13.

Kausalya Pradhan, the aunt has been fielded by BJD from the Nabarangpur Assembly seat while her nephew Dilip is the Congress candidate for the same constituency.

“This is a fight of two parties and not exactly between aunt and nephew,” said Dilip.

Kausalya said the elections will have no impact on their family relationship.

Family members contesting against each other in elections is not new in Indian politics, said J K Baral, a retired professor of Political Science in Berhampur University.

“In the past, we have seen several such instances. Not surprised that two brothers are challenging each other in the same constituency,” Mr Baral said. 
 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

A political slugfest has broken out after India abstained from a vote at the UN General Assembly calling for an immediate humanitarian truce in the war between Israel and Hamas. While the Congress has expressed shock over India not lending support to the resolution, the government has reiterated that the draft resolution had no mention of Hamas and the country will always condemn terrorism.

At an emergency UNGA session today, 193 member nations voted on a draft resolution calling for an end of hostilities in the Gaza Strip which began on October 7 when Hamas killed 1,400 Israelis in a surprise attack. Israel launched a massive counter-offensive and has been relentlessly bombing the Gaza Strip and has also cut off their access to basic supplies like food, internet and fuel.  

The UNGA resolution, submitted by Jordan, was overwhelmingly adopted with 120 nations voting in its favour, 14 against it, and 45 abstaining.

Besides India, countries that abstained included Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Ukraine and the UK. India at the assembly said that the Hamas attack on Israel should be condemned and there should be a clear message against terrorism.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expressed “shock”, saying that watching in silence thousands of men, women, and children in Palestine being annihilated goes against everything India has stood for.

Quoting Mahatma Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi said “an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind, and added that refusing to take a stand goes against everything the country has stood for as a nation.”

Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi hit back saying that India will never be on the side of terrorism.

“For those who are “ashamed and shocked”, must realise that India will NEVER be on the side of terrorism,” he said on X.

“Priyanka Ji, you should first educate yourself on things that are put out from your X account. Looks like people, who have no idea of Congress’s past positions on the situation, are advising you. What is worse is that in an attempt to make you look ‘better’ than Rahul, they are making you look silly,” the former union minister added.

The adoption of the Jordanian resolution is the first formal response of the United Nations to the escalation of violence in Israel and Palestine since the Hamas terror attacks of October 7.

The voting at UNGA comes at a time when Israel has announced expanding ground operations in Gaza.

Nationalist Congress Party founder Sharad Pawar also slammed India’s stand saying that this was a “shift in India’s policy” as the country has “never supported the Israeli cause”. This is not the first time Sharad Pawar has criticised the Centre since the Israel-Hamas conflict escalated.

His remarks have been sharply criticised by several BJP leaders, including Union Minister Piyush Goyal and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Armoor, Nizamabad:

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi who is undertaking ‘Vijayabheri Yatra’ on Friday asserted that their struggle is not a mere political contest but is centered around ideology and a “fight of DNA” that is rooted in fundamental principles.

He directed his comments towards the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and expressed his determination to triumph over the BRS in Telangana.

“Our fight is of ideology. This is not a political fight for me but a fight of DNA… We will defeat them (BJP) in every state. We will defeat BRS here in Telangana and we will defeat BJP in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh,” he added

He further asserted that the election is between BRS and Congress, if you will vote for BJP and AIMIM your vote will be wasted.

The Congress leader further lashed out at BJP and BRS and said, “BJP, BRS and AIMIM are all united and work together. In Delhi, BRS helps the BJP, and in Lok Sabha as well BRS, extends complete support to the BJP, while in Telangana BJP and AIMIA help out BRS.”

Rahul Gandhi pointed out the numerous legal cases against him, his suspension from Lok Sabha membership, and the relinquishing of his residence.

“I fight against the BJP and there are 25-30 cases against me. My Lok Sabha membership was also suspended. They also took my house which I gave happily. I don’t need a house, the whole of India is my home,” said Rahul Gandhi.

Rahul Gandhi is campaigning in Telangana for a third day. Voting in Telangana for the 119 seats is scheduled to be held on November 30.

Telangana is set to witness an intriguing multi-polar contest between the BRS, Congress and the BJP.

In the previous Assembly elections in 2018, the BRS won 88 of the 119 seats, hogging 47.4 per cent of the total vote share. The Congress finished a distant second with 19 seats and a vote share of 28.7 per cent.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:
The Congress has come under attack for allegedly supporting the Hamas and the Palestine cause without referring to the attack on Israel. Over 3,000 people have been killed in the latest war between Israel and the Hamas group.

Here are 10 facts about the Congress row over the Israel-Palestine war:

New Delhi:

The video of a tribal woman being stripped in public and paraded naked through a village in Rajasthan’s Pratapgarh has triggered a political whirlpool in the state that is prepping for assembly polls in the coming months.

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot condemned the incident in a late-night tweet on Friday and said: “In Pratapgarh district, a video of a woman being stripped naked by her in-laws due to a family dispute with her in-laws has surfaced. The Director General of Police has been instructed to send the ADG Crime to the spot and take the strictest action in this matter. There is no place for such criminals in a civilized society. These criminals will be put behind bars as soon as possible and will be tried and punished in the fast track court.”

As the Opposition in the state amped its attack on the ruling Congress, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot announced he would visit Pratapgarh this evening to meet the victim’s family.

Mr Gehlot’s MLA from the Dhariyawad Assembly, Nagraj Meena, said, “I came to know about this incident around 9 pm on Friday. I held a discussion with the District Collector and the District Superintendent of Police… The incident cannot be condemned enough. Such incidents should not happen. The police will take immediate action on this.”

The BJP has launched an all-out attack on the ruling Congress over the horrific crime against the 21-year-old tribal woman perpetrated allegedly by her husband and in-laws over the suspicion of an affair.

The ruling party is “busy settling factional squabbles”, BJP chief JP Nadda said in an apparent reference to the power tussle between Ashok Gehlot and his former deputy Sachin Pilot.

“The remaining time is spent appeasing one dynasty in Delhi,” he added, fuelling the party’s long-standing fight against dynastic politics of the Congress.

“The people of Rajasthan will teach the state Government a lesson,” Mr Nadda prophesied, pointing to the upcoming state elections.

Earlier, Union Minister and a BJP leader from Rajasthan – Gajendra Singh Sekhawat – tweeted the alleged video of the shocker and said that the incident has laid bare the hypocrisy of the Congress. He asked if Rahul Gandhi would seek Ashok Gehlot’s resignation and demand President’s rule in the state, as he drew parallels to the Opposition’s demand when a horrific video from Manipur showed women being paraded naked through the streets before being allegedly gang-raped in the adjacent fields. Manipur has been witnessing a long-drawn ethnic strife between the Meitei and the Kuki communities.

“In Rajasthan, all the limits of inhumanity on women have been crossed. In Dhariyavad, a woman has been stripped and beaten, the video of which is viral, but Gehlot ji, who makes tall claims on women’s safety, is the Chief Minister and Home Minister of which state? Two days have passed, and the police have not even prepared the report! The hypocrisy of the Congress has been exposed now. Where is Rahul Gandhi? When will he come to Dhariyavad? When will he seek Ashok Gehlot’s resignation and demand President’s rule in Rajasthan?” Mr Shekhawat tweeted.

A woman was beaten, stripped naked, and paraded through her village in Rajasthan’s Pratapgarh district allegedly by her husband on Thursday, the police said. In a shocking video of the assault, a man is seen stripping the 21-year-old woman in front of people and parading her naked through the village.

According to the police, the woman was allegedly in a relationship with another man, which triggered the attack on her.

She was allegedly kidnapped by her in-laws, who were unhappy since the woman was living with another man, and taken to their village where she was beaten and paraded naked, Rajasthan’s Director General of Police (DGP) Umesh Mishra said.

Seven people have been arrested so far in the case, including the woman’s husband, the police said, adding that four people have been detained.