Lok Sabha Election 2024 Highlights: PM Modi says 'INDI alliance has diseases worse than cancer'

"PM Modi will be dethroned on June 4, and he is very much worried. All the BJP leaders are giving odd statements during their election campaign. After June 4, we will work to improve the law and order situation in Delhi," said Delhi CM and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal while addressing a public meeting in Kidwai Nagar. 

He added, "Delhi will be made a state and then every work will be completed smoothly without any hurdle."

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal finally broke silence on the Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal's assault case.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief on Wednesday (May 22) called for a fair investigation and said that there are two versions of the event. 

During an interview with news agency PTI, Kejriwal said that the ongoing case is "sub-judice" and commenting on it could affect the proceedings.  

Maliwal reacted to the interview and said, "Irony died a thousand deaths. I don’t buy this one bit." 

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"Who can forget the Commonwealth Games? Congress had the opportunity to display India's capabilities in front of the world. But they looted Delhi... And during the G20 Summit, the world praised India," said PM Modi during a rally in Dwarka. 

He added, "This happened because of BJP's policy of 'Nation First'... Congress and INDI alliance's policy is 'Family First'..."

During an interview with news agency PTI, Delhi CM and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said there is "no discussion on topic, INDIA bloc's PM candidate to be decided after LS poll results" when asked if he would accept Rahul Gandhi as PM. 

He also said that he has no intention of becoming next PM if INDIA bloc wins the elections saying that AAP is a small party contesting only 22 seats. 

Delhi: BJP leader Shazia Ilmi said, "Instead of apologising to the people of Delhi and giving an account of her work, the Water Minister Atishi has blamed her inability on the Haryana government. It has been 10 years, since the Delhi Jal Board, which was a profitable organisation, but now AAP does not even conduct an audit."

"No one knows what's happening in the DJB, or how much debt they have been made to take. The tanker mafia is fully functional in Delhi, fighting against whom was one of the things Arvind Kejriwal pledged he would fight against. Providing free water is one thing, but water can be provided only if it is available. They blame the LG and the BJP if they are held accountable for anything," she added. 

Delhi: BJP candidate from North-East Delhi, Manoj Tiwari said, "The truth is, that providing clean water, providing pensions to senior citizens, providing ration cards, clean stagnant water from colonies, and developing small roads is all a responsibility of the Delhi government. If their candidate has pointed out that the people of Delhi are not getting adequate water, people will give a befitting answer to not just Arvind Kejriwal but also that candidate." 

Delhi Water Minister Atishi wrote a letter to the Haryana CM Nayab Singh Saini, regarding Yamuna's water flow from Haryana to Delhi.

The letter read: "It has come to my notice that the water flow from Haryana to Delhi seems to be deliberately reduced. Our records show that there is a drastic drop in the water levels at the Wazirabad Barrage, indicating lower water levels of the Yamuna River which is the main lifeline of Delhi."

"The normal pond level should be maintained at a minimum of 674.50 feet. Our enquires have revealed that on 15.05.2024, the water levels were already 671.9 feet, which has been consistently reducing and has reached a critically dangerous level of 670.9 feet," it added. 

Election Commission of India (ECI) directed BJP president JP Nadda and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to issue formal notes to star campaigners to correct their discourse, exercise care and maintain decorum. Commission’s unprecedented orders to BJP and INC in the wake of plummeting quality of campaigning led by their star campaigners:

Kolkata, West Bengal: West Bengal BJP President Sukanta Majumdar said, "Even Rahul Gandhi knows, that they are not going to win. To motivate their workers, Rahul Gandhi and the leader of the INDI alliance are telling lies. The BJP has already crossed the 272 seats mark to form the government." 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "The INDI alliance has diseases worse than cancer. They can destroy the whole of India if they spread. These three diseases can be more destructive for the country than cancer. These diseases are, these people are extremely communal, these people are extremely racist, these people are extreme nepotists."

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi says "Now they (BJP) are not saying '400 paar'. The real issue is that the prices of petrol have crossed Rs 100 and the incidents of paper leaks are taking place in Varanasi, from where PM Modi is a candidate."

"They talk about Pok, but what have they done in the last 10 years to get PoK? We are also saying that PoK is a part of India and we should get it back but the issue of PoK only comes forward during elections," he added. 

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor commented on Swati Maliwal's assault case saying, “The AAP has issued a statement on the matter which, I believe, cannot be improved and doesn't need to be added to. I honestly feel that this is a serious attempt to distract from the real issues facing the nation - unemployment, inflation...We have to focus on what touches the lives of ordinary Indians, not on these other issues. The media is often requested by the BJP to serve as a weapon of mass distraction. I request you, don't oblige this. Distraction from the real issues, doesn't serve anyone's interests.”

Speaking at a public gathering in Karnal, Haryana, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh criticised the Opposition by referring to the 'Emergency period' implemented by Indira Gandhi in 1975.

"They say if PM Modi gets more than 400 seats, it will put democracy in danger and he will become a dictator. But when Indira Gandhi lost her election before 1975, morally she should have resigned as PM, but instead, she imposed the Emergency and choked democracy," he said.

Union Minister Anurag Thakur says, "Congress is now restricted to one community by doing appeasement politics and rethinks about re-distributing the wealth of another community for appeasement. 'Congress ke saansad kahte hain jiske 2 biwiya hogi usko dugna denge aur jiski 4 hongi usko chaarguna denge.' (Congress MPs say men with two wives will get double the wealth and men with four wives will get four times the wealth. This only proves that Congress can do anything for the vote bank...")
 

Union Minister Anurag Thakur says, "Since Arvind Kejriwal has been out interim & a conditional bail since then he is being mocked. What kind of statements is he giving?... Bhagwant Mann himself said that Arvind Kejriwal will have to go to jail on June 2...If someone talks about corruption two names- Arvind Kejriwal & Congress come to everyone's mind..."

BJP MP and party's national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi says "Delhi High Court in Manish Sisodia's bail plea issue says that this is a grave misuse of power and breach of trust... The possibility of tampering the evidence can't be ruled out. In respect of the PMLA case, the court has said that the prosecution was able to make out a prima facie case of money laundering... Legally, it is been consistently, categorically and irrefutably gradually established but morally we are perplexed. No statements are being made or programmes are being organised for Manish Sisodia but all for Bibhav Kumar...."

On Swati Maliwal assault case, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said, "Ask Shashi Tharoor that he has worked in several departments and yet he will downgrade the importance of this matter...Mahila Sashaktikaran & Nari Shakti those things are no more important...What are we dealing with here?"

"You are saying that this is not an important issue. They ought to be ashamed who say this is not an important issue. The issue today is how you treat the 50% of your population...Kejriwal destroyed 170 mobile phones (in the liquor scam)...The ED reports state that they have direct chats between Arvind Kejriwal & a Hawala operator..."

"First there were other leaders of his party, now the national president of Congress himself is forgetting the decorum of language. This proves that the trends are reaching him too. They are worried that how badly these people are losing the elections. In the first five phases, we have already cross the 300 to 315-mark. Now, on May 25 and June 1, we will definitely cross the 400-mark," said LJP (Ram Vilas) president Chirag Paswan on Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's 'Jhoothon Ka Sardar' remark against PM Modi.

Goa CM & BJP leader Pramod Sawant says, "The people in Delhi are asking why Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal has been silent on Swati Maliwal case for 9 days, he should give some clarification. Arvind Kejriwal's silence tells everything about the case. AAP has now become an anti-Delhi, anti-women party... I think Arvind Kejriwal is putting pressure on Swati Maliwal for a compromise. He did a similar thing during Soni Mishra's issue, later she was forced to commit suicide..."

Congress candidate from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat Ajay Rai said, "They (BJP) are losing. If they were not losing the elections would PM Modi have stayed overnight in Varanasi?... The people are awakened..."

BJD leader and 5T Chairman VK Pandian said, "Middle class are engines of growth in towns. If vibrancy has to come in towns, the middle class has to be active. Their economic empowerment has to happen, hence Naveen Babu, the State CM and BJD's president has kept some major promises in the manifesto. They are - Health security for all, interest subjunction for Housing loans, interest subjunction for education loans, cross-subsidised public transport..."

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, "...It was already very clear when BJP started talking about 'Abki Baar 400 Paar' that this was a complete fantasy. Last time in 2019, thanks to the tragedy in Pulwama and the response in Balakot and the conversion of the election from what should have been a referendum on the economic failures of the first term of Mr Modi, it became a national security election in 2019."

"As a result, they maxed out in a number of states...In all those 11 states, those results are impossible to replicate and we are already seeing this very clearly....The strongholds of BJP have shows minimal turnout and significant drop in voting figures. Whereas, where the Congress candidates and the INDIA Alliance had attracted enthusiasm, the voting was carried out in good numbers...Our confidence has gone up even further..."

Bihar BJP has expelled Bhojpuri singer Pawan Singh for contesting Lok Sabha elections against NDA's official candidate, as an independent candidate.

• Delhi's water supply is being stopped by Haryana govt
• After Swati Maliwal case, BJP is now bringing out old ED cases
• BJP is conspiring to deprive Delhi of water

Security has been beefed up in parts of the national capital ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's rally.

There is no '400 paar'...they are only talking about hatred. There are no talks about development, neither it is being told what work has been done in the last 10 years. I hope people will consider these things when they vote in the remaining two phases of (Lok Sabha) elections," says AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi in UP.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will address a campaign rally in the national capital today.