Congress leader and former Union minister Kapil Sibal has accused the CEO of French aviation company Dassault of trying to hide the truth in the 2016 sale of 36 Rafale planes to India and warned that the company is "falling into its own trap."

"Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier has deliberately tried in recent interviews to 'muddy the waters' over the Rafale deal and Dassault now is trying to hide the truth. Unfortunately it is falling into its own trap," Sibal told reporters here Tuesday night.

"I would warn Dassault that the more they continue to hide the deal, the more likely it is that they will get into serious trouble in time to come," he said.

He said, "we are asking the CEO of Dassault not to muddy the water. We want an inquiry as there is corruption at the highest level in the deal."

Congress party has escalated its campaign against the Modi government over the Rafale deal in recent weeks, with its president Rahul Gandhi alleging that the government forced Dassault Aviation to make Reliance Defence its offset partner for the deal.

However, the BJP and Reliance Defence have dismissed all the allegations as false.

Under Indian defence procurement rules, foreign companies winning contracts must "offset" or reinvest half the total value - in this case around eight billion euros - in joint ventures or purchases with Indian firms.

Sibal said he was also worried about "what is happening in the economic field and sought to know why the banks are selling their non-productive assets to two or three entities and who is backing the bidders.

"There are various forms of corruption, some hidden and some open."&nbsp;

Congress leader and former Union minister Kapil Sibal has accused the CEO of French aviation company Dassault of trying to hide the truth in the 2016 sale of 36 Rafale planes to India and warned that the company is "falling into its own trap.

Congress leader and former Union minister Kapil Sibal has accused the CEO of French aviation company Dassault of trying to hide the truth in the 2016 sale of 36 Rafale planes to India and warned that the company is "falling into its own trap." "Dassault Aviation CEO Eric Trappier has deliberately tried in recent interviews to 'muddy the waters' over the Rafale deal and Dassault now is trying to hide the truth. Unfortunately it is falling into its own trap," Sibal told reporters here Tuesday night. "I would warn Dassault that the more they continue to hide the deal, the more likely it is that they will get into serious trouble in time to come," he said. He said, "we are asking the CEO of Dassault not to muddy the water. We want an inquiry as there is corruption at the highest level in the deal." Congress party has escalated its campaign against the Modi government over the Rafale deal in recent weeks, with its president Rahul Gandhi alleging that the government forced Dassault Aviation to make Reliance Defence its offset partner for the deal. However, the BJP and Reliance Defence have dismissed all the allegations as false. Under Indian defence procurement rules, foreign companies winning contracts must "offset" or reinvest half the total value - in this case around eight billion euros - in joint ventures or purchases with Indian firms. Sibal said he was also worried about "what is happening in the economic field and sought to know why the banks are selling their non-productive assets to two or three entities and who is backing the bidders. "There are various forms of corruption, some hidden and some open."

Sibal accuses Dassault Aviation's CEO of trying to hide truth in Rafale deal

The Congress party on Saturday released the first list of candidates for 155 seats for the upcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh.

21 women and 21 SC&nbsp;candidates in the list also feature in the list.&nbsp;

Digvijay Singh's brother Lakshman Singh will contest from Chachoura constituency.&nbsp;

Digvijay`s son Jaivardhan Singh, who is a sitting Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), secured a ticket from Raghogarh constituency.

Veteran leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi`s brother Alok Chaturvedi will contest the assembly elections from Chhatarpur constituency.&nbsp;

Another prominent Member of Parliament (MP), Kantilal Bhuria will contest from Jhabua constituency. KK Kalukheda, brother of former Congress minister Mahendra Singh Kalukheda, will also contest the assembly polls from Jaora constituency.

Other senior leaders such as Suresh Pachouri and Govind Singh will contest the elections from Bhojpur and Lahar constituencies respectively.

Former MP Vijaylaxmi Sadho will be contesting the polls from Maheshwar constituency.

While expressing her optimism about the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Congress leader Shobha Oza said&nbsp;"It is a very good list and a lot of thought has been put into it. The candidates are very strong, and we are confident that we will win the elections with full majority."&nbsp;

The Congress party on Saturday released the first list of candidates for 155 seats for the upcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh. 21 women and 21 SC candidates in the list also feature in the list.

The Congress party on Saturday released the first list of candidates for 155 seats for the upcoming assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh. 21 women and 21 SC candidates in the list also feature in the list. Digvijay Singh's brother Lakshman Singh will contest from Chachoura constituency. Digvijay`s son Jaivardhan Singh, who is a sitting Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA), secured a ticket from Raghogarh constituency. Veteran leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi`s brother Alok Chaturvedi will contest the assembly elections from Chhatarpur constituency. Another prominent Member of Parliament (MP), Kantilal Bhuria will contest from Jhabua constituency. KK Kalukheda, brother of former Congress minister Mahendra Singh Kalukheda, will also contest the assembly polls from Jaora constituency. Other senior leaders such as Suresh Pachouri and Govind Singh will contest the elections from Bhojpur and Lahar constituencies respectively. Former MP Vijaylaxmi Sadho will be contesting the polls from Maheshwar constituency. While expressing her optimism about the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Congress leader Shobha Oza said "It is a very good list and a lot of thought has been put into it. The candidates are very strong, and we are confident that we will win the elections with full majority."

Madhya Pradesh elections: Congress releases first list of 155 candidates

The Congress on Saturday released its first list of candidates, a total of 155, for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh assembly polls, news agency PTI reported.

According to reports, the nominees include Ajay Singh, the leader of opposition in the state, and former Union minister Suresh Pachouri.

Former chief minister Digvijay Singh's son Jaivardhan Singh and brother Lakshman Singh have also been fielded from Raghogarh and Chachoura seats respectively.

Son of former chief minister late Arjun Singh, Ajay Singh, will fight from Chruhat seat.

Madhya Pradesh assembly has a total of 230 assembly seats, the state will go to polls on November 28. BJP, the ruling party since 2003, had released its first list of 177 candidates on Friday.

(With inputs from PTI)

The Congress on Saturday released its first list of candidates, a total of 155, for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh assembly polls, news agency PTI reported. According to reports, the nominees include Ajay Singh, the leader of opposition in the state, and former Union minister Suresh Pachouri.

The Congress on Saturday released its first list of candidates, a total of 155, for the upcoming Madhya Pradesh assembly polls, news agency PTI reported. According to reports, the nominees include Ajay Singh, the leader of opposition in the state, and former Union minister Suresh Pachouri. Former chief minister Digvijay Singh's son Jaivardhan Singh and brother Lakshman Singh have also been fielded from Raghogarh and Chachoura seats respectively. Son of former chief minister late Arjun Singh, Ajay Singh, will fight from Chruhat seat. Madhya Pradesh assembly has a total of 230 assembly seats, the state will go to polls on November 28. BJP, the ruling party since 2003, had released its first list of 177 candidates on Friday. (With inputs from PTI)

Madhya Pradesh polls: Congress releases first list of candidates 

About 35 per cent voting was recorded Saturday during the first half of polling for the by-polls to three Lok Sabha and two assembly constituencies in Karnataka.

While the Lok Sabha constituencies of Shivamogga, Ballari and Mandya have recorded 30.20, 35.72, 26.80 per cent voting, respectively, till 1 pm, the assembly segments of Ramanagara and Jamkhandi reported 39.81 and 43.50 per cent respectively.

Voting began at 7 am will go on till six in the evening.

A total of 54,54,275 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in about 6,450 polling stations.

There are 31 candidates in the fray in the five constituencies, though the contest is mainly between the Congress-JD(S) combine and the BJP. 
Counting of votes will be held on November 6.

Though the turnout was low during the initial few hours after polling began, it improved as the day progressed, officials said.

Barring reports about delay in voting due to technical issues at a couple of places, polling in all the five constituencies have been by and large peaceful so far, the officials said.

The by-elections are being seen as a litmus test for the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition as its outcome is expected to have a bearing on the state's political scenario.

The Congress and the JD(S), who came together in a post-poll alliance after the assembly elections in May threw up a hung House, have decided to face the polls unitedly against the BJP, which they perceive as their common rival.

While the Congress has fielded its candidates in Jamkhandi and Ballari, JD(S) is contesting in Shivamogga, Ramanagara and Mandya under an electoral understanding.

Among the prominent candidates in the fray is Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's wife Anita Kumaraswamy, who is expected to have a smooth sail as she is facing virtually no-contest in Ramanagara after BJP nominee L Chandrashekhar withdrew from the contest and rejoined the Congress, in a jolt days before the polls.

The BJP had lodged a complaint with the Election Commission about the development in Ramanagara and requested it to "annul" the elections immediately.

In Jamkhandi, Congress candidate Anand Nyamagowda, son of former MLA Siddu Nyamagouda, is pitted against Srikant Kulkarni of the BJP.

State BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa's son BY Raghavendra is testing his fortunes in Shivamogga against another former chief minister S Bangarappa's son Madhu Bangarappa of the JD(S).

Yeddyurappa and his family members were among the early birds to cast their vote at Shikaripura in the constituency.

In Ballari, senior BJP leader Sriramulu's sister J Shantha is contesting against V S Ugrappa of the Congress, considered an outsider.

In the Vokkaliga belt of Mandya, JD(S)'s Shivarame Gowda, is pitted against a fresh face in Dr Siddaramaiah, a retired commercial tax officer from the BJP.

The by-elections have been necessitated after Yeddyurappa (Shivamogga), Sriramalu (Ballari) and C S Puttaraju of JD(S) (Mandya) resigned as MPs on their election to the assembly in May this year.

Bypolls to Jamkhandi assembly seat was caused by the death of Congress MLA Siddu Nyamagouda, while Ramanagara fell vacant after Kumaraswamy gave up the seat preferring to retain Chennapatna, the other constituency from where won.&nbsp;

About 35 per cent voting was recorded Saturday during the first half of polling for the by-polls to three Lok Sabha and two assembly constituencies in Karnataka.

About 35 per cent voting was recorded Saturday during the first half of polling for the by-polls to three Lok Sabha and two assembly constituencies in Karnataka. While the Lok Sabha constituencies of Shivamogga, Ballari and Mandya have recorded 30.20, 35.72, 26.80 per cent voting, respectively, till 1 pm, the assembly segments of Ramanagara and Jamkhandi reported 39.81 and 43.50 per cent respectively. Voting began at 7 am will go on till six in the evening. A total of 54,54,275 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in about 6,450 polling stations. There are 31 candidates in the fray in the five constituencies, though the contest is mainly between the Congress-JD(S) combine and the BJP. Counting of votes will be held on November 6. Though the turnout was low during the initial few hours after polling began, it improved as the day progressed, officials said. Barring reports about delay in voting due to technical issues at a couple of places, polling in all the five constituencies have been by and large peaceful so far, the officials said. The by-elections are being seen as a litmus test for the ruling Congress-JD(S) coalition as its outcome is expected to have a bearing on the state's political scenario. The Congress and the JD(S), who came together in a post-poll alliance after the assembly elections in May threw up a hung House, have decided to face the polls unitedly against the BJP, which they perceive as their common rival. While the Congress has fielded its candidates in Jamkhandi and Ballari, JD(S) is contesting in Shivamogga, Ramanagara and Mandya under an electoral understanding. Among the prominent candidates in the fray is Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy's wife Anita Kumaraswamy, who is expected to have a smooth sail as she is facing virtually no-contest in Ramanagara after BJP nominee L Chandrashekhar withdrew from the contest and rejoined the Congress, in a jolt days before the polls. The BJP had lodged a complaint with the Election Commission about the development in Ramanagara and requested it to "annul" the elections immediately. In Jamkhandi, Congress candidate Anand Nyamagowda, son of former MLA Siddu Nyamagouda, is pitted against Srikant Kulkarni of the BJP. State BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa's son BY Raghavendra is testing his fortunes in Shivamogga against another former chief minister S Bangarappa's son Madhu Bangarappa of the JD(S). Yeddyurappa and his family members were among the early birds to cast their vote at Shikaripura in the constituency. In Ballari, senior BJP leader Sriramulu's sister J Shantha is contesting against V S Ugrappa of the Congress, considered an outsider. In the Vokkaliga belt of Mandya, JD(S)'s Shivarame Gowda, is pitted against a fresh face in Dr Siddaramaiah, a retired commercial tax officer from the BJP. The by-elections have been necessitated after Yeddyurappa (Shivamogga), Sriramalu (Ballari) and C S Puttaraju of JD(S) (Mandya) resigned as MPs on their election to the assembly in May this year. Bypolls to Jamkhandi assembly seat was caused by the death of Congress MLA Siddu Nyamagouda, while Ramanagara fell vacant after Kumaraswamy gave up the seat preferring to retain Chennapatna, the other constituency from where won.

About 35% polling reported till 1pm in Karnataka by-polls

For many years now political parties’ manifestos have been an exercise in preparing a ‘good document’ than identifying the real problems confronting the Indian polity. &nbsp;Come election time, manifesto committees formed by parties start doing the ritual of meeting various stakeholders, vested interest groups, and the general public. 
 
These meetings are supposed to give the politicians a concrete idea of the concerns of various sections of people, be it farmers, students, women or the business community. Besides these meeting, in any case, politicians are supposed to be aware of the ground reality that people are concerned with.&nbsp;

However, a quick analysis of previous manifestos of the BJP and the Congress shows that political manifestos often don’t address the most critical issues facing the country. &nbsp;

And even when they do talk about deep-rooted problems like poverty, caste-based discrimination and the terrible state of small and landless farmers, for instance, it is done in a very perfunctory manner.&nbsp;

Therefore, it can be argued that political manifestos are in an inverted sense a good test of what parties actually consider to be significant issues. More often what is in the manifesto is not likely to become a poll issue. For instance, take the example of economic inequality itself. &nbsp;Oxfam’s latest report on inequality has ranked India at the bottom of an index containing &nbsp;157 countries.

The index was based on a new database of indicators that tracked performance on social spending, tax and labour rights. &nbsp;Moreover, every year we are told of the shocking levels to which inequality has risen in India over the last seventy years. &nbsp;Last year, Oxfam had revealed that of the total wealth created in India in 2016 the richest 1 per cent in India gobbled up 73 per cent of it. This basically means that 99 per cent of people of India received only 27 per cent of the total wealth generated. &nbsp;

It is election season again with four states going to elections in the next four months. The General elections too are less than eight months away. But what are the issues that are hogging the rallies that have held so far in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh? Besides the usual claims to waive off farm loans, provide employment, set up industries, and giving reservation to communities, our politicians are once again shying away from even acknowledging the monumental inequality in India. &nbsp;

Economic inequality coupled with entrenched social inequality is one of the root causes of poverty, therefore, when politicians make claims about eradicating poverty, providing free housing and other freebies, they are only obfuscating the actual issue that needs to be solved. If they were actually serious about raising the income levels and standard of living, every third person in India wouldn’t have to live on less than Rs 140 a day. &nbsp;

No wonder then that India also performs terribly on its efforts to reduce inequality. India ranks 147th out of 157 countries on its commitment to reducing inequality. &nbsp;According to calculations done by Oxfam, if India were to adopt meaningful policies to reduce inequality by just 33 per cent ‘more than 170 million people would no longer be poor’.&nbsp;

But going by the prevailing priorities of political parties as seen in their rallies, it is clear that no party is in fact committed to deal with rising inequality. We have Rahul Gandhi repackaging himself and his party in a religious hue, Mamata Banerjee is announcing doles for Durga Puja, and the BJP is diverting the attention of people from issues like unemployment and jobless growth by propping up agendas like Ram Mandir, and illegal Bangladeshis.&nbsp;

If India is to really progress, its common people must force political parties to talk about the elephant in the room- inequality. Because, if left unaddressed, it will lead to nationwide instability and strife. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

For many years now political parties’ manifestos have been an exercise in preparing a ‘good document’ than identifying the real problems confronting the Indian polity.

For many years now political parties’ manifestos have been an exercise in preparing a ‘good document’ than identifying the real problems confronting the Indian polity. Come election time, manifesto committees formed by parties start doing the ritual of meeting various stakeholders, vested interest groups, and the general public. These meetings are supposed to give the politicians a concrete idea of the concerns of various sections of people, be it farmers, students, women or the business community. Besides these meeting, in any case, politicians are supposed to be aware of the ground reality that people are concerned with. However, a quick analysis of previous manifestos of the BJP and the Congress shows that political manifestos often don’t address the most critical issues facing the country. And even when they do talk about deep-rooted problems like poverty, caste-based discrimination and the terrible state of small and landless farmers, for instance, it is done in a very perfunctory manner. Therefore, it can be argued that political manifestos are in an inverted sense a good test of what parties actually consider to be significant issues. More often what is in the manifesto is not likely to become a poll issue. For instance, take the example of economic inequality itself. Oxfam’s latest report on inequality has ranked India at the bottom of an index containing 157 countries. The index was based on a new database of indicators that tracked performance on social spending, tax and labour rights. Moreover, every year we are told of the shocking levels to which inequality has risen in India over the last seventy years. Last year, Oxfam had revealed that of the total wealth created in India in 2016 the richest 1 per cent in India gobbled up 73 per cent of it. This basically means that 99 per cent of people of India received only 27 per cent of the total wealth generated. It is election season again with four states going to elections in the next four months. The General elections too are less than eight months away. But what are the issues that are hogging the rallies that have held so far in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh? Besides the usual claims to waive off farm loans, provide employment, set up industries, and giving reservation to communities, our politicians are once again shying away from even acknowledging the monumental inequality in India. Economic inequality coupled with entrenched social inequality is one of the root causes of poverty, therefore, when politicians make claims about eradicating poverty, providing free housing and other freebies, they are only obfuscating the actual issue that needs to be solved. If they were actually serious about raising the income levels and standard of living, every third person in India wouldn’t have to live on less than Rs 140 a day. No wonder then that India also performs terribly on its efforts to reduce inequality. India ranks 147th out of 157 countries on its commitment to reducing inequality. According to calculations done by Oxfam, if India were to adopt meaningful policies to reduce inequality by just 33 per cent ‘more than 170 million people would no longer be poor’. But going by the prevailing priorities of political parties as seen in their rallies, it is clear that no party is in fact committed to deal with rising inequality. We have Rahul Gandhi repackaging himself and his party in a religious hue, Mamata Banerjee is announcing doles for Durga Puja, and the BJP is diverting the attention of people from issues like unemployment and jobless growth by propping up agendas like Ram Mandir, and illegal Bangladeshis. If India is to really progress, its common people must force political parties to talk about the elephant in the room- inequality. Because, if left unaddressed, it will lead to nationwide instability and strife. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Economic and social inequality not a priority for political parties 

Opposition parties will work together to defeat the BJP to defend India, its institutions and the democracy, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Thursday said after meeting the TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu.

Naidu is trying to unite opposition parties to take on the saffron party in the Lok Sabha elections next year.

Gandhi in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Naidu said both of them have decided "not to get into the past" but talk about the present and the future as it is "critical" for the country.

The TDP had earlier criticised the Congress on the bifurcation of the state.&nbsp;

Asserting that there is a need to save the nation and the democracy, Naidu said he discussed this will the Congress president and they have agreed to it in-principle.

Gandhi tweeted,"I had a good meeting today with Shri Chandrababu Naidu. Amongst other things, we discussed the issue of opposition unity. I look forward to carrying forward our dialogue and to working together in the upcoming state &amp; general elections".

Before that, he told reporters, "We are working together, we are going to work together. All Opposition forces are going to work together to defend India, our institutions and our democracy.

"We have had a past. Both of us have agreed we are not going to get into the past. We are going to talk about the present and future because it is critical for our country," Gandhi told reporters.

He said because of the situation in the country, "let all opposition forces come together and provide a vision."

Asked who is going to be the face for an Opposition alliance, Gandhi said both the leaders have agreed that the principle idea is to defeat the BJP and defend democracy and institutions of this country. "All other ideas, we will discuss later," he said, adding,"Everyone is going to work together".

He further said, "Your interest is in sensationalism but we have to work together to deliver people's aspirations."

He said the primary challenge before all the opposition forces is to work together and defend India's institutions and democracy.

"Everything else is secondary. We will do what is our primary challenge," he said.&nbsp;

On the Rafale deal, the Congress chief said "it is very clear that corruption has taken place and there is no doubt in it."

"Institutions that are investigating the Rafale deal are attacked and threatened. That is what exactly we are defending," he said.

"If there is proper enquiry, it will become very clear exactly what happened, where money went and who did the corruption. Something that I am pushing aggressively because I believe nation needs to know,. This sentiment is shared by all Opposition parties," he added.

Naidu's meeting with Gandhi comes amid seat-sharing talks between the two parties for the December 7 Assembly elections in Telangana.

Earlier in the day, Naidu met NCP chief Sharad Pawar and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah here.

Naidu asserted that there is a need today to save this nation and democracy. "That's why I discussed with Rahulji also. In-principally we have agreed," he said.

"Some of you have doubt about our past. It is a democratic compulsion now, we are joining together to protect this country.

"The main opposition leaders has responsibility to discharge. That's why we are joining together. Not only two parties, those opposing BJP we want to bring them to a common platform. We want to chalk out a common programme for future," he said.

The TDP chief claimed he never had seen this type of attack on institutions like CBI, RBI, ED and IT in his political career of 40 years.

"I have asked Rahulji to discuss in the party and proposed all political meeting to chalk out a programme for future," he said.

Asked about face of an alliance, Naidu said, "you are interested in candidate, we are interested in the nation. Remove that in your mind. You also think first about the nation."

"It is a reality you have to understand that Congress is a main opposition party. All other parties are necessary. So, we will work on these things. Our main motive is save nation," he added.&nbsp;

Opposition parties will work together to defeat the BJP to defend India, its institutions and the democracy, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Thursday said after meeting the TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu.

Opposition parties will work together to defeat the BJP to defend India, its institutions and the democracy, Congress president Rahul Gandhi Thursday said after meeting the TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu. Naidu is trying to unite opposition parties to take on the saffron party in the Lok Sabha elections next year. Gandhi in the presence of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Naidu said both of them have decided "not to get into the past" but talk about the present and the future as it is "critical" for the country. The TDP had earlier criticised the Congress on the bifurcation of the state. Asserting that there is a need to save the nation and the democracy, Naidu said he discussed this will the Congress president and they have agreed to it in-principle. Gandhi tweeted,"I had a good meeting today with Shri Chandrababu Naidu. Amongst other things, we discussed the issue of opposition unity. I look forward to carrying forward our dialogue and to working together in the upcoming state & general elections". Before that, he told reporters, "We are working together, we are going to work together. All Opposition forces are going to work together to defend India, our institutions and our democracy. "We have had a past. Both of us have agreed we are not going to get into the past. We are going to talk about the present and future because it is critical for our country," Gandhi told reporters. He said because of the situation in the country, "let all opposition forces come together and provide a vision." Asked who is going to be the face for an Opposition alliance, Gandhi said both the leaders have agreed that the principle idea is to defeat the BJP and defend democracy and institutions of this country. "All other ideas, we will discuss later," he said, adding,"Everyone is going to work together". He further said, "Your interest is in sensationalism but we have to work together to deliver people's aspirations." He said the primary challenge before all the opposition forces is to work together and defend India's institutions and democracy. "Everything else is secondary. We will do what is our primary challenge," he said. On the Rafale deal, the Congress chief said "it is very clear that corruption has taken place and there is no doubt in it." "Institutions that are investigating the Rafale deal are attacked and threatened. That is what exactly we are defending," he said. "If there is proper enquiry, it will become very clear exactly what happened, where money went and who did the corruption. Something that I am pushing aggressively because I believe nation needs to know,. This sentiment is shared by all Opposition parties," he added. Naidu's meeting with Gandhi comes amid seat-sharing talks between the two parties for the December 7 Assembly elections in Telangana. Earlier in the day, Naidu met NCP chief Sharad Pawar and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah here. Naidu asserted that there is a need today to save this nation and democracy. "That's why I discussed with Rahulji also. In-principally we have agreed," he said. "Some of you have doubt about our past. It is a democratic compulsion now, we are joining together to protect this country. "The main opposition leaders has responsibility to discharge. That's why we are joining together. Not only two parties, those opposing BJP we want to bring them to a common platform. We want to chalk out a common programme for future," he said. The TDP chief claimed he never had seen this type of attack on institutions like CBI, RBI, ED and IT in his political career of 40 years. "I have asked Rahulji to discuss in the party and proposed all political meeting to chalk out a programme for future," he said. Asked about face of an alliance, Naidu said, "you are interested in candidate, we are interested in the nation. Remove that in your mind. You also think first about the nation." "It is a reality you have to understand that Congress is a main opposition party. All other parties are necessary. So, we will work on these things. Our main motive is save nation," he added.

Will work together to defeat BJP: Rahul Gandhi after meeting TDP chief Naidu

The semifinals for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections are well and truly on. Five states are going to elect their new Vidhan Sabhas in next month or so, and three of these states belong to the critical Hindi heartland. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are crucial heartland states that enabled BJP's stellar performance in 2014. According to the Cvoter opinion poll, Congress seems to be in the poll position in all 3 states. In Rajasthan, Congress leads by a strong margin whereas in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh the fight is close. In fact, the election in the latter two might well be decided quite late in the day, dependent upon factors such as campaign strategy, ticket allocation and infighting among others.

Highly critical will be the choice of chief ministerial candidates as leadership question is a point of concern for Congress. Particularly in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh the respective BJP Chief Ministers viz Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Raman Singh continue to be very popular. In fact, the major anti-incumbency sentiment seems to be against the incumbent MLAs who have not managed their constituencies well. Perhaps denial of tickets to such non-performing MLAs might help the BJP to blunt the anti-incumbency sentiment, especially considering the less than 1 per cent vote share trail in opinion poll vis a vis Congress.&nbsp;

In Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, there is a dead heat between Congress and BJP. This is not the case in Rajasthan, the incumbent Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is less popular than the main challenger from Congress Sachin Pilot. In MP, Jyotiraditya Scindia of Congress is less popular than Shivraj Singh Chauhan and in Chattisgarh, the main challenger to chief minister Raman Singh is Ajit Jogi who does not even belong to the Congress. That leaves Rajasthan as the only state where Congress has a leadership rating advantage.&nbsp;

<img alt="Table 1" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f2e65833-5dfb-4106-aa25-045212c57d01" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Table-1%20Final.jpg" />

Over and above that, Cvoter survey also dwelled upon the question of a bipolar contest to check the infighting sentiment. That is, when the candidates' field is narrowed down to two main challengers in the fray, there is always a churning among the party supporters who favour one party candidate over the other. In Madhya Pradesh, if the choice between Scindia and Chauhan was presented, Chauhan proved to more popular than Scindia. What is important to underline here is the fact that almost 50 per cent supporters of Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh are not staying loyal to party line for the candidature of Jyotiraditya Scindia in bipolar setup against Shivraj Singh Chauhan.

Almost 25 per cent of Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh supporters shift allegiance to BJP CM Candidate and the rest are assuming a neutral position. This clearly opens up the internal fault-lines of Congress leadership in Madhya Pradesh.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="Table 2" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a602dcd4-4f77-4a5d-b061-bde21cae24a2" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Table2.jpg" />

In Chhattisgarh, a direct contest between Raman Singh and Ajit Jogi may precipitate 1/3rd of Congress supporters to shift support to BJP chief minister candidate and another 1/3rd may move to Jogi's camp, the rest are assuming a position of neutrality. This argues rather poorly for a party which is leading over BJP by less than a point at the moment. Jogi becomes a choice by default for many anti-BJP voters just because Congress is unable to give a name for the chief minister post. If the Congress leadership is well defined, it will not take much of a time for the anti-BJP voters getting polarized in a clear-cut manner. 
 
<img alt="Table 3" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="4efd1661-e4e2-4945-9f78-52efab452a77" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Table%203.jpg" />

The state of Rajasthan is in complete contrast to MP and Chhattisgarh. In Rajasthan, a bipolar contest of Sachin Pilot and Vasundhara Raje is clearly producing results in favour of Congress candidate. Almost two-third supporters of other Congress candidates, like Ashok Gehlot and CP Joshi, are continuing to support the candidature of Sachin Pilot in a bipolar rating. Unlike other states, the young voters and first-time voters of Rajasthan are rallying for a clean image of the rather young Sachin Pilot. His face is clearly instrumental in swinging the undecided young voters, who otherwise get neutralized by the corruption-tagged image of old Congress leadership in the state.&nbsp; 
 
<img alt="Table 4" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="fa9d3d44-451e-4755-98ef-1c484d525d41" src="/sites/default/files/inline-images/Table4.jpg" />

Clearly, Congress is facing infighting and factionalism in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh while it comes across as a much-united house in Rajasthan. This point becomes salient in the light of less than 1 per cent projected vote share lead according to the Cvoter opinion poll in the states of MP and Chhattisgarh.

The overwhelming popularity of PM Narendra Modi has been the key electoral weapon for BJP in the past 3-4 years. Election after election in last four years has shown that there is a distinct surge of 3-4 per cent vote share that gets imparted by PM Narendra Modi in closing stages of the campaign. In MP and Chhattisgarh, such a vote surge can easily topple the Congress lead. In the case of Rajasthan, the projected lead of Congress seems to be clear of any potential late surge by BJP. The masses flocking to PM's rallies in Rajasthan may listen to him and vote for him in Lok Sabha elections but for Vidhan Sabha polls the mood seems to be made up.&nbsp;

Finally, Congress is making a mistake by not announcing official candidates in the three states. For examples, in MP an official announcement in favour of Scindia may polarize young voters in favour of Congress, the same may happen in Rajasthan and an official affirmation of Sachin Pilot could produce an electoral dividend thus confirming the Congress victory that is increasingly likely. In Chhattisgarh, the Congress may announce an official candidate such as TS Singh Dev or Bhupesh Baghel to blunt the edge of Ajit Jogi. In fact, currently, Jogi is being favoured only because of non-announcement of a Congress candidate.&nbsp;

Therefore, Congress has all to gain by the announcement of official Chief Ministerial candidates. It may gain that crucial edge over the BJP in MP and Chhattisgarh and further solidify its robust lead in Rajasthan. In case this does not happen then a late BJP surge induced by PM Modi's campaign may end up being crucial, however, it is tough to estimate its impact quantitatively as of now.&nbsp;

There is a huge rating deficit that Congress faces when the national Leadership ratings are compared. The gap in approval ratings of NaMo and RaGa is a big electoral liability at the moment for the Congress at large. The only way it can counter that liability is by projecting the much popular young faces at the state level against the state BJP leadership. If done properly, then faces of Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Bhupesh Baghel can do the needful to counter the mega rallies of Narendra Modi in concluding weeks of the campaign. If they continue the blunder in positioning this round as contest of national leaderships, then we all know what kind of punch Mr Modi is capable of delivering.&nbsp;

I don't think Congress wants to take the battle in that direction. 
&nbsp;

(This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the <a href="http://zeenews.india.com/blogs/will-congress-blunder-again-by-making-assembly-elections-a-raga-vs-namo-battle-2151613.html">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The semifinals for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections are well and truly on. Five states are going to elect their new Vidhan Sabhas in next month or so, and three of these states belong to the critical Hindi heartland.

The semifinals for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections are well and truly on. Five states are going to elect their new Vidhan Sabhas in next month or so, and three of these states belong to the critical Hindi heartland. Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh are crucial heartland states that enabled BJP's stellar performance in 2014. According to the Cvoter opinion poll, Congress seems to be in the poll position in all 3 states. In Rajasthan, Congress leads by a strong margin whereas in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh the fight is close. In fact, the election in the latter two might well be decided quite late in the day, dependent upon factors such as campaign strategy, ticket allocation and infighting among others. Highly critical will be the choice of chief ministerial candidates as leadership question is a point of concern for Congress. Particularly in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh the respective BJP Chief Ministers viz Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Raman Singh continue to be very popular. In fact, the major anti-incumbency sentiment seems to be against the incumbent MLAs who have not managed their constituencies well. Perhaps denial of tickets to such non-performing MLAs might help the BJP to blunt the anti-incumbency sentiment, especially considering the less than 1 per cent vote share trail in opinion poll vis a vis Congress. In Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, there is a dead heat between Congress and BJP. This is not the case in Rajasthan, the incumbent Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje is less popular than the main challenger from Congress Sachin Pilot. In MP, Jyotiraditya Scindia of Congress is less popular than Shivraj Singh Chauhan and in Chattisgarh, the main challenger to chief minister Raman Singh is Ajit Jogi who does not even belong to the Congress. That leaves Rajasthan as the only state where Congress has a leadership rating advantage. Over and above that, Cvoter survey also dwelled upon the question of a bipolar contest to check the infighting sentiment. That is, when the candidates' field is narrowed down to two main challengers in the fray, there is always a churning among the party supporters who favour one party candidate over the other. In Madhya Pradesh, if the choice between Scindia and Chauhan was presented, Chauhan proved to more popular than Scindia. What is important to underline here is the fact that almost 50 per cent supporters of Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh are not staying loyal to party line for the candidature of Jyotiraditya Scindia in bipolar setup against Shivraj Singh Chauhan. Almost 25 per cent of Kamal Nath and Digvijaya Singh supporters shift allegiance to BJP CM Candidate and the rest are assuming a neutral position. This clearly opens up the internal fault-lines of Congress leadership in Madhya Pradesh. In Chhattisgarh, a direct contest between Raman Singh and Ajit Jogi may precipitate 1/3rd of Congress supporters to shift support to BJP chief minister candidate and another 1/3rd may move to Jogi's camp, the rest are assuming a position of neutrality. This argues rather poorly for a party which is leading over BJP by less than a point at the moment. Jogi becomes a choice by default for many anti-BJP voters just because Congress is unable to give a name for the chief minister post. If the Congress leadership is well defined, it will not take much of a time for the anti-BJP voters getting polarized in a clear-cut manner. The state of Rajasthan is in complete contrast to MP and Chhattisgarh. In Rajasthan, a bipolar contest of Sachin Pilot and Vasundhara Raje is clearly producing results in favour of Congress candidate. Almost two-third supporters of other Congress candidates, like Ashok Gehlot and CP Joshi, are continuing to support the candidature of Sachin Pilot in a bipolar rating. Unlike other states, the young voters and first-time voters of Rajasthan are rallying for a clean image of the rather young Sachin Pilot. His face is clearly instrumental in swinging the undecided young voters, who otherwise get neutralized by the corruption-tagged image of old Congress leadership in the state. Clearly, Congress is facing infighting and factionalism in Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh while it comes across as a much-united house in Rajasthan. This point becomes salient in the light of less than 1 per cent projected vote share lead according to the Cvoter opinion poll in the states of MP and Chhattisgarh. The overwhelming popularity of PM Narendra Modi has been the key electoral weapon for BJP in the past 3-4 years. Election after election in last four years has shown that there is a distinct surge of 3-4 per cent vote share that gets imparted by PM Narendra Modi in closing stages of the campaign. In MP and Chhattisgarh, such a vote surge can easily topple the Congress lead. In the case of Rajasthan, the projected lead of Congress seems to be clear of any potential late surge by BJP. The masses flocking to PM's rallies in Rajasthan may listen to him and vote for him in Lok Sabha elections but for Vidhan Sabha polls the mood seems to be made up. Finally, Congress is making a mistake by not announcing official candidates in the three states. For examples, in MP an official announcement in favour of Scindia may polarize young voters in favour of Congress, the same may happen in Rajasthan and an official affirmation of Sachin Pilot could produce an electoral dividend thus confirming the Congress victory that is increasingly likely. In Chhattisgarh, the Congress may announce an official candidate such as TS Singh Dev or Bhupesh Baghel to blunt the edge of Ajit Jogi. In fact, currently, Jogi is being favoured only because of non-announcement of a Congress candidate. Therefore, Congress has all to gain by the announcement of official Chief Ministerial candidates. It may gain that crucial edge over the BJP in MP and Chhattisgarh and further solidify its robust lead in Rajasthan. In case this does not happen then a late BJP surge induced by PM Modi's campaign may end up being crucial, however, it is tough to estimate its impact quantitatively as of now. There is a huge rating deficit that Congress faces when the national Leadership ratings are compared. The gap in approval ratings of NaMo and RaGa is a big electoral liability at the moment for the Congress at large. The only way it can counter that liability is by projecting the much popular young faces at the state level against the state BJP leadership. If done properly, then faces of Sachin Pilot, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Bhupesh Baghel can do the needful to counter the mega rallies of Narendra Modi in concluding weeks of the campaign. If they continue the blunder in positioning this round as contest of national leaderships, then we all know what kind of punch Mr Modi is capable of delivering. I don't think Congress wants to take the battle in that direction. (This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Will Congress blunder again by making Assembly elections a Rahul vs Modi battle?

Seeking to strike a connect with the electorate, the Congress has said it wants to hear their voice and reflect that in the party’s manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

The chairman of the Congress Manifesto Committee, P Chidambaram, announced Sunday the party will launch its manifesto website Monday, where it wants the common people to give their opinion.

“Congress Party’s Manifesto Website will be launched tomorrow (Monday 29th) at 12.30 pm. We want to hear Your Voice. We want Your Voice to be reflected in the Manifesto for the 2019 Elections,”the former finance minister said on Twitter.

Chidambaram heads the panel which is working out the party’s manifesto for 2019 polls, during which the Congress is seeking to defeat the BJP and oust Modi with the help of like-minded parties.

Seeking to strike a connect with the electorate, the Congress has said it wants to hear their voice and reflect that in the party’s manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Seeking to strike a connect with the electorate, the Congress has said it wants to hear their voice and reflect that in the party’s manifesto for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The chairman of the Congress Manifesto Committee, P Chidambaram, announced Sunday the party will launch its manifesto website Monday, where it wants the common people to give their opinion. “Congress Party’s Manifesto Website will be launched tomorrow (Monday 29th) at 12.30 pm. We want to hear Your Voice. We want Your Voice to be reflected in the Manifesto for the 2019 Elections,”the former finance minister said on Twitter. Chidambaram heads the panel which is working out the party’s manifesto for 2019 polls, during which the Congress is seeking to defeat the BJP and oust Modi with the help of like-minded parties.

Lok Sabha 2019 polls: Congress to launch manifesto website Monday to take people’s suggestions

The estranged wife of Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami, Hasin Jahan, on Tuesday, joined the Indian National Congress party.

Jahan was inducted to the Congress by Mumbai party President Sanjay Nirupam.

Earlier in the year, Jahan, who is a model by profession, made headlines when she alleged that her husband, Shami, abused her physically and mentally and was involved in several extra-marital affairs.

On April 10, Jahan also filed a domestic violence case against the pacer and his family members in Kolkata's Alipore Court. She also sought maintenance from her husband.

Shami, however, denied all the accusations.

The estranged wife of Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami, Hasin Jahan, on Tuesday, joined the Indian National Congress party. Jahan was inducted to the Congress by Mumbai party President Sanjay Nirupam.

The estranged wife of Indian cricketer Mohammed Shami, Hasin Jahan, on Tuesday, joined the Indian National Congress party. Jahan was inducted to the Congress by Mumbai party President Sanjay Nirupam. Earlier in the year, Jahan, who is a model by profession, made headlines when she alleged that her husband, Shami, abused her physically and mentally and was involved in several extra-marital affairs. On April 10, Jahan also filed a domestic violence case against the pacer and his family members in Kolkata's Alipore Court. She also sought maintenance from her husband. Shami, however, denied all the accusations.

Cricketer Mohammed Shami's estranged wife Hasin Jahan joins Congress

With dates for five Assembly elections announced, all eyes are focused on the two large and politically crucial states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. However, it’s the smallest one in the list, Mizoram, which holds the key to whether the Congress will be able to retain even its depleted presence in the Northeast, or whether the Bharatiya Janata Party will sustain its recent successes in the region. The politics of the northeastern States is critical from the perspective of the country’s security, sovereignty and integrity — more than any other region with the exception of Jammu &amp; Kashmir — and Mizoram is an important element in that overall scheme of things.&nbsp;

Mizoram is the last standing citadel of the Congress in the North-East, but that bastion is under attack. Party affairs are in a mess in the State; only recently, R Lalzirliana, one of its senior leaders and home minister in the Government of Lal Thanhawla, quit following differences with the chief minister. So did former health minister Lalrinliana Sailo. The party’s local leadership has tried to play down the development, claiming that the two Ministers had to leave because of serious allegations of corruption against them. But that does not explain the widely-held apprehension in party ranks that more desertions can happen in the run-up to the Assembly election, to be held on November 28. &nbsp;

It’s not just the problems that many Congress leaders have with the local leadership led by Lal Thanhawla. There is the fear of anti-incumbency too. The Congress regime has been in power since 2008, and the fatigue factor has begun to show. Many influential leaders have been rubbed the wrong way in the last decade that corresponded with the emergence of Lal Thanhawla’s iron hand. In the earlier years, dissident leaders had no option but to swallow the insult; they had nowhere to go. The main opposition party, the Mizo National Front (MNF), had been sidelined and over the years become quite ineffective. It had won just five seats in the 40-member House in the 2013 election, while the Congress had bagged 34 seats. Things have changed since then.&nbsp;

First, the MNF led by Zoramthanga has been strengthened by its partnership with the BJP, via the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA); the MNF chief is a founder-member of the alliance. Second, the MNF is upbeat over the departure of key leaders from the Congress and would be quite happy to accommodate the rebels. Third, it is banking on the strong anti-incumbency factor. And fourth, it believes that the BJP’s recent successes in the North-East, both in an individual capacity and through alliances, will impact the mood of the electorate in Mizoram too. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
The BJP is content to let events play out in its favour. It will repeat the strategy it has deployed in the other northeastern States — that of cementing partnerships with local players and taking a subordinate position whenever the situation demands. In Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, the party tied up with regional outfits and outwitted the Congress in the electoral battle. In Assam and Tripura, although it swept the polls on its own, it still proceeded to form coalition regimes with regional parties. The BJP wants its NEDA experiment to keep delivering results, even if in the process it has to take a back seat in some cases. The BJP does not have a strong cadre in Mizoram, and will, like in the case of Meghalaya and Manipur, hope to ride piggyback on local allies to victory.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Incidentally, of the seven States in the Northeast, it’s the Meghalaya reminder that will trouble the Congress the most and elate the opposition equally as much. Prior to Assembly election in Meghalaya earlier this year, several leaders had quit the Congress (five among them were sitting Legislators). The party was defeated. Does a similar scenario await the Congress in Mizoram? Or is the opposition overly optimistic, given that the Congress is hardly a pushover in the state? We will know on December 11. &nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

With dates for five Assembly elections announced, all eyes are focused on the two large and politically crucial states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. However, it’s the smallest one in the list, Mizoram, which holds the key to whether the Congress will be able to retain even its depleted presence in the Northeast, or whether the Bharatiya Janata Party will sustain its recent successes in the region.

With dates for five Assembly elections announced, all eyes are focused on the two large and politically crucial states of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. However, it’s the smallest one in the list, Mizoram, which holds the key to whether the Congress will be able to retain even its depleted presence in the Northeast, or whether the Bharatiya Janata Party will sustain its recent successes in the region. The politics of the northeastern States is critical from the perspective of the country’s security, sovereignty and integrity — more than any other region with the exception of Jammu & Kashmir — and Mizoram is an important element in that overall scheme of things. Mizoram is the last standing citadel of the Congress in the North-East, but that bastion is under attack. Party affairs are in a mess in the State; only recently, R Lalzirliana, one of its senior leaders and home minister in the Government of Lal Thanhawla, quit following differences with the chief minister. So did former health minister Lalrinliana Sailo. The party’s local leadership has tried to play down the development, claiming that the two Ministers had to leave because of serious allegations of corruption against them. But that does not explain the widely-held apprehension in party ranks that more desertions can happen in the run-up to the Assembly election, to be held on November 28. It’s not just the problems that many Congress leaders have with the local leadership led by Lal Thanhawla. There is the fear of anti-incumbency too. The Congress regime has been in power since 2008, and the fatigue factor has begun to show. Many influential leaders have been rubbed the wrong way in the last decade that corresponded with the emergence of Lal Thanhawla’s iron hand. In the earlier years, dissident leaders had no option but to swallow the insult; they had nowhere to go. The main opposition party, the Mizo National Front (MNF), had been sidelined and over the years become quite ineffective. It had won just five seats in the 40-member House in the 2013 election, while the Congress had bagged 34 seats. Things have changed since then. First, the MNF led by Zoramthanga has been strengthened by its partnership with the BJP, via the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA); the MNF chief is a founder-member of the alliance. Second, the MNF is upbeat over the departure of key leaders from the Congress and would be quite happy to accommodate the rebels. Third, it is banking on the strong anti-incumbency factor. And fourth, it believes that the BJP’s recent successes in the North-East, both in an individual capacity and through alliances, will impact the mood of the electorate in Mizoram too. The BJP is content to let events play out in its favour. It will repeat the strategy it has deployed in the other northeastern States — that of cementing partnerships with local players and taking a subordinate position whenever the situation demands. In Meghalaya, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh, the party tied up with regional outfits and outwitted the Congress in the electoral battle. In Assam and Tripura, although it swept the polls on its own, it still proceeded to form coalition regimes with regional parties. The BJP wants its NEDA experiment to keep delivering results, even if in the process it has to take a back seat in some cases. The BJP does not have a strong cadre in Mizoram, and will, like in the case of Meghalaya and Manipur, hope to ride piggyback on local allies to victory. Incidentally, of the seven States in the Northeast, it’s the Meghalaya reminder that will trouble the Congress the most and elate the opposition equally as much. Prior to Assembly election in Meghalaya earlier this year, several leaders had quit the Congress (five among them were sitting Legislators). The party was defeated. Does a similar scenario await the Congress in Mizoram? Or is the opposition overly optimistic, given that the Congress is hardly a pushover in the state? We will know on December 11. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Mizoram polls more crucial for Congress than BJP

Taking a dig at the Congress, Shivraj Singh Chouhan Monday said "raja, maharaja and udyogpati" were troubled because a farmer's son had been the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh for the last 13 years.&nbsp;

While Chouhan did not take names, the monikers are often used by BJP leaders to refer to Congress leaders Digvijaya Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kamal Nath, respectively.&nbsp;

Speaking at a rally in the poll-bound state, the chief minister said the three Congress leaders were "conspiring" to prevent him from becoming the chief minister for a fourth consecutive term.&nbsp;

The state goes to polls on November 28 and the counting of votes will take place on December 11.

"Raja, maharaja and udyogpati are very much troubled because of me. They are wondering how a farmer's son has remained chief minister for the last 13 years. They dream about me day and night," Chouhan said at Manglia in the Sanver Assembly segment as part of his 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra'. "They are afraid about my becoming chief minister for a fourth time. Therefore, they are constantly conspiring against me by levelling baseless allegations," he said.&nbsp;

The BJP leader told the gathering that the Congress had filed a petition in the Supreme Court about irregularities in the state's voters' list, but the apex court had dismissed it.

Further hitting out at the opposition party, Chouhan said the Congress was under an "illusion" that there was "anti-incumbency" prevailing in the state.

The Congress created legal hurdles in the implementation of the Sambal scheme under which outstanding electricity dues of people belonging to economically weaker sections were waived off, he said.

Referring to former chief minister Digvijaya Singh as "bantadhar" (spoilsport), Chouhan alleged road, water and power infrastructure had completely deteriorated under the former's tenure.&nbsp;

Taking a dig at the Congress, Shivraj Singh Chouhan Monday said "raja, maharaja and udyogpati" were troubled because a farmer's son had been the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh for the last 13 years.

Taking a dig at the Congress, Shivraj Singh Chouhan Monday said "raja, maharaja and udyogpati" were troubled because a farmer's son had been the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh for the last 13 years. While Chouhan did not take names, the monikers are often used by BJP leaders to refer to Congress leaders Digvijaya Singh, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kamal Nath, respectively. Speaking at a rally in the poll-bound state, the chief minister said the three Congress leaders were "conspiring" to prevent him from becoming the chief minister for a fourth consecutive term. The state goes to polls on November 28 and the counting of votes will take place on December 11. "Raja, maharaja and udyogpati are very much troubled because of me. They are wondering how a farmer's son has remained chief minister for the last 13 years. They dream about me day and night," Chouhan said at Manglia in the Sanver Assembly segment as part of his 'Jan Ashirwad Yatra'. "They are afraid about my becoming chief minister for a fourth time. Therefore, they are constantly conspiring against me by levelling baseless allegations," he said. The BJP leader told the gathering that the Congress had filed a petition in the Supreme Court about irregularities in the state's voters' list, but the apex court had dismissed it. Further hitting out at the opposition party, Chouhan said the Congress was under an "illusion" that there was "anti-incumbency" prevailing in the state. The Congress created legal hurdles in the implementation of the Sambal scheme under which outstanding electricity dues of people belonging to economically weaker sections were waived off, he said. Referring to former chief minister Digvijaya Singh as "bantadhar" (spoilsport), Chouhan alleged road, water and power infrastructure had completely deteriorated under the former's tenure.

Madhya Pradesh polls: Chouhan attacks Congress's 'raja, maharaja, udyogpati'

Senior Congress leader Motilal Vora Saturday told a Delhi court that BJP leader Subramanian Swamy was trying to influence the proceedings in the National Herald case by commenting on social media.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal was told by senior advocate R S Cheema, appearing for Vora, that Swamy was indulging in "character assassination" of the accused persons by tweeting.

"The complainant (Swamy) is also insulting the lawyers appearing for the accused persons and trying to influence the ongoing probe by commenting on the merits of the case," the counsel said.

Vora, also represented by advocate Tarannum Cheema, requested the court to pass an injunction order restraining Swamy from tweeting about the case.

The court has put up the matter for further hearing on October 20 when Swamy will respond to the application.

The BJP leader, in a private criminal complaint, has accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by paying just Rs 50 lakh, through which Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YI) obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that Associate Journals Ltd owed to the Congress.

He has filed the case against Vora, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi, and others.

Swamy had earlier accused Vora of wasting the court's time by filing frivolous applications&nbsp;in the case.

In an application, Vora said he has time and again noticed that the complainant (Swamy) has been putting up various posts on social media regarding the daily proceedings of the instant case for the purpose of causing defamation of the accused and vilification of the court process.

Vora has also alleged that Swamy had been indulging in "loud and persistent publicity", amounting to an interference with the administration of justice.

The application said, before and after every date of hearing he (Swamy) unleashes hostile publicity through tweets, posts on social media or statements to the media.

All the seven accused&nbsp;the Gandhis, Motilal Vora (AICC treasurer), Oscar Fernandes (AICC general secretary), Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda and YI have denied the allegations levelled against them in the case.

The court had summoned the accused persons, besides YI, on June 26, 2014.

On December 19, 2015, it had granted bail to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Vora, Fernandes and Dubey, who had appeared before it pursuant to summonses.&nbsp;

Pitroda was also granted bail on February 20, 2016 when he had appeared in the court.

Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Vora, Fernandes, Dubey and Pitroda had been summoned for the alleged offences of misappropriation of property, criminal breach of trust and cheating, read with criminal conspiracy of the Indian Penal Code.&nbsp;

Senior Congress leader Motilal Vora Saturday told a Delhi court that BJP leader Subramanian Swamy was trying to influence the proceedings in the National Herald case by commenting on social media.

Senior Congress leader Motilal Vora Saturday told a Delhi court that BJP leader Subramanian Swamy was trying to influence the proceedings in the National Herald case by commenting on social media. Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal was told by senior advocate R S Cheema, appearing for Vora, that Swamy was indulging in "character assassination" of the accused persons by tweeting. "The complainant (Swamy) is also insulting the lawyers appearing for the accused persons and trying to influence the ongoing probe by commenting on the merits of the case," the counsel said. Vora, also represented by advocate Tarannum Cheema, requested the court to pass an injunction order restraining Swamy from tweeting about the case. The court has put up the matter for further hearing on October 20 when Swamy will respond to the application. The BJP leader, in a private criminal complaint, has accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by paying just Rs 50 lakh, through which Young Indian Pvt Ltd (YI) obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore that Associate Journals Ltd owed to the Congress. He has filed the case against Vora, Congress president Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi, and others. Swamy had earlier accused Vora of wasting the court's time by filing frivolous applications in the case. In an application, Vora said he has time and again noticed that the complainant (Swamy) has been putting up various posts on social media regarding the daily proceedings of the instant case for the purpose of causing defamation of the accused and vilification of the court process. Vora has also alleged that Swamy had been indulging in "loud and persistent publicity", amounting to an interference with the administration of justice. The application said, before and after every date of hearing he (Swamy) unleashes hostile publicity through tweets, posts on social media or statements to the media. All the seven accused the Gandhis, Motilal Vora (AICC treasurer), Oscar Fernandes (AICC general secretary), Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda and YI have denied the allegations levelled against them in the case. The court had summoned the accused persons, besides YI, on June 26, 2014. On December 19, 2015, it had granted bail to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Vora, Fernandes and Dubey, who had appeared before it pursuant to summonses. Pitroda was also granted bail on February 20, 2016 when he had appeared in the court. Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Vora, Fernandes, Dubey and Pitroda had been summoned for the alleged offences of misappropriation of property, criminal breach of trust and cheating, read with criminal conspiracy of the Indian Penal Code.

Swamy trying to influence National Herald case proceedings by tweeting: Vora tells court

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Wednesday announced that the BSP will contest assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on its own sans any alliance, news agency ANI reported.&nbsp;

At a press briefing in Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati accused the BJP and the Congress of conspiring against her party and trying to finish it.&nbsp;

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Congress, like the BJP, is conspiring to finish off our (BSP) party: BSP Chief Mayawati to ANI <a href="https://t.co/gCPoSSaaG1">pic.twitter.com/gCPoSSaaG1</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1047439440665358336?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"Congress is getting arrogant and are under the misconception that they can defeat the BJP on their own but the ground reality is that people haven't forgiven Congress party for their mistakes and corruption... They don't seem to be ready to rectify themselves," she noted.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Delhi: BSP Chief Mayawati's reaction when asked if there is any possibility of a BSP-Congress alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha &amp; assembly elections. <a href="https://t.co/jAztvwiV7r">pic.twitter.com/jAztvwiV7r</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1047442598363848704?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 3, 2018</a></blockquote>
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She also added that she feels that "Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi's intentions for Congress-BSP alliance are honest, however, some Congress leaders are sabotaging this."

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They (Congress) are getting arrogant &amp; are under misconception that they can defeat BJP on their own but the ground reality is that people haven't forgiven Congress party for their mistakes&amp;corruption...They don't seem to be ready to rectify themselves: BSP chief Mayawati to ANI <a href="https://t.co/sjdOMaKN4c">pic.twitter.com/sjdOMaKN4c</a>
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"Digvijaya Singh, who is also a BJP agent, is giving statements that Mayawati ji has a lot of pressure from Centre so she doesn’t want this alliance. This is baseless," the BSP chief added.&nbsp;

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I feel that Sonia Gandhi &amp; Rahul Gandhi's intentions for Congress-BSP alliance are honest. However some Congress leaders are sabotaging this : BSP Chief Mayawati to ANI <a href="https://t.co/KNZyCgD0rX">pic.twitter.com/KNZyCgD0rX</a>
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Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are slated to go assembly polls later this year.&nbsp;

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Wednesday announced that the BSP will contest assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on its own sans any alliance, news agency ANI reported.

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Wednesday announced that the BSP will contest assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan on its own sans any alliance, news agency ANI reported. At a press briefing in Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati accused the BJP and the Congress of conspiring against her party and trying to finish it. Congress, like the BJP, is conspiring to finish off our (BSP) party: BSP Chief Mayawati to ANI pic.twitter.com/gCPoSSaaG1 — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 3, 2018 × "Congress is getting arrogant and are under the misconception that they can defeat the BJP on their own but the ground reality is that people haven't forgiven Congress party for their mistakes and corruption... They don't seem to be ready to rectify themselves," she noted. #WATCH Delhi: BSP Chief Mayawati's reaction when asked if there is any possibility of a BSP-Congress alliance for the upcoming Lok Sabha & assembly elections. pic.twitter.com/jAztvwiV7r — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 3, 2018 × She also added that she feels that "Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi's intentions for Congress-BSP alliance are honest, however, some Congress leaders are sabotaging this." They (Congress) are getting arrogant & are under misconception that they can defeat BJP on their own but the ground reality is that people haven't forgiven Congress party for their mistakes&corruption...They don't seem to be ready to rectify themselves: BSP chief Mayawati to ANI pic.twitter.com/sjdOMaKN4c — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 3, 2018 × "Digvijaya Singh, who is also a BJP agent, is giving statements that Mayawati ji has a lot of pressure from Centre so she doesn’t want this alliance. This is baseless," the BSP chief added. I feel that Sonia Gandhi & Rahul Gandhi's intentions for Congress-BSP alliance are honest. However some Congress leaders are sabotaging this : BSP Chief Mayawati to ANI pic.twitter.com/KNZyCgD0rX — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) October 3, 2018 × Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are slated to go assembly polls later this year.

Watch: Mayawati says BSP will fight assembly elections alone in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh

The Congress will hold its working committee meeting here Tuesday to mark the beginning of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary celebrations, and give a message against the “atmosphere of fear, hate and violence” prevailing in the country, the party has said.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will be at the Sevagram Ashram in Wardha for the meeting and the party will take Mahatma Gandhi’s message all over the country, a party leader said.

There will be a prayer meeting, a ‘shanti’ (peace) march, and a public meeting at the Sevagram Ashram in which Rahul Gandhi will give his message, he said, adding that holding the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Wardha has a lot of symbolism attached to it.

“The preliminary deliberations of Individual Satyagraha were held in Sevagram in 1940. The CWC met in Sevagram and adopted the resolution on Quit India movement on July 14, 1942,” he said.

The Quit India movement was launched in Mumbai on August 8, 1942.

“A meeting was held in Sevagram from March 12 to 14, 1948, with the subject ‘Gandhi has gone: who will guide us now’, and among those who attended the meeting included the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Vinoba Bhave and Jaiprakash Narayan,” he said.

When Mahatma Gandhi started his padayatra in 1930 from the Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, he had decided not to return to Sabarmati till India was free, the leader recalled.

“Gandhiji was jailed for more than two years and on his release, he spent time travelling considerably in central India. He came to Wardha in 1934 at the invitation of businessman and philanthropist Jamnalal Bajaj,” he said.

In April 1936, Mahatma Gandhi established his residence in the Shegaon village near Wardha and he renamed it as Sevagram, which means ‘village of service’.

The Congress will hold its working committee meeting here Tuesday to mark the beginning of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary celebrations, and give a message against the “atmosphere of fear, hate and violence” prevailing in the country, the party has said.

The Congress will hold its working committee meeting here Tuesday to mark the beginning of Mahatma Gandhi’s 150th birth anniversary celebrations, and give a message against the “atmosphere of fear, hate and violence” prevailing in the country, the party has said. Congress chief Rahul Gandhi will be at the Sevagram Ashram in Wardha for the meeting and the party will take Mahatma Gandhi’s message all over the country, a party leader said. There will be a prayer meeting, a ‘shanti’ (peace) march, and a public meeting at the Sevagram Ashram in which Rahul Gandhi will give his message, he said, adding that holding the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in Wardha has a lot of symbolism attached to it. “The preliminary deliberations of Individual Satyagraha were held in Sevagram in 1940. The CWC met in Sevagram and adopted the resolution on Quit India movement on July 14, 1942,” he said. The Quit India movement was launched in Mumbai on August 8, 1942. “A meeting was held in Sevagram from March 12 to 14, 1948, with the subject ‘Gandhi has gone: who will guide us now’, and among those who attended the meeting included the then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Vinoba Bhave and Jaiprakash Narayan,” he said. When Mahatma Gandhi started his padayatra in 1930 from the Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi, he had decided not to return to Sabarmati till India was free, the leader recalled. “Gandhiji was jailed for more than two years and on his release, he spent time travelling considerably in central India. He came to Wardha in 1934 at the invitation of businessman and philanthropist Jamnalal Bajaj,” he said. In April 1936, Mahatma Gandhi established his residence in the Shegaon village near Wardha and he renamed it as Sevagram, which means ‘village of service’.

Congress to hold CWC meet at Wardha, to focus on Sevagram

Terming Congress a "national saboteur", Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday claimed that the party has been busy spreading false information about the Centre's possible moves in relation to the private sector company Infrastructure Leasing &amp; Financial Services Limited (IL&amp;FS).

"The Congress Party, for the last few days, has been busy spreading disinformation about the Government's possible moves in relation to the private sector company IL&amp;FS. The Congress is a national saboteur. It party wants to sabotage India's economy by allowing a situation in relation to a company to persist, expand and become unmanageable. It lacks statesmanship and vision."Furthermore, Jaitley published a letter written by Congress leader KV Thomas, which highlighted ways for the government to bail out IL&amp;FS, and suggested assistance using entities like State Bank of India (SBI) and the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)."

A senior Congress leader, Prof. K.V. Thomas, who is a former Union Minister and has been the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, has written to me on 20th September 2018 making such a request.

I am enclosing his letter. It demolishes every word that Rahul Gandhi and his coterie have been spreading. It may be advisable for Rahul Gandhi to get some 'words of wisdom'&nbsp;from Prof&nbsp;KV&nbsp;Thomas," he said.

Continuing his tirade against the Gandhi scion, Jaitley asked, "The financial institutions'&nbsp;investment in any company - 'is it a scam'&nbsp;as Rahul Gandhi and his coterie are spreading? Was it a scam in 1987 when the IL&amp;FS was promoted with the Central Bank of India has 50.5 per cent shares and the UTI having 30.5 per cent shares? Was it a scam in 2005 when LIC acquired 15 per cent stake in IL&amp;FS and in March 2006 when it acquired another 11.10 per cent stake in the IL&amp;FS? In fact, LIC further bought 19.34 lakh shares in IL&amp;FS in 2010. Do I start calling all these investments today 'a scam'&nbsp;as per 'the perverted Rahul Gandhi school of thinking?'&nbsp;From where has he invented a proposal of Rs.91, 000 crores investment likely to take place by LIC and SBI in the IL&amp;FS? In fact, it is the section of the Congress leadership which has been urging me to enable investments in the IL&amp;FS and save the company."Concluding his blog, Jaitley said that the Congress must remember that 'the days of crony capitalism are over.' "The Congress Party must remember that 'the days of crony capitalism are over.'&nbsp;The NDA Government deals with such challenges objectively and professionally," he said.

The fresh attack from Jaitley came after the Congress President accused the Prime Minister of bailing out the debt-ridden IL&amp;FS using funds from the SBI and LIC. He had also accused the Prime Minister of working for select "crony capitalists".

 
&nbsp;

Terming Congress a "national saboteur", Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday claimed that the party has been busy spreading false information about the Centre's possible moves in relation to the private sector company Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS).

Terming Congress a "national saboteur", Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday claimed that the party has been busy spreading false information about the Centre's possible moves in relation to the private sector company Infrastructure Leasing & Financial Services Limited (IL&FS). "The Congress Party, for the last few days, has been busy spreading disinformation about the Government's possible moves in relation to the private sector company IL&FS. The Congress is a national saboteur. It party wants to sabotage India's economy by allowing a situation in relation to a company to persist, expand and become unmanageable. It lacks statesmanship and vision."Furthermore, Jaitley published a letter written by Congress leader KV Thomas, which highlighted ways for the government to bail out IL&FS, and suggested assistance using entities like State Bank of India (SBI) and the Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)." A senior Congress leader, Prof. K.V. Thomas, who is a former Union Minister and has been the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, has written to me on 20th September 2018 making such a request. I am enclosing his letter. It demolishes every word that Rahul Gandhi and his coterie have been spreading. It may be advisable for Rahul Gandhi to get some 'words of wisdom' from Prof KV Thomas," he said. Continuing his tirade against the Gandhi scion, Jaitley asked, "The financial institutions' investment in any company - 'is it a scam' as Rahul Gandhi and his coterie are spreading? Was it a scam in 1987 when the IL&FS was promoted with the Central Bank of India has 50.5 per cent shares and the UTI having 30.5 per cent shares? Was it a scam in 2005 when LIC acquired 15 per cent stake in IL&FS and in March 2006 when it acquired another 11.10 per cent stake in the IL&FS? In fact, LIC further bought 19.34 lakh shares in IL&FS in 2010. Do I start calling all these investments today 'a scam' as per 'the perverted Rahul Gandhi school of thinking?' From where has he invented a proposal of Rs.91, 000 crores investment likely to take place by LIC and SBI in the IL&FS? In fact, it is the section of the Congress leadership which has been urging me to enable investments in the IL&FS and save the company."Concluding his blog, Jaitley said that the Congress must remember that 'the days of crony capitalism are over.' "The Congress Party must remember that 'the days of crony capitalism are over.' The NDA Government deals with such challenges objectively and professionally," he said. The fresh attack from Jaitley came after the Congress President accused the Prime Minister of bailing out the debt-ridden IL&FS using funds from the SBI and LIC. He had also accused the Prime Minister of working for select "crony capitalists".

Arun Jaitley calls Congress 'national saboteur'

Ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar will delegate more powers to his Cabinet colleagues after October 10, a senior minister said Monday.

Parrikar (62) is undergoing treatment at New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) since mid- September.

Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai, who met Parrikar in the hospital, told PTI that the CM wants to delegate more powers to Cabinet ministers after October 10, when the inauspicious `pitru paksha' (a period when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors) ends.

He said Parrikar is recovering in the hospital where he is being treated for a pancreatic ailment.

"I met Manohar Parrikar and he is recovering. He told me that he wants to delegate more powers and also have a meeting with Cabinet ministers, which will happen after October 10," said Sardesai, who belongs to the Goa Forward Party (GFP), an ally of the BJP in the state.

"I told him (the CM) that whenever he calls for the meeting and whatever is his proposal, we (the GFP) will think over it," he added.

Sardesai said during his meeting with Parrikar, he raised the issue of restoring public confidence in sale and consumption of fish brought from outside following the formalin scare.

The Opposition Congress party had claimed the fish being imported in the state is laced with hazardous formalin chemical. Food and Drugs Administration Minister Vishwajit Rane had rubbished the Congress claim.

"We discussed the state administration. I told him that people's confidence in the state machinery vis--vis fish needs to be restored," Sardesai said.

"The government will have to see that there is no doubt in the minds of people whatsoever with regards to fish being sold in Goa," he said.

If the public confidence is not restored, the state government should stop the import of fish, Sardesai said.

The administration should adopt measures to restore the confidence of the people. If you ban the import, then people will know that whatever they buy is locally caught. Let people not have doubt about the fish that they consume," he added.

Ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar will delegate more powers to his Cabinet colleagues after October 10, a senior minister said Monday. Parrikar (62) is undergoing treatment at New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) since mid- September.

Ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar will delegate more powers to his Cabinet colleagues after October 10, a senior minister said Monday. Parrikar (62) is undergoing treatment at New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) since mid- September. Agriculture Minister Vijai Sardesai, who met Parrikar in the hospital, told PTI that the CM wants to delegate more powers to Cabinet ministers after October 10, when the inauspicious `pitru paksha' (a period when Hindus pay homage to their ancestors) ends. He said Parrikar is recovering in the hospital where he is being treated for a pancreatic ailment. "I met Manohar Parrikar and he is recovering. He told me that he wants to delegate more powers and also have a meeting with Cabinet ministers, which will happen after October 10," said Sardesai, who belongs to the Goa Forward Party (GFP), an ally of the BJP in the state. "I told him (the CM) that whenever he calls for the meeting and whatever is his proposal, we (the GFP) will think over it," he added. Sardesai said during his meeting with Parrikar, he raised the issue of restoring public confidence in sale and consumption of fish brought from outside following the formalin scare. The Opposition Congress party had claimed the fish being imported in the state is laced with hazardous formalin chemical. Food and Drugs Administration Minister Vishwajit Rane had rubbished the Congress claim. "We discussed the state administration. I told him that people's confidence in the state machinery vis--vis fish needs to be restored," Sardesai said. "The government will have to see that there is no doubt in the minds of people whatsoever with regards to fish being sold in Goa," he said. If the public confidence is not restored, the state government should stop the import of fish, Sardesai said. The administration should adopt measures to restore the confidence of the people. If you ban the import, then people will know that whatever they buy is locally caught. Let people not have doubt about the fish that they consume," he added.

Ailing Goa CM to delegate more powers to Cabinet ministers

The BJP Monday took a swipe at the Congress for "failing" to field candidates for the upcoming urban local bodies (ULB) elections, saying it is instead "spinning excuses" to hide "inability" to motivate the party cadre.

ULB elections are scheduled to take place in four phases beginning October 8 and the panchayat polls will be held in November-December in nine phases.

"The Congress has failed to field candidates for the ULB elections and instead they are spinning excuses to hide its inability to rejuvenate its cadre and motivate them to join the electoral fray", BJP state spokesperson&nbsp;Brigadier (retired) Anil Gupta told reporters here.

He claimed that the BJP has so far won more than 50 seats uncontested in Kashmir.

While complimenting the party's candidates for displaying utmost respect for democracy and people's sentiments by braving all odds to file their nominations, Gupta castigated Congress for being unable to keep up to its "lofty claims" of being a party that has a base in all three regions of the state.

"The mere fact that the party is unable to field candidates shows that it has been completely decimated at the grassroots level and lacks organisational strength," he said.

The Congress today is an "only leaders party" and has no mass base and cadre strength, Gupta said.

He said the situation is no better in the Jammu region.

"At a number of places the party has failed to field even a single candidate and plans to piggyback on Independent or rebel candidates," Gupta said.

"The reality is that individuals offered party's mandate are declining to accept it as they realise that contesting on Congress party's symbol means a certain defeat", he said.

The BJP leader said that Congress's "desperate attempt to win over the electorate by launching an anti-BJP propaganda has failed miserably because the patriotic people of the region are determined to teach the&nbsp;Congress a lesson for pro-Pakistan utterances of its senior leaders".

Reacting to the statement of chief spokesperson of the Congress that it is part of Congress party's strategy to not to field their own candidates but support Independents in order to defeat the BJP candidates, Gupta said it is "nothing but a desperate attempt to escape from reality".

Challenging the Congress, he said, "It is not a proxy contest. It is a direct fight. If the Congress is sure of its strength it must enter the electoral battle directly and field its own candidates".&nbsp;

The BJP Monday took a swipe at the Congress for "failing" to field candidates for the upcoming urban local bodies (ULB) elections, saying it is instead "spinning excuses" to hide "inability" to motivate the party cadre.

The BJP Monday took a swipe at the Congress for "failing" to field candidates for the upcoming urban local bodies (ULB) elections, saying it is instead "spinning excuses" to hide "inability" to motivate the party cadre. ULB elections are scheduled to take place in four phases beginning October 8 and the panchayat polls will be held in November-December in nine phases. "The Congress has failed to field candidates for the ULB elections and instead they are spinning excuses to hide its inability to rejuvenate its cadre and motivate them to join the electoral fray", BJP state spokesperson Brigadier (retired) Anil Gupta told reporters here. He claimed that the BJP has so far won more than 50 seats uncontested in Kashmir. While complimenting the party's candidates for displaying utmost respect for democracy and people's sentiments by braving all odds to file their nominations, Gupta castigated Congress for being unable to keep up to its "lofty claims" of being a party that has a base in all three regions of the state. "The mere fact that the party is unable to field candidates shows that it has been completely decimated at the grassroots level and lacks organisational strength," he said. The Congress today is an "only leaders party" and has no mass base and cadre strength, Gupta said. He said the situation is no better in the Jammu region. "At a number of places the party has failed to field even a single candidate and plans to piggyback on Independent or rebel candidates," Gupta said. "The reality is that individuals offered party's mandate are declining to accept it as they realise that contesting on Congress party's symbol means a certain defeat", he said. The BJP leader said that Congress's "desperate attempt to win over the electorate by launching an anti-BJP propaganda has failed miserably because the patriotic people of the region are determined to teach the Congress a lesson for pro-Pakistan utterances of its senior leaders". Reacting to the statement of chief spokesperson of the Congress that it is part of Congress party's strategy to not to field their own candidates but support Independents in order to defeat the BJP candidates, Gupta said it is "nothing but a desperate attempt to escape from reality". Challenging the Congress, he said, "It is not a proxy contest. It is a direct fight. If the Congress is sure of its strength it must enter the electoral battle directly and field its own candidates".

BJP attacks Congress over 'failure' to field candidates in local body polls

The Congress Friday alleged a "mahagathbandhan" between Pakistan's ISI and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, accusing the prime minister of betraying the country's national interests and its security.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala demanded that both the prime minister and the BJP president apologise to the nation for "inviting" the ISI to Pathankot air base and for reposing faith in it.

The Congress leader also said Modi and his party should not draw political gains out of the valour and courage of armed forces who carried out surgical strikes on terror camps in Pakistan.

"Modi-Shah duo have a 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) with Pakistan's ISI," he told reporters, claiming the biggest proof of their links with the ISI was the statement by its former chief Assad Durrani that 'Modi is ISI's favourite choice as the prime minister of India'.

He said it was due to this "grand alliance" that the Modi government invited the ISI to probe Pathankot terror attack even though it was the Pakistani intelligence agency was responsible for it.

Surjewala alleged the Pakistani delegation invited to probe the Pathankot terrorist attack, included members of the ISI.

"The prime minister should tell the nation on what basis was the ISI, responsible for Pathankot terror attack, was allowed to carry out a probe," he said.

The Congress leader asked why "Shah gave character certificates of appreciation" to ISI on March 30, 2016 in Kolkata by publicly claiming that "Pakistan has made serious efforts in the Pathankot terror probe".&nbsp;

"Shah should tell the nation why he praised Pakistan's ISI if he did not have links with it," he asked.

Surjewala was joined by a host of ex-servicemen, including Indian Ex Servicemen Movement (IESM) chairman Maj Gen Satbir Singh, in saying the valour of soldiers should not be used for political gains and vote garnering.&nbsp;

They were objecting to the alleged release of a video by the government of surgical strikes carried out by Indian Army on terror camps in Pakistan.

Surjewala said his party saluted the indomitable courage and bravery of the Armed forces and the nation had always celebrated the valour, fortitude and the spirit of sacrifice of jawans.&nbsp;

He said the wars of 1947, 1962, 1965, 1971 and 1999 were a testimony of the heroism of the Armed forces.&nbsp;

"Conducting strategic surgical strikes with utmost precision and effective penetration at different times in last two decades has been characteristic of the grit and determination of our forces," he said, providing a list of such strikes since 2000.

"The prime minister and the BJP have always used the blood and sacrifice of our jawans as a tool to garner votes. In fact, the BJP chief dishonoured the valour of our armed forces on October 7, 2016 by disregarding the supreme sacrifices made in the five wars and numerous surgical strikes," he claimed.

He alleged the Modi government had compromised the national security and betrayed the national interests in four and a half years.

"The lack of political action and policy has led to a disquiet border and an alarming internal security situation," he claimed.

The Congress leader also asked a set of 10 questions to the prime minister and alleged he had played failed to defend India's borders and had imperiled its safety and security which was apparent in the 500 per cent increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistan since May 2014.

"Where was the '56-inches chest' missing when Pakistan committed more than 3,000 ceasefire violations at the LoC and international border," Surejwala asked.

"Hasn't Modi failed to consolidate the valiant surgical strikes of our Army on September 28, 2016, as Pakistan dared to commit 1,604 ceasefire violations thereafter in which 29 jawans have been martyred," he asked.

He asked why Modi "bent over backwards before China" by shelving the raising of a special regiment called 'Mountain Strike Corps' along the China border, approved by the Congress-UPA government.

"Has it not imperiled the security of our eastern border," he asked.

Surjewala also asked why the prime minister played havoc with India's internal security by "permitting the ugly menace of Naxalism to raise its head, kill our soldiers and civilians and creates internal disturbances".

"Is it not true that since the year 2015, 237 jawans and 380 civilians have been killed in over 3,200 Naxal attacks under the Modi government's watch," he asked.

He asked if it was a fact that Modi has completely failed to draft a policy to tackle Naxalism and why he had "betrayed" the soldiers by denying them 'One Rank, One Pension'.

"Why has Modi disregarded the honour of our soldiers, veterans and ex-servicemen by making 'One Rank, One Pension' as 'One Rank Five Pensions'," he asked.

The Congress leader asked if it was true that in the 52 months of the Modi government in Jammu and Kashmir alone, 414 jawans were martyred and 259 civilians killed in Pakistan- sponsored terrorism.

Surjewala alleged that soldiers like Mandeep and Narender Singh were beheaded and their bodies mutilated by Pakistan even as the Modi government remained a "mute spectator".

The Congress Friday alleged a "mahagathbandhan" between Pakistan's ISI and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, accusing the prime minister of betraying the country's national interests and its security.

The Congress Friday alleged a "mahagathbandhan" between Pakistan's ISI and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah, accusing the prime minister of betraying the country's national interests and its security. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala demanded that both the prime minister and the BJP president apologise to the nation for "inviting" the ISI to Pathankot air base and for reposing faith in it. The Congress leader also said Modi and his party should not draw political gains out of the valour and courage of armed forces who carried out surgical strikes on terror camps in Pakistan. "Modi-Shah duo have a 'mahagathbandhan' (grand alliance) with Pakistan's ISI," he told reporters, claiming the biggest proof of their links with the ISI was the statement by its former chief Assad Durrani that 'Modi is ISI's favourite choice as the prime minister of India'. He said it was due to this "grand alliance" that the Modi government invited the ISI to probe Pathankot terror attack even though it was the Pakistani intelligence agency was responsible for it. Surjewala alleged the Pakistani delegation invited to probe the Pathankot terrorist attack, included members of the ISI. "The prime minister should tell the nation on what basis was the ISI, responsible for Pathankot terror attack, was allowed to carry out a probe," he said. The Congress leader asked why "Shah gave character certificates of appreciation" to ISI on March 30, 2016 in Kolkata by publicly claiming that "Pakistan has made serious efforts in the Pathankot terror probe". "Shah should tell the nation why he praised Pakistan's ISI if he did not have links with it," he asked. Surjewala was joined by a host of ex-servicemen, including Indian Ex Servicemen Movement (IESM) chairman Maj Gen Satbir Singh, in saying the valour of soldiers should not be used for political gains and vote garnering. They were objecting to the alleged release of a video by the government of surgical strikes carried out by Indian Army on terror camps in Pakistan. Surjewala said his party saluted the indomitable courage and bravery of the Armed forces and the nation had always celebrated the valour, fortitude and the spirit of sacrifice of jawans. He said the wars of 1947, 1962, 1965, 1971 and 1999 were a testimony of the heroism of the Armed forces. "Conducting strategic surgical strikes with utmost precision and effective penetration at different times in last two decades has been characteristic of the grit and determination of our forces," he said, providing a list of such strikes since 2000. "The prime minister and the BJP have always used the blood and sacrifice of our jawans as a tool to garner votes. In fact, the BJP chief dishonoured the valour of our armed forces on October 7, 2016 by disregarding the supreme sacrifices made in the five wars and numerous surgical strikes," he claimed. He alleged the Modi government had compromised the national security and betrayed the national interests in four and a half years. "The lack of political action and policy has led to a disquiet border and an alarming internal security situation," he claimed. The Congress leader also asked a set of 10 questions to the prime minister and alleged he had played failed to defend India's borders and had imperiled its safety and security which was apparent in the 500 per cent increase in ceasefire violations by Pakistan since May 2014. "Where was the '56-inches chest' missing when Pakistan committed more than 3,000 ceasefire violations at the LoC and international border," Surejwala asked. "Hasn't Modi failed to consolidate the valiant surgical strikes of our Army on September 28, 2016, as Pakistan dared to commit 1,604 ceasefire violations thereafter in which 29 jawans have been martyred," he asked. He asked why Modi "bent over backwards before China" by shelving the raising of a special regiment called 'Mountain Strike Corps' along the China border, approved by the Congress-UPA government. "Has it not imperiled the security of our eastern border," he asked. Surjewala also asked why the prime minister played havoc with India's internal security by "permitting the ugly menace of Naxalism to raise its head, kill our soldiers and civilians and creates internal disturbances". "Is it not true that since the year 2015, 237 jawans and 380 civilians have been killed in over 3,200 Naxal attacks under the Modi government's watch," he asked. He asked if it was a fact that Modi has completely failed to draft a policy to tackle Naxalism and why he had "betrayed" the soldiers by denying them 'One Rank, One Pension'. "Why has Modi disregarded the honour of our soldiers, veterans and ex-servicemen by making 'One Rank, One Pension' as 'One Rank Five Pensions'," he asked. The Congress leader asked if it was true that in the 52 months of the Modi government in Jammu and Kashmir alone, 414 jawans were martyred and 259 civilians killed in Pakistan- sponsored terrorism. Surjewala alleged that soldiers like Mandeep and Narender Singh were beheaded and their bodies mutilated by Pakistan even as the Modi government remained a "mute spectator".

Grand alliance between ISI and Modi-Shah, Congress alleges

Whether it accepts it or not, the furore over the Rafale fighter jet with France's Dassault has become a problem, a big one, for the BJP-led NDA government. 
 
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has declared it to be a "perception problem" and in what seems like an eerie coincidence, the name of Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, has cropped up as "one who failed to get a cut" and therefore an interested party in the deal in which Congress president Rahul Gandhi accuses Prime Minister Narendra Modi of dubiously bringing in Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence as Dassault's partner.

In this war of mostly noisy and pointless TV news show debates, it has become fashionable to throw cow dung in return for bull droppings. But we must learn to look beyond these to ask some hard questions:

&nbsp;1. Why was the public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) sidestepped by its sole shareholder, the government of India, all of a sudden?&nbsp;

&nbsp;2.&nbsp; Since Anil Ambani publicly announced an Rs 30,000-crore revenue opportunity from the Dassault "offset" partnership, is there not a need to ask how his company there got in the first place without any bidding involved?

&nbsp;3. Why would a former president of a G-20 country, Francois Hollande, say the Indian government played a role in Dassault's choice of partner?

4. If Dassault added features to its fighters while cutting down the number of jets in the deal to 36 from 126, and it was indeed because of a secrecy clause linked to sweetheart features for India's added security, does that not set a secrecy precedent for any defence deal where any future government can escape the scrutiny of auditors, Parliament or media by citing a secrecy clause? How does that weigh in with a culture of transparency to cut corruption?

I would look for best practices to guide us in these matters. When the government is itself in the dock, it is best to look at global practices to arrive at an idea of fair play because the rule-makers cannot be judged on the basis of their own rules when they are themselves the purchasers.

In 2012, the European Court of Justice in a landmark ruling "significantly restricted the ability of EU governments to use sole-source or negotiated procedures with selected suppliers for purchases of defence and security equipment."

The ECJ ruled that procurement agencies "must" use competitive tendering procedures unless the supplies have been specially designed or modified for military use and the procurement involved an "essential national security interest."

Now, the NDA government is citing both modifications of supplies and essential national security interest among the reasons for the less-than-transparent Rafale deal, but it is pertinent to ask if a government in a democracy that runs under institutional supervision can be its own judge.

The fact of the matter is that "offset" deals forming part of defence purchases to aid local suppliers are a regular part of defence contracts. If the main purchase is an apple, the offset part is an orange. But the key point to note is that both the apple of the fighter jet and the orange of the offset components are paid for by the same taxpayer. If you follow the money, the government of India has both the right and the duty to determine the offset partner. A public purchase cannot be subject to the same rules as a private purchase.

Therefore, a statement by the government made last week that it had no role in Dassault's choice of partner is in itself questionable. In coal linkages for power plants, the NDA government reversed the UPA's policies and set the tone for auctions. In the case of 2G spectrum, the Supreme Court supervised auctions even before the NDA came to power.

Should not the logic that was applied to 2G spectrum and coal applied to defence offsets as well? The Reliance Defence contract falls into the "sole source" category ECJ mentions above and goes against the principle of transparency.&nbsp;

No wonder the Congress has been talking of either a parliamentary probe into the Rafale deal or a Comptroller and Auditor General report.

The Supreme Court is looking into a public interest litigation that is due for hearing on October 10. Don't expect a miracle there, but I do anticipate the honourable judges to ask some sharp questions on transparency -- enough to give the Congress ammunition in an election year. If national interest is monitored solely by a political leadership in power and kept outside other institutions, it does raise hard questions.

However, the fact is that Congress is not overly confident of getting Supreme Court support. A senior Congress source told me it was not keen on the PIL track as it did not "want to lose the narrative." Between the Congress party's 'narrative' and the BJP's 'perception problem' true insights may yet come from the CAG and/or the Supreme Court.

(This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the <a href="http://zeenews.india.com/blogs/not-just-a-perception-problem-rafale-deal-could-set-a-bad-precedent-2143942.html">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Whether it accepts it or not, the furore over the Rafale fighter jet with France's Dassault has become a problem, a big one, for the BJP-led NDA government. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has declared it to be a "perception problem" and in what seems like an eerie coincidence, the name of Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, has cropped up as "one who failed to get a cut" and therefore an interested party in the deal in which Congress president Rahul Gandhi accuses Prime Minister Narendra Modi of dubiously bringing in Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence as Dassault's partner.

Whether it accepts it or not, the furore over the Rafale fighter jet with France's Dassault has become a problem, a big one, for the BJP-led NDA government. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has declared it to be a "perception problem" and in what seems like an eerie coincidence, the name of Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, has cropped up as "one who failed to get a cut" and therefore an interested party in the deal in which Congress president Rahul Gandhi accuses Prime Minister Narendra Modi of dubiously bringing in Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence as Dassault's partner. In this war of mostly noisy and pointless TV news show debates, it has become fashionable to throw cow dung in return for bull droppings. But we must learn to look beyond these to ask some hard questions: 1. Why was the public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) sidestepped by its sole shareholder, the government of India, all of a sudden? 2. Since Anil Ambani publicly announced an Rs 30,000-crore revenue opportunity from the Dassault "offset" partnership, is there not a need to ask how his company there got in the first place without any bidding involved? 3. Why would a former president of a G-20 country, Francois Hollande, say the Indian government played a role in Dassault's choice of partner? 4. If Dassault added features to its fighters while cutting down the number of jets in the deal to 36 from 126, and it was indeed because of a secrecy clause linked to sweetheart features for India's added security, does that not set a secrecy precedent for any defence deal where any future government can escape the scrutiny of auditors, Parliament or media by citing a secrecy clause? How does that weigh in with a culture of transparency to cut corruption? I would look for best practices to guide us in these matters. When the government is itself in the dock, it is best to look at global practices to arrive at an idea of fair play because the rule-makers cannot be judged on the basis of their own rules when they are themselves the purchasers. In 2012, the European Court of Justice in a landmark ruling "significantly restricted the ability of EU governments to use sole-source or negotiated procedures with selected suppliers for purchases of defence and security equipment." The ECJ ruled that procurement agencies "must" use competitive tendering procedures unless the supplies have been specially designed or modified for military use and the procurement involved an "essential national security interest." Now, the NDA government is citing both modifications of supplies and essential national security interest among the reasons for the less-than-transparent Rafale deal, but it is pertinent to ask if a government in a democracy that runs under institutional supervision can be its own judge. The fact of the matter is that "offset" deals forming part of defence purchases to aid local suppliers are a regular part of defence contracts. If the main purchase is an apple, the offset part is an orange. But the key point to note is that both the apple of the fighter jet and the orange of the offset components are paid for by the same taxpayer. If you follow the money, the government of India has both the right and the duty to determine the offset partner. A public purchase cannot be subject to the same rules as a private purchase. Therefore, a statement by the government made last week that it had no role in Dassault's choice of partner is in itself questionable. In coal linkages for power plants, the NDA government reversed the UPA's policies and set the tone for auctions. In the case of 2G spectrum, the Supreme Court supervised auctions even before the NDA came to power. Should not the logic that was applied to 2G spectrum and coal applied to defence offsets as well? The Reliance Defence contract falls into the "sole source" category ECJ mentions above and goes against the principle of transparency. No wonder the Congress has been talking of either a parliamentary probe into the Rafale deal or a Comptroller and Auditor General report. The Supreme Court is looking into a public interest litigation that is due for hearing on October 10. Don't expect a miracle there, but I do anticipate the honourable judges to ask some sharp questions on transparency -- enough to give the Congress ammunition in an election year. If national interest is monitored solely by a political leadership in power and kept outside other institutions, it does raise hard questions. However, the fact is that Congress is not overly confident of getting Supreme Court support. A senior Congress source told me it was not keen on the PIL track as it did not "want to lose the narrative." Between the Congress party's 'narrative' and the BJP's 'perception problem' true insights may yet come from the CAG and/or the Supreme Court. (This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Rafale deal could set a bad precedent

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday called Congress president Rahul Gandhi "irresponsible, liar" over his remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection to the Rafale deal.&nbsp;

"It's a matter of shame for Congress that a person like Rahul Gandhi, who is irresponsible and is a liar, is their president. We can't expect anything else from a leader whose entire family is buried in scams, be it Bofors or National Herald," Prasad noted.

Prasad further added that no national party president, in the history of independent India, had ever used such words for the Prime Minister.&nbsp;

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In the history of independent India, no national party president has ever made such comments about a prime minister. We will expose the Congress party: Union Minister RS Prasad on Rahul Gandhi's comment 'The fun has just begun'. <a href="https://t.co/uIIM6N8WoC">pic.twitter.com/uIIM6N8WoC</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1044480205191086080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"In the history of independent India, no national party president has ever made such comments about a prime minister. We will expose the Congress party," he added.&nbsp;

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that the "<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/fun-has-just-begun-rahul-gandhi-rafale-controversy-167557">fun has just begun</a>" and in coming months his party will expose how every initiative under the Narendra Modi government is an act of theft.

"The man (Prime Minister Modi), who came to remove corruption, has himself given Rs 30,000 crore to Anil Ambani. The fun has just begun, things are set to turn more interesting. In the next 2-3 months, you will have fun after we will show you Narendra Modi's work - Rafale, Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi, Demonetisation, Gabbar Singh Tax. All of it is theft. One by one, we will show that Narendra Modi ji is not a gatekeeper, but a burglar," the Congress chief noted while addressing social media workers of the Congress in Amethi last night.&nbsp;

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday called Congress president Rahul Gandhi "irresponsible, liar" over his remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection to the Rafale deal.

Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Tuesday called Congress president Rahul Gandhi "irresponsible, liar" over his remarks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi in connection to the Rafale deal. "It's a matter of shame for Congress that a person like Rahul Gandhi, who is irresponsible and is a liar, is their president. We can't expect anything else from a leader whose entire family is buried in scams, be it Bofors or National Herald," Prasad noted. Prasad further added that no national party president, in the history of independent India, had ever used such words for the Prime Minister. In the history of independent India, no national party president has ever made such comments about a prime minister. We will expose the Congress party: Union Minister RS Prasad on Rahul Gandhi's comment 'The fun has just begun'. pic.twitter.com/uIIM6N8WoC — ANI (@ANI) September 25, 2018 × "In the history of independent India, no national party president has ever made such comments about a prime minister. We will expose the Congress party," he added. Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that the "fun has just begun" and in coming months his party will expose how every initiative under the Narendra Modi government is an act of theft. "The man (Prime Minister Modi), who came to remove corruption, has himself given Rs 30,000 crore to Anil Ambani. The fun has just begun, things are set to turn more interesting. In the next 2-3 months, you will have fun after we will show you Narendra Modi's work - Rafale, Vijay Mallya, Lalit Modi, Demonetisation, Gabbar Singh Tax. All of it is theft. One by one, we will show that Narendra Modi ji is not a gatekeeper, but a burglar," the Congress chief noted while addressing social media workers of the Congress in Amethi last night.

Ravi Shankar Prasad calls Rahul Gandhi 'irresponsible, liar' over 'fun has just begun' remark

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