In this segment of 'India Election Watch' We Decodes Congress' ISIS-RSS Analogy with Mr. Andrew Whitehead, Former BBC Senior Journalist; Mr. Arun Anand, Senior Journalist & Mr. Lord Meghnad Desai, Author & Professor Emeritus at LSE.

India Election Watch: Congress' ISIS-RSS Analogy with experts

Kolkata Police registers two FIRs against BJP president Amit Shah. The FIRs were registered based on complaints filed by Kolkata students. Watch full video to know more.

General Election 2019: Kolkata Police registers two FIRs against Amit Shah

Kolkata Police registers two FIRs against BJP president Amit Shah. The FIRs were registered based on complaints filed Kolkata students. Watch full video to know more.

Kolkata Police registers two FIRs against BJP president Amit Shah

Look across the political and electoral spectrum in India, and try to identify mass leaders. By definition, they should be strong, stand alone types, capable of rousing people with stirring speeches, which could include filling up New Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, the Marina in Chennai, Azad Park in Mumbai or the numerous grounds that are used for political rallies throughout the land. &nbsp;

It comes as sobering realisation that beyond a clutch of leading politicians –and they can be counted on the fingers –the breed of mass leaders have virtually disappeared in this country.&nbsp;

Outside of Narendra Modi, Mamata Banerjee, Lalu Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav of the old, and Navin Patnaik, there are not many who qualify for this distinction. &nbsp;

To be sure, south India has its quota of mass leaders in Chandrababu Naidu, K Chandrasekar Rao and VS Achuthanandan, who represents the once-hoary Left tradition, but beyond their own bailiffs and states, they rarely so much as venture out even in peak election time.&nbsp;

In other words, the mass leaders of the yesteryears - the Nehrus, Lohias, Vajpayees, the Left stalwarts, MGR and Karunanidhis and several others before them, are now a thing of the past.&nbsp;

It is revealing to ask why it has panned out this way. After all, a vibrant multi-party democracy like India should have been brimming with orators, flamboyant mass leaders and stalwarts who could have generally made a difference. Remember, there are a total of 1,841 parties registered with the Election Commission of India, of which seven are national parties, as many as 52 state parties and incredibly, 1,785 unrecognised parties, making India a democracy without a parallel.&nbsp;

Yet, there are not more than a dozen politicians who can stand up and hold the attention of a million people for an hour, in a country of 900- million plus voters. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The roots of this anomaly lie in the country’s deep-seated feudal politics, never mind the copious lip service to democracy and other such western concepts. &nbsp;

The Congress, which could boast of several mass leaders in the course of the freedom struggle, who could and did sway people towards non-cooperation and other forms of protest against British rule, slowly started to disappear from public life as it gradually settled into the role of the ruling party.

Jawaharlal Nehru’s period was not bereft of such stalwarts. BC Roy in Bengal, Pratap Singh Kairon in Punjab, SK Sinha in Bihar and Gobind Ballabh Pant in UP, were among the leaders who dominated the political spectrum in the provinces, along with several other independence-era stalwarts like Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, CD Deshmukh and Jagjivan Ram, who held fort at the Centre.

The rot can be traced to the Indira Gandhi period in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when every single leader of any consequence, beginning with K Kamaraj, was shafted out of the Congress system and the political networks, quite systematically and ruthlessly.&nbsp;

Things reached such a pass by the late 1970s that there was little scope for any mass leader to have any place in a political system dominated by the Congress. Stalwart chief ministers were replaced by family minions, who had no mass base nor any support among state MLAs, which until then was the principle criterion for selecting chief ministers.&nbsp;

In fact, it became a liability to be a mass leader and an asset to be a political lightweight, as it opened the doors of political office. &nbsp;

Even today, the Congress is paying the price. One of the main reasons for their political decimation is the absence of any popular leader outside of the Gandhi-Nehru family, whose fading aura has coincided with the corresponding rise of the BJP.&nbsp;

The all powerful, overbearing and dominant Congress culture took its toll across the political spectrum. Political parties, as a rule, began to look for ways to whittle down any leader of promise, who could become a potential challenger, making sure that he or she was sent to oblivion.

So by the 1980s and 1990s, the leaders who did manage to build a bridge with the masses, did so by default and through sheer happenstance. Mamata Banerjee, for instance, fought her way up the Youth Congress ladder because she got the opportunities and was willing to take her chances, and not because of any encouragement provided to her from any political quarter. &nbsp;

Similarly, Lalu Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Nitish Kumar found the JP movement in the mid-1970s as their ladder to establish themselves as leaders of consequence. There was no question of anyone encouraging them to reach where they did, except their own reflexes, instincts and guile.&nbsp;

Down south in Tamil Nadu, the likes of MGR, Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha used the powerful Tamil film movement to make their presence felt and gradually but steadily, expanded their mass base.&nbsp;

But having reached the positions that they did, these politicians turned out to be no different. Parties that they headed became family enterprises (save Nitish), where no outsider, let alone a mass leader, was ever going to be encouraged.&nbsp;

Things have remained that way. Why, even today, the country’s most important political entity, the BJP, cannot boast of one single popular national leader outside of Narendra Modi. While the dynamics of a cadre-based party like the BJP or the Left are entirely different, for one reason or the other, they too have failed to produce a leader, whose writ runs large through the length and breadth of the Indian republic.&nbsp;

&nbsp;(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the<a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-only-followers-needed-here-please-2749305"> original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Look across the political and electoral spectrum in India, and try to identify mass leaders. By definition, they should be strong, stand alone types, capable of rousing people with stirring speeches, which could include filling up New Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, the Marina in Chennai, Azad Park in Mumbai or the numerous grounds that are used for political rallies throughout the land.

Look across the political and electoral spectrum in India, and try to identify mass leaders. By definition, they should be strong, stand alone types, capable of rousing people with stirring speeches, which could include filling up New Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, Patna’s Gandhi Maidan, the Marina in Chennai, Azad Park in Mumbai or the numerous grounds that are used for political rallies throughout the land. It comes as sobering realisation that beyond a clutch of leading politicians –and they can be counted on the fingers –the breed of mass leaders have virtually disappeared in this country. Outside of Narendra Modi, Mamata Banerjee, Lalu Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav of the old, and Navin Patnaik, there are not many who qualify for this distinction. To be sure, south India has its quota of mass leaders in Chandrababu Naidu, K Chandrasekar Rao and VS Achuthanandan, who represents the once-hoary Left tradition, but beyond their own bailiffs and states, they rarely so much as venture out even in peak election time. In other words, the mass leaders of the yesteryears - the Nehrus, Lohias, Vajpayees, the Left stalwarts, MGR and Karunanidhis and several others before them, are now a thing of the past. It is revealing to ask why it has panned out this way. After all, a vibrant multi-party democracy like India should have been brimming with orators, flamboyant mass leaders and stalwarts who could have generally made a difference. Remember, there are a total of 1,841 parties registered with the Election Commission of India, of which seven are national parties, as many as 52 state parties and incredibly, 1,785 unrecognised parties, making India a democracy without a parallel. Yet, there are not more than a dozen politicians who can stand up and hold the attention of a million people for an hour, in a country of 900- million plus voters. The roots of this anomaly lie in the country’s deep-seated feudal politics, never mind the copious lip service to democracy and other such western concepts. The Congress, which could boast of several mass leaders in the course of the freedom struggle, who could and did sway people towards non-cooperation and other forms of protest against British rule, slowly started to disappear from public life as it gradually settled into the role of the ruling party. Jawaharlal Nehru’s period was not bereft of such stalwarts. BC Roy in Bengal, Pratap Singh Kairon in Punjab, SK Sinha in Bihar and Gobind Ballabh Pant in UP, were among the leaders who dominated the political spectrum in the provinces, along with several other independence-era stalwarts like Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, CD Deshmukh and Jagjivan Ram, who held fort at the Centre. The rot can be traced to the Indira Gandhi period in the late 1960s and early 1970s, when every single leader of any consequence, beginning with K Kamaraj, was shafted out of the Congress system and the political networks, quite systematically and ruthlessly. Things reached such a pass by the late 1970s that there was little scope for any mass leader to have any place in a political system dominated by the Congress. Stalwart chief ministers were replaced by family minions, who had no mass base nor any support among state MLAs, which until then was the principle criterion for selecting chief ministers. In fact, it became a liability to be a mass leader and an asset to be a political lightweight, as it opened the doors of political office. Even today, the Congress is paying the price. One of the main reasons for their political decimation is the absence of any popular leader outside of the Gandhi-Nehru family, whose fading aura has coincided with the corresponding rise of the BJP. The all powerful, overbearing and dominant Congress culture took its toll across the political spectrum. Political parties, as a rule, began to look for ways to whittle down any leader of promise, who could become a potential challenger, making sure that he or she was sent to oblivion. So by the 1980s and 1990s, the leaders who did manage to build a bridge with the masses, did so by default and through sheer happenstance. Mamata Banerjee, for instance, fought her way up the Youth Congress ladder because she got the opportunities and was willing to take her chances, and not because of any encouragement provided to her from any political quarter. Similarly, Lalu Yadav, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Nitish Kumar found the JP movement in the mid-1970s as their ladder to establish themselves as leaders of consequence. There was no question of anyone encouraging them to reach where they did, except their own reflexes, instincts and guile. Down south in Tamil Nadu, the likes of MGR, Karunanidhi and Jayalalitha used the powerful Tamil film movement to make their presence felt and gradually but steadily, expanded their mass base. But having reached the positions that they did, these politicians turned out to be no different. Parties that they headed became family enterprises (save Nitish), where no outsider, let alone a mass leader, was ever going to be encouraged. Things have remained that way. Why, even today, the country’s most important political entity, the BJP, cannot boast of one single popular national leader outside of Narendra Modi. While the dynamics of a cadre-based party like the BJP or the Left are entirely different, for one reason or the other, they too have failed to produce a leader, whose writ runs large through the length and breadth of the Indian republic. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

India only has a few politicians who can be called mass leaders

Attacking the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/lok-sabha-polls-2019-election-commission-bans-campaigning-in-nine-west-bengal-constituencies-due-to-violence-219027">Election Commission for curtailing the campaigning for the last phase of polls</a> in West Bengal, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee Wednesday said it is an "unprecedented, unconstitutional and unethical gift" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the poll panel.

Banerjee, also the state chief minister, said she had never seen this type of EC which is "full of RSS people".

"There is no such law and order problem in West Bengal that Article 324 can be clamped. It is unprecedented, unconstitutional and unethical. It is actually a gift to Modi and (BJP president) Amit Shah," she claimed in a press conference.

In the first such action in India's electoral history, the EC on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 PM on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers in Kolkata on Tuesday.

The EC invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to curtail the campaigning for the last phase of the election on May 19.

The poll panel also ordered the removal of Principal Secretary (Home) Atri Bhattacharya and Additional Director General, CID, Rajiv Kumar from their postings in West Bengal.

On this, Banerjee said the two officers were removed "not by the EC, but by Modi and Amit Shah".

Kolkata witnessed wide-spread violence during BJP president Amit Shah's massive roadshow in Kolkata. A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised during the violence.&nbsp;

Attacking the Election Commission for curtailing the campaigning for the last phase of polls in West Bengal, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee Wednesday said it is an "unprecedented, unconstitutional and unethical gift" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the poll panel.

Attacking the Election Commission for curtailing the campaigning for the last phase of polls in West Bengal, TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee Wednesday said it is an "unprecedented, unconstitutional and unethical gift" to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the poll panel. Banerjee, also the state chief minister, said she had never seen this type of EC which is "full of RSS people". "There is no such law and order problem in West Bengal that Article 324 can be clamped. It is unprecedented, unconstitutional and unethical. It is actually a gift to Modi and (BJP president) Amit Shah," she claimed in a press conference. In the first such action in India's electoral history, the EC on Wednesday ordered campaigning in nine West Bengal constituencies to end at 10 PM on Thursday, a day before its scheduled deadline, in the wake of violence between BJP and Trinamool Congress workers in Kolkata on Tuesday. The EC invoked Article 324 of the Constitution to curtail the campaigning for the last phase of the election on May 19. The poll panel also ordered the removal of Principal Secretary (Home) Atri Bhattacharya and Additional Director General, CID, Rajiv Kumar from their postings in West Bengal. On this, Banerjee said the two officers were removed "not by the EC, but by Modi and Amit Shah". Kolkata witnessed wide-spread violence during BJP president Amit Shah's massive roadshow in Kolkata. A bust of 19th century Bengali icon Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar was also vandalised during the violence.

No law and order problem in West Bengal that Article 324 can be clamped: Mamata Banerjee

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Wednesday said the BJP has already crossed the majority mark after sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls and appealed to voters in Varanasi&nbsp;to re-elect Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a record margin.

Flagging off a motorcycle rally of women, Swaraj said the "relationship between you and Modi has become more strong...Like a family in the past five years".&nbsp;

"Today I have come as a representative of PM Modi and the NDA government to give details of the work done in various fields," she said and listed the government's performance on national security, economy and external affairs fronts.

She referred to the surgical strike on terror launch pads and air strike in Balakot to highlight the government's success on national security front.

"The Mumbai terror attack was the worst but the UPA government did nothing, whereas the NDA government under PM Modi's leadership retaliated with surgical strikes and air strikes soon after the Pulwama terror attack to give a strong message to Pakistan and also isolated it on international platform...," she said.

Swaraj also highlighted her efforts to help Indians abroad.&nbsp;

She laid emphasis on the success of Bharatiya Pravasi Diwas organised here.

On the economic front, she said the Indian economy has become the sixth largest in the world, whereas during the UPA regime it was counted among the first five fragile economy.&nbsp;

Referring to the late premier Rajiv Gandhi's remark that only 15 paise of every rupee meant for the welfare of downtrodden reaches them, Swaraj said the NDA government has completely ended this "commission system".

She appealed to the voters to ensure Modi's victory with the highest margin in the country.&nbsp;

Varanasi goes to poll in the seventh and last phase on May 19.&nbsp;

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Wednesday said the BJP has already crossed the majority mark after sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls and appealed to voters in Varanasi to re-elect Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a record margin.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj Wednesday said the BJP has already crossed the majority mark after sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls and appealed to voters in Varanasi to re-elect Prime Minister Narendra Modi with a record margin. Flagging off a motorcycle rally of women, Swaraj said the "relationship between you and Modi has become more strong...Like a family in the past five years". "Today I have come as a representative of PM Modi and the NDA government to give details of the work done in various fields," she said and listed the government's performance on national security, economy and external affairs fronts. She referred to the surgical strike on terror launch pads and air strike in Balakot to highlight the government's success on national security front. "The Mumbai terror attack was the worst but the UPA government did nothing, whereas the NDA government under PM Modi's leadership retaliated with surgical strikes and air strikes soon after the Pulwama terror attack to give a strong message to Pakistan and also isolated it on international platform...," she said. Swaraj also highlighted her efforts to help Indians abroad. She laid emphasis on the success of Bharatiya Pravasi Diwas organised here. On the economic front, she said the Indian economy has become the sixth largest in the world, whereas during the UPA regime it was counted among the first five fragile economy. Referring to the late premier Rajiv Gandhi's remark that only 15 paise of every rupee meant for the welfare of downtrodden reaches them, Swaraj said the NDA government has completely ended this "commission system". She appealed to the voters to ensure Modi's victory with the highest margin in the country. Varanasi goes to poll in the seventh and last phase on May 19.

BJP crossed majority mark after sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls: Sushma Swaraj

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday said that the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/opinions/the-curious-case-of-mamata-banerjee-alternative-to-democracy-is-autocracy-218960&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjYuaPI2Z3iAhULr48KHR5vBzYQFjAAegQIAhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw17o3YuTUrN2ZvPhVP9EFP1">Mamata Banerjee</a> government is out to destroy everything in <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/democracy-is-being-murdered-in-west-bengal-devendra-fadnavis-on-clash-during-amit-shah-rally-218855&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjYuaPI2Z3iAhULr48KHR5vBzYQFjAFegQIBRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2QU3A8D0NMvxSP7Ub5Obz2">West Bengal</a> and people's conviction and courage will evict the "torturous rule".

The entire nation had seen (on TV) how the roadshow of BJP president Amit Shah was attacked by the <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/tmc-is-responsible-for-violence-in-west-bengal-during-elections-says-amit-shah-218876&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjYuaPI2Z3iAhULr48KHR5vBzYQFjAHegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0GnQSNDRJ5t_0zsJChCy_E">TMC</a> goons and is anxiously watching the outcome of the poll results in West Bengal, he said.

Shah's roadshow in Kolkata was attacked Tuesday after Banerjee had asserted that <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/videos/bjp-tmc-battle-out-on-the-streets-mamata-banerjee-protests-in-kolkata-219002&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjTmdzw2Z3iAhVUiXAKHZO_Bt84ChAWMAR6BAgBEAI&amp;usg=AOvVaw1O23F4f5TmLs_AC0p5GmhL">TMC will take revenge</a> against BJP, Modi claimed.

"Didi's (Mamata) goons carrying guns and bombs are bent upon destruction ... Her government is out to destroy everything in the state. People's conviction and courage will evict the torturous rule", he told a poll rally at Taki on the Indo-Bangla border in North 24 Parganas district.

"Didi is frightened by the rise of BJP in West Bengal. The people of the state had given respect to here by making her the chief minister. But power-drunk Mamata Banerjee is throttling democracy", Modi said.

Keeping up his attack on Banerjee, Modi said, "You have looted peoples' money in the chit fund scam and when they sought explanations you abused them".

"Democracy has given you the chief minister's chair and you are killing it. The entire country is watching your misdeeds...Didi should not be kept in power. In the last four to five years she has shown her colours", Modi added.

He held Banerjee responsible for destroying the state's culture of 'Bhadra Lok'.

The people of Bengal have made up their mind to end the Banerjee's "despotic rule" he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday said that the Mamata Banerjee government is out to destroy everything in West Bengal and people's conviction and courage will evict the "torturous rule".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday said that the Mamata Banerjee government is out to destroy everything in West Bengal and people's conviction and courage will evict the "torturous rule". The entire nation had seen (on TV) how the roadshow of BJP president Amit Shah was attacked by the TMC goons and is anxiously watching the outcome of the poll results in West Bengal, he said. Shah's roadshow in Kolkata was attacked Tuesday after Banerjee had asserted that TMC will take revenge against BJP, Modi claimed. "Didi's (Mamata) goons carrying guns and bombs are bent upon destruction ... Her government is out to destroy everything in the state. People's conviction and courage will evict the torturous rule", he told a poll rally at Taki on the Indo-Bangla border in North 24 Parganas district. "Didi is frightened by the rise of BJP in West Bengal. The people of the state had given respect to here by making her the chief minister. But power-drunk Mamata Banerjee is throttling democracy", Modi said. Keeping up his attack on Banerjee, Modi said, "You have looted peoples' money in the chit fund scam and when they sought explanations you abused them". "Democracy has given you the chief minister's chair and you are killing it. The entire country is watching your misdeeds...Didi should not be kept in power. In the last four to five years she has shown her colours", Modi added. He held Banerjee responsible for destroying the state's culture of 'Bhadra Lok'. The people of Bengal have made up their mind to end the Banerjee's "despotic rule" he said.

Mamata Banerjee government out to destroy everything in West Bengal: PM Modi

Hitting out at the Congress for promising to abolish sedition law in its poll manifesto, Union minister Rajnath Singh has said the BJP will make it more stringent.

"Congress talks about abolishing sedition law but on coming back to power, the BJP will make it so stringent that no one would dare to act against it," the Home Minister said addressing an election rally at BLJ ground here in favour of alliance partner Apna Dal's Anupriya Patel on Tuesday.

"Our forces finished off terrorists in air strikes after the Pulwama attack but the Congress people are asking for the number of those killed. Braves do not count bodies, vultures do," he said.

On country's economy, he said inflation had been the main electoral issue during polls but not in 2004 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, as it was the management of the two BJP prime ministers (A B Vajpayee and Narendra Modi) who did not allow prices to go out of hands.

Attacking the Congress president, the home minister said Rahul Gandhi is talking about party's proposed 'NYAY' minimum income guarantee scheme, whereas from Jawahar Lal Nehru to Sonia Gandhi, they had been raising the slogan of 'garibi hatao' (eliminating poverty).

On the BSP-SP alliance, he said, the two parties have come together as they are afraid of the popularity of Prime Minister Modi but their alliance will have no impact on the polls.&nbsp;

The BJP leader also offered prayers at the famous Vindhyavasini Devi temple here Wednesday.

Hitting out at the Congress for promising to abolish sedition law in its poll manifesto, Union minister Rajnath Singh has said the BJP will make it more stringent.

Hitting out at the Congress for promising to abolish sedition law in its poll manifesto, Union minister Rajnath Singh has said the BJP will make it more stringent. "Congress talks about abolishing sedition law but on coming back to power, the BJP will make it so stringent that no one would dare to act against it," the Home Minister said addressing an election rally at BLJ ground here in favour of alliance partner Apna Dal's Anupriya Patel on Tuesday. "Our forces finished off terrorists in air strikes after the Pulwama attack but the Congress people are asking for the number of those killed. Braves do not count bodies, vultures do," he said. On country's economy, he said inflation had been the main electoral issue during polls but not in 2004 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections, as it was the management of the two BJP prime ministers (A B Vajpayee and Narendra Modi) who did not allow prices to go out of hands. Attacking the Congress president, the home minister said Rahul Gandhi is talking about party's proposed 'NYAY' minimum income guarantee scheme, whereas from Jawahar Lal Nehru to Sonia Gandhi, they had been raising the slogan of 'garibi hatao' (eliminating poverty). On the BSP-SP alliance, he said, the two parties have come together as they are afraid of the popularity of Prime Minister Modi but their alliance will have no impact on the polls. The BJP leader also offered prayers at the famous Vindhyavasini Devi temple here Wednesday.

Will make sedition law more stringent: Rajnath Singh

The BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit staged a protest here on Wednesday against the alleged attack on party president Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata, terming the incident as "an onslaught on democracy".

Led by BJP leader Ashok Kaul, scores of party workers assembled near the statue of Maharaja Hari Singh at Tawi bridge in the heart of the city and staged a "silent sit-in" protest.

The protesters were carrying placards and banners against the Trinamool Congress government in the state led by Mamata Banerjee.

BJP and TMC supporters Tuesday fought pitched battles on the streets of Kolkata during Shah's roadshow. The BJP chief escaped unhurt, but was forced to cut short the jamboree and had to be escorted to safety by police.

Party leader Yudhvir Sethi alleged that there was "total lawlessness" in West Bengal.

"Sensing defeat in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections... The opposition is hell bent to let the nation burn, so that they can rule according to their own whims and fancies making their riches grow every other day," the BJP leader said.

BJP leader Narinder Singh said, "Mamata Banerjee is frustrated by the BJP's growing base in the region, which forms the basis of her panicked and ugly political moves."&nbsp;

The BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit staged a protest here on Wednesday against the alleged attack on party president Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata, terming the incident as "an onslaught on democracy".

The BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit staged a protest here on Wednesday against the alleged attack on party president Amit Shah's roadshow in Kolkata, terming the incident as "an onslaught on democracy". Led by BJP leader Ashok Kaul, scores of party workers assembled near the statue of Maharaja Hari Singh at Tawi bridge in the heart of the city and staged a "silent sit-in" protest. The protesters were carrying placards and banners against the Trinamool Congress government in the state led by Mamata Banerjee. BJP and TMC supporters Tuesday fought pitched battles on the streets of Kolkata during Shah's roadshow. The BJP chief escaped unhurt, but was forced to cut short the jamboree and had to be escorted to safety by police. Party leader Yudhvir Sethi alleged that there was "total lawlessness" in West Bengal. "Sensing defeat in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections... The opposition is hell bent to let the nation burn, so that they can rule according to their own whims and fancies making their riches grow every other day," the BJP leader said. BJP leader Narinder Singh said, "Mamata Banerjee is frustrated by the BJP's growing base in the region, which forms the basis of her panicked and ugly political moves."

BJP stages protest in Jammu over Kolkata violence

Stepping up his attack on Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday termed AgustaWestland accused Christian Michel "Shakuni Mama" and the "maternal uncle of Rahul.

"Shakuni Mama is a mythological character in Ramayan.

The chief minister also claimed that Rahul goes to Italy whenever there is crisis in the country.

Terming Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra "shehzaadi" (princess), Adityanath advised the brother-sister duo to move to Italy and ask for votes there.

"Whenever there is crisis in the country, Rahul moves to Italy. If Congress` `shehzaadi` (Priyanka) and Rahul have nothing to do with the people of our country, then, they should better move to Italy and ask for votes there," the BJP leader said.

Adityanath, who addressed five rallies back to back on Tuesday, urged people to cast their vote in favour of respective BJP candidates in the remaining last and final phase of general elections. &nbsp;

Talking about incident that took place in Ghazipur on Monday, where SP and BSP workers broke into scuffle, the Chief Minister said, "Yesterday, SP-BSP workers were fighting with each other. The goons of SP were brutally beating the BSP workers.

"Mayawati is sharing the stage with SP leaders only because we have created a safe and secure environment in the state", he claimed.&nbsp;

Adityanath also said that he will visit West Bengal on Wednesday despite "no permission yet" by state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government in the state.

Stepping up his attack on Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday termed AgustaWestland accused Christian Michel "Shakuni Mama" and the "maternal uncle of Rahul.

Stepping up his attack on Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday termed AgustaWestland accused Christian Michel "Shakuni Mama" and the "maternal uncle of Rahul. "Shakuni Mama is a mythological character in Ramayan. The chief minister also claimed that Rahul goes to Italy whenever there is crisis in the country. Terming Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra "shehzaadi" (princess), Adityanath advised the brother-sister duo to move to Italy and ask for votes there. "Whenever there is crisis in the country, Rahul moves to Italy. If Congress` `shehzaadi` (Priyanka) and Rahul have nothing to do with the people of our country, then, they should better move to Italy and ask for votes there," the BJP leader said. Adityanath, who addressed five rallies back to back on Tuesday, urged people to cast their vote in favour of respective BJP candidates in the remaining last and final phase of general elections. Talking about incident that took place in Ghazipur on Monday, where SP and BSP workers broke into scuffle, the Chief Minister said, "Yesterday, SP-BSP workers were fighting with each other. The goons of SP were brutally beating the BSP workers. "Mayawati is sharing the stage with SP leaders only because we have created a safe and secure environment in the state", he claimed. Adityanath also said that he will visit West Bengal on Wednesday despite "no permission yet" by state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee-led government in the state.

Adityanath calls Christian Michel 'shakuni mama' of Rahul Gandhi

In the wake of some incidents of Dalit wedding processions being stopped by some groups in parts of Gujarat recently, the BJP government in the state Wednesday assured to take stern action against such elements.

The Congress, however, said that such "hollow promises" by the government fail to provide "justice" to the Dalits.

Talking to reporters in Gandhinagar, Minister of State for Home, Pradeepsinh Jadeja, accused the Congress of creating a rift between Dalits and other communities.

He was referring to an incident in Lhor village in Mehsana, where some local leaders, including the sarpanch, gave a call of social boycott after a Dalit groom took out his procession riding on a horse two weeks ago.

"The Gujarat government is always with the Dalits. They also have the right to take out wedding processions like others. Our government is also concerned about some recent incidents. I want to assure you that stern action will be taken against those who were behind these incidents," Jadeja said.

"Some people are trying to create a rift between communities for their political gains. In Lhor village, we have already arrested five persons, including the sarpanch, for announcing social boycott of Dalits. Notably, the sarpanch is a Congress supporter. Another accused is a local Congress delegate," the minister added.

Jadeja also urged people from all walks of life to work with the government to establish and preserve social harmony in society.

Slamming the BJP government over this issue, Gujarat Congress in-charge, Rajeev Satav, claimed that the government only gives hollow promises instead of taking action.

"Atrocities on Dalits in Gujarat have increased in recent years. After every incident, the state government gives hollow promises of stern action. However, Dalits never get justice," Satav told reporters.

"This government has failed to maintain law and order. The administration is being run through remote control from Delhi. This is the reason why such atrocities are on the rise," he said.

Meanwhile, BJP's Dalit MLA and film actor, Hitu Kanodia, appealed to the people to treat everyone equally.

"Though this is the 21st century, we are still stuck in such issues. This is matter of shame and pain. We all need to change our mindset to establish harmony and a sense of brotherhood. I request all to treat everyone equally," Kanodia said.

On Sunday, police had to resort to a baton charge after members of the Patidar community allegedly stopped a Dalit man's wedding procession in Aravalli district of Gujarat, and the two sides hurled stones at each other.

In another incident the same day, the wedding procession of a Dalit bridegroom at a village in Sabarkantha district had to be provided police cover after members of the Thakor community objected to the groom offering prayers at a local temple. The procession, however, passed off peacefully, police said.

In the wake of some incidents of Dalit wedding processions being stopped by some groups in parts of Gujarat recently, the BJP government in the state Wednesday assured to take stern action against such elements.

In the wake of some incidents of Dalit wedding processions being stopped by some groups in parts of Gujarat recently, the BJP government in the state Wednesday assured to take stern action against such elements. The Congress, however, said that such "hollow promises" by the government fail to provide "justice" to the Dalits. Talking to reporters in Gandhinagar, Minister of State for Home, Pradeepsinh Jadeja, accused the Congress of creating a rift between Dalits and other communities. He was referring to an incident in Lhor village in Mehsana, where some local leaders, including the sarpanch, gave a call of social boycott after a Dalit groom took out his procession riding on a horse two weeks ago. "The Gujarat government is always with the Dalits. They also have the right to take out wedding processions like others. Our government is also concerned about some recent incidents. I want to assure you that stern action will be taken against those who were behind these incidents," Jadeja said. "Some people are trying to create a rift between communities for their political gains. In Lhor village, we have already arrested five persons, including the sarpanch, for announcing social boycott of Dalits. Notably, the sarpanch is a Congress supporter. Another accused is a local Congress delegate," the minister added. Jadeja also urged people from all walks of life to work with the government to establish and preserve social harmony in society. Slamming the BJP government over this issue, Gujarat Congress in-charge, Rajeev Satav, claimed that the government only gives hollow promises instead of taking action. "Atrocities on Dalits in Gujarat have increased in recent years. After every incident, the state government gives hollow promises of stern action. However, Dalits never get justice," Satav told reporters. "This government has failed to maintain law and order. The administration is being run through remote control from Delhi. This is the reason why such atrocities are on the rise," he said. Meanwhile, BJP's Dalit MLA and film actor, Hitu Kanodia, appealed to the people to treat everyone equally. "Though this is the 21st century, we are still stuck in such issues. This is matter of shame and pain. We all need to change our mindset to establish harmony and a sense of brotherhood. I request all to treat everyone equally," Kanodia said. On Sunday, police had to resort to a baton charge after members of the Patidar community allegedly stopped a Dalit man's wedding procession in Aravalli district of Gujarat, and the two sides hurled stones at each other. In another incident the same day, the wedding procession of a Dalit bridegroom at a village in Sabarkantha district had to be provided police cover after members of the Thakor community objected to the groom offering prayers at a local temple. The procession, however, passed off peacefully, police said.

Gujarat: BJP government promises action over blocking of Dalit wedding processions

The Congress Tuesday condemned the remarks of its leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said appropriate action would be taken against him, even as it accused the PM of lowering the political discourse by using "abusive" language against his rivals. &nbsp; &nbsp;

Aiyar was back in the news on Tuesday with an article justifying his "neech" jibe against Modi two years ago, prompting the BJP to call him "abuser-in-chief" and his party arrogant. Aiyar also called Modi the most "foul-mouthed" prime minister the country has seen.

"We completely reject and condemn the remark of the likes of Mani Shankar Aiyar and every other person who is violating the time-tested principle of self-discipline in political discourse of mutual respect and adherence of ideas and ideology and not to verbal abuse while fighting an election," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said.&nbsp;

"To give due regard even to your worst political enemy as was shown by (Congress president) Rahul Gandhi on the floor of Parliament. And, the BJP and Modiji gives sermons to us on political discourse," he said.

On action against Aiyar, Surjewala said, "We shall at the appropriate forum in the party, will definitely look at it and take appropriate action".

Aiyar was in 2017 suspended from the party when he made the "neech aadmi" remark against Modi ahead of the Gujarat assembly election, but was reinstated later.

Reacting to Aiyar's remarks at a press conference, Surjewala alleged that hatred, violence and abuse is the modus operandi of the BJP and not of the Congress.

"We have seen how in the last five years, including in the current election, rage and revenge has blinded Narendra Modi in using completely unacceptable, downright insulting, abusive language for his political opponents," he said.

The "truth" is that Modi has seriously lowered the prestige of the office of the prime minister in independent India by his choice of words, anger, uncontrollable rage, and by his quest to seek revenge against every opposition leader, particularly Rahul Gandhi and his family, he claimed.

Surjewala also said the Congress would like to seek answers from Modi on the "abuses and insults" to the memory of Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi every other day.

Is the prime minister following a respectable political discourse, he asked.

"When the prime minister uses insulting remarks for (UPA chairperson) Sonia Gandhi in election rallies is that the 'maryada' (decorum) that is followed in our Indian political discourses," he said.

Surjewala accused Modi of lowering the political discourse by describing someone as "a 50-crore girlfriend".

He also hit out at Modi for promoting leaders who abused opposition leaders even describing them as 'Chenghiz Khan ki aulad'.

"The truth is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will go down in history as the only PM who decimated, denigrated and annihilated the prestige of the office of the prime minister he holds, who violated every article of restraint and mutual respect written in the civilization of the country, who chooses verbal abuse as a weapon to silence his critics when he has no answer on jobs on agrarian distress and on a failed economy," he said.

Earlier in the day, Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said his party is not on the back foot regarding Aiyar's remarks. Instead, it should be Modi who should be ashamed for his remarks on former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, he said.

"Mani Shankar Aiyar's remarks are his own as stated by him in his article. His remarks are not shameful and the Congress is neither on the back foot nor ashamed of his remarks. It's the PM who should be ashamed for lowering the dignity of the office he occupies by making disparaging remarks against former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

"The PM should apologise to the country for the abusive language that he has used," Shergill said, referring to Modi recently saying Rajiv Gandhi's life ended as 'Bhrashtachari No 1' (corrupt number 1).&nbsp;

Shergill said more than Aiyar, the media should question Modi and he should apologise for downgrading the system for using a lowly language and inflicting low blows.&nbsp;

"The prime minister is paranoid. Prime minister is in electoral depression. His abusive remarks, lowly remarks not befitting the post of the Prime Minister reflect the defeat which he is going to face on 23 May, 2019," he said.&nbsp;

The Congress Tuesday condemned the remarks of its leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said appropriate action would be taken against him, even as it accused the PM of lowering the political discourse by using "abusive" language against his rivals.

The Congress Tuesday condemned the remarks of its leader Mani Shankar Aiyar on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and said appropriate action would be taken against him, even as it accused the PM of lowering the political discourse by using "abusive" language against his rivals. Aiyar was back in the news on Tuesday with an article justifying his "neech" jibe against Modi two years ago, prompting the BJP to call him "abuser-in-chief" and his party arrogant. Aiyar also called Modi the most "foul-mouthed" prime minister the country has seen. "We completely reject and condemn the remark of the likes of Mani Shankar Aiyar and every other person who is violating the time-tested principle of self-discipline in political discourse of mutual respect and adherence of ideas and ideology and not to verbal abuse while fighting an election," Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said. "To give due regard even to your worst political enemy as was shown by (Congress president) Rahul Gandhi on the floor of Parliament. And, the BJP and Modiji gives sermons to us on political discourse," he said. On action against Aiyar, Surjewala said, "We shall at the appropriate forum in the party, will definitely look at it and take appropriate action". Aiyar was in 2017 suspended from the party when he made the "neech aadmi" remark against Modi ahead of the Gujarat assembly election, but was reinstated later. Reacting to Aiyar's remarks at a press conference, Surjewala alleged that hatred, violence and abuse is the modus operandi of the BJP and not of the Congress. "We have seen how in the last five years, including in the current election, rage and revenge has blinded Narendra Modi in using completely unacceptable, downright insulting, abusive language for his political opponents," he said. The "truth" is that Modi has seriously lowered the prestige of the office of the prime minister in independent India by his choice of words, anger, uncontrollable rage, and by his quest to seek revenge against every opposition leader, particularly Rahul Gandhi and his family, he claimed. Surjewala also said the Congress would like to seek answers from Modi on the "abuses and insults" to the memory of Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi every other day. Is the prime minister following a respectable political discourse, he asked. "When the prime minister uses insulting remarks for (UPA chairperson) Sonia Gandhi in election rallies is that the 'maryada' (decorum) that is followed in our Indian political discourses," he said. Surjewala accused Modi of lowering the political discourse by describing someone as "a 50-crore girlfriend". He also hit out at Modi for promoting leaders who abused opposition leaders even describing them as 'Chenghiz Khan ki aulad'. "The truth is that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will go down in history as the only PM who decimated, denigrated and annihilated the prestige of the office of the prime minister he holds, who violated every article of restraint and mutual respect written in the civilization of the country, who chooses verbal abuse as a weapon to silence his critics when he has no answer on jobs on agrarian distress and on a failed economy," he said. Earlier in the day, Congress spokesperson Jaiveer Shergill said his party is not on the back foot regarding Aiyar's remarks. Instead, it should be Modi who should be ashamed for his remarks on former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, he said. "Mani Shankar Aiyar's remarks are his own as stated by him in his article. His remarks are not shameful and the Congress is neither on the back foot nor ashamed of his remarks. It's the PM who should be ashamed for lowering the dignity of the office he occupies by making disparaging remarks against former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi and former Congress president Sonia Gandhi. "The PM should apologise to the country for the abusive language that he has used," Shergill said, referring to Modi recently saying Rajiv Gandhi's life ended as 'Bhrashtachari No 1' (corrupt number 1). Shergill said more than Aiyar, the media should question Modi and he should apologise for downgrading the system for using a lowly language and inflicting low blows. "The prime minister is paranoid. Prime minister is in electoral depression. His abusive remarks, lowly remarks not befitting the post of the Prime Minister reflect the defeat which he is going to face on 23 May, 2019," he said.

Congress condemns Mani Shankar Aiyar's comments on Modi, slams PM for lowering discourse

The Madurai bench of Madras High Court dismissed public interest litigation filed by KK Ramesh who had sought that the May 19 by-election to Thiruparankundram assembly constituency be cancelled or postponed due to alleged money distribution to voters.

The petitioner who is a resident of Madurai is also contesting as an independent candidate from Thiruparankundram and had stated that the three main parties the AIADMK, DMK and AMMK were distributing Rs 1000 each to voters.

KK Ramesh said that though the independent candidates had complained about money distribution, flying squad officials had not acted upon it.&nbsp;

A bench comprising of Justice J Nisha Banu and Justice M Dhandapani dismissed the petition.&nbsp;

Just a day ahead of the polling day for the parliamentary elections and the 18 assembly seats by-elections, the Madras High Court had rescinded the polls in Vellore Lok Sabha constituency. It was done due to rampant cash seizures in the constituency.&nbsp;

The 38 parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu had gone to the polls along with 18 vacant assembly constituencies. On May 19 four vacant assembly seats would go to the polls along with re-polling in 13 booths across the state, owing to errors in handling the EVMs and VVPAT and clearing their memory after the mock polls.&nbsp;

The Madurai bench of Madras High Court dismissed public interest litigation filed by KK Ramesh who had sought that the May 19 by-election to Thiruparankundram assembly constituency be cancelled or postponed due to alleged money distribution to voters.

The Madurai bench of Madras High Court dismissed public interest litigation filed by KK Ramesh who had sought that the May 19 by-election to Thiruparankundram assembly constituency be cancelled or postponed due to alleged money distribution to voters. The petitioner who is a resident of Madurai is also contesting as an independent candidate from Thiruparankundram and had stated that the three main parties the AIADMK, DMK and AMMK were distributing Rs 1000 each to voters. KK Ramesh said that though the independent candidates had complained about money distribution, flying squad officials had not acted upon it. A bench comprising of Justice J Nisha Banu and Justice M Dhandapani dismissed the petition. Just a day ahead of the polling day for the parliamentary elections and the 18 assembly seats by-elections, the Madras High Court had rescinded the polls in Vellore Lok Sabha constituency. It was done due to rampant cash seizures in the constituency. The 38 parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu had gone to the polls along with 18 vacant assembly constituencies. On May 19 four vacant assembly seats would go to the polls along with re-polling in 13 booths across the state, owing to errors in handling the EVMs and VVPAT and clearing their memory after the mock polls.

Madras High Court rejects PIL seeking cancellation of Thiruparankundram assembly bypolls

Mamata Banerjee is, undoubtedly, a fierce leader who has ruled West Bengal for quite a long time now. She has taken the BJP head-on in this election and has been instrumental in uniting all like-minded Opposition parties to take on the Saffron party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

However, her dominance&nbsp;has done evident harm to the prospects of 'Mahagathbandhan'.&nbsp;Didi&nbsp;is considered to be the main reason behind Congress president Rahul Gandhi not being declared the prime ministerial candidate of the united opposition despite approvals from several leaders. She wants to be in the driver seat herself.

Mamata doesn't mince words while attacking the ruling party and its leaders. The friction between Didi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has escalated this election. She declared that TMC will lead in throwing out the NDA government from power and forming the new government at the Centre.

She termed Modi as 'dictator' and 'expiry PM'. The West Bengal chief minister, who accuses the Modi government of being fascist in nature, used her power to get a 25-year-oldBJP activist&nbsp;arrested for posting a meme on her.

The meme was harmless and funny that showed Mamata Banerjee's face fixed on Priyanka Chopra picture from the Met Gala event. Legal experts say neither the meme was obscene nor explicit in nature. Priyanka Sharma's counsel Neeraj Kishen Paul pointed out, and rightly so, that meme is a form of “evolving caricature, humour and political satire”.

The Supreme Court granted bail to BJP worker Priyanka Sharma on Tuesday. However, the activist was forced to stay in the custody despite having bail been granted 18 hours earlier. Following the delay in her release, the top court on Wednesday termed the activist's arrest as "Prima facie arbitrary” and censured the West Bengal government and the police.

After her release, Priyanka told the media persons that she was forced to sign an apology by the police, saying that she won't post such memes again.

The clampdown on voices critical of the West Bengal government is not new.&nbsp;

In March, the chief minister faced backlash after a political satire was withdrawn from theatres by the state government. The movie was slightly critical of Mamata. The Supreme Court had to intervene in that matter and direct the state government to ensure a smooth run of the movie 'Bhobishyoter Bhoot' across the state. The top court also imposed a fine of Rs 20 lakh on the state government.

In 2012, a professor of Javadpur University, Professor Mahapatra and his neighbour, were arrested for posting on social media a cartoon of Mamata Banerjee. The professor was also assaulted allegedly by TMC workers.

It's hypocritical of the West Bengal chief minister to portray herself as an ambassador of 'free speech' and accuse&nbsp;the BJP of being fascist when she herself gets people arrested over cartoons and memes.

Cartoons and movies are a medium of expression in a democracy which Mamata Banerjee is yet to understand. TMC's crackdown on freedom speech is, indeed, alarming. Didi may disagree but can't be autocratic.

 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

Mamata Banerjee is, undoubtedly, a fierce leader who has ruled West Bengal for quite a long time now. She has taken the BJP head-on in this election and has been instrumental in uniting all like-minded Opposition parties to take on the Saffron party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Mamata Banerjee is, undoubtedly, a fierce leader who has ruled West Bengal for quite a long time now. She has taken the BJP head-on in this election and has been instrumental in uniting all like-minded Opposition parties to take on the Saffron party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, her dominance has done evident harm to the prospects of 'Mahagathbandhan'. Didi is considered to be the main reason behind Congress president Rahul Gandhi not being declared the prime ministerial candidate of the united opposition despite approvals from several leaders. She wants to be in the driver seat herself. Mamata doesn't mince words while attacking the ruling party and its leaders. The friction between Didi and Prime Minister Narendra Modi has escalated this election. She declared that TMC will lead in throwing out the NDA government from power and forming the new government at the Centre. She termed Modi as 'dictator' and 'expiry PM'. The West Bengal chief minister, who accuses the Modi government of being fascist in nature, used her power to get a 25-year-oldBJP activist arrested for posting a meme on her. The meme was harmless and funny that showed Mamata Banerjee's face fixed on Priyanka Chopra picture from the Met Gala event. Legal experts say neither the meme was obscene nor explicit in nature. Priyanka Sharma's counsel Neeraj Kishen Paul pointed out, and rightly so, that meme is a form of “evolving caricature, humour and political satire”. The Supreme Court granted bail to BJP worker Priyanka Sharma on Tuesday. However, the activist was forced to stay in the custody despite having bail been granted 18 hours earlier. Following the delay in her release, the top court on Wednesday termed the activist's arrest as "Prima facie arbitrary” and censured the West Bengal government and the police. After her release, Priyanka told the media persons that she was forced to sign an apology by the police, saying that she won't post such memes again. The clampdown on voices critical of the West Bengal government is not new. In March, the chief minister faced backlash after a political satire was withdrawn from theatres by the state government. The movie was slightly critical of Mamata. The Supreme Court had to intervene in that matter and direct the state government to ensure a smooth run of the movie 'Bhobishyoter Bhoot' across the state. The top court also imposed a fine of Rs 20 lakh on the state government. In 2012, a professor of Javadpur University, Professor Mahapatra and his neighbour, were arrested for posting on social media a cartoon of Mamata Banerjee. The professor was also assaulted allegedly by TMC workers. It's hypocritical of the West Bengal chief minister to portray herself as an ambassador of 'free speech' and accuse the BJP of being fascist when she herself gets people arrested over cartoons and memes. Cartoons and movies are a medium of expression in a democracy which Mamata Banerjee is yet to understand. TMC's crackdown on freedom speech is, indeed, alarming. Didi may disagree but can't be autocratic. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Mamata Banerjee meme row: The alternative to democracy is autocracy

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/adityanath-calls-christian-michel-shakuni-mama-of-rahul-gandhi-218828&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiBsevUq53iAhWBpY8KHS_3A5gQFjAAegQICBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0v8WzaRPu0kSOpYQpidYtj">Yogi Adityanath</a> on Wednesday slammed <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/supreme-court-directs-priyanka-sharma-to-apologise-mamata-banerjee-says-we-can-grant-bail-but-she-has-to-apologise-218593&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwijydqPrJ3iAhUjTI8KHZC9CE4QFjAAegQIABAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw12vIxVG2FurnniC3k1oNJq">West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee</a> for allegedly fanning violence during Amit Shah's roadshow on Tuesday, saying it 'was a murder of democracy.'

"It was a murder of democracy. This move by goons will end the TMC government in the state. In a few days, TMC goons will be searching for shelters to hide their faces. Mamata Banerjee is frustrated which is why she is taking such steps," he said addressing a public rally in Barasat.

He also alleged that the Chief Minister is trying to block the term 'Ram'&nbsp;in the state and added, "She is emboldening goons."

Yogi also rakes up the ban imposed on Durga Puja by the government last year saying, while the whole nation observed Durga Puja and Muharram together, as their dates had clashed, only West Bengal government banned the celebration of Durga Puja.

"The whole country including Uttar Pradesh observed Durga pooja and Muharram together. No violence took place in my state as I had given prior warning to people. Why could not West Bengal do the same? TMC government here is very undemocratic. I am sure that after May 23, a nationalist government will be formed and will rule West Bengal," he said.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/yogi-adityanath-likens-akhilesh-to-aurangzeb-says-dethroned-his-father-217780&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwigrof9q53iAhVBbn0KHR9gDbMQFjADegQIDxAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw3PFhn-2chSm-9R2fVTa6Sj">The Uttar Pradesh CM</a> ended his speech shouting the slogan 'Pura Bharat Dol Raha Hain, Modi Modi Bol Raha Hain', indicating that his political quarter will sweep the ongoing Lok Sabha polls.

<a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/unfortunate-congress-is-contesting-polls-only-to-cut-bjps-vote-share-adityanath-218507&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiBsevUq53iAhWBpY8KHS_3A5gQFjAHegQICRAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0xIbi76PGTIWq-r9I0yu0B">Adityanath's </a>statement came just days before nine seats are scheduled to go to polls in West Bengal on May 19.

The counting of votes will take place on May 23.&nbsp;

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly fanning violence during Amit Shah's roadshow on Tuesday, saying it 'was a murder of democracy.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday slammed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for allegedly fanning violence during Amit Shah's roadshow on Tuesday, saying it 'was a murder of democracy.' "It was a murder of democracy. This move by goons will end the TMC government in the state. In a few days, TMC goons will be searching for shelters to hide their faces. Mamata Banerjee is frustrated which is why she is taking such steps," he said addressing a public rally in Barasat. He also alleged that the Chief Minister is trying to block the term 'Ram' in the state and added, "She is emboldening goons." Yogi also rakes up the ban imposed on Durga Puja by the government last year saying, while the whole nation observed Durga Puja and Muharram together, as their dates had clashed, only West Bengal government banned the celebration of Durga Puja. "The whole country including Uttar Pradesh observed Durga pooja and Muharram together. No violence took place in my state as I had given prior warning to people. Why could not West Bengal do the same? TMC government here is very undemocratic. I am sure that after May 23, a nationalist government will be formed and will rule West Bengal," he said. The Uttar Pradesh CM ended his speech shouting the slogan 'Pura Bharat Dol Raha Hain, Modi Modi Bol Raha Hain', indicating that his political quarter will sweep the ongoing Lok Sabha polls. Adityanath's statement came just days before nine seats are scheduled to go to polls in West Bengal on May 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.

TMC undemocratic; nationalist government will rule West Bengal after May 23: Adityanath

TMC leader Derek O’Brien briefed the media over the violence that broke out in Kolkata during Amit Shah’s rally. Watch full video to know more.

TMC Leader Derek O' Brien slams BJP after BJP-TMC clashes during Amit Shah's Kolkata rally

Though all of India is waiting to see who wins the ongoing 2019 Lok Sabha elections, or better still, who will form the next government, it is pretty certain to me that whoever wins will have a challenge on hands to run the administration, because the economy is in a strange shape.

It is fashionable for any new government to blame its predecessor and also try to come out with new policies, and we saw a lot of it when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's NDA government did and said things that fixed responsibility on the previous UPA rule. It is true that the BJP-led government ended what was perceived to be a policy paralysis on several fronts and took measures to revive the power sector, fix a controversial spectrum allocation scheme in telecommunications and did a lot to make investing in India easier. Steps like the MUDRA loan scheme for entrepreneurs and brand-name schemes like Digital India and Startup India gave (at least in the eyes of the government itself) a fancy packaging edge to the economy.

But then, I ask myself, what if Modi leads the new government formed over the next few weeks? My view is that this time, it would be difficult for him to go back seven years or 70 to buy himself more time. Democracy works on the principle that if you have five years to rule, you do your best in those five years in a manner that those who voted for you get a good enough impression to elect you for another five. In the case of Modi, given his decisive steps on several fronts and his incredible capacity to articulate things, where he seemed to lack in the outcome, he made up in persuasion to buy more time. However, a second chance in politics is like a second inning. It gives elbow room to score runs but getting a second chance on a second chance is no option.

The strange thing about the Indian economy now is that there are two narratives that do not seem to intersect. One is that of investors, industries and infrastructure seekers. The other is of farmers and job seekers. To please the former you need good, clean policies and spending to boost the things that help industries. However, there is no guarantee that the investment that flows in generates jobs for tens of millions of youths in the short run. Any government that comes to power will have to make its choice carefully.

The Modi government reined in the fiscal deficit, but Rahul Gandhi-led Congress has made a big deal out of a shortage of jobs, an agrarian crisis and the goods and services tax (GST). Demonetisation of high-value notes by Modi has not really yielded fruits. All this leaves a big challenge to him if he gets re-elected. His current campaign has focused primarily on his being the leading "Chowkidar" of the nation with the Balakot air strikes and decisive promises to check terrorism. But, with 125 crore people in the world's fastest-growing major economy, the focus has to come back to investment, inflation management and jobs.

There is a controversy now that GDP growth may have been slower than estimated in recent years because the government's data estimates took into account a large chunk of shell companies that showed no real activity. Meanwhile, the NDA government's plan to introduce the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code has run into rough weather. What this means is that it is taking longer for banks to get money out of companies that need to pay them back. The Supreme Court has got involved in the matter, adding obstacles in the administrative process. Indian businessmen love to fight in courts and particularly fight the government. Groups with state blessings, such as IL&amp;FS are in deep trouble, while a slew of brand name companies are in various states of crisis, such as Essar Steel, builder groups Jaypee and Amrapali, and, of course, the high-profile Jet Airways. These names are only symbolic of a deeper crisis in the economy in which too many people took too big bets on money taken from state-run banks in a manner that hurt both growth and jobs.

India's economic growth slowed down in 2018-19 due to declining growth in private consumption, slow growth in fixed investment, and muted exports. This happened even as agriculture suffered. Unemployment, meanwhile rose to 7.6 &nbsp;per cent in April, up from 6.7 per cent in March.&nbsp;

Loans that either did not yield interest or not paid back, called non-performing assets (NPAs), added up to more than Rs 10 lakh crore at the end of March. As much as 86 per cent of this was in public sector banks.

The next government needs to spend more taxpayer money to revive its banks so they can lend to help industries and agriculture. But fiscal deficit ran out of control this year after what seemed like a fine period of fiscal consolidation. Fiscal deficit crossed 134 per cent of the government's budget estimate for 2018/19 by the end of February, against 120 per cent a year earlier and the Centre upped its fiscal deficit target to 3.4 per cent from 3.3 per cent.

If Congress comes anywhere near power - either as the leader of a coalition or as part of it - it has to deliver on agriculture and jobs, and that requires fiscal spending muscle. If Modi comes back to power, he has to revive banking and industry and hope that translates into well-being for common Indians in rural areas.&nbsp;

While all that happens, China is having a trade war with the US, which is also pressuring India to follow its sanctions on Iranian oil, which is key for India. The US has prohibited India from importing oil from Iran after the waiver for India ran out on May 1.

Neither the fiscal situation nor the international trade environment is easy for the next government -- whoever that is. As they say in cricket, it would be a tough wicket to bat on, especially for any government that wants to keep both farmers and unemployed youths happy.

&nbsp;(This article was originally published on The ZeeNews. Read the <a href="https://zeenews.india.com/blogs/paisa-paisa-paisa-whoever-wins-the-2019-lok-sabha-elections-the-economy-will-be-their-biggest-challenge-2203594.html">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Though all of India is waiting to see who wins the ongoing 2019 Lok Sabha elections, or better still, who will form the next government, it is pretty certain to me that whoever wins will have a challenge on hands to run the administration, because the economy is in a strange shape.

Though all of India is waiting to see who wins the ongoing 2019 Lok Sabha elections, or better still, who will form the next government, it is pretty certain to me that whoever wins will have a challenge on hands to run the administration, because the economy is in a strange shape. It is fashionable for any new government to blame its predecessor and also try to come out with new policies, and we saw a lot of it when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's NDA government did and said things that fixed responsibility on the previous UPA rule. It is true that the BJP-led government ended what was perceived to be a policy paralysis on several fronts and took measures to revive the power sector, fix a controversial spectrum allocation scheme in telecommunications and did a lot to make investing in India easier. Steps like the MUDRA loan scheme for entrepreneurs and brand-name schemes like Digital India and Startup India gave (at least in the eyes of the government itself) a fancy packaging edge to the economy. But then, I ask myself, what if Modi leads the new government formed over the next few weeks? My view is that this time, it would be difficult for him to go back seven years or 70 to buy himself more time. Democracy works on the principle that if you have five years to rule, you do your best in those five years in a manner that those who voted for you get a good enough impression to elect you for another five. In the case of Modi, given his decisive steps on several fronts and his incredible capacity to articulate things, where he seemed to lack in the outcome, he made up in persuasion to buy more time. However, a second chance in politics is like a second inning. It gives elbow room to score runs but getting a second chance on a second chance is no option. The strange thing about the Indian economy now is that there are two narratives that do not seem to intersect. One is that of investors, industries and infrastructure seekers. The other is of farmers and job seekers. To please the former you need good, clean policies and spending to boost the things that help industries. However, there is no guarantee that the investment that flows in generates jobs for tens of millions of youths in the short run. Any government that comes to power will have to make its choice carefully. The Modi government reined in the fiscal deficit, but Rahul Gandhi-led Congress has made a big deal out of a shortage of jobs, an agrarian crisis and the goods and services tax (GST). Demonetisation of high-value notes by Modi has not really yielded fruits. All this leaves a big challenge to him if he gets re-elected. His current campaign has focused primarily on his being the leading "Chowkidar" of the nation with the Balakot air strikes and decisive promises to check terrorism. But, with 125 crore people in the world's fastest-growing major economy, the focus has to come back to investment, inflation management and jobs. There is a controversy now that GDP growth may have been slower than estimated in recent years because the government's data estimates took into account a large chunk of shell companies that showed no real activity. Meanwhile, the NDA government's plan to introduce the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code has run into rough weather. What this means is that it is taking longer for banks to get money out of companies that need to pay them back. The Supreme Court has got involved in the matter, adding obstacles in the administrative process. Indian businessmen love to fight in courts and particularly fight the government. Groups with state blessings, such as IL&FS are in deep trouble, while a slew of brand name companies are in various states of crisis, such as Essar Steel, builder groups Jaypee and Amrapali, and, of course, the high-profile Jet Airways. These names are only symbolic of a deeper crisis in the economy in which too many people took too big bets on money taken from state-run banks in a manner that hurt both growth and jobs. India's economic growth slowed down in 2018-19 due to declining growth in private consumption, slow growth in fixed investment, and muted exports. This happened even as agriculture suffered. Unemployment, meanwhile rose to 7.6 per cent in April, up from 6.7 per cent in March. Loans that either did not yield interest or not paid back, called non-performing assets (NPAs), added up to more than Rs 10 lakh crore at the end of March. As much as 86 per cent of this was in public sector banks. The next government needs to spend more taxpayer money to revive its banks so they can lend to help industries and agriculture. But fiscal deficit ran out of control this year after what seemed like a fine period of fiscal consolidation. Fiscal deficit crossed 134 per cent of the government's budget estimate for 2018/19 by the end of February, against 120 per cent a year earlier and the Centre upped its fiscal deficit target to 3.4 per cent from 3.3 per cent. If Congress comes anywhere near power - either as the leader of a coalition or as part of it - it has to deliver on agriculture and jobs, and that requires fiscal spending muscle. If Modi comes back to power, he has to revive banking and industry and hope that translates into well-being for common Indians in rural areas. While all that happens, China is having a trade war with the US, which is also pressuring India to follow its sanctions on Iranian oil, which is key for India. The US has prohibited India from importing oil from Iran after the waiver for India ran out on May 1. Neither the fiscal situation nor the international trade environment is easy for the next government -- whoever that is. As they say in cricket, it would be a tough wicket to bat on, especially for any government that wants to keep both farmers and unemployed youths happy. (This article was originally published on The ZeeNews. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Whoever wins the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the economy will be their biggest challenge

Asserting that the Congress will be losing the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday claimed that the party has fielded "two batsmen" to defend the "naamdar" (dynast).

In a veiled dig at Congress leaders Mani Shankar Aiyar and Sam Pitroda, Modi said they were tasked by the party to take the responsibility for the poor poll show.

"One says 'hua to hua' ( it happened, so what) on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots while the other, who has been behind curtains after abusing me during the Gujarat elections, is again attacking me," the prime minister said.

While Pitroda faced the wrath of Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his remarks, Aiyar in an article raked up his controversial "neech" remark against Modi, saying his comments turned out to be prophetic.

The prime minister has often targeted Gandhi, calling him "naamdar".

Attacking the Congress leadership, Modi said, "What the rule by one family could not do in 55 years, the BJP-led government did in 55 months.

"The country has seen development and there has not been a single taint on the government. When I say this from Babadham (temple town of Deoghar) I feel proud that the people have given me the responsibility to head an honest government."

Two-time BJP MP Nishikant Dubey is contesting from Godda Lok Sabha seat, under which the temple town of Deoghar falls, and facing Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) candidate Pradip Yadav, who is backed by the opposition grand alliance.

Godda, Dumka (ST) and Rajmahal (ST) will be voting in the last phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 19.&nbsp;

Asserting that the Congress will be losing the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday claimed that the party has fielded "two batsmen" to defend the "naamdar" (dynast).

Asserting that the Congress will be losing the Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi Wednesday claimed that the party has fielded "two batsmen" to defend the "naamdar" (dynast). In a veiled dig at Congress leaders Mani Shankar Aiyar and Sam Pitroda, Modi said they were tasked by the party to take the responsibility for the poor poll show. "One says 'hua to hua' ( it happened, so what) on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots while the other, who has been behind curtains after abusing me during the Gujarat elections, is again attacking me," the prime minister said. While Pitroda faced the wrath of Congress president Rahul Gandhi for his remarks, Aiyar in an article raked up his controversial "neech" remark against Modi, saying his comments turned out to be prophetic. The prime minister has often targeted Gandhi, calling him "naamdar". Attacking the Congress leadership, Modi said, "What the rule by one family could not do in 55 years, the BJP-led government did in 55 months. "The country has seen development and there has not been a single taint on the government. When I say this from Babadham (temple town of Deoghar) I feel proud that the people have given me the responsibility to head an honest government." Two-time BJP MP Nishikant Dubey is contesting from Godda Lok Sabha seat, under which the temple town of Deoghar falls, and facing Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) candidate Pradip Yadav, who is backed by the opposition grand alliance. Godda, Dumka (ST) and Rajmahal (ST) will be voting in the last phase of the Lok Sabha polls on May 19.

Congress has fielded two batsmen to take blame for poll defeat: PM Modi

Let's now take a look as to what exactly happened in Kolkata on Tuesday evening at Amit Shah's rally. Watch full video to know more.

What exactly happened in Kolkata on Tuesday evening at Amit Shah's rally

Election Commission will hold a meeting with West Bengal observers on poll violence in the state at 11.30 am today via video conferencing.

This comes a day after clashes broke at the mega roadshow of BJP president Amit Shah in Kolkata resulting in utter chaos after sticks were hurled at his convoy and police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.

Clashes reportedly broke out on Tuesday after some miscreants started throwing sticks at the convoy in which Shah was travelling in.

The incident took place on College Street when allegedly some TMC supporters began sloganeering and the furious BJP supporters responded by pelting stones and sticks at the University gates, resulting in chaos and mayhem.

Since the Lok Sabha polls began on April 10, BJP and TMC have been at loggerhead in West Bengal.

Voting for nine seats in the state will be held in the seventh and final phase of the general election on May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.

Election Commission will hold a meeting with West Bengal observers on poll violence in the state at 11.30 am today via video conferencing. This comes a day after clashes broke at the mega roadshow of BJP president Amit Shah in Kolkata resulting in utter chaos after sticks were hurled at his convoy and police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd.

Election Commission will hold a meeting with West Bengal observers on poll violence in the state at 11.30 am today via video conferencing. This comes a day after clashes broke at the mega roadshow of BJP president Amit Shah in Kolkata resulting in utter chaos after sticks were hurled at his convoy and police resorted to lathi-charge to disperse the crowd. Clashes reportedly broke out on Tuesday after some miscreants started throwing sticks at the convoy in which Shah was travelling in. The incident took place on College Street when allegedly some TMC supporters began sloganeering and the furious BJP supporters responded by pelting stones and sticks at the University gates, resulting in chaos and mayhem. Since the Lok Sabha polls began on April 10, BJP and TMC have been at loggerhead in West Bengal. Voting for nine seats in the state will be held in the seventh and final phase of the general election on May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.

Election Commission to hold meeting with West Bengal observers on poll violence today

BJP President Amit Shah has accused TMC of triggering violence in West Bengal. Watch full video to know more.

Amit Shah accuse TMC of triggering violence in West Bengal

In this video of WION, watch top political news of this hour. Watch full video to know more.

India Election Watch: EC orders fresh polling in 10 districts of Odisha

The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted conditional bail to West Bengal BJP functionary Priyanka Sharma who was arrested on May 10 for allegedly posting a morphed picture of state Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Facebook. The court has asked her to apologise.

Supreme Court grants bail to Priyanka Sharma after her apology for Mamata Banerjee meme

In this segment of 'India Election Watch' We Decodes Mani Shankar Aiyar's 'Low-Life' Comment justification on PM Modi with Mr. Andrew Whitehead, Former BBC Senior Journalist; Mr. Arun Anand, Senior Journalist & Mr. Lord Meghnad Desai, Author & Professor Emeritus at LSE.

India Election Watch: Decodes Aiyar's 'Low-Life' Comment justification on PM Modi with experts

Kamal Hasan stated that Nathuram Godse was the India's first Hindu terrorist. After that Congress leader KS Alagiri defends Kamal Haasan's remarks saying He is agree with him 1000%. Watch to know more.

India Election Watch: Does Terrorism Have A Religion?

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his comment that the Indian Air Force carried out the Balakot airstrikes despite cloudy weather because it would have helped the fighter jets evade Pakistan radars.

India Election Watch: Rahul Gandhi taunts PM Modi

In this segment of India Election Watch, Watch how Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar justifies 'Low-Life'comment.

India Election Watch: Mani Shankar Aiyar justifies 'Low-Life' comment

Rally roster of top leaders for May 14, 2019. Watch video to know more.

India Election Watch: Rally roster of top leaders for May 14, 2019

Today BJP President leads a mega roadshow in Kolkata. Before Roadshow posters of Amit shah or BJP were removed by the TMC Supporters. Watch this video to know more.

India Election Watch: PM Modi's dare to opposition

Better employment opportunities, healthcare and drinking water were the top three issues on which voters want the government of the day to work on, a national survey conducted by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has claimed.

As per the survey, conducted between October and December in 2018, the performance of the government has been rated "below-average", Jagdeep Chhokar, founder member, National Election Watch, ADR, told reporters on Monday.

Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/2019-lok-sabha-witnesses-an-increase-in-criminal-and-crorepati-candidates-218555">2019 Lok Sabha polls witness an increase in criminal and crorepati candidates</a>

The survey covered 534 Lok Sabha constituencies with 2,73,487 voters participating in the exercise.

It was spread across various demographics such as voters' priorities on specific governance issues; voters' ratings of the government's performance on those issues, and factors affecting voting behaviour.

When asked if national security was one of the issues listed in the survey, Chhokar said, "terrorism was one of the 31 listed issues, and it figured on the 30th position in the survey".

Better employment opportunities figured as the highest priority among voters (46.80 per cent), followed by better healthcare (34.60 per cent) and drinking water (30.50 per cent), better roads (28.34 per cent) and better public transport (27.35 per cent), as per the national survey.

Chhokar claimed that as per the report, the performance of the government, measured on a scale of 1 to 5, was rated "below average" on top 10 governance issues.

He said as the survey was conducted last year, "Balakot airstrike, national security issue was not included in the list".

"It is important to note that agriculture-related governance issues featured predominantly in the top 10 list of voters' priorities, availability of water for agriculture (26.40 per cent) that was ranked sixth, agriculture loan availability (25.62 per cent) at seventh, higher price realisation for farm products (25.41 per cent) at eighth, and agriculture subsidy for seeds/fertilisers (25.06 per cent) at ninth," he said.

&nbsp;

Better employment opportunities, healthcare and drinking water were the top three issues on which voters want the government of the day to work on, a national survey conducted by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has claimed.

Better employment opportunities, healthcare and drinking water were the top three issues on which voters want the government of the day to work on, a national survey conducted by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) has claimed. As per the survey, conducted between October and December in 2018, the performance of the government has been rated "below-average", Jagdeep Chhokar, founder member, National Election Watch, ADR, told reporters on Monday. Also read: 2019 Lok Sabha polls witness an increase in criminal and crorepati candidates The survey covered 534 Lok Sabha constituencies with 2,73,487 voters participating in the exercise. It was spread across various demographics such as voters' priorities on specific governance issues; voters' ratings of the government's performance on those issues, and factors affecting voting behaviour. When asked if national security was one of the issues listed in the survey, Chhokar said, "terrorism was one of the 31 listed issues, and it figured on the 30th position in the survey". Better employment opportunities figured as the highest priority among voters (46.80 per cent), followed by better healthcare (34.60 per cent) and drinking water (30.50 per cent), better roads (28.34 per cent) and better public transport (27.35 per cent), as per the national survey. Chhokar claimed that as per the report, the performance of the government, measured on a scale of 1 to 5, was rated "below average" on top 10 governance issues. He said as the survey was conducted last year, "Balakot airstrike, national security issue was not included in the list". "It is important to note that agriculture-related governance issues featured predominantly in the top 10 list of voters' priorities, availability of water for agriculture (26.40 per cent) that was ranked sixth, agriculture loan availability (25.62 per cent) at seventh, higher price realisation for farm products (25.41 per cent) at eighth, and agriculture subsidy for seeds/fertilisers (25.06 per cent) at ninth," he said.

2019 Lok Sabha polls: Employment opportunities top list of voters' priorities, says ADR report

A complaint was Tuesday filed before a court&nbsp;seeking prosecution of actor-politician Kamal Haasan for his controversial statement on Nathuram Godse.

The matter is likely to be listed before a Metropolitan Magistrate on May 16.

The complainant has sought Haasan's prosecution for alleged offences punishable under Indian Penal Code sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, language etc) and 295-A (outrage religious feelings by insulting religion etc).

The offences are punishable with imprisonment of three-year jail term or fine, or both.&nbsp;

The complaint was filed by Vishnu Gupta who claimed to be the president of an organisation Hindu Sena.&nbsp;

Haasan "deliberately and maliciously" made "absolutely derogatory comments to outrage religious feelings of Hindus by associating terrorism with the Hindu religion", he alleged.

The comment was made with the sole intention "to promote enmity between Hindus and Muslims, and outrage religious feelings and religious beliefs of Hindus, along with that of the complainant", Gupta claimed in his complaint.

It was alleged in the complaint that the comment made by Haasan was "grossly offensive and deliberately intended to outrage the feelings of Hindus".

The petition said he had made the comment while speaking at an election rally for his party candidate in the Aravakurichi assembly constituency, where bypolls will be held on May 19.&nbsp;

A complaint was Tuesday filed before a court seeking prosecution of actor-politician Kamal Haasan for his controversial statement on Nathuram Godse. The matter is likely to be listed before a Metropolitan Magistrate on May 16.

A complaint was Tuesday filed before a court seeking prosecution of actor-politician Kamal Haasan for his controversial statement on Nathuram Godse. The matter is likely to be listed before a Metropolitan Magistrate on May 16. The complainant has sought Haasan's prosecution for alleged offences punishable under Indian Penal Code sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on ground of religion, race, language etc) and 295-A (outrage religious feelings by insulting religion etc). The offences are punishable with imprisonment of three-year jail term or fine, or both. The complaint was filed by Vishnu Gupta who claimed to be the president of an organisation Hindu Sena. Haasan "deliberately and maliciously" made "absolutely derogatory comments to outrage religious feelings of Hindus by associating terrorism with the Hindu religion", he alleged. The comment was made with the sole intention "to promote enmity between Hindus and Muslims, and outrage religious feelings and religious beliefs of Hindus, along with that of the complainant", Gupta claimed in his complaint. It was alleged in the complaint that the comment made by Haasan was "grossly offensive and deliberately intended to outrage the feelings of Hindus". The petition said he had made the comment while speaking at an election rally for his party candidate in the Aravakurichi assembly constituency, where bypolls will be held on May 19.

Complaint filed against Kamal Haasan over Godse remark