E-Paper
Akhilesh Yadav’s rallies draw big crowds; Stalin hits out at Modi
Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi left a rally last week in Prayagraj without addressing it after their supporters rushed to the dais
Former Uttar Pradesh chief minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Akhilesh Yadav’s rallies are drawing massive crowds. Last week, Yadav and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi left a rally in Prayagraj without addressing it after their supporters rushed to the dais. A Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh and former Union minister believes the SP-Congress combination could win at least 30 of 80 seats in the country’s most populous state.
The Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) needs to do well in states such as Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra (48 seats) if it hopes to prevent the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) from returning to power.
Stampede-like situation
SP supporters breached security protocol, and barricades and rushed towards the dais at Yadav’s public meeting in Lalganj Lok Sabha constituency on Tuesday. The police dispersed the crowd and took control of the situation after a stampede-like situation. As Yadav started addressing the people, the crowd became uncontrollable.
Shah seeks Patnaik’s retirement
Union home minister Amit Shah on Tuesday asked Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, 77, to retire due to his “advanced age and health issues”, prompting Congress veteran P Chidambaram to take a swipe. Chidambaram asked if Shah was hinting at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 73.
Shah promised BJP would make a young Odia-speaking native the chief minister if the party is voted to power in the state. “Naveen babu is not keeping well, as a result of which 150000 government vacancies are not being filled up. If we form the government, we will make appointments to these posts.”
Chidambaram posted on X, “When Mr Amit Shah said that Mr Naveen Patnaik should retire because of ‘advanced age’ (77 years) was he throwing a hint to Mr Narendra Modi (73 years, 7 months) -- in case the BJP formed the government?”
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has said Shah will succeed Modi after he turns 75. The BJP has maintained Modi will continue after 2029 as well.
Stalin hits out at Modi
Chief minister MK Stalin on Tuesday accused Modi of inciting hatred a day after the Prime Minister said the missing keys of Jagannath Temple’s Ratna Bhandar, where precious ornaments of the deities are stored, were in Tamil Nadu. Stalin said that the remark was aimed at maligning the Tamils for votes. “The Prime Minister should stop defaming Tamil Nadu and Tamils for votes,” Stalin said in a statement.
On Monday, Modi attacked Odisha’s Patnaik-led government saying even the temple of Lord Jagannath in Puri is unsafe.
Tamil Nadu’s BJP chief K Annamalai said Odisha’s ruling Biju Janata Dal was promoting “outsider” VK Pandian, a Tamilian, and that it does not respect the people of Odisha and its culture
Bitter battle for Bengal
Three religious and social welfare organisations headquartered in West Bengal – the Bharat Sevashram Sangha (BSS), Ramakrishna Mission (RKM), and International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) – have been caught in a political storm involving the ruling Trinamool Congress and BJP. Banerjee accused some religious and social organisations of helping the BJP. Modi hit back at Banerjee, sparking a war of words.
