#2019loksabhapolls

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has condemned Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Bhopal, Pragya Thakur’s remark describing assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, Nathuram Godse as “patriot” and said BJP should consider expelling her from the party. Kumar is president of Janata Dal (United) (JDU) party, who is BJP’s ally in the state, said, his party would not tolerate such things. “This is highly condemnable. We will not tolerate all these things (Thakur’s statement terming Godse as patriot). Bapu is the father of the nation and people will not like if anyone talks about Godse in this manner,” Kumar said. He was talking to reporters after casting his vote from Patna Sahib. He was asked whether BJP should expel her from the party, Kumar said, “It must be considered.” He, however, was quick to add that though “it is an internal matter of the BJP, but so far as country or ideology is concerned, there is no question of tolerating such things.” Kumar said that he has categorically stated it is completely in the domain of the party to give reaction or take action against the person who made such remarks. Read the full article

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) complained to Election Commission (EC) about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Kedarnath visit. According to TMC, it is a violation of election code because of media coverage. “Election campaign for last phase of polling for Lok Sabha polls is over, surprisingly Narendra Modi’s Kedarnath yatra is being widely covered by the media for the last 2 days. This is a gross violation of model code of conduct,” the party said, according to news agency ANI. PM Modi came to Kedarnath just before last phase of polling and in his two-day visit, he mediated in caves, saw the restoration work and offered prayers in the shrine. He spoke to media on Sunday, where he said that he does not seek anything from God. “God has given us capacity to give and not demand”. Congress leader and Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot also attacked the PM for meditating in Kedarnath, wondering what message he wants to give now. “Today he is sitting in a cave wearing ‘bhagwa’ (saffron). God knows, what message he wants to deliver. Everybody has been watching him,” said Gehlot, who also accused the prime minister of doing “nothing but polarisation”. Read the full article

Another violence reported in West Bengal during polls, according to reports Left is alleging Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of rigging Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), while BJP is blaming Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers of booth capturing. The BJP has also levelled a serious charge against the TMC saying that TMC goons have been intimidating the BJP workers throughout the election. All this is happening at Diamond Harbour parliamentary constituency and several polling stations of Basirhat seat. "Fearing the loss of seats, TMC jihadi brigade has been threatening saffron party workers in almost all the constituencies that go to polls," a BJP spokesperson said. Apart from this, Abhishek Banerjee, nephew of Mamata Banerjee has sent defamation notice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for making fabricated allegations against him during a rally in the constituency. In the rally, PM had said that the state was being tortured by the bua-bhatija - an apparent reference to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Abhishek Banerjee. Read the full article

Election Commission banned poll campaigning in West Bengal after violence erupted during Amit Shah’s roadshow. Soon after the ban, opposition parties cornered EC and accused of helping BJP. Even Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday stuck her neck out to allege that the poll body was hand in glove with the BJP. Speaking in Mathurapur in South 24 Parganas, Banerjee said, “Last night we came to know that the BJP had filed a complaint with the EC so that we can’t hold any meeting after Narendra Modi’s meeting. EC is the brother of the BJP, earlier it was an impartial body now everyone in the country says EC has sold out to BJP.” She added, “I feel sad but I don’t have anything to say, I am ready to go to jail for saying this. I am not scared to say the truth.” She even mocked PM Modi over the assurance of building a statue of Vidyasagar, Banerjee said, “He (PM) said he’ll make Vidyasagar statue. Bengal has money to make the statue. Can he give back the 200-year-old heritage? We’ve proof and you say that TMC has done (it). Aren’t you ashamed? He should do sit-ups for lying so much. Liar. Prove allegations otherwise we’ll drag you to jail.” Read the full article

The Pakistani government will soon continue the talk on Kartarpur Corridor with the newly elected government in India. Currently, general elections are taking place in India, and because of this major talks with other countries are on standby. So as the results of the election will be declared the new government will take the charge and all the talks and projects hopefully will resume. The Kartharpur corridor will ink Gurudwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Narowal with Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Gurdaspur district in Punjab. However, once the corridor gets operation it will provide a free visa to Sikhs from India to visit the shrine in Pakistan. The last phase of general elections in India will end on May 19 and after that on May 23 final results would be announced. Read the full article

BJP president Amit Shah blames Trinamool Congress for violence in his roadshow in Kolkata. Amit Shah presents three photographs to prove his point. “We will not be intimidated by violence… Anger of Bengalis will translate into defeat for Mamata didi who is stifling democracy in the state,” the BJP chief said. “I just came to know that the Bengal government has filed an FIR against me, Let me tell them I am not scared of FIRs… so many of my workers have been killed in violent attack,” Amit Shah shows the photographs as a proof that TMC workers broke the statue of Vidyasagar, Shah said, “the college gates were closed, room was locked … who opened the lock, BJP workers did not enter the college.” Recounting the violence during his roadshow on Tuesday, Amit Shah said: “I was lucky to escape, had the CRPF not been there, it would have been difficult for me to escape.” The BJP chief said signs of TMC unease were visible before the roadshow. “Modi’s posters, my posters were torn in the morning… yet BJP workers were calm”. Shah said that the roadshow started and support of people was overwhelming. “There were so many people and it was a peaceful rally,” he added. TMC and BJP are accusing each other for the clash. However, the violence led to vandalisation of the iconic statue of Iswarchandra Vidyasagar which was set up in 1872 by Vidyasagar College. Read the full article

Election Commission has stopped rallies in West Bengal after violence erupted during Amit Shah’s roadshow. However, opposition parties are slamming EC for the decision. BSP chief Mayawati accused EC of acting under pressure while the Congress said the poll panel has lost its independence. “Election Commission has banned campaigning in West Bengal, but from 10 pm today just because PM has two rallies in the day. If they had to ban then why not from today morning? This is unfair and EC is acting under pressure,” Mayawati said. Mayawati also criticized PM Modi and Amit Shah for targeting Mamata Banerjee. She even cautioned that it was a “very dangerous and unjust trend” and one which doesn’t suit the PM of the country. The Election Commission’s decision to cut short campaigning was a first of its kind and invited allegations of being “politically biased”. The poll panel’s decision came a day after violence at BJP president Amit Shah’s roadshow that triggered a war of words between the ruling Trinamool Congress in Bengal and the BJP. The Congress said the EC was once known for its objectivity, non-partisan stand but it seems it now “takes orders from BJP headquarters”. “The Election Commission has abdicated its integrity,” Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said on Thursday. Read the full article