New Delhi, Jan 8: The political tension in Delhi escalated on Wednesday as the BJP intensified its attack on the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over the ongoing ‘bungalow for CM’ controversy. The BJP’s state president, Virendra Sachdeva, raised pointed questions directed at Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, sarcastically asking, “Toh aakhir iss devi ko kitne bungalow chahiye?”

Speaking to Media, Sachdeva demanded clarity on the issue, asking, “Whose bungalow is this? This government residence where ‘Atishi’ is written — whose bungalow is it?

“If it was allotted to her, why is she asking for ‘Sheesh Mahal’? If it was being given to her, why didn’t she accept it earlier? How many bungalows does a Chief Minister need in Delhi? She lives in Kalkaji, yet refuses to reveal who occupies this one. Even locals are tight-lipped, though posters outside point to its occupant. So how many bungalows does this ‘devi’ need? We want an answer.”

Sachdeva further reacted to BJP leaders’ calls to turn the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ into a museum, suggesting, “I have said that the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ should be declared a museum of corruption. If the BJP forms the government in Delhi, no BJP Chief Minister will stay in that Sheesh Mahal.”

As Delhi Assembly elections near, the ‘Sheesh Mahal’ and ‘bungalow for CM’ controversy is becoming a central issue in the political debate.

The AAP has retaliated by dubbing the Prime Minister’s residence as the ‘Raj Mahal,’ accusing the BJP of overspending on it with a budget of Rs 2,700 crore.

This back-and-forth between ‘Sheesh Mahal’ and ‘Raj Mahal’ reflects the fierce political rivalry, with the AAP-led by Arvind Kejriwal, the BJP, and the Congress all gearing up for the February 5 elections.

The latest drama unfolded when AAP leaders, including Sanjay Singh and Saurabh Bharadwaj, were stopped by the police from entering the Delhi Chief Minister’s official residence.

The AAP had invited the media to tour the premises in an effort to counter the BJP’s criticisms of the Chief Minister’s residence. With only a month left before the Delhi Assembly elections, the political war over ‘Sheesh Mahal’, ‘Raj Mahal,’ and the fight for the capital continues to heat up.

Kolkata, Jan 8: A single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court, on Wednesday, directed the state police to provide 24-hour protection to the woman, who had earlier this week approached the court accusing the local cops of a lackadaisical investigation into her complaint of gang-rape against three men, including a local Trinamool Congress leader.

At the same time, the single judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta also directed the local police station to submit a report in the form of an affidavit on the progress of the investigation into the woman’s complaint by January 12.

The state government counsel, on Wednesday, informed the court that there had been significant progress in the investigation of the matter and the process was on to file the charge sheet in the case. However, the victim’s counsel claimed that although the accused was constantly threatening her and her family members, there had been no action on the part of the local police.

Thereafter Justice Sengupta directed the state police to provide 24-hour police protection not only to the victim but the entire family besides asking the state police to file a progress report investigation.

In her petition, the victim alleged that the crime took place in May last year, and she and her family members approached the local police to act on the matter. She has now alleged that for all these months the cops have not moved an inch forward in the course of the investigation. At the same time, she and her family members are under pressure from the accused and their associates to withdraw the complaint at the local police station.

Among the three accused named one is Trinamool Congress’ block president in Sandeshkhali Dilip Mondal. Calcutta High Court had admitted the petition.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee made a yearend trip to Sandeshkhali on December 30, after avoiding such an initiative during the entire period of crisis there earlier this year following allegations of sexual harassment of local women and land grabbing of people by local Trinamool Congress leader Sheikh Shahjahan.

While addressing a public meeting at Sandeshkhali on that day, the Chief Minister hinted towards the “money game” influencing the movement by locals there earlier this year.

On that very day, leader of opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhujari conducted a protest at the same place, defying the last-minute denial of police permission for the same. He drew a comparison between Mamata Banerjee and the chief of the caretaker government in neighbouring Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus.

Visakhapatnam, Jan 8: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay foundations for projects worth over Rs 2 lakh crore here on Wednesday evening.

The Prime Minister, who will be arriving on his first visit to Andhra Pradesh after the TDP-led NDA formed the government in the state, will conduct a roadshow and address a public meeting, where he will virtually launch several major projects aimed at driving sustainable growth and infrastructure development, with a particular focus on North Andhra Pradesh.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan will accompany the Prime Minister during the roadshow and for the public meeting.

After arrival at INS Dega at 4.15 p.m., the Prime Minister will conduct the roadshow from Siripuram Cross Roads to AU Engineering College, the venue of the public meeting.

Governor S. Abdul Nazeer, Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister of State Bhupati Raju Srinivasa Varma, few state ministers, BJP MP and state party president Purandeswari will share the dais with the Prime Minister.

This will be Narendra Modi’s second visit to Andhra Pradesh after assuming office as the Prime Minister for the third term.

In June last year, he had attended the swearing-in of Chandrababu Naidu and his ministers in Vijayawada.

The Prime Minister was scheduled to visit Visakhapatnam on November 29 but the programme was postponed due to a cyclone alert.

The state government has made elaborate arrangements for the Prime Minister’s visit.

The TDP and its allies Jana Sena and BJP are mobilising people from various parts of North Andhra for the roadshow and public meeting.

Authorities expect 80,000 people to take part in the roadshow, while nearly 2 lakh people are likely to attend the public meeting.

The roadshow will commence at 4:45 p.m. from the Venkatadri Vantillu restaurant area in Siripuram.

The public meeting will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. He will leave the venue at 6:50 p.m. and return to the air station around 7:15 p.m. to leave for Bhubaneswar.

PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for the South Coast Railway Zone (SCoR) headquarters in Visakhapatnam. This will meet the long-pending demand of the state under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

He will also lay the foundation stone for the NTPC Green Energy Limited’s (NGEL) Green Hydrogen Hub at Pudimadaka in Atchutapuram mandal of Anakapalle district.

To be developed under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, this mega project involves an investment of Rs 1.85 lakh crore and 20 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity to produce 1,500 tonnes per day of green hydrogen.

The project will also produce 7,500 tonnes of green hydrogen derivatives, including green methanol, green urea, and sustainable aviation fuel, primarily targeting export markets.

The Prime Minister will also launch a series of road and railway projects in Andhra Pradesh, collectively valued at Rs 19,500 crore.

He will also lay the foundation stone for a bulk drug park at Nakkapalli in Anakapalle district.

With an investment of Rs 1,438.89 crore, the park is strategically located near the Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) and the Visakhapatnam- Kakinada Petrochemical and Investment Region, promising thousands of jobs and enhanced industrial activity in the region.

The foundation stone will also be for the Krishnapatnam Industrial Area (KRIS City) in Tirupati district under the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor.

The project is expected to attract investments of Rs 10,500 crore and create nearly one lakh direct and indirect jobs.