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Dusted, rusted approach of vote bank is no longer working, says Nadda

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BJP chief J.P Nadda on Monday said that Indian politics has undergone a rapid transformation in the last eight years.

In a letter to fellow citizens, Nadda said: “Indian politics has undergone a rapid transformation in the last eight years. The tried, tested, or I should say dusted and rusted approach of vote bank politics, divisive politics, and selective politics is no longer working.”

Nadda’s letter follows a joint statement of opposition parties on recent violence. “Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his emphasis on ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’ every Indian is being empowered and is getting the wings to rise further. Unfortunately, this thrust towards development politics is being bitterly resisted by the rejected and dejected parties who are once again taking refuge in vote bank and divisive politics,” Nadda wrote.

He further wrote that today, India is seeing two distinctive styles of politics – the NDA’s efforts which are seen in their work and the petty politics of a group of parties, which is seen in their acerbic words. “In the last few days, we have seen these parties come together yet again in letter (whether in spirit too, time will tell) in which they have waged a direct onslaught on the spirit of our nation and cast aspersions on our hard working citizens,” he wrote.

Referring to violence in Rajasthan, he said: “I want to remind the rejected and dejected political parties – since you talk about vote bank politics, why have you forgotten the shameful happenings in Karauli, Rajasthan? What are the compulsions that are driving your haunting silence on the issue?”

“In November 1966, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi opened fire on Hindu Sadhus sitting outside Parliament who had marched towards Delhi with the demand of banning cow slaughter in India. And who can forget Rajiv Gandhi’s infamous words – “When a big tree falls, the earth shakes” – that justified the killing of thousands of Sikhs in the wake of PM Indira Gandhi’s death,he said.

He mentioned violent incidents– Gujarat in 1969, Moradabad 1980, Bhiwandi 1984, Meerut 1987, various incidents against the Hindus in Kashmir valley throughout the 1980s, 1989 Bhagalpur, 1994 Hubballi. “The list of communal violence during Congress rule is long. Under which Government did the Muzaffarnagar Riots happen in 2013 or the Assam Riots in 2012,” he asked.

He noted that it was the UPA, controlled by an extra-constitutional NAC that brought in the most horrific Communal Violence Bill, which stooped to new lows of vote bank politics by even UPA standards.

“Similarly, the most horrific massacres against Dalits and Tribals have taken place under Congress regimes. This is the same Congress that even got Dr Ambedkar defeated in Parliamentary elections,” he said.

He mentioned that in Tamil Nadu, elements aligned to the ruling party in the state have left no stone unturned in verbally lynching, smearing and humiliating one of India’s tallest musical maestros just because he has views not palatable to one political party and their allies. “Is this democratic? One can have different views and yet coexist happily but why take to insults,” he further asked.

Talking about violent attacks on party workers in Kerala and West Bengal, the BJP chief said: “The shameful political violence in West Bengal and Kerala, and the repeated killing and targeting of BJP workers offers a glimpse of how some of our political parties view democracy.”

He pointed out that in Maharashtra, two Cabinet Ministers have been arrested on serious charges of corruption, extortion and links with anti-social elements. “Is this not worrisome for us as a nation that a state which houses India’s financial capital has such an uninspiring coalition where top Cabinet ministers have such extortionist tendencies,? he asked.

“This brings me to my next point. The reason for the shameful conduct by a select group of political parties lies in the above list of incidents that I have shared. Dyed in the wool proponents of vote bank politics that they are, these parties are fearing that their shenanigans are being finally exposed comprehensively,” the veteran leader said.

He alleged that for decades, they freely patronised lumpen, anti-social elements who bullied common people. Now that these elements are being subjected to the laws of the land, the parties which sheltered these elements are panicking and thus taking to this bizarre conduct.

“The results of the recently held Assembly election should be an eye-opener for those who thrive on vote bank politics. India’s largest state on the electoral map, a coastal state on the western coast, a state in the Northeast and a hill state have given a resounding mandate to the BJP,” he said.

Nadda claimed that due to the BJP, India is seeing a sentiment of pro-incumbency where developmental politics is being resoundingly rewarded.

The BJP also became the first party in many years to cross the 100 figure in the Rajya Sabha and get an absolute majority in the UP legislative council. The Opposition should introspect why the parties that ruled the nation for so many decades have been confined to the margins of history now, he noted.

“The youth of India want opportunities, not obstacles. They want development, not divisions. Today, when people across all faiths, all age groups as well as from all walks of life have come together to defeat poverty and take India to new heights of progress, I would urge the Opposition to change track and embrace the politics of development. We owe this to our coming generations,” Nadda added.

Crime

Telangana Minister condemns attack on Allu Arjun’s house

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Hyderabad, Dec 23: Telangana’s Minister for Roads and Buildings and Cinematography Komatireddy Venkata Reddy on Monday condemned the attack on the house of Tollywood actor Allu Arjun.

The minister took to ‘X’ to condemn the attack on Allu Arjun’s house in Hyderabad by a group of persons on Sunday over the Sandhya Theatre stampede issue.

“I strongly condemn the attack on the house of film actor Allu Arjun. There is no room for physical attacks in a democracy. No one should act in a way that disrupts peace and order. The matter related to the Sandhya Theatre incident is in court. The law will take its course,” the Minister posted.

Earlier, Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy also condemned the attack on the actor’s house. He directed the Director General of Police and City Police Commissioner to take strict action to maintain law and order. He made it clear that no laxity would be tolerated in this regard.

The Chief Minister also asked senior officials to prevent police personnel who are not connected with the investigations into the Sandhya Theatre incident from speaking on the issue.

Assistant Commissioner of Police Vishnu Murthy, was suspended recently following allegations of corruption, Sunday addressed a press conference about the December 4 incident at Sandhya Theatre. He accused Allu Arjun of lacking a basic understanding of the law and also targeted the film industry for criticizing the police department.

Taking serious note of the suspended police official’s action, top officials initiated disciplinary action against him.

Akshansh Yadav, Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Central Zone, said in a statement that Vishnu Murthy conducted the press meeting without obtaining prior permission from higher authorities or intimating any senior officer. “This action is a clear violation of disciplinary norms. We are forwarding a report against Sri Vishnu Murthy to the Director General of Police (DGP) for initiating disciplinary action. The DGP’s office will investigate this matter and take necessary action,” he said.

“We reiterate that such actions will not be tolerated, and necessary disciplinary measures will be taken against those who violate the conduct rules,” the DCP said.

Vishnu Murthy was previously working as the DSP Task Force at Nizamabad, and later attached to the DGP Office on allegations and subsequently suspended in October 2024.

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Maharashtra

Delhi HC to pronounce today verdict on anticipatory bail plea of ex-IAS trainee officer Puja Khedkar

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New Delhi, Dec 23: The Delhi High Court is slated to deliver on Monday its judgment on anticipatory bail plea of sacked Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Puja Khedkar, who allegedly submitted false OBC and PwBD (Persons with Benchmark Disabilities) certificates and fraudulently availed attempts beyond the permissible limits provided for the Civil Services Examination (CSE) by faking her identity.

As per the causelist published on the website of the Delhi HC, a bench of Justice Chandra Dhari Singh will pronounce its verdict on December 23.

Earlier on November 28, Justice Singh-led Bench reserved its decision after hearing both sides. It was then clarified that till the judgment is delivered, the interim relief granted earlier to Puja Khedkar shielding her from arrest will continue.

Asking Khedkar to cooperate with the investigation, the Delhi High Court, in an interim order passed on August 12, granted her protection from arrest.

Earlier, a court here had turned down her anticipatory bail plea and asked the investigating agency to find out if anyone from inside the UPSC had helped Khedkar.

Widening the scope of the probe, Additional Sessions Judge Devender Kumar Jangala had asked Delhi Police to investigate if other people recommended by the UPSC have availed quota benefits without entitlement.

The Centre, on September 7, sacked Khedkar from the Indian Administrative Service (IAS) with immediate effect, a month after the UPSC cancelled her selection in government service. Khedkar has been found guilty of faking and wrongly availing OBC and disability quota benefits.

After cancelling her selection, the UPSC also barred her for life from taking the entrance exam after finding her guilty of faking her identity to take the exam multiple times.

In a status report submitted to the Delhi High Court, Delhi Police had contended that former Maharashtra cadre probationary IAS officer Khedkar had submitted two separate disability certificates for her UPSC exam. The disability certificates dated 2018 and 2021 citing ‘multiple disabilities’ were purportedly issued by the Ahmednagar District Civil Hospital for her UPSC attempts made in 2022 and 2023.

However, as per Delhi Police’s status report, the hospital authorities had denied that the certificates claiming ‘multiple disabilities’ were issued to her by them. It was found that Khedkar availed relaxed criteria for OBC candidates and persons with disabilities.

It then came to light that her father, a former Maharashtra government officer, had property to the tune of Rs 40 crore and that she did not qualify for the non-creamy layer OBC quota.

The UPSC had said that its Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) “could not detect her number of attempts primarily because she changed not only her name but also her parents’ names”.

The Delhi High Court also issued notice to Khedkar on an application filed by the UPSC alleging that she committed perjury by swearing a false affidavit and making a false statement in relation to her anticipatory bail plea.

In its application, the UPSC disputed that it did not collect any biometrics (eyes and fingerprints) during Khedkar’s personality test and she made a “false statement” regarding the collection of her biometrics for obtaining favourable orders.

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National News

‘Stubborn, anti-farmer’, Kharge attacks Centre while paying tribute to Chaudhary Charan Singh

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New Delhi, Dec 23: Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday accused the Centre of being stubborn and anti-farmer, hoping that the government would not do injustice to the farmers and implement its promises.

He said this while paying tribute to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh, whose birth anniversary is marked as the Farmers’ Day.

In a post on X, Kharge wrote, “Farmer is India, the pride of the country. Warm wishes to all farmer sisters and brothers, and farm labourers on Farmer’s Day. Respectful tributes to former Prime Minister Chaudhary Charan Singh ji on his birth anniversary, who fought for the farmers of the country.”

Attacking the Modi-led Centre, the Congress chief accused the government of being stubborn and anti-farmer. “It is hoped that the Modi government will not do further injustice to our farmers through its stubbornness and anti-farmer policies and will implement its old promises,” he further wrote.

Even as Kharge attacked the government on the farmers’ issues, the Centre on Sunday said it has been recognising the vital role of farmers and has introduced a suite of initiatives designed to support their socio-economic upliftment and ensure sustainable agricultural growth.

“These programmes, including the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN), Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), and Pradhan Mantri Kisan Maandhan Yojana (PM-KMY), are aimed at providing financial security, risk mitigation, and long-term social security for farmers,” said a government statement.

It said that by addressing both immediate challenges and long-term needs, these schemes underscore the government’s commitment to nurturing the backbone of the nation and fostering a sustainable agricultural future.

Earlier in the day, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and others paid rich tributes to the former PM Chaudhary Charan Singh.

Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar paid tribute to Chaudhary Charan Singh at Kisan Ghat, Delhi. Union Minister Jayant Chaudhary — RLD chief and grandson of Chaudhary Charan Singh — was also present with the Vice President.

After paying tributes, the Vice President said, “On the occasion of Kisan Diwas, I salute all the farmers of India. In 2001, the right decision was taken and Kisan Diwas was started in the name of such a great man who dedicated his life to the nation’s development along with the farmers and rural development. His thinking and philosophy are exemplary for all of us.”

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