Connect with us
Saturday,29-November-2025
Breaking News

National News

Uttar Pradesh: BJP Shifts Strategy, Aims To Muslim Voters Ahead Of 2024 General Elections

Published

on

In a departure from its previous approach, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has decided to focus on garnering support from Muslim voters in the lead-up to the 2024 general elections in Uttar Pradesh (UP). Historically, the party had refrained from fielding Muslim candidates in both the 2014 and 2019 parliamentary elections in UP, as well as the assembly polls of 2017 and 2022.

BJP’s ‘Mission Modi Mitra’

However, with an eye on winning all 80 Lok Sabha (LS) seats in UP, the BJP has devised “Mission Modi Mitra” to actively engage with the minority community. As part of this mission, the party aims to recruit 5000 Muslim party volunteers, known as “Modi Mitras,” in each of the 80 parliamentary segments across UP. The overall goal is to enroll four lakh Muslim Modi Mitras in the state.

To achieve this, the BJP’s minority wing in UP has appointed 400 in-charges who will spearhead a special mass contact drive. These in-charges will ensure the observance of International Yoga Day on June 21 in approximately 900 Madrasas throughout UP. Members of the BJP’s minority cell, accompanied by Sufi sect members, will visit Madrasas to interact with Muslims and inform them about the welfare schemes introduced by the Modi government.

Muslim voters hold sway in 25 seats

A senior BJP leader in UP highlighted the significance of Muslim voters, particularly in the western part of the state, where they hold sway in 25 seats. The party will place special emphasis on this region, as Muslim voters play a decisive role in the outcome of seats such as Meerut, Amroha, Bijnore, Muzaffarnagar, Saharanpur, and Nagina. The BJP aims to make significant strides in these areas through its outreach program.

Ashraf Saifi, the Chairman of the UP Minority Commission and a senior BJP leader, pointed out that the party had already given tickets to members of the Muslim community in the recent urban local body elections. Many of them emerged victorious, indicating that Muslims are no longer hesitant to vote for the BJP. The party is now actively reaching out to Muslim doctors, engineers, and intellectuals, and plans to collaborate with Muslim religious leaders for the success of Mission Modi Mitra. Sufi conventions will also be organized in various locations across UP.

As part of the mass contact program, the BJP is distributing one lakh printed booklets containing Prime Minister Modi’s speeches from the “Mann Ki Baat” program to the Muslim community in UP. The party’s comprehensive efforts are set to continue until June 30.

National News

Exciting to be part of different energy when Rohit, Virat are around: Bavuma

Published

on

Ranchi, Nov 29: South Africa captain Temba Bavuma said it will be exciting to be part of a different kind of energy on the field when India stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are present for the ODI series opener, to be held at the JSCA International Stadium on Sunday.

With Rohit and Kohli back in action after playing in the ODI series against Australia in October, the chatter has been huge over whether the veteran duo can sustain their form and fitness to feature in the 50-over World Cup two years from now.

For now, everyone’s focus will be on how the duo fare against the Bavuma-led Proteas in Ranchi, Raipur and Visakhapatnam. “I think it’s exciting, right? It’s exciting for the locals, having the two living legends come back and play on Indian soil for a while.”

“So it’s exciting for us to be a part of a different type of energy when those two big guys are around. So it’s something that we’ll be looking forward to,” said Bavuma in a video posted by Star Sports on their Instagram account on Saturday.

Asked about the plans South Africa will have for getting the better of the veteran batting duo, Bavuma said, “I think like any other players, we will do our preparation around them, come up with whatever tactics that we come up with. But we know that the energy is going to be a little bit different, but it’s an exciting one.”

“From a captaincy point of view, I don’t think much really changes for my side. I think you obviously want to lead with the bat, and then you want to lead the guys out there tactically on the field. So, nothing really, I don’t think much really changes,” he added.

Continue Reading

Crime

Bengal school job case: 269 ‘tainted’ teachers qualified for interview in fresh recruitment

Published

on

Kolkata, Nov 29: The West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) has identified as many as 269 “tainted” teachers from the commission’s panel for 2016 who not only appeared for the fresh recruitment of primary teachers but also qualified for the interview.

In April this year, a division bench of the Supreme Court cancelled WBSSC’s entire panel for 2016 and barred the “tainted” teachers, who were proved beyond doubt of securing teaching jobs in state-run schools by paying money, from participating in the fresh recruitment process.

A petition was filed at the Calcutta High Court recently alleging that some “tainted” teachers not only participated in the written examination for fresh recruitment of higher secondary teachers in September this year but also qualified for the interview.

These “tainted” teachers, WBSSC sources said, got interview-qualified by taking advantage of the new weightage criterion, carrying 10 marks for past teaching experience.

The commission, thereafter, reviewed the background of the interview-qualified candidate and identified the 269 “tainted” teachers from the 2016 panel who qualified for the interview.

The commission had rejected the candidature of these 269 “tainted” teachers for the fresh recruitment process.

However, WBSSC sources said that even this list, if not final, and in the future, if more such interview-qualified “tainted” teachers are identified, their candidatures would also be cancelled.

On Friday, while hearing on the petition filed in the matter, Calcutta High Court’s single-judge bench of Justice Amrita Sinha questioned the basis on which WBSSC determined the “untainted” teachers from the commission’s 2016 panel, which would be deemed eligible for participation in the fresh recruitment of secondary and higher secondary teachers this year.

Justice Sinha raised the critical question on the basis on which WBSSC will determine which candidates will be eligible for the 10-mark weightage criterion for past teaching experience.

She also said that, apparently, it seemed that several eligible candidates were deprived of participating in the fresh recruitment process because of new rules introduced in the fresh recruitment process.

However, her bench did not give any specific direction on the matter.

The next date of hearing will be on December 1, when the counsels of the state government and WBSSC will present their arguments in the matter.

Continue Reading

Crime

Bombay HC Grants Interim Relief To Ultra Lifespace, Directors In ₹38.12-Crore FIR Case

Published

on

The Bombay High Court has granted interim relief to Ultra Lifespace Pvt Ltd and its three directors Mayank Shah, Jignesh Shah, and Tushar Shah in connection with an FIR alleging cheating of Rs38.12 crore. A bench of Justices Revati Mohite-Dere and Sandesh Patil, on November 19, directed that the investigation continue till the next hearing on December 10, but no chargesheet should be filed in the meantime.

The directors have sought quashing of the FIR, first registered at Bandra police station and later transferred to the Economic Offences Wing (EOW). Their lawyers, Aabad Ponda and Sujay Kantawala, argued that the matter stems from a commercial dispute and not a criminal offence.

The case originates from a complaint by Vijay Thakkar, 54, a builder from Vile Parle (West), who in 2014 booked three flats in a Bandra Reclamation project developed by Satra Buildcon Pvt Ltd (SBPL). Two flats were priced at Rs11 crore and the third at Rs11.75 crore. Thakkar paid Rs7.33 crore, after which a registered agreement was executed.

Under the agreement, construction was to be completed by December 2017, with the occupancy certificate (OC) within a year. In case of delay, the buyer was entitled to a refund with 18% interest, which Thakkar sought when the project failed to meet the deadline. SBPL later assured possession by December 2019 after redevelopment, but the project was subsequently handed over to Ultra Lifespace.

Ultra Lifespace obtained the OC in 2020 and began giving possession to other buyers. Thakkar alleges he was denied possession of all three flats and approached MahaRERA, which directed Ultra Lifespace to hand over possession and refund pending dues with interest. Thakkar claims Rs30.76 crore is owed and, along with Rs7.35 crore paid for development and maintenance, brings his total claimed loss to Rs38.12 crore.

Thakkar eventually lodged a complaint with the EOW alleging cheating and criminal breach of trust.

Ultra Lifespace directors argue that Thakkar misused police machinery to settle a civil dispute and suppressed crucial facts. They maintain that the original sale was completed under Praful N Satra, former director of SBPL. They claim Thakkar paid only Rs5.23 crore of the total Rs33 crore, leaving Rs27.77 crore unpaid.

The petition also alleges fabricated ante-dated letters from March 2018, permitting deferred payment after the OC. An FIR regarding this alleged forgery had already been lodged, which Thakkar allegedly concealed.

The Mayank Shah group took over SBPL in August 2019, later renaming it Ultra Lifespace. After the takeover, they secured the OC on March 2, 2020, and sent repeated reminders to Thakkar for outstanding dues. Both parties have challenged the MahaRERA order before the appellate tribunal and the High Court, where the matter remains pending.

The plea concludes that no ingredients of cheating are made out, noting: “Surprisingly, no allegation is made against Praful Satra.”

Continue Reading

Trending