New Delhi:
In March 2017, days after the BJP stormed to power winning a landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh, only major issue in public debate was - how and why India's most politically important and populous state, should be ruled by Yogi Adityanath as the chief minister.
Well, I had argued that in choosing Adityanath — who follows an ascetic lifestyle, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not only authorized him to anchor BJP's government in the state, but also gave the Hindu groups and overwhelming pro-Hindutva support base a new generation of leadership.
 |
| Good Messaging: Post Farm Law repeal |
Yogi has for that matter not looked back since then. Either for Tripura polls or in southern states such as Kerala and Karnataka, in any election season Yogi has been in immense demand for election campaigning.
On Nov 21, Sunday, Yogi Adityanath, who shared the photograph from his Twitter handle, wrote in Hindi “Hum nikal pade hain pran karke....ambar se ooncha jana hai, ek Bharat naya banana hai (We have started on with the pledge to sacrifice our body and mind. We are determined to create a new sun/wave and go further than the skies-to build a New India).”
Obviously the snaps and the tweet went viral in social media and there were public debate in more ways than one.
The photos of PM Modi, a catalyst of development with firm commitment to the Hindutva ideology, keeping his hand on Yogi Adityanth's shoulder would be in public memory for weeks and months to come.
PM Modi and the BJP leadership (Amit Shah was BJP president in 2017) have been visionary in creating a vote catcher while the Indian opposition and the Congress party were stuck in the political approaches of the 1970s.
Importantly, the Modi-Yogi snaps have surfaced within days the Prime Minister announced repeal of three farm laws.
In 2014-15 also after the Land Acquisition Bill was scuttled due to unreasonable resistance from opposition parties, there were skepticism about 'reforms' and even then the political-Hindutva agenda had surfaced in debate.
By 2017 December, the government introduced the Triple Talaq Bill and prior to that in 2016 November, PM Modi announced banning of high value currency notes.
In between, the GST was enforced displaying PM Modi's determination in steering some of the major electoral promises of his party.
Now that elections are due in important states including Uttar Pradesh, the snap would go down as a significant piece of photographic evidence that Mr Modi does have faith in Yogi, who is about 20 years younger to him.
The Hindutva issues are again on debate obviously. Yogi is the chief priest of the famed Gorakhnath (Shiva) temple in Gorakhpur and has has made Gorakhpur a winning constituency for four elections 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014.
If there was any debate on whether the Modi-Yogi combination is the ideal synthesis of politics and development or not, the snaps and the tweet from UP Chief Minister would put all speculation to rest.
(from old records)
In 2005, Yogi was actively part of a re-conversion drive where 1,800 Christians were reportedly converted to Hinduism in the town of Etah in Uttar Pradesh.
More than once, he has gone on record urging Hindu youth to avenge the so called insult of Muslims marrying Hindu women. He is accused of inflammatory speeches which linked him to the 2007 Hindu-Muslim riots in Uttar Pradesh.
Police arrested him once in 2007 on charges of disturbing the peace which led to further unrest in the area. His supporters set fire to several coaches of the Mumbai-bound Mumbai-Gorakhpur Godan express train.
Yogi has also lauded U.S. President Donald Trump's radical views on Muslims and said India can emulate such a stance against Muslims to fight terrorism. He has in the past even criticized Mother Teresa and accused her of converting needy Hindus to Christianity.
Many saw the decision as an RSS strategy to build up another power center away from Modi who seems to be in complete control of party apparatus.
ends
Pak Junior Hockey team lands in Bhubaneswar for World Cup tourney
New Delhi:
"..... We welcome the Pakistani contingent to Bhubaneswar for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2021," Hockey India said in a tweet.
The World Cup is being held between November 24 November and December 5. The South African and Korean teams also arrived.
In Pool A, South Africa, Belgium, Chile, and Malaysia are set for an exciting contest.
Korea is placed in Group C along with the Netherlands, Spain, and the USA.
In the Group B, India plays its first match against France on Nov 24. Canada and Poland are in Group B.
Pakistan plays its first match against Germany in Group D also on Nov 24.
Pakistan is in Group D and will sweat it out also against Egypt and Argentina.
It may be mentioned here that the Pakistan players were not given visas for the Junior Hockey World Cup
in 2016.
In fact, the Indo-Pak ties actually started deteriorating since the Pathankot attack in January 2016
and later the Uri (September 2016) terror attack followed by India's surgical strike.
On Dec 25, 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had made an unprecedented visit to Pakistan to greet
his counterpart Nawaz Sharif on his birthday but the efforts were simply derailed.
Charge d’ Affaires in Pakistan High Commission in Delhi, Aftab Hasan Khan
welcomed Pakistan Men’s Junior Hockey Team on arrival on Saturday, Nov 20.
Sources in the High Commission told 'Organiser' that the Charge d’ Affaires also hosted a lunch
in the honour of the Pakistan Junior Hockey Team.
Speaking on the occasion, the Charge d’ Affaires extended his best wishes to the team.
"Stating that Hockey is the national sport of Pakistan, he hoped that the players would perform with great spirit
and the best of their abilities," the source said.
Meanwhile, the India-Pakistan relationship only became further complex
in the wake of developments in Afghanistan in August 2021.
The Indian government is now likely to send wheat to Afghanistan through the land route
crossing Pakistan.
This, despite Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan assuring the Taliban delegation last week that his
government will “favourably consider” the proposal under exceptional circumstances for
humanitarian reasons.
The foreign minister of Taliban regime Amir Khan Muttaqi raised the issue with Pak PM Imran
Khan earlier this month and urged him to ensure supply of Indian wheat through land route.
ends
Trinamool leader Sayani Ghosh arrested by Tripura police
New Delhi:
Actress and Trinamool Congress leader Sayani Ghosh was arrested by Tripura police on Sunday at
Agartala.
Reports said Ms Ghosh had passed some remarks against Chief Minister and BJP leader Biplab Kumar
Deb, who was in the locality to address a party gathering.
"The verbal taunts from Sayani Ghosh though passed from the vehicle in which she was travelling
could be heard and it sparked off angry reactions amongst the BJP workers," a source said.
Later an FIR was lodged against Sayani Ghosh and she was summoned to East Agartala Women Police
station and after initial questioning was later arrested.
Sayani Ghosh had contested assembly polls earlier this year from Asansol Dakshin
but lost to BJP's Agnimitra Paul.
West Tripura Additional SP Jagadish Reddy said the Trinamool leader would be produced before the
court on Monday, Nov 22.
“We received a complaint against her and summoned her for interrogation. After recording the statement
of witnesses, we found evidence that she had involvement in connection with the case registered under
Sections 153, 153A, 307 and 120B of the IPC. So, we have arrested her," he said.
Some 'workers' were also injured in the attack and allegedly some TMC vehicles were also vandalized.
At night a group of miscreants allegedly attacked TMC leader Subal Bhowmik’s residence.
A few photo journalists were also attacked, it has been alleged.
TMC Rajya Sabha MP, Sushmita Dev, alleged the entire case has been concocted.
Trinamool general secretary Abhishek Banerjee is also expected to visit Agartala on Monday to address
a party rally.
ends
No comments:
Post a Comment