'BJP has given Ramadhan gift to Muslims by notifying CAA': Omar Abdullah
Srinagar (PTI): National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said notifying the rules for the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) days before the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections shows the BJP is not confident about winning 400 seats in the ensuing polls.
"It was passed in 2019, but notifying the CAA (rules) just a few days before the bugle of elections is to be blown, perhaps it makes it clear what the aim is. They (BJP) were saying that after the (construction) of the Ram Temple, they cannot lose. But perhaps they feel that their position is weak and that is why they have to use these new weapons," he told reporters here.
Abdullah said it is evident that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) wants to use religion in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
"The Muslims have always been a target of the BJP, which is not something new for the party. Even in the CAA, the Muslims have been made a specific target. This is not new politics for the BJP, this has been their approach before as well," he said.
In a sarcastic remark, Abdullah termed the CAA notification as the "Ramadhan gift" for the Muslims and expressed regret over it.
"They have given a Ramadhan gift to the Muslims of the country by notifying the CAA. We regret it," he said.
Asked about the visit of the Election Commission of India, Abdullah said that his party delegation met the poll body and demanded that Parliament and assembly elections be held simultaneously.
"Let us see what they decide," he said.
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Palakkad: Hotel owners hold protest march against gas price hike
Palakkad (Kerala) (PTI): Hotel and restaurant owners on Saturday held a protest march in Palakkad against the recent nearly Rs 1,000 hike in commercial gas cylinder prices.
The protesters marched through the town holding placards and images of gas cylinders. They also carried two cylinders on a stretcher with a wreath placed on top, according to visuals aired on television channels.
The hotel and restaurant owners contended that it would be difficult for them to sustain their businesses in view of the high cost of commercial gas cylinders.
They said that many of them had been forced to shut their establishments earlier due to the scarcity of commercial gas cylinders, and that most had only recently reopened.
“But the sudden increase in commercial gas cylinder prices has affected our operations,” the protesters said.
Similar concerns were raised by restaurant owners and workers from other parts of the state in response to queries from reporters.
The Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association had on Friday announced a statewide protest strike on May 6 against the Rs 993 hike in commercial LPG cylinder prices.
KHRA state president G Jayapal said that all hotels and restaurants across Kerala would remain shut on that day in protest against what he termed an “unfair” increase in LPG prices.
He added that over the past five months, the price of a single cylinder had increased by a total of Rs 1,498.
On May 6, establishments will remain closed, and protest marches and dharnas will be held in front of district headquarters and oil company offices, he said.
