INDIA parties standing together in looting reservation of SC, ST, OBC: PM Modi
Ghazipur (UP), May 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday vowed to staunchly defend the reservation for ST, SC and OBC categories against any attempt by the INDIA bloc parties "to snatch it away" and give it to Muslims.
"I will not allow this game to be played on the basis of religion. Modi is the watchman of the rights of the deprived people ('vanchito kaa jo adhikaar hai, Modi usskaa chowkidaar hai')," the prime minister said at an election rally in Ghazipur.
Hitting out at the INDIA bloc parties, Modi accused them of being "extremely communal, casteist and dynastic".
"They have always stopped Dalits and backwards in the country from moving ahead. Who insulted Babasaheb (B R Ambedkar)? Who hatched a conspiracy to defeat him in the election? It was the Congress. Who did not allow Babasaheb to get Bharat Ratna? The Congress party," he said.
Modi said the opposition parties insulted former president Ram Nath Kovind, "son of a Dalit", and got together against Droupadi Murmu, a tribal, in the presidential elections.
"The INDI alliance is standing together in looting the reservation of SCs, STs and OBC. But Modi is standing firmly in front of them... and I guarantee that as long as Modi is alive, I will not let them snatch away reservation of SCs, STs and OBCs," Modi said.
He referred to Muslims being included in backward classes in Karnataka under the Congress and the Calcutta High Court order cancelling OBC certificates issued since 2010 in West Bengal.
"A big conspiracy of theirs has been unveiled in Bengal. Two days ago, the Calcutta High Court had lifted the curtains. What game was going on there? In Bengal, almost the entire OBC reservation was being given to Muslims," he alleged
Modi also attacked the Congress on the delay in the implementation of 'One Rank, One Pension' for ex-servicemen and the Samajwadi Party on the reign of terror by the mafia under its rule.
In the Ghazipur Lok Sabha seat, the main contest is between Afzal Ansari of the Samajwadi Party and Paras Nath Rai of the BJP. Afzal Ansari is the brother of gangster-politician Mukhtar Ansari who died on March 28.
Voting for the seat will take place in the seventh phase on June 1.
Taking a dig at Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, Modi said, "SP's 'shahzade' (prince) once said that he would stop the entry of mafia. Then he went and sat at the feet of the mafia. The SP also nurtured the mafia and gave them (poll) tickets."
"A person who cannot stick to his stand can never fight for you," Modi said.
"During the SP rule (in Uttar Pradesh), the situation was such that the mafia used to roam around with red beacons (on their cars).. and opponents were shot dead openly. Riots had become the identity of UP. There were two-three riots every month during the SP rule," he alleged.
"The poor were the ones who suffered because of this. Now under Yogi (Adityanath) Ji's government, riots have stopped and rioters are behind bars."
He alleged the INDIA bloc is crossing all limits in appeasement.
"These people are insulting the Ram temple. An SP leader says that the Ram temple is 'bekaar' (useless)... The 'shahzade' (prince) of the Congress is planning to put a lock on the Ram temple.
"Not only this, the INDI alliance has announced that they will bring back Article 370 in Kashmir. This means that the Congress will push Kashmir once again into the fire of terrorism, the Congress will once again strengthen the morale of Pakistan, they once again want our soldiers to bleed," Modi alleged.
Referring to Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha, Modi said, "Every person from Ghazipur feels proud that today a son of Ghazipur is controlling the command of Jammu and Kashmir.
"People of Kashmir are also seeing how development is done. Now, even people in Kashmir have come to know the name of Ghazipur."
Modi said that the welfare schemes of his government have changed the lives of the poor.
"In just 10 years, 25 crore people have come out of poverty. This happened because your vote strengthened Modi.
"We provided PM housing to four crore families. We opened bank accounts for 50 crore poor people and provided electricity to every village. We are providing water to every home. Today a poor person does not have to sell his land for treatment because he has an Ayushman card," Modi said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
At least 4 people killed in one of largest Ukrainian drone strikes on Russia
Kyiv, May (AP): At least four people, including three near Moscow, died in one of the largest Ukrainian overnight attacks against Russia since the start of the war, according to Russian local authorities.
A woman was killed after a drone hit her home in Khimki, a city just northwest of Moscow, and two men died in the village of Pogorelki 10 km north of the capital, according to local Gov. Andrei Vorobyev.
In social media updates, Vorobyev said Ukrainian drones had also damaged unspecified “infrastructure” and several high-rises.
In Moscow itself, at least 12 people were wounded in the nighttime strike, mostly near the entrance to the city's oil refinery, mayor Sergei Sobyanin reported. Sobyanin reported the “technology” of the refinery has not been damaged.
Russian defences shot down 81 drones headed for Moscow overnight, state agency Tass reported, citing Sobyanin, marking one of the largest attacks on the Russian capital since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
One man was also killed as a drone struck a lorry in the Belgorod region, which borders Ukraine, according to local authorities.
Russian air defences destroyed 556 drones over Russia overnight, the country's defence ministry said Sunday morning. Shortly after midday local time, it reported that over 1,000 had been shot down or jammed in the previous 24 hours.
Russia's largest airport — Moscow's Sheremetyevo — said drone debris had fallen on its premises without causing damage.
Russia attacked Ukraine with 287 drones overnight on Sunday, 279 of which were shot down or jammed, the Ukrainian air force reported.
According to Ukraine's estate emergency service, the strikes injured 8 people in Ukraine's central Dnipropetrovsk region: three in the regional capital of Dnipro, four in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's hometown of Kryvyi Rih, and one in the district of Synelkove.
Residential buildings were damaged in all three locations, the service said.
