Rahul questions Modi on 'criminal' BJP candidates
New Delhi, May 5 : Launching a fresh attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Saturday questioned his silence on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders facing corruption charges.
"Dear Modi ji, You talk a lot. Problem is, your actions don't match your words. Here's a primer on your candidate selection in Karnataka," Gandhi tweeted along with a video asking if the Prime Minister will speak for five minutes on the eight tickets to the "Reddy brothers gang".
The video plays like an episode of "Karnataka's Most Wanted".
"Making someone who has 23 cases of corruption, cheating, forgery your CM candidate? When will you speak on your top 11 leaders facing corruption cases," it questioned.
The clip named B. Sriamulu, G. Somashekara Reddy, T.H. Suresh Babu, Katta Subramanya Naidu, C.T. Ravi, Murugesh Nirani, ES EN Krishnaiah Shetty Malur, K. Shivanagouda Naik, R. Ashok, and Shobha Karandlaje as the 11 BJP candidates facing criminal cases.
"Putting a lid on the Rs 35,000 crore illegal iron ore mining scam of the Reddy brothers. Waiting your reply. PS: You can refer to a paper for answers," it said.
The attack came ahead of polling for the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, to be held on May 12.
The results will be declared on May 15.
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Two FIRs lodged against Mithun Chakraborty for 'provocative' speech
Kolkata, Nov 6: Two FIRs have been lodged against actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty for allegedly making provocative statements during a BJP event in Salt Lake area near Kolkata last month, police said on Wednesday.
The complaints pertain to Chakraborty's speech on October 27 at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake, during a BJP programme attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Kolkata to launch the party's West Bengal membership drive.
The first FIR was filed at the Bidhannagar South police station based on a complaint by an individual, while the second was lodged at Bowbazar police station.
"We have started an investigation into the case," a senior officer of Bidhannagar police said.
Shah was also present at the programme, which was organised to kick off the West Bengal leg of the BJP's membership drive. Shah had also felicitated Chakraborty for being honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award this year.
Although Chakraborty was unavailable for comment, BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar described the FIRs a result of "vendetta politics.".
Majumdar alleged that the TMC government "has once again used the police to unfairly target well-known actor and senior BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty".
He accused the chief minister of employing such tactics "to serve political interests" and claimed that the state government's actions were part of an ongoing attempt to discredit political opponents.
"There is nothing provocative in his speech. These are nothing but attempts to intimidate him by using police as a political tool," he said.
TMC leader Kunal Ghosh dubbed the BJP's allegations as baseless.
"The allegations of political vendetta are baseless. He shouldn't have made such provocative remarks. The law will take its own course," he said.
Chakraborty, who received India's highest film honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, earlier this year, had asserted on October 27 that the 'masnad' (throne) of West Bengal would belong to the BJP after the 2026 assembly elections, promising to do whatever it takes to achieve the goal.
While speaking at the programme, Chakraborty, a BJP leader, said, "In 2026, the 'masnad' will be ours, and we will do everything to achieve the goal."
In an apparent reference to TMC MLA Humayun Kabir's communal remarks aimed at BJP workers during the Lok Sabha elections, Chakraborty had allegedly made provocative remarks.
Chakraborty cautioned that no one should attempt to intimidate saffron party voters into abstaining from voting in the next assembly elections.
He called upon the booth-level workers of his party to resist any such attempts.
