Shatrughan Sinha joins opposition rally in Delhi, takes dig at PM
New Delhi : Disgruntled BJP lawmaker Shatrughan Sinha joined a rally of opposition leaders here on Wednesday and took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking would his "56-inch chest" reduce in size if he spoke on the Rafale issue.
On a day when the CAG report on the 2015 Rafale fighter jets deal was tabled in Parliament, Sinha said Modi should speak the truth on the agreement between India and France, because as prime minister, he was accountable to the nation.
"Why cannot he reply to the nation, will his 56-inch chest squeeze to six-inch?," he asked.
The filmstar-turned-politician even egged on the crowd on the issue, as they chanted, "Chowkidar Chor Hai".
The Congress and its chief Rahul Gandhi have used this slogan to target Modi over the Rafale issue and Sinha's participation and comments at the opposition rally may lead to more bitterness between him and the ruling BJP.
The rally was hosted by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) at Jantar Mantar here, during which leaders of various opposition parties, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee tore into Modi and the BJP, saying the two should be "ousted" in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as they were a "threat" to democracy and constitutional values.
Sinha, the MP from Patna Sahib in Bihar, joined the rally mid-way and trained his guns at his own party's government at the Centre.
"I give my wholehearted support to this (rally). It is not about a friend, it is about saving the country. For me, the party is above me, but the country is above the party," he said.
There was a "huge gulf" between promises made and the performances of the ruling party, Sinha added.
"If farmers are suffering, institutions are facing a crisis and people are facing political vendetta...should we stay mum? I did not join politics for selfish reasons," he said.
Taking a dig at the prime minister, Sinha said in 2014, a "Modi wave" was projected as "not just a ray of hope, but a beam of light".
"They say there was a Modi wave in 2014. Then, why did Arun Jaitley lose (the polls) from Amritsar? But, he was rewarded with four ministries in the cabinet," he added.
Sinha also alleged that "sycophants are lined up and paeans being sung
He also criticised the electrification scheme of the Centre, promises made to farmers and assurances of jobs to the youth.
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AIITA welcomes Karnataka’s ban on obscene songs in school events
Bhatkal: The Karnataka unit of the All India Ideal Teachers Association (AIITA) has welcomed the Karnataka government’s decision to strictly ban school children from dancing to obscene songs during educational and cultural programmes in government, aided, and private schools across the state.
AIITA Karnataka State President M. R. Manvi congratulated the government for taking what he termed an important step to preserve the sanctity of education.
“Such decisions to safeguard the dignity of school children and uphold the values of education are the need of the hour. This rule should not be limited to government schools alone but must be strictly implemented in all private educational institutions as well,” he said.
He further urged the government to address other concerns within school programmes.
“The government should not only prohibit obscene dances in the name of school anniversaries, but also ensure that plays and dialogues that incite religious hatred are avoided. Schools should be centres of harmony, not platforms for spreading hatred,” he added.
According to a recent circular issued by the Department of School Education and Literacy, obscene dances are adversely affecting the mental health and moral values of students.
In this regard, schools have been advised to use songs that promote nationalism, positive thinking, the greatness of Kannada culture, and value-based traditions instead of inappropriate content during programmes.
The circular also emphasises that students should be dressed in decent attire.
AIITA also backed the department’s warning that disciplinary action would be taken against head teachers if such guidelines are violated. The association has further demanded that district Deputy Directors of Public Instruction strictly monitor the implementation of these rules.
