Modi raps Congress government for political violence in Karnataka
Udupi, May 1: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday held the Congress government in Karnataka responsible for "political violence that led to the death of several BJP cadres" in the state.
"It is extremely shameful that the Congress government allowed violence in the state and several BJP workers were murdered. The Congress must provide an answer to the rising crime," Modi told a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rally at M.G.M. College Grounds in this coastal district city.
Through his 40-minute speech in Hindi, the Prime Minister addressed hundreds of people, including party cadres, gathered on a sunny afternoon.
This was Modi's second rally after the one in Chamarajanagar district earlier in the day, kick-starting BJP's poll campaign for the May 12 Assembly elections.
The opposition BJP has been holding the Congress responsible for the murders of party workers in the state's coastal region in the last five years.
"While on the one hand, the BJP is talking about the 'ease of doing business' in our country, the Congress believes in 'ease of doing murder'. This is the kind of culture they have developed," Modi said.
Accusing the government led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of allowing the "sand mafia" to operate in the state, Modi appealed to the people to vote for change and development.
"Those who loot cannot remain in power and must be ousted," Modi said, adding that the Congress had promoted intolerance and violence.
"When the state's Lokayukta is not safe, how can the common man be?"
Karnataka's anti-graft ombudsman Justice P. Vishwanatha Shetty was stabbed at his office by a man in the state capital on March 7. Shetty returned to work a few days ago.
Hailing the Udupi district's residents for starting for several national banks, Modi said that his government had been working towards making these banks accessible to the poorest of the poor.
Canara Bank, Syndicate Bank, Corporation Bank, and Vijaya Bank are some of the oldest banks in the country that were set up in what are now the Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts.
Over 31 crore bank accounts for the poor have been opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, Modi said.
Modi will address another party rally at Chikodi in Belagavi district.
The BJP is contesting all 224 Assembly seats to return to power.
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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.
