Trump, Biden's Indian-American supporters intensify their campaign
Washington: With less than 50 hours to go for the US presidential elections, Indian-American supporters of both President Donald Trump and his Democratic rival Joe Biden on Sunday intensified their campaigns, particularly in battleground states, asking the community members to get out and vote and support their respective leaders.
Trump, a Republican, is seeking re-election to the White House in the November 3 presidential polls. He is challenged by Democratic candidate Joe Biden.
Unlike in the previous years, the campaigning among Indian Americans have this time restricted their campaigns to mainly the digital domain and phone banking due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Both the campaigns have planned to intensify their phone calls to Indian-American supporters, send them messages on WhatsApp, and reach out to them through other social media and emails.
Indian-American supporters of President Trump's campaign organized a couple of events for the community including a fire chat conducted by Indian Voices for Trump with Nikki Haley, the former US Ambassador to the United Nations.
President's two sons Donald J Trump Jr and Eric Trump engaged with the community respectively at a meet and greet event in New York and Atlanta in Georgia.
Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump paid floral tributes to the statue of Mahatma Gandhi along with members of the Sikhs for Trump and India Voices for Trump.
The Biden Campaign outreach has been mainly in the virtual domain. Former vice president Joe Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris organized a special India Independence Day event for Indian Americans.
Biden and Harris have greeted Indian Americans on the occasion of various festivals including the recently concluded Navaratri.
Biden also wrote an op-ed in the ethnic India West newspaper, asserting the strong relationship that he has with the community and his strong ties with India.
At least two recent surveys indicated that the majority of Indian Americans support Biden. But they also indicated that the support base of Indian Americans for the Democrats has shrunk a little bit and have started moving towards the Trump campaign.
Another survey conducted by Al Mason, from the Trump Campaign, claimed that in battleground States at least 50 percent of the Indian Americans who voted for the Democrats in 2016 will vote for Trump this election cycle.
Engaged in outreach with messaging - to Indian American Voters in the battleground states of Florida, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Texas, and Wisconsin, Sridhar Chityala, who is on the advisory board of Indian Voices for Trump Coalition, said that his campaign activities are very different from the Democratic party-perfect messaging structured with public views - not political or personal views -which resonates.
How else do you see 30 Million impressions thus far on the video four 4 More years -plus grass root-level contributions, he said, referring to a Modi-Trump video that was released by Donald J Trump Jr and Kimberly Guilfoyle, a top campaign official, during the Republican Convention in August.
Neha Dewan, national director for South Asians for Biden, said former vice president Joe Biden and Senator Kamala Harris have made unprecedented efforts to reach out to the South Asian community this election and earn our votes.
Ajay Bhutoria, who flew from California to Philadelphia to attend the launch of Biden's presidential campaign almost 18 months ago, said that Biden and Harris understand the South Asian community best and they will be the best friend for India and Indian Americans.
India-US relationship has never been so good as under President Trump and his administration, said Al Mason from the Trump Campaign. It is under his administration that for the first time ever we had a cabinet ranking Indian American, he said.
He (Trump) is a reliable friend to India, said eminent community leader Sudhir Parikh.
Community leaders from both the campaigns said that a large number of people are working round the clock through phone banking or through other digital mediums to reach out to the community.
While Indian Americans have raised millions for both the campaigns and a number of them have campaigned aggressively for both of them, the actual voting percentage for the community is far below the national average.
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FIR registered against BJP MLA Janardhana Reddy after clash over installation of banner
Ballari (PTI): An FIR was registered on Friday against BJP MLA Janardhana Reddy and 10 others in connection with alleged violent clashes that erupted over installation of banners ahead of a Valmiki statue unveiling programme in the city, police said.
Security was beefed up in Ballari, even as the situation remained peaceful, a day after clashes allegedly broke out between supporters of BJP MLA Janardhana Reddy and Congress MLA Bharath Reddy over the installation of banners, they said.
One person was killed during the incident on Thursday, police said.
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"The situation was brought under control, and additional security has been deployed. At present, the situation remains peaceful, and all precautionary measures have been taken to ensure that no untoward incident occurs," a senior police officer said.
In his complaint, 47-year-old Chanala Shekhar stated that MLA Bharat Reddy is undertaking various development works in the city, including roads and public projects. As part of this, a grand programme was organised near SP Circle for the unveiling of a Valmiki statue.
"On January 1, between 6.30 pm and 7.30 pm, the accused, Janardhan Reddy, Somasekhar Reddy, and others, allegedly damaged the banners put up for the unveiling ceremony near Janardhan Reddy's house," he alleged.
When he and Sathish Reddy questioned them, the accused, along with their supporters, picked up a fight and attacked them with the intention of killing them, the FIR stated. The complainant further alleged that the police officer, Srinivas, who intervened, was also injured.
Based on the complaint filed at Brucepet police station, the FIR was registered against Janardhana Reddy, Somasekhar Reddy, and nine others under sections of 109 (attempt to murder), 115 (2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 191 (2) (rioting), 189 (2) (unlawful assembly), 118 (1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 190 (making every member of an unlawful assembly guilty of an offense committed), 352 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), 351 (2) (criminal intimidation) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, police added.
Videos circulating on social media showed a private gunman allegedly firing shots into the air as tension gripped the area.
The confrontation occurred ahead of a Valmiki statue unveiling programme scheduled to be held in the city on January 3.
According to police, supporters of Bharath Reddy were attempting to install banners in front of Janardhana Reddy's residence in the Avambhavi area, which was opposed by the latter's supporters, leading to a heated exchange.
What began as a verbal altercation soon escalated into a physical clash, with supporters from both sides allegedly resorting to stone-pelting. Police sources said stones were also hurled at personnel who rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control.
Several people were injured during the incident, and their number and identities were being verified, police said.
As the situation threatened to spiral out of control, police resorted to a lathi charge and had also fired bullets in the air to disperse the crowd and restore order.
Police said investigations are underway to ascertain the sequence of events and verify the allegations.
