Modi says greed for power has united opposition
Maghar (Uttar Pradesh), June 28 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday launched a blistering attack on the opposition parties and accused them of being blinded in their pursuit of power.
Addressing a public rally here in Sant Kabir Nagar district, where the 15th century mystic poet and saint Kabir Das breathed his last, Modi said that while the saint wanted rulers to work for people's welfare ignoring caste and status, political parties were now joining hands just for power.
"The very people who opposed each other and measures like Emergency are now coming together for power," he said, rebuking the opposition parties.
He added that these "(opposition) politicians, leaders and political parties had nothing to do with the people or their welfare as their self promotion and the welfare of their own families was on top of their minds".
The Prime Minister said the opposition was out to create disruptions and chaos. Such people, he said, were cut off from the ground realities and were merely pursuing politics of self interest.
Only a few days back, the 47th anniversary of Emergency was marked by unusual bonhomie between opposition parties who were at one point bitter critics of Emergency but were now standing together.
The Prime Minister also referred to the triple talaq issue and said the move by his government was to provide equality to Muslim women but some political parties put a spanner in the issue.
"Such political parties are not concerned about the welfare of the women of the Muslim community."
Recalling the ethos of Kabir, Modi said the saint always propagated equality and welfare of all sections and said his government was pursuing the same path.
"My government is working relentlessly for the poor, Dalits, marginalized and deprived. Bank accounts have been opened for 5 crore persons, 1.25 crore toilets have been built and one crore persons have been brought under the ambit of insurance."
Modi earlier offered floral tributes at the 'samadhi' and 'mazaar' of Kabir Das here. He became the first Prime Minister to visit the place.
The Prime Minister was flanked by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditytanath and the priests of the shrine as he took a round of the place. He was later gifted a 'angawastra' and literature on the saint.
Officials told IANS that Modi took keen interest in knowing details about Maghar even as he surprised many with his knowledge of the saint who is revered equally by Hindus and Muslims. The entire place was decked up with flowers for the momentous occasion.
Later, addressing a public gathering, which drew thousands of locals and followers of the saint, Modi pointed out how Kabir became great not by his birth but by his 'karma's (deeds).
Modi began his address in Bhojpuri dialect, pleasing the gathering. He said he had for long wished to visit the shrine and now that he was here, he was elated and overwhelmed.
"I have also seen the caves where Sant Kabir, Guru Nanak and Guru Gorakhnath held spiritual parleys," he said.
Earlier, due to the flooding of the Gorakhpur airport runway, the Prime Minister's aircraft landed in Lucknow where he was welcomed by Uttar Pradesh Governor Ram Naik, Adityanath and others.
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Actor Rahul's death: Film body demands fair probe, files police complaint
Kolkata (PTI): Amidst the controversy over the accidental death of actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee during an outdoor shoot near Digha in Purba Medinipur district, the West Bengal Motion Picture Artists' Forum on Saturday lodged a police complaint against the producers in connection with the incident.
Senior forum members, including actors Prosenjit Chatterjee and Santilal Mukherjee, told a press meet outside Regent Park police station that the complaint called for a fair and transparent probe into the tragedy.
"We want the real truth and exact circumstances behind the incident to come to light," a forum member said. Actor Rituparna Sengupta was also present at the briefing.
Banerjee's wife, Priyanka Sarkar, was also present but did not speak to the media.
"On March 29, during the shooting of television serial 'Bholey Baba Par Karega' at Talsari near Digha, our colleague and forum member, actor Rahul Arunoday Banerjee, tragically passed away due to an accidental drowning," the forum said in a statement on Friday night.
"In this regard, the forum, on behalf of its members, sought legal advice to ascertain the exact circumstances surrounding the incident. Accordingly, a formal letter was sent to the production house.... on April 1 seeking clarification," the statement said.
"However, the response received on April 2 was found to be unsatisfactory and inadequate. Since then, various opinions and concerns have also been expressed on social media regarding the incident," the forum said.
Mukherjee said in light of this, and after further legal consultation, the forum has decided to initiate legal proceedings.
Chatterjee said the forum would consult lawyers to decide the next course of action.
Meanwhile, several members of the Bengali film industry held a procession from Technicians' Studio to Radha Studio, a distance of around 1 km, carrying placards reading 'Justice for Rahul'.
The rally was led by several known faces of the industry, including actor-director Aparna Sen, Anjan Dutt, director Srijit Mukherjee, Kaushik Ganguly, actor-director Parambrata Chatterjee, actor Rudranil Ghosh, actor Riddhi Sen, actor-theatre personality Kaushik Sen, among others.
The rally was supported by technician federation director Swarup Biswas.
Earlier, the makers of 'Bholey Baba Par Karega' had expressed grief over Banerjee’s death and assured that the circumstances surrounding the incident would be examined transparently.
"The entire cast and crew are in profound mourning. We request a few days to gather accounts of those present so that a comprehensive and accurate report can be presented," the producers had said, adding that a representative nominated by the actor’s family or the forum could observe the process.
Police officials said according to eyewitness accounts, Banerjee and a co-actor were filming a dance sequence in knee-deep water when they slipped into an underwater ditch. Both were taken to a hospital in Digha, but Banerjee could not be saved.
Banerjee rose to fame with the 2008 Bengali film 'Chirodini Tumi Je Amar', directed by Raj Chakraborty, which starred him opposite Priyanka Sarkar and became a major hit.
Rahul, who had started his career in early 2000, acted in several critically acclaimed Bengali films and TV soaps after the blockbuster success of Chirodini in 2008 and also started hosting a podcast which gained popularity.
