Sapna Chaudhary embarrasses BJP by campaigning for rival party candidate in Haryana
New Delhi: Popular Haryanvi singer Sapna Chaudhary, who joined the BJP recently, campaigned for a rival candidate Gopal Kanda in Haryana Assembly elections, leaving her party red-faced.
In a quick firefighting exercise, Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari dissuaded her from campaigning for Kanda, the Haryana Lokhit Party candidate from Sirsa, BJP sources said. Kanda, a former minister, is an influential politician in Haryana. His name had figured in the case of suicide by a woman employee of his airlines company.
The sources said Chaudhary informed party leaders that she was advised by her staff that she can campaign for Kanda as he "was an independent candidate".
A video message of Chaudhary seeking support for Kanda in Haryana election went viral on social media, catching the attention of BJP leaders on Friday. There were also posters of Chaudhary in favour of Kanda, said a senior Delhi BJP leader.
A section of Delhi BJP leaders expressed shock and demanded that Chaudhary be punished for "anti-party activity".
"How can she campaign for a candidate against the official BJP candidate when she herself is a party member," said a leader.
BJP has fielded Pradip Ratusaria from Sirsa where Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed a rally on Saturday, the last day of campaigning for the October 21 polls.
Chaudhary joined the BJP with much fanfare at Jawahar Lal Nehru stadium during the party's nationwide membership campaign in July, in the presence of former Madhya Pradesh chief minister and BJP vice-president Shivraj Singh Chouhan, BJP general secretary Ram Lal and Delhi BJP chief Manoj Tiwari
The sources said Chaudhary, who is an artiste and performer, claimed she was advised by her staff that she can campaign for Kanda.
"When party leaders asked her about why she decided to campaign for Kanda, she claimed she was advised that she can do so as Kanda was an independent candidate," said a Delhi BJP leader. However, she was asked by party leaders not to do so and immediately dissociate herself from any type of campaigning for Kanda. She was also scheduled to participate in a roadshow in support of Kanda, he said.
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Bengaluru drug bust: 8 people arrested, total seizures valued at 27.42 cr
Bengaluru (PTI): Eight people, including a foreign national, were arrested for illegally selling drugs in the city, police said on Tuesday.
They seized drugs, vehicles and other items worth Rs 27.42 crores.
According to police, based on credible information received from informants on various dates, officers and staff learned that prohibited narcotic substances such as MDMA, Ganja, and Cocaine were being sold within the limits of Hebbagodi, Yelahanka New Town, Mico Layout, Parappana Agrahara, Bagalur, and Banaswadi Police Stations.
Acting on this information, cases were registered under the NDPS Act in the respective police stations, and raids were conducted at the locations identified by the informants.
"During these operations, a total of 8 accused persons were apprehended on different dates, including one foreign national, and four interstate offenders," Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh told reporters here.
Upon interrogation, the accused confessed that, with the intention of making quick money, they procured narcotic substances such as MDMA, Cocaine, and Ganja at lower prices from unknown foreign and local suppliers and sold them to the public, including college students, he said.
"A total of Rs 13.71 Crores worth drugs and other items have been seized. These include 12 kg 91 grams of MDMA, 275 grams of Cocaine, 34 kg 802 grams of Ganja, 40 grams of gold ornaments (purchased from proceeds of drug sales), 02 two-wheelers used for the offence. The total estimated market value of all these is Rs 27.42 Crores," he added.
The Commissioner further said efforts are on to trace the unknown individuals who supplied the narcotic substances to the accused.
Investigation is underway.
"There is information about the involvement of other foreign nationals, and through FRRO we learned one person has already left the country... interrogations and investigations will continue," he said.
All eight accused have been produced before the court on different dates and have been remanded to judicial custody, officials said.
Noting that in the case under the Electric City division, raids were conducted at five different houses and different quantities of drugs were seized, Singh said, "This is a serious matter as the house was taken for rent and they supplied from there. The information came from the arrest of the foreigner. Total value of seizure in Hebbagodi alone is Rs 27 crore (market value)."
