Shatrughan Sinha joins Congress, terms BJP 'one-man show, two-men army'
New Delhi, Apr 6: Dissident BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha Saturday joined the Congress, which welcomed him with a Lok Sabha ticket, as he lambasted his former party, terming it a "one-man show and two-men army".
The 72-year-old actor-turned-politician said he left the BJP, on its foundation day Saturday, with "immense pain and heavy heart". He alleged there is no place left in the party for dialogue and its leadership does not value its own veterans, and views its opponents as "enemies".
Sinha also heaped praise on Congress president Rahul Gandhi. He is a dynamic, "tried, tested and successful" leader and the face and future of India, Patna Sahib MP said.
Within hours of joining, the Congress fielded Sinha from Bihar's Patna Sahib seat, where he will contest against BJP leader and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
Sinha had met Rahul Gandhi on March 28.
Attacking the BJP's top leadership, Sinha said, "Today there is no place left for dialogue in the BJP anymore," and if one speaks the truth he is termed as a rebel.
"If speaking the truth is rebellion, then I am a rebel," he said addressing a press conference at the Congress headquarters here.
Party veterans are not being looked after in the BJP and are being sent to 'margdarshak mandal', he alleged. "In the BJP, democracy has slowly and surely turned into dictatorship. The party has become a one-man show and a two-men army," Sinha alleged without naming anyone.
He claimed whenever he tried to make a point, he was called a "traitor".
That Sinha was not happy with the BJP and the government led by it was clear from the past few months, during which he put out several tweets critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the party and the government. In his tweets, he has also been full of praise for Gandhi and RJD leaders, including its jailed president Lalu Prasad.
In an apparent reference to Modi, Sinha said, "People have called your bluff and understood your hollow promises. You have been exposed."
Sinha said the BJP has now been "exposed" and people can see through its "hollow" promises.
"It's with a heavy heart and immense pain that I finally bid adieu to my old party, for reasons best known to all of us, on 6th April, which also happens to be the Sansthapna Diwas (foundation day) of BJP.
"I don't hold any ill will for our people as they were like my family and I was groomed in this party," Sinha later tweeted.
He alleged that, like BJP's founding member L K Advani, other stalwarts including Jaswant Singh and Yashwant Sinha were not given respect and not "treated properly" in the party.
He also attacked the Modi government, alleging, "everything happens from the Prime Minister's Office...ministers can't work freely."
Terming demonetisation as "probably the world's biggest scam", Sinha said, "It was a mindless decision...Several people died and we were told it was normal."
Sinha also said the country would have transformed if the money splurged by the BJP on its publicity campaign was spent on development.
Lauding the Congress' proposed Nyuntam Aay Yojana (Nyay) scheme, he said the country has not seen such thing in past.
"I am hopeful that the Grand Old National Party which I'm stepping into, will provide me with opportunities to serve our people, society and nation in terms of unity, prosperity, progress, development, and glory," he also tweeted.
He hailed the Congress as a "party of great nation-builders and luminaries like Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Patel and many others" and exuded confidence that the grand alliance in Bihar will emerge victorious.
"Under the present President of Congress the very dynamic, able, tried, tested and successful face of today and tomorrow's India, Rahul Gandhi, I hope, wish and pray that I'm heading into a better direction. Long live democracy and the Congress party, along with the alliance of Lalu and Tejasvi's RJD. Long live our great India. Jai Hind," he also tweeted.
Congress General Secretary K C Venugopal, chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala and AICC in-charge for party's Bihar unit Shaktisinh Gohil welcomed Sinha into the party fold.
Venugopal said Sinha was "in wrong party" earlier and has "now joined a right party".
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Eight women labourers killed as truck hits tempo on Nagpur-Mumbai expressway
Jalna/Mumbai (PTI): Eight women labourers were killed, and three others were injured after a speeding truck rammed into a tempo on the Nagpur-Mumbai Expressway in Jalna district of Maharashtra on Wednesday evening, police said.
The incident occurred when a group of women was returning home after completing cleaning work on the expressway.
"A total of 11 persons, including the driver, were sitting in the tempo. As the vehicle was about to start, a speeding truck headed towards Mumbai rammed into it from behind at Kadvanchi village," a police official said, adding that seven women died on the spot and another succumbed in the Jalna government hospital.
The tempo was badly mangled, and the bodies were reportedly strewn across the road.
The deceased have been identified as Alkabai Admane (45), Laxmibai Madan (35), Meena Admane (45), Kanchan Admane (50), Tarabai Choudhari (60), Kadubai Madan (55), and Suman Admane (70), all residents of Jalna tehsil.
The identity of the eighth deceased is yet to be confirmed.
Three people are undergoing treatment at the hospital.
Police have arrested the truck driver and registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation is underway.
Expressing grief, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said the death of eight people is extremely unfortunate, and announced a financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the deceased.
Fadnavis paid heartfelt tributes to the deceased and expressed solidarity with their families.
He said in a statement the injured have been immediately admitted to hospitals and the local administration is coordinating relief efforts.
The district collector and the superintendent of police are present at the spot, overseeing the situation, the chief minister added.
Environment Minister and Jalna District Guardian Minister Pankaja Munde has expressed deep sorrow over the incident.
In a condolence message, Munde extended her sympathies to the families of the deceased.
