Shatrughan Sinha joins opposition rally in Delhi, takes dig at PM
New Delhi : Disgruntled BJP lawmaker Shatrughan Sinha joined a rally of opposition leaders here on Wednesday and took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking would his "56-inch chest" reduce in size if he spoke on the Rafale issue.
On a day when the CAG report on the 2015 Rafale fighter jets deal was tabled in Parliament, Sinha said Modi should speak the truth on the agreement between India and France, because as prime minister, he was accountable to the nation.
"Why cannot he reply to the nation, will his 56-inch chest squeeze to six-inch?," he asked.
The filmstar-turned-politician even egged on the crowd on the issue, as they chanted, "Chowkidar Chor Hai".
The Congress and its chief Rahul Gandhi have used this slogan to target Modi over the Rafale issue and Sinha's participation and comments at the opposition rally may lead to more bitterness between him and the ruling BJP.
The rally was hosted by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) at Jantar Mantar here, during which leaders of various opposition parties, including Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his West Bengal counterpart Mamata Banerjee tore into Modi and the BJP, saying the two should be "ousted" in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls as they were a "threat" to democracy and constitutional values.
Sinha, the MP from Patna Sahib in Bihar, joined the rally mid-way and trained his guns at his own party's government at the Centre.
"I give my wholehearted support to this (rally). It is not about a friend, it is about saving the country. For me, the party is above me, but the country is above the party," he said.
There was a "huge gulf" between promises made and the performances of the ruling party, Sinha added.
"If farmers are suffering, institutions are facing a crisis and people are facing political vendetta...should we stay mum? I did not join politics for selfish reasons," he said.
Taking a dig at the prime minister, Sinha said in 2014, a "Modi wave" was projected as "not just a ray of hope, but a beam of light".
"They say there was a Modi wave in 2014. Then, why did Arun Jaitley lose (the polls) from Amritsar? But, he was rewarded with four ministries in the cabinet," he added.
Sinha also alleged that "sycophants are lined up and paeans being sung
He also criticised the electrification scheme of the Centre, promises made to farmers and assurances of jobs to the youth.
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Officials instructed to make sure no untoward incident during Bengaluru IPL match: Home Minister
Bengaluru (PTI): Home Minister G Parameshwara on Wednesday said that preparations have been made for the inaugural IPL match at Bengaluru's Chinnaswamy stadium on March 28, and the instructions have been given to police, the authorities and KSCA, which manages the venue, to ensure that there are no untoward incidents.
He also complimented the KSCA for installing a memorial plaque at the stadium in the honour of those killed in the stampede during the Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory celebration on June 4 last year.
Eleven people were killed, and a number of people were injured in the stampede outside the stadium, following which matches were stopped at the venue.
"The government has allowed the match to be held on March 28. All the corrections that were required have been done by the KSCA. The committee formed by the government, consisting of officials from the police, Greater Bengaluru Authority and other departments, is satisfied with the measures implemented by KSCA," Parameshwara said.
Speaking to reporters here, he said that police, KSCA and RCB have made all the necessary preparations for the IPL's inaugural match here on March 28.
"Also, necessary instructions have been given to ensure that untoward incidents don't repeat, and they too have agreed to it," he added.
Defending champions Royal Challengers Bengaluru will take on Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL 2026 opener in Bengaluru on March 28.
Parameshwara said, following the tragedy during RCB's IPL victory celebrations, KSCA and the government had to face a lot of criticism globally. The government intervened and took several measures, including constituting the Justice John Michael Cunha Commission to look into the lapses.
After the commission submitted a report with recommendations, the government asked the KSCA to implement them, he said. "There are long and short-term recommendations. Since the KSCA made corrections as per recommendations, the matches have been permitted," he added.
