SIR is a BJP 'conspiracy': Prashant Kishor
Kishanganj (Bihar), Jul 16 (PTI): Jan Suraaj Party founder Prashant Kishor waded into the political controversy surrounding the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar on Wednesday when he described the mammoth exercise as a "BJP conspiracy".
Kishor made the remark in Kishanganj, the state's lone district with a Muslim majority population, and promised that his fledgling party would help those whose names get wrongfully deleted from the voters' list.
Talking to reporters, he said, "The SIR is a BJP conspiracy. The Supreme Court has made it clear that Election Commission cannot determine people's citizenship. Does the Election Commission, by carrying out such an exercise now, intend to say that the electoral roll of 2014, when Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, was fake?".
He added, "The same electoral roll was fine till last year's Lok Sabha polls. We fail to see a problem in conducting the upcoming assembly polls on the basis of the same voters' list."
"Obviously, the BJP is jittery in Bihar realising that the people here now have a new alternative in Jan Suraaj Party. So they are trying to wrongfully delete the names of voters. I would ask all people who face such wrongful deletions to contact our party. We will extend all possible help", said the former political strategist.
Kishor, whose nine-month-old party is aiming to make a big dent in the state's Muslim vote base, also trained his guns at the RJD, which has so far been the first party of choice for the minority community.
"The RJD has treated Muslims as nothing more than the kerosene that could serve to keep the lantern bright. But the community has now had enough," said the Jan Suraaj Party founder, in an obvious reference to the main opposition party's poll symbol.
Replying to a query, he said he saw "no role" in Bihar for the AIMIM headed by Asaduddin Owaisi, which had won a few seats in the 2020 assembly polls and has expressed the desire to contest the upcoming elections as part of the INDIA bloc.
"Bihar does not need to import leaders from Hyderabad," asserted Kishor, whose own party has decided to go it alone in the polls.
The IPAC founder, who has in his previous avatar handled election campaigns of several political parties across the ideological divide, was also asked about the Hindi versus Marathi row that has erupted in Maharashtra.
Blaming the controversy on "Thackeray brothers", son and nephew of late Bal Thackeray, Uddhav and Raj, respectively, Kishor said, "these people are lumpen elements. But the Congress and the BJP too have their share of the blame as these national parties have no qualms in tying up with such divisive forces."
He also alleged that Bihar BJP president Dilip Jaiswal has indulged in corruption and favouritism in his capacity as one of the trustees of Kishanganj-based MGM Medical College and challenged the latter, a sitting MLC and former state minister, to initiate legal action "if what I am saying is wrong".
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Unruly scenes witnessed in Punjab Assembly
Chandigarh (PTI): The Punjab Assembly on Friday witnessed high drama on Friday after Congress MLA Sukhpal Singh Khaira made an allegedly objectionable remark against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during an intense argument over the alleged use of mobile phone in the house by the legislator.
During the one-day special session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha here, Mann accused Khaira of using a mobile phone when Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan was reading out an official resolution on the revision of wages.
After rising from his seat, the chief minister pointed to the speaker, claiming that Khaira is busy on his mobile phone and urged him to ask the Congress MLA what Sandhwan had said about the resolution.
The speaker then asked Khaira to maintain order in the house and listen to the resolution carefully.
Mann then asked Khaira, "Why don't you go out and then use it (mobile phone)," which led to a strong verbal altercation during which the opposition MLA hurled an accusation against the chief minister. Meanwhile, the speaker appealed for order and insisted that the chair be addressed.
However, both Mann and Khaira continued arguing and could be seen pointing fingers at each other as the proceedings of the house were disrupted.
The AAP MLAs also rose from their seats with Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema condemning Khaira for his conduct and demanded action against him.
Cheema further alleged that Khaira "always tries to disturb the house" as he spoke about his conduct in the assembly.
The incident occurred as an official resolution on the revision of wages was presented at the special session by Labour Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond who said it paid homage to labourers on the International Workers' Day.
"Workers are the axis of construction of the nation, the community, the state and society. Every construction project succeeds only through their blood and sweat," the resolution read.
As per the resolution, "The base rate of minimum wages for the working class in Punjab was last revised in the year 2012. Although the dearness allowance has continued to increase since 2012, there has been no increase in the base rate of minimum wages.
On this sacred occasion of May Day, in this special session of the legislative assembly, this house proposes to revise and increase the minimum wages of labourers and strongly recommends to the government to take a decision regarding the increase of minimum wages for workers, so that the contributions of the workers can be acknowledged." PRK
