Weak, fickle politicans costing Indian sovereignty: Jaitley
New Delhi, Aug 1 : Indias sovereignty is paying a heavy price because of the quality of its political discourse, wielded by "fickle minds and fragile hands" on the issue of illegal migration in north-eastern states, said Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday.
In a blog written on the National Register of Citizen (NRC), Jaitley argued that political parties opposing the NRC in Assam are going back on their earlier position, when they favoured laws designed to weed out illegal migrants. He expressed concerns over their growing number in the region.
"India's sovereignty is paying a heavy price because of the quality of its political discourse. Though Mrs. Indira Gandhi and Mr. Rajiv Gandhi took a particular position in 1972 and 1985 for the deletion and deportation of foreigners, Rahul Gandhi takes a contrary position and his party turns turtle.
"Similarly, the BJP ally of 2005, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, took a particular position. As a federal front leader, she now talks to the contrary. Can India's sovereignty be decided by such fickle minds and fragile hands?," the leader wrote in a blog shared on his Facebook page.
Jaitley's words came following disruption in Rajya Sabha earlier in the day. The House had to be adjourned following ruckus by opposition parties when BJP President Amit Shah stood up to speak on NRC.
He pointed out in his article that two of India's Prime Ministers, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, had "committed to the nation that post March 25, 1971 migrants would be detected, identified and deported" as per the definition of such people, which came to be defined in Assam Accords signed in 1984 by Rajiv Gandhi.
To bolster his argument against illegal migrants, Jaitley cited statements made by former premiers of Pakistan and Bangladesh, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shiekh Mujibur Rahman, which showed them harbouring intention of annexing Assam or West Bengal to either of the two countries.
Training his guns further at Congress, he termed it as a party which has moved from mainstream to a "fringe position" and is now "compromising the sovereignty of India".
"Leaders like Rahul Gandhi and Mamata Banerjee must realise that India's sovereignty is not a play thing. Sovereignty and citizenship are the soul of India. Imported vote banks are not," he said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Two held for 'firing' at BJP leader's house in Bengal
Kolkata (PTI): A day before the counting of votes for the West Bengal assembly elections, two persons were arrested on Sunday for allegedly being involved in a firing incident outside the residence of a BJP leader in North 24 Parganas district, police said.
BJP leader Kundan Singh lodged a police complaint, alleging that a few gunmen fired at his house in the Noapara constituency around Saturday midnight.
Based on the CCTV footage, the two accused were apprehended, a senior officer said.
BJP's Noapara candidate Arjun Singh, in a post on social media, claimed that around 12.05 am, two armed miscreants arrived on a motorcycle at the residence of Kundan Singh, a BJP functionary and secretary of the Barrackpore organisational district, with an "intent to kill him".
According to the BJP leader, the accused are residents of Garulia and are known criminals.
Their names as offenders had been submitted to the Election Commission, he said.
The police officer did not specify whether the two arrested persons were the same individuals named by Arjun Singh.
According to the complaint, one round of firing took place outside Kundan Singh's house, triggering panic in the area.
The BJP candidate also questioned the role of the police, claiming that one of the accused had been detained by the police on the polling day but was later released in the evening.
The Noapara assembly seat went to the polls on April 29.
Several BJP leaders alleged that attempts were being made to create an atmosphere of fear ahead of the counting and weaken the organisation of the opposition parties.
The counting of votes will take place on May 4. Polling for the West Bengal assembly elections was held on April 23 and April 29.
The BJP urged the Election Commission to intervene immediately to ensure peaceful counting.
TMC candidate Somnath Shyam rubbished Arjun Singh’s allegation, claiming that the BJP nominee had orchestrated the firing incident to divert attention from imminent defeat.
“Arjun Singh knows all the gangsters in the Barrackpore belt. Everyone knows about his links with the underworld. Let the police investigate the incident,” Shyam said.
