Bengaluru: Warning partymen and leaders not to take political opponents lightly, Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Saturday exhorted them to put the party-led NDA government's achievements before the people and tirelessly work for its victory in the coming Lok Sabha polls. Asserting that the target before the party is the elections, he said the polls may be announced anytime in April and the party men should not rest or sit at home until the polls are over and should work towards winning all 28 seats in the state.
Vijayendra was speaking after the inauguration of the State BJP's Special Executive meeting which was held under his leadership here. The BJP-led government at the Centre under the leadership of Narendra Modi has in the last nine and a half years put forward clear ideas and given good governance without allowing corruption, and it is working towards making this country among the leading nations of the world, he said.
Hitting out at the Congress, Vijayendra said while the partymen in the state were making a "noise" that they had not received the invitation for the consecration of the Lord Ram's idol at the grand temple in Ayodhya, their central leadership had decided not to go to Ayodhya despite the invitation.
He also accused the Siddaramaiah-led Congress government of taking "revenge" against Hindu workers or activists in the state.
In the eight months of this government, the law and order situation in Karnataka has completely deteriorated, the BJP state chief alleged and said that on the other hand, the Congress government is not responding to the plight of the farmers and had completely failed in managing the drought situation.
"Despite more than 500 farmers commiting suicide in the state, the Chief Minister did not show any concern towards farmers," he claimed and said that no development programme is being implemented in the state.
Vijayendra also called the Congress government in the state anti-people, anti-farmer and anti-Dalit.
They are under the illusion about winning the Lok Sabha polls with their half-baked poll guarantees, he said.
BJP workers while taking the Modi government's pro-people schemes and programmes to every doorstep, should also inform people as to how the corrupt Congress government is doing injustice to them.
Member of the Central Parliamentary Board and former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, Union Ministers Bhupender Yadav, Pralhad Joshi, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Bhagawanth Khuba, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly R Ashoka, former chief ministers Basavaraj Bommai, D V Sadananda Gowda, Jagadish Shettar and several other party leaders and legislators were present at the meet.
Yediyurappa, in his address, said the upcoming Lok Sabha polls will be the major test for the party.
"In 2019, 26 seats (including one independent supported by the party) were won. It was the will of the people. This time, by winning 28 out of 28 constituencies, we have to contribute to Narendra Modi's victory," he said.
The former CM said the Congress government, which came to power by misleading the people, is involved in internal conflicts and due to their quarrel, the administration has collapsed, and corruption is rampant.
He said, "no development work was going on. In spite of this, they are playing tricks to gain votes in the wrong way. We have to convince people about the reality."
"People are fed up with this government and are cursing it. This government has not been able to wipe the tears of farmers during drought. It has failed to protect the dignity of girls. Anarchy is rampant in the state. It is impossible to sit still watching all this. Let's fight on behalf of the people and the state," he added.
Bhupender Yadav called upon the party men to raise the issue of Congress coming to power in Karnataka through false guarantees, before the people, when they go for Lok Sabha election campaign.
People of Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh have rejected the Congress party's false guarantees, he said, while expressing confidence that Modi will become the Prime Minister again with 400 seats in the next Lok Sabha elections.
"...the Congress party is getting decimated in the country's politics, by mistake they came to power in Karnataka. In this executive we should resolve to root it out from the state too and carry forward BJP's works and programmes," he said.
"The Congress party divided the country on the basis of religion. The Congress party, which divided the country into minority and majority vote-banks, completely ignored development," he alleged and said the Congress has only done minority appeasement politics.
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Islamabad (PTI): Amid stringent measures put in place by the Pakistan government to thwart the protest march on Sunday, jailed former prime minister Imran Khan's party is preparing to proceed with its highly anticipated march towards Islamabad.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, led by former Prime Minister Imran Khan, has called on the public to join the march to "break the shackles of slavery."
The federal government has taken several steps to block the protest, including deploying heavy security forces, sealing key roads, and setting up barriers around the capital.
The Interior Ministry has emphasised that, in accordance with court orders, no protests or sit-ins will be allowed in Islamabad, and any attempts to disrupt public order will be met with legal action.
Khan, in a statement, urged the masses to unite for the protest, calling it a movement for freedom and justice.
The PTI leaders earlier on Sunday held a high-level meeting at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s House to finalise the strategy for the planned protest, Geo News reported.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur has said that he will arrive in Swabi at 3pm to oversee the preparations for the planned protest and lead the party's march to Islamabad, the report added.
The chief minister also directed the party's activists intending to attend the march to reach Swabi by 3pm.
Ignoring calls by the government to postpone the protest – the second one in as many months – Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) declared to go ahead with its planned march to Islamabad coinciding with the arrival of a large Belarusian delegation even as the authorities issued a warning of a potential threat during the protest.
The PTI gave a call last week for a long march to Islamabad to press for three demands: the release of the incarcerated party founder and other leaders, against the alleged “stolen mandate” during February 8 elections and restoration of the judiciary by revoking the recent 26th amendment to the Constitution that granted legislators more power in appointing top judges.
Meanwhile, Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, has opted not to participate in the protest but will oversee the convoys from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister's House.
In preparation for the protest, Islamabad’s federal government has fortified security measures, sealing off several key roads and blocking routes leading to the Red Zone, where critical government buildings are located.
Containers have been placed across the city, including along the Srinagar Highway, GT Road, and the Expressway, limiting access to strategic areas like D-Chowk, Islamabad Airport, and the A-11 point at New Margalla Road.
Rangers, along with police and Frontier Constabulary (FC), have been deployed to monitor the area. The federal government has also warned against any unlawful protests, stating that no one will be permitted to hold a demonstration in violation of judicial orders, with legal action promised against any violators.
Also, Pakistan Railways has suspended all train services between Lahore, Rawalpindi, and Peshawar in light of the ongoing PTI protest, the Express Tribune reported.
According to railway authorities, services between Peshawar and Rawalpindi, Lahore and Rawalpindi, as well as between Multan and Faisalabad to Rawalpindi, have been halted immediately.
Additionally, all 25 train bookings for Sunday, November 24, have been cancelled, and passengers will receive immediate refunds for their tickets.
The suspension of services and the cancellation of bookings have impacted daily commuters and travellers, as Pakistan Railways responds to the security situation surrounding the ongoing protests.
Section 144 – which prohibits gatherings of individuals – has been in effect in Islamabad since November 18. On the other hand, the Punjab government too has enforced Section 144 across the province from November 23 to November 25, banning protests, public gatherings, rallies, and sit-ins.
Despite the heightened security and restrictions, the PTI has remained persistent about proceeding with its protest march and subsequent sit-in to press for its demands.
Additionally, internet and mobile services have been partially suspended in Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Punjab as a precaution.
Users in Islamabad are facing partial disruptions in internet services at various locations, while it remains unhindered in neighbouring Rawalpindi.
Meanwhile, mobile services also remain fully operational in Rawalpindi.
Public transport, including metro bus services in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, has been halted, and all bus terminals at Faizabad, linking the twin cities, have been barricaded.
Khan, 72, has been implicated in dozens of cases since his government was dismissed through a no-confidence motion in 2022. He has been in Adiala Jail at Rawalpindi since last year facing, according to his party, over 200 cases; got bail in some of them, convicted in some others, and hearings going on for some more.
Khan's party won the largest number of seats in the February general elections despite contesting as independents as the party was denied an election symbol and the PTI chief has already alleged that the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and its coalition partners, including Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had “stolen the mandate” to grab power at the federal level.
Relations between the PTI and the PML-N-led coalition government -already tense since Khan’s ouster in 2022 - have strained even more in recent times.