Voters won't fall for Cong promises, 'Modi Guarantee' will bag all 28 K'taka LS seats: BJP
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka BJP President B Y Vijayendra on Monday said there is a pro-BJP wave in the country and the party will win all 28 seats from the state in the coming Lok Sabha elections.
Addressing a BJP Lok Sabha poll planning meeting here, he said intelligent people of the country will not fall for the "gimmicky guarantees "of the Congress party as they know that Modi guarantee is the best.
"Narendra Modi is set to become Prime Minister for the third time and under his leadership the country will rapidly move on the path of development, if the BJP wins the next election," Vijayendra said.
Hitting out at the Congress government in Karnataka, he said the state's financial health has deteriorated "due to the incompetent Congress".
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"The government has completely failed to maintain law and order. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who has presented 14 budgets, has completely failed in the matter of resource mobilisation," Vijayendra claimed.
Despite severe drought situation in many parts of the state and the suicide of 500 farmers in recent times, the state government has not given any compensation to the distressed, according to him.
Vijayendra said voters of the state are all set to teach the Congress government a lesson in the next Lok Sabha elections, adding that his party would win all the 28 seats in the upcoming polls.
In the last Lok Sabha elections, the BJP won 25 seats in Karnataka, while an independent backed by the party also emerged victorious. The Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) had won in one constituency each.
Former chief ministers B S Yediyurappa, Basavaraj Bommai and D V Sadananda Gowda and National General Secretary and Karnataka in-charge Arun Singh, Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, Leader of Opposition in the Karnataka Assembly R Ashoka and Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Kota Srinivas Pujari were among those present.
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Sonam Wangchuk justifies Ladakh agitation, says will join talks with Centre if needed
Kargil (PTI): Activist Sonam Wangchuk on Sunday defended the agitation for statehood and safeguards under the Sixth Schedule for Ladakh, and said he would not back out from joining talks with the government if the need for it arises.
Addressing a press conference, Wangchuk, who was released on March 14 after nearly six months of detention under the National Security Act, called for "open-minded and sincere" negotiations and striking a middle path.
He also expressed hope that the ongoing protests would lead to a positive and amicable solution.
"The demand for safeguards under the Sixth Schedule and statehood is based on democratic rights entailed in the Constitution and is completely legitimate. I have always maintained that for the last 5-6 years, we have been engaged in discussions with the government on these issues, yet no solution has emerged. This is because the other side seems to have adopted a rigid stance," Wangchuk told reporters here.
He stressed that the negotiations should be held with an open mind, in all sincerity.
"Neither side should insist 'we alone will win and you will lose'. What is needed is a middle path, a win-win approach. This is what I personally believe and have conveyed to many people, including the (agitating) leaders: the negotiations should move forward gradually," he said.
Wangchuk said they were ready to adopt such an approach, but it should not be one-sided.
He said the protesters have conveyed this thinking to fair-minded people across the country, and cautioned that if the upcoming talks once again result in their concerns being overlooked and only the other side's position prevails, it would prompt questions on why a more accommodative approach -- like that adopted by Ladakh's leaders -- is not being followed.
The government has not yet announced the date for the next round of talks.
The Ladakh-based activist expressed hope that the ongoing protests would lead to a positive and amicable resolution, enabling them to move forward and partake in the country's progress and nation-building.
Asked about charges under the National Security Act (NSA) that were levelled against him, he said, "If a person like me, who has always worked for the country -- whether in education, environment, or improving facilities for the armed forces -- can face such allegations, then what might not be said about others, not just in Ladakh but elsewhere as well?"
The activist said he was disturbed by a video related to his arrest that he came across recently, questioning how such claims could be made, especially as the contents "appeared" to be backed by evidence.
"If the allegations are true, I did not deserve to be free. But if they are false, they must be clearly refuted," Wangchuk said, cautioning against making sweeping accusations about Ladakh, which has been a pillar of India's defence, especially Kargil, whose people have supported the armed forces in every war and made significant sacrifices in the 1999 Kargil War.
Making such allegations will only create distance among people, he said, adding, "If mistakes are being made, they should be corrected."
Referring to the Centre's order revoking NSA charges against him, he said it is clearly stated that this step is being taken to create a conducive environment, to build trust, and to enable meaningful dialogue.
"So, we are waiting for things to move in that direction," he said.
On the protesters' next course of action, he said the leadership will look into the issue, but it is hoped that the time ahead will not be for anything else but celebration.
"If there is any absolute need, we will discuss and decide what steps should be taken," he said.
On the possibility of him joining the team holding dialogue with the home ministry, Wangchuk said, "Whatever I do, I do it out of necessity. Where I am not needed, and others could do it, I always prefer that they should take the lead. But if there is a need, I will not back down."
VIDEO | Ladakh: Activist Sonam Wangchuk says, "... We need open-minded dialogue with Centre to find a win-win or middle path solution..."
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(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/dv5TRAShcC) pic.twitter.com/BwWQGx66I1
