Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Calcutta HC’s OBC Status Order Sparks Political Row

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE Updates: Following the Calcutta High Court judgment on the OBC certificates issued by the West Bengal government after 2010, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday trained his guns at CM Mamata Banerjee and her party, Trinamool Congress, saying that “this vote bank politics, this politics of appeasement, is crossing every limit”. Notably, the EC had issued directions to both the BJP and Congress to tell its star campaigners about the “plummeting quality” of their campaigns. PM Modi on Thursday will hold his first rally in Punjab’s Patiala.

23 May 2024, 10:23:55 am IST

Elections News LIVE: ‘Rahul Roams Around With Copy Of Constitution…,’ Says Nadda

Slamming Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, BJP national president JP Nadda said he “roams around with a copy of the constitution but when the Calcutta High Court gives a decision on such an issue and Muslim appeasement is exposed then they remain silent.”

“The people of the country will teach such people a lesson in this election. The people of West Bengal also will teach Mamata Banerjee a lesson,” Nadda said.

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday struck down as illegal the OBC status of several classes in West Bengal granted since 2010, sparking a political debate in the middle of the Lok Sabha elections.

The court observed that inclusion of 77 classes of Muslims in the list of backward categories was to “treat them as vote bank”.

 23 May 2024, 10:22:07 am IST

General Elections 2024 LIVE: Smriti Irani Holds Roadshow In Delhi’s Chandni Chowk

Union Minister Smriti Irani took part in a roadshow in support of BJP candidate from Delhi’s Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha seat, Praveen Khandelwal.

Praveen Khandelwal is pitted against Congress party’s JP Agarwal from the constituency. All seven Lok Sabha seats of Delhi will go to polls on 25th May, in the 6th phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024.

 23 May 2024, 10:01:16 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: BJP Protests In Nandigram Over Death Of Party Worker

BJP workers were protesting in Purba Medinipur of West Bengal’s Nandigram and blocked road after a party worker died in an alleged attack by miscreants on a few houses last night.

Local party workers allege that the attack was carried out by TMC workers.

 23 May 2024, 09:48:25 am IST

Elections 2024 LIVE: What BJP’s Maneka Gandhi On Being Asked About Rahul, Varun

BJP MP and party’s candidate from Uttar Pradesh’s Sultanpur, Maneka Gandhi was asked Rahul Gandhi and Varun Gandhi, who are cousins.

“…Opportunity depends on ability, one who has the ability will make their way. It’s a misconception that parties are run by MPs, our party has crores of people who run it and MPs are just 300-400, don’t we think that others are leaders?” Maneka Gandhi said.

 23 May 2024, 09:28:59 am IST

Elections 2024 LIVE: EC Tells SC ‘Indiscriminate Disclosure’ Of Polling Station-Wise Poll Turnout Data ‘Will Cause Chaos’

The Election Commission on Wednesday told the Supreme Court that disclosure of polling station-wise voter turnout data will cause chaos in the election machinery which is already in motion for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

The EC also dismissed as false and misleading the allegation that the first two phases of the Lok Sabha elections saw an increase of “5-6 per cent” in the voter turnout data released on the day of polling and in the subsequent press releases for each of the two phases.

 23 May 2024, 09:03:20 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Rahul Gandhi Slams ‘Coal Scam’ Under BJP Govt

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi slammed “a huge coal scam” under the BJP government.

“Through this scam that has been going on for years, Modiji’s favorite friend Adani has looted thousands of crores of rupees by selling low-grade coal at three times the price, the price of which the common people have paid from their pockets by paying expensive electricity bills,” Rahul said in a post on X.

“Will the Prime Minister tell how many tempos were used to keep ED, CBI and IT quiet on this open corruption?” he asked.

The Congress leader, in his X post in Hindi, further said, “After June 4, the Indian government will investigate this mega scam and account for every penny looted from the public.”

 23 May 2024, 08:52:56 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Congress Chandni Chowk Candidate Holds Campaign In Keshavpuram

Congress candidate from Delhi’s Chandni Chowk Lok Sabha, JP Agarwal, is holding an election campaign in Keshavpuram.

“During the elections, you go out and meet people. I have come here, regarding that… Today, people are against the central government due to inflation and unemployment. They want to see the change. I can witness this in the elections. INDIA alliance will win all the seats in Delhi,” Agarwal told news agency ANI.

 23 May 2024, 08:44:33 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Delhi Metro Services To Begin From 4 AM On May 25

The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) said that its services will commence at 4 am on the day of the Lok Sabha elections in Delhi, May 25.

The decision was made to ensure convenient transportation for the staff deployed for election duty, Principal Executive Director of Corporate Communications at DMRC, Anuj Dayal said.

 23 May 2024, 08:39:42 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Venugopal Confident About Congress Winning Amethi, Raebareli

Delhi Congress general secretary KC Venugopal said, “We will win Raebareli with a great majority and we will certainly bring back Amethi. Both the seats will be Congress’…The ground reports are very clear…We are going to reduce BJP’s number very drastically in Uttar Pradesh. We are going to get a minimum of half of the seats in Uttar Pradesh.”

 23 May 2024, 08:18:09 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: PM Trying To Mislead Country With False Narratives, Says Venugopal

Congress leader KC Venugopal said, “We have never such low-level remarks from a person of the stature of Prime Minister. Only a desperate person can do these kinds of things. He is lying. He is trying to mislead the country with false narratives. People know about the truth now.”

“You cannot mislead the country every time…Their (BJP) MPs are saying that they want 400 seats to change the Constitution. It is not told by us but by them…These people want an autocratic government, not a democratic government,” he added.

Venugopal further said, “We are thankful to the Prime Minister because he has given much publicity for our manifesto, even though he is setting a false narrative of the manifesto…”

 23 May 2024, 08:16:31 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: INDIA Bloc Will Get Minimum 300 Seats, Says KC Venugopal

Congress General Secretary KC Venugopal said, “INDIA Alliance will get a minimum of 300 seats. This is our assessment. We have done very well in South India in these elections. Everyone said that BJP is going to sweep North India or repeat the same number which they got the last time.”

“This is not going to happen at all. Our internal report is very clear. Rajasthan, Haryana, UP, Bihar, Maharashtra, Delhi – all these places, Congress and INDIA Alliance will get more seats. It is a clear winning situation for INDIA Alliance,” he added.

 23 May 2024, 07:25:38 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Rahul Gandhi Is ‘Mahapurush’, Says Former Congress Leader

Former Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam said, “Rahul Gandhi is a ‘Mahapurush’, he can say anything…Mahatma Gandhi saw a dream of the end of Congress and nobody could do it, not even BJP, but now Rahul Gandhi himself is doing it. Rahul Gandhi is finishing off Congress and fulfilling his responsibility.”

“Not just me but crores of Congress workers across the country is aware of this fact…after 4th June, Congress will be the party to win the least number of seats, till now,” he added.

 23 May 2024, 07:12:24 am IST

Elections 2024 LIVE: Congress Terms EC’s Directions To Be ‘Wholly Bogus Equivalence’

Following the Election Commission’s directions to both the BJP and Congress on Wednesday, asking them to correct their discourse amid the “plummeting quality of their campaign”, Congress accused the poll body of “showing undue deference to the party in power”.

Congress claimed that statements of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are in no way comparable to those made by its leaders.

“Level-playing playing field cannot mean drawing a wholly bogus equivalence,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said.

In a post on X, Ramesh alleged that the statements made by PM Modi and Shah using “religion in political campaigning” are a blatant violation of the model code and against Supreme Court judgements.

 23 May 2024, 07:08:42 am IST

Elections 2024 LIVE: Sitaram Yechury Says EC Handling Grievous Poll Code Violations With Kid Gloves

CPI (M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Wednesday said the “directive” issued by the Election Commission does not address the issues raised by his party in its complaints, and accused the poll panel of handling “grievous” poll code violations with “kid gloves”.

In a post on X, Yechury said, “None of the issues raised in our complaints against the incendiary communal speeches of Modi and other BJP leaders have been addressed by ECI in today’s directive.”

 23 May 2024, 07:07:14 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Delhi BJP Demands Verification Of Voters In Burqa, Face Masks

A delegation of the Delhi BJP on Wednesday met the Chief Electoral Officer in the national capital, demanding proper verification of women voters wearing ‘burqa’ or face masks with the help of female officials during May 25 elections.

It said that the step would prevent “anti-social and anti-democratic elements” from “rigging” the election on seven Lok Sabha seats in the national capital.

This comes amid a recent controversy over BJP Hyderabad candidate Madhavi Latha being booked by election officials for allegedly making ‘burqa’ clad voters show their faces for verification.

 23 May 2024, 07:03:16 am IST

Elections 2024 LIVE: Rajnath Attacks INDIA Bloc Over Action Against Corruption

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the opposition INDIA bloc over the corruption issue and asked should the government not take action against the corrupt.

Singh was campaigning for the BJP’s Lok Sabha poll candidates in Haryana.

Referring to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest in a money laundering case linked to the excise case, Singh said, “Kejriwal would claim to be the most honest person. Now, he says he has been jailed by Modi ji…should our government not take action against corruption?”.

“Earlier they (Congress) did not let the ED and CBI to work. During the Congress’ 55-year rule, the ED, CBI had seized just Rs 32 lakh in corruption matters,” he said. (PTI)

 23 May 2024, 07:01:45 am IST

Elections 2024 LIVE: BJP Should Be Voted Out To Protect Reservation Rights, Says TMC Leader Abhishek

TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee on Wednesday hit out at the BJP needs to be voted out of power so that the reservation rights of the people are protected.

A change is imminent at the Centre and the TMC would play a crucial role in forming the new government, Banerjee said at rallies in Salboni and Nandigram.

“The BJP is trying to snatch away the reservation rights of OBCs, STs, and SCs. Giving them a single vote is similar to giving away your rights,” the TMC national general secretary said.

 23 May 2024, 06:55:22 am IST

Elections LIVE: Congress Aims To Ensure Participation Of 90% Population In Country, Says Rahul Gandhi

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said that his party aims to ensure the participation of the country’s 90 per cent population in the country’s progress.

He asserted that the country’s 90 per cent population including the Dalits, OBCs, tribal communities and the minorities does not have representation in the country’s narrative and power structure.

Addressing an event in Panchkula this evening, Gandhi took a swipe at the BJP, saying the saffron party’s “end” is coming.

 23 May 2024, 06:50:10 am IST

Elections 2024 LIVE: PM Modi In Punjab Today; Farmers To Show Him Black Flags

Prime minister Narendra Modi will start his election campaign in Punjab by holding the first rally in Patiala on Thursday. He will also address rallies in Gurdaspur and Jalandhar on May 24.

Meanwhile, farmer leader Balbir Singh Rajewal had said that farmers will show black flags to PM Modi when he visits Punjab for poll campaigning.

Speaking to reporters after the rally in Jagraon on Tuesday, Rajewal said, “We have today decided that when Modi comes to Punjab, we will hold a protest against him by showing black flags.”

Rajewal said farmers have been opposing BJP leaders ever since the Lok Sabha elections were announced. “Modi’s policies are pro-corporate,” Rajewal alleged.

Farmer leaders, however, claimed that their protest would be peaceful.

23 May 2024, 06:50:10 am IST

Elections 2024 LIVE: PM Modi Takes A Swipe At Rahul Gandhi, Says ‘Congress Destroyed Several…’

Taking a jibe at the Congress and party leader Rahul Gandhi, PM Modi said, “Today, the prince of Congress has accepted a big truth. He has accepted that the system that was created during the time of his grandmother, his father and his mother has been staunchly opposed to the Dalits, backward classes and tribals.”

“This system of Congress has destroyed many generations of SC-ST-OBC,” he added.

 23 May 2024, 06:50:10 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: PM Modi Takes A Jibe At TMC Over Calcutta HC Judgment

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday took a swipe at the Trinamool Congress-led government in West Bengal after the Calcutta HC judgment scrapping all the OBC certificates issued in the state after 2010.

“Today, the Kolkata High Court has given a tight slap to the INDI Alliance. The court has cancelled all the OBC certificates issued after 2010 in Bengal. It has been done because the West Bengal issued an OBC certificate to the Muslims. Their politics and obsession of vote bank and appeasement have crossed all limits,” Modi said at a rally in Delhi’s Dwarka.

 23 May 2024, 06:50:10 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE: Mamata Says Won’t Accept Calcutta HC Judgment On OBC Certificates

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday asserted that she “will not accept” the Calcutta High Court order scrapping the OBC status of several classes in the state.

She hinted that the government could challenge the order in the Supreme Court.

“The OBC reservation quota introduced by the West Bengal government will continue. We had drafted the Bill after conducting a house-to-house survey, and it was passed by the cabinet and the assembly,” she said.

“If necessary, we will move a higher court (against the order),” the TMC supremo said.

Banerjee accused the BJP of conspiring to stall the OBC quota by using central agencies.

“Some people have gone to the court, moved a petition to sabotage the interest of OBCs and then this development takes place. How can the saffron party show such audacity?” she said.

Courtesy : Outlook India

Note: This news is originally published in outlookindia.com and was used solely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes exclusively for Human Rights.