Lok Sabha Elections LIVE: ‘Muslims Use Condoms The Most,’ Owaisi Tells Modi; PM Rakes Up ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ Again

Lok Sabha Elections News LIVE Updates: In a major development, Congress candidate from Madhya Pradesh’s Indore Lok Sabha seat Akshay Kanti Bam withdrew his candidature and was “welcomed” by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to its fold on Monday. Meanwhile, the Congress on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “taking inspiration” from Nazi politician Joseph Goebbels while speaking about the party’s manifesto for the Lok Sabha elections. Congress’s statement came amid the raging war of words between BJP and Congress, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi continuing attacks in his speeches and interviews and the Grand Old Party countering the salvos.

Nayanika Sengupta

29 Apr 2024, 01:43:25 pm IST

India General Elections 2024: Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana Files Nomination From Jharkhand’s Gandey

Jailed Jharkhand ex-chief minister Hemant Soren’s wife Kalpana on Monday filed her nomination as the JMM candidate from Gandey assembly seat in the state. Bypoll to the seat is scheduled on May 20 along with the parliamentary elections in the state.

The seat in Giridih district fell vacant following the resignation of JMM MLA Sarfaraz Ahmad.

Kalpana, 48, was accompanied by Jharkhand Chief Minister Champai Soren, brother-in-law Basant Soren and Ministers Alamgir Alam and Satyanand Bhokta, among others, when she filed her papers.

 29 Apr 2024, 01:41:01 pm IST

Lok Sabha Elections: Smriti Irani Files Nomination From Amethi

Union Minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani filed her nomination papers for her constituency Amethi for the Lok Sabha elections 2024. Amethi will vote in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha elections on May 20.

Smriti Irani defeated Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to win the Amethi seat.

 29 Apr 2024, 01:34:37 pm IST

Rahul Gandhi In Gujarat: ‘Will Constitution Be Saved Or Not’

Today, the question is will the Constitution of India be saved or not? asked Rahul Gandhi at an election rally in Gujarat’s Patan on Monday. The Opposition has been alleging that BJP wants to achieve the target of 400-plus seats this Lok Sabha elections to ultimately be able to make changes in the Indian Constitution, a charge denied by the ruling party.

 29 Apr 2024, 01:16:41 pm IST

PM Modi In Karnataka: PM Rakes Up ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ Again

Addressing a public meeting in Karnataka’s Bagalkote, PM Narendra Modi slammed the Congress government in the state and said the government started “attacking the dignity of that daughter to save their vote bank.”

PM Modi also highlighted the recent incident from the state where a shopkeeper listening to ‘Hanuman Chalisa’ was attacked in his shop. PM Modi said “Fundamentalists have gone uncontrolled in Karnataka”.

 29 Apr 2024, 12:53:44 pm IST

‘Congress Running Extortion Gang In Karnataka’: PM Modi

Addressing a public meeting in Karnataka’s Bagalkote on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Congress was running an “extortion gang” in the state and not a government. “Karnataka which is known as a tech hub and has made its name in the world, Congress has made it a ‘tanker hub’. These people are dreaming of a scam like the 2G scam…,” PM Modi said.

 29 Apr 2024, 12:51:12 pm IST

Lok Sabha Election LIVE News: Congress Releases Fresh List

Congress on Monday released a list of four more candidates for Punjab, fielding PCC chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring from Ludhiana.

Congress leader Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa has been fielded from Gurdaspur.

 29 Apr 2024, 12:32:19 pm IST

Discontented Ladakh BJP MP To His Party: Hope for the Best, Prepare for the Worst

As Ladakhi innovator Sonam Wangchuk led climate fast enters its 52nd day, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s crisis in Ladakh is intensifying in the region as incumbent Member Parliament Jamyang Tsering Namgyal has asked the BJP to brace for the worst in the parliamentary polls.

On April 23, the BJP dropped Jamyang and nominated Tashi Gyalson, an advocate who heads the BJP-led Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council-Leh (LAHDC-Leh), as its candidate for the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat. Polling in the constituency is scheduled for May 20. READ FULL REPORT

 29 Apr 2024, 12:26:06 pm IST

Election 2024 LIVE: BJP ‘Welcomes’ Congress’s Indore Candidate To Party

Congress Lok Sabha candidate from Indore, Akshay Kanti Bam, was welcomed to the BJP by the latter. Madhya Pradesh Minister and BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya took to X and welcomed the Congress Lok Sabha candidate to BJP.

 29 Apr 2024, 12:21:34 pm IST

JUST IN  | Rajnath Singh Files Nomination For Lok Sabha Elections 2024

Senior BJP leader and defence Rajnath Singh filed nomination from Lucknow Lok Sabha seat on Monday. UP’s Lucknow will go to polls in the on May 20, the fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024.

29 Apr 2024, 12:18:46 pm IST

Arvind Kejriwal Supreme Court Hearing: Top Court To Hear Delhi CM’s Plea Against ED Arrest

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging his arrest in a money laundering case stemming from the alleged excise policy scam. Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21 and subsequently sent to judicial custody.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta is likely to hear the matter.

Arvind Kejriwal had earlier told the apex court that his “illegal arrest” in the case constitutes an unprecedented assault on the tenets of democracy based on “free and fair elections” and “federalism”.

 29 Apr 2024, 11:57:54 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections 2024 LIVE Updates: ‘Muslims Use Condoms Most’, Says Owaisi In Reply To PM Modi

Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi named the Muslim community to say that the Congress plans to redistribute the country’s wealth among “those with most children”, AIMIM leader and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi hit back saying “Muslims use condoms the most.”

Addressing a rally in Hyderabad, Owaisi slammed ruling party’s ‘Modi ki guarantee’ tagline, saying, “[the PM] has only one guarantee… hate Dalits and Muslims.”

“Why are you creating fear that Muslims produce more children? According to data from the Modi government, the population growth and fertility among Muslims has decreased. Muslims use condoms most, and I have no shame in saying this…” Owaisi said.

Addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara on April 21, PM Modi had said the Congress plans to give people’s hard-earned money and valuables to “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”, naming the Muslim community.

 29 Apr 2024, 11:30:26 am IST

India General Elections LIVE News: Smriti Iran To Hold Roadshow In Amethi Before Filing Nomination

Union Minister and BJP candidate from UP’s Amethi Smriti Irani will hold a roadshow ahead of filing nomination from the seat. Smriti Irani became the MP of Amethi after defeating Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from the seat in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

 29 Apr 2024, 11:12:46 am IST

Arvinder Singh Lovely Resigns From Congress Criticising Alliance With AAP

Congress’s Delhi unit chief Arvinder Singh Lovely resigned on Sunday, criticising the party’s alliance with AAP and the statements of Congress candidates Kanhaiya Kumar and Udit Raj.

Reacting to the resignation, AAP leader Sanjay Singh said on Monday that Arvinder Singh Lovely played an important role in making an alliance with Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

“He has played a big role in forming the INDIA alliance in Delhi. When the CM [Arvind Kejriwal] was being arrested, Arvinder Singh Lovely was the first from Congress to reach out. Why is he saying this, let them know,” Singh said.

 29 Apr 2024, 10:54:20 am IST

India General Election 2024 LIVE Updates: BJP’s Sambit Patra Holds Roadshow In Odisha

Sambit Patra, BJP’s candidate from Odisha’s Puri Lok Sabha seat, held a roadshow in Puri ahead of filing his nomination papers today. Congress has fielded Sucharita Mohanty from this seat. Puri will vote on 25May.

 29 Apr 2024, 10:44:27 am IST

‘Real Face Of Congress Revealed’, Says Yogi Adityanath

Speaking on Congress party’s stance regarding CAA, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Monday that party’s “real face”has been revealed to the country and the world.

“The Citizenship Amendment Act [CAA] is not against any person, any caste, or any religion. This is India’s message to humanity. Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis, and Christians, were tortured in Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan and they came to India as refugees. CAA is in favor of giving them Indian citizenship. Why is Congress allergic to this or why is Congress coming under the pressure of those who are enemies of humanity…,” CM Adityanath said.

 29 Apr 2024, 10:42:23 am IST

In Other News |BJP Karnataka MP And Ex-Union Minister Srinivasa Prasad Passes Away

Bharatiya Janata Party MP and former Union Minister V Srinivasa Prasad passed on Monday at the age of 76, family sources said. The veteran politician, a Lok Sabha member from Karnataka’s Chamarajnagar, was ailing for some time and undergoing treated at a private hospital, where he passed away early Monday.

Srinivasa Prasad served as the Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs Food and Public Distribution in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government from 1999 to 2004.

He was a six-time MP from Chamarajanagar and also served as MLA from Nanjangud in Mysuru district for two terms. Read Full Report

 29 Apr 2024, 10:25:09 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections LIVE News: Mayawati’s Nephew Booked For ‘Hate Speech’

Police in Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur Sunday filed an FIR against Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) National Coordinator and Mayawati’s nephew, Akash Anand, party’s Lok Sabha candidate Mahendra Yadav, and others including Shyam Awasthi, Akshay Kalra, and Vikas Rajvanshi, along with 35 unidentified individuals, for hate speech.

The alleged hate speech was given during a rally organised by the BSP in support of Mahendra Yadav at Raja College campus in the Kotwali police station area of Sitapur on Sunday, according to a Times of India report.

 29 Apr 2024, 10:06:36 am IST

PM Modi Taking Inspiration From Nazi Politician Goebbels, Says Congress

The Congress on Monday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of taking inspiration from Nazi politician Joseph Goebbels while speaking about the party’s Nyay Patra for the Lok Sabha elections.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “For his MA in Entire Political Science, Mr. Narendra Modi must definitely have read Joseph Goebbels on the value of propaganda and taken inspiration from him.”

He noted that Goebbels had stated that “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.”

 29 Apr 2024, 09:43:22 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections LIVE: Repolling Underway At Karnataka Seat

Repolling is underway at one polling station in Indiganatha village of Hanur, which falls under Chamarajanagar Lok Sabha constituency in Karnataka on Monday.

Polling began at 7 am and will end by 6 pm.

The repolling was ordered by the Election Commission following reports that electronic voting machines were damaged at the polling booth in Indiganatha village in Chamarajanagara district on April 26 during a clash between two groups of people over whether to vote or not in the Lok Sabha elections.

 29 Apr 2024, 09:25:23 am IST

PM Modi TV Interview | Here’s What PM Said On Inheritance Tax, Rahul Gandhi’s ‘X-ray’ Remarks

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, amidst the ongoing Lok Sabha battle 2024, said that while the Congress is advocating for an “inheritance tax,” the Bharatiya Janata Party has no intentions to either implement or consider it.

In an interview with News18 channel, PM Narendra Modi described the Congress manifesto as the “stamp of the Muslim League,” stating it was his responsibility to bring out the truth of the Congress manifesto in an “unbiased manner” based on “facts”.

On April 5, the Congress released its manifesto for the Lok Sabha election 2024, focusing on economic empowerment for minorities. It promised to ensure banks would provide institutional credit to minorities without discrimination.

29 Apr 2024, 09:06:42 am IST

Lok Sabha Polls: BJP Banking On PM Modi And These ‘Milestones’

The BJP hopes to return to power, banking on its tall leader Narendra Modi – the Prime Minister of the country – who is touted to be behind some major milestones the party has hit being in power at the Centre. Ram Mandir inauguration, Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) implementation, central schemes like Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao, surgical strikes, Chandrayaan 3 are some major landmarks the BJP expects to fetch votes and hit their 400-par target through.

Parallely, the Opposition — comprising parties like Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Samajwadi Party (SP), Trinamool Congress (TMC) etc. – has been trying to take on the BJP with, as per them, a “not-so-level playing field” amid the seizure of bank accounts of the saffron party’s top rival Congress and arrests of key leaders.

 29 Apr 2024, 08:55:54 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections: Congress Workers Demand Replacement Kanhaiya Kumar’s Candidature 

A group of Congress workers on Sunday held a protest near the office of party’s Northeast Delhi’s candidate for Lok Sabha polls Kanhaiya Kumar, demanding a local person to be nominated from the seat. The protest was held near the Maujpur metro station.

Navdeep Sharma, one of the protesters, said they want a local candidate from the seat.

“We want our own candidate or leader to fight otherwise, we should have a meeting so that we can express our feelings with the high command. We need a local candidate from among us; we don’t want an outsider. Our dissatisfaction is not with anyone; we don’t have any problem with anyone,” Sharma told news agency PTI.

 29 Apr 2024, 08:41:51 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections LIVE Updates: Will Rahul Gandhi Contest From Amethi? Congress Says We’ll Know Soon

Amid questions over Congress candidate for Uttar Pradesh’s Amethi, a seat held by Rahul Gandhi till 2019, party leader Salman Khurshid: “…The announcement will be made soon…Detailed discussion could not happen in the meeting. Mallikarjun Kharge will announce it…”

 29 Apr 2024, 08:35:14 am IST

Lok Sabha Election News:  EC Asks AAP To Modify ‘Jail Ka Jawab’ Poll Campaign Song

The Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday claimed the Election Commission of India has “banned” its Lok Sabha campaign song “Jail Ka Jawab, Vote Se Denge”, but officials of the Delhi poll body said the party was asked to modify the contents of the song since it violated EC’s guidelines and advertising codes.

The over two-minute campaign song, penned and sung by AAP MLA Dilip Pandey, was released at the party headquarters here on Thursday.

In a statement, the Delhi Chief Electoral Office said during a review and scrutiny of the advertisement submitted by AAP, the Media Pre Certification Committee headed by Delhi’s joint chief electoral officer made certain observations with reference to various provisions and guidelines stipulated by the Election Commission.

29 Apr 2024, 08:30:28 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: World’s Largest Democratic Excercise, In Numbers

India’s mega Lok Sabha elections 2024 commenced April 19 with the first of the seven phases of voting taking place to elect the 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha and decide whether the Narendra Modi-led NDA government will come to power at the Centre for a consecutive third term or if the Opposition, which has united under a bloc called ‘INDIA’,  will remove the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led dispensation from the central government position. Click Here For Outlook India’s Election Coverage

The Lok Sabha elections are taking place in seven phases. While voting for the first phase took place on April 19, the last phase will take place on June 1, with the counting of votes scheduled for June 4.

All Election FAQs Answered Here

The general elections are taking place with the BJP riding on what it calls the success of the Narendra Modi-led central government it attributes to the milestones such as Ram Mandir opening, Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) rollout, G20 Summit, sending India to the Moon via Chandrayaan 3 among other big events, some of which have been criticised by the Opposition and a section of people in the country.

 29 Apr 2024, 08:13:47 am IST

Odisha Elections: Congress Names Candidates For 2 LS Seats, 8 Assembly Constituencies

The Congress on Sunday released the names of two Lok Sabha candidates and eight nominees for the Assembly elections in Odisha. Assembly polls are taking place in Odisha along with Lok Sabha elections.

According to the candidates list released by AICC’s Central Election Committee, the party changed the contestant for the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat. Former MP Nagendra Pradhan is made the new candidate in place of Dulal Chandra Pradhan.

The party fielded former minister Suresh Mohapatra in the Cuttack Lok Sabha constituency. Denying ticket to Barabati-Cuttack MLA Md Moquim, the Congress has fielded his daughter Sofia Firdous. Meanwhile, former MLA Debi Prasad Chand will contest from Jaleswar assembly segment while Monalisa Lenka will fight from Balasore assembly seat.

 29 Apr 2024, 08:13:47 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections: Arvinder Singh Lovely Resigns As Delhi Congress Chief, Says ‘Not Joining Any Party’

Delhi Congress Chief Arvinder Singh Lovely on Sunday resigned from his post. In a letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lovely said he is unable to continue as the president of the Delhi party unit.

Lovely clarified that he hasn’t quit the Congress altogether; he’s only stepping down as the Delhi party chief to protest against the tie-up with Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party. Read Full Report

 29 Apr 2024, 08:00:39 am IST

Prajwal Revanna ‘Sex Scandal’: Purported Videos Of JDS MP Spark Row

Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna is in the middle of a scandal over ‘obscene’ videos allegedly involving him. Revanna has been charged with sexual harassment by a 47-year-old woman who worked as a house help at his home.

The woman has accused Holenarasipur MLA HD Revanna, Prajwal’s father, of sexual assault as well, as reported by India Today.

According to the report, the complainant claimed that Prajwal Revanna would repeatedly call her to his room, and that other women workers in the house had also been subjected to similar treatment. Male workers in the house had warned the women to be cautious around Prajwal Revanna, she said.

This development comes amid a larger scandal involving purported sex tapes allegedly featuring Prajwal Revanna. The Karnataka government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the videos, which are alleged to show “rape”. READ MORE

 29 Apr 2024, 07:54:56 am IST

India General Election LIVE: PM Modi’s Big Rally In Pune Today

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to hold a massive rally in Maharashtra’s Pune today in support of all four Mahayuti candidates. The rally, Maha Vijay Sankalp Sabha, will be held at the Racecourse Ground between 4pm and 9pm.

According to senior Maharashtra BJP leader Chandrakant Patil, around two lakh people are expected to attend the rally. Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray’s son Amit Thackeray will also participate in the rally, Patil said.

 29 Apr 2024, 07:50:28 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Important Dates

The schedule for the Lok Sabha elections 2024 was announced by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on March 16. The voting for Lok Sabha elections 2024 is taking place in seven phases and started on April 19. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.

While voting for Phase 1 and 2 took place on April 19 and April 26, polling for Phase 3 to Phase 7 will take place on: May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.

Lok Sabha Elections Important Dates

Phase 1/April 19 – 21 states/UTs – 102 constituencies

Phase 2/April 26 – 13 states/UTs – 88 constituencies

Phase 3/May 7 – 12 states/UTs – 12 constituencies

Phase 4/May 13 – 10 states/UTs – 96 constituencies

Phase 5/May 20 – 8 states/UTs – 49 constituencies

Phase 6/May 25 – 7 states/UTs – 57 constituencies

Phase 7/June 1 –  8 states/UTs – 57 constituencies

Lok Sabha Elections Full Schedule Here

 29 Apr 2024, 07:48:38 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections: FIR Filed Over ‘Doctored’ Video Of Amit Shah On Reservation

The Delhi Police have registered an FIR over a complaint regarding a “doctored video” of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, which allegedly shows Shah promising to scrap reservation for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

The BJP alleged that the original video was of Amit Shah discussing the removal of the 4 per cent “unconstitutional” reservation for Muslims in Telangana, and it was edited to falsely depict the Union Home Minister advocating ending Muslim reservation, during a recent Lok Sabha election rally.

 29 Apr 2024, 07:40:37 am IST

PM TV Interview: Modi Slams Congress Over Manifesto, ‘Inheritance Tax’ Again

Prime Minister Narendra Modi continued his attack on the Congress in TV interviews as well and in one such recent interview repeated his stance on the Grand Old Party’s manifesto, saying it has “Muslim League stamp”.

PM Modi, in the interview with News18, also reiterated that Rahul Gandhi’s statement on conducting an X-ray or a social-economic survey, that will look at which sections are behind and will redistribute wealth accordingly, is an “urban Naxal” thought.

BJP and Congress have been at loggerheads over PM Modi’s repeated remarks against latter’s Congress’s poll manifesto. The starting point of the issue was an April 21 Rajasthan speech of PM Modi where he accused the Congress of planning to “redistrubute the wealth” of the people of the country if it comes to power.

Addressing the rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara on April 21, PM Modi said the Congress plans to give people’s hard-earned money and valuables to “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”, naming the Muslim community.

The Congress vs BJP slugfest then saw another development when Indian Overseas Congress in charge Sam Pitroda suggested a ‘US-like inheritance tax’ system for India, a statement that PM Modi picked up to hit out at the Grand Old Party again.

 29 Apr 2024, 07:33:55 am IST

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Voting So Far

Voting has taken place for two of the seven phases in the Lok Sabha elections 2024. While voting took place in 102 constituencies across 21 states and Union Territories (UTs) in the first phase, on April 19, a total 88 seats across 13 states and UTs were in the fray in the second phase that took place on April 26.

Voter turnout in both the phases was around 60 per cent, with polling percentage higher in the northeast states than in the heatwave-hit states of south, central and north India.

 29 Apr 2024, 07:31:20 am IST

Lok Sabha Election News: BJP-Congress War Of Words Continues

The war of words between Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress stays on with Prime Minister Narendra Modi continuing attacks in his speeches and interviews and the Grand Old Party countering the salvos.

On Sunday, PM Modi in a rally in Karnataka accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of ‘insulting India’s Rajas and Maharajas’, but remaining silent on the ‘atrocities committed by Nawabs, Nizams, Sultans and Badshahs for the sake of appeasement politics’. The Congress hit back The Congress hit back saying PM Modi “maliciously twists” every statement of Rahul Gandhi to inflame communal prejudices and passions.

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.