"Mamata Banerjee Is Like A God We Worship: West Bengal Minister

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee can do no wrong as she is like a god, West Bengal minister Sobhandeb Chattopadhyay said on Sunday, asserting that even priests sometimes turn out to be thieves, but not gods.

Mr Chattopadhyay's comments, which triggered a controversy, came as the TMC battles allegations of irregularities in school recruitments with several of its top-rung leaders, including former education minister Partha Chatterjee, arrested.

"Mamata Banerjee is like a god who we worship. Even the priests worshipping the god can at times be a thief but not the god, the idol he worships," he said, addressing a public meeting at Khardah in North 24 Parganas district.

"Even I can be a thief, but not Mamata Banerjee," he added.

Mr Chattopadhyay, the agriculture minister, alleged that several irregularities happened in educational institutes during the CPI(M)'s rule but those were never investigated.

A person was appointed registrar of a university during the Left Front government, even though he did not have 50 per cent marks in graduation and post-graduation, he alleged, claiming that undeserving candidates were also appointed professors in various state-run varsities.

But these things were overlooked, the minister said.

CPI(M) MP Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya said the court has already dismissed the allegations being made by Mr Chattopadhyay.

"Now, people will punish them for their sins. They have lost ground among the people, so they are making such statements," he told PTI.

Reacting to Mr Chattopadhyay's comment about the chief minister, the BJP said that TMC leaders were making such statements in desperation.

"TMC will bite the dust in both panchayat and Lok Sabha elections if the polling is free and fair," BJP leader Rahul Sinha said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Leh-Manali Highway Reopens For Traffic In A Record Time Of 138 Days

The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) opened the Leh-Manali Highway (NH3) for traffic, in a record time of 138 days, on Saturday.

The 427-km strategic Leh-Manali Highway (NH3) connects Ladakh to the rest of India via Manali.

The highway is strategic as it facilitates the movement of the armed forces and their supplies and wares to forward areas in the Ladakh region, bordering both China and Pakistan, as well as connecting Ladakh to the rest of India.

The highway is an alternate axis to the Srinagar-Kargil-Leh Highway.

NH-1D, 422 km was opened by the BRO on March 16, 2023, and traffic has commenced on this axis. With the onset of winter and snow accumulation, the highway remains closed from November-end till it is opened to traffic by the BRO.

The entire snow clearance operations were executed by the BRO, under 'Project Himank' in Ladakh and 'Project Deepak' in Himachal Pradesh. The challenging snow-clearing operation commenced from two extremities and were carried out by two different teams, comprising skilled manpower and state-of-the-art machines.

'Project Deepak' was undertaken from Manali to Sarchu (Border of Ladakh and Himachal) and 'Project Himank' involved the clearing of the highway from Leh to Sarchu.

'Karmyogis' of both units worked in extremely challenging conditions, braving snow storms and high altitude areas, to clear the highway. They had to negotiate four important and high-altitude passes -- the Baralacha La (15910 ft), Nakee La (15547 ft), Lachung La (16616 ft) and Tanglang La (17482 ft).

A significant time of snow clearance was consumed in the clearance of these high mountain passes where the precipitation was more and the teams encountered snow walls of height 10-15 feet, stated a release on Saturday.

BRO, with a renewed focus on the early opening of all strategic roads and passes, has been progressively reducing the closure duration and opening the road earlier than the previous years.

In 2022 the road was opened for traffic move on March 26 and the BRO broke its own record in 2023 by reopening the road on Saturday.

As the two snow clearance teams converge to a common point, which is also the inter-project boundaries, a 'Golden Handshake' ceremony was organised at Sarchu on Saturday, in which the chief engineers of Project Himank, Brig Gaurav Karki, VSM and officiating chief engineer, 'Project Deepak', Col Vishal Guleria, cut the ribbon and declared the highway clear of snow and open.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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VIDEO: "यदि रेलवे बिक जाएगा, सेल बिक जाएगा तो...", केंद्र पर बीजेपी सांसद वरुण गांधी का हमला

बीजेपी के सांसद वरुण गांधी ने आज एक कार्यक्रम में कहा कि, ''मैंने 14 साल से कोई तनख्वाह नहीं ली, न मैं सरकारी घर में रहता हूं. मैंने राजनीति से कोई फायदा नहीं लिया. बाकी सांसद और विधायक कमीशन खाते हैं, 20 परसेंट, 30 परसेंट.. दुनिया जानती है. जिनके पास खाने को रोटी नहीं थी, आज वो फॉर्चूनर में चल रहे हैं.'' उन्होंने अपने उत्तर प्रदेश के संसदीय क्षेत्र पीलीभीत में आयोजित एक कार्यक्रम में यह बात कही.  

वरुण गांधी ने कहा कि, ''जो लोग अधिकारी के सामने बात नहीं रख सकते, उन अधिकारियों से उनका सम्मान निकालने आया हूं.'' उन्होंने कहा कि, ''मुझे याद है, जब मैं पहली बार संसद गया, जब मैं संसद भवन के अंदर गया, मैंने देखा, एक से एक बड़ी गाड़ी लगी हुई हैं. मैंने एक चिट्ठी सारे सांसदों को लिखी. मैंने कहा, हम सबको देश के लिए अपनी तनख्वाह त्याग देनी चाहिए, ताकि एक संदेश जाए, कि हम राजनीति में पैसे के लिए नहीं, हम राजनीति में संकल्पित होकर आए हैं.'' 

"सांसद और विधायक कमीशन खाते हैं...", बोले सांसद वरुण गांधी pic.twitter.com/dP7CohRK54

— NDTV India (@ndtvindia) March 25, 2023

उन्होंने कहा कि, ''मैंने 14 साल से कोई तनख्वाह नहीं ली, न मैं सरकारी घर में रहता हूं. मैंने राजनीति से कोई फायदा नहीं लिया. बाकी सांसद और विधायक कमीशन खाते हैं, 20 परसेंट, 30 परसेंट.. दुनिया जानती है. जिनके पास खाने को रोटी नहीं थी, आज वो फॉर्चूनर में चल रहे हैं. लेकिन मैं चार साल पहले इसी गाड़ी में आपके पास आया था. हो सकता है चार साल बाद इसी गाड़ी में आपके पास आऊं.'' 

बीजेपी सांसद ने कहा कि, ''मुझे दिखावा नहीं करना है. मुझे अपने आपको आपसे बड़ा नहीं दिखाना है. मुझे दबाव पैदा नहीं करना है, भौकाल पैदा नहीं करना है. मुझे आपके और आपके बच्चों के लिए एक ऐसा हिंदुस्तान बनाना है जिसमें आपका झंडा लगातार ऊंचा हो, जिसमें आप छाती चौड़ी करके जी सकें.''                

पीलीभीत के बीजेपी सांसद ने केंद्र की अपनी पार्टी के नेतृत्व वाली सरकार को भी निशाना बनाया. उन्होंने कहा कि, ''मैं निजीकरण के खिलाफ हूं. क्यों खिलाफ हूं? क्योंकि यदि रेलवे बिक जाएगा, सेल (SAIL) बिक जाएगा, एयरपोर्ट बिक जाएगा, कंपनी बिक जाएगी, सब बिक जाएगा तो ये गड़ा कला का बच्चा, ये चौरानवे गांव का बच्चा.. इसको कौन नौकरी देगा?'' 

"अगर रेलवे बिक जाएगा, सेल बिक जाएगा और एयरपोर्ट बिक जाएगा तो...", केंद्र सरकार पर सांसद वरुण गांधी का हमला pic.twitter.com/25tHuo4rqy

— NDTV India (@ndtvindia) March 25, 2023

उन्होंने कहा कि, ''जब वह बच्चा दिल्ली में किसी होटल में जाएगा, नौकरी करने किसी अस्पताल में जाएगा, किसी विश्वविद्यालय में जाएगा, किसी कंपनी में जाएगा... वो तो दिल्ली या बॉम्बे के लोगों को लेंगे. वो तो कहेंगे अंग्रेजी बहुत अच्छा बोलता है, रहन-सहन, पहनावा ठीक है. और जो स्टाइल हमको चाहिए, उसमें है. हमारे पीलीभीत के बच्चे का क्या होगा?'' 

वरुण गांधी ने कहा, ''क्या हम अपने देश को कुछ चंद लोगों के लिए आगे देखना चाहते हैं? या इसमें समाज के अंतिम व्यक्ति का भी हिस्सा हो. जब किसान आंदोलन चला, वरुण गांधी अकेला व्यक्ति था जिसने किसानों के लिए आवाज उठाई, आपको पता है. और किसी एक भी सांसद ने आवाज नहीं उठाई, क्यों?'' 

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"Give Driver's Seat To Strong Regional Parties": Tejashwi Yadav To Congress

Bihar deputy chief minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Saturday said the Congress is the biggest party in the Opposition but wherever regional parties are strong, they should be allowed to sit in the "driver's seat" to take on the BJP in the 2024 general elections.

Yadav also said that former Bihar chief minister Lalu Prasad and current CM Nitish Kumar along with him were making efforts to bring together regional parties and the Congress.

"The Congress is part of the Mahagathbandhan in Bihar. In Bihar, we are the bigger party but the Congress is the biggest Opposition party in the country. Lalu ji, Nitish ji and all of us are making efforts that Congress and regional parties come together and to decide as to what is the way forward," Yadav told reporters in response to a question while leaving the CBI headquarters where he was quizzed for more than eight hours.

"One thing is clear, we have said it earlier also, wherever regional parties are strong they have to be in the driver's seat, the Congress people should understand this," Yadav said.

Wherever there is a direct fight with the BJP, the Congress should take on them, he said, adding, there are approximately 200 such seats.

Yadav was quizzed by the CBI for more than eight hours in connection with a railways land-for-jobs scam case here.

Asked about his questioning, the RJD leader said his family has always cooperated with the probe and answered all questions that were asked of them.

"The truth is that there was no scam, this is clear ... Everyone knows why all this is happening," he said.

His remarks came on a day when Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stressed on opposition unity and called on all opposition parties to work together.

Gandhi also noted that the ruling dispensation has given them a "big weapon" by disqualifying him from Lok Sabha.

Gandhi also thanked several opposition parties for extending their support to him in the wake of his conviction in a defamation case and disqualification from the Lok Sabha.

The Congress on Friday welcomed the statements of opposition leaders condemning Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha and said it was now time for the party to take on the job of building the opposition unity in a "systematic way."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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राहुल गांधी की सदस्‍यता रद्द करने के खिलाफ वायनाड में कांग्रेस का प्रदर्शन, PM का पुतला फूंका

राहुल गांधी को संसद की सदस्यता से अयोग्य करार दिए जाने पर वायनाड में शनिवार को कांग्रेस कार्यकर्ताओं और उसके युवा और छात्र संगठनों द्वारा प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी का पुतला फूंकने समेत जोरदार विरोध प्रदर्शन किया गया. राहुल गांधी लोकसभा में वायनाड का प्रतिनिधित्व कर रहे थे. वायनाड के कालपेट्टा में बीएसएनएल के कार्यालय तक विरोध मार्च में शामिल विधायक टी सिद्दीकी सहित कांग्रेस नेताओं को वहां से से हटा दिया गया और पुलिस द्वारा उन्हें बस से ले जाया गया. 

सिद्दीकी के अलावा, युवा कांग्रेस के कई कार्यकर्ताओं और प्रदेश कांग्रेस के नेताओं को भी गिरफ्तार किया गया और प्रदर्शन स्थल से हटा दिया गया. राज्य के कोच्चि, कोझिकोड और पतनमतिट्टा क्षेत्रों में भी कांग्रेस, इसके युवा और छात्र संगठनों का विरोध प्रदर्शन देखा गया. 

पतनमतिट्टा में प्रदर्शन कर रहे युवा कांग्रेस कार्यकर्ताओं ने एक डाकघर में प्रवेश किया और जब वे मोदी के खिलाफ नारे लगा रहे थे तो पुलिस ने उन्हें गिरफ्तार कर लिया और हटा दिया. 

कोच्चि और कोझिकोड में, पार्टी और युवा कांग्रेस के कार्यकर्ताओं ने विरोध मार्च निकाला और भाजपा और केंद्र के खिलाफ नारेबाजी की. 

टीवी चैनल पर प्रसारित दृश्यों के अनुसार, कालपेट्टा में पार्टी और उसके युवा और छात्र संगठनों के नेता और कार्यकर्ता बीएसएनएल कार्यालय तक मार्च करने के बाद उसके सामने सड़क पर बैठ गए, जिससे यातायात अवरुद्ध हो गया. 

युवा कांग्रेस के कुछ कार्यकर्ताओं को बीएसएनएल कार्यालय परिसर के सामने पुलिस द्वारा लगाए गए अवरोधकों पर चढ़ते हुए भी देखा गया. कांग्रेस, युवा कांग्रेस के नेताओं और कार्यकर्ताओं को जब ले जाया जा रहा था, वे ‘कांग्रेस जिंदाबाद' जैसे नारे लगाते रहे थे. 

सुबह कांग्रेस के वरिष्ठ नेता वी डी सतीशन ने कोच्चि में संवाददाताओं से कहा कि गांधी की अयोग्यता के खिलाफ पार्टी और यूनाइटेड डेमोक्रेटिक फ्रंट (यूडीएफ) राज्य भर में विरोध प्रदर्शन करेंगे. राज्य विधानसभा में नेता प्रतिपक्ष सतीशन ने कहा कि पार्टी 27 मार्च को केरल राजभवन तक विरोध मार्च भी निकालेगी. 

‘‘मोदी सरनेम'' वाली टिप्पणी पर 2019 के आपराधिक मानहानि मामले में बुधवार को सूरत की एक अदालत ने गांधी को दोषी ठहराया और दो साल की जेल की सजा सुनाई. एक दिन बाद लोकसभा सचिवालय ने एक अधिसूचना में कहा कि लोकसभा की सदस्यता से उनकी अयोग्यता दोषसिद्धि की तारीख 23 मार्च से प्रभावी होगी. 

ये भी पढ़ें :

* वरिष्ठ कांग्रेस नेता ने राहुल गांधी के मामले को लेकर कानूनी रणनीति में "चूक" स्वीकार की
* राहुल गांधी की संसद सदस्यता को अयोग्य करने वाले कानून के खिलाफ ही सुप्रीम कोर्ट में पहुंची याचिका
* "आप मुझे जिंदगी भर के लिए अयोग्य घोषित कर दीजिए, मैं फिर भी ...", राहुल गांधी ने केंद्र पर साधा निशाना

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"Losing Whatsoever Little Trust Left": Anurag Thakur Attacks Rahul Gandhi

Union Minister Anurag Thakur, in a rail of tweets today launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi, saying that he was losing whatever trust the people have in him through gimmicks and cheap publicity.

The Congress leader lost his membership of the Lok Sabha on Friday. His disqualification from the Lower House followed a day after his conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case.

The Surat court, which sentenced the Congress leader to 2 years in prison, later stayed the sentence for a period of 30 days during which he can move a higher court challenging his conviction.

Accusing Rahul of 'political immaturity', Mr Thakur said, "RG is a case of political immaturity, losing whatsoever little trust left, for gimmicks and cheap popularity."

"Elected representatives automatically stand disqualified moment they are convicted by Hon. court to jail for two or more years. GOI and LS have no role to play. It can't suspend or revoke disqualification," the Union Sports minister said in another tweet.

Further weighing in on Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lower House, which saw several Opposition break ranks to throw their weights behind him, he posted, "Rahul Gandhi is not the first to face disqualification. Wonder whether legal wizards of Congress have checked the rules. Instead, they are brazenly defending their hatred for OBC, which caused his conviction thus showing utter disrespect towards judiciary and people."

Citing a previous case to support his argument, the Union minister said in another tweet, "In 2013 Lily Thomas Vs Union of India case, SC set aside Section 8(4) of RP Act which once protected convicted legislators from disqualification on account of their pending appeal. As per judgment, disqualification is automatically effective from the date of conviction."

"Constitution expressly prohibits Parliament to defer date from which a disqualification wud come into effect. LS Speaker is bound by the RP Act and SC judgment to issue membership termination order," read another tweet by the minister.

The case, which led to Rahul's disqualification as an MP, pertains to an election rally in Karnataka, ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, in which made a remark using the surname 'Modi'.

The Congress leader, who was elected an MP from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency in Kerala, was disqualified under provisions of Article 102 (1) (e) of the Constitution read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.

Addressing a poll rally in Kolar, Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi said, "How come all the thieves have Modi as their surname?"

The criminal defamation case against Rahul was filed by former Gujarat BJP MLA Purnesh Modi.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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Bihar Court Acquits BJP Leader, 22 Others In 9-Year-Old Rail Blockade Case

A Bihar court on Saturday acquitted Union minister Giriraj Singh and 22 other people in connection with a nine-year-old case that was lodged after they staged a rail blockade.

Giriraj Singh, along with LJP MP Veena Devi and BJP leaders Ram Surat Rai and Suresh Sharma, was among those who appeared before the MP/MLA court at Muzaffarpur in connection with the Railway Act case lodged in 2014.

The 'rail roko' was staged in March 2014, across the state in protest against denial of special category status to Bihar by the Congress-led UPA which was then in power.

"The case was lodged at Railway Court in Sonepur and transferred here upon the establishment of MP/MLA court. Altogether 27 persons were named as accused and charge-sheet was filed against 23 of them. All of them were acquitted as no evidence was found against them," lawyer Ashok Kumar told reporters.

Notably, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar continues to raise the demand for special status, and, has vowed to take steps to accord the same to "all backward states" if his efforts to defeat the BJP by uniting the opposition bore fruit.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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