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Hindustan Times
18 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Ahead of PM's 5th visit to Bihar, NDA, INDIA bloc at daggers drawn over SIR
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's fifth visit to poll-bound Bihar this year on July 18, political atmosphere has charged up in the state after RJD leader and leader of Opposition in Bihar assembly, Tejashwi Yadav, dismissed the 'alleged media claims by Election Commission sources' about detection of illegal immigrants from foreign countries in the electoral rolls during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Leader of Opposition in Bihar Assembly and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav addresses the Grand Alliance press conference at his residence at Polo Road in Patna on Sunday. (Santosh Kumar/ht) The EC officials had on Sunday claimed that field-level functionaries of the ECI have found 'a large number of people' from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar during house-to-house visits made for the ongoing intensive review of the voters' list in Bihar. Addressing a press conference on Sunday, the Bihar Leader of Opposition, when asked about the presence of foreign illegal immigrants in electoral rolls as revealed by the poll body to media 'sutra', instantly remarked: 'I consider that 'sutra' as 'mutra' (urine, waste).' Later, as the political atmosphere hot up, he accused the Election Commission of getting news planted through 'sources' and questioned the credibility of such sources on X and equated them with the 'rumours doing the rounds during Operation Sindoor about Indian forces capturing Islamabad, Karachi and Lahore and flashed in media relentlessly'. 'The EC, instead of coming forward itself, is trying to play its game under the cover of sources. I referred to 'Mutra' in reference to bad odour spreading waste,' he clarified, maintaining that the reports from ground pointed to a botched up exercise in the name of SIR. NDA leaders, however, lashed at him for his comments. 'Nothing surprising for Tejashwi as such derogatory comments in front of media only he can do, as he is not educated and just speaks the script that is provided to him. If there is any drift from the script, he goes astray. What he said is an insult to media and he should publicly apologise for it,' said former Bihar BJP president and MP Sanjay Jaiswal. JD-U spokesman Neeraj Kumar said that the kind of language Tejashwi used in public reflected his mental level. 'He must be using the same kind of language at home also. This is unfortunate that such a person is the leader of Opposition, but this time the people will show him the right place. The SIR issue is before the Supreme Court and the EC is doing its job, while the media is playing its role. Losing the sense of dignity and will hurt him badly,' he added. He said that last week, Tejashwi was threatening media at a party function and exhorting his workers to boycott it. 'He was threatening that newspapers will not go to any village and now he is using such derogatory remarks. He is getting increasingly frustrated by the electoral prospect and so he is resorting to old manoeuvring ways,' he added. BJP minister Nitin Navin said that the Opposition was opposing SIR simply for vote bank. 'They want to play the game of West Bengal and Kerala in Bihar also. NDA is with the exercise of the EC to weed out illegal voters. It is a welcome step to stop foreign nationals trying to avail voting facility in Bihar. They must be identified and sent back across the border,' he added. But Tejashwi was defiant in face of the onslaught from NDA leaders. He said that the BJP was never interested in talking about issues confronting the masses, but believed in attempts to mislead. 'What wrong did I say? The kind of things they speak through 'sutra' (sources) are contradicted later. Spreading rumours is like 'mutra' (wastage). If there is no truth, that is wastage. Babas of BJP advise people to consume urine as something purifying. Is that purifying?' he added. The ongoing SIR has become a thorny issue in Bihar, with the NDA and the INDIA bloc at daggers drawn as much as the two sections of media. Amid the EC claims of smooth conduct of ECI across the state, one section of media has been reporting detection of illegal immigrants enrolled as voters, while another is reporting difficulty of voters in enrolment a d fear of deletion of a large number of them. The matter is before the Supreme Court, which will hear the case next on July 28. As the issue snowballs, all eyes are on the PM's visit on Friday, when he can again tear into the Opposition over it during his address at Gandhi Maidan (Motihari), as he did during his previous visits.
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
7 Murders In 10 Days: Ahead Of Bihar Polls, Spotlight On Rising Crime
Gopal Khemka. Ajit Kumar. Ramakant Yadav. Vikram Jha. Jitendra Kumar Mahato. Sushila Devi. Surendra Kewat. Most of these names may not sound familiar. But in Bihar, these names have become central to an escalating political flashpoint ahead of polls later this year. These are the people killed in Bihar over the last 10 days, triggering opposition questions on law and order on Nitish Kumar's watch, and "jungle raj" or lawlessness - a term used to brand the tenure of Lalu Yadav (from 1990-2005). Bihar has become the "crime capital of India", declared Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a post on X on Monday. Mr Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, cited media reports pointing to 31 murders in 11 days and the alleged "contract killing industry" in the state. "Bihar has become the 'crime capital of India' -- fear in every alley, unease in every home! Unemployed youth are being turned into killers by 'GuNDA raj'," said Mr Gandhi. Nitish Kumar's Deputy Vijay Kumar Sinha today said his government is taking strict action to prevent criminal activities. "We have said before that the government is taking action on every incident, and strict measures are being taken to prevent criminal activities," the Deputy Chief Minister told news agency ANI. In contrast, the second Deputy Chief Minister, Samrat Choudhary, said "it is a bit difficult" for the government to stop murders that, according to him, stemmed from personal disputes rather than any organised crime in the state. "There is good governance in Bihar, there is no organised crime. If a murder is taking place due to some personal dispute, then it is a bit difficult for the government to stop it. But no organised crime will be allowed to take place in Bihar. This is clear," he told ANI on Sunday. Mr Choudhary said this on a day a lawyer was shot dead in Patna's Sultanganj area. Jitendra Mahato, 58, died of his injuries during treatment at Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) on Sunday. Read | Lawyer Shot Dead In Patna, 3rd Murder In Full Public View In A Week To add to Nitish Kumar's troubles, one of his allies in the BJP-led NDA coalition, Union Minister Chirag Paswan, slammed the killings, calling it "beyond understanding". "How many Biharis will be murdered? It is beyond understanding what is the responsibility of Bihar Police," said the Hajipur MP, who has said several times that he may contest the state polls - a scenario that could pitch him as Nitish Kumar's rival for the top post in case of an NDA victory. Mr Paswan made the comments hours after the killing of Sushila Devi, a 60-year-old hospital worker shot dead in Nalanda on Saturday morning. RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, leader of Opposition in the Bihar assembly, launched a scorching attack on Nitish Kumar over the weekend, questioning the Chief Minister's alleged "silence" on what he called the "rising crime graph of the state". The criticism was over the murder of Vikram Jha, a trader in Patna, on Saturday. "Businessman Vikram Jha was gunned down in Patna. DK Tax, the transfer industry and the chaotic situation of the state are the reasons for this. Why is the Chief Minister silent? Who is responsible for the hundreds of murder incidents happening in Bihar?" Mr Yadav asked. Read | "Is This Not Jungle Raj?" Opposition On Bihar Businessman's Murder On Sunday, Mr Yadav stepped up the attack after a lawyer was shot dead. "And now, a BJP leader shot dead in Patna! What to say, and to whom? Is there anyone in the NDA government willing to listen to the truth or admit their mistakes?" Mr Yadav posted on X. On July 4, prominent industrialist Gopal Khemka was gunned down outside his apartment in Patna around 11.37 pm, triggering shock and concern among the business community. Days later, sand trader Ramakant Yadav, a trader from Patna, was shot dead. Within a few days, Vikram Jha, owner of Trishna Mart, was gunned down in a late-night incident in the Zakariapur area in Patna. According to the latest State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) data, the state recorded 1,376 murders with an average of 229 each month between January and June, compared to 2,786 in 2024 and 2,863 in 2023. Proliferation of firearms, which are illegally manufactured or procured without a valid licence, coupled with unchecked availability of ammunition, have contributed to the recent spurt in violent crimes, say senior police officers. Bihar has consistently ranked among the top five states in terms of violent crimes, including those involving firearms, according to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) figures. The state has held the second position in violent crime rate in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2022, NCRB data said. "Land disputes and property matters are the main reasons behind most of the killings. In such cases, the role of police is limited and it starts after the crime takes place. Our force has achieved 100 per cent detection rate," Director General of Police Vinay Kumar told news agency PTI. Another top police official said a large section of unemployed is a big factor in Bihar's law and order problems. "A state with such a large population, having over 60 per cent population under the age of 30 and unemployed, is bound to be vulnerable to law and order problems," Additional Director General of Police (Headquarters) Kundan Krishnan said. The SCRB data further shows Patna as the leading district in Arms Act cases, averaging 321.7 cases annually, followed by Begusarai (167.7), Muzaffarpur (158.3), Nalanda (117.9), and Vaishali (117.8). A correlation between arms Act cases and violent crimes shows Patna again topping the list, averaging 82 violent incidents annually, followed by Motihari (49.53), Saran (44.08), Gaya (43.50), Muzaffarpur (39.93), and Vaishali (37.90). NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
'Unlike China': Dalai Lama lauds India's religious freedom; claims Tibetan traditions in decline under Beijing rule
The Dalai Lama lauds India's religious freedom (Image credits: ANI) NEW DELHI: During his recent visit to Ladakh, the Dalai Lama said that India provides a 'free and flourishing environment' for the study of Buddhism's most profound philosophical teachings, while also highlighting the lack of religious freedom in China, ANI reported, quoting a statement from the Dalai Lama Office. "The precious traditions that we can learn and implement in daily life have declined in Tibet. Those who fled to India have had the responsibility of preserving these traditions,' he said, as cited by ANI. Reflecting on his exile from Tibet in 1959, the Dalai Lama expressed deep gratitude to the Indian government for its 'immense support' and 'tremendous assistance' to Tibetan refugees. He noted that this support made it possible to revive monastic universities and continue the practice of rigorous scholarly debate central to Buddhist philosophy. Drawing a clear contrast between India and China, the Dalai Lama criticised China's political control over religion, stating that such an environment hinders genuine spiritual growth. "Unlike China, where religious freedom is severely restricted and political control undermines genuine spiritual teaching, India offers a free and flourishing environment for the study of Buddhism's deepest philosophical texts, including the Middle Way (Madhyamaka) and logic (Pramana) from the ancient Nalanda tradition. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 4BHK+Family Lounge+Utility room at 4.49Cr (All Incl)* ATS Triumph, Gurgaon Book Now Undo In China, the political situation is not stable, I feel it would be difficult to teach about Buddhism in a country where there is no freedom," he said as cited by ANI. He further praised India's vibrant monastic institutions, where Tibetan Buddhism 's rich tradition of dialectical debate and academic rigor continues to thrive. Students, he said, actively engage in philosophical discussions that foster both insight and compassion. The Dalai Lama also pointed to the shared language, culture, and Buddhist heritage of the Himalayan region and Tibet, noting that Indian institutions play a key role in preserving and spreading the authentic Dharma. This statement comes amid ongoing discussions between India and China regarding the Dalai Lama's successor. The Dalai Lama recently outlined his succession plan, declaring that the Gaden Phodrang Trust, a non-profit institution he established, holds the sole authority to recognise his future reincarnation. China, however, rejected the Tibetan spiritual leader's proposal. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that the selection must go through a process approved by Beijing. In response to China's position, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Kiren Rijiju, a practising Buddhist, emphasised that the decision lies solely with the Dalai Lama and traditional Buddhist customs. Speaking at birthday eve celebrations for the Tibetan spiritual leader in Dharamshala on July 5, Rijiju said, 'Dalai Lama institution is purely religious and government of India believes there should be no interference in religious matters... I would like to wish His Holiness a long life... All his devotees desire to see him healthy so that the global community can benefit from his wisdom... I don't want to react on the Chinese statement, but we leave everything to His Holiness. '
