Muhammad Yunus accused of 'special affection' for a party after meet with BNP
DHAKA: Hardline Jamaat-e-Islami and the newly formed NCP, which had backed Bangladesh chief adviser
Muhammad Yunus
's decision to hold the national election in April, on Saturday accused him of partiality, a day after he and BNP reached a "preliminary understanding" to hold the poll in Feb.
"The chief adviser has expressed special affection for a party, which has undermined his impartiality," the Jamaat said in a statement.
In a meeting London on Friday, Yunus conveyed to BNP acting chairperson in-exile Tarique Rahman that the election could be held in the week before the start of Ramadan in 2026 if all preparations are completed.
The BNP-led coalition of around 50 parties was demanding early poll in Dec, JeI and National Citizen Party (NCP) had backed Yunus over the April time frame.
JeI said it believes that holding a joint press conference and issuing a statement abroad on domestic matters is a "violation of the country's political culture". He should have held discussions with other parties after returning and then expressed his opinion, JeI said. The NCP called the issue "extremely disappointing".
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
SAD accuses rival group of misusing party name, plans legal action
1 2 Chandigarh: Calling Giani Harpreet Singh-led rival faction 'Vakhra Chulha Dal', Shiromani Akali Dal ( SAD ) on Tuesday announced its decision to file a criminal complaint against the leaders of what it termed a "central agency-sponsored group". SAD accused the faction of attempting to misappropriate the name of the Shiromani Akali Dal, which it asserted is a registered and recognised party under the Election Commission's 1996 notification. SAD leader Daljit Singh Cheema said, "All delegates of the SAD were elected through a proper election process following the end of the previous working committee's term. The rival faction did not participate in the membership drive and failed to follow the party's constitutional norms." Cheema added that SAD members had paid a membership fee of Rs 10, valid for five years, as required by the party constitution. "The separate group did not conduct any such drive, and therefore, has no right to call their gathering a delegate session of the SAD. They can be proceeded against for cheating and forgery," he said. Calling the rival faction's actions "illegal, unconstitutional, and immoral," Cheema said SAD was consulting legal experts to file a formal criminal complaint. He also mentioned that the party would send letters to all media houses to clarify the factual position and prevent Giani Harpreet Singh's group from misusing the SAD name. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Cabinet approves four semiconductor factories in Odisha, Andhra Pradesh & Punjab
The Union Cabinet on Tuesday approved the establishment of four new semiconductor manufacturing units across the country at the cost of Rs 4,594 crore. Of these, two factories will be set up in Odisha, while one each will come up in Andhra Pradesh and four approved proposals are expected to generate a cumulative employment for 2034 skilled professionals which would catalyse the electronic manufacturing ecosystem resulting in the creation of many indirect jobs, as per central these four more approvals today, total approved projects under ISM reaches to 10 with cumulative investments of around Rs 1.60 lakh crore in 6 states."Given the growing demand of semiconductors in telecom, automotive, datacentres, consumer electronics and industrial electronics, these four new approved semiconductors projects would significantly contribute to making Atmanirbhar Bharat. "SiCSem and 3D Glass will be set up in Odisha. CDIL is located in Punjab and ASIP will be set up in Andhra Information and Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had said earlier that the country is set to witness the rollout of its first made-in-India chip "very soon" as six semiconductor plants are already under construction in Gujarat, Assam and Uttar the government's resolve for the easy accessibility of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, he said, "AI is shaping our world today. Our Prime Minister's vision is of democratising technology. It should be accessible to all. It should not be limited to a few. It should be available to all. That's why we have done the India AI mission in which 34,000 GPUs (Graphics Processing Units) are available today as a common compute facility for all our innovators."In addition, the PM Modi-led Cabinet also gave the green light for the extension of the Lucknow Metro line at a budget of Rs 5,801 crore, aiming to enhance urban mobility and cater to the growing transportation needs of the city's residentsIt also approved a Bill to establish a new Indian Institute of Management (IIM) in Guwahati and the construction of a Tato-II hydroelectric Project worth 700 MW at the cost of Rs 8,146 would mark the second IIM in the northeast, after the first one in Shillong.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Demand to grant holy place status to Ghoman grows
1 2 Chandigarh: At least two prominent politicians from Maharashtra and a Pune-based NGO, Sarhad, which boasts of working to strengthen the cultural and historical bond between Maharashtra and Punjab, have written to Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann seeking holy place status for Ghoman village in Punjab's Gurdaspur district of Punjab. This is where Maharashtra-born medieval-era poet, saint, and a prominent figure of the Bhakti movement, Sant Namdev, is believed to have spent the final years of his life. What makes the late saint's association with Punjab even more special is that his 61 hymns (shabads) are also included in the Guru Granth Sahib, considered a 'living Guru' in Sikhism. Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder president and Rajya Sabha member Sharad Pawar, in a span of less than five months, wrote twice to CM Mann, requesting the latter to grant holy place status to Ghoman in Gurdaspur. Currently, Ghoman houses Shri Namdev Darbar, where devotees pray at the 'samadhi' of the late saint. "As you may recall, Ghuman (read Ghoman) holds significant cultural and spiritual importance due to its association with Bhagat Namdev Ji. Given its special significance in Marathi spiritual culture and literature, I request you to look into the matter favourably and expeditiously," Pawar wrote in a letter to CM Mann on July 29, a copy of which is with TOI, as he pointed out the same request made in a preceding letter on March 11. On March 11, Pawar wrote, "I am forwarding a letter regarding a request that I have been personally associated with and which is very close to the hearts of the people of Maharashtra. Sant Namdev Ji holds a special place in the hearts of the people of Maharashtra, as well as Punjab, where Bhagat Namdev Ji's shabads are revered in Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. His spiritual contributions created a lasting bond between the two states. " Referring to the literary congregation held in 2015, Pawar further pointed out, "During the 88th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan, which was held in Ghuman (Ghoman), we proposed declaring the village as a holy place, marking its special significance in Marathi spiritual culture and literature. This historic event further highlighted Ghuman's spiritual legacy and its deep-rooted cultural relevance. " Pawar further wrote, "As per my knowledge, more than 50,000 devotees from Maharashtra and the rest of India visited Sant Namdev's Ghuman last year alone. This clearly reflects the spiritual influence of Sant Namdev Ji's teachings and the deep connection he holds with the hearts and minds of people across India." Pawar's letter to CM Mann further read, "I earnestly request you to personally look into this matter and take the necessary steps to grant holy place status to Ghuman (Ghoman). Your esteemed leadership and vision can help in preserving and further enhancing this sacred site." Sarhad Pune founder president Sanjay Nahar said over the phone that "After writing the letter to Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann, Sharad Pawar also spoke to (AAP national convenor) Arvind Kejriwal to seek holy place status for Ghoman." Sarhad Pune, while raising the demand in a letter to Punjab CM on March 11, highlighted that "the village holds immense spiritual and cultural significance due to the long stay of Sant Namdev, whose 61 verses are included in the Guru Granth Sahib." It added that the people of Punjab believe that Ghoman "is also the resting place of Bhagat Namdev Ji." Sarhad Pune noted that "over the past decade, lakhs of devotees from Maharashtra have visited Ghuman, with thousands choosing to stay there for extended periods." While demanding holy place status for Ghoman, Sanjay Nahar said, "The govt of Maharashtra has expressed its willingness to contribute wherever necessary. Elevating Ghuman to this status will not only honour its sacred heritage but also generate employment opportunities for thousands of youth in the surrounding areas." On May 14, former Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde, who is also one of the patrons of Sarhad Pune, also wrote a letter to Punjab CM requesting the holy place status for Ghoman. Shinde wrote, "The emotional appeal to grant Ghuman (read Ghoman), the sacred place where Sant Namdev Maharaj dedicated his later years, the status of a national holy site is close to my heart and to millions of devotees in Maharashtra. As Union minister, I personally took up this issue and wrote to the Prime Minister in 2011, urging for Ghuman's (Ghoman's) recognition as a site of national spiritual importance. " Shinde further wrote, "Since then, senior leaders from Maharashtra, including Sharad Pawar Ji, have supported the demand and written to your esteemed office." Shinde pointed out, "Sant Namdev Maharaj is not just a saint of Maharashtra or Punjab — he is a national spiritual icon whose teachings continue to resonate across generations." According to Shri Namdev Darbar committee joint secretary Sarabjit Singh Bawa, "It is believed that Bhagat Namdev founded Ghoman and meditated here for 18 years." Bawa said devotees heading to Mata Vaishno Devi from Maharashtra often make a stop at Ghoman either while going to Vaishno Devi or on their return. "There is a serai and a big hall for accommodation." "For the past couple of years, devotees have been flocking to Ghoman on cycles from Pandharpur of Maharashtra in batches of a hundred or more," he added. Former Punjab governor Banwarilal Purohit, a veteran politician from Maharashtra, Bawa said, in his capacity as governor, gave Rs 1 crore, of Rs 2 crore cost, for the construction of the serai. During the 88th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan in Ghoman, then Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal announced to set up a govt degree college dedicated to Bhagat Namdev and a chair at Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU). While a constituency college of the GNDU, Baba Namdev University College, was set up in nearby Kishankot the next year, the chair at GNDU remained a non-starter even as it emerged it was reportedly first set up in 1997 and remained defunct. Union minister of road transport and highways Nitin Gadkari, who attended the inaugural function of the Sammelan, announced the construction of a 157-km-long four-lane cemented road from Amritsar to Una in Himachal Pradesh via Mehta, Ghuman, Tanda, and Hoshiarpur at a cost of Rs 1,800 crore under the national highways project. According to Bawa, "In ten years, of the announced road project, only part of the stretch that was completed is from Amritsar to Mehta. " Nahar said that devotees from Maharashtra believe that Namdev breathed his last in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, but those from Punjab believe that he took 'samaadhi' in Ghoman. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
