&w=3840&q=100)
Bihar fighting for voting rights as India marks Independence Day: Tejashwi
Press Trust of India Patna
RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav on Friday said it was "ironical" that the people of Bihar were fighting to "protect" their right to vote when the country was celebrating Independence Day.
Yadav, the leader of the opposition in the assembly, issued an evocative "open letter", urging the people to take part in the 'Matdata Adhikar (voters' right) Yatra', which will be launched by Rahul Gandhi on August 17.
"Does Independence imply that we remain content with hoisting the tricolour at our homes and sway to the tunes of patriotic songs, oblivious to the fact that a dictatorial regime was throttling us? The cronies of the ruling dispensation have brought Bihar into a ridiculous situation," alleged the former deputy CM.
Referring to the anomalies in Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Yadav claimed "the names of those who are alive have been deleted from the voters' list in place of the deceased".
"Just spare a thought for a living person who may have been declared dead despite being alive. How would he or she be feeling today, hoisting the tricolour on Independence Day? We cannot imagine their pain and anguish," he said.
Incidentally, a number of persons declared as "dead" in the draft electoral rolls were produced before the Supreme Court earlier this week. At least two of them were from Raghopur, the assembly constituency represented by Yadav.
"Poor people have to fight for their right to one vote, while those aligned with the ruling dispensation are being allowed to have two votes," alleged the RJD leader, in an obvious reference to at least four prominent NDA leaders having been found to be in "possession" of more than one voter ID cards and their names figuring twice in electoral rolls.
The Election Commission has issued notices to senior BJP leaders Vijay Kumar Sinha and Nirmala Devi, Deputy CM and Mayor of Muzaffarpur, respectively, besides JD(U) MLC Dinesh Singh and his wife Veena Devi, the MP from Vaishali elected on a ticket of Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) headed by Union minister Chirag Paswan.
Yadav said, "The poor whose homes have been washed away in floods are unable to furnish their residence certificates. On the other hand, certificates are being issued in favour of dogs and cats." Notably, SIR has seen a scramble for online applications for residence certificates. At many places, FIRs have been lodged by local administration against pranksters for applying in the name of dogs and cats, and even inanimate tractors and US President Donald Trump.
"We must gird up our loins, else these BJP-sponsored murderers of democracy will snatch away the poor's right to vote and re-establish their tyrannical, feudal regime in Bihar," alleged Yadav, who has been likening the 20 years old NDA rule in the state to a "rickety old car".
"Tejashwi Yadav, therefore, appeals to all residents of Bihar, on Independence Day, to step out of their homes and swear in the name of the Constitution that we shall take this crisis head on," said the letter.
Urging the people to take part in the 'Matdata Adhikar Yatra', he said a message should be sent loud and clear that Biharis will not yield an inch to "dictatorial and divisive forces".
The RJD leader is likely to join Gandhi, the leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, and other INDIA bloc heavyweights like Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, at Sasaram, for the launch of the 15-day-long yatra, which will culminate in the state capital.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
18 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Stalin hits out at Centre, pushes for state's rights
Tamil Nadu chief minister and DMK president M K Stalin in his Independence Day speech said state governments are closer to the people, and need greater power but with Union laws, court judgments, and discrimination in devolution of funds, states are being pushed into dependence on the Union Government. Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin during the 79th Independence Day celebration at the State Secretariat, in Chennai on August 15(PTI) 'In the last few years, we have seen many attempts by the Union government to take away rights of the state governments in various sectors. State rights in key areas such as education and healthcare are instead being continuously eroded,' Stalin said, speaking at Fort St. George in Chennai on Friday after hoisting the national flag. 'The only solution to overcome this is to take political and legal steps to restore the role of state governments and devolution of power and funds.' That a state government has to always struggle, argue and file court cases to get its rightful funds from the Centre does not augur well for federalism, the chief minister said. 'After 14 years, in our Dravidian model regime, Tamil Nadu's economic growth has increased to 11.9 per cent and has touched a great new high,' he said and reiterated that the southern state is the fastest developing economy in India. Such a growth was not shared by any other big state.'The nation's growth rate itself is 6.5 per cent. However, Tamil Nadu has achieved 11.19 per cent growth,' he added. The CM conferred the Thagaisal Thamizhar (Distinguished Tamilian) Award on Indian Union Muslim League leader, 85-year old KM Khader Mohideen at the I-Day event. ISRO Chairman V Narayanan was presented with the Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Award. Awards under several other categories were also presented. Stalin who boycotted governor R N Ravi's 'at home' reception hosted in the Raj Bhavan on Independence Day over his attack on the ruling party, reiterated his criticism of the BJP-led Union government. 'It is not good for the federal principles of India for states to always have to fight, argue and file lawsuits to get its due funds. This will affect the development of the state as well as India,' Stalin said. A day ago, on Thursday, Stalin had decided to boycott the event at Raj Bhavan after the governor tore into the ruling DMK in his customary speech delivered on the eve of Independence Day, adding to the already soured relationship between governor Ravi and the Tamil Nadu government. DMK's allies, Congress, CPI (M), CPI, Viduthalai Chiruthaikal Katchi (VCK) and Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK), also boycotted the event to protest against the governor, who they alleged, was acting against the interests of the state. The governor charged that the state is facing four major challenges– educational and social discrimination of the poor and marginalised; alarming rise in suicides; fast spreading drug abuse among youth; and steep rise in rape and other sexual offences against women and girls. Since Ravi became governor in 2021, he has been in loggerheads with the government over myriad issues by supporting policies of the BJP-led Centre such as NEP, NEET, walking out of the assembly without reading his customary speech and omitting portions of the speech prepared by the state, changing the name of Tamil Nadu to Tamizhagam in a public invitation released by the Raj Bhavan. But, it was his sitting on bills passed by the state legislation that led the government to move court against him based on which the Supreme Court in a landmark verdict on April 8 set deadlines for the President and governors to clear the bills passed by state legislatures. The top court also found governor Ravi's action keeping bills pending as illegal. President Droupadi Murmu on May 13 put forth 14 questions before the Supreme Court on constitutionality of its April 8 verdict. In response on Thursday, higher education minister Govi Chezhiaan said that the governor's actions as chancellor is the reason for many state universities functioning without vice chancellors. He announced that he will boycott two convocations at Alagappa University and Thiruvalluvar University to be held on August 18 and 19 while the chief minister will skip the governor's event. (With inputs from PTI)
The Hindu
18 minutes ago
- The Hindu
CM Rekha Gupta vows to open Atal canteens, calls herself ‘mukhya sevika' of Delhi in her maiden I-Day speech
In her maiden Independence Day address, Chief Minister Rekha Gupta referred to herself as Delhi's 'mukhya sevika (chief servant)' and said that the Delhi government will open 'Atal canteens', offering subsidised meals, on December 25, the birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The CM also said that the government will provide every slum dweller with a house and reiterated her pledge to clean the Yamuna river. Pledge to clean Yamuna 'Mother Yamuna is Delhi's soul and is in the heart of every Delhiite. Over the years, it has become polluted. Several promises were made [to clean the Yamuna], but not much was done. Today, I'm not just promising but pledging to rejuvenate the Yamuna,' Ms. Gupta said at an event in Chhatrasal Stadium, where she hoisted the tricolour and presented awards to several Delhi government officials. In her budget speech, the CM had announced ₹100 crore for 100 Atal canteens, where meals would be offered at ₹5. Recalling the promise made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that 'every slum dweller in Delhi will get a house', Ms. Gupta said the government won't just provide houses to poor people, it will give them the right to live with dignity. 'I will ensure security for my sisters and a better future for their children,' she said. The CM said her government is working towards making Delhi's infrastructure the best in the country. 'As soon as we formed the government, we started working on waterlogging and potholes. Today, water gets drained from the roads much faster,' she said. Ms. Gupta added that the government will free the national capital of garbage, filth, corruption, red tape, and the 'mindset of servitude'. She accused the previous government of depriving Delhi's residents of the benefits of Ayushman Bharat, the Central government's flagship health insurance scheme, and said that she implemented the programme in the city on the very first day of taking the oath. 'So far, 4.5 lakh people have enrolled in the scheme and started receiving treatment. Under the Ayushman Vay Vandana Yojana (AVVY), 2.26 lakh senior citizens above 70 years of age have been provided free treatment of up to ₹10 lakh,' said the first-time MLA from Shalimar Bagh. AVVY allows those aged 70 and above to avail of free secondary and tertiary care hospitalisation of up to ₹10 lakh. Currently, around 100 hospitals in the Capital are registered under the scheme. She said that to strengthen the healthcare infrastructure, the government has set itself the target of setting up 1,100 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, of which work on 166 has been completed so far. Expansion of hospitals Later this month, work on five major hospitals will start, through which Delhi will get 1,300 new beds, new outpatient departments, and state-of-the-art medical equipment, the CM said. Ms. Gupta also paid tribute to freedom fighters and hailed the armed forces for their role in Operation Sindoor. Later, she interacted with the children and personnel from Delhi police and Delhi Fire Services.
Economic Times
18 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Celebrating freedom with reforms: Modi promises advancements in defence, technology, manufacturing, and major development schemes
Narendra Modi government is gearing up for next GST reforms by October. On Independence day, Modi unveiled Rs 1 lakh crore jobs programme. PM also assured the nation that India will become the third-largest economy soon. PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana will facilitate creation of 35 million jobs. Government will constitute task force to look into next-generation economic reforms. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 'Diwali gift' for the people two months ahead of the festival, declaring that the next set of goods and services tax (GST) reforms will be in place by October, besides underscoring a renewed reforms push, emphasising Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) Bharat as the bedrock on which Viksit Bharat will be built by 2047, and unveiling a Rs 1-lakh crore jobs programme, among other his 12th Independence Day speech that lasted 103 minutes, the Prime Minister also assured the nation he will soon declare from the Red Fort that India has become the third-largest economy in the the Opposition's charge of high unemployment, Modi also said the PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana being launched on Independence Day will facilitate the creation of 35 million Friday, he said, 'This Diwali, you are going to get a big gift. We are coming with the next generation of GST reforms.' The announcement comes close on the heels of parliamentary approval for two key items of legislation — the Income Tax (No 2) Bill and the Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill — earlier this week. A total of 280 sections have been abolished in the Income Tax Prime Minister said the government has decided to constitute a task force to look into the prospects of next-generation economic reforms within a set time frame. 'Current rules, laws, policies, and procedures must be redrafted to suit the 21st century, to fit the global environment and to align with the vision of making Bharat a developed nation by 2047,' he PM said the policy changes will reduce compliance costs, besides boosting startups and small and cottage industries. Other benefits will include a smoother export process, improved logistics and systems, and the abolition of archaic laws that led to imprisonment for minor matters. Modi urged all sections, including political parties, his rivals and fellow leaders, to take part in the efforts to build a bright future.'I wish to tell my countrymen, everything I am doing, I am doing for the country, not for myself, not to harm anyone,' he said. 'Whether it is structural reforms, regulatory reforms, policy reforms, process reforms, or the need for constitutional reforms, we have made every kind of reform our mission today.'Atmanirbhar Bharat is the bedrock on which Viksit Bharat will be built, he said. He asserted that Operation Sindoor, the Gaganyaan mission and the manufacture of indigenous semiconductors has proved the power of self-reliance.'The greater a nation's reliance on others, the more its freedom comes into question,' he said. 'Misfortune arises when dependency becomes a habit, when we do not even realise it, when we abandon self-reliance and become dependent on others. This habit is fraught with danger, and hence one must remain vigilant every moment to be self-reliant.'Made-in-India weapons and defence systems helped India during Operation Sindoor, the Prime Minister asserted.'The enemy had no inkling of what weapons and capabilities we possessed, what power was destroying them in the blink of an eye,' he said. 'Imagine if we were not self-reliant, could we have executed Operation Sindoor with such swiftness? We would have been plagued by worries over who might supply us, whether we would get the required equipment, and so on.'The Prime Minister also announced the Sudarshan Chakra Mission for creating a complete security cover for all civilian installations across the country in the near the 21st century is a 'technology-driven century,' it is imperative that India does not lag behind, the Prime Minister said, adding that every nation that mastered technology scaled the heights of development and attained new dimensions of economic lamented that although India began the process of building infrastructure for semiconductor manufacture six decades ago, the plan was stalled, delayed and shelved while other countries mastered the technology and strengthened their position.'Today we have freed ourselves from that burden and advanced the work on semiconductors in mission mode,' Modi said. 'Six different semiconductor units are taking shape on the ground, and we have already given the green signal to four new units.'India is becoming self-reliant in space technology as well, the Prime Minister stated.'We are also preparing for Aatmanirbhar Bharat Gaganyaan on our own in space,' he said. 'We are working towards building our own space station. And I am very proud of the reforms done in space recently. More than 300 startups in my country are now working only in the space sector and thousands of youth are working with full potential in those 300 startups.'He expressed satisfaction at the pace with which the National Manufacturing Mission was progressing and reiterated the importance of the 'vocal for local,' 'zero defect, zero effect' and 'lower price, higher value' the need for promoting indigenous products, Modi urged all traders and shopkeepers across the country to put up boards, saying 'Swadeshi goods sold here.'The new jobs programme is expected to create new employment opportunities for approximately 35 million youth.'Today, on August 15th, we are launching and implementing a scheme worth Rs 1 lakh crore for the youth of my country,' he said. 'The Pradhan Mantri Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana is being implemented today… Under this scheme, the government will give Rs 15,000 to the youth, to every son or daughter who gets a job in the private sector.'Companies that generate more jobs will also be given incentives under the scheme.
