logo
No place for caste or religious discrimination in BJP: Purandeswari

No place for caste or religious discrimination in BJP: Purandeswari

Time of India14-05-2025
Vijayawada: BJP AP president and MP
Daggubati Purandeswari
emphasised the party's core ideology of inclusive governance, stating that BJP stands by its motto "Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas." She said that the party does not give space to caste or religious discrimination and that its objective is to deliver welfare schemes to the underprivileged, transcending all social divides.Welcoming Zakia Khanam into the party, Purandeswari expressed happiness over her decision to resign from the post of legislative council deputy chairperson and from primary membership of YSRCP, and join the BJP.
She stated that Khanam's induction reflects the growing trust and affection among minorities towards the BJP. "Minorities will have a respectful position in the party, and Zakia Khanam's political experience and family background will further strengthen the BJP," she added.In a strong message on national security, Purandeswari praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership, saying that India responded firmly to Pakistan's provocations. She hailed the military strikes targeting terror bases as a display of the Indian Army's capabilities and reiterated that India's fight is against terrorism, not against the citizens of Pakistan.Speaking at the BJP state office during a meeting chaired by BJP Kisan Morcha state president Chigurupati Kumar Swamy, Purandeswari highlighted the Modi govt's efforts to support the agricultural sector. She said the rural economy in India is agriculture-based and reiterated the govt's commitment to ensuring Minimum Support Price (MSP) for farmers.She pointed out that 100 backward districts across the country were identified for special budget allocations and said that the Centre is actively supporting farmers facing various challenges. From improving irrigation supply, providing quality seeds, and creating better market access, to directly crediting funds into farmers' accounts, the central govt is working on multiple fronts, she said.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

BJP accuses Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar of abetting RCB stampede
BJP accuses Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar of abetting RCB stampede

Time of India

time24 minutes ago

  • Time of India

BJP accuses Siddaramaiah, Shivakumar of abetting RCB stampede

Bengaluru: The opposition BJP accused the govt of "abetting" the stampede that occurred during Royal Challengers Bengaluru's (RCB) IPL victory celebrations at M Chinnaswamy stadium on June 4, and demanded a CBI investigation. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Eleven people died in the incident. The accusation came during a discussion under Rule 69, with opposition leader R Ashoka and BJP veteran S Suresh Kumar leading the attack. Ashoka, in a two-and-a-half-hour speech, alleged the govt was complacent and failed to anticipate the massive turnout despite repeated warnings from all quarters. "In your hurried intent to lap up popularity and affection of the people, you rushed into the celebratory event… If it was not so, then why did traffic police decide to draw up traffic diversions around the stadium?" he asked. Drawing a parallel with suicide cases, Kumar said: "This govt is an abettor in this tragedy." BJP demanded a joint house committee and a CBI inquiry, along with "an unconditional apology from the govt" to families of the victims. Ashoka called it a total failure of crowd management, saying, "Who gave permission for the celebration? Who finalised the SOP? Were ambulances kept ready?" He insisted a case of negligence causing death should have been filed, adding, "I fail to understand what the CM and deputy CM were doing." He criticised the IPL, alleging it fuels betting among the poor: "My own cook indulged in theft to get money for betting," Ashoka said. He accused the govt of seeking political mileage, while presenting govt letters to top officials as evidence of official permission. "Without directions from the CM and deputy CM, it would have been impossible for DPAR to permit the event," he said. Quoting Justice Michael D'Cunha's report, he said directions from the CMO to RCB and event managers were documented. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now "If the govt had spent just five minutes thinking about it on June 4, the tragedy could have been prevented," Ashoka said. Yatnal berates Ashoka Suspended BJP MLA Basangouda Patil Yatnal, meanwhile, castigated opposition leader R Ashoka during the debate on the stampede, for shying away from directly blaming CM Siddaramaiah and his deputy DK Shivakumar. "I have heard you since morning speaking about the faults of the administration, but nowhere are you fixing blame on the political leadership of this govt," Yatnal said, intervening in the discussion. "Say it in plain words that the CM and DCM are directly responsible for the tragedy." Yatnal was suspended from BJP for six years for alleged anti-party activities.

SC relief for ELV owners, to examine its 2018 order
SC relief for ELV owners, to examine its 2018 order

Hindustan Times

time31 minutes ago

  • Hindustan Times

SC relief for ELV owners, to examine its 2018 order

The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed no coercive action to be taken against those driving 10-year-old diesel and 15-year-old petrol vehicles in Delhi, effectively staying the implementation of its own October 2018 order which signed off on a 2014 order of the National Green Tribunal seeking to keep polluting vehicles off the roads in an attempt to combat the Capital's noxious air. Soon after coming to power in Delhi, the BJP government of the UT decided to deny fuel supply to end-of-life vehicles, which have crossed the threshold of 10 and 15 years operating on diesel and petrol. (Arvind Yadav/HT PHOTO) The 2014 and 2018 orders were never strictly enforced, and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which came to power this year in the Union territory, and which made pollution one of its campaign issues, sought to do so in April 2025 by denying fuel to overage vehicles — only to face significant pushback from people. The Delhi government, on July 25, then challenged the ban as unscientific and said a vehicle's fitness should be based on its emission level, and not age. A bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Bhushan R Gavai, justices K Vinod Chandran and NV Anjaria said, 'In the meantime, no coercive steps shall be taken against the owners of cars on the ground that they are 10 years old in respect of diesel and 15 years in respect of petrol vehicles.' The court issued notice on the Delhi government's application and posted the matter after four weeks. Solicitor general Tushar Mehta appeared for the Delhi government and sought urgent orders on the application claiming that the police is duty bound to act under the ban imposed by the court. 'Let there be no coercive action. Otherwise, police is under an obligation to take action against these vehicles,' Mehta said. There were similar applications moved by residents in Delhi and transport unions aggrieved by the ban. The court agreed to examine the issue. The order under challenge was passed by the top court on October 29, 2018 upholding the initial orders passed in this regard by the National Green Tribunal. The BJP-led government in Delhi said it was constrained to approach the top court considering the practical difficulties faced by the citizens in the Capital. The application filed last month said, 'To tackle the issue of pollution in the NCR region, a comprehensive policy is required which gives vehicle fitness based on the actual emission levels of an individual vehicle as per scientific methods rather than implementing a blanket ban based solely on the age of the vehicle.' The government also raised a public interest concern. It said, 'The directive to off road vehicles purely on the basis of age disproportionately affects middle-class citizens whose vehicles are less used, well-maintained, and compliant to fuel norms. It is submitted that the studies indicate that these vehicles often have significantly lower annual mileage and contribute negligibly to overall emissions.' It further stated that implementation of the court's order 'negatively affects' the market of second-hand cars, which alone is affordable by the poor and lower middle income class families residing in the region. Soon after coming to power in Delhi, the BJP government of the UT decided to deny fuel supply to end-of-life vehicles, which have crossed the threshold of 10 and 15 years operating on diesel and petrol. This decision was to be implemented from July 1. However, within days of implementation, the government sensed public sentiment and put its decision on hold. The application by the government acknowledged that the ban had a salutary aim in curbing pollution in Delhi over the past seven years. However, it said that the same was passed when Bharat Stage IV (BS-IV) emission standards were in force. Since April 2020, it added, Bharat Stage VI (BS-VI) has been implemented, which has much stricter and advanced norms. 'If the order of this court dated October 29, 2018 continues to operate, it will result in road worthy, non-polluting BS-VI vehicles also going off the roads in a matter of a few years without a scientific basis for the same…there does not appear to be a scientific basis for mandating that even BS-IV vehicles which meet PUC norms should be taken off the roads in Delhi NCR. These are serious issues which may require a fresh scientific evaluation,' the application said. The government's application said no data-based evidence currently exists to establish that all diesel vehicles older than 10 years or petrol vehicles older than 15 years are uniformly polluting. Instead, it said that the road-worthiness of a vehicle which is a technical and scientific issue must be linked to actual emissions as tested and recorded by mechanisms set out under the Motor Vehicles Act, the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, as opposed to a blanket ban on the basis of age which is unlinked to actual emissions. Prior to the SC order, the NGT had in November 2014 directed that all diesel vehicles (heavy or light) which are over 10 years old and petrol vehicles more than 15 years old will not be permitted to ply on Delhi roads. These orders were challenged multiple times before the top court which refused to interfere. On October 29, 2018, the court while considering the 92nd Report of the erstwhile Environmental Pollution Control Authority (now replaced by CAQM) accepted the suggestions of the amicus curiae endorsing the NGT order of November 2014. CAQM had used the VAHAN database to estimate 6.2 million ELVs (end of life vehicles) in Delhi, including 4.1 million two-wheelers and 1.8 million four-wheelers. However, government officials later clarified that this number includes vehicles that are already scrapped, de-registered, or issued no-objection certificates to be sold outside the NCR. A senior official familiar with the data said the actual number of ELVs still operating on Delhi roads is likely closer to 600,000—just 10% of the figure cited by CAQM. Delhi's total vehicle population is around 8.1 million, according to the Delhi Statistical Handbook 2024.

Raj Gopal fires fresh salvo, asks why 2 brothers can't be ministers
Raj Gopal fires fresh salvo, asks why 2 brothers can't be ministers

Time of India

timean hour ago

  • Time of India

Raj Gopal fires fresh salvo, asks why 2 brothers can't be ministers

1 2 Hyderabad: Congress MLA Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy on Tuesday fired yet another salvo at Congress top guns, stating that didn't the party leadership know that they are two brothers, Komatireddy Raj Gopal Reddy and Venkat Reddy, in the grand old party, when promising him a cabinet berth. "I was promised a cabinet berth at the time of coming back into Congress from BJP during the assembly elections (in Nov 2023). After we two brothers won the assembly polls, again I was promised a cabinet berth at the time of the Lok Sabha elections (May 2024) to ensure the victory of Congress from Bhongir parliament seat. At least, then they would have been well aware that two brothers were legislators in Congress," he said. Stating that he was waiting patiently for the party high command to honour its promise of giving a cabinet berth to him, he said denial of a ministry to him would be deemed as an injustice to the the people of Munugode constituency, represented by him. "I will tolerate injustice to me but not to the people of my constituency," he said. You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad | Gold Rates Today in Hyderabad | Silver Rates Today in Hyderabad On the comments of some Congress top leaders, including deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka that caste and other equations were the reasons for him not getting a cabinet berth so far, Raj Gopal pointed out that there were three ministers from Khammam, where nine Congress MLAs were there, and what was wrong in Nalgonda district having three ministers, which has 11 legislators from Congress. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play this game for 1 minute and see why everyone is addicted. Undo "We, both brothers, are efficient. What is wrong if two brothers, who are efficient, are ministers? I will continue to wait patiently even if there is a further delay in cabinet berth being given to me. You (Congress leadership) gave word, fulfil it. But until then, don't neglect Munugode's development. Why aren't the equations working out to take me into the cabinet? Who is blocking my entry?," he asked. 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.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store