Nadda appoints Pathankot MLA Ashwani Sharma as Punjab unit's working president
Sharma, 61, is a seasoned party leader who has served as the state BJP president twice in the past — from February 2010 to January 2013 — and again from January 2020 to July 2023. His role as state BJP chief was under scanner during his last stint as it was a time when farm laws were passed by the central government, which led to major agitation, with Punjab being the epicentre of protest. State BJP leaders were at the receiving end of the Punjab farmers. In September 2020, the SAD also parted its ways with the BJP over the now repealed farm laws.
While Sharma takes over as the working president, Sunil Jakhar continues to serve as the president of the Punjab BJP. Jakhar, who had joined BJP in May 2022 after quitting the Congress, was appointed state president in July 2023, succeeding Sharma. However, after the Lok Sabha polls, Jakhar had offered to resign, but the BJP high command did not accept his resignation.
Sources revealed that though Jakhar had become somewhat inactive for a few months, he continued to raise key issues concerning Punjab and was seen with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on multiple occasions — including at a family event in Delhi this March. In recent months, Jakhar has once again become more active in the state's political landscape.
Party insiders note that under BJP norms, a state president's term usually lasts three years, which means Jakhar's tenure is likely to continue till July 2026. Whether Sharma's appointment will lead to a change of guard remains to be seen. Interestingly, sources pointed out that the party has not traditionally had a working president in Punjab and only a state president used to be appointed.
The move gains significance as it comes at a time when the party's Punjab affairs in-charge, Vijay Rupani, tragically died in a plane crash in Ahmedabad last month, leaving that key post vacant.
The Pathankot MLA, a dedicated RSS member and a founder member of the BJP in Punjab, is being seen as a representative voice for the party's original cadre. A former member of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) — the BJP's student wing — during his college days in Pathankot, Sharma has served in multiple key roles including as general secretary of Punjab BJP from 2007 to 2010.
An experienced legislator, he won the Pathankot Assembly seat in 2012 and again in 2022, losing only once in 2017 to Congress's Amit Vij. Recently, he was also handling the campaign of BJP candidate Jiwan Gupta in the Ludhiana West bypoll where the party finished third.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
12 minutes ago
- Hans India
Plea to expedite rly development works
Rajamahendravaram: Member of Parliament for Rajamahendravaram Daggubati Purandeswari met South Central Railway General Manager Sanjay Kumar Srivastava on Tuesday at Rail Nilayam in Secunderabad to discuss railway development plans within her constituency. She explained the meeting details. According to the MP, during the meeting, Purandeswari highlighted the delay in the main Rajamahendravaram railway station development works. She pointed out that despite Rs 271 crore being sanctioned for the project six months ago, tenders have yet to be called. She urged the General Manager to immediately float tenders and commence work, emphasising the need to complete the station's development and make it accessible to passengers by the Godavari Pushkarams in 2027. General Manager Sanjay Kumar Srivastava assured the MP that tenders would be called within two to three days, and the first phase of the work would commence immediately. The meeting was attended by various railway officials, including railway union leader Unni Krishnan, BJP leaders Nagendra, and PM Krishna, among others.
NDTV
21 minutes ago
- NDTV
"If You Live In Beijing Or Delhi...": NATO Chief's Warning Over Russia Trade
WASHINGTON: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte warned on Wednesday that countries such as Brazil, China and India could be hit very hard by secondary sanctions if they continued to do business with Russia. Rutte made the comment while meeting with senators in the US Congress the day after President Donald Trump announced new weapons for Ukraine and threatened "biting" secondary tariffs of 100% on the buyers of Russian exports unless there is a peace deal in 50 days. "My encouragement to these three countries, particularly is, if you live now in Beijing, or in Delhi, or you are the president of Brazil, you might want to take a look into this, because this might hit you very hard," Rutte told reporters, who met with Trump on Monday and agreed the new steps. "So please make the phone call to Vladimir Putin and tell him that he has to get serious about peace talks, because otherwise this will slam back on Brazil, on India and on China in a massive way," Rutte added. Republican US Senator Thom Tillis praised Trump for announcing the steps, but said the 50-day delay "worries" him. He said he was concerned that "Putin would try to use the 50 days to win the war, or to be better positioned to negotiate a peace agreement after having murdered and potentially collected more ground as a basis for negotiation. "So we should look at the current state of Ukraine today and say, no matter what you do over the next 50 days, any of your gains are off the table," he added. Rutte said Europe would find the money to ensure Ukraine was in the best possible position in peace talks. He said that under the agreement with Trump, the U.S. would now "massively" supply Ukraine with weapons "not just air defense, also missiles, also ammunition paid for by the Europeans." Asked if long-range missiles for Ukraine were under discussion, Rutte said: "It is both defensive and offensive. So there's all kinds of weapons, but we have not discussed in detail yesterday with the president. This is really being worked through now by the Pentagon, by the Supreme Allied Commander in Europe, together with the Ukrainians." (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
The Hindu
27 minutes ago
- The Hindu
BJP Brings in ‘Security' Law That Could Silence Dissent in Maharashtra
Published : Jul 16, 2025 07:36 IST - 5 MINS READ Days after the ruling BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra observed the 50th anniversary of the Emergency and the curtailment of freedoms it entailed, the Maha Yuti government, led by Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, passed the Maharashtra Special Public Security (MSPS) Bill, 2024, by voice vote in the Legislative Assembly on July 10. The irony is stark: the same party that declared June 25 as 'Constitution Murder Day' now wields a law that critics describe as the gravest threat to freedom of expression in Maharashtra. While tabling the Bill, Fadnavis warned of 'urban Maoist networks' brainwashing youth, professionals, and civil servants. 'Maoists were trying to brainwash the youth of the urban areas and make them stand up against the democratic system of the country,' he said. The statement of objects claims that 'the menace of Naxalism is not only limited to remote areas of the Naxal-affected States, but its presence is increasing in the urban areas also through the Naxal front organisations'. The MSPS Bill empowers the State government to declare any suspect 'organisation' as an 'unlawful organisation'. Four offences can trigger action: membership of such organisations, fundraising on their behalf, managing or assisting them, and committing unlawful activities. Also Read | Why Maharashtra withdrew its Hindi language mandate in schools Punishments range from two to seven years' imprisonment and fines from Rs 2 lakh to Rs 5 lakh. These offences are cognisable and non-bailable, allowing arrest without a warrant. The Bill defines 'unlawful activity' broadly as any act that 'constitutes a danger or menace to public order, peace and tranquillity' or interferes 'with the administration of law'. The definition potentially encompasses satyagraha, civil disobedience, and peaceful protests—constitutionally protected forms of democratic expression. The Bill's journey First introduced during the 2024 monsoon session by then Deputy Chief Minister Fadnavis, the Bill was revived after the Maha Yuti returned to power in November 2024. A joint select committee, headed by Revenue Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, held five meetings between March 4 and June 26 and received over 12,500 suggestions and objections. Civil society groups, including the Maharashtra chapter of the Bharat Jodo Abhiyan and the People's Union for Civil Liberties, urged that the Bill be withdrawn entirely. Others questioned its intent, calling it a precursor to authoritarianism. The committee recommended three amendments: changing the title to specify 'Left Wing Extremist organisations or similar organisations'; mandating an advisory board comprising three High Court judges or qualified persons; and raising the rank of the investigating officer from sub-inspector to Deputy Superintendent of Police. Pushback for the Bill In the Assembly, only CPI(M) MLA Vinod Nikole opposed the Bill outright, calling it 'draconian'. Rohit Pawar of the NCP (Sharad Pawar) expressed concern over its potential misuse. Fadnavis assured that political and social activists would not be targeted, and that the right to protest would remain protected. Congress leader Nitin Raut referred to the controversial Bhima Koregaon case of 2018, in which several people were arrested under the 'urban naxal' label. Despite this, the Opposition offered little resistance during the Assembly proceedings. The silence shocked civil society activists who had been protesting the Bill for over a year. Uddhav Thackeray and senior Congress leaders had attended a June 28 rally in Mumbai against the Bill. But it was only when the legislation reached the Legislative Council that Congress and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray) actively objected. Congress leaders Satej Patil and Abhijit Vanjari condemned the Bill as an assault on democratic rights. Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Anil Parab gave a detailed speech highlighting its flaws. Vanjari questioned why only Left-wing extremism was targeted, while Right-wing extremism was ignored. Thackeray labelled it 'not Jan Suraksha but BJP Suraksha Bill'. Despite objections, the Bill was passed owing to the government's numerical strength in both Houses. Opposition members of the Council submitted an eight-page memorandum to the Governor urging him to withhold assent. The urban naxal propaganda machine The 'urban naxal' narrative has long been promoted by BJP sympathisers and Right-wing ideologues. Recent protests—against the CAA-NRC (Citizenship (Amendment) Act-National Register of Citizens), the farm laws, and others—were also branded 'Urban Naxal' conspiracies. The Bhima Koregaon case is the most cited example. Sixteen individuals, including political scientist Anand Teltumbde, activist Sudha Bharadwaj, and 84-year-old Father Stan Swamy, were arrested. Swamy died in custody on July 5, 2021, after being repeatedly denied bail despite suffering from Parkinson's disease. Another example is that of Professor G.N. Saibaba, a Delhi University academic and human rights activist, who was sentenced to life imprisonment by a sessions court. He was acquitted twice by the Nagpur Bench of the Bombay High Court—in October 2022 and March 2024—after spending nearly a decade in jail. Saibaba died on October 12, 2024, while undergoing treatment in Hyderabad. Politics over law Several existing laws already address unlawful activities. Congress MLC Abhijit Vanjari questioned the rationale behind the MSPS Bill: 'The Union Home Minister claims that the Naxal movement is nearly defeated, with only 28 per cent remaining. If true, under which law has this been achieved?' Also Read | As Maharashtra waits to be counted, politics is already doing the math Fadnavis, however, has pushed forward with legislation targeting alleged urban maoists. Sanjay M.G. of the National Alliance for People's Movements said, 'This law is to suppress future protests against the loot of India. The BJP's development model is being resisted—whether it is the redevelopment of Dharavi or mineral exploitation in Vidarbha. People will not stay silent, so this law is meant to silence them.' Vivek Korde, a senior social activist, cited a 2024 report by the Centre for the Study of Organised Hate, which showed that Maharashtra leads in hate speech cases, over 90 per cent of which involve Right-wing leaders. 'If Fadnavis truly cared about law and order, he would legislate against hate speech and violence,' he said. Civil society is planning large-scale protests. 'We are organising protest programmes across Maharashtra,' said Ulka Mahajan of Bharat Jodo Abhiyan. 'This is clearly an anti-people Bill aimed at stopping people from asserting their rights.' Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi leader Prakash Ambedkar announced plans to challenge the law in court. 'This law is draconian and unconstitutional. We are going to fight it legally,' he said. Maharashtra has recently been in the news for all the wrong reasons—rampant corruption, MLA hooliganism, violent language protests, and crumbling infrastructure. The passage of the law marks yet another step in the State's steady descent.
