Pappu Yadav likens current political climate to ‘undeclared Emergency'
New Delhi: On the 50th anniversary of the Emergency -- widely regarded as one of the darkest chapters in Indian democracy -- Purnea MP Rajesh Ranjan alias Pappu Yadav strongly criticised the current political climate, likening it to an "undeclared Emergency."
Speaking to IANS on Tuesday, Yadav took aim at the ruling BJP, asserting that the present situation mirrors the authoritarianism of the past, albeit without formal declaration.
Attacking the ruling dispensation, he said that institutions like the "Supreme Court, ED, CBI, and Election Commission are all working at the BJP's behest. No one can speak now."
Training his guns at the BJP on the issue of black money, he said that the BJP does not want to talk about real issues. "Just look at the BJP on its record of employment generation, have they delivered their promise on giving two crore jobs?" he asked.
"What is the update on the handling of Agniveers? Our currency is going down compared to the dollar. Have you brought back the black money?" he told IANS.
On speculation over Arvind Kejriwal's entry into the Rajya Sabha, Yadav accused him of prioritising personal ambition over governance.
He further alleged that Kejriwal is desperately eyeing a Rajya Sabha seat and could even replace Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann to fulfil his political goals.
"He is obsessed with money and power. Corruption runs in his veins," Yadav said, calling Kejriwal the 'B team' of the BJP.
Yadav claimed Kejriwal imposed elections in Punjab for selfish reasons and said the AAP leader now lives in a 'delusional world.'
'He made Delhiites suffer, failed to deliver on Lokpal, and now dreams of entering Rajya Sabha through the backdoor,' Yadav alleged.
On the BJP's continuous attack on Congress, Yadav called Union Home Minister Amit Shah the 'Sankat Mochak' of the BJP but questioned his relentless attacks on the Congress.
'Every party is free to contest on their terms. But if you had taken the name of God as many times as you've taken the name of Congress, Nehru, or Indira, maybe God would have blessed you,' he said.
Yadav reminded Home Minister Amit Shah of Indira Gandhi's contributions to the nation, calling her one of the most dynamic leaders the world has seen.
"Atal Bihari Vajpayee had called her 'Durga.' Don't forget 1971 and her leadership. Yes, Emergency was dark, and people punished her -- but then people brought her back, too. Let the people decide,' he added.
On the Iran-Israel conflict, Yadav accused the US of forcing a ceasefire. 'Iran is our historical ally, and we must introspect. Trump's actions have surpassed Hitler,' he said, warning that war is being used as a business model by global arms dealers.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
32 minutes ago
- Time of India
Indian students bare their digital souls to win US visas
New Delhi: If you want to study in the land of the brave, and the home of the free, forgo your (social media) privacy. And most Indian students applying for US colleges are willing to make their social media accounts public to fulfil their dreams to study in the US, experts say. This will impact them as most are on at least one of the social media platforms like X, Instagram, TikTok, or Linkedin. According to the US embassy's X post on Monday, Indian students applying for visas to study in US colleges will now have to make their social media accounts public by changing the privacy settings. Making the social media accounts public is one of the measures among many, either introduced or reinforced, in the last few months impacting Indian students either studying or considering studying in the US. These restrictions include further tightening of student visa rules; heightened scrutiny of students' records, including social media posts; student and exchange visitor information system (SEVIS) record glitches; and increased scrutiny at ports of entry. (Join our ETNRI WhatsApp channel for all the latest updates) Over 95% of students enrolled with IDP (a study abroad platform) are fine making their social media profiles public. "Rest 4-5% are considering going to other countries like the UK, Canada and Australia," said Piyush Kumar, regional director, South Asia, Canada and Latin America, IDP. Live Events F-1 is a student visa to study in an accredited US college, J-1 is an exchange visa for participation in an exchange programme, while M-1 is student visa for non-academic or vocational study or training in the United States. Students with strong intent to study in the US are not changing their plans due to social media vetting, experts said. Students have been required to provide their social media account details in visa applications for several years now. "But for the first time, they (students) are being asked to make their profile settings 'Public'," said Kumar. "Effective immediately, all individuals applying for an F, M, or J non-immigrant visa are requested to adjust the privacy settings on all their social media accounts to public to facilitate vetting necessary to establish their identity and admissibility to the United States under US law," stated the US Embassy post. "I've worked so hard on my profile - academics, research, community work - but now I have to audit every tweet and post I've ever made," one such student applying for a Master of Science to UC Berkeley (Fall 2025) told ET. "Though it feels like I'm being judged for more than my merit, still I'm not giving up. I'll do whatever it takes to achieve my dream to study in the US." "We have not seen and do not believe that this will reduce the interest of students going to the US," said Rajneesh Pathak, founder of immigration and investment advisory firm, Global North Residency and Citizenship. He added that no other country has asked for this. "But usually all countries independently do a 'World Check' which includes social media and the internet," Pathak said. According to Adarsh Khandelwal, co-founder, Collegify, the US is no longer just reviewing your application - "it's reviewing you. Other countries might assess risk, but none require digital transparency at this level," said Khandelwal. Nevertheless, many students have started cleaning up their digital footprint like never before.
The Print
33 minutes ago
- The Print
Both Iran's best friends and worst adversaries don't want it to have nuclear weapons
There's one issue on which Iran's best friends and worst adversaries have unanimity: it must not have nuclear weapons. Nobody's happier than Gulf Arabs. Geopolitics is that rude and cynical. Friend and foe have drawn that line in the sand for Iran. That achieved for now, peace can be declared. Karnataka Congress is doing what it lectures BJP about. Proposed bills curb free speech Siddaramaiah government's proposed bills on misinformation and hate speech are a poorly disguised attempt to muzzle dissenting voices. It's duplicitous for Congress to lecture BJP on free speech when own government wants to curb it. It's a desperate act of a beleaguered CM who has nothing to show for governance.
Time of India
33 minutes ago
- Time of India
No responsibility for losses: Cong woes go beyond rifts
Jalandhar: Having lost another byelection, the Congress appears to be showing remarkable consistency in its refusal to learn lessons. There is little hidden about discord within the party's state unit, and knives are being unsheathed, though carefully and in a calibrated manner. However, its problems go beyond factionalism, and the buck does not stop with state leadership, but goes up to its central leadership. The grand-old party has been consistent in not analysing its performance and not holding anybody accountable after big losses. After the party showed its worst performance in the 2022 assembly elections, when its vote share dropped to just 23%, there was no objective review or analysis of the reasons for the defeat. Before Ludhiana West, Congress lost four assembly and two parliamentary bypolls, but no questions were asked; none was held accountable, and nothing was heard about an objective analysis. This happened even as the party lost Jalandhar, its strongest parliamentary seat in Punjab. The only byelection Congress won was the Barnala assembly seat last year, where the only reason for its victory was an AAP rebel in the battle. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 2025 年最紓壓的農場遊戲！無需安裝 東加：島嶼農場 立即播放 Undo You Can Also Check: Chandigarh AQI | Weather in Chandigarh | Bank Holidays in Chandigarh | Public Holidays in Chandigarh In the parliamentary elections, the main factors on the ground were Sikhs and Dalits remaining apprehensive of BJP, and the element of anti-incumbency working against AAP govt in the state. Though a few party leaders publicly sought introspection and objective analysis of the results, arguing that the party could get just 26.3% vote share and win only from 38 assembly segments, nothing was heard about any meeting for the purpose. Before the 2022 assembly elections, amid the farm movement, there was a strong yearning in Punjab for a qualitative shift in politics, which party leader Rahul Gandhi was articulating. However, when it came to translating those ideas on the ground, Congress stuck to its old template and arguments of communal and caste equations while removing a strong regional leader like Capt Amarinder Singh. Though Capt Amarinder faced strong questions about his govt's performance, rightly so as the 2017 elections were fought in his name and big promises were made, Congress has been missing a leader of his stature, appeal, political acumen, and intellect. His second tenure appeared to be a case of wasted talent and opportunity. Factions in Punjab Congress are not bound by an element of affinity or loyalty, but by opposition to one or the other leader. In 2021, the only glue among Congress leaders was opposition to Capt Amarinder. As soon as he was removed, the glue disappeared, and party leaders started grappling with one another. Then, opposition to Navjot Singh Sidhu united quite a few of them, and he was mainly blamed for whatever went wrong with the state Congress, and knives were out against him. For the last year-and-a-half, Sidhu has been silent on state politics, but Congress remains a house in disorder. As the principal opposition, Congress has not been able to proactively set the agenda or drive the narrative, even as scores of Punjabi activists and netizens, not aligned with any party, have taken up the mantle and have been giving a tough time to the state govt on several issues. Notwithstanding Rahul Gandhi's articulations at the national level, in which he appears to be taking unconventional, strong, and clear ideological positions, the party in Punjab has not been showing any inclination towards reinventing itself, even as the ground situation in the state appears to be providing a favourable ground for that.
