SAD-BJP ‘conspiring' to return to power in Punjab: Cheema
Shiromani Akali Dal
(SAD) and the
Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP), accusing both of "conspiring" to return to power in Punjab through an "unprincipled alliance".
The minister said in the past, the
SAD-BJP alliance
had led to the "betrayal and destruction" of Punjab's youth, economy, and social fabric.
Cheema said the BJP and Akali Dal leaders were "restless and desperate" to regain power in Punjab, constantly hinting at renewing their alliance despite the denials from the SAD chief and the BJP national leaders' claim that they would contest alone.
"It was under the SAD-BJP govt that drugs were deliberately introduced in Punjab, systematically ruining an entire generation — a conspiracy hatched jointly by the SAD and the BJP to destroy Punjab's youth. Gangster culture was actively nurtured by these very parties," he alleged.
There are speculations of a possible revival of the ties between the SAD and the BJP after Punjab BJP president Sunil Jakhar, on Sunday, sought an alliance to ensure communal harmony in the state.
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
Temple demolished in Hyderabad for Muslim votes, says MoS Bandi Sanjay
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Sunday alleged that a temple was demolished in Hyderabad to get votes of 30 per cent Muslim voters in the upcoming by-election to the Jubilee Hills Assembly constituency. He told media persons in Karimnagar that the Congress government in Telangana demolished the Peddamma temple in Banjara Hills for vote bank politics. He demanded that Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy tender an apology and immediately suspend officials responsible for the demolition of the temple. 'How many Temples, Masjids and Churches are on roads? But what was the need to demolish the Banjara Hills Peddamma temple? The Congress government should immediately suspend the officials responsible. Is the government trying to appease a community who are 30 per cent in Jubilee Hills for votes in by-elections?' he asked. The BJP leader asked if the government has the courage to demolish places of worship of other communities. He stated that the Hindu community was ready to teach a lesson to the Congress government for demolishing the temple. The Minister of State alleged that the Congress betrayed Hindus and Backward Classes (BCs). Bandi Sanjay said that the 'BC declaration' released by the Congress at Kamareddy in the 2023 Assembly elections was in reality a 'Muslim declaration'. He alleged that the Congress wants to give 10 per cent reservation to Muslims and increase the reservation for BCs by only 5 per cent. The MoS also alleged that Hindus in Telangana were being projected as a 'minority' as part of a conspiracy of the Congress party. 'By giving reservations to 100 per cent Muslims, attempts are being made to show Hindus as a minority,' he said. He reiterated that the BJP would not allow 42 per cent reservation for BCs if Muslims are included in BCs. 'We have to stop this here as the Congress plans to implement this Muslim declaration across the country,' he said. Bandi Sanjay alleged that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi wants to weaken the Hindu community by breaching the 50 per cent reservation cap. He remarked that Rahul Gandhi would fail just like his great-grandfather, grandmother, and father failed in their attempts. On Congress leaders calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi a 'converted BC,' Bandi Sanjay questioned Gandhi's own caste and religion. He pointed out that PM Modi's BC status was recognised by a previous Congress government. 'Rahul Gandhi's grandfather was a Parsi, and his mother is an Italian Christian. Is Rahul Gandhi a converted Christian, a converted Muslim or a converted Hindu?' he asked.
The Hindu
12 minutes ago
- The Hindu
LDF, UDF condemn arrest of two Keralite nuns on ‘trumped-up' charge of forced conversion in Chhattisgarh
The arrest of two Keralite nuns on charges of human trafficking and kidnapping for forced religious conversion at the Durg railway station in Chhattisgarh on Friday has drawn sharp criticism from Church leaders and also the ruling front and the Opposition in Kerala. Fr. Robin Rodrigues, a spokesperson of the Catholic Bishops Conference of India (CBCI), told reporters in Raipur, the capital of Chhattisgarh, on Sunday that the nuns were travelling with three other women, aged between 18 and 19, from Durg to Agra when persons suspected to be Bajrang Dal workers accosted them angrily. He said they accused the nuns, Sister Vandana Francis, from the Udayagiri parish at Thalassery in Kannur, and Sister Preeta Mary from the Elavoor parish at Angamaly in Ernakulam, of taking women to Agra to convert them to Christianity and offering them money, food, and accommodation as inducements. Both are attached to the Assisi Sisters of Mary Immaculate (ASMI) order. CBCI Women's Council secretary Asha Paul said the women were travelling with the sisters on their own volition. They had consent letters from their parents and identity proof, including Aadhar, and railway tickets. Judicial remand Sister Asha alleged that the police refused to hear the nuns' entreaties to contact the parents of the women and record their statements before initiating prosecution. Instead, the officers brazenly sided with the suspected Bajrang Dal activists and arrested the nuns on non-bailable charges. She said the sisters were currently in judicial remand at a Durg prison and a court will hear their bail plea on Monday. All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary (Organisation) K.C. Venugopal, MP, said the arrest of the nuns on 'trumped up' charges was the latest incident in the long series of persecution of minorities in the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-ruled States in north India, chiefly Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. Mr. Venugopal told reporters in New Delhi that he has conveyed Congress's strong protest to Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and Union Home Minister Amit Shah against the high-handedness of the State police. PM's intervention sought Left Democratic Front (LDF) leader and chairperson of the Kerala Congress (M) Jose K. Mani, MP, posted on social media that he has sought the urgent intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to stop mob attacks against Christians and Church leaders in BJP-ruled States. Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan depicted the BJP as a 'wolf in sheep's clothing'. He said the BJP made a show of visiting Church leaders, Christian households, and bishops to woo the community to its fold. At the same time, the BJP unleashed the Sangh Parivar forces against Christians in States where it held power.
Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
Monsoon session: Parliament to debate Operation Sindoor; after washout week, top guns to face off
Lok Sabha NEW DELHI: After a week of disruptions, Parliament's Monsoon session is poised to shift gears on Monday with an intense debate on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor , as the ruling BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition prepare to go head-to-head over national security and foreign policy issues. Top ministers from the government and senior leaders from the opposition are expected to participate in what is being billed as a marathon 16-hour debate in both Houses, starting with the Lok Sabha on Monday, followed by the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday. These discussions, sources told the news agency PTI, may extend well beyond the allotted time, given the political stakes involved. Home minister Amit Shah, defence minister Rajnath Singh, and external affairs minister S Jaishankar are expected to lead the government's charge during the debate. Prime Minister Narendra Modi reportedly may intervene to highlight what the government views as its 'robust' record on national security. On the opposition side, Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge are likely to lead the charge, alongside Samajwadi Party's Akhilesh Yadav and other senior leaders from the INDIA bloc. Their criticism has focused on alleged intelligence failures preceding the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, which killed 26 civilians, and on US President Donald Trump's repeated claims of mediating between India and Pakistan. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Baking Soda Tricks Everyone Should Know About Beach Raider Undo Rahul Gandhi has targeted the government's foreign policy, arguing that India failed to garner international backing during Operation Sindoor. He has also cited Trump's mediation remarks as evidence of the government's diplomatic setbacks. PM Modi, however, has hailed Operation Sindoor, India's cross-border strike on terror bases in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, as a resounding success that showcased the effectiveness of the country's indigenous defence capabilities. 'India has drawn a 'new normal' in its response to Pakistan-linked terrorism, and it will not differentiate between terrorists and their sponsors,' PM Modi asserted, defending the government's firm approach in the aftermath of the Pahalgam attack. India caused serious damage to several Pakistani air bases in the four-day conflict. Meanwhile, the NDA plans to field a wide range of speakers, including ministers and MPs from the seven multi-party delegations that travelled to over 30 global capitals to explain India's position post-Operation Sindoor. These include Shrikant Shinde (Shiv Sena), Sanjay Jha (JDU), and Harish Balayogi (TDP), among others. A key point of interest remains whether Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, who led one of the delegations to the US, will be allowed to speak during the debate. His public praise for the government's handling of the operation has reportedly created friction within his party. However, sources suggest that a way may be found for him to participate, given the significance of his role. While the focus is shifting to national security, one unresolved issue continues to hang over the session -- the opposition's demand for a debate on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar. The opposition claims the Election Commission's exercise could benefit the BJP in the upcoming Bihar polls, an allegation the EC has denied, stating the revision is aimed solely at ensuring only eligible voters are on the rolls. Parliamentary affairs minister Kiren Rijiju, speaking on July 25 after the session's first week ended in a washout, confirmed that the opposition had agreed to begin discussions on the twin issues of Pahalgam and Sindoor. However, on the SIR issue, Rijiju reiterated the government's position: 'Every issue cannot be taken up for discussion in Parliament at once,' adding that the government will consider the demand for a separate debate in due course, as per the rules.
