Our doors are open for Badgujar: Bawankule
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
Badgujar had been accused by the BJP of being anti-national after purported video clips surfaced showing him with 1993 Mumbai Bomb Blast convict Salim Kutta. However, Bawankule, speaking in Nashik at a workshop for over 550 party office-bearers from the Nashik division, asserted that an individual is not a criminal until proven so in a court of law.
When asked about Badgujar potentially joining the party, Bawankule said, "The doors are open to all those who want to join the party."
He acknowledged the existing "bitterness, misgivings, and misunderstandings" between Badgujar and current BJP leaders, citing their past electoral contest in the assembly elections.
Bawankule added that he and Girish Mahajan were "looking into the matter". He emphasized that no deadline had been set for a decision on Badgujar's inclusion.
"It will take time. After all, the party is striving for the development of society and the country, and we want to increase the party bases.
We will decide appropriately and accordingly if anybody wants to join us without any conditions," Bawankule said.
In response to the question that party functionaries felt accepting Badgujar into the party fold would malign the party image, Bawankule said, "Making allegations against a person is one thing, and conviction by the court is another. I personally believe that no one should judge any person based on allegations."
Regarding the Thackeray brothers coming together, Bawankule said the party has nothing to do with their decision, especially when the Mahayuti is stronger than ever.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
3 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Eyeing the Bodoland pie
Peace sells in a region scarred by decades of extremism. In 2003, the Government of India, the Government of Assam, and the Bodo Liberation Tigers signed a peace accord, which led to the creation of the Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC), an autonomous body to to govern the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). The BTC was established as a political alternative to the demand for a separate Bodoland state. The Bodoland People's Front (BPF), a political party formed largely by members of the disbanded Bodo Liberation Tigers, ruled the BTR until December 2020. The end of its 17-year rule was partly because of another peace accord in January 2020 and partly because of the BPF's divorce from its 'big brother', the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The 2020 peace pact, catalysed by the influential All Bodo Students' Union (ABSU), was between the government and all the factions of another set of extremists — the National Democratic Front of Boroland. Pramod Boro, then the ABSU president and one of the key architects of the peace process, became the president of the United People's Party Liberal (UPPL), the BPF's long-term rival across the BTR. The BJP, claiming to have brought peace to the north-east and paved the way for development, found in Mr. Boro's image as a peace broker an opportunity to penetrate the areas under the tribal council where mainstream parties had little or no traction after 2003. The BPF, dumped by the BJP, became the single-largest party by winning 17 of the 40 seats in the 2020 BTC polls. The UPPL, which won 12 seats, and the BJP, with nine, formed the government in the BTC along with a regional party that won one seat. The Congress managed to win one seat and became the BPF's short-term ally in February 2021. Over the next few years, defections from the BPF and Congress saw the UPPL and BJP's tally increase to 15 and 14 seats, respectively. The UPPL-led government in the BTC, allegedly rendered bankrupt by the BPF, exuded inclusivity in the rebuilding process across the BTR, which had a history of conflicts between the dominant Bodos, the largest plains tribe in the north-east, and a majority of the 19 non-Bodo communities, including the Assamese and the Bengali-speaking Muslims. Mr. Boro's outreach was underlined by the Bhutan-inspired Bodoland Happiness Mission launched in 2024 and a community-based road map for development of the smallest of communities. According to him, the post-2020 BTR was vastly different from the pre-2020 BTR, ruled by instability and division along community lines. The UPPL has been banking on the 'unprecedented' peace and associated development across the five-district BTR for a second term, either on its own or in an alliance. There is apparently no strain in the ties between the UPPL and the BJP, but the latter has often indicated it could befriend the BPF again. The BJP, reportedly miffed by a less pliant leadership in the BTC unlike its counterparts in the two other tribal councils – Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council and North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council – under the Sixth Schedule in Assam, has decided to go it alone in the BTC polls, likely to be held by September-end. If that is not enough, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma began campaigning in the BTR extensively, claiming that the region was reaping the benefits of peace because of the BJP. He also said that the non-tribal communities would have nothing to fear in Bodoland till he was alive. 'Remember that you are safe and have equal rights because the BJP is here, and there will be no second-class citizens,' he said. Bodo organisations did not react to the Chief Minister's alleged bid to polarise the BTR electorate on ethnic lines. However, the All-Assam Tribal Sangha condemned State BJP president Dilip Saikia's assurance to non-Bodos that the laws specific to the autonomous councils would be amended for them to purchase land in the tribal blocks and belts. The BJP's approach to the BTC polls indicates a design to weaken the hold of its smaller allies in specific areas. This is evident from its oblique advice to another regional ally, the Asom Gana Parishad, to stay away from the BTC polls. The Congress and other non-National Democratic Alliance parties have slammed the BJP's 'divisive' campaign as a show of desperation to win the BTC polls.
The Hindu
3 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Assembly plunges into pandemonium over Dharmasthala row
The Legislative Assembly plunged into pandemonium on Monday over the case of alleged mass burials in Dharmasthala, with the ruling and the Opposition members indulging in heated exchange of words. Speaker U.T. Khader had to adjourn the House for 30 minutes to let tempers cool. Trouble began during the reply of Home Minister G. Parameshwara on the Dharmasthala row, when BJP member V. Sunil Kumar accused the Congress government of supporting the efforts by some groups to tarnish the image of Dharmasthala and other centres of Hinduism. Countering the Home Minister's claims that the intention of probing the alleged mass burials through a Special Investigation Team was to bring out the truth, Mr. Sunil Kumar alleged: 'More than bringing out the truth, the government intends to tarnish Dharmasthala's image.' This triggered angry response from the ruling benches with several senior Ministers including M.B. Patil and Dinesh Gundu Rao taking exception. Following this, the Speaker suggested to the BJP member to withdraw his remarks. Refusing to do so, Mr. Sunil Kumar upped the ante by alleging that the Congress government was supporting such efforts as per instructions of its high command. 'This is evident with the fact that the government is yet to file any case against YouTubers who have been carrying out such propaganda,' he argued. 'However, now the government is trying to play a balancing act as people are anguished over these developments,' he maintained. Referring to the complainant who has levelled allegations of mass burials in the pilgrimage centre, he alleged: 'It is not just one masked man; there are multiple masked men operating from Delhi, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.' This plunged the House into pandemonium as incensed ruling members began a counter-attack. They accused the BJP of mixing politics with religion for selfish gains, while the BJP members too continued their attack. As chaos gripped the House, the Speaker adjourned the House again for some time.
Economic Times
6 minutes ago
- Economic Times
Opposition walkout over SIR issue stalls Rajya Sabha, govt pushes through Indian Ports Bill
Synopsis The Rajya Sabha witnessed disruptions by the Opposition over the SIR issue, leading to a washout of the first half and a walkout later. Despite the turmoil, the government successfully passed the Indian Ports Bill, 2025, with support from BJP and allied parties. ANI Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge, Jai Ram Ramesh and other MPs in Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon Session of the Parliament, in New Delhi on Monday. New Delhi: The Opposition forced a washout of the first half in the Rajya Sabha on Monday and staged a walkout in the post-lunch session on the special intensive revision (SIR) issue but the government managed to get the Indian Ports Bill, 2025, passed after a short debate in which members of BJP and like-minded parties took the monsoon session scheduled to end on Thursday, there is not much listed business in the Upper House. At the business advisory committee meeting, the government has stated that it will move only two legislations this week: The Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Bill, 2025; and the Indian Institute of Management (Amendment) Bill, 2025, after the Lok Sabha clears it and sends it to the House. Opposition sources said with the SIR issue hitting a roadblock, three parties - Congress, TMC and AAP - have written to the deputy chairman demanding a short duration discussion on "the urgent need to strengthen the electoral process" under Rule 176. Leader of the House JP Nadda charged that 69 hours of work in Rajya Sabha has been wasted due to Opposition protests in this session.
