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Time of India
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Anna Hazare sad as his ‘silence' on ‘vote theft' questioned
Pune: Posters have appeared in the Pashan-Sutarwadi area of Pune urging Anna Hazare to 'wake up' against the 'vote theft' issue even as the veteran activist expressed sadness about being questioned on his stance and called the whole incident unfortunate. The posters featured a photo of Hazare sleeping. It carried a message urging him to 'wake up' and address the allegations of 'vote theft' made by the opposition against BJP and the Election Commission of India. After videos of the posters surfaced on social media, Hazare said, "I fought and helped bring in 10 laws — such as RTI and Lokpal — to curb corruption in the system. I feel sad that the youth are in a dormant state and expect me to lead another agitation at the age of 90." You Can Also Check: Pune AQI | Weather in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune | Gold Rates Today in Pune | Silver Rates Today in Pune He said, "The younger generation should come forward now and raise their voice. They are also citizens of the country and it is their responsibility too. Pointing fingers at others will not serve any purpose. After so many years of fighting against corruption, today I am being told to wake up. It makes me feel bad." The opposition also questioned Hazare for not taking a stand on the vote theft allegations. State Congress chief Harshwardhan Sapkal said, "We will obviously be suspicious of his (Hazare's) silence on the current issues against the govt. He led agitations against UPA and some members of his team became chief ministers and lieutenant governors later. Now, when there are several challenges to save democracy in our country, he has gone into a deep slumber. " NCP (SP) also reacted to the issue and demanded that the activist speak on the matter. Prashant Jagtap, city unit chief of NCP (SP), said, "During the UPA govt, Hazare led a nationwide agitation, but he is quiet when BJP is part of the govt. The Centre is selling the country's assets to favour a handful of people and indulging in 'vote thefts'. The activist's silence has raised doubts, which is why people are questioning him. " 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.
Indian Express
21 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Why are you silent on ‘vote theft' issue?: Congress flays Anna Hazare after he scorns posters urging him to ‘wake up'
A day after social activist Anna Hazare reacted angrily to the banners in Pune that urged him to 'wake up' and lead an agitation against 'vote theft', the Congress Monday asked him to speak up and 'follow the path of truth'. 'Anna's silence is not appropriate. Even though vote theft is a big issue in the nation, he is not speaking up. If Anna says he has become old and youths should speak up, then we want to tell him that the question is not about age. He should tell us whether he was part of the conspiracy to bring the BJP to power, part of the conspiracy to defame the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government,' said Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Atul Londhe. Hazare, 88, rose to national prominence during the 2011 anti-corruption movement, which aimed to establish a strong Jan Lokpal Bill for investigating corruption in governments. He led large-scale protests and conducted hunger strikes to demand the passage of this law at a time when the UPA government, led by the Congress party, was facing multiple corruption allegations. 'Are you the supporter of this government and therefore you are not coming forward and speaking about the blatant vote theft that happened across the country?' asked Londhe, referring to Hazare's silence in the wake of the bogus voting claims made by Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi targetting the ruling BJP and the Election Commission of India. 'Did Anna ever say he made a mistake by supporting the enthronement of the current government? Mahatma Gandhi accepted the truth. Anna should follow the path of truth,' added Londhe. Meanwhile, Vijay Kumbhar, vice president of the Aam Aadmi Party's Maharashtra unit, said, 'Anna always takes wrong stands. If he has to stand, he should not be selective. His reaction based on wrong inputs generates all kinds of reactions.' Kumbhar, however, agreed that Hazare's statement that youth should speak up since he has become old is correct. 'How long will we depend on Anna? It is time the younger generations step forward and articulate their views.' Kumbhar also said in a post on X, 'In Pune's Pashan, banners mock Anna Hazare. This is classic Puneri style, but the nameless brave behind them lack spine…' On Sunday, Hazare reacted angrily to the banners in Pune which taunted him and asked him to 'wake up' and lead an agitation against 'vote theft'. One of the banners read, 'Anna, at least wake up now. Even Kumbhakarna woke up from a deep slumber… So why don't you do the same for the country.' Hazare said, 'I took the initiative to bring in 10 laws, but even after 90 years of age, if people expect me to keep doing everything while they remain fast asleep, then I think that expectation is wrong. I feel what I have done should be carried forward by today's youngsters.' The anti-corruption agitation led by Hazare culminated in the enactment of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act, 2013.
The Hindu
4 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Country should move forward adhering to the principles of the Constitution: Sharan Prakash Patil
Minister for Medical Education Sharan Prakash Patil stressed building a strong and healthy nation based on the history that the country had before independence. 'The country should move forward with peace and brotherhood and also adhering to the principles of the Constitution and respecting its values,' he said. He was addressing the crowd after hoisting the national flag at Mahatma Gandhi Stadium in Raichur to mark the 79th Independence Day on Friday. 'India got independence after a supreme sacrifice by lakhs of freedom fighters. After independence, the country had its constitution drafted by Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar, who envisaged equal rights for all citizens irrespective of their caste and religion. Therefore, every citizen must adhere to them to take the country forward unitedly in all sectors,' Dr. Patil said. Praising the contributions of the 12th-century saints and spiritual icons, primarily Basavanna, to bring equality and uphold social justice, he said that Kalyan Karnataka has got its special prominence in the state for these reasons. Despite spiritual richness, the region remained backward, and considering this, the UPA government at the centre brought an amendment to the Constitution, inserting 371 J to ensure special status. Thus, the region is getting an annual grant of ₹5,000 crore, and thousands are getting seats in medical and engineering courses, and, apart from that, those who are eligible are getting jobs, the Minister said. Dr. Patil, who is also the District in-charge Minister, also said that the State government is committed to developing the Raichur district with new projects. The district will soon get a convention hall and a cancer hospital at a cost of ₹50 crore each. The new airport will also come up shortly. But as far as the All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS) is concerned, the State government had already submitted a proposal to the centre, he added. MP G. Kumar Naik, MLAs Shivaraj Patil and Basanagouda Daddal, MLC Vasant Kumar, Mayor Narasamma Narasimhalu, Deputy Commissioner Nitish K., CEO Eshwar Kumar Kandoo, Superintendent of Police G. Puttamadaiah, City Corporation Commissioner Jubin Mohapatra, Additional Deputy Commissioner Shivanand, Assistant Commissioner Gajanan Bale, Tahsildar Suresh Varma and others were present.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
2014's ‘outsider' pitch to 2025's ‘demography mission': Modi's past 11 I-Day speeches as PM
Since he took oath in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speeches on Independence Day have been as much about policy and programmes as ideology. This year, he emphasised on illegal migration, calling it a 'well-thought-out conspiracy', at a time when the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls – driven largely with this agenda – has seen Opposition protests from the streets to courts and Parliament. He went on to announce a 'Mission' to check 'demographic change'. As importantly, Modi's speech included fulsome praise for the RSS – the first time he has arguably done so from the ramparts of the Red Fort, in his 12 Independence Day speeches. With the Sangh set to celebrate its 100 years, the PM lauded its journey. 2014: 'Outsider' Modi praises 'all PMs' Describing himself as an 'outsider for Delhi' who had been 'isolated from the elite class' of the national capital till then, PM Modi described himself the country's 'Pradhan Sewak (Prime Servant)' in his maiden speech from the ramparts of the Red Fort. In the flush of his decimation of the Congress in the 2014 elections, Modi was generous in acknowledging the contribution of his political opponents. 'Today if we have reached here after Independence, it is because of the contribution of all the Prime Ministers, all the governments and even the governments of all the states.' The PM added: 'We are not for moving forward on the basis of majority, we are not interested in moving forward by virtue of majority. We want to move ahead on the basis of strong consensus.' Modi also used his maiden speech to highlight his government's initiatives, as compared to his predecessors'. 'It seemed as if dozens of separate governments were running at the same time in one main government. It appeared that everyone had its own fiefdom,' Modi said, referring to the previous UPA regime. 2015: 'Not a single taint of corruption' In his second speech, he announced schemes such as Start-Up India, Stand-Up India, electrification of 18,000 villages within the next 1,000 days, and abolition of interviews for job-seekers in groups C & D, but measured his government's success in resolving the legacy issues carried over from the UPA government. In particular, he announced the acceptance of One Rank, One Pension for the armed forces and dwelt at length on how he had managed to clear the 'mess' in allocation of natural resources — coal, minerals and spectrum — by instituting an auction mechanism. 'It has been 15 months, there is not a single taint of corruption against your government,' Modi said, as he referred to 'Team India' repeatedly. 'Sometimes people are fond of sinking into despair,' he said. 2016: 'Innumerable initiatives, multiple tasks done' In his third speech, Modi refrained from new announcements and instead projected his government's record in delivery of his promises. 'I can present before you a very detailed account of work done and also multiple issues regarding the performance of the government. During its tenure of two years, the government has taken innumerable initiatives and done multiple tasks. If I start giving details about them, I am afraid I will end up talking for about a week.' 2017: 'Majestic India by 2022' His fourth speech from the Red Fort had only one announcement, the launch of a website to provide an account of the valour of the Gallantry Award winners in 2017. Modi chose to set out goals for a 'Majestic India' by 2022. These included pucca houses for the poor, doubling of farmers' earnings by 2022, enough opportunities for the youth and women, and an India which would be uncompromising with corruption and nepotism and be free from terrorism, communalism and casteism. 2018: 'We are breaking free' In his last Independence Day speech before the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Modi dwelt on his 'assured stewardship' of the leap of faith taken by the electorate in 2014 in voting for him. Modi highlighted the 'gains' of the previous four years in areas such as toilet coverage, LPG coverage, electrification, optical fibre networks. He ended the speech with: 'Hum tod rahe hain zanjeerein… Hum badal rahe hain tasveerein (We are breaking the shackles… We are reshaping the picture).' 2019: 'Art 370, triple talaq moves our hallmark' After returning to power with a thumping majority, Modi used his 2019 Independence Day speech to articulate the decisions taken by his government in line with its ideological agenda — the abrogation of Article 370 (August 5, 2019) and a law banning instant triple talaq (August 1, 2019). 'What was the reason behind revocation of Article 370 and 35A? This is the hallmark of this government. We do not avoid problems, nor do we let them fester… The work that was not done in the last 70 years has been accomplished within 70 days of this new government coming to power,' the PM said. 2020: 'In Covid, need to become self-reliant' 'It is necessary for us to make India self-reliant. In the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Indians must resolve to become 'self-reliant'. This is not just a word, but a mantra for the people,' PM Modi said in his I-Day speech at the height of the first wave of the pandemic. He said self-sufficiency meant not only reducing imports, but also increasing the levels of skills and creativity in the country. He expressed confidence that measures taken by his government, like opening up the space sector, would generate employment opportunities for the youth. He also announced the launch of the National Digital Health Mission under which every Indian would get a unique health ID. 2021: 'Amrit Kaal' The PM declared that the next 26 years, till 2047, the centenary year of Independence, would be India's 'Amrit Kaal', in which it will reach newer heights. '25 years of Amrit Kaal. We should not wait for that long to meet our goals. We must set out for this immediately. Yehi samay hai, sahi samay hai… (This is the time, the right time) We should change ourselves according to the changing world. We will work with the motto of Sabka saath, sabka vikaas, sabka vishwas aur sabka prayaas.' He also said that his government is working to free the people and the system of archaic laws. 'Earlier, the government was sitting in the driver's seat. Maybe it was needed at that time. But the time has changed now. Efforts have increased in the last seven years to free the people from the web of unnecessary laws and procedures.' 2022: 'Paanch pran', 'shed colonialism, nepotism' Modi framed his political argument on two pillars, spelling out a five-point 'pran (commitment/ resolve)' for 'Amrit Kaal', and to fight the twin challenges of 'corruption' and 'dynasty politics and nepotism'. Avoiding announcements on any social sector schemes, Modi focused on the big picture, ideas for the future, and urged people to embrace self-reliance in spirit and action. Elaborating on the 'paanch pran', the PM said the first was reaching the goal of a developed India by 2047, and second was 'removing any trace of a colonial mindset'. 2023: 'I will be back' Declaring that 'this India is unstoppable… tireless' and 'does not give up', Modi turned to the past and present with the promise to 'take decisions one after the other' for 'sarvajan hitay, sarvajan sukhay (welfare of all, happiness of all)', underlining that the 'Triveni' of 'demography, democracy, diversity' had the potential to build the country for 'the next 1,000 years'. In the last Independence Day speech before the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Modi went on to call people his 'parivarjan' (family members) and flagged the 'parivarvaad' (dynastic rule) of the Opposition. He also said he would be back at the Red Fort the coming year to list the achievements of the country. He framed the 2024 Lok Sabha elections as a battle against 'evils' plaguing the country, saying 'now is not the time to shut your eyes' towards 'corruption, dynastic rule and appeasement'. 2024: 'Secular civil code, simultaneous polls needed' Last year, in the first Independence Day speech of his third term, PM Modi raised other core ideological issues of the BJP and Sangh, speaking of a 'secular civil code' instead of the existent 'communal civil code'. Despite the BJP being 32 short of a majority in the Lok Sabha and depending on allies to reach the halfway mark, Modi also made a fresh call for simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies. While Modi spent most of his speech reeling out statistics about the work done by his government in multiple sectors over the last decade, calling for faster reforms and promising to work harder in his third term, the few ideological and political points he made stood out.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
'EXPEL Ukrainians...': Poland's Big Order Before Trump-Putin Alaska Summit; Zelensky Cornered?
/ Aug 14, 2025, 10:52AM IST Polish President Karol Nawrocki has condemned the glorification of Ukrainian WWII Nazi collaborators, calling for prosecutions and expulsions of anyone promoting such symbols in Poland. His comments come after a UPA flag was displayed at a rap concert in Warsaw, sparking nationwide backlash. Over 60 foreigners—mostly Ukrainians—now face deportation.
