Mamata Meme Row: Police Tortured Me, Says BJP Convenor Priyanka Sharma

India, May 15: Priyanka Sharma today alleged torture in custody by Kolkata police and said she will not apologise for sharing Mamata Banerjee meme on social media, besides pitching for West Bengal Chief Minister's arrest.

"The police mentally tortured me in their custody. Despite apex court granting conditional bail yesterday, the police did not immediately release me," she told reporters here.

"The police did not allow me to meet my family members and misbehaved with me. One of the police officials also pushed me," she alleged.

The BJP Youth Wing Convenor Priyanka was arrested for sharing a meme of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

Priyanka also alleged that the police forced her to sign apology letter before release.

She also said she will not apologise for sharing the meme in her Facebook account.

"I think I have not done anything wrong. The case is being heard in the apex court. I will fight the case. If you want to arrest me, jail Mamata Banerjee for abusing PM Narendra Modi," she added.

The Supreme Court had censured West Bengal government over delay in Priyanka's release for sharing a meme of Mamata.

The court also had issued notice to police over the way she was taken into custody.

I Would Not Have Been Alive, But For CRPF Protection: Amit Shah On Kolkata Poll Violence

New Delhi, May 14: Commenting on the poll violence during his rally in Kolkata last evening, BJP President Amit Shah today said he would not have been alive without CRPF cover deployed for his security.

"If there was no CRPF protection, I might not have come back alive from poll violence," he told reporters at New Delhi.

Shah said an attack on him was not unexpected because as many as 60 BJP workers were lost in political violence in West Bengal.

Shah said the Election Commission has been partial towards Mamata Banerjee's rule in West Bengal and has failed to take action, despite not giving permission to his and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's rallies in the past.

Shah also blamed TMC for poll violence in Kolkata yesterday and asked why violence erupts only in West Bengal when BJP contests polls in all states.

"Vidyasagar college was locked. The violence occured past 7.30 pm. You should ask who rules Bengal and who has influence over the college management? Who opened the doors," he asked.

He also said Mamata didi is resorting to violence because BJP's popularity in Kolkata and Bengal has given her jitters.

Replying to a query, Shah said the party is winning more than 300 Lok Sabha seats.

"I have travelled across India, and I would like to say - after six rounds of the Lok Sabha elections, our party has already crossed 300 seats mark," he told reporters at New Delhi.

Shah also said BJP is going to sweep West Bengal by winning 23 Lok Sabha seats.

Rahul Gandhi Who Aspires To Be PM, Wanted To Be Defence Deal Pusher: Arun Jaitley

New Delhi, May 4: Leveling serious charges against Rahul Gandhi's former business partner allegedly acquiring defence offset contracts under UPA regime, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Saturday said the Congress President was a man who aspired to be a defence deal pusher and today aspires to be India's Prime Minister.

"It is a story of a man who aspired to be a defence deal pusher and today aspires to be the PM of India. It is a serious charge. What was his own role? Did he want to start off as a defence dealer or a disguised defence dealer? Or a proxy defence dealer? Or a facilitator?," Jaitley told reporters here.

Jaitley asked Gandhi to clarify on the intention of Backops company's formation in UK and with a similar name in India and what was his relationship with the company.

"I am interested in a respone - a) Why was this company formed in 2003 in England? What was his principle job? Why was the company with similar name formed in India? What are the businesses it did? And thereafter, how come buy this vicarious route. This company eventually went up?" he said.

Jaitey said Gandhi's business partner Ulrik Mcknight at Backops Ltd in the UK had got offset defence contracts from French defence supplier Naval Group against Scorpene submarines in 2011 during the UPA rule.

He also said McKnight, after getting offset contract, signed a contract with a Visakhapatnam-based firm for the supply of critical parts for the Scorpene subs' missiles.

Jaitley also said Gandhi had a 65 per cent stake in Backops between 2003 and 2009, when it was wound up.

"Although Ulrik Mcknight is an American citizen, he is a member of the social gang of Rahul Gandhi," Jaitley claimed.

Commenting on the vicarious route undertaken by the company, Jaitley asked how did this company take such a route and asked whether Gandhi was the beneficiary of the offsets deal.

"Let him answer this question. Why was this company formed? What was his relationship with the company? And how did this company buy this vicarious route, become the beneficiary of the offsets?"  he said.

Jaitley also said it would have been better for this country if Gandhi had remained on the defence dealing rather than got into public life.

He also asked Gandhi how would he like to be judged given that he judged others - Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Rafale offsets - without any evidence.

"Rahul Gandhi made allegations in transactions cleared by the CAG and the Supreme Court.
The allegation is that you (Gandhi) by yourself the standards you have laid down has said that somebody else getting a offset contract is a charge on an unconnected person. Here, you are a connected person, directly," he said.

He also said right to silence is not available to those who aspire to be PM. It is only available to an accused.