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.

If Imran Is Generous, He Should Hand Over Masood To India: Sushma Swaraj

India, March 14 (PTI) External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said if Pakistan PM Imran Khan is generous, he should hand over JeM chief Masood Azhar to India.

"We are ready to engage with Pakistan in atmosphere free from terror. Some people here (India) say Imran Khan is a statesman, if he is so generous then he should hand over JeM chief Masood Azhar to India ... Let us see his big heart. He should give us Azhar. Why doesn't he give us Masood Azhar?" she said.

Sushma also ruled out talks with Pakistan unless it acts against terror outfits on its soil.

"We do not want talk on terror, we want action on it. Terror and talks cannot go together," she said.

Sushma asked why Pakistan retaliated to the Indian air strikes in Balakot when India had specifically targeted JeM terror camp, without civilian causalities.

"Why did the Pakistani military attack us on behalf of JeM? You not only keep JeM on your soil, but fund them and when the victim country retaliates, you attack it on the terror outfit's behalf," she said.

Republic TV Airs Clinching Proof Of Balakot Terror Decimation

India, March 11: In yet another clinching proof of IAF decimating JeM terror camps in an pre-emptive air strike in Balakot, an audio tape aired by the Republic TV neutralises the lies spread by Pakistan and its Indian lobby on non-military action.

In the three-minute tape, an eye-witness of the air strike and a resident of Balakot is heard disclosing the explosive details of the air strikes conducted by IAF in which many top JeM terrorists were killed and dumped in Kulhar river to delete proof.

"They burnt most of the bodies, most of them. They got petrol out of cars and used it to burn the bodies. The remaining bodies were put in sacks and were dumped in the Kulhar river. Do you understand? They dumped the bodies in the river so that there is no proof available in the future," he says.

In spite of trying to cover up the matter, people are circulating videos, he adds.

He goes on to share some of their names like Mainshah Abdar Zak, Lahore's Major Retd Havar Rana, Altaf Ali Chaudhary from Karachi, Mudassar Ali from Rawalpindi, Ustad Mohsin from Bahawalpur, Datta Khel's Tafail Dost.

He also says two brothers from Dhannu Ali Khatak and Bahadur Khatak, were killed.

A top commander of Jaish from Gujranwala has also been killed, among others, he adds.

However, the total number of terrorists killed is still not known, he says, adding that the Pakistani army has surrounded the entire area in Balakot.

The army is thrashing and brutalising people, besides snatching their mobile phones and shut down internet services in the area so that people do not circulate information, videos and pictures, he says.

The army also were not providing basic medical care to the injured, though they were screaming for help, he adds.

He also says that the Indian strike has rattled JeM and ISI are rattled, and are moving all their men Waziristan-Afghanistan border.

He says that if there is another strike by India at the Pakistani army camps, they will have no place to hide.

"We believe that if the Indian army continues to target the terror camps and continues to kill terrorists, soon we will be free of terror," he adds.

Hope Polls Are Held On Level-Playing Field: Karnataka CM Kumaraswamy

India, March 10:  Shortly after Lok Sabha election dates were announced in New Delhi, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy Sunday hoped polls are conducted in a level playing field and all parties should respect voters' decision.

"India is set for another election. In this battle of democracy, I hope elections are conducted in a level playing field. All parties and candidates must follow the guidelines issued by the ECI and uphold the values of democracy, and respect the decision of the voters," Kumaraswamy tweeted.

Elections will be held in two phases for 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka, between April 18 and April 23, Karnataka Chief Election Officer Sanjiv Kumar told reporters in Bengaluru.

In the first phase, elections will be held for Kolar, Chikballapur, Bengaluru South, Mysuru, Dakshin Kannada, Hassan and Udupi, among other Lok Sabha seats, he said.

In the second phase, elections will be held for Chikodi, Belagavi, Bidar, Ballari and Shivamogga, among other parliamentary seats, Kumar said.

As many as 50346721 electorate will vote in Karnataka, of which there are 24847292 eligible women voters as per the final rolls published for 2019 Lok Sabha election, Kumar said.

The term of the present Lok Sabha ends on June 3.

Wishing all candidates for good performance, State BJP President B S Yeddyurappa appealed all voters to cast their vote and work together for a mission.

"I appeal to all voters to turn up to vote and reinforce the democratic ethos of the nation. Lets work together for mission #PhirEkBaarModiSarkar. I Wish all candidates the very best for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections," he said.

Former Prime Minister and JDS Supremo H D Deve Gowda said the Congress-JDS coalition combine will decide on seat-sharing in few days.

Of the 28 parliamentary seats in Karnataka, five seats are reserved for Scheduled Caste and two for Sheduled Tribe, Kumar said.

The five reserved constituncies for SC are Bijapur, Kalaburgi, Chitradurga, Chamrajnagar and Kolar, whereas, reserved seats for ST are Raichur and Ballari, he said.

In the first and second phase, elections to 14 Lok Sabha seats each will be held on April 18 and April 23, Kumar said, adding that the results would be announced on May 23.

In the first phase, notifications would be issued on May 19 and last date for nominations would be March 26, Kumar said.

The scrutiny of nominations would be held on March 27 and last date for withdrawal would be March 29, he added.

In the second phase, notifications would be issued on March 28 and last date for nominations would be April 4, Kumar said, adding that the scrutiny of the nominations will be conducted on April 5 and last date for withdrawal will be April 8.

He also said there is a seven per cent increase in the number of polling station for this elections compared to the previous 2014 election.

"There are as many as 58186 polling stations this election compared to 54265 in 2014 election," he added.

Kumar also said as many as 600 women-managed polling stations will be set up across Karnataka.

As per the revised election expenses ceiling for candidates, the maximum limit of election expenses for the parliamentary constituencies is Rs 70 lakh per candidate, he said. PTI BDN 

Lok Sabha polls from April 11 to May 19: CEC

India, March 10: Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases, instead of nine, from April 11 to May 19.

The results will be declared on May 23, CEC Sunil Arora told reporters at New Delhi..

Assembly elections will be held simultaneously in Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Odisha, he said.

He said phase one election will be held on April 11 and second on April 18, while phases three and four will be held on April 23 and 29.

Arora said phase five poll will be held on May 6 and sixth phase on May 12, besides phase seven of the poll will be held on May 19.

The states going in single phase are Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal, Kerala, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Punjab, Sikkim, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Andaman and Nicobar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Lakshadweep, Delhi, Puducherry and Chandigarh.


States going to polls in two phases are Karnataka, Manipur, Rajasthan and Tripura and in three phases are, Assam, Chhattisgarh.

Jharkhand, MP, Maharashtra and Odisha, will go to polls in four phases, besides Jammu and Kashmir in five phases.


Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, on the other hand, will go to polls in seven phases.


Replying to a query, Arora said nomination will be rejected if Form 26 is found incomplete. He also said VVPATs will be used in all polling stations.

Arora also said there are 900 million eligible voters and 84 million new voters have been added.

More details awaited