TDP workers block BJP chief’s convoy
Telugu Desam Party (TDP) workers demanding special status for Andhra Pradesh blocked Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah’s way, broke the windshield of a car in his convoy, and clashed with BJP workers near Tirumala in Chittoor district on Friday.
Shah, who finished campaigning for the Karnataka elections Thursday, came to Tirumala early on Friday to pray to Lord Venkateshwara. As he was coming out of the temple, devotees in a queue shouted slogans against the BJP and demanded special category status for Andhra Pradesh. As Shah was returning to Tirupati down the Tirumala hills, TDP workers wearing black badges and holding party flags blocked his convoy at the Alipiri check-post. The workers squatted on the road and shouted slogans saying “Amit Shah Go Back,” “We want justice” and “Give us special category status”.
BJP workers following Shah’s convoy resisted the TDP workers, resulting in clashes. A TDP worker threw stones at Shah’s convoy and broke the windshield of one of the vehicles. Security personnel accompanying the convoy and police officials at the check-post dispersed the TDP workers and detained some of as Shah’s convoy drove away.
SRINIVASA RAO APPARASU
Senior Congress leader and newly appointed Madhya Pradesh election campaign committee chairman Jyotiraditya Scindia launched a scathing attack on the BJP and chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Friday, signalling the launch of the party’s campaign for the assembly polls this year.
The ‘parivartan’ rally is the Congress’s first major event after Kamal Nath took over as the president of the Madhya Pradesh unit. Scindia also held a road show from Mahakaal temple, where he offered prayers with his family, to the rally venue on Agar road, 5km away. Referring to the death of five farmers in police firing in Mandsaur in June 2017, Scindia said farmers were committing suicide in large numbers and when they asked for fair remuneration, they were shot.
He added that the government’s much-touted Bhavantar scheme had failed and farmers were getting lower price for their produce than earlier. “Tur was being sold at ₹7,000 per quintal and now it is ₹5,500, while soybean is down to ₹1,800 from ₹2,200-₹2500 per quintal,” Scindia said. The Congress leader added that if the party came to power, they would restart cash payments to farmers in mandis.
He also accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government of failing to provide employment to the youth. “There are 40 lakh educated youth with degrees but no jobs. Crores are spent on investors’ meet, but no industry comes up,” he said. Scindia also raked up the Vyapam scam, saying, “Over 3,000 students and small fry are in jail, but the big fish are still out.” He added that it was an assault on the aspirations of youngsters. He pointed out that the state was India’s rape capital. “No one is happy in the state — farmers, Dalits, youth and women. But despite this, the BJP is not worried.” Taking potshots at PM Narendra Modi, he said while the Congress under Rajiv Gandhi had decentralised power, Modi had decentralised corruption in the country.
Reacting to the allegations, state BJP vice-president Vijesh Lunawat said, “Charges levelled by Jyotiraditya Scindia against the government are the same old charges Congress leaders have been hurling out of frustration as they are out of power for the past 15 years. Their only aim is to tarnish the image of CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. They know that they cannot win elections in MP without vitiating the atmosphere in the state.”
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