NEWS

New Delhi: As campaigning heats up in Madhya Pradesh, which goes to polls on November 28, the two main parties in the fray—the Bharatiya Janta Party and Congress—have pulled out all stops to win over the scheduled caste and tribe voters. The reason: central to gaining power in the state is 82 reserved seats, 47 for scheduled tribes and 35 for scheduled castes, out of the total 230.

In tribal dominated Dindori district, 470 kilometres south east of Bhopal, the ‘dashgotra’ or 10th day ritual after a death is an opportunity that political parties wouldn’t miss. The event is well attended to show support to the bereaved. Party workers use it as an opportunity to mingle with the adivasis. In Jhabua, another tribal dominated district 341 kilometres south west of Bhopal, a khantla sabha, or a meeting between political candidates and adivasis usually over tea and snacks, is set to begin over the weekend.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court indicated that the top vigilance watchdog has not given a clean chit yet to the head of the India’s premier investigating agency. The Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) has been “very complimentary” on some charges leveled against Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director Alok Verma by his deputy Rakesh Asthana and “very uncomplimentary” on some, the Supreme Court noted.

The bench, comprising chief justice of India (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi and justices Sanjay Kishan Kaul and KM Joseph, ordered that a copy of the report be handed over to Verma, whom it asked to file a response in a sealed envelope by 1pm on Monday. The court said it would take up the case on Tuesday, November 20.

New Delhi: In an election rally in Ambikapur, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dared the Congress to choose someone from outside the Gandhi family as its president for five years then he would accept that India’s first PM Jawharlal Nehru had truly left behind a legacy of democracy.

“I want to challenge them…let some good leader of Congress outside the Gandhi family become the party president for only five years, then I will say that Nehruji really created a truly democratic system,” Modi, who has often attacked the Congress for deifying the Nehru-Gandhi family, said at a rally in Chhattisgarh’s Ambikapur.

His remarks came three days after United Progressive Alliance (UPA) chairperson Sonia Gandhi accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of “undermining the legacy” of Nehru.

New Delhi: Congress president Rahul Gandhi alleged that under the Modi government “fast entry gates” of ministries “open for those who possess fake degrees”. Gandhi also attacked the RSS alleging that its “farjical (fake) strike” continues on educational institutes of the Delhi University.

Taking to Twitter, he launched a tirade against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying,” Shri chappan aur unke mantriyon ne chatron ko dikhaya hai ki BJP mai mantrimandal ka shighra dwar farzi degree dikha kar khulta hai. (‘Mr 56’ and his ministers have shown students that under the BJP fast entry gates of ministries open for those who possess fake degrees).” There was no immediate comment from the Prime Minister’s Office or the BJP. “The RSS’ has an old tradition of attacking educational institutions and helping those with fake degrees attain power.