Political mercury on the rise amid IMD’s heatwave warning
The political heat is rising as the national election shifts entirely to north, western and eastern India. Swati Maliwal’s complaint against Arvind Kejriwal’s PA has made a dent in AAP’s image.
A severe heatwave warning in north India is not good news for any political party as it might impact the polling rates in some seats. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecast on Thursday that a severe heatwave will likely envelope Delhi, Punjab and Haryana between May 18 and 20, adding that similar conditions will grip other parts of northern India and Bihar over the next five days as the summer heat cranks up across most parts of the country.
The political heat, too, is rising as the national election shifts entirely to north, western and eastern India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi continues to attack the Congress and its popular face Rahul Gandhi. The latter, this time supported by his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in the national campaign, has not failed to hit out at PM Modi over the Adani-Ambani issue even as the Congress’ larger focus remained on its manifesto.
‘Swati Maliwal kicked, slapped’: FIR
Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal’s interim bail had boosted the AAP’s campaign in the national capital and elsewhere. But the alleged assault on AAP MP Swati Maliwal by Kejriwal’s PA Bibhav Kumar has certainly dented the AAP’s image and shifted the focus out of its feverish campaign.
Maliwal has accused Arvind Kejriwal’s personal secretary of slapping her multiple times inside the Delhi chief minister’s house earlier this week.
In the FIR registered against Bibhav Kumar on the basis of the Rajya Sabha MP’s statement on Thursday, the Delhi Police mentioned that he hit her on the stomach, slapped and kicked Maliwal.
The Delhi Police named Bibhav Kumar in their FIR, hours after recording Maliwal’s statement at her residence. The FIR was registered under sections 354, 506, 509, and 323 of the Indian Penal Code, which deal with crimes like assault or criminal force on a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty, and criminal intimidation, reported ANI.
Subsequently, Maliwal went to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi for a medical checkup.
‘I always stand with women’: Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
When many Opposition parties have maintained silence over the alleged assault on Maliwal, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra came out in her support.
“If any atrocity happens to any woman anywhere, we stand with the woman. I always stand with women, irrespective of which party they belong to. Secondly, AAP will discuss among themselves and make a decision. It is up to them,” Vadra told news agency ANI.
‘PM’s charge of budget allocation for Muslims foolish’: Sharad Pawar
Prime Minister Modi’s claim that the Congress wanted to keep 15% of the budget for Muslims is “foolish”, NCP chief Sharad Pawar has said, emphasising that allocations based on caste and religion can never happen.
Talking to reporters in Nashik, Pawar said the central government’s budget is of the country, not of any caste or religion.
PM Modi had earlier alleged that the Congress during its previous rule wanted to allocate 15% of the central government’s budget for Muslims, and vowed not to allow the splitting of budget or reservation in jobs and education on the basis of religion.
Calling such claims “foolish”, Pawar said, “Budget allocation on the basis of caste and religion can never happen.”
When asked about PM Modi’s “vote jihad” remark, Pawar said, “There is not even 1% truth in what Modi speaks these days. He has lost confidence.”
‘NDA will get 200 seats’: DK Shivakumar
After his political boss Rahul Gandhi predicted that the BJP will be reduced to 150 seats in this year’s general elections, Karnataka deputy chief minister and the party’s state unit head DK Shivakumar has announced that the NDA will not get more than 200 seats in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
In an interview to Umesh Raghuvanshi, Shivakumar, who is in UP for election campaigns in Rae Bareli and Amethi, spoke about the ongoing polls and larger issues pertaining to his home state.
Shivakumar also said that the opposition INDIA bloc will get 300-plus seats and the Congress-Samajwadi Party alliance in Uttar Pradesh will continue even after the parliamentary elections.