Like 370 abrogation, PM has also ‘decided’ date of war with China, Pak: UP BJP chief
Police foils BJP’s flag hosting plan in Lal Chowk Srinagar
BJP’s Tiranga rally in Srinagar ‘violates’ social distancing norms
KD Desk
SRINAGAR, Oct 26 : The ruling Bharatiya Janta Party on Monday retained power in the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh by winning 15 out of 26 seats for which polling took place last week.
According to details,the BJP bagged 15 seats while Congress and independents walked away respectively with nine and two seats.
This was the first election Hill Council election held after granting of Union Territory status to Ladakh by Central government on August 5, 2019.
In the last Hill Council Leh election held in 2015, BJP had secured 18 seats while Congress bagged just 5 seats. Two seats were won by National Conference and one went into kitty of an independent candidate.
The Aam Admi Party (AAP) of Arvind Kejriwal, which was fighting its maiden election in Ladakh this time, failed to open its account.
Both National Conference and PDP did not contest the election.
In the 30-member Hill council, elections are held only for 26 seats while government nominates members for remaining four seats.
As per results, BJP won Turtuk, Hundar, Diksit,Tegar,Panamik,Tangste,Kungyam,Korzok,Martselag,Thiksay,Chuchot, Sku Markha,Khalsti,Lamayouru and Lingshet.
On the other, Congress secured victory from Sakti,Igoo, Upper Leh, Lower Leh, Phyang,Basgo, Sapsol, Temisgam and Skurbuchan.
The independents managed to win Chushul and Nyoma seats.
The biggest setback to BJP came from Sakti segment with its outgoing Chief Executive Councillor Gyal P. Wangyal losing from there.
The Congress won the seat by defeating Aam Admi Party by narrow margin of 20 seats. This was the only seat where AAP, which had fielded 19 candidates, was runner-up.
It is worthwhile to mention here that four central ministers- Mukthar Abbas Naqvi, Kiren Rijju, Anurag Thakur and G. Kishan Reddy- campaigned for BJP candidates in the district where only 89000 persons had voting rights.
Meanwhile, In a controversial remark, BJP’s Uttar Pradesh chief Swatantra Dev Singh said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided when the country would be at war with Pakistan and China.
His remarks came amid tension at the Line of Actual Control between India and China, where the two countries have massed troops.
The BJP leader linked his claim to the beginning of construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya following a Supreme Court judgment, and the abrogation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution.
Like the decisions on Ram Mandir and Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided when there would be war with Pakistan and China, he is heard saying in a video clip on social media.
“Sambandhit tithi tai hai,” he said in Hindi, claiming that a decision has been taken on the date.
Singh was speaking at an event at the home of BJP MLA Sanjay Yadav, who released the video.
In his address, Singh compared Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party workers with militants.
When asked about the remarks, local MP Ravindra Kushwaha said the the UP BJP president made them to boost the morale of party workers.
Singh’s reported remarks appear to deviate from India’s stated stand.
On Sunday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reiterated that India wanted an end to the border tension with China while asserting that it will not allow even an inch of land to be taken away by anyone.
Meanwhile, Police on Monday morning foiled the saffron party’s plan to hoist tricolour at Lal chowk Srinagar.
Sources informed this newspaper that three BJP leaders from the party’s Kupwara unit reached Lal Chowk to hoist Tricolour to send a message to members of Peoples Alliance for Gupkar declaration that only national flag will remain in Kashmir.
Police however, swung into action and detained all three BJP leaders. ” They were later lodged in police station Kothibagh sources added.
Pertinently, police on Sunday foiled two seperate attempts made by members of Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) — a student party affiliated to the RSS — and a group of youths to hoist the tricolour at the PDP headquarters in Gandhinagar.
The attempts to hoist the tricolour come two days after PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said she will not contest elections or hoist the national flag till J&K’s special status under Article 370 is not restored.
Meanwhile, BJP leaders and workers Monday threw the COVID-19 guidelines to the wind as they were not adhering social distancing norms during a Tiranga rally in Srinagar.
The BJP held a Tiranga rally to celebrate J&K’s accession with India in 1947. The rally began from Tagore Hall and culminated at SKICC on the bank of Dal Lake. However, it was seen that BJP workers and leaders were not maintaining any social distancing norms and most of them were without wearing masks.
When the rally ended at SKICC where Biryani was served, there was all chaos and were violating social distancing norms.
This all happened in presence of some BJP leaders. “If common people who assemble any place are booked under The Epidemic Diseases Act for not maintaining social distancing and not wearing face masks why no similar action is taken against BJP workers for risking lives of people,” Mohammad Amin, a resident of Nishat told said. He was one among those who witnessed when BJP workers created chaos and were not maintaining social distancing norms.
The BJP rally was led by BJP’s general secretary and in-charge for Kashmir Vibodh Gupta and party’s vice president in J&K Sofi Mohammad Yusuf.
The rally was held days after Mehbooba Mufti said she won’t raise tri-colour till the flag of erstwhile state J&K is returned. The BJP workers and leaders were raising slogans and claiming to mark the ‘Accession Day’ while passing through Gupkar Road, which houses residences of Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti.
Gupta in his statement claimed that massive rally stands as testimony to the fact that Gupkar declaration leaders are living in “fool’s paradise”. “Overwhelming response from local people of Kashmir and massive participation in the Tiranga rally is the tight slap on those so-called leaders of Kashmir that have made seditious statements in the last few days,” he said.
“The role played by local Kashmiris particularly Maqbool Sherwani also deserves praise. The dream J&K of Maharaj Hari Singh is being envisioned by PM Narendra Modi and the mission of peace, prosperity and development in the valley is at its peak,” he claimed.
A police official said that FIR could be lodged against these people under Indian Penal Code sections 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 269 (unlawfully or negligently spreading infection of any disease dangerous to life), 270 (malignant act likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and under section 3 of the Epidemic Diseases Act. “It all depends whether the police wants to take action against these BJP leaders and workers,” he said.
(With inputs from IANS, KNO, KINS)
