Tennis star Leander Paes joins BJP, says it’s a ‘responsibility’
NEW DELHI, March 31: Indian tennis legend Leander Paes joined the BJP here on Tuesday ahead of the West Bengal elections, saying it is “not just a formality but a responsibility” and also a big opportunity to serve the nation.Welcoming him into the BJP fold, Union minister Kiren Rijiju hoped he will “now play a bigger innings in politics” from the party’s platform.Paes, 52, joined the party in the presence of senior party leaders, including Rijiju and cabinet colleague Sukanta Majumdar, national general secretary Arun Singh and chief spokesperson Anil Baluni.The tennis star had recently met BJP chief Nitin Nabin in Kolkata, setting off speculation about him joining the party.However, this is not Paes’s first brush with politics. He had joined the Trinamool Congress in 2021 and campaigned for the party during the Goa elections in 2022. He did not contest the elections.Rijiju said its a “moment of pride” that such a “legendary player and iconic personality” in the sports field has joined the party with a larger purpose of serving the nation.Addressing the press conference, Paes said his decision to join the BJP was driven by a commitment to serve the country by empowering its youth through sports, education and skill development.Joining the BJP is “not just a formality but a responsibility”, he said, adding, it’s a “big opportunity” to serve the nation, especially youth. (PTI)
BJP claims its candidate’s convoy attacked in Bengal
COOCH BEHAR, March 31: The BJP on Tuesday alleged that the convoy of its candidate in West Bengal’s Cooch Behar district was attacked by Trinamool Congress supporters, a charge denied by the ruling party.The TMC claimed that the attack was a fallout of the simmering anger among the locals over the exclusion of names from the voter list during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).Police and security personnel rushed to the site as tension escalated following the incident.“The BJP candidate has alleged that his convoy was attacked. We are looking into the allegation,” a police official told reporters.The BJP claimed that TMC workers hurled stones at the cavalcade of Cooch Behar Dakshin Assembly seat candidate Rathindra Nath Bose while he was returning home from campaigning.The TMC workers and supporters intercepted the convoy at the Sutkabari area, and vandalised at least one car, the BJP alleged.“They attacked the convoy with sticks, bamboo poles, bricks and stones. The windowpanes of one of the vehicles were smashed. One of our workers was seriously injured after being beaten up,” a local BJP leader said.Bose alleged that the attack was carried out by TMC supporters in an attempt to intimidate BJP workers ahead of the elections. The Trinamool Congress, however, denied the allegation and claimed that the locals were angry over the exclusion of names from the voter list during SIR. (PTI)
TVK candidate booked in ‘sexual harassment’case
CHENNAI, March 31: TVK candidate for Poonamallee Assembly constituency Prakash alias Kutty was on Tuesday booked in an alleged sexual harassment case, police said.The police booked him under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita following a complaint by the victim, who is also a functionary of the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam.The incident occurred six months back at the wedding of a party supporter and despite several attempts to speak with Prakash, he ignored the calls made to him, the woman alleged.Speaking to reporters after lodging a complaint with the police, she said, “I have come here to lodge a sexual harassment case. My husband and me tried to speak to him, but he did not answer our calls. We formally made a complaint with the party leadership and we have been staying patient all these days.” “We thought the party leadership would take action against him. But now they have announced him as the party candidate. How can we be patient,” she asked. (PTI)
BJP releases manifesto in Kerala, promises free cylinders
KOCHI, March 31: The BJP-led NDA on Tuesday released its manifesto for the April 9 Kerala Assembly polls, promising monetary benefits for needy women and citizens over 70, two free LPG cylinders per year for poor households, an AIIMS for the state, and the protection of places of worship.The manifesto, released by BJP national president Nitin Nabin at an NDA event here, also promised a high speed railway network connecting the state capital with Kannur, 20,000 litres of free water for every household and “water for Tamil Nadu and safety for Kerala” with regard to the Mullaperiyar dam.In his speech, after releasing the manifesto, Nabin claimed that decades of successive LDF and UDF governments in Kerala resulted in “negligible industrial growth, economic stagnation and fiscal misgovernance in the state”.He alleged that the people had paid a heavy price due to the “match-fixing games” played by the two fronts.The BJP president further accused both fronts of following an appeasement policy toward a certain community, which hurt the sentiments of other faiths and beliefs.Giving details of the manifesto, Nabin said that every woman from poor and BPL households will be provided with a Bhakshya Arogya Suraksha Card with a monthly recharge of Rs 2,500, which they can use at pharmacies and grocery stores.Besides that, a welfare pension of Rs 3,000 per month will be provided to women heads of poor households, widows and senior citizens above the age of 70 years, he said.Additionally, two free LPG cylinders per year, one each during Onam and Christmas, will be provided to poor families, he said. (PTI)
