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New Delhi: The prime minister has once again shown his disregard for the Model Code of Conduct, addressing a packed audience on Sunday and broadcasting it live via Doordarshan.
Titled ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar,’ the programme was an opportunity to play up Modi government’s role in Balakot. “They kept telling the world, there’s nothing. We attacked the place, they can’t hide anymore,” he said.
Narendra Modi also repeatedly – and characteristically – referred to himself in the third person: “If Modi would have thought about his political future, then he wouldn’t have been ‘Modi’” and “It is unfortunate that those who are busy abusing Modi are helping Pakistan through their statements.”
Watch Live: PM @narendramodi addresses #MainBhiChowkidar programme through video conferencing https://t.co/YPgSCZYp99 #MainBhiChowkidar pic.twitter.com/tJu80jsJQZ
— Doordarshan News (@DDNewsLive) March 31, 2019
#WATCH PM Modi, says, “Pak is in dilemma, if they say something happened in Balakot, they’ll have to accept, ‘Yes, we had terrorist camps operating here.’ They kept telling the world, there’s nothing, we attacked the place they can’t hide anymore.” pic.twitter.com/os6e6VQfIV
— ANI (@ANI) March 31, 2019
The programme has come soon after the Election Commission giving BJP a clean chit over the PM’s recent televised broadcast on India’s successful anti-satellite missile test, saying it was not a violation of the MCC.
One of the reasons Modi may have escaped an indictment is that while Doordarshan shot the video, it was streamed on YouTube without the state broadcaster’s logo.
This, however, is not the case with Sunday’s chowkidar address which was televised on the Doordarshan channel and also promoted on its official Twitter account.
Also read: ‘Main Bhi Chowkidar’ Cup Is Latest Model Code Complaint Against PM
Rahul Gandhi goes south
Rahul Gandhi’s work has been multiplied by two with the Congress president announcing on Sunday that he will be contesting from Wayanad in Kerala apart from Amethi in Uttar Pradesh.
Senior Congress leader A.K. Anthony explained that this situation was ideal because it “will satisfy the sentiments of all three states” – referring to Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka.
This is also intended to be a message to the southern states, “that they are deeply valued and respected,” said party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala, however, Amethi remains Gandhi’s ‘karmabhoomi.’
It is also seen as a safe seat for the Congress as Smriti Irani is likely to put up a stiff fight against Gandhi in Amethi.
The Congress has picked seats in the south before as well. In 1978, Indira Gandhi was voted back to power from Karnataka. This even after her defeat following the Emergency. In 1999, Sonia Gandhi won from Karnataka as well, defeating Sushma Swaraj.
Also read: As Rahul Gandhi Chooses Wayanad, is the South Still a Safe Haven for Congress?
CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury seemed upset by the announcement, asking why the Congress was contesting against a Left party candidate in Wayanad when the two are supposed to come together to defeat the BJP.
Earlier this month, the BJP announced that Prime Minister Modi is contesting from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh. BJP president Amit Shah will be contesting from Gandhinagar in Gujarat.
Congress and AAP still don’t pull through. AAP, TMC and TDP put up a united front
After weeks of speculation about whether the Congress and AAP will form an alliance, the two failed to come together once again on Sunday.
Yesterday morning, former Delhi chief minister, Sheila Dikshit said: “You will get to know about it in a matter of a few hours, by this evening or by tomorrow.”
However, while these two parties couldn’t come together, leaders from AAP, TMC and TDP continued to tease the possibility of a mahagatbandhan. Andhra Pradesh chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and his West Bengal and Delhi counterparts, Mamata Banerjee and Arvind Kejriwal, once again rallied together in public, this time to campaign for Naidu’s TDP in Vizag. The trio has also held public events together in Delhi.
In Vizag, Banerjee challenged the prime minister to an unscripted, extempore presidential-style debate, without “teleprompters and prepared speeches.” Naidu reminded the audience of how the BJP has failed to grant Andhra Pradesh a special status, despite the party’s promise. Banerjee supported Kejriwal’s demand for full statehood.
Those accused of serious crimes seen seated close to BJP leaders
Those accused in the Dadri lynching case were seated in the front row of a BJP rally by UP chief minister Adityanath. These men are accused of killing Mohammed Akhlaq, who was lynched outside his house in 2015 for allegedly consuming beef. The accused are out on bail.
The accused in Dadri lynching case are sitting in front row of BJP rally to be addressed by UP CM Adityanath in Bisada village of Dadri area on Sunday. @THNewDelhi pic.twitter.com/7YBOCas3zU
— Saurabh Trivedi (@saurabh3vedi) March 31, 2019
Manju Verma, former Bihar minister who is out on bail in the Muzaffarpur shelter homes case, was seen seated on stage behind BJP’s minister Giriraj Singh during a speech. This was in Begusarai.
Verma was arrested under the Indian Arms Act. Just last week, charges were framed in court against 21 of the accused in this case.
Who rallied where?
Apart from Modi’s address in Delhi and the AAP, TMC and TDP rally in Vizag, Rahul Gandhi led three rallies. On the outskirts of Bangalore, he asked people to support the Congress-JD(S) combine. In Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur, he said the BJP has created two Indias – one for the rich and one for the rest.
He also promised to give special status to Andhra Pradesh if the Congress comes to power. He addressed a rally in Vijayawada as well.
