QBullet: Gathbandhan Rally in UP; BJP, Cong Release Campaign Theme

Catch the top headlines of the day.

1. In First Joint Rally, Mayawati, Akhilesh Attack Cong, BJP, Say Not Much Difference in Their Policies

In her first joint rally with the Samajwadi Party (SP) and Rashtriya Lok Sal (RLD), Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati on Sunday, 7 April, launched a scathing attack on both the BJP over its ‘main bhi chowkidar’ campaign and the Congress over its proposed Nyunatam Aay Yojana (NYAY) scheme to give Rs 72,000 each to the poor.

While addressing a public meeting in Deoband in the presence of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and RJD President Ajit Singh, Mayawati said only the Grand Alliance or Mahagathbandhan could wipe away the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

(Source: The Indian Express)

2. BJP, Congress Release Their Campaign Theme

The battle of the campaigns in 2019 will be between the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) “Phir Ek Baar, Modi Sarkar” (A Modi government again) versus the Congress’s “Ab Hoga NYAY” (Justice now, but also a play on the party’s promised income guarantee scheme NYAY), with both parties announcing their campaign themes in the Capital on Sunday.

Both launches come just four days before the first phase of polling.

(Source: Hindustan Times)

3. Political Row Erupts Over I-T Raids on Two Aides of Cong CM in MP

A team of income-tax officers from Delhi raided the homes and offices of close aides of Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath – Praveen Kakkar and R K Miglani – in a countrywide operation spanning 50 locations on Sunday, 7 April.

Ahead of the LS elections, the pre-dawn crackdown triggered a political storm in MP even as tax officials said the searches were conducted based on information of large cash movement. I-T sources said close to Rs 11 crore was unearthed in the operations so far, and documents were seized during searches on premises in Delhi, MP and Goa. The tax department is yet to issue details.

(Source: The Times of India)

4. India Planning New Action, Claims Pakistan; MEA Calls It ‘War Hysteria’

Pakistan on Sunday claimed India was planning new “action” between 16 April and 20 April, and summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner Gaurav Ahluwalia and issued a demarche warning New Delhi “against any misadventure”.

At a press conference in his home town of Multan, Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the Pakistani government had “reliable intelligence that India is devising a new plan”.

(Source: The Indian Express)

5. Congress Brushes Aside Reports on Tie-Up With AAP in Haryana

The Congress on Sunday dismissed reports stating a possible tie-up with the Aam Aadmi Party or other regional players in Haryana and Punjab. However, the party said it is yet to finalise on a pact with AAP in Delhi.

“There is no conversation or alliance with AAP or any other party either for Haryana or Punjab. We are soon going to declare our candidates [for the two States]”, said Congress communication chief Randeep Surjewala at a press conference where the party announced 2019 campaign slogan Ab Hoga Nyay[Now, justice will prevail].

(Source: The Hindu)

6. Two Held for Forcing Meat Shop Owners to Shut Down

Two persons have been arrested for allegedly forcing meat shops owners to close their establishments on the occasion of Navratri and threatening to kill those not adhering to their diktat, the police said on Sunday, 7 April.

The accused along with more than two dozen people, armed with sticks and swords, had forced the meat shop owners in Dundahera along the Delhi-Gurugram border to shut their shops on 6 April, the first day of the nine-day festival.

(Source: The Hindu)

7. Complaint Filed Against Urmila Matondkar, Rahul Gandhi for Anti-Hindu Remark

A complaint has been filed against actor and Congress leader Urmila Matondkar for anti-Hindu remarks. The complaint, filed by a Mumbai BJP worker, also sought action against Congress President Rahul Gandhi for allegedly instructing Matondkar to make the remark.

Matondkar is the Congress’ candidate from Mumbai North Lok Sabha constituency. The BJP worker, Suresh Nakhua, told PTI he lodged the complaint after watching Matondkar’s interview on a news channel in which she said “Hinduism is the most violent religion in the world”.

(Source: The Indian Express)

8. PM, Mamata Engage in War of Words at Bengal Rallies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee got into a war of words again on Sunday as they addressed rallies in West Bengal’s Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar ahead of the first phase of Lok Sabha polls on 11 April.

“Mamata Banerjee has an alliance with people who want two prime ministers; one for Delhi and one for Jammu and Kashmir,” Modi said at his election rally in Cooch Behar.

(Source: Hindustan Times)