The BJP thread

[moniker]

Why do people call/consider Hinduism to be a religion in the traditional sense? It is a Dharma, not a religion. Also, aren't there convent schools that make it mandatory for all students to attend morning service everyday? Why don't people raise any issue with such schools? You have a problem with the Saraswati puja? No problem. Raise the salient questions. People have the right to critique and question, infact, I strongly encourage people to constructively do so. But at least be consistent with your criticism and questioning. Consistency please.

The concerns people seem to be raising here is not about any religious activities performed or asked to perform by the educational institution. Individuals have the constitutional right to establish and run religious institutions and people have the choice to send their children to such schools or not. It is about the government asking the schools to perform a religious activity. It's akin to the government issuing a directive to all schools for students to attend morning service. As long as such decisions are left to the institutions and there is no state interference, it should be fine.

[jalebi_bhai]

The concerns people seem to be raising here is not about any religious activities performed or asked to perform by the educational institution. Individuals have the constitutional right to establish and run religious institutions and people have the choice to send their children to such schools or not. It is about the government asking the schools to perform a religious activity. It's akin to the government issuing a directive to all schools for students to attend morning service. As long as such decisions are left to the institutions and there is no state interference, it should be fine.

Fair enough. You make a valid point. Part of me feels like steps like these are simply ways to counter act the constant anti-Hindu propaganda that is meted out by Bollywood and the media. People may think it's farfetched, but there has been a systematic bashing of Hinduism on multiple platforms ever since independence. I would also like to ask people, especially the two-wrongs-don't-make-a-right brigade (not you moniker ji, I have all the time in the world for people willing to engage in meaningful discussion) where they were hiding when people were/are being converted en masse to Christianity in Andhra and Telenganna as a state policy, with Sonia G's blessings of course. If we want to raise the point of unnecessary govt. enforcement of religious practices, let's do it all across the board.

[urbestfriend]

http://www.bjp.org/images/upload/other_publications/indo_us_deal_e.pdf What changed now?

[G_B_]

http://www.bjp.org/images/upload/other_publications/indo_us_deal_e.pdf What changed now?

From the article

BJP is opposed to the Indo-US Civil Nuclear Deal in its present form

BJP's prime ministerial candidate, Shri Lal Krishna Advani, has already declared that if BJP-led NDA was voted to power in the next general elections to Lok Sabha, it will renegotiate the deal t

Let the details emerge but the BJP were never 100% against the deal. Their crucial concern was limiting India's ability to carry out a nuclear test.

[Precambrian]

A lot of things can change in 7 years!! Moreover party policies are also shaped by top leaders' perspectives. Earlier it was LK Advani and his gang, now it's Modi. The vast difference in approaches/styles can also be a factor. But yeah, let details emerge.

[G_B_]

Punjab BJP to focus on civic polls, not Delhi http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/ludhiana/Punjab-BJP-to-focus-on-scivic-polls-not-Delhi/articleshow/46018551.cms The akalis have been given 4 seats, if the BJP manages to win Delhi without help from these 4 seats then IMO no harm in testing the waters and going it alone in the civic polls in punjab Results for Delhi will be out on 9th, this takes place on the 20th-25th Feb.. Its touch and go but still possible for the BJP to put up candidates everywhere. At the very least it will act as a diagnostic as to where the party is weak. There are areas of Punjab the BJP have never fielded a candidate. No harm really.If you lose you can always go back to the Akalis.

[Sachin=GOD]

BJP reaches out to SAD

Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has been conferred the Padma Vibhushan this year under the public affairs category. BJP president Amit Shah called off his January 22 agitation against widespread drug abuse in Punjab that was meant to target the Akalis.

Instead, Union Minister for Road Transport, Shipping and Highways Nitin Gadkari landed in Bathinda that day and made impromptu announcements of infrastructure projects worth over Rs. 18,000 crore. Mr. Gadkari had originally gone to Bathinda to lay the foundation stone for road projects worth Rs. 3,342 crore.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/other-states/bjp-reaches-out-to-sad/article6822117.ece

[Desi Cartman]

If Kejriwal is hurt for not being invited he should join BJP: Kiran Bedi

maybe we all should join BJP

[urbestfriend]

From the article Let the details emerge but the BJP were never 100% against the deal. Their crucial concern was limiting India's ability to carry out a nuclear test.

They opposed the whole indo-US nuclear deal because India had to sign IAEA nuclear safeguards agreement, and then claimed that this deal is against India's sovereignty and they will review the agreement when they come to power. Isn't this hypocrisy of BJP to take credit now, if they had supported the agreement there would have been better progress with regards to nuclear power?

[Khalpat]

They opposed the whole indo-US nuclear deal because India had to sign IAEA nuclear safeguards agreement' date=' and then claimed that this deal is against India's sovereignty and they will review the agreement when they come to power. Isn't this hypocrisy of BJP to take credit now, if they had supported the agreement there would have been better progress with regards to nuclear power?[/quote'] Yes ! It is correct. BJP should not and cannot take full credit for this. I read somewhere that original proposal of having Indo US nuclear deal was drafted by Vajpayee government. Is it true? If it is then BJP and COngress both should be given equal credit.

[Precambrian]

Hardly any coverage of the Nuke agmt.

[G_B_]

They opposed the whole indo-US nuclear deal because India had to sign IAEA nuclear safeguards agreement' date=' and then claimed that this deal is against India's sovereignty and they will review the agreement when they come to power. Isn't this hypocrisy of BJP to take credit now, if they had supported the agreement there would have been better progress with regards to nuclear power?[/quote'] Not really. Post 2008 the agreement has been stuck mostly in the usa based on an amendment to their laws. As i said before we need to wait for the details.

[G_B_]

RSS builds parallel campaign structure to help Delhi BJP

With the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) unit in Delhi deeply divided, the party has sought the help of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to manage and coordinate the party's campaign in the state. An RSS functionary, who had been given the task of campaign coordination in a West Delhi district, told Business Standard the situation "is not as rosy as it looked" for the party. More than the challenge posed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), it is the internal dissension that is spoiling the BJP's chances. The RSS has roped in Durga Vahini, the women's wing of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, to campaign in some constituencies. "Last time, AAP even got votes of women in our families also. We realised it later. This time we want to prevent that," said an RSS worker. Durga Vahini has been campaigning among Hindu women against so-called "love jihad". The RSS has deployed senior functionaries as coordinators for each district in the state. The Sangh leadership has asked these coordinators to build a 'parallel' campaigning structure, as many local BJP leaders can't be relied upon. The Sangh has used the same technique in Uttar Pradesh during the Lok Sabha elections. "Ticket distribution has created deep divisions in the party. If anyone thinks it is a cakewalk for the BJP, they are living in a fool's paradise. I have deployed a new set of workers, who are not given any position in the party but are undertaking the whole campaign in the district. Other Sangh Parivar organisations have also been pressed into action," said the RSS functionary cited above. He said he had built a parallel party setup and asked the cadres to carry out campaigning independently. The resources for the campaigning were provided to these coordinators directly from the central BJP leadership and the party candidates. "The problem is that at some places, even the Sangh workers are divided over selection of candidates. Their anger is natural, as for many their political career is at stake," he said. He said the AAP was putting up a very systematic campaign and hoped that in the last round the BJP cadres would pull up their socks and work effectively. He said though a section of the BJP workers disapprove of the selection of Kiran Bedi as the chief ministerial candidate, the public at large were supporting it. A mid-level BJP leader from Mayur Vihar Phase-III, too, echoed the RSS functionary's view. He said his district unit was a divided house, with some senior leaders becoming "totally inactive". The BJP has deployed Union ministers and members of Parliament (MPs) to campaign for party candidates in various constituencies. Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan addressed a workers' meeting in New Delhi constituency on Sunday. Some workers are learnt to have complained to him about the "style of functioning" of the local party MP.

http://www.business-standard.com/article/politics/rss-builds-parallel-campaign-structure-to-help-delhi-bjp-115012700056_1.html I think Amit Shah has realised that increasing base among women voters was key for the BJP. Imli Bedi Tirath etc the BJP will hope provide the boost among the women

[Number]

Hardly any coverage of the Nuke agmt.

What he wears is the bigger issue and whose name is on it when we zoom into it.

[Precambrian]

What he wears is the bigger issue and whose name is on it when we zoom into it.

Similarly they had egg on their face after publishing a wrong Padma awardees list containing the names like Baba Ramdev, Sri Sri Ravishankar, Anu Malik etc.

[G_B_]

PDP, BJP govt likely in J&K as both seal RS seat-sharing deal

The air on possible alliance for government formation in Jammu Kashmir is finally over as both the PDP and BJP will be contesting for two seats each of the four Rajya Sabha vacancies going to polls on February 7. The decision not to field candidates against each other came to be known on Tuesday after BJP, out of four Rajya Sabha seats going to polls on February 7, announced the names of only two candidates – Shamsher Singh Manhas and Chander Mohan Sharma. For the other two vacancies, the PDP has already announced the candidature of two Nazir Ahmad Laway and Fayaz Ahmad Mir, both of whom had narrowly lost the last year’s electoral battle in Kulgam and Kupwara assembly constituencies respectively. The BJP, however, has fielded its party veterans who have either worked with the RSS or the Jansangh and even served jail term during Emergency. Of them, Shamsher Singh has been an old RSS man who worked as its “prachark’’ for six years first at Kullu and then in Kathua district. He came to the BJP after 1971 and worked on various positions as state president and then all India secretary of the party’s youth wing. Later, he worked in the state BJP as its vice president and then general secretary, before becoming its president for three years in 1996. Having served a jail term during Emergency, he is, at present, party’s national executive member. The BJP’s second candidate, Chander Mohan Sharma, is national convenor of the party’s J&K Cell. The latter had joined Jansangh way back in 1974 and later led BJP’s state youth wing as its president. He also worked as BJP’s state general secretary and later vice president for nearly five years. Sharma, who also served a jail term during Emergency, had contested the 1987 Legislative Assembly elections in Jammu West constituency, but lost to Congress veteran Mangat Ram Sharma by a margin of 1,100 votes. Both the PDP and BJP leaders, after the imposition of Governor rule in the state early this month, have made know no secret that talks between them on government formation were in progress. Pointing out that the four Rajya Sabha vacancies will be filled up through open ballot by the newly elected MLAs on February 7, Secretary State Legislative Assembly M. Ramzan who is also Returning Officer for the Rajya Sabha elections said that it will be second time in the state that there will be no secret voting for the purpose. There was open ballot during the last Rajya Sabha elections also wherein both Congress and the NC had bagged two seats each. Three separate elections will be held for filling up four vacancies arising out of the retirement of Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad, state Congress president Prof Saifuddin Soz, besides NC’s Mohammad Shafi Uri and Ghulam Nabi Wani (Rattanpur)

http://indianexpress.com/article/india/politics/pdp-bjp-govt-likely-in-jk-as-both-seal-rs-seat-sharing-deal/ I do believe the first time ever in history that the NC has no representation in either house of parliament in central government if the PDP and BJP decide to join hands. I could be wrong. The BJP have added 2 to their Rajya Sabha tally and the PDP will vote with the BJP on economic issues if not social issues. NDA have added 4 of their list on economic issues. I dont see the PDP for eg opposing the insurance bill or even GST From what i have read on twitter. The PDP gets full 6 year term for its CM Mufti Sayeed while the BJP gets the home ministry. Armed forces act will remain intact and in return BJP will not comment on 370. Both the BJP and the PDP are taking gambles. But the bigger gamble is that of the PDP. I feel the BJP has a more solid base in Jammu. The BJP now needs to concentrate on taking Ladakh back from the Congress. A region which it can do well.

[G_B_]

and these Rajya sabha elections mark the beginning to the bleeding of the congress numbers in the upper house. They are on course to be reduced to 40-45.

[The Outsider]

Hilarious..Kiran Bedi ran away from debate :hysterical::hysterical: h6QvknJR7iY

LOL! Looks like BJP has found its Rahul Gandhi. Arnab: You are being diplomatic. Bedi: No you are. In your earlier days you were diplomatic. Diplomacy is done by IFS officers who are selected from the best. WTF!

[Malcolm Merlyn]

LOL! Looks like BJP has found its Rahul Gandhi. Arnab: You are being diplomatic. Bedi: No you are. In your earlier days you were diplomatic. Diplomacy is done by IFS officers who are selected from the best. WTF!

1.Bedi didnt run away.Watch the unedited version posted by Seedhi. 2.Its sad that you compared one of India's most decorated and efficient IPS officer to Rahul Gandhi. 3.Arnab is a manipulator and Bedi just hit his googly out of the park.

[Desi Cartman]

1.Bedi didnt run away.Watch the unedited version posted by Seedhi.

100% correct

2.Its sad that you compared one of India's most decorated and efficient IPS officer to Rahul Gandhi.

Not sure if she is at RG level but she has been talking nonsense. All her explanations about joining BJP are lol-worthy and her U turn on debating and past criticism makes her sound awkward.

3.Arnab is a manipulator and Bedi just hit his googly out of the park.

He is a number one douche but that doesnt mean that Bedi has been telling people the truth. And did Arnab ask her about the invite to the parade, have you seen her answer? She said "if he wanted to attend, he should have joined BJP". In bigger scheme, this doesnt mean ANYTHING but shows where she stands or her understanding of things.