News

BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi Tuesday said he had the highest respect for Kargil hero Vikram Batra and his parents and would rather quit politics than dishonour or hurt them.

He was defending his use of Batra’s oft-quoted phrase “Yeh dil maange more” to appeal for 300 Lok Sabha seats at a rally in Himachal Pradesh’s Palampur, the hometown of Captain Batra.

Addressing a 3D rally using holographic technique, Modi said: “I talked about Vikram Batra with due respect but later I got to know that my political adversaries made an issue out of it. I was very upset.”

BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi Tuesday said he had the highest respect for Kargil hero Vikram Batra and his parents and would rather quit politics than dishonour or hurt them.

Modi was defending his use of Batra’s oft-quoted phrase “Yeh dil maange more” to appeal for 300 Lok Sabha seats at a rally in Himachal Pradesh’s Palampur, the hometown of Captain Batra.

Addressing a 3D rally, using holographic technique, Modi said: “I talked about Vikram Batra with due respect but later I got to know that my political adversaries made an issue out of it. I was very upset.”

Aided by the “Modi wave”, LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan Tuesday said he hoped he would break his own Guinness World Record for winning a parliamentary election with the highest margin from his Hajipur constituency in Bihar in these elections.

The Lok Janshakti Party chief recalled that he won from Hajipur in 1977 with a margin of 4.24 lakh votes – a feat that established a Guinness World Record.

“The situation seems like 1977… I am confident I will repeat it,” he said.

Union Agriculture Minister and NCP chief Sharad Pawar today took stock of the political situation in Mahrashtra and the party’s prospects in the elections.

“The meeting was convened hurriedly. Pawarsaheb was in Mumbai and called us for a cup of tea and to take stock of the situation in our constituencies,” Tribal Affairs Minister Madhukar Pichad told PTI.

The Qaumi Ekta Dal (QED) of Mukhtar Ansari Tuesday extended support to Congress candidate from Varanasi Lok Sabha constituency, Ajay Rai.

Earlier, Ansari, currently lodged in the central jail in Agra since 2010 for his alleged role in the murder of a BJP legislator, had announced his candidature from Varanasi but later withdrew in the “larger interest” of minorities.

Accusing Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of shielding those in the know about the Saradha chit fund scam, suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh – now under arrest for his alleged involvement in the scandal – Tuesday expressed doubts over scam kingpin Sudipta Sen’s claim that he had not purchased any of her paintings.

“The chief minister, the government, are all trying to shield those in the know,” Ghosh said, interacting with reporters when he was produced in the court during the day.

Ghosh said he met Sen at the Alipore Central Jail on three consecutive days starting April 10.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in his separate rallies in Uttarakhand stated that if his party wins the election then he will ensure that the women-reservation bill was passed and that will be his first priority.

Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP’s) prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi , on Tuesday invoked sentiments on Kargil war hero’s name while campaigning in Himachal Pradesh.

While addressing an election rally in Palampur-the hometown of fallen soldier of 1999 Kargil war- Captain Vikram Batra, Modi referred to Batra’s catch-phrase of “Yeh Dil Maange More” (the heart wants more) to seek votes for all four seats from Himachal Pradesh in the ongoing parliamentary polls.

The Election Commission (EC) Tuesday partially relaxed the ban imposed on the movement of Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia in Amritsar parliamentary constituency.

The EC, which had Monday ordered that Majithia would not be allowed to move anywhere in the Amritsar parliamentary constituency except for his polling station, has reconsidered its order, Punjab chief electoral officer V.K. Singh said Tuesday.

After triggering a row over his “yeh dil maange more” comments, Narendra Modi tonight asserted that he holds Kargil martyr Capt Vikram Batra as well as his parents in high esteem and would quit politics rather than even thinking about disrespecting such citizens.

The BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate denounced the controversy over his usage of the phrase used by late Batra and wondered “what kind of politics is this” that one even cannot remember martyrs.

BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi Tuesday appealed to voters to ensure his party’s victory in 300 Lok Sabha constituencies, but his use of Kargil hero Vikram Batra’s off-quoted phrase “Yeh dil maange more” sparked a controversy with Batra’s parents raising objections.

The Bharatiya Janata Party defended Modi saying the martyr’s quote was not the family’s property, but the Congress attacked the BJP for insulting the war hero.

The stage is set for polling in all the 26 Lok Sabha constituencies in Gujarat, and the fortunes of a number of bigwigs, including BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and several Congress union ministers, shall be sealed Wednesday.

As in the past two Lok Sabha elections — in 2009 and 2004, the main fight is largely between the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.

Modi is contesting from Vadodara and also from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh — where polling shall take place May 12.

“The tail cannot wag the body, the body can wag the tail,” Congress leader Digvijay Singh said today rejecting the idea of extending outside support to a Third Front to form government to stop Narendra Modi.

Talking to reporters, Singh insisted that the dominant political party should lead the government for greater stability and effective functioning of any coalition arrangement.