Sadhvi Pragya, Ramesh Bidhuri, Parvesh Sahib, Meenakshi Lekhi among 33 candidates dropped by BJP in first list

News Network
March 3, 2024

BJPhatespeech.jpg

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has announced the replacement of 33 incumbent MPs with fresh candidates in its first list of 195 nominees for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. 

As per this candidate list, five candidates for Delhi include Praveen Khandelwal from Chandani Chowk, dropping two-term MP and former Union Minister Harsh Vardhan. Late BJP leader Sushma Swaraj’s daughter Bansuri Swaraj has been named as the saffron party’s candidate from the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency, replacing Union Minister Meenakshi Lekhi. 

Some of these leaders have made headlines for their controversial, provocative and anti-Islamic remarks inside and outside Parliament, and the BJP's move to drop them sends a message that the party is taking no chances ahead of an election in which it faces a joint Opposition.

The BJP named Ramvir Singh Bidhuri from South Delhi, dropping Ramesh Bidhuri. From the West Delhi seat, the BJP replaced two-term MP Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma with Kamaljeet Sehrawat. 

In Madhya Pradesh, seven sitting MPs have been replaced. The saffron party named Bharat Singh Kushwaha from Gwalior, replacing MP Vivek Narayan Shejwalker. 

Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia has been named from Guna, dropping Krishnapal Singh Yadav. Former Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan from Vidisha, currently held by MP Ramakant Bhargava. In Bhopal, Alok Sharma will be the candidate instead of Sadhvi Pragya Singh. 

BJP nominee Lata Wankhede has been named from the Sagar Lok Sabha seat, replacing Rajbahadur Singh. Virendra Singh Khatik will contest from Tikamgarh seat. Party nominee Anita Nagar Singh will contest from Ratlam seat, currently held by BJP MP Guman Singh Damor. 

Besides this, the list also includes 11 seats from Assam, with five new faces and six current MPs. Parimal Suklabaidhya will contest from Silchar, previously held by Rajdeep Roy. Amar Singh Tisso, Bijuli Kalita Medhi, and Ranjit Dutta are contesting from Autonomous District (ST), Gauhati, and Tezpur respectively. 

Union Minister Sarbanand Sonowal is the candidate from Dibrugarh, dropping sitting MP Rameswar Teli.  Four new candidates are named for 11 seats in Chhattisgarh. Senior leader Brijmohan Agrawal from Raipur and Roop Kumari Choudhary from Mahasamund are among them. 

In Gujarat, five incumbents have been replaced for 15 seats. Union Minister Mansukh Mandaviya will contest from Porbandar, currently held by party MP Rameshbhai Lavjibhai Dhaduk.  In Rajkot, the BJP named Union Minister Parshottam Rupala as the candidate, dropping sitting MP Mohanbhai Kalyanji Kundariya.

Party nominee Rekhaben Hiteshbhai Choudhary will contest from the Banaskantha Lok Sabha seat, currently held by Prabhatbhai Savabhai Patel. Dineshbhai Kidarbhai Makwana replaced three-term MP Kirit Solanki on Ahmedabad West seat. BJP nominee Rajpalsinh Mahendrasinh Jadhav will contest from the Panchmahal seat, dropping sitting MP Ratansinh Magansinh Rathod. 

Moreover, Manish Jaiswal and Samir Oraon are the new faces in Jharkhand. While Jaiswal replaced former Union Minister Jayant Sinha in Hazaribagh, Oraon replaced three-time MP Sudarshan Bhagat in Lohardaga seat. 

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
February 6,2025

deportedindians.jpg

A U.S. military aircraft carrying 104 Indian migrants deported from the United States landed in Amritsar, Punjab, on Wednesday. This marks the first such deportation flight under President Donald Trump's intensified crackdown on illegal immigration. 

Harrowing Journeys in Pursuit of the American Dream

Many of the deported individuals undertook perilous journeys orchestrated by unscrupulous agents who promised legal entry into the U.S. Harvinder Singh, from Tahli village in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district, recounted his ordeal:

False Promises and Dangerous Routes: After paying an agent ₹4.2 million for a U.S. work visa, Singh was rerouted through multiple countries, including Brazil and Colombia. He endured a treacherous two-day trek through mountainous terrain, often referred to as the "donkey route," and a perilous sea journey toward the Mexico-U.S. border. During this voyage, the boat capsized, resulting in the death of a fellow traveler. 

Survival Amidst Tragedy: Sukhpal Singh from Darapur village described a similar experience, involving a 15-hour sea journey and a 45-kilometer hike through hazardous hills. He witnessed numerous fatalities along the way and was eventually apprehended in Mexico before reaching the U.S. Detained in a dark cell for 14 days, he emphasized the dire conditions faced by many Punjabi migrants. 

Financial Ruin and Broken Dreams

Families of the deported migrants are now grappling with substantial debts incurred to fund these ill-fated journeys.

Crippling Debts: Kuljinder Kaur, wife of Harvinder Singh, lamented, "We sold whatever little we had and borrowed money at high interest to pay the agent, hoping for a better future. But he deceived us. Now, not only has my husband been deported, we are also left with a huge debt." 

Mortgaged Futures: In Kapurthala's Behbal Bahadue, Gurpreet Singh's family mortgaged their home and took loans to send him abroad. Similarly, Jaswinder Singh's family in Fatehgarh Sahib spent ₹5 million, only to face the burden of high-interest loans after his deportation. 

Government Response and Future Implications

This deportation operation precedes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Washington for discussions with President Trump. The Indian government has expressed its willingness to accept deported nationals after proper verification. Between November 2023 and October 2024, the U.S. deported 519 Indian citizens, with estimates suggesting around 725,000 unauthorized Indian immigrants currently reside in the U.S. 

The deported individuals' experiences underscore the perils of illegal migration and the exploitation by fraudulent agents. Authorities urge citizens to pursue legitimate avenues for international travel and employment to avoid such tragedies.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
Agencies
February 12,2025

nursing.jpg

Kottayam: Stripped naked, dumbbells hung from private parts, stabbed with geometry box compasses and beaten bloody for three months - a fresh ragging incident has rocked a government college in Kerala where five third-year nursing students have been arrested for allegedly subjecting their juniors to months of brutal physical and mental abuse.

The incident took place at Government Nursing College in Kottayam where three first-year students - all from Thiruvananthapuram -  filed a formal complaint with the Kottayam Gandhinagar police, detailing a series of violent acts that began in November 2024 and continued for nearly three months.  

The complaint led to the suspension of the students and their arrest under the Anti-Ragging Act. According to the police, the first-year students were forced to stand naked while their seniors hung dumbbells from their private parts. The victims were also subjected to injuries using sharp objects, including a compass from a geometry box.  

The cruelty did not stop there. Lotion was applied to the wounds, causing pain. When the victims screamed in agony, the lotion was forcibly smeared into their mouths. The seniors allegedly filmed these acts and threatened the juniors with dire consequences, including jeopardising their academic futures, if they dared to report the abuse.  

The complaint also claims that the seniors regularly extorted money from the juniors on Sundays to buy alcohol. Those who refused to comply were beaten. One student, unable to bear the harassment any longer, informed his father, who then encouraged him to approach the police.  

All five are currently in police custody and are expected to be produced before a magistrate by Wednesday afternoon.  

The incident comes weeks after a 15-year-old schoolboy in Kochi died by suicide. The student's mother alleged that her son was bullied by students which pushed him towards his death.

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.
News Network
February 11,2025

aimindia.jpg

Dubai: The Consulate General of India in Dubai recently awarded Aim India Forum with an appreciation award in recognition of its significant contributions to the Indian community in the UAE.

In September 2024, the UAE government launched an amnesty initiative aimed at promoting respect for the law, tolerance, compassion, and social cohesion. This initiative allowed individuals who chose to leave the country during the amnesty period to do so without facing overstay fines, exit fees, or entry bans, while retaining the right to re-enter the UAE at any time.

Aim India Forum was invited to collaborate with the Indian Consulate during this amnesty period. Our Founder President, Shirali Shaikh Muzaffer, accepted the invitation and dedicated four months to this important initiative. Alongside other community organizations, including DUBAI KMCC, IPF UAE, FOI UAE, and others, Aim India Forum worked tirelessly to support fellow Indian nationals in need.

His Excellency Satish Kumar Sivan, Consul General of India, acknowledged and congratulated Founder President Shaikh Muzaffer and Board Member Mohammed Niyaz for their unwavering dedication and efforts throughout this project.

The Aim India Forum played a pivotal role in the safe repatriation of distressed and stranded Indian citizens in the UAE. An amnesty help desk was set up at the Indian Consulate to assist those seeking amnesty. This desk offered a range of services at no cost, including Emergency Certificates (one-way travel documents), labor cancellation, case clearance, and the issuance of exit permits/outpasses. Through these efforts, the Consulate General of India in Dubai successfully assisted 15,000 Indian nationals.

In partnership with various Indian diaspora organizations, CGI Dubai facilitated the issuance of 2,117 passports, 3,589 emergency certificates, and supported the acquisition of over 3,700 exit permits. Many individuals also benefitted from our guidance in securing fee and penalty waivers from UAE authorities.

As this operation concludes, we extend our deepest gratitude to the UAE Government for its unwavering support. We also wish to express our sincere thanks to the dedicated volunteers from diaspora organizations who played an instrumental role in the success of this initiative.

aimindia3.jpg

2aimindia.jpg

aimindia5.jpg

aimindia4.jpg

Comments

Add new comment

  • Coastaldigest.com reserves the right to delete or block any comments.
  • Coastaldigset.com is not responsible for its readers’ comments.
  • Comments that are abusive, incendiary or irrelevant are strictly prohibited.
  • Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name to avoid reject.