Modi has lost his mental balance: Bhupesh Baghel on PM’s offensive remark

Agencies

May 7, 2019

May 7: Attacking the Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his 'Bhrashtachari number 1' remark on late Rajiv Gandhi, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that Modi has lost his mental balance and needs medical treatment as he gets to sleep for only a few hours.

The response from Baghel came after he was asked to react on Modi's 'Bhrashtachari number 1' remark on late Rajiv Gandhi.

"Rajiv Gandhi ji passed away years ago, talking about him and that too during elections shows Modi ji has lost mental balance. He needs medical treatment, he says he only gets to sleep for 3 to 4 hours. Those who don't get enough sleep tend to lose their mental balance," Baghel on Monday said while addressing a presser here.

On May 4, PM Modi while addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh had said, the life of Congress President Rahul Gandhi's father Rajiv Gandhi ended as 'Bhrashtachari number 1.'

"Your father was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrashtachari No 1,' Modi had said.

Modi was apparently referring to Bofors scam, in which Rajiv Gandhi was accused of receiving kickbacks from Swedish defence manufacturer, Bofors, for the sale of artillery guns to India.

Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated in 1991.

Meanwhile, talking about the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, Congress leader Baghel asserted that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government will be formed at the Centre and party president Rahul Gandhi will become the next Prime Minister.

On being asked who will be the next Prime Minister of the country, Baghel said, "UPA will form the government and Rahul Gandhi ji will become the Prime Minister."

Before Baghel, Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda, DMK president MK Stalin and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav had pitched for Gandhi's name as a prime ministerial candidate.

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

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