Latest news with #Bharadwaj
India Gazette
20 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Worshippers of capitalism": AAP's Saurabh Bharadwaj attacks BJP-RSS over Hosabale remarks
New Delhi [India], June 27 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party's Delhi state president Saurabh Bharadwaj on Friday accused the BJP and RSS of attempting to erode core constitutional values like socialism and secularism for the benefit of capitalist interests. Terming BJP-RSS as 'worshippers of capitalism,' Bharadwaj said the ruling party alongwith the RSS have been selling and privatising everything and that is why they have a problem with the word socialism. Bharadwaj's remarks came in response to RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's recent comments demanding a move to reconsider the words 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble of the Constitution. Speaking to ANI, Saurabh Bharadwaj said, 'Before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, many prominent leaders of the BJP claimed that the party will get 350 seats and they will change the constitution. Due to that, the BJP got only 240 seats. Now, the RSS has started the same debate. There should be no problem with the words secularism and socialism.' 'In the 11 years of the BJP government, all the country's resources have been handed over to capitalists... They are selling everything, privatising it. That is why they have a problem with the word socialism. Because they are worshippers of capitalism... This is a highly alarming indication for the country's impoverished population. Some capitalists get some capital, and they are trying to run the whole country,' Bharadwaj told ANI. RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale had questioned the legitimacy of including the terms 'socialist' and 'secular' in the Preamble of the Indian Constitution on Thursday. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader and MP KC Venugopal also lashed out at the RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale's statement and claimed that the leader's remarks were an insult to the Constitution, a rejection of its values, and a direct attack on the Supreme Court. Dattatreya Hosabale had earlier stated that the Emergency imposed in the country on June 25, 1975, was the 'biggest blow to Indian democracy.' Hosabale was addressing a program on the 50th anniversary of the Emergency held at Dr Ambedkar International Centre, jointly organised by the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (under the Ministry of Culture), Ambedkar International Centre. He remarked that during the Emergency, terms like 'Socialism' and 'Secularism' were forcibly inserted into the Constitution -- a move that needs to be reconsidered today. He emphasised that the Emergency wasn't just a misuse of power, but an attempt to crush civil liberties. Millions were imprisoned and freedom of the press was suppressed. He said that those who imposed the Emergency and trampled the Constitution and democracy have never apologised. If they cannot apologise personally, they should do so on behalf of their ancestors. (ANI)
NDTV
2 days ago
- Politics
- NDTV
AAP Leaders Call Case Against 2 Delhi Ex Ministers "Political Vendetta"
New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched an attack on the BJP-led central government, questioning the secrecy around the first information report (FIR) registered against former Delhi ministers Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain. The AAP alleged selective media leaks and suppression of the FIR to avoid public scrutiny. "Why hide the FIR if it contains valid allegations? Is it so flimsy that the BJP fears public ridicule?" AAP leaders, calling the case a blatant misuse of investigative agencies. Mr Bharadwaj cited official records showing the hospital projects in question were sanctioned between 2016 and 2018, while he assumed ministerial office only in March 2023. He emphasised there is no proof of corruption in these projects or the HIMS (Hospital Information Management System), which was announced in 2016-17. Mr Bharadwaj, who is also the AAP Delhi chief, questioned why only two former ministers were named in the FIR while all responsible health and PWD officers were spared. He said the Lieutenant Governor's press note on June 24 referred to projects from 2018-19 and 2021, but the anti-corruption bureau chief's press note mentioned only 2017-18 projects, raising questions on consistency. Former minister Satyendar Jain also criticised the timing and nature of the allegations, calling them baseless and politically motivated. The AAP demanded the immediate public release of the FIR, asserting that transparency would reveal the case to be a "mockery of law." The ACB filed the case against Mr Bhardwaj and Mr Jain over alleged embezzlement of funds allocated for health infrastructure projects during the previous AAP government. The case, filed under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act, is based on a complaint by former Leader of the Opposition and current assembly Speaker Vijender Gupta. According to the FIR, 24 hospital projects worth Rs 5,590 crore were sanctioned during 2018-2019. However, most of these projects remained incomplete, with significant and unexplained cost escalations. Similarly, a Rs 1,125 crore ICU hospital project comprising seven pre-engineered facilities with a total of 6,800 beds is only 50 per cent complete, nearly three years after it began. Some Rs 800 crore has already been spent, despite the project initially having a six-month completion timeline. The ACB reported unauthorised construction at government hospitals in Jwalapuri by Parnika Commercial and Estate Pvt Ltd and in Madipur by Ramacivil India Construction Pvt Ltd.
Deccan Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
ACB registers case against former AAP ministers Satyendar Jain, Saurabh Bharadwaj
The case was registered days after the Union home ministry granted approval for conducting an investigation by the ACB under the Prevention of Corruption Act against former Delhi health ministers Bharadwaj and Jain.
United News of India
5 days ago
- Business
- United News of India
IIM Ahmedabad to train panchayats for fiscal self-reliance
New Delhi, June 23 (UNI): In a major step towards empowering grassroots governance, the Union Ministry of Panchayati Raj has partnered with the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad to train panchayats in generating their own revenue and becoming financially self-reliant. A three-day Training of Trainers (ToT) programme on 'Generation of own source revenue by gram panchayats,' was inaugurated by Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj here on Monday, said a statement from the Ministry. Bharadwaj emphasised the national vision of creating Atmanirbhar (self-reliant) panchayats, with Own Source Revenue (OSR) seen as a key pillar in achieving this goal. He said, 'The capacity of panchayats to generate and manage their own revenue is not just about finances—it reflects their leadership, credibility, and institutional maturity.' Calling the ToT a bridge between knowledge and practice, Bharadwaj urged participants to return to their states with actionable strategies that encourage financial autonomy through local innovation and community engagement. He also lauded IIM Ahmedabad for developing a research-based, field-aligned training module, and called for greater involvement from states and local functionaries to implement the learnings in mission mode. States and Union Territories were encouraged to institutionalise revenue planning at the panchayat level, adopt the Ministry's model frameworks, and replicate similar trainings at state and district levels. 'This will help build panchayats that are financially resilient, administratively accountable, and development-ready,' Bharadwaj noted. Sushil Kumar Lohani, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj, outlined several ongoing initiatives for fiscal empowerment, including the development of Model OSR Rules and a digital tax collection portal tailored to local needs. These, he said, will enhance transparency, ease of collection, and digital integration. The training modules, developed and delivered by faculty from IIM Ahmedabad, focus on both theoretical and practical dimensions of revenue generation. Addressing the gathering, Prof. Ranjan Kumar Ghosh from IIM Ahmedabad said the programme aims to transform panchayat governance from administrative compliance to proactive, citizen-centric financial planning. UNI AJ
Time of India
7 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
AAP, BJP spar over ‘rebranded' Arogya Mandirs
New Delhi: Delhi AAP convener Saurabh Bharadwaj and BJP's South Delhi MP Ramvir Singh Bidhuri sparred on Saturday over Delhi govt opening Ayushman Arogya Mandirs across the city. Bharadwaj claimed the BJP-led Delhi govt "repainted" the mohalla clinics set up by the previous AAP govt and rebranded them as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs. Bharadwaj posted on X that he wanted Bidhuri to visit Chirag Dilli and see an old dispensary, which was repainted and rebranded as an Arogya Mandir to mislead people. Bidhuri "has publicly claimed that BJP govt has not rebranded any AAP-era mohalla clinics or dispensaries as Ayushman Arogya Mandirs after making cosmetic changes. He went so far as to assert that if such a case is found, he will quit politics. I accept Ramvir Singh Bidhuri's challenge", Bharadwaj added. Bidhuri claimed Bharadwaj was running away from the challenge of leaving politics by "resorting to lies". He said Bharadwaj alleged on June 17 that BJP govt was opening Ayushman Arogya Mandirs by repainting mohalla clinics. "He is now saying that an Ayushman Arogya Mandir has been opened in place of a dispensary in Chirag Dilli. I never said the Ayushman Arogya Mandir was not opened in place of a dispensary," he claimed, adding that the facility inaugurated by him on June 17 was opened by upgrading an MCD dispensary. "If he has accepted the challenge, he should be prepared to leave politics," Bidhuri said. Bharadwaj also claimed that the fee regulation ordinance would grant private schools "unchecked power to exploit parents".
