New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party’s win in the Delhi mayoral election and raids by central government agencies kept the Urdu press busy this week. The UK’s response to Income Tax (I-T) survey on the BBC office and US President Joe Biden’s visit to Kiev amid the Russia-Ukraine war also made it to the front pages of Urdu newspapers.
News related to the Opposition unity in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and the Shiv Sena tussle in Maharashtra also got prominent place on the front pages and editorials of Urdu press.
This week, Karnataka’s hijab case and cracks in houses in Karnaprayag, and the possibility of a devastating Turkey-like earthquake in Uttarakhand returned to the front pages of Urdu newspapers.
ThePrint brings you a roundup of the news that kept the Urdu press buzzing this week.
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Delhi mayor election
Inquilab reported on 18 February that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) got relief in the mayoral election. It also wrote that the Supreme Court barred 10 councillors nominated by the Lieutenant Governor (L-G) from voting in the election for the post of mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD). The apex court did not accept the contention of the MCD and the L-G that the nominated corporators can vote in the first meeting.
On 22 February, it reported AAP’s mayoral candidate Shelley Oberoi’s win. Oberoi got 150 votes while BJP’s Rekha Gupta received 116 votes. AAP’s Aaley Mohammad Iqbal has won the election of Deputy Mayor.
On 23 February, Siasat wrote its editorial on how the BJP lost the mayor election. Calling it a complete defeat of the BJP, the editorial said the party was defeated by popular vote, but it wanted to win by force through its power and L-G. This effort failed after the orders of the Supreme Court, it said.
Probe of central agencies
On 21 February, Inquilab reported that the Congress strongly protested against the Enforcement Directorate’s raid on several leaders ahead of its general meeting in Chhattisgarh’s capital Raipur, terming it a cowardly act of intimidation. The Congress said it was the action of the Prime Minister who was scared of the success of the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the revelations against Gautam Adani.
On 22 February, Sahara wrote a lead report that the CBI, the I-T Department, the ED and the NIA conducted raids at several locations in different parts of the country in several cases.
The NIA raided gangsters and alleged associates of terrorist organisations simultaneously in eight states. The ED conducted raids in Jharkhand in its investigation of MNREGS scams. The CBI raided locations in Punjab in connection with the investigation of alleged transactions between the Food Corporation of India (FCI) and private food grain merchants.
The newspaper further wrote that the I-T department held the biggest raid in all of these. It raided a total of 64 locations of Uflex Limited Company. More than 200 of its officials raided several locations in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh from 8am in connection with the investigation into financial irregularities.
It also carried the statement of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge condemning the action. He claimed that in the last nine years, 95 per cent of the raids were on Opposition leaders alone and most of them were from the Congress. The newspaper also cited an NDTV report which said that since the Modi government came to power in 2014, a total of 648 such raids were conducted till July 2022, in which Opposition leaders were targeted.
In these years, a total of 648 raids were conducted on Opposition leaders or critics, out of which 466 were such raids which were directly anti-BJP or their relatives.
On 24 February, Urdu newspapers published on the front page the news of Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera being arrested from Delhi airport. Khera was about to leave on an Indigo flight to attend the Congress session to be held in Raipur along with party leaders. Then the Delhi Police deplaned him before and its Assam counterpart took him into custody. But Khera got a big relief from the Supreme Court when he was granted interim bail the same day.
The same day, the news of the ED sending summons to Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal’s PA in connection with its probe into alleged financial irregularities in the now junked Delhi Excise Policy was published on the front page of Sahara.
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Bihar politics
On 19 February, Roznama placed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on the front page for his statement reiterating the need for Opposition unity.
Addressing a meeting of the Communist Party of India (ML), Nitish said that the Congress now has to decide what should be its strategy in 2024 and how to strengthen the Opposition alliance.
On 20 February, its frontpage had a story about the Congress three-day plenary session. Beginning 24 February, the party said, the session will deliberate on the Opposition alliance in view of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections and decide the way forward. It also stressed that without the Congress, any attempt to unite the Opposition would not succeed.
On 21 February, Siasat’s front page carried the story of Upendra Kushwaha parting ways with the Janata Dal (United) amid a long-running dispute with Nitish Kumar. Along with leaving the party, Kushwaha also announced the launch of his own outfit, the Rashtriya Lok Janata Dal.
The same day, Siasat’s editorial said that Nitish has launched a new initiative for the Opposition alliance and has also started a new debate regarding the leadership of this alliance. Kumar has made it clear that there should be unity in the Opposition in the coming general elections and this initiative should be led by the Congress. The Congress should take a decision in this regard soon.
The editorial further wrote that in states where regional parties are strong and can give a tough challenge to the BJP, the Congress should not shy away from taking the second position. It said competition should be given priority to the seats on which success is certain, or success is likely after making a realistic assessment.
On 22 February, Sahara published Rahul Gandhi’s statement that the BJP can be defeated in the coming elections if the Opposition unites.
Shiv Sena
On 20 February, Roznama published Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut’s statement that more than Rs 2,000 crore was spent so far for corenering the Shiv Sena name and symbol.
On 21 February, Sahara reported that the decision of the Election Commission was a big blow to the Uddhav Thackeray group and that they also lost the blue ticks of the party’s official Twitter handle and YouTube after the election symbol was given to the Eknath Shinde faction. The newspaper wrote that the Sena office in the assembly has also been given to the Shinde faction. At the same time, the Uddhav group has not got any relief even from the Supreme Court, it said.
The same day, Inquilab editorial said those who think that this weakens the Shiv Sena are mistaken. People do not tolerate those who undermine their confidence. The history of Maharashtra shows that the state doesn’t accept rebels. That is why we are very sure that whatever happened and whatever is happening has not weakened the Shiv Sena but has given it new strength, it said.
On 22 February, Inquilab reported on the front page that the Supreme Court has refused to stay the EC decision regarding the name and symbol of the Shiv Sena. The Supreme Court said that we cannot give injunction, it is an internal matter for the party. On the other hand, on Uddhav Thackeray’s petition, the Supreme Court has issued a notice to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and the EC, asking them to reply within two weeks.
The newspaper has further carried NCP chief Sharad Pawar’s statement that never before has the Election Commission snatched control from any party.
Additionally, it wrote an editorial on the future of Uddhav’s Shiv Sena saying that no matter when the election is held, Thackeray will benefit most from the ‘betrayal’.
“There is resentment among party workers due to this betrayal which will continue to show. There is no doubt that decisions will continue to be made, the decision of the Election Commission, the decision of the Supreme Court, but from the point of view of democratic elections, the biggest decision is made by the people. If the electorate votes for Thackeray’s Shiv Sena, which is highly likely, the scenario of successive defeats that currently looks like Uddhav’s Shiv Sena is headed for decline will change. This hope is also strengthened by past events,” the editorial said.
Adani-Hidenburg & BBC
On 18 February, Roznama carried the news of the Supreme Court’s refusal to name experts in a sealed cover to investigate the Adani-Hindenburg case. During the last hearing, on the orders of the court, the government agreed to form an expert committee to investigate the matter. The government offered to give the names of the experts in a sealed cover.
On 22 February, Roznama’s editorial said the Supreme Court refused to accept the recommendation of names in a sealed envelope. The blow to the Modi government from the Supreme Court is more severe than any other, it said.
On 18 February, Sahara also gave space to the allegations of the I-T on the front page, in which it reported that there have been income tax-related discrepancies by the BBC.
The same day, it carried on its front page Union minister and BJP leader Smriti Irani’s reaction to US billionaire George Soros’ statement on PM Narendra Modi. Soros had said in Munich Security Council that India is a democratic country but PM Modi is not democratic. The main reason for his fast becoming a big leader is the violence against Muslims.
Irani said that efforts are being made from foreign soil to weaken India’s democratic structure. This is an attempt to interfere with India’s democracy. The Congress also condemned Soros’s statement.
On 23 February, Roznama wrote in its editorial that the clouds of crisis are hovering over democracy in India, freedom of expression is under threat, but others do not have the absolute right to interfere in the internal affairs of a free, democratic country. “The people of India are enough to take account of the Modi government’s anti-democratic allegations, and the days of reckoning are also approaching,” it said.
On 24 February, amid the fall in the stock market, 8 out of 10 shares of Adani Enterprises, led by Gautam Adani, made it to the frontpage of Sahara Roznama.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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