Maharashtra Youth Cong promises unemployed allowance of Rs 5000 a month

It also promises government scholarships for meritorious local students pursuing higher education in foreign universities, waiver of educational loan.

Monthly allowance of Rs 5,000 for educated unemployed youths and statutory 80 per cent reservation in jobs for local youths are some of the prominent promises made by Maharashtra Youth Congress in its “first-of- its-kind” manifesto for the October 21 assembly polls, which was released on Saturday.

It also promises government scholarships for meritorious local students pursuing higher education in foreign universities, waiver of educational loan and providing free of cost higher education to differently abled youths.

The document states that if elected to power the Congress-led government will stand guarantor for loans taken by wards of farmers for pursuing higher education.

Maharashtra Youth Congress President Satyajeet Tambe told reporters that as many as 30 million youth got connected to its platform as part of “Wake Up Maharashtra, Act Today for your Tomorrow” programme.

“Thousands of suggestions, views, ideas and solutions received so far were shortlisted and consolidated to create one-of-its kind ‘Youth Manifesto’,” he said.

He said education loans availed till September 30, 2019 will be waived.

Tambe promised increase in intake in government hostels for the needy youths and free higher education for all differently abled youths.

“Educated unemployed youth will receive an allowance of Rs 5,000 per month and statutory 80 per cent reservation in jobs for local youth,” he said.

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LS polls phase 3: 25% candidates are crorepatis, 21% with criminal charges

Of the 230 candidates facing serious criminal charges, 14 have declared they have been convicted in the past.

Of the candidates contesting the third phase of Lok Sabha elections, 340 (21%) have declared they are facing criminal cases of which 230 (14%) face serious criminal charges, as per an analysis of candidates’ affidavits by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR). The figures come from the affidavits of 1,594 of the 1,612 candidates contesting in phase three as the affidavits of 18 candidates were illegible or incomplete.

As many as 392 (25%) of 1,594 candidates whose affidavits were studied have declared assets worth Rs 1 crore or more. Among the major parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress and Samajwadi Party have the highest proportion (90% from SP, 84% from BJP and 82% from Congress) of ‘crorepati’ candidates.

Nearly 43% of all candidates have declared they have a graduate degree or above, while 3.6% have declared they are just literate and 1.4% are illiterate.

More than a third of candidates are aged between 25 and 40 years, while nearly half are between 41 and 60 years.

The third phase of polling began on April 23, 2019. Affidavits of 18 candidates were not analysed as they were not properly scanned or were incomplete.

Criminal charges

Of the 230 candidates facing serious criminal charges, 14 have declared they have been convicted in the past. Persons convicted are debarred from contesting elections for six years from the date of conviction, but only if they have been sentenced to imprisonment of two years or more.

Among Congress’s candidates, 27% (24 of 90) face serious criminal charges. As many as 27% (26 of 97) of BJP candidates face serious criminal charges, 10% (9 of 92) of Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), 27% (6 of 22) of the Shiv Sena, 32% (6 of 19) of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), 50% (5 of 10) of Nationalist Congress Party, 40% (4 of 10) of Samajwadi Party and 44% (4 of 9) candidates from All India Trinamool Congress face serious criminal charges.

13 candidates have declared they are facing cases related to murder, 30 have declared cases related to attempt to murder, 14 related to kidnapping, 29 related to crime against women and 26 related to hate speech, the ADR analysis shows.

Among the major parties, 44% (40 of 90) Congress candidates have declared criminal cases against themselves. As many as 39% (38 of 97) candidates from BJP and 17% (16 of 92) candidates from BSP have declared criminal cases against themselves.

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Modi should stop doing 'political drama': Sena on Ayodhya Ram Temple issue

Contrary to the BJP's claims, it is not the Congress, but a 'lack of political will' that is the biggest hurdle.

The Shiv Sena Monday charged that "lack of political will" was delaying construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should stop doing "political nautanki" (drama) over the issue while keeping a gun on shoulders of the Congress.

Taking potshots at Modi for his "56-inch chest" remark made during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, it said the Congress did not have the courage to build the Ram Temple, so it was thrown out of power, and a man with a "56-inch chest" was given the keys to the administration.

"Yet, if you see the Congress in water, on land and in air, people will once again have to measure your chest size. If Ram continues to stay in 'vanvaas' (exile) then stop your political 'nautanki'," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.

During the 2014 Lok Sabha poll campaign, Modi had said that a "56-inch chest" was needed to tackle Pakistan.

On the prime minister's charge that the Congress was creating hurdles in the court's process, the Sena said, "Narendra Modi has to stop levelling allegations against the Gandhi family and the Congress. You were not given power to keep cribbing about such problems. The Congress and the Samajwadi Party were ousted because of their hurdles in the construction of Ram Temple. So, stop blaming the Congress now".

"Did demonetisation not happen despite opposition from the Congress? Did you not form government in Jammu and Kashmir with (People's Democratic Party chief) Mehbooba Mufti despite hurdles from the Congress? Then what is the hurdle in (construction of) Ram temple?" it asked.

Contrary to the BJP's claims, it is not the Congress, but a "lack of political will" that is the biggest hurdle in the temple's construction, claimed the Sena, which is an ally of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

"What is (Congress chief) Rahul Gandhi's importance? What strength does the Congress have? Then why give it so much importance? If you play politics on temple while keeping the gun on the Congress' shoulders, you will disappear. Ram temple was not Congress', but BJP's promise," it said.

It also said that Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray's visit to Ayodhya has fulfilled one objective - those who were sleeping over the issue did not turn but at least have opened their eyes and understood that 'jumlebaazi' (rhetoric) will not work as far as the Ram Temple is concerned.

Thackeray had offered prayers at the Ram Lalla Temple in Ayodhya on Sunday and said the BJP government at the Centre "may not last" if the temple was not constructed.

He had demanded that an ordinance be brought in to pave way for the temple's construction, warning that emotions of Hindus should not be taken for granted.

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Fuel rate cut came 'too late', govt mopped up Rs 1 trn so far: Shiv Sena

The decision by the Centre and the Maharashtra government to reduce fuel prices has come too late, said Shiv Sena.

The reduction in fuel prices had come "too late", the Shiv Sena said Friday and claimed that the Centre had mopped up Rs 1 trillion per day when the rates of petrol and diesel were being increased daily.

It also slammed Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for his reported remark that he was "ready to mortgage the state in Dr B R Ambedkar's service".

The government Thursday announced a Rs 2.50 per litre cut in petrol and diesel prices by reducing excise duty and asking PSU oil firms to take a hit of Rs 90 billion, a step that was matched by BJP-ruled states by slashing VAT so as to double the reduction in retail rates.

"The decision by the Centre and the Maharashtra government to reduce fuel prices has come too late. The increase in fuel prices daily in the past has led to a deposit of Rs 1 trillion everyday in the country's coffer," the Sena said in an editorial in its mouthpiece Saamana.

ALSO READ: Modi govt blinks, reduces petrol and diesel prices by Rs 2.5 a litre

If the Centre grants Rs 50 billion to Rs 100 billion out of the mopped up funds for the memorial of Maratha warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji and Dr B R Ambedkar, the chief minister would not have to mortgage the state, it said in a broadside against Fadnavis.

During the foundation day of the Ramdas Athawale-led Republican Party of India (A) in Thane on Wednesday, Fadnavis reportedly said the Congress built statues of (former prime ministers) Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi but did not care to give due respect to Ambedkar and build his memorial.

Fadnavis said Ambedkar represented social justice, equality and humanity, and that he was "ready to mortgage the state" in service of the architect of the Constitution.

Reacting to his remark, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party demanded that the government cut down on spending thousands of crores on advertisements. It also asked why the money "used by BJP to win elections" could not be used for the memorial, instead of mortgaging the state.

"Had Babasaheb Ambedkar been alive today, he would have lifted a lathi (stick) against those in power who are talking about mortgaging the state. At least they have now conceded that the state's economical condition is weak and festivals are celebrated with borrowed money," it said.

              

"It is surprising to see the rain of announcements at a time when the state's coffers are empty," said the Sena, which is an ally of the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra.

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