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BJP using CBI to divert people's attention: Mayawati

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<img alt="BJP using CBI to divert people's attention: Mayawati" src="http://english.manoramaonline.com/content/dam/mm/en/news/politics/images/sept-15/mayawati-slams-centre-cbi.jpg.image.784.410.jpg" /><b>New Delhi (SAT):</b> BSP chief Mayawati on Tuesday accused the BJP-led government of misusing CBI after the agency decided to question her on the multi-crore NRHM scam nearly four years after it surfaced and said the move reeked of 'political vendetta'.</div>
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Claiming that she had no connection with the scam, Mayawati, a former Uttar Pradesh chief minister, at the same time said the CBI was free to investigate her and that she would not be cowed down.</div>
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Questioning the timing of the CBI investigation against her, she said the move against her was an attempt to 'demoralise' her party and divert attention from the 'failure' of the government to fulfil its promises made to the people.</div>
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"I have no connection with the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) scam. BJP, which is trying to use CBI, should give up such tactics as such attempt have cost them dearly earlier," she told reporters here.</div>
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CBI Director Anil Sinha said the agency will proceed as per requirement in the NRHM scam probe.</div>
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"The agency will proceed as per the demand of the investigation," Sinha told the media but refused to give any details of what was the requirement of examining Mayawati after filing 48 chargesheets in the National Rural Health Mission(NRHM) scam.</div>
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CBI had called Mayawati on Monday for examination on two specific issues related to NRHM scam—bifurcation of Health and Family Welfare Department and appointment of District Project Officers considered key to the scam.</div>
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The move was an attempt to unravel larger conspiracy in the case, CBI sources claimed. A number of mysterious deaths of government medical officers had also marked the scam.</div>
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The BSP supremo claimed that the decision to question her four years after the scam came to light only reeks of political vendetta.</div>
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She said before a CBI officer called me, the news that "I could be questioned in the NRHM scam was leaked to the media in a bid to demoralise me and my party workers ahead of Bihar assembly elections".</div>
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Mayawati said such tactics of misleading the people will not help the BJP in any way.</div>
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"I do not succumb to pressure, I do not bend," she said.</div>
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But at the same time she said the decision of the agency could be the handiwork of some 'casteist officers' who look down upon Dalits and backwards.</div>
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"It is possible that the high command of the BJP is not aware of the move of these officers...it has to be probed," she said.</div>
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Explaining her stand on the issue, Mayawati said the decision was taken by her cabinet and subsequent decisions on appointing two chief medical officers in every district was taken by the concerned minister Babulal Kushwaha. The scam took place during Mayawati s regime between 2007 and 2012.</div>
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"I warn BJP to give up such deeds. Congress had also tried such tricks to divert attention from its failures of governance," she added.</div>

BJP using CBI to divert people's attention: Mayawati

New Delhi (SAT): BSP chief Mayawati on Tuesday accused the BJP-led government of misusing CBI after the agency decided to question her on ...

September 23, 2015

Bihar polls: Advani, Joshi among BJP star campaigners

<img alt="Advani, Joshi" src="http://english.manoramaonline.com/content/dam/mm/en/news/just-in/images/joshi-advani-axed.jpg.image.784.410.jpg" /><b>New Delhi (SAT):</b> BJP veterans Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha are among the star campaigners enlisted by the party to woo voters ahead of the Bihar assembly elections.

Sources said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and union ministers Rajnath Singh, Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Smriti Irani, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Rajiv Pratap Rudy are also on a list of 40 star campaigners that the party submitted to the Election Commission on Tuesday.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and his Jharkhand counterpart Raghubar Das are the only BJP Chief Ministers on the list. BJP president Amit Shah is also among the star campaigners.

Since the formation of the Modi government at the Centre in May 2014, Advani and Joshi have been sidelined in the BJP and restricted to the party's Margdarshak Mandal.

In the past, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar accused the BJP of "dumping" party veterans like Advani and Joshi as they didn't figure in the election posters of the BJP in Bihar soon after the announcement of poll dates.

Sinha, the BJP MP from Patna Sahib, had embarrassed the party by openly criticising party decisions and publicly praising Nitish Kumar.

(with agency inputs)

Bihar polls: Advani, Joshi among BJP star campaigners

New Delhi (SAT): BJP veterans Lal Krishna Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi and actor-turned-politician Shatrughan Sinha are among the star campa...

September 23, 2015

PCB will not ask BCCI for bilateral series again: Shaharyar

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<img alt="Shaharyar Khan" src="http://english.manoramaonline.com/content/dam/mm/en/news/sports/cricket/image/shaharyar-khan.jpg.image.784.410.jpg" /><b>Karachi (SAT):</b> The chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board Shaharyar Khan has said that the PCB would no longer ask India to play the bilateral series planned in the UAE in December.</div>
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"I think we have said enough about the series and we are not going to ask them anymore. The ball is in their court now and they now have to decide and inform us about the fate of the series," Khan told reporters.</div>
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The former diplomat, in his most strong statement on the coming series and relations with India, said the PCB had done enough on its part to show its keenness to play the series and revive bilateral ties.</div>
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"I don't want to say anything more on the series. But what is causing us concern is that from what we know the letter we sent to the Indian board about the series has not gone to their government as yet," he said.</div>
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The PCB chief said if the Indian board backed out of the series which Pakistan is supposed to host it would approach the ICC and other member boards.</div>
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"The series is part of a proper MOU signed between the two boards and we will pursue this matter if required," he added.</div>
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Khan said that Pakistan's stance remained clear that cricket and politics shouldn't be mixed.</div>
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"Relations between the two countries have been tense in the past as well but we still played cricket. But since 2007 India has not played a test against us. We will not run after them now it is their turn to decide and realise the importance of reviving bilateral cricket ties."</div>
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Khan said that Pakistan had already started work on a Plan B but had not met with success as yet since they were only two teams free in December.</div>
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"One is Zimbabwe whom we have already played twice this year and the other is Bangladesh who will be busy in their (domestic) Premier League. But we are looking at other options as well," Khan said.</div>
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Pakistan's enigmatic fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar also weighed in with his take on Indo-Pak cricket when he said it was not just Pakistan which needed to play India but also India which needed to play Pakistan.</div>
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"It is not just about us wanting to play them. I think it is also important for India to play us. And the fact is the financial rewards from a Indo-Pak series is immense for both boards and the positive is that money will eventually trickle down to the players and in helping the grass roots cricket," he said on Geo Super channel.</div>
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"India might be a financial powerhouse but even they know they can earn a lot more from playing Pakistan. There are benefits for both boards."</div>
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Akhtar also said that his statement that Pakistan should not play India until the conditions improve was misquoted.</div>
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"I just said that Pakistan and India should avoid giving too many statements including cricketers, officials and politicians as doesn't help the relations and there is a need to have Indo-Pak cricket matches."</div>
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Akhtar said regardless of what anyone might say, to him Pakistan and India matches remained the pinnacle of international cricket and regular matches would only help in the development of players as well.</div>
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(with agency inputs)</div>

PCB will not ask BCCI for bilateral series again: Shaharyar

Karachi (SAT): The chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board Shaharyar Khan has said that the PCB would no longer ask India to play the bilateral...

September 23, 2015

PM Modi leaves for Ireland, America

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<img alt="narendra-modi-uae" src="http://english.manoramaonline.com/content/dam/mm/en/news/just-in/images/aug-15/narendra-modi-uae.jpg.image.784.410.jpg" /><b>New Delhi (SAT):</b> Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday embarked on a visit to Ireland and the US.</div>
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In the first leg of his seven-day trip, he will be in Ireland, the first Prime Ministerial visit from India in almost 60 years.</div>
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Ahead of the visit, the Prime Minister had said that India hopes to further develop strong people-to-people and economic ties with Ireland in the years to come.</div>
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He will also have a brief interaction with the Indian community before leaving for New York in the evening.</div>
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In New York, Modi will address a UN Sustainable Development Summit and participate in a Summit on peacekeeping being hosted by US President Barack Obama.</div>
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The Prime Minister will also be meeting several world leaders and have interactions with leading investors and financial sector firms. There will be a working dinner where major Fortune-500 companies will be present to deliberate on investment opportunities in India.</div>
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He will also travel to West Coast where he will visit Facebook Headquarters for a Townhall Q&A with its CEO Mark Zuckerberg. He will also visit Google campus and Tesla Motors.</div>
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In San Jose, he will interact with the Indian community on September 27.</div>
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"This visit seeks to build on the substantial ground covered during my last visit to USA and President Obama's visit to India early this year," he had said.</div>
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"I am sure my US visit will be fruitful and further deepen the bond between the world's oldest and largest democracies," he said.</div>
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Modi said he was going to USA at a "historic moment" when the UN is celebrating its 70th anniversary.</div>
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"India attaches great importance to the United Nations. In July, I had written a letter to heads of governments of 193 nations outlining India's vision for UN agenda and reforms. I am glad that leaders of several nations wrote back appreciating our vision," he had said.</div>
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This year, India will host a summit of G-4 leaders in New York where the main agenda would be the UNSC reforms.</div>
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The Prime Minister will be in the US till September 29.</div>
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(With Agency inputs)</div>

PM Modi leaves for Ireland, America

New Delhi (SAT): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday embarked on a visit to Ireland and the US. In the first leg of his seven-da...

September 23, 2015

Army officer 'killed' during training session in Pokhran

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<img alt="pokhran-map" src="http://english.manoramaonline.com/content/dam/mm/en/news/just-in/images/sept-15/pokhran-map.jpg.image.784.410.jpg" /><b>Jaipur (SAT):</b> A 32-year-old Army Major died in a mishap during a training exercise in western sector, near the Indo-Pak border in Rajasthan.</div>
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Major Dhruv Yadav belonged to the Armoured Unit which was engaged in a routine training exercise near Pokhran in Jaisalmer district for past some days, Defence Spokesperson (Rajasthan) Lt Col Manish Ojha said.</div>
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"Last night, during the exercise, he died following an accident," he said without elaborating.</div>
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"An inquiry has been ordered into the incident," Ojha added.</div>
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Yadav, who was from Gurgaon in Haryana, is survived by his wife.</div>
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(With Agency inputs)</div>

Army officer 'killed' during training session in Pokhran

Jaipur (SAT): A 32-year-old Army Major died in a mishap during a training exercise in western sector, near the Indo-Pak border in Rajastha...

September 23, 2015

Somnath should surrender, says Kejriwal

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<img height="397" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRXmSocaQcliKhC5dTrG0k0N1rU73yN3F2BE7k2HhR0B2CIrXXV" width="640" /><b>New Delhi (SAT): </b>In a stern message to AAP MLA Somnath Bharti, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the legislator, who is on the run in a domestic violence case filed by his wife, is becoming an embarrassment to the party and he should surrender and cooperate with the police.</div>
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Breaking his silence on the row involving his former ministerial colleague, the AAP chief questioned Bharti's act of going into hiding and asked why he was running away from the police and scared of going to jail.</div>
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He should cooperate with police," Kejriwal said in his tweets referring to Bharti, who was the Law Minister during the 49-day stint of AAP government in 2013.</div>
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The Delhi High Court on Tuesday dismissed the anticipatory bail plea of Bharti in a domestic violence case filed by his wife Lipika Mitra. The court said Bharti was "not only violent and outrageous at home, but also before the public at large".</div>
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Last week, a local court rejected his anticipatory bail in the same case. The party's top brass had then expressed its displeasure over his disappearance and asked him to cooperate with the police.</div>
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The party has been taking the stand that the Delhi Police has been targeting it. However, Bharti's act of going into hiding has not gone well with party leadership.</div>
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AAP leader Ashutosh on Wednesday said while police has been "unnecessarily showing a lot of interest" in the case, Bharti should "surrender and present his side of the story".</div>
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"The High Court has rejected his bail... he should come out in open and present his case before the investigating agency. There is no point in running away from the law.. we have respect for the law, we have respect for the courts and we believe that justice will be done," he said.</div>
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<b>Somnath's wife thanks Kejriwal</b></div>
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A "surprised" Lipika Mitra thanked Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for asking her husband and AAP MLA Somnath Bharti to "surrender" in a case of attempt to murder and domestic violence filed by her.</div>
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Police teams are looking for Malviya Nagar MLA Bharti since Tuesday after the Delhi High Court rejected his anticipatory bail in the case.</div>
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"It's good that the Chief Minister has finally spoken out albeit after taking so much time. I am grateful to him," Mitra said.</div>
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Expressing her surprise over Kejriwal's stand, she wondered why AAP made Bharti speak on a issue like 'women empowerment' during a one-day special session of the Delhi Assembly in August.</div>
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"Considering they were defending him and made him speak on such issues I am definitely surprised that the Chief Minister has taken this stand...He should act as a CM first and friend later," she said.</div>
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On being told that Bharti was avoiding arrest as he may appeal in the Supreme Court, Mitra said, "Whoever is advising him is definitely not his well-wisher."</div>
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"Delhi Police is doing what it can. He should come out and cooperate with police," she said.</div>
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(With Agency inputs)</div>
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Somnath should surrender, says Kejriwal

New Delhi (SAT): In a stern message to AAP MLA Somnath Bharti, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday said the legislator, who i...

September 23, 2015

Bihar polls: Nitish names 242 candidates of grand alliance

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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXpJVjvGN6wbdLPH0dg9FeXlGA1qkETGTb5YZzbjLMVrc5kKQ1S7AcZsCCkagexdCCAiwaGm9eRBa0A_9kbGwmbF6pUXgr6U1U6GPmoyL1lvRG7szFc7QlrvgCfZIlm-9QQ6VzmA6PMRh/s1600/swabhiman-rally-bihar.jpg.image.784.410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQXpJVjvGN6wbdLPH0dg9FeXlGA1qkETGTb5YZzbjLMVrc5kKQ1S7AcZsCCkagexdCCAiwaGm9eRBa0A_9kbGwmbF6pUXgr6U1U6GPmoyL1lvRG7szFc7QlrvgCfZIlm-9QQ6VzmA6PMRh/s640/swabhiman-rally-bihar.jpg.image.784.410.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Patna (By Sat Staff):</b> Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Wednesday named 242 candidates of his alliance for Assembly polls, with a major chunk from SC/ST and backward communities, and launched a blistering attack on BJP alleging it was "anti- reservation" and cannot but toe the line of RSS which is "like its Supreme Court".</div>
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Releasing the joint list of JD(U), RJD and Congress candidates of the grand alliance, he said it represents all sections of society with 16 per cent from general category, 55 per cent backwards, 15 per cent SCs/STs and 14 per cent from the minority community.</div>
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Kumar claimed the coalition stood united as there were no differences unlike in the NDA and said the people of Bihar will give a befitting reply to the BJP as they were watching its "divisive" politics.</div>
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Hitting out at BJP and RSS, he accused them of being against reservations and said the RSS, which was the ideological mentor of BJP, was seeking to install an "extra-constitutional" body to review reservations.</div>
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"It is clear that he (Bhagwat) feels the current policy of reservation is not right and wants some other system," he said, while reading out excerpts of the RSS chief's interview to RSS mouthpiece 'Organiser' and 'Panchjanya'.</div>
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"Any amendment in Constitution can be done in Parliament. They want somebody other than the Constitution, an extra-constitutional authority, which should look into who should get reservation and how long.</div>
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"Not in the Constitution or in Parliament but in the hands of the elite committee. It is a very dangerous view. It cannot be accepted," he said.</div>
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Questioning BJP's stand on reservation, he said whatever the ruling party may say it cannot go against the views of the RSS.</div>
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"The BJP has a government at the Centre, which has repeatedly claimed that they are proud to be Swayamsevaks.</div>
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"RSS view is final. Whatever BJP might say, it has no meaning. Like anything is decided by the Constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, it is final and there is nothing after that. The same way in RSS, if RSS chief says something then BJP has no say.</div>
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"The BJP is a political outfit of RSS and Swayamsevaks and pracharaks are part of this government. Whatever Bhagwat has said is final and there is no other thought," he said, charging the BJP with being against reservations.</div>
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The Bihar chief minister said development will be the main poll plank of the alliance and took a dig at the NDA coalition where differences among alliance partners were out in the open.</div>
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"It is an internal matter of BJP and we have nothing to say on this. People are watching BJP's politics and will give a reply," he said.</div>
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Wednesday is the last day for filing nominations for the first phase of polls to be held on October 12.</div>
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(With Agency inputs)</div>