Nation Briefs

Former BJD MP Prabhas Kumar Singh joins BJP

New Delhi: Former BJD MP Prabhas Kumar Singh on Monday joined the BJP days before the first phase of Lok Sabha polls, as he praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership and criticised the party led by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. There was no “dignity and self-respect” in the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), said Singh, who has represented Odisha’s Bargarh seat in the past, after he was welcomed in the BJP by its national general secretary Tarun Chugh and other senior leaders. Several leaders from both parties have switched sides, especially after the failure of alliance talks in the BJD-ruled state ahead of the upcoming elections.

Mayawati accuses BJP of

politicising central agencies

lucknow: Mayawati, the national president of the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during a rally in Bisalpur, Pilibhit, accusing it of politicizing central agencies akin to the Congress. In her address, Mayawati targeted not only the BJP but also the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Congress, alleging misuse of central agencies by successive governments to persecute Opposition parties. Criticizing both the BJP and Congress for failing to address the concerns of marginalized communities, Mayawati emphasized that dalits, tribals, and minorities continue to face oppression under their respective regimes.