Election wrap: PM Modi's CAA dare to Congress & SP, Kejriwal's claim on Yogi Adityanath if BJP wins, and more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi

A day after the Centre distributed the first set of citizenship certificates to 14 people, Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted opposition leaders for spreading lies on Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh, Modi said the Congress and Samajwadi Party tried to push Uttar Pradesh and the entire country towards riots and added that no one will be able to remove CAA.

Meanwhile, Delhi chief minister once again said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is making way for home minister Amit Shah to take over his role. Highlighting that the Prime Minister will turn 75 in 2025, Kejriwal said that BJP has sidelined every challenge for Shah and claimed that the sole challenger Yogi Adityanath will be removed from the party too in the next two to three months.

This, and more, in today's top political developments --

'Nobody can remove CAA': PM Modi's fiery attack on SP & Congress day after first batch of people get citizenship

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday targeted the opposition bloc INDIA, accusing them of spreading lies over the issue of Citizenship (Amendment) Act. The Prime Minister further added that CAA is here to stay and nobody can remove it.

"Parties like Samajwadi Party and Congress spread lies over the issue of CAA. They tried their best to burn the country, including UP, in riots. Even today, people of this INDI alliance say that Modi has brought the CAA and the day he goes, CAA will also be removed. I must tell you that nobody can remove CAA," the Prime Minister said while addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh.

His remarks came a day after the first set of citizenship certificates under CAA was issued in New Delhi to 14 people, nearly two months after rules under the contentious law were notified to grant Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants from three neighbouring countries.

The CAA was enacted in December 2019 for granting Indian nationality to persecuted Hindu, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist, Parsi and Christian migrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan who came to India on or before December 31, 2014. After the enactment, the CAA got the president's assent but the rules under which the Indian citizenship was granted were issued on March 11 after over a delay of four years.

'Yogi Adityanath is the sole challenger to Amit Shah's prime ministerial prospects': Arvind Kejriwal

Addressing a joint presser with Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav in Lucknow, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been carefully preparing the ground for Amit Shah to take over as the next prime minister.

Kejriwal repeated his claim that Amit Shah would become the prime minister after Narendra Modi becomes 75 in 2025 and said the prime minister never said he won't retire after becoming 75.

He went on to say that when he raised the issue of PM Modi's age and retirement in New Delhi, Amit Shah and several other leaders opposed it but PM Modi never mentioned he won't retire at 75. “The entire country has trust that Modi will not break his rule of retirement age at 75,” Kejriwal said.

"The stage has been set for Amit Shah to be the prime minister. For him, the BJP has sidelined every challenge like Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Dr Raman Singh, Vasundhara Raje, Manohar Lal Khattar, Devendra Fadnavis. Now the only challenge is Yogi Adityanath who will be removed within 2-3 months," Kejriwal said adding that no BJP leader objected to what he said on Adityanath implying that Adityanath's farewell is almost certain.

'Critical analysis welcome': SC says no exception made in granting interim bail to Kejriwal

The Supreme Court has said that no exception was given to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, who was granted temporary bail in the Delhi excise policy case to campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta added that it welcomes any "critical analysis of its judgment". The apex court refused to consider claims and counters of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Kejriwal's lawyer on statements made related to the interim bail to the Aam Aadmi Party national convenor.

"We have not made any exception for anybody, we said in our order what we felt was justified," the bench said.

The ED, represented by Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, made objections to the speech being made by Kejriwal after his release from the jail. It was referring to Kejriwal's appeal to the voters that he will not have to return to jail if they vote for his party and the opposition alliance INDIA.

BJP will end reservation if it comes to power: Arvind Kejriwal

AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said the BJP will change the Constitution and end reservation if it comes to power after the Lok Sabha polls.

"The people of BJP have always been against reservation. They will change the Constitution and end reservation after coming to power," he said at a joint press conference with Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav.

Yadav, meanwhile, claimed that the saffron party has been defeated in the first four phases of Lok Sabha polls. Their remarks came ahead of the fift phase of Lok Sabha polls due on May 20.

'If any atrocity happens...': Priyanka Gandhi reacts to Swati Maliwal assault case

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Thursday responded to a question on the alleged assault on Aam Aadmi Party's Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal, saying she will always stand with women if any atrocity is committed.

"If any atrocity happens to any woman anywhere, we stand with the woman. I always stand with women - irrespective of which party they belong to. AAP will discuss amid themselves and make a decision. It is up to them," the Congress leader said in conversation with news agency ANI.

Earlier this week, Maliwal went to the Civil Lines police station and alleged that a member of the Delhi chief minister's personal staff "assaulted" her at the chief minister's official residence. She is yet to file a formal complaint in the matter.

A day after the incident, AAP leader Sanjay Singh addressed a press conference and said the incident with Maliwal was a "highly condemnable" one.