Bedi’s nomination sparks protest

NEW DELHI: Supporters of the BJP’s Delhi unit chief Satish Upadhyay gathered outside the party office in New Delhi to protest against what they call the “sidelining” of their leader.”
The BJP had announced on Monday that Upadhyay would not contest the elections. It also announced that former top cop Kiran Bedi, who joined the party just last week, will be the BJP’s candidate for chief minister.
A scuffle broke out and the police had to be called in to restore order after even Upadhyay’s attempts to pacify the agitated workers came to naught.
“Satish Upadhyay has a huge responsibility and will not be fighting the election,” BJP General Secretary J.P. Nadda told reporters. Upadhyay, who was present in the party office, pacified his supporters.
“I never wanted to contest, and we will work together and win the assembly polls,” he said.
Delhi goes to polls on Feb. 7 and the results will be declared on Feb. 10.
Modi gets more sway in movie censor panel
Indian politicians, writers and Bollywood film-makers linked to the ruling BJP have been named to the censorship panel, battling allegations they were hand-picked by a pro-Hindu government with a partisan agenda.
Pahlaj Nihalani, a movie producer, was chosen as chairman of the Central Board of Film Certification on Monday along with nine new members to replace incumbents who quit last week citing government interference.
Nihalani, the producer of Bollywood hits such as “Aankhen” in the 1990s, created a promotional campaign video for the May 2014 election that saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi come to power.
The appointments invited ridicule on social media, with Twitter users questioning the merits of picking well-known sympathizers of Modi and his party.
Newcomers on the panel include politicians, actors and a writer who wrote a script for a film about Modi.
Film-maker Ashoke Pandit, one of the new members, said individual political leanings would not affect their work.
“I’m a big fan of Mr. Modi and his vision ... but when it comes to passing films, there is a constitution and you have to follow that,” Pandit said, adding last week’s mass resignations were a political move to discredit the ruling government.