From the Urdu Press: ‘SC should take notice of Himanta Sarma’s anti-Miya rant’, ‘Pawar or Sunetra, who will helm united NCP?’

Referring to the shifting sands of Maharashtra following the death of NCP president and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in a plane crash in his home turf Baramati, the Hyderabad-based Siasat, in its January 31 editorial, points out that the development has stirred up state politics while creating an uncertain situation for the two NCP factions, with the NCP(SP) being led by Sharad Pawar, the patriarch of the Pawar clan. “There were signs that Ajit was looking for a reunion with his uncle Sharad Pawar to ensure a reunification of the NCP groups. It was said both the factions were set to announce their merger after the ongoing local body polls by mid-February. Ajit’s sudden death has dealt a blow to this process,” the editorial says, adding that the possibility of their merger would continue to remain strong, for which talks were initiated by late Ajit himself. “However, nothing could be ever said with full certainty in politics. And some quarters have already intensified their moves to put up hurdles in the NCP merger.”

The daily says a key question now is, who will head the united NCP? The NCP factions seem to be divided over it, with some leaders backing Sharad Pawar’s return to the helm of a unified NCP, while another group pitching for Sunetra’s leadership, it states. The name of Pawar’s daughter Supriya Sule, the Baramati MP, is also doing the rounds in this regard. “The point remains that if this merger takes place, it would be crucial not only for the NCP and the Pawar family, but also for the future direction of Maharashtra politics. If a unified NCP decides to stick to the ruling BJP-led Mahayuti or NDA coalition, it would lead to Pawar’s break-up with the Opposition INDIA alliance or Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). Otherwise, the NCP will have to quit the Devendra Fadnavis government,” the edit says, adding that the coming few weeks would be critical in determining the outcome of the NCP’s churn. “The BJP is keeping a close watch of the unfolding situation. The party has formidable expertise in dealing with such scenarios.”

INQUILAB

Flagging BJP leader and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s tirade against his state’s Bengali-origin Muslims – he calls them “Miyas” pejoratively – the New Delhi edition of Inquilab, in its January 30 editorial, points out that Sarma’s remarks that it is his “work” to “trouble Miyas” and that “only if Miyas face troubles they will leave Assam” indicate a “divisive mindset”. This betrays an admission how the machinery of a state is being mobilised against a community, it says.

“Sarma has given a call to trouble Miyas, saying that the fares in their rickshaws should not be paid fully. This is economic injustice and boycott. He has also asked the BJP workers to file complaints with the Election Commission (EC) to get the names of Miya voters deleted from electoral rolls,” the editorial says. “The Constitution of India gives several fundamental rights to every citizen, but in Assam the CM is himself openly calling for disenfranchisement of lakhs of Miya Muslims. This is subversion of the Constitution. There has been a legal framework in Assam, including the courts and tribunals, to detect and deport illegal immigrants. But the CM has now himself become a jury, judge and executioner.”

The daily says a key question that arises from Sarma’s “toxic” pitch is, who has given him the authority to conflate Assam’s Muslims with Bangladeshis — the Constitution or the politics of hate? “Another disturbing thing is that Sarma is trying to incite lumpen elements to humiliate and shortchange workers and rickshaw-pullers who do not have the wherewithal to seek legal redress,” it says, asking “Is the CM’s chair now above law? If it can happen to the minority community in one state, could it not be replicated in other states?”

The edit says, “The Supreme Court or High Court should suo motu take cognisance of Sarma’s remarks. The Opposition parties should also strongly take it up, rising above the game of merely scoring political points.” It states that the Muslim bodies should also close their ranks and stand up unitedly against such a “storm of hate”. “This is not just a question of the Muslim community’s rights – this is a test of the Constitution itself,” it adds.

SIASAT

Commenting on the Union Budget 2026-27 presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament, her ninth consecutive one, Siasat, in its February 2 leader, notes that the Modi government has highlighted that the Budget would boost the country’s growth and development and strengthen its economy, giving relief to the people. The Budget has exempted several critical drugs from custom duty. As the first Budget to be tabled after Operation Sindoor, it has also hiked defence and security allocations sharply, the editorial says.

The Budget has however not offered much for aam aadmi, the daily writes. “No change has been made in the income tax slabs. The Budget does not address the concerns of common people over price rise and sustained increase in their household expenditure,” it says.

The Budget triggered “negative sentiments” in the stock markets – which slumped 2% that day – as it proposed a hike in Securities Transaction Tax (STT) for futures and options (F&O) in a bid to curb speculative trading, the editorial states, adding that both the 30-stock BSE Sensex and the Nifty 50 registered a sharp fall. “This has caused a setback to investors, even though ups and downs of market indices are their inherent features,” it notes. The markets plunged at a time when foreign investors have already been pulling out huge money from it. “In the absence of any positive stimulus from the Budget, the sentiments of people as well as markets were dampened. This should be thoroughly reviewed by the government, which must take corrective measures to restore the confidence of investors.”