A day before polling, Arvind Kejriwal performs yoga, Kiran Bedi prepares langar

New Delhi: A day before polling begins in the city, Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal, chief ministerial aspirants of the BJP and the Aam Aadmi Party respectively, took to unwinding after a hectic campaigning spree.

While Kejriwal started his day by performing yoga and later visiting his local saloon for a haircut, Bedi prepared a ‘langar’ at a Gurudwara in Krishna Nagar, from where she is fighting the polls this time.

She also stated that she would celebrate with her party’s workers later in the day.

“I will spend my entire day with BJP workers, have worked a lot for the campaign, will celebrate today evening,” said Bedi.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ended its campaign for the Delhi polls yesterday with a flourish, holding road shows in all assembly constituencies of the national capital.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders on their part held a press conference, speeches and various road shows to convince the voters that they would give a stable government this time.

The polls, which are believed to be a direct fight between the BJP and AAP, have witnessed a fractiously divided support base for the two parties.

While the Dera Sacha Sauda sect, headed by controversial spiritual leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, pledged its support to the BJP, the All India Imam Association (AIIA) decided to back the AAP this time.

The AAP, which has come up with several promises this time for the betterment of Delhi, also got the support of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and CPI (M) general secretary Prakash Karat.

A total of 673 candidates are in the fray for the 70-member Delhi Assembly. Delhi goes to polls on February 7, while the results will be declared on February 10.

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CBFC row: Congress hits out at Jaitley

New Delhi: Congress on Saturday hit out at I&B Minister Arun Jaitley for making government's "problems with Censor Board into UPA versus NDA issue" and asked what stopped it from sacking the Board members over the last eight months if it felt that the appointments were politicised.

After nine members put in their papers protesting alleged government interference, Jaitley today rejected the charge saying "it is regrettable that the UPA appointees have decided to politicise routine issues".

"Well it is extremely unfortunate and regrettable that the Finance Minister has sought to politicise their problems with the CBFC (Central Board of Film Certification) and turn it into a UPA vs NDA issue," party leader and former I and B Minister Manish Tewari said reacting to remarks by Jaitley, who also holds the Finance portfolio.

"The fact is, if the Finance Minister believed that the UPA had politicised these appointments, they should have sacked the board right away, why wait eight months for them to resign," he said.

Tewari said that Jaitley's charge was nothing but an "excuse for their own incompetence".

"They have not been able to have a working relationship with the Board and therefore they are now trying to put the blame and the responsibility on the shoulders of the UPA," he said.

He said that the fact is that if the government had thought that UPA had done something wrong, there is nothing which stopped it from sacking the Board or replacing the members.

"So, this is completely hocus-pocus and it is an attempt to deflect attention from their own incompetence," he said.

Tewari's reaction came as Jaitley insisted that government maintains an arms length in all matters relating to film certification and charged the members with politicising the issue.

Censor Board Chairperson Leela Samson and some other members have resigned amid a controversy over clearance to Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's film "Messenger of God".

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Punjab Govt puts ban on screening of 'Messenger of God'

Chandigarh: Punjab Government today decided to put a ban on the screening of the controversial

movie 'Messenger of God (MSG)' featuring Dera Sacha Sauda Chief Gurmit Ram Rahim Singh, in apprehension of breach of peace.

"The Punjab Government has decided to stop screening of the movie 'Messenger of God (MSG)' in the state," Harcharan Bains, Advisor to the Punjab Chief Minister, told PTI here.

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