The BJP will get 370 seats and the NDA more than 400 in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls and form the government for a third consecutive term under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said here on Saturday.

Mr Shah asserted that there is no suspense over the outcome of the Lok Sabha polls and even the Congress and other opposition parties have realised that they will again have to sit in the opposition benches.

“We have abrogated Article 370 (of the Constitution, which gave a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir). So we believe that the people of the country will bless the BJP with 370 seats and the NDA with over 400 seats,” Mr Shah said at the ET NOW Global Business Summit 2024.

Asked about the possibility of the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), headed by Jayant Choudhary, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) and some other regional parties joining the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), the home minister said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) “believes in family planning but not in politics”, giving an indication that more parties may join the ruling coalition.

When pressed further on the SAD, he said, “Talks are going on but nothing has been finalised.” Mr Shah said the 2024 polls will not be an election between the NDA and the INDIA opposition bloc, but between development and those who give mere slogans.

Asked about the Bharat Jodo Yatra of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, he said the Nehru-Gandhi scion has no right to go ahead with such a march as his party was responsible for the country’s partition in 1947.

On the timing of a white paper tabled by the government in Parliament, Mr Shah said it was necessary as the country has full right to know what mess the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) left behind when it lost power in 2014.

“At that time (2014), the economy was in a bad shape. There were scams everywhere. Foreign investment was not coming. Had we taken out a white paper at that time, it would have given a wrong message to the world.

“But after 10 years, our government has revived the economy, brought foreign investment and there is no corruption at all. So it is the right time to publish the white paper,” he said.

On the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the home minister said the people of the country believed for 500-550 years that the temple should be built at the place where Lord Ram was born.

“However, due to the politics of appeasement and citing law and order, the construction of the Ram temple was not allowed,” he said.

On the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), Mr Shah said the law, enacted in 2019, will be implemented before the Lok Sabha polls after issuing the rules in this regard.

“Our Muslim brothers are being misled and instigated (against the CAA). The CAA is only meant to give citizenship to those who came to India after facing persecution in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. It is not for snatching anyone’s Indian citizenship,” he said.

On a Uniform Civil Code, Mr Shah said it is a constitutional agenda, signed by the country’s first prime minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, and others.

“But the Congress had ignored it due to appeasement. The enforcement of the UCC in Uttarakhand is a social change. It will be discussed on all forums and face legal scrutiny. A secular country cannot have religion-based civil codes,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Serbian tennis player Dejana Radanovic, who was in India recently as part of three International Tennis Federation tournaments, is facing backlash for her racist comments about India.

In a series of social media posts, Radanovic criticised the “food, traffic and hygiene” of India.

In one of her posts, Radanovic, who spent nearly two weeks in the country, wrote, “Adios India. See you never ever ever ever EVER again,” along with an image of the airport.

Upon reaching Munich, Radanovic shared another post that read, “Hello civilization. Only those who have experienced something like India for 3 weeks can understand the feeling.”

About the traffic she wrote, “But I gotta admit that they are amazing drivers and traffic was interesting sometimes. You may never know how your day will look like, what is going to happen and everyone is honking all the time, like in traffic rush game.” 

Amidst mounting backlash about the posts, Radanovic has shared another Instagram Stories update, seemingly explaining her stance. Radanovic has maintained that her comments were not about the people of India but about the country and therefore, cannot be called racist.

She wrote, “Omg can’t believe what things we need to talk about really. I didn’t like India – the country. I didn’t like the food, traffic, hygiene (worms in the food, yellow pillows and dirty bed linen in the hotel, not knowing how to use a roundabout etc.)

Further, Radanovic wrote, “If you come to my country, Serbia, and you don’t like all those same things, that means you are a racist??? What the hell does that have to do with racism?! I have friends of all nationalities and colours so don’t go there cause it’s an absolute NONSENSE!”

Radanovic, 27, participated in three W50 events in Pune, Bengaluru, and Indore during her Indian tour.

12th Fail surprises with box office success, gaining acclaim from critics and fans. The film’s release on OTT platforms boosts its popularity, turning its actors into instant stars. Medha Shankr, known for her role as Shraddha, gains a large following and is dubbed the national crush. Recently, she shared photos from her first screen test for the film two years ago, marking a nostalgic moment in her career.

On Friday, Medha took to Instagram and shared some throwback photos of herself dressed in a gorgeous red outfit, exuding elegance and beauty. These images capture the moment she had her screen test for the movie 12th Fail. One of the photos shows her with Vikrant Massey, taken during a photoshoot that followed.

Sharing the pictures, she got nostalgic about her screen test and wrote, “9th February 2022. This day two years ago, I gave my first screen test for #12thFail and the rest is history. The last picture was taken right after an intense scene we did (you can see my eyes swollen from all the crying). Other pictures are from a photo shoot we did later. My most special day. Grateful beyond measure.”

12th Fail is directed by Vidhu Vinod Chopra and tells the true story of IPS officer Manoj Kumar Sharma, played by Vikrant Massey. It follows Sharma’s journey, from facing failure in his Class 12 exams to ultimately achieving his dream of becoming an IPS officer, showcasing his unwavering determination along the way.

See Also: Exclusive: Medha Shankr on working with Vikrant Massey, Vidhu Vinod Chopra and more in 12th Fail