Page 10 - The Indian EYE 010722

NATION JANUARY 07, 2022 | The Indian Eye 10

10 developments in India in the year 2021

that may make an impact in 2022

These events did not just impact the political landscape in this outgoing year,

but will also have a bearing in the coming year

1. farmerS’ ProTeST 7. PegaSuS SnooPIng row
The alleged snooping of the mo-
agaInST farm lawS bile phones of political leaders, top
Farmers from several states, judges, media personalities and oth-
prominently across North India, er eminent people by using the Isra-
stayed put on Delhi borders for over el-made Pegasus spyware gave the
a year before the Narendra Modi gov- opposite enough fodder to attack the
ernment, in a major climbdown, an- government.
nounced the withdrawal of the three Congress leader Rahul Gandhi,
contentious farm laws. The protests ace poll strategist Prashant Kishor,
turned into the focal point of nation- two serving Union Ministers, ex-Elec-
al politics with the opposition parties tion Commissioner, 40 journalists
coming out in support of the farmers. among others were found to be on an
alleged leaked list of potential targets.
2. lakhImPur kherI

vIolence 8. red forT vIolence
On October 3, eight people, in- Farmers leader Rakesh Tikait greets farmers West Bengal Chief Minister On January 26, tens of thousands
cluding four farmers, died after being in New Delhi (ANI) Mamata Banerjee (ANI) of farmers – protesting against the
three contentious farm laws – had
mowed down by an SUV allegedly be- clashed with the police in New Delhi
longing to Union Minister of State for of a political vendetta. State minister BJP-led NDA managed to retain during a tractor parade to highlight
Home Ajay Mishra Teni’s son Ashish Nawab Malik kicked off an offensive power. their demands. Many of them driving
Mishra in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur against NCB zonal director Sameer tractors reached the Red Fort and
district. Ashish, along with 12 oth- Wankhede, bringing extorting charges entered the monument, where a reli-
ers, were arrested after the Supreme against him, apart from several other 5. InfIghTIng In congreSS- gious flag was also hoisted. Over 500
Court pulled up the Yogi Adityanath irregularities in the functioning of the ruled STaTeS police personnel were injured.
government over the inaction against central agency. Already struggling with a leader-
the accused. ship vacuum amid unending poll de-
The incident, which received na- 9. healTh crISIS durIng
tionwide condemnation and turned 4. aSSemBlY PollS In fIve bacles, the Congress faced infighting Second wave of covId-19
within the party cadres in all the three
into one of the year’s biggest political STaTeS states under its rule – Punjab, Chhat- The second wave of COVID-19
issue, is being probed by a Special In- The BJP’s desperate attempts to tisgarh and Rajasthan. wreaked havoc across the country
vestigation Team which has claimed make inroads into Mamata Baner- While the party high-command claiming lakhs of lives while also high-
that it was a “pre-planned conspiracy jee’s turf turned futile as the Trina- managed to placate the state leader- lighting the dilapidated condition of
and not a negligent act”.
mool Congress won 213 out of the 294 ship over the power tussle in Chhat- health infrastructure.
assembly seats. tisgarh and Rajasthan, the infight- With hospitals flooded with pa-
3. arYan khan drugS caSe The saffron party, however, be- ing in Punjab stood out prominently tients, several states struggled with
The arrest of Bollywood actor came the main opposition party in through the year. the crisis of beds, oxygen cylinders
Shah Rukh Khan’s son Aryan Khan the state bagging 77 seats. The poll and other equipment.
by the Narcotics Control Bureau results came as a shot in the arm for 6. karnaTaka PolITIcal
(NCB) in connection with the Mum- Banerjee, who has been trying to ex- 10. BJP changeS chIef
bai drugs-on-cruise case immediately pand her party’s footprints nationally. crISIS
grabbed attention and soon escalated In Tamil Nadu, the MK Stalin-led A crisis faced by the BJP-led gov- mInISTerS In four STaTeS
into a political issue, especially in Ma- defeated the AIADMK-BJP alliance ernment in Karnataka culminated The central leadership changed
harashtra. to end their decade-long rule. In with the resignation of BS Yediyurap- chief ministers in four BJP-ruled
The Uddhav Thackeray-led Kerala, the incumbent LDF retained pa as the chief minister on July 26 states – Gujarat, Karnataka, Uttara-
MVA government in Maharashtra al- power with 99 seats, endi g the long- this year. The resignation came after khand and Assam – in its bid to con-
leged that the BJP-led central govern- standing tradition of the state ruled by months of bickering within the party tain the infighting within state units
ment was misusing the NCB, along alternate governments. and the growing dissent within the and the anti-incumbency factor build-
with other central agencies, as part In Assam and Puducherry, the state BJP unit against the CM. ing up ahead of assembly elections.

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