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Mon, 27 March 2023
Hindu outfit in MP files plaint against Taapsee Pannu
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Chief Minister Nitish Kumar
23:40 Jitan Manjhi demands Nobel prize for Nitish
Hindustani Awam Morcha supremo Jitan Ram Manjhi on Monday demanded the Nobel prize for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for transforming Bihar from a 'Bimaru' province into "India's fastest-growing state".
Initiating a discussion on the appropriation bill in the assembly, Manjhi, also a former CM of Bihar, said, "Nitish Kumar deserves the Nobel prize.
After 'Bihar Kesri' Sri Krishna Sinha, the first chief minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar is the only CM who has worked for the overall development of the state."
"He transformed Bihar from a 'Bimaru' province to India's fastest-growing state. I demand the Nobel prize for Nitish Kumar," he said.
HAM is a constituent of the ruling Mahagathbandhan in Bihar.
"Bihar, under the leadership of Kumar, has achieved several milestones. He took steps in the field of education, health, infrastructure, societal upliftment of various sections, including women, and agriculture.
"He has done a lot for the welfare of the people belonging to SC and ST communities and economically backward classes," said Manjhi.
The HAM chief, however, also said that the state government needs to take more steps to improve the condition of the people belonging to extremely backward classes. -- PTI
23:20 IPS officer in TN faces allegation of torture, placed on compulsory wait
An IPS officer allegedly tortured at least 10 arrested men in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu by removing their teeth using cutting pliers and crushed the testicles of two men, official sources said in Tirunelveli on Monday.
The tormented men have made the allegation against the officer and an inquiry has been ordered by Tirunelveli district collector KP Karthikeyan, they said.
Following the allegation, the State police relieved him from his posting and placed him on compulsory wait, sources added.
The collector has ordered the inquiry by a sub-divisional magistrate as per the Tamil Nadu Police Standing Orders.
Deputy superintendent of police, 39-year old Balveer Singh, belonging to the 2020-batch of IPS, allegedly tormented the men recently held in connection with separate cases.
A native of Rajasthan, the officer was serving in the Ambasamudram police sub-division in Tirunelveli district, till he was shunted out.
The officer could not be reached immediately for a comment. -- PTI
23:05 Hindu outfit in MP files plaint against Taapsee Pannu
A right wing organisation has submitted a complaint with police in Indore in Madhya Pradesh against actor Taapsee Pannu for allegedly hurting sentiments of Hindus during a fashion show in Mumbai, a police official said on Monday.
The complaint by Eklavya Singh Gaur of an organisation called Hind Rakshak has alleged Pannu wore a revealing outfit as well as a necklace with the image of Goddess Laxmi, inspector Kapil Sharma told reporters.
No FIR has been filed and a probe into the allegations is underway, he added. -- PTI
22:46 Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma returns to mainland China after a year
Chinese magnate Jack Ma has returned to mainland China after spending roughly a year overseas, according to people familiar with the matter, reported Wall Street Journal.
Jack Ma, Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.'s billion co-founder, travels have drawn a great deal of attention as China attempts to win back the trust of entrepreneurs after years of regulatory restrictions and COVID-19 epidemic measures that severely damaged the nation's private enterprises.
Some in the business world saw the tech titan's prolonged absence as proof that the tech industry in China was still plagued by uncertainty.
Ma, who spent the majority of the previous year in Japan, recently made a trip back to China, according to the sources quoted by Wall Street Journal.
He recently visited Singapore and Australia and spent the most recent Lunar New Year in Hong Kong.
Requests for comments from Alibaba and the Jack Ma Foundation were not immediately met with a response.
At his first news conference in his new role earlier this month, China's new premier spent a significant amount of time assuring entrepreneurs that Beijing supports the private sector and that its "commitment in this area is unequivocal and constant."
The South China Morning Post, which belongs to Alibaba, first announced Ma's return to China, reported Wall Street Journal.
Ma has maintained a low profile after Ant Group Co cancelled initial public offerings in Hong Kong and Shanghai that were expected to raise more than $34 billion in November 2020. -- ANI
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpeet Singh
22:23 Akal Takht gives 24-hr ultimatum for release of Sikhs held after Amritpal crackdown
Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Harpeet Singh on Monday gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the state government to release all Sikh youths who were held during the police crackdown against radical preacher Amritpal Singh and his aides.
He also condemned the state government for invoking the National Security Act against a few persons during the police crackdown.
The Jathedar of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs, had convened a special gathering of Sikh organisations, including intellectuals, Sikh lawyers, journalists, religious and social leaders in Amritsar to discuss the current situation in Punjab following the March 18 action against elements of 'Waris Punjab De' headed by Amritpal Singh.
Addressing the gathering, the Jathedar gave a 24-hour ultimatum to the Punjab government for releasing all Sikh youths in Punjab, saying otherwise the anger of Sikh community would remain simmering.
He also attacked certain TV channels, accusing them of promoting hate propaganda against Sikhs by describing the youths who have been held as separatists.
The Jathedar asked the state government to revoke the detention of some persons under the NSA and demanded that those who have been sent to Dibrugarh jail in Assam should be brought back to Punjab so that law can take its own course.
He said it would be wrong to say that there was a threat to national security due to the Sikhs who have been detained. -- PTI
Aspirants undergo a physical test during an Agniveer Army recruitment rally/ANI
22:10 SC to hear plea against HC verdict on Agnipath
The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a plea challenging a Delhi high court judgment that upheld the Centre's Agnipath scheme for recruitment into the armed forces.
A bench of Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala, which was initially reluctant to entertain the plea, asked the petitioner to approach the high court seeking a review of its decision.
The petitioner's counsel said the plea relates to a halt in recruitment.
The court then asked the lawyer to submit a note and posted the matter for hearing on April 10.
"Counsel for the contesting parties shall file their brief notes of submissions at least two days before the next date of listing, which shall be e-mailed," the bench said.
The high court had, on February 27, said the Agnipath scheme was formulated in the national interest, with a laudable objective of maintaining national security.
The court had dismissed a batch of petitions assailing the validity of the scheme while terming it a "well-thought" policy decision of the Centre. -- PTI
21:48 Rahul will need NOC from Delhi corporation to vacate bungalow
Disqualified Lok Sabha member Rahul Gandhi will require a no-objection certificate from the New Delhi Municipal Council before vacating his official bungalow, an official said on Monday.
The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), which looks after water and electricity supplies in these central public works department bungalows, has been marked a copy of the Lok Sabha housing committee's letter asking Gandhi to vacate his accommodation.
"Our role is not related to property but civic amenities. We look into water and electricity supplies in the area Before vacating the bungalow, Rahul Gandhi will need to take an NOC (no-objection certificate) from the NDMC," the civic official said.
Gandhi was on Monday asked to vacate the government bungalow at 12, Tughlaq Lane by April 22 and follows his disqualification from the Lok Sabha last week.
A local court in Gujarat convicted Gandhi in a criminal defamation case on March 23 and sentenced him to two years in jail.
The two-year jail term triggered his disqualification as a Lok Sabha member from the date of the verdict.
The notification for Gandhi to vacate the bungalow was marked to various departments, including the Directorate of Estates.
A senior official said a disqualified Lok Sabha member has to vacate the official bungalow within a month of losing his membership.
Sources said Gandhi can write to the housing committee seeking an extension, and the panel can take a decision depending on the validity of the reasons cited by him.
21:30 Why only 3 pesticides are banned, SC asks govt
The Supreme Court asked the Centre on Monday to place two reports on the use of harmful chemicals and pesticides in India before it and questioned it on why only three pesticides have so far been banned in the country.
A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala said the public interest litigation petitioners "may have some agenda", but the Centre should satisfy it as to why only three pesticides have so far been banned in the country.
"The Union government shall place on the record the final report of the Dr SK Khurana Sub-Committee (referred to in paragraph 10 of the status report) and the report dated September 6, 2022 of the committee chaired by Dr TP Rajendran (referred to in paragraph 11 of the status report)," the court said.
"The Union government shall also file a further affidavit, explaining the basis on which action has been taken presently only with respect to three pesticides in the notification dated February 2, 2023 within a period of four weeks from today," it said in the order.
The bench then posted three pleas, including the PIL filed by NGO "Vanashakti", for further hearing on April 28.
The pleas have sought a ban on harmful pesticides in the country on the ground that they cause severe health problems to farmers, farm workers and others living in the vicinity.
Lawyer Prashant Bhushan, appearing for one of the petitioners, said at least 27 pesticides were to be banned by January 2018. -- PTI
Humza Yousaf/Reuters
21:27 Pakistani-origin Humza Yousaf declared leader of Scottish National Party
Pakistani-origin Member of the Scottish Parliament Humza Yousaf on Monday won the Scottish National Party leadership contest and is set to be named as Scotland's new First Minister, replacing Nicola Sturgeon.
The 37-year-old MSP served as the health and social care minister in Sturgeon's Cabinet until she announced her resignation last month, triggering a leadership contest within the governing party for the devolved region.
Yousaf defeated his closest rival finance minister Kate Forbes, who spent some of her formative years in India, where her parents worked as Christian missionaries, and now faces a vote at the Scottish Parliament of Holyrood on Tuesday before being formally confirmed as the region's First Minister.
"It is hard for me to find the words to describe just how honoured I am to be entrusted by our membership of the SNP to be the party's next leader and to be on the cusp of being our country's next First Minister," Yousaf said in his victory speech in the Scottish capital of Edinburgh.
Yousaf said he felt "like the luckiest man in the world" as he thanked his wife and children for their support.
"I feel like the luckiest man in the world to be standing here as leader of the SNP, a party I joined almost 20 years ago and that I love so dearly," he said.
Yousaf said he would serve "in the interests of all party members" and "lead Scotland in the interests of all of our citizens, whatever your political allegiance". -- PTI
You can read more about Kate Forbes on Rediff.com
20:47 IIT Bombay student death: SIT recovers suicide note
The special investigation team of Mumbai police probing the death of Indian Institute of Technology Bombay student Darshan Solanki has recovered a note that mentions the name of his hostel mate, an official said on Monday.
The purported suicide note, written on a piece of paper, was recovered from Solanki's hostel room some days ago, he added.
Solanki, a resident of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, had allegedly committed suicide on February 12 by jumping off the seventh floor of the hostel building.
The official said the note mentions harassment meted out by the engineering student who has been named.
This student stays on the same floor of the hostel and had allegedly threatened Solanki after a dispute, the official said quoting the note.
The process of registering an abetment of suicide case was underway, he added.
Solanki's parents and some student organisations had alleged caste discrimination as the cause of his death.
The Maharashtra government had formed an SIT headed by joint commissioner of police (crime) Lakhmi Gautam to probe the case. -- PTI
Police van carrying Atiq Ahmed's brother Ashraf arrives in Prayagraj/ANI
20:26 Atiq Ahmed's brother Ashraf brought to Naini jail in Prayagraj
Gangster-politician Khalid Azim alias Ashraf was brought to the Naini Central Jail in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh Monday evening amid tight security arrangements, hours after his brother Atiq Ahmed was escorted to the prison from Gujarat.
Ashraf and Atiq will be produced before a court on Tuesday, when it is likely to pass an order in a 17-year-old kidnapping case against them.
Ashraf, lodged in the Bareilly District Jail since July 2020, was brought to the Naini Central Jail Monday evening amid tight security arrangements, officials said.
A police team accompanying him left Bareilly for Prayagraj Monday morning.
Atiq Ahmed was brought to the jail in Prayagraj from a prison in Gujarat.
The police cavalcade bringing him reached the Naini Jail at 5.30 pm on Monday.
The brothers are named in several criminal cases, including the recent Umesh Pal murder case, the police said. -- PTI
File image/ANI
19:49 Namibian cheetah dies of kidney ailment in MP park
Namibian cheetah Sasha died due to a kidney ailment on Monday at Madhya Pradesh's Kuno National Park, a top forest department official said.
The more than four-and-a-half years old female cheetah was among the eight cheetahs translocated from Namibia and housed in the KNP in Sheopur district since September 17.
"Cheetah Sasha passed away due to a kidney problem as her creatinine level was very high," principal chief conservator of forest-wildlife JS Chauhan said.
The feline was not keeping well since her arrival more than 6 month ago and was recently taken back to a quarantine enclosure at the KNP for treatment, he said.
Sasha's creatinine level was above 400 (an indicator of poor kidney function) which resulted in her death, Chauhan added. -- PTI
File image
19:43 Injured hand draped in 'homemade sling', Bachchan resumes meet-and-greet with fans
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, currently recovering from an on-set injury, resumed his routine Sunday meet-and-greet with fans who came out in droves to see the veteran actor at his Juhu residence in Mumbai.
With his right hand supported by a "homemade sling", the 80-year-old star appeared on the gate of 'Jalsa' wearing a white kurta-pyjama with a printed jacket.
".. they come in droves and wait and watch, elders , children and several others in passing or in station .. so much care and love .. blessed to be in their eyes for more .. "And the work continues .. the Sunday blessings of the well wishers .. my love affection and gratitude .. they still come .. me in homemade sling and the grey.. there is a flood of well wishers here, but space and limits do not allow .. (sic)" Bachchan wrote on his personal blog on Monday morning.
The screen icon suffered an injury earlier this month on the Hyderabad set of his upcoming film "Project K" while filming an action sequence.
In a post informing fans, he had said his "rib cartilage popped broke" and there was a "muscle tear to the right rib cage".
Following a CT scan in Hyderabad, Bachchan was advised to rest at home by the doctors.
Owing to the injury, the star had also skipped his meet-and-greet with fans, he had said in a post shared on March 5, which was also a Sunday. -- PTI
19:24 NEET aspirant dies by suicide in TN
A 19-year-old student who was preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test died by suicide in Salem district on Monday, the police said.
The male student of Kallakurichi district who was preparing NEET for the third time was found hanging dead in a hostel room at the training centre of a private school in Ammapalayam near Athur in Salem, they said.
On receiving information from the hostel warden, the police rushed to the spot, recovered the student's body and sent it for postmortem to the Salem government hospital.
As tension prevailed in and around the campus, a huge posse of police force was deployed. Athur Tahsildar, officials and the police are investigating the reason behind the death.
Many NEET aspirants in Tamil Nadu have allegedly died by suicide fearing of failing in the exam.
The ruling DMK government in Tamil Nadu has been opposing the NEET and even passed a bill in the assembly seeking exemption from the exam for admission to undergraduate medical courses. -- PTI
Representational image
19:06 India has 610 cases of Covid XBB 1.16 variant
A total of 610 cases of Covid's XBB.1.16 variant, which might have been behind the recent rise in coronavirus cases, have been detected across the country, according to INSACOG data.
The samples have been found across 11 states and Union territories.
The highest number of Covid cases caused due to this variant has been found in Maharashtra and Gujarat at 164 each, followed by 93 Telangana and 86 in Karnataka, according to INSACOG data.
The XBB 1.16 variant was first found in January when two samples tested positive for the variant.
India has been witnessing an uptick in Covid-19 cases in the country recently.
India logged 1,805 new coronavirus cases, while the active cases have surpassed the 10,000-mark after 134 days, according to the health ministry data updated on Monday.
18:56 Gainers and losers in the Sensex pack
The 30-share BSE Sensex on Monday climbed 126.76 points or 0.22 per cent to finish at 57,653.86.
During the day, the index witnessed a high of 58,019.55 and a low of 57,415.02.
The broader NSE Nifty advanced 40.65 points or 0.24 per cent to end at 16,985.70, with 27 of its scrips ending in the green.
Reliance Industries emerged as the biggest gainer in the Sense pack, rising 1.54 per cent, followed by Maruti, Sun Pharma, State Bank of India, UltraTech Cement, Infosys, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Hindustan Unilever, ITC and HDFC Bank.
On the other hand, Power Grid, Axis Bank, Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Motors were among the major laggards.
18:36 Cavalcade with Atiq Ahmed reaches Naini Jail
Gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed was brought to the Naini Central Jail in Prayagraj in Uttar Pradesh Monday evening amid tight security arrangements.
The police cavalcade bringing him from a prison in Gujarat reached the Naini Jail at 5.30 pm.
A large posse of police personnel was posted at the main entrance of the Naini Central Jail and the entry of outsiders into the jail premises was stopped.
A battery of journalists thronged the area to cover the event.
Ahmed will be produced before a court on Tuesday, when it is likely to pass an order in a 17-year-old kidnapping case in which the former MP is an accused.
He has been brought to Prayagraj in compliance with the court's orders, Police Commissioner Ramit Sharma said.
Ahmed, a former Samajwadi Party MP from Phulpur, was shifted to the Sabarmati Central Jail in Gujarat in June 2019 following a Supreme Court order after he was accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and assault of real estate businessman Mohit Jaiswal while in prison in Uttar Pradesh.
He is named in more than 100 criminal cases, including the recent Umesh Pal murder case, police said. -- PTI
IMAGE: The convoy of Mafia-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed on way to Prayagraj jail. Photograph: ANI Photo
17:59 LS panel asks Rahul to vacate govt bungalow
After being disqualified from the Lok Sabha, the Lok Sabha housing committee has served notice on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to vacate the government-allotted bungalow, ANI has tweeted quoting sources.
Details soon.
17:48 Designer gets bail in Amruta Fadnavis bribe case
A Mumbai court on Monday granted bail to designer Aniksha Jaisinghani in the Amruta Fadnavis bribe case.
Details soon.
17:26 SC notice to Centre, Gujarat on Bilkis Bano's plea
The Supreme Court on Monday sought a response from the Centre, Gujarat government and others on a plea filed by Bilkis Bano, who was gang-raped and seven members of her family were killed during the 2002 post-Godhra riots.
Bano has challenged remission of sentence of 11 convicts in the case.
While posting the matter for hearing on April 18, a bench of Justices K M Joseph and B V Nagarathna said there is a gamut of issues involved and it needs to hear the matter in detail.
The top court issued a notice to the Centre, the Gujarat government and the convicts.
It also directed the Gujarat government to be ready with the relevant files granting remission to the parties on the next date of the hearing.
During the hearing, the bench observed that it would not be overwhelmed by emotions in the case and would only go by the law.
On January 4, a bench comprising Justices Ajay Rastogi and Bela M Trivedi took up the petition filed by Bano and other pleas.
However, Justice Trivedi recused from hearing the case without citing any reason.
Bano had moved the apex court on November 30 last year challenging the premature release of 11 lifers by the state government, saying it has shaken the conscience of society.
Besides the plea challenging the release of the convicts, the gang-rape survivor had also filed a separate petition seeking a review of the apex court's May 13, 2022, order on a plea by a convict.
The review plea was later dismissed in December last year.
All 11 convicts were granted remission by the Gujarat government and released on August 15 last year. -- PTI
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17:12 Lok Sabha approves Finance Bill with RS amendments
Parliament on Monday approved the Union Budget for 2023-24 with the Lok Sabha clearing the Finance Bill as amended by the Rajya Sabha, amid continuous uproar by the Opposition over the Adani issue.
The amendment to the Finance Bill 2023, which sought to correct an error with regard to the tax rate on Securities Transaction Tax (STT), was moved by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
The passage of the Finance Bill completes the budgetary exercise for 2023-24.
Rama Devi, who was in the chair, adjourned the House for the day after the passage of the Finance Bill.
16:55 Bikers spark security scare during Amit Shah's Bengaluru visit
Two bike-borne students sparked security scare as they tried to enter a Bengaluru road when the Union Home Minister Amit Shah's convoy was passing through it on Sunday night following which they were detained.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police Dr Bheemashankar Guled said when Shah's convoy was moving on the Cubbon Road at about 10.45 pm, they entered it from the Safina Plaza end.
'When a police constable tried to stop them, they rammed their two-wheeler into him and tried to flee. The deployed policemen caught one of them. However, the other one escaped from the spot,' he said.
The police later arrested the second one based on the interrogation with the detained youth.
A case under Section 353 (obstructing police from discharging duties) and 279 (rash and negligent driving) of the Indian Penal Code has been registered against them.
Yes, in one way it was a security lapse but these people did not know about the VVIP movement.
They injured our policeman. Hence, we are initiating appropriate action against them, Guled said.
Noting that the students did not have any other motive or ill-intention, he said he would prefer not to call it a security breach.
He said they did not have any criminal background, adding that the bike belonged to their family. -- PTI
ANI Photo
16:48 'Bookie' Anil Jaisinghani remanded to 14-day judicial custody
A court in Mumbai on Monday remanded suspected bookie Anil Jaisinghani to 14-day judicial custody in a case pertaining to allegedly trying to blackmail and bribe Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis' wife Amruta.
He was arrested last week from Gujarat, along with his cousin Nirmal Jaisinghani. The duo was produced before additional sessions judge, D D Almale, at the end of their remand on Monday.
Special public prosecutor Ajay Misar sought an extension of the custody of the duo for five more days, but the court remanded them in judicial custody.
Anil Jaisinghani's daughter Aniksha Jaisinghani is also an accused in the case. She too is in judicial custody.
Based on a complaint filed by the deputy chief minister's wife the police had registered a case against the father-daughter duo under IPC sections for conspiracy and extortion and provisions of the Prevention of Corruption Act.
According to the police, 17 cases are pending against Anil Jaisinghani.
16:26 50% compensation give to Morbi victims: Oreva
Oreva Group has deposited 50 per cent of the interim compensation amount for the victims of the Morbi cable bridge collapse tragedy, the Gujarat High Court was told on Monday.
The company told the division bench of acting Chief Justice A J Desai and Justice Biren Vaishnav that the first instalment (50 per cent of the total amount) was deposited on March 14, and the rest would be paid on or before April 11. Oreva Group (Ajanta Manufacturing Pvt. Ltd) was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the British-era bridge on the Machchhu river in Morbi that collapsed on October 30, 2022, killing 135 people and leaving 56 others seriously injured.
The high court is hearing a suo motu (on its own) Public Interest Litigation (PIL) on the tragedy. On Monday, the HC took on record the affidavit of Oreva Group and granted the company time it had sought to deposit the remaining amount.
The bench kept the matter for further hearing on April 18. During an earlier hearing, the HC had directed the company, whose Managing Director Jaysukh Patel has been named the main accused in the bridge collapse case and is currently in judicial custody, to double the amount of interim compensation it had proposed to pay to the kin of the deceased and injured.
The company had proposed to pay Rs 5 lakh to the kin of each of the 135 deceased and Rs 1 lakh to the injured as interim compensation. However, the HC on February 22 directed the company to double the amount to Rs 10 lakh and Rs 2 lakh, respectively, citing the Supreme Court judgments. The high court had also said half of the amount deposited by Oreva Group shall be made available to claimants straightaway in their bank accounts, whereas the balance amount shall be invested in a cumulative Fixed Deposit in a nationalized bank to be made available for distribution for five years consistently with the final decision of this court.
It had directed the company to deposit Rs 5 lakh for the kin of each of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh for the injured within four weeks, while the additional amount has to be paid after four more weeks.
The state government had paid Rs 8 lakh compensation and the Central government Rs 2 lakh to each deceased, while the injured received Rs 2 lakh each. -- PTI
16:03 BJP slams Mamata for announcing protests on Ram Navami
The BJP on Monday claimed that West Bengal's Trinamool Congress has become a "private limited company" and the situation in the state under its government is worse than a "jungle raaj".
It hit out at Mamata Banerjee-led government over the issues of unemployment and lack of development. Suvendhu Adhikari, the BJP's leader in the state assembly, also slammed the TMC for announcing protests against the Centre's policies on March 30, the day Ram Navami will be celebrated, saying those who believe in the "sanatan culture" will celebrate Lord Ram's birth anniversary.
Instead of declaring a holiday on the day, she has announced protests after making "fabricated and false" claims, he alleged.
The TMC has announced two-day protests in the state on Mar 29 and 30. At a press conference, Adhikari also clarified his reported call for all TMC rivals, which also include the Left in the state, to join hands against Banerjee, saying everyone should first make it clear that they want to vote for. The BJP will be obvious choice for people as the Congress and the Left have become irrelevant, he said.
A double-engine government is the only solution, he said. Adhikari, who had defeated Banerjee in the 2021 assembly polls, accused TMC leaders and state officials of being involved in a scam of pocketing the Centre's money meant for the MNREGA scheme against one crore job cards. He said these cards were found to be fake following an exercise to link all 3.6 crore job cards with Aadhaar.
"It's a big scam," he said, adding that he has moved court to seek a CBI probe. Accusing the TMC of "misrule", he said the state's loan outstanding was Rs 2 lakh crore when it came to power in 2011 and it has now risen to Rs 6 lakh crore while the number of registered educated unemployed has doubled from nearly 1 crore.
15:38 India asks Nepal not to allow Amritpal to flee
India has requested the Nepal government not to allow fugitive radical preacher Amritpal Singh, who is believed to be hiding in Nepal, to flee to a third country and arrest him if he attempts to escape using Indian passport or any other fake passport, a media report said on Monday.
In a letter sent to the Department of Consular Services on Saturday, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu has requested the government agencies to arrest Singh if he tries to flee from Nepal, the Kathmandu Post newspaper reported. "Singh is currently hiding in Nepal," the paper said, citing a copy of the letter obtained by it.
"The esteemed ministry is requested to inform the Department of Immigration not to permit Amritpal Singh to travel through Nepal for any third country and arrest him if he attempts to escape from Nepal using Indian Passport or any other fake passport under intimation to this mission, it said.
The letter and Singh's personal details have been circulated to all the concerned agencies from hotels to airlines, the paper said, citing multiple sources. Singh, who is said to be possessing multiple passports with different identities, has been on the run since March 18 when the police launched a crackdown against him. The elusive preacher gave the police the slip and escaped their dragnet when his cavalcade was intercepted in Punjab's Jalandhar district. PTI
Image: @INC
15:07 Rahul asks, "Mr PM, why so much fear?"
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi why there was no investigation into the investment of people's retirement fund in the Adani group even after various allegations were levelled against the firm.
Taking to Twitter, Gandhi said, "LIC's capital, to Adani! SBI's capital, to Adani! EPFO's capital too, to Adani! Why is public's retirement money being invested in Adani's companies even after 'Modani' exposed?". "Mr prime minister, no investigation, no answer! Why so much of fear," he asked in a tweet in Hindi.
A major political controversy erupted after Adani Group stocks took a beating on the bourses after US-based short seller Hindenburg Research made a litany of allegations, including fraudulent transactions and share-price manipulation, last month.
The Gautam Adani-led group has dismissed the charges as lies, saying it complies with all laws and disclosure requirements. Gandhi has been attacking the prime minister on the Adani issue and has been demanding an investigation into the matter. He has alleged that his disqualification from the Lok Sabha was due to him raising questions on the Adani issue, but asserted that he will continue to do so even if he is disqualified from Parliament for life. The former Congress chief was disqualified from the Lok Sabha on Friday after he was convicted and sentenced to a two-year jail term in a defamation case by a Surat court. PTI
14:48 Black clothes after black deeds: Thakur on Cong
Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Monday lashed out at the Congress' "drama" over Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha and questioned whether leaders of the Opposition party will "continue to wearing black clothes after their black deeds".
Thakur also took a jibe at Rahul Gandhi claiming that that he was not ready to accept the verdict by Surat court which convicted him in a 2019 defamation case on his 'Modi surname' remark.
Dressed in black clothes, members of Opposition parties earlier today marched from Parliament complex towards Vijay Chowk in protest against the Centre's inaction over the Adani issue.
"Rahul Gandhi and Congress have been insulting the OBC community. Has the Congress party stopped believing in the courts? Rahul Gandhi's arrogance is such that he did not apologise to the OBC community, or in the court. He is not ready to accept the court's judgment. The order was of the court. His membership ended soon after the court delivered its verdict. Why are they creating this drama now?" Thakur said.
"They are not letting the Parliament session run for one man who goes abroad and insults India. And when he returns, the Parliament cannot run if he does not speak. Will the Congress party keep on insulting the OBC community like this? Will Congress keep wearing black clothes after doing black deeds? Will the party now resort to black magic to save itself?" the union minister.
Asked about assertions by Rahul Gandhi that he would never express any regret for criticising the BJP-led government, Thakur stated that the Congress leader can never be Veer Savarkar even in his "best dreams" as it as it required strong determination and love for the country. Gandhi had recently in a press conference stated "My name is not Savarkar, it is Gandhi and Gandhi never offers an apology".
14:02 Atiq Ahmed's convoy reaches Uttar Pradesh
The convoy of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed being escorted by police to Prayagraj entered Uttar Pradesh on Monday after crossing Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh, a police official said.
The convoy had entered MP from the Rajasthan border in the morning, hours after it set out from the Sabarmati central jail in Ahmedabad on Sunday evening.
"It halted briefly at Kharai in Shivpuri district at around 7 am on Monday to enable Ahmed to attend nature's call. The convoy left Shivpuri district after a brief halt and entered Jhansi district of UP at around 9 am," the Shivpuri police official said. When Ahmed, wearing a white turban, got down from the police van to attend nature's call, reporters asked him whether he was "afraid", to which he replied by saying "kahe ka dar" (what fear) before police personnel whisked him away.
Notably, after stepping out of Sabarmati central jail in Ahmedabad, Ahmed expressed fear that he might be murdered. "Hatya, hatya (murder, murder)," Ahmed had told reporters outside the prison while being whisked away in a police vehicle by security personnel.
The gangster is being taken to Prayagraj by the Uttar Pradesh police for a court case. Ahmed, a former Samajwadi Party MP, has been lodged in the Sabarmati central jail since June 2019.
He was shifted there following a Supreme Court order after he was accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and assault on real estate businessman Mohit Jaiswal while in prison in UP. Ahmed is named in more than 100 criminal cases, including the recent Umesh Pal murder case, police had said. Meanwhile, on its way to Prayagraj on Monday morning, a vehicle in the convoy carrying Ahmed hit a cow in Shivpuri district.
13:53 Khalistan supporters protest at Times Square
A large number of Khalistan supporters staged a protest at the iconic Times Square here to express support for the fugitive radical preacher Amritpal Singh.
The protesters took out a car rally that originated from the Baba Makhan Shah Lubana Sikh Center in the Richmond Hill neighbourhood and culminated at Times Square in the heart of Manhattan city on Sunday afternoon amid tight security.
With blaring music and loud horns, a multitude of cars with Khalistani flags and LED mobile billboard trucks displaying photos of Singh criss-crossed the streets near the venue.
Men, women and children gathered in large numbers at the popular New York destination, carrying the Khalistan flags and raising slogans at the rally.
The protesters, carrying placards reading 'Free Amritpal Singh', held up photos of Singh as they raised anti-India slogans. Singh's photo was also displayed on one of the billboards at Times Square.
There was a heavy police presence in the area with several New York City Police Department (NYPD) vans and cars manning the area.
The car rally came a day after Khalistan supporters gathered outside the Indian Embassy in Washington on Saturday, where many of their speakers tried to incite violence, but timely intervention by an alert US Secret Service and local police prevented a repeat of London and San Francisco incidents of vandalism at the Indian missions.
India on Friday said it expects to see action against the perpetrators of vandalism at its missions abroad and hoped the host governments would prosecute those involved in these incidents instead of holding out assurances.
Bilkis Bano
13:24 Bilkis Bano case convict shares stage with BJP MP
One of the convicts in the 2002 Bilkis Bano gangrape and murder of her family members case, freed last year under Gujarat's remission policy, has shared the stage with BJP MP Jaswant Bhabhor and his MLA brother Shailesh Bhabhor at a government event held at Limkheda in Dahod district of the state.
When contacted and asked whether he attended the program on Saturday, the convict, Shailesh Bhatt, said he went there for "puja" ritual but refused to elaborate.
Bhatt was seen in a photo shared by Shailesh Bhabhor on his Twitter account, with a caption announcing the foundation laying programme for the Kadana dam bulk pipeline project worth approximately Rs 101.89 crore. "I went there for puja," Bhatt said.
He was also seen standing next to Jaswant Bhabhor, a former Union minister of state for tribal affairs, in a photo shared by the Dahod district information department.
Following their conviction by a special CBI court in Mumbai in 2008 on the charge of gang rape and murder of seven members of Bilkis Bano's family, Bhatt and 10 others were serving a life sentence in the Godhra sub-jail in Panchmahal district of Gujarat.
All 11 convicts walked out of the sub-jail on August 15, 2022, after the incarceration of 15 years as the Gujarat government allowed their premature release under its remission policy, causing an outcry. Their release was challenged in the Supreme Court, which on March 22 directed the matter for urgent listing and constituted a new bench to hear the bunch of pleas. The matter will come up for hearing on Monday.
The case dates back to 2002 when the communal violence erupted in Gujarat following the burning of a Sabarmati Express coach that killed 59 karsevaks on February 27 that year.
Bilkis Bano, who was five-month pregnant at that time and 21 years old, had fled her village with her toddler daughter and 15 others. On March 3, they took shelter in a field when a mob of 20-30 people armed with sickles, swords and sticks attacked them. Bilkis Bano was gang raped and seven members of her family were killed. PTI
13:05 The Real Reason for Banishing Rahul Gandhi
If Rahul Gandhi's speech demands this punishment then the top leaders of the BJP would rot in jail for many lives. Read the column here.
13:02 Will try and speak to Rahul on Savarkar: Raut
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut reacts to Rahul Gandhi's comment on Savarkar. "Wrong statement. He's a Gandhi but no need to drag Savarkar's name. Savarkar is our inspiration. Inspiration behind our fight is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and Veer Savarkar," says Sanjay Raut.
"I will definitely try to speak to him," he says when asked if he will speak face-to-face with Rahul Gandhi in Delhi over this issue," Raut added.
Last week at a press conference when Rahul Gandhi was asked about his opinion on suggestions given to him that he could have escaped conviction and the two-year jail sentence in the criminal defamation case by apologising for his remarks, Rahul Gandhi said his name is not Savarkar but Gandhi, and that Gandhis don't apologise.
12:31 An ass running a horse race: BJP on Rahul
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday lashed out at Rahul Gandhi who was disqualified as Lok Sabha MP recently, and said that the Congress leader should fight the "court's action in the court" instead of speaking against Veer Savarkar.
"You are getting an ass to run a horse's race...They really deserve to do some serious introspection...People of India would judge them for what they are...Fight Court's action in the Court, you are invoking Mahabharat and Savarkar," Puri said.
On Friday, Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha, a day after a Surat court sentenced him to two years imprisonment in a defamation case filed against him over his 'Modi surname' remark.
In April 2019, he made the remark "how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname" at a Lok Sabha election rally at Kolar in Karnataka. The court approved Rahul Gandhi's bail on a surety and stayed the sentence for 30 days to allow him to approach the higher courts.
After his disqualification, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that he was not Veer Savarkar and that he will not apologise.
Addressing a press conference in the national capital a day after he was convicted in a defamation case and subsequently disqualified from Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi said on Saturday "My name in not Savarkar, my name is Gandhi. Gandhis don't apologise to anyone."
He further stated that he is not scared of going to prison and that his disqualification from Parliament was aimed at distracting people from the Adani issue. -- ANI
Opposition MPs protest near the Gandhi statue in Parliament
11:48 Welcome! Cong on TMC joining 'black day' protest
Two MPs of the Trinamool Congress participated in a meeting called by Rajya Sabha LoP Mallikarjun Kharge in the Parliament on Monday, a move which the Congress president welcomed.
Speaking to the reporters, Kharge thanked the opposition parties which came out in support of Congress after Rahul Gandhi was disqualified as an MP from Lok Sabha. The Congress president, who came to the Parliament donning a black cloth to protest against the Adani issue and Rahul Gandhi's disqualification, said that the Congress party welcomes anyone who strides forward to "protect democracy".
"I thank everyone who supported this. That is why, I thanked everyone yesterday and I thank them today as well. We welcome anyone who comes forward to protect democracy and Constitution and safeguard the people. We extend heartfelt gratitude to the people who support us," Kharge said.
Notably, several opposition parties including TMC and Aam Aadmi Party had backed Congress after Rahul Gandhi's disqualification. "We want the truth to come out. If Adani's assets have increased in just two and a half years, what can be the reason behind it? If he has magic that can do that, we would like to tell the same to the citizens...If JPC is constituted, we would get to know about the magic and people would also come to know," he added while speaking about the opposition demand of a Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Adani issue.
Meanwhile, the Congress leaders will step up their protest against the Centre on Monday over the Adani issue and disqualification of Rahul Gandhi as MP from Lok Sabha wearing black clothes, party sources said on Sunday. Congress MPs in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will attend the Parliament by putting on black clothes.
11:25 Oppn MPs protest Rahul's disqualification
MPs of various opposition parties, including Congress, TMC, BRS and SP, met at Parliament complex on Monday to discuss a strategy to take forward the Adani issue as well as Rahul Gandhi's disqualification matter in Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha.
Some of the Members of Parliament were seen wearing black clothes to protest the Congress leader's disqualification from the Lower House of Parliament after a Surat court convicted and sentenced him in a 2019 criminal defamation case.
Leaders from DMK, Samajwadi Party, JD(U), BRS, CPI(M), CPI, RJD, NCP, IUML, MDMK, Kerala Congress, TMC, RSP, AAP, NC and Shiv Sena (UBT), among others, met at Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge's chamber.
Lok Sabha proceedings on Monday were adjourned till 4 pm amid slogan shouting by the Opposition members. As soon as the House met for the day, Congress members wearing black scarves trooped into the Well.
Two Congress members, T N Pratapan and Hibi Eden, who were in the Well holding placards, flung order papers towards the Chair along with their scarves. Congress leader Sonia Gandhi was also seen wearing a black scarf while some party MPs wore black shirts. National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah was wearing a black kurta.
Gangster Atiq Ahmed
10:58 Convoy carrying Atiq Ahmed enters UP
The police convoy bringing gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed from an Ahmedabad jail to Prayagraj entered Uttar Pradesh on Monday morning, officials said. Ahmed will be produced before a court on Tuesday when it passes an order in a kidnapping case in which he is an accused.
The police team reached Sabarmati jail in Ahmedabad city on Sunday morning and left the premises with Ahmed amid tight security around 6 pm. After passing through different states, Ahmed's cavalcade entered Uttar Pradesh on Monday morning and stopped at Jhansi police lines.
Officials said it will proceed towards Jalaun and reach Prayagraj via Bundelkhand Expressway in the evening. The cavalcade is being followed by media teams, Ahmed's sister, and lawyers.
Ahmed's brother, Khalid Azim alias Ashraf, who is lodged in Bareilly jail is also being taken to Prayagraj by a separate police team.
He left the jail at about 10 am, officials said. Ahmed, a former Samajwadi Party MP from Phulpur, was shifted to the Sabarmati central jail in June 2019 following a Supreme Court after he was accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and assault on a real estate businessman Mohit Jaiswal while in prison in UP. He is named in more than 100 criminal cases, including the recent Umesh Pal murder case, police said.
10:56 Gandhis think they are above Constitution: BJP
The BJP on Monday accused the Gandhi family of considering itself a "class apart, elite and above the Constitution" as it kept up the counterattack on the Congress amid the opposition party's nationwide protests against Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha.
The ruling party fielded Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat to target the Congress and he insisted that neither the BJP nor the government had anything to do with the Wayanad MP's disqualification following his conviction in a defamation case.
The way Congress leaders are making a hue and cry over a judicial and lawful exercise itself shows that they consider the Gandhi family above India's judicial process, Constitution and democratic system, he told a press conference.
The MP from Rajasthan said the Surat court presented Gandhi with several opportunities, including a chance to apologise for his remarks on the Modi surname, but he refused, thinking that the judiciary will not "dare" to deliver a verdict against the members of his family. The law has taken its course, and neither the BJP nor the government have anything to do with this, he asserted.
The Gandhi family considers itself a "class apart, elite and above Constitution", he alleged. Shekhawat said the Lok Sabha enjoys no discretionary power on the issue of disqualifying an MP in such a matter. People who claimed that democracy is under threat, are insulting the democratic system with their street protests against a judicial verdict and lawful action, he said.
Noting that Rahul Gandhi had also ridiculed a journalist at his press conference, the Union minister said, "He leaves no opportunity to insult the country and challenge the different pillars of democracy to show himself above them." "People like him are a threat to democracy as they consider themselves above it," Shekhawat said
Atiq Ahmed inside the police van
10:35 Kahe ka dar, asks Atiq Ahmed as convoy halts in MP
The convoy of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed being escorted by the Uttar Pradesh police halted briefly in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh on early Monday morning before entering Jhansi on its way to Prayagraj, a police official said.
As the convoy halted briefly at Kharai in Shivpuri district and Ahmed, wearing a white turban, got down from the police van to attend nature's call, reporters asked him whether he was "afraid", to which he replied by saying "kahe ka dar" (what fear) before police personnel whisked him away. Notably, after stepping out of Sabarmati central jail in Ahmedabad on Sunday evening, Ahmed expressed fear that he might be murdered. "Hatya, hatya (murder, murder)," Ahmed had told reporters outside the prison while being whisked away in a police vehicle by security personnel.
Earlier, the carcade, which started from Ahmedabad on Sunday evening, entered Madhya Pradesh from the Rajasthan border in the morning, a police official said.
"It halted briefly at Kharai in Shivpuri district at around 7 AM to enable Ahmed to attend nature's call," said local police officer Manish Kumar Jadoun. Another police official said Ahmed's convoy left Shivpuri district after a brief halt and entered Jhansi district of UP at around 9 AM. The gangster is being taken to Prayagraj from Sabarmati central jail by the Uttar Pradesh police for a court case.
Ahmed, a former Samajwadi Party MP, has been lodged in the Sabarmati central jail since June 2019. He was shifted there following a Supreme Court after he was accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and assault on real estate businessman Mohit Jaiswal while in prison in UP.
He is named in more than 100 criminal cases, including the recent Umesh Pal murder case, police had said. BJP Lok Sabha MP Subrat Pathak had said he would not be surprised if mafia Atiq Ahmed's vehicle overturns like that of gangster Vikas Dubey. Dubey was gunned down in July 2020 by the Special Task Force of Uttar Pradesh police shortly after a police SUV in which he was being brought to Kanpur from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh overturned under mysterious circumstances on a highway. Police claimed that he had tried to flee. PTI
A mock drill at a hospital in Delhi
10:24 Active Covid cases above 10,000 after 134 days
India has logged 1,805 new coronavirus cases, while the active cases have surpassed the 10,000-mark after 134 days, according to Union health ministry data updated on Monday.
The daily positivity rate has been recorded at 3.19 per cent and the weekly positivity rate at 1.39 per cent. The active cases have increased to 10,300, the data updated at 8 am stated. On Sunday, the health ministry had put the count of active cases at 9,433.
The death toll has increased to 5,30,837 with six deaths, one each reported by Chandigarh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh in a span of 24 hours, and two reconciled by Kerala.
The total tally of Covid cases is 4.47 crore (4,47,05,952), the data stated. The active cases now comprise 0.02 per cent of the total infections, while the national Covid recovery rate has been recorded at 98.79 per cent, according to the health ministry's website.
The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has increased to 4,41,64,815, the data stated. The case fatality rate has been recorded at 1.19 per cent. According to the ministry's website, 220.65 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered so far under the nationwide Covid vaccination drive. PTI
10:08 Tejashwi Yadav blessed with baby girl
Deputy Bihar CM Tejashwi Yadav is a new father. The RJD leader shared this image holding his baby daughter and wrote, "Ishwar ne anandit hokar putri ratna ke roop mein uphar bheja hai. The lord is happy and has sent us a gift of a precious daughter."
A man offers sweets to convicts in the Bilkis Bano case
09:56 SC to hear plea against release of Bilkis rapists
The Supreme Court will hear a batch of pleas on Monday challenging the release of 11 convicts who had gang-raped Bilkis Bano and murdered her family members during the 2002 Godhra riots.
The Gujarat government had granted remission to 11 convicts on August 10 last year following which they walked free on August 15, 2022. A bench of Justices KM Joseph and BV Nagarathna will hear the case on March 27.
On March 22, Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud said that he will constitute a bench to hear pleas. "I will have a bench constituted. Need to break two benches for it. Will look at it this evening," he said after advocate Shobha Gupta, appearing for Bano, mentioned the plea for an early listing of the case.
Earlier also advocate Gupta mentioned the matter for urgent hearing and said that a new bench needs to be constituted by the CJI as Justice Bela M Trivedi recused from hearing the plea.
A bench of Justices Ajay Rastogi and Bela M Trivedi earlier had ordered that matter be listed before the bench, in which Justice Trivedi is not a part of as she had recused herself from hearing the case.
Besides filing a petition against the pre-mature release of convicts, Bano had also filed a review petition seeking a review of its earlier order by which it had asked the Gujarat government to consider the plea for the remission of one of the convicts.
The review petition was dismissed.Some PILs were filed seeking directions to revoke the remission granted to 11 convicts.
The pleas were filed by the National Federation of Indian Women, whose General Secretary is Annie Raja, Member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) Subhashini Ali, journalist Revati Laul, social activist and professor Roop Rekha Verma and TMC MP Mahua Moitra.
Gujarat government in its affidavit had defended remission granted to convicts saying they completed 14 years of sentence in prison and their "behaviour was found to be good".
09:46 Total Recall: How Modi Government and Election Commission Provided Safety Net for Convicted Ally
Prem Singh Tamang Golay was convicted of corruption and should have been disqualified from contesting an election for six years. But the Narendra Modi-led Union government repealed a key clause in the Representation of the People Act, allowing the BJP ally to become Sikkim's chief minister. Read the report here.
09:36 Rahul can't be Savarkar even in his dreams: Thakur
Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi, Union Minister Anurag Thakur has said the Congress leader can never be Veer Savarkar even in his "best dreams" as it required strong determination and love for the country.
Thakur was responding to repeated assertions by Rahul Gandhi that Savarkar was an "apologist" of the British colonisers and that he would never express any regret for criticising the BJP-led government.
"Dear Shri Gandhi, you can never be SAVARKAR even in your best dreams because being Savarkar requires strong determination, love for Bharat, selflessness and commitment," the senior BJP leader said on Twitter on Sunday.
"Rahul Gandhi can never be Savarkar even by a long shot because the freedom fighter neither travelled abroad for six months of the year nor sought help from foreigners against his country," Thakur said. "He went to Britain to launch a movement to free Mother India from the chains of slavery," the information and broadcasting minister said and added that it is time to "expose lie master Rahul Gandhi for his non-stop nonsense against Veer Savarkar ji".
Thakur also posted on Twitter a letter written by former prime minister Indira Gandhi on the occasion of the birth centenary of Savarkar.
"Veer Savarkar's daring defiance of the British government has its own important place in the annals of our freedom movement. I wish success to the plans to celebrate the birth centenary of this remarkable son of India," Indira Gandhi had written in her letter dated May 20, 1980. Thakur said the central government had released a documentary on Savarkar during the tenure of Indira Gandhi as prime minister to "acknowledge his valour, sacrifice, and selfless service to the nation".
The minister also shared excerpts from "Bhagat Singh's Jail Notebook" in which the revolutionary freedom fighter had made notes from books authored by Savarkar. Even the Congress at its Kakinada Session in 1923 had passed resolutions supporting Savarkar, the BJP leader said.
He said Indira Gandhi had even issued a postal stamp to acknowledge the contribution of Savarkar to the freedom movement. "Just imagine, a person whose grandmother had honoured the great personality Veer Savarkar and none of the great men of that era have spoken ill about him. By saying all these things Rahul Gandhi is not insulting Savarkar but his grandmother, Netaji Bose, Bhagat Singh and even (Mahatma) Gandhiji," Thakur said. PTI
09:13 Atiq Ahmed's convoy halts briefly in MP's Shivpuri
Update: The convoy of gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmed being escorted by the Uttar Pradesh police halted briefly in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh on early Monday morning on its way to Prayagraj, a senior official said. The carcade entered MP from the Rajasthan border, he said.
"The convoy halted briefly in Shivpuri district (more than 300 km from Bhopal) at around 8 am. It will reach Jhansi, bordering Shivpuri district, in Uttar Pradesh soon," the official said.
The gangster is being taken to Prayagraj from Sabarmati central jail in Ahmedabad by the Uttar Pradesh police for a court case.
On Sunday, a team of Uttar Pradesh police reached the Sabarmati jail and left the premises with Ahmed amid tight security at around 6 pm after completing the necessary formalities, officials had said. Ahmed, a former Samajwadi Party MP, has been lodged in the Sabarmati central jail since June 2019.
He was shifted there following a Supreme Court after he was accused of orchestrating the kidnapping and assault on a real estate businessman Mohit Jaiswal while in prison in UP.
He is named in more than 100 criminal cases, including the recent Umesh Pal murder case, police said. After stepping out of Sabarmati central jail, Ahmed on Sunday expressed fear that he might be murdered.
"Hatya, hatya (murder, murder)," Ahmed had told reporters outside the prison while being whisked away in a police vehicle by security personnel BJP Lok Sabha MP Subrat Pathak had said he would not be surprised if mafia Atiq Ahmed's vehicle overturns like that of gangster Vikas Dubey. -- PTI
08:53 Koshyari's remarks on Shivaji not offence: HC
The Bombay High Court has dismissed a petition seeking action against former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi for their statements on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and other icons, saying their remarks prima facie do not constitute an offence under any criminal law.
The high court also said that the statements reflect the perception and opinion of the speaker about those figures with an aim to persuade the audience, and the intention appears to be to enlighten society for its betterment.
The HC's order was made available recently. Koshyari, whose tenure was dogged by controversies caused by his utterances about Shivaji Maharaj, social reformers Mahatma Phule and his wife Savitribai and Marathi people, stepped down from the post of the governor last month.
He had faced flak for calling Shivaji Maharaj an "icon of olden times", while Trivedi had allegedly said that the founder of the Maratha empire had apologised to Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
Justices Sunil Shukre and Abhay Waghwase, on March 20 dismissed a petition filed by Panvel resident Rama Katarnaware, who belongs to the Scheduled Caste (SC) community.
The petitioner claimed that the statements made by Koshyari and Trivedi who are non-SC or Scheduled Tribes (ST) members, at public speeches are disrespectful to these late political figures who were held in high esteem by members of society in general and members of the SC/ST communities in particular. The petitioner referred to several objectionable statements made by Koshyari and Trivedi on Shivaji Maharaj, Mahatma Phule and Savitribai Phule and 'Marathi manoos'.
However, the bench in its order, said, "An in-depth consideration of the referred statements would tell us that they are in the nature of the analysis of history and the lessons to be learnt from history.
"They also show the intention of the speaker, which is that at least in the present times, we should learn from history and also realise the consequences of following certain traditions and what may happen perhaps for the worst, if those traditions are followed," the bench said.
It further said that these statements primarily reflect the perception and opinion of the speaker about those figures with an intention to persuade the audience, to whom they have been expressed, to think over and act in a way which is good for society. The intention behind the statements appears to be the enlightenment of society for its betterment, as perceived by the speaker, the bench said.
"These statements, therefore, cannot be seen, by any stretch of the imagination, to be disrespectful to any great person, held in high esteem by the members of the society in general and by the members of the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes in particular," the judges said.
In view of the above, the statements, which were made, do not prima-facie constitute any offence punishable under the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act or any other criminal law, they said. -- PTI
08:13 2 people injured in shooting at Gurudwara in US
Two people have been shot at a Gurudwara in Sacramento County, California in United States, news agency ANI reported.
Both of the victims are in critical condition.
According to the Sacramento County Sheriffs Office, the shooting is not related to a hate crime.
The shooting is not related to a hate crime, it is a shootout between two men who knew each other," Sacramento County Sheriffs Office said.
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