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ED questions Delhi Minister Kailash Gehlot for 5 hours in liquor policy scam case, confirms that middleman Vijay Nair lived in his official bungalow

OpIndia Staff
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ED questions Delhi Minister Kailash Gehlot for 5 hours in liquor policy scam case, confirms that middleman Vijay Nair lived in his official bungalow

Delhi Transport Minister Kailash Gehlot left the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office after about 5 hours of questioning by the ED officials. At around 11 AM, he reached the ED office after the agency summoned him in the money laundering case linked to the Delhi Liquor policy scam case.

Speaking with the media after the questioning, Kailash Gehlot claimed that he responded to all the questions asked by the ED officials. Distancing himself from the illegal funding row, he claimed that he was unaware of the Goa poll campaign as he was never a part of it.  

However, the AAP Minister confirmed that Vijay Nair, former AAP communications in-charge an a key accused in the Delhi liquor policy scam case, had stayed at the official bungalow in Civil Lines allotted to him. Gehlot claimed that the house was vacant as his family had declined to shift from their private residence.

He told reporters, “Whatever questions were asked to me, I answered all of them.” 

Regarding Vijay Nair’s stay at his official bungalow, he said, “The government bungalow was allotted to me in Civil Lines, but I have always stayed in my private residence in Vasant Kunj because my wife and kids didn’t want to move from there. Vijay Nair was living in the bungalow allotted to me… No cross-questioning was conducted…”

However, he said that he is not aware whether Vijay Nair is living in the house at present.

Notably, Kailash Gehlot’s official bungalow is located next to the Chief Minister’s residence. Nair was allotted Gehlot’s house even though he didn’t hold any official post. Moreover, he also operated from the Camp office of Arvind Kejriwal. Vijay Nair was the man who received ₹100 crore from the South Group on behalf of Arvind Kejriwal and AAP.

Responding to a media query that he responded on his first summons, while Delhi CM had ignored nine summons, Gehlot said that he appeared on his second summons. The first summons was issued one month ago during assembly proceedings. I had sought some time, he added. 

The MLA from Najafgarh, Gehlot was part of the panel that prepared the draft of the controversial Delhi government’s liquor policy for 2021-22 which was later scrapped following accusations of wrongdoings and corruption. According to the ED, the draft liquor policy was leaked to the ‘South Group’.

According to the ED, Gehlot allowed then AAP communication in-charge Vijay Nair to use his official residence while the liquor policy was being drafted. The ED earlier stated that the AAP Minister Kailash Gehlot had repeatedly changed his mobile numbers.

Meanwhile, while speaking with reporters following ED questioning today, Gehlot distanced himself from the Goa poll campaigning team stating, “I have never been part of the Goa election campaign and I am unaware of what happened…”

Earlier in the day, OpIndia reported that legal troubles could be mounting for AAP Minister Atishi Marlena. Marlena was AAP Goa In-charge when Rs 45 crores, proceeds of crime generated from liquor scam as per ED, was used for campaigning in the state assembly elections. 

The developments come after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested in this case. He is currently in ED custody, till 1st April. 

IT Department seizes jewellery worth over Rs. 2 crores and Rs. 37 lakh in cash from AAP Minister Kailash Gehlot

This is not the first time that the AAP minister Kailash Gehlot has come under the scanner of law agencies. Earlier, the I-T department seized unaccounted jewellery worth Rs. 28 lakhs from a locker in the name of Delhi minister Kailash Gahlot and his wife. The total seizure amounts to Rs. 2 crores of jewellery and cash of Rs. 37 lakhs. The raid was conducted on 25th October 2018.

Earlier that month, the Income Tax Department had conducted raids on multiple premises associated with AAP leader and Delhi minister Kailash Gehlot in connection with an alleged tax evasion case. The IT officials had conducted searches in at least 16 locations in Delhi and Gurgaon. 

I-T officials had earlier claimed that they found documents showing the Delhi Cabinet Minister evaded Rs 120 crore in taxes. The documents recovered from the minister’s premises showed office boys, peons, and other employees were extended loans and held equity worth Rs. 70 crores in several “shell” companies.

Congress got crores in cash, claims of ‘tax terrorism’ misleading and unfounded: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Congress got crores in cash, claims of ‘tax terrorism’ misleading and unfounded: Report

The Congress party’s claims of ‘tax terrorism’ against central agencies are baseless, a report published on NDTV which cited government sources said. The sources assert that the ongoing assessment proceedings stem from seized incriminating material, as these would have become time-barred on March 31 of this year.

According to the report, the Congress was well aware of these proceedings and was provided with ample time to respond, including during hearings in the Delhi High Court where the party’s plea was denied relief.

Earlier alleging that its bank accounts were frozen due to a ₹200 crore penalty from Income Tax authorities, Congress announced on Friday receiving a fresh tax notice amounting to ₹1,800 crore. This notice covers the assessment years 2017-18 to 2020-21 (financial years 2016-17 to 2019-20), including penalty and interest.

Officials revealed that income tax searches in April 2019 uncovered cash receipts by the Congress from Megha Engineering, a major donor in the electoral bonds scheme, and others. These findings purportedly emerged during raids on associates of Congress leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath.

Allegedly, the total cash receipts between 2013-14 and April 2019 amounted to ₹626 crore, encompassing proceeds from an alleged corruption scandal. Officials claimed this was substantiated through various means, such as documents found during searches, WhatsApp messages, and recorded statements.

Citing Section 13A of the Income Tax Act, officials noted that political parties are exempt from tax on money received if specific conditions, including not accepting amounts over ₹2,000, are met. They argue that Congress violated these conditions, thus becoming liable for tax on its entire income.

“The Congress has managed to secure a stay because the Income Tax department has presented detailed, corroborated evidence in court records. If Congress believes it is innocent, it should release the entire assessment order to the public, and the truth will be revealed,” the report quoted sources as saying.

On Thursday, the Delhi High Court dismissed four petitions by the Congress against income tax reassessment proceedings for the 2017-18 to 2020-21 assessment years.

In response, Congress claims it has received two more tax notices in addition to the ₹1,800-crore demand. Youth Congress members protested in Delhi against what they label as the BJP-led Central government’s “tax terrorism.”

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh remarked on Saturday, “The Congress is under attack, receiving repeated notices. We received two more notices on Friday night, making six after our press conference yesterday. I’m unsure how many more will follow.”

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar commented, alleging that these notices are evidence of the BJP’s fear of the Congress and the INDI alliance. “The BJP understands they will lose the elections, so they attempt to instil fear. I received an Income Tax notice last night regarding a resolved matter,” he claimed.

‘Least expected from a party that says Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon’: Saina Nehwal slams Congress leader for his sexist ‘kitchen’ jibe at BJP candidate

OpIndia Staff
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‘Least expected from a party that says Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon’: Saina Nehwal slams Congress leader for his sexist ‘kitchen’ jibe at BJP candidate

On Saturday, March 30, ace shuttler Saina Nehwal took to social media to slam Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa for his misogynist ‘kitchen’ remark against a BJP female candidate.

London Olympic bronze medalist Saina Nehwal posted, “Woman should be restricted to the kitchen”- This is what a top Karnataka leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa ji has said. This sexist jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate from Davanagere Gayathri Siddeshwara ji is least expected from a party that says Ladki Hoon Lad Sakti Hoon.”

She added, “When I won medals for Bharat on the play field what would the Congress party have preferred I should have done? Why say that when all the girls and women dream of achieving big in any field they like – On one hand, we are doing Nari Shakti ko Vandan. The Women’s Reservation Bill has been passed under the leadership of our PM Modi sir and on the other hand Nari Shakti ka Apmaan & misogynistic people.. Really upsetting.”

On Friday (29th March), veteran Congress leader Shamanur Shivashankarappa courted controversy after he made a sexist jibe at BJP candidate Gayathri Siddeshwara.

While speaking at a party meeting, Shamanur Shivashankarappa claimed “It’s one thing to know how to talk, but they know only to cook in the kitchen, the opposition party doesn’t have the strength to talk in front of the public.”

He made contentious remarks about Gayathri Siddeshwara, a BJP candidate from the Davangere parliamentary constituency. Gayathri is also the wife of ex-Union Minister GM Siddeshwara.

Condemning the sexist jibe aimed at her by a seasoned politician, Gayathri Siddeshwara said that the Congress leader had insulted all women by making this statement.

She said, “Shamanur Shivashankarappa has insulted women with his remarks. Are we confined only to the kitchen? Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given importance to women’s empowerment. But these people keep insulting women.”

She also said, “The old man doesn’t know how much women have progressed, he doesn’t know the love with which all women cook at home for men, children and elders.” Now, badminton player Saina Nehwal has come ahead to condemn the statement by the Congress leader.

Meanwhile, the BJP has complained about Shamanur Shivashankarappa to the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Netherlands: Hostage crisis in a nightclub in Ede town ends peacefully after arrest of suspect, terror angle ruled out

OpIndia Staff
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Netherlands: Hostage crisis in a nightclub in Ede town ends peacefully after arrest of suspect, terror angle ruled out

Hours after an armed man took hostages inside a local nightclub named Petticoat in the eastern town of Ede in The Netherlands, media reports suggest that the hostage crisis has ended. The crisis ended peacefully after the suspect was arrested by the police.

According to the Jerusalem Post, two men, one of them wearing a balaclava mask, exited a nightclub in the eastern Dutch town of Ede where several people had been taken hostage. News agency ANP reported that one was put in handcuffs by police. 

“The last hostage has just been released. One person has been arrested,” a police statement said, adding, “We cannot share more information at this time.”

(Image Source – Sky News)

According to local media, four people were taken hostage after an armed man entered Café Petticoat, in Ede, early on Saturday morning (30th March 2024). The accused had threatened to blow himself up, claiming that he was carrying a bag full of explosives. Reports noted that the accused had weapons and explosives. Police said that the suspect is previously known to them, and he had threatened the hostages with knives.

The motive of the crime is not known yet, but police have ruled out terrorism angle.

While the armed police quickly evacuated the area, they said there was “no indication of a terrorist motive”. However, as a precautionary measure, residents in about 150 homes around the area were evacuated and the town centre was closed down. Additionally, trains to and from Ede were cancelled, railway operator NS said on its website.

A reporter for broadcaster NOS said that a remote-controlled robot was also at the scene apart from the anti-explosive units and police in protective gear.

Before the accused was apprehended, the owner of the cafe told de Telegraaf newspaper that all the hostages were employees. As the development unfolded, three employees were seen by reporters fleeing the area with their hands above their heads.

After some time, the fourth employee also emerged out, ending the hostage crisis. 

Tauseef Ali Farooqui, IIT Guwahati student who pledged allegiance to ISIS, was engaging with ‘Islamist’ ideas for several years through dark web

OpIndia Staff
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Tauseef Ali Farooqui, IIT Guwahati student who pledged allegiance to ISIS, was engaging with ‘Islamist’ ideas for several years through dark web

Tauseef Ali Farooqui, the IIT Guwahati student who was detained by the Assam Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) for uploading a post to pledge allegiance to ISIS, is currently in ATS custody. Based on the investigation and Farooqui’s questioning, a Police officer said that it appears that he had been interested in studying and engaging with “Islamist” ideas for several years, even before he had joined IIT. 

The officer added that the engagement intensified in the last three or four months, with most of it taking place online “through the dark web”. 

Additionally, the police also seized a ‘black flag’ from his hostel room, along with a manuscript. Additional Superintendent of Police Kalyan Kumar Pathak had earlier said that “prima facie, it appears to be similar to the ISIS flag”. He, however, added that the specialised agencies would confirm what organisation the black flag belongs to.

Police referred to Tauseef as “very intelligent” noting that they are not aware why he announced his pledge to ISIS in such an apparent manner that it led Police to nab him. A Police officer said, “We still don’t know what his motive was to announce his desire to join the organisation in a manner that would lead us directly to him.” 

ASP Pathak referred to Farooqui as a “loner” who kept to himself, and “left his room only for classes and had a very limited friend circle”.

On Friday (29th March), Tauseef’s parents reported to the STF police station in Guwahati to meet him. According to reports, his parents are separated. His mother runs a boutique in South Delhi’s Batla House, while his father stays in Patna. Apart from Tauseef, his elder brother is also a graduate of IIT-Kanpur and runs a start-up.

A fourth-year student who resides in the same hostel in which the accused resided, noted that students in the third and fourth year of B.Tech are given their individual hostel rooms, so Farooqui had not had a roommate for the last two years.

Further, a member of the institute’s administration said that he was an above-average student who would have graduated in a month, adding that the developments have surprised the faculty.

Earlier on 23rd March, Assam Police detained Tauseef Ali Farooqui for pledging allegiance to the terrorist group Islamic State (ISIS) via an open letter on the social media platform LinkedIn. Farooqui is a final-year biotechnology student at the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. 

In the email, which police said he had marked to some colleges and IGP Partha Sarathi Mahanta, he wrote that he would make hijrat – which refers to migrating from one’s own land – towards the “region known as Islamic State-Khorasan Province” to pledge his allegiance, beginning the journey on foot from Guwahati, The Indian Express reported. 

(Image Source – LinkedIn)

In the open letter on LinkedIn, Farooqui claimed that he had disassociated himself from the “Indian-Construct that includes the so-called Indian Constitution, its institutions and so on”. It added that he “disassociates” from “infidels, all of them, from every land”.

Later, Farooqui was caught by locals and Hindu Jagaran Manch workers in Damdama in Hajo, near Guwahati. He was seen carrying a black flag and chanting Islamic slogans, and when people confronted him, he said that he supported ISIS. He was then handed over to the police by the locals. A case has been registered with the STF and it includes sections of the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act UAPA. Since Sunday, he has been in police custody for 10 days.

‘Calling spouse ‘bhoot’, ‘pisach’ does not tantamount to cruelty’: Patna HC sets aside husband’s conviction in dowry harassment case

OpIndia Staff
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‘Calling spouse ‘bhoot’, ‘pisach’ does not tantamount to cruelty’: Patna HC sets aside husband’s conviction in dowry harassment case

In a judgement passed on March 22, 2024, pertaining to a dowry harassment case, the Patna High Court observed that a husband calling his wife ‘Bhoot’ (ghost) or ‘Pisach’ (vampire) does not tantamount to cruelty.

The observations were made by Justice Bibek Chaudhuri’s single-judge panel, which was considering a petition submitted by Sahdeo Gupta and his son Naresh Kumar Gupta, both residents of Bokaro, Jharkhand.

Following a complaint from Naresh Gupta’s divorced wife in her hometown of Nawada, the father-son duo had challenged an order issued by a court in the Nalanda district of Bihar.

Back in 1994, Naresh Gupta’s father-in-law filed a complaint against him and his father, claiming that they demanded a Maruti car as a dowry from his daughter. The complaint went on to say that because his daughter couldn’t furnish the demand, she was beaten.

All of these instances, the complaint claimed, had been communicated to him via a series of letters.

Following their petition, the case was eventually moved from Nawada to Nalanda. The father-son duo was sentenced to one year of rigorous imprisonment under section 498A IPC and six months of rigorous imprisonment and a fine of Rs 1,000 under Section 4 of the Dowry Prohibition Act by the Chief Judicial Magistrate in 2008.

Their appeal to the Additional Sessions Court was turned down ten years later, after which the aggrieved petitioners moved to the High Court.

Meanwhile, in between all of this, the Jharkhand High Court granted the couple a divorce.

In the HC, the father-son duo contended that the trial court failed to identify particular allegations against them and that their conviction was based on an omnibus allegation.

They went on to say that the complainant’s daughter never received medical attention, despite claims of torture.

In opposition to the petition that was submitted to the Patna High Court by the father-son duo, the lawyer representing the woman contended that the petitioners used to call the woman “bhoot” and “pishach.”

The lawyer further argued that calling a lady “bhoot” and “pishach” by her in-laws in the twenty-first century was “a form of immense cruelty.”

The Patna HC, however, observed that it was “not in a position to accept such an argument”.

“The learned Advocate for the Opposite Party No. 2 seriously urged that abusing a person saying “Bhoot” and “Pisach” itself is an act of cruelty. This Court is not in a position to accept such argument. In matrimonial relation, especially in failed matrimonial relations there are incidents where both the husband and wife abused each other saying filthy language. However, all such accusations do not come within the veil of “cruelty,” the Court said.

Further, the Court stated that the petitioners and the complainant’s daughter had a long-standing disagreement, and the complainants did not submit any documentation to support their demand for a dowry or the ensuing abuse. Consequently, it was determined that the case resulted from personal animosity and disagreements between the parties.

“It is imperative to differentiate genuine cases of dowry harassment from those filed with ulterior motives, as observed by the Hon’ble Supreme Court in previous judgments,” Justice Chaudhuri added.

The Patna HC, therefore, allowed the revision petition, quashing and setting aside the order of conviction and sentence passed by the trial court under Section 498A of IPC (cruelty by husband or relatives of husband towards a married woman).

Chinese funding case: Delhi Police files over 8,000-page chargesheet against NewsClick and founder Prabir Purkayastha, supplementary chargesheet to be filed soon

OpIndia Staff
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Chinese funding case: Delhi Police files over 8,000-page chargesheet against NewsClick and founder Prabir Purkayastha, supplementary chargesheet to be filed soon

The Delhi Police Special Cell filed a chargesheet on 30th March in the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) case against Prabir Purkayastha, the founder and editor of NewsClick, who was apprehended by the authorities on 3rd October last year along with Human Resources (HR) chief Amit Chakraborty for receiving illicit funding from China that was transferred via the United States. The chargesheet included NewsClick, the news portal, as an additional accused party.

The police team brought two trunks filled with over 8000 pages of the chargesheet to the court. The chargesheet names editors, co-founders, and staff members of the news platform, authorities said. Neville Roy Singham, a billionaire from the United States, has also been identified as the “accused.”

The chargesheet was filed before the Additional Sessions Judge Dr Hardeep Kaur, in Patiala House Court in Delhi. Submitting the chargesheet, Special Public Prosecutors Advocate Akhand Pratap Singh and Suraj Rathi told the court that the chargesheet names Prabir Purkayastha, founder and editor-in-chief of NewsClick, and PPK Newsclick Studio Pvt Ltd as an accused.

The prosecutors also requested the court to defer taking cognizance because sanctions under section 45 of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and section 196 (for prosecution for offence against state and for criminal conspiracy to commit such offence) of Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) are awaited. They said that charges under these sections will be filed in the form of a supplementary chargesheet very soon.

HEaring the pleas, the court fixed April 16, 2024, for arguments on the cognizance point.

The Delhi Police were given an extension by the Patiala House Court in Delhi to file the chargesheet by December of last year. Police were given a two-month extension in February of this year, followed by a 20-day extension.

Under provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the UAPA, the Special Cell filed a formal complaint in this respect in August. The two were placed under judicial custody for a month in November. Purkayastha’s “friendship since 1991” with alleged rights activist Gautam Navlakha, who is being held under house arrest in connection with the Elgar Parishad-Maoist link case, was also highlighted in the First Information Report (FIR). The police mentioned that he has been a shareholder in NewsClick since 2018.

The Special Cell’s FIR against Prabir Purkayastha included a detailed list of assertions, including attempts to portray Arunachal Pradesh and Kashmir as “not parts of India,” attacks on the Indian government’s efforts to combat Covid, financial support for the farmers’ agitation, and “putting up a spirited defence of legal cases” against Chinese telecom companies like Vivo and Xiaomi.

Funds to disseminate propaganda favouring China are reportedly received by NewsClick. The UAPA and the anti-terror law have been invoked against the news company. NewsClick is charged with obtaining more than Rs 80 crore from Chinese companies.

According to the FIR, the news outlet accepted funding from Chinese organizations with the intention of “disrupting the sovereignty of India” and inciting animosity toward the nation. Earlier, a Delhi court gave police a further 10 days to finish their probe into NewsClick founder and editor-in-chief Prabir Purkayastha. Amit Chakravarty, the chief of NewsClick’s HR department and former accuser turned approver, has had his judicial custody extended for an additional ten days.

According to police, raids were carried out in October 2023 at 88 sites in Delhi and seven other states against the suspects listed in the FIR and those whose names came up during data analysis. In addition, Purkayastha is accused of working with the People’s Alliance for Democracy and Secularism (PADS) to undermine the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Purkayastha and Chakraborty were arrested into custody after a full day of searches at more than fifty locations associated with the news portal, its staff and its contributors. The police reported that 46 “suspects” had had their “digital devices” confiscated and were being questioned following the searches, which took place around Mumbai and the National Capital Region. The Delhi office of the news outlet was also sealed by the police.

“Foreign funds in crores have been infused illegally in India by Indian and foreign entities inimical to India in pursuance of conspiracy with the intention to disrupt sovereignty and territorial integrity of India, to cause disaffection against India and to threaten the unity, integrity, security of India,” the Special Cell established in its remand application, citing “secret inputs.”

Arunachal Pradesh was depicted as a disputed area on a new map of India, and the accused were “in direct touch with each other” and “discussing how to create a new map of India without Kashmir,” according to the remand application. They had also received “more than Rs 115 crore” in the “guise of foreign funds” for this purpose. Chakraborty has become an approver in the case, after Purkayastha and he have both been in judicial confinement since November.

The People’s Dispatch Portal, owned and maintained by M/S PPK Newsclick Studio Private Limited has been used for purposefully peddling false narratives through paid news in lieu of crores of rupees of illegally routed foreign funds as part of a conspiracy, based on Delhi Police’s Special Cell’s FIR against NewsClick’s founder and Editor-in-Chief, Prabir Purkayastha.

Ayodhya: Ram Lalla to wear cotton clothes in the summer season; Mandir Trust shares a picture of the deity dressed in handloom cotton

OpIndia Staff
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Ayodhya: Ram Lalla to wear cotton clothes in the summer season; Mandir Trust shares a picture of the deity dressed in handloom cotton

As the summer season begins and temperatures rise, Ram Lalla, the revered deity of the Ayodhya Temple, has switched to more comfortable cotton attire starting from Saturday.

The Shri Ram Janmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra announced on X, “The vastra that Prabhu is wearing today, is made of handloom cotton malmal, dyed with natural indigo, and adorned with gotta flowers.”

This change to lightweight and breathable fabric shows thoughtful consideration for the deity’s comfort during the hot months ahead. Ram Lalla, a cherished 51-inch idol depicting the youthful form of Lord Rama, lovingly known as “Balak Ram,” was sculpted from a rare three billion-year-old black stone by the skilled artisan Arun Yogiraj from Mysuru.

The Pran Pratishtha ceremony for this divine idol took place on January 22, 2024. Meanwhile, in preparation for the upcoming Ram Navami festivities, the Hanumangarhi temple administration convened a meeting on Friday to discuss arrangements for devotees, temple officials reported.

The district administration of Ayodhya and the police were also in attendance at this meeting. Officials discussed provisions for drinking water, placing special emphasis on providing toilets to prevent devotees’ discomfort from the summer heat.

This meeting was prompted by incidents where a few devotees had fainted due to heat and lack of water. Senior saints of Hanumangarh, the National President of Sankat Mochan Sena Sanjay Das, Ayodhya Mayor Girishpati Tripathi, the Circle Officer of Ayodhya, senior police officers, and officials from the Municipal Corporation all participated in this meeting.

Both the police administration and Ayodhya Mayor have assured that visitors will not encounter any issues and that all necessary arrangements will be made for the convenience of devotees during Ram Navami.

Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of devotees continue to flock to Ayodhya following the Pran Pratishtha ceremony of Lord Ram Lalla. Many visit the Hanumangarhi Ram Temple daily, with their numbers steadily increasing.

‘Bhagwant Mann backstabbed us, won’t let AAP leaders enter our villages’: Farmers take to streets in Punjab, burn effigy of CM

OpIndia Staff
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‘Bhagwant Mann backstabbed us, won’t let AAP leaders enter our villages’: Farmers take to streets in Punjab, burn effigy of CM

The farmers of Punjab have opened a protest front against the Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party government. Farmers protested in Amritsar on Saturday (30 March) against the state government’s decision regarding the market committee and burnt the effigy of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.

During the demonstration, the protesters called him ‘anti-farmer’ and raised slogans against him. Farmers protesting near the Golden Gate in Amritsar said that they would fight against the dictatorship of Bhagwant Mann.

They said that the AAP government in Punjab has decided to dissolve 26 market committees, which is against the interests of farmers and labourers. They accused Bhagwant Mann of backstabbing farmers.

One of the farmers said, “Farmers and labourers are burning the effigy of the Bhagwant Mann government. Bhagwant Mann’s government has backstabbed the farmers of Punjab. And has caused damage to us. The government dissolved 26 market committees in Punjab. They have handed over all the work to 9 corporates. In protest, we are burning the effigy of Bhagwant Mann.”

He added, “To save his government, Bhagwant Mann strangled Punjabis. I call upon the traders that if they want to stay in the market, then speak against the government. I will ask the market committee officials to come ahead against them. In due course, we will decide what decision to take against the Bhagwant Mann government.”

In another video, this farmer said, “We will also decide whether to allow the Aam Aadmi Party to enter the village or not if this notification is not cancelled. Along with this, we would like to tell the Bhagwant Mann government that if you do not withdraw this decision, then you will also have to face us.”

The farmer from Punjab said that the Aam Aadmi Party government has turned agro-markets into corporate yards. He said that the decision to buy, sell and store wheat for the year 2023-24 has been given to the corporate companies. He warned that the protest would now reach a climax in Punjab.

Notably, the Punjab state government has amended the Market Committees Act and dissolved the market committees to merge with various other departments. This has provoked the farmers of Punjab who are now accusing the Bhagwant Mann government of dictatorship and working against the farmers and labourers.

‘Congress will split after PM Modi comes to power for the third time’: BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai

ANI
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‘Congress will split after PM Modi comes to power for the third time’: BJP leader Basavaraj Bommai

Former Chief Minister of Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday claimed that the Congress party has given tickets to the family members of the ministers due to the lack of suitable candidates.

“The ruling party will split after the parliamentary polls,” Bommai said.

He told reporters that the Congress party would split within three months after Narendra Modi would take oath as the prime minister for the third time. It would have an impact on Karnataka also.

“The Dynasty politics has been there in the Congress party and it wasn’t new. But this time giving more tickets to the kith and kin of the ministers was for a different reason. The High command had asked ten ministers to contest in the parliamentary polls but they were not confident to win the election. When the national leaders asked them to suggest suitable candidates, they got the tickets to their sons, daughters, son-in-law, daughter-in-law and brother. This would not benefit the party at all as the voters have decided to vote for PM Modi,” he added.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader in Karnataka Basavaraj Bommai is contesting from the Gadag-Haveri Lok Sabha constituency in the Lok Sabha elections.

Further, the former CM said he would decide tomorrow when to file the nomination as Lok Sabha candidate.

Karnataka, which has 28 Lok Sabha seats, will vote in two phases on April 26 and May 7.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and JD-S fought together against the BJP and the combine was decimated.

The BJP had won a record 25 seats; Congress and JD-S won just one seat each. The Lok Sabha Elections 2024 will be held in seven phases, starting on April 19. The counting of votes is on June 4.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

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