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1984 Anti-Sikh riot accused Jagdish Tytler joins Congress protest against Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification

ANI
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1984 Anti-Sikh riot accused Jagdish Tytler joins Congress protest against Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification

Former Congress MP and 1984 anti-Sikh riots accused Jagdish Tytler joined the Congress protest at Raj Ghat, where the party is carrying out ‘Sankalp Satyagraha’ against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi. 

Notably, the name of Tytler made headlines in February too, when he was elected as an All India Congress Committee (AICC) member. The Congress is holding Sankalp Satyagraha at Raj Ghat. Priyanka Gandhi arrived at Raj Ghar for the protest on Sunday. Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, party general secretary KC Venugopal and several other party leaders also joined the protest. 

Rahul Gandhi, on Friday, 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. 

The decision came pertaining to his remark made in April 2019, where he had said “how come all the thieves have Modi as the common surname” at a Lok Sabha election rally at Kolar in Karnataka. The court approved Gandhi’s bail on a surety and stayed the sentence for 30 days to allow him to approach the higher courts. 

After being convicted in the defamation case and subsequently disqualified from Lok Sabha, Gandhi, hit out BJP. While addressing a press conference, Gandhi said that he is not scared of going to prison and his disqualification from Parliament was aimed at distracting people from the Adani issue.

“Moot question remains who invested Rs 20,000 crore in Adani shell firms. I will keep asking the question,” he said. 
The former MP alleged that BJP-led central government is allegedly protecting businessman Gautam Adani, who has been accused of stock manipulation 

“Why is the BJP-led centre is allegedly protecting the businessman Gautam Adani? Kyuki aap hi Adani ho,” he alleged. 

Attacking PM Modi, he said, “Prime Minister was scared of the next speech that was going to come on Adani. I have seen it in his eyes. That is why, first the distraction and then the disqualification”. 

The BJP hit back at him with Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur stating that the central government and Lok Sabha have no role to play in his disqualification and that Rahul Gandhi “is a case of political immaturity”. 

BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad also slammed Rahul Gandhi saying his utterances on Modi’s surname “were abusive, not critical and that the BJP is going launch a stir against his insult to OBCs.”

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

Meet Irfan Mehraj, Editor of ‘Two Circles’, the first to be arrested by NIA in a terror funding case and how left-liberals are painting him as victim

Dibakar Dutta
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Meet Irfan Mehraj, Editor of ‘Two Circles’, the first to be arrested by NIA in a terror funding case and how left-liberals are painting him as victim

On March 20 this year, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested ‘journalist’ Irfan Mehraj in connection with a ‘terror funding case’, which was registered in October 2020.

In a statement, the central agency stated that Mehraj was a close associate of ‘activist’ Khurram Parvez and a member of the Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS).

“Investigation revealed that the JKCCS was funding terror activities in the valley and had also been in (the) propagation of secessionist agenda in the Valley under the garb of protection of human rights,” NIA informed.

It further added that several registered and unregistered NGOs and Trusts operating in Jammu and Kashmir have developed links with terror outfits such as Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Soon after his employer ‘Two Circles.Net’ tried to distance itself from the accused by dubbing Irfan Mehraj as a mere contributor to the non-profit propaganda portal (although he worked as an Editor).

In a statement, it said, “TCN has learned that one of our editorial contributors Mr. Irfan Mehraj has been arrested…Since 2020, Irfan has worked as an independent contractor with TCN assuming editorial and writing responsibilities for our English section.”

Two Circles.Net further claimed, “Although the alleged activity of Mr. Mehraj is from a period before his association with TCN, we are concerned about the seriousness of the charges and are monitoring the situation.”

As per the LinkedIn profile of Irfan Mehraj, he started working as the Editor of TCN in April 2020. And the case in question was registered in October of that year. It implied his involvement in the case was during his tenure at the propaganda portal.

Moreover, ‘Two Circles.Net’ was privy to the fact that the accused was working as a ‘researcher’ with the dubious outfit, Jammu and Kashmir Coalition of Civil Societies (JKCCS) since 2016. In a detailed research by D-Intent Data, an online research group, it was found that Mehraj worked at TCN and JKCCS at same time for a few months. His association with both the organisations overlapped for a few months in 2020.

In a Facebook post from June 2020, Irfan Mehraj was seen in awe of controversial activist Khurram Parvez. “You keep inspiring us every day,” he wrote.

Although ‘Two Circles.Net’ has tried to pass off the accused as a ‘contributor’, its founder Kashif-ul-Huda was seen referring to Irfan Mehraj as a ‘Editor’ in one of his tweets.

Interestingly, Kashif had expressed his displeasure over the recent verdict of the Supreme Court, which held that mere membership of an unlawful organisation is enough to constitute an offence under the stringent Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Presumably, this is why ‘Two Circles. Net’ is now trying to distance itself from Irfan Mehraj. However, this did not stop the usual suspects from painting the accused ‘journalist’ as a victim on social media.

Financial fraud accused Washington Post columnist Rana Ayyub shared an Instagram post of ‘Maktoob media’, decrying the arrest of Irfan Mehraj, and wrote, “The tyranny.”

Maktoob Media is a dubious website which is often found spreading fake news about ‘hate crimes’ on Muslims in India, in a bid to what appears to be creating a wedge amongst Indians. The page is regularly promoted by terror apologists. Interesting, Maktoob Media Facebook page started out as a fanpage of former Congress IT head Divya Spandana.

Suchitra Vijayan, the founder of the George Soros-funded-Polis Project, claimed, “Kashmiri journalist IrfanMeraj was arrested by the National Investigation Agency under draconian UAPA in Srinagar today. He has been moved to Delhi. Irfan is a reporter and the founding editor of Wande Magazine.”

Former CM of Jammu and Kashmir, Mehbooba Mufti, tweeted, “While conmen are given a free run in Kashmir, journalists like Irfan Mehraj are arrested for doing their duty by speaking the truth. Draconian laws like UAPA are abused constantly to ensure that the process itself becomes the punishment.”

The Editor of the ‘Kashmiriyat’, Qazi Shibil, wrote, “Lest we forget: Irfan Mehraj, another Kashmiri journalist was arrested today from his residence in Srinagar. He is the latest addition to Kashmiri journalists to be jailed. Three are currently jailed under PSA: Fahad Shah: 411 days Asif Sultan: 1668 days Sajad Gul: 436 days.”

As expected, the Press Club of India, Editors Guild of India, Amnesty and Al Jazeera left no stone unturned to defend terror accused Irfan Mehraj and dub his arrest under UAPA as attack on press freedom in India.

Khalistanis threaten the Indian Ambassador to the United States Taranjit Sandhu in Washington DC: Watch video

OpIndia Staff
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Khalistanis threaten the Indian Ambassador to the United States Taranjit Sandhu in Washington DC: Watch video

On Saturday, a group of Khalistani protestors hurled abuses and threatened Taranjit Sandhu, the Indian Ambassador to the US in Washington DC. Some of the protestors were also seen inciting violence and to vandalise the Indian embassy. 

In a video tweeted by ANI, one of the Khalistani demonstrators is heard making baseless claims about alleged killings of religious minorities in India. 

“Mr. Taranjit Singh Sandhu, the face of Indian terror diplomacy in the free world, we want to remind him that it is unacceptable for you guys to kill minorities, rape Christian women, to kill innocent Sikh men, to kill Muslims, people in Nagaland and then come here and say you are the biggest democracy, this hypocrisy comes to an end now,” Khalistani protestor said.

Protesters were seen trying to instigate violence against the embassy staff through their speeches, not just in India but also doing physical damage to the Indian Embassy’s property.

Earlier it was reported that a Washington-based Indian journalist Lalit Jha was physically attacked and verbally abused by pro-Khalistan supporters in Washington, DC. Jha was covering a pro-Khalistan protest outside the Indian Embassy on Saturday afternoon. 

Speaking to ANI, Jha said, “The pro-Khalistan protestors in support of Amrit Pal waved Khalistan flags and descended upon the embassy in the presence of the US Secret Service. They even openly threatened the Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu.”

The protesters included turbaned men of all ages who raised pro-Khalistan slogans. They came in from different parts of the DC-Maryland- Virginia (DMV) area. Anti-India speeches were made in English and Punjabi targeting Punjab Police over alleged human rights violations.  

Muslim students offer namaz in Sanskriti University in Mathura, video viral

OpIndia Staff
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Muslim students offer namaz in Sanskriti University in Mathura, video viral

A video of the incident wherein six Muslim students performed the namaz at Sanskriti University in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh has sparked outrage. Hindu organizations have since voiced their objection. The Hindu Mahasabha has warned to recite the Hanuman Chalisa in the university if action is not taken against people who offered namaz on the varsity premises.

The students reciting the namaz at the esteemed Sanskriti University campus in Mathura are Kashmiri Muslims. According to reports, a university student recorded the video and made it viral on social media.

The “All India Hindu Mahasabha” protested vehemently at the Collectorate over the namaz being offered at the University. A memorandum has also been sent to the Collector along with this. According to Chhaya Gautam, district president of the Hindu Mahasabha, Namaz has long been offered at the university. Although they already had information about the situation, Chhaya continued, there was no proof. Now that the video has emerged, there is evidence of this. The All India Hindu Mahasabha leader also warned of a massive protest if action is not taken against the accused students.

Memorandum submitted by All India Hindu Mahasabha (Image via Bhaskar)

82 Muslim students who are enrolled in the university, according to Chhaya Gautam, have received government scholarships. Most of these students are residents of Jammu and Kashmir. Namaz is being performed consistently at the university for the last 6 days. Gautam also asserted that he had a video of the incident.

The offering of Namaz in a university, however, has been deemed a serious issue by Dinesh Sharma, the national treasurer of the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha. The Akhil Bhartiya Hindu Mahasabha, according to him, will not accept this way of offering Namaz in the temple of education. Hanuman Chalisa will be recited in the university by the Hindu Mahasabha if action is not taken in this matter promptly. Despite the ongoing protest and action, the people of the particular community are not desisting from their actions. The Hindu Mahasabha office bearers will also be performing the ‘Shuddhi’ (purification) of the campus with Gangajal. 

The university’s PRO, Kishan Chaturvedi, has described the matter as old. Chaturvedi claimed that the namaz was offered 25–30 days ago.  After the matter came to their notice, the Muslim students were counseled. Students perform religious activities in their hostel rooms only. The issue is being exaggerated for no apparent reason.

Hindu shopkeepers assaulted in Pakistan for ‘violating Ramzan ordinance’

ANI
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Hindu shopkeepers assaulted in Pakistan for ‘violating Ramzan ordinance’

Hindu shopkeepers were assaulted in Bahawalpur Division in the Punjab province of Pakistan for allegedly “violating the Ramzan Ordinance” for preparing food for delivery, Pakistan based The Express Tribune newspaper reported. 

The police officer in a video that went viral on social media, was seen roaming the Ghotki district with a stick in his hands. The police officer thrashed Hindu restaurant owners including Hindu men who were reportedly preparing biryani for delivery orders in the local market. 

“I swear that I belong to the Hindu community, and he is taking away food. We do not run the dining service indoors during Ramzan,” a man who was arrested by the police said, according to The Express Tribune. 

The SHO, however, publicly forced the Hindu restaurant owner to take an oath on his sacred book. 

He tortured, harassed, manhandled, and arrested more than one dozen people including Hindu shopkeepers after physically assaulting them, The Express Tribune newspaper reported. 

The Sindh Human Rights Commission (SHRC), after the video went viral, took notice and wrote to the deputy inspector general (DIG) Sukkur and senior superintendent of police (SSP) Ghotki to take action against the police officer, The Express Tribune reported. 

“The act is a violation of fundamental rights of citizens regardless of their religion and beliefs and goes against Article 20 of the Constitution of Pakistan, which guarantees the freedom to profess and manage religious institutions,” a letter issued by the SHRC stated. 

It added that the SHO’s behaviour was against the landmark judgment by former chief justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani on minority rights, issued on June 19, 2014. 

SHRC Chairperson Iqbal Detho asked senior police officials to probe into the matter and take action against the SHO. 

Station House Officer (SHO) Kabil Bhayo of the Khanpur police station has been suspended. 

According to The Express Tribune, it is important to note that the Ramazan Ordinance states that only people who are obligated to fast under the tenants of Islam are barred from eating, drinking, and smoking in public places during fasting hours in the month of Ramazan. 

Pakistan’s minority communities, including Hindus, Christians, Sikhs and Ahmadis, continue to live under clouds of fear and persecution by the majority community, according to Pakistan vernacular media. 

Several members of minorities, including a Sri Lankan national, have been killed and attacked in various cities and towns of Punjab, Sindh, and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for allegedly committing blasphemy, which in this country is commonly used to settle personal scores relating to business, financial and land issues. 

Abduction, forcible conversion to Islam and marriage of Hindu girls, mostly minors to Muslims, continue unabated in various areas of Pakistan, particularly in Sindh without invoking any concern and attention of the administration, human rights organisations, mainstream media and social media platforms in Pakistan. 

Amid the persecution of minorities, rights experts have said Pakistan’s legal system is in need of urgent reform to protect the safety and dignity of the minorities including the Ahmadi community. 

Notably, the Ahmadi community in Pakistan lives as second-class citizens. The anti-Ahmadi Muslim sentiment is powerful in Pakistan. It is amongst one of the most persecuted minority communities in the country. 

A member of rights groups expressed alarm and a strong sense of outrage at the continued exodus of religious minority communities in the country and said that the state has consistently failed to allay the concerns of these communities despite repeated reminders by civil society. 

Meanwhile, Dawn recently reported that this year, Ramazan in Pakistan will be tougher than previous years for many low and middle-income group people due to skyrocketing prices. 

During Ramazan, after over 12 hours of fasting, people try to enjoy lavish iftar by arranging many items. But many people with mediocre wages and salaries are likely to limit their purchases this year, according to Dawn. 

The responsibility thus lies with the government to ensure the availability of edible items at cheaper rates not only throughout the year but especially in the holy month. 

It is, however, hard to expect any special measures to bring price relief, as the government continues to remain engaged in political and economic chaos and hopes for approval of the International Monetary Fund loan (IMF).  

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

‘F*ck Modi, f*ck Indian govt’: Pro-Khalistan supporters get verbally and physically abusive to Indian journalist at Indian Embassy in Washington DC

OpIndia Staff
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‘F*ck Modi, f*ck Indian govt’: Pro-Khalistan supporters get verbally and physically abusive to Indian journalist at Indian Embassy in Washington DC

Washington-based Indian journalist Lalit Jha was physically attacked and verbally abused by pro-Khalistan supporters in Washington, DC. Jha wascovering a pro-Khalistan protest outside the Indian Embassy on Saturday afternoon. The visuals of the assault have gone viral on social media.

Note: Abusive language, viewer discretion advised.

Jha is a journalist associated with news agency Press Trust of India (PTI).

Visuals shared online show a huge mob brandishing Khalistan flags mounted on wooden poles, using them to smash glass doors and windows of the consulate building. They raised pro-Khalistan slogans as they broke through makeshift security barriers raised by the city police and installed two Khalistani flags inside the premises. The United States strongly condemned the attack on the Indian consulate in San Francisco by a group of separatist Sikhs, terming it absolutely unacceptable. 

Jha thanked the US Secret Service for protecting him and helping him do his job. In a tweet, he said how he was hit on his ear with two sticks by Khalistani supporters.

“Thank you @SecretService 4 my protection 2day 4 helping do my job, otherwise I would have been writing this from hospital. The gentleman below hit my left ear with these 2 sticks & earlier I had to call 9/11 & rushed 2 police van 4 safety fearing physical assault,” Jha tweeted. 

“At one point I felt so threatened that I called 911. I then spotted Secret Service officers and narrated the incident to them,” Jha told news agency ANI, adding the protesters took charge of the situation. However, the journalist decided to take no action against those who heckled him. 

“The pro-Khalistan protestors in support of Amrit Pal waved Khalistan flags and descended upon the embassy in the presence of the US Secret Service. They even openly threatened to vandalize the embassy and threatened the Indian Ambassador Taranjit Singh Sandhu,” Jha told ANI. 

The protesters included turbaned men of all ages who raised pro-Khalistan slogans. They came in from different parts of the DC-Maryland- Virginia (DMV) area. Anti India speeches were made in English and Punjabi targeting Punjab Police over alleged human rights violation.  

Multiple events of protests by supporters of Khalistan have been staged outside the Indian embassy in US and UK where Khalistanis have resorted to violence.

“The United States condemns the attack against the Indian Consulate and any attack against diplomatic facilities within the United States. We pledge to defend the safety and security of these facilities as well as the diplomats who work within them,” US State Department spokesperson told news agency ANI. 

ABP News-Matrize poll predicts landslide victory for BJP in Uttar Pradesh if elections are held today, Muslims prefer Samajwadi Party

OpIndia Staff
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ABP News-Matrize poll predicts landslide victory for BJP in Uttar Pradesh if elections are held today, Muslims prefer Samajwadi Party

ABP News and Matrize conducted a survey in Uttar Pradesh to estimate which party will win how many seats if the Lok Sabha polls were held now. The results of the opinion poll have shown that the people of Uttar Pradesh have bolstered their trust in the Bharatiya Janata Party and chief minister Yogi Adityanath. However, the Muslims in Uttar Pradesh, according to this survey, have preferred Samajwadi Party.

The survey was conducted between 7th March and 22nd March when ABP News and Matrize registered the opinions of people in Uttar Pradesh on various aspects. The points covered in the survey were the preferred political party in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the party liked by Muslims, if bulldozer action by the Yogi Adityanath government is appropriate, and if the governance of the Yogi Adityanath government is satisfactory. People from all 403 assembly constituencies were surveyed.

BJP is still the most favorite choice for Lok Sabha

In this survey, the mood of the public about 80 Lok Sabha seats of UP was checked. According to this survey, out of 80 seats in the state, the BJP alliance is winning 67-73 seats, the Samajwadi Party and its allied parties are getting 3-6 seats, BSP may get 0-4, and Congress will have to settle on 1-2 seats.

In terms of vote share in the state, the BJP alliance may get 63 percent votes, the SP alliance gets 19 percent, BSP gets 11 percent, Congress can get 4 percent, and others will get 3 percent votes if the Lok Sabha elections are to be held today. It is notable that 18 to 27 seats of the BJP will be from the western Uttar Pradesh region, according to this survey.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP+ won 64 of the 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh, which was followed by the BSP with 10 seats. The SP-RLD alliance won 5, and the Congress party won only 1 seat.

BJP predicted to win assembly elections also

Like Lok Sabha, BJP along with its alliances is predicted to win the assembly polls also, if they were to be held today. According to the opinion poll, BJP+ can win massive 298-308 seats in the 403-seat house. Samajwadi is predicted to come second with respected 98-108 seats. BSP and Congress have almost vanished from the state according to the poll, with 0-5 for BSP and 1-2 seats for Congress.

People of Uttar Pradesh liked Yogi Adityanath’s bulldozer action

ABP News also checked people’s opinions about the bulldozer action of the Yogi Adityanath government. In this survey, 54% of the people said that Yogi Adityanath’s bulldozer action is effective against the mafia. At the same time, 31% of the people said that it is effective to some extent and 15% of the people said that it is just a gimmick to seek attention.

Yogi Adityanath’s governance has impressed the people of Uttar Pradesh

In this survey, ABP News also inquired about people’s views on the governance of the Yogi Adityanath government. 52 percent of the people said that CM Yogi’s work is very good. At the same time, 27 percent of the people say that CM Yogi’s governance is satisfactory. According to this survey, 21 percent of people have described his work as very bad.

Samajwadi Party pleases Muslims even while in opposition

% People were also asked, in this survey, about whom they think to be the party liked the most by the Muslims in the state. Samajwadi Party with 68% has topped the chart. It is followed by Bahujan Samaj Party (17%), and the Bharatiya Janata Party (9%). 6% of people voted for others.

Other trends examined in the opinion poll

Besides these, the survey asked some other questions to the people. Regarding Rahul Gandhi’s recent jail sentence and disqualification from Lok Sabha, 43 percent of the people believe that the termination of his membership is right. At the same time, 31 percent of the respondents said that the statement given by Rahul Gandhi was wrong but he should have been retained in the parliament while 22 percent of the people said that they disagreed with the punishment. 4 percent of the people did not know about it.

In this survey, people have also given opinions about the work of the central government and the performance of PM Modi. 37% of the people have described the performance of the central government as very good, 41% people as satisfactory, and 22% people as very poor. On the other hand, 52% have described PM Modi’s performance as very good, 32% as satisfactory, and 16% as very poor.

Karnataka: PM Modi inaugurates KR Puram to Whitefield metro line in Bengaluru, addresses a huge rally in Davanagere

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: PM Modi inaugurates KR Puram to Whitefield metro line in Bengaluru, addresses a huge rally in Davanagere

On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi formally inaugurated the much-awaited 13.71 km Krishnarajapura (KR Puram) to Whitefield (Kadugodi) Namma Metro line, which could benefit lakhs of IT professionals working in the tech corridor of Bengaluru.

Officials with the Bangalore Metro Rail Company (BMRCL) have stated that commercial operations will commence from 7 am onwards on Sunday. The stretch is constructed as part of phase II of Namma Metro’s extended purple line, which runs from Baiyappanahalli to Whitefield (15.50 km) and it would shorten travel time on this route by 40% besides easing the traffic congestion in the city.

At around 1:00 p.m., PM Modi arrived at the Whitefield metro station and inaugurated the route. Then, he rode the train from there to Sri Satya Sai hospital and back with students, metro employees, and other passengers.

Prior to boarding the train, the Prime Minister was spotted purchasing a ticket at the Whitefield station. Thawar Chand Gehlot the governor of Karnataka, and Basavaraj S Bommai, the chief minister, were in his company.

Bengaluru’s metro network will extend 69.66 kilometres and include 63 stops once the new line is operational. After Delhi, the city’s metro system will have the second-largest operating network. According to BMRCL officials, the opening of the line will help five to six lakh local residents serving in information technology parks, export promotion industrial areas, malls, hospitals and several Fortune 500 companies, at a cost of 4,249 crores.

There will be 12 stations on the railway. BMRCL will operate five trains on the line, with a frequency of every ten minutes, and a travel time of 23 minutes between two destinations.

By the middle of the year, the 2 km line from Baiyappanahalli to Krishnarajapura is likely to be operational. A new station, Benniganahalli (formerly known as Jyotipuram), will be opened in between the two existing ones.

In addition to this, he also inaugurated ‘Sri Madhusudan Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research’ (SMSIMSR) & ‘Sri Sathya Sai Rajeswari Memorial Block’, a completely free-of-cost medical college and hospital, at Sathya Sai Grama, Muddenahalli in Chikkaballapura district.

PM Modi holds ‘huge rally’ in Davanagere

In the run-up to the 2023 Karnataka assembly elections, the prime minister spoke at the massive ‘Vijaya Sankalp Yatre Maha Sangama’ rally in Davanagere and asserted that only his party can guarantee the state’s overall development.

He highlighted that the BJP has transformed the ‘Politics of Perception’ in the country into the ‘Politics of Performance,’ noting that India had been embroiled in ‘dirty politics’ for years. “Our country had been mired in dirty politics for years. What prevailed in the country then was the politics of allegation and blame game. But since coming to power, the BJP has transformed the ‘Politics of Perception’ in the country into the ‘Politics of Performance’.”

Attacking the opposition, he emphasised, “Karnataka saw and suffered opportunistic and selfish governments for a long time, which affected its progress. That is why a stable government of the BJP is the need of the hour, in the interest of the state’s development.”

“Karnataka had seen years of governance by selfish and opportunistic alliances. Such governments inflicted grave harm to the state,” he proclaimed.

The BJP stalwart, in a stinging strike on Congress, remarked, “BJP wants to make Karnataka the driving force for a developed India. However, the Congress sees Karnataka as merely a means to fill the pockets of some of its leaders.” He added that Congress shouts ‘Modi Teri Qabr Khudegi,’ (Modi you will die) but they are unaware that the people of Karnataka say ‘Modi Tera Kamal Khilega’ (Modi you will win).

He had chastised Congress, earlier this month, for the same comment, while addressing a public rally at the inauguration event of the Bengaluru-Mysuru motorway in Mandya, Karnataka.

He also took a veiled dig at the former chief minister of Karnataka and congress leader Siddaramaiah for slapping a party worker. “Those who can’t respect their own party workers, how will they respect the people of Karnataka.”

Referring to his government as ‘pro-poor,’ he stressed that the BJP in Karnataka has worked for the marginalised people of the state. “Our government has been empowering the Dalits, poor, women and the oppressed sections. Ours has been a pro-poor government.”

He observed that the mega rally is an indication that BJP will return to power in the state. He also announced that Karnataka had made the decision to reinstate the double-engine government in their state.

Prior to the event, Prime Minister Modi staged a major road show, during which a large audience lined the streets, chanted his name and showered him with petals.

He also paid his homage to the great visionary leader Sir M. Visvesvaraya who was born in Chikkaballapur district and visited a museum that ‘celebrates his life and accomplishments.’

The current Karnataka Assembly’s tenure is set to expire on May 24. The Electoral Commission is anticipated to make a formal declaration regarding the election schedule soon.

Sanjay Raut next to get disqualified? Maharashtra speaker sends report on breach of privilege motion over his ‘chormandal’ remarks to Rajya Sabha chairman

OpIndia Staff
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Sanjay Raut next to get disqualified? Maharashtra speaker sends report on breach of privilege motion over his ‘chormandal’ remarks to Rajya Sabha chairman

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) MP Sanjay Raut’s breach of privilege notice has been referred to vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar by the deputy chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council Neelam Gorhe. The privilege motion was moved against Sanjay Raut in the Maharashtra Assembly for calling the legislative assembly ‘chormandal’ which means an assembly of thieves.

Sanjay Raut’s ‘chormandal’ remarks about Maharashtra’s legislative assembly were probed by a privilege committee. The committee found the explanation given by Sanjay Raut in this regard insufficient and hence the notice was referred to vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar.

Remarks by the legislative assembly speaker

While speaking in this regard, Maharashtra legislative assembly speaker Rahul Narvekar said, “The deadline was extended till March 20 to give an explanation regarding the breach of privilege case against Sanjay Raut. He has submitted an explanation in this regard. I gave a thought to the explanations he submitted. But it did not seem satisfactory. Therefore, I have reached the conclusion that it is a breach of privilege.”

He said that the reply was ‘incorrect’ and highly ‘unsatisfactory’, adding, “Raut has doubted the very fairness of the esteemed house by uttering derogatory remarks against its members.” He said that the matter has been referred to the Rajya Sabha chairman because Raut is a member of Rajya Sabha.

Remarks by the deputy chairman of the legislative council

The deputy chairman of the Maharashtra Legislative Council Neelam Gorhe said in the legislative council, “Sanjay Raut Raut, in his response, had raised questions about the composition of the House’s privilege committee, its impartiality, and functioning. Being a senior member of the Rajya Sabha, it is not expected that he (Raut) raises questions about the functioning of the privilege committee. So I do not completely agree with his response and I don’t find it satisfactory. Therefore, I am referring the breach of privilege notice to Rajya Sabha Chairman and Vice President for appropriate action.”

‘Chormandal’ remarks by Sanjay Raut

Sanjay Raut had said, “There is a fake Shiv Sena in the legislature, it’s a gang of thieves.” He made this statement on 1st March 2023 during his tour to Kolhapur. The Shinde faction of Shiv Sena and the BJP then objected to this and demanded contempt proceedings against Sanjay Raut. Following the demand, the assembly speaker sent a notice to Sanjay Raut in this regard. In response to the notice, Sanjay Raut alleged that it was the ploy of the political opponents to process breach of privilege proceedings against him. He also claimed that he always had respect for the legislature. He had also said that he had not made any statement that would bring disrepute to the legislature.

Referring to the motion against him, Raut has said that it is against him is an attempt to disqualify him as an MP just like Rahul Gandhi. “In the same way Rahul Gandhi was treated with undeserving action, efforts are on to disqualify my membership to the Rajya Sabha. Shiv Sena under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray is the real Shiv Sena. All the rest are venomous seeds. I will stay with that Shiv Sena till the end. I am ready to pay any price for that. If I wanted to apologise, then I would not have gone to jail. If I went to Surat and Guwahati, I would not have gone to jail. I’m with Balasaheb Thackeray’s Shiv Sena. Even I got offers and threats too, but I, not scared of anyone,” Raut said.

What is a breach of privilege?

The breach of privilege motion is a right against the violation of special rights given to the lawmakers in Parliament or Assembly. If a person disregards the members of the Assembly either personally or collectively or hurts them by commenting, it qualifies to be called a breach of privilege. Also, if a member makes such a comment during the session which hurts the dignity of the House, then in such a situation, action can be taken against that member under contempt of the House and breach of privilege. If a breach of privilege notice is raised against an MP in the Rajya Sabha, the matter is referred to the Committee of Privileges for examination. The committee then investigates the matter and submits its report to the house.

The legislature of Maharashtra thus formed a committee and referred the report to Jagdeep Dhankhar as Sanjay Raut is a Rajya Sabha MP. If the committee finds the MP guilty of breaching the privileges of the house, it can recommend various actions, including the expulsion of the MP from the house. Recently, former Congress MP Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from his Lok Sabha membership as he was convicted in a criminal defamation case. It remains to be seen if Sanjay Raut becomes the next MP to get disqualified.

Minor ST girl escapes gang rape attempt in Jharkhand, three accused Amiruddin, Mehboob, and Sheikh Aslam arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Minor ST girl escapes gang rape attempt in Jharkhand, three accused Amiruddin, Mehboob, and Sheikh Aslam arrested

On Thursday, March 23, three persons reportedly attempted to rape a minor girl belonging to the tribal society in the Gumla district of Jharkhand. Three accused identified as Amiruddin Khan (24), Mehboob Khan (19), and Sheikh Aslam (23) have been arrested. After failing to rape the victim, the three assaulted her and threw her from a moving vehicle. The victim is currently receiving medical treatment at a nearby hospital. 

Media reports state that the three accused first abducted a 13-year-old girl near the Chainpur police station area before taking her to Chainpur College Tongri. Here, all three accused made an attempt to gang rape the victim. When the girl objected, the accused persons attempted to silence her by assaulting her.

Reportedly, when the victim started screaming, the accused youths decided to flee, however, they also took the victim along with them in a vehicle. Later, when the victim started screaming again, Amiruddin Khan, Mehboob Khan, and Sheikh Aslam threw her from the moving vehicle, leaving her severely injured.  When the victim’s relatives got to know about the matter, they brought her to the hospital. The victim then informed her family members about the incident. Following this, the family of the victim filed a police complaint. Acting upon the complaint, police arrested the accused persons who are being questioned.

The Jharkhand government has come under fire from the Bharatiya Janata Party over this alleged attempt at rape case.

According to Yogendra Pratap, the co-in charge of BJP’s state media in Jharkhand, “The courage of such elements is at its peak due to the Hemant Soren government’s appeasement policy.”

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