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West Bengal Election Opinion Polls: Mamata Banerjee may lose Nandigram, BJP projected to form the government

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal Election Opinion Polls: Mamata Banerjee may lose Nandigram, BJP projected to form the government

West Bengal is all set to cast its vote for 294 assembly seats in eight phases spread between March 27 and April 29. If the numbers are to be believed in the recent opinion polls by different agencies, Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress will face a major setback. The WB elections are expected to put a big smile on the faces of BJP supporters in the state. On the other hand, the grand alliance between Congress, ISF and the Left is not expected to grab any major vote share.

India News-Jan Ki Baat Opinion Poll

On March 23, India News and Jan Ki Baat released their opinion poll for the upcoming West Bengal elections. The survey was conducted by a team of 300 field researchers and analysts led by psephologist Pradeep Bhandari. The sample size of the survey was over 40,000. One of the biggest points that the opinion poll made was a possible setback for Mamata Banerjee in Nandigram.

As per the survey, BJP will get approx 44.8% vote share while TMC will get 44.10 vote share. Grand Alliance and others will get 7.5% and 3% vote share respectively.

As per the survey, TMC will come down to 134-118 seats from 211 seats in the 2016 assembly elections. On the other hand, BJP, which was at three seats in the last elections, may win anywhere between 150-162 seats in the state. The grand alliance will have to be satisfied with 10-14 seats.

Projected seat share in West Bengal

Talking about the polls in West Bengal, Jan Ki Baat founder Pradeep Bhandari told OpIndia, “There is anti TMC sentiment in Bengal because of corruption, political violence and appeasement that I observed with my team in our 294 constituency travel. If voting happens in free and fair manner, BJP will form govt, and Mamata Banerjee may also lose Nandigram”.

ABP-CNX opinion poll

The ABP-CNX opinion polls were released on March 23. According to the survey, TMC and BJP will lock horns in the assembly elections as it will be a tough battle. Their survey showed 42.05% of voters inclined towards TMC while 43.61 voters had preferred BJP. The grand alliance will get close to a 6.74% vote share.

Vote Share prediction according to ABP-CNX survey

Coming to the seat share, TMC may win anywhere between 136-146 seats, while BJP may grab 130-140 seats. It has to be noted that it is a major jump for BJP from three seats in the previous assembly elections.

Seat share prediction according to ABP-CNX survey

The opinion polls make it clear that the two parties that are in the actual race to form government in West Bengal are BJP and TMC. Other parties that have formed the grand alliance stand nowhere in the contest.

ABP-CVoter opinion poll

ABP commissioned another opinion poll with CVoter, a snap poll, and it came up with significantly different results. According to this poll, TMC is set to remain the single largest party in West Bengal, despite BJP making significant gains in the state.

As per the snap poll by CVoter, TMC is set to win 160 seats, down from 211 last year. BJP has been projected to win 112 seats, while the Congress alliance may win 22 seats. The vote shares for TMC, BJP and the grand alliance have been projected as 42.1%, 37.4% and 13.0%.

Competition Commission of India orders probe into new privacy policy of WhatsApp, says it is ‘abuse of dominance’

OpIndia Staff
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Competition Commission of India orders probe into new privacy policy of WhatsApp, says it is ‘abuse of dominance’

The Competition Commission of India has ordered a probe into the new privacy policy of WhatsApp, which had raised concerns about data privacy and security risk. The CCI ordered the probe after finding that the new policy violates the Competition Act, 2000.

The CCI observed that the privacy policy terms on sharing of personalised data with other Facebook-owned companies was “neither fully transparent nor based on specific, voluntary consent of users”. The order issued by the CCI said that “WhatsApp has prima facie contravened the provisions of Section 4 of the Act through its exploitative and exclusionary conduct, in the garb of policy update”.

Section 4 of the Competition Act forbids abuse of dominance by an entity commanding dominant position in relevant market. According to the CCI, WhatsApp is in the dominant position in the messaging App market for smartphones in India.

The Commission has directed the Director General to initiate a probe against the company under the provisions of Section 26(1) of the Competition Act. The Commission has asked the DG to complete the probe and submit the report with 60 days.

“On a careful and thoughtful consideration of the matter, the conduct of WhatsApp in sharing of users’ personalised data with other Facebook Companies, in a manner that is neither fully transparent nor based on voluntary and specific user consent, appears prima facie unfair to users. The purpose of such sharing appears to be beyond users’ reasonable and legitimate expectations regarding quality, security and other relevant aspects of the service for which they register on WhatsApp,” the CCI order said. It further added that “one of the stated purposes of data sharing viz. targeted ad offerings on other Facebook products rather indicates the intended use being that of building user profiles through cross-linking of data collected across services. Such data concentration may itself raise competition concerns where it is perceived as a competitive advantage.”

Competition Commission of India observed that prima facie these acts by WhatsApp violates the Section 4 of the Competition Act. “The impugned conduct of data-sharing by WhatsApp with Facebook apparently amounts to degradation of non-price parameters of competition viz. quality which result in objective detriment to consumers, without any acceptable justification. Such conduct prima facie amounts to imposition of unfair terms and conditions upon the users of WhatsApp messaging app, in violation of the provisions of Section 4(2)(a)(i) of the Act”, the commission said.

The CCI has overserved that the terms and conditions set up by the messaging platform is “unfair and unreasonable”, as it does not give the users much information and forces the users to accept the new rules, without which the users can’t use the service. It said that such “consent” can’t be considered as voluntary agreement for use of their personal data. The CCI said that the users have not been provided with appropriate granular choice to to object to or opt-out of specific data sharing terms, which prima facie appear to be unfair and unreasonable for the WhatsApp users.

The CCI observed that “a thorough and detailed investigation is required to ascertain the full extent, scope and impact of data sharing through involuntary consent of users”. The order was issued by a CCI bench comprising Chairperson Ashok Kumar Gupta and members Sangeeta Verma and Bhagwant Singh Bishnoi.

The union government has also opposed the new policy of WhatsApp. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology approached the Delhi High Court on Friday to restrain WhatsApp from rolling out its new privacy policy. The ministry has said that the WhatsApp privacy policies do not align with appropriate standards of security and data protection, and the company must be stopped from implementing the same.

The new policy and terms of service of the Facebook-owned messaging platform are to take effect from May 15, after it was postponed earlier following massive outrage against it. Earlier it was to be implemented from February 8. The new policy makes it mandatory for users of WhatsApp to share their data with its parent company Facebook. The company has not provided an opt-out option, means the users have to agree to the new policy if the want to continue using the service. This means, after May 15, users who don’t click agree on the new policies will not be able to use WhatsApp.

Update: WhatsApp reached out to OpIndia after the publication of this report, saying that they look forward to engaging with CCI. A statement sent by a WhatsApp spokesperson said, “We look forward to engaging with the CCI. WhatsApp remains committed to protecting people’s personal communications with end-to-end encryption and providing transparency about how these new optional business features work.”

Maharashtra and Punjab witness massive surge in COVID-19 cases, Centre expresses ‘grave concern’

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra and Punjab witness massive surge in COVID-19 cases, Centre expresses ‘grave concern’

On Wednesday, the Union Health Ministry expressed ‘grave concern’ over the rising cases of COVID-19 in the Congress-ruled states of Maharashtra and Punjab.

In a statement, Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, “Two states are of grave concern, that has shown a recent surge in cases – Maharashtra, that reported more than 28,000 cases in the last 24 hours and Punjab, that is reporting a huge number of cases in proportion to its population.”

It is important to note that Maharastra accounts for a total of 9 out of 10 districts, which have reported the highest number of COVID-19 cases. They include Nagpur, Mumbai, Pune, Thane, Nashik, Aurangabad, Nanded, Jalgaon and Akola. As of March 23, Maharashtra has 2,30,641 active cases while the total confirmed cases stand at 25,33,026. The city of Pune has reported 4.81 lakh cases so far while Mumbai has accounted for 3,69,451 confirmed cases.

Screengrab of the confirmed Coronavirus cases as of March 23, graph via https://www.covid19india.org/

The State of Maharashtra has witnessed 53,589 cases. Between March 16 and March 23, the number of new cases has grown by an average of 1.1% every day. It must be pointed out that for every 100 confirmed cases, approximately 2 people have succumbed to the Coronavirus infection.

Rising Coronavirus cases in Punjab

With a population of about 3 crores, the State of Punjab has reported 2,17,663 confirmed cases of Coronavirus infection. As of March 23, the Congress-ruled State has reported 19,403 active cases and a total of 6,435 fatalities. On Tuesday alone, Punjab accounted for a whopping 59 deaths due to the Wuhan virus. In light of the state of the pandemic in Punjab, the Union Ministry of Health has expressed grave concerns. It has emphasised that the cases in the State are increasing, disproportionate to its population.

Screengrab of the confirmed Coronavirus cases as of March 23, graph via https://www.covid19india.org/

Coronavirus variants and its impact on India

The Union Health Ministry informed that 88% of people dying due to Coronavirus in India fall in the age group of 45 years and above. Dr SK Singh, the Director of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), had informed that a total of 771 cases of Coronavirus variants have been identified in a total of 18 States. The majority of them include the UK variant (736 cases) while the South African and Brazilian variant accounts for 34 and 1 case respectively.

The Union Home Ministry however clarified that the Coronavirus variants are not responsible for a sudden spike in the number of cases in certain States. “Though VOCs and a new double mutant variant have been found in India, these have not been detected in numbers sufficient to either establish a direct relationship or explain the rapid increase in cases in some states,” it added.

Sita Road in Pakistan renamed Rehmani Nagar after partition, strong winds blow off the iron sheet exposing the original name

OpIndia Staff
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Sita Road in Pakistan renamed Rehmani Nagar after partition, strong winds blow off the iron sheet exposing the original name

A Twitter user took to the microblogging site to inform that a strong storm in the Sindh province in Pakistan blew away an iron sheet from the signage inscribed with Rehmani Nagar on it, only to exposes the original name of the road, which was named after Goddess Sita prior to partition.

Sharing the picture of the broken iron sheet placed on top of a stone structure displaying the name of the area in Pakistan’s Sindh province, the social media user wrote: “The small station was established as “Sita Road” in Dadu district but was renamed after partition by some religious element as Rehmani Nagar. But strong storm yesterday removed the iron sheet inscribed with Rehmani Nagar & exposed the original name.

A closer look at the picture makes it evident that initially ‘Sita Road’ was engraved on the stone structure, which was later covered by a metal sheet on which Rehmani Nagar was inscribed in Urdu. Yesterday, reportedly the strong winds blowing in the area ripped off a part of the iron sheet placed on the stone structure and the original name of the place emerged.

Sita Road in Pakistan is, however, not the only road that was renamed in the country post-partition to reclaim the ‘Pakistani identity’. Over the years, Pakistan has renamed many such roads, streets, traditional places which were once named after Hindus and Sikhs. For example, Ram Bagh in Karachi became Aram Bagh, Krishan Nagar in Lahore was renamed Islampura, Kasur’s Wan Radha Ram was changed to Habibabad, while Bhai Pheru was renamed Phool Nagar.

Moreover, in central Lahore, the Jain Mandir Chowk was named after a Hindu temple that stood there. The temple was demolished in 1992 to “avenge” the destruction of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, India, and the place was renamed Babri Masjid Chowk.

There are several more such examples. In pre-Partition Lahore, Laxmi Chowk used to host one of the city’s largest Diwali celebrations. This too was renamed Maulana Zafar Ali Khan Chowk, after a Urdu journalist, who, through his newspaper, waged a battle against the Ahmadiyya community.

In fact, in the year 2017, Pakistan had proposed legislation to punish anyone who calls a place by a different name than that notified by the government, even if unintentionally.

Basically, it is due to this Islamic extremism that the plight of the religious minorities in Pakistan, especially of minority Hindus have been deteriorating in the country. Over the years, there are several reports of Hindu girls being abducted and being forced to convert to Islam. Further, there are several instances of Hindu Temples being attacked and Hindu homes being bulldozed to the ground with the tacit support of the government. 

Delhi: Police arrests cook Mohammad Khalik after video of him spitting on rotis goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: Police arrests cook Mohammad Khalik after video of him spitting on rotis goes viral

Another case of a man spitting on rotis while preparing them has come to light in Delhi. A man named Mohammad Khalik has been arrested in connection with the case after a video of him allegedly spitting on rotis while preparing them had gone viral on the internet.

Taking cognisance of the video, the Delhi Police arrested the cook named Mohammad Khalik. This is second such case within a matter of 7 days when cooks have been arrested for spitting on rotis.

Recently, a video of the accused cook spitting on rotis while preparing them had gone viral on the internet. Investigation revealed that it was from Madeena hotel in North East Delhi’s Bhajanpura area. In the video, the cook was seen spitting on rotis before putting them in the tandoor. The cook was identified as Mohammad Khalik.

After the video went viral, the police identified the accused and arrested him. The police have registered a case against him under sections 269, 270, 272 of the IPC and the Pandemic Act. Khalik had reportedly come to Delhi from his native village about 9-10 years ago in a search for a job. He got a job at the Dhaba in Bhajanpura and has been working there since.

Mohammad Ibrahim and Anwar arrested after video of them spitting on rotis goes viral

Last week, two persons named Mohammad Ibrahim and Anwar were arrested by the Delhi Police after a video of them spitting on rotis had gone viral on the internet. In the video that had gone viral, one of the two men was seen spitting on the rotis before putting them in a tandoor. It was then reported that the video was from a hotel in Seelampur in Delhi.

Apparently, the video was shot by a customer who had caught the duo spitting on rotis. The customer had also recorded the video and later uploaded it on the internet. The police took cognisance of the video and arrested the two men. An FIR was filed against the accused under IPC sections 269, 270, 272, 273 and 34 at Khayala Police Station, New Delhi.

Maharashtra ATS transfers Mansukh Hiren murder case to NIA after Thane court ordered it to stop the investigation immediately

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra ATS transfers Mansukh Hiren murder case to NIA after Thane court ordered it to stop the investigation immediately

The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra finally handed over the Mansukh Hiren case to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) after a court instructed it to do so. The court had ordered the ATS to stop investigating the case and hand over the same to the NIA, after NIA was forced to move to the court over Maharashtra ATS’s non-cooperation in the Mansukh Hiren death case.

As per reports, the ATS has handed over all the case papers to the NIA, along with the two accused arrested by it in the case. The union home ministry had issued orders to transfer the case to NIA on 20th March. But despite that, the ATS had refused to hand over the case, and had continued ‘investigating’ the case. Surprisingly, the next day the DGP of the ATS had announced on his personal Facebook account that the case has been solved, but he didn’t provide any details.

Due to the non-co-coperation from the ATS, the NIA had approached the court for an instruction to transfer the case. NIA had requested the case records and other necessary documents in Mansukh Hiren’s death case which was being investigated by the Maharashtra ATS. Even after 3 days of transfer orders, Maharashtra ATS had not handed over the documents which led to NIA filing an application before the Thane magistrate.

Maharashtra ATS had claimed that they have cracked the case and arrested two suspects- an ex-cop and a bookie in connection to Mansukh Hiren’s death. However, the Thane Court asked the ATS to stop the investigations completely and hand over all the papers to NIA. It is said that NIA will soon appeal for Sachin Vaze’s extended custody which is supposed to end tomorrow.

Mansukh Hiren’s car was not stolen

In another major development, a report by Times Now reveals that Sachin Vaze’s driver has confessed that Mansukh Hiren’s car, in which gelatin sticks were found outside Ambani’s residence was not stolen and that he was asked to drive the green Scorpio from Vikhroli to South Mumbai, Crawford market. The driver also revealed that this car was brought to the Police Headquarters on February 20th, and was parked inside the headquarters many times between February 20 to February 25. However, the investigation is yet to reveal why was Mansukh Hiren made to file a stolen car complaint at the Vikhroli police station when Sachin Vaze’s driver was instructed to get it to the CIU headquarters.

NIA is also said to be interrogating a jeweler from South Mumbai for the past 5 days who allegedly booked a luxurious suite for Sachin Vaze in Trident for 100 days. Some Hawala operators are also on NIA’s radar who will be summoned soon to record statements. A Times Now report reveals that transactions worth lakhs were made by Sachin Vaze in the past two months through his business partners.

On the other hand, a cabinet meeting is underway in Maharashtra and Home Minister Anil Deshmukh is said to be present in the meeting. As per a News18 report, there are whispers of a possible reshuffle in the cabinet where Anil Deshmukh could be transferred but no reports of him being ousted unless there’s an inquiry on him.

It is being reported that Anil Deshmukh made a back door entry for this cabinet meeting. The support for Anil Deshmukh seems to be quite strong at the moment.

The NCP karyakartas were seen staging a protest outside the residence of ex-CM, Devendra Fadnavis as Maharashtra BJP has been relentlessly agitating for the suspension of Anil Deshmukh. The NCP workers have been detained and taken to the nearest police station.

NCP workers protesting outside BJP Maharashtra leader, Devendra Fadnavis’s Nagpur residence. Image source: Times of India

This morning Devendra Fadnavis along with BJP Maharashtra’s top leaders submitted a memorandum to the governor, Bhagat Singh Koshyari to demand a report from the Maharashtra government on handling of corona crisis and recent controversies which include the extortion case, transfer racket gate, and Mansukh Hiren’s death case.

Uttar Pradesh: Israel, Zulfikar, and Dilshad to be hanged till death for raping and murdering a minor girl in 2018

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Israel, Zulfikar, and Dilshad to be hanged till death for raping and murdering a minor girl in 2018

The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) court sentenced three men to death in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, today for the brutal gangrape and murder of a minor girl in January 2018. The three men, Israel, Zulfikar, and Dilshad were convicted of raping and murdering a minor girl in a moving car in a case that sent shockwaves throughout Uttar Pradesh.

On 2nd January 2018, the minor victim, aged 17, was on her way home back from tuition classes on her cycle. During this period, the girl was forcefully removed from her cycle abducted by the three men driving in an Alto car. In this moving car, the minor girl was repeatedly raped, murdered, and then unceremoniously dumped in a sewer by the three monsters. The girl’s body was found on January 4. Soon after, Dilshad, Israel, and Zulfikar were arrested from Sikandrabad and promptly put behind bars.

In an interrogation with the Bulandshahr Police, Zulfikar and Dilshad gave a bizarre and outrageous motive for their heinous crime. According to them, the reason why they decided to go to Bulandshahr on the day of the incident was because of the nice weather, and the fact that they wanted to do some “mauj masti”. “Mauj Masti” in its colloquial meaning means “having fun”. However, “Mauj Masti” for the three convicted men in this context specifically meant abducting a girl and sexually assaulting, possibly raping her.

According to Zulfikar, the three men reached Bulandshahr’s Bhoor Chauraha by 6:00 P.M. on the day of the incident. Here, they spent their time stalking several girls, going around in their Alto. Going towards Chandpur, they saw the minor victim riding her cycle back home. They then grabbed the victim off of her cycle, pulled her inside their car and then fleed the scene.

Zulfikar further added that in the moving car, Israel sexually assaulted the minor girl, whilst Dilshad was holding down the girl’s hands. As the girl started shouting in an attempt to save herself, the three men, seemingly without any care for consequence, decided to kill the minor girl for this. Zulfikar kept driving the car as Israel and Dilshad strangled the minor girl to death with her own dupatta. After this odious and abominable act, the men then simply threw the body of the victim in a sewer, in a most undignified manner.

After the police concluded its investigation, proceedings were initiated against the three accused in a POCSO court. The POCSO court judge held all three accused guilty of aducting, raping and then murdering a minor girl. For these monstrous and horrific acts, the POCSO judge sentenced all three accused to be hanged from the neck until death.

The parents of the minor girl have welcomed the POCSO court decision, declaring it a victory of justice. The mother of the victim expressed her wish to see the hanging of three convicts in person.

Delhi: Yogi Govt demolishes illegal construction, takes control of land where Amanatullah Khan had settled Rohingyas

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: Yogi Govt demolishes illegal construction, takes control of land where Amanatullah Khan had settled Rohingyas

In a major action against the illegal encroachment by Rohingyas in Delhi, the irrigation department, working on the directions of the Yogi Adityanath government, freed 6 acres of illegally occupied land in the Madanpur Khadar region.

On Wednesday morning, JCBs were moved in to demolish the structures constructed on illegally occupied Khasra number 612 land in the Madanpur Khadar region. The land worth several crores is owned by Uttar Pradesh’s irrigation department and was encroached by illegal Rohingyas and Bangladeshis.

UP Minister of Jal Shakti Dr Mahendra Singh has shared a video of the demolition drive stating that the 6 acres of land in Madanpur, owned by UP irrigation department was under illegal occupation for years. He stated that the UP government has demolished illegal structures and has now taken the land under its control.

AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan had helped over 300 Rohingyas to settle in the Madanpur Khadar region

Apparently, the illegally occupied land was encroached upon by over 300 Rohingyas, who had made illegal constructions on it. A report published by Dainik Bhaskar last year suggested that the Rohingyas were living illegally right across the cremation ground in the Madanpur Khadar area of the national capital. Moreover, they had settled on the land owned by UP government’s irrigation department.

As per the report, the illegal Rohingya migrants were getting all government benefits as well. Amid the lockdown, the Delhi Government and Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan were accused of providing a huge amount of ration to them. Madanpur Khadar falls under the Okhla constituency in New Delhi. As per the report, the illegal settlement of Rohingyas also had stolen electricity connection and borewell water.

Meanwhile, other migrant workers who lived in the nearby region were deprived of rations and other basic facilities by the AAP government. OpIndia had then reported how the poor in Okhla had alleged religious discrimination in ration distribution in Amanatullah Khan’s constituency. The locals had alleged that they were not provided ration because they were Hindus and ‘did not vote for AAP’. 

The Dainik Bhaskar report had further stated that the local residents alleged that the Kalindi Kunj Police station officers were aware of the illegal Rohingyas selling marijuana, smack and other illegal substances but refrained from taking any action against them. Many RWAs had requested the Delhi Police to remove the illegal settlement but all pleas had fallen on deaf ears.

No civilian killed in law and order incidents after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir: Home Ministry

OpIndia Staff
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No civilian killed in law and order incidents after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir: Home Ministry

On Wednesday, Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy informed that no civilian has died in law and order incidents in Jammu and Kashmir, following the abrogation of Article 370.

In his written reply, MoS (Home) G Kishan Reddy said that the relatives of civilians, killed in terrorist attacks or cross-firing between armed forces and terrorists, have been compensated with ₹1 lakh.

The Minister of State for Home Affairs also informed that the number of terror incidents have declined significantly, following the abrogation of Article 370. “The number of terrorist incidents in J&K in 2019, 2020 & 2021(15th March) is 594, 244 and 21 respectively,” he added.

On August 5, 2019, the Centre decided to do away with Article 370 and completely integrate Jammu and Kashmir in the Indian Union. In the historic legislation, the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir was bifurcated into two Union territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Decline in IPC crimes by 16.86% in 2020 as compared to 2019

G Kishan Reddy further informed,”As reported by Delhi Police, there’s a decline of 16.86% in total IPC crimes registered during 2020 as compared to 2019. Similarly, there is a decline of 12.82% in total IPC crimes registered in first 2 months of 2021 as compared to corresponding period of 2020.”

At the same time, he said that the number of inmates lodged in prison was 4,78, 600 as against its capacity of 4,03,739 on December 31, 2019. Out of the 4.78 lac prisoners, about 3,30,487 were under trial.

Stone-pelting incidents saw 87% drop in J &K in 2020

In a positive development, incidents of stone-pelting saw an 87.13% drop in 2020, as compared to 2019 in the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The data, presented by Director General of Police (J & K) Dilbag Singh in January this year, showed the impact that the abrogation of Article 370.

Singh said, “There have been 255 stone-pelting incidents in 2020 as compared to the incidents in 2019 and the year (2020), witnessed an 87.31 per cent decline.” He further emphasised, “Law and order situation is well under control. Our resolve for 2021 is strengthening and consolidating peace and normalcy in Jammu and Kashmir.”

Amidst Maha-mess, Sanjay Raut to host a dinner party tonight, guest list includes BJP MPs

OpIndia Staff
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Amidst Maha-mess, Sanjay Raut to host a dinner party tonight, guest list includes BJP MPs

While the state of Maharashtra is crumbling under the second wave of Covid-19, extortion scam and transfer racket, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on the other hand is all set to host a dinner party tonight at his Delhi residence. As per a report in Lokmat, the guest list features many BJP MPs from Maharashtra.

It is said that the party was pre-planned by Shiv Sena MP, Sanjay Raut, before the ‘vasooli gate’ news broke out. The invite was extended to all the MPs from Maharashtra, including that from BJP. Whether the invited BJP MPs will take part in the dinner or no is to be seen.

Maharashtra BJP leaders are currently agitating over Anil Deshmukh’s alleged involvement in the corruption case after his name featured in a letter written by former Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh. Maharashtra opposition leader, Devendra Fadnavis, is constantly pressurizing the MVA government to suspend Anil Deshmukh as Maharashtra Home Minister and initiate a probe against him on his alleged involvement in the extortions.

Devendra Fadnavis assisted by top Maharashtra leaders like BJP Maharashtra President Chandrakantdada Patil, Sudhirbhau Mungantiwar, LoP Pravin Darkar, Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, Ashish Shelar, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, and Jaykumar Rawal submitted a memorandum to the governor, Bhagat Singh Koshyari to demand a report from Maharashtra government on handling of corona crisis and recent controversies which include the extortion case, transfer racket gate, and Mansukh Hiren’s death case.

Meanwhile, Sanjay Raut has rubbished all the claims and alleged that there is nothing serious about the transfer racket case. HE alleged that it is an attempt by the BJP to de-stabilize the otherwise strong Maha Vikas Aghadi government. “The government will not come under threat with it,” Sanjay Raut claimed in a press interaction.

Home Minister Anil Deshmukh met Uddhav Thackeray last evening at the latter’s residence in Mumbai. Maharashtra Cabinet is scheduled to hold a meeting today which is said to form a panel probe Param Bir’s claim.

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