In a bizarre incident, the Congress party in Kerala has filed a complaint against BJP Yuva Morcha leader after the latter had filed a missing person complaint against Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi.
According to the reports, the Congress party in Kerala filed a complaint against BJP Yuva Morcha state Secretary Aji Thomas on Tuesday stating that the missing complainant filed against Rahul Gandhi had insulted the MP.
As per a report in The News Minute, Aji Thomason, the BJP Yuva Morcha state Secretary had filed a complaint on Monday with at the Edakkara police station in Malappuram district urging the police to find Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Edakkara is located in Nilambur, an Assembly segment that falls under the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency.
In his complaint, Aji had stated that he is concerned and anxious over social media reports which says Rahul Gandhi ‘has gone missing’.
“The absence of Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi, in his constituency and while the parliament session is in progress, draws attention. Social media reports suggest that he is missing. Being a voter and a citizen in his constituency, I’m really concerned about this. In this regard I would kindly request you to consider this petition and take necessary action to locate the MP”, read his complaint.
After filing the complaint, Aji Thomas had said that he has filed this complaint because he was really concerned. “No one knows where he is. He is not in the parliament and not coming to the constituency either. Being a voter in his constituency I think I’m entitled to know where he is”, said Aji Thomas.
On Tuesday, following the complaint against BJP leader, the Edakkara police have also confirmed that they have booked Aji based on a complaint filed by the Congress party in Kerala on Tuesday.
“We booked him based on two aspects: The complaint is in a manner that insinuates that the MP is in hiding, and insults a political leader. Besides, the police, too, have been misled. The party used the police to propagate such a false message,” a police official at the station said.
Aji has been booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code, including section 153 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause a riot) and under certain sections of Kerala Police Act, 2011.
The Labour Party in the UK is in an unpleasant spot as its anti-semitism is now being called out not only from expected denominations like the Hindus and the Jews but also a section of Muslims and Christians. British Hindu leaders have joined the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Muslim Council of Britain in backing Britain’s Chief Rabbi today after he condemned Labour over its anti-Semitism crisis. The main contention is Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi led Congress had espoused recently.
Ephraim Mirvis, the Jewish Rabbi had made scathing and unprecedented intervention against the Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn. He said that a vast number of British Jews were gripped with fear and anxiety at the thought of Corbyn being elected.
He accused Jeremy Corbyn of allowing the ‘poison of anti-Semitism’ to take root in Labour, saying it could no longer claim to be the party of diversity, equality and anti-racism. Urging voters to examine their consciences in the polling booth, he warned: ‘The very soul of our nation is at stake.’
The Hindu Council also backed Rabbi Mirvis and said that the Labour party was the festering ground for anti-Hindu prejudice. Anil Bhanot, the Hindu Council’s director for interfaith relations, said: ‘It is a sad state of affairs that a major political party in our country which used to be a progressive socialist voice has veered towards what is almost a fascist ideology.’ Bhanot wrote a letter to the Jewish Rabbi supporting his intervention. In his letter, he said, “Labour has increasingly become anti-Semitic and anti-Hindu”. Anil Bhanot is a founding member of the Hindu Council in the UK.
Letter by Hindu Council UKLetter by Hindu Council UK
The letter by the Hindu Council clearly states how Jeremy Corbyn is fanning anti-Hindu sentiments. The letter says that he remained silent as the most important festival of Hindus, Diwali, saw anti-India protests that culminated into anti-Hindu sentiments, fanned by Labour Party. It also says that the Labour Party hobnobs with terror outfits and has dumped the Hindu community from its candidate selection.
The letter also mentions Jeremy Corbyn’s ridiculous stand in Kashmir and says that Article 370 essentially discriminated against people and the same special status, Kashmiri Hindus were cleansed ethnically from the state.
“Jeremy Corbyn always speaks against Islamophobia, whereas any anti-semitic and anti-Hindu position remains unchallenged”, the letter says.
The Rabbi had taken Corbyn on for supporting terrorists who murder Jews and describing them as ‘friends’.
Another Rabbi, Rabbi Julia Neuberger has warned that Jews may have to leave the UK if Jeremy Corbyn becomes the Prime Minister.
She said, “Since Jeremy Corbyn has been the leader of the Labour Party there has been this insidious anti-Semitic tone to quite a lot of what’s happened and an unwillingness to really face it. There’s been an unwillingness at the top and people of the Jewish community have seen that unwillingness and thought ‘what’s going on? A major political party – what is going on here? Why are they not gripping it?”
“People will look for ways of moving or having a place somewhere else, or whatever they can possibly do to mitigate what feels oppressive, uncomfortable, dangerous”, she added.
While antisemitism and the anti-Hindu political bent of the Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn are not new revelations, the Hindus and Jews found support from unexpected quarters.
The Muslim Council and the Archbishop of Canterbury have also extended their support to the Hindus and the Jews. The Muslim Council has said ‘some politicians have shown courage but too many have sat silent’ when confronted with racism. The group has said that ‘Today’s announcement by the Chief Rabbi highlights the real fear many British Jews have, regarding the unacceptable presence of anti-Semitism in Britain and politics today. However, the Muslim Council furthered its own agenda while extending support as well. They also lashed out at Tory’s party for their apparent failure to deal with Islamophobia.
According to reports, the Archbishop and the Jewish Rabbi have been faced with vicious abuses because of their stand against Jeremy Corbyn and antisemitism of the Labour Party. The Jewish Rabbi was even viciously called a ‘sewer rat’ and while the anti-semites complaints of ‘Israeli interference’.
Some Labour party members have also come out and expressed their understanding of what the Rabbi is saying.
Amidst all of this, Jeremy Corbyn has refused that racist, anti-Jew sentiments have risen in his party since he has become its leader and has refused to apologise.
Jeremy Corbyn has an extremely chequered past with him extending support to violent Islamists including Hamas and Hezbollah, rhetoric against Jews and Hindus, and support to Radical Left. Recently, he has also tried his best to support the Islamists in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir who have been waging a Jihad in the state for decades and have also been responsible for the ethnic cleansing of the Hindus of the state.
IIT Guwahati professor Brijesh Rai has alleged illegality in ‘construction’ of a temple on the campus. As per a report by Economic Times, Brijesh Rai, assistant professor at IIT Guwahati has alleged that a structure of a temple was constructed on campus four years ago without institute’s permission. The institute has claimed that the temple structure has been on the campus even before the institute came into existence and has been there since ‘time immemorial’.
Rai hai filed a petition in the Guwahati High Court challenging the construction of the temple. On 17th March, IIT Guwahati students had taken out candle light march in support of professor Rai who has also alleged other malpractices like corruption in the working of the institute.
The ET report states that Rai has claimed that the temple was a ‘chabootra’ till 2015 next to a peepal tree with some pictures of deities. However, according to him, it was turned into a permanent structure in 2015. He had filed an RTI (Right to Information) query, in response of which the institute had said that the construction work on premises will require approval of competent authority. The institute also reportedly said that it has not aided in construction of the temple in any way.
IIT Guwahati in its RTI response also claimed that the temple has been on the campus even before the institute came up and has been there since ‘time immemorial’. Rai, however, shared images with ET from Google Map which show changes in the structure of the temple which indicate construction work having been carried out.
Other than this, Rai has also alleged discrepancies in finances as well as recruitment procedures and even awarding degrees to ‘ineligible’ students. He has accused faculty members of awarding an M.Tech degree ‘illegally’ to a student. After he brought the matter to the authorities, he says that the degree was revoked but no action was taken against faculty members. He has also alleged nepotism and misuse of power in recruitment.
As former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis resigned from his post after Ajit Pawar withdrew his support from the coalition government, Amruta Fadnavis, the wife of Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday tweeted an Urdu couplet to convey that ‘she will be back soon’.
Amruta Fadnavis, a banking professional and singer, tweeted a poetic verse hours after her husband resigned from his post.
पलट के आऊंगी शाखों पे खुशबुएँ लेकर,
खिज़ां की ज़द में हूँ मौसम ज़रा बदलने दे! Thanks Mah for memorable 5yrs as your वहिनी !The love showered by you will always make me nostalgic! I tried to perform my role to best of my abilities-with desire only to serve & make a positive diff? pic.twitter.com/ePUzQgR9o5
The couplet shared by Amruta Fadnavis meant, “I will come back with a fresh fragrance, let there be a change in the season. Thanks, Maharashtra for memorable 5 years as your Vahini. The love showered by you will always make me nostalgic! I tried to perform my role to best of my abilities-with desire only to serve & make a positive diff,” she added.
After a sudden oath-taking ceremony on Saturday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday quit from his post, hours after Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar withdrew his support by submitting his resignation.
The BJP, which had won 105 seats in the 288-member Maharashtra assembly, was short of 40 MLAs to prove a majority. The BJP had relied on Ajit Pawar to bring in 54 NCP MLAs. However, the political gamble failed as Ajit Pawar shied away from supporting the BJP led government at the last moment.
Later, the Sena-NCP-Congress leaders conducted a meeting in the late Tuesday evening where they decided to nominate Uddhav Thackeray for the post of Chief Minister of the state.
Uddhav Thackeray will be leading an alliance of the Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress, called Maha Vikas Aghadi, in Maharashtra. With this, Maharashtra will have a Shiv Sena Chief Minister after 20 years.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will swear in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on 28th November 2019. In a letter last night, Maharashtra Governor Koshyari invited the new alliance ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ to form a government under the leadership of Uddhav Thackeray.
Continuing its efforts to improve the administrative efficiency of officials, and reduce corruption, the Centre has compulsorily retired another 21 corrupt tax officers in the fifth phase of its crackdown, as per reports.
The agency that oversees income and corporate tax collections, namely, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), has sacked 21 Group B or junior officers holding the rank of Income Tax Officer under Fundamental Rule 56 (J) of Central Civil Services (Pension) Rules, 1972, in the public interest, due to corruption and other charges and CBI traps, said the Finance Ministry.
The officers who were part of this latest round of clampdown had demanded or received bribes which ranged between Rs 20,000 and Rs 6 lakh, sources said. These officers were posted across the country, from Hazaribagh in Jharkhand to Mumbai and Hyderabad.
Apart from the revenue department, other central government agencies too, have identified tainted employees and speeded action against them.
According to another report, the Central Board of Indirect Taxes & Customs (CBIC) has suspended Deepak Pandit, Assistant Commissioner, on grounds of owning disproportionate assets. The Finance Ministry has alleged that Pandit has expended huge amounts of money in the marriage of his two sons and acquired expensive unaccounted properties in posh areas of Mumbai.
Finance Ministry Sources: It’s alleged that Deepak Pandit, Assistant Commissioner,expended huge amounts of money in marriage of his 2 sons&acquired expensive unaccounted properties in posh areas of Mumbai,value of which are disproportionate to his known&declared sources of income https://t.co/7iG3RrWHbd
The Centre had initiated it’s zero tolerance for corruption’ policy, tightening its noose on tainted officials in June this year. With this progression, the total count of corrupt officers, who have been sacked by the Centre until now, stands at 85, including 64 high ranking tax officers out of which 12 were from the CBDT.
Prior to this, the Centre in a similar exercise, sacked 15 Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) officials on charges of corruption in the month of September this year, 22 in August and almost 39 in June, out of which 12 were senior officials, sitting atop bureaucratic ranks.
The government had asked all the departments to conduct a periodic review of officials and list the names of officers with questionable credentials in the monthly report to be submitted to the Department of Public Enterprises on the 15th of every month.
As mentioned in the directive passed on to various departments, based on these reports the compulsory retirement provision will be used to get rid of more tainted officials.
A day after the Maharashtra political drama came to an end, Shiv Sena MP and senior leader Sanjay Raut ecstatically said how his dream of having planting a Shiv Sena Chief Minister in Maharashtra has come true.
#WATCH Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena: Maine kaha tha,’hamara surya yaan mantrale ke chhate manjil par safely land karega’,tab sab hass rahe the. Lekin hamare surya yaan ka safe landing hogaya. Aane wale samay mein agar ye surya yaan Delhi mein bhi utre toh aapko aashcharya nahi hoga. pic.twitter.com/d5aWqpT4yu
In a clip shared by news agency ANI, Raut says, “Our mission is accomplished. I had said, you might remember, that Shiv Sena’s ‘Suryayaan’ (solar mission) will land safely on the sixth floor of the Mantralaya (chief minister’s office). People had laughed at me then. But our ‘Suryayaan’ has safely landed on the sixth floor. And if this ‘Suryayaan’, in time to come, lands in Delhi, then you should not be surprised.”
The Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), a Pakistan sponsored terrorist organisation has announced its unconditional support to the Labour party in the upcoming elections in the United Kingdom.
JKLF’s UK branch has released a statement extending its support to the UK Labour party ahead of the December 12th elections in the country.
Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), largest political movement of JK origin, has reaffirmed it’s commitment to @UKLabour cause, and has announced unconditional support for Labour Party and @jeremycorbyn in historic General Elections in the UK on 12th December. @naomi2009pic.twitter.com/cgjW8ZQ5C2
In a letter written to the Labour Party chief Corbyn, the JKLF has stated that it has decided to extend its complete support to the party “on behalf of the Kashmiri diaspora in the UK, and particularly thousands of members of the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF)”.
The JKLF has also expressed its gratitude towards the Labour Party and Jeremy Corbyn for adopting a ‘unanimous resolution on the issue of Kashmir, which had pushed for mediation as a process to solve Kashmir issue.’
The Labour Party, which is led by controversial leader Jeremy Corbyn, has often taken an anti-India stance and has also extended its support to various propaganda pushed by pro-Pakistan elements in the United Kingdom.
Recently, the Labour party had asked Corbyn to meet the high commissioners of both India and Pakistan to ensure there is “mediation” and restoration of peace and normality to prevent a potential nuclear conflict. On September 25, the Labour Party had passed a resolution that supported “international intervention in Kashmir and a call for UN led-referendum.”
After massive outrage by the Indian diaspora and over fears of losing British-Indian votes, Jeremy Corbyn’s labour party had later backtracked on its resolution. In a complete turnaround, the Labour Party’s chairperson, Ian Lavery, has called Kashmir a ‘bilateral issue’ and said that it should be resolved by India and Pakistan. It states that the Labour party is opposed to external interference in the political affairs of any other country.
The Labour party’s stand on Kashmir is contrary to India’s position on Kashmir. India has categorically told the international community that its move on Kashmir was an internal matter. India has always maintained that any dialogues with Pakistan will be bilateral only.
Apart from this, after the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, JKLF activists, prominent British-Pakistanis associated with the Labour Party, and even several Labour party MPs in the UK were part of anti-India protests that had seen attacks on the Indian High Commission building in the UK in September 2019.
JKLF, with support from several Pakistani-British groups, has been mobilising people to hold rallies to garner support against India over the Kashmir issue.
In a bizzare development, representatives from the Congress party in India had met UK Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn “to discuss the human rights issues in Kashmir”. After facing criticism and backlash for meeting Corbyn despite his vocal anti-India stand, Congress had issued a clarification that their meeting was to ‘condemn’ the anti-India resolution passed by Corbyn’s party.
JKLF is one of notorious Pakistan sponsored terror outfits and also has been one of the chief initiators of radicalisation and terrorism in the Kashmir valley. Its chief Yasin Malik is currently facing charges for killing 4 Indian Air Force personnel in cold blood. The JKLF in the Kashmir Valley was banned by the Indian government under the revamped anti-terror law in March 2019.
Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes died five years back on this fateful day after being hit by cricket ball just below his left year. The 25 years old Hughes was hit when he missed an attempted hook, causing cerebral hemorrhage. He underwent surgery after being rushed to hospital from the SCG but did not regain consciousness.
“There hasn’t been a single day over these last five years when Phillip’s loss hasn’t been felt acutely by the Australian cricket family,” Cricket Australia chief executive Kevin Roberts said on Tuesday.
Australia’s premium batsman, Steve Smith, also remembers his friend on this day. Steve Smith, the former Australian captain and Phil Hughes’ teammate, recollected an incident when a bouncer hit him. Smith was hit on the helmet by a Jofra Archer bouncer in the first innings of the 2nd Test at Lords. Steve Smith said that he had a lot of things going through his head, but the first thought was of Phil Hughes and his freak death by a bouncer.
Smith also remembers how he celebrated his ton against India in the Adelaide test, which took place just after Hughes’ death. He ran towards the mark where 408 was inscribed on the ground and raised his bat to remember his best mate. 408 was Hughes Australian Cap Number.
“It was a carefree week if that makes sense, cricket wise. It was sort of like; this is actually almost irrelevant in a way. We’re just going out and doing what we were doing, and we actually played really well. But it was literally like we were just playing because that’s what we’re here to do. There wasn’t really any sort of too much emotion around our performances and how we wanted to play if that makes sense,” Smith said.
Steve Smith pays his tribute to Phillip Hughes after reaching a hundred in Adelaide, 2014
“Batting wise some pretty fond memories. I think I played well, got a 162 I think it was. And I remember getting my hundred and going over to the 408 on the ground and raising my bat and paying tribute to our mate we lost a few days before. I think some of the boys here were pretty close to Phil and five years actually it’s gone pretty quick. I dare say some of the boys will reflect and think about our little mate that’s for sure.
“You have little moments that come up every now and then, things that remind you of him and things like that. It comes up every now and then,” Smith further said.
Phillip Hughes played 26 Tests and 25 ODIs for Australia, the youngest batsman to score twin hundreds in a Test. He also scored an ODI ton on the debut.
The political drama in Maharashtra seems to have finally come to an end today as the newly elected MLAs finally took oath of secrecy at the special Assembly session called by Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari. Caretaker chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, too, took oath as an MLA.
The estranged cousins, Supriya Sule, MP and daughter of NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar, also greeted and welcomed her cousin Ajit Pawar with a hug.
Mumbai: NCP leaders Ajit Pawar & Supriya Sule arrive at the assembly, ahead of the first session of the new assembly today. Oath will be administered to the MLAs in the assembly today. #Maharashtrapic.twitter.com/lyGtcCunif
Things in the family had momentarily turned sour when Ajit Pawar extended support to BJP and swore in as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra over the weekend, defying the promises made by his uncle Sharad Pawar who had forged an alliance with Shiv Sena and Congress. Yesterday, hours after the Supreme Court ordered a floor test to BJP-NCP alliance to prove majority, Ajit Pawar resigned as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Later, Devendra Fadnavis, too, tendered his resignation.
Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray will swear in as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra on 28th November, 2019. In a letter last night, Maharashtra Governor Koshyari invited the new alliance ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ to form government under leadership of Uddhav Thackeray. The oath of Office and Secrecy will be administered on 28th November, 2019 at Shivaji Park, Mumbai at 18:40. Since Thackeray is neither and MLA or a member of Legislative Council of Maharashtra, he has been asked to member of the legislature of Maharashtra within a period of six months of having taken oath as Chief Minister of Maharashtra.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED), tightening its noose in cases of terror funding in Kashmir, today took possession of immovable properties worth Rs 6.20 Crore belonging to Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Ahmad Shah Watali and his family members in the matter of terror financing by Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, Syed Salahuddin and other terrorists.
According to reports, these properties are in the form of parcels of land and are situated at village Sozeith Goripora, Tehsil Narbal, District Budgam, in Jammu and Kashmir.
These properties are in the form of parcels of land and are situated at village Sozeith Goripora, Tehsil Narbal, District Budgam, in Jammu & Kashmir. https://t.co/Q1Kpip2Q6x
Zahoor Ahmed Watali heads the Trison group and is considered to be a vital link among the extensive network of seditious elements in the valley. According to the IB officials, he allegedly uses his business to funnel ISI funds into Kashmir to promote separatist activities. He was believed to have developed close-knit relations with the ISI officers since his days as a driver of late Hurriyat leader Abdul Ghani Lone. He was reputed to be in constant touch with retired and serving personnel of the Pakistan Army and ISI.
On November 14, the Supreme Court refused to entertain an appeal filed by Watali who was arrested by the NIA on August 17 last year in a case of alleged terror funding in the Kashmir valley.
The NIA had on January 18, filed 12,794 pages charge sheet against Watali along with Pakistan-based terrorist leaders Hafiz Saeed, Syed Salahuddin, seven Kashmiri separatist leaders and others in the case of alleged terror funding in the Kashmir Valley.
This is not the first time Watali has been under the radar of security agencies. In 1990 he was arrested for sheltering terrorists in Kashmir valley. He was subsequently released in April 1991 only to be apprehended later again in August 1994 for connections with the financing of the terrorist organisation Al Burg with Pakistan’s ISI.
A thorough investigation into his bank accounts revealed that he has received extensive remittances from the bank accounts based out of the middle-east countries. NIA alleges that soon after his return from Dubai in October 2011, remittances worth lakhs were transferred to his bank accounts.
The Enforcement Directorate in April 2018 slapped FEMA notice against Watali, accusing him of working as a conduit for foreign funding into Jammu and Kashmir by terror organisations. The ED further added that he couldn’t provide satisfactory explanations about the source of the funds and the remittances he received from the foreign benefactors.
In addition to this, Watali owns large swathes of properties, not just in Jammu and Kashmir but in various parts of the country. He owns properties in plush neighbourhoods in Delhi such as Greater Kailash, Sainik Farms, Chittaranjan Park, DLF Gurgaon, and Kalkaji. He is also believed to have properties in upscale locations in London. NIA found documents at his properties during the raids, hinting that these properties might have been acquired by paying in cash.
