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Hunger for power is such that Shiv Sena wants to align with Sonia Gandhi: Devendra Fadnavis resigns as Maharashtra Chief Minister

OpIndia Staff
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Hunger for power is such that Shiv Sena wants to align with Sonia Gandhi: Devendra Fadnavis resigns as Maharashtra Chief Minister

BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis resigned today as Maharashtra Chief Minister. His resignation comes a day before the Supreme Court asked the newly sworn in chief minister to prove the majority on the floor of the assembly. Devendra Fadnavis’ resignation follows NCP leader and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar’s resignation from his post.

While addressing the media, Fadnavis said, that the mandate was for the BJP and Shiv Sena in the recently concluded state assembly elections. He said that Shiv Sena had earlier agreed to go with whoever is selected as the chief minister. However, they later on backtracked on their word. “BJP emerged as the single largest party and we had never promised a rotational chief minister for 2.5 years each to Shiv Sena,” Fadnavis said.

Read: ‘Putramoh’? Uddhav, not Aaditya Thackeray, may be the first Thackeray chief minister Maharashtra gets

Taking on their pre-poll alliance partner Shiv Sena, Fadnavis said that they waited for the Shiv Sena. However, instead of responding, they went up to NCP and Congress to forge alliance. Taking a dig at Shiv Sena Chief Uddhav Thackeray who was zeroed in as the CM candidate for Shiv Sena – NCP – Congress alliance, Fadnavis said, “People who never stepped outside Matoshree(Thackeray residence) to meet anyone were going door to door to make government with NCP and Congress.”

Fadnavis added that following the press briefing, he would go to the Raj Bhavan and tender his resignation as the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. Wishing the other parties good luck with formation of government, Fadnavis warned about the instability it may cause because of the difference in ideologies between them. “The hunger for power is such that now Shiv Sena leaders are even willing to ally with Sonia Gandhi,” he said.

Referring to the possible Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance government as ‘three-wheeler’ government, Fadnavis expressed doubts over its stability and said that the BJP will work as an effective opposition giving voice to the people of Maharashtra.

On Saturday, 23 November, BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis had taken oath as the CM of Maharashtra in a surprise development. NCP’s Ajit Pawar had also taken oath as the Deputy CM, claiming the support of a faction of NCP MLAs.

A confusion has since broken out in the state, with the Sena claiming that Ajit had backstabbed them, and NCP claiming that no MLAs are in support of Ajit Pawar.

Maharashtra: As the newly minted alliance comes crashing down, here are the possible reasons why Ajit Pawar resigned

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: As the newly minted alliance comes crashing down, here are the possible reasons why Ajit Pawar resigned

In a shocking turn of events in Maharashtra yet again, news tricked in that Ajit Pawar, with whose support BJP was planning to form the government, had resigned as Deputy CM. Earlier, Devendra Fadnavis was sworn in as the Chief Minister and Ajit Pawar as the Deputy CM early morning on 24th November after weeks of NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena going back and forth in their alliance talk.

After Sharad Pawar distanced himself from this decision, Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP started collecting their flock of MLAs frantically. What has been surprising to everyone is the sudden turn of events with Pawar resigning only a day before the Supreme Court-ordered floor test on 27th.

Devendra Fadnavis held a press conference and said that Ajit Pawar had approached him after the Supreme Court declared the floor test and said that he will not be able to support the alliance anymore.

Read: Ajit Pawar resigns as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra

Devendra Fadnavis declared his decision to resign from the post of Chief Minister and extended his best wishes to whoever forms the government next, taking potshots at Shiv Sena for taking oath under Sonia Gandhi.

Times Now reported that there were mainly three reasons why Ajit Pawar decided to resign as the Deputy CM.


According to Times Now, Ajit Pawar had initially estimated that 30 MLAs would back his decision to ally with BJP. However, in the end, only 12 MLAs supported him. The U-turn of Dhananjay Munde was also being seen as a major set back for Ajit Pawar’s ambitions.


Dhananjay Munde had tweeted on 24th November to declare that he is supporting Sharad Pawar.

After these recent developments, Sanjay Raut had said that Ajit Pawar is with the Shiv Sena, Congress and NCP alliance and Uddhav Thackeray will be sworn in as the Chief Minister for 5 years after they prove their majority on the floor of the house.

Pakistan is instigating Jihad against India through internet, restrictions necessary in Kashmir: Solicitor General at Supreme Court

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan is instigating Jihad against India through internet, restrictions necessary in Kashmir: Solicitor General at Supreme Court

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta on Tuesday commenced his arguments on behalf of the centre in a batch of petitions filed by Kashmir Times Editor, Anuradha Bhasin and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, with respect to restrictions on communication and other issues in Jammu and Kashmir.


The Supreme court raised questions on the internet accessibility in the valley, asking the Solicitor General: “Can the people there (in Jammu and Kashmir) access the internet, and since when?” Answering all the questions raised by the SC, Tushar Mehta told the Supreme Court that the restrictions over internet accessibility in the valley are minimal and people can visit the internet centres after getting passes.


Asserting that the centre has taken the “least restrictive measures keeping in view the inconvenience it may cause to people”, Mehta said that imposing such restrictions became imperative after the abrogation of special provisions of Article 370 since the spread of Jihad nowadays takes place on the internet.

“Unfortunately, internet jihadi is a successful one. It is a global phenomenon. The jihadi leaders can engage through the internet to spread hatred and illegal activities”, opined the Solicitor General.


Solicitor-general Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre and the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, commenced his submissions before a bench headed by Justice N. V. Ramana and justified certain restrictions imposed in the region after the abrogation of special provisions under Article 370 in the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

The SG cited before the SC that the Pakistan based terror groups use the internet to instigate the masses of Jammu and Kashmir to indulge in anti-India activities. He added, “Blocking Internet is justified to prevent such terror acts on the dark web. WhatsApp, Telegram and other apps can be used to spread messages.”

Mehta also stated that even the official social media handles of Pakistani government are being used to instigate the masses against India. He explained that the restrictions on the internet were necessary to thwart Pakistan’s misinformation war.

Read: Kashmir petitions: SC rejects petitions on internet restoration, gives govt 28 days to file affidavit on Article 370 abrogation

He furthered that blocking and monitoring individual apps and messaged will be an endless job and the government’s purpose of law and order maintenance gets defeated. Justifying the publication of newspapers being allowed, he added that newspapers are different from the Internet as they are one-sided communication.

He also added that internet restrictions have been lifted from many parts of Jammu and as the situation inches towards normalcy, internet services will be restored gradually.

“The imposition and restrictions were required as per the situation (in J&K). It is our duty to maintain the law and order. Preservation of public law and rule of law has to be maintained at any cost”, added Mehta.

Last week, during the hearing, a report by OpIndia was cited in the Supreme Court to debunk the lies of India Spend and other portals that had used the dubious claims to malign the government.

Read: You may impose restrictions on communication, but decide for how long: Supreme Court to Modi government on Kashmir

In August, the Central government scrapped Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two UTs, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. Following this, phone lines and the internet were blocked in the region. Normalcy is gradually returning to Jammu and Kashmir as mobile and landline services have been restored in both UTs and restrictions under Section 144 on movement have been withdrawn or relaxed.

Ajit Pawar resigns as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra

OpIndia Staff
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Ajit Pawar resigns as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra

In a major development ahead of floor test on Wednesday, NCP’s Ajit Pawar has resigned as Deputy Chief Minister of Maharashtra, reports Times Now. Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to address media at 3:30 PM.

Earlier today, the Supreme Court had ordered a floor test to prove the majority by 5 PM on Wednesday. The 3 member bench of Justices had pronounced its verdict on the petition filed jointly by NCP-Sena and Congress against the BJP-led government’s formation in Maharashtra.

Read: Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress MLAs made to swear a pledge of loyalty for Sonia Gandhi, Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray

Last night, the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance had held a ‘parade’ of its MLAs in the Hyatt Hotel in Mumbai. The Sena-led alliance claimed that it has the support of 162 MLAs, a comfortable majority over the halfway mark of 145.

On Saturday, 23 November, BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis had taken oath as the CM of Maharashtra in a surprise development. NCP’s Ajit Pawar had also taken oath as the Deputy CM, claiming the support of a faction of NCP MLAs.

A confusion has since broken out in the state, with the Sena claiming that Ajit had backstabbed them, and NCP claiming that no MLAs are in support of Ajit Pawar.

Sunni Waqf Board will not file review petition against Ayodhya Verdict, to decide on land offer later

OpIndia Staff
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Sunni Waqf Board will not file review petition against Ayodhya Verdict, to decide on land offer later

The Sunni Waqf Board has decided to not file a review petition against the Ayodhya verdict pronounced by the Supreme Court earlier this month.

Finally putting an end to the decades-long dispute, the apex court had ordered in favour of the Hindu litigant parties, granting the Ram Janmabhoomi site to the trust to be appointed by the central government for the building of a Ram Temple.


The Sunni Waqf Board had held its meeting today at Lucknow to decide on important issues and future course of action after the verdict. The decision was reportedly taken after much deliberation and with a 6:1 majority.

Chairman Zafar Farooqi had earlier stated that he does not wish to file a review petition.

In a historic move, the Supreme Court had on November 9, 2019, given its verdict in the long-awaited title case of Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid in Ayodhya, ruling unanimously that a temple be constructed at the Ram Janmabhoomi site.

The Apex court had also ordered the union government to provide 5 acres of land at an alternate site at a prominent location in Ayodhya to the Sunni Waqf Board as a compensation.

The Sunni Central Waqf Board was also to discuss whether to accept the 5 acres land to be offered by the government or not. As per reports, the board has put off the discussion and has stated that they will deliberate it after the land options are provided by the government.

Following the verdict, many prominent Muslims welcomed the Supreme Court’s verdict, while several others expressed strong disapproval of the same. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi couldn’t stomach the fact that the court has finally ordered the construction of a Ram Temple at the Ram Janmabhoomi site where the Mughals had destroyed a previously existing temple.

With the aim of whipping up a frenzy among Muslims of India, Asaduddin Owaisi continued his harangue against the verdict saying, “I want my masjid back”. Many other ‘liberal-secular’ elements had also exhorted the principal litigant Sunni Waqf Board to file a review petition.

Bihar: Violent uproar over gang-rape of a minor girl, police arrest accused Arbaaz and Sonu while 2 others Kalam and Sikandar still on the run

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Violent uproar over gang-rape of a minor girl, police arrest accused Arbaaz and Sonu while 2 others Kalam and Sikandar still on the run

A  viral video of a minor girl being raped by 4 men sparked off widespread protests on the streets of Bihar’s Kaimur on November 25, 2019. An angry mob of people frantically ransacked shops, threw stones and indulged in arson in the town of Mohini protesting against the gang-rape. A half a dozen bikes, a kiosk and two slum shops were engulfed in fire in the ensuing melee. The situation became so critical that within five minutes the shutters of all the shops in the market were closed.

As per the sources, the protesters hit the streets with the aim of burning down the house of the rape accused. However, police intervened and dispersed the crowd. Internet services were snapped in Kaimur in order to preclude the situation from sliding into further chaos. According to the order issued by the state Home Department, Internet services will remain closed in the district from 25 to 26 November.

Two arrests have been made in the case thus far. The police have arrested Arbaaz and Sonu while the other two accused-Kalam and Sikandar were still on the lam. The STF team from Patna is conducting raids in collaboration with the local police to identify their whereabouts and arrest them. The rumour that the victim has committed suicide after the gang-rape only served to increase public rage.

The accused Mohammad Arbaaz lured a minor girl on the pretext of marrying her and then raped her along with 3 of his friends. Not only this, the entire incident was recorded on mobile by the accused and later made it viral on social media.

The matter drew attention after the video of the gang-rape went viral on Sunday. In the viral video, it was seen that some boys in a car were brutally raping a minor girl. After this, on Sunday, the victim reached the women’s station located in Bhabua and lodged an FIR against the four boys of Mohania.

The girl told that Arbaaz met her on her daily commutation from coaching classes. She was reportedly entrapped by him. The girl asserted that she was being sexually assaulted by him from the last 5 months on the pretext of marriage. On Tuesday (November 19, 2019) the victim was called by Kalam near Mundeshwari Gate in Mohania. Arbaaz and his companions were already present there in a car. As soon as the girl arrived, she was pulled into the car. When the girl protested, she was gagged and tied and taken to the Ratwar river, where she was gang-raped by the accused.

Bangladeshi national arrested in Kolkata after stealing around Rs 2 crores from businessmen over several months

OpIndia Staff
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Bangladeshi national arrested in Kolkata after stealing around Rs 2 crores from businessmen over several months

A Bangladeshi national has been arrested in Kolkata after stealing money from businessmen in several markets of the city over the last several months. Salim Mohammad was finally arrested by Kolkata police after he was caught on CCTV exchanging a money-filled bag with a similar-looking bag. He was arrested on Sunday near the SS Hogg Market, popularly known as the New Market in Kolkata.

Kolkata police had received several complaints of bag-lifting from Burrabazar, New Market and other market areas in last several months, and it is suspected that Salim was behind them. After this, the police started monitoring the CCTV footage, and in two separate incidents of the person targeting unsuspecting businessmen was seen a few days ago. After that, he was tracked down to a hotel in Bowbazar area in Kolkata.

Also Read: Five convicted Bangladeshi nationals set to be deported to their country from Assam

According to police sources, Salim Mohammad has stolen around Rs 2 crores over the last six months from several busy market areas in Kolkata city. He used to monitor the movements of shopkeepers in the evening at the time of closing the shops for his operation. After identifying a target shopkeeper who carries the day’s cash collection in a bag, he would wait near the shop at the time of closing, and the moment shopkeeper gets distracted by some reason, he would immediately steal the bag. Sometimes he used to arrange a similar-looking bag to replace the money-filled bag so that the businessmen will not realise immediately that he has been robbed.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFhRhlRCHkQ]

Salim Mohammad is a resident of Narayanganj in Dhaka, and he had stayed in several hotels in Kolkata showing passport and visa. Despite having the documents, he had entered India illegally, although it is not clear whether his passport and visa are valid or not. He had sent the robbed money to Bangladesh using money transfer services. Several lakhs of rupees were recovered from Salim at the time of his arrest. According to police, Salim has stolen more than 40 bags filled with money in the last 6 months.

Salim Mohammad was produced at the Bankshall court in Kolkata on Monday, and the court sent him to police custody till 30th November. A police investigation is on to find out whether he worked alone or is he part of a larger gang.

Pakistan Supreme Court suspends notification extending General Bajwa’s tenure as COAS

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan Supreme Court suspends notification extending General Bajwa’s tenure as COAS

Pakistan Supreme Court today suspended the notification which had confirmed the three-year extension of General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Army Staff (COAS). In August this year, a notification issued by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s office had extended his tenure “in view of regional security environment”.

General Bajwa is due to retire on 29th November. The Court issued notices to Pakistan’s defence ministry, federal government as well as General Bajwa. The hearing will now take place on Wednesday, 27th November. The Pakistan Supreme Court said that the tenure of COAS can be extended only by the President and not the Prime Minister. While Pakistan’s Attorney General said that General Bajwa’s tenure was extended after President’s approval, Pakistan Supreme Court observed that only 11 out of 25 cabinet members had approved the extension.

Read: Meet General Bajwa: The Pakistani Army Chief who awarded himself a three-year extension at his job

Last week, a plea was filed against General Bajwa for serving the top post in Pakistan despite being an Ahmadi Muslim. Former Major Khalid Shah had filed a petition in Peshawar High Court alleging that Bajwa belonged to Qadiani community aka Ahmadi Muslims who are declared as ‘non-Muslims’ in Pakistan. The plea had also named former ISI DG Rizwan Akhtar for ‘failing his duty as a Muslim’ for not informing the government that Bajwa is ‘not a Muslim’.

Partying then, silent now: How Rahul Gandhi continues to insult the victims of 26/11 carnage

OpIndia Staff
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Partying then, silent now: How Rahul Gandhi continues to insult the victims of 26/11 carnage

On 26th November 2008, 10 terrorists from Pakistan had held the country to ransom for 4 long, un-ending days. Shooting and bombing several locations in the financial capital of India, Mumbai, the terrorists left a trail of blood. Between 26/11 and 29th November 2008, at least 174 people were killed (the numbers are suspected to be far more) and 300 people were injured. While the country remembers 26/11 in horror and mourns the trail of dead bodies, Rahul Gandhi has maintained a stoic silence.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi remembered the victims of the carnage while addressing both Houses of Parliament on Constitution Day, he said that while November 26 is a happy occasion as India celebrates Constitution Day, it is also a reminder of the Mumbai terror attacks of November 26, 2008. “I pay tributes to those killed in the Mumbai terror attacks,” he said.

In fact, even the Congress party Twitter handle tweeted remembering the terror attack. Congress tweeted, “Today as we pay our respects to the victims & martyrs of the deadly Mumbai attack on 26th November 2008, we remember the strength & unity of our people that helped our nation get through this difficult period. It is a true testament to what we can achieve when we come together”.

However, Rahul Gandhi, the part-time politician and the crowned prince of the Congress party has maintained silence. He is yet to make any statement too the media or on his Twitter handle, which is otherwise rather active, remembering the carnage that was unleashed by Pakistan or the victims that fell to the terror.

Read: ‘The party chose to pander to Muslim fears’: Wikileaks cable on Congress’ dangerous politics over 26/11 terror attack

The last tweet from Rahul Gandhi’s Twitter handle was at 10:40 AM where he wished the nation on Constitution Day.


So while his Twitter account is active, not one tweet or statement has been made by the part-time politician.

Rahul Gandhi’s conduct, however insensitive, is not surprising. While citizens of India were being slaughtered by Pakistani terrorists, Rahul Gandhi was partying.

India Today news

Rahul Gandhi was partying in the outskirts of Delhi at the ‘sangeet’ for the wedding of Samir Sharma, his childhood friend. They were at a sprawling farmhouse at Radhey Mohan Chowk.

Read: Tales of betrayal and Congress’ insensitivity as the 26/11 terror attack left 166 dead

According to India Today’s 2008 article, “Saturday night’s ‘sangeet’ was a lavish affair. It was hosted by Leena Musafir, sister of the woman with whom Samir is getting married, and her husband Inder. The party was attended by over 800 guests, including regulars at Page 3 dos. “When everyone is cancelling parties or just keeping them low-key, Rahul Gandhi had no business to be celebrating. His action makes us lose faith in future leaders,” said Ajay Bahl, a leading corporate lawyer who was trapped in the thick of the action on 26/11 at The Oberoi, Mumbai, but managed to escape with the help of the hotel staff. The Gandhis, including Sonia Gandhi’s mother Paola Maino, were present in strength at the 2004 wedding of Samir’s sister, Sarika, who is married to actor turned- TV producer Rahul Bhatt. Sarika and Rahul now manage a television production house”.

With the kind of insensitivity that Rahul Gandhi displayed even as the 26/11 siege was on-going, it is not surprising that 11 years on, he would pretend like the carnage did not even take place. That though he aspires to be a serious leader, he doesn’t really care about extending a word of support to the country while they remember the horror that Pakistan unleashed.

Uttar Pradesh: Congress party expels 11 senior leaders, including Indira Gandhi’s trusted aide, on charges of ‘indiscipline’

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh: Congress party expels 11 senior leaders, including Indira Gandhi’s trusted aide, on charges of ‘indiscipline’

The internecine conflict within Uttar Pradesh Congress has come out in open as the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee(UPCC) on Sunday ousted 11 veteran leaders including former ministers. One of the expelled leaders, Ram Krishna Dwivedi, 87, once a trusted aide of former Indian PM Indira Gandhi, was unceremoniously suspended from the party for 6 years.

Reports say that the veterans have been expelled from the part under Priyanka Gandhi’s orders.

The expelled leaders have been accused of publicly lambasting the top leadership for its decisions concerning the overhaul of the UPCC, holding separate meetings and unilaterally interacting with media to tarnish the party’s image.

A statement issued by the Congress party announcing the expulsion of 11 leaders said that the concerned personalities indulged in anti-party activities, convening independent meetings and opposing the decisions taken by the party leadership.

The leaders who were expelled included Santosh Singh (former MP), Siraj Mehndi (former MLC), Ramakrishna Dwivedi (former home minister, UP), Satyadev Tripathi (former minister), Rajendra Singh Solanki (member AICC), Bhudhar Narayan Mishra (former MLA), Hafiz Mohammad Omar (former MLA), Vinod Chaudhary (former MLA), Nekchandra Pandey (former MLA), Swayam Prakash Goswami (former Speaker, Youth Congress), and Sanjeev Singh (former Congress district President Gorakhpur).

The leaders were earlier issued a notice by the UPCC over ‘indiscipline’. According to the sources, senior Congress leaders were upset with Priyanka Gandhi’s decision to replace old guards with young faces in the state organisation. Some veteran leaders have also objected to the appointment of Ajay Lallu as the state Congress chief.

Addressing a press conference, the senior leaders lamented that they are being sidelined while efforts are being made to sabotage the party’s organisation in UP. Former minister Ramkirshna Dwivedi said, “As per the party’s constitution, our suspension for 6 years is unlawful and condemning. We are AICC members and any decision regarding expelling us can only be taken by the central disciplinary committee. Priyanka is our leader but she even cannot order the UPCC for any action against us.”

Once amongst the most trusted men of Indira Gandhi when she served as Prime Minister, Dwivedi had pulled off a surprising victory by defeating the chief minister in a byelection in 1971. Against formidable odds, Dwivedi had scored an unlikely win against Tribhuvan Narain Singh in a byelection from Maniram Assembly constituency in Gorakhpur.

On the allegations that the senior Congress leaders are meeting separately and undermining the party, Dwivedi reasoned that the only reason they met separately because they were being ignored by the current crop of party leadership appointed by Priyanka Gandhi.

Read: Congress ‘Old Guard’ shunning Priyanka? Out of 350 invitees, only 40 tuned up

“We paid separate tributes to Jawaharlal Nehru on his birth anniversary in the Gomti Nagar area. The party had organised an event at the state headquarters. We met independently to discuss the strategy to strengthen the party because we were being ignored at the party office. We are not rebels but now it is obvious that some leaders want to sabotage the organisation for their personal interests. We have not received any notice to reply within 24 hours as claimed by the UPCC in a statement” said Dwivedi.

Read: ‘Congress should introspect’: UP leader who once worked closely with Rahul Gandhi refuses to be Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s adviser

Other expelled leaders too expressed their discontent with the party’s decision to oust veterans. Bhudhar Narayan Mishra said that there is a prevailing feeling among senior leaders in the party that they are being ignored by the new leadership and it is reflective in their abysmal participation in UPCC meetings.

Another expelled leader Santosh Singh rubbished the rumours of insecurity among senior leaders due to the inclusion of youth leaders in the organisation. The leaders have demanded immediate intervention from the interim Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

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