On 25th June, the Delhi High Court set aside the trial court’s order granting bail to Chief Minister of Delhi, Arvind Kejriwal, in the alleged Delhi Excise Policy Scam case. The matter is under investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
In the order, Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain criticised the trial court for mishandling the case. Justice Jain stated that the trial court did not consider the material submitted by the ED properly and failed to provide adequate opportunity for the ED to argue its case. Justice Jain said, “The observation by the trial court that voluminous material cannot be considered is unjustified and shows that the trial court has not applied its mind to the material.”
On 20th June, a vacation bench of the Trial Court granted bail to Arvind Kejriwal. The decision was challenged in the High Court by the ED seeking a stay on the bail order. The High Court noted that the trial court did not address the twin conditions for bail properly under Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). “There was a strong argument that the twin condition of Section 45 PMLA was not deliberated by the vacation judge. This court thinks that Section 45 PMLA has not been properly discussed by the trial court,” the High Court said.
Furthermore, the High Court pointed out that the Trial Court’s findings of malafides on the ED’s part were incorrect. The court referred to the previous order of the High Court that rejected Kejriwal’s claim of malafides. Justice Jain said, “The trial court should not have given any finding which is opposite to the finding of the High Court.”
In its order, the Trial Court had granted bail to Kejriwal on a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh. Special Judge (PC Act) Niyay Bindu of the Rouse Avenue Court had stated that the ED failed to provide direct evidence linking Kejriwal to the crime proceeds and did not show that another accused, Vijay Nair, acted on Kejriwal’s behalf. However, the ED argued that Kejriwal was involved in a conspiracy to manipulate the Delhi Excise Policy for 2021-22 that benefitted the liquor sellers. ED also stated that kickbacks from the sellers were allegedly used by AAP in the election campaign in the Goa State Elections.
The Delhi High Court’s interim stay was challenged by Kejriwal in the Supreme Court on 24th June. The Apex Court termed the stay order as “unusual” but decided to wait for the final order by the High Court. The matter will be heard in the Supreme Court on 26th June.
Arvind Kejriwal was arrested in the Delhi Excise Policy Scam case on 21st March after he failed to appear at the ED office for questioning nine times. Nine of the ED’s notices to appear were ignored by Delhi’s CM and they were challenged in the court. The court questioned ED why AAP, the political party, was not made a party in the matter and refused to grant any relief to Kejriwal. ED then went to his residence for questioning and subsequently, Delhi CM was arrested in the matter. Apart from Kejriwal, Delhi’s former Deputy CM Manish Sisodia is also currently lodged in jail in the matter. Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh however was granted bail.
On 21st June, a Hindu family was attacked at their shop in village Akerda of district Nuh, Haryana allegedly for voting for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recent Lok Sabha elections. As per the NBT Navbharat Times report, Manoj, one of the victims, was working at the family shop where the family runs a cosmetics and Common Service Centre (SCS) in front of their house. Three villagers identified as Mausam, Shahid and Arfat came and started discussing the Lok Sabha Elections with him.
During the discussion, Manoj told them that he voted for BJP which enraged the trio. They accused Manoj of contributing to the defeat of the Congress candidate in the region and began assaulting him. They also abused him using casteist slurs. Manoj cried for help. His family members including his father Ramkishan rushed to help him but they were also attacked. Ramkishan’s 8-month-old pregnant daughter-in-law was also physically assaulted during the attack.
People nearby heard the cries of the victims and rushed to the scene. They intervened and rescued the family members from the attackers. The injured pregnant woman was rushed to Nalhad Medical College for treatment. The incident was reported to the police by the victims. However, after three days of the incident, the police did not take any strict action against the attackers. The family said in a statement that they were living in fear and alleged that police were pressuring them to change their statement.
The investigating officer told NBT Navbharat Times that a complaint was received from the victims. He added that the police called both sides for an inquiry and assured appropriate action would be taken once the investigation was over.
BJP district chief gets threat to leave Nuh
Nuh has been consistently in the news for all the wrong reasons. Apart from family getting attacked allegedly for voting BJP in Lok Sabha Elections, BJP district chief Narendra Patel received a threatening letter via mail to leave Nuh. On 24th June, BJP leaders and workers visited the District Secretariat and submitted a memorandum addressed to the Chief Minister, DC and SP regarding the threat.
A complaint in the matter has been filed at City Police Station Nuh. The police have registered a case against the accused in the matter and further investigation is underway.
The letter was received by Patel on 23rd June in which the sender identified himself as Tehmur. The letter, which was written in very bad handwriting, read, “BJP’s Narendra Patel, either leave Nuh or you will be shot. You have troubled the people of our Mewli village a lot. You have implicated many people in the riots as well. I, Sakir Abrar from Mewli village, will run you over with a car one day. I will not spare you, Mewli is not afraid of anyone. Sahid Torif Khusid says your death is certain… Tehmur.”
Source: Bhaskar/citytehelka
District officials have assured BJP leaders and workers that strict action will be taken against those who sent the letter.
On the occasion of Bakrid which fell on 17th June, communal tensions flared up in Jogidher, a small Hindu-majority village in the Bareilly district of Uttar Pradesh. Notably, the Hindu community was outraged after a Muslim family publicly slaughtered a buffalo near a Shiva temple which according to residents marked a departure from the village’s custom. According to protesters, Muslim villagers had not sacrificed buffalo on Bakrid in the past. Consequently, Hindu villagers asserted that they would patrol streets during the next Bakrid to prevent the slaughter of large animals.
As things escalated, the Police had to intervene to bring the situation under control. They also booked eight men from the Muslim family involved, under charges of animal cruelty. They also arrested two accused who were released on bail the following day.
The incident unfolded on the morning of the Islamic festival of Eid-al-Adha, commonly known as Bakrid. Sangram Singh, a resident, captured a video of his neighbour, Mohammed Israr in which he was slaughtering a buffalo in an open space outside his home. According to Singh, this was done close to a Shiva temple. In the video accessed by Swarajya, several men were seen moving the dead remains of the buffalo inside a house.
Narrating the incident, Singh (60) told Swarajya, “It was around 11 am. We were inside our house when we were overwhelmed by an unbearable stench. My wife, covering her mouth, went outside to find the source. She was horrified to see our neighbours slaughtering a buffalo.”
He then recorded the act and shared the video among the villagers. Notably, the village has about 2,500 Hindus and nearly 300 Muslims.
(Screengrab from video, Source – Swarajya)
The video soon started doing rounds among the villagers, sparking an outrage over the act. Soon, residents gathered and surrounded the local police station. They raised slogans that they would oppose the “initiation of a new tradition on Bakrid”. They said that the slaughter marked a departure from the village’s custom. They demanded that the family involved in the act should be arrested.
(It is alleged that the buffalo was slaughtered publicly, near a Shiva temple, outraging the Hindu community, Image Source – Swarajya)
Initially, Police were reluctant to intervene
The village Pradhan, Ram Swaroop Kashyap told Swarajya’s Swati Goel Sharma that although police arrived quickly at the scene, they initially declined to intervene. They cited the incident as part of the Muslim festival of animal sacrifice.
The officers argued that if the animal had been a cow or its progeny, they would have proceeded under the Cow Protection Act. Dissatisfied with the officer’s response, the villagers threatened to escalate their protests.
Some villagers told the police that the slaughter was conducted openly which was against the state guidelines that prohibit such visible acts of animal sacrifice. They also highlighted that it was carried out just twenty meters from a Hindu temple.
Kashyap said that the police acknowledged the validity of the villagers’ complaints. Subsequently, the Police filed an FIR that evening at the Collector Bukganj Police Station in the CB Ganj area against eight family members (FIR number 213).
The accused named in the FIR include Mohammed Israr, Mohammed Islam, Mohammed Shafi, and Mohammed Akhlaq, along with Israr’s four sons but their names were not disclosed. The accused were charged under IPC section 429 for harming or destroying livestock and under Section 11 of The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, for cruelty like mutilation or unnecessarily killing animals.
(FIR copy, Credit – Swarajya)
Two accused were detained that evening. But according to Kashyap, they were released on bail the following day.
The complaint was given in the name of Sangram Singh and over 30 Hindu residents are named as co-complainants in the case. The complaint stated that although Muslim residents sacrificed goats in the past, buffalo sacrifice on Bakrid is an attempt to start a new custom and it has created communal tensions in the village.
Hindu villagers assert that they will not allow new customs in the village
The Hindu community which is in majority, including the Pradhan, Ram Swaroop Kashyap, has openly opposed the practice of animal slaughter on Bakrid, which according to them is an introduction of a new religious custom.
However, the Muslim villagers alleged that it was an infringement on their religious rights.
Kashyap (65) stressed that the issue transcends religious lines. He said, “This is not about Hindu versus Muslim. It’s about maintaining our traditional practices. If Hindus introduced a new ritual, we would oppose that just the same.”
The former Pradhan, Mohammed Kamruddin alleged that the Hindu majority is leveraging their greater numbers to suppress Muslim practices. He also alleged that the villagers were under “the influence of RSS and Bajrang Dal”.
Speaking with Swarajya, he refuted the claim that animal sacrifice on Bakrid is a new custom. He said, “In families that can afford it, animal sacrifice has always been part of Bakrid. I have sacrificed goats every year.”
He added that families who can afford it typically opt to slaughter larger animals, such as buffaloes.
He claimed that Hindu nationalist groups like the RSS and Bajrang Dal have become active in the village which is leading to such an opposition. He alleged, “The villagers are causing disturbances under their influence.”
Regarding the next Bakrid, Kamruddin advised his community to consider conducting their sacrifices in a neighbouring Muslim-majority village to avoid conflict.
Meanwhile, Sangram Singh and other Hindu residents maintained that no new customs would be allowed in the village. Singh said they plan to ensure that “no new practices are established”. He declared, “Next year, we’ll patrol the streets of Bakrid to ensure there’s no deviation from our village’s customs.”
The issue of reservation for the Maratha community has been ongoing in Maharashtra for years with minimal solutions to date. There is a reason to decide the issue soon as the protests undertaken by the ‘Maratha activist’ Manoj Jarange Patil don’t seem to end. Patil has been on strike, demanding reservations for Marathas from the backward quota, since October 2023. The protests have also turned violent and caused damage to public property and vehicles in several districts of Maharashtra like Jalna, Pune, Beed, Dharashiv, etc. Houses of several NCP politicians were also set on fire by the demonstrators who expressed their anger and yelled slogans ‘Ek Maratha, Lakh Maratha’.
The state government led by CM Eknath Shinde, recently in January this year, accepted all the requests put forth by Jarange Patil and extended 10% reservation to Marathas above the 52% cap, further classifying Marathas as a socially and educationally backward class (SEBC). While Jarange Patil declared to end his strike after this, he began a fresh protest in June this year demanding the implementation of a draft notification that recognises all blood relatives of Maratha community members as Kunbis, an agrarian group classified as another backward class (OBC) community, who are eligible for reservation. “I will not give up until the Maratha reservation is granted,” Patil was quoted as saying.
Shinde assured solution to the problem and approved 10% reservation to Maratha community
Patil also demanded that a law be enacted to designate Kunbis as Marathas, and he threatened to field candidates for all 288 Assembly seats in Maharashtra in the forthcoming State election if his demands were not met.
If these threats of his were not enough, the activist, who earlier was believed to have been raising his voice for the Maratha community, has now started protesting and threatening the government to provide reservations to the Muslim community as well.
Muslims should get a reservation from OBC quota: Jarange Patil
On Monday (24th June), in a major setback to the OBC community in the state, Jarange Patil demanded reservation for the Muslim community from the OBC quota. He said that Muslims who have Kunbi caste certificates should also be extended reservations in government jobs and education under the Other Backward Class quota in Maharashtra.
“There are government records that show that the Muslims are also part of Kunbi castes. When these records prove that they are also farmers and belong to the Kunbi community, then Muslims should also be given reservations from the OBC quota. Muslims should not be facing injustice,” Jarange Patil was quoted as saying.
This comes after as per Jarange Patil, Pasha Patel, BJP leader’s record showed that he was a Kunbi. “If there are such records, then all Muslims should get a reservation from the OBC quota. I will see how they don’t get their rights,” he threatened.
BJP leader Pasha Patel
Demanding reservations for the Maratha community could be understood as the issue has been ongoing for over 32 years now and several political parties and activists have made attempts to find a solution to the issue. However, why is Jarange Patil interested in issuing reservations for the Muslim community, which in fact is a separate religion and not a Hindu caste like that of Marathas? Jarange Patil’s stance, in this case, is seen as a ploy to annoy OBCs, who are already apprehensive about losing their reservation in light of calls for blanket reservation for the Maratha group from their quota.
OBC leaders oppose Jarange Patil’s demand for Muslim reservation, call it a separate religion
After Jarange Patil’s demand for Muslim reservations, OBC activist Laxman Hake, who has been protesting to for the OBC community, said that the Muslim community is being seen as a religion and some of the castes from their community who fall under OBC quota are already getting the reservation. “Hinduism is divided into social hierarchies, but the Muslim community is seen as a religion,” he said.
BJP leader Nitesh Rane also opposed the demand made by Jarange Patil saying that our Constitution does not allow giving reservations based on religion. “Our Constitution does not allow giving reservations on religious grounds. Jarange Patil may not be aware that the reservation can be granted only on the backwardness of a caste,” he said.
OBC leader Chagan Bhujpal (NCP-Ajit Pawar) also slammed Jarange Patil for demanding reservation for Muslims from the OBC quota. According to Bhujbal, the activist knows nothing about reservations in the state, thus he is unaware that Muslims have received reservation advantages under the OBC quota for the previous 25 years. “Many castes among Muslims have been getting reservations under the OBC quota,” said Bhujbal alleging that he was being targeted by Jarange Patil for no reason. However, he also said that he was not scared of anybody.
OBC leader Chagan Bhujbal (L)
Apart from Bhujbal, Jarange Patil has also received criticism from the revenue minister and BJP Maratha leader Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil, who stated that the Maratha quota protest had lost direction. “Jarange Patil is not the only representative of Marathas. The government has already given a separate reservation of 10% to Marathas. The government has also started deliberations on reservations for Marathas and OBCs,” Vikhe Patil said.
It is important to note that the state had approved a 10% reservation to the Maratha community over and above the 52% existing quota which already includes 10% reservations for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS). Jarange Patil is asking for a reservation for a separate religion now. But won’t giving Muslims space in this specified quota be unfair to Marathas and OBCs (given no clarity over demands of separate reservations for the community)?
Muslim reservation- a contentious issue; Bombay HC knocking down a portion
The issue of reservation for Muslims was also raised before the year 2014 when the Congress-NCP government was in power in the state. The government then announced a 5% reservation for the Muslim population in government posts and education.
However, the Bombay High Court knocked down portions of the regulation. It eliminated reservation provisions in government positions while allowing them in education. The decision was rejected by the Devendra Fadnavis-led BJP government when it took office in 2014, stating that they are opposed to religious reservations.
Muslim leaders, Samajwadi Party, NCP (Sharad Pawar) making demands for 5% Muslim reservations
Now, apart from Jarange Patil, after the state approved reservations for the Maratha community, several Muslim leaders also started demanding reservations for Muslims. On February 20th, Samajwadi Party (SP) MLA Rais Shaikh had written to CM Eknath Shinde demanding a 5% reservation for Muslims at the earliest. He said this was necessary to eradicate the backwardness of the community and to bring them into the path of mainstream development.
He mentioned that the NCP-Congress government had approved a 5% quota for Muslims but its implementation never happened. “It is a gross injustice to the Muslim community, which has been fighting for their rightful reservation for decades. There is a lot of resentment among the community for not getting our due. It is high time that the government must provide reservation to the community,” said Shaikh in the letter.
“Around 50 sub-castes in the community will benefit from the reservation. The demand for reservation is based on the economic and social backwardness of the community. We hope that the government will give the rightful reservation to us,” he had added.
SP MLA Rais Shaikh
Shaikh also stated that Marathas should get separate reservations and that the OBC quota shouldn’t be touched. However, the leader selectively forgot that the Muslim community has been benefitting from the reservation for 25 years. Those Muslims falling under the OBC category are getting all the benefits of the government reservations.
Saleem Sarang, vice-president of the NCP, issued warnings on June 9th to protest if the state government failed to provide Muslims with 5% reservation in educational institutes, as partially allowed by the Bombay High Court. “The BJP has no qualms in joining hands with Chandrababu Naidu of TDP whose pro-Muslim reservation stand is well-known. So, why should the BJP oppose it if the Mahayuti government gives Muslim quota?” Saleem was quoted as saying.
Arif Naseem Khan, a former state minister, has also demanded Muslim reservations. Khan stated that the BJP is allied with the TDP at the center, which supports Muslim reservations. “N Chandrababu Naidu’s son and TDP’s general secretary, N Lokesh, has announced that the TDP government will continue with the 4% Muslim reservation. In Maharashtra, our government had given a 5% quota to Muslims on the basis of educational and economic backwardness. The government must restore this reservation along with the quota for Maratha and Dhangar communities,” said Khan.
Earlier in December 2023, NCP (Sharad Pawar) MLA from Baramati constituency had demanded reservation for Muslims. While raising the issue of Maratha reservations, the leader said that there was a need to find an amicable solution to the issue of reservations for Maratha, Dhangar, Lingayat, and the Muslim community in Maharashtra. The leader again, selectively happened to forget that Islam is a separate religion while Maratha, Dhangar, and Lingayat are castes and that religion-based reservation is not allowed by the Constitution.
Supriya Sule demands 'Muslim Reservation'
This is real plan of INDI Alliance. Divide Hindus into caste and give reservations to Muslims.
What the Indian Constitution says about religion-based reservations
The Indian Constitution moved toward equity, which ensures justice and may necessitate differential treatment or special measures for certain groups.
The Constitution removed the term ‘minorities’ from Article 296 (Article 335 of the current Constitution), but included Article 16(4), which allows the state to make “any provision for …reservation…in favor of any backward class of citizens which…is not adequately represented in the services under the state.”
Article 15(4) of the first constitutional amendment enabled the state to make “any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes”.
Article 15 clearly prohibits the state from discriminating against residents based only on religion and caste (as well as gender, race, and place of birth). Following the Supreme Court’s decision in the State of Kerala vs N M Thomas (1975), reservation is viewed as an extension of equality rather than an exception to Articles 15(1) and 16(1)’s equality/non-discrimination clauses.
Representative Image- Indian Express
The key word in Articles 15 and 16 is ‘only’, which means that if a religious, racial, or caste group is considered a “weaker section” under Article 46, or a backward class, it is entitled to special provisions for advancement.
Some Muslim castes receive reservations not because they are Muslims, but because they were classified as backward, and reservation in many states has been granted without affecting the quota for SCs, STs, and OBCs by establishing a sub-quota within the OBCs. At present, there are 14 states and UTs in India where Muslim communities are included in the quota list, based on social and economic backwardness.
Probable reasons why Jarange Patil is allegedly becoming the voice of Muslims
This is actually as surprising as it looks. Jarange Patil, who was to date raising his voice for the Maratha community, is now worried about the ‘so-called’ injustice happening to the Muslim community. Further, it is important to note that the protests regarding the Maratha reservation became prominent and massively violent probably only when the BJP government ruled the state, be it in the year 2014 or 2023-24.
Further, the outcomes of the current Lok Sabha elections in Maharashtra saw Muslims supporting the parties other than the BJP. The ruling party was unable to secure a majority in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections due to this. The Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, won 7 seats and the BJP won 9, while parties with Muslim and Communist support, such as the NCP (Sharad Pawar), Indian National Congress, and Shiv Sena (UBT), gained 8, 13, and 9 seats, respectively. This clearly shows that Muslims in the state of Maharashtra voted for any party standing against BJP.
Given Jarange Patil’s previous association with Congress and his current sympathies for the Muslim community, it would not be an exaggeration to claim that Patil’s move is probably to raise mass appeal in support of the NCP (Sharad Pawar), Shiv Sena (UBT) and Indian National Congress ahead of the State Assembly Elections under the guise of fighting for Maratha reservation.
If not, what exactly made him start fresh protests in June over the ‘Maratha reservation’ after the state approved 10% reservations over existing 52% in February this year? What made him suddenly talk about Muslim reservations when the community has already been benefiting from the OBC quota for years? What made him suddenly think of Muslim reservations in the first place, given his no direct association with the community?
As several leaders opine, Jarange Patil has seemingly lost direction while primarily fighting for the Maratha quota in the state. He has also issued threats to the government saying he would see how the state fails to provide reservation to the Muslim community. This is alarming in itself and probably the situation needs immediate attention from the Centre.
On Monday (24th June), the police arrested Tommy Robinson, a British activist and critic of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, from Calgary in Alberta province of Canada.
The British activist had a speaking engagement in Calgary, organised by independent news outfit Rebel News. It must be mentioned that Justin Trudeau-led-Liberal Party in Canada has hounded Rebel News on several occasions in the past.
After the conclusion of the event, Tommy Robinson was arrested by the police. Reportedly, a warrant to this effect was issued by the government.
— Tommy Robinson ?? (@TRobinsonNewEra) June 25, 2024
In the meantime, Rebel News founder Ezra Levant informed that he has hired Alain Hepner, a leading criminal lawyer in Calgary, to secure the release of the British activist. He had also sought donations from the public to pay legal fees.
BREAKING: Ezra Levant has an emergency update on Tommy Robinson arrest after speaking event in Calgary.
Rebel News has hired Calgary's leading criminal lawyer Alain Hepner and we are working to secure his release as soon as possible.
Two hours later, Tommy Robinson posted a tweet stating that he had been released. However, the activist pointed out that he had been directed to give his passport, remain in south Alberta and not leave Canada.
“Ok I’m FREE , we’ll sort of, None of this makes sense , I’m now detained in Calgary , prevented from leaving the city , these conditions stop me from continuing my tour of Canada & meeting with guests for podcasts . I’m not even allowed to leave to travel home,” he said in a tweet.
Ok I’m FREE , we’ll sort of, None of this makes sense , I’m now detained in Calgary , prevented from leaving the city , these conditions stop me from continuing my tour of Canada & meeting with guests for podcasts . I’m not even allowed to leave to travel home https://t.co/tNr2ovHOP2
— Tommy Robinson ?? (@TRobinsonNewEra) June 25, 2024
It must be mentioned that Tommy Robinson had been a vocal critic of the Justin Trudeau government in Canada. The British activist had dubbed the Liberal Party leader as ‘commie’ who is triggered by democracy.
On 10th June, he tweeted, “The far left are running riot in France tonight because the people chose right, and now Trudeau just dropped a video about his “concerns” that the people of Europe chose right. All these people aren’t even pretending not to be commies anymore. They’re triggered by democracy.”
The far left are running riot in France tonight because the people chose right, and now Trudeau just dropped a video about his "concerns" that the people of Europe chose right.
All these people aren't even pretending not to be commies anymore.
— Tommy Robinson ?? (@TRobinsonNewEra) June 10, 2024
Tommy Robinson was previously arrested in August 2018 for supposed ‘contempt of court.’ OpInida’s Editor-in-Chief Nupur Sharma interviewed him in September 2022 regarding the anti-Hindu Leicester unrest and the menace of Islamism in the United Kingdom.
Efforts by the BJP’s top leadership to broker a consensus on the position of the speaker of the 18th Lok Sabha came to nought when the INDIA bloc decided to field 8-time MP K Suresh for the post. His nomination followed the filing of a nomination by the BJP’s Kota MP Om Birla for the post. Birla was the speaker in the 17th Lok Sabha as well.
This will be the first time that elections will be held for the Speaker of the lower house. Since independence, the Lok Sabha Speaker and Deputy Speaker have been elected by consensus between the ruling party and the opposition. The elections for the post will be held on June 26.
BJP MP Piyush Goyal said there was no precedent to suggest that the deputy speaker’s post must go to the opposition, and the opposition was needlessly choosing a showdown.
“They said first decide the name for Deputy Speaker then we will support the Speaker candidate. We condemn such politics. A good tradition would have been to choose the Speaker unanimously. The Speaker does not belong to any party or opposition; he belongs to the entire House. Similarly, the Deputy Speaker also does not belong to any party or group; he belongs to the entire House and hence there should be consent of the House. Such conditions that only a particular person or from a particular party should be the Deputy Speaker, do not fit into any tradition of the Lok Sabha.”
Earlier, senior cabinet minister Rajnath Singh had been reaching out to opposition leaders on behalf of the government in a bid to build consensus for the post of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the Lower House of Parliament.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that they had conveyed to Rajnath Singh that the opposition is ready to extend support to NDA’s Speaker candidate, but the post of Deputy Speaker should be given to the opposition.
Interacting with the media on Tuesday, Rahul said, “We have said to Rajnath Singh that we will support their candidate for Speaker but the convention is that the post of Deputy Speaker is given to the opposition.”
Rahul also alleged that opposition leaders are getting “insulted.”
“Today it is written in the newspaper that PM Modi has said that the opposition should cooperate with the government constructively. Rajnath Singh called Mallikarjun Kharge and he asked him to extend support to the Speaker. The entire opposition said that we would support the speaker, but the convention is that the Deputy Speaker post should be given to the opposition. Rajnath Singh said that he would call back Mallikarjun Kharge but he has not done that yet. PM Modi is asking for cooperation from the opposition, but our leader is getting insulted,” said Rahul Gandhi.
The Lok Sabha Speaker will be elected on June 26. On June 27, President Murmu is scheduled to address a joint sitting of both houses of Parliament.
The NDA, which has 293 MPs in the 543-member Lok Sabha, enjoys a clear majority, with the opposition INDIA bloc having 234 MPs.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
A disturbing video has surfaced on social media platforms from Muzaffarpur, Bihar. In the video, a 15-year-old boy was forcibly detained, brutally beaten, and humiliated. The incident took place in Batraul village of Motipur town. The shocking video showed that the teen was forced to chant “Miyan Saheb Zindabad” and “Allah-Hu-Akbar”. Furthermore, the teen was forced to lick spit off the feet of the attacker. Police have filed a case and arrested Munna, Sahil, and one other person. One accused is still at large.
In the video, the boy sat on a sack in a closed room. One of the attackers was holding a stick and kept beating him. A voice from the background kept forcing the boy to chant religious slogans. The video showed that the teen was forced to lick the spit off the feet of his tormentor. The teen was also beaten up with a stick. He was mercilessly slapped repeatedly by the assailants. The ordeal did not end there for the teen, and he was compelled to chant Islamic slogans like “Allah-Hu-Akbar” under duress.
As a result of the vicious beating, the boy reportedly sustained a fractured arm. The police sprang into action upon learning about the incident and arrested three individuals in the matter.
The attackers have been identified as Mohammed Munna and Sahil. They recorded the entire episode and posted it on social media to boast about their act. The video caused significant tension in the village leading to the administration imposing Section 144 to ensure law and order were maintained. Station-in-charge of Motipur Police Station, Rajan Kumar, confirmed that the victim’s father filed a complaint in the matter, and they have registered a case. Four known and two unknown persons were named in the FIR. Three have been arrested while others are still absconding.
Bihar is experiencing a rise in criminal activities raising concerns about the law-and-order situation in the state. In this matter, the local authorities got in touch with the seniors from both parties and community representatives to resolve the situation peacefully without any further communal tension.
OpIndia tried contacting Motipur police in this matter but could not connect.
India will be the biggest economy in the world by 2050, followed by China, the United States, Indonesia, the Philippines, Brazil, and Russia, said Asle Toje, Deputy Leader of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee, during the “Future Watch: The Emerging World Order” program organized by the Pehle India Foundation in Delhi.
Toje, a renowned political scientist and expert in international relations known for his insightful analysis of global political dynamics, stated that India is poised to become a juggernaut.
He questioned, “What kind of great power will India be? This is something worth considering.”
He emphasised the pivotal moment the world faces, particularly with global climate change, suggesting that it would be best if India proved to be a benign force that alleviates suffering and fosters peace, rather than imposing its ideals on others.
“You have no idea of the power of this country. You will see it in your lifetimes when emissaries from every nation come pleading for succour in Delhi. The lessons of the Vedas, the insights from history, and the gentleness that resides in this country, stemming from its 10,000-year-old civilisation, will guide its rise,” Toje remarked.
Rajiv Kumar, former vice chairman of NITI Aayog and founder of the Pehle India Foundation, emphasised the need for a completely different approach to development.
“We are the only country in world history that needs to grow at an exponential rate while reducing our carbon footprint. Nobody has done that before. We’re not going to follow any existing models or accept any models of development,” he stated.
Regarding the Russia-Ukraine war, Toje commented on the failure of diplomacy, stating, “It was a crisis of diplomacy. The West failed to recognise Russia’s legitimate geopolitical interests in the region. We disregarded Russia’s interests while not supporting Ukraine adequately to deter Russia’s extreme and illegal invasion.”
He added, “We engaged in a lot of talking but not enough serious diplomacy. The Russians were likely surprised by the Ukrainians’ willingness to fight for their country and the West’s support, but this conflict will ultimately break Europe, a reality no one wants to acknowledge.”
On Monday (24th June), West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee lashed out at her party MLA Sujit Bose for encouraging illegal occupation in Kolkata.
While speaking at Nabanna (the building that houses the State Secretariat), she remarked, “I feel ashamed to even speak about it (Salt Lake area of Kolkata)…Encroachment has also begun in Rajarhat.”
“Sujit Bose is allowing encroachment as per his wishes. He has made it seem like a competition. Why will outsiders occupy that place (Animal Resources Development Department’s office)?” Mamata Banerjee was heard saying.
“Let me show you guys a picture. Do not live under the impression that I have come here without proof of documents. If I show you the picture, you will be ashamed yourself,” the West Bengal CM said.
“How much did the people pay (to encroach upon the area)? There is mass encroachment outside ARD office. They are putting up tents and occupying the place permanently,” she inquired.
“I want to know why, why, why?” Mamata Banerjee said in a fit of rage.
“I want to know. I want to know how much these people had to pay for us to allow this encroachment. Who took the money?” Mamata Banerjee asked.
She further inquired, “Why are councillors of Salt Laje Municipality not doing their work? They are an elected body.”
Days after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) launched its investigation into the NEET-UG paper leak controversy, the Maharashtra Police arrested a school teacher in Latur on Sunday (23rd June) night. The arrested individual has been identified as Jalil Khan Pathan.
Latur, Maharashtra: In the NEET paper leak case, Nanded ATS detained and released Sanjay Jadhav and Jaleel Pathan from Latur. A case was later filed against four people from Deglur and Delhi. Hall tickets were found on the accused's phones. Sanjay Jadhav is still at large pic.twitter.com/QsMPuAUMDB
Pathan, the Latur-based teacher, appeared before a local court on Monday (24th June) and was remanded in police custody until 2nd July. He is one of four people charged by state police under the central government’s new anti-paper leak legislation.
By Monday (24th June) evening, the police additionally apprehended Sanjay Jadhav, the other teacher named in the case who was on the run. According to reports, the present case filed by the Maharashtra Police is expected to be forwarded to the CBI, and the central agency will seek their detention in due course. The bureau is investigating a nationwide scheme involving the suspected NEET-UG paper leak.
The police filed a case based on information provided by the Maharashtra anti-terrorism unit against Sanjay Tukaram Jadhav, Jalil Khan Pathan, Eranna Konalwar, and Gangadhar of Delhi. Jadhav and Pathan were district council teachers who also ran private tuition classes in Latur, whilst Konalwar lived at ITI Umarga in Dharashiv.
The case against the four accused has been registered at the Shivajinagar police station in Latur. An FIR has been lodged under Sections 3(v), 4, and 10 of The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act 2024 along with Sections 420 (cheating), 120 (b) (about criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code, 1860.
“ATS officials had received a tip-off that some suspects were running an illegal racket to help NEET students pass the exam in exchange for money,” stated Latur Police adding that one of the individuals detained had suspicious information related to the NEET 2024 exam on their mobile phone.
Congress and BJP’s political mud-slinging over NEET irregularities
Amid this Maharashtra Congress took a jibe at BJP’s Devendra Fadnavis saying that he was responsible for ruining the future of around 2,97,104 students who appeared for NEET from the state of Maharashtra. “Fadnavis has put the future of youth in danger, Maharashtra is in the grip of unemployment. Maharastra is becoming the center of a paper leak scam but Fadnavis is busy following the orders of the center,” Congress said.
फडणवीसांनी तरुणांचे भविष्य टाकले धोक्यात,महाराष्ट्र सापडतोय बेरोजगारीच्या विळख्यात…!
— Maharashtra Congress (@INCMaharashtra) June 24, 2024
To this, BJP Maharashtra responded by saying that instead of accusing Fadnavis of what he has never done, Congress shall contact its ally in Bihar, Tejaswi Yadav, and ask him about his involvement in the scam. “Blaming your sin on us when there is overwhelming evidence that your INDI Alliance colleague Tejashwi Yadav and his PA are involved in the NEET exam scam? Your corrupt hands have put the future of students at risk. So if you want to ask for answers, ask Tejashwi Yadav,” BJP said.
NEET परिक्षा घोटाळ्यात तुमच्या इंडी आघाडीतील सहकारी तेजस्वी यादव आणि त्यांचे पीए या सामील असल्याचे धडधडीत पुरावे असताना तुमचं पाप आमच्या माथी मारत आहात? तुमच्या या भ्रष्टाचारानं बरबटलेल्या हातांनी विद्यार्थ्यांचं भविष्य धोक्यात घातलं आहे.… https://t.co/j8UfEfx06J
According to the complaint, the ATS’ Nanded section had certain leads on a racket operating out of Latur, so a covert operation was conducted. Two teachers were detained on Sunday (23rd June), and their responses were considered unjustified. Further investigation found WhatsApp discussions, money trails, and hall tickets from students indicating their alleged involvement.
The investigation indicated that Pathan allegedly transmitted exam-related materials to Jadhav, who in turn forwarded the students’ admit cards to Eranna Konalwar via WhatsApp, who subsequently contacted one Gangadhar in Delhi. The investigation is attempting to determine the chain and the racket, including the number of students contacted by the accused, the amount paid to obtain the papers, and the distribution of proceeds among the accused.
