After Prime Minister Narendra Modi predicted a historic win for the BJP in the upcoming election and forecasted record highs for the stock markets on June 4, the benchmark Nifty index crossed the 22,800 mark for the first time during Thursday’s session.
The Nifty index reached a new high of 22,852, while the Sensex surged to 74,917, slightly below its all-time high of 75,124. PM Modi said in an interview, “Wait and watch on June 4; the programmers behind the stock market will get tired of the action.” He indicated that the financial markets would set new records after June 4, the day the Election Commission will count the votes of the seven-phase Lok Sabha elections.
On Thursday, both indices surged to record highs after a flat opening. The Nifty index started at 22,614 points, and the Sensex began at 74,253 points. All indices in the broader market opened in green with marginal gains.
According to market experts, Indian indices had shown mixed performance over the previous week amid the ongoing elections, but investor confidence in the Indian market is rising as the result date approaches.
“Indian markets have defied muted global trends to recapture previous highs today after 14 days of the previous high. Financials were at the forefront today, benefitting from the RBI announcement of a higher-than-estimated dividend to the Union government,” said Ajay Bagga, Banking and Market expert.
Asian markets saw mixed trading, with Japan’s Nikkei 225 up 1.3 per cent and Taiwan Weighted up by 55 points on strong Nvidia earnings, while Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell more than 1 per cent.
The US tech company Nvidia’s Q1 earnings, posted on Thursday, showed net income surged to USD 14.88 billion, up from USD 2.04 billion a year earlier, with revenue tripling to USD 26.04 billion.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma raised serious concerns regarding the autonomy and well-being of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik alleging that Biju Janata Dal leader VK Pandian effectively captured Patnaik, restricting his ability to interact independently.
“This election is about the dignity of Odisha,” Sarma said. He emphasized that as a Chief Minister, he travels alone, meets people freely, and is accessible to the media. In contrast, he noted that Patnaik is never seen without Pandian by his side.
“I am also a Chief Minister of a state, but I have come alone. I can speak alone, I can meet people, and people can meet me just like you all (media persons) are meeting me now. But the Chief Minister of Odisha cannot meet anyone alone, he cannot speak to people alone, and VK Pandian is always with him. One needs to find out whether Naveen Babu himself is with Pandian or if Pandian is playing some game, due to which Naveen Babu cannot get out of Pandian’s grip,” Sarma said.
क्या नवीन बाबू स्वतंत्र हैं कि वे किसी से भी बात कर सकें, या वे पंडियन जी के नियंत्रण में हैं? मैं समझता हूँ कि कोई न्यायाधीश इस बात की पुष्टि करे। pic.twitter.com/bXibGEF40U
— Himanta Biswa Sarma (Modi Ka Parivar) (@himantabiswa) May 23, 2024
He suggested that a High Court judge, a neutral figure, should speak to Patnaik privately to assess his well-being and ensure he is not under duress.
“I believe a High Court judge should speak to Naveen Babu alone to see if he is happy and if he is okay. I mentioned a High Court judge because they would be neutral. Once, a High Court judge should speak to Naveen Babu alone for 10 minutes. I have spoken to many friends in the BJD, and in the last 10 years, no one has met Naveen Babu alone. Whenever they meet, Pandian is with him, and Naveen Babu only says ‘ok ok,’ nothing more,” Sarma said.
“Whether there is an election or not, I believe a High Court judge should speak to Naveen Babu alone once. What is happening today is an extraordinary situation; this is not a normal situation. If Naveen Babu is happy, then we are also happy. I feel that Pandian has literally captured Naveen Babu,” he added.
Sarma said that several BJD members have expressed concerns about Patnaik’s lack of private interactions over the past decade, always accompanied by Pandian.
“If a CM, a constitutionally elected CM, is in a hostage situation, it is not good for the country and not good for Odisha,” Sarma said.
Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, along with Union Minister and BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Sambalpur, Dharmendra Pradhan, offered prayers at ‘Maa Samaleswari’ temple in Sambalpur, Odisha today.
Polling for Sambalpur will be held on May 25. Dharmendra Pradhan is up against three-time MLA Pranab Prakash Das of the BJD and Nagendra Pradhan of Congress.
Assembly elections and Lok Sabha elections in Odisha are being held simultaneously in four phases, running from May 13 to June 1.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the BJD won 12 seats, the BJP finished a close second at 8, and the Congress bagged just a lone seat. In the 2014 general elections, the BJD won 20 seats and the BJP managed to secure one seat.
In the 2019 Assembly election, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) won 112 out of 146 seats, while Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) won 23 seats and Congress won 9.
The Lok Sabha elections are being held across seven phases, from April 19 to June 1. The counting is scheduled for June 4.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
In a recent interview with the Chief Minister of Delhi and Aam Aadmi Party chief, Arvind Kejriwal, the Times of India, discussed several “issues” but conveniently skipped asking him some tough questions. Titled “AAP is most persecuted party ever, Mission Jhadu launched to crush us, says Delhi CM Kejriwal”, the interview fell woefully short of asking hard-hitting questions that matter, especially during the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2024. OpIndia decided to list down some questions and reasons why these questions should have been asked but were conveniently overlooked by TOI.
What exactly was Kejriwal’s involvement in the Delhi excise policy scam
Times of India had a chance to regain its popularity among the readers by seeking an explanation for the Delhi Excise Policy scam. It is not that Kejriwal could have avoided the question by citing the Supreme Court’s bail condition that prohibits him from speaking on the matter. He has already spoken about it in public rallies, directly and indirectly.
Enforcement Directorate (ED) has implicated senior AAP leaders in money laundering and irregularities in the formulation and implementation of the excise policy. Kejriwal is currently out on bail only for campaigning during the Lok Sabah Elections and is scheduled to surrender on 2nd June. It is not clear if he will be able to come out anytime soon once he surrenders on the court-decided date.
In such circumstances, TOI should have taken the opportunity to seek an explanation of the allegations against the party, its leader and Arvind Kejriwal himself. Questions like “Did you destroy over 100 mobile phones” or “Was the illicit money collected via the policy scam used in Goa elections” could have been asked. It does not matter what Kejriwal would have said in his replies. These questions were expected to be asked especially when the interviewer was an esteemed newspaper like TOI. The people of Delhi, as well as India, deserve to know why the scam happened.
Goa elections and allegations of corruption
Linked to the alleged Excise Policy Scam, Goa elections saw accusations of AAP using money collected from the alleged scam for the election campaigning. Despite the grave allegations, Kejriwal was not asked adequate questions on how his party funded the campaign.
As per AAP’s submissions to the Election Commission, the party spent a total of Rs 11,32,73,526 on Assembly Elections in Goa, Manipur, Punjab, UP and Uttarakhand. But were the figures correct? ED said they found money trail but it was spent so could not be recovered. It was a good chance for TOI to ask Kejriwal about this particular fact.
ED revelations and accountability
ED’s investigation brought various instances to light where AAP was allegedly involved in mismanagement of funds and corruption. However, TOI did not challenge Kejriwal on these findings. Instead, they allowed him to play the victim card. Being a seasoned and esteemed newspaper, it was TOI’s duty to uphold the Constitutional responsibilities of the press and ask him about the steps his administration took to ensure transparency and accountability.
He should have asked about the steps his party would take to prevent such scams from recurring. He should have been asked if he was unaware of what was cooking in the background while deciding the excise policy as he did not hold any office and the policy formation was under Manish Sisodia.
The Swati Maliwal case and the deafening silence of Arvind Kejriwal
On 13th May, Swati Maliwal, Rajya Sabah MP of Aam Aadmi Party, accused Kejriwal’s PA Bibhav Kumar of assaulting her at CM’s residence. Maliwal went to meet the CM but in return was allegedly assaulted by Bibhav Kumar apparently without any provocation. Since the allegations were laid down, Kejriwal’s party launched a massive campaign to save Kumar and blame the victim, that is Swati Maliwal. They released trimmed videos to paint Maliwal in bad light. Maliwal also accused AAP of calling everyone asking if they have anything incriminating about her that could be “leaked” on social media.
Amidst all these allegations, Kejriwal’s deafening silence raises serious concerns. If a woman is not safe at CM’s house, how can he promise to safeguard the women of Delhi? Now, the rhetoric that the Delhi Police is not under Arvind Kejriwal would not work. CM must ensure women are safe in the state without any excuse for a blame game.
TOI should have pressed him on these questions. But TOI let Kejriwal play victim and these critical questions remained unanswered. Kejriwal was let go with a simple answer that the matter was sub judice.
The plight of Hindus in Punjab and the Khalistani problem
It is disheartening to see the mainstream media ignoring the fact that Khalistani elements are on the rise in Punjab where AAP’s Bhagwant Mann-led government is in power. The rise of Khalistani elements has brought back the grim memories of insurgency. AAP’s silence on it raises serious questions. Furthermore, the uncontrolled missionary activity in the state is turning naive Hindus and Sikhs into Christians at a pace that is not easy to reverse. AAP has failed to act on the matter as well.
With such critical issues in Punjab which is the first full state AAP is ruling, TOI’s inability to ask these questions is heartbreaking to say the least. TOI should have questioned Kejriwal, who claims to be a devote Hindu and Hanuman Bhakt, what his party is doing to ensure Khalistani elements never rise back in the state. The Lok Sabha Elections are also marred with pro-Khalistani candidates in Punjab.
Apart from Hindu-related issues, the drug menace is persisting in the state. TOI failed to ask about that as well to Arvind Kejriwal.
Press must ask hard-hitting questions. While a section of journalists blame the journalists on the other side of being “Godi Media”, their failure to ask serious questions from the leaders they prefer is no less than hypocrisy.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stooped to a new low in furtherance of his caste rhetoric on Wednesday and attacked the judiciary saying that while Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was granted bail in a liquor scam case, former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren remains in jail because he is an Adivasi (tribal). He claimed that whenever someone is Dalit or Adivasi they are “automatically framed”. Notably, Hemant Soren was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in March in a money laundering case.
Speaking at the Samvidhan Samman Sammelan on the 22nd of May, the Congress prince said, “Two Chief Ministers were arrested. The tribal CM (Hemant Soren) is still in jail. He was arrested before and is still behind bars. The national media has forgotten him; it doesn’t talk about him… Mayawati is corrupt but not Naveen Patnaik, Lalu Yadav is corrupt…if someone is tribal or Dalit, he is automatically framed.”
In furtherance of his sinister “Jitni aabaadi utna haq” agenda, Gandhi claimed that 90% of India’s population lacks participation in media, bureaucracy, etc “as if they do not exist.”
Interestingly, Rahul Gandhi played up caste division between Hemant Soren and Arvind Kejriwal, both of whom are Congress’s allies in the I.N.D.I. Alliance, in a bid to establish the narrative that the Dalits and Adivasis are deliberately targeted by the ‘system’.
Although the Modi challenge has compelled even the staunchest of political adversaries to join hands, the Aam Aadmi Party and Congress have not been able to sustain their pretence of unity. Time and again, the leaders of the two I.N.D.I Alliance partners have attacked each other. Recently, Rahul Gandhi held a rally in Delhi, however, Kejriwal was not invited. While Delhi will be voting on 25th May, Congress leaders are also missing from AAP’s campaign.
In an accidental moment of truth, Rahul Gandhi said that he has been sitting in the system from the inside since the day he was born and the system is aligned against the lower castes at all levels.
“I have been sitting in the system since the day I was born. I understand the system from the inside. You cannot hide the system from me. How it works, whom it favours, how it favours, whom it protects, whom it attacks, I know everything because I come from inside the system. When my grandmother was the PM, my father was the PM, and when Manmohan Singh was the PM, I used to go to the PM’s house. So I know how the system works from the inside. I can tell you one thing, the system is aligned against the lower castes, severely and on every level…” Gandhi said.
While Rahul Gandhi may have made these remarks to solidify his “JanNayak” image among marginalised caste groups, it primarily reflects the bias of the system established by the Congress Party, since the party ruled India for the maximum time post-independence. This Congress-created ‘system’ entrenched and institutionalised discrimination against Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes.
Are politicians Hemant Soren and Lalu Yadav being “automatically framed” due to their caste identity?
Rahul Gandhi is alleging that Hemant Soren, Lalu Yadav, and other leaders belonging to marginalised communities are “automatically framed” in corruption cases due to their caste identity while Naveen Patnaik is not. Now the question is, who is “automatically framing” these leaders? Rahul Gandhi’s assertions are a direct attack on the judiciary in the garb of targeting the government and ‘system’.
Notably, in Hemant Soren’s case, he was arrested over involvement in an alleged land scam after the Enforcement Directorate said that it recovered cash worth over Rs 36 lakh from the possession of the JMM leader along with documents linked to the ongoing investigation into the alleged acquisition of land by ‘fraudulent means’. The probe agency said that land parcels spanning 8.5 acres were part of the criminal proceeds that the former CM allegedly acquired. Hemant Soren was sent into judicial custody by the PMLA court.
Besides, Rashtriya Janta Dal (RJD) supremo Lalu Yadav who is currently out on bail has been convicted of involvement in multiple scams. Notably, Lalu Yadav was convicted in the Fodder Scam case and sentenced to five years in prison, again by the courts, not the government, the BJP or the bureaucracy. The Special CBI court found Yadav guilty of embezzling public money meant for cattle fodder.
Was Hemant Soren denied bail due to his Adivasi identity?
Meanwhile, Kejriwal has been granted interim bail till 5th June with certain conditions imposed by the Supreme Court. While the AAP supremo getting interim bail for the election campaign is a matter of separate discussion, it is pertinent to delve into why Kejriwal was granted bail but Soren was not. In contrast to the Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is not a national political party. Moreover, Hemant Soren resigned as Chief Minister before being arrested. Unlike Kejriwal, he is not the party’s president; that position is held by his father, Shibu Soren.
Soren after his arrest had challenged its legality in Jharkhand High Court, which it dismissed in April. Meanwhile, the ED filed the chargesheet in the case and the trial court toook note of it. Notably, the Jharkhand HC had reserved its order in February itself and dismissed Soren’s plea two months later. Meanwhile, Soren submitted a bail plea in the trial court which was also dismissed.
On 22nd May, the Supreme Court refused to entertain Soren’s plea challenging his arrest, not because he happens to be an Adivasi, but because the apex court observed that Soren was pursuing parallel remedies by submitting this bail application while also appealing the HC ruling on the legal validity of the arrest. Thus, contrary to Rahul Gandhi’s claims, Hemant Soren’s caste identity had nothing even remotely to do with his arrest or denial of bail.
It is essential to note that “caste” has been central to Congress’s 2024 Lok Sabha election campaign. Congress’s fixation with caste is reflected in its poll manifesto wherein it promised to conduct an “X-ray” through caste census and redistribute wealth based on findings of the same, introduce reservations for SC/ ST and OBCs in private educational institutions, and enact Rohith Vemula Act even as it was found that Vemula was not a Dalit. Although the caste narrative has taken centre stage in Congress’s poll campaign, its tried and tested Muslim appeasement also continues. In its manifesto, the Congress party has promised to appoint more judges, belonging to the Muslim community, to the High Courts and the Supreme Court.
Interestingly, Rahul Gandhi dragging the judiciary in his toxic caste rhetoric is not surprising. In its manifesto, Congress has assured to strengthen the ‘autonomy’ of the Commissions for SC, ST, minorities and OBC. While Rahul Gandhi and his party accused the Modi government and BJP of doing ‘divisive’ politics, Congress itself is desperately trying to establish an “us versus them” narrative wherein the “us” are the marginalised communities and “them” are the so-called upper caste people and the rich.
Before the judiciary, Rahul Gandhi attacked the Indian Army to escalate his caste rhetoric
It is essential to mention that before the judiciary, Rahul Gandhi had dragged the Indian Army into his caste rhetoric as he said earlier this month that there is a distinction between jawans belonging to the lower castes vis-a-vis those belonging to the upper castes. He said this while criticising the Agniveer scheme. “Narendra Modi has made two types of Jawans. One is the son of a poor, Dalit, Backward Class, minority community, and the other, is the son of a rich family. The son of a poor family has been given a new name: Agniveer,” Gandhi said insinuating that the government treats soldiers belonging to various castes differently.
From labelling PM Modi as a ‘fake OBC’, promising caste “X-ray”, and caste-based wealth redistribution to reportedly demanding the caste profile of the passengers in a flight, Rahul Gandhi has made every sinister move feasible; nonetheless, his attacks on the judiciary and the armed forces are unsettling and could prove to be detrimental to the country and the Congress party.
A Judge’s dog went missing and the police and the authorities while taking action on the written complaint have registered an FIR against 14 people including the Judge’s neighbour, Dumpy Ahmed. The Judge alleged in his complaint that the accused threatened his wife and abused both daughters as well as pushed them. The cops registered the complaint on the grounds of misbehaviour, intimidation and bullying. A search operation is being carried out to find the dog.
The Judge is posted in the Hardoi district (Lucknow per some reports) and stays in a quarter there while his family lives in the Sun City area of Izzatnagar in Bareilly district. They stated that Dumpy had kidnapped and murdered their pet. On 16th May, Dumpy confronted the Judge’s daughter in a loud voice and claimed that their dog had bitten his spouse. He further threatened to kill the animal and its owner and then summoned 12-14 males from Peer Bahora. Dumpy even reached the Judge’s house and started trying to catch the dog.
Dumpy Ahmed said that he would teach the dog a lesson. The commotion caused the Judge’s daughters to step outside and protest over the development but the accused pushed them and warned the family that they would face repercussions. The Judge’s wife shared that she left the dog outside on the night of 18th May and that is when Dumpy allegedly took it. The Judge’s wife was in bed due to poor health condition when a woman called her outside and misbehaved with them, according to some reports. The Judge charged the female as well as her associates for the disappearance of the dog. The accused has also filed a counter-complaint alleging harassment.
Dumpy Ahmed called his companions when the judge’s wife threatened to notify the police. The Judge contacted Dumpy after he learned about the dispute but Dumpy Ahmed didn’t pick up the call and started hurling abuses and threats while talking to the Judge on WhatsApp. The Judge alleged that he suspected that Dumpy had killed his pet.
Izzatnagar police station in-charge Inspector Jaishankar Singh conveyed that a case under various provisions of the Cruelty to Animals Act against 14 unidentified persons, including Dumpy Ahmed, based on this suspicion and strict action will be taken if the animal is not located. The cops examined the CCTV cameras and searched everywhere for the dog but couldn’t find him. The Judge has also complained about the matter to the Circle Officer and Senior Superintendent of Police. All the accused are currently on the run.
A Juvenile Justice Board will decide whether or not the teenager involved in mowing down two people with his luxury race car earlier this week, should be tried as an adult, the lawyer representing the accused said.
Addressing media persons here on Wednesday, Prashant Patil, lawyer of the accused said, “The Juvenile Justice Act has procedures to determine whether the accused Child in Conflict with Law (CCL) be considered a minor or an adult. It takes almost 90 days to conduct this procedure.”
“If a juvenile or CCL is arrested, investigative agencies must file a charge sheet within 30 days of the arrest to consider them as an adult. After the charge sheet is filed, a two-month procedure follows, which includes psychological and social assessments along with a de-addiction test,” he said.
According to the lawyer, the individual doesn’t need to remain in rehabilitation for these procedures, as the investigation is carried out further. Patil said that the Juvenile Justice Board monitors the assessments through regular reports and complaints reports and decides after nearly 90 days whether to treat the minor or CCL as an adult.
He further said, “In response to the applications from investigation agencies to modify the bail issued, the honourable Juvenile Justice Board on the operative orders, has directed to keep the Child in Conflict with Law (CCL) to keep in a rehabilitation home for 14 days, until June 5.
“We have opposed the application based on academic considerations and legal points. There were debates and arguments in court from both sides, with both parties citing quotes from the Bombay High Court and the Supreme Court,” he said.
Patil further explained that the Juvenile Justice Board has set parameters regarding rehabilitating CCL within the 15-day remand period. These details will be fully outlined upon receipt of the written order.
The Juvenile Justice Board (JJB) on Wednesday evening cancelled the bail of the 17-year-old accused of mowing down a biker and a pillion rider in his Porsche in the early hours of May 19. The accused was sent to a remand home for 14 days, until June 5.
Pune Commissioner of Police, Amitesh Kumar said that they had filed in a review application before the Juvenile Justice Board to allow the juvenile to be treated as an adult in the case and also to send him in the remand home.
Two IT professionals, identified as Ashwini Koshta and Aneesh Awadhia, both from Madhya Pradesh, were killed in the accident.
According to officials, the accused’s father had not cooperated in the investigation, prompting Pune police to seek him for further questioning in the case.
When the police gave him notice to join the investigation before his arrest, he misled them by stating that he was in Shirdi. He was, however, found to be in Aurangabad.
Police also sought the custody of the staff of the bar where the accused teenager and his friend were served liquor. Allegedly, the 17-year-old later crashed luxury car he was driving into a motorcycle resulting in the deaths of two people.
Police said there was no board on the premises of the bar that said alcohol couldn’t be served to minors.
The Pune Excise Department on Tuesday sealed the bars which allegedly served liquor to the minor before the accident, officials reported. The managers of the bars were also arrested by the police.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Amid the recent outrage over a Pune builder’s son killing 2 people with his overspeeding Porsche and getting bail within hours, a similar incident from Uttar Pradesh has come to highlight.
The 15-year-old son of a leading Kanpur doctor, whose rash driving took the lives of two persons, Sagar Nishad and Ashish Ram Charan on 26th October last year, has been apprehended after he was involved in another accident in March where he injured four people in the Barra area, and again escaped without any punishment.
The boy was sent to a juvenile home on 22nd May and proceedings commenced against him in the 7-month-old case. The youngster’s father is also facing legal action from Kanpur police for permitting his minor son to drive in spite of the accident on the Ganga Barrage in October 2023. He has been booked for both accidents.
Akhil Kumar, commissioner of Kanpur city, slammed the teen’s family for allowing him to drive again after he was involved in a deadly collision causing loss of lives barely months back. He urged people to behave responsibly and emphasized that the authorities were taking decisive action to combat the problem of underage driving. According to police, the accused struck four persons on 31st March while he was behind the wheel. He was charged with careless driving under sections 279 and 338 of the Indian Penal Code and the injured received first-aid treatment.
An investigation has also been opened into how the local police handled the two incidents because the minor was involved in both cases, and despite the gravity of the crime, he was not taken into custody. Senior officials talked about the recent Pune accident and went over the October case again.
Akhil Kumar issued an order for an update on the probe. He informed, “The minor has been sent to the juvenile home for his role in the Oct 2023 accident that resulted in two deaths. We have also taken action regarding the recent Barra accident (in which four were injured) six weeks ago.”
Police will also prosecute the minor’s friend, whose car he was driving in the October accident. “We are consulting legal experts to determine the parents’ responsibility for the teenager’s actions in both cases,” the senior official stated. Section 304A (causing the death of a person by an act of negligence not amounting to culpable homicide) was previously invoked against him which was replaced by Section 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), based on Additional Commissioner of Police (law & order) Harish Chandra. He added that an initiative would be launched in schools to educate children about the dangers of driving when underage.
Pune Porsche case
There is significant social media outrage over the authorities and even the judiciary allegedly showing ‘lenience’ to high-profile, rich offenders involved in grave hit-and-run incidents. On Sunday, 19 May, the 17-year-old son of a real estate tycoon in Pune hit and killed 2 bike-borne persons while overspeeding under the influence of alcohol. The deaths of Aneesh and Ashwini provoked widespread outrage as the millionaire’s boy was granted bail within 15 hours and directed to work with the Yerwada traffic police for 15 days as well as write a 300-word essay on road accidents.
Following nationwide outrage over the blatant leniency, the Juvenile Justice Board cancelled the bail and sent the offender to remand house till 5th June. His father, builder Vishal Agarwal was also arrested and remanded in police custody till 24th May by a sessions court. Additionally, the juvenile board has been approached by the police to request a review of the decision to release the boy on bond. Pune police have made it clear that they want the offender tried as an adult for the heinous crime. The boy is just few months short of turning 18.
A First Information Report has been registered against him under Sections 304 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 304 A (causing death by negligence), 279 (rash driving) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Motor Vehicles Act. The high-end Porsche was also unregistered and was running on the streets in blatant violation of laws.
On Wednesday, May 22, a BJP woman karyakarta was found murdered in the Sonachura area in West Bengal’s Nandigram district. The deceased identified as Rathibala Ari, was amongst the several BJP workers who were allegedly attacked by Trinamool Congress (TMC) workers last night.
Rathibala Ari had sustained severe injuries in the attack. She succumbed to her injuries last night. The incident occurred two days before the state is scheduled to go into the sixth phase of polling for the Lok Sabha election on May 25. According to reports, TMC workers attacked the BJP workers with sharp weapons while they were guarding the polling booth.
The deceased woman’s son was also amongst the seven BJP workers who were seriously injured in the attack. He was shifted to a private hospital in Kolkata. Meanwhile, the other injured workers were shifted to Nandigram Super Speciality for treatment. Nandigram police officials have, however, not arrested anyone in this incident so far.
The state unit of BJP has launched a protest and called for a 12-hour bandh in Nandigram.
In protest against the murder of BJP Karyakarta Smt. Rathibala Ari, our workers are currently performing road blockade at Nandigram. A bandh is also being observed in the area pic.twitter.com/Ie9jxqnWX8
— Sudhanidhi Bandyopadhyay (@SudhanidhiB) May 23, 2024
Taking to X, the Leader of Opposition in West Bengal and BJP MLA from Nandigram, Suvendu Adhikari said, “BJP workers were guarding the booth in Mansabazar area of Sonachura in Nandigram last night. At that time, the grassroots miscreants jumped on them with sharp weapons. 7 people were seriously injured by sharp weapons. Rathibala Adi lost his life.”
সনাতনী শহীদ বীরাঙ্গনা রথীবালা আড়ি অমর রহে ? গতকাল রাতে নন্দীগ্রামের সোনাচূড়ার মনসাবাজার এলাকায় বিজেপি কর্মীরা বুথ পাহারা দিচ্ছিলেন। সেইসময় ধারাল অস্ত্র নিয়ে তাঁদের ওপর ঝাঁপিয়ে পড়ে তৃণমূলী দুষ্কৃতীরা। ৭ জন ধারাল অস্ত্রের আঘাতে গুরুতর আহত হন। প্রাণ হারান রথীবালা আড়ি।… pic.twitter.com/JpTWR32Jug
— Suvendu Adhikari (Modi Ka Parivar) (@SuvenduWB) May 23, 2024
“This bloodshed is the direct result of the provocation given by the brother in Nandigram yesterday. The Trinamool committed this barbaric murder knowing defeat for sure. These jihadists do not hesitate to kill a woman! The Bharatiya Janata Party will see the end of it, legally retaliated and democratically answered. The answer is appropriate when the bloodshed in the struggling land of Nandigram has disappeared from the pages of history, ” read his post on X.
The Trinamool Congress party has, however, denied any links with the violence and claimed it was an internal feud among the BJP workers which led to the clashes.
Mamata Banerjee ‘vowes’ to avenge her 2021 loss in Nandigram
The attack came a week after West Bengal Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee said that she would “avenge” her 2021 Assembly poll defeat in Nandigram to the BJP’s Suvendu Adhikari.
While campaigning for Trinamool’s Tamluk candidate Debangshu Bhattacharya, who was facing off against the BJP’s Abhijit Gangopadhyay, Mamata issued her challenge at Adhikari’s home ground of Haldia in East Midnapore.
“Let me make it clear that I will avenge my defeat in Nandigram. I have not forgotten it. BJP will not be there all the time, neither the ED nor the CBI will cradle him (Adhikari) throughout his life. Not even the NIA or the income tax department will be with him forever. I will settle the score at any cost,” Mamata said at the public meeting in Haldia.
West Bengal, has already witnessed poll violence in the first five phases of the polling during Lok Sabha elections, with several reports of assault, intimidation, and even hospitalisation of several BJP workers emerging since the first phase of polls.
Prior to this, an 18-year-old BJP worker was found dead in Purba Medinipur district on Friday (26th April). The deceased was identified as Dinabondhu Middya, a BJP worker.
Dinabondhu Middya was found in a betel-leaf farm in Goramahal village in the Mayna area of the district. As per reports, it is alleged that his body was found in a suspicious state as while it was hanging, parts of the body were touching the ground and there were injury marks as well.
Following the incident, Middya’s family accused TMC leaders of “kidnapping and murdering” him. However, the state’s ruling party, Trinamool Congress rejected the charge.
Recently on May 20, there was a clash between BJP candidate Arjun Singh and TMC workers in Barrackpore, Bengal. This altercation took place in the presence of the police. Arjun Singh had gone to the spot to verify a woman’s allegations that she was not being allowed to vote.
Similarly, a BJP Panchayat Deputy Head Tapan Bagh was also attacked amid reports of clashes with TMC workers in Arambagh’s Khanakul town during the fifth phase of polling. As per reports, Tapan Bagh suffered severe head injuries in the clashes.
Meanwhile, according to ABP Ananda, 471 complaints were registered with the Election Commission of India (ECI) in the first two hours of polling during the fifth phase. The principal opposition party in the state, BJP, has submitted 22 complaints while CPI-M has given 25 complaints. Incidentally, the ruling party in the state, Trinamool Congress has also submitted 30 complaints to the ECI.
On 22nd May, Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after he admitted to the fact that the system is designed against the “lower castes”. In a statement during a public meeting at Panchkula, Haryana, in view of the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2024, Gandhi said that he has been sitting in the system from the inside since “the day he was born”. He admitted to the fact that the system favours and protects some while attacking others.
#WATCH | Panchkula, Haryana: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi says, "I have been sitting in the system since the day I was born. I understand the system from the inside. You cannot hide the system from me. How it works, whom it favours, how it favours, whom it protects, whom it… pic.twitter.com/AKncvYM08P
Gandhi said, “I have been sitting in the system since the day I was born. I understand the system from the inside. You cannot hide the system from me. How it works, whom it favours, how it favours, whom it protects, whom it attacks, I know everything because I come from inside the system. When my grandmother was the PM, my father was the PM, and when Manmohan Singh was the PM, I used to go to the PM’s house. So I know how the system works from the inside. I can tell you one thing, the system is aligned against the lower castes, severely and on every level…”
PM Modi hits back, how the Congress system has been working against the poor
Replying to his statement during a public meeting given the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2024, PM Modi took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi and said that the system the Congress party created destroyed generations of SC/ST and OBC. He was addressing a rally in the Dwarka region of New Delhi where he said, “Sometimes while speaking lies, the truth comes out of the Shehzada’s mouth. Today, Congress’ Shehzada has confessed a big truth. He has admitted that the system that was formed during his grandmother’s, his father’s, and his mother’s time, was severely against the Dalits, backward castes and Adivasis. This system of the Congress destroyed the generations of ST, SC and OBCs. Today, the Shehzada admitted this himself.”
कांग्रेस के शहजादे ने आज मान लिया है कि उनकी दादी, उनके पिताजी और उनकी माताजी के समय जो सिस्टम बना, वो दलितों और पिछड़ों का घोर विरोधी रहा है।
The remarks by Congress’s scion where he admitted the inherent biases within the system reignited a critical discussion about the long-standing inequities faced by the marginalised communities in the country. The acknowledgement by Rahul Gandhi appeared to be unintended. However, it sheds light on the harsh reality that after independence, the system that the Congress Party established, institutionalised and perpetuated discrimination against the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward groups.
Otherwise, there is no other reason that they still face discrimination even after 75 years of independence. The system has deep-rooted problems that were never properly addressed during the Congress rules. These communities were used by the Congress leaders as vote banks while making them suffer consistently to ensure they did not have another choice but to vote for the grand old party with the hope that it would rise them out of their misery.
The ‘system’ that Rahul Gandhi says he was born into, is the ‘Congress system’
The Congress party remained at the helm for a notable period since independence. The system crafted in the name of secularism and equality favoured certain groups while systematically marginalising others. While the system was expected to become a beacon of hope for the marginalised that they would be able to live in equality and get justice on time, it became a tool of oppression.
From education to employment opportunities to access to justice and social welfare, the policies and frameworks set by the Congress governments overlooked the actual needs and rights of the marginalised communities. It served as a hogwash that “solved” the problems only from the tip of the iceberg while leaving the actual problems hidden beneath the waters. Reservations and affirmative actions may look like steps in the right direction; however, they have not been sufficient to dismantle discrimination in society.
The long-term implications of Gandhi’s statement are profound. It highlighted the failures of the past governments. It also underscored the immediate need for a complete system overhaul. The marginalised communities need to come out of the assertion that they need the system for the upliftment. The system indeed needs to be changed to ensure they get all the support but the deep-rooted feeling of helplessness needs to go away.
There are hundreds of schemes launched by the current Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA government in the centre that revolve around the upliftment of the marginalised. By understanding how the changing system can be used for their benefit, the marginalised communities need to help themselves while taking support from the government.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s commitment to social security and justice for the marginalised and recent admission by Gandhi about years of failed system is more than enough to question the Congress-led previous governments why they failed to effectively end discrimination. Because of their inability to do justice on time, the fight for equality and justice is far from over.
The irony is, that Rahul Gandhi now wants to divide society again on the name of caste and religion once again as he consistently talks about the “caste census”. Gandhis lived on caste politics for decades and the Congress’s prince is continuing the legacy.
On Wednesday, May 22, the security forces, in a joint search operation with the Jammu and Kashmir police, recovered arms ammunition and war-like stores from a forest in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district. During the search operation Rocket Projectile Gun (RPG) rounds, Hand grenades, Pistol along with ammunition and war-like stores have been recovered.
The official account of Chinar Corps, Indian Army took to X to inform about the recovery.
“On specific inputs from military intelligence, a Joint Search Operation was launched by #IndianArmy & @JmuKmrPolice in general area Dardnar Forest, Kupwara today. During search, RPG rounds, Hand Grenades, Pistol along with ammunition and other war-like stores have been recovered,” read the post.
On specific inputs from military intelligence, a Joint Search Operation was launched by #IndianArmy & @JmuKmrPolice in general area Dardnar Forest, Kupwara today. During search, RPG rounds, Hand Grenades, Pistol along with ammunition and other war-like… pic.twitter.com/DO9Q6ij7yw
— Chinar Corps? – Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) May 22, 2024
Infiltration attempt foiled in Kupwara
A significant terrorist attempt to infiltrate was thwarted earlier on May 16 by the security forces at the Line of Control (LOC) in the Tanghdhar neighbourhood of Kupwara, North Kashmir. An army and Jammu and Kashmir Police joint squad foiled the infiltration attempt.
Four terrorists who had infiltrated had been found dead. The bodies were seen lying on the other side of the fence in the Tangdhar sector.
Following specific intelligence input, the Indian Army and Jammu and Kashmir Police together conducted a search operation in the Amrohi, Tangdhar, area. Two handguns, ammunition, and other items resembling military supplies were found during the search.
