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Must take Adani’s name and thank him: I.N.D.I. Alliance leader Sharad Pawar showers praise on Gautam Adani

OpIndia Staff
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Must take Adani’s name and thank him: I.N.D.I. Alliance leader Sharad Pawar showers praise on Gautam Adani

On 23rd December, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar showered praises on the business tycoon Gautam Adani for donating Rs 25 crore to set up a new technology centre in Baramati. Sharad Pawar and Deepak Chhabria of Finolex inaugurated the robotic lab in Baramati’s Vidya Pratishthan’s engineering department.

Following the inauguration, Pawar thanked Gautam Adani and Vijay Shirke of Shirke Constructions for donating the funds for the project. He said, “We are constructing India’s first centre of excellence on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for which there is a need of ₹25 crores. Fortunately, our two colleagues agreed to help after I urged them.”

He added, “I thank Vijay Shirke for his help. At the same time, Gautam Adani has sent a cheque of ₹25 crores to the institution to bring this project into reality. With the help of these two industrialists, we are building this project now. I must take Adani’s name and thank him for his contribution.”

NCP chief publically acknowledged Gautam Adani’s contribution to a project at Pawar family-owned Vidya Pratishtan just days after his ally Uddhav Thackeray called the Adani-firm-led Dharavi redevelopment project the “biggest scam in the world”. In a speech following a march on Adani’s office, Thackeray lashed out at the Eknath-Shinde-led Maharashtra government for giving the project to the Adani Group. He said, “The state has a programme of government at your doorsteps, but it is a case of government at Adani’s doorsteps.”

In a statement, Adani Group clarified that the Group won the Dharavi redevelopment project in a bidding process, and nothing was unlawful about it.

Jammu and Kashmir: Retired SSP Mohammad Shafi Mir shot dead by terrorists during azan in a mosque

OpIndia Staff
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Jammu and Kashmir: Retired SSP Mohammad Shafi Mir shot dead by terrorists during azan in a mosque

On Sunday (24th December), retired SSP Mohammad Shafi Mir was shot dead in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir. The terrorists, responsible for the attack, managed to flee the scene immediately after the attack. The terrorists opened fire at the mosque where the retired SSP was giving azan in the morning.

The retired police officer killed by terrorists, Mohammad Shafi Mir, was giving azan in a mosque in the city’s Gantamulla Bala area. Shafi was injured in the incident and succumbed to his injuries. Following the terrorist attack, security forces quickly cordoned off the surrounding area and launched a search operation to apprehend the terrorists involved. The Jammu and Kashmir Police have also shared this information on X and advised the public to avoid the area while the situation is being addressed.

Kashmir police posted, “Terrorists fired upon Mohammad Shafi, a retired police officer at Gantmulla, Sheeri Baramulla, while praying Azan in the mosque and succumbed to injuries. The area has been cordoned off. Further details awaited.”

This attack occurred just one day after the Indian Army successfully repelled an infiltration attempt along the border in Jammu, resulting in the death of at least one terrorist. In the early hours of Saturday, a group of four heavily armed terrorists tried to cross the border in the Khour sector of Akhnoor. However, they were met with gunfire from the security forces stationed there, thwarting their attempt

Last month, a state police inspector suffered severe injuries when terrorists shot him near the Eidgah mosque in Srinagar. After the attack, he was quickly taken to a nearby hospital for treatment. The number of terrorist attacks in Jammu and Kashmir has been increasing in the last few weeks. Militants ambushed vehicles carrying Army personnel to a cordon and search operation site in the Poonch district of the Union Territory on Thursday (21st December). In this dastardly act of terrorists, five army soldiers were martyred, while three soldiers were injured.

Pentagon says merchant ship was hit near Gujarat coast by an Iranian drone; another Indian oil tanker targeted in Red Sea

OpIndia Staff
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Pentagon says merchant ship was hit near Gujarat coast by an Iranian drone; another Indian oil tanker targeted in Red Sea

On Sunday (December 24), the US Department of Defense said that the drone attack on a merchant vessel with a crew of 20 was hit by a suspected drone strike from Iran in the Arabian Sea off the Gujarat coast.

“The motor vessel CHEM PLUTO, a Liberia-flagged, Japanese-owned, and Netherlands-operated chemical tanker was struck at approximately 10 a.m. local time (6 a.m. GMT) today in the Indian Ocean, 200 nautical miles from the coast of India, by a one-way attack drone fired from Iran,” Reuters quoted a Pentagon spokesperson as saying.

The incident occurred around 10 a.m. local time and resulted in no casualties aboard the Japanese-owned vessel, according to a Pentagon statement issued on Sunday, adding that a fire was doused. The US military “remains in communication with the vessel as it continues towards its destination in India,” the statement continues. 

Earlier, Ambrey, a marine security firm, reported the ship was linked to Israel and was travelling from Saudi Arabia to India.

According to United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), the incident occurred 200 nautical miles southwest of Veraval in India’s Gujarat state. The tanker sustained structural damage as a result of the attack. Ambrey stated that the incident, the first of its kind so far away from the Red Sea, occurred in a “heightened threat area” for Iranian drones. The Indian navy responded by sending aircraft and warships.

On Saturday, the US accused Iran of being “deeply involved” in Red Sea operations against commercial ships. An official spokeswoman for national security Adrienne Watson said it was “consistent with Iran’s long-term material support and encouragement of the Houthis’ destabilising actions in the region”.

Meanwhile, reports are coming that another Indian-flagged oil tanker has been under drone attack in the Red Sea. The US Central Command stated on Sunday that an Indian-flagged crude oil tanker was hit by a “one-way attack drone” in the Red Sea, however, no injuries were reported

“…At approximately 8 p.m. (Sanaa time), U.S. Naval Forces Central Command received reports from two ships in the Southern Red Sea that they were under attack. The M/V BLAAMANEN, a Norwegian-flagged, owned, and operated chemical/oil tanker, reported a near miss of a Houthi one-way attack drone with no injuries or damage reported. A second vessel, the M/V SAIBABA, a Gabon-owned, Indian-flagged crude oil tanker, reported that it was hit by a one-way attack drone with no injuries reported. The USS LABOON (DDG 58) responded to the distress calls from these attacks. These attacks represent the 14th and 15th attacks on commercial shipping by Houthi militants since Oct. 17,” the US Central Command posted on X.

Notably, there has been a recent surge of attacks on Israeli-linked vessels by Yemen-based Houthi rebels. The intensified attacks on commercial and merchant ships in the Red Sea by Iran-backed Shiite Houthi rebels could drastically surge prices of oil, and insurance premiums for ships and other goods, creating a domino effect for inflation, as warned by experts.

Following these attacks, several major oil and shipping firms have announced to either suspend or re-route the trade away from the Red Sea creating a major disruption in the maritime trade. It is important to note that this disruption poses a higher risk than the one recently faced during the 2021 Suez Canal blockade crisis.    

Bihar: AIMIM district president shot dead in Siwan, investigation underway

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: AIMIM district president shot dead in Siwan, investigation underway

On 23rd December, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) district President Arif Jamal was allegedly shot dead by unknown assailants in the Siwan district of Bihar. As per reports, he was rushed to the hospital following the incident, where he was declared dead after examination. The Police have initiated an investigation into the matter. The incident took place between 8:30 PM and 9 PM. 40-year-old Jamal was at his fast food shop in Kutub Chapra turn in Hussainganj Police Station area when three assailants came on a bike and opened fire.

Three bullets were fired, but only one hit him in his stomach. He was first taken to Sadar Hospital but later shifted to a private hospital. The doctors at the private hospital confirmed he was dead.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), AIMIM’s spokesperson, Aadil Hasan, demanded strict action against the assailants.

The police are investigating the matter to assert the reason behind the shooting. The police questioned the family members about the reason behind the incident. Furthermore, the police are taking support from other agencies.

In 2015, Jamal contested Assembly Elections from Raghunath constituency on the National Janata Party (NJP) ticket but lost. Later, he contested the Zila Parishad election and again lost in 2022.

3 top Vivo executives, including interim CEO Hong Xuquan, arrested by Enforcement Directorate for money laundering

OpIndia Staff
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3 top Vivo executives, including interim CEO Hong Xuquan, arrested by Enforcement Directorate for money laundering

In a significant development in the ongoing money laundering investigation against Chinese smartphone company Vivo, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has arrested three high-ranking executives of the company. The arrests, which took place on Saturday (23rd December) come after a long investigation.

The arrested individuals include Hong Xuquan, also known as Terry, who is the Interim CEO of Vivo India, Harinder Dahiya, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Hemant Munjal, a consultant. These arrests have been made under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The accused were presented before a court, which remanded them to ED custody for three days.

This latest action by the ED follows the earlier arrests of four individuals associated with the case. These include Hari Om Rai, the Managing Director of Lava International, a competing mobile company; Guangwen, also known as Andrew Kuang, a Chinese national; and two chartered accountants, Nitin Garg and Rajan Malik. All four are currently in judicial custody. The ED had presented a charge sheet against these four individuals before a special PMLA court in Delhi. The court acknowledged and took note of the charge sheet.

The ED’s investigation has brought to light allegations of a significant financial subterfuge orchestrated by Vivo. Reports suggest that the company siphoned off a staggering Rs 1 lakh crore from India between 2014 and 2021. This was allegedly facilitated through a network of shell companies, purportedly established at the behest of Vivo’s Chinese parent company Vivo Mobile Communication Co. These shell entities, numbering 19, were set up to create an elaborate front, allowing Vivo to gain a stronghold in India violating foreign direct investment rules.

Further, the ED’s probe unearthed that Vivo India had remitted nearly Rs 62476 crore to China, constituting almost 50% of its turnover, ostensibly to avoid taxes in India. This has raised serious concerns about the economic sovereignty of India.

The agency’s investigation also revealed a pattern of alleged deceit involving the use of forged documents and falsified addresses. One of the companies under scrutiny, Grand Prospect International Communication Pvt. Ltd. (GPICPL), reportedly used government buildings and a senior bureaucrat’s house as its registered addresses.

The matter has drawn significant attention, considering the scale of the alleged financial irregularities and their implications on India’s economic interests. The case continues to unfold as the ED delves deeper into the intricate web of transactions and corporate structures set up by Vivo and its associates.

Congress announces major rejig, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra removed as UP in-charge, remains general secretary without portfolio

OpIndia Staff
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Congress announces major rejig, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra removed as UP in-charge, remains general secretary without portfolio

Following the crushing defeat in three crucial Hindi heartland states, the Congress party in a major rejig in its organisation structure has relieved Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from her duty of Congress General Secretary in charge of Uttar Pradesh. As per the new press release by the Congress party, she has been replaced by Avinash Pande as the new General Secretary in charge for the grand old party in Uttar Pradesh which sends the most number of MPs in the General elections.

However, Priyanka Gandhi will remain a General Secretary of the party without any assigned portfolio, the statement issued by the Congress party said. The reorganisation came 2 days after a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) chaired by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by senior leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

As per the reshuffle, Sachin Pilot has now been appointed as the All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary in charge of Chhattisgarh while senior leaders Mukul Vasnik, and Randeep Singh Surjewala have been appointed as in charge for Gujarat and Karnataka respectively. Kumari Selja, who was earlier in charge of the Chhattisgarh Congress, has now been given the responsibility of the hill state, Uttarakhand.

Congress has assigned responsibilities for different states and union territories to various leaders: Arunachal Pradesh to Dr. Chellakumar, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry to Dr. Ajoy Kumar, Jammu and Kashmir to Bharatsingh Solanki, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh to Rajeev Shukla, Rajasthan to Sukhjinder Singh Randhawa, Punjab to Devender Yadav, Goa, Daman and Diu, and Dadra and Nagar Haveli to Manikrao Thakre, and Tripura, Sikkim, Manipur, Nagaland, Andhra Pradesh, and Andaman and Nicobar to Girish Chodankar. 

Meanwhile, several organisational posts have remained unchanged as Jairam Ramesh and KC Venugopal will continue in their roles as General Secretary in charge of communication, and in charge of the organisation respectively. Similarly, senior Congress leader Ajay Maken will continue as the treasurer of AICC. 

The party has appointed 12 General Secretaries and 11 state in-charges. Incidentally, Priyanka Gandhi has not been allocated any ‘portfolio’ in the party’s organisational structure amid speculations that the party may be mulling the idea to field her against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi constituency, as reportedly pitched by TMC Supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. 

It is notable that, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has been made a member of the 16-member Manifesto Committee for the 2024 general elections, which will be chaired by P Chidambaram.

While her removal has triggered speculations over her role in the upcoming Lok Sabha election, if the party fails to appoint her in an alleviated role, it will be seen as a major indictment against her ‘leadership skills’. Despite being at the helm of affairs in the politically dominant state since 2019, Congress is not being considered in the poll fray in Uttar Pradesh, a state that in an electoral sense is touted as the master key for the Lok Sabha elections. 

After quitting wrestling objecting to WFI election results, Sakshi Malik objects to holding junior nationals in UP’s Gonda, calls it “area of Brijbhushan”

ANI
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After quitting wrestling objecting to WFI election results, Sakshi Malik objects to holding junior nationals in UP’s Gonda, calls it “area of Brijbhushan”

Former Indian wrestler and Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik expressed disappointment at the venue selection of junior nationals, which will take place in Gonda, Uttar Pradesh from December 28 onwards.

The dates for under-15 and under-20 national events were announced today following the election of Sanjay Singh as the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) president on Thursday.

Sakshi questioned why nationals were taking place in Gonda, a district she referred to as the “area of Brijbhushan”. Brij Bhushan is notably, from Gonda in Uttar Pradesh.

“I have given up wrestling but I am worried since last night about those junior women wrestlers who are calling me and telling me that the junior nationals are going to be held from 28th and the new wrestling federation has decided to hold it in Nandani Nagar, Gonda. Gonda is the area of Brijbhushan. Now imagine in what circumstances the junior women wrestlers will go there to wrestle. Is there no other place in this country to host nationals other than Nandani Nagar?,” tweeted Sakshi on her X (formerly Twitter) account.

After the election of Sanjay Singh as WFI president, Brij Bhushan had announced to the media on Saturday the dates of under-15 and under-20 nationals.

“Because of some issues, national or state level wrestling events were paused in the country for 11 months…We have announced to hold Under-15 and Under-20 wrestling events from 28th December to 31st December…If these tournaments are not organised within 31st, one complete year of the wrestlers will be affected,” Brij Bhushan told the media.

The Wrestling Federation of India elections were held on Thursday, December 21, after several postponements earlier in the year. The vote took place earlier in the day in New Delhi, and the counting began soon after.

A panel of Sanjay Singh won the WFI election by 40 votes while the other panel got 7 votes.

Sanjay served on the WFI’s previous executive council. Since 2019, he has also served as the national federation’s joint secretary.

The WFI elections were originally slated to be held on August 12. However, the Punjab and Haryana High Court, while holding a hearing on a petition in August, extended the stay on the WFI elections till September 25. Elections to the federation, which oversees wrestling in the country, were initially planned for June this year.

Earlier, this month, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik met Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur at his residence in the national capital for discussions on the WFI polls.

Sakshi’s husband Satyawart Kadian, a wrestler himself, was also among those who called on the minister. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the wrestlers said they were assured that the government would keep its promise that no one related or close to Brij Bhushan would get a post in the WFI.

As the results are out the press conference is to be held by star wrestlers and Olympic medallists Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia and Sakshi Malik, who earlier came out against the now-deposed WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment.

But Sanjay’s election was not received well by ace wrestlers Sakshi Malik, Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat, who expressed their disappointment with the result.

Olympic medalist Sakshi Malik, who was a face of wrestlers’ protest against former WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over sexual harassment allegations, on Thursday announced that she is quitting wrestling after his aide Sanjay Singh was elected president of the federation.

Sakshi Malik, distraught and emotional, broke down as she left the venue after addressing a press conference in the national capital.

She put her shoes on the table at the press conference as she announced her decision to quit wrestling.

“We slept for 40 days on the roads and a lot of people from several parts of the country came to support us. If Brij Bhushan Singh’s business partner and a close aide is elected as the president of WFI, I quit wrestling,” she said, accompanied by some other wrestlers who were part of the protest.

Vinesh Phogat, World Championships and Asian Games medallist, also expressed her deep disappointment and said that the future of wrestling is dark and grapplers are still fighting.

“There are minimal expectations but we hope that we get justice. It’s saddening that the future of wrestling is in the dark. To whom shall we convey our grief?… We are still fighting while we are training,” she said.

Punia on Friday wrote a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi saying that he is returning his Padma Shri as a mark of protest over the results of the recent Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) elections.

Punia shared a detailed post on X, stating, “I am returning my Padma Shri award to the Prime Minister. All I have to say is in this letter; this is my statement.” 

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Tamil Nadu floods: 35 deaths reported, focus now on restoring basic services, says chief secretary

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Tamil Nadu floods: 35 deaths reported, focus now on restoring basic services, says chief secretary

Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary Shiv Das Meena said on Saturday that the rescue operation in the flood-affected southern districts of the state has been completed and the focus is now on the restoration of basic services there. However, communication lines in some districts are still reeling in the aftermath of the flood.

“We have completed the rescue operation. Now, our main focus is on the restoration of basic services. Unfortunately, in these floods, 35 deaths have been reported–22 in Thoothukudi district and 13 in Tirunelveli district,” Shiv Das Meena told ANI.

Heavy rain wreaked havoc in Thoothukudi, Tirunelveli, Tenkasi, and Kanyakumari during the past few days. The state government and the Centre have jointly mobilised a massive rescue and relief operation to help the affected people.

The worst-affected district is Thoothukudi, where, in some areas, flood water has not receded yet. In Agaram village of the district, visuals show people wading through knee-deep waters.

Railway tracks near Srivaikundam have been damaged due to heavy rains in the Thoothukudi district.

Maruthur Step Dam in Thoothukudi overflowed due to rainfall in the catchment areas of the Thamirabarani River on December 18 and 19.

Adichanallur’s on-site museum and excavation site in the district have been affected by floods. Antiquities and urn burials were submerged and restoration work is underway.

Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin distributed relief materials to the flood-affected people in Chennai on Saturday.

Meanwhile, 1,000 cubic feet of surplus water were discharged from the Manimuthar Dam, in Tirunelveli through three sluices.

The Indian Air Force dropped over 11 tons of relief materials at 12 different places in Thoothukudi District on Saturday on its fifth day of continued Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations in southern Tamil Nadu, which was hit by heavy rain on December 18 and 19.

Southern Air Command Indian Air Force posted on ‘X’, “On the fifth day of continued HADR operations in south Tamil Nadu, affected by landslides and floods, IAF MI-17 V5 and ALH-Dhruv air-dropped over 11 tonnes of relief materials in 12 different places in Thoothkudi District. This aggregates to an airdrop of 59 tonnes of relief material.”

Srivaikuntam dam was overflowing in Thoothukudi district due to rainfall in the catchment areas of the Thamirabarani River on Saturday.

Shiv Das Meena inspected rain- and flood-affected areas in the Antoniapuram area of Thoothukudi district on Saturday.

A holiday was announced for all the schools and colleges in Thoothukudi district on Thursday after heavy rains continued to pound the regions in southern Tamil Nadu, creating a flood-like situation and throwing life out of gear.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin said that the state government has taken all possible precautions and measures for the welfare of the people due to the floods.

“Heavy rainfall was received in Chennai and surrounding districts. In history, we have never seen this much rainfall in the Thoothukudi district. For rescue operations, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed,” CM Stalin said.

He further said that as many as 12,653 people have been rescued and are staying at the 14 relief camps.”

“I have advised district collectors and the official to immediately provide food and other needful items to those who were staying in relief camps,” he added.

The CM further said that he has requested additional money for the southern districts of the state from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier, Indian Navy personnel distributed food and other relief materials at Srivaikundam railway station in Thoothukudi on December 19.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Video of BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri slamming the opposition alliance with ‘hard-hitting’ facts in Lok Sabha goes viral, here is what he said

OpIndia Staff
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Video of BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri slamming the opposition alliance with ‘hard-hitting’ facts in Lok Sabha goes viral, here is what he said

On 21st December (Thursday), Lok Sabha MP Ramesh Bidhuri came down heavenly on the opposition bloc I.N.D.I.A. while speaking on ‘The Press and Registration of Periodicals Bill 2023’. The speech in which he reminded the alliance partners of their historical antecedents on “Press Freedom” is doing rounds on the internet. 

In the 9 min 24-second video, he described the opposition alliance as “Ghamandiya Gatbandhan” and gave instances when the opposition parties took regressive acts and curbed freedom of the press at a time when it has been projecting itself as the beacon of liberalism and Free Press. 

(Video Courtesy – ANI)

Taking a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Bidhuri noted that Rahul Gandhi’s great-grandfather Jawaharlal Nehru curtailed press freedom and jailed anyone who dared to criticise the Nehru government. The BJP lawmaker stated that Jawaharlal Nehru brought the Press (Objectionable Matter Act 1951) which however could not be passed. When his government faced criticism, Bidhuri added that Nehru got poet and lyricist Majrooh Sultanpuri arrested. The poet had to spend a year in jail for writing a poem critical of Nehru. He inquired Rahul ji is this your freedom of Press?

Further in his address, Ramesh Bidhuri asserted that Kalyan Banerjee besmirched the repute of Parliament by indulging in mimicry of Vice President Jagdeep Dhankar adding that “Rajkumar (referring to Rahul Gandhi) ji was filming him”. He argued that it was not only an insult to the Vice President and OBC community but also was an insult to the constitution drafted by Dr BR Ambedkar.

Addressing the Lok Sabha members, Bidhuri also highlighted the coercive steps taken against two magazines RSS-backed English magazine Organiser and another English magazine ‘The Cross road’.  

He highlighted that the RSS-backed English magazine, Organiser wanted to print the shortcomings and lapses that took place during the partition. However, when it was in print, the East Punjab Safety Act 1951 was framed and the magazine was ordered to get its prior approval from the Nehru government before publishing even a word, the BJP leader added.  

Similarly, he likened the developments undertaken by the Nehru government regarding the ban on magazines like Cross Road and Organiser to that of the Saha Bano case that took place decades after under the Rajeev Gandhi government. 

Bidhuri noted that the Cross Road magazine was banned in 1953-54, afterwards the editor went to court and secured relief but the Nehru government brought a law in the parliament to continue the ban on the magazine.

Click here to read the details of the cases raked by BJP leader Ramesh Bidhuri including all other major violations of press freedom committed by the Congress party.  

He added that the Times of India journalist AD Gorwala who was a civil servant wrote a weekly column with the name ‘Vivek’. In his weekly column, Vivek criticised some policies of the Nehru government after which he was banned from publishing any editorial in the newspaper. Notably, A. D. Gorwala also faced hardships during the Indira Gandhi government. 

Continuing on the list of Congress’ governments excessive measures against the Press, Bidhuri added that in 1980, the Congress government had arrested editors Ajay Mitra and Guru Sharan Singh of Singhbhum Ekta and Samata respectively. Similarly, Hindustan Times editor BG Varghese was sacked by the publication after he had written critically against Sanjay Gandhi and his pet project Maruti, the BJP leader raked in his address. 

He then went on to highlight the recent example of Congress and its alliance partners’ coercive measures against the Press by highlighting the case of Arnab Goswami during the Mahavikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra.  

Bidhuri pointed out that Republic TV Chief Arnab Goswami was jailed and faced hundreds of FIRs after he had questioned Congress President Sonia Gandhi over her silence on the Palghar lynching case. 

Referring the Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal as “Baune Duryodhan”, he painted a then-and-now picture of AAP Supremo Kejriwal. 

He stated that during his initial days, Kejriwal used to promise that he would bring “democracy and transparency” in the same breath calling Sonia Gandhi corrupt, Sibal is corrupt and Congress is synonymous with corruption. 

The BJP leader added that now the AAP Supremo is cradling in the lap of those same people. 

Bidhuri further stated that while Kejriwal targeted former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit arguing that the Chief Minister should reside in a two-room house, he himself had built Sheeshmahal in Delhi with over Rs 50 crores, during the COVID crisis.  

Slamming the opposition bloc’s claims of championing press freedom, he reminded the Lok Sabha that the AAP government jailed a female journalist, Times Now’s Bhavana Kishore, in Punjab for reporting on these facts under the SC/ST act. The High Court quashed the FIR and her bail was a slap on their faces, Bidhuri added. 

In his Lok Sabha speech on the Press Bill, Bidhuri also took a jibe at Kejriwal for skipping the ED summons for the second time recalling that Kejriwal was one who used to say that he would practice transparency but is now running from ED.  

Concluding his speech, he asserted that the people of the country bestowed their trust on PM Modi so as to launch a crackdown on those who have been looting from the government coffers like Lalu and mafia elements in UP and Bihar. 

He added that I urge the agencies that they should not spare anyone who plunders the resources meant for the poor, irrespective of the ideology they belong to or how prominent they may be. 

Bidhuri stressed that when the agencies act against such leaders, they allege misuse of ED. He argued that the Ghamandiya Gatbandhan doesn’t look at its history and track record before making any allegation against the Modi government.

Indian army says probe into deaths of 3 civilians in Poonch underway, J&K administration announces compensation and jobs for family

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Indian army says probe into deaths of 3 civilians in Poonch underway, J&K administration announces compensation and jobs for family

The Indian Army said on Saturday that it is conducting an inquiry into the deaths of three civilians in the Poonch-Rajouri sector, where militants launched an attack on army personnel on December 21, killing four soldiers.

The matter is under investigation, said the Indian Army in a post on social media.

Taking to X, the Indian Army posted, “Search operations by the security forces are continuing in the area of operations after the incident of December 21. Reports have been received regarding three civilian deaths in the area. The matter is under investigation.”

“The Indian Army stands committed to extending full support and cooperation in the conduct of investigations,” the army posted on X.

Earlier in the day, the Jammu and Kashmir administration announced compensation and jobs to the families of three civilians who were found dead near the site of an anti-terrorist operation in Poonch district.

As per the JK government, “After the deaths of three civilians were reported yesterday in Baffliaz, Poonch district, the medico-legal formalities were conducted and legal action in this matter has been initiated by the appropriate authority.”

The government also announced compensation and jobs for the next of kin of each deceased.

Earlier on Thursday evening, four Army personnel were killed while three others were injured in the forest area of Dera ki Gali in the Rajouri district after two Army vehicles were ambushed by heavily armed terrorists.

The terrorists ambushed two Army vehicles carrying troops in Thanamandi, Rajouri.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

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