On Friday (1st December), US lawmakers voted to expel George Santos. George Santos is the sixth person in the history of the United States of America to have been removed from his colleagues. Santos is a Republican from New York who was elected in 2022.
The vote to expel Santos came after the House Ethics Committee found that he had “engaged in conduct that constitutes a breach of trust and reflects discredit upon the House.” The committee found that Santos had lied about his education, work experience, and financial status.
The final vote count was 311-114, with 105 Republicans voting in favour of expulsion and 112 voting against it. All but eight Democrats voted in favour of expulsion. The resolution to expel Santos required a two-thirds majority, or 290 votes, to pass. The resolution passed easily, with 21 votes to spare.
George Santos’s meteoric rise and fall in the political arena is a story of deception, scandal, and ultimately, expulsion from Congress. His fabricated backstory, which included embellishments about his education, work experience, and personal life, initially propelled him to victory in the 2022 House elections, helping the Republicans secure a narrow majority. However, his elaborate web of lies began to unravel, exposing a pattern of financial impropriety and personal misconduct.
The unmasking of Santos’s true character led to a flurry of investigations, culminating in a damning report by the House Ethics Committee. The committee concluded that Santos had engaged in “overwhelming evidence” of misconduct, including knowingly filing false or incomplete financial disclosures, using campaign funds for personal purposes, and engaging in “a scheme to fraudulently exploit every aspect of his House candidacy.”
In a decisive vote, the House of Representatives expelled Santos from Congress, marking only the sixth time in American history that a member has been ejected by their colleagues. Santos, who vehemently refuted the criminal charges against him, is accused of utilising funds from donors for purposes such as Botox treatments, subscriptions to the OnlyFans adult content platform, as well as indulging in extravagant Italian luxury items and vacationing in the Hamptons and Las Vegas, as per the ethics committee’s findings.
In India, TMC MP Mahua Moitra is also accused of taking bribes in cash and kind from businessman Darshan Hiranandani for asking questions in the parliament against Gautam Adani. A probe from the Ethics Committee of the Indian Parliament is also going on in this case. If found guilty, Mahua Moitra may face a similar action from the house.
An organisation by the name of ‘Mission Save Constitution’ (MSC) has been planning to conduct an ‘All India Muslim Mahapanchayat’ at the Ramlila Maidan in the National Capital.
On 12th October this year, it held a press conference and declared that a large congregation of Muslims would be organised on 29th October.
The announcement was made by Mehmood Pracha, the ‘national convenor’ of MSC, who claimed that ‘All India Muslim Mahapanchayat’ was being organised over alleged ‘atrocities’ against Muslims in India.
On 23rd October, Pracha made yet another video, appealing to the Muslim community to join the Mahapanchayat in large numbers.
In a petition filed before the Delhi High Court, he claimed to have received permission from the Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central district, Delhi) to hold the event at the Ramlila Maidan. Pracha had sought permission for a gathering of 10,000 people to ‘educate them about their constitutional rights.’
The national convenor of the ‘Mission Save Constitution’ (MSC) allegedly deposited ₹50000 for conducting the ‘All India Muslim Mahapanchayat’ after receiving ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) from the police.
After having learnt about the communal nature of the event, the Delhi police revoked the permission that was initially granted to MSC on 16th October this year. The booking at the Ramilla Maidan was subsequently cancelled on the following day.
Mehmood Pracha then moved the Delhi High Court on 19th October against the decision of the Delhi police to cancel the event. The court noted,
“…It has surfaced that the theme of the event is different than what was projected by the organizers while seeking permission. The letter further states that in the re-assessment it has been disclosed that…the language written on the posters available on social media regarding the event shows that the agenda of the event appears to be communal and there is a strong apprehension that holding such even during festive season and at such a sensitive place may spread communal hatred and dent the peace and tranquility of the area. The letter also states that amidst the tension in the Arab countries due to ongoing war between Israel and HAMAS, the authorities apprehend that such kind of events may lead to a law and order situation and spoil the atmosphere of Old Delhi where people belonging to all religions live and, therefore, the NOC granted to the Petitioner vide letter dated 06.10.2023 stands revoked.”
On 25th October, the court refused to interfere in the revocation of NOC, directed ‘Mission Save Constitution’ to reschedule their programme and seek fresh permission from Delhi Police after the Hindu festive season is over.
It further added, “Though the event has been styled for the purpose of educating people of their constitutional rights but the tenor of posters which have been produced by the learned Counsel for Respondent No.2 indicates that the event in question can have communal over-tones which can result in increasing communal tensions in the Old Delhi area, which is a “sensitive” area as people of different religions live here and communal violence in the area is not unknown. The apprehension raised by the SHO of that area, who is aware of the ground reality, cannot be ignored.“
All India Muslim Mahapanchayat postponed to 18th December
After the Delhi High Court refused to entertain his writ petition, Mehmood Pracha then rescheduled the controversial event to 4th December 2023.
However, Delhi police turned down his request, highlighting that it has already granted permission to an organisation named ‘Maha Tyagi Sewa Sansthan’ to conduct its programme between 3rd and 5th December this year.
The ‘Mission Save Constitution’ has claimed that the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) informed it that Ramlilla Maidan had no programmes lined up on 4th December, 2023, and that Delhi police was somehow making a contradictory statement.
It must be mentioned that the ‘Maha Tyagi Sewa Sansthan’ sought permission from Delhi police on 8th November while MSC filed request two days later i.e. 10th November.
On 25th November, the Delhi High Court directed the MCD and the Delhi police to provide a date that is convenient to organising the ‘All India Muslim Mahapanchayat.’
The court said, “It is stated by the learned Counsel for the Petitioner that out of the dates given by MCD and the Police Authorities, the date of 18.12.2023 is the most convenient for holding the Mahapanchayat.“
As such, the event has now been re-scheduled to 18th December this year. The Delhi High Court has directed the police to consider the feasibility of holding the Mahapanchayat on that date.
On 28th November, the court directed ‘Mission Save Constitution’ to hand over details of all guests/ speakers to the police. A meeting was thereafter conducted between the organisers of the Mahapanchayat, the local police and the traffic police.
‘Mission Save Constitution’ and its nefarious demands
The organisation was founded by ‘advocate’ Mehmood Pracha on 15th August, 2020 i.e. on the occasion of India’s 74th Independence Day.
While Pracha serves as the ‘national convenor’ of ‘Mission Save Constitution’, retired IAS officer Wajahat Habibullah happens to be the ‘principal advisor’ of the organisation.
Retired Bombay High Court Judge Kolse Patil, known for his anti-Hindu remarks, is the ‘advisor’ of MSC.
The stated demands of the organisation include – junking the NRC and NPR (National Population Register) proposal to identify illegal immigrants in India, preventing arrests of anti-CAA/ NRC/ NPR rioters, compensation to rioters who were killed during anti-farm law and anti-CAA protests, and repeal of farm laws.
‘Mission Save Constitution’ has been organising sit-in protests for the past 96 days for one Ritu Singh, an ad-hoc Professor at Daulat Ram College of Delhi University whose employment was terminated in 2020.
Singh has claimed that her removal was due to her ‘Dalit’ caste identity and sought the removal of the college Prinicpal, Dr Savita Roy on grounds of caste discrimination. MSC has thrown its weight behind the former Professor of Daulat Ram College and has created a dedicated Facebook page for the ’cause.’
The YouTube page of ‘Mission Save Constitution’ prominently features Mehmood Pracha and Islamic hate preacher Maulana Tauqeer Raza, disseminating pro-Hamas propaganda and demonising Israel amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
Screengrab of the YouTube videos parroting pro-Hamas propaganda
NMC ‘national convenor’ Mehmood Pracha featured in ISIS magazine
Mehmood Pracha, who works as an advocate and the national convenor of ‘Mission Save Constitution’, was accused of forging an affidavit and tutoring the anti-Hindu Delhi riot victims to give false testimonies.
His antics bear an uncanny resemblance to that of ‘activist’ Teesta Setalvad, accused of tutoring victims of the 2002 Gujarat riots. In December 2020, a special cell of Delhi Police conducted searches at the office of Mehmood Pracha. He was also booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 182, 193, 420, 468, 471, 472, 473, and 120B.
Raids at Advocate @MehmoodPracha's office being carried out by Delhi Police Special Cell. In its warrant, Police has claimed it is searching for "incriminating documents" and "meta data of outbox" of the official email id of Pracha's firm https://t.co/Rs1pAI81Os
Mehmood Pracha was seen representing rioter Arif, accused of murdering Hindu victim Alok Tiwari during the 2020 Delhi riots. He had cast aspersions on the integrity of Delhi Police and falsely claimed that only Muslims were targeted during the riots in the National Capital.
The national convenor of ‘Mission Save Constitution’ also holds the distinction of being featured on the cover of ISIS magazine ‘Voice of Hind’ in February 2020.
2) Lawyer Mehmood Pracha was also featured in ISIS magazine ‘Voice of Hind' in 2020.
In May 2022, Mehmood Pracha also defended Delhi University Professor Ratan Lal, who made derogatory remarks about the Shivling found inside the Gyanvapi mosque in Kashi.
This arrest is also a contempt of the judgement by the Supreme Court… & a violation of section 3 in the Scheduled Castes & the Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act… we will prove his innocence. More protests should happen: Mehmood Pracha, advocate of Ratan Lal pic.twitter.com/sCz51lKml8
He was also involved in the character assassination of Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Amit Prasad, representing the Delhi Police in the case of the larger conspiracy in Delhi anti-Hindu riots of 2020.
Antics of Wajahat Habibullah
Wajahat Habibullah, a former IAS officer who served as the Chairman of the National Commission for Minorities, works as the ‘Principle Advisor’ to ‘Mission Save Constitution.’
He was one of the first petitioners to ask the Supreme Court to direct the Delhi police to lodge First Information Reports (FIRs) during the 2020 anti-Hindu Delhi riots. Habibullah had also come to the rescue of anti-CAA protestors at Shaheen Bagh, who brought the National Capital to a standstill by putting up a road blockade.
While filing an affidavit in the Supreme Court, he claimed, “There are numerous number of road that have no connection with the protest that have been barricaded by the police unnecessarily, abdicating their responsibilities and duties and wrongly laying the blame on the protest.”
10 activists, Aruna Roy, Arundhati Roy, Wajahat Habibullah, Shailesh Gandhi&Ors have said in their application that they were "concerned" about initiation of the contempt proceeding against Mr Bhushan for exercising his ''freedom of speech'' without fearhttps://t.co/jgz9lzo2CQ?
Wajahat Habibullah also came to the defence of lawyer-turned-activist Prashant Bhushan in contempt of court case by raking up the issue of ‘freedom of speech.’
Former Judge of the Bombay High Court, BG Kolse Patil, serves as the advisor of ‘Mission Save Constitution.’ A full-fledged ‘activist’, Patil was booked by the Pune Police in January 2020 for making defamatory remarks against Veer Savarkar.
In a viral video, he falsely claimed that the Indian freedom fighter was ‘convicted’ of rape without providing any evidence. While supporting Rahul Gandhi’s vitriolic tirade against Veer Savarkar, the retired High Court judge alleged that the freedom fighter called for the killing of Muslims and Christians.
Savarkar was punished for RAPE in LONDONRetired Chief Justice Of India Mr. Kolse Patil reveal the facts of Savarkar pic.twitter.com/OQh47cDBTf
In January 2020, he incited the Muslim community during an anti-CAA protest that was organised by Jamat Islamic Hind.
“We have started a movement. You (Muslims) should take the initiative now. You are 20-25 crores in population and once if you hit the streets, the entire country will be shaken,” BG Kolse Patil was heard saying.
He falsely claimed that the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) was enacted to give citizenship to Hindus whose names did not feature in the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam.
The ‘activist’ was accused of sexual harassment by an anonymous female journalist in 2018 during the #MeToo movement.
BG Kolse Patil was one of the organisers of the Elgaar Parishad held in Maharashtra in 2018, which culminated in the Bhima Koregaon riots. He is known for making anti-Hindu speeches from time to time.
Breaking: According to reports, NIA has recorded a statement of #UmarKhalid stating that he attended the Elgar Parishad meeting in December 2017 at the invitation of former #BombayHighCourt judge Justice Kholse-Patil. Khalid has further claimed that he stayed at his residence
In one such speech in 2016, he alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) was spreading ‘Hindu terror’ in the country.
In another speech, Patil claimed that ‘RSS is the biggest enemy of India’ and vowed the defeat it at the ‘ideological level’. He has openly expressed his disdain for the word ‘Hindustan’, alleging that it is used to refer to Hindus alone and not all Indians.
In November 2017, the retired Bombay High Court Judge claimed that the RSS took money from Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI at an event organised by the proscribed Popular Front of India (PFI). He alleged that RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat received ₹24 lakh to destabilise India.
On 28th November, three Khalistani extremists have been found guilty of attempting to kill popular radio personality Harnek Singh, who is living in Auckland. The victim is a Sikh who is originally from India. The 27-year-old Sarvjeet Sidhu accepted a guilty plea to attempted murder only days before the trial commenced, while 44-year-old Sukhpreet Singh was pronounced culpable of accessory. Another 48-year-old Khalistan supporter, who lives in Auckland was also sentenced for the crime.
On 23rd December 2020 after a late-night broadcast radio personality Harnek Singh, commonly known as Nekki was ambushed by a mob of Sikh radicals in the driveway of his Wattle Downs residence resulting in more than 40 stab wounds. Three automobiles full of men were pursuing him when he was wounded “within an inch of his life”.
Harnek Singh was stabbed multiple times in his driveway in Wattle Downs. (Source: The New Zealand Herald)
Judge Mark Woolford noted that although the 48-year-old defendant, who is subjected to interim name suppression, was not present at the time of the attack, he had been harbouring a long-standing grudge against the international radio host for his political views and more liberal interpretation of their shared Sikh faith. According to the judge, he organised the “hit” and recruited goons to carry out his orders using his magnetic pull over others. He proclaimed that in this instance, both community protection and a potent deterrent message were required.
Two courtrooms were packed with the perpetrator’s supporters as a sentence of thirteen and a half years was handed down. The individual must serve a minimum of nine years before he is eligible to ask for parole. A 14-year sentence is the maximum for attempted murder. The judge stated that he was granted a six-month credit for the time he spent on electronically monitored bail throughout his protracted trial in September and October which is the only reason he did not receive the maximum punishment.
The attack’s motivation, according to the Judge “bears all the hallmarks of religious fanaticism.” He observed, “Violence of this kind is committed in what is perceived as the furtherance of the greater good. Sentencing in this context requires a different approach. The emphasis must be placed on protecting the community from further violence and it is essential to send a strong message of deterrence to others.”
Hundreds of thousands of people listen to Harnek Singh’s online radio show and most of them are from outside New Zealand. Harnek Singh said on the witness stand that he had attracted a sizable number of ardent detractors but he clarified that while most of them were more fundamentalist or conservative in their views, his personal views on Sikhism are probably more on the liberal end of the spectrum.
Harnek Singh wrote a victim impact statement, which the prosecutors delivered aloud during the court as he was not present there. He stated that the incident necessitated multiple operations as well as more than 350 stitches to his head and upper torso. Three years later, he is still healing from the physical injuries, but psychological wounds continue to affect him and his family.
Harnek Singh of South Auckland was attacked and stabbed multiple times. (Source: The New Zealand Herald)
“My family faces fear each day when the sun goes down. My wife and child wonder if someone is lurking in the shadows, looking into our home, wanting to attack us again. We went from a carefree, spontaneous and fun-loving family to one that is constantly in fear for my safety”, Harnek Singh said. However, he mentioned that he hopes his family won’t live in dread and expressed gratitude to the New Zealand legal system for ensuring that “no one is above the law, not even religion.”
Harnek addressed the culprits and highlighted, “You came to kill me. You tried to silence me. You wanted to send a chilling message to all those who express their disagreement with your unorthodox religious views. But you failed. I will continue to express my opinions and beliefs as I always have. The only chilling message you have managed to send is to people with the same views and opinions as yours that actions have consequences and that in a country like New Zealand, the law does not bend for you if your wrongful acts are in the name of God.”
The judge found resonance in those comments and he repeated them when he sentenced the accused. Dale Dufty, the defence attorney had asked for concessions because of his client’s troubled past and difficult childhood in India. Luke Radich, the crown prosecutor, countered that the latter’s involvement and the case’s character mandated the maximum 14-year beginning point.
“If this is not amongst the most serious cases of its type, then what is,” Radich asked and added, “It could not have been more pre-meditated and (the defendant) was the architect of it.” The judge eventually agreed. Defence attorney Katie Hogan claimed that there was no proof the primary offender was aware of the attack in advance.
Defence counsel Andrew Speed alleged that Sarvjeet Sidhu, who was one of the knife assailants in the driveway, was brainwashed by the principal offender. He received a nine-and-a-half-year prison sentence. Sukhpreet Singh, who helped the two stabbers unsuccessfully conceal their vehicle and gave them a shower and new clothes after the attack, was given a six-month home detention sentence.
On Friday, December 1, a 20-year-old nursing student named Fousiya was found dead in a hotel room on CLC Works Road in Chennai’s Chromepet. The girl was strangled to death by her boyfriend identified as Ashiq who uploaded the picture of the girl’s lifeless body on his Whatsapp status. The victim and her 20-year-old boyfriend checked in at the hotel at around 10: 30 am.
Fousiya was a second-year nursing student at Balaji Medical College in Chennai’s Chrompet area. Originally from Kerala’s Kollam district, Fousiya stayed at a girls’ hostel in New Colony. The victim had not attended classes at her college for the last three days. Fousiya was in a relationship with the accused, Aashiq, for about the last five years, according to police.
“On Friday morning, the couple had taken a room in a Chromepet hotel. That evening, Aashiq uploaded a picture of Fousiya’s dead body as his WhatsApp status,” the police said. The police added that Fousiya and Ashiq’s mutual friends saw the WhatsApp status and immediately informed the police. The police then arrived at the spot and initiated efforts to nab the accused. Upon checking the CCTV footage, the police located the accused Ashiq near an eatery and arrested him.
According to the police, the couple had an argument over accused Ashiq cheating on Fousiya as she saw some pictures of Ashiq with another woman on his phone. Their argument escalated to a point where the accused Ashiq first assaulted and then strangled the girl with a T-shirt. It has been reported that the duo were secretly married when they were minors and even had a baby. However, they had given up their baby for adoption in Chikmagalur.
Reportedly, the couple split up two years ago after Fousia uncovered his relationships with a few other women. She also filed a complaint with Kerala police, who booked him under the provisions of the Pocso Act and imprisoned him. He apologised and reconciled with her soon after he was released from jail. Accused Ashiq continued to pay her visits since then.
Meanwhile, Fousiya’s body was taken to Chromepet government hospital for a postmortem. Police are investigating whether the accused had any other motive for his crime.
On Thursday (30th November), a 36-year-old Israeli woman named Satwa (Radha) was found dead with her throat slit in a rented home in Kottayam in Kerala’s Kollam district. Her 75-year-old husband Krishnachandran (Chandrasekharan Nair) was admitted to the hospital with serious injuries.
According to the Kottayam police, the incident happened around 3:30 p.m. at their Thiruvathira residence in Decent Mukku. A police officer said, “Krishnachandran and Satwa have been living together for the last 16 years. He was earlier a yoga instructor in Rishikesh and she was his student. Later, they married and came to Kerala a year ago.”
The authorities have lodged a First Information Report under Section 302 (murder) and 309 (suicide attempt) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against him. The police official informed that Satwa had slashed her throat as part of a mutual plan with her husband.
The duo wanted to end their lives due to health complications. Krishnachandran stabbed his neck and stomach with the same knife. He told the police that his wife had asked him to kill her after she couldn’t die from the self-inflicted wound.
He is now hospitalised and undergoing treatment at Government Medical College in Thiruvananthapuram. The house in Kottayam where Krishnachandran and Satwa stayed was leased by Ravikumar and Bindu, Krishnachandran’s niece (brother’s daughter).
The deceased had reportedly lived in Uttarakhand for fifteen years and had spent the previous year in Kerala. Krishnachandran has claimed that his wife was depressed and had suicidal tendencies. She was not getting better even after taking yoga classes from him.
According to the police, he alleged that he had psoriasis and did not want to live which is why both of them opted to take their own lives. A cop informed that even though a suicide note was discovered in the room, it had not yet been examined.
In the Sonbhadra district of Uttar Pradesh, the police have booked 42 people and arrested 9 persons after busting an illegal Christian conversion racket. The police on Friday (December 1) informed that they have also seized laptops, Christian literature and propaganda materials from the possession of the arrested accused. Reports say that 12 people have also been taken into police custody for questioning.
The matter pertains to the Chopan Police Station wherein the accused Christian proselytisers were organising ‘Changai Sabha’ (‘Changai’ means supposedly curing ailing people through prayers recited by a pastor) in the village to lure the local tribals into converting to Christianity in the name of curing their illness. Moreover, the accused were offering money and goods to the non-Christians to become Christians.
On Thursday, an FIR was filed under the Uttar Pradesh Prohibition of Unlawful Conversion of Religion Act against 42 people based on the complaint lodged by a Malahiya Tola resident Narsingh Tripathi. Reports say that the Bajrang Dal state coordinator had submitted a letter to the police informing them about the Christian missionary’s conversion racket and attached a list of the 42 persons involved. Additional Superintendent of Police Kalu Singh informed that the police raided one such Changai Sabha and uncovered a conversion racket operating in the name of healing poor and desperate people of their illnesses. Subsequently, nine of the accused were arrested.
Additional SP Kalu Singh said that the police have confiscated audio tapes, compact discs, 6 mobiles, 3 ATM cards, Aadhar cards, Bible and propaganda material related to Christianity. ASP Singh added that the action has been initiated against the 9 arrested accused and they will be presented before the court.
The arrested accused have been identified as Jaiprabhu, Ajay Kumar, Chekka Emmanuel, Rajendra Kol, Chhotu alias Ranjan, Parmanand, Sohan, Prem Nath Prajapati, and Ram Pratap.
On Friday (1st December), the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said that cash worth Rs 34 lakh, 1.2 KG of gold, and appointment letters of primary schools were seized from the residence of Trinamool Congress Party’s MLA Jafikul Islam and the premises of various colleges run by him. A total of 11 institutes were raided by CBI along with the MLA’s residence. Jafikul Islam was elected from the Domkal constituency in the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election. These raids took place in connection with the West Bengal SSC teacher recruitment scam.
Officials of the federal agency have stated that simultaneous raids were conducted at eight locations across the state. The residences of Jafikul Islam, the legislator from the Domkal constituency in Murshidabad, and Bappaditya Dasgupta, a councillor in the Kolkata Municipal Corporation, were among the places targeted.
Additionally, raids were carried out at the residences of Debaraj Chakravarti, a councillor from Salt Lake, and the homes of Shyamal Kar, a businessman in the Cooch Behar district of North Bengal, along with his brother Sajal Kar. Furthermore, a private B.Ed college was also subjected to the raid.
The raid at the MLA’s house lasted for 12 hours on Thursday. The agency was trying to ascertain whether he acquired properties in the names of his relatives. Islam stated that he possesses no unaccounted-for properties. CBI sources also reported the confiscation of transfer letters for government employees from the office of Debraj Chakraborty, a member of the mayor-in-council for Trinamool in Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation.
According to reports, the investigation agency found cash in three bags at the MLA’s residence. MLA Jafikul Islam said, “I never had any link with the SSC scam. I sold a property a few days back and the cash was in my house. My wife has shown them the deed. The officials said we should have kept the money in the bank.”
He added, “I have supporting documents to show why the cash was at my home. I will get them back. I was busy in the assembly and could not deposit the amount in the bank.”
In his affidavit for the 2021 assembly polls, Jafikul Islam declared an income of Rs 8 lakh for the financial year 2019-20. His wife’s income for the same period was reported as Rs 6 lakh. The disclosed value of his immovable assets, encompassing residence, and agricultural and non-agricultural land, stood at Rs 2.5 crore, while his bank deposits and investments totaled Rs 1.71 crore.
About the transfer letters for government employees found at his office, Debraj Chakraborty said, “They found a copy of the higher secondary result of a candidate in my office. The candidate might have approached me and given me a copy of the result. Naturally, residents of my constituency approach me if they are in trouble. But that does not mean that I have accepted any gratification.”
CBI officers also instructed Debraj Chakraborty to furnish his bank statements and those of his relatives. Chakraborty mentioned that the CBI conducted a raid at his second property, where his wife Aditi Munshi, a TMC legislator and renowned folk singer, operates a music school.
Bappaditya Dasgupta was questioned for five hours. The prime focus of the questions was on former minister Partha Chatterjee and his associate Arpita Mukherjee in connection with the recruitment scam. He said, “I answered to the best of my knowledge. I will cooperate with them if they need me in future. They have taken copies of my tax returns, my cell phone and some CVs of residents from my office. I had never recommended anyone for a job and none of my family members held a government job.”
What is the Bengal Teacher SSC recruitment scam?
The West Bengal Teacher’s recruitment scam, more commonly referred to as the SSC scam, looks into the recruitment process conducted through the State Level Selection Test (SLT) conducted by SSC from 2014 to 2016.
The West Bengal School Service Commission (SSC) announced in 2014 that teachers would be hired at state-run schools in West Bengal through the State Level Selection Test (SLST), which is when the alleged scam first surfaced. In 2016, the hiring process got underway. At that time, Partha Chatterjee was the Minister-in-Charge of the West Bengal Department of Higher Education and School Education. Several complaints were submitted to the Calcutta High Court citing irregularities in the hiring procedure.
The petitioners alleged that many examinees who got lesser marks ranked high on the merit list. Several claims also surfaced regarding the receipt of appointment letters by some applicants who weren’t even on the merit list.
In a separate, but related instance, the Bengal government had in 2016 sent the School Service Commission (SSC) notification for the hiring of 13,000 Group D staff in government-run or aided schools. Interestingly, the tenure of the panel responsible for said recruitment expired in 2019, but several petitioners alleged that recruitment had taken place despite the expiry of the panel’s tenure and as many as 25 persons were allegedly appointed by the WBBSE.
However, when the case came up for hearing, the petitioners alleged that not 25 but over 500 people were appointed after the SSC panel’s expiration and were now receiving salaries from the state government. A CBI probe was launched in the case following an order by the Calcutta High Court bench of Justice Abhijit Gangopadhyay. The recent raids are also a part of the probe.
The preparations for the Pran Pratishtha, or the consecration ceremony, of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya are going on in full swing. Amidst this, the Sindhis have sent an Ajrak, a traditional shawl for the Ramlala idol set to be installed inside the garbh-griha or sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
According to media reports, Sai Harish Lal of Shiv Shanti Asudaram Ashram in Lucknow took the traditional Ajrak attire to Sindhi Colony in Ayodhya’s Ram Nagar recently from Pano Akil tehsil in Sukkar district of Sindh. Following this, a pooja for the purification of the sacred attire was performed by 21 priests as per Hindu traditions amidst the chant of Vedic Mantras and aarti.
Sai Mohan Lal, the Shehzada of Shiv Shanti Sant Asudaram Ashram, will offer this Ajrak to Ramlala’s head priest on Saturday, December 2nd. According to Omprakash Omi, State President of the Uttar Pradesh Sindhi Youth Society, the Shivalaya family is in charge of overseeing the event. He went on to say that the Ajrak is a traditional shawl worn on the shoulder by the Sindhis. It has a special significance in Sindhi culture.
Meanwhile, arrangements for the Pran Pratishtha or the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya are ongoing. Champat Rai, General Secretary of the Ram Mandir Trust, said that the consecration ceremony will take place on January 21, 22, and 23 of the coming year. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform the pran-pratishtha for the deity. The event will also witness the presence of prominent saints and other noted figures. According to Champat Rai, the temple trust aims to invite more than 25,000 Hindu religious leaders from 136 Sanatan traditions for the ceremony.
On Wednesday (29th November), Arnaldo Chamorro – the Paraguayan chief of staff to the agriculture minister – was sacked for signing a cooperation memorandum with purported officials from the “United States of Kailasa” of Swami Nithyananda. Nithyananda is a self-styled godman who is wanted in multiple cases in India.
While signing the document with Arnaldo Chamorro, Nithyananda’s country pretended to be a South American island. Now, after losing the job, the Paraguayan officer knows that such a country does not exist.
According to reports, Arnaldo Chamorro said, “They (the “officials”) came and expressed a wish to help Paraguay. They presented several projects, we listened to them.” The sacked officer was heavily trolled on social media for his lack of knowledge about the country ‘established’ by the self-proclaimed godman wanted in India in connection with a sexual harassment case.
Arnaldo Chamorro also admitted that the fake delegation of the non-existent country also met his minister Carlos Gimenez. He also underlined that their motive was not known. However, reports mention that the proclamation of 16th October recommended the Government of Paraguay to consider establishing diplomatic relations with the United States of Kailasa and to support its administration as a sovereign and independent country in various international organisations, including the United Nations.
On official letterhead with the Paraguayan ministry’s insignia and seal, Chamorro extended his respects to “the honourable Nithyananda Paramashivam, sovereign of the United States of Kailasa”, acknowledging and commending his “contributions to Hinduism, humanity and the Republic of Paraguay”.
Notably, representatives of the United States of Kailasa participated in two meetings of the United Nations Committee in Geneva in February 2023 and held discussions with officials from the United States and Canada. The ‘United States of Kailasa’ had also established ‘cultural partnerships’ with over 30 US cities including Richmond, Virginia, Dayton, Ohio, Buena Park, Florida and others.
The counting of vote for the Mizoram Assembly election has been rescheduled to December 4, announced the Election Commission on Friday. Earlier the vote counting for Mizoram polls was scheduled to be held on December 3.
The poll body said that the date has been revised as several representations were received from various quarters of the state to change the vote counting day.
“The Commission has received several representations from various quarters requesting for change in the date of counting from 3rd December 2023 (Sunday) to some other weekday, on the ground that 3rd December 2023 being Sunday a special significance for the people of Mizoram,” an official statement issued by Election Commission said on Friday.
“The Commission, having considered these representations, has decided to revise the date of counting for the General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Mizoram from 3rd December 2023 (Sunday) to 4th December 2023 (Monday),” it added.
In elections held on November 7 to the 40-member Mizoram assembly, the Mizo National Front (MNF) faced a challenge from the Zoram People’s Movement (ZPM), Congress and BJP. Polling for the 40-member Mizoram assembly was held on November 7 and 80.66 percent of voters turnout was recorded in the state.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
