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Congress to approach Gujarat court next week against Rahul Gandhi’s conviction, to hold ‘Jan Andolan’ across India

OpIndia Staff
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Congress to approach Gujarat court next week against Rahul Gandhi’s conviction, to hold ‘Jan Andolan’ across India

Following Rahul Gandhi’s exclusion from the Lok Sabha, the Congress has chosen to appeal his conviction in the ‘Modi surname’ defamation case. According to reports, the party will most likely approach the Sessions Court in Surat next week, on either Monday or Tuesday, in relation to the defamation case in which the former party president has been convicted.

The verdict convicting Rahul Gandhi and sentencing him to two years in jail was delivered by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate of the Surat Civil court, and the Surat District and Sessions court is the next court in the hierarchy, located in the same court complex.

In order to challenge the Surat Civil Court’s decision to convict the Gandhi scion for his ‘Modi surname’ statement, the party would follow the proper procedure and file a case in the Sessions Court. Notably, Rahul Gandhi was removed from the Lok Sabha on Friday after the Surat court’s ruling.

After the decision was pronounced, Jairam Ramesh, general secretary of Congress, declared that the party will fight ‘both legally and politically.’

Congress to launch protests across the country

The Congress on Friday called for strengthening the opposition unity in a systematic way and organised nationwide protests against Rahul Gandhi’s exclusion from the Lok Sabha. The party claimed that the government rushed swiftly to ‘gag’ their leader.

Senior Congress leaders, including former All India Congress Committee (AICC) chief Sonia Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, general secretaries Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K. C. Venugopal, Jairam Ramesh, Rajiv Shukla and Tariq Anwar, and senior leaders P. Chidambaram, Anand Sharma, Ambika Soni, Mukul Wasnik, Salman Khurshid and Pawan Kumar Bansal among others attended the meeting where the party decided to take this forward into a ‘Jan Andolan.’

Jairam Ramesh stated, “We will go all over the country as Rahul Gandhi was deliberately disqualified for raising his voice against the Modi government on the Adani issue, on the government’s foreign policy and the clean chit given to China for incursions at the border.” Ramesh alleged, that the BJP was rattled by the success of the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra,’ which, he claimed, became a movement.

He underlined that “we should now take the topic of opposition unity forward in a systematic fashion,” adding that the Congress leadership has welcomed the statements of support from the opposition leaders. “The action taken unilaterally and hastily to disqualify Rahul Gandhi,” he continued, “was criticised by several opposition parties.”

“Yes, there was a consensus that we should now take the job of building opposition unity in a systematic way. Everyday Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge has been meeting floor leaders of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. So we are coordinating in Parliament and now coordination has to be outside Parliament,” the Gandhi loyalist mentioned.

He conveyed, “It is also heartening to note that parties which were not part of this floor coordination have now issued public statements condemning this action of disqualification of Rahul Gandhi.”

The country-wide agitation will start on Monday, and state units and frontal organisations of the Congress will implement their national programmes.

“We will go all over the country saying that Rahul Gandhi has been deliberately disqualified as he has been raising his voice against the Modi government on various issues, including demonetisation, GST, foreign policy, and the government’s intentions and policies,” he informed.

“Nine days after Gandhi’s Adani address in the Lok Sabha on February 7, the complainant expedited his defamation lawsuit against him, and on February 16, he withdrew his own stay in the high court,” the Congress stalwart urged people to ‘understand the chronology.’

He explained that the judgement was reserved on March 17, the arguments were resumed on February 27 after a year, and the decision was announced on March 23. “This is no coincidence,” he remarked.

He also tweeted, ‘Mother is weeping today at the murder of democracy in India.’

Hours after Rahul Gandhi was disqualified on Friday, prominent party leader and lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi voiced optimism about obtaining a stay over the former’s conviction. “We are confident that we will get a stay of the conviction which will remove the very basis of this disqualification. We have full faith in the law. We believe we will emerge victorious in the near future,” he proclaimed.

Many opposition leaders including the Delhi CM and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief and his counterpart in West Bengal and All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) chairperson Mamta Banerjee came in support of Rahul Gandhi after the latter’s disqualification from Lok Sabha.

Bihar police arrest VHP district secretary after ‘Hindu Rashtra’ flags appeared in Darbhanga, BJP calls it appeasement of one community

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar police arrest VHP district secretary after ‘Hindu Rashtra’ flags appeared in Darbhanga, BJP calls it appeasement of one community

Bihar police have started taking strong actions against activists of Hindu organisations after a complaint was made regarding the ‘Hindu Rashtra’ flags that had been erected in the district of Darbhanga in Bihar. Rajeev Prakash Madhukar, a leader of the ‘Vishwa Hindu Parishad’ (VHP), has been arrested in this regard. He is VHP’s Darbhanga district secretary.

The police had registered an FIR in the case after a complaint was filed by Nazre Alam, the national president of an organisation named All India Muslim Bedari Karwan.

The VHP leader is said to have been summoned to the Peace Committee meeting, where he was then arrested. Sanjay Saraogi, local BJP MLA, condemned the police action and said that the Bihar administration detests the word ‘Hindu.’ He conveyed that initiatives are being taken to appease members of a specific community. 

He went on to ask if ‘Hinduism’ was a bad religion and added, “what would be wrong if India turned into a ‘Hindu Rashtra’.” He also maintained that many great leaders have expressed the same desire.

The authorities have been stringent on social media and forbidden people from making any sort of derogatory posts in this matter.  Additionally, the Darbhanga Police has also published a list of limitations in several respects.

These regulations include things like a 75 DB sound limit for DJs, a ban on new processions, identification requirements for procession leaders, and flag marches by police officials.

Opposition by the VHP

The Hindu organisation opposed this measure and charged the Bihar government with supporting jihadi elements. The outfit’s national spokesperson, Vinod Bansal, spoke with Opindia on the issue. He claimed that rather than eliminating the Popular Front of India (PFI) network that had roots in the state, the Bihar police and government were arresting nationalists.

He lambasted the Bihar government, particularly some of its officials, for appeasing Muslims. He stated that his demand is for the FIR to be withdrawn and for the activists to be released with dignity. He continued that according to the information we received, this unilateral behaviour is infuriating the Hindu community.

Background of the case

Following the discovery of ‘Hindu Rashtra’ banners at a few sites in Laheriasarai city in Bihar’s Darbhanga on Thursday, March 23, the Darbhanga Police filed an FIR against four named and one hundred unnamed accused individuals. Two saffron flags with the phrase ‘Hindu Rashtra’ printed on them were spotted close to a Durga Temple in the Maulaganj area in the city.

A section of people stated that the action offended their religious sensibilities. The police were made aware of the situation, and an inquiry was launched. The banner was deemed inappropriate and disruptive of social harmony by the police. According to them, one suspect has been taken into custody and is being questioned.

After the ‘Hindu Rashtra’ flags went viral on social media, Nazre Alam, who is the national president of a non-profit organisation named All India Muslim Bedari Karwan, wrote to the District Magistrate seeking action against those who allegedly attempted to disrupt the communal harmony in the area. 

In his letter, Alam accused Bajrang Dal of placing Hindu Rashtra banners and also claimed that Hindus and Muslims have been peacefully residing in Darbhanga for centuries, however, if such banners will be put up to hurt the sentiments of the ‘other community’ then neither Bihar nor India will be able to progress. He also added that demanding Hindu Rashtra in a democratic country like India comes under the category of a criminal offence. 

Karnataka: Congress leader Siddaramaiah slaps his supporter in Bengaluru, video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka: Congress leader Siddaramaiah slaps his supporter in Bengaluru, video goes viral

On Friday, 24th March 2023, Karnataka’s senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah slapped one of his supporters in Bengaluru. The incident took place at his residence when many of his supporters had come there to meet him.

In the viral video, it is seen that the former chief minister of Karnataka is surrounded by people outside his residence. At this time, one of his supporters comes ahead from the crowd to meet him. Siddaramaiah is seen slapping that supporter. He slapped his supporter so hard that its sound is clearly heard in the viral video.

This is not the first time that Siddaramaiah has humiliated his own supporters in this manner. Earlier, on 4th September 2019, he slapped his follower at Mysore airport. It was seen in the video that Siddaramaiah’s supporter moved forward to shake hands with him when he went to the airport. But instead of shaking hands, Siddaramaiah gave him a tight slap. When the video of this incident went viral, people called him to be arrogant.

This time in the Karnataka assembly elections, Siddaramaiah will contest from the Varuna constituency. His name appeared in the first list of candidates released by Congress.

Siddaramaiah is known for his anti-Modi remarks which he keeps making once in a while. He even went on to compare Narendra Modi with Hitler on Sunday, 22nd January 2023. Siddaramaiah said, “He is the Prime Minister, let him come. We don’t have any problems. However, if he says a hundred times that the BJP will come to power, I will make it clear that will not happen. People will not believe it, but what happened to Hitler? For a few days, he walked around pompously. What became of Mussolini and Franco? He (PM Modi) will also walk around like this for a few days.”

Congress leaders flaunt foreign media coverage of Rahul Gandhi after having denied that they were seeking foreign support in local politics

OpIndia Staff
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Congress leaders flaunt foreign media coverage of Rahul Gandhi after having denied that they were seeking foreign support in local politics

On Thursday, March 23, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was sentenced to two years of imprisonment by the Surat District Court in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his derogatory comments against the people with the ‘Modi’ surname. Following his conviction, the Wayanad MP has disqualified from Lok Sabha under section 8(3) of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951. 

Ever since his disqualification, Congress leaders have been accusing the central government of suppressing Rahul Gandhi’s voice. In this line, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate shared the coverage of Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification by the foreign media outlets Guardian Australia, Spanish Telemundo, Germany’s Frankfurter Allgemeine, Saudi Arabia’s Ashraq News, France’s RFI, CNN Brasil and tried to insinuate that the Congress scion’s disqualification was somehow done by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. 

“Truth has an odd quality. The more you suppress it, the even more powerfully it comes out. Well done Mr. Modi,” Shrinate tweeted in Hindi.

Shashi Tharoor commented on the way that news of Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from the Lok Sabha was covered by the foreign media, saying that while the BJP tried to silence a voice, the voice of India is now heard by every corner of the world.

“They tried to silence a voice. Now every corner of the world hears the voice of India,” Tharoor tweeted.

Interestingly, it seems like a part of the Congress party’s social media activity as many congress affiliated Twitter handles have been sharing the same image compilation of the foreign media reports on Gandhi’s disqualification and hailing him as the ‘voice of India’. Here are some of the tweets posted by various Congress Sevadal Twitter handles.

It is pertinent to note that the same Congress party that was defending Rahul Gandhi’s statements during his controversial London visit wherein sought foreign intervention in India’s matters. Rahul Gandhi had urged the US and Europe to intervene to “restore” democracy in India. Rahul claimed that Europe and the US are not doing enough to restore democracy in India as they are getting trade and money from the country.

Recently, during an interview with India Today, Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda bluntly denied Gandhi sought western countries’ intervention in India’s matters. Pitroda said, “This is our challenge, and we will deal with it”, is what Gandhi had said. When Sardesai asked about his comment that countries like the US and the UK are not doing anything about the situation of democracy in India, Pitroda claimed that India’s democracy is not just a matter of India but of the whole world. “It is not about Hindustan but Manavta”, he added.

Despite denying that Rahul Gandhi was seeking foreign intervention in India’s local political affairs, the Congress is flaunting the foreign media coverage of Rahul Gandhi’s recent conviction and disqualification.

While the Congress leaders and some foreign media outlets tried to paint Rahul Gandhi as a victim of some political measure, it was an automatic outcome of the judicial process and a law that was ironically placed by their own party.

The conviction

Rahul Gandhi was handed a two-year jail term on Thursday, March 23 as in a criminal defamation case from 2019. Purnesh Modi, a former Gujarat minister and member of the BJP, brought suit against Gandhi over his comments about the “Modi surname.” The judge later granted bail to the Congress leader, and the decision was postponed for 30 days so that Gandhi could appeal to a higher court.

Addressing a Lok Sabha election rally in Karnataka’s Kolar on April 13, 2019, Rahul Gandhi had said, “Why all the thieves, be it Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi or Narendra Modi, have Modi in their names.”

When delivering the ruling, the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Surat, Harsh Hasmukhbhai Varma, stated that Rahul Gandhi’s public conduct had not changed despite the Supreme Court’s warning to exercise caution and that he had made defamatory remarks. Since he is a member of parliament, strict punishment is required.

The disqualification

Following his conviction, Rahul Gandhi was automatically disqualified as a Lok Sabha MP under section 8(3) of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951. On Friday, the Lok Sabha secretariat notified the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the lower House of parliament.

Notification issued by Lok Sabha Secretriat

It is notable that the Representation of Peoples Act earlier had a provision under section 8(4) which had said that if the convicted lawmaker appeals against the conviction, such a lawmaker will not be disqualified. But the Supreme Court of India had struck down this provision in the Lily Thomas v. Union Bank of India case in 2013.

The UPA-II government at that time had tried to overturn this judgment by bringing an amendment, and an ordinance was also issued to make it applicable immediately.

However, Rahul Gandhi himself had objected to this amendment, called it nonsense, and had on September 28, 2013, trashed it in front of the media. The amendment was withdrawn after this public humiliation of the government by its own leader.

Rahul Gandhi was cursed by Lalu Prasad Yadav for tearing ordinance protecting convicted lawmakers from automatic disqualification: Giriraj Singh

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi was cursed by Lalu Prasad Yadav for tearing ordinance protecting convicted lawmakers from automatic disqualification: Giriraj Singh

A day after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi got disqualified as a member of the Lok Sabha, Union Minister Giriraj Singh claimed on Saturday that the leader had been cursed by Former Minister of Railways of India, Lalu Prasad Yadav.

“Lalu Prasad’s membership was set to be revoked when the order in the fodder scandal arrived. Laluji wanted to meet Rahul but he did not meet him at that time. The ordinance related to the right of appeal in this situation was subsequently torn up by Rahul. Rahul had been cursed by Lalu ji then who said- whatever you have done to me, will happen to you too,” said Giriraj Singh.

Giriraj Singh further slammed Rahul Gandhi by saying that he comes from such a big family and does not know and understand that no one is greater than the law. He also demanded that Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal should also apologize before the court. “This whole country is a family of PM Narendra Modi. While abusing PM Narendra Modi, you abuse his community in the country,” he said. The Minister also highlighted that Gandhi failed to apologize in court on Thursday.

In 2013, the Supreme Court ruled that if an MP or MLA receives a term of two years or more, his membership shall expire immediately. The court had struck down section 8(4) of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951, which had said that if which said that if a convicted lawmaker appeals the conviction at a higher court within 3 months of the conviction, such a lawmaker will not be disqualified.

Dr Mannmohan Singh led UPA-II government at that time had tried to overturn the Supreme Court judgement by bringing an amendment, and an ordinance was also issued to make it applicable immediately. But it was Rahul Gandhi who had prevented this move. He had openly trashed the amendment, calling it ‘total nonsense’.

On 24 September 2013, the Congress party had called a press conference to highlight the merits of the ordinance. However, Gandhi arrived at the same press conference and said that the said ordinance was rubbish and should be torn and thrown away. The amendment was withdrawn after this public humiliation of the Manmohan Singh government by its own leader.

RJD leader Lalu Prasad Yadav could not contest elections after his conviction in multiple cases because the exemption granted under section 8(4) of the RPA was revoked the Supreme Court, and while the UPA govt had tried to overrule that, Rahul Gandhi had trashed that attempt, earning brownie points.

The Congress cried foul as Rahul Gandhi got disqualified after he was convicted by the Surat Court for defaming the ‘Modi surname. While Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said that her brother was deliberately being targeted for raising the Adani issue.

Congress General Secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh claimed that the Indian democracy was dead. “We will fight this battle both legally and politically. We are not going to be afraid or silent. Instead of the JPC, Rahul Gandhi has been disqualified in the Adani scam related to the Prime Minister. Indian Democracy Om Shanti,” he tweeted.

He also said that 9 days after Rahul Gandhi’s Adani speech in LS on Feb 7, the defamation case against him was deliberately fast-tracked by the complainant withdrawing his stay in the High Court on February 16. “On February 27 arguments resumed after one year. and the judgment was reserved on March 17. This is no coincidence,” he added.

The Congress leaders also led a protest march in Delhi condemning the action against Rahul Gandhi. However, the leaders were detained by the Police. As per the reports, the Youth Congress is slated to hold several demonstrations across the country today. Apart from this, Congress has announced to start the ‘Save the Constitution’ movement across the country from Monday.

Rahul Gandhi meanwhile who was preparing for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, is slated to hold a press conference at the party headquarter at 1 pm on Saturday. As per the reports, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel will accompany him.

From ‘I can see fear in PM’s eyes’ to ‘Gandhi maafi nahi maangta,’ here is what Rahul Gandhi said at his first press conference after disqualification

OpIndia Staff
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From ‘I can see fear in PM’s eyes’ to ‘Gandhi maafi nahi maangta,’ here is what Rahul Gandhi said at his first press conference after disqualification

A day after he was disqualified from Lok Sabha following his conviction in a 2019 criminal defamation case, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi held a press conference today (March 25) at 1 pm, where he raked up his usual, over-used Adani-Modi rhetorics to claim that BJP has orchestrated this entire farce of his conviction and subsequent disqualification from the lower house to distract the people of India from the ‘real’ issue. The press conference was held at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi, where he was accompanied by Jairam Ramesh, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, Abhishek Singhvi and K C Venugopal.

Taking a dig at the central government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi raised the Adani issue and asked who’s money is in Adani-owned shell companies. “This is the whole drama that is been orchestrated to defend the Prime Minister from the simple question- Who’s Rs 20,000 crore went to Adani’s shell companies? I am not scared of these threats, disqualifications or prison sentences,” he added. 

“I can see it in his eyes,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said, as he claimed that PM Narendra Modi is scared of his next speech on Adani which is why he was disqualified from the Lok Sabha.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who refused to answer whether he is remorseful of the remark he made on Modi’s surname in 2019, which led to his conviction and subsequent disqualification, continued to rant and rave against the businessman and his relationship with PM Modi.

He said that he will not stop and keep questioning the relationship between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Adani. “My speech made in Parliament was expunged, and later I wrote a detailed reply to the Lok Sabha Speaker. Some ministers lied about me, that I sought help from foreign powers. But there is no such thing I have done. I will not stop asking questions, I will keep questioning the relationship between PM Modi and Adani,” Gandhi added. 

Rahul Gandhi humiliates and mocks journalists asking about his conviction

The press conference had been largely one-sided, with Rahul Gandhi accusing the government of silencing him over the Adani issue. However, when some reporters posed some probing questions concerning his defamation conviction which led to his expulsion, the Gandhi scion was spotted losing his mind.

When a journalist asked Rahul Gandhi about Congress CMs welcoming Gautam Adani and his investments in their states, Rahul Gandhi snapped at the journalist and warned him against ‘diverting the topic.’ Clearly ignoring the question posed to him, Rahul Gandhi went on to again accuse the Modi government of being hands-in-gloves with industrialist Gautam Adani.

At one point again, the Gandhi scion was seen losing his cool at another journalist who questioned him about his conviction in the ‘Modi surname’ case, adding that BJP has alleged that the remark was nothing short of an insult to the OBC and the socially oppressed classes of the country.

“Aap itne directly BJP ke liye kyun kaam kar rahe ho, thoda discretion se karo yaar. Thoda ghoom ghaam kar poocho. (How is it that you are so openly working from BJP, do it with some discretion. Don’t pose such direct questions, be diplomatic), he said.

“If you want to work for the BJP, bring a BJP symbol and wear it on your chest,” Rahul lambasted. “Don’t pretend to be a pressman…Kyun hawa nikal gayi?” he further mocked the journalist.

While Rahul Gandhi continued his attempts to establish a relationship between the businessman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, journalist Rajdeep Sardesai attempted to interject, but the Gandhi scion coldly refused. He also said that Rajdeep Sardesai speaks for himself sometimes. “Please let me finish Rajdeep, unless you want to answer it for me, which you do sometimes,” he remarked.

When asked whether he would apologise for his 2019 remark, Rahul Gandhi retorted arrogantly, “I am a Gandhi and not Savarkar and Gandhis do not apologise.” It is notable that earlier he had tendered an unconditional apology to the Supreme Court for lying that the court had said ‘Chowkidar chor hain’.

Towards the end of the presser, Rahul Gandhi added that even if he is disqualified permanently, he will keep doing his work. “It does not matter if I am inside the Parliament or not. I will keep fighting for the country,” said Rahul Gandhi.

The press conference was held on the heels of Rahul Gandhi’s expulsion as a Lok Sabha member following his conviction and sentencing in the 2019 case.

The Background of the Case

On Thursday (March 23), Rahul Gandhi was convicted and sentenced to two years in jail by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Surat for his defamatory comments against people with the ‘Modi surname’ in a speech in 2019.

A criminal defamation case was filed by Gujarat BJP leader Purnesh Modi after Rahul Gandhi in an election rally had asked why everyone with the Modi surname is a thief, mentioning Nirav Modi, Lalit Modi and Narendra Modi.

Apart from the current disqualification, Rahul Gandhi will also not be able to contest the next general election, and also perhaps the 2029 elections, if the conviction is not overturned by a higher court. According to the law, the disqualification will continue for six years after release from jail.

Amritpal Singh on the run: New CCTV footage shows the pro-Khalistani leader in Punjab’s Patiala, police detain aide Amrik Singh from Jammu

OpIndia Staff
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Amritpal Singh on the run: New CCTV footage shows the pro-Khalistani leader in Punjab’s Patiala, police detain aide Amrik Singh from Jammu

Despite various CCTV videos verifying the fugitive pro-Khalistani separatist leader’s movements, Punjab police have been unable to apprehend Amritpal Singh. Eight days on, as he still remains untraceable, a new CCTV footage has emerged which shows him walking in the streets of Patiala, Punjab. While some medis houses have reported that the CCTV footage is believed to have been recorded on March 20, some say that it was likely from March 19. Amritpal was said to be hiding at a relative’s house there.

In the video, the absconding ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief can be seen donning a maroon turban, a pair of sunglasses and a jacket. He was captured taking a walk on the streets carrying a bag as he covered his face with a white cloth.

NDTV has quoted sources as saying that videos revealed he left for Kurukshetra in Haryana from Amritsar and was headed for the national capital. He allegedly disembarked as a monk at a bus terminal yesterday. Since this morning, Delhi police have been on high alert as the Waris Punjab De leader is suspected to have entered the national capital. Teams of Delhi and Punjab police have been analysing CCTV video at the Inter State Bus Terminal near Delhi’s Kashmere Gate.

Police continue to nab aides of Amritpal Singh from various states

Meanwhile, the Jammu police have detained one Amrik Singh from the RS Pura area of Jammu. He had reportedly been in touch with Amritpal before March 18.

Furthermore, the NIA detained a lady in Dehradun who is an aide to Amritpal for questioning, according to News18. For a long time, the woman was associated with Amritpal’s campaign.

Police suspect Amritpal Singh stayed in Haryana’s Shahbad area based on CCTV footage

Prior to this, the last CCTV footage that emerged on March 23, showed the last location of the fugitive pro-Khalistani leader in Haryana’s Shahbad area. The CCTV footage showed a man walking with an umbrella, who was suspected to be Amritpal Singh. The footage was from Sidhartha Colony in Shahbad Markanda, Kurukshetra.

The police had suspected that Amritpal crossed over to Haryana after escaping Punjab, where he took shelter in a lady’s house in Shahbad on the intervening night of March 19-20.

Baljeet Kaur, the woman who sheltered Amritpal Singh and his aide Papalpreet Singh at her house in Haryana’s Kurukshetra, was arrested.

Punjab police release pictures of the fugitive pro-Khalistani leader in different attires seeking help to identify him

On Tuesday, March 21, the Punjab police, which has been desperately searching for pro-Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh, released his few photographs in different attires and sought help to identify him. 

“There are several pictures of Amritpal Singh in different attires. We are releasing all of these pictures. I request you display them so that people can help us to arrest him in this case,” says Punjab IGP Sukhchain Singh Gill.

Rajya Sabha rejects resolution seeking funds for madrasas in the name of modernisation; ‘Can’t divide people by religion’, says minister Smriti Irani

OpIndia Staff
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Rajya Sabha rejects resolution seeking funds for madrasas in the name of modernisation; ‘Can’t divide people by religion’, says minister Smriti Irani

On Friday, 24th March 2023, Rajya Sabha struck down a resolution seeking funds for madrasas in the name of modernisation. The resolution sought funds for modernising madrasas in view of the social and educational backwardness of Muslims, particularly women. Abdul Wahab, an MP of the Indian Union Muslim League, presented the motion in the Upper House of Parliament on February 10.

Demands raised in the resolution

The resolution intended to put into practice the Sachar Committee’s and other reports’ recommendations on the socio-economic and educational underachievement of Muslims. It intended to boost the involvement of Muslims in higher education by reinstating and enhancing all those scholarship and educational upliftment programs. Through a dedicated infrastructure fund, it sought to support madrasas in modernising. It also aimed to create and put into practice certain affirmative actions for Muslim women in order to increase their engagement at work and presence in important national institutions and central universities.

Additionally, it demanded the establishment of a commission to investigate the representation of Muslims in universities and in private and public employment, as well as the creation of laws to prohibit atrocities against the nation’s minorities in order to give more confidence to Muslims who, according to the resolution, are vulnerable.

This resolution was rejected by the house

Presenting her view on the resolution, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs Smriti Irani said, “For me, this resolution which casts aspersions of inequality, in fact, reduces it to a slur on the basis of religion. I hope that this house unanimously rejects it.” In the midst of a walkout by Congress and other opposition parties, the motion was dismissed by voice vote.

Smriti Irani asserted, “A new India cannot be broken down on the basis of religion. That is why I would request the entire house to unanimously reject this resolution so that we, who are building the new India under the prime minister’s leadership with the support of citizens, can build it on issues of inclusion, equity, and equality.”

Smriti Irani underlined that the resolution claims that Muslim women are not allowed equal access to education. On the resolution’s suggested infrastructure fund for gender inclusion, Irani stated that the new education policy addresses the needs of both children and women in terms of education. “India now has a new education policy after thirty years. The requirement for skill development for a new India is met by the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship”, she said.

Smriti Irani further said, “The resolution seeks to cast aspersions on citizens and the Constitution alike. Through this resolution, aspersions have been cast on one of the holiest of books that our nation at large seeks to divide people on the basis of religion and deny access to a better life in the present and in the future to those who belong to minority communities.”

Ajay Pratap Singh, a BJP lawmaker, opposed the motion and claimed that the Sachar Committee’s very formation was being questioned in the Supreme Court. He said that it is not justifiable to put into practice the recommendations of a committee whose legitimacy is seriously questioned.

Mamata Banerjee will campaign for JDS in upcoming Karnataka elections, says HD Kumaraswamy after meeting her in Kolkata

OpIndia Staff
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Mamata Banerjee will campaign for JDS in upcoming Karnataka elections, says HD Kumaraswamy after meeting her in Kolkata

On Friday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee received a visit from Janata Dal – Secular (JDS) leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy in Kolkata. They met to talk about the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections, and the developments in national politics.

The discussion was held at the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) chief’s Kalighat residence. The Bengal CM also assured the ex-JDS president that she will campaign for his party in the 2023 state assembly elections.

The meeting between the two took place amid efforts by leaders of several opposition parties to form a cohesive opposition alliance in order to challenge the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) at the centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Mamata’s meeting with Kumaraswamy occurred one day after the CM met with her colleague from Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, in Bhubaneswar on Thursday. According to her party, she reiterated the necessity of bolstering India’s federal framework and ensuring accountability at all levels of government during her meeting with the Odisha CM.

Mamata Banerjee’s stand against ‘outsiders’ in Bengal

Notably, TMC continuously described the BJP as ‘a party of outsiders’ as a strategy in the 2021 West Bengal assembly elections.

Referring to the Union Home Minister Amit Shah as an ‘outsider,’ she claimed, “There is no place for outsiders in Bengal. Those who have made Bengal their home out of love are our friends. They are our people. But those who come just before elections to foment communal trouble are nothing but outsiders.”

She went further and alleged her party consider only those ‘pan masala-chewing, tilak-sporting’ people sent from states like Uttar Pradesh ‘to foment trouble’ before elections in West Bengal as outsider goons.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed her remarks and said branding BJP leaders as ‘outsiders’ is an insult to the inclusive ideology of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose and the principles of the Indian Constitution.

She once more alluded to the BJP as an ‘outsider party’ in Goa in 2019. She even invoked her caste card and called herself a ‘Brahmin.’ She urged people to vote against BJP in the state elections and added that she does not want ‘outsiders to control Goa.’

She even accused the doctors of being ‘outsiders’ in 2019 when doctors across the state shut down services in a show of protest after doctors and interns at the NRS Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata were attacked following the death of Mohammed Sayeed.

Tejashwi Yadav appears before CBI for questioning in land-for-jobs scam case, claims he has always cooperated with the agencies

OpIndia Staff
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Tejashwi Yadav appears before CBI for questioning in land-for-jobs scam case, claims he has always cooperated with the agencies

On Saturday, Tejashwi Yadav, the Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar, appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the alleged land-for-jobs scam. Yadav appeared for interrogation at the CBI office in Delhi after he skipped appearing on the previous three dates.

According to the reports, the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader was brought to the investigation team after completing the required formalities upon his arrival at the CBI headquarters at approximately 10.30 am. Last Monday, the CBI assured the Delhi High Court that Yadav would not be detained this month.

Yadav before appearing at the CBI headquarters said that he and his party have been cooperating with the agencies. “We have always cooperated with the agencies but the situation in the country is that it has become very difficult to fight but we have decided to fight against this and we will win,” he said.

The RJD leader’s attorney Maninder Singh commented on the matter and said that Yadav had informed the federal agency that he would need some time to appear before the investigators as the current Bihar Assembly session is slated to end on April 5.

Moreover, Singh had informed the court that Yadav will appear before the investigating officer on March 25 at 10.30 am at the CBI headquarters in Delhi. CBI’s counsel DP Singh then had said that the Assembly is not convened on Saturdays and Yadav could appear for interrogation on any Saturday in March.

The summonses issued against him on February 28, March 4, and March 11 were also challenged by the RJD leader. In the land-for-jobs “scam” case, a special CBI court granted bail to Yadav’s mother Rabri Devi, father Lalu Prasad, sister Misa Bharti, and others on March 15.

Yadav had refused to appear before CBI claiming that his wife was hospitalized due to ED raids

Earlier on March 11, Yadav had refused to appear before the CBI claiming that his pregnant wife had to be hospitalized following the ED raids. He said his wife fainted due to BP problems after twelve hours of ED interrogation at his residence.

The summons reportedly was issued to Tejasvi Yadav after the ED raided 15 places of Lalu Yadav’s close associates in Delhi, Mumbai, Noida, and Patna on Friday. These include Tejashwi Yadav’s house in Delhi and the residences of Lalu’s three daughters Hema, Ragini, and Chanda. Apart from these, the Ghaziabad residence of Lalu’s brother-in-law Jitendra Yadav was also raided. The ED, during the raids, seized Rs 53 lakh, US$ 1,900, 540 grams of gold, and 1.5 kg of gold jewellery.

Previously, as part of a money laundering investigation into a purported “land-for-jobs” case, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) searched 24 places, including Yadav’s Delhi home, other locations in the national capital area, Patna, Ranchi, and Mumbai.

Land for Jobs scam

The CBI in the first chargesheet filed in connection with the alleged land-for-job scam stated that irregular appointments of candidates were made in Central Railway, violating the laid down norms and procedures of Indian Railways for recruitment.

As a quid-pro-quo, the candidates directly or through their immediate relatives/family members, sold land to the family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav (then Union Railway Minister) at highly discounted rates up to 1/4th to 1/5th of the prevailing market rates, stated CBI.

The investigations revealed that Lalu Prasad Yadav during the period 2007-08, when he was Union Minister of Railways, with the intent to acquire the land parcels situated in Vill- Mahuabagh, Patna and Vill-Kunjwa, Patna which were situated adjacent to the land parcels already owned by his family members; entered into a criminal conspiracy with his wife Rabri Devi, daughter Misha Bharati, Officers of Central Railways namely Sowmya Raghvan the then General Manager, Kamal Deep Mainrai, the then Chief Personnel Officer, and residents of Vill-Mahjabagh, Patna and Vill-Bindaul, Bihta, Patna and Patna City namely Raj Kumar Singh, Mithlesh Kumar, Ajay Kumar, Sanjay Kumar, Dharmendra Kumar, Vikas Kumar, Abhishek Kumar, Ravindra Ray, Kiran Devi, Akhileshwar Singh, Ramashish Singh.

According to the CBI, all the candidates after their engagement as substitutes were subsequently regularized.

In lieu of getting them appointed in Railways, Lalu Prasad Yadav got the lands transferred owned by candidates and their family members in the names of his wife Rabri Devi and Misha Bharti for sale consideration which was much lesser than the prevailing circle rates as well as the prevailing market rates.

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