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USA: 7 killed in two shooting incidences in Alabama’s Birmingham, at least 293 mass shootings in the country in 2024

OpIndia Staff
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USA: 7 killed in two shooting incidences in Alabama’s Birmingham, at least 293 mass shootings in the country in 2024

The string of mass shooting incidences continues to be reported from the United States as at least seven people lost their lives in two separate shooting incidences in Birmingham, Alabama on late Saturday. The Alabama authorities have stated that four people died in a shooting at a Birmingham nightclub late Saturday. Before this, a shooting incident was reported outside a home in the city in which three people including a child died.

As per reports, investigators believe at least one person fired shots from the street into the nightclub on 27th Street North.

In a video posted on social media, Birmingham Police Department Officer Truman Fitzgerald said that the officers responded shortly after 11 p.m. after they received reports that multiple people were shot outside a nightclub. 

After reaching the spot, the officers of the Birmingham Fire and Rescue Department declared one man dead on a sidewalk near the nightclub. Fitzgerald said that two women were declared dead inside the club. 

He added that a second man was pronounced dead at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, where at least nine more victims were receiving treatment for gunshot wounds. According to the officer, some of the victims were rushed by emergency medical personnel while some travelled to the hospital on their own. Fitzgerald stated that the authorities believe at least one suspect opened fire at the nightclub from the street. 

Police have not identified any suspects in the shooting and no arrests have been announced as of Sunday morning.

In a separate incident, the Police responded to a report of a vehicle accident in Birmingham at around 5:20 PM. Regarding the other incident, Fitzgerald said Police found a car and it appeared that it was shot at. The vehicle was found in the front yard of a home.

The Police then found three individuals including a man, a woman, and a small boy inside the vehicle. They had suffered gunshot wounds. As per reports, the kid is believed to be 5 years old. The Birmingham Fire and Rescue Department declared all three dead at the scene. 

According to the investigators, they were victims of a “targeted shooting” before the suspect fled in a vehicle. 

Meanwhile, Police have asked local residents to assist with their investigation and provide footage from home surveillance cameras. In a statement on Sunday (14th July) morning, Birmingham police stated that they “remain resolute in our mission to ensure justice for the victims.” 

Police assured, “We are working tirelessly to apprehend those responsible and bring them to justice. The Birmingham Police Department is dedicated to protecting our community and restoring a sense of safety and security.”

Incidentally, within the extended weekend of 4th July Independence day celebrations, at least 33 people died in mass shooting incidences in the United States.

According to data from the Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 293 mass shootings in the United States so far in 2024. Notably, according to the archive, a mass shooting incident is one in which four or more people are shot, not including the shooter.

Thomas Matthew Crooks who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump had explosive devices in his car: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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Thomas Matthew Crooks who attempted to assassinate Donald Trump had explosive devices in his car: Reports

In a major revelation in the Donald Trump Assassination attempt, the Wall Street Journal has reported that the US authorities have found explosive devices in the car of the suspected shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, who tried to assassinate Former US President and Republican nominee, Donald Trump. The newspaper has made the shocking revelation citing unnamed sources. 

According to the report, the shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks yesterday parked the car near the Trump rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Additionally, the Wall Street Journal and ABC News both have reported that Crooks used a gun that was purchased by his father.

The Wall Street Journal reported Crooks used a firearm that had been purchased by his father and explosive devices were found in the car he was driving, according to people familiar with the investigation. 

Law enforcement agencies are trying to determine a motive behind the assassination attempt. 

After surviving the assassination attempt, Donald Trump said that God “prevented the unthinkable from happening.” Trump campaign team reported that he is safe and Trump has himself confirmed that he will address the GOP this week.

Earlier, he thanked the US Secret Service and law enforcement for their rapid response to the shooting that just took place in Pennsylvania’s Butler. He also offered condolences to the family of a person who was killed at the rally and the person who was injured.

In his first account after surviving the assassination attempt, Trump recalled that the bullet fired at him “pierced” the upper part of his right ear. He said that he immediately knew something was wrong. 

The assassination attempt, which was caught on camera, was carried out by a 20 year-old-man named Thomas Matthew Crooks of Bethel Park.

Following the attack, Thomas was neutralised by the snipers deployed for the protection of the ex-President.

He was armed with an AR-15-style semiautomatic rifle and had positioned himself on a manufacturing plant’s roof, as per his modus operandi. The plant was about 200 feet outside the zone of Donald Trump’s rally.

The assassin did not have any criminal history, as evident from the public court records of Pennsylvania.

According to the voter status record [pdf] of Pennsylvania, Thomas Matthew Crooks was registered as a Republican i.e. the same party as that of Donald Trump.

Interestingly, he had donated money through ‘ActBlue’, a Democratic party donation platform to a liberal group called ‘Progressive Turnout Project’.

The date of donation was January 20th 2021 i.e. the day Joe Biden took Office as the President of the United States. At that time, the attacker was 17 years old.

It is pertinent to note that this was the 16th such assassination attempt in US history. So far, assassination attempts have taken place on 10 out of 42 Presidents. 

Meanwhile, concerns and questions have been raised around the alleged security lapse or delayed response when the incident unfolded. According to reports, Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle has been called to appear before a House committee on 22nd July. 

Additionally, Attorney General Merrick Garland has assured to bring the full force of the Justice Department to investigate the shooting.

Alleged Drunk NSUI members vandalise Delhi University Student Union office, break Lord Ram idol and damage Swami Vivekananda portrait, ABVP demands expulsion and arrest

OpIndia Staff
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Alleged Drunk NSUI members vandalise Delhi University Student Union office, break Lord Ram idol and damage Swami Vivekananda portrait, ABVP demands expulsion and arrest

On Sunday (14th July), members of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and functionaries of Delhi University Student Union (DUSU) made serious allegations against members of NSUI, the student wing of the Congress party. It is alleged that 40 NSUI workers vandalised the office of DUSU functionaries and drank alcohol in one of the offices. It is also alleged that they damaged an idol of Lord Ram kept in DUSU President Tushar Dedha’s office. ABVP has condemned the vandalism incident. They have also demanded that the accused students be expelled from the University and that the Police should arrest them.

According to the allegation, around 40 NSUI members attacked the office of some DUSU functionaries located on the North Campus of Delhi University from around 3 am to 4 am on 14th July. It is alleged that DUSU Vice President Abhi Dahiya and members of Congress’ student wing, NSUI, Yash Nandal, Raunak Khatri, and Siddharth Sheoran were part of the attacking group. In the attack, they vandalised the offices of DUSU President Tushar Dedha, DUSU Secretary Aparajita, and DUSU Co-Secretary Sachin Baisla. 

The miscreants also broke the idol of Lord Shri Ram which was kept in the office of the DUSU president. The miscreants broke glass panels in the offices, damaged furniture and light fittings including AC and a water dispenser, and damaged a Swami Vivekananda portrait. 

An eyewitness guard stated that before the vandalism, the goons sat there and drank alcohol in the room of the DUSU Vice President who is from NSUI. The office is located at the back side of the DUSU office premises. 

On multiple occasions in the past, NSUI members have been accused of hooliganism vandalism, drug addiction, and patronising criminals and anti-social elements from outside the university who carry out violent acts.   

ABVP condemned the entire incident and demanded strict action against the accused. They have demanded the expulsion of the accused university student and the sacking of DUSU vice president Abhi Dahiya. They also demanded Police action against the accused. 

Meanwhile, DUSU President Tushar Dedha said, “NSUI has kept goons in Delhi University. Vice President of NSUI, sat in his office last night and consumed liquor. After that 30-40 people first broke the glass of the room of the Joint Secretary of DUSU, then broke the glass of the room of the Secretary of DUSU and after that, they entered my office and broke the Ram temple in my office.” 

He further said that the complaint will also be raised to the Delhi Police to ensure stringent action in the case.

He said, “This attack on DUSU is not just an attack on DUSU, it is an attack on every student of Delhi University. NSUI goons drink alcohol in the office at night, after that they tease girls inside the campus and create hooliganism. I demand from the Vice Chancellor of Delhi University that goons like Abhi Dahiya should be expelled as soon as possible. We will also take our complaint to Delhi Police and get the strictest action possible against them.” 

ABVP Delhi State Minister Harsh Atri stated that ABVP will meet the Delhi University Vice Chancellor and Delhi Police Commissioner regarding this entire matter.

(With Inputs from ANI) 

‘During Muharram procession, houses were demolished in the name Tazia’: CM Yogi Adityanath hails success of his govt in law and order and overall governance 

OpIndia Staff
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‘During Muharram procession, houses were demolished in the name Tazia’: CM Yogi Adityanath hails success of his govt in law and order and overall governance 

On Sunday (14th July), Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath hailed the BJP-led state government’s success on the law and order front and emphasised that the state has been freed from mafias. Addressing UP BJP’s working committee meeting, CM Yogi recalled how earlier houses and properties were damaged during Tazia processions. He noted that arbitrariness prevailed in the absence of the rule of law.

CM Yogi stressed that the state no longer faces a law and order situation during the Muharram procession. Now, the government makes rules and if one can’t follow them while celebrating the festival, they can sit at home. 

CM Yogi Adityanath said, “Remember, during Muharram, the roads used to be empty. Today, Muharram is being celebrated, it is not even known. In the name of Tazia, houses were demolished, peepal trees were cut, and wires were removed from the roads. Today it is said that no poor person’s hut will be removed… Today it is said that the government will make rules, if you want to celebrate the festival, then celebrate it under the rules, otherwise sit at home…”

CM Yogi also asserted that the BJP governments have demonstrated good governance and how the rule of law can be upheld. 

It is pertinent to note that UP BJP held a working committee meeting in Lucknow in the presence of the current BJP President JP Nadda. This was the first state working committee meeting after the Lok Sabha Elections 2024. 

During the meeting, CM Yogi also highlighted several achievements of his government. He noted that they have improved the state economy’s rank from an earlier 6th to now 2nd in the country. He added that today large-scale investment is being made in UP. The infrastructure is getting stronger. We should take this development further.

He pointed out that his government focused on good governance following the motto of Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas and it didn’t discriminate with residents on any ground be it caste or religion. 

CM Yogi slammed the Samajwadi party stating that the socialists had attempted to take away the reservation meant for the Backward caste and Dalits in the name of religion.

He added that during the elections, the society was divided in the name of caste. Through foreign powers, propaganda was peddled on social media platforms. Attempts were made to spread disharmony through a large-scale conspiracy. SP workers tried to tarnish the names of Lord Ram, Krishna, and Shiva, the UP Chief Minister said.

He asked BJP workers not to be on the back foot because of the recent election results and urged them to maintain the momentum through which the party received great success in 2014, 2017, 2019, and then in the 2022 elections. He also urged them to start preparing for the by-elections as well as taking a resolve to bring back the BJP government in power in 2027.

Gujarat: Kids in Jamnagar, Vadodara anganwadis taught to read namaz, celebrate Eid, raise “Ya Hussain” slogans; Hindu outfits and BJP MLA demand action

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: Kids in Jamnagar, Vadodara anganwadis taught to read namaz, celebrate Eid, raise “Ya Hussain” slogans; Hindu outfits and BJP MLA demand action

A major controversy erupted in Gujarat’s Jamnagar and Vadodara after students were discovered to be taught namaz. A video of Sonalnagar Anganwadi in Jamnagar went viral on social media in which a staff member was heard asking the students to raise the “Ya Hussain, Ya Hussain” slogan. They were also being instructed on how to perform namaz and information about Eid was also imparted to them. The footage infuriated Hindus who demanded action against the female employee.

The video was recorded by her after which it was shared on media and online. The children are seen receiving information about Eid from the accused who is teaching them everything, including how to eat sweets and wear new outfits during the Islamic festival. She is directing the youngsters to “get up early on Eid and wear new clothes” and also telling them to prepare biryani. Furthermore, she is also encouraging them to go to mosques and offer namaz. The kids were also observed learning about Eid Mubarak.

Afterwards, the employee prompted the students to chant “Ya Hussain, Ya Hussain” when she asked, “What is said while lifting the Tazia” as all the pupils started yelling the Islamic slogan along with her. The development has caused great anger among the Hindus who have called for stringent measures in the matter. Now the woman who was identified as Induben Rathore and has been serving at the facility for part twenty-one years released a statement regarding the issue. She claimed that instructions have been received on various themes through WhatsApp for the last two years to teach the students. They were directed to celebrate the occasion according to the theme which was also provided for previous Eid and the festival was explained to the children for a minute or two.

The employee conveyed, “Two children who participated in it belong to the minority community. All the kids join the celebrations with interest.” Notably, many students can be spotted reading namaz and chanting “Ya Hussain, Ya Hussain” due to which Hindu outfits have been demonstrating.

What happened in Vadodara

After Jamnagar, another row broke out over teaching namaz to children in Karnali Anganwadi of Vadodara where Hindu students have been celebrating Eid by tying a handkerchief on their heads. Local Hindu outfits have protested against it. Vadodara MLA Shailesh Mehta has also objected and informed the state education minister about the incident. He added that Anganwadi centres should not be allowed to become madrasas. He demanded strong action in the case.

According to the information, namaz has been offered by the kids in Karnali Anganwadi which is located in Dabhoi, Vadodara. Hindu groups have opposed this method of celebration being inculcated in Hindu children even though the curriculum does not comprise any lesson on Eid. The staff member there instructed the youngsters to perform namaz and celebrated Eid by wrapping a handkerchief on their heads. Local Hindu organizations have informed the education authority about the instance and demanded immediate action.

MLA Shailesh Mehta’s statement has also come to the fore in the matter. He stated that Karnali is the centre of faith for crores of Hindus. On 12th July, small children were taught about Eid and namaz in an Anganwadi and an attempt was made to make them pray by putting handkerchiefs on their heads. This incident is very sad. He further expressed that he contacted the Collector, Drawing and Disbursing Office (DDO), Dabhoi Provincial Officer, among others as soon as the occurrence came to his notice. He also complained to the state’s Education Minister through WhatsApp.

The legislator mentioned, “We also notified the Chief Minister’s personal secretary about the occurrence. This is a really significant issue. It is an extremely serious matter to teach children about other religions. There is no requirement for religious knowledge in Anganwadis, which they attend for education. If someone’s a Muslim and wants religious education, then they would go to a madrasa. However, it is unacceptable to continue the program of turning Anganwadis into madrasas.”

The BJP leader declared, “A similar incident took place in Jamnagar’s Anganwadi. The government must treat this as a serious issue because it is one. There will be legal action taken against the guilty parties. In Gujarat, no Anganwadi would be permitted to turn into a madrasa. When the Anganwadis reopen on Monday, action will be initiated and if not, we will take this seriously and go to Gandhinagar.”

‘Shooting makes me stronger’: Chinese retailers see business opportunity in assassination attempt on Donald Trump, start selling T-shirts

OpIndia Staff
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‘Shooting makes me stronger’: Chinese retailers see business opportunity in assassination attempt on Donald Trump, start selling T-shirts

Hours after Donald Trump was shot at by a 20-year-old assassin in the Pennsylvania state of the US, Chinese retailers began selling T-shirts that were printed with the viral images of the former US President.

As per a report by The South China Morning Post (SCMP), T-shirts featuring assassination attempt on Donald Trump were up on sale even before most governments across the globe reacted to the incident.

One such seller on the Chinese e-commerce platform, Li Jinwei, informed, “We put the T-shirts on Taobao as soon as we saw the news about the shooting, though we hadn’t even printed them, and within three hours we saw more than 2,000 orders from both China and the US.”

“For this year’s US presidential election, we only made souvenirs of Trump, as he has a higher chance of winning the election, and he is popular among Chinese netizens,” the seller added.

According to SCMP, Li Jinwei simply downloads images from the internet and prints a T-shirt in 1 minute.

US has market potential for election-themed Tshirts

A Chinese entrepreneur named Allen Yao has opened a fully automated factory in California to print 3000 T-shirts per day in light of the upcoming Presidential election in the country.

“The T-shirts are imported from Vietnam and stored in US warehouses, and the production speed is very fast…“Demand is so strong, and we just can’t produce enough,” he added. Yao is hoping to increase daily production to 8000 by next month and 30000 by next year.

According to DHgate data, the transaction volume of election-related souvenirs in the US market has grown by over 40% each month since January 2024. The transaction value of goods was over 90% in the 1st quarter of the year as compared to 2023.

Akal Takht Jathedar asks SGPC to put up portraits of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Paramjit Singh Panjwar and Gajinder Singh at the Golden Temple museum

OpIndia Staff
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Akal Takht Jathedar asks SGPC to put up portraits of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Paramjit Singh Panjwar and Gajinder Singh at the Golden Temple museum

On 13th July, Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Raghbir Singh asked the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) to put up portraits of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Paramjit Singh Panjwar and Gajinder Singh at Central Sikh Museum in the Golden Temple Complex. He made the demand during his address at a function organised by SGPC and Dal Khalsa at Gurdwara Shaheed Ganj Baba Gurbaksh Singh near the Golden Temple.

The function was organised to pay tribute to Gajinder Singh, a Khalistani terrorist who led the group that highjacked an Indian Airlines plane to Lahore in 1981 and demanded the release of Khalistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale. He died in Lahore on 3rd July.

Gajinder spent 14 years in a Pakistani jail for hijacking a plane in 1981. The plane was hijacked soon after Bhindranwale was arrested after the assassination of Lala Jagat Narain, founder and editor of Hind Samachar Group. He was released from a Pakistani prison in 1995 and was living in exile. In 2001, after the Parliament attack, the Ministry of Home Affairs released a list of 20 wanted criminals and handed it over to Pakistan for extradition. Ganjinder was one of those 20 individuals wanted in India.

Giani Raghbir Singh demanded the portraits to be displayed at the museum given their “sacrifices”. For those who are unaware, Panjwar was the chief of the Khalistan Commando Force (KCF). He was one of the most wanted criminals in India. Panjwar was shot dead on 6th May 2023 in Lahore.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar was a designated terrorist by the Government of India. He was shot dead in Surrey, British Columbia Canada in an apparent gang war on 18th June 2023. Following his assassination, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Indian agents of killing him but failed to provide any evidence for the same. The accusations led to sour relations between India and Canada. So far, Canada has not provided any workable evidence that Indian agents were involved in Nijjar’s murder.

All India Muslim Personal Law Board to challenge Supreme Court verdict allowing divorced Muslim women to claim maintenance and Uttarakhand’s UCC law

ANI
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All India Muslim Personal Law Board to challenge Supreme Court verdict allowing divorced Muslim women to claim maintenance and Uttarakhand’s UCC law

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board on Sunday said that they will challenge the Supreme Court’s latest verdict, allowing divorced women to claim maintenance after the period of “Iddat”. The board will also challenge the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) law passed in Uttarakhand.

The All India Muslim Personal Law Board held a working committee meeting today in which various issues were discussed.

Syed Qasim Rasool Ilyas, spokesperson for the board, stated that in the meeting, they have approved eight resolutions.

“The first resolution was about the recent Supreme Court judgement. This decision conflicts with Sharia law. The resolution states that marriage in Islam is considered a sacred bond. Islam makes every effort to prevent divorce. The Supreme Court’s decision claims to be in the “interest of women”, but from the perspective of marriage, this decision will become problematic for women. If a man has to provide maintenance even after divorce, why would he divorce? And if bitterness has developed in the relationship, who will suffer from it? We will consult with the legal committee to work on how this decision can be rolled back,” Ilyas said.

The Supreme Court on July 10 ruled that Section 125 Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) applied to all married women including Muslim married women and they can claim maintenance from their husbands under these provisions.

The top court also echoed that time has come for Indian men to recognise the role and sacrifice of ‘homemakers’ who are strength and backbone of an Indian family and they must provide financial support to her by having having joint accounts and ATMs

A bench of justices BV Nagarathna and Augustine George Masih ruled that Section 125 CrPC, which deals with wife’s legal right to maintenance, is applicable to all women and divorced muslim female can claim maintenance from her husband under it.

Speaking on the UCC, Syed Qasim Ilyas said that their legal committee is working on the process to challenge the UCC law in Uttarakhand.

“Diversity is the identity of our country, which our Constitution has preserved. The UCC attempts to end this diversity. The UCC is not only against the Constitution but also against our religious freedom. The UCC passed in Uttarakhand is causing a lot of trouble for everyone. We have decided to challenge the UCC in Uttarakhand, and our legal committee is preparing for it,” he added.

The spokesperson of the board also highlighted the dispute based on religion in the country, citing the Worship Places Act of 1991.

“In our country, before the Babri Masjid incident, there was a law called the Worship Places Act 1991. All the people think that the Babri Masjid would be the last religious dispute in India. It is unfortunate that new disputes are still emerging. We are presenting in court that these disputes should not be entertained under the Worship Places Act. We request the Supreme Court to include the religious act in the latest disputes,” Qasim Ilyas said.

He also emphasized on the alleged recent increase in mob lynching cases in the country.

“The recent Lok Sabha election results clearly show that voters have voted against the sentiments of hatred and enmity. Despite this, cases of mob lynching have not decreased. After the election results, there have been 11-12 cases of mob lynching. This barbaric act undermines the rule of law. If someone has committed a crime, it is the law’s right to punish them,” he said.

At last, speaking on the Palestine-Israel war, Ilyas urged the Indian government to end all strategic relations with Israel and put pressure on it to end war.

“The issue of Palestine is also important. Our country’s stance has always been clear that we support the two-nation theory. We all know that Israel has illegally occupied the area. Currently, there is a war going on there, and thousands of people have been killed. It is surprising that even now, big countries are supporting Israel. The board has condemned this and expressed that the response of Muslim countries is also not good,” he said.

“The board urges the government to end strategic relations with Israel and to apply pressure for a ceasefire. Our country should intervene in this matter, just as we did in the Russia-Ukraine war,” he added.

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

Delhi government is looting the people of Delhi: BJP attacks AAP government over hike in electricity bills

ANI
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Delhi government is looting the people of Delhi: BJP attacks AAP government over hike in electricity bills

Delhi BJP chief Virendraa Sachdeva on Sunday slammed the Aam Aadmi Party government over the electricity price hike for domestic consumers, terming the surge in the price of power as looting the people of Delhi.

“Delhi government is looting the people of Delhi. The common man is struggling due to a hike in electricity bills. Every person who is paying the electricity bill with honesty is being looted,” Sachdeva told ANI.

In February this year, the Delhi government made a revision to the power purchase adjustment charge (PPAC) by discoms, which has led to a 6 to 8 per cent rise in the electricity bills of domestic consumers.

Sachdeva alleged that money is being collected illegally in the name of PPAC surcharges and pension surcharges and “the Delhi government and power companies are enjoying this money.”

“Tomorrow, we will protest at 14 electricity offices until the PPAC and pension surcharge are withdrawn. We have written to the chairman of the DRC and demanded an inquiry into how the Delhi government and power companies are doing a scam,” he said.

On Friday, BJP workers led by Sachdeva held a protest in the national capital over the power price hike.

The BJP alleges that the AAP government conspired with the discoms for their benefit. However, Delhi’s power minister and AAP leader Atishi countered that the opposition party has misled the public by circulating “rumours” that the PPAC is to blame for the rise in electricity costs.

Earlier, in a post on X, Virendraa Sachdeva said that the Kejriwal government is only here to fulfil their personal interests and the introduction of the PPAC in Delhi is just to expand its corruption and operate the scam system.

“The goal of the Kejriwal government in Delhi is only to fulfil personal interests; the AAP government never thought beyond this. In 2014, when Delhi was under President’s rule, the then Delhi BJP President Shri Satish Upadhyay ji, along with a delegation of RWAs, went to the then Union Energy Minister Shri Piyush Goyal and talked to the Power Discoms and got PPAC banned, due to which PPAC was not applied in electricity bills in Delhi from around August 2014 to September 2015. But the Kejriwal Government made the debut of PPAC in Delhi to expand its corruption and operate the scam system and by making PPAC a part of the Business Regulation Plan for calculating power tariffs in Delhi, the Kejriwal Government has given it constitutional protection,” he said.

He further questioned the increase in PPAC from 1.5 per cent in 2015 to 46 per cent now.

“Today, the pension surcharge, which was 1% in 2015, has increased to 7.5 per cent and the metre charge and load surcharge have also increased three times in 10 years. Seeing the situation of our citizens in Delhi, a protest was held in Delhi today in which BJP workers and common people were present in huge numbers. Kejriwal and Atishi should answer how PPAC increased from 1.5 per cent to 46 per cent,” he said.

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

Puja Khedkar Case: Police seizes Audi car of the controversial IAS trainee officer

OpIndia Staff
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Puja Khedkar Case: Police seizes Audi car of the controversial IAS trainee officer

Pune Traffic Police has seized the Audi car of trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar. Puja made headlines after messages of her demands went viral on social media before joining the services as a full time officer. Furthermore, she was using the Audi car with red-blue light beacon illegally installed. The personal Audi car also had a VIP number plate which is not allowed per the Motor Vehicle Act. Khedkar had also got the “Maharashtra Government” written on her car without getting prior permission.

As per reports, the car is registered in the name of a private company. A notice was issued from the Pune RTO to the owner of the car to immediately present the car to the RTO for document verification. Following the notice, the driver of the Khedkar family visited the traffic division of Chaturshringi police station in Pune and handed over the keys to the officials.

The red-blue light and the sticker of the Maharashtra Government were removed from the car. Reportedly, there is a standing fine of Rs 26,000 against the said Audi car for violating 21 traffic rules.

Puja Khedkar’s name appeared in the news after she demanded special facilities before joining the post of Assistant Collector in Pune. As per the chats, she asked for a special office, an official car, and staff. Notably, trainee officers are not entitled to these facilities.

As the matter went viral on social media platforms, more details about how she became an IAS officer came to light. Reportedly, she has now been accused of submitting the wrong documents to UPSC. Furthermore, she also allegedly misused her Divyang and OBC certificates. According to her OBC certificate, she belongs to the non-creamy layer. However, her family has declared properties of Rs 60 crores. 

Following the controversy and report filed against her by the Pune Collector about her behaviour with fellow employees, she was transferred to Washim. A special committee has been formed by the Government of India to investigate the matter. According to an unnamed officer quoted by PTI, in case she is found guilty, her selection will be cancelled.

FIR against Puja’s parents for threatening a farmer

As Puja Khedkar made the headlines, her family’s questionable actions are coming to light. On 13th July, an FIR was registered against the parents of the trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar for threatening a farmer with a pistol. The Police lodged an FIR based on a farmer’s complaint after an old video went viral in which Puja Khedkar’s mother, Manorama Khedkar was seen pointing a pistol at farmers. Manorama Khedkar was booked under sections 323, 504, 506, 143, 144, 147, 148, and 149 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and various sections of the Indian Arms Act. The Police have also booked Puja’s father, Dilip Khedkar, and five others. 

Father Dilip Khedkar came in support of his daughter

Dilip Khedkar, the father of the trainee IAS officer Puja Khedkar, defended his daughter against the allegations made against her, asserting that she is being unjustly harassed. In an exclusive interview with India Today TV, Dilip Khedkar discussed the controversy regarding his daughter’s inappropriate demands and indiscipline during her probationary period in Pune. He argued that requesting a place to sit is not an error. “My daughter has done nothing wrong. Is it wrong for a woman to ask for a place to sit? The matter is sub judice, and a committee has been appointed to investigate it. We should all wait for the final verdict. I believe someone is deliberately trying to make this an issue,” said Dilip Khedkar.

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