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PM Modi mute over assault on the Wrestlers by BJP leader

By
Web Team
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pm modi, wrestlers, brij bhushan singh, brij bhushan, wrestling federation of india
PM Modi mute over assault on the Wrestlers by BJP leader 2

As the renewed protest by wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Chief and BJP Leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh entered its third day on Tuesday (April 25), the Supreme Court stepped in, listing the matter for hearing on Friday, April 28. The court also issued notice to Delhi Police on the petition filed by seven women wrestlers seeking the registration of an FIR against Brij Bhushan, who is also the BJP MP from Kaiserganj in UP, for alleged sexual harassment.

Former Kerala Women’s Commission member and BJP State Vice President Dr Prameela Devi told Afternoon Voice, “Many opposition people may make political statements, but the ruling government is working on this issue, and many heinous crimes occurred during the UPA government, so there is nothing political in this.”

UBT Shiv Sena MP Dr Neelam Gorhe told Afternoon Voice that she had previously written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra state governor but still did not receive any response from them. “The wrestler women who are protesting are our country’s pride, and sexual harassment in the workplace cannot be tolerated at all.”

“BJP members are protecting WFI president Brij Bhushan Singh in this case,” AAP leader Alka Lamba said. We have always supported wrestlers, even when they did not want political assistance. Now that they do, why haven’t the Delhi Police, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and BJP workers taken action? “People pose for pictures with sportspersons nicely, but they do not understand the issues faced by them on the ground level; instead, they are busy with poll preparation and inaugurations.”

Former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and Congress leader Udit Raj were among the leaders who visited Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Tuesday to extend their support to the protesting wrestlers. Seven women wrestlers filed separate police complaints against the MP on April 21, accusing him of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation over a 10-year period from 2012 to 2022. Issuing notice, Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud said on Tuesday that the allegations were “serious.”

However, three wrestlers have been at the forefront of the protest since the beginning in January: Olympic bronze medallists Sakshi Malik and Bajrang Punia, and world medalist Vinesh Phogat. At the time of the first round of protests, a number of other wrestlers, including youngsters such as Anshu Malik, Sonam Malik, Ravi Dahiya, and Deepak Punia, had shown support by joining them at Jantar Mantar or by releasing videos.

“This is the time for the nation to stand together and seek justice for female wrestlers in India,” CPM leader Vrinda Karat said. Whoever is responsible should be severely punished.”

In the current round of protests that began on Sunday, however, only Sakshi, Vinesh, and Bajrang—who have together won dozens of international medals for India over the last decade—have been at Jantar Mantar, with the other wrestlers not having shown up as yet.

“The Kerala Story” is very close to the reality

By
Vaidehi Taman
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the kerala story, kerala story, amrutlal shah, Vipul Amrutlal Shah, film, kashmir files, the kashmir files, anupam kher, vivek agnihotri
"The Kerala Story" is very close to the reality 4

When the teaser of “The Kerala Story” was released, there was a lot of uproar on social media condemning the story line. Though Producer Vipul Amrutlal Shah gave many interviews to media stating that the tragedy of Kerala is that, the girls are converted and then pushed into flesh trade. I do not wish to comment on the movie and its dramatization but the theme of the movie is near to the brutal reality. There is a big racket, these fraudsters and flesh traders stick posters on public places, after seeing the posters many fall for the offer because on those posters, they say the recruitment is free and no money will be collected from the seekers, even for visa processing and air ticket. Then they are lured into the handsome package. Then they gradually tell the woman if you get converted you will get more money and this conversion would be for employment. Many women agree to get converted because their aim is to get that job on foreign land. If you remember the story of three women who escaped from the clutches of a human trafficking network in Kuwait last year you will understand how pathetic women’s condition in Kerala is. Those girls were not only converted but also sold to some Arabs, following the intervention of some social organisations there. These days even Kerala Police suspect many more such people may have been trapped in West Asian countries.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) also questioned the three women who returned to Kerala after they complained that their ‘oppressors’ often took the name of terrorist groups in Islamic State-controlled areas, and threatened to take them there if they protested and informed family members back home. Police then arrested a local agent named Ajumon who had put out advertisements and recruited some of these women as babysitters and part-time domestic workers. In the interrogations it was revealed that at least 30 girls were sent by him and 15 returned to the country.

After preliminary inquiry, police found out that the issue of selling those girls to ISIS was a kind of threat. Then the Kochi Police commissioner Nagaraj Chakilam did comb operations and exposed many such agents. MK Gassali, alias Majeed, hailing from north Kerala was the kingpin behind the trafficking racket. MK Gassali, a Dubai-based Kannur native demanded a ransom of Rs three lakh to release the women when their families approached him. Then the husband of one of the women approached the Malayali group and sent its members WhatsApp videos and voice clips featuring the torture the trio were facing. The collective approached the Kuwaiti authorities forcing Gassali to release them.

These agents stick posters in the city to attract women from poor backgrounds. When the woman approaches them, they give them wrong promises that they would be babysitters, or working in day care centres or house help and taken care of well.  These women don’t even realise that they are sold unless they go to those respective countries and face the reality. In many cases to bypass Indian regulations, the racketeer takes the women to Sharjah on a visit visa and later shifts them to Kuwait by road. In Kuwait, they are sold to rich Arab families for ’10 lakh to 20 lakh’ each. The victims realised, to their horror, a few days later that they were trapped. They are subjected to torture by their new ‘owners’. Their phones, passports and everything get confiscated and hence they cannot even contact their families back home to inform them about their fate.

There is another kind of scam that lures girls to get converted because Gulf migrants are highly sought bridegrooms in Kerala. Looking at the lavish lifestyle and the riches of bridegrooms, women of other religions are asked to convert and then they are shown to these rich men. Kerala has a lot of fascination for Muslim countries. When the first gulf boom started in early 1960s Keralites were among the first ones to spot this and they started moving to the Gulf for work. Over the decades Keralites moved up the ladder in the Middle East economy and a big percentage of business owners in the Middle East are from Kerala. Most of these business houses tend to hire the majority of their work force from Kerala. This also increases the number of Malayalis working in the Middle East.

In 2008, they numbered more than 2.5 million. Nearly 80 percent of Indians living in Kuwait are from Kerala according to the 2008 survey commissioned by the Department of Non-resident Keralite Affairs. Arabs settled in Kerala, especially around the present-day Malappuram district have a huge population. Since the mass invading of Muslims and Christians in Kerala the region is always under threat for Hindu girls. The other communities are heavily funded by Islamic countries to lure Hindu population into Islam so that the entire state remains in their control.

Once Kerala, the small beautiful coastal Indian state that is popularly known as God’s Own Country, is a land that has welcomed people from different parts of the world and from different races, cultures, religions and traditions over the centuries. Not only have these people settled in Kerala but they have also assimilated and contributed to the culture of this wonderful land. Kerala has historically been home to the largest Jewish settlement in the whole of South Asia, dating back to the time when Jerusalem was sacked by the Romans and its native Jews massacred or driven out by the European Christian hordes. Kerala also had significant European and Muslim settlements along the Malabar (and Tulunadu-Karnataka) coasts since the 11th century AD at least. The single largest group of foreigners were Peninsular Arab traders, many of whom settled down, married local Malayali women of high-ranking castes and prospered in their newly adopted homeland. Their descendents form a proportion of the region’s Muslim community (Mappilas). The Arabs built numerous mosques along coastal Malabar (Northern-Kerala) and for several centuries Arabic was the de facto language of trade and commerce along the Kerala-Tulunadu coast and nearby Sri Lanka. Year by year the Muslim population is on rise and this beautiful state is turning into the Islamic state by posing a threat to Hindu girls.

Brahmavadini – Lady who chose the path of Vedic studies

By
Vaidehi Taman
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Brahmavadini transformed
Brahmavadini - Lady who chose the path of Vedic studies 6

In ancient times there was one very efficient woman called Brahmavadini. She was known for her struggle to survive against all odds. She chose the path of Vedic studies. Brahmavadini exactly means ‘a woman who speaks about Brahman (Parabrahma). The prehistoric philosophical concept of shakti, the feminine principle of energy, admires the immense mental and physical abilities of women.

While many civilizations have seen disappointing history as regards the position of women, we find that Vedas mention the scholarship of educated women like Vaak Ambhrni, Romasa, Gargi, Ghosha, Maitreyi and Lopamudra. During the Vedic times, women were placed high in society. They shared an equal status with their men folk and enjoyed societal sanctions. Indian women were models in maintaining the basic principles of Sanathana Dharma. Brahmavadini was also called as Apala, meaning most beautiful, she was mentioned in the Rig Veda. Apala was a happily married housewife, but then her husband disowned her because she was suffering from an incurable skin disease.

She had no other option than going back to her father, Apala vowed to find a cure for herself. Using a required ritual and the leaves of the Soma plant, she prayed to Lord Indra. Her desire was so ardent and her prayers so genuine that it forced the king of gods to descend upon earth and bless Apala. She was cured of her disease and once again regained her former glow and radiance, giving justice to her name Apala, the most beautiful. She was most expressive among all Brahmavadinis women who studied Vedic texts.

Mythology mentions that God created Satarupa, the first woman, to bear and nurture the human race. Similarly, as Adishakti (Devi Durga), a woman manifested the combined strength of all the gods to destroy demon king Mahisasura. This reverence for women was also reflected in societal norms. During the Rig Vedic period, women were allowed to pursue education and had the liberty to practice specific rituals, study the scriptures and even choose their own husbands. The hymns of Rig Veda are replete with praises of several eminent female poets, princesses, sages and merchants. Even today, many orthodox Hindus begin their day by reciting the names of five mythological women—Ahalya, Draupadi, Tara, Kunti and Mandodari.

According to the Śivapurāṇa 2.3.30 The Celebration of Pārvatī’s Return, Brahmā narrated to Nārada: “On hearing that Pārvatī was returning, Menā and Himavat excessively delighted went ahead seated in a divine vehicle. The auspicious water-pot was placed in the main highway decorated with sandal paste, aguru, musk and branches of trees with fruits. The priests, Brahmins and sages reciting the Vedas (brahmavādin), dancing girls, all went ahead seated on lofty elephants to receive her. All round stumps of plantain trees were fixed. According to Monier-Williams’s Sanskrit-English Dictionary, “brahmavādín” means ‘discoursing on sacred texts, a defender or expounder of the Veda, one who asserts that all things are to be identified with Brahman’. It doesn’t mean “one who speaks like God.”

Brahmavadini alias Apala was a saint mentioned in the eighth mandala of the Rig Veda Samhita. She is also mentioned in the Satyayana Brahmana. It is believed that Apala is the daughter of Sage Atri. In That era the parents had acceptance for their daughters, when Krshasava abandoned her, it was Atri Muni who inspired his daughter to live with divinity and self-confidence. Himalaya is a place which is blessed with herbs and medicines. It used to be considered as a medicinal hub; even Rudra resorted to Himalaya for peace and rumination. Atri Muni and Anusuya inspired their daughter to understand the healing abilities of mountain plants. Perhaps this was the place where Brahmavadini alias Apala did a lot of tapasya and could find medicine for her skin. Her skin disease was very acute and she was looking awful and fragile. Her aged skin and incurable patches made her husband to detach from her. When she reached Himalaya, the mythology says she not only looked beautiful but found a medicinal cure of many illnesses. She was curing people and also did research on those herbs around her. She is believed to have offered the juice of somalata plant to Indra when she appeared before her. It is believed that Apala asked for three boons – one to transform the barren field of her father into fertile land, cure for her father’s baldness and a cure to her skin disease. Indra grants all the three boons.

To eradicate her skin disease Indra cleanses, her thrice – first her human body, next her vital breathing and finally her soul. After this ritual Apala transforms into a most beautiful woman, her story is found in the Sukta 91 of the 18th mandala of the Rig Veda. Seven mantras here dedicated to Indra were chanted by Apala. In Hindu religion we have beliefs that if someone wants to heal their skin and hair they should recite these mantras, and while reciting these mantras if you happen to be in the Himalayas, you can transform yourself into the most beautiful human. It is also believed that the people staying in Himalayan region don’t age fast and they look evergreen because this place has medicine and divine energies.

Amritpal Singh, a fugitive preacher surrendered before Punjab police

By
Web Team
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amritpal singh, singh, waris punjab de
Amritpal Singh, a fugitive preacher surrendered before Punjab police 8

Amritpal Singh, first address the gathering in Gurudwara in Moga and then surrendered before Punjab police in Moga. Confirming the arrest, Punjab Police asked people to maintain peace and not spread false news.

In the meantime, police tweeted “Urge citizens to maintain peace and harmony, don’t share any fake news, always verify and share.” Special aircraft carrying Amritpal Singh has landed at Assam’s Dibrugarh airport. He will be taken to Dibrugarh jail where eight of his associates, including main aide Papalpreet Singh, are already being held under the National Security Act, which allows detention up to a year without any charge.

He was on the run since March 18 after the Punjab police launched a crackdown following the storming of the Ajnala police station by his supporters to secure the release of an arrested associate. Recently, his wife was stopped at the Amritsar airport by immigration officials while she was trying to board a flight to London.

Amritpal Singh married UK-based Kirandeep Kaur in February this year. Those who try to disturb peace and harmony will face action as per law, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Sunday, hours after radical preacher Amritpal Singh was arrested.Mann also thanked the people of Punjab for maintaining peace in the state during an over 30-day-long hunt for Amritpal.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Saurabh Bharadwaj lauded the work done by the Punjab police and said that everything will be further done legally. “This is a great achievement for the Punjab police and the government. Punjab is a sensitive state and the entire operation against Amritpal was done keeping in view that the situation should not worsen. The people in the state do not want violence but peace and harmony,” he said.

National Security Act (NSA) warrants were issued against Amritpal Singh and those warrants have been executed this morning, said Punjab’s Inspector General of Police (IGP), Headquarters, Sukhchain Singh Gill after ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief’s arrest.

2020 Delhi riots: Court directs DCP to take ‘immediate remedial action’ regarding incriminating but unverified video

By
PTI
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delhi riots, 2002 delhi riots, court, delhi court, dcp, delhi police
2020 Delhi riots: Court directs DCP to take 'immediate remedial action' regarding incriminating but unverified video 10

Hearing a case related to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, a court has directed the deputy commissioner of police (DCP) concerned to ”take immediate remedial action” regarding an unverified, incriminating video against an accused.

Additional Sessions Judge Amitabh Rawat was hearing the matter fixed for orders on the point of the charge against four people — Rahul Kumar, Suraj, Yogender Singh, and Naresh — who have been accused of being a part of a riotous mob that committed arson in a place of worship and some shops on its ground floor on February 25, 2020.

The judge took note of the fact that there was a public witness who had identified Kumar, while there was CCTV footage regarding Suraj and Yogender. Besides, there was a video against Naresh, who has been accused of committing arson and raising a flag atop the place of worship.

”However, when the video was sent to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL), the report was received stating that the DVD was found inaccessible in the video analyst’s system and hence, no examination was carried out. The FSL report was filed by way of a supplementary chargesheet,” the judge said in an order passed last week.

The judge said there was no other witness to identify accused Naresh and it was ”inexplicable” how the incriminating video, after being sent to the CFSL, was found inaccessible.

”If it was so, the investigating officer (IO) or the station house officer (SHO) or the assistant commissioner of police (ACP) should have again sent the correct and accessible video to the FSL for their opinion and filed the same but instead, the IO has filed the supplementary chargesheet, along with the FSL report of the inaccessible video,” the judge said.

Noting that the court has to frame charges on the basis of the evidence available, he said it is ”difficult” for the court to frame charges against Naresh based on an ”unverified DVD”.

”But yet at the same time, if the video exists and it is verified by the FSL, it can inculpate the accused, and thus, discharging him at this stage without the FSL report will hurt the conscience of this court, particularly, given the nature of the case of burning of a religious place. Moreover, the origin of the video is not disclosed,” the judge said.

”In these circumstances, this court is of the opinion that the DCP concerned should take immediate remedial action,” he added.

The matter has been posted to June 7 for further proceedings.

Pay and get blue tick on Twitter

By
Vaidehi Taman
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twitter blue, elon musk, twitter, blue, blue tick
Pay and get blue tick on Twitter 12

Currently, Twitter is one of the most popular and influential social networks for all age groups. Efficient use of Twitter is also one of the issues that many people care about. 

Having a blue tick next to your profile name was a status symbol. A blue tick indicates that a Twitter account has been verified as authentic by Twitter. The account belongs to a public figure, celebrity, brand, or organization of public interest. Earlier Accounts that meet Twitter’s verification criteria are granted a blue tick badge, which appears next to the account’s name and handle on their profile and in search results. The blue tick helps establish credibility and authenticity for the account, but it does not guarantee the quality or accuracy of its content. Whatever the case, there was always a struggle to get that blue tick.

Now that this blue tick is no longer a privilege or prerogative of those celebrities, even the commoners can decorate their profiles with this tick and feel like celebrities. This is the only thing that you should afford to do. Twitter has launched a subscription service allowing users to buy blue-tick verification for a monthly fee of $7.99. Now, it looks like the official price for the Twitter Blue Subscription in India is out, and it is quite surprising as the price is claimed to be Rs. 719 per month.

Twitter Blue is available for select iOS devices in India as of now. So, if you are an iOS user, Twitter Blue might be available for you. Here’s how you can check it. Verified accounts are more likely to be seen and recommended by Twitter’s algorithms, which can increase the account’s reach and visibility. Verified accounts are more likely to attract followers and engagement, as users tend to trust and engage with verified accounts more than unverified ones.

In the recent past, the most precious blue tick that used to give celebrity status to a profile has been removed from many celebrity accounts. Shah Rukh Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, politicians like CM Yogi Adityanath, Rahul Gandhi, and Priyanka Gandhi, and cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma among others have lost their verified blue ticks from their Twitter accounts. Micro-blogging site Twitter removed the verified blue ticks from most of the celebrity accounts. The only individual Twitter users who have verified blue check marks are those paying for Twitter Blue, which costs USD 8/month via the web and USD 11/month through in-app payment on iOS and Android. Initially, the blue tick served as a way of protecting well-known individuals from impersonation and tackling false information.

Earlier in March, Twitter posted from their official handle, “On April 1st, we will begin winding down our legacy verified program and removing legacy verified check marks.” To keep your blue checkmark on Twitter, individuals can sign up for Twitter Blue. Twitter first introduced the blue check mark system in 2009 to help users identify that celebrities, politicians, companies and brands, news organizations, and other accounts “of public interest” were genuine and not impostors or parody accounts. The company didn’t previously charge for verification. Musk launched Twitter Blue with the check-mark badge as one of the premium perks within two weeks of the company’s takeover last year.

However, it’s important to note that the “blue tick” badge is not a guarantee of an account’s quality or content. Users should always evaluate the information they consume on Twitter critically, regardless of whether the account is verified or not. Twitter halted its account verification program, saying that it aims to improve the application and review process to give users that elusive blue badge. Last month, Twitter said it mistakenly approved the verification applications of a small number of inauthentic (fake) accounts.

In May, Twitter launched its new verification application process, beginning with six categories, and reviewing public applications globally to help users earn the blue badge on the micro-blogging platform. Twitter suspended the verification way back in 2017, before launching it this year.

Akshaya Tritiya fewer business for the gem and jewellery industry

By
Afternoon Voice
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jweller akshaya tritiya 1
Akshaya Tritiya fewer business for the gem and jewellery industry 14

Akshaya Tritiya is one of the most auspicious three-and-a-half mahurats of the Hindu almanac for performing religious rites and making gold, silver, and gem purchases. Kalikanand Saraswati said, “In our Hindu religion, it is believed that buying gold on Akshaya Tritiya brings prosperity and good fortune. According to Hindu mythology, Goddess Lakshmi was born on this day, and she is the goddess of wealth and affluence.”

 Buying gold jewelry is seen as a way to please her and invite prosperity and her blessings. This day is considered ideal for initiating new ventures, making investments, and purchasing valuable assets like gold and property. The term “Akshaya” means “never diminishing” in Sanskrit, and it is believed that performing good deeds on this day will result in everlasting prosperity and blessings.

Prasad Guruji (a Hindu priest) told Afternoon Voice, “The Akshaya Tritiya falls on this Saturday, and the mahurat starts at 7.50 am on April 22, and ends at 7.45 am on Sunday, April 23. “But the festival will be celebrated on Saturday only because it’s the beginning of the Muhurat.”

Pandit Vedprakash said, “During this time, very few weddings will be performed because planet Jupiter (Guru) is combustible (‘ast’). “It will rise on April 29, after which there are big wedding muhurats on May 1, 2, and 10.”

Ankita Jewellers said, “The gold rates have gone up, today there is less business compared to last year. Gold stands at Rs 60,000 per 10 gm, and rates are expected to rise further. Meanwhile, fewer weddings are scheduled on this day, so gold purchases are also limited.”

Just like gold, silver is also considered a lucky metal, and buying silverware like utensils, coins, or other silver items is believed to bring good luck and prosperity. Many people also choose to give silver items to their loved ones on this day. Investing in real estate on Akshaya Tritiya is considered very auspicious, and many people believe that it brings long-term prosperity and wealth. This day is considered ideal for buying land, property, or a house. In this modern era, many consider that this day is perfect for investing in the stock market. Many people choose to invest in shares or mutual funds on Akshaya Tritiya, as it is believed that investments made on this day will yield positive returns in the long run.

Rahul Gandhi: Democracy is ruled by the rule of rulers?

By
Vaidehi Taman
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rahul gandhi, gandhi, inc, indian national congress, congress
Rahul Gandhi: Democracy is ruled by the rule of rulers? 16

In a massive setback for Rahul Gandhi, a court in Gujarat rejected his request to pause his conviction in a defamation case over his 2019 “Modi surname” remark. Criminal defamation law in India is tricky and not in the interest of people. Indian parliament should amend this law and make it relevant to the present day. His punishment is one of the more bizarre incidents. In India till date no one has ever been punished with the highest provision of 2 years for defamation. There is nothing to be surprised if the Surat Session court also upholds Rahul’s conviction, sending him to jail. The conviction of Rahul Gandhi must bring to the forefront the ridiculousness that is ‘criminal defamation’.

In some way the court found Rahul’s offence to be the rarest of the rare. We don’t even know what was the assessment of damage done to the aggrieved party/plaintiff? Generally, most defamation lawsuits result in punishment in tokenism or in financial compensation. In my view the severity of crime or quantum of punishment should have a direct correlation with the damage done tangible as well as intangible. Here in this case no tangible damage was done to Purnesh Modi, a BJP MLA who filed the case. Secondly in his lawsuit he claimed that Rahul hurt the sentiment of 13 crores Gujarati. How come the entire Gujarati community could be the aggrieved party? Incidentally Judge Robin Paul Mogera, who is hearing Rahul Gandhi’s appeal for staying his conviction in the Surat Session court in the Modi surname defamation case, was Union home minister Amit Shah’s lawyer in the 2006 Tulsiram Prajapati fake encounter case.

Many BJP followers are supporting the Emergency, and if that is the case, what they imposed on the emergency is wrong, and then the BJP is also doing wrong. When a person calls an Italian bar dancer in the media news, do the people accept it and not the statements of Rahul Gandhi? The main issue here is the hate that is broadcasted against Gandhi family is not allowing blind people to think of democratic values. Politics must have an edge and it should not be at the cost of people’s welfare.

No doubt that the ruling party is enjoying absolute majority, but does this mean that every person who has voted should support this absolute anarchy in the hands of the majority. If the wrong is done, it is the people who have to oppose it. Rahul Gandhi had requested that his conviction be paused pending his appeal against a court order sentencing him to two years in jail. The trial court, said the Congress leader, had treated him harshly, overwhelmingly influenced by his status as an MP.

The judge also quoted the Supreme Court as saying that decisions to pause conviction should be exercised with caution and “not in a casual and mechanical manner… that will shake public confidence in the judiciary”. Public confidence is already shaken these days. I am not a Congress party or Rahul Gandhi supporter but somewhere I strongly feel, BJP should answer the questions raised by Rahul Gandhi instead of misusing power to put him behind jail.

Gandhi’s Lok Sabha seat Wayanad in Kerala is vacant and due for by-elections. Had that the court paused the conviction today, his disqualification as an MP could have been reversed. The Appellant was not an ordinary person and was a sitting MP, connected with public life.

The Congress leader argued that the sentence was excessive and contrary to law, and that if the order was not suspended, it would cause “irreparable damage” to his reputation. He also said he was sentenced in a way that he would be disqualified as a parliamentarian. Here we all should know the very purpose of all this drama was to disqualify him and choke his voice, so that he will be deterred from questioning. The Representation of the People Act, 1951 contains certain conditions under which a person is liable to be disqualified as an MP/MLA if he is convicted in any case with a sentence of 2 years or more. He will also be disallowed from contesting elections for a period of 6 years from his day of release (in this case, which would be 2 year’s sentence + 6 = 8 years from conviction). Post this sentence of 2 years, by law, he stands disqualified as an MP. This is the legal aspect and I feel that there has been no procedural discrepancy here.

The furore over this case is due to the fact that Rahul Gandhi is the leader of the opposition. Politics is playing its part here, propagating the possibility that the ruling party is trying to crush the opposition through constitutional bodies (the Surat Court, in this case). Secondly, there is the criticism of the judgement itself that has been unusually harsh.

Maharashtra Bhushan Award turned out to be a disaster

By
Vaidehi Taman
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appa saheb dharmadhikari, maharashtra bhushan puraskar, maharashtra
Maharashtra Bhushan Award turned out to be a disaster 18

Just because a social reformer Appa Saheb Dharmadhikari was getting Maharashtra Bhushan Award his followers were asked to march towards Kharghar. Hot summer, lack of water and tired bodies gathered two days in advance have gone fragile. It was a display of power vs powerless. But what perhaps was not taken into account was the blazing sun, which made the water hot, leading to dehydration and heatstroke among many in the gathering and causing 13 deaths. The death of people due to sunstroke was really painful. Neither Dharmadhikari was bothered about the people nor the government authorities. Media was busy with a live telecast of such a huge gathering. No media or authorities noticed the inconvenience to the people until some of them died.

Besides Shah, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, cabinet minister Sudhir Mungantiwar, MLAs and MLCs attended the event; the podium had air coolers, water, shed and almost all the luxurious facilities but the commoners were made to sit under hot sun and without any facilities. Dharmadhikari, 76, has a massive following in the state due to his tree plantation drives, blood donation and medical camps as well as de-addiction work in tribal areas conducted under the aegis of his organisation ‘Shree Sadasya’.

People are gullible, they were told their leader was getting felicitated and one must come to Mumbai, most of them travelled for a day, some reached here by train, bus, walking. Considering the heat aspect, the administration installed 2,100 water taps at the venue and also pressed into service 74 tankers. Besides this, more than 200 water tankers were stationed at various places such as parking and connecting roads. But it was not of big help. Water in these taps and tankers became hot as there was no shed over the taps, pipes and tankers. The tankers, too, were not parked under the trees. As the water was hot, many could not hydrate themselves and due to dehydration felt dizzy, instead, distributing packaged drinking water would have been a better option but in this country no one bothers about the crowd.

Irony is that Appasaheb Dharmadhikari, is social worker and instrumental in conducting various tree plantations, blood donation camps, free medical camps, job fairs, cleanliness drives, superstition eradication, de-addiction centers, etc. in Maharashtra. But he forgot to ensure the wellbeing of his people. He should have instructed the government, or assigned some volunteers to take care of the invited crowd. In 2014, he was conferred Doctor of Letters by [D Y Patil University], Nerul. In 2017, he was awarded Padma Shri, India’s fourth highest civilian honour, and Maharashtra Bhushan award for the year 2023.

The Opposition has targeted the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party government over the tragedy with Shiv Sena-Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray leader Sanjay Raut alleging that ‘politics behind the award prevailed over people’s convenience’. Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Assembly Ajit Pawar, who belongs to Nationalist Congress Party, has sought an inquiry into how the event was organised during noon time when the temperature is very high. The Congress had demanded that accountability be fixed in what it said was a case of ‘culpable homicide’.

While 11 people died on Sunday, two more deaths were recorded on Monday. Preliminary autopsy reports suggest all of them died of heatstroke. Around 650 people feel sick because of the heat conditions. The programme started around 10.30 am and concluded after 1 pm. The sun was on their head and the heat was unbearable. The temperature was 38 degree Celsius.

More than 300 doctors were there to help, with a facility of over 4,000 beds. But, due to lack of knowledge, the people did not report their condition to the medical teams available at the venue and collapsed. It was also alleged that after the event concluded, volunteers from the police and the local administration were seen in far less numbers at the venue. When people suffered severely then they were provided with cold water, Oral Rehydration Salt, food and wet towels. Many women collapsed due to excessive heat and the policemen on duty drove them on motorbikes through the crowd to medical assistance centres for first aid and saved their lives. There were no ambulances. Instead of asking for justice to his people Dharmadhikari chose to side with the ruling government, but he did not ask for compensation for those families who lost their loved ones. I am sure even Dharmadhikari will not pay them any losses. 

Government should be made accountable for Pulwama attack and UP gangster’s killing

By
Vaidehi Taman
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pulwama attack, atiq ahmed, pulwama, narendra modi, pulwama, murder, killed, yogi adityanath, yogi
Government should be made accountable for Pulwama attack and UP gangster's killing 20

Satya Pal Malik, the former governor of Kashmir, gave an explosive interview to a news channel and exposed the central government about the Pulwama attack, in which 40 Indian soldiers were killed in February 2019. This attack was the BJP’s political agenda. Modi asked for votes in the name of martyred jawans, but sadly, he let them become casualties. This made headlines, though the mainstream media was quiet, but the social media and other parallel media houses made a lot of noise.

Indian-educated people could not digest the injustice done to Indian soldiers. The nation was stunned, and everyone was talking about the Pulwama attack. Mallik also mentioned how the Central Reserve Police Force asked for the jet to transport its workforces, but the home minister deprived them of basic facilities.

Besides Modi, Indian national security adviser Ajit Doval also told Malik not to speak, which forced him to understand that the intent was to put the blame on Pakistan for political gains. This is what Mallik told Karan Thapar.

The next day, we forgot this news because the mainstream media gave us big breaking news on gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother’s live killing. The same media that was muted on Pulwama has a series of prime-time debates on Atiq Ahmed’s killing with all sorts of justification. In the presence of huge media and police personnel, Atiq was shot at least nine times in his shocking murder on camera outside a hospital in Uttar Pradesh. There was no counterfire from police; the shooters were silently waiting to be caught by UP police. There was big drama; on social media, some people were celebrating the killings, making Yogi a hero.

Five bullets were reportedly recovered from the body of Ashraf Ahmed, who was also shot dead outside the hospital in Prayagraj. The autopsy found that Atiq Ahmed was shot once in the head and eight times on the chest and back. The headshot was captured on live TV by three shooters, all of whom are now arrested. Atiq Ahmed, a former MLA and MP, faced at least 100 criminal cases. He had been in the headlines since February, when Umesh Pal, a lawyer and a witness in the 2005 murder of BSP MLA Raju Pal, was gunned down outside his home in Prayagraj.

Atiq Ahmed, the prime accused in the BSP MLA’s murder, was also named a suspect in Umesh Pal’s murder. In 2019, Atiq Ahmed was at a Gujarat prison, where he had been transferred after his alleged role in a businessman’s kidnapping. The past couple of months saw Atiq Ahmed being brought to Prayagraj for court hearings and then taken back to Gujarat, closely chased by mediapersons.

The gangster’s 19-year-old son Asad, also an accused in the Umesh Pal murder case, was shot dead in an encounter by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force before Atiq gets killed. The MLA had repeatedly alleged that the Uttar Pradesh police planned to gun him down in a staged encounter. After a court date recently, he told the media, “It’s because of you that I am safe.” Fatefully, the gangster was talking to the press when his killers, also camouflaged as journalists, opened fire. It was a message to the gangsters and media people that no one can save anyone’s life if someone decides to eliminate them.

The Uttar Pradesh government came under strong criticism over glaring lapses in the prisoners’ security and the way police responded to the shooting. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has ordered a high-level probe into the incident. The UP police have formed a three-member Special Investigation Team to probe the killings, but what is the point when three key members of one family get killed in one go? Do we really need law, order, and the judiciary? If someone is declared a gangster by the cops, it’s easy to gun them down in broad daylight.

And look at the mainstream media: they have no remorse for the Pulwama attack and the Jawans killing, but they are more interested in local gangsters killing. It looks like the notorious gangster Atiq and his brother are more important and newsworthy for this section of the media than the lives of our 40 brave soldiers who lost their lives in Pulwama allegedly due to negligence by the government. Why is there no media discussion of the revelation made by former Kashmir governor and BJP leader Sathyapal Malik on the Pulwama attack, and why is there no media asking why the government is silent on his revelation? Why did no media dare speak to Mallik and dig for the truth? Why did the media give the Pulwama attack the cold shoulder?

Atiq and Ashraf were handcuffed, presumably with due permission from the court and following standard operating procedures as laid out in the DK Basu vs. West Bengal case. In both the cases, be it the shootout of gangsters or the negligence of the government in the Pulwama attack, the state and central governments should be held accountable.

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