Pune: Police held two Congress workers for vandalizing Savarkar Smarak in Pune

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November 18, 2022

Maharashtra Pune Congress Veer Savarkar — Image: ANI

The Maharashtra Police on Friday booked two persons for allegedly pasting a banner written with “Maafiveer” at the freedom fighter VD Savarkar Smarak in Swargate area of Maharashtra’s Pune.

According to Senior Inspector Ashok Indulkar at Swargate Police station, these persons have been identified as Congress workers and are booked under sections 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 504 (Intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), and 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) of the Indian Penal Code.

Notably, there is a political storm going on in Maharashtra after Congress MP Rahul Gandhi made remarks against Savarkar on Thursday.

Rahul Gandhi on Thursday, during Bharat Jodo yatra, raked up Veer Savarkar and alleged that he betrayed leaders like M.K Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Sardar Patel by signing a letter of apology to the British before independence.

Reacting to this, Union Minister took a potshot at Rahul Gandhi on Friday saying that the Congress leader is doing Bharat Jodo Yatra with the ‘tukde tukde gang’.

“Rahul Gandhi doing Bharat Jodo Yatra with ‘tukde tukde gang’. He spoke about Hindu terror, stood with people who tried to divide India in JNU and now he’s raising questions on Veer Savarkar. It’s Congres’ mentality, they don’t see anything beyond one family,” said Anurag Thakur.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader Ashish Shelar has condemned Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on freedom fighter VD Savarkar during the Bharat Jodo Yatra.

“Rahul Gandhi must not have read his grandmother’s letter. He does not seem to have read Nehruji. Since Rahul Gandhi was elected from Kerala, he seems to know only the ‘green flag’ and seems to have studied tactics to appease only the vote bank of the ‘green flag’. And hence his statement seems daft. And we condemn it,” BJP’s Ashish Shelar said on November 17.

Shelar further mentioned a letter from former Prime Minister of India Indira Gandhi and said, “Former Prime Minister of India late. Indira Gandhi in one of her letters had called Swatantryaveer Savarkar as the ‘Son of India’ and had also referred to him as ‘Veer Savarkar’. She had also mentioned that Savarkar had fought a valiant war against the British and that it will go down in history.”

Meanwhile, Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena leader Vandana Dongre has filed a complaint against the Wayanad MP in the Thane Nagar police station stating that the sentiments of the local citizens were hurt by Gandhi’s remarks. A case of Non-Cognizable (NCR) Offense has been registered under section 500, 501 of IPC.

“Rahul Gandhi during the Bharat Jodo Yatra made a statement defaming the freedom fighter Savarkar and due to this the sentiments of the local citizens have been hurt,” Dongre said.

“We will not tolerate the defamation of our great men in the soil of Maharashtra,” she added.

Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena party also took out a protest march on Thursday in Thane to protest against Rahul Gandhi’s remarks.

The spokesperson of Balasaheb’s Shiv Sena party and Maharashtra state coordinator Naresh Mhaske also demanded during the march yesterday that the police should file a case against Rahul Gandhi for his statement and arrest him.

Earlier yesterday, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra attacked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi over his statement on Veer Savarkar, labelling it ‘deplorable’ and demanding an apology from him.

“Rahul Gandhi has insulted Veer Savarkar. He is the pride of the country. The words that he used for Savarkar are extremely shameful and deplorable,” Patra had said.

“Veer Savarkar is a great freedom fighter who is very close to our hearts. Even former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi called him a great freedom fighter who fought against the British. Now, the Gandhi family should answer if Indira Gandhi lied or did Rahul Gandhi?” he added.

Patra further accused the Gandhis of insulting Subhas Chandra Bose, Sardar Patel and other heroes of the country’s freedom struggle.

“The Gandhi family thinks that theirs were the only freedom fighters to fight for the country’s freedom and went to jail. They think that the whole concept of ‘Bharat Varsh’ is within the Gandhi family. This family has insulted leaders like Subhas Chandra Bose and Vallabhai Patel because of which it is facing an existential crisis across the country today,” he said.

On Tuesday, Rahul attended a tribal convention during the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ at Hingoli in Maharashtra on the occasion of ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas’.

Even at this function, Rahul hit out at Savarkar claiming that the saffron ideologue took a pension from the British government in lieu of working against the Congress.

“While he was lodged in Andaman jail, Savarkar wrote a letter to the British pleading with them that he be pardoned and released. He took a pension from the British and worked against Congress. After coming out of jail, he accepted the British proposal and joined their force. The difference between Savarkar and Birsa Munda is that he died fighting against the British when he was just 24 years old,” he said.

Police have come with security in Shegaon as MNS will be showing black flags against Rahul Gandhi

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ANI

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November 18, 2022

Rahul Gandhi,Congress,Bharat Jodo Yatra — Rahul Gandhi | Image : Twitter/@INCIndia

Police stepped up security at Shegaon in Maharashtra’s Buldhana district on Friday ahead of the public rally of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, whose remarks on Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar have triggered a controversy and protests.

The Bharat Jodo Yatra led by Gandhi reached Shegaon this morning and he is scheduled to address the rally in the evening.

Since Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) workers have planned to protest against Gandhi over his remarks against Savarkar, security has been beefed up, an official said.

At least 1,700 policemen along with the companies of the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) and the Quick Response Team (QRT) are being deployed at Shegaon, he said.

The police will carry out ‘nakabandi’ (road block checks) to stop MNS workers from entering the venue of the rally, the official said, adding that 700 personnel, some of them in plain clothes, will be deployed at the ground.

The MNS had on Thursday warned that it would show black flags to Gandhi at Shegaon as a mark of protest over his remarks against Savarkar.

Gandhi had held a press conference at Wadegaon in Akola district on Thursday, where he claimed that Savarkar helped the British rulers and wrote a mercy petition to them out of fear, thereby betraying Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Patel, Jawaharlal Nehru and other leaders of the freedom struggle.

Two days prior to that, Gandhi had addressed a rally in Washim district organised as part of his yatra, where he called Savarkar a symbol of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). “He was jailed in Andaman for two-three years. He started writing mercy petitions,” the Congress MP had said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Balasahebanchi Shiv Sena, the faction led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, have criticised Gandhi over the remarks. The workers of these parties held protests against him on Thursday. Uddhav Thackeray, whose faction of the Sena is in alliance with the Congress, has also disapproved of Gandhi’s statements against Savarkar.

Bombay HC granted bail to Anand Teltumbde in Bhima Koregaon case.

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ANI

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November 18, 2022

Bombay High Court on Friday granted bail to Anand Teltumbde in Bhima Koregaon case.

Teltumbde has been granted this bail on the surety of Rs 1 lakh.

The court further stayed the order for one week on the National Investigation Agency’s request to appeal in the Supreme Court.

On January 1, violence erupted at an event to mark 200 years of the Bhima-Koregaon battle, leaving one dead and several injured, including 10 policemen.

The police had filed 58 cases against 162 people during a state-wide shutdown in January following clashes in Bhima-Koregaon.

Earlier, the Supreme Court had granted bail to 82-year-old activist P Varavara Rao in the case.

The Supreme Court on Thursday in an interim order permitted Gautam Navlakha, another Bhima Koregaon accused case, to be placed under house arrest for a period of one month considering his health condition and old age.

A bench of Justices KM Joseph and Hrishikesh Roy ordered Navlakha to deposit an amount of Rs 2.4 lakh as expenses to be incurred for his security cover when he is under house arrest. He shall deposit a demand draft of Rs 2.4 lakh by the name of Commissioner of Police, Navi Mumbai.

“We consider it appropriate to grant house arrest given his age. Still further, our attention is drawn to the multiple medical problems the petitioner is faced with, and that charges have not been framed in a trial that will not happen in the foreseeable future,” the bench observed during the hearing.

Navlakha had moved the top court requesting that he be placed under house arrest instead of judicial custody in Taloja jail, Maharashtra.

Farooq Abdullah quits presidency post of JKNC

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ANI

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November 18, 2022

Farooq Abdullah JKNC party president — Image: PTI

The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) on Friday informed about the stepping down of Farooq Abdullah from the post of party president.

With his stepping down, the party’s General Secretary has been tasked to conduct the election for Abdullah’s successor.

This election will be completed by December 5; until then, the party will be chaired by Farooq Abdullah.

“Dr Farooq Abdullah Sahib has informed his colleagues of his decision to step down as president of JKNC. In spite of the best efforts of senior colleagues in the party Dr Sahib was adamant that he wouldn’t review his decision,” the JKNC said in a tweet.

“In light of this sudden announcement which has caught everyone by surprise the General Secretary as per the party constitution, has been tasked with conducting the election for party president which will be completed on Dec 5. Until then Dr Sahib continues as President of JKNC,” it said in another tweet.

Gujarat Polls : CM Yogi Adityanath and BJP members will hold public rallies in gujarat

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ANI

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November 18, 2022

Yogi Adityanath,Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister — Yogi Adityanath | Image : ANI

Organizational ranks from the Uttar Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) including Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath are going to hold public rallies in poll-bound Gujarat from Friday.

The party’s star campaigner and UP CM Yogi Adityanath, and Deputy Chief Ministers Brijesh Pathak and Keshav Prasad Maurya are going to hold public rallies in Gujarat as part of BJP’s campaign for 82 of 89 seats going to poll in the first phase of the Gujarat Assembly elections.

Deputy CM Brijesh Pathak will hold public meetings in 5 districts of Gujarat today, while Keshav Prasad Maurya will hold public meetings in Surat’s Mahua Vidhansabha, while Deputy CM Maurya will also hold workers’ meetings in Gujarat for some days.

On the other hand, BJP’s star campaigner CM Yogi Adityanath will take charge of the election campaign, and hold rallies in 3 constituencies.

Yogi Adityanath will hold rallies in Morbi, Bharuch and Surat districts of Gujarat and seek votes for BJP candidates including Jitendra Bhai Somani from Wakaner in Morbi and Bhai Vasava in Bharuch’s Jhagadia seat.

Yogi’s third rally will be in favour of BJP candidate Sandeep Bhai Desai in Surat’s Chaurasi assembly. Elections will be held on December 1 and 5 for 182 assembly seats in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s home state of Gujarat.

The BJP has been in power in Gujarat for the last 27 years. A triangular contest is being witnessed in this assembly election in Gujarat. Gujarat is witnessing a fight between the BJP and the Congress, along with the entry of the Aam Aadmi Party is witnessing even more tough competition.

CM Yogi addressed rallies in Himachal Pradesh’s assembly election campaign. In the last election in 2017, Yogi Adityanath addressed meetings on 35 seats in 29 districts of Gujarat, out of which 20 seats were won by BJP candidates.

Mumbai – Pune expressway accident leaves five people dead and four injured

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PTI

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November 18, 2022

Accident,Mumbai,Pune — Accident| Image: PTI

Five persons were killed and four others injured after the car they were travelling in rammed into a truck from behind on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway near Khopoli in Raigad district of Maharashtra, police said on Friday.

The accident took place close to Dheku village around Thursday midnight, they said. “The car was going from Pune to Mumbai when it hit the truck from the rear around 12 am. There were nine occupants in the car. While four persons died on the spot, another one succumbed to injuries while being taken to a hospital,” an official of Khopoli police station said.

All the deceased were men, while one of the four injured is a woman, he said. A preliminary probe indicated that the driver of the car lost control, due to which the vehicle hit the truck. An offence was registered against the driver and further investigation is underway, police said.

Delhi State Election Commission said 1,169 nominations were cancelled after scrutiny in MCD elections

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ANI

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November 18, 2022

Election Commission,Municipal Corporation,Delhi — Election Commission | Image: PTI

The Delhi State Election Commission informed that 1,169 nominations were cancelled after scrutiny for the upcoming Municipal Corporation elections. The scrutiny of the nomination papers was carried out on Wednesday.

In 65 cases, the final decision on the nomination was taken after supporting documents. “As many as 65 cases, which required further adjudication under rule 22 of the Delhi Municipal Corporation (Election of Councilors) Rules, 2012 to adduce more supportive evidences to the claims of the contesting candidates in the proceedings that are of quasi-judicial in nature, have also been finally disposed of on Thursday,” stated MCD. The State Election Commission received total 2,585 nominations, out of which 1416 nominations were found valid–674 male and 742 female. The Commission received nomination papers from 2021 candidates.

There are 250 valid candidates each from Bharatiya Janata Party and Aam Aadmi Party.

As per information, three nominations of Congress were cancelled in MCD elections, Congress will contest only on 247 seats.

The candidates were rejected eight grounds–incomplete nomination forms, proposers incomplete/ proposer of another ward, missing affidavits, multiple nominations, covering candidates, non-submission of valid caste certificate, invalid/incomplete form, and no security deposit. “A total of Rs. 75,07,500 has been realized by the Commission on account of the nomination fee deposited by the candidates,” said the Commission. The elections for the 250-ward Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) will be held on December 4 while the counting of votes will be done on December 7. The last date for withdrawal of nominations is November 19.

The polls to the Municipal Corporation of Delhi on December 4 is shaping up to be a two-way contest between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which currently holds the civic reins in the national capital, and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which is in power in the state.

PM Modi will held a meeting to counter terrorism financing

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ANI

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November 18, 2022

PM Modi,Melbourbe,Paris,terrorism — PM Mod | Image: ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday will deliver the inaugural address at the third ‘No Money for Terror’ (NMFT) Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing.

In a statement, the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) said the conference will offer a unique platform for participating nations and organizations to deliberate on effectiveness of the current international regime on Counter Terrorism Financing as well as steps required to address emerging challenges.

The conference will build on the gains and learnings of the previous two conferences held in Paris in April 2018 and in Melbourne in November 2019. It will also work towards enhancing global cooperation to deny finances to terrorists and access to permissive jurisdictions to operate.

“It will be attended by about 450 delegates from across the world, including Ministers, Heads of Multilateral organisations and Financial Action Task Force (FATF) Heads of Delegations,” the PMO said.

During the Conference, deliberations will be held in four sessions which will focus on ‘Global Trends in Terrorism and Terrorist Financing’, ‘Use of Formal and Informal Channels of Funds for Terrorism’, ‘Emerging Technologies and Terrorist Financing’ and ‘International Co-operation to Address Challenges in Combating Terrorist Financing’.

PM Modi will inaugurate the conference while Union Home Minister Amit Shah will conclude the event, conveying India’s determination in its fight against terrorism and its support systems for achieving success against it.

On Thursday, India said that confirmation from China is still awaited while Pakistan and Afghanistan are not participating in the international event.

However, a total of 78 countries and multilateral organisations, including Ministers from 20 countries, have confirmed their presence at the two-day conference being organized on November 18 and November 19 here in the national capital. “A total of 78 countries and multilateral organisations are participating in the third edition of the ‘No Money For Terror’ Conference beginning from tomorrow (November 18),” said Dinkar Gupta, Director General, National Investigation Agency (NIA), India’s anti-terror agency which works under the Ministry of Home Affairs, while speaking in a press briefing.

Asked about the presence of Pakistan and Afghanistan in the conference, the NIA Director General said, “Pakistan and Afghanistan are not participating in this conference”. On a query over the presence of China in the international event on terror financing, Secretary West (MEA) Sanjay Verma said “the participation of China is not yet confirmed”.

Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case: Centre moves SC seeking review of order for premature release of six convicts

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ANI

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November 17, 2022

Rajiv Gandhi Assassination Case Supreme Court — Image: PTI

The Central government on Thursday filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against the November 11 order allowing the release of six convicts in the former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

Approaching the apex court, the Centre contended that the order was passed without hearing it.

On November 11, the Supreme Court ordered the release of six convicts including Nalini Sriharan and RP Ravichandran, who were serving life imprisonment in connection with the assassination in the case.

A bench of BR Gavai and BV Nagarathna passed the order while taking into consideration the good conduct of convicts in the prison. The apex court had noted that they had been behind bars for a very long period.

Seeking a review of the top court’s order, the Centre said, “The order granting remission to the convicts who had assassinated the former Prime Minister of the country was passed without affording an adequate opportunity of hearing to Union of India.” It said that the Central government was not made a party in the case.

“No application was ever filed by the petitioners formally impleading Union of India as party respondent. This procedural lapse on the part of the petitioners resulted in non-participation of Union of India in subsequent hearings of the case,” it added.

Furthermore, it is extremely crucial to mention here that out of the six convicts who have been granted remission, four are Sri Lankan Nationals, said the plea.

“Granting remission to the terrorist of a foreign nation, who had been duly convicted in accordance with the law of land for the gruesome offence of assassinating the former Prime Minister of the Country, is a matter which has international ramification and therefore falls squarely within the sovereign powers of the Union of India,” the Centre added.

The Supreme Court’s November 11 order “being violative of principles of natural justice and wreaked with glaring and manifest errors apparent on the face of the record, keeping in view the international ramifications it entails, there is also substantial cause in the matter warranting its review and an open hearing, wherein, Union of India could be afforded an opportunity to place the correct and germane facts before this Court to assist it to arrive at a just and correct decision in the matter i.e. why the six convicts were not entitled for any relief by this Court,” the Centre further stated.

The top court in its order noted that Nalini has been behind bars for over three decades and her conduct has also been satisfactory.

She has a PG diploma in Computer Application and Ravichandran’s conduct has also been found to be satisfactory and he has undertaken various studies during his incarceration including a PG diploma in Arts.

The top court had released Nalini, Ravichandran, Robert Payas, Jayakumar, S Raja, and Shriharan.

On May 18, the Supreme Court had evoked its extraordinary powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to release AG Perarivalan, who was one of the seven convicts in the assassination case.

Nalini and Ravichandran had approached the apex court seeking release from the prison-like fellow convict AG Perarivalan.

The Tamil Nadu government had earlier recommended the pre-mature release of convicts saying that its 2018 aid and advice for the remission of their life sentence is binding upon the Governor.

It had considered mercy petitions of seven convicts in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case and resolved to recommend the Governor for the remission of their life sentences invoking the power granted under Article 161 of the Constitution.

Nalini and Ravichandran had earlier knocked on the door of the Madras High Court seeking the same relief, however, the High Court had refused to entertain the petition.

The Madras High Court while turning down the petition had stated that it did not have special powers that the Supreme Court has under Article 142 of the Constitution and hence, it cannot order their release, as the Supreme Court did for Perarivalan in May 2022.

The High Court had said they could approach the Supreme Court if their plea was based on Perarivalan’s release.

Following Perarivalan’s release, Ravichandran had sent a letter to Chief Minister MK Stalin seeking the release of the remaining six convicts, including him and mentioned that the Governor has kept the files of release without consideration for over three years which he condemns as an anti-constitutional approach.

Deciding Perarivalan’s plea for premature release from jail based on the recommendation made by the Tamil Nadu government in September 2018, the apex court ordered his release, while the six other convicts remain in jail.

Gandhi was assassinated on the night of May 21, 1991, at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu by a woman suicide bomber, identified as Dhanu, at a poll rally.

Guidelines for Qatar Stadium visitors criticised from across the world

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ANI

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November 17, 2022

FIFA World Cup 2022 Qatar Government Guidelines — FIFA World Cup Trophy

In a decision that has garnered criticism from across the world, the Qatar government issued attire guidelines for fans visiting the Middle-Eastern country for shopping mode FIFA World Cup 2022.

In a statement issued by Qatar Tourism, the authority has asked the fans flocking to the country to wear appropriate clothes, keeping in mind the local culture.

“Attitudes towards dressing in Qatar are relaxed, but visitors (men as well as women) are expected to show respect for the local culture by avoiding excessively revealing clothes in public. It is generally recommended for men and women to ensure their shoulders and knees are covered,” read a statement issued by Qatar Tourism on their website.

Spectators have been urged to respect Qatar’s legal and cultural norms, including its restrictions on drinking, drugs, sexual activity, and attire. Touching especially on clothing, travelers may want to reconsider their choices in light of the restrictions that Qatar has put in place.

The football extravaganza will begin on November 20 and will go on till December 18. In the first match, the Ecuadorian team will clash with the host team, Qatar.

The 32 countries qualified for the 2022 shopping mode FIFA World Cup are Qatar (Hosts), Argentina, Brazil, England, France, Spain, Belgium, Portugal, Germany, Netherlands, Uruguay, Croatia, Denmark, Mexico, United States, Senegal, Wales, Poland, Australia, Japan, Morocco, Switzerland, Ghana, Korea Republic, Cameroon, Serbia, Canada, Costa Rica, Tunisia, Saudi Arabia, Islamic Republic of Iran, Ecuador.

The World Cup in 2022 will be held in 8 different stadiums across the middle-eastern nation of Qatar: Lusail Iconic Stadium, Al Bayt Stadium, Ahmad Bin Ali Stadium, Khalifa International Stadium, Stadium 974, Al Thumama Stadium, Education City Stadium, Al Wakrah Sports Complex.