Is it possible for the Gandhi family to stay neutral in President Polls?

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September 30, 2022

gandhi, gandhi family, sonia, sonia gandhi, president, congress president, priyanka, priyanka gandhi, rahul — Image: PTI

The Gandhi family remains a foundational pillar of Congress; minus them, the party has no existence. Family is the only vehicle and tool to bind Congress. After 2014, Congress has seen many humiliating electoral defeats. Some sections of the media, civil society and Congress leaders seek change in the party’s top leadership.

Ordinary Congress workers and volunteers have still not lost faith in the Gandhi family and Rahul Gandhi in particular. They believe that only the Gandhi siblings have put in efforts in these elections and it is the party machinery which did not communicate.

Gandhi have given everything to the nation. In this country, rich people do not even go out to cast their vote, but the Gandhi family which had enough wealth to live a peaceful comfortable life anywhere in the world is still fighting for the people of India, withstanding all kinds of abuse and violence.

The Gandhi family will always remain the foundational pillar of Congress. But now there has to be some change because Congress is called the dynasty party and the narrative is set. Leaders have backed senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge for the post of Congress President. Bhupinder Hooda from Haryana and Akhilesh Prasad Singh from Bihar has emerged as proposers for Kharge.

Congress President assured her leaders that the party has no official candidate, the Gandhi family will stay neutral in this race and they welcome as many candidates as possible. Veteran Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge, appealed to all delegates to vote for him. Mallikarjun Kharge’s candidature was proposed by party leaders Ashok Gehlot, Digvijaya Singh, Pramod Tiwari, PL Punia, AK Antony, Pawan Kumar Bansal and Mukul Wasnik.

Mallikarjun Kharge is a senior Karnataka politician and was the Leader of the opposition in the Karnataka Legislative Assembly. He was the President of the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee during the 2008 Karnataka State Assembly Elections. He has won elections a record 10 consecutive times having won the Assembly elections an unprecedented 9 consecutive times (1972, 1978, 1983, 1985, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2008, 2009) and lost in the 2019 elections. Mallikarjun Kharge was the leader of the Congress party in Lok Sabha during 2014–2019.

G23 leaders Anand Sharma and Manish Tewari have also backed him saying Kharge is one of the most experienced persons in the party and is a Dalit leader too. Jharkhand Congress leader KN Tripathi also filed his nomination for the party`s topmost position and said that “the decision of party leaders is respected,” adding “I belong to a farmer`s family. The country is seeing that son of a farmer who has experience of serving with the Indian Air Force, minister in state government and elected as deputy leader of Jharkhand Legislative Assembly, can also contest for the post of AICC President.”

Earlier, former Madhya Pradesh CM Digvijaya Singh and Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot were also a part of the race which they eventually stated to have dropped. The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister visited Kharge at his residence and changed his mind. Meanwhile, Ashok Gehlot said he is pulling out of the contest after he met with Sonia Gandhi and apologised to her for the ruckus in Rajasthan triggered by his loyalists over a possible leadership change in the state after Gehlot was set to file his nomination papers for the Congress chief polls.

Manish Tewari, senior Congress leader and part of the ‘G-23’ group of dissenters, bowed out from the contest for the President of the grand old party following speculation that he would be the second candidate from the camp after Shashi Tharoor to throw their hat in the ring. He also tweeted his decision to opt-out. The Congress President election, nomination for which ended, is certainly to be a direct contest between the ‘official’ candidate Mallikarjun Kharge and Shashi Tharoor, who was the first to express a desire to run for the election.

ED files complaint against DoT and others in disproportionate assets case

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PTI

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September 30, 2022

The Enforcement Directorate has filed a prosecution complaint against a senior Department of Telecommunications officer and a few others before a special court in Kolkata under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in a disproportionate assets case.

The court has taken cognisance of the offence of money laundering in the prosecution complaint against Soumyendra Nath Banerjee, a former deputy director general, new technology, DoT, Kolkata, and a few others filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday, an ED statement said.

The ED initiated money laundering investigation on the basis of an FIR registered by the CBI, ACB, Kolkata for offences punishable under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

As per the charge-sheet filed by the CBI, ACB, Kolkata, Banerjee had allegedly amassed huge assets, beyond his known source of income, and was in a possession of disproportionate assets worth Rs 7.58 crore, the statement said.

The ED investigation revealed that Banerjee, during April 1, 2005 to June 1, 2013, while being posted and functioning in different capacities and posts under the Ministry of Telecommunication had allegedly acquired huge amounts in cash through “corrupt practices and by “abusing his official capacity” and afterwards the said cash amounts have been brought in the accounts of the companies floated by him by showing them as share allotment money.

Further, the said “ill-gotten money” have been used in purchasing shares, properties in Banerjee’s name or in the name of his family members or his companies, the statement said.

The part amount of the said “ill-gotten money” has also been used for investment in another company, effectively controlled by him or his family members.

Properties worth Rs 6.32 crore were provisionally attached by the ED during the course of its investigation which were subsequently confirmed by the the Adjudication Authority, PMLA, the statement said, adding further investigation in the said case is in progress.

1 killed and 20 injured in a blast at Balochistan province Pakistan

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PTI

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September 30, 2022

Blast Representative image — 1 killed and 20 injured in a blast at Balochistan province Pakistan 4

At least one person was killed and 20 others were injured when a blast ripped through a shop in a busy market in Pakistan’s restive Balochistan province on Friday, police said.

The incident took place at a sweet shop located in the main market of Kohlu town.

Kohlu District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital superintendent Asghar Marri said 21 people were brought to the hospital after the blast. While one of them died, the condition of 10 others are critical.

“Those critical are moved to a hospital in Dera Ghazi Khan city,” he said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the bombing, but previous such attacks have been blamed on militants and separatists.

According to Mir Zia Langove, Adviser to Balochistan Chief Minister for Home, preliminary police investigation suggested it to be a remote controlled bomb blast.

“The Bomb Disposal Squad are at the site and they will confirm the nature of the blast soon,” he said.

Terror attacks, including suicide and remote controlled bomb blasts, are a frequent menace in Balochistan province.

Husband, mother-in-law get life in dowry death case

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Web Team

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September 30, 2022

Dowry Representative image, Life sentence, Life imprisonment in Dowry death, — Image: PTI

Panvel court on Wednesday sentenced the husband and the mother-in-law of a woman who was burnt alive by the duo over dowry seven years ago; to rigorous life term imprisonment and a fine of Rs 60,000. Additional sessions judge Jairaj D.

Wadne pronounced the verdict. Deceased Jyoti Mhatre’s husband Nilesh Mhatre (35) and mother-in-law Malti Mhatre (53), both have been in Taloja jail for past seven years.

The fine amount will be given as compensation to Jyoti’s father, complainant Hiraman Tawari, a resident of Rave, Pen taluka, Raigad.

Violence around education centres unacceptable, says UNICEF

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ANI

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September 30, 2022

Violence around education centres unacceptable, says UNICEF 7

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) on Friday condemned the blast in the western Kabul area of Afghanistan.

Friday’s blast claimed at least 19 lives and injured dozens inside the Kaaj Educational Center. UNICEF said this “heinous act” claimed the lives of dozens of adolescent girls and boys and severely injured many more.

“UNICEF is appalled by the horrific attack, early this morning, inside the Kaaj Educational Center in the Dasht-e-Barchi district of West #Kabul, #Afghanistan,” UNICEF said in a tweet. The UN body said violence in or around education establishments is never acceptable. “Such places must be havens of peace where children can learn, be with friends, and feel safe as they build skills for their futures. Children and adolescents are not, and must never be, the target of violence,” UNICEF said in another tweet.

The UNICEF reminded all parties in Afghanistan to adhere to and respect human rights, and to ensure the safety and protection of all children and young people.

TV actor dies by suicide at Versova

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Web Team

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September 30, 2022

Suicide Representative image — Image: PTI | Image for representative purpose

A 30-year-old small time television actor died by suicide in a hotel room at Versova on Wednesday night.

Versova police said that she had been living with her parents at Yamuna Nagar, near Lokandhwala Complex in Andheri and was under stress.

The actress rented a room in a hotel and hanged herself. The police have found a suicide note in the room where the woman has stated that she is taking her life and it was her decision and no one should be blamed.

The police have registered an accidental death report in the matter and have ruled out foul play.

Western Railway to run 106 15-car services from tomorrow

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Web Team

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September 30, 2022

Western Railway, Eknath Shinde, Maharashtra, Mumbai, WR, Sumit Thakur — Copyright: Afternoon Voice / Akash Nirmal

There will be 27 more 15-car services in addition to 31 new air-conditioned services for commuters of Western Railway, which will be introducing its revised time-table for suburban section from October 1.

In the new time table, WR has increased the trains from 1,375 to 1,383, which also includes extension of 50 services. WR’s chief public relations officer Sumit Thakur said, “Fifteen-coach services have been increased by 27, thereby taking the total to 106 from 79.

”At present, out of 79 fifteen coach services, 30 services do not run on Saturday. However, in the new time-table all 106 fifteen-car services will run on Saturdays. Thakur further said that provision has been made to augment 93 additional 12-coach services, which will be done in a phased manner.

Man battered by mob in Thane on suspicion of being child-lifter

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PTI

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September 30, 2022

Thane Man, Child Lifer, Suspect, — Image: Twitter / Screengrab

A man in his thirties was severely beaten up by a mob on the suspicion of being a child-lifter at Diva in Maharashtra’s Thane city, police said on Friday.

The incident took place on Thursday afternoon and the victim, Pintu Nissar, was rescued by the police and admitted to a local hospital, where he is currently undergoing treatment for multiple injuries, an official said.

December 31 deadline for housing society annual general meeting

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Web Team

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September 30, 2022

In a major relief to over 65,000 cooperative housing societies across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the state government has given them time till December 31 to hold their annual general meeting (AGM) and till October 31 to get done with their audit submissions.

Housing society federations said that due to Covid, several societies managed to clear their audits for 2020-21 only by March this year and were now burdened with the audit backlog for the previous financial year, 2021-22.

RBI hiked repo rate by 50 points to 5.90 per cent to control rising inflation

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PTI

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September 30, 2022

RBI, Repo, Inflation, Shaktikanta Das, — Image: PTI

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday hiked repo rate by 50 basis points to 5.90 per cent in order to control the rising inflation, keeping in line with the aggressive policies of central banks and the volatile markets prevalent across economies.

RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das announced the rate hike today.

In the meeting of the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) that started on Wednesday, five of the members of the MPC voted to hike the key lending rate, repo rate, by 50-basis points (bps).

The rates for the standing deposit facility (SDF) and the marginal standing facility (MGF) were also raised by 50 basis points to 5.65 per cent and 6.15 per cent, respectively.

The central bank had already hiked the key policy rate by 140 bps since May to 5.4 per cent to cool off domestic retail inflation that has stayed above the RBI’s upper tolerance limit of 6 per cent each month this year.

The MPC is responsible for fixing the benchmark interest rate in India. In the committee, three members are from RBI and three members are from outside.