Archives for April 2018

Both Congress, as well as the BJP, are all geared up to fight the upcoming election in the state.
Winning entirely depends on people casting their votes for either party. But what happens when people who want to vote are unable to cast their votes?
Many people are unable to vote as their names are conveniently missing from the electoral rolls.

This issue has been brought to light by senior leaders belonging to Congress when they met the State Election Commission officials on March 2 late in the evening.

Led by Roshan Baig, Shivajinagar Constituency MLA, Congress alleged that most of the missing names belong to a minority community and their names were missing in minority-dominated areas.

For instance, in Pulakeshinagar assembly constituency, there are 21,831 missing households and in Shivajinagar it is 8,002. Likewise in Hubli Dharwad East, there are 11,981 missing households and in Mangalore City North it is 18,414 missing households.
party cross-checked the electoral rolls of 2013 and 2018, some 30-35 lakh voters names were deleted. Many, he claimed, could be due to deaths and various other proper reasons.

“But what is alarming is that from one family there is only one voter and the rest 3-4 voters are missing,” he said. He added that it is understandable if there are about 1000 households with just one voter but in many cases, there are 10,000 families with just one voter on the electoral roll.

However, Congress spokesperson Aiyshwarya Mahadev alleged, “This could be a ploy of the other party to take away what is seen as the Congress’ conventional vote bank.”

According to her, some 18 lakh minority community voters’ names have been deleted from the electoral rolls.

Mangaluru City Corporation Councillor has filed a complaint against Union Minister, Ravi Shankar, former CM, BS Yeddyurappa and MP Shobha Karandalje for defaming her and bringing her name in BJP’s chargesheet against Congress.

The BJP had released the ‘chargesheet’ on Sunday against the Congress led government over various issues which included failure in law & order, atrocities against Dalits and women, farmers’ suicide and drug mafia.

Pratibha Kulai, Councilor from Hosabettu ward has lodged a complaint to the Police Commissioner T.R Suresh, that BJP has wrongly used her photograph in the chargesheet referring to the alleged harassment to BBMP councilors Manjula Narayanswamy and Mamta Vasudev.

“They have published my picture in a context which is not at all related to me. It is the height of foolishness on the part of a national party. I’ll continue my fight against this injustice. I’m also talking to my advocate about filing a defamation case,” Prathibha said.

A criminal defamation case filed against Kejriwal and others has also been withdrawn from the Patiala House Court.

Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued decree in two civil defamation cases filed by Arun Jaitley against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and five others over the alleged unsavoury statements made against the Union minister.

A criminal defamation case filed against Kejriwal and others has also been withdrawn from the Patiala House Court.

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had filed two civil defamation cases of Rs 10 crore each against Kejriwal and other AAP leaders. All six had alleged financial irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association when Jaitley was its president.

Kejriwal and AAP leaders Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha and Ashutosh, in a joint letter on Monday, apologised to Jaitley in connection with the comments made against him.

“I offer my sincere apology to you and your family members for any harm caused to your reputation as a consequence of my allegation,” Kejriwal’s letter read.

The second civil suit was filed against the AAP chief after his ex-lawyer Ram Jethmalani used an objectionable word against Jaitley during the hearing of the first case in 2017.

At least seven people were killed and many injured in violence on Monday as Dalit protesters went on a rampage during a nationwide bandh against the dilution of the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act. While five people were killed in cross-firing in Madhya Pradesh alone, one each died in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, according to officials there.

Curfew was imposed in several places and hundreds were detained. Fifteen companies or 1,700 personnel of Rapid Action Force were rushed to UP, MP and Rajasthan. Two companies of the BSF were sent to Punjab.

Transport, mobile and internet services were hit in many states with over 100 trains getting affected due to protests. Some states had ordered closure of educational institutions as a precaution. Incidents of arson, firing and vandalism were reported from many states.

Appealing for peace, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said the government was committed to ensuring the welfare of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and guaranteeing them full protection of law. “I am deeply pained by the acts of violence and loss of precious lives in some parts of the country,” he said. In Madhya Pradesh, two died in Gwalior, two in Bhind and one in Morena.

Sources said that one person was killed in Muzaffarnagar in UP, when pro-bandh supporters opened fire while forcing closure of shops. Another person received bullet injuries and was admitted to the hospital, where his condition was stated to be critical.

Police detained nearly 400 people, including former BSP MLA from Meerut Yogesh Verma . UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath appealed for peace and urged the people not to vitiate law and order. The CBSE has already postponed Class 12 and Class 10 examinations scheduled to be held on Monday in Punjab at the request of the state government.

The Supreme Court had on March 20 diluted certain provisions of the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, in a bid to protect ‘honest’ public servants discharging bona fide duties from being blackmailed with false cases under the Act.

Western UP districts having sizable Dalit population witnessed large scale violence. Dozens of vehicles were torched in Muzaffarnagar, Meerut. They also attacked scribes and molested women, sources said. BSP supremo Mayawati attributed the violence to ”outside criminal elements” and asked the government to identify such people and punish them.

In Rajasthan, Pawan Kumar, a youth, died in police firing after protesters attacked a police station in Alwar and tried to set it ablaze. “A youth sucummbed to injuries. He along with other protestors had beaten up the police and were trying to burn the police station,” NR K Reddy (ADG Law & Order) confirmed.

Meanwhile Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje appealed for peace in the state.
In Punjab, the Indo-Pak bus service too was hit. The Lahore-bound bus from Delhi was made to go off the road at Sirhind, while the Delhi-bound bus from Lahore was stopped at Amritsar.

In Gujarat, though there have been no reports of any loss of life or major incidents of violence, crowds stopped vehicles on highways and in the cities and got into scuffles with the police.

The National Investigation Agency has probed 23 cases related to dreaded terror group ISIS in which 81 people have been arrested and 39 are absconding, the Lok Sabha was informed today.

Union Minister of State for Home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said some of the arrested and absconding accused have either provided or received funds for helping co-accused to go to the areas under the influence of Islamic State (IS).

“The NIA has investigated 23 cases related to ISIS in which 81 people have been arrested and 39 are absconding,” he said in reply to a written question.