Archives for April 2022

Khargone (MP): The district administration on Monday started demolition of at least 50 “illegal” structures of people accused of pelting stones at a Ram Navami procession in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone city, while the state government said damage caused to public and private properties during the violence will be recovered from rioters.

A curfew was clamped in Khargone city on Sunday and more than 80 people have been arrested after stones hurled at a Ram Navami procession triggered large-scale arson, officials said and added that the situation here was under control.

The government has a zero tolerance policy for rioting. So far, 84 persons have been arrested and 50 illegal constructions of these accused have been identified. The demolition of these illegal constructions has already started, Indore Divisional Commissioner Pawan Sharma told reporters in Khargone.

The illegal structures which are being demolished include homes and shops.

Action has also been taken against four state government employees for spreading rumours over the communal violence in the city, he said.

Of the four, three were daily wage employees, whose services were terminated, while the fourth staffer was suspended, the IAS officer said.

Sharma said damage caused to public and private properties during the violence will be recovered from rioters. Inspector General (IG) Rakesh Gupta, who is camping in Khargone along with Sharma, said the law and order situation in the city was under control and action against anti-social elements was continuing.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said damage caused to public and private properties will be recovered from rioters as he vowed strict action against the miscreants.

“The rioters have been identified and they will not be spared. Strict action will be taken against them. There is no place for rioters in Madhya Pradesh,” the CM said.

“We have passed the Damage to Public and Private Property Recovery Act. We are constituting a claims tribunal under the Act and after assessing the loss, its recovery will be done from rioters,” Chouhan said in a statement.

Speaking about the violence earlier in the day, Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Narottam Mishra said houses from where stones were hurled at the procession will be turned into rubble.

Some people who are hurt by the outcome of the recently-held Assembly elections in five states are now instigating violence, the minister claimed.

They want to disturb peace in the state and the country. Even from these (Assembly poll) results, such people have not understood what the country wants, Mishra said.

Sultanpur (UP): A BJP MLA has written to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, demanding that Sultanpur be renamed as Kushbhawanpur after Lord Ram’s son.

In the previous term of the Adityanath government, Sultanpur’s Lambhua MLA Devmani Dwivedi had made a similar demand.

Sultanpur is the Lok Sabha constituency of BJP leader Maneka Gandhi.

Sultanpur MLA Vinod Singh in his letter to the CM on April 7 wrote that the area falls between Ayodhya and Prayagraj, and has many religious places like Dhopap, Makarikund, Sitakund Ghat and Vijethua Mahabiran.

These places stress the belief that Kush, a son of Lord Ram, developed it as his capital by the name of Kushabhavanpur, he said.

“Later Khilji Badshah named it as Sultanpur for promoting his culture. Many a time people have agitated for renaming it as Kushbhawanpur and have also given memorandums,” he said.

Vinod Singh said the issue was raised in a public meeting during the Assembly elections and people’s response to it was positive.

The Adityanath government in its previous term had renamed Allahabad as Prayagraj, Faizabad as Ayodhya and Mughalsarai junction station as Pandit Deendayal Upadhaya.

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao

New Delhi: Stepping up protest against the Centre’s paddy procurement policy, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao on Monday gave 24 hours deadline to the Modi-government to respond if it will buy parboiled rice from the state.

If the central government fails to respond, Rao threatened to take the protest across the country.

Staging a dharna along with his TRS party leaders at Telangana Bhawan here, Rao warned Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “Don’t play with the sentiments of our farmers, they have power to topple the government.”

Farmers are not beggars, they have the right to seek minimum support price (MSP) for their produce, he said.

“With folded hands, I urge Modiji and (Piyush) Goyal ji to respond to the state’s demand on paddy procurement within 24 hours. After that, we will take a call,” Rao said.

Rao said if the Centre does not respond, he would further intensify the protest across the country.

Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait also expressed solidarity with the chief minister Rao at the day-long dharna here.

This is the Telangana Rashtra Samithi’s first protest rally in Delhi after coming to power in the state in 2014. The party MPs, MLCs, MLAs, and entire cabinet ministers sat on the dharna.

The TRS has intensified the protest and reached Delhi after the Central government refused Telangana’s request to buy parboiled rice in the current rabi season.

The Centre is saying that it can procure only raw rice and not the parboiled ones which are not consumed largely in India.

New Delhi: The JNU administration on Monday said that no violence will be tolerated on campus and warned the students from getting involved in any incident which disturbs peace and harmony on campus.

The warning by JNU came a day after two groups of students clashed at the varsity’s Kaveri Hostel on Sunday allegedly over serving of non-vegetarian food on Ram Navami in the mess, with police saying six students were injured in the violence.

“Taking serious note of the incident, the Vice Chancellor, rector and other officials visited the hostel and met the students. The VC conveyed that no violence will be tolerated on campus and appealed the students to maintain peace and harmony,” the Registrar said in an official appeal to the students.

“JNU administration reiterates its resolve for zero tolerance towards any form of violence on campus. The students are also warned to refrain from involving in such incidents which disturb the peace and harmony on campus. If anyone is found indulging in such acts, they will be liable for disciplinary action as per university rules,” he added.

According to police, security has been tightened at the Jawaharlal Nehru University to maintain peace and ensure no untoward incident takes place again.

Bengaluru: Mandya MP and BJP leader Sumalatha Ambareesh on Monday reacted to the demands of several BJP leaders for an investigation against Mandya’s student Muskan Khan who allegedly received praises from Al-Qaeda leader for her heroics against the Hindutva goons when they confronted her at college campus earlier in February this year.

Ambareesh said it was not wrong to demand and conduct an investigation against Khan.

“With the investigation, the authenticity of the video of the leader of Al-Qaeda can be ascertained,” She said adding that the situation in Mandya and the state were peaceful and people should refrain from giving political statements that can affect the peace and harmony.