Archives for 2022

BHOPAL:  Amid the controversy over “invitation” to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the Sealdah station of East-West Metro Corridor was inaugurated by Union Minister Smriti Irani on Wednesday. Sources at the Nabanna, the state secretariat, said the invitation to the CM was received but she was travelling to north Bengal on Monday. However, Trinamool Congress hit out at the BJP-led Centre, alleging that it was a last-minute invitation because of mounting public criticism.

“This is nothing but last-minute realisation by the Metro on its mistake in the face of mounting public criticism. They knew the CM’s plan to visit north Bengal, but still they organised the event so that she is not available,” alleged TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy. TMC MP Sudip Bandopadhyay and TMC MLA Paresh Pal were invited for the event.

With the inauguration of the new facility, Sealdah has been connected with the IT hub in Sector V, Salt Lake. The services will be available for common people from July 15. The BJP alleged that the TMC is unnecessarily raising hue and cry knowing well that the CM was invited .

KRISHNA NAGAR: Leader of Opposition in Bengal and BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari on Monday took out a rally in TMC MP Mahua Moitra’s Krishnanagar constituency to protest against her recent remarks on Goddess Kali.

Adhikari and several BJP leaders, during the rally, raised slogans against Moitra and sought her arrest for “hurting sentiments” of Hindu devotees.

Addressing the rally, he said, “Despite several complaints, the police and the state administration have been mute spectators. The people of this country and the Hindu devotees won’t tolerate the insult of Goddess Kali.”

“The TMC government and the state police have been very active in seeking action against Nupur Sharma. But they have not taken any step against Moitra. There can’t be a different set of rules for BJP and TMC leaders. We will wait for a few days and then move the court,” the saffron camp MLA said.

The parliamentarian triggered a controversy last week as she said that she had every right as an individual to imagine Goddess Kali as a meat-eating and alcohol-accepting goddess, and that each person had his or unique way of offering prayers.

The TMC had condemned the remark and said that it did not endorse the TMC MP’s views in any way.

Moitra is a first-time MP from the Krishnanagar Lok Sabha seat.

Taking to Twitter later in the day, Adhikari said, “We reverentially worship Goddess Kaali as Shakti, primordial, nurturing, destructive (towards evil forces) also loving & benevolent. @AITCofficial MP Mohua Moitra’s abhorrent comments & her obnoxious portrayal & characterization of Maa Kaali has offended all Hindus devotees.”

He claimed that the police inaction against Moitra went on to show Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her party’s “disregard for Hindu Bengali sentiments”.

“@WBPolice’s inaction against her proves @MamataOfficial’s acquiescence & brazen disregard for Hindu Bengali sentiments. To protest against disrespect to Maa Kaali & shielding Ms Moitra, led a procession & addressed a rally today at Krishnanagar; Nadia, her Electoral Constituency.” Adhikari wrote.

Responding to the allegations, senior TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said the saffron camp was trying to politicise the issue.

“The party has condemned Moitra’s remark and has stated that it doesn’t support it. The BJP is still trying to politicise the issue by mixing religion with politics,” he added.

On Sunday, too, BJP’s IT cell chief and the party’s Bengal unit co-incharge Amit Malviya accused the CM of defending Moitra’s “obnoxious portrayal” of the deity.

The Krishnanagar MP, without taking any name, had hit back saying that she “would advise BJP Troll-In-Charge for Bengal to tell his masters to stop commenting on things they have no clue about”.

on Monday urged BJP to stop politicising the issue and refrain from mixing religion with politics.

The BJP then wondered why no disciplinary action was taken against Moitra for her comment made on July 5 that that she had every right as an individual to imagine Goddess Kali as a meat-eating and alcohol-accepting deity, as each person had their unique way of offering prayers.

The altercation between the two parties began afresh after the BJP’s IT chief Amit Malviya on Sunday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks reverentially about the goddess, while “a TMC MP insults her” and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee, instead of acting against her, defends her “obnoxious portrayal” of Maa Kali.

While virtually addressing a programme of Ramakrishna Mission on Sunday, Modi said Goddess Kali’s blessings are always with the country, which is moving ahead with a spiritual energy for the welfare of the world.

Shortly after Malviya posted his statement on Twitter, Moitra hit back without naming anyone.

“Would advise BJP Troll-In-Charge for Bengal to tell his masters to stop commenting on things they have no clue about. Didi O Didi got them the boot. Now Maa O Maa will get them a foot on their chest,” she tweeted.

She was referring to the “Didi o Didi” taunt used by BJP leaders to mock West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who is commonly referred to as Didi (elder sister) by her supporters, during the campaigning for the 2021 assembly polls.

In a fresh tweet, Malviya who is also West Bengal’s co-in-charge, then claimed that Moitra is not obeying the party’s diktat on the issue.

The TMC has earlier condemned the MP’s controversial comment.

“Smarting under public rebuke from Mamata Banerjee, TMC MP is using repeat defiance on the issue of Maa Kaali to humiliate her, diminish her stature as a leader, knowing fully well that she wouldn’t be able to act against her, for fear of angering her Muslim vote bank,” he tweeted.

Senior TMC MP Sougata Roy on Monday asked who is Malviya to comment on this matter.

“The party has already condemned what Moitra had said. The party does not support what she said. But we don’t need lessons from the BJP. They should stop mixing religion with politics,” Sougata Roy said.

West Bengal BJP spokesperson Samik Bhattacharya wondered why the TMC is yet to take any disciplinary action against Moitra.

“Neither Mahua Moitra has been summoned by the police nor any disciplinary action being taken against her. It seems the TMC has issued a statement condemning her remarks is a farce,” he said.

Moitra made the controversial remarks at a conclave on July 5.

She was responding to a question in connection with the outrage over a film poster, which shows a woman dressed as the deity smoking a cigarette and holding a pride flag.

Police complaints have been made against Moitra for the remarks in various states.

PANAJI: After the Congress on Sunday removed party MLA Michael Lobo as the Leader of the Opposition in the Goa Assembly alleging that he along with Digambar Kamat hatched a conspiracy to engineer defections in “total coordination” with the BJP, Congress MLA Michael Lobo on Monday said that he was clueless about the sacking as all MLAs were together in South Goa and he had requested the party about his wish to discontinue as the LoP.

“I don’t know what is the problem. All Congress MLAs were together. We went to South Goa. Again they wanted to have another press conference, I had requested the party that he does not want to continue as Leader of Opposition ” said Lobo.

He also aligned with the party and dismissed the possibility of walking over to the BJP.

“We have won on Congress ticket and we are with the Congress party. We are with the Congress party so the question does not arise of having so many press conferences. I had told them that I was not interested to continue as LoP. There are so many issues raised against me,” he added.

GPCC president Amit Patkar informed that he has submitted a letter to the Assembly Speaker regarding the resolution of the CLP meeting to remove CLP leader Michael Lobo. “Our new CLP leader will be finalized by today & we will submit the same… we have 6 MLAs with us and one more is expected; a total of 7,” he said.

When asked if Congress MLAs came to meet him, Goa CM Pramod Sawant said, “As CM, many people come to meet me. Tomorrow is Assembly, people came to meet me regarding that. I am busy with my assembly work… Why will I comment on issues related to other parties?”

Addressing a press conference on Sunday, AICC Goa in-charge Dinesh Gundu Rao said that a conspiracy was hatched by some of our own leaders with the BJP to see that the Congress party in Goa is weakened and to engineer defections.

“This conspiracy was led by two of our own leaders, Leaders of Opposition Michael Lobo and Digambar Kamat. Both these people had been working in total coordination with BJP. One person- Digambar Kamat- did it to safeguard his own skin because so many cases are against him and the other person- Michael Lobo- for the sake of power and position. BJP wants to finish Opposition,” he said.

Rao said that a new leader will be elected for the post of Leader of Opposition.

“A new leader will be elected. Whatever action has to be taken by law against this kind of defection, anti-party work will follow. Let’s see how many people will stay/move. Five of our MLAs are here, we are in touch with some more MLAs and they’ll be along with us,” he said.

Rao asserted that the Congress party will not be disheartened or weakened. “We will take up this issue in a more aggressive manner. We will inform the people that this betrayal is being engineered by two people for the sake of power and personal gain,” he added.

Amid rumours that some Congress MLAs may cross over to the ruling BJP, Speaker of the Goa Legislative Assembly, Ramesh Tawadkar on Sunday cancelled the notification announcing elections for the post of Deputy Speaker.

The order withdrawing notification of election for the post of Deputy Speaker was withdrawn on Sunday morning. The election was scheduled to be held on July 12 during the upcoming monsoon Assembly session.Legislature Secretary Namrata Ulman has said that the notification issued on July 8 under Rule 308 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Goa Legislative Assembly stands withdrawn.

“Hence the notice of nomination for election of deputy speaker issued under 9(2) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business of the Goa Legislative Assembly stands withdrawn also,” the order reads.

“All the Hon’ble members may note the same. No nomination shall be accepted for the aforesaid Election,” it adds.

The withdrawal comes amidst rife rumours claiming that a group of Congress MLAs may split to join the BJP. There was no formal confirmation even as the Congress MLAs held a series of meetings in the Margao town on Sunday.

In the Goa Assembly elections were held earlier this year, the BJP emerged as the single largest party, winning 20 seats in the 40-member state Assembly and reducing Congress to 11 seats.

New Delhi: SpiceJet said its freighter aircraft, which was heading to Chongqing in China, returned to Kolkata on Tuesday as the pilots realised after take off that its weather radar was not working.

This is at least the eighth incident of technical malfunction happening on a SpiceJet aircraft in the last 18 days.

“On July 5, 2022, SpiceJet Boeing 737 freighter was scheduled to operate from Kolkata to Chongqing. After take-off, the weather radar was not showing the weather. The PIC (pilot-in-command) decided to return to Kolkata. The aircraft landed safely at Kolkata,” SpiceJet spokesperson told PTI on Wednesday.

On July 5 itself, the airline’s Delhi-Dubai flight was diverted to Karachi due to a malfunctioning fuel indicator and its Kandla-Mumbai flight did priority landing in Maharashtra’s capital city after cracks developed on its windshield mid-air.

On July 2, a SpiceJet flight heading to Jabalpur returned to Delhi after the crew members observed smoke in the cabin at around 5,000 feet altitude.

Fuselage door warnings lit up on two separate SpiceJet planes while taking off on June 24 and June 25, forcing them to abandon their journeys and return.

On June 19, an engine on the carrier’s Delhi-bound aircraft carrying 185 passengers caught fire soon after the take off from Patna airport and the plane made an emergency landing minutes later.

The engine malfunctioned because of a bird hit.

In another incident on June 19, a SpiceJet flight for Jabalpur had to return to Delhi due to cabin pressurisation issues.

The airline has been making losses for the last three years. The carrier incurred a net loss of Rs 316 crore, Rs 934 crore and Rs 998 crore in 2018-19, 2019-20 and 2020-21, respectively.

New Delhi: Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Wednesday took to her official Twitter handle to take on the BJP, hours after an FIR was registered against her in BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh against her remark on Goddess Kaali.

In the tweet, the MP from Krishnanagar called on the BJP to “Bring it on” and that as a Kali worshipper she was not afraid of anything. She also added that she was not afraid of the BJP goons, their police, and their trolls.

She also stated the “truth doesn’t need back up forces.” (sic)

“Bring it on BJP! Am a Kali worshipper. I am not afraid of anything. Not your ignoramuses. Not your goons. Not your police. And most certainly not your trolls. Truth doesn’t need back up forces.” (sic) She wrote in the tweet.

Earlier, an FIR was registered against her at the crime branch police station in Bhopal under section 295A of the Indian Penal Code (outraging religious feelings).

The case was registered on the complaint of Ram Chandra (52), a tea-seller and resident of Jehangirabad.

Moitra’s statement terming Goddess Kaali as a meat-eating and alcohol-accepting deity hurt his religious feelings, the complaint said.

Moitra, MP from Krishnanagar, on Tuesday, kicked up controversy at a conclave by saying that she had every right as an individual to imagine Goddess Kali as a meat-eating and alcohol-accepting deity, as each person had his or her unique way of offering prayers.

The TMC MP was asked for a response to outrage over a film poster that showed a woman dressed as Goddess Kali smoking a cigarette and holding a pride flag.

New Delhi: Senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Wednesday quit as Union Minister in PM Modi’s cabinet amidst the buzz that he may be a contender for the post of Vice President of India.

Naqvi’s Rajya Sabha term ends tomorrow and the BJP did not name him for another term during recent elections.

Earlier in the day, Naqvi also met PM Modi and BJP National President JP Nadda.

The ruling party has been discussing a representative of a minority community for the second-highest constitutional post, especially at a time the BJP is facing an unprecedented backlash over the Prophet Muhammad comments by suspended spokesperson Nupur Sharma, a report published in NDTV added.

M Venkaiah Naidu’s term as Vice President ends on August 10. July 19 is the last date for nominations for Vice President. The elections will be held on August 6.

Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan, former Union Minister Najma Heptulla and former Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh are also in the running, reports say.

NEW DELHI: A group of former judges and bureaucrats on Tuesday criticised the recent Supreme Court observations against suspended BJP member Nupur Sharma, alleging that the apex court surpassed the “Laxman rekha” and calling for “urgent rectification” steps.

“In the annals of judiciary, the unfortunate comments have no parallel and are indelible scar on justice system of the largest democracy. Urgent rectification steps are called for as these have potentially serious consequences on democratic values and security of the country,” the statement signed by 15 former judges, 77 ex-all India services officers and 25 veterans said.

The signatories include former chief justice of the Bombay High Court Kshitij Vyas, former Gujarat High Court judge S M Soni, former Rajasthan High Court judges R S Rathore and Prashant Agarwal and former Delhi High Court judge S N Dhingra.

Former IAS officers R S Gopalan and S Krishna Kumar, ambassador (retired) Niranjan Desai, former DGPs S P Vaid and B L Vohra, Lt Gen V K Chaturvedi (retired) and Air Marshall (retired) S P Singh have also signed the statement which said the SC observations are not in sync with judicial ethos.

“By no stretch these observations, which are not part of the judicial order, can be sanctified on the plank of judicial propriety and fairness. Such outrageous transgressions are without parallel in the annals of Judiciary,” it said.

The Supreme Court had on July 1 come down heavily on Sharma for her controversial comments against Prophet Mohammad, saying her “loose tongue” has “set the entire country on fire” and that she is “single-handedly responsible for what is happening in the country”.

Refusing to entertain her plea for clubbing of FIRs lodged in various states against her for the remark, the bench held that the comment was made either for cheap publicity, political agenda or some nefarious activities.

Criticising the observations, the statement said, “We, as concerned citizens, do believe that democracy of any country will remain intact till all the institutions perform their duties as per the constitution. Recent comments by the two judges of the Supreme Court have surpassed the Laxman Rekha and compelled us to issue an open statement.”

These “unfortunate and unprecedented” comments have sent shockwaves in the country and outside, it claimed.

Noting that Sharma sought access to justice system before the highest court, the statement said the court’s observations have no connect jurisprudentially with the issue raised in the petition and “transgressed in an unprecedented manner all canons of dispensation of justice”.

“She was defacto denied access to judiciary and in the process, there was an outrage on the preamble, spirit and essence of the Constitution of India,” it alleged.

In the observations, there is virtual exoneration of the “dastardliest beheading at Udaipur in broad daylight,” it claimed.

It further said, “Legal fraternity is bound to be surprised and shocked at the observation that an FIR should lead to arrest. The observations on other agencies in the country, without notice to them, are indeed worrisome and alarming.”

The signatories also defended Sharma’s plea for clubbing all FIRs against her citing previous orders of the apex court.

“One fails to understand, why Nupur’s case is treated at a different pedestal. Such an approach of the Supreme Court deserves no applause and impacts the very sanctity and honour of the highest court of land,” it said.

Sharma’s comments against the Prophet during a TV debate had triggered protests across the country and drew sharp reactions from many Gulf countries.

The BJP subsequently suspended her from the party.

The apex court had also pulled up the Delhi Police which has registered an FIR against her.

The bench said, “What has happened in the investigation so far? What has Delhi Police done so far? Don’t make us open our mouth? They must have put a red carpet for you.”

HUBBALI: Sarala Vastu famed Chandrashekhar Guruji from Bagalkot was stabbed to death inside a  hotel near Unkal Lake in Hubballi on Tuesday afternoon. Unidentified miscreants stabbed him multiple times in the stomach and neck leaving him in a pool of blood.

Chandrashekar Guruji was a well-known person in Karnataka. He was seen on Kannada channels regularly in programmes related to Vastu. It is said that he was also involved in the real estate business in various parts of the state. 

On Tuesday afternoon, Chandrashekar was stabbed in the lobby of the hotel and the assailants came on the pretext to take blessings from him, said the eyewitness. People and hotel staff were shocked to see the incident and no one came to rescue the Guruji. Soon after the miscreants ran away from the spot, the Guruji was shifted to KIMS hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

According to the Vidyanagar police, Guruji was residing in the hotel for the last three days and he was supposed to check out on Wednesday. After coming from Mumbai he was staying in Hubballi from July 2.

After the incident, Hubballi-Dharwad police commissioner Labhu Ram, DCPs and other top cops visited the hotel and sealed it down for investigation. The entire stabbing incident has been recorded on the CCTVs of the hotel. Soon after the Guruji came and sat on the sofa, the miscreants met him and began casual talks. Within no time both began to stab him to death.

Soon after the incident, two killers ran away from the hotel and escaped in cars. Based on the CCTV footage, the police launched an investigation, and teams have been formed to catch the accused.