Archives for 2022

NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday said terrorism is the biggest form of human rights violation, and it is absolutely necessary to root out the menace to protect people’s rights.

Addressing the 13th foundation day of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) here, Shah said the cases registered against terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir have helped to a great extent in curbing terrorism in the union territory.

“I believe there can’t be more human rights violation than terrorism. Terrorism is the biggest form of human rights violation. It is absolutely necessary to root out terrorism to protect human rights,” he said.

The home minister said the Narendra Modi government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and was working to root out the menace from India.

Because of the terror funding cases of Jammu and Kashmir registered by the NIA, it has become very difficult now to provide funds for terror acts there, Shah said.

The home minister also complimented the NIA for taking tough action against overground workers of terror outfits in Jammu and Kashmir and chocking the logistical and supply chains of terrorism there.

New Delhi: A 42-year-old BJP member was shot dead on Wednesday in east Delhi’s Ghazipur area, police said.

The deceased, identified as Jeetu Choudhary, was the secretary of BJP’s Mayur Vihar district unit, they said.

According to police, the incident took place around 8.15 pm.

The beat staff of Ghazipur Police Station during patrolling noticed a gathering near Mayur Vihar area. When he reached there, a man was found lying on the road in front of his house with gunshot wound.

He was shifted to a nearby hospital by the people where he was declared brought dead, police said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (East) Priyanka Kashyap said that a case under appropriate sections has been registered and police is searching for the killers.

A Crime team inspected the scene of the crime and found a few empty cartridges and other important evidence, she said.

Police is scanning the CCTV footages and has asked eyewitnesses to come forward to help it figure out the sequence of events, she added.

New Delhi: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Thursday attacked the BJP over bulldozers razing several structures in violence-hit Jahangirpuri during an anti-encroachment drive, saying “we see the rule of law break down everyday” and soon there will be “no law and no rules”.

Several concrete and temporary structures close to a mosque were brought down on Wednesday morning as part of an anti-encroachment drive by the BJP-ruled North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC), days after the northwest Delhi neighbourhood was rocked by communal violence.

The Supreme Court had to intervene twice to stop the drive after it took cognizance of a petition filed by Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind against the demolition.

In a series of tweets, Chidambaram said, “We see the Rule of Law break down every day.Soon there will be no law and no rules.”

“Once arbitrary ‘Orders’ override ‘Law’, we are on the road to hell. The Bulldozer represents the arbitrary ‘Order’. The Supreme Court represents ‘Law’. Yesterday, we saw the Bulldozer defy the Law. Let’s see what happens today,” the former home minister said.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi had also attacked the government on Wednesday over the use of bulldozers in violence-hit areas and alleged that this is a demolition of India’s constitutional values and targeted against the poor and minorities.

Ahmedabad: Congress MLA Jignesh Mevani was arrested by Assam Police from Palanpur town in Gujarat on late Wednesday night over a tweet and taken to Assam by air in the early hours, officials said here on Thursday.

The prominent Dalit leader from Gujarat was arrested soon after a First Information Report (FIR) under section 153A of the Indian Penal Code, which deals with offences related to promoting enmity between communities, was registered at Kokrajhar police station in Assam, said his aide Suresh Jat.

“As per a document shared by the officials of the Assam police, an FIR has been lodged over a tweet by Mevani few days back. However, the tweet has been withheld by Twitter. It was about Nathuram Godse. Mevani was first brought to Ahmedabad by road and then taken to Assam by air early today morning,” he added.

Mevani is independent MLA from Vadgam seat in Banaskantha. He recently joined Congress. In a statement, Mevani’s office said he was arrested by Assam police from Palanpur circuit House at 11:30 pm on Wednesday.

Gujarat Congress president Jagdish Thakor and other Congress leaders rushed to Ahmedabad Airport after learning about his arrest and shouted slogans against the BJP government.

Ahmedabad: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson arrived in Ahmedabad on Thursday morning to start his India visit, and was accorded a grand welcome along the four-km route from the airport to a hotel in the city.

Johnson was received at the Ahmedabad airport by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Governor Acharya Devvrat. Senior state officials and ministers were also present to receive him. The British prime minister was greeted by troupes performing traditional Gujarati dances and music at the airport and along the road as his convoy headed for the hotel.

The `roadshow’ started outside the airport and passed through Ashram Road via Dafnala and Riverfront.

As many as 40 platforms were erected at regular intervals on the four-km stretch from the Airport Circle to the five-star hotel on Ashram Road where again troupes performed traditional Indian dances to welcome Johnson.

During his day-long stay in Gujarat, the British prime minister is scheduled to have a closed-door meeting with prominent business leaders from the state, sources said.

After that, he will head for a manufacturing facility of JCB, a British construction equipment firm, near Halol in Panchmahal district.

The British PM will then visit the campus of under-construction Gujarat Biotechnology University in Gandhinagar as the varsity is coming up in cooperation with the UK’s University of Edinburgh, a Gujarat government release said.

The British PM would visit the famous Akshardham temple of the Swaminarayan sect in Gandhinagar before winding up his Gujarat visit and leaving for New Delhi.

In Delhi, Johnson will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.

Mumbai: Delhi Capitals showed remarkable resilience to overcome a COVID crisis in their camp and hand Punjab Kings a nine-wicket thrashing in the Indian Premier League here on Wednesday.

Delhi, who had a chaotic build up to the game with a sixth COVID positive case being reported on the morning of the game, dished out a clinical bowling display to bowl out Punjab Kings for a below-par 115.

On a track where the deliveries wre holding up a bit, even Lalit Yadav became unplayable leave alone Axar Patel and Kuldeep Yadav.

Delhi seemed in real hurry to close the game with Prithvi Shaw (41 off 20) and David Warner (60 not out off 30 balls) getting them off to a flying start.

Their 83-run partnership off 39 balls ensured Delhi cantered to victory in 10.3 overs, giving a big boost to their net run rate.

The match, which was shifted to the Brabourne Stadium from Pune, was given a go ahead barely an hour before the start of play after Delhi keeper-batter Tim Seifert tested positive on Wednesday morning

Shaw and Warner looked in devastating touch dispatching a deflated looking Punjab bowling attack to all corners of the grounds. However, Punjab bowlers could not be blamed on the night with batters letting the team down on a good pitch.

With Delhi racing to 81 for no loss in the powerplay, the game was as good as over.

It was Delhi’s third win in six games while Punjab, who had a game to forget, suffered their fourth loss in seven games.

Earlier, the Delhi spin trio of Lalit (2/11), Kuldeep (2/24) and Axar (2/10) did the bulk of the damage.

Punjab were tottering at 35/2 after losing openers Mayank Agarwal (24) and Shikhar Dhawan (9) early.

Mayank, who recovered from his toe injury that forced him to miss the previous game, started with a cut for a boundary. He then launched into Shardul Thakur, striking three fours in the third over that fetched 14 runs.

But off-spinner Lalit removed Dhawan (9) cheaply, after the left-handed batter’s attempted paddle resulted in a nick to Rishabh Pant.

Punjab were soon reeling at 46/3, as Axar struck in his first over removing the in-form Liam Livingstone (2), who was stumped by Pant. Livingstone came down the wicket to have a go at Axar, but the left-arm spinner turned the ball away from him to get Pant into action.

Wickets kept on tumbling for Punjab as Jonny Bairstow (9) gifted a sitter to Mustafizur at fine-leg in the seventh over off Khaleel Ahmed (2/21).

Jitesh Sharma (32), who struck five boundaries and Shahrukh Khan (12) tried to resurrect the innings, but managed to add only 31 runs before Axar trapped the former in front of the wickets, as Punjab lost half their side for 85.

From 85/5, it became 92/8, as Punjab lost wickets in quick succession with chinaman Kuldeep castling Kagiso Rabada (2) and Nathan Ellis (0) in the 14th over.

Khaleel got his second wicket dismissing Shahrukh in next over with a cross-seam slower while Rahul Chahar (12) became Lalit’s second scalp.

Pacers Khaleel and Mustafizur shared three wickets and ably supported the spinners.

New Delhi: A special committee of Congress leaders constituted by party president Sonia Gandhi to suggest measures for strengthening the organisation and to make it ready for the next round of elections will submit its report in the next two-three days.

The committee on Wednesday met chief ministers of Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh and held deliberations with them on the way forward and for evolving the party’s poll strategy.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel also met Gandhi here and discussed the organisation’s strategy for the upcoming assembly and general elections.

The meeting was part of the deliberations being held to evolve a long-term strategy for the Congress and discuss the plan presented by poll strategist Prashant Kishor.

Gehlot and Baghel landed in the national capital on Wednesday morning and met the Congress chief at her residence where Kishor was also present.

During the meeting that lasted several hours, the two chief ministers discussed their poll plans for the respective states and asked Kishor to give his additional suggestions to be implemented there, sources said.

They are learnt to have discussed Kishor’s strategy and deliberated on it with other party leaders who are part of the committee.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters that the committee has been holding deliberations for the last two-three days and would submit its report in the next three days after completing deliberations.

“For the last three days, these deliberations have been held. We propose to conclude these deliberations over next 48 to 72 hours,” he told reporters after the five-hour meeting.

Asked on whether the committee will give its decision on the entry of Kishor in the Congress fold, Surjewala said, “The role of the committee is not to suggest whether a particular persons should be included in the Congress party or not and is to suggest measures to strengthen the organisation for contesting elections and prepare it for 2024 general elections and other state assembly elections.”

The committee has taken note of the suggestions given by Kishor and has been deliberating on them, he said.

Surjewala said the committee was set up by Gandhi to help strengthen the organisation and dwell on its future poll strategy and bring about organisational changes and help make the Congress policies to highlight the pain of people of the country.

“Those suggestions include the ways and means to strengthen the Congress organisation and connect it to the large amount of masses. Those suggestions also include gearing up of the Congress for upcoming elections leading up to 2024,both the state assembly and central elections,” he said.

“The Congress organisation must adapt to all these changes and that is why this committee has been holding deliberations for the last three days on the various suggestions given by Prashant Kishor as also by various seasoned leaders from time to time to Congress president,” he said.

Surjewala said since the two chief ministers have vast organisational and administrative experience, the committee thought it fit to request them to join the deliberations. “We have had a fruitful round of discussions with both Ashok Gehlot and Bhupesh Baghel,” he said.

Gehlot also told reporters that Kishor has become a brand in the country, who was with Narendra Modi in 2014 Parliament elections and later with Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and then with the Congress in Punjab and with many other leaders.

“It will be good if his experience is used in uniting the opposition and in fighting the NDA government of PM Modi and there is need to do so, as the manner in which there is violence during festivals and which way it will take the country towards,” Gehlot said, noting that this is not the first time the advice of experts like him is being taken.

A group of senior party leaders including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K C Venugopal, P Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh, Digvijaya Singh and Randeep Surjewala, are looking into Kishor’s plan and will present a report to the Congress president on it within the next two-three days.

The poll strategist had presented his plan before the top Congress leadership on Saturday and the party president had formed a panel to look into it and give its report.

The Congress is striving to strengthen the organisation and fight the BJP at the hustings after suffering a series of electoral losses in recent assembly polls. The party has admitted that it failed to impress upon the people about the “failures” of the BJP government.