Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh

Bhopal: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday said the BJP should appoint a Muslim as its party president instead of suggesting his party to do so, and added that prominent leaders from the Muslim community held that position in the grand old party in the past.

He also alleged that a “disturbing trend” was being observed in the country wherein minority communities were being treated as enemies and falsely implicated by the BJP-led governments at the Centre and in states.

His statement comes a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in Haryana that if the Congress really has sympathy for Muslims, it should appoint a Muslim as its president and give 50 percent tickets to people from the community.

When reporters asked Digvijaya Singh about the PM’s remark, he said, “Muslims had earlier held the position of presidents (of Congress) and we are proud of it. If they (BJP) are so concerned, why don’t they make a person from the Muslim community its party president?”

During the pre-Independence period, prominent Muslim leaders, including Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Mukhtar Ahmad Ansari, Syed Hasan Imam and Nawab Syed Mohammed Bahadur, had served as Congress presidents.

When asked if he feels that a minority community was being targeted, Singh said, “A disturbing trend is taking place in the country where minority communities are being treated as enemies by the central government and in states ruled by the BJP’s so-called double engine government.”

“They are being falsely implicated, harassed and the constitutional provisions meant to protect their interests are being ignored. In April 2021, when riots broke out at several places, the Supreme Court had issued detailed guidelines on how states should act to control communal violence,” the Rajya Sabha member said.

Those guidelines clearly outlined the steps governments must take to prevent such incidents, he said.

On a query about West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s statement that she will not allow the new Waqf law to be implemented in her state, Singh said, “…I want to say one thing, whoever spreads communalism in this country and whether it is radical Hindu, radical Muslim radical Sikh or any sect, action should be taken against them.”

He alleged that Indian Secular Front was instigating the Muslim youth there.

“For 10 years (as Madhya Pradesh chief minister), I did not spare anyone spreading hatred towards other religions – be it Hindu, Muslim, Sikh or Christian. Because of that, not a single riot or incident of disturbance took place in Madhya Pradesh,” he said.

Singh was the CM from 1993 to 2003.

On the issue of a Dalit groom not allowed to sit on a horse during a marriage ceremony in Indore district, Singh said it was a matter of shame for all that untouchability was still in vogue today.

“Yesterday, Chief Minister went to Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar’s memorial and gave a long speech in which he talked about following the path as shown by Dr Ambedkar, but even today a groom from a Scheduled Caste cannot ride a horse and cannot enter the temple, this is a crime. Action should be taken against all those people who stopped his entry into the temple and objected to his sitting on a horse.”

On the controversy surrounding BJP MLA’s son forcibly entering a temple in Dewas district even after it was closed, Singh said even if the people associated with BJP do whatever they want, the police do not take any action against them.

Belthangady: The Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) has filed a complaint with the Venur Police against a group that recently held a ceremony called ‘Purushara Pooje’ in Perladka near Venur, accusing the participants of insulting Muslims.

While the ceremony shows the group dancing around a mound, video clips where people are seen in costumes typically worn by Muslims, are going viral on social media platforms. The participants include a man wearing a skull cap and a woman in a burqa. The man in skull cap is also seen holding the SDPI flag while dancing.

Social media users have accused the group of showing disrespect towards Muslims by degrading their dress sense. The users have also called it an intentional act by the participants.

The representative of the SDPI has further told the police that the sentiments of the party members have been hurt as the party flag was degraded during the ritual.

The SDPI said that ‘Purusharapooje’ was a convention that was regularly carried out in Perladka of Venur, but the ritual was now being misused as a means to degrade Muslims. The participants were made to don dresses like Muslim men, women and also Maulvis during the ceremony. In addition, the flag of the SDPI was used by one of the participants, which was an insult of the party, the complainant has told the police.

The party has also demanded that the authorities arrest the guilty parties and take legal action on them.

SDPI leaders Hamid Venur, Ashraf Badyaru, Nizam Katte, Aslam Maddadka and Rizwan were present on the occasion.

 Emails claiming that bombs were planted in four district collectorate offices in Uttar Pradesh triggered a security alert on Tuesday, but nothing suspicious was found after the buildings were evacuated and extensively searched.

Soon after the emails were received by authorities in Firozabad, Aligarh, Barabanki and Chandauli, bomb disposal units, anti-sabotage checking teams, dog squads and local police were swiftly mobilised to the respective collectorate premises. All buildings were evacuated and thoroughly searched, officials said.

Authorities in all four districts said that no explosives or suspicious items were found.

Investigations are on to identify those responsible for sending the hoax emails, they added.

In Aligarh, a senior police officer told reporters, “Soon after the email was received, security forces reached the District Magistrate’s office and evacuated the premises. A thorough inspection of the entire complex was conducted. While no suspicious items were found, the inspection is still ongoing as a precaution.”

The official added that the threatening email was received on the official email ID of the Aligarh District Magistrate.

In Barabanki, District Magistrate Shashank Tripathi said, “Today, we received a threatening email on the official ID, claiming that explosives like RDX were planted in the collectorate campus.

“Though the information did not initially seem credible, we immediately alerted the Superintendent of Police and called in the bomb disposal squad, which carried out a thorough search. No suspicious object has been found so far. Efforts are underway to trace the source of the email.”

Barabanki City Circle Officer Sumit Tripathi said the origin and authenticity of the email remain unclear.

“Investigations are ongoing to determine whether this was a mischief attempt or part of a larger conspiracy,” he said.

In Chandauli, District Magistrate Nikhil Tikaram Funde said a person identifying himself as Gopal Swami had sent an email warning of a possible bomb blast at the collectorate, allegedly linked to political issues in Tamil Nadu.

“The sender even listed a Tamil Nadu address. We immediately alerted the Superintendent of Police and launched a complete search of the collectorate premises. Nothing suspicious was found. The email content appeared frivolous and lacked credibility, but we still acted with full caution,” the DM said.

In Firozabad, a similar threat was received via email around Tuesday afternoon, stating that explosive material had been placed in the District Magistrate’s office.

Superintendent of Police (City) Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “Upon receiving the email, a bomb disposal team, dog squad, local police from Matsena police station, and the SOG team carried out an intensive search of the premises. No explosives were found.”

A case has been registered at the cyber police station based on a complaint by the Matsena SHO, and authorities are working to trace the sender of the email.

Hubballi (Karnataka): Three women were killed after the car they were travelling in crashed into a compound near Noolvi Cross in Hubballi on Saturday night, police said.

The deceased were residents of Lingaraj Nagar.

Two others, who were critically injured, have been admitted to a government hospital for treatment.

The women were travelling from Varur village towards Hubballi when the driver lost control near Noolvi Cross, hit the road divider, and then crashed into a compound.

The car was severely damaged in the accident.

A case has been registered, and investigation is underway.

Farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal

Chandigarh: Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal on Sunday ended his hunger strike which he had started on November 26 last year to press for various demands of agitating farmers including a legal guarantee on the minimum support price for crops.

The announcement came a day after Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and Union Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu appealed to him to end his fast-unto-death.

Union Minister Bittu and Punjab Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema welcomed Dallewal’s decision.

At a ‘Kisan Mahapanchayat’ organised at the grain market in Sirhind in Fatehgarh Sahib district of Punjab, Dallewal said he had acceded to the request of the”sangat” to end his fast-unto-death and asserted that their fight for the legal guarantee on MSP for crops and other demands continues.

“You all have said (to me) to end the fast-unto-death. For me ‘sangat’ (people) is ‘rabb da roop’ (a form of God). I am indebted to you for looking after the agitation the way I had said. I respect your sentiments,” said Dallewal, who addressed the gathering from a stretcher.

“The ‘morcha’ (agitation) continues. Even today I do not want to end the indefinite fast but you have asked me time and again (to end fast) and I respect it. But I want an assurance that we will put up a stronger ‘morcha’. The fight is on. The MSP (guarantee) has to be taken and a bigger ‘morcha’ has to be put up. Do you agree on holding a bigger ‘morcha’,” he asked the gathering.

“The government is alert and it knows farmers can fight. The way you took care of the ‘morcha’, the government has seen it,” he said.

He asked those present to raise their hands in a show of support for the agitation. “Dear friends, your order is like a direction of God,” said Dallewal who was visibly emotional as the grain market reverberated with slogans of ‘Kisan Mazdoor Ekta Zindabad’ and ‘Sardar Jagjit Singh Dallewal Zindabad’.

Replying to questions from media persons, he later said farmer leaders will attend the meeting with the Centre on May 4.

“If we do not go to the meeting, then it (the government) will have an excuse that farmers did not come to put forth their demands,” he said.

Referring to the previous meetings with the central delegation, Dallewal claimed the government did not have any counter to their arguments made in support of their demands.

The development comes more than a fortnight after Punjab Police cracked down on agitating farmers, detaining their leaders in Mohali when they were returning from a meeting with a central delegation led by Agriculture Minister Chouhan in Chandigarh.

The March 19 meeting was organised to discuss the farmers’ demands, especially the MSP guarantee.

Police also evicted farmers and dismantled temporary structures from the Shambhu and Khanauri border points where the sit-ins were being held.

On Saturday, Union Minister Chouhan appealed to Dallewal to end his hunger strike.

In a post on X, he said, “The ongoing dialogue between the representatives of the Government of India and the representatives of farmers’ organisations regarding their demands is continuing.

“Farmer leader Shri Jagjit Singh Dallewal has now returned from hospital and we wish him a speedy recovery. We also request him to end his hunger strike and we will meet with the representatives of the farmers’ organisations for talks at 11 am on May 4 as per the already decided date.”

A similar appeal was made by Union minister Bittu on Saturday.

Punjab FM Cheema welcomed Dallewal’s announcement and said the farmer leader had been fighting against the BJP-led central government over their various demands.

Dallewal is a senior leader of a joint forum of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (Non-Political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha (KMM), which were spearheading the agitation at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points in support of their various demands.

He began his indefinite hunger strike on November 26 last year to press the Centre to accept the farmers’ demands.

During his prolonged fast, his health had “deteriorated” but he continued to resist medical assistance until the government accepted farmers’ demands. A team of doctors had also been deployed at the Khanauri site to look after him.

His frail health had earlier drawn the attention of the Supreme Court, which had put the onus on the Punjab government officials and doctors to decide on his hospitalisation.

Even a Supreme Court-appointed high-powered committee, headed by former Punjab and Haryana High Court judge Justice Nawab Singh, had met Dallewal at the protest site, urging him to take medical aid.

After the Centre invited the farmer leaders for talks in January, Dallewal started taking medical aid at the Khanauri protest site but did not end his fast.

Dallewal, who is the president of Bhartiya Kisan Union (Ekta Sidhupur), hails from Dallewal village in Faridkot. Be it inadequate compensation for the acquisition of farmland, pending payment of farmers or cases of farmers’ suicides, Dallewal has been at the forefront of raising these issues.

He had earlier gone on fast in support of farmers’ issues in March 2018, January 2019, January 2021, November 2022 and June 2023.

Dallewal’s BKU (Ekta Sidhupur) was part of the Samyukta Kisan Morcha, which led the 2020 farmers’ stir against the now-repealed three central farm laws. But it broke away after SKM leader Balbir Singh Rajewal formed the Samyukta Samaj Morcha to fight the 2022 Punjab assembly polls.

Dallewal later formed the SKM (Non-political) by involving like-minded farmer leaders.

Mangaluru: The Mangaluru Women’s Police Station has arrested a man from Hejamady on charges of cheating a woman suffering from depression by sexually harassing her and deceiving her of Rs. 1 lakh under the pretext of treating her for black magic and spiritual afflictions.

The arrested accused has been identified as G. Abdul Karim alias Kulur Ustad, a resident of Guruvayankare.

According to police sources, in 2022, the victim was suffering from depression and, on the advice of her sister’s husband, had gone to the house of Ustad Abdul Karim, who was then residing in Hejamady. It is said that there, Abdul Karim, also known as Kulur Ustad, saw the woman and told her that someone had cast a spell on her, and that she needed to undergo a ritual to get rid of it.

Abdul Karim had allegedly asked the woman to visit frequently, promising to cure her of black magic. The woman visited him several times, often accompanied by her elder sister. She informed the police that he had recited verses from the Quran to her during these visits.

However, on February 10, 2022, she went alone as her elder sister had other commitments. During that visit, the Ustad recited the Quran to her but then allegedly molested her under the pretext of treatment and took ₹55,000 from her, according to the complaint she filed with the police.

The victim also alleged in her complaint to the police that Ustad deceived her by claiming that the cost of her treatment would increase each time she visited Hejamady. As a result, she was allegedly cheated out of approximately ₹1 lakh.

It has been learnt that there are multiple complaints against the man, alleging that he cheated and harassed several others in a similar manner, posing as a Ustad who could remove black magic. Reports suggest that he misled people into believing that they needed to follow his instructions to protect their families from black magic, and under this pretext, he also physically harassed them.

Balakrishna Nayak, Inspector of the Mangaluru Women’s Police Station, has registered a case in connection with the incident and is currently leading the investigation.

Mathura: A Canara Bank officer has been arrested for allegedly stealing nearly Rs 10 lakh from the donation boxes of the Thakur Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan here, police on Sunday said.

The theft was uncovered after temple security monitoring CCTV footage observed the officer concealing bundles of cash in his clothing.

Police Circle Officer (Sadar) Sandeep Kumar said, “One Abhinav Saxena, son of Saket Saxena and a resident of Rampur, UP, currently residing in Mathura, was caught red-handed during the monthly counting of donations from 16 collection boxes on Saturday.”

Monitoring CCTVs, the temple security noticed Saxena, an official from the Canara Bank Mathura branch, concealing bundles of Rs 500 and Rs 200 notes in his pants.

When the alleged theft was spotted, temple authorities alerted the police, who frisked Saxena in front of witnesses and found on him Rs 1,28,600.

During interrogation, Saxena confessed to stealing over the previous two days an additional Rs 8,55,300, which was later recovered from his house in Ashoka City, Mathura.

“A case of theft and breach of trust has been registered based on a complaint filed by temple manager Munish Kumar Sharma. Saxena was arrested and presented before a magistrate, and has been sent to judicial custody in the district jail on Sunday,” said the officer.

The bank’s Vrindavan branch manager, Mohit Kumar, confirmed that Saxena, who had been transferred to the Mathura loan department after serving in the Vrindavan branch from 2020 to 2024, has been suspended with immediate effect.

The bank has also initiated its own internal investigation into the matter.