New Delhi: Both houses of parliament witnessed uproarious scenes on Friday, leading to their adjournment, over the video footage circulated by Aam Aadmi Party Lok Sabha member Bhagwant Mann.

As soon as the house assembled, several BJP members including Kirit Somaiya, R.K. Singh and others including from the Akali Dal were up on their feet demanding action against Mann.

The AAP MP from Sangrur in Punjab wanted to say something but nothing could be heard in the din.

Mann on Thursday shot a video clip of his journey from home to parliament, including going past the various security pickets, and uploaded it on the social media, drawing flak from various quarters for putting Parliament security in peril.

The Speaker summoned Mann to her chamber to explain his position.

The AAP lawmaker later appeared before the Speaker.

The issue was raised in the Rajya Sabha also with members including Anand Sharma of the Congress) and Sitaram Yechury of the CPI-M maintaining that the issue amounted to breach of security and privilege of members of Parliament.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi too described the matter as serious and said the government and the Lok Sabha Speaker are seized of it.

Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien said there is no doubt about the seriousness of the issue. However, as pandemonium continued for a while, Kurien adjourned the house till 12 noon.

Earlier, outside Parliament, Naqvi told reporters that “the circulation of such video footage was against parliamentary rules at a time when terrorists are looking for opportunities to attack”.

“Giving out such sensitive information and video footage of sensitive areas of Parliament is wrong.”

In the video that went viral, Mann is seen giving commentary as his vehicle crosses security barricades, while going to Parliament. “I’ll today show you something you would not have seen earlier,” Mann said at the beginning of the video.

Inside Parliament, he goes into the room where the process of selection of questions for the Zero Hour is done. As he describes the process, a security official is heard telling him not to take photographs. “I’ll not take photo… will maintain confidentiality,” Mann says in his reply.

(Agencies)

Rajkot: Terming the BJP government in Gujarat as “anti-Dalit”, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today accused the state administration of colluding in the incident of attack on dalit men by cow vigilantes as he met the victims and their families.

The Aam Aadmi Party Chief claimed that it was not an “isolated” incident and “atrocities” on dalits were being committed across Gujarat. He warned that the BJP government will be “taught a lesson” by members of all communities if it does not end its “oppression”.

“The beating happened in front of a police station in the presence of police…it means this is happening at the behest of the administration. Why is the police silent? Why is it involved? This means there is some direction from the top administration,” Kejriwal told reporters after visiting the victims of the July 11 incident at Rajkot civil hospital.

“The BJP government in Gujarat is inflicting atrocities on Dalits, (it) is anti-Dalit,” alleged Kejriwal whose visit cames a day after Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi meet the victims. Two days back, Gujarat Chief Minister Anandiben Patel had also visited the place.

The Delhi Chief Minister also questioned the state government’s intent to carry out an unbiased investigation into the matter. The AAP national convener said only 17 persons have been arrested when about 40-50 people were allegedly involved in the July 11 incident, and pointed out that no charge sheet has yet been filed in the 2012 killing of Dalits by police at Thangadh in Surendranagar district.

Three Dalits were killed in the police firing in 2012. “People apprehend that the arrests could be an eyewash and the accused may be allowed to go scot-free later,” Kejriwal said.
Kejriwal also stoked a controversy when he met Dalit youth Kanti Mulji Vala, arrested for the murder of head constable Pankaj Amrelia, at the Rajkot civil hospital where he is admitted.

Asked why he meet a murder accused, the Delhi CM said he will also meet the family members of the constable at Amreli. He said those who attempted suicide told him that “atrocities against Dalits are growing day by day in Gujarat”. “I asked them why they are committing suicide. They said atrocities against Dalits are growing day by day. Then I told them that suicide is not the way out, we will have to fight together,” he stressed.

He demanded compensation and government jobs for the victims and the youths who had attempted suicide. Kejriwal also pressed for swift action against all the accused. “I have been told that false cases are being lodged against the (dalit) youths who are agitating by the authorities as they did during the peaceful Patidar quota agitation,” Kejriwal claimed.

After meeting the victims of the beating incident and people who attempted suicide during the protest, Kejriwal will also visit the victims’ families at Mota Samadhiyala village, where the incident of brutal assault on Dalits for skinning a dead cow took place on July 11. The thrashing incident had sparked a statewide protest by Dalit community members which continued for three days leading to arson and loss of public property.

(PTI)

Chennai: IAF’s AN-32 plane was on its way from Chennai to Port Blair.

A transport plane of the Indian Air Force with 29 people on board went missing today while flying from Chennai to Port Blair.

The AN-32 aircraft took off at 0830 hours from Tambaram in Chennai and the last contact with it was made 16 minutes later, defence sources said.

The aircraft can fly for up to four hours without refuelling. A massive search operation has been launched by the IAF, Navy and the Coast Guard, sources said.

“It was a courier flight with service personnel on board and the estimated arrival time at Port Blair was 1130 hrs. Search is on,” the sources said.

One P8I aircraft and one Donier aircraft have been pressed into seach and rescue operation while four ships have been diverted to join them.

More military assets are being sent to help in the search and rescue operation.

More details are awaited.

(Agencies)

Thane: In a suspected case of honour killing, a 16-year-old Dalit boy was allegedly killed by family members of an upper caste girl with whom he was in love with in Navi Mumbai.

Seven persons have been arrested in connection with the case and the 17-year-old girl has also been detained, police said today. Following the incident, some members of the Republican Party of India (RPI) took out a morcha to Nerul Police Station late last evening demanding action against the police personnel who had allegedly refused to initially register a complaint by the parents of the boy of his abduction by the girl’s brothers.

The Navi Mumbai Police yesterday suspended two officers of Nerul Police Station in this connection. The boy, identified as Swapnil Sonawane, a resident of Dharave village in Nerul area of Navi Mumbai in Thane district, was in love with a 17-year-old schoolmate.
However, the girl’s parents did not approve of the relationship.

On Tuesday night, a group of around 20-25 people, including the girl’s family members, severely beat up the boy with iron rods at Dharave village in Navi Mumbai, police said.
The boy was later taken to a local hospital where he was declared brought dead, they said.

Subsequently, the police yesterday arrested the girl’s brothers Sagar Naik (25), Sajesh Naik (21), father Rajendra Naik (50), mother Malti Naik (43), the brothers’ friends Ashish Thakur (23) and Durgesh Patil (22), and an autorickshaw driver Sameer Shaikh (23).

The accused have been booked under relevant IPC sections for murder, kidnapping, rioting and criminal intimidation and also under The SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities Act), police said.

The arrested persons were produced in Vashi court yesterday and remanded in police custody till July 25, Senior Police Inspector, Nerul, Adikrao Pol said.

The girl was also detained and sent to a Bhiwandi remand home, police said. Navi Mumbai Police Commissioner Hemant Nagrale said that two officers of Nerul police station have been placed under suspension against whom there are allegations that they refused to register the complaint of the boy’s family.

An officer of the ACP rank from another division will carry out investigation into the case, he said last night.

(PTI)

Lucknow: Hundreds of BSP workers today staged a demonstration in the busy Hazratganj area here to protest against the derogatory remarks made by Dayashankar Singh against party supremo Mayawati even as police carried out raids to trace the BJP leader.

Raising slogans and burning effigies, the BSP workers converged near the Ambedkar statue in Hazratganj on the call of the party to stage a dharna against Singh, who has since been expelled by the BJP.

Traffic was thrown out of gear in the city as BSP workers, raising slogans and carrying placards, thronged the area. In the dharna, a BSP worker was slightly injured while trying to set an effigy ablaze. The shirt of the injured worker caught fire but he along with others promptly pulled it out and escaped with minor burns.

BSP had asked its workers from different districts to reach the state capital to lodge a strong protest against the remarks made by the BJP leader and in response hundreds of Mayawati loyalists started making it to the state capital since last night.

Singh had sparked an outrage by his derogatory comments against the BSP supremo. He had said that “Mayawati is breaking the dream of Kanshi Ram into pieces. Mayawati is selling tickets like a…

Reacting to the protests, senior BJP leader and Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu said the issue is over and the BJP has already taken action against him. “This issue is over. We took action against him. Now what else should we do, tell? What he said was completely objectionable. The leader of the House too condemned the statement at the earliest.

He was removed from his post, and later on he was suspended also. Let them protest, they keep on protesting; be it Congress or others. The thing is that BJP is moving ahead, and they can’t digest that,” he said.

With the Samajwadi Party government making it clear that action will be taken against Singh on the basis of the FIR, police in Lucknow and Ballia raided his premises but Singh was not found.

A police team was sent to Singh’s house in Ballia last night but he was not found, Deputy Superintendent of Police K C Tyagi said. Last night, an FIR was lodged against Singh under sections 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups), 504 (intentional insult with intent to breach peace) and 509 (word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC and the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act after a complaint against him was lodged with Hazratganj police by party national secretary Mevalal Gautam.

Dayashankar Singh had stated last night that he had not said anything directly against the BSP chief. “Whatever I said, I did it respectfully. She is a prominent woman leader and has been Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh for four times. I have expressed regret for the statement, but what the BSP supremo said about my mother, sister and daughter in Rajya Sabha…she has insulted the women,” he said.

Mayawati had stated that mere expression of regret will not suffice and added, “His (Singh’s) remarks apply for his sister and daughter and not for me. The whole country will not forgive BJP… people will come on the streets.” Police said security at Singh’s residence has been strengthened in the wake of the protest call.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: A woman activist of AAP allegedly committed suicide in Narela area of outer Delhi today with her family members claiming that she had gone into depression after her alleged molester, a party colleague, was released on bail.

Police said the woman consumed poisonous substance at her home in Narela in the afternoon and died during treatment at LNJP Hospital.

The woman had filed a complaint against party colleague Ramesh Wadhwa for allegedly touching her inappropriately and a case of molestation was registered in June and the accused was arrested, said a senior police officer.

Family members of the woman told police that she went into depression after bail was granted to the accused who, she had alleged, was being protected by the local MLA.

Delhi BJP alleged that AAP leaders had ignored her “harassment” complaint. “It may be recalled this girl had been raising issue of her harassment for months but AAP leaders ignored. This incident has established anti-woman character of AAP,” said Delhi BJP president Satish Upadhyay in a statement.

“Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and local MLA Sharad Chauhan are responsible for her death,” he alleged.

AAP refuted the allegations and accused BJP of playing politics over her death.

“There is no mention of the MLAs name in any of the complainants. Whosoever is alleged to have harassed the girl has no connection with the party. The BJP should not stoop this low and play politics over the death of a poor girl. We also want action against the culprit,” AAP spokesperson Deepak Bajpai said.

(PTI)

Rajkot/Ahmedabad: Dalit protests in Gujarat spread to several parts of the state, including Ahmedabad, on Tuesday unleashing violence in which a head constable was killed in stone pelting. State transport buses were attacked while three more members of the community allegedly attempted suicide.

Dalits are protesting against the brutal assault on fellow community members on July 11 for allegedly skinning a cow in Una in Gir-Somnath district.

“Head constable with local crime branch Pankaj Amreli was injured in stone-pelting in Amreli town. He died during treatment at Rajkot hospital. Ten other persons including protesters and policemen have been injured,” police said.

On Tuesday, three youths attempted to kill themselves by consuming poison at their residential society in Batwa town in Junagadh district, police said.

After seven Dalit youths attempted suicide at Gondal and Jamkandorna in Rajkot district on Monday to protest the assault, several incidents of damage to state transport buses and road blockades were reported from different parts of Saurashtra region across Junagadh, Jamnagar, Rajkot and Amreli districts. The protests also spread to Ahmedabad, where dozens of Dalits were detained, police said.

While a bus was torched in Dhoraji town of Rajkot district and several others damaged, protesters vandalised sheds for Bus Rapid Transit System in Rajkot, the police said.

Chief Minister Anandiben Patel announced Rs 4 lakh to the victim and handing over of the inquiry to the CID crime branch. The government suspended four police officials and arrested eight accused for lynching of Dalit youth at Una. But this did not appear to pacify the protesters.

The issue is assuming a political tone, with the Congress on late Tuesday evening announcing that party vice president Rahul Gandhi would visit Una on Thursday morning to meet the victims and their family. Gujarat chief minister Anandiben had announced earlier that she would visit Una on Wednesday morning.

The Aam AAdmi Party has also announced visit by Delhi chief minister and AAP supreme Arvind Kejriwal to Una on Friday. He is also slated to meet the victims and their families in Una.

The Dalit Panthers Party, meanwhile, has given a call for Gujarat bandh on Wednesday, besides other smaller Dalit outfits giving call for bandhs across various towns and cities in Saurashtra region to protest against atrocities committed on dalits.

(Agencies)

Ayodhya: The oldest litigant in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri mosque dispute, Mohammad Hashim Ansari died here today due to heart-related ailments.

Ansari, 95, took his last breath at his residence in the wee hours, according to his son Iqbal.

Ansari had been associated with the Babri mosque dispute case since December 1949.

In 1961, he along with six others became main plaintiff in the ‘Ayodhya title suit’ filed by the Sunni Central Waqf Board in the court of Faizabad civil judge.

Five other plaintiffs were Mohammad Farooq, Shahabuddin, Maulana Nisaar, Mahmood Sahab and Hashim Ansari.

He was first to file the suit in the court of civil judge of Faizabad on the matter.

Allahabad High Court in 2010 in its majority verdict allotted one-third of the disputed site in Ayodhya to Nirmohi Akahara. The other two-thirds portion has been given equally to be shared by the Waqf Board and the side representing Ram Lalla.

Soon after the verdict, Ansari had called for burying the dispute and making “a fresh start”.

(Agencies)