Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi

The Congress Monday slammed as “outrageous and unacceptable” Tamil Nadu Governor R N Ravi’s remark that “secularism is a European concept” and demanded his immediate sacking.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh claimed that Ravi is “only a trial balloon floater” and is echoing what Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to get done.

Ramesh’s remarks came after Ravi said secularism is a European concept that evolved after a conflict between the church and the king whereas Bharat is a dharma-centric nation and therefore, it was not part of the Constitution but added during Emergency by “one insecure prime minister”.

The Tamil Nadu governor, while addressing an event in the Kanyakumari district on Sunday, said a lot of frauds have been committed against the people of the country and one of those was a wrong interpretation of secularism.

Reacting to the remarks, Ramesh said, “This man, who has taken an oath on the Constitution and who — inspite of his drumbeating — remains a Constitutional functionary, should be sacked forthwith. He is a disgrace.”

“This is not the first outrageous and unacceptable statement he has made. But he is only a trial balloon floater. He is echoing what the non-biological PM wants to get done,” the Congress leader said.

Ravi had also said, “What does secularism mean? Secularism is a European concept, secularism is not a Bharatiya concept.”

Decades later, during Emergency (1975-77), “one insecure prime minister,” introduced secularism in the Constitution in order to appease some sections of people, the Governor alleged.

Indira Gandhi was the prime minister during Emergency.

Ravi further said that secularism emerged in Europe as there was a fight between the church and the king and in order to end this conflict, which went on for a long time, this concept was evolved.

At the time of Independence, when the Constitution was being drafted, a discussion came up on secularism and the Constituent Assembly rejected it observing that Bharat is a dharma-centric country and there has been no conflict, similar to what was witnessed in Europe, Ravi had claimed.

Thane: The family members of Badlapur sexual assault case accused Akshay Shinde have challenged the police claim that he fired at a policeman first following which cops fired in self-defence which led to his death.

Shinde’s kin also claimed that police pressured him for a confession in the sexual assault case.

Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Monday night said a high-level probe has been ordered into the incidents leading to Shinde’s death.

Shinde’s body was taken from the Kalwa civic hospital in Thane to the state-run J J Hospital in neighbouring Mumbai for postmortem on Tuesday morning, a senior Thane police official said.

The autopsy was being conducted at the J J hospital, he added.

Shinde, 24, was accused of sexually assaulting two minor girls at a school in Badlapur town of Thane district.

A contractual sweeper at the school in Badlapur, Shinde was arrested on August 17, five days after he allegedly sexually abused the two girls in the school toilet.

He was killed near Mumbra Bypass in Thane on Monday evening when he allegedly snatched the gun of a policeman while he was being ferried in a police vehicle as part of a probe into a case registered against him on the complaint of his former wife, an official earlier said.

After he shot and injured an API, another officer from the police escort team fired at him, and he was declared dead by doctors at the Kalwa civic hospital, the official said.

However, his family members have challenged the theory that Shinde fired at the policeman first and later the cops retaliated.

“It is wrong to say that he first snatched the gun of a policeman and fired at him, and later the police fired at him in self-defence,” Shinde’s mother and uncle told reporters outside the Kalwa hospital on Monday night.

“The police got the confessional statement written by him under pressure to the effect that he has committed the crime. What they got written from him, he only knows,” they claimed.

Akshay Shinde’s father Anna Shinde said an inquiry should be conducted into his son’s killing.

His mother and uncle alleged it was a conspiracy by police and management of the Badlapur school.

They claimed Akshay had told his kin that he was being beaten up police in custody and he also sent a chit seeking money.

His mother and uncle questioned the police version and asserted he could not have snatched the weapon of a policeman.

He was not depressed, they added.

“The police have killed our child. The school management must also be probed. The police got him to write something but we don’t know what it is, only he knew it,” the kin further alleged.

“My son was afraid of bursting crackers and crossing the road. How can he shoot at policemen?” Akshay’s mother asked.

His family members also said he should have been taken to the court for trial in the case against him, and how did the police shoot him dead.

“The charges (in cases against Akshay) are not proved,” they said.

Akshay’s mother said he used to ask her when he will be released.

Some videos showing the body being taken for the autopsy on Tuesday surfaced on social media.

Akshay’s parents were also seen waiting outside the locked gates of the well-guarded Kalwa civic hospital to have a glimpse of their dead son, but in vain.

No one was allowed near the room where the body was kept in the Kalwa hospital after doctors pronounced Shinde dead.

The area around the hospital turned into a fortress with a large number of police personnel deployed there.

Meanwhile, NCP (SP) Kalwa-Mumbra MLA Jitendra Awhad also challenged the police version and termed it as “baseless”.

“How can a handcuffed accused snatch the revolver of a policeman and fire at him, when five more policemen are around,” Awhad told a TV channel.

He claimed the ruling party will take full credit for the entire incident in the upcoming state assembly elections.

“It is for sure that they have planned and killed him,” Awhad further claimed.

He said everyone knows who the school belongs to where the sexual abuse incident had taken place. “Who is that Apte?” he questioned.

Mangaluru: PB D’sa (83), a prominent social activist and resident of Valencia, passed away this morning at a private hospital in Mangaluru. Desa, who was the state president of the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL), was known for his relentless fight against social injustice and illegality. He played a significant role in building movements against police brutality.

He is survived by his wife, two sons, two daughters, and a large extended family.

Family sources have stated that his body will be donated to a private hospital tomorrow, and no rituals will be performed.

Desa faced considerable opposition throughout his life, including surviving an assassination attempt at his office.

Puttur: A child being transported from Sullia to Mangaluru for medical treatment was injured in a road accident late Monday night at Mura, in Puttur taluk.

The child, who had been born at Sullia Hospital and was en route to Mangaluru Hospital for treatment due to breathing difficulties, was inside an ambulance when a pickup truck traveling from the opposite direction collided with it. Both the child and the ambulance driver sustained minor injuries in the accident.

Following the incident, the child and the family were immediately transferred to another vehicle and sent to Mangaluru for further treatment.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday slammed a section of the media for allegedly spreading “fake news” about the memorandum prepared by the state government for central aid in the context of the Wayanad landslide disaster, terming it “destructive journalism.”

“What is happening in Kerala is destructive journalism. A section of the media has turned into factories for creating controversies,” Vijayan said at a press conference.

The Chief Minister said that Kerala has been discredited due to the fake news.

He alleged that after the media spread false information, a fake narrative emerged, claiming that Kerala was attempting to unfairly grab aid.

“The opposition also seized upon these reports. The aim behind these stories was to discredit the state government by any means,” Vijayan added.

The CM clarified that it is not the ministers who prepare the memorandum in the wake of a disaster, but rather professionals who have proven expertise in the field.

He said that the media had misinterpreted the data prepared by these experts.

The figures in the memorandum are not exaggerated, but are projected estimates, he added.

Mumbai: Tension prevailed in Dharavi slum here on Saturday after hundreds of local residents gathered on a road and opposed the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s plan to pull down an alleged illegal portion of a mosque, an official said.

A large number of police personnel have been deployed there to prevent any untoward incident in view of the prevailing situation, he said.

“A team of BMC officials from G-North administrative ward reached the 90 Feet Road in Dharavi around 9 am to demolish alleged illegal portion of Mehboob-E-Subhani masjid. Soon, a large number of local residents gathered at the spot and stopped the civic officials from entering the lane where the mosque is located,” the police official said.

“Later, hundreds of people also assembled outside the Dharavi police station located there and squatted on the road to protest against the civic body’s move,” he said.

Heavy police ‘bandobast’ has been deployed and the situation is under control, the official said.

A delegation from the mosque, BMC officials and Dharavi police are currently holding talks to resolve the issue, he added.

Dharavi, a densely-populated colony, is considered Asia’s largest slum.