New Delhi: Delhi Commission For Women chairperson Swati Maliwal has written to the Central Bureau of Investigation seeking its intervention on the issue of the availability of child porn on Twitter.
The commission said it has identified 14 more tweets, apart from the ones it has already flagged, involving children in sexual activities.
In a letter to CBI Director Subodh Kumar Jaiswal, Maliwal has sought his urgent intervention by registering an FIR and the immediate arrests of those involved in the crime.
On September 20, the DCW chairperson had summoned Twitter India policy head and the Delhi Police Cyber Cell over tweets depicting pornography and rape videos of women and children on the micro-blogging site.
Some of the accounts engaging in such acts appeared to be running a racket, wherein they sought money for providing pornographic and rape videos of children, she had said.
In response, Twitter removed more than 20 tweets flagged by DCW from its platform and the Delhi Police registered an FIR under the Information Technology Act, the panel had claimed.
Senior officers of the Delhi Police, who appeared before the DCW on Friday, said they have set up eight expert teams and conducted raids across the country.
Three people have been arrested so far.
The DCW, however, termed the response of Twitter in the matter “casual”.
U-turn? Ahmedabad auto driver who invited Kejriwal for dinner says he is Modi fan
Ahmedabad: He may have invited Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal to his house in Ahmedabad for a much-publicised dinner two weeks ago, but autorickshaw driver Vikram Dantani says he is a big fan of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and a staunch supporter of his party BJP.
On Friday, Dantani was spotted at a public rally of Modi, who is on a two-day Gujarat visit, in the Thaltej area of the city, donning saffron scarf and cap, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) trademark attire.
When confronted by media, Dantani said he had invited Kejriwal to his home during the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) town hall meeting in Ahmedabad on September 13 because he was asked to do so by leaders of an autorickshaw union.
Dantani hogged limelight when Kejriwal, the AAP convener, travelled to his home in his autorickshaw after accepting the dinner invite at the meeting.
“I invited Kejriwal for dinner because I was asked to do so by our union leaders. As soon as I offered to host him for a meal at my home, Kejriwal accepted it. I did not know it would become such a big issue. Otherwise, I am not at all associated with the party (AAP). I am not in touch with any AAP leader after that episode,” he told reporters.
The autorickshaw driver then went on to add that he was a big admirer of the prime minister and that he had always voted for the BJP.
“I came here (for the rally) because I am a huge fan of Modiji. I have been with the BJP since the beginning and always gave my vote to the BJP in the past. I am not saying this under any pressure,” said Dantani.
As part of the AAP’s campaign in Gujarat ahead of the year-end Assembly elections, Kejriwal held a town hall meeting with autorickshaw drivers here on September 13.
During interaction, Dantani urged Kejriwal to have dinner at his house, a proposal swiftly accepted by the Delhi CM.
That night, the AAP convener, who was staying in a five-star hotel, travelled in Dantani’s three-wheeler along with some local party leaders and reached his modest home in the Ghatlodia area, where they had dinner.
Ukraine accelerates NATO bid as Russia annexes seized areas
Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy | Ukrainian Presidential Press Office
Kyiv: Ukraine’s president says his country is submitting an accelerated application to join the NATO military alliance.
The comment Friday by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy came just after Russia said it would annex four region of Ukraine it seized amid its war and held gunpoint referendums viewed as illegitimate by the international community.
Zelenskyy said: We are taking our decisive step by signing Ukraine’s application for accelerated accession to NATO.
It wasn’t immediately clear what an accelerated application would mean, as ascension to NATO requires the unanimous support of the alliance’s members.
De facto, we have already proven compatibility with alliance standards. They are real for Ukraine — real on the battlefield and in all aspects of our interaction, Zelenskyy said. We trust each other, we help each other, and we protect each other. This is the alliance.
Zelenskyy also repeated his pledge to reunite all of the Ukrainian territory now held by Russia.
The entire territory of our country will be liberated from this enemy – the enemy not only of Ukraine, but also of life itself, humanity, law and truth, he said. Russia already knows this. It feels our power. It sees that it is here, in Ukraine, that we prove the strength of our values.
Responding to Putin’s call for negotiations, Zelenskyy added: We are ready for a dialogue with Russia, but with another president of Russia.
The war has rapidly accelerated Ukraine’s shift toward the West. During Russia’s seven-month war, the country has shifted off Soviet-era weapon systems and used NATO-standard ordinance and weapons, though the process is still ongoing.
In June, the European Union agreed to put Ukraine on the path toward EU membership. That swiftness of that move — nearly unthinkable only months earlier — required unanimous approval among the bloc’s often fractious members.
While there is considerable overlap among the members of the EU and NATO, securing agreement to allow Ukraine into the security alliance and its guarantee of mutual defense could be considerably more difficult. One immediate impediment to Ukraine joining is that it is already engaged in an active military conflict on its soil.
National emblem atop new Parliament: SC rejects plea alleging violation of Act
New Delhi, Sep 30: The Supreme Court on Friday dismissed a plea that alleged that the design of the national emblem atop the new Parliament building violates the State Emblem of India (Prohibition Against Improper Use) Act, 2005.
The apex court also did not agree with the submission that the lions there appear to be more aggressive, saying the impression depends on the mind of the person.
The petition came up for hearing before a bench of Justices M R Shah and Krishna Murari which observed that it cannot be said that the national emblem installed there is violative of the 2005 Act.
The petition, filed by advocates Aldanish Rein and Ramesh Kumar Mishra, had submitted that the lions portrayed in the national emblem appeared to be “ferocious and aggressive” with their “mouth open and canine visible”.
It had claimed that the change in the design of the State emblem is manifestly arbitrary.
The state emblem of India is an adaptation from the Sarnath Lion Capital of Emperor Ashoka which is preserved in the Sarnath Museum. The Lion Capital has four lions mounted back to back on a circular abacus.
Opposition members and activists have accused the government of distorting the national emblem by replacing the “graceful and regally confident” Ashoka lions with those having menacing and aggressive postures and sought immediate change.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on July 11 unveiled the national emblem cast on the roof of the new Parliament building and also attended a religious ceremony at the site.
Veteran actress Asha Parekh receives Dada Saheb Phalke award
New Delhi:Veteran actor Asha Parekh was on Friday honoured with the Dada Saheb Phalke award, the highest recognition in the field of Indian cinema.
Parekh, 79, was presented the award by President Droupadi Murmu during the 68th National Film Awards ceremony, held at Vigyan Bhawan here.
The veteran said she is grateful to receive the prestigious award a day before her 80th birthday.
“It is a huge honour to have received the Dada Saheb Phalke award. It makes me very grateful that the recognition comes to me just one day before my 80th birthday.
“This is the best honour I could get from the Government of India. I would like to thank the jury for the recognition that they have bestowed upon me, my long journey and fulfilling the journey in the film industry,” said Parekh, who is the recipient of the award for the year 2020.
Describing the Indian film industry as the “best place” to be in, the actor said she continues to be attached to the movies in her own small way even after 60 years.
“Our film industry is the best place to be in. And I would like to suggest to the youngsters who are in this industry to have perseverance, determination, discipline, and to be grounded, and I congratulate all the awardees tonight,” she added.
The five-member Dada Saheb Phalke Award committee — comprising Asha Bhosle, Hema Malini, Poonam Dhillon, Udit Narayan, and TS Nagabharana — selected Parekh for the honour.
Parekh, whose stardom was at par with male contemporaries Rajesh Khanna, Rajendra Kumar and Manoj Kumar in the 1960s-1970s, started her acting career at the age of 10 with the 1952 film “Aasmaan”.
In a career spanning over five decades, she starred in over 95 films that include titles such as “Dil Deke Dekho”, “Kati Patang”, “Teesri Manzil”, “Baharon Ke Sapne”, “Pyar Ka Mausam”, and “Caravan”.
She made foray into films as a child artist with 1952’s “Aasmaan” and went on to star in Bimal Roy’s “Baap Beti” two years later.
Parekh made her debut as a leading lady in Nasir Hussain’s 1959 movie “Dil Deke Dekho”, opposite Shammi Kapoor.
A director and producer as well, Parekh had helmed the acclaimed TV drama “Kora Kagaz” that aired in the late 1990s.
The screen legend was also the first female chairperson of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC). She served from 1998-2001.
The actor came out with her autobiography, “The Hit Girl”, co-written by film critic Khalid Mohamed, in 2017.
She was also honoured with the Padma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award of the country, in 1992.
Last year, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award for 2019 was conferred on Rajinikanth.
CBI raids multiple properties of DK Shivakumar
BENGALURU: Ahead of the Congress party’s Bharat Jodo Yatra’s entry into poll-bound Karnataka, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) raided several properties belonging to KPCC chief D K Shivakumar and asked his family members to provide property papers and other documents.ADVERTISEMENThttps://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.534.0_en.html#goog_1059686184https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.534.0_en.html#goog_1059686185https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.534.0_en.html#goog_1059686186https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.534.0_en.html#goog_1059686187https://imasdk.googleapis.com/js/core/bridge3.534.0_en.html#goog_1059686188Ads by
The agency carried out the search and seizure operations at the Congress leader’s properties in Doddalahalli, Kanakapura and Santekodihalli. Confirming the raids, Shivakumar said, “CBI teams have visited my houses in Doddalahalli, Kanakapura and Santekodihalli. I had already given details of my property papers. Disproportionate assets cases have been filed against others too, including those in the BJP. But the CBI is being used only against me, whereas cases against others are being handled by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).’’
Raid done to disrupt Yatra, says Siddu
KPCC president DK Shivakumar added, “I had sought time from CBI and explained that I am busy with elections and other party programmes. I had written a letter to officers here as well as in Delhi. I do not know why they are doing it at this time. They seem to be in a great hurry. It is mentally tormenting for me. I am from a village. I cannot magically create property papers. Whatever I possess, I have earned over the years, details of which I have already given to the Election Commission, ED and I-T department”. Reacting to the raids, senior Congress leader and former CM Siddaramaiah said, “This is done to disrupt the Bharat Jodo Yatra. It is politically motivated.’’
Janata Dal (S) leader and former CM H D Kumaraswamy said, “There is so much corruption in the state government and still there is no action being taken. All measures are directed against only those who are in the Opposition.’’
Congress chief whip in the Rajya Sabha and party general secretary, in-charge of Karnataka, Dr Syed Nasir Hussain told TNIE, “Modi government has brought in ED, IT, CBI, and election departments of the BJP to target Shivakumar. This is a knee-jerk reaction to the overwhelming public support the Congress is receiving for its Bharat Jodo Yatra.
It may be recalled that Congress leaders had protested when Shivakumar was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) about a fortnight ago.
Congress must apologise to people for ‘PayCM’: Arun Singh
BENGALURU/KALABURAGI: BJP National General Secretary in charge of Karnataka Arun Singh on Wednesday claimed that the Congress is imploding, even as former AICC president Rahul Gandhi is taking out the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’.ADVERTISEMENTAds by
“Everyone knows what happened to Congress in Punjab, Goa and now in Rajasthan. Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot are fighting in Rajasthan. The party will face a similar situation in Karnataka because of the tussle between Siddaramaiah and DK Shivakumar,” the BJP leader said in Bengaluru.
Singh slammed Congress for its ‘PayCM’ campaign and asked its leaders to apologise to the people of Karnataka. Dismissing Congress’ demand for a judicial probe into the ‘40 per cent commission’ allegation made by the contractors’ association, he said Congress is making baseless allegations against the government as they do not have any other issue to discuss.
“Congress is a leaderless party without any vision and that is why it is wiped out of the country. In Karnataka too, it will be erased after the 2023 Assembly polls and BJP will return to power,” he said.
BJP slams Congress’ scams
“The ‘PayCM’ campaign and pasting posters of Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai is an insult to the common man of the state and Congress leaders should apologise,” he added.Later in Kalaburgi, he said Congress has no moral right to speak about corruption as a number of scams, including irregularities in foodgrain distribution and teacher recruitments, have taken place when Siddaramaiah was the chief minister.
On dissenting voices within BJP, he said there might be differences of opinion but no dissent in the party. BJP will improve its position in the Kalyana-Karnataka region in the Assembly elections, he asserted.
Digvijaya Singh to file nomination for post of Congress president
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has decided to file nomination for the post of the party president for which the election is scheduled to be held on October 17. He is expected to arrive in the national capital on Wednesday night
Sources close to Singh on Wednesday said the decision to contest the polls is his personal one, adding nobody from the Gandhi family has asked him to do so.
The former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister may file the nomination by September 30.
Congress’ initial plan was to field Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for the top party post but the high-octane drama in Rajasthan has miffed the Gandhis.
Sources in the know of things said “Gehlot has not been ruled out from the race yet”.
Congress treasurer Pawan Kumar Bansal has taken a nomination form from the party’s Central Election Authority (CEA). On his part, Bansal said he is only a proposer, not the candidate.
CEA chairman Madhusudan Mistry on Tuesday had said: “Till now, Shashi Tharoor and Pawan Bansal have taken nomination forms from the CEA.”
Senior Congress leader Kamal Nath whose name had also come up and had met Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Monday, said that he does not want to become the party chief, and wants to continue to work for the party in Madhya Pradesh.
The drama in Rajasthan has made the Congress leadership think about a ‘Plan B’ for the top party post for which Gehlot was being seen as a contender. However, the open defiance by his MLAs loyal to him brought him under a cloud.
Delhi Waqf Board irregularities: Court grants bail to AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan
NEW DELHI: A Delhi court on Wednesday granted bail to AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan in a case related to alleged irregularities in the Waqf Board, saying that “prima facie the allegations against the accused are not grave and serious in nature.
According to the FIR, Khan while working as chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board had indulged in several irregularities, including illegally recruiting 32 people by violating all norms and government guidelines.
The court said that as per the statement of the Waqf Board’s CEO, it was “prima facie shown that the accused being the Chairman of Delhi Waqf Board went ahead with the recruitment in violation of the instruction of the Delhi government, just to favour his relatives and members of his constituency.”
But, there was no material on record to show that Khan had received a bribe from any contractual employee, the court said.
The Waqf Board had previously recruited employees, without the existence of any rules, and there was no material on record to show that any of the recruited employees had paid bride to Khan, the court said.
Regarding leasing of Waqf properties, the court noted that prima facie, no loss was caused to the public exchequer with regard to the creation of tenancies.
There was also no material on record to show the entrustment of the Waqf fund to Khan or his exclusive dominion over it, nor was there any evidence to prove that any contractual employee after withdrawing the salary amount had repaid it to the accused, the court said.
Further, the court said that “prima facie entrustment of funds to the accused or its misappropriation is not made out.”
“From the aforesaid discussion, it can be prima facie held that allegations against the accused are not grave and serious in nature,” the court said.
The court then noted that out of 24 cases against Khan, he was acquitted or discharged in 20 cases and during the alleged assault on Anti-Corruption Branch officials, the accused was in their custody.
The court said that as a sitting MLA, Khan was not a flight risk and there was no chance of tampering with already seized primary evidence, which was documentary in nature.
“In the facts and circumstances, having regard to the principles governing the grant of bail as mentioned hereinabove, the application filed by the accused is allowed and he is admitted to bail subject to his furnishing personal bond in the sum of Rs 1 lakh with one surety of the like amount.” special judge Vikas Dhull said.
The court, however, made it clear that it was not expressing any opinion on the merits of the case. The Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) arrested Khan after conducting raids at his premises on September 16.
The then CEO of Delhi Waqf Board had clearly given a statement and issued a memorandum against such illegal recruitment, the FIR said.
Further, it was alleged that as chairman of the Delhi Waqf Board, Khan rented out several properties of the Waqf Board illegally amid allegations of corruption and favouritism, it added.
The FIR also alleged that Khan misappropriated funds of the Waqf Board comprising grants-in-aid from the Delhi government.
All states, parties wanted PFI banned, says Karnataka CM Bommai
BENGALURU: The ruling BJP unanimously welcomed the decision to ban the Popular Front of India across the country, while opposition parties were more circumspect, saying, “All those whipping up communal hate should be banned.
Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said there is no place for disruptive activities in the country when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are at the helm. “Most of the important leaders of PFI were trained across the border and were operating from there. PFI was involved in many disruptive activities for many years and their actions across states have been proved. All the states and leaders from Congress, CPI and CPI(M) had requested the Centre to ban the anti-national organisation. No one should be in touch with banned or associated organisations,’’ he warned.
Opposition leader Siddaramaiah said, “If the government takes action against any organisation that acts against the law and disturbs peace in society, we will not oppose it. Similar action should also be taken against RSS and other organisations. The government should ban any organisation that disturbs peace and harmony and indulges in politics of hate.’’
JDS senior leader HD Kumaraswamy said, “I urge the government to place all documents against PFI before the people on how it is encouraging riots. Strict action should be taken if any organisation indulges in anti-social activities. Facts related to NIA raids should be placed before the people. It cannot be said that complete peace will prevail as soon as PFI is banned. The government should take everyone into confidence and promote harmony.’’
Congress and Dalit leader Dr HC Mahadevappa said, “Banning PFI is a welcome move. Any organisation, like the RSS, SDPI, Bajrang Dal and Hindu Parishad, that creates communal hatred should be banned.’’ Home Minister Araga Jnanendra and BJP state president Nalin Kateel took to social media to welcome the ban.
BJP National General Secretary CT Ravi said, “Now it is the turn of society to ban them. I welcome the ban on PFI and its affiliates for supporting ISIS-type terrorists, civil war and sedition within the country. We should be careful and not form subversive and divisive organisations within society. No political party should indulge in politics around the ban for appeasement and immediate political gains. Then the task of freeing society from the hands of these evil forces will be hampered.”
He told the parties, “Politically, you have benefited as far as the future of the country is concerned. Patriotic Muslims should think and create awareness against anti-nationalism and bigotry to protect the security of the country and dignity of society. After the ban, there is a possibility of evil elements belonging to PFI operating underground, inciting society and participating in anti-national activities. If any such incidents come to their notice, I appeal to them to immediately inform the police and join hands with law enforcement agencies to avoid any further problems.”
Power and Kannada Culture Minister V Sunil Kumar said that those who funded and supported PFI will be investigated in the coming days. “The ban on PFI is welcome. I congratulate Modi and Shah for taking a tough decision,” he added.
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