Archives for October 2021

New Delhi: A day after he was suspended from the Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), social activist Yogendra Yadav on Friday said his visit to the family members of a BJP worker killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri violence was an “act of humanity”.

Yadav has been suspended by the SKM for a month for visiting the family of Subham Mishra, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) worker who was killed in Lakhimpur Kheri district of Uttar Pradesh on October 3 in violence that erupted during a farmers’ protest.

The SKM is an umbrella body of over 40 farm unions that is spearheading the protests at Delhi’s borders against three new agriculture laws of the Centre

In a statement, Yadav said he has apologised for not seeking the opinion of the other members of the SKM before visiting the slain BJP worker’s family.

He said he regrets not consulting the other members of the SKM before his meeting with Mishra’s family and it saddens him to have hurt their feelings.

“In any movement, collective opinion prevails above individual understanding. I am sorry that I did not talk to the other comrades of SKM before taking this decision,” Yadav said.

“I respect the collective decision-making process of the SKM and gladly accept the punishment awarded under this process. I will continue to work more diligently than ever for the success of this historic peasant movement,” he added.

Yadav defended his meeting with Mishra’s family, calling it an “act of humanity”.

“It is in line with humanity and the Indian culture to share the misery of even those who are your sworn enemies,” he said.

Yadav said he met the families of the farmers and the journalist killed in the same incident, before meeting the family of the BJP worker. He hoped that his public expression of sentiments will only strengthen the farmers’ movement.

“I hope that a fruitful dialogue can be started on this question,” he added.

In a statement on Friday, the SKM said the decision to suspend Yadav (one of the nine members of its coordination committee) for a month was taken keeping in mind the “hurt sentiments of the farmers associated with the movement who are already having to deal with the injustice of the Lakhimpur Kheri massacre and that his unilateral decision did not reflect well on the movement”.

“On his part, Yogendra Yadav explained that he visited the bereaved family to share their grief in a non-partisan manner and that he stands by the action he undertook in his personal capacity in terms of his principles and policy. He apologised since his action had hurt the sentiments of the protesting farmers and regretted the fact that he did not consult his colleagues prior to the visit,” the statement read.

According to a senior farmer leader, the decision to suspend Yadav was taken at a general body meeting of the SKM.

“He (Yadav) cannot participate in the meetings and other activities of the SKM,” the farmer leader said.

Yadav attended the SKM’s general body meeting on Thursday. Eight people were killed in the Lakhimpur Kheri incident.

Four farmers and a journalist were run over when a car allegedly being driven by a Union minister’s son ploughed through a walking column of farmers in the district’s Tikunia village.

Angry farmers then allegedly dragged out two BJP workers and their driver from vehicles that were part of the convoy and beat them to death.

Mangaluru: City Police Commissioner N Shashikumar on Friday said he has suspended two police officers from the department on charge of dereliction of duty in the case of sexual abuse of a law student by a prominent lawyer of the city.

The city’s top cop while informing about the development added that Police Sub-Inspector Shrikala and Head Constable Pramod, both attached to Urwa Police Station, were suspended on Thursday, October 21, pending departmental action against them.

A show-cause notice has also been sent to Urwa Police Station’s Inspector Bharati.

He further added that the action was taken after he had directed ACP Central PA Hegde to conduct a preliminary enquiry into the matter.

Mahila Jagriti Vedike’s President Pavitra Acharya had reportedly taken the victim’s friend to the Urwa Police Station and had made them sign a document favoring the accused lawyer and refuting the claims of sexual harassment by the victim student.

The victim had complained in this regard following which the Police Commissioner had ordered a preliminary inquiry and subsequently, the two officers have been placed on suspension.

New Delhi: Former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik has claimed that he was told he would get Rs 300-crore bribe if he cleared two files belonging to “Ambani” and an “RSS-affiliated man” during his tenure but he cancelled the deals, and praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for supporting his decision by saying there is no need to compromise on corruption.

Malik, who currently holds the gubernatorial post in Meghalaya, also supported the ongoing farmer agitation against the Centre’s farm laws and said he is ready to leave his post and stand with them if their protest continues.

“After going to Kashmir, two files came to me (for clearance), one belonging to Ambani and another to an RSS-affiliated man who was a minister in the previous Mehbooba Mufti-led (PDP-BJP coalition) government and claimed to be very close to the prime minister.

“I was informed by secretaries in both the departments that there is a scandal involved and I accordingly cancelled both the deals. The secretaries told me that ‘you will get Rs 150 crore each for clearing the files’ but I told them that I have come with five kurta-pajamas and will leave with that only,” Malik told a gathering at an event in Jhunjhunu in Rajasthan.

A video of his speech has gone viral.

Malik did not elaborate on the two files, but he was apparently referring to a file related to the roll-out of a group health insurance policy for government employees, pensioners and accredited journalists, for which the government had tied up with Reliance General Insurance, part of the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group.

In October 2018, Malik who was then the governor of J&K, had cancelled the tie-up with Reliance General Insurance Company for providing the group health insurance to employees as there was “some bungling” in it.

Two days later, the governor approved foreclosure of the contract with Reliance General Insurance and referred the matter to the Anti-Corruption Bureau for examining the entire process to see whether it was conducted in a transparent and fair manner.

“As a precaution, I took time from the prime minister and briefed him about the two files and the scandal as the people involved were taking his name. I straightaway told him (PM) that I am ready to leave the post but if I stay back, I am not going to clear the files,” he claimed and praised Modi for saying that there is no need to compromise on corruption.

Malik also alleged that Kashmir is the most corrupt place in the country. “In the whole country, four to five per cent commission is sought, but in Kashmir 15 per cent commission is demanded,” he said without explaining, but added that under his leadership, there was no big case of corruption reported in J&K and that he even declined a favour to his relatives in the valley.

He said after his return from Kashmir, he made a statement in favour of the agitating farmers.

He said that he being poor is his strength and he can fight any powerful man in the country.

“If the farmer agitation continues, I will leave my post and stand with them without caring for anyone. It is possible when I have done no wrong and do not have any wrong item in my wardrobe. I am satisfied that I have not done anything wrong,” he said.

Advising newly recruited officers not to budge under pressure and work honestly for the betterment of society, he asked them to remain alert against their wives who “spoil everything” by demanding more and prompting their husbands to indulge in corrupt practices.

“The pressure will come and you will also feel good (by taking bribe)…. In Jaipur, there are officers who did not even have thatched houses in their native places have built palatial houses. But if you remain steadfast and honest, you can fight anyone, Malik said.

The former J&K governor said he does not have a house to live in after his retirement but “I do not have any worry that I have no house.”

Malik said he had been an MLA, an MP, a union minister but the people from Rajasthan who have a lot of money would come to his place and be surprised on seeing his small accommodation.

Lucknow: BJP MP Varun Gandhi, whose Pilibhit constituency has been hit by heavy rains, on Thursday attacked the Uttar Pradesh government, saying if the common man is left to fend for himself, what does governance mean.

Three people were killed and hundreds were marooned as torrential rains lashed Bareilly and Pilibhit districts over two days, officials had said on Wednesday.

“Much of Terai is badly flooded. Donating dry rations by hand so that no family is hungry till this calamity ends. It’s painful that when the common man needs the system the most, he’s left to fend for himself. If every response is individual-led then what does ‘governance’ mean,” Gandhi said in a tweet.

The Sharda and Deoha rivers are in spate due to heavy rainfall and many villages situated on their banks have been flooded.

Around 500 villagers in Pilibhit are inundated by waters from the Sharda river.

On Tuesday night, the Pilibhit district administration sought the help of the Army for rescue operations and 26 people have been airlifted to safer places since Wednesday morning.

Local BJP MP Varun Gandhi had written to Chief Minister Adityanath demanding compensation for farmers whose crops have been damaged due to floods.

Gandhi’s spokesperson MR Malik had said the MP has demanded that farmers who lost their crops be provided compensation.

New Delhi: Petrol and diesel prices on Friday touched an all-time high across the country after rates were hiked for the third consecutive day by 35 paise per litre each.

The price of petrol in Delhi rose to its highest-ever level of Rs 106.89 a litre and Rs 112.78 per litre in Mumbai, according to a price notification of state-owned fuel retailers.

In Mumbai, diesel now comes for Rs 103.63 a litre, while in Delhi, it costs Rs 95.62 per litre.

This is the third consecutive day of the price hike. There was no change in rates on October 18 and 19, prior to which prices were hiked by 35 paise per litre each on four straight days.

While petrol has already hit the Rs 100-a-litre mark or more in all major cities of the country, diesel has touched that level in over a dozen states and is treading towards that mark in places from Srinagar to Chennai.

Diesel costs Rs 99.49 a litre in Srinagar, while it is priced at Rs 99.92 in Chennai. Prices differ from state to state, depending on the incidence of local taxes.

Petrol price has been hiked on 19 occasions since September 28, when a three-week-long hiatus in rate revision ended. In all, prices have gone up by Rs 5.7 a litre.

Diesel rates have been increased by Rs 7 per litre in 22 hikes since September 24.

Prior to that, the petrol price was increased by Rs 11.44 a litre between May 4 and July 17. The diesel rate had gone up by Rs 9.14 per litre during this period.

New Delhi: Hailing the crossing of the 100-crore vaccine doses milestone, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said India’s vaccination programme was science-born, science-driven and science-based. He asserted that there was “VIP culture” in the drive.

In an address to the nation, the prime minister urged people to keep following Covid protocol during the festival season and not drop their guard.

“It is a matter of pride for us that India’s vaccination programme has been science-born, science-driven and science-based,” Modi said.

From the development of vaccines to inoculation, science and science-based approach has been involved in all processes, he asserted.

Taking everyone along, the country started the campaign of ‘Sabko Vaccine, Muft Vaccine’, he noted.

The country, he said, had only one mantra — that if the disease does not discriminate, then there cannot be any discrimination in the vaccination.

“That’s why it was ensured that VIP culture was not allowed,” he said.

Bengaluru: Continuing his attack against the JD(S), ahead of the bypolls to two assembly seats in Karnataka, Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Thursday said the party led by former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda is “not secular”.

Hitting back, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy said, his party doesn’t require any certificate from Siddaramaiah on being secular, as he reminded him about his roots.

“JD(S) had formed a government with BJP in the past (in 2006), they have joined hands with BJP in the Mysuru corporation, what strong ideology does the JD(S) have? How much ever they may try to appease minority or Muslim for votes, voters are clever,” Siddaramaiah said.

Speaking to reporters here, the leader of opposition in the state assembly, accused the JD(S) of having “internal understanding” with the BJP, and that’s the reason they have fielded minority community candidates in Hangal and Sindagi constituencies that are going for bypolls.

“Will JD(S) be secular despite having formed a government with the BJP?… I can only say that JD(S) is not a secular party, they are a regional party, but not secular. They have Secular in their party name, but they are not secular in their conduct or behavior, they are communal,” he added.

Sharply reacting, Kumaraswamy said, “Should Siddaramaiah give certificates to my party as to whether it is secular or not? All communities are respected in our party. We don’t want any sermons from him.”

Pointing out that Siddaramaiah grew as a leader in JD(S) under Deve Gowda’s leadership, he said, “9 senior Muslim leaders in the state are JD(S) and Deve Gowda’s contribution..”

Siddaramaiah had recently urged the voters from the minority community not to cast even a single vote to the JD(S) during the Hangal and Sindagi bypolls, as voting for the regional party, means voting for the BJP.

The former Chief Minister had even accused the JD(S) of deliberately fielding minority community candidates in both the constituencies to help the BJP.

Bypolls will be held on October 30, while counting of votes will take place on November 2.

The by-elections have been necessitated as the seats fell vacant following the death of Sindagi JD(S) legislator M C Managuli and BJP’s C M Udasi from Hangal.

Chandigarh: Punjab Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu on Thursday called Amarinder Singh the “architect” of the Centre’s three farm laws, drawing a sharp reaction from the former chief minister who dubbed the ex-cricketer a “fraud and a cheat”.

Sidhu’s remark came two days after Amarinder Singh said he would launch his own political party and that he was hopeful of a seat arrangement with the BJP, provided the ongoing farmers’ stir against the farm laws was resolved in the agriculturists’ interest.

Amarinder Singh, who had faced an unceremonious exit from the state government last month, had also said that he was also looking at an alliance with like-minded parties such as breakaway Akali groups.

“The architect of three black laws Who brought Ambani to Punjab’s kisani Who destroyed Punjab’s farmers, small traders and labour for benefiting one-two big corporates,” Sidhu tweeted on Thursday in an apparent reference to farmers’ allegations that big corporates will dictate terms to agriculturists with the passage of these laws.

Sidhu also uploaded an old video of Amarinder Singh in which he was heard talking about some vegetable crops under a field-to-fork programme.

Reacting to Sidhu’s tweet a few hours later, the former chief minister told him, “What a fraud and cheat you are!”

“You’re trying to pass off my 15-year-old crop diversification initiative as connected with #FarmLaws against which I’m still fighting and with which I’ve linked my own political future,” said Amarinder Singh as quoted by his media advisor in a tweet.

“It’s obvious @sherryontopp you’re clueless about Punjab’s and its farmers’ interests. You clearly don’t know the difference between diversification and what the #FarmLaws are all about. And yet you dream of leading Punjab. How dreadful if that ever happens,” he said.

Further taking a swipe at Sidhu, Amarinder Singh said that it was hilarious that he chose to post the video at a time when the Punjab government was going all out to promote its upcoming Progressive Punjab Investors’ Summit. “Or are you opposed to that too,” he asked the former cricketer.

The Charanjit Singh Channi-led government will hold the investors’ summit on October 26 and 27.

Amarinder Singh had resigned as the Punjab chief minister last month amid a bitter power tussle with Sidhu. Channi replaced Amarinder Singh as the CM.

Hundreds of farmers, mostly from Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, have been camping at the Delhi borders since November 26 last year, demanding the repeal of the three new farm laws.