NEW DELHI: The National Commission for Women on Tuesday summoned Congress leader Ajay Rai over his “misogynistic” and “derogatory” remark against Union minister Smriti Irani.

The Uttar Pradesh Congress leader had on Monday said Irani only comes to her constituency Amethi to show “latkas” and “jhatkas”, an unflattering reference to dance moves that provoked a sharp response from the BJP.

“The National Commission for Women has come across several media reports on a controversial remark made by Congress leader Ajay Rai against Union Minister Smriti Irani,” the NCW said.

“The Commission has taken cognizance of the misogynistic remark made by Mr Rai. The remarks are outrageous and extremely derogatory and the Commission strongly condemns such statements. The Commission has scheduled a hearing in the matter and sent a notice to Mr Rai to appear before it on 28.12.2022 at 12 PM,” the NCW said in a statement.

Asked if Gandhi will contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections from Amethi, Rai had told reporters, “It has been the seat of the Gandhi family. Rahul ji has been the Lok Sabha MP from there. So has been Rajiv (Gandhi) ji and Sanjay (Gandhi) ji, and they have served it.”

“Most of the factories in Amethi are on the verge of closure. Half of the factories in Jagdishpur industrial area are lying shut. Smriti Irani only comes, shows ‘latka-jhatka’, and leaves,” Rai, who is a regional chief of the party had said.

Currently, Amethi is represented in Lok Sabha by Union Minister for Women and Child Development Irani.

Responding to the statement, Irani said Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi needed a new scriptwriter.

“You and Mummy ji need to get your misogynistic (misogynist) goons a new speechwriter,” the Union Minister for Women and Child Development had said.

RAIPUR:  Chhattisgarh’s sulking Congress leader TS Singhdeo, health minister in the Bhupesh Baghel-led ministry, has kept his chief ministerial hopes alive ahead of the Assembly polls due next year. On Tuesday, Singhdeo told the media that he is going to take some decisions “regarding his future” ahead of the polls, creating a flutter in the party circles. Singhdeo considers himself the CM-in-waiting ever since Rahul Gandhi reportedly gave him his word for a 2.5-year rotational arrangement with Baghel after the Congress came to power in the state in 2018. 

The CM aspirant said he would decide after holding discussions with party workers. To a question as to how he would convince his “disillusioned” supporters, he said his decision depended upon the workers’ views and the issues that lead them to work.

Last year, Singhdeo met Rahul Gandhi and other top leaders in Delhi who promised to “resolve the issue.” Yet nothing happened. On Tuesday’s remarks, the opposition BJP said Singhdeo’s betrayed signs of frustration. “Such a statement implies that there is a policy of going solo with no teamwork existing in the government. Earlier too, a senior minister had publicly expressed his annoyance over the work carried out in his area. It clearly shows what’s going on within the Congress”, said Narayan Chandel, the leader of Opposition.

However, CM Bhupesh Baghel found nothing wrong in what his senior cabinet colleague said. “Everyone has a right to decide about their future. We also take a decision after consulting party workers. His (Singhdeo) statements have been misinterpreted,” Baghel said. Senior Congress leaders maintained that the party never talked about the 2.5-year formula. “After Singhdeo’s comments, it’s going to be a wait-and-watch situation in Chhattisgarh,” said an observer. 

MYSURU: Slain forest brigand Veerappan’s aide Gnanaprakash was released on bail from the Mysuru Central Prison on Tuesday.

The 63-year-old Gnanaprakash was released on bail from prison at around 8.30 am. The prison authorities had received the court order on Monday evening and based on the court’s direction, he was released on Tuesday morning. 

He will be visiting his native Sandhanapalya in Hanur taluk in Chamarajanagar district after spending 28 years in jail.

The Supreme Court granted interim bail to Gnanaprakash on November 26. Based on the order, advocate PP Baburaj had filed an application at the Chamarajanagar District and Sessions Court which ordered for the release of Gnanapakash furnishing surety of two persons and a Rs 5 lakh personal bond.

Gnanaprakash was not in the pink of his health for the past few years. Recently, he was detected to suffer from lung cancer during a medical checkup in KR Hospital. So he was sent for medical examination to Victoria Hospital and later Kidwai Cancer Hospital in Bengaluru for confirmation.  

Mysuru Central Prison KC Divyshree told TNIE that Gnanaprakash was released after SC awarded interim bail.

“The SC will hear the case in February 2023 where it will decide whether to continue the bail or surrender,” he said.

Divyashree said that while two Simon and Bilavendran died due to age-related ailments, Gnanaprakash was suffering from ill health. Gnanaprakash was given any work in the jail due to health issues while Meesekara Madaiah works in the handloom unit.

Gnanaprakash along with Simon Anthonyappa, Meesekara Madaiah and Bilavendran were arrested for the killing of 22 policemen and injuring many others in the landmine blasts at Palar on the border of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu on 9 April 1993.

The four were part of the 124 persons who were arrested in connection with the case and booked under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (TADA) Prevention Act in 1994. While 117 were acquitted, seven persons were sentenced to life imprisonment. Among them, the Supreme Court ordered death sentences to these four in connection with planting the mine.

The four who were housed in Mysuru Central Prison were shifted to Hindalga Central Prison in Belgaum in 2004 after SC awarded the death sentence. However, in 2014, the SC commuted their death sentence to life imprisonment. All four were shifted back to Mysuru Prison.

While Simon died in 2019, Bilavendra died in 2020 due to age-related ailments. Advocate Venugopal, who represented the four, had urged the government to release Madaiah and Gnanaprakash, considering their age and illness.

NEW DELHI:  The Enforcement Directorate has made a sensational accusation that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha and a partner together hold about 65% stake in liquor company Indo Spirits, which is allegedly involved in the Delhi liquor scam. The agency, in a chargesheet filed last month, said Kavitha holds the stake through proxies who have been identified and questioned.
The ED chargesheet was filed in the Special Court of judge M K Nagpal, who took cognisance of it on Tuesday and listed the case for hearing on January 5.

The ED chargesheet gives a detailed description of how the scam unfolded. It says “one of the crucial pieces of evidence of this scam and conspiracy is the circumstances under which the partnership of India Spirits was formed. As revealed by Sameer (Mahendru) in his statement dated November 12, he was introduced to Arun Pillai by Vijay Nair as part of a group which has deep pockets and are friends of Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal… they sought a stake in Sameer’s Delhi business.

Sameer did not agree to this partnership condition as it meant him sharing his profit for no significant investments from these persons. Vijay Nair then told Sameer that if he takes this deal, Vijay will ensure that they get Pernod (Ricard)’s business. …Sameer agreed hereby to give stakes of 65% to these persons. During the course of his interaction with these persons, Sameer had become aware of MSR (Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy) and K Kavitha being the actual partners in Indo Spirits, who were represented by their fronts Prem Rahul and Arun Pillai.”

As for Arun Pillai, he “revealed that during his interaction with Sameer Mahendru it was made clear to him that the ultimate control of the 65% stakes in his business was with MSR and K Kavitha. Arun Pillai has confirmed that he has arranged facetime calls with Kavitha and Sameer Mahendru as well. He had also arranged a meeting of Sameer Mahendru and Kavitha at her residence at Hyderabad, wherein she took general updates of Indo Spirits business from Sameer Mahendru.”

The ED said that Dinesh Arora in his statement dated 1.10.2022 revealed that he coordinated transfer of Rs 30-31 crore kickbacks from the South Group, of which Kavitha is allegedly a part, from Hyderabad to Delhi for Vijay Nair.

NEW DELHI: Over 300 Railway Track Maintenance (RTM) personnel have lost their lives on duty after being by trains in the last four years over the Indian Railways. The highest number of RTM staff had died on duty from different railway sections in Uttar Pradesh from 2018 to December 5 in 2022.

The Railways informed the Rajya Sabha (RS) that a total of 312 track maintenance staff had died in the last four years on duty in different parts of the country.

Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday in a written reply said that ex-gratia compensations were paid to the families of Railway track maintenance staff who lost their lives while performing bonafide official duties after being hit by trains.

“We are conducting regular counselling of track maintenance staff for ‘personal safety first’ while working near the tracks. They have also been equipped with protective equipment, safety helmets, and retro-reflective high visibility jackets for duty”, the minister informed the House, adding that work site remote control hooters and whistles were provided to track maintenance staff.

The minister also said that periodic medical examination is regularly being conducted to ascertain the fitness of track personnel.

The most notable information the minister gave in the Upper House was that the government has sanctioned the very high frequency-based ‘Approaching Train Warning System’, which is also called ‘Rakshak’, on the Golden Quadrilateral-Golden Diagonal routes on Indian Railway. “For this system, Rs 91.21 crores have been sanctioned”, the minister added.

According to data shared by the minister in the RS, 61 track maintenance personnel lost their lives after having been hit by trains during duty in Uttar Pradesh from 2018 to December 5 in 2022. 48 track maintenance personnel died in Maharashtra during duty in the same period.

BHOPAL:  The Shivraj Singh Chouhan-led BJP government has decided to scrutinize the study material of Madrasas in Madhya Pradesh following complaints and reports about Hindu children not only having been enrolled in madrasas instead of schools but also being taught books containing objectionable religious content.ADVERTISEMENTAds by 

“Objectionable religious content being taught to students at some madrasas has come to our knowledge. To prevent any untoward incident in future, the district collectors will be directed to get the study material of madrasas scrutinized by the education department of the concerned districts,” MP home minister and state government’s official spokesperson Narottam Mishra said on Sunday.

In an official statement released by Mishra’s office, it was mentioned that it has come to the state government’s knowledge that some books that contain objectionable content about those who don’t believe and follow Islam are being taught at madrasas in some districts. “All district collectors will soon be directed to thoroughly scrutinize the study material being given to students. The state government is serious on the issue and will ensure that controversial content or books aren’t taught at madrasas,” the statement added.

Importantly, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has recently taken congizance of reports, about some Hindu children from lower socio-economic strata not getting admission at government schools and instead ending up being taught at madrasas meant for Muslim students in the same areas of at least two districts, including Vidisha and Datia.

The Commission had also received complaints about objectionable religious content being taught at these madrasas. While at one madrasa in Datia district of the Gwalior-Chambal region, out of the total 67 students 26 reportedly are Hindu, whereas in Vidisha district a group of Gond tribe children were being taught. The NCPCR chairperson Priyank Kanoongo said, “The main question arises as to how come Hindu kids were being taught Islamic religious education.”