Congress leader Sachin Pilot asked the Center to accept the demands of the agitating farmers with immediate effect.

JAIPUR:  Congress leader and former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot on Thursday asked the Centre to accept the demands of the agitating farmers with immediate effect.

“The farmers are fully alert and capable to protect their future, right and lands and the central government cannot confuse them with any vicious and undemocratic efforts,” he tweeted.

He said the central government should immediately accept all the demands of the farmers.

Thousands of farmers are currently staying put at Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh in protest against the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020 and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

They have expressed apprehension that these laws would pave the way for the dismantling of the minimum support price system, leaving them at the “mercy” of big corporations.

However, the government has maintained that the new laws will bring farmers better opportunities and usher in new technologies in agriculture.

There have been multiple rounds of talks between representatives of the protesters and the government but the logjam continues.

Mumbai, Dec 9: Ranjitsinh Disale, a school teacher from Maharashtra who won a global award having USD 1 million prize money, on Wednesday tested positive for COVID- 19.

Taking to Twitter, Disale, 32, said late on Wednesday night that he and his wife have tested positive for the infection.

“My wife and I have tested COVID-19 positive. We are following the medical advice and resting at home in isolation with mild symptoms. I urge everyone who has been in contact with me to take necessary precautions. Thank you for all your support,” he said on the micro-blogging site.

After winning the coveted Global Teacher Award last week, Disale, a resident of Solapur district, had met several prominent personalities, including Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari.

His family member said that he started feeling unwell a couple of days back and visited Barshi rural hospital in Solapur district where he and his wife tested positive.

“None of his other family members has tested positive for the coronavirus infection. Both Disale and his wife have mild symptoms and they have isolated themselves at their home,” he said.

Disale, who teaches at a state government school in rural Solapur, had hit the headlines when he won the international award having a prize money of USD 1 million (around Rs 7 crore).

He had met the governor on Tuesday and the CM and MNS chief Raj Thackeray on Monday in Mumbai.

Last week, BJP leader Pravin Darekar had visited Disale’s home to felicitate him on his achievement.

The ZP primary school teacher from Paritewadi, a village with less than 2,000 people, was recognised for his efforts to promote girls’ education.

Disale has said he will share 50 per cent of the prize money among his fellow finalists.

New Delhi: The Indian Air Force on Wednesday objected to the upcoming Anil Kapoor starrer Netflix movie ‘AK vs AK’, referring to what it said the “inaccurately” donned uniform of the force as well as the language used in the trailer of the film.

In their reaction, both Netflix India and Kapoor said their intention would never be to disrespect the armed forces. The film, directed by Vikramaditya Motwane, also features Anurag Kashyap.

Earlier, in a tweet, the Indian Air Force (IAF) said it wants removal of certain scenes in the movie as they do not conform to the behavioural norms of those in the armed forces.

“The IAF uniform in this video is inaccurately donned & the language used is inappropriate. This does not conform to the behavioural norms of those in the Armed Forces of India. The related scenes need to be withdrawn. @NetflixIndia @anuragkashyap72,” the IAF tweeted.

In its reaction, Netflix India said the film does not represent the Indian Air Force or the armed forces.

“Hon. @IAF_MCC, our intention would never be to disrespect the Armed Forces of India in any regard. AK Vs. AK is a film in which Anil Kapoor and his co-stars are playing themselves as actors,” it said in a tweet.

“At no point does the film represent the Indian Air Force or our Armed Forces. We have nothing but the highest respect for the brave people protecting our nation,” it added.

In the trailer, Kapoor is seen donning an untucked trademark blue full sleeve shirt of the IAF and in one of the dialogues, he uses cuss words.

In a short video posted on Twitter, Kapoor explained his position and said it was never the intention of him or the makers of the film to hurt anyone’s feelings.

“It has come to my attention that the trailer of my new film AK Vs AK has offended some people as I am wearing the IAF uniform while using unparliamentary language. I would like to sincerely offer my humble apologies for unintentionally hurting anyone’s sentiments,” he said.

The actor also explained the context of the scenes which were objected to by the IAF.

“My character in the film is in uniform because he is an actor playing the role of an officer. When he finds out that his daughter has been kidnapped, the anger and rage he is experiencing is that of an emotionally distraught father,” Kapoor said.

“It is only in the interest of remaining true to the story that my character is still wearing the uniform on his quest to find his missing daughter. It is never my intent or intent of the film makers to disrespect the IAF. I always have utmost respect and gratitude for the selfless service of all our defence personnel,” he added.

While a number of people criticised the IAF for its objection to certain scenes in the trailer, many others supported it.

New Delhi: A person stands disqualified from contesting polls under the election law if his conviction in a criminal case, in which a jail term of two or more years has been awarded, is not stayed, the Supreme Court said on Wednesday.

The top court’s observation came in a judgement by which it dismissed an appeal of Saritha S Nair against the rejection of her nomination papers for contesting Lok Sabha polls from Ernakulam, Kerala, by the returning officers in 2019 on account of her conviction and sentencing in two criminal cases related to the Solar scam in the state. Hibi Eden of Congress party won the seat.

Nair had also moved the top court against rejection of her nomination papers on the same grounds for contesting Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad seat against Rahul Gandhi. The plea was dismissed earlier on November 2 on account of non-prosecution.

A bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian trashed the contention of Nair that the rejection of her nomination papers was incorrect as her sentence of three years was suspended by appellate courts.

The bench said that the suspension of the execution of the sentence would not “alter or affect” the conviction and that therefore such a person would remain disqualified.

The top court was very critical of the Kerala High Court for holding the defects such as lack of proper verification, incomplete prayer and allegations against former Chief Minister as incurable in Nair’s petition.

The High Court committed a grave error in holding the three defects…as incurable. The defects are curable and as rightly contended by the counsel for the petitioner, an opportunity to cure the defects ought to have been given.., it said.

Referring judgements and legal provisions on disqualification, the bench said, It will be clear that the mere suspension of the execution of the sentence is not sufficient to take the rigour out of Section 8(3) (of the Representation of Peoples Act).

Justice Ramasubramanian, writing the verdict, said an order of the court suspending the sentence of imprisonment has to be read in the context of Section 389 of the Code of Criminal Procedure and that under the said provision, what is suspended is only the execution of the sentence and not the sentence itself.

The top court upheld the decisions of the Returning Officer saying in effect, the disqualification under Section 8(3) will continue so long as there is no stay of conviction , and also rejected her plea that her nomination papers to contest polls from Amethi was not rejected despite the disclosure of same facts.

Merely because the Returning Officer in Amethi Constituency committed an error in overlooking this fact, the petitioner cannot plead estoppel against statutory prescription, the top court held.

Nair had moved the top court against the October 31, 2019 decision of the Kerala High Court by which her election petitions challenging the Lok Sabha polls in Wayanad and Ernakulam also were dismissed.

The high court had not allowed Nair’s pleas challenging the polls in both Lok Sabha seats and said that her nomination papers were rejected as the conviction in the two criminal cases were not suspended.

It had that only the sentences in the cases were suspended by the appellate court.

The high court said it was clear from the relief sought in the appeal petition that Nair had only sought suspension of the sentence and not suspension of conviction.

Nair’s nomination papers were rejected under the Secrion 8(3) of the Representation of People Act, 1951 which prescribed for disqualification on account of conviction and sentencing in a criminal case.

Aurangabad: Union minister Raosaheb Danve on Wednesday claimed that China and Pakistan were behind the ongoing protests by farmers, who are seeking repeal of three new farm laws.

He also alleged that Muslims were earlier misled over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC), but as those efforts did not succeed, now farmers were being told that they will face losses due to the new laws.

Danve was speaking at the inauguration of a health centre at Kolte Takli in Badnapur taluka of Maharashtra’s Jalna district.

“The agitation that is going on is not that of farmers. China and Pakistan have a hand behind this. Muslims in this country were incited first. What was said (to them)? That NRC is coming, CAA is coming and Muslims will have to leave this country in six months. Did a single Muslim leave?

“Those efforts didn’t succeed and now farmers are being told that they will face losses. This is the conspiracy of other countries,” Danve said.

The minister, however, did not elaborate on what basis he claimed that the two neighbouring countries are behind the farmers’ protests.

“The government is buying wheat at Rs 24 and rice at Rs 34 per kg and giving it to people at Rs 2 and Rs 3 per kg respectively. The government is spending Rs 1.75 lakh crore on the subsidy for this. The government is spending money for the welfare of farmers,” the Minister of State for Consumer Affairs said.

“These initiatives by the central government show that it is ready to spend money for farmers, but others don’t like it,” the BJP leader claimed.

Danve said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is the prime minister of farmers and none of his decisions would be against farmers. The Shiv Sena slammed Danve for dragging China and Pakistan in the farmers’ stir, saying the BJPleaders are out of their senses.

Sena spokesperson and former Union minister Arvind Sawant told PTI that the BJP leaders are out of their senses because they lost power in Maharashtra.

“They don’t know what they are speaking,” the Sena leader said.