New Delhi: The Supreme Court directed the Centre on Wednesday to file a report on alleged attacks on Christian institutions and priests across the country as well as on the implementation of its earlier guidelines to curb hate crimes.
A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices PS Narasimha and JB Pardiwala directed the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to collate a report on the state’s compliance with the court’s guidelines and file the same before it.
The court passed the directions after the petitioner’s counsel, senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, said nodal officers have been notified in every district but they are not registering cases, even though hate speeches have been delivered during rallies in Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh and such news appear regularly on television and in newspapers.
Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati opposed the submission made by Gonsalves, saying it is “easy to make sweeping statements”.
The CJI then said, “Let the MHA file a reply…. We can keep this after two weeks.”
In 2018, the apex court issued a slew of guidelines for the Centre and states for dealing with hate crimes. These included fast-track trials, compensation to the victims, deterrent punishment and disciplinary action against lax law-enforcing officials. The court said offences such as hate crimes, cow vigilantism and lynching should be nipped in the bud.
The states shall designate a senior police officer not below the rank of superintendent of police as the nodal officer for the implementation of the guidelines in each district, the court had said, adding that these officers will set up a task force, to be assisted by a DSP-rank officer, for taking measures to prevent incidents of mob violence and lynching.
The state governments shall immediately identify the districts, sub-divisions and villages where instances of lynching and mob violence have been reported in the recent past, the court had said.
Right-wing organisation Rashtriya Bajrang Dal objected to the offering of Taraweeh prayers by a group of Muslim men in the Moradabad district of Uttar Pradesh.
The incident happened on Saturday night when a group of Rashtriya Bajrang Dal led by its state president Rohan Saxena barged into the godown of a Muslim man named Zakir Hussain in Lajpat Nagar in Katghar police station area.
24/03/2023, Lajpat Nagar, Moradabad
members of Bajrang Dal have stopped the offering of Taraweeh prayers at home & complained it to Police
The right-wing men created a ruckus after which police had to be called to pacify the situation.
Later while speaking to reporters, Saxena said that they will not allow new paramparas (traditions) to brew in the city.
“We got information that Zakir is creating a new tradition by conducting prayers with his Muslim brothers. We vehemently oppose this and further will not allow any such tradition to spring up in our city or the state,” Saxena told reporters.
“We have repeatedly asked the police to lodge FIRs against violent people (referring to the Muslim community),” Saxena said.
When asked how did his organisation come to know about the incident, he said, “We received information from their neighbours. We also have images as proofs. We will not stand this.”
“We have asked the police officials to lodge a complaint against them. And if they fail to do so, the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal will come to the streets to protest against it,” Saxena said.
Siasat.com spoke to the SHO of Katghar police station under whose jurisdiction the incident happened.
The official said that Taraweeh was been offered by a group of Muslim men. “We have asked them to offer Taraweeh in mosques. The situation is under control,” he said.
Asked if any FIR was lodged, the official replied negatively and further declined to comment.
What is Taraweeh
Taraweeh meaning rest or relaxation is a voluntary prayer performed after the evening prayer, Isha, every single night during the month of Ramzan. As it is a highly recommended Sunnah, mosques across the world hold congregational Taraweeh prayers for men and women every night of the month.
In Ramzan, Muslims fast for a period of 29 or 30 days, and the month is marked by Eid-al-Fitr.
SRINAGAR: The Gujarat state’s Ahmedabad Crime Branch has filed a fresh First Information Report (FIR) against Kiran Patel, a fraudster who posed as a PMO (Prime Minister’s Office) official and deceived the security establishment in Kashmir to obtain various benefits before being apprehended earlier this month.
According to an official who spoke to news agency KDC, the Ahmadabad Crime Branch has lodged a fresh FIR against Kiran Patel, dubbed a ‘conman’, after being arrested by a team of Srinagar police based on information from the CID department. Patel had posed as an additional director (strategy and campaigns) at the Prime Minister’s Office and received numerous benefits, such as a bulletproof car, security protection, and various other amenities.
The official stated that the police station of Ahmadabad’s Crime Branch in Gujarat state has registered a new FIR (number 11191011230073) against Kiran Patel under sections 406, 420, 170, and 120 B.
Sources have verified that a two-member team from the Crime Branch has been dispatched to Srinagar to assume the custody of Kiran Patel from the Srinagar police.
The initial report of the arrest of the fraudster, hailing from Gujarat, who had allegedly used fake credentials to pose as an Additional Director (Strategy & Campaigns) of the Prime Minister’s Office in New Delhi, was published by the Srinagar-based news agency, KDC. The arrest had taken place at Hotel Lalit in Srinagar, in a significant case handled by the Srinagar police.
An FIR number 19 of 2023 was registered by Srinagar police in Police Station Nishat in Srinagar, reads “On 02-03-2023 a reliable information received by Police Station Nishat has revealed that a fraudster namely Kiran Bhai Patel son of Jagdesh Bhai Patel resident of Gujarat has by virtue of criminal intention indulged in activities within the jurisdiction of this police station and other parts of Kashmir valley and by employing high degree of forged means. Kiran Bhai has impersonated himself as a senior government official of India.”
“The said individual, by resorting to cheating, forgery and impersonation has duped gullible people and also intentionally induced people to do and also to omit to do activities, under a well-knit plan for securing monetary as well as material benefits,” reads the FIR.
The imposter had taken the J&K administration and security structure for a ride by securing Z-plus security cover, a bulletproof Mahindra Scorpio SUV, official accommodation at a five-star hotel, and a lot more,” reads the FIR.
On Thursday, after hearing the arguments of the counsel representing Patel and additional public prosecutor, the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Srinagar Raja Mohammad Tasleem found the bail plea “devoid of any merit”.
“I am of the considered opinion that arguments advanced by APP are just, proper and appealing and carries much weight and on the other hand I respectfully disagree with the submission put forth by Counsel for the applicant (Patel) because in case at this stage discretion of bail is exercised in favour of the accused it shall definitely destroy the very fabric of the investigation,” the court said. “Resultantly, in my considered opinion the instant application is devoid of any merit which deserves to be rejected, hence rejected.” (KDC)
Senior Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury (Photo/ANI)
New Delhi: After a Surat court held Rahul Gandhi guilty in a 2019 criminal defamation case over his remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surname, Congress leader Renuka Chowdhury announced that she would file a defamation case against Modi since the latter supposedly linked her laughter to ‘Surupanakha’, a demoness in Hindu mythology in a House proceeding.
Taking to Twitter, Chowdhury on Friday said that Modi insulted her by his remark made in Parliament in 2018. She also posted a video of the House proceedings.
She added: “This classless megalomaniac referred to me as Surupanakha on the floor of the House. I will file a defamation case against him. Let’s see how fast courts will act now.”
This classless megalonaniac referred to me as Surpanakha on the floor of the house.
I will file a defamation case against him. Let’s see how fast courts will act now.. pic.twitter.com/6T0hLdS4YW
In the video, Modi while addressing the Chairman said: “I request you not to say anything to Renuka ji. I am fortunate to hear such laughter today, after the Ramayana serial.”
The Chairman had asked Chowdhury to be silent after her laughter was heard during Modi’s address.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to inform it about the induction of women in various disciplines of Indian Army.
The court’s order came on petitions by lawyer Kush Karla on alleged discrimination against women in the army’s recruitment policy in certain entries.
Let fresh status report be filed furnishing details of recruitment of women keeping in view the orders passed by the Supreme Court, said a bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sachin Datta.
Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma said nothing remained in the petition concerning the recruitment of women in the air force in groups X and Y trades as “it has not become agniveer”.
Group ‘X’ trade refers to technical fields like aircraft and ground systems, while group ‘Y’ pertains to non-technical fields like logistics and accounts.
The other petitions pertained to recruitment of women in army’s engineering and education corp.
Let an affidavit be filed on recruitment of women in all the cases, said the court.
In the PILs, Kalra has alleged “institutionalised discrimination” against women by the Army as it does not recruit them into the two corps by giving them a permanent commission.
Opposing the petitions, Centre has said in 2018 that the allegation of discrimination against women in Indian Army with respect to their recruitment in the force is “baseless, unfounded and devoid of merit”.
The Indian Army has maintained that it has in “1992 introduced women special entry scheme (officers) for induction of short service commission (women officers)”, under the appropriate provisions of the law.
Advocate Kush Kalra has said in his plea that, “discrimination on grounds of gender is violative of fundamental right of equality before law, the right not to be discriminated on the ground of sex, the equality of opportunity in the matters of public employment, the right to practice any profession and occupation and the human rights of the women.”
Bengaluru: The Lokayukta sleuths are preparing to file another case against BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa, accused in a bribe for tender case, regarding the accumulation of disproportionate wealth, sources said on Thursday.
Sources said that the Lokayukta authorities are upset over the fact that the prime accused in the case, Madal Virupakshappa has obtained bail, whereas the second accused in the case, his son, Prashath Madal has been jailed.
The Lokayukta has already approached the Supreme Court, questioning the granting of bail to the BJP MLA. The Supreme Court on other hand refused to hear the plea. The Advocates Association has also written to the Chief Justice of India raising concern about posting of the matter of bail of BJP MLA.
The association has sought the attention of the CJI that justice should be the same for an ordinary man and VIP.
Sources explain that the Lokayukta sleuths have started gathering inputs on assets of BJP MLA Madal Virupakshappa in Davanagere district, across the state and other parts of the country. After getting evidence regarding disproportionate wealth, the sleuths will lodge another complaint against him, sources confirmed.
Prashath Madal, a government officer and son of the BJP MLA was caught red-handed while accepting Rs 40 lakh bribe at his office. Later, the authorities recovered more than Rs 8 crore from the residences. It was alleged that Prashath was receiving bribes for allocation of tender towards the procurement of raw materials for the Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited (KSDL).
BJP MLA was the chairman of KSDL and following the trap, he was asked to tender resignation for his post.
“The team itself has felt like he has had a free ride without scrutiny for a number of years,” said Bryan Lanza, who worked on Trump’s 2016 campaign and remains close to Trump’s team. “Just because he’s aggressive and willing to fight doesn’t make him MAGA. MAGA is the policies and there is a tremendous amount of sunlight between Trump policies and DeSantis policies. The more and more that gets highlighted the more DeSantis is going to get exposed as just another member of the establishment and compared to Jeb Bush.”
The preparations are the latest sign of a bruising primary fight to come, one that could make the 2016 primary fireworks look tame in comparison. It’s a high-risk, high-reward play. The child pornography charges, for one, mirror those used by Republican Senators against then Supreme Court Justice nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson. And in the case of DeSantis, his contemporaries have insisted that the plea deals he signed were not unordinary.
“To make any allegation that he was soft on any kind of case, especially child pornography, is just ludicrous. It defies the logic of what I saw in the office or what my office would let happen,” Ronald Henry, a retired assistant U.S. Attorney who served as supervisor to DeSantis when he was special assistant U.S. Attorney, told POLITICO. “He wasn’t a lone wolf on his own making deals without the entire weight of the U.S. Attorney’s office overseeing what he was doing.”
Already, Trump has seen several notable defections from his camp, with former allies citing the ex-president’s “childish” antics.
“Trump was a good policy guy and I’d put him up there with Ronald Reagan on policy, but presidentially he was a disaster the way he acted, the calling people names,” said former congressman Tom Marino, who co-chaired Trump’s 2015 campaign in Pennsylvania but is now supporting DeSantis. “He’s just not a nice person…If he thinks he had trouble getting elected before, there are more and more people out there across the country who said I was for him the first time, the second time, but what’s going on and his problems I don’t think I can support him.”
Trump hasn’t waited to get started on what is expected to be a major anti-DeSantis broadside. He’s made digs at the Florida governor’s backpedaling on raising the retirement age and privatizing Social Security and Medicare, has floated unsavory questions about DeSantis’ time as a teacher in Georgia, and has considered different nicknames for the governor including “Ron Establishment” and “Tiny D,” which he told reporters he likes. For now he is settling on “Ron DeSanctimonious,” or, for short, “DeSanctus.” Trump denied he was ever considering another oft-mentioned nickname — “Meatball Ron” — and told reporters it is “too crude.”
“I’m a very loyal person,” Trump told a small group of reporters on his way to Iowa on Monday. “There’s no hostility but I think it’s a strange thing he was out of politics, he was dead…I don’t think it’s nasty. I’m a very loyal person so I don’t understand disloyalty but you do see it in politics.”
Trump even released a video on Tuesday praising past Florida governors and claiming the state was “doing fantastically” before DeSantis. “Sunshine and ocean are very alluring, it’s not too hard to work with those factors.”
The Trump campaign’s goal is to capitalize on the months before DeSantis announces by rolling out new attacklines on the Florida governor and painting him as the handpicked establishment favorite, not the heir apparent to the MAGA throne.
DeSantis himself has brushed off Trump’s attacks as mere noise.
A spokesperson for DeSantis declined to comment.
“DeSantis doesn’t need to promote himself,” Marino said. “He’s a leader. He doesn’t call people names. He doesn’t make fun of women. That’s an easy one. I truly meant Trump was a genius on policy and he really blew it. I told him about it. He knows it all.”
In public remarks, DeSantis has drawn a contrast with Trump without naming him by emphasizing his overwhelming win in 2022, noting that he doesn’t rely on polls — a favorite tool of Trump’s — to dictate decisions, and that his administration is leak free.
But the rivalry that has been simmering for months could start to boil over as the two men criss-cross the country, hob nob with donors in the wealthy enclaves of Palm Beach, and start to unveil key campaign support.
On Friday, DeSantis made two stops in Iowa as part of a tour for his book, “The Courage to be Free,” and visited Nevada on Saturday. Trump visited Iowa on Monday for a roundtable on education policy.
As DeSantis spoke to Iowans, Trump went after the Florida governor on Truth Social, taking aim at his “very small crowds,” his support for ending an ethanol mandate, and his votes on Social Security and Medicare.
DeSantis did not mention 2024 during his speech in Iowa, but his decision to visit the state that holds the first contest in the Republican nominating calendar indicated he is doing more than flirting with a run. DeSantis is not expected to make a presidential announcement until Florida’s legislative session ends in May.
DeSantis’ Iowa visit came as a new aligned group, Never Back Down PAC, launched on Thursday. That group is being led by Ken Cuccinelli, one of Trump’s former administration officials. And in a potential sign of defections to come, Marino and another former Trump booster, Lou Barletta from Pennsylvania, also announced they plan to support the committee.
Some Trump allies acknowledge DeSantis has been able to attract deep-pocketed donors and some establishment Republicans who are eager to move on from the constant chaos of Trump. They say it could be challenging for him to bring together that cohort and some of the populist, right-wing voters who have been a part of the ex-president’s base in the past.
Trump’s team has tried to drive a wedge between the two by highlighting DeSantis’ voting record in Congress on support for military involvement overseas and entitlement cuts. They’re also keen to go after DeSantis’ response to Covid, although it is unclear how potent of an attack line that will be to voters who saw thousands flock to the Sunshine State during the pandemic.
But they also plan to highlight what’s described as the “personality factor.” Trump allies say the Florida governor can be awkward and mechanical in public, and note he has largely avoided the press. To contrast that, Trump’s team organized a trip to East Palestine, Ohio to bring attention to the train derailment there and interact with residents affected by the crash. They have given local and national media opportunities to ask Trump questions, and have scheduled unannounced stops in places like McDonald’s where he can interact with the public.
Trump’s team also sees an inherent advantage within their ranks. The top lieutenants for Trump’s campaign and aligned PAC, including Susie Wiles, Jason Miller, Taylor Budowich, Justin Caporale, and Tony Fabrizio, all of whom have past experience working for DeSantis.
One of Trump’s aides noted that it was a reflection of DeSantis’ high staff turnover, although Trump himself has cycled through dozens of top aides over the years, often in very messy and public ways — a fact DeSantis has referenced. Indeed, some of Trump’s top administration officials like Haley, Pence, and Pompeo, have announced a presidential run or are actively considering it.
“You look at my administration, part of the reason we’re able to do well, they’re not leaking to the media, we don’t have palace intrigue, we don’t have any drama. It’s just execution every single day, and we end up beating the left every single day for four years,” DeSantis said in Des Moines.
When asked by POLITICO at the recent CPAC gathering what that might say about his own leadership, Trump described his former cabinet officials as “ambitious” and said he was “proud” of their accomplishments working under him. “The more the merrier,” he added of them entering the campaign.
Alex Isenstadt contributed to this report from Davenport, Iowa.
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#Trump #prepares #extensive #opposition #file #Ron #DeSanctimonious
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Hyderabad: Three candidates of Telangana’s ruling party Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Thursday filed nominations for State Legislative Council polls under MLA quota.
Deshapati Srinivas, K. Naveen Kumar and Challa Venkatrami Reddy filed their papers after paying homage to the Telangana martyrs at Martyrs’ Memorial in front of the Assembly building.
Ministers Harish Rao, Niranjan Reddy, Prashanth Reddy, Malla Reddy, T. Srinivas Yadav, Jagdish Reddy, MLC P. Rajeswara Rao and some other MLAs and MLCs were present at the time of filing of nominations.
While Naveen Kumar filed for the papers for the second term, two others are contesting for the first time for the upper house of the state legislature.
Poet and singer Deshpati Srinivas is currently serving as Officer on Special Duty in the Chief Minister’s Office while Venkatrami Reddy is a former MLA from Alampur constituency.
Biennial elections to three MLC seats are scheduled to take place on March 23. As per the schedule already announced by the Election Commission of India, candidates can file their nominations till March 13. Scrutiny of nominations will be done on March 14 while the deadline for withdrawal of candidatures is March 16.
With more than 100 members in 119-member Assembly, all three candidates of BRS are likely to be elected unopposed.
BRS president and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Tuesday announced the candidates for the MLC polls.
The names of the two candidates to be nominated by the Governor are likely to be announced after the cabinet meeting later on Thursday.
The lawsuit, which has been looming over the pending merger for months, could delay the deal by well over a year. The companies have until early next year to close the deal, which is aimed at creating the nation’s fifth-largest airline in an industry dominated by Delta, American, Southwest and United.
In an interview with POLITICO in late February, JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes and Spirit CEO Ted Christie both argued that the deal would mean lower prices for people who want to fly. But the Justice Department, which has been investigating the proposed merger since summer, was unconvinced that removing ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit from the market would not cause fares to rise.
When asked for details about how the merger could drive down prices, Hayes said fares are a “function of capacity” and that Spirit flights would adopt JetBlue’s seat configuration. Though that means fewer seats, he argued that customers would still save because planes in the new, combined airline would spend more time in the air and less time on the ground.
The suit comes at a time of immense upheaval for the airline industry, including the December debacle in which Southwest Airlines canceled more than 16,000 flights during the Christmas holidays. That episode helped stoke anger from consumers and regulators, amid complaints that decades of mergers have left passengers at the mercy of a monolithic airline industry.
Federal antitrust regulators have taken a harder line against a range of powerful businesses under President Joe Biden, including a recent DOJ lawsuit aimed at breaking up Google’s advertising business and the Federal Trade Commission’s unsuccessful attempt to stop Facebook’s parent from buying a fitness app.
JetBlue’s and Spirit’s argument before DOJ is essentially that they must merge in order to compete with the big four legacy airlines.
To address DOJ’s concerns, JetBlue has offered to sell off the entirety of Spirit’s operations at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, New York’s LaGuardia Airport and Boston Logan International Airport in Massachusetts, as well as five slots at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida.
Not on the table was an offer to abandon JetBlue’s Northeast Alliance with American Airlines, which the DOJ challenged in court last year and is awaiting a ruling from a federal judge in Boston.
Now JetBlue has a second DOJ antitrust case to contend with.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Chennai: Cases have been filed against the Editor of Dainik Bhaskar and another journalist for spreading false information claiming attacks on migrant workers in Tamil Nadu, the State police said on Saturday.
Special teams have been formed under the orders of the Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu, C Sylendra Babu to arrest them, they said. Migrant workers of northern States are living in peace in Tamil Nadu with safety and security and without fear.
A case was registered against the Editor of Dainik Bhaskar newspaper in Tirupur North Police Station under IPC sections covering promoting enmity and mischief causing fear among public, a State police press release said.
Another case has been registered in Tirupur Cyber Crime Police Station against Mohammad Tanvir (TanveerPost Twitter handle) under the IPC for making imputations prejudicial to national integration, making mischief causing fear among public and under a relevant section of the Information Technology Act.
Against “one Prashant Umrao,” an FIR has been filed under various sections of the IPC including those for giving provocation with intent to cause riot, promoting enmity and hatred, provoking breach of peace, statement leading to public mischief, police said. Thoothukudi Central Police Station has filed the case.
Umrao’s verified Twitter handle said he is the spokesperson for Uttarpradesh BJP. However, the police statement did not identify him as a Saffron party office-bearer.
Krishnagiri Police registered a case against a person –named in FIR as Shubham Shukla– under an IPC section for posting false information on Twitter.
Police warned of stern action against those spreading false information to disturb peace and create tension.
