Tag: violated

PM, other BJP leaders violated model code in ‘silence period’, Congress tells EC

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New Delhi: On the eve of polling in the crucial Karnataka Assembly polls, the Congress on Tuesday complained to the Election Commission against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
In a eight-page complaint to the Commission, Congress General Secretary and state unit in-charge Randeep Singh Surjewala said: “We write to you with great urgency to bring to your attention the brazen and blatant violation of the MCC as well as the provisions of the Representation of People Act, 1951 by the Prime Minister and other leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).”
Surjewala said that on Monday, post 11 p.m., Modi addressed the public through a video message, wherein he appealed to the voters of Karnataka on behalf of BJP and all its candidates contesting in the the elections.

“With due respect, neither the Prime Minister nor this Commission can possibly deny the ‘Silence Period’ as contemplated under Section 126 of the Representation of People Act, 1951 for the Karnataka Legislative Assembly Elections, 2023 had come into effect from Monday 6 p.m.” he said, attaching the video link of the Prime Minister’s address.
The Congress leader, who himself camped in the southern state for over two months, said: “In fact, this Commission’s attention may even be brought to the live interviews of Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP President J.P. Nadda, which were aired on news channels after the declaration of the ‘Silence Period’. In these interviews, the said leaders spoke extensively about the Karnataka elections and their respective candidates.”
He also submitted a copy of the video recording of the live interviews being conducted on news channels after declaration of ‘Silence Period’ with the Commission.
The Congress leader, in his complaint, also cited the six complaints it submitted with the poll panel in last few days against the speeches given by Modi, Shah, Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, as part of BJP’s election campaign.
Surjewala said that he was still hoipeful that the poll panel may initiate action against the BJP leaders and not be intimidated by the high offices that they hold.

“The COmmission must take immediate note of this and initiate appropriate proceedings against Modi, Shah, Nadda, Yogi Adityanath and the BJP,” he said, adding that it may be mentioned that if convicted under Section 126 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, these leaders will stand disqualified from their respective membership in the Parliament as well as the Legislative Assembly.
On Monday, the Commission also served a notice to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge asking to provide clarification and take rectification measures over former party chief Sonia Gandhi’s purported ‘Karnataka sovereignty’ remark.
Polling for Karnataka assembly is scheduled on May 10 and counting of votes will take place on May 13.
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#BJP #leaders #violated #model #code #silence #period #Congress #tells
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

May 9, 2023
Louisville Police Department practices violated Constitution, DOJ finds

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“This unacceptable and unconstitutional conduct erodes the community trust necessary for effective policing,” Attorney General Merrick Garland said. | Carolyn Kaster/AP Photo
The Louisville, Kentucky, city government and police department conducted practices that violated the Constitution, according to a new investigation released Wednesday by the Department of Justice.
The Louisville/Jefferson County Metro Government and the Louisville Metro Police Department had patterns of unlawful practices, Attorney General Merrick Garland said during a press conference in Louisville on Wednesday. The DOJ investigation, the results of which Garland announced Wednesday, was launched after Louisville police officers shot and killed Breonna Taylor in 2020. That shooting sparked nationwide protests and calls for police reform.
In its report, the DOJ had “reasonable cause to believe” that the city government and police department engaged in “a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of their rights under the Constitution and federal law.”
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#Louisville #Police #Department #practices #violated #Constitution #DOJ #finds
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

March 8, 2023
Medak cops violated laws: Fact-finding team who visited Khadeer’s kin
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Hyderabad: A fact-finding team of social activists visited the family, friends and neighbours of Mohammed Khadeer Khan, who died on February 21 following alleged police brutality. It concluded that the Medak police failed to follow the process of law and violated several provisions of CrPC, guidelines and judgments delivered by the Supreme Court and various High Courts in the cases of arrest and detention.
The team came out with 13 pointers report that suggests that Khadeer was tortured and attempts were made to erase the evidence.
Not just Khadeer, but his friend Rizwan and brother-in-law Moin were taken along with the victim and allegedly beaten for hours.
No specific complaint or FIR was registered against Khadeer. “It is merely on the basis of misidentification that he was arrested and tortured,” said the report.
Instead of producing before the regular judicial magistrate, Khadeer was produced before the executive magistrate, raising suspicions that he was arrested on mistaken identification due to footage from the CCTV camera.
“The Medak police personnel came to Hyderabad in a private vehicle (Swift car) with plain clothes and without name tags to arrest Khadeer, thus violating guidelines of the apex court laid down in DK Basu case in arresting and keeping accused in police custody. Moreover, police collected Khadeer’s call data records without any warrants,” the report said.
“It seems that police targeted Khadeer to hide their failure in arresting the real culprit involved in the theft case,” the report stated.
The report alleged that police hesitancy to provide timely medical treatment to Khadeer was “to save their own skin”.

Lastly, the fact-finding team has laid down recommendations to the Director General of Police (DGP). They are as follows:
- Immediate safety and security to all witnesses including Rizwan and Moin who were present at the time of the torture.
- Preservation of medical records and statements of doctors who treated Khadeer.
- File FIRs against the erring police officers under 302 (Whoever commits murder shall be punished with death or imprisonment for life, and shall also be liable to fine) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as issue an immediate order to preserve the CCTV footage from January 29 to February 16.
- Speedy trial by appointing a special magistrate and a separate bench.
- Transfer of Medak’s superintendent of police for failing to take timely action against the erring police officials.
- Training for police officials on how to conduct themselves with regards to an investigation as well as the approach with empathy towards the general public.
- Compensation of Rs50 lakh and a government job to Khadeer’s widow by the state government.
“Khadeer was a daily wage worker. His family consists of four persons who were completely dependent on him. Now this family is rendered orphans without male support,” the report concluded.
The fact-finding team of social activists included Khalida Parveen, Murali Karnam, S.Q.Masood, Krishna Kumari, Manga, Deepthi, Kaneez Fathima, Kareema, Farisa Quadri, Naseem Sultana, Gayatri and Fariya.
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#Medak #cops #violated #laws #Factfinding #team #visited #Khadeers #kin
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )
March 1, 2023
China violated sovereignty of nations across 5 continents: Blinken on surveillance balloon

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Washington: China has violated the sovereignty of not just the United States but of countries across five continents, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said, days after American fighter jets shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon.
Earlier this week, Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman briefed diplomats from about 40 friendly nations, including India, Japan and Australia, over the Chinese surveillance balloon.
The huge balloon was shot down on by a US fighter jet on Saturday off the coast of South Carolina in the Atlantic Ocean. It had hovered over continental America for several days after entering the US airspace on January 30 in Montana.
US officials have described the balloon as being about 60m tall, with the payload portion comparable in size to a regional aircraft.
China has acknowledged that the balloon was theirs but denied that it was for surveillance purposes rather for weather monitoring and that it had drifted off course.
The US, however, has asserted that it has enough evidence to prove that this was a surveillance balloon. It accused China of intruding on its sovereignty and violating international laws.
China on the other hand has alleged that the United States has violated international law by shooting down its balloon.
According to a report of The Washington Post, based on interviews with several anonymous defence and intelligence officials, China has operated a fleet of spy balloons targeting several countries including India and Japan.

At a joint news briefing on Wednesday with the visiting NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Blinken said, “The United States was not the only target of this broader programme which has violated the sovereignty of countries across five continents.” “In our engagements, we are again hearing from our partners that the world expects China and the United States to manage our relationship responsibly. That’s precisely what we’ve set out to do. We continue to urge China to do the same,” he told reporters.
Reacting to the statements from Washington, China on Thursday repeated its stand that the large unmanned balloon was a civilian meteorological airship that had accidentally blown off course and that the US had “overreacted” by shooting it down.
Responding to questions at a foreign ministry briefing in Beijing, ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said that she has not heard of China possessing a “fleet of balloons.” “I am not aware of any “fleet of balloons”,” Mao said.
“That narrative is probably part of the information and public opinion warfare the US has waged on China. As to who is the world’s number one country of spying, eavesdropping and surveillance, that is plainly visible to the international community,” she said, referring to the US.
On Tuesday, the Pentagon said that China has declined Washington’s request for a telephonic call between US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and his Beijing counterpart Gen Wei Fenghe.
On Wednesday, Stoltenberg said the Chinese balloon over the United States confirms a pattern of Chinese behaviour, and it has been seen that Beijing over the last few years has invested heavily in new military capabilities, including different types of surveillance and intelligence platforms.
“We have also seen increased Chinese intelligence activities in Europe – again, different platforms. They use satellites, cyber, and as we’ve seen over the United States, also balloons.
“So, we have to be vigilant. We need to be aware of the constant risk of Chinese intelligence and then step up what we do to protect ourselves,” the NATO secretary general said while highlighting that security is not regional but global.
What happens in Asia matters for Europe, and what happens in Europe matters for Asia and also North America, he said.
“This message was confirmed during my visit to Japan and South Korea last week, where those close partners of NATO very much highlighted the importance of strengthening the cooperation between NATO and our partners in the Indo-Pacific to address the challenges that China poses to our security, values, and interests,” Stoltenberg said.
Defense Department Spokesperson Gen Pat Ryder told reporters at a Pentagon news conference that the US is in the process of updating its international allies and partners.
“Clearly, we maintain an intelligence-sharing relationship with many countries, and so as we have information to provide and as we currently are, we will share that information,” he said.
Ryder said that Chinese balloons have been spotted in various parts of the world.
“When you look at the scope of this (Chinese balloon surveillance) programme and the fact that we know that these balloons have been spotted, and what we now can subsequently assess to be Chinese balloons operating over at least five continents in regions like Latin America, South America, Southeast Asia, East Asia and Europe.
“It demonstrates why, for the Department of Defense, China remains the pacing challenge, and something that we’ll continue to stay focused on,” he said.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters that these balloons are all part of a “Chinese fleet” developed to conduct surveillance operations, which have also violated the sovereignty of other countries.
“Over the past several years, Chinese balloons have previously been spotted over countries across five continents. We have been in touch with allies and partners on this issue,” she said.
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#China #violated #sovereignty #nations #continents #Blinken #surveillance #balloon
( With inputs from www.siasat.com )

February 9, 2023
China says it ‘regrets’ that its balloon violated U.S. airspace

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The ministry earlier said any violation was unintentional as it urged calm in Washington.
“China is a responsible country,” Mao Ning, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said in a Friday press briefing. “It has always strictly abided by international law and has no intention of violating the territory and airspace of any sovereign country. As I said just now, we are learning about the verification situation and hope that both sides can handle it calmly and cautiously.”
The Pentagon had already assessed it had “very high confidence” the balloon was Chinese and had been sent to the U.S. to collect sensitive information.
A senior Defense Department official told reporters Thursday that the U.S. prepared fighter jets to shoot down the balloon, but senior Pentagon leaders opted against it due to fears of falling debris hurting people on the ground.
An official said the balloon has “limited value” compared to what intelligence China is able to gather using satellites, although the department is taking “steps” to protect against possible foreign intelligence collection of sensitive information, without elaborating. The official requested anonymity in order to discuss sensitive issues.
The news of the balloon sighting surfaced Thursday, angering lawmakers including Speaker Kevin McCarthy, who called for an intelligence briefing.
“China’s brazen disregard for U.S. sovereignty is a destabilizing action that must be addressed, and President Biden cannot be silent,” McCarthy tweeted. “I am requesting a Gang of Eight briefing.”
Rep. Mike Quigley (D-Ill.) said on CNN Friday that low-orbit Chinese satellites have flown over the U.S. for years.

“They’re there all the time,” he said. “I don’t want the American people to think this is something new and that all of a sudden we have a concern that we didn’t have before. Those concerns are there. They have to be mitigated, they have to be addressed. We have to confront the Chinese government.”
The balloon was spotted over Montana, including over Malmstrom Air Force Base, which houses ground-launched intercontinental ballistic missiles.
Montana Sen. Steve Daines demanded a briefing from the Biden administration Thursday night.
“Given the increased hostility and destabilization around the globe aimed at the United States and our allies, I am alarmed by the fact that this spy balloon was able to infiltrate the airspace of our country and Montana,” the Republican said in a statement.
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#China #regrets #balloon #violated #U.S #airspace
( With inputs from : www.politico.com )

February 3, 2023