Amid ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024, police have arrested an Army jawan in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar city after he allegedly demanded Rs 2.5 crore from Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve for manipulating the EVMs, an official said, reported news agency PTI. Danve, the leader of opposition in the state legislative council, filed a written complaint with police after the accused, Maruti Dhakne (42), allegedly demanded the money from him to manipulate the electronic voting machines through a chip, claiming it helped a particular candidate to get more votes in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, the official said on Tuesday, reported PTI. The accused made the claim in a bid to clear his debt. He knows nothing about the EVMs, the police said. At around 4 pm on Tuesday, the accused met the Sena (UBT) leader's younger brother Rajendra Danve in a hotel near the central bus stand in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, reported PTI. After talks, the deal was finalised at Rs 1.5 crore, the official said. A police team in civil dress was already sent to the location based on information provided by Ambadas Danve, reported PTI. The police caught the accused red-handed while he took Rs 1 lakh as a token amount from Rajendra Danve, the official said, reported PTI. "The accused is facing a huge debt. He did this trick to get out his debt. He knows nothing about the machine (EVM). We have arrested him and a case has been registered at the Kranti Chowk police station here," Police Commissioner Manoj Lohiya told reporters, reported PTI. The case has been registered against the accused under Indian Penal Code sections 420 (cheating) and 511 (attempt to commit offence), another official said. The accused is a resident of Pathardi in Maharashtra's Ahmednagar district and posted at Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir, according to the police. Meanwhile, the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) on Tuesday lodged more than 200 complaints against the NCP led by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Baramati constituency of Pune district for allegedly indulging in malpractices like cash distribution to voters, party MLA Rohit Pawar claimed, reported PTI. Voting for the Baramati Lok Sabha constituency along with 10 others in Maharashtra was held on Tuesday. Baramati is the home turf of the politically influential Pawar family. Sharad Pawar has represented the Baramati Lok Sabha seat several times in the past. His daughter Supriya Sule has been the Baramati MP since 2009 and is seeking to retain the seat for the fourth term. Ajit Pawar, who rebelled against his uncle and party founder Sharad Pawar in July 2023 and joined the Eknath Shinde-led government, fielded his wife Sunetra from the constituency. NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar took to social media to post a video of Indapur MLA Dattatray Bharne, who belongs to the Ajit Pawar-led NCP, in which he is seen hurling abuses at someone. The party lodged a complaint against Bharne to the Election Commission of India (ECI), in which it stated that the NCP MLA intimidated and threatened voters, thereby effectively unlawfully seizing control of a polling booth in Indapur, reported PTI. (With inputs from PTI)
08 May,2024 10:39 AM IST | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | mid-day online correspondentAhead of Lok Sabha elections 2024, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday said the process to rename Ahmednagar district as Ahilyanagar will be completed in the third term of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reported news agency PTI. Addressing a Lok Sabha elections 2024 rally in western Maharashtra in presence of PM Modi, the BJP leader said the state government has already taken a decision to rename Ahmednagar district as Ahilyanagar in honour of a legendary 18th century Maratha queen, reported PTI. "The decision will be implemented in Modi's third term," he told the gathering. Maharani Ahilyadevi Holkar, the 18th century queen of the Maratha Malwa kingdom in central India, was born in a village in present-day Ahmednagar district in western Maharashtra. Last year, Aurangabad and Osmanabad districts in central Maharashtra were officially renamed as Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Dharashiv, respectively. Meanwhile, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala on Tuesday claimed that it was difficult for the BJP to bag more than 200 Lok Sabha seats and that is why it is raking up Hindu-Muslim and Pakistan issues after the two phases of Lok Sabha elections 2024, reported PTI. He was speaking at a press conference organized on the occasion of the inauguration of the central election office of North Mumbai congress. Lok Sabha Constituency candidate Bhushan Patil. "People in the BJP say the Modi card will work in Maharashtra. But they are completely wrong. It is difficult for BJP to bag 200-plus seats. That is why (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji and his colleagues are trying to do politics of division in the country by raking up issues like Hindu-Muslim and India-Pakistan," he said, reported PTI. But the intelligent people of Maharashtra will not rest till they show to the BJP and its allies their real place, he said. Chennithala said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called a senior leader like Sharad Pawar a wandering soul. "Does such a statement befit a person holding the post of prime minister of the country?" he asked, reported PTI. He also said that PM Modi calls the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray as the fake Shiv Sena. "But Modiji should not forget that these Shiv Sainiks are dedicated. These Shiv Sainiks and the Shiv Sena here will not keep quiet until you are sent home. As they (BJP) have no other issues, they are playing politics of division," Chennithala said, reported PTI. "PM Modi and his leaders are doing the work of creating differences between religions through their speeches. But no matter what they speak about respectable leaders like Sharad Pawar and Shiv Sena, the people of Maharashtra are with the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The alliance will win all the seats in Maharashtra. I am fully confident that we will win all six Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai as well," he said. (With inputs from PTI)
08 May,2024 10:06 AM IST | Ahmednagar | mid-day online correspondentAmid ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray on Tuesday claimed the BJP-led NDA wants a 400-plus seat mandate so that they can change the Constitution, reported news agency PTI. "For them (BJP) the Constitution of India is a burden. They think why should they follow the Constitution written by a Dalit? They want 400-plus seats so that they can change the Constitution written by Dr B R Ambedkar," Uddhav Thackeray claimed, reported PTI. He accused the Centre of betraying farmers by not giving adequate prices to farm produce. "I will restore the glory of Maharashtra which was robbed by these people after we return to power. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj had looted Surat (for Swarajta) but now these two (persons) from Surat are looting Chhatrapati's Maharashtra," Thackeray alleged while addressing an election rally for MVA candidate Shobha Bacchav in Dhule, reported PTI. Meanwhile, All India Congress Committee (AICC) in-charge of Maharashtra Ramesh Chennithala on Tuesday claimed that it was difficult for the BJP to bag more than 200 Lok Sabha seats and that is why it is raking up Hindu-Muslim and Pakistan issues after the two phases of Lok Sabha elections 2024, reported PTI. He was speaking at a press conference organised on the occasion of the inauguration of the central election office of North Mumbai congress. Lok Sabha Constituency candidate Bhushan Patil. "People in the BJP say the Modi card will work in Maharashtra. But they are completely wrong. It is difficult for BJP to bag 200-plus seats. That is why (Prime Minister Narendra) Modiji and his colleagues are trying to do politics of division in the country by raking up issues like Hindu-Muslim and India-Pakistan," he said, reported PTI. But the intelligent people of Maharashtra will not rest till they show to the BJP and its allies their real place, he said. Chennithala said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called a senior leader like Sharad Pawar a wandering soul, reported PTI. "Does such a statement befit a person holding the post of prime minister of the country?" he asked. He also said that PM Modi calls the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray as the fake Shiv Sena. "But Modiji should not forget that these Shiv Sainiks are dedicated. These Shiv Sainiks and the Shiv Sena here will not keep quiet until you are sent home. As they (BJP) have no other issues, they are playing politics of division," Chennithala said, reported PTI. (With inputs from PTI)
08 May,2024 09:34 AM IST | Dhule | mid-day online correspondentAmid ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024, a case has been registered against Maharashtra Women Commission chairperson Rupali Chakankar, who belongs to NCP, and seven others, for allegedly performing 'puja' of an Electronic Voting Machine inside a polling booth in Khadakwasla segment under Baramati Lok Sabha constituency, reported news agency PTI. "Rupali Chakankar and others defied the orders of the presiding officer of the polling booth at Sinhgad Road area, went inside and performed 'puja' of the EVM this morning," a police official said, reported PTI. On a complaint lodged by an Election Commission official, a case was registered under sections 131 (Penalty for disorderly conduct in or near polling stations) and 132 (Penalty for misconduct at the polling station) of the Representation of the People Act 1951. While Chakankar belongs to the Nationalist Congress Party headed by Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, the seven others include a member each from the rival NCP (SP) and Shiv Sena (UBT) camps. The contest for the Baramati constituency is keenly watched as it is the first time that members of the Pawar clan are in the fray against each other post the split in the Nationalist Congress Party. Sharad Pawar's daughter and sitting MP Supriya Sule is locked in a tight fight with her sister-in-law Sunetra Pawar, wife of Ajit Pawar. Meanwhile, police in Maharashtra's Raigad district registered a non-cognisable case against a voter who made reels on his mobile phone while casting his vote during Lok Sabha elections 2024 on Tuesday and later published it on social media platforms, an official said, reported PTI. The incident occurred in the afternoon at the polling booth no. 244 in Revdanda when the voting for the Raigad Lok Sabha constituency was on, he said, reported PTI. A voter, Prasad Sharad Gondhali, took out his mobile phone and made a reel of the process of casting his vote and also of the voting to a particular candidate, said the official, reported PTI. After recording the video of the process and making reels of it, the accused allegedly displayed it on his Instagram account and also put it as status message of his WhatsApp, he said, reported PTI. As his act was in violation of secrecy norms related to voting process, a complaint was filed against him on behalf of the government at the Revdanda Police Station, reported PTI. Accordingly, a non-cognisable case was registered against the voter, he said. (With inputs from PTI)
08 May,2024 09:24 AM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondentThe Supreme Court on Tuesday stayed the Calcutta High Court order invalidating the appointment of 25,753 teachers and non-teaching staff made by the state’s School Service Commission (SSC) in state-run and state-aided schools. A bench comprising Chief Justice DY Chandrachud and Justices JB Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, however, permitted the CBI to continue with its investigation and probe even members of the state cabinet. The top court, however, asked the CBI not to take any precipitate action like arresting a suspect during the investigation. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
08 May,2024 07:50 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesDelhi CM Arvind Kejriwal failed to get any relief from SC, with a two-judge bench rising without pronouncing an order on granting him interim bail to enable him to campaign. Kejriwal has been accused of money laundering. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta, which reserved its order on grant of interim bail earlier during the day and said it will be pronounced at 2 p.m., rose without delivering its verdict. The bench reserved its decision after hearing the arguments put forth by senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi and Additional Solicitor General S V Raju, who appeared for Kejriwal and the ED, respectively. Delhi court extends Kejriwal’s custody A Delhi court extended the judicial custody of Kejriwal in a money-laundering case related to alleged excise scam till May 20. Special Judge for CBI and ED Kaveri Baweja extended Kejriwal’s custody till May 20 after AAP leader was produced before the court through a video-conference on the expiry of his custody granted earlier. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
08 May,2024 07:48 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said he wants the BJP-led NDA to win 400 seats in the ongoing Lok Sabha polls to ensure the Congress does not bring back Article 370 in Kashmir and put a “Babri lock” on the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Addressing an election rally at Dhar in Madhya Pradesh, Modi also accused the Congress of belittling Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, adding the opposition party has started saying he had a very little role in framing the Constitution. “The truth is that the Congress parivar deeply hates Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar,” Modi said. EC orders X to take down BJP’s videoEC directed social media platform ‘X’ to “immediately” take down an animated video shared by the BJP related to row over reservation for the Muslims. In a letter to nodal officer of ‘X’, the EC took exception to the non-compliance of the directive of the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer to the social media platform for taking down the video. Mamata calls model code ‘Modi code’West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that the Election Commission has turned a blind eye to the allegations against BJP leaders that they indulge in hate speeches during campaigns, converting the Model Code of Conduct to “Modi code of conduct”. Priyanka: Gandhi, Nehru called traitorsMahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru could never have imagined that a government would be installed in the country that would call them “deshdrohi (traitors)”, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said on Monday. She also attacked PM Modi for his language on the campaign trail. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
08 May,2024 07:45 AM IST | Dhar | AgenciesThe voter turnout in the 93 parliamentary constituencies that went to polls in the third phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections was recorded at 61.45 per cent until 8 pm, said the Election Commission. With the conclusion of Phase 3, polling is now over in 20 States/UTs and 283 parliamentary constituencies for the 2024 general elections. A total of 1331 candidates were in the electoral fray in this phase. As per a press release from the ECI, “The polling was held smoothly and peacefully in all States/UTs across the three phases, which covered the entire north-eastern part of the country, including LWE affected and vulnerable areas in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. The Commission, led by CEC Rajiv Kumar, along with ECs Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu, kept a regular close watch on each and every aspect of the poll process. Stringent security measures were in place, creating a conducive environment for voters to cast their votewithout fear or intimidation.” To showcase India’s democracy to the world, the commission also said that 75 international delegates from 23 countries visited many polling stations in 6 states to witness the poll process in the third phase. The delegates also witnessed the process of dispatching polling materials and machines to the polling teams and were appreciative of the magnitude, transparency and, most importantly, the festive mood of voters, it added. The statement said: “Special arrangements were made to mitigate the effects of hot weather conditions, including the provision of shamiyana, drinking water, medical kits, and fans for the convenience of voters. ECI had made special efforts to facilitate voting amongst the tribal groups, with polling stations decorated with tribal culture and local themes. Women tribal voters came out along with children to cast their vote at polling stations. In Chhattisgarh, five generations of a family voted together at a polling station in Sarguja PC in Chhattisgarh”. Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam, West Bengal, Bihar, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Goa and Chhattisgarh are the States/UTs where polling took place in this phase. 93No of constituencies in the third phase of LS polls This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
08 May,2024 07:40 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesA local Congress leader died after being hit by a car while he was on the morning walk near his house in Rohini's Prashant Vihar area, police on Tuesday said. The incident took place a few meters away from Banda Bahadur Residential Society in Rohini Sector 14 where Harikishan Jindal (62) lived with his family, they said. The owner of the car, which hit Jindal, has been identified, police said. A police officer said that the CCTV footage from the cameras installed in the area have been scanned and in one of the footages, a white colour car is spotted crossing the lane soon after the accident. The police has registered a case under sections 279 (rash driving) and 304-A (causing death by negligence) at the Prashant Vihar police station and formed a team to nab the errant driver. Jindal is survived by his wife and 28-year-old son. His daughter is married. Jindal, a former district Congress Committee president, contested the assembly elections from Wazirpur in 2020. Jindal's relative said that he would always go for morning walk with his neighbours. "Today morning, he was accompanied by two to three persons, but he was alone during the accident," he said. "He went to offer prayers at a Balaji temple near the park. And as soon he came out of the temple, a car hit him and sped away from the scene," he added. Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Devender Yadav expressed deep shock at Jindal's sudden demise. "Delhi Congress has lost a strong and dedicated leader in the demise of Hari Kishan Jindal. He had been associated with the Congress organization for several decades, having worked for the party from the grass-root level," Yadav said in a statement. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 May,2024 10:49 PM IST | New Delhi | PTICongress leader Rahul Gandhi announced on Tuesday that the Agniveer scheme would be abolished if the INDIA bloc is voted to power, alleging that it was initiated by PM Narendra Modi and not by the Army. He also promised to amend the GST and bring out a separate Sarna religious code for tribals. "INDIA bloc will scrap the Agniveer scheme, a scheme brought by Modi and not by the Army. We do not want to differentiate between martyrs. Anyone sacrificing for the nation should be attributed martyr status, should be given pension," he said at an election rally in Jharkhand's Gumla. "The BJP government implemented wrong GST schemes with five tax slabs. We will amend it and make one tax slab which will be minimum. We will reduce the tax burden on the poor," he said. The former Congress chief attacked the BJP-led Centre for betraying tribals and alleged that Modi insulted President Droupadi Murmu. "PM insulted President Murmu, a tribal, by not inviting her to the new Parliament building inauguration and Ram Temple consecration in Ayodhya," he said. He also alleged that the saffron party is hell-bent to handover PSUs, railways, etc to industrialists. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 May,2024 10:20 PM IST | Gumla | PTIPrime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday claimed the Congress will reverse the Supreme Court verdict on Ram temple if voted to power just like its landmark 1985 ruling in the Shah Bano case was overturned by the Rajiv Gandhi government as part of the party's appeasement politics. Modi said a senior Congress leader, who quit the party recently, has revealed that "shehzada" (a reference to MP Rahul Gandhi) called a meeting of select people after the 2019 SC verdict in the Ram temple case and said if his party comes back to power, the apex court decision will be overturned just like his father (then-PM Rajiv Gandhi) did in the Shah Bano matter. In 1985, the SC had ruled in favour of Shah Bano, a Muslim woman from Indore who had sought maintenance from her husband after divorce, but the then-Rajiv Gandhi government overturned the judgement through an Act. In November 2019, a five-judge apex court bench had paved the way for construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, ending a decades-long land dispute. The PM was addressing an election rally at Ambejogai in Beed district in central Maharashtra in support of BJP candidate Pankaja Munde. The BJP stalwart noted the Congress and its allies in the opposition INDIA bloc insulted Lord Ram and his devotees by mocking the rituals performed at the newly constructed temple in Ayodhya by calling them "bekar" (useless) and "pakhand" (hypocrisy). "These people cannot dare to say such things about other religions. They insult Lord Ram and Ram bhakts for appeasement politics. Can such parties enhance Maharashtra's glory," he asked the gathering. Modi highlighted the "vote jihad" appeal made by an INDIA bloc constituent's leader in Uttar Pradesh and senior Congress politician Vijay Wadettiwar's comments that Pakistan terrorist Ajmal Kasab did not kill the then-Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare during the 26/11 attacks. The Congress "has some connection with the ten terrorists who entered Mumbai in November 2008" and created mayhem, he alleged. "People are asking the Congress -- Yeh rishta kya kehlata hai' (what is this relation called?). During the Congress rule, terrorists were welcomed in the PM house. A top Congress leader shed tears after the Batla House encounter in Delhi. I want to ask the Congress if it wants to bring back these old days? But Modi is standing like a 'chattan' (rock) in front of you," he told the crowd. The Beed Lok Sabha seat will vote on May 13 in the fourth phase of elections. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
07 May,2024 08:52 PM IST | Beed | PTIADVERTISEMENT
