Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Saturday claimed that the Congress government in Karnataka did not take action against JD(S) leader Prajwal Revanna, accused of sexually abusing women, for about a year despite being aware of the matter. The Congress was afraid that it might lose Vokkaliga votes and therefore stayed silent until the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections got over, she said, speaking at a meeting with select journalists here. "The Union home minister (Amit Shah) has made it very clear that we will not tolerate the matters that go against women and on that we stand united. Though the (BJP's) alliance partner has this issue, we have made it clear that it was not acceptable, and let it be investigated," Sitharaman said, when asked if the scandal will have an impact on her party's performance in Karnataka in the ongoing elections. It was being claimed that a driver gave a pen drive (allegedly containing evidence of Revanna's acts) to the Congress party and state home minister but they were sitting on this evidence for about a year, and "now the BJP is made to answer because the JD(S) is in alliance with us," she said. The ministers of the Congress government knew what was in the pen drive but they did not think that safety of women should be their priority, Sitharaman alleged. "They thought the Vokkaliga votes might go from their hands and decided to remain silent till the time the first phase of Lok Sabha got over. Now they are making it a big issue and pushing it which is typical of Congress and it shows their hypocrisy," the BJP leader further said, asking why probe was delayed for one year. The Karnataka government was now writing to the prime minister about the case, asking him to issue look-out notices against Prajwal Revanna and bring him back from abroad, but the Union home minister had clearly said that the Karnataka government can take all the action it wants to take, she said. Asked about BJP MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh's son Karan Singh getting ticket from the party for Kaiserganj constituency in Uttar Pradesh, Sitharaman said the allegations against the MP had not been proved yet. Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh is accused of sexually harassing women wrestlers. "Nothing is proven against Brij Bhushan....even if he is convicted, I would say you want to carry the blame to the son. Even convicted people's children have been entertained by so many parties," the Union minister said. The BJP was still confident after two phases of the Lok Sabha elections of winning 370 seats on its own and 400 seats along with its NDA allies, she said. Asked if the BJP was in defence mode and responding to the opposition's narrative instead of setting its own, Sitharaman said this was not the case. "Our response to the Congress' manifesto is not defensive, nor is it negative, rather it is more offensive and substantive," she said, adding that the manifesto was more of a Muslim League document. Later, in an interaction with students at an event at Deccan College in the city, Sitharaman talked about the Rohith Vemula case where the Telangana police have filed a closure report before a local court stating that the University of Hyderabad student was not a Dalit, and he died by suicide in 2016 as he feared that his "real caste" would be discovered. The issue was dragged to the streets without allowing the university to handle it with sensitivity, the Union minister said. "It was an unfortunate incident. It was dragged to the streets and a narrative was built that the government was suppressing (facts) and was against students and SCs. Today, the same people who dragged the unfortunate family of Vemula on the street, should stand up before the entire country and apologise for having politicised it," she said. 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
04 May,2024 06:15 PM IST | Pune | PTIOnion prices at the Lasalgaon market in Nashik district of Maharashtra went up by average Rs 200 per quintal after the Union Government on Saturday lifted the ban on exports, reported the PTI. The Agriculture Produce Market Committee (APMC) at Lasalgaon is said to be the biggest wholesale onion market in India. According to the PTI, the government earlier in the day lifted the ban on onion exports but imposed a minimum export price (MEP) of USD 550 per tonne, amid ongoing Lok Sabha elections. On Friday night, the government imposed a 40 per cent duty on export of onions. "There is some hike in the market. Average prices have increased by around Rs 200 per quintal. Farmers will benefit from the decision, but the real impact will be known on Monday when the market reopens," said Balasaheb Kshirsagar, APMC chairman, as per the PTI. Some 200 quintals of the bulb arrived at the APMC during the day, sources said. The prices were in the range of Rs 801, Rs 2,551 and Rs 2,100 per quintal, depending on the quality, they added. A farmer at the market told a news channel that lifting of exports ban was a good decision, but it should remain in force for at least one year. The export duty will eat into onion growers' profits, another person said. "Who will pay for the losses we suffered due to the ban," a farmer asked. On December 8, 2023, the government banned exports of onions from March 31, 2024. In March, the ban was extended till further orders. Farmers in Maharashtra had protested against the ban while opposition Congress had also targeted the Narendra Modi government on the issue. Govt lifts ban on onion exports; imposes minimum export price of USD 550/tonne Government on Saturday lifted the ban on onion exports subject to a minimum export price of USD 550 per tonne, a decision that can help boost income of a large section of farmers and comes ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in key producing regions including Maharashtra, as per the PTI. The government has imposed a minimum export price (MEP) of USD 550 per tonne (around Rs 46 per kg) as well as 40 per cent export duty. Taking duty into account, the shipments will not be allowed below USD 770 per tonne (around Rs 64 per kg). On December 8 last year, the Centre had banned onion exports in early December to control retail prices amid concerns over likely fall in production. During the last 4-5 years, the country annually exported between 17 lakh and 25 lakh tonnes of onions. Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said the lifting of the ban would not lead to any price rise in retail markets. "Prices will remain stable. If at all there is any increase, it should be very marginal," she said, while asserting that the government is committed to protect the interests of both consumers and farmers, the news agency reported on Saturday. (with PTI inputs)
04 May,2024 05:05 PM IST | Nashik | mid-day online correspondentThe All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) MP Imtiaz Jaleel has said that all political parties need votes from the Muslim community but do not want their leadership, according to the PTI. Addressing an election rally in Sajapur in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Imtiaz Jaleel claimed that no one from the Muslim community was fielded in the Lok Sabha elections 2024 in 11 states in the country, as per the PTI. Imtiaz Jaleel is contesting the election from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra (earlier Aurangabad), the seat he won in 2019. The constituency will go to polls on May 13 in the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections 2024. "All political parties in the country need your votes, but they do not want Muslim leadership. Major political parties have not fielded Muslim candidates in Maharashtra, and there are 11 states where candidature was not given to Muslims," the AIMIM leader said, according to the PTI. Imtiaz Jaleel further pointed out that there were no Muslim MPs in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Goa and Delhi. "If we don't contest, then how will we win? When I contested the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, leaders in the city said I can't win. But people stood with us," he said. Imtiaz Jaleel defeated undivided Shiv Sena's candidate Chandrakant Khaire by a margin of 4,492 votes in the 2019 elections. Independent candidate Harshawardhan Jadhav had secured 2.83 lakh votes and contributed to Khaire's defeat, the news agency reported on Saturday. Earlier, Imtiaz Jaleel, who is also the Maharashtra unit president of the Hyderabad-based party, was keen to contest from one of the Lok Sabha constituencies in Mumbai, but AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi renominated the journalist-turned-politician from his current seat which will go to polls on May 13 in phase four. Imtiaz Jaleel had expressed interest in contesting from one of the Lok Sabha seats in Mumbai and sent a proposal to the party leadership in this regard. The Lok Sabha member did not reply to phone calls seeking reaction over renomination from his sitting seat. The constituency has 30,32,546 registered voters, including 41,465 newly-enrolled electors, and they will be casting their ballot at 2,040 booths, an official said, the news agency reported on Monday. (with PTI inputs)
04 May,2024 04:33 PM IST | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | mid-day online correspondentBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Udayanraje Bhosale, on Saturday said that the main plank of the Lok Sabha elections 2024 was development and he would win from Satara district in Maharashtra, reported the PTI. Udayanraje Bhosale is a direct descendant of legendary warrior king Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. In an interview to the PTI, he also emphasised the need for a stable government and cited this factor as the base on which the Prime Minister Narendra Modi dispensation had introduced a slew of welfare schemes for every segment of society. "The major issue in the polls is development. The Congress was in power for 55 years. What happened? Only slogans were coined and nothing was implemented on the ground. However, under the Modi government, welfare schemes are reaching people. There is a stable government for 10 years," he said, reported the PTI. He also said that the ruling alliance in Maharashtra was working well to fulfill the aspirations of the people, while the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), comprising the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena (UBT), Congress and the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP), was inconsequential, the news agency reported. Queried about having won the earlier elections in Maharashtra's Satara due to the name and goodwill of Sharad Pawar, Bhosale said that he had won because of the work he had done for people and no other reason, as per the PTI. "I have never used the name of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. I live in a democracy as a common man. If I am from a certain family so be it. When I go to people, I tell them I have completed development works costing Rs 10,000 crore," Udayanraje Bhosale asserted, according to the PTI. Talking about his earlier stint with the Sharad Pawar founded party, Udayanraje Bhosale said that it was the NCP that had come and invited him, while he was keen on entering politics as an independent. "Now the situation is such that in the six assembly segments in Satara Lok Sabha constituency, four are with the ruling alliance, while MVA won two simply due to division of votes," he said, a PTI report stated. Udayanraje Bhosale said that Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj laid the foundation stone of democracy and administration based on welfare by keeping the aspirations and problems of people above everything else. Hailing PM Modi as a visionary leader, he said that his rallies in Maharashtra would give the ruling alliance a huge boost. On the other hand, there will be no sympathy voting for Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar due to splits in the Shiv Sena and Nationalist Congress Party, respectively, Udayanraje Bhosale claimed. "What sympathy? They have not worked for development. They only give slogans. I am saying this with full responsibility. They only point fingers at others. It is all drama," he said in a swipe at the MVA. Udayanraje Bhosale said that his victory was certain in this fight between "shishtachar" and the opposition's "bhrashtachar" and added the Mahayuti would win all six assembly segments in the state polls later this year. (with PTI inputs)
04 May,2024 04:17 PM IST | Satara | mid-day online correspondentCongress leader Rahul Gandhi has requested Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to extend all possible support to the victims in the alleged sexual abuse of several women involving the sitting Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, reported news agency PTI. He also asked Siddaramaiah to ensure that all those responsible for these "heinous crimes are brought to book". Responding to the letter written by Gandhi, the chief minister on Saturday took to 'X' and assured that his government is committed to protecting the victims of rape and injustice by Prajwal Revanna. "An impartial investigation will be conducted and no matter how many influential people are involved in the case, they will be handed over to the hands of the law. Along with wiping tears of the aggrieved, I am giving a promise @Rahul Gandhi and to everyone in the country that our government will stand with them in their struggle for justice," he posted in Kannada. In his letter to Siddaramaiah dated May 3, Gandhi alleged that Prajwal sexually assaulted and filmed hundreds of women over several years. Many who looked up to him as a brother and son were "brutalised in the most violent manner and robbed of their dignity. The rape of our mothers and sisters warrants the strictest possible punishment," reported PTI. The Congress leader expressed that he is deeply shocked to learn that as far back as December 2023, our Home Minister Amit Shah was informed by G Devaraje Gowda about Prajwal Revanna's antecedents, especially his history of sexual violence and the presence of videos filmed by the perpetrator. "What is even more shocking is that despite these gruesome allegations being brought to the notice of the senior most BJP leadership, the prime minister campaigned and canvassed for a mass rapist. Furthermore, the Union Government willfully allowed him to flee India to derail any meaningful investigation. The deeply perverse nature of these crimes and the absolute impunity enjoyed by Prajwal Revanna with the blessings of the prime minister and home minister deserves the strongest condemnation," he stated in the letter, reported PTI. It also stated that how in his two decades in public life, he has never come across a senior public representative who has constantly chosen silence in the face of "untold violence against women", reported PTI. "From our wreslters in Haryana to our sisters in Manipur, Indian women are bearing the brunt of the prime minister's tacit support for such criminals," the letter alleged. The letter further stated that the Congress party has a moral duty to fight for justice for our mothers and sisters. I understand that the Karnataka Government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to investigate the grave allegations, and a request has been made to the prime minister to cancel Prajwal Revanna's diplomatic passport and get him extradited to India at the earliest, reported PTI. "I request you to kindly extend all possible support to the victims. They deserve our compassion and solidarity as they fight their battle for justice. We have a collective duty to ensure that all parties responsible for these heinous crimes are brought to book," the letter added. (With inputs from PTI)
04 May,2024 03:20 PM IST | Bengaluru | mid-day online correspondentThree people were arrested for allegedly impersonating Travelling Ticket Examiners (TTEs) and duping people belonging to Bihar under the pretext of getting their railway tickets confirmed, officials said on Friday. According to the police officials, the accused were identified as Santosh (27), Ashutosh (26), and Afroz Ansari (37), all residents of Bihar. Additional Commissioner of Police (crime) Sanjay Bhatia said that the accused took cash, debit cards, and other valuable articles by duping innocent people, especially the railway passengers hailing from Bihar, by representing themselves as TTEs, on the pretext of getting their railway tickets confirmed. "On April 29, a tip-off was received about one of the accused. A trap was laid near IFFCO Chowk in Gurgaon and Santosh was apprehended. During interrogation, the accused admitted that he, along with his associates Rakesh Paswan and Afroz, duped a person while they were travelling in the metro on the pretext of getting his railway ticket confirmed," the officer said. He further said that the accused took all of his belongings, i.e., his mobile phone, purse, PAN card, debit cards, and bag containing his clothes, and dropped him on the road near Moti Bagh. "They (the accused) got his debit card's PIN number from his pocket diary, withdrew cash, and purchased electronic items, i.e. LEDs and other household articles, from Ambience Mall in Vasant Kunj," he added. A case under Section 379 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at INA Metro Police Station has been registered. The accused were involved in a total of 11 cases of cheating and theft registered at different police stations in Delhi. All the accused persons have been arrested and sent to judicial custody. "Information has been conveyed to concerned police stations for further necessary action. A total of 22 mobile phones and 25 credit and debit cards from different banks were recovered from them," he added. 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
04 May,2024 03:18 PM IST | New Delhi | ANIIn the wake of a series of petrol bomb attacks on vehicles in several parts of Shillong over the past few days, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said on Friday that the state government will ensure that such incidents will not recur. The CM also assured the people that the situation in the state capital would be under control very soon. "We are working towards ensuring that such incidents won't be repeated. Police have taken steps. To make arrests on such incidents, we need proper evidence. As soon as we get the evidence, action will be taken," the CM said. In less than a month, the state has witnessed seven such attacks, with two reported just today, igniting fears of escalating violence and raising questions about law enforcement's effectiveness. "There were certain incidents that took place and the government ensured that necessary steps were taken to arrest individuals involved in such incidents based on evidence and facts," the CM added. He also said that the police and the government will act as per the law, and if anybody commits a crime, the law has procedures to take action against the accused. The official said that on April 30, two vehicles were set on fire in the Western Jantia Hills; after that, on April 1, anti-social elements carried out petrol bomb attacks at three places in the city in the Eastern Khasi Hills. The recent three attacks first took place at the Rynjah police station in the city, the second at the office of Meghalaya Government Construction Corporation Limited located in the Kenches Tress area and the third at Thana Road in Sadar police station. The magnitude of the attacks has escalated, with even high-profile figures coming under threat. Major General (retd) Rajesh Kumar Jha, currently serving as NEEPCO director, narrowly escaped harm when his escort vehicle was targeted on April 24. Notably, a petrol bomb was hurled at the residence of Meghalaya Deputy Chief Minister, Sniawbhalang Dhar, located in Nongmynsong, by unknown miscreants last week. 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
04 May,2024 03:14 PM IST | Shillong | ANITrouble seems to be mounting for former Karnataka Minister and JD(S) leader HD Revanna, as he has now been slapped with the charge of kidnapping in connection with the ongoing controversy over the 'obscene video' case. The son of the 'abducted' woman alleged that his mother was abducted and sexually abused. In his complaint filed at the KR Nagar police station in Mysuru district, the man said his mother worked as a housemaid at HD Revanna's home for six years before returning to her village, where she worked as a daily wage labourer. The complainant said that on April 23, his mother was taken away by a man named Sathish Babanna, who claimed to have been sent by HD Revanna's wife, Bhavani Revanna. She returned home on April 26. Then on April 29, Babanna took her away again, citing an old legal issue as justification. The man later discovered a video allegedly depicting sexual abuse of his mother by incumbent MP and Hassan Lok Sabha candidate Prajwal Revanna, prompting him to confront Babanna. "My mother's picture is also in the obscene video controversy. She suddenly disappeared after the videos were revealed," the son added. He then filed a kidnapping complaint against HD Revanna and Babanna on Thursday night. The Holenarsipura MLA and his associate were booked under Sections 364A (kidnapping for ransom), 365 (kidnapping with intent to cause harm) and 34 (common intention) of the IPC. The FIR, registered by KR Nagar police, also lists HD Revanna as accused number one and Babanna as accused number two under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The FIR was registered hours before the anticipatory bail plea of HD Revanna came up for hearing in the Special Court for People's Representatives in Bengaluru on Friday. He skipped the summons to appear before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on May 2 for questioning. Meanwhile, the Additional Commissioner of Mysore Police visited the KR Nagar police station and got information. Revanna and his son, Prajwal Revanna, who is the sitting MP and candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha constituency, are facing a probe by a Special Investigative Team (SIT), constituted by the Karnataka government, over allegations of sexual harassment and criminal intimidation following a complaint by a woman who worked in their household. Revanna was booked in an alleged sexual harassment case on April 28 based on a complaint lodged with Holenarasipura Town police. The case was registered under sections 354A, 354D, 506, and 509 of the IPC on charges of sexual harassment, intimidation, and outraging the dignity of a woman. As per the complaint, the victim claimed that Prajwal Revanna and his father, HD Revanna, had sexually assaulted her. 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
04 May,2024 03:11 PM IST | Mysore | ANIA 3-year-old child was killed and five were injured after a fire broke out in a house in Maharashtra's Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, an official said on Saturday, reported news agency ANI. Fire in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Incident took place at Sharif Colony The incident took place around 8.30 pm on Friday at Sharif Colony in the Kiradpura area of the city, reported ANI. Forensic teams deployed by the police are investigating the case, he said. Fire in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Child killed, five injured "There were seven adults and two to three children in the house. Prima facie, it looks like the fire started due to a cylinder blast," the official said, reported ANI. While Sadaf Irfan Shaikh (3) died in the accident, Rizwan Khan (40), Rehan Shaikh (17), Adil Khan (10), Faizan Pathan (13) and Dishan Khan (9) sustained injuries, he said, adding that the injured have been admitted to the Government Medical College and Hospital in the city, reported ANI. Fire in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Other incidents Four persons were injured in a fire that broke out and spread to a few shops following a leak in a gas pipeline in the western suburb of Juhu here on Friday, a civic official said, reported PTI. A leak in the gas pipeline of the Mahanagar Gas Limited (MGL) triggered a blaze around 11.55 am, the official said, reported PTI. The fire spread to three shops and was extinguished by the fire brigade around 12.20 pm. The MGL staffers plugged the gas leak, he said, reported PTI. Four persons suffered superficial burns and were rushed to Cooper Hospital, and their condition is said to be stable, the official said. (With inputs from ANI and PTI)
04 May,2024 01:18 PM IST | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | mid-day online correspondentAmid ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday launched a scathing attack on Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray for "not answering" issues related to the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and ban on Popular Front of India (PFI) due to "his new vote bank," reported news agency ANI. Amit Shah claims that the vote bank of Sharad Pawar and Congress has now become Uddhav Thackeray's new vote bank. Addressing a public meeting for Lok Sabha elections 2024 in Sangli, Amit Shah said, "I want to ask the chief of 'fake' Shiv Sena, Uddhav Thackeray, you should make it clear in front of the people of Maharashtra, should CAA be implemented or not? should PFI be banned or not? Construction of Ram temple was good thing or bad thing? Removal of triple talaq was a good thing or not?... Uddhav ji won't answer this because he is scared of his new vote bank...The vote bank of Sharad Pawar and Congress has now become his vote bank," reported ANI. Shah said the Lok Sabha elections 2024 is between those who 'vote for jihad' and those who prioritise development. "Today there are two camps in the country- First one is against Ram Mandir, Second - of Modi ji, of NDA... who is going to build the Ram temple. On one side, there are people who vote for jihad, On the other hand, there are people who vote for development. On the one hand, there are people who care for the welfare of their families, On the other hand, there are people working for the welfare of the country under the leadership of Modi ji," he said, reported ANI. Amit Shah claimed that the previous Congress government ignored terrorism while PM Modi government retaliated against Pakistan within 10 days of the Uri and Pulwama attacks. "In the Congress government, in the Sonia-Manmohan government... earlier, Alia, Malia, and Jamalia used to come from Pakistan almost every other day and would carry out bomb blasts and go away... no one would say anything. When Modi Ji became PM in 2014, Pakistan attacked Uri and Pulwama, but they forgot that now Manmohan Singh is not the Prime Minister, and now Modi Ji is the Prime Minister. In just 10 days, under the leadership of Modi ji, our army entered Pakistan and took revenge," he said, reported ANI. The BJP has re-nominated two-term sitting MP Sanjay Patil, who will compete against Shiv Sena's wrestler Chandrahar Patil, and Vishal Patil, an independent candidate and grandson of former CM Vasantdada Patil. The BJP has won the Sangli Lok Sabha seat in both the 2014 and 2019 elections. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats. So far, voting is done on 13 seats; polling in the remaining 11 seats along with Sangli Lok Sabha seats will be held on May 7. Counting for all seats will take place on June 4. In 2019, BJP won 23 seats, while its ally undivided Shiv Sena won 18 seats. NCP and Congress could only win four and one seats respectively. Shiv Sena (undivided), Congress and NCP were part of a MVA coalition government in Maharashtra from 2019-22, after which Eknath Shinde-led faction broke away from the party and formed the government with the support of BJP. (With inputs from ANI)
04 May,2024 12:53 PM IST | Sangli | mid-day online correspondentAmid ongoing Lok Sabha elections 2024, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Friday attacked the BJP claiming its Hindutva is "gaumutradhari" (regressive), while his party's Hindutva was reformist, reported news agency PTI. Addressing a Lok Sabha elections 2024 rally in Kankavali in Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg district, his second this week, Thackeray accused the Centre of "looting" Maharashtra. He said when INDIA alliance comes to power, he will ensure the lost glory of the state is reclaimed, reported PTI. "BJP's Hindutva is gaumutradhari. Our Hindutva is reformist," Thackeray said. His remarks come after Union Home Minister Amit Shah's blistering attack at Ratnagiri earlier in the day. Shah had asked if the chief of the "nakli" Shiv Sena can mention freedom fighter and Hindutva ideologue V D Savarkar in his speeches, reported PTI. "What are you as Shiv Sena chief if you are ashamed of taking Savarkar's name. You are running a 'nakli' Shiv Sena. The real Shiv Sena is with (Chief Minister) Eknath Shinde," Shah said in a swipe at Thackeray, reported PTI. Hitting back, Thackeray said Jana Sangh rpt Jana Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mukherjee had tied up with Muslim League in the 1940s in Bengal, reported PTI. Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether he would scrap the 50 per cent limit on reservations in the country, and asserted his party's Nyay guarantees will revolutionise the future course of politics, reported PTI. Addressing a rally for Congress' Pune Lok Sabha seat candidate Ravindra Dhangekar, he said Maharashtra is a "Congress state" in terms of ideology and he loves to visit it. If the Constitution is changed, India will be unrecognisable, the former Congress president said, reported PTI. "Will Modi ji speak on whether he will scrap the 50 per cent cap on reservations in the country?" he asked. Gandhi said his party was committed to carrying out a 'caste census' and reiterated it would remove the "artificial" 50 per cent cap on quotas, reported PTI. This cap causes hardships to crores of people and will be "thrown out", he asserted. "Our fight is to save the Constitution. Modiji, BJP and RSS are trying to destroy the Constitution, which was drafted by Babasaheb Ambedkar and reflects the ideologies of Mahatma Phule, Mahatma Gandhi and Pandit Nehru," he said. (With inputs from PTI)
04 May,2024 09:25 AM IST | Kankavali | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
