Amid 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 correspondentThe Supreme Court on Friday stayed the opening of a road outside Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s residence in Chandigarh on an experimental basis. A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta noted that both the Centre and Punjab government have opposed the opening of the road, which has been closed since the 1980s, owing to a threat perception. The bench issued notice on a plea filed by the Punjab government and sought response of administration of Union Territory of Chandigarh by September 2. The top court noted that the road was closed in the 1980s during the height of terrorism in Punjab. On April 22, the Punjab and Haryana High Court ordered opening of the 500-metre road, connecting Sukhna Lake to Nayagaon in Chandigarh. 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 07:45 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesThe Supreme Court on Friday said that it may consider hearing on May 7 arguments on the interim bail of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal because of the upcoming 2024 general elections. A bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta said that arguments on Kejriwal’s plea against arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and his subsequent remand in the excise policy case, may take some time, so it may hear arguments on the question of interim bail Kejriwal on Tuesday. “We will post it on Tuesday morning itself. Mr Raju (Additional Solicitor General SV Raju representing ED) one more thing. If it is going to take time, it does appear it may take time, we may then consider the question of interim bail, because of the elections. We may hear on that part because of elections,” the bench said at the end of the hearing. However, the bench also made it clear that it had not decided anything finally and that it was only informing all counsel that such a form of interim relief may be considered if the hearing is unlikely to conclude soon. 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 07:43 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesPolice have filed a closure report before a local court in its probe into the death of Rohith Vemula, a student of University of Hyderabad, claiming he was not a Dalit and died by suicide as he feared that his identity would be discovered. Cyberabad police that investigated the case informed court that Rohith Vemula did not belong to Scheduled Caste and was aware of it. Vemula died by suicide in 2016. “Deceased had multiple issues worrying him which could have driven him to commit suicide,” report said. “In addition to this, the deceased himself was aware that he did not belong to SC and that his mother got him a SC certificate. This could be one of the constant fears as the exposure of the same would result in a loss of his academic degrees that he earned over years and be compelled to face prosecution.” Further, the report said, “Despite best efforts, no evidence could be found to establish that the actions of the accused have driven the deceased to commit suicide.” 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 07:40 AM IST | Hyderabad | AgenciesCongress leader Rahul Gandhi’s shift from Amethi to Rae Bareli has supplied new ammunition for the BJP which has called him ‘bhagoda’. PM Narendra Modi launched the first salvo on Friday. “I had already told you that fearing defeat in Wayanad, the prince is looking for a safe seat. He had to run away from Amethi and select Rae Bareli. He tells people not to be frightened. Today, I too want to tell him… ‘daro mat (don’t be afraid), bhaago mat (don’t run)’,” the PM mocked Rahul in his election rally speech in West Bengal on Friday. BJP’s Smriti Irani, who is contesting from Amethi again, had defeated Rahul in 2019 following her loss against him in 2014. She has promised Rahul yet another defeat. There are reasons for the Gandhis to retain Rae Bareli, a safe seat, because it has been a family bastion for long. Generations of the family have won from here. Outgoing MP Sonia Gandhi represented it for 20 years. Congress leaders said the win would be convincing in Rae Bareli, the segment Rahul will continue to represent instead of Kerala’s Wayanad (if he wins this, too). Polling in Wayanad has already been held. There is nothing to worry about now In Wayanad, because, fighting directly against CPI’s Annie Raja, Rahul/Congress did not let the Wayanad voters know about his interest in Amethi or Rae Bareli, even as party workers in UP wanted him to give Irani a run for her money in Amethi, and simultaneously urged Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to contest from Rae Bareli. But the family chose certainty in Rae Bareli over uncertainty in Amethi that Rahul held for 10 years before Irani’s emergence. Priyanka told the media persons on Friday that the party’s Amethi nominee K L Sharma, who is the Gandhi family’s close associate, will beat Irani. She said she would oversee the poll management and campaign. Meanwhile, CPI nominee Annie Raja saw Rahul’s nomination on the last day as an injustice to the people of Wayanad. She said the Congress should have told the people Rae Bareli was also in consideration, and whether he would resign from Wayanad if he won both seats. Annie said the Congress had always taken Wayanad for granted. CPI is an INDIA bloc/Congress partner in certain states, but it fought against the Congress in Kerala. The Congress had rejected the left party’s demand for keeping Rahul away from Kerala. A senior Congress leader from Maharashtra said it made sense to keep Rae Bareli with the Gandhi family. “We hope that Rahul Gandhi’s candidature in Uttar Pradesh will make things move fast at the organisational level, and inspire party workers (whatever numbers they have in UP). His nomination reaffirms the Congress’s and Gandhi family’s bond with Uttar Pradesh.” Dharmendra Jore is political editor, mid-day. He tweets @dharmendrajoreSend your feedback to mailbag@mid-day.com
04 May,2024 07:38 AM IST | Mumbai | Dharmendra JorePrime Minister Narendra Modi did not keep his word of bringing down the prices of essential commodities in seven days, the first promise that he made in 2014, Sharad Pawar said at a huge rally organised for the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP-SP) candidate Shriram Patil at Muktainagar, the stronghold of the Khadse family. Pawar visited Muktainagar after gap of four and a half years. "It was promised that the prices of gas cylinders would be reduced by 50 pc from Rs 400. Today, however, the price is Rs 1,160. There has been only a rise a continous rise in prices. I appeal you to support our candidate Shriram Patil, who is willing and ready to strive for the common man," Sharad Pawar said. Convoy meets with accident The convoy of vehicles of the NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar met with a minor collision in Jalgaon on Friday. After a vehicle braked hard due to a speedbreaker, a following vehicle bumped into the one ahead. There were no injuries and there was a minor dent in the vehicles. The accident occurree on Bhusawal-Yawal road in Yawal tehsil.
03 May,2024 10:42 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. AklekarCongress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi whether he would scrap the 50 per cent limit on reservations in the country, reported the PTI. According to the PTI, Rahul Gandhi was addressing a rally for Lok Sabha elections 2024 Congress' Pune candidate Ravindra Dhangekar. Rahul Gandhi asserted that his party's Nyay guarantees will revolutionise the future course of politics, as per the PTI. 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, the news agency reported. "Will Modi ji speak on whether he will scrap the 50 per cent cap on reservations in the country?" he asked. Rahul Gandhi also criticised PM Modi for "insulting" NCP (SP) leader and former Union minister Sharad Pawar through his "wandering soul" remark. "What does he get by doing so?" he asked. Rahul Gandhi files nomination papers from Rae Bareli seat Ahead of upcoming Lok Sabha elections 2024, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday filed his nomination papers from the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat, a constituency held by his mother Sonia Gandhi for the last two decades. He was accompanied by Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. Rahul Gandhi arrived at the Fursatganj airport earlier in the day. Local party workers turned up in large numbers at the collectorate where he filed his papers. Voting in the Rae Bareli Lok Sabha seat will be held on May 20. Earlier, Congress loyalist K L Sharma filed his nomination from Amethi Lok Sabha seat on Friday ahead of Lok Sabha elections 2024. K L Sharma filed his papers at the collectorate, accompanied by local Congress leaders. Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra earlier in the day urged the the public in Amethi to vote for Sharma. Soon after her arrival in the constituency, Priyanka headed for the party office in Gauriganj and met Sharma. She also addressed party workers to ensure his victory. She later left for Rae Bareli to accompany Rahul Gandhi who will file his nomination from the constituency earlier represented by his mother Sonia Gandhi. Sharma's candidature from the Amethi seat was announced early Friday, the last day for filing of nomination for the polling slated in the fifth phase on May 20. Sharma is pitted against BJP leader and sitting MP Smriti Irani. (with PTI inputs)
03 May,2024 10:30 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondentThe Supreme Court on Friday said it may consider granting interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in view of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, in a ray of hope to the AAP chief arrested in the excise policy-linked money laundering case. Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 and is currently lodged in Tihar jail under judicial custody. A bench of justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta told the Enforcement Directorate(ED) that arguments on Kejriwal's plea against his arrest are likely to take time and therefore it was considering hearing the probe agency on the issue of interim bail to him on account of Lok Sabha elections in Delhi. Delhi goes to polls on May 25. It then told Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the ED, to be ready with the case on May 7. "It appears we can't complete today. We will post it on Tuesday morning itself. Mr Raju, one more thing. If it is going to take time and it does appear to us that it may take some time, we will then consider the question of interim bail because of the elections," the bench told Raju, who was wrapping up his arguments for the day. Raju submitted that he will oppose bail to Kejriwal and pointed to the statements made by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh after getting bail last month in the same case. "Just, look at the kind of statements he is making," the ASG said. The bench said it is putting the agency on notice about the court's intention, so that it is not taken by surprise on May 7, when the interim bail issue will be dealt with. "We are not commenting on it either way. We are just saying we will hear on interim bail and not saying we will grant interim bail. We may or may not grant interim bail." It also told senior advocate Abhishek Singhvi, appearing for Kejriwal, "Just one thing more. Please also take instructions. Because of the position he holds, whether he should be signing official files?" During the hearing, Singhvi informed the bench that on March 16 the elections were announced and on March 21, Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on the basis of statements and materials which were available with the agency since last July. The bench asked Singhvi about the poll date in Delhi to which he replied that the campaigning will end on May 23 and polling will take place on May 25. The top court was also critical of Singhvi's arguments that AAP being a political party it will not be covered under section 70 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which deals with offences by companies. "Anything done by a political party cannot be attributed to its President, Convenor or General Secretary, else it will be a case of vicarious liability. A political party is out of the section 70 of the PMLA," Singhvi submitted, adding that the provision only deals with companies. The senior lawyer further said that a political party is not a partnership, private corporate firm or a society but an entity which is registered under the Representation of the People Act. The bench said, "It is difficult to accept your arguments. AAP is a juristic person and cannot be arrested. It can be impleaded as accused. Person in-charge can be prosecuted along with the juristic person under section 70 of the PMLA. Will the society not be covered under section 70. Anyway, we have noted your arguments and will deal with it." Singhvi said there is no direct evidence of Kejriwal receiving alleged kickbacks and if at all he has, then the case will fall under the Prevention of Corruption Act and not the PMLA. He added that all the materials the ED has were covered in the bail case of former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and the court has said that no case is made out based on them. The top court also posed several queries to the ED including on why nine exculpatory statements of witnesses were not mentioned in the grounds of arrest of Kejriwal and why only inculpatory statements were listed. Raju replied that the investigating officer, though having considered all the material before him, is required to only mention the relevant material which make him believe that the accused has committed the offence. "I have considered all the material but I need to mention only the relevant material and not irrelevant material. The statements which are exculpatory are irrelevant material and if the investigation officer is to record all the material before it, then the record will be voluminous and he will not be able to file the chargesheet in 60 days," Raju submitted. However, the bench did not agree with the submissions and said the scheme of the law and the 2022 verdict in the Vijay Madanlal Choudhury case have kept section 19 at higher pedestal and therefore the entire material should be before the court at the time of his arrest. Section 19 of the PMLA empowers the ED to arrest persons based on the material in its possession, providing a reasonable basis to suspect that an individual has committed an offence punishable under the law. The top court had issued a notice to the ED on April 15 and sought its response to Kejriwal's plea against his arrest. On April 9, the high court upheld Kejriwal's arrest, saying there was no illegality and the ED was left with "little option" after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigations. The case relates to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government's now-scrapped excise policy for 2021-22. 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
03 May,2024 09:40 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIBharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Vinod Tawde on Friday said that the Mahayuti alliance in Maharashtra will win more than 40 seats in state in the Lok Sabha elections 2024, reported the PTI. The Mahayuti alliance comprises of Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP). Vinod Tawde, the party's general secretary, was speaking to reporters during an informal interaction organised by the Pune Union of Working Journalists (PUWJ). He said that former minister Eknath Khadse will return to the BJP, and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the party's state unit chief Chandrashekhar Bawankule had never opposed his rejoining. Eknath Khadse had quit the BJP in 2016 after almost four decades in the party. Last month, the veteran leader, who is with the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) had said that he would be rejoining the saffron party, as per the PTI. Vinod Tawde, however, said that the party's Central leadership will make the final decision about Eknath Khadse's return to the fold. Talking about the break-up of the previous alliance between the undivided Shiv Sena and BJP, Vinod Tawade said, "Devendra Fadnavis would have been the chief minister, but he doesn't play politics of revenge. We had an ideological alliance with the undivided Shiv Sena. People allege that leaders join the BJP under pressure from investigative agencies, but in that case, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut would have joined the party long back," according to the PTI. The ruling Mahayuti coalition comprising of the Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde-led Shiv Sena, the BJP and the Ajit Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) in Maharashtra has almost sealed the seat-sharing deal for Lok Sabha elections 2024. Maharashtra has 48 Lok Sabha seats, and under the seat-sharing arrangement, the BJP has so far agreed to contest in 27 seats, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP will field its candidates in four constituencies and Shiv Sena in 15 seats. The Shiv Sena, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, on Wednesday announced its candidates for Kalyan, Thane and Nashik, freezing its numbers at 15. After he broke away from the original Shiv Sena in June 2022, Shinde had received the support of 13 party MPs, according to the PTI. Under the seat-sharing arrangement, BJP has so far agreed to contest in 27 seats, while the Ajit Pawar-led NCP will field its candidates in four constituencies. (with PTI inputs)
03 May,2024 09:26 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondentAs many as nine persons received minor injuries after a Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) bus overturned at Ajanta ghat in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in Maharashtra on Friday afternoon, reported the PTI. The news agency reported, the MSRTC bus was on its way from Maharashtra's Pune to Raver when it overturned at around 1 pm, the Ajanta police station official said. "The bus was ferrying 66 passengers, nine of whom suffered minor injuries. The incident took place as the driver lost control of the vehicle. Those injured are from Jamner, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and were provided medical treatment," he added, according to the PTI. Six including two infants killed, three injured as two cars collide in Akola Meanwhile, in an another incident, six persons, including two infants, were reportedly killed and three seriously injured in a collision between two cars in Maharashtra's Akola district on Friday, the police said, reported the PTI. According to the PTI, the victims also include relatives of Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Kiran Sarnaik, who represents the Amravati Teacher constituency in Maharashtra, the officials said. The accident took place on a flyover on the Akola-Washim highway near Patur Ghat in the afternoon, an official said, as per the PTI. Raghuveer Sarnaik (28), who was the MLC's nephew, his sister and three of their relatives were going towards Akola in an SUV, while four persons were travelling in another car in the opposite direction when the accident took place, the official said, the news agency reported on Friday. Of the five relatives of the MLC, three were killed and two injured, an official said. The accident also claimed the lives of three occupants of the other car and left one injured, the official said. A 9-month-old child, identified as Asmira Ajinkya Amle, and a one-year-old baby were among those killed in the accident, the official said, as per the PTI. The three injured persons have been admitted to the Government Medical College in Akola, while the bodies of the deceased have been sent to Akol Rural Hospital for autopsy, he added, as per the PTI. (with PTI inputs)
03 May,2024 09:13 PM IST | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | mid-day online correspondentThe Delhi Police on Friday arrested a Congress member for allegedly uploading and circulating a fake video of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, an official said here. Arun Reddy handles the 'Spirit of Congress' account on 'X', the official said. The Delhi Police Special Cell earlier registered an FIR after the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C), which comes under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), filed a complaint about the doctored video of Shah where his statements indicating a commitment to abolish quota for Muslims on religious grounds in Telangana were changed to make it seem that he was advocating scrapping of all reservations. 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
03 May,2024 07:44 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIADVERTISEMENT
