Senior BJP leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi died on Monday night, the party said. Modi, 72, was suffering from cancer. He died at AIIMS in New Delhi at 9.45 pm, hospital sources said. "The BJP family is deeply saddened by the news of the demise of former Deputy Chief Minister of Bihar and former Rajya Sabha MP Shri Sushil Kumar Modi," the state unit of the party said in a post on X. This is an irreparable loss for Bihar and the entire BJP family, it said. Last month, the BJP leader had taken to X to announce that he was diagnosed with cancer and will not be able to campaign in the Lok Sabha 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
13 May,2024 11:26 PM IST | Patna | PTIWest Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said that the Citizenship Amendment Act is a "dangerous conspiracy" and questioned why the procedure of granting citizenship is not made unconditional. "We don't agree with CAA. If they make it unconditional I do not have a problem with that. Earlier state governments used to give citizenship, DMs used to give citizenship when needed. If anyone stays in America for 10 years they will get a green card. Why are you making such a law? So this is a dangerous conspiracy," the Chief Minister said while campaigning at Bangaon in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas district on Monday. Questioning the exclusion of Bengali Hindus from the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, the Chief Minister said, "We will not allow them to implement NRC. In Assam, 19 lakh Hindu Bengalis were excluded. You have excluded Muslims. You keep abusing them. If you keep speaking in favour of Hindus all the time, why did you exclude Hindu Bengalis?" The Chief Minister further questioned why the Matuas in her state are being allegedly asked to bring their parents' certificates from Bangladesh to give them citizenship. "If you love the Matuas so much, then why are you not making it unconditional? Why are you saying that they have empowered them? Why are you asking them to bring certificates of their mother and father from Bangladesh?" Banerjee said. The Trinamool Congress supremo further said that she will not be able to provide certificates of her parents because she does not even know their date of birth. "If anyone asks me to bring certificates of my mother and father, I don't even know their birthdays, how can I bring their certificates? Isn't it true? I know their death anniversary but do not know their date of birth," Banerjee said. The Chief Minister said that no one submitted their documents for the National Register of Citizens because they know that once they do so they will allegedly be deemed "foreigners". "If anyone asks you to bring 50-year-old certificate, will you be able to furnish it? You can do one thing. Ask the BJP candidate from here to apply. Why are you not applying yourself? This is because you will become a foreigner...They will not do. No one submitted the documents. This is because those who know the law have seen how dangerous they are. So we are not allowing NRC," she said. Banerjee also warned that when the Uniform Civil Code is implemented there will be no existence of minorities, OBCs, Scheduled Tribes, adivasis or even Hindus. "Another such conspiracy is the Uniform Civil Code. There will be no minorities, no OBCs, STs, adivasis, or Hindus. There will be one nation, one political party leader. There will be some goons, mafia and looters of the BJP. There will be no elections in India if Modi comes to power. India's democracy will be wiped off, they will eat and digest the Constitution," the Chief Minister said. "They have changed the history, geography, education, the character of our nation. So remember, no more Modi," she added. Batting for the opposition INDIA bloc in the Centre, the Chief Minister said, "Didi will bring the INDIA coalition to power in Delhi. We will be helping from here. INDIA bloc will win." The TMC chief said that as per her party's calculations the Bharatiya Janata Party will not win more than 190-195 seats in the Lok Sabha elections and the INDIA bloc will be winning around 315 seats. "According to our calculations, they will have not more than 190-195 seats, the INDIA bloc will win 315 seats barring three-four parties. So Modi is not coming," Banerjee said. Though still a part of the Opposition bloc--INDIA, the TMC chose to go it alone in Bengal and announced candidates for all 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state. The Congress and the Left Front have a seat-sharing arrangement in the state under which the Left parties contest 30 seats and the Congress contests the remaining 12 seats. In the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the TMC took the lion's share of the electoral spoils in the state, at 34, while the BJP had to be content with just 2 seats. The CPI(M) and the Congress won 2 and 4 seats, respectively. However, in a poll stunner that few saw coming, the BJP turned the tables on the ruling TMC in the 2019 polls, winning 18 seats. The ruling party in the state saw its tally reduced to 22. The Congress fared a lowly third in the tally with just 2 seats while the Left Front was down to just a lone seat. 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
13 May,2024 10:52 PM IST | Kolkata | ANIThe Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam, recovered and seized approx 80 lakhs in cash on Monday during a search operation at an executive engineer's residence after he was trapped red-handed in a bribe case earlier in the day. During the search of Jayanta Goswami's house at Hengrabari, Guwahati, a joint team of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption and Assam Police recovered Rs 79,87,500 in cash, according to an official statement. The search operation was carried out after the Executive Engineer (PHE), Jayanta Goswami, was trapped red-handed by the team of the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption, Assam, after he accepted Rs 20,000 as a bribe from the complainant at Hengrabari, Guwahati for payment of bills. Jayanta Goswami has been working as an Executive Engineer (PHE), O/O Superintending Engineer (PHE) at North Lakhimpur Circle in Assam. Further investigation into the matter is underway. 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
13 May,2024 10:47 PM IST | Guwahati | ANICongress leader Rahul Gandhi said Monday his family has always worked for the people of the Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency, unlike Prime Minister Narendra Modi who works in the "interest of Adani and Ambani". Addressing his first election meeting in the constituency after his nomination, Gandhi said in Maharajganj that he was contesting the Lok Sabha election from the Rae Bareli seat because his family has deep links with the people here. He also addressed rallies in Gurubaksganj, Lalganj and Kishundaspur. Hitting out at the Modi government, he claimed that loans amounting to Rs 16 lakh crore, which is equal to 24 years of money allotted under the MGNREGA, have been waived for 22-25 top industrialists. Rahul Gandhi said his grandmother Indira Gandhi, his father Rajiv Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi have worked to improve the lives of people in Rae Bareli.Considered a Gandhi family bastion, the Rae Bareli seat had been represented by senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi since 2004. The constituency was earlier represented by former prime minister Indira Gandhi as well. In his address, Rahul Gandhi also accused the media of not showing the problems faced by farmers and unemployed youngsters and instead giving prominence to wedding functions in top industrialists' families. He said if the INDIA bloc comes to power, a list of poor families would be compiled and Rs 1 lakh annually -- or Rs 8,500 per month -- transferred in the bank account of one woman in each such family. Gandhi also said an INDIA bloc government would waive the loans of small farmers and legalised common minimum support price would be provided to them. He reiterated that the Agniveer scheme of short-duration recruitment in the defence forces would be done away and youngsters would be provided permanent jobs in the armed forces with pension provisions. Gandhi said youngsters would get one year of apprenticeship in public sector organisations and later, based on their merit, permanent government jobs.Rae Bareli will go to polls in the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha election on May 20. The BJP has fielded Uttar Pradesh minister Dinesh Pratap Singh from the seat. Gandhi subsequently addressed three more poll meetings in the district. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was with him in Maharajganj and Gurubaksganj, while Rahul addressed the last two meetings in Lalganj and Kishundaspur alone. Priyanka Gandhi later visited neighbouring Amethi to attend a poll meeting in favour of Congress candidate K L Sharma. At one of his rallies, Rahul Gandhi said the prime minister changes his clothes thrice a day and asked "where he is getting the money for this from". District unit leaders and workers of the Samajwadi Party, an ally of the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, were present at the rallies during the day. 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
13 May,2024 10:42 PM IST | Rae Bareli | PTIA jewellery showroom in the Dariba Kalan area of north Delhi was allegedly robbed by a few people after drilling a hole into the wall of the shop, police said on Monday. The police said they received a video of the incident and investigation has been launched into the matter. The accused allegedly drilled a hole in the showroom from a neighbouring shop and carried out the robbery, they said. "A PCR call regarding a burglary was received at the Kotwali police station. A team was immediately sent to the shop in Dariba Kalan," a senior police officer said. According to the store owner, he closed his shop around 8.30 pm on Saturday and went to his home, the officer said. When the complainant and his father opened the store on Monday, they found that a hole was made in its wall through an adjacent shop, which is in dilapidated condition and was empty, he said. On checking the items of his shop, the owner found that various silver items were stolen, he added. "The crime scene was examined by the forensic team and a case was registered against unknown people. We are checking the CCTV footage for clue and further investigation is on," said the officer. 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
13 May,2024 10:38 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIPrime Minister Narendra Modi held a mega-five-kilometer-long roadshow in Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi on Monday evening.PM Modi will file his nomination from Varanasi Lok Sabha seat tomorrow.Before starting the roadshow, PM Modi paid floral tribute to statue of Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya at Lanka Gate of Banaras Hindu University.He was accompanied by UP Chief Minister Yogi Adiyanath and other leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).Visuals from the spot showed an exuberant crowd gathered along the route and on terraces to get a glimpse of the Prime Minister.There were performances along the way with women dancing and men carrying party flag in their hands.After the roadshow, the PM will also seek blessings from Baba Vishwanath at the Kashi Vishwanath temple where the procession will conclude after gracefully traversing through the city.Amidst a vibrant display, the roadshow highlighted the remarkable achievements of the central government spanning the past decade, resonating with promises fulfilled and milestones attained.The hundred designated points along the five-kilometre route in the temple town, which includes Assi, Sonarpura, Jangambari, and Godaulia, were arranged to extend a warm welcome to the Prime Minister.Varanasi is the stronghold of the Bharatiya Janata Party and PM Modi. He won the seat twice- the 2014 and 2019 Lok Sabha elections.The Congress has pitted Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai against PM Modi in Varanasi. This is the third time Ajay Rai will face PM Modi in a Lok Sabha contest.Voting in Varanasi will be held on June 1 in the seventh phase. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, PM Modi won the seat with over 674,664 votes and commanded a vote share of 63.6 per cent. In 2014, PM Modi contested two Lok Sabha seats- from Gujarat's Vadodara and Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi. 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
13 May,2024 07:40 PM IST | Varanasi | ANIA Special Court for Elected Representatives on Monday granted bail to JD(S) MLA H D Revanna in connection with a kidnap case. The 66-year-old former Minister was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in an alleged case of abduction of a woman, linked to the allegations of sexual abuse of women by his son and Hassan MP Prajwal Revanna, on May 4. The special court judge Santhosh Gajanan Bhat heard the matter and granted conditional bail to Revanna. His three-day police custody ended on May 8, following which he was produced in the XVII Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Court, which remanded him to seven days' judicial custody, till May 14.The case was registered following a complaint by the woman's son, who alleged that his mother was sexually abused by Revanna's son Prajwal.The woman was allegedly abducted to prevent her from testifying against Prajwal, police sources have said.The SIT has also secured the custody of Revanna's confidant Sathish Babanna in connection with the case.The SIT arrested Babanna on May 3 and subsequently rescued the woman allegedly from a farmhouse in Mysuru's Hunsur taluk on May 4, hours before the arrest of Revanna from his father and former PM H D Deve Gowda's residence in Bengaluru's Padmanabhanagar.While Revanna engaged senior counsel C V Nagesh for his bail plea, Special Public Prosecutor Jaina Kothari and Additional Public Prosecutor Ashok Naik argued on behalf of SIT.Nagesh claimed that there is a political conspiracy behind Revanna's arrest and the victim has recently said in a video that she has not been abducted by Revanna or his family.Kothari and Naik countered it by saying, SIT recorded statements both under CrPC sections 161 (examination of witnesses by police) and 164 (statements recorded by Magistrate) and the victim has given a statement against Revanna.The SIT advocates also argued that the bail application was moved when the accused was already in custody and hence the matter is not maintainable.However, the Judge differed with this argument and said, "You please argue on the merit of the case."Nagesh further added that the victim's son lodged the complaint saying his mother had not come home and he also mentioned that she had gone with the known individual on a motorbike. "How is it interpreted as kidnap? It is not a case of kidnap." Naik said that the victim and her family have been threatened by the accused and the victim needs police protection.After a brief adjournment, Nagesh argued that the sections invoked by SIT are invalid and cited a few previous court verdicts on kidnapping cases.Nagesh said, "SIT has not furnished a single evidence against my client to establish that he abducted the victim. There is no demand for money or valuables or any sort of force against the victim. 364A (Kidnapping for ransom) cannot be invoked in this case." He further added that cases against Prajwal Revanna have got nothing to do with Revanna and he requested to grant his client Revanna immediate bail relief.He also targeted the SIT counsels and asked "Why two special public prosecutors appearing for bail objection?" However, Kothari clarified that they aren't repeating the argument and one is adding to the other argument.Later, Kothari requested the court to make further submission to counter Nagesh's argument. But, Nagesh objected to this saying, "If SIT gets another round of argument, I should also be given an opportunity to counter it."Kothari pointed out that there is some misinformation in Nagesh's argument. "Victim is not a relative of H D Revanna as stated by CV Nagesh and 161 statements before the Investigation Officer have been recorded on May 5th and not later."To this, Judge Bhat said, "161 and 164 statements are furnished before the court in both remand applications." SIT sought time to furnish written documents related to this, but was turned down by the Judge and he reserved the order at 5 pm on Monday and granted bail to Revanna.The 33-year-old JD(S) MP Prajwal Revanna, who is grandson of JD(S) patriarch Deve Gowda, is facing charges of multiple instances of sexually abusing women. The scandal has raised a political storm with the ruling Congress and BJP-JD(S) engaged in a slugfest.Prajwal Revanna reportedly left the country on April 27, a day after the first phase of Lok Sabha polls in Karnataka was held, and an Interpol Blue Corner Notice has been issued against him in an effort to bring him back.He was BJP-JD(S) alliance's joint candidate from Hassan Lok Sabha segment, which went to polls in the first phase.While the Congress government has formed a SIT to probe the cases, the BJP and JD(S) -- NDA partners -- have demanded that it be handed over to the CBI, and action against those behind the circulation of explicit videos. 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
13 May,2024 07:36 PM IST | Bengaluru | PTIMany displaced Kashmiri Pandits in Jammu were disappointed on Monday during the fourth phase of the Lok Sabha elections because their names were not on the electoral rolls, preventing them from voting. Despite having lined up at special polling stations in Jammu under strong security, numerous Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave without voting during Lok Sabha Elections 2024. Veena, a Jagti camp resident and migrant from the former Habbakadal area of Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, expressed frustration, saying, "I came to the polling station with three members of my family to cast our votes despite such heat. We carried our EPIC (Voter ID) cards too. But we found our names missing from the electoral roll. It is a denial of our right to vote. They (EPIC) should be cancelled by ECI. The government wants us to vote but at the same time has a process that denies us the right to exercise our franchise." Avinash Raina, along with four family members from the former Budgam district of Srinagar LS seat, reported a similar experience, claiming, "We came here to vote. We don't figure in the voting list. What do we do now? Nobody is here to listen to us and resolve the issue." Kuldeep Kumar and several other voters from his colony had the same issue at a special polling booth in the Talab Tillo Agriculture office. Despite holding voter identification cards, they were denied the ability to vote during fourth phase of Lok Sabha Elections 2024. "We found here that over 20 people were barred from voting as their names were absent from the voter list. Despite having EPIC cards, they were denied voting. There should be a probe into it," he said. Surinder Koul expressed frustration, saying, "We have raised the issue with the poll authorities. People are very angry." Shadi Lal Pandita, a Congress lawmaker and president of the Jagti Tenement Committee, blasted the administration, saying, "They accuse KPs of not voting, but the ground reality differs. They have voter identity cards but do not appear on the lists. It is a huge injustice. Dr Riaz Ahmed, Assistant Electoral Returning Officer (AERO) for Migrants, acknowledged the problem, attributing it to outdated data used to create the lists. He added that steps would be taken to rectify the situation and urged poll officials to allow impacted voters to cast votes. Nearly 52,100 Kashmiri migrants have registered to vote in the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, which has 26 polling booths, the majority of which are located in Jammu. Despite these efforts, many individuals were unable to vote in the Lok Sabha Elections 2024.
13 May,2024 05:45 PM IST | Srinagar | mid-day online correspondentDuring a rally in Maharashtra's Dhule district, Union Home Minister Amit Shah claimed that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi avoided visiting the Ram temple in Ayodhya for fear of losing his vote bank. Shah questioned Shiv Sena (UBT) president Uddhav Thackeray's stance on Gandhi's resistance to repealing Article 370, which conferred special status to Jammu and Kashmir, reported PTI. According to the news agency, Shah emphasised the BJP's role in resolving the Ayodhya Ram Mandir problem and aiding its construction, claiming that Gandhi denied an invitation to the temple opening for fear of losing political support. He chastised the Congress for its slowness in removing Article 370, citing appeasement politics, and pressed Thackeray to clarify his position on Gandhi's decisions. "Rahul Gandhi was invited (for the Ram temple inauguration), but he did not visit because he feared losing his vote bank. The BJP does not have any such fear. The Congress did not remove Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir because of the same appeasement politics," the senior BJP leader said. Amit Shah further said, "Gandhi opposed the abrogation of Article 370. I want to ask his ally Uddhav Thackeray what are his views on Gandhi's stand. Gandhi and Congress insulted (Hindutva ideologue) Veer Savarkar. What does Thackeray have to say about it?" He further stated, "I also want a clarification from Uddhav Thackeray. One of the constituents of the opposition INDIA bloc is DMK led by M K Stalin, and his son Udhayanidhi Stalin has insulted Sanatan Dharma. Does Uddhav agree with them?" Shah also questioned Gandhi's leadership credentials, including his ability to solve national security challenges and foster economic growth, stated the PTI report. Per the report, the senior leader asked, "How can he (Gandhi) even launch Chandrayaan to the moon? Can he or his government ever give a befitting response to Pakistan? Can they end Naxalism or terrorism in the country? Can they make India prosperous?" The event was in support of BJP candidate Subhash Bhamre, who is running for the Dhule Lok Sabha constituency against Congress candidate Shobha Bachhav. The election in Dhule is set for May 20.
13 May,2024 05:22 PM IST | Dhule | mid-day online correspondentThree Naxalites, including two women, were killed in an encounter with security personnel in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district on Monday, authorities said. According to Superintendent of Police Neelotpal, intelligence sources indicate that members of the Naxalites' Perimili Dalam were plotting subversive actions in a forest near Katrangatta hamlet in Bhamragad taluka during their ongoing Tactical Counter Offensive Campaign (TCOC), reported PTI. According to the report, responding to the intelligence, two units of C-60 commandos, the Gadchiroli police's specialised combat wing, were dispatched to conduct a search operation in the region. During the search, the Naxalites fired indiscriminately on the teams. In response, the C-60 crew retaliated, sparking a furious exchange of gunfire. Following the cease-fire, the bodies of one male and two female Naxalites were found at the encounter site. Among them was Vasu, the Perimili Dalam's in-charge and leader, the report added. Additionally, security authorities recovered an AK-47 weapon, a carbine, an INSAS rifle, Naxal literature, and other items from the site. The anti-Naxal operation is still ongoing in the area, as Naxalites normally increase their activity during the TCOC season from March to June, hoping to build their ranks and launch large attacks on security troops because of limited forest cover, the PTI report further stated. Meanwhile, in another incident, the Maharashtra Police apprehended a known Maoist, Dilip Motiram Pendam, 34, who was wanted for Rs 1.5 lakh. Pendam was caught in the Bhamragad district while suspiciously roaming around villages and woodlands. Pendam is accused of various crimes, including planting a deadly claymore mine and two pressure cooker bombs in Nelgunda-Gongwada and Laheri in March 2023. According to the IANS report, these crimes were carried out to attack security forces members and steal their guns and ammunition. According to the investigation, Pendam is suspected of supporting other hardcore Maoist forces in the region by arranging logistics, rationing supplies, and distributing propaganda literature to locals. Since January 2022, Gadchiroli police have apprehended 78 Maoists, including several women. They have forced other rebels to surrender their weapons and join the national and social mainstream, according to the article.
13 May,2024 04:25 PM IST | Gadchiroli | mid-day online correspondentA 58-year-old man was reportedly mowed down allegedly by a recklessly driven Delhi Police vehicle in Sarojini Nagar area in Delhi on Monday, the police said, reported the PTI. According to the PTI, a PCR call was received at around 3.27 am regarding the incident at Sarojini Nagar police station, Deputy Commissioner of Police (southwest) Rohit Meena said. The police got information that a Delhi Police vehicle was involved in the accident and one person was seriously injured, he said. A team was rushed to the spot near Bhikaji Cama Place Metro Station where they found a Delhi Police vehicle in a damaged condition, he said. The man killed in the accident was later identified as Baijnath, the police said. "An FIR was registered and the driver of the offending vehicle, constable Pardeep Kumar, posted at Rajinder police station, has been arrested," the DCP said, the news agency reported on Monday. Further investigation into the matter has been started, police said, adding that Baijnath is a resident of Trilokpuri. Two killed, 15 injured after military truck collides with two vehicles in Rajgarh Meanwhile, in an another incident, atleast two persons were killed and 15 others were injured in a collision between a military truck and two other vehicles in Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh district on Monday morning, the police said, according to the PTI. The accident took place on the National Highway-46 near Pilukhedi under the Kurawar police station area in Rajgarh district, an official said, as per the PTI. Prima facie, the accident occurred after one of the tyres of the military truck burst, causing it to collide with a private bus and an SUV, Kurawar Police Station in-charge Mehtab Singh Thakur said, the PTI reported on Monday. In the incident, two people-- Om Kori (23), the cleaner of the bus, and a passenger Hariom Shivhare (26) died on the spot, while 15 persons, including two military personnel, sustained injuries, the police official said, according to the PTI. The injured military personnel were referred to a hospital in Bhopal for treatment, he said, the news agency reported on Monday. (with PTI inputs)
13 May,2024 03:32 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
