Month: April 2024

Amid reports about Janata Dal (Secular) MP Prajwal Revanna leaving the country, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge on Monday claimed that it is Bharatiya Janata Party that has helped Hassan MP escape authorities in the alleged obscene video case.

Prajwal Revanna was booked in a sexual harassment case on Sunday following complaints by his former house help.

Speaking to ANI, Priyank Kharge said, “They (BJP) ensured that he fled the country. Today, if he’s left the country as the rumours are being floated, then how did he leave the country? Who facilitated it? I’m directly blaming the BJP on this front.”

Kharge further slammed the BJP-JDS alliance for fielding Revanna again in the Lok Sabha elections and questioned their silence over the matter.

“Despite knowing the fact that the Hassan MP (Prajwal Revanna) was known for such antecedents, despite letters being received by them from BJP functionaries, from BJP office bearers, that there are thousands of victims who have been abused by the Hassan MP. Still, they went in and gave the ticket. They were so quick to capitalize on the Hubballi murder case. Why are they so silent now? Why aren’t they protesting in every town? Why aren’t they protesting in every village like they did during the Hubballi murder?” he asked.

Earlier today, Janata Dal (Secular) MLA Sharana Gowda Kandakur wrote to party president HD Deve Gowda demanding the expulsion of Prajwal Revanna from the party over the alleged obscene video case.

Kandakur said that the expulsion of HD Deve Gowda’s grandson will save the party from further embarrassment.

“Our party symbol is a woman who is carrying paddy on her head, you have built the party on social and secular ideology which people believe. BJP is a national party in alliance with us though we are a regional party which shows the importance of our party. In all this background the circulating videos caused huge embarrassment to the party. Already state govt has formed an SIT, and an internal committee in the party must be formed. That’s why to keep the party away from embarrassment and to make sure it will not affect the second phase of the election, I request you to expel Prajwal Revanna from the party,” he wrote.

Meanwhile, the Congress’ women’s unit also staged a protest in Bengaluru demanding the arrest of the JDS MP.

Prajwal Revanna is seeking a fresh term in the Lower House from Hassan as a candidate of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and is pitted against Congress’ Shreyas Patel. The Karnataka government has constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the alleged obscene video case against MP Revanna.

The SIT headed by IPS officer Vijay Kumar Singh, and includes DG CID Suman D Pennekar and IPS officer Seema Latkar have started the investigation into the case. (ANI)

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will file his nomination papers on Monday from Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow constituency for the Lok Sabha elections.

Before the filing of nomination papers, Rajnath Singh will also hold a two-kilometer roadshow in the city. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will also be present during the nomination.

According to sources, Singh will go to the BJP office in Lucknow where he may participate in the roadshow for the nomination. On the way, he will also visit a temple.

Lucknow will go to polls alongside 13 other constituencies on May 20 in the fifth phase of elections.

Rajnath Singh in 2019 had defeated Samajwadi Party Poonam Shatrughan Sinha with over 6.3 lakh votes. He had defeated Congress candidate Rita Bahuguna Joshi by a margin of 2,72,749 votes in 2014.

The first phase of voting for the seven-phased Lok Sabha election was held on April 19 in 102 constituencies across 21 states and UTs with over 62 per cent voter turnout. The second phase election was concluded on April 26.

In the first phase, polling was held in Arunachal Pradesh (2 seats), Assam (5), Bihar (4), Chhattisgarh (1), Madhya Pradesh (6), Maharashtra (5), Manipur (2), Meghalaya (2), Mizoram (1), Nagaland (1), Rajasthan (12), Sikkim (1), Tamil Nadu (39), Tripura (1), Uttar Pradesh (8), Uttarakhand (5), West Bengal (3), Andaman and Nicobar (1), Jammu and Kashmir (1), Lakshadweep (1) and Puducherry (1).

The second phase election was concluded on April 26. This phase saw polling on 88 Lok Sabha constituencies, including all 20 seats in Kerala, 14 in Karnataka, 13 in Rajasthan, eight in Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh, five each in Assam and Bihar, six in Madhya Pradesh, three each in Chhattisgarh and West Bengal, and one each in Tripura, Manipur and Jammu and Kashmir.

The third phase of Lok Sabha elections will be held on May 7.

The 2024 general elections will be held in India in seven phases, from April 19 to June 1, to elect the 543 members of the 18th Lok Sabha. The results will be announced on June 4. (ANI)

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Amid the campus demonstrations in the US, anti-Israeli protesters at Harvard University raised the Palestinian flag at the Ivy League school in a spot usually reserved for the American flag, New York Post reported.

The incident happened as the students continued to occupy campus with a video surfacing online showing three students raising the Palestinian flag over the iconic statue of John Harvard, where the Stars & Stripes is intended to fly.

The flag-raising incident happened shortly after 6:30 pm (local time) on Saturday, according to The Harvard Crimson, the student newspaper of the university. A total of three flags were hoisted at the campus, the report said.

The university spokesperson have said that the actions of students have violated Harvard’s policy, according to New York Post report.

In a statement to New York Post, Harvard University spokesperson said, “The flags raised by protesters over University Hall were removed by Harvard facilities staff.” The spokesperson added, “The actions are a violation of University policy and the individuals involved will be subject to disciplinary action.”

According to The Harvard Crimson, university staff pulled down the Palestinian flag shortly after it was raised at the flagpole on Saturday.

The Crimson said the flag pole at the Harvard statue normally flies the US flag. However, it also had the flags of visiting foreign dignitaries displayed when they visited the campus, the report said.

At the time of the incident on Saturday, there was no US flag flying at the spot, New York Post reported. It said that the Stars and Stripes is normally hoisted at 7 am from Monday through Friday and lowered at 4 pm “for proper storage.”

The Palestinian flag was raised as anti-Israeli students encamped on the school grounds shouted slogans like, “Free, free Palestine,” and “We flay for Palestine.”

Similar scenes were witnessed at college campuses across the US, including Columbia University in the Big Apple and other Ivy League universities.

Protests erupted in the US universities against Israel’s counteroffensive in response to Hamas attack on the Jewish state on October 7.

In a series of tense confrontations, more than 200 individuals found themselves in handcuffs following protests at Northeastern University, Arizona State University, Indiana University, and Washington University in St Louis, The New York Times (NYT) reported.

These events, unfolding against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, underscore the challenges faced by universities nationwide as they grapple with the increasingly visible demonstrations and encampments on their campuses.

Since April 18th, when Columbia University in New York City saw the New York Police Department dismantle a protest encampment, over 700 protesters have been arrested across US campuses.

Among the recent wave of arrests, one notable figure stands out: Jill Stein, the Green Party’s 2024 presidential candidate, alongside her campaign manager and another staff member, were apprehended at Washington University in St Louis, according to NYT.

At Northeastern University in Boston, the scene unfolded early Saturday morning as Massachusetts State Police officers moved in to dismantle an encampment on the campus’s Centennial Common.

The encampment, which had drawn over 100 supporters, faced repeated requests from the university administration to vacate the area. Despite these calls, many students remained steadfast.

As tensions escalated, the arrests began, with more than 100 protesters detained. While the exact number of students among those arrested remains unclear, the university assured that students presenting their university IDs were being released.

Alina Caudle, a sophomore at Northeastern University, reiterated the protesters’ demands for transparency regarding the university’s investments and urged divestment from companies allegedly supporting Israel’s actions in Gaza.

She emphasized the diverse composition of the encampment, noting significant participation from Northeastern students, as well as support from Jewish students and faculty. Similar scenes unfolded across the country. In Boston, Boston Police officers arrested 118 people at Emerson College, while at Arizona State University, 69 individuals were detained for setting up an unauthorised encampment.

At Indiana University Bloomington, where tensions had already flared earlier in the week with the arrest of 33 protesters, an additional 23 were apprehended on Saturday.

Universities grappled with differing approaches to managing the protests. While some sought to de-escalate tensions, others, like the University of Southern California and Emory University, opted for swift police intervention to disperse encampments and detain protesters.

The heightened police presence was evident on Saturday across several campuses, although not all resulted in arrests. At the University of Pennsylvania, campus police officers were stationed along barricades as over 100 protesters gathered in an encampment, with a smaller group of pro-Israel counterprotesters nearby, as reported by the NYT.

At the California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt, officers were present on the closed campus following a protest that witnessed demonstrators occupy two buildings earlier in the week. (ANI)

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At the Khalsa Day Celebrations that took place in Toronto, loud chants of pro-Khalistan slogans were seen being raised in the presence of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as well as opposition leader Pierre Poilievre. This comes amid a sharp rise in anti-India sentiment in Canada in recent times.

As PM Trudeau was about to take the stage for his address to mark Khalsa Day, the chants were heard getting louder till he arrives and commences his speech in the video released by Canada-based CPAC TV.

Slogans of “Khalistan Zindabad” were heard at the event in which, NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow were also present.

A similar instance also occured when the leader of the official opposition of Canada, Pierre Poilievre walked up to the stage to begin his address to the people gathered at the event.

Thousands of people flocked to downtown Toronto on Sunday for one of the biggest yearly gatherings in the city.

According to the Ontario Sikhs and Gurdwaras Council (OSGC), Vaisakhi, also called Khalsa Day, commemorates the founding of the Sikh community in 1699 as well as the Sikh New Year.

The group has been organising an annual parade down Lake Shore Boulevard for many years; the council claims that it is the third-largest parade in the nation and that it regularly draws thousands of spectators, according to CBC News.

Even as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau walked up to address the Sikh Community in Toronto loud pro-Khalistan slogans were raised from the crowd. Trudeau in a staunch assurance to the Sikh Community in the country has said that the government is always there to protect their rights and freedoms at all costs.

He said that diversity is one of Canada’s greatest strengths, and the country is strong not in spite of the differences, but because of those differences.

“One of Canada’s greatest strengths is its diversity. We are strong not in spite of our differences, but because of our differences; but even as we look at these differences, we have to remember, and get reminded on days such as this, and every day, that Sikh values are Canadian values…” Trudeau said during the Khalsa Day Celebrations on Sunday in Toronto.

“To the nearly, 800,000 Canadians of Sikh heritage across this country, we will always be there to protect your rights and your freedoms, and we will always defend your community against hatred and discrimination,” he asserted.

The Canadian PM also noted that the country is enhancing the security and infrastructure programmes by “adding more security at community centres and places of worship, including Gurdwaras.”

“Your right to practice your religion freely, and without intimidation is exactly that. A fundamental right guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms that we will always stand up and defend you for,” Trudeau assured the Sikh community in his Khalsa Day address.

However, Trudeau’s remarks come at a time when the diplomatic relations between India and Canada are going through a difficult phase.

It was notably, the killing of India-designated terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar, that sparked a row between India and Canada.

Nijjar, who was designated a terrorist by the National Investigation Agency in 2020, was shot and killed as he came out of a Gurdwara in Surrey, British Columbia, on the evening of June 18, 2023.

The video of his killing that reportedly surfaced in March recently, showed Nijjar being shot by armed men in what has been described as a ‘contract killing’.

The killing led to accusations from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that the government of India had a hand in the killing — a claim that was denied by India and led to the deterioration of diplomatic ties between Canada and India. (ANI)

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A fiery 41-ball century by Will Jacks and Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 70 runs helped Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) to a 9-wicket victory over Gujarat Titans (GT) with four overs to spare in the 45th encounter of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2024 at the Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday.

The RCB openers Faf Du Plessis and Virat Kohli started off the chase magnificently. Both batters put on a partnership of 40 runs in just 22 balls. On the next ball, Du Plessis was dismissed after scoring 24 runs off 12 balls with the help of three sixes and a four.

After the Bengaluru-based franchise skipper’s dismissal, Will Jacks came out to bat along with Kohli.

The visitors brought up their fifty in the sixth over as Kohli slammed a maximum on the third ball of the over bowled by Sai Kishore.

On the last ball of the 10th over, Kohli smashed a four on the bowling of Rashid Khan. In the 11th over, the Bangalore side brought up their 100 runs as Kohli took a single on the bowling of Mohit Sharma.

Jacks completed his fifty on the second ball of the 15th over as he smashed a boundary on the bowling of Mohit. In the same over, the team brought up their 150 too.

Jacks completed his century on the last ball of the 16th over, which was bowled by Rashid. This hit brought up RCB’s third victory in the ongoing 17th edition of the IPL.

Jacks and Kohli built an unbeaten partnership of 166 runs in just 74 balls. While Jacks played an unbeaten knock of 100 runs off 41 balls (ten sixes and five boundaries), Kohli scored an unbeaten 70 runs from 44 balls (six fours and three maximums).

For the hosts, only Sai Kishore was a successful bowler in the match. He picked up one wicket and conceded 30 runs in his spell of three overs.

Earlier, after winning the toss, Du Plessis sent the Titans to bat in the first inning.

Wriddhiman Saha (5 runs from 4 balls) and Shubman Gill (16 runs from 19 balls) opened for the hosts but could only manage a 6-run partnership. Saha failed to stand still against Swapnil Singh, who dismissed the GT wicketkeeper in the sixth ball of the first over.

Sai Sudharsan (84 runs from 49 balls) replaced Saha at the crease. The 22-year-old batter showcased a fiery performance and powered GT to a stable position. He hammered 8 fours and 4 overhead boundaries at a strike rate of 171.43.

As Sudharsan was trying to settle on the crease, GT lost another wicket as Glenn Maxwell dismissed Gill in the seventh over. The skipper displayed a sloppy performance as he managed just 1 four during his time on the crease.

Shahrukh Khan (58 runs from 30 balls) replaced Gill at the crease. After losing two quick wickets in the first powerplay, Sudharsan and Shahrukh played an 86-run partnership and helped the hosts make a comeback in the match.

Shahrukh smashed 3 fours and 5 sixes at a strike rate of 193.33; however, he was dismissed in the 15th over by Mohammed Siraj.

The dismissal of Shahrukh did not affect GT as David Miller (26 runs from 19 balls) came on and built a crucial 69-run partnership with Sudharsan and powered GT to 200/3 in the first inning.

On the other hand, RCB displayed an average performance with the ball. Maxwell, Siraj, and Swapnil were the only wicket-takers for the visitors. RCB needed to chase down the target of 201 runs to win the match against GT in Ahmedabad.

Brief score: Royal Challengers Bengaluru 206/1 (Will Jacks 100, Virat Kohli 70, Sai Kishore 1-30) vs Gujarat Titans 200/3 (Sai Sudharsan 84, Shahrukh Khan 58, David Miller 26; Swapnil Singh 1/23). (ANI)

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Hitting back at the Congress, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said that it was the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi who was involved in toppling the maximum number of state governments while adding that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not toppled any elected government.

He also mentioned that the President’s rule was imposed 90 times in the country under the Congress government.

Addressing a public meeting in Ahmedabad, Rajnath Singh said, “Fundamental rights were suspended. It happened during the Congress rule. For 18 months, we all had to remain behind bars”.

“Till now, the President’s rule has been imposed in the country 132 times under Article 356. Out of which, it was imposed 90 times under the Congress. Indira (Gandhi) Ji had spent half a century in toppling the governments,” Rajnath Singh said, adding, “And BJP is accused of undermining the democracy”.

“I want to ask the Congress,” Has our government, Prime Minister been involved in toppling any elected government? Whenever action is taken against corruption, they say that democracy is in danger. If Enforcement Directorate has done anything wrong, you should go to the Court,” the senior BJP leader added.

His comments came a day after the Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi accused the PM of undermining the democracy.

“PM Modi is weakening the democracy. He is attacking the opposition daily. He has frozen Congress’ bank accounts. Two Chief Ministers are in jail, my brother (Rahul Gandhi) was also almost kicked out of Parliament. 150 members were suspended in the Winter session recently, only Modiji is honest,” She said at a rally at Dharampur village in Valsad in PM Modi’s home state of Gujarat on Saturday.

“During the time of the Independence, Mahatma Gandhi had said that now this Congress should be finished. But the Congress leaders did not hear him. But I think that the public has decided to finish the Congress by themselves,” Rajnath Singh added.

All 26 parliamentary seats in Gujarat will go to the polls in the third phase of0 Lok Sabha elections on May 7. BJP candidate Mukesh Dalal was elected unopposed in Surat after the nomination papers of the Congress party’s candidate Nilesh Kumbhani were rejected, as his three proposers claimed in an affidavit to the district election officer that they had not signed his nomination form.

The third phase will include constituencies from Kutch, Banaskantha, Patan, Mehsana, Sabarkantha, Gandhinagar, Ahmedabad East, Ahmedabad West, Surendranagar, Rajkot, Porbandar, Jamnagar, Junagadh, Amreli, Bhavnagar, Anand, Kheda, Panchmahal, Dahod, Vadodara, Chhota Udaipur, Bharuch, Bardoli, Navsari, and Valsad.

The 2024 general elections are being held in seven phases. Polling for the first phase was held on April 19 and for the second phase it was held on April 26.

The counting and results will be declared on June 4. (ANI)

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Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi on Sunday alleged that the Election Commission has banned the party’s campaign song, ‘Jail ka jawab vote se’ stating that it showed the ruling party and agencies in a very poor light

Addressing a press conference in the national capital today, Atishi said, “It happens in a dictatorial government that the opposition is put in jail and is also prevented from campaigning. Today Election Commission of India has banned AAP’s campaign song. This would have happened for the first time in the history of India that the Election Commission would have banned the campaign song of any party. This is the same Election Commission which does not see when BJP violates the model code of conduct every day.”

“When BJP uses ED and CBI to put opposition leaders in jail during the MCC, the poll body has no objection to that. But when the Aam Aadmi Party writes that thing in the song, then there is a lot of objection to it. The ECI said that the song ‘Jail ka Jawab Vote Se’ shows the ruling party and agencies in a very poor light,” Atishi added further.

The Delhi Minister also pointed out that there is no name of BJP anywhere in AAP’s campaign song but ECI says that if you talk about ‘dictatorship’ then this is the criticism of the ruling party.

“That means the Election Commission itself believes that BJP is running a dictatorship in this country. I would like to remind the ECI that you are the successor of TN Seshan, who is remembered after so many years because he took free and fair elections in India to a new height. I want to say that after a few years, the elections of 2024 should not be remembered as when India’s democracy ended, this was the election in which ECI was not neutral. I want to appeal to the Election Commission to have a look to the BJP, who is violating the Model Code of Conduct daily,” Atishi said. (ANI)

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Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has appointed Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar as Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister with immediate effect, Samaa TV reported.

The decision was announced through a notification released by the Cabinet Division. The development marks a strategic move within the government’s leadership hierarchy, Samaa TV reported.

The decision was announced while Shehbaz Sharif is on a visit to Saudi Arabia to attend the World Economic Forum.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ishaq Dar is currently serving as Pakistan’s Foreign Minister. He has been also included in the Council of Common Interests (CCI).

Earlier in March, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif approved the reconstitution of the Council of Common Interests (CCI), replacing the finance minister with the foreign minister, Geo News reported.

The president, acting on the advice of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, established the eight-member CCI in accordance with Article 153 of the Constitution, as stated in a notification.

The CCI, chaired by Shehbaz Sharif, comprises all four chief ministers alongside other council members. The notification also confirms the inclusion of Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, and Safron Minister Amir Muqam, according to Geo News.

The Council of Common Interests holds significant authority as the primary decision-making body in the nation. It adjudicates various matters, including the distribution of natural resources, especially in cases where disputes arise between the central government and provincial authorities, according to Geo News report.

Dar served as the Pakistan’s Finance Minister during the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) government that came to power after Imran Khan’s ouster in 2022. (ANI)

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Taking a jibe at the Congress party over Supreme Court’s judgement on EVM, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the apex court has given a ‘tight slap’ after which the party doesn’t even have ‘excuses’ to make after losing elections.

He further said that the Congress party is in “panic” mode after the voting in Karnataka during the second phase of Lok Sabha elections on April 26.

Addressing a public meeting in Karnataka’s Davanagere, PM Modi said, “The state of Karnataka has created a panic in the Congress party with the voting on April 26…they are very frustrated. Congress is working with all might to ensure that something happens on May 7, and they are at least able to open their accounts…this huge gathering is clearly showing that people of the state will punish Congress for its sins.”

“The day is not far when all the internal battles within Congress party will come out on roads. Everyone will be putting the blame of the loss on each other. Earlier, they used to put the whole blame on EVM. They start chanting ‘EVM EVM’ as soon as election comes. But, now the Supreme Court has given such a tight slap, that even this excuse can’t be given,” he added.

Supreme Court last week rejected petitions seeking 100 per cent verification of votes cast on EVMs with paper slips generated through VVPATs (Voter-verified paper audit trail.

The apex court also rejected the plea of petitioners to return to ballot paper voting on April 26. The two-judge bench of Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Dipankar Datta delivered a unanimous verdict.

Prime Minister Modi also attacked the Karnataka government and accused them of giving 2.5 years of chief ministership to its leaders. It was a veiled jibe at CM Siddarmaiah and Deputy CM DK Shivakumar.

“Congress in Karnataka isn’t addressing the public but they are trying to see how number one will defeat the number two. Due to their factionalism, nepotism and wrong policies, Congress is playing with the future of the youth, farmers and common people,” PM Modi said.

“In Karnataka, they have not told the public, but have decided one will sit for 2.5 years and other for the next 2.5 years. Now, if they create a system like this, won’t the two sabotage each other?” he added.

He also slammed the INDIA bloc stating that the whole alliance doesn’t have any face for the Prime Minister and he leaders will be made PM for one year each.

“When people choose a leader for five years, they do so after much deliberation…I asked INDI Alliance, which face they have, whom the country can bestow the responsibility upon? If they do anything like this in dark, will you accept it?…So to take everyone into confidence, they (Congress) have decided that every leader will get one year of PMship,” he further stated.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi held a rally in Belagavi and attacked the Siddaramaiah government over the Hubballi murder incident. He said that the whole nation is worried about the law and order situation in Karnataka, adding that the Congress party is desperate to “destroy” the state.

“The entire nation is worried about what happened to one of the daughters in the state. They are worried about law and order situation in Karnataka. Parents are worried about their daughters residing in Karnataka. This is due to the sins committed by Congress. How can someone get the guts to murder someone on a college campus? They who committed crime know that those hungry for vote bank will save them in a few days,” he said.

“The Congress government is busy destroying Karnataka. Instead of controlling crime, Congress is promoting an anti-social and anti-national mindset,” the Prime Minister added.

Polling was conducted on Friday in 14 parliamentary constituencies of Karnataka during the second phase of the Lok Sabha election. The remaining seats will go to the polls on May 7. The counting of votes will take place on June 4.

In 2019, the BJP almost swept the state by winning 25 out of 28 seats in Karnataka. While, Congress and JD(S) — who were in coalition government in the state — could only win a seat each. (ANI)

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