Month: August 2024

Former Delhi Deputy CM and AAP leader Manish Sisodia walked out of Tihar jail on Friday hours after the Supreme Court granted him bail in connection with the Delhi excise policy case.

He remained in jail for almost 18 months without trial.

Manish Sisodia also greeted party leaders and workers who had gathered outside Tihar Jail to welcome him.

“Bharat mata ji jai! Inquilab Zindabad!” cheered Manish Sisodia upon his release. 

“Ever since this order came in the morning, every inch of my skin has been feeling indebted to Babasaheb. I don’t understand how will pay off this debt to Babasaheb,” Sisodia said. 

The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Manish Sisodia in the excise policy irregularities cases. The order has been delivered by a bench of justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan. The court also imposed various conditions including surrendering the passport and not influencing witnesses.

AAP leaders and workers arrived outside Tihar jail to welcome Manish Sisodia.

Punjab Minister Bram Shanker Sharma-Jimpa said, “He was lodged in Tihar Jail and he faced it all very bravely. All workers across India are happy. I have come all the way from Punjab…Everyone was waiting for this. It is a matter of great joy.”

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the probe agencies, had raised apprehension that witnesses may be influenced.

ASG Raju said that some important witnesses can be examined. He further added that these witnesses could be influenced. He also said that there is evidence that he has destroyed phone records.

ASG had blamed Sisodia for filing various miscellaneous applications related to the supply of unrelated documents. He also said that the trial could have proceeded irrespective of further investigation.

On June 4, the top court also gave him the liberty to revive his prayer afresh after filing the final charge sheet.

In February 2023, Sisodia was arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of now-scrapped Delhi’s new excise policy.

The policy was withdrawn amid allegations of foul play by the opposition. 

According to the CBI, Sisodia had played the most vital role in the criminal conspiracy and he had been deeply involved in the formulation as well as the implementation of the said policy to ensure the achievement of the objectives of the said conspiracy. (ANI)

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As India gears up to celebrate its 78th Independence Day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday urged the citizens of the nation to make the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign a mass movement by hoisting the national flag at their homes.

Changing his profile picture on social media to ‘Tricolour’, PM Modi further urged everyone to change their profile picture to the same.

Sharing a link, PM Modi also requested everyone to share their selfies with the national flag while celebrating the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign. One can submit their selfies on the website – https://harghartiranga.com

In a social media post on X, PM Modi wrote, “As this year’s Independence Day approaches, let’s again make #HarGharTiranga a memorable mass movement. I am changing my profile picture and I urge you all to join me in celebrating our Tricolour by doing the same. And yes, do share your selfies on https://harghartiranga.com.”

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is set to launch the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign across the nation from August 11. The ruling party at the Centre will also conduct Tiranga Yatra from August 11 to August 14. During this period, the national flag will be hoisted on every house, shop, and office. A cleanliness drive will also be carried out.

In the 112th ‘Mann Ki Baat’ on July 28, Prime Minister Modi called upon all Indians to take part in the ‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ campaign to celebrate Independence Day. He highlighted the growing trend of taking selfies with the national flag and sharing them on social media. He urged party leaders and workers to ensure that the national flag is hoisted on houses, offices, and shops.

‘Har Ghar Tiranga’ is a campaign that forms part of the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. It was started in 2021 to encourage people to bring the Tiranga home and to hoist it to mark the 75th year of India’s independence. The idea behind the initiative is to invoke the feeling of patriotism in the hearts of the people and promote awareness about the Indian National Flag.

Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav is an initiative of the Government of India to celebrate and commemorate 75 years of independence and the glorious history of its people, culture and achievements. This Mahotsav is dedicated to the people of India who have not only been instrumental in bringing India thus far in its evolutionary journey but also hold within them the power and potential to enable PM Modi’s vision of activating India 2.0, fuelled by the spirit of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. (ANI)

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Ahead of the Independence Day celebrations in the national capital, the Delhi Police Special Cell has apprehended Rizwan Ali, an ISIS module terrorist, an official said.

A resident of Daryaganj in Delhi, Rizwan, had a Rs 3 lakh bounty on his head, announced by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for his involvement in terror activities. According to the Police Ali was part of the Pune Module of ISIS and had been absconding, his presence in the capital ahead of Independence Day is being probed.

“ISIS module terrorist identified as Rizwan Ali has been arrested. NIA had declared a bounty of Rs 3 lakh on him. Rizwan is a resident of Daryaganj, Delhi,” Special Cell, Delhi Police said.

The NIA had also released Rizwan Ali’s photograph along with other absconding wanted men with terror links.

Earlier, Delhi Police heightened the security arrangements and put up posters of various terrorists linked with Al Qaeda and Khalistan.

Police have put up posters across the city and they have also encouraged people to assist them in catching the terrorists. The Delhi police said that those coming forward with any information regarding the terrorists will be rewarded “suitably”. The names of informants will, however, be concealed.

Police said that the security measures are taken to raise awareness among the people and help police track the terrorists.

According to the police, there are fifteen terrorists mentioned in the posters, out of whom six are associated with Al-Qaeda

To ensure the nation’s security, ahead of Independence Day, Punjab police have also taken heightened security measures by carrying out spot searches at all the bus stands across the state, earlier this week.

The Cordon and search operation was carried out simultaneously in all 28 police districts, under which police teams, with the assistance of sniffer dogs, frisked people arriving and departing at bus stands. (ANI)

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External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that the government has taken up seriously the issue of cyber crime trafficking of nationals to South East Asian countries.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha during Question Hour, the minister said that the central government has taken the issue of cyber trafficking very seriously and so far, 650 Indian nationals have been repatriated from Cambodia while from Myanmar the number was 415 from and 548 from Laos.

In response to a query on cyber trafficking raised by Congress MP from Attingal, Adoor Prakash, Jaishankar noted that the Indian government has raised this issue with concerned governments at the political level.

Responding to a question on cyber trafficking and Indian nationals being made to work on cyber scam-related issues in South Asian nations the EAM said, “We take this very very seriously. We have taken it up with all the concerned governments at a political level. So far, 650 Indian nationals have been repatriated from Cambodia, 415 from Myanmar and 548 from Laos.”

“The government also appreciates the gravity of the issue. This is an issue, for which we have to be very vigilant. We have to crack down very hard. So, I have also attached with the answer, the list of cases state-wise for the last three years, what is the action taken report and what is the status of legal proceedings in those cases,” Jaishankar said.

He said that the recruiting agents whose details have been mentioned on the portal will not be allowed to continue in the business and prosecution will be initiated against those against whom there is evidence of any criminality or any violation of law.

Asked about the action taken by the government against the illegal agencies who mislead Indian nationals,” Jaishankar said, “There are a range of issues in this. The cases regarding Russia are in a different category. There (Russia), those cases are being probed by CBI, they are being investigated, the cases have been registered and people have been arrested and they will be prosecuted.”

“We also have cases in respect of those who have been for cyber crimes trafficked to Southeast Asia. They are a different category. In their cases too, we have asked the state governments to initiate, in many cases prosecution against agents, where we have information against them.”

“A bulk of the cases,” he said, “where we have put on our portal, the recruiting agents who we have found in violation of the rule, what it does is that they will not be allowed to continue in this business and wherever there is evidence of any criminality or any violation of the law, they will be prosecuted and in many cases, prosecution is underway,” Jaishankar said.

Earlier in July, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called on the Prime Minister of Laos. During their meeting, Jaishanakar had taken up the issue of the trafficking of Indian nationals through cyber scam centres. He also discussed the relief and rescue of Indians with the foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand.

In a post on X, he had said, “During my call on the Prime Minister of Lao PDR, took up the issue of the trafficking of Indian nationals through cyber scam centers. Appreciate the ongoing cooperation of Lao PDR government in the rescue and relief of our citizens. Also discussed the matter with the Foreign Ministers of Cambodia and Thailand.” (ANI)

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Expressing joy over the Supreme Court granting Manish Sisodia bail, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh called it a victory of truth and a big relief for the party.

“This is the victory of truth. As I have said earlier, there is no truth/evidence in this case. Our leaders were forcibly put in jail. Manish Sisodia was kept in jail for 17 months… I thank the Supreme Court that we got justice and the decision has come in favour of AAP and every worker is excited. I pray to God that Arvind Kejriwal and Satyendra Jain also come out of jail soon. This is a slap on the dictatorship of the central government.” said AAP MP Sanjay Singh.

“This is a big relief for the Aam Aadmi Party and the people of Delhi. Now the path to justice will open soon for Arvind Kejriwal and Satyendra Jain. Will the Prime Minister of the country give an account of the 17 months of Manish Sisodia’s life that were wasted? Not even a single rupee was recovered from Manish Sisodia’s house…This is a very big relief for the workers of the Aam Aadmi Party and everything will be good and soon our two other leaders will also come out,” he added.

The advocate representing Manish Sisodia, Rishikesh Kumar said, “The court has said that if you have the evidence then there is no case of tampering. If you have kept him in jail for so long, it’s against the principles of bail. Be it the case of ED or section 45, the cardinal rule of bail is applied there. And keeping this in mind, that Manish Sisodia has already been in jail for 17 months, the Supreme Court dismissed all the pleas of ED and granted him bail. The Court has also said that the statement of ED in court that trial will end in 6-8 months, it doesn’t seem it will…”

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav congratulated Manish Sisodia, saying, “Bahut badhayi.”

Congress MP Manickam Tagore stated that Manish Sisodia’s release has shown that the legal system has taken a long time to give justice to him.

“We all know that ED has been misused by BJP for a long time. They are using it as a political tool to silence the opposition. Manish Sisodia’s release has shown that the legal system has taken a long time to give justice to him,” said Manickam Tagore.

Meanwhile, sweets are being distributed at the residence of Sanjay Singh as Manish Sisodia gets bail. (ANI)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Olympic and World Championships gold medalist Neeraj Chopra following his silver medal win at the ongoing Paris Olympics and congratulated him for his second successive medal at the marquee event.

PM Modi also enquired about Neeraj’s injury and lauded the sportsman spirit showed by his mother Saroj, who congratulated Pakistan’s Arshad Nadeem for getting the gold and setting an Olympic record.

The Prime Minister said during the phone call, “You made the country proud again. Even late at night at 1 AM, people were watching you in action, looking at you with hope.”

He lauded Neeraj for managing to deliver consistent performances despite his recent fitness issues.

Neeraj said that he could not push himself fully because of his injuries and the competition was tough.

“I am still happy to get a medal for my country in these circumstances. There are ups and downs in sport,” he added.

Chopra fell short of retaining his gold medal in the men’s javelin throw at the ongoing marquee event securing silver with a best throw of 89.45 meters.

Nadeem won gold with a throw of 92.97 meters, setting a new Olympic record and surpassing Denmark’s Andreas Thorkildsen’s mark from Beijing 2008. Grenada’s Anderson Peters secured bronze with a throw of 88.54 meters.

Earlier, Chopra had achieved a throw of 89.34 meters in the Group B qualification round, his second-best all-time throw. Despite a competitive rivalry with Nadeem, where Chopra led 9-0 in their head-to-head matchups, Nadeem’s throw of 90.18 meters at the 2022 Commonwealth Games exceeded Chopra’s top effort.

Grenada’s Anderson Peters secured the bronze with an 88.54 meters throw.

Following the failure to defend his gold medal, Neeraj expressed dissatisfaction with his performance and revealed that the last two to three years were not good for him in terms of fitness.

Speaking after the event as quoted by Olympics.com, Neeraj said, “It was a good throw but I am not that happy with my performance today. My technique and runway was not that good. (I managed) only one throw, the rest I fouled.”

“(For my) second throw I believed in myself to think I can also throw that far. But in javelin, if your run is not so good, you cannot throw very far,” added Neeraj.

The Indian ace javelin thrower, who also is the current Asian Games champion, said that injuries leading upto his title defence in Paris made some difference and he will have to work on being injury-free and on his technique.

“The last two or three years were not so good for me. I am always injured. I really tried hard, but I have to work on my injury (staying injury-free) and technique,” the 26-year-old added.

Neeraj’s mother, Saroj Devi, was delighted with her son’s achievement.

“We are very happy. For us, silver is as valuable as gold. The gold medalist is also like our son. Despite his injury, we are proud of our son’s performance. I will cook his favourite meal,” she said speaking to ANI.

Satish, Neeraj’s father, was proud after witnessing Neeraj’s performance and felt it was Pakistan’s day in the men’s javelin throw final, felt that his injury had a role in his performance.

“Everyone has their day. Today was Pakistan’s day. But we have won silver, and it is a proud thing for us. I think his groin injury had a part in his performance,” Neeraj’s father Satish Chopra told ANI.

“He has won silver for the country. We are happy and proud. All the youth will be inspired by him,” he added. (ANI)

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The Supreme Court on Friday granted bail to Manish Sisodia in the excise policy irregularities cases. The order has been delivered by a bench of justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan. The court also imposed various conditions including surrendering the passport and not influencing witnesses.

The top court was hearing Sisodia’s appeal challenging the Delhi High Court order that dismissed his bail plea in the cases being probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate.

During the hearing, Additional Solicitor General SV Raju, appearing for the probe agencies, had raised apprehension that witnesses may be influenced.

ASG Raju said that some important witnesses can be examined. He further added that these witnesses could be influenced. He also said that there is evidence that he has destroyed phone records.

ASG had blamed Sisodia for filing various miscellaneous applications related to the supply of unrelated documents. He also said that the trial could have proceeded irrespective of further investigation.

Senior Advocate A M Singhvi, appearing for Sisodia, had said that seventeen months are already over which is almost half of the minimum possible sentence in the case.

He has also countered probe agencies’ allegations on profit margin and said that it was the cabinet decisions taken after deliberations with many officials including then LG.

ASG Raju on Monday stated that one cannot arbitrarily increase the profit margins without reason. He has Earlier, further added that Sisodia is not an innocent person picked up for political reasons but he is neck-deep in the scam.

He further added that there is evidence pointing to his involvement. He further said that he was deputy Chief Minister with 18 portfolios and responsible for all cabinet decisions.

On June 4, the top court also gave him the liberty to revive his prayer afresh after filing the final charge sheet.

In February 2023, Sisodia was arrested by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the framing and implementation of now-scrapped Delhi’s new excise policy.

The policy was withdrawn amid allegations of foul play by the opposition. Sisodia is currently in judicial custody.

According to the CBI, Sisodia had played the most vital role in the criminal conspiracy and he had been deeply involved in the formulation as well as the implementation of the said policy to ensure the achievement of the objectives of the said conspiracy. (ANI)

Actor Mouni Roy dropped a romantic birthday post to wish her husband Suraj Nambiar on his birthday.

Taking to Instagram, Mouni wrote, “Lemme kiss you happy birthday now!!!!! Dear husband, You built the fantasy for me, not on the pages I love to read so much, but in real life, gave me my fairy, errrrr reality tale.”

“I love you for all your perfections & ideosyncracies. Best days of my life started when I met you coz you gimme premature ventricular contractions err’y single day.. happy birthday baby; I love you so….Love, wifey,” she added.

Mouni uploaded a couple of adorable pictures of herself with Suraj to make the birthday post more captivating.

Mouni tied the knot with Suraj in Goa in January 2022. The couple had two ceremonies – as per Bengali and South Indian rituals.

Several celebrities including Arjun Bijlani, Mandira Bedi, Aashka Goradia and Aamna Sharif marked their presence at the wedding festivities.

Sharing pictures from her dreamy South Indian wedding on Instagram, Mouni wrote, “I found him at last. Hand in hand, blessed by family and friends. We are married. Need your love and blessings. 27.01.22 Love, Suraj and Mouni.”

Meanwhile, on the work front, Mouni was last seen sharing screen space with Emraan Hashmi in ‘Showtime’.

Directed by Mihir Desai and Archit Kumar, ‘Showtime’ explores the journey of Raghu Khanna towards redemption and ambition, focusing on his efforts to mend relationships and reclaim his standing in the industry. The series authentically portrays the lives of its characters, revealing their vulnerabilities and internal struggles within the realm of showbiz.

She was also seen in ‘Blackout’, which is a comedy-thriller that delves into the depths of human nature and the consequences of one’s actions in the face of adversity. The film takes on a thrilling journey through the streets of Pune, where a single night of darkness engulfs the city in mystery. (ANI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday wished Professor Muhammad Yunus on assuming his new responsibilities as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government and emphasised bringing about an early return to normalcy and ensuring the protection of the Hindu minority.

“My best wishes to Professor Muhammad Yunus on the assumption of his new responsibilities. We hope for an early return to normalcy, ensuring the safety and protection of Hindus and all other minority communities. India remains committed to working with Bangladesh to fulfill the shared aspirations of both our peoples for peace, security and development,” PM Modi said in a post on X.

Nobel laureate economist Muhammad Yunus was sworn in as the head of Bangladesh’s interim government on Thursday after former PM Sheikh Hasina resigned amid escalating student-led protests, demanding an end to the quota system for government jobs.

The political situation in Bangladesh remains volatile and has evolved into broader anti-government protests.

Yunus, 84, took oath at a ceremony in Dhaka on Thursday night, amid massive unrest in the country after weeks of student-led protests forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India.

Muhammad Yunus is a Bangladeshi social entrepreneur and founder of Grameen Bank, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2006 for his efforts to create economic and social development through microcredit.

The key tasks for Yunus will now be to restore peace in Bangladesh and prepare for the new elections.

Bangladesh’s figurehead President Mohammed Shahabuddin administered the oath to Yunus for his role as chief advisor, which is the equivalent to a prime minister, as per Al Jazeera.

The ceremony was held in the presence of foreign diplomats, civil society members, top businessmen and members of the former opposition party at the presidential palace in Dhaka.

However, no representatives of Sheikh Hasina’s party, Awami League were present.

Upon arriving in Bangladesh earlier in the day, the Nobel laureate made a heartfelt appeal to his supporters and urged the people of Bangladesh to maintain calm and end chaos, stressing that it is the “first responsibility” to ensure that no attack is carried out against anyone in the country, Daily Star reported.

He further stressed that Bangladesh has tremendous potential but the first priority is to save the country from chaos so that the country can proceed on the “path shown by students.”

“If you have faith in me and trust me, then ensure that there will be no attack anywhere in the country. This is our first responsibility,” Yunus told a crowded press briefing at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport upon his arrival on Thursday. (ANI)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Indian men’s hockey team for securing the bronze medal at the ongoing Paris Olympics on Thursday.

A brace from skipper Harmanpreet Singh and PR Sreejesh’s effortless saves secured a bronze medal for India at the Paris Olympics with a 2-1 win over Spain at the Yves du Manoir Stadium.

Notably, India won consecutive bronze hockey medals for the first time in 52 years since the 1972 Munich Games.

PM Modi took to his official X account and said that the Indian men’s hockey team’s feat at the Paris Olympics is more special since it is their second consecutive Medal at the Summer Games.

He appreciated the team’s “immense grit and resilience” and said their success is a triumph of “skill, perseverance and team spirit.”

“A feat that will be cherished for generations to come! The Indian Hockey team shines bright at the Olympics, bringing home the Bronze Medal! This is even more special because it is their second consecutive Medal at the Olympics. Their success is a triumph of skill, perseverance and team spirit. They showed immense grit and resilience. Congratulations to the players. Every Indian has an emotional connect with Hockey and this accomplishment will make the sport even more popular among the youth of our nation,” PM Modi wrote on X.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah also congratulated the Indian men’s hockey team after winning the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. The Union Minister said that Harmanpreet Singh’s side showed a ‘splendid’ performance in the bronze medal match against Spain.

“What a splendid show of mettle! Many congratulations to our men’s hockey team on winning the bronze medal at the #ParisOlympics2024. Your power-packed performance, and impeccable sportsmanship will ignite a new zest for the sport. Your achievement has raised the pride of the Tiranga,” Amit Shah wrote on X.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lauded Harmanpreet Singh’s side for clinching the bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.

“Be victorious! Heartiest congratulations to Team India for winning the bronze medal in the hockey competition of Paris Olympics-2024! You are our champion. India is proud of you,”

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh heaped praise on Indian men’s hockey team and said that they have showed ‘remarkable teamwork and wonderful skills’ in the match on Thursday.

“Congratulations to our men’s Hockey team for the Bronze Medal in the #ParisOlympicGames2024. Their remarkable teamwork and wonderful skills have yielded great results. We are proud of the team and convey best wishes to them for their future endeavours,” Rajnath Singh wrote on X.

While playing in an electrifying atmosphere, the Indian team added a fourth medal to their tally at the Paris Olympics, after being down 0-1 after the first quarter.

Sreejesh, who was playing his last game for India, went on the ground, filled with emotions, and the rest of the team joined him to celebrate the momentous occasion in India’s hockey history.

Under the reign of coach Craig Fulton, India created history and secured back-to-back bronze medals at the Olympics. Goals from Harmanpreet Singh (30′, 33′) for India were enough to get them across the finish line. For Spain, Marc Miralles (18′) was the sole goal scorer. (ANI)

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