by Editor | Sep 7, 2024 | News, Politics
New Delhi:On the occasion of the second anniversary of the Bharat Jodo Yatra (BJY), Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi shared a heartfelt message on his social media on Saturday, reflecting on the journey.
In a post on his X handle, Rahul Gandhi wrote, “The Bharat Jodo Yatra taught me the beauty of silence. In the midst of cheering crowds and slogans, I discovered the power to tune out the noise and focus entirely on the person next to me — to truly listen.”
“In those 145 days and the two years since, I’ve listened to thousands of Indians from diverse backgrounds. Each voice has carried wisdom, teaching me something new, and each has represented our beloved Bharat Mata,” he further added.
“The Yatra proved that Indians are inherently loving people. When I started this journey I said love will conquer hate and hope will defeat fear. Today, our mission remains the same – to ensure the voice of Bharat Mata, the voice of love is heard in every corner of our beloved country,” Rahul Gandhi’s post further read.
In addition, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Jairam Ramesh also commented on the occasion, calling the Bharat Jodo Yatra a “massive booster dose” for the Congress party.
by Editor | Sep 7, 2024 | News, Politics
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Pawan Khera on Saturday lashed out at former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh for his “conspiracy allegations” after wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joined Congress.
Khera defended the party’s support for the wrestlers, stating: “If more than six athletes come and seek help from society, should the Opposition, the Congress party, ignore this? This might be BJP’s tradition, but Congress doesn’t follow this.”
He emphasised that Congress stands with those facing injustice, regardless of political affiliations.
The former WFI chief on Saturday claimed that their entry into politics confirmed his long-standing assertion that the 2023 protests by athletes were a politically motivated conspiracy against him, plotted by Congress.
The former BJP MP, who has been defending himself against allegations of sexual assault that sparked a major protest by wrestlers in January 2023, reiterated his belief that the accusations were part of a plot led by Congress and Bhupinder Hooda.
“Back in January, when the protest began, I told the media that this was all a conspiracy against me, and now it is clear. The script was written by Congress, and it has been exposed at their party office,” he remarked.
The remarks came after Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia joined the Congress on Friday, with Phogat set to contest the upcoming Haryana Assembly elections from the Julana constituency.
The senior Congress leader further rebuked the former WFI chief, saying: “Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh should be ashamed before speaking on this matter. If something wrong happens, we will raise our voices, and we are proud of it. People who are wrong are with the BJP, and those who stand with what’s right are with Congress.”
In response to the current WFI chief Sanjay Singh’s accusation of “desh droh” (treason) against Congress and the wrestlers, Khera remarked: “Labelling any wrongdoing as treason is a BJP mindset. Raising a voice against wrongdoings is not treason; it’s standing for justice.”
by Editor | Sep 7, 2024 | News, Politics
New Delhi: There are nearly 62 thousand cases pending in various high courts, which are more than 30 years old, including three awaiting disposal since 1952.
According to official data, there are four cases pending since 1954 and nine since 1955 in high courts.
Out of the three cases pending since 1952, two are in the Calcutta High Court and one in the Madras High Court.
Addressing the national conference of district judiciary here earlier this week, President Droupadi Murmu had called for a change in the “culture of adjournments” in the judiciary.
She said long-standing pendency and backlog of cases is a big challenge before the judiciary.
“All stakeholders have to find a solution by giving priority to this problem,” she said.
As many as 58.59 lakh cases, including 42.64 lakh of civil nature and 15.94 lakh of criminal nature, are pending across high courts.
According to the National Judicial Data Grid (NJDG), nearly 2.45 lakh cases are pending in high courts which are 20 to 30 years old.
Addressing the same event, Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal had called for breaking the perception that Indian courts follow the “tareekh pe tareekh culture”.
by Editor | Sep 6, 2024 | News, Politics
New Delhi: Jamaat-e-Islami Hind (JIH) Vice President Malik Motassim Khan has strongly condemned the detention of 28 Bengali-speaking Muslims from Assam’s Barpeta district, who were declared foreigners by a Foreigners Tribunal. He criticized the labeling of these individuals as “illegal” and “doubtful voters,” calling the actions derogatory and dehumanizing for the Muslim community.
Khan stated, “We vehemently condemn the unjust treatment of these 28 Bengali-speaking Muslims, who were declared foreigners and sent to transit camps. This is a gross violation of their fundamental human rights and a clear example of selective application of the law.” He highlighted that most of the detainees come from poverty-stricken, marginalized backgrounds and were not provided with adequate legal representation, leading to their wrongful detention.
He also raised concerns about the functioning of the Foreigners Tribunals, claiming that their judgments are often arbitrary and politically motivated. “The targeting of Muslims, particularly Miya Muslims, in this process is disproportionate. While the Assam NRC identified two-thirds of those marked as foreigners as Hindus and one-third as Muslims, the enforcement has overwhelmingly targeted Muslims,” Khan remarked.
He demanded the immediate release of the 28 detainees and a halt to the ongoing proceedings before the Foreigners Tribunals. “This is not due process of law and goes against India’s judicial principles,” Khan emphasized.
Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has pledged legal and moral support to the affected individuals, calling on civil society and the media to raise awareness of this issue and demand justice.
by Editor | Sep 6, 2024 | News, Politics
New Delhi—Since the BJP government came to power in Bhubaneswar, rising communal fissures have been witnessed in Odisha, the eastern state of India.
Soon after the BJP government was sworn in on June 12, 2024, communal tension arose in Balasore and miscreants threw stones at a mosque, and set fire to a house belonging to the minority community. Curfew was imposed and internet services were shut down, and things as usual followed.
In August 2024, the media reported attacks on minority communities in various parts of the state; Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Sambalpur, and Bolangir districts, etc were all under the grip of communal tension. Many cases went unreported.
The attack was made on migrant workers, particularly from the neighboring states of Bihar and West Bengal. Hundreds of migrant workers were displaced from the area of the communal violence, reported Ganatantrik Adhikar Suraksha Sangathan (GASS) a civic advocacy group in Bhubaneswar.
The reason was recent developments in Bangladesh that were used as a pretext to target the Muslim minorities in Odisha. The Sangh Parivar, in an act of revenge for alleged atrocities on the Hindu community in Bangladesh, targeted the Muslims in Odisha.
Attack on Christians: There were reports in the third week of August, particularly on Janmashtami day (August 26), that the Sangh Parivar had asked the members of the Christian community to leave the Kandhamal region. The Christian community was forced to leave their homes under a silent but pervasive threat, this exodus continues.
Laxmanananda murder case: A Hindu monk and Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) leader, Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati was murdered along with four of his disciples on August 23, 2008, at Jalespata Ashram in Kandhamal district of Odisha. Following his death, violence erupted in the district, claiming more than 60 lives, rendering thousands homeless, and resulting in the rape of a nun.
This case which is still under investigation is cashed by the Sangh Parivar every year. On the pretext of commemorating the death anniversary of the slain Hindu priest, the Hindutva zealots make it a point to target the Christian community.
This time again the situation was aggravated when two state ministers belonging to the BJP party attended a public gathering organized to commemorate the death of Laxmananda. The event was a blatant attempt to instill fear among the Christian community.
In another incident, the VHP cadres tried to observe its foundation day, at the campus of Gangadhar Meher University in Sambalpur. They invited the Vice-Chancellor Professor N. Nagaraju, to be the chief guest of this event which sparked protests by academicians, writers, and students that forced a last-minute change of venue.
It may be recalled that it is at the same venue, that Professor Nivedita Menon, known for her anti-communal stance, was barred from completing her talk at a University programme.
This is a contrast between protesting a secular academician and inviting a communal organization to hold its program in a University that highlights the penetration of communal forces in the state.
The BJP’s electoral victory in the state and the center has given rise to communal tensions with the minorities in Odisha. The BJP’s political victory has given a free hand to Sangh Parivar to organize the communal clashes in the state.
A civic advocacy group the Ganatantrik Adhikar Suraksha Sangathan (GASS) has called on the people of Odisha to resist these nefarious forces and stand up against the rising communal tensions in the state.
GASS President, Dr. Golak Bihari Nath, has condemned the divisive political agenda of the BJP and urged all democratic entities to unite in their responses. He also appealed to the state government to take decisive action to restore peace and communal harmony in Odisha.
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