by Editor | Sep 4, 2024 | News, Politics
Jammu: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday kick-started his party’s election campaign in Jammu and Kashmir, assuring people that his party along with the help of INDI A bloc partners will ensure restoration of statehood to the Union territory.
“We wished for restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir before the holding of assembly elections but the BJP was not willing and wanted the polls to be held first,” he said.
“We will ensure return of statehood to the region, whether BJP wants it or not. We will pressurise the government under the banner of INDIA alliance to ensure restoration of statehood,” the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha said.
Gandhi was addressing an election rally at Sangaldan, a part of Banihal Assembly constituency in Ramban district which is going to polls along with 25 other segments in the first phase of the three-phased assembly elections on September 18.
Former Pradesh Congress Committee president Vikar Rasool Wani is contesting from the constituency and is facing major challenge from National Conference candidate Sajad Shaheen and BJP’s Saleem Bhat. Wani, a former minister, is eying a hatrick from the seat.
by Editor | Sep 4, 2024 | Uncategorized
New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday fixed September 18 for hearing a batch of petitions seeking review of the 2022 judgment in the Vijay Madanlal Choudhary case, which had upheld the ED’s powers related to arrest, searches, seizures, and attachment of property, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the review petitioners, requested a bench headed by Justice Surya Kant to re-list the matter for hearing on September 18.
The special bench, also comprising Justices C.T. Ravikumar and Ujjal Bhuyan, did not assemble on Wednesday due to the non-availability of Justice Ravikumar.
In the previous hearing, the top court agreed to adjourn the hearing on SG Mehta’s request, who submitted that the batch of petitions was suddenly notified for hearing and he may be allowed some time to prepare and argue the matter.
A three-judge bench, in the case of Vijay Madanlal Choudhary & Others vs Union of India & Others, had turned down the challenge to vires of Section 50 of the PMLA giving power to the ED to summon an accused and record the statement, which is admissible evidence in the court of law. The 2022 decision rendered by a bench headed by Justice A.M. Khanwilkar (now retired), affirmed the stringent provisions of PMLA in connection with the definition of proceeds of crime, power of arrest, search & seizure, attachment of properties and also the twin bail conditions.
by Editor | Sep 4, 2024 | News, Politics
New Delhi: Union minister Nitin Gadkari has said if stainless steel had been used for construction of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue at Rajkot fort in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district, it would not have collapsed.
Gadkari also pitched for use of rust-resistant products in coastal areas.
The collapse of the statue of the iconic founder of the Maratha state on August 26 triggered a political row ahead of assembly elections in Maharashtra.
The road transport and highways minister said he has been pressing for the last three years that stainless steel should be used in the construction of bridges built close to sea.
Recalling his days as PWD minister of Maharashtra, he said he was constructing 55 flyovers in Mumbai and one person fooled him.
“He put some powder coating on iron rods and said those were rust-proof. But there was rusting. I believe that stainless steel should be used within 30 km of sea.
“If stainless steel had been used for the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji, it would have never collapsed,” Gadkari said at an event here.
Police in Maharashtra’s Sindhudurg district has issued a look out circular (LOC) against contractor Jaydeep Apte in connection with the collapse of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s statue at Rajkot fort.
An LOC is issued to airports and all other exit points to stop Apte from fleeing the country.
by Editor | Sep 4, 2024 | News, Politics
New Delhi: Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday responded to Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav’s “bulldozers will turn towards Gorakhpur after 2027” remark, saying not everyone is fit for “handling the bulldozers” as this requires both mind and courage.
UP CM also hurled ‘Tipu’ dig at the SP supremo and said, “Tipu is now dreaming of becoming Sultan.”
“Not everyone’s hands can fit on the bulldozer. Iske liye dil aur dimaag dono chahiye. Bulldozer jaise shamta aur pratigya jismein ho wahi bulldozer chala sakta hai (It takes both courage and mind. One should have both capability and determination like a bulldozer to operate it).”
“Those who have a habit of cowering down before the rioters will fall flat before the bulldozer,” he further said, hitting out at SP’s alleged appeasement of certain sections.
Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday claimed that the Samajwadi Party (SP) would wipe out BJP in Uttar Pradesh in 2027 and said, “After SP comes to power, all the bulldozers would turn towards Gorakhpur.”
The apex court had questioned the legality of demolitions, belonging to the accused’s house, carried out by the bulldozers, at the behest of state governments.
CM Adityanath, in further rejoinder to Akhilesh’s jibe, said that the double-engine government of Uttar Pradesh is working for the betterment and welfare of people without any discrimination while those, who were in power in the state before 2017, were busy building castles in the air as their dreams and hopes have been dashed.
“They are daydreaming. There is nothing wrong with dreaming. When they were in power, they played with the future of youth and businessmen,” the chief minister said further.
by Editor | Sep 4, 2024 | Business, Economy, News
Mumbai: Indian equity indices opened lower on Wednesday following weak global cues from US and Asian markets.
At 9:43 a.m., Sensex was down 553 points or 0.67 per cent at 81,998 and Nifty was down 180 points or 0.70 per cent at 25,099.
Banking and IT stocks lead the fall. Nifty Bank was at 51,272, down by 416 points or 0.81 per cent. Nifty IT was at 42,202, down by 648 points or 1.50 per cent.
In the Sensex pack, Wipro, JSW, Infosys, L&T, Tata Steel, SBI, Axis Bank, NTPC, M&M and Axis Bank were the top losers. Asian Paints, Bajaj Finserv, Bajaj Finance and Sun Pharma were the top gainers.
Almost all Asian markets are trading in the red. There is a decline in Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Seoul. Only Jakarta markets are in the green. American markets closed in the red on Tuesday.
