by Editor | Aug 21, 2024 | News, Politics
Jairam Ramesh alleged that the CCI was passive while approving Adani Group’s acquisitions, which built “monopolies” in ports, airports, power, and cement, often “using threats and intimidation.”
NEW DELHI – The Congress on Wednesday questioned the Competition Commission of India over its approval of all acquisitions by the Adani Group, asking why such institutions “remained passive” as the conglomerate built “monopolies” in critical infrastructure sectors, raising prices at consumers’ expense.
Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has reportedly raised concerns that the proposed Reliance-Disney merger could stifle competition, .
“It is a good time to reflect on how the CCI should have also had the courage to address how the non-biological PM’s other favourite business conglomerate is acquiring companies and reducing competition across various industries,” he said in a post on X.
by Editor | Aug 21, 2024 | News, Politics
While the nation debated the on-going power struggle inside BJP UP government, after the poll debacle, there were ‘meetings’ between UP CM Yogi Adityanath and PM Narendra Modi, and what has followed thereafter are a series of ‘gifts’ to Muslims. The Modi government has passed the bill Central Waqf Amendment Act-2013 with 40 changes on August 5. This will cripple the powers entrusted with Waqf Boards, once guaranteed even by the British government under the Shariat Application Act 1937!
Waqf is an endowment as per Muslim Personal Law. It consists of assets that are donated, bequeathed, or purchased for being held in perpetual trust. The Waqf Board regulates such properties, moveable and immoveable, for the pious, religious, or charitable ends, donated by Muslims.
Not a week earlier, on July 30, UP government did pass a ‘more’ stringent Bill on anti-conversion law which now does not require the presence of the victim, her parents or siblings for a complainant, but anyone from the roadside can file an FIR under the amended Bill. It now entails for life a imprisonment. Around more than 13 unregistered UP madrassas catering to lakhs of Muslim students now stand to be closed, despite funded by Muslim funds of Zakat (alms) and Sadaqat (donations).
The latest bill on Waqf had to make the understandable ‘hue and cry’ from all corners of the nation, as after all, according to official data, there are 8,70,000 Waqf properties in India, on an area of 9.4 lakh acres of land. The ‘heart burns’ of BJP over Waqf Board lands, has been for ages as it is considered to hold the second biggest land and property assets after Railways in India.
How BJP gets all such brazen acts done against Muslims? The method in mechanism has to be understood. It will not be at all out of place to recall that a whole coterie of BJP guided ideologues like like Pushpendra Kulshreshtha, Sanjay Dixit, Vijay Krishna ‘Tufail’ Chaturvedi, Adi Achint, Gaurav Arya, RSN Singh etc have devoted hundreds of hours of Youtube telecasts, in the last decade, as ‘head, ears and eyes’ of BJP, to help develop an echo system for such Acts be ‘amended’ by BJP. BJP foot-soldiers have long been laying grounds for such events.
Now BJP has finally curbed the ‘unfettered powers’ of Waqf Boards, which were responsible to manage mosques, Dargahs, Imambadas, Qabristans, Khanqas and other Islamic religious endowments. Women members are now slated to be two in numbers in State Boards, There was never a restriction on women. The final axe has now been put as Waqf Board, as it cannot, from henceforth, designate any property as “Waqf property.” Any claim now made by the Waqf Board on properties will undergo mandatory verification, by the District Magistrate. Earlier if Waqf Board was to find an old Waqfnama (Deed) it had the powers to register it as a Waqf. Now it stands annulled.
The bill to amend the Wakf Act, 1995, if it is introduced and passed, will make it mandatory for the Waqf boards to register their properties with the district collectors to ensure their actual valuation.
by Editor | Aug 21, 2024 | News, Politics
Lucknow: The Bahujan Samaj Party on Wednesday extended support to the day-long Bharat Bandh called by some Dalit and Adivasi groups to protest against the Supreme Court’s recent verdict on the sub-classification of Scheduled Castes (SCs).
The party also accused the BJP and the Congress of colluding to end reservation. It said these parties and others should understand the necessity of reservation and not play with it.
“BSP supports the Bharat Bandh because there is anger and resentment against the Supreme Court’s August 1 decision regarding the sub-classification of SC/ST and the creamy layer among them due to the conspiracy against reservation by parties like BJP and Congress and their collusion to make it ineffective and eventually end it,” BSP president Mayawati said in a post in Hindi on X.
“In this regard, the people of these classes will submit a memorandum to the government today as part of the Bharat Bandh and strongly demand that the changes made in reservation be abolished through a constitutional amendment…,” she said.
The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister further said that the constitutional right of reservation given to the OBC community along with SCs and STs is the result of the continuous struggle of B R Ambedkar.
“BJP, Congress and other parties should understand its necessity and sensitivity and not play with it,” she said.
by Editor | Aug 21, 2024 | News, Politics
New Delhi: Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will embark on an official visit to the United States from August 23 to 26, at the invitation of US Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin, to further enhance the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
The four-day visit, starting Friday, comes as part of the growing momentum in India-US relations, particularly in the defence sector.
During his visit, Rajnath Singh will hold a bilateral meeting with the US Defence Secretary to discuss various aspects of defence cooperation between the two nations, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
In addition to this key meeting, the Defence Minister is also scheduled to meet Jake Sullivan, the US Assistant to the President for National Security Affairs, to discuss broader strategic issues.
The visit underscores the deepening military-to-military relationship between India and the US, which both nations view as crucial for stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
As part of his visit, Rajnath Singh will chair a high-level roundtable with representatives of the US defence industry to discuss ongoing and future collaborations in defence manufacturing and technology.
by Editor | Aug 21, 2024 | News, Politics
Kolkata: The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday adjourned till September 4 the joint hearing of several PILs over the alleged rape and murder of a doctor in RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and vandalism by miscreants at the institution since the Supreme Court is already seized of the matter.
Amid spiralling nationwide protests over the rape and murder of the trainee doctor at the hospital, the apex court on Tuesday constituted a 10-member National Task Force (NTF) to formulate a protocol for ensuring the safety and security of doctors and other healthcare professionals.
The SC also asked the CBI and the West Bengal government to file status reports on August 22, on the progress of their separate investigations into the alleged rape and murder of the woman postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital and the August 15 vandalism and violence there respectively.
A division bench presided by Chief Justice T S Sivagnanam said that since the Apex Court orders on the issue covered all issues which are before the high court, it was adjourning till September 4 the hearing of the 14 PILs before the high court in relation to the incidents at the state-run hospital in Kolkata.
The bench, also comprising Justice Hiranmay Bhattacharyya, reiterated its request to all to refrain from disclosing the identity of the victim after a lawyer pointed out to the court that despite its directions in this regard in its earlier order on August 13, the name and photograph of the woman doctor were being circulated in the social media.
The high court had on August 13 ordered the transfer of the investigation into the alleged rape and murder of the woman postgraduate trainee doctor at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital from the Kolkata Police to the CBI.
