by admin | May 25, 2021 | Media, News, Politics
M.J. Akbar
New Delhi : A Delhi Court on Friday concluded the recording of complainant witnesses in the defamation case filed by former Union Minister M.J. Akbar against woman journalist Priya Ramani who accused him of sexual harassment.
Testifying, Akbar’s former personal assistant Rachna Goel, his personal assistant Manzar Ali, a communication consultant and Tapan Chaki defended the journalist and said the former Minister’s standing had been was tarnished by Ramani’s allegations.
“This has damaged his reputation which he has built up over the years of his hard work,” Goel told Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Samar Vishal.
Goel told the court that during her 10 years of working with Akbar, she found him to be a professional and never heard any complaint of inappropriate behaviour against him.
“Akbar has been very professional, very encouraging and has been very helpful in grooming and building up careers,” Goel said.
Chaki said that Akbar was a gentleman, a hard taskmaster, a man of impeccable credentials and very well mannered.
The three witnesses said that they were shocked after reading Ramani’s tweet.
The court will hear arguments on the issue of by summoning Ramani on January 22.
The court was hearing the defamation case against Ramani filed by the former Minister of State for External Affairs, a journalist-turned-politician who is now with the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Ramani was the first in a long list of women journalists to accuse Akbar of sexual harassment.
The statement of seven witnesses including Akbar were recorded.
Akbar’s counsel Sandeep Kapur told the court that Ramani’s defamatory statements had damaged his image, lowering his esteem in the eyes of the public.
A Rajya Sabha member, Akbar has denied all the charges against him as “false, wild and baseless”.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
New Delhi : Describing the coming Lok Sabha elections as a “battle of two ideologies”, BJP President Amit Shah on Friday hit out at the proposed opposition grand alliance describing it as an “eyewash” and attacked the coming together of the SP and the BSP in Uttar Pradesh because they have realised that they cannot defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi on their own individually.
Asserting that 2019 will be a year of expansion for the BJP, he said Modi was leading the NDA that has 35 parties, the opposition does not have either a leader of a policy.
Sounding the poll bugle at the inauguration of the party’s two-day National Convention, he asked the BJP workers to resolve to bring Modi back to power in the general elections saying the people of the country will elect a “mazboot sarkar (strong government) and not a “mazboor sarkar” (compromising government).
Under pressure from the RSS and other members of the ‘Sangh Parivar’, Shah utilised the opportunity to assert that the government is keen on the construction of a grand Ram Temple in Ayodhya in accordance with Constitutional norms but accused the Congress of creating hurdles.
“This ‘mahagathbandhan’ (grand alliance) is an eyewash. Everybody is fighting for their survival. We defeated them in 2014 and it is time to defeat them again. Politics is not physics but chemistry in which when two compounds meet they can lead to unintended consequences. They have come together for their self interest and for power. This is a battle that will have a far-reaching impact for centuries to come. It is necessary to win it.”
Touching upon the proposed alliance between arch rivals in Uttar Pradesh, the BJP President asked “if bua-bhatija’ (aunt-nephew) come together what will happen. They did not want to see each other’s face a few months back. They cannot sit together.”
“We are ready to fight the battle to get over 50 per cent vote share in Uttar Pradesh. We will get not less than 74 seats (one more than what the BJP and its allies got in 2014). They have united because they cannot defeat Modi on their own. This is acceptance of our strength, of the strength of Prime Minister Modi,” he said.
“There was a time when it used to be Congress versus all. Today it is a matter of pride that it is Modi versus all. He is a pole of Indian politics on the strength of his hard work,” he said.
Calling upon the BJP workers to take a resolve for the re-election of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister, Amit Shah compared the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to the third battle of Panipat.
Shah said the party was gaining momentum in Odisha and West Bengal and he was personally keen to see a BJP government in Kerala.
Referring to the contentious issue of the Ram Temple, he said it was being said that the party has deviated from its earlier words.
“The ideology with which we started in 1950, the journey is continuing in the same direction. The BJP wants that Ram Temple should be constructed at the earliest and a grand temple should be built at Ayodhya. We are trying that the issue is settled soon as per constitutional norms. The matter is pending in the Supreme Court. Congress is creating road blocks. We were and are committed for Ram temple,” he said.
He laid out the issues that will be the campaign themes of the party in the next three months including upper caste job reservation and welfare measures for the poor including toilets, gas, housing, Ayushman Bharat and financial inclusion.
Shah accused Congress President Rahul Gandhi of “manufacturing” allegations of corruption in the Rafale deal and talked of surgical strikes and said Modi had enhanced India’s stature in the world.
Speaking of the rise of the Marathas under Shivaji and subsequent warriors, he said they lost in the Battle of Panipat in 1761 and the country later came under the rule of the British for 200 years.
“That was a decisive battle. Today the situation is the same. The country’s politics saw several ups and downs in the last 70 years. The BJP started its journey from Jan Sangh and got full majority in 2014 under Narendra Modi. In 2014 we were in power in six states, today we are in power in 16,” he said.
He said the Modi-led government was transparent, decisive, sensitive and based on democratic values.
“When we went for election in 2014, we had cadre. Today we have nine crore active workers. There are 22 crore beneficiaries of government schemes. Last time people wanted to give Modi a chance, this time we are fighting on the basis of his performance.”
“We have leadership of the most popular, hardworking, transparent and visionary leader. I am working with him since 1987. He has never been defeated. There is no question of stopping. We will again make a full majority NDA government in 2019.”
He urged the people to have faith in Modi again and said no one else can give a strong government.
He said the Modi government had a “spotless record” and attacked Rahul Gandhi and his mother and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
“Those who are on bail and are facing income tax notices are making allegations of corruption against us. People of the country are not going to believe this.”
He said the Supreme Court had said that there was no need to probe the Rafale fighter deal and answers were given in parliament but Rahul Gandhi was still making allegations.
“What is this frustration. Five years are about to end. If they do not rake up allegations, how will they fight. They (the Congress) has indulged in corruption in every defence deal. If Michel mama is caught, they start sweating.”
“The history of their four generations is marked by corruption and you are making allegations against us.”
Referring to fugitive economic offenders Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and Vijay Mallya, he said they were “in comfort” during the UPA rule but were forced to flee when the Modi government came to power.
“Chowkidar will bring all the thieves. It is only a matter of time. They will have to return the money pending against their names,” he said.
He said India is the fastest growing economy and the government had implemented its promise of giving farmers prices at 50 per cent over their input cost.
He talked of efforts to bring justice to various sections including the Sikhs and efforts to empower weaker sections including Dalits, women and tribals.
Shah said the NDA had made a difference to the lives of the poor by providing a record number of houses, toilets, banking, electricity and gas connections in the last five years.
He made repeated mention of the bill to provide 10 per cent reservation to the economically backward sections among the upper castes in education and government jobs and said the poor among the general categories will get their first opportunity for a slice of the pie of reserved government jobs.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
All those who are involved in the Rafale scam will be portrayed by professional theater artists: Sanjay Nirupam
By Maeeshat news,
Mumbai: Mumbai Congress, under the leadership of Sanjay Nirupam, has tied up with a professional theater group to launch a street play based on the Rafale Scam under the same title. Nirupam states that this play will bring out the truth of the biggest scam of the Central Govt.
Sanjay Nirupam says, “We have roped in a professional theater group to inform the masses about the Rafale scam in an interesting manner. The script of the play is almost ready. The play will hit the streets of Mumbai soon”.
“As the Mumbai Congress President, I’m executing this street play in the city. We have shared the template of the street play with All India Congress Committee (AICC). Apart from Mumbai, if other States want to execute the idea, they can do it. Congress President Rahul Gandhi has already created awareness in the country about the Rafale scam”, added Nirupam.
Nirupam further added that the play will be performed all over the city and will feature theater actors who will portray roles of PM Narendra Modi, Anil Ambani, former President François Hollande, French President Emmanuel Macron, and others who have been involved in the scam.
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
Lucknow : Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav had arbitrarily given away the coveted “Yash Bharti” awards to 53 persons, in contravention to the laid down rules for selection of awardees, according to an RTI response.
As per the information given by the state Culture Department, in response to an RTI poser by activist Nutan Thakur, the “Screening Committee” had recommended 54 names for the award at its October 20, 2016 meeting. The names were forwarded to then Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav by Culture Minister Aruna Kumari Kori.
Yadav, however, dropped the name of Shamimuddin of Agra for Zardozi art without stating any reason and added 23 new names. Of these, four names were written by hand, in completely arbitrary manner without any basis or recommendation, revealed the RTI response.
Similarly, the Samajwadi Party (SP) chief added 12 new names including a “handwritten” inclusion of a certain Shadab Ruwaidi. This was followed by addition of 11 new names, including that of IAS Suhas L.Y. on November 29, 2016, and seven names on December 19, 2016.
“This is a classic example of misuse of authority by public functionaries,” the petitioner told IANS on Wednesday.
Yash Bharti is the highest award by the government of Uttar Pradesh and was instituted in 1994 by then Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav for eminent personalities in the fields of literature, social work, medicine, film, science, journalism, handicrafts, culture, education, music, drama, sports, industry and astrology.
It carries a citation and a cash award of Rs 11 lakh and a Rs 50,000 pension per month.
—IANS
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News, Politics
Rajnath Singh
New Delhi : Commenting on the reports of violence in the northeastern states as a result of the Citizenship Amendment Bill 2019 being passed in the Lok Sabha, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday informed the Rajya Sabha that “misconception” is being spread about the Bill.
He said the Bill, which seeks to remove hurdles in the way of eligible migrants from six minority groups from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan getting Indian citizenship, was not confined to Assam or the northeastern states but will apply to all states and union territories.
“The burden of these persecuted migrants will be shared by the whole country. Assam and northeastern states alone would not have to bear the entire burden and the government is committed to providing all help to the state government and the people of Assam.
“The purpose is that the migrants facing persecution anywhere in the country can apply for Indian citizenship. After that they can live in any state of the country like an Indian citizen,” the Minister said.
His statement came after violent incidents were reported from some northeastern states including Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya after the Citizenship Amendment Bill, 2019 was passed by the Lok Sabha on Tuesday amid objections raised by the opposition parties.
Rajnath Singh said Assam had been facing illegal migrant problems for several decades and had also witnessed an agitation over the issue during 1979-1985 which led to the signing of the Assam Accord on August 15, 1985.
Dispelling the misgivings about the Bill, he highlighted the discrimination and religious persecution faced by minority communities in those countries.
“They have no place to go to except India. The Bill will provide relief to persecuted migrants who have come through western borders of the country to states such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and others,” he added.
The Bill seeks to enable Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists, Jains, Parsis and Christians who fled to India from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh without valid travel documents or those whose valid documents expired in recent years to acquire Indian citizenship through the process of naturalisation.
The Minister said the Bill would help the migrants facing religious prosecution in the three countries to get Indian citizenship.
He said religious minorities in Pakistan have been facing systematic discrimination and, though the present governments in Afghanistan and Bangladesh were committed to the welfare of the minorities, they have faced problems in the past.
He said no other country except India could have provided interim protection from punitive legal action to minorities facing difficulties in the neighbouring countries.
Rajnath Singh said that the Narendra Modi-led Central government had taken steps to properly implement the provisions of the Assam Accord and was effectively implementing the National Register of Citizens.
“We are committed to completing the process. As I said earlier, no Indian citizen will be excluded.”
The Minister said not much was done over the past 35 years to implement Clause 6 of the Assam Accord which provides for taking steps to promote the social, cultural and linguistic identity of the state. “But our government is committed to it,” he said.
Singh said that the Bill will give Scheduled Tribe (ST) status to six communities in Assam.
The communities that are proposed to be included in the ST category include Koch Rajbongshi, Tai Ahom, Chutia, Moran, Matak and Tea tribes of the state.
He said the Assam government had been making recommendations concerning these communities since 1980 and the Home Ministry had formed a committee in 2016 which gave its recommendations in December 2018.
—IANS
