The Chhattisgarh

Tag: Congress

  • Congress MLA, Son Booked For Abetting Suicide Of Sub Inspector In Karnataka |

    YADGIR: A case was registered by the police against Congress MLA Channareddy Tannur and his son Pampanagouda Tannur on Saturday after a Dalit sub-inspector allegedly died by suicide, following his transfer within seven months of posting. The MLA and his son were booked on charges of intentional insult with an intent to provoke breach of peace, abetment of suicide and joint criminal liability on a complaint by Parusharam’s wife Shwetha N V. She alleged that the father-son duo had allegedly demanded Rs 30 lakh from her husband if he wished to continue in the same place. 

    Shwetha said Parashuram was in tears ever since he was transferred and told her that he felt suicidal. When Shwetha, who is pregnant, went to Raichur to her parents’ house for the delivery of her child, she got to know that Parashuram was hospitalised with bleeding from his nose and mouth. Following the incident, members of the Dalit Sangharsh Samiti (DSS) staged a demonstration blocking the road demanding justice for Parashuram. Shwetha too joined the agitators. Addressing media, she said the police department was supporting the MLA and not her husband. 

    “The department itself is not with him today. Instead it is supporting the MLA. It supports the one who squanders money. It pays money to him and supports him. How much money you want to feed him? Will you rear an MLA? Do you toil day and night ignoring your parents and family for an MLA? This MLA is responsible for it but he has not come here yet. I want an FIR. We want justice,” Shwetha said Traffic was badly affected due to the agitation. Reacting to the incident, Home Minister G Parameshwara said that he has ordered a thorough investigation into the case. He, however, ruled out that it was a suicide. 

    “He (Parashuram) did not commit suicide. He had not written any death note. His wife has complained that she was suffering from the transfer issue. I will consider his allegation. Investigation will be done in that dimension,” the Minister told reporters in Bengaluru. He said that the police were collecting preliminary information and conduct an investigation. The incident took a political turn with opposition BJP and the JD(S) slamming the government for pushing sincere officers towards suicide. 

    “A police sub-inspector from your community has died by suicide. Why did he do that? His wife alleges that he took the extreme step because he failed to pay Rs 25 lakh as bribe to the MLA,” Union Minister H D Kumaraswamy said at the launch of ‘Mysuru Chalo’ march jointly organised by the BJP and JD(S) in Bengaluru. He wondered if this is how Parameshwara would pay tribute to Dr B R Ambedkar.

    In his reaction, Parameshwara said he goes by the law and not his community. The BJP leaders said earlier Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribe Development Corporation Accounts Superintendent, Chandrasekharan P died by suicide. Chandrasekharan in his suicide note explained the illegal transfer of Rs 187 crore, which led to the arrest of the former Minister B Nagendra, and 12 other government and Union Bank of India officers.

  • ‘Kejriwal Living In Sheesh Mahal…’: Congress Slams AAP Over Delhi Asha Kiran Deaths And ‘Overcrowding’ |

    New Delhi: Following the tragic deaths of at least 12 inmates at Asha Kiran Shelter within just 20 days, the Aam Aadmi Party is facing scathing attacks from opposition parties. On Friday, Congress leader Abhishek Dutt condemned the Delhi government for overcrowding the facility, which was housing double its intended capacity. Dutt further slammed Arvind Kejriwal’s Health Model and said, “The government hospitals here are only for publicity.” 

    The Congress leader said, “This is a very sad incident. It is sad to see that on one side in a shelter home, double the capacity people are kept there and on the other side Arvind Kejriwal is living in his 170 cr ‘sheesh mahal’,” reported ANI.

    Dutta further added that the Delhi CM used to talk about the health model, However, no action has been taken against the corrupt ministers. “He should be immediately removed from his post. The government hospitals here are only for publicity. People remember Delhi built by Sheila Dikshit,” Dutt asserted.

    According to sources at the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) office, the local shelter home, which has a capacity of approximately 500 individuals, is currently accommodating about 950 people, nearly double its intended capacity. This overcrowding has raised significant concerns about the well-being and safety of the residents.

    Expressing worry about the deaths of inmates at Asha Kiran shelter, BJP MP Manoj Tiwari criticized the Aam Aadmi Party for plunging Delhi into a dire state. “It is difficult to breathe in Delhi. It is difficult to read the news.” 

    “Such news comes every day… Where does Aam Aadmi Party do what it says? The Aam Aadmi Party government has brought Delhi to a very sad situation. To save Delhi, it is very important to remove such people from the post,” Tiwari said, reported ANI. 

    According to an official report, the highest number of deaths (14) at Asha Kiran Shelter Home in Delhi’s Rohini area occurred in July. The report indicated that out of a total of 25 deaths recorded since February 2024, 14 happened in July alone (6 males and 8 females). 

    The report, sent from Asha Kiran Shelter Home to the Delhi Government, cited loose motion and unconsciousness as the primary causes of death, with other contributing factors including mild fever, loose stools, and vomiting. 

    In response to the incident, Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi stated, “The preliminary report will be submitted within 24 hours. If the report reveals any negligence by officials, strict action will be taken against them.” 

  • Rahul Gandhi Pays Surprise Visit to Cobbler’s Family, Says, ‘Need To….’ |

    New Delhi: Leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi stopped his car midway to meet a family of cobblers on Friday. The Congress leader was travelling to appear before the MP-MLA court in Sultanpur for a defamation case hearing, midway he stopped for at least 30 minutes to listen to cobbler’s family problems and talk to them about the challenges they are facing. 

    The cobbler’s shop is located near the MLA Nagar intersection of the Kurebhar police station area of Sultanpur districts in Uttar Pradesh. The cobbler, identified as Ram Chait, informed the Rae Bareli MP of his financially condition.

    Congress shared a post on microblogging site X and said, “Leader of Opposition Shri Rahul Gandhi stopped the car on the way and met a family of cobbler. We are continuously fighting for the rights of these hardworking people, raising their voice from the streets to the Parliament. Our aim is to make their present safe and their future prosperous.”

    pic.twitter.com/jIPN1E4SWC
    — Congress (@INCIndia) July 26, 2024

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to appear before the MP-MLA court in Sultanpur on Friday for a defamation case hearing. Congress district president Abhishek Singh Rana announced that Rahul Gandhi will arrive at Lucknow airport at 9 am on Friday and will then head to Sultanpur.

    A local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader, Vijay Mishra, filed a defamation lawsuit against Congress leader on August 4, 2018, alleging that he made derogatory remarks about the then BJP president and current Home Minister Amit Shah. Gandhi granted a bail in this matter on February 20. and Special Magistrate Shubham Verma has called upon Gandhi to present his statement on July 26.

  • Two Jharkhand MLAs Disqualified Under Anti-defection Law |

    Ranchi: Jharkhand Assembly Speaker’s Tribunal on Thursday disqualified two legislators under the anti-defection law with effect from July 26. 

    The order disqualifying JMM’s Lobin Hembrom and Congress’s Jai Prakash Bhai Patel from the House came on the eve of the assembly’s six-day monsoon session beginning on Friday. 

    The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the BJP had initiated proceedings under the anti-defection law against Hembrom and Patel respectively in the Speaker’s Tribunal. 

    Hembrom contested independently from the Rajmahal Lok Sabha seat, challenging JMM’s official candidate, Vijay Hansdak. Patel, on the other hand, joined the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha polls and contested from Hazaribag seat. Both, however, were defeated in the elections. 

    “Jai Prakash Bhai Patel has voluntarily given up the membership of his original political party BJP as is clear from the aforesaid facts and the circumstances and conduct of the honourable member,” Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahto said. 

    The Speaker also made a similar observation on JMM’s Hembrom. 

    Hence, Patel and Hembrom were disqualified from the fifth Jharkhand Legislative Assembly with effect from July 26, Mahto said. 

    The JMM had earlier expelled Hembrom from the party for “working against the interest of the coalition” by filing nomination from the Rajmahal seat. 

    According to the seat-sharing agreement in the ruling alliance in Jharkhand, the Rajmahal seat went to JMM, which had fielded its sitting MP Vijay Hansdak. 

    Hembram, the Borio legislator, had contested from Rajmahal to protest against Hansdak’s selection by the party. 

    Responding to the development, Hembrom claimed that though the Speaker is “impartial”, he did this under pressure. 

    “Many have changed parties in the past but their cases pending for two years. What crime Lobin Hembrom had done? You give me notice at 3 pm and pronounce judgment at 4 pm,” he said. 

    Alleging that he was not given a chance to present his case, Hembrom said he would move court to seek justice. 

    The disqualified claimed that the JMM-led alliance was afraid since he was emerging as a powerful leader and would raise issues of tribals in the assembly. 

    “The people will question the chief minister about what happened to his promises of job and allowances to unemployed…land etc,” he said. 

    Leader of Opposition in Assembly Amar Kumar Bauri said it would have been better had Patl resigned himself. 

    “We had initiated an anti-defection case. The Speaker’s court has debarred his membership. It was bound to happen. We had lodged a complaint in March against him,” Bauri said.

  • NEET-UG Row: BJP, Opposition Spar After SC Verdict; NTA Faces Heat |

    The Supreme Court’s verdict about the NEET-UG paper leak has put an end to the controversy officially but the opposition in not ready to accept the verdict in its current form. The opposition said that the National Testing Agency needs to be revamped as it is not capable of conducting national-level exams in the current format. The Supreme Court, in its verdict yesterday, concluded that the paper leak took place at local level in Bihar while maintaining absence of any systemic breach. The apext court rejected the demand for holding a re-examination for over 24 lakhs students who took the NEET-UG 2024 exam.

    What Opposition Said

    Former Congress leader and Rajya Sabha MP Kapil Sibal said that the National Testing Agency (NTA) needs to be completely revamped, adding that the government cannot hold an All-India exam of this magnitude under the present system. “The Supreme Court has asked the IIT Delhi to look into the matter as to how to deal with these issues (paper leaks)….Why in every examination during this government there are leaks in every exam? The question is who is involved and for whose benefit are the leaks happening? Who are the people without merit who got jobs? The National Testing Agency(NTA) needs to be completely revamped. You cannot hold an all-India exam of this magnitude under a present NTA system,” Sibal said.

    He said, “The government is for everyone and it should think for every section of our youth who is sitting for this exam.”

    Shiv Sena-UBT Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said, “Supreme Court should know what is going on in the country. Supreme Court was one last ray of hope. If that ray too is not showing us any direction, then where will we go? Is there any pressure on the government?”

    VCK MP Thol. Thirumavalavan termed the verdict shocking. “Supreme Court direction is not in favour of the students who are affected by this NEET scam…The victims have to go for appeal. That is the only solution,” he said.

    What Government Said

    BJP leader and Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the government is committed towards a ‘zero-error’ exam. Dharmendra Pradhan said, “For us, zero tolerance of any kind of breach is our priority when it comes to exams for students, be it for higher education or jobs. So, the Modi government has brought into effect a strict law like the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act….Presenting our side before the Supreme Court, we have promised that our government is committed to having a transparent, tamper-free and zero-error examination system.”

    Dharmendra Pradhan also announced a high-level committee for a total overhaul of the National Testing Agency (NTA). “Taking this commitment forward, we announced a high-level committee for a complete revamp of the NTA. That committee is working with dedication…The committee has collected expert opinions and studied various models…They will submit a report soon,” he said.

  • Gaurav Gogoi Appointed As Congress’ Deputy Leader In Lok Sabha |

    New Delhi: Congress’ Gaurav Gogoi will be the party’s deputy leader in the Lok Sabha and a letter about the decision has been sent to Speaker Om Birla. Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Birla informing him about the appointment of the deputy leader, chief whip, and two whips for the Congress party in the Lok Sabha, AICC general secretary organization K C Venugopal said on X.

    While Gogoi will be the party’s deputy leader in the Lower House, eight-time MP from Kerala Kodikunnil Suresh will be the party’s chief whip, he said. Virudhunagar MP Manickam Tagore and Kishanganj MP Mohammad Jawed will be the party’s whips in the Lok Sabha, he said.

    Earlier, the party had named Rahul Gandhi as the Leader of Opposition who was subsequently appointed to the post. “Guided by LoP Rahul Gandhi ji, the Congress and INDIA parties will energetically champion the people’s causes in the Lok Sabha,” Venugopal said.

  • Concern For Congress In Maharashtra, 7 Party MLAs Cross Vote For NDA: Reports |

    Months ahead of the Maharashtra assembly polls, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi has faced a setback against the ruling Mahayuti comprising of BJP, Shiv Sena and NCP-Ajit Pawar. While the Mahayuti bagged nine out of the 11 Legislative Council seats, the MVA’s move of fielding an extra candidate to hurt the NDA fell flat on its face. What aided to the misery of the MVA is that seven Congress MLAs cross-voted for the Mahayuti candidate. 

    The MVA was riding high on its Lok Sabha election victory where it won 30 of 48 Lok Sabha seats. However, it faced a crushing setback in the Legislative Council polls which was touted as the semifinal ahead of the assembly polls.

    The opposition alliance triggered the election by nominating an extra candidate beyond their available votes, possibly aiming to gain from cross-voting by ruling coalition MLAs, but it appears they ended up losing votes instead.

    The Maharashtra Assembly has a strength of 288 MLAs. However, due to the resginations of certain MLAs, the current strength is 274. Therefore, each MLC candidate required 23 first-preference votes to win the polls. The Mahayuti has 201 MLAs, sufficient for the victory of eight candidates and it needed the support of six opposition MLAs to make its ninth candidate victorious. 

    On the other hand, the MVA -Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) and the NCP (Sharadchandra Pawar) – had the support of 67 MLAs, sufficient for the victory of two candidates and it needed the support of two MLAs from the ruling party to make its third candidate win. Six MLAs including an independent were neutral as they did not choose a side. 

    The MVA was hopeful of getting support from the MLAs of the NCP-Ajit Pawar faction. Even Sharad Pawar faction’s MLA Rohit Pawar had earlier claimed to have been in touch of 15 NCP-Ajit Pawar MLAs.

    The third candidate backed by the Sharad Pawar was Jayant Patil who is from the Peasants and Workers Party. Patil lost because he did not get the required number of votes.

  • Ahead Of Haryana Polls, BJP Appoints New Incharge; Will It Help Saffron Party? |

    Ahead of the October Assembly elections in Haryana, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has appointed Dr. Satish Punia and Rajya Sabha MP Surender Nagar as the incharge and co-incharge of the Haryana BJP, respectively. This announcement was made by BJP president JP Nadda as part of a pan-India release of incharges and co-incharges for state units. 

    Dr. Satish Punia, who previously served as the BJP president of Rajasthan, will take over from Biplab Deb, the Tripura MP and former chief minister. 

    If Elections Were Today… 

    The timing of these appointments is crucial, as recent voting data at the Assembly segment level suggests a competitive race in Haryana. If elections were held today, the data indicates a split house, with the Opposition INDIA bloc likely emerging as the leading alliance. This prediction comes on the heels of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, where the BJP’s performance saw a significant decline. 

    The party’s seat count dropped from a dominant position in 2019 to securing only five seats in the most recent elections, while the Congress matched this with five seats of their own. Moreover, the BJP’s vote share decreased from 58.21% to 46.11%, whereas the Congress saw an increase from 28.51% to 43.67%. 

    Despite contesting only one seat, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) managed to raise its vote share from 0.36% to 3.94%, reflecting a growing influence in the region. 

    Terrified From Strengthening Opposition 

    In the Assembly segments, the BJP led in 44 out of 90 seats, closely followed by the Congress with leads in 42 seats, and the AAP in the remaining four seats. Neither the Jannayak Janata Party (JJP) nor the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) led in any segments. 

    This shows that the BJP would fall just short of the 46-seat majority mark needed to form a government. In contrast, the combined tallies of the Congress and AAP would grant the INDIA bloc a simple majority. However, the lack of an alliance between the Congress and AAP this time has provided the BJP with some breathing room. 

    Balancing Caste Equations 

    The caste equations play a vital role in Haryana politics, which explains why the leading contenders go out of their way to balance them in the run-up to the polls. In Haryana, OBCs account for the largest chunk of voters at about 30%, followed by Jats at nearly 25%, and the Scheduled Castes (SCs) at about 20%. To effectively target the OBC community, the BJP has appointed Satish Punia as the co-incharge for the Haryana elections. 

    As the election date approaches, Punia and Nagar’s roles will be critical in shaping the party’s strategy and execution on the ground. 

  • Why Hemant Soren’s Return May Foment Trouble For BJP In Jharkhand? |

    Hemant Soren, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader, has been released from jail on bail in the alleged land scam case. He is now set to reclaim the seat of power in Jharkhand, even though the assembly elections in the state are just a few months away. Following his release, there were discussions that Champai Soren would remain the Chief Minister until the elections while Hemant would focus on party work. However, Hemant’s move to become the Chief Minister has ended these speculations.

    On Wednesday, in a meeting held in the capital Ranchi, the JMM, Congress, and RJD unanimously agreed to make Hemant Soren the Chief Minister again. Following the party’s decision, Champai Soren resigned from his post, and Hemant Soren staked his claim to form the government. According to media reports, Champai Soren is reportedly unhappy with his removal, although no official statement has been released by him yet.

    The key question is why Champai Soren was not allowed to complete his term and why Hemant was in such a hurry to take the CM’s chair as soon as he was released from jail. This article delves into the reasons behind Hemant Soren’s quick move to reclaim power.

    Factions Forming Within the Party

    Just five days after his release from jail, Hemant Soren took control of Jharkhand’s power. Sources associated with JMM indicate that with assembly elections looming, two factions of power were emerging within the party. This could have potentially harmed the party’s prospects in the elections. To prevent this, Hemant decided to retain the CM’s chair himself.

    Strong Hold In Party

    Following the results of the Lok Sabha elections and Hemant Soren’s release, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha is invigorated. The party believes that under Hemant’s leadership, they will break all victory records in the upcoming assembly elections. To avoid any pre-election mistakes, Hemant’s swift move to become CM sends a clear message within the party that he holds the reins of power.

    Sympathy Votes

    Having been absent from the election campaign during the Lok Sabha elections due to his arrest, Hemant Soren aims to become the face of the INDIA bloc in the assembly elections. Other parties within the grand alliance support this move, believing that Hemant’s leadership could attract sympathy votes. This is why preparations were swiftly made to reinstall him as Chief Minister shortly after his release. If Hemant faces jail time again, he could emulate Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who continued to govern from jail.

    Potential Succession by His Wife

    Hemant Soren is aware that ongoing cases could result in his imprisonment again. If that happens, he could use his power as CM to appoint his wife, Kalpana Soren, as his successor. Kalpana has established herself as a prominent leader within the party, winning the assembly by-election and effectively leading JMM’s Lok Sabha campaign in Hemant’s absence. Should Hemant need to step down again, Kalpana is his likely choice to assume the role of Chief Minister so that the control of the party remains within the family.

    Alliance’s Trust in Hemant

    JMM’s allies in the INDIA Block believe that a majority in the state assembly can only be achieved by placing their trust in Hemant Soren. This confidence in his leadership has played a significant role in the decision to reinstall him as Chief Minister.

    Strategy To Counter BJP

    The BJP-led NDA has bagged 9 out of the 14 Lok Sabha seats in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections. In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, the NDA had bagged 12 seats. This time, it is believed that Hemant Soren’s imprisonment resulted in sympathy votes for the JMM-Congress alliance as it won three more seats compared to 2019. The return of Heman Soren clubbed with the oratory of Kalpana Soren is likely to brighten the ruling coalition’s prospects in the upcoming assembly polls and the road ahead won’t be easy for the BJP.

  • DK Shivakumar’s Stern Warning Amid Reports Of Infighting In Karnataka Congress |

    BENGALURU: Karnataka Congress president and Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar has once again warned that if anyone crosses the line while making statements about creating more Dy CM’s posts or changing the Chief Minister, the party will take action. Speaking to the media after an office bearers’ meeting in Bengaluru, Shivakumar said, “I don’t need support from any legislator or seer. We need to build the party now. If anyone crosses the limits, the party will make its own decision.”

    He announced that a fact-finding committee would be formed to investigate the reasons for the setback in the general election. “The Lok Sabha election result in Karnataka is not satisfactory. We expected to win more than 15 seats, but that didn’t happen. The committee will find out why the party suffered a setback in other regions of the state, except Kalyana Karnataka region,” he stated.

    The study will be conducted in every assembly constituency. New faces and six women candidates were given opportunities, and two of them won. The media predicted that the Congress would win only two seats, but the party won nine MP seats, but it is not satisfactory. The party could have won four to five more seats, Shivakumar said.

    The fact-finding committee will analyse where the party went wrong and why people didn’t support it despite implementing all the schemes. There was no Prime Minister Narendra Modi wave in the state, and unlike the BJP there was no infighting within the Congress; the leaders worked unitedly, Shivakumar claimed.

    Zone-wise meetings will be held by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and himself, Shivakumar stated. The fact-finding committee of the All India Congress Committee will visit every state, but as they can’t visit all the constituencies, the state Congress will give a report to them. Shivakumar informed that three teams have been formed to strategize for the by-polls in three assembly constituencies. “We have already received a report about the Shiggaon assembly seat. After July 3, a report on the Sandur seat will be submitted, and Minister for Agriculture N. Cheluvarayaswamy will submit the Mandya assembly segment’s report,” he stated.

    Additionally, a letter has been written to the central government to increase medical seats to assist NRI students in Karnataka, and steps will be taken in favour of NRI students in 20 government-run engineering colleges, he added.