Commuters complain of ‘preference' to Kerala govt officials on Ro-Ro vessels
'Government employees working in various departments are being extended preferential treatment. Those carrying ID cards are allowed to violate the queue and travel ticket-less, which results in the common people, who stand in a queue, waiting for long hours before they can hop on to the vessel,' the letter addressed to the corporation secretary read.
While stating that a heavy rush is being experienced round-the-clock, the association rued that ordinary passengers are affected by the 'preferential treatment' as they often couldn't catch the first Ro-Ro upon arrival at the boat jetty. 'All commuters value time and need to reach their respective places of work on time.
Being in a government service doesn't make one eligible for the 'emergency service'. Many officials arrive in their private vehicles during the peak hours, and jump the queue.
The same is against the principles of equality and social justice as ensured in the Constitution. When we contacted the Kerala Shipping & Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC), which is operating the Ro-Ro service, they said they are giving special treatment to the government employees as the same was approved by the corporation,' said Francis Chammany, president of the association.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
2008 Malegaon case: Congress attempted to fabricate 'saffron terror' narrative to humiliate Hindus and for vote-bank politics, says BJP
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday (August 1, 2025) cited the statement of a former Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) officer, who was involved in the investigation into the 2008 Malegaon bomb blast, to allege that the then Congress government had attempted to 'fabricate a narrative of Saffron terror to humiliate Hindus and for vote-bank politics'. In a statement to the media, former ATS officer Mehboob Mujawar has claim that pressure was exerted on him to arrest Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat. VIDEO | Was asked to apprehend Mohan Bhagwat in Malegaon blast case, claims ex-ATS official. Former ATS officer Mehboob Mujawar says, "I did not investigate the Malegaon bomb blast case for which the verdict came yesterday. But I was involved in probing some absconding accused in… — Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 1, 2025 At a press conference, BJP spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra referred to Mr. Mujawar's remarks to accuse the Congress party of doing 'vindictive politics', stating that 'the Gandhi family was intent on defaming Sanatan'. He said the recent statement by senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan — that 'terrorism has no religion' — was a 'well-worn phrase of Congress's appeasement politics'. Stating that Mr. Mujawar had made an important disclosure, the BJP leader said: 'He revealed that top ATS officers and some influential figures in the then government pressured him to push forward the 'saffron terror' narrative at all costs and to arrest RSS Sarsanghchalak Shri Mohan Bhagwat under that conspiracy, even though his name was nowhere in the chargesheet or the investigation....' 'But Mehboob stated that he would not act outside the framework of the Constitution or damage the country's democratic fabric. After this refusal, his own senior officers framed him with false and serious charges. Some allegations were imposed on him, resulting in his promotion being blocked. Later, Mujawar approached the court, where he was completely exonerated. The court also ruled that all allegations against him were baseless and malicious,' said Mr. Patra. 'The Congress government at the time had reached new heights of vindictive mentality. Individuals associated with the BJP, followers of Hinduism, and senior functionaries of the RSS were deliberately humiliated, arrested, and targeted for personal revenge. The Congress was operating in a completely retaliatory mode, and all of this was happening at the behest of the Gandhi family,' he alleged. He said former Union Minister Sushilkumar Shinde was the first to use the term 'saffron terror' during a Congress party convention. 'When asked why he said so and whether it was appropriate, he smiled and said: 'I now feel what I said was wrong, but I only did what my party high command told me'...who is the Congress high command? In the Congress party, the high command is not an institution — it is just one family, the Gandhi family. There is only one command, but many faces behind it — Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra,' he said. On Thursday, in the Malegaon case, a Mumbai NIA court acquitted all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Congress conclave to discuss constitutional challenges
NEW DELHI: Congress will dwell on constitutional challenges and the way forward at a national conclave on Saturday. The event gains significance as it comes amid the party's refrain that the Constitution is under attack from BJP. The AICC department of law, human rights and RTI chairman Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Friday said the full-day legal conclave was being organised under the overarching theme: "Constitutional Challenges: Perspectives and Pathways." The conclave will be addressed by, among others, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi . Besides, party general secretaries K C Venugopal, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jairam Ramesh and Mukul Wasnik; treasurer Ajay Maken; chief ministers of Karnataka, Telangana and Himachal Pradesh; former CMs and other senior Congress netas will be among the 41 distinguished speakers. The conclave will also be addressed by former judges, legal academics and human rights activists. The event was taking place at a "pivotal moment in our Republic's journey - a time that calls for renewed commitment to the foundational values of our democracy", Singhvi said. "As custodians of the Constitution of India, we are presented with an opportunity to come together - as legal professionals, public thinkers and citizens - to reaffirm our collective faith in the constitutional order, uphold the rule of law, and strengthen the integrity of our institutions," he said.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
‘Political speeches are often exaggerated': Telangana HC quashes criminal defamation against CM Revanth Reddy
The Telangana High Court Friday quashed a criminal defamation case against Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. The case stems from remarks made by the CM against the BJP during the Lok Sabha election campaign at Kothagudem in May 2024. On Friday, the Bench of Justice Lakshman allowed the petition filed by Reddy to quash the proceedings against him in the case pending trial before a Special Judicial First Class Magistrate (JFCM) for Excise cases (designated MP-MLA court) in Hyderabad. He was booked under Section 499 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 125 (promoting enmity between classes in connection with an election) of the Representation of the People Act. The complainant, Telangana BJP unit represented by its General Secretary Kasam Venkateshwarlu, contended that the statements, such as 'the BJP, if voted to power, would change the Constitution and abolish reservations to SC/ST and BC communities', were part of a 'fake and dubious political narrative' to confuse voters and promote enmity between communities. The BJP alleged that the speech lowered the party's reputation and caused damage during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The Special JFCM for excise cases in August 2024 had issued a summons to Revanth Reddy, asking him to appear personally before it. Subsequently, the chief minister approached the high court challenging the complaint and seeking to stay the proceedings initiated against him. The high court had earlier granted him an exemption from personal appearance before the trial court. The petitioner's counsel, T Niranjan Reddy, informed the court that political speeches should not be the subject of defamation, 'as elections inherently involve parties seeking to lower each other's reputation.' He said the 'alleged speech is a routine activity of a political leader to criticise the opposition and is not defamation,' and that such speeches are protected under Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution. The petitioner, among other allegations, argued that the complaint was filed with a political vendetta to harass the petitioner and constitutes an abuse of the legal process. On his part, the counsel for the respondent, Devineni Vijay Kumar, argued that the statements created mistrust and fear among voters, bringing disrepute to the BJP. After hearing both sides, the court rejected the contention of the petitioner that political parties do not enjoy reputation and cannot maintain a complaint for criminal defamation. The court also found neither the complainant (BJP Telangana) nor its representative, Kasam Venkateshwarlu, was authorised by the national unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party to file the complaint. Refraining from discussing the contents of the alleged speech and the issue of its defamatory nature, the court noted, 'Political speeches are often exaggerated. To allege that such speeches are defamatory is another exaggeration.' 'It is trite law that, power of quashing should be exercised very sparingly and circumspection and that too in the rarest of rare cases. However, where the initiation of criminal proceedings suffers from material defects or where such criminal proceedings constitute abuse of process, the inherent powers can be exercised to quash criminal proceedings,' the court stated in the order.
