Forty Years Ago: When India stood with Palestine
India Backs Palestine
India and Egypt supported the Palestinians' struggle for a homeland and called for Israel's withdrawal from occupied Arab territories. This was among the major international issues on which PM Rajiv Gandhi and President Hosni Mubarak were in agreement at the talks they held soon after Gandhi's arrival in Cairo on a two-day official visit on the first leg of his four-nation tour. Speaking later at an Iftar banquet hosted by Mubarak, Gandhi said, 'We have consistently and uncompromisingly supported the Arab cause. We support the struggle of the Palestinian people led by the PLO as their sole representative.'
Indira Murder Trial
Additional Sessions Judge Mahesh Chandra dismissed an application by Kehar Singh, one of the three accused in the Indira Gandhi murder case, seeking open trial of the case. The judge, however, said he would 'not be averse or disinclined' to allowing public men, besides the press and the relations of the accused, to attend the proceedings in the Tihar jail, depending upon the space available.
Amritsar Vigil
Absolute calm prevailed in Punjab, Haryana and the Union Territory of Chandigarh today on the fifth day of the 'Operation Bluestar Week' being observed by the Akalis. No untoward incident was reported from any part of Punjab and the neighbouring states.
60 Tamils Killed
At least 60 people were killed and more than 1,500 houses burnt when Sri Lankan security forces attacked a number of Tamil villages in the Muttur area near Trincomalee in the eastern province, reports reaching Colombo said. More than 6,000 people had been rendered homeless and sheltered in schools, temples and churches, the reports added.
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Business Standard
39 minutes ago
- Business Standard
Visit Bengal to see real democracy under Mamata: Sukanta Majumdar to Rahul
Reacting to Rahul Gandhi's allegations that Maharashtra Assembly elections in 2024 were a blueprint for rigging democracy, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar stated that he should visit West Bengal to see democracy under the Mamata Banerjee government. Sukanta Majumdar said, "The problem with our Opposition is that wherever they win, they say EVMs are right, and where they lose, they say EVMs are faulty and there is match-fixing. Some kids do not know how to play the match then they blame the pitch and umpire. Rahul Gandhi does not know how to play. I wish that his prediction that the states in which there is no BJP government will have a BJP rule should come true. In Bengal, also BJP government should be formed according to his prediction." He further alleged that Rahul Gandhi should visit West Bengal to understand democracy under the TMC rule. "Rahul Gandhi never visits Bengal. He should come to Bengal to see how the match is played here. He should see how Congress workers are beaten here often. Rahul Gandhi should visit West Bengal to see democracy under the Mamata Banerjee government," he added. Earlier, Rahul Gandhi had alleged that the Maharashtra Assembly election held in November 2024 was "rigged", and claimed that the same will be repeated in Bihar Assembly polls due later this year. In a post on X, Gandhi shared his article published in a newspaper, explaining the "rigging" in the Maharashtra assembly polls." Maharashtra assembly elections in 2024 were a blueprint for rigging democracy. My article shows how this happened, step by step," Gandhi said on X. The former Congress President explained a five-point process. He said that step one includes rigging the panel that appoints the Election Commission, followed by adding fake voters to the electoral roll. He further claimed that the next steps include inflating the voter turnout, targeting the bogus voting exactly where the BJP needs to win and hiding the evidence. "Step 1: Rig the panel for appointing the Election Commission; Step 2: Add fake voters to the roll; Step 3: Inflate voter turnout; Step 4: Target the bogus voting exactly where the BJP needs to win; Step 5: Hide the evidence," Gandhi said.
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Rahul's allegation of Maha poll rigging triggers BJP, EC retorts
The Congress's rivals lashed out on Saturday against the opposition leader Rahul Gandhi for alleging systematic rigging of the November 2024 Maharashtra elections, a claim also rebuffed by Election Commission officials who called it misinformation. The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha published an op-ed on Saturday, claiming the Maharashtra polls were a 'blueprint for rigging democracy' and alleging 'industrial-scale rigging involving the capture of our national institutions'. Maharashtra deputy chief minister Eknath Shinde dismissed Gandhi's claims as baseless, pointing out the inconsistency in the Congress leader's position. 'In the Lok Sabha elections, when Maha Vikas Aghadi won the elections in Maharashtra, they did not say anything. At that time, the EVMs and ECI were right,' Shinde told reporters in Thane. BJP chief JP Nadda accused Gandhi of manufacturing 'fake narratives' out of desperation following election defeats, saying the Congress leader was 'cooking up bizarre conspiracies' and 'defaming institutions with zero proof'. Gandhi outlined what he termed a five-step rigging process: rigging the panel for appointing the EC, adding fake voters to electoral rolls, inflating voter turnout, targeting bogus voting where the BJP needed wins, and hiding evidence. Election Commission officials, who did not want to be named, reiterated their stance of following laid-down procedures as per law, dismissing allegations of voter percentage spikes and substantial jumps in elector numbers. One of these officials emphasised that electoral roll preparation for the assembly elections occurred under the oversight of over 100,000 booth level agents appointed by political parties, including 27,099 from the Congress itself. 'Instead of writing to the EC directly, it is very strange that Rahul Gandhi keeps approaching the media seeking answers to his doubts again and again,' said this top-level official. 'After losing the match, blaming the referee has become the standard practice.' EC did not respond to requests for a comment. The official cited above added: 'If there was an issue with the elector numbers, why were hardly any appeals preferred with the DM and the CEO under the Representation of the People Act, 1950?'. The person cited above provided comparative data to counter Gandhi's allegations, noting that Maharashtra's 8.14 per cent elector growth between 2019 and 2024 was actually lower than other states. Jharkhand recorded a 13.40 per cent jump, Telangana saw a 16.16 per cent increase, and West Bengal had an 11.36 per cent rise during comparable periods. On allegations of inflated turnout figures, the EC official explained that voter turnout data on the VTR App would logically increase after 5 PM due to logistical challenges. 'Polling teams come from varying distances and face different logistical challenges, such as late-hour voting trends, difficult geographical and weather conditions, communication issues, and tough terrain,' this person said Following the off-record responses by EC officials, Gandhi took to X at 6:56 PM on Saturday and wrote on the issue again: 'Dear EC, You are a Constitutional body. Releasing unsigned, evasive notes to intermediaries is not the way to respond to serious questions,' Gandhi posted, demanding the publication of consolidated, digital voter rolls and release of post-5 PM CCTV footage from Maharashtra polling booths. 'Evasion won't protect your credibility. Telling the truth will,' he added. With agency inputs
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Hamas officials say at least 6 killed by Israeli military near Gaza aid site: Report
At least six Palestinians were killed and several others were injured in a gunfire allegedly led by Israeli military in the latest deadly incident near an aid distribution centre in southern Gaza, Civil Defence agency which is run by Hamas militant group said. According to a spokesperson of the Civil Defence agency, people had gathered to collect aid supplies near the aid distribution centre when the sudden shooting started on Saturday morning. Reports which quoted eyewitnesses stated that the Israeli military opened fire as soon as the people started advancing towards the aid site, BBC reported. The Israeli military, in its defence, has said that it fired several warning shots at the suspects who approached them in a threatening manner. Since the aid distribution started in the southern Gaza region, dozens of Palestinians have been killed and hundreds have been injured in the past week. Nattapong Pinta was a hardworking and beloved man who worked in agriculture in Kibbutz Nir Oz. He was held hostage for 610 days by terrorists in Gaza. On October 7, 2023, he was abducted with some of his friends. His family, wife and son are waiting for his return. He was… — Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) June 7, 2025 The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), the aid distribution agency backed by the United States and Israel, has said that it has paused its distribution to deal with overcrowding and enhance the safety infrastructure. But people are gathering near a roundabout on a daily basis on the edge of the Israeli military zone through which they have to pass to reach the aid site. According to a statement released by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the Gazans have been told that the area is an active combat zone during nighttime hours. Meanwhile, GHF has said that it wasn't able to distribute aid on Saturday due to direct threat from Hamas, which the militant group has denied. The United Nations has not shown its support towards GHF and said that it doesn't provide enough food and medicine to deal with Gaza's humanitarian crisis, rather putting Palestinians in danger. In a special operation by Israeli forces in the Rafah area of southern Gaza on Friday, the military recovered the body of a Thai national named Nattapong Pinta.
