
Nishikant Dubey accuses Rahul of ‘distorting' facts of 1971 war, seeks Speaker's action
In a letter to Birla, Dubey asked him to issue a 'show cause' notice to Gandhi for his 'questionable utterances', sources said, adding the BJP MP also sought the Speaker's permission to raise the issue in the House.
New Delhi, Jul 30 (PTI) BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Wednesday accused Rahul Gandhi of using 'distorted and inaccurate facts' in the Lok Sabha during his reference to Indira Gandhi's conduct of the 1971 war against Pakistan, and has urged Speaker Om Birla to reprimand the Leader of Opposition in the House for his 'habitual delinquency'.
He had said India Gandhi, his grandmother, had given complete operational freedom to the armed forces, while the Modi government had 'tied their hands behind their back'.
Hitting back, Dubey cited a letter, dated December 5, 1971, written by the then-prime minister to US President Richard Nixon, claiming that 'she had literally begged before him to use his influence to stop the war with Pakistan.' The BJP MP also annexed the letter in his submission to the Speaker.
He alleged that Rahul Gandhi has once again 'unabashedly betrayed the public trust by twisting the well-documented historical facts', which has become his 'habit' to glorify his family and declining party.
The Congress leader, Dubey said, suggested that Indira Gandhi gallantly fought the war despite diplomatic, political and various other strategic pressures from the United States, leading to the creation of Bangladesh.
He did not stop here and 'cunningly' related this with Operation Sindoor and delivered a sermon to the present government, the BJP member said.
'Rahul Gandhi has now become an avatar of rumour-mongering and recalcitrant behaviour,' he charged, accusing him of speaking 'incessant lies' and 'distorting historical facts' not only on the floor of the House but also before various courts of law.
'It is a matter of serious concern for our House and also for our vibrant democracy that Rahul Gandhi has lowered the dignity of the coveted post of the Leader of Opposition by way of putting up distorted and inaccurate facts,' he said.
It is a straight case of violation of the Lok Sabha Speaker's directions, he added. Dubey alleged that Rahul Gandhi has an 'uncanny habit of making propaganda and false claims' even in Parliament.
In the letter cited by Dubey, Indira Gandhi had written to Nixon, 'I should stress to your Excellency that the people and the Government of India are determined that this wanton and unprovoked aggression should be decisively and finally repelled once and for all; the whole of India stands united in this resolve and expects that the international community well appreciate our predicament and acknowledge the righteousness of our cause.' She added, 'In this hour of danger the Government and the people of India seek your understanding and urge you to persuade Pakistan to desist forthwith from the policy of wanton aggression and military adventurism which it has unfortunately embarked upon. May I request your Excellency to exercise your undoubted influence with the Government of Pakistan to stop their aggressive activities against India and to deal immediately with the genesis of the problem of East Bengal…' PTI KR KR DV DV
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.

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Indian Express
26 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Sangh Parivar's stormy petrel Pragya Thakur: Godse praise, Hemant Karkare remark to Bhopal giant-killer
A special court in Mumbai Thursday acquitted all the seven persons accused in the 2008 Malegaon blasts case, including former BJP MP from Bhopal, Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur. A resident of Madhya Pradesh, Pragya, 55, who started her political innings with the ABVP, the RSS' student wing, was the prime accused in the Malegaon case and the first person whom the Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) had arrested. A Sangh Parivar firebrand, Pragya has been no stranger to controversy, who has often made news due to her various moves and statements. In December 2022, Pragya set off a major row after, referring to the murder of a Bajarang Dal activist in Shivamogga, she said at an event in Karnataka: 'Keep weapons in your homes. At least keep the knives used to cut vegetables sharp … Just like how knives cut the vegetables, it will also chop the mouth and heads.' Thakur had run into trouble with her party, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the past over her controversial remarks. In the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, after the party fielded her from Bhopal against Congress heavyweight Digvijaya Singh despite being booked in the Malegaon case, Pragya compared Ashok Chakra awardee and former Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare with Ravan and Kans and said he was killed during 26/11 Mumbai attacks because he was cursed for arresting her in connection with the Malegaon case. In a public meeting, Thakur said she had warned Karkare that he would be destroyed and that was exactly what happened. While she was roundly criticised at the time — the Election Commission (EC) sent her a show-cause notice — the BJP distanced itself from her remarks and claimed it had always considered Karkare a martyr. 'The BJP considers him (Karkare) a martyr. This is Sadhvi Pragya's personal statement which she might have given because of the mental and physical torture she had faced,' the party statement said. In a subsequent television interview, PM Modi alleged that the Congress had defamed a '5,000-old culture that believes in Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam'. He said, 'They called them terrorists. To answer them all, this is a symbol (fielding Thakur) and it will cost the Congress.' Following the backlash over the Karkare remarks, Thakur withdraw her statement and apologised, saying she was doing so as she felt 'the enemies of the country were being benefited from it'. A month later, Thakur triggered another political firestorm when she called Mahatma Gandhi's assassin Nathuram Godse a 'desh bhakt'. She said, 'Nathuram Godse was a patriot, is a patriot, and will remain a patriot… those who call him a terrorist should look within… they will get a reply this election.' As the party disowned the remarks, Modi also slammed Thakur. Responding to a query from the News24 TV channel, he said, 'The kind of remarks, statements made about Gandhiji and Godse is horribly wrong (bhayankar kharab). It is hateful, and these should be criticised and condemned in every which way. There is no place for such language, thinking in any civilised society. Those who do such things will have to think a hundred times in future. It's a different matter that she has apologised, I will not be able to forgive her from my heart.' As leaders such as Anantkumar Hegde and Nalin Kumar Kateel also backed Thakur, then party president Amit Shah warned there would be 'action' against the leaders who commented on Godse. 'We have decided to issue show cause notices. Once their responses come, disciplinary committee will take a decision … The entire BJP is upset, that's why prompt action has been taken. Appropriate action will be taken.' Thakur again made comments praising Godse in Parliament in November 2020. When DMK member A Raja, participating in a debate on the Special Protection Group (Amendment) Bill, cited Godse's statement on why he killed the Mahatma, Thakur interrupted and made a remark praising Godse. As the angry Opposition sought an apology from Thakur and BJP members were seen persuading her to sit down. The comment was expunged from the Lok Sabha records. As the Opposition kept up the pressure, the party dropped Thakur from a parliamentary committee. Then BJP working president JP Nadda said, 'The statement given by MP Pragya Thakur is condemnable. BJP never supports such a statement and we do not support this ideology… We have decided that she will be removed from the consultative committee on defence, and will not be allowed to participate in the parliamentary party meetings this session.' In April 2024, while stating that Pragya's absence was hampering court proceedings, a special court had directed the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to verify her health condition and submit a report. Her controversial statements on Godse are believed to have cost Pragya a repeat ticket from her Bhopal Lok Sabha seat in the 2024 elections despite the fact that she had emerged as a giant-killer in the 2019 polls by defeating Digvijaya by 3.64 lakh votes. Apart from the Godse row, BJP insiders had then said that Pragya was denied a ticket due to her lack of connect with voters and 'bad performance'. 'She refused to listen to most BJP leaders and was alienated from them. Ever since she won, she has been hardly seen in Bhopal. Her medical condition may have played a role, but her controversial statements ruined her chances,' a BJP leader had said. The BJP had replaced her in Bhopal with Alok Sharma, a loyalist of ex-Madhya Pradesh chief minister and current Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, who also won the seat. Questioned by the media on denial of ticket to her, Pragya said: 'I have never made controversial remarks. I have always told the truth. But if any word of mine hurt our Prime Minister and made him say he will never forgive me, that was never my intention. I never did it again. The Congress abused him and maligned his office (over the remarks). They pulled off a political stunt.'
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Business Standard
28 minutes ago
- Business Standard
RS adjourned till 2 pm as Opposition parties press for discussion on SIR
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Hindustan Times
28 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Asaduddin Owaisi's first reaction to 2008 Malegaon blast case verdict by NIA court: ‘Shoddy investigation'
Asaduddin Owaisi of the AIMIM on Thursday expressed disappointment over the acquittal of all accused in the 2008 Malegaon blast case, calling it a result of a 'deliberately shoddy investigation and prosecution'. AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi speaks to media.(ANI file) 'The Malegaon blast case verdict is disappointing. Six namazis were killed in the blast and nearly 100 were injured. They were targeted for their religion. A deliberately shoddy investigation/prosecution is responsible for the acquittal,' the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen chief posted on X. Asaduddin Owaisi questioned whether the Centre and Maharashtra governments would challenge the verdict. 'Seventeen years after the blast, the Court has acquitted all of the accused for lack of evidence. Will the Modi & Fadnavis governments appeal the judgement the way they swiftly demanded stay in the Mumbai train blasts acquittals? Will Maharashtra's 'secular' political parties demand accountability? Who killed the 6 people?' Also Follow | Malegaon Blast Case Verdict LIVE Updates Owaisi also recalled former special public prosecutor Rohini Salian's allegation that she was asked to "go soft" on the accused. 'Remember, in 2016 the then prosecutor in the case Rohini Salian went on record to say that NIA had asked her to 'go soft' on the accused. Remember, in 2017, NIA had tried to get Sadhvi Pragya acquitted. The same person would go on to be a BJP MP in 2019.' Also Read | What is Malegaon blast case? Verdict today: What we know about 17-year-long probe He further mentioned slain ATS chief Hemant Karkare, who had initially probed the blast case before being killed in the 26/11 Mumbai attacks. 'Karkare had uncovered the conspiracy in Malegaon & was unfortunately killed by Pakistani terrorists in the 26/11 attacks. The BJP MP went on record saying that she had cursed him and his death was a consequence of his curse.' Taking aim at the current government, Owaisi asked, 'Will NIA/ATS officers be held accountable for their faulty investigation? I think we know the answer. This is the 'tough on terror' Modi government. The world will remember that it made a terror accused a Member of Parliament.' 2008 Malegaon blast case: Court acquits all 7 accused Nearly 17 years after the Malegaon blast claimed six lives, the special court acquitted all seven accused, including former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur and Lt Col Prasad Purohit, noting there was "no reliable and cogent evidence" against them. No religion teaches violence, the court said. Terrorism has no religion, but the court cannot convict on mere perception, it added. Special Judge AK Lahoti, assigned to hear cases of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) here, flagged several loopholes in the prosecution's case and the investigation carried out, and said the accused persons deserved the benefit of doubt. An explosive device strapped to a motorcycle went off near a mosque in the town, located about 200 km from Mumbai, on September 29, 2008 killing six persons and injuring 101 others. Besides Thakur and Purohit, the accused comprised Major Ramesh Upadhyay (retired), Ajay Rahirkar, Sudhakar Dwivedi, Sudhakar Chaturvedi and Sameer Kulkarni. Once the court acquitted the seven accused, they looked relieved with smiles on their faces. They thanked the judge and their lawyers. The court while reading out the judgment said there was no "reliable and cogent" evidence to prove the case beyond reasonable doubt. "Mere suspicion cannot take the place of real proof," the court said, adding that in the absence of any evidence, the accused persons deserve the benefit of doubt. "The overall evidence does not inspire confidence in the court to convict the accused. There is no reliable and cogent evidence to warrant conviction," the judge said while reading out the judgment. The court also said provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) were not applicable to the case.