RSS sympathisers ‘infiltrated' professional institutes, ‘destroyed' them: Cong
Congress general secretary, communications, Jairam Ramesh said, 'Since May 2014, there has been a systematic infiltration of the RSS into professional institutions. One such example is the Indian Council of Historical Research.' 'Now these activists stand indicted by no less a body than the Central Vigilance Commission (CVC) for financial misdeeds. It is a Rs 14 crore scam, which for the ICHR is a big amount,' he alleged.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
2 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Used stolen mobile phone, hopped cities: How man who stole gold worth Rs 13 lakh from associate evaded arrest for over a month
Prabh Singh (30), a jewellery trader, switched on a stolen mobile phone only when staying in a hotel as he moved across cities to avoid getting arrested. He would then use the hotel WiFi, and contact his family on Snapchat. For more than a month, he tried everything possible to cover his tracks and remain under the radar after he allegedly drugged his associate Pradeep Kumar (40) in Delhi's Paharganj on July 8 and stole over 1 kg of gold ornaments, worth nearly Rs 13 lakh, from him, and even the phone that he kept using. After nearly one month of trying to not get caught, his luck ran short on August 17 when he was nabbed from Aurangabad in Maharashtra, the Delhi Police said. Police had chased him in Delhi, Amritsar, and Jammu before he was finally apprehended. After the July 8 incident, the police first headed to Amritsar as both the accused and the complainant hail from the city. 'The team traced his family in Amritsar and conducted field raids. However, the accused could not be located. Further technical analysis then indicated his presence in a hotel in Jammu. A team was immediately dispatched, but by the time police reached, the accused had fled again,' DCP (Central) Nidhin Valsan said. Over the course of a month-and-a-half, the accused was changing hotels, and while using the stolen phone of Pradeep Kumar to contact his family on Snapchat, the police said. Whenever the police would zero in on a hotel, Singh would change cities again, the officer said. On August 17, Singh was tracked in Aurangabad and arrested following a quick raid. 'During questioning, the accused admitted to committing the crime and disclosed that he was under financial distress and greed prompted him to plan the theft,' DCP Valsan said. A police officer said that Singh allegedly accompanied Pradeep Kumar to the Capital after the latter mentioned a 'lucrative deal' he had struck with a Delhi client. Kumar told Singh that he had to carry the consignment to Delhi for the client, police said. Upon reaching Delhi, the duo checked in in a Paharganj hotel on the night of July 8. Singh spiked Kumar's dal curry with sleeping pills, the police said. 'Once the complainant fell asleep, he fled with all the gold, cash, and Kumar's mobile phone. He further disclosed that the stolen gold was hidden with his elder brother Pintu, who lives in Amritsar with the accused in the same house. The stolen gold ornaments weighing 1.290 kg were recovered,' DCP Valsan said. Following the alleged theft, an FIR was filed after a preliminary inquiry under sections 305 (a) (theft) and 123 (hurt by poison) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Indian Express
4 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Opp threatening judges, undermining EC, want infiltrators to be voters: Yogi Adityanath
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said on Thursday that the Opposition parties were threatening judges delivering impartial verdicts, undermining the Election Commission of India (ECI) while conspiring to turn infiltrators from other countries into legitimate voters. Addressing a gathering at an event to mark the third 'Hindu Gaurav Diwas' in Aligarh, Adityanath accused these parties of dividing the society in the name of PDA (Pichhda, Dalit and Alpsankhyak). The programme, observed on the occasion of the death anniversary of former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Kalyan Singh, was also attended by Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, UP Deputy Chief Minister Brajesh Pathak, BJP state president Bhupendra Chaudhary and senior party leaders Uma Bharti and Kalraj Mishra among others . Pradhan also targeted the Congress, the Aam Aadmi Party and their INDIA bloc allies, saying, 'It is natural for those who defy the law to be afraid, because their parties are filled with criminals.' Questioning the 'morality' of the Congress and its allies, he said Kalyan Singh had chosen to resign instead of ordering firing on Ram bhakts during the Ram Mandir movement. 'On the other hand, Arvind Kejriwal did not relinquish power even after going to jail on corruption charges,' he said. Earlier, speaking at the inauguration of a cement plant in Etah, Adityanath Chief Minister Adityanath said the Congress and the Samajwadi Party pushed the country into an identity crisis after centuries of exploitation by the Mughals and British, and that the two never worked for inclusive development, serving only their own families. The district once synonymous with crime and mafia rule has now transformed into a hub of investment and industry, he claimed. 'Eight to nine years ago, Etah was known for land encroachment, where the poor had no voice. Today, it is known for law and order, power generation and industrial growth,' he said. The Chief Minister said the nearby Jawaharpur thermal power plant generates 1,500 megawatt (MW) power, while Shree Cement's unit worth Rs 750 crore has created 500 direct jobs and more than 3,000 indirect employment opportunities. 'This investment is not only about jobs but also about strengthening of trade, transport and distribution networks — the real foundation of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Viksit Bharat. There was a time when even a commodity like cement was rationed and would be available only through connections, making house construction extremely difficult,' he said. 'How could development taken place with such an intent and policies?' he asked. India, which was at 11th spot in the world economy by 2014 due to the policies of the Congress and SP, has now grown to become to 4th place under PM Modi and is set to become the third-largest economy within two years, he claimed. Uttar Pradesh too, Adityanath further claimed, has risen from the seventh-largest state economy in 2017 to the second-largest today, the CM added. He credited this economic turnaround to strict action against the mafia and rioters, which restored investors' confidence. 'The state has received investment proposals worth Rs 45 lakh crore, out of which Rs 15 lakh crore have already been executed, creating employment for 60 lakh youth,' he said. He added that 60,244 youth, including many from Etah, were recruited into the police force without any discrimination. Under the Mukhyamantri Yuva Yojana, 70,000 young entrepreneurs received interest and guarantee-free loans to set up their own enterprises. The Chief Minister noted that 'bells and ghungroos' of Etah's Jalesar remain an integral part of worship and musical performances. The state is preparing a roadmap for Viksit Bharat by linking this cultural heritage with modern development, he said, adding, 'In the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council, a 24-hour-long discussion was held on key sectors, and experts will now visit every district to train youth and prepare district-level roadmaps with public participation.' The state government, the Chief Minister said, will honour every promise made under the industrial policy.
Indian Express
36 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Online gaming companies move to shut paid operations as gaming Bill gets Rajya Sabha nod
The Rajya Sabha's approval of the online gaming Bill Thursday has drawn the final curtain on India's booming real-money gaming industry. What was once a bustling digital arena of wagers and winnings now stands eerily silent, as leading platforms suspend paid play and others fold entirely. Lawmakers hail the measure as a shield against harm, but to thousands of workers and millions of players, it feels like the lights have dimmed on a once-thriving stage. Opinion trading platform Probo, in a message displayed on its app, said that 'in light of recent developments, we have paused all recharge activities in your best interest,' while requesting users to withdraw funds. Dream11, the country's biggest fantasy sports app and the Indian cricket team's main jersey sponsor, also communicated to its employees that it will wind down its real money operations. Zupee, another gaming platform, said it was discontinuing paid games, with users able to play free titles. 'Everyone will shut down paid operations for now, as the industry prepares a legal roadmap to challenge the law,' a senior gaming industry executive said. The Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, now passed by both houses of Parliament, outlaws online money gaming services and penalises their celebrity endorsers. The Bill has been drafted over national security concerns related to online gaming platforms, including the use of digital wallets and cryptocurrencies for money laundering and illicit fund transfers, these platforms serving as potential messaging and communication grounds for terror organisations, and offshore entities circumventing Indian tax and legal obligations, among others. The government will prohibit any person from offering online games in India, failing which they could be imprisoned for up to three years, and penalised Rs 1 crore. Those promoting such platforms, such as social media influencers, will also face jail time of two years, and a penalty of Rs 50 lakh. The government will also prohibit banks and financial institutions from facilitating financial transactions on such platforms. The Bill applies to all online money gaming platforms irrespective of whether they are games of skill or chance, a distinction the industry had lobbied hard for in the past. The Bill said that the unchecked expansion of online money gaming services has been linked to 'unlawful activities including financial fraud, money-laundering, tax evasion, and in some cases, the financing of terrorism, thereby posing threats to national security, public order and the integrity of the State'. The parallel proliferation of online money games accessible through mobile phones, computers and the internet, and offering monetary returns against user deposits has led to 'serious social, financial, psychological and public health harms, particularly among young individuals and economically disadvantaged groups,' it said.
