Latest news with #AnoopAntonyJoseph
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
BJP Kerala secy meets Chhattisgarh CM Sai, dy CM Sharma over nuns' arrest
1 2 Raipur: Four days after arrest of two Catholic nuns in Chhattisgarh on charges of human trafficking and attempted religious conversion of three tribal girls, Kerala BJP general secretary Anoop Antony Joseph on Tuesday held a closed-door meeting with CM Vishnu Deo Sai and deputy CM, who is also the home minister, Vijay Sharma, on the issue. He also met the nuns, who are now in judicial custody. Both the arrested nuns hail from Kerala. Nuns Preethi Merry and Vandana Francis, along with Sukaman Mandavi – the person who got the girls to Durg railway station -- were arrested from the station on July 25 on a complaint filed by a local Bajrang Dal worker who accused them of trafficking the girls to another state and indulging in forced religious conversion. Later, a delegation including Congress MPs Benny Behanan from Chalakudy and K Francis George from Kottayam, RSP MP NK Premachandran from Kollam and Kerala legislative assembly member Roshi M John met the CM and deputy CM. Congress MP from Koraput constituency in Odisha, Saptagiri Ulaka, was also a part of the delegation. After meeting the delegation, Sai said Chhattisgarh is a peace-loving state that believes in harmony and coexistence. "People of all religions live here with mutual respect and brotherhood," he said. Reassuring the delegation, CM stated that the matter is being investigated as per due judicial process. "Law is taking its course, there is no interference," he added, underlining the "safety and dignity of the state's daughters and citizens." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Discover how to go from draft to done in a few clicks—not a few hours. Grammarly Install Now Undo Talking to media persons, deputy CM Vijay Sharma said that based on statements recorded by GRP, an FIR was lodged in the case, that happened in Narayanpur district. "I met Anoop Antony Joseph and he briefed me with the information that he had. Everything is being done legally, and the case is in court. There have been instances in the past where women from Narayanpur have been trafficked in a similar manner. The matter is under investigation," Sharma said. There was drama at the jail as the Congress MPs were asked to wait and were allowed to meet the nuns only after Joesph, along with state BJP leaders, met them. They were asked to wait by the jail authorities for almost one and half hours to meet the nuns. The meeting took place only after the intervention of Congress leader and former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel. Talking to reporters outside the jail premises, Premchandran claimed that the nuns were innocent, and it was a deliberate attack on them. "We were allotted time to meet the nuns at 12.30pm, but we were asked to wait, and the meeting took place only after the BJP delegation met them. We staged a demonstration outside the jail," Premchandran said. He said that he couldn't disclose the details of the meeting with nuns. The three young girls were being taken for jobs and the nuns had come to receive them at the railway station. Then some Bajrang Dal people arrived and assaulted them, he alleged.
The Hindu
11-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
In major revamp, BJP State unit appoints M.T. Ramesh and Sobha Surendran general secretaries
Months ahead of crucial local body elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Kerala unit has gone in for a revamp infusing fresh faces as well as experienced leaders as its office-bearers. Senior leaders M.T. Ramesh and Sobha Surendran were appointed general secretaries along with younger leaders S. Suresh and Anoop Antony Joseph, according to a press release from State president Rajeev Chandrasekhar's office. In the first major revamp in the party after Mr. Chandrasekhar took charge in March, leaders seen as close to former State president K. Surendran and former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan appeared to have been sidelined. C. Krishnakumar and P. Sudheer, who were holding the general secretary post, found themselves a notch below with vice-president posts after the reorganisation. Former media cell convener P.R. Sivasankaran is also learnt to be unhappy with the new arrangement. However, senior leaders whom The Hindu spoke to maintained that there were no differences within the party over the revamp. The new office-bearers The BJP appointed a total of 10 vice-presidents, including former IPS officer R. Sreelekha, K.S. Radhakrishnan, Shaun George, B. Gopalakrishnan, M. Abdul Salam, K. Soman and K.K. Aneesh Kumar. Ms. Sreelekha, the first woman IPS officer of DGP rank in Kerala, finds herself elevated to the post less than a year after she joined the saffron party. Mr. Salam, former Vice-Chancellor of Calicut University, was in the past fielded by the party in the Malappuram Lok Sabha constituency in the last general elections. The elevation of Shaun George, son of P.C. George, and Anoop Antony Joseph are seen as part of the BJP's ongoing push to appeal to the Christian voters and to shed its anti-minority image. The newly appointed secretaries are Ashokan Kulanada, K. Renjith, Renu Suresh, V.V. Rajesh, Panthalam Prathapan, Jiji Joseph, M.V. Gopakumar, Poonthura Sreekumar, P. Shyamraj and M.P. Anjana Renjith. The BJP has also appointed five regional presidents. K. Sreekanth has been appointed as the head of the Kozhikode region, V. Unnikrishnan Master in Palakkad region, A. Nagesh in Ernakulam region, N. Hari in Alappuzha region and B.B. Gopakumar in Thiruvananthapuram region. E. Krishnadas has been appointed as the treasurer, Jayaraj Kaimal as the office secretary, Abhijith R. Nair as the social media convener, Sandeep Somanath as the media convener, T.P. Jayachandran Master as the chief spokesperson and V.K. Sajeevan as the State cell coordinator.
United News of India
31-05-2025
- Politics
- United News of India
BJP lambasts Congress for spreading fake Pakistan media reports on Russia
Thiruvananthapuram, May 31 (UNI) Kerala BJP Social Media Incharge Anoop Antony Joseph slammed the Congress party in Kerala for spreading fake news by Pakistan media through their social media handle on 'X' saying that Russia expands collaboration with Pakistan. "Though Russia immediately dismissed the fake propaganda by the Pakistan media, the Congress party in Kerala spreads Pak propaganda and turns into its loudest mouthpiece within India," the BJP leader said in a message on Saturday. "Pak media planted a lie about Russia backing Pakistan. Russia immediately slammed it as fake and called it an attempt to undermine relations with India," he said. "Another day, another Fake News amplified by the Congress. But, they didn't wait, they were the first to amplify it. Every time Pakistan spreads propaganda, the Congress turns into its loudest mouthpiece within India," he lambasted. Earlier, responding to the Pakistan media reports on the matter, Russia dismissed the fake reports on closer ties with Pakistan and termed it as an attempt to undermine relations with India. Pakistani media recently reported that Moscow and Islamabad are working on expanding industrial collaboration by establishing new steel mills in the country in a bid to revive their cooperation. The reports also warn that the economic ties could open the door to deeper military and tech collaboration. UNI DS BD
