Latest news with #SupremeCourt-monitored
United News of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- United News of India
Kharge seeks SC-monitored probe into Air India crash
Kalaburagi, June 12 (UNI) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday expressed deep grief over the Air India flight crash in Ahmedabad and urged the Union Government to expedite relief efforts while demanding a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the tragedy. Addressing the media, Kharge said, "To those in London, I wish to convey that the Indian Embassy is present and actively working on the ground. I offer my heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in this unfortunate incident." Calling for swift governmental response, Kharge stressed that the survivors, the injured, hostel students, and the affected local population must be provided immediate financial and medical assistance. "Every person impacted by this tragedy must receive full support — emotional, financial, and medical," he said. The Congress chief also appealed to all NGOs and party leaders to extend their support in managing the aftermath of the crash. "This is a time to come together and provide help in any way possible," he noted. Kharge emphasised the need for a thorough investigation to identify the cause of the accident. "Whether the fault lies with the pilot, or with those issuing instructions, or if anyone was under pressure to operate the flight — all facts must be brought to light," he said. He further demanded that the inquiry be conducted either by a sitting or retired judge of the Supreme Court to ensure credibility and transparency. "We urge the government to speed up the process and uncover the truth," Kharge added. UNI BDN GNK
The Hindu
06-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Assamese web series spotlights NRC ‘scam'
GUWAHATI Sixteen years after a petition in the Supreme Court led to the exercise to update Assam's list of citizens, the National Register of Citizens (NRC) is back in the form of entertainment. The trailer of Scam 2019, an Assamese web series based on alleged financial irregularities in the Supreme Court-monitored updating process that cost the government more than ₹1,600 crore, was released on Friday (June 6, 2025). Aabhijeet Sharma, the producer and story writer of the web series, did the honours along with others involved with it. As the head of Assam Public Works, an NGO, he was the key person behind the 2009 petition in the Supreme Court seeking a mechanism to weed out '41 lakh illegal immigrants' from the State. The NRC process began in 2013, with retired bureaucrat Prateek Hajela as its State Coordinator. The complete draft of the NRC, published in August 2019, excluded 19.06 lakh people out of 3.3 crore applicants for lack of documents to prove their citizenship. Mr Sharma insisted Scam 2019 is a fictional account of a corrupt officer, who becomes involved in a massive scam when entrusted with the responsibility to preserve the identity and culture of Assam's indigenous communities. 'This scam not only leads to financial loss, but also triggers a multi-faceted crisis affecting the State's physical, emotional, and cultural fabric,' he said. Hitesh Dev Sarma, who succeeded Mr Hajela as the State NRC Coordinator, said the exercise was fraught with corruption, involving kickbacks and money laundering. He also accused his predecessor of fraudulently including the names of suspected foreigners in the updated NRC. The trailer, however, indicates it is closer to reality than fiction. One of the main characters, played by popular actor Jatin Bora, is based on Mr Sharma and his activism. The web series will stream on Red Cinemas 18+, an OTT platform with multilingual subtitles targeting regional and international audiences. Apart from Mr Bora, the cast includes Bibhuti Bhushan Hazarika, Maytrayee Goswami, Manik Roy, Yankee Parasar, Bhabesh Das, Arsana Pujari, and R.K., who is also the director of the web series. Bhaskar Deka has penned the screenplay and dialogues, while Bitul Das has handled the cinematography, Jhulan Krishna Mahanta the editing, and Rideep Das the music.
Hindustan Times
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
After SC rap, MP minister Vijay Shah releases video, says remarks on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi were ‘linguistic mistake'
Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah, who is under a Supreme Court-monitored investigation for his controversial comments on Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, released a fresh video on Friday saying his words were a "linguistic mistake" and not meant to offend anyone. In the 45-second video posted on X, Shah said, "I sincerely apologise to the entire Indian Army, sister Colonel Sofiya and all the countrymen." He added that he did not intend to hurt any community. "The words spoken by me have hurt our community, religion and people of the nation. This was a linguistic mistake by me," he said, standing with folded hands in the video. 'It was by mistake that I uttered those words... With folded hands, I again apologise to you.' Unlike his earlier apology, this video did not contain the phrase, 'if anyone is hurt". The Supreme Court had earlier dismissed his apology as 'crocodile tears". Vijay Shah's latest statement comes just days before the May 28 deadline set by the Supreme Court for the first report from a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the incident. The minister has not made any public appearances since his May 11 remarks drew widespread criticism and protests. Shah's comments were made at a public event, where he was talking about the Pahalgam terror attack, he said: 'They (terrorists) killed our Hindu brothers by making them remove their clothes. PM Modi ji responded by sending their (terrorists') sister in an Army plane to strike them in their houses." He further went on to say, "They (terrorists) made our sisters widows, so Modiji sent the sisters of their community to strip them and teach them a lesson.' Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, a senior Indian Army officer, had led press briefings on Operation Sindoor — a counter-terror operation targeting nine terrorists hideouts in Pakistan and Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Following Shah's remarks, the Supreme Court ordered the Madhya Pradesh DGP to form an SIT comprising three senior IPS officers, including one woman officer of SP rank. The SIT was to be headed by an officer of Inspector General (IG) rank. The panel is expected to file its first report by May 28. The court also stayed Shah's arrest but is monitoring the probe after a high court had earlier directed police to register an FIR against the minister. Shah, a senior BJP leader, continues to face criticism from opposition parties and civil society groups, despite the apology.
