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Hans India
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Bengal BJP questions 'overnight action' of Kolkata Police in Sharmishta Panoli case
Kolkata: The BJP's Bengal unit on Sunday questioned the "overnight" action of Kolkata Police against Sharmistha Panoli, a law student, accused of hurting the religious sentiments of a particular community, and called the move a vote-bank vendetta. West Bengal BJP president and Union Minister of State, Sukanta Majumdar, questioned why Panoli was arrested for a now-deleted video. Panoli had tendered a public apology even though her video did not trigger any communal unrest or riot," MoS Majumdar said. "No riots. No unrest. Yet Mamata Banerjee's police acted overnight, not for justice, but for appeasement. But when TMC leaders insult Sanatan Dharma, call Jai Shri Ram a gaali, mock Maha Kumbh, and push communal poison - there's no FIR, no arrest, no apology. This is not justice. This is a vote-bank vendetta," said Majumdar. Suvendu Adhikari, the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly, posted on his official X handle why the city police had earlier ignored comments by Trinamool Congress leaders that had hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindus. Adhikari questioned the hyperactivity of Kolkata in the matter of Panoli for making a personal comment in the wake of the Pahalgam terror attack, where Hindus were targeted selectively, which she later deleted and even apologised for. In his argument, Adhikari highlighted three such comments namely West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's "Maha Kumbh is Mrityu Kumbh", Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member Mahua Moitra's "Kali to me is a meat-eating, alcohol-accepting Goddess' and Kolkata Mayor and West Bengal minister Firhad Hakim's "Those who are not born in Islam are unfortunate. We have to bring them under the fold of Islam, and we should spread Islam among non-Muslims by endorsing Dawat-e-Islam". According to him, why do Kolkata Police choose to remain silent and inactive when idols of Hindu deities are vandalised in West Bengal or when there are events of stone pelting on Ram Navami and Hanuman Jayanti processions? "DG@WBPolice, where have you locked up your spine when Anubrata Mondal threatens your subordinate's wife and mother with rape?," Adhikari's statement read. He had also assured that the BJP would provide Panoli with the necessary legal support in the matter. "I would like to assure everyone that the nationalist lawyers are taking up Sharmistha's matter and the best legal defence will be provided to her, and I hope that she will be free from the clutches of the vile and vicious Mamata Police," his statement read. An FIR was registered against Panoli at Garden Reach Police Station on May 15, for posting an Instagram Video, where she made some comments on Operation Sindoor that had reportedly hurt the religious sentiments of a particular community. In the face of strong criticisms, she deleted that video and also tendered a public apology for the matter. However, based on the FIR registered, the police first sent her a notice, which failed since she had gone into hiding at Gurugram by then. Thereafter, an arrest warrant was issued against her, and finally, she was arrested in Gurugram. The 22-year-old student was arrested by Kolkata Police from Gurugram in Haryana on Saturday morning and was brought back to Kolkata on transit remand on the same day. Panoli was presented at the city court in Kolkata on Saturday afternoon, and after a detailed hearing in the matter, she was remanded to judicial custody till June 13.
India Gazette
a day ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Backstabbed every time": all-party delegation urges diplomatic isolation of Pakistan for sponsoring terrorism
Freetown [Sierra Leone], May 31 (ANI): The all-party delegation led by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde called on the Indian community in Sierra Leone to diplomatically isolate and morally condemn Pakistan for its continued support of terrorism, highlighting a long history of betrayal in response to India's consistent efforts to promote peace. During a press interaction in Freetown, Sierra Leone, on Saturday, Shinde, along with BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj and BJP leader SS Ahluwalia, emphasised India's strategic response through Operation Sindoor while underscoring the need to combat terrorism globally, particularly in light of the Pahalgam terror attack. Shinde noted that Pakistan had backstabbed India time and time again despite Indian Prime Ministers personally visiting the neighbouring country to initiate peace efforts. He added that Indian citizens don't want war, but this time the attack was not on the citizens but on humanity; that is why Operation Sindoor happened. 'We are a peace-loving nation... Our Prime Ministers personally visited Pakistan and made a number of declarations... We always initiated peace talks with our neighbouring nation, Pakistan. But every time we were backstabbed by the terrorist attacks... Our citizens don't want war, but why did this Operation Sindoor happen? Because we were continuously attacked, and this time the attack was not on our citizens but on humanity... To defend our citizens and nation, we had to undertake this Operation Sindoor... But we only targeted terror camps,' Shinde stated. 'When the attack happened in Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir, the terrorists were asking the religion of the people they killed... After ascertaining that they were Hindus, non-Muslims, they were shot dead... There was a specific motive of the terrorists and Pakistan to destabilise the regional harmony in India... As Sierra Leone is very secular and progressive, people from different religions have representation in the parliament... The terrorism which is happening in the name of religion has to be stopped,' Shinde added, detailing the Pahalgam attack's communal motive. Meanwhile, Swaraj also called for global action for diplomatic isolation and a moral callout to Pakistan against their state-sponsored terrorism. 'As far as nations like Pakistan are concerned, which are terrorist-sponsoring nations that use terrorism to wage a proxy war and think that terrorism is the way forward for them, well, this is the time to isolate them diplomatically and call them out morally, and India will continue to respond to them strategically,' she stated. BJP Leader Ahluwalia also highlighted India's restraint, stating, 'Now ceasefire is there and we believe in peace... We have seen these attacks for the last 40 years... We have responded sensibly... We have not disturbed any Pakistani nationals, and even when the Pakistani army retaliated, we have not touched the Pakistani army establishment.' The delegation led by Shinde also includes BJP MP Atul Garg and Manan Kumar Mishra, BJD MP Sasmit Patra, Indian Union Muslim League's ET Mohammed Basheer and former Ambassador Sujan Chinoy. The delegation aims to brief international partners on India's response to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and its broader fight against cross-border terrorism while engaging with leaders. (ANI)
India Today
a day ago
- Politics
- India Today
Terrorists challenged India's nari shakti, brought their doom: PM on Op Sindoor
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said terrorists in Pakistan brought their own doom by challenging the "nari shakti" of India, referring to the attack in Pahalgam where women watched as their husbands were being killed. The Prime Minister also declared that 'Sindoor' was the biggest and most successful operation in Indian history against terrorism."In Pahalgam, the terrorists didn't just shed blood - they attacked our culture. They tried to divide our society. The terrorists challenged the nari shakti of India, and this challenge turned into doom for the terrorists and their sponsors," PM Modi said while taking part in the 'Mahila Sashaktikaran Maha Sammelan' in Bhopal on the 300th birth anniversary of Queen Ahilyabai April 22, 25 tourists, all men, were shot dead in the scenic Baisaran meadow by Lashkar terrorists, who executed those identified as non-Muslims. In retaliation, India launched Operation Sindoor - a name designed to show respect to those women who were widowed in the attack. During the hostilities, India not only destroyed key terror camps deep inside Pakistan, but also targeted military bases before entering into a ceasefire deal.
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Chhattisgarh High Court refuses to quash FIR against professors who ‘asked students to offer namaz'
The Chhattisgarh High Court in a recent order dismissed two petitions seeking quashing of an FIR registered by Kota police in April this year against professors of Guru Ghasidas Central University in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district for purportedly asking 155 students to offer namaz on Eid during a National Service Scheme (NSS) camp. The High Court cited a Supreme Court ruling from 2021, which said courts should not thwart any investigation into cognisable offences and not scuttle criminal proceedings at the initial stage, and that the power to quash proceedings should be exercised sparingly. 'When a prayer for quashing the FIR is made by the alleged accused, the court when it exercises the power under Section 482 CrPC, only has to consider whether or not the allegations in the FIR disclose the commission of a cognizable offence and is not required to consider on merits whether the allegations make out a cognizable offence or not and the court has to permit the investigating agency/police to investigate the allegations in the FIR,' the High Court observed. One petition seeking quashing of the FIR was filed by the coordinator for the NSS camp, Professor Dilip Jha, who was arrested in the case and was granted bail. The second petition was filed by six assistant professors, who were also named as accused in the case. As per the FIR, the students had gone to Shivtarai village in March this year as part of the NSS camp, and on the day of Eid, non-Muslims students were also purportedly asked to offer namaz along with the Muslim students. The petitioners deny that any student was forced to offer namaz. The counsel for the professors argued that the complaint by students was lodged on April 14, after a delay of 14-15 days, and that the complaint was 'politically motivated'. Even though 150 students participated in the camp, only three lodged the FIR, the petitioners argued. 'The participants were not compelled by the petitioners to offer namaz, and on a false accusation, the police registered the offence,' the counsel argued. On the other hand, the counsel for the state argued, 'The petitioners, by using words and visible representations, compelled the complainants, who belong to the Hindu religion, to offer namaz.' Chhattisgarh High Court Chief Justice Ramesh Sinha and Justice Rakesh Mohan Pandey dismissed the petition, pointing out that the petitioners are already out on bail, investigations are ongoing, and observations cannot be made on the merits of the case.
Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Politics
- Business Recorder
Reserved seats case: Ruling ‘amended' constitution, says constitutional bench
ISLAMABAD: The Constitutional Bench observed that majority judgment in reserved seats case amended the constitution, as three days mentioned in the constitution for joining a political party by independents in Parliament is increased to 15 days. Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar questioned whether the judges should be concerned with what is written in the constitution and the law or the extraneous factors? He noted that constitution was re-written and there is history because it was done in the case of Article 63A of the constitution too. He said when the law is clear then there is no need of 'read in' or 'read down', and the Court has to adhere to the provisions. An 11-member Constitutional Bench of the Supreme Court (SC), headed by Justice Aminuddin Khan, on Thursday, heard the review petitions of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) and the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). Reserved seats case: SIC lawyer proposes three sets of relief The proceeding was live-streamed on SC's YouTube channel. Justice Musarrat Hilali said that they majority [judgment] has discussed 13th January 2025 judgment, which review has been pending. Justice Ali Baqar Najafi said they (the majority) have expressed their mind, while alluding to the fact of the case. He asked what the oath of a judge says, and what is expected of him to deliver judgment on the basis of principles or law? Faisal Siddiqui, representing SIC, argued that 11 judges, including Justice (retired) Qazi Faez, Justice Mandokhail and Justice Yahya Afridi, in their verdicts maintained that all the independent candidates are Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) members and the PTI is entitled to 78 reserved seats of women and non-Muslims in the National and the provincial assemblies. He requested the bench to dismiss the reviews petition, in which, additional grounds have not been filed. However, Justice Amin told him that the review petitions have been filed only against the majority judgment, while the judgments of other judges are intact. Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail said: 'We (Justice Jamal and ex-CJP Qazi Faez) have maintained that only those independent candidates who in their nomination papers mentioned PTI and attached the party are the PTI members in the parliament.' He questioned how they can compel anyone who has contested election as an independent to join a particular party, or force anyone not to contest election as an independent. Faisal argued that all the 13 judges held that the PTI-backed independent candidates cannot join the SIC, and also reserved seats cannot be given to it. However, they maintained that the PTI was entitled to the reserved seats, adding the disagreement was on the number of PTI-affiliated candidates. The judges also disagreed with the majority judgment on timeline and the process described for joining the PTI by the independents, the SIC counsel submitted. He said that Justice Yahya had left this issue to be decided by the ECP. Justice Amin said whether any of the party during the original proceedings discussed that the reserved seats should be given to the PTI. Justice Mandokhail questioned whether only one and not all the political parties deserve fair treatment? Justice Musarrat Hilali questioned that Hamid Raza who had established the SIC in 2013 and has been its chairman then why he contested general elections as an independent instead of on the SIC platform, and after winning the election joined the SIC, and PTI-backed independent candidates were asked to join the SIC. She said if a party does not have presence in the parliament then how the independent candidates can join it. She asked what the PTI-backed independents have mentioned in their forms when they were joining the SIC. Faisal argued that the PTI's Intra-Party Election (IPE) was not accepted by the ECP, Peshawar High Court (PHC) and the Supreme Court and it was deprived of election symbol. He said that the 11 judges in their judgments stated that the ECP has in fact misunderstood and wrongly applied the Supreme Court judgment that the PTI is out of February 2024 elections. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
