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India Gazette
4 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
Kerala Congress leader AK Antony confident of UDF candidate Aryadan Shoukath's victory in Nilambur by-elections
Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], May 31 (ANI): Former Defence Minister and Congress leader AK Antony on Friday expressed confidence that United Democratic Front (UDF) candidate Aryadan Shoukath will emerge victorious in the upcoming Nilambur by-elections. Antony asserted that the by-election would serve as a public verdict against the Pinarayi Vijayan-led state government. 'People who wish that the Pinarayi government wouldn't come into power again will vote for Aryadan Shoukath. Aryadan Shoukath will win in the by-election will be a mandate against Pinarayi Government...' Antony told the media. Aryadan Shoukath also met with the senior Congress leader ahead of the polls. On Friday, Kerala Leader of Opposition (LoP) and Congress leader VD Satheesan said that the upcoming Nilambur by-election would be treated as an opportunity to hold the Pinarayi Vijayan-led government accountable. He also confirmed that the first phase of the campaign work has been completed. 'We have already launched the election campaign, and our conventions are also going on... We will take it as an opportunity to prosecute the Pinarai government...' Satheesan told ANI. He added that preparations began a month ago and that significant voter outreach had already been achieved. 'We have completed our first round of election work and started our preparation a month ago. A total of 10,000 voters are enrolled in the election, out of which we have enrolled 8000...' he further added. The Nilambur by-election is scheduled for June 19, with counting to be held on June 23. The election was necessitated following the resignation of PV Anvar, an LDF-backed MLA who stepped down in January after being appointed the Convenor of the Kerala unit of the Trinamool Congress (TMC). Earlier, on May 25, Malappuram District Congress Committee (DCC) President VS Joy stated that the party's high command would finalise the candidate for the bypoll. Joy expressed confidence that the political climate in Malappuram heavily favoured the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF). 'The high command will decide the candidate. The candidate is merely a technicality. The atmosphere in Malappuram is such that anyone who becomes the candidate will win,' Joy told reporters. (ANI)
India Gazette
4 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"Ignore them with impunity": Ravi Shankar Prasad slams Pakistani nationals raising anti-India slogans in Copenhagen
Copenhagen [Denmark], May 31 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ravi Shankar Prasad on Friday (local time) hit back at Pakistani nationals who raised anti-India slogans outside a venue hosting an Indian parliamentary delegation in Copenhagen and said that they have come here in 'desperation', advising people to 'ignore them with impunity' Addressing the Indian diaspora in Copenhagen, Ravi Shankar Prasad suggested the disruption was caused by the wide coverage of the global outreach programme to convey India's firm stance against terrorism. 'I was very surprised to see Pakistanis here raising programme is going very are getting wide handlers in Pakistan must have told them to do something. They have come here in desperation. Pakistan is a desperate country that lives in desperation. Ignore them with impunity,' Prasad said. He further highlighted the human rights violations in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) and Balochistan, highlighting the plight of civilians in those regions. 'What kind of ill treatment in PoK people are suffering, do you know? They are crying to shift to Balochistan, women are given the worst barbaric treatment is in great commotion fought four conventional of this India started, we only responded and Pakistan lost all of them... 'Jinnah ne banaya Pakistan woh ban gayi General ki Dukan' (Jinnah created Pakistan, it became an Army General's shop,' Prasad said. The Indian delegation, led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, includes BJP MP Daggubati Purandeswari, Samik Bhattacharya, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, Congress MPs Ghulam Ali Khatana and Amar Singh, former Union Minister MJ Akbar, and Ambassador Pankaj Saran is in Copenhagen. Addressing the Indian diaspora, Samik Bhattacharya laid down the objective of the delegation to alert the world against terrorism. 'We are not seeking help from anyone with folded hands. We are going everywhere in the world - and we have only one objective: to alert them that what is happening with us is bound to happen with them. Hence, this terrorism must be uprooted. Every Pakistani knows what they are; they can't even open a shop in the name of Pakistan outside their country, they use Indian names, Bhattacharya said. Former minister MJ Akbar also criticised Pakistan, calling it a nation with a 'double face.' 'Even well-meaning friends will ask you, why don't you talk to Pakistan? Tell them Pakistan has a government with a double face, which face do we talk to? Pakistan has a government with a forked tongue; whose tongue do we address? Pakistan has talks with a poisoned tongue that gets hurt when a tongue is poisoned... The talks are nothing but a bluff. We now have a leader who has actually called the bluff, Narendar Modi... Nobody has made as much effort to bring a nation with a genetic disorder to its senses.' Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi highlighted the unity of all Indian parties against Pakistan. ''I am from the same Shiv Sena that dug up the cricket pitch to not allow Pakistan to play a cricket match in India and with the same commitment, I'm part of the joint delegation that has come from all political parties to say that as Indians we stand one and nobody can divide us,' she said. Chaturvedi also fired shots at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for providing a loan to Pakistan, suggesting that it has gone to the Pakistan disruptors outside the venue. 'As we were coming here, we saw some flags, and you all would know what those flags are. And I thought to myself, the IMF loan is coming in handy, and I hope those who are giving them the IMF loan realise what it's being used for,' she said. (ANI)
India Gazette
4 hours ago
- India Gazette
"Verdict sends a message that crime never pays off": Uttarakhand CM lauds conviction in Ankita Bhandari murder case
Dehradun (Uttarakhand) [India], May 31 (ANI): Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday welcomed the conviction of the three accused in the high-profile Ankita Bhandari murder case, stating that the verdict sends a strong message that 'crime never pays off.' He reaffirmed the government's commitment to ensuring that no criminal is spared, regardless of status or influence. 'Today's verdict sends a message that crime never pays off... No matter who a criminal is in Uttarakhand, the law will not spare him/her,' Dhami said here. Talking about the investigation into the murder case, the Chief Minister said that from day one, the state government resolved to bring justice to the victim and formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a female IPS officer. 'The day we got information about this case, we resolved to bring justice to her (the victim)... The state government immediately directed the investigative agencies to arrest the accused, and so they were arrested. An SIT headed by a female IPS officer was formed, and an investigation was conducted in detail. The case was in court, and due to the investigation, the accused could not get bail. In about 3 years, they got life imprisonment,' he added. On Friday, an Additional District and Sessions Judge Court in Kotdwar, Uttarakhand found Pulkit Arya and his associates, Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta guilty under Sections 302 (murder), 201 (destruction of evidence), 120B (criminal conspiracy), and 354A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code, along with provisions of the Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act. The court pronounced the verdict after a thorough trial, which upheld the charges against the trio, who were found guilty of the brutal murder of 19-year-old Ankita Bhandari. Bhandari, a resident of Pauri district, was employed at the Vanantra Resort in Rishikesh. It was alleged that the resort owner, Pulkit Arya, along with Saurabh Bhaskar and Ankit Gupta, murdered her by pushing her into a nearby barrage. Earlier, while speaking to ANI, the victim's mother, Soni Devi, broke down in grief and urged the people of Uttarakhand to continue supporting the family and demanding capital punishment for the convicts. 'May the criminals be sentenced to death...I appeal to the public of Uttarakhand to keep on supporting us and come to the Kotdwar court to boost our morale,' she said. The body of Ankita Bhandari was recovered from the Chilla canal in Rishikesh on September 24. She was reported missing for at least six days before the officials found her body. An SIT headed by Deputy Inspector General of Police P Renuka Devi was initially probing the case. The first hearing of the case started on January 30, 2023, in the ADJ Court in Kotdwar. Following the SIT's investigation, a 500-page chargesheet was submitted to the court. Charges were then formally framed against the three accused. In the hearing that lasted for about two years and eight months, 47 witnesses, including the investigator, were examined in the court on behalf of the prosecution. However, the SIT had made 97 witnesses in this case, out of which only 47 important witnesses were produced in the court. (ANI)
India Gazette
4 hours ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
"Would have loved to score more fifties...": MI's Rohit after match-winning 81 against GT in eliminator
Mullanpur (Punjab) [India], May 31 (ANI): Following his side's move to Qualifier two after a win over Gujarat Titans (GT), Mumbai Indians (MI) star batter Rohit Sharma said that he wished he could have scored more half-centuries in the season. The 'Hitman' delivered yet another big match performance for MI, helping them down GT by 20 runs in a high-scoring eliminator at Mullanpur on Friday, booking a spot with Punjab Kings (PBKS) for a spot in the IPL final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB). Speaking after the match, Rohit acknowledged his batting performance and talked about the role luck and catch drops played in it and how he made the most of it. He won the 'Player of the Match' award for his knock. 'I have only four fifties. Would have loved to score more fifties. Good day for us as a team. I do understand the importance of playing this Eliminator, going through this, and taking the next step forward. Really proud of a complete team effort. When I play the game, I try to do my best, keeping everything aside. Making sure I can do the job for the team. I had to make the most of the luck. I am glad I could do that. Get the team into a good position,' said Rohit. Now in 14 games, Rohit has scored 410 runs at an average of 31.53, with four half-centuries and a strike rate of 150.18. His best score this season is 81. He is MI's second-best batter after Suryakumar Yadav (673 runs in 15 innings with five fifties). He also admitted that with dew coming in the second innings, it was going to get more challenging, but the bowlers held their nerves well. 'To be honest, I have played those shots before in the tournament and found fielders. Somewhere down the line, you have got to be lucky, and today was that day for me. I got lucky as those catches were dropped. But even after that, you got to play. I was focusing on keeping the momentum and tempo going. It was a good bowling effort. Jonny (Bairstow), I have watched him over the years from the other side. We know the quality he has. A lot of experience playing in this format. Never looked like he was playing the first game. We got the start and capitalised on it,' he concluded while talking about his batting and the team's performance. Coming to the match, MI won the toss and elected to bat first. They started off with a bang, with Jonny Bairstow (47 in 22 balls, with four boundaries and three sixes) and Rohit Sharma taking on pacers really well. Rohit went on to score his third fifty in IPL knockouts, making 81 in just 50 balls, with nine fours and four sixes. He also completed his 7,000 IPL runs, becoming the second batter to do so. Fine cameos from Suryakumar Yadav (33 in 20 balls, with a four and three sixes), Tilak Varma (25 in 11 balls, with three sixes) and Hardik Pandya (22* in nine balls, with three sixes) took MI to 228/5. Sai Kishore (2/42) and Prasidh Krishna (2/53) were the top bowlers for GT. In the run chase, GT lost skipper Shubman Gill early. However, Sai Sudharsan (80 in 49 balls, with 10 fours and a six) stitched half-century partnerships with Kusal Mendis (20 in 10 balls, with a four and two sixes) and Washington Sundar (48 in 24 balls, with five fours and three sixes), keeping GT ahead of the required rate. However, some fine death bowling prevented them from winning as MI restricted GT to 208/6 in 20 overs. Trent Boult (2/56) was the top bowler for MI. Jasprit Bumrah, Richard Gleeson, Ashwani Kumar and Mitchell Santner got one each. Now, MI has booked a Qualifier two clash with Punjab Kings (PBKS) for a chance at the IPL final against Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) while GT has been eliminated. (ANI)
India Gazette
4 hours ago
- Politics
- India Gazette
"People of Bihar are innocent, not stupid": RJD slams PM Modi over Bihar visit, claims schemes not being implemented
Patna (Bihar) [India], May 31 (ANI): Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Manoj Jha on Friday criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Bihar, saying that the projects which were inaugurated by the PM are not being implemented properly. Jha further claimed that many of the schemes announced were previously introduced but never executed. 'Today, you (PM Modi) have laid the foundation stone again for the same schemes which you have done twenty times, I can count each one. It does not suit the post of Prime Minister. We had said that Bihar should not be a state for labour supply. Capital is in Gujarat, and the concentration of money is there, but we did not say that the sweat and blood of workers should be supplied with Shramik trains,' Jha said at a press conference in Patna. Several leaders from the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), allied with the RJD for the upcoming Bihar elections, were also present at the briefing. Jha raised key issues such as the demand for special status for Bihar, the need to transform the state's economic image, and the lack of visible progress. 'Honourable Prime Minister came on a two-day tour. What shall I say? 'tere aane aur tene jaane mein sadiyon ka faasla hai (there is a gap of many years with your comings and goings)....yesterday, the people of Mahagathbandan party had raised some questions, and they were about rocket science, they were about the employment of Bihar's land, progress and its special state status,' Jha remarked. 'I had said that like in 2015, do not ignore Bihar. Bihar does not like that attitude and that tossed money, thrown away in which there is no reality, we don't like that but you didn't agree,' he added. Regarding reservations, Jha reiterated the demand to raise the cap to 65 per cent. He mentioned that this proposal had been made when RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav was in alliance with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. 'When Tejashwi (Yadav) was with Nitish Kumar in the Mahagathbandhan, then we had talked about sixty-five per cent reservation by increasing the quantum. We know who got the proxy done in the court, but we told the Prime Minister that you removed this from the court and put it in the Ninth Schedule so it would remain safe,' he said. Jha also emphasised Bihar's repeated demand for special status and alleged that the Centre has ignored multiple letters sent by opposition leaders. 'We had written letters to PM Modi regarding special status, Leader of Opposition, the whole Mahagathbandhan wrote letters, but PM did not listen. But looking at the schemes which were inaugurated, there has just been an announcement, but it is not going up from the ground. So you are simply just cutting the same chicken again and again. Bihar is innocent, but not stupid,' he said. Hitting out at PM Modi, he said that he initially did not expect him to talk about social justice but hoped he would change his mind and listen to the opposition. 'We did not expect talk of social justice from someone who is inspired by Gowalkar's 'Bunch of Thoughts', but we thought that maybe PM has changed, and might listen to us,' he said. On Friday, PM Modi hit out at the opposition (RJD and Congress) over the issue of social justice, saying that the people who cheated Bihar the most are now talking about 'social justice' for the sake of power. PM Modi said that during the opposition's tenure, poor and deprived sections of the society had to leave Bihar, and for decades, the Dalits and tribals of the state did not have toilets. He stated that their entry into banks was also not allowed. 'Those who cheated Bihar the most, during whose tenure the poor and deprived sections of Bihar had to leave Bihar, are today the same people telling the lie of social justice to gain power. For decades, the Dalits, backward classes and tribals of Bihar did not even have toilets,' PM Modi said. PM Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation of multiple development projects worth over Rs 48,520 crore on Friday in Karakat district. (ANI)
