India

What did GN Saibaba say after coming out of jail?

Thursday, March 7, 2024

Former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba, based in India, spoke to media persons after his release from jail for alleged links with Maoists.

GN Saibaba said, "If the Constitution of the country is implemented even 50 percent then there will definitely be a change, I am hopeful."

When a reporter asked GN Saibaba about his hope of getting out of jail, he said, "Look, hope was the only thing that helped me and I was able to go through all this. It is a surprise that I was able to get out of jail alive."

Former Delhi University professor GN Saibaba, who was acquitted in the case of alleged links with Maoists, came out of Nagpur's Central Jail on Thursday, March 7, 2024.

On March 5, 2024, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court acquitted GN Saibaba, Hem Mishra, Mahesh Tirkey, Vijay Tirkey, Narayan Sanglikar, Prashant Rahi and Pandu Narot (deceased) in the case of alleged links with Maoists.

GN Saibaba was in jail in 2017 following the decision of a court in Gadchiroli in the Indian state of Maharashtra.

Before this, he was also in jail between 2014 and 2016 but was out on bail at that time.

According to news agency PTI, after coming out of jail, GN Saibaba told media persons, "My health is very bad. I cannot talk. First I will have to get treatment, only then I will be able to speak."

On Tuesday, March 5, 2024, the Nagpur bench had overturned Saibaba's life imprisonment saying that the prosecution could not prove the charges against him.

54 year old Saibaba walks in a wheelchair and is 99 percent disabled. He was imprisoned in Nagpur Central Jail for the last 11 years.

What did Rahul Gandhi say about seeking time to give information on SBI's electoral bonds?

Monday, March 4, 2024

In India, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has criticized the Modi government on SBI's appeal to extend the date of providing information related to electoral bonds.

The Supreme Court of India had declared electoral bonds unconstitutional on 15 February 2024.

The Supreme Court had also asked the State Bank of India to provide information about the funds received by political parties through electoral bonds to the Election Commission by March 6, 2024.

However, SBI has appealed to the Supreme Court to extend this deadline to June 30, 2024.

On this, Rahul Gandhi has written on the social media site Wants that this information should not be made public before the elections?

Rahul Gandhi wrote, "Asking for time till June 30, 2024 for information that can be extracted with one click shows that there is nothing black in the pulses, the entire pulses are black."

"Every independent organization of the country is trying to cover up his corruption by becoming the 'Modani family'. This is the last attempt to hide the 'real face' of Modi before the elections.

MPs and MLAs will not get exemption in bribery cases: Supreme Court

Monday, March 4, 2024

A seven-judge bench of the Supreme Court of India has given an important decision on Monday, March 4, 2024, in the case related to the privileges of MPs and MLAs.

The Supreme Court has said that MPs and MLAs will not get any legal protection under the privilege in cases of taking bribes.

With this, the Supreme Court has overturned its decision of Narasimha Rao Judgment of 1998.

Then the bench of five judges had decided with a majority of 3:2 that public representatives cannot be prosecuted in such cases.

After the Supreme Court's decision, lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay told news agency PTI, "The bench of seven judges unanimously said that taking money to ask questions or taking money to vote in Rajya Sabha elections is completely against the constitutional spirit. This is against the constitution. Therefore no one will be privileged. The freedom of speech that MPs and MLAs have in Parliament or Assembly is the freedom to work honestly. There is no freedom to commit corruption.”

According to legal news website Live Law, Chief Justice DY Chandrachud, while delivering the verdict on the matter, said, "The purpose of legislative privileges is to give privileges to the House collectively. Article 105/194 seeks to create a fear-free environment for the members. Corruption and bribery are going to destroy parliamentary democracy."

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed the Supreme Court's decision not to provide any legal protection to MPs and MLAs in bribery cases.

Narendra Modi wrote on social media, "Welcome. The Honorable Supreme Court has given a very great decision. The decision of the Supreme Court will ensure clean politics and will increase people's confidence in the system."

India will get fencing done on 1643 km long border with Myanmar

Tuesday, 6 February 2024

The Central Government of India has decided to fence the 1643 km long border with Myanmar. India's Union Home Minister Amit Shah gave this information by tweeting.

Amit Shah said that this will allow better surveillance, patrolling and tracking on the border. Amit Shah said that 10 km long border fencing has been done in Moreh in the Indian state of Manipur.

Amit Shah said, "Work is going on on two pilot projects of fencing through Hybrid Surveillance System (HSS). Under this, a kilometer long border will be fenced in the Indian states of Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur."

Amit Shah said that about 20 km long fencing in Manipur has been approved and work on it will start soon.

This announcement of fencing has come at a time when violence has been going on in Manipur for the last several months. Manipur state shares about 400 km long border with Myanmar. Recently, Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh had accused the previous central governments of ignoring the northeastern states.

India asks its citizens not to travel to Myanmar's Rakhine state

Tuesday, 6 February 2024

India has asked its citizens not to travel to Rakhine state of Myanmar. The Ministry of External Affairs of India has issued an advisory in this regard.

According to an advisory from India's Ministry of External Affairs, "Due to the deteriorating security situation, disruption of communication services, including landlines, and acute shortage of basic goods, all Indians are advised not to visit Rakhine State in Myanmar."

"The Indians who are already present in Rakhine state should immediately vacate the area."

Violence has continued in Rakhine state since 2016. However, in recent days the conflict between Myanmar's military regime and the Arakan Army (AA) rebel group in Rakhine state has intensified.

America approves four billion dollar drone agreement with India
 
Friday, February 2, 2024

The US State Department has approved a four billion dollar agreement to provide 31 state-of-the-art armed drones to India.

The agreement for the MQ-9B Predator drone was announced during the visit of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US in June 2023.

The agreement was put on hold by the Senate Committee in December 2023 due to the investigation into the alleged conspiracy to murder an Indian in America.

Now this agreement has been approved by the US Congress.

The Pentagon said the deal includes the sale of 31 armed MQ-9B SkyGuardian drones, 170 AGAM-114R Hellfire missiles and 310 small diameter bombs, communications and surveillance equipment and precision glide bombs.

The prime contractor of this agreement will be General Atomics Aeronautics Systems.

According to news agency Reuters, Senator Ben Cardin said that the agreement was finalized only after the US government agreed to fully investigate the conspiracy behind the Gurpatwant Singh Pannu murder.

Senator Ben Cardin said, "The Biden administration has demanded that there should be investigation and accountability for the conspiracy on American soil and accountability should be fixed for such activities in India too."

In the year 2023, the US had accused the Indian government of conspiring to assassinate an American citizen who supported Khalistan.

On Thursday, February 1, 2024, the Pentagon said that "to strengthen the US-India strategic relationship, this proposed drone agreement with India will support US foreign policy and national security objectives."

Gyanvapi Masjid case: Court gives Hindu side right to worship in basement

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

The court of Varanasi in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has given its verdict in support of the Hindu side in the case of Gyanvapi Mosque. The Varanasi court has given the Hindu side the right to worship in the Vyas basement of the Gyanvapi Mosque.

The order issued by the court reads - "District Magistrate, Varanasi/Receiver is directed to hand over the basement situated on the south side of the building situated at Settlement Plot No. 9130 Thana-Chowk, District Varanasi, which is the suit property. "The plaintiff and the priest designated by the Kashi Vishwanath Trust Board should get the puja, raga-bhog performed for the idols located in the basement and for this purpose, make proper arrangements in the iron fence etc. within 7 days."

Hindu side's lawyer Vishnu Shankar Jain, while talking to the media, said, "The district administration has been asked to make arrangements for conducting the puja within seven days. As soon as the administration does this, the puja will start."

Vishnu Shankar Jain has also commented on the rules and regulations for worshiping in the mosque premises.

Vishnu Shankar Jain said, "Kashi Vishwanath Trust will decide how the puja will be conducted. It knows better. It was our legal work which we have completed. Now it is up to the Kashi Vishwanath Trust to start the puja. From the devotees to Priests etc. will all be allowed to go.''

"I want to say that Justice KM Pandey had ordered opening of the lock of Ram Temple on February 1, 1986. I see today's order in comparison to that. This is the turning point of this case. A government Misusing his power, he had stopped the worship of the Hindu community. Today the court has rectified it with its pen."

Dr. Rajiv Dhawan, a senior lawyer of the Supreme Court of India and an expert on constitutional matters, even feels that the courts have become weak in maintaining secularism. Dr Rajeev Dhawan said, “The Places of Worship Act was completely forgotten in the Gyanvapi case.”

What is the Places of Worship Act?

It was enacted to stabilize the status of religious places of worship as they existed on August 15, 1947, and prohibit the conversion of any places of worship and ensure the maintenance of their religious character.

Section 3 of the Places of Worship Act declares that no person shall convert a place of worship of any religious sect into that of a different religious sect or sect. Section 4(1) provides that the religious character of the place of worship will remain the same as it was on 15 August 1947.

The Varanasi court has given its verdict in support of the Hindu side in the Gyanvapi Mosque case. The Varanasi court has given the Hindu side the right to worship in the Vyas basement of the Gyanvapi Mosque. Here the question arises whether this is not a complete violation of the Places of Worship Act by the Varanasi court in the Gyanvapi case? Is this not an attempt to change the character of Gyanvapi Masjid in the Gyanvapi case?

According to the Places of Worship Act, no person shall convert a place of worship of any religious sect into a different religious sect or sect. Section 4(1) provides that the religious character of the place of worship will remain the same as it was on 15 August 1947.

Then why did the Varanasi court give the Hindu side the right to worship in the Vyas basement of the Gyanvapi Mosque? This is a big question that needs to be answered.

Speech by the President of India on the eve of Republic Day, what did President Draupadi Murmu say?

Thursday, January 25, 2024

President of India Draupadi Murmu, in her speech on the eve of Republic Day, said that Republic Day is an important occasion to remember the fundamental values and principles.

The President said these things

Our country is moving towards the century of independence and is passing through the initial phase of Amritkal. This is a period of revolutionary change.

When Parliament passed the historic Women's Reservation Bill, our country moved towards the ideal of gender equality.

I believe that the Nari Shakti Vandan Act will prove to be a revolutionary medium of women empowerment. During this period, India became the first country to land on the south pole region of the Moon.

After Chandrayaan-3, ISRO also started another solar mission. Preparations for the first manned space program Gaganyaan mission are also progressing smoothly.

It has kept us steadfast on the path of social justice to end all forms of discrimination. The successful holding of the G20 Summit in Delhi under India's chairmanship was an unprecedented achievement.

Earlier this week I had the pleasure of witnessing the sacred occasion of consecration of the new, grand temple of Lord Shri Ram. If we look at it from the larger perspective of history, future historians will call it an important sign of the renaissance of Indian civilization.

Our GDP growth rate over the past few years has been among the highest among the world's major economies, and we are confident that this performance will continue through 2024 and beyond.

What did the Indian Army Chief say on the situation on the India-China border in Ladakh?

Thursday, January 11, 2024

Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pandey has said that the situation on the border with China in eastern Ladakh is stable but still remains sensitive.

India is talking with China at both diplomatic and military levels.

General Manoj Pandey said, "As far as the situation on the northern borders is concerned, I would say that the situation is stable yet sensitive. We are talking at both military and diplomatic levels as per set protocols and procedures to find solutions to certain issues. Our operational preparedness in these areas remains at a high level and our deployment is both strong and balanced.''

What did the Indian Army Chief say on the situation in Manipur?

Thursday, January 11, 2024

On the violence that has continued for more than seven months in the Indian state of Manipur, Army Chief General Manoj Pandey said, "The level of violence in the country has reduced. Although violence has been seen in Manipur since May 2023, the efforts of the Manipur government, "With the help of the Indian Army, Assam Rifles and other security agencies, we have been able to stabilize the situation to a great extent. It is our endeavor to keep the situation stable."

America refuses to give evidence against Nikhil Gupta in Pannu case

Thursday, January 11, 2024

The US government has objected to giving evidence against Nikhil Gupta in the court and has said that defense material i.e. evidence will not be given to Nikhil Gupta's lawyer in this case until he is produced in the New York court.

Nikhil Gupta is the main accused in the case of a failed conspiracy to assassinate a Khalistani leader in the US and is currently in jail in the Czech Republic.

The lawyer of Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta had appealed to the New York court that the US government should provide evidence of the allegations against Nikhil Gupta. But now the US government has refused to do so.

In November 2023, America has claimed that Indian citizen Nikhil Gupta had given a contract of one lakh dollars (about Rs 83 lakh) to a person for the murder of Khalistani leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannu in New York. Documents presented in the US court claim that "Nikhil Gupta had received instructions from an employee of the Government of India."

Nikhil Gupta is in jail in Czech Republic since June 30, 2023. The US government is making efforts for his extradition.

India has formed a high-level committee to investigate this allegation, which is investigating the matter on the basis of evidence received from America.

Shiv Sena Uddhav faction will go to Supreme Court after the decision of Maharashtra Assembly Speaker

Wednesday, January 10, 2024

Who is the real Shiv Sena? Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Navrekar's decision on this has come and he has called Shinde faction as the real Shiv Sena.

After which questions are being raised about the future of the Uddhat Thackeray group. It is being asked whether now after the Speaker's decision, 14 MLAs of the Uddhav group will be disqualified?

The Speaker has answered this question in his decision itself. The Speaker of the Assembly has not disqualified any MLA from either faction of Shiv Sena.

The Speaker of the Assembly has said that the eligibility of the MLAs of both the groups will remain intact.

What did Uddhav Thackeray say on Shinde faction's decision to call Shiv Sena the 'real party'?

For the first time after the decision taken by the Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly, former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) faction chief Uddhav Thackeray has held a press conference.

Uddhav Thackeray has called the Speaker's decision a murder of democracy and an insult to the Supreme Court.

Uddhav Thackeray said, "We will go among the people...we are also going among the people and we will fight for the people, taking the people along."

NCP chief Sharad Pawar has also given his reaction. Sharad Pawar said, “After this decision, Uddhav will go to the Supreme Court. They hope that justice will be found there.''

Sanjay Raut said, Shiv Sena will not end due to Speaker's decision, we will go to Supreme Court...

After the decision of the Speaker of Maharashtra Assembly, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction) leader Sanjay Raut has said that it was a conspiracy of BJP.

Sanjay Raut said, "It was his dream that one day we would destroy Balasaheb Thackeray's Shiv Sena. But Shiv Sena will not end with this decision...we will go to the Supreme Court.''
 
On the other hand, Shiv Sena's Uddhav Thackeray faction's Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi has said that she was not surprised by the Speaker's decision.

Priyanka Chaturvedi has called this decision against the spirit of the Supreme Court order passed eight months ago.

Priyanka Chaturvedi said, "Since childhood, we have been hearing that whatever happens is as per the will of God, since we are a republic, whatever happens here is done by the Constitution. But since 2014, a new tradition has started...which happens to be Manzoor-e-Amit Shah and Narendra Modi.''

Maharashtra Assembly Speaker's decision: Uddhav Thackeray had no right to expel Eknath Shinde from the party

Eknath Shinde or Uddhav Thackeray, whose MLA will be disqualified... Maharashtra Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar has given the decision regarding this.

Rahul Narvekar has said that Shinde faction will be the real Shiv Sena.

While announcing the decision, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar said that when rival factions emerged on June 21, 2022, the Shinde faction was the real Shiv Sena political party.

Rahul Narvekar said that there was a split in Shiv Sena on 21 June 2022. Therefore, the whip of Sunil Prabhu is not applicable after that date and hence the appointment of Bharat Gogavale as the whip is correct.

Rahul Narvekar said that the petitioners' demand for disqualification of Eknath Shinde group MLAs cannot be justified as Sunil Prabhu's whip is not in force.

Rahul Narvekar said that it was wrong on the part of Uddhav Thackeray to throw Eknath Shinde out of the party in the year 2022 because Uddhav Thackeray did not have the constitutional right to do so.

Rahul Narvekar has given this decision on the basis of the 1999 constitution of Shiv Sena party.

Rahul Narvekar said, "Since only the 1999 constitution of the Shiv Sena party has been submitted before the Election Commission, not the amended constitution of 2018. Therefore, the decision will be in accordance with the 1999 Constitution.''

Rahul Narvekar said, "The 1999 constitution of the Shiv Sena party says that the members of the national executive will lead the Shiv Sena, whereas the 2018 constitution says that the decision of the Shiv Sena party chief will be the decision of the Shiv Sena party."

But now that the Constitution of the year 2018 has been considered invalid, the Shiv Sena party chief did not have the unrestricted right to expel any member from the Shiv Sena party.

Therefore, Rahul Narvekar expressed his clear opinion that Uddhav Thackeray's right to expel Eknath Shinde from Shiv Sena party is not acceptable.

This result has brought relief to 16 MLAs of Eknath Shinde faction. The Uddhat Thackeray group has suffered a setback.

What is the matter?

Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena had filed a petition with the Assembly Speaker to disqualify 16 MLAs of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde's Shiv Sena.

After that, the Shinde group claimed to be the real Shiv Sena and said that the Thackeray group MLAs broke the whip.

Eknath Shinde is also in danger of being disqualified. This may also create political instability in Maharashtra.

If Uddhav Thackeray's 14 MLAs are disqualified, his party will face a big challenge.