On Tuesday, February 26, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against Congress leader Supriya Shrinate for her sexist social media post against BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Mandi, Himachal Pradesh.
A BJP delegation, led by General Secretaries Vinod Tawde and Om Pathak, met the Election Commission and lodged a formal complaint with the Commission.
BJP has come out strongly in defense of the new entrant to politics, Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut, after she faced sexist slurs and attacks from Congress leaders and their supporters on Social Media. Former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said BJP would even examine legally, the derogatory remarks made by Congress leaders against Kangana Ranaut.
Condemning Congress leader’s remark, Leader of Opposition in state Thakur, in a statement, said she has made a “big mistake” as people come to Mandi, known as “choti Kashi” and an abode for over 300 temples, with faith.
Meanwhile, National Commission for Women (NCW) Chief Rekha Sharma has urged Congress leader Sonia Gandhi to “take action” against two of its leaders for using “derogatory” language against another woman.
Reacting to the offensive social media attacks, Kangana Ranaut said, “Every woman deserves dignity, no matter what profession she is in. The most I am hurt by is the ‘Mandi’ thing, which is known as Chota Kashi and has been the land of several Rishi’s.”
Earlier, on Monday, Actor Kangana Ranaut was at the receiving end of a particularly nasty online attack after Congress leaders and supporters targeted her with sexual innuendos and abuses following the announcement of her candidature from the Mandi Lok Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh.
In a post on Instagram which has now been deleted, Congress National Spokesperson Supriya Shrinate asked, “Kya bhav chal raha hai Mandi me koi batayega? (Will someone tell me what the rate system in Mandi is?)” with a particularly racy picture of Kangana Ranaut.
Congress functionary HS Ahir abused actor Kangana Ranaut by referring to her candidature from Mandi as, “Mandi se R*ndi.”
After facing massive backlash for the reprehensible post from her verified social media handles, Congress National Spokesperson Supriya Shrinate later issued a clarification to defend herself. In her clarification video, she claimed that ‘someone who had access to her account’ posted it, adding that the person responsible for making the post will be held accountable.
After enduring 21 days of fasting, Sonam Wangchuk, a climate activist and advocate for education reform, has decided to conclude his hunger strike aimed at advocating for Ladakh’s statehood and the preservation of the delicate Himalayan ecosystem. Despite ending his fast, Wangchuk emphasised that his battle would persist.
“I will persist in my efforts for constitutional protections for Ladakh and the political rights of its people,” stated Mr. Wangchuk as he brought his hunger strike to a close. Thousands gathered across different regions of the Union Territory as the fast ended, with women’s groups now preparing to initiate a hunger strike with similar demands.
Commencing his fast on March 6, the reformer—whose life inspired the character of Phsukh Wangdu in the 2009 film ‘3 Idiots’—initially announced his intention to continue for 21 days, with the possibility of extension “until death.”
Earlier this week, Wangchuk urged the Union government to “demonstrate integrity” and fulfil the demands of Ladakh’s people. In a video shared on X, he gestured towards a frozen glass of water, highlighting that 350 individuals had joined him in fasting, enduring temperatures as low as -10 degrees Celsius.
“We are striving to stir the consciousness of our Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and Home Minister Mr Amit Shah to safeguard the fragile Himalayan mountain ecosystem in Ladakh and the distinct indigenous tribal cultures that flourish here,” expressed the activist in the video.
“We do not wish to view PM Modi and Amit Shah merely as politicians, but rather as statesmen; however, for that, they must exhibit integrity and foresight,” he added.
Following the revocation of Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, comprising the Leh and Kargil districts, was established as a separate Union Territory on August 5, 2019.
After this development, significant protests and hunger strikes arose earlier this year within the Union Territory. Leaders from the Buddhist-majority Leh and Muslim-majority Kargil joined forces under the Apex Body of Leh and the Kargil Democratic Alliance, advocating for statehood and the protection of the rights of the predominantly tribal population under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution.
A case of the rape of a minor from the Dalit community has come to light in the Hapur district of Uttar Pradesh. The accused persons, in this case, have been identified as Junaid, Arif, and Jamiruddin. Junaid is said to have held a minor hostage and raped her for hours. The other two accused persons tried to threaten the family of the girl and offered them Rs 2-4 lac to cover up the incident. The police have started the investigation by registering an FIR against all three accused persons.
The incident is said to have taken place in the Hafizpur police station area of Hapur. On 22nd March (Friday), the father of the 14-year-old Dalit girl lodged a complaint with the police. In the complaint, he said that on 21st March 2024, at around 3:30 pm, his daughter had gone to hang the dry clothes. Meanwhile, Junaid, son of Imam Khan from the same village, reached there. He covered the girl’s mouth, grabbed her, and took her with him to the basement of Jamiruddin’s dairy. He then kept the victim hostage and raped her.
उक्त प्रकरण के संबंध में थाना हाफिजपुर पर अभियोग पंजीकृत है, अग्रिम विधिक कार्यवाही की जा रही है।
During this time, some children playing nearby heard the screams of the victim. Junaid ran away from the spot after the children reached to see what was happening. The victim reached home and told her family about the incident. Later, her father decided to report the matter to the police and left for the police station the next day. On the way, he met Jamiruddin and Arif from the village. They stopped the victim’s father and put pressure on him to cover up the matter, calling it a minor incident.
The accused offered Rs 2-4 lakh to the victim’s father to keep his mouth shut. When the complainant refused to compromise, Jamiruddin and Arif abused him by using caste-related slurs. Not only this, both of them also threatened to eliminate the entire family of the victim. The accused Arif and Jamiruddin said, “Anyway Dalit girls are meant for this only.”
The victim’s father, extremely scared, reached the police station, and demanded strict action against the accused. Based on the complaint filed by the victim, the police have registered an FIR against Junaid, Jamiruddin, and Arif. Apart from sections 376, 452, 342, and 506 of IPC, they are all booked under SC/ST and POCSO Act.
OpIndia has the complaint copy. OpIndia spoke to the father of the victim girl. He said that the Muslim population in the village where he lives is about 92%. He also said that his family members are now facing problems after the crime against them. The victim’s uncle said that the main accused Junaid is about 42 years old, and that he earns money through illegitimate means.
Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Online, established in 2017, announced its support to the INDI Alliance. ‘RSS Online’ Chief Janardan Moon and associate Abdul Pasha held a press conference on 25th March and declared that it was necessary to defeat the BJP in the upcoming elections so they would want to extend their support to the Congress and the INDI Alliance.
“The BJP has been looking after the country for the past ten years but has been disrespecting the Indian constitution. All its decisions in some way have disrespected the Constitution. This is not how a country is run. They deliberately target the opposition party leaders and call them corrupt. They make use of the central agencies to arrest the opposition leaders. Are only opposition leaders corrupt? No BJP personnel is corrupt?” Janardan Moon pondered.
He also urged the voters to vote for INDI Alliance candidates if they wish to save the Indian Constitution. He also said that the RSS online organisation would extend support to the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance in the state of Maharastra. He called the BJP leaders corrupt and said that the country needs to be saved from the party.
Meanwhile, Abdul Gafur, the Dy Chief of RSS Online claimed that RSS Online was the only RSS in the country and that no other RSS held equal importance to that of their organisation. “Ours is the only authentic RSS. No other RSS is important. If you have to argue on this, get the registration papers,” Gafur could be heard saying before he extended his unwavering support to the INDI Alliance.
The press conference is said to have happened in the Nagpur city of the Maharashtra state. However, the said event is being confused to have been organised by the original RSS, a Hindu organisation supporting the BJP-led government.
The Awaz TV India YouTube channel published the conference live on its channel and claimed that RSS had extended its support to the Congress party resulting in massive chaos in the political scenario in the country. However, the description mentions that the press meeting was organised by RSS Online and not by the original RSS whose Sarsanghchalak is Dr Mohan Bhagwat.
The traditional and original RSS has always supported the development caused in the country due to the efforts taken by the BJP-led central government. It has always hailed PM Modi and his government for working in favour of national development.
Notably, RSS and RSS Online are two different organisations, and one of them which is the new one ie RSS Online is led by Janardan Moon. In its X introduction, Moon has called himself Chief of RSS. However, he fails to mention that he is the chief of RSS Online which is a new organisation, a separate entity from the Sangh or the original RSS..
तीसरी बात, जनार्दन मून का RSS से इसलिए कोई लेना-देना नहीं है क्योंकि RSS की कार्यप्रणाली में "संस्थापक अध्यक्ष" शब्द का उपयोग नहीं होता है। pic.twitter.com/PramtZT60Y
Not only the ideologies but many slight differences, like the organisation logo, their hierarchical designations, etc clarify that the members of the new RSS or the RSS online have nothing to do with the original, old, traditional Hindu organisation RSS.
OpIndia spoke to Rakesh Pandey, the media head of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), who rubbished the claims of the old organisation being unregistered. “RSS is a 90+ years old organisation and is working for the betterment and development of the country. How can any organisation that has been working for these many years be unauthentic? RSS is the original organisation working since the year 1925 and the claims that are being made against the authenticity of the original RSS are false,” he said.
RSS के नाम से कुछ लोग फर्जी संगठन बनाकर खुद को और अपने वामपंथी सहयोगियों को धोखा दे सकते है समाज को नहीं।
संघ 1925 से देश और फिर दुनिया भर में कार्य कर रहा है। इनका दावा खोखला और राजनीतिक षड्यंत्र से प्रेरित है, जनार्दन मून और उसके गिरोह राष्ट्र विरोधी और मोदी विरोधियो के इशारे… pic.twitter.com/TicBRuN4Ik
As per the exclusive information furthered by the Pamphlet, Moon had in the year 2017 demanded police protection from Nagpur Police claiming that the original RSS workers were threatening him after he attempted to register his new RSS. Meanwhile, Dr Rajendra Gundalwar of the original RSS then confirmed that he had registered the RSS as an NGO, but in Chandrapur and not Nagpur district of Maharashtra.
Dr. Gundalwar then also asked Moon to stop misusing the name of RSS as it is a prestigious Hindu organisation working selflessly for the betterment of the country. “RSS is a very prestigious organisation which works selflessly without taking any kind of donation from anyone and lakhs of volunteers all over the world are working for the same RSS,” he was quoted as saying in a Pamphlet.
गुंडलवार ने RSS द्वारा पंजीकृत आरएसएस का कानूनी विवरण देने के बाद (MH-08/D0018394, कोड 94910 धार्मिक संगठन के रूप में पंजीकृत) जनार्दन मून को अपने एनजीओ के आरएसएस के रूप में पंजीकरण के लिए आवेदन करने के लिए फटकार भी लगाई थी। उन्होंने तब भी स्पष्ट किया था कि जनार्दन मून के "ऐसा…
Gundalwar also chastised Janardan Moon for applying to register his NGO as RSS (registered as a religious organization MH-08/D0018394, code 94910) after providing the legal description of RSS. He further stated that Janardan Moon’s “intentions behind doing this are dubious, and he wants to create confusion by doing this, which may incite religious riots in the future.”
Janardhan Moon then played the victim card, claiming that Gundalwar was causing a threat to his life.
Notably these claims have been made by the Pamphlet and no official source could confirm the same during the time of writing this report. The report will be updated once the confirmations are obtained.
Further, the Court in the year 2019 dismissed the plea filed by Moon, who had staked a claim on the name ‘Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’ or RSS. He had applied to register an NGO of the name. The HC noted that there is already a society that exists by the same name. Moon had contented that the RSS was not registered with the charity commissioner and had requested allotment of the name to his society.
Later, the SC also rejected the petition filed regarding the formation and registration of a new organisation in the name of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh. “Does the petitioner want to spread confusion in the society by forming another organisation in the name of Sangh?” Justice Chandrachud was quoted as saying by the Pamphlet. Rejecting the petition, the court said that such a new organisation cannot be registered in the name of an already existing organization.
On Tuesday (26th March), Congress’ Lok Sabha MP from Ludhiana and grandson of ex-Punjab CM Beant Singh, Ravneet Singh Bittujoined the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). Ravneet Bittu, the former Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha during 2021, gave a major jolt to the party ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
“I am thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. I can say with confidence that PM Modi and the Union Home Minister share a lot of love for Punjab and they wish to do a lot for the state…Why should Punjab be left behind?” Bittu said after joining the BJP in the presence of Union Minister Vinod Tawde at the BJP headquarters in Delhi.
Notably, Ravneet Singh Bittu represented the Anandpur Sahib Lok Sabha constituency in Punjab from 2009 to 2014. During the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, Bittu defeated Shiromani Akali Dal’s (SAD) Dr Daljit Singh Cheema by 67,204 votes.
Ravneet Singh Bittu was the Leader of the Congress party in the Lok Sabha from March to July 2021. Bittu was elected to the Lok Sabha from Ludhiana in the 2014 and 2019 elections.
Bittu won the 2014 Lok Sabha elections by a margin of 19,709 votes over Harvinder Singh Phoolka of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). Manpreet Singh Ayali, a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate, finished third in the constituency. In the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Ravneet Bittu defeated Simarjeet Singh Bains of the Lok Insaaf Party (LIP) by 76,372. Maheshinder Singh Grewal, a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) candidate, finished third in the poll.
Earlier, in an interview with India Today, Ravneet Singh Bittu, infighting caused the Congress to lose the 2022 Punjab Assembly elections. “I am 100 per cent sure of this.” He also criticised the party’s affiliation with the AAP, saying that party workers in Punjab requested the leaders not to contest the elections together. “AAP has said many things and has misused agencies and police against Congress,” Ravneet Bittu added.
Ravneet Bittu is the grandson of former Punjab CM Beant Singh, who was the Chief Minister of Punjab from 1992 to 1995. Beant Singh was assassinated outside Punjab Secretariat in 1995 by Khalistani terrorists.
On Tuesday, March 26, PM Narendra Modi called up Rekha Patra, whom BJP has fielded from the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal. Rekha Patra, a native of Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, has been the face of the women’s protest movement against TMC’s strongman Sheikh Shahjahan and his goons, Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar while being a victim to the atrocities in their hands.
Lauding Rekha Patra for braving the atrocities and acknowledging her strength and resilience, PM Modi referred to her as ‘Shakti Swaroopa’. He asked her about her campaign preparations and the support for the BJP among voters and other issues.
#LISTEN | The conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Rekha Patra, a BJP candidate from Basirhat and one of the Sandeshkhali victims.
She says, "…The situation in Sandeshkhali has been a matter of concern since 2011. If we were allowed to vote freely then this… pic.twitter.com/Y4KB7k1OKE
In an audio clip, PM Modi asked Patra, “You are going to play a big responsibility. How do you feel?”
Patra replied by first thanking Modi for supporting her. “I feel very good. Your hands are on my head and over all women of Sandeshkhali,” Parta said, therefore she went on to narrate the ordeal of Sandeshkhali victims.
“A big tragedy happened with us. Not just women of Sandeshkhali, the women of entire Basirhat suffered. We demand action against the accused. We haven’t been able to vote since 2011 and we hope to vote this time,” she added.
Voicing his concerns about the suffering that Mamata’s West Bengal government has caused over time and the fact that the people of Bashirhat haven’t been allowed to vote since 2011, PM Modi assured her the Election Commission of India’s cooperation as well as appropriate security measures.
“Raising the voice of the women of Sandeshkhali is not a common thing. Your courage shows that the Nari Shakti in Bengal will bless us. I urge you to inform people about the works done by the Centre. The people are fed up by the TMC government in Bengal, which does not let the implementation of central schemes in the state,” the prime minister told Patra.
BJP fields Rekha Patra, woman who led protests against Sheikh Shahjahan in Sandeshkhali, as Basirhat candidate in LS polls
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on March 24, Sunday announced the names of 111 candidates in its fifth list for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, including a woman who was a survivor of violence in the Sandeshkhali area of West Bengal.
BJP on Sunday released the list of 19 candidates for Bengal. BJP has fielded Rekha Patra from Basirhat, who is a resident of Sandeshkhali. It was she who first raised the voice of the women of Sandeshkhali and all three accused expelled TMC MLA Sheikh Shahjahan, Shibu Hazra and Uttam Sardar are behind bars.
Notably, Rekha Patra was the first woman in Sandeshkhali who had raised her voice and spearheaded the protests accusing Shahjahan and his aides of land grabbing and sexual assault in Sandeshkhali. Patra was also a part of the group that met Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his public meeting in Barasat on March 6, where they discussed the challenges faced by women in Sandeshkhali with the Prime Minister.
On Tuesday (26th March), Former state CM Basavaraj Bommai lambasted Congress party and Karnataka Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi for giving a call for violence against youth who chant pro-Modi slogans. Reacting to Tangadagi’s remark that those who chant ‘Modi Modi ‘must be slapped’, Bommai said, “Wait for some time; people will slap the Congress party through voting.”
Notably, the Congress leader had courted controversy while speaking at a meeting of Congress workers held in Karatagy on Monday (25th March). Tangadagi alleged during his speech that PM Modi came to power by “lying”.
In a bid to target the BJP, Minister Tangadagi said, “Two crore jobs PM Modi promised. Did he give it? They should be ashamed. Those youth supporters of his who chant ‘Modi Modi’, can slap them. They have run everything based on lies for the past 10 years.”
The Congress leader went further and accused PM Modi of doing ‘stunts’. The Karnataka Minister added, “So they think they can fool for another 5 years. PM Modi promised 100 smart cities in India. Where are they? Name one. He is smart, he dresses well, he gives smart speeches. He keeps changing his outfits. Then a stunt by the PM-he goes into the depths of the ocean and there he does puja. Is this the kind of work a prime minister should do?”
BJP calls the remarks “Frustration of defeat”
Apart from Former state CM, the Bharatiya Janata Party also launched a scathing attack against Karnataka Minister Shivaraj Tangadagi for his ‘slap Modi supporters’ remarks.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said that such comments were a “sign” that the INDI alliance was “frustrated” while “apprehending defeat” in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Trivedi said, “He has said that the students who raise ‘Modi, Modi’ slogans should be slapped… I want to ask those (Rahul Gandhi) who keep crying that democracy is finished in the country: Is it fair to slap someone for raising political slogans?”
Lashing out at the anti-BJP front, the BJP leader said, “INDI Alliance is not just moving towards defeat but also towards self-destruction…”
Former CM slams Congress over the row around NRDF funds, asks to compare funds released during UPA and NDA governments
Meanwhile, Former CM Bommai blasted the Congress party over the allocation of NDRF funds. He said, “The state’s economic condition has become horrible, due to which it moved the Supreme Court. It was nothing but a political stunt. Instead of complaining about the non-receipt of funds from the central government, the Congress leaders must furnish details of the NDRF funds received during the UPA and NDA governments.”
Regarding reports of dissidence in the party, Bommai said, “The situation in Karnataka has been conducive for the BJP due to the Modi wave across the nation. Dissidence is being resolved (within the party).”
Bommai added that national leaders would come to Karnataka for the election campaign.
“The tour program of the national leaders would be finalised within two or three days. They would campaign in Dharwad and Gadag-Haveri constituencies. Former CM Yediyurappa and State BJP President BYVijendra would campaign in Haveri Lok Sabha constituency”, the former Chief Minister added.
The 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka will go to poll in two phases–on April 26 and May 7. In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress and JDS fought together against the BJP but were still decimated. The BJP had won a record 25 seats, while the Congress and the JDS won just a single seat each. This time BJP is in alliance with JDS, and wants to improve its tally in the state to achieve the ambitious target of 370 seats.
On the 25th of March, a video in which a man can be seen riding a two-wheeler with two girls on a moving scooter applying Holi colours on each other while doing obscene gestures in Noida went viral online. The police have now registered a case against the accused trio. The police are conducting searches to arrest them. This footage is said to be from Sector 78 of the Sector 113 Police Station precinct.
Moreover, Noida Police has informed that a hefty fine of Rs 33,000 was imposed on the three people seen in the viral video. “Taking cognisance of the above complaint, action has been taken against the concerned vehicle for violation of traffic rules by issuing e-challan (fine ₹33000/-) as per rules,” the Noida Police said.
उक्त शिकायत का संज्ञान लेते हुए संबंधित वाहन के विरुद्ध यातायात नियमों का उल्लंघन करने पर नियमानुसार ई-चालान (जुर्माना 33000/- रुपए) की कार्यवाही की गई है। यातायात हेल्पलाइन नं0- 9971009001 pic.twitter.com/8iOBgEESgW
In the viral video, a man is seen riding a scooter without a helmet. Two girls sat behind him, facing each other and not wearing helmets either. The two were seen applying colours to each other and doing obscene gestures on the moving vehicle with the song “Ang lage de” playing in the background. The video quickly went viral on social media, and the blatant violation of road safety rules aroused outrage, with many users demanding action against the culprits.
Speaking about the matter, DCP Vidya Sagar Mishra said that taking cognisance of the viral video, Noida Traffic Police had issued a challan. It has been determined that the conduct of the persons seen in the viral video is punishable under the IPC. Thus, a case has been registered against the accused under relevant sections.
Another video shows one of the two girls standing on the two-wheeler, which is being ridden by a different man. She applies colour to his face and stands up on the seat with both hands stretched out. However, shortly thereafter, she falls off the two-wheeler and is seen sitting on the ground, while the person taking the video runs towards her.
Notably, another video of the two girls recently sparked outrage online wherein the duo were seen performing an obscene dance on the “Ang laga de” song in Delhi Metro. The video, however, was deemed deep fake by Delhi Metro authorities.
Actress Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal, known for portraying the role of Mrs. Roshan Sodhi in the popular TV show Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah, has won the sexual harassment case against the show’s producer Asit Modi, Times Entertainment reported on Tuesday (26th March). He has been ordered to pay her Rs 25 lakh in total. This includes the sexual harassment charges as well as Jennifer’s dues from the show.
Last year, Jennifer had filed a sexual harassment case against producer Asit Kumar Modi, Sohil Ramani, and Jatin Ramani. As per reports, initially, when she didn’t get a response from the Mumbai Police, Jennifer sought help from the Maharashtra government. Subsequently, a local complaints committee was formed for a swift resolution. As per reports, within four months, the committee found TMKOC’s producer Asit Kumar Modi guilty under the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act of 2013.
As per ETimes TV, the actress has confirmed the news about the case verdict going in her favour.
After playing the role of Mrs. Sodhi for 15 years, Jennifer quit the show and made serious allegations of mental and sexual harassment against the show’s producer, Asit Kumarr Modi. She also accused project head Sohail Ramani, and executive producer Jatin Bajaj of behaving rudely with her. Later, other actors from the show like Monika Bhadoriya, Priya Ahuja Rajda, and former director Malav Rajda also alleged mistreatment at the sets.
“The verdict is in my favor, confirming the allegations I made with strong evidence”, Jennifer was quoted saying in ETimes report.
According to the report, Asit Modi has been ordered to pay Jennifer her due amount as well as additional compensation for deliberately withholding her payment. In total, he has to pay Rs 25-30 lakh to her as an extra Rs 5 lakh has been imposed on Asit Modi for harassment.
(Document Source – ETimes)
According to the report, the verdict was out on 15th Feb 2024. She claimed that even after 40 days, she still hasn’t received her due amount.
While the show’s producer was found guilty of sexual harassment, no punishment has been given to all three accused, the report added.
The actor expressed disappointment that the verdict didn’t include Sohil and Jatin.
She said, “The local committee ordered my due amount, which I deserve. This verdict clears that my case was not fabricated, and I wasn’t seeking cheap publicity. While I’m glad my harassment was recognised, I don’t feel I’ve received proper justice yet.”
Meanwhile, when contacted, Asit Kumar Modi told ETimes TV that he had no idea about this. He said, “I have no idea about this. Mujhe iska kuch bhi pata nahi hai.”
The Delhi High Court has listed Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea on Wednesday challenging his arrest and the order of remand passed by the trial court on March 22.
Kejriwal was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate in relation to the excise policy case.
The bench of Justice Swarna Kanta Sharma will hear the matter on Wednesday at the at the top of the board and state the cause list of the Delhi High Court.
According to the legal team of Kejriwal, both the arrest and the remand order are illegal and he is entitled to be released from custody.
The plea stated that without there being any material in possession of the Enforcement Directorate on the basis of which the petitioner (Arvind Kejriwal), can be believed to be guilty of an offence, the petitioner is being illegally and arbitrarily arrested by ED in the evening of March 21.
The plea further stated that the provisions of PMLA are being used to persecute and destroy the very basic fabric of the democratic and federal structures of this country.
“The attempt is to decimate a political party and topple an elected government of NCT of Delhi,” the plea stated.
The trial court on March 22, sent Arvind Kejriwal to ED remand till March 28. ED alleged that the Aam Adami Party (AAP) is the major beneficiary of the proceeds of crime generated in the alleged liquor scam.
Senior Advocates Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Vikram Chaudhari, and Ramesh Gupta, along with Advocates Rajat Bharadwaj, Mudit Jain and Mohd Irshad, appeared for the Delhi CM Kejriwal in trial court. ASG SV Raju and Special Counsel Zoheb Hossain appeared for the probe agency.
“Part of the proceeds of crime to the tune of cash of Rs 45 crore approx. has been utilised in the election campaign of AAP in Goa Assembly elections 2022,” the ED alleged. The agency further claimed that Kejriwal was directly involved in the formation of the excise policy.
“Arvind Kejriwal has also been intrinsically involved in the entire conspiracy of the Delhi liquor scam, wherein the policy was drafted and implemented in a manner wherein certain private persons were favoured and benefitted in a quid pro quo of receiving kickbacks,” the central agency said in its remand.
It also claimed that due to the actions of Arvind Kejriwal involving excise policy formulation, hatching the conspiracy of kickbacks with the South Group members, and eventually using part of the proceeds of crime generated out of this scheduled offence in the election campaign of the AAP for the Goa Assembly elections, it is clear that all these activities were not only done with his knowledge but also his active collusion.
Kejriwal was arrested by the central agency late Thursday night on charges of corruption in relation to the case. It is the first time in independent India that a serving Chief Minister has been arrested. The move came after Kejriwal skipped multiple summons by the investigation agency, nine in total, calling them “illegal”.
The case pertains to alleged irregularities and money laundering in framing and implementing the Delhi excise policy 2022, which was later scrapped.
While Kejriwal was not named in the FIRs registered by the ED or the Central Bureau of Investigation in the Delhi excise policy case, his name first found a mention in the ED’s chargesheet, wherein the agency claimed that he allegedly spoke to one of the main accused, Sameer Mahendru, in a video call and asked him to continue working with co-accused and AAP communications-in-charge Vijay Nair.
Nair was among the first people to be arrested by the CBI in the case, in 2022. Subsequently, former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh were arrested in connection with the case.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
