India

New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS) NDA leaders on Friday condemned Samajwadi Party (SP) Rajya Sabha MP, Jaya Bachchan for her remarks accusing injured BJP MPs and Nagaland BJP MP Phangnon Konyak of "acting" and suggesting they "deserved Oscars" for their performances.

Bachchan's comments came after a heated confrontation in Parliament on Thursday during an INDIA bloc protest against alleged disrespect towards Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.

The BJP accused the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, of deliberately pushing BJP MPs Pratap Sarangi and Mukesh Rajput, who reportedly sustained injuries.

However, LoP Rahul Gandhi has denied the allegations and was quoted by media reports as saying that he was also pushed during the face-off with the BJP MPs.

Nagaland BJP MP Phangnon Konyak also alleged that the LoP "shouted" at her and came close, leaving her feeling "uncomfortable."

Addressing reporters during the INDIA bloc protest, Bachchan said, "We were proceeding towards the House, but these (NDA) leaders blocked our way at the stairs. If someone gets a slight push in such a situation, it's natural for them to fall."

"Sarangi ji, Rajput ji, and the MP from Nagaland have delivered better performances than I ever did in my acting career. They deserve Oscars and all the awards for their acting. This was as scripted as any film," she added.

Labelling the incident as "man-made," Bachchan accused the BJP of relying on "baseless allegations" to divert from the insult to Dr Ambedkar and the protests over it.

NDA leaders swiftly rebuked the SP MP's remarks, accusing her of insensitivity and undermining women parliamentarians.

Speaking to IANS, BJP MP Kamaljeet Sehrawat said, "She comes from a world where everything seems cinematic to her. She enjoys creating drama, even when the Speaker addresses her by name."

Sehrawat explained that INDIA bloc protests had been ongoing near Parliament gates, with NDA members using side passages.

"Yesterday, for the first time, the NDA demonstrated against the INDIA bloc's cheap politics. Instead of using the safe passage, Rahul Gandhi pushed through the crowd, even though a safe passage was created, causing injuries to our MPs, who had to be hospitalised," she said.

Taking a jab at Bachchan's "deserve Oscars" remark, Sehrawat added, "The people of this country are already awarding the BJP. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's third term is our award."

LJP (RV) MP, Shambhavi Choudhary condemned Bachchan for questioning Konyak's account, saying, "This reflects her mindset. Parliament is a safe space for women MPs, and if any woman MP raises her voice about feeling uncomfortable, it must be respected. Calling it a drama is highly inappropriate."

"Everything happened on camera. Pratap Sarangi received five stitches, is that a 'drama' too? Such remarks undermine the dignity of women representatives," she told IANS.

Speaking to IANS, Union Minister of State, B.L. Verma, accused LoP Rahul Gandhi of recklessly pushing through the crowd.

"Hundreds of MPs and the media witnessed it. Pratap Sarangi was pushed, and I personally helped Mukesh Rajput, who got hurt," he said.

Verma questioned how Bachchan would react if someone dismissed her injuries as "drama."

"Would she tolerate it if a similar comment was made about her?" he asked.

NDA leaders stressed that the incident, recorded on cameras, speaks for itself and urged the Opposition to uphold parliamentary decorum instead of dismissing serious issues with derogatory remarks.

--IANS

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Bhopal, Dec 20 (IANS) The Winter Session of the Madhya Pradesh Assembly was adjourned sine die on Friday after a high-voltage drama from the members of both ruling and opposition parties over the scuffle outside Parliament.

On the fifth day, soon after the House proceedings began, senior BJP MLA Sitasharan Sharma raised Thursday's incident on Parliament premises and accused Congress MP and LoP in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi of indulging in violence.

Congress MLA and the LoP in the state Assembly, Umang Singhar, objected, saying the House can't discuss this issue as the person (Rahul Gandhi) is not a member of this House.

Instead, the Congress MLAs, who were present in the House sporting blue scarves and Constitution copies, stood up from their benches, shouted slogans and reiterated their demand to seek an apology from the BJP over an alleged insulting remark on B. R. Ambedkar in Parliament.

For a short moment, the members from both sides came face-to-face, accusing each other of insulting Ambedkar, which prompted Speaker Narendra Singh Tomar to adjourn the House sine die.

Later, Cooperation Minister Vishwas Sargang accused the Opposition members of disrespecting the national anthem.

He said, "When the national anthem was played in the House, Congress members started protesting there. It is an insult to the Constitution and national anthem."

Notably, on Thursday, a protest over an alleged insulting remark on Dr Ambedkar turned out to be ugly as two Lok Sabha MPs were injured during a scuffle that broke out between ruling and opposition members at Parliament premises.

Later, both sides filed complaints against each other.

Later, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said that the BJP MPs were protesting outside the Parliament gate where Rahul Gandhi with a few of his MPs physically assaulted them.

--IANS

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Belagavi (Karnataka), Dec 20 (IANS) A Karnataka district court on Friday directed the police to produce BJP MLC, C.T. Ravi, before the Special Court for MLAs/MPs in Bengaluru.

The Belagavi court judge Sparsha M D’souza passed the order on Friday in this regard transferring the case to the Special Court.

C.T. Ravi was arrested on charges of allegedly using derogatory words against Minister for Women and Child Welfare, Laxmi Hebbalkar, in the Legislative Council on Thursday.

C.T. Ravi was produced before the court on Friday morning.

Following the order, C.T. Ravi is being brought to Bengaluru from Belagavi on a transit warrant.

BJP leaders, including state President B.Y. Vijayendra, Leader of Opposition R. Ashoka and BJP MLAs are following the police convoy in their vehicles.

The prosecution had made a submission to the court requesting for producing the accused before the Special Court for MLAs/MPs.

The court, consenting to the request asked the police on how much time it’s going to take to reach Bengaluru.

The police submitted that if by road the travel time was 12 hours and by air it was two hours.

The court further directed that barring the time of journey, C.T. Ravi should be produced before the Special Court judge without any delay after reaching Bengaluru.

The court also directed the police to ensure smooth transit without any trouble.

While coming out from the court, C.T. Ravi stated, “Our day will also come. They had kept me in custody throughout the night as if we were living under dictatorship. I was taken into custody without issuing a notice to me. This dictatorship won’t last long. It has to end. A full stop will be placed on everything. The police were used to torture me and we will also get a chance."

Meanwhile, the counsel for C.T. Ravi has submitted a bail petition before the Special Court and also in the sessions court.

Counsel Srinivas Rao has submitted the bail plea.

Earlier, C.T. Ravi stated to the court that he was assaulted and tortured by the policemen in custody. C.T. Ravi claimed that the police took him to three districts for 10 hours, throughout the night.

“The cops took me to isolated places and sugarcane fields,” he added.

Ravi further stated in the court that he was assaulted in the Khanapur police station on the head and he was bleeding.

When asked whether he would be able to identify those police personnel, Ravi expressed his ‘inability’ in doing the same.

--IANS

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Agartala, Dec 20 (IANS) Tripura Police have detained six Bangladeshi nationals including two children and two women, after they came into the state from Delhi, as they were trying to return to their country clandestinely, officials said.

A police official said that the six Bangladeshi nationals were arrested from a private guest house in Khowai district.

“The Bangladeshi nationals came to the bordering Khowai district from Delhi and briefly stayed in the private lodge before returning to their country with the help of Indian touts. They are residents of Feni district of Bangladesh,” the official told the media.

He said that the Bangladeshi nationals during preliminary interrogations confessed that a few months back they went to Delhi in search of jobs and illegally made Aadhaar, PAN, and EPIC cards. Police seized these fake cards.

The detained adult Bangladeshi nationals were identified as Mohammad Kabir (37), Mohammad Mumin (23), Ayasha Khatun (70), Tania Begum (35). Two children accompanied them.

Over the last five months, over 570 Bangladeshi nationals and over 63 Rohingyas were arrested by the Railway Police, Border Security Force (BSF), and Tripura Police from the Agartala railway station and various other places in Tripura after they illegally entered India.

So far, in 2024, 55 Rohingyas among 700 illegal immigrants from Bangladesh were apprehended in Tripura and various contraband worth around Rs 50 crore seized by BSF alone.

A BSF spokesman said that the border guarding force has intensified its domination and operations along the 856 km India-Bangladesh border in Tripura to prevent infiltration, exfiltration, and trans-border crimes including smuggling of contrabands.

After the Bangladesh unrest began in June-July, BSF enhanced surveillance along the 4,096-km India-Bangladesh border with the neighbouring country to prevent trans-border crime and infiltration, the spokesman said.

The BSF, on a number of occasions, foiled several infiltration attempts by hundreds of Bangladeshi nationals comprising Hindus and Muslims.

Five Indian states share a border with Bangladesh: West Bengal (2216 km), Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam ( 263 km)

--IANS

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Kolkata, Dec 20 (IANS) A major fire broke out at a slum located at Topsia in eastern Kolkata on Friday, leaving several shanties totally gutted and the families residing there homeless.

No casualty has been reported so far. However, the fire officers, who were at the spot with nine fire tenders to deal with the situation, were facing a tough time in bringing the raging blaze under control because of the high wind speed and dingy lanes, leading to the slum.

“Our prime task is to ensure that the fire does not spread to the adjacent localities. However, we are facing problems in the exercise because of the narrow and dingy lanes leading to the slum, which is making our task even more difficult. At the same time, we are also trying to ensure that no one is trapped within the slum where the fire has broken out,” said a fire officer.

He also said that because of the high wind speed and the presence of inflammable items, the fire at the slum had spread fast. In addition, the LPG cylinders stocked at the different shanties in the slum started bursting one after another, thus adding to the crisis.

The local people launched the initial firefighting efforts, using water from the local water body there. However, the locals complained that although the nearest fire station was informed immediately, the fire tenders took a long time to arrive at the spot.

Initially, five fire tenders reached the spot and started the fire-fighting exercise. However, as the fire started spreading fast, four other fire tenders joined them. The state administration has already announced that the residents of the shanties will be initially provided temporary accommodations and subsequently provided with necessary compensation.

--IANS

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Patna, Dec 20 (IANS) Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav slammed Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday asking him why the per capita income of the state was lowest in the country despite his government in the state for the past 20 years.

In a post on social media platform X, Tejashwi, the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly, attacked the government, alleging poor infrastructure, corruption, vacant government posts and the need for JD-U's leader-proposed 'Pragati Yatra'.

He termed CM Nitish's proposed Rs 225.78 crore 'Pragati Yatra' as a "Farewell Tour".

"Why does Bihar lag on critical Human Development Index and Sustainable Development Index parameters as per NITI Aayog?" his post read.

He claimed that 90.5 per cent of the government schools in the state lack toilets for girls, and dedicated buildings, and despite available land, schools with buildings often lack boundary walls, which compromises security and infrastructure.

Tejashwi claimed that district hospitals, medical colleges, and sub-divisional hospitals are reportedly in poor condition.

"When we came to power in 2015, we had taken initiatives like Mission-Jammu, Mission Parivartan, and Mission Buniyad, despite that, health services have significantly deteriorated," the RJD leader said.

He also alleged bribery and bureaucratic inefficiency in police stations and administrative offices.

The leader also pointed out that sugar mills faced closure across the state under CM Nitish's tenure.

"During the RJD government in 2015, a Cabinet decision was taken to reopen Riga Sugar Mill, yet no progress has been made till now," he claimed.

Tejashwi asked CM Nitish to apologise to the people for "governance failure".

"Nitish Kumar should take responsibility for the systemic issues in education, healthcare, law enforcement, and industrial development in Bihar," Tejashwi said.

"Why are 25 lakh government posts vacant across various departments despite Nitish Kumar's decades-long tenure and extensive tours? " he asked.

--IANS

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Nagpur, Dec 20 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Friday announced a judicial enquiry by a retired judge into the prevailing ecosystem in Beed district amid the deteriorating law and order due to rising crimes, extortion and land mafia raj.

Besides, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) headed by a police officer of the rank of Inspector General will conduct a probe into the murder of a young sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh from Massajog village of Beed district.

Both these probes will be completed in the next three to six months and the government will direct the police administration to conduct regular drives to curb crimes and thereby maintain law and order in Beed district.

Fadnavis also announced the transfer of Beed Superintendent of Police citing lapses in handling the situation that arose after the killing of Santosh Deshmukh.

Fadnavis announced the aid of Rs 10 lakh to the family of deceased Santosh Deshmukh.

He was replying to a debate under Rule 101 over the killing of Santosh Deshmukh and also on the desecration of the Constitution and the subsequent violence in Parbhani.

As far as the killing of the sarpanch is concerned, CM Fadnavis said that the incident was not limited to one murder.

“It has deep roots. We will have to end the lawlessness in Beed. Avada Green company has invested big time in Beed and some people are demanding various works or extortion money.

“The accused went to the company at Massajog village. First they beat the watchman and then the manager. They went to Santosh Deshmukh. As the accused were from a neighbouring village, people along with Deshmukh beat them. The video went viral,” he said.

“Later, on December 9, Deshmukh and his cousin were travelling. After the toll booth, a black Scorpio intercepted their car. First they broke the glass on the driver’s side and then the passenger side. He was beaten up inside the car first and then outside. Deshmukh’s cousin was in contact with Vishnu Mahadev Chate and Chate was telling him that Deshmukh will be released. But they did not. To clear the record, Deshmukh’s eyes were not burned but he was punched in the eyes,” said Fadnavis.

“No matter if Walmik Karad is a mastermind in this case, he will face action,” said Fadnavis.

The ruling and Opposition members had accused Walmik Karad of running a parallel government by a rule of terror.

The Opposition also claimed that despite several offences registered against him, Walmik Karad was not arrested.

The police have yet to initiate action against Walmik Karad despite an offence for extortion being lodged against him in connection with Deshmukh’s killing.

“The manner in which anarchy is being created in Beed district, it will go extremely wrong. The Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) will be slapped against them all. Any person even remotely linked to the killing of Deshmukh will face similar action. A special campaign will be run to eliminate all goons, cartels,” announced CM Fadnavis.

In the Parbhani incident, CM Fadnavis announced a judicial enquiry into the death of Dalit youth Somnath Suryavanshi who died in judicial custody.

Suryavanshi participated in the agitation that took place in the wake of the desecration of the Constitution.

He clarified that Suryavanshi in his submission had denied being beaten by the police though he was suffering from breathlessness.

“Somnath Suryavanshi, a law student died. He had told the magistrate that he was not beaten up by the police. Video footage of him while in custody is available where it is clearly seen that he was never beaten. However, his post mortem reports clearly say that he had breathlessness and other bone injuries. The entire case will be probed by a retired judge,” he added.

CM Fadnavis said that Dattarao Pawar, who is mentally ill and under treatment from 2012, was involved in the desecration of the Constitution.

A committee of four doctors gave a report that Pawar was suffering from mental disorder and psychotic disorder and he needs to take regular treatment from a psychiatrist.

The chief minister said that before the desecration of the Constitution, the Sajal Hindu Samaj morcha was held in the morning over the attack on minorities in Bangladesh.

“The Parbhani incident is not about Hindus vs Dalits. Majority were peacefully agitating but only 200-odd used violent methods. No combing operation was held as I held calls with the local police force. Ashok Ghorband, Police Inspector has been suspended for using extra force,” he announced.

He announced aid of Rs 5 lakh to the family of deceased Vijay Wakode, a Dalit community activist, who was engaged to maintain peace after the violence that took place following the desecration of the Constitution.

--IANS

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Kolkata, Dec 20 (IANS) India’s international borders with Nepal and Bhutan were never been a cause of concern for the Indian government because of the presence of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) there, according to Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

“When there is fencing at the international borders, the headache of the border guard agencies is less. But in the case of open borders, the responsibilities of the border guard agencies are much more. India’s 2,450 kilometres of open international borders with Nepal and Bhutan had never been a concern for the Union Home Minister and the credit goes entirely to the personnel of SSB deputed there. The manner in which SSB is handling cross-border crimes like narcotics, arms, wildlife and human trafficking and other anti-national activities is highly commendable,” Shah said while addressing a programme at SSB’s frontier headquarters at Siliguri in Darjeeling district of West Bengal on the occasion of the 61st Raising Day of the force on Friday afternoon.

He also complimented the role of SSB in tackling the menace of Left-wing extremism (LWE) in different eastern Indian states. “SSB personnel played a significant role in combating and reducing Maoist menace in states like Bihar and Jharkhand. SSB’s role in combating LWE even in Chhattisgarh is also quite commendable,” the Home Minister said.

According to him, the manner in which SSB foiled attempts of illegal infiltration and illegal encroachment on government land without disturbing the peace relations of India with Nepal is highly commendable. “SSB has been able to evict 1,100 illegal encroachments in ‘no man’s land’ with zero tolerance but without disturbing the international peace relations,” Shah said.

At the same time, he also complimented the role played by the SSB personnel in different social welfare activities like conducting de-addiction drives among youths.

Speaking on the occasion, the Union Home Minister also highlighted the initiatives taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Union government for the welfare of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) personnel deputed in different remote pockets of the country.

--IANS

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Hyderabad, Dec 20 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Friday termed the First Information Report (FIR) registered against Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi as a "diversion tactic "of the BJP.

The Chief Minister alleged that BJP registered an FIR against the Congress leader for defending the legacy of Babasaheb B. R. Ambedkar.

“This FIR is a diversion tactic in response to Rahul ji protesting against the Union Home Minister, for his highly objectionable words about our beloved and revered icon, Dr Ambedkar,” the Chief Minister said in a post on ‘X’.

“With 26 FIRs already against him, Rahul ji will fight against the divisive agenda of BJP tirelessly. Sadly, the Delhi Police has not acted against BJP leaders who physically attacked our women MPs,” he added.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Y. S. Sharmila has also alleged that BJP is trying hard to divert public attention from Amit Shah’s remarks on Ambedkar.

“The incidents that took place in Parliament on Thursday are proof of this. The BJP and the RSS have always been against Ambedkar. That is why they want to erase the memories of Ambedkar,” the Congress leader said.

Sharmila said that they were demanding the resignation of Amit Shah from the Union Cabinet and an apology from him for his remarks but BJP started a new drama.

In a post on ‘X’, she alleged that BJP MPs blocked and pushed Rahul Gandhi, Mallikarjun Kharge and Priyanka Gandhi when they were going into the Parliament. She said that Kharge fell down in this scuffle.

“It is indeed atrocious that BJP MPs, like rowdies, are holding sticks and preventing Congress MPs from entering the House. They are the ones who are blaming Rahul Gandhi. Their behaviour is a blot on democracy,” Sharmila said.

The APCC President said that the Centre’s notices to ‘X’ to delete the video of Amit Shah's comments on Ambedkar make it clear that they have made a mistake.

Alleging that the BJP's real thoughts on Ambedkar have come out in the form of Amit Shah's comments, Sharmila said that BJP is constantly insulting Ambedkar, a great man who drafted the Constitution of the country and changed the lives of crores of Dalits and oppressed people. The Congress party will continue to fight against the saffron mob to protect the Constitution written by Ambedkar, she added.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 20 (IANS) The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has approved the $800 million Amaravati Integrated Urban Development Programme, aimed to establish the city as a well-managed, climate-resilient growth centre in Andhra Pradesh that generates jobs and improves the lives of its current and future residents.

"With its urban population expected to double to 950 million by 2050, India aims to build sustainable and liveable cities as growth hubs, and Amaravati offers an exciting opportunity to model this urban transformation," said Auguste Tano Kouame, the World Bank's Country Director for India.

"The World Bank will bring global expertise to support the design of city institutions and infrastructure that can create economic opportunities for residents, including women, youth and vulnerable groups."

Currently, about 1,00,000 people live in the Amaravati area, with the population expected to grow severalfold over the next decade. The government has prepared a master plan for a 217 sq km area that can accommodate 3.5 million people by 2050. The World Bank and the Asian Development Bank are supporting the first phase of the city's development.

"The Bank financing will also catalyse more than $600 million in private sector investment to help the city become financially sustainable and provide economic opportunities for its residents,” according to a World Bank statement.

The city's Social and Economic Masterplan estimates that Amaravati has the potential to generate 50,000 jobs over the next five years in sectors such as construction, agro-processing, clean manufacturing, and services.

The city's residents, especially women and youth, will benefit from the World Bank's support through job-focused skills training and other livelihood support to create new opportunities.

The programme will directly train 17,000 people, of which 10,000 will be women, to improve their access to better and higher-paid jobs, the statement said.

The World Bank will leverage international knowledge in sustainable urban design to build the city's trunk infrastructure, including a road grid, public transport, flood mitigation and water/wastewater systems.

The programme will also support the development of well-designed neighbourhood-level community facilities and public spaces, in addition to affordable housing for the city’s less-privileged citizens.

It will bring in smart, green technologies and design approaches to make the city more resilient to climate impacts, including through the use of low-carbon and nature-based solutions, and will help build disaster management capacity.

The $800 million loan requested by the Government of India to develop Amaravati as an economic hub and state capital for Andhra Pradesh, has a final maturity of 29 years, including a grace period of six years.

--IANS

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