India

New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) The Election Commission of India has informed that EVM-VVPAT is not connected to any network at any stage of the election process.

Symbol Loading Unit (SLU), designed specifically to load candidates' details onto VVPATs, is used during time of Commissioning (Preparation) in the presence of candidates or their representatives to load the details, said the Ministry of Law and Justice in a reply on Friday.

EVMs and VVPATs are randomised twice prior to the stage of Commissioning. SLU, a secure device belonging to the EVM/VVPAT system, loads contesting candidates' data like names, serial numbers and symbols into the VVPATs at the time of Commissioning, informed the Ministry.

The symbol or candidate details getting loaded onto VVPATs are also displayed in a real time basis on a bigger screen or monitor for the candidates and representatives to simultaneously verify. The Commissioning is carried out after the last date of withdrawal of the candidates, in the presence of candidates/their representatives. Only the authorised engineers of BEL or ECIL, the two PSU manufacturers of EVMs and VVPAT''s, are associated in the Commissioning process, said the reply.

--IANS
kvm/shb/

New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Friday declined to entertain a PIL filed by Hindu Sena seeking a ban on the BBC for airing the documentary, 'India: The Modi Question' on the 2002 Gujarat riots.

A bench headed by Justice Sanjiv Khanna said the court cannot impose censorship and the plea was misconceived.

The bench, also comprising Justice M.M. Sundresh, queried senior advocate Pinky Anand, representing the petitioner, "Completely misconceived, how can this be argued also? You want us to put complete censorship..."

The counsel urged the bench to hear the petitioner. The bench said, "What is this (the petition)?" The counsel pressed that matter should be heard.

The court also declined a request by Anand to tag the petition with a pending joint petition by journalist N. Ram, advocate Prashant Bhushan and Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra and another one by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma.

Earlier, this month the top court, acting on pleas of N.Ram and others, had asked the Centre to produce original records related to its decision to block the BBC documentary on PM Modi.

Dismissing the plea, the top court said, "Let us not waste any more time, Writ is entirely misconceived. it has no merit..."

Anand urged the bench to examine the background in which India has become powerful with its rise as economic power and also a man of Indian origin has become UK Prime Minister.

However, the top court asked how she could argue all these in support of her plea for a ban on the BBC.

The Centre has banned the documentary on social media and online channels though it has been screened in various colleges and universities across the country.

The plea filed by Vishnu Gupta, president of Hindu Sena, and others, contended that the petitioner had made a representation to the Centre in January to ban the network, but no action has been taken till date.

The plea contended that the BBC has been a mouthpiece of those who targeted India to dent its image.

--IANS
ss/dpb

Dakshina Kannada, (Karnataka) Feb 10 (IANS) The roadshow of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in the communally sensitive Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka on Saturday has been cancelled owing to security reasons, a senior BJP leader said.

Shah, who will be reaching Karnataka on Saturday morning from Kerala, will participate in various programmes and address a public gathering in Puttur town.

About 3,500 police personnel have been deputed for the security of Amit Shah, during his visit to the district, which had witnessed revenge killings in the recent past. The disturbing development stirred a debate at the national level.

The cancelled roadshow was to be held at Mangaluru city in the evening.

Since Shah is reaching the city late after participating in the programmes in Puttur, the roadshow has been cancelled owing to security risks, according to Sudarshan Mudubidre, BJP District President.

Amit Shah is expected to wave at the party workers near Kenjaru briefly and chair the core committee meeting.

Party leaders from six districts will participate in the core committee meeting, which will be held in the Sridevi College of Kenjaru.

The preparations are in full swing in the ruling BJP camp to welcome Amit Shah for his first visit to the region on February 11 ahead of Assembly elections.

Amit Shah is visiting Puttur town of Dakshina Kannada district to take part in golden jubilee celebrations of the Central Arecanut and Cocoa Marketing and Processing Co-operative Limited (Campko).

He will also inaugurate Bharat Mata Mandir built by Dharmashree Pratisthana. Bharat Mata Mandir has been built to bring a sense of patriotism. This is the only temple of Bharat Mata after one in Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu.

The veteran party leader will garland the statue of Bharat Mata and also pay a floral tribute to Amar Jawan statue. He will visit Hanumagiri temple and pay obeisance to the deities.

--IANS
mka/shb/

Lucknow, Feb 10 (IANS) The BJP in Uttar Pradesh will now take the Sufi route to win over Muslims voters.

Sufism is the mystical Islamic belief in which Muslims seek to find the truth of divine affection.

The BJP has asked its minority cell to hold the 'Sufi Sammelans' primarily in Muslim dominated localities of the state.

According to an estimate, Muslim population accounts for a sizeable chunk in around 30,000 of the over 1. 6 lakh polling booths in the state.

These 'qaumi chaupals', will be similar to 'gram chaupals' that were organised by the BJP before 2022 Assembly elections to connect with the beneficiaries of the various welfare schemes initiated by the Centre and the state government.

UP BJP minority cell chief Kunwar Basit Ali said that the party has been reaching out to all sections of the society.

"The followers of Sufism are equally important for the party. We are in the process of planning a campaign to reach out to them in the coming days," he said.

Sufis are essentially associated with dargahs (shrines), contrasting with the Wahabi Muslims who regard dargahs as places of idol worship, which is forbidden in Islam. They believe that going to a dargah is worshipping the grave of the Sufi saint, whereas Islam permits worship of only Allah.

The BJP is already making a conscious effort to win over Pasmanda (backward) Muslims, months after PM Narendra Modi pitched for expediting the process of ensuring welfare measures reach the socially oppressed rung among the Muslims.

The development has been attaining significance even as the BJP lays out its poll template in the run up to civic and Lok Sabha polls.

Analysts said that BJP is making efforts to woo the Muslims who have been consolidating heavily behind the Opposition, primarily the Samajwadi Party.

--IANS
amita/shb/

Mainpuri (Uttar Pradesh), Feb 10 (IANS) Nearly 21 students fell ill and seven others were hospitalised after allegedly drinking contaminated water at the Government Engineering College in Mainpuri district.

The matter came to light when district health officials learnt that a large number of students from a college in the district were admitted to a hospital.

P.P. Singh, the Chief Medical Officer of Mainpuri (CMO) and Madan Lal, Centres for Medicare and Medical Services (CMS) of Maharaja Tej Singh District Hospital immediately reached the district hospital to gather information and review the condition of the students.

Madan Lal (CMS) said it was found that at least 21 students pursuing engineering courses in the Government Engineering College were admitted to a hospital since February 9, with symptoms of vomiting and dysentery.

At present, seven students are undergoing treatment at the hospital while others have been discharged.

The condition of 21 engineering college students worsened after drinking water from the water cooler on Thursday night.

"Everyone was brought to the district hospital where seven students were admitted. Others were discharged after first aid," he said.

"Water samples from water tanks, purifiers and cooler machines have been sent to the Public Health Engineering (PHE) department for clinical testing. Prima facie, it seems like contaminated water could be the cause of the illness," the health official said.

A teacher from the college said that the administration also got alerted after the condition of engineering college students deteriorated.

The Food and Safety Department team reached the college and sealed the sample of contaminated water for examination.

The health officials said that further investigation is underway.

--IANS
amita/dpb

Agartala, Feb 10 (IANS) The ruling BJP in Tripura is using money and muscle power to win the February 16 Assembly elections in the state, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said on Friday.

Addressing the media in Agartala, Yechury said since the saffron party sensed that the people are desperate to vote it out of power, the BJP had been desperately trying to this tactic.

"The BJP, Centre, state government nexus coupled with the police and the other authorities hatched a serious conspiracy to rig the elections. Three days before the polling, there could be serious law and order problems staged by the BJP," he claimed.

The CPI-M leader said it is not a question who will win or lose the election, democracy and rule of law must prevail as the reign of terror and deep-rooted corruption that started after the BJP-led government came to power in Tripura have worsened.

Demanding protection of voters from their homes to the polling stations, Yechury said that "the BJP and their goons have already started their threats and intimidations" specially to those who support the opposition.

"The Election Commission must take pro-active appropriate steps to allow the voters to come to the polling stations and cast their votes fearlessly. Our delegation would meet the Election Commission on Friday to apprise it on the prevailing situation in Tripura," said the Left leader, who has been campaigning for CPI-M candidates in state for the past few days.

He said that the gross misuse of administration by the BJP and violation of democratic rights must be stopped and the election must be held under the supervision of the Central Armed Police Force.

CPI-M Tripura state Secretary Jitendra Chowdhury said that no democratic environment is prevailing now in Tripura.

"Before the 2018 Assembly polls, the BJP had made 299 assurances but nothing was implemented. On Thursday, BJP President J.P. Nadda announced 24 promises and most of them are unrealistic. The BJP is expert in fooling the people," Chowdhury said.

He said that in their election manifesto -- Sankalp Patra 2023 -- nothing was mentioned about unemployment, job creation and for the interest of the government employees.

--IANS
sc/ksk/

Lucknow, Feb 10 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the three-day Uttar Pradesh Global Investors Summit 2023 in Lucknow on Friday.

Top industrialists, including Aditya Birla group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla and Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, participated in the event.

Hailing Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath-led government, Birla said it has taken several measures regarding ease of doing business, helping it emerge as an attractive state for investors. He appealed to the industrialists to invest in the state.

Birla industries has a 70-decade-old relationship with UP and his group has more than seven businesses in the state wherein 13,000 people work, he added.

Ambani, while speaking at the event, said that UP had become a centre of hope for New India due to improvement in law and order conditions and ease of doing business.

He added that the state had been fulfilling the conditions of industries and cooperation needed for the development of a state.

On the occasion of the launch, Yogi tweeted that investors, policy-makers, delegations from the corporate world and academicians would participate in the three-day UP Global Investors Summit in the 'New Uttar Pradesh' of 'New India'.

The CM said that investment is being done simultaneously in 75 districts of the state for the first time.

The summit will fulfill the resolution of making the state a $1 trillion economy as well as making the country a $5 trillion economy.

Five big pandals and tent cities have been erected on the lines of 5-star hotels in 25,000 square metres at the Defence Expo Ground in the city.

Patrolling has been increased along the borders of Nepal and neighbouring states.

--IANS
vkt/fs/shb/

Kolkata, Feb 10 (IANS) Actor-turned-politician and Trinamool Congress Lok Sabha member from Asansol, Shatrughan Sinha's overwhelming praise of Rahul Gandhi's speech on the floor of Parliament relating to crash in the prices of stocks of Adani Group seems to have come as a shocker for his own party.

On Friday, Sinha issued a Twitter message overwhelmingly praising Gandhi for his "fiery" speech in the matter. At the same time, Sinha also ridiculed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not giving a proper answer to the questions raised by Gandhi in the matter.

"We all heard the hon'ble PM @narendramdi 1.5hrs long speech in Parliament, but unfortunately it lacked substance & didn't answer any of the questions raised by the dynamic, youth icon @RahulGandhi. People are all praise for Rahul Gandhi as it's being said that it's one of his best & one the best in Parliament. Watch it for your understanding & enlightenment. Jai Hind," Sinha's Twitter message read.

He also tagged the official Twitter handles of All India Trinamool Congress and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee with that message.

An embarrassed Trinamool Congress leadership has started distancing itself from the observations of Sinha. According to Trinamool Congress's Rajya Sabha Dr Santanu Sen, Sinha's comments are his personal observations and do not necessarily reflect the stand of Trinamool Congress in the matter.

"All we have to say to the Congress is that while it is good that they have organised Bharat Jodo Yatra, at the same time the leadership should attempt to keep the party united," Sen said.

This is not the first time that Sinha's praises about Rahul Gandhi have put the Trinamool Congress in embarrassment. On January 9, the actor-turned-politician showered similar praises over Rahul Gandhi while speaking to media persons and said that Gandhi has emerged as a youth icon and a serious leader and has been able to destroy the image of him that his opposition tried to project.

Although Trinamool Congress was requested to participate in the Bharat Jodo Yatra, the party leadership refused that. So, political observers feel that Sinha's praises about Bharat Jodo Yatra have posed discomfort for the Trinamool Congress leadership.

--IANS
src/dpb

New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) The Supreme Court has granted anticipatory bail to an accused, who is 85 per cent disabled, in a case pertaining to allegations of cheating and criminal breach of trust.

A bench comprising Krishna Murari and Ahsannuddin Amanullah said: "Without entering into the merits of the contention and having regard to the facts and circumstances of the case, we are of the considered opinion that the petitioner is entitled for anticipatory bail. In such circumstances, it is hereby provided that in case the petitioner is arrested, he shall be released forthwith subject to such conditions which the trial court/investigating agency finds fit to impose"

The allegations against the accused were that he entered into an agreement to sell a piece of land and obtained a sum of Rs 16 lakh in lieu of the same. However, he did not execute the sale deed and sold the property elsewhere.

Advocate Namit Saxena, representing the accused Prem Singh, argued that the FSL report indicates that the signatures of the accused are forged. Saxena further pointed out that the accused is 85 percent permanently disabled and that he is entitled to the benefit of pre-arrest bail.

Rajasthan government counsel vehemently contended that the petitioner is not entitled for any anticipatory bail in as much as he is not cooperating with the investigation and has not appeared before the investigating officer to give his specific signature for being sent for forensic examination.

Saxena said his client is a disabled person and is unable to move freely and thus he could not appear. "It is also pointed out that in the cross FIR the signature of the petitioner was sent for the FSL examination and the report is that the signatures are forged," noted the bench.

The apex court, in its order, said: "It is further provided that the investigating agency shall follow the procedure prescribed under the Code of Criminal Procedure for investigation against the disabled person. It is also directed that the petitioner shall also cooperate with the investigation. With the aforesaid observations and directions, the Special Leave Petition is disposed of. Pending applications, if any, shall stand disposed of."

The Rajasthan High Court had refused to grant the benefit of anticipatory bail to the accused.

--IANS
ss/dpb

New Delhi, Feb 10 (IANS) The Delhi High Court Friday allowed urgent listing of the plea moved by the police against the Saket court's order dated February 4, discharging former JNU student and activist Sharjeel Imam, co-accused Asif Iqbal Tanha and nine others in a case related to the incidents of violence at Jamia Millia Islamia in December 2019.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta mentioned the matter before a division bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Subramonium Prasad, which allowed it to be heard on February 13.

Seeking urgent hearing, the Delhi Police on Tuesday moved the High Court against the discharge order.

On February 4, Additional Sessions Judge of Saket Court Complex, Arul Verma, while discharging 11 accused, pulled up the police saying that they were unable to apprehend the actual perpetrators behind the commission of the offence, but surely managed to rope in the above-mentioned accused as 'scapegoats'.

The violence had erupted after a clash between the police and people protesting against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in December 2019.

Judge Verma had said that the protesters were surely there in large numbers and it cannot be denied that some anti-social elements within the crowd created an environment of disruption.

However, the moot question remains as to whether the accused persons herein were even prima facie complicit in taking part in that mayhem, Verma had asked.

"The answer is an unequivocal 'no'. Marshalling the facts as brought forth from a perusal of the charge sheet and three supplementary charge sheets, this court cannot but arrive at the conclusion that the police were unable to apprehend the actual perpetrators behind the commission of the offence, but surely managed to rope in the persons herein as scapegoats," he had said.

A second supplementary charge sheet was filed before the court against 11 other accused persons, namely Sharjeel Imam, Asif Iqbal Tanha, Mohammad Qasim, Mahmood Anwar, Shahzar Raza Khan, Mohd Abuzar, Mohd Shoaib, Umair Ahmad, Bilal Nadeem, Chanda Yadav and Safoora Zargar, who have been discharged in the matter.

"To allow the persons charge-sheeted to undergo the rigmarole of a long-drawn trial does not augur well for the criminal justice system of our country," Verma had said.

He had added that such police action is "detrimental to the liberty" of the citizens who choose to exercise their fundamental right to peacefully assemble and protest.

The court had said that before embarking on galvanising the judicial system against the 11 accused persons, the investigative agencies should have incorporated the use of technology, or have gathered credible intelligence.

--IANS
spr/dpb