India

New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) A day after the Law Commission recommended that the IPC's Section 124A (sedition) should not be retained but also made harsh, the Congress on Friday said that the BJP wants to make sedition law more draconian and has given a message ahead of the next year general election that it will used in a one-sided manner, particularly against opposition leaders.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: "In a terrible, tragic, and treacherous development, the Law Commission has recommended that Section 124A of the IPC should not only be retained, but also made more harsh."

"The BJP uses the law of sedition as a tool of subversing, subjugating, and silencing dissent. The BJP government now plans to become more draconian, drastic, and deadly than the colonial regime," Singhvi, who is also a noted lawyer, alleged.

He said that a message of colonial mindset has been given that there will be a distance between the ruler and the ruled and through this law, the foundations of the republic will be uprooted.

"A message has been given ahead of the general election that we will use this in a one-sided manner particularly against opposition leaders," he claimed.

Singhvi contended that in a nutshell, the Law Commission proposal makes the existing sedition law far more draconian, invasive and prejudicial by enhancing the lower end of the punishment from three to seven years.

"It ignores the spirit of the Supreme Court proceedings in May and October last year which had rendered the entire offense of sedition in the country inoperative and clearly intended it to be repealed," he said.

His remarks came a day after the Law Commission, in its report to the government, said it is of the view that Section 124A needs to be retained, though certain amendments could be introduced to bring about greater clarity regarding usage of the provision and stressed that sedition being a "colonial legacy" is not a valid ground for its repeal.

Slamming the BJP, Singhvi, who is also a Rajya Sabha MP, said: "There has been a massive rise in sedition cases since 2014 with an annual rise of 28 per cent in sedition cases for the period between 2014 and 2020, compared to the yearly average between 2010 and 2014."

He pointed out that 12 sedition cases were filed during the pandemic against those who raised concerns over lack of ventilators, food distribution or handling of the issue of migrant labourers.

"In total, 21 sedition cases were filed against journalists. Since 2018, they have been arrested for reportage on the farm laws, Covid-19, the Hathras gang rape, citizenship and for being critical of the government," he said, adding that 27 sedition cases were filed against those who protested against the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 and the National Register for Citizens, while eight cases were filed against farmers protesting the now revoked farm laws.

Citing more examples of the sedition cases, the Congress said that they were filed across three BJP-ruled states against party MP Shashi Tharoor and several senior journalists.

Firing salvos at the government, Singhvi asked why it has not yet had the courage to do away with the sedition law despite the top court rendering it inoperative and making strong observations in that regard.

"Why have the cases of sedition burgeoned during the BJP regime? Is the government misusing it as a tool to curb criticism? Is this an initial step towards more stringent curbing of dissent ahead of the upcoming general elections?"

He also questioned as to why have the cases of sedition imposed only on the opposition leaders and dissidents, and how many BJP leaders have been charged under the law.

"Was the reference to the Law Commission by the Government of India merely a circuitous, circumvention of the true spirit of the Supreme Court observations and intended to legitimise and provide added legal cover to the pernicious concept of sedition?" he said.

Singhvi also asked why the government has not changed its "control freak" style and not been able to shed its colonial mindset.

--IANS
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Raigad (Maharashtra), June 2 (IANS) Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Friday that a theme park on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will come up in the foothills of Raigad on a 45-acre plot, while Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis announced that the state will urge the Centre to set up a national memorial dedicated to the Maratha icon in Delhi.

Speaking during the six-day long celebrations to mark the 350th anniversary of the coronation of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (June 6, 1674) here, Shinde said that he was a king of the poor farmers and the downtrodden who did not discriminate between people on the basis of their caste.

"He respected women and gave them equal opportunities to come forward... His governance style was focused on the people for whom he cared. We are fortunate that his teachings are still remembered and continue to inspire us," said Shinde.

The Chief Minister announced that an authority headed by Member of Parliament Chhatrapati Udayanraje Bhosale – the 17th direct descendent of the Maratha warrior king – shall be set up for the conservation of the famed Pratapgad Fort in Satara, famed for the killing of Gen. Afzal Khan of the Sultanate of Bijapur.

Similarly, he said that the upcoming Mumbai Coastal Road – the first phase of which is nearing completion - shall be named after Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

Fadnavis said that on behalf of the state government, he would urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to set up a grand statue and national memorial for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj in the national capital.

"The good governance, work and contributions of the great king continue to inspire us even today, and the PM also included Chhatrapati's emblem on the Indian Navy flag," said Fadnavis.

Cultural Affairs Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar said that the state government will fully support the future celebrations of the Chhatrapati's coronation at the Raigad Fort.

"We are also trying to bring back the Jagdamba sword of the Chhatrapati, we shall make efforts for a memorial in Thanjavur, and have allocated Rs 5 crore for studies on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj at the Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi," said Mungantiwar.

The famed Jagdamba sword, studded with diamonds and rubies, was gifted to the Prince of Wales, who later became King Edwar VIII, by Chhatrapati Shivaji IV during his visit to India in 1875. The invaluable sword is currently kept in the royal collection of the St James Palace in London.

Also present on the occasion were state ministers Uday Samant, Chandrakant Patil, Deepak Kesarkar, Girish Mahajan, Dadaji Bhuse, MPs Sunil Tatkare, Sadashiv Lokhande, Shrikant Eknath Shinde, MLAs, local representatives and a large number of people.

--IANS
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New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Friday granted permission to former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to meet his ailing wife, but under police custody.

According to the High Court order, Sisodia can meet his wife from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow. Sisodia has been directed not to interact with the media in any manner and not to meet anyone else except his family.

Furthermore, it has instructed Sisodia to stay away from cell phones and the internet.

Justice D.K. Sharma has asked the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to provide a status report on the interim bail matter and has reserved judgment on the bail plea as well as the interim bail plea.

"In the interim bail plea in the CBI case: Since I have already denied bail in the main CBI matter, I will list it on July 4," the judge noted.

During the hearing, the ED opposed granting interim bail to Sisodia. Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju argued that Sisodia could visit his wife under police escort.

"He held 18 portfolios as a minister and did not have time to visit his wife. Now he is creating all these grounds to get bail," he said.

The ASG also mentioned that Sisodia had withdrawn his interim bail plea just a few days ago and now he has submitted a similar plea again. "Four days ago, they withdrew the plea. Now they have come back again. There has been no change in his wife's condition, only a cosmetic change," added ASG.

Sisodia moved the interim bail plea through his counsel in both the CBI and ED cases, citing his wife's medical condition as grounds for bail.

--IANS
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New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) With serious allegations against Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh coming to the fore, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Friday sharpened his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that the BJP MP is still within his "suraksha kavach" (protective shield).

In a tweet in Hindi, Rahul Gandhi, who is on a six-day US visit said: "Daughters who brought 25 international medals - pleading for justice on the streets. An MP with 15 heinous allegations of sexual abuse in two FIRs - safe in the Prime Minister's 'Suraksha Kavach' (protective shield)! Modi government is responsible for these conditions of daughters."

His remarks came after the details of the two FIRs, which included the details of the alleged sexual harassment by Singh of the female wrestlers, emerged.

In the FIR, the wrestlers had detailed the incidents of sexual harassment allegedly by Singh.

Earlier also, Rahul Gandhi had come out in support of the protesting wrestlers after they were detained by the police on May 28, the day of inauguration of the new Parliament House and said: "The coronation is over - the 'arrogant king' is crushing the voice of the people on the streets!"

Prominent Indian wrestlers, including Olympians Bajrang Punia, Sakshi Malik, and Vinesh Phogat have been demanding the arrest of Singh, over sexual harassment of female athletes, including a minor.

Earlier on Friday, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also came out in support of the wrestlers, and said: "Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji, read these serious allegations and tell the country why no action has been taken against the accused so far?"

On Sunday, the protesting wrestlers were detained after they tried to march towards the new Parliament House from Jantar Mantar.

The protesters had tried to jump the police barricades.

Since April 23, prominent Indian wrestlers such as Punia, Malik, and Vinesh have been staging a protest at the Jantar Mantar against WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, June 2 (IANS) Apple Inc supplier Foxconn, the world's biggest contract electronics manufacturer, is all set to manufacture iPhone units at its proposed plant in Devanahalli by 2024 April.

The declaration has come as a shot in the arm for the newly-elected Congress government in Karnataka.

The announcement came at a time when the opposition BJP, JD(S) and a section of experts are claiming that the state will lose its tag as the most favourable destination for attracting Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

The process of Foxconn's investment in Karnataka began during the previous BJP regime. Ex-CM Basavaraj Bommai and former Minister for Large and Medium Industries Murugesh Nirani had made the big announcement regarding Foxconn setting up its manufacturing unit near Bengaluru.

The matter ran into controversy with the opposition parties calling it as a publicity stunt after the claims of the BJP government was disputed by the company.

An embarrassed Bommai had released the letter of appreciation by Foxconn to defend the government in the face of opposition attack.

The good news came before the Assembly elections when Foxconn said in a regulatory filing with the London Stock Exchange that it had bought a huge tract of land on the outskirts of Bengaluru.

The news had then given a boost to the BJP government ahead of crucial Assembly elections.

However, with the BJP failing to impress the voters in the polls, the Congress took over the reins of the state and soon announced the execution of the prestigious project.

The Congress government is now projecting the development as its first success towards ensuring the growth of the state and creation of jobs.

Minister for Large and Medium Industries, M.B. Patil, had announced on Thursday that Foxconn has plans to start manufacturing iPhone units by April next year at its proposed Devanahalli plant and the state government would hand over the required land to the company by July 1 to facilitate the process.

Patil said this after the representatives of the company led by George Chu met him as part of a courtesy visit in which Information Technology and Biotechnology Minister Priyank Kharge was also present.

The Rs 13,600 crore project is expected to create 50,000 jobs, he said.

The Taiwan-based multinational company has already paid 30 per cent of the cost towards the land (Rs 90 crore) to the Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board (KIADB). It has set the goal to complete the project in three phases and has set a target of manufacturing 20 million units annually after the completion of the three phases.

Some sources termed Foxconn's initiative as an endeavour to look for alternative manufacturing destinations away from China due to the rigid Covid rules there.

--IANS
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New Delhi, June 2 (IANS) A strong military not only secures the borders, but also protects the culture and economy of a country, said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday.

The goal is to build a strong, self-reliant and prosperous nation, which caters to its own needs as well as the requirements of friendly countries. This is an era of renaissance. It is time to re-establish India as a global superpower," said the Defence Minister at an event here.

"India is not only an emerging but a resurgent power which is regaining its place on the global economic map," said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

He began his address by stating that until the 17th century, India had a remarkably strong economy, constituting over a quarter of the world's GDP, but it lost its glory due to a weak military and political slavery." Singh asserted that the government was working on both these fronts to ensure that India regains its old glorious status.

He stated that no stone is being left unturned to create a strong, young and tech-savvy Armed Forces on the back of robust defence industry which indigenously manufactures state-of-the-art weapons and equipment, while efforts are also being made to get rid of the colonial mind-set.

Citing a report by Morgan Stanley, he said that after naming India among the 'Fragile 5' economies in 2013, the investment firm recently stated that the country will be the third largest economy by 2027.

Rajnath Singh listed out a number of reforms undertaken by the government to facilitate the economic growth of the country. These include direct tax reforms, GST and steps to enhance ease of doing business. There has been a revolutionary transformation in all sectors and foreign investors today see India as an attractive destination, he said.

The defence minister said that a number of steps have been taken to achieve complete 'Aatmanirbharta' in manufacturing of weapons and technologies. The major decisions include notification of four positive indigenisation lists of 411 items on behalf of the Armed Forces and four other lists of 4,666 items for DPSUs, besides setting up of Defence Industrial Corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu.

Shedding light on the positive results achieved due to the government's efforts, Rajnath Singh stated that a record over Rs one lakh crore defence production and all-time high defence exports of almost Rs 16,000 crore in Financial Year 2022-23 are proof of the massive growth of the defence sector. He added that the startup friendly ecosystem created by the government has led to the creation of over 100 unicorns in the country, with the defence R&D and manufacturing sector witnessing a significant increase in the number of start-ups.

Rajnath Singh also envisioned a developed India which ensures that universal values like democracy, religious freedom, dignity and world peace are established across the globe.

"Together, let us dream of an India where people have the same feeling of nation building, where all Indians work together without any discrimination. Let us dream of an India where people are judged not by their caste and religion, but by their knowledge and character, where every Indian has access to human rights and has commitment towards their duties. Let us dream of an India which is strong enough to defend itself and be ready to stand against any injustice anywhere in the world," he said.

--IANS
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San Francisco, June 2 (IANS) Meta-owned WhatsApp is reportedly working on a redesigned keyboard with an emoji category bar on Android.

With this feature, the tabs that provide easy access to other keyboard functionalities (including GIF and sticker selection) will be moved upwards, according to WABetaInfo.

There are also plans for the chat bar, including the relocation of the attachment sharing buttons and the emoji keyboard button to match the style of WhatsApp Desktop and WhatsApp for iOS.

Currently, the redesigned keyboard is under development and it will be released in a future update of the app, the report said.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp is now rolling out a 'companion mode' feature to iPhone users, which will allow them to link an existing account to a second iOS device.

With this feature, users can link up to four devices simultaneously, meaning they can connect even more than two mobile phones to their WhatsApp accounts.

Users can link their existing WhatsApp account to a secondary iPhone by scanning the QR Code.

Earlier, the company rolled out the 'companion mode' feature to Android users only.

--IANS
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San Francisco, June 2 (IANS) Meta has announced over 20 new titles for Quest VR headsets at the Meta Quest Gaming Showcase, in addition to the introduction of a $499 Quest 3 headset which will be launched later this year.

The games include Stranger Things VR, a new version of NFL Pro Era, Assassin's Creed: Nexus VR, Ghostbusters: Rise of the Ghost Lord, Silent Slayer: Vault of the Vampire, Dungeons of Eternity, Attack on Titan VR: Unbreakable, and more.

The company is collaborating with a number of game studios to bring a variety of games to the Quest platform. A VR version of SEGA's classic 1999 arcade game Samba de Amigo is set to be released soon, according to TechCrunch.

Vampire: The Masquerade -- Justice will let gamers become a vampire in Venice.

In the Stranger Things VR game, players will get to be evil and take on the role of Vecna. Racket Club is a racket sport that combines tennis and pickleball.

Meta's announcement comes just days before Apple is expected to unveil its much-anticipated VR headset at next week's Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC).

According to a new report, over 51 million VR headsets have been shipped worldwide in the past five years as Big Tech firms bet big on Metaverse and other augmented reality (AR)-VR technologies.

According to data presented by CasinosEnLigne.com, the installed base of VR headsets is likely to surge from 51 million to almost 100 million by 2024.

The global VR headset sales are expected to bring in $9.1 billion in revenue in 2023, or 13 per cent more than last year.

--IANS
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Washington, June 2 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said here that his disqualification as a Lok Sabha MP was actually an advantage as the move allowed him to redefine himself without the BJP even realising it.

"My disqualification in many ways is an advantage because it has completely opened up new spaces for me, allows me to completely redefine myself. I think the BJP has given me a gift and frankly dont think they realise it," he said on Thursday at the National Press Club in Washington D.C.

"Politics is not linear, it completely goes off in one direction, its asymmetric. So I think that they have given me a gift its apparent right now... they have," the former MP added.

Rahul was disqualified as an MP in March following a defamation case against him.

"I am the first person in Indian history since 1947 to be given the highest punishment for defamation. My disqualification happened right after my speech on Adani in Parliament. This should explain what is going on in India," he alleged.

Rahul further said that he is not concerned about threats of assassination.

"I am not concerned about threats of assassination. Everybody has to die. That's what I learnt from my grandmother (Indira Gandhi) and father (Rajiv Gandhi) -- you don't back down because of something like that," the Congress leader said.

While speaking at the Stanford University on Wednesday, Rahul had said that he "never imagined" that he would get maximum punishment in a defamation case and would be disqualified as an MP, but asserted that it has given him a lot of opportunity to work.

The Congress leader who is on an ongoing six-day visit to the US is scheduled to meet several people in the coming days in Washington D.C. and New York.

He arrived in San Francisco on Tuesday.

--IANS
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Chandigarh, June 2 (IANS) In a joint operation by the Border Security Force (BSF) and Punjab Police, three packets of suspected heroin, weighing 2.5 kg was seized from a house in Fazilka district, which is suspected to be dropped by a drone from Pakistan, the paramilitary force said on Friday.

On specific information of the BSF, a joint search operation was launched with the police at some houses of Chakkhewa village on Thursday.

During the search, two suspects were taken into custody and on the basis of their revelation during interrogation three packets of suspected heroin were recovered from the house of the individual.

The consignment was probably dropped by drone few days back and further concealed inside the house, said the BSF.

The case is being registered and investigation is on.

Another coordinated action of the BSF and the police against drugs led to the recovery of contrabands, it added.

--IANS
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