Sunday, 22 December 2024
Sunday, 22 December 2024
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday said he will appear before investigating agencies in the excise policy case and asserted that if he was "corrupt" then no one in the world was "honest". Addressing a press conference here over the CBI summons to him in the excise policy case, he claimed that BJP leaders were demanding his arrest and that if the party had "ordered" the probe agency to arrest him, it cannot refuse doing so.
"The AAP has given hope to people that it can remove their poverty, educate them and provide employment to their children. The prime minister wants to crush this hope," he said. In 30 years of BJP rule in Gujarat, in which Modi was the chief minister for 12 years, condition of not a single school could be improved, while the AAP government in Delhi turned around the government schools in five years, he said.
On the other hand, AAP also alleged the Centre saying, Centre was "misusing" probe agencies to "harass" its leaders and preparing to arrest Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who has been summoned by the CBI to its headquarters on April 16 for questioning in the excise police case.
"The Centre is preparing to arrest Arvind Kejriwal. Why is the central government so scared of him and the Aam Aadmi Party? Their aim is to finish our party. We are a new party and merely have government in two states,” said AAP national spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj.
''The AAP has emerged as a ray of hope for the country and that is the reason why efforts are being made to trample it'', said the AAP convenor.
Later on a tweet came from the AAP convenor's side that said, "We will file appropriate cases against CBI and ED officials for perjury and producing false evidence in courts,"
In a landmark decision, the home ministry has approved the conduct of constable (general duty) examination for Central Armed Police Forces in 13 regional languages, in addition to Hindi and English.
The historic decision was taken at the initiative of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to give impetus to the participation of local youths in the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) and encourage regional languages, an official statement said. "In a landmark decision under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, (the) Ministry of Home Affairs has approved conducting constable (general duty) examination for CAPFs in 13 regional languages, in addition to Hindi and English," the statement said.
Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant also thanked the Central government for its decision to conduct constable (general duty) examination for the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in 13 regional languages, including the state's official language Konkani.
The Congress on Saturday demanded answers from the Centre on the outcome of the probe into the 2019 Pulwama incident in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed, asking why were the CRPF personnel denied aircraft and were made to commute via road despite terror attack threat. Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the BJP-led Union government of "minimum governance and maximum silence" and asked it to comment on the reported revelations made by former Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satypal Malik on the incident.
"The government believes in the principle of minimum governance and maximum silence … It is the government's responsibility to answer questions raised by the opposition," he said, adding that the Congress will continue to raise questions on the issue that concerns national security.
The Chhattisgarh police has issued notices to eight Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) functionaries in the Congress-ruled state for allegedly posting hateful content on social media, and asked them to appear before it, an official said.
The notices were issued on Friday, he said.
"In the notices, these BJP functionaries have been asked to appear before the police and present factual statements related to such posts," Raipur Senior Superintendent of Police Prashant Agrawal said on Friday.
Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was rushed from a speech after a smoke bomb was thrown near him in the city of Wakayama on Saturday, public broadcaster NHK said.
The prime minister was safely evacuated from the scene, the broadcaster added.
"Police are investigating the details of the loud explosive sound at the previous speech venue," Kishida said when he resumed his campaign speeches, in video broadcast by Japan's national broadcaster NHK. "I am sorry for causing many people to be concerned. We are in the middle of an important election for our country. We must carry this on together."
Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed relief after his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida escaped unharmed in an explosion during a campaign and asserted that India condemns all acts of violence.
A court in Maharashtra’s Thane district on Saturday granted a permanent exemption to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi from appearing before it in a defamation case filed against him by a Rashtriya Sawyamsevak Sangh (RSS) functionary.
Bhiwandi First Class Judicial Magistrate C Wadikar who heard Gandhi’s application filed through his counsel Narayan Iyer observed that the Congress leader deserves a permanent exemption. The magistrate also set June 3 for recording evidence in the defamation suit filed by local RSS worker Rajesh Kunte.
Explosions and gunfire were heard around Sudan's capital of Khartoum on Saturday, as clashes were reported between the military led by army general Abdel Fattah al-Burhan and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitary.
Witnesses told the Reuters news agency they heard heavy gunfire south of Khartoum. The source of the fire was not immediately known.
"Clashes are ongoing and the army is carrying out its duty to safeguard the country," army spokesman Brigadier General Nabil Abdallah told AFP.
The Indian embassy in Sudan on Saturday advised Indian nationals in the country to take utmost precautions and stay indoors after Sudanese capital Khartoum witnessed large-scale violence.
In a tweet, the mission also urged the Indians to stay calm and wait for updates.
Explosions and clashes were reported in various areas in Khartoum in the backdrop of escalating tension between a paramilitary force and Susan's Army.
"Notice to all Indians. In view of reported firings and clashes, all Indians are advised to take utmost precautions, stay indoors and stop venturing outside with immediate effect. Please also stay calm and wait for updates," the Indian mission tweeted.
CBI sleuths Saturday raided the houses of TMC lawmakers Jibankrishna Saha and Bibhas Adhikari in Murshidabad and Birbhum districts of West Bengal respectively in connection with the school job recruitment scandal.
A CBI official said a team accompanied by CRPF personnel raided Saha's residence at Burwan in Murshidabad district and seized a bag full of documents suspected to be linked to the scam.
The bag was found from a jungle near Saha's house, the official said.
The central investigative agency also raided Adhikari's locked flat at Amherst Street in the city and the residence at Nalhati in Birbhum. The search lasted for more than four hours and papers and documents were confiscated from there too, he said.
Thirteen persons, including at least five minors, were killed and 29 others injured after a bus carrying young male and female members of a traditional music troupe fell into a gorge on the old Mumbai-Pune highway in Raigad district of Maharashtra early on Saturday, police said.
The private bus with 42 persons on board was going from Pune to Mumbai when it plunged into the 300-feet deep gorge in the Bor Ghat mountain pass section, better known as Khandala Ghat, around 4.50 am. The accident occurred near Khopoli town in the district, around 70 km from Mumbai, a senior police official said.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday spoke to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputy Devendra Fadnavis, and enquired about the road accident that took place in Raigad district.
“The road accident in Raigad, Maharashtra is very sad. Talked to Chief Minister @mieknathshinde and Deputy Chief Minister @Dev_Fadnavis in this regard.
“The local administration is engaged in relief work. I express my condolences to the families of the deceased and wish the injured a speedy recovery,” he said in a tweet in Hindi.
Colourful processions were taken out in different localities in the morning, while devotees thronged the heritage Dakshineswar Temple, and Kali temple at Kalighat to offer puja and seek blessings for a happy and prosperous 'Poila Baisakh' (Bengali new year) on Saturday.
Braving sweltering heat, men and women - dressed in ethnic wear - joined the 'Prabhat Pheri' (cultural procession in morning) singing the popular song of Tagore - 'Hey Notun Dekha Dik Arbar' (let the new greet us with new hopes) with colourful tableaux depicting the rural life of Bengal, palanquins, models of baul singers forming part of procession.
Extending her wish for the people on the occasion, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted "On the occasion of Poila Boishakh, I extend my heartfelt greetings to all fellow residents." "I wish the dawn of New Year brings an abundance of hope, happiness, & health in your lives. Today, let's commit to the inclusive welfare and development of society. Subho Nobo Borsho" the CM said on the microblogging site.
