BJP's bid to save Yeddi govt not the way for 'Congress-free' India: Shiv Sena

Agencies
May 21, 2018

Mumbai, May 21: The Shiv Sena on Monday said the BJP's attempt to save the B S Yeddyurappa government in Karnataka was not the way to make the country "Congress-free".

Stressing the need to save democracy in the country, the BJP's bickering ally said no government can use the Constitution to enforce its decisions on people.

In an editorial in its mouthpiece 'Saamana', the Sena also alleged that "the governor" and the president sometimes act like agents of the government.

"They are the constitutional heads of a state and the country, but they themselves act contrary to constitutional norms," it read.

The Sena's remarks came against the backdrop of Karnataka Governor Vajubhai Vala's earlier decision to invite Yeddyurappa to form the government and prove majority in the Assembly in 15 days.

The marathon three-day political slugfest in Karnataka culminated in B S Yeddyurappa resigning as chief minister on Saturday after he failed to muster the support of seven additional MLAs to ensure he remained in office.

The Congress had earlier released an audio tape where Yeddyurappa was purportedly heard trying to lure an MLA with the promise of a ministerial berth if he backed the BJP government during the trust vote.

There were allegations that Congress MLA Anand Singh was "abducted" by the BJP, but he turned up at the Vidhana Sauda minutes before Yeddyurappa began his speech.

"We are deeply saddened over the BJP government failing to come to power in Karnataka, but the attempt to save it is not the path to make India 'Congress-free'," the Sena editorial read.

"This would further lead to a weakening of democracy, individual freedom and freedom of the press in the country. In the parliamentary democracy, we need a free Parliament as well as free media," it opined.

The BJP emerged as the single-largest party in the Karnataka polls, winning 104 seats, but fell short of a simple majority.

The Congress, which finished second with 78 seats, moved swiftly and stitched an alliance with the 37-member JD(S). They staked claim to form the government but were not invited by the governor.

The Sena also took a dig at Union minister and RPI(A) chief Ramdas Athawale, saying he had earlier stated that he would leave the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) at the Centre if the BJP flouted constitutional norms.

"So what happened in the Karnataka Assembly was not anti-constitutional?" the Sena wondered.

The Republican Party of India (Athawale) is a constituent of the NDA in which Athawale is the Union Minister of State for Social Justice.

"The Constitution should encompass people's general expectations and their welfare. People are custodians of the Constitution. Hence, the Constitution should not dominate people's lives. Thus, no government can use the Constitution to enforce its own decisions on people," the Marathi daily said.

It said there was a need to save democracy from people like Sriramulu."The first scene of shaming democracy is over so far. We do not know what is going to happen tomorrow," the publication said.

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News Network
March 27,2024

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Bengaluru: Darshan Babu is an engineer who is fond of betting on cricket matches and has been placing major bets on Indian Premier League (IPL) games since 2021. He often borrows money after losing a bet, or to place one when he is short on funds. His 23-year-old wife, tired of the constant harassment by creditors, died by suicide.

Ranjitha was found hanging at her home in Karnataka's Chitradurga on March 18. According to the family, Darshan had racked up a debt of over Rs 1 crore.

He worked as an assistant engineer in the Minor Irrigation Department at Hosadurga and had been ensnared in the realm of IPL betting from 2021 to 2023. This took a major toll on the couple's finances. Allegedly, he had borrowed over Rs 1.5 crore to place bets after his luck ran out and he lost all his money. While he managed to return Rs 1 crore, cops say that he still has a pending loan of ₹ 84 lakh.

Ranjitha married Darshan in 2020. She realised the truth about Darshan's involvement in betting in 2021, claims her father Venkatesh.

In his complaint, Venkatesh said that his daughter was extremely distressed due to the constant harassment by moneylenders and this led to her suicide. He has also named 13 men who had allegedly lent the money.

He said that his son-in-law was lured into betting with a promise of quick money.

"He (Darshan) was not willing to get into betting, but the suspects forced him saying it was an easy way to get rich. They promised to finance his betting activities against some blank cheques as security," he said.

Cops during their investigation found a suicide note, where she detailed the harassment they faced. Darshan and Ranjitha have a two-year-old son.

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News Network
March 27,2024

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The Enforcement Directorate has filed a money laundering case against Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan's daughter Veena Vijayan, her IT company and some others to probe a case of alleged illegal payments made by a private mineral firm to her and the company, official sources said Wednesday.

The agency has registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and is expected to summon the people involved, the sources said.

The ED case has been booked after taking cognisance of a complaint filed by the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO), an investigative arm of the Union corporate affairs ministry, they said.

The case stems from an Income Tax Department investigation that alleged that a private company called Cochin Minerals And Rutile Ltd (CMRL), made an illegal payment of Rs 1.72 crore to Veena's company-- Exalogic Solutions-- during 2018 to 2019, even though the IT firm had not provided any service to the company.

The Karnataka High Court had last month dismissed a plea filed by Exalogic Solutions against the probe initiated by the SFIO.

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News Network
March 16,2024

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New Delhi: The 2024 general election for 543 Lok Sabha seats will be held in seven phases from April 19, Chief Election Commissioner Rajeev Kumar said today, announcing the largest democratic exercise in the world. Results will be announced on June 4.

The seven phases: 
April 19
April 26
May 7
May 13
May 20
May 25
June 1

Simultaneous election for Lok Sabha and assembly will be held in four states -- Sikkim, Odisha, Arunachal Pradesh and Andhra.  

By-elections will also be held for 26 assembly seats across multiple states, including Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu.

Mr Kumar, announcing the dates, sent out a strong message on fake news on social media, saying political parties should ensure responsible social media behaviour -- "verify before you amplify".

"Fake news will be dealt with severely as per existent laws.. Section 79 (3)(B) of the IT Act empowers nodal officers in each state to remove unlawful content," he said.

The other strong message was on violation of model code in terms of hate speeches. "There should be issue-based campaign, no hate speeches, no speeches along caste or religious lines, no criticism of anyone's personal lives," he said.

The media must clarify when they carry political adverts, those cannot masquerade as news, he said. Individual messages regarding this would be sent to the candidates, he added.

The commission has employed 2,100 advisors to keep an eye on these issues and strong action will be taken regarding this, he said.

Voters above the age of 85 years and persons with disabilities, with 40 per cent disability can vote from home, Mr Kumar said. Around 82 lakh voter are above the age of 85, he said.

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