Defamation case: Court seeks Rahul Gandhi’s reply to 2 new pen drives submitted by Satyaki Savarkar as evidence
Pune: A special MP/MLA court in the city on Thursday sought Rahul Gandhi’s written response to an application by Satyaki Savarkar, who presented a couple of pen drives containing the Congress politician’s alleged defamatory speech against Hindutva icon Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, seeking that they be played in open court. Rahul Gandhi’s lawyer, Milind Pawar, orally objected to the application when the matter came up for hearing before special judge Amol Shinde as part of the case filed by Satyaki Savarkar, the grandnephew of the Hindutva icon, regarding Gandhi’s speech in London in March 2023. The case is at the stage of the complainant (Satyaki) leading his evidence as part of the examination in chief. Pawar, who raised an objection to the procedure and admissibility of the new evidence, told TOI: “The matter on this specific issue was adjourned. It will be taken up for hearing on Dec 16. We will be filing our reply as submission of two new pen drives at this stage is against the procedure.” Satyaki’s lawyer Sangram Kolhatkar told TOI: “Through the two pen drives we filed, we reproduced the electronic evidence which was lost. We also submitted a certificate prescribed under section 65B of the Indian Evidence Act. We sought permission to play the video, but the opposing counsel objected, stating that they wanted to file a reply.” Satyaki had earlier submitted a CD along with a 65B (verification) certificate under the Indian Evidence Act, but it could not be played in court due to some unknown technical reasons. His plea to play another CD was rejected by the court after Gandhi’s lawyer objected on the grounds that it was not accompanied by a 65B certificate During the last hearing on Dec 5, the court allowed an application by Satyaki’s lawyer seeking an adjournment for a limited period. The adjournment sought was to enable the complainant to make proper technical arrangements and reconstruction so that a CD of the speech could be played. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
5 of 8 names listed were from disadvantaged sections: Govt
NEW DELHI: Government on Thursday issued a strong refutation of leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi’s reported “dissent”, asserting that the Congress neta’s claim that there was absence of names from marginalised communities in the list discussed for filling vacancies of Central Information Commission (CIC) and information commissioners, has fallen flat. The three-member panel including PM Narendra Modi, HM Amit Shah and Gandhi held a meeting on Wednesday and finalised the names. A notification was awaited till late on Thursday evening. Regarding the eight vacancies considered on Wednesday for appointment as information commissioners, as per sources, Centre recommended one SC, one ST, one OBC, one minority representative and one woman. “Overall, five out of the eight recommended names were from disadvantaged sections. In light of these facts, Gandhi’s claims do not hold up,” govt sources said, claiming that the reports based on sources close to the Congress leadership were false and another attempt to misguide people. TOI also carried the report based on the information given by sources close to Congress leadership. “Gandhi’s claims have fallen flat as CIC appointments tell a different story. As per reports in media, at the meeting to select information commissioners, Gandhi recorded his dissent, alleging that the shortlists did not include names from SC, ST, OBC, EBC communities. He is reported to have claimed there was a ‘systematic pattern’ of excluding SC, ST, OBC, EBC and minority communities from appointments to constitutional and autonomous institutions,” the sources said. But facts present a different picture, sources added. Govt said the CIC was established in 2005, and from 2005 to 2014, during the UPA govt’s tenure, not a single person from the SC/ST community was appointed as either a member or the chairperson of the commission. It was the NDA govt in 2018 that appointed Suresh Chandra, a member of the ST community, to the commission, they said. “In 2020, Heeralal Samariya was appointed information commissioner, and in 2023, he became the CIC – the first-ever CIC from the SC community,” a govt official said. The three-member panel met on Wednesday to appoint the CIC, eight information commissioners (ICs) and a vigilance commissioner. However, Gandhi is learnt to have registered his dissent and strongly objected to the near absence of names from SC, ST and OBC communities, which has been rebutted by govt. Congress sources claimed the issue is likely to be a key talking point in the upcoming mega rally against “vote chori” being organised by the opposition party on Dec 14. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Revise class 4 history: TMC on Anurag’s ‘Vande Bharat’ gaffe
Kolkata: “Revise class 4 history before speaking in public,” said Trinamool Congress on Wednesday, taking aim at BJP MP Anurag Thakur after the former Union minister said “Vande Bharat” instead of “Vande Mataram” at least twice during Monday’s Lok Sabha debate on the song by Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay. “Are they patriots at all?” TMC questioned on its X handle, before adding: “People who can’t even say ‘Vande Mataram’ without turning it into ‘Vande Bharat’— with what audacity do they lecture the nation on patriotism and nationalism?” TMC said it was not a mere slip of the tongue by Thakur, but “BJP’s trademark ignorance in full display”. “When PM Narendra Modi himself demeans Bengal’s icons by calling them ‘Bankim-da’, when history is distorted from the top, the disciples will naturally follow,” TMC said, adding: “This is not patriotism. This is a mockery of India’s heritage. Shameful!” PM Modi, during a debate in the Lok Sabha on ‘Vande Mataram’, had referred to Bankim Chandra as ‘Bankimda’ after which TMC called him “culturally illiterate” and BJP “grotesquely alien to Bengal’s culture”. Trinamool veteran MP Saugata Roy intervened 23 minutes into the PM’s speech, telling him that it should have been “not da (but) babu”. TMC had called the PM’s comments “insulting (and) patronising”. Trinamool Krishnagore MP Mahua Moitra said that BJP raised the “Vande Mataram” issue as a distraction, but “ended up humiliating our greats.” Party spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “Entire BJP has no idea whom to call ‘dada’ and whom to call ‘babu’— the very ethos of Bengali culture. It is thus no surprise that their MPs speak in this manner.” TMC MP Saket Gokhale claimed this was a result of BJP’s “obsession with Modi”. “The BJP is so obsessed with Modi that ‘Vande Mataram’ has become ‘Vande Bharat’. Modi for them is above everything, including the nation,” Gokhale wrote on X. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Decision on CIC: Rahul Gandhi raises questions on appointment process in meeting with Modi and Shah
The committee headed by the Prime Minister has decided on the names of the country’s next Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners. Home Minister Amit Shah was also present at the meeting. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi expressed his disagreement with some of the names and registered his objection in writing. New Delhi: The three-member committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided on the country’s next Chief Information Commissioner (CIC). The committee meeting was held on Wednesday. Sources said that a decision was taken regarding the CIC and eight Information Commissioners. However, Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, who is a member of the committee, expressed his disagreement with some of the names. The post of Central Information Commissioner has been vacant since September 13, and eight out of ten posts of Information Commissioners in the commission are also vacant. In view of this, the committee meeting chaired by the Prime Minister was held at the Prime Minister’s residence on Wednesday, with Home Minister Amit Shah also present as the third member. Disagreement registered in writing Sources said that Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of providing more information about those being appointed and also questioned the criteria for the appointment of the CIC and eight Information Commissioners. Expressing dissatisfaction with the appointment process, he registered his disagreement in writing. 3083 cases pending According to the CIC website, 3083 cases are pending before it. This is the seventh time since 2014 that the country does not have a Chief Information Commissioner. Hiralal Samariya, who became the Chief Information Commissioner in 2023, left the post on September 13 this year upon reaching the age of 65. In 2014, when Rajiv Mathur left the post, it was the first time that the Central Information Commission did not have a Chief Commissioner. TMC targets NDA government The issue of vacant posts of CIC and Information Commissioners was also raised in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Trinamool Congress MP Mohammed Nadimul Haque said that due to the vacant posts, the disposal of pending appeals is being delayed by two to three years, and by the time the information is received, it will be of no use. He called the NDA government a “no data available” government, alleging that the government is reluctant to provide information to citizens. Edited by: Abhishek Pandey About the Author Abhishek Pandey is a Consultant Writer at Navbharat Times Online. He has over three years of experience working on news related to current affairs, politics, crime, and public interest issues. He also closely covered the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2022 and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. Courtesy: Hindi News
‘Gandhi personally chose him’: Congress MP counters Amit Shah’s ‘vote chori’ charge on Nehru; shares ‘historical truth’
NEW DELHI: Congress MP Manickam Tagore on Thursday hit back at Union home minister Amit Shah’s remark that Jawaharlal Nehru became India’s first prime minister through ‘vote-chori.’ Tagore listed five points to argue that Nehru assumed the post fairly and legitimately. “What really happened in 1946 — Patel, Nehru & the ‘vote chori’ myth. Shah claims that in 1946 “PCCs chose Patel, Nehru got two votes, and someone stole the election. Here’s the historical truth based on INC records, letters & historians — not WhatsApp University,” he posted on X. According to the Congress MP, the first ‘fact’ is that in 1946 the Congress was electing its national president, and whoever was chosen for that role would automatically head the interim government — a position equivalent to that of a prime minister. He added that the second ‘fact’ is that while Patel received nominations from 12 of the Congress’s 15 provincial committees, Nehru did not receive a single nomination.The third ‘fact’, as per Tagore, is that no election was held between the two and, therefore, the ‘vote-chori’ claim is ‘pure fiction.’ His fourth ‘fact’ stated that after the nominations were in, Mahatma Gandhi — who supported Nehru — asked Patel to withdraw from the race. Out of respect for Gandhi, Patel stepped aside, leaving Nehru as the sole remaining candidate. The fifth and final ‘fact’ is that with Patel withdrawing himself, the Congress Working Committee endorsed Nehru as the party president, making him the head of the interim government. “Those shouting ‘vote chori’ are rewriting history for politics. History is clear: it was Gandhi’s intervention, not Nehru’s ‘two votes’, that decided the leadership. Let facts speak louder than propaganda. India’s freedom struggle deserves honesty — not manufactured stories,” Tagore said. Amit Shah’s Lok Sabha speech Shah’s comments came during his reply to the Lok Sabha debate on electoral reforms on Wednesday, where he responded to concerns raised by opposition members, including leader of opposition Rahul Gandhi — Nehru’s great-grandson. The home minister cited three instances of what he described as ‘vote theft,’ beginning with the 1946 Congress leadership decision. “I want to tell you about three incidents of ‘vote-chori’,” Shah said. “First, after independence, when the country’s prime minister was to be chosen… Sardar Patel received 28 votes, while Jawaharlal Nehru got only two. Yet Nehru became the prime minister.” He went on to cite the case of former prime minister Indira Gandhi — Nehru’s daughter — who won from Rae Bareli before her election was challenged in the Allahabad high court by Raj Narain. “The high court ruled that Indira Gandhi’s election had violated the rules and declared it invalid. That too was vote theft. They then brought a bill in Parliament stating that no case could be filed against the prime minister,” Shah stated. He also referred to a Delhi court case in which it was alleged that Congress leader Sonia Gandhi — Rahul Gandhi’s mother — had “become a voter before becoming an Indian citizen.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
St Xavier’s Univ plans nursing & medical colleges
Kolkata: St Xavier’s University planned to start a school of nursing and a medical college was expected in two years, said vice-chancellor Father Felix Raj on Tuesday. Father Felix will write to CM Mamata Banerjee, seeking more land for the expansion. He also said that the university was introducing four BTech courses with 240 seats from the next session. The university has already requested for 10 acres of land for infrastructural expansion from the state govt two years ago. “We appealed for 10 acres of land for infrastructural expansion and have yet to receive any response from the state govt. I will speak to the CM shortly on this matter and will write to the govt requesting more land to start a nursing college and a medical college,” he said. Explaining their plan for starting these new courses, the VC said that the proposal came from the CM in 2017 at the inauguration of the university to start a medical college, but at that time, they could not do so. Recently, several doctors showed their interest in supporting the university to execute this plan, and this was discussed during a programme in London as well. He said they want to start both BSc Nursing and BA Nursing courses. “Many of our girls from this state migrate to other states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka for nursing training as there are very few nursing schools in our state,” he added. The nursing school will start first because, before starting a medical college, they need to establish a hospital, which requires some time to execute. The university is introducing BTech courses in computer science and engineering, information technology, electronics and communication engineering, and computer science and engineering—AI & ML from the next academic session following a separate entrance test for filling seats. The university will start an MTech course soon. An integrated MBA, integrated BEd, and School of Design will also be introduced. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Big meeting today chaired by PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi to also participate, decision on new CIC to be made
The selection committee chaired by the Prime Minister may meet today to select the next Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners. Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi is also a member of this committee. This meeting is crucial for filling the vacant posts in the Central Information Commission. New Delhi: The three-member selection committee chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi may meet on Wednesday to select the next Chief Information Commissioner and Information Commissioners. Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, is also a member of this committee. Rahul Gandhi may participate in this meeting to fill the vacant posts in the Central Information Commission (CIC). The government had informed the Supreme Court on December 1 that the committee would meet on December 10 to select and recommend names for these posts. Chief Information Commissioner post vacant Currently, the post of Chief Information Commissioner is vacant as the incumbent Chief Information Commissioner, Hiralal Samariya, stepped down after completing 65 years of age on September 13. Besides the Chief Commissioner, the commission can have up to 10 commissioners. Currently, the commission has only two Information Commissioners, Anandi Ramalingam and Vinod Kumar Tiwari. Eight posts of Information Commissioners have been vacant since November 2023. After Samariya’s departure, the post of Chief Commissioner in the CIC has become vacant for the seventh time since 2014. How is the selection made? According to Section 12(3) of the Right to Information Act, the Prime Minister is the chairman of the search committee. This committee also includes the Leader of the Opposition and a Union Minister nominated by the Prime Minister. Under the process of appointing the Chief Information Commissioner, details of interested candidates are invited through advertisements. These details are compiled into a list by the DoPT and sent to a search committee constituted by the Prime Minister and chaired by the Cabinet Secretary. Subsequently, the shortlisted names are sent to the committee chaired by the Prime Minister. Edited by: Abhishek Pandey About the Author Abhishek Pandey is a Consultant Writer at Navbharat Times Online. He has over three years of experience working on news related to current affairs, politics, crime, and public interest. They have also covered the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2022 and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections very closely. Courtesy: Hindi News
‘Videsh nayak’: BJP takes dig at ‘paryatan leader’ Rahul Gandhi; Congress leader to be in Germany from Dec 15–20
NEW DELHI: The ruling BJP on Wednesday labelled Congress MP Rahul Gandhi ‘Videsh Nayak’ and ‘leader of paryatan’ ahead of his upcoming visit to Germany from December 15 to 20. BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla — a former Congress member — also highlighted that the trip will coincide with the ongoing Winter Session of Parliament, which began on December 1 and is scheduled to conclude on December 19. “Once again, Videsh Nayak is doing what he does best — going on a foreign tour! Parliament is on till 19th Dec, but Rahul Gandhi will visit Germany from Dec 15–20! Rahul is LoP — leader of paryatan. During the Bihar elections too he was abroad and then on a Jungle Safari,” Poonawalla wrote on X. While ‘Videsh Nayak’ (leader of foreign visits) plays on ‘Jannayak’ (leader of the masses), a title the Congress uses for Gandhi, ‘leader of paryatan’ (tourism) is a jab at his LoP initials — leader of opposition, a post he has held since June last year – and also references what the BJP says are his frequent foreign trips. The Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) announced on Monday that Gandhi will visit Germany. On December 17, the former Congress president will meet German lawmakers and members of the Indian community in Berlin, the European nation’s capital and largest city. During his overseas visits — first as an MP and now in his official capacity as leader of the opposition — the Raebareli MP has repeatedly raised concerns about what he describes as the ‘weakening’ of India’s democracy and the ‘capture’ of its institutions by the BJP and its ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS). In September, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), which provides him security, flagged repeated ‘lapses’ by Gandhi in following security protocols — including intentionally skipping mandatory protective measures on multiple occasions despite being a Z+ protectee with an Advance Security Liaison (ASL) team. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/timesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
Vande Mataram debate: Priyanka Gandhi’s ‘chronology’ jab at Centre; questions PM Modi’s ‘selective’ history
NEW DLEHI: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Monday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Lok Sabha, alleging that his recent speech during the Vande Mataram anniversary debate lacked ‘facts’ and historical details. While acknowledging the PM’s oratory, she said he “falls weak on the facts,” and went on to take a “chronology” jab at the government, describing how Vande Matram was introduced as the national song. Vadra questioned why the PM did not mention that “in 1896 Rabindranath Tagore sang Vande Mataram for the first time at a Congress convention,” asking, “was it Hindu Mahasabha, was it RSS, what were you attempting to hide that it was a Congress convention?” Recounting the song’s origins, she said Bankim Chattopadhyay wrote the first two stanzas in 1875, followed by the publication of Anandamath in 1882, which included additional stanzas. She noted that Vande Mataram emerged as a symbol of unity during the 1905 anti-partition movement of Bengal, when “stalwart freedom fighters like Rabindranath Tagore hit the street singing the songs.” “Soon, people from all walks of life started singing. Understand the power of this song – Britishers used to dread the song, our bravehearts used to find strength after listening to the song to fight the Raj. The song invokes the feeling of dying for the motherland – this is the real power of this song,” she said. Also read: ‘Only two reasons’ – Priyanka Gandhi targets government over Vande Matram debate; brings in ‘Bengal election’ Vadra argued that the song became politicised in the 1930s amid rising communal divides. She then criticised the PM for selectively quoting correspondence between Subhas Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru. She said that ahead of the 1937 Congress convention in Kolkata, Bose wrote to Nehru on October 17, stating, “We shall have a talk in Calcutta, and also discuss the question in the working committee if you bring it up there. I have written to Dr Tagore to discuss the matter with you when you visit Shanti Niketan.” According to her, Nehru’s reply on October 20 included more than the line read by the PM. She quoted Nehru as saying, “There is no doubt that the present outcry against Vande Mataram is to a large extent manufactured by the communalists… whatever we do, we can’t pander to communalist feelings.” Vadra added that after Tagore met Nehru, Tagore wrote that he supported separating the first two stanzas, noting their deep significance and warning that the later additions “can be misconstrued as communal.” She said that on October 28, the Congress Working Committee, with Mahatma Gandhi, Nehru, Sardar Patel and Tagore present, declared the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram as the national song. She went on to say, “When in 1950, Dr Rajendra Prasad in constituent assembly announced the song as our national song almost all of these leaders were present and along with them was Dr Ambedkar and Shyama Prasad Mukherjee but no one had an issue with it.” She accused the ruling dispensation of revealing an anti-constitution mindset by questioning Vande Matram’s current form. “Questioning the current form of Vande Matram isn’t just insulting to all those stalwarts who in their great wisdom took this decision but it also reveals an anti-constitutional mentality. Are the treasury benches so arrogant to think of themselves as bigger than Gandhi, Tagore, Maulana Azad, Neta ji Bose, Rajendra Prasad?” she said. She went on to add, “The PM’s statement that the national song was cut by an anti-national ideology is an insult to all those great leaders, those who devoted their entire lives to the freedom struggle. By accusing them of dividing Vande Matram you’re accusing the entire constituent assembly. This is a direct attack on our constituent assembly and our constitution.” Vadra later defended Nehru and recounted his contribution to the state, asserting if he would not have laid the foundation of multiple institutions like IITs and AIIMS, how would we have become Vikshit Bharat. “Insofar Jawaharlal Nehru is considered, for as long the PM Modi has been the Prime Minister, that’s 12-years, Nehru spent that much time in jail for what? For the independence of the country, and after that 17-years as the country’s PM. You criticise him but if he wouldn’t have established ISRO your Mangalyan wouldn’t be there, if there was no DRDO your Tejas wouldn’t exist, if he wouldn’t have established IITs and IIM’s, then would not have led in IT…if he wouldn’t have established the institutions which you’re selling today, so would this Viksit Bharat exist? Pandit Nehru lived for the country and died serving this nation.” Earlier in the day opening the debate on Vande Matram PM Modi told the Lok Sabha that “Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru wrote a letter to Subhash Chandra Bose after Jinnah’s opposition to Vande Mataram, stating that he had read the background of Vande Mataram and thought it might provoke and irritate Muslims. He added that they would examine the use of Vande Mataram, and that too in Bankim Chandra’s Bengal.” Setting the debate in the context of what he described as the Congress’ past compromises with the Muslim League, the Prime Minister argued that the party had weakened the song’s legacy and “fragmented” it, undermining the sentiments of the freedom movement. He said the decisive moment came on October 26 that year. “The Vande Mataram song was sung. But it is the misfortune of the country that on October 26, the Congress compromised on Vande Mataram. Vande Mataram ke tukde kardiye. That decision was a failure, a betrayal,” he said, adding that the Congress “bowed to the Muslim League and decided to fragment Vande Mataram.” Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/limesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights
‘Long life and good health’: PM Modi greets Sonia Gandhi; Congress hails her ‘visionary’ leadership
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday extended greetings to former Congress president Sonia Gandhi on her 79th birthday. “Birthday greetings to Smt. Sonia Gandhi Ji. May she be blessed with a long life and good health,” PM Modi wrote on X. The Congress hailed her “visionary” leadership, crediting her with “transforming” the country through several landmark rights-based laws — a reference to her tenure as chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), the Congress-led coalition that governed India from 2004 to 2014. “Laws like MGNREGA, Right to Education, Right to Information, and the National Food Security Act gave millions jobs, hope, education, voice, and dignity. Her lifelong commitment to women’s empowerment, social justice, and inclusive growth continues to uplift millions all across the country. Her grit and dedication inspire us every day,” the party said. Sonia Gandhi led the Congress from 1998 to 2017, making her the longest-serving president in the party’s history. She later returned as interim chief from 2019 to 2022. In June 2024, she was re-elected as president of the Congress Parliamentary Party. Her son, Rahul Gandhi — also a former Congress president — is the current Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, where he represents Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli constituency, a seat she held from 2004 to 2024 before moving to the Rajya Sabha. Her daughter, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, is a Congress general secretary and the MP from Kerala’s Wayanad seat. Courtesy : TOI Note: This news is originally published on https:/limesofindia.com/bha and is used purely for non-profit/non-commercial purposes, especially human rights