7 minute read
Verdict in Rahul’s plea likely today
from 20 April 2023
AHMEDABAD, APR 19 (PT): A sessions court in Gujarat’s Surat is likely to pronounce its order on Thursday on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s plea for a stay on his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his “Modi surname” remark. A stay order could pave the way for Gandhi’s reinstatement as a Member of Parliament.
The court of Additional Sessions Judge RP Mogera had last Thursday reserved its verdict for April 20 on Gandhi’s application for a stay on conviction pending his appeal against a lower court’s order sentencing him to two years in jail in the case. Gandhi had earlier submitted that the trial court treated him harshly after being overwhelmingly influenced by his status as an MP.
Advertisement
The 52-year-old politician was elected to the Lok Sabha from Wayanad in Kerala in 2019 but was disqualified a day after a metropolitan magistrate court in Surat on March 23 sentenced him to two years in jail in a case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Purnesh Modi under sections 499 and 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code.
Gandhi had on April 3 moved the sessions court against the lower court’s order. His lawyers also filed two applications, one for a stay on the sentence (or bail till the disposal of his appeal) and another for a stay on conviction till the disposal of the appeal.
While granting Gandhi bail, the court issued notices to complainant Purnesh Modi and the state government on his plea for a stay on conviction. It heard both parties on Thursday last week and reserved the order for April 20.
MLA Modi had filed a criminal defamation case against Gandhi over his remarks, “How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname?” made during an election rally at Kolar in Karnataka on April 13, 2019.
Arguing for Gandhi’s plea for a stay on conviction, his lawyer told the court that the trial in the case was “not fair” and there was no need for maximum punishment in the case. In his submission, Gandhi said that if the March 23 judgment of the trial court is not suspended and stayed, it will cause irreparable damage to his reputation.
He said the excessive sentence is contrary to the law on the subject and unwarranted in the present case which has overriding political overtones.
Gandhi termed his
Will resign if proven I dialled Shah over TMC’s national status: Mamata
KOLKATA, APR 19 (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said she will resign if it is proven that she dialled Union Home Minister Amit Shah after the Trinamool Congress lost the national party status.
Banerjee, who was speaking to reporters at West Bengal’s state secretariat, said that her party’s name will remain the All India Trinamool Congress.
“I will resign if it is proven that I called up Amit Shah over TMC’s national party status,” she said, rejecting Bengal’s leader of opposition Suvendu Ad - hikari’s claim that she had made the call.
Adhikari on Tuesday claimed that Banerjee had dialled Shah after the Election Commission revoked TMC’s national party status to request him to repeal the decision.
Banerjee, also the
Udhyanidhi Stalin slaps legal notice on TN BJP chief
CHENNAI, APR 19
(PTI): DMK Youth Wing chief and Tamil Nadu Minister, Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday sent a legal notice to state BJP president K Annamalai over certain allegations made by the latter titled the “DMK Files.”
Udhayanidhi, son of Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin, demanded Rs 50 crore as damages from Annamalai, besides an unconditional apology.
Annamalai had released the “DMK Files,” last week, making allegations of graft against party leaders including Stalin.
The party has already sent Annamalai a Rs 500 crore legal notice for his “baseless” allegations made against the Chief Minister.
The notice issued by P Wilson Associates Law Firm “under instructions” from Udhayanidhi also took exception to Annamalai naming his children, “including minor daughter” and said this was a violation of the wards’ privacy.
“.... and our client states that he will initiate appropriate prosecution in accordance with law including but not limited to proceedings before Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005,” it said.
Categorically denying Annamalai’s claim over his
Government of India
Ministry of Law and Justice (Department of Legal Affairs)
Recruitment Notice (exte N sio N of ti M e)
The last date for submission of the online applications for the post of p resident, ITAT has been extended till 01.05.2023. Those applicants, who have already applied for the said post, need not apply again.
For eligibility conditions, application form, terms and conditions and other details, please visit https:// legalaffairs.gov.in/itat-president/application
Under Secretary, Admn. III Section, Room No. 415-C, A Wing, Shastri bhawan, New delhi-110001 assets, the Youth Welfare and Sports Development Minister dismissed them as “per se false, concocted” and made with the intention to tarnish his reputation.
Udhayanidhi demanded an unconditional, public apology from Annamalai, besides asking him to “remove the offending video” containing the allegations from his social media pages and a website.
TMC supremo, said, “It was the norm to review the national party status of all parties after 10 years. That would mean the next review should have been in 2026 … But they did it in 2019.” conviction as “erroneous” and “patently perverse” and said the trial court treated him harshly after being overwhelmingly influenced by his status as an MP.
“My party’s name will remain the ‘All India Trinamool Congress’. If the BJP has any problem, they can approach the Election Commission and we will approach the common people,” she thundered.
The ECI withdrew the national party status of the TMC, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) last week.
“The appellant has been treated harshly at the stage of determination of sentence taking into account his position as a Member of Parliament, hence the far-reaching implications would have been in the knowledge of the trial court,” he said.
The Congress leader said that he was sentenced in a manner so as to attract the order of disqualification because the trial court was well aware of his status as a Parliamentarian.
The bye-election once held in Gandhi’s Lok Sabha constituency due to his disqualification cannot be undone if his conviction is not stayed even if the court subsequently acquits him, he said. Such an election will also cause irreparable loss to the state exchequer, he said.
Confident that Army can deal with any contingency along LAC: Rajnath Singh
NEW DELHI, APR 19 (PTI): Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday asked the top commanders of the Indian Army to maintain a strong vigil along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China as the situation in the northern sector remained “tense” due to the deployment of Chinese PLA troops.
In his address at the Army Commanders’ Conference, Singh, referring to the eastern Ladakh border standoff, expressed full confidence in the Army to deal with any contingency while noting that ongoing talks for a peaceful resolution of the row will continue and that disengagement and de-escalation were the best way forward. Singh said a “whole of the government” approach is being followed to ensure the availability of best weapons, equipment and clothing to the troops braving e xtreme weather and hostile forces to defend the country’s territorial integrity, according to the defence ministry.
The Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a three-year confrontation in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks.
The defence minister reaffirmed the faith of the billion-plus citizens in the Indian Army as one of the most trusted and inspiring organisations in the country.
“The situation is tense due to the deployment of PLA troops in the northern sector. Our armed forces, especially the Indian Army, will have to continuously keep their vigilance in order to maintain the security of the LAC,” he said, according to sources.
The defence minister said the security of the country is the “topmost priority” for the government.
PM Modi to visit Kerala for two days
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, APR 19 (PTI):
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will arrive in Kerala on April 24 for a two-day visit and attend a host of programmes including the flagging off of the muchawaited Vande Bharat Express train here.
The BJP state unit, which is making all arrangements to accord a grand reception to the PM, shared a poster on Facebook announcing his visit, saying the “world leader” was coming to Kerala and tens of thousands of people would take part in a huge road show in Kochi on April 24.
However, they did not specify whether the PM
WANTED
1. M.A (Education) with B.Ed.
2. Computer Typist for Office Asst. For immediate appointment Contact No. 8974631825, 9402682861
Dimapur District Ao
PENSIONERS' TELUNGJEM
Dimapur - 797112
Free Medical Camp
A Free Medical Camp will be held for members of Dimapur District Ao Pensioners' Telungjem on 22nd April 2023 from 10:00 AM onwards at Dimapur Mission Higher Secondary School, Khermahal (DABA). Interested members are informed to avail this opportunity.
himself would take part in the road show or not, but said Modi would be given a grand reception at the international airport here when he arrives to flag off the semi-high speed Vande Bharat Express on April 25.
“It is a historic moment that Kerala is waiting for,” the BJP said, describing the Vande Bharat being allotted to Kerala as the PM’s “Vishu kaineettam” (Vishu gift).
Modi is also likely to travel along with a group of school children in the new train and interact with them, sources added.
As the general elections are around the corner, with just about a year to go, the party’s propaganda machinery is pulling out all the stops to give maximum publicity to the allotment of the train to the state.
The BJP leaders drew parallels between Vande Bharat and the state government’s shelved Silverline project and claimed that while the Pinarayi Vijayan
Notice
government tried to bring development by evicting thousands of people, the Modi government was doing it without causing difficulty to anyone. Modi is also visiting the southern state amidst the saffon party’s massive minority outreach programme that apparently has evoked a positive response from a section of priests of various Christian denominations. The party leaders’ recent visit to Christian families and their breakfast meetings with some priests in the community are being viewed as part of their efforts to reach out to minorities ahead of the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.
