'Will not apologise,' says Rahul Gandhi over 'rape in India' remark row

News Network
December 13, 2019

New Delhi, Dec 13: The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha on Friday witnessed uproar as BJP lawmakers demanded an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his "rape in India" remark.

Amid the ruckus, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said in the Lower House, "Rahul Gandhi is telling rape in India and it means what? He is asking all the outsiders to come and rape women. Is it right?"

Union Minister Smriti Irani, who defeated the Congress leader in his home bastion Amethi in 2019 Lok Sabha poll, said: "This is the first time in history that a leader is giving a clarion call that Indian women should be raped. Is this Rahul Gandhi's message to the people of the country?"

BJP lawmakers stood and raised slogans demanding an apology from the former Congress president.

In a quick response, Rahul Gandhi said: “I will not apologise. BJP just want to deflect attention from protests in North East.”

Ally DMK's Kanimozhi sided with Gandhi and defended his remark in the House. "PM said 'Make in India', which we respect, but what is happening in country? That is what Rahul Gandhi intended to say. Unfortunately, 'Make in India' is not happening and women in the country are being raped. This is a concern." she said amid pandemonium.

Later, Speaker Om Birla adjourned the proceedings in the Lower House till 12 pm today.

A similar scenario was witnessed in the Upper House with BJP members raising slogans of, "Rahul Gandhi maafi maango" (Rahul Gandhi, apologise)." House Chairman and Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu, however, quelled the protests by asking members to not disturb the proceedings.

"You cannot take the name of a person who is not a member of this House. Nobody has the business to disturb the House," said Naidu. Soon after, he adjourned the Rajya Sabha till 12 noon.

Addressing a poll rally in Jharkhand on Thursday, Gandhi had said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had launched 'Make in India' but nowadays it is 'Rape in India'.

"Narendra Modi had said 'Make in India' but nowadays wherever you look, it is 'Rape in India'. In Uttar Pradesh Narendra Modi's MLA raped a woman, then she met with an accident but Narendra Modi did not utter a word," he had said.

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Agencies
July 15,2020

New Delhi, Jul 15: Air India has started the process of identifying employees, based on various factors like efficiency, health and redundancy, who will be sent on compulsory leave without pay (LWP) for up to five years, according to an official order.

The airline's board of directors have authorised its Chairman and Managing Director Rajiv Bansal to send employees on LWP "for six months or for a period of two years extendable upto five years, depending upon the following factors - suitability, efficiency, competence, quality of performance, health of the employee, instance of non-availability of the employee for duty in the past as a result of ill health or otherwise and redundancy", the order said on Tuesday.

The departmental heads in the headquarter as well as regional directors are required to assess each employee "on the above mentioned factors and identify the cases where option of compulsory LWP can be exercised", stated the order dated July 14.

"Names of such employees need to be forwarded to the General Manager (Personnel) in headquarter for obtaining necessary approval of CMD," the order added.

In response to queries regarding this matter, Air India spokesperson said,"We would not like to make any comment on the issue."

Aviation sector has been significantly impacted due to the travel restrictions imposed in India and other countries due to the coronavirus pandemic. All airlines in India have taken cost-cutting measures such as pay cuts, LWP and firings of employees in order to conserve cash flow.

For example, GoAir has put most of its employees on compulsory LWP since April.

India resumed domestic passenger flights from May 25 after a gap of two months due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the airlines have been allowed to operate only a maximum of 45 per cent of their pre-COVID domestic flights. Occupancy rate in Indian domestic flights has been around 50-60 per cent since May 25.

Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in India since March 23.

The passenger demand for air travel will contract by 49 per cent in 2020 for Indian carriers in comparison to 2019 due to COVID-19 crisis, said global airlines body IATA on Monday.

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Agencies
January 5,2020

New Delhi, Jan 5: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Sunday sàid it was "shameful" that Sadaf Jafar, SR Darapuri and Pavan Rao were arrested by the Uttar Pradesh Police for violence without any evidence against them.

He also said that it was a shocking admission by the police that there is no evidence of their involvement.

"Sadaf Jafar, S R Darapuri and Pavan Rao Ambedkar released on bail after police ADMITTED no evidence of their involvement in violence. Shocking admission," he said on Twitter.

"If that were so, why did the police arrest them in the first place? And how did the Magistrate remand them to custody without looking at the evidence," he asked.
"The law says 'find evidence, then arrest'. The reality is 'first arrest, then search for evidence'. Shameful," Chidambaram tweeted.

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Agencies
February 7,2020

Jammu & Kashmir, Feb 7: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah, besides two political stalwarts from NC and its arch-rival PDP were booked under the stringent Public Safety Act (PSA) by the administration on Thursday, officials said.

A magistrate accompanied by police served the order to Mufti at the bungalow where she has been detained, the officials said.

Abdullah was also booked under the PSA, they said.

National Conference general secretary and former minister Ali Mohammed Sagar, who wields a support base in downtown city, was served with a PSA notice public order by the authorities.

Similarly, senior PDP leader Sartaj Madani was booked under the PSA. Madani is the maternal uncle of former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti.

Both Sagar and Madani were detained in the aftermath of August 5 crackdown by the Centre on politicians following abrogation of special status of the erstwhile state, besides its bifurcation into two union territories.

Their six-month preventive custody was ending on Thursday.

Earlier, the officials had said that former NC legislator Bashir Ahmed Veeri was also booked under the PSA but later it turned out that he had been released.

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