Gauri murder: Anyone speaking against BJP gets killed, says Rahul

Agencies
September 7, 2017

New Delhi, Sept 7: Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice president Rahul Gandhi expressed shock and distress on Wednesday over the killing of Kannada journalist activist Gauri Lankesh, saying anybody who speaks against the ideology of the BJP-RSS is “pressured, beaten, attacked and even killed”.

“Known for her fearless and independent views, Gauri Lankesh had extraordinary grit and determination to take on the system,” an IANS report quoted Sonia Gandhi as saying in a statement from the All India Congress Committee (AICC).

“The series of killings of rationalists, free thinkers and journalists in the country has created an atmosphere that dissent, ideological differences and divergence of views can endanger our lives. This cannot be and should not be tolerated.”

“It is an extremely sad moment for our democracy and a chilling reminder of the fact that intolerance and bigotry is raising its ugly head in our society.”

Lankesh was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Rahul Gandhi said he spoke to Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and told him that the “people who did this must be caught and punished”, ANI reported.

Criticising the BJP government, he said, anybody who speaks against the ideology of the BJP-RSS is “pressured, beaten, attacked and even killed”.

The news agency report said the Congress vice president also hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the PM was a “skilled Hindutva politician”.

“People say that the Prime Minister is quiet and Prime Minister has not said anything. The point is the entire ideology is to silence voices,” he told reporters.

“Sometimes, under pressure, the Prime Minister makes some statements. But the entire idea is to crush dissent,” adding that “non-violence is the history of this nation... murder cannot be justified,” he added.

Condemning the attack, Sonia Gandhi said the Congress stands as one with rationalists, thinkers, journalists and the media fraternity.

The AICC statement said Sonia Gandhi had also spoken to Siddaramaiah and urged him to swiftly bring the culprits to book.

“Every possible measure should be taken to maintain a safe and secure atmosphere in the state,” she said, and expressed her deepest condolences to Lankesh’s family and friends.

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News Network
March 9,2020

New Delhi, Mar 9: The Delhi Police Special Cell on Monday arrested a PFI member Danish from UP''s Moradabad for allegedly spreading fake propaganda during anti- CAA protests.

"Danish was the head of the Counter Intelligence Wing of PFI and has been actively participating in the anti-CAA protest across the city," sources in the Delhi Police Special Cell said.

Sources further claimed that his arrest has given clues regarding the Information war by the Popular Front of India (PFI).

The FIR related to the protest was filed by the Crime Branch but since the larger conspiracy regarding the Delhi riots is being probed by the Cell, the matter has been transferred to them.

Delhi Police Special Cell had on Sunday arrested a Kashmiri couple from Okhla for alleged links with Islamic State (IS) Khorasan module.

The couple have been identified as Jahanjeb Sami (husband) and Hinda Bashir Beg (wife). The police have seized some objectionable material from them and were interrogating them.

When asked about the couple, the sources said, "Officers of CERT-In are analysing the Eight Mobile phones and Laptop of the couple to question them further."

The couple being an active member of ISJ&K was operating from the Valley but later shifted their base to Delhi post internet clampdown.

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News Network
March 11,2020

Mar 11: Thirteen of the 22 rebel MLAs in Madhya Pradesh have given an assurance that "they are not leaving the Congress", senior party leader Digvijaya Singh said on Thursday while expressing confidence that the Kamal Nath-led government in the state will win a floor test.

"We are not keeping quiet. We are not sleeping," Singh told PTI, a day after Congress leader from the state Jyotiraditya Scindia quit the Congress and 22 MLAs submitted their resignations from the assembly in Madhya Pradesh.

Scindia was offered the post of Madhya Pradesh deputy chief minister but wanted his nominee, Singh said. However, Kamal Nath refused to accept a "chela", he said.

Scindia, he said, could have been a Congress nominee to the Rajya Sabha but "only Modi-Shah" can give a Cabinet post to the "over-ambitious" leader.

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News Network
June 23,2020

Jun 23: The U.S. government on Monday restricted charter flights from India, accusing the nation of "unfair and discriminatory practices" by violating a treaty governing aviation between the two countries.

Air India Ltd. has been making flights to repatriate its citizens during the travel disruptions caused by the Covid-19 outbreak, but also has been selling tickets to the public, the Transportation Department alleged.

At the same time, U.S. airlines have been prohibited from flying to India by aviation regulators there, the DOT said in its order. The situation "creates a competitive disadvantage for U.S. carriers," the agency said in a press release.

Air India is advertising a schedule that is more than half of pre-virus operations, the department said. "The charters go beyond true repatriations, and it appears that Air India may be using repatriation charters as a way of circumventing" that nation's flight restrictions, the U.S. agency said.

The order becomes effective in 30 days, the department said.

Indian airlines must apply to the DOT for authorization before conducting charter flights so that it can scrutinize them more closely, it said. The department will reconsider the restrictions once India lifts restrictions on U.S. carriers.

The action against India follows weeks of DOT restrictions against Chinese airlines after the U.S. agency accused that nation of unfairly banning American carriers in the wake of the virus. On June 15, the U.S. announced it would agree to allow four flights a week from China after it allowed the same number by U.S. carriers.

Attempts to reach Air India and the Indian embassy in Washington after business hours were unsuccessful.

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