Tag: protests

  • Telangana emblem: BRS opposes Congress govt’s ‘attempt to remove’ Charminar from Telangana emblem

    Hyderabad: The opposition BRS in Telangana on Thursday said it would hold protests against the Congress government’s alleged move to remove Charminar and the ‘Kakatiya arch’ from the state emblem. BRS working president K T Rama Rao, who visited Charminar here along with other party leaders, said Charminar is the identity of Hyderabad.

    Speaking to reporters, Rama Rao alleged that the Congress government does not want former Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to get a good name for the BRS government’s performance during the last 10 years.

    He also accused the Congress government of trying to belittle the progress achieved during the tenure of BRS. “We oppose the Congress government’s attempt to remove Charminar and the Kakatiya arch from the official logo of Telangana,” he said, adding that the BRS would also take up protests on the issue. AllUttar PradeshMaharashtraTamil NaduWest BengalBiharKarnatakaAndhra PradeshTelanganaKeralaMadhya PradeshRajasthanDelhiOther StatesHe demanded that the Congress government withdraw its alleged attempt to remove the Charminar and also the arch of the Kakatiya dynasty of Warangal from the state emblem. The proposed agitation by the BRS came in the wake of the state government’s move to make a new state emblem reflecting the “struggles and sacrifices of Telangana” and also a new state song. BRS leader RS Praveen Kumar opposed popular music director M M Keeravani of Oscar-winning ‘Natu Natu’ fame composing music for the state song ‘Jaya Jaya He Telangana’ penned by poet Ande Sri. Kumar took exception to the “authority” of Keeravani, who is a native of neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, over the state song of Ande Sri.

    “Tollywood and Telangana movement are different. Tollywood is for entertainment and on the other hand, Telangana anthem is a common thread of emotion that brought all hearts of Telangana together during movement. It’s not Hollywood that gave tune to Jana Gana Mana and Vandemataram,” Kumar said on ‘X’ on May 27.

  • BJP to protest across UP against Bhutto’s comments on PM Modi

    By PTI

    lucknow: The BJP in Uttar Pradesh will stage protests in every district on Saturday against Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto’s personal comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the party has said.

    State BJP president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary issued a statement on Friday evening, terming Bhutto’s statement against Modi “indecent” and “shameful”.

    He said the party would stage protests at the district level in the entire state on Saturday. BJP workers staged a protest in Mathura on Friday and burnt an effigy of the Pakistani minister.

    State BJP general secretary Govind Narayan Shukla said party workers would hold a protest in capital Lucknow around 12 noon.

    Chaudhary said under the leadership of PM Modi, India has been recognised as a strong nation in the whole world.

    “The statement of the Pakistani foreign minister, who has failed on every front, shows his frustration and disappointment,” he added.

    lucknow: The BJP in Uttar Pradesh will stage protests in every district on Saturday against Pakistani Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto’s personal comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the party has said.

    State BJP president Bhupendra Singh Chaudhary issued a statement on Friday evening, terming Bhutto’s statement against Modi “indecent” and “shameful”.

    He said the party would stage protests at the district level in the entire state on Saturday. BJP workers staged a protest in Mathura on Friday and burnt an effigy of the Pakistani minister.

    State BJP general secretary Govind Narayan Shukla said party workers would hold a protest in capital Lucknow around 12 noon.

    Chaudhary said under the leadership of PM Modi, India has been recognised as a strong nation in the whole world.

    “The statement of the Pakistani foreign minister, who has failed on every front, shows his frustration and disappointment,” he added.

  • TRS stages protest over BJP’s ‘attempt to buy MLAs’

    By IANS

    HYDERABAD: Telangana ministers and leaders of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) staged protests in different parts of the state on Wednesday night to protest against what they called an attempt by the BJP to buy TRS MLAs.

    TRS leaders staged a dharna at Choutuppal near Hyderabad on the Vijayawada highway. Ministers Gangula Kamalakar and Indrakaran Reddy participated in the protest.

    The protesters raised slogans against BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They alleged that the saffron party was trying to pull down the TRS government by luring its MLAs with offers of money and posts.

    The protest led to a traffic jam on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway. Similar protests were organised by the ruling party leaders in other districts.

    Earlier, police claimed that it caught three persons while they were trying to ‘buy’ four MLAs of TRS

    The four were detained during a raid at a farmhouse at Aziz Nagar on the city outskirts while offering money to four MLAs. Cyberabad police conducted the raids on a tip-off by the legislators.

    Cyberabad Police Commissioner Stephen Ravindra said the deal could be to the tune of Rs 100 crore.

    TRS MLAs Rega Kantha Rao, Guvvala Balaraju, Beeram Harshvardhan Reddy and Pilot Rohit Reddy had alerted police that attempts were being made to lure them to switch loyalties.

    Those detained are Ramachandra Bharati alias S. Satish Sharma from Delhi and Simhayajulu from Tirupati, both said to be temple priests and Nanda Kumar, a businessman from Hyderabad said to be close to a union minister.

    Meanwhile, four MLAs met Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao at Pragati Bhavan, the official residence of the chief minister. Ministers K.T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao were also present.

    In the meeting, KCR discussed the latest developments with ministers and other party leaders.

    HYDERABAD: Telangana ministers and leaders of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) staged protests in different parts of the state on Wednesday night to protest against what they called an attempt by the BJP to buy TRS MLAs.

    TRS leaders staged a dharna at Choutuppal near Hyderabad on the Vijayawada highway. Ministers Gangula Kamalakar and Indrakaran Reddy participated in the protest.

    The protesters raised slogans against BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. They alleged that the saffron party was trying to pull down the TRS government by luring its MLAs with offers of money and posts.

    The protest led to a traffic jam on the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway. Similar protests were organised by the ruling party leaders in other districts.

    Earlier, police claimed that it caught three persons while they were trying to ‘buy’ four MLAs of TRS

    The four were detained during a raid at a farmhouse at Aziz Nagar on the city outskirts while offering money to four MLAs. Cyberabad police conducted the raids on a tip-off by the legislators.

    Cyberabad Police Commissioner Stephen Ravindra said the deal could be to the tune of Rs 100 crore.

    TRS MLAs Rega Kantha Rao, Guvvala Balaraju, Beeram Harshvardhan Reddy and Pilot Rohit Reddy had alerted police that attempts were being made to lure them to switch loyalties.

    Those detained are Ramachandra Bharati alias S. Satish Sharma from Delhi and Simhayajulu from Tirupati, both said to be temple priests and Nanda Kumar, a businessman from Hyderabad said to be close to a union minister.

    Meanwhile, four MLAs met Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao at Pragati Bhavan, the official residence of the chief minister. Ministers K.T. Rama Rao and T. Harish Rao were also present.

    In the meeting, KCR discussed the latest developments with ministers and other party leaders.

  • 30 Tana Bhagat tribals arrested, sent to jail for violence in Latehar civil court

    By PTI

    LATEHAR: Thirty persons belonging to the Tana Bhagat tribal community were arrested and sent to jail custody on Tuesday for the violent protest at Latehar civil court in Jharkhand after police registered a named FIR against total 228 people, police said.

    An FIR was also registered against 300 unknown persons in connection with the incident in which the police were brickbatted and 17 personnel were injured, the chief judge gheraoed for five hours and the entry and exit gates of the court blocked by the protesters.

    The secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Tana Bhagat Committee, Bahadur Tana Bhagat and its leaders Rajendra Tana Bhagat, Manoj Kumar Minz, Dharamdeo Bhagat, Dhaneshwar Toppo and Ajit Minz were among the accused named in the FIR for inciting the people, police inspector Amit Kumar said here.

    A strong police contingent remains deployed in and around the court as well as district collectorate to maintain law and order, he said.

    Besides, police is keeping strict vigil on all strategic points of the district headquarter town apprehending that Tana Bhagats may enter it again, Kumar said.

    Police had seized 22 motorcycles on Monday from the spot in naxalite-affected Latehar, about 110 kms from Jharkhand capital Ranchi after the incident, Kumar said.

    Trouble broke out on Monday when a 500-strong armed mob gheraoed the court for five hours accusing the district administration of ignoring constitutional provisions and demanded restoration of traditional rule as Latehar is under the 5th schedule of the Constitution.

    They brickbatted the police when its personnel tried to vacate the premises.

    The protestors also broke the door frame metal detector at the office of district judge in the court premises, he said.

    The police had closed the main entrance to the court based on an intelligence input but the protestors forced their way through the small gate beside the main entrance.

    Apart from Kumar, 16 police personnel including a sub-inspector, two assistant sub-inspector and three women constables were injured in the brickbatting by the tribals.

    This led to the police to burst tear gas shells and use the water canon to disperse the violent protestors.

    The protestors, who are activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Tana Bhagat Committee, claimed that the functioning of courts and employment and entry of outsiders in Latehar district is prohibited under the 5th schedule and threatened to continue their agitation till the demand for implementation of their traditional system was met.

    LATEHAR: Thirty persons belonging to the Tana Bhagat tribal community were arrested and sent to jail custody on Tuesday for the violent protest at Latehar civil court in Jharkhand after police registered a named FIR against total 228 people, police said.

    An FIR was also registered against 300 unknown persons in connection with the incident in which the police were brickbatted and 17 personnel were injured, the chief judge gheraoed for five hours and the entry and exit gates of the court blocked by the protesters.

    The secretary of Akhil Bharatiya Tana Bhagat Committee, Bahadur Tana Bhagat and its leaders Rajendra Tana Bhagat, Manoj Kumar Minz, Dharamdeo Bhagat, Dhaneshwar Toppo and Ajit Minz were among the accused named in the FIR for inciting the people, police inspector Amit Kumar said here.

    A strong police contingent remains deployed in and around the court as well as district collectorate to maintain law and order, he said.

    Besides, police is keeping strict vigil on all strategic points of the district headquarter town apprehending that Tana Bhagats may enter it again, Kumar said.

    Police had seized 22 motorcycles on Monday from the spot in naxalite-affected Latehar, about 110 kms from Jharkhand capital Ranchi after the incident, Kumar said.

    Trouble broke out on Monday when a 500-strong armed mob gheraoed the court for five hours accusing the district administration of ignoring constitutional provisions and demanded restoration of traditional rule as Latehar is under the 5th schedule of the Constitution.

    They brickbatted the police when its personnel tried to vacate the premises.

    The protestors also broke the door frame metal detector at the office of district judge in the court premises, he said.

    The police had closed the main entrance to the court based on an intelligence input but the protestors forced their way through the small gate beside the main entrance.

    Apart from Kumar, 16 police personnel including a sub-inspector, two assistant sub-inspector and three women constables were injured in the brickbatting by the tribals.

    This led to the police to burst tear gas shells and use the water canon to disperse the violent protestors.

    The protestors, who are activists of the Akhil Bharatiya Tana Bhagat Committee, claimed that the functioning of courts and employment and entry of outsiders in Latehar district is prohibited under the 5th schedule and threatened to continue their agitation till the demand for implementation of their traditional system was met.

  • Lawyers boycott Ankita murder accused; Protesters demand CBI probe

    By PTI

    KOTDWAR: The main accused in Ankita Bhandari case on Wednesday could not file their bail application in a court here after a local body of lawyers decided to boycott them, even as protests were held demanding a CBI probe into her murder.

    The matter was to be heard virtually in the civil court here but lawyers refused en masse to move the bail applications on behalf of the “perpetrators of such a heinous crime”.

    The Bar Association of Kotdwar passed a resolution not to represent the accused, a lawyer said.

    Earlier, Anganvadi workers, with sickles in their hands, and women associated with different organisations held a protest here demanding a CBI probe in the case.

    The protesters from Rikhnikhal, Ekeshwar, Dwarikhal and Dugadda in the district took out a rally from Jhanda Chawk to the tehsil briefly, blocking NH 534 on the way, and handed over a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to local authorities.

    Ward councillor Saurav Naudiyal said he had submitted a memorandum demanding a CBI probe into the case. The protesters also demonstrated outside the court demanding the hanging of Ankita’s killers.

    In Dehradun, the Congress held a dharna at Gandhi Park for a CBI probe into the Ankita Bhandari murder case, saying it has no confidence in the ongoing investigation by the SIT.

    Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat, Leader of Opposition in Uttarakhand Assembly Yashpal Arya, state unit president Karan Mahra, his predecessor Ganesh Godiyal and other party leaders participated in the protest.

    “The chief minister hurriedly ordered the demolition of the resort to destroy evidence. The DGP’s telephonic conversation with the slain girl’s father was recorded and put in the public domain. It is a crime. How can we trust an SIT constituted by him? We demand a high court-monitored CBI probe into the case,” state Congress chief Mahra said.

    Chief Minister Dhami announced financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh to the family of Ankita Bhandari and assured her family that the case would be heard in a fast-track court.

    “The state government is with Ankita’s family. We will extend all help to them. The case is being probed by an SIT (Special Investigation Team). The investigation will be conducted impartially and completed as soon,” he said.

    Meanwhile, a senior police official said the case is being investigated from all angles with total promptness.

    Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at a resort near Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, was allegedly killed by the resort owner and two of his accomplices.

    The official said the three accused, including resort owner Pulkit Arya, were arrested within 24 hours of the matter being handed over to the regular police force from revenue police on September 22.

    “A special investigation team (SIT) headed by a DIG-level officer is fast collecting the evidence based on which we can plead for the hanging of the accused in the court of law,” he said, requesting anonymity.

    Rubbishing allegations that the accused are being shielded by destroying evidence related to the case in the garb of demolishing parts of the resort, he said there has been no tampering with the evidence.

    Asked why the VIP guest, who finds a mention in Bhandari’s chat with her friend that has now gone viral and to whom she was asked to offer “extra service” for money at the resort, is yet to be brought under the ambit of the probe, the official emphatically said he will also be included.

    “It is, in fact, in our efforts to find out about him that we have summoned Ankita’s friend from Jammu. The investigation will be carried forward on the basis of his interrogation,” he said.

    The accused had said they had pushed Bhandari into the Chilla canal on September 18 and her body was found on September 24. He said that samples from her body parts have been sent for a forensic examination to rule out rape and the report is likely to be available soon.

    The probe is being conducted very fast and the truth will soon come out, he said. “People should keep patience. Ankita will get justice,” he asserted.

    The SIT probing the case on Tuesday seized a grey Activa and a black Pulsar motorcycle, which were suspected to be used in the crime.

    The SIT has also summoned a couple who had worked at the resort earlier and others for interrogation, it said. The SIT has found the list of guests staying at the resort on the day of the incident.

    It has also collected physical evidence and is examining electronic evidence such as CCTV footage and mobile call records.

    The main accused Pulkit Arya is the son of former Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vinod Arya, who was expelled by the party when Pulkit’s name cropped up in the case.

    Also on Wednesday, an RSS office bearer who had uploaded an objectionable post on social media against the kin of Bhandari after her murder was booked for sedition and spreading caste animosity.

    “A case has been registered against Vipin Karnwal, an RSS functionary, at the Raiwala police station under the IT act for sedition and spreading caste animosity,” Rishikesh SDM Dinesh Chandra Dhaundiyal said.

    Karnwal’s social media post had sparked tension in Raiwala and Rishikesh with protests at different places.

    The highway to Delhi was blocked by protesters on Wednesday too but they lifted the blockade after an assurance from the police that a case will be lodged against Karnwal.

    KOTDWAR: The main accused in Ankita Bhandari case on Wednesday could not file their bail application in a court here after a local body of lawyers decided to boycott them, even as protests were held demanding a CBI probe into her murder.

    The matter was to be heard virtually in the civil court here but lawyers refused en masse to move the bail applications on behalf of the “perpetrators of such a heinous crime”.

    The Bar Association of Kotdwar passed a resolution not to represent the accused, a lawyer said.

    Earlier, Anganvadi workers, with sickles in their hands, and women associated with different organisations held a protest here demanding a CBI probe in the case.

    The protesters from Rikhnikhal, Ekeshwar, Dwarikhal and Dugadda in the district took out a rally from Jhanda Chawk to the tehsil briefly, blocking NH 534 on the way, and handed over a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to local authorities.

    Ward councillor Saurav Naudiyal said he had submitted a memorandum demanding a CBI probe into the case. The protesters also demonstrated outside the court demanding the hanging of Ankita’s killers.

    In Dehradun, the Congress held a dharna at Gandhi Park for a CBI probe into the Ankita Bhandari murder case, saying it has no confidence in the ongoing investigation by the SIT.

    Senior Congress leader Harish Rawat, Leader of Opposition in Uttarakhand Assembly Yashpal Arya, state unit president Karan Mahra, his predecessor Ganesh Godiyal and other party leaders participated in the protest.

    “The chief minister hurriedly ordered the demolition of the resort to destroy evidence. The DGP’s telephonic conversation with the slain girl’s father was recorded and put in the public domain. It is a crime. How can we trust an SIT constituted by him? We demand a high court-monitored CBI probe into the case,” state Congress chief Mahra said.

    Chief Minister Dhami announced financial assistance of Rs 25 lakh to the family of Ankita Bhandari and assured her family that the case would be heard in a fast-track court.

    “The state government is with Ankita’s family. We will extend all help to them. The case is being probed by an SIT (Special Investigation Team). The investigation will be conducted impartially and completed as soon,” he said.

    Meanwhile, a senior police official said the case is being investigated from all angles with total promptness.

    Bhandari, a 19-year-old receptionist at a resort near Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, was allegedly killed by the resort owner and two of his accomplices.

    The official said the three accused, including resort owner Pulkit Arya, were arrested within 24 hours of the matter being handed over to the regular police force from revenue police on September 22.

    “A special investigation team (SIT) headed by a DIG-level officer is fast collecting the evidence based on which we can plead for the hanging of the accused in the court of law,” he said, requesting anonymity.

    Rubbishing allegations that the accused are being shielded by destroying evidence related to the case in the garb of demolishing parts of the resort, he said there has been no tampering with the evidence.

    Asked why the VIP guest, who finds a mention in Bhandari’s chat with her friend that has now gone viral and to whom she was asked to offer “extra service” for money at the resort, is yet to be brought under the ambit of the probe, the official emphatically said he will also be included.

    “It is, in fact, in our efforts to find out about him that we have summoned Ankita’s friend from Jammu. The investigation will be carried forward on the basis of his interrogation,” he said.

    The accused had said they had pushed Bhandari into the Chilla canal on September 18 and her body was found on September 24. He said that samples from her body parts have been sent for a forensic examination to rule out rape and the report is likely to be available soon.

    The probe is being conducted very fast and the truth will soon come out, he said. “People should keep patience. Ankita will get justice,” he asserted.

    The SIT probing the case on Tuesday seized a grey Activa and a black Pulsar motorcycle, which were suspected to be used in the crime.

    The SIT has also summoned a couple who had worked at the resort earlier and others for interrogation, it said. The SIT has found the list of guests staying at the resort on the day of the incident.

    It has also collected physical evidence and is examining electronic evidence such as CCTV footage and mobile call records.

    The main accused Pulkit Arya is the son of former Bharatiya Janata Party leader Vinod Arya, who was expelled by the party when Pulkit’s name cropped up in the case.

    Also on Wednesday, an RSS office bearer who had uploaded an objectionable post on social media against the kin of Bhandari after her murder was booked for sedition and spreading caste animosity.

    “A case has been registered against Vipin Karnwal, an RSS functionary, at the Raiwala police station under the IT act for sedition and spreading caste animosity,” Rishikesh SDM Dinesh Chandra Dhaundiyal said.

    Karnwal’s social media post had sparked tension in Raiwala and Rishikesh with protests at different places.

    The highway to Delhi was blocked by protesters on Wednesday too but they lifted the blockade after an assurance from the police that a case will be lodged against Karnwal.

  • Stone pelting, protests in UP cities over Prophet remark; 136 arrested

    By PTI

    LUCKNOW: People pelted stones at police personnel in Prayagraj and Saharanpur and protests broke out after Friday prayers in at least four other cities in Uttar Pradesh over a non-suspended BJP leader’s recent remarks on Prophet Mohammad.

    Police have arrested more than 130 people from six districts of the state.

    In Prayagraj, some motorcycles and carts were set on fire and an attempt was made to set ablaze a police vehicle. Police used tear gas and lathis to disperse mobs and peace was later restored, they said, adding that one policeman was hurt in the region.

    “As many as 136 protesting miscreants were arrested from six districts of the state till 9.45 pm on Friday,” Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Prashant Kumar said. He said 45 protesters were arrested from Saharanpur, 37 from Prayagraj, 23 people from Ambedkar Nagar, 20 from Hathras, seven from Moradabad, and four from Firozabad district.

    There was slogan-shouting against the now-suspended BJP spokesperson Nupur Sharma over her remarks during a TV debate, which also triggered outrage in several Islamic nations.

    In Saharanpur, protesters demanded the death sentence for her. There were also protests in Bijnor, Moradabad, Rampur and Lucknow over the controversial remarks. Sloganeering took place in Lucknow.

    According to the local people, stone pelting continued for over 15 minutes in Prayagraj. They said some of the miscreants pelted stones at the police personnel deployed on the main road and the situation escalated when more people joined the stone pelters.

    Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Awanish Awasthi said, “Minor force was used to stop some people involved in the violence. The situation in Prayagraj is now peaceful. I would like to appeal to people to use democratic ways of protest without resorting to violence.”

    Uttar Pradesh’s Director General of Police (DGP) D S Chauhan said no life has been lost because of the proper arrangements made by the state police. “Because of our preparedness, no life has been lost. We will take strict action against those found involved in the violence,” he said.

    Additional Director General (ADG), Parayagraj Zone, Prem Prakash said a constable of Rapid Action Force (RAF) was injured during stone pelting in the region. Additional police force and teams of RAF were rushed to the spot. The police also fired tear gas shells and used force to stop the miscreants, he said.

    In Saharanpur, people holding placards raised slogans against Nupur Sharma. Some of them also turned violent after the security personnel tried to stop them. This led to brief stone pelting in the Nehru market area of the city.

    Some madrasa students also raised slogans in the Deoband area. The protesters also raised slogans demanding capital punishment for the suspended BJP leader.

    District Magistrate Akhilesh Singh told PTI, “Police had to retort to force when the protesters refused to hear the appeals of peace by police personnel. The protestors are being identified using CCTV footage for further action.”

    Four people, including the district president of AIMIM, were arrested in Bijnor as a precautionary measure.

    Superintendent of Police Dharamveer Singh said AIMIM district chief Abdullah along with one Iftekhar, Mahroof and Akil were arrested for inciting communal hatred.

    According to the police, the accused called a gathering near Purani Musfi area in Bijnor. The arrests were made on the complaint of people from the Muslim community, the SP said.

    People demanded action against the BJP leader and waved banners with “Arrest Nupur Sharma” written on them in Rampur and Moradabad.

    In Kanpur, which was the epicentre of communal violence last week, the Friday prayers were held in a peaceful manner with no reports of any untoward incident. The prayers were held under a watertight security vigil by police personnel.

    A heavy police force was deployed in the area with senior police and administrative officials present on the spot. This comes following clashes last week in Kanpur over the remarks on the Prophet at a TV debate some days earlier.

    A high alert was issued across the state after that, and a heavy police force was deployed to ensure that violence does not occur again.

  • Congressmen take oath of protest against terrorism, distribute masks, sanitizers

    Presently following the lockdown, following the rules of Central and State Government, Bastar District Congress Committee (City) President Rajiv Sharma, MLA Rekhachand Jain, Mayor Safira Sahu, Chairman Kavita Sahu and Congressmen on the death anniversary of former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi Laid a wreath. The District Congress Committee distributed masks, sanitizers, soaps etc. through the block presidents in all the block headquarters including the district headquarters. Citizens and villagers were advised to follow the guide line of the government and be vigilant about their health to protect against the corona virus.

  • Haryana passes Bill to recover damages after violent protests

    By Express News Service
    CHANDIGARH: The Haryana Assembly on Thursday passed a Bill that will allow authorities to recover compensation  from violent protesters for causing damage to public property. The Haryana Recovery of Damages to Property during Disturbance to Public Order Bill, 2021 was tabled in the House three days back and was passed after an hour-long discussion.

    The Bill provides for recovery of damages to property caused during disturbances to public order by an assembly, lawful or unlawful, including riots and violent disorder. A ‘claims tribunal’ can be set up to assess damage to public property and fix liability. The collector can order the attachment of property or bank accounts of anyone asked by the tribunal to pay compensation.

    Home Minister Anil Vij countering the Opposition said, “We are not bringing this Bill against people’s democratic right to hold a protest. They said we are bringing this for farmers’ agitation, but there is no connection.” Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh Hooda also sought its withdrawal. He  said, “Peaceful protest is every citizen’s right. There are already legal provisions pertaining to damage caused to property. What about the responsibility of the police in not being able to control law and order?’’

    Slamming the government, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said, “The bill itself is law imposing and  puts a permanent ban on every person or group who speaks, thinks, protests and states the flaws and mistakes of state government. Not only does this violate the fundamental rights enshrined in Article 19 of the Constitution, but it also reflects the mentality and frustration of the BJP-JJP government that it is scared of the people of Haryana.’’

  • IMA Raipur unit protests against mixopathy

    A gradual hunger strike by Indian Medical Association Raipur in protest against mixopathy has started from 1 February. The protests, which continue till 14 February, will lead 5 hunger strikes daily. In this sequence, on Tuesday, Dr. Abbas Naqvi, Dr. Javed Ali Khan, Dr. Rajesh Gupta, Dr. Feroz Memon and Dr. Manoj Soni participated in the hunger strike. The hunger strike is supported by Dr. Sandeep Dave, Dr. Sanjay Sharma, Dr. Pravash Chaudhary and Dr. Pranay Jain. He has said that Mixopathy means Khichdi treatment system will be very dangerous for public health. We are all opposing the law which the government is going to bring in support of Mixopathy.