Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi will address the party’s “Vote adhikar rally” at Bengaluru’s Freedom Park on Friday in protest against, AICC general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Singh Surjewala said on Wednesday.
Alleging that the “Election Commission has become Election Capture of India”, he asserted that the Congress won’t permit it and democracy to be obliterated.
Amid the raging row over the revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, Gandhi on July 23 had alleged that elections are being “stolen” in India and claimed that his party has figured out the modus operandi of the “vote theft” by studying a parliamentary constituency in Karnataka.
The Congress on Wednesday held a preparatory meeting for the protest rally that was attended by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, state Congress President and Deputy CM D K Shivakumar, Surjewala, host of party leaders, ministers among other senior office bearers and functionaries.
The Congress had initially planned this protest on August 5, but it was postponed following the death of Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader Shibu Soren.
Noting that Freedom Park is a historical place and at such a place this protest is being held, abiding by court orders (against holding large scale protest in the city), Karnataka Congress chief D K Shivakumar said state party legislators, defeated (MLA) candidates and ministers will participate in this.
SC may hear plea on restoring J&K statehood
Story continues below this ad
The Supreme Court on Friday is likely to hear a plea seeking directions to the Centre for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.
Senior advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan mentioned the matter on Tuesday before a Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) B R Gavai and Justice K Vinod Chandran.
“The date (on SC website) shows as August 8. Let it not be deleted,” Sankaranarayanan submitted.
The CJI accepted the request.
On December 11, 2023, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld the revocation of Article 370, even as it ordered that assembly elections be held in Jammu and Kashmir by September 2024 and its statehood be restored “at the earliest”.
Story continues below this ad
Last year, a plea was filed in the top court seeking directions to the Centre for the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir within two months. The application was filed by Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, an academician, and Khurshaid Ahmad Malik, a socio-political activist.
“It is submitted that the delay in the restoration of statehood would cause serious reduction of democratically elected government in Jammu and Kashmir, causing a grave violation of the idea of federalism which forms part of the basic structure of the Constitution of India,” the application said.
Amit Shah to lay foundation stone for Sita temple in Bihar
Union Home Minister Amit Shah will lay the foundation stone for the redevelopment of Janki Mandir at Punauradham in Bihar’s Sitamarhi district, considered the birthplace of Goddess Sita, on Friday, officials said on Wednesday.
Story continues below this ad
The foundation stone-laying ceremony of the project, worth more than Rs 882.87 crore, will also be attended by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, several Union ministers and other dignitaries.
Talking to PTI, Bihar BJP spokesperson Niraj Kumar said, “Shah will lay the foundation of the project for the redevelopment of ‘Janki Mandir at Punauradham in Sitamarhi on August 8. It will be a historic day for the people of Bihar”.
The Home Minister is likely to reach Darbhanga on Friday morning and will drive to Sitamarhi from there, he added.
Plea on Dharmasthala issue in SC
The Supreme Court would hear on Friday a plea challenging a recent order of the Karnataka High Court quashing a media gag on reportage surrounding the controversial Dharmasthala mass burial case.
Story continues below this ad
The High Court on August 1 set aside an earlier gag order issued by a Bengaluru civil court restraining reportage on the burial case. “Around 8,000 YouTube channels are running defamatory material against the Dharmasthala temple,” an advocate submitted before a Bench headed by Chief Justice B R Gavai and sought urgent listing of an appeal against the high court order.
On July 23, the CJI-led bench declined to hear another petition filed by YouTube channel Third Eye challenging a sweeping gag order that restrained media houses from reporting on matters related to the brother of Dharamadhikari D Veerendra Heggade of Dharamsthala in Karnataka.
The gag order was over reports on the alleged murders of women in Dharmasthala in the state’s Dakshina Kannada district.
Odisha Congress to begin Nari Nyay Yatra
The Congress in Odisha on Friday will begin its Nari Nyay Yatra in various districts to protest the rise in crimes against women.
Story continues below this ad
State Congress president Bhakta Charan Das said the protests would continue till August 14.
Congress members will gherao the DGP office in Cuttack at 10 am on August 8, demanding the arrest of the three people who allegedly set a girl on fire in Puri’s Balanga. We had given a seven-day ultimatum to the police to arrest the culprits,” Das said.
Das urged women, students, and the youth to join the programme in large numbers.
Bandi Sanjay to depose before SIT in phone tapping case
Story continues below this ad
Union Minister of State for Home Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Friday will depose as a witness before the SIT investigating the alleged illegal phone tapping during the previous BRS regime.
Kumar had earlier asked the Special Investigation Team (SIT) officials to record his statement on July 28, but he could not do so in view of the ongoing Parliament session, his office said on Tuesday.
The BJP leader is expected to submit a lot of evidence in the phone-tapping case, it said.
Authorities earlier questioned former Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) chief of Telangana, T Prabhakar Rao, the prime accused, in the case.
– With PTI inputs