Saturday, December 27, 2025

Lakhimpur Kheri Case : An Accused  Ashish Mishra released from jail

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Tehelka WebDesk
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Lakhimpur Kheri : Ashish Mishra, son of Union Minister Ajay Mishra Teni and an accused in the Tikunia murder case, was released from jail on Friday evening after the Supreme Court granted him an interim bail of eight weeks.

Mishra was taken out of the jail from the rear gate to avoid the media which had gathered at the main gate and taken to his residence.

Family members refused to disclose where he would relocate to after one week as per Supreme Court directives.

The Supreme Court has directed Mishra to leave Uttar Pradesh within one week after his release from jail.

“Petitioner to give his passport to the trial court, and will not enter the state of Uttar Pradesh, apart from his appearance for trial proceedings, ” the court had ordered.

The court also said that the petitioner has to mark his attendance at the police station of jurisdiction where he relocates to.

The court also warned Mishra and his family members against influencing witnesses, violation of which would lead to the cancellation of his bail. “If it is found that Mishra is trying to delay the trial, it will be a valid ground to cancel his bail, ” the court said in its order.

The case will now be taken up on March 14 again for further directions on the matter.

Journalist Angad Singh blacklisted, Centre tells Delhi HC

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Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi:  The Centre on Friday informed the Delhi High Court that Angad Singh, a US-based journalist with Vice News, has been blacklisted despite being an Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) card holder.

On December 7, 2022, a bench of Justice Prathiba M. Singh had directed the Central government to file a response in a suit filed by Singh against his deportation from Delhi to New York in August last year. He has also challenged the refusal to grant him a Special Permit.

Appearing for the Centre, advocate Anurag Ahluwalia told the court that as Singh has violated Section 11A of the Foreigners Order, 1948, which prohibits a foreigner from producing any picture, film or documentary without permission in writing from the Centre, he is a blacklisted subject.

He had allegedly depicted India in a negative manner in the “India Burning” documentary.

Singh has covered important issues in his documentaries, including the Shaheen Bagh protests, the farmers’ protests and the Covid-19 pandemic in India, among others.

Ahluwalia submitted that Singh was entering India on his journalist visa for a personal visit but he wasn’t issued a visa for that.

The FRRO, in an affidavit, told the court that Singh was blacklisted at the instance of the Consulate General of India in New York.

On January 7, Ahluwalia had said that the affidavit will explain why the petitioner was denied entry into the country.

Advocate Swathi Sukumar, representing Singh before the court said that Singh’s OCI card is still valid and has not yet been cancelled.

To this, Ahluwalia sought time to obtain instructions and file a response on whether any show cause notice or proceedings were started against Singh for the cancellation of his OCI card.

The court then granted two weeks’ time to Ahluwalia to file the affidavit.

In his plea, Singh has mentioned that his fundamental right under the Citizenship Act, 1955, is being violated by not letting him into India.

He has also asked the court to restrain the government from violating his rights.

Earlier, Singh’s counsel had sought a declaration that his deportation from the government was illegal and disclosure of all the materials and data available with the government related to him.

His mother, through a Facebook post, had claimed that he had come to India to meet his family in Punjab and it was because of his journalism that he was deported.

Republic Day celebrations at Central Vista

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Tehelka WebDesk
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By Mahie JK

The 74th Republic day is round the corner. India will be celebrating its national festival with great pomp and show. But this year’s celebration will be special because it will be celebrated on Central vista Avenue. This will be the first Republic day celebration after Rajpath was renamed as Kartavya path last year. Janbhagidari (public participation) is the main theme of this year celebrations.

The Republic day celebrations will be held in great Bhagidari ( public participation )  and the workers of central vista projects and their family members, workers of Kartavya path, milk vendors, grocery shopkeepers, and rickshaw pullers will be the special invitees this time.

Every year more than one lakh people used to attend this event. But after the outbreak of pandemic in 2020, the Republic day celebrations were drastically cut, but this year around 42,000 people are expected to attend the event. Nearly 32000 tickets have been sold online. New benches and spacious seats have been placed in Kartaya path lawns. Arrangements are being made to ensure minimum damage to the lawns. This year people will be able to access toilets and drinking water facility also.  According to the South Block sources celebrations will start from 23rd January on the Birth anniversary of Subhash Chandra Bose and will continue till Gandhi Jayanti.

Abdul Fattah El-Sisi, The President of Egypt will be the Chief Guest on this year. The 120 member Egyptian contingent will also march during this time. The Republic day parade will begin at 10 am. The parade marches along Kartavya Path from Rashtrapati Bhawan to India gate and then to RED Fort. The Prime Minister Narendra Modi will make his customary trip to Amar Jawan Jyoti at India Gate, in memory of all the armed forces who gave up their life for the country. The President Of India Drapadi Murmu will unfurl the national flag before presiding over the parade.

The week long celebrations will start with Military tattoo and tribal dance festival. There will be around 10 Military tattoos performances and 20 tribal dances. The Tribal and Defence Ministry are jointly organizing this event. The Indian Armed forces will showcase its prowess through horse show, khukuri dance. Mallakhamb, Motorcycle display,  Air warrior drill, Navy band and martial Arts. The rehersals are going on and it will be the largest drone show this time. Around 3500 indigenous UAVs will light up the evening at Raisina hills. On the theme of “Nari Shakti” around 503 dancers will showcase a cultural show.

The Republic day holds a special place for all Indians.

Indian Women wrestlers end protest over sexual harassment

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Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi : Ptotesting Indian wrestlers have called off a protest near the parliament building following a government assurance that an inquiry into their allegations of sexual harassment of young athletes by the federation would be completed in four weeks.
The wrestlers and their nearly 200 supporters held a sit-in protest for three days at Jantar Mantar in the capital, New Delhi, accusing the federation president of sexually and mentally harassing young female athletes.
They had sought the immediate removal of Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) President Brijbhushan Sharan Singh and some other officials pending inquiry against them.
Singh, who is also an MP of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, earlier dismissed the allegations as a political ploy to usurp his position and told media he was “ready to be hanged” if even any female wrestler proved the sexual harassment charge.
On Friday, he cancelled a news conference meant to reveal a “conspiracy” against him and sent out his son to speak to journalists instead.
“We are not authorised to speak on anything,” he told them, saying his father would instead address the media at the federation’s annual meeting on Sunday.
Indian Sports Minister Anurag Singh Thakur met protesting wrestlers for a second time on Friday and said an inquiry into the accusations will be completed in four weeks.
He also announced that the federation president “will step aside and help in carrying out the probe”.
“Until then, a committee will carry out day-to-day work of the federation,” he said.
Male and female wrestlers, including Olympic and Commonwealth medallists, announced a boycott of all competitions until Singh was removed.
Wrestler Bajrang Punia announced the decision to call off the protest on Twitter and welcomed the government’s pledge to investigate.
“Thank the government on behalf of all my fellow players for taking our agitation and demands seriously,” he said. “Our fight is not with the government. We are all fighting against the federation and its president.”
Vinesh Phogat – one of India’s most decorated female wrestlers and leader in the protests – has accused Singh of harassing “several young wrestlers” and said she knew “at least 10 to 20 girls” who had recounted sexual harassment at wrestling camps.
“It has taken a lot of courage for us wrestlers to come together and protest,” Phogat and other top athletes wrote in a letter to the president of the Indian Olympic Association, PT Usha.
Phogat said she was “mentally harassed and tortured” by Singh after she failed to win an Olympic medal and “almost contemplated suicide”.
Young athletes “do not deserve to be in an environment of intimidation”, the letter added. “We will not budge until the WFI president is sacked.”
Usha, a former Indian athletics star, has expressed her sympathy for the wrestlers, calling for “a complete investigation to ensure justice”.

As Rahul Gandhi’s yatra enters Jammu, twin blasts in Jammu area injure 7

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Tehelka WebDesk
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Jammu : At a time when Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra is in Jammu, the mysterious twin blasts near Narwal area this morning injured seven people.

Gandhi’s yatra is currently on a break at Chadwal, over 60 km from Jammu.

Additional Director General of Police (Jammu) Mukesh Singh told media that seven people were injured in the blasts. One of the injured is said to be critical.

The area has been cordoned off and security has been enhanced following the blasts. Vehicles are being checked as part of a search operation.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha condemned the blasts and announced Rs 50,000 financial assistance to the injured.

“Such dastardly acts highlight the desperation and cowardice of those responsible. Take immediate and firm action. No efforts should be spared to bring the perpetrators to justice,” the Lt Governor said.

Shifting to old pension scheme may lead to liability add-up in future: Raghuram Rajan

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Tehelka WebDesk
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As several state governments have shown their intent of shifting to the old pension scheme, former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said that states doing so, would end up curbing current expenditure but may build liabilities for the future.
He also cautioned banks on tilting too much towards retail lending.
In an interview to an online portal on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos, Rajan said that the reason why the new pension scheme was adopted because in the old scheme, huge liabilities had built up.
He further said that defined benefit schemes are easier for governments to adopt as liabilities are not being recognised.
Several state governments like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Punjab have indicated that they will shift to the old pension scheme while Himachal Pradesh too has indicated the same intention.
Rajan further added in the interview that though it is for each state government to decide, but these schemes should be aimed effectively towards the weaker sections of the society, so as to benefit them.
The former RBI Governor also had a word of caution during the interview, for Indian banks for their shift towards retail lending, as he noted that there could be potential risks in case of a downcycle.
Rajan’s comments have come at a time when Indian banks have seen a huge spike in retail assets in comparison to wholesale loans.
He was quoted as saying in the interview that banks should check all risks involved while indulging in infrastructure lending.
The former banker said between 2007 and 2009, the RBI had moved towards infrastructure loans, however later they created problems.

Union Budget 2023 might be presented in new Parliament building

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Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi: During the upcoming budget session of the Parliament, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman might present the Union Budget 2023-24 at the new Parliament building on February 1. Preparations for presenting this year’s Budget is going on in full swing.
According to sources, the construction work for the new Parliament House is almost complete and is expected to be ready by the end of January.
Therefore, preparations have also started for the upcoming Budget session to be held at the new Parliament building.
Although a final decision on this count is yet to be taken, the Lok Sabha Secretariat has already started making new identity cards for the MPs of different parties for entry into the new Parliament House.
The Budget session will commence on January 31 and is likely to continue till April 6, with a break between February 14 and March 12.
As per tradition, on the first day of Budget session on January 31, President Droupadi Murmu will address a joint sitting of both the Houses of the Parliament.
On February 1, Sitharaman will present the Budget for FY 2023-24.
According to sources, efforts are being made to hold both the President’s address and the Union Budget in the new building of the Parliament House.
And if need arises, the proceedings of the remaining days of the new House can be conducted at the old Parliament building.
Sources said that the fencing between the existing and the new Parliament House building has been removed.
The work of exterior decoration of the new Parliament building has already started and if no technical problems arise, this time the Budget session can be started from the new Parliament House. In case this is not possible due to some technical fault, efforts will be made to hold the second phase of the Budget session in the new Parliament House.

Party demands Article 371 for Jammu and Kashmir

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Tehelka WebDesk
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The Congress on Friday demand Article 371 for Jammu and Kashmir along with restoration of statehood.

Addressing a press conference in Jammu, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said several states in India were covered by Article 371.

“Regions like Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim and some areas of Assam, some areas of Karnataka-Hyderabad region have special provisions under Article 371,’’ Ramesh said in reply to a question about Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti’s demand for the restoration of Article 370.

Elaborating further, Ramesh said that in states like Nagaland, no act of Parliament would apply in matters relating to religious or social practices of Nagas, Naga customary law and procedure, and ownership and transfer of land and its resources.

Ramesh said Article 370 was not revoked in a democratic way.

“The bill was passed without discussion and dialogue and was passed by a brute majority,’’ he said. “Jammu and Kashmir was a state. It was a full-fledged state. It turned into a Union Territory. We are against it.”

Ramesh ducked the question about the restoration of Article 370.

“You are talking about Article 370 and I am talking about Article 371. Under Article 371, many states of our country and many areas of our country are given special provisions,” he said.

Congress opposes Centre’s new IT rules draft, dubs it ‘censorship’

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Tehelka WebDesk
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New Delhi : Indian National Congress on Thursday opposed the new IT rules draft and accused the Centre of muzzling the Internet and Censoring Online Content through PIB calling it the Narendra Modi government’s definition of “Fact Checking”.

Addressing a press conference here, the party’s Media department Chairman Pawan Khera said, “Bulldozing the Press is not new for the Modi government. The popular term “Godi Media’ is now ingrained in the psyche of most Indians, and now this Government wants to make it ‘Godi Social Media’!”

The Congress alleged that the Fact Checking Unit (FCU) of the PIB has remained a habitual offender in converting “Truth” to “Fakery”, to save Modi government’s image.

This, the Congress leader said, “essentially means that PIB’s Fact Checking Unit has become a judge in taking down content which might not suit Modi government’s image. Even the Editors Guild of India, on Wednesday, released a statement showing ‘deep concern’ about this sly insertion in the Rules. Objecting to the words, ‘in respect of any business of the Central Government’, they said that ‘this will stifle legitimate criticism of the government and will have an adverse impact on the ability of the press to hold the government accountable’ “.

He said the Congress has in the past raised several questions about the IT (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 202, which have forgotten all the safeguards and protections accorded to social media by the landmark Shreya Singhal case. This new addition to the already dire, drastic, and draconian rules have added one more layer of dictatorial power to crush the vibrant culture of discourse, deliberation and dissent in India.

“The Indian National Congress strongly condemns this surreptitious assault on free speech and vile censorship. We demand that the new amendment in the Draft IT Rules be immediately withdrawn and that these rules be discussed threadbare in the forthcoming session of Parliament, ” Khera added.

By extending the consultation period for the draft amendments to the IT (Intermediary Guidelines & Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, till January 25, the Modi government has slyly added a provision that states that any news report which might be deemed fit as ‘false’ and be checked as ‘fake’ or ‘false’ by the Fact Checking Units of the Press Information Bureau (PIB) – can be taken down from the social media/online websites/OTT platforms by the Government, he stated.

Rule 3(1)(b)(v) of the amended version of the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021 states that platforms “shall make reasonable efforts to cause the user of its computer resource not to” post content that has been “identified as fake or false by the fact check unit at “Press Information Bureau of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting or other agency authorised by the Central Government for fact checking or, in respect of any business of the Central Government”.

PM Modi launches veiled attack on Congress in poll-bound Karnataka

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Tehelka WebDesk
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In a veiled attack on the Congress in poll-bound Karnataka, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said previous governments were responsible for backwardness of northern part of the state.

Addressing a public rally in Kudekal village of Yadgir district, Prime Minister Modi said: “The north Karnataka region has the same potential as other regions. But, the previous governments did not even bother to think of providing infrastructure, water, road and power to the region.”

He appreciated Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai and team for working towards speedy development of north Karnataka region. The region will take strides in development in coming days, he added.

“We have to learn from the past blunders. Earlier governments have washed their hands of ensuring development by declaring the region as backward, ” he said.

“They did not bother to look into what is preventing the development. They were only focusing on vote bank politics. But Our priority is not vote bank politics. Our priority is only development, development and development, ” Prime Minister Modi said.

He further attacked the opposition that they were only eying votes on caste and religion basis.

“Unless every district of the country develops, the country will not progress. Yadgir is one among the top 10 of the 100 aspirational districts in the country. It has achieved 100 per cent vaccination of children, the number of children with malnutrition rate has come down, Yadgir district has 100 per cent connectivity of village roads, ” he said.

“North Karnataka region is a ‘bowl of dals’. The farmers of this region have helped the country to reduce the import of dal from foreign countries, ” he said.

Modi stated that India has “pressurised” the UN to declare this year as the International year of Millets. Karnataka grows millet crops like ragi, jowar in large quantities and the double engine government is ready to promote millets at the international level.

North Karnataka region faces the challenge of connectivity. The Surat-Chennai Economic Corridor which connects two biggest ports of the country is going to benefit Yadgir and the entire region. The double engine government will ensure all round development, he said.

India is preferred for investments as the double engine government is stressing on development and infrastructure, the Prime Minis

“Karnataka is attracting most of the investment and the investments are likely to grow. North Karnataka region will also benefit from this, he added.

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