Hrs after Cong's contempt plea,BJP MLA removed from House
The move came hours after Congress filed a contempt petition against Devnani in Rajasthan high court for allegedly delaying action against Meena, sentenced to three years for intimidating a govt officer at gunpoint during a panchayat bypoll in 2005.
Devnani defended the timing of his decision, stating his office acted upon receiving a formal legal opinion from the advocate-general on Friday. "I do not act under any pressure.
Every decision is rooted in legal and constitutional principles. Even in past cases, Speakers took time for due diligence," Devnani said.
Opposition Congress, however, cited examples of Rahul Gandhi being disqualified from Lok Sabha within 24 hours of his conviction in 2023 and Rajasthan BSP MLA BL Kushwaha being disqualified within two days of his conviction in 2016.
Congress accused Devnani of having deliberately delayed disqualification of Meena and acting only after the contempt petition was filed, attributing the final outcome to its sustained pressure.
"The Speaker acted only to avoid further embarrassment in the high court," state opposition leader Tikaram Jully of Congress said.
Jully said that the Congress had submitted three memorandums to both the Speaker and the governor, and filed a formal complaint with the Election Commission demanding Meena's immediate disqualification. "Despite this, efforts were made continuously to protect the convicted MLA, instead of upholding constitutional values," he said.
"The deliberate delay allowed a convicted MLA to remain in office and even go to jail while holding the post. This has put a stain on the dignity of the state assembly," Jully said. "This case will serve as a lesson for Speakers across the country on the consequences of disregarding due process," he said.
Meena has been disqualified from May 1 when the HC upheld a trial court's three-year sentence to him. Meena had then approached the apex court for relief but it dismissed his plea on May 7 citing the legislator's extensive criminal record.
The disqualification has reduced BJP's strength in the 200-member assembly from 119 to 118 and necessitates a bypoll in Anta, Meena's assembly seat in Baran district, within six months. The assembly has notified the Election Commission about the vacancy.
Meena is the second MLA in Rajasthan to be disqualified upon conviction, following BSP's Kushwaha in 2016.
Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with
Brother's Day wishes
,
messages
and quotes !
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
13 minutes ago
- Indian Express
BJP is looting farmers' money to build luxurious mahals: Kejriwal in Gujarat
The BJP is 'looting money of poor dairy farmers to build their luxurious 'mahals'(palaces)', said Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener Arvind Kejriwal while demanding Rs 1 crore in compensation each from the state government and Sabar Dairy for the family of Ashok Chaudhary, a 42-year-old farmer from Zinzva village of Idar taluka, who died during a protest at Sabar Dairy in Himmatnagar on July 14. Assuring that AAP was 'standing with the farmers' and a bullet fired towards farmers would first pass through him, Kejriwal on Wednesday made these remarks while addressing a gathering of farmers in Aravalli district's Modassa, training his gun at the BJP-ruled state government for being 'insensitive, corrupt and arrogant.' He asserted that the countdown of BJP's downfall had begun with Chaudhary's death just like the 'fate of the Congress' after a clash in the 1980s killed 10 farmers. Kejriwal questioned the state government's declaration of 9.5 percent profit in Sabar Dairy for the current year, significantly lower compared to the previous profits of 16 to 17.5 percent, declared from 2020 to 2024. Kejriwal said, 'What happened at Sabar Dairy was an unfortunate incident when this corrupt, incompassionate and brutal government (BJP-run state government in Gujarat) lathicharged the poor cattle rearers… a young farmer died… Where is all the money? The profit has been between 16-18% in the last five years, so where is the money this year? It has all been stashed away in their Swiss banks… They have been building their mahals (palaces), their party's election rallies, they are looting the money of the poor farmers and buying swanky palaces, luxurious cars, helicopters and planes… AAP is with you. If another bullet is fired, it will first hit Kejriwal.' Kejriwal said that even after Ashok Chaudhary's death, the state government failed to give the farmers their rights and only made 'false announcements' after AAP's announcement of the former Delhi CM's visit. He said, 'On July 18, when Isudan Gadhvi announced that Arvind Kejriwal and Bhagwant Mann will come to Gujarat on June 23, the very same day at 3pm, they declared that they will give 17.5% profit. They have not given it. They have just made a false announcement; they have not given anything… Isudan has told me that he went to meet Ashok Chaudhary's family… a poor farmer… their house did not even have a roof. They (BJP) are looting the money of such people, who do not have roof over their head; and building their mahals; they will be stained in sin and go to hell…' Stating that the 30-years in power in Gujarat had meant 'heightened arrogance' for the BJP, which thinks that the 'voters will go nowhere'. Kejriwal said, 'If the farmers were protesting for something and it was their right to ask, should the government not have sat down with them? Should they have fired guns, tear gas shells and lathicharged you?…What is even more surprising is that not a single rupee of compensation has been given to the family of Ashok Chaudhary after his death… Today from this stage, I demand that the family should be given Rs 1 crore from the dairy and Rs 1 crore from the Gujarat government as compensation… The compensation aside, since the day of the incident, they (BJP) have been going around threatening and pressuring farmers to stay away from this meeting.' 'BJP has captured cooperatives' Accusing the BJP of 'capturing' the cooperatives in the country, Kejriwal said, 'The meaning of a cooperative sector is that the farmers will run it. But farmers are not running the cooperatives. The BJP has captured all the cooperatives and looted you all'. 'I have researched a lot and I can say that, especially in North Gujarat, each and every farmer can be taken out of poverty if the corruption is brought to an end… I have been told that the milk farmers are paid money as per the fat content of the milk… the machine that measures the fat content is manipulated. If there is 7.5% fat, the machine will measure 7%. The remaining money, they just siphon away,' he claimed. Accusing the BJP of working for Adanis, Kejriwal said Congress after being overthrown in 1980s following a clash with farmers, leading to 10 deaths, was never elected to power in Gujarat and similarly Chaudhary's death will set off the countdown of BJP's defeat in the state. 'Congress government, which had come to power with 149 seats in the 1970-80s, became so arrogant, just like the BJP is today, that they fired bullets at farmers and 10 died; thereafter, the Congress never came back to power. Similarly, the countdown to BJP's end has started with Ashok Chaudhary's death.' During the occasion, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said that BJP state President CR Paatil has been involved (in mediating) the differences between Punjab and Haryana over water as well as the wars within the milk cooperatives in Gujarat. Mann said, 'The (BJP) came to power (in Delhi) and brought the electricity bills that were free during the AAP government… But they don't come alone. They bring along Adani and a big gang.,.. CR Paatil is the Jal Shakti Minister. Punjab and Haryana are fighting over water. He is sitting in between the fight for water and also sitting in between the fight for milk. Here they are mixing milk in water… There was a meeting recently of the SYL (Sutlej Yamuna Link)… This loot will not last long. The voters have a new button and that, too, of a broom… Earlier it was only used to clean homes and offices. Now it will be used to clean the country's administration.'
India Today
13 minutes ago
- India Today
No notice received, says Bengal woman amid Mamata Banerjee's NRC claim
A political storm has brewed in West Bengal following claims by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that an NRC notice had been issued to a Bengali-speaking resident of Falakata. However, the individual at the centre of the controversy, Anjali Shil, a homemaker residing in Falakata, has denied receiving any such stated that she was first alerted to the matter by a media representative who called her from Alipurduar. "I have not received any notice," Shil said. "I only found out about this yesterday when the media called me."advertisementWhen asked about her reaction to the situation, Shil expressed confusion. "I don't understand why this is happening. I have no idea why I'm involved in this," she stated. Shil, who has been married and living in West Bengal for over 25 years, questioned the process by which an official notice could be leaked to the media before reaching her."My question is, why is this notice with the media? If there is a notice in my name, it should first be with the police or a government official. Why is it with the media?" she controversy is set against the backdrop of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, which the opposition BJP has supported as a means to identify illegal immigrants. Shil's case was initially cited by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to criticise the central government's NRC push, with the Chief Minister even threatening legal Shil, a native of Dhupri district in Assam, moved to West Bengal after her marriage. She clarified that her marital home is in Falakata, while her father's family remains in Assam. - EndsTune InMust Watch
India Today
13 minutes ago
- India Today
Exclusive: Pawan Kalyan says neither ‘Hindutva hero' nor ‘power star' defines him
Actor-politician Pawan Kalyan said that he is equally at ease both in his political role and as an actor, and that neither persona — be it the 'Hindutva hero' nor 'power star' — fully defines him. In an exclusive interview with India Today, Kalyan spoke about his upcoming film 'Harihara Veera Mallu', his political ideology, his cultural roots, and the way he sees his identity reflected in both cinema and don't consider myself either as a Hindutva hero or as a power star,' he said. 'Whatever comes my way, I try to give my best. I'm comfortable as a leader, I'm comfortable as a Deputy Chief Minister... Whatever the situation demands out of me, I give my 100%.'Kalyan's latest Telugu film 'Harihara Veera Mallu' features him as a warrior tasked with retrieving the Kohinoor diamond from Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. While Aurangzeb is the antagonist, Kalyan maintains that the film is a work of fiction inspired by historical elements. 'It is a fictitious story... about a character called Harihara Veeramallu, who goes all the way to Delhi to bring back Kohinoor. It is a rivalry between Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah and Aurangzeb,' he explained. When asked if his portrayal of Mughal rulers as villains aligned with a political narrative or popular box office formula, Kalyan said any resemblance was coincidental. 'This plot was conceived by the scriptwriter-director Krish Jagarlamudi around 2018. We didn't even have a BJP alliance then,' he said. He added that it was not about recent developments or ideology, but a story that had been in the works for years, centred on the historical Kohinoor diamond which was found in Kollur Mine in the Golconda region, which is now in Andhra Pradesh. Still, Kalyan asserted the need for a more balanced view of history. 'Definitely we should look at the Mughals more objectively,' he said, recalling how school textbooks focused heavily on the 'pious' side of Aurangzeb but omitted his repressive policies, including the jizya tax imposed on non-Muslims. 'They could have presented both good and bad... not just one side.'Asked about his Janasena Party's future in Tamil Nadu, where he has made several recent visits, Kalyan said he is not in a hurry to expand for political gain. 'To develop a party takes a long time and deep commitment,' he said. 'For me, my party should advance interests for cultural and national integration, not just to grab power.'Kalyan also reflected on his ideological journey — from admiring leftist figures like Che Guevara and Fidel Castro to supporting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He said he was shaped by a socialist family background where devotion and social justice coexisted. 'My father was a member of the Communist Party, but he was also a devotee of Lord Rama,' he said. 'Social justice and devotion go hand in hand.'When asked who his real hero was — Narendra Modi or Che Guevara — Kalyan responded: 'I like both. I respect them.' He added, 'This country needs a very strong leader that quality I found in Narendra Modi.'advertisementFinally, reflecting on the challenge of juggling cinema and public service, Kalyan admitted it is difficult. 'I struggle to shift from political seriousness to acting. I often ask myself whether I should continue acting,' he said, adding that financial considerations drive his decision to keep making films. 'If I had enough income, I wouldn't do films. Politics is my real passion and national service.'For Kalyan, the boundaries between actor and leader blur not out of design, but from his effort to remain authentic. Whether as a fighter on-screen or a policymaker off-screen, he says he simply does what he feels 'needs to be done'.- EndsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Andhra Pradesh
