
Tamil Nadu custodial death: Outrage over brutal assault, DMK government under fire

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Hans India
43 minutes ago
- Hans India
5 BJP workers suspended for assaulting BMC officer
Bhubaneswar: A day after Odisha Administrative Services (OAS) officer and Additional Commissioner of Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Ratnakar Sahoo was assaulted by some alleged supporters of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Jagannath Pradhan, the party State unit president Manmohan Samal on Tuesday suspended five BJP workers, including a corporator, from the primary membership of the party. The suspended party workers include Corporator Aparup Narayan Raut, Rashmi Ranjan Mohapatra, Debashis Pradhan, Sachikant Swain and Sanjeev Mishra. Acting on the FIR lodged by the victim OAS officer Sahoo, the police had earlier arrested three BJP workers, Raut, Mohapatra and Debashis for their involvement in the assault. Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan on Tuesday claimed that the allegations made against him by Mayor Sulochana Das and other BJD leaders were nothing but political vendetta. 'I condemn the attack on the Additional Commissioner. Action has already been taken against the accused, and the Chief Minister has also held discussions with BMC officials and other stakeholders. We extend full sympathy to Ratnakar Sahoo. This incident should not have happened,' said Pradhan. Pradhan further said that if anyone from his constituency takes his name while committing a crime, it does not imply his involvement. 'How could such an incident happen inside a secure office when the Mayor herself was present? It appears they allowed this to happen, filmed the incident, and circulated it in the media to politicise the matter,' alleged Pradhan, while questioning the security arrangements at the BMC office. Giving the background of the incident, Pradhan alleged that the public outrage against the senior officer of the BMC stemmed from an issue involving a Swachh Sathi — a sanitation volunteer supported by Mission Shakti — from his constituency. 'She was assigned the task of mobilising beneficiaries for a recent government event marking one year of the State government's formation, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was scheduled to join. She fulfilled her duty, but BJD-backed people and the Additional Commissioner targeted her for helping make the event successful,' claimed Pradhan. Pradhan said he had raised the matter with the BMC Commissioner after learning that the volunteer was harassed by officials. 'The persons involved had only gone to the BMC office to discuss the issue. Unfortunately, an altercation broke out, which could have been avoided. But the Mayor unnecessarily escalated the matter,' he added. On the other hand, the Swachh Sathi concerned, Rebati Rout, claimed that BMC Additional Commissioner Sahoo had allegedly threatened that she would lose her job for facilitating people to take part in the recent rally of Prime Minister Modi in Bhubaneswar. Notably, at around 11.30 am on Monday, when the public grievance meeting was in progress in the presence of other officers, staff and general people at the BMC office, six to seven unknown individuals entered the premises unauthorisedly and assaulted Sahoo after enquiring whether he had a conversation with BJP leader Jagannath Pradhan over the phone. The Odisha Administrative Service Association (OASA) came out in support of Sahoo announcing that it would go on mass leave from Tuesday.


Hans India
44 minutes ago
- Hans India
Winning polls our mission, says new TG BJP chief
Hyderabad: Bharatiya Janata Party's new state chief N Ramchander Rao on Tuesday called on the rank and file of the party to work hard together to win from the panchayat to Parliament elections. After Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje announced his election, Rao stated that the people of Telangana would soon see the BJP as their only alternative. The former MLC stated that he was president in name only, emphasizing that he was a party worker first to serve the BJP, and that party workers were the true leaders of the party. He assured that he would implement the collective decision of the party and called for a united effort to raise the saffron flag over Golkonda Fort. The new BJP state chief stressed that all factions and generations within the BJP are united, without any disputes. There are neither old nor new schools. "New inflows should come for the river to flow. Telangana youth must enter politics. I encourage youth and women to join the BJP. With the implementation of 33 per cent reservation, there will be many opportunities created for women in the political landscape," he said. Turning his ire towards the party's political bete noires, he criticised that the BRS and Congress are spreading fake news through their so-called WhatsApp universities. Party workers should remember Swami Vivekananda's words and remain strong, avoiding belief without evidence. He dared the Congress and the BRS, "If you have the courage, let's confront this issue directly. Those who hide behind fake news are cowards." He further warned that as a criminal lawyer, he would not hesitate to hold the masterminds of fake news accountable. "Ramchander Rao is not a gentle person; I went to jail 14 times when I was with ABVP. I was even beaten by the police. However, even after suffering broken arms and legs, I continued to work without abandoning my ideology. While I am gentle by nature, if it comes to battle, I will be a warrior - ready to wield the sword first," he added. Recalling how he had fought legal battles alongside students, lawyers, and the underprivileged, he said, "From now on, I am prepared to fight tirelessly for the people of Telangana. I will work collaboratively with everyone to bring the BJP to power."


India Today
an hour ago
- India Today
Barred in own constituency, Manipur Congress MP slams buffer zone enforcement
Congress MP from Inner Manipur, Angomcha Bimol Akoijam, has criticised what he called an "unconstitutional and imaginary buffer zone" enforced by security forces in parts of the conflict-hit at his residence in Imphal on Tuesday, Bimol raised serious concerns about being denied entry into a locality within his own constituency, alleging that such actions were violative of the fundamental rights guaranteed under the Indian Congress MP said he was stopped on June 29 by security forces while trying to visit Phougakchou-Ikhai Makha Leikai Keithel in Bishnupur district, an area that falls under his parliamentary constituency. "Stopping an Indian citizen - especially an elected Member of Parliament - from moving freely within his own constituency is a direct violation of Article 19 of the Indian Constitution," Bimol said, calling the move an example of growing authoritarianism and institutional bias. He alleged that security forces, particularly the 6 Assam Rifles, were actively enforcing a non-existent buffer zone that had originally been put in place in May 2023 to curb mob violence. According to him, the so-called buffer zone is now being used selectively to prevent Meitei individuals, including elected leaders, from entering certain areas while members of other communities are allowed free is not just about me being stopped. It's about covert, communal segregation being carried out under the guise of security. It's creating a dangerous precedent," Bimol said. Taking to social media, he highlighted the incident, arguing that such enforcement amounts to institutionalised discrimination between the Meitei and Kuki pointed to recent incidents of violence and obstruction against Meitei farmers, including an alleged attack in Imphal East on June 16 and another in Phubala on June 20, where farmers were reportedly prevented from accessing their land. Bimol claimed these actions reflect a coordinated attempt to intimidate Meiteis and deter them from farming on their own dismay, he stated that such barriers only serve to divide the people of Manipur and increase communal mistrust. "Manipur is not divided by communal ideology. The continued enforcement of this so-called buffer zone only deepens mistrust and weakens unity," he of now, there has been no official response from the security forces to the allegations made by the Congress MP.- EndsMust Watch