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Congress slams EC statement on vaccination, asks it to share Covid data

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The Congress on Thursday slammed the Election commission’s statement that the entire eligible population of Uttar Pradesh would be vaccinated in time for the upcoming assembly elections. The party hit out at the ECI for not procuring data from the government on Covid-19 and share it with the political parties.

Questioning the statement, Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala said, “Has the Election Commission even asked Modi Govt to share the data of Covid-19 infections, particularly the spread of Omicron, the vaccination plan and timeline and efficacy of vaccine? Has ECI shared the data with other political parties and held discussions?”

“Constitutional responsibility of elections lies solely with the ECI. Instead of acting like a toothless tiger, the ECI should ask for data from the Modi Govt, share it with all parties, consult health experts — epidemiologists, virologists & take an independent decision. Has it done so?” he asked.

He said that the Commission must remember that the country wide data of Covid-19 infection, its spread & multiplication, the doubling time, the results of genome sequencing & the impact of the vaccine on Omicron is with the Modi Government, not with political parties.

The Congress said that the nation had experience of first and the second waves and alleged that despite the numerous health warnings, PM Modi went ahead with ‘Namaste Trump’ during the first wave & carried on with huge election rallies in Bengal and Jan Ashirwad Yatras elsewhere. Even then ECI watched as a mute and complicit bystander, he said.

Shiv Sena Secretary Vishwajeet Singh too criticised the EC. He said that the Chief Election Commissioner on Thursday said that 50 per cent of the state population had been vaccinated and the 100 per cent target would be achieved by the time elections will be held.

“There has to be a gap of 90 days between two doses so how is it possible that everyone will be vaccinated in time for elections?” he asked. He said that the Election Commission was apparently rushing into elections and posing a major risk to the lives of millions. The Shiv Sena leader further said that only selected parties were called for a meeting with the CEC which undermined the very purpose of holding the meeting.

National News

Ambedkar row: Lalu Prasad seeks HM Shah’s resignation

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Patna, Dec 19: Lalu Prasad Yadav, the National President of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), has sharply criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah over a recent statement concerning Dr. BR Ambedkar.

During an interaction with the media in Patna, Lalu Yadav accused HM and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of harbouring animosity toward Dr. Ambedkar, a key architect of the Indian Constitution and a symbol of social justice.

Expressing his strong disapproval, Lalu Yadav stated: “Amit Shah and BJP leaders have hatred for Dr. Bhim Rao Ambedkar. The statement of Amit Shah is an example of this. I strongly condemn his statement. He should resign from the post and leave politics.”

Earlier on Wednesday, Yadav accused the BJP and its ideological affiliates of consistently disrespecting Dr Ambedkar and his legacy.

In a scathing statement, Yadav said, “The genetic children of Golwalkar have always disrespected our idol, Babasaheb Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Followers of the book ‘Bunch of Thoughts’ can never truly embrace the ideas of Dr. Ambedkar, the architect of our Constitution. Their hatred for him is evident not only in their words but also in their body language.”

He went further to allege that BJP leaders harbour deep-rooted biases.

“Social inequality, untouchability, discrimination, and hatred towards Dalits and marginalised communities are ingrained in the blood of Sanghi BJP leaders. Their disdain for the Constitution and its principles is clear. “True followers of Baba Saheb Ambedkar do not associate with the BJP. Anyone who supports the BJP after such insults to Ambedkar is effectively endorsing and worshiping Golwalkar’s ideology and has become a staunch bootlicker of BJP leaders,” Yadav said.

Following the statement of Lalu Prasad Yadav, the leaders from the ruling alliance, including the JD(U) and BJP, have voiced strong objections to his comments, dismissing them as baseless and questioning his credibility.

Neeraj Kumar, JD(U) MLC criticised Lalu Prasad Yadav’s remarks, stating, “He lacks credibility as the Election Commission has declared him ineligible to contest elections. The public no longer takes Lalu’s statements seriously. Lalu Prasad should answer why a memorial for Ambedkar has not been established, while one exists for Sanjay Gandhi. Lalu’s family amassed assets worth ₹478 crore in Patna and now they are doing hypocrisy.”

BJP leader Arvind Kumar Singh defended HM Amit Shah, asserting that his statements exposed the Opposition’s historical sidelining of Dr. Ambedkar, causing discomfort among them.

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Crime

RG Kar rape-murder: Victim’s parents approach Calcutta HC seeking fresh probe

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Kolkata, Dec 19: Not satisfied with the current course of investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the ghastly rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata in August this year, the parents of the victim on Thursday approached the Calcutta High Court seeking a court direction for initiating a fresh probe into the matter.

The victim’s parents have claimed that they do not have any faith in the course of the current investigation by the central agency in the matter and hence they want a fresh investigation from the beginning in the matter.

The parents have moved the single-judge Bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh with their petition in the matter.

Justice Ghosh has admitted the petition and the matter might come up for hearing next week.

According to the parents, since the trial process in the matter has already started and the statements of the witnesses are being recorded, unless the Calcutta High Court intervenes in the matter right now, there might be possibilities of the probe going in the wrong direction.

Since the time a special court in Kolkata last week granted “default bail” to two individuals accused of tampering with the evidence since the CBI was unable to file a supplementary charge sheet against them within 90 days from the day of their arrest, the victim’s parents as well as the representatives of the state’s medical fraternity had been accusing the CBI of gross incompetence in the matter.

Those two accused persons were the former principal of R.G. Kar Sandip Ghosh and the former SHO of Tala Police Station Abhijit Mondal. Ghosh is still behind bars because of the pending parallel probe by the CBI against him in the case of financial irregularities at R.G. Kar, while Mondal is already out on bail.

The CBI so far has filed only one charge sheet in the case were civic volunteer Sanjay Roy had been identified as the “sole prime accused” in the rape and murder.

Recently, the victim’s parents have also changed their counsel representing them at the Supreme Court of India.

West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front, an umbrella of the body of the junior doctors in the state spearheading the movement on this issue, has already threatened to resume their protests which they withdrew earlier keeping the larger public interest in mind.

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National News

BJP MP alleges Rahul Gandhi pushed him, LoP dismisses claim

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New Delhi, Dec 19: A heated confrontation unfolded in Parliament premises on Thursday during a protest by Opposition MPs alleging disrespect towards Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. The incident escalated when BJP MP Pratap Sarangi accused Congress leader Rahul Gandhi of pushing an MP, causing a chain reaction that led Sarangi to fall and sustain a head injury.

Sarangi claimed, “Rahul Gandhi pushed an MP, and he collided with me. I fell and hit my head, which is bleeding. The push was initiated by Rahul Gandhi.”

Denying claims of deliberately pushing the BJP leader, Rahul Gandhi told reporters, “It might be recorded in the cameras. BJP MPs were stopping us from entering Parliament. They blocked and threatened us. This is our right to protest.”

The protest was held against Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent remarks in the Rajya Sabha, which the Opposition claimed insulted Dr Ambedkar. The Opposition demanded HM Shah’s removal from the Cabinet.

Meanwhile, BJP MPs staged a counter-protest, accusing Congress of disrespecting the Constitution and Dr Ambedkar. Led by BJP MP Anurag Thakur, they raised slogans such as “Congress party maafi maango, Ambedkar ka apmaan nahi sahega Hindustan (Congress must apologise, India will not tolerate the insult to Ambedkar).”

Thakur further criticised the Congress, stating, “The Nehru-Gandhi family has repeatedly disrespected Dr. Ambedkar. Despite being the architect of the Constitution, they worked to defeat him in elections and delayed honouring him with the Bharat Ratna, which was finally awarded by a non-Congress government.”

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