Mumbai, September 20: Congress on Friday gave a big blow to the Bharatiya Janata Party and made a big dent in Nanded district. Hundreds of workers including former Nanded MP and BJP leader Bhaskarrao Patil Khatgaonkar, former MLA Omprakash Pokarn, youth leader Dr. Meenal Patil Khatgaonkar joined Congress. Congress state president Nana Patole and former minister Amit Deshmukh welcomed all these leaders into the party in a function organized at Tilak Bhawan, the state Congress headquarters in Dadar.

On this occasion, Patole said that Bhaskar Rao Patil Khatgaonkar is a grassroots level worker, who has entered the Congress party without the expectation of any post. The decision to join the party has been taken after discussions with Congress leaders, office-bearers and senior leaders of Nanded district. Congress State President said that all these leaders have currently entered the party in a function organized at Tilak Bhawan, but a grand ceremony of party entry will be organized in Nanded soon. He said that with the arrival of Khatgaonkar, the Congress organization in Nanded district will get further strength and in the assembly elections also the highest number of Congress candidates will be elected from Nanded district.

Speaking on this occasion, Bhaskarrao Patil Khatgaonkar said that I am happy to return to my home by joining the Congress Party. He said that Congress Party has given opportunity to work as MLA, MP, Minister. In between I had gone to another party but now I am back home. Khatgaonkar said that the Congress party is getting stronger in the state under the leadership of Nana Patole and we will try to win as many seats as possible in the assembly elections. During this party entry ceremony, former minister DP Sawant, MLA Mohanrao Humbarde and Congress officials of Nanded district were present.

Mumbai, September 20: In a setback to the Centre, the Bombay High Court on Friday struck down the amendment to the  Information Technology Act which gave power to the Centre to set up a Fact Check Unit (FCU) to identify  fake, false or misleading content against the government on social media and online platforms, terming it as “unconstitutional”. 

Rule 3(1)(b)(v) of the IT Rules amendment 2023 empowers the government to establish a Fact check Unit and unilaterally declare online content related to the government’s business on social media platforms as fake, false or misleading. The social media intermediary then either has to pull down the information or be ready to defend its actions in court, if the case so arises.

The matter was assigned to Justice AS Chandurkar as ‘tie-breaker judge’, after a division bench, in January, delivered a split verdict on the petitions challenging the amended IT rules.

Justice Chandurkar held that the rules violated constitutional provisions. “I have considered the matter extensively. The impugned rules are violative of Article 14 (right to equality), 19 (freedom of speech and expression) and 19(1)(g) (freedom and right to profession) of the Constitution of India,” he said. The expression “fake, false and misleading” in the Rules was “vague and hence wrong” in the absence of any definition, he added.

The matter will now be placed before the division bench to be decided. The judgement goes against the Centre, with two judges ruling against it. 

The HC was dealing with a batch of petitions, including by a stand-up artist Kunal Kamra, challenging the rules. 

The pleas against the Rules were referred to Justice Chandurkar after a bench of Justices Gautam Patel and Neela Gokhale, on January 31, gave a split verdict. Justice Patel struck down the amended rule establishing FCU while Justice Gokhale ruled against the petitioners.

The Centre amended the IT Act last year which empowered the Central government to flag “fake, false and misleading” news pertaining to the government on social media through FCU.

Senior counsel Navroz Seervai, for Kamra, had argued that expressions “fake, false or misleading” are vague and undefined thus being susceptible to gross abuse and misuse. Similarly, the expression “business of the Central Government” has been stated in wide terms which would encompass each and every activity of the Central Government resulting in the Rule travelling beyond the empowering Section which is Section 87 of the Act of 2000.

The controversial BJP MLA from Maharashtra’s Kankavli, during a speech in Sangli on Thursday, said that if the police were sent on leave for one day, Hindus would show their strength.

The social media platform X, Rane can be heard saying, “…give the police a day off, and Hindus will show their strength… next time you come across a case of love jihad, find the person and break his bones. Call me, as it is my responsibility to ensure that nothing will happen to you.”

As per reports, when the media asked Rane about the hate speech, he clarified his stance, saying that he was present at the event not as an MLA or a party worker but as a Hindu to talk about Hindus.

“I am not here as an MLA or a party worker but as a Hindu to speak to the Hindu community. I am doing my religious duty. Today, our religion is being challenged. As a Hindu, I am standing my ground and fighting for my religion, as stones are being pelted at us.”

Reacting sharply to Rane’s statement, AIMIM leader Waris Pathan said, “Dogs bark, but the lion does not care. Rane asked to remove the police for 24 hours. I want to ask him what he would do in those 24 hours. If I had said the same thing, I would be in jail right now.”

“According to SC guidelines, this is provocative speech but Maharashtra government will not take any action on it. The government wants to incite communal violence before Maharashtra elections,” Pathan said further.

This is not the first instance when Rane has delivered a hate speech. Earlier, on September 1, while speaking in support of Mahant Ramgiri Maharaj at the Sakal Hindu Samaj Andolan in Ahmednagar, he said that Hindus would enter mosques and kill Muslims one by one.

“If you speak against our Ramgiri Maharaj… they will say I spoke in Marathi, so I am threatening you in the language you understand. If you say anything against our Ramgiri Maharaj, we will come into your mosques and beat you up one by one. Keep this in mind.”

On the same day, two FIRs were registered against him for delivering inflammatory speeches on two separate occasions in Ahmednagar.

Amid the controversy over his hate speeches, NCP leader and Maharashtra Deputy CM has said that if Rane does not stop, he will take the matter to New Delhi.

However, Rane retorted, saying that Pawar can complain to whomever he wants, as Hindutva is non-negotiable. He further said that while he expects Pawar to complain about his speeches, he would also raise his voice and condemn those who threw stones at Ganesh processions.

As per reports, police arrested 15 people for allegedly pelting stones at a Ganesh festival procession in Maharashtra’s Chhatrapati Sambhaji nagar city on the final day of the festival. Three women and two men were injured in the incident in the Pundalik nagar area at around 11:30 pm on Tuesday.