National
Modi govt’s systematic 5-fold assault on democracy, says Congress

New Delhi, June 25: The Congress party on Wednesday launched a scathing attack on the NDA government, alleging that over the past 11 years, democracy has been under a systematic and dangerous assault that can be described as “Undeclared Emergency@11”.
With this, the party sought to counter the BJP-led NDA government’s ‘Samvidhan Hatya Diwas’ campaign on the 50 years of the Emergency.
In a statement, Congress general secretary in charge of communications, Jairam Ramesh, alleged a five-fold assault on Indian Democracy.
“Over the past eleven years and thirty days, Indian democracy has been under a systematic and dangerous five-fold assault that can be best described as Undeclared Emergency@11,” Ramesh said in the statement.
He has listed these assaults in the statement alleging vilification and continued attack on the Constitution.
His first point is titled “Attacks on the Constitution” and lists five instances in which the party seeks to prove its contention.
Ramesh said that during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the Prime Minister sought a ‘Char Sau Paar’ mandate for a new Constitution and to betray Dr Ambedkar’s legacy, but the people of India denied him that mandate.
“The Modi government has consistently shredded parliamentary norms. MPs have been arbitrarily suspended merely for raising issues of public concern. The government has refused to discuss critical national issues. Key legislations are bulldozed through. Parliamentary committees have been bypassed,” the statement said.
The party alleges that the CAG has become irrelevant. The Election Commission’s integrity has been severely compromised. Serious questions about the integrity of the Assembly elections in some states have been ignored. Poll timings and phases are tailored to benefit the ruling party. The Commission has remained silent despite divisive rhetoric from the Prime Minister and senior BJP leaders.
Ramesh has also accused the government of destroying Centre-state relations. He said the BJP has used money power to engineer the fall of Opposition-led state governments, frequently buying over legislators. “The office of the Governor has been misused to block bills in opposition-ruled states and to interfere in university appointments. The Centre has bypassed constitutional fiscal arrangements by overusing cesses to deprive states of their rightful revenue share,” he said.
The Congress party has alleged that there has been a definite policy of quiet threats to the judiciary, primarily through delayed elevations, punitive transfers, post-retirement sinecures for pliant judges, and selective implementation of collegium recommendations.
Ramesh’s statement said there is rampant tax terrorism and intimidation of businesses and institutions. He said the fear of regulatory retaliation has had a chilling effect on previously outspoken business leaders.
While trying to reinforce the undeclared emergency claim, the Congress party has alleged that the media has come under unprecedented pressure and journalists and news outlets critical of the government have faced intimidation, arrests, and raids.
The party has also alleged that institutions such as the ED, CBI, and Income Tax Department have been deployed to harass and defame leaders of various opposition parties.
Jairam Ramesh alleged that government critics have been routinely vilified, hate and bigotry are deliberately spread by the ruling establishment, protesting farmers were labelled “Khalistanis”, and advocates of caste census were dismissed as “urban Naxals”.
“The killers of Mahatma Gandhi are glorified. Minorities live in fear of their lives and property. Dalits and other marginalised groups have been disproportionately targeted, and ministers making hate speeches have been rewarded with promotions,” the party alleges.
Crime
Bengaluru: Nursing student raped by PG owner after confessing to theft; accused held

Bengaluru, June 25: An incident has been reported from Bengaluru on Wednesday where a nursing student was allegedly raped by the owner of a paying guest (PG) accommodation after she confessed to a theft, officials said.
The police have arrested the accused.
The arrested person has been identified as 35-year-old Ravi Teja Reddy, the owner of the PG facility.
According to the police, Reddy raped the 21-year-old woman after she admitted to stealing three gold rings from another girl residing in the same PG.
Following the victim’s complaint, Reddy has been booked for rape and taken into police custody.
The victim, a nursing graduate from Andhra Pradesh, had joined the PG only a week prior to the incident and was searching for a job, the police said.
Investigations revealed that the victim had allegedly stolen three gold rings from another PG inmate.
She had also disconnected the CCTV camera wire during the theft.
However, she asked another inmate whether the CCTV footage would still be recorded despite the wire of the CCTV camera being cut.
This conversation was shared with Reddy, which raised his suspicion on the nurse.
Reddy then summoned the victim for questioning and threatened to hand her over to the police.
The girl reportedly confessed to the theft, after which Reddy instructed his aides to retrieve the hidden valuables, police added.
When the victim pleaded with Reddy to forgive her and not to inform the police, he allegedly slapped her and sexually assaulted her.
Initially hesitant to file a complaint, the victim later confided in a male friend.
The friend then contacted a city-based advocate, who helped lodge a formal complaint with the police.
Based on the complaint, the police sent the victim for a medical examination and arrested the accused.
Reddy has been booked under Sections 64(1), 74, and 75(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) Act.
In her complaint, the victim said that Reddy initially touched her private parts under the pretext of checking her.
When she resisted, he allegedly forced her to perform oral sex.
The FIR further mentions that the victim, unable to control her urge to vomit after the assault, ran to the restroom.
Reddy followed her and allegedly forced her to have unnatural sex again.
The victim also said that Reddy later threatened her not to reveal the incident to anyone.
It was only after the victim’s friends came to her support that she gathered the courage to file a complaint.
Crime
PFI had ‘hit list’ of 950 in Kerala including judge, reveals NIA probe

Kochi, June 25: In a startling revelation made by the National Investigating Agency (NIA), it has surfaced that the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) had prepared a hit list of 950 people in Kerala.
The list, which surfaced in the media on Wednesday, included a now-retired district judge.
Incidentally, this list was submitted early this month by the NIA at a special court here when the bail applications of four accused in the murder of RSS leader Sreenivasan came up for hearing. The NIA opposed the bail strongly. The four accused, identified as Muhammad Bilal, Riyasudheen, Ansar K.P. and Saheer K.V., were arrested for murdering Sreenivasan at Palakkad, Kerala, in 2022.
The list of 950 was compiled after getting confirmed inputs from different places by the NIA probe team. It includes eight documents seized from the 51st accused, Sirajudheen, which contain a list of 240 people from other communities.
Then, while conducting a search held at Periyar Valley Campus at Aluva, NIA was able to get the details of five targeted persons from the purse of the 15th accused, Abdul Wahad, who is presently on the run.
It was in this list that the name of a former district judge was found.
Another document seized from an accused, who turned approver later, contained a hit list with the names of 232 people.
Similarly, a search held at the home of the 69th accused, Ayoob, a hit list containing the names of about 500 people was found.
When the NIA was probing the Sreenivasan case, the PFI link emerged. It was later found that PFI had sinister plans to create unrest in the country.
During the investigation, the anti-terror agency got details of the PFI carrying out physical and arms training for its cadres.
The NIA has now claimed that it has voice clips and witness statements that reveal the ‘India 2047 plan’ of setting up Islamic rule in India.
The special court, after hearing both sides and going through the documents produced before it, observed that there were reasonable grounds for believing that the accusation against the petitioners was prima facie true, and rejected the bail petition.
International
Axiom Space lifts off: Journey of India’s human space flight, says Shubanshu Shukla

New Delhi, June 25: IAF Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, who began his historic mission to become the first from India to reach the International Space Station on Wednesday, said it’s the journey of India’s human space flight.
After 41 years, India will have an astronaut in space. Shukla will be the second Indian in space after Rakesh Sharma’s flight in 1984.
“This is not my journey alone, but I am carrying the Indian flag with me, and this is the journey of India’s human space flight,” Shukla said, onboard the flight.
“Liftoff for #Ax4. The #Ax4 crew is on its way to the space station,” said the US-based Axiom Space, which has, in collaboration with NASA and SpaceX, organised the mission.
“Liftoff of Ax-4!” added SpaceX.
Shukla’s flight launched at 2.31 a.m. EDT ( noon IST) from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, aboard a new SpaceX Dragon spacecraft on the company’s Falcon 9 rocket.
The lift-off comes after being deferred at least six times.
“India is returning to space, Jai Hind,” Shukla wrote on X, just before the launch of the mission.
“After 41 years, India’s flag will fly in space again,” he added.
Earlier, Shukla also penned an emotional note for his wife.
“Special thanks to Kamna for being the wonderful partner that you are. Without you none of this was possible but more importantly none of this would matter,” said Shukla, in a post on Instagram.
He also shared a photograph that shows them saying goodbye through opposite sides of a glass wall.
Shukla also thanked people “involved in this mission for their support”.
He is serving as the pilot of the mission alongside Commander Peggy Whitson of the US.
The other crew members include Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary, both serving as mission specialists. Once aboard the ISS, Shukla will conduct pioneering experiments related to food and space nutrition.
Once aboard the ISS, Shukla will conduct pioneering experiments related to food and space nutrition and study the effects of microgravity and space radiation on edible microalgae — a nutrient-rich, high-potential food source for future space missions.
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