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Monday,11-December-2023
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Ahead of Harish Rawat’s visit to Punjab, factionalism escalates in Congress

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Ahead of Congress General Secretary Harish Rawat’s visit to Punjab to de-escalate tension between the two factions, the Navjot Singh Sidhu’s camp has opened a front against Rawat and challenged his statement on Amarinder.

In a statement, Punjab Congress General Secretary Pargat Singh had posed a challenge that Harish Rawat should tell when it was decided that Punjab elections will be fought under the leadership of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

“Election will be fought under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi,” Pargat Singh said.

Harish Rawat had met Rahul Gandhi on Saturday and briefed him about the situation there which has arisen after the statement of Navjot Singh Sidhu.

Rawat is scheduled to visit Punjab in a day or two and will talk to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and state president Navjot Singh Sidhu and sort out the issues arising out of the differences between the two leaders.

Rawat had on Friday met interim President Sonia Gandhi and apprised her of the situation in the state.

“Punjab situation is under control… I have apprised her about the situation in the state,” he told reporters after the meeting.

Sidhu speaking at a party function in Amritsar last week had said, “If he is allowed to work according to his own policy of hope and faith, he will ensure the Congress rule in the state for 20 years.

“But if you won’t let me take decisions, eint naal eint bi kharkaonga (it will be disastrous for the party). There’s no point in becoming a showpiece,” Sidhu had said without mincing words.

Speaking about the Punjab model, Sidhu said, “Punjab model means people make policies for trade, industry and power. Giving power back to the people.”

The meeting happened in wake of some “rebel” MLAs seeking time from Sonia Gandhi to press for the removal of Chief Minister Amarinder Singh.

Rawat has been facing a tough task to balance both sides in Punjab as Sidhu and Amarinder Singh are at loggerheads.

Meanwhile, Amarinder Singh’s confidante and Cabinet minister Rana Gurmit Singh Sodhi hosted a dinner at his residence on Thursday.

A total of 58 MLAs and eight MPs attended the dinner and expressed confidence that the party would win the 2022 polls under the leadership of Amarinder Singh. “The journey has started today,” Sodhi informed in a tweet.

Crime

UP Crime: Brother Kills Sister By Shooting In Her Head For Talking To Man On Mobile Phone In Saharanpur

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Saharanpur, December 11: A 20-year-old man shot dead his 18-year-old sister for talking to a man on her mobile phone in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district. The incident took place in a village in the district late on Sunday night. According to the police, the victim, Muskan, was taken to the district hospital where doctors pronounced her ‘brought dead’.

‘It is still not clear with whom the deceased was talking’

“It is still not clear with whom the deceased was talking on the phone which angered her brother Aditya Prajapati. Their mother Babita, who was also present at the time of the incident, tried to hide the facts and initially told us that some unidentified persons had shot her daughter dead while she was sleeping,” said Satyendra Prakash Singh, in charge, Saharanpur Rural Kotwali police station.

The police said no FIR has been filed in this connection yet

The police said no FIR has been filed in this connection yet as their father, Jagmohan, 46, a daily wage earner who lives in Dehradun, has yet to reach the village.

‘The body has been handed over to the family for cremation’

“He is expected to reach the village later in the day. The body has been handed over to the family for cremation after the post-mortem examination,” said Singh. Vipin Tada, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Saharanpur, said their mother did not inform the area police station about the incident.

Her daughter was shot by her brother

“The area police got information after the district hospital sent the information that a woman had died owing to a bullet injury. We interrogated the mother who later accepted that her daughter was shot by her brother,” said Tada. “The brother is absconding and we have formed three teams to arrest him,” he added.

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National News

‘President’s Order To Scrap Article 370 Valid, Hold Elections By Sept 2024′: Big Unanimous Supreme Court Verdict

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Supreme Court on Monday announced the verdict on Article 370 and the court upheld the validity of the Constitutional Order abrogating Article 370. The Supreme Court today announced the verdict on a batch of petitions challenging the abrogation of the provisions of Article 370. A five-judge bench which was headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud passed its decision on whether the decision taken by the Government of India to abrogate the provisions of Article 370 of the Constitution was valid or not.

Constitutional Order abrogating Article 370 is valid

The Supreme Court in its verdict, has announced that the Constitutional Order abrogating Article 370 is valid. The decision on abrogation of provisions of Article 370 was taken by the Centre on August 5, 2019.

Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India

The Supreme Court observed that Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of India and Maharaja Hari Singh surrendered the sovereignty of the state. The court also said that the provisions of Article 370 was a temporary provision and it was created due to war conditions.

Union government cannot take actions of irreversible consequences

The Supreme Court also said the argument of petitioners that the Union government cannot take actions of irreversible consequences in the State during Presidential rule is not acceptable.

‘Every decision taken by Union on behalf of State is not subject to challenge’

CJI DY Chandrachud also said, “Every decision taken by Union on behalf of State is not subject to challenge, this will lead to chaos and uncertainty and would bring the administration of the State to a standstill.” The Supreme Court held that Jammu and Kashmir became an integral part of India as evident from Articles 1 and 370 of the Constitution of India.

The concurrence of the State government was not required

Supreme Court said that the concurrence of the State government was not required to apply all provisions of the Constitution using Article 370(1)(d). So, the President of India taking the concurrence of the Union government was not malafide. Supreme Court said, “No maladies in exercise of power under Article 370(3) by President to issue August 2019 order. Thus, we hold the exercise of Presidential power to be valid.” It further said, “When Constituent Assembly of J-K ceased to exist, special condition for which Article 370 was introduced ceased to exist.”

Hold Elections by September 30, 2024

The court also directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to hold elections in the state. “We direct that steps shall be taken by the Election Commission of India to conduct elections to the Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir by 30 September 2024,” said CJI reading judgement in Article 370 matter.

SC upholds reorganisation of Ladakh as Union Territory

The Supreme Court in its decision further has upheld the reorganisation of Ladakh as Union Territory. The Supreme Court said, “Given the Centre’s submission on the restoration of statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, it directs that statehood shall take place as soon as possible.”

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Dhiraj Sahu IT Raids: After 5 Days, Cash Counting Ends With Total Seizure Of Over Rs.350 Crore

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Odisha: After IT completing raids at Premises linked to Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu, counting of cash seizure has come to an end and over ₹ 350 crore has been recovered. The cash was seized by the Income Tax department from distillery units in Odisha.

This is the highest-ever cash seizure by an agency in a single operation. The counting of the seized currency notes took five days and concluded on Sunday.

The seized cash was taken in bags for counting to three SBI branches — in Balangir, Sambalpur and Titlagarh. The highest cash was recovered in 176 bags filled with cash that were taken to SBI’s Balangir branch, where additional manpower had to be deployed for counting the notes.

Income Tax officials however continue to conduct the survey at properties linked to Dheeraj Sahu with documentation process still on.

During the Income Tax raids at properties connected to Rajya Sabha MP Dheeraj Sahu, huge stacks of currency notes were seized. According to sources the amount of cash recovered was in excess of Rs 300 crore.

SBI Regional Manager, Bhagat Behera on Sunday said that out of the 176 bags received, 140 have been accounted for, and the counting of the remaining bags is scheduled on Monday.

176 bags full of cash recovered

“We received 176 bags and 140 of them have been counted, the rest will be counted today. Officials from 3 banks are involved in the counting process, and 50 of our officials are involved. About 40 (currency counting) machines were brought here, 25 are in use and 15 are kept as backup,”

Meanwhile, the currency note banding machine was brought to Balangir SBI’s main branch to complete the currency counting process.

Cash worth Over 300 crore recovered

The Income Tax sleuths conducted raids at the premises of Boudh Distilleries Private Limited on Sunday, as the crackdown by the central agency entered its fifth day. Baldev Sahu Infra Pvt Ltd company is a group company of Boudh Distilleries, which is being raised. It is allegedly linked to Sahu.

Income Tax sleuths have, so far, recovered more than Rs 300 crore cash from several locations in Odisha and Jharkhand during their raids against Boudh Distilleries Private Limited (BDPL) and entities linked to it.

The residences of Sahu were also searched. The recovery has given fresh ammunition to the BJP to come out all guns blazing at the Congress on the issue of graft.

Dheeraj Sahu faces Massive criticism

Earlier, on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a swipe at the Congress, tagging a news report about the I-T department’s recovery of Rs 200 crores in cash from various locations of a business group allegedly linked to Sahu.

“Countrymen should look at these piles of currency notes and then hear the addresses of its (Congress) leaders on honesty. Every penny looted from people will have to be returned. This is Modi’s guarantee,” PM Modi posted from his official handle.

Union Minister Amit Shah also criticised the Congress and members of the INDIA bloc for remaining silent on the raids

“I am very surprised. After independence, such a large amount of cash has been seized from an MP’s house. Crores of rupees have been recovered but the whole INDI alliance is silent on this corruption. I understand Congress is silent as corruption is in their nature but JDU, RJD, DMK, and SP all are sitting silently…Now I understand why a campaign was run against PM Modi that agencies are being misused. It was run because there was a fear in their mind that all the secrets of their corruption would be revealed…”.

Congress distances itself from cash recovered

The Congress has chosen to distance itself from the Cash recovered at it MPs home claiming that only Dheeraj Sahu can explain how huge amounts of cash were found at his business.

“The Indian National Congress is in no way connected with the businesses of Dheeraj Sahu, MP. Only he can explain, and should explain, how huge amounts of cash have been reportedly unearthed by the income-tax authorities from his properties” Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said.

With the Congress yet to take any punitive action against its MP the BJP is expected to further raise the pitch on the issue.

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