Mumbai, June 10: The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has launched a scathing attack on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), demanding the immediate expulsion of Water Resources Minister Girish Mahajan from both the State Cabinet and the party.

The Congress accused Mahajan of making “anti-national” remarks and “insulting the bravery of the Indian Armed Forces” during his recent visit to Punjab.

The controversy erupted after Mahajan attended the 42nd anniversary commemoration of ‘Operation Blue Star’ on June 6 at the Damdami Taksal headquarters in Chowk Mehta of Amritsar.

Attending the event as a representative of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Mahajan termed June 6 a “kaala din” (black day), strongly condemned the 1984 military action, and criticised the former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi for “forcibly” sending the Army into the sacred shrine.

Reacting sharply to the developments, MPCC President Harshwardhan Sapkal termed Mahajan’s statements “highly irresponsible” and detrimental to national interest.

“By questioning Operation Blue Star — a mission undertaken to safeguard the country’s unity and national security — he has effectively undermined India’s fight against terrorism,” Sapkal said on Tuesday.

“Girish Mahajan, who has taken an anti-national position, should be immediately removed from the Maharashtra Cabinet as well as from the BJP.”

Countering the Minister’s narrative, Sapkal emphasised that ‘Operation Blue Star’ was a necessary military action against armed Khalistani separatists conspiring to break up India, rather than an action against any religion.

“The Then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi took this tough decision despite being fully aware that it could endanger her own life, prioritising the unity and integrity of the nation above all else. Subsequently, she was assassinated by Khalistani extremists. Maharashtra’s son, General Arun Kumar Vaidya, who led the operation, was also targeted and assassinated by terrorists. Girish Mahajan’s remarks amount to disrespecting the sacrifices made by these great individuals,” he said.

Sapkal claimed that Mahajan’s remarks have exposed the “anti-national mindset” of the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), saying that the country could have faced disintegration had the military operation not been carried out.

He also brought up the historical involvement of top security officials to highlight the contradiction in Mahajan’s stance on Tuesday.

“Notably, the country’s current National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval, was also involved in security operations related to this mission. Will Girish Mahajan now condemn his role as well? Does he have the courage to demand Doval’s removal from the post of National Security Advisor?” Sapkal asked.

He took severe exception to Mahajan comparing the Indian military operation to the historical invasions of Ahmad Shah Abdali, accusing him of attempting to generate sympathy for terrorists and glorifying Khalistani separatist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, whose photos were displayed on the stage backdrop at the event.

The MPCC Chief has now placed the onus on the top brass of the state and Central governments to clarify their stance.

“Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis must clarify whether sending a state representative to an event glorifying Bhindranwale reflects the official policy of the Maharashtra government. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah must state whether they agree with Mahajan’s position. If the leadership does not align with Minister Mahajan, they publicly condemn his remarks and tender an apology to the nation and the Indian Armed Forces,” he demanded.

Sapkal concluded by alleging that the BJP leadership appears willing to compromise on national security, sovereignty, and unity for the sake of “vote-bank politics,” adding that Mahajan must immediately apologise to the country and its soldiers for his remarks.

New Delhi, June 9: Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that for the first time ever under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership over the past 12 years, India has experienced both significant welfare improvements for the poor and remarkable development.

This comes as on this very day in 2024, PM Modi took the oath as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive time. Additionally, PM Modi is set to complete 12 years at the helm of the Central government on June 10, marking a political journey that has significantly reshaped India’s electoral and governance landscape.

In a post on X, Shah said, “Honourable Shri Narendra Modi ji took the oath of office as Prime Minister for the third consecutive time on this very day. Under Modi ji’s leadership, over these 12 years, the country has witnessed for the first time the parallel realisation of poor welfare and unprecedented development.”

“Whether it is providing free rations to 80 crore people or launching over 90 airports and more than 140 Vande Bharat trains across the country; whether it is providing pucca houses to over 4 crore poor families or constructing 1.45 lakh kilometers of roads and 3000 km of modern expressways; whether it is providing Rs 5 lakh health insurance to 50 crore people and gas connections to over 10 crore families or making India the world’s fastest-growing economy; Modi ji has served the nation and its citizens tirelessly through these 12 years without taking even a single day off,” the Home Minister added.

The PM Modi-led government’s era has also been marked by a series of high-profile infrastructure and nation-building projects, including the new Parliament building, Central Vista redevelopment, Kartavya Path, Vande Bharat trains, the Statue of Unity, INS Vikrant, the Kashmir rail link, Noida International Airport, Namo Bharat RRTS and the Ganga Expressway.

Hailing PM Modi’s leadership, Shah said, “When leadership’s intent is pure, goals are in the national interest, and dedication is complete, only then are such transformations possible.”

From his first swearing-in ceremony in 2014 to securing successive mandates in 2019 and a historic third consecutive term in 2024, PM Modi has emerged as one of India’s longest-serving leaders.

On June 10, PM Modi will surpass independent India’s first PM, Jawaharlal Nehru, to become India’s longest-serving continuously elected Prime Minister with 4,399 days.

Nehru was first elected to the post in 1952 (his previous stint from 1947-52 was as head of an interim government, as elections were yet to be institutionalised and held). Indira Gandhi had a fractured tenure totalling 14 years. Prime Minister Modi has an unbroken tenure of 12 years as the PM, and still has three more years to go for the current tenure.

Patna, June 9: A Patna court on Tuesday granted interim relief to popular educator Faisal Khan, widely known as Khan Sir, by staying his arrest in connection with the recent coaching centre firing case.

The District Judge’s court pronounced its order on Tuesday after reserving its verdict on Khan Sir’s anticipatory bail plea following a hearing on Monday.

While the court has not yet granted anticipatory bail, it has directed the police not to take any coercive or punitive action against him until further proceedings.

The court has also sought the case diary and details of Khan Sir’s criminal history from the investigating agency. The matter will now be heard again on June 30.

Seeking the case diary and the accused’s criminal record is a routine judicial procedure while considering an anticipatory bail application.

Although the bail plea remains pending, the stay on arrest has provided major relief to Khan Sir, who had been facing the possibility of immediate police action.

After the court order, Khan Sir’s counsel, Advocate Arvind Kumar Mahuar, told media that Khan Sir is now free to move around wherever he wants as the court has given him protection from the arrest.

The case stems from an incident that occurred on the night of June 2, when unidentified individuals allegedly attacked Khan Global Studies, the coaching institute run by Khan Sir in Patna.

Following the incident, police arrested Roshan Anand, the owner of Gyan Bindu Coaching Institute, and sent him to judicial custody.

The controversy intensified after a video surfaced showing two security guards allegedly firing shots into the air outside the coaching institute during the attack.

The police subsequently arrested both guards and lodged a case against them. Later, Khan Sir was also named in the case.

Police registered an FIR against Khan Sir under provisions related to attempted murder and the Arms Act. Since the registration of the case, he had reportedly remained out of the police’s reach.

Law enforcement officials had visited his coaching institute in an attempt to apprehend him, but he was not found there.