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.

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.

Chandigarh, June 5: A Special CBI Court in Mohali, Punjab, has convicted and sentenced Samir Dua, a partner of M/s G.D. Ispat Udyog, Mandi Gobindgarh, to three years of rigorous imprisonment (RI) along with a fine of Rs 15,000 in connection with a multi-crore bank fraud case, an official statement said on Friday.

The sentence was pronounced on June 4, following the conclusion of trial proceedings in the case investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

According to the CBI, the case was registered against Dalip Dua and Samir Dua, partners of M/s G.D. Ispat Udyog, along with other accused, for allegedly entering into a criminal conspiracy to defraud Indian Overseas Bank’s Mandi Gobindgarh branch in Punjab.

The investigation revealed that the accused had fraudulently secured a cash credit limit of Rs 4 crore from the bank by submitting false and fabricated information and documents.

The loan facility was allegedly obtained through misrepresentation, causing a wrongful loss to the bank and corresponding unlawful gain to the accused, the agency said.

Following a detailed investigation, the CBI filed a charge sheet against the accused persons before the competent court. During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence establishing the fraudulent nature of the transactions and the conspiracy behind obtaining the credit facility.

After examining the evidence and hearing the arguments, the Special CBI Court found Samir Dua guilty and sentenced him to three years of rigorous imprisonment. The court also imposed a monetary penalty of Rs 15,000.

Proceedings against co-accused Dalip Dua were abated due to his death during the pendency of the case.

The conviction marks the culmination of the CBI’s investigation into the bank fraud, underscoring the agency’s efforts to prosecute financial crimes and hold those responsible for defrauding public sector banks accountable.