Thiruvananthapuram: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Saturday condemned Maharashtra minister Nitesh Rane’s remark on EVMs, describing it as “shocking” and contrary to the inclusive values upheld during India’s freedom struggle.

Stating that targeting any particular community is wrong, Tharoor asserted that everyone is an equal citizen of the country and that’s the only way for the country to progress.

Speaking to Media, Tharoor said, “This kind of thing is quite shocking. In our country, we really have to understand the basic lesson of the freedom struggle, which is that when one set of people said that religion is the basis of their nationhood. They went away and created Pakistan. Mahatma Gandhi onwards, our leader said we have fought for the freedom of everybody. We will create a country for everybody, we will write a constitution for everybody, and everybody will live here with equal rights.”

“I must say that people picking on any one community, whether it’s against Muslims, Hindus, Christians, or any caste, that is all wrong. We are all equal individual citizens of India, and that is the only basis on which our country can progress,” he added.

This comes after Maharashtra’s Fisheries and Ports Minister Nitesh Rane, addressing a Hindu Garjana Sabha in Sangli on Friday, reportedly made derogatory remarks saying, “EVM means, Every Vote against Mullah.”

Meanwhile, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader, Brinda Karat also condemned the minister’s remarks and called for the arrest of Rane.

“This is a hate speech and this man should be arrested. This man is a threat to India as this is not the first time he has made such an outrageous communal statement… The fact that he continues as a minister is a reflection of the hypocrisy of the BJP and the RSS… Prime Minister talks of the Constitution and here his minister is destroying the basic foundation of the Constitution through this hate speech, so he must be removed from his post,” Karat said.

Mumbai, Jan 11: Amid raging controversy over the brutal killing of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh from Beed district, the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is investigating the case, booked all eight accused under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) on Saturday.

Sudarshan Ghule, Prateek Ghule, Sudhir Sangle, Krishna Andhale, Vishnu Chate, Siddharth Sonawane, Mahesh Kedar and Jayram Chate, who have been so far arrested in the case, will be tried under the MCOCA.

Interestingly, Walmik Karad, a close confidant of NCP minister Dhananjay Munde, who has been under arrest after his surrender in a dramatic manner in connection with extortion, has not been booked under the MCOCA.

Karad, the “mastermind” behind the killing of sarpanch, has been booked for extortion.

According to MCOCA, organised crime is defined as any unlawful continuing activity by an individual, singly or jointly, either as a member of a crime syndicate or on behalf of such a syndicate, by the use or threat or violence, terrorism, coercion, intimidation, insurgency or other means intending to gain undue economic gains or advantage of himself or a group.

According to Section 3 (1) of the MCOCA, the accused can be punished with imprisonment for a minimum of five years to life. It also provides for confiscation of the property of the accused.

The SIT’s move comes at a time when all-party protests are being held across the state demanding justice for the family of Santosh Deshmukh and the execution of the accused involved in the murder.

The protestors are also demanding that Karad be booked for murder under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Further, the protestors are also demanding the resignation of NCP Dhananjay Munde in the wake of his proximity with Karad.

NCP legislator Prakash Solanke has demanded that Munde should resign or be kept as minister without a portfolio until a fair investigation into the case is completed.

On the other hand, Suresh Ramchandra Dhas, BJP legislator from the Ashti Assembly seat in Beed district, has been quite vocal in this case demanding stern action against the accused.

He has repeatedly targeted Dhananjay Munde for the deteriorating law and order in Beed district during his tenure as the District Guardian Minister.

Dhas said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has announced that the state government will not spare anyone and the accused will be booked under MCOCA.

Although Deputy Chief Minister and NCP President Ajit Pawar announced that strict action will be taken against those found guilty, regardless of party affiliation, he has ruled out Dhananjay Munde’s resignation citing that CID, SIT and judicial commission probes in the case were underway.

Midnapore: A pregnant woman died on Friday at the Midnapore Medical College and Hospital in West Bengal’s Paschim Midnapore. The family members of the deceased raised serious concerns about the saline given to the woman. The deceased has been identified as Mamoni Das. Meanwhile, five others are critically ill. A 10-member enquiry committee was formed by the West Bengal Health Department.

The committee will reportedly visit the hospital on Saturday. The action was taken after the family of the deceased lodged a complaint with the police. Meanwhile, the health department directed the authorities to replace all the existing saline stock. A detailed report has also been sought from the principal of the medical college. The state health officials also demanded an explanation on reports of using expired saline.

The woman gave birth to a baby on Wednesday. She was shifted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after her condition deteriorated. Das breathed her last on Friday. She was 21 years old. The incident drew strong criticism from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state.

The saffron party raised questions on the health facilities under the Mamata Banerjee government in the state. “Shame on the crumbling healthcare system in West Bengal under the disastrous regime of @MamataOfficial! A pregnant woman DIED after being given EXPIRED saline at a govt hospital in Midnapore, and several others now fight for their lives,” the BJP said in its official X post.

This is the price mothers pay under your so-called “development”? Your negligence has turned hospitals into death traps! West Bengal deserves accountability, not your hollow promises and PR stunts. How much more blood will stain your hands, @MamataOfficial?” it added.

The husband of a critically ill woman told the media house that Das stopped passing out urine after giving birth to the baby and was then shifted to the ICU. He alleged that the medical college staff gave the wrong saline.

A large police contingent has reportedly been deployed outside the hospital to avoid any untoward incident.