Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar on Monday met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and urged him to revoke the disqualification of party’s Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal whose conviction has been suspended by the Kerala High Court.

Pawar said, “As the Kerala High Court suspended the conviction and sentence of the former Lakshadweep MP and hence we appealed to the honourable speaker to consider the matter of suspension.”

He said that he met with the Lok Sabha speaker and requested him to revoke the disqualification of the NCP’s MP.

The Election Commission (EC) on Friday informed the Supreme Court that it will consider the Kerala High Court order, which suspended the conviction of Lakshadweep MP Mohammed Faizal in an attempt to murder case, and take action in accordance with the law.

Advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Faizal, submitted before a bench headed by Justice K.M. Joseph that the by-election cannot go on as the high court has suspended the conviction of his client.

Faizal’s conviction had resulted in his disqualification from the Lok Sabha. The bypoll was announced by the EC after Faizal was disqualified following his conviction in the case.

Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing the EC, contended before the bench, also comprising B.V. Nagarathna, that the action will be taken in accordance with law against the backdrop of the high court order.

Thane: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) senior leader and former housing minister Jitendra Awhad made serious allegations against Eknath Shinde’s Shiv Sena faction on Twitter. 

The former minister on Friday tweeted that Balasahebanchi Shiv-Sena (BSS) are luring former NCP corporators from Kalwa and Mumbra by offering them Rs 1 crore; a ticket for the upcoming Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) elections, and a work contract of Rs 10 crore.

Minister’s tweet creates stir

The tweet by the former housing minister has created a stir in political circles.  

A political expert from Thane on the condition of anonymity said,” Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s associates for the upcoming TMC elections are planning a strategy to defeat Jitendra Awhad who is regarded as an influential NCP leader from Kalwa and Mumbra. Also, some NCP corporators from Mumbra are preparing for a rebellion and they have the support of the Shinde faction. It is also learnt that Hanmant Jagdale, an effective leader of the NCP party who is also considered to be loyal to NCP chief Sharad Pawar is planning to enter Balasahebanchi Shiv-Sena with his supporters.”

BSS leaders luring NCP corporators

Awhad had made serious allegations against the Shinde faction on Twitter and in the message, he mentioned that, ” Balasahebanchi Shiv-Sena leaders have started luring NCP corporators from Kalwa-Mumbra by openly offering them Rs 1 crore and also Rs 1 crore to their spouses. They have also offered former corporators a ticket and also work of Rs 10 crore. This is the new way to break the NCP corporators. “

As of now, there has been no reaction from the Balasahebanchi Shiv-Sena (BSS).

Mumbai: The premier Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS)’s Progressive Students Forum cancelled the planned screening of the controversial BBC documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi after strong protests by the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha activists, here on Saturday evening.

A student leader – declining to be quoted – said that the film and the projector could not be taken to the venue in view of the protests and pressures from the TISS management and the Mumbai Police.

“Accordingly, we decided to cancel the screening. However, we have forwarded the entire documentary to all the students and they are watching it on their gadgets like mobiles, laptops or tablets,” he told IANS, adding it has reached over 600 students on the TISS Deonar campus and outside.

The developments came even as the TISS management issued a stern ‘advisory’ on Thursday warning the students of strict action if they went ahead with the plans, followed by another circular this afternoon.

Unrelenting, the Progressive Students Forum (PSF) had said it was intended to be “a symbolic protest” against the government’s move to block access to the documentary and their move was in solidarity with other students’ organisations in campuses across the country.

The PSF’s defiant venture came after similar protests erupted in Delhi against the students of Delhi University and around 24 were detained on Friday, as some other institutions in different parts of the country also attempted similar screenings.

Mumbai unit Bharatiya Janata Party President Ashish Shelar had slammed the TISS-PSF plans to screen the documentary and urged the Maharashtra government to take action against the students for attempting to create law and order problems.