Chandigarh : Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Friday took a swipe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his debate challenge, inviting him to the state to face questions from the party’s Yuva Morcha President. Offering to arrange the venue himself, the Chief Minister said Gandhi could not expect to make what he described as false allegations without facing questions in return. It cannot be a one-sided affair where someone makes false claims and then walks away, he said. The Chief Minister said that if the Congress had any grievances regarding the electoral process, it should present its case before the Chief Election Commissioner. “The Election Commission is an independent institution, and the doors of the courts are also open.”

He questioned why the Congress is unwilling to approach these forums, saying that merely making allegations from home for public consumption would serve no purpose. CM Saini was interacting with the media here after transferring funds under government welfare schemes. He responded to questions on government initiatives, crop procurement, allegations levelled by the Congress and several other issues. Launching a sharp attack on the Congress, the Chief Minister said the party had no substantive issue to take to the people and is therefore attempting to mislead the country in the name of “vote theft” while casting doubts on the credibility of democracy and the Election Commission.

He said if the Congress had complaints about voters’ names being deleted or incorrectly recorded, the Election Commission had already prescribed a procedure for raising objections. Electoral rolls had been made available in the public domain, and a month had been provided for filing objections through the prescribed forms. Despite these provisions, he said, the Congress continued to mislead the public. He said people were watching these developments closely and would no longer be swayed by such claims. “There has been no vote theft. What the Congress is facing today is the consequence of its own actions. People are now even saying that the Congress should shut down the party,” the Chief Minister added.

Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Friday signalled that the state’s recruitment drive for government jobs would continue even after the government meets its target of one lakh additional appointments.

He said the administration had already completed around 9.5 lakh government recruitments and was close to fulfilling its promise of another one lakh jobs. However, the recruitment process would not end there, and some appointment letters would be kept pending and distributed when the government returns to power for a third term.

Addressing a function at the Reserve Police Lines in Lucknow, where appointment letters were handed over to 4,543 newly selected police sub-inspectors, CM Yogi interacted directly with the recruits and highlighted the transparency of the selection process. He asked whether any candidate had required political recommendations, faced demands for money, been offered bribes, or witnessed any attempts to secure jobs through influence. He asserted that such practices were no longer possible in present-day Uttar Pradesh.

The Chief Minister said the state’s recruitment system had undergone a complete transformation since 2017, with jobs now being awarded on merit rather than through recommendation, discrimination or corruption.

Taking aim at previous governments, he alleged that large-scale irregularities had occurred in recruitments between 2003 and 2017, including cases where applications were submitted by one individual while appointment letters were issued to another. He noted that several such matters were still pending before the courts.

CM Yogi expressed concern over the future of those appointed through disputed recruitment processes, saying a court order cancelling such appointments could adversely affect many young people. At the same time, he remarked that he would welcome action to confiscate the properties of those responsible for compromising the futures of job seekers through dishonest means.

He further alleged that government recruitment before 2017 was dominated by what he described as the “Saifai syndicate”, which deprived candidates from many regions of the state of fair opportunities. According to him, the situation has since changed, and young people from all parts of Uttar Pradesh now have equal access to government jobs.

Recalling the early days of his administration, CM Yogi said that when his government took office in 2017, even salary payments to employees were a challenge, and the condition of the police department was poor. He said police barracks were in a dilapidated state, and personnel faced significant hardships.

According to the Chief Minister, his government has overhauled the system and given it a new identity, though further improvements will require continued dedication and hard work.

He reiterated that the campaign to provide government employment would continue without interruption. “More than one lakh appointment letters have already been distributed,” he said, adding that recruitment of 25,000 teachers would also be taken forward in the coming period.

Finance and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Suresh Khanna congratulated the newly appointed sub-inspectors, saying they had earned an opportunity that many aspiring candidates dream of but are unable to secure.

He stressed that their selection was based on merit and hard work rather than recommendation or favouritism, and said the recruitment process sends a clear message that perseverance and dedication can help young people achieve their goals.

Kochi : The Kerala High Court on Friday came down heavily on retired Director General of Police Tomin J. Thachankary for seeking permission to travel abroad for a job after spending his entire period in custody at the jail hospital, warning that his bail could even be cancelled. Justice A. Badarudeen expressed strong reservations over the plea, pointing out that Thachankary had not spent even a single day in jail after his conviction in a disproportionate assets case in September. The court had examined his medical records, submitted by the Poojappura Central Jail Superintendent following an earlier direction.

The records showed that he had remained in hospital throughout his four weeks in custody. “He has been admitted to the hospital from the date of admission till the date of release. He has not been in jail even for a day. Nicely stayed in the hospital. There he has 1,000 ailments. Now, no ailments. Wants to go to Dubai and do a job. How can it be? Don’t repeat lies before the court,” the judge observed. The court questioned how a person who had cited serious health problems while in custody could now claim to be fit enough to take up employment abroad. “When he goes to jail, he goes and lies down in the hospital instead of staying in jail. Once he comes out, he is completely healthy.

All this cannot happen,” the court remarked. The judge also warned that the court could consider cancelling the bail granted to him, saying such conduct had to be viewed seriously. The matter was posted for further hearing on Thursday. Thachankary was sentenced to four years of rigorous imprisonment and fined Rs 30.84 lakh by the Kottayam Vigilance Court on September 17 after being convicted of amassing assets disproportionate to his known income between 2003 and 2007. The assets were valued at Rs 30.84 lakh, constituting 52.33 per cent of his known income. He was the first former police officer of DGP rank in Kerala to be sent to prison following a criminal conviction. The High Court suspended his sentence and granted him bail on October 15 pending the disposal of his appeal. He subsequently approached the court seeking relaxation of his bail conditions to travel abroad for employment.