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‘Will take legal action for misquoting me’: Shivakumar on Muslim quota remarks

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Bengaluru, March 24: Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Monday that he will take legal action against the BJP for misquoting him over Muslim quota remarks.

“I will initiate a breach of privilege motion and take legal action for misquoting me. The BJP is misquoting me and distorting my words. Congress understands the Constitution and how it functions. The BJP is deliberately misrepresenting my words and I will take legal action against this breach of privilege,” Shivakumar stated.

He added that Congress will protect the Constitution and it is the party’s responsibility and birthright.

“We helped frame the Constitution, and we will safeguard it,” Shivakumar said.

The Deputy Chief Minister said he is a senior and sensible politician with more experience than Union Minister and BJP President J.P. Nadda.

“I merely mentioned in a casual manner that several changes have been made following judicial verdicts. Whatever reservations are provided are within the quota of backward classes. I never said that Congress would amend the Constitution. I only pointed out that, based on judicial rulings, some constitutional amendments have been made in the past. That is all. If the BJP is happy misinterpreting my words, they can do as they please,” Shivakumar said.

He further accused the BJP of “misleading” the country for political gains, claiming that their popularity is declining with each passing day.

“If the BJP does not take the name of the Gandhi family, they won’t be able to sleep at night. It is a political conspiracy against me and my party. However, since the matter is being discussed in Parliament, they have certain protections,” he said.

Meanwhile, Congress MLC B.K. Hariprasad also clarified that Shivakumar might have mistakenly used the phrase “change of Constitution” instead of “amendment of Constitution.”

He emphasised that no one can change the Constitution and that a Muslim quota does not require a constitutional amendment, as it can be implemented through existing legal provisions.

Reacting to the controversy, BJP State President B.Y. Vijayendra said that Shivakumar’s statement exposes the Congress party’s real intentions, which are to amend the Constitution for Muslim appeasement.

“It also reflects the lack of respect Congress leaders have for B.R. Ambedkar,” he added.

Vijayendra asserted that the Constitution clearly states that religion-based reservations cannot be provided. “However, Shivakumar and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah are willing to go to any extent for Muslim appeasement. Now they have started to talk about changing the Constitution. This is an anti-Constitutional statement, and such a move is impossible under the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership,” he added.

Amit Malviya, in-charge of BJP’s National Information and Technology Department, referring to the BJP registering strong objections to Shivakumar’s remark in the Rajya Sabha, said that the BJP tore into the Congress for proposing to amend the Constitution to grant reservations to Muslims.

“In 1947, the Muslim League raised the issue of Muslim representation and reservations in the Constituent Assembly, but it was rejected. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Constitution includes no provision for religion-based reservations. The Congress is the new Muslim League,” he claimed.

On Sunday, referring to the remarks made by Shivakumar at a media conclave, Amit Malviya said that he (Shivakumar) openly declares that Congress will amend the Constitution to grant reservations to Muslims.

“Where is Rahul Gandhi, the self-proclaimed saviour of the Constitution now? The Congress has always prioritised appeasement over national interest. They didn’t hesitate to Partition the country on religious lines, and even after that, ensured that Muslims stayed back. There could be no greater betrayal,” he stated.

He added that Congress has never been fair to Hindus and they never will be.

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‘34 massacres took place in between 1990-2005’: HM Amit Shah lambasts RJD

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Patna, Nov 1: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday lambasted the RJD leadership for the alleged “jungle raj”, accusing them of 34 bloody massacres between 1990 and 2005 during their tenure.

Addressing a virtual rally for NDA candidates in Gopalganj, Shah cited 34 massacres that took place during that period, including Bara, Senari, Bathani Tola, Laxmanpur-Bathe, Shankar Bigha and Miapur.

“This is not an election to elect an MLA or minister, but an election to choose between good governance under Narendra Modi and Nitish Kumar, or the Jungle Raj of the Grand Alliance (Mahagathbandhan),” Shah said.

The Home Minister said that this election will decide who will control Bihar, those who oversaw years of jungle raj, or the PM Modi-Nitish Kumar combine that has put Bihar on the path of development.

Shah was scheduled to attend the rally in person but said he was unable to fly due to bad weather and addressed the virtual rally from Patna.

“I apologise to the people of Gopalganj who turned out in large numbers. We did not get permission to take off due to weather conditions,” he said, adding that Gopalganj has never elected an RJD MP or MLA since 2002 and expressing confidence that the district would maintain this record.

Shah also highlighted the NDA manifesto and repeated two promises targeting women and farmers.

He said the government had already transferred Rs 10,000 to each of 1.41 crore Jeevika Didis and promised that after government formation, they would be given an additional Rs 2 lakh each.

For farmers, he claimed that the annual PM-Kisan support would be increased from Rs 6,000 to Rs 9,000.

Calling these not small commitments, Shah said, “Rs 9,000 a year to 87 lakh farmers and Rs 2.10 lakh each to 1.41 crore Jeevika Didis – this is not a small thing.”

He further claimed the Narendra Modi government had decided to reopen all sugar mills of Bihar, saying several had already restarted, including three in Gopalganj and one rice mill, while Riga Sugar Mill in Sitamarhi was functioning.

Shah also announced new infrastructure commitments, including an expressway from Dumariaghat (Gopalganj) to Patna and the redevelopment of Thave railway station.

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National News

‘Onboard LTTE-ISI Operatives’: IndiGo Flight From Jeddah To Hyderabad Diverted To Mumbai After Receiving ‘Human Bomb’ Threat

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Mumbai: An IndiGo flight 6E 68 traveling from Jeddah to Hyderabad was diverted to Mumbai on November 1, following ‘human bomb’ threat email. The Rajiv Gandhi International (RGIA) Airport in Hyderabad received a threat email early morning which claimed that there was a “human bomb” onboard the flight. However, the plane was diverted and safely landed in Mumbai.

According to the police, the threat mail stated, “…onboard LTTE-ISI operatives have planned a major 1984 Madras Airport Modus operandi style blast,” as quoted by news agency media.

On the incident, IndiGo spokesperson also released a statement and said, “A security threat was received for IndiGo flight 6E 68 operating from Jeddah to Hyderabad on November 1 and the aircraft was diverted to Mumbai.” After the information was received, following the established protocols, the relevant authorities were immediately informed. All the necessary security checks along with the relevant authorities were carried out before the aircraft was cleared for further operations.

In addition to this, the IndiGo Spokesperson also added, “We made all efforts to minimise inconvenience to our customers including offering them refreshments and sharing regular updates,” as quoted by media.

Mumbai has witnessed several instances of bomb threats targeting schools, hospitals, airports, temples, the Bombay High Court, and other public places

On October 9, a threatening email was received at the Bandra Family Court in BKC. Following the email, the BKC police station and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) were informed. In the email, the sender claimed that a bomb had been planted in the BKC Family Court.

In September, an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Delhi received a bomb threat. The flight 6E 762 had around 200 people on board and the security agencies found the threat to be non-specific, the source told media.

On September 28, Mumbai’s Shivaji Park Police Station received a bomb threat where caller claimed that a bomb had been planted at Dadar Railway Station. Prior to that, the Bombay High Court had received a threatening email claiming that a bomb had been planted on its premises.

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Gujarat: Applications for selection of State Haj Inspectors for Haj 2026 open till Nov 3

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Gandhinagar, Nov 1: The Gujarat State Haj Committee under the General Administration Department has invited applications from eligible state government employees interested in serving as State Haj Inspectors for Haj–2026, government officials said on Saturday.

The online application process, which began on October 15, 2025, will remain open for only two more days — until November 3, 2025, while offline submission of applications will be accepted until November 5, 2025.

The role of the State Haj Inspector is crucial in assisting pilgrims during their sacred journey.

Selected officials will be deputed to Saudi Arabia for nearly two months under the supervision of the Consulate General of India in Jeddah through the Haj Committee of India.

The deputation period will be treated as official duty, and regular salary and allowances will be paid by the respective departments.

To be eligible for selection as a State Haj Inspector for Haj–2026, applicants must be Muslim officers or employees currently serving under the Gujarat government, its public sector undertakings, autonomous institutions, or commissions, and must possess a graduate degree from a recognised university.

However, officers belonging to Class I or equivalent cadres, as well as contractual employees or those engaged through outsourcing arrangements, are not eligible to apply.

The applicant’s age must also be below 50 years as of October 15, 2025, ensuring that only physically fit and capable individuals are considered for the demanding nature of the assignment.

Each candidate must also hold a valid Indian passport, with an expiry date extending beyond December 31, 2026, to cover the entire duration of the Haj deputation period and related travel requirements.

Applicants, who have previously served as State Haj Inspectors or Khadim-ul-Hujjaj on three or more occasions will not be considered, as preference will be given to new candidates or those with fewer prior deputations to encourage wider participation among eligible government employees.

In addition, every applicant must upload a No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued by their respective department, organisation, or competent authority at the time of online submission.

In cases where the NOC is not available at the time of applying, candidates are required to upload a written undertaking or declaration, committing to submit the NOC during the interview stage.

This ensures administrative clearance and accountability for deputation from the parent department.

Interested applicants must first submit their application on the Haj Committee of India website (http://hajcommittee.gov.in) by November 3, 2025.

Later, they must fill out the State Haj Committee online form on https://haj.gujarat.gov.in and upload the required details and documents.

A hard copy of the completed application, forwarded through the head of the respective department or public enterprise, must reach: Secretary, Gujarat State Haj Committee, Block No. 8, 8th Floor, Secretariat, Gandhinagar, by November 5, 2025, during office hours.

Applications that are incomplete, lack required documents, or are received after the deadline will not be considered for the selection process.

As per the guidelines of the Haj Committee of India and the Ministry of Minority Affairs, candidates will be selected through a computer-based test followed by an interview.

For Haj–2026, one State Haj Inspector will be appointed for every 150 pilgrims.

Selected candidates will be required to obtain approval from their parent department or competent authority and bear 50 per cent of the deputation cost (Rs 2,10,000).

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