A video showing some saffron-robbed men shouting slogans and brandishing swords outside a mosque in Delhi is going viral on social media. Now, senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and Union Minister Prakash Javadekar has alleged that people seen in the video are found to be members of the ruling Aam Aadmi Party in Delhi. Yesterday I saw on a channel that on Sri Ram Navami, some saffron clad people gathered outside a Delhi Mosque with swords and raised inciting slogans. Later it was revealed that they belonged to AAP. It is a clear attempt to vitiate atmosphere, Javadekar was quoted as saying by ANI. As per a report by The Indian Express, the bike rally was organised to mark Hanuman Jayanti on April 1. The report said that the rally was marred by at least four incidents of hooliganism outside four mosques in east Delhi and Shahdara. The members brandished swords, lighting firecrackers, threw colour and planted saffron flags near the religious sites. The rally was flagged off by Anand Vihar councillor and BJP leader, Gunjan Gupta from Prachin Hanuman Mandir in Madhu Vihar. Speaking to The Indian Express, Gupta said that there was Gupta, along with the Mandawali councilor…
Maharashtra MPs ‘top performers’ in Lok Sabha
Members of the Lok Sabha from Maharashtra are the top 10 performers of the 16th Lok Sabha up to the recently concluded budget session, K. Srinivasan, Founder, Prime Point Foundation, said on Tuesday. The Foundation has been awarding top performing members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha with the Sansad Ratna Award since 2010. The top 10 performers based on the cumulative score – of questions asked, initiated debates and private member bills introduced during the 16th Lok Sabha up to the budget session 2018 – are all from Maharashtra, Srinivasan told IANS, citing data from the PRS Legislative Research. According to him, the top three Lok Sabha MPs who have performed well are Supriya Sule, Nationalist Congress Party (total score 1,073 – initiated debates 74, private member bills 16, questions 983); Shrirang Appa Barne, Shiv Sena (1,050-initiated debates 102, private member bills 16, questions 932); and Rajeev Shankarrao Satav, Congress (1,031-initiated debates 97, private member bills 15, questions 919). In terms of questions raised by the 46 MPs from Maharashtra, Srinivasan said, they raised 22,705 questions out of 122,723 questions raised in the Lok Sabha by all MPs of the 16th Lok Sabha up to the budget session this…
Venkaiah Naidu launches Assam govt’s cashless health scheme
Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu today launched a health scheme of the Assam government that offers free medical care of up to Rs 2 lakh for every individual from Below Poverty Line (BPL) and Above Poverty Line (APL) families. The cashless scheme, Atal Amrit Abhiyan, will cover 92 per cent of the states population with annual income below Rs 5 lakh, he said. Congratulating the Assam government for the pro-poor scheme, Naidu said, It is estimated that the number of Indians falling below poverty line due to health spending run as high as 63 million. The need of the hour is to safeguard people from this catastrophic health expenditure by providing comprehensive care. If the scheme is implemented in its letter and spirit, it will help the poor to a great extent, Naidu said. I am very happy to be here to formally launch this historic scheme. I call this historic. It will go down in the history of not just the state, but the country as a whole. I compliment the Assam government for launching this noble scheme because health is wealth, the vice president said. The state government has earmarked Rs 400 crore for the scheme in the…
Kedarnath Temple portals thrown open for devotees; Uttarakhand Governor KK Paul, Premchand Aggarwal among first to offer prayers
Thousands of devotees braved early morning chill to flock to Kedarnath as portals of the Himalayan shrine were thrown open today after the six-month winter break. Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul and Speaker Premchand Aggarwal were among the first to offer prayers at the shrine as its gates were opened by Rawal Bhimashankar Ling at 6.15 AM in the presence of administrative and temple committee officials. The idol of baba Kedar brought in a flower bedecked palanquin from Ukhimaths Omkareshwar Temple where he is worshipped during winter was installed in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple amid elaborate rituals and chants of vedic hymns before the main gates of the temple were thrown open to devotees to pay obeisance. With the opening of The gap of about 11 days between the openings of Yamunotri-Gangotri (Apr 18) Likely to be visited in the coming days
Is death penalty a deterrent? HC questions new law on child rape
Two days after the Centre approved an ordinance that allows courts to award the death penalty to those convicted of raping children below 12 years of age, the Delhi High Court on Monday questioned the move and asked the Centre if any scientific assessment was conducted or the view of victims taken before the ordinance was approved. The HC also sought to know if authorities concerned had considered the consequences of the ordinance to victims. The Ordinance was approved after outrage over the rape and murder of an eight-year-old girl in Kathua, and allegations of rape against a BJP MLA in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh. Can you imagine now, how many offenders would allow their victims to survive now that rape and murder have the same punishment, It also sought to know from the respondents, including the Centre, if decision makers had considered educating offenders, a majority of whom are below 18 years of age. The bench further observed that most of the offenders are close family members. The specific remarks by the bench were made when an organisation, concerned with sexual violence all over the country and is also a party in the PIL, raised questions over the maintainability of…