Azam booked for ‘revenge’ remarks in Sambhal
Sambhal(UP): Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan was on Saturday booked here on charges of inciting communal passions through his election speech. On April 9, in his speech at an election rally here, the senior Samajwadi Party leader had allegedly exhorted the electorate to take revenge from the rioters of Muzaffarnagar by pressing the button in the Lok Sabha polls. Interestingly, BJP leader Amit Shah, who along with Khan was yesterday barred by the Election Commission from holding public meetings, has also been booked for instigation people to take “revenge” of Muzaffarnagar by pressing button. Block Development Officer (BDO) Satish Pandey lodged the FIR under section 153 A IPC (inciting communal passions through words spoken or written) and 125 (Peoples Representation Act), official sources here said. “The country has not to be given in the hands of a murderer… the murderers of Muzaffarnagar should be avenged by pressing the button,” Azam Khan had allegedly said in the speech. Earlier in the day, the controversial SP leader was also booked in Ghaziabad on charges of promoting enmity on ground of religion and other offences. (PTI)
DMK, Cong & Left combine allege cash distribution by AIADMK
Chennai: Three major political parties in Tamil Nadu on Saturday chanted in chorus that the ruling AIADMK was misusing official machinery to distribute cash and urged the Election Commission to check the poll malpractice. The day-long meeting the Election Commission held here with registered political parties to review poll preparations witnessed sparks as the opposition DMK, Congress and Left Parties, alleged that the Jayalalaithaa government was distributing cash with the help of police and revenue officials at night. The political outfits expressed their anguish over the ‘misuse’ of authority by AIADMK to Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath and urged that stringent measures be taken to check cash flow in the April 24 polls. DMK Organisation Secretary P V Kalyanasundaram, speaking to reporters after the meeting, said his party had given details of distribution of cash to voters and also over the personalised attack by AIADMK against DMK leaders. He said DMK also submitted a complaint to Sampath, outlining poll malpractices indulged in by the ruling party, including giving away cash to labourers while distributing wages under the MNREGS programme. DMK also requested the EC to seal all illegal mines and minerals operating in Tamil Nadu as members of AIADMK party distribute money to voters through the illegal mines and minerals quarry operators in their respective areas. (PTI)
Marital status: Satpal defends Modi
Dehradun: Defending Narendra Modi, who is under attack from Congress for long shying away from acknowledging his marital status, new BJP entrant Satpal Maharaj on Saturday compared the party’s prime ministerial nominee with members of the armed forces who leave behind their wives to serve the nation. Maharaj, a former Congress heavyweight who defected to BJP last month, in a statement said, “There is nothing wrong in what Narendra Modi has done. He had made it clear to his wife at the very outset that his life is dedicated to the service of the country. “Those who do politics in five-star hotels and air-conditioned offices cannot understand this great emotion of sacrifice.” “Wives of Uttarakhandis who work in the armed forces also have to live away from their husbands. What does that mean?” asked the sitting MP from Pauri. Accusing Congress of not being able to see the “sacrifice which made Modi to lead the life of a celibate despite being married to serve the nation,” Satpal said, “For those whom elimination of poverty is no more than a slogan or a poll strategy, cannot understand these things.” Taking a dig at political parties criticising Modi, Satpal said, “They should look within to find many in their own ranks who have two wives but never mention the first one in their affidavits to the Election Commission.” “Modi’s political adversaries should realise that first wives of such leaders among them also have to live away from their husbands and fend for themselves,” he said. (PTI)
Amit Shah booked in two more cases by UP police
Muzaffarnagar: UP police on Saturday registered two cases against Narendra Modi’s close aide Amit Shah in Muzaffarnagar for alleged violation of the model code of conduct following a direction of the Election Commission, which has also banned him from campaigning in the state. While one case has been registered in Kakroli police station, another one has been registered in Newmandi police station against Amit Shah, Additional District Magistrate Indermani Tripathi told PTI. The BJP leader has been accused of making objectionable speeches in Badwar village in Muzaffarnagar on April 4, where he reportedly said said, “If Modi wins, Mullah Mulayam’s government will fall”. Shah has been booked under Section 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) of IPC and 123(3) of Representation of the People Act (relating to appeal by a candidate to vote on the ground of his religion, race, caste, community or language), he said, adding after checking the videos, his speeches were found objectionable. Tripathi said that the step has been taken on the direction of Election Commission, which had yesterday asked authorities to initiate criminal proceedings against the leader. The EC had directed the Chief Secretary to ensure that no act of commission or omission is resorted to by Shah that can affect public tranquillity and law and order. (PTI)
Three members of family shot dead
Sitapur: Three members of a family were on Saturday shot dead and two others injured over a trivial issue in Akbarpur village of the district, police said. Shivkumar(40), his brother Jaikaran(30) and his cousin Ramprasad(35) were shot dead after a dispute over Ramprasad’s cattle grazing in the fields of another villager, police said. A case has been registered against Arun, Santosh, Bhalbhadra, Rajkishore and Vishnu, all belonging to a family, of the same village, they said. The injured, including Ramprasad’s wife, were admitted to the district hospital, police said. All the five accused are at large, they said, adding a police team has been deployed in the village to avoid further clash. (PTI)