Nothing wrong in Rajnath meeting Muslim clerics: BJP
New Delhi/Lucknow: BJP on Tuesday saw “nothing wrong” in party chief Rajnath Singh meeting Muslim religious leaders in Lucknow, saying candidates should meet voters across his constituency. “We have no problem there. Rajnathji said he is meeting all voters across his constituency. He is not seeking votes on the basis of religion but asking votes on the issue of development,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told reporters in Delhi. He said this when it was pointed out to him that BJP had earlier objected to Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s meeting with Muslim leaders. Attempting to reach out to Muslim community, Singh met some prominent Muslim religious leaders yesterday in Lucknow, from where he is seeking election to the Lok Sabha. The Muslim community comprises a major chunk of voters in Uttar Pradesh. The meeting came a few days after Gandhi met Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of Delhi Jama Masjid, and asked Muslims to ensure that their vote is not divided. Javadekar, however, did not agree with the comparison and said, “We had objected to Sonia’s meeting with the Muslim delegation because she was seeking votes on religion basis. She asked them not to split their votes.” Terming Gandhi’s meeting as communal, he said, “There is a basic difference between the meeting of Sonia Gandhi and Rajnathji meeting voters. She appealed to them not to split their votes. She is asking them to vote enbloc, it is a communal appeal.” “On the other hand every candidate has a right to meet every voter. He (Singh) is meeting all religious leaders. He is not seeking votes on the basis of religion but on the issue of development, Javadekar said, adding Congress is indulging in communal politics. (PTI)
FIR against BJP’s Hema Malini for addressing people in temple
Mathura: An FIR has been filed against actress Hema Malini, the BJP candidate from Mathura Lok Sabha seat, for allegedly violating the model code of conduct by addressing people at a temple in Bera village here. “Not only flag and banner of the party was put on the building of Alkeswar Temple of Bera village falling under Mat Tahsil, but Hema Malini addressed a meeting on loudspeaker using temple premises as platform on April 7,” ADM Dhirendra Sachan said. Three FIRs have already been filed against the actress for alleged violation of the model code of conduct, he stated. Meanwhile, notices have been issued against three other candidates from the constituency for alleged violation of model code of conduct. “While AAP candidate Anuj Garg was found guilty of distributing party caps to people, BSP candidate Yogesh Dwivedi did not mention the number of pamphlets he distributed after getting them printed from a press. Bahujan Mukti Party candidate Maharam Singh distributed pamphlets which does not carry the name of the press where it was printed. He also did not furnish proof of the number of pamphlets he got printed,” Sachan said. (PTI)
Forced by Maha police to give confessional statement: Bhatkal
New Delhi: Indian Mujahideen (IM) co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and his aide Asadullah Akhtar on Tuesday claimed in a special NIA court here that they were “forced” by Maharashtra Police to give confessional statements in connection with the cases lodged against them there. Bhatkal and Akhtar were produced before District Judge I S Mehta during an in-chamber hearing in pursuance to production warrants issued against them. They claimed the officials of Maharashtra Police had threatened that that they would be compelled to commit suicide in the custody, sources said. The accused moved an application through their counsel M S Khan for “retraction of their statements recorded during the custody of Maharashtra Police” and the court has taken it on record. Sources said both the accused claimed in the court that due to the threats handed out to them by the officials of Maharashtra Police, they were apprehending that some untoward incident might take place with them and they were also forced to put their signatures on some blank papers. The court, however, remanded both the accused to judicial custody till April 29. During the proceedings, the court also issued production warrants for April 29 against co-accused Obaid-Ur-Rehman and Abu Faisal who were not produced before it. According to sources, Obaid-Ur-Rehman is now lodged in a Bangalore jail while Faisal is in Bhopal in connection with the cases lodged against them there. The court also allowed the plea of National Investigation Agency seeking issuance of proclamation proceedings against 10 top suspected IM operatives who are still absconding. (PTI)
Conman arrested for duping woman on marriage pretext
Mumbai: A 25-year-old woman, in search of a suitable match for herself, was duped by a 50-year-old conman who tricked her into giving him her gold chain on the pretext of marrying her, police said on Tuesday. The trickster Prashant Manjire was arrested yesterday from a lodge in Dadar of central Mumbai on a tip off, said Deputy Police Commissioner Dhananjay Kulkarni. According to police, the young victim gave a matrimonial advertisement in a Marathi newspaper mentioning that she was looking for a suitable groom. “The victim provided her residential address and mobile number so that eligible matches can approach her,” the DCP said. The accused, identifying himself as Manoj Wani contacted her saying that he too had been looking for suitable match. He posed as a ‘single’ although he was married and has a child. “The soft spoken educated man, who did not disclose his age, impressed her with his behaviour in a first meeting near Kotwal garden in Dadar area on March 7. He convinced her to give him her gold ornaments for preparing jewellery for their wedding. Falling prey to his tactics, she handed over her gold chain but the accused never returned,” said another officer. (PTI)
SP polarising votes to win polls: BJP
Lucknow: BJP in Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday accused Samajwadi Party (SP) of polarising votes to win the Lok Sabha elections and in the process its leaders were even challenging the authority of the Election Commission. “Despite a ban by the Election Commission on Uttar Pradesh Cabinet Minister Mohd Azam Khan to hold rally, his speeches were being read in public meetings that spit venom of communalism,” Laxmikant Bajpai, UP BJP President told reporters. He said that the party would raise the issue before the Election Commission. Bajpai termed as “laughable” the statement of BSP supremo Mayawati on BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi and said “in reality Modi made the ideology of Dr Bhimrao Ambedkar the basis of his government in Gujarat.” (PTI)