Category: India

Dera HQ being searched, govt imposes curfew around Sirsa

Editor

The Haryana government has imposed a curfew today in areas surrounding the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters in Sirsa, which will be searched as per orders of the Punjab and Haryana high court. The curfew will remain in place as long as the search operations continue. Tight security arrangements are also in place to prevent the kind of violence that occurred on the day Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim was convicted of rape. Meanwhile, a Dera Sacha Sauda spokeswoman “appealed to the followers to maintain peace” during the operations. “Dera has…

Read More

Take urgent steps to stop cow vigilantism: SC tells Centre & States

Editor

The Supreme Court directed the Centre and states on Wednesday to take stern action to curb cow vigilantes by ensuring they don’t terrorise highways and sought the appointment of nodal officers in each district to coordinate measures against self-styled “gau rakshaks”. Stating that cow vigilantes should not be permitted to take the law in their hands or become a law unto themselves, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice Amitava Roy and A M Khanwilkar reminded the Centre of its stand that it did not support cow vigilante…

Read More

Dera Chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim sentenced to 10 years jail for rape, breaks down in court

Editor

Rape convict Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was on Monday sentenced to 10 years in jail by a special CBI court. The Dera chief apparently sobbed in the courtroom as he begged to be treated leniently and asked to be forgiven, reported Times Now. During the arguments before the sentencing, the prosecution said no leniency should be shown and demanded the maximum sentence for Gurmeet Ram Rahim. The defence argued that the Dera chief is a social worker who has worked for the welfare of people, so…

Read More

Ram Rahim verdict leads to violent clashes in Punjab, Haryana; 25 Dera supporters dead

Editor

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh rape conviction triggers riots across Haryana, Punjab; Section 144 imposed in Noida; 25 dead Massive violence has followed the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh for rape. A special Central Bureau of Investigation court in Panchkula, Haryana held the Dera Sacha Sauda leader guilty of rape. The situation deteriorated soon after the conviction was announced and Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was taken into custody. There have been nearly 300 incidents of violence reported from across Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. LATEST UPDATES: Sirsa,…

Read More

Gurmeet Ram Rahim found guilty of rape, taken into judicial custody

Editor

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was found guilty of rape by a special CBI court in Panchkula, Haryana, on Friday. He was immediately taken into judicial custody; he will be sentenced on Monday. The Dera head was present in court when the judgment was read out. A rape conviction carries a minimum sentence of seven years and a maximum of 10 years. The court delivered its verdict in the case against the 50-year-old Dera chief after 14 long years and amid unprecedented security as thousands of Dera…

Read More

Ensure no hindrance in animal sacrifice on Eid: Shahi Imam

Editor

Asserting that Muslims were not in favour of sacrificing cows due to the religious sensitivities involved, Jama Masjid’s Shahi Imam said on Monday that he had urged the Centre to ensure no hindrance in the sacrifice of other animals on Eid-ul-Azha but got no response. Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari said he had written to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the issue a few weeks ago but the Ministry had neither acknowledged nor responded to his letter. Eid-ul-Azha is scheduled to be celebrated on September 2. In his letter, the…

Read More

If I cannot stop namaz on roads, I have no right to stop Janmashtami celebrations at police stations: Adityanath

Editor

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath Wednesday said that if he cannot stop the offering of namaz on roads during Eid, he has no right to stop celebration of Janmashtami at police stations, reported Indian Express. “Agar mai sadak par Eid ke din namaz padhne pe rok nahi laga sakta to mujhe koi adhikar nahi ki mai thano mein janmashtami ke parv ko rokun… koi adhikar nahi,” he said. He said everyone has the freedom to celebrate festivals in the country. “Hum sabke liye kahenge… Aap Christmas bhi manaiye… kaun…

Read More

Venkaiah Naidu sworn in as 15th Vice President of India

Editor

Former Union Minister Venkaiah Naidu was today sworn in as the 15th vice president of India. President Ram Nath Kovind administered the oath of office and secrecy to Mr. Naidu, 68, at a ceremony in the Durbar Hall of Rashtrapati Bhawan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior BJP leader L.K. Advani and other Cabinet Ministers were present on the occasion. Mr. Naidu was elected the 13th Vice-President of India on Saturday. Naidu polled a massive 516 of the total 760 votes, aided by cross-voting by Opposition MPs in the 15th vice-presidential…

Read More

Muslims Insecurity, Triple Talaq, Kashmir Imbroglio; Hamid Ansari steers political debate

Editor

Ansari’s remarks drew political reactions, with the ruling BJP accusing him of playing ‘Muslim politics’. In his final interview as the Vice President of India, Dr Hamid Ansari did not refrain from expressing his opinion on a range of topics affecting the national political discourse. From ‘insecurity creeping among minorities’ to the politicisation of triple talaq, and the current imbroglio in Kashmir, Ansari gave his insights which were at variance with the stance adopted by the ruling government. Here are the highlights from his interview to Rajya Sabha TV: On…

Read More

India, US conspiring to sabotage Indus Waters Treaty: Khawaja Asif

Editor

Pakistan has accused India and the US of being “involved in an international conspiracy to sabotage the Indus Water(s) Treaty”,+ reported Pakistani media. India is “also supporting the conspiracies being hatched by Afghanistan against Pakistan”, isn’t giving any response to “Pakistan’s peace initiatives” and is, like Afghanistan, involved in a “blame game” with Islamabad as the target, said Khawaja Asif, Pakistan’s new foreign minister. In his first press conference since being appointed foreign minister, Asif also reportedly said that “Pakistan’s desire for peace and good relations with neighbours should not…

Read More