Director of ‘Empuraan’ Prithviraj receives IT notice

Hyderabad, Dec 21 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy said on Saturday that actor Allu Arjun visited Hyderabad’s Sandhya Theatre for the premiere show of “Pushpa 2”, despite police denying permission, resulting in the stampede that killed a woman and injured her son.

Speaking in the State Assembly, the Chief Minister stressed the police had told the actor not to visit the theatre but he still went there.

He said the police did not give permission since there was only one entry and exit for the theatre and they anticipated a problem if a celebrity visited it.

Revanth Reddy made a statement in the Assembly when AIMIM leader Akbaruddin Owaisi raised the issue relating to the December 4 incident at Sandhya Theatre.

The Chief Minister also stated that there would have been no problem if Allu Arjun had only visited the theatre, watched the movie, and left.

“However, while going to the theatre, he conducted a road show by waving at the crowd from his car’s sunroof. Because of this people from all nearby theatres came towards Sandhya Theatre which resulted in the stampede,” he said.

Revanth Reddy said a woman named Revathi died in the incident while her son was injured and went into a coma. “The woman died while holding the hand of her son,” he said.

The ACP went into the theatre, informed the hero about the incident, and told him that there was apprehension of law and order problem but he paid no heed, the Chief Minister revealed, adding that then the DCP went inside and threatened to arrest the hero if he refuses to leave and only then Allu Arjun left in his car.

Even while returning from the theatre, he conducted a road show by waving from the car’s sunroof, he said.

“It is in this context that the police booked a case against the hero and the theatre management. Due to their irresponsible statements, police had to discharge their duties,” he said and slammed the political parties which criticised the arrest of Allu Arjun.

Revanth Reddy also criticised Allu Arjun, and the film producer for not calling on the family of the deceased and the injured boy.

“When such people who behaved with a lack of humanity were taken to the police station, those who served as ministers for 10 years criticised the government,” he said in an apparent dig at BRS leaders and former ministers K.T. Rama Rao and Harish Rao.

The Chief Minister said when the person responsible for the loss of life was called to the police station, they tried to malign the government.

Revanth Reddy said his government gave permission for special shows to promote the film industry. “It does not mean that you keep quiet when they take human lives. Is there a special law for film and political personalities? Our government is working within the framework of the Constitution drafted by Ambedkar,” he said.

The Chief Minister asked if any of the film personalities who queued up to meet the hero after his release from jail met the affected family.

“I don’t know what they think of themselves. You do your business but we will not accept playing with lives. We will not allow this till we are in power,” he added.

–IANS

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Mumbai, March 27 (IANS) Shiv Sena UBT Chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday took a swipe at the BJP over ‘Saugat-e-Modi’ campaign, terming the initiative of the ruling party as ‘Saugat-e-Power’.

“BJP criticised me for abandoning Hindutva after the Muslim community voted for our party. The hypocrisy of the BJP has been exposed now with the ‘Saugat-e-Modi’ initiative. PM Modi said during the Lok Sabha campaign that Muslims would steal the mangalsutra. Is the mangalsutra of Hindus safe now? It is not a ‘Saugat-e-Modi’, but ‘Saugat-e-Power’,” said Uddhav Thackeray while addressing a press conference held a day after the conclusion of the Maharashtra Budget session.

Shiv Sena UBT Chief added that the BJP has clearly abandoned Hindutva to lure the Muslim community, adding that those who say that they will win, they will now distribute ‘Saugat-e-Modi’ keeping elections in mind.

“Is the gift only in keeping an eye on Bihar elections, or will it continue in the future as well? We had told the BJP that it should remove the green color from the Tricolor, but they did not remove it,” he said.

Thackeray also led a scathing attack against the MahaYuti government, saying that despite a brute majority, it presented a meaningless Budget without fulfilling a single promise given during the Assembly election.

“The Budget session was to hide its failure. The common man did not get anything from the Budget, in which the government has made many announcements. The government had made a 100-day resolution. But it is not known how many instructions were given to which department. Farmers’ suicides are on the rise. Guaranteed prices are not being received by the farmers,” he said.

He also added that there are other issues like attracting foreign universities, but no concrete solution plan has been made in the Budget.

“What happened in 100 days? The sarpanch from Beed was murdered, Somnath Suryavanshi was murdered. The Swargate rape case happened. There is a road scam in Mumbai. What happened to the loan waiver? They were going to increase the money for their beloved sisters. Journalist Prashant Koratkar (who insulted Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) was found will he be punished? Rahul Solapurkar (who also made some objectionable comments on Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj) is roaming around. The issue of communal riots in Nagpur is also a matter of concern,” he said while listing out the government’s failures on various fronts.

Shiv Sena UBT Chief said that again supported the stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra and his satire song, referring to Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde as ‘traitor’ that led to the ransacking of the studio by the Shiv Sena activists.

“Shiv Sena is one, I do not believe in the group of traitors of Shiv Sena (without naming Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde).”

Thackeray also slammed the Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over the Nagpur riots, saying that this is happening despite the government enjoying a roaring majority.

Speaking on the Disha Salian death case, Thackeray said, “What can I say about a case that I have no connection with. A case that I don’t know about?”

Commenting on the use of Balasaheb Thackeray’s photo by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), he said that now everyone knows that there is no alternative except Balasaheb Thackeray’s leadership.

“Now all the parties have started to use Balasaheb Thackeray’s photo because they know that there is no other alternative,” he said.

Thackeray criticised the MahaYuti government for not taking a decision on the appointment of the Leader of the Opposition in the state Assembly before the conclusion of the Budget session.

“The session of the legislature is over, but the Leader of the Opposition has not been appointed yet. This is called the grip of power. We have told the Governor how your government is suppressing the voice of the people,” he said while expressing his regret that the post of Leader of the Opposition is a constitutional post yet has been kept in abeyance.

Shiv Sena UBT had recommended the name of senior legislator Bhaskar Jadhav for the post of Leader of the Opposition. However, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has put the ball in the Assembly Speaker Rahul Narvekar’s court.

Thackeray also reminded the BJP-led MahaYuti government of the construction of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj memorial in the Arabian Sea.

“The foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the first term of Devendra Fadnavis as the Chief Minister. It is unfortunate that we have to remind the government,” he added.

–IANS

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Chennai, Feb 9 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Sunday announced Rs 3 lakh financial aid for a pregnant woman who was pushed off a moving train near Katpadi by a 27-year-old man after she resisted his sexual assault bid.

He also said that the state government would bear her medical expenses.

The 36-year-old woman, a resident of Tirupur, had boarded the ladies compartment of the Tirupati-bound Intercity Express train from Tirupur station. After most passengers in her coach alighted at Jolarpettai, she was left alone when the accused, reportedly a history-sheeter, entered the compartment.

When the man made advances toward her, she attempted to escape by running towards the restroom. Enraged by her resistance, he pushed her out of the moving train. She sustained multiple fractures in her hand and leg and was rescued by passersby, who took her to the Government Medical College Hospital in Vellore.

Tragically, on Saturday, she suffered a miscarriage due to the injuries. Senior officials from the Chennai Division of Southern Railway visited the hospital and provided the woman with an ex gratia of Rs 50,000. Within 12 hours of the crime, the accused, Hemaraj of Pooncholai village near KV Kuppam, was arrested with the help of CCTV footage.

Police investigations revealed that he was already wanted by the Katpadi railway police for a robbery case, and a separate murder and rape case was pending against him at the Gudiyatham city police station.

The incident has intensified criticism against the state government, with the opposition targeting Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, who also oversees the home department.

The outrage comes amid a series of sexual assault cases in Tamil Nadu. In a separate case, Salem Police arrested a government school teacher in Yercaud on Friday night for sexually abusing 10 girl students. The accused, Ilayakannu (37), who taught science to students in classes 10 and 12, was booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses (POCSO) Act.

The incident came to light when one of the victims informed the school’s headmistress. The matter was immediately reported to officials of the education department and the District Child Protection Unit. Following this, an inquiry team visited the school and conducted investigations with the students.

Preliminary inquiries confirmed that the teacher had abused 10 students. Based on the complaint filed by the District Child Protection Unit, the Kondalampatti All Women’s Police Station registered a case under the POCSO Act and arrested the accused.

A few days earlier, three government school teachers were arrested for sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl at Panchayat Union Middle School in Bargur, Krishnagiri district. The crime, which occurred in January, only came to light on February 3 when schoolteachers visited the girl’s home to inquire about her prolonged absence.

–IANS

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