RLD Prepares to Join NDA, Offered Lucrative Opportunities

Posted on by Vividh Bharthi

New Delhi: With an enticing array of opportunities on the table, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD) is poised to align with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). The proposition includes four Lok Sabha seats, a cabinet position at the union level, two cabinet berths in the state, and a seat in the UP legislative council.

A clear indication of this impending shift is the participation of RLD MLAs alongside BJP counterparts in an upcoming visit to Ayodhya scheduled for Sunday.

A senior BJP official revealed, “Our party has proposed Baghpat, Mathura, Hathras, and Amroha to the RLD. However, Muzaffarnagar and Kairana have been excluded from the offer. Additionally, Bijnor and Saharanpur are being considered. Final arrangements are still under discussion.”

RLD leaders expressed concerns over the SP’s insistence on fielding its candidates for some of these seven seats under their symbol. Notably, Kairana became a point of contention as the SP proposed Iqra Hasan, sister of SP MLA Nahid Hasan, as their candidate.

Rejecting the “our candidate, your symbol” approach, a senior RLD figure criticized the practice as contrary to coalition ethics, signaling a strain in relations between the SP and RLD.

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SC takes suo moto cognisance of Allahabad HC observations on attempt to rape

New Delhi, March 25 (IANS) The Supreme Court has registered a suo moto (on its own motion) case in the backdrop of the Allahabad HC judgment holding that grabbing breast and breaking pyjama string was not enough for charge of attempt to rape.

As per the causelist published on the website of the apex court, a bench of Justices BR Gavai and AG Masih is slated to hear on March 26 the suo moto case titled ‘In Re: Order dated 17.03.2025 passed by the High Court of Judicature at Allahabad in Criminal Revision No. 1449/2024 and ancillary issues’.

On Monday, a Bench of Justices Bela Trivedi and Prasanna B Varale declined to entertain a public interest litigation (PIL) filed against the controversial observations made by a single-judge Bench of the Allahabad HC on March 17 while modifying a summoning order.

In its decision, a bench of Justice Ram Manohar Narayan Mishra of the Allahabad HC altered the charges against the two accused, who were originally summoned by the trial court for commission of offences under Section 376 IPC (rape) and Section 18 (punishment for attempt to commit an offence) of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

Partly allowing the revision plea of the accused persons, Justice Mishra-led Bench said that they are instead liable to be summoned for a minor offence under Sections 354(b) IPC i.e. assault or abuse of a woman with intent to disrobing or compelling her to be naked, read with Section 9/10 of the POCSO Act. Under the POCSO Act, Section 9 provides punishment for aggravated sexual assault on a child victim, and Section 10 provides punishment with imprisonment up to seven years, which shall not be less than five years and shall also be liable to fine.

According to prosecution version, two accused, namely Pawan and Akash, grabbed the breasts of the victim and one of them broke the string of her pyjama and tried to drag her beneath the culvert and in the meanwhile on interference of passersby/witnesses, the accused persons fled away from the spot leaving the victim behind.

Saying that prima facie a charge of attempt to rape was not made out against the accused, the Allahabad High Court said, “There is no allegation that accused tried to commit penetrative sexual assault against the victim. The allegations levelled against the accused Pawan and Akash and facts of the case hardly constitute an offence of attempt to rape in the case.”

“In order to bring out a charge of attempt to rape, the prosecution must establish that it had gone beyond the stage of preparation. The difference between preparation and actual attempt to commit an offence consists chiefly in the greater degree of determination,” it added.

–IANS

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Delhi HC seeks NIA’s response on Engineer Rashid’s plea for custody parole

New Delhi, March 12 (IANS) The Delhi High Court on Wednesday sought the response of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on a plea filed by Lok Sabha member from North Kashmir Engineer Rashid seeking custody parole to attend the ongoing Budget Session proceedings.

The second half of the Budget Session began on Monday and will conclude on April 4. Rashid, who won the Lok Sabha election from Jammu and Kashmir’s Baramulla constituency by defeating National Conference (NC) Vice President and now Chief Minister Omar Abdullah by over two lakh votes while he remained lodged in Tihar Jail, is accused in a terror funding case being probed by the NIA.

A bench of Justices Prathiba M. Singh and Rajneesh Kumar Gupta issued a notice to the NIA on Engineer Rashid’s plea and asked the federal anti-terror to file the objection, if any, before March 17.

The matter will be heard next on March 18.

Engineer Rashid has petitioned the Delhi High Court against the March 10 order passed by the special NIA court denying him custody parole.

In his petition, the Lok Sabha member called the city court’s order “erroneous”.

Earlier, a single judge, Bench of Justice Vikas Mahajan, had granted custody parole to Engineer Rashid for February 11 and 13 while imposing a slew of conditions.

Following the Delhi High Court order, Rashid attended the Parliament session amid heavy police security.

As per the Justice Mahajan-led Bench order, Engineer Rashid was directed not to interact with any person except for his limited responsibility of attending the House and to not address the media in any manner.

In November last year, a court here, instead of passing an order on the application for regular bail, had recommended the District Judge to transfer his case to the MP/MLA court as Rashid became an MP. Thereafter, Engineer Rashid moved the Delhi High Court, seeking directions to the trial court judge to expedite a decision on his pending regular bail application or decide the matter itself.

Following the Supreme Court’s clarification on the issue of designation of a court, the Delhi High Court ordered the special NIA court to decide Engineer Rashid’s bail plea.

–IANS

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PM Modi showing India’s unwavering support for peace, development in the Muslim world: Envoys (Ld)

New Delhi, March 27 (IANS) To celebrate the holy month of Ramzan, Indian Minorities Federation (IMF) hosted the ‘Sadbhavana Iftar’ event for the ambassadors of 19 Muslim nations in India, which was held at the residence of Rajya Sabha MP and IMF Convener, Satnam Singh Sandhu, in the national capital.

The Iftar event was attended by the ambassadors and diplomats from 19 countries, Islamic research scholars, clerics, religious leaders, intellectuals, writers and poets.

Ambassadors and diplomats from 19 countries who attended the Iftar event included Somalia’s Ambassador Abdullahi Mohamed Odowa, Afghanistan’s Ambassador Syed Mohammad Ibrahimkhil, Syria’s Ambassador Bassam AlKhatib, Gambia’s Ambassador Mustapha Jawara, Mali’s Education Counsellor Hassane Diallo, Bangladesh’s Acting High Commissioner Md. Nural Islam, Sudan’s Education Counsellor Mohamed Ali Fazari, Embassy of Algeria’s First Secretary, and Head of Economic Affairs Abdelali Bouillouta, Malawi High Commission’s Education Attache Beatrice Ngaunje, High Commission of Cameroon’s Charge d’Affaires Sylvir Michele, Chad Embassy’s Charge d’Affaires Hissein Oumar Seidou, Embassy of Guinea’s Charge d’ Affaires Diallo Boubacar, Embassy of Iraq’s Ambassador, Oday Hatim Mohammed, Embassy of Cote D’Ivoire’s Minister Counsellor, Martin Anoh, Tanzania High Commission’s Minister Plenipotentiary, Fanuel J Mathiya and Nigeria High Commission’s Education Attache Rukaiya Mustaphwa, Cultural Counsellor of Iran Fariduddin Faridasr and Deputy Chief of UAE Mission Majid Alnekhailawi.

Others who attended the Iftar event included social reformer and Shia cleric, Maulana Syed Kalbe Rushaid Rizvi; Chishty Foundation Chairman, Haji Syed Salman Chishty; and IMF co-founder Himani Sood.

Before breaking the fast, attendees offered prayers for peace, harmony and prosperity in India and world.

The gathering provided a platform for ambassadors from the Islamic nations in India to come together in the spirit of brotherhood and unity during the holy month of Ramzan.

On the occasion, the ambassadors of Muslim nations said India has deep historical, economic, and strategic ties with the Islamic world which have further been boosted in the past decade under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

They said that PM Modi has enhanced India’s relationship with Muslim-majority countries in South Asia, Central Asia, and the Middle East to strengthen India’s security and economy.

The ambassadors of Muslim nations said PM Modi’s outreach to the Islamic world and especially with the Arab world has taken India’s centuries-old trade, cultural, and civilisational ties with the Muslim majority countries to the next level in the past 10 years.

Ambassadors of Muslim nations said India’s engagement with the Gulf region, which supplies more than 60 per cent crude oil to India and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) nations, who have bilateral trade with the country exceeding $200 billion, has become more robust and multifaceted under PM Modi’s leadership in the past 10 years.

They said as an international statesman, PM Modi has given a new direction to India’s strategic and economic engagement with the Islamic world as a result of which the country now shares close security, trade and cultural ties with the Muslim majority nations which have honoured PM Modi with their highest civilian awards.

Ambassadors of Muslim nations said under PM Modi’s leadership, India has long positioned itself as a strong advocate for peace, stability, and dialogue in global conflicts involving the Muslim world, from Palestine to Afghanistan.

They added that PM Modi-led India supports a two-state solution for Palestine and has actively provided humanitarian aid to Gaza.

In Afghanistan, India has played a constructive role by investing in critical infrastructure, education, and healthcare to improve the lives of the Afghan people, they said.

Ambassadors of Muslim nations said India has never engaged in military aggression against any Muslim-majority country, consistently promoting peaceful diplomacy in its foreign relations.

As a founding member of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM), India has historically opposed colonialism and foreign interference in Muslim-majority regions, reinforcing its commitment to fostering peace and cooperation worldwide, they added.

Expressing joy over the privilege of hosting the Iftar-e-Daawat for the Muslim brothers amid the sacred month of Ramzan, Rajya Sabha MP and IMF Convener Satnam Singh Sandhu said, “Ramzan is not just a religious observance; it is a time for reflection, generosity, and community bonding — a sentiment that India deeply values and upholds. India has always been multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, and multi-religious society, where every faith has co-existed in harmony for ages. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has further strengthened this spirit of oneness and brotherhood among the Indians over the past decade by ensuring the progress of every community irrespective of any discrimination through his ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’ mantra, reflecting India’s inclusive ethos.”

Entire India is working unitedly to realise the vision of ‘Viksit Bharat’ under the strong leadership of PM Modi, say ambassadors from Muslim nations.

Sudan’s Education Counselor Mohamed Ali Fazari, “India is championing the cause of Global South along with other developing and developed countries. India is a leading country in the world in terms of helping many other nations across the world. The relationship between India and African nations have strengthened over the years. We have seen how India helped many countries during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

Edson Moyo, Zimbabwe’s Plenipotentiary Minister, said, “India and Zimbabwe shared strong bilateral ties. India has always stood by Zimbabwe. We have focused on economic diplomacy and continued to move together. Artificial intelligence is one new area where India is moving forward rapidly. India has become the fastest developing country in the world. India can help in technology transfer. We have a lot to learn from social sector and particularly IT sector in India. India’s role as technology transfer hub is very important. We are very excited to learn about the UPI payment system in India; it indeed is a great experience to pay by UPI. You don’t have to carry cash; everything is done electronically. We are also working to introduce UPI-like system in our country. We are looking to establish more collaborations with India.”

High Commissioner of Gambia, Mustapha Jawara, “During Covid-19, India donated Gambia lots of vaccines and that saved so many lives. We are grateful to Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) and his government for that.”

Asked about PM Modi’s mantra of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas’, Mustapha Jawara, “He (PM Modi) is the leader of the Global South. I will say that the Prime Minister (Modi) is best of the best. In the Global South, we love him. He is a global leader. He has shown this during the G20 and we in the Global South are proud of him for his role. It’s because of him, our continent, Africa, has a representation in the G20. So we are grateful for that. He is championing our rights at all levels. So we have nothing but to thank him.”

Commenting on the peaceful co-existence of all communities in India, High Commissioner of Gambia said, “India is an example as the second largest Muslim country as far as I know. I as a Muslim has been invited to a function by a non-Muslim. That is testament of that.”

Asked about India’s role as a peacemaker, Mustapha Jawara said: “India under PM Modi’s administration has shown leadership in that sector. Because of India, there is peace in the world. If it were not India and the Prime Minister (Modi), the issue between Russia and Ukraine would have gone to another level.”

Cultural Counsellor of Iran, Fariduddin Faridasr, said, “What is common between India and Iran is that Prime Ministers of both the nations are connected to their soil, rooted in their culture, heritage and value system. India and Iran shared strong bilateral ties in the past and they will continue to strengthen it further in future as well. Due to these shared beliefs of PMs of both the nations, bilateral relations between Indian and Iran will be strengthened further. Supremacy of law is the soul of secularism and India has that unique power of secularism which is one among the many reasons that India will progress further as it gives respect and love people from all communities equally.”

–IANS

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