
‘Seeking clarity is not misinformation’: CM Siddaramaiah responds to Biocon chief on Covid vaccine row


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New Delhi, March 28 (IANS) Stand-up comedian Kunal Kamra, who is facing multiple criminal cases over the “traitor” jibe towards Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, on Friday petitioned the Madras High Court seeking transit anticipatory bail.
Kamra’s plea was mentioned for urgent hearing before a bench of Justice Sunder Mohan, who assured to examine the matter later in the day.
Mumbai’s MIDC police station on Monday registered a Zero FIR against Kamra for cracking an allegedly objectionable joke during a stand-up comedy show.
The Khar Police booked Yuva Sena general secretary Rahool Kanal under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Maharashtra Police Act.
They also detained 20 Sena activists. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone 9, Dixit Gedam said two offences have been registered at Khar police station.
One is against Kamra for derogatory comments, while the other is against people who vandalised the Unicontinental hotel where the shoot of Kamra’s comedy show took place.
He further added that the investigation is underway. Shiv Sena has condemned the “distasteful and defamatory” remarks made by Kamra during his recent performance at the Habitat Comedy Club in Mumbai, where he performed a parody song targeting Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde.
Police have already booked Kamra under section 356(2) (defamation) of the BNS.
The Mumbai Police had served two summons to Kamra, who has not yet appeared to give his statement.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Legislative Council on Thursday accepted a privilege notice against Kamra and forwarded it to the Privileges Committee.
“I have accepted the notice of breach of privilege against Kunal Kamra and Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sushma Andhare and have sent it to Privilege Committee chairman Prasad Lad. The future course of action regarding the motion will be decided by the committee,” said Upper House Chairman Ram Shinde.
–IANS
pds/svn

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Mumbai, Oct 4 (IANS) Shiv Sena (UBT) on Saturday launched a sharp attack on Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat, accusing him of merely echoing the BJP government’s narrative instead of holding the Centre accountable for the erosion of the Constitution, Parliament, and the judiciary, as well as the growing public unrest across the country.
In its mouthpiece, Saamana, the Thackeray camp editorial said, “The RSS chief fears that public anger witnessed in the neighbouring countries will erupt in India too. Because in the last ten years, Modi-Shah gave false promises to the people. They stoked religious riots and handed the country to crony capitalists. It was Bhagwat’s duty to make a strong statement on this robbery and guide the nation. Instead, he has joined the chorus of cowards and mercenaries playing the tunes of the government.”
It sarcastically asked, “Bhagwat, you too?” — suggesting that even the Sarsanghchalak has chosen to hail the BJP’s rule rather than question constitutional institutions’ growing unrest and weakening autonomy.
The editorial argued that it is necessary to examine “what kind of nationalism and Hindutva is in the DNA of the RSS when it stands behind a government under whose watch the Constitution, Parliament, judiciary, and even the country’s cultural unity are under threat.”
Warning that public unrest and mass movements are democratic rights which rulers cannot suppress, the Thackeray camp said, “Change is possible only through democratic means, but what happens when constitutional bodies themselves begin praising a dictator’s rule?”
Thackeray camp referred to the violent outbreaks of public anger in neighboring Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and, more recently, in Nepal that led to a change of government. Forces that encourage such disturbances are active in our country as well as around the world.
“The RSS chief commented that street protests are not appropriate. Is the guidance given by Bhagwat true, or is it the politics of the BJP that constantly incites violence and fuels hatred between Hindus and Muslims?” it questioned.
The Saamana piece further alleged, “The Modi-Shah rule is nothing but the fulfillment of the RSS’s dream — to replace a tolerant Hindu ethos with a fanatical, rotten-minded Hindu Rashtra. In essence, the RSS wants a Hindu version of Mohammed Ali Jinnah’s rule, a Hindu Pakistan, where freedom, democracy, and Parliament are sacrificed.”
“The intellectual wing of the RSS should introspect on why public anger erupted in Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh. The rulers there first intoxicated the people by giving them a ‘dose’ of religious fanaticism and extremist nationalism. They increased the dose of that intoxication and turned the people into blind devotees. When the people reached that state, they looted the country and increased the wealth of their friends, industrialists, and relatives,” it added.
The editorial said that when the public became intoxicated, they took to the streets for their rights. They fought with the government on the streets, and the government shot at the protesters. “People, regardless of guns, entered the houses of ministers and destroyed them. They brought the corrupt to the streets and killed them. The violence certainly took place there, but it should be remembered that it was due to public anger against the rulers. That is what happens when democratic pathways are shut — public anger turns into revolution,” it added.
–IANS
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Patna, June 15 (IANS) In a major boost to skill development and industrial growth in Bihar, Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary laid the foundation stone for an ultra-modern MSME Technology Centre in Khizersarai block of Gaya.
The ambitious project is being developed over 20 acres of land provided by the Bihar government at an estimated cost of nearly Rs 170 crore.
The centre is expected to emerge as a major hub for industrial development, innovation, skill enhancement, and employment generation across the Magadh region and the wider state.
The ceremony was attended by Union MSME Minister Jitan Ram Manjhi, Bihar Assembly Speaker Prem Kumar, Minister Vijay Kumar Sinha, Minister Shreyasi Singh, along with several public representatives, officials, entrepreneurs, and local residents.
Alongside the foundation-laying ceremony, the widening and strengthening work of the road connecting the Gaya–Islamabad–Khizersarai route to the proposed centre was also inaugurated.
According to an official, the MSME Technology Centre will provide advanced technical training to more than 7,000 youths annually and offer modern technical assistance and industrial support to over 1,000 MSME units.
Addressing the gathering, Samrat Choudhary said the project would become a milestone for employment and technical education in the Magadh region.
He stated that the proposed institute would offer modern industrial and technical training to students ranging from Class 8 pass candidates to postgraduate-level learners.
Courses planned at the centre include Diploma in Tool and Die Making, Mechatronics, Automation Technology, Electrical, and Electronic Skills.
Training programmes will run for durations ranging from six months to one year.
The centre will also run dedicated vocational programmes for women to promote self-employment and financial independence.
These programmes are expected to include tailoring and embroidery, computer education, textile-related training, engineering-based vocational skills, and wellness courses.
Officials said these initiatives would help women gain employable skills and expand livelihood opportunities in the region.
During the event, leaders highlighted the rapid growth of the MSME sector in Bihar over recent years.
According to the government, the number of MSME units in the state has risen from nearly 6 lakh to over 46 lakh, creating employment opportunities for crores of people.
–IANS
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