The petition, filed by 10 students who had appeared for the exam, has also sought a direction to Bihar Police to expedite the investigation in the case
PTI, New Delhi, Jun 22 2024 :A fresh plea has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directions to the CBI and the ED to investigate alleged irregularities in the medical entrance exam NEET-UG held on May 5.
The petition, filed by 10 students who had appeared for the exam, has also sought a direction to Bihar Police to expedite the investigation in the case and file a report before the apex court.
“The petitioners are fully aware of the ramifications of the cancellation of the examination but there is absolutely no other alternative.
“The NEET UG Examination of 2024 had many other irregularities, in particular, the gross negligence on the part of the authorities to make the question papers available to the candidates on time. In some places, the wrong set of question papers was distributed and later recalled,” the plea said.
The top court had earlier sought responses from the Centre, the National Testing Agency (NTA) and others on a slew of petitions, including those seeking scrapping of the NEET-UG 2024 exam and a court-monitored probe, amid mounting outrage over alleged irregularities in conducting the all-India medical entrance test.
The apex court had also stayed further proceedings on similar pleas pending before different high courts.
The top court, however, had made it clear that it would not stay the counselling process.
The examination was held on May 5 across 4,750 centres and around 24 lakh candidates appeared. The results were expected to be declared on June 14 but were announced on June 4, apparently because the evaluation of the answer sheets was completed earlier.
The allegations of irregularities have led to protests in several cities and sparring between rival political parties.
As many as 67 students scored a perfect 720, unprecedented in the NTA’s history, with six from a centre in Haryana’s Faridabad figuring in the list, raising suspicions about irregularities. It has been alleged that grace marks contributed to 67 students sharing the top rank.
The NEET-UG examination is conducted by the NTA for admissions to MBBS, BDS, AYUSH and other related courses in government and private institutions across the country.
PTI, New Delhi, Jun 21, 2024 : Embattled Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will have to remain in jail for now with the Delhi High Court on Friday putting an interim stay on a trial court’s order granting him bail in the money laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam.
The AAP national convenor, who was arrested on March 21 by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), could have walked out of Tihar jail on Friday had the high court not granted the interim relief to the central anti-money laundering agency.
“Till the pronouncement of this order, the operation of the impugned order shall remain stayed,” a vacation bench of Justice Sudhir Kumar Jain said and asked the parties to file written submissions by June 24.
The high court said it was reserving the order for 2-3 days as it wanted to go through the entire records.
It also issued notice to Kejriwal seeking his response on ED’s plea challenging the trial court’s June 20 order by which he was granted bail. It listed the plea for hearing on July 10.
The ED’s lawyer mentioned for an urgent listing its petition challenging the trial court’s bail order which was passed late Thursday evening.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju, representing the ED, contended that the trial court’s order was “perverse”, “one-sided” and “wrong-sided” and that the findings were based on irrelevant facts. The relevant facts, he claimed, were not considered by the special judge.
“Material facts were not considered by the trial court. There cannot be a better case for cancellation of bail than this one. There cannot be greater perversity than this,” he argued.
Seeking a stay on the trial court’s order, he contended that the ED was not given adequate opportunity to argue its case.
The application for stay was vehemently opposed by senior advocates Abhishek Singhvi and Vikram Chaudhari, representing Kejriwal. They said Article 21 (protection of life and personal liberty) of the Constitution does not exist for the ED for which the liberty of a person figured low in priority.
Singhvi said the ED argued for 3 hours and 45 minutes before the trial judge.
“This matter lasted for five hours (before the trial court). Nearly 3 hours 45 minutes were taken by Mr. Raju and then trial judge is faulted because she does not repeat every comma and full stop,” he said.
During the arguments, Raju said after the order was passed, when the ED lawyers urged the trial court to keep its order in abeyance for 48 hours to enable them to approach superior courts, the prayer was not considered.
“I was not allowed to argue fully. I was not given proper time of 2-3 days to file written submissions. This is not done. On merits, I have an excellent case. The trial court said finish off in half an hour as it wanted to deliver the judgment. It did not give us full opportunity to argue the case,” he contended, adding, “I am making the allegations with full seriousness.”
Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) says an opportunity must be granted to the public prosecutor to present his case but that opportunity was not granted to me, he contended.
He said the trial court did not even look at his reply on the ground that it was bulky and claimed that the trial court came to a conclusion that there was malafide on ED’s part after considering wrong facts and wrong dates.
Raju contended that the trial court has given findings which are contrary to those of the high court while upholding Kejriwal’s arrest.
“If irrelevant facts are considered, that itself is a reason for cancellation of bail. There is evidence that Kejriwal demanded Rs 100 crore but it was not considered by trial court,” he argued.
“End to end money trail was given by us,” he asserted, adding that proceeds of crime were utilised in the Goa assembly poll campaign by the AAP.
“We have made AAP an accused in the money laundering case and the offences thus are covered by section 70 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), which deals with companies. The ED had likened AAP to a company and Kejriwal its director,” Raju argued.
Singhvi urged the court not to stay Kejriwal’s bail order and said it may send him back to jail later if it finds overwhelming and cogent circumstances.
He also questioned the probe agency’s “unfortunate” attempt to malign the judge (by claiming she did not give the ED enough time to argue and did not consider material evidence).
“There is misconception about what a bail hearing should be like. Just because there is a political antagonism involved and that if all the commas etc are not dealt with by the judge, it gives Mr. Raju the right to malign the judge. This whole approach is deplorable and sad. It should never have come from a government authority,” Singhvi argued.
Chaudhari submitted that Kejriwal had surrendered to the jail authorities on expiry of the interim bail period which showed his bonafide conduct.
“If he is out with conditions imposed by the court, what is the prejudice. He is not a terrorist that he will harm the society if he is let out. What will happen if the chief minister of the state comes out on bail?” he argued.
The trial court, in its bail order, held that prima facie Kejriwal’s guilt was yet to be established and that the ED failed to furnish direct evidence linking him to the proceeds of crime in the money laundering case.
The excise policy was scrapped in 2022 after the Delhi lieutenant governor ordered a CBI probe into alleged irregularities and corruption involving its formulation and execution.
According to the CBI and ED, irregularities were committed while modifying the excise policy and undue favours extended to the licence holders.
In a letter to PM Modi, the Trinamool Congress chief expressed “grave concern” over the impending implementation of the three laws
PTI, 21 June 2024, New Delhi : West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to defer the implementation of the three “hurriedly passed” criminal laws that are set to be rolled out on July 1, saying it would enable Parliament to review them afresh.
In a letter to PM Modi, the Trinamool Congress chief expressed “grave concern” over the impending implementation of the three laws – The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNA) 2023, The Bharatiya Sakhsya Act (BSA) 2023, and The Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023.
She noted that the three bills were passed in Lok Sabha at a time when 146 MPs had been suspended.
“The outgoing government of yours had passed these three critical bills unilaterally, and with absolutely no debate. That day, almost 100 members of the Lok Sabha had been suspended and a total 146 MPs of the both Houses were thrown out of Parliament,” Banerjee said.
“The Bills were passed in an authoritarian manner in that dark hour of democracy. Matter deserves review now,” she said.
“I urge your esteemed office now to consider at least a deferment of the implementation date. Reasons are two-fold: ethical, and practical,” she said.
She said significant legislative changes should be placed before the newly elected Parliament for fresh deliberation and scrutiny.
“Given the wide-ranging reservations expressed in the public domain regarding the hurriedly passed new laws, fresh Parliamentary review of these attempts would demonstrate a commitment to democratic principles…This approach would afford the newly elected people’s representatives an opportunity to thoroughly examine the proposed,” she said.
Banerjee said the request for postponement also stems from a pragmatic assessment of the challenges and preparatory work required for a smooth transition, particularly concerning the training of law enforcement personnel and judicial officers.
“Any far-reaching legal change requires meticulous groundwork beforehand to ensure effective enforcement and administration and we do not have any reason to avert such homework,” she said.
“I humbly request you to consider our appeal for a deferment of the implementation of The Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNA) 2023, The Bharatiya Sakhsya Adhiniyam (BSA) 2023, and The Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023,” she said.
“We believe this postponement will enable a renewed Parliamentary review/mandate, reinforce public trust in the legal system, and uphold the rule of law in our beloved country,” Banerjee added.
The three new criminal laws will come into force from July 1, Union Law and Justice minister Arjun Ram Meghwal has said.
The Enforcement Directorate mentioned its plea challenging the trial court order for an urgent hearing before a bench of Justices Sudhir Kumar Jain and Ravinder Dudeja, which said the case file will come to it in 10-15 minutes and after that it will hear the matter
PTI, New Delhi, 21.06.24 : The Delhi High Court on Friday put on hold the trial court order granting bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till it hears the ED’s plea challenging the relief granted to him in the money laundering case linked to the alleged excise scam.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) mentioned its plea challenging the trial court order before a bench of Justices Sudhir Kumar Jain and Ravinder Dudeja, which said the case file will come before it soon and till then the trial court order shall not be acted upon.
The matter has been listed for hearing during the day.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) S V Raju, representing the ED, sought a stay on the trial court order passed on Thursday evening, contending that the agency was not given a proper opportunity to argue its case.
He said the trial court pronounced the order around 8 pm on June 20 and the order is not yet made available to them. Even after passing of the order when the ED lawyers urged the trial court to keep its order in abeyance for 48 hours to enable them to approach superior courts, the prayer was not considered, the ASG contended.
“I was not allowed to argue fully. I was not given proper time of 2-3 days to file written submissions. This is not done. On merits, I have an excellent case. The trial court said finish of in half an hour as it wanted to deliver the judgment. It did not give us full opportunity to argue the case,” Raju contended, “I am making the allegations with full seriousness,” he added.
Section 45 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) says an opportunity must be granted to the public prosecutor to present his case but that opportunity was not granted to me, he contended.
“Let the order be stayed and the plea be heard as early as possible. That order cannot be allowed to stand even for a day,” the law officer said.
The plea was opposed by senior advocates Abhishek Singhvi and Vikram Chaudhari, representing Kejriwal, submitting that the allegations made by the ED counsel were patently incorrect and it was astonishing that they cannot accept anything with grace.
“The noise and heat is not going to solve this problem,” Singhvi said.
He said there are 10 judgments of the Supreme Court which say cancellation or reversal of bail is radically different from grant of bail.
Chaudhari said, “This person (Kejriwal) was released by the Supreme Court. The Supreme Court granted him liberty. This would be a travesty of justice. We are on caveat here and we should be given opportunity to be heard. We would address arguments. An ex-parte order of such a nature…” To this, Justice Jain said, “File is coming to me in 10-15 minutes after proper numbering, thereafter, you can start your arguments. You can argue for as much time as you want to argue”.
The ED had arrested Kejriwal on March 21, shortly after the Delhi High Court refused to grant him protection from arrest on his petition challenging summonses issued to him.
While pronouncing the order on Thursday, the trial court ordered Kejriwal’s release on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and imposed certain conditions, including that he will not try to hamper the investigation or influence the witnesses.
The judge had also directed Kejriwal to appear before the court whenever required and to cooperate with the investigation.
On May 10, the Supreme Court had granted interim bail to Kejriwal till June 1 to campaign in the Lok Sabha elections, saying he will have to surrender and go back to jail on June 2. Kejriwal had surrendered before Tihar jail authorities on June 2 and has been there since then.
The trial court had on June 5 denied him interim bail which he sought citing several ailments.
After Tamil Nadu CM Stalin, Bengal CM writes to Modi; Manish Tewari demands new laws must go through Parliament again
TT, 21.06.24 : Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Friday joined the ranks of Opposition leaders who have opposed the three new criminal laws that are to come into effect on July 1.
The new laws, the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, and the Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam, are to replace the colonial-era Indian Penal Code, the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) and the Indian Evidence Act of 1872, respectively.
Parliament passed the three new laws – one of the big projects of the new government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi – during the monsoon session in August last year.
“Any far-reaching legal, change requires meticulous groundwork beforehand to ensure effective enforcement and administration and we do not have any reason to avert such homework,” Mamata wrote in her letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday.
Earlier, civil liberty activists such as senior Supreme Court lawyer Indira Jaising have raised concerns over the new laws.
Critics of the government and legal activists say that only 20 to 25 per cent of the provisions are new and that they give too much power to the police. The new laws have provisions that could criminalise dissent, the critics of the government say.
“The new criminal Laws that come into effect from July 1st 2024 lay the foundations of turning India into a Police State. Their implementation must be stopped forthwith and Parliament must re-examine them,” Congress leader Manish Tewari posted on X on Friday, with a link to his article in the New Indian Express headlined ‘New criminal laws must go through Parliament again’.
A few days earlier, Tewari had posted: “The three new Criminal Laws were arbitrarily passed in Parliament after suspending a record 146 MP’s belonging to the opposition. These three Laws therefore reflect the will of only a section of Parliament those who then sat on the Treasury benches. They do not reflect the collective wisdom of Parliament. Even the dissenting views expressed by learned members of the Standing Parliamentary Committee of Home Affairs were not taken on board. The implementation of these Laws from July 1st 2024 will tantamount to throwing a spanner into India’s legal system. The operationalisation of these Laws must be put on hold till the time Parliament does not “ collectively reapply” itself to these three legislation’s
“Certain provisions in these laws represent the broadest assault on Civil liberties since the foundation of the Indian Republic,” he had posted. .
Tamil Nadu chief minister MK Stalin has also earlier this week reportedly written to the Centre on the new criminal laws, urging Prime Minister Modi take the states’ views into consideration.
He had reportedly said that the new laws had been pushed through “without adequate deliberations and consultations”.
He had also pointed to the Constitution.
“These enactments are falling within List III – concurrent list of the Constitution of India and hence extensive consultation ought to have been done with the State Government,” he reportedly wrote. “The States were not given adequate time to express their views and the new laws were passed by the Parliament without the participation of the opposition parties.”
He had pointed to things like Section 103 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) allegedly having two subsections for two distinct classes of murder with the same punishment.
PTI, New Delhi, Jun 20, 2024 : The Election Commission has received eight applications from aggrieved candidates, including those from the BJP and the Congress, for verification of tampering or modification in micro-controller chips embedded in the EVMs post declaration of Lok Sabha election results on June 4.
Terming the suspicion of manipulation of the electronic voting machines “unfounded”, the Supreme Court had on April 26 rejected the demand for reverting to the old paper ballot system.
But at the same time, the top court had opened a window for the aggrieved unsuccessful candidates securing second and third places in the poll results and allowed them to seek verification of micro-controller chips embedded in five per cent EVMs per assembly constituency on a written request upon the payment of a fee to the poll panel.
BJP’s Ahmednagar (Maharashtra) candidate Sujay Vikhe-Patil has sought verification of the machines from 40 polling stations.
Vikhe-Patil had lost to Nilesh Lanke of NCP (Sharad Pawar) faction.
A YSRCP and a DMDK candidate too have applied for the verification, according to data shared by the poll panel.
According to the EC, eight parliamentary seats spread across six states are involved. The total number of polling stations for which verification has been sought is 92.
Candidates who come second or third and seek verification of the EVMs will have to pay Rs 47,200 per EVM set, according to the standard operating procedure issued by the EC on June 1.
According to the EC’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), the cost submitted by manufacturers BEL and ECIL to carry out EVM “check and verification” is Rs 40,000 (plus 18 per cent GST) per set of EVM.
“In addition to the cost incurred by the manufacturers, there are also administrative costs like cost of labour to shift the units, CCTV coverage, electricity charges, videography costs and various other operational costs at the district election officer level,” the document said.
It, however, said to make the verification process “more accessible” and inclusive in compliance to the referred mandate of the Supreme Court, it is decided that instead of going purely by the actual economic costs incurred, the administrative expenditure on EVM verification will be treated as “election expenditure and borne by the central or state government, as the case may be”.
“Accordingly, the administrative charges will be waived for the applicants — the same shall not be charged to the applicants,” it noted.
The charges for EVM verification to be paid by the applicant candidate is for the current financial year 2024-25 — till March 31, 2025, it said.
An EVM set has at least one Ballot Unit, one Control Unit and a VVPAT machine.
Separately, YSRCP and BJD candidates from Andhra Pradesh and Odisha respectively have also applied for EVM check following the announcement of assembly results on June 4.
Assembly polls in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh were held along with the Lok Sabha elections.
In the verification exercise for assembly poll results, total assembly constituencies involved are three where verification has been sought in 26 polling stations.
According to the SOP, the concerned state chief electoral officer (CEO) was required to communicate to the manufacturers the consolidated list of applicants within 30 days of the date of declaration of results — by July 4. The CEOs have already conveyed the same to the manufacturers 15 days ahead of the schedule, the EC said.
The technical SOP enumerating the methodology and steps for checking and verification of burnt memory/ micro-controller of the EVM units will be issued by the EC in due course.
Nupur Thapliyal, LiveLaw, 20 June 2024 : A Delhi Court on Thursday granted bail to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in the money laundering case connected to the alleged liquor policy scam.
Vacation Judge Nyay Bindu of Rouse Avenue Courts passed the order after reserving it earlier today.
ED’s special counsel Zoheb Hossain prayed for stay of the order till the probe agency exercises its legal remedies. However, the court rejected the request for stay.
Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on March 21. In May, he was granted interim bail by the Supreme Court till June 01 in view of general elections. He surrendered on June 2.
ASG SV Raju appearing for the Enforcement Directorate (ED) submitted that co accused Chanpreet Singh received huge cash amounts from entrepreneurs and paid bills of hotel stay of Arvind Kejriwal.
He said that it is not that the ED was doing investigation in the air and that the central probe agency has concrete evidence in the case.
“Kejriwal says my phone is sacrosanct. Mai password nahi dunga. (I will not give my password). We had to resort to the phone of Vinod Chauhan. He is sitting quiet. Many times it has happened that accused says I will not… An adverse inference has to be drawn from the fact that Kejriwal has refused to give his password. This is a ground for refusing bail under ordinary bail law, forget section 45 PMLA for the time being,” ASG said.
ASG further said that co accused Vijay Nair, who was unconnected with the government and had no business in framing of the excise policy, he was used as a middleman by Kejriwal and that his proximity with the Chief Minister is established beyond doubt.
Rebutting the submissions, Senior Advocate Vikram Chaudhari appearing for Kejriwal submitted that Manish Sisodia’s bail was rejected by the Supreme Court because he was seeking bail in two cases- scheduled case and the PMLA case.
He said that as of date, Kejriwal is not an accused in the CBI case and that on the contrary, the record stands that he was called as a witness.
“It is not for ED to guide the CBI. It is an independent agency which will take the call,” he said.
Chaudhari added: “Why did you not arrest him earlier? Why March 21? What did you want from him? Is the ED an independent agency or is it playing in the hands of some political masters? At the end of the day I am a political entity, I’ve to make such submissions.”
Furthermore, Chaudhari said that co accused Chanpreet Singh does not say anywhere that he has paid for AAP Goa elections or that he collected proceeds of crime.
“It was urged that one token number is recovered from Vinod Chauhan who is in direct touch with Kejriwal. What evidence you have against a sitting CM? What are these two chats which they have extracted? How would these chats even remotely show the transfer of money? It is presumption of ED….Chats are not related to the excise policy, or bribe, or any Goa elections. Just because Vinod Chauhan has a posting order in his phone, it is presumed that the posting is done by me. If this is believed then no one is safe. Just throw it in the air, throw it in media,” he said.
The senior counsel also said that merely because Vijay Nair was occupying a room in Minister Kailash Gehlot’s house, it cannot be speculated that there was some proximity or link between Kejriwal and him.
“Where do they get all that? Vijay Nair in his statement in 2022 stated that he reported to Ms. Atishi and Saurabh Bhardwaj. But ED continues to say that he was under my orders. There is no proof that I have ever instructed him to receive the bribe or do any meeting,” he said.
Yesterday, Chaudhari had said that Kejriwal had not been made an accused in the scheduled offence to date. He further submitted that the Chief Minister was not seeking any special status, although since he was a constitutional functionary, the chair ought to be respected.
He had questioned the credibility of the material put forth by ED, pointing towards statements of witnesses who were granted pardons and turned approvers in the case. He further questioned the timing of Kejriwal’s arrest by ED, submitting that he was arrested soon after the general elections were announced.
On the other hand, ED had submitted that there was no doubt as to the commission of a money laundering offence since cognizance had been taken by the concerned court and the cognizance order had not been challenged.
It was argued that it was for Kejriwal to show that he was not guilty of a PMLA offence, and in that regard, the fact that he holds a constitutional post is not relevant. On the issue of timing of arrest, it was claimed that arrest is the prerogative of the Investigating Officer and timing is irrelevant if a PMLA offence is made out.
Recently, Kejriwal’s plea seeking interim bail for seven days on medical grounds was dismissed by the court. It was said that the extensive campaigning done by him during elections showed that he was not suffering from any serious or life-threatening ailment so as to entitle him to bail under PMLA.
The court also said that Diabetes or even type-2 Diabetes cannot be said to be so serious an ailment so as to entitle Kejriwal to the relief claimed.
A few days ago, the ED filed a supplementary chargesheet in the money laundering case naming Kejriwal as well as the Aam Aadmi Party as the accused. The court reserved the order on cognizance of the seventh supplementary chargesheet filed by the probe agency.
On April 10, the Delhi High Court dismissed Kejriwal’s plea challenging his arrest, observing that ED was able to place enough material, statements of approvers and AAP’s own candidate stating that Kejriwal was given money for Goa elections.
AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh are also accused in the case. While Sisodia continues to remain in jail, Singh has been granted bail by the Supreme Court pursuant to a concession given by the ED.
ED has alleged that Arvind Kejriwal is the “kingpin” of the Delhi excise scam and is directly involved in the use of proceeds of crime accounting for over Rs. 100 crores. It is ED’s case that the excise policy was implemented as part of a conspiracy to give wholesale business profit of 12 per cent to certain private companies, although such a stipulation was not mentioned in the minutes of meetings of the Group of Ministers (GoM).
The Central agency has also claimed that there was a conspiracy coordinated by Vijay Nair and other individuals along with South Group to give extraordinary profit margins to wholesalers. Nair was acting on behalf of Kejriwal and Sisodia, according to the agency.
PTI, New Delhi, July 20, 2024 : Opposition leaders on Thursday launched a scathing attack on the government and the National Testing Agency over alleged irregularities in the NEET exam as well as the cancellation of UGC-NET and accused them of destroying the future of students.
Some opposition leaders have also demanded the sacking of Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and the disbanding of the National Testing Agency (NTA), claiming paper leak is an “anti-national activity” as it plays with the future of students.
Leading the opposition attack, Rahul Gandhi alleged the main reason for paper leaks is that educational institutions have been “captured” by the BJP and its parent organisation RSS, and paper leaks will not stop unless it is reversed.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has facilitated this capture. This (paper leak) is an anti-national activity as it severely harms the country’s youth, who are the nation’s future and it hurts students,” he said.
The former Congress chief also alleged the BJP government at the Centre wants to “expand the “Vyapam model” of Madhya Pradesh.
The scam in Vyapam or Madhya Pradesh Professional Examination Board broke out in 2013, wherein candidates had bribed officials and rigged exams by deploying imposters to write their answers.
On Wednesday, the University Grants Commission cancelled the UGC-NET examination, a day after it was held, upon receiving certain inputs from the National Cyber Crime Threat Analytics Unit of the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) over the exam.
Amid demands by the opposition to re-conduct NEET, Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said isolated incidents of malpractice should not affect lakhs of students who cleared the examination rightfully. He also announced a high-level panel to look into the functioning of the NTA.
Taking a dig at PM Modi, Gandhi said, “It was being said that PM Modi stopped the Ukraine-Russia war and the Israel-Gaza war, but he is either not able to stop exam paper leaks or doesn’t want to.”
“The silence is because the prime minister is crippled. Right now the prime minister’s agenda is the Speaker (post). He is not bothered about NEET. He wants his government to scrape through and he gets his Speaker’s post. That’s where his mind is right now,” he said when asked why the government is silent on NEET.
At a press conference, Gandhi said, “The Opposition is simply not going to allow any of this eye wash that is taking place. We will make sure that we put so much pressure on them, that the issue is resolved.”
The Congress hit out at PM Modi after the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam, saying every year he conducts a “grand tamasha” of what he calls ‘Pareeksha pe Charcha’ and yet his government cannot even conduct an examination without leaks and frauds.
Claiming that the integrity of NTA is under severe doubt, party general secretary Jairam Ramesh asked whether the prime minister would speak on this “leak” (“leak pe speak”).
Party president Mallikarjun Kharge asked when would the prime minister hold “NEET pareeksha pe charcha”.
Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale, in a post on ‘X’, said, “The examination process structure of our country has crashed. Paper leaks and irregularities are rampant and the useless NTA is complicit in it.”
He also referred to the cancellation of the UGC-NET exam and said, “The lives and futures of our students are being destroyed every day and the NDA 1.0 govt is shameless to even take responsibility.”
Gokhale also said, “Incompetent education minister Dharmendra Pradhan has been repeated again despite being an utter failure. The same is with Ashwini Vaishnaw as railway minister and now we saw a train crash just days ago. They need to be sacked.”
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav alleged the “paper mafia” was “rigging exams” under the BJP rule. “This could also be someone’s big conspiracy against the country,” he charged on ‘X’.
While the CPI(M), in a post on X, accused the government of making a mockery of the education system, (RJD) MP Manoj Jha said the NEET exam should also be cancelled.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas raised concern over questions asked in the UGC-NET exam.
“When NEET to NET collapses… see how saffronisation (is) done; NET qstns (questions) for a Theatre student — Ayodhya pran pratishtha date, how Hanuman is described, the shloka in Ramayana, beheaded but kept alive in Mahabharata, Hindi exponent. How do we intend to mould our next generation?” he said.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged the Centre to take immediate steps to resolve the crisis in the National Testing Agency (NTA), saying its “repeated incompetence” in conducting exams such as NEET and the UGC-NET cannot be accepted.
“The controversy over NEET has barely subsided and now the Ministry of Education has announced the cancellation of UGC-NET, citing compromised exam integrity. This repeated incompetence is unacceptable, leaving students in limbo and wasting public money,” he said on ‘X’.
Demanding Pradhan’s resignation and scrapping of the NTA, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury expressed solidarity with the students “in their struggle to safeguard their academic standards from being destroyed by this ND alliance government led by Modi”.
He said the students who appeared for UGC-NET and NEET, must be compensated by the Centre. “Roll back the recently adopted system of mandatory NET score for PhD admissions. Withdraw proposals to replace existing admission procedures with centralised entrance tests,” he said.
CPI leader D Raja said, “What’s happening under the Ministry of Education is nothing short of criminal.”
“They imposed the anti-federal, anti-poor NEET and jeopardised the medical education system of our country, depriving the marginalised of quality medical education. NTA’s incompetency in conducting exams got exposed again after the cancellation of UGC-NET after paper leaks,” he alleged.
NCP (SP) leader Supriya Sule accused the government of being insensitive towards the issues of farmers, women and students, and sought the formation of a special investigation team to probe the alleged irregularities in the NEET (UG) and other exams. She said the NDA government cancelled the UGC-NET exam over integrity and fairness concerns.
“This raises a burning question: Can the NDA government truly ensure fair examinations or will exams be cancelled one after another due to widespread frauds at play? The NDA govt previously claimed no NEET papers were leaked, but the further arrests made by Bihar Police suggest otherwise, yet no action has been taken by the NDA government.”
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi slammed the Modi government, saying it was unable to conduct even one exam properly and sought to know what steps it was taking to prevent question paper leaks in future.
EOI, DARJEELING, JUNE 16, 2024 : After the Calcutta High Court order to include his name in the charge sheet filed by the CBI in the Madan Tamang murder case, Gorkha Janmukti Morcha President Bimal Gurung on Saturday said he would take legal recourse while asserting he was innocent. In August 2017, the City Sessions Court discharged Gurung’s name from the list of accused filed by the Central agency.
However, on Thursday, the court of Justice Subhendu Samanta of Calcutta High Court set aside the ruling of the City Sessions Court, requiring Gurung to stand trial again. “Bimal Gurung stands for Gorkhaland. I will continue to raise my voice for a separate state. However, certain quarters feel that if Bimal Gurung is sidelined then the statehood demand will automatically subside. I am the only poison standing in their path and they are trying to find ways to suppress me,” he said.
The All India Gorkha League leader was murdered in broad daylight on May 21, 2010 at the Upper Clubside area while overseeing preparation for a public meeting. Initially, the local police started investigating.
Later the probe was taken up by the CID. The CID named several accused in its chargesheet but did not include Gurung’s name, prompting Tamang’s wife Bharati to file a writ petition seeking a CBI inquiry.
The CBI in its chargesheet named 54 accused including Gurung, his wife Asha and several senior party leaders. Gurung said he had no animosity with the family of the deceased.
In fact it was him who had raised the demand for a Central investigation. “It (murder) was very unfortunate. I can understand the sentiments of the family of the deceased. However, I was the one to raise the demand for a CBI inquiry and wrote to the government and strict punishment to the perpetrators of the crime. I am not selfish and am working for my community with sincerity,” he said.
Annwesha Chhetri, EOI, 17 June 2024 : The Group of 7 (G7) Summit, held in the picturesque town of Fasano, Italy, concluded on June 15, leaving a significant impact on global policy and international relations. Hosted by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, this summit focused on the two major geopolitical conflicts weighing on the international community: the war in Ukraine and the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Apart from the member countries, many other countries, including India, were invited to the Outreach Session. This was India’s 11th and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 5th consecutive participation at the G7 Summit. Traditionally, this group of seven countries has been a forum for some of the world’s most advanced economies to discuss and coordinate on economic policies, trade, security, and other global issues. India’s repeated invitations signal a recognition of its rise in economy, strategic importance, and leadership potential in tackling global challenges. PM Modi’s presence at the summit reflects India’s pivotal role in shaping global discourse. Therefore, India is getting a platform once again to address critical global issues, strengthen bilateral ties, and assert its role as a major player in international affairs. This year’s summit focused on themes such as economic resilience, climate change, health, security, and technological innovation—all the areas where India has a valuable contribution to make.
During the summit, PM Modi shed light on India’s economic reforms and investments like “Make in India” and “Digital India.” These initiatives aim to transform our country into a global manufacturing hub and a leader in digital innovation. With the global economy recovering from the impacts of the COVID- 19 pandemic, India’s robust growth trajectory presents an attractive proposition for foreign investment and trade partnerships. A major highlight of this summit was the launch of the Just Energy Transition Partnership (JETP). Coal accounts for nearly 70% of India’s electricity. This initiative aims to help India transition from a coal-based energy system to more sustainable and low-emission technologies. Hence, JETP is designed to provide financial support, technology, and expertise to facilitate this transition, which is expected to address both environmental concerns and economic dependencies related to coal. PM Modi also reiterated India’s ambitious climate targets, including achieving net-zero emissions by 2070 and increasing the share of renewable energy in its energy mix. He also elaborated on the “Ek Ped Maa ke Naam” campaign and urged the leaders to take part in India’s Mission LiFE initiative. Therefore, by collaborating with G7 countries, India will not only contribute to global climate goals but also support its own sustainable development agenda.
“Pharmacy of the World,” India has been a key supplier of affordable vaccines and medicines to developing countries during the pandemic. PM Modi called for strengthening global health infrastructure by ensuring equitable access to vaccines and enhancing research and development capabilities.
India becomes a key player in the Indo-Pacific strategy, ensuring stability and security and countering China’s expanding influence. The European Union says that Beijing’s large subsidies, especially in green energy and technology, lead to very cheap products that flood the global market, making it difficult for the West to compete. “G7 countries agree on how to handle China,” a Japanese government source told AFP.
PM Modi said that India will collaborate with all countries to make artificial intelligence (AI) transparent, fair, secure, accessible, and responsible. As a founding member and lead chair of the Global Partnership for AI, India is leading the launch of the “AI Mission” with the mantra “AI for All.”
Therefore, this G7 Summit provided India with a platform to advance its economic, environmental, health, technological, and geopolitical agendas. By engaging with the world’s leading economies, India is not only strengthening its international standing but also paving the way for sustainable development and inclusive growth.
As the world navigates through complex challenges, India’s role in shaping a resilient and cooperative global order is becoming more crucial than ever. On the sidelines of the G7 Summit, PM Modi held bilateral meetings with French President Emmanuel Macron, UK PM Rishi Sunak, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. He also interacted with US President Joe Biden, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Canada PM Justin Trudeau, and Pope Francis. After concluding the visit, PM Modi thanked the people and government of Italy for their “war m hospitality” and said, “Had a very productive day at the G7 Summit in Apulia. I interacted with the world’s leaders and discussed various subjects. Together, we aim to create impactful solutions that benefit the global community and create a better world for future generations,” in a post on X.
Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar accused West Bengal of experiencing a surge in extortion rackets reminiscent of 1990s Mumbai. He cited recent shootouts and dacoities, suggesting a deteriorating law and order situation, and highlighted violence against opposition party workers. Minister Firhad Hakim linked recent crimes to out-of-state miscreants.
PTI, 16 June, 2024, Kolkata : Union Minister of State for Education Sukanta Majumdar on Sunday alleged that extortion rackets were thriving in West Bengal, drawing parallels to the notorious activities of Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Rajan gangs in Mumbai during the 1990s.
He claimed that instances of shootouts and dacoities in jewellery shops over the last couple of months prove that the “law and order situation in the state is not good.” Majumdar, also the state BJP president, alleged that these developments are reminiscent of past criminal activities in Mumbai, suggesting a worrying trend in West Bengal.
“I am reminded of the way Dawood Ibrahim, Chhota Shakil, Chhota Rajan gangs used to operate extortion rackets in Mumbai in the 1990’s. Similar rackets seem to have started in West Bengal,” Majumdar said.
He further alleged that opposition party workers have been subjected to attacks while such criminal activities continue unchecked.
Majumdar, who met with BJP workers claiming to be victims of post-poll violence perpetrated by supporters of the ruling party in West Bengal, highlighted an incident where motorbike-borne assailants shot at a businessman’s car on the busy B T Road here on Saturday.
In the early hours of Saturday, a shooting incident took place at Mirza Galib Street in central Kolkata. The incident stemmed from an altercation between two men, reportedly linked to a road rage incident the previous day.
West Bengal Minister Firhad Hakim attributed the recent dacoities in jewellery shops, including the latest one at Raniganj a few days ago, to miscreants from neighbouring states. In this connection, two persons were arrested from Jharkhand in a coordinated operation conducted jointly by the police forces of both states, officials said.
Darjeeling MP to request PM’s intervention to protect people living along Teesta banks
PRASHANT ACHARYA and YOWAN MOTHAY, EOI, KALIMPONG / SILIGURI,JUNE 15, 2024 : The Centre has allocated Rs 500 crore towards addressing the immediate repair and restoration of National Highway – 10 and is preparing a detailed project report under the supervision of scientific and terrain experts for rebuilding NH-10,and expanding it by further10 meters, for which a budget of Rs 2000 crores will be additionally sanctioned, Darjeeling M. P. Raju Bista said on Saturday.
He assured that he would approach the Centre and the West Bengal Government, Niti Aayog, National Disaster Management Authority to help solve the problems they were facing.
During the day, Bista visited villages situated along river Teesta and interacted with people whose lives had been upturned due to the devastating flood in Teesta.
“This year’s unusually heavy pre-monsoon rains have led to further devastating consequences in our Kalimpong, Darjeeling and Sikkim region,” he said.
During the visit, he expressed his condolences to the families who had lost their loved ones and his solidarity with those who had been displaced or had lost their homes and livelihood due to the ongoing rains.
“The relentless rains and resulting damage highlight he region’s vulnerability, ”he said.
“During this challenging time, it is crucial for the Centre, State, and local bodies such as Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, Panchayat Samiti, and Panchayats to collaborate effectively in responding to this unfolding disaster,”Bista told reporters at Teesta.
He said: “In a federal structure like ours, responsibilities are divided between the Centre and the State under the Disaster Management Act, 2005 (DMA2005).
Each state, headed by the Chief Minister through the State Disaster Management Authorities(SDMAs), is mandated to formulate and coordinate disaster response efforts based on national guidelines.
Under Chapter II Section26 (35) of the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration Act of 2011, disaster management, relief and rehabilitation are GTA’s transferred subjects. It is therefore primarily GTA’s responsibility to focus on disaster risk reduction and mitigation in our region.
However, it remains unclear whether GTA has established a dedicated body such as GTA Disaster Management Authority(GTA-DMA) or the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), as required under the DMA2005. Because of all this, thousands of people have continued to suffer.
Double tragedy has struck the people who had become victims of the Teesta Floods of October 2023, and who are yet to receive any help from the West Bengal Government. Neither have they declared the Teesta Floods as “disaster”, which would have allowed Rs 120crore of SDR Funds to be used towards the rehabilitation of the people here.”
Bista said he had formally requested intervention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi as Chairman of the National Disaster Management Authority, outlining the failure of the West Bengal Government to adequately protect lives and livelihoods along the Teesta River.
“Given the strategic significance of the region, particularly in terms of national security, I have also requested for a Central team to assess the situation and take necessary actions to fix the damage at the earliest, ”he said.
Bista also suggested people should start ‘Teesta Aarati’ like Ganga Aarati along river Teesta to pray river God for the savior from natural disaster.
EOI & PTI, DARJEELING, JUNE 13, 2024 : The Calcutta High Court on Thursday set aside the discharge order of the City Sessions Court given to Bimal Gurung in 2017 in connection with the Madan Tamang murder case.
The City Sessions Court order removed the name of Bimal Gurung from the list of accused persons. Tamang, who headed the All India Gorkha League was hacked to death in broad daylight on May 21, 2010 near the Upper Clubside area while overseeing preparation for a public meeting.
Along with Gurung who is the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president 53 others had been named as accused in the CBI charge sheet.
Initially, the CID was investigating the case but in late2010, Tamang’s wife Bharati filed a petition demanding a CBI probe. The CBI filed a chargesheet against the 54 accused, including Gurung his wife Asha and other senior GJM leaders. However, in August 2017,the City Sessions Court in Kolkata discharged Gurung from the CBI chargesheet list of accused in the murder case.
Bharati and the CBI filed a revision writ petition in Kolkata High Court, challenging the verdict. The court of Justice Subhendu Samanta on Thursday set aside the verdict of the City Sessions Court, paving the way for a criminal revision on Gurung.”
Now he (Gurung) will again have to stand trial as an accused in the Tamang murder case. After the 2017 verdict, except Gurung, all others were appearing trial in the court,” said a source.
Amar Lama who is the brother of the deceased and was pursuing the case regularly said: “With the verdict of the HC today, now the way is open for Gurung’s trial”.
Incidentally, Hamro Party leader Ajoy Edwards has offered Bharati to pursue the murder case of the slain AIGL leader.
PTI, Kolkata, Jun 13, 2024 : The Calcutta High Court on Thursday directed the CBI to include the name of Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) supremo Bimal Gurung in the charge sheet in the murder case of Akhil Bharatiya Gorkha League (ABGL) chief Madan Tamang in 2010.
A Kolkata court in 2017 removed the name of Gurung from the list of the accused persons. Tamang’s wife Bharti challenged the order in the high court.
Tamang was hacked to death in Darjeeling on May 21, 2010 in broad daylight when he was overseeing preparations for a public meeting.
Stating that the City Sessions court judge committed an error by separating Gurung from the other accused person, Justice Subhendu Samanta of the high court directed the CBI probing the murder case to include Gurung’s name in the charge sheet.
“Complicity against Bimal Gurung has been sufficiently established,” Justice Samanta said in his order.
Gurung’s counsel had argued before the City Sessions Court that his client was in Kalimpong the day Tamang was murdered, and that the CBI had no proof against him.
“The charge of this case is required to be framed against Bimal Gurung with other accused persons. The alleged portion of the impugned order passed by the Learned Chief Judge of City Sessions Court through which Bimal Gurung was discharged from this case is hereby set aside,” the order read.
Bimal Gurung, his wife Asha and several other senior leaders of the GJM had surrendered before a sessions court in Kolkata on December 21, 2016, in connection with the murder case. They were granted bail by the court.
PTI, New Delhi, Jun 13, 2024 : Ajit Doval, one of India’s most celebrated spymasters, has been part of many key decisions taken by the Modi government in its first and second terms as the country’s National Security Adviser (NSA).
He was on Thursday re-appointed as the NSA for a record third term, the government said in an order. With more than 10 years in the job, he is the longest serving NSA.
Doval (79) holds over 33 years of extensive experience in the field including Northeast, Sikkim, Punjab and Jammu and Kashmir region.
A master of spycraft, he spent over six years in Pakistan also, official sources said.
Doval spearheaded the operations wing of the Intelligence Bureau (IB) — the country’s internal security intelligence agency — for a long time.
He also founded the Multi Agency Centre (MAC), which came into force after the 2001 standoff with Pakistan. The MAC is a counterterrorism grid under the aegis of IB, they said.
A 1968-batch IPS officer of Kerala cadre, Doval retired as chief of Intelligence Bureau (IB) in 2005.
He was appointed as the NSA for the first time on May 30, 2014 and re-appointed for another term from May 31, 2019.
With this fresh term, Doval becomes the first NSA to be appointed for three consecutive terms.
During his first tenure, Doval is believed to have played a pivotal role in the 2016 surgical strikes on terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir after the Uri terror attack.
He has also been widely hailed for his contribution in the national security domain, including his role during the Balakot air strike after the Pulwama terror attack in 2019.
Doval, known as one of the best operational brains in intelligence circles, was one of the main negotiators from India with the hijackers of Indian Airlines plane IC-814 taken to Kandahar in 1999.
Born in the Garhwal region of Uttarakhand on January 20, 1945, Doval received his education in Delhi, Ajmer and in Agra, they said.
Having the distinction of being the first police officer who received the Kirti Chakra, a military gallantry honour, Doval will be providing his deep insight about the threats faced by the country from within and outside.
He was awarded the honour in 1988 for conducting anti-insurgency operations in Mizoram and bringing Mizo insurgent leader Laldenga to the negotiating table by winning over six of his seven commanders.
Doval had also clandestinely entered Myanmar and China to break the dominance of Mizo insurgent outfit, the sources said.
Widely recognised for his clear insight into and vision on Indian and global security issues, he has been actively participating at different fora at home and abroad on strengthening the Indian security apparatus and forging closer cooperation among security forces globally.
Sanchita Aich Bag, MP, 12 June 2024, Siliguri: Firhad Hakim, minister of Urban Development and Municipal Affairs, Government of West Bengal and TMC leader expressed concern over the Lok Sabha election results in North Bengal.
He stated that the BJP has been manipulating people of North Bengal, especially those living in hills. The minister, on a tour of North Bengal, visited offices of Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA) and Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) on Wednesday where he held meetings with the SJDA Chairman and SMC Mayor.
Talking to mediapersons, Hakim stated: “Papiya did a good job in North Bengal but BJP is misleading the people of North Bengal, especially in the Hills. While BJP has lost in Ayodhya, the birthplace of Ram, it is politics in the name of religion in North Bengal. Actually, hoodwinking is a practice that the BJP has been using on innocent people. However, many people have now realised their conspiracy thereby resulting in the dip in the margin of votes this election,” said the minister talking to mediapersons during his visit to the SJDA office in Siliguri.
“All the development work in the hills has been done by our Chief Minister. The BJP has not done anything. Every time before the election, Gurung’s party arrives on the scene and manipulates the people.
People of hills are being used for political gains,” he added. Hakim also suggested that Sourav Chakraborty, the chairman of SJDA, expand the jurisdiction of the SJDA along with focussing on green development by preserving nature.
From SJDA, the minister visited the SMC office. There Mayor Gautam Deb and Tshering Y. Bhutia, Commissioner of SMC requested for funds for several ongoing works of the SMC. Hakim assured of all necessary help.
Meanwhile, he advised the Trinamool Congress councillors to focus on public participation in development works. “People’s participation is one of the most important factors but they deeply rely on councillors. Councillors are the only entities who can connect with the people at the grassroots level.
Every councillor should involve people in all the development projects that are being undertaken in their wards. This will result in residents supporting the councillor and the councillor will never lose an election,” Hakim added.
Tshering Y Bhutia, Commissioner, requested the minister to sanction a fund of Rs 15 crore for the renovation work of Kanchenjunga Stadium.
She also requested him to sanction funds for the work of elevated corridor near Mahananda River which will cost about Rs 250 to 300 crore; work of Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) 1; AMRUT 3 project; new building for the SMC and river cleaning work.
The minister asked the SMC to install a biochemical waste management plant using their resources.
PTI, New Delhi, Jun 12, 2024 : The Congress on Wednesday claimed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has become “irrelevant” and said the Constitution, democracy and society do not need the Sangh or its chief Mohan Bhagwat as they can protect themselves.
The opposition party’s assertion came after Bhagwat’s remarks on a host of issues, including on the Manipur violence and the just-concluded Lok Sabha polls.
Congress’ media and publicity head Pawan Khera said, “Mohan Bhagwat ji, you reap what you sow. The fault is not of the soil, the fault is of the gardener.”
“When farmers were facing the wrath of the weather and police just outside the capital, you were silent. When a Dalit girl was raped and murdered in Hathras, you were silent. When the rapists of Bilkis Bano were released and your ideological brothers welcomed them, you were silent. When Dalits were being urinated upon, you were silent. When Pehlu Khan and Akhlaq were killed, you were silent. When Kanhaiya Lal’s killers’ links with the BJP were exposed, you were silent,” Khera said of Bhagwat.
“Your silence and Narendra Modi have made you and the Sangh irrelevant. You’ve been made irrelevant by Amit Shah and the BJP. Your last chance was when the BJP leaders were talking about changing the Constitution, you should have spoken out but you remained silent,” the Congress leader said.
“What is the use of speaking now?” Khera added.
The Constitution, democracy and this society does not need the RSS or Bhagwat as they can “protect and reboot” themselves, he asserted.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also hit out at Bhagwat and posted on X a Hindi couplet by Kabir — “‘Karta raha so kyon kiya, ab kari kyon pachtaye, boye pedh babool ka, amua kahan se paye’ (loosely translating to ‘you shall reap what you shall sow’).”
Bhagwat had on Monday expressed concern over peace eluding Manipur even after one year and said the situation in the strife-torn north eastern state must be considered with priority.
Addressing a gathering of the RSS trainees at the concluding programme of organisation’s ‘Karyakarta Vikas Varg- Dwitiya’ at the Dr Hedgewar Smriti Bhavan premises in Reshimbagh in Nagpur, he said the conflict in various places and in the society is not good.
Bhagwat stressed on unity among all communities in the country, which he said was very diverse though people understand it is one and not separate.
He emphasised the need to get over with election rhetoric and focus on problems facing the nation.
Speaking about the recently held Lok Sabha polls, Bhagwat said the results were out and a government had been formed so unnecessary talk on what and how it happened etc. can be avoided.
The RSS does not get involved in such discussions of “kaise hua, kya hua”, he said, adding that the organisation only does its duty of creating awareness on the need to vote.
Bhagwat stressed on the need for consensus between the ruling side and the opposition so that work for common good (of the masses) can be carried out.
There are always two sides in an election but there should be dignity about not resorting to lies to win, the RSS chief asserted.
Lies were spread using technology (an apparent reference to deepfakes etc.), he added.
June 12, 2024 : The 2024 national elections braked India’s slide into authoritarianism but did not halt it. The Narendra Modi-led Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 240 of 543 parliamentary seats even as, diminished by voter pushback, the BJP lost 63 seats. Failing to secure the requisite 272-seat majority, Modi forfeited the ability to command a solely BJP national government. Reliant on partners in the seemingly unsteady National Democratic Alliance (NDA), on June 9, Modi assumed office as prime minister of India for a third term.
On June 4, in his victory speech, Modi underscored the religionisation of state and government, rallying: “Bharat Mata ki [Jai]” (Hail to Mother India), a slogan promoted by Hindu nationalists. Bharat Mata, the nation as goddess, objectifies and feminises the state wherein control over women is critical to nationalist assertion. Bharat Mata is associated with Akhand Bharat (undivided India), the delusive once-future homeland of Hindus.
Modi spoke of Odisha and the BJP’s sweep of the 2024 elections, taking 20 of 21 seats. Commending the state’s excellent performance, Modi extolled that, for the first time, the land of the “great god Jagannath” would install a BJP chief minister. A male Odishan tribal figure, Jagannath has been deified, Hinduised, as a manifestation of the deity Krishna.
Modi omitted to note the BJP’s downturn, focusing instead on the exceptionalism of a third consecutive win, stating, “In the third term, the country will write a new chapter of big decisions, and this is Modi’s guarantee,” continuing, “the NDA government will put a lot of emphasis on uprooting all kinds of corruption.” The reference to eradicating corruption was incongruous, given the BJP’s reported recent collusion in the electoral bonds scandal.
The NDA secured a majority in the 2024 Lok Sabha, with support from BJP partners, Telugu Desam (TD), Janata Dal (United), and the ultranationalist Shiv Sena. Modi’s allies include incoming Andhra Pradesh chief minister, Chandrababu Naidu, of TD. Following initial criticism of Modi in 2002 relating to the Gujarat pogrom, Naidu had acquiesced to the BJP leadership. In Delhi, in 2024, the BJP won all seven seats, lost 14 seats in Maharashtra, lost six seats in West Bengal, gained one seat each in Chhattisgarh and Kerala, and secured nine of 14 seats in Assam. Considering the 2019 revocation of Article 370 and India’s continued siege on Kashmir, what does it mean for Kashmiris to have the BJP secure 2 of 5 seats in the 2024 elections?
In Uttar Pradesh, the BJP lost 29 seats. Modi had consecrated the temple in Ayodhya in January on the wreckage of Babri Masjid, a momentous marker for the Hindu Nation. To do so, land was appropriated from local communities, while BJP policies disaffected Muslim, Dalit, and other caste-oppressed groups, impacting electoral decisions against the party.
People attending Ram Temple consecration ceremony in Ayodhya on January 22, 2023. Photo: X (Twitter)/BJP4India.
Speech-Acts
Between 2014 and 2024, Narendra Modi’s words sought to remake India. The speeches attest to Prime Minister Modi’s unrestrained power within his government to reconfigure a gigantic electorate. Modi’s words conjured a world wherein aggrieved Hindus across India may believe in his salvific power to lead India to glory. Modi’s speeches – fervent, narcissistic, significant – became the locus of engagement between him and his “subjects”. Modi’s domineering oratory marshalled crowds, turning his government’s repeated incapacity and misconduct into grievances against those who critique and oppose his positions, his party, and its ideological and political agenda.
Innumerable speech-encounters between Modi and his subjects were formative in delivering India for the Hindu Nation in 2014 and 2019. His rallies were thronged with people, sometimes numbering in the hundreds of thousands. His speeches extended the illusion of intimacy between him and the people while simultaneously reflecting the rising grandeur and drama of his role. Modi spoke to Hindus as a people, a unitary collective. He narrativised political messaging to create fear. The Prime Minister used speech-acts to ostensibly command, convey, scold, accuse, threaten, pledge, endorse, educate, amass, convince, mobilise, and govern. A vortex of emotions and meanings, catalysed to emit strength, induce behaviours, and exhort masses of people.
How have Modi’s obfuscations of state power misled the public? In 2023, the Indian Penal Code (IPC, 1860) was replaced by the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS, Indian Justice Code), effective July 1, 2024. Modi termed it: “A watershed moment in our history…the end of colonial-era laws. A new era begins with laws centred on public service and welfare.” In actuality, the BNS broadens the definition of terrorist actions beyond what the extreme Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) encompasses, curtails freedoms, targets political opponents and dissent, and criminalises “intentions” and “feelings”.
Modi’s speeches and appearances, carefully crafted, fashion an iconography of allure and invincibility. The deification of Modi, an elected leader, has been self-purposed to induce attachment and ecstatic merger between Modi’s aura and people’s aspirations. Modi presents himself as the spiritual force able to realise people’s yearnings. Modi professes to stand for India’s fulfilment. To those who feel powerless, he bestows the promise of power. To those who feel belittled, he bestows the promise of pride. To those who feel wronged, he bestows the promise of retribution. To oppose Modi, the leader, therefore, is to betray the nation. To unite with the leader promises the achievement of greatness.
The intensity of the speech-encounters between Modi and his Hindu subjects has become the performative mechanism for creating a shared social world for his acolytes that simultaneously serves to exclude “Others”. Stronger than the sum of its making, this habitus has repeatedly inflamed Hindutva adherents to vengeance and redemption. Violence is promoted as a form of personal and national purification.
On May 26, in a televised interview, Modi stated that “Parmatma [god] sent me for a purpose…I have completely dedicated myself to god.” In asserting that his presence on earth as divinely ordained, does Modi see himself as a messiah incarnate? Was Modi seeking to imply that his grip on India’s prime ministership is without end?
Like others before him, Modi relies on repetition to orate the import of an idea and stir an audience. His words codify national enemies, seek to mobilise, and expand Hindutva’s base, and guide “ordinary people” away from the disarray in the political and economic life of the country. In the time of social media, these exhortations reverberate, amplified through platforms such as WhatsApp and X, rendering Modi omnipresent across India.
Fascistic collusions
Modi has been vigorously supported by henchmen, old cronies who helped deliver the Gujarat pogrom of 2002 and newer disciples of the current regime. His calls to action were repeatedly prolonged by Amit Shah, Yogi Adityanath, Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati/Giri, and others. A wave of emergent front runners responded, using virulent speech, even calls to genocidal violence, to gain prominence and contend for power within the party’s hierarchy. Repeatedly, the prime minister failed to call them to order.
Taken together, the Hindutva leadership’s sinister and public vilification of minorities, the political opposition, dissenters, and “seditious” Hindus; comprehensive engineering of social facts; and demagoguery have reified fascistic Hinduism and architectured its manifesto. Most distressing is how this massive and malicious enterprise has found deep resonance among millions and millions of people of dominant descent in India. Irrespective of social conditions, such predilection is not a given and cannot be normalised. It is the dangerous outcome of the collision between authoritarian rulers and majoritarian desires, built upon the fault lines of an inveterate casteist, classist, gender oppressed, and segregated society.
The Hindu Sena, one of Hindutva organisations which filed the intervention application in the case seeking a probe into hate speeches by Muslim leaders. Photo: Facebook/HinduSenuOfficial
Hindu nationalists have used hate speech to provoke grassroots proponents and fence-sitters, using hostile messaging to proliferate political institutions and social media and target opponents, media, and vulnerable communities. The BJP-led government routinely exploited dishonest speech, illiberal governance, and toxic masculinity to militarise the state and massify the Hindu Right’s cadre. Hindu nationalist leaders manipulated the escalating participation of Hindutva-inclined civil society into colossal, riotous actions to exact retribution and discipline voters. Many who did not actively participate, acquiesced through silence.
In Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state of over 250 million, 19% of whom are Muslims, the BJP’s 2024 losses also attest to voter concern regarding incumbent head of state, Yogi Adityanath, a Hindu nationalist hardliner. Adityanath has directed various campaigns to override the rights of Muslims and other vulnerable communities. In a video that surfaced in 2014, he reportedly stated that: “If [Muslims] take one Hindu girl, we’ll take 100 Muslim girls. If they kill one Hindu, we’ll kill 100 Muslims.” Adityanath enabled Hindu right-wing activists to make significant inroads within the state machinery. The National Crime Records Bureau data shows that 23,612 riots were reported in UP from 2017-2019.
The Hindu nationalist sweep of Odisha in the 2024 elections is a contrary case in point. Addressing a series of public events in Odisha, in May 2024, Modi, the prime minister of a constitutionally secular republic, started a meeting by invoking Hindu gods: “Jai Jagannath! Jai Sri Ram!” At another, he claimed that the people had developed a “deep emotional connection” with the BJP. At yet another event, Modi spoke of “unprecedented achievements” to be heralded by his government in the next five years.
In Odisha, Hindutva workers were inspired by the BJP’s coalition with the Biju Janata Dal as early as March 2000. Just before, in August 1999, Sheikh Rahman, a male Muslim garment merchant, was tortured in Padiabeda, Mayurbhanj district, his hands severed, burned to death. Approximately 10 percent of the state’s population was conscripted by Hindutva organisations between 2000 and 2008. Dalits and Adivasis were criminalised for their beliefs, practices, and counter-memory, and refusal to be forcibly assimilated into dominant Hinduism. Adivasis across Odisha were forced to chant, “Garbh se kaho hum Hindu hai” [Say with pride that I am a Hindu] at majoritarian rallies. Dalits who elected to convert to Christianity were brutalised to “return” to Hinduism. Massified violence against Christians of Dalit and Adivasi descent erupted in 2007 and 2008, in continuum with the ferocious targeting of Muslims in the state. The absence of accountability to these events bolstered the BJP’s electoral incursion in Odisha.
Weaponising acrimony
In weaponising majoritarian subjects as agents of hate, the imaginary of India as a Hindu State is fait accompli. In propagating its mandate, between 2014 and 2024, the BJP government sought to amalgamate prejudice with discrimination. State policy and practice focused on the intersections of racism and cultural nationalism. In doing so, Hindu nationalists erected a “deeper state” establishing crime zones and regulated anarchy to fortify structural racism and criminality, and forge robust proximities between Hindu Right cadres and militias, government, and law enforcement.
India’s Muslim communities and cultures are foremost among those fallaciously presented as causal to India’s historical, present, and future malfunctions. Islamomisia and racialisation of Muslims serves to homogenise Hindus as a “race”. Hatred (of Muslims) has been justified based on concocted behaviours (i.e., hypermasculinity) and falsified evidence (i.e., “love jihad”). Fascistic Hinduism, portrayed as patriotic nationalism, became the war to save and fabricate the Hindu Nation, carried out via malevolent operations that polarised and religionised the body politic, like “bulldozer justice,” anti-conversion campaigns, and the prejudicial citizenship experiment privileging Hindus.
Representative image of a bulldozer demolishing a settlement. Photo: By arrangement/File
In Dumka on December 15, 2019, Modi asserted that the anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 (CAA), protests: “were a “conspiracy against the country,” calling protesters “conspiracy makers.” On December 18, 2019, BJP leader Kapil Mishra stated, “Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro saalon ko [Shoot the traitors of the nation, shoot the */derogatory].” On December 22, another BJP leader, Anupam Pandey, reiterated on Facebook Live: “Desh ke gaddaron ko, goli maaro saalon ko.”
Between December 12 and 23, 2019, police fired on civil society dissenters across India who were protesting the ratification of the CAA on December 12, 2019, resulting in the deaths of 25 persons, a majority of whom were Muslim males. On December 24, Mishra recorded a public message, stating, “Will your eyes open up when the fire has reached your homes?” On December 25, Yati Narsinghanand Saraswati used slurs against Muslims, labelling them “jihadis” and “pigs.” He described anti-CAA protesters as “enemies,” calling for them to be incarcerated, and should they still not conform, for them to “be sentenced to death.”
In Rajasthan, where the BJP lost 10 seats in the 2024 national elections, Modi had stated in April 2024, that a Congress win would lead to the redistribution of people’s wealth [possessions] among “those who have more children” and to “infiltrators,” reportedly referring to Muslims. In May 2024, in Uttar Pradesh, Modi alleged that the “Congress and the [winning] Samajwadi Party tried to spread lies in the name of CAA. They tried to push Uttar Pradesh and the entire country towards riots.”
The right-wing is still in power
The 2024 elections were not a decisive victory for India’s right-wing and the right-wing is still in power. Upper caste urbanite Hindus reportedly voted for the BJP in large numbers. Dissenting votes were driven by minority and marginalised communities, Muslims, Dalits, Sikhs, Adivasis, and their allies. Among and beyond them, millions of wage labourers, farmers, and economically shattered communities–devastated by the government’s policies, discourses, and practices—voted to oust the BJP.
Following his investiture on June 9, Modi proposed to “move forward with new energy and new courage.” Can Modi, who has been politically narcissistic, stabilise a coalition government and keep in power those that have abetted him since Gujarat, such as Home Minister Amit Shah? Among the nerve centre of the Hindu Right, the RSS, and its affiliate organisations, many are disgruntled with Modi, and may seek to assert control. This may engineer a crisis within the ranks of the BJP, and lead to the incurable disempowerment of Narendra Modi and a party governed by his ideals. However, this will not halt the march of Hindu nationalism in India. Rather, it may prompt the Hindu Right to rely upon its grassroots infrastructure to optimise previously deployed and new strategies of mass violence and aggressive social disruption.
The electoral gains by the I.N.D.I.A. alliance reflect immense voter discontent with the BJP’s blatantly despotic policies, securitization, dog whistling that provoked social violence, information insecurity, economic implosions, and democratic backsliding. The political terrain is ideologically discordant. Can the I.N.D.I.A. alliance amend its own frailties, to halt the rightward trend and recuperate India’s democracy?
The majoritarian deluge into the country’s bloodstream has induced disorder and caused extensive damage across the education sector, law and order, judiciary, and development, and will require forceful political and social reform. The decade-long divisive and violent transformation of society heralded by the Modi-led BJP and the Hindu Right has led the onslaught on India’s already conflicted democracy and engineered severe estrangements and alienation between neighbours, communities, and peoples who rely on each other in everyday life. Targeted communities and nonbelievers are ruptured from the impact, which like slow-release poison, has galvanised a savagery that has spread to terrify and destroy life-worlds.
In modern history, authoritarian regimes have been unable to retain their stranglehold on power. But they have often not gone quietly. The longer the Modi regime endures, the more likely will be its desperation to grasp at domination and the more hazardous its actions. For the Modi-led BJP government surely fears that, once dislodged, accountability is to come.
