A 22-year-old Rajasthan case of train chain pulling is haunting actor-turned-MP Sunny Deol, actress Karisma Kapoor, actor Satish Shah and stuntman Tinu Verma. Sunny and Karishma filed a review petition in a Jaipur court on Wednesday challenging a Railway court’s 17 September order in a case of alleged chain pulling during the shooting of the film Bajrang in 1997. The ACMM Court-Railway in Jaipur Mahanagar framed charges and summoned them on bailable warrants on the next hearing on 24 September. The actors are accused of violating Sections 141 (interfering with means of communication in a train), 145 (nuisance), 146 (obstructing railway servant in his duties), and 147 (trespass) of the Railways Act.
Defence Minister Condoles Death of A Canine Soldier
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in a tweet condoled the death of Army’s Eastern Command’s “canine soldier” Dutch, credited with successfully sniffing out explosives during several military operations. The nine-year-old Dutch, a Labrador, died due to natural causes on 11 September and the memorial service was held at the Tezpur-based 19 Army Dog Unit in Assam.
Punjab CM calls PakISTAN service tax jaziya
Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh on Thursday, after presiding over a Cabinet meeting in a makeshift tent in Dera Baba Nanak (Gurdaspur), barely 900 metres from the International Border, criticised Pakistan for imposing a $20 “service tax” on devotees entering the country through the corridor to pay obeisance at the Kartarpur shrine.
“$20 service tax proposed to be levied by Pakistan on devotees is not justified. I fail to see the logic and reasoning of the Pakistan government in levying this cess. I compare it to jaziya, a tax imposed by Aurangzeb on his disciplines to pay for the expenditure to run the state. The sooner it goes, the better it will be. I have already urged the Centre to talk to Islamabad to ensure that devotees are liberated from this absurd tax,” Singh said.
BSP MLAs were in touch with Congress
Six Bahujan Samaj Party MLAs in Rajasthan, who joined the Congress on Tuesday, were in touch with Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot for several days. The MLAs were earlier supporting the Congress from outside. Mayawati alleged a betrayal of the BSP movement and accused the “untrustworthy” Congress of being “anti-SC, anti-ST and anti-OBC.” Gehlot told The Sunday Guardian that the “Congress had not managed the defection in any way.” There was speculation that the BJP was trying to lure the BSP and Independent MLAs in a bid to repeat a Karnataka-type upheaval in Rajasthan. Gehlot alleged that he was told that the BJP was offering up to Rs 25 crore each to the Assembly members.
Hindi Debate: Chidambaram’s Old Video
As Home Minister Amit Shah’s views on Hindi as a “unifying language” has generated a heated debate in non-Hindi speaking states, Sports Minister Kiren Rijiju has dug out an old video of P. Chidambaram saying pretty much what Shah said. In this video, Chidambaram, speaking at a Hindi Divas function, can be seen favouring Hindi as “Rashtrabhasha”. “This is the stand of the Congress party on Hindi, tell this to your allies as well,” Rijiju tweeted even as BJP Chief Minister in Karnataka B.S. Yeddiyurappa sounded a cautious note.
“All official languages in our country are equal. However, as far as Karnataka is concerned, Kannada is the principal language. We will never compromise its importance and are committed to promoting Kannada and our state’s culture,” said the CM in the only southern state held by the saffron party.
Geelani press conference cancelled
The authorities on Wednesday did not permit 11.30 am press conference scheduled by hard-line Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Geelani at his residence in Srinagar’s Hyderpora, citing restrictions imposed under Section 144, CrPC. The police are now investigating how Geelani, who has been under a protracted incarceration even much before the Rajya Sabha scrapped Article 370 on 5 August and later by the Lok Sabha, was able to send an email to the journalists and other media houses in Srinagar as the region continued to be under a communication blockade for the past 46 days. Before the media could reach the residence, a contingent of the J&K Police was already present at the spot and were not permitted inside. A senior police officer told The Sunday Guardian, “He is free to go for medical check-ups and people can meet him. But I am not sure if journalists can meet him. For that you can check with the District Magistrate.”