Here is what Karnataka BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel has to say about 'Operation Lotus'
Bengaluru: Ahead of counting of votes in the crucial byelections to 15 assembly constituencies on December 9, BJP leaders in Karnataka on Sunday oozed confidence about their party winning a majority of seats.
BJP state chief Nalin Kumar Kateel was even more optimistic, saying the party would win all the 15 seats.
We will win all the 15 seats in the byelection. I have travelled through all constituencies and seen the enthusiasm of our workers and voters," he told reporters in Hubballi.
To a question on the oft repeated opposition charge that the party tried to lure legislators through 'Operation Lotus' (poaching), he said the BJP does not believe in such practices and Congress and JD(S) were to be blamed for not being able to keep their flock together.
The BJP state chief said discontent in the Congress due to lack of development may compel other MLAs in the rival camp to seek to join them, though they were not needed
"If somebody expresses a desire to join the party, we will welcome them," he said.
Kateel said Chief Minister Yediyurappa would 'comfortably' run the government for the next three-and-half years.
Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Minister K S Eshwarappa too echoed similar sentiments.
"The people of Karnataka have given a tight slap to the Congress and the JD(S) by throwing them out of power.
I am confident that the people will ensure that they are out of power in this byelection as well, he told reporters in Gadag.
Eshwarappa said the people of Karnataka would not desert the BJP and would extend complete support to enable the government continue its remaining term in office
The outcome of the bypoll is crucial for BJP, which needs to win at least six seats to remain in a majority.
The Chief Minister had won the July 29 confidence motion after the effective strength of the 225-member assembly (including the Speaker, who has a casting vote) came down to 208 and the majority mark to 105, equivalent of BJP's current strength, following the disqualifications.
The assembly will still have two vacant seats, where bypolls were not due to pending litigations in high court.
Currently BJP has 105 MLAs (including an independent), the Congress 66 and the JD(S) 34. Besides, there is one BSP member, a nominated MLA and the Speaker.
Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa said the party would win at least 13 of the 15 seats, while the opposition Congress and JD(S) would have to be content with just one each.
We will win at least 13 seats. The Congress and JD(S) may win one seat each. Our party will carry out overall development of the state in the next three-and-half years, Yediyurappa told reporters here.
The Chief Minister said he was optimistic that the Congress and JD(S) would cooperate in helping him run a smooth administration.
"After the government completes its term, BJP will win at least 150 seats in the next assembly elections and come to power again, while Congress will continue to remain in the opposition, he said.
The bypolls were held to fill the vacancies caused by disqualification of 17 rebel Congress and JD(S) MLAs, whose revolt led to the collapse of the H D Kumaraswamy led coalition government in July and paved the way for BJP to come to power.
BJP had fielded 13 of the 16 disqualified legislators, who joined the party after the Supreme Court allowed them to contest the bypolls, as its candidates from their constituencies from where they had won the 2018 assembly elections on Congress and JD(S) tickets.
Among 15 constituencies which went to the bypolls, 12 are held by Congress and three by JD(S).
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Delhi Police: No case filed against individual who called Mohd Zubair 'Jihadi' in tweet, High Court
New Delhi: In response to a plea filed by Mohammed Zubair regarding an allegedly offensive tweet in 2020, the Delhi Police informed the Delhi High Court that no case has been registered against the individual who referred to Zubair as a "jihadi."
The tweet in question was posted by Jagdish Singh, who accused Zubair of cyber sexual harassment of his granddaughter. However, the police found no incriminating evidence against Singh, stating that his comment, "Once a jihadi is always jihadi," did not cause fear or alarm to the public.
Zubair's plea stems from a tweet he made, questioning a user's appropriateness in using derogatory language online while displaying a profile picture with his granddaughter. Zubair's tweet, which blurred the minor's face, prompted an FIR against him under various acts including the POCSO Act and the Information Technology Act.
The status report has been filed in Zubair's plea against the FIR under POCSO Act — he has already been given a clean chit in the case.
“Thus, the captioned tweet by the complainant Mr. Jagdish Singh and his examination in this regard has revealed that the captioned tweet on 18.04.2020 does not cause fear or alarm to the public or any section of the public whereby any person may be induced to commit an offence against any state or against public tranquility,” the Delhi Police has said.
The status report added: “That in view of above, no case has been registered in relation to the captioned tweet against the complainant i.e. Mr. Jagdish Singh.”
The Delhi Police filed the response after it was pulled up by the court last year over no action taken against the man.
The case pertains to a tweet posted by Zubair, sharing the profile picture of a user and asking if it was appropriate for him to use derogatory language in replies while using a profile picture with his granddaughter in it. Zubair in his tweet had blurred the face of the minor girl. U
"Hello XXX. Does your cute grand daughter know about your part time job of abusing people on social media? I suggest you to change your profile pic," Zubair had said in the tweet.
In the FIR lodged in Delhi, offences under the POCSO Act, Section 509B of IPC, Sections 67 and 67A of the Information Technology Act were invoked against Zubair.
However, the Delhi Police found no criminality in Zubair's tweet and granted him interim protection from arrest in September 2020. The court directed the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Cyber Cell to provide a status report on the investigation, while also instructing Twitter India to expedite the request filed by the Cyber Cell.
