Priyanka Gandhi slams BJP over 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas'; terms move 'negative politics'
New Delhi (PTI): In a scathing attack on the BJP, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday said it comes as no surprise that those who opposed the Constitution and called for its abolition would indulge in the "negative politics" of marking 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas'.
Her remarks came a day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced that the government has decided to observe June 25, the day Emergency was declared in 1975, as 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas' to commemorate the "massive contributions" of those who endured inhuman pains of the period.
Reacting to the development, Priyanka Gandhi said the great people of India have achieved Independence and their Constitution by fighting a historic battle.
"Those who made the Constitution, those who have faith in the Constitution, will only protect the Constitution," she said in a post in Hindi on 'X'.
"Those who opposed the implementation of the Constitution, formed a commission to review the Constitution, called for the abolition of the Constitution, repeatedly attacked the Constitution and the soul of democracy with their decisions and actions, they are indulging in the negative politics of marking 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas'. What is so surprising about this?" Gandhi said.
While the Congress has slammed the Centre's move as yet another "headline-grabbing exercise in hypocrisy" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the top leadership of the BJP defended the decision, saying it will remind people of the Congress' "dictatorial mindset".
In a counter to the 'Samvidhaan Hatya Diwas'(Day of Murder of Constitution) declaration, the main opposition party has said, "June 4 will go down in history as 'Modi Mukti Diwas'".
The Lok Sabha poll results, announced on June 4, saw the BJP with 240 seats falling short of the 272-majority mark. However, the party-led NDA secured the mandate for a third straight term with 293 seats.
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'Godman' Kharat held in 8th sexual exploitation case; court denies police remand, sends him to jail
Nashik (PTI): Police took custody of self-proclaimed godman-cum-astrologer Ashok Kharat in an eighth case related to sexual exploitation of women and produced him before a Nashik district court which sent him to jail till May 12 after rejecting the plea for his police remand on Thursday.
On April 29, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Nashik police in north Maharashtra filed a request application in the court demanding Kharat's custody in the eighth case.
After the court granted them the necessary permission, the SIT took custody of Kharat, who was in jail in connection with the seventh case of sexual exploitation registered against him.
The 'godman', named in a dozen FIRs related to rape and financial fraud, was produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate B N Ichpurani in the eighth case through video conferencing due to security reasons.
The eighth case related to Kharat allegedly sexually exploiting a woman who had approached him in search of solutions to her family problems, according to police.
During the hearing, the prosecution demanded police custody of the accused in the latest case.
However, the defence strongly opposed the demand and argued that the SIT was giving same reasons for police custody every time and there was no strong reason for accepting their plea.
The court accepted the argument put forth by the defence and remanded Kharat to judicial custody till May 12 in the eighth case.
The SIT will produce Kharat in the court on Friday again and seek his police custody in the ninth case. As the self-styled godman has been granted judicial custody in the eighth case, he will be sent to Nashik Road Central Jail and the SIT will take his custody from there.
Meanwhile, Kharat's judicial custody in the fourth case ended on Thursday. On April 18, the accused was remanded to judicial custody till April 30 in the fourth case of sexual exploitation of women.
In a related development, the SIT conducted a search at Kharat's office in the 'Canada Corner' area of Nashik city on Wednesday. A 'panchnama' (record of search and seizure proceedings) was conducted and the office was locked and sealed again.
Kharat, a well-heeled man with political connections, was arrested for the first time on March 18 after a woman alleged he had repeatedly raped her for three years.
He is accused of sexually exploiting several women by claiming to have divine powers and knowledge of black magic, and also committing large-scale financial fraud.
The SIT is conducting a probe into 12 cases of sexual exploitation and financial fraud registered against the astrologer in Nashik and Ahilyanagar districts.
