'Sad letter day' in India's history: Congress on SC's Loya verdict
New Delhi, April 19: Rejecting the "natural death" theory of judge B.H. Loya based on which the Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking a SIT probe, the Congress said it is "sad letter day" in India's history and reiterated its demand for a "fair" investigation.
"Today is a 'Sad Letter Day' in India's history. Congress is committed to people's demand for a fair investigation in the matter surrounding Judge Loya's death," said Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala.
The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed petitions seeking a SIT probe into the death of Judge Loya who was earlier holding trial in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh staged shootout case, holding he had a natural death.
Surjewala maintained that not even judiciary can decide whether a death is natural or not without an investigation, while targeting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, saying it was afraid of getting an investigation done.
He said Judge Loya's "suspicious death" at a Nagpur guesthouse in November 2014 had anguished many for he was trying a case where one of the accused was (now) BJP President Amit Shah, and the apex court's verdict left many questions unanswered for all those seeking fair investigation and justice.
After Loya's death, Amit Shah was discharged and CBI refused to file an appeal against it, he said.
Listing the chain of events leading to Judge Loya's "mysterious death" and all the apprehensions expressed by members of his family, judges, jurists, the bar, media and people at large hinting at a conspiracy, Surjewala also noted that the matter was even raised by the four seniormost judges of the Supreme Court in their unprecedented press conference.
He questioned the rationale behind using statements of some judges in an administrative enquiry before a police officer as the sole yardstick for arriving at a conclusion, particularly when suspicion was being raised by forensic evidence, witnesses, as well as withdrawal of the judge's security, the lack of his travel records and no entry in the guesthouse's register - while 15 different employees at the Nagpur guesthouse did not even recall that Judge Loya even came there.
Surjewala also said that even Loya's family had publicly stated that clothes on his body were blood-stained.
He also noted two associates of Judge Loya who were allegedly informed about the pressure being mounted on him to let off the accused also died under suspicious circumstances in 2015 and 2016, but no case had been filed or investigation done, while a third narrowly escaped.
Surjewala also said BJP's attempts to make false political capital out of Supreme Court judgment must be condemned, as the Congress was not a petitioner. "For a vile BJP to misinterpret SC's judgement to attack the Congress reflects their jitteriness and frustration," he said.
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Sharad Pawar hints he may not seek another term as MP
Pune, Nov 5: Hinting at retirement from parliamentary politics, NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said he will have to think about whether he should seek another Rajya Sabha term after his current tenure ends in 2026.
Speaking at a campaign rally for grand-nephew Yugendra Pawar at Supa in Baramati assembly constituency in the district, the 83-year-old leader said he has to stop at some point and make way for the new leadership.
He has won 14 elections during his political career, noted the veteran leader who first entered the Maharashtra assembly in 1967 and was made a minister in the state government five years later.
"With your support, I first went to the state assembly. I became a minister of state and (then) cabinet minister. I became chief minister four times. I worked as defence minister at the Centre. Later I worked as agriculture minister for ten years, and today I am in the Rajya Sabha," said Pawar.
Some years ago, he decided not to contest Lok Sabha elections as he wanted to give the responsibility to a new leadership, he said.
"I decided that I will not be involved in the local politics here and gave all the responsibilities to Ajit dada (nephew Ajit Pawar). For the last 25-30 years, he had all the responsibilities. For the first 30 years, I was there, later Ajit dada was there for another 25 to 30 years and now there is a need to make arrangements for a new leadership," he said.
The Nationalist Congress Party faction headed by Sharad Pawar has given ticket to Yugendra, who would be taking on his uncle and deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Baramati in the November 20 Maharashtra assembly elections. Ajit Pawar split the NCP in 2023 and joined hands with the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP alliance.
Listing his accomplishments, Sharad Pawar said some development took place when he was holdings positions of power.
"I did a lot of things. I waived farm loans of Rs 70,000 crore, worked to increase the prices of agriculture produce, facilitated agriculture exports, gave women opportunities in the armed forces while working in the defence ministry," he said.
Women were given 50 percent representation in local bodies when he was Maharashtra chief minister, Pawar noted.
He blamed nephew Ajit, the incumbent Baramati MLA, for not paying attention to the issue of water scarcity in this western Maharashtra region.
"While I was the chief (minister) of the state, I gave approval to the Janai Shirsai (water lifting) project in Baramati. The responsibility to carry out the work was given to the next leadership (Ajit Pawar). Unfortunately, he did not complete the work," Sharad Pawar claimed.
New leadership was needed for completing these incomplete works, he added.
"I can only give one assurance. I am not in power. I am in the Rajya Sabha and I got one and a half years' term left. Afterwards, I will have to take the decision as to whether to go to the Rajya Sabha again. I will not contest Lok Sabha, nor will I contest any (other) election. I have contested 14 elections so far and every time, you have made me victorious, and that is why there is a need to stop somewhere. And that is why I have started working to bring in a new leadership," he said.
This, however, does not mean he will retire from the social sphere, Sharad Pawar said.
"I will not be in power, but will continue to work for the people, work for the drought-affected regions, the marginalised segments of society," he said.
Sharad Pawar contested and won his first assembly election from Baramati in 1967, and represented the constituency till 1991 when he was made defence minister in the P V Narasimha Rao government.
Pawar, who has won Lok Sabha elections seven times during different phases of his career, was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 2014. He is currently in his second term as a member of the Upper House of Parliament.
His daughter Supriya Sule is the Lok Sabha MP from Baramati since 2009.
Baramati saw a fight within the Pawar family for the first time in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections when Ajit Pawar's wife Sunetra Pawar contested against Sule. The assembly constituency would now witness a contest between Ajit and his nephew.
