Sanjay Singh surrenders before UP court in Covid norm violation case, gets bail
Sultanpur (UP) (PTI): AAP Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh on Thursday surrendered before an MP-MLA court here in a case related to the violation of COVID-19 norms in 2021, and was granted bail.
His advocate Madan Pratap Singh said, "Sanjay Singh surrendered in the MP/MLA court here in compliance of bailable warrant issued by the court. The hearing was done before Special Magistrate Shubham Verma in the court. The court granted bail to Singh on a bond of Rs 20,000."
The court had issued the warrant against Singh after he failed to appear in several hearings.
An FIR was registered at the Bandhu Kala police station on April 13, 2021 in which it was alleged that Sanjay Singh held an election meeting at the Hasanpur village in favour of the AAP's district panchayat member Salma Begum, Special Public Prosecutor Vaibhav Pandey said.
Around 50 people attended the meeting that was held during the COVID-19 pandemic without taking permission from the local administration, Pandey said.
He said the public meeting was held in violation of the Epidemic Act and the Election Code of Conduct.
After an investigation, police filed a chargesheet against Sanjay Singh and others who attended the meeting including Maqsood Ansari, Salim Ansari, Jagdish Yadav, Maqsood, Sukai, Dharmaraj, Zeeshan, Shaban, Sikandar, Jalil and Ajay.
While the AAP leader did not appear in the court during previous hearings, other accused got bail in the case, Pandey said.
The next hearing in the case is fixed for July 15.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Right to vote under threat, must be made fundamental right: Cong's Jairam Ramesh
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleged on Thursday that the right to vote is under threat and the time has come when it should be made a fundamental right for citizens.
Speaking with reporters, Ramesh lashed out at Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, saying the Election Commission (EC) has never been as compromised as it has been under him.
"The rot started under his predecessor. This man is a player and not a neutral observer," the Congress leader said, slamming Kumar.
Kumar is completely compromised and has become a player in elections, he alleged.
"Home Minister Amit Shah had talked about three Ds -- detect, delete and deport. So we want to know how many non-Indian citizens have been detected, how many have been deleted and how many have been deported," Ramesh said, adding that the right to vote is now under threat.
On opposition parties submitting a fresh notice in the Rajya Sabha, seeking to move a motion for the CEC's removal, the Congress leader said they will continue to make efforts for Kumar's removal as he is "compromised".
Ramesh also batted for the right to vote to be recognised as a fundamental right.
"I believe that the time has come that the right to vote should be made a fundamental right. It is a statutory right, it is not a fundamental right. Fundamental rights are justiciable," he said.
The former Union minister said this was discussed in the Constituent Assembly, but it was eventually decided that it should be made part of the Constitution.
B R Ambedkar and Jagjivan Ram had warned that in the future, governments might try to disenfranchise voters, he added.
"Once and for all, include the right to vote as a fundamental right for Indian citizens," Ramesh asserted.
