Would have expelled Vijay Shah for life had he been in my party: Chirag over remarks on Col Qureshi
Patna(PTI): Deploring Madhya Pradesh minister Vijay Shah's remarks about Colonel Sofiya Qureshi, Union Minister Chirag Paswan on Monday asserted that had the BJP leader been in his party, "he would have been expelled for life".
The Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) president, who is on a tour of his home state Bihar, was replying to questions from journalists who sought his views about the episode.
"We are proud of our Army personnel. Anybody who equates them with terrorists deserves condemnation. Had such a person been in my party, he would have been expelled for life," the Hajipur MP said.
Notably, Chirag's Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) is an ally of the BJP.
Shah has stoked controversy by calling Colonel Sofiya Qureishi, who had briefed the media about Operation Sindoor, the "sister of terrorists".
While the BJP is yet to take any action against Shah, who has since been claiming it was a "slip of the tongue", the Madhya Pradesh minister has since drawn flak from NDA partners as well as opponents.
A grim view has also been taken of the remarks by the Supreme Court. The apex court said the "entire nation has been shamed" by Shah's utterances, in addition to ordering that the FIR lodged in this connection be probed by a three-member special investigation team.
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UP court rejects plea seeking Rahul Gandhi's voice sample in defamation case
Sultanpur (UP) (PTI): A local MP/MLA court on Saturday rejected a plea seeking a voice sample of Rae Bareli MP Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case filed by a BJP functionary against the Congress leader, and posted the matter for next hearing on May 11.
The plea, filed by BJP leader Vijay Mishra through his counsel Santosh Kumar Pandey, had sought Gandhi's voice sample for a forensic test to compare it with an audio clip.
After the petition was dismissed, Pandey said they would file a revision plea before the sessions court against the order.
The court rejected the plea after hearing the arguments of both sides, including Gandhi's counsel Kashi Prasad Shukla.
The matter dates back to 2018 when Mishra, a local BJP leader, filed a defamation suit over Gandhi’s alleged objectionable remarks targeting Amit Shah while campaigning for the Karnataka Assembly elections.
After five years of legal proceedings, the court issued a warrant against Gandhi in December 2023.
The Rae Bareli MP surrendered before the court in February 2024, and was granted bail on two sureties of Rs 25,000 each by a special magistrate.
On July 26 last year, the Congress leader recorded his statement before the court, claiming innocence and calling the case a political conspiracy.
Earlier this year, multiple hearings were postponed due to a strike by lawyers and the ill-health of Gandhi’s counsel.
