Police register case against groom over "Make Modi PM" quote in wedding invitation
Uppinangady: A controversy has erupted as Uppinangady police registered a case against a groom for including a quote advocating for Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his wedding invitation. The complaint was filed by officials of the Election Code of Conduct Enforcement Monitoring Team.
The wedding of Sivaprasad alias Ravi from Alanthaya village, Kadaba taluk, and Pramila, daughter of Kolombe Babu Gowda from Haleneranki village, Kadaba taluk, took place on April 18 at Golitottu Siddhi Vinayaka Kala Mandir. The invitation letter, printed on March 1, contained the contentious quote: "This time again, making Narendra Modi the Prime Minister is the gift to the bride and groom. Because our future India must be secure."
Upon learning of this, officials from the Election Code of Conduct Enforcement Monitoring Team visited the groom's house on April 14 for an inquiry. Sivaprasad stated that he had printed 800 invitation letters on March 1, with all but ten already distributed. He further said that the printing and distributing of the invitation took place efore the Election Code of Conduct came into force and hence he iudid not violate any regulations. He clarified that the statement was made out of admiration for Prime Minister Modi and concern for the nation, with no intent to breach the law. Consequently, he provided a written statement requesting no legal action be taken.
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However, following the wedding on April 18 and the subsequent election on April 26, the officials lodged a complaint with the police department, leading to the registration of a case by the Uppinangady police. The owners of the company responsible for printing the invitation letter were summoned for interrogation.
When questioned by the media, Sivaprasad expressed confidence over the case, asserting that expressing patriotism and advocating for a capable leader like Narendra Modi should not constitute a crime. He indicated that neither he nor his wife felt guilty and speculated about the motivations behind the complaint.
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West Bengal: BJP holds protest against Sandeshkhali videos, TMC worker 'heckled'
Sandeshkhali (WB), May 12: BJP workers on Sunday demonstrated against the circulation of purported videos "to malign the image" of saffron party leaders in West Bengal's Sandeshkhali, and allegedly heckled the local TMC legislator for spreading "misinformation" over complaints of sexual abuse, lodged by women in the area.
They also beat up a local TMC activist in Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district for allegedly being involved in "disseminating false information about atrocities on women" in the area.
Led by BJP's Basirhat Lok Sabha constituency candidate Rekha Patra, the protestors demonstrated in front of Sandeshkhali Police station, also demanding the release of a party activist arrested in a "false dacoity" case.
Patra accused police of "slapping trumped-up charges on BJP activists" in Sandeshkhali, while "turning a blind eye to the filming and circulation of fake videos" implicating her party leaders and women in the area.
A section of women protestors allegedly dragged the local TMC activist from a house and beat him up in the presence of the party's Sandeshkhali MLA Sukumar Mahata who was there for campaigning, a leader of the ruling party claimed.
As Mahata tried to intervene he was allegedly shoved by the protestors, he said.
Mahata blamed Patra and her supporters for "orchestrating" the attack on the local TMC activist, stating that the "BJP's gameplan to defame Bengal is clear before the people of the state".
"The BJP broke all precedents and tried to disrupt our campaign but we did not retaliate," he said.
A team of police personnel rushed to the spot and managed to rescue the TMC activist.
The riverine Sandeshkhali area — situated on the borders of the Sundarbans, about 100 kilometres from Kolkata — had been on the boil in February with protests over allegations of sexual abuse and land grab against now arrested TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters.
In a purported video that surfaced from Sandeshkhali on Saturday night, a local BJP leader was heard saying that over 70 women had received Rs 2,000 each for taking part in protests against local TMC satrap Sheikh and his aides who were accused of sexual assault and land grab.
In the video, lasting over 45 minutes, a man resembling BJP's Sandeshkhali mandal president Gangadhar Kayal told this to the questioner.
It was Kayal who had earlier said in another purported clip, the first in a series in the past week, that the rape allegations were “staged”.
PTI did not independently verify the authenticity of the videos.
One of the women, who demonstrated outside the police station, denied the allegation, and said, "Were we protesting in February for money? The TMC are making false claims".
Patra, the BJP candidate for the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat, alleged that a saffron party worker in the area was "arrested on a false dacoity charge but many TMC activists, allegedly involved in atrocities on women, are roaming around freely".
Branding the BJP as a "violent" party, TMC spokesperson and state minister Shashi Panja said, "TMC poll campaigners are being attacked by BJP candidate from Basirhat, Rekha Patra, and her followers in Sandeshkhali after the conspiracy hatched by the BJP has come to light."
The incident of attack on the TMC activist and the party MLA took place on the day of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to West Bengal and "possibly under his instruction", the state minister alleged.
BJP candidate for Baranagar assembly bypoll and party's spokesperson Sajal Ghosh said the incident reflected the simmering anger of people of Sandeshkhali against TMC.
"The assault on the TMC activist and manhandling of the local MLA is just a pointer. More such incidents may follow if the TMC does not stop bringing disgrace to the mothers and sisters of Sandeshkhali by releasing such fake videos," he said.
TMC's "diabolical gameplan" to deflect attention from the atrocities on women by its leaders in the area will backfire, Ghosh told reporters.
Patra, before being fielded by BJP, was at the forefront of the series of agitation by women in Sandeshkhali in February and March.
