Centre ‘attempting to silence’ Rahul Gandhi: Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday accused the central government of "attempting to silence" the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, saying it strikes at the heart of India’s democracy.
He was referring to Rahul Gandhi being disallowed from quoting an article that cited an unpublished memoir of former Army chief M M Naravane on the 2020 India-China conflict in the Lok Sabha.
"The Modi government’s repeated attempts to silence the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament are deeply troubling and strike at the heart of India’s democracy," Siddaramaiah said in a post on 'X'.
Stating that Rahul Gandhi raised legitimate questions on national security based on excerpts from 'Four Stars of Destiny', the book authored by Naravane, he said the book, originally slated for release in 2024, remains unpublished because it is "being withheld" by the Government of India.
"The excerpts were quoted in a recent article by The Caravan magazine. Importantly, General Naravane has not denied the contents attributed to him. On the contrary, he has publicly acknowledged that his book is awaiting government clearance," he said.
"If these statements were inaccurate or misleading, the government could have issued a clear denial. Its decision instead to withhold the book and silence discussion only deepens the suspicion that uncomfortable truths are being suppressed," Siddaramaiah added.
He said that the book indicates that during the critical phase of the 2020 China border standoff, the Modi government "failed" to take clear and decisive strategic calls, leaving the armed forces to manage a complex political crisis within broader constraints.
"This points not to any failure of the Army, but to a lack of strong political leadership at the highest level under Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Defence Minister Rajnath Singh," he added.
"Such issues deserve serious discussion in Parliament. Rahul Gandhi did what a responsible Leader of the Opposition is duty-bound to do—ask questions on behalf of the people. He did not speak against the nation or the armed forces," Siddaramaiah said.
"Yet, instead of answering, the government stalled Parliament for two consecutive days, suspended eight opposition MPs, and, in an unprecedented act, prevented the Leader of the Opposition from speaking on the president’s address," he added.
The chief minister said that in any responsible democracy, "such grave revelations" would have led to accountability and serious political consequences at the highest level.
"Instead, this government has chosen suppression and intimidation," he alleged.
"If the Modi government has nothing to hide, why silence debate? And if India’s national interest was fully safeguarded, why fear scrutiny in Parliament?" he asked.
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Teacher gets 3-yr imprisonment for slapping student, causing hearing loss
Gandhinagar (PTI): A court here has sentenced a school teacher to more than three years in prison for slapping a Class 9 student for unfinished homework, an act that ruptured her left eardrum and caused hearing impairment.
Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Himanshu Choudhary, in the judgment on January 30, held the offence involved abuse of authority by a teacher, which caused a serious injury to the 14-year-old girl, and resulted in "longstanding hearing impairment" as well as resultant long-term medical consequences.
Even after four-and-a-half years of the incident, the victim was still undergoing medication for the injury suffered, the court noted.
It convicted the teacher, Parulben Patel, under section 325 of the Indian Penal Code and section 75 of the Juvenile Justice Act, for assaulting the child and voluntarily causing grievous hurt, and sentenced her to three years and three months in prison.
The court also imposed a fine of Rs 50,000 on her and directed that the amount be paid as compensation to the victim.
As per the prosecution, the incident occurred on January 1, 2020, at Baa Shri Vasantkuvarba School, a private institution, in Gandhinagar.
The accused, enraged over the student not doing her homework, slapped her thrice on her left ear. As a result, the student suffered a perforation of the left eardrum, causing her grievous hurt.
Based on a complaint by the girl's family, the Sector-21 police registered an FIR against the teacher two days after the incident.
In her defence, the teacher had submitted before the court that the student was not doing her homework and acting on her whims. When her parents were told about the same, they filed a false case against her, she claimed.
The court took into account the testimony of the medical witnesses and the history narrated before the treating doctor, corroborating the charges levelled against the accused.
The teacher's lawyer sought leniency in the sentence, given the fact that she was suffering from cancer.
The court observed that the offence involved abuse of authority by a teacher, serious physical injury to a minor child, and long-term medical consequences.
"Such factors outweigh mitigating circumstances. Grant of probation would defeat the object of deterrence and child protection. Moreover, no documentary evidence in support of the cancer ailment has been brought on record," it stated.
