Kharge, Siddaramaiah disapprove Cong party’s 'Gayab' post on social media
Bagalkote/Bengaluru, Apr 30 (PTI): Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday disapproved of his party’s social media pictorial 'X' post titled "Gayab" to portray Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a leader missing in action during a crisis. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah too expressed a similar view.
The Congress had put up a social media post with a headless figurine. The image posted on 'X' without naming Modi showed an old photo of him with his body missing, and his clothes forming the outline.
The image carried the message "Gayab" (missing) on top with a caption in Hindi that read "jimmedari ke samay -- Gayab" (missing at the time of taking responsibility).
When asked by reporters in Bengaluru whether the Congress had to face embarrassment because of its "Gayab" social media post against the prime minister, Kharge said, "I have not seen it, what can I say."
"But, any person, whoever it is, whether prime minister or any person or leader, no attempt should be made to cause any damage to their dignity or image. Whoever does it, whether they (BJP) do it or our people (Congress), it is not right," he said.
Asked about controversial statements being made by party leaders in the wake of the current situation in the country and his instructions to them, Kharge said, "We have already given (instructions). You are aware of it."
Meanwhile, speaking to reporters in Bagalkote, Siddaramaiah said one should know the limitations attached to freedom of expression.
"I don’t know who does it on social media. It should never be done – either of Narendra Modi or any other person. Just because we have freedom of expression and personal liberty, we cannot do whatever we want. We should not defame others," the CM said.
After the post was removed, BJP's social media head Amit Malviya said on 'X', "Deleting the post won't erase the truth. Your 'Sar Tan Se Juda' mindset stands exposed."
"You are unapologetic Islamists who wouldn't hesitate to target even Prime Minister Modi if it meant clawing back to power. But you never will. The Rahul Gandhi generation is destined for political irrelevance, while India moves forward without you, and far beyond your reach," Malviya said.
On the union government's measures post Pahalgam terror strike that killed 26 people, Siddaramaiah said, "If the war is inevitable, then let the Centre go for it. I don’t object to it, but terrorism should be completely wiped out. That’s what the Centre should do."
Clarifying his previous statement that war should not happen, he said that all that he meant was that the Centre should also ensure the security of people.
"I never said no to war. In 1971, Indira Gandhi waged a war and defeated Pakistan. More than 90,000 soldiers surrendered," he explained.
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CCPA issues notices to 13 e-commerce players for illegal sale of walkie talkies
New Delhi, May 9 (PTI): Government watchdog CCPA has issued notices to 13 e-commerce players like Amazon and Flipkart for illegal sale of walkie-talkie devices on their platforms, which could raise security concerns at a time of military conflict between India and Pakistan.
In an official statement on Friday, the government said the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued 13 notices to leading digital marketplaces against the illegal listing and sale of walkie-talkies on e-commerce platforms.
These platforms are: Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, OLX, TradeIndia, Facebook, Indiamart, VardaanMart, Jiomart, Krishnamart, Chimiya, Talk Pro Walie Talkie and MaskMan toys.
The crackdown focuses on the sale of walkie-talkies without proper frequency disclosure, licensing information, or Equipment Type Approval (ETA), constituting a violation of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
Earlier, Union Food and Consumer Minister Pralhad Joshi in a social media post said: "The sale of non-compliant wireless devices not only breaches statutory obligations but may also pose significant risks to national security operations."
These violations contravene multiple legal frameworks, including the Consumer Protection Act, Indian Telegraph Act, and Wireless Telegraphy Act, he said.
In its preliminary analysis, CCPA has found 467 listings of walkie-talkies on Amazon, 314 on Flipkart, 489 on Meesho, and 423 on TradeIndia, indicating the widespread scale of the issue.
The regulator has sought information regarding the name and contact details of each seller, product URLs and listing IDs of the walkie-talkie devices, details of frequency specifications and and the number of units sold per listing from January 2023 to date.
"The illegal sale of walkie-talkies is a matter of public safety concern. We have found an alarming volume of listings of these devices on e-commerce websites," CCPA Chief Commissioner Nidhi Khare told PTI.
The guidelines will be drafted soon in view of the rampant non-adherence to existing legal provisions by e-commerce entities, she said.
The minister said the CCPA will issue formal guidelines under Section 18(2)(l) of the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, aimed at strengthening compliance and consumer safeguards in digital marketplaces.
Sellers have been directed to adhere strictly to all applicable regulatory standards to uphold consumer rights and prevent unlawful trade practices, he added.
