3 more held for harassing Union minister Khadse's daughter, friends in Jalgaon
Mumbai (PTI): The Jalgaon police on Monday arrested two more men and detained a minor boy in connection with the harassment of Union minister Raksha Khadse's daughter and some of her friends, an official said.
With this, four persons have been apprehended so far in the case.
Seven persons have been named in the FIR, registered on the complaint of Khadse at Muktainagar police station in Maharashtra's Jalgaon district in connection with the incident that occurred at Sant Muktai Yatra in Kothali village there on February 28 night.
One person, Kiran Mali, was nabbed earlier, while the Jalgaon police arrested two more others - Aniket Bhoyi and Anuj Patil - and also apprehended a minor boy on Monday, the official from Muktainagar police station said.
Efforts were on to nab the other accused, he said.
The seven have been charged with stalking and other offences under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, while Information Technology Act provisions have been invoked since they tried to take pictures and videos of the girls without permission, according to police.
During the probe, the police found the accused allegedly misbehaved with several girls and even clashed with the bodyguards accompanying them.
A 17-year-old girl had made a complaint, and the bodyguards named the seven accused.
Talking to reporters on Sunday, BJP leader Khadse said, "I was in Gujarat, so my daughter called me to ask for permission to go. I asked her to take a guard and two to three staff members along. My daughter and her friends were followed and pushed, and their photos and videos were taken. When my staff objected, the boys resorted to unruly behaviour, and a mob of 30 to 40 people gathered."
Khadse said when she returned home on Sunday morning, her daughter told her that the same group had misbehaved with her on February 24 at a public event.
"It is unfortunate. If such things happen to an MP or Union minister's daughter, imagine what common people have to go through," she said.
Khadse said some locals in Muktainagar told her that this group harassed girls on their way to school.
"I have spoken to the chief minister and the deputy superintendent of police," she said.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday assured strict action in the case.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
