Andaman BJP MP ‘threatens’ those who didn’t vote for him; later says remarks ‘misinterpreted’
Port Blair, Jun 21: A controversy erupted after a video of newly-elected BJP MP from Andaman and Nicobar Islands Bishnu Pada Ray's speech threatening those who didn't vote for him in the Lok Sabha polls became viral. Ray, however, claimed on Friday that his remarks were "misinterpreted".
During the speech, the MP said: "Logon ka kaam hoga, pura hoga, lekin jin logon ne humko vote nahin diya, unka kya hoga. Soch lena....(the people's work will be done...But those who didn't vote for us, what will happen to them, they should think)."
However, Ray clarified that he was pointing out the misrule and corruption in Nicobar during the previous Congress government.
Ray also claimed, “My statement was against a section of people who misguided my Nicobarese brothers and sisters during the election. That is why I had said – CBI ayega..jaroor ayega...soch lena bhaiya (CBI will come...It will surely come...you should think)”.
"It is unfortunate that my statement was misinterpreted and misunderstood. I pointed out the misrule and corruption in Nicobar district during the previous Congress government," he told PTI.
Asked about his alleged threat to the people belonging to the Nicobarese tribe, Ray said, “My speech was never against them. They are very innocent. I only warned those who worked for the previous Congress MP and were involved in corrupt practices. They influenced voters.”
Ray wrested the lone Lok Sabha seat in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands from the Congress in the recently concluded parliamentary elections.
He defeated Congress nominee Kuldeep Rai Sharma by a margin of around 24,000 votes.
The BJP MP also said that the Nicobarese elders headed by the tribal captain of Car Nicobar along with other tribal leaders met and congratulated him for winning the seat.
He added that he had accepted an invitation from the tribal captain to visit the island and assured them that he would work to resolve the issues of the tribal community.
“I am dedicated to serving the people of Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the current tenure. I am in the middle of preparing a 100-day roadmap for Andaman and Nicobar Islands,” the BJP MP added.
In a video - recorded on June 5, a day after the Lok Sabha poll results, but that came to the fore only recently - BJP MP Bishnu Pada Ray is addressing a public gathering in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands' union territory, threatening voters. @DeeptimanTY reports… pic.twitter.com/n0YfkvWC02
— The Indian Express (@IndianExpress) June 20, 2024
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Man arrested with Rs 2.54-crore heroin in Mumbai
Mumbai (PTI): Police have arrested a man and seized over 500 grams of heroin worth Rs 2.54 crore in the illicit market from him in Mumbai, officials said on Friday.
The police's Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) made the drug seizure in Santacruz in the western suburbs. The operation was conducted by the Kandivali unit of the ANC on Thursday as part of a special crackdown against drug trafficking in the area, they said.
Acting on specific inputs, an ANC team conducted a raid in Santacruz (East) and intercepted a man. During a search, the team recovered 508 grams of high-grade heroin from his possession, an official said.
The seized contraband, a highly addictive, opioid drug derived from morphine, is estimated to be worth Rs 2.54 crore in the international market, he informed.
Following the seizure, a case was registered against the man under relevant sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985, and he was formally placed under arrest in the early hours of Friday.
The police are currently investigating the source of the drug and trying to identify the intended recipients of the consignment, he said.
