Jammu (PTI): The BJP is scared of defeat after formation of the opposition INDIA alliance and has now indulged in diversionary tactics over the name of the country, AICC in-charge of Jammu and Kashmir affairs Rajni Patil said on Thursday.
Referring to the controversy over invitations for a G20 dinner sent out by President Droupadi Murmu describing her position as 'President of Bharat' instead of the customary 'President of India',
the Congress leader said that India and Bharat are the same thing and this is very much clear from the first page of the Constitution of India.
"India and Bharat are one and the same thing. If you open the first page of the Constitution, it is written very clearly: 'India that is Bharat'. It is diversionary tactics of BJP," Patil told reporters here during a 'padyatra' to mark the first anniversary of Bharat Jodo Yatra.
She said that BJP is under utter frustration after the formation of 26-member opposition INDIA bloc and has been increasingly engaged in its diversionary and divisive tactics, instead of dealing with the economic and social challenges.
"The BJP is scared of defeat after the INDIA alliance was formed," Patil said.
"The BJP now feels that it will get defeated by the INDIA alliance, and that is why they are frustrated," Patil said.
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Nashik (PTI): Police took custody of self-proclaimed godman-cum-astrologer Ashok Kharat in an eighth case related to sexual exploitation of women and produced him before a Nashik district court which sent him to jail till May 12 after rejecting the plea for his police remand on Thursday.
On April 29, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Nashik police in north Maharashtra filed a request application in the court demanding Kharat's custody in the eighth case.
After the court granted them the necessary permission, the SIT took custody of Kharat, who was in jail in connection with the seventh case of sexual exploitation registered against him.
The 'godman', named in a dozen FIRs related to rape and financial fraud, was produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate B N Ichpurani in the eighth case through video conferencing due to security reasons.
The eighth case related to Kharat allegedly sexually exploiting a woman who had approached him in search of solutions to her family problems, according to police.
During the hearing, the prosecution demanded police custody of the accused in the latest case.
However, the defence strongly opposed the demand and argued that the SIT was giving same reasons for police custody every time and there was no strong reason for accepting their plea.
The court accepted the argument put forth by the defence and remanded Kharat to judicial custody till May 12 in the eighth case.
The SIT will produce Kharat in the court on Friday again and seek his police custody in the ninth case. As the self-styled godman has been granted judicial custody in the eighth case, he will be sent to Nashik Road Central Jail and the SIT will take his custody from there.
Meanwhile, Kharat's judicial custody in the fourth case ended on Thursday. On April 18, the accused was remanded to judicial custody till April 30 in the fourth case of sexual exploitation of women.
In a related development, the SIT conducted a search at Kharat's office in the 'Canada Corner' area of Nashik city on Wednesday. A 'panchnama' (record of search and seizure proceedings) was conducted and the office was locked and sealed again.
Kharat, a well-heeled man with political connections, was arrested for the first time on March 18 after a woman alleged he had repeatedly raped her for three years.
He is accused of sexually exploiting several women by claiming to have divine powers and knowledge of black magic, and also committing large-scale financial fraud.
The SIT is conducting a probe into 12 cases of sexual exploitation and financial fraud registered against the astrologer in Nashik and Ahilyanagar districts.
