Cheating, forging case against BJP MP over caste certificate
Solapur: Days after a district-level committee declared the caste certificate of Solapur BJP MP Jaisiddeshwar Shivacharya Mahaswamiji as "invalid", a case of cheating and forgery was registered against the seer-turned- politician here in Maharashtra on Thursday, an official said.
On February 24, the district caste validity committee invalidated Swami's caste certificate and directed that a case be filed against the parliamentarian.
The Solapur Lok Sabha seat is reserved for Scheduled Caste (SC) candidates.
One Pramod Gaikwad had complained to the committee that Swami, in his affidavit submitted for the 2019 general elections, had falsely mentioned that he belonged to the 'beda jangam' community, which falls in the SC category.
Gaikwad had claimed Swami was actually a Hindu Lingayat and sought a detailed probe into his caste certificate.
The three-member committee, led by Dnyaneshwar Sul, after a detailed probe, had said Swami did not belong to the beda jangam community and declared his certificate as "invalid and forged".
The panel had directed district authorities to file a case against the 63-year-old spiritual leader in a magistrate court under provisions of the Caste Certificate Act, 2000, and relevant sections of the IPC.
"As per orders from the court, we have registered a case against Swamiji under IPC sections 420 (cheating) 467 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating ), 471 (using as genuine a forged document ) and relevant sections of the Caste Certificate Act, 2000," said a senior official from the Sadar Bazar police station here.
The complaint in this regard was registered in the court of judicial magistrate by Balasaheb Baban Shirsath, the officiating tehsildar of Akkalkot town in Solapur district.
He said besides Swami, officials from the revenue department in Akkalkot and Umraga in Osmanabad district were named in the complaint.
Swami had defeated Congress heavyweight and former Union minister Sushilkumar Shinde by over 1.5 lakh votes.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
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.
