New Delhi(PTI): Amid unrest in the ruling Shiv Sena in Maharashtra, the Congress on Tuesday deputed its senior leader and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath as AICC observer in the state.
The decision came soon after reports that some Shiv Sena MLAs led by dissident leader Eknath Shinde are camping in Gujarat and could pose a threat to the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government.
"The Congress president has deputed Kamal Nath as All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer in the wake of recent political developments in the state, with immediate effect," said an official communication from the Congress.
The Congress shares power with the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and Shiv Sena in the MVA government in Maharashtra.
Senior Shiv Sena leader and minister Shinde has gone incommunicado, a party leader said, a day after the MVA suffered a setback in the state Legislative Council polls by losing one out of the six seats it contested.
The development could rattle the MVA as some Sena MLAs are believed to be in touch with Shinde.
However, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut asserted that the "Sena is a party of loyalists and attempts by the BJP, like in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, to topple the MVA government would not succeed".
He also said Shinde was a "trusted Shiv Sainik", and that the "missing" MLAs will be back after the party is able to reach out to them.
Earlier in the day, a Sena leader said Shinde, who wields influence in some of the satellite cities of Mumbai, may be in Gujarat along with some MLAs. The leader did not divulge the number of MLAs who could be with Shinde and their details.
NCP leader Sharad Pawar said he was confident that Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray would be able to handle the situation and the MVA government would last its full five-year term.
Pawar would be meeting Thackeray later in the day as he would leave for Mumbai soon after the Opposition meet on the joint presidential candidate.
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New Delhi, Feb 20 (PTI): The Delhi High Court has refused to quash an FIR against AAP MP Swati Maliwal for allegedly disclosing the identity of a 14-year-old rape victim who succumbed to injuries.
Justice Neena Bansal Krishna said Maliwal's claim that she was protected from prosecution as her actions were in good faith would have to be proved at an appropriate stage and there was no ground for closing the proceedings in the present plea.
Delhi Police registered the FIR against Maliwal in 2016 when she was the chairperson of Delhi Commission for Women, and said there was a blatant violation of provisions of Juvenile Justice Act, which protect the identity of a minor victim of sexual offence.
"Prima facie, offence under Section 74 read with Section 86 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 is clearly disclosed. Insofar as the petitioner's claim that she has protection under Section 100 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2015 for her actions done in good faith is concerned, it is her defence which is required to be proved in accordance with law at the appropriate stage," the court said on February 13.
The judge added, "Therefore, there is no ground for quashing of the FIR and the proceedings..."
Maliwal sought a court-monitored probe in the matter, saying despite the minor's death, the police did not invoke the murder charge in the FIR.
The court said the prayer was infructuous as a chargesheet was filed in the two cases in relation to the incident and the cases were pending trial.
It is now for the trial court to consider them and no fruitful purpose would be served by referring further investigation to an SIT, the court said.
The minor girl succumbed to her injuries on July 23, 2016 in a hospital after being sexually assaulted by her neighbour who allegedly forced a corrosive substance down her throat and damaged her internal organs.
The police said Maliwal circulated a notice she had sent to the area deputy commissioner of police, in which she sought to know about the investigation in the rape case.
The notice, which was given to the print and electronic media, reportedly named victim.
The FIR alleged that the notice was "intentionally circulated" on various WhatsApp groups and shown by TV channels.
On account of the presence of the consent of the victim's parents to disclose her name, Section 228A (Prohibition on disclosure of identity of the victim) of the IPC was dropped and Section 74 of the Juvenile Justice Act was added in the case.