Defamation case against Rahul Gandhi in UP court: Hearing postponed to October 1
Sultanpur (UP), Sep 21: The hearing in a defamation case against Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi in a MP-MLA court in this Uttar Pradesh district was postponed on Saturday due to a health camp organised by the bar council.
The matter will now be heard on October 1.
Plaintiff Vijay Mishra's lawyer Santosh Kumar Pandey said his client's statement was to be recorded on Saturday, but due to the health camp organised by the Bar Association on the civil court premises, the lawyers were busy in it and no court work could be done. "The court has postponed the matter to October 1," he said.
Gandhi has been accused of making objectionable comments during the 2018 Karnataka polls about Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was the BJP president then.
Mishra, a local Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) politician, filed a complaint against Gandhi in August 2018. Since then, the matter has been going on in the court.
Gandhi surrendered before the court during the "Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra" on February 20 and was granted bail on personal surety bonds of Rs 25,000 each.
Subsequently, the court issued several notices to the Congress leader to record his statement, but he was unable to appear before it due to the Lok Sabha polls.
Gandhi finally appeared before the MP-MLA court on July 26, got his statement recorded and said the case was filed to gain "cheap publicity".
The former Congress chief, who appeared before Special Judge Shubham Verma, said he never gave a statement against anyone that could lead to a case of defamation, his lawyer Kashi Prasad Shukla had told reporters.
The matter was posted for further proceedings on August 12 but was deferred as the judge was on leave.
On the next two dates on August 23 and September 5, the hearing did not take place as the plaintiff could not appear in the court due to ill health.
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.
Bengaluru: A recent study commissioned by the Karnataka government has revealed that 28% of the state's 328.55-km coastline is experiencing high levels of erosion. The report, submitted by the National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management to the Environment Department, shows that the length of eroding stretches has more than doubled, from 43.7 km in 1990 to 91.6 km in 2024.
Titled Shoreline Management Plan Along Karnataka Coast, the report highlights the impact of increased sediment barriers and upstream activities on coastal erosion. It also calls for the adoption of nature-based solutions to counter the effects of climate change and human activities.
District-wise findings
The coastline of Uttara Kannada, Udupi, and Dakshina Kannada spans 328.55 km, with varying levels of erosion across the districts:
Uttara Kannada: Although 28% of its 193-km coastline is eroded, the district accounts for 39% of the state’s total erosion due to increased coastal development.
Udupi: Despite 43% of the coastline being protected by seawalls, 38% remains affected by erosion, contributing to 32% of Karnataka's overall erosion.
Dakshina Kannada: The district’s 37-km coastline faces “critical” erosion, with 39% of its stretches severely impacted, including areas such as Uchil and Batapady.
The report warns that coastal erosion threatens habitations, estuarine environments, mangroves, mudflats, and fish landing areas.
Recommendations
Identifying 44 critical erosion zones, the report suggests:
1. Beach nourishment through sand replenishment.
2. Rehabilitation of sand dunes and bioshields.
3. Mangrove afforestation to stabilise coastlines and support fisheries.
The findings will inform the Karnataka-Strengthening Coastal Resilience and the Economy (K-SHORE) project, which prioritises nature-based solutions over hard approaches like seawalls. R Gokul, Additional Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, stated that the Rs 840-crore project will focus on mangrove planting, beach nourishment, and tackling plastic pollution. These measures aim to protect the coastline and boost the blue economy.
The report will also guide the Karnataka State Coastal Zone Management Authority in reviewing coastal development proposals.
