FIR against TMC MP Moitra for 'objectionable' remarks against Shah
Raipur: A first information report (FIR) has been registered against Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra in Chhattisgarh's Raipur for her alleged "objectionable" remarks against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, police said on Sunday.
Based on a complaint lodged by a local resident, a case was registered against Moitra at the Mana police station on Saturday under sections 196 (promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc) and 197 (imputations, assertions prejudicial to national integration) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), an official said.
Moitra sparked a controversy after allegedly saying that if Amit Shah fails to stop infiltration from Bangladesh, "the first thing you should do is cut Amit Shah's head and put it on your table".
She allegedly made the statement while speaking to reporters in West Bengal's Nadia district on the sidelines of an event on Thursday.
PTI, however, couldn't independently verify the authenticity of the video.
The TMC MP alleged that the Union government was shirking its responsibilities on border security.
The police official said that the complainant, Gopal Samanto, alleged that Moitra's remarks were objectionable and unconstitutional.
The complaint also stated that a large number of Bangladeshi refugees were settled in the Mana Camp area in Raipur in 1971, and Moitra's statement has created fear among them, as such remarks may provoke anger from other communities against them, the official said.
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.
Odisha: Normalcy returns to violence-hit Malkangiri; internet services fully restored
Malkangiri (PTI): Normalcy returned to Odisha’s Malkangiri district on Monday, nearly a week after around 200 villages were damaged in violent clashes in a village, with the district administration fully restoring internet services, a senior official said.
Additional District Magistrate Bedabar Pradhan said internet services, suspended across the district on December 8 to curb the spread of rumours and misinformation following the clashes, were restored after the situation improved.
The suspension had been extended in phases till 12 noon on Monday.
The administration also withdrew prohibitory orders imposed under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita within a 10-km radius of MV-26 village, where arson incidents were reported on December 7 and December 8.
Though the violence was confined to two villages, tension had gripped the entire district, as the incident took the form of a clash between local tribals and Bengali settlers following the recovery of a headless body of a woman on December 4, officials said.
ALSO READ: Why remove Mahatma Gandhi's name, asks Priyanka on move to replace MGNREGA
The violence broke out after residents of Rakhelguda village allegedly set ablaze several houses belonging to Bengali residents, forcing hundreds to flee. The headless body of Lake Podiami (51), a woman from the Koya tribe, was recovered from the banks of the Poteru river on December 4, while her head was found six days later at a location about 15 km away.
Officials said the district administration held several rounds of discussions with representatives of the tribal and Bengali communities, following which both sides agreed to maintain peace.
Relief and rehabilitation work has since been launched at MV-26 village, with preliminary assessment pegging property damage at around Rs 3.8 crore.
A two-member ministerial team headed by Deputy Chief Minister K V Singh Deo visited the affected village, interacted with officials and locals, and submitted a report to the chief minister.
So far, 18 people have been arrested in connection with the violence, the officials said, adding that despite the withdrawal of prohibitory orders and restoration of internet services, security forces, including BSF and CRPF personnel, continue to be deployed to prevent any untoward incident.
On Sunday, Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi visited MV-26 and neighbouring Rakhelguda villages, and held discussions with members of both communities as part of efforts to rebuild confidence and restore peace.
More than two lakh Bengali-speaking Bangladeshis were rehabilitated by the Centre in Malkangiri and Nabarangpur districts in 1968, and they currently reside in 124 villages of Malkangiri.
