Former NC MLA prevented from boarding flight to Dubai
New Delhi: As many as 33 politicians of Jammu and Kashmir have been named in a list that bars them from traveling abroad, as a result of which former National Conference MLA Altaf Ahmed Wani was prevented from boarding a flight to Dubai, according to official sources on Friday.
They said that the names of former chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah, and Mehbooba Mufti are not in the list, which has mostly former legislators and former ministers from various political parties.
Wani, who was stopped on Thursday evening from boarding the flight to Dubai where he was to attend a family function, said, "Thanks to the authorities, I am left with no luggage as it took off with my family."
"I reached the international airport on Thursday afternoon. Upon reaching the immigration counter, I was escorted to a room on the pretext that there was some error in my passport," Wani, who represented Pahalgam assembly seat, told PTI here.
For nearly three hours, says Wani, there was no clarity as to why he was stopped.
"I convinced my family to go ahead while I requested the immigration officials to give me some clarity.
"After nearly three hours, my passport was handed over and I had to return to my accommodation in Delhi. Before that, I had to make some purchases because my luggage was checked in amid the confusion," he said, adding that he has been conveyed that he cannot travel till March 2021.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration had handed over a list of around 37 people post-August 5 last year when the special status of the erstwhile state was abrogated and it was converted into two union territories.
The list at that time contained names of political leaders from the National Conference, PDP, JK People's Conference including Ali Mohammed Sagar, Abdul Rahim Rather, Nayeem Akhtar, Sajjad Lone his brother Bilal Lone, Wani, Basharat Bukhari among others.
The list was initially valid for three months after which it was validated further after a review, the sources said.
It was, however, pruned and the number came down to 33 after some of the leaders, who formed the Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party including its chief Altaf Bukhari, were taken off from the lookout notice.
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UP court rejects plea seeking Rahul Gandhi's voice sample in defamation case
Sultanpur (UP) (PTI): A local MP/MLA court on Saturday rejected a plea seeking a voice sample of Rae Bareli MP Rahul Gandhi in a defamation case filed by a BJP functionary against the Congress leader, and posted the matter for next hearing on May 11.
The plea, filed by BJP leader Vijay Mishra through his counsel Santosh Kumar Pandey, had sought Gandhi's voice sample for a forensic test to compare it with an audio clip.
After the petition was dismissed, Pandey said they would file a revision plea before the sessions court against the order.
The court rejected the plea after hearing the arguments of both sides, including Gandhi's counsel Kashi Prasad Shukla.
The matter dates back to 2018 when Mishra, a local BJP leader, filed a defamation suit over Gandhi’s alleged objectionable remarks targeting Amit Shah while campaigning for the Karnataka Assembly elections.
After five years of legal proceedings, the court issued a warrant against Gandhi in December 2023.
The Rae Bareli MP surrendered before the court in February 2024, and was granted bail on two sureties of Rs 25,000 each by a special magistrate.
On July 26 last year, the Congress leader recorded his statement before the court, claiming innocence and calling the case a political conspiracy.
Earlier this year, multiple hearings were postponed due to a strike by lawyers and the ill-health of Gandhi’s counsel.
