Kanhaiya Kumar files nomination from Begusarai
Begusarai (Bihar), Apr 9: Former JNU students' union president leader Kanhaiya Kumar on Tuesday filed his nomination papers as the CPI candidate from Begusarai Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar.
Bollywood actress Swara Bhaskar, civil rights activist Teesta Setalvad, young Gujarat MLA and Dalit activist Jignesh Mevani, CPI national secretary Atul Anjan and fellow JNU student leader Shehla Rashid making her electoral debut in Jammu and Kashmir - were among those who arrived in this provincial town on the occasion.
Kumar is pitted against Union minister and BJP leader Giriraj Singh.
Before leaving his house in his native village of Bihat, Kumar shared pictures on social media of himself seeking the blessings of his mother Meena Devi an Anganwadi worker besides Fatima Nafis a resident of Badaun district in Uttar Pradesh whose son Najeeb Ahmed studied at JNU and went missing more than two years ago after allegedly picking up a fight with activists of the pro-RSS ABVP.
En route to the collectorate where he reached in a massive procession, Kumar also garlanded and paid tributes to renowned Hindi poet Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, who hailed from Begusarai district, and posted on Facebook a couple of stanzas by the bard which imply until the disparity between man and man is not eradicated, the noise shall not cease, the struggle shall not lose intensity.
After filing his nomination papers, Kumar reached the venue of a rally where aforementioned dignitaries were also present amid chants of "leke rahenge azadi" (we shall achieve freedom) the slogan that became famous in the wake of the sedition case that was slapped on him in December, 2016.
Before addressing the rally, he told journalists who had gathered on the occasion "my fight is not against a particular individual but against an ideology that seeks to do away with the Constitution."
"My fight is against those who conspire to get the people dissipated in bogus polemics so that real issues of bread and butter, health and education and social justice could be pushed to the backburner. Giriraj Singh symbolizes such forces," Kumar added.
Kumar, who was then the JNUSU president, was booked for sedition following complaints that at a gathering organized inside the varsity premises in protest against the capital punishment awarded to Parliament attack accused Afzal Guru, anti-India slogans were allegedly raised.
Kumar has been maintaining that he was innocent since although he was present at the spot neither he was the organizer of the gathering nor did he shout any such slogans.
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Bengaluru: Police seize fake watches worth Rs 25 Lakh, five arrested
Bengaluru (PTI): Police on Tuesday said they seized counterfeit watches and spare parts of leading brands worth around Rs 25 lakh that were being sold as genuine.
The operation was carried out by the Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of the Central Crime Branch (CCB), during which five persons were arrested.
“Five shops were raided where fake watches and spare parts of prominent brands were being sold as genuine. A total of 670 watches and spare parts of 414 watches were seized. The value is about Rs 25 lakh,” police said in a release.
The action followed a complaint filed by an authorised representative of one of the brands with the CCB’s Economic Offences Wing.
According to the complaint, counterfeit watches and spare parts of reputed companies were being sold as genuine in five shops located in Chickpet, Sultanpalya Main Road, Ganganagar and Dinnur Main Road in the city.
Police said raids were conducted on March 18 and 20, during which the watches and spare parts were seized.
Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayananda said efforts are underway to trace the source of manufacture of the counterfeit products.
“Those involved in manufacturing will also be identified, raided and arrested,” he added.
