Kerala Assembly witnesses protest over death threat remark against Rahul Gandhi, House adjourned
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Kerala Assembly was adjourned for the day on Tuesday following an intense protest by opposition members over the denial of permission to raise the alleged death threat remark by a BJP leader against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
The Congress-led UDF gave a notice for the adjournment motion demanding a discussion on the matter after halting other businesses.
However, Speaker A N Shamseer denied permission to KPCC chief Sunny Joseph, saying that the issue had no immediate relevance or significance to present as an adjournment motion.
He also said Joseph could raise the matter as the first submission instead of an adjournment motion.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan questioned the Speaker's statements and sought to know how the remarks of a BJP leader during a television debate that bullets would be fired at the Opposition Leader of Lok Sabha could be viewed as irrelevant.
He said the opposition registers strong protest against the Speaker's remarks that the "matter is not serious".
Satheesan further said a case was registered against the accused BJP leader only on Monday, days after he made the death threat during a debate in a Malayalam news channel.
"This government is trying to protect that person. We have strong objection to that," he said.
Intervening, the Speaker said he also respects Rahul Gandhi. "But, this particular matter has no relevance to be raised on the floor of the House," he reiterated, adding that remarks made by someone during a television debate could not be raised in the House.
Irked over his remarks, the UDF members, raising strong protest, tried to move towards the Speaker's podium. The watch-and-ward personnel prevented them from proceeding further.
Ignoring the protest, the Speaker took up the Calling Attention motion and other businesses of the day.
While replying to a Calling Attention, Law Minister P Rajeev took a dig at the protesting Congress MLAs and said they had no love for Rahul Gandhi, otherwise they would have brought the matter in the House much before.
With protests intensifying, Speaker Shamseer said the House was adjourned for the day and would resume on October 6.
The opposition protest in the Assembly came a day after police registered a case against BJP leader Printu Mahadevan for his alleged remark during a television debate on September 26 that bullets would be fired at Rahul Gandhi.
The case was filed by the Peramangalam police based on a complaint from Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) secretary Sreekumar C C.
Mahadevan, reportedly a former ABVP leader, made the remarks while discussing protests in Bangladesh and Nepal.
He reportedly said that such protests were not possible in India as people here stood strongly with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and added that if Rahul Gandhi has any such desires, "bullets will pierce his chest."
The FIR cites provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Section 192 (wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot), Section 353 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), and Section 351(2) (criminal intimidation).
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UP Cong holds statewide protest seeking probe into FIR against Swami Avimukteshwaranand
Lucknow (PTI): The Uttar Pradesh Congress on Wednesday staged a statewide protest demanding a fair and transparent inquiry into the FIR lodged against Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati and those who filed the complaint against him.
In a statement issued here, the party said memorandums addressed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi were submitted through district magistrates in all districts of the state.
Uttar Pradesh Congress spokesperson Manish Hindvi told PTI that the memorandums were handed over through the district administration in all 75 districts.
In the memorandum, the party alleged that Saraswati and his disciples were "unnecessarily harassed and humiliated" by police on the occasion of Amavasya and were prevented from taking a ritual bath (at the Magh Mela). It further alleged that some disciples were manhandled and taken to a police station.
The memorandum also claimed that an FIR was later registered against Saraswati, his disciple Swami Mukundanand Brahmachari and several unidentified persons in a sexual harassment case. It termed the case a "conspiracy" aimed at tarnishing the seer's reputation.
Citing Articles 25 and 26 of the Constitution, the memorandum stated that these provisions guarantee religious freedom and the right of religious denominations to manage their own affairs.
It described the position of shankaracharya held by Saraswati as "one of the highest spiritual posts in Sanatan tradition" and alleged that the entire episode appeared to have been "orchestrated in a planned manner".
"We request that the background of the persons who got the FIR registered be investigated in a transparent manner by a retired high court judge and strict action be taken against them," the memorandum said.
It also sought a "fair and transparent probe" into the allegations levelled against Saraswati so that the truth could be established.
Earlier, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Ajay Rai had told reporters in Varanasi after meeting Saraswati that the party stood firmly with him.
The Congress said it would continue to press for an impartial inquiry into the entire episode.
On February 21, an FIR was lodged in Prayagraj against Saraswati and his disciple Mukundanand Brahmachari on charges of sexually abusing two persons, including a minor, over the past year at a gurukul and religious congregations, including the recently concluded Magh Mela.
Days after he was booked, Saraswati had said on Monday that he would not oppose his arrest and asserted that the "fabricated story" would be exposed sooner or later.
At a press conference on Wednesday, Saraswati alleged that criminals rule in Uttar Pradesh, level allegations and influence investigations, as he denied having any contact with the two persons for whose alleged sexual abuse he has been booked.
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