Kharge's 'terrorist' label fits Congress, not BJP: Pralhad Joshi
Hubballi: Union Minister Pralhad Joshi hit back at AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, accusing him of mistakenly referring to the BJP as a "party of terrorists" instead of naming Congress.
Speaking to the media in Hubballi, Joshi said, "Kharge has called the BJP a party of terrorists, but in reality, he must have been referring to what is happening within his own party."
Joshi went on to criticise Congress, saying, "It is well known that Congress showed a soft stance on Afzal Guru, retained Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, and allowed the growth of terrorists. The entire country is aware of this. It was Congress that repealed the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) in 2004 and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh shook hands with separatists and extremists. Kharge seems to have forgotten all this."
Highlighting the BJP's actions, Joshi stated, "It is the BJP government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi that has successfully curbed terrorism. During Congress rule, the youth of Kashmir had stones in their hands, but today they have jobs. As a senior leader, Kharge should be more mindful of what he says."
Joshi also took a dig at Congress, claiming, "The BJP has truly honoured Dalits in this country, while Congress has always acted against them, which is why the party finds itself in its current state."
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.
Haryana-resident arrested for Baba Siddique's murder has criminal background: Police
Chandigarh (PTI): Haryana-resident Gurmail Baljit Singh, accused of being one of the shooters who killed NCP leader Baba Siddique, has a prior criminal history, including a murder case against him, police said on Sunday.
Twenty-three-year-old Singh's family said they disowned him 11 years ago and have called for exemplary punishment for his actions.
Mumbai Police has arrested two of the alleged assailants -- Singh from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh-native Dharmaraj Rajesh Kashyap. The third accused, Shiv Kumar, is on the run and efforts are on to trace him, police said.
The trio have been booked under relevant Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita sections, including for murder and under provisions of the Arms Act and the Maharashtra Police Act, they said.
Giving details of Singh's criminal record, Kaithal Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kalia told PTI that the accused was arrested in a murder case in 2019, in which he got bail later.
Another case was registered against him after a mobile phone was recovered from him in jail in 2022, the Haryana Police officer said. He had been booked in another case of beating a youth, he said.
Singh's grandmother Phuli Devi told reporters in Kaithal that the family disowned him 11 years ago. "His parents have passed away. The family has disowned him since past eleven years. He is nothing to us now," she told reporters at her residence in her Narar village.
Asked about what work Singh did, his grandmother said, "He did nothing. He came out of jail on bail. He was in jail for four years."
She said he should be given exemplary punishment as per law for his deeds.
Mumbai Police has launched a probe into the killing of the former Maharashtra minister from different angles, including a possible contract killing, business rivalry or threat over a slum rehabilitation project, officials said on Sunday.
They were also verifying a social media post in which an alleged member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang has taken responsibility for the murder, police said.
Baba Siddique (66) was waylaid by three men at Kher Nagar in Mumbai's Bandra area just outside his MLA son Zeeshan Siddique's office and shot at on Saturday night. He was taken to the Lilavati Hospital in Mumbai where he was declared dead.
