'Kushti' in Kerala, 'dosti' in Tripura: PM Modi attacks Cong-CPI(M) alliance
Radhakishorepur/Ambassa (Tripura), Feb 11: Lashing out at the Congress-CPI(M) alliance in Tripura, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that the two parties fight kushti' (wrestling) in Kerala and have done dosti' (friendship) in the northeastern state.
Making a veiled reference to Tipra Motha, Modi claimed that some other parties were also helping the opposition alliance from behind but any vote for them will take Tripura several years backward.
"Old players of misgovernance have joined hands for chanda' (donation). Those fighting kushti' (wrestling) in Kerala have done dosti' (friendship) in Tripura," the PM said at an election rally in Radhakishorepur in Gomati district.
"The opposition wants to divide the votes. Some small vote-cutter' parties are waiting for the election results, hoping to get their price. Those out with dreams of horse-trading, lock them in their homes now itself," he said.
Addressing another election rally in Ambassa in Dhalai district earlier in the day, he alleged that the Left and Congress governments created division among tribals, while the BJP worked to resolve their issues, including that of the Brus.
"The BJP is working for the upliftment of tribals across India. We have rehabilitated in Tripura over 37,000 Brus displaced from Mizoram. Our government has introduced tribal language Kokborok in higher education," he said.
In the Union budget, the BJP government at the Centre has allocated Rs 1 lakh crore for the development of tribal areas, Modi said.
Referring to the fight against COVID-19, he said, "In a Left-ruled state, a lot of people suffered of coronavirus and died, but Tripura was safe as the BJP worked for protecting people's lives."
Appealing to the people to vote for the "double-engine" government to continue the streak of development in the northeastern state, he told the rally, "Beware of the double-edged sword of Congress and Left, they want to stop all schemes that benefit the people."
The PM said the Congress and Left know only how to betray the poor, alleging that people have suffered due to years of their misgovernance.
"The two parties want the poor to remain poor. They have countless slogans for the poor but have never understood or addressed their pain," Modi said.
The PM said that houses under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana were built for three lakh families, benefitting 12 lakh people, while five lakh poor people were made beneficiaries of the Ayushman Bharat Yojana, and toilets were constructed in four lakh houses in the state.
The first dental college in the state was also built under the BJP government, he said.
The PM said that in Gomati district alone, Rs 80 crore has been credited to the bank accounts of around 40,000 farmers, without any cut' or donation'.
"Earlier, CPI(M) cadres used to control police stations, while the BJP established rule of law in the state," he said.
Modi asserted that the BJP has freed Tripura from the atmosphere of fear and a culture of 'chanda' (donations).
"Earlier, the condition of women in the state was miserable. Now, they can come out of their homes with heads held high," he said.
The PM said that as there is peace in Tripura, employment opportunities are also increasing, whereas the Left and the Congress had shattered the dreams of the youths, forcing many to migrate.
"Your votes will keep the Leftists away from power and ensure continuance of 'double-engine' government in Tripura," he added.
Listing the initiatives taken by his government for the development of the state, Modi said that Tripura's economy will massively benefit from the Act East policy of the Centre and it will soon become the gateway to Southeast Asia.
"Work on four-laning of road from Agartala to Churaibari is underway at a fast rate, while a new airport was inaugurated in the state capital, while optical fibres have been laid throughout the state for better internet services and waterways and railway connectivity between Tripura and Bangladesh is being strengthened," he said.
Modi said that the BJP government at the Centre has increased budget allocation for Northeast by several times.
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K’taka HC judge whose controversial remarks triggered controversy expresses regret before open court
Bengaluru: Karnataka High Court judge, Justice V Srishananda, on Saturday expressed regret in open court after facing backlash over his controversial remarks in his recent court hearings, reported Bar and Bench.
Two purported video clips from Justice V Srishananda’s court hearing that show him making inappropriate comments went viral across social media platforms.
On Saturday, Justice Srishananda invited members of the Advocates Association, Bengaluru, and senior lawyers to his courtroom at 2:30 PM, where he read out a note expressing regret for inappropriate comments.
Quoting Advocates Association President Vivek Subba Reddy, Bar and Bench wrote, “He expressed regret for the comments and clarified that it was not his intention to offend any community or members of the Bar. He also requested the association to relay this message to all members of the Bar.”
Reddy further stated, “We also advised him to encourage young lawyers in the courtroom and refrain from making any irrelevant remarks during hearings.”
Another senior lawyer present during the session confirmed to the legal news portal that Justice Srishananda also addressed comments directed at a woman lawyer, who was seen in one of the videos being reprimanded by the judge. The judge Justice Srishananda clarified that his remarks were not intended to target her (woman lawyer) specifically, but rather pertained to the appellant she was representing. “He explained that his comment was meant to imply that the appellant seemed to know a lot about the other party,” said the lawyer.
In addition, Justice Srishananda assured those present that he would avoid making such comments in the future.
The controversy came to light on September 19, when a video clip from an August 28 Court hearing surfaced on social media, showing Justice Srishananda referring to a Muslim-majority sub-locality in Bengaluru’s Goripalya as "Pakistan." Hours later, another video from the same courtroom emerged, in which the judge was seen making a gender-insensitive remark.
Following outrage over the viral videos, a Supreme Court bench led by Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud, along with Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, Surya Kant, and Hrishikesh Roy, on September 20 took a suo motu cognizance and sought a report from the Karnataka High Court Registrar General in connection with the viral video.
