PM Modi's degree: Court issues production warrant against AAP leader Sanjay Singh
Ahmedabad (PTI): A metropolitan court here on Thursday issued a production warrant against jailed AAP leader and Rajya Sabha member Sanjay Singh in a defamation case over his remarks regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's educational degree.
The court of additional chief metropolitan magistrate SJ Panchal issued the production warrant against Singh after his lawyer informed the court that he had not received any instruction from his client because the Aam Aadmi Party leader is behind bars in Delhi's Tihar jail.
Singh was arrested on October 5 in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam in Delhi.
Through the production warrant, the magistrate directed the local police to take custody of Singh from Tihar jail and produce him before the court at 11 am on January 11 when the court will take up further hearing in the case.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Singh are accused of tarnishing Gujarat University's (GU) image through their "sarcastic" and "derogatory" statements in connection with PM Modi's degree.
When the court on Thursday initiated examination of witnesses, Kejriwal's lawyer submitted an exemption plea from appearance. The court accepted the plea.
When Singh's lawyer informed the court that he had not received any instructions from Singh because the AAP leader was behind bars, GU's lawyer Amit Nair took a strong objection saying it was a tactic by the AAP leader to further delay the matter.
He then urged magistrate Panchal to issue a production warrant against Singh. The court accepted Nair's plea and issued a warrant.
The court had summoned the two leaders in the past after observing that prima facie there appeared to be a case against them under section 500 (defamation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
GU registrar Piyush Patel had filed a defamation case against the two leaders over their comments after the Gujarat HC set aside the Chief Information Commissioner's order on PM Modi's degree.
They made "defamatory" statements in press conferences and on their Twitter, now X, handles targeting the university over Modi's degree, the complainant stated.
He said that the AAP leaders' comments targeting GU were defamatory and hurt the prestige of the university which has established its name among the public.
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It's govt's responsibility to support youth who dare to dream: Omar Abdullah
Jammu (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said the government may not be able to provide jobs to everyone, but it can create an ecosystem for youngsters to become entrepreneurs and innovators.
It is the responsibility of the government to support youth who dare to dream, he said.
After inaugurating the 11th National Conference and Exhibition on Emerging and Innovative Trends in Engineering Technology (NCEEITET) at the Government College of Engineering and Technology (GCET) in Jammu, Abdullah said, “We may not be able to provide jobs to everyone, but we can certainly create an environment where our youngsters become entrepreneurs and innovators.”
The two-day conference is being organised by the GCET in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology-Kharagpur and the World University Consortium (WUC).
Addressing the gathering, Abdullah assured that all necessary steps would be taken to strengthen infrastructure and support systems at the GCET, ensuring that it continues to evolve as a premier institution.
The chief minister also inaugurated a new building for the School of Architecture in the college, built at Rs 19.71 crore.
Stressing the need to balance modernity with the region’s cultural and historical identity, Abdullah said, “Not every building needs to be made of glass and steel. Our structures must reflect our heritage and preserve our cultural ethos.”
Highlighting the role of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, Abdullah said they could significantly improve tourism management, visitor experience and service delivery in Jammu and Kashmir.
However, he cautioned that technological advancement should complement human effort rather than replace jobs, especially in a region where unemployment remains a concern.
The chief minister said that attracting tourists to Jammu and Kashmir was not difficult, but ensuring repeat visits required consistently enriching experiences and better infrastructure across tourism segments, including pilgrimage, border and leisure tourism.
To address the infrastructure gaps in the college, Abdullah announced that funds would be provided this year for the construction of an auditorium.
He also assured support for setting up an incubation centre in GCET.
During the event, Abdullah also released the e-proceedings of the conference, comprising 28 shortlisted research papers.
