'Sad letter day' in India's history: Congress on SC's Loya verdict
New Delhi, April 19: Rejecting the "natural death" theory of judge B.H. Loya based on which the Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking a SIT probe, the Congress said it is "sad letter day" in India's history and reiterated its demand for a "fair" investigation.
"Today is a 'Sad Letter Day' in India's history. Congress is committed to people's demand for a fair investigation in the matter surrounding Judge Loya's death," said Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala.
The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed petitions seeking a SIT probe into the death of Judge Loya who was earlier holding trial in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh staged shootout case, holding he had a natural death.
Surjewala maintained that not even judiciary can decide whether a death is natural or not without an investigation, while targeting the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, saying it was afraid of getting an investigation done.
He said Judge Loya's "suspicious death" at a Nagpur guesthouse in November 2014 had anguished many for he was trying a case where one of the accused was (now) BJP President Amit Shah, and the apex court's verdict left many questions unanswered for all those seeking fair investigation and justice.
After Loya's death, Amit Shah was discharged and CBI refused to file an appeal against it, he said.
Listing the chain of events leading to Judge Loya's "mysterious death" and all the apprehensions expressed by members of his family, judges, jurists, the bar, media and people at large hinting at a conspiracy, Surjewala also noted that the matter was even raised by the four seniormost judges of the Supreme Court in their unprecedented press conference.
He questioned the rationale behind using statements of some judges in an administrative enquiry before a police officer as the sole yardstick for arriving at a conclusion, particularly when suspicion was being raised by forensic evidence, witnesses, as well as withdrawal of the judge's security, the lack of his travel records and no entry in the guesthouse's register - while 15 different employees at the Nagpur guesthouse did not even recall that Judge Loya even came there.
Surjewala also said that even Loya's family had publicly stated that clothes on his body were blood-stained.
He also noted two associates of Judge Loya who were allegedly informed about the pressure being mounted on him to let off the accused also died under suspicious circumstances in 2015 and 2016, but no case had been filed or investigation done, while a third narrowly escaped.
Surjewala also said BJP's attempts to make false political capital out of Supreme Court judgment must be condemned, as the Congress was not a petitioner. "For a vile BJP to misinterpret SC's judgement to attack the Congress reflects their jitteriness and frustration," he said.
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Ajit Pawar's support to Waqf Bill shows his hypocrisy and helplessness for power, alleges Sapkal
Mumbai, Apr 4 (PTI): Maharashtra Congress president Harshvardhan Sapkal on Friday said Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar's support to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was a sign of his helplessness for power and shows the hypocrisy of his politics.
He also said the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government's ploy to intimidate the Muslim community and seize thousands of acres of land.
The contentious Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed by the Lok Sabha on Thursday and by the Rajya Sabha in the early hours of Friday after marathon debates in both Houses of Parliament. The bill aims to streamline the management of Waqf properties (assets permanently donated by Muslims for religious or charitable purposes) with provisions to safeguard heritage sites and promote social welfare.
The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) led by Ajit Pawar supported the bill in Parliament.
"Ajit Pawar's support to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill is a sign of his helplessness for power. His secular mask has been exposed and he has betrayed the Muslim community," Sapkal told reporters.
Despite joining the government in alliance with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ajit Pawar and his NCP claimed they had not abandoned the legacy of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, Shahu Maharaj, Mahatma Phule and Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar. However, their true face has now been exposed, he alleged.
By supporting the BJP-led government's Waqf Bill, Ajit Pawar has completely surrendered to the BJP for the sake of power. He not only betrayed his uncle, Sharad Pawar, by taking the party's name and symbol with the BJP's help, but also aligned himself with communal forces for power, the Congress leader hit out at the deputy CM.
"Ajit Pawar continues to claim that his participation in the Mahayuti government is for the sake of development and that he has not abandoned the progressive ideals. However, his actions tell a different story," he said.
"At an Iftar party, he made bold declarations that those harassing the Muslim community would not be spared or forgiven. But within a few days, his NCP faction supported the Waqf Bill, thereby betraying the Muslim community," he said.
The bill is nothing more than a ploy by the BJP government to intimidate the Muslim community and seize thousands of acres of land, he said.
The BJP government has already set a course to hand over key properties, including those in Dharavi, to a particular industrialist. After acquiring Waqf lands, this government will hand them over to their favoured business tycoons. Ajit Pawar, a senior leader, is fully aware of this, yet he is unable to stay away from power. He has bowed before the BJP and supported the bill, Sapkal alleged.
"Ajit Pawar's actions reveal the hypocrisy of his politics. What he preaches and what he practices is entirely different. People must recognise this deception and stay alert," he warned.
