Trinamool Congress nominates Saket Gokhale to Rajya Sabha; All you need to know
New Delhi: The Trinamool Congress (TMC) has announced its list of candidates for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections in West Bengal, and among them is Saket Gokhale, a prominent figure in the party. However, his nomination has stirred controversy due to his past activities and legal issues.
Saket Gokhale, an Indian Right to Information (RTI) activist and spokesperson of the TMC, joined the party in 2021. He has also worked as a correspondent for esteemed publications such as the Financial Times and the Hindustan Times, gaining recognition for his activism and involvement in various social and political issues. Gokhale has on various occasions made groundbreaking revelations through his RTIs.
However, Gokhale's profile is not without controversy. In December 2022, he was arrested over a tweet in which he allegedly posted misinformation about the 2022 Morbi bridge collapse. After obtaining bail from a metropolitan court in Ahmedabad, he was re-arrested on the same charges within a few hours. Ultimately, he was released on bail on December 10. In January 2023, Gokhale faced further legal trouble when he was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on allegations of money laundering.
Gokhale's nomination comes alongside other TMC candidates, including prominent party members Derek O'Brien, Sukhendu Sekhar Ray, and Dola Sen. O'Brien, serving as the TMC's leader in the Rajya Sabha since 2011, brings his vast experience to the table. Ray, who was first elected to the Upper House in 2012, holds the position of deputy chief whip. Sen, a seasoned leader and trade unionist, became an MP in 2017.
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Air India flight from Mumbai makes 'priority' landing in Bhopal after snag; return leg cancelled
Bhopal (PTI): A Bhopal-bound Air India flight from Mumbai carrying 175 persons on board made a “priority” landing here on Sunday due to a snag, an airport official said.
The aircraft landed safely at Bhopal airport at 3.20 pm, he said.
Consequently, the return leg of the flight from Bhopal to Mumbai, with 178 passengers booked, was cancelled, the official said.
AAI-run Bhopal airport said in a statement that Air India flight AI 633 “reported a technical issue to Air Traffic Control (ATC) during the flight from Mumbai to Bhopal”.
Immediately, all prescribed safety protocols were activated, and seamless coordination was ensured between ATC, airline ground operations, CISF and airpiort fire and rescue team of Bhopal airport, it said in a statement.
The flight, carrying 175 persons, including 166 passengers and nine crew members, landed safely at Bhopal airport at 3.20 pm, the airport operator said.
All necessary assistance and support were extended by the airport and airline teams as per the requirements of the flight crew, it said.
“Due to the technical issue, the aircraft was declared unserviceable, and as a precautionary measure, the return flight AI-634 (Bhopal to Mumbai) was cancelled by the airline to facilitate detailed inspection and rectification,” the statement said.
