Ramanath Rai announces retirement from electoral politics
Mangaluru: Former state minister and veteran Congress leader B Ramanath Rai on Tuesday announced his retirement from electoral politics, adding that he would remain an active member of the Congress.
Addressing a press meet at the Congress Bhavan in Mallikatte, Mangaluru, Rai gave a word of thanks to all Kannadigas who had worked hard for the landslide victory of the Congress in the Karnataka Assembly elections. “I also thank all citizens who voted for me in the polls,” he said.
Stating that he had always followed the party rules, Rai said that, henceforth too, he would duly fulfil the duties he was assigned by the party leadership.
“The Congress has seen a setback in Dakshina Kannada, but the victory in the state is stupendous, which should inspire the Congress workers in our district to work harder for the party,” said Rai, asking of the workers, “We must all strive to ensure victory of the Congress in the Panchayat elections and the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.”
The leader pointed out that he had, no doubt, lost the elections from Bantwal constituency this year, but received a greater number of votes than the last elections. He added that the Congress would analyse the party performance, especially in the case of defeat, in the elections.
When asked about the selection of the Chief Minister of the state, Rai said, “There is no problem within the Congress. The party high command and the legislators will decide who will be the Chief Minister,” and added, “The Congress government will also implement the schemes it promised to the people of Karnataka while campaigning for the polls.”
Congress leader Ibrahim Kodijal and office-bearers Rakshith Shivaram, Shashidhar Hegde, Lancelot Pinto, Shahul Hamid, Ashraf K, Navin D’Souza, Sudarshan, Umesh Dandakeri, Salim, Prithviraj, Chittaranjan Shetty, Musthafa and Honnaiah were among those present at the press meet.
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Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case: HC grants bail to Rona Wilson, Sudhir Dhawale
Mumbai, Jan 8: The Bombay High Court on Wednesday granted bail to researcher Rona Wilson and activist Sudhir Dhawale, both arrested in 2018 in the Elgar Parishad-Maoist links case.
A division bench of Justices A S Gadkari and Kamal Khata took note of their long incarceration, and the fact that the trial is not likely to be completed any time soon.
The accused were languishing in jail since 2018 and even the charges are yet to be framed by the special court, defence lawyers Mihir Desai and Sudeep Pasbola had argued.
The high court on Wednesday said it was not dealing with the merits of the case at this stage.
Wilson and Dhawale were directed to submit a surety of Rs one lakh each, and appear before the special NIA court for the trial hearing.
The bench noted that there are over 300 witnesses in the case, and hence it is not possible for the trial to be concluded in the near future.
The case pertains to provocative speeches allegedly delivered at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, triggering violence at Koregaon-Bhima in Pune district the next day.
The Pune police had claimed the conclave was backed by the Maoists.
The National Investigation Agency later took over the probe. Of the 16 persons arrested in the case, many are now out on bail.
Rona Wilson was arrested in June 2018 from his home in Delhi. He was described by the probe agencies as one of the top brass of urban Maoists.
Sudhir Dhawale was one of the first to be arrested, accused of being an active member of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist).
