Allegations of pro-Pakistan slogan: CM Siddaramaiah says strict action if found true
Bengaluru(PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday serious action would be taken against those who allegedly raised 'Pakistan zindabad' slogan inside the 'Vidhana Soudha' if the investigation found the charge to be true.
When Congress workers were celebrating Syed Naseer Hussain's victory in the Rajya Sabha elections here on Tuesday night, it is alleged, some people shouted 'Pakistan zindabad' slogan. The BJP lodged a police complaint on the issue, and staged protests in several parts of the State, including Belagavi, Chitradurga and Mandya, on Wednesday, condemning the Congress government.
Reacting to the allegation, Siddaramaiah said there is no question of sparing anyone.
"It is not only allegation by BJP, it is also allegation by media", he said referring to the charge that "Pakistan zindabad" slogan was heard after Hussain was declared winner at "Vidhana Soudha".
"If the FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) report proves that the slogan raised in favour of Pakistan is true, serious action will be taken in this regard. There is no question of protecting those who raised slogans in favour of Pakistan," the Chief Minister told reporters.
"We have sent the voice report to the FSL. When the report comes, if it's true that somebody has made a slogan that 'Pakistan zindabad' such a person will be punished seriously", Siddaramaiah said. "If somebody has raised such a slogan, there is no question of sparing them. If it is true we will take strict action, serious action."
On the alleged incident taking place in Vidhana Soudha, the seat of state legislature and secretariat, he said: "What difference will it make to those who want to raise slogans?"
Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi warned that a statewide agitation will be launched if the accused are not arrested.
"Instead of condemning the incident, Naseer Hussain is trying to mislead people, saying that somebody is spreading false information, which is more dangerous," Joshi told reporters in Hubballi in north Karnataka.
The Minister sought to know the "take" of the Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on this incident "because Hussain is the 'Shishya' of Kharge".
"I ask the state Home Minister Dr G Parameshwara to take a serious note of it, otherwise the BJP will launch a statewide agitation," Joshi said.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Traffic fraud: Fake 'no-entry' sticker racket busted in Delhi, mastermind among 3 held
New Delhi (PTI): Police here have busted a crime syndicate involved in traffic fraud and extortion, arresting three people including the alleged mastermind who sold fake stickers to help commercial vehicles bypass no-entry restrictions, an official said on Saturday.
The police said they dismantled a third organised syndicate linked to traffic-related frauds, with the arrest of Rinku Rana alias Bhushan, his associate Sonu Sharma and Mukesh Kumar alias Pakodi, who was also connected to another extortion syndicate.
According to the police, Rinku Rana was running a well-organised network that facilitated the movement of commercial goods vehicles during restricted hours by selling fake 'marka' or stickers for Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000 per vehicle every month. The stickers were falsely projected as authorisation to evade traffic challans.
During raids, the police recovered Rs 31 lakh in cash, property documents worth several crores of rupees, over 500 fake stickers and six mobile phones allegedly used to operate the syndicate.
The crackdown followed a complaint filed by a traffic police officer in April this year after a commercial vehicle tried to evade checking by producing a fake sticker claiming exemption from enforcement action.
Investigation revealed that social media groups were being used to coordinate the illegal movement of vehicles and alert drivers about traffic police checkpoints, police said.
"A parallel system was being run to cheat drivers and vehicle owners while undermining traffic enforcement. On the basis of evidence, provisions related to organised crime under the BNS were invoked," a senior police officer said.
Sonu Sharma, the police said, managed social media groups through which stickers were sold and real-time alerts were circulated regarding traffic police movement. He also acted as a link between Rana and drivers operating in the field.
In a related development, Mukesh Kumar alias Pakodi, an associate of Rajkumar alias Raju Meena, who was earlier arrested under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), was also apprehended.
Mukesh allegedly helped extort money from transporters and was involved in blackmailing traffic police personnel by recording enforcement actions, the police said.
Investigators alleged the syndicate led by Rajkumar deployed drivers to deliberately violate traffic rules and secretly record police officials during challans, later using manipulated videos to extort money under threat of false allegations.
The police said that in total, eight accused belonging to three different organised crime syndicates linked to traffic frauds and extortion have been arrested so far.
Further investigation is underway to trace the remaining members, conduct financial probes, and analyse digital evidence recovered during the raids, officials added.
