KERALA EX-MLA GEORGE HELD IN HATE SPEECH CASE, RELEASED ON BAIL
PATIALA: Six people were arrested on Sunday in connection with the clash between two groups near the Kali Devi Temple that left four people injured in Punjab’s Patiala on April 29, a senior police officer said.
Among those arrested was the main conspirator, who was identified as Barjinder Singh Parwana (38), police said. on Sunday, Parwana was produced before a court that sent him to four-day police remand.
Two groups clashed on Friday over an anti-khalistan march, hurling stones at each other and brandishing swords, forcing police to fire in the air to bring the situation under control.
With the arrest of six more people, the number of accused under arrest so far reached nine, said police.
Addressing a press conference, inspector general of police (Patiala range) Mukhwinder Singh Chhina said: “Main accused Barjinder Singh Parwana has been arrested from Mohali.” A resident of Rajpura, Parwana is accused of provoking people to move towards the Kali Devi Temple on Friday.
According to IG Chhina, Parwana is already facing four FIRS for attempt to murder, assault and charges under the Arms Act, among others.
A graduate who spent some time in Singapore in 2007-08, Parwana later set up his a Sikh seminary ‘Damdami Taksal Rajpura’, the IG said. He had also participated in the farmers’ protest against the three central farm laws.
Besides Parwana, Shiv Sena district president Shankar Bhardwaj and Ashwani Kumar Gaggi Pandit, who had allegedly put up provocative posts on social media in connection with the April 29 clash, were also arrested. The other persons named in the FIR are Shivdev, a resident of Bal Sikander village in Fatehgarh Sahib, Davinder Singh of Jind, Haryana, and Rajinder Singh of Samana.
According to the IG, 24 people were identified as accused in the clash. Police teams are presently holding searches to nab the remaining 15 accused.
He said police will submit the challan in the case in “record time” and will seek exemplary punishment for “anti-social elements”.
He also appealed to the media, especially electronic and social media handlers, to verify any news that disturbs law and order and peace before sharing it.
A large contingent of policemen remained deployed near the Kali Devi Temple on Sunday.
Patiala deputy commissioner Sakshi Sawhney appealed to people not to share any objectionable videos or messages on social media which could lead to unrest in society and create conflict. She said information about such posts should be reported through direct message on the Twitter handle @Dcpatialapb and Whatsapp for taking suitable legal action in the matter.
Sawhney further added that peace committee meetings were being held in all the subdivisions of the district.
Meanwhile, Punjab Congress chief Amrinder Singh Raja Warring on Sunday slammed chief minister Bhagwant Mann for not visiting Patiala after the violence there when he should have been “most visible”.
“Even his (Maan’s) pre-recorded messages, broadcast every now and then, have an external imprint,” he said in an apparent reference to AAP national convener and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.
“Punjab cannot afford a chief minister who cannot act on his own and needs to be continuously programmed by someone else,” claimed Warring.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala police on Sunday arrested Janapaksham Party leader and former legislator PC George for his remarks against Muslims during a meeting of Hindu seers on Friday in the state capital. He was granted bail later in the day by the chief judicial magistrate court in Thiruvananthapuram.
George was arrested under Sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups) and 295 (injuring or defiling place of worship with intent to insult the religion of any class) of the Indian Penal Code. The charges, if proven, invite a three-year jail term.
Speaking at the Ananthapurai Hindu Mahasammelan on Friday, George had made inflammatory remarks on Muslim restaurant owners and stated that ‘Love Jihad’ — a term coined by some right-wing groups to explain interfaith marriage between Muslim man and woman from other communities — was a reality. He had also attacked MA Yussuf Ali, owner of the Lulu group, saying his malls were putting small businessmen out of work.
He withdrew his statement on Sunday. “Ali is a gentleman,” he said after being released.
George was arrested from his house in Poonjar (Kottayam) in the early hours of Sunday by a special team and taken to the state capital later. Though the police sought two-week judicial custody, the court said custodial interrogation was not necessary in the case and granted George bail under strict conditions.
“My arrest was CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s gift to fundamentalists. Both Congress and CPI(M) are concerned about their votes nothing else,” George said.
ARMY CHIEF
tor, he said the force had inducted additional troops, equipment and also built infrastructure, especially habitat, to meet operational and logistics needs. “We will have to resolve the problems in the Ladakh sector through political, diplomatic and military dialogue,” former director general of military operations Lieutenant General Vinod Bhatia (retd) said last week.
Disengagement of rival troops and de-escalation of the border conflict with China was the way forward, and the ongoing talks would continue even as Indian troops stood firm on the ground, defence minister Rajnath Singh said last month.
Over the past two years, India and China have hardened their stance on LAC with increased military activities on both sides, deployment of modern weapons, infrastructure development, and a series of combat manoeuvres by their armies, as previously reported by HT. Pande said one of his top priorities would be to ensure the highest level of operational preparedness to face current and future challenges across the entire spectrum of conflict. He would also focus on indigenisation and induction of new technologies in the army to bolster its combat potential, apart from the ongoing military reforms to improve efficiency.
Earlier on Sunday, Pande inspected a ceremonial guard of honour at the South Block where Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari and navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar were present. All three chiefs were batch mates at the NDA.
Pande said he and the other two chiefs grew up together in their formative years in NDA and it was a good beginning of synergy and jointmanship.