India
Police asked to probe conspiracy angle in Telangana paper leak: KTR | Latest News India
Hyderabad Alleging that question paper leaks in the recruitment tests conducted by the Telangana State Public Service Commission (TSPSC) smacked of a “deep-rooted conspiracy” by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the state government on Saturday called for a detailed police inquiry to bring out the conspiracy angle in the matter.
This was announced by Bharat Rashtra Samithi working president and state information technology minister K T Rama Rao after an official meeting convened by chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao at Pragati Bhavan to review the latest developments in the TSPSC.
Speaking to reporters, KTR, as the chief minister’s son is called, said the TSPSC had lodged a complaint with Director General of Police Anjani Kumar to conduct a probe into the question paper leak issue, as one of the accused who was arrested in connection with the incident turned out to be an active BJP worker.
KTR had earlier alleged that Atla Rajasekhar Reddy, an outsourcing employee working as a network expert in the TSPSC, who was arrested by the Hyderabad police, was an active BJP worker, as was revealed in the initial investigation. The BRS released Reddy’s own social media posts showing photographs of him with other BJP activists and also with BJP state president Bandi Sanjay.
“Now that the accused has been found to be a BJP worker, the DGP was requested to probe whether any political conspiracy was hatched in the entire episode,” the minister said.
Reacting to the BJP’s demand for a judicial inquiry by a sitting high court judge into the TSPSC question paper leak issue, KTR said a special investigation team (SIT) of Hyderabad police was yet to complete its investigation. “Why should the BJP create apprehensions among the people, especially the youth?” he asked.
Asked how the government had recruited a BJP activist in the TSPSC, the minister asked how any government would check the motives or ideologies of an individual while recruiting. “In any case, all such details would come out during the police investigation,” he said.
Stating that the government would take stringent action against those involved in the TSPSC question paper leak irrespective of their political affiliations, KTR urged youth not to get instigated by the politically motivated comments of a few politicians.
He alleged that Sanjay was deliberately trying to instigate youth against the government for political gains.
He asserted that the leakage of question papers in the TSPSC was not a systemic failure, but it had happened due to greed of two individuals. “As per the preliminary report of the Special Investigation Team there was no hacking into the system,” he said.
Stating that the government would understand the agony of youth who appeared for the examinations, KTR said for the benefit of the candidates, who appeared for the examinations earlier, the Commission would not charge any fees again.
“The government would operate study circles round the clock for them to prepare for the re-examinations. Further, digital study material of the examinations would be provided for free to the youth and free food would also be arranged at the study centres,” he said.
The minister said at the review meeting held by the chief minister, it was decided to go in for more systematic reforms and extensive use of technology to strengthen TSPSC further. “To this effect, TSPSC members, former TSPSC Chairman Ganta Chakrapani along with a few ministers had discussed the proposed reforms at length at the meeting,” he said.
He claimed that since the formation of Telangana, TSPSC had conducted 99 examinations and over 450,000 candidates had appeared for these examinations. In the last eight years, there was not a single allegation was made against TSPSC, he said.
Reacting strongly to KTR’s comments, state BJP president Bandi Sanjay sought to know why the government had not kept any watch on Rajasekhar Reddy and taken action against him, if he was a BJP worker.
“Rajasekhar Reddy has been working in the TSPSC since 2010. If he is really a BJP worker, why has the government continued him in the service as an outsourcing employee all these years? The government would keep a watch on people’s credentials, before continuing their services. Why hasn’t the BRS government done that?” he asked.
Sanjay said the IT department had bungled in plugging loopholes in the system. “That is why we are holding KTR responsible for the leakage of question paper and demanding his dismissal. If the government has so many doubts, why is it hesitating to order a judicial inquiry by a sitting high court judge?” he asked.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has lost his Lok Sabha seat on Friday after he was convicted over his ‘Modi surname’ remark. He was sentenced to a two-year term on Thursday by a local court in Gujarat over a criminal defamation case.
The Lok Sabha secretariat said in a notification that he has been disqualified from the day of the conviction under the Constitution’s Article 102(1)(e) read with Section 8 of the Representation of the People Act.
Also read: In Rahul Gandhi’s POCSO case, Delhi HC seeks child panel’s reply
According to parliamentary rules, Union legislators lose their seat if convicted of a crime for two or more years in prison. Similarly, they cannot continue to enjoy certain benefits, that are otherwise, given to them as a Member of Parliament.
Check out benefits a Member of Parliament enjoys:
- An MP is entitled to a licence-fee free accommodation or a hostel facility throughout their term. They can also avail a bunglow-type accommodation after paying the normal licence fee. The allotment of residences is made by the Accommodation Sub-Committee based on a set criteria. Water and electricity bills are exempted up to a certain limit. Furniture within monetary limits, periodic washing of sofa covers and curtains and remission in rents for improvements or additions are some of the other residential facilities.
- According to Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Act, 2010, they get a monthly salary of ₹50,000. They also receive ₹2,000 as daily allowance to attend Parliament sessions.
- They also receive a constituency allowance of ₹45,000 per month.
- MPs get travel allowances to conduct businesses related to their duties including travel to attend a session. For instance, they get one executive class or first class AC pass by train, one and one-fourth air fare of any airline and ₹16 per kilometre of travel by road. A total of 34 single air travels per year are allowed to each member along with their relatives.
- They also get ₹45,000 per month as office expense, including ₹15,000 for stationary and postage expenses. The allowance could be utilised to pay the wages of secretarial assistants.
- Members pay ₹500 every month to avail free medical treatment for them and their families.
Here’s how Rahul Gandhi, leader of India’s opposition Congress Party, was disqualified as a lawmaker by parliament and what could happen next:
WHAT DOES THE LAW SAY?
Section 8(3) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the law that governs elections in India, mandates disqualification of any lawmaker who is “convicted of any offence and sentenced to imprisonment for not less than two years”.
A lower court sentenced Gandhi, 52, on Thursday to two years in jail on charges of defamation for a 2019 speech in which he referred to thieves as having the surname Modi. India’s prime minister is called Narendra Modi.
His disqualification as lawmaker came into effect from the date of conviction. A formal disqualification notice was issued on Friday by the secretariat of India’s Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament of which Gandhi was a member.
CAN GANDHI CONTEST ELECTIONS?
Gandhi faces the risk of not being able to contest the next general election due in 2024 if his conviction is not suspended or overturned, or the sentence is not reduced by a higher court.
The law also mandates that a convicted lawmaker cannot contest elections for six years after the end of their jail term.
Gandhi represented the Wayanad constituency in the southern state of Kerala.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said on Friday the party was confident the conviction would be suspended.
WHAT NEXT FOR GANDHI?
To save his parliament seat, a convicted lawmaker has to secure an order from a higher court suspending the conviction, lawyers said.
A lawmaker can be reinstated to parliament if the conviction is stayed or overturned and a fresh election to the seat had yet to be conducted. A reduced sentence would also remove the disqualification.
Gandhi was present in the Gujarat court which gave him bail immediately and suspended the sentence for a month, allowing him to appeal against it.
He can secure bail extensions during the appeal period but cannot contest elections until the conviction is stayed or he is acquitted or he gets a reduced sentence in the case.
Supreme Court lawyer Vikram Hegde said the most likely recourse for Gandhi was to appeal to a sessions court and seek a stay of conviction.
Once a court suspends the conviction, the disqualification ceases to operate, Hegde told Reuters.
WHAT HAPPENED IN 2013?
In July 2013, India’s top court ordered that lawmakers convicted of a serious crime would immediately forfeit their seats, closing off a loophole that had allowed politicians to stay on during appeals, which can drag on for years in India.
In response, then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government, a coalition led by the Congress party, issued an executive order that could have allowed convicted lawmakers to continue to hold office and stand in elections.
Gandhi lambasted Singh’s ordinance as “complete nonsense” and said it should be torn up and thrown out, embarrassing his own party and forcing the government to withdraw the decree.
The Khanna Police in Punjab has recovered videos from a mobile phone of Tajinder Singh Gill, aka Baba Gorkha, a close aide of pro-Khalistani leader and ‘Waris Punjab De’ chief Amritpal Singh.
The phone carries pictures of the flag, emblem and currency of “Khalistan” and videos show firearms practice by youngsters allegedly picked for the radical preacher’s Anandpur Khalistan Fauz (AKF), the Punjab Police said on Friday.
The incriminating material shows the “sinister designs” of this nascent militia force and the enormous threat they would have become for “peace and harmony of Punjab and national security”, a statement by police in Khanna district said.
Who is Tajinder Singh Gill and what Punjab Police revealed?
Senior Superintendent of Police (Khanna) Amneet Kondal said that during interrogation, Tajinder Singh Gill or Baba Gorkha said he had come in contact with Amritpal Singh through Bikram Singh Khalsa, whom he had come in touch with during the farmers’ protest on the outskirts of Delhi.
Baba also revealed that they made a firing range in Amritpal’s native Jullupur Kheda village in Amritsar district. They have also arranged bulletproof jackets.
Baba went to Jallupur Khera five months back and was inducted as his gunman. Baba was given weapons marked AKF and firing practice was conducted at a makeshift range in the village.
Baba used to display weapons in pictures and videos on social media without having an arms licence. An FIR against him was registered under IPC Section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), the police earlier said.
Officials said the investigation has revealed that he was also involved in the Ajnala incident and the Ajnala Police will separately take action against him.
The arrested man was a member of the AKF, being raised by Amritpal to wage an armed struggle for the formation of a separate Khalistan state, a police statement said.
What Punjab Police found?
The phone seized after the arrest on Wednesday of Baba, 42, of village Mangewal held pictures that revealed the design of the flag and the emblem of “Khalistan” and the logos for its proposed provinces.
Kondal said the mobile phone also had pictures of an AKF hologram and Khalistan currency, including a “10 dollar” note. There was also a picture of a Pakistani national’s driving licence.
The “Khalistan flag” had some Urdu words on it.
During the investigation, police said, Baba revealed that all AKF members were assigned belt numbers like AKF 3, AKF 56 and AKF 47 – perhaps based on their seniority or proximity to Amritpal Singh.
The examination of his phone showed that two WhatsApp groups – “AKF” and “Amritpal Tiger Force” – were created.
The members of the AKF were paid salaries.
Another associate, Gurbhej Singh alias Bheja, arranged 10 bullet-proof jackets with AKF inscribed on them for the group two months back.
He also gave firearms training to newly inducted members of the group at the makeshift firing range.
Videos of members showing their expertise in assembling, disassembling, cleaning weapons have been recovered, the SSP said.
While Amritpal has eluded police since it began a crackdown against him and his Waris Punjab De outfit, several of his alleged aides are now in custody.
(With inputs from PTI)
Zigazoo to launch ‘non-toxic’ TikTok competitor
Benefits provided to an MP: What Rahul Gandhi stands to lose | Latest News India
Seven Adani group stocks end lower amid weak broader market trend
EC’s proposal on allowing e-postal ballot for overseas Indian voters under discussion: Law Minister tells Rajya Sabha
Sensex closes 127 points lower, RIL down 2.3 pc
Elon Musk claims to donate ₹826 crore to OpenAI before it became profitable
-
News1 week ago
EC’s proposal on allowing e-postal ballot for overseas Indian voters under discussion: Law Minister tells Rajya Sabha
-
Business1 week ago
Sensex closes 127 points lower, RIL down 2.3 pc
-
Tech1 week ago
Elon Musk claims to donate ₹826 crore to OpenAI before it became profitable
-
Health1 week agoRePharma Summit sees a promising future for Indian Pharma Sector, Health News, ET HealthWorld
-
News1 week agoTwitch CEO Emmett Shear to Step Down after More Than 16 Years
-
Health1 week agoDream interpreters reveal why we dream and what do they really mean
-
Entertainment1 week agoFilmmaker Anand Kumar says his film on Sukesh Chandrasekhar is not a biopic; says he want to show the conman as the mastermind that he is | Hindi Movie News
-
India1 week agoMorning brief: Pakistan minister on nuclear programme amid economic crisis | Latest News India