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โ€œProvide Protection To Asianet If Protests Against Channel Turn Violentโ€: Kerala HC To Police

Asianet

On Wednesday, Justice N Nagaresh said that the incident has attained political colour and protests are happening against Asianet News.

The Kerala High Court on Wednesday directed the police to provide protection at the offices of Asianet if protests against the Malayalam news channel become violent, reported Bar and Bench.

Asianet News had moved the court seeking protection after activists from the Studentsโ€™ Federation of India โ€“ the student wing of the ruling Communist Party of India (Marxist) โ€“ had barged into its office in Ernakulam and threatened staff members on March 3.

They were protesting against a news report shown by the news channel on drug abuse and sexual assault of minors on November 10.

PV Anvar, an MLA of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), claimed that the channel had made false allegations about the sexual assault of ten school girls based on the statement of a minor in the news report. Asianet has denied the allegations.

Based on his complaint, the Kerala Police carried out searches at the office of Asianet on Sunday.

On Wednesday, Justice N Nagaresh said that the incident has attained political colour and protests are happening against Asianet News.

โ€œIt is likely that there will be further protests against the petitioner which may turn violent,โ€ Justice Nagaresh said. โ€œIf that be the case, the respondents are bound to give effective protection to the units of the petitioner at Kochi, Kozhikode, Kannur and Thiruvananthapuram.โ€

The court also asked the news channel whether it has received any threats after Fridayโ€™s incident.

The counsel representing Asianet told the court that there were telephonic and social media threats subsequent to the incident.

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Gujarat: BJP Govt Legitimised Corruption, Alleges Manish Tewari, Dubs It โ€œdangerous sign for democracyโ€

ANI

Congress leader Manish Tewari on Wednesday accused the BJP government of legitimising corruption in Gujarat and dubbed it a โ€œdangerous signโ€ for democracy.

Ahmedabad: Congress leader Manish Tewari on Wednesday accused the BJP government of legitimising corruption in Gujarat and dubbed it a โ€œdangerous signโ€ for democracy.

With the Gujarat assembly elections round the corner, Congress has started agressively attacking the BJP who has been in power in the state for the last 27 years and the recent Morbi incident has provided an opportunity to the grand old party to accuse the Bhupendra Patel-led government in Gujarat for โ€œlegitimising corruptionโ€.

Citing the recent Morbi incident that took place in the state which claimed the lives of over 130 people, the Congress leader said that the BJP has become โ€œarrogantโ€ as they(BJP) think they cannot be removed from power.

โ€œYou (BJP) legitimised corruption, and then you say that you want to implement this model in the entire country. The legitimisation of corruption is a dangerous sign for democracy,โ€ he said while urging people of the state to โ€œbreak this arroganceโ€ in the upcoming Assembly elections by โ€œdethroning BJP โ€œ.

Addressing a press conference here, Tewari said, โ€œIf such a tragedy had taken place in some other state and 141 innocent people would have died, over 180 people would have been injured, would the responsibility would not have been set? Would nobody have resigned? Gujarat High Court is slamming the state government daily.โ€

Questioning the BJP government for not arresting the real culprit behind the tragic morbi incident, he said, โ€œThe Supreme Court also said that the Gujarat High Court needs to keep a close eye on the incident. Who were the people who were arrested? The ticket seller, normal workers. The big fishes like the ones who are wealthy, the one who was given the contract, why arenโ€™t they being arrested? Because the government has become arrogant.โ€

โ€œThey feel that no matter how they behave with the public, their (BJP) government will be formed again. I want to urge the people of Gujarat that there is a need to break this arrogance. BJP got the chance again in 2017. In five years, three chief ministers were changed. What can be a bigger proof than this of a governmentโ€™s failure?โ€ he added.

The Congress leaders also took a swipe at the BJP-led government over the change of chief ministers in the state in the last five years, and said that there cannot be a bigger example of โ€œfailure of governanceโ€ than this.

โ€œWhat can be a bigger governance failure than this that three chief ministers were needed to be ousted? The people will decide what will happen with the fourth chief minister,โ€ he added.

Also Read:  Gujarat is Gangotri of culture of developmental politics: Nadda

The BJP changed three chief ministers in the last five years. The party had made Vijay Rupani the chief minister before the 2017 Assembly elections in the state replacing Anandiben Patel, the first female chief minister of Gujarat. Rupani continued at the office before being replaced by Bhupendra Patel in September last year.

Detailing the shortcomings of the state government, the Congress leader alleged that Gujarat โ€œsuffered the most during the COVID pandemicโ€.

โ€œGujarat suffered the most during the COVID pandemic. Today Gujarat has a debt of Rs 2,98,810 crore. The unemployment rate of youths between 20 to 24 years of age is 12.50 per cent. This is probably the highest in the entire country,โ€ he said.

The Gujarat Assembly polls will be held on December 1 and 5, and the counting of votes will take place on December 8.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by HW News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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