India News
Election Commission blocks book on Rafale deal, sits on Modi biopic release

While the Election Commission is yet to take a call on ‘PM Narendra Modi’, it moved quickly today (Tuesday, April 2) to block the release of a book on Rafale deal citing Model Code of Conduct (MCC) ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
The book is about an alleged scam in the deal with French company Dassault for purchase of the Rafale fighter jet. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is accused of going for a deal which cost more than the negotiated price under a previous, yet-to-be-concluded deal and also of favouring Anil Ambani’s company with an offset contract that should, it is alleged, have gone to the public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).
‘PM Narendra Modi’ is a movie on the life of the current prime minister slated for release on Friday, April 5, whose trailers continue to be streamed on TV channels during every ad-break, while voting for the Lok Sabha election starts next week, April 11. Modi is leading his party BJP’s campaign and is himself contesting the election which is focused around the kind of leadership he has provided to the government and the country.
Several political parties and other groups had moved the EC seeking a ban on the movie’s release citing the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), following which the EC heard the producers of the film. It is, however, yet to take a decision in the matter.
Today, when the book titled ‘Rafale- a scam that rocked the nation’ written by author S Vijayan was supposed to be released by chairman of The Hindu, N Ram, in Chennai, the EC moved to block it citing MCC, said media reports.
The organisers had sought permission from Kerala Samajam school for the release event. The school, however, denied permission citing MCC. According to a report by the Times Now channel, the publishers decided to hold the release function in his office. However, the EC officials seized all the books from the publisher’s office.
Talking to the channel, the publishers said that they plan to raise the matter with the Chief Election Commissioner and then approach the court challenging the EC decision.
The publisher said that the book does not aim to influence voters and is focused only on the Rafale deal. The publishers said that 148 copies of the book were seized by the EC officials. “The book sale is not permitted… The EC said that we should go to the court, take permission and then release the book. The book is about the deal and does not influence the voters,” he said.
An ECI spokesperson said details would be shared after getting inputs from the Tamil Nadu Chief Electoral Officer, reported The Hindu.
According to reports, ECI officials have seized copies of the book from local book stores.
India News
Rajasthan High Court acquits 4 accused in 2008 Jaipur serial blasts
The four accused are Sarwar Azmi, Mohammed Salman, Mohammed Said, and Saifurehman Ansari and were found guilty by a trial court in 2019.

The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday sentenced all 4 accused people to death in connection with the deadly serial blasts in Jaipur in 2008. The blasts took 71 lives and left more than 180 people injured.
The four accused are Sarwar Azmi, Mohammed Salman, Mohammed Said, and Saifurehman Ansari and were found guilty by a trial court in 2019.
The accused men were convicted and awarded the death penalty by a sessions court on August 8, 2020, for the nine ammonium nitrate-based bombs that were blasted within a span of twenty minutes.
A division bench of Justices Pankaj Bhandari and Sameer Jain pronounced the verdict after approving 28 appeals. The High Court also upheld the decision of the lower court to release one of the accused, Shahbaz.
The 4 accused were convicted and were found guilty of murder, attempt to murder, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means, conspiracy and under relevant sections of the Explosive Substances Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
While Mohammed Saif was arrested in the blast at Manak Chowk police station, Mohammad Salman was nabbed for blasts in Sanganeri Hanuman temple. Sarwar Azmi was arrested for carrying out a blast at the Chandpole Hanuman temple and Saifurehman Ansari was found guilty of planting bombs at five different places in Jaipur.
Reports said 13 people were arrested by police, out of which three are in Hyderabad and Delhi jails and the other three are still absconding. 2 were shot in the Batla House encounter while four others were sent to Jaipur jail.
India News
Amritpal Singh releases first video amid manhunt, mocks Punjab Police | WATCH
Amritpal Singh, who returned from Dubai in 2022 and took over Waris De Chief, is on the run since March 18.

Pro-Khalistani leader and Waris De Chief Amritpal Singh released his first video message amid the high-voltage drama of Punjab Police to nab him.
In the viral video, Singh can be heard mocking the efforts made by the Bhagwant Mann’s police and saying he managed to escape despite their best efforts. He put a full stop to the media reports speculating that he would surrender.
He also said if the Punjab government had the intention to arrest him, the police could have arrested him from his house.
Singh continued that his aides have been arrested in false cases and had been sent to the Assam jail just for preaching the Sikh religion. Further, he urged his supporters to keep fighting for him and support him.
Read Also: Amritpal Singh likely to surrender in Golden Temple before Akal Takht, says report
Watch the viral video:
The Punjab government on Wednesday informed the Haryana and Punjab High Court that they failed to arrest the radical preacher despite their best efforts.
The cops also carried out a flag march around the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Multiple media reports stated that Singh will surrender at the Golden Temple in public in the presence of the media.
Amritpal Singh, who returned from Dubai in 2022 and took over Waris De Chief, is on the run since March 18. The Punjab government declared him a fugitive and is in search of the pro-khalistani leader.
On Wednesday, Singh along with his close aide Papalpreet Singh managed to dodge the police and escape. Reports said an Innova vehicle with three people onboard was stopped by the police on Tuesday night at a checkpoint, however, they managed to escape in the dark.
Multiple videos of Singh are being circulated on social media. In one of the videos, Singh was seen walking in a street in Delhi market without a turban and covering his mouth with a mask.
Bombay HC refuses to grant any relief to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee in National Anthem case
India News
Video of UP policemen trampling, kicking man sleeping on train platform goes viral, users enraged | WATCH
The video also shows the policemen and the man exchanging words, however, one of the policemen can again be seen trampling the man’s feet by stepping on it.

A bizarre video has come to light from Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura Railway station where 2 policemen can be seen misbehaving with a man sleeping on the railway platform as he waits for the train. After the video went viral, many user came forward to condemn Police’s actions.
In the video, two policemen can be seen harassing a man lying on the railway platform as he waits for his train. In the video, one policeman can be seen blinding the man with torch, whereas another can be seen kicking him.
The video also shows the policemen and the man exchanging words, however, one of the policemen can again be seen trampling the man’s feet by stepping on it. The man can be seen continuing to talk to the policemen despite being harassed.
Read Also: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge hits back at PM Modi’s corruption remark, says stop image makeover
Watch video here:
User’s reaction
After the video of the incident went viral on social media, many users came forward to add their take on the incident as one user sarcastically wrote and urged the authorities to award them with bravery award, sarcastically implying at the way they behaved with man in a cowardly manner.
One user wrote and also urged other followers to share the video to make it go viral so the unruly policemen can be held accountable by the authorities.
One user wrote and added a quippy take on the narrative of new india put forth by the BJP as they wrote that they never thought that the new india will function like this, implying that the new India is even a step back from the prevailing situation in the nation.
One user wrote and said that such policemen never treat bigwig mafias or goons in such manner of hostility, implying that the police only use their arbitrary powers against the helpless and never against the people who actually deserve them.
Amritpal Singh likely to surrender in Golden Temple before Akal Takht, says report
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