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Unnao case: Congress walks out, Smriti Irani warns against “politicising” rape

How are criminals feeling so emboldened, asked Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary, the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, before his party MPs walked out of the House to protest the gruesome incident in Unnao, where a 23-year-old woman was thrashed, stabbed and set on fire by her alleged rapists.

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Opposition uproar leads to adjournment of Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha

How are criminals feeling so emboldened, asked Adhir Ranjan Chaudhary, the leader of the Congress in the Lok Sabha, before his party MPs walked out of the House to protest the gruesome incident in Unnao, where a 23-year-old woman was thrashed, stabbed and set on fire by her alleged rapists.

She was on her way to the court for a hearing in the rape case on Thursday when five men, included two rape accused, attacked her.

According to reports, the woman, with 90 per cent burns, ran for almost a kilometre crying for help. One witness claimed that the woman was running in a ball of fire when he saw her screaming for help. He said he dialed the emergency 100 helpline and put his mobile on speaker to get the woman to speak to the police.

“The Unnao victim has 95% burns. What is going on in the country? On one hand there is a Lord Ram temple being built and on the other hand Sita maiya is set ablaze. How are criminals feeling so emboldened?” Chaudhary said in the Lok Sabha.

Union Minister Smriti Irani hit back at the Opposition for “politicising” rape cases. “Women safety and respect should not be given communal colour. A member used Telangana and Unnao incidents but selectively forgot Malda. Rape has been used as a political weapon in the West Bengal,” she said.

As Opposition MPs continued to shout slogans against her remarks, Irani reiterated that whatever happened in Telegana and Unnao was “shameful and accused should be hanged” but warned against “doing politics”.

Union Minister Prakash Javadekar condemned the way MPs behaved when she was speaking and demanded that they apologise to her.

Shiv Sena’s Arvind Sawant suggested that a law be constituted through which such (crimes against women) cases are heard directly by the Supreme Court. “Right now the procedure starts from lower courts and the process goes on and on. I appeal to you (Speaker) to set up a committee to discuss this,” he said.

One of the two men accused of raping the Unnao woman last year was granted bail 10 days ago. The other man had been on the run.

All the five men were arrested and the woman was airlifted to Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital.

The woman in her statement said that she was on her way from her village in Unnao district to Rae Bareli where the trial in the rape case is going on.

“I was going to a local railway station at 4 am to catch a train to Rae Bareli. Five people were waiting for me. They surrounded me and first hit me on the leg with a stick and also stabbed me in the neck with a knife. After that they poured petrol on me and set me on fire,” the woman told the police from her hospital bed in Unnao.

“When I started shouting, a crowd collected and the police was called,” she said.

The incident, just days after the Hyderabad rape case in which the woman’s body was set of fire by the accused, triggered outrage in the Parliament. In a shocking twist, all four accused in the case were killed in a police encounter this morning.

The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for 30 minutes amid an uproar by opposition parties on Thursday.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi and Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav hit out at the Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh over the law and order situation.

Priyanka Gandhi said BJP leaders should stop their “false propaganda”.

“Yesterday the home minister of the country and Uttar Pradesh chief minister lied that law and order in Uttar Pradesh has become good. Seeing such incidents every day leads to anger,” she said.

The Samajwadi Party demanded that the Adityanath government should step down.

“The state government should take moral responsibility of the incident and resign,” demanded Akhilesh Yadav.

The National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma sought an action taken a report from the Uttar Pradesh police as well as a detailed report on the reported heinous crimes committed against women and bail granted in such cases in the last three years.

“Considering the gravity of the matter, it is requested to send a detailed action taken report in the matter from the date of filing complaint of rape by the rape survivor and strict action be taken against erring officials for not providing protection to the rape victim, if found guilty,” Sharma said in the letter.

Unnao has been in the spotlight after a young woman accused former BJP MLA Kuldeep Sengar of raping her.

India News

Union Cabinet approves 2% hike in DA for central govt employees, pensioners

This follows July 2024’s 3% DA hike (50% to 53%) and precedes the anticipated 8th Pay Commission recommendations expected in 2026. Since 2020, DA revisions have followed this biannual pattern, except during the pandemic-induced freeze from April 2020 to June 2021.

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The Union Cabinet Friday announced a 2% increase in Dearness Allowance (DA) for central government employees and Dearness Relief (DR) for pensioners, marking the second such adjustment this fiscal year. The revised rates, rising from 53% to 55% of basic pay, will take effect from January 1, 2025, benefiting approximately 1.15 crore individuals across the country.

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed the decision following today’s Cabinet meeting, stating the hike reflects the government’s commitment to mitigating inflation’s impact on its workforce. “This revision aligns with our established formula based on the All-India Consumer Price Index data,” Vaishnaw said. The move carries an annual financial implication of ₹6,614.04 crore for the exchequer.

Detailed Financial Impact
The increase affects 48.66 lakh active employees and 66.55 lakh pensioners. For illustration:

  • Senior bureaucrats with ₹2 lakh basic pay will see monthly DA rise by ₹4,000 (from ₹1.06 lakh to ₹1.10 lakh)
  • Mid-level officers drawing ₹56,100 basic pay gain ₹1,122 monthly
  • Entry-level staff (₹18,000 basic) receive an additional ₹360 per month

Implementation Timeline
The Finance Ministry has directed all departments to:

  1. Process revised payments for February 2025 salaries
  2. Calculate and disburse January arrears separately
  3. Complete all account adjustments by March 31, 2025

This follows July 2024’s 3% DA hike (50% to 53%) and precedes the anticipated 8th Pay Commission recommendations expected in 2026. Since 2020, DA revisions have followed this biannual pattern, except during the pandemic-induced freeze from April 2020 to June 2021.

State governments typically follow the Centre’s lead on such adjustments, suggesting similar announcements may follow from various state capitals in coming weeks. The move comes as the government balances fiscal responsibility with welfare commitments in an election year.

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Cricket news

Who is the best T20 player right now? Harbhajan picks THIS cricketer over Head, Abhishek and McGurk

Nicholas Pooran has earned Harbhajan Singh’s vote as the best T20 batter right now, ahead of Travis Head and Abhishek Sharma, after a fiery IPL 2025 start.

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Nicholas Pooran, Harbhajan Singh, who is best T20I batter, Travis Head, Abhishek Sharma, Jake Fraser-McGurk,

India spin legend Harbhajan Singh, now part of the IPL 2025 commentary panel, has weighed in on one of T20 cricket’s most debatable questions—who is the best T20 batter right now?

Is it Australia’s in-form explosive opener Travis Head, India’s rising star Abhishek Sharma, or the ultra-aggressive Jake Fraser-McGurk? No, says Harbhajan.

His pick? Nicholas Pooran, the Trinadidan tsunami.

The former off-spinner declared his choice on social media after Nicholas Pooran’s latest blitz for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2025. “Currently Nicholas Pooran is the best player of T20 format. Period!” he posted on X.

Presenting the batter’s T20 stats, Harbhajan declared Pooran as the best T20 player in the world right now, following his electrifying start to IPL 2025 with LSG.

Continuing his red-hot form, the 29-year-old Trinadadian has smashed 145 runs in just two matches, including a 26-ball 70 against Sunrisers Hyderabad and a 75 from 30 balls vs Delhi Capitals. He currently holds the Orange Cap, with a strike rate of 258.92 and average of 72.50.

After his destructive knock against SRH, Nicholas Pooran became the second player after KL Rahul to score over 1000 runs for LSG. He reached the milestone in just 31 matches, averaging 45.54 at a destructive strike rate of 184.53.

Known for his effortless power-hitting, Pooran holds the record for the most IPL fifties scored in under 20 balls—doing so four times, more than any other player. He recently smashed an 18-ball half-century, second-fastest for LSG, only behind his own 15-ball effort from IPL 2023.

When it comes to speed, Pooran leads again—holding the record for most IPL fifties in under 20 balls (4). Travis Head and Fraser-McGurk have managed this feat three times each.

In a tournament full of hard-hitters, Pooran isn’t just keeping pace—he’s setting it.

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India News

Justice Yashwant Varma transferred to Allahabad High Court amid row

Justice Yashwant Varma has been transferred from the Delhi High Court to the Allahabad High Court, with the Centre formalising the move amid a continuing cash stash controversy.

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Justice Yashwant Varma transferred to Allahabad High Court

The Central government has approved the transfer of Delhi High Court judge Justice Yashwant Varma to the Allahabad High Court, following the recommendation of the Supreme Court collegium. The decision, formalised by the Union Law Ministry on Thursday, comes amid ongoing controversy over an alleged cash stash incident linked to the judge’s residence.

“In exercise of the power conferred by clause (1) of Article 222 of the Constitution of India, the President, after consultation with the Chief Justice of India, is pleased to transfer Shri Justice Yashwant Varma… to be a Judge of Allahabad High Court,” stated the official notification.

The Supreme Court had earlier clarified that the transfer was not related to the ongoing inquiry into the alleged cash discovery at Justice Varma’s official bungalow, where a fire reportedly destroyed a substantial amount of money. The judge has denied the allegations, calling them baseless and part of a conspiracy.

Protests and criticism over transfer decision

The decision has triggered protests by lawyers in the Allahabad High Court, who have objected to what they perceive as a pattern of sending judges to their court as a punitive measure. They argue that such transfers reinforce a negative perception of the court being used as a “dumping ground.”

Former Attorney General of India Mukul Rohatgi also voiced concern over the matter, suggesting the transfer appears linked to the controversy surrounding the alleged cash stash. “There are several loose ends in this case… I don’t think there is any great thing in saying that the transfer is not connected to the scam,” he said, questioning the Supreme Court’s statement distancing the move from the investigation.

Justice Varma, in a response submitted to the committee formed by Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna, described the allegations as damaging to his reputation. “In the life of a judge, nothing matters more than reputation and character. That has been severely tarnished and irreparably damaged,” he wrote.

The controversy continues to stir debate within the legal community, even as Justice Varma prepares to assume his new position at the Allahabad High Court.

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