Headlines from today's papers:
Three sentenced to death for Shakti Mills gang rapes
In a landmark judgement, a Mumbai sessions court awarded the death penalty to three repeat offenders in the gang rapes of two women in the Shakti Mills compound last year. The ruling marks the first instance in which the death penalty has been awarded under the new Section 376E of the Indian Penal Code, which was introduced after the Delhi gang rape of December 2012.
Jama Masjid Imam asks Muslims to vote for Congress
Three days after a meeting with Sonia Gandhi, Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid, issued his endorsement of the Congress Party on Friday. As head Imam of India's largest mosque, his endorsement is expected to provide a boost to the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections. This also further indicates a recent shift in the electoral rhetoric of the Congress towards religion, a shift that has been strongly criticised by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
EC refuses to ban broadcast of Cobrapost Babri Masjid sting
The Election Commission declined the Bharatiya Janata Party's request to stop the broadcast of a sting operation carried out by investigative website Cobrapost on the Babri Masjid demolition. The EC asked the BJP to approach the courts for an injunction. The sting alleges that the demolition of the mosque in 1992 was a carefully orchestrated plan by various wings of the Sangh Parivar. It also shows that senior BJP leaders such as LK Advani and Kalyan Singh were aware of the operation. The BJP Friday denied the allegations and branded the sting as "Congress-sponsored".
Kejriwal assaulted in Delhi
Aam Admi Party's chief Arvind Kejriwal was assaulted in Delhi on Friday while campaigning in the Dakshinpuri area. While shaking hands with supporters, Kejriwal was punched in the back. Before the attacker could go any further, he was held and thrashed by AAP workers before being handed over to the police. Kejriwal later reprimanded his supporters for resorting to violence themselves.
BJP criticises The Economist's swing at Modi
The Bharatiya Janata Party took serious issue with The Economist's recent article saying that a Congress-led government would be "less disturbing" than one under the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. The magazine said that despite the tainted record of the Congress, it could not endorse Modi's candidature due to the 2002 Gujarat riots. The BJP leadership branded the article as "patronising", "lacking objectivity" and "out of touch with ground realities".
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Three sentenced to death for Shakti Mills gang rapes
In a landmark judgement, a Mumbai sessions court awarded the death penalty to three repeat offenders in the gang rapes of two women in the Shakti Mills compound last year. The ruling marks the first instance in which the death penalty has been awarded under the new Section 376E of the Indian Penal Code, which was introduced after the Delhi gang rape of December 2012.
Jama Masjid Imam asks Muslims to vote for Congress
Three days after a meeting with Sonia Gandhi, Maulana Syed Ahmed Bukhari, the Shahi Imam of Delhi's Jama Masjid, issued his endorsement of the Congress Party on Friday. As head Imam of India's largest mosque, his endorsement is expected to provide a boost to the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections. This also further indicates a recent shift in the electoral rhetoric of the Congress towards religion, a shift that has been strongly criticised by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
EC refuses to ban broadcast of Cobrapost Babri Masjid sting
The Election Commission declined the Bharatiya Janata Party's request to stop the broadcast of a sting operation carried out by investigative website Cobrapost on the Babri Masjid demolition. The EC asked the BJP to approach the courts for an injunction. The sting alleges that the demolition of the mosque in 1992 was a carefully orchestrated plan by various wings of the Sangh Parivar. It also shows that senior BJP leaders such as LK Advani and Kalyan Singh were aware of the operation. The BJP Friday denied the allegations and branded the sting as "Congress-sponsored".
Kejriwal assaulted in Delhi
Aam Admi Party's chief Arvind Kejriwal was assaulted in Delhi on Friday while campaigning in the Dakshinpuri area. While shaking hands with supporters, Kejriwal was punched in the back. Before the attacker could go any further, he was held and thrashed by AAP workers before being handed over to the police. Kejriwal later reprimanded his supporters for resorting to violence themselves.
BJP criticises The Economist's swing at Modi
The Bharatiya Janata Party took serious issue with The Economist's recent article saying that a Congress-led government would be "less disturbing" than one under the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi. The magazine said that despite the tainted record of the Congress, it could not endorse Modi's candidature due to the 2002 Gujarat riots. The BJP leadership branded the article as "patronising", "lacking objectivity" and "out of touch with ground realities".
