Page 52 - Gujarat

CM Patel greets people on Gujarat Foundation Day; skips official function

Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel extended good wishes to people on the occasion of the Gujarat Foundation Day on Monday, but could not attend the state-level programme in Jamnagar due to his son's ill health. Bhupendra Patel's son Anuj Patel suffered a brain stroke on Sunday and underwent a surgery at the K D Hospital in Ahmedabad. He was shifted to a hospital in Mumbai on Monday morning for further treatment. A government statement said, "Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will not be able to attend various programmes of the Gujarat Foundation Day celebration to be held today in Jamnagar due to the ill health of his son." Gujarat Governor Acharya Devvrat and Health Minister Rushikesh Patel participated in the state-level programme in Jamnagar. The CM took to Twitter to wish the people of Gujarat on its 63rd foundation day. "Heartiest wishes to all the citizens on Gujarat State Foundation Day - Gujarat Gaurav Diwas. Grateful salute to all those who have contributed to the establishment

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Serious vitiating factors about trial led to Rahul's conviction: Singhvi

Senior lawyer Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Saturday told the Gujarat High Court that "very serious ex-facie vitiating factors" about the trial's process led to the conviction of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark. Singhvi is arguing on behalf of Gandhi in the high court, which began hearing the former Congress president's plea challenging the order of the Surat sessions court declining a stay to his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark. Justice Hemant Prachchhak of the high court took up the criminal revision application filed by Gandhi challenging the April 20 order of the sessions court. If the high court allows his plea, it could pave the way for Gandhi's reinstatement as a Member of Parliament. On Wednesday, high court judge Justice Gita Gopi recused herself from hearing the case after it was brought before her for an urgent hearing. The matter was then assigned to the court of Justice ...

Gujarat HC to hear Rahul's plea in 'Modi surname' defamation case today

The Gujarat High Court will hear on Saturday Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's appeal challenging the order of the Surat sessions court declining a stay to his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark. Gandhi's appeal will be heard by Justice Hemant Prachchhak on April 29, the cause list published by the high court said. On April 26, when Gandhi's lawyer P S Champaneri mentioned the case before Justice Gita Gopi, she recused herself from the hearing by saying "Not before me." The development came a day after Gandhi moved the HC. A metropolitan magistrate's court in Surat on March 23 sentenced the former Congress president to two years in jail after convicting him under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 and 500 (criminal defamation) in a 2019 case filed by Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) Gujarat MLA Purnesh Modi. Following the verdict, Gandhi, elected to the Lok Sabha from Wayanad in Kerala in 2019, was disqualified as a Member of Parliament (MP) under

PM Modi commemorates 20 years of SWAGAT initiative in Gujarat

Modi underlined that the good governance model of Gujarat has gained worldwide recognition due to the government's honest and dedicated efforts

Gujarat Cong to start 'Jan Manch' to connect to people to expose BJP govt

The Gujarat Congress will start a platform called 'Jan Manch' to allow people to voice their grievances, issues and expose corruption in the Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state. Starting from May 1, which is also the state's Foundation Day, party leaders will visit talukas under the Jan Manch initiative, Gujarat Congress Legislative Party leader Amit Chavda said at a press conference here. "Jan Manch will give a platform to people to voice their concerns. The party will try to resolve them by raising it at appropriate forums, including the Assembly. Unemployed youth, farmers, tax payers, women, labourers etc are facing lots of problems but the BJP government does not have time for them," the senior MLA said. "The BJP government in the state is busy celebrating festivals. There is rampant corruption in government offices, farmers are not getting compensation for crop loss, law and order is deteriorating, there police inaction against anti-social elements and lack of ...

Celebrations planned in Gujarat for PM's 100th episode of 'Mann Ki Baat'

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel will honour notable individuals and organisations as part of the celebrations

Gujarat State Farmers' Front holds Millets awareness programme at 90 places

The United Nations General Assembly, recognising the growing importance of millets, declared the year 2023-24 as the Year of Millets, thanks to the efforts of Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Gujarat AAP leader held in dummy candidates racket case; Oppn questions

The Gujarat police have arrested Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Yuvrajsinh Jadeja in Bhavnagar city of the state for allegedly extorting Rs 1 crore from two persons, one of whom is accused of being the mastermind of the dummy candidates racket that was exposed recently, an official said. AAP's youth wing leader Jadeja was arrested on Friday night after a marathon questioning by the police that lasted for hours, he said. Jadeja is credited for exposing the alleged dummy candidates racket earlier this month. Inspector General of Police Bhavnagar range Gautam Parmar said Jadeja extorted Rs 45 lakh from Prakash Dave, the alleged mastermind of the case, and Rs 55 lakh from Pradeep Baraiya for not revealing their names in a press conference for their alleged involvement in the dummy candidates racket. Following Jadeja's arrest, the AAP as well as the Congress slammed the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for targeting him for exposing question paper leak and dummy candidate cases in ...

Celebrate rule of law or despair its demise? Sibal on Naroda Gam acquittals

Rajya Sabha MP and senior advocate Kapil Sibal on Friday criticised the Ahmedabad court's decision to acquit all the 67 accused in the Naroda Gam case and asked whether "we should celebrate the rule of law or despair its demise". More than two decades after 11 Muslim community members were killed in the post-Godhra riots in Ahmedabad's Naroda Gam, a special court in Ahmedabad on Thursday acquitted all the 67 accused in the case, including former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani and ex-Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi. Reacting to the development, Sibal said on Twitter, "Naroda Gam: 11 of our citizens including a 12-year-old girl killed. After 21 years, 67 accused acquitted. Should we: Celebrate the rule of law or Despair its demise!" Later, he told reporters, "Somebody was killed. It is the job of the investigating agency to find out who did it. The investigating agency found out. Is it not a failure of the prosecuting agency that they could not bring them to justice." "Are the ...

21 years after riots at Naroda Gam in Gujarat, court acquits all 67 accused

More than two decades after 11 Muslim community members were killed in the post-Godhra riots in Ahmedabad's Naroda Gam, a special court here on Thursday acquitted all the 67 accused in the case, including former Gujarat minister Maya Kodnani and ex-Bajrang Dal leader Babu Bajrangi. While a lawyer of the victims' families said the judgement will be challenged before the Gujarat High Court because "justice was denied" to them, accused and their relatives termed the verdict, which came more than 21 years after the incident, as a "victory of truth". The Ahmedabad-based court of S K Baxi, special judge for Special Investigation Team (SIT) cases, acquitted all the 67 accused in one of the worst massacres witnessed during the state-wide riots triggered by the Sabarmati train carnage on February 27, 2002, after a trial spanning 13 years and half a dozen judges. The Naroda Gam case was probed by a Supreme Court-appointed SIT. A detailed judgement is expected to be made available in the comi

Siemens, Rail Vikas Nigam consortium bags 2 orders from Gujarat Metro Rail

A consortium of Siemens and Rail Vikas Nigam has bagged two separate orders from Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation. "Siemens Ltd, as part of a consortium along with Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd, received two separate orders from Gujarat Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (GMRCL)," a BSE filing by Siemens stated. "Siemens Limited's share as part of the consortium is Rs 678 crore," it added. The orders are for Surat Metro Phase 1 (over 40 kilometres covering 38 stations and 2 depots) and Ahmedabad Metro Phase 2 (over 28 kilometres covering 23 stations and 1 depot). Siemens will provide project management, and rail electrification technologies, including advanced power supply and distribution systems. In addition, Siemens will also be providing advanced digital solutions, such as Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) solutions for both metros. Gunjan Vakharia, Head of Mobility Business, Siemens Ltd, said, "We would like to thank GMRCL for trusting Siemens in their journey of creating a safe

2002 Gujarat riots: Special Court to pronounce verdict in Naroda Gam case

A special court in Ahmedabad will pronounce its verdict today in the Naroda Gam case in which former BJP MLA Maya Kodnani and several other right-wing leaders are among the accused

Six Aam Aadmi Party corporators join BJP in Surat, marking 10 exits

Earlier, four Aam Aadmi Party councillors Rita Khaini, Jyoti Lathia, Bhavna Solanki and Vipul Movaliya joined the BJP

Surat court to pronounce order on Apr 20 on Rahul's plea to stay conviction

A sessions court here on Thursday said it would pronounce on April 20 its order on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's plea for a stay to his conviction in a criminal defamation case over his "Modi surname" remark. After hearing arguments from both sides, additional sessions judge R P Mogera said he will pronounce the order on April 20. A metropolitan magistrate's court in Surat had on March 23 sentenced the Congress leader to two years in jail after holding him guilty for his remark "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname" made during an election rally in 2019. Gandhi, who was disqualified as Member of Parliament after the conviction, has filed an appeal before the sessions court against the verdict. He also prayed for a stay to the conviction in the meantime.

Trial not fair, no need for maximum punishment: Rahul Gandhi's lawyer

Rahul Gandhi's lawyer on Thursday argued in a court in Gujarat's Surat that the trial in a defamation case over the Congress leader's "Modi surname" remark was "not fair" and there was no need for maximum punishment in the case. The lawyer made the argument during a hearing currently underway on Gandhi's plea for a stay on his conviction in the defamation case. A metropolitan magistrate's court in Surat on March 23 sentenced Rahul Gandhi to two years in jail after holding him guilty for his remark "How come all thieves have Modi as the common surname", made during an election rally on April 13, 2019. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and complainant in the case, Purnesh Modi, in his reply filed earlier in the same court, had opposed Gandhi's plea for a stay on conviction saying the Congress leader is a "repetitive offender" who is in the habit of making defamatory statements. On Thursday, arguments from both sides commenced in the court of Additional Sessions Judge R P Mogera. ...

Gujarat fully prepared to tackle Covid with 95,000-plus beds :Minister

Gujarat Health Minister Rushikesh Patel on Wednesday said that in view of the spike in coronavirus cases, the state administration is fully prepared to tackle the situation efficiently with the availability of 95,687 beds and 476 oxygen plants. In the last 24 hours, Gujarat reported 397 new coronavirus positive cases and two deaths. Of the total 1,992 active cases at present, four are on ventilator support, while the condition of 1,988 others is stable, officials said. "The two-day mock drill conducted at all designated COVID-19 hospitals, health centres and healthcare facilities across the state on April 10 and 11 revealed that as many as 95,687 beds are currently available across the state to accommodate COVID-19 patients," Patel told reporters in Gandhinagar. "Of these, 33,042 beds are oxygen-supported, 8,372 are ICU beds and 6,865 beds are attached with a ventilator facility. We are following the 'test-track-treatment-vaccination' strategy to save people from this viral infectio

Torrent Power makes lowest bid for Indian power supply contract: Reports

Torrent Power quoted 13.70 rupees per unit price to supply 770 megawatts each for 45 days in April and May from two of its gas-based projects in the western state of Gujarat

Cleanliness drives, bike rally to mark BJP's 43rd foundation day in Gujarat

Week-long celebrations, including cleanliness and plantation drives, bike rallies, group meals, medical camps, have been organised in Gujarat to mark BJP's 43rd foundation day on Thursday (April 6).

BSF apprehendes Pakistani national trying to enter India via Gujarat

The Border Security Force has apprehended a Pakistani national trying to enter India through the border along Gujarat's Banaskantha district, the BSF said on Wednesday. BSF troopers observed a Pakistani national crossing the international border on Tuesday. They nabbed him as soon as he climbed down the gate near the Border Out Post (BOP) Nadeshwari in Banaskantha district, the BSF said. The man, identified as Daya Ram, a resident of Nagarparkar in Pakistan, was seen negotiating a fence gate by climbing over it to enter the Indian side of the fence, the BSF Gujarat Frontier said in a release. "He was immediately apprehended as soon as he climbed down the gate near BOP Nadeshwari in Banaskantha District," it said.