Assembly Election 2022 Live Updates: SC agrees to set up panel to probe PM's security breach in Punjab

A former Congress MLA on Monday said he has joined the Samajwadi Party along with his supporters.

Imran Masood, a western UP leader, who is believed to be close to Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, said he decided to join the SP after consulting with his supporters at his residence.

Massod, meanwhile, was booked by the local for amassing a large crowd of his supports without taking permission from the authorities amid the enforcement of the model code of conduct.

Saharanpur’s City Superintendent of Police Rajesh Kumar said Masood and his supporters were also booked for violating various anti-Covid guidelines.

No one in the crowd at Masood’s residence was wearing any mask or following the social distancing norms, he said.

 A day after joining the BJP, Manipur Congress MLA Chaltonlien Amo on Monday resigned as a member of the state assembly, an official said. In a blow to the Congress, its Manipur vice-president Amo switched over to the ruling BJP after elections to the state assembly were announced.

"Chaltonlien Amo has resigned from the membership of the Manipur Legislative Assembly," its secretary K Meghajit Singh said. Since elections to the state assembly in 2017 when the Congress won 28 seats in a house of 60, the grand old party has been beset with desertions that depleted its strength in the house.

Amo, who was elected from the Tipaimukh constituency, has been suspended from Congress after he joined the saffron party. Assembly polls will be held in the state in two phases on February 27 and March 3.

Opposition Congress on Monday accused the Uttarakhand government of violating the model code of conduct and urged the Election Commission of India to act against it.

"The state government has made appointments in different departments including excise, education and health showing utter disregard for the model code of conduct which came into force with the announcement of poll dates," Congress campaign head Harish Rawat said at a press conference here.

"The state government is violating the model code of conduct in the brazen and shameful manner by appointing chosen favourites in these departments," he said.

The party also lodged a written complaint with the state’s Chief Electoral Officer asking the commission to cancel the appointments made in violation of the model code of conduct and seize all documents related to them.

Six people, including ex-Balrampur MP of Samajwadi Party, Rizwan Zahir, and his daughter have been arrested for their alleged involvement in killing of former Tulsipur panchyat chairman Firoz Khan Pappu on January 5, police said.

Pappu was hacked to death on January 4 night by some persons, Superintendent of Police Hemant Kutiyal said, adding that on basis of CCTV footage and surveillance records police has arrested two accused Merajul Haz and Mehfooz for killing him.

Former MP Rizwan Zahir, his daughter Zeba Rizwan, son-in-law Ramiz and one other accused were also arrested for their involvement in the murder, he said.

The motive behind the killing is political rivalry and "rising popularity" of Pappu, who was demanding Samajwadi Party ticket from Tulsipur assembly seat from where Zeba was also campaigning as a prospective party candidate.

Action under Gangster's act will be taken against all the accused and the matter will be taken to the fast track court, the SP said.

Two men, including an India Reserve Battalion (IRB) personnel, were shot dead in Manipur's Imphal West district, leading to tension in the area, police said on Monday.

The incident happened around 9 pm on Sunday in Samurou in the Wangoi police station area, they said. Abujam John (50) and Abujam Sashikanta (34) were near their home when the accused, who are yet to be identified, shot them, police said. John died at the spot, while Sashikanta, the IRB personnel, succumbed to the wounds on the way to a hospital, they said.

John was an active BJP member and worked for agricultural minister O Lukhoi, party sources said. Locals said that Sashikanta was also a BJP supporter and worked for the party in the area. Chief Minister N Biren Singh visited the families of the victims on Monday morning.

The ruling BJP in Goa lost two MLAs in quick succession on Monday, after Pravin Zantye, a sitting MLA from the Mayem resigned as a legislator and from the party's primary membership.

The resignation followed hours after Ports Minister in the BJP-led government Michael Lobo, resigned as Minister, MLAs and from the party.

"The party I had joined on the word and assurance of former Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar is not the same party today," Zantye told reporters after resigning from the party.

Zantye said that he would be joining the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party soon.

Earlier on Monday, Lobo had said that he was quitting as Minister and from the BJP, accusing party leaders of sidelining grassroots workers.

"It has been quite a good, long journey with BJP. BJP workers are unhappy with the party. Maybe I am wrong also. I have seen with my own eyes, heard it with my own ears," Lobo said, adding that the party functioned differently after the demise of Parrikar.

"Party workers from other constituencies have told me that the party has become so big that it does not look at small workers. It brings new leaders and hoists them on us... We are grassroot level workers. We feel neglected, sidelined," he also said.

Reacting to the two resignations, the BJP in an official statement, that those who had quit the party ahead of elections had done so with "vested interests" in mind, and added that they should not use late Manohar Parrikar's name to gain sympathy for their actions.

"Misleading statements that BJP has compromised on Shri Parrikar's legacy is nothing but a coverup of their own deeds. Those who have switched over from BJP, just ahead of elections, for their vested interest should not use Shri Parrikar as an excuse to gain sympathy from the people," a statement issued by Goa BJP spokesperson Hemant Golatkar said.

In all four BJP MLAs have resigned over the last month, namely Lobo, Zantye, Carlos Almeida and former Forest Minister Alina Saldanha.

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to set up a panel, headed by a former apex court judge, to probe the Prime Minister Narendra Modi security breach in Punjab last week. After a detailed hearing in the matter, a bench headed by Chief Justice N.V. Ramana and comprising Justices Surya Kant and Hima Kohli said the court will set up a committee headed by a retired top court judge to probe the PM's security breach and asked both the Centre and Punjab government to not move ahead with their respective inquires into the matter.

Ports Minister in the Bharatiya Janata Party-led coalition government in Goa, Michael Lobo, resigned from the cabinet and as a legislator on Monday, with the Assembly polls just about a month ahead. Lobo said that the BJP in Goa had grown so big, that "small party" workers were being sidelined.

SC stays ongoing inquiries, proposes to set up panel headed by ex-SC judge

The Supreme Court on Monday stayed the ongoing inquiries by two separate panels of the Centre and the Punjab government into the security breach during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Punjab, and said that it will set up a committee headed by a former apex court judge to probe it.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has sent 100 pairs of jute footwear for those working at Kashi Vishwanath Dham after coming to know that most of them perform their duties bare-footed as it is forbidden to wear leather or rubber footwear in temple premises, government sources said on Monday. These include priests, people performing seva, security guards, sanitation workers and others, they added.

The Samajwadi Party has alleged that Uttar Pradesh Minister Suresh Kumar Khanna inaugurated an incomplete bridge on the Garra river here just to take credit and befool people ahead of assembly polls. "Khanna on last Thursday inaugurated the bridge which is incomplete.
BJP is doing such inaugurations to befool people as it failed on all fronts," SP district President Tanveer Khan said. The bridge was inaugurated days before the model code of conduct for assembly polls came into force, he alleged.

I've resigned both from the Goa cabinet & as MLA. In Goa BJP, I don't see Manohar Parrikar's legacy being taken forward, those party workers who supported him have been sidelined by BJP: Michael Lobo

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Monday flagged Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's speech stating '80 per cent, 20 per cent' and alleged that it was a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). Singh was reacting to a tweet by former Home Secretary Sanjeev Gupta, who in turn was reacting to Adityanath's comment aired by a TV channel that "UP elections will be about '80 per cent vs 20 per cent'" by tweeting how this is violation of the very first point mentioned in the MCC by Election Commission.

Supreme Court has begun hearing of plea seeking probe into PM Narendra Modi's security breach during his visit to Punjab.

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati's 66th birthday on January 15 this year, will not be a grand affair. The BSP president has asked her party workers to celebrate her birthday in their homes in view of the surge in the Covid cases across the state and also the implementation of the model code of conduct (MCC) after the Election Commission of India (ECI) announced the schedule for assembly elections in five states, including Uttar Pradesh. The BSP celebrates Mayawati's birthday as 'Jan Kalyankari Diwas' with much fanfare.

Ahead of Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, Minister Sidharth Nath Singh on Sunday took a dig on Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav and alleged that he knows that he'll lose, and is therefore looking for new excuses every day. Read more here 

Akhilesh Yadav knows very well that he is going to lose the Assembly elections so he is finding new excuses every day. Yesterday he accused EC, saying digital elections are unfair. Today he wrote to EC demanding suspension of govt officers: UP Minister Sidharth Nath Singh

"Current political circumstances indicate that there is a direct fight between BJP & Samajwadi Party in UP. I will hold a meeting with my supporters tomorrow & then seek time from Akhilesh Ji."

Political posters to be removed within 1-3 days. 93.61% of Ayodhya inoculated with 1st dose, more than 55% with 2nd dose, till yesterday. 3 flying squads will be deployed in each of the 5 assemblies: Ayodhya DM Nitish Kumar, on the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh 

Samyukta Samaj Morcha president Balbir Singh Rajewal on Sunday said that they will not form an alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for the Punjab Assembly polls which is scheduled to be held next month. Addressing a press conference, Rajewal said, "Samyukta Samaj Morcha will not form an alliance with the AAP for Punjab Assembly polls."

The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) on Sunday has written to the Election Commission of India suggesting an introduction of e-voting mechanism for citizens to cast their votes. The traders' body appreciated the commission's higher usage of technology, apps, and the latest move to allow candidates to file their nomination papers online.

Tribal leader and Congress MLA Chaltonlien Amo of Tipaimukh Assembly constituency joined the ruling BJP on Sunday -- a day after the Election Commission announced the schedule of the elections to the 60-member Manipur assembly.

Suheldev Bharatiya Samaj Party chief Om Prakash Rajbhar on Sunday claimed that a senior BJP leader met him at his residence, whom he offered to contest on his party's ticket in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls if the ruling outfit denies him the chance. He also claimed that Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Anupriya Patel is in touch with the opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) for the polls. Rajbhar added that several BJP ministers are in touch with SP chief Akhilesh Yadav. Rajbhar's party has forged an alliance with the SP for the state assembly polls slated to begin from February 10.