Srinagar, July 3 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday issued a notice to incarcerated Lok Sabha MP Engineer Rashid over disparity in his poll expenditure statement.

Rashid, who is lodged in jail since 2019 after being charged by the NIA in a terror-funding case, defeated former J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah from the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat as an Independent candidate by over 2 lakh votes in the recent elections.

The ECI notice was served by the deputy district election officer in Baramulla, highlighting the expenditure register submitted by Rashid which showed Rs 2.10 lakh while the actual amount recorded in the shadow register maintained by observers shows Rs 13.78 lakh.

The notice directed Rashid or his representative to appear before the district expenditure monitoring committee within two days to address the discrepancy and ensure timely submission of the expenditure report to the ECI.

The notice said that failure to comply with election expense reporting requirements could lead to disqualification under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, for a period of three years.

Doubts had been raised during the Lok Sabha elections as to how Rashid’s liabilities were reduced significantly while his assets increased over the past five years despite being lodged in jail.

According to the 2024 poll affidavit, the former MLA’s assets were valued at Rs 1.55, crore compared to Rs 80 lakh in 2019, including a 41,072 sq ft non-agriculture land in his hometown Langate and a house in Srinagar worth Rs 90 lakh.

A science graduate with a diploma in civil engineering, Rashid also declared Rs 11.31 lakh home loan and Rs 3.11 lakh Kisan Credit Card loan as liabilities.

Five years back, he had declared a residential house in the posh Jawahar Nagar locality in Srinagar purchased in 2017 as his only asset, and also stated that he had a liability of Rs 60 lakh towards a home loan from a bank.

Rashid, who won the Assembly polls from Langate in Kupwara district in 2008 and 2014, is presently lodged in Tihar jail in connection with a case being probed by the NIA alleging his involvement in money laundering linked to terror funding.

The Patiala House Court in Delhi has granted him parole for two hours on July 5 for taking oath as a Member of Parliament.

–IANS

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Mumbai, July 3 (IANS) Top Congress leaders on Wednesday gave a call for the ouster of Maharashtra’s MahaYuti government and a return of the Maha Vikas Aghadi regime in the October Assembly elections.

AICC General Secretary Ramesh Chennithala and state unit President Nana Patole said that Congress is a party which takes along all sections of society because of which the MVA notched a resounding victory in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, bagging 31 of the 48 seats in the state.

“Even in the upcoming October Assembly polls, we will make all efforts to ensure that all sections of society get proper representation. All party workers must work with the same zeal right from the taluka level to the polling booth levels and ensure the corrupt MahaYuti regime is weeded out,” Chennithala said.

Patole said that though the LS elections are over, the political struggle continues with the next target being the Assembly polls for which all must work unitedly and hoist the victory flag over the Mantralaya.

“Various special cells and departments of the state Congress played a commendable role in the party’s huge victory in the Lok Sabha polls. Our activists went door-to-door in all villages to spread the Congress’ message of 5 Nyays and 25 Guarantees which created a huge impact and led to the success,” he added.

Chennithala and Patole were accorded a grand felicitation at a function held by the state Congress in Mumbai where speakers lauded their leadership role that helped reap a rich harvest of seats for the MVA in the LS polls.

They also slammed various policies of the MahaYuti of the Shiv Sena-Bharatiya Janata Party-Nationalist Congress Party, and how they spin fake narratives, make false promises, and failed to implement them, leaving the masses high and dry without taking any responsibility, while dividing the society.

The Congress SC-ST-OBC and Minority Department’s National Coordinator K. Raju, SC Department chief Rajesh Lilhotia, state Minority Department chief Wajahat Mirza, besides Pragya Waghmare, Nana Gawande, Pramod More, Pratibha Shinde, and others were present and honoured for the party work in the elections.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 4 (IANS) Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has amended parliamentary rules to restrict newly elected MPs from using any additional words or remarks before or after taking the oath or affirmation of membership.

The Speaker has made an amendment to Rule 389 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha (Seventeenth Edition).

According to the amendment, a “member shall make and subscribe oath or affirmation, as the case may be, in accordance with the form set out for the purpose, in the Third Schedule to the Constitution of India and shall not use any word or expression or make any remark as a prefix or suffix to the form of oath or affirmation.”

The amendment comes amid controversy over some MPs raising slogans like “Jai Palestine”, “Jai Hindu Rashtra” while taking oath.

Recently, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi raised slogans of ‘Jai Bhim, Jai Mim, Jai Telangana and ‘Jai Palestine’ in the House after taking oath as an MP. Apart from Owaisi, some other MPs were also seen raising slogans before or after taking oath.

–IANS

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Bengaluru, July 4 (IANS) The police in Karnataka’s Shivamogga district have registered a case against four persons who have been accused of harassing a couple while they were spending time together, an official said on Wednesday.

The incident happened at the Tunga Reservoir on Tuesday.

According to police sources, the couple, who are in a relationship, had gone to the reservoir along with their common friend.

When they were spending time talking to each other, a group of four local youths approached them.

The youths had misbehaved with the couple and assaulted the woman’s boyfriend and his friend.

They also asked both to leave the place and leave the girl behind. Eventually, the police were informed, following which a team rushed to the spot and rescued the young woman.

The police have registered a case of kidnapping against the accused youths.

–IANS

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Jammu, July 4 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir DGP Police R.R. Swain, while providing updates on the security situation in the UT, on Wednesday said that the graph of terrorism within the region has come down and assured that the few remaining foreign terrorists would soon be neutralised.

Swain highlighted the challenge of individuals supporting terrorists for financial gain, emphasising that the police are taking strict measures against anyone aiding terrorism.

He affirmed the commitment to addressing coordinated support for terrorism and reiterated that any ideology promoting violence will not be tolerated.

The DGP also cited the massive participation in the recent Lok Sabha elections as proof of significant improvements in the law and order situation in the Kashmir Valley.

–IANS

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