BJD To Release Its Election Manifesto Today

"People have alleged that someone has taken the Ratna Bhandar keys to Tamil Nadu. Wherever the keys are, the BJP government will find them out and bring to the fore all the conspiracies behind the loss of the keys," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at a Vijay Sankalpa Samavesh at Upper Bali Yatra ground in Cuttack city today. 

He said the BJP is capable of digging out the keys even if they are kept in the Patal (netherworld)

Asserting that the people of Odisha will never forsake the conspirators, the Prime Minister urged people to vote for BJP so that a double-engine government is formed with an absolute majority. 

Earlier in the day, the Prime Minister had raised the issue at Vijay Sankalpa Samavesh at Angul. There he alleged that the Ratna Bhandar keys were missing for the last six years and the BJD government and all those who have captivated the CM office are responsible for the same.

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At the outset, a vacation bench presided over by Justice Bela M Trivedi told the petitioner-in-person that the plea was liable to be dismissed. Sensing the disinclination of the apex court to entertain the plea, petitioner advocate Vishal Tiwari said that he may be allowed to withdraw the plea with the liberty to make a representation to the government.

“Do whatever you want… This petition has been filed in a very casual and cavalier manner. If you would have argued more, we would have dismissed it with costs.

But, since you are withdrawing it, we are not imposing costs,” said the Bench, also comprising Justice Pankaj Mithal. Ultimately, the plea was dismissed as withdrawn without any liberty to make a representation.

The PIL said that Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Bharatiya Sakshya Adhiniyam and Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita suffer from “many defects and discrepancies”.

“All three criminal laws were passed and enacted without any parliamentary debate as unfortunately most of the members were under suspension during the period,” it said.

Further, it claimed that the title of the three laws is not accurate as per the Interpretation of Statutes and does not speak about the statute and its motive but is ambiguous in nature. In a recent judgment, the top court urged the legislature to consider making necessary changes in the provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023 providing punishment to the husband and his family for inflicting any cruelty on a married woman.

It said that Sections 85 and 86 of the new penal code, which is to come into force with effect from July 1, are nothing but verbatim reproduction of Section 498A of the IPC, 1860 and the issue requires a relook by the legislature taking into consideration the pragmatic realities. 

(IANS)

At another polling booth, Hema Malini, who's in race for her third term as MP from Mathura, cast her vote. She came along with her daughter, actress Esha Deol.

As soon as the 88-year-old Dharmendra, sporting a jaunty hat, got off his car, he had cameras trailing him as he made his way to the polling booth dressed in red shirt paired with black pants.

(IANS)