The Election Commission (EC) has barred BJP strongman Himanta Biswa Sarma from holding any public meetings, rallies, road shows, interviews etc for 48 hours over his remarks against BPF chief Hagrama Mohilary. In its official notification, the EC said that Sarma's reply to the show-cause notice, which was issued earlier, were "not found to be satisfactory". Hence while condemning Sarma's statement, under Article 324 of the Constitution of India, the EC has taken the step to ban the BJP leader from further campaigining with immediate effect. ECI secretary Ajay Kumar Verma said that Sarma has "violated" the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct, which came into force since February 26, 2021.
An FIR has been filed against AIUDF chief Badaruddin Ajmal by Oitijya Suraksha Samiti on Thursday for allegedly disrespecting the Assamese gamocha in an election rally. The video of the incident which has gone viral on social media shows Ajmal throwing the gamocha at a person who wanted to felicitate him. "Today we have filed an FIR at Tezpur police station against AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal for showing disrespect to state's traditional symbol. We demand action against him for disrespecting our traditional symbol," said Nayan Jyoti Kalita, secretary of Oitijya Suraksha Samiti. Meanwhile, NEDA convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma didn't lose the opportunity to critisize Ajmal. While addressing a rally, Sarma said that Ajmal didn't deserve to be honoured with the gamocha. "Action should be taken against the other person who wanted to felicitate Ajmal with a gamocha. Ajmal don't deserved felicitation," Sarma said.
Two persons were injured after police fired rubber bullets at a mob that attempted to snatch an EVM at a polling booth in Assam"s Udalguri district, alleging rigging by BJP and its ally UPPL, officials said on Friday. The incident took place at number 215 Raja Pukhuri LP School in Kalaigaon on Thursday night. After the poll ended, an argument broke out between polling agents and officials over the signing of documents. Barring two polling agents, all others reached the venue late in the morning as a result of which, their signatures could not be collected. The presiding officer also did not take the signatures at the end of the polling, an official of the district administration said.
Priyanka Gandhi cancelled her Assam visit on Friday as the family members in her in-laws have tested positive for COVID-19, informed Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President Ripun Bora. Gandhi was about to participate in three election rallies at Goalpara East, Golakganj and Sarukhetri. The Congress leader is now in home quarantine after her family members have been detected with the virus.
Assam Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) has staged protest in Guwahati on Friday against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). The organizations took out a bike rally from Guwahati Club to Chandmari-Ganeshguri. Protests erupted in the state since the citizenship bill has been placed in the Parliament and continued demanding to withdraw the citizenship law.
The Election Commission on Friday suspended four officials after a video surfaced on social media purportedly showing an EVM being found in a BJP candidate's car in Patharkandi constituency following the second round of polling in Assam. "The Presiding Officer was issued a show-cause notice for violation of the transport protocol. Thereafter, the PO and three other officials have been placed under suspension." EC said in an official statement. "On examination, the polled EVM comprising of BU, CU, and VVPAT was found to be with its seal intact without any damage whatsoever. All the items have been deposited in the strong room," it said further.
The Morigaon Police have provided PSO to the journalist of Pratidin Time Nazrul Islam after he was threatened by state minister Pijush Hazarika on Thursday over the phone. Hazarika threatened the journalist after a news has been aired which showed his wife Aaimee Baruah saying that 'We Need CAA' while campaigning for her husband. Hazarika also threatened Islam of killing him and that he will be 'nowhere'. Following the incident, journalists from across the state and other political and non-political organizations reacted for threatening a journalist. The journalist also filed an FIR and thereafter he was provided with the PSO by the Morigaon Superintendent of Police Nanda Singh.
In yet another violent incident during the second phase of Assam Assembly polls on Thursday, a goon of UPPL who is allegedly an ex-terrorist bashed up senior member of Bodoland Peoples' Front (BPF) Amal Das at Udalguri Girls School voting center and threatened CRPF personnel during the polling. The alleged terrorist named Lambu alias Kanan Goyari had also criminal records of killing hundreds of innocent persons and also killed army and defence personnel. An FIR was lodged in this connection by BPF leader Rihon Daimary stating that Amal Das has been brutally attacked by Goyari and Lalit Swargiary at around 5 pm yesterday outside the entry gate of the girls' higher secondary school.
Taking a jibe at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, BJP National President JP Nadda on Friday said that the former is a political tourist. "Rahul Baba is a political tourist who couldn't differentiate between tea gardens of Assam and Sri Lanka. Yet they dare to seek votes from people of Assam," said Nadda while addressing an election rally at Patacharkuchi where he campaigned for the party's state president Ranjit Kumar Dass. Nadda further said that during election, few people are political activists and few are political tourists and Rahul is one of them. Further slamming the Congress party, Nadda said that it is a communal party. "In Assam Congress is friend with Badruddin Ajmal. In 2006, Tarun Gogoi said 'Who is Badruddin' & in 2021 his son said 'He is Badruddin," said Nadda. Congress party is engulfed in mental insolvency and opportunistic politics. Mental bankruptcy has taken on the ideology of the party, added Nadda. He further stated that the BJP will provide jobs to 8 lakh youths of Assam and will create entrepreneurship avenues for 2 lakh youth through SVAYEM.
Hours after the second phase of Assam Assembly polls concluded on Thursday, a video went viral on social media which allegedly showed the EVMs in the car of Patharkandi BJP candidate Krishnendu Paul. The video went viral after it was tweeted by senior journalist Atanu Bhuyan who mentioned that the situation is tense in Patharkandi following the incident. Soon after the video goes viral in social media, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi slammed the BJP over the incident and asked the Election Commission to act decisively. She also demanded re-evaluation of the use of EVM by all the national parties.
India has yet again recorded the highest daily surge in COVID-19 cases since October with 81,466 new infections reported in the last 24 hours. The total COVID caseload stood at 1,23,03,131. Around 50,356 patients were discharged and the recovery tally mounted to 1,15,25,039. Registering a steady increase for the 23rd day in row, the active cases have increased to 6,14,696 comprising 5% of the total infections. Meanwhile, 469 deaths were reported due to the virus in last 24 hours, which are highest in the last 5 months. According to data provided by Union health ministry, a total of 6,87,89,138 vaccinations have been done till date.
The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced that it will re-conduct practical exams for classes 10 and 12 students who could not appear in the exam after being infected by COVID-19. The affected students will get another shot at the exam latest by June 11, CBSE announced on Thursday. "If any candidate is absent in practical because of being COVID positive or any family member – mother, father, brother and sister, etc – is reported COVID positive, schools will conduct practical of such candidates at an appropriate time in consultation with the concerned regional officer but latest by June 11, 2021," reads the official notification.
Superstar Amitabh Bachchan has received his first dose of COVID-19 vaccine on Friday. He took to his blog to share the same. The veteran actor said that his whole family is vaccinated except Abhishek Bachchan as he is currently not in Mumbai. "DONE .. vaccination done .. all well .. did Covid test for family and staff yesterday .. results came today .. all good , all negative .. so done the vaccine .. all family done except Abhishek .. he be on location and shall do it on return soon in a few days," he wrote. Last year, Amitabh, Abhishek, his daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai and granddaughter Aaradhya had tested positive for the virus. They were later admitted to a hospital.
With the construction of a 2.5 km 4-lane concrete road and a 1-lane 25-km bitumen Solapur-Bijapur road within 24 hrs, India has made three world records, said Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on Friday. "We made three world records this month. India now holds the world record for the fastest road construction. We made it to the Guinness World Records by building a 2.5 km 4-lane concrete road within 24 hours and a 1-lane 25-km bitumen Solapur-Bijapur road within 24 hours," Gadkari said while inaugurating the Tedhi Pulia flyover and laying the foundation stone for the Khuram Nagar flyover in Lucknow. He further said that the politics of the 21st century is that of progress and the government will build infrastructure worth Rs 111 lakh crore in the next five years.
Assam on Friday reported 63 fresh COVID-19 cases, pushing the active cases to 562. The new cases have been detected out of 12,322 tests conducted in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, 38 patients have been discharged today. The recoveries have touched 2,15,517 with 98.62 per cent. No death was reported today. The death rate stood at 0.51 per cent with 1,107 deaths. The state's total caseload as of today is 2,18,533.
