Coimbatore Corporation proposes underground drainage project to meet future demands

New Delhi, Nov 21 (IANS) In light of the recent terror attack near Red Fort, Delhi Lieutenant Governor (L-G) V.K. Saxena has directed Police Commissioner Satish Golcha and Chief Secretary Rajeev Verma to take proactive and precautionary measures aimed at ensuring safety and security in the Capital, an official said on Friday.

In a letter addressed to the top officials, L-G Saxena sought action taken within three weeks on suggestions like better licensing and regulation of storage of Ammonium Nitrate – a chemical used by the terrorist in the attack, use of drones and sale-purchase of used vehicles.

“The horrific Delhi terror incident of November 10 has brought certain security dimensions into sharp focus. These have a direct bearing on public order and need to be addressed on priority,” said the letter written by the Principal Secretary to the L-G.

Apart from emphasising the regulation of the used car market and the use of drones, the L-G also suggested stricter background checks of doctors and health professionals hired by hospitals and nursing homes.

In a direction to the transport department, the L-G said, “Clear directions should be given that under no circumstance will vehicles be allowed to ply where the actual owner is different from the registered owner.”

This problem is reportedly most acute in cases of auto rickshaws, where the permit holder is different from the actual owner, he said.

On the need to check antecedents of medical staff, the letter issued by Raj Niwas said, “It has been flagged by security agencies that private health institutions in Delhi and NCR regions are engaging medical professionals without due diligence and background checks.”

The letter, issued by the Principal Secretary to the L-G, also directed the Health Department to create a central data repository, containing records of doctors and para-medical staff engaged, along with details of their medical degrees.

In cases where medical professionals have secured degrees from foreign countries, information should also be shared with the police department for secondary background checks, said the L-G.

The Raj Niwas also advised the Delhi Police to improve digital surveillance and hold a consultation exercise with heads of social media platforms, including Meta, X, etc., for a scientific tracking of radicalised content aimed at brainwashing citizens.

In a message on X, the Raj Niwas said, “Lt Governor @LtGovDelhi, Shri V.K Saxena has directed Police Commissioner, Delhi & Chief Secretary, GNCTD to implement proactive and concrete, preventive and precautionary measures aimed at ensuring safety and security in the Capital.”

–IANS

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New Delhi, May 23 (IANS) Kerala BJP President, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, on Saturday alleged that the so-called Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) was part of a “cross-border influence operation” aimed at destabilising India, as the BJP demanded an investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the satirical social media campaign.

In a post on X, Chandrasekhar described the emergence of the CJP as a coordinated influence campaign targeting both India and the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The Cockroach Janata Party gambit is yet another classic cross-border ‘influence operation’ targeting India and PM Narendra Modi’s govt — designed by vested interests to destabilise India – helped along by elements in our Opposition,” Chandrasekhar claimed.

He further warned about the growing use of Artificial Intelligence, bots and social media platforms in shaping narratives and influencing public opinion.

“In the age of social media, bots, AI and its weaponisation, influence operations are dangerous, effective ways to DESTABILISE by building fake, seemingly organic narratives,” he stated.

The BJP leader said he had consistently maintained that India’s economic growth and modernisation under PM Modi would invite resistance from several quarters internationally.

“I have always maintained, India’s rise and its modernisation under PM Narendra Modi will be resented by many countries, and there will be many hurdles created for our continued rise,” he added.

Referring to global crises in recent years, Chandrasekhar said India had managed to remain resilient despite multiple international challenges.

“Starting with Covid, world economies, even the biggest ones including India, have had to face major challenges — pandemic, Russia-Ukraine war, US-Iran war, energy shocks, Chinese aggression — but through all these crises, PM Modi has kept all Indians protected, safe and resilient and kept our economy growing,” he said.

Calling it a reflection of “true leadership”, Chandrasekhar asserted that no campaign or vested interest could weaken the country’s collective resolve.

“No cockroach, no petty Indian Opposition politician, no Modi-hater, no foreign vested interest can derail our collective resolve to build a better future for all Indians,” the Kerala BJP chief added.

The CJP emerged earlier this month as a satirical political campaign reportedly founded by political communications strategist Dipke, who had earlier worked with the AAP.

The campaign gained significant traction on social media following controversy over remarks allegedly made by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant against unemployed individuals during a court hearing.

The remarks triggered criticism online, particularly among younger social media users, leading to the rapid spread of the satirical campaign.

However, the Chief Justice later clarified that his observations were specifically directed at those obtaining “fake and bogus degrees” and not at legitimate legal professionals.

Currently, the CJP has crossed 21.9 million followers on Instagram.

Meanwhile, BJP Rajya Sabha MP, Manan Kumar Mishra, also backed the demand for an NIA probe and defended the Chief Justice’s remarks.

“What the Bharatiya Janata Party has said, that it should be investigated through the NIA… I am the Chairman of the Bar Council of India, and of course, a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. What I want to say is, as the leader of the Indian Bar, we are also going to issue a statement, and we will address the media as well,” Mishra told IANS.

He further said that the Chief Justice’s remarks were being interpreted out of context and were directed specifically at individuals allegedly practising law using fake degrees.

“The Chief Justice was referring to those who obtain fake degrees, wear black coats, bands, and robes, and appear in court. That statement was about them. The background of that situation was different,” he said.

Mishra also claimed that the Bar Council of India was aware of the issue of fake legal practitioners operating in court complexes.

“The Bar Council of India is aware that around 35 to 40 per cent of those seen in court complexes wearing black coats and bands are fake. Their degrees are absolutely fake; they manufactured them somewhere or bought them from somewhere, and on that basis, they are practising in courts,” he added.

–IANS

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Kolkata, July 15 (IANS) A Trinamool Congress legislator and two councillors of Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC), who were named as accused in the latest supplementary charge sheet in the 2021 post-poll violence case in West Bengal, on Tuesday, approached a single judge bench of the Calcutta Court seeking anticipatory bail.

The single judge bench of Justice Jay Sengupta admitted the individual anticipatory bail petitions from Paresh Paul, the Trinamool Congress legislator from the Beliaghata Assembly constituency in north Kolkata, and the two party councillors, namely Swapan Samaddar from ward number 58 and Papiya Ghosh from ward number 30. Samaddar is also a member (mayor-in-council) of KMC.

The matter is expected to come up for hearing on Wednesday.

The Central Bureau of Investigation had already served notices summoning Paul, Samaddar, and Ghosh, asking them to be present at the CBI’s Kolkata office for interrogation by July 18. So, party insiders said, the three leaders have moved the anticipatory bail plea seeking protection from any coercive action, including arrest in the matter.

Paul was the only legislator from the state to be questioned by the CBI sleuths earlier in the case.

On July 2, CBI issued a statement claiming that it had submitted a supplementary charge sheet at a special court in Kolkata on June 20, naming 18 additional accused persons, including the legislator and two councillors.

Besides Paul, Samaddar, and Ghosh, the former officer-in-charge of Narkeldanga Police Station, Subhojit Sen, and the former woman sub-inspector of the same police station, Ratna Sarkar, were also named as accused in CBI’s fresh supplementary charge sheet.

To recall, Abhijit Sarkar was killed on May 2, 2021, soon after the results of the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections were declared, where Trinamool Congress bagged a landslide victory.

Initially, the investigation into the matter was started by the homicide squad under the detective department of Kolkata Police, which in its charge sheet named 15 people as accused.

Subsequently, following an order of the Calcutta High Court, the CBI took over the investigation by registering a case in August 2021 and in September 2021 filed a supplementary charge sheet against 20 accused persons, including the 15 previously charge-sheeted by the city police.

–IANS

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