Category: INDIA

Bhopal, July 1 (IANS) Amid speculation within the BJP that the central leadership has already approved the name of a new party chief in Madhya Pradesh, all 379 members of the electoral college are expected to arrive in Bhopal by Tuesday evening.

The list of state electoral college was published late on Monday, comprising 163 MLAs, 29 Lok Sabha MPs and district presidents of MP BJP.

The voting will take place in case there is more than one candidate contesting the polls.

These 379 electoral members will also elect 44 members of the party’s national council.

BJP state election officer for the organisational polls, Vivek Naran Shejwalkar, on Monday night, stated that the preparations for the election process have been completed, and voting will take place, in case more than one candidate comes into the fray. The nomination papers for the post of state BJP chief will be submitted between 4.30 p.m. to 6.30 p.m. on Tuesday.

With the nomination process completed, the picture will be a lot clearer, although, BJP will formally announce the name of the new state president during the working committee meeting at 2 pm on Wednesday. If the voting takes place, it would be the second time in Madhya Pradesh that the state president would be selected through an election process. Last time, Shivraj Singh Chouhan was elected as the state BJP president, who later became Chief Minister, and now he is serving as the Union Agriculture Minister.

The election process would be conducted in the presence of Union Minister and election in-charge Dharmendra Pradhan, who is scheduled to arrive in Bhopal by Tuesday afternoon. It is also likely that Pradhan will have the name of the new MP BJP chief approved by the party’s central leadership — Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

The state would get a new chief after a delay of more than a year, as V.D. Sharma completed his five-year tenure in February last year. Second-time MP from Khajuraho, V.D. Sharma, had taken charge as state BJP chief in 2020 after the party lost the Assembly election in 2018. He has been a successful state BJP chief with the party winning the Assembly election by securing 163 out of a total of 230 seats.

More importantly, the BJP managed to retain power despite huge anti-incumbency against the 20-year BJP rule in the state. The party has fought one Lok Sabha election, one Assembly election and several by-elections under his leadership.

Sharma is also the first state chief under whose leadership the BJP won all 29 Lok Sabha seats for the first time in Madhya Pradesh. Sharma is likely to be given a new responsibility at the national level in the near future. Typically, the term of a BJP state president is three years, but Sharma is the first to have held the position for such an extended period.

–IANS

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Hyderabad, July 1 (IANS) The death toll in the explosion in a pharmaceutical unit at Pashamylaram near Hyderabad rose sharply to 32 on Tuesday, with about 15 injured succumbing at hospitals overnight.

The death toll in the worst industrial disaster in Telangana may go up further as the rescue workers continued searching for the bodies in the debris of a three-storey building, which collapsed under the impact of the blast.

A massive explosion had rocked Sigachi Industries Limited’s pharmaceutical factory at Pashamylaram industrial area in Sangareddy district, about 50 km from Hyderabad, on Monday morning.

The explosion in the Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) drying unit also left 35 workers injured. The condition of 11 of them is stated to be critical.

According to officials, 27 workers were still missing. They were feared trapped under the debris.

Personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Hyderabad Disaster Response and Asset Protection Agency (HYDRAA), Revenue and police continued clearing debris.

The majority of the victims were migrant workers from states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha.

As many as 108 workers were at the factory at the time of the blast, which could be heard about five km away. The explosion triggered a huge fire, and 15 fire engines were used to douse the flames.

According to eye-witnesses, such was the impact of the explosion that workers were tossed in the air and fell several meters away.

As the bodies of some victims were blown to pieces or charred beyond recognition, the authorities were conducting DNA tests to establish their identity.

Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will be visiting the accident site on Tuesday. He will also call on the injured at a government hospital.

Health Minister Damodar Raja Narasimha told media persons at the spot on Monday that the cause of the explosion was not yet known. The company, which is 40-45 years old, manufactures Microcrystalline Cellulose, he said.

Labour Minister G. Vivek said prima facie it was not a reactor blast. Some problem in the air dryer system is believed to have resulted in the explosion and fire.

The state government appointed a high-powered committee to probe the disaster and its underlying causes.

The committer comprises the Chief Secretary, Special Chief Secretary (Disaster Management), Principal Secretary (Labour), Principal Secretary (Health) and Additional DGP (Fire Services).

According to the Chief Minister’s Office, the panel would also make recommendations to prevent the recurrence of such accidents.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) In a major step toward combating vehicular pollution, the Delhi government has begun enforcing strict new rules on End-of-Life (EOL) vehicles starting Tuesday.

As per the directives issued by the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM), all petrol pumps across the National Capital Territory (NCT) will deny fuel to old vehicles identified through AI-powered Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras.

From Tuesday onwards, EOL vehicles, those that have exceeded their legal age limit of 10 years for diesel and 15 years for petrol vehicles, will not be allowed to refuel at petrol or diesel stations. These vehicles will also be liable for hefty fines if found in public places.

Four-wheeler owners found violating the rule will be fined Rs 10,000, while two-wheeler owners will face a penalty of Rs 5,000.

AI-enabled cameras installed at petrol stations will automatically identify outdated vehicles using number plate data. Once recognised, these vehicles will be flagged in the system, preventing fuel issuance.

Petrol pump operators have expressed cautious optimism about the implementation. Sanjay Dedha, manager of a petrol pump in Vivek Vihar, said, “The Delhi government has installed the system. Let’s see from today, if vehicles within that category come. We are waiting to see if the system works fine. If there are any server-related hiccups, we will physically identify old vehicles and not provide petrol or diesel to them.”

Bharat Petroleum, Lal Kuan, Supervisor Ram Lagan Shukla said, “It has come into effect from today, the 1st of the month, that vehicles running on petrol which are over 15 years old will not be given petrol here. We will check the condition of the vehicle and its documents as well.”

The new enforcement policy is part of a broader plan to reduce emissions and improve air quality in the capital, which frequently ranks among the world’s most polluted cities.

Authorities have also announced that EOL vehicles found parked in public places or near fuel stations will be seized starting Tuesday.

Vehicle owners in Delhi are advised to verify the registration status of their vehicles and avoid using outdated vehicles to prevent penalties and seizure.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 1 (IANS) Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah is scheduled to attend a significant event titled “Golden Year of Faith in Justice System”, commemorating the successful completion of one year since the implementation of India’s new criminal laws on Tuesday.

The event will be held at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi and will begin at 3:30 p.m. HM Shah, who is the Chief Guest, will address a gathering of legal experts, policymakers, law enforcement officials, and dignitaries from across the country.

The event celebrates the transformative shift brought by the new criminal laws enacted in 2024.

Earlier on Monday, the Union Home Minister chaired a ‘Manthan Baithak’ with cooperative ministers from all States and Union Territories. The meeting was part of the government’s initiatives to commemorate the International Year of Cooperatives 2025.

Speaking at the Manthan Baithak, Shah underlined the importance of cooperation in India’s socio-economic framework. He said that while cooperatives can serve as an economic system for the entire world, for India, cooperation is a traditional philosophy of life.

He added that cooperation, living, thinking, and working together, represents the essence of Indian society.

He also acknowledged the nearly 125-year-old cooperative movement, describing it as a lifeline for the country’s poor, farmers, rural communities, and especially women, who have benefited through various phases of development and reform.

The Minister said that with sensitivity, cooperation must be revitalised for the welfare of millions of small farmers and rural people in the country because there are immense opportunities in the cooperative sector.

–IANS

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Imphal, June 30 (IANS) In a series of joint operations in Manipur, the Army and other central and state security forces have arrested eight hardcore extremists of different outfits and recovered 43 different types of arms, a large cache of ammunition and other war-like stores from eight districts, officials said on Monday.

A Defence spokesman said that the intelligence-based, coordinated joint operations resulted in the arrest of eight militants from various hill and Valley-based militant outfits.

He said that the joint operations were conducted during the past few days in the six valley and hill districts of Jiribam, Bishnupur, Kakching, Tengnoupal, Imphal East and Imphal West.

The army during the operations used specialised resources like explosive detection dogs. Army and Assam Rifles formations under the Spear Corps launched the series of operations in coordination with Manipur Police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Border Security Force (BSF), and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

The arms recovered in these joint operations include carbines, AK-47 series rifle, self-loading rifle (SLR), three303 rifle, single and double barrel guns, INSAS Rifle, Pompi (improvised mortar) and many pistols, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), grenades, ammunition and war-like stores.

The apprehended militants and the recovered arms, ammunition, explosives and other items have been handed over to Manipur Police.

These coordinated efforts by security forces highlight their unwavering commitment to maintaining peace and security in Manipur, the spokesman said.

Meanwhile, an official said that the police have arrested five militants belonging to different banned outfits from Imphal West and Imphal East districts during the last 24 hours.

The arrested militants belonged to People’s Liberation Army (PLA), Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK).

The arrested militants were involved in extortion from elected representatives such as panchayat pradhans and members, as well as from private and government schools in the districts.

A police officer said that the security forces accompanied by a bomb disposal team safely neutralised one 51 mm ILLG bomb which was found planted at Terakhongshangbi Maning Laithel under Moirang police station in Bishnupur District.

Splinters were seized from the site for further investigation. The security forces and bomb disposal team also safely neutralised an old unexploded bomb, suspected to be of WW-II vintage, after being informed of its presence by the local populace of Tengnoupal area under Tengnoupal district, which shares border with Myanmar.

–IANS

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Kolkata, June 30 (IANS) The West Bengal government, on Monday, announced the extension of Manoj Pant as the Chief Secretary for another six months following approval from the Union government.

Pant was supposed to retire from his service on Monday (June 30).

The state government seeking to retain him in that chair for another six months already sought approval on this count from the Union government a few days back.

On Monday, the office of the principal secretary to the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee received a communication from the Department of Personnel & Training (DOPT) under the Union Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pension, which is the cadre-control authority of the central service officers, that the state government’s proposal for Pant’s extension for another six months was approved.

After receiving the communication from the Union government, the state secretariat issued the notification for the extension of Pant. With this extension, the last day of Pant in the chair of the Chief Secretary will be December 31.

Pant took over the chair of Chief Secretary on August 31 this year and succeeded his predecessor B.P. Gopalika. The state government also sought a six-month extension for Gopalika, which was not approved by the Union government.

Pant had earlier served in important positions both in the Union and West Bengal governments. He is a 1999-batch Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer. At the time of taking over as the Chief Secretary last year, he was the additional chief secretary to the state irrigation department and before that, he was the state finance secretary.

He took over as the Chief Secretary at a crucial time when the state government and the ruling dispensation were going through one of its most challenging moments because of multiple issues like R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital rape and murder case and innumerable cases of corruption, among others.

–IANS

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Bengaluru, June 30 (IANS) Union Minister for Food, Public Distribution and Consumer Affairs Pralhad Joshi, alleged that Congress has made Mallikarjun Kharge its President only in name and is running the party with him as a mere puppet.

Speaking to the media in Hubballi on Monday, Union Minister Joshi said that even though Kharge holds the position of AICC President, the Congress high command has given him only symbolic authority.

He asserted that the current situation of Kharge is no different from that of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Reacting to Kharge’s recent statement — “Leadership change in the state is in the hands of the high command; we don’t know anything about it” — Pralhad Joshi said this is a clear reflection of how Congress functions and a sign that senior leaders have no value in the party.

He stated that Congress has given Kharge the post of AICC President just for namesake, without giving him any real power to make decisions, and is treating him like a puppet. “Back then, it was Manmohan Singh, today, it’s Mallikarjun Kharge — their condition is the same,” he remarked.

Union Minister Joshi further alleged that corruption is embedded in the Congress party’s DNA and that the party’s high command is deeply involved in corrupt practices.

He said that many of their leaders have gone to jail in connection with the coal scam and that no other government has witnessed as many scams as the Congress-led one.

He claimed that during the UPA regime, coal and other mines were allocated arbitrarily. “But after the NDA government came to power under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the allocation process has been made fully transparent. Even the Prime Minister or the President cannot interfere in the process, as everything is now brought under online governance,” he added.

He emphasised that the coal scam happened during the Congress regime, not after the BJP came to power.

“The entire world knows what happened in the coal allocations back then. Today, foreign and domestic investors involved in power production are happy with our transparent system,” he said.

Pralhad Joshi also criticized the Congress for failing to fulfill its pre-election promises.

“Before coming to power, they had promised that the guarantee money would be credited on the first of every month. They had promised 200 units of free electricity for everyone. What happened now? Let them explain,” Joshi challenged.

He accused the Congress MLAs themselves of exposing the corruption of the state Congress government.

“They are saying there’s no money even to clear the drains because of unscientific guarantee schemes. Home Minister G. Parameshwara himself has admitted that the Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has no money for development and has to ask the Centre.

“Congress MLAs are rising against their own government. That’s why Randeep Surjewala has come to plaster over the discontent among MLAs,” Joshi alleged.

Taking to social media X, the Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka, taunting Mallikarjun Kharge, stated, “Looks like Congress has gifted us another ‘accidental’ leader.”

“First it was Manmohan Singh, the PM who had the chair but not the command, who had the responsibility but no power. Now it’s Mallikarjun Kharge, the accidental AICC President who proudly admits he doesn’t know what the ‘high command’ is thinking,” Ashoka said.

“Dear Kharge Ji, if you are not the high command, then who is? Rahul Gandhi? Sonia Gandhi? Priyanka Gandhi or is it an invisible committee of one surname?” Ashoka slammed.

Responding to rumours regarding leadership change in Karnataka, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said on Monday that no one can predict the high command’s decision, and it is the only body in the party that can decide about the issue.

Kharge further reiterated that the high command alone has the authority to take such decisions. “It is left to their discretion. However, no one should indulge in creating unnecessary issues,” he warned.

–IANS

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Bhubaneswar, June 30 (IANS) Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Monday expressed deep concern over the ongoing issues faced by farmers in Odisha regarding the procurement of Rabi paddy.

In a press conference held at Sankha Bhawan (party headquarters), BJD demanded that the state government take immediate steps to safeguard farmers’ interests.

Highlighting that the validity of issued procurement tokens ends today, June 30, and yet the paddy procurement process is still incomplete, BJD leaders urged the state government to extend the token validity period by one month. They also demanded that the government purchase the remaining stock of unsold (balka) paddy lying with the farmers and issue a formal notification instead of vague clarifications.

BJD Vice Presidents Sanjay Das Burma and Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak jointly addressed the media. Das Burma stated that around 1,56,029 metric tonnes of paddy still lie unsold in various mandis across the state as the deadline for token-based procurement ends today.

With no clear assurance from the government, farmers are left anxious, he said.

He added that while the government had promised to procure the remaining unsold (balka) paddy beyond the token-based purchases, no official notification has been issued regarding this. This has led to serious confusion and concern among farmers about the fate of their produce.

Referring to a statement made earlier on Monday by Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra, Das Burma said the Minister has clarified that paddy will be lifted even after the deadline if the iris scanning of token-holding farmers is completed.

While welcoming this clarification and thanking the Minister, Das Burma expressed scepticism over its implementation since no formal notification has yet been released.

BJD placed three specific demands before the Chief Minister, which include- procurement of all unsold (balka) paddy currently with farmers, extension of token validity period by one month and immediate issuance of a formal notification regarding these provisions.

Speaking on the occasion, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak said that farmers are facing significant hardship due to multiple factors – long waits at mandis, rainfall damaging unsold paddy, and logistical issues in procurement.

He criticised the government for not making adequate preparations despite having prior knowledge of the early arrival of the monsoon. He added that with only a few hours left before the token deadline expires, many farmers’ paddy remains uncollected, while large quantities have already been damaged. There is also no clarity on whether unsold (balka) paddy lying with farmers will be procured.

Nayak warned that if the state government continues to ignore the legitimate concerns of farmers, Biju Janata Dal will be compelled to take to the streets in protest.

–IANS

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Agartala, June 30 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha on Monday slammed the then Congress government for declaring Emergency in the country in 1975 and said that it was a direct attack on the Indian Constitution and democracy.

Saha, also a former state President of BJP, while addressing the Mock Parliament organised by BJP Mahila Morcha at Muktadhara Auditorium here, said the emergency from 1975 to 1977 was a black chapter of Indian history and the participants in the event would be able to learn about the history and hold discussions on the matter.

“We forgot so many things. Especially the days of sorrow, we forgot. A person can’t live keeping sorrowful days in memories,” he stated. He said that everyone knows that in 1975, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi imposed the Emergency.

“She contested the election from Rae Bareli in Uttar Pradesh in 1971, and when results were declared, she won. But her nearest opponent candidate, Raj Narain, couldn’t accept it and challenged it in the Allahabad High Court. Everyone knows about this matter. Raj Narain said that with the help of the Government, Indira Gandhi won the election and appointed a gazetted officer as her election agent. Based on these two matters, Justice Jagmohan Lal Sinha on June 12, 1972, declared the election as null and void,” said Saha.

He informed that the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi knocked on the door of the Supreme Court, and there Justice Krishna Iyer said that she could remain Prime Minister but couldn’t vote or hold any government post. “Later, the then Chief Minister of West Bengal, Siddhartha Shankar Ray, who was a renowned barrister, summoned Indira Gandhi and discussed the matter with him. Then pressure was mounted on then President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed and the Emergency was declared in 1975, which was a black day,” Saha pointed out.

He said that this is why the Mock Parliament was arranged to make the young generations aware of this black day and to discuss it. Later, they will convey it to the people as well. Saying that the imposition of the Emergency was a direct attack on the Indian Constitution, the Chief Minister claimed that everyone witnessed how democracy was killed during the Congress regime. In Tripura, the then Chief Minister Sukhamoy Sengupta-led government used the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) in a wrongful way and arrested many people, including journalists.

“We saw what kind of situation was created. Many houses were vandalised. Those who protested against the Emergency were arrested, and even the press was attacked. Now we are seeing what development truly means. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been working to protect the Constitution,” he added.

Saha said that to protect the Constitution, Article 370 was abrogated by the Modi government.

During the event, BJP state President Rajib Bhattacharjee, Transport Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, BJP general secretary Bhagaban Das, and BJP Mahila Morcha state president Mimi Majumder were present.

–IANS

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Mumbai, June 30 (IANS) Maharashtra unit BJP working president and former minister Ravindra Chavan is set to take over as the next president of the state unit from the incumbent Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Tuesday.

The state BJP executive meeting will be held on Tuesday where Ravindra Chavan will formally take his charge. He is the sole candidate who has filed his nomination papers on Monday for the post of state BJP chief.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, state unit chief and revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule, election supervisor and Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, National General Secretary and State in-charge MLA Arun Singh, Election Officer MLA Chainsukh Sancheti were present among others when Ravindra Chavan on Monday filed his nomination papers.

“Ravindra Chavan, who started his political journey as an ordinary worker of the Yuva Morcha, will fulfill the responsibility of the state president with strength as he has a vast experience in the organisational work,” said CM Fadnavis.

The Chief Minister said: “Chandrashekhar Bawankule has fulfilled the responsibility of the state president very competently in the last 3 years. It was due to the organisation building done by Bawankule that the party got a big success in the Assembly elections.”

“After the process of registration of members of the Bharatiya Janata Party under the organization, the election process of 80 organisational district presidents of the party was completed. After that, the elections of mandal presidents were held. The programme for the election of state president, national council and state council members was announced on June 28. Accordingly, the process of filing applications for the post of state president was completed on June 30,” said the BJP in the release.

Ravindra Chavan’s appointment comes when BJP is gearing up for the upcoming local and civic body elections in Maharashtra. CM Fadnavis along with Chavan and host of party leaders have expressed that BJP with allies Shiv Sena and NCP will continue the victory march in the ensuing local and civic body elections following the stellar performance of MahaYuti in the state assembly elections held last year.

Fadnavis, Mumbai BJP chief Ashish Shelar and other party leaders have repeatedly announced that BJP led MahaYuti is resolved to hoist saffron flag atop the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation defeating the Uddhav Thackeray led Shiv Sena.

–IANS

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