Category: TOP STORIES

Chandigarh, Dec 24 (IANS) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday slammed the BJP-led Union government for stepmotherly treatment of farmers by not even giving them an opportunity to air their genuine demands.

In a statement, the Chief Minister said the ‘self-proclaimed’ global leader Narendra Modi “is more worried about intervening in the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine but the Prime Minister is apathetic towards the food growers of the country”.

He said the Union government has been blatantly ignoring the genuine demands of the farmers of the country which is highly deplorable.

Mann said, “It is unfortunate that the Prime Minister is more worried about emerging as ‘global leader’ by intervening in international affairs rather than resolving the issues faced by the countrymen”.

The Chief Minister reminded PM Modi that when the country was facing a serious crisis in food production, the hard-working and resilient farmers of the state had made the country self-reliant in grains.

He said the farmers of the state had even overexploited the only available natural resources in terms of fertile soil and water, just to fill the national food pool.

However, Mann said that despite the immense contribution of farmers, the Union government has adopted a completely hostile attitude towards them, adding that it “is strange that the Union government is not ready to talk to farmers sitting 200 km away from the national capital”.

The Chief Minister advised the Centre to shun its “haughty attitude and open way for dialogue with the agitating farmers”. He said the Centre should not wait for any special moment to talk to the farmers; rather it should embrace the farmers and redress their grievances.

Mann said that it is the need of the hour that the issues of the farmers are addressed at the earliest in the larger public interest.

The farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri borders between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 in support of their long-pending demands, including a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for crops, loan waiver and reforms to improve conditions in the agricultural sector.

–IANS

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Mumbai, Dec 24 (IANS) Imagine moving into a brand-new home, surrounded by modern infrastructure and facilities, without worrying about maintenance charges for the next 10 years. That’s the promise of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project (DRP) — an initiative that goes beyond housing to ensure a financially sustainable future for its residents.

The Dharavi Redevelopment Project is unique because there will be no financial burden on the residents. The state government has decided to provide free housing to eligible residents of Dharavi.

Additionally, the government is committed to offering affordable housing to ineligible residents under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana or through a hire-purchase scheme — all designed to offer maximum benefits at the most affordable rates.

Moreover, to ensure a smooth transition, residents won’t have to pay electromechanical maintenance charges for the first 10 years. During this period, the developer will take full responsibility for the upkeep of the societies. Additionally, the state government has planned to allocate 10 per cent of the built-up area of rehabilitation component for commercial spaces, creating a revenue-generating model.

It is common for cooperative societies in India to charge a specific service charge to the owners and members for maintaining the societies. The same is followed even in MHADA buildings.

For Dharavikars, however, maintenance will almost become free for life. The first 10 years come with free maintenance, and the revenue from monetising 10 per cent of the commercial space can cover their maintenance costs in the long term. In addition to this, statutory corpus fund per tenement will be deposited by the developer to the competent authority.

“This innovative approach ensures that Dharavikars not only enjoy better homes but also a worry-free lifestyle in planned, sustainable communities,” said a Dharavi Redevelopment Project/Slum Rehabilitation Authority (DRP-SRA) official.

Residents will benefit from 24/7 water and electricity, private toilets, and kitchens — marking a significant upgrade from their current conditions. Those who settled before 2000 will receive 350 square feet homes, which are 17 per cent larger than those offered in other slum rehabilitation projects.

But the benefits don’t stop there. “The project is designed to uplift entire neighbourhoods, not just Dharavi. Residents who don’t qualify for homes within Dharavi will be resettled in additional land parcels across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). These new townships will introduce schools, hospitals, shopping centres, and other essential amenities, which will also enhance the quality of life in surrounding areas,” the DRP-SRA official noted.

The 2022 tender of the Dharavi Redevelopment Project addresses shortcomings of previous development efforts by focusing on financial and infrastructure sustainability. The present tender also has provision for upper floor residents who are normally not considered for slum rehabilitation projects.

In many ways, therefore, this redevelopment is not just about housing; it’s about creating inclusive, modern communities. It not only prioritises the well-being of Dharavikars, but also provides induced benefit to every neighbourhood around the new townships. This will set a new benchmark for a human-centric urban transformation.

–IANS

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Chandigarh, Dec 24 (IANS) Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been fasting for the past 29 days for farmers’ rights and lost 15 kg, reiterated on Tuesday that he would continue the fight till their demands are either accepted or the last breath.

In an appeal, while lying on a cot brought on the dais at the Khanauri protest site, bordering Haryana where farmers have been staging sit-in protest since February 13, Dallewel, whose vital organs have been deteriorating owing to fast and elderly age, said this battle should be fought in unison, indicating other states should also join the call of the protest of the farmers belonging to Punjab.

“I am well…We have to win this war unitedly,” said Dallewal, 70, whose health is being monitored round the clock by a team of doctors who have already warned that the farmer leader is at risk of cardiac arrest.

Due to the hunger strike for 29 days, his immunity has been going weak day by day, putting him at risk of infection, a doctor told the media.

“His vital organs like liver and kidneys are going weak and the condition is deteriorating,” said the doctor who examined Dallewal at the Khanauri border, adding the ketone levels in his body were quite high as per the latest test report, enabling him vulnerable to infection.

Dallewal, 70, who started his hunger strike on November 26 over demands, among others, to implement a legal guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) on crops by the Centre, said the government should not be allowed to remove the farmers from the protest site.

“Either we will fight for our demands or we will die here,” he said in a brief address on a loudspeaker with his fading voice, echoing confidence by saying, “Now the big brother (Haryana) has joined the protest.”

Dallewal, who was among the key leaders behind the farmers’ agitation against the three contentious farm laws in 2020-21, now scrapped, is also the face behind the latest ‘Delhi chalo’ march by Punjab farmers.

The farmers have been camping at Shambhu and Khanauri borders between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 after their march to the national capital was foiled by security forces.

On the orders of the Supreme Court, the Punjab government has set up a medical board comprising senior doctors from a government hospital in Patiala district for round-the-clock monitoring. A makeshift hospital has been set up at the protest site to deal with exigencies.

Supporting the cause of the farmers, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann asked the BJP-led Central government to give up stubbornness and talk to farmers.

“The Central government should abandon its stubbornness and open the way for talks with the farmers’ organisations… If Modi-ji can stop the war between Russia and Ukraine, then can’t he talk to the breadwinners sitting 200 km away? What are you waiting for…?” CM Mann wrote on X in Punjabi.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 24 (IANS) The Congress has moved the Supreme Court, challenging the recent amendment to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, which restricts public access to election materials, such as CCTV footage, unless explicitly listed by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

In a post on social media platform ‘X’, senior party leader and General Secretary Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday said that the Election Commission cannot be allowed to unilaterally amend the 1961 Conduct of Election Rules in such a brazen manner and without public consultation.

“A Writ has just been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the recent amendments to the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961. The Election Commission, a Constitutional body, charged with the conduct of free and fair elections cannot be allowed to unilaterally, and without public consultation, amend such a vital law in such a brazen manner,” announced Ramesh.

The Rajya Sabha MP added that the amendment, introduced on Saturday following recommendations from the ECI, does away with “public access to essential information that makes the electoral process more transparent and accountable”.

“The integrity of the electoral process is fast eroding. Hopefully the Supreme Court will help restore it,” he asserted.

The amendment was apparently seen as a reaction to a Punjab and Haryana High Court directive to provide CCTV footage of an election booth.

Earlier on Monday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin strongly criticised the amendment and called it an undemocratic assault on free and fair elections.

In a post on X, Stalin said that democracy was facing its gravest threat under the BJP-led Union Government. Voicing his objections, he said: “Democracy is facing its gravest threat under the BJP-led Union Government, with the reckless amendment of Section 93(2)(a) of the Conduct of Election Rules designed to undermine transparency in elections.”

Stalin added that the move undermines one of the Constitution’s fundamental features — transparency. The Tamil Nadu Chief Minister called on all political parties, including those aligned with the Union Government, to unite against what he termed an undemocratic assault on free and fair elections.

–IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 24 (IANS) Experts reckon that in spite of a bilateral extradition treaty that exists, it seems highly unlikely that New Delhi would heed to Dhaka’s request for extradition of Sheikh Hasina, the former Prime Minister of Bangladesh who had to flee the country in an ignominious manner and seek refuge in India on August 5, earlier this year.

“Extradition treaties have extraditable offences and also political offences which are exempted. So questions will be raised if this is a political offence or not as Hasina is not a convicted criminal. Also, the entire case is interesting because Hasina was sent by these people only, by their army which is a state institution. How can you first force someone to leave the country and then seek the extradition of the same person? This will surely have a lot of legal complexities,” India’s former High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty told IANS on Tuesday.

The interim government in Bangladesh led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus on Monday announced that it has sent a diplomatic note to the Indian government, asking for the extradition of Sheikh Hasina.

“We have informed India. We have conveyed our request for Sheikh Hasina’s return for judicial purposes. This has been communicated through a note verbale (diplomatic note),” said Touhid Hossain, the Foreign Affairs Advisor of the interim government.

The country’s Home Affairs Advisor, Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury also said that his ministry had written to Hossain’s office to facilitate the return of the ousted Prime Minister from India.

“We have sent a letter to the foreign ministry regarding her extradition. The process is currently underway. They have an extradition agreement with us,” said Chowdhury.

However, people aware of the legalities involved believe that the extradition request does not hold water since it appears to be completely politically motivated.

“There are many legal steps that have to be taken in such cases. Right now, it is just a letter that has arrived and I am not sure if any dossier of evidence is also attached to it or not. They have filed so many cases against Sheikh Hasina but there has not been any conviction. They want us to hand over their former PM and then start legal proceedings against her. There is a process that is involved in acting on extradition requests. The MEA has a legal entities division that looks after such issues. So, I think the entire thing will be carefully examined first and then only any decision would be made. It is not easy as we have seen that the process of extradition takes years. The judicial process even in the US and UK takes very long when it comes to extraditing someone. We too have a similar system,” says Ambassador Chakravarty.

The seasoned diplomat, who has also served in Thailand, Philippines and several other countries, believes that if the Indian government wants, it can turn down the extradition request if it is legally untenable under the extradition treaty and is found to be politically motivated.

“They have to give some evidence to India which, it seems, does not exists at the moment. For extradition to take place, an order from a judicial magistrate is needed and the authority will ask for evidence. Also, if any order is passed, it can be challenged in a higher court. All this, as you know already, takes a lot of time,” mentioned Chakravarty, a former Indian Foreign Service officer.

“Everyone knows that there was a lot of bitterness between Prof. Yunus and Sheikh Hasina. She can stay here for as long as the Indian government wants. It has happened before also when she had stayed here for several years after the massacre of her family. We have never refused anyone if they seek refuge in India. The Dalai Lama still stays in India,” he added.

–IANS

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Jammu, Dec 24 (IANS) Joint security forces started a cordon and search operation on Tuesday after village defence guards (VDGs) fired after noticing suspicious movement in J&K’s Kishtwar district.

VDG members had fired several gunshots after noticing suspicious movement in the Kuntwara area of Kishtwar – the same area where terrorists killed two VDG members on November 7.

Officials said that joint forces started a cordon and search operation after VDG members reported that they had noticed suspicious movement in the area.

After a number of attacks by terrorists in the hilly districts of Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Kathua, Kishtwar, Reasi and Udhampur districts of the Jammu division, J&K Police decided to strengthen the VDG committees by providing them with better weapons and teaming.

Terrorists have always viewed the VDGs as the eyes and ears of the security forces and as the main hurdle in their nefarious anti-national activities.

In a number of cases, VDGs have thwarted the designs of terrorists to kill civilians in order to generate fear so that the diktats of the terrorists are carried out.

Over 4,000 soldiers drawn from the elite Para commando forces of the army were deployed in the mountainous areas of these districts to deprive the terrorists of the advantage of surprise while trying to attack the security forces.

Terrorists had carried ambush attacks against the army, police, other security forces and civilians in these districts. It was after revising their strategy that the security forces were able to check the movement of terrorists in the densely forested areas that were used by the terrorists to carry hit-and-run attacks. In addition to sly operations carried out from dense forests, the handlers of terror sitting across the border have also used drones to send across drugs, weapons and cash to sustain the dying terrorism in J&K.

–IANS

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Hyderabad, Dec 24 (IANS) The ruling Congress party in Telangana on Tuesday organised a rally in Hyderabad to demand Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s removal from the Union Cabinet for his alleged derogatory remarks on Bharat Ratna Dr B.R. Ambedkar.

Led by Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President Mahesh Kumar Goud, the rally was organised from Ambedkar statue at Tank Bund to Hyderabad district Collectorate.

The Congress leaders condemned the remarks made by Amit Shah and demanded that he be removed from the Union Cabinet immediately for his derogatory comments about the architect of the Indian Constitution.

A large number of Congress workers participated in the rally that began after paying tributes to Ambedkar at the statue.

Congress Working Committee (CWC) member Koppula Raju, MP Anil Kumar Yadav, TPCC working president Anjan Kumar Yadav, District Congress Committee president Rohin Reddy and other leaders participated in the rally.

The rally was organised on a call given by the All India Congress Committee (AICC) for the Babasaheb Samman March across the country.

Dressed in blue and holding placards, the protestors marched from the Ambedkar Statue to the Collectorate. They were raising slogans denouncing Amit Shah’s remarks.

Speaking on the occasion, Mahesh Kumar Goud said Amit Shah’s remarks have hurt the sentiments of all citizens who believe in the Constitution. “We are demanding that Amit Shah should be removed from the Union Cabinet immediately,” he said.

The TPCC chief alleged that the BJP has a hidden agenda of replacing the Constitution of India with Manusmriti. He said Amit Shah’s comments were part of the saffron party’s hidden agenda.

Mahesh Kumar Goud, who is also a member of Telangana Legislative Council, accused BJP and RSS of trying to distort history.

Earlier, AICC general secretary and Telangana Affairs in-charge Deepa Dasmunshi said that the Congress would step up agitations for the removal of Amit Shah from the Union Cabinet.

Calling for Amit Shah’s resignation over his alleged derogatory remarks about Ambedkar, she criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not removing Mr Shah from the Cabinet.

She accused the BJP of undermining constitutional values and promoting Manusmriti over the Indian Constitution.

–IANS

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Bengaluru, Dec 24 (IANS) Six people were arrested in connection with cyber fraud of Rs 56 lakh in Bengaluru, police said on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference, Bengaluru Police Commissioner B. Dayanand said: “The accused duped a company by impersonating its Managing Director (MD). Using the MD’s photograph and the company logo as a WhatsApp display picture, one of the accused sent a message to the company’s employee asking for an urgent transfer of Rs 56 lakh, claiming it was needed as a security deposit.”

“The employee attempted to contact the MD but the latter was reportedly busy in a meeting. Believing the request to be genuine, the employee transferred the amount. Later, when the MD was contacted, he clarified that he had not made the request, the police said.

A complaint was filed on December 6 at the Cyber, Economic, and Narcotics (CEN) Police Station, after which police traced the money trail and discovered that the funds had been transferred from Bengaluru to a bank account in Hyderabad.

“The individual in Hyderabad was identified and apprehended. He admitted to receiving the money and further transferring it to five other persons via bank transfer. The five individuals were also arrested,” stated Police Commissioner Dayanand.

“This is a clear case of cyber fraud. Six people have been arrested, and one individual is believed to be absconding,” Commissioner Dayanand said.

“We urge people not to trust online or phone-based communications blindly. Avoid falling victim to such cyber frauds,” he said.

The court initially sent three accused to six days of police custody, after which all six were placed in judicial custody.

–IANS

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Bhopal, Dec 24 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will celebrate the 100th birth anniversary of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee as ‘Good Governance Day’ by organising a programme across the state on Wednesday.

Besides, a mega event will be held in the Chhatarpur district of the Bundelkhand region, programmes will be organised at each district and block office of the BJP involving local citizens and party supporters across the state.

Initially, the celebration will start with showcasing an exhibition to highlight the achievements of former PM Vajpayee at BJP headquarters here on Tuesday evening.

Madhya Pradesh Media In-charge Ashish Agrawal told IANS that Chief Minister Mohan Yadav along with state BJP Chief V. D. Sharma will be present at the event.

The exhibition will highlight former PM Vajpayee’s achievements right from his formative years and the BJP’s political success — from just two seats in 1984 to the party coming to power at the Centre.

The main event that would be organised in Chhatarpur, during which, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Ken-Betwa river linking national project, the country’s first interlinking of rivers project under the national perspective plan.

According to the state government, the Ken-Betwa project will provide irrigation facilities to various districts in Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, benefitting lakhs of families of farmers.

The project will also provide drinking water facilities to the people of the region.

On this occasion, PM Modi will release a commemorative stamp and coin marking the 100th birth anniversary of former PM Vajpayee, who was born in Madhya Pradesh’s Gwalior — erstwhile princely state of Scindia dynasty on December 25, 1924.

PM Modi will also inaugurate a floating solar project established at Omkareshwar in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh.

The project is expected to help in reducing carbon emissions and will pave the way for the government’s mission of net zero carbon emissions by 2070.

Former PM Vajpayee’s native state of Madhya Pradesh played a huge role in shaping his political career as he was elected to the Lok Sabha twice (1971 from Gwalior and 1991 from Vidisha) from the state.

The former PM died on August 16, 2018, in New Delhi.

–IANS

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Rohtak (Haryana), Dec 24 IANS) In a shocking incident, a 25-year-old student from Chhichharana village in Sonipat district attempted to end his life by shooting himself in the head outside the History Department of the Maharshi Dayanand University (MDU), Rohtak.

Eyewitnesses said he fell on the ground bleeding profusely after he shot himself.

The weapon used in the act was reportedly a pistol meant for shooting sports.

The injured student, identified as Sumit, a Bachelor of Physical Education (B.P. Ed) student at MDU, was immediately rushed to Rohtak PGI, Rohtak by fellow students. His condition is said to be critical.

Authorities, including officers from the PGI police station and a Forensic Science Laboratory (FSL) team, arrived at the scene after getting information about the incident to collect evidence and initiate an investigation.

The family of the student was also informed. They reached PGI Hospital from Chhichharana village and took Sumit to a private hospital where he was undergoing treatment.

DSP Gulab Singh, who is leading the investigation, said: “Sumit, a resident of Chhichharana village, shot himself in the head with a shooting pistol near the gate of the History Department around 1 p.m. He was immediately taken to PGI, but his condition remains critical. We are thoroughly investigating the matter to ascertain the reasons behind this act.”

As per the information, Sumit Kumar had come to the MDU to take the exam and was standing outside the History Department when he shot himself.

While the exact motive remains unclear, authorities are exploring all possible angles, including personal, academic, or mental health concerns. Authorities are working to determine whether it was an accident or a deliberate act.

The university officials and local law enforcement authorities are closely monitoring the situation.

–IANS

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