Punjab BJP Mahila Morcha concerned over atrocities against women in municipal polls

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Chandigarh, Dec 16 (IANS) The Punjab’s BJP Mahila Morcha President Jai Inder Kaur on Monday condemned the atrocities committed against women candidates during the filing of nomination papers for the Municipal Corporation elections.

She has demanded the National Commission for Women (NCW) to immediately intervene and take action against these appalling incidents.

In a letter written to the NCW Chairperson, Jai Inder Kaur said: “The recent incidents of violence and harassment against women candidates in Punjab are deeply disturbing and unacceptable. It’s shocking to see how women were being targeted and intimidated, simply for exercising their right to participate in the democratic process.”

She further wrote: “As the President of BJP Mahila Morcha, Punjab, I strongly condemn these atrocities and demand immediate action from the National Commission for Women. It’s imperative that the NCW takes concrete steps to ensure women’s safety and dignity during elections.”

Jai Inder Kaur further highlighted: “The incidents in Patiala, where nomination papers of BJP women candidates were torn and women physically assaulted outside the Deputy Commissioner’s office, are particularly alarming. Visual evidence clearly implicates senior AAP leaders, MLA Chetan Singh Jouramajra and MLA Ajit Pal Kohli.”

She further requested: “I urge the NCW to constitute a fact-finding team to investigate these incidents, recommend legal action against perpetrators, and direct the Punjab Women Commission to fulfil its statutory duties. Women’s safety and empowerment are non-negotiable. We will continue to fight for justice and accountability.”

The elections to five Municipal Corporations and 41 Municipal Councils, besides Nagar Panchayats, will be held on December 21. The counting of votes will take place on the same day.

Out of the 37,32,636 registered voters, 19,55,888 are men, 17,76,544 are women and 204 others. The polling would be held from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. through the use of EVMs. The polled votes will be counted at the polling station itself.

–IANS

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Cold wave in South: Min temp drops to single digit in parts of Telangana

Hyderabad, Dec 12 (IANS) Cold wave conditions prevailed in parts of Telangana with minimum temperature dropping to single digit in at least six districts on Thursday.

The average minimum temperature in the state was 14.3 degrees Celsius, which is 2.7 degrees below normal.

Among all 33 districts, Adilabad was the coldest with average temperature of 9.3 degrees Celsius and Bela in Adilabad district was the coldest place in the state with the lowest temperature of 7 degrees Celsius, said meteorologists at the Telangana Development Planning Society (TGDPS).

The lowest temperature in Sirpur (U) in Kumuram Bheem Asifabad district was 7.3 degrees Celsius while it was 8.3 in Pembi in Nirmal district.

The minimum temperature in parts of Medak, Sangareddy and Jagtial districts also dropped to single-digit.

Shivampet in Medak district recorded minimum temperature of 9.4 degrees Celsius.

It was 9.5 in Kohir in Sangareddy district while the lowest temperature in Jagtial district was recorded at 9.7 degrees Celsius in Mallapur.

The mercury plummeted to 10 degrees Celsius at Pudur in Vikarabad district.

Eight districts registered minimum temperature between 10 and 11 degrees.

Maredpally in state capital Hyderabad recorded minimum temperature of 12.7 degrees.

The average minimum temperature in Hyderabad was 17.3 degrees.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast dry weather in Telangana over the next three days.

According to the Hyderabad Meteorological Centre, low-level winds are blowing mainly from the north and northeast direction.

Mist or hazy conditions are likely to prevail during morning hours at isolated pockets in few districts of Telangana and minimum temperatures are likely to be 2 to 4 degrees below normal, it said.

The Met Centre said in a bulletin that cold winds are likely to blow for the next three days in some parts of North Telangana.

Cold wave conditions are very likely to prevail at isolated pockets in Adilabad, Kumuram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial and Nirmal districts till December 15.

The IMD issued a yellow warning for these districts.

–IANS

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Punjab seeks central assistance to strengthen security in areas adjoining Pakistan

Chandigarh, Dec 22 (IANS) Punjab raised a demand for central assistance to strengthen its police infrastructure and security efforts in districts bordering Pakistan, with a grant of Rs 1,000 crore, an official statement said on Sunday.

Industrial incentives similar to those provided to Jammu and Kashmir and neighbouring hill states were also sought to support MSMEs in Punjab’s border and sub-mountainous regions, during the pre-budget meeting held in Jaisalmer in Rajasthan with Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

State Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema said the state has raised the demand to restore NABARD’s Short-Term Seasonal Agricultural Operations (ST-SAO) limit to Rs 3,041 crore, from the reduced limit of Rs 1,100 crore for FY 2024-25.

He said this restoration is vital to prevent farmers from turning to moneylenders. Several states raised this issue and it was discussed at length, he said.

For road connectivity under PM Gati Shakti, the state has requested Rs 100 crore to construct a 5.6-km, 45-m wide approach road connecting the National Highway 44 to the Integrated Manufacturing Cluster (IMC) in Rajpura. This funding is essential for the timely completion of road construction and the successful implementation of the industrial cluster.

Expressing gratitude for the Vande Bharat train connecting Amritsar with New Delhi, the state government requested another Vande Bharat train to connect Bathinda, the state’s agricultural and commercial hub, with the national capital. This would ensure seamless connectivity for the Malwa region of Punjab.

The minister also proposed financial support to address crop residue management in Punjab. He said despite providing 1.45 lakh crop residue management (CRM) machines since 2018, high operational costs remain a challenge.

The state government has proposed an incentive of Rs 2,500 per acre, with Rs 2,000 per acre from the Centre and Rs 500 per acre from the state. The total cost of this initiative is estimated at Rs 2,000 crore, with the Centre requested to provide Rs 1,600 crore as budgetary support.

Expressing gratitude to Union Finance Minister Sitharaman for providing Punjab with the opportunity to present its suggestions, Cheema said Punjab’s demand for an incentive package to address the unique challenges faced by the state, particularly due to its proximity to a hostile border with Pakistan, is crucial to bolster the state’s infrastructure and security measures.

He hoped that the upcoming Union Budget would act as a catalyst for fostering citizen welfare, driving regional development, and spurring economic growth.

–IANS

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Three held for murder of Odisha woman

Bhubaneswar, Dec 16 (IANS) The Odisha Police on Sunday apprehended three persons, including the husband of a woman, allegedly murdered in Cuttack district, officials said.

“Detection, in this case, is a perfect example of meticulous investigation and cooperation between Odisha Police, Gujarat Police, and different district police in Odisha. This detection is also a good example of help from the community in detecting the case,” said Jagmohan Meena, the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Cuttack.

On December 13 morning, a woman’s body was found on the banks of Kathajodi river near Kandarpur police station.

The police along with a scientific team and dog squad visited the spot and collected evidence, including the weapon of offence (“Chapad”).

The police did not get any clues during the examination of CCTV footage, neighbouring police stations, or villages.

The police stumbled upon an important clue from the blood-stained shirt and pants found in the water body near the crime scene.

The police found that both the wearing apparel had a paper receipt of “New Star Tailors” stitched.

The Cuttack DCP also said that police verified 10 tailors with this name or similar name in the state and their receipt design was compared with the receipt found at the spot, but no match was found.

“Due to wide publicity, one unknown person sent a message on Whatsapp that such a shop is available in Bhanjanagar area of Ganjam as per a comment on Youtube,” Cuttack DCP added.

Later, DCP Meena said the Ganjam police went to the particular tailor’s shop.

The owner of the shop who used to work in Gujarat in the past told the police that such kind of receipt designs are mostly used there.

Therefore, the Odisha Police contacted their counterpart in Gujarat who tracked the tailor’s shop in Surat.

The Gujarat Police during the verification of around 7-8 shops in Surat found the design on the paper receipt matched with the design of the paper receipt at one shop.

The police with the help of the UPI payment history of the shop owner identified that blood-stained apparel belonged to the accused Jagannath Duhuri, 27, who is a resident of the MahakalaPada area in Kendrapara.

Following a request from Cuttack Police, the police in Rayagada district apprehended Duhuri who was returning to Surat by train at the Muniguda area of Odisha on December 14.

Subsequently, the other accused, Balaram Duhuri, husband of the deceased woman, and brother of Jagannath, and their cousin brother Happi Duhury were arrested by the police.

“The motive of the crime is a marital dispute between the deceased and her husband, Balaram, who was doubting that the deceased was having an extra-marital affair with someone, the Cuttack DCP added.

The accused will be produced before the court on Monday.

–IANS

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