‘Why is EC not providing digital data to everyone?’ Cong on voter list digitisation

Imphal, Jan 21 (IANS) Security forces in Manipur have arrested seven hardcore militants belonging to different outfits, including a cadre of the NSCN (IM), and busted an inter-state vehicle theft racket during the past 24 hours, officials said on Wednesday.

A senior police official said that seven of the arrested militants belonged to the Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP), the People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK), and the Isak-Muivah faction of the National Socialist Council of Nagalim (NSCN-IM).

The extremists were arrested from Imphal East and Imphal West districts, and several mobile phones and other incriminating materials were recovered from their possession.

The Manipur Police also arrested an active cadre of the NSCN(IM), identified as Lanhungba Khumba (29), from the Mantripukhri area in Imphal East district. From his possession, one .32 pistol with a magazine loaded with four live rounds, two mobile phones, a charger, and a two-wheeler without a registration number were recovered.

The arrested militants were involved in extorting money from contractors, traders, government employees, and other people, the official said.

He added that based on specific Intelligence inputs received from the Delhi Police, the Manipur Police conducted a coordinated operation against an inter-state vehicle theft racket.

During the operation, with the assistance of ICICI Lombard Insurance Company and technical support, a total of six vehicles stolen from outside the state were recovered from Churachandpur and Imphal West districts.

The recovered vehicles have been handed over to the concerned police stations following due legal procedures, and coordination with the originating states is underway to complete recovery formalities.

In a related development, based on a requisition from the Crime Branch of the Delhi Police, a joint team of the Manipur Police and the CRPF arrested a person identified as Muhammad Juma Khan (39), a resident of Yairipok Bishnunaha in Thoubal district.

The accused is a wanted offender in multiple serious cases and has been identified as a key player in the inter-state vehicle theft racket. Efforts are underway to locate and recover other stolen vehicles from different areas of the state as part of the ongoing operation.

Meanwhile, security forces also neutralised three Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in situ, which were recovered along the India-Myanmar border during area domination and sanitisation operations.

The security forces, comprising central and state agencies, continue extensive crackdowns against militants, with search operations and area domination drives underway in fringe, mixed-populated, and vulnerable areas across various districts.

A total of 113 nakas/checkpoints have been set up across Manipur in both valley and hill districts to curb the illegal movement of inimical elements and suspicious vehicles.

Security forces are also providing escorts to vehicles, including trucks carrying essential commodities, along the Imphal-Jiribam National Highway (NH-37). Strict security arrangements and convoy protection continue in sensitive stretches to ensure the safe movement of vehicles.

–IANS

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Lucknow, April 22 (IANS) The controversy that erupted over Lucknow Mayor Sushma Kharkwal’s purported remark aimed at Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav’s late mother refuses to die down, with the former claiming SP activists staged an “abusive” protest at her house.

While Akhilesh Yadav has condemned her remark, Kharkwal on Wednesday alleged that she was attacked by people related to the party.

Reacting to the defeat of the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill, Kharkwal had allegedly remarked that it was an “insult to the mother who gave birth to Akhilesh Yadav”.

Akhilesh Yadav, in turn, lashed out at the Lucknow Mayor on Tuesday, requesting that she not to invoke his late mother for “political compulsions”.

“In Indian society, the insult of anyone’s mother is never acceptable. Your political future would have been bright if you had not dragged it down to such low moral standards; today, even your supporters are ashamed. Those you are stooping to your level to influence are not close relatives of anyone. Maintain your dignity and balance as well,” he said in a post on X.

“Besides, you yourself are a woman. When a woman insults another woman, who will call you morally right,” Akhilesh Yadav added.

Issuing a clarification, Kharkwal said, “Please listen to my whole speech to know what I meant to say. After listening that you will realise what my intentions were and how it was interpreted. I am a mother myself, I have not said anything wrong for somebody else’s mother.”

Speaking to IANS, the Mayor said: “I had said that this ‘half population’ represents your mother, and you have insulted your mother. This ‘half population’ represents your sister, the one whose finger you held while learning to walk, and you have insulted that sister. This ‘half population’ represents your daughter, whose face brings relief after a tiring day, and you have insulted that daughter.”

Moreover, she alleged that she was attacked in the morning.

“Today, some people came to my house in the morning and raised ‘murdabad’ slogans, hit my nameplate with a shoe, and abused me. I do not want to say anything further. The kind of values their party has given them has been exposed by their actions,” she claimed.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party workers staged a demonstration outside the Mayor’s residence to protest her alleged remarks linked to the SP chief’s mother.

–IANS

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Chennai, May 7 (IANS) DMK president M.K. Stalin on Thursday chaired a crucial meeting of the party’s newly elected MLAs at Anna Arivalayam in Chennai as the party prepared to assume the role of the Opposition amid continuing uncertainty over government formation in Tamil Nadu.

The meeting was attended by all victorious DMK legislators and focused on the evolving political situation in the state, the party’s legislative strategy, and the future course of action following the Assembly election verdict.

The post-election political landscape in Tamil Nadu has witnessed dramatic realignments. In the recently concluded Assembly elections, the DMK-led alliance secured 73 seats.

However, the Congress, which had won five seats as part of the alliance, later shifted its support to the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) led by actor-politician C. Joseph Vijay.

The TVK emerged as the single largest formation with 108 seats in the 234-member Assembly.

Amid the rapidly changing political scenario, the TVK has also been attempting to rally support from smaller parties. Sources said the party has initiated discussions with the Communist Party of India (CPI), the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), and the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), each of which has four MLAs in the new Assembly.

Their support is being considered significant in the ongoing political calculations as parties continue exploring possible alignments. Despite these efforts, the DMK alliance, which now effectively commands the support of 68 MLAs following the Congress exit, appears set to occupy the Opposition benches in the Assembly.

The election results also dealt a personal setback to Stalin, who lost the Kolathur Assembly constituency to TVK candidate V.S. Babu by a margin of nearly 10,000 votes.

The defeat marked one of the biggest political setbacks for the DMK leadership in recent years.

However, Udhayanidhi Stalin retained the Chepauk-Triplicane constituency, strengthening his position within the party. Political observers believe he is now likely to be elected leader of the DMK Legislature Party, a move that could pave the way for him to become the Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly.

Meanwhile, Stalin is learnt to have assured party legislators that the DMK would not interfere in the ongoing efforts by the TVK to secure the support of 113 MLAs required to form the next government in Tamil Nadu.

–IANS

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