BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Tuesday strongly condemned National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah for promoting what he described as a "terror agenda" in Jammu and Kashmir at a time when people want peace and prosperity. Chugh, who is also the party in-charge for J-K, addressed several election meetings here during the day. "The Abdullah family has been following a 'jihadi' and communal agenda for the last three generations, spreading insecurity and uncertainty in the region," he said. "The NC manifesto's announcement to change the name of Shankaracharya Hill to Takht-i-Sulaiman and Hari Parbat to Koh-e-Maran is a stark example of the 'jehadi' mindset of the Abdullah family, which is bent upon destroying the cultural and spiritual heritage of the region," he said. The BJP leader said there are more than two dozen historic temples built since the time of erstwhile King Lalitaditya Mukhtepeda which are revered not only by the people in the Valley but across the country as they symbolise national heritage. "The Abdullah family neglected these sites as no steps were taken during their rule to protect these historic places. Instead, they are intent on destroying it all, dancing to the tune of their mentors across the border," Chugh said. He also criticised Abdullah's promise to release prisoners detained for subversive and disruptive activities, calling it another indication of the NC's "terror agenda" The BJP is firmly against the NC manifesto's promise to repeal the Public Safety Act (PSA) and release political prisoners. Separately, J&K BJP spokesperson and Media Centre in-charge Arun Kumar Gupta also attacked the NC, accusing it of having no respect for the people of Kashmir. "Omar Abdullah has alleged that people in Kashmir are being paid to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming rally in the valley. This is a sheer insult to the people of Kashmir," Gupta told a press conference. This shows that for the National Conference and Omar Abdullah, the people of Kashmir are sellable, he said "It is not just Kashmir. The NC and Omar Abdullah have no respect for the people of Jammu either, Gupta said, adding they have also insulted Maharaja Hari Singh and the entire Dogra community of Jammu. "The people of Kashmir will teach NC-Congress a lesson in the Assembly elections." Gupta said that Farooq Abdullah's son Omar Abdullah is completely unaware of the ground reality and has no connect with the people. "That is why he doesn't understand the popularity of PM Modi in Kashmir." The BJP is getting support from all sections of society and will form the government on its own in J-K, he said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 September,2024 10:41 PM IST | Jammu | PTILaw enforcement agencies have seized Rs 26.82 crore worth of drugs, liquor and unaccounted-for cash in Haryana since the Model Code of Conduct for the state assembly elections came into effect on August 16. To ensure that the October 5 Haryana assembly elections are conducted in a completely fair and transparent manner, all guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India, along with the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), are being strictly followed, Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal said on Tuesday. To prevent voters from being influenced by any form of inducement, the Commission is maintaining a rigorous stance and various agencies are closely monitoring the movement of illegal liquor, narcotics and cash in the state, he said. From August 16 to September 16, a total of Rs 26.82 crore worth of illegal liquor, narcotics and unaccounted-for cash have been seized, he said. Agarwal said the Haryana Police, along with other agencies, is continuously maintaining strict vigilance. He said since the MCC came into effect, actions have been taken by various departments including police, Income Tax and Narcotics Control Bureau resulting in seizures. Among the seizures made include more than 3,26,017 litres of illegal liquor worth over Rs 9.82 crore. Agarwal further said agencies have seized over 2,339 kg of narcotics worth more than Rs 6.76 crore. He said the state police and other agencies have seized valuable metals such as gold and silver worth more than Rs 3.10 crore, totalling 48,908 grams. Apart from this, the state police and other agencies have seized other items worth more than Rs 2.41 crore, he said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 September,2024 10:35 PM IST | Chandigarh | PTIThree children were killed and six people were injured after being run over by a tractor trolly carrying a Ganesh idol in Maharashtra's Dhule district on Tuesday, the police said, reported the PTI. The incident took place around 12.30 pm at Chitod village in Dhule tehsil in Maharashtra. As the Lord Ganesh immersion procession was about to start, the driver of the tractor got down for some reason, said a police official, adding further that an another man, a member of the Ganesh mandal which had organised the procession, climbed into the driver's seat and started the vehicle but lost control of the wheels, he said, according to the PTI. The tractor reversed and ploughed into the crowd behind, the official said. Three children who were killed in the incident were identified as Pari Shantaram Bagul (13 years), Shera Bapu Sonawane (6 years) and Lahu Pawra (3 years), all three were crushed to death. One of the deceased was the niece of the person who started the vehicle, an official said, as per the PTI. Those who were seriously injured in the incident were identified as Gayatri Pawar (25), Vidya Jadhav (27), Ajay Somvanshi (23), Ujjwala Malche (23), Lalita More (16) and Vidya Sonawane (17). They were rushed to the Hire Medical College for a medical treatment, a police official said, the news agency reported on Tuesday. The man in the driver's seat fled from the spot but he, along with the actual driver, was soon detained by the police, the official said. A case was being registered under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, said the police official. Meanwhile, More than 7,500 idols of Lord Ganesh and Goddess Gauri were immersed in Mumbai as of Tuesday evening as devotees in the city and the rest of Maharashtra bid farewell to their beloved elephant-headed deity. No untoward incident was reported anywhere during the immersion in Mumbai, said officials of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). More than 24,000 Mumbai Police personnel have been deployed on the streets for security and crowd management. The BMC has deployed more than 12,000 employees and set up 71 control rooms to manage the processions. It has also posted 761 lifeguards and deployed 48 speed boats at the beaches as a safety measure. (with PTI inputs)
17 September,2024 08:52 PM IST | Dhule | mid-day online correspondentTwo police officers have been suspended from field duty following allegations that they cut off a protester's "Shikha" and broke his sacred thread in Mauganj district in Madhya Pradesh, according to the PTI. The incident reportedly took place on September 6 after the police removed Narendra Mishra, the complainant, and other villagers from a highway where they were protesting. The protest was in response to the death of a resident who was allegedly struck and killed by a vehicle owned by a liquor contractor, the PTI reported on Tuesday. Mishra was subsequently arrested for obstructing the highway, a police officer said, as per a PTI report. To ensure a fair investigation, Shahpur police station in-charge BC Vishwas and constable Vivekanand Yadav have been taken off field duty, said Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Anurag Pandey said to PTI. The initial investigation did not find evidence supporting Mishra's claims. Mishra's complaint alleges that constable Yadav, along with two other individuals, cut his "Shikha," broke his Janeu (sacred thread), and assaulted him under the direction of police station in-charge BC Vishwas. He also claims he was threatened to deter him from filing a complaint. In response, Madhya Pradesh Congress president Jitu Patwari in a post on Monday has called on Chief Minister Mohan Yadav to suspend the officers involved. "Has the BJP government recruited policemen or goons? In Shahpur, a Brahmin youth Narendra Mishra, who raised his voice against the liquor mafia, was brutally attacked by the police, after which these goons in uniform plucked the Shikha of the Brahmin brother, which is not only an inhuman act but also an insult to Hindu traditions," Patwari posted on X MP: Six cops suspended after video of them gambling surfaces on social media Meanwhile, in an another incident, as many as six policemen were suspended after a video of them gambling surfaced on social media in Madhya Pradesh's Tikamgarh district, an official said on Monday, reported the PTI. Superintendent of Police (SP) Rohit Kashwani said six constables posted in different police stations were suspended after the purported video surfaced on Sunday evening, as per the PTI. The action has been taken against constables Manoj Ahirwar, Ritesh Mishra, and Suraj Rajput of Kotwali police station, Bhuvaneshwar Agnihotri and Anil Pachouri of Dehat police station and Salman Khan posted in Digora police station of the district, he said. Kashwani said additional superintendent of police Sitaram Satya is conducting a probe to find out when and where the video was shot and if other police personnel were at the spot. This type of conduct spoils the police department's reputation, he said, adding that further action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation. (with PTI inputs)
17 September,2024 07:34 PM IST | Madhya Pradesh | mid-day online correspondentA woman police inspector in Uttar Pradesh's Lucknow who had filed a complaint against a man has claimed that she was allegedly kidnapped and forced to drop a case, the police said, the ANI reported. The SI rank cop claimed the miscreants wanted her to reach a settlement with a man against whom she had lodged an FIR last month for allegedly harassing her over phone and extorting money, according to the PTI. While the alleged incident took place last week, the Lucknow Police on Tuesday said an FIR has been lodged under relevant sections at the BBD police station in the case and an investigation is ongoing. The case has been lodged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections 127(2) (wrongful confinement), 61(2) (criminal conspiracy), and 351(2) (criminal intimidation) against one Anshuman Pandey and two others, according to the FIR, the PTI reported on Tuesday. Sub-inspector Tiwari lodged complaint that she was "forcibly taken away" and threatened by unknown individuals on September 13. Tiwari alleged that around 12.40 pm, a person came to her home in Kumharan Purwa Juggaur and handed her a document, claiming it was a notice that required her signature. "As soon as I stepped outside, the individual snatched my phone and told me that children were waiting in a car and were feverish," she said. The SI claimed that two men then "forcibly" made her enter a vehicle, which was driven by another person, according to the FIR seen by PTI. She claimed that during the ordeal, the driver demanded that she reach a settlement with Anshuman Pandey or face severe consequences. "They took me towards Satrikh Road and made me sign two documents," Tiwari added. The sub-inspector further claimed she was abandoned near Bhitoli Chauraha. Meanwhile, in an another incident, a shopkeeper and his two aides were arrested for allegedly assaulting a 36-year-old Mumbai police personnel at Byculla in central Mumbai following an argument over money, an official has said, the PTI reported on Tuesday. The incident took place on Sunday morning at Dockyard Grain Store located near Dockyard Road, he said. "The victim, an official posted at Tardeo police station, had gone to purchase groceries and household items. After buying the goods, the shopkeeper told him that he does not have a change to return the remaining amount, following which the police personnel went to another shop, got the change and made the payment to the shopkeeper," the official said, according to the PTI. "While tendering the change, the police personnel passed a comment against the shopkeeper, saying that while he runs a big shop he does not have change. Angry over the remark, the shopkeeper and his two aides started arguing with the cop and beat him up," he said. (with ANI and PTI inputs)
17 September,2024 06:42 PM IST | Lucknow | mid-day online correspondentPolling teams in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district have been dispatched to far-flung areas with electronic voting machines (EVMs) ahead of the first phase of the Assembly elections on 18 September. A total of 534 polling parties have left for their designated polling stations. The first phase of the election will cover 24 assembly constituencies across the Union Territory. Similarly, polling teams from Ramban and Kishtwar districts have also departed for their stations, reported ANI. J&K Election 2024: Congress-NC reaffirm promise to restore J&K's statehood According to the report, meanwhile, Congress leader Pawan Khera reaffirmed the Congress-National Conference alliance’s promise to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, claiming that the people are determined to defeat the BJP in these elections. "Jammu and Kashmir was a state whose rights were taken away, its statehood was taken away, it was made a Union Territory and it must get back this right. We will get back this right of Jammu and Kashmir," Khera told ANI. "If you look at the track record of Congress in the last ten years, be it Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, wherever we have formed governments we implemented our guarantees. People have faith in us," Khera said. J&K Election 2024: BJP says other parties will be ousted In contrast, BJP leader Ram Madhav predicted a significant shift, stating that the National Conference, Peoples Democratic Party, and Congress would be ousted by voters, the report stated. "Here a big change would be noticed. The three families NC, PDP and Congress who are trying to gather support will be voted out of power by the people," Madhav said. J&K Election 2024: PM Modi hit campaign trail in J-K's Doda amid multi-tier security Previously, the PTI reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to hit the poll campaign trail in support of his party candidates on Saturday by addressing a mega rally in Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district, amid tight security arrangements. This was the first visit by a prime minister to Doda in the last 42 years. J&K Election 2024: Polls to begin on September 18 The J&K Election 2024 will take place in three phases: on 18 September, 25 September, and 1 November. The counting of votes is scheduled for 8 October.
17 September,2024 06:18 PM IST | Doda | mid-day online correspondentSignificant damage marks found on Delhi-Bengaluru flight following the IndiGo tailstrike incident that took place on September 9, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said on Tuesday. It said that a serious incident involving a tailstrike was reported concerning IndiGo flight 6E 6054. The flight, which was en route from Delhi to Bengaluru on September 9, experienced a significant tailstrike upon landing. The DGCA further stated, the aircraft involved in the incident was having the registration as VT-IBI and the DGCA has confirmed that substantial damage marks were found on the tail of the aircraft. "The airline has forwarded the flight data to Airbus for a thorough assessment to determine the exact cause and extent of the damage. In response to the incident, the DGCA has grounded the crew involved in the flight as part of their investigation process," the DGCA statement said.
17 September,2024 06:14 PM IST | Mumbai | Prasun ChoudhariMaharashtra CM Eknath Shinde praised PM Narendra Modi as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government completed 100 days of its 3rd term under PM Modi's leadership. CM Shinde said, "It is PM Narendra Modi's birthday today. I extend to him greetings on this occasion. May he be blessed with a long life and the strength to serve the nation. PM Modi has brought laurels to the country before the world. That is why, our country is heading towards becoming an economic superpower. From the 11th, PM Modi has brought our economy to the fifth position," the ANI reported on Tuesday. CM Shinde said that many welfare initiatives were made in the last 10 years which could not be done under the previous government. Major decisions for the welfare of the farmers, women and poor were made which could not be done by the previous government in the last 50-60 years. "PM Modi's vision is to take the country's economy to new highs and make India an economic superpower. What could not be done by the opposition in the last 50-60 years, when they were in power? All such decisions for the welfare of poor, farmers and women have been taken in the last 10 years," CM Shinde added, according to the ANI. Meanwhile, on the occasion of Marathwada Liberation Day, CM Eknath Shinde wished the citizens of Maharashtra and said ANI, "To make the union of the country, it was important to merge Hyderabad with it. Therefore, the then Home Minister initiated police action. Several freedom fighters from the Marathwada region sacrificed their lives for the freedom of Marathwada, we pay tribute to them." "We had our last cabinet meeting here in Sambhajinagar. We made several decisions for the benefit of the people, and they were not just on paper. Several decisions were implemented too." CM Eknath Shinde told the ANI. Meanwhile, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Devendra Fadnavis also praised PM Modi's during his tenure as the PM of India. Ajit Pawar said, "PM Modi has emphasised on infrastructure development in the country. Today, India is recognised in the world and the credit for this goes to PM Modi." (with ANI inputs)
17 September,2024 05:37 PM IST | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | mid-day online correspondentIn hopes for early elections in Delhi, AAP leader Gopal Rai on Tuesday said that Atishi would carry the responsibilities of the Chief Minister till Arvind Kejriwal is elected by the people with a "thumping" majority as reported by ANI According to ANI, Rai while addressing a press conference said, "When he (Arvind Kejriwal) decided to resign, legislative party meeting was held today. In the meeting, it was unanimously decided that until the next elections, that we want to be held in October-November at the earliest, and people make Arvind Kejriwal the Delhi CM with a thumping majority, Atishi would carry out the responsibilities as the new CM." "Atishi has been given two responsibilities by the MLAs here. The first is to continue the work despite hindrances by the BJP and the other one is to save the public of Delhi from all the tactics used by the Aam Aadmi party," he added The Delhi Chief Minister is set to give his resignation today followed by the new government taking over on the same day, in a statement given by Rai. On Tuesday, Arvind Kejriwal in a meeting of AAP party MLAs proposed the name of Atishi to be his successor. ANI sources told the news agency that while addressing a legislature party meeting at his residence in the national capital, Kejriwal proposed and the MLAs have supported him. According to ANI, the Delhi government minister Kailash Gehlot who was also seen as a potential candidate for taking over the CM seat said to the press, "Everyone unanimously agreed on Atishi's name". On Saturday, Kejriwal announced his resignation and claimed he would not resume as the CM until the people of Delhi declared him "honest." He has also called for advancing polls in Delhi to be rescheduled to November this year instead of February Kejriwal in another statement cited by ANI stated that if re-elected by the public, it would serve as a "certificate" of his honesty, adding to push for early elections, alongside Maharashtra. The announcement by the AAP leader came two days after he was released from the Tihar jail on bail, jailed due to a corruption case related to the alleged Delhi Excise Policy scam.
17 September,2024 04:50 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe Supreme Court of India has ordered that no properties, including those belonging to accused individuals, be demolished across the country without its prior approval till October 1. A bench consisting of Justices B R Gavai and K V Viswanathan stressed that even a single case of illegal destruction violates the Constitution's provisions. "Even if there is one instance of an illegal demolition… it is against the ethos of our Constitution," the bench observed. A PTI report stated that the court clarified that its injunction does not extend to illegal buildings on public highways or pathways. The instruction was issued during a hearing on petitions stating that the properties of persons accused of crimes were being demolished illegally in many jurisdictions. The next hearing is planned for October 1, and until then, no demolition can take place without court approval, the report added. Reportedly, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta responded by asserting that a "narrative" is being built around the demolition of properties and that individuals impacted have not petitioned the court because they are aware that their buildings were illegal. The court told the Solicitor General that its rulings were unaffected by extraneous noise. "Let them bring to your lordship notice one instance of demolition where the law is not complied (with)," the law officer said. The Supreme Court had previously questioned how a person's property could be demolished just because they were accused of a crime, stating that such measures must adhere to due legal process, the report stated. "Rest assured that outside noise is not influencing us," the bench told the senior law officer. "Mr Mehta, after these directives are laid down, we will seek your assistance on this glorification and grandstanding… You will assist us on how to stop this. If necessary, we will ask the Election Commission also," the bench also said according to the PTI report. "How can anybody's house be demolished only because he is an accused? Even if he is a convict, still it can't be done without following the procedure as prescribed by law," the court had then observed. The applications, filed by Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and others, asked the court to prohibit the demolition of houses without sufficient legal notice, particularly in circumstances of riots and violence. The court's order is in effect until more guidelines are developed, the report added.
17 September,2024 04:17 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondentMaharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Tuesday asserted that his government was committed to develop Marathwada region in the state in a time-bound manner, and said projects worth Rs 29,000 crore were underway for its development, reported the PTI. CM Shinde also said that the Marathwada region will play a key role in the country's development. However, the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA), targeted the CM Shinde saying that his claim of development works worth Rs 29,000 crore were underway was "false", according to the PTI. Leader of Opposition in the legislative council Ambadas Danve announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh if any such development work was found to be currently on. CM Shinde was speaking after hoisting the national flag to mark the Marathwada Liberation Day, also known as Marathwada Mukti Sangram Din, at Siddharth Garden here this morning. On this day in 1948, Nizam's rule over Marathwada came to an end. "The government is committed to develop Marathwada region in a time-bound manner and this region will play a key role in the development of the country...In order to permanently end drought in the Marathwada region, we have planned a project worth Rs 15,000 crore to divert the runoff water into the Godavari river, as per the PTI. The river-linking scheme will help erase the drought prone identity of Marathwada," he said in his speech. Marathwada neither receives heavy rains unlike Konkan, nor is it rich like western Maharashtra, he said. "But we are taking some decisions for the development of the region. We have decided to connect 200 religious places located along the Godavari river through Ashta Shatabdi Marg. We have made a provision of Rs 234 crore for it," he said, the news agency reported on Tuesday. In the past, development projects in the region dragged on for years, he alleged. "In 2023, a cabinet meeting was held for Marathwada here and development works of more than Rs 45,000 crore were initiated by us. We made 29 decisions and 26 announcements on September 16, 2023. Projects worth Rs 29,000 crore are moving towards completion and others are being implemented," he said, the PTI reported. A silk training centre will be established in Jalna. The government has made a provision of Rs 50 crore for the development of Saint Janabai Teerthakshetra. It has sanctioned a revised plan for Mahurgad in Nanded, he said. "The state has sanctioned Rs 829.13 crore for emergency works. The state has also sanctioned Rs 45.13 crore for the second phase of Aundha Nagnath temple town in Hingoli. Funds of Rs 1,434 crore have also been sanctioned for the development works in the districts of Latur, Dharashiv, Beed," CM Shinde added. According to CM Shinde, people of Marathwada fought against the Nizam rule under the leadership of Swami Ramanand Teerth and others. "There is a need for the people to know more about the liberation movement. Therefore, we have allocated Rs 100 crore to set up a memorial in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. In the past two years, we have taken steps for the development of Marathwada. It's our objective to free the region of backwardness," he said, as per the PTI. Road works in the region are being completed at a fast pace. Roads of 1,030 km of length are being implemented under the hybrid annuity model. Construction of 75 Gram Panchayat buildings is underway. A water pipeline scheme worth Rs 2,740 crore is also underway for Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, he added. The government was giving a boost to the dairy sector in the region. The first phase of a project under which milch animals will be provided to farmers, will be implemented in 2027, he said. "We have recently given sanction of Rs 149 crore for this scheme," he added. For empowerment of women, additional Rs 1,076 crore have been allocated by the government and more than 12 lakh women have been benefited through it. On the industrial development of the region, Shinde said, Aurangabad Industrial City (AURIC) City will get an investment of Rs 20,000 crore through the Toyota Kirloskar Motor car project in Shendra. In Bidkin node, Ather Energy will invest Rs 2,000 crore in its electric vehicle project, he said. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Ambadas Danve announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh if any development work announced by the state government a year back were found to be underway. Speaking to reporters, he said, "The government had announced developmental works worth Rs 46,000 crore last year. Now, the CM says works of Rs 29,000 crore are underway. He should show where the work is underway. A cash of Rs 1 lakh will be given if any such work is found to be currently ongoing." "Not a single work announced earlier is underway and I can give a list of the announcements. What the chief minister said here is false. The government should publish a white paper of these announcements," Ambadas Danve said. (with PTI inputs)
17 September,2024 03:44 PM IST | Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
