Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday said the BJP and its allies have started to distance themselves from Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's "Batoge toh katoge" slogan. Yadav termed the slogan -- given by Adityanath in a call apparently to Hindus to stay united -- as "unconstitutional" and the "most negative" in the history of the country. Addressing a gathering in the Bakshi Ka Talab area here, the former Uttar Pradesh chief minister said, "The chief minister's slogan is like the British's divide and rule policy. The British have left but people with their thinking are taking their ideas forward". "Batoge to katoge is the most negative and unconstitutional slogan in the country's history. The BJP leaders and its allies are distancing themselves from the slogan," he added. Taking a veiled jibe at Adityanath, the SP chief said without taking any names that one becomes a 'yogi' by one's thoughts and words, not clothes. He said the BJP knows that it is going to face a massive defeat in the by-elections and was misusing the administration in a bid to discourage people from going out to vote. "The government is making district magistrates work like district presidents of the BJP. It (BJP) is misusing power to stop people from casting their votes. This is an attack on the right to vote of the people. BJP wants to paint the constitutional institutions with one idea and one colour. We all have to take a pledge that we have to unite and save the Constitution," he said. Alleging that employment generation was not on the agenda of the BJP, he accused the ruling party of conspiring to take away reservation benefits. "The government does not want to give jobs to the youth. It is snatching away reservation through conspiracy and is involved in anti-constitutional work," he said. He said the BJP's policies are anti-youth, anti-farmer and anti-PDA. PDA is the term coined by Yadav during the 2022 Assembly polls for Pichhde (backwards), Dalits and Alpsankhyak (minorities). "Till now Baba Saheb's constitution has protected PDA. Now it is the responsibility of PDA and all of us to protect the constitution made by Dr Ambedkar. As long as BJP is in power, the Constitution will remain under threat. BJP wants to run the country not by the constitution but its own way," Yadav said. "We all have to keep fighting unitedly to save the Constitution and it is possible when the BJP government is removed from Delhi and Lucknow," he added. 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
20 November,2024 09:04 AM IST | Lucknow | PTIA fire broke out early Wednesday morning in the slum area of Rani Garden in Shahdara. Visuals from the scene showed the slum engulfed in flames. According to the fire department, several fire tenders were dispatched to the spot immediately after receiving the information. Efforts are currently underway to bring the fire under control. "The call was received at 12:06 AM. Seven fire tenders reached the spot. The area consists of 10-12 shanties and a warehouse for scrap materials," Fire Officer Yashwant Singh Meena said. Further details are awaited. 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
20 November,2024 08:57 AM IST | New Delhi | ANIThe Indian Coast Guard (ICG) successfully rescued seven Indian fishermen apprehended by a Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) vessel near the India-Pakistan Maritime Boundary, according to an official release. At approximately 1530 hours on November 17, an ICG ship on patrol received a distress call from an Indian fishing boat (IFB) operating near the No-Fishing Zone (NFZ). The call reported that another Indian fishing boat, *Kal Bhairav*, had been intercepted by a PMSA vessel, and seven Indian crew members had been taken into custody. In response, the ICG ship immediately proceeded to the reported location at maximum speed, the release stated. Despite efforts by the PMSA vessel to retreat, the ICG ship intercepted it and persuaded the crew to release the Indian fishermen. The ICG ship successfully rescued the seven fishermen, all of whom were found to be in stable medical condition. Unfortunately, the Indian fishing boat *Kal Bhairav* was reported to have been damaged and had sunk during the incident, the release added. The ICG ship returned to Okha Harbour on November 18, where a joint investigation involving the ICG, state police, intelligence agencies, and fisheries authorities was initiated to examine the circumstances leading to the incident and the subsequent rescue operation. This successful effort underscores the ICG's continued commitment to safeguarding the safety and interests of Indian fishermen at sea, showcasing its resolve to protect the Indian maritime community, the release stated. 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
20 November,2024 08:52 AM IST | New Delhi | ANIA group of families claiming to have lost their kin or suffered side effects of Covid vaccines asked the government to set up fast-track courts to provide justice to them and also sought financial compensation. The families, along with doctors and lawyers, demanded action against officials who “misguided and coerced” people into taking the vaccines. They urged the government to provide full disclosure of all the side effects. While there was no immediate official response, the government and several doctors in the past have rejected the claims of side effects of Covid jabs. “Compensate all the victims of Covid vaccines including their family members through a mechanism that involves vaccine manufacturers as well,” a family member of a vaccine victim said. The group also alleged that the current adverse event following immunisation (AEFI) system is severely flawed. It sought to implement active surveillance and monitoring mechanisms besides reviewing the science behind all Covid vaccines and auditing their commercialisation. Renowned interventional cardiologist Dr Deepak Natarajan said, “The last five years have tragically taught us that the ‘safe and effective’ vaccines were actually unsafe and ineffective.” Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan said, “The government hasn’t implemented the Supreme Court judgment in spirit in the Jacob Puliyel case when it mandated an accessible virtual platform where the vaccine recipients can themselves register their adverse events and these reports were supposed to be publicly accessible. “What instead was delivered was a sham of a website which just had a form to record adverse events without any status updates back to the registering person,” 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
20 November,2024 07:37 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesAmid alarmingly high pollution levels in Delhi, Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Tuesday urged the Centre to convene an emergency meeting to tackle the issue and said it is the moral responsibility of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene in the matter. The air quality in the national capital has remained in the “hazardous” category since Sunday, with AQI readings consistently above 450. Rai said the Centre has not acted on the Delhi government's repeated requests to allow artificial rain in the national capital and he will again write to Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav. "Delhi is under GRAP (Graded Response Action Plan) Stage IV restrictions, and we are taking every possible step to reduce vehicular and industrial pollution. Restrictions have been imposed on private vehicles and trucks, aiming to curb the number of vehicles entering the city. "We are consulting specialists to explore measures to reduce the smog. One of the solutions under consideration is artificial rain, which can help settle pollutants and clear the air," Rai said. The Union environment minister has not responded to repeated requests from the Delhi government to call an emergency meeting over the dire pollution situation in the city and allowing artificial rain, he said. Work-from-home, odd-even measures soon A decision on implementing work-from-home measures and the odd-even scheme will be taken soon to tackle the city’s worsening air quality, Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai said on Tuesday. “People, including children and senior citizens, are struggling to breathe and we deeply regret this situation,” he said. On the possibility of implementing work-from-home measures, Rai stated, “We will take a decision on this soon.” The minister added that the government has already imposed significant restrictions on vehicles under GRAP-IV. “We are analysing the impact of these measures. If the analysis shows a positive outcome, we will take further decisions accordingly,” he said. Calling the current situation a medical emergency, Rai emphasised the need for collective action. “This is a time of medical emergency, and we all need to work together to address the situation.” 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
20 November,2024 07:36 AM IST | New Delhi | AgenciesA meeting of MLAs of the ruling BJP-led NDA in Manipur adopted a resolution calling for a “mass operation” against the Kuki militants responsible for killing three women and three children in Jiribam district within seven days, a statement said. The meeting, held on Monday night, was attended by 27 MLAs. “To start Mass Operations against the Kuki militants responsible for the killing of the 6 (six) innocent women and children within 7 (seven) days,” the statement said. “Declare the Kuki Militants responsible for the killing of the six innocent women and children as an ‘unlawful organisation’ within seven days,” it added. It was resolved that the case be handed over to the NIA immediately. “The Center to review the imposition of AFSPA as per the order dated November 14 with immediate effect,” the statement said. Cong seeks President Murmu’s intervention Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday wrote to President Droupadi Murmu over the deteriorating situation in Manipur and sought her immediate intervention to ensure that people of the state live peacefully in their homes with dignity. Kharge alleged that both the Union and state governments of Manipur have "completely failed" in restoring peace and normalcy during the last 18 months and the people have lost confidence in them. 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
20 November,2024 07:36 AM IST | Imphal | AgenciesExternal Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi reviewed progress in the disengagement of troops in Demchok and Depsang in eastern Ladakh in a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit. It was the first high-level engagement between the two sides after completion of the disengagement process in the two friction points along the LAC. “On the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio, met CPC Politburo member and FM Wang Yi of China,” the external affairs minister posted on X late on Monday. “We noted the progress in the recent disengagement in the India-China border areas. And exchanged views on the next steps in our bilateral ties. Also discussed the global situation,” 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
20 November,2024 07:36 AM IST | Rio de Janeiro | AgenciesHours before the Maharashtra Assembly Elections, former Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Ravindra Nath Patil on Tuesday made explosive claims, alleging that Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) leader Supriya Sule and Maharashtra Congress President Nana Patole were involved in a cryptocurrency scam. However, the NCP (SP) leader has denied all the allegations made against her in a post on social media platform X. Familiar tactics of spreading false information to manipulate the righteous voters are being resorted to, a night before the polling day. We have filed a criminal complaint to the Hon’ble ECI & the Cyber crime department against the fake allegations made of bitcoin… pic.twitter.com/g8Selv1DFk — Supriya Sule (@supriya_sule) November 19, 2024 According to news agency IANS, Patil accused the two leaders, whose parties are a part of the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) alliance, of using Bitcoin manipulation to fund election campaigns. Patil further alleged that the cash obtained from cryptocurrency dealings is being utilised in the campaign for Maharashtra Assembly Elections 2024. He further alleged that similar manipulation had been resorted to during the recently held Lok Sabha Elections, too. Speaking to IANS, Patil implicated Pune's former Police Commissioner Amitabh Gupta and cybercrime investigator Bhagyashree Navatke, claiming that they were involved in the Bitcoin scam but had received protection from Sule and Patole. Sharing the details of the whole scam, Patil explained that in 2018, his company had hired him (Patil) as a cryptocurrency expert to investigate the scam. However, in 2022, he was arrested on fraud charges and spent 14 months in jail. During this time, he was trying to ascertain as to why he was framed. He and his colleagues continued working to get to the facts. And finally, they have come across startling facts, he added. Patil revealed that a key witness in the case, Gaurav Mehta — an employee of an audit firm — had contacted him several times in the past few days. When Patil finally responded, Mehta shared details about the 2018 cryptocurrency fraud investigation. Mehta alleged that during the arrest of Amit Bhardwaj, a cryptocurrency trader, a hardware wallet containing Bitcoin was seized. However, according to Mehta, the wallet was replaced by another one allegedly under the Gupta's direction. Mehta further claimed that Patil and his colleagues were arrested unjustly, while the real culprits were Gupta and his team. According to Patil, Mehta had named Sule and Nana Patole in the scam and alleged that the two politicians were using the cash obtained through Bitcoin manipulation to fund election campaigns, including the Lok Sabha polls and the current Maharashtra Assembly elections. Patil claimed that Mehta, under Gupta's direction, made multiple trips to Dubai to convert Bitcoin into cash, which was then used to finance election activities in Maharashtra. Patil told IANS that Mehta sent several voice recordings on Signal — social media app — including messages from Sule requesting cash in exchange for Bitcoin. In the recordings, Sule allegedly assured Mehta that there was no need to worry about the investigation, as they would handle it once they came to power. Another recording reportedly featured Patole, inquiring about the delay in the cash transaction. Though the audio messages are available with IANS, the agency claimed that it does not vouch for the veracity of the clips. Patil also spoke of another recording featured Gupta demanding Rs 50 crore. In another conversation, Gupta allegedly said that he had created four cryptocurrency wallets in the names of Patil and his colleague and that transactions had been made from these wallets. Gupta allegedly suggested that if an investigation took place, both Patil and his colleague would be implicated, and "we would be safe", said Patil referring to chats with Mehta. The former IPS officer added that Mehta had already sold Bitcoin worth Rs 150 crore, and he still held hundreds of crores worth of it. He claimed that this remaining cryptocurrency was being used for election-related funding. Patil expressed his readiness to cooperate with investigating agencies, stating that he had all the necessary screenshots and audio recordings to support his claims. According to him, Navatke is also heard saying, “We need cash Gaurav, I am coming to Mumbai.” Patil was in fact arrested in 2022 by Pune Police in connection with a multi-crore cryptocurrency fraud case. He is a 2004-batch IPS officer and had worked in the corporate sector as a cybersecurity expert since 2010. In 2018, he was appointed as a forensic auditor in the Bitcoin fraud case. (With IANS inputs)
19 November,2024 11:29 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondentA Tahsildar in Peddapalli district of Telangana was on Tuesday caught red-handed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) for allegedly taking bribe of Rs 12,000, ACB said. The officer was booked for the second time now, on the charges of taking bribe. V Ramesh, the Tahsildar of Anthergaon mandal was caught when he "demanded and accepted the bribe" from the complainant through a Revenue Inspector for showing an official favour, an ACB release said here. The official favour was "to release the tractor seized by the SI, Anthergaon on November 11, while the complainant was illegally transporting sand," it said. The bribe amount of Rs 12,000 was recovered from the backyard of the Tahsil office, Anthergaon. On noticing the arrival of the ACB officials, the Revenue Inspector managed to escape from the office by throwing the bribe amount, the release said. The bureau further said, while working as Tahsildar of Dharmaram mandal in Peddapalli district, Ramesh was caught red-handed by the ACB in 2016 when he allegedly "demanded and accepted" Rs 10,000 from a complainant for issuing pattadar passbooks and updation of online pahanies pertaining to 25 farmers. This case is pending trial before the Special Court for ACB cases at Karimnagar. 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
19 November,2024 11:03 PM IST | Hyderabad | PTIThe stage is set for the second and final round of Jharkhand Assembly Elections 2024 on Wednesday, as the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress-Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) coalition seeks to retain power, while the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) aims to wrest control. This phase will determine the electoral fate of Jharkhand Chief Minister (CM) Hemant Soren, his wife Kalpana Soren (both JMM), and Leader of Opposition Amar Kumar Bauri (BJP), alongside more than 500 other candidates vying for 38 of the total 81 assembly seats. During the election campaign, the NDA has attacked the JMM-led coalition over allegations of infiltration from Bangladesh and corruption, including the CM's ongoing bail in a case linked to a land scam. The BJP-led alliance has also raised the issue of Hindutva. Meanwhile, the ruling dispensation has tried to win over voters by promising welfare schemes and accusing the BJP of spending Rs 500 crore on "malicious campaigns" against a "tribal leader" in reference to CM Soren. Polling will begin at 7 am in 14,218 voting centres and continue until 5 pm, except for 31 booths where voting will end at 4 pm. The first phase of elections was held on November 13. Eighteen of the 38 constituencies going to the polls in this phase are located in the Santhal Pargana region, which comprises the districts of Godda, Deoghar, Dumka, Jamtara, Sahibganj, and Pakur. The NDA has alleged that large-scale infiltration occurred in Santhal Pargana during the JMM-led government's tenure. A total of 1.23 crore voters, including 60.79 lakh women and 147 third-gender voters, are eligible to cast their votes on Wednesday. In total, 528 candidates – 472 men, 55 women, and one third-gender person – are contesting. 2019 Jharkhand Assembly Elections: JMM won 30 seats, BJP 25 Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) K. Ravi Kumar said that all preparations for the voting process have been completed, with polling personnel dispatched to all booths peacefully. Top BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, BJP President JP Nadda, and several state chief ministers, have targeted Hemant Soren, particularly over his five-month stint in jail in connection with a money-laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. They also made the removal of Champai Soren as CM, shortly after Hemant Soren's release on bail in June, a key poll issue, claiming that a tribal leader had been insulted by the JMM. Champai Soren later joined the BJP and is contesting in the assembly elections. INDIA bloc leaders, including Congress's Rahul Gandhi, party president Mallikarjun Kharge, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, and his wife Kalpana Soren, have campaigned extensively, promising welfare schemes and accusing the BJP-led Centre of using the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to target rival parties. Prominent candidates in this round include Chief Minister Soren and his wife, BJP state president and former CM Babulal Marandi, Assembly Speaker Ravindra Nath Mahto (JMM), and BJP ally AJSU Party leader Sudesh Mahto. The election includes 28 reserved seats for Scheduled Tribes (ST) candidates and nine for Scheduled Castes (SC) candidates. In the 2019 polls, JMM won 19 ST seats, Congress six , BJP two, and Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) 1. Of the SC seats, JMM won 2, BJP six, and RJD one. In the NDA, the BJP has fielded candidates in 68 seats, All Jharkhand Students Union (AJSU) Party in 10, Janata Dal (United) in two, and Lok Janshakti (Ram Vilas) in one. The INDIA bloc has fielded JMM candidates in 43 seats, Congress in 30, RJD in six, and CPI(ML) in four, with friendly contests on some seats. The 2019 assembly elections saw a close contest, with JMM winning 30 seats and BJP securing 25, down from 37 in 2014. The JMM-Congress-RJD alliance secured a comfortable majority with 47 seats. Since the Model Code of Conduct was implemented, illegal materials and cash worth Rs 200 crore have been seized, the highest in recent history, according to the CEO. A total of 90 cases of violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) have been recorded. Of the 14,218 polling stations, 239 will be entirely managed by women officials, and 22 booths will be manned by persons with disabilities (PwDs), the CEO confirmed. (With PTI inputs)
19 November,2024 10:56 PM IST | RanchiRegistering a suo motu PIL over the recent death of three elephants in Sambalpur district, the Orissa High Court on Tuesday issued a notice to the state government, seeking to know its measures to check such incidents. Two full-grown female elephants and a calf died after coming in contact with live wires laid by poachers in the Naktideul range of the Rairakhol forest division in the early hours of Monday, officials said. The next date of hearing of the case has been fixed for November 26, an advocate said. Meanwhile, the Odisha government placed three forest department officials under suspension after finding prima facie evidence of negligence on their part. Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (Wildlife) Susanta Nanda attributed the elephant deaths to negligence and lack of vigilance by forest personnel. The forest department has also recommended action against two senior officers. Two suspected poachers have been detained in connection with the incident, while search is underway to trace two other accused, the officials 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
19 November,2024 10:55 PM IST | Bhubaneswar | PTIADVERTISEMENT
