Cong questions FIRs against farmers leaders and not Deep Sidhu

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Cong questions FIRs against farmers leaders and not Deep Sidhu

Congress leaders on Wednesday questioned the police action against the farmer’s leaders after the clashes on Tuesday between the farmers and the police during the tractor rally in New Delhi.

Punjab Congress MP Jasbir Singh Gill Tampa, who is protesting against the farm laws said, “Has anybody noticed any case being registered against Deep Sidhu or Lakha Sadhana.” It is alleged that Deep Sidhu was among the group of farmers who entered the Red Fort in New Delhi and unfurled the pennant there, while violent clashes erupted in several areas of the national capital.

Hundreds of farmers riding their tractors, motorcycles and cars entered the premises of Red Fort on Tuesday afternoon with the national flag, a pennant and farmer union flags in their hands.

As many as 22 FIRs have been filed by the Delhi Police so far in connection with the violence witnessed during the farmers’ tractor rally on Republic Day, officials said on Wednesday.

The FIRs were registered under sections dealing with rioting, damage to public property, and assault on public servants with deadly weapons.

Another senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh blamed the Modi government for the violence. He said, “More than 15 persons have been handed over by farmers to the police who started the violence, and they were found possessing government identity cards, you can now understand who is in the government. This was an act of concerted conspiracy to malign a peaceful movement.”

Singh questioned why the police placed barricades despite fixing the routes.

The Congress has been pressing for the withdrawal of the farm laws and had hit out at the Modi government for the “collision” with the people over the contentious farm laws and demanded their immediate repeal.

Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala in a statement said there is no place for violence in a democracy and it is good that the agitating farmers have distanced themselves from those who have indulged in hooliganism.

Violence by certain elements in Delhi unacceptable: Punjab CM

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Violence by certain elements in Delhi unacceptable: Punjab CM

Terming the violence perpetrated by certain elements during Tuesday’s tractor rally in the national capital as unacceptable, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh urged all the genuine farmers to immediately vacate Delhi and return to the borders, where they had been protesting peacefully for the past two months.

The Chief Minister also ordered a high alert in Punjab amid the tension and violence in Delhi and directed Director General of Police (DGP) Dinkar Gupta to ensure that law and order in the state are not disturbed at any cost.

Expressing grave concern over the situation, the Chief Minister said the violence was apparently triggered by some people who violated the rules laid down for the tractor rally through mutual agreement between the Delhi Police and the farmers’ unions.

It was unfortunate that these elements disturbed the peaceful agitation of the farmers, he said, condemning the incidents that took place at the historic Red Fort and some other key points of the national capital.

Pointing out that the major farmer leaders had already disassociated themselves from the violence, Amarinder Singh said the agitating farmers should immediately vacate the national capital and get back to their camps at the borders, and continue to engage with the Centre to resolve the crisis over the farm laws.

“Shocking scenes in Delhi. The violence by some elements is unacceptable. It’ll negate the goodwill generated by peacefully protesting farmers. Kisan leaders have disassociated themselves and suspended the tractor rally. I urge all genuine farmers to vacate Delhi and return to borders,” the Chief Minister tweeted.

Amarinder Singh also called upon the farmers to continue to exercise the restraint with which they had conducted their peaceful protest for the past two months on the borders of Delhi, and in Punjab prior to that.

Pointing out that peace had been the hallmark of their agitation, and the reason for the support they had received from across India and the world, the Chief Minister stressed the need to maintain law and order at all costs.

The protesting farmers swarmed the Red Fort in the heart of the national capital on Republic Day even as the police tried to prevent them from heading towards central Delhi, resulting in violent clashes between the protesters and the police.

TDP leader diverts rejected Ramateertham donation to Ayodhya

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TDP leader diverts rejected Ramateertham donation to Ayodhya

Senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader and former Union Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju diverted his rejected donation for Ramateertham to Ram Mandir construction in Ayodhya on Tuesday.

“Now that I have been denied my right as a bhakta (devotee) and a member of the founder family to offer my donation to Lord Rama in Ramateerthalu, I have passed on the donation which to my mind now belongs to Lord Rama to the Bhavya Rama Mandir in Ayodhya,” said Raju.

He asserted that he is now at peace after diverting the donation of Rs 1,01,116 to Ayodhya.

Raju shared a picture of the cheque he donated to Ram Mandir.

Earlier, the Andhra Pradesh government rejected his donation to Ramateertham temple, following an attack by unidentified miscreants in December who decapitated Lord Ram’s idol and dumped the head in a nearby pond.

Subsequent to that crime, a massive controversy erupted over the secluded hilltop temple’s attack with fingers being pointed at the government for allegedly neglecting the security of temples.

Endowments Minister Vellampalli Srinivas criticized Raju for neglecting the temple’s security as he was a caretaker, which kicked up another row.

The Andhra Pradesh government has formed a special investigation team (SIT) to probe temple attacks and also allocated Rs 3 crore to renovate the Ramateertham in Nellimerla Mandal of Vizianagaram district.

Punjab CM kickstarts ‘Girl Child Day’ celebrations

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Punjab CM kickstarts ‘Girl Child Day’ celebrations

In a major initiative for the empowerment of women, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday kickstarted the ‘National Girl Child Day’ celebrations with a message to the society to come forward to protect the life and liberty of girls.

Underlining the need for creating grassroot level awareness to further improve Punjab’s girl child sex ratio which had gone up from 890/1,000 in 2013-14 to 920/1,000 during 2019-20, the Chief Minister said his government’s decision to dedicate January as ‘Dheeyan Di Lohri’ was a step in this direction.

Pointing that the religious scriptures accord high status to women, Amarinder Singh said with girls consistently outshining boys at various levels, they continue to prove their mettle year after year.

Women only need the motivation to make a mark in every sphere, he said, adding that opportunities for girls were growing in today’s era.

He cited the examples of Kamala Harris being elected the new US Vice-President, an all-woman crew of aircraft and women fighter pilots as proof of the growing women power.

The Chief Minister also listed out various measures taken by his government to nurture women power, including 30 percent reservation for women in government jobs, 50 percent reservation in panchayat and local body elections, ‘One Stop Centre’ Scheme in all districts to support women and girls who are victims of violence or conflict, among others.

He pointed out that the recently announced 50 percent concession in the ‘bus fares for women’ scheme would be launched soon.

Social Security, Women and Child Development Minister Aruna Chaudhary expressed gratitude to the Chief Minister for taking such various initiatives for women empowerment, in addition to the ‘Poshan Abhiyan’ aimed at providing a nutritional diet to women.

As many as 27,314 Anganwadi centers did a commendable job in Covid-19 peak times as frontline warriors, she added.

Lalu seeks bail in Jharkhand High Court

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Lalu seeks bail in Jharkhand High Court

Former Bihar Chief Minister Lalu Prasad’s lawyer on Monday filed a reply in the Jharkhand High Court and sought bail for the RJD President.

In the reply, Devarshi Mandal, the lawyer of Lalu Prasad, argued that his client has completed half of the sentence period in jail and he should be granted bail.

He argued that Lalu Praasd has spent 42 months and 23 days in jail, which is half of his seven-year jail term. Mandal also appealed for an early hearing on the bail petition.

The reply was filed in connection with the Dumka treasury fraud case, in which Lalu Peasad has been awarded a prison sentence of seven years.

Sources in the CBI said that two seven-year sentences have been awarded to Lalu Prasad, which amount to 14 years. The CBI may oppose the bail plea on the same ground.

Lalu Prasad has been convicted in four fodder scam cases with a prison sentence of up to 14 years.

At present, the RJD strongman is undergoing treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in New Delhi.

CM congratulates PM Bala Puraskar awardees from Karnataka

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CM congratulates PM Bala Puraskar awardees from Karnataka

Karnataka Chief Minister, B.S. Yediyurappa took to Twitter to greet a first-year Pre-University (Class 11) student Rakesh Krishna K., and class 5 student Veer V. Kashyap for winning Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar this year.

Yediyurappa said, “I congratulate our children for making our state proud by winning this prestigious award. You are achievers today, but you will ever be remembered as role models for many generations to come in the future.”

Rakesh Krishna from Bannur in Puttur taluk and 10-year-old Veer V. Kashyap, from Bengaluru, are among the nine children to receive the award under the Innovation category.

Seven children received the award under the Art and Culture category, five for Scholastic Achievements, seven under the Sports category, three under the Bravery category, and one in the Social Field category.

Rakesh Krishna, who studied at Vivekananda English Medium School, Puttur, has focused on the agriculture sector and come out with many prototypes.

One among these is the “Novel seeder for systematic cultivation”, which he presented at the Jignyasa 2018 competition organized by Agastya International Foundation in Bengaluru.

Another awardee, 10-year-old Veer V. Kashyap is originally from Delhi but he developed a board game around Covid-19 named it Corona Yuga which is now available online, during his prolonged vacations with his parental grandparents in Bengaluru.

Budget Session: Modified parking plan for MPs vehicles

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Budget Session: Modified parking plan for MPs vehicles

There will be a modified parking plan for the vehicles being used by the Members of Parliament (MPs) during the forthcoming Budget session of Parliament starting January 29.

The MPs will be informed through WhatsApp and telephonically about the parking arrangements and vehicular movement in and around the Parliament House complex well in advance, to ensure their smooth movement during the session which will conclude on April 8 with a recess in between from February 15 to March 8.

There will be a map detailing the modified parking arrangements which will be shared with all members, both from the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.

The plan has been put in place for MPs due to the construction of the New Parliament building which will be equipped with all modern audio-visual communication facilities and data network systems, making it a symbol of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had on December 10, 2020, laid the foundation stone of the new Parliament building, which will be one of the most magnificent buildings in the country built on an area of 64,500 square meters at an estimated cost of Rs 971 crore.

The building, which will have a seating capacity of 888 in the Lok Sabha chamber with an option to increase it to 1,224 members during joint sessions and a seating capacity for 384 members in the Rajya Sabha, is to be completed by 2022. It is proposed to hold the Winter session of Parliament in the new building when the nation celebrates 75 years of Independence.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was on Saturday informed about the modified parking plan during his inspection visit ahead of the Budget session.

Soon after getting a detailed presentation on the modified parking plan, Birla directed the authorities to take care of the facilities for the MPs and instructed that the members should be informed on WhatsApp and telephonically about these parking arrangements to ease their movement in the Parliament House complex.

Birla said that the MPs should be given the details of the parking plan well in advance. The Speaker also directed that they be given the map on the modified parking arrangements.

Referring to the construction of the new Parliament building, Birla told the agencies concerned to strictly adhere to pollution control and green building norms, and ensure that the construction did not hamper the smooth functioning of parliamentary business during the session.

Birla asked them to install smog towers and necessary equipment for checking noise pollution.

The Budget session will commence with President Ram Nath Kovind’s address to a joint sitting of both the Houses of Parliament at 11 a.m. on January 29. The two Houses will meet separately for the tabling of the President’s Address. The Economic Survey would also be tabled in both Houses in the 30-minute sitting.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman would present the Union Budget at 11 a.m. on February 1.

The Rajya Sabha would sit from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the Lok Sabha from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Zero Hour and Question Hour would also be held. All Covid-19 protocols would be followed in this session on the same lines as the Monsoon session last year.

Shah to attend golden jubilee of Himachal’s statehood

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Shah to attend golden jubilee of Himachal’s statehood

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be the chief guest in the presence of BJP President J.P. Nadda at the golden jubilee function of Himachal Pradesh’s statehood here on January 25, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur said on Saturday.

He told the media that the function would be held on the Ridge in the presence of 2,000 people owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The journey of the state’s 50 years would be depicted in an exhibition where various departments of the state government would showcase their achievements.

Governor Bandaru Dattatreya will preside over the function that will also be attended by Union Minister Anurag Thakur.

The Chief Minister said that a special postal stamp would be released to mark the occasion. A total of 51 events would be organized around the year to commemorate the golden jubilee of Himachal’s statehood, he added.

K’taka to soon issue directives to mine owners: Minister

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K’taka to soon issue directives to mine owners: Minister

The state government will soon issue a directive to all mine owners and explosive material suppliers, Karnataka Home Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Saturday said.

The order would specify the number of explosives for storage, use, or transportation at a time.

Bommai told the media that the state government would deliberate on what types of explosives could be allowed to be used, Inaugurating a Road Safety week organized by the Bengaluru Traffic police.

Netaji was true leader who strongly believed in unity: Mamata

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Netaji was true leader who strongly believed in unity: Mamata

Paying homage to ‘Deshnayak’ Subhas Chandra Bose on his 125th birth anniversary, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said that Netaji was a true leader and strongly believed in the unity of all people.

“We are celebrating this day as Desh Nayak Dibas…He strongly believed in the unity of all people,” Banerjee tweeted.

She said that her government has also set up a committee to conduct year-long celebrations till January 23, 2022, across the state.

“A monument, named after Azad Hind Fauj, will be built at Rajarhat. A university named after Netaji is also being set up which shall be funded entirely by the state, and will have tie-ups with foreign universities,” the Chief Minister said.

She also said that a grand padayatra will be held on the day. This year’s Republic Day parade in Kolkata will also be dedicated to Netaji.

“A siren will be sounded today at 12.15 pm. We urge everyone to blow shankh (conch shell) at home,” Banerjee said, demanding that the Centre must also declare January 23 as a National Holiday.

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