Nagpur rains: Dy CM Fadnavis visits affected areas; says plans needed for Nag river, Ambazari lake 2
Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Sunday morning took stock of the rain situation in Nagpur and visited homes to interact with flood-affected families.
Extremely heavy rainfall of 109 millimetres in three hours, including 90 mm between 2am and 4am on Saturday, inundated several areas of the city, he said.
The National Disaster Response Force and its state counterpart SDRF are undertaking rescue and relief operations across Vidarbha’s largest city, he informed.
”As many as 10,000 homes have been affected. Mud has entered houses. The administration is providing medicines and help in cleaning up flood affected areas. The level of damage is serious. The amount of rainfall was higher than carrying capacity of the area,” he told reporters.
”We could have minimised the damage if some measures were taken earlier. The IMD had given an orange alert but it could not predict this much rain would fall in such a short time. There is always something to learn from such disasters,” he said.
In the morning, Fadnavis visited areas in the vicinity of Ambazari Lake, the city’s largest waterbody, which breached its boundaries on Saturday due to heavy rains.
”The protective wall and others structures of Nag river will have to be rebuilt. The state government will also plan some infrastructure to minimise the damage when Ambazari Lake overflows,” Fadnavis informed.
Four persons, including a 53-year-old paralysed, bedridden woman, died in rain-related incidents, while more than 400 people had to be shifted to safety on Saturday.
Late Saturday night, Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari chaired a meeting to review the situation.
Rahul Gandhi regrets non-inclusion of OBC quota in 2010 Women's reservation bill 4
Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Friday expressed his regret that the Other Backward Class (OBC) quota was not provided under the Bill brought by United Progressive Alliance (UPA) in 2010. Addressing a press conference at the All India Congress Committee (AICC) headquarters in Delhi, Rahul Gandhi said, “100 per cent regret hai. This should have been done then. We will get this done.”
Rahul Gandhi demanded that the data of the previous caste census be released immediately and that a fresh caste census should be held to determine the population of OBCs and other weaker sections. “What is this delay in the census? Caste census should be done now, and the last caste census data should be released at once,” Rahul Gandhi said.
He added that the Congress government will conduct a caste census once it returns to power and added that the country will then know the total of OBCs, Dalits and tribal communities here. He further said that PM Modi speaks of OBCs every day but doesn’t understand what is being done for them.
“I spoke of one institution in Parliament, that which runs the Government of India – Cabinet secretary and secretaries… If they work for OBC, then why are only 3 out of 90 secretaries from OBC? How much and what are these OBC officers controlling the country’s budget? I don’t understand that PM Modi speaks of OBCs every day but what did he do for them?”, he said. He further alleged that OBC MPs have been made idols who have no power at all.
“I want to find out how many OBCs there are in India and how much participation they get. OBCs should get as much share as the percentage of the population that they form. You ask any BJP MP whether he takes any decision? Participate in law-making? no way. OBC MPs have been made idols, who have no power at all,” he added. The Congress leader had spoken about the lower representation of OBCs in the secretary-level posts at the Centre while participating in the debate on the Women’s Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha. The BJP countered him by saying that it gives larger representation to OBCs and that the number of MPs of the party from the community was more than the total number of parliamentarians of Congress.
Rahul Gandhi said the party extended its full support to the Women’s Reservation Bill but there is no certainty about the date of its implementation and it requires a Census and delimitation exercise. He said should have been implemented immediately. “Women’s Reservation Bill is great but we received two footnotes that Census and Delimitation need to be done before that. Both of these will take years. The truth is that the reservation can be implemented today…This is not a complicated matter but the government doesn’t want to do that. The government has presented this before the country but it will be implemented 10 years from now. Nobody knows if this will even be implemented. This is a distraction tactic, diversion tactic,” Rahul Gandhi said.
India-Canada row: Cong calls for 'intensive diplomatic engagement' to resolve crisis 6
Amid the India-Canada diplomatic row, the Congress on Friday reiterated that the fight against terrorism has to be uncompromising and called for ”intensive diplomatic engagement” to resolve the ”serious crisis” while ensuring security of Indians in that country.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh also asserted that the security of thousands of Indian students and professionals studying and working in Canada must be protected at all times.
”The Congress reiterates that our fight against terrorism has to be uncompromising especially when terrorism threatens India’s sovereignty, unity and integrity. The Congress hopes that intensive diplomatic engagement between the two countries will help resolve the current serious crisis between India and Canada,” he told reporters here when asked about the diplomatic row.
In a blunt and clear message, India on Thursday asked Canada to come down hard on terrorists and anti-India elements operating from its soil and suspended visa services for Canadians, as escalating tensions between the two nations over the killing of a Khalistani separatist in June pushed their ties to an all-time low.
Tensions flared between India and Canada early this week following Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s explosive allegations of a ”potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar on his country’s soil on June 18 in British Columbia. India had designated Nijjar as a terrorist in 2020. India angrily rejected the allegations as ”absurd” and ”motivated” and expelled a senior Canadian diplomat in a tit-for-tat move to Ottawa’s expulsion of an Indian official over the case.
Speaking about the row, Ramesh said there are over 300,000 Indian-origin students studying in Canada as well as thousands of professionals belonging to different communities, religions, castes languages from India working there and contributing to Canada’s economic growth and Indo-Canadian relations.
”We have an institute called the Shastri Indo-Canada institute named after India’s second prime minister. Clearly India and Canada have had a long economic engagement, technological engagement, our nuclear programme for example…Our reactors are called CANDU (Canada Deuterium Uranium), this cooperation goes back to the 1960s to the time of Homi Bhabha,” he said.
”So, clearly India and Canada have had a very close relationship. The security of thousands of Indian students, professionals, studying and working in Canada must be protect at all times.
”We believe that intensive diplomatic engagement which I am sure the government of India is engaging in is the only way to resolve the current crisis which is indeed very serious and as I have said on matters relating to sovereignty, integrity, unity our fight has to be absolutely uncompromising,” the Congress leader said.
Signalling a hardening of its position, India also asked Canada to downsize its diplomatic staff in the country, arguing that there should be parity in strength and rank equivalence in the mutual diplomatic presence. The size of Canadian diplomatic staff in India is larger than what New Delhi has in Canada.
On Wednesday, India had also issued a strong advisory asking its citizens travelling to or residing in Canada to ”exercise utmost caution” in view of the growing anti-India activities and ”politically-condoned” hate crimes and criminal violence in Canada.
Political parties in Kashmir welcome Mirwaiz Umar Farooq's release from house arrest 8
Political parties in Kashmir on Friday welcomed the release of Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq from his over-four-year house arrest in the wake of the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution in 2019.
National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah expressed hope that the Mirwaiz would be allowed to roam about freely, interact with people and resume his social and religious responsibilities.
”I welcome the step taken by the administration in Jammu and Kashmir to release Mirwaiz Umar Farooq from house arrest. I hope that they allow him to move freely, interact with people and resume his social/religious responsibilities. Today eyes in Kashmir will be on the Mirwaiz as he delivers his first Friday sermon in Jamia Masjid after 2019,” the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister wrote on X.
Another former chief minister, Mehbooba Mufti, also welcomed the Mirwaiz’s release.
”Finally Mirwaiz Umar Farooq will walk a free man after years of LG admin’s denial about his detention. As a religious head he is held in high regard by Muslims across Jammu and Kashmir. Unfortunate that a tussle has already begun between BJP’s various political outfits to claim credit for his release,” the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president wrote on X.
Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari expressed hope that the Mirwaiz will play his role to shape the society in a positive way for a better and peaceful tomorrow.
”I want to place on record thanks to the Hon’ble Union Home Minister Mr. Amit Shah ji @AmitShah and LG Manoj Sinha ji @manojsinha_ for the decision to allow Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to lead Friday prayers at historic Jamia Masjid. Hope Mirwaiz Sahab will play his role to shape the society in a positive way for a better and peaceful tomorrow,” Bukhari said in a post on X.
Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chief spokesperson Salman Nizami sought the release of all clerics.
”Today, the government has decided to allow Mirwaiz Umar Farooq sahib to lead the congregational prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar. It is a welcome step and we have been repeatedly seeking the release of religious clerics who are highly influential in our society and can have a substantial impact on our youngsters, if their knowledge and influence are positively used. We again demand the release of all Islamic clerics to utilise their efforts for a positive outcome,” Nizami said.
Manipur govt files status report in SC on recovery of arms in ethnic violence-hit state 10
The Manipur government told the Supreme Court on Friday that it has filed a status report on the issue of the recovery of arms from ”all sources” in the ethnic violence-hit state.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta told a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud that a report has been filed on the issue and is for the judges only.
He informed the bench, also comprising Justices J B Pardiwala and Manoj Misra, about another short affidavit in the matter. Mehta told the bench that the affidavit says ”whatever issues are being debated here are already been brought to the notice of the (apex court-appointed) committee” and the panel is considering them. The top court had earlier appointed a judges committee, headed by Justice (retd) Gita Mittal, to oversee the relief and rehabilitation of victims of ethnic violence in the state.
Advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for the petitioners’ side, told the bench that the bodies of two women, who were gang-raped and killed in May in Manipur, have not been given to their families yet. Mehta said the top court-appointed committee has already taken cognisance of this and has issued directions to the authorities. The bench posted the matter for hearing on September 25. The top court had on September 6 asked the Manipur government and the law enforcement agencies to file a status report on the recovery of arms from ”all sources” in the ethnic violence-hit state.
The top court’s direction came after it was submitted before the bench that besides illegal ones, a huge cache of arms and ammunition were stolen from police stations and army depots in the state. ”Keeping in mind the sensitivity of the issue, the status report (on recovery of arms) shall be made available only to this court,” the CJI had said, making it clear that he, personally as a judge, was averse to filing any such documents that are not available to litigants.
Issuing a slew of fresh directions, the bench had directed the Union home secretary to communicate with Justice (retd) Mittal for finalizing the names of the experts for helping the panel in its functioning. The panel headed by Justice (retd) Mittal, a former chief justice of the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, also comprises Justices (retd) Shalini P Joshi and Asha Menon.
Manipur plunged into a vortex of violence in May over a high court order directing the state government to consider including the non-tribal Meitei community in the list of Scheduled Tribes.
This order led to rampant ethnic clashes. More than 160 people have been killed and several others injured since ethnic violence first broke out in the state on May 3, when a ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ was organized in hill districts to protest against the majority Meitei community’s demand for ST status.
"Tremendous way to start new Parliament...", Rajeev Chandrasekhar on Women's Reservation Bill 12
As history was scripted after the passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill in Parliament on Thursday, Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar said that it will pave the way for political empowerment for the women of India.
Speaking to ANI, Rajeev Chandrasekhar said, “It’s a historic day. What a tremendous way to start the new Parliament when we are all able to come together to pass a constitutional bill. The Prime Minister’s vision of women’s empowerment today takes real flight after the last nine years of social and economic empowerment; now it’s about political empowerment for the women of India.”
The Upper House, on Thursday, passed the bill, which provides 33 per cent reservation for women in the Lok Sabha as well as the state legislative assemblies, unanimously, with 214 members voting in support and none against. Following the passage of the bill in Parliament, chants of ‘Modi Modi’ were raised by women MPs as they took turns to thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the passage of the draft legislation. Women members from both Houses of Parliament, including PT Usha, and Union Ministers Meenakashi Lekhi and Smriti Irani, were all smiling as they presented a bouquet to Prime Minister Modi on the historic passage of the Bill in Parliament.
Later, both Houses of Parliament were adjourned sine die. Earlier, on Wednesday, the bill aced the legislative test in the Lok Sabha as it was passed by a brute majority of 454 votes in favour and just 2 against.
Another Canada-based gangster Sukhdool Singh killed in Winnipeg 14
Gangster Sukhdool Singh alias Sukha Duneke, one of Punjab’s most wanted criminals, was killed in the Canadian city of Winnipeg by unidentified people, sources said on Thursday.
”It is believed to be the result of inter-gang rivalry,” a source said.
The killing of the Canada-based gangster, who had at least 18 cases against him including those for murder, attempt to murder and robbery, took place on Wednesday night Canada time, the sources said.
The development comes at a time when India and Canada are embroiled in a diplomatic row over the killing of Khalistani separatist leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in British Columbia in June. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has alleged the ”potential” involvement of Indian agents in the killing of Nijjar.
Hailing from Duneke Kalan village in Punjab’s Moga district, the gangster fled to Canada in December 2017, official sources said.
An active member of the Davinder Bambiha gang, Duneke was closely associated with Canada-based gangster-turned-terrorist Arsh Dalla, gangster Lucky Patial, Malaysia-based gangster Jackpal Singh alias Lali and other criminals.
The dreaded gangster was managing the activities of the gang from foreign soil and was also involved in running an extortion racket, targeted killings of rival gang members in Punjab and neighbouring areas through his local contacts and managing the network of his foreign-based associates, the sources said.
In the last few months, the number of extortion calls made by Duneke had increased considerably in Punjab and neighbouring areas, they added.
In January, two of Duneke’s associates — Kulwinder Singh alias Kinda and Paramjeet Singh Pamma — were arrested by the counter-intelligence wing (Bathinda) and three pistols and cartridges seized from their possession.
The two men were part of the extortion racket run by Duneke.
After his father died in 1990, Duneke got a peon’s job at the Moga deputy commissioner’s office on compassionate ground. During the eight years he continued with the job, he became addicted to drugs, the sources said.
A lookout circular was issued against Duneke in 2022.
His name had also figured in connection with the killing of international kabaddi player Sandeep Nangal Ambian in March last year. He was accused of arranging the shooters for the killing.
Duneke’s name also cropped up following the killing of two rival gang members — Manpreet Singh and Vicky Singh — by the shooters of the Bambiha gang in January 2022.
Indian visa services in Canada suspended with immediate effect, says service provider 16
Visa services provider BLS International has with immediate effect suspended Indian visa services in Canada, amid a diplomatic standoff between the countries BLS International Services Limited is an Indian outsourcing service provider for government and diplomatic missions worldwide. The company manages visa, passport, consular, attestation and citizen services.
“Due to operation reasons, with immediate effect i.e. 21 September 2023, Indian visa services in Canada have been suspended till further notice,” the company informed stock exchanges in a filing on Thursday. It added the impact of this move is “negligible” on the company’s financials as the Canadian visa issuance business contributes less than 2 per cent to its total annual revenue.
On Wednesday, Indian nationals, students in Canada and those planning on traveling to the country were advised to exercise caution. Indian nationals and Indian students in Canada were advised to avoid traveling to regions and potential venues in Canada that have seen growing anti-India activities, according to a release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Indian students in Canada have been particularly advised to exercise extreme caution and remain vigilant.
The updated travel advisory for students came amidst a strain in India-Canada relations after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday alleged that the Indian government was behind the fatal shooting of Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Nijjar, who was a designated terrorist in India, was gunned down outside a Gurdwara, in a parking area in Canada’s Surrey, British Columbia on June 18.
Trudeau during a debate in the Canadian Parliament, claimed his country’s national security officials had reasons to believe that “agents of the Indian government” carried out the killing of the Canadian citizen, who also served as the president of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara. The allegations made by the Canadian Prime Minister and foreign minister were rejected by the Ministry of External Affairs in India which dubbed the statements as absurd.
“We have seen and reject the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as also the statement by their Foreign Minister. Allegations of Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated” the statement said.
Why was president not invited for opening of new Parliament building, asks Congress' Ranjeet Ranjan 18
Congress Rajya Sabha member Ranjeet Ranjan on Thursday asked why President Droupadi Murmu, a woman and the first person from the tribal community to hold the high office, was not invited for the opening of the new Parliament building.
Initiating a discussion on The Constitution (One Hundred and Twenty-Eighth Amendment) Bill, 2023, which seeks to provide 33 per cent reservation to women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies, Ranjan also questioned why it took the BJP nine-and-a-half years to bring the bill despite promising it in the party’s election manifesto in 2014.
”I want to ask why the president was not invited to the inauguration of the new Parliament building. She is a woman and comes from a tribal community,” she said.
Stating that her party supports the bill, Ranjan questioned the need to call a special session to pass it instead of during a regular session.
”Limelight lene ke aadat hai (it is a habit to hog the limelight),” she said, adding that the BJP is now trying to use women before the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
She also questioned the government on its intentions on several issues, saying it did not consult anyone before the demonetisation of high-value currency notes and added that 155 people died during the limited window to exchange the banned notes. It did not consult anyone when the three controversial farm laws were introduced, no one in government spoke when women wrestlers protested against a BJP MP over allegations of sexual harassment and two women were paraded naked in strife-torn Manipur, the Congress member said.
Ranjan also questioned the conditions of a delimitation exercise based on census data for giving reservations to women.
”You want to raise the number of seats (in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies) and then give women reservation. Why not give them a share in the present seats?” She also demanded reservations for OBCs, similar to that for SCs/STs.
Asking why the BJP took nine-and-a-half years to introduce the bill, she said the Congress-led UPA passed a women’s reservation bill in the Rajya Sabha in 2010, within a year of coming to power for the second time.
Canada is a hub of Sikh separatists; all the plans are made there and unrest is created on Indian soil. Fortunately, Indian Sikhs have no time to buy into this conflict but the conditioning of Sikhs is always on the agenda of these groups. There are many extremist Khalistani outfits, such as the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), the International Sikh Youth Federation (ISYF) and Babbar Khalsa International (BKI). There are many countries that shelter these separatists, including Canada, the US, Australia, the UK, and Greece.
Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the chief of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), had joined hands with Pannun in 2019. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who lives in the US and has been running a Khalistan Referendum campaign, has been missing for the past few days after his aide, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, was shot dead in Canada on June 18th. Pannun and Nijjar used to work together and had visited Australia, among other countries, to launch the Khalistan Referendum campaign. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who would usually take credit for terror-related incidents in India, has been silent about the killings, besides the mysterious death of Avtar Singh Khanda. Pannun even halted his propaganda after Nijjar was shot dead and has not released any audio/video since then. Nijjar was shot as he was leaving the parking lot of the Gurudwara where he served as president in British Columbia. He suffered multiple gunshot wounds and died at the spot.
The World Sikh Organization of Canada alleged the role of Indian intelligence agencies in Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s murder. It asked Canadian intelligence and law enforcement agencies to “fully investigate the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, including the role of foreign interference, specifically from India”. It is not only Pannun but several other Khalistani exponents and terrorists, based in the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and Pakistan, who have gone into hiding after the spate of deaths.
The NIA has issued lookout notices against dozens of Khalistani radicals, including Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala, Gagandeep Singh, Goldy Brar, Gurpinder Singh, Satveer Singh, Charnjeet Singh, and Ramandeep Singh. Most of them are hiding in Canada. Nearly a week after Nijjar’s slaying, about 200 protesters from Canada’s Sikh community gathered in front of the Indian Consulate in Vancouver to demonstrate. Many of the protesters were convinced that Nijjar’s killing was linked to his calls for an independent Sikh state.
In 2016, Indian media reported that Nijjar was suspected of masterminding a bombing in the Sikh-majority State of Punjab and training terrorists in a small city southeast of Vancouver. Last year, Indian authorities accused Nijjar of involvement in an alleged attack on a Hindu priest in India and announced a reward of about $16,000 for information leading to his arrest. The modern Sikh independence movement dates back to the 1940s but eventually became an armed insurgency that shook the country in the 1970s and 1980s. In 1984, then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ordered a raid to capture armed separatists taking refuge in Sikh’s holiest shrine.
The raid killed hundreds of people, and two of Gandhi’s Sikh bodyguards assassinated her shortly after. In response, anti-Sikh riots took place across India, in which members of the minority were dragged out of their homes and killed. The insurgency was eventually suppressed in a crackdown during which thousands of people were killed, but the goal of Sikh independence still has support among some in northern India and in the Sikh diaspora.
More recently, the Modi government has cracked down on both non-Hindu rights movements and dissidents. Sikh diaspora activism has been a source of tension between India and Canada for years. Canada has the largest population of Sikhs outside India, and India has repeatedly accused it of tolerating “terrorists and extremists”. At present, in India, there is no Khalistan movement, nor will there be one in the future. Most Sikhs are patriotic, as 20% of them are in the Indian Army. This Khalistan movement was created by a few radical Sikh extremists on foreign land and they are still continuing to do so but the reality is that, they will never get a separate Khalistan. The extremists will come and go but they will not be able to get an inch of separate land in the name of Khalistan.
It’s high time these Sikh separatists utilized their energy in some constructive work that will benefit the entire humanity, this is the ideal way of life that a Sikh is supposed to live. The Langar practice (distribution of free food in the community kitchen of Gurudwra) is a living example of that tradition. Moreover, when millions of Sikhs settle outside Punjab, most of them out of India, what are they going to achieve when their community is jeopardized?
