Archives for October 2021

NEW DELHI: In a message of unity for party workers and leaders, Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said true Congress leaders are not each other’s weakness but their strength.

His remarks came on a day Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in a candid message to top party leaders, said strengthening the organisation must override “personal ambitions” and expressed concern over “lack of clarity and cohesion” on policy issues among state leaders.

In a tweet in Hindi using the hashtag ‘Stay United’, Rahul Gandhi said, “True Congress leaders are not each other’s weakness but their strength.” Chairing a meeting of party leaders to evolve a strategy for elections in five states early next year, Sonia Gandhi emphasised the need for discipline and unity for both collective and individual success and said the party’s messages on key issues facing the nation were not percolating down to grassroot cadre.

“I would like to re-emphasise the paramount need for discipline and unity. What should matter to every one of us is the strengthening of the organisation. This must override personal ambitions. In this lies both collective and individual success,” she said.

DHARWAD: The All-India Executive Council of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will meet for three days from October 28 at the Rashtrotthana Vidya Kendra in Garag here. 

RSS Prachar Pramukh Sunil Ambekar said this will be the first meeting to be held in the open, following the second wave of Covid-19, with as many as 350 pramukhs in attendance.  The Population Control Bill, price rise, and promotions for Make in India are a few other issues that are expected to be discussed at the meeting. 

NEW DELHI: The Civil Aviation Ministry on Tuesday issued draft guidelines for aviation sector stakeholders such as airlines and airports to ensure disabled people can travel at ease.

According to the draft guidelines, airport operators must make special arrangements to facilitate screening of persons with special needs so that the process is carried out efficiently “keeping the dignity and privacy of the passenger in mind”.

During the screening of prosthetics, the airport security — which is handled by the CISF at most of the airports — might use X-ray, explosive trace detection devices or visual checks according to their requirement, it mentioned.

The passenger — who has a prosthetic limb — will first pass through the door frame metal detector and should then be taken to a private screening point and made to sit comfortably, it noted.

This passenger will then receive additional screening including a pat-down, the draft guidelines said.

“A prosthetic appliance which does not have any foam padding cover under which any weapon or explosive can be concealed and in which the steel rod of the appliance is clearly visible may be screened by visual inspection and ETD checks only, without removing it.”

However, in rare cases, where there is sufficient justification including profiling of the passenger, X-ray screening may be resorted to, it stated, adding the justification for subjecting a prosthetic limb to X-ray screening shall be recorded by the screener in a register Prosthetic appliances that are covered in foam padding and in which the steel rod is not visible must undergo X-ray screening, it mentioned.

The draft guidelines also said that passengers who have external devices including insulin pumps, hearing aids, cochlear implants, spinal stimulators, bone growth stimulators and ostomies will not have to disconnect them for X-ray screening.

Under most circumstances, a passenger can conduct a self-pat-down of these devices followed by ETD screening of his or her hands, it added.

Disabled passengers should inform the airline about their complete requirement 48 hours before the scheduled departure so that the carrier can make necessary arrangements, it mentioned.

If a passenger wants to check-in their wheelchair at the airport, the airline must ensure that the wheelchair is duly taxed and sent to the baggage make-up area with a service partner to avoid any damage, it noted.

Passengers should check with the airline on the specific requirements of bringing service animals on flights.

A low floor coach or a ramp should be used for comfortable boarding or debarring of wheelchair users, the draft guidelines mentioned.

“Airlines should ensure that a disability awareness training is conducted for new hires and ensure periodic refreshers are conducted for all staff to reiterate policies and standard operating procedures on customer assistance with different types of disabilities,” it mentioned.

The Civil Aviation Ministry has given three weeks for people to send their comments and suggestions on the draft “Accessibility Standards and Guidelines for Civil Aviation”, after which final guidelines will be issued.

CHANDIGARH: Former Punjab Chief Minister Captain (retired) Amarinder Singh announced on Wednesday that he will soon share the name and symbol of his new party once it is confirmed by the Election Commission.

Amarinder Singh addressed the press conference sharing the details of the achievements of his 4.5 years of government in Punjab.

Earlier, Amarinder Singh media advisor Raveen Thukral had announced through a series of Tweets, former Punjab Chief Minister will launch a party of his own.

In the tweets earlier, Singh had also claimed that his new political outfit might form an alliance with the BJP too if the issues of farmer protest are resolved in the interest of farmers.

Singh resigned last month as the chief minister and had announced that he will be quitting the Congress after months of rift with Congress state chief Navjot Singh Sidhu.

He had resigned ahead of Congress legislature party meeting which was called amid unending factional battles in the ruling Congress in the state. Singh was replaced by Charanjit Singh Channi as the chief minister of the state.

TUMAKURU: Former PM and JDS patriarch HD Deve Gowda on Monday expressed suspicion over huge cash flows into the Sindagi Assembly segment by the BJP and Congress in the last three days of campaigning. This may affect the JDS candidate’s prospects, he felt. Bypolls in Sindagi and Hanagal will be held on October 30.

“The JDS has no financial backup like  BJP and Congress. I have covered 25 major villages and received good response from the electorate. I will be there until October 27 and I don’t know what will happen in the last three days,’’ he said. Asked whether he will take it to the notice of the Election Commission, he felt it would not help.

“Rivals may say we have no base in north Karnataka. But why did Congress poach the late M C Managuli’s son, whom we had groomed”, he questioned. “Look at the developments across the country, especially Punjab. The Congress is sinking. If we JDS leaders get united in Karnataka, we can emerge as a strong force,” he said while hinting that the party leadership had persuaded Chamundeshwari MLA G T Deve Gowda not to quit the party. “My grandson and G T Deve Gowda’s son Harish met and dined together. Harish has good prospects in politics. If mistakes have happened, we should set them right and move on,” he said. 

‘Politics is losing its sanctity’
Hassan: Expressing displeasure over the verbal attacks by leaders of different parties during the bypoll campaign, Gowda said they should stop airing nasty statements for cheap publicity. He said that politics is losing its sanctity. He claimed that he had never attack any leader individually under any circumstances. While stating that the party candidates had good public support in Hanagal and Sindagi, he said the outcome of  the bypoll will only impact the Congress.   

NEW DELHI: With an aim to introduce safety measures for child passengers, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has proposed that the speed of a motorcycle, with a child up to age 4 years being carried as a pillion, shall not be more than 40 kmph.

“The speed of the motorcycle with the child up to age 4 years being carried as a pillion, shall not be more than 40 kmph,” according to the draft notification issued by the ministry.

The ministry further said that the driver of a motorcycle shall ensure that for children below four years, safety harness shall be used for attaching the child to the driver of the motorcycle.

A safety harness is a vest to be worn by the child, which shall be adjustable, with a pair of straps attached to the vest and forming shoulder loops to be worn by the driver.

“This way, the upper torso of the child is securely attached to the driver. A feature by which this is achieved is by attaching the straps to the back of the vest and crossing the straps over the vest so that two large crossing-over loops are formed that pass between the legs of the passenger,” the ministry explained.

The MoRTH has also asked for objections and suggestions to these draft rules, if any.

NEW DELHI: The Karnataka government has informed the Supreme Court that it has no immediate plan to deport 72 Rohingyas living in Bengaluru while opposing a plea to identify and deport them.

“It is submitted that the Bengaluru City Police have not housed Rohingyas in any camp or detention centre within its jurisdiction. However, 72 Rohingyas identified in Bengaluru City are working in various fields and Bengaluru City Police have not taken any coercive action against them as of now and there is no immediate plan of deporting them,” the state government’s affidavit said.

The affidavit was filed in response to Upadhyay’s plea seeking directions to the Centre and state governments to identify, detain and deport all illegal immigrants and infiltrators, including Bangladeshis and Rohingyas, within one year.

“The large-scale illegal migrants, particularly from Myanmar and Bangladesh, have not only threatened the demographic structure of bordering districts but seriously impaired security and national integration,” the plea had said.

Upadhyay’s plea alleged there was an organised influx of illegal migrants from Myanmar through agents and touts via West Bengal, Tripura, and Guwahati.

“This situation is seriously harming the national security of the country,” the plea had said.

The video shows over two dozen people belonging to a particular community celebrating the victory of Pakistan cricket team against India, and raising objectionable slogans on Sunday night.

JAMMU: Six people have been detained by Jammu and Kashmir police after a video purportedly showing objectionable slogans being raised by a group of persons in Samba district, following a T20 World Cup match between India and Pakistan, went viral on social media, officials said on Tuesday.

The video shows over two dozen people belonging to a particular community celebrating the victory of Pakistan cricket team against India, and raising objectionable slogans on Sunday night.

“Six people have been detained in this regard and investigation is going on,” Deputy Commissioner, Samba, Anuradha Gupta said.

A police officer said an FIR has been registered.

SSP Samba Rajesh Sharma said the detained people are being questioned regarding the incident.

More people may be called for questioning, he said.

Videos of medical students raising pro-Pakistan slogans at their hostels had also gone viral on social media recently.

PATNA: Ahead of the by-polls in Bihar, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tuesday called upon the Congress to become a ‘strong alternative’ to the BJP at the national level politics and said that his party has always supported the Congress in every situation. Yadav said, “I agree that my alliance is with the Congress on a national level. But at the state level, the situation is different. At the national level, we want a strong alternative to the BJP and therefore I have always supported Congress in every situation.”

“Prime role should be that of Congress. Has anyone helped Congress more than us? It is an old party, an all-India party, we still consider them so,” the RJD supremo said.

“Alliance is formed with like-minded people, secular forces. At the state level also, we formed an alliance with Congress, the Left and other parties…Let people say whatever they want to,” he said.

Earlier, the veteran leader had said that RJD’s candidates would lose their deposit in the elections if they remain in alliance with the Congress in the state ahead of the by-polls in two assembly constituencies.

RJD supremo further slammed the Centre over the inflation and said, “Fuel prices are soaring, and diesel is costing more than ghee. How will people cook without kadwa tel (mustard oil)?”

Lalu Prasad Yadav returned to Bihar after over three years.

The Jharkhand high court, earlier in April, granted bail to RJD leader Lalu Prasad.

The former Bihar chief minister, who was undergoing treatment at Ranchi’s Rajendra Institute of Medical Sciences for two years, was shifted to All India Institute of Medical Sciences in New Delhi in January. 

He also has expressed confidence in his younger son Tejashwi’s leadership and lauded him for “handling the party pretty well in his absence”. The comments came amid a strained relationship being witnessed between his two sons Tej Pratap and Tejashwi over the leadership of the party.

Speaking to ANI, Yadav said that Tejashwi handled the party pretty well in his absence which was beyond his expectations and made RJD the largest party in the last Assembly polls in Bihar.

“The way Tejashwi handled the party in my absence, it was beyond my expectations. Along with my son, every party worker worked hard and made RJD the largest party in the previous Assembly election,” the RJD supremo said.

“The RJD would have been in power in the state but the present ruling NDA alliance in the state cheated to gain power,” he said.

“I know Tejashwi is campaigning in both constituencies going for by-polls and is doing really well, giving a strong fight to the NDA. I will ensure their ‘visarjan’ (immersion),” the veteran leader said.

Yadav further showed confidence in winning the Kusheshwar Asthan (SC) and Tarapur by-polls by a great margin.

The strained relationship between Tej Pratap and his younger brother Tejashwi has been evident after RJD students’ wing state president Akash Yadav, who is believed to be a close aide of Tej Pratap, was removed from his post.

Further Tej Pratap Yadav, earlier this month, had alleged that his father and veteran leader Lalu Prasad Yadav has been held “hostage” in New Delhi despite getting bail earlier this year.

Tej Pratap has also alleged that he has been stopped to meet his father Lalu Yadav.

Tej Pratap had also announced that he will announce a big step in the coming days while stating that he is no longer part of RJD.