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Archives for February 2022

Rahul trusts Chinese media more, says Rajnath

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Defence Minister Rajnath Singh (Photo | EPS)

MATHURA: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday hit out at the Samajwadi Party for its “appeasement politics” and also launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi for his comment on the Galwan clashes, saying the Congress leader only “trusts” the Chinese media.

Speaking in Farah town of Baldeo assembly constituency, while campaigning for BJP candidate and sitting MLA Puran Prakash, the union minister said politics should be above religion.

Targetting the SP, he said, “The basic purpose of politics is not just running a government but working for the welfare of the society and the country,” he said, adding the BJP will never accept politics based on division.

Singh also accused Gandhi of trusting the Chinese media and not the valour of Indian soldiers.

“Rahul Gandhi claims three-four Chinese soldiers were killed in Galwan. He trusts the Chinese media. According to the Australian media, 38 to 50 Chinese soldiers were killed. But the Congress leader has no trust in the valour of our army jawans,” he said.

Singh also made a reference of how Jan Sangh founder Shyama Prasad Mookerji had mentioned in the 1951 election manifesto about eliminating Article 370 from Jammu & Kashmir.

“Now the dream of Mookerji has been made a reality by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Singh said. He also invoked Rajiv Gandhi’s remark that only 15 per cent of a rupee sent from Delhi reached the village to say that now hundred per cent is utilised owing to the administrative capability of Modi.

Farmers under Kisan Samman Nidhi now get hundred per cent, while labourers and poor who lost their jobs during Covid are being provided free ration twice a month, he said.

Singh asserted that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s announcement that the government will pay Rs 2.37 lakh crore towards procurement of wheat and paddy under MSP operations is a proof of the Centre’s concern for farmers. He hailed Modi’s leadership in strengthening India’s position in the global arena.

He also lauded the Indian army for destroying terrorists camps in Pakistan after the Pulwama incident, saying it demonstrates that India cannot be taken lightly.

Singh also highlighted successful implementation of various welfare schemes of the Yogi Adityanath government and attributed better law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh for the allround development of the state.

Bihar law & order crumbling, Nitish calls meeting

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Bihar CM Nitish Kumar

PATNA:  Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has decided to review the law and order situation in the state at a high-level meeting with senior police officials on February 9. Ths comes close on the heels of a series of robbery in jewellery shops in Patna and other districts.

Law and order had been the USP of the NDA government led Nitish ever since it came to power in November 2005. Frequent incidents of loot in jewellery shops forced jewellers to keep their shutters down and seek police protection. In Patna, jewellers demanded arms licenses to take on the criminals targeting one shop after another. Gopalganj and East Champaran districts also witnessed a number incidents.

A trader from Begusarai was so unhappy with the police that he sought the CM’s intervention to rein in the criminals. He was threatened with dire consequences for his failure to pay extortion money. Also, there have been a  number of murders, of panchayat representatives, particularly mukhiyas. At least six mukhiyas have been killed in the state since last November. A delegation of newly-elected mukhiyas met state panchayati raj department minister Samrat Choudhary and DGP S K Singhal last week to voice their concern.

Attacks on police personnel during operation across the state is yet another cause of concern. A sub-inspector lost his life after a mob attack in Aurangabad district. Police records show that last month,  15-20 incidents of attack on police teams took place. More than 30 policemen suffered injuries.

Opposition parties have blamed the state government for its failure to check crime and alleged that the focus of the police has shifted from maintenance of law and order to prohibition. “There is complete breakdown of law and order in Bihar,” alleged RJD spokesperson Mrintunjay Tiwary. Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) chief, MP Chirag Paswan said the same.

PM Modi unveils giant ‘Statue of Equality’ in remembrance of saint Ramanujacharya

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View of the Statue of Equality unveiled by Prime MInister Narendra Modi, in Hyderabad. (Photo | PTI)

HYDERABAD: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday inaugurated a 216-foot statue of Ramanujacharya here and highlighted the 11th century saint’s message of equality of all.

Modi, who was on a half-day visit to the city, participated in worship at the venue at Muchintal on the outskirts of Hyderabad.

The Prime Minister participated in the ‘Purnahuti’ of ‘Vishwaksena Ishti Yagya’. The Yagya is for fulfilment of goals. He offered the ‘sankalpa’ of the Yagya for the ‘Amrit Sankalp’ of the country and dedicated the yagya to 130 crore countrymen.

Tridandi Srimannarayana Chinna Jeeyar Swamy of Sri Ramanujacharya Ashram conceptualised the statue. “Ramanujacharya demonstrated that social progress and remaining true to one’s roots can go hand in hand,” Modi said.

“In today’s world, when it comes to social reforms and progress, it is believed that reforms will take place away from the root. But, when we see Ramanujacharya, we realise there is no conflict between progressiveness and antiquity. It is not necessary to go far from your roots for reforms. Rather, it is necessary that we connect with our real roots, become aware of our real power,” he said.

Ramanujacharya is giving the message of equality in the form of a grand Statue of Equality, he said.

He emphasised that the country today is working collectively for development of all without discrimination and social justice for all so that those who have been oppressed for centuries become partners in the development of the country.

Schemes like Pucca houses, Ujjwala connections, free medical treatment up to Rs five lakh or the free electricity connections, Jan Dhan accounts, and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan have strengthened Dalits, the backward and the deprived, he said.

Describing Ramanujacharya as a shining inspiration for the unity and integrity, he said the saint was born in the South but his influence is on the whole of South to North and East to West. He said the freedom struggle was not just a fight for power and rights.

In this fight, there was a colonial mindset on one side, and the idea of live and let live on the other, he said.

On the one hand, it was a hysteria of racial superiority and materialism and on the other hand, it was a belief in humanity and spirituality. And in this battle, India and its tradition were victorious, he said.

On the richness of the Telugu culture, he spoke about 13th century Kakatiya Rudreshwara Ramappa temple in Telangana recently being declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Pochampalli in the State being recognised as the best tourism village by the World Tourism Organisation.

Modi also spoke about the glorious contribution of the Telugu film industry which is making its presence felt globally and much beyond Telugu-speaking areas.

The statue is made of ‘panchaloha’, a combination of five metals: gold, silver, copper, brass, and zinc and is among one of the tallest metallic statues in sitting position. It is mounted on a 54-foot high base building named ‘Bhadra Vedi’.

It has floors devoted for a Vedic digital library and research centre, ancient Indian texts, a theatre, an educational gallery detailing many works of Sri Ramanujacharya.

Ramanujacharya worked tirelessly for the uplift of people with the spirit of every human being equal regardless of nationality, gender, race, caste or creed.

The inauguration of the statue is a part of the 12-day Ramanuja Sahasrabdi Samaroham, the ongoing 1000th birth anniversary celebrations of Ramanujacharya.

Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy, Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, religious guru i Tridandi Srimannarayana Chinna Jeeyar Swami were present on the occasion.

Cyclone Batsirai blows across Indian Ocean toward Madagascar

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ANTANANARIVO: The full force of Cyclone Batsirai is forecast to hit Madagascar Saturday evening, according to weather officials.

The cyclone is gaining strength as it blows across the Indian Ocean, with gale-force winds reaching peaks of 235 kilometers (145 miles) per hour, according to the island’s meteorology department.

“Following its slow and quite variable movement, the expected arrival of the eye is delayed until (Saturday) evening or at night,” said the weather department in a statement.

Batsirai, which means help in the Shona language, is expected to inflict “significant and widespread damage, particularly flooding in the east, the southeast and the central highlands,” said the statement.

As a precaution, 22,000 people have already been evacuated to gymnasiums, schools or churches, especially around Mananjary, on the east coast.

“The wind is getting stronger and there is a lot of rain. The sea is very rough. There are big waves that come down with a lot of force,” Capt. Ravahalahy Heninjoa, commander of Mananjary’s gendarmerie, said Saturday. “You can already feel the cyclone even if the eye has not yet touched the ground.”

The winds have toppled many trees, and electricity has been cut since Friday night, he said.

Further inland, Antananarivo, the capital, experienced rains ahead of the cyclone.

Anticipating widespread destruction, most land and sea transport has been suspended on Madagascar, the world’s fourth-largest island.

“Almost all regions of the island are at risk,” the National Office for Risk and Disaster Management said, warning that the cyclone threatens nearly 600,000 of the island’s 28 million people.

More than 2.65 lakh posts lying vacant in Indian Railways

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NEW DELHI:  Amidst growing unemployment in the country, more than 2.65 lakh gazetted and non-gazetted posts under various categories are vacant in the Indian Railways (IR) for several years. Contrary to claims of employment generation, the Railways has been recruiting at a snail’s pace.

A couple of days ago, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw admitted that there are vacancies in 2,65,547 posts, including 2,177 for gazetted posts, in various zones. This is in spite of 1,89,790 recruitments in the last five years through the Railway Recruitment Board and Railway Recruitment Cells. The railway minister said that filing up of existing vacancies is an ongoing process in the Railways, depending on operational requirements.

According to official figures, Northern Railway has the highest of 37,436 non-gazetted vacancies, followed by Eastern Railway with 28,204, Central Railway with 27,177 and Western Railway 26,227.
The highest of 195 gazetted-post vacancies are in Eastern Railway, followed by Western Railway with 172, East Central Railway with 170 and Southern Railway with 161. These posts have been lying vacant for several years.

Apart from all these vacant posts in different zones, around 507 gazetted posts and 12,760 non-gazetted posts are vacant in other units of the Railways. In the Metro Railways, there are 22 vacancies in gazetted pots and 856 in non-gazetted posts. At the moment, there is no clarity on how, when and whether so many vacant positions will be filled.

Kannada’s Kabir Ibrahim Sutar passes away at 82 after cardiac arrest

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Social worker Ibrahim Sutar receiving Padma Shri award from President of India Ramnath Kovind in 2018. 

BAGALKOT: A pall of gloom descended in Mahalingapura as social worker Ibrahim Sutar, 82, who is popularly known as ‘Kabir of Kannada’, breathed his last after suffering a severe cardiac arrest in the wee hours on Saturday, February 5, 2022.

Grieving family members said, “Ibrahim Sutar was ailing from diabetes and hypertension for the past few years. He complained about heartache on Friday. The doctor recommended an angioplasty. While he was being taken to the hospital, he breathed last on the way.”

He is survived by a wife, two children and grandchildren.

The family has made all the necessary arrangements for the public to pay their last respects at Mahatma Gandhi grounds in Mahalingapura. The final rites are likely to be performed on Sunday, according to the relatives.

The Union Government recognized his social work towards spreading social and communal harmony and awarded him the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award, in 2018.

Ibrahim Sutar was known to spread harmony through his songs and bhajans, which were popular not only in Karnataka but also in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Delhi and Goa. He is popular among the masses in the districts of North Karnataka for his spiritual discourses.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, Minister for Water Resources Govind Karjol condoled the passing away of Ibrahim Sutar.

Karnataka bans clothes that disturb harmony, public order

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BENGALURU: Seeking to end the hijab (head scarf) controversy in education institutions in Karnataka that has begun taking political colour, the State government on Saturday ordered banning wearing clothes which disturb equality, integrity and public order in schools and colleges.

“Invoking 133 (2) of the Karnataka Education Act-1983, which says a uniform style of clothes has to be worn compulsorily. The private school administration can choose a uniform of their choice,” the government order said.

It said the students have to wear the dress chosen by the College Development Committee or the appellate committee of the administrative board of the pre-university colleges, which come under the pre-university education department.

“In the event of administrative committee not selecting a uniform, clothes which disturb equality, integrity and public law and order should not be worn,” the order said.

The government order noted that the KEA-1983 had explained that all students should wear a common uniform so that they should belong to a common family and behave in a manner that there is no discrimination.

The order also said that the second pre-university or the 12th standard is crucial for the students in their life.

A common programme has been chalked out for all the schools and colleges in the state for the benefit of students, the order said.

“However, the education department has noticed that in some education institutions, the boys and girls have started behaving according to their religion, which hurts the equality and unity,” it added.

The order also cited the rulings of Supreme Court and various High Courts in India in favour of uniform.

Initially the controversy was restricted to Udupi and Chikkamagaluru in the beginning of January as Muslim girls started attending classes wearing Hijab.

In protest, the Hindu students started attending classes wearing saffron scarves around their neck.

Gradually the issue spread to other parts of the state where Muslim girls demanded permission to attend classes wearing head scarves.

The issue of Hijab had snowballed into a major controversy with political parties striving to derive mileage over it.

While the Congress leaders backed Hijab, the BJP said it will not allow ‘Talibanisation’ of education institutions.

Congress Legislature Party leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who has thrown his weight behind Muslim girls on their right to wear the hijab to educational institutions, accused the BJP and RSS of trying to create communal disharmony throughout the State in the name of Hijab.

He urged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to immediately put a brake to this and arrest those who instigate people.

Further claiming that the main agenda of the Sangh Parivar is to deny education to Muslim girls in the name of Hijab, Siddaramaiah said, “PM Narendra Modi speaks about ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padao’. Is he not aware of this incident?”

“The Constitution has given the right to practice any religion which means one can wear any clothes according to their religion. Prohibiting ‘Hijab’ wearing students from entering school is a violation of fundamental rights,” he added.

Meanwhile, the ruling BJP’s state president and Member of Parliament Nalin Kumar Kateel said the government will not allow hijab at educational institutions and will take strict measures to ensure that things go as per rules of the school, and won’t let things be turned into “Taliban like”.

“There is a BJP government in this state, there is no room for hijab or any other related incidents. Schools are temples of mother Saraswathi (goddess of education); everyone should abide by rules and regulations there. Bringing religion there is not right, what students need is education, if someone can’t follow rules they can choose their path elsewhere,” he said.

Kateel also hit out at Siddaramaiah accusing him of bringing in divisive policies like celebrating Tipu jayanti and schemes like ‘Shadi Bhagya’ among others aimed at creating rift between the communities, when he was CM.

With the issue snowballing into a major controversy and the matter coming up before the High Court, Chief Minister Bommai on Friday held a meeting with Law and Education departments, and the government has asked educational institutions to follow existing uniform related rules, until the Court comes out with an order in this regard, next week.

The Karnataka High Court on February 8 will hear the petitions filed by five girls studying in a Government Pre-university College in Udupi, questioning hijab restriction in college.

JD(S) leader and former Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, hitting out at both the BJP and Congress for the controversy, said instead of ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padao’, they are trying to make it “Beti Hatao”, “they should stop it.

” He asked the government to maintain the status quo at institutions where hijab was allowed till now, and not to allow it at places where it has started recently. Instead of Hindu-Muslim issue, children being used for such thing is more dangerous,” he added.

Calling hijab row, a systematic conspiracy, Kannada and Culture Minister V Sunil Kumar said, hijab or burka can be worn from home to college premises, but on entering classrooms everyone should wear uniform and it is the system.

Vijayapura second in Karnataka to clock 100% Covid vaccination

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VIJAYAPURA:  The district became only one in North Karnataka and second in the State to achieve 100 per cent vaccination in both the doses against the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the state health bulletin, “The district health authorities have administered first dose of vaccine to over 17.04 lakh people against the target of 16.34 lakh. With this, the first dose of vaccination rate stands at 105 per cent. With regard to the second dose, the district has vaccinated overall 16.34 lakh people, achieving 100 percent.”

“Bengaluru Rural is the only other district in the State to have achieved 100 per cent vaccination. However, over 12 districts have jabbed over 90 per cent of the eligible people with both the doses. The state vaccination rate for first dose stands at 101 per cent and for second dose at 88 per cent,” as per the bulletin.

The Covid vaccination drive kick-started in the district in January, 2021. According to previous population census held in 2011, the district administration had set a target of inoculating 16.34 lakh people. However, at present 17.54 lakh people have been vaccinated with the first dose.

The district administration paced up the second dose vaccination after the vaccination mela launched on the eve of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s birthday on September 16, 2021. The district managed to achieve 100 per cent vaccination with both doses in just over one year.

DC P Sunil Kumar said “With the efforts of health personnel, Asha workers and staff of other departments, the district administration has achieved cent per cent target of vaccination with both doses to all the eligible people in the district. ”

US approves appointment of Masood Khan as Pakistan’s envoy to Washington

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Masood Khan (File Photo)

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Saturday said the US government has approved the nomination of Sardar Masood Khan as its Ambassador to Washington, days after a prominent US Congressman urged President Joe Biden to reject his diplomatic credentials and termed him a “bona fide terrorist sympathiser.”

Khan, who has previously served as the ‘president’ of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) until August last year, was nominated as Pakistan’s ambassador to the US in November.

The US government has conveyed its agreement to the appointment of Sardar Masood Khan as the Ambassador of Pakistan to the United States.

“He would assume his responsibilities in Washington DC in due course of time,” Foreign Office spokesperson Asim Iftikhar said in a statement, adding that Khan was a seasoned diplomat who had served Pakistan with distinction and honour.

The agreement is the approval of a designated diplomat by the receiving state. Khan had previously served as Pakistan’s permanent representative to the UN in Geneva and New York and as ambassador to China. He will be replacing the outgoing ambassador of Pakistan in Washington Asad Majeed Khan.

Republican Congressman Scott Perry, in a letter to President Biden last week, expressed “grave concern” about the nomination of Khan as Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States.

“(Pakistan Prime Minister) Imran Khan’s nomination of a bona fide terrorist sympathiser working to undermine our interests in the region, as well as the security of our Indian allies, can only be described as a breathtaking lack of judgment at best, and a demonstration of Islamabad’s unmitigated contempt for the United States at worst,” he wrote.

“While I am encouraged that the State Department has reportedly placed a pause on approving Masood Khan as the new ambassador from Pakistan, a pause is not enough. I urge you to reject any diplomatic credentials presented to you by Masood Khan and reject any effort by the Government of Pakistan to install this jihadist as Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States,” said the Member of Congress 10th District, Pennsylvania.

In the letter, Perry also claimed that the State Department had placed a ‘pause’ on Pakistan’s request for approving Khan’s nomination.

The Dawn newspaper earlier reported that the US State Department has been taking “unusually long” to accept the nomination of Khan and the delay has triggered an impression of a pause in the process. The request for agreement for Khan had been sent to the State Department in the second week of November, the report quoted a Pakistani diplomat as saying.

Normally, the State Department took four to six weeks to issue agrément for Pakistani ambassadors in the past, a former Pakistani foreign secretary said. “This time they are taking unusually long,” another diplomat said.

The delay in the appointment comes at a time when the relations between US and Pakistan have become frosty. Washington looks at ties with Pakistan from the prism of its strategic competition with China, although Islamabad has repeatedly said that it was not part of any camp politics.

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