Archives for February 2019

Nasheman News : Uttar Pradesh lost two of its bravehearts on Wednesday after an Indian Air Force (IAF) Mi-17 transport chopper crashed in J&K’s Budgam district, officials said.

Corporal Deepak Pandey from Lucknow’s Mangla Vihar area and Corporal Pankaj Kumar Singh from Mathura died in the crash. The helicopter crashed in a field near Garend Kalaan village at 10.05 a.m.

The report of Pandey’s death was communicated to his father Ram Prakash Pandey by the Srinagar airbase, a close relative said. Pandey had joined the IAF five years back. 

Senior officials of the UP government and Minister of Industrial Development Satish Mahana visited the deceased’s house. Consoling the family, Mahana said the state government was with them in this hour of grief.

Singh’s family members in Mathura’s Sarang Vihar area were informed about of the tragedy by Wing Commander Praveen Kumar, a relative said. 

His father Nauhbat Singh, a retired army personnel, was told that his son was killed in the line of duty after his chopper crashed.

Singh had joined the IAF in 2012. He got married to Medha Chowdhary from Bulandshahr in 2015 and the couple have a one-and-a-half-year-old son. He had returned to duty after a 15-day leave on February 2. 

The family members said Singh had spoken to his parents and wife on Tuesday evening.

Mourning the loss of lives, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the nation would remain indebted to Pandey and Singh for their supreme sacrifice.

Nasheman News :The BJP on Wednesday rejected as “baseless” the opposition’s charge of its “blatant politicisation of the armed forces’ sacrifices” and said such allegations help Pakistan as their media is using this against India.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley urged the opposition parties to introspect over their joint statement in which they expressed their deep anguish over the “blatant politicisation of the sacrifices of the armed forces” by leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). 

In a series of tweets, Jaitley said that the “ill-advised” statement was being used by Pakistan to bolster its case.

“The Cross Border terror attack in Pulwama was a reality. The Balakot Operation was India’s anti-terror pre-emptive strike to defend its sovereignty.

“The whole nation has spoken in one voice. Why then is India’s opposition alleging that the government is politicising our anti-terror operations?

“My appeal to India’s opposition – let the country speak in one voice. Please introspect – your ill advised statement is being used by Pakistan to bolster its case,” he said. 

Union Minister and party leader Prakash Javadekar also told a press conference earlier that the opposition’s allegations were baseless. 

“There is no politicisation of the issue and we don’t even wish to. But did the opposition ever thought how their statement can be misused? Their statement has become news for Pakistani media,” he said.

He said such statements by opposition leaders sends a message that the country is not united.

“Pakistan, the Pakistani Army and the Pakistani media is happy with the statement of 21 opposition parties. Such statements create trouble. The opposition should think whether their remarks are appropriate or not,” he said. 

Leaders of major opposition parties, who met here, issued a joint statement later.

Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala hit back at the Jaitley and said it is the BJP and its leadership which require real introspection. 

“Entire opposition stood as one backing the armed forces and the government. Still, Amit Shah & entire BJP resorted to credit seeking for the sacrifice of our martyrs & indulged in blaming the Congress provocatively,” he said in a tweet. 

Nansheman News : India on Wednesday said Pakistan has committed an “unprovoked act of aggression” by targeting Indian military posts with its air force and sought immediate and safe return of an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot in its custody.

After an aerial engagement in the J&K’s Nowshera sector on Wednesday, Pakistan claimed that it has captured one Indian pilot, identified as Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, a MiG 21 Bison pilot. 

India has issued a demarche to Pakistan, objecting to the “vulgar display” of the injured IAF pilot in violation of all norms and said Islamabad must ensure that no harm is done to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. 

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also summoned Pakistan’s acting High Commissioner Syed Haider Shah and lodged a strong protest at “the unprovoked act of aggression by Pakistan against India earlier today, including violation of the Indian air space by Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and targeting of Indian military posts.” 

It also gave Pakistan a dossier with specific details of Jaish-e-Mohammed’s complicity in the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, which killed 40 CRPF personnel.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has been asking India to provide “actionable intelligence” to take action against those involved in the Pulwama attack. JeM, based in Pakistan, had claimed responsibility for the attack. 

The MEA said in a statement it was clearly conveyed to Pakistan that India reserves the right to take firm and decisive action to protect its national security, sovereignty and territorial integrity against any act of aggression or cross-border terrorism. 

“India also strongly objected to Pakistan’s vulgar display of an injured personnel of the IAF in violation of all norms of International Humanitarian Law and the Geneva Convention. It was made clear that Pakistan would be well advised to ensure that no harm comes to the Indian defence personnel in its custody. India also expects his immediate and safe return,” the statement said. 

India had earlier in the day accused Pakistan of targeting the military installations in response to its counter-terrorism action a day earlier and said an Indian MiG-21 Bison pilot was “missing in action.” 

It said Pakistan has used its air force to target military installations on the Indian side and in the aerial engagement, one PAF fighter aircraft was shot down but a MiG-21 aircraft was also lost.

The MEA said targeting of Indian military posts was in contrast to India’s non-military anti-terror pre-emptive strike at a JeM terrorist camp at Balakot in Pakistan eraly Tuesday. 

“It is unfortunate that instead of fulfilling its international obligation and bilateral commitment to take credible action against terrorist entities and individuals operating from its soil, Pakistan has acted with aggression against India,” the statement said. 

The MEA said India expects Pakistan to take immediate and verifiable action against terrorism emanating from territories under its “control.” 

“Regret was expressed at the continuing denial by Pakistan’s political and military leadership at the presence of terrorist infrastructure in territories under its control. A dossier was handed over to Pakistan side with specific details of JeM complicity in the Pulwama attack and the presence of JeM terror camps and its leadership in Pakistan,” the statement said. 

The chopper crashed in an open field near Garend Kalaan village in Budgam at 10.05 am, officials said.

The IAF jet that crashed in Budgam.

The aircraft crashed in an open field near Garend Kalaan village in Budgam at 10:05 am, officials said. It broke into two and caught fire immediately, senior officials said. 

Senior defence officials said the aircraft, an MI-17 chopper, crashed after developing a technical snag. 

One of the deceased persons has been identified as Kifayat Hussain Ganaie, a local resident, while the identity of the six IAF personnel is still being ascertained, they said. 

The crash, amid rapid escalation of tension between India and Pakistan, led to speculation that it was targeted by Pakistani warplanes that violated Indian airspace. But both sides clarified that it was not the case. 

The crash happened a day after IAF warplanes struck a Jaish-e-Mohammed training camp in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, around 80 kilometres from the Line of Control.

Agencies