Archives for 2022

Vijayapura: AIMIM president and Parliamentarian Asaduddin Owaisi has said that BJP Vijayapura legislator Basangouda Patil Yatnal’s repeated reference to Pakistan in his speeches merely reflected his love for Pakistan.

Addressing reporters after campaigning for his party ahead of the Municipal Corporation election, Owaisi said that while nobody in AIMIM even mentions the name of Pakistan, Yatnal keeps speaking of our neighbor.

“I have no idea why Yatnal loves Pakistan to such an extent. He is probably following the orders of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to repeatedly mention Pakistan every time he speaks,” said Owaisi.

The MP also accused the BJP of getting commission in the matter of Halal. “There are videos of the BJP members receiving commission,” Owaisi charged.

SRINAGAR: At least nine non-migrant Kashmiri Pandit families on Monday relocated from Shopian district in the Valley to Jammu after a Pandit farmer was killed by militants in the district on October 15, a Kashmiri Pandit group said. 

The group added that at least 17 Pandit families have left Kashmir in the last few months due to fear and targeted killings by militants. Kashmir Pandit Sangarsh Samiti (KPSS) president Sanjay Tickoo told TNIE that nine non-migrant Pandit families living in Chowdari Gund area of Shopian in south Kashmir left for Jammu on Monday. 

He pointed out the families left for Jammu even as their apple yield is still lying unpackaged and unsold on their farms. Tickoo said the nine families who left for Jammu had not migrated from the Valley when members of the community migrated en-masse after the eruption of militancy in 1989.

Now, the targeted killings this year have again sent across a wave of fear in the Valley. On October 15, Puran Krishan Bhat was shot dead by militants near his residence in Chowdari Gund area. Tickoo said that in the last few months, 17 non-migrant Pandit families have fled from their homes to Jammu, leaving behind everything, including their property. 

Over 800 Pandit families had not migrated from the Valley in 1990, choosing to stay back with the majority community. Of them, 600 families live in the four districts of Shopian, Anantnag, Kulgam and Pulwama in south Kashmir, while 200 families live in central Kashmir and about 25 families are presently residing in north Kashmir, which comprises the three districts of Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora. Asked whether members of his community are seeking his counsel, Tickoo said, “Yes, I am receiving calls from them. 

I suggest that they take the decision as per individual circumstances.” 

Although security forces are deployed in the areas where the Pandits live, Bhat was killed inside the premises of his house. “The killing has caused further fear among the Pandit community,” Tickoo said. Bhat’s killing was the third targeted murder of a Pandit by militants in the Valley in the last five months. 

On August 16, militants shot dead Sunil Kumar Bhat and injured his cousin Pitambar Nath Bath in village Chontipora in Shopian. On May 12, Rahul Bhat was shot dead by militants inside the tehsilar’s office in central Kashmir’s Budgam district. About 5,000 Pandit employees given jobs in the Valley under the PM package have not attended their official duties since Rahul was killed.

MADRID: A man who received orders from the jihadist Islamic State group to carry out a drone attack against a Barcelona-Real Madrid football match was sentenced Monday by a Spanish court to three years in jail

Mohammed Yassi Amrani, a former bar worker, became “a member of Daesh during a fast process” of radicalisation in 2020, according to his indictment, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State group.

After he called for “jihad” in a Facebook post in March 2020, he was contacted online by an Islamic State recruiter who asked to communicate with Amrani through Telegram, a popular encrypted messaging app.

Via Telegram the recruiter ordered Amrani to carry out an attack to “purify his life and assure a place in paradise” and make up for having drunk alcohol in the past and shunned religion.

His Islamic State contact instructed him to fly a drone packed with explosives over Barcelona’s Camp Nou stadium during a match between Barcelona and Real Madrid and then blow it up.

Matches between Spain’s two powerhouse teams — dubbed “El Clasico” — are among the most watched matches in the world.

No date for the planned attack was given. At the time Spain was under a severe Covid-19 pandemic lockdown and matches were suspended.

Police arrested Amrani in May 2020 and searched his home. He reportedly lived in Barcelona at the time.

Spain’s National Court, which deals with terrorism cases, on Monday sentenced him to three years in jail for planning an attack “following an agreement from all sides,” a court spokesman did.

Barcelona’s 99,000-seat Camp Nou stadium was on a list of potential targets drawn up by the jihadist cell behind the twin vehicle attacks in August 2017 which killed 16 people in Barcelona and the seaside resort of Cambrils further south.

Also on the list of targets was Barcelona’s iconic Sagrada Familia church and the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

TEHRAN: Iran’s foreign minister said Monday that Tehran would not remain “indifferent” if it becomes evident Russia is using Iranian-made drones in Ukraine

His remarks came as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Russia ordered around 2,000 drones from Iran, the same kind that Kyiv says Moscow has been using in its recent attacks against Ukraine.

“During the war in Ukraine… we are against arming both Russia and Ukraine,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian said in video remarks published by local media.

“We have not supplied Russia with any weapons or drones for use in the war against Ukraine,” he continued, reiterating previous denials whilst acknowledging that the two countries have defence cooperation.

Iran’s top diplomat reaffirmed his country’s willingness to hold direct talks with Ukraine on the matter, and said that he conveyed this to European foreign policy chief Josep Borrell in the past days.

“I stressed to Mr Borrell that if… it becomes clear to us that Russia has used Iranian drones in the war against Ukraine, we will definitely not be indifferent about this issue.”

Kyiv and its Western allies have repeatedly accused Moscow of using Iranian-made drones in attacks on Ukraine in recent weeks.

Iran has previously rejected allegations that it has supplied Russia with weapons “to be used” in Ukraine, while the Kremlin said Western countries aim to “pressure” Tehran.

Earlier on Monday, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Nasser Kanani rejected US allegations that Iranian military personnel are on the ground in Russian-occupied Crimea to help Moscow carry out drone attacks in Ukraine.

“We strongly reject this news,” Kanani said in a press conference. The claim by Washington “aims to deviate public opinion from the destructive role they have in the Ukraine war by standing on one side of the conflict and heavily exporting weapons and equipment to Ukraine,” he added.

On Thursday, White House national security spokesman John Kirby said Iranian forces are “on the ground in Crimea” to assist Russia in its operations, adding that the personnel are trainers and tech support workers.

Kirby said “Tehran is now directly engaged on the ground, and through the provision of weapons that are impacting civilians and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine”.

The United States, alongside Britain and the European Union, have already imposed sanctions on Iran over the issue of drones.

Last month, Kyiv decided to significantly reduce its diplomatic relations with Tehran over alleged arms deliveries to Moscow.

BENGALURU: As Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS) nears, citizens point out the irony in promoting the city’s prowess in the IT industry, while it falls apart during the monsoon. The 25th edition of BTS, to be held from November 16 to 18, 2022, is being organised by the Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology, and Science and Technology.

Ahead of the summit, the department has been promoting Bengaluru’s image as a bastion of IT industry in India, especially highlighting the city’s unicorn startups and its reputation as an IT hub. The BTS Industry Meet Roadshow was held in New Delhi recently, where Karnataka IT/BT Minister Dr C N Ashwath Narayan highlighted key aspects as to why Bengaluru was the best destination for investors. “Karnataka is the most sought after destination for global technology and innovation companies. The state is the preferred destination for multinational corporations,” he had said. 

Meanwhile, as part of the Global Innovation Alliance (GIA), numerous countries are collaborating with Karnataka, and the European Union is also taking part in the summit. While the minister’s promotion of the state has attracted many to take part in the summit, those living in the city itself are unconvinced. 

During the promotion of BTS, Bengaluru residents took to social media to dispel the rosy image of the city. “What a joke, you can’t provide basic facilities in Bengaluru and you are luring investors to invest in Karnataka,” one netizen said. Others simply highlighted several instances of deaths cause by potholes all over the city. “All this IT nonsense, yet the city still has fourth-world architecture. Shame on the government for allowing this to happen,” another said. Yet others pointed out failings in the minister’s own constituency, with one netizen stating that no proper work had been done on roads.

RAIPUR: One of the key poll promises by the ruling Congress ahead of the Assembly polls 2018 was on liquor ban, which is now rumbling politically in Chhattisgarh with the opposition BJP gearing-up to sharpen its attack on the Bhupesh Baghel government. The elections in the state are due next year

While the opposition has been consistently demanding total prohibition in the state, the Congress is not expressing any disinclination, but countered that the process on liquor ban will not be done like the demonetisation. It will be done on the basis of the observations compiled by the three committees constituted by the government. The Congress maintained that it will review the possibilities of closing down liquor sales.

The state health minister T S Singhdeo recently expressed reservations over Chhattisgarh likely becoming a complete ‘dry state’. “Liquor can be banned in around 61 development blocks but imposing prohibition in the tribal areas may not be possible,” he said.Political observers believed that liquor ban promise by Congress party apparently won the appreciation from the women who constitute nearly 50 per cent of the voters in the state.

Three committees comprised experts, social workers and legislators were formed to study the prospect of prohibition in the state. “Based on observations of the committees the government will initiate action. We have corresponded with four states that imposed liquor ban regarding study tours, but have not received any response so far. The process will begin after we receive the reply,” said Satyanarayan Sharma, who heads a political committee on liquor prohibition. 

During the last three years and a half, only three meetings of the committee were held.The BJP Mahila Morcha has launched a major campaign against the state government on liquor ban and crime against women.

“There will be a month-long programme right from the village level to district across the state. On November 3, the Morcha will organise a mega rally that will see the participation of one lakh women,” said Saroj Pandey, BJP MP.

KANUJ: A 12-year-old girl was allegedly raped and then found dumped, drenched in blood behind the Dak Bangla guest house in Kannauj.

A video of the incident that has gone viral on social media shows bystanders busy filming the grievously injured girl, instead of helping her. The girl had multiple injuries, including on her head.

In the video, the girl can be seen trying to reach out for help by raising her hand, but her appeals go unanswered. The video shows a group of men with their mobile phones in their hands, filming her from different angles.

The onlookers can be heard asking whether the police were informed. Another asked for the police chief’s number. But the filming continued with no attempts to help the girl. The girl had to wait for help until the police arrived.

A second video, which also went viral, showed the local police outpost in-charge rushing towards an autorickshaw with the injured girl in his arms.

Superintendent of Police Kunwar Anupam Singh said, “The minor girl was found injured and the local police rushed her to the hospital for treatment.”

A case has been registered under the relevant sections based on a complaint by the girl’s family, he said. It is not clear if the girl was sexually assaulted. No arrests have been made in the case yet.

According to the girl’s family, she had gone out to buy a piggy bank in the afternoon. When she did not return home till the evening, her parents mounted a search for her. The girl was found behind the guest house, drenched in blood and traumatised.

The victim was later taken to the district hospital where a doctor examined her and referred her to Kanpur keeping in view her critical condition. The local residents alleged that the girl was gang-raped and dumped there.

However, the police are denying the claim of residents.

Gursahaiganj police station in-charge Manoj Pandey said it was too early to arrive at any conclusion and the police were waiting for the girl to give a statement.