Archives for November 2024

New Delhi: The Modi government is committed to building a terror-free India with its policy of zero tolerance, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said on Wednesday.

Shah also said that a two-day anti-terror conference, beginning here on Thursday, will further enhance coordination among agencies to strengthen Bharat’s security bastion.

“The Modi government is committed to building a terror-free India with its policy of zero tolerance,” he wrote on ‘X’.

Under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the government is committed to rooting out the evil of terrorism by following a zero-tolerance policy against it, an official statement said.

The annual conference has over the years emerged as a meeting point for operational forces, technical, legal and forensic experts and agencies engaged in counter-terrorism for deliberations on issues impacting national security and threats emerging out of terrorism.

The key focus of the conference is on developing synergies among various stakeholders by establishing channels for coordinated action against the menace of terrorism in the spirit of the ‘Whole of the Government approach’ and to present substantive inputs for future policy formulation, the statement said.

The deliberations and discussions in the conference will be focused on various matters of importance, including prosecution and evolving legal framework in counter-terrorism investigations, sharing of experiences and good practices.

Challenges and opportunities related to emerging technologies, international legal cooperation and strategies for dismantling terror ecosystems in various counter-terrorism theatres across India will also be discussed at the conference.

The conference will be attended by senior police officers from states and UTs, officers from central agencies and departments dealing with issues related to counter-terrorism and experts from related fields such as law, forensics and technology, the statement said.

Imphal: Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh said that 76 slots are available for youth of the state in the Prime Minister Internship Scheme.

The scheme offers an invaluable opportunity for our youth, with 1.25 lakh internships available nationwide, including 76 slots for Manipur.

This initiative aims to equip young people with practical skills, bridging the gap between education and employment while strengthening our workforce. I encourage eligible youth to seize this chance to gain hands-on experience and build a brighter future for themselves and our state he said.

The scheme seeks to provide hands-on training and build a skilled workforce, and aims to provide internship opportunities to 1 crore youth in the top 500 companies in the next five years, the CM added.

Haveri: A 32-year-old man from Rajasthan, accused of threatening to kill Bollywood actor Salman Khan, was apprehended here and handed over to Maharashtra Police on Wednesday, officials said.

The accused, identified as Bhikha Ram, also known as Vikram, is a resident of Jalore in Rajasthan.

“Based on information received from the Maharashtra ATS (Anti-Terrorism Squad), one person was apprehended in Haveri Town and handed over to them today

Police sources said the accused had been staying at various locations in Karnataka before moving to Haveri about a month and a half ago.

He had been working at construction sites and was residing in a rented room in Gowdar Oni, they added.

A police source said, “The accused was watching a regional news channel when he suddenly called the Mumbai Police control room and issued a death threat to Salman Khan. He is a daily wage worker and claims to be a fan of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. This is his version, but his detailed interrogation and further investigation will be conducted by the Mumbai Police. Our team only secured him and handed him over to the Mumbai Police.”

New Delhi: The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) has raised serious concerns over alleged procedural violations by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) reviewing the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024. AIMPLB spokesperson Dr. SQR Ilyas criticised the JPC’s approach, describing it as a “transgression of principles” and a breach of constitutional norms.

Dr. Ilyas stated that the JPC should limit consultations to stakeholders directly associated with Waqf matters. However, he claimed the committee is seeking input from organisations that lack relevance, including Central Ministries, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), and groups aligned with the RSS.

In recent developments, six opposition members wrote to the Lok Sabha Speaker, expressing dissatisfaction with JPC Chairperson Jagdambika Pal’s conduct, which they allege has hindered fair discussions. This follows an earlier letter by opposition members condemning the chairman’s behaviour.

The AIMPLB has demanded that the committee consider objections from AIMPLB and other recognised Muslim organisations, while excluding entities unrelated to Waqf issues. It also urged the JPC to refrain from rushing its report and to follow due process, ensuring thorough debate among members before submission.

Actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty

Kolkata: Two FIRs have been lodged against actor-turned-politician Mithun Chakraborty for allegedly making provocative statements during a BJP event in Salt Lake area near Kolkata last month, police said on Wednesday.

The complaints pertain to Chakraborty’s speech on October 27 at the Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC) in Salt Lake, during a BJP programme attended by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who was in Kolkata to launch the party’s West Bengal membership drive.

The first FIR was filed at the Bidhannagar South police station based on a complaint by an individual, while the second was lodged at Bowbazar police station.

“We have started an investigation into the case,” a senior officer of Bidhannagar police said.

Shah was also present at the programme, which was organised to kick off the West Bengal leg of the BJP’s membership drive. Shah had also felicitated Chakraborty for being honoured with the Dadasaheb Phalke Award this year.

Although Chakraborty was unavailable for comment, BJP state president and Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar described the FIRs a result of “vendetta politics.”.

Majumdar alleged that the TMC government “has once again used the police to unfairly target well-known actor and senior BJP leader Mithun Chakraborty”.

He accused the chief minister of employing such tactics “to serve political interests” and claimed that the state government’s actions were part of an ongoing attempt to discredit political opponents.

“There is nothing provocative in his speech. These are nothing but attempts to intimidate him by using police as a political tool,” he said.

TMC leader Kunal Ghosh dubbed the BJP’s allegations as baseless.

“The allegations of political vendetta are baseless. He shouldn’t have made such provocative remarks. The law will take its own course,” he said.

Chakraborty, who received India’s highest film honour, the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, earlier this year, had asserted on October 27 that the ‘masnad’ (throne) of West Bengal would belong to the BJP after the 2026 assembly elections, promising to do whatever it takes to achieve the goal.

While speaking at the programme, Chakraborty, a BJP leader, said, “In 2026, the ‘masnad’ will be ours, and we will do everything to achieve the goal.”

In an apparent reference to TMC MLA Humayun Kabir’s communal remarks aimed at BJP workers during the Lok Sabha elections, Chakraborty had allegedly made provocative remarks.

Chakraborty cautioned that no one should attempt to intimidate saffron party voters into abstaining from voting in the next assembly elections.

He called upon the booth-level workers of his party to resist any such attempts.

Bengaluru: A 21-year-old college student died after he was allegedly attacked by three men at a farm house on the outskirts of the city, police said on Monday.

Three persons have been arrested in connection with the case.

The incident occurred on October 26, when Punith a student along with seven of his friends, including two girls, had gone to a farm house in Chikkenahalli near here.

According to police, the accused from nearby Honnapura area, allegedly reached the farm house at night and started abusing Punith and his friends. They also began filming his female friends who were in the swimming pool.

When Punith tried to stop them, they attacked him with a wooden log, injuring him on his head, following which he was rushed to hospital, where he succumbed to injuries four days later.

Punith’s friend too had suffered some minor injuries during the incident.

“We have registered a case of murder and arrested the three accused involved in the incident,” they said.

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has suspended two senior officials of the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR) for lapses after a high-level probe team submitted its reports in connection with the death of 10 elephants in the park.

The initial report doesn’t point to any pesticide (in the food consumed by the elephants) or the role of “another side”, the CM on Sunday said, adding the autopsy report will come in two or three days.

BTR director Gaurav Choudhary and in-charge assistant conservator of forests Fateh Singh Ninama were placed under suspension.

The reserve has drawn national attention following the deaths of the jumbos in 72 hours.

“The high-level team has submitted its report. Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve director has been suspended for switching off his phone, not returning to work after leave and other reasons. ACF Fateh Singh Ninama has also been suspended,” the CM told PTI.

Both have been suspended for showing laxity in performing their duties, he added.

Calling the jumbo deaths “very painful”, the CM said the government took the matter seriously and sent the forest minister and senior officials to the reserve for a probe into the matter.

Officials had earlier talked about toxicity along with huge quantities of kodo millets in the stomachs of the 10 elephants that died in the reserve.

The CM on Friday night called an emergency meeting and sent a team comprising MP forest junior minister Pradeep Ahirwar, additional chief secretary Ashok Baranwal and head of Forest Force Aseem Shrivastava to the reserve to probe the elephant deaths and submit a report.

The team returned to Bhopal on Sunday evening.

On October 29, four wild elephants were found dead in Sankhani and Bakeli under the Khalil range of the BTR in Umaria district, while four died on October 30 and two on October 31.

On Saturday, two persons were killed and one injured in an elephant attack in the area.

CM Yadav also underlined the need for an elephant task force, radio tracking and a long term plan with the help of wildlife experts to avoid a repeat of jumbo deaths and attacks on humans.

“The elephants coming from other states, including Chhattisgarh, are not turning back due to the good environs and management of our parks. They have become an integral part of MP forest activities. Keeping this in mind, we have to look for a lasting plan for them,” Yadav said.

“We have decided to form an elephant task force to safely accommodate them. We will come up with a long-term plan comprising the best practices of other states, including Karnataka, Kerala and Assam that have huge jumbo populations. We are going to send our officers to these states,” he said.

In order to avoid man-animal conflicts, solar fencing will be installed around agriculture farms, so that the elephants do not destroy crops, the CM said.

The state government has also increased the compensation to the kin of those killed in wild animal attacks to Rs 25 lakh from Rs 8 lakh.

“We have decided to raise the compensation for the loss of lives due to wild animal attacks from Rs 8 lakh to 25 lakh. We have also covered the families of the two persons who were killed (in elephant attacks) in Umaria under it,” Yadav said.