AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal

New Delhi: AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal on Monday announced that his party would launch a ‘Pujari Granthi Samman Yojana’ if it gets re-elected in Delhi, promising a monthly allowance of Rs 18,000 for Hindu temple priests and granthis of gurdwaras.

The announcement comes ahead of the Delhi Assembly elections, with AAP seeking to retain power for a fourth consecutive term.

“Pujaris and granthis are an important part of our society, but they are often a neglected section. For the first time in the country, we are introducing a scheme to support them, under which they will receive a monthly allowance of Rs 18,000,” Kejriwal said, adding, registration for the scheme will start tomorrow.

He also said he would visit the Hanuman Mandir in Connaught Place on Tuesday to oversee the registration process for priests there.

Seoul (AP): South Korean officials are struggling to determine what caused a deadly plane crash that killed 179 people, with the nation saddened, shocked and ashamed over the country’s worst aviation disaster in decades.

Many observers also worry how effectively the South Korean government will handle the aftermath of Sunday’s crash as it grapples with a leadership vacuum following the recent successive impeachments of President Yoon Suk Yeol and Prime Minster Han Duck-soo, the country’s top two officials, amid political tumult caused by Yoon’s brief martial law introduction earlier this month.

New Acting President Choi Sang-mok on Monday presided over a task force meeting on the crash and instructed the Transport Ministry and police to launch investigations into its cause. He also ordered the ministry to implement an emergency review of the country’s overall aircraft operation systems.

“The essence of a responsible response would be renovating the aviation safety systems on the whole to prevent recurrences of similar incidents and building a safer Republic of South Korea,” said Choi, who is also deputy prime minister and finance minister.

The Boeing 737-800 plane operated by South Korea’s budget airline Jeju Air skidded off a runway at Muan International Airport in the country’s south, slammed into a concrete fence and burst into a fireball. The incident killed all but two of the 181 people aboard. The two survivors are both crew members, and they were pulled from the plane’s tail section — the only part that was still recognizable after the crash.

Joo Jong-wan, the Transport Ministry’s director of aviation policy, said authorities have so far identified 141 of the bodies, and are conducting DNA tests on the other 38.

Alan Price, a former chief pilot at Delta Air Lines and now a consultant, said the Boeing 737-800 is a “proven airplane” that belongs to a different class of aircraft than the Boeing 737 Max jetliner that was linked to fatal crashes in 2018 and 2019.

But the Transport Ministry said Monday the government plans to conduct safety inspections on all Boeing 737-800 jetliners operated by the country’s airlines.

Ministry officials said they will also look into whether the Muan airport’s localizer — a concrete fence housing a set of antennas designed to guide aircraft safely during landings — should have been made with lighter materials that would break more easily upon impact.

Video of the crash indicated that the pilots did not deploy flaps or slats to slow the aircraft, suggesting a possible hydraulic failure, and they did not manually lower the landing gear, suggesting they did not have time, said John Cox, a retired airline pilot and CEO of Safety Operating Systems in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Despite that, the jetliner was under control and traveling in a straight line, and damage and injuries likely would have been minimized if not for a barrier being so close to the runway, Cox said.

Other observers say the videos showed the plane suffering suspected engine trouble but the landing gear malfunction was likely a direct reason for the crash. They say there wouldn’t likely be a link between the landing gear problems and the suspected engine problem.

The Transport Ministry said Sunday the control tower issued a warning about birds to the Jeju Air plane shortly before it intended to land and gave the crew permission to land in a different area. It said the plane’s pilot sent out a distress signal shortly before the crash.

Investigators retrieved the jet’s flight data and cockpit voice recorders, but it may take months to complete the probe into the crash, Joo, the Transport Ministry official, told reporters.

The Muan crash is South Korea’s deadliest aviation disaster since 1997, when a Korean Airlines plane crashed in Guam, killing 228 people on board.

Sunday’s crash caused an outpouring of public sympathy for the dead, with the government issuing a seven-day national mourning period. Some questioned if the crash involved safety or regulatory issues, like the 2022 Halloween crush that killed 160 people and the 2014 ferry sinking that killed 304 people.

The crash was yet more big news for South Koreans as they reel from a festering political crisis set off by Yoon’s martial law decree, which brought hundreds of troops into Seoul streets and revived traumatic memories of past military rule in the 1970-80s.

The political tumult resulted in the opposition-controlled National Assembly impeaching Yoon and Han. The safety minister stepped down and the police chief was arrested over their roles in the martial law enhancement.

The absence of top officials responsible for managing disasters has also led to concerns.

“We are deeply worried if the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters really can handle the disaster,” the mass-circulation JoongAng Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial on Monday.

Bengaluru: The Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited (BMRCL) on Friday announced extension of metro train timings on the Purple and Green Lines for the New Year’s Eve, 2025.

The last train will depart from all terminal stations at 2 AM on January 1, 2025, while the final train from Nadaprabhu Kempegowda Metro Station (Majestic) will leave at 2:40 AM, it said.

In a statement, the BMRCL said, “Trains will operate at 10 minute intervals from 11 PM of December 31, 2024 up to the extended service period of the day. However, in view of anticipated congregation of crowd on MG Road, MG Road Metro Station will be closed for entry and exit from 11 PM on December 31, 2024. Trains will halt at nearby stations — Trinity and Cubbon Park for use by the commuters.”

Passengers traveling after 11 PM from Trinity or Cubbon Park Metro Stations to any destination have been advised to use a return journey paper ticket priced at Rs 50.

“This paper ticket will be available for purchase in advance at all metro stations from 8 AM of 31st December 2024. Normal QR code tickets and cards are also valid for travel from these stations,” it stated.

To avoid overcrowding at any particular station, the BMRCL has advised commuters that those heading towards Whitefield and Silk Institute shall use Trinity Metro Station for boarding, while passengers traveling towards Challaghatta and Madavara shall use the Cubbon Park Metro Station.

Srinagar: An earthquake of magnitude four hit Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, officials said.

The quake occured at 9.06 PM at a depth of 10 Km in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, they said.

No damage has been reported.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, former Indian PM Manmohan Singh | PC: PTI

Singapore: Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim wrote a moving tribute to Manmohan Singh Friday, recalling how the Indian leader offered scholarships for his children while he was in prison.

On X, he described the former prime minister, who died Thursday, as “the midwife of India’s emergence as one of the world’s economic giants”.

And also as “my mitra, my bhai, Manmohan”.

Though Anwar declined the offer, he was clearly moved by the gesture. The Malaysian leader was in jail from 1999 to 2004, when his sentence was overturned. During this period, Singh was Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha.

“Dr Manmohan Singh, slightly awkward as a politician but undeniably upright, steadfast and resolute as a statesman, leaves behind a legacy that will inspire generations to come,” he posted.

“To me, he will be all that and much more. Not many people know this, and it is time that I share it with Malaysians: during the years of my incarceration, he extended a kindness that he didn’t have to… He offered scholarships for my children, particularly my son, Ihsan.

“Although I had declined the gracious offer, such a gesture undoubtedly showed his extraordinary humanity and generosity, demonstrative, as the Bard would have it, of a man so full of “the milk of human kindness,” the Malaysian PM posted.

“In those dark days, as I navigated the labyrinth of imprisonment, he stood by me as a true friend. Such acts of quiet magnanimity defined him, and they will remain etched in my heart forever. Goodbye, my mitra, my bhai, Manmohan,” he wrote.

Anwar began by describing his overwhelming grief over the death. “The weight of grief bears down on me at the news of the passing of my honoured and cherished friend: Dr Manmohan Singh.”

“Obituaries, essays and books a plenty there will surely be about this great man, celebrating him as the architect of India’s economic reforms. As Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh was the midwife of India’s emergence as one of the world’s economic giants,” he said.

New Delhi: Describing former prime minster Manmohan Singh’s death as a “personal loss”, Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) chief Sonia Gandhi on Friday said he was her friend, philosopher and guide and that in his death, the party has lost a leader who was the epitome of wisdom, nobility and humility.

In her message on Singh’s demise, Sonia Gandhi said he leaves a void in the national life that can never be filled.

“We in the Congress party and the people of India will forever be proud and grateful that we had a leader like Dr Manmohan Singh whose contributions to India’s progress and development are immeasurable,” she said.

“In Dr Manmohan Singh’s passing, we have lost a leader who was the epitome of wisdom, nobility and humility, who served our country with all his heart and mind. A luminous and beloved guiding light for the Congress party, his compassion and vision transformed and empowered the lives of millions of Indians,” the former Congress president said.

Singh was loved by the people of India for his pure heart and fine mind, Gandhi said, adding that his advice, “wise counsel” and views were eagerly sought and deeply valued across the political spectrum in the country.

“Respected and admired by leaders and scholars all over the world, he was hailed as a statesman of immense wisdom and stature. Dr Manmohan Singh brought brilliance and distinction to every high office that he held. And he brought pride and honour to India,” she said.

“For me, Dr Manmohan Singh’s death is a deeply personal loss. He was my friend, philosopher and guide. He was so gentle in his manner but so resolute in his deeply held convictions.

“His commitment to social justice, secularism and democratic values was deep and unwavering. To spend any time with him was to come away enlightened by his knowledge and sagacity, moved by his honesty and integrity, and awed by his genuine humility,” Sonia Gandhi said.

Earlier in the day, the CPP chairperson paid homage to Singh at his residence where his mortal remains are kept for people to pay their last respects.

She also attended a Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting convened to pay tributes to the former prime minister.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh

New Delhi: The Congress on Friday said that not finding a location for the cremation and memorial for Manmohan Singh is a deliberate insult to the country’s first Sikh prime minister.

The Congress raked up the issue after the Union home ministry said in a statement that Singh’s last rites will be held at New Delhi’s Nigambodh Ghat at 11:45 AM on Saturday with full state honours.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said party president Mallikarjun Kharge wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to conduct Singh’s last rites at a location where a memorial could be built to honour his legacy.

“The people of our country are simply unable to understand why the Government of India could not find a location for his cremation and memorial that is befitting of his global stature, record of outstanding achievements, and exemplary service to the nation for decades,” Ramesh said in a post on X.

“This is nothing but a deliberate insult to the first Sikh Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh,” the Congress leader said.

Kharge wrote the letter after speaking to Modi about setting up a memorial for Singh, who was a two-term prime minister revered by the people of the country.

“Apropos our telephonic conversation today morning, wherein I made a request to hold Dr Manmohan Singh’s last rites, which will take place tomorrow i.e. 28th December 2024, at his final resting place that would be a sacrosanct venue for memorial of the great son of India.

“This is in keeping with such tradition of having memorials of statesmen and former Prime Ministers at the very place of their funerals,” Kharge said in his two-page letter.

The Congress chief said Dr Manmohan Singh holds a highly revered place in the psyche of the country and the people of this nation, and his contributions and achievements were phenomenal.

He also said that Dr Singh’s erudition on economic and fiscal matters came from his vast experience as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India, chief economic advisor to the government of India and in various other capacities in several organisations, and the respect and regard that world leaders had for him bears testimony to this fact.

Kharge said Singh’s wise counsel, leadership and contribution in mitigating the global economic financial crisis is well-acknowledged. He also recalled President Obama’s words when as the US president, he mentioned that “whenever the Indian prime minister speaks, the whole world listens to him”.

He also said that when the nation was in the throes of a grave economic crisis, it was Dr Manmohan Singh, along with former prime minister P V Narasimha Rao, who took India out of the crisis and also led the country towards economic prosperity and stability.

The nation today reaps the benefits of the robust economic foundations built by them, Kharge noted.

“Coming from a humble background and having experienced the pains and sufferings of the Partition, it is through his sheer grit and determination that he rose to become one of the leading statesmen of the world. I hope and trust that befitting stature of Dr Manmohan Singh, request to have the funeral of Dr Singh at a place where his memorial can be built, will be acceded,” Kharge said in the letter.

Congress Legislature Party leader in Punjab assembly Pratap Singh Bajwa also separately urged Prime Minister Modi to have Manmohan Singh’s funeral at a place where a memorial could be built later in his honour.

“I urge Prime Minister @narendramodi to honour Dr Manmohan Singh, one of the most towering Sikhs of modern times, with a memorial befitting his immense contributions to our nation. Rising from humble beginnings in a historic state, representing a community that has always stood steadfast for India’s unity and progress, Dr Singh’s life is a testament to intellect, integrity, and selfless service,” he posted on X.

Bajwa said Punjabis across faiths and political lines unite in their heartfelt plea to recognise this son of Punjab, who played an instrumental role in shaping India’s destiny, with the respect he deserves.

Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal claimed the Centre has “declined” the request of Manmohan Singh’s family for performing the funeral and last rites at a place where an appropriate memorial may be built.

There is no official word from the government on Kharge’s request.

However, Badal took to X to post, “Shocking and unbelievable! It is condemnable in the extreme that Union Govt has declined the request of Dr Manmohan Singh Ji’s family for performing the funeral and last rites of the highly distinguished leader at a place where an appropriate and historic memorial may be built to commemorate his unparalleled services to the nation.”

He further said this place should be Raj Ghat.

“This will be in keeping with the settled practice and tradition followed in the past,” Badal said.

He said it is “inexplicable” why the government is “showing such disrespect to the great leader who was the only member of the Sikh community to rise to become the Prime Minister”.

“As of now, the cremation is slated to be performed at the common cremation ground at Nigambodh ghat. I am unable to believe that the BJP govt’s bias would go to such extremes in utter disregard of the towering global stature which Dr Manmohan Singh ji enjoyed and will always enjoy,” Badal further said in his post.

He said Singh took the country to great international heights.

“Our political differences with the Congress apart, we have always held Dr Manmohan Singh in the highest esteem as he transcends politics and political affiliations. He belongs to the entire nation.

“Dr Sahib showed great sensitivity and compassion in his dealings with Shiromani Akali Dal over Sikh and Punjab issues,” said Badal urging Modi to “intervene personally to change this deplorable decision of the government”.

Singh passed away on Thursday night at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at the age of 92.

Delhi Traffic Police has issued an advisory outlining restrictions and diversions on major routes in the capital ahead of the state funeral of former prime minister Manmohan Singh, scheduled at the Nigambodh Ghat at 11:45 am on Saturday.

Keeping in mind the number of foreign dignitaries, VIPs/VVIPs and general public likely to visit the cremation ground, traffic has been diverted from Raja Ram Kohli Marg, Rajghat Red Light, Signature Bridge and Yudhister Setu, the advisory said.

Traffic restrictions/diversions may be imposed on Ring Road, Nishad Raj Marg, Boulevard Road, SPM Marg, Lothian Road, Netaji Subhash Marg and their surrounding roads/stretches from 7 am till 3 pm, it said.

“People are advised to avoid these roads/stretches and the area from where the procession will be taken out. Avoid roadside parking as it causes hindrance to normal traffic flow. In case any unusual/unidentified object or person is noticed in suspicious circumstances, police should be informed,” the advisory said.

Singh, the architect of India’s economic reforms, passed away on Thursday night at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences due to age-related medical complications. He was 92.

Bengaluru: The bomb blast at Rameshwaram Cafe on March 1 here stood out for Karnataka in a year that saw its share of twists in the script, particularly with weather and politics.

Initially, it was thought the blast at the popular eatery’s Whitefield branch was caused by a gas leak. But it turned out to be an improvised explosive device (IED) blast, which injured at least eight people. By March 4, the National Investigation Agency took over the case, arresting two suspects.

Year 2024 also saw an acute dry spell in several parts of Karnataka. But the water crisis was more severe in Bengaluru. This was followed by a very wet rainy season that resulted in devastating floods and landslides, particularly in the coastal parts and Western Ghats of Karnataka. The state witnessed 46 landslides in 2024, causing 12 related deaths, according to official figures.

Politically, too, the mood swung both ways, with BJP walking away with a lion’s share of votes in the Lok Sabha elections in April, although its seats slipped from 25 in 2019 to 17. However, months later, in November, the ruling Congress swept all three Assembly by-polls that came as a relief to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who otherwise had a challenging year, having to weather the Valmiki and MUDA ‘scams.’

As is wont, politicians kept 2024 really busy. The most deeply felt news in Karnataka was perhaps the death of former Chief Minister and the man who transformed Bengaluru into a global hub, S M Krishna, on December 10. People poured their hearts out in obituaries, bringing out his multi-faceted personality.

As for getting a rap, the top rung netas made it to the news.

If Siddaramaiah was caught in a “resign now” turmoil first over the Valmiki ‘scam’ and then over the controversy surrounding the MUDA site allotment, former CM B S Yediyurappa was issued a non-bailable warrant in a POCSO case.

But it was former JD (S) MP Prajwal Revanna who stirred up the biggest controversy. Cases of sexual abuse involving Prajwal shocked the entire nation when pen drives containing explicit videos allegedly involving him were circulated in Hassan ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

Revanna was arrested by the SIT on May 31 upon arrival at Bengaluru Airport from Germany and is being tried in the Karnataka High Court.

The Valmiki ‘scam’ came to light when the superintendent of Karnataka Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation died of suicide, leaving behind a purported note alleging Rs 85 crore embezzlement.

The alleged irregularities in Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) over allotment of residential sites involved Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi. She, it was alleged, was allotted 14 sites in an upmarket residential area in the 50:50 ratio scheme in lieu of her 3 acres 16 guntas of land. She later returned them.

Meanwhile, Yediyurappa faced the heat when a woman filed a complaint in Bengaluru’s Sadashivanagar Police Station, alleging the BJP veteran sexually assaulted her minor daughter.

What is politics without its intrigues? This year too saw its share and the one that stood out was the alleged tussle for the CM post by Siddaramaiah and his deputy D K Shivakumar. Although assured often by Shivakuma that the CM will complete a full term of five years, the rumours refuse to die down.

In a plot twist, Kannada film industry’s most talked about actor in 2024 was a murder suspect. Actor Darshan was arrested for allegedly murdering his fan, 33-year-old Renukaswamy on June 11, along with his friend, actor Pavithra Gowda, and 15 others. But on December 13, the actor – and the others – were given bail, and his fans celebrated it with the same fervour as his film releases.

But as murders go, this year the murder of 29-year-old Mahalakshmi on September 21, whose body was chopped into 30 pieces – in some accounts even 59 pieces – and stacked in her refrigerator, was easily one of the most gruesome.

She was allegedly strangled by her boyfriend, who later dismembered her body. The 30-year-old Mukti Ranjan Rai then went to his native town in Odissa and took his life, leaving behind a suicide note confessing to his crime. His body was found four days after Mahalakshmi’s.

Another death that had the whole country debating was that of 34-year-old software engineer Atul Subhash.

He too died of suicide on December 9, leaving behind a detailed 24-page suicide note and an 81-minute video that some men hail as manifesto for men’s rights.

The case also threw spotlight on how dowry law was allegedly being misused by some women to harass their husbands. Incidentally, his wife Nikita Singhania, her mother and brother were arrested on December 14.

The gruesome accident of a CEO and his family of five on December 22 too caught the attention of the entire nation. That Chandram Yegapagol, 48, was driving ‘responsibly’ a new four-wheeler of a brand known for being a ‘safe car’, triggered another debate on lack of road safety in the country.

The Karnataka legislature passed a law in February mandating all name boards of commercial establishments to have 60 per cent Kannada language component.

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh’s wife Gursharan Kaur and daughter Daman Singh pays their last respects to him, at AICC headquarters

New Delhi : The final journey of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh began from the AICC headquarters on Saturday morning after Congress leaders paid homage to their departed leader.

The flower-bedecked vehicle carrying the mortal remains of Singh left the Congress headquarters in a procession amid chants of “Manmohan Singh amar rahe”.

A large number of Congress workers and leaders along with hundreds of Singh’s well-wishers walked along as “Jab tak suraj chand rahega, tab tak tera naam rahega” slogans rent the air.

Former Congress chief and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, also accompanied the procession alongside Singh’s relatives.

Singh’s mortal remains were taken to the AICC headquarters from his residence on 3, Motilal Nehru Road a little before 9 AM.

The mortal remains were kept there for about an hour, with several top Congress leaders, including Mallikarjun Kharge, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, paying their last respects, among others.

Singh’s wife Gursharan Kaur and one of their daughters also laid a wreath on his body and paid their last respects.

Meanwhile, the funeral preparations were being given final touches at the Nigambodh Ghat where the last rites of the former prime minister would be performed at 11.45 am with full state honours.

Singh passed away on Thursday night at Delhi’s All India Institute of Medical Sciences due to age-related medical complications. He was 92.

Considered the architect of India’s economic reforms, Singh served as the prime minister for 10 years between 2004 and 2014.

A seven-day national mourning is being observed throughout the country as a mark of respect to the former prime minister during which the national flag will be flown at half-mast across the nation, the Union Home Ministry has announced.