Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Sunday said India would have given a larger bailout package to Pakistan than sought by Islamabad from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) had the neighbouring nation maintained friendly relations with New Delhi.

Addressing an election rally in Gurez assembly segment of Bandipora district, Singh referred to the prime minister’s development package for Jammu and Kashmir announced in 2014-15 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“Modi ji in 2014-15 announced a special package for development of Jammu and Kashmir which has now reached Rs 90,000 crore. The amount is much bigger than what Pakistan was seeking from the IMF (as bailout package),” the senior BJP leader said.

Singh referred to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s famous statement that “we can change friends but we cannot change the neighbours”.

“I said, my Pakistani friends, why have strained relations, we are neighbours. If we had good relations, we would have given more money than the IMF,” he added.

Singh said the Centre gives money to Jammu and Kashmir for development while Pakistan has been misusing financial aid for a long time.

“It seeks money from other countries to run a terrorism factory on its soil,” he added.

The defence minister said Kashmir will again become a paradise on earth when Vajpayee’s dream of restoring “Insaniyat, Jamhooriyat and Kashmiriyat” in the valley is achieved.

Singh said Pakistan, which has used terrorism as a tool against India, has been isolated at the international forums with some of its trusted allies also stepping back.

“Whenever we have investigated terrorism, we have found Pakistani involvement. Our successive governments have tried to make Pakistan understand that they should stop terror camps but to no avail. Pakistan is frustrated after revocation of Article 370 and is making attempts to revive terror. They do not want democracy to take roots here. (But) India is strong enough that it can take on Pakistan on its soil. If anyone in Pakistan carries out an attack on India, we can crossover and respond,” he added.

Singh said Pakistan has been isolated now.

“Even Turkey, which used to support Pakistan, has not made mention of Kashmir at the UNGA,” he added.

The BJP leader said since his party’s government came to power at the Centre, peace has returned to Jammu and Kashmir.

“The business of terrorism is not going to last very long now,” he added.

Reiterating the promises made in the BJP’s election manifesto, Singh said, “As the defence minister, I assure you that if (BJP candidate) Faqeer Mohammad Khan wins, more people from Gurez will be recruited in the Indian Army.”

He said the biggest demand put forth from Gurez is construction of a tunnel through the Razdan pass that will establish all-weather connectivity with the rest of the country.

Electricity is supplied round the clock, internet towers have been installed. Roads have become better and they will be further improved, he added.

“As the defence minister of the country, I assure you that after polls I will bring the concerned minister here to discuss it,” he said.

Muzaffarnagar (UP): Hundreds of Hindu activists on Sunday, staged dharna outside a nonveg hotel and demanded closure of all such hotels and restaurants near temples at Thanabhawan town in Shamli district.

The protest led by Mahant Swami Yashvir Maharaj of Yog Sadhan Ashram Bhagra was later postponed for one week on the assurance of district authorities on the matter.

The Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Hamid Husain said that district authorities have given assurance to take steps within one week after considering legal aspects.

Licencing authorities of nonveg hotels have been asked to report about such hotels running near temples.

Hindu activists have been demanding the closing of nonveg hotels which are located within a hundred meters of temples in the Thanabhawan town.

Former Haryana minister Ranjit Singh Chautala

Chandigarh: Former Haryana minister Ranjit Singh Chautala and seven other leaders were expelled by the BJP for six years on Sunday, after they decided to contest the October 5 state Assembly polls as independent candidates.

The Haryana BJP said its chief Mohan Lal Badoli has expelled these leaders for a period of six years with immediate effect.

Besides Chautala, Sandeep Garg (contesting the polls from Ladwa), Zile Ram Sharma (Assandh), Devender Kadian (Ganaur), Bachan Singh Arya (Safidon), Radha Ahlawat (Meham), Naveen Goel (Gurugram) and Kehar Singh Rawat (Hathin) have been expelled from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Chautala decided to quit the saffron party after he was denied the poll ticket from Rania, the seat he represented in the Assembly when he was an independent MLA.

Chautala quit the membership of the Assembly before joining the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls held earlier in the year. He had unsuccessfully contested the parliamentary polls from Hisar.

The 90-member Haryana Assembly is scheduled to go to polls on October 5 and the counting of votes will be taken up on October 8. The BJP is eyeing to return to power in the state for a third consecutive term.

The Haryana Congress expelled 13 leaders on Friday for “anti-party activities” over their decision to contest the polls as independent candidates.

Several leaders of both the BJP and the Congress were upset over being denied tickets to contest the Assembly polls, but the parties have managed to pacify most of them.

Kanpur (UP) A fire extinguisher that may have accidentally fallen off a train set off a scare on Sunday when the driver of another passenger train applied brakes after spotting the cylinder-like object on the rail tracks between Govindpuri and Bhimsen stations here, according to officials.

“The incident occurred when the train was heading to Lucknow from Mumbai. It had hardly reached Govindpuri station when the driver spotted a cylinder on the tracks at around 4 am on Sunday,” Additional Director General (Railways) Prakash D said.

The loco pilot immediately passed the information to the control room. The cylinder was later found to be a fire extinguisher, belonging to the railways.

The ADG said that the railway officials launched an investigation jointly with the Railway Protection Force(RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) and found there was no criminal intent behind the act.

The findings further claimed that there is no external or other criminal involvement in this case, ADG added.

“In the inquiry report, the railway officials stated that the fire safety cylinder was railway property and it was issued by the section engineer (carriage & wagon) Gorakhpur and it may have fallen from any other train accidentally,” said the ADG adding that no FIR has been lodged regarding the matter.

The railway officials are on an alert following similar incidents recently.

A 16-year-old boy was apprehended for allegedly putting a fencing pillar on the Banda-Mahoba rail track, causing disruptions on Saturday. The driver of a passenger train had to apply emergency brakes to stop the train after he noticed the concrete pillar on the tracks, the police said.

Also, the engine of a train hit a stone placed on the railway track in the Bairia area in Ballia on Saturday, officials said, adding that no damage was caused.

The RPF has formed a special team to solve the case, and patrolling is being done on the rail route, while police has lodged an FIR, the officials said.

RPF Inspector VK Singh told PTI, “We believe that this has been done with the intention of derailing the train. The current conclusion of the team in this case is that some unknown person has placed the stone.”

On September 8, an alleged attempt to derail the Kalindi Express, heading towards Bhiwani from Prayagraj, was reported when an LPG cylinder was found on the tracks in Kanpur.

Just a week ago, an empty gas cylinder was also found on the tracks by a goods train loco pilot near Prempur railway station. Both incidents are being investigated.

Agartala: A 62-year-old woman was tied to a tree and allegedly burnt alive by her two sons in West Tripura, officials said on Sunday.

Police said they have arrested the sons, and suspect that a family dispute might have led to the gruesome murder.

The incident happened on Saturday night in Khamarbari in the Champaknagar police station area, they said.

The woman lived with her two sons after she lost her husband around one-and-a-half-year ago. Her other son lived in Agartala.

“After receiving an input that a woman was set on fire, a police team rushed there and found the burnt body tied to a tree. We took the body to the hospital for post-mortem examination,” Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Jirania Kamal Krishna Koloi told PTI.

“We have arrested her two sons for their alleged involvement in the case. They will be produced before the court on Monday, seeking police remand for interrogation. A family dispute may be the reason behind the incident,” he said.

An investigation is underway, he added.

New Delhi: Veteran actor Mithun Chakraborty, star of films such as “Mrigayaa”, “Surakshaa”, “Disco Dancer”, and “Dance Dance”, was on Monday named recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award, the government’s highest recognition in the field of cinema.

The announcement comes months after Chakraborty was awarded Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honour, by the Government of India.

Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ashwini Vaishnaw made the announcement on X.

“Mithun Da’s remarkable cinematic journey inspires generations! Honoured to announce that the Dadasaheb Phalke Selection Jury has decided to award legendary actor, Sh. Mithun Chakraborty Ji for his iconic contribution to Indian Cinema,” the minister said in the post.

The award will be presented to Chakraborty at the 70th National Film Awards ceremony on October 8, 2024, Vaishnaw said.

The three-member jury — comprising former Dadasaheb awardee Asha Parekh, actor-politician Khushbu Sundar and filmmaker Vipul Amrutlal Shah — selected Chakraborty for the prestigious honour.

Chakraborty, 74, is very happy, said his son Namashi Chakaborty about the Dadasaheb Phalke Award announcement.

“We all are feeling very proud. He is in Kolkata, I just spoke to him. He is a self-made superstar and a great citizen. This was long, long overdue but I am so proud that he is finally being awarded with this honour,” Namashi told PTI over phone from Los Angeles.

Chakraborty, whose real name is Gourang Chakraborty, is an alumnus of Pune’s Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) who has predominantly worked in Hindi and Bengali cinema.

He made his acting debut with Mrinal Sen’s 1976 film “Mrigayaa”, for which he won his first National Film Award for Best Actor. He earned two more National Awards for 1992’s “Tahader Katha” (best actor) and 1998’s “Swami Vivekananda” (best supporting actor).

Chakraborty shot to stardom with his distinctive dancing style in the 1982 superhit “Disco Dancer”, which is widely credited for ushering in the era of disco dancing in India through chartbusters like “I Am A Disco Dancer” and “Yaad Aa Raha Hai”.

Then followed several hits like “Mujhe Insaaf Chahiye”, “Hum Se Hai Zamana”, “Pasand Apni Apni”, “Ghar Ek Mandir”, “Kasam Paida Karne Wale Ki” and “Commando”.

He was also praised for his role in the 1990 film “Agneepath”, fronted by Amitabh Bachchan.

A former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, Chakraborty joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ahead of the 2021 West Bengal Legislative Assembly election.

Chakraborty also served as the head judge or ‘grandmaster’ on the popular dance reality series “Dance India Dance” from 2009 to 2018.

In 2023, Waheeda Rehman was named recipient of the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

Pune: AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has expressed strong opposition to the demolition of a mosque in Pune by the Eknath Shinde-led Maharashtra government. Owaisi questioned the government’s decision, pointing out that while only the mosque is being targeted for demolition, thousands of houses around it are also illegal but remain untouched.

According to Owaisi, the Masjid Darululam Jamia Inamiya in the Thergaon Kaliwadi area of Pimpri-Chinchwad, Pune, has existed for over 25 years. He stated that despite the fact that numerous houses in the area are unauthorized, only the mosque has been singled out for demolition. He accused right-wing Hindu organizations of instigating the complaint, leading to the notice for the mosque’s removal.

Owaisi further challenged Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, asking why the demolition was limited to a mosque and did not include other unauthorized structures in the vicinity. He raised concerns over the perceived discrimination and questioned the government’s approach in handling the issue

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann

Chandigarh: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who is admitted to a private hospital in Mohali, underwent some heart-related tests on Friday and reports are awaited, doctors said.

Doctors attending to the chief minister said his condition is “completely stable”.

Mann, 50, was admitted to Fortis Hospital late on Wednesday night for a “routine health checkup”.

In a health bulletin issued by Fortis Hospital on Friday evening, Director and Head of Department of Cardiology, Dr R K Jaswal said he conducted some heart-related tests and examinations on Mann, the results of which are still awaited.”

“Due to an increase in pressure in the chief minister’s pulmonary artery, there was pressure on his heart, leading to irregular blood pressure.

“Currently, all vitals of the chief minister are completely stable. The doctor will take further decision only after the results of the heart tests and examinations are available,” the statement said.

The chief minister is responding well to treatment, it said.

Police investigate after four-member gang broke open three ATMs run by the State Bank of India (SBI) using a gas-cutter, in Thrissur

Namakkal (Tamil Nadu): The Namakkal police gunned down a man among a gang of seven suspected to have been involved in the ATM heist in Kerala’s Thrissur and detained six of them, when they brazenly attempted to flee after ramming into cars and two wheelers at Kumarapalayam in the district on Friday, a senior police official said.

The car which was used in the robbery was confiscated along with the container truck and an investigation was on to ascertain their role in the ATM heist that took place in the district recently, Salem range DIG E S Uma said.

One of them was injured when police opened fire in self defence. Two police officials who were injured when the container driver and his associate attacked them in a bid to flee, have been admitted to a government hospital with injuries, she said.

“They targeted the ATM of a nationalised bank. As per their modus operandi, the members split into two groups and travelled separately in a container and a car from Haryana to stage the heist,” the DIG told reporters here.

All the members hailed from Haryana, she said, and added that the Namakkal district police arrested two persons from Haryana in a similar heist in the district recently.

Briefing reporters, the senior police official said following information from the Thrissur police, the Namakkal superintendent of police S Rajesh Kannan and other officials organised a vehicle check to identify the car used in the heist.

“Shortly thereafter the Thrissur police alerted us about the movement of a container truck. During the vehicle check, the police signalled a container truck bearing RJ (Rajasthan) registration number to stop but the vehicle went without stopping,” she said.

Upon being chased by the police, the vehicle sped towards the Sanghugiri toll gate but finding it closed, took the Veppadai road to escape. At Sannasiapatti, it indulged in a road rage ramming into a two wheeler, and a car, and dragged a car for about 250 meters, before it was finally intercepted by the police.

“We secured the truck driver and four others found in the cabin. While escorting the vehicle to Veppadai police station, we asked the driver to stop after hearing a loud sound at the rear of the container. The driver identified as Jamal opened the door and two persons stepped out of the container,” the DIG said.

One of them, carrying a blue coloured travel bag containing cash, asked Jamal to escape and tried to run after attacking a police Inspector with a sharp weapon. Jamal too attacked the police official when the latter attempted to nab him.

The police had to open fire on the duo in order to prevent them from escaping. While Jamal died, the man with the money bag was injured in the leg, she said.

“We have secured all five persons and the injured man who has been admitted to a government hospital,” Uma said.

Responding to a question, she said that the police were totally unaware of the presence of a car and two persons inside the container.

The road rage in Sannasiapatti, Kumarapalayam, left the road users in shock. Some of the passers-by pelted stones at the truck in a frantic bid to stop the vehicle.