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Sabarimala temple shuts after two women pray at shrine

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Nasheman News : The Sabarimala temple in Kerala was shut on Wednesday “for purification” after two women from the hitherto banned age group said they had prayed there, and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan confirmed this was true.

“Yes, it’s true. The women have had the temple darshan,” the Chief Minister said in Thiruvananthapuram.

As the news spread, the chief priest and temple tantri held a meeting and also held talks with the Pandalam Royal family and decided to close down the hill shrine.

Kantararu Rajeeveru, the tantri, said the temple had been shut for “purification” and would reopen later.

The two women, Bindu and Kanaka Durga, said they had ‘darshan’ at 3.30 a.m.

On December 24, the two had made a failed attempt to pray at the temple as they were chased away by predominantly male pilgrims opposed to the entry of girls and women in the age group of 10 to 50 in line with tradition.

Speaking to the media over telephone, Bindu said she along with Durga reached the Pamba base camp around 1.30 a.m. and along with a few police officers in civilian clothes went up the pathway.

“The government had assured us all help. We reached the base camp and went up the pathway and we had the darshan at 3.30 a.m. We, however, did not climb the hallowed 18 steps, instead went through the way normally used by VIPs,” said Bindu.

She added that both of them returned from the temple with police escort.

“Now we have passed Pamba and are going back and we have police security. We did not have any problems. Barring a few minor protests, there was no other issue,” added Bindu.

Rahul Eashwar, a member of the temple tantri family, said that if there had been a breach of tradition, “then corrective rituals will have to be done”.

“If they had ‘darshan’, they would have camouflaged themselves. If this has happened, it’s most unfortunate. This is nothing but an organised attempt by the Kerala government,” he said.

The temple town has witnessed protests by Hindu groups since the September 28 Supreme Court verdict that allowed women of all ages to enter the temple.

Ever since the verdict, around three dozen women in that age group have tried but failed to go up the pathway leading to the temple due to protests.

Modi a defeatist Prime Minister, says Congress

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Nasheman News : The Congress on Tuesday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his television interview on the New Year Day, saying the reverse countdown for his government has begun and that he is a “defeatist PM” who cannot even say for sure whether he would be contesting the next election.

Addressing a press conference soon after Modi’s interview aired on Tuesday, Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala accused him of peddling lies and said his interview was a monologue around “I, me, mine and myself”.

Surjewala attacked Modi on a range of issues including jobs, economy, Goods and Services Tax (GST), national security, corruption and agrarian problems and said that he is PM only for 99 days and will be ousted in the Lok Sabha polls in April-May this year.

“A defeatist PM who is even not able to tell where he is going to contest the next parliamentary polls from or whether he is going to contest at all. So, with defeat written on his face as also in the arrogant words of ‘I, me, mine and myself’, the first interview of 2019 has put entire future in perspective that now there are only 99 days left to say ‘bye-bye people of India’,” Surjewala said.

Modi was asked whether he would re-contest from Varanasi or shift to Puri in Odisha, to which he gave a cryptic reply that media persons should also get some work.

Surjewala said the “monologue interview” of Modi turned out to be much ado about nothing.

“Modiji your ‘I’s and lies’ have destroyed India’s societal fabric and India’s economy,” he said, adding that Modi has “trampled upon constitutional institutions as also rights of individuals and snatched livelihoods”.

“We expected that in 2019 you will at least express regrets for policy blunders that you have committed but you are peddling lies…that is indeed unfortunate. The country suffers as Modi dithers,” Surjewala said.

He said the next Lok Sabha elections is public versus “thagbandhan” (alliance of crooks).

He said people want to know answers to 10 key promises made by Modi. 

“Where are Rs 15 lakh that was promised in each Indian’s bank account by you? Rs 80 lakh crore of black money that was to be brought to India within 100 days from abroad? Did it come? The truth is that not a single rupee has been brought back,” Surjewala said.

The Congress leader said Modi had promised to create two crore jobs a year. 

“It would have been nine crore jobs in 55 months, but could you create even nine lakh jobs for India’s youth? You promised cost plus 50 per cent profit to India’s farmers, but today they are forced to sell their onion crops at 50 paise a kg. Farmer distress and farmer suicides rule the roost (sic),” he said.

He alleged that GST has become “Gabbar Singh Tax” and its flawed implementation has “destroyed small and medium businesses”.

“The nation wants to know the demonetisation disaster, the scam and the people responsible for it. Rs 3.5 lakh crore were lost due to the demonetisation disaster. 12O people died in bank lines. People lost all their earnings. Women of India lost their entire ‘stri dhan’. Yet you continue to justify the DeMo scam and disaster,” he said. 

Touching up the issue of national security, he said: “It (national security) has been deeply imperilled. In 55 months, 428 jawans were martyred in Jammu and Kashmir alone as 278 civilians were lost to terrorism. Naxalism cost us lives of 248 jawans and 378 civilians,” he added. 

Responding to a question, Surjewala said that if anybody had questioned the Army’s valour it was Modi and not the Congress.

“Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Ganhdi appreciated the Army when surgical strikes were conducted. But what did the Prime Minister do? He threw in the dustbin all the surgical strikes done by the Army since 1947 till September 8, 2016. If anybody palyed with the valour of the Army, it was none other than Prime Minister Modi,” he said.

He also questioned as to why the Modi government did not make a noise when the Chinese were building motorable roads and bunkers in North and South Doklam and reached “within 100 feet of our Army lines”. 

“Is it not a fact that China has openly built motorable roads till the Chicken’s Neck and can potentially cut off our northeastern states from us? But the Modi government did not make a noise. It did not dare stare in the Chinese’s eye. At least he (Modi) should have been honest on the national security in his intreview,” the Congress leader said.

RSS says Modi’s remarks on Ram temple ‘positive’

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Nasheman News : The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) on Tuesday hailed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remraks on construction of a grand Ram temple at Ayodhya as “positive” and hoped that his government will fulfil its promise during this tenure.

In a series of tweets, RSS’s Joint General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said: “Today’s Prime Minister’s remarks on the construction of Ram temple seems to be a positive step. And the Prime Minister remembering his promise of constructing temple in his interview is in line with the 1989 BJP resolution in its Palampur Convention.”

“In its resolution, the BJP had said that to construct the temple in Ayodhya it will try its best by either consulting or by bringing an enabling legislation,” he said recalling the 1989 resolution where the BJP said that it shall discuss the matter with all the stakeholders. 

Reminding Modi of his party’s poll promise, Hosabale said: “Under the leadership of Modi, the BJP in its 2014 poll manifesto has promised to construct a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya under the constitutional ambit. The people believed the promises made by the BJP and gave it a huge mandate.”

“People of India expect the government to fulfil the promise within its tenure,” he added.

His remarks came soon after Modi in his interview said that an ordinance on Ram temple will be considered only after legal process gets over.

The demand for construction of a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya gained momentum late last year with the BJP’s ideological mentor the RSS, VHP and the NDA allies demanded the government to bring a law for the construction of temple.

Bihar Dy. CM’s New Year vow is to ensure victory of NDA in all 40 LS seats

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Nasheman News : Senior BJP leader and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday said his new year resolution is to ensure victory of the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) in all the 40 seats in the state in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

“Our New Year resolution is clear, we will work hard to ensure victory of NDA in all 40 seats in the state in the parliamentary elections in 2019,” Sushil Modi told the media here.

He said the people of Bihar are with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and they would support and vote for the NDA under his leadership.

“People want a government working for development and transparency and which is has honest people in it. People will vote for NDA again to ensure the return of Narendra Modi as PM in 2019,” he said.

Sushil Modi taunted convicted RJD chief Lalu Prasad, saying Lalu sitting in jail may form a Grand Alliance of several small parties, but people will not support and vote for the return of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD)-Congress combine to power in the state.

“People of Bihar will not go with the RJD-led Grand Alliance.”

India, Pakistan exchange lists of prisoners

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Nasheman News India and Pakistan on Tuesday exchanged lists of prisoners lodged in each other’s jails in keeping with a 2008 agreement.

“India handed over (names) of 249 Pakistan civilian prisoners and 98 fishermen in India’s custody to Pakistan,” the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

“Pakistan has shared lists of 54 civilian prisoners and 483 fishermen in its custody who are Indians or believed to be Indians,” it stated.

The lists were exchanged through diplomatic channels simultaneously in New Delhi and Islamabad.

India also called for early release and repatriation of civilian prisoners, missing Indian defence personnel and fishermen along with their boats.

“In this context, Pakistan was asked to expedite the release and repatriation of 17 Indian civilian prisoners and 369 Indian fishermen to India whose nationality has been confirmed,” the statement said.

“Immediate consular access has also been sought for the remaining prisoners and fishermen to facilitate their early release and repatriation.”

According to the 2008 agreement, both countries exchange lists of prisoners lodged in each other’s jails on January 1 and July 1 every year.

The statement said that India had also asked Pakistan to expedite a response in the case of 80 Pakistan prisoners who have completed their sentences and await repatriation for want of nationality confirmation by Islamabad.

“To take forward the understanding reached to address the humanitarian issues, especially with respect to elderly, women and mentally unsound prisoners, India has already shared the details of the reconstituted Joint Judicial Committee and of the Indian medical experts team to visit Pakistan to meet the mentally unsound prisoners,” it said.

“Pakistan has also been requested to expedite the visit of a group of fishermen’s representatives to facilitate the repatriation of Indian fishing boats, presently held in Pakistan’s custody at the earliest.”

Actor Prakash Raj will contest for the Loksabha Polls 2019

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Image result for Actor Prakash Raj

Actor Prakash Raj has announced that he will contest in the upcoming Parliament elections as an independent candidate. Taking to Twitter on New Year’s Eve at midnight, the actor tweeted, “HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE..a new beginning .. more responsibility.. with UR support I will be contesting in the coming parliament elections as an INDEPENDENT CANDIDATE. Details of the constituency soon. Ab ki baar Janatha ki SARKAR #citizensvoice #justasking in parliament too (sic).”

Prakash Raj has been vocal about his politics and has been a severe critic of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government ever since his close friend Gauri Lankesh, a journalist, was shot dead in Bengaluru in January last year. In May 2018, he launched ‘just asking’, a series of questions that he regularly poses to Narendra Modi and his government.

The Special Investigation Team probing the death of Gauri Lankesh had revealed that her killers had Prakash Raj too, on their hit list.

Prakash Raj has been in the eye of a storm many times in 2018 with his remarks making headlines. Recently, he was quoted as saying that PM Modi is an NRI when elections are not taking place. “He turns resident Indian during elections. When elections are over, he [Mr. Modi] goes back to foreign locations,” Prakash Raj had said.

The actor has also extended his support to several politicians including Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and his plans for a ‘Federal Front’, which would include a consortium of regional parties. In April this year, Prakash Raj was part of a meeting that included KCR and former PM Deve Gowda at the latter’s home.

“For the last few months I have been having discussions with KCR. Why I am here is because he is not talking about party politics. It is for us to come together and understand why the issues which have been going on for years have not been solved and to find another way to come to a consensus and create a mass movement so that all like-minded people can come together and ensure that the issues are solved and we deliver to the people,” he told reporters.

With Prakash Raj taking the political plunge and announcing that he would stand as an independent candidate, it remains to be seen if parties like the Congress and JDS would tacitly support him.

TNM

After HDK, Siddaramaiah hits back at Modi over farm loan waiver

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A day after Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy refuted Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s jibe on the state’s farm loan waiver scheme where he called it a ‘cruel joke’, former CM Siddaramaiah on Monday hit out against PM Modi.

Speaking in Mysuru, Siddaramaiah called the PM “anti-farmer” and said, “I had twice led delegations (to Modi) as a chief minister, he did not give a single rupee. What moral right does he have?”

“Ok we have given lollipop, what pop has he given? What has he given?” Siddaramaiah asked. He further asked about the action taken by state governments in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya on the issue, all of which were recently ruled by the BJP.

Siddaramaiah’s comments come a day after Kumaraswamy termed Modi’s remarks to be “factually incorrect, insensitive and very unfortunate” and accused the PM of gaining political mileage with incorrect statements.  

The Chief Minister’s Office released a statement along with a 12-point update mentioning that Rs 350 crore has been already paid to about 60,000 farmers electronically into their individual accounts, and another one lakh farmers will get around Rs 400 crore in the next week. He also claimed that the state’s scheme, unlike others, was an open book with every detail available online.

This was a reply to PM Modi’s speech at a rally in Ghazipur on Saturday and during a video conference with BJP booth workers from Belagavi, Bidar, Davangere, Dharwad and Haveri on Friday.

Modi on Friday had said, “What they have done in the name of loan waiver for the farmers will go down in history as one of the most cruel jokes on farmers. After six months in power, reports say the government could only benefit a handful of farmers with the loan waiver scheme. These people go around the country, claim credit for what they have done for the farmers. Will they also take credit for the farmers committing suicide?”

And on Saturday, Modi termed the coalition government a “lollipop company” on the issue of farm loan waiver.

“Even in Karnataka, Congress made a backstage entry and established a government there. They gave lollipops to people in terms of assurances, and promised loan waiver but only 800 people got their loan waived. How can you trust these lollipop companies?” he had said.

TNM

509 drunk drivers fined in Delhi on New Year eve

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Image result for 509 drunk drivers fined in Delhi on New Year eve

Nasheman News : Delhi Police penalised a total of 509 people on New Year’s eve for drunk driving, an official said on Tuesday.

“We issued 509 drunk driving challans on the eve of New Year. Majority of them were youngsters,” Delhi Police Deputy Spokesperson Anil Mittal told IANS. 

The number is, however, less compared to the drunk driving cases of last (2018) New Year’s eve, when at least 765 people were challaned. 

Thousands of police personnel were deployed across the national capital to ensure New Year celebrations go off smoothly. 

Special traffic arrangements were made to regulate the movement of revellers, police said.

To prevent drunk driving in the national capital on Monday, Delhi Police had earlier conveyed the message of safe driving with warning that any incident of hooliganism and drunk driving would be dealt with strictly.

Russian rescuers brave cold in search of gas explosion survivors

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Up to 40 people are believed to be trapped under rubble in Magnitogorsk in temperatures lower than -18 degrees Celsius.

Rescuers are battling through the bitter cold in Russia’s Ural Mountains looking for survivors after a gas explosion tore through a high-rise apartment building killing at least four people.

Officials have said up to 40 people could be trapped under the rubble, at least seven of them children, after the explosion on Monday collapsed a large section of the residential building in the industrial city of Magnitogorsk, some 1,700km east of the capital, Moscow.

State TV showed rescue workers combing through mangled heaps of concrete and metal at -18 degrees Celsius, but Russian officials acknowledged that the odds of finding anyone alive looked increasingly slim.

“The chances are reducing with time,” Health Minister Veronika Skvortsova said when pressed by reporters on the likelihood of finding the trapped survivors.

“But incredible stories do happen.”

Witnesses told Russian television that the explosion was strong enough to shatter the windows of nearby buildings.

“I woke up and felt myself falling. The walls were gone. My mother was screaming and my son had been buried,” a witness said.

President Vladimir Putin rushed to the city, where the blast left hundreds of residents homeless in freezing temperatures on New Year’s Eve, the biggest holiday of the year in Russia.

Plunging temperatures

Authorities said rescue teams were to work through the night, with local temperatures expected to plunge to -23C.

Officials warned that two more sections of the Soviet-era high-rise on Karl Marx Street were in danger of collapsing.

Located in the mineral-rich southern Urals region, Magnitogorsk, with a population of more than 400,000 people, is home to one of the country’s largest steel producers.

The high-rise was built in 1973 and was home to around 1,100 people. The other residents of the building were moved to a nearby school.

The local governor, Boris Dubrovsky, told Putin that authorities published the missing persons’ list in the hope they were somewhere else when the explosion happened and would report their whereabouts. He promised to quickly provide new apartments for those who were left homeless.

Investigators opened a criminal probe into the accident, with the FSB security service confirming the incident as a gas explosion.

Such deadly gas explosions are relatively common in Russia where much of the infrastructure dates back to the Soviet era and safety requirements are often ignored.

Aljazeera

“City gets heavy security cover ahead of New Year”

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By : Pramesh S Jain

Bengaluru Police Gears Up For New Year Eve,18k cops to vigil CBD, other areas. 

A New year is round the corner and revellers will be all charged up to Welcome 2019 on New year’s Eve. Considering the safety of citizens who will be thronging various party circuits in the city the city police have made elaborate security arrangements and have installed more than 1500 CCTV surveillance cameras at various places were there will be more congregation.

The measures are being taken following an alert issued by the Intelligence Bureau after suspected terror activists were arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh on December 26. 

Four drone cameras, four LCD display systems and 15 watch towers would be fixed in and around M.G. Road to monitor the crowd. This is in addition to deployment of special women police squads at strategic locations to ensure safety of women, and monitor mischief mongers.

In addition, 270 Hoysalas and 1200 Cheetah patrolling bikes will be deployed for patrolling in sensitive locations.

About 100 vehicles to be used for new year bandobust in Whitefield division on 31st December will be part of the parade or rally says Abdul Ahad,DCP Whitefield. 

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Traffic arrangements.

Checks against drunk motorists will begin at 8pm on New Year’s Eve and go on till 8am the next morning. The top cop has requested revellers not to get drunk before hitting the road.

P Harisekharan, Additional commissioner of police (traffic) told reporters vehicle entry on flyovers in and around the city has been barred between 8pm on December 31 and 6am on January 1.We will be on high alert on Bellary Road, the connecting point for Nandi Hills, and are in touch with Bangalore Rural district police to avoid accidents on the stretch. We will deploy one traffic constable at each toll point on NICE Road, Vehicle entry will be banned on MG Road, Brigade Road and adjacent stretches from 8pm on December 31 till 2am on January 1.Harisekharan told reporters.

10 teams to crack down on rave parties:

Alok Kumar, Additional commissioner of police (crime), told,rave parties have moved to the city’s outskirts, especially towards Devanahalli,Hoskote and Kadugodi.We request the public to inform us about any rave parties and we will also gather information on our own, he added.

Staff from all 155 law and order police stations will be on high alert. About 1,200 cheetahs (two-wheelers) and 272 Hoysala patrol vehicles will be on the road to ensure the public’s safety. Police are also in constant touch with Ola, Uber,Meru and other app-based taxi providers. “We have asked them to keep a watch on their drivers to avoid untoward incidents or harassment to customers.

BMRCL is extending Metro services beyond 11.30pm on New Year’s Eve. Trains will run till 1.30am on January 1 at a frequency of 15 minutes. The last trains from Majestic Metro station to all four directions will leave at 2am.

During the extended period, only paper tickets will be issued from MG Road, Trinity and Cubbon Park stations to any destination at a cost of Rs 50. Paper tickets will also be available for purchase from 8pm on December 31 at all Metro stations. These will only be valid for travel during the extended hours from MG Road, Trinity and Cubbon Park stations. Smartcard holders can travel at discounted fares even during the extended period.

Bengaluru Police commissioner,T.Suneel Kumar In the presence of Addl CPs,as,B.K.Singh,Seemanth Kumar Singh,P.Harishekaran,Alok Kumar at a press conference told media persons that,The bengaluru citizens celebrates the new year on 31st night in huge numbers.The number of people gathering in brigade road,church street,Indiranagar,Marathahalli,Sony world junction in Koramangala near Jyothi Nivas college in koramangala and in west limits in Orion mall and other malls at huge number of places where do people gather on the evening of 31st and they do celebrate the new year after the early morning on 31st night.

 In this connection every year the Bengaluru Police deploy huge Police personnel for maintaining law and order and to see that the people celebrate the new year without any difficulty on the new year. For this year also we have made elaborate arrangements were in for this bandobust arrangement we are deploying the bandobust scheme headed by 5 – Additional Commissioner of police ,1-Joint commissioner,15-DCPs,45-ACPs,220-Police Inspectors,430-Police sub-inspectors, 800-ASIs,and 10,000-Policemen beside 40-KSRP platoons,30-CAR Platoons, and we will be deploying we will be keeping the Garuda force stand by we will be using water canals in necessary QRT-Quick Reaction Teams also will be used beside that we will be taking assistance from 1500-Home guards,1000-Civil defence volunteers will be on field an elaborate arrangements are made in Brigade road, In crowd controlling there will be barricading we will be using extensive CCTV cameras coverage, with LED screens and drones also will be put in use to see that no untoward incident takes place. Lot of traffic restrictions placed will be put in place on 31st evening. A vehicular movement will be stopped at 8 pm similarly there will be stoppage of movement on the flyovers and Drunk and drive will be very seriously checking will be taken place and necessary people who are there who are creating ruckus on the streets will be immediately booked under criminal cases responsibilities have been given to pub and bar owners where in it is their responsibility to see that no untoward incident takes place inside their restaurants and outside premises if something goes wrong then and if they are unable to control then they have the responsibility to provide security to the women who come to their places they cannot say that it is not there responsibility but it is their responsibility to see that who has comes to as Patrons to their establishments it is for them to provide security to women and we are having separate directs through our traffic wing through Ola, Meru, Uber cabs auto associations to brief their own drivers

who are there on night duties to behave properly with the public and we are conducting raids along with the Excise department to prevent sale of drugs to minors, and CCB will be exclusively concentrating on the menace of Rave parties, drugs and Rowdy activities in the city. The DCP Crime, Irish S, with his 10 squads will be exclusively looking for dance bars and other things. Across city we have 500 CCTV cameras installed exclusively In Brigade road we are going to put up more than 250 CCTV cameras,in which the entire stretch of Brigade road, church Street ,M G Road is properly covered and we will be putting special lighting arrangements also on the entire these three stretches beside that the lighting arrangements and CCTV cameras will be there on 100 feet Indiranagar, Koramangala, Majestic, Basavangudi, and with some other important place were there will be lot of congregation.

 Even based on the carrying capacity of the roads we will be restricting the entry and exit of the people on brigade road and church Street. There won’t be any separation as separate lanes for men and women everybody is allowed to come and enjoy the new year On 31st December night there will be traffic restrictions in some important flyovers roads as some flyovers will be closed from 10pm onwards for safety purpose where people used to come and do wheeling and drive in rash and negligent manner. The timings of restaurants and bar will be extended up to 2am. From 1 am 1 more hour has been extended so they can finish their dinner. Brigade road and M G road traffic will be closed from 11pm. When asked what about the public transport Timings sunil kumar said we have already spoken to MD BMRCL,Ajay Seth to extend the metro service upto 2 o clock and they have assured the same to extend the services till 2am.The 2 Zones headed by,B.K.Singh and Seemanth Kumar Singh will be supervising the activities and bandobust arrangements in their respective zones he added.

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