by admin | May 25, 2021 | News
The activists, led by Youth Congress national president Srinivas B.V., carried placards, raised slogans against the government, and wanted to gift bicycles to the ministers.
NEW DELHI — Hundreds of protesting Youth Congress activists were stopped by the Delhi Police from marching to the residences of Union Ministers of Smriti Irani, Dharmendra Pradhan, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Prakash Javadekar on Friday here.
They were protesting against inflation, hike in the prices of petrol, diesel and liquified petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders.
The activists, led by Youth Congress national president Srinivas B.V., carried placards, raised slogans against the government, and wanted to gift bicycles to the ministers.
The activists alleged that the BJP government at the Centre has damaged the household budget of the people across the country by increasing the fuel prices and cost of LPG cylinders.
Speaking to the media, Srinivas alleged that when the BJP was in opposition, it carried out a protest even if the prices of petrol were increased by Rs 5.
“But today when all-round inflation has hit the families, all the BJP leaders are silent. Today, the IYC has tried to awaken the BJP government from deep slumber, as petrol prices have crossed Rs 100 per litre, diesel crossed Rs 90 per litre in many parts of the country, and the prices of gas cylinders are increasing day by day,” he said.
He further said that the BJP government has made such a dent in the budget of the housewife and the common man, which they are unable to cope with. He said that the prices of gas cylinders has increased up to Rs 225 in the last few days, and the government has set a new record in the prices of petrol, diesel and gas cylinders.
He emphasised that farmers, youth, labourers, businessmen, women were badly hit by inflation but the BJP leaders were not at all concerned.
He further said that the anti-people and anti-national face of the BJP has been exposed.
Srinivas also lamented at the statement of Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who attributed the winter season as the reason for the hike in the prices of petrol and diesel.
Describing Pradhan’s statement as “stupid” Srinivas said, “The BJP government is neither ashamed nor considerate.”
The Youth Congress chief demanded that the excise duty on petrol and diesel should be reduced and the hiked price of the LPG cylinders be withdrawn with immediate effect.
He also demanded the resignation of the Petroleum Minister.
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News
Representational image
The video was shot more than a year ago but doing rounds on social media currently
NEW DELHI — The Gujarat Police has booked and arrested a Muslim man for a video which he recorded and released on social media more than a year back.
In the purported video he is seen hailing Muhammad Bin Qasim, an Arab commander who is known as first Muslim ruler to have conquered parts of what is present day Pakistan, and Mahmud of Ghazni, a ruler of Turkic origin who is accused of plundering Somnath Temple situated in the present day Gujarat.
According to reports, Irshad Rashid was nabbed from Panipat in Haryana by a team of cops from Gir in Somnath district of Gujarat on Wednesday. Police are said to have used surveillance technology to trace Rashid.
The case against Rashid was filed in Prabhas Patan police station following a complaint by Somnath Trust’s general manager Vijaysinh Chavda. The police have invoked sections 153 (A) promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion and race; and 295 (A) (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings).
In the video which was shot more than a year ago but doing rounds on social media currently, Rashid recalls how Mahmood Ghaznavi and Bin Qasim conquered the Somnath temple. Rashid urges Muslims to read the history which is “glorious”. He goes on to say that Muslims should feel proud of the acts of their ancestors. “Even if today they are called plunderers the history shows they have been just rulers and promoted Islam.”
Rashid had filmed the selfie video standing on a beach 1.5 kilometres from the temple.
by admin | May 25, 2021 | Economy, News, Opinions
Under the current secretary of state, Antony Blinken, the US is more likely to play the role of a firefighter, rather than that of an arsonist. That does not, however, mean Washington will be blind to potential Chinese aggression.
India, United States (US), Japan and Australia came together for the Quad summit on March 12, 2021, hosted by US president Joe Biden. This was the first interaction between Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden in a multilateral forum since the change of power in Washington earlier this year, though they have spoken on the phone since Biden took over.
In the past two decades, bilateral relations have grown under successive Democratic and Republican administrations, with the two countries cooperating on a wide range of areas, from trade, commerce and technology to defence and terrorism. The two have also been working together on several multilateral forums. In recent years, Quad has come to be seen as a platform that will serve as a counterweight to China. In fact, the Donald Trump administration had even floated the idea of an Asian NATO.
Some in India, who have been increasingly worried about the Chinese border transgressions in recent years, may have been hoping for Quad to become just that. Biden’s participation in last Friday’s summit signals that his administration does indeed see strategic potential in Quad.
However, judging by the remarks delivered by Biden and the other leaders at the summit, it is clear that Quad will serve as a multi-dimensional forum that will address myriad topics from economic growth to health care, but not as a military alliance.
There are already signs that ties are moving back to the old days of being channelled through institutions and processes. Biden is a firm believer in ironing out differences and cementing ties through multilateral forums and bilateral institutional co-operation. So, we will see a sharp departure from the presidentially-centred diplomacy that was the hallmark of the Trump White House. But, that does not mean Biden will not forge a good working relationship with Modi.
During the campaign, there were concerns among some in India about Biden because of his criticism of India on issues such as Kashmir and the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA). Many were also worried whether Modi’s relationship with Trump, especially the two campaign-style rallies where they made join appearances in Houston and Ahmedabad, would hamstring New Delhi when dealing with Biden. While we are likely to hear US concerns on Kashmir and CAA, they are not going to be deal-breakers.
Another issue that pundits in both countries have been keeping a close eye on is, of course, China. Beijing has been a factor in US-India bilateral relations since the early 2000s, when China arrived as an economic power and its spectacular rise on the world stage began. Some Indian analysts have suggested that the recent military disengagement by both New Delhi and Beijing would not have taken place if then secretary of state Mike Pompeo were still in office because of his continuous attempts to insert himself into the India-China dispute.
Under the current secretary of state, Antony Blinken, the US is more likely to play the role of a firefighter, rather than that of an arsonist. That does not, however, mean Washington will be blind to potential Chinese aggression.
Even though the Quad summit and the readout of the Modi-Biden call did not mention China, they both emphasised the importance of a free and open Indo-Pacific. It means China will remain a factor in India-US relations, but not in the way anti-China hawks in Washington and New Delhi envisaged during the Trump administration.
Biden understands geopolitics better than most other heads of state, having served in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee for decades. He has more India expertise than any previous president, which will only be a good thing for bilateral relations. But it’s not Biden’s experience and expertise alone that will count.
It will equally be the extensive experience and expertise of others whom he will bring to the table to meet with their Indian counterparts to work collaboratively to construct policy positions that will work to the benefit of both nations and the world.
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News
The activists were caught by CISF personnel when they were going to offer prayers before the main mausoleum and handed over to local police which booked them under IPC section 153-A .
AGRA — Three Hindu Mahasabha activists, including a woman, were arrested while trying to offer prayers on Taj Mahal premises.
They were caught by CISF personnel and handed over to local police, which booked them under IPC section 153-A (promoting enmity between different groups on the ground religion, etc) at Tajganj police station.
The three activists, Meena Diwakar, provincial chief of the organisation, district in-charge Jitendra Kushwaha and one Vishal Singh entered the monument’s premises and offered water, which they carried in a bottle, to Lord Sun near a central tank. On the occasion of Maha Shivratri on Thursday.
They were caught by CISF personnel when they were going to offer prayers before the main mausoleum.
Later, Hindu Mahasabha activists staged a protest outside the police station and demanded their release.
Tajganj police station in-charge Umesh Tripathi said that Kushwaha and Vishal have been remanded to judicial custody for 14 days. Diwakar was issued a notice as she fell ill and was taken to S.N. Medical college for treatment.
This was the second such incident in the last three years.
In November 2018, a group of women activists performed puja in the mosque, located on the Taj Mahal premises.
The organisation claims that Taj Mahal was originally a Shiva temple and was called Tejo Mahalaya.
by admin | May 25, 2021 | News
Anoop Kumar, 17, was allegedly humiliated in school and told that he would not be permitted to appear for the exams until his dues are cleared.
SHAHJAHANPUR — In a tragic incident, a student of class 12, shot himself with a country-made pistol after his father failed to arrange money for his school fees.
The student, Anoop Kumar, 17, was allegedly humiliated in school and told that he would not be permitted to appear for the exams until his dues are cleared.
His father, Parmeshwar Dayal, works as a labourer told police that his son was upset because he could not arrange Rs 8,000 to pay his school fee.
The boy’s father told reporters, “Anoop had asked for Rs 8,000 on Monday and I told him that I am trying to arrange for it. But his school was not ready to wait anymore and they kept pressuring him to deposit the fees. I am a poor labourer and do not have any agricultural land or cattle to sell. On Wednesday, Anoop came back home from school and asked for the fees but I did not have the money so he shouted at me. After sometime, we heard a gunshot from his room. We rushed and found him lying in a pool of blood. He died on the spot. I will never be able to forgive myself in life.”
Superintendent of Police (city) Sanjay Kumar said, “The boy’s father told us that his son killed himself because he could not arrange the money for his school fee.”
Nigohi station house officer Manohar Singh said, “We are trying to find where he got the country-made pistol from. The family has not given any written complaint against the school administration, but we have sent the body for autopsy.”
