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Pakistan expels Tehran envoy, recalls its ambassador in response to Iranian airstrike on terror camp

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Pakistan expels Tehran envoy, recalls its ambassador in response to Iranian airstrike on terror camp

Following Iran’s launch of a barrage of missiles on Pakistan, Islamabad on Wednesday expelled the Iranian ambassador and recalled its ambassador from Tehran, Geo News reported.

“Pakistan has decided to recall its ambassador from Iran and that the Iranian Ambassador to Pakistan who is currently visiting Iran may not return for the time being,” Foreign Office spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said while addressing a press briefing in Islamabad.

Earlier, Iran attacked the headquarters of a terrorist group opposed to Tehran with drones and missiles in Pakistan in the late hours of Tuesday, Al Arabiya News reported citing Tasnim news agency.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty is “completely unacceptable” and warned of serious consequences. It further said that Iran has taken this action despite the existence of several channels of communication between the two nations.

“Pakistan reserves the right to respond to this illegal act and the responsibility for the consequences will lie squarely with Iran,” Baloch said, adding that Islamabad had conveyed the message to the Iranian government.” The foreign ministry spokesperson said.

Formed in 2012, Jaish al-Adl, designated as a “terrorist” organisation by Iran, is a Sunni terrorist group that operates in Iran’s southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchistan, Al Arabiya News reported.

Over the years, Jaish al-Adl has launched numerous attacks on Iranian security forces. In December, Jaish al-Adl took responsibility for an attack on a police station in Sistan-Balochistan that claimed the lives of at least 11 police personnel, according to Al Arabiya News reported.

Sistan-Balochistan borders Afghanistan and Pakistan. The region has a history of clashes between Iran’s security forces and Sunni terrorists, as well as drug smugglers, Al Arabiya News reported.

Dawn News reported that last month, at least 11 Iranian police officers were killed in an attack overnight on a police station in the southeastern province of Sistan-Baluchestan. Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi, while visiting the site, had urged Pakistan to prevent terrorist groups from establishing bases within its borders.

The attacks in Pakistan were carried out a day after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched missiles into Iraq’s Kurdistan region at what it called an Israeli “spy headquarters” and at alleged ISIS-linked targets in Syria, the report said.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

Pakistanis daydream about retaliating against Iran after failing to intercept Iranian missiles that bombed 2 Jaish al-Adl terrorist sites

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistanis daydream about retaliating against Iran after failing to intercept Iranian missiles that bombed 2 Jaish al-Adl terrorist sites

On 17th January, Iran launched drone and missile assaults on terrorist bases at the border areas inside Pakistan claiming to hit two Jaish al-Adl terrorist sites. The strikes came a day after the elite Revolutionary Guards conducted similar strikes on Iraq and Syria.

Pakistan issued a forceful statement condemning Iran’s “unprovoked violation of its airspace” and warning of “consequences”. Ever since the military attacks, Pakistan has also been exposed to a series of insult comedies online.

Indian netizens have been equating the Iran attacks with Balakote airstrikes. An X user wrote, “Indian fighter jets crossed LoC & PAF was sleeping. India fired BrahMos missile, Pak Army was still sleeping. Now, Iran conducted strikes on Pakistan & Pak was caught sleeping again. Exposes inefficient Pak surveillance capacity in wake of any attack.”

Despite a seething reality check from across the world, Pakistanis are daydreaming about retaliating against Pakistan. Whereas other Pakistani netizens are busy whining about Pakistan’s loss against New Zealand.

An X user PCA Abdullah official warned that Iran will face a strong reaction. “Terrorist Iran will face a strong reaction. We considered Iran as our brother but in view of Iran’s recent terrorist behavior, we now consider it an enemy, not a friend. Yesterday, Iran violated Pakistan’s airspace. Two innocent girls were martyred in the IRGC terrorist attack.”

Another Pakistani wrote that the attack by Iran was a good chance for the Pakistani army to retaliate against Iran strongly or else Iran would repeat the attack.

A Pakistani YouTuber Saad Kaiser advised his military to “show Iran that Pakistan Army has the capability to retaliate”.

“To #ISPR and General Syed Asim Munir, it’s time to take a decision, it’s time to show #Iran that Pakistan Army has the capability to retaliate. Children died. Airspace violated. Don’t just condemn, take action. We have a powerful army, it’s time to prove it! We are angry!!!” he wrote.

Another Pakistani wrote on X that Iran has not right to attack inside Pakistan even if it is against terrorists.

Meanwhile, PTI supporters used this opportunity to campaign for Imran Khan. A supporter wrote, “Imran Khan is the only one who can defend Pakistan against external pressure.”

The remaining half of Pakistanis on X have been decrying Pakistan’s loss to New Zealand which seems to appear bigger to them that what unfolded with Iran.

Ram Mandir: Indian Railways to run over 200 ‘Aastha Special’ trains to Ayodhya from 66 locations, tickets only on IRCTC

OpIndia Staff
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Ram Mandir: Indian Railways to run over 200 ‘Aastha Special’ trains to Ayodhya from 66 locations, tickets only on IRCTC

Around 200 special train services are in the works as the Indian Railways prepare to operate ‘Aastha Special’ trains to Ayodhya following the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha (consecration ceremony) on 22nd January. These trains which will run from various cities, tier 1 and tier 2 towns from different states to Ayodhya Dham station and back for 100 days following the Ram Mandir opening ceremony will only have operational stoppages, according to sources in the Railway Ministry.

66 rakes with 22 coaches will be used to run these services to Ayodhya. A circular issued by the railways said the tickets for these trains will be booked for round trips. Notably, tickets for these trains can be booked only through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). These trains can’t be booked through the Passenger Reservation System of Indian Railways.

There will be charges associated with reservations, superfast, catering, service and Goods and Services Tax (GST). IRCTC will provide vegetarian meals for onboard catering.

These trains will be launched from seven stations in Maharashtra including Mumbai, Nagpur, Pune, Wardha, Jalna and Nashik; the national capital’s New Delhi, Old Delhi, Nizamuddin and Anand Vihar; Telangana’s Secunderabad, Hyderabad and Kazipet Jn; nine stations in Tamil Nadu’s consisting of Chennai, Coimbatore, Madurai and Salem among others; Jammu and Kashmir’s Jammu and Katra; Gujarat’s Udhna, Mehsana, Vapi, Vadodara, Palanpur, Valsad and Sabarmati; Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, Bina, Bhopal and Jabalpur as well as Goa. Other cities include Agartala, Tinsukia, Barmer, Dehradun, Bhadrak, Khurda Road and Kottayam.

Trains will arrive in Ayodhya at the end of comparable routes that have been planned from each state. Furthermore, there are five routes that lead to Ayodhya from the northeast with the majority of the trains coming from Assam or Guwahati. The railways declared that the tickets would be reserved for round-trip travel, in a circular. Railways has chosen not to enter the train’s details into its Passenger Reservation System (PRS) even though the IRCTC would handle reservations owing to security considerations.

Ayodhya’s much-awaited Ram Mandir will be inaugurated on 22nd January in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other significant dignitaries from the arenas of politics, sports, entertainment, business, religion and spirituality among others.

‘Was going to Bahraich, not Ayodhya’: Police clarifies after media reports claim truck carrying fireworks for Ram Mandir ceremony catches fire

OpIndia Staff
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‘Was going to Bahraich, not Ayodhya’: Police clarifies after media reports claim truck carrying fireworks for Ram Mandir ceremony catches fire

On Wednesday (17th January), a video emerged on social media in which a truck could be seen catching fire in Uttar Pradesh. The incident is believed to have happened on the 16th of January night. Several media reports and media individuals claimed that the truck carried firecrackers for the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha in Ayodhya. However, the Unnao Police commented on the matter and clarified that the truck was going to Bahraich and not Ayodhya.

The matter came to light after journalist Mamata Tripathi posted a couple of videos on Twitter (X) and claimed that a truck carrying firecrackers was on its way to Ayodhya for the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha ceremony scheduled to take place on 22nd January.

“A truck carrying firecrackers was on its way to Ayodhya. It soon caught fire and the truck was destroyed completely,” she tweeted.

Even the NDTV news report peddled the information saying that “Truck carrying fireworks to Ayodhya catches fire.” The news report further added that “the truck full of fireworks might be headed to Ayodhya for the grand consecration ceremony at the Ram Temple on January 22.”

Further, a report by Republic TV also mentioned that the truck that caught fire was travelling to Ayodhya for the ceremony on 22nd January.

However, the Unnao Police took cognizance of the incident and clarified that the said truck was going from Tamil Nadu to Bahraich and not Ayodhya. “The fire has been completely extinguished by the police and fire brigade and there has been no loss of life. The truck was loaded with fireworks, children’s posters, film artists, and religious posters for shop supplies and it was going from Tamil Nadu to Bahraich.”

The cause of the fire is not known yet. There are no reports of any injuries in the incident.

Fresh violence in Manipur: Commando shot dead, three IRB officials injured in attack by Kuki terrorists in Tengnoupal district

OpIndia Staff
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Fresh violence in Manipur: Commando shot dead, three IRB officials injured in attack by Kuki terrorists in Tengnoupal district

Fresh violence broke out in Manipur as security personnel and Kuki terrorists engaged in gunfire in the border town of Moreh in the Tengnoupal district on the morning of 17th January. A police commando identified as Wangkhem Somorjit Meetei from Malom in Imphal West district died while three members of the India Reserve Battalion (IRB) sustained injuries as a result of the incident.

Md. Kamal Hussain of the Thoubal district’s Sangaiyumpha hamlet was recognised as one of the wounded. The security men at the IRB station were asleep when the attacks began around 3:30 in the morning.

The attacks were carried out by well-armed terrorists at the IRB post near Ima Kongdong Lairembi, D Khunai post, close to the State Bank of India building, Moreh police station and Muslim Busti under an indefinite curfew enforced throughout the Tengnoupal district. The assailants opened fire on the police in the vicinity of Ward 7. According to police, the attackers also damaged other nearby parked cars with rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) shells that they fired at the makeshift command station.

The altercation lasted for more than an hour. The injured were immediately taken to the medical camp of Assam Rifles in Moreh. Afterwards, a hospital in Imphal received an airlift from Moreh transporting the deceased and wounded jawans.

The development came after two persons named Phillip Khongsai and Hemokholal Matein were apprehended on the night of 15th January on suspicion of killing Moreh sub-divisional police officer Chingtham Anand in October 2023. Fearing a “breach of peace, disturbance of public tranquillity and grave danger to human lives and property within the revenue jurisdiction of Tengnoupal,” the Manipur government implemented a complete curfew throughout the district from 12 am on 16th January with an exception to law enforcement and critical services.

The accused were placed under police custody for nine days. They were found in possession of one handgun with two live rounds, one Chinese hand grenade, 10 live rounds of AK ammo and ten detonators, according to the authorities. Numerous women had demonstrated in front of the Moreh police station, calling for their “unconditional release.”

The SDPO was shot and killed as a police team under his supervision was examining the recently built helipad at the Eastern Ground in the border town populated primarily by Kuki-Zo residents. A number of civil society organisations, especially those from Moreh had called for the withdrawal of state troops from the border town weeks before the incident.

Manipur has been shaken by ethnic violence which has claimed over 180 lives since May of last year. It started on 3rd May following a “Tribal Solidarity March” organised by the All Tribal Students Union of Manipur (ATSUM) which is a Kuki organisation in the hill areas to oppose the Meitei community’s demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST) classification. Four Meitei villagers including a father and a son were recently abducted, tortured and murdered by Kuki terrorists in the Churachandpur district of the northeastern state.

Bihar government promises to give ₹2 lakh each to 90 lakh+ families even as the state has a debt of Rs 2.90 lakh crore and a budget of Rs 2.6 lakh crore

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar government promises to give ₹2 lakh each to 90 lakh+ families even as the state has a debt of Rs 2.90 lakh crore and a budget of Rs 2.6 lakh crore

The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Janata Dal (United) coalition government in Bihar decided to provide financial aid of Rs 2 lakh each to over 90 lakh poor families in the state. On Tuesday (16th January), during the cabinet meeting, the proposal was approved. Currently, Rs 1250 crore has been granted for the initiative.

The CM Nitish Kumar-led government would provide this benefit based on data from the recently conducted caste census. According to the Bihar government’s caste census, the state has 94 lakh 33 thousand poor families. The Bihar government classifies families earning less than Rs 6000 per month as poor.

The Nitish government plans to provide Rs 2 lakh in financial help to 94 lakh families to ‘launch small businesses’ over the next five years under the ‘Bihar Small Entrepreneur Scheme’. The funds will be distributed to poor families in three installments.

The Bihar government will provide Rs 250 crore in 2023-24 and Rs 1000 crore in 2024-25 for the implementation of this scheme. This move by the Nitish government has come ahead of the Lok Sabha elections and is being interpreted as an effort to lure voters.

However, some are raising concerns regarding the ‘Bihar Small Entrepreneur Scheme. According to the recent census, the Bihar government estimates that approximately 2.7 crore families reside in the state. 94 lakh people, or about one-third of them, are classified as poor.

If the aid of Rs 2 lakh is extended to each of these families, that figure comes to a staggering amount of Rs 1.88 lakh crore. Questions have been raised as to how the Bihar government will raise the whopping amount. 

The Bihar government has stated that the scheme will be completed within the next five years. Even if the Bihar government is committed to completing the scheme in five years, it appears to be a long way off. For this, the Bihar government will need to allocate roughly Rs 37000 crore annually which would be a herculean task for the RJD-JDU coalition government.

Bihar’s budget for 2023-24 was Rs 2.62 lakh crore. To allocate Rs 37,000 crore, the budget needs to increase by at least 15%. Bihar does not receive a large amount from tax collection, and this amount cannot be raised through loans either.

Bihar currently has a state debt of approximately Rs 2.90 lakh crore, as stated in Parliament. This constitutes approximately 38% of Bihar’s overall GDP. According to the guidelines for taking out a loan, Bihar’s debt has already reached its ceiling. In such a scenario, the question arises as to how can the Bihar government secure additional loans.

Providing Rs 2 lakh to 90 lakh families appears to be a daunting fiscal undertaking, notwithstanding the scheme’s temporary success on paper and in speeches. Conspicuously, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar seems to be rolling out this scheme only for electoral gain, rather than to alleviate poverty.

Muslim women need not register for divorce obtained under Muslim Personal Law: Kerala HC

OpIndia Staff
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Muslim women need not register for divorce obtained under Muslim Personal Law: Kerala HC

The Kerala High Court has held that a Registrar for Births, Deaths, and Marriages does not require a court order to record a divorce acquired by talaq under Muslim personal law. According to Justice PV Kunhikrishnan, if the divorce is otherwise in order under personal law, a Muslim woman does not need to go to court to record talaq; instead, the Registrar can do so himself.

The verdict came after the Court discovered a flaw in the Kerala Registration of Marriages (Common) Rules, 2008, which does not allow for the registration of divorces granted under personal law.

This, the Court stated, would disadvantage only divorced Muslim women, not divorced Muslim men, because if a Muslim husband declares talaq by his personal law, he may marry again without eliminating the entry from the marriage register maintained under the 2008 Rules, because his law allows for more than one marriage in particular circumstances. However, a divorced Muslim woman cannot remarry until an appropriate court of law erases the marriage entry under the 2008 Rules.

“If a law-abiding Muslim couple registered their marriage as per Rule 2008 and subsequently the husband pronounce talaq, can the registration of marriage as per Rule 2008 be a burden to the Muslim women alone? “, the Court asked.

The Court decided that the right to register divorce is ancillary to the power to record marriage, and hence Registrars do not need to wait for court orders to record divorces acquired under personal law.

“If there is the power to register the marriage, the power to record the divorce is also inherent and ancillary to the authority who registers the marriage, if there is a divorce under the personal law. A divorced Muslim woman need not be sent to a court of law for recording the talaq if it is otherwise in order as per the personal law. The officer concerned can record the talaq without insisting on a court order,” the Court held.

The Court also thought it appropriate to recommend that the legislature look into addressing the gap in the 2008 statutes.

The judgment was issued in response to a petition filed by a woman whose marriage to her husband (arrayed as the third respondent) was dissolved in 2014 on account of their talaq.

They informed the Mahal Khazi of this, and he issued a divorce certificate. The petitioner went to the same Local Registrar of Births, Deaths, and Marriages who had recorded her marriage, and requested that the marriage register be updated to reflect the dissolution of marriage.

However, the Registrar rejected it, citing that the 2008 Rules under which the marriage was registered made no provision for it. This prompted the petitioner to request the registrar’s instructions to record the divorce.

As the 2008 Rules do not contain a provision for recording divorces, the Court concluded that the broad power under Section 21 of the Broad Clauses Act, 1897, can be applied. The petitioner was represented by lawyers KV Pavithran and Jayanandan Madayi Puthiyaveettil.

Section 21 of the General Clauses Act states that if any Central Act or Regulation confers the authority to issue notifications, orders, rules, or bye-laws, that authority also includes the authority to add to, amend, vary, or rescind any notifications, orders, rules, or bye-laws so issued, subject to the same sanction and conditions (if any).

Accordingly, it held that Registrars can register divorces obtained by talaq without court orders.

The Registrar in this case was asked to assess the petitioner’s plea to record her divorce after giving notice to the husband. If the husband acknowledges the divorce, the Registrar must enter the appropriate information into the Register of Marriage, the Court instructed.

Statue of Mulayam Singh Yadav eating dates will be installed at Ayodhya’s Dhannipur Mosque, will be cleansed using water from Dargahs: Rashtriya Hindu Dal

OpIndia Staff
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Statue of Mulayam Singh Yadav eating dates will be installed at Ayodhya’s Dhannipur Mosque, will be cleansed using water from Dargahs: Rashtriya Hindu Dal

Varanasi’s Rashtriya Hindu Dal has announced that they will install a statue of former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav in the mosque which will be constructed in Dhannipur, Ayodhya. The National President of the outfit has also sent a letter to the son of Mulayam Singh Yadav – Former UP CM Akhilesh Yadav. In the letter, he requested Akhilesh Yadav to be present at the time of installing his father’s statue in the mosque.

Roshan Pandey wrote in his letter to Akhilesh Yadav that his “Jannati (Heavenly) Father Mulayam Singh” struggled throughout his life for the Muslim community. He mentioned that Mulayam Singh Yadav dedicated his entire life to oppose the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, and gave orders to massacre Karsevaks. Pandey argued that while Mulayam Singh Yadav may not have contributed to the Ram Mandir, he definitely contributed to the construction of a mosque, which is now coming in Dhannipur, Ayodhya, as per the Supreme Court verdict.

The National President of Rashtriya Hindu Dal added that Mulayam’s statue will be installed in the Dhannipur mosque to acknowledge this contribution and pay tribute to him. He mentioned that the stone to be used for carving the statue will be brought from Kichhauchha Sharif Dargah. Subsequently, the stone will be cleansed using water from various dargahs, including Ajmer Sharif, Haji Ali, Darul Uloom Deoband, and Kaliyar Sharif.

Roshan Pandey has said that for the event, he will also invite those Muslim Maulanas with whom Mulayam Singh Yadav used to observe Roza and Iftari. 

Going further, Roshan Pandey inquired that if Akhilesh Yadav wishes, a Namaji cap will be ordered from Delhi’s Jama Masjid and placed on the statue. According to Pandey, Mulayam’s statue will be similar to the pictures seen during Iftaar, where he used to eat dates with Muslims.

Roshan Pandey has stated that the statue will be installed in the mosque at the time of Akhilesh Yadav’s choosing. He has also appealed to invite Muslims from Muslim countries like Palestine, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Palestine-Gaza to this program, where slogans of Jai Samajwad should be raised. 

Pandey has also sought permission from the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and Jamiat Ulema Ul Hind to install Mulayam Singh’s statue in the courtyard of the Dhannipur mosque. He emphasised that he will bear all the expenses incurred but it would be great if someone extended support. 

Regarding the installation of an idol in the mosque, Pandey noted that AIMPLB and Jamiat may have objection to it as Islam does not allow it. However, he gave a counterargument to this.

He has argued that there should not be any problem with the statue of Mulayam Singh in the mosque because there was a lot of uproar regarding the picture of Muhammad Ali Jinnah being kept in AMU. He also cited the example of the statues of Tipu Sultan in Karnataka. He has also appealed to both these organisations to name this mosque ‘Mulayam Masjid’.

Delhi: 7-year-old girl critically injured after being attacked by neighbour’s American Bully dog in Rohini, case registered

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Delhi: 7-year-old girl critically injured after being attacked by neighbour’s American Bully dog in Rohini, case registered

A seven-year-old girl was critically injured after being allegedly attacked by a neighbour’s dog in the national capital’s Rohini area, police said.

The incident took place on January 9 at nearly 5 pm when the American Bully dog, belonging to one of the neighbours, attacked the girl who was playing outside her house. The girl’s father said she received multiple injuries to her right shoulder and some other areas.

The Delhi Police have registered a case on the basis of the father’s complaint on January 12 under sections 289 (negligent conduct in relation to animals) and 337 (rash or negligent act causing injury to any person endangering human life or the personal safety of others).

Reports of attacks by the American Bully dog breed has led to fatalities not only in India but in other countries too.

In September last year, United Kingdom Prime Minister Rishi Sunak vowed to ban the American XL bully dog breed. His remark came after a dog attack suspected to be by the same breed led to a fatality. In a video message, the UK PM said that the American XL bully dog was a danger to the communities, especially to children.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Sunak said, “It’s clear the American XL Bully dog is a danger to our communities. I’ve ordered urgent work to define and ban this breed so we can end these violent attacks and keep people safe”.

Meanwhile, in a significant ruling, the Punjab and Haryana High Court in November last year directed that the state government shall be primarily responsible for paying compensation to victims of dog bites, adding that the minimum financial assistance would be Rs 10,000 per tooth mark.

“When the flesh is removed from the skin, the compensation will be at least Rs 20,000 per 0.2 cm wound,” the court ruled. The ruling came during a hearing on a batch of petitions pertaining to dog bite incidents.

A woman was injured after she being allegedly attacted by a pitbull in Delhi’s Swaroop Nagar area last November.

The incident happened on Friday when an argument broke out between the victim and her neighbours after she objected to their dog defecating in front of her residence.

In May last year a 9-year-old girl child playing outside the house was attacked by a pit bull dog in UP’s Meerut.

As per the eyewitnesses, the child was riding a bicycle outside her house when she was attacked. She was rescued from dog’s grip only after the dog owner thrashed him with a cane. Earlier too, a nine-year-old boy was also left severely injured after a stray pit bull attacked him in Narheda village in Meerut.

Meanwhile, in a significant ruling, the Punjab and Haryana High Court in November last year directed that the state government shall be primarily responsible for paying compensation to victims of dog bites, adding that the minimum financial assistance would be Rs 10,000 per tooth mark.

“When the flesh is removed from the skin, the compensation will be at least Rs 20,000 per 0.2 cm wound,” the court ruled. The ruling came during a hearing on a batch of petitions pertaining to dog bite incidents.

Under Section 399 of the Delhi Municipal Act 1957, it is mandatory to register all pet dogs with the municipal corporation. The section also gives power to the MCD to detain a dog found in a public place if a pet dog is not registered with the civic body.

There is also a provision for fining the pet owner and even prosecution.

In order to facilitate pet owners, the MCD is providing a Convenient and Hassle-free online facility for dog registration. Through the online system, an applicant can register for a dog license by providing the relevant details in the application form available on the MCD portal mcdonline.nic.in.

The documents that needed to be submitted are an anti-rabies vaccination certificate, a photograph of the animal, residence proof and identity proof of the owner.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

J&K: General Bipin Rawat Stadium inaugurated by L-G Manoj Sinha in Baramulla

OpIndia Staff
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J&K: General Bipin Rawat Stadium inaugurated by L-G Manoj Sinha in Baramulla

In a tribute to the former Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, the J&K Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha inaugurated General Bipin Rawat Stadium in Baramulla on 16th January.

The stadium was inaugurated marking the second death anniversary of the country’s first CDS in the presence of G-o-C 15CORPS and other official dignitaries.

L-G Sinha while addressing the ceremony said, “In a century, a figure akin to a divine son emerges, and General Rawat embodied such a spirit. His roots were deeply intertwined with Baramulla, where he served as an Army officer. The proposal for a stadium in his honour originated from the local community, reflecting the profound connection Rawat held with Baramulla. Upon his passing, scores of people from Baramulla journeyed to Delhi to bid their final farewells. Let it be known to the people of Baramulla that our endeavours for district development stand as the greatest tribute to General Rawat.”

General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the 15 Corps Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai also paid tribute to the former CDS saying, “It’s a proud moment for us that the stadium has been named after General Bipin Rawat. Efforts will be made to provide better facilities to the youth here.”

He added that the current situation in Kashmir is good but there is still a distance to be covered to move forward.

“Youth have a bright future ahead as Kashmir is progressing and better days are on the horizon and the Army is completely involved with the administration and police to combat narco-terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir which is destroying the future of youth in Jammu and Kashmir,” the Commander added.

Moreover, the L-G also expressed concern about the weather owing to a snow-less winter this year. “I pray to God for snow as snowfall is a must for power projects to run, otherwise they will become defunct. Snowfall is also a must to keep the tourism sector thriving,” he said.

He said that elections for the Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) and Panchayats will be started after reservations to OBCs are complete.

L-G Sinha also appealed to the people to take part in large numbers in the Republic Day celebrations.

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