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‘We were working hard, they were busy in protests’: Wrestler Antim Panghal, Vishal Kaliraman question ‘trial-free entry’ in Asian Games for Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia

OpIndia Staff
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‘We were working hard, they were busy in protests’: Wrestler Antim Panghal, Vishal Kaliraman question ‘trial-free entry’ in Asian Games for Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia

India’s ace wrestler Antim Panghal has objected to trial-free entry to Asian Games for Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia. Her father has confirmed that they will approach Delhi High Court, challenging the ad-hoc panel’s decision on the grounds of discrimination and unfairness. Her father said that Antim only wants a fair trial without bias and prejudice. Wrestler Vishal Kaliraman also objected to Bajrang Punia’s direct entry.

Speaking to Sportskeeda, Antim said, “The decision to give direct entry to Vinesh is unfair. I’ve been working hard for the past so many months for the Asian Games. We will speak to the officials of the ad-hoc panel; if they don’t agree to fair play, we might knock on the court’s doors or stage a dharna.”

Notably, Antim is India’s first wrestler to win the World U20 Gold Medal, which showcases her exemplary talent in her category. The verdict of the High Court will impact not only Antim but also the entire sport of wrestling in India, as it will set a precedent for the future selection process.

Antim has released a video statement. She said, “Vinesh (Phogat) has been given direct entry for Asian Games despite not practicing for the past year. I won the gold medal in the 2022 Junior World Championship. Even in the Commonwealth Games trial, I had a 3-3 bout with her. Then too, I was cheated. I let it go and thought I would compete in Asian Games, but now they say Vinesh has been selected for the tournament. Is this the right way?”

“They are saying whoever goes to Asian Games will go for World Championship, and those who win World Championship will go for the Olympics. We have been working hard for so many years. What about that? Should I quit wrestling? On what basis is she being sent without trial? Even Sakshi Malik has not been selected? What is special about Vinesh that she got selected? All I want is a fair trial. I’m not saying that only I can defeat her, many women wrestlers out there can do so. They are going for the tournament, but tell me can they win medals in the future?” she added.

In a video statement to ANI, Antim mentioned her family has sacrificed a lot to ensure she can practice well. Her parents have been living in Hisar with her to ensure her practice. She has been working hard for four years preparing for the Olympics. She broke down in the video and said, “I am requesting with folded hands, don’t do this to us.”

‘Other wrestlers in the category can go to Asian Games only if Bajrang Punia decides not to play’: Vishal Kaliraman questions ‘trial free entry’

Wrestler Vishal Kaliraman also came forward against the decision. Speaking to ANI, he said, “Even I play in the under 65kg category, and for the Asian Games, Bajrang Punia has been given direct entry without any trial. They have been staging a protest for a year now while we have been practicing. We appeal for a trial… We don’t want any favor or benefit. At least a trial should be conducted. Otherwise, we are ready to go the court…We will appeal before the court. We’ve been practicing for 15 years…If Bajrang Punia denies that he will not play in the Asian Games, only then will someone else get a chance.”

IOA ad-hoc Committee announced dates for Asian Games Wrestling trials

Recently, IOA ad-home Committee announced trial dates for wrestling. The trials have been planned for 22nd July for men’s Greco-Roman and women’s trials. On 23rd July, trials for the freestyle team will take place. The committee will conduct trials in 18 Olympic weight categories.

Notably, the circular issued by IOA noted they have already chosen wrestlers for the men’s freestyle 65 KG and women’s 53 KG categories. However, the remaining six weight categories across the three styles of wrestling will take place as scheduled. The circular did not mention the names of Vinesh and Bajrang, but speaking to PTI, member of the ad-hoc panel Ashok Garg confirmed that the two wrestlers had been exempted from the trials.

Due to the past year’s protests, both wrestlers stayed away from international tournaments. Furthermore, Vinesh failed to secure any medal in recent times, and it is unclear on what basis she was allowed to go to Asian Games without trials. Both Vinesh and Bajrang were actively involved in the protests against WFI’s former chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh.

’35 videos totalling 8 hours’: Mumbai crime branch initiates probe into lewd videos purportedly of former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya

OpIndia Staff
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’35 videos totalling 8 hours’: Mumbai crime branch initiates probe into lewd videos purportedly of former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya

An investigation has been launched by the Mumbai crime branch into a viral video purportedly showing former BJP MP Kirit Somaiya in a compromised position. This comes after Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis ordered a high-level inquiry into 35 video clips running eight hours. The videos were broadcasted on a Marathi news channel.

“A thorough probe will be done. No one will be protected. The police will find out the identity of the (aggrieved) woman. Nothing will be brushed under the carpet,” Fadnavis said.

Questioning the authenticity of the video, Kirit Somaiya took to Twitter and said, “A video clip of me was shown on a news channel. Claimed that I have harassed many women & many such video clips available & complaints received against me. I have never abused any woman. Request @Dev_Fadnavis to investigate such allegations and verify the authenticity of Videos.” He also wrote a letter to the Dy CM demanding a probe.

The videos have led to a massive controversy in Maharashtra with the Opposition going all guns blazing on Somaiya and the BJP accusing the former of “immoral behaviour”.

Shiv Sena (UBT) staged protests against Somaiya in Thane which were led by MP Rajan Vichare. The protest was organised by the party’s women’s wing. The issue was raised in the Maharashtra legislative council by Leader of Opposition and Shiv Sena (UBT) MLC Ambadas Danave.

Danave reportedly said, “It was observed that Kirit Somaiya used to extort women officers and he even blackmailed them … by using a central agency — the Enforcement Directorate (ED) — as a threat. Somaiya earlier used to extort money by filing false cases and asking central agencies to probe.”

Shiv Sena (UBT) also demanded the withdrawal of CISF cover to Somaiya and alleged that the former MP had misused his security to threaten women and exploit them.

Now, the journey has turned from extortionist to sextornist. He has also used very bad words against the Marathi women in these videos. We want a high-level probe by a special investigations team.” Shiv Sena MLC Anil Parab reportedly said that Kirit Somaiya destroyed many families by using the central agency’s threat.

Meanwhile, the crime branch unit 10 will reportedly be taking the help of technical experts and cyber experts to investigate the case.

Delhi: Manzoor and his minor son arrested for murdering Salman over a love affair in Jafrabad, hunt on to capture the older son

OpIndia Staff
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Delhi: Manzoor and his minor son arrested for murdering Salman over a love affair in Jafrabad, hunt on to capture the older son

A 25-year-old man was fatally stabbed in Northeast Delhi’s Jafrabad neighborhood by a man and his two sons on 17 July. Now, the accused identified as 45-year-old Manzoor and his 16-year-old son have been arrested whereas 21-year-old Mohsin is still absconding.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Northeast) Joy Tirkey informed that an individual named Salman (25) was stabbed to death at around 5.15 p.m. in Gali Number 2 in Chauhan Banger in Jafrabad. The motive behind the murder was his relationship with the perpetrator’s 19-year-old daughter.

The senior officer informed that the victim had been friendly with the girl for the previous two years despite her family’s objection to their relationship. He stated, “Manzoor and his family were opposed to the relationship. Manzoor had spoken with Salman about a week ago and specifically told him not to pursue his daughter. On the fateful day, the trio attacked Salman with knives.”

“Manzoor and his minor son have been apprehended. Efforts are being made to trace Mohsin,” he added.

The authorities revealed the culprits attacked Salman with knives when he was riding his motorbike. Due to severe stab wounds and bleeding, Salman died on the spot. A video of the same reportedly surfaced on social media a day after the gruesome incident. According to reports, Salman was stopped two days before the murder by the minor offender and his companions, who took the two-wheeler’s keys from him as well.

In the obtained footage of the incident, Salman and two individuals were seen riding a bike when one of the perpetrators stopped them and began to assault Salman. It demonstrated the assailant taking out a sharp object and stabbing the latter. He is also seen getting attacked by two more persons. Meanwhile, the two additional riders attempted to flee the scene.

The police disclosed that the deceased suffered eight stab wounds to his neck and chest, based on the postmortem analysis of his body. Now, the search is still on to apprehend the third accused.

AAP trolls abuse and attack stand-up comedian Deepak Saini for his skits on Arvind Kejriwal, the comedian says he won’t be scared

OpIndia Staff
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AAP trolls abuse and attack stand-up comedian Deepak Saini for his skits on Arvind Kejriwal, the comedian says he won’t be scared

Stand-up comedian and renowned poet, Deepak Saini, has recently found himself at the centre of a heated controversy as he accused social media trolls affiliated with the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) of relentless harassment and abuse. The reason behind the onslaught is Saini’s humorous skits focusing on Delhi’s Chief Minister and AAP convenor, Arvind Kejriwal. Despite facing intimidating threats, Saini remains unwavering, vowing to continue creating new and daring videos.

Taking to Twitter on 18th July 2023, Deepak Saini candidly expressed his thoughts on the situation, stating, “Because of making comedy videos on Kejriwal ji, they are trying to trouble me. Conspiracy is going on to get my Facebook page closed and to suppress it. But I am thinking of further speeding up the video-making. I will not be suppressed so easily by them. Jai Jai Shri Ram.”

Known for his unmatched talent in mimicking prominent politicians such as Yogi Adityanath, Shivraj Singh Chauhan, and Arvind Kejriwal, Deepak Saini has built a dedicated fan base through his captivating stand-up performances and evocative poetry. However, it is his recent videos satirising Kejriwal that have drawn the ire of certain AAP trolls, leading to a barrage of hateful responses.

In these controversial videos, Saini assumed the persona of “Kejri Bawal,” with “Bawal” meaning “controversy” in Hindi. Through his art of comedy, he voiced a range of pressing issues and controversies surrounding Arvind Kejriwal and his leadership in the Delhi government.

Addressing various matters, such as the poor conditions of schools in Delhi, recent flood situations, the Delhi liquor scam, and more, Saini employed Kejriwal’s signature accent and style to highlight the plight of the common Delhi resident. He humorously shed light on issues like waterlogging, inadequate school infrastructure, and the prevalence of illegal liquor licenses in the city. In addition, Saini didn’t shy away from making remarks about AAP ministers like Manish Sisodia and Satyendra Jain, who are currently facing corruption charges and are incarcerated.

Despite the hate and intimidation, he faces from AAP’s social media trolls, Deepak Saini, a Delhi citizen, is resolute in his decision to continue creating thought-provoking videos, shedding light on the failures of the Delhi government.

West Bengal: BJP worker’s house and shop set on fire in East Medinipur, party says it is the way of TMC celebrating election victory

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal: BJP worker’s house and shop set on fire in East Medinipur, party says it is the way of TMC celebrating election victory

In a shocking series of events in West Bengal, some Trinamool Congress Party workers allegedly set ablaze the house nand shop of a BJP worker identified as Gopal Pal. The incident happened in the Tikashi area of Khejuri Chatnabari in East Medinipur where the TMC has captured the region in recently held Panchayat Polls.

According to reports, the TMC workers torched the house of Gopal Pal while Pal and his family were fast asleep on Monday, July 17 night. Pal and his family members somehow managed to escape from the house to save their lives. Along the house, their shop was also set ablaze during the attack. Gopal Pal is a grassroots worker of BJP.

The state BJP members have condemned the incident and have said that the TMC was ‘celebrating’ their win in the Panchayat Polls in Khejuri region by burning houses of opposition party workers. As per reports, some of the TMC leaders had arrived in the Chatnabari region on Monday and happened to engage in a verbal brawl with the local BJP workers. According to the BJP workers, the TMC goons then set ablaze the property of one of the BJP leaders late that night.

The BJP has stated that the TMC is spreading the environment of terror after winning the polls. On the other hand, the TMC has refuted the allegations and has said that the BJP workers have themselves destroyed their properties to defame the TMC.

Violence in the state of West Bengal continues even a week after the conclusion of the Panchayat Polls 2023. Earlier, the TMC workers had abducted a BJP worker from West Bengal’s West Midnapore district and had assaulted him. The TMC workers had also urinated on his face when the BJP worker had asked for water.

As reported, the incident happened on Thursday, July 13 when the BJP worker was employed as the polling agent for the recently-concluded panchayat polls. The TMC workers abducted the BJP worker and took him to the Garbeta office where he was tortured and humiliated.

Further, it was also reported that houses of two BJP candidates in Amata Jaipur, Howrah were also set ablaze by the TMC workers when the former were fast asleep at night. The incident happened in the Dakshin Kankrol village of Jaipur Police Station of Amta Assembly.

The incidents of violence during the panchayat polls have raised concerns about the deteriorating law and order situation in West Bengal. Till date, more than 50 individuals have lost their lives in the post poll violence in West Bengal.

The Calcutta High Court has already ordered the retention of central forces in the state after the announcement of poll results to prevent post-poll clashes. Over 800 companies of central forces have been deployed in the state to maintain peace and security.

The multiple delays in Hyderabad Metro project in the old city area and the constant need for “permission” from AIMIM contributing to them

S. Sudhir Kumar
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The multiple delays in Hyderabad Metro project in the old city area and the constant need for “permission” from AIMIM contributing to them

On July 10th 2023, KTR tweeted that his father and the Honourable CM has instructed his department to take forward the Metro project in the Old City of Hyderabad. Immediately, the president of the Islamist party AIMIM thanked KTR for the announcement.

For an outsider, this whole sequence would seem very natural. After all, an incumbent government is saying that they will be building new infrastructure and the public representative of that area is thanking the government.

Except that neither the proposal nor the “thanking” is new. In fact, this issue is so old that it will baffle you how the MIM has held development hostage for nearly a decade!

2012: “Blood will flow on the streets of Hyderabad if Metro is built”

We go back to the year 2012. KCR was then in his activist mode. He was very good friends with MIM from back then itself. In a fiery & threatening speech, he thundered, “Blood will flow on the streets of Hyderabad” if the Metro project is built through the Old City area. Old City area is basically the area where the AIMIM reigns supreme – often winning 7 Assembly seats and the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat. KCR could have been more statesman-like and promised to review objections of the MIM to bring in a developmental project to the Old City. Instead, he spoke the exact language that the MIM prides itself upon – violent threats!

2014 to 2018: “We are trying to build but religious structures are coming in the way.”

KCR became the CM in June 2014 and then realised that he cannot allow blood to flow on the streets of Hyderabad. So, he decides to call for a meeting with L&T and discuss a realignment of the Old City Metro. Akbaruddin Owaisi was the only public representative present in the meeting with L&T. When BJP questioned this special treatment for Owaisi, KCR came up with a bizarre and juvenile explanation that he was actually meeting L&T officials and Owaisi happened to also visit his office at the same time! KCR was thus forced to call for an all-party meeting instead of the one-party meeting he had called.

Despite all this chaos around the meetings, nothing actually happened. L&T refused to make any drastic changes as proposed. None of the citizens became any wiser as to what instructions the MIM is giving to the KCR government on this.

2020: “We cleared all doubts that MIM had. Inshallah ye jald se jald khatam ho jaayega”

Meanwhile, construction of the Metro was going on in full swing in all other areas. This meant that a discussion on the status of the Old City metro needs to be once again discussed. In 2016, there was another discussion in the Assembly where Akbaruddin Owaisi accused TRS and L&T of resorting to land scams in the name of Metro. And KTR meekly ended the conversation with a commitment to, hold your breath, hold yet another all-party meeting!

A report in the year 2017 mentioned how disappointed the residents of the Old City were feeling about the lack of Metro in their area, whilst the rest of the city was getting to enjoy the fruits of this project.

In 2018, the BJP yet again bought up this issue in the assembly. KTR now stands in the Assembly and says that the delay on the Old City stretch is because there is a problem with “religious structures”!

In the year 2020, KCR speaks in the Assembly on this topic. He now assures us that all doubts and apprehensions that the MIM had have now been cleared. He tells us that he has assured L&T that the Owaisi brothers and all their MLAs will (literally) stand with L&T folks in the Old City when the construction work will be taken up! He communicates the decision to start the construction of the Old City Metro. He also ended his speech with “Inshallah, ye jald se jald ho jaayega, mein bhi iske peeche padtu”.

It still remains a mystery as to what exact MIM objections stopped the Metro for so long; what exact apprehensions of the MIM were cleared; and more importantly, why exactly should the Owaisi brothers stand with L&T when the works are taken up?

2023: “CM gives approval to Metro works in Old City”

We are now in the present! And am sure that now you are also as confused as I am – if approval is given in 2023, then what was given in 2020? What changed from 2020 to 2023? Were there more negotiations to convince MIM? The 2023 tweet also does not explicitly say L&T has agreed to take it forward.

Many are indicating that the MIM finally gave approval as a quid-quo pro deal of KCR opposing the UCC. It was just minutes after KCR announced the opposition to UCC that the tweet on the metro was sent by KTR. Owaisi thanked both of them in separate tweets at the same time.

The need for MIM’s approval at every stage of governance

This is not the first time that MIM had to approve of policy and governance-based decisions by the BRS government led by KCR. We had earlier detailed here how in the pre-2014 days, KCR thundered why governments didn’t celebrate Telangana’s independence day from the Razakars; and then for 9 years had to wait for AIMIM to give him permission to celebrate this day with a different name (just because the Modi government started to celebrate this event).

A senior IAS officer goes to London to pick up some awards that Hyderabad City won. He tags three people in the tweet announcing this – the CM, KTR and Asad Owaisi! What is the pressing need to report to Owaisi exclusively when the entire GHMC area actually encompasses 3 more MPs?

MIM leaders thrash government officials for doing their duty in the Old City; KCR invites Owaisi for a 6-hour TRS strategy meeting on GHMC elections; the Owaisi brothers routinely refer to how the steering of the car (election symbol of BRS) is in their hands, to wild applause by the audience. KTR occasionally comes to the media and says that Owaisi is a shameless person; that BRS is not allying with MIM at all, much to the bewilderment of the media (because TRS and MIM are in alliance in the GHMC for example!)

The Old City of Hyderabad deserves the exact same facilities as the Hi-Tech City of Hyderabad. It is abundantly clear that AIMIM puts religion over development when it comes to the Old City of Hyderabad. By often giving in to their unreasonable postures, the BRS government is doing grave injustice to the people of the old city.

Jalgaon Pandav Wada case: Bombay HC issues stay on Collector’s order banning prayers in the disputed mosque, next hearing on July 27

Siddhi Somani
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Jalgaon Pandav Wada case: Bombay HC issues stay on Collector’s order banning prayers in the disputed mosque, next hearing on July 27

In an update to the Jumma Masjid case from Erandol region of Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district, the Bombay High Court has issued a stay on the interim order by the administration refraining people of the Muslim community to enter a disputed mosque structure that resembles an old temple.

As per the sources, a single-judge bench of the Bombay High Court led by Justice RM Joshi has put a two-week stay on the collector’s order on Tuesday, July 18.

On July 16, the administration had sealed the century-old disputed mosque temporarily and had issued an order under section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, immediately banning prayers on the premises which is protected under the State Archaeology Department. The collector had also directed police deployment in the area and had asked the local administration to take charge of the mosque, which has been officially declared as ‘disputed’.

The Pandav Wada site is protected under the state archaeology department (OpIndia)

After this, the Jumma Masjid Trust Committee who looks after the disputed mosque structure had moved to the Aurangabad bench of the Bombay High Court against the collector’s order banning entry into the premises for offering prayers.

The petition, filed by the Jumma Masjid Trust Committee’s president Altaf Khan claimed that the collector had passed the ‘arbitrary and illegal’ order on July 11 which directed the trust to hand over the keys of the disputed ‘mosque’ to the Erandol municipal council’s chief officer.

However, the Court has issued a stay order against the collector’s directives. The matter will be next heard on July 27.

Pandavwada Sangharsh Samiti demands the restoration of the property

The development was confirmed to OpIndia by complainant Prasad Madhusudan Dandawate of the Pandavwada Sangharsh Samiti. He said that the Court has issued a stay order against the section 144 directive and has allowed members of both communities to enter the premises for prayers.

“There are around 4-5 Muslims who offer Namaz there daily. Now they have been allowed but also the members of the Hindu community can go in the premises of the Pandava wada which has been illegally encroached by the Masjid Trust,” Dandawate confirmed.

Earlier, it was reported how the Pandava Wada in Erandol region of Maharashtra’s Jalgaon district was converted into a Mosque. The saga began when the Dandawate complained to the district administration that the mosque has been illegally constructed over a Hindu place of worship and should be taken over by the authorities. The complainant further asserted that the Hindu character and structure of the vicinity had been destroyed by the Jumma Masjid Trust who illegally has encroached on the area to call it a Mosque.

Trust illegally installed electricity, concrete restructuring

As per the complaint by the Pandavwada Sangharsh Samiti, the Trust has illegally occupied the premises and has made several changes to the 800-1000-year-old Pandava Wada which today stands protected under the State Archeology Department. The trust has installed electricity, fans, cement doors, and water connections to the Pandava wada. “They have also illegally constructed wuzukhana type area for people of the Muslim community to wash their hands before Namaz. Who gave this permission to them,” Dandawate pondered.

Electricity, cement construction illegally added to the Pandava Wada (Images obtained by OpIndia)

The Samiti in the complaint has demanded that all the illegal construction and addition made to the Pandava Wada should be removed and the property shall be taken over by the authority. The Samiti has also demanded a scientific evaluation to determine the age of the property. It has been said that the old Pandava Wada which has been illegally encroached by the Trust should be recovered by the authorities in its original form.

Complaint letter by Pandavwada Sangharsh Samiti (OpIndia)

What is Pandav Wada?

The Pandav wada sites in the Erandol region of Jalgaon district, are claimed to be under Islamic encroachments. It is believed that the Pandavas spent their years in exile in the Erandol region and that the Hindu and Jain temple-like structures built here are 800-1000 years old. Later due to the severe indifference among Hindus, Muslims slowly started encroaching on Pandav Wada more than 125 years ago, and they eventually built a mosque there while claiming it to be Wakf property.

Hindu groups like the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS) and Pandavwada Sangharsh Samiti have been battling to reclaim Pandavwada from the Wakf Board’s intrusions and restore the areas. The contested mosque has records of existence of at least 100 years, whereas the principal buildings in Pandava wada (built in the style of Jain and Hindu temples) are reportedly 800-1000 years old.

Hindu organizations maintain that the mosque was constructed by destroying a Hindu temple that is mentioned in Hindu scriptures. Further, the associated Wakf committee had been working to build the disputed mosque in order to ruin the Pandavwada’s Hindu culture as described in local folklore and scriptures.

The Masjid Trust however maintains that the property belongs to the Waqf board and that it’s only the Waqf tribunal that takes decisions with regard to Waqf properties. “The collector has bypassed the waqf tribunal,” the Trust said.

The next hearing of the case is scheduled on July 27, 2023.

‘No refreshments served, nobody answered phone’: Allahabad HC judge outraged over ‘inconvenience’ during train journey, seeks explanation from railways

OpIndia Staff
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‘No refreshments served, nobody answered phone’: Allahabad HC judge outraged over ‘inconvenience’ during train journey, seeks explanation from railways

Justice Gautam Chowdhary of the Allahabad High Court has sought an explanation from railway officials after experiencing ‘inconvenience and displeasure’ on a recent train journey with his wife. The High Court judge was upset over not getting refreshments despite repeated calls.

In a letter dated July 14, the Allahabad High Court Registrar (Protocol) Ashish Kumar Srivastava, on behalf of the sitting Judge, asked Railways General Manager (GM) to explain the issues pointed out in the letter.

According to the letter, Allahabad High Court Judge Gautam Chowdhary was traveling with his wife on July 8 on train no. 12802, Purushottam Express (on PNR: 246-4082004 & H.O.R No. 639/2023). The train was almost three hours late, and regardless of Chowdhary’s repeated demands, neither pantry workers nor Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel assisted ‘His Lordship’.

“The train was more than three hours late. In spite of repeatedly informing the Travelling Ticket Examiner (TTE), no Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel were found in the coach. Further, no pantry car staff attended to His Lordship for providing refreshments despite repeated calls. Moreover, a call made to the pantry car manager was not picked up,” the letter reads.

The letter further stated that the incident “caused great inconvenience and displeasure to His Lordship. In this regard, the Honourable Judge wishes that explanation may be called from the erring officials of the Railways, the GRP personnel and the pantry car manager.”

Interestingly, the aforementioned letter marked as ‘urgent’ mentions Justice Gautam Chowdhary as ‘His Lordship’ seven times. Notably, back in 2014, the Supreme Court said that judges should be addressed in a dignified and respectful manner however, calling them “my lord” or “your lordship” is not mandatory. The Allahabad High Court, on behalf of ‘His Lordship’ has sought an explanation from the railways for the inconvenience experienced by him due to the lack of refreshments served.

Citing an unnamed railway official, TOI reported that a catering staff member did visit Justice Chowdhary’s compartment, however, someone from the passage of the coach “asked the catering staff member to leave assuming that the judge might be sleeping and he is unnecessarily disturbing him in the morning.” The report adds that minutes later, the train arrived at Prayagraj station and the judge and his wife disembarked. 

Meanwhile, Northern Central Railway (NCR) Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Himanshu Upadhya verified receipt of the complaint from the honorable judge. As a result, the affected departments have been formally requested to provide a written explanation. The NCR respectfully apologized for the judge’s inconvenience. 

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar did not want the opposition alliance to be named I.N.D.I.A: Here is why

ANI
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Bihar CM Nitish Kumar did not want the opposition alliance to be named I.N.D.I.A: Here is why

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar did not want the opposition alliance to be named ‘INDIA’ because it has the letters, ‘NDA’ in it, sources said on Tuesday.

Sources said that the name INDIA was proposed to everyone in an informal meeting on Monday. Suggestions were sought on the name from all opposition leaders and later on Tuesday, everyone agreed to it.

Following this, Nitish Kumar agreed to the name. “All right, if all of you are okay with it (the name INDIA), then it is fine,” the Bihar Chief Minister was quoted by a source as saying.

Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi chief Thol Thirumavalavan said that the name was proposed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

“The name of the opposition alliance- INDIA was proposed by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee. After a long discussion, it was decided to be called as ‘Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance,” VCK chief told ANI.

On the other hand, Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said that Rahul Gandhi justified why it should be INDIA during the discussion in the meeting. “It is a collective effort. We all sat together, and we all decided on names. Rahul ji spearheaded this, he justified why it should be INDIA. He argued for it,” Srinate told ANI.

It should also be noted that Nitish Kumar and Lalu Yadav were not present in the press conference following the Bengaluru opposition meet because the weather department predicted bad weather conditions and Nitish Kumar was getting late for a conference.

Moreover, it needs to be mentioned that several opposition leaders like Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Kumar were not present at the press conference.

The representatives of the 26 parties who met for the brainstorming meeting in Bengaluru also decided to set up an 11-member coordination committee, including all the major parties, and a ‘secretariat’ in Delhi for campaign management and for coordinating the working of various sub-committees, which will take up specific issues.

“The next opposition meeting will be held in Mumbai; the date will be announced soon. An 11-member coordination committee will be set up. Names of committee members will be announced in Mumbai,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge 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)

Odisha: Another major train accident averted in Balasore, loco pilot’s action saves lives

OpIndia Staff
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Odisha: Another major train accident averted in Balasore, loco pilot’s action saves lives

On Tuesday, 18th July 2023, a potential disaster was skillfully averted near Baruna Singh Chowk at Nilgiri Road railway station in Balasore district, Odisha, as a vigilant Memu train pilot saved numerous lives. The incident occurred a mere 15 km away from the tragic Bahanaga triple train accident site.

According to reports, the Memu train had mistakenly entered a loop line track where construction work was in progress. Thanks to the presence of the alert loco pilot, who sensed something amiss and acted promptly, a tragedy was averted. The quick pilot applied the brakes upon noticing an anomaly at the track endpoint.

The Memu train was en route to Balasore from Bhadrak district when the loco pilot took action, reversing the train towards Balasore, temporarily affecting the movement of other trains on the route.

One of the passengers, Bijaydhar Barik, shared his account, saying, “It was only the train driver who spotted something wrong in the tracks. The train later reversed some 200 to 300 meters and we got down from the train. The train was moving at a slow speed and stopped at a distance from the track which had some issues.”

The loco pilot of the Memu train shed light on the incident, stating, “The train was moving at a speed of 7 to 8 kilometres per hour and the track was set in the opposite direction as some construction work was going on… The point could have busted… There was no chance of any derailment of the train but tracks would have been damaged.”

Following the incident, the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) summoned two officials, including the Nilagiri Station Road manager, for questioning. They have been instructed to provide detailed information regarding the occurrence, according to sources.

While the potential tragedy was averted, the incident has left passengers anxious about train travel in the region. Just last month, Balasore witnessed a devastating train accident that garnered worldwide attention, resulting in over 290 fatalities, involving the Coromandel Express and a goods train.

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