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Malerkotla: Congress blames AAP for ignoring its ‘gift to Muslims on Eid’. Here is how the newly created ‘Muslim majority’ district of Punjab is suffering

OpIndia Staff
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Malerkotla: Congress blames AAP for ignoring its ‘gift to Muslims on Eid’. Here is how the newly created ‘Muslim majority’ district of Punjab is suffering

In May 2021, then-CM Captain Amarinder Singh-led Congress Government gave a ‘gift’ to the Muslims in Punjab by declaring Muslim-majority Malerkotla as a district. The party promised it during the 2017 state elections, and the poll promise was fulfilled months before the scheduled Assembly elections. People of Malerkotla, which has a 68.5 per cent Muslim population followed by 20.70 per cent Muslims and only 9.49 per cent Sikhs (2011 Census), expected to see changes at a massive scale after it became a district. However, over two years have passed, and nothing notably has changed for the youngest district.

According to an exclusive ground report by The Indian Express, Malerkotla town is waiting for doctors, roads and better schools. The basic amenities in the newly formed district are far from reality, and people have started it calling ‘naam ka zila’ or ‘district for the namesake’.

The painful state of the civil hospital

The ordeal of the poor and marginalised who visit the government hospitals for treatment shows the crumbling healthcare system in the state. Aam Aadmi Party, which promises a better healthcare system, has not appointed doctors and healthcare staff in the civil hospital. Indian Express report noted that all ten Emergency Medical Officers (EMOs) posts are vacant. There is only one specialist doctor that has to handle emergencies all day.

On paper, there are 27 posts of doctors, out of which 15 are vacant. There should be 32 nurses, but the hospital has only 17. Out of 25 ward attendants, 11 are yet to be hired. In a statement, senior medical officer (SMO) Dr Jagjit Singh said, “There’s extreme rush at the emergency as all posts of EMOs are currently vacant. A specialist doctor handles emergencies. However, we have already started free-of-cost treatment for TB, hepatitis and other diseases as per norms for district-level hospitals.” He also serves as the gynaecologist.

The patients lined up till 2 PM every day, and most of them were sent back to come the next day. Even after getting tests done and being diagnosed with diseases like Hepatitis C, patients have to wait for days for their turn and get a subscription for the medicine.

Submerged roads and potholes

The roads of the town are no better. There is a ‘labour mandi’ in the city where the daily wagers stand every day, hoping to get hired. That “mandi” is basically Malerkotla’s Dilli Gate, a road leading to the government schools. Even after two years of becoming a district, this road has not seen good days. It gets submerged in rainwater quickly, and people keep guessing where the potholes are while driving.

A handful of teachers and classrooms for over 2,000 students

Children living in a district expect better education but not the children of Malerkotla. There are 960 students in the government senior secondary school for boys. Due to the shortage of classrooms and teachers, they have to study in two shifts. Principal Aarti Gupta told Indian Express they are short of 15 classrooms, including laboratories. For 300 students in classes 11 and 12, there are only eight lecturers. AAP, which boasts its education policy, is yet to announce any new building for the school. “Currently, we haven’t been told of any plans for a new building for the school,” said Gupta.

Furthermore, a portion of the school has been vacated for the office of district education officer (DEO). Instead of making a new office, the education department decided to snatch away part of the school.

Coming to the Girl’s school, there are over 1,300 students who also study in two shifts due to the shortage of classrooms and teachers. Thankfully, a new building is coming up in the school, but it is unclear how long it will take to get constructed. Notably, there are only two rooms for 214 students of the primary school located in the Girls’ school. A new building for the primary school is yet to be announced.

When Capt Amarinder Singh declared Malerkotla as the 23rd district of Punjab, he announced an array of new projects. A new medical college with a budget of 400 crores, a new bus stand, a new degree college for girls, a new all-women police station and the restoration of Mubarak Manzil Palace were among the projects that were announced. All these projects are still on paper, gathering dust.

Deputy commissioner of Malerkotla Sanyam Aggarwal told Indian Express that the proposed medical college is a joint venture between the Government of India and Punjab. The centre has already sanctioned the first instalment of Rs 97 crore. However, Indian Express’s sources revealed that the AAP government is not pleased with the site the previous government proposed for the project and is looking for a new site, leading to unnecessary delay.

Aggarwal further added that the all-women police station was established in 2021, and the upgrade work worth Rs 30 lakh is underway. However, speaking of the new bus stand, she added that the state government is yet to release Rs 9 crore.

Congress blamed AAP for delays in projects

Congress leader and former Cabinet Minister Razia Sultana expressed her dismay over halted projects. She said, “We do not blame CM (Bhagwant Mann), but local AAP MLA (Mohammad Jamil Ur Rahman) for it. He has failed to take ahead projects which were already sanctioned, let alone get new ones. They (the AAP government) are now trying to create hurdles in the medical college project even though the site was already finalised. Earlier, we had at least 23 doctors at a local hospital, which has reduced to half.”

Before AAP came to power, work for girls’ colleges and government schools had been started by the previous government. However, now the work has been stagnant. She said, “They had even failed to operationalise the girls’ college and government school for which work was already started before AAP came. Not a single new penny has been sanctioned in two years.” Her husband and former DGP Mohammed Mustafa said, “It is all due to the incompetency of the local MLA who has been a party hopper for his life. From SAD to BSP to Congress to AAP, he has been everywhere for want of a ticket.”

On the other hand, AAP MLA Rehman claimed the projects are underway in the town. He said, “We have got a new 66KW power grid approved, and there won’t be any power issues for the next 40 years. Site selection work for medical college is in progress. Buildings for new girls’ colleges and schools are near completion. I have got Rs 8 crore sanctioned for the refurbishment of streets and kutcha roads in outer areas of the town and another one crore for roads and sewage overall. Since 50% of the Kamboj Muslim community here depends on vegetable farming, we plan a food processing unit to procure their produce.”

While leaders, administration and state government are moving slowly, the locals in the youngest district of Punjab are yet to see any notable changes on the ground.

He had two extra pegs of alcohol: Netizens slam ex-cricketer and AAP leader Harbhajan Singh for taking potshots at MS Dhoni

OpIndia Staff
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He had two extra pegs of alcohol: Netizens slam ex-cricketer and AAP leader Harbhajan Singh for taking potshots at MS Dhoni

On Sunday (June 11), former cricketer turned AAP Rajya Sabha MP, Harbhajan Singh, courted controversy for taking potshots at ex-Indian captain MS Dhoni and his achievements.

The development came hours after India lost to Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. A fan of MS Dhoni (@ItzShreyas07) took to Twitter to point out how the former Indian captain ensured victory for the team in the 2007 World Cup.

While posting a picture of MS Dhoni, he wrote, “…This guy defeated prime Australia in semifinals and won a T20 World Cup in 48 days after becoming captain.” Harbhajan Singh, who was not even tagged in tweet, chose to reprimand the Dhoni fan for giving ‘all the credit’ to the former Indian skipper.

Screengrab of the tweet

In a tweet, he wrote, “Yes when these matches were played this young boy was playing alone from India…not the other 10…so alone he won the World Cup trophies…irony when Australia or any other nation win the World Cup headlines says Australia or etc country won.”

“But when Indian wins it’s said the captain won ? it’s a team sport. Win together, lose together,” Harbhajan Singh claimed. The archive of the tweet can be accessed here.

Soon after, social media users slammed the ace spinner for publicly berating his ex-teammate and skipper MS Dhoni. Some accused Singh of excessive intoxication while others lambasted him for displaying his jealousy.

“Today, my brother had two extra pegs of alcohol. Tomorrow, he will regret this tweet. He let out his inner thoughts in an intoxicated state of mind. Now, the entire country is abusing him,” wrote popular user Madhur Singh.

Another user pointed out, “He (MS Dhoni) never shamelessly slapped someone on the ground after losing. After his departure, those 10 players have yet to win an ICC trophy. Despite having friends like you, he was cool enough to lead India to numerous victories.”

One Braj Raj Singh remarked, “Know you have become a politician…Played your cricket under him and (is) so jealous…Shame on you.”

“Another reason to admire @msdhoni is that he survived around such ppl. Proud of you Thalaivaa,” wrote another user.

Another user emphasised that MS Dhoni was critical to the victory of India during crucial ICC tournaments.

“Harbhajan, he made sure India don’t lose the final. He use to take responsibility for losing, unlike today who say: We don’t care about outside noise. Players want to win more than any other. It’s just another game. (Instagram stories simultaneously for no reason) – cmon, accept, MSD alone won the cup with his brave decisions. Don’t be jealous now,” he added.

“Crying over a fan hyping his idol?? Thats a new low level for players…CurrentIndiann team speaking in Insta stories and old team responding to fans,” tweeted another MS Dhoni fan.

“That MSD won with such bitter players around him makes his success as captain even bigger,” tweeted one Dr Devashish Palkar.

Harbhajan Singh has been the controversy’s favourite child for quite some time. In June 2021, he shared a story on Instagram which hailed Bhindranwale as a martyr.

It read, “Live with pride, die for the religion.” He paid tribute to the terrorists on the 37th anniversary of Operation Blue Star. It featured Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale at the centre wearing a blue turban. Singh later deleted the post and issued an apology.

Damoh school case: Principal of Ganga Jamna School, where Hindu girls were wearing Hijab in a poster, teacher and a security guard arrested

ANI
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Damoh school case: Principal of Ganga Jamna School, where Hindu girls were wearing Hijab in a poster, teacher and a security guard arrested

In a major development in the Ganga Jamna School row in Madhya Pradesh’s Damoh district, three persons including the school principal have been arrested by police, officials said on Sunday. 

According to the police, Ganga Jamna School in MP’s Damoh hit the headlines after purported posters of the school went viral on social media in which a few Hindu girls were allegedly seen wearing hijabs. “The arrested persons include the school principal, a teacher and a security guard,” the police said. 

Damoh SP Rakesh Singh said that currently three accused have been arrested and the search is on to nab the remaining accused. The accused were produced before a court and from where they have been sent to judicial custody, he said. 

On the other hand, Anunay Srivastava, the lawyer for the accused said, “The police have added a section in the registered case. Today being Sunday, the sessions court is closed, so an appeal will be made on Monday”. 

After the controversy regarding Ganga Jamna School erupted, the police registered a case against the school administration under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 295, 506 and Juvenile Justice Act. 

Damoh Superintendent of Police (SP) Rakesh Singh said, “Yesterday, statements of two-three girls came to the fore, after which it was felt that their statement is worth taking into consideration and the investigating committee also sent that statement to us, to take cognizance into it.” 

“Now, the statements of the people associated with the school management will be recorded and on the basis of it further action will be taken,” the SP said, adding that the number of sections and the accused may increase after further investigation. 

Earlier, CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan had said that an FIR would be filed against the school management. 

“Religious conversion conspiracies are going on at some places in the state and we will not let them succeed. We have also given instructions to investigate in the entire state, especially the educational institutions, whether it is madrassas or if education is being imparted in a wrong way,” Chouhan told ANI. 

He added, “In the Damoh case, we are now getting the report and I have been told that the daughters who gave their statements have been forced. This is a very serious matter. Strict action will be taken”. 

Earlier, the affiliation of Ganga Jamuna Higher Secondary School was suspended for non-compliance with Madhya Pradesh Secondary and Higher Secondary Schools Recognition Rules 2017 and amended rules 2020. 

According to a circular, there was no proper arrangement of a library in the school, old furniture and old materials were kept in the laboratories rooms and there were no proper experimental materials in the school. There were 1,208 students registered in the school and there was neither proper arrangement of separate toilets for boys and girls nor pure drinking water.

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

George Soros hands over his empire to son Alexander, who promises to increase support for far-left, says worried about Trump returning to White House

OpIndia Staff
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George Soros hands over his empire to son Alexander, who promises to increase support for far-left, says worried about Trump returning to White House

George Soros, the American billionaire and financier of left-wing causes and parties, has decided to entrust the management of his vast $25 billion empire to his younger son, Alexander Soros. Despite initially not being considered a likely candidate for succession, Alexander, who identifies as a centre-left intellectual, has been selected by Soros to manage his funds.

George Soros told the Wall Street Journal in an interview published on Sunday that he was handing control of his massive empire to his son, Alexander Soros. Earlier, senior Soros had said that he will not hand over his Open Society Foundations (OSF) to any of his five children, but now he has made a change in his decision. Open Society Foundations gives away around $1.5 billion each year to support left-liberal and woke causes, and fight nationalists and right-wing organisations across the world. It is often alleged that Soros funds regime changes through funding by ORF in the name of supporting democracies.

Alexander Soros told the Wall Street Journal that he was now chairman of Soros’s Open Society Foundations and planned to continue supporting and expanding the same causes as his father.

In his first interview following his appointment, the 37-year-old Alexander Soros, also known as Alex, expressed his intention to expand upon his father’s liberal objectives. While sharing similar views with his father, George Soros, Alex also seeks to champion additional causes such as voting and abortion rights, as well as gender equity. He intends to leverage the substantial resources at his family’s disposal to support left-leaning politicians in the United States.

Alex identifies himself as more political than his father. In his advocacy for matters connected to the family foundation, Alexander Soros has been actively engaged in discussions with notable figures, including officials from the Biden administration, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, as well as heads of state such as Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Expressing apprehension over the potential return of Donald Trump to the White House, Alexander Soros has indicated the likelihood of substantial financial involvement by the Soros organization in the upcoming 2024 presidential race. His concerns highlight the intention to actively support efforts that align with his political stance and counterbalance any perceived influence of Trump’s candidacy. He said in the interview, “As much as I would love to get money out of politics, as long as the other side is doing it, we will have to do it, too.”

Diverging from certain left-leaning perspectives, Alexander Soros holds the belief that freedom of speech, particularly on college campuses and in other settings, has become overly constrained. He said that he has some differences from his generation on the issue of freedom of speech.

Previously, George Soros had expressed his reluctance to have one of his five children assume control of his Open Society Foundations (OSF). But regarding his decision to make Alexander Soros his successor, the senior Soros said that Alexander has earned it.

In December 2022, Alex was elected as the chairman of the OSF board. Under the chairmanship of Alex Soros and his position as president of Soros’ political action committee, the Open Society Foundation (OSF) annually allocates around $1.5 billion to so-called human rights groups worldwide. The activities of the foundation, under the leadership of Soros, are widely recognized for their explicit agenda of supporting initiatives aimed at challenging and destabilizing governments in various countries under the guise of promoting democratic ideals.

He is also the chairman of Democracy PAC, the Political Action Committee of Soros, one of the major vehicles for political spending by the billionaire. The Super PAC is funded heavily by Soros to fund election candidates and political causes. Democracy PAC has backed the election campaigns of district attorneys and law-enforcement officials in the USA.

Around $125 million has been set aside for the super PAC, and $25 billion from it will be directed to OSF.

Notably, Soros has launched a global campaign targeting right-wing governments, actively funding left-leaning organisations and initiatives. He has dedicated $1 billion to start a global university to “fight nationalists”, whom he referred to as “authoritarian governments”, along with combating climate change, calling them twin challenges that threaten the survival of our civilization. 

Through his Open Society Foundations, he has been instrumental in providing financial support to Islamist, Marxist causes and quasi-political radical movements around the world. Soros’s efforts are driven by his desire to counter the rise of nationalist and conservative forces, under the garb of advocating for liberal values and democratic governance. His involvement in these attempts of interfering sovereignty of various countries has made him a villainous figure in the ongoing political landscape, influencing the trajectory of numerous nations.

Congress alleges ‘misuse’ of railway safety fund over purchase of items for crew running rooms, here is how they are essential for train safety and recommended during UPA govt

OpIndia Staff
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Congress alleges ‘misuse’ of railway safety fund over purchase of items for crew running rooms, here is how they are essential for train safety and recommended during UPA govt

Ever since the tragic triple train accident in Odisha, the Congress party has been trying to pin the blame for the accident on the Modi government. Even though the work done on expansion, efficiency, safety and passenger amenities of railways by the Modi govt is much more than what Congress governments did in over half a century, the party is somehow trying to prove that not enough is being spent on safety, often using misleading data and half-baked information. In such an attempt, the Congress party posted a tweet on June 8, where the grand old party cried ‘misusing funds’ as Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report from 2022 on ‘Derailment in Indian Railways’ showed some expenses on items including foot massagers, crockery, car rentals and more.

In a tweet, Congress said, “Modi govt. excels in misusing funds! According to CAG reports, the Indian Railways spent extravagantly on foot massagers, crockery, furniture, car rentals, laptops & much more from the ‘Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh’.” It is notable that the Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK) is a special fund created in 2017, apart from the regular budget, with a corpus of ₹1 lakh crore.

The tweet was picked by Telegraph and mixed with the CAG report to claim that the funds were “misused” to buy foot massagers, crockery, electrical appliances, furniture, winter jackets, computers and escalators, develop gardens, build toilets, pay salaries and bonuses and erect a flag. Calling it a “horrifying detail” that was tugged away in the CAG report, Telegraph claimed, “This may prove to be the tip of an iceberg in a tale of villainy and deceit that have undermined the noble principles that underpinned the creation of the Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK), a dedicated fund to improve railway safety.”

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh then used the report to propagate the agenda further. He wrote, “Read here how funds earmarked for railway safety from 2017 have ACTUALLY been spent. Shocking & Scandalous are understatements,” while quoting the Telegraph report. The choice of words indicates Congress may eventually call it a scam.

The Congress claim that “Indian Railways spent extravagantly on foot massagers, crockery, furniture” using the Railway safety fund suggests that such items were purchased for ministers or senior officials. However, the Congress party and The Telegraph chose to crucial information which show that there was no real scam or misuse of funds. Moreover, the CAG report cited by Telegraph and Congress also just points out just some regular accounting anomalies, and the amounts involved in such anomalies are minuscule compared to the total fund amount.

The case of misclassification of funds

Twitter user Aviral Sharma shared a detailed thread on how Congress and the Telegraph were making a mountain out of a mole. First of all, the CAG report took a minuscule sample size of Rs 2,995.58 crore out of Rs 1 lakh crore corpus of RRSK. Out of this, CAG found alleged misappropriation of funds of worth Rs 48.21 crores. Furthermore, CAG pointed out that out of these 48.21 crores, Rs 30.84 crores were spent on passenger amenities like escalators, lifts, raising/extension of platforms and more. CAG also said that ₹7.82 crore were spent on revenue items, which is not allowed under RRSK.

Upon reading the CAG report, OpIndia found that CAG remarked the funds were misclassified leading to reduced funds availability. A total of Rs 4.54 crores out of the said 48.21 crores were spent on the development of a garden/waiting hall/circulating area, imprest, sewage treatment plant, stationary purchase, provision of ACs, temporary electricity connection, intercom, power cable, CCTV, LAN, LED/Street lights, the fee to the pollution control board, foot massager and winter jacket. Furthermore, Rs 0.085 crore was spent on the hiring of vehicles. Rs 1.48 crore was spent on furniture, utensils, crockery, and kitchen/electrical appliances. Only Rs 0.35 crore was spent on the purchase of computers, xerox machines, printers, laptops, AMCs, cartridges, toner etc. If we deduct Rs 30.84 crore that was spent on passenger amenities from the total of 48.21 crore, it makes Rs 17.37 crore or 0.57 per cent of the sample size.

The report further noted, “Items of Revenue expenditure were booked under RRSK in contravention to Para 7.7 of the RRSK Deployment Scheme which states that revenue works are not proposed to be funded through RRSK. The incorrect bookings have resulted in misclassification of expenditure between Revenue Grants and RRSK, amounting to Rs 7.82 crore.”

It added, “Thus, though prioritization principles have been clearly laid down for deployment of RRSK, bookings not falling under RRSK category have been accepted under RRSK. These incorrect bookings denote misclassification of expenditure and consequently end up with reduced fund availability for RRSK priority works.”

While the CAG report clearly mentioned that it was a case of misclassification, Congress used it to attack the Modi government and claim misuse of funds.

Items necessary for train crews

While items like foot massagers, utensils etc may seem unusual, they are actually necessary items for the Railways. The items pointed out by the CAG were purchased for Running Rooms, the resting facilities meant for train crews. Major junctions and railway stations have running rooms, where loco pilots assistant loco pilots and train managers take rest between their shifts.

It is notable that like airline pilots, there are stipulated hours of total duty at a stretch and rest between shifts for loco pilots and train managers (formerly known as guards) also. It is notable that even though some long-distance trains run for 2-3 days, the same crew does not operate them. The crew have a running duty hour of 8 hours at a stretch, while the total duty hour can extend to 11 hours. The crew of such trains are changed at regular intervals at major stations after their duty hours are over, and a new team takes over from such stations, who have to be ready by the train arrives. Therefore, running rooms are provided at such stations so that they can join duty without causing delays to the running train.

The loco pilots and train managers keep standing for hours together on trains. After their shift is over, they go to the Running Room for their mandatory breaks before their next duty.

Apart from basic accommodation facilities, running rooms have a kitchen and cooks, who prepare food for the crew. Moreover, according to Railway guidelines, running rooms must have adequate facilities so that the crew can get proper rest before their next shift begins.

Running a train for up to 8 hours is a very tiring job, and the pilots and managers have to be on alert the whole running time. And it is essential that they receive proper rest between running hours. That is why things like cooking facilities, utensils, crockery, foot massagers etc are essential items for the running rooms.

The union government has also clarified there was no misuse of funds and only a small amount was spent for facilities at running rooms. Govt sources said that such spending was in no way “diversion” or “misuse” of the Rashtriya Rail Sanraksha Kosh (RRSK) fund, as facilities at resting places for the crew are also meant for safety. According to the govt, ensuring proper rest for the crew between duty breaks is crucial, because investigations into several past derailments and accidents have pointed out human errors, and fatigue of loco pilots and assistant loco pilots as among the main reasons.

According to reports, the railway ministry will soon submit its response to the CAG with details of expenditures made for the running rooms. It is notable that several official presentations and reports on running rooms, including one from 2013, mention the need to provide several facilities such as foot and eye massagers, gym equipment etc for the crew.

Talking on the issue, Shiv Gopal Mishra of All India Railwaymen’s Federation slammed politics over the issue. “Our loco pilots, assistant loco pilots and train managers put in hard work. The facilities of food and foot massage at running centres are meant for their sound health,” he said.

South Western Railway also said that these items were procured for use in Running Rooms meant for the mandatory rest of loco pilots and guards after continuous duties of 9-10 hours. These are as per the recommendation of the safety committee and not infructuous expenditures as wrongly assumed by some media outlets, the railway officials said.

Provisions included in RRSK

Officials also noted that while the RRSK fund is mainly meant for major projects to improve the safety of railways, there were provisions for improving working conditions to reduce fatigue and human error. “Every crew member must get good facilities for rest and these must be better than that of what they get at home. This has been the guiding principle to run fully-equipped running rooms. The loco pilots and assistant loco pilots need to be fully attentive about signal, track and the machine when on duty. So, we need to ensure that when they are back on duty, they are fresh,” said an official.

In fact, while CAG flagged the expenses on passenger amenities and running rooms as “diversion” or “misuse”, the govt notification on Rashtriya Rail Sanrakshan Kosh (RRSK) clearly mentions passengers amenities, training/HRD as among the heads of expenses for the fund.

In the guidelines for the use of RRSK funds by the railway board, staff welfare and passenger amenities have been included in the minor Heads classification under capital outlay. The guidelines mention platforms, booking offices, waiting and refreshment rooms, running rooms, goods sheds, post and telegraph offices, latrines, etc for which RRSK funds will be spent. The guidelines clearly state that there is a clear provision for expenditure on reducing chances of human errors in critical areas of operations, by improving working conditions and training of loco pilots and other relevant employees.

It is also notable that only a small amount is allotted and spent under these heads, while the majority of the allotments have been made for works under Level Crossings, Road Over/Under Bridges, Track Renewals, Bridge Works, Signalling and Telecom, Electrical Works, Machinery & Plant, Workshops etc, all vital for improving railway safety.

Running room facilities were suggested in reports

While the Congress is using the CAG report on some purchases for running rooms to attack the Modi government, an interesting fact is that Railway Board had suggested improvements in running room facilities during the UPA govt. In guidelines issued in 2011 by the Railway Board for the improvement of running rooms, various facilities were suggested, including telephones, lockers, cooking facilities and utensils, coolers etc.

In 2014, CAMTECH under Indian Railways suggested several measures to improve the facilities of running rooms. The recommendations included relaxation facilities for railway crew, which included Foot massagers for relaxation, gym equipment and gym ball, Treadmill equipment, Eye massager, Acupressure equipment etc. The report also suggested Light music system, Concentration boards, Recreation Facilities etc in the running rooms.

Therefore, items like foot massagers, crockery, utensils etc for running rooms were recommended much before the RRSK was set up. The Railway officials have clarified that the expenditure pointed out as ‘misuse’ by CAG are for procurement for upgradation of Running Rooms and training staff and other heads, which are directly related to the safety of trains. Therefore, these are not fripperies but part of the mandate.

Furthermore, the amount spent under these heads from RRSK is minuscule. The majority of the fund is already being spent on works directly related to railway safety. If Railway is spending 0.57 per cent almost Rs 3,000 crore to provide some relief to employees so that they can perform better at their job, it should not be seen as “misuse” or get denoted as a “scam” at later stages, as the Congress party is suffesting.

‘Those who run madarsas will close 300 of them themselves’, says Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

OpIndia Staff
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‘Those who run madarsas will close 300 of them themselves’, says Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

On Saturday, 10th June 2023, Assam’s chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attended Doordharshan’s program DD Dialogue in Guwahati. While answering a question regarding madarsas in this program, Himanta Biswa Sarma said that those who run madarsas in Assam will close 300 madarsas themselves. According to the Assam CM, these madarsa operators also believe that the ‘training’ given in the madarsa is not enough for modern India.

When asked how closing madarsas is related to development, CM Sarma said, “I strongly feel that the Muslim kids do not deserve the madarsa education. Is becoming a mulla all they want? If mothers and fathers of these Muslim kids limit their dream to the extent that they think that their child is destined to become a mulla, then I think this is a crime against those children. I don’t have any problem if the child decides to become a mulla after he reaches the age of 16. But if today, a child is born, and he becomes 6 years old, at that time, if I put them into the wrong school, by the time that kid realizes other things, he cannot come back.”

CM Himanta Biswa Sarma further said, “So if you want your child to become a mulla, let him be a mulla after 16 years. Let him take normal education. I remain a strong advocate for the abolition of the madarsa system of education. And I believe that Indian democracy should provide equal opportunity to Muslim children also.”

He added, “We should act very tough. We should act very strongly. Once a boy or a girl becomes mature, at the age of 16 or 18, he or she can take a career decision. At that time you become a mulla. One cannot become a doctor by learning in a madarsa. One has to first learn biology to become a doctor, that is what I think. Likewise, you first need to learn mathematics to become an engineer. I haven’t seen any mathematics course or a science laboratory in class twelve higher secondary course of any madarsa. That facility is added to madarsas of other states. If madarsas in Assam add this facility then the problem will be over.”

He said, “We have closed the government madarsas. For qaumi madarsas, there is a clause in the constitution that you cannot do certain things. On that, we are working with the people who run madarsas. And they are cooperating with us. they say that we are exiting slowly. This year, they want to close down 300 more madarsas. We are also bringing an act that specifies the facilities that must be provided in one such institute. So I think more madarsas will be closed.”

Ghaziabad conversion case: Main accused Baddo alias Shahnawaz arrested in Maharashtra, had operated a conversion racket through online games

OpIndia Staff
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Ghaziabad conversion case: Main accused Baddo alias Shahnawaz arrested in Maharashtra, had operated a conversion racket through online games

On 11th June 2023, Thane Police arrested Baddo alias Shahnawaz Maksood Khan in Alibag of Maharashtra. He was wanted as the main accused in the Ghaziabad conversion case in which non-Muslim youths were being converted to Islam through online games. So far, 3 Hindu boys and 1 Jain boy have been identified as victims, brainwashed through a game called Fortnite. Thane police have also arrested Baddo’s brother in this case.

A case of converting non-Muslim youths to Islam surfaced in Ghaziabad on 30th May 2023 when a victim youth’s filed a complaint at Kavinagar Police Station in which he said his minor son was lured into practising Islam by Islamists online. A team was formed to investigate the matter after filing an FIR under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

During the investigation, police found that the real identity of the online handle Baddo with whom the victim was talking regularly, was Shahnawaz Maksood Khan s/o Maksood Khan of Shazia Apartment, Devipada Mumbra under Mumbra Police Station area, Thane, Maharashtra. A special team of UP Police was sent to Thane, Maharashtra to arrest the accused. Shahnawaz Maksood Khan was the mastermind behind the nexus. He was absconding since the case came to light.

DCP Nagar Zone Nipun Agarwal said so far four boys (one Jain and three Hindus) have been identified as victims. Two of them (one Jain and one Hindu) are from Ghaziabad, one (Hindu) from Faridabad and one (Hindu) from Chandigarh.

On 11th June 2023, Shahnawaz Khan was arrested in Alibag City of Maharashtra by a team of the Thane police. He will be handed over to the UP police after completing the transfer formalities.

A maulvi was also arrested in this case of forced conversion

Another accused identified as Maulvi Abdul Rehman alias Nanni s/o Mehmood Ansari or Sanjaynagar in the Madhuban Bapudham Police Station area of Ghaziabad was apprehended by the police.

Maharashtra: Man booked for using Aurangzeb’s picture as his WhatsApp profile picture in Navi Mumbai

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Man booked for using Aurangzeb’s picture as his WhatsApp profile picture in Navi Mumbai

Another incident glorifying Aurangzeb has come to light from Maharashtra, where a person has been booked for using the Mughal emperor’s photograph as his profile picture in Navi Mumbai. The accused is an employee of Jio’s gallery in Navi Mumbai. The case has been lodged at the Vashi Police Station.

The individual reportedly put out the picture and its screenshot was taken by someone after which it became viral. Furthermore, as soon as a Hindu outfit named Sakal Hindu Samaj members heard about it, they went to the police station and notified the police about the perpetrator.

They also chanted “Bharat mata ki jai” and “Vande Mataram” in front of the police station. The offender was given a notice by the Vashi Police according to the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc) 41 A. The account used to sow division in society will be investigated by the police. A thorough investigation of the situation has been commenced.

Meanwhile, on Saturday, a Tipu Sultan monument that was erected illegally was taken down from Dhule in Maharashtra. “A monument of Tipu Sultan was built here on the main road, there was no permission for it. We got information that it is an illegal monument. We had a meeting to remove it after which it was removed. There is peace in the area,” Dhule Superintendent of Police (SP), Sanjay Barkund informed.

Notably, a few people shared a social media message praising Mughal emperor Aurangzeb and Tipu Sultan after the 350th Coronation Day celebration of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj which sparked major controversy. The three culprits who posted the statuses were minors.

Hindu organisations pushed for action after the posts went viral and described them as denigrating the country’s revered and great personalities. Several right-wing groups organised a peaceful rally, but it was attacked by miscreants who threw stones at the former. The police were forced to use lathi-charge and tear gas shells to disperse the crowd. Following the attack on the Hindus, a fight broke out between the two sides.

In a similar instance, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed by the Maharashtra Police against Sheikh Aftaab Shiekh Mannan for posting a video of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj kneeling before Aurangzeb with the caption, “Aurangzeb Father of India.” Four people who displayed Aurangzeb posters during a march in the Mukundnagar district caused unrest and violence in Ahmednagar as well. The cops registered a case against them and started an investigation.

Chinese scientists of Wuhan lab and military were experimenting with deadly coronaviruses to create bioweapons before the Covid-19 pandemic: Report

OpIndia Staff
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Chinese scientists of Wuhan lab and military were experimenting with deadly coronaviruses to create bioweapons before the Covid-19 pandemic: Report

Prior to the onset of the Coronavirus pandemic, scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) were working alongside the Chinese military to create a mutant virus that could be used as a biological weapon.

The revelation was made by The Sunday Times in a report on Saturday (June 10). The paper worked with US State Department investigators and reviewed hundreds of documents and scientific papers to unearth what possibly transpired at the Wuhan lab.

It reported that the Wuhan Institute of Virology began investigating the origins of the SARS virus as early as 2003. Funding for this research was provided by the US government through a New York-based charity.

The institute conducted risky experiments on coronaviruses obtained from bat caves in southern China. Initially, the findings of these experiments were made public, with the institute justifying the associated risks by stating that the research could contribute to the development of vaccines.

In 2016, researchers discovered a new strain of coronavirus in a mineshaft located in Mojiang in Yunnan province of China. The individuals who had been working in the mineshaft had died from symptoms similar to those of SARS.

Interesyingly, China chose not to report these deaths to the world. According to The Sunday Times, the viruses found in the mineshaft are now considered to be the only known members of the immediate family of Covid-19 that existed prior to the pandemic.

Viruses found in the Mojiang mineshaft were transferred to Wuhan Institute of Virology

They were subsequently transferred to the Wuhan Institute, and the work conducted by its scientists was classified. According to US investigators, the classified program aimed to enhance the infectivity of the mineshaft viruses in humans.

They believe that this led to the creation of Covid-19, which accidentally leaked from the laboratory and spread in Wuhan. One of the investigators told The Sunday Times, “It has become increasingly clear that the Wuhan Institute of Virology was involved in the creation, spread, and concealment of the Covid-19 pandemic.”

In November 2019, researchers working on these experiments with viruses were hospitalized with symptoms resembling Covid-19, and some of their family members even died.

Another investigator told the paper, “We were rock-solid confident that this was likely Covid-19 because they were working on advanced coronavirus research in the laboratory. They’re trained biologists in their thirties and forties. Thirty-five-year-old scientists don’t get very sick with influenza.”

Chinese military funded research on viruses to be used as bioweapons

As countries worldwide emerged from lockdowns, US investigators gained access to classified intelligence regarding the situation in China prior to the emergence of Covid-19.

The Sunday Times reported that more than a dozen investigators were granted access to metadata, phone information, and internet data collected by US intelligence services.

It also revealed that the Wuhan Institute’s research on the mine viruses was funded by the Chinese military. Additionally, the Chinese military held positions of authority within the institute.

One investigator speculated that the cover-up of the Mojiang case was due to military secrecy regarding the army’s pursuit of dual-use capabilities in virological biological weapons and vaccines.

The Sunday Times further suggested that the military had a vested interest in developing a vaccine for these viruses, potentially for use as bioweapons.

China prevented independent investigation into Covid-19 origins

The Sunday Times also pointed out how China has prevented foreign experts from investigating the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic. Alice Hughes, a British bat expert who was a professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences overseeing the Wuhan Institute, had been working in the mineshaft.

She revealed that she was prohibited from discussing her research with the media and was under surveillance by Beijing. These restrictions forced her to leave China and relocate to Hong Kong.

Microbiologist Professor Richard Ebright had described the research work undertaken at the Wuhan Institue of Virology as “the most reckless and dangerous research on coronaviruses — or indeed on any viruses — known to have been undertaken at any time in any location.”

Since the announcement of the pandemic, China has been making dubious claims that Covid-19 originated outside China. From blaming the United States to mink farms to India, China has pointed fingers at several agencies for the spread.

In one theory, it claimed that the virus was brought to China in contaminated packaging of frozen food from abroad. In another theory, it blamed the U.S. military biodefense laboratory at Fort Detrick. In November 2020, it even went ahead and blamed India for being the origin of the virus.

Punjab: AAP government hikes VAT on petrol and diesel

OpIndia Staff
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Punjab: AAP government hikes VAT on petrol and diesel

On Sunday, 11 June, the Punjab government led by CM Bhagwant Mann hiked the value-added tax (VAT) on petrol and diesel. The price of petrol has increased by 92 paise per litre, while diesel price has surged by 88 paise. Notably, fuel prices have been raised for the second time this year. One litre of petrol will now cost Rs 98.65 in the state, while diesel will cost Rs 88.95 per litre.

With the current increase, the state intends to raise an additional revenue of Rs 600 crore per annum.

According to a Times Now report, the Punjab government issued an order on Saturday (10th June 2023) to raise the VAT on petrol and diesel.

Meanwhile, Shehzad Poonawalla, the national spokesperson of the BJP slammed the CM Bhagwant Mann-led AAP government over the price hike. 

Taking to Twitter Poonawalla called out the double standards of the  Aam Aadmi Party saying that they talk about inflation in the rest of the country while increasing prices in the states governed by them. Poonawalla also described AAP as an “anti-Aam Aadmi and anti peoples party”. He added, “While the Central government has cut the central excise on petrol and diesel twice but these parties, because they have made such impractical promises that they have to tax the common man, loot them and then talk about inflation across the country.”

“Karnataka Congress increased electricity rates as they came in power and increased VAT on diesel in Himachal. All of this is happening in Punjab because the state’s economy has entirely crumbled after adopting Kejriwal’s model. Punjab is on the verge of bankruptcy. Because there is no other way to fulfil their election promises, those who serve their political interests seek to fulfil them by putting the burden on farmers and the poor,” Poonawalla added.

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