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Here is what Prime Minister said about Pakistan and China on Diwali from Longewala post and why it holds significance

OpIndia Staff
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Here is what Prime Minister said about Pakistan and China on Diwali from Longewala post and why it holds significance

In continuation with the tradition that he has been following since he took over as the Prime Minister of the country, PM Narendra Modi visited the strategic post of Longewala along the India-Pakistan on the western front on Saturday to celebrate Diwali with the troops.

Addressing the BSF troops, Prime Minister Modi said he would like to extend his Diwali greeting and added that he had brought the greetings of every Indian today.

BSF Director General Rakesh Asthana, Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat, Army Chief MM Narvane have accompanied Prime Minister during this Diwali celebration.

In 2019, PM Modi had visited the “Hall of Fame” in Rajouri and the Pathankot Airbase. In 2018, he visited Kedarnath and inspected a military post on the India-China border. PM Modi visited Gurez sector of north Kashmir in 2017 to spend Diwali. In 2016, PM Modi had spent time with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police in Himachal Pradesh and in 2015, he visited the Punjab border.

Prime Minister hails the courage and valour of Indian soldiers, attacks Pakistan

Extending greeting to the troops, PM Modi hailed the courage of Indian Armed Forces and said that the country is proud of our forces, who protect our nation courageously.

“You may be at the snow-capped mountains or in deserts, my Diwali is complete only when I come amid you. My happiness doubles when I look at the joy on your faces,” PM Modi said addressing soldiers in Jaisalmer.

PM Narendra Modi added that whether it was peaks of the Himalayas, the stretch of desert, dense forests or the depths of seas – the valour of a soldier has always triumphed in every challenge. No power in the world can stop our security forces from protecting the nation, he said.

Addressing soldiers at the Longewala post on the Rajasthan border on Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stated that Indian forces gave a befitting reply to Pakistan in Longewala in 1971. PM Modi added, “If there is one border post whose name is known by every Indian, it is Longewala… Battle of Longewala will always be remembered in history.”

Whenever history on the excellence of soldiers will be written and read, the Battle of Longewala will be remembered, PM Narendra Modi said remembering the 1971 India-Pakistan war.

Attacking the terror-state of Pakistan, Prime Minister said that the Battle of Longewala was fought when Pakistan opened up the 1971 war on the western front to hide their war crimes, human rights violations, and heinous crimes in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan). This included horrific crimes against women and children.

“Next year will mark 50 years since the 1971 India-Pakistan war, and hence I wanted to visit this border post and meet you all. 1971 war against Pak example of exemplary coordination among Army, Navy and Air Force,” he added.

130 crore Indians are with you, proud of strength and valour: PM Modi

PM Modi also energised the soldiers saying how entire country was standing with them and they are proud of their invincibility.

“130 Crore Indians are standing with you. Every Indian is proud of the strength and valour of our soldiers. They are proud of your invincibility. No power in the world can stop our brave soldiers from guarding the borders of our country,” said PM Modi.

He added that as long as Indian soldiers are there, the country’s Diwali celebrations will continue to be, in full swing and luminescence.

PM Modi also mentioned how India is working rapidly to increase its defence capability and make its defence sector Atmanirbhar. He said that they have decided to focus on the indigenous arms factory, the decision that has propelled 130 crore Indians to work towards vocal for local doctrine.

India will not compromise its interests, will give intense response, says PM Modi at Longewala on Diwali

Attacking the expansionist forces such as China over their belligerence along the border in attempts to create instability, PM Modi said India will not compromise a bit with its interests and has always shows its strength and political will.

“The world now knows that India will not compromise with its interests even one bit. India has shown it has strength and political will to give befitting reply those challenging it. The entire world feels troubled by expansionist forces, expansionism shows a distorted mindset,” PM Modi said in Jaisalmer.

Prime Minister also said that the world now understands that this nation will not compromise with its interests at any cost. This repute and stature of India are all due to your strength and valour. India is clearly presenting its opinions on international fora today because you have secured the nation, said PM Modi addressing the soldiers in Jaisalmer.

He continued, “Today the strategy of India is clear. Today’s India believes in the policy of understanding and making others understand. But if attempts are made to test us, the reply they receive is intense.”

Highlighting the discipline of Armed Forces, PM Modi said nowadays people are realising the difficulty of wearing masks. However, it takes resilience to dawn military gear and serve in these postings in difficult conditions. This realisation is making our countrymen resolve to be more disciplined, he added.

Ending his speech, Prime Minister said that he liked to implore three points to the armed forces. First is to continue ingenuity by innovating and second is to practice yoga. Finally, he urged the soldiers to learn another language other than their mother tongue and English. This will help ingrain new perspectives and enthusiasm in them, Prime Minister said.  

Significance of visit of PM Modi on Diwali and his statement about the Battle of Longewala

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the Longewala post, situated close to India-Pakistan border, is considered crucial as it comes amidst the recent escalation of tensions between India and Pakistan, owing to ceasefire violations.

The symbolic visits to forwarding posts along the border by the Prime Minister, especially at a time when the terror-state of Pakistan has been provoking India by repeatedly violating the ceasefire, also carries a stern message to Pakistan which is hell-bent on disturbing the peace in the region.

On Friday, the Pakistan Army carried out unprovoked ceasefire violations in multiple sectors from Uri to Gurez along the LoC in Jammu and Kashmir. Pakistan had fired mortars and continued shelling along the LoC in Keran sector. The unprovoked firing was met with retaliatory fire from the Indian side, who dumped ammunition on multiple terrorist launch pads resulting in the death of more than 11 Pakistan Army soldiers.

The Prime Minister’s visit to Longewala post will boost the morale on the troops who have been staying away from their family during the festive season of Diwali. The area is located near the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan on the Western Front. Longewala was originally a BSF Post and a strategic point en route to capturing vast tracts of land and also a pivotal theatre of war during the 1971 war.

Longewala, a region in Rajasthan situated nearly 6 kms inside the international border, is famous for the most crucial battle in the Indian history: the Indo Pakistan war of 1971. One of the first posts to come under attack during the 1971 war, was the post of Longewala. A 20 km  long column of armoured vehicles of Pakistan was leading directly towards Longewala post. 

Major Chandpuri immediately requested urgent reinforcement with artillery and armour support from his battalion Headquarters. As it was not possible to reinforce the post immediately, the Headquarter gave two options to the Major: Leave the post or hold it as much time as possible. Major Chandpuri, of course, chose the second and the rest if history. With no reinforcement, a small battalion, 4 Hunter Hawkers and 6 pilots, the battle was won by India.

The Battle of Longewala is significant not only because it was one of the first battles to be fought in the 1971 war, but also because of the exemplary courage shown by the battalion that refused to leave their post even though the reinforcements would have taken time. In the face of the recent tension between India and Pakistan, the evocation of the battle becomes extremely significant.

Without naming China, PM Modi also sent out an indirect message to President Xi Jinping as he spoke about expansionism of China in the recent years, manifested also in the recent stand-off between India and China along the northern borders at Eastern Ladakh.

PM Modi lauds Army’s COVID efforts

The Prime Minister also hailed the Armed forces for their efforts in rescuing those stranded in other countries due to the Coronavirus crisis. He said, “The Indian Armed Forces worked on a war footing during COVID-19 pandemic and contributed at every level ensuring availability of masks, sanitizers, PPE kits, medical equipment, and hospitals in the country.”

“Our Air Force was at the forefront in rescuing people from Wuhan (China). There were some countries that left their people stranded in Wuhan, we not only rescued our people but also helped other countries,” PM Modi added.

Not only firecracker ban: Three other loony ideas the NGT has come up with to ‘save the environment’

OpIndia Staff
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Not only firecracker ban: Three other loony ideas the NGT has come up with to ‘save the environment’

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has been criticised widely by people on social media for its crackdown on crackers across the country. Ahead of Diwali, the NGT ordered a strict firecracker ban to enforced in all cities and towns where the ambient air quality was poor. It is not clear what they were doing the rest of the year to control pollution and why their attempts were not successful.

Sleeping the entire year and then ruining festivities for everyone on Diwali appears a rather bizarre move. But it’s not the only supremely idiotic move the NGT has proposed in recent times. Some of the solutions they have proposed to pollution are so unbelievably bizarre that they beggar belief. Any sensible country would disband the institution outright and be done with it. But not in our country.

In this report, we shall look into three of the greatest ideas they have come up with.

‘Explore alternatives to traditional cremation’

If Hindus were under the impression that they will be permitted to cremate their dead in peace, they are clearly mistaken. In 2016, the wise men of the NGT asked the Delhi government and the Union Environment Ministry to provide for alternative methods of cremation because the traditional way of cremation was too pollution. We are not joking.

The NGT bench said, “The issue involves question of faith and circumstances in which the people live, … It is, therefore, the responsibility of the men who lead, particularly religious leaders, to steer the faith in a direction so as to change the mindset of people practising their faith and make them adopt practices which are environment-friendly.”

The bench did not stop there, however, and went on to add that during traditional methods of cremation, “the forest cover is sacrificed and obnoxious gases emanated from the burning of human mortal remains pollute the air.” Words cannot capture the indecency of this remark, of course. But then again, such lunacy is the hallmark of Indian governance.

In July, however, the NGT refused to entertain a plea that sought a direction for the installation of alternative methods of cremation to reduce air pollution and to control the spread of the Wuhan Coronavirus.

‘No Mantra chanting at Amarnath Cave’

It is another brilliant idea that the NGT came up with in 2017. The NGT declared the Amarnath cave Shrine a ‘silence zone’ and prohibited religious offerings beyond the entry point. Earlier, the NGT had claimed that declaring the area a ‘silence zone’ will help prevent avalanches. “Nobody would be permitted to carry anything from the stairs leading to the holy cave and everybody should be properly frisked at the entry point. From the point of stairs and the area inside the cave should be declared silence zone,” the NGT bench said.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) was not pleased with such antics and labelled it a “Tughlaki fatwa”. Subsequently, the NGT appeared to walk back on its delusional order and ‘clarified’ that there was no ‘silence zone’ had been declared at the Amarnath Cave Shrine.

‘No Chhat Puja at Sarobar Lake’

Kolkata Mayor Firhad Hakim and authorities in West Bengal were running pillar to post in September to ensure that the NGT order banning Chhat Puja at the Rabindra Sarobar lake in Kolkata. However, the NGT rejected the West Bengal government’s plea which proposed to facilitate the Hindu festival at the said place.

Subsequently, the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA) approached the Supreme Court regarding the matter. The Bench has posted the matter for hearing on the 16th of November. It is also pertinent to remember that despite the ban, Hindus had proceeded to stormed inside and offered the Puja at the lake.

How to p*ss Hindus off on Diwali in 18 seconds: Virat Kohli gives a masterclass

OpIndia Staff
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How to p*ss Hindus off on Diwali in 18 seconds: Virat Kohli gives a masterclass

On Diwali day, the most auspicious festival for most Hindus and an occasion that marks the return of Maryada Purshottam Ram to Ayodhya from Vanvaas, several celebrities take to social media platforms to not only wish Hindus but also preach about how the festival should or should not be celebrated. A similar message was posted by Virat Kohli, the captain of the Indian Cricket Team.

In the 18 second video, Virat Kohli said, “A very happy Diwali from me to you and your families. May God bless you with peace, prosperity and happiness this Diwali. Please remember do not burst crackers, protect the environment and have fun at home with your loved ones with a simple Diya and sweets on this auspicious occasion. God bless you all. Take care”.

In a World Cup winning feat, because lets face it, he is not winning many of those these days, Virat Kohli gave a masterclass on how to p*ss Hindus off in 18 seconds flat.

Diwali is an auspicious occasion where every year, celebrities sanctimoniously tell Hindus how they should or should not celebrate their festival and how they should protect the environment. This, while they drive in expensive petrol guzzling SUVs, take chartered flights across the world, play on fields that have been made after cutting several trees, use the air-conditioning, and of course, the list is endless.

While Hindus have taken such preaching lying down for long enough, the sanctimony is getting old and Hindus seem to be losing patience.

As soon as Virat Kohli had tweeted the video, several Netizens proceeded to chastise Kohli and point out his own hypocrisy to him.

While it is entirely possible that Virat Kohli has purposely not won IPL series this season to ensure that no crackers are burst and the environment is protected, it was pointed out by one Netizen that Virat Kohli does not seem to mind when crackers are burst on IPL finals.

Some others pointed out how Kohli owns a fleet of luxury cars like Bentley, Audi etc that guzzle petrol and do more damage to the environment than crackers on Diwali.

Others pointed out that the cricket field he plays on required trees to be cut for it to turn into a field.

Netizens pointed out that how crackers were burst while his wife performed, and he did not seem to mind very much.

Netizens, notably, were simply not happy with Kohli.

It is perhaps time for celebrities to understand that whether they are Bollywood artists or cricketers, they get adulation and admiration for their craft, however, to assume that they can preach to people and get away with their hypocrisy is expecting a bit much.

Rahul Gandhi is God for Congress and its workers: Pramod Krishnam says Obama should admit he is a ‘Modi Bhakt’ after his remarks

OpIndia Staff
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Rahul Gandhi is God for Congress and its workers: Pramod Krishnam says Obama should admit he is a ‘Modi Bhakt’ after his remarks

A day after it was revealed that former US President Barack Obama had made some scathing remarks against Congress scion Rahul Gandhi in his new book, a well-known fake Baba and Congress leader Pramod Krishnam has come out to defend the Gandhi dynast.

In a 45-sec video uploaded on Twitter, Pramod Krishnam questioned whether the former US President is even ‘eligible’ to make comments about the Congress leader. “Did Barack Obama study in the same school as that of Rahul Gandhi? Or was Obama the teacher of Rahul Gandhi? Or did he open a school to hand out certifications of merit to people?” Krishnam inquired.

He further asked, “How did Barack Obama conclude that Rahul Gandhi is dim-wit, incapable and a nervous student?” While patronising the former US President to watch out for his words, Pramod Krishnam emphasised, “Barack Obama must know that Rahul Gandhi is God for Congress and crores of workers… He must either stay within his limits or tell everyone that he has become a blind Modi bhakt.”

The scathing remarks of Barack Obama

“Rahul Gandhi has a nervous, unformed quality about him as if he were a student who’d done the coursework and was eager to impress the teacher but deep down lacked either the aptitude or the passion to master the subject”, Barack Obama had stated in his new book titled,’ A Promised Land.’

According to a book review by the New York Times, the autobiography by Obama is ‘more political than personal’. The book is reportedly is a harsh self-assessment by Obama of his Presidential tenure and his life including his first stirring of social awareness in his teenage years. The book also talks about his VP and the current US President-elect Joe Biden along with various other issues.

Congress party admits the lack of ability and passion in Rahul Gandhi

As soon as the reports about Obama’s critique against Gandhi went viral on the internet, the Congress leaders rushed to defend him by claiming that the assessment of Wayanad MP was not true.

“Obama & Rahul Gandhi must’ve met briefly, probably 8-10 yrs back when he came here as US Pres. To assess someone in few meetings is tough. Rahul Gandhi’s personality has changed since then, he’s gained a lot of experience,” senior Congress leader Tariq Anwar said. Essentially, Tariq Anwar agreed to the assessment made by Barack Obama in his book by admitting that Gandhi had lacked ability and passion to lead his party 8 years ago when he had met US President.

From West Bengal to Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab: Ahead of Diwali, state govts launch ‘crackdown’ against traders for selling firecrackers

OpIndia Staff
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From West Bengal to Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab: Ahead of Diwali, state govts launch ‘crackdown’ against traders for selling firecrackers

Following the arbitrary firecrackers ban announced by the state governments, the respective police forces have been ruthlessly acting against the small businessmen, traders for ‘illegally’ selling the crackers ahead of Deepavali festival.

Launching a massive crackdown, various state governments have carried out raids on traders and seized huge amount of crackers on the pretext of cracker ban causing huge losses to these small businessmen.

West Bengal:

The West Bengal police have been forefront at seizing and carrying out raids at traders selling crackers. The police have seized crackers near Sealdah and Ultadanga railway stations and arrested three persons for selling crackers. Kolkata Police deputy commissioner (central division) Sudhir Kumar said they are carrying out special raids to confiscate fireworks.

“We have already seized a good quantity of crackers and have stepped up vigil to ensure there is no trading in any fireworks this year,” he said.

A team of officers from Burrabazar police station also raided Old China Bazaar and arrested three people for selling firecrackers. “Approximately 122kg of crackers were seized from them,” Kumar said. Similarly, at Duttabad in Bidhannagar City, the West Bengal Police arrested at least two shopkeepers for selling crackers. The shopkeepers pleaded to say that they were just selling the stock that had been purchased before the ban kicked in.

In Bidhannagar, over 200kgs of illegal crackers were seized and five were arrested from Chhainabhi, New Town, Rajarhat and Narayanpur areas on Friday. In Bidhannagar, over 200kgs of illegal crackers were seized and five were arrested from Chhainabhi, New Town, Rajarhat and Narayanpur areas on Friday.

The West Bengal police, who seems to be on high-alert, have created multiple checkpoints at Behala, Taratala, Patuli and Kidderpore to stop crackers from being ‘smuggled’ into the city from the fireworks hubs at Champahati and Nungi in South 24 Parganas. At Anandapur, the police have found 2.5kg of crackers and 1.5kg of gunpowder in gunny bags.

“We are taking all necessary measures possible to prevent sale of crackers in these areas. We are conducting surprise checks and have been regularly holding meetings with representatives of the market committees and the sellers,” said Sudhir Kumar, the deputy commissioner (north division) of Kolkata Police.

Late evening raids were carried out against sellers Canning Street and Old China Bazaar in Kolkatta for selling sparklers, charkhas, flower-pot crackers and shells. The police seized 122kgs of crackers from them.

Uttar Pradesh:

The Uttar Pradesh police have also raided various place across the state to seize a huge amount of firecrackers. On Friday, eight people were arrested in Gurugram for allegedly selling firecrackers in violation of the NGT direction imposing complete ban on the sale and use of crackers in the National Capital Region.

The police have also recovered two bags containing firecrackers and four cases have been registered in connection with the arrests and an investigation is on.

Addition to that, enforcing the ban on selling crackers, the Uttar Pradesh police have recovered crackers from two warehouses in Uttar Pradesh’s Raebareli.

Delhi:

Meanwhile, in the national capital, the Delhi Police on Wednesday said it has seized nearly 1,770 kilos of firecrackers, registered 14 more cases and arrested 11 persons for violating the Delhi government’s and the National Green Tribunal (NGT)’s ban on the sale and use of all kinds of firecrackers in Delhi-NCR till November 30.

The total number of such cases registered since November 7 has risen to 39, while 32 persons have been arrested, including two people for bursting crackers. The Delhi police has said that they have seized 2,794 kg crackers so far.

The raids in Delhi comes after the Delhi government had announced a complete ban on the sale and use of fireworks, including “green varieties”, till November 30.

Punjab:

The Ambala police have recovered eight sacks of illegal crackers from a retailer in the city’s Baans Bazaar on Thursday, FIR on which was lodged at Ambala City police station on Friday.

A police officer, reacting to the seizure of crackers, said, “The man’s negligence could have proved dangerous for nearby residents, as he was selling crackers without licence. We informed duty magistrate Ajay Kumar and raided the shop where we found a huge quantity of crackers”.

Odisha:

In Odisha, the police have raided a manufacturing unit and firecrackers has been seized and sealed in Jalalpur village in Jajpur district of Odisha. The police have seized firecrackers worth lakhs of rupees in Odisha’s Jajpur and arrested a person in this connection.

The police claimed that the firecrackers were being manufactured illegally at the residence of a man identified as Mohan Jena. The accused has been forwarded to court while further investigation is underway.

In state’s capital Bhubaneswar, the police carried out seized crackers worth over Rs 30 lakh from a godown on the outskirts of the city. Jatni police conducted a raid at the godown in Rathipur and seized the crackers from non-licence holders Trilochan Patnaik and Manoj Sahoo who have been arrested.

Despite Coronavirus pandemic, PM Modi keeps up the tradition of spending Diwali with our Jawans, reaches Longewala post in Rajasthan

OpIndia Staff
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Despite Coronavirus pandemic, PM Modi keeps up the tradition of spending Diwali with our Jawans, reaches Longewala post in Rajasthan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who celebrates Diwali each year with Army Jawans, has decided to continue the practice, even in the midst of the Coronavirus pandemic.

On Saturday morning, PM Modi reached the Longewala post, situated at the Rajasthan border, to boost the morale on the jawans who have been staying away from their family during the festive season of Diwali. He has been accompanied by Army Chief General MM Naravane and Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and Border Security Force (BSF) DG Rakesh Asthana. Longewala post is considered a highly strategic army post on the western front with Pakistan where the ‘Battle of Longewala’ took place in 1971.

It must be mentioned that PM Modi has been spending time with Army Jawans on Diwali since 2014. His visit to Longewala also holds significance in light of the recently escalated tensions between India and Pakistan, owing to ceasefire violations.

PM Modi shares Diwali greetings

Earlier on Saturday morning, PM Modi tweeted, “Wishing everyone a Happy Diwali! May this festival further brightness and happiness. May everyone be prosperous and healthy.”

Bharat ki Laxmi movement

Last year, PM Modi had encouraged people to share the stories of inspiring women in their society and neighbourhood who have struggled through odds to set an example for others. In a video, actress Deepika Padukone and Shuttler PV Sindhu also appealed to people to welcome Diwali with sharing the inspiring the stories of India’s ‘Laxmis’, who have enlightened the lives of others with the hashtag #BharatKiLaxmi.

Yogi to rescue: Orders immediate release of firecrackers trader manhandled by police, sends senior officials with sweets to meet daughter

OpIndia Staff
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Yogi to rescue: Orders immediate release of firecrackers trader manhandled by police, sends senior officials with sweets to meet daughter

Diwali this year is again under the shadow of a ban on firecrackers in several states across the country. National Green Tribunal (NGT) passed the orders based on several PILs seeking a ban on firecrackers. There is no scientific proof that firecrackers are among the top reasons for air pollution in heavily polluted states like Delhi. However, Diwali festivities are often vulnerable to misplaced activism such as the one that led to the ban this year.

Amid the firecrackers ban in some districts of Uttar Pradesh, the state police started a drive to take action against illegal sales of the firecrackers. A video went viral where a girl was seen crying as police officials were destroying her father’s shop for selling fireworks in Bulandshahr.

As soon as the video was shared on social media platforms, several netizens tagged Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath, and demanded action against the high-handed police personnel. As expected, the government took cognizance of the video and sent the police officer to the police line for insensitive behaviour with children of the fireworks traders. Senior officials were sent to meet the families of the traders and pacify the situation.

The viral video of a trader being manhandled for selling firecrackers during Diwali

In a widely shared video on social media, a police team was seen vandalizing roadside stalls put up by small-time traders to sell firecrackers. While police officers were destroying the stalls, small kids, children of the sellers, were seen desperately trying to salvage a few firecrackers. They also tried to stop the policemen from destroying and confiscating firecrackers.

The reaction

As soon as the senior officials and UP government learned about the incident, the police officials who destroyed the stalls were sent to the police line. The Superintendent of Police said that after getting information that some people were selling firecrackers illegally, a police team went to the location. They confiscated the firecrackers and detained the seller. He said that the police took this action as the sale and use of firecrackers were banned in the town.

SP Santosh Kumar Singh further added that the small children of the firecracker sellers surrounded the vehicle and started crying. He said that police had been directed to deal with the matter with sensitivity and empathy while following the due process of law. Later, Bulandshahr police tweeted that the head constable Brijbir has been sent to the police line for his insensitive behaviour.

Senior officials visited the family of the traders

Shalabh Mani Tripathi, Information consultant Chief Minister UP, shared information on his official account that CM Yogi Adityanath had ordered to release the traders immediately. SDM Lavi Tripathi and senior police officials visited traders’ homes with sweets and gifts for the children.

The daughter of the trader also said that her father had come back home.

Some pictures of the happy child after her father came back home and UP govt and police officials bought sweets for the family.

UP Police bought Diyas etc. from roadside vendors for Diwali

Several videos have surfaced recently where UP police officials were seen buying earthen lamps (diyas) and other items from the roadside vendors across the state. In Meerut, officials bought diyas from two children who could not sell anything that too on double the price. Tripathi also informed in a tweet about an incident where police officials helped potters and purchased items from them when they brought gifts for the police personnel.

Firecrackers ban is hurting the industry

Air quality in Delhi NCR, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, and other states is dropping continuously since last month due to uncontrolled stubble burning by the farmers. While Punjab had failed miserably to control the stubble burning, UP and Haryana have managed to bring down the numbers by more than 30%. The government has brought new laws to control pollution in the northern states of India. Still, it will take some time to implement them. Meanwhile, after the ban on firecrackers just before Diwali, traders and firecrackers industry are facing the police action and huge losses.

West Bengal Police raids building after residents burst crackers on rooftop, scuffle leaves 5 booked, 2 policemen injured: Details

OpIndia Staff
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West Bengal Police raids building after residents burst crackers on rooftop, scuffle leaves 5 booked, 2 policemen injured: Details

On Thursday night, a scuffle broke out between the Bally police and a few residents of a five-storeyed building, Ashok Vihar in Belur over bursting of crackers despite the recent firecrackers ban.

As per reports, the cops had received a complaint about 20 residents bursting firecrackers on the rooftop of the building. On seeing the cops, several women and children fled from the scene. Many residents stayed back and explained to the police that the firecrackers were a year old and that children wanted to celebrate Diwali by burning the unused firecrackers. When the cops began to seize the existing fireworks and asked the individuals to accompany them to the police station, a scuffle broke out and they were reportedly assaulted by the other residents of the building on the third floor with bamboo and hockey sticks.

During the scuffle, two policemen were injured and were rushed to the hospital. The cops had to call in additional reinforcements from the Howrah police headquarters to control the situation. A total of 11 policemen, including sub-inspectors, assistant sub-inspectors, home guards and constables were attacked. The cops have arrested 5 people, namely, Pawan Gonda, Kisan Gonda, Shivam Gonda, and Rajkumar Gonda and Binod Gonda in connection to the assault.

Accused who were bursting firecrackers and had got into a scuffle with police sent to police custody by a Howrah, Bengal court

Reportedly, the accused were booked for rioting, obstruction of a public servant, defiance of a government servant, attempt to murder and other relevant Sections of the Disaster Management Act. They were sent to police custody by a Howrah court on Friday. It must be mentioned that the charges against the accused can carry up to a maximum punishment of 10 years jail term.

While speaking about the incident, a police officer said, “On the one hand, we have strict directions from the court to implement the ban at any cost and on the other, we are getting assaulted for trying to do our duty. This is very insensitive on behalf of citizens.”

Robert Vadra distributes sanitizers and masks with his own branding to celebrate Diwali

OpIndia Staff
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Robert Vadra distributes sanitizers and masks with his own branding to celebrate Diwali

Ahead of Diwali day, Robert Vadra, the esteemed son-in-law of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, distributed hand sanitizers, surgical masks to the poor people of Delhi. However, the hand sanitisers distributed by Robert Vadra was branded with his own image on the bottle and the Coronavirus masks had his name on it.

Posting images of his ‘social service’ on Facebook, Robert Vadra claimed that this Diwali, like every year, he distributed sweets to the poor on the streets and also travelled around Delhi, Gurgaon and Noida to give colourful masks, sanitizers to the poor people living on the streets, flyovers, temples and hospitals.

“With the coronavirus catching speed all around, these children and elderly people on the streets need to be kept protected, too. Help out and educate them to mask up and keep hygiene, as much as they can,” Vadra added after carrying out his ‘generous’ self-promotion drive.

Robert Vadra took to the streets to celebrate Diwali with poor kids by distributing masks and sanitisers that were branded with his face and name on them.

Here are some of the images shared by Robert Vadra of him distributing masks and sanitisers:
Image Source: Robert Vadra
Image Source: Robert Vadra
Image Source: Robert Vadra

Robert Vadra is under investigation in several cases by probing agencies, which includes money laundering and illegal land deal cases. According to ED, the money laundering case involves payment of Rs 300 crore in a defence deal and USD 10 million received in a petroleum deal. A 1.9 million GBP London based property allegedly owned by Vadra is also a subject of the probe.

Bulandshahr: Action taken against head constable for insensitive behaviour with children of traders arrested for selling firecrackers

OpIndia Staff
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Bulandshahr: Action taken against head constable for insensitive behaviour with children of traders arrested for selling firecrackers

As several state governments have banned firecrackers during this Diwali, giving the twin excuses of pollution and Coronavirus, disturbing visuals of police atrocity emerged from Bulandshahr on Uttar Pradesh. Little kids were seen misbehaved by police officials when the police were arresting their parents for selling firecrackers. After the video went viral on social media condemning the police action, the Bulandshahr police issued a statement, and informed that one policeman has been sent to police line for misbehaving with the children.

In a video widely shared on social media, a police team can be seen vandalising roadside stalls put up by small time traders selling firecrackers. While the police officials are busy destroying the stalls, around half dozen small kids, children of the sellers, are seen desperately trying to salvage a few firecrackers. They try to stop the policemen to stop from destroying and confiscating firecrackers.

After demolishing the stalls, the police arrested the sellers for selling firecrackers violating ban on its sale, and put them into a police vehicle. In the video, one little girl runs up to the vehicle, in an attempt to request the officer sitting in the car to request to leave her father, who was arrested by police, but her requests are ignored. Towards the end of the video, one police officer is seen pushing the little girl away.

The police officers also beat the people present there who had protested against the demolition drive.

After the video went viral on social media, Bulandshahr Police posted a statement on Twitter. The Superintendent of police said that after getting information that some people were illegally selling firecrackers, a police team went to the location, confiscated the firecrackers and detained the sellers. He said that the police took this action as the sale and use of firecrackers have been in the town.

SP Santosh Kumar Singh added that during this incident, small children of the firecracker sellers surrounded the vehicle, and started crying. He said that police have been directed to deal with the matter with sensitivity and empathy, while following the due process of law.

Later Bulandshahr tweeted to inform that head constable Brijbir has been sent to police line for insensitive behaviour towards the children while arresting the unauthorised firecracker sellers.

It may be noted that the Uttar Pradesh govt had banned sale and use of firecrackers in 13 pollution hit districts, and Bulandshahr is among them.

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