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“We converted the losers into winners”: Rawalpindi Commissioner admits rigging under his watch in Pakistan elections, resigns in protest

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Amid the federal government formation hitting a stalemate in Pakistan after a fractured general election mandate, Commissioner Rawalpindi Division Liaquat Ali Chatta on Saturday resigned from his post in protest against electoral irregularities, especially rigging, The News International reported.

According to the report, the Commissioner held a press conference at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium in which he tendered his resignation, saying that he had done injustice to the people of Rawalpindi Division.

He admitted that “rigging” took place in Rawalpindi Division and took responsibility for it.

“We converted the losers into winners with 50,000 votes margin,” he claimed and surrendered himself before the police.

“I apologize to the returning officers of my division,” he said, adding that his subordinates were crying about what they were directed to do.

Chattha claimed that even today the election staff are affixing fake stamps on the ballot papers.

“We wronged the country…I should be executed in Rawalpindi’s Kachehri Chowk” he lamented.

Stressing that he was under pressure from social media and overseas Pakistanis, the official revealed that he even attempted suicide this morning, The Express Tribune reported.

Meanwhile, the Punjab government has rejected the allegation of rigging by the senior official.

Speaking to Geo News, Caretaker Information Minister Amir Mir said that this is neither a revelation nor a confession of the crime, this is a claim and an allegation to harm the credibility of the elections.

He said that he strongly rejects the allegations made by Chatta.

Mir said that the person who talks about suicide can only be a psychopath, adding that Chatta was heading towards retirement on March 13.

“A few weeks before his retirement, he is making a political stunt. I think he wants to pursue a political career,” he added.

When asked about the claims Chatta made about people working under him crying on the day of the elections, Mir said that the media did not see anyone crying.

“The things he is saying, can a normal person make these claims? Especially a person who is appointed to a commissioner’s post. Why did he not come out on the day of the election when all of this was happening? Why did he remember this 10 days after the elections?” he questioned.

Rawalpindi Commissioner Liaquat Ali Chattha has said that “stabbing the country in its back does not let” him sleep.

“I should be punished for the injustice I have done and others who were involved in this injustice should also be punished,” he told reporters in Rawalpindi.

Meanwhile, following the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) announcement to protest demonstration in the capital, the Islamabad Deputy Commissioner refused to grant permission to hold protests on Saturday, as reported by ARY News.

The administration rejected the PTI’s application, maintaining that demonstrations cannot be allowed given Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) which is in force in the capital city.

Further, the administration has also asked the citizens to avoid getting involved in any political gathering, according to Geo News.”Islamabad police should take action against those participating in the protest demonstration,” it added.

The Imran Khan-led party PTI called for nationwide protests today against “rigging” in the 2024 general elections.


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

Tamil Nadu bans cotton candy over presence of cancer-causing chemicals

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A beloved childhood treat has come under fire in Tamil Nadu, with the state banning the sale of cotton candy after tests revealed the presence of a harmful chemical dye. This dye, Rhodamine-B, is commonly used in textiles but poses serious health risks when ingested, including cancer.

The alarm bells were first rung by Puducherry Lieutenant Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, who raised concerns about the safety of cotton candy sold in the Union Territory. Subsequent tests confirmed the presence of Rhodamine-B in samples, leading to a ban in Puducherry. Soon after, Tamil Nadu followed suit, with an analysis of samples collected from the Chennai lab also revealing the presence of the toxic dye.

Rhodamine-B is a synthetic dye primarily used for industrial purposes, such as colouring leather and paper. It is not approved for use in food due to its potential health hazards. Exposure to Rhodamine-B can cause a range of immediate and long-term health problems. Its immediate health hazards include fullness, itching, breathing problems, and stomach upset. Its long-term health hazards include kidney damage, liver damage, non-healing ulcers, cancer, and neurotoxicity.

The presence of Rhodamine-B in cotton candy came to light through routine food safety inspections. In Chennai, raids were conducted following Puducherry’s ban, targeting vendors and production units. Samples confiscated during these raids were analysed at the Government Food Analysis Laboratory, confirming the presence of the harmful dye.

Responding to the alarming findings, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Ma. Subramanian declared a ban on the sale of cotton candy in the state. He stated that using Rhodamine-B as a food additive violates the Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and directed strict action against offenders.

The ban has left cotton candy sellers in a quandary. While they acknowledge the importance of using safe ingredients, they also raise concerns about the difficulty of differentiating permitted colouring agents from harmful ones. The health department is considering a complete ban on colours in cotton candy, making it an even tougher situation for vendors.

Doctors and food safety officials have warned against the dangers of consuming Rhodamine-B. Physician Dr Shrey Srivastav said, “It doesn’t matter if a person consumes a small or large quantity, Rhodamine B is poison and it will have the same effects regardless of the amount consumed. Apart from carcinogens, It has numerous neurological side effects, including confusion and memory loss, which manifest slowly over time. Not only children but also adults should never consume anything containing this food colouring.”

Nakul Kamal Nath removes Congress from X (Twitter) bio amid speculation of quitting party to join BJP, Digvijay Singh denies media reports

On Saturday (17th January), social media is rife with speculations that Congress may suffer another major defection after the three senior party leaders quit Congress in Maharashtra. Notably, there has been strong media buzz that Nakul Kamal Nath, son of Former Madhya Pradesh CM Kamal Nath could quit Congress and join the BJP.

According to some rumours, former MP CM Kamal Nath could also quit the Congress party. However, in an attempt to put media reports to rest, party colleague and senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh has denied speculations regarding Nakul Nath as just “breaking news hunting”. 

Earlier in the day, the speculations of Nakul Nath’s possible desertion from Congress gained strength when he removed the party name from his X (formerly Twitter) bio. 

This came a day after Madhya Pradesh BJP chief VD Sharma said that several Congress leaders were ‘pained’ by the decision of the Congress leadership to reject the invitation for the Ram Mandir Pran Pratishtha. 

Sharma added that the BJP will keep doors open for all those who are ‘pained’ by the Congress party and want to work under the leadership of PM Modi for the development of the country, including for Kamal Nath. 

Furthermore, Nakul Nath along with his father Kamal Nath has reportedly left for New Delhi signalling major political development in the region.

During a press conference, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh was asked about reports that Kamal Nath could join BJP. In response, the Senior Congress leader Singh rejected media reports as mere stories for breaking news only. He denied these reports claiming that a person who started his political career with the Nehru-Gandhi family can’t leave the Gandhi family.  

Digvijay Singh said, “…I had a conversation with Kamal Nath ji last night. He is in Chhindwara. He is the person who started his political career with the Nehru-Gandhi family…You cannot expect that person to leave Sonia Gandhi and Indira Gandhi’s families…”

Pertinent to note that following the defeat of the Congress party in Madhya Pradesh, a large section within the Congress party and its ecosystem had blamed Kamal Nath for the party’s failure. They alleged that he went against the party’s leadership and participated in Hanumat Katha by Bagheswar Dham Peethadeshwar Dhirendra Krishna Shastri, took the party on the path of soft Hindutva, and didn’t raise the issue of ‘caste census’ prominently. 

‘Jihadis like Rakibul get courage from people like you’: Tara Shahdeo slams Ravish Kumar for promoting a book by his ex-colleagues that calls love jihad ‘fiction’

On Friday, February 17, National shooter Tara Shahdeo took to X (formally Twitter) to slam ex-NDTV employee Ravish Kumar for promoting a book by his ex-colleagues named: Love Jihad and other fictions. The book is co-authored by the ‘Chota Mota Blast’ fame controversial ex-NDTV anchor Sreenivasan Jain and his colleagues and ex-NDTV employees Mariyam Alavi and Supriya Sharma.

The book’s title makes it abundantly evident that the authors, like other left-liberal elites, have tried to dismiss the Love Jihad phenomenon—in which Muslim men prey on defenceless Hindu women, seduce and deceive them, force them to convert to Islam against their will, torture and rape them, and then either kill or leave them—by calling it fiction in their book.

Tara Shahdeo, who has herself fallen victim to this dangerous ploy, reacted to Ravish Kumar’s post by writing in Hindi which roughly translates to, “I used to wonder where jihadis like Rakibul, who tortured me physically and mentally to convert me to Islam #lovejihad, get the strength to commit such atrocities, but now I realize that it’s from people like you.”

The National Shooter tagged ex-NDTV anchor Sreenivasan Jain and his colleagues Mariyam Alavi and Supriya Sharma, the co-authors of the book, which Ravish Kumar was promoting in his post.

As much as the leftist and the liberal intelligentsia would like to disregard it and pass it off as a figment of the imagination of the right wing, the phenomenon of Love jihad or Grooming jihad is real and rapidly expanding its reach across the world. The pain and the atrocities of the vulnerable Hindu women in the hands of their Muslim perpetrators are real. The dead bodies are also real and the threat is imminent.

In fact, Tara Shahdeo is one such lady who had fallen prey to this vicious ploy, in which well-trained Muslim men entice vulnerable Hindu girls and women into accepting their subjugation at the hands of these men.

Her case dates back to the year 2014 when the victim wedded Rakib-ul Hasan on 7 July, as per Hindu customs. Rakib-ul Hasan had posed as Ranjit Kohli to trap the national-level shooter. However, on the second day of their union, Rakib-ul Hasan and Mustaque Ahmad, who served as the registrar of vigilance at the time, began pressuring the national-level shooter to become a Muslim and do Nikaah (Islamic marriage).

After discovering that her husband was a Muslim, the victim filed a complaint against Rakib-ul Hasan and his mother with the Hindpidhi police station on August 19, 2014, under sections 498A (subjecting a woman to cruelty by husband or his family for property) and 34 (committing any criminal act involving two or more persons with common intention) of the Indian Penal Code.

She alleged that her husband misrepresented his faith and misled her into marrying him. She also accused him of tormenting her for refusing to accept Islam. Mustaque Ahmad was stated as having conspired with the two to torture and force her to convert under duress. He was the previous Jharkhand High Court registrar (vigilance).

“Rakib convinced Tara to marry him by pretending to be a Hindu. After the solemnization of the marriage, he tried to forcibly convert her for a nikah ceremony. When she refused, Tara was confined to her home and subjected to atrocities for several days. The police eventually rescued her,” revealed her attorney who assisted the national agency in the case.

Khushar Rani meanwhile threatened the national shooter that if she failed to convert her religion to Islam, partners in her bed would keep changing.

Tara Shahdeo was sternly warned not to apply sindoor or else her hands would be broken. Multiple Muslim clerics were called to convert her. She suffered severe beatings when she refused. She was threatened with the murder of not just herself but even her family members if she disclosed the torture she was enduring to anyone. The culprits also made dowry demands from her.

Her oppression continued for a month before she decided to break free. There were cigarette marks on her body and she was hospitalized after she was saved. Rakib-ul Hasan confessed to physically assaulting her but denied compelling her to change her religion.

The CBI took up the investigation in 2015, following a Jharkhand High Court decision, and a case was filed in Delhi.

Tara Shahdeo’s protracted fight for justice was fructified in October of last year when the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Court announced harsh punishments for her subjugators. The CBI pronounced punishment of life imprisonment for her ex-husband Rakib-ul Hasan and ten years imprisonment for his mother Kaushar Rani. The then registrar of the High Court Mustaque Ahmed, accused of conspiring, had also been sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.

Uttar Pradesh: Javed Shaikh who was caught with 4 time bombs reveals he supplied 200 bombs to Imrana for use in 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots

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Uttar Pradesh Police’s Special Task Force (STF) and Intelligence Bureau (IB) arrested a man named Javed Shaikh along with one of his companions from Muzaffarnagar’s Khalapar neighbourhood along with four time bombs on 16th February in a joint operation. Javed Shaikh had earlier revealed that a Muzaffarnagar resident by the name of Imrana gave the order to produce the explosive in exchange for money and the UP STF is now searching for her. His connection to Nepal was also disclosed when it was discovered that his mother was from the country.

According to evidence obtained by authorities during the investigation, this was not the first time Imrana got bombs made by Jadev. Imrana had ordered over 200 of these bombs in 2013 during the violence in Muzaffarnagar and distributed them during the unrest. The UP STF is digging into her motivation for commissioning the bottle timer bombs. The agencies conducted raids in Muzaffarnagar to catch her but she was not found there. Notably, the precise location and date of these explosives’ intended usage are only known to Imarana.

In addition to the bombs, other items recovered within the container belonging to the accused included cotton, POP, gunpowder (999) and small iron bullets. During the interrogation, he informed the authorities that Imrana told him to make the bombs for an amount of Rs 50,000. Furthermore, she already paid him Rs 10,000 and the rest of the money was to be handed over upon delivery but he was caught while he was on his way to provide her with the bombs.

The inquiry further revealed that Javed Shaikh learned to make bombs from his uncle Mohammad Arshi who lives in the Kotwali Nagar area of Ramleela Teela Police Station on Mimlana Road in Muzaffarnagar and makes fire crackers. He also utilised the assistance of the internet and YouTube videos to build the bombs.

The perpetrator confessed that the bombs were improvised explosive device (IED) bottle bombs, packed with cotton, POP, iron pellets, and gunpowder (999). He unveiled that he purchased iron nails from bicycle shops, glucose bottles from doctors and watchmaking equipment from watch stores.

“Two accused were arrested in Muzaffarnagar and four IEDs were recovered from them. All of these could be triggered through a remote control or timer. Those who built these bombs and have been arrested had built similar bombs and distributed them during the Muzaffarnagar riots. Both these accused are being questioned,” declared Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General of Police, Law & Order and state STF chief Amitabh Yash.

‘RTI activist’ claims India signed ‘nil’ MoUs and got zero investments during World Economic Forum meeting. Here is the missing context

A month after the conclusion of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) at Davos in Switzerland, an Indian ‘RTI activist’ by the name of Ajay Bose has been spreading canards about the Modi government.

In a tweet (archive) on Friday (17th February) morning, he alleged that the Indian embassy in Switzerland has claimed that zero Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were signed and zero investments were banked by India at WEF 2024.

At the time of writing, the tweet was shared 1.6K times and liked by 2.8K users. Bose claimed that a cost of ₹54.63 lakhs was incurred by the taxpayers to send Union Cabinet Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw, Hardeep Puri, Ashwini Vaishnaw and 12 senior government officials to the World Economic Forum.

The RTI ‘activist’ thus insinuated that India’s participation at the global event was somehow a waste of taxpayers’ money and that the country did not benefit in the end despite spending ₹54.63 lakhs on the trip to Davos.

It must be mentioned that the question asked by Ajay Bose was aimed at the Union of India. Total number of MoUs signed by Government of India during WEF Conference held at Davos(Switzerland) in January 2024,” it read.

The response from the Indian Embassy in Switzerland stated, “Nil”. It added that the name and the total worth of each MoU is ‘Nil (Not Applicable).’

The missing context

However, it is in complete contrast to what Ajay Bose had been trying to insinuate through his tweet.

Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs), which are non-binding in nature, are not signed by the Union of India at WEF. They are signed by individual Indian States with various companies and business firms.

During the recent annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, the Indian State of Maharashtra signed MoUs totalling ₹3.53 lakh crores (USD 44 billion). It also received an expression of interest for more than ₹1 lakh crore investment.

At the same time, the Congress-ruled State of Karnataka signed 8 MoUs worth ₹23000 crores with global companies. Another Congress-ruled State of Telangana clinched investments worth ₹36500 crores from both national and international firms.

As such, MoUs were not signed with the Union government (aka Union of India) but with individual States. A similar trend followed in 2023 and 2022 as well. Hence, the claims by Ajay Bose is misleading.

Return on Investment

The ‘RTI activist’ attempted to stir an uproar over the expenditure of ₹54,63,016 incurred by the Indian embassy in Switzerland for hosting 3 Union Cabinet Ministers and 12 senior government employees.

The per head cost thus comes to around ₹3.62 lakhs, which is a reasonable amount after considering the location (Davos in Switzerland), accommodation facilities and hospitality.

India took centre stage in discussions about clean energy, Artificial Intelligence (AI) governance, expansion of bilateral and multilateral ties with developing nations, economic growth and upholding democratic principles.

Maharashtra, Telangana and Karnataka secured heavy investments from both Indian and global companies, thus making India’s participation at World Economic Forum in Davos successful and worth each penny.

Islamists, Congress and AIMIM trend hashtag ‘arrest Vandana Singh’ on X, blaming the Nainital DM for Haldwani violence by local Islamists

Islamists on X are demanding the arrest of Nainital District Magistrate (DM) Vandana Singh holding her responsible for Haldwani violence even as a Muslim mob went on a rampage against the state machinery in the Banbhoolpura area on 8th February.

Islamists on social media are now demanding the arrest of the DM over the demolition of an illegal structure which was being used as a madrassa by local Muslims even as the property was not registered as such in government records.

Moreover, radical Islamist news outlets like “Millat Times”, YouTube channel “Nafrat Decode” have been sharing videos of statements issued by a so-called fact-finding team.

The Islamist calls against DM Vandana Singh started after a “fact-finding” team of members of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR) including Nadeem Khan and Mohammad Mobashir Aneek; Harsh Mander of Islamist outfit Karwan-e-Mohabbat; Dr Navsharan Singh, Ashok Sharma, Kumar Nikhil and “civil rights activist” Zahid Qadri.

A member of the team, Nadeem Khan has accused the DM of not wanting to talk to Muslim ulemas and held her and the municipal commissioner responsible.

Among those calling for Vandana Singh’s arrest is the general secretary of the minority cell of Delhi Congress, Mohammad Sameer. Islamists are also claiming that the mosque in Banbhoolpura was demolished by the DM under pretences.

Another video of a Muslim cleric is going viral where he can be heard telling the the local media that he did not receive any call from the DM. AIMIM spokesperson Waris Pathan tweeted this video and accused the DM of lying.

These unfounded allegations by the sophisticated fact-finding team representing the Islamist mob in Banbhoolpura against DM Vandana Singh have been made after her press briefing on 9th February where she detailed the sequence of events leading to the violence.

Singh had categorically stated that the structure in Banbhoolpura was not a registered madrassa in government records but only occupied as such. Moreover, she had said that discussions were held with all stakeholders before the demolition and time was also given to the opposing parties to present proof of ownership of the said structure which was not done.

A petition was then filed in the HC against the demolition, however, the request for a stay was rejected by the court following which the demolition drive was conducted by the civic body.

At this time, Singh said, the mob had gathered stones, petrol bombs and arms to hurl and fire at the state authorities present at the demolition site. These were collected between the period of 31st January and 8th February, the DM said. To prove this, she also shared a drone footage of the rooftops in Banbhoolpura before 31st January where no large amounts of stones or such arms can be seen.

Madhya Pradesh: Wife of rape accused allegedly gang-raped, set ablaze by victim’s family

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On Saturday (17th February), a shocking incident came to light from Madhya Pradesh’s Morena district where the wife of a rape accused was allegedly gang-raped and set ablaze by the accuser’s family. The Police said that the wife of a rape accused was allegedly gang-raped by three men and set afire. The victim is currently hospitalised and her condition is said to be critical as she has sustained over 80% burns. The survivor woman was referred to Gwalior Hospital where she is undergoing advanced medical treatment.

As per reports, the incident took place in Chandpur village of Ambah police station area of ​​Morena district. The victim, in her complaint to the police, has alleged that she was gang-raped by three men, after which petrol was poured on her and she was set ablaze. Notably, she gave her statement in an ambulance on the way to the hospital.

According to the police, a woman had accused the survivor woman’s husband of raping her. The survivor woman had gone to the complainant woman’s house in Chandrapur to work out a settlement. However, when she reached the complainant’s home, she was trapped and gang-raped. When she tried to run away, she was trailed by the accused who allegedly included the accuser woman. They then grabbed her, doused her in petrol, and set her on fire.

The survivor woman’s husband named Suresh Jatav is out on bail after he was accused of rape. He has given his statement before the police and further investigation is underway.

Regarding the case, Amba police station in-charge Alok Parihar said that in January, a rape case was registered against the victim’s husband on the complaint of a woman from Chandpur village. He was recently released from jail.

The victim had gone to work out a settlement with the woman who had accused her husband of rape. But there, she was caught by three people and was allegedly gang-raped. 

In her police statement, the survivor woman alleged that when she started running away, the complainant woman, her aunt, and her father poured petrol on her, setting her on fire. 

The victim gave a statement to her husband in the ambulance, in which she made the allegations. A video of the statement has surfaced where she accuses three people from Chandpur village of gang-raping her. The police have started investigating this matter.

Bihar: Mob throws stone and damages Saraswati idol during immersion; sparks violent clashes, stone pelting and firing between two communities

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On Friday, February 16, violent clashes broke out between two communities in the Lodipur village in Bihar’s Bhagalpur district. The incident took place after members of a particular community allegedly threw stones and damaged the idol of Goddess Saraswati which was being taken for immersion. 

This triggered an argument between members of both communities and within no time, the situation escalated and both sides started pelting stones at each other. Gunshots were also fired during the clashes. Though the police said that only one person was injured, ABP News quoted Saurabh Kumar, who was part of the Hindu procession saying that as many as 10 to 12 people who were part of the procession were injured in the violence.

Saurabh Kumar, who was also injured in the incident, confirmed that the Hindus were taking the Saraswati idol for immersion from the Sabalpur village in Bhagalpur to the banks of the Ganga river. When the Hindu procession reached the Lodipur village, the head of the Tabalpur village along with some of his goons suddenly started throwing stones at the idol and the Hindus who were participating in the procession. Kumar added that the Saraswati idol was broken and around 10 to 12 Hindus were severely injured as a result of the fierce stone pelting that came from the other side.

The situation quickly escalated as the two communities engaged in clashes using stones to attack each other. Many rounds of gunshots were also fired during the clash. Several shops in the area were vandalised.

As soon as the information reached the police City SP Raj, CT DSP Ajay Kumar Chaudhary, SDM Dhananjay Kumar along with police from six police stations and a large number of riot control forces quickly reached the scene and brought the situation under control.

The area has been converted into a police cantonment with additional forces being deployed. Though the atmosphere is still sensitive and tense the situation remains normal. the police are looking into the CCTV footage to identify the culprits.

Speaking about the incident, SDM Dhananjay Kumar said, “A clash broke out during the immersion of the Saraswati idol, in which one person was injured. Given the tense situation, an additional police force has been appointed. CCTV footage is being scrutinized and strict action will be taken against the culprits. People are urged not to fall for any kind of rumours that might be spread through social media.”

Meanwhile, a similar clash between two communities during the immersion of the Saraswati idol has also been reported from the Darbhanga district of Bihar. Speaking about the clash DM Rajeev Roshan said, “A clash broke out between two communities during idol immersion under Bahera police station. Officers reached the spot and brought the situation under control. The people involved in it were identified.” Investigation is being carried out. There has been stone pelting between the two communities. At present there is no report of any injury. Some people have been detained.”

Clashes during Saraswati idol immersion in Jharkhand

On Friday (16th February), violence erupted in the Nagri area in Ranchi of Jharkhand as stones were pelted during a Hindu procession when it reached near a religious place. The situation quickly escalated as the two communities engaged in clashes using stones and sticks to attack each other. Meanwhile, the police have denied unverified claims that shots were also fired, and imposed section 144 of the CrPC. More than half a dozen people from both sides were injured in the violence.

A similar incident also took place in Chongakhar village of Udaipura panchayat of Madhupur in Jharkhand where stones were pelted on an idol immersion procession after a clash erupted between two groups on Friday evening. Two dozen people were injured in this incident. As soon as the information was received, the police force of several police stations reached the spot and the situation was calmed down. The police administration provided security and conducted immersion rituals.

According to police, the devotees were going to Gondlitand Pond to immerse the idol taken on a cart from Chongakhar. During this time, some people standing near a religious place opposed to playing music. There was a dispute about this. Security forces are deployed in the village.

Farmers’ protest disrupts supply chain, vegetable prices could see a spike in Delhi

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Vegetable prices in Delhi could be headed for a rise as farmers’ protests disrupt supply chains, according to a trader at Ghazipur Mandi as the farmers’ protests continued for the fifth day.

A trader reported a Rs 4 increase in carrot prices over the past 15 days due to supply issues from Punjab. He expressed concern that further disruptions caused by the ongoing protests could lead to price hikes for other vegetables as well.

The vegetable trader at Ghazipur mandi said, “The price of carrots has gone up by Rs 4 in the last 15 days after supply from Punjab was disrupted following farmers’ protest. This could lead to a rise in the price of vegetables. This issue between the farmers and the government should end soon.”

The Samyukta Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Kisan Mazdoor Morcha have given a “Delhi Chalo” call to press the BJP-led Centre to accept their demands. Farmers from Punjab began their march to the national capital on Tuesday but were stopped by security personnel at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana.

The protesting farmers have been camping at the border points since the start of the March on Tuesday, February 13.

However, another trader at the market offered a more optimistic outlook, stating that there has been no immediate impact on vegetable prices so far.

Speaking on the possible impact on prices of vegetables due to road blockages because of ongoing farmers’ protests, another vegetable trader at Delhi’s Ghazipur Mandi said, “There is no impact on the prices of vegetables currently. If protests continue and there are more road blockages, then the supply of vegetables from UP, Ganganagar, Pune, etc. may get affected leading to a possible hike in the price of some vegetables.”

A vegetable seller in Ghazipur further corroborated the current stability in prices, confirming that trucks carrying vegetables are arriving in Delhi on schedule without any disruptions.

“The trucks carrying vegetables are reaching Delhi on time without any disruptions till now. The vegetable prices have not been affected so far.” Said a vegetable seller at the Ghazipur wholesale market.

The security forces deployed at the Shambhu Border continued to resist the agitating farmers attempting to enter the national capital as the protests entered their fifth day on Saturday.

Hundreds of farmers and some journalists have been injured as the protestors clashed with the police many a time trying to break the multi-layer barricades.

A third round of talks with the central government ended in a stalemate on Thursday, amid the standoff between the protestors and security personnel on the Punjab-Haryana border. Another round of talks will be held on Sunday.