In major defence procurement decisions, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) today (30 November) approved the procurement of several defence acquisitions, including Tejas Light Combat Aircraft 1A and Light Combat Helicopter from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The DAC under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Sing, accorded approval in respect of Acceptance of Necessity (AoNs) for various Capital Acquisition Proposals amounting to ₹2.23 lakh crore.
98% of the total procurement worth ₹2.20 lakh crore will be from domestic sources. This will give a substantial boost to the Indian Defence Industry towards the aim of achieving the goal of ‘Aatmanirbharta’, said a statement by the ministry.
The DAC accorded AoNs for procurement of Light Combat Helicopter (LCH) for Indian Air Force (IAF) & Indian Army and Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Mk 1A for IAF from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category.
97 LCA Mk 1A will be procured for ₹65,000 crore, while 156 LCH Prachand choppers will be purchased. DAC also approved the upgradation of 84 Su-30 MKI Aircraft indigenously by HAL. These three projects will cost ₹1.6 lakh crore. It is notable that an order worth ₹ 36,468 crore for delivery of 83 LCA Mk 1A aircraft was already placed with HAL earlier and delivery is scheduled to begin by February 2024.
After all the ordered jets are delivered by HAL, LCA Tejas will be the largest fleet of fighter aircraft to be operated by the Indian Air Force in the coming years.
The defence ministry said that while procurement of these equipment will provide enormous strength to the IAF, acquisition from domestic defence industries will take the indigenous capability to a new height. It will also reduce dependability on foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) substantially.
Other then the aircrafts, the DAC accorded the AoN for procurement of two types of Anti-tank Munitions namely, Area Denial Munition (ADM) Type – 2 and Type-3, which are capable of neutralising Tanks and Armoured personnel carriers and enemy personnel.
To replace the Indian Field Gun (IFG), which has completed its service life, AoN for procurement of state-of-the-art Towed Gun System (TGS) has been granted which will become a mainstay of Artillery forces of Indian Army. The AoN was also accorded for 155 mm Nubless projectile for use in 155 mm Artillery guns which will enhance lethality and safety of the projectiles. All these equipment of the Indian Army will be procured under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category.
The AoN for procurement and integration of Automatic Target Tracker (ATT) and Digital Basaltic Computer (DBC) for T-90 Tanks under Buy (India) category have also been accorded which will help in maintaining combative edge of T-90 tanks over adversary platforms.
The AoN for procurement of Medium Range Anti-Ship Missiles (MRAShM) for surface platform of Indian Navy under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category has also been accorded. The MRAShM is envisaged as a lightweight Surface-to-Surface Missile which will be a primary offensive weapon onboard Indian Naval Ships.
Apart from the procurement approvals, the DAC also accorded approval for a major amendment in the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020. It has been decided that henceforth, in all categories of procurement cases, minimum 50% of indigenous content shall be in the form of material, components & software that are manufactured in India.
For the purpose of calculation of Indigenous content, cost of Annual Maintenance Contract (AMC)/Comprehensive Maintenance Contract (CMC)/After Sale Service shall be excluded.
Also, the DAC has taken decision to further encourage start-ups/MSMEs participation in the defence ecosystem. For all procurement cases with AoN cost upto Rs 300 crore, registered MSMEs and recognised start-ups will be considered for issue of Request for Proposal (RFP) without any stipulation of financial parameters, which can further be relaxed with approval of Defence Procurement Board (DPB) for AoN cost upto Rs 500 crore on case-to-case basis.
The world’s largest retailer, Walmart, is increasingly turning towards India for imports while reducing its dependence on China. The shift aims to lower costs and diversify the supply chain. As per a Reuters report, the data from Import Yeti revealed that between January 2023 and August 2023, 25 per cent of US imports were from India. If we compare it to 2018, the number was just 2 per cent back then. During the same period, the imports from China were at 60 per cent which is 80 per cent lesser compared to 2018.
Notably, the import costs from China are on the rise. Furthermore, the political tension between the US and China has prompted major US companies to explore alternative options, including India, Thailand and Vietnam.
Walmart’s Executive Vice President of Sourcing, Andrea Albright, recently emphasised the need for supply chain resilience in a statement. Albright cited the constant challenges of natural disasters, shortage of raw materials and geopolitical concerns to back the strategic change in the source of imports.
Reports suggest India has become a focal point for the company’s manufacturing endeavours. Not to forget, Walmart acquired a 77 per cent stake in Indian e-commerce from Flipkart, intensifying its presence in the Indian market. By 2027, Walmart aims to import USD 10 billion of goods annually from India. Currently, it is importing USD 3 billion worth of goods every year.
The imports from India include various goods, including pharmaceuticals, packaged food, pasta, dry grains, and bicycles. India h, as an experienced and complex working workforce, adds to the technological advancements that position it as a favourably large-scale and low-cost manufacturing hub. The changes in India’s image as a manufacturing hub have made it a potential and attractive alternative to China.
Walmart’s relationship with India is not limited to trade—the company employs around 1,00,000 people there. In May 2023, Walmart’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Doug McMillon met India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed the company’s commitment to supporting the country’s manufacturing growth.
Walmart is one of many companies shifting to be an import hub to India. As per the reports, companies like Amazon are also looking at the possibilities of merchandise exports from India in the coming years.
From a business point of view, China is becoming a headache for enterprises like Walmart. There has been a sharp increase in China’s shipping and labour costs. Furthermore, the vulnerabilities exposed by events like the COVID-19 pandemic have forced the companies to look for alternatives.
Amid global uncertainties, Walmart’s move towards India aligns with the company’s commitment to a diversified and resilient supply chain.
A case of vandalism in a temple has been reported at the Reechpal Gadhi village near Noida. Broken idols of deities were discovered by the police who suspect that the accused were in an inebriated state.
The police found empty alcohol bottles near the temple which raised suspicion that the accused may have been in an inebriated state when they vandalised the temple.
Reports claim that some clothes and linen in the temple were also set on fire.
Reports quoting additional DSP (Central Noida) Hridesh Kathariya stated that new idols have been installed in the temple. “Local police received information that idols in a temple in Reechpal Gadhi village have been vandalised. New idols have been installed.”
He added, “During the initial probe, the police found some empty liquor bottles near the temple, indicating that some intoxicated miscreants might have been involved in the act of vandalism.”
A case has been filed in the Bisrakh Police Station against unidentified accused and a police team has been formed to nab the accused. The police are also sifting through CCTV footage.
A 71-year-old yoga guru from Romania named Gregorian Bivolaru and forty of his followers were apprehended by the French police during an early-morning raid on 28 November. The leader and members of the tantric yoga organisation were caught on allegations of brainwashing female adherents for the purpose of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. Gregorian Bivolaru is a citizen of both Romania and Sweden.
The name of the sect is Atman Yoga Federation which is also known as the Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute (MISA). Its self-styled spiritual leader Gregorian Bivolaru was taken into custody at a residence in Ivry-sur-Seine, close to Paris. He is a well-known author and yoga instructor throughout the world. With its main office located in England, the Atman Federation offers yoga classes and teacher training.
The massive operation involved 175 police officers and resulted in the release of 26 women some of whom had complained they were being detained against their will. According to one account, the women had been “kept in deplorable conditions” which were cramped and dirty. The action transpired in Paris, Seine-et-Marne, Val-de-Marne and the Alpes-Maritimes.
According to a French official, an inquiry into him and the yoga federation was started after claims of psychological manipulation and sexual abuse within the organisation had appeared. Former members of the group reportedly told authorities about the offences. French officials have charged the accused with human trafficking, organised kidnapping, rape and systematic abuse of frailty by cult members.
On behalf of Finnish authorities, Gregorian Bivolaru was wanted for suspected aggravated human trafficking. The international police organisation Interpol had also issued a notice for his arrest. However, his websites and those of the Atman Federation alleged that he is the target of a vast conspiracy aimed at undermining him.
This photo shows the red notice of Gregorian Bipolar on the Interpol website.
Prosecutors in France started looking into the group in the summer on charges of kidnapping, rape, and human trafficking. People were allegedly forced to engage in sexual activity and give pornographic performances. The operation went after multiple places that the group allegedly used to indoctrinate and force women into engaging in sexual activities. According to French authorities, the places were called “ashrams” and housed women chosen by Gregorian Bivolaru to receive initiation into tantric yoga.
A judicial source unveiled, “The aim of the yoga training courses was to get people to take part in sexual and/or physical activities in conditions that made it possible at that stage to characterise the offence of trafficking in human beings.”
Shocking origins of Gregorian Bivolaru and his outfit
In 2013, Gregorian Bivolaru was found guilty of having sex with a minor in Romania. He was living in France at the time and in 2016 he was extradited back to his native nation. However, in 2017, he escaped from Romania after being granted a conditional release. When he began teaching yoga in 1978, the practice was still forbidden in his country due to the communist government.
He started his dark cult in the 1990s and promoted “erotic tantric yoga” to expand his followers outside of the nation. Since then, MISA has established schools under various names in nearly 30 countries. The institutions are called Satya in India, Tara in the United States and the United Kingdom and Natha in Denmark and Portugal.
He wrote about achieving “a whole series of psycho-mental accomplishments that are generally considered paranormal” as a teenager in a book about tantric yoga that was published in 2010. However, there have been disputes surrounding the movement in the past. The cult was implicated in “porno-yoga” incidents in Argentina and India in 2011, while the group was accused of sexual slavery in Italy in 2012.
Gregorian Bivolaru opened his cult in 30 countries, promoting erotic tantric yoga. (Source: Europics)
He coerced his supporters into having group intercourse with him and giving him significant sums of money. Agnes Arabela Marques, one of the victims, dated the guru when she was only a 15-year-old. She disclosed, “Bivolaru claimed that, if I had sex with him as a yoga master, I could achieve superior levels of tantric spirituality. In his apartment, there were constantly girls that were there to have sex with him.” She further mentioned that he had faith in an Indian legend that declared he might become extremely spiritual if he had sex with 1,000 virgins.
Finnish human rights activist Seppo Isotalo spent nearly two years trying to support MISA throughout its trial. He revealed his 2007 covert meeting with the movement’s guru to a Finnish media MOT. “It was a most peculiar occasion, first we had to sit down and wait for him for several hours. And when he showed up, the people in the room jumped to kiss his feet. I didn’t.”
Isotalo asserted that the self-proclaimed guru sent women to Japan to dance at striptease clubs for financial gain. The most devout adherents reside in spiritual communities called ashrams. One of them was situated on a farm owned by Kim Schmock, a Danish yoga practitioner.
The activist admitted in an MOT interview that he didn’t immediately realise something wasn’t right and claimed that the group grew progressively more domineering once he became a part of it. “All the expectations they have, ‘You have to do this, you have to do that’ and suddenly you don’t have time for your friends, you don’t have time for your family. They will be your family and actually, when you realize this, it’s often too late.”
Seppo Isotalo noted that since MISA members wouldn’t leave his home, he was forced to move out of his house and into a trailer near the farm. He was left bankrupt since he had to keep making the farm’s mortgage payments. Additionally, he discussed the strange and “very erotic” rites that the cult would carry out. “They have this annual event in the summertime where they have this Miss Shakti (power) contest, and it’s very erotic and this is part of the tantra.”
Masturbation in front of cameras is a feature of the Miss Shakti competition at MISA, an annual summer camp, according to the Finnish media MOT. Each participant must submit two pictures of themselves in a bikini or swimming trunks in order to be admitted to the program. Participants also must undergo syphilis and HIV tests, indicating sexual activities in the events.
Movement for Spiritual Integration into the Absolute
MISA calls itself the “largest yoga school in Romania and in Europe” and operates other purported “yoga schools.” According to the French police, there are “several hundred” members. The group describes itself on its website as using “a traditional rigorous approach of the yoga system,” which includes “erotic postures” and “amorous energy control techniques” from tantra yoga to assist practitioners “on the way to ecstasy.”
“Extraterrestrial civilizations” are mentioned on the website as well. However, because of alleged “illicit” practices, the International Yoga Federation and the European Yoga Alliance declared in 2008 that they could no longer accept the group as a member. Gregorian Bivolaru has already drawn the notice of French authorities as well as those in his home nations.
Mental manipulation
The human rights organisation La Ligue des droits de l’Homme announced in July that it had obtained statements from twelve former MISA members, prompting the first round of investigations into the claims.
The case was turned over to and overseen by the OCRVP (Office central pour la répression des violences aux personnes, or central office for the repression of violence towards people) and the Miviludes (Mission interministérielle de vigilance et de lutte contre les dérives sectaires, interministerial mission for the alerting and fighting against cults).
The accusations originated from multiple women who stated that in order to “pay for their stay” they were coerced into having sex with Gregorian Bivolaru and “to agree to participate in fee-paying pornographic practices in France and abroad.” According to the victims, he would frequently invite ladies to his home for “sexual initiation” through tantric yoga.
On Wednesday, November 29, a 21-year-old girl committed suicide by hanging in Rajasthan’s Kota. Nisha Singh, a NEET aspirant from Uttar Pradesh’s Auraiya was found dead at her hostel room in Mahavir Nagar 1 in Kota. This is the 29th suicide by a coaching student in Rajasthan’s Kota this year.
According to media reports, the 21-year-old NEET aspirant hanged herself in her hostel room on Wednesday night. It is worth noting that the reason behind the deceased girl’s act is yet to be known.
Reportedly, Nisha was earlier residing in the Indravihar area, however, she moved to a hostel in Mahavir Nagar 1 on November 18. This hostel has 18 rooms and 12 girl students were staying there. Nisha’s father Ausaan Singh recently visited his daughter and stayed with her for six days before leaving on 24th November. It is said that Nisha spoke to her father over a phone call late in the night and subsequently hanged herself from the ceiling fan to death in the hostel room.
When the victim’s father called her back again, Nisha did not pick up his call. Nisha’s father then called the hostel staff who rushed to check on Nisha. However, as nobody opened the door, the police were informed and they broke the door and entered the room to find Nisha’s dead body hanging. Meanwhile, the victim’s body has been kept at the mortuary at MBS Hospital.
The victim’s father has said that Nisha took admission at a NEET coaching in Kota in May this year. Singh said that Nisha was a bright student adding that her family never pressured her regarding academic performance. He added that the incident has left the family shocked.
He further stated that he used to visit his daughter every month. Singh added that she attempted the online NEET exam last year and got a decent score. She then was adamant about joining a NEET coaching in Kota and preparing for the exams. He added that even after moving to Kota, Nisha used to visit her home and was in touch with her family.
It has been reported that despite the district administration’s strict directive to put up suicide prevention rods on the ceiling fans in hostel rooms. Nisha’s room had no such rod. Notably, police have not recovered any suicide note from the spot.
On 29th November (local time), the United State Justice Department indicted an Indian national identified as Nikhil Gupta for his alleged involvement in a plot to assassinate US-based Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York. The US agencies claimed to have foiled the ‘assassination attempt’.
The indictment claimed that an Indian government employee, who was not named in the documents, recruited Gupta to hire a local hitman to kill Pannun. Gupta is facing murder-for-hire charges with a maximum sentence of 10 years. The Justice Department claimed that the Indian government employee, who has been marked as CC-1 in the documents, directed the assassination plot from India. Gupta is allegedly involved in international narcotics and weapons trafficking.
15 page US court details how the plan was to kill Khalistani extremist Pannu, names one Nikhil Gupta aka Nick who was recruited to "orchestrate assassination of victim"; Mentions how $15000 were arranged, pictures released in the court document. pic.twitter.com/nJPp0L4ueJ
Furthermore, it was claimed that the hitman Gupta attempted to hire was an undercover Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent. The indictment followed recent US disclosures on links between organized crime, gun runners, and terrorists, prompting India to form a high-level inquiry committee to address security concerns. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) highlighted the seriousness of the matter and initiated an inquiry into relevant aspects of the case.
The US is sheltering and actively protecting terrorists
With the indictment details now made public, one aspect is clear, the United States is not only sheltering wanted terrorists but also actively protecting them allowing them to run their anti-India activities from US soil. Gurpatwant Singh Pannun is a designated Khalistani terrorist declared under UAPA by the Indian Home Ministry. His organization, Sikhs For Justice, was also banned by the Indian government in 2019. Pannun is known for issuing threats and announcing bounties for anti-India activities. Recently, he made a threat to blow up Air India planes, leading to concerns across the aviation industry as the Khalistanis had indeed carried out one of the worst attacks in aviation history, the Air India Kanishka bombing in 1985.
However, the United States, the country that claims to be against terrorism, is openly harboring Khalistani terrorists and moving a step ahead, protecting them by engaging a significant amount of personnel and resources. Gupta, in this case, is innocent until proven guilty. However, issuing a warning to India for an imaginary plan to assassinate a Khalistani terrorist has shown how deep-rooted anti-India activities are allowed to happen in the US.
Pannun established Sikhs For Justice in 2007. Since then, he has been actively involved in anti-India activities. Being a counsel in the US, it is easier for him to find loopholes to stay protected from law enforcement agencies. India has repeatedly requested the US authorities to take action against him, but there has been no positive response.
The arrest and extradition of Nikhil from the Czech Republic on the US’s request was quick. However, India received no positive response when it raised such requests to the US. The US did not even try to stop Pannun from issuing threats to India for years.
Pannun kept threatening India without fearing the consequences
On the other hand, Pannun kept pacing up his anti-India activities, and for over five years, he has been running a campaign named in the name of Referendum Voting, demanding a separate Sikh nation called Khalistan. Pannun has organized so-called voting in the US, Canada, and Australia, where hundreds of pro-Khalistan Sikhs have come forward to vote. Anti-India slogans were raised during such voting events, and no concrete action was taken whenever India raised objections in front of the respective governments. For those who are unaware, pro-Khalistani elements are spread across the US, Canada, the UK and Australia.
On multiple occasions, Indian consulates have been attacked. However, the USA’s actions show that they are more intent on protecting Pannun and his activities than on preventing terrorist activities on their soil against nations they call allies.
The situation got worse in 2023 when a pro-Khalistani separatist leader, Amritpal Singh, was on the run, and central agencies worked with Punjab Police to arrest him. Indian Consulates and Embassies faced threats from the pro-Khalistani elements. Indian flags were desecrated, and diplomats were hackled by pro-Khalistani elements. Even then, no concrete action was taken by the countries’ governments where such incidents took place.
Link between US and Canada allegations
According to the indictment documents, the plot to kill Pannun was foiled in June after the murder of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. Pannun and Najjar were associates, and following his murder, Pannun became more active, issuing threats to Indian diplomats and even Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Posters calling for the assassination of Indian diplomats were raised in Canada and the UK, boldly displayed from buildings. Furthermore, posters appeared in Surrey, Canada, demanding the arrest of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Pannun remained at the center of such threats, but the US government decided not to act against him.
CC1 Alleged recruited Mr Gupta to kill Pannu: -both spoke English, Hindi & Spanish phrases -Hitman to be given $100,000, of which $15000 advance payment -Nijjar connect mentioned pic.twitter.com/ygXNWUMgVf
Interestingly, Canada has accused Indian agents of being involved in the murder of Nijjar based on alleged “credible allegations”. Since the allegations were made in the Canadian Parliament by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, India has been asking for concrete proof of Indian agents’ involvement. Still, Canada failed to provide any such evidence. On the contrary, available media reports show that Nijjar was killed in a gang violence-type incident, rather than a sophisticated assassination plot carried out by intelligence agents.
Now, the US has accused India of plotting to kill Khalistani terrorists on US soil, which is again a questionable theory. Several aspects of the case raised eyebrows. For example, it is unclear why the Gujarat Police was mentioned in the indictment documents. If Gujarat Police wanted Gupta and called him repeatedly, why? What was the case against Gupta?
Source: sidhant/X
Furthermore, how convenient was it for Gupta to approach an undercover DEA agent posing as a hitman to kill Pannun? The whole scenario looks like a script from a cheap Hollywood movie, if not less. On a lighter note, why would the Government of India spend USD 100,000 on a person like Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, who was deemed a CIA agent a couple of months back by NSA Ajit Doval during a conversation with his US counterpart?
Too many coincidences
First, the Financial Times wrote a report on India’s plot to kill Pannun. Then, TIME magazine gives space to Pannun in a lengthy interview. Just a couple of days later, the Justice Department released details of an arrested Indian in a plot to kill Pannun. From Gupta hiring an undercover agent to kill Pannun to Canada accusing India of killing Nijjar, everything came to fruition months before the Lok Sabha elections scheduled in 2024.
India is heading towards Lok Sabha elections scheduled in the first half of 2024. The upcoming General Elections campaign will start unofficially very soon, and all political parties will begin propagating their agendas at the beginning of 2024.
At such a crucial political point, the individuals and organizations with vested interests who want to see a regime change in India are trying to defame the current government. While attempting to do so, they are knowingly or unknowingly feeding anti-India forces, including pro-Khalistani elements sitting in Western countries. Pannun is one such individual who wants to break India into several pieces, and India has the full right to defend its sovereignty against such elements.
In a candid conversation with Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath on Wednesday (November 29) at the Bengaluru Tech Summit, Infosys co-founder NR Narayana Murthy voiced his disapproval of freebies saying that “nothing should be given for free.” He also opined that compassionate capitalism can help a ‘poor’ country like India to become developed.
Speaking at the 26th edition of Bengaluru Tech Summit, Narayan Murthy said, “When you provide those services, when you provide those subsidies, there must be something in return that they’re willing to do. For example, if you say — I will give you free electricity, then it would have been a very nice thing for the government to have said, but we want to see the percentage attendance in primary schools and middle schools go up by 20 per cent, then only we will give you that.”
In a nutshell, Murthy asserted that nothing should be given for free, and citizens should contribute to building a better society. Although not absolutely opposed to freebies, Murthy opined that beneficiaries of free subsidies should be made to take up added responsibility for the future of their coming generations better in terms of education.
“I am not against free services being provided. I fully understand, as I also came from a poor background once upon a time. But I think we should expect something in return from those people who received those free subsidies to take a slightly bigger responsibility towards making their own future generation, their own children and grandchildren, better in terms of going to school, you know, performing better. That’s what I mean, Murthy said.
When asked about if there is an appropriate level of taxation in India, Murthy said, “You know, we have to realise that India is a poor country. A per capita GDP of about USD 2,300 puts India about twice that of what is called ‘low-income countries’ by the United Nations and other bodies. We are still far away from being called a middle-income country where the per capita GDP is somewhere between USD 6,000 to about 12,000 to 15,000. In a country like India where there is a large mass of poor people, I think we the evangelists of capitalism have to pay a higher level of taxation because there are so many services in India that our government will have to provide to the poor people. You know the other day the Prime Minister said that his government will provide free ration to 800 million for the next five years. So what that means is that we have 800 million people who do not have the capacity to earn two meals a day,” Murthy said.
“In order to create efficient, corruption-free and effective public goods in our country, the taxation will have to be obviously higher than what you see in developed countries. So, I personally would not at all grudge, if I have to pay a higher level of taxation,” he continued.
In explaining his shift from a staunch leftist to a “determined compassionate capitalist,” he stated that compassionate capitalism, not socialism or communism, is the only way for an impoverished country like India to become affluent.
He believes that capitalism, founded on the twin pillars of the free market and entrepreneurship, is the best way for any country to overcome its poverty problem.
In response to a question on his advice to the government on increasing per capita GDP, Narayana Murthy stated that political leaders should carefully study China.
“So all that I would humbly request our political leaders is to study China very very carefully, and then see what are the good things that we can learn from China and implement here, so that India too advances at the same pace as China, and becomes a nation that has reduced the poverty of its people,” Murthy said.
At least three people lost their lives and eight others suffered injuries in a horrific terror attack in Israel‘s Jerusalem on 30th November. The attack claimed the life of a 24-year-old woman as well, according to the Magen David Adom ambulance service. A man in his 70s along with another elderly person, who were injured, have passed away in hospital, bringing the total number of fatalities from the shooting attack at the entrance of Jerusalem to three, whereas eight others received injuries. One of the deceased has been identified as Rabbi Elimelech Wasserman.
Surveillance camera footage shows the shooting attack at the entrance to Jerusalem this morning. Two people were killed, and at least seven others were hurt. Two off-duty soldiers and an armed civilian shot the terrorists dead. pic.twitter.com/CwucVb5IV7
Police disclosed that security personnel and an armed civilian “neutralised” the two terrorists who started shooting at bystanders. They mentioned that at approximately 7:40 AM, the two terrorists stepped out of a car and started shooting at a bus stop. They are identified as 38-year-old Murad Namr and 30-year-old Ibrahim Namr from the East Jerusalem area of Sur Baher. The two are brothers and members of Hamas.
According to the Shin Bet, Murad Namr was imprisoned from 2010 to 2020 for organising terror attacks in the Gaza Strip while acting as an agent of terror groups, while Ibrahim Namr was sentenced to prison in 2014 for unreported terrorist activities.
Superintendent Doron Turgeman, the Jerusalem District Commander, reached the spot as the entire area had been cordoned by a heavy police presence. “Two terrorists arrived at the scene in a vehicle armed with weapons, fired at civilians at the bus stop and were neutralised by security forces and a civilian who was nearby,” read a statement released by Israeli police. Police also shared that it “began scanning to rule out additional participants while conducting a preliminary investigation of the incident.”
Eli Bin, the director-general of MDA revealed that five more persons were critically hurt in the attack. He also reported that three other people had minor to moderate injuries. Authorities stated they were scanning the vicinity to make sure there were no further assailants as a huge number of ambulances and police arrived on the scene. Three patients were sent to Hadassah Ein Kerem while five others were sent to Shaare Zedek hospital
“3 gunshot victims from the attack at the entrance to Jerusalem were evacuated to the trauma unit. 56 years old, in moderate condition, 22 years old, in moderate condition and a 17-year-old in a minor condition. All three are fully conscious,” Hadassah Medical Center said in a statement.
The terror attack captured on surveillance camera footage showed two gunmen coming out of a car and shooting at a crowd of people waiting at a bus stop. Two soldiers, who were not on duty, and an armed civilian then shot the terrorists and killed them. According to Jerusalem Mayor Moshe Lion, in an effort to “increase the sense of security among residents” he has authorised additional security deployment throughout the capital.
“We will not rest and will not be silent until a decision and victory in all sectors! We are at war on all fronts. The terrible attack in Jerusalem reminds us that our enemies are not only the Nazis in Gaza. We will pursue and destroy them with God’s help everywhere. Strengthens the hands of the security and rescue forces operating in the arena. Condolences to the families of the murdered and best wishes for recovery to the injured,” wrote Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich in response to the attack.
לא ננוח ולא נשקוט עד להכרעה וניצחון בכל הגזרות!
אנחנו במלחמה בכל החזיתות. הפיגוע הנורא בירושלים מזכיר לנו שהאויבים שלנו הם לא רק הנאצים בעזה. נרדוף ונשמיד אותם בעזרת השם בכל מקום. מחזק את ידי כוחות הביטחון וההצלה שפועלים בזירה. תנחומים למשפחות הנרצחים ואיחולי החלמה לפצועים.
Itamar Ben Gvir, the minister of national security arrived at the scene of the terror attack and asserted that Israel must use military force to combat terrorism. “This type of incident proves again how much we can’t show weakness, how much we have to speak to Hamas only through intentions, only through the war, ” he observed while appearing to slam the ceasefire with Hamas. He added that his policy of encouraging more civilians to carry guns is supported by the shooting attack that occurred this morning in which the Palestinian gunmen were reportedly shot and killed with the assistance of an off-duty soldier.
The incident occurred as Israel and Hamas reached a last-minute arrangement on 30th November to prolong their six-day ceasefire in Gaza by an additional day. This move would enable negotiators to continue working on agreements to exchange Palestinian prisoners for hostages held in the coastal enclave.
Over twelve hundred people were killed and many more were injured in one of the worst attacks on Israeli soil that began on 7th October following the invasion of the country by thousands of Hamas terrorists from the Gaza Strip. Furthermore, the terrorists kidnapped hundreds of Israelis and are holding them as hostages in Gaza. The terrorists also perpetrated sexual violence and raped hundreds of women and minor girls.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has been tracking the activities of some residents of Punjab and Haryana for their alleged role in the attacks on the Consulate General of India in San Francisco, US, where they have been suspected of visiting in the past, sources said.
Besides, the sources, privy to the development, informed that the recent searches conducted in the case against people in Punjab and Haryana have been found to be connected via social media platforms to those identified in two separate Consulate attack cases.
As per the sources, the NIA is trying to ascertain if there are smuggling, trafficking, and radicalization links.
The inputs were received a few days after NIA raided over a dozen locations in Punjab and Haryana in connection with these cases. As part of its continuing investigations into the attacks on the Consulate General of India, San Francisco, the NIA raided 14 places in Punjab and Haryana on November 22.
The locations raided by the NIA were spread across the districts of Moga, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Gurdaspur, Mohali and Patiala in Punjab, and Kurukshetra and Yamunanagar in Haryana. The crackdown led to the seizure of digital data containing information related to the accused persons, along with other incriminating documents.
The move was a bid to unravel the complete conspiracy behind the March 19 and July 2, 2023 attacks involving criminal trespass, vandalism, damage to public property and attempts to cause hurt to the officials of the Indian Consulate in San Francisco and set the Consulate building on fire through acts of arson.
The NIA has been probing the case with the aim to identify and prosecute the attackers and the assailants of the attacks and send a strong message to such anti-Indian elements. A team of the NIA had visited San Francisco in August 2023 to investigate the incidents of attacks on the Consulate through violent acts of arson and vandalism, leading to fear among the Consulate staff and the community.
As part of its investigations, the NIA said it has crowdsourced information to identify and collect information about US-based entities and individuals involved in these violent incidents. The agency has already identified certain individuals who were part of the conspiracy behind the repeated attacks. These include the attackers and many of their associates, who are both Indian and foreign nationals.
The Consulate General of India in San Francisco was attacked on March 19 by a group of assailants who committed criminal trespass, damaged public property, and attacked officials of the Consulate. Prior to this attack, on the same day, some attackers attempted to set the Consulate building on fire by sprinkling inflammable substances early in the morning. Subsequently, on July 2, at midnight, a few people attempted to set the Consulate building on fire.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
In a bizarre incident, over 2,500 passengers from two express trains got stuck on Wednesday (29th November) at Burhwal junction in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district after staff from one of the trains left the train saying that their duty hours were over and the loco pilot said he was feeling unwell. When another train arrived at the station, passengers of the earlier train blocked it demanding that their train should move first, which led to the delay of the second train, and its staff also said that their shift was over, and refused to run the train further.
The suffering and enraged passengers staged protests by going onto the rail track and obstructing the passage of an express train since they were left stuck without food, water, or electricity inside the train.
The incident occurred between the Saharsa-New Delhi Special Fare Chhath Puja Special (04021) and the Barauni-Lucknow Junction Express (15203). A few hours later, employees from Gonda Junction were sent by North Eastern Railway (NER) to attend to the two express trains in an attempt to calm down the situation.
Railway records show that 04021 departed Saharsa at 9.30 am on 28th November instead of the scheduled departure time of 7.15 pm on 27th November. The train took more than 19 hours to arrive in Gorakhpur. The express does not stop at Burhwal junction, but it did make an unplanned stop at 1:15 pm due to a crossing with a goods train. However, even after the good train had passed, the train remained stationary at the station. After around an hour, the passengers became restless and started to create a rucous.
When they approached the station master, the station master went to the locomotive to find out why the train had not moved. But then he approached the loco pilot and the guard, they told him that their shift was over so they would not proceed further. They handed him over the required papers and left the station, leaving the passengers stranded.
The station master then informed the control room about the development, after which replacement loco pilot and guard were sent to the station to move the train forward.
In the meanwhile the Barauni-Lucknow Express which was already running late by more than five hours and 30 minutes arrived at Burhwal junction at 4.04 p.m. But the passengers of the previous train blocked it there, demanding that their train should be moved first. As a result, both the passenger trains got stuck at the station. After some time, the staff of the Barauni train also said that their shift is over, therefore they would not be able to proceed further. Authorities arranged replacement staff for the second train too. After they arrived, both the trains were dispatched from the station.
“Our journey was supposed to end in a maximum of 25 hours 20 minutes, but it’s the third day in this so-called ‘special train’. This is a special torture created by Indian railways for poor passengers like us. There is no water, no pantry car to buy food, and no power supply. Both the loco-pilots and train guard have alighted from the train citing drowsiness,” a passenger traveling from Saharsa to New Delhi was quoted as saying by the TOI.
Reports mention that the train stood stranded at the Burhwal junction in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki district for around 3 hours. Passengers meanwhile protested and slammed the Indian Railways for this mismanagement. The food and water at the few stalls at the small stations were quickly exhausted, leaving many people without food and water.
It is notable that the duty hours of loco pilots in Indian Railways is between 8-10 hours, and it should not exceed 12 hours as per guidelines. Loco pilots and guards of a train are changed at specific stations. These are generally bigger stations and have running facilities for the staff. But in case of trains running several hours late, the shift of the staff may get over at a place without arrangement for replacement. In such cases, replacement staff have to be sent to such unscheduled stations.
