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On PM Narendra Modi’s call, National Cleanliness Drive takes place before Gandhi Jayanti

OpIndia Staff
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On PM Narendra Modi’s call, National Cleanliness Drive takes place before Gandhi Jayanti

On Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call, citizens nationwide are actively participating in a cleanliness drive from 10 AM today, October 1. In the run-up to Gandhi Jayanti, a unique call to action was given by the Prime Minister to fellow citizens. He emphasised that Swachh Bharat is a collective responsibility, underscoring the significance of each individual’s contributions.

Several senior leaders across the country joined this call for cleanliness and led the campaign in their respective states.

Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel led the campaign in Ahmedabad where he participated in the cleanliness campaign.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah was also in his home state for the campaign and did shramdan in Ahmedabad.

Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari took part in the campaign near Air Headquarters in New Delhi.

On 30th September, PM Narendra Modi posted on X, “Swachh Bharat is the collective responsibility of all the family members of the country. Every effort of public participation is very important in this direction. Let us come together tomorrow at 10 am to dedicate one hour to cleanliness and help us build a bright future for the country.”

Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has announced that the theme of the Swachhta Pakhwada is centred on achieving a “Garbage Free India.” He posted on X, “One Day. One Hour. One Cause. Residential Areas: 1,45,226 Areas Surrounding Schools & Colleges: 1,25,157 Areas Surrounding Anganwadis: 85,289 Market Areas & Spaces: 43,723 Bus Stands & Toll Plaza: 10,080 Swachhata Jan Andolan continues! Swachhta Hi Seva.”

During today’s campaign, a target has been set to clean 29 Vande Bharat trains running across the country every 14 minutes. This will also start from October 1. Its formal inauguration will be done by Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav himself at Delhi Cantt Railway Station.

During the 105th episode of Mann Ki Baat, which was broadcast on September 24th, Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a heartfelt appeal. He urged all citizens to come together in a collective effort for cleanliness, dedicating 1 hour of “shramdaan” at 10 AM on October 1. This gesture, he emphasised, would serve as a meaningful “swachhanjali” (cleanliness tribute) to MK Gandhi on the eve of his birth anniversary.

Speaking on Swachhata Hi Sevaabhiyan, he said, “A big event on cleanliness is going to be organised on the 1st of October i.e. Sunday at 10 AM. You too should draw time and help in this campaign related to cleanliness. You can also join this cleanliness campaign in your street, or neighbourhood or at a park, river, lake or any other public place.”

This mega cleanliness drive is part of the ‘Swachhata Pakhwada – Swachhata Hi Seva 2023’, being observed from 15th September to 2nd October. Citizens are engaging in various cleanliness activities like the restoration of old buildings, cleaning of water bodies, and ghats, painting walls, conducting street plays for awareness, and rangoli competitions. Since the launch of the Pakhwada, over 5 crore citizens have joined the campaign so far.

Press Information Bureau said in a press release, “This mega cleanliness drive calls upon citizens from all walks of life to join in actual cleaning activities of public places like market spaces, railway tracks, water bodies, tourist locations, religious places etc. In every town, Gram Panchayat, all sectors of the Government like civil aviation, railways, information & technology etc. and other public institutions will be facilitating cleanliness events led by the citizens. NGOs and other private organisations etc. interested in organising cleaning events can also apply online on the portal to the District Administration. The cleanliness events will be available for public information on a specially architectured IT platform Swachhata Hi Seva – Citizens Portal At the site of the cleanliness, citizens can click pictures and upload them on the portal too. The portal also hosts a section inviting citizens, and social media influencers to join the movement and lead the people’s movement by becoming Swachhata Ambassadors.”

Nine years ago, in 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued a call for cleanliness. In response, citizens from diverse backgrounds wholeheartedly embraced the cause, taking personal responsibility for Swachh Bharat. This collective effort transformed cleanliness into a pervasive national practice, and the Swachh Bharat Mission became a well-recognised and integral part of households across the country.

No fault of police, ensuring fair and impartial investigation: UP govt files status report in Supreme Court on the assassination of gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother

OpIndia Staff
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No fault of police, ensuring fair and impartial investigation: UP govt files status report in Supreme Court on the assassination of gangster Atiq Ahmed and his brother

The Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government has filed a detailed status report in the Supreme Court of India, highlighting that there has been no fault on the part of the State police in the assassination of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf Ahmed.

The development came more than a month after the apex court directed the Uttar Pradesh government to submit an affidavit, outlining the investigation status in the encounters of 7 gangsters including Prem Prakash Pandey, Atul Dubey, Amar Dubey, Prabhat Mishra, Praveen Dubey, Vikas Dubey and Asad Ahmed.

A Bench of two Supreme Court Judges, namely, Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice S Ravindra Bhat also asked the State government to mention the status of the case of the assassination of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf.

The directive, which was issued on August 11 this year, came in response to a petition filed by advocate Vishal Tiwari in the apex court. In its status report, the UP government informed that investigations were conducted in all cases in accordance with the guidelines of the Supreme Court.

The report outlined that there has been no fault on the part of the police in the assassination of gangster-politician Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed. It stated that a 3-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted to investigate the case.

“It was found that the accused individuals, Sunny Singh alias Purane Singh alias Mohit, Lavlesh Tiwari, and Arun Kumar Mauhad committed the crime with common intention and before the incident, they had stayed in a hotel on the basis of forged Aadhar cards, as a result, on the basis of evidence, section 34/419/420/467/468/471 IPC was included in the case,” the status report emphasised.

The Yogi Adityanath-led-Uttar Pradesh government also pointed out that the police filed a chargesheet in the case on July 12 this year. It added that a case was registered with the District and Sessions Judge of Prayagraj after the Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) took cognisance of the matter.

“it is leaving no stone unturned to ensure a fair and impartial investigation into the incidents which includes the murder of Atiq Ahmed and Ashraf. The sweeping allegations made against it are completely false and unjustified,” the status report underlined.

Criminal record of Atiq Ahmed and his assassination

On April 15 this year, Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf were shot dead from point-blank range in Prayagraj. Two days earlier (April 13, 2023), his son Asad Ahmed and aide Ghulam were also neutralised in an encounter operation by the Uttar Pradesh Police.

In total, 102 cases were filed against Atiq Ahmed in his lifetime, including those of threats, murder attempts, and kidnapping. On January 25, 2005, BSP MLA Raju Pal and his companions were attacked by armed assailants in the vicinity of the Dhoomanganj police station in Prayagraj.

An FIR was filed at the Dhoomanganj police station regarding the murder and other charges against Atiq Ahmed, his brother Ashraf, and seven unnamed people on the basis of the complaint submitted by Raju Pal’s wife Pooja. 

The primary witness in the 2005 BSP MLA Raju Pal murder case, Umesh Pal, was fatally shot on February 24 this year in Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh, close to his home. The attack took the lives of two policemen assigned to guard the lawyer. 

Atiq Ahmed, his son Asad Ahmed and his brother Ashraf Ahmed (an ex-MLA) were among the prime accused in the case. He was the first person who was booked under the ‘Gangster Act’ in Uttar Pradesh.

His criminal history ran very deep. He was accused of murder at the young age of 17. After that, he became so well-known in the underworld that his popularity even overshadowed that of the dons of Mumbai. Aiq Ahmed was involved in attacking Mayawati in the 1995 ‘guest house case’. 

He also had ties to Pakistani terrorist organisations, according to the Uttar Pradesh Police’s charge sheet against him. The gangster admitted to having regular contact with Pakistan’s ISI, LeT, and Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company and also received arms dropped through Pakistani drones in Punjab.

The initial complaint against him was filed way back in 1979, which in itself is a testimony of Atiq Ahmed’s long-standing criminal record.

Ramesh Bidhuri and his comments: Here is why politicians are not demanding the repeal of the Colonial ‘Parliamentary Privilege’ rule

Ritwik
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Ramesh Bidhuri and his comments: Here is why politicians are not demanding the repeal of the Colonial ‘Parliamentary Privilege’ rule

Ernest J. Gaines, an American author once said, “Why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?” 

When Ramesh Bidhuri, Delhi BJP MP called a BSP MP Danish Ali “Katwe (circumcised)”, “Bhadwe (Pimp), and Ugrawadi (Terrorist)”, it looked like an Indian holding a gun against another Indian. Just after the viral video floated on social media, there was a hue and cry over this statement against a Muslim legislator. The Opposition immediately called for action against the BJP MP and requested Lok Sabha Speaker to suspend the leader. While just a day before, India was celebrating the Women’s Reservation Bill, the statement by a BJP MP changed the narrative and everyone started discussing hate speech in India. Communal comments are not new here and such a language coming from dignified legislators has been unfortunately common.

In the past nine years, India has witnessed opposition leaders like Mani Shankar Aiyyar calling PM Modi as “Maut Ka Saudagar”, Mallikarjun Kharge calling PM as “Ravan”, and TMC MP Mahua Moitra calling TDP MP Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu as “Harami”. The best part about this game of slurs is that the Constitution itself gives protection to the MPs. Under Article 105 of the Constitution, Members of Parliament are exempted from any legal action for any statement made or act done in the course of their duties inside the Parliament. A defamation suit cannot be filed for a statement made in the House. It is due to this privilege, that Rakhi Birla, an MLA from Delhi enjoyed the protection of the law when she called Union Home Minister Amit Shah “Tadipar”. Similarly, one observes that the strong language used by Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for PM Modi like “Anpadh, Gawar” is used only in the Delhi Legislative Assembly and not outside. The video clips of the speeches are then shared across all the social media platforms and reach out to the general public, who might wonder about the ‘dignity’ of these legislators.

Mark Twain once said, “There are lies, damned lies and statistics”. Politicians across the globe lie but those lies should not cover up the reality of a nation especially if the lie is spoken to appease a community and to hide a gruesome truth. Just after the movie “The Kashmir Files” which talked about the genocide of Kashmiri Pandits was released, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal not only mocked the makers of the movie but also denied the genocide using the words “Jhoothi Film”. While the words were used for a movie, it was derogatory and full of hatred for Kashmiri Pandits. Earlier, he had openly abused leaders like Nitin Gadkari, Bikram Singh Majithia, Kapil Sibal, and Arun Jaitley and later wrote an apology letter, requesting to take back the defamation cases filed against him.

If strict action should be taken against Ramesh Bidhuri, then similar action should be taken against Udyanidhi Stalin for his comments on eradicating Sanatan Dharma. Calling a religion “HIV”, “AIDS”, “Dengue” and “Malaria” is not only disrespectful but also violates the fundamental rights of citizens. A citizen, including legislators, have the fundamental right to speech but also a fundamental right to propagate and worship their religion. Rights must be quantified with duties. 

The concept of parliamentary privilege finds its origins in the House of Commons of Britain. In the 17th-century case known as ‘R vs. Elliot, Holles, and Valentine,’ Sir John Elliot, a member of the House of Commons, faced arrest for uttering seditious words during a debate and for engaging in violence against the Speaker. However, the House of Lords granted immunity to Sir John, asserting that words spoken within Parliament should be subject to judgment only within the parliamentary context. This privilege was subsequently codified in the Bill of Rights of 1689, a pivotal moment in which the Parliament of England firmly established the principles of constitutional monarchy. 

Considering that the Modi Government has already taken steps to repeal various laws from the British colonial era, it raises the question of whether amendments should also be made to Article 105. The opposition leaders will never ask for repealing the privilege law because they know the moment, they open their mouths; they will abuse Modi and Hindu Dharma. “Charity Begins at Home” is a famous saying. The I.N.D.I.A bloc should come forward and request the NDA Government to repeal this law in the upcoming winter session of the Parliament and suggest stricter laws against Hate Speech.

(This article has been co-authored by Aditya Trivedi, an Advocate at Delhi High Court and Ritwik Mehta, a policy consultant and Founder of Niti Tantra)

Glasgow Gurdwara apologises for attack on Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami by Khalistanis, invites him to visit again

OpIndia Staff
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Glasgow Gurdwara apologises for attack on Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami by Khalistanis, invites him to visit again

On Saturday, September 30, the Glasgow Guru Granth Sahib Gurudwara issued a personal apology to the Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami, following an incident on 29th of September where he was prevented from entering the Gurudwara by pro-Khalistan extremists in the Scottish city of Glasgow.

In a written communication addressed to the High Commissioner, the Gurudwara Committee of Glasgow extended its assurances that the three individuals implicated in the regrettable incident were not affiliated with their regular congregation and are unknown to the Gurudwara community situated on Albert Road in Glasgow. The committee has also extended a request to the High Commissioner to consider revisiting the Gurudwara.

In a press release, the Glasgow Gurdwara Guru Granth Sahib Sikh Sabha wrote, “An incident occurred on 29 September 2023 at Glasgow Gurdwara where the Indian High Commissioner was on a personal visit, facilitated by a member of Scottish Parliament. Certain unknown individuals from outside the Glasgow area attempted to disrupt this visit, following which the visiting party decided to leave the premises.”

The press release by the Gurudwara Sabha in Glasgow. Image Source: ABP NEWS

It added, “After the departure of the visitors, these unruly individuals continued to disturb the Gurudwara congregation. Police Scotland was in attendance thereafter, and have taken cognisance of the matter. Glasgow Gurudwara strongly condemns such disorderly behaviour to disrupt the peaceful proceedings of a Sikh place of worship. The Gurudwara is open to people from all communities and backgrounds, and we welcome everyone openly as per our principles of faith.”

Two of the men targeting the Indian High Commissioner have been identified as Shamsher Singh and Ranveer Singh, both residing in London. Ranveer Singh was pictured at a shooting range with a rifle and donned a T-shirt advocating the release of Jagtar Singh Hawara, associated with the Babbar Khalsa International and implicated in a conspiracy to assassinate Punjab’s 12th Chief Minister, Beant Singh.

Beant Singh was assassinated on August 31, 1995, by Dilawar Singh Babbar, who detonated a car bomb at the Punjab and Haryana Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh. This terrorist attack resulted in 17 casualties and 15 injuries.

In August 2023, Indian High Commissioner Doraiswami, an IFS officer from the 1992 batch, visited the Glasgow Gurudwara upon the committee’s invitation. Prior to his visit to the Glasgow Gurudwara, High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami also met with the Indian Muslim Association in Glasgow.

Attack on Vikram Doraiswami in Glasgow

On Friday (September 29), some pro-Khalistani men stopped the Indian High Commissioner Vikram Doraiswami, from visiting a Gurudwara in Glasgow city of Scotland.

The incident transpired outside the Glasgow Gurudwara on Albert Drive when Doraiswami was going to attend a scheduled meeting with the Gurudwara committee. A video of the incident has emerged on social media, showing Khalistan extremists gathering near the Indian diplomat’s car.

In the video, they could be seen preventing Vikram Doraiswami from entering the Gurudwara. The Khalistanis told the Indian High Commissioner to the UK that he was “not welcome”. Following this, the Indian diplomat decided to leave.

In a massive security breach, a Khalistani extremist tried to forcibly enter the car of Vikram Doraiswami. Although the doors were locked from inside, the man was seen pulling the handle of the vehicle.

Old video of Jack Dorsey admitting banning former US President Donald Trump from Twitter was a ‘wrong decision for the world’ goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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Old video of Jack Dorsey admitting banning former US President Donald Trump from Twitter was a ‘wrong decision for the world’ goes viral

On 30th September, a clip from an old interview of Jack Dorsey went viral on social media in which he admitted that banning the former President of the United States from Twitter (now X) was a ‘wrong decision for the world’. Notably, when Twitter decided to ban Trump from the social media platform, he was still the President of the US. The viral clip shared by Dr Anastasia Maria Loupis (@/DrLoupis) was from an interview Dorsey gave to controversial actor and presenter Russell Brand in July 2023.

Brand asked Jack Dorsey how he felt about deciding to ban Trump while he was the President of the US. Jack said, “I felt bad about it. I felt bad that we had to take that action. It was a challenging time, and I do believe that the company was working with its best efforts with the information it had. But as I said a few days after that suspension, I believe [it was] probably the right decision for the company, but the wrong decision for the world. We saw a lot of follow-on companies, such as AWS, take parler off their services and being removed from the app store. I think it opened the gate I am not proud of at all.”

“It was another one of those moments when [I thought] ‘I don’t think it was going to work. I don’t want to do this.’ Independent of who this person was or anyone that we probably suspended from the network, it felt wrong to me, and I was always searching for a different solution, but I just did not come up with a solution within that structure. I could not figure it out. Personally, it was heartbreaking. All the actions that we took and all the actions that we did not take,” he added.

Interestingly, soon after banning Trump, Jack supported the decision in a thread on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “I believe this was the right decision for Twitter”.

Trump’s suspension from Twitter

On 9th January 2021, then-President of the United States, Donald Trump, was permanently suspended from Twitter after the Capitol Hall violence of 6th January 2021. Twitter had said, “After a close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them — specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter — we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence.”

Other social media giants like Facebook, etc., also suspended Trump’s accounts. Soon after, Trump announced his own social media platform, and in February 2022, Truth Social was launched.

Elon Musk reinstated Trump’s account on X

On 19th November 2022, Elon Musk reinstated the X account of the former President of the United States, Donald Trump. The decision was taken following a poll by Musk asking people to decide if Trump’s account should be reinstated. In a post, Musk wrote, “The people have spoken. Trump will be reinstated. Vox Populi, Vox Dei.” The Latin phrase at the end of the tweet literally translates to “the voice of the people is the voice of God”.

Initially, Trump said in an interview that he had no plans to return on X. However, on the 24th of August, following his indictment in the Georgia 2020 election interference case, he marked his return to Twitter, now called X, after surrendering at an Atlanta Jail. Taking to X, Trump wrote, “Election interference. Never surrender!” along with a link to his website. Elon Musk reacted to Trump’s post with his mug shot, calling it “Next level”.

Since Elon Musk took over Twitter (now X), many accounts suspended from the platform have been reinstated. However, as per the platform’s policy, if X believes a post on the platform was in bad taste or may cause harm to someone or in some way, it reduces its reach irrespective of the fact if the account holder has brought Premium membership or not.

Gujarat: 20 Muslim youths arrested for objectionable comments and obscene gestures during Eid Milad procession near Ambaji temple in Vadodara

OpIndia Staff
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Gujarat: 20 Muslim youths arrested for objectionable comments and obscene gestures during Eid Milad procession near Ambaji temple in Vadodara

On Saturday (30 September), the Vadodara Police arrested 20 individuals for allegedly hurting the religious sentiments of the Hindu community while taking out a procession on the occasion of Eid Milad un Nabi in Padra in Gujarat’s Vadodara, PTI reported citing a police official.

Superintendent of Police (Vadodara Rural) Rohan Anand stated that some members of the procession made obscene gestures and uttered words hurting religious sentiments when it was passing by a temple on Friday night (29 September). He added that following the incident, a group of people from the Hindu community gathered outside Padra police station demanding strict action against the culprits. 

According to the SP, the crowd was dispersed, and based on the complaint of one Ajay Parmar, an FIR was lodged against 13 identified and other unknown accused who were part of the procession.

The accused have been booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 153A (promoting enmity between different groups), 294B (obscene acts and songs), 298 (uttering words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound religious feelings) and 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), the SP noted. He added that further investigation into the incident was underway.

According to media reports, on Friday (29 September), clashes broke out between Hindu and Muslim communities during an Eid Milad procession organised in Padra, Vadodara. It is alleged that when the procession reached the Ambaji temple, some Muslim youths from the crowd clashed with Hindu youths and uttered offensive words that hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community. Following the incident, Hindus reached the police station in large numbers and lodged a complaint.

Notably, the Muslim community was taking out a procession in Padra on the occasion of Eid-e-Milad-Un-Nabi, the birth anniversary of Prophet Muhammad. At around 10 PM, the procession reached the Ambaji temple located in the city where some Hindu youths were distributing prasad in the temple. 

According to the complaint of Hindu organisations, the individuals who were part of the procession engaged in brawls with them. They added that Muslim youths used obscene gestures and verbal abuse at them which vitiated the atmosphere. 

However, when things started to escalate, youths from the Hindu community reached the Padra police station in large numbers and gave a petition demanding strict action against the Muslim youths who were making inciting remarks. Subsequently, the police reached the spot and dispersed the crowd to bring the situation under control.

The police officials have retrieved the CCTV footage and based on its analysis the identity of the accused will be established and further action will be taken.

According to SP Rohan Anand, the presence of some of the youths who were making inciting remarks has already been established at the place of inquiry regarding their whereabouts at the time of the incident. Meanwhile, investigations are ongoing for the others.

He stated that the preliminary investigation revealed that there was an altercation between the people who were part of the procession and those who were sitting in the temple which hurt the religious sentiments.

It was also alleged that the Muslim youths were carrying swords and sticks in Eid processions. Regarding this, the police noted that this has also come to their attention. They added that if the investigation finds the allegations to be true and the footage is found, then another complaint will be filed regarding the same.

The third incident in the last 48 hours

Apparently, three such incidents have taken place in the last 48 hours. Apart from this incident, stones were pelted on Hindu processions in the remaining two incidences. 

Notably, on Thursday (28 September), during Ganesh Visharan, stones were pelted on Ganesh Yatra in Manjusar of Savli Taluka of Vadodara. Later, on 29 September, a Muslim mob pelted stones on the ‘Shaurya Jagran Yatra’ which was organised by Bajrang Dal in Selamba of Narmada district.

A police complaint has been registered in all three incidents and the district police are currently investigating the matter. 

India Railways to clean Vande Bharat trains in just 14 minutes, to emulate rapid cleaning procedure of Japan’s bullet trains

ANI
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India Railways to clean Vande Bharat trains in just 14 minutes, to emulate rapid cleaning procedure of Japan’s bullet trains

Indian Railways is on the verge of a significant breakthrough as it is set to achieve a historical milestone- the 14-minute cleaning miracle for every Vande Bharat train, official sources said on Saturday.

The Vande-Bharat trains known for their indigenization are equipped with cutting-edge facilities for passengers to offer a swifter, comfortable and remarkably convenient travel experience.

According to the Ministry of Railways sources, these trains will be covered under the “14-minute miracle” scheme which is set to be launched on October 1 at Terminal Stations across Indian Railways as part of the ‘Swachhata-Hi-Seva’ campaign.

The scheme will be formally launched at the Delhi Cantt Railway Station.

Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will inaugurate this groundbreaking initiative at the Delhi Cantonment Railway Station on Sunday. Simultaneously, more than 32 Vande Bharat trains across the nation will adopt this swift cleaning mechanism, making it a daily affair.

Emulating the rapid cleaning procedures witnessed in Japan’s Bullet Trains, where they achieve a cleaning time of 7 minutes, this new endeavour by Indian Railways is poised to redefine the standards for train cleanliness.

A process that once consumed 3-4 hours will now be executed within a mere 15 minutes, top sources of Ministry of Railways informed ANI.

The sources said that each coach of the Vande Bharat train will be cleaned by a dedicated team of four cleaning staff. Extensive training programs, spanning over a month, have equipped these staff members for the meticulously planned manual cleaning process. Multiple mock drills have further fine-tuned their skills, ensuring a seamless execution of the rapid cleaning operation.

It is notable that earlier this year in January, Railways Minister Vaishnaw had hinted at a transformation in the cleaning process of India’s premium trains. Now, with this initiative, the Railways plans to extend the same efficient cleaning mechanism to all trains once proven effective and fully functional.

It is pertinent to note that in light of the millions of passengers who travel daily, the initiative aims to elevate their travel experience to a world-class standard, where cleanliness plays a pivotal role.

The Vande Bharat Trains, known for their semi-high-speed service, initially commenced operations in February 2019 from Delhi to Varanasi. Presently, 68 Vande Bharat train services are operational throughout the country. This new leap in efficiency is expected to redefine passenger expectations and enhance the overall railway travel experience.

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

Almost all Armenians comprising 80% of the population leave Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan reclaimed the territory, UN to send mission

ANI
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Almost all Armenians comprising 80% of the population leave Nagorno-Karabakh after Azerbaijan reclaimed the territory, UN to send mission

In the aftermath of Azerbaijan’s victory over the Nagorno-Karabakh and thousands of people displaced from the territory, United Nations will send a mission to the territory, CNN reported on Saturday.

The American media outlet said the United Nations will send a mission to Nagorno-Karabakh this weekend, amid reports that about 80 per cent of the population have been displaced.

Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, Stephane Dujarric, said during a press briefing on Friday that the mission’s visit had been agreed by Azerbaijan and would go ahead over the weekend.

“We haven’t had access there in about 30 years. So it’s very important that we will be able to get in,” he said.

“While there, the team will seek to assess the situation on the ground and identify the humanitarian needs for both people remaining and the people that are on the move,” the spokesperson added.

Earlier it was reported that the self-declared republic of Nagorno-Karabakh will cease to exist from next year. This comes as the region’s president signed a decree dissolving state institutions following its defeat to Azerbaijan, according to CNN.

Further, as per CNN, the Azerbaijani victory last week triggered a huge exodus of ethnic Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh and marked the end of decades of conflict, and potentially the end of centuries of Armenian presence in the region.

After the defeat, President Samvel Shahramanyan issued a decree that calls for all institutions and organizations of the Republic of Artsakh, which is not recognized internationally, to dissolve from January 1, 2024.

“The Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) ceases its existence,” read the decree.

Nagorno-Karabakh lies within Azerbaijan’s borders but has for decades operated autonomously with a de facto government of its own. Last week, Azerbaijan reclaimed control of the breakaway region after an offensive lasting just 24 hours.

Azerbaijan has long been clear about the choice of confronting Karabakh Armenians: Stay and accept Azerbaijani citizenship, or leave. The majority of the population has already voted on its feet and tens of thousands have fled their ancestral home rather than submitting to rule by Baku, CNN reported.

Azerbaijan launched its offensive on September 19, firing missiles and drones at the regional capital of Stepanakert in what marked the start of a third war fought for control of the region in as many decades. Under the Soviet Union, of which Azerbaijan and Armenia are both former members, Nagorno-Karabakh became an autonomous region within the Republic of Azerbaijan.

According to CNN, Karabakh officials passed a resolution in 1988 declaring its intention to join the Republic of Armenia, causing fighting to break out as the Soviet Union began to crumble, in what became the First Karabakh War.

About 30,000 people were killed in over six years of violence, which ended in 1994 when the Armenian side gained control of the region. The Second Karabakh War began in 2020 after years of sporadic clashes.

Azerbaijan, backed by its historic ally Turkey, reclaimed a third of the territory of Karabakh in just 44 days before both sides agreed to lay down their weapons in a Russia-brokered ceasefire. 

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

Myanmar and Bangladesh based terror groups conspiring with militants to exploit ethnic conflicts: NIA arrests one in Manipur in Transnational Conspiracy Case

OpIndia Staff
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Myanmar and Bangladesh based terror groups conspiring with militants to exploit ethnic conflicts: NIA arrests one in Manipur in Transnational Conspiracy Case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has said that Myanmar and Bangladesh-based militant groups have entered into a conspiracy with a section of militant leaders in India to indulge in incidents of violence with the intention to drive a wedge between different ethnic groups and to wage war against the Government of India. The NIA said this while informing about the arrest of one person related to this transnational conspiracy by terror groups.

The probe agency today arrested one person named Seiminlun Gangte from Churachandpur District in Manipur, the epicentre of ethnic violence that has been griping the northeastern state for several months. As per NIA, Gangte is related to a transnational conspiracy by Myanmar and Bangladesh-based leadership of terror outfits to wage war against the Govt. of India by exploiting the current ethnic unrest in the State of Manipur.

Investigation of the case has revealed that Myanmar and Bangladesh-based militant groups have entered into a conspiracy with a section of militant leaders in India to exploit existing fault lines to trigger unrest in the country.

NIA said that for this purpose, the foreign terror groups have been providing funds to the local militant groups to procure arms, ammunition and other types of terrorist hardware. Using this fund, the militant groups are procuring such items both from across the border as well as from other terrorist outfits active in the North Eastern States of India. The purpose of this conspiracy is to stoke the current ethnic strife in Manipur.

Seiminlun Gangte has been shifted to New Delhi after his arrest and will be produced before the Jurisdictional Court. Further Investigations in the case are in progress, NIA added.

The case was registered suo moto by the NIA on July 19, 2023, in New Delhi, and the investigation of case no 24/2023/NIA/DLI by NIA revealed the international conspiracy behind the Manipur violence.

A few days ago NIA arrested one Moirangthem Anand Singh in the same case related to transnational conspiracy. He along with four others was arrested by NIA earlier in Imphal for carrying sophisticated weapons and ammunition and travelling in police camouflaged vehicle. They were later released on bail, but NIA re-arrested Moirangthem Anand Singh on 23 September. It has been alleged that Singh was working as an overground worker of the People’s Liberation Army, a banned Manipuri insurgent outfit, and had obtained basic military training in Chandel.

Indore: Event manager Sana Khan pressurises Hindu girls to embrace Islam, lures them with tempting offers to marry Muslim guys; arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Indore: Event manager Sana Khan pressurises Hindu girls to embrace Islam, lures them with tempting offers to marry Muslim guys; arrested

In Madhya Pradesh’s Indore, police arrested an event manager named Sana Khan alias Rafiqunisha Khan alias Payal Khan who had been pressuring law students to convert to Islam for quite some time. Furthermore, she was also providing multiple inducements to Hindu girls in an attempt to lure them into marrying Muslim guys. She is originally from Rewa and was staying in Satyam Vihar Colony.

The Khajrana police have apprehended her in the case of love jihad and blackmail and are extracting her call details to examine her contact list.

How did the matter come to the fore

According to Town Inspector Umrao Singh, Sana Khan was charged with violating the Madhya Pradesh Religious Freedom Act and intimidation following a complaint from a law student who alleged that the accused was pressuring her to convert to Islam. The complainant, as per the police, originally belongs to the Talod village in Sonkach tehsil of Dewas district but is currently living in Goyal Vihar Colony with her friend and brother.

The victim revealed that the perpetrator was forcing her and her friend to convert their religion and trying to convince them to marry Muslim boys by offering various kinds of inducements.

She lured them by saying that she would arrange to get them married to Muslim boys from affluent families. They would receive a lot of money in return which would also be beneficial for their children’s education, the victim quoted the accused as telling her and her friends.

The official said that following the complaint, the police traced Sana Khan’s location and nabbed her. The police added that the accused is married to a man named Salim Khan whom the complainant regards as her uncle. Sana Khan had obtained the victim’s information from her husband and then began to threaten her.

Accused Sana Khan enticed girls by offering them incentives and offers: Indore police

Divulging details about Sana Khan’s modus operandi, the police said that the accused first obtained all information about her prospective targets, who were mainly law students, and then contacted them. She would start normal conversations with them first and then gradually start convincing them to embrace Islam by enticing them with many incentives and offers. She also tried to lure them with promises to get them married to rich Muslim boys.

Authorities disclosed that during the initial interrogation, Sana Khan continued to mislead the police, however, later she started divulging the truth. The police said that the accused revealed that she managed events in Indore and was in touch with more than 40 girls in Indore.

The police said that they are now compiling information they have gathered thus far and believe that Sana Khan might have used a similar trick to trap other girls.

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