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‘India is evacuating students stuck in Ukraine but Pakistan is not doing anything’: Pakistani students stranded in Ukraine slam Imran Khan government

OpIndia Staff
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‘India is evacuating students stuck in Ukraine but Pakistan is not doing anything’: Pakistani students stranded in Ukraine slam Imran Khan government

Pakistani students stuck in Ukraine have lamented their government’s indifference to their predicament amidst an escalating military offence carried out by the Russian forces. They have alleged that while India is actively evacuating its students in Ukraine via Hungary, the Pakistani government is doing little to rescue stranded Pakistanis.

Expressing concern at their plight, one of the students while speaking to Pakistani news channel ARY News conveyed her disappointment with the lack of initiative displayed by the Imran Khan government as compared to that exhibited by the Modi government in evacuating Indian students.

“There is a lot of bombing and military operations going on here and that’s why we want the Pakistani government to provide us security and a passage to safer places…because we are seeing that the Indians are rescuing their stranded students through the Hungary border. They are getting the Hungary border opened to rescue students stuck in Ukraine but no such measure is taken by the Pakistani government,” said a Pakistani student while talking to the ARY News channel.

On Thursday, ARY News reported that there are more than 1,500 Pakistanis, including 500 students, stranded in strife-torn Ukraine. Pakistan’s Ambassador to Ukraine Dr Noel I Khokhar claimed that all Pakistanis in Ukraine were safe and asked to move to secure locations.

Even though Pakistan’s Ambassador asserted that students stuck in Ukraine were safe, their parents back home accused the Pakistani embassy of papering over concerns raised by their children through glib assurances. They have alleged that the Pakistani embassy was only giving statements instead of their children’s safe evacuation from the war zone.

It is worth noting that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was in Russia to meet Putin on the day the Russian military forces launched a military offence into Ukraine. While Russia’s military operation had just kicked off in Ukraine, Imran Khan after reaching Moscow said that he was “excited” to be in Moscow at this juncture. Imran Khan was to visit Moscow and meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday during the two-day visit which was touted to be ‘historic’. This was the first visit to Moscow by a Pakistani leader in more than 20 years.

Indian government sends team in Hungary to rescue stranded Indians

Earlier on February 24, the official Twitter account of the Indian Embassy in Hungary informed about efforts undertaken by the Indian government to rescue stranded Indians in Ukraine.

“Team from Embassy of India in Hungary has been dispatched to the border post Zohanyi to coordinate and provide assistance to facilitate the exit of Indians from Ukraine. The mission is working with Govt of Hungary to provide all possible assistance,” it said on Twitter.

“The Government of India is closely monitoring the situation and evacuation plans are being worked out,” it further said.

Russia launches ‘military operations’ against Ukraine

On Thursday (February 24), Russian President Vladimir Putin announced limited military operations against Ukraine. In a televised address, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the special operation to be conducted in East Ukraine.

Putin had added explicitly that Moscow did not plan on occupying Ukraine. He said the military action he announced would seek to “demilitarise” and “denazify” Ukraine and came in response to threats from Ukraine.

According to Ukraine’s border guard agency, the Russian military entered the country from neighbouring Belarus. The Russian forces crossed Belarus to enter Ukraine from the North, said Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Northern border forces in Ukraine have come under attack by Russian troops.

A day after Russia launched a full-scale invasion in Ukraine, the President of the Eastern European country, Volodymyr Zelensky, informed on Friday (February 25) that a total of 137 people (including civilians) were killed in Russian military strikes.

‘Khalistan Zindabad’ slogans raised in the presence of Punjab police in Bathinda: Read full details

OpIndia Staff
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‘Khalistan Zindabad’ slogans raised in the presence of Punjab police in Bathinda: Read full details

On Monday, “Khalistan Zindabad” slogans were raised at a rally organised in memory of deceased Punjabi film actor Deep Sidhu.

According to the reports, the followers of Punjabi actor Deep Sidhu, who died in a road accident on February 15 in Ludhiana’s Tharike village, had organised a rally in the actor’s memory in Punjab’s Bathinda on February 21.

In the rally, several pro-Khalistani elements were seen waving purported Khalistan flags and shouting “Khalistan Zindabad” slogans as they took out a march on the streets of Bathinda. The supporters also chanted “Deep Sidhu Zindabad” in memory of the actor, who died in a car crash last week.

Posters of Khaliistani terrorist Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale and Deep Sidhu were also raised during the rally in Bathinda.

Shockingly, the pro-Khalistan rally took place in the presence of Punjab police. The Khalistani protestors shouted anti-India slogans even as the Punjab police remained mute spectators.

The video of the pro-Khalistan rally in Punjab’s Bhatinda has gone viral on the internet, stoking massive outrage among the citizens of the country.

Several social media users have called for strict action against anti-India elements in Punjab for threatening the security and integrity of the country by furthering the pro-Khalistani agenda. One user questioned the Congress-led Punjab government for permitting such anti-national events.

Anshul Saxena said that posters of terrorist Bhindranwale are being raised inside the country, and the Khalistanis are using the death of actor Deep Sidhu to revive the Khalistan movement.

Meanwhile, Anti-Terrorist Front India has given an ultimatum to the Punjab police, asking them to act on the anti-India elements for raising pro-Khalistan slogans. ATF President Veeresh Shandilya warned that he would file a case in Punjab and Haryana High Court if Punjab police failed to take action against the pro-Khalistanis in the next 48 hours.

‘Khalistan Zindabad’ slogans raised during the cremation of Deep Sidhu

Hundreds of Khalistani supporters attended the cremation of actor Deep Sidhu and raised slogans in favour of Khalistan.

“Saadi (hamari) majboori hai, Khalistan zaroori hai”, they yelled as they demanded freedom and a separate territory named Khalistan. The Sikh youth also shouted in union “banke rahega Khalistan” and demanded a probe into the death of Sidhu, who was one of the accused in the 2021 Republic Day riots in Delhi.

Surrounding the pyre of Deep Sidhu, people who attended the cremation chanted the “Khalistan Zindabad” slogan repeatedly. Some of them also carried pro-Khalistan banners.

Deep Sidhu died on February 15 in a road accident on KMP (Kundli-Manesar) Highway near Delhi. According to the reports, various Sikh organisations who attended the cremation alleged that Sidhu’s death was a planned murder and that the state must look into the investigation. Sidhu was accompanied by his girlfriend Reena Rai, who survived the accident due to the airbags.

Deep was a Khalistani supporter and was arrested last year in February after he participated in the desecration of the Red Fort amid the tractor rally held by farmers that turned violent. The Khalistani supporters had brutally attacked the security personnel and police officials stationed at Red Fort and had disrespected India’s national flag by hoisting two other flags with Sikh symbols. His act of desecrating the Red Fort was hailed by the pro-Khalistan groups.

Sidhu primarily had come to the limelight when a video of him speaking in English went viral in December 2020. Deep Sidhu was seen claiming to be a farmer and said that the farmers’ protests would be the defining moment of the geopolitics of not just India but also entire South Asia. Sidhu was heard saying that these farmer protests were nothing but a revolution.

Maharashtra: Income Tax dept searches premises of Shiv Sena Corporator Yashwant Jadhav, BJP exposes links of money laundering and corruption

OpIndia Staff
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Maharashtra: Income Tax dept searches premises of Shiv Sena Corporator Yashwant Jadhav, BJP exposes links of money laundering and corruption

The Income Tax department on Friday raided the premises of Shiv Sena Corporator and Standing Committee Chairman of Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Yashwant Jadhav. The IT officers reached the premises of Jadhav at around 7:30 in the morning and began searching for evidence of his involvement in the money laundering case of Rs 100 crores and more.

According to the reports, this is days after BJP leader Kirit Somaiya exposed Jadhav and said that he has created bogus companies to loot public money during the COVID times and probably before that. Kirit Somaiya had requested the ED, Income Tax and the Election Commission to probe into the Jadhav’s 100 crore scam.

In December 2021, the BJP leader had registered complaints to the Election Department, Tax Department and the ED against MLA Yamini Jadhav, Yashwant Jadhav and their sons Yatin and Nikhil for creating bogus companies like Pradhan dealers, Skylink commercials, super soft suppliers, etc and using them to divert the public money. “BMC’s contractor’s money and Yashwantrao’s scam will be exposed soon”, he had said.

The 100 crore COVID scam was already exposed by the BJP leader on February 5 when he had pinned Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut and his associate Sujit Patkar of corruption in the allotment of COVID centre contracts to entities on paper in Pune and Mumbai. He had revealed that the COVID care centre contracts were given by Thackeray led Maharashtra Govt to non-existent companies and an amount of Rs 32 crores has luxuriated in the process.

Meanwhile, BJP leader Atul Bhatkhalkar confirmed the development and said that Yashwant Jadhav and Shiv Sena leaders had shared contracts worth Rs 100 crore for COVID care Centers in Mumbai. “It’s high time now Mumbaikars know about these frauds. The income tax department should have raided Jadhav and his properties long back. He is primarily involved in the COVID fraud case”, stated Atul Bhatkhalkar adding that BJP will dig out the frauds committed by the Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.

Reports mention that Jadhav created several fake or shell companies specifically to loot the public money. He swindled crores by diverting huge amounts through these fake companies. Somaiya in the series of tweets further added that Jadhav parked Rs 15 crores in one of his bogus companies named Pradhan Dealers through the Hawala operator Uday Shankar Mahavar. The money was then sent to UAE and routed to Jadhav’s family member’s accounts.

In another case of corruption by Jadhav, Somaiya had released an audio clip in which Jadhav was heard asking monetary favours from Suraj Pratap Singh Deora of Yash Corporations to withdraw from the contract of development works worth Rs 2.17 crores in Byculla. As Deora expressed their inability to cater to the needs of Jadhav, he had threatened Deora with continuing to work with BMC.

On Thursday, Somaiya also slammed the Thackeray Sarkar led government in Maharashtra for allegedly indulging in corruption and further released a list of 12 of its representatives for looting the public money. The list includes Anil Parab, Sanjay Raut, Sujeet Patker, Bhavna Gavali, Anand Adsul, Ajit Pawar, Hasan Mushriff, Pratap Sarnaik, Ravindra Waikar, Jitendra Awhad, Anil Deshmukh and Nawab Malik.

As the IT raid continues at Jadhav’s premises in Mumbai, Somaiya has added two more names in the list which he termed as Thackeray Sarkar’s ‘Dirty Dozen’. He noted Yashwant and Yamini Jadhav and Mumbai Mayor Kishori Pednekar to the list of alleged fraudsters.

The IT raid comes ahead of the BMC elections that are likely to happen in late March or early April this year. As a team of tax department officials is undertaking the raids against Jadhav, the ED officials are also said to have reached the premises and are investigating into the case. Jadhav’s wife Yamini Jadhav is the party MLA from the Byculla seat.

Kerala: Mentally challenged girl raped in front of her paralysed mother in Malappuram, accused Shihab arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Kerala: Mentally challenged girl raped in front of her paralysed mother in Malappuram, accused Shihab arrested

In a gruesome incident, a mentally challenged girl was brutally raped in front of her paralysed mother in Kerala’s Malappuram.

According to the reports, the accused ‘Muttalan’ Shihab, who is an accused in several criminal cases, broke into the victim’s house at 2 pm on Wednesday. The mentally challenged girl was residing with her paralysed mother. The victim raised her voice as she saw Shihab, however, he closed her mouth.

The mentally challenged girl managed to escape from the attacker, but he followed the girl and brutally raped her. He had also threatened to kill her if she spoke about the incident to others. This brutal incident took place in Areekode, Malappuram district of Kerala. 

As per reports, the victim’s mother is bedridden due to serious health problems. The mentally and physically challenged daughter was brutally raped by the accused in front of the mother.

Reportedly, the accused had also threatened the family that he will be back to take ‘revenge’ if they do anything against him. The mother had to watch her mentally challenged daughter being sexually assaulted inside their house.

The victim girl has revealed to the police that this is the second time Shihab is raping the girl. The Kerala police have arrested the accused Shihab.

Conflict of interest, allegations of campaign against The Kashmir Files and more: What Vivek Agnihotri said exposing Anupama Chopra

OpIndia Staff
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Conflict of interest, allegations of campaign against The Kashmir Files and more: What Vivek Agnihotri said exposing Anupama Chopra

A day after national-award-winning director Vivek Agnihotri alleged that the Anupama Chopra was trying to ‘sabotage’ his recent movie – The Kashmir Files, he released a Youtube exposing the self-proclaimed movie critic’s inherent prejudice against his films.

On Thursday, Vivek Agnihotri released a video on Youtube accusing that there is a concerted campaign being carried out against his movies by movie critic Anupama Chopra and her organisation – “Film Companion”.

In his video, the national-award-winning director said that the bigwigs of the Bollywood industry control the media establishment, and it is not easy today just to rely on social media platforms to promote creative movies.

Naming certain production houses and producers, including Anupama Chopra’s husband Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Vivek Agnihotri pointed out that these entities have become the establishments of the Bollywood that set the rules and decide on the success of the individuals who enter the industry.

“Only those people who bend before this establishment will survive in the industry. Vivek Agnihotri never bows down to this establishment, never will do. Hence, I have been made to pay a price,” said the director in his video.

Earlier on Wednesday, Vivek Agnihotri had tweeted that Film Companion head Anupama Chopra was playing ‘dirty tricks’ in the background to target his movie. Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri announced that he would soon expose the tricks of the trade used by Anupama and her team.

In a tweet, Vivek Agnihotri asked Anupama, calling her Shoorpankha, “If you have any guts, sabotage ‘The Kashmir Files’ openly. Please stop playing dirty tricks from the background. Your only qualification is that you are married to a Producer who, despite being a KP (Kashmiri Pandit), stabbed KPs in their back.”

In his latest expose, the Bollywood director said that micro-blogging site Twitter recommended him one of the tweets of Film Companion that promoted Deepika Padukone-starrer movie Gehraiyaan. According to Vivek, Anupama Chopra’s organisation has aggressively marketed the movie even after the movie flopped at the box office. The Karan Johar-produced movie has been rejected by the viewers and has also been declared a massive flop.

On the contrary, Vivek Agnihotri noted that Film Companion has not reviewed or tweeted the trailer of his upcoming movie ‘The Kashmir Files’. Instead, Agnihotri pointed out that Film Companion has tried to carry out negative propaganda against his film by referring to his last movie, ‘The Tashkent Files’.

In the video, Agnihotri also showed how Anupama Chopra’s Film Companion had called his last movie ‘The Tashkent Files’ as a “second-hand history lesson in a third rate politics”. Film Companion has not even written a single review on the upcoming movie ‘The Kashmir Files’, Vivek Agnihotri noted in the video.

“Such an act can be done by an insane person, a sold-out, or a devil-minded person,” the national-award-winning director lambasted Anupama Chopra for her deep hatred for his films.

Vivek Agnihotri also remembered how the movie ‘Shikara’, produced by Anupama Chopra’s husband Vidhu Vinod Chopra, received a low rating on IMDB. He said that Shikara had got just 3.9 ratings on IMDB, while his movie The Taskent Files had secured 7.9 ratings on the review platform, more than two times of Chopra’s movie.

Shikara, a propaganda movie on Kashmiri Pandits produced by Chopra, had received backlash for whitewashing the crimes of Islamists in Kashmir, who had carried out the genocide of Hindus residing in the valley.

It is important to note that several Kashmiri Hindus had vociferously alleged that the movie did not do justice to the Kashmiri Hindu cause and watered down the genocide of the Hindus to appease the Islamic agenda. Kashmiri Pandit had disowned the film entirely as they had felt it was fabricated and devoid of facts.

The director also exposed Anupama Chopra, stating that she promoted her husband’s movie despite a conflict of interest. He also questioned the integrity of Anupama Chopra by challenging her to watch and review his upcoming film ‘The Kashmir Files’.

Vivek Ranjan Agnihotri’s movie ‘The Kashmir Files’ has stormed the Internet after its trailer dropped on Monday. The film stars Anupam Kher, Mithun Chakraborty, Pallavi Joshi, Darshan Kumar, Chinmay Mandlekar and Mrinal Kulkarni in lead roles and is set to release in the cinemas on March 11, 2021.

Two years on, scars of Delhi riots remain fresh for the family of Ratan Lal, children decorate house with father’s sketches to fill the void

राहुल पाण्डेय
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Two years on, scars of Delhi riots remain fresh for the family of Ratan Lal, children decorate house with father’s sketches to fill the void

From the 24th through the 26th of February, Delhi was engulfed in massive communal riots, where Islamic mobs targeted Hindu businesses and homes. Delhi Police Head Constable Ratan Lal was one of the first victims. Ratan Lal was mercilessly lynched by a crazed Islamist mob while he was trying to do his duty on main Wazirabad Road, Chand Bagh. The 42-year-old police officer lived with his family in Amrit Vihar, Burari, Delhi.

Ratan Lal’s family still resides in the same Amrit Vihar house today. Construction work was going on outside the house when the OpIndia team arrived at Amrit Vihar two years later to meet the bereaved family. The road leading to the humble household was dug up. Passing through a bumpy road, when we entered that two-room house, its walls were adorned with sketches of the police constable who was shot while he tried to calm down the riotous mob along with his seniors. We were told that the children made these in memory of their late father.

The walls of the house of late Ratan Lal adorned with his sketches

CM Arvind Kejriwal did not fulfil his promise to provide me with a job: Wife of deceased Constable Ratan Lal laments

“I don’t want to remember those old days,” Poonam, wife of the late policeman, told OpIndia. I’m attempting to recuperate from the memories of those events with tremendous difficulty. I’ve managed to take care of myself in order to provide for my children. Many of the government’s pledges have not yet been delivered. The Delhi government gave us one crore rupees in two instalments. Many others had made promises at the time that had not been kept. It was sought that a gate is built in his (Ratan Lal) name in Burari, but this request was also ignored. We had also urged CM Arvind Kejriwal to provide me with a job based on my educational qualification, but that request, too, has been ignored, rued Poonam.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Delhi Police provides assistance to the family

“Delhi Police has been quite helpful,” Poonam continued. Sanjay Singh, the new DCP, has also been of great assistance to me. DCP sahib (Deputy Commissioner of Police) had also issued a medal in his (Ratan Lal) name on August 15. This medal had also been approved by CP Sahib (Police Commissioner Delhi). In Delhi, police officers will now be awarded medals in his memory. This is good to know.

His name has gained a great deal of esteem in recent years. However, the so-called “martyr” certificate has yet to arrive. On the 15th of August, a gallantry award was presented, but no benefits were obtained. It is still awaiting approval. My family is somehow sustaining. When a family member leaves, you know what happens,” rued Poonam, deceased Ratan Lal’s wife.

Will insure my son joins the Delhi police department: Poonam Ratan Lal

“His (Ratan Lal’s) pension is covering the household expenses,” Poonam continued. I’m not working anywhere. For me, staying at home and caring for my children is the most important thing. A job has been offered to us by the Delhi Police, which has been set aside for my son. When he reaches the age of 18, he will take up the job and serve the department. The son is eleven years old now and currently studying in class five. My older daughter is in 9th grade, and my younger daughter is in 7th grade,” said Poonam.

The moustache

A report by Times Now had said that a year before he was killed, Lal had once enthusiastically spoken about the resemblance between his moustache and national hero Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman. When asked about the resemblance between Ratan Lal and Wing Commander Abhinandan’s impressive style of moustache, the former’s wife said, “His (Ratan Lal’s) moustache was from before Abhinandan. Since 2007, he’s had a moustache. It did take him quite some time to grow the unique moustache. I am sure Abhinandan had adopted Ratan Lal’s style”, opined Poonam.

“It was only on February 24, 2020, that it was learnt from the GTB Hospital, where he was rushed in an injured state, that he (Ratan Lal) had been shot,” said Poonam, adding that all news outlets have previously reported on this. Ratan Lal was brutally attacked and killed by an Islamic mob, who had also attacked DCP Anuj Kumar on that day.

Demand that the government fulfils all delayed promises

Poonam used OpIndia as a platform to make an appeal to the government to fulfil all the long-standing promises it had made after the death of her husband, Ratan Lal. I am thankful to JP Nadda, the president of the Bharatiya Janata Party, for sending me a citation. However, he is yet to deliver on his promises. Regarding my demands, I met with Amit Shah on December 16, 2021. After that, he told me that my demands would be met, but, so far, no documented martyr status certificate has been issued to us. The central government had also assured to give us compensation of Rs 1 crore which we have not received yet,” added Poonam.

Ratan Lal was a resident of Rajasthan

Lal belonged to Fathepur Tihwali village in Rajasthan’s Sikar district. Lal is survived by his wife and three children. The Sikar resident had joined the Delhi Police on the post of constable in 1998. He married a Jaipur resident in 2004. Ratan Lal was posted at Gokulpuri Police Station. He used to live with his family in a house in Delhi’s Burari area.

A mob attacked police officers stationed in Maujpur, Delhi’s North-East area, on February 24, 2020. Ratan Lal died from a bullet wound, according to the autopsy report. A video had surfaced in March 2020 where a violent mob of rioters can be seen attacking the Delhi Police officers with stones and sticks. She stated that there were videos on YouTube showing how her husband was shot but they were later taken down. She thinks she should have saved those videos.

The Special Investigation Team of Delhi Police had in June 2020 filed a 1,100-page charge-sheet in the case of the murder of Ratan Lal and deadly attacks by rioters on IPS Amit Sharma and IPS Anuj Kumar. At least 17 accused had been named in the charge-sheet. There are about 4 to 5 key conspirators in this whole case, which included Salim Khan, Salim Munna and Shadab. The police stated that the riots were engineered in Delhi through a conspiracy to malign the image of the country.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had informed in Parliament on 12 March 2020 that all the accused in the Ratan Lal case have been arrested by Delhi Police.

In September this year, 5 of the accused persons in Ratan Lal’s murder were granted bail by the Delhi High Court.

137 dead after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Zelensky laments being ‘left all alone’: Details

OpIndia Staff
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137 dead after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, President Zelensky laments being ‘left all alone’: Details

A day after Russia launched a full-scale invasion in Ukraine, the President of the Eastern European country, Volodymyr Zelensky, informed on Friday (February 25) that a total of 137 people (including civilians) were killed in Russian military strikes.

In an emotional address to the nation, Zelensky said, “Sadly, today we lost 137 heroes, our citizens. Ten of them were officers. 316 people have been wounded. Defending the Zmiinyi Island, all our border guards died a heroic death. But they have not surrendered. They will all be awarded posthumously by the title of the Hero of Ukraine.”

“Let those who gave their lives for Ukraine be remembered forever. I remain in the capital, my family is also in Ukraine, my children are in Ukraine. My family are not traitors, they are citizens of Ukraine. Where exactly they are, I have no right to say,” he added.

The Ukrainian President further emphasised, “According to the information received, the enemy has marked me as target No.1, my family as target No.2. They want to damage Ukraine politically by destroying the head of State.”

He lamented how the world had deserted Ukraine at such a crucial time. President Zelensky said, “We have been left alone to defend our state. Who is ready to fight alongside us? I don’t see anyone. Who is ready to give Ukraine a guarantee of NATO membership? Everyone is afraid.”

Russia launches ‘military operations’ against Ukraine

On Thursday (February 24), Russian President Vladimir Putin announced limited military operations against Ukraine. In a televised address, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the special operation to be conducted in East Ukraine.

Putin had added explicitly that Moscow did not plan on occupying Ukraine. He said the military action he announced would seek to “demilitarise” and “denazify” Ukraine and came in response to threats from Ukraine.

According to Ukraine’s border guard agency, the Russian military entered the country from neighbouring Belarus. The Russian forces crossed Belarus to enter Ukraine from the North, said Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Northern border forces in Ukraine have come under attack by Russian troops.

The Russian troops allegedly launched attacks on border units, border patrols, and checkpoints using artillery, heavy equipment, and small arms. Earlier in the day, large explosions were heard in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Several cities, airports, roads are hit by the rockets as Russian troops take control of East Ukrainian cities.

During his address declaring military action against Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin had urged the Ukrainian soldiers to lay down arms. He said those who followed his demand would be allowed to leave the battle zone and return to their families.

Russia-Ukraine war: Hours after Imran Khan meets Putin, US Federal Reserve imposes $55 million fine on National Bank of Pakistan

OpIndia Staff
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Russia-Ukraine war: Hours after Imran Khan meets Putin, US Federal Reserve imposes $55 million fine on National Bank of Pakistan

Hours after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kremlin on Thursday amidst the ongoing “special military operation” by the Russian troops in eastern Ukraine, two US authorities imposed fines worth $55 million on the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and its New York branch. 

According to reports, the US Federal Reserve, the central bank of the country, and Superintendent of Financial Services of the state of New York imposed fines on the central bank of Pakistan over deficiencies and non-compliance with the federal laws.

The Federal Reserve has imposed a $20.4 million fine, and the New York State Department of Financial Services has asked NBP to pay $35 million after the authorities found “significant deficiencies” in the NBP branch’s “risk management and compliance with federal laws, rules, and regulations”. 

As per the US Federal Reserve’s order, the deficiencies were related to anti-money laundering (AML) compliance and the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) of the US.

The order, issued based on the investigation carried out on March 4, 2021, noted that NBP had entered into a written agreement with the authorities on March 16, 2016, to correct the “deficiencies”. However, the recent investigation has found that NBP had failed to “achieve full compliance with each and every provision of the written agreement”.

The order also noted that as Pakistan’s NBP failed to comply with the US laws, the central bank of Pakistan and the Federal Reserve had “mutually agreed to enter into this Cease and Desist Order and Order of Assessment of a Civil Money Penalty.”

The US Federal Reserve has ordered NBP to carry out reforms on Corporate Governance and Management Oversight; Bank Secrecy Act, and AML Compliance Programme, Customer Due Diligence; Suspicious Activity Monitoring and Reporting; Transaction Monitoring System.

The reserve has demanded the NBP implement its recommendations within 60 days of the order. It has also asked NBP to designate an officer within ten days who will be “responsible for coordinating and submitting” to the Reserve Bank its written plans.

Meanwhile, the NYDFS Superintendent Adrienne A Harris announced that NBP and its NY branch had agreed to pay the penalty.

“The NBP allowed serious compliance deficiencies in its NY branch to persist for years despite repeated regulatory warnings,” a press release quoted Harris as saying.

The press release further said that the continued failures revealed that the branch’s senior management was unwilling or unable to promote a culture of compliance, adequate resources were not provided for compliance programmes, and the bank failed to adequately supervise the branch by allowing problems to worsen year after year.

Interestingly, the penalty against Pakistan’s NBP came just after Prime Minister Imran Khan met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Kremlin on Thursday. His meeting with Putin came at a time when Russia has launched a special military operation in eastern Ukraine.

Imran Khan arrived in Russia on Wednesday on a two-day visit. However, just hours after he arrived in Moscow, the Russian President ordered a special military operation in eastern Ukraine, leaving the Pakistan establishment confused. Later, Vladimir Putin held a face-to-face meeting with Prime Minister Khan in the Kremlin.

Russia takes control of Ukraine

On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced limited military operations against Ukraine. In a televised address, Russian President Vladimir Putin declared the special operation to be conducted in East Ukraine.

Putin had added explicitly that Moscow does not plan to occupy Ukraine. He said the military action he announced would seek to “demilitarise” and “denazify” Ukraine and came in response to threats from Ukraine.

According to Ukraine’s border guard agency, the Russian military entered the country from neighbouring Belarus. The Russian forces crossed Belarus to enter Ukraine from the North, said Ukraine’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Northern border forces in Ukraine have come under attack by Russian troops.

The Russian troops allegedly launched attacks on border units, border patrols, and checkpoints using artillery, heavy equipment, and small arms.

Earlier in the day, large explosions were heard in Kharkiv, Ukraine. Several cities, airports, roads are hit by the rockets as Russian troops take control of East Ukrainian cities.

During his address declaring military action against Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin had urged the Ukrainian soldiers to lay down arms. He said those who followed his demand would be allowed to leave the battle zone and return to their families.

Russian forces seize control of Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine warns off another ecological disaster

OpIndia Staff
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Russian forces seize control of Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Ukraine warns off another ecological disaster

Amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russian forces have captured the nuclear power plant site at Chernobyl, the site of the Nuclear disaster in 1986. It was confirmed by an official of the Ukrainian president. An advisor to the President’s office said, “It is impossible to say the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is safe after a totally pointless attack by the Russians.” The advisor Mykhailo Podolyak further added, “This is one of the most serious threats in Europe today,” reported Reuters.

Ukraine PM Denys Shmyhal also confirmed the development, saying that Russian forces have seized control of the abandoned nuclear power plant at Chernobyl after clashes with Ukrainian forces.

Earlier, the President of Ukraine had said that Russian soldiers have entered the area surrounding Chernobyl and are trying to seize the abandoned nuclear power plant. In his tweet, he had posted, “Russian occupation forces are trying to seize the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. Our defenders are giving their lives so that the tragedy of 1986 will not be repeated. Reported this to the Swedish PM. This is a declaration of war against the whole of Europe.”

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine also said that any Russian action in Chernobyl can lead to another ecological disaster. “In 1986, the world saw the biggest technological disaster in Chornobyl. Russia’s attack on Ukraine may cause another ecological disaster moving its military forces to Chornobyl. If Russia continues the war, Chornobyl can happen again in 2022,” the ministry tweeted.

The Chernobyl disaster happened in 1986 and it is considered the worst nuclear accident in history. Since this mishap, the reactor situated at around 130 KM north of Ukrainian capital Kyiv has been covered by a protective shelter to prevent radiation leak and the entire plant has been decommissioned. The entire town has been abandoned due to health risks as the site still contains a huge amount of highly radioactive nuclear material. And any damage to the structures during the clashes can lead to leakage of hazardous radiation.

Earlier on Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced limited “military operations” against Ukraine. In a televised address, Russian President Vladimir Putin had declared for the special operation to be conducted in East Ukraine.

Putin had added explicitly that Moscow does not plan to occupy Ukraine. He said the military action he announced would seek to “demilitarise” and “denazify” Ukraine and came in response to threats from Ukraine.

The day after President Zelensky introduced a nationwide state of emergency, airports are closed and long queues of cars were seen on motorways as Ukrainians attempted to flee their homes.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Ambassador to India, Igor Polikha, has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene and hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin given the special ties between the two countries.

Modi-Putin phone call: PM Modi appeals for immediate cessation of violence, expresses concern for safety of Indian citizens in Ukraine

OpIndia Staff
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Modi-Putin phone call: PM Modi appeals for immediate cessation of violence, expresses concern for safety of Indian citizens in Ukraine

Hours after Russia launched an attack on Ukraine, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a telephonic conversation with Russian President Vladimir Putin today evening over the ongoing crisis. In his conversation, PM Modi expressed concerns over the safety of Indians living in Ukraine, especially the students. He also appealed for an immediate cessation of violence and called for concerted efforts from all sides to return to the path of diplomatic negotiations and dialogue.

The official press release from PMO reads, “President Putin briefed Prime Minister about the recent developments regarding Ukraine. Prime Minister reiterated his long-standing conviction that the differences between Russia and the NATO group can only be resolved through honest and sincere dialogue.

Prime Minister appealed for an immediate cessation of violence and called for concerted efforts from all sides to return to the path of diplomatic negotiations and dialogue.

Source: PIB

Prime Minister also sensitised the Russian President about India’s concerns regarding the safety of the Indian citizens in Ukraine, especially students, and conveyed that India attaches the highest priority to their safe exit and return to India.

The leaders agreed that their officials and diplomatic teams would continue to maintain regular contacts on issues of topical interest.

It may be noted that after Russia launched an attack on military bases in Ukraine earlier today, Ukraine had urged PM Modi to talk to Putin to stop the invasion. Ukraine’s Ambassador to India Igor Polikha had urged PM Modi to intervene in the matter and hold talks with Putin, given the special ties between the two countries. He had said that India has a special relationship with Russia, and New Delhi can play a more active role in managing the ongoing Russia-Ukraine crisis.

“We urge PM Narendra Modi to immediately contact Russian President Vladimir Putin and our President Volodymyr Zelensky,” the Ukrainian ambassador had said.

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