On August 9, a Darul Uloom was partially damaged in a fire incident in Budgam district. As per the reports, the incident took place in the Pakherpora area on Monday afternoon.
Kashmir News Observer (KNO) quoted an official at Darul Uloom saying that the fire broke out in Darul Uloom Syed Aali Balki and partially damaged the building. Fire tenders reached the spot and controlled the fire with the help of Police and locals.
During preliminary investigations, it was found that an electric short-circuit caused the fire. However, further investigation is underway.
On August 9, while talking to Aaj Tak, Anurag Shyam, brother of late actor Anupam Shyam, said that actor Aamir Khan had given assurance to establish a dialysis centre in Pratapgarh. However, after some time, the actor stopped picking up calls from Shyam. Anurag added that his brother was very upset over the rumours of the cancellation of his show Mann Ki Awaaz Pratigya 2.
During the interview, Anurag mentioned Anupam could not meet their mother when she was ill. At the time when she was sick, the actor could not come as Pratapgarh does not have a dialysis centre. Anupam was on regular dialysis for a kidney ailment.
Anurag said, “Our family has been facing a lot. My mother died last month. Anupam was shocked that he could not go to Pratapgarh (where their mom stayed). Without a dialysis centre in the town, going there would have been a major health risk for Anupam. We urged for a dialysis centre in Pratapgarh, and Anupam even went to Aamir Khan for the same.” He further added that Khan assured them that he would help in establishing the centre but stopping picking up their calls after few months.
Yogi Adityanath had provided financial help
During an interview, late Anupam Shyam had said when Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister came to know about the health condition, he had transferred Rs.20 lakh in his account. “He knows me personally and like my work. His financial support helped me during the crisis. I also had some savings that I used for treatment. Now, as I am back to work, I hope I will be able to save money for the future,” the actor had said.
Shyam was suffering from a kidney ailment
Anupam Shyam was suffering from a kidney ailment for the last few years. A week ago, he was hospitalized after his health deteriorated. During the interview, Anurag said that Anupam’s health was improving, and doctors even removed the ventilator. However, his health condition worsened quickly as blood pressure dropped sharply, leading to multiple organ failures.
Anurag Shyam also said in the interview that the actor’s health condition had improved, and doctors had even removed the ventilator. However, his condition worsened after that, and his blood pressure dropped sharply, he added. It led to multiple organ failures and his death.
AMid the Taliban’s rapid advancement in Afghanistan and the Afghan government losing control of province after province, the Indian embassy in Kabul has issued an advisory today asking all Indian citizens to leave Afghanistan as soon as possible.
The urgent advisory issued by the Ministry of External Affairs via the Indian Embassy in Kabul asks all Indian citizens currently working, staying in Afghanistan to make immediate travel arrangements before commercial air services get cancelled. It says that as violence is escalating in many parts of Afghanistan, commercial air services may be discontinued at any time and Indian nationals should keep themselves updated about the availability of travel options.
Indian companies working in Afghanistan have also been advised to withdraw their employees from project sites and plan to send them back to India. Indians working for non-Indian companies have been asked to do the same.
Especially addressing media persons working in the war-ravaged country, the Embassy has stated that all Indian media persons working in Afghanistan should report for a personalised briefing and be in touch with the Embassy regarding their location. Emails and phone numbers are provided.
India evacuating citizens and diplomats from Mazar-e-Sharif
The Indian consulate at Mazar-e-Sharif in Northern Afghanistan had hours ago issued a statement asking all Indian citizens to take the special plane that will leave for Delhi today evening. Earlier, the Indian consulates at Kandahar and Herat were evacuated too.
It is notable here that the situation in Afghanistan is worsening each passing day. In the 3 days between 6 to 8 August, the Taliban had taken 5 major cities and provincial capitals under their control. Last week, bomb blasts were reported at Kabul’s VIP areas too.
Days after the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee chose the same day as “Direct Action Day” to celebrate the “Khela Hobe Diwas”, representatives of the Sanatan Organisations have met West Bengal governor Jagdeep Dhankar to seek a change in the date of the event. The Governor of WB took to Twitter to share the same.
“Representatives of Sanatan organisations called on Governor WB today to seek change in the date of “Khela Hobe Divas” as it reminds the horrendous memories of Direct Action Day and ‘the week of long knives’ in 1946 that led to killings of thousands”, Tweeted Dhankar.
Representatives of Sanatan organisations called on Governor WB today to seek change in the date of “Khela Hobe Divas” as it reminds the horrendous memories of of Direct Action Day and ‘the week of long knives’ in 1946 that led to killings of thousands. pic.twitter.com/P5og6cLdJM
— Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) August 10, 2021
In his subsequent Tweet, the Governor of West Bengal, cleared that the monks had only objected to the selection of the date to celebrate ‘Khela Diwas’. He said that they wanted the Governor’s intervention to convey their feelings to the state government. The Governor, in turn, assured them that their feelings would be conveyed to the government.
Their only objection was to the date of “Khela Hobe Divas” and sought intervention to convey their feelings to the government. Governor assured them that there feelings would be conveyed to the government. pic.twitter.com/j25NY9ZBgT
— Governor West Bengal Jagdeep Dhankhar (@jdhankhar1) August 10, 2021
According to a report by TV9 Bharatvarsh, the representatives were accompanied by Suvendu Adhikari, the Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly.
The BJP leader has also Tweeted about his visit to the WB Governor with the revered monks to request him to persuade the WB Govt to change the day of the proposed Khela Hobe Diwas.
“16th August is a blot on Bengal’s history. The day is horrifically remembered as Direct Action Day or Great Calcutta Killings which led to the brutal killings of thousands of Bengalis. Many dead bodies kept lying on road for days to be fed by dogs & vultures even”, wrote the BJP leader in his series of Tweets, adding that “any celebration on this day would only make the Bengalis relive the pain of the gory past”, Tweeted Adhikari.
16th August is a blot on Bengal’s history. The day is horrifically remmembered as Direct Action Day or Great Calcutta Killings which led to the brutal killings of thousands of Bengalis. Many dead bodies kept lying on road for days to be fed by dogs & vultures even.
— Suvendu Adhikari • শুভেন্দু অধিকারী (@SuvenduWB) August 10, 2021
For the uninitiated, Mamata Banerjee had announced her decision to celebrate the ‘Khala Hobe Diwas’ on August 16 this year, to launch her campaign to remove BJP from power in various states on July 23, 2021. She had then said that the “Khela Hobe” slogan would now be used at the national stage and declared that “Khela” will now happen in all states until the BJP is removed from the country.
The decision to choose the same day as Direct Action Day to celebrate the ‘Khela Hobe Diwas’, had, however, reminded the people of the great Calcutta Killings of 1946, when thousands of Hindus were butchered by Islamists of the Muslims Leagues on the streets of Kolkata. Mamata Banerjee has been widely condemned for her insensitive decision.
BJP attacks Mamata Banerjee over “Khela Hobe Diwas” celebrations
BJP had also criticised Mamata Banerjee’s decision to launch her “Khela Hobe Diwas’ on exactly the same say when Pakistan’s founder Mohammad Ali Jinnah of the Muslim League had launched the horrific “Direct Action Day” against Hindus in 1946.
“‘Khela’ will happen in all states until BJP is removed from the country. We’ll celebrate ‘Khela Diwas’ on August 16. We’ll give footballs to poor children,” Trinamool Congress chief said.
“The BJP took India to darkness, it will be ‘Khela Hobe’ till it’s ousted from Centre,” she said in her speech.
On August 10, terrorists have lobbed a grenade in Lal Chowk’s Hari Singh High Street area. As per the officials, the incident took place in the afternoon when there were many people in the area.
The terrorists were able to escape after the attack. Around seven people have been reported injured in the attack. They were rushed to the nearest hospital for treatment. Kishore Prasad, DIG CRPF, in Srinagar said, “At around 2.40 pm, a miscreant targeted a bunker of SSB with a grenade.”
After the clock tower lit up, the grenade terror attack targeted towards the Sashastra Seema Bal Bunker injured several civilians in Srinagar, Jammu Kashmir. @AdityaRajKaul shares more details with @ShivaniGupta_5pic.twitter.com/4lZICrCugX
Soon after the attack, the security forces took hold of the CCTV footage in the area and started a search operation to find the terrorists. By the time this report was published, no more updates had come from the agencies. The attack happened a day after BJP sarpanch Ghulam Rasool Bhat and his wife were shot dead by terrorists in Anantnag.
Terrorist organizations irked by increasing number of Tricolours in valley
In the last few days, hundreds of Tricolours have come up in the valley that seems to have irked the terrorist organizations. The National Flag was unfurled in the Dal Lake area, and recently, the Clock Tower at Lal Chowk was also lit with Tricolour lights ahead of independence day. Reportedly, a hundred feet Tricolour is all set to come up which will be visible from the entire old city.
Since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019, there has been a significant fall in the number of new recruits in terrorist organizations. Increased patrols, strict action by security forces and change of heart among the people of the valley have made it possible for the Government of India to improve the situation in the region. In the last two years, the Government has initiated several infrastructure projects in the valley to improve the economy in the long run.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma gave an interview to Times Now over the recent border clashes with Mizoram where six Assam Police personnel lost their lives. Himanta Biswa Sarma said that these are legacy issues which are the consequence of the borders not being demarcated clearly.
He said that these are complicated issues that must be resolved through dialogue and that history cannot be ignored. He also added that the will of the people and administrative convenience cannot be negated.
The Assam Chief Minister also said that the travel advisory against his citizens visiting Mizoram was necessary in order to prevent a flare-up. He said that due to the travel advisory, the situation could be brought under control in a week.
Assam CM on border conflict with Mizoram
During the interview, the journalist mentioned that there were allegations by Mizoram that Assam has too many illegal immigrants and therefore, Assam wants to settle them inside Mizoram. The Assam CM responded, “The illegal Bangladeshi means Muslim. The Muslim has not voted me a single vote during elections. So who are the illegal Bangladeshis on that side? All the immigrant Muslims.”
“If somebody says that Muslims voted for Himanta Biswa Sarma, this country will laugh. I told on the election meeting that please do not vote for us. Then how can they vote for me? So these are allegations said on the time of some tensions. They have to justify their action, I understand. But if people of India comes to know that BJP’s trying to to give settlement to the illegal Bangladeshi Muslim and they voted for us, we lost all the seats there,” he added.
He continued, “These are statistics. At least in Assam, nobody (no Muslims) voted for us. These are the statement on fact. I mean, you go by one by one polling booth, not a single vote was cast to BJP. We work for them, that is a different subject but the reality of the life is, for Himanta Biswa Sarma, for Sarbanand Sonowal, in Assam not a single Muslim voted for us.”
The Assam CM also said that if someone claims that he is trying to settle illegal Bangladeshi Muslims, then they would not have brought NRC. He said that they wish to expel all such settlers.
Sarma said, “PM Narendra Modi spoke to me right at the beginning of the dispute. He is extremely pained. He feels that northeastern states should remain united and contribute towards the development of the country. He told that such disputes are painful for the entire nation. He is concerned about the country. He considers Assam-Mizoram border dispute a national issue. He is ready to take any initiative to solve this.”
“When Home Minister visited Assam and Shillong, he advised us to resolve the border dispute. This is long-run process, this border dispute is not recent… These are long-standing problem and we need to resolve it after discussion and consultation…The visit of Home Minister and the recent border clash are not related to each other because Amit Shah given us a roadmap to resolve the dispute and his advice was not specific to any particular borders but was about resolving complex issue,” he stated.
Sarma said that the short term objective is to maintain peace at the Assam-Mizoram border. One of the solutions he proposed was to ensure that no settlements are permitted in the disputed forests from either side. But he said that the issues will linger before they are solved but the best to hope in the short term future is to avoid confrontation.
“I am extremely proud”: Assam Cm Himanta Biswa Sarma on anti-beef consumption law
With regards to law against the cow slaughter than bans the practice within a 5 kilometer radius of a Temple, the journalists pointed out that India has a Temple every 2 kilometer. Sarma said, “It’s good.. (Temples) should be constructed so that beef consumption goes down.”
Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Mahatma Gandhi wants to protect cows and he is a “blind follower” of Gandhi, so he wants to protect cows too. When questioned whether he has implemented the law so that people cannot eat beef, he responded, “Kyu khaana hai? (Why do they want to eat (beef)?”
He said that the people of Assam from both communities are happy with the law and confirmed, “I am extremely proud. I am proud of this law.” He also said that the journalist was making a “very big statement” when she said that Assamese Hindus eat beef, vehemently denying that they do.
A controversy erupted in the Pogoi village in Vellore, Tamil Nadu, after a Christian doctor wore her footwear inside a temple, as per reports. The doctor was reportedly a part of the team that had gone to the village to administer Covid vaccines to the villagers. Despite repeated appeals, when the doctor refused to take off her footwear, the irate villagers protested and refused to take the vaccination until the doctor left.
According to local reports, the vaccination camp had been organised by the Vellore Government Hospital in the Muthalamman temple premises in the Poigai village. Regina, the Christian doctor, who works in the Hospital was a part of the team that was sent to the village to administer the Covid vaccine to the villagers.
While all the other health workers removed their footwear, as the camp was being held inside the temple, Regina reportedly refused to respect the sanctity of the place and sat in front of the sanctum sanctorum with her shoes.
This left the villagers infuriated. When the villagers asked her to remove it she reportedly asked “is there a board saying one shouldn’t wear footwear inside the temple?”. Despite repeated requests, when Regine refused to remove her footwear, the Hindu villagers declined to take the vaccine unless she left the temple.
‘Wore the footwear for fear of contracting Covid-19’: Doctor tries to justify behavior
When the matter escalated, Adi Siva, the Hindu Front leader in the area, came to the temple with his supporters. He requested the doctor to respect the sentiments of the Hindus and take off her footwear, but the doctor remained adamant.
Seeing the situation worsen, Dr Regina quickly issued a justification for her action saying that she feared she would contract Covid is she went barefoot. But the enraged villagers refuse to buy the argument and insisted on her leaving the temple premises immediately. The villagers were adamant that they would only get themselves vaccinated once she leaves.
The villagers only agreed to take the vaccines after the nurses who accompanied the doctor apologised on behalf of the doctor, for hurting the religious sentiments of the villagers.
Empty liquor bottles have been found in the premises of Mantralaya of the Maharashtra Government. The empty liquor bottles were discovered from behind the trinity statue at the Mantralaya.
The discovery of liquor bottles has sent the authorities into a tizzy, given that no one is allowed to enter the Mantralaya premises without a pass or without a general inspection. The Mantralaya premises are guarded round the clock, with CCTV cameras installed at various places. Yet, the liquor bottles found their way inside the premises. This has left authorities scratching their heads as to how the liquor bottles were smuggled inside the Mantralaya premises despite such tight security.
The matter will be thoroughly investigated and strict action will be taken against the culprits, said Dattatray Bharne, Minister of State for General Administration. Speaking on the issue, Dattatray said, “This is very serious news. The matter will be properly investigated and action will be taken against the culprits.” Speaking further, he said that the entire security system of the ministry is with the police administration, but the home minister or the police alone cannot be held responsible for the breach of the security.
BJP slams MVA government, demands probe in the matter
Meanwhile, BJP launched a spirited attack on the Maha Vikas Aghadi government following the discovery of empty liquor bottles inside the Mantralaya. Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Pravin Darekar said that it is shameful that liquor bottles were being smuggled inside the Mantralaya. Darekar also insinuated that the MVA government is in the interests of liquor dealers, bar and restaurant owners etc.
Praveen Darekar said, “It is very unfortunate, annoying and embarrassing to find bottles of liquor in the Ministry. The discovery of liquor bottles inside the Mantralaya premises makes one question as to how they reached inside the ministry when common people are barred from entering the premises and only those with passes and security clearances are allowed to come inside. Who brought the bottles of liquor to the ministry and for what purpose? This should be investigated and action should be taken against those involved.”
Darekar further added, “Liquor bottles retrieved from the Mantralaya shows the mentality of this government, for whom they are working and what all things they are doing. Who exactly is this government running for? Whether it is working for the rich, working for liquor dealers, working for dance bars or restaurants or working for the common man, the public should know once and for all. An incident that has tarnished the tradition of Maharashtra has come to light today. “As the Leader of the Opposition, I demand that all these cases be investigated,” Darekar said.
As the Taliban continues to advance and take control of larger swathes of Afghanistan every passing day, the Indian government is evacuating Indian citizens in Afghanistan before the situation worsens. As per the latest report, the Indian consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif has announced that a special plane will leave for Delhi today and Indian nationals in and around the Afghan city should contact the consulate to board the flight and leave Afghanistan as soon as possible.
Tweet by the Indian consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif
It is reported that Indian diplomats too will be evacuated from the consulate at Mazar-e-Sharif. Earlier, Indian diplomats had vacated the consulate at Kandahar. Over 50 officials and security personnel were evacuated from the Kandahar consulate recently.
As per reports, the Ministry of External Affairs is yet to say anything officially on the matter. The Indian embassy at Kabul is still open.
Taliban takes control of 5 major cities in just 3 days
On Sunday (August 8), the Islamic terror outfit Taliban captured three provincial capitals, the strategic cities of Kunduz, Taloqan and Sar-e-Pul. A day earlier on Saturday (August 7), the Taliban took control of most of Sheberghan, including the provincial government buildings. On Friday, August 6, the Taliban had captured the city of Zaranj in the Nimroz province, thus extending their stronghold from southern provinces to the Northern provinces.
The celebrations in anticipation of the 75th Independence Day have already begun. The Indian government has marked August 15 as ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav‘ and intends to create a record of the maximum number of people singing the ‘Rashtragaan’ (national anthem) in unison. “Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav means the ‘elixir of the energy of freedom’… It means the nectar of inspiration from freedom fighters, the nectar of new ideas, the nectar of new resolutions and the nectar of self-reliance,” the PM had said.
During his ‘Maan ki Baat’ programme last month, PM Modi had informed that the Culture Ministry had launched a website, rashtragaan.in where people can listen, sing and record the national anthem. The government is planning to create history by having over 75 lakh Indian citizens sing the national anthem. A video will be compiled, featuring all the participants, and will be released on August 15.
Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can be a part of this world record. You must hop onto the search bar of your internet browser and type in ‘https://rashtragaan.in/.’ You will be directed to the landing page of the website. A screenshot of the page has been attached below. In total, there are four simple steps that one must follow to send a video of him/her singing the national anthem. At this point, you must click on the ‘Proceed’ option, highlighted in orange to progress further.
Screengrab of the Rashtragaan website
Fill in your personal details
You will be redirected to a page, where you need to fill in basic details about yourself. This includes your full name, age group, country and the State/Union Territory of your origin. Once you have filled in the details, you must click on the option ‘Let’s sing’ (highlighted in orange and located at the bottom of the page).
Screengrab of the Rashtragaan website
Record the song
Then, you will be automatically prompted to the most important page of the website. A notification on the top left-hand corner of the website will seek permission from you to switch on your microphone and camera. Click on ‘Allow’ button so as to be able to proceed further. Then, you must click on the ‘Record button’ (located at the bottom of the screen) and sing the ‘Rashtragaan’. If you are not pleased with your performance, then, you have the option to ‘restart’ from the beginning.
Screengrab of the Rashtragaan website
Download the certificate of participation
Once you have completed the step, click on the ‘Upload’ option located adjacent to the ‘Record’ option. After your video is uploaded successfully, you will receive a ‘certificate of participation’. The certificate will bear your ‘Full name’ and a congratulatory message for successful participation in ‘Rashtragaan’, which is an initative by the Culture Ministry on the occasion of ‘Amrit Mahotsav’.
Screengrab of a sample certificate of participation
The Modi government has already started preparations for the 75th-anniversary celebrations and intends to organise several events to commemorate the historic event. The events will be managed by a national implementation committee which will be headed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
