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Kissing scenes in temple: MP Police to book Netflix officials for ‘A Suitable Boy’ after home minister’s order

OpIndia Staff
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Kissing scenes in temple: MP Police to book Netflix officials for ‘A Suitable Boy’ after home minister’s order

Madhya Pradesh Home Minister Dr Narottam Mishra has informed that he had instructed police officials to examine the allegations against Netflix officials that they had hurt religious sentiments by shooting intimate kissing scenes in their series ‘A Suitable Boy’ inside a Hindu temple with religious prayers in the background. Following the order, it has been found that the series has indeed violated Hindu sentiments.

Mishra further stated that the government has decided to act on the basis of the complaint filed by BJP leader Gaurav Tiwari and lodge an FIR at Reva. He further stated that the police has been asked to book Netflix officials Monica Shergill and Ambika Khurana under section 295 A at the Civil Lines police station in Reva, MP as per Tiwari’s complaint.

Calling the scenes extremely “objectionable”, Mishra had said on November 22 (Sunday) that the Madhya Pradesh Police have been asked to scan Mira Nair’s web series to check if kissing scenes in it were indeed shot in a temple.

In a tweet yesterday, Mishra said, “A film titled ‘A Suitable Boy’ has been released on an OTT platform. It depicts extremely objectionable scenes that hurt the feelings of a particular religion. I have directed police officials to look into it.” In a subsequent Tweet, Mishra also asked police officials to inform what legal action can be taken against the producer and director of the show for “hurting religious sentiments”.

Meanwhile, Reva SP has said that once they receive the footage of the series from Netflix, the police would investigate and take required action in the matter. He also confirmed that based on Gaurav Tiwari’s complaint an FIR has been registered in the matter.

BJYM leader files FIR against Netflix series ‘A Suitable Boy’ for hurting Hindu sentiments

The Home Minister’s statement comes a day after a BJYM (Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha) leader Gaurav Tiwari, submitted a written complaint to Rewa SP Rakesh Kumar Singh, demanding that an FIR be registered against the OTT platform for streaming a web series which hurts the religious sentiments of Hindus. The series, based on a novel by Vikram Seth was released on Netflix on October 23.

The BJP leader had taken to Twitter to confirm the development. He stated, “In the web series of ‘A Suitable Boy’, Netflix has shown three kissing scenes, in one episode, taking place within the temple premises.” He inquired, “As per the story, a Muslim man is in love with a Hindu woman. But, why were all kissing scenes shot within the temple premises (and not mosque).”

While speaking to reporters, Tiwari reiterated that his objection was not to the kissing scenes but the act being shot in the temple, with Aarti happening in the background. Gaurav Tiwari had also slammed Netflix for using the religious site for promoting ‘love jihad’ and hurting Hindu sentiments.

“Bharat ko hai Bharat ko bachana”: Man praises PM Modi in his song creating awareness about coronavirus, video goes viral

OpIndia Staff
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“Bharat ko hai Bharat ko bachana”: Man praises PM Modi in his song creating awareness about coronavirus, video goes viral

As the threat of the resurgence of the coronavirus outbreak looms over India, social media websites are abuzz with videos where people are seen using novel and striking ways to create awareness among others about the COVID-19 pandemic. One such video that has captured the imagination of thousands of people and has gone viral on the internet is about a mellifluous rendition of a beautiful composition, presumably made by the man, to generate awareness among people.

The video was also shared by Information Consultant to the Uttar Pradesh government, Shalabh Mani Tripathi, on his official Twitter page. “Iska naam hai corona, Iska naam hai corona,” Tripathi tweeted along with the video clip.

In the video, a middle-aged man clanging a Dafli(Tambourine) and singing a song can be seen. Through his composition, the man advises various measures that one should follow to stave off the threat of COVID-19.

The man sings how PM Modi has advised wearing masks, drinking warm water and maintaining social distancing as precautionary measures to combat coronavirus. He also sings how PM Modi has urged citizens to try and feed the hungry and take care of the elderly in such testing times. “Bharat ko hai Bharat ko bachana (India has to save India),” he sings. He also urges everyone to stay at home.

The composition attracted a torrent of praise on social media websites, with social media users applauding the man for conveying the coronavirus safety measures to the public.

A resurgence of coronavirus outbreak in India

As winters are approaching, there is a marked spurt in the coronavirus cases in some parts of the country. It has, therefore, become all the more important that people continue to adhere to the coronavirus norms set by the government and do not let their guard down. Delhi, the country’s capital is in the throes of a violent surge of the coronavirus crisis. In last one month, it has emerged as the city with the highest number of coronavirus recorded in the country.

Similarly, the coronavirus outbreak in Ahmedabad has also reached alarming levels, forcing the government to announce a 57-hour curfew that ended today morning. Several public events have been called off and people have been strictly advised to follow the coronavirus guidelines when they are out of their house.

With winters slowly engulfing the entire country, the cases of coronavirus may spike and it is therefore essential that people do not slip into complacency and continue to comply with the coronavirus guidelines mandated by the government earnestly.

NCB team attacked by drug peddlers in Mumbai, three accused arrested

OpIndia Staff
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NCB team attacked by drug peddlers in Mumbai, three accused arrested

On Monday, a team of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) officials, investigating the high-profile drug scandal case surrounding the Bollywood industry, was attacked by a group of drug peddlers in Goregaon in Mumbai.

As per reports, NCB Zonal Director Sameer Wankhede and five other officers were assaulted by a mob of around 60 drug peddlers. During the incident, two officers from the central investigative agency were critically injured. The NCB team had gone to apprehend a drug peddler by the name of ‘Carry Mandis’ when they were ambushed by the group.

Reportedly, the Mumbai police were called in to help the NCB officials and facilitate in the arrest of ‘Carry Mandis’ and three of his gang members. A case was also registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 353 (assault to deter public servant from discharge of his duty) against the accused at the Goregaon police station.

NCB Vs Bollywood drug racket

Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) had recently summoned film producer Firoz Nadiadwala in connection to the probe in the high-profile drug scandal surrounding the Hindi film industry. Consequently, his residence in the upscale western suburbs of Mumbai was searched by the narcotics team in connection to the case.

Comedian Bharti Singh was arrested on Saturday, while her husband Haarsh was arrested on Sunday after questioning him for around 12 hours. The residence of comedian Bharti Singh was raided by the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and 86.5 grams of ganja was recovered from the office and residence of the couple in Andheri West. While speaking about the case, an NCB official informed that the duo had admitted to the consumption of Ganja. Earlier, it was revealed that NCB has initiated a probe into Shah Rukh Khan, Arjun Rampal and Dino Morea for alleged drug abuse.

Till then, the names of only actresses like Deepika Padukone and Sara Ali Khan had come up in the drug abuse probe. Previously, the NCB officials had impounded mobile phones of Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, Rakul Preet Singh and Deepika’s manager Karishma Prakash. During the interrogation, the NCB officials had confronted Deepika Padukone with the digital evidence gathered from Jaya Saha’s phone that showed the actor’s chats about procuring ‘maal’ for her. However, as per a report, Deepika had claimed that by ‘Maal’ she meant cigarettes and ‘Hash’ referred to the different brands of cigarettes.

After withdrawing controversial order to give Rs 50,000 for interfaith and intercaste marriages, Uttarakhand govt orders inquiry into press release

OpIndia Staff
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After withdrawing controversial order to give Rs 50,000 for interfaith and intercaste marriages, Uttarakhand govt orders inquiry into press release

Two days after being criticised for promoting interfaith and intercaste marriages in the state, the Uttarakhand CM Trivendra Singh Rawat on Sunday ordered an inquiry over the controversial press release by district social welfare officer of Tehri Garhwal which promoted the government scheme.

Darshan Singh Rawat, CM’s media coordinator said, “An inquiry has been ordered into the matter as the issue is being taken seriously.”

“He (CM) has asked the CS to probe the conditions under which the district social welfare officer issued the press release on a government scheme when the government is strictly against any interfaith marriage with religious conversion,” Darshan added.

Darshan furthered that although the scheme was in place since the formation of Uttarakhand in 2000, CM Rawat has said that the government will work on discontinuing the scheme “as it cannot tolerate disturbance in peace and harmony in the state with marriages done after a religious conversion.”

Rs 50,000 ‘reward’ for interfaith and intercaste marriages

In an order passed by Tehri Garhwal district’s social welfare officer dated November 18, it was specified that the government had decided to incentivise and promote interfaith and intercaste marriages in the state in an effort to bring ‘unity’ in the society and country at large. Under the scheme, the social welfare department was to provide Rs 50,000 to a person marrying outside his/her caste or religion.

The order had stated that one of the persons being married should belong to the Scheduled Caste community to avail the state benefits and the concerned couple can avail the benefit by marrying in any of the certified temples, mosques or registering their marriage with the concerned department.

Uttarakhand govt faces criticism

However, after a controversy over the purported decision erupted and people accused the Uttarakhand Government of promoting religious conversions and ‘Grooming Jihad’ (Love Jihad) in the state, the latter withdrew the order and said that necessary corrective actions had already been initiated.

The particular order to promote interfaith marriages by the social welfare department of Tehri Garhwal district came at a time when there has been an increasing trend of ‘Grooming Jihad’ cases in the country. The dangerous trend of trapping of Hindu women under a false identity of Hindu men and then forcing them to convert to Islam has been widely reported. The various state governments have now finally decided to act against forced conversions, and deceitful marriages by bringing strict laws against cases of ‘Love Jihad’ in their respective states.

Washington Post editor, who ranted against white women, lies about France targeting Muslim children: Here are the details

OpIndia Staff
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Washington Post editor, who ranted against white women, lies about France targeting Muslim children: Here are the details

Global Opinions Editor at the Washington Post, Karen Attiah, is at the receiving end of great criticism after she falsely accused the French Government of targeting Muslim children. She claimed that the French Government wanted to give IDs to Muslim children. France has strongly denied the allegations that the IDs will be given on the basis of religion or race or sex or any other factor.

Karen Attiah spreads fake news

The same lie was spread by the Minister for Human Rights in Pakistan as well who accused the French of treating Muslims the way the Nazis treated Jews. France slammed Pakistan for making such distasteful remarks in a statement. Karen Attiah, since peddling the bit of fake news, has issued an apology.

Initially, Attiah appeared hesitant to offer an apology. She said, “I had an earlier tweet which said the ID Bill was targeting Muslim children which was incorrect. That said, it is foolish to ignore the likelihood that such a bill will likely create a climate in which Muslims will disproportionately suffer even more in France.”

Karen Attiah “unequivocally” apologised for the “error” she made two hours later. “I do have a responsibility to facts. And I do not want to make anything harder for my colleagues who are doing an amazing job with a difficult story,” she stated.

Karen Attiah apologises

It is not the first time that Karen Attiah has landed herself in a soup. She has made extremely controversial remarks in the past that had earned her a great deal of criticism. In June, she tweeted that white women are ‘lucky’ black people are ‘just calling them Karens and not calling for revenge’.

She said, ‘The lies and tears of white women hath wrought; the 1921 Tulsa massacre, murder of Emmett Till, exclusion of black women from feminist movements, 53% of white women voting for Trump.’ Calls were made for her expulsion but they did not amount to anything. And it is unlikely that any action will be taken against her in the aftermath of the current debacle either.

On a separate occasion, she tweeted “white people, you guys need to figure this out how to erase the emotional rewards of sadistic pleasure white people have long enjoyed in dominating and destroying black bodies.”

France calls the rumours ‘fake news’

The Foreign Affairs Ministry of France said, “Any so-called information pertaining to alleged intent to register children being schooled in France based on religion, belief or origin, is absolutely false.” “12 million children are already registered and the registration process will be completed including home schooling children,” it added.

TRP case: ED to summon India Today executives this week for questioning, recording statement of Hansa Research first

OpIndia Staff
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TRP case: ED to summon India Today executives this week for questioning, recording statement of Hansa Research first

Sources within the Enforcement Directorate have confirmed that India Today will be the first channel to be summoned for questioning in its investigation into the TRP case. India Today was named in the initial FIR that was registered by the Mumbai Police on the basis of the complaint that was filed in the matter.

The ED will first record the statement of the complainant and following that, the executives of India Today will be called in for questioning. india Today is expected to be summoned this week. The complainant in the matter is Hansa Research.

ED registers ECIR in TRP case

The Enforcement Directorate had earlier registered an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), the equivalent of FIRs filed by the Police, in the TRP case. The ED will investigate money laundering allegations and all channels mentioned in the original FIR will be probed. As per Republic TV, the Mumbai Police probe could also be under scrutiny. Republic TV has also cited sources to claim that the ED will merge all TRP related cases under the ED in Mumbai. The ED is the second central agency to come into the matter after the CBI. The CBI had earlier registered an FIR over the matter.

The TRP Case

On 8th October, Param Bir Singh, Mumbai Police Commissioner, said in a press conference that several channels have indulged in malicious practices to increase their TRP ratings. He alleged that Republic TV is one of the main accused. The complaint was filed by the Hansa group that regulated the devices to record TRP for BARC.

However, the initial FIR did not name Republic TV but named India Today network as one of the main suspects. During the investigation, several evidence and witnesses came forward that alleged Mumbai Police have been intimidating them to speak against Republic TV, including Hansa officials. Hansa has also complained that they are being harassed by the Mumbai Police to give statements against Republic TV.

Journalist Tavleen Singh withdraws defamation suit against Twitter user PokerShash for his satirical tweet

OpIndia Staff
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Journalist Tavleen Singh withdraws defamation suit against Twitter user PokerShash for his satirical tweet

Journalist Tavleen Singh has withdrawn the civil defamation suit filed by her against social media user Shashank Singh alias @pokershash for a satirical tweet posted by him on Twitter.

The District and Sessions court in New Delhi dismissed the case against Shashank as Tavleen Singh took the case back.

Civil defamation suit by Tavleen Singh against @pokershash withdrawn

Twitter user says resourceful people should not use their privilege to threaten people

Speaking to OpIndia, Shashank said that when Tavleen threatened him with a defamation suit, he thought she was simply pressuring him to remove the tweet. Later, he came to know that Tavleen had indeed filed a suit against him for a satirical tweet. Though, he added that he hadn’t received any summons till date.

Shashank welcomed Tavleen’s decision to withdraw the lawsuit and opined that people with financial resources and knowledge of the law should not exploit it to threaten common citizens. He added that courts are already hard-pressed with work and cases like this which are filed only to burnish one’s ego should be avoided.

Tavleen Singh filed a defamation suit against @Pokershash for his satirical tweet

After waxing eloquent on the need for absolute freedom of speech and holding forth on fostering an environment of tolerance in the country, Tavleen Singh had in August 2020 filed a civil defamation suit against Shashank alias @Pokershash for lampooning her on Twitter. Singh had filed a lawsuit against @pokershash for a satirical tweet in which he jocularly alleged that Tavleen had a meeting with others to defend controversial hate-speech peddler Sharjeel Imam.

“Sources of NDTV told me that there was a meeting between @zafarsareshwala, @tavleen_singh and @Altnews to defend Sharjeel Imam. In which they have decided that Imam was not saying ‘Assam ko India se kaat denge’ but he was saying ‘Aaj sham ko nadia se paar dekhenge’,” the Twitter user @pokershash had manifestly posted in a lighter vein to mock the support Imam had been receiving from several personalities. The Twitter user @pokerhash was later suspended by Twitter.

However, this evidently satirical tweet grated on the nerves of Tavleen Singh and she instantly blasted out at @pokershash, threatening him to remove the tweet or face legal consequences. Subsequently, Singh approached the Patiala House Court and filed a defamation suit against Shashank Singh.

Kejriwal grandstands over Delhi’s ‘improved’ rank in list of world’s best cities even as coronavirus cases soar amid pollution woes

OpIndia Staff
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Kejriwal grandstands over Delhi’s ‘improved’ rank in list of world’s best cities even as coronavirus cases soar amid pollution woes

Delhi is in throes of a renewed bout of an inexorable coronavirus outbreak. The number of infections being recorded in the national capital has assumed epic proportions, attributed partly to the plummeting temperatures and the alarming increase in city’s air pollution. 

However, amidst this acute crisis besieging Delhi, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has not shied away from grandstanding about the improvement in the ranking of the city amongst the world’s best cities. 

On Sunday, AAP party chief Arvind Kejriwal posted a piece of “good news” for all Dilliwalas. Retweeting Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia’s post, Kejriwal wrote, “Such a good news for all Dilliwalas. All dilli walas have worked so hard in the last six years to make it happen. The world is noticing the positive changes happening in Delhi.”

Sisodia had shared an annual report of the best cities in the world saying, “Congratulations to all the proud people of Delhi and @ArvindKejriwal for the leadership. Our beloved Delhi is ranked 62 in World’s Best cities. The only Indian city in the list,” tweeted Delhi’s Deputy CM.

The deputy chief minister of Delhi also claimed that this is that there is a significant improvement from the past ranking, which was 81 earlier. 

A report of the same was also shared by the official Twitter handle of the Aam Aadmi Party.

The ranking was carried out by a certain Resonance Consultancy Ltd, which granted the national capital 62nd position, making it the only Indian city to feature in the list. According to the reports, the ranks have been given to 100 cities from across the world with a population of over 10 lakh. The ranking was based on the basis of 25 factors, including social media hashtags, number of check-ins, diversity, tourist attractions, weather and more. It also included factors like Covid-19 infections in July, income incongruity and unemployment.

Improvement in ranking belies the on-ground situation in Delhi

While Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and his associates were busy gloating over the marked improvement in Delhi’s ranking in the list of best cities in the world, the dire coronavirus crisis in the national capital belied the standing conferred upon it by the Resonance Consultancy Ltd. 

The COVID-19 crisis in Delhi was so grim that the chief minister Arvind Kejriwal had written a letter to the centre seeking permission to once again impose lockdown in the city. However, just a day later, deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia and Health Minister Satyendar Jain allayed the suspicions among Delhi residents that the city might undergo another period of lockdown. 

Against this gloomy background, Kejriwal’s congratulatory tweet, boasting over the city’s advancement in the ranking struck a jarring note. The appalling air quality, the continued surge in coronavirus cases, makes one question the authenticity of the ranking themselves. This was also highlighted by several netizens who were furious that Delhi Chief Minister was busy preening oneself over the improvement in the rankings even as the situation on the ground continued to deteriorate. 

One of the Twitter users slammed Arvind Kejriwal claiming that the Delhi CM is lying about the city. The user shared a report published in Dainik Bhaskar in which the High Court had said that even as bodies were being cremated in the night, and burial sites were being overwhelmed, the Delhi government did nothing to address the concerns. 

Another Twitter user wondered if 62nd rank was the last ranking in the list given that Delhi has become a hotspot of coronavirus outbreak and it is being among the cities with the worst air quality index. 

One Twitter user highlighted the gross incongruencies that cast doubt on the credibility of the rankings altogether.

The Twitter user said that the pollution in Delhi is at the peak, it has recorded the highest number of coronavirus patients in the last 1 month, the number of people begging on a traffic signal is highest in Delhi and it registers the highest number of crimes in a city and yet stands 62nd on the list of world’s best cities.

Delhi continues to be afflicted by coronavirus outbreak and worsening air quality

Delhi is witnessing a third surge in the number of COVID-19 caseloads even as most of India’s numbers are showing a steady decline. Since the last week of October, Delhi’s coronavirus cases have been increasing at an alarming rate. 

In the last 24 hours alone, Delhi has recorded 6,746 new Covid-19 cases taking the total number of cases in the state to 5,29,863, according to the Delhi health department on Sunday. In the month of November, 1,759 fatalities were recorded, an average of 83 deaths per day.

Besides the scourge of coronavirus pandemic, Delhi is also facing worsening air quality index. The AQI of Delhi continues to remain poor as a thick layer of smog envelopes the national capital. The government agencies have said that the AQI is likely to deteriorate further due to unfavourable meteorological conditions. 

The city’s 24-hour average AQI was 274 on Sunday It was 251 on Saturday, 296 on Friday, 283 on Thursday and 211 on Wednesday. An AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and 401 and 500 “severe”. 

Even as the coronavirus pandemic afflicts Delhi and the city’s air quality continues to nosedive, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputies are toiling hard, not to contain the outbreak and control the air pollution, but to cover up the mess caused by their ineptitude and incompetence. Patting themselves on the back for Delhi’s improvement in the ‘dubious’ rankings of the world’s best cities is simply an exercise to that end.

‘Even those who supported the LDF expressed concern’: Pinarayi Vijayan puts draconian law ‘on hold’ but justifies its necessity

OpIndia Staff
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‘Even those who supported the LDF expressed concern’: Pinarayi Vijayan puts draconian law ‘on hold’ but justifies its necessity

The controversial Section 118A of the Kerala Police Act will not be implemented for now and kept in abeyance, CM Pinarayi Vijayan announced on Monday. He said that further action on the matter will be taken after discussing it in the Assembly with all parties. The ordinance introducing the controversial section was approved by the Governor on Saturday.

Pinarayi Vijayan stated, “When the amendment was announced, there rose a difference of opinion from several quarters. Even those who support the LDF and those who stand for the protection of democracy expressed concern. It is in these circumstances that it was decided not to implement the amendment.”

“The government had decided to bring the amendment to prevent the false campaigns questioning personal freedom and dignity enshrined in the constitution. Women and transgender persons have been attacked mercilessly. Family relations have been affected and victims driven to suicide. People, including media heads, had demanded that there should be laws against it. That’s why we thought of the amendment,” he added.

The statement further said, “It is requested that people who are engaged in making false allegations, be restrained and cautious form making such allegations which are not in tune with the personal Liberty and humanity”.

Section 118A of Kerala Police Act

The opposition against the Section 118-A in the Kerala Police Act comes from the fact that it gives unbridled powers for the law enforcement agencies to curtail the freedom of the press and arrest anybody on the charges of exploiting social media to target individuals, especially women and children.

The new section empowers the police to act against media and register cases on the event of detection of a cognisable offence under the relevant section. The amendment proposes five years of imprisonment and a fine of Rs 10,000 for those convicted of producing, publishing or disseminating derogatory content through any means of communication to intimidate, insult or defame any person through social media.

The newly introduced provision says, “anyone who produces content, publishes or propagates it through any means of communication with an intention to threaten, insult or harm the reputation of an individual will be punished with an imprisonment of five years or a fine of Rs 10,000 or with both”.

Apart from opposition parties and civil society organisations, the section was opposed by coalition partners of the LDF as well.

‘Arunachal shares border with Tibet not China’: CM Pema Khandu calls out China’s illegal occupation of Tibet

OpIndia Staff
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‘Arunachal shares border with Tibet not China’: CM Pema Khandu calls out China’s illegal occupation of Tibet

Once again disregarding China’s long standing claim of Arunachal being a part of China’s southern Tibet region, Arunachal Pradesh CM Pema Khandu categorically asserted that his state shares a border with Tibet, not China. In a recent interview to The Hindu, the BJP leader said, “It is a fact that Arunachal does not share a direct border with China. The direct border is with Tibet. Nobody can erase history. The world knows that China annexed Tibet”.

This is however, not the first time the Arunachal CM has referred to LAC in state as India-Tibet border. After the violent faceoff between India and China at Galwan Valley in Ladakh, Pema Khandu had made a similar statement raising questions about China’s occupancy of Tibet.

With a hostile neighbour breathing down India’s neck, the Centre is boosting road infrastructure in the Himalayan Arunachal, specifically the Frontier Highway along the border to facilitate faster movement of troops during a war-like situation and give locals more accessibility by default.

If one goes by the history of conflicts since 1962 and unfounded claims over Arunachal Pradesh, it is imperative to protect our homeland. Many stretches of the border are indeed inaccessible. This is why we are pushing for the Frontier Highway along the 1,100 km LAC to facilitate faster movement of troops, said CM Pema Khandu to English daily The Hindu.

Arunachal deprived of foreign funding due to China’s interference: CM Pema Khandu

Speaking on the state staying deprived of foreign funding due to China’s interference, the CM said that foreign institutions including World Bank and Asian Development Bank, which provide loans at cheaper interest rates, do not extend loans to Arunachal. This he said was hurting his state. However, the Centre has been providing assistance to projects such as the ongoing 1,600 km Trans-Arunachal Highway project.

He said the Centre had discussed this issue and stressed that Arunachal must be given special attention. This led to the up-gradation of eight 1962-built advanced landing grounds and the construction of 1,600 km long Trans-Arunachal Highway. The work for Trans-Arunachal Highway is progressing well despite geographical challenges, the CM said.

Central Govt’s Invest India to have a special cell for Arunachal Pradesh

Khandu said Arunachal is a resourceful state but communication, be it road, railway, air or even digital connectivity, is the biggest bottleneck. Therefore, emphasising on the need of good connectivity in the state, the CM said that the Centre is mulling to create a special desk for Arunachal for investment under Invest India. 

“The DPR of East-West Industrial Corridor, which will connect east of Arunachal with the west of Arunachal, has been prepared. It will be sent to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highway for funds approval. As regards the Frontier Highway, the Central government will decide if MHA, Ministry of Rural Development or Defence Ministry will fund it”, said Pema Khandu.

Though tourism has been Arunachal’s focus area of investment, the CM said that agriculture and the allied sectors have huge potentials. Khandu speaks about the hydropower potentials of the state and how with the financial assistance from the Centre, this sector is also being developed rapidly.

We are power surplus now but we don’t have the grid to distribute power adequately across the State. Things are changing with new substations and transmission lines being installed, added the CM.

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