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Valmiki Samaj and Dalit Mahapanchayat protest against Arvind Kejriwal over unfulfilled promises, AAP election campaign van vandalised in Delhi

ANI
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Valmiki Samaj and Dalit Mahapanchayat protest against Arvind Kejriwal over unfulfilled promises, AAP election campaign van vandalised in Delhi

Members of the Valmiki Samaj and Dalit Mahapanchayat held a protest against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday, during the protest, AAP’s election campaign van which was passing near the Lady Hardinge Hospital in Delhi was also vandalised by the protestors.

Ashu Pohal, President of Maharashtra Valmiki Samaj, expressed dissatisfaction, stating, “Our Samaj has been looted…False promises have been made to our sisters and daughters to provide money. We will not support the people who did not support our Samaj. We will boycott them. The entire country knows that he (Arvind Kejriwal) has been a fake CM…We will not spare him as he has hurt our Dalit Samaj…The increase in pollution in Delhi is only because of Arvind Kejriwal and Aam Aadmi Party.”

He further said that the education department assured to send 100 students abroad from the Valmiki Samaj but it was not done.

A van campaigning for the AAP was vandalised by the protesting members.

Taking to X (formerly Twitter), former Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal posted, “Look at this – Amit Shah’s hooliganism”.

Delhi Commissioner of Police (DCP) New Delhi tweeted, “No PCR call or complaint received in police station. It is requested that a formal complaint be lodged in the Police station and we assure strict legal action.”

AAP National Spokesperson Priyanka Kakkar said, “BJP is heading towards a historic defeat. BJP had earlier got stones pelted on Arvind Kejriwal on January 18. The morale of BJP goons has increased so much that today they are openly attacking the Aam Aadmi Party’s campaign van. There was an LED installed on it, which they broke. The eyes of the Election Commission in Delhi are closed, they are not able to see any of the misdeeds of the BJP. Such hooliganism will not work in Delhi. The BJP should be called out for its misdeeds.”

The Delhi Assembly elections are scheduled to take place on February 5, while counting of votes will be held on February 8.

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

PM supported the idea of cutting income taxes but ministry bureaucrats needed to be convinced due to revenue concerns: FM Sitharaman

OpIndia Staff
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PM supported the idea of cutting income taxes but ministry bureaucrats needed to be convinced due to revenue concerns: FM Sitharaman

The budget for 2025-26 has provided major relief for the middle class by reducing the income tax burden. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her budget speech announced substantial changes to the tax structure and raised the minimum taxable income to ₹12 lakh. This means those with an annual income of ₹12,00,000 don’t have to pay income tax under the New Tax Regime.

This is the first time there has been a major reduction in the income tax rates under the Modi government and every year there were demands to reduce the rates. Although tax exemption limit was increased and slabs were changed to give relief to the taxpayers, those were considered not enough by most people. Therefore, the income tax proposals in 2025-26 budget has been welcomed by all.

Amid this, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman revealed that PM Modi had readily agreed to cut income tax, but it took some time convincing her own ministry for the same. She said this in an interview with PTI, when asked how much persuasion did it take to get the prime minister on board regarding the cut in income tax.

To this, Nirmala Sitharama replied, “Your question should be how much did it take for me to convince the ministry.” She said that the PM was very clear that he wanted to do something, but it was for the ministry to have had the comfort level.

The finance minister said that more work was needed to convince the board. When PTI Editor-in-Chief Vijay Joshi said this meant that it was bureaucrats who needed to be convinced, she agreed, adding that they were right, as the officials have to be sure of revenue generation.

Nirmala Sitharama added that once everyone came abroad with the idea, then they brought the proposal to the prime minister.

She added that the reduction in the income tax rates was the first step towards the new Income Tax Bill that her ministry is bringing. In her budget speech, Sitharaman said that a New Income Tax Bill will be announced next week. She added that the new bill will be clear and direct in text, and it will have around half the chapters and words compared to the present law. It will be simple to understand for taxpayers and tax administration, leading to tax certainty and reduced litigation. 

Washington Post attempts to create conflict, paints Hindus as ‘evangelists’ wanting to ‘convert’ tribals and destroy their culture

Dibakar Dutta
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Washington Post attempts to create conflict, paints Hindus as ‘evangelists’ wanting to ‘convert’ tribals and destroy their culture

‘The Washington Post’, in its latest tirade against India, has attempted to stir conflict in the State of Jharkhand by antagonising Hindus and the tribal communities.

The American newspaper published an article on Saturday (1st February) wherein it accused Hindu groups of carrying out ‘evangelical campaigns’ in Jharkhand to ‘convert’ tribals to the Hindu Faith.

It further alleged that the Rashtriya Swayamsevek Sangh (RSS) and its affiliate organisations were somehow stripping tribals of their ‘culture’ by convincing them they were part of the larger Hindu fold.

The vicious article comes at a time when Jharkhand is facing large-scale proselytism and predatory conversion tactics from Muslim and Christian groups.

“Even in dense jungles, India’s right-wing Hindu movement is pursuing its project of transforming this historically secular country into a Hindu nation, seeking to convince millions of tribal people who have long remained outside mainstream religion that they, too, are Hindu,” the article published in The Washington Post’ read.

The American newspaper attempted to deride the efforts of the Hindu outfits to prevent the cultural practices and customs of tribal communities from becoming extinct.

The resistance offered by these groups at ground zero against evangelical practices by organised religions has seemed to rattle the interests of The Washington Post.

Resistance of Hindu outfits against predatory conversion mistaken as evangelism

Jharkhand was carved out of Bihar to fulfil the longstanding demand of the tribal communities of the region. As per the 2011 Census, 67.8% of the population (majority) in the State identifies as Hindus.

Contrary to the claims of ‘The Washington Post’, Hindu groups are not ‘desperate’ to convert anyone as the Faith already constitutes the majority in Jharkhand.

The focus is rather on thwarting conversion tactics by Muslims and Christian evangelical outfits as they race to amass a large number of new ‘believers.’

The Washington Post targets Vikas Bharti and Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram

The American newspaper appeared miffed with Vikas Bharati, accusing it of ‘dividing tribal communities among Hindus, Christians and nature-worshipers.’ It tried to paint the grassroots-level Hindu cultural organisation in a poor light

An education coordinator with Vikas Bharti, Kumkum Maitra, told The Washington Post, “You can’t force Hinduism. You have to live among them and respect them to create an extended Hindu family.”

Her invite to the local tribals on the occasion of Shivratri was deliberately misconstrued as proselytising ‘nature worshippers’.

Another Jharkhand-based Hindu outfit, which was maligned by ‘The Washington Post’ in its article, was Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram. The paper had accused the organisation of competing with Christian evangelists in the neighbouring Chhattisgarh.

It quoted controversial Nandini Sundar (the wife of The Wire’s Founding Editor Siddharth Vardarajan) to make outrageous claims about Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram.

The Washington Post also accused Vikas Bharti of carrying out ‘ghar wapsi’ of Adivasis, converted by Christian evangelists, and restoring their original status of being Hindus.

The Sarna Code Controversy

As of now, Indian law recognises six religious communities: Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, and Jain. The Congress-HMM alliance, which denies concerns about infiltration, has promised to implement the Sarna Tribal Religious Code.

In November 2020, the INDIA coalition government convened a one-day special session of the Jharkhand Assembly to unanimously pass a proposal to include ‘Sarna’ as a separate religion in the 2021 Census.

Despite questioning the government’s intentions, the BJP supported this proposal. Subsequently, Chief Minister Hemant Soren wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reiterating the demand.

While releasing its manifesto for the Jharkhand elections, Union Home Minister Amit Shah stated that the BJP would consider the Sarna Code and make appropriate decisions.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the BJP’s election in-charge for Jharkhand, reiterated this stance on several occasions. Assam Chief Minister and election co-incharge Himanta Biswa Sarma went further, promising that the party would implement the Sarna Code if it forms the government.

The Sarna Code recognises tribal society as a distinct religious group. While the BJP has not publicly opposed it, its stance in this election appears softer compared to the RSS’s ideology, which considers tribal society part of Hinduism.

The RSS, through organisations like the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, operates in tribal areas with this belief.

Sandeep Oraon, regional coordinator (Bihar-Jharkhand) of the RSS-affiliated Tribal Security Forum, claims that implementing the Sarna Code would create several problems at various levels.

Washington Post rakes up Sarna Code issue

The Washington Post raked up the issue of ‘Sarna Code’ to drive further wedge between Hindus and ‘nature worshippers’, calling it a ‘new flash point’ and ‘challenge’ for the RSS.

The newspaper claimed, “Across Jashpur and Bishunpur, a growing number of tribal people, including some of those who identify as Hindu or collaborate with Hindu missionaries, are advocating for a distinct religious identity.”

It cited the example of a ‘nature worshipping’ tribal nurse working with the ‘Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram’, who alleged that Hindus are forcing her to identify as a Hindu ‘although her community (Sarna) is different’.

The vicious article ended on the note that Hindus are opposed to Sarna code as it somehow hurts the narrative that tribals need protection from foreign religions (which is a fact carved in truth).

Budget 2025 gives a major boost to new-age technology, accelerating India’s march towards Viksit Bharat 2047

Debraj B
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Budget 2025 gives a major boost to new-age technology, accelerating India’s march towards Viksit Bharat 2047

“AI will be the most transformative technology since electricity” – said Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google. India has definitely been one of the nations to have realized this early on. Under the stewardship of Central gov over past decade, umpteen initiatives like ‘National Strategy for Artificial Intelligence’ and ‘India AI Mission’ have set the stage for bolder initiatives in this space by India, including government, industries, and civil society at large.

During early 2024, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella during his India visit, spoke of a USD 500 BN ‘AI GDP’ for India by 2025 end, that will be a growth driver for the USD 5T GDP target India has set. GoI has been on top of the game in this regard, with India AI Mission leading the charge. In Mar 2024, Cabinet approved INR 10,300 Cr for this mission. Building on this momentum, Union FM Nirmala Sitharaman unveiled a series of strategic initiatives around new age technology and upskilling in her 8th consecutive budget speech on 1 February 2025, as part of Viksit Bharat 2047 roadmap. 

Union budget’s focus around AI and new-age technology can be thought through across a few key areas:

Centres of Excellence for AI in Education – A new CoE in AI for education to be set up with an outlay of INR 500 CR. Online education has seen a rapid growth in India. With a revenue of roughly USD 7.57 BN in 2025, this space is set to see a phenomenal CAGR of 25.77% during 2025-29. AI can be a game-changer in this regard, with personalized learning, AR/VR-enabled modules to facilitate reach and quality of education within India and it’s hinterland a lot more.

ATAL Tinkering Labs – While inaugurating the Indian Science Congress (ISC) 2019, PM had coined a phrase that would unleash a new dimension to India’s growth trajectory. Over and above Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan, Jai Vigyan, he appended ‘Jai Anusandhan’, with the overarching purpose of furthering India’s innate innovation spirit to societal good, including affordable healthcare, housing, clean tech, energy, food processing. FM has built on this by proposing 50,000 ‘Atal Tinkering Labs’ over next 5 years, where children can experiment with robotics, 3D printing, other technology to “cultivate the spirit of curiosity and innovation, and foster a scientific temper among young minds”.

Focus on IITs – In FY 2024-25, INR 10,324.5 CR was allocated to IITs, that has been notched up to INR 11,349 CR in this budget. That is a good 9.92% increase, which will augur well for research and technical education in India. Additional infrastructure in the IITs added after 2014 will facilitate quality education for 6,500 more students. This is in continuance to the focus GoI has had over last decade around enriching quality and efficacy of education at IITs, that saw initiatives like Research Parks, IMPRINT (Impacting Research and Innovation Technology) launched in Nov 2015, UAY (Uchhatar Avishkar Yojana) announced in 2015, and others.  

Upskilling youth – A telling observation that came from Economic Survey was that, 53% Graduates5 and 36% Post-graduates were underemployed, below their education skills. While government has been seized of this information already and initiatives like upgrading 1000 ITIs over next 5 years were promulgated in August last year by Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), FM Sitharaman gave a further push to this by proposing 5 National Centres of Excellence for Skilling in partnership with global experts. This will likely be a game-changer in fructifying India’s vision of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’. This is augmented by FM’s proposal of earmarking INR 1,28,650.05 CR for Education ministry in 2025-26, including INR 78,572.1 CR for school education and INR 50,077.95 CR for higher education.

Cultivating research mindset – Talent seeks financial assistance many a time, else it withers away. In Budget 2018-19, Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship Scheme (PMRF Scheme) was introduced, that helps in admission for PhDs to institutes of eminence like IITs, IISc, and IISERs by granting financial aid via stipends. Giving a further fillip to this, FM announced that 10,000 new fellowships with enhanced aid will be provided over next 5 years. A sizeable portion of this could possibly aid in advancing research in new age technology like AI and Large Language Models.

Gyan Bharatam Mission – In Feb 2003, a National Mission for Manuscripts was established to preserve a priceless collection of 10 million manuscripts, that are repository of rich scripts, calligraphies, and aesthetics bearing a prolific treasure of Indian heritage. Building on the same ethos, FM Sitharaman announced ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission’ for survey, documentation, and conservation of more than 1 Crore manuscripts. The budgetary outlay, while being hiked from INR 3.5 CR to 60 CR, possibly aims at digitization of the priceless ancient records via technology and new age tools. 

Eyes on Viksit Bharat

Bill Gates once famously said, “Humanity’s greatest advances are not in its discoveries but in how those discoveries are applied to reduce inequity.” The founding tenets of Antyodaya and Integral Humanism, coupled with ‘cultural nationalism’ (as against West’s idea of nation-state) espouse the essence of what BJP brings forth, and ties closely with the ways India has applied technology to reduce inequity across multifarious facets. Right after assuming office in 2014, BJP government brought in the landmark Digital India programme on July 1st, 2015 – and there has been no looking back since.

And, FM Sitharaman’s Budget 2025 speech adds a further flair to that flourishing route towards an aspirational India’s striding march to Viksit Bharat 2047.   

Dharmrajeshwar temple in Mandsaur: An example of engineering marvel from ancient India, said to be built by Pandavas by carving a stone

सुधीर गहलोत
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Dharmrajeshwar temple in Mandsaur: An example of engineering marvel from ancient India, said to be built by Pandavas by carving a stone


India is the sacred land of civilisational development. Myriad civilisations and cultures emerged and flourished here. Along with them flourished art and architecture. Dexterous sculptors in this land created one amazing sculpture after another including temples, buildings and monasteries. The Kailash temple in Ellora which is carved out of a single rock is among these sculptures. Similar to the Kailash temple, a temple in Mandsaur, Madhya Pradesh has been carved out of a rock. It is the Dharmrajeshwar temple.

The Ellora temples and caves were built by the Chalukyas who were related to the Solanki Kshatriyas. On the other hand, the caves around the Dharmrajeshwar temple and Dhamnar were built by kings from the Pratihar dynasty. According to historians, this temple was constructed in the 8th century AD. A life-size statue placed at the entrance of the temple has an inscription engraved in Brahmi script dating back to the 8th and 9th centuries.

The Dharmrajeshwar temple and its premises has been carved out of a hill which looks like a wonder. It is an excellent example of engineering. It is referred to as the Ajanta-Ellora of Madhya Pradesh. Not only the Dharmrajeshwar temple but the 200 caves surrounding it were carved out of hills.

It is situated in Chandwasa which is 78 km from Mandsaur District headquarters and 22 km from Shamgarh tehsil. It is surrounded by forest upto 3 km. According to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), on the lines of Kailashnath temple in Ellora, the Dharmrajeshwar temple is also carved out of a hill from top to down. It is 9 metres below the ground.

Vishnu and Shiv temples

There are seven minor temples surrounding the main temple of Dharmrajeshwa. A 250-foot-long path has also been made to reach the temple. This path is also carved out of a hill. Inside the main temple, an four-armed Vishnu idol and a Shivlinga are placed in the sanctum sanctorum. It has a mandap placed on carved pillars. On the other hand, idols of Varah, Dashavtar, Sheshashayi Vihsnu and Panch Mahadevi are placed inside the minor temples.

In addition to that, a small well was dug on the temple premises. The water of the well is cool and sweet. There are stairs on the left and right side of the temple to reach the first floor. On the first floor, caves have been made by cutting stones for monks to meditate. Historians believe that the Dhammar caves are based on Buddhist philosophy and have a deep connection with the temple.

It is said that the Buddhist monastery was converted into a Vishnu temple and later into a Shiv temple. A Shiva Linga was also established inside the temple. Some historians believe that this temple may have originally been a Buddhist temple or a Jain temple. Most historians describe it as a preaching place of a Buddhist monastery. The idols present in it hint at it. Later on, it was converted into a Hindu temple.

There are many caves on the left side of this temple spread across around 1415 metres in which images of Buddha in different postures are present. His pictures are engraved on the walls at various places. In these cases, in addition to the idols of Lord Buddha, idols of Jain Tirthankars LordHrishabhdev, Lord Neminath, Lord Parshvanath, Lord Shantinath and five idols of Lord Mahavir are also present.

During the Buddhist period, Chandwasa was called Chandan Giri. The temple and the caves were known as Chandan Giri Mahavihara. In 1962, Dr Wakankar discovered a clay seal here. The seal mentioned the name of the place as Chandan Giri Mahavihara. In his basis, Historian Chandavasa says that the ancient name of Chandwasa was Chandan Giri.

Religious Affiliation

It is said that staying here on the night of Mahashivratri ensures Moksha. During sunrise, Sun rays hit the Shivalinga situated in the sanctum sanctorum. Locals believe that the temple was built by the Pandavas. On the other hand, several historians call it a Jain and Buddhist religious place. There are about 200 small and big caves on the lower end of the hill just below the Dharmrajeshwar temple. These were first discovered by the English writer Colonel Todd.

People believe that during the Mahabharata period, the Pandavas spent some time if their exile here. Bhima built the temple during that time. Since, Yudhishthri, the eldest brother of Bhim, was called Dharmaraj, this temple came to be known as Dharmrajeshwar temple. It is said that there is a huge cave here, which opens in the Ujjain temple. The Archaeological Department has closed it.

People believe that during the Mahabharata period, the Pandavas spent some time of their exile here. During that time, Bhima built this temple. Since Bhima’s eldest brother Yudhishthira was also called Dharmaraj, this temple came to be known as Dharmarajeshwar Temple. It is said that there is also a huge cave here, which opens from this temple to Ujjain. The Archaeological Department has closed it.

There is a belief regarding the small well inside the temple. Locals believe that the water from this well can nullify the effect of snake poison and the poison of other poisonous creatures. This water is also given if someone is bitten by a rabid dog. People say that it prevents rabies. People infected by rabies are also given water from this water.

(This article is a translation of an original article published in OpIndia Hindi.

DC plane crash: Trans Black Hawk pilot wrongly identified as one of the helicopter pilots

OpIndia Staff
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DC plane crash: Trans Black Hawk pilot wrongly identified as one of the helicopter pilots

On 31st January, a Virginia-based Army National Guard helicopter pilot, Jo Ellis, broke her silence after she was falsely identified as the pilot of a Black Hawk helicopter that crashed over the Potomac River near Washington DC. The crash involved a midair collision with American Airlines Flight 5342, resulting in the deaths of at least 67 people.

Social media uproar and false claims

Following the incident, social media posts on X claimed that one of the pilots of the helicopter that crashed into the plane was transgender, Jo Ellis, and accused her of being responsible for the tragedy. The post further alleged that Ellis had attempted to target three other passenger planes before finally hitting the American Airlines flight. The post gained traction not only on X but its screenshots were widely shared on other social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

Source: Jo Ellis/X

With Ellis being accused of the tragedy, hirings under diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) programmes came under severe scrutiny. Social media users accused the military of compromising safety by hiring personnel through DEI programmes. The accusations gained traction among supporters of President Donald Trump, who had recently imposed a ban on transgender individuals serving in the military.

Jo Ellis addresses false accusations

Responding to the accusations online, Ellis took to Facebook and posted a video message stating she was not involved in the crash. She said, “I understand some people have associated me with the crash in D.C. and that is false.” She added, “It is insulting to the families to try to tie this to some sort of political agenda. They don’t deserve that. I don’t deserve this.”

Pentagon releases names of all three pilots

The Department of Defense has confirmed the identities of two of the three US Army soldiers who were on the helicopter at the time of the tragedy as Ryan O’Hara and Sam Lilley. The third pilot, in fact, was Rebecca M Lobach, who was flying the helicopter. The name, which was withheld previously, was revealed after the US Army coordinated with the pilot’s family. Captain Rebecca M Lobach enlisted in the service in July 2019. She had more than 450 hours of flight time during her service history. She was also the White House social aide in the previous government under Joe Biden.

Governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, expressed condolences on X and stated, “Both of these young Georgians shared a passion for flight and for serving others, and this terrible tragedy is that much more difficult knowing their lives were cut so unexpectedly short.”

There were 60 passengers and four crew members on board Flight 5342. Sixty-seven bodies were recovered from the Potomac River, with zero expectations of any survivors.

Dreaded gangster Joginder Gyong deported from Philippines on Interpol Red Notice

ANI
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Dreaded gangster Joginder Gyong deported from Philippines on Interpol Red Notice

Dreaded gangster Joginder Gyong wanted by Haryana Police for criminal conspiracy and murder was deported from Philippines through Bangkok to Delhi, Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said.

The Global Operations Centre of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has closely coordinated and succeeded in bringing back Gyong, an Interpol Red Notice Subject, the agency said in a statement.

Gyong, who was brought in from the Philippines on February 1, was detained in Delhi where he is also wanted by Delhi Police, the CBI said in a statement. He was handed over to Special Cell, Southern Range, Delhi Police for further action, it said.

Gyong is wanted by Haryana Police in criminal case Registered vide FIR No. 1337 dated 30.12.2017 at Police Station City Panipat, Haryana on the allegations of criminal conspiracy and murder. The gangster is wanted by the Haryana Police in the murder of a victim whom the subject suspected of disclosing real identity and location of his gangster brother Surender Gyong, to the Haryana Police and who died later on in exchange of fire with Police, according to the CBI statement.

According to the statement, the Red Notice subject, to avenge the death of his brother, planned and murdered the deceased. The subject has been allegedly involved in criminal cases in various States and Union Territories of India, including Delhi for the offences of robbery, murder, attempt to murder, putting person in fear of death or of grievous hurt in order to commit extortion and kidnapping for ransom.

On the request of Haryana Police, the CBI had got a Red Notice issued against the subject from Interpol on 25.10.2024 and was circulated to all the law enforcement agencies across the world for tracking of the wanted criminal. On the strength of Red Notice, Joginder Gyong, was deported from Philippines through Bangkok to Delhi.

According to the statement, CBI as the National Central Bureau for Interpol in India coordinates closely with all Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) in India for cooperation and assistance via INTERPOL Channels. Since, 2021, more than 100 wanted criminals have been returned to India through coordination via Interpol channels.

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

Not a single slum in Delhi will be demolished, welfare schemes will not be stopped: Assures PM Modi refuting claims of “AAP-Da people”

ANI
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Not a single slum in Delhi will be demolished, welfare schemes will not be stopped: Assures PM Modi refuting claims of “AAP-Da people”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday refuted claims the Aam Aadmi Party’s claims and assured that it is the BJP’s guarantee that not a single slum in Delhi will be demolished and the welfare schemes for the public will not be stopped.

Addressing a public rally in Delhi’s RK Puram, the Prime Minister highlighted that for those living in slums and colonies in the national capital, the BJP has guaranteed nutritious meals at just Rs five only.

“A welfare board will be set up for auto drivers and domestic workers, providing them with insurance coverage of up to Rs 10 lakh. The BJP government will also assist with children’s school fees. I give another guarantee: these AAP-Da people are spreading falsehoods, but not a single slum in Delhi will be demolished. The welfare schemes for the public in Delhi will not be stopped,” PM Modi asserted.

On January 12, AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal alleged that the slums of Delhi would be “demolished” in the next five years, rendering people “homeless” if the BJP voted to power.

Further, the Prime Minister emphasized that the people of Purvanchal made him a Member of Parliament and the Prime Minister.

“For decades, people with a jungle raj mentality, from Congress, ignored the people of Bihar. But today, the NDA government is working tirelessly for Bihar. By announcing the Makhana Board, the government has honoured Bihar’s Makhana. Most of the Makhana farming families in Bihar belong to Dalit communities, and when I work for their welfare, these people (Congress) make fun of it,” PM Modi said.

He asserted that the BJP will continue to support the Purvanchali community in every possible way, whether in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh or Bihar.

PM Modi also hailed the Union Budget and mentioned that the BJP is the only party that gives respect to the middle class and rewards honest taxpayers.

“Since the budget was announced yesterday, the entire middle class has been saying that this is the most middle-class friendly budget in the history of India. Every family in India is brimming with happiness and enthusiasm. Our government has completely zeroed income tax on earnings up to Rs 12 lakh. Since independence, no one earning Rs 12 lakh a year has ever received such significant relief from income tax,” the Prime Minister said.

“For a person with a salary of Rs 12 lakh during Jawaharlal Nehru’s time, one-fourth would have gone to tax. If Indira Gandhi’s government were in power today, Rs 10 lakh of your Rs 12 lakh would have gone to the government as tax. Even just 10-12 years ago, during the Congress era, if you had a salary of Rs 12 lakh, Rs 2,60,000 would have gone as tax. But after yesterday’s BJP government budget, those earning Rs 12 lakh will not have to pay a single rupee in tax,” PM Modi highlighted.

Slamming the Congress party, he said as opposed to the previous governments in the national capital which imposed taxes only to fill their own coffers, the BJP government opens up the treasury to provide relief and enhance the capabilities of ordinary citizens.

Highlighting that under the BJP government, medicines at Jan Aushadhi Kendras are already being offered at an 80 per cent discount, PM Modi said that after yesterday’s budget, more than 30 medicines for cancer and serious diseases will be made cheaper.

“Senior citizens in Delhi will greatly benefit from the new budget. Retired government employees will pay less tax and receive higher pensions. The BJP government aims to support senior citizens with these initiatives. The Delhi BJP has announced a pension of Rs 2,500 for senior citizens, along with free medical treatment worth up to Rs 5 lakh per year,” he said.

He also said that in this budget, the sports budget has been increased to nearly Rs 3,800 crore, and Rs 1,000 crore has been allocated for the “Khelo India” campaign.

“The people of Delhi will never forget how AAP and Congress deceived them in the name of sports. The Commonwealth scam’s stain is so deep that Congress will never be able to free itself from it. The AAP party’s actions in the name of the Sports University in Delhi are well known to the people and youth of Delhi. That’s why today’s youth of India trusts the BJP and stands with the BJP,” the Prime Minister emphasized.

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

Assam: 170 bighas of poppy cultivation worth crores destroyed by government

OpIndia Staff
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Assam: 170 bighas of poppy cultivation worth crores destroyed by government

Assam government is tightening its noose around the growing problem of drugs in the state. Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma posted a video on X today (2nd February) showing the Assam Police destroying 170 bighas of poppy cultivation, worth over Rs 27 crore in open market.

Taking a dig at the drug smugglers in the state, Biswa captioned the video,” Dear Local Pablo Escobars, sorry to spoil your Udta Assam party! Because Goalpara pooice destroyed 170 bighas of poppy cultivation in the Chaar areas worth Rs 27.20 crore in January. So next time you think of drugs, think of Assam Police first”.

Assam police nabbed a drug peddler last month

The Assam government has rolled up its sleeves against the drug mafia in the state. Three days ago (30th January), South Salmara Mankachar police nabbed a drug peddler during a special narcotics operation in Kharuabandha OP in South Salmara Mankachar district in Assam. The police reportedly seized 2.33 grams of drug (suspected heroin) kept in two vials, 1400 ya a tablets, 134 empty plastic vials to be used for drug peddling, aluminium foil and a smartphone.

On examination of the smartphone, the police found evidence drug smuggling activities linked to Bangladesh. According to the police, the captured drg peddler revealed about supplying drugs in Bangladesh.

The menace of coss-border drug-smughling

The smuggling of drugs in and out of country has become a menace for authorities. The authorities have sped up their effort to curb drug smuggling.

In a major breakthrough last month, the Border Security Force (BSF), exposed a large-scale drugs juggling racket involving underground bunkers in Nadia district of West Bengal. The underground bunkers were being used for storing contraband. A huge consignment of 62,200 bottles of banned cough syrup worth Rs 1.4 crore was seized. The operation was reportedly carried out by 32nd Battalion of the BSF’s South Bengal Frontier with the help of local police on inputs by intelligence agencies.

Cough syrup has codeine content which makes it popular among smugglers. The cough syrups were stacked in three underground storage tanks.

Bihar: Aftab Khan entraps Hindu girls with the fake identity of ‘Ankit’, pretends to be ‘Bajrang Bali’ devotee, forces victims into prostitution

OpIndia Staff
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Bihar: Aftab Khan entraps Hindu girls with the fake identity of ‘Ankit’, pretends to be ‘Bajrang Bali’ devotee, forces victims into prostitution

A group of Muslims, led by Aftab Khan, had been entrapping Hindu girls in the sex trade in the Purnia district of Bihar.

On Thursday (30th January), the police conducted raids in the Kathiar More area of Purnia and rescued 11 minors, who were forced into prostitution.

The cops have arrested 32 people in connection with the case. The ringleader of the sex trade was Aftab Khan, who wrote ‘Jai Bajrang Bali’ on his car to pass off as a Hindu man.

Using the identity of ‘Ankit Tiwari’, he used to lure Hindu girls into his love trap under the pretext of marriage. Thereafter, Aftab would coerce his victims into the sex trade.

His aides included Mohammed Shakib, Mausam Khan, Guddu Khan and Zubeda. While Shakib and Mausam kept Hindu aliases ‘Rajiv Shah’ and ‘Rishabh Shah’, Zubeeda went by the name of ‘Katrina.’

Shakib used to procure Hindu girls from different areas. Mausam would befriend Hindu girls through ‘wrong numbers.’ Guddu Khan and Zubeeda also helped run the ‘prostitution ring.’

The Muslim gang, run by Aftab Khan, used to charge ₹10000 per night from clients. They also sold victims in other States, even raking in ₹5 lakhs from some brokers.

The police have nabbed all accused, barring the ringleader who has been on the run from the law enforcement authorities.

A First Information Report (FIR) was registered against him and efforts are underway to nab him at the earliest. The minor girls were handed over to a juvenile’s reform home.

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