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“National shame” to “those responsible should be punished”: Opposition leaders, liberals blame everyone instead of AAP govt for the death of UPSC students

OpIndia Staff
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“National shame” to “those responsible should be punished”: Opposition leaders, liberals blame everyone instead of AAP govt for the death of UPSC students

On 27th July, three aspiring civil servants lost their lives after heavy rain in some areas of Delhi caused the basement of a building that housed a tutoring centre to flood. The tragic incident transpired at the Rau’s IAS Study Circle in the Old Rajinder Nagar area. Meanwhile, the opposition leaders and liberal ecosystem known to exploit even the smallest incident in a Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled state for political purposes are working incessantly to shift the responsibility from the Aam Aadmi Party to whataboutry.

The Wire ‘journalist’ Rohini Singh preferred to blame the entire country instead of naming the real perpetrators behind the horrific instance, AAP which is also governing the Delhi Municipal Corporation. “What does it say about a nation where students die senselessly by drowning in a library? These children weren’t out partying where they crashed their car but were quietly studying for an exam. Who will be accountable? This is a national tragedy and India’s shame,” she wrote on social media.

Shiv Sena (Uddhav Balasaheb Thackeray) leaders and Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi opted for a textbook diversionary tactic and commented, “Just so heartbreaking to read about the 3 students who lost their lives due to the flooding of their coaching class basement in Rajendra Nagar. Hope those responsible for this sheer negligence are brought to book and punished for their irresponsibility,” while steering clear of bringing even a mention of AAP.

Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha MP KC Venugopal wasn’t far behind in sharing a generic response to the horrific tragedy and stated, “The tragedy in a coaching centre in Old Rajender Nagar, Delhi has shaken us to the core. My sincere condolences to the families of the departed. 3 innocent students lost their lives due to absolute criminal negligence. This is not caused by a natural disaster but because of greed and indifference on the part of the authorities. We demand the strictest actions against all those responsible for allowing such a disaster to take place.” He like his ideological counterparts refused to name the Congress party’s seasonal I.N.D.I Alliance partner AAP.

Ravish Kumar, the favourite ‘neutral journalist’ of the opposition and liberals further elaborated on the same pointless rhetoric and discussed everything under the sun excluding AAP which should have been held accountable for the tragedy. “There are no people in any department, there are no resources and no one came for three hours. This is why they must not have come because there are no people and arrangements to react to getting information. What will happen if one or two people are suspended? Ask the people whose job is to give licenses, to inspect, in Delhi or anywhere else, work does not get done without a bribe. The country has spent a decade in fake debates. This is the condition of any city. Every citizen knows the condition of his life. A student died due to an electric shock. A drain got clogged and students died. What must the families be going through?”

He even brought up the ongoing differences between the Chief Minister and the Delhi LG to avoid naming AAP and remarked, “You are safe only till there is no fake case, no need to go to the hospital. What will happen if there is an investigation? How did this happen? There will be a case of CM vs LG to get the answer to this. No one’s responsibility will be fixed in this case as well. This is not the first time an accident has happened in a coaching centre.”

India Today ‘journalist’ Rajdeep Sardesai dubbed the basements as a “real hazard” instead of questioning the incumbent AAP government. He claimed, “Story that caught the eye: 3 students dead after flooding in the basement of IAS coaching centre in Delhi colony. Many house basements are a real hazard. Needs proper investigation.”

The proprietor and coordinator of the IAS coaching centre were apprehended by Delhi Police on 28th July. “Case registered under sections 105, 106 (1), 115 (2), 290 and 35 of BNS. This case is against the coaching institute, the management of the building and those who were responsible for the maintenance of the drain of that place. So far we have detained the owner and coordinator of that coaching centre. Further investigation underway.” The victims of the incident were identified as Nivin Dalwin, a resident of Kerala’s Ernakulam, Tanya Soni from Telangana and Shreya Yadav, a native of Uttar Pradesh’s Ambedkar Nagar district.

Guilty will be brought to book: Delhi LG VK Saxena on deaths of civil services aspirants due to flooding at coaching centre in Rajender Nagar

ANI
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Guilty will be brought to book: Delhi LG VK Saxena on deaths of civil services aspirants due to flooding at coaching centre in Rajender Nagar

Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena on Sunday expressed anguish over the death of three civil services aspirants, due to waterlogging in the basement of a coaching centre in the city stating that such an incident in the capital of India is both “unfortunate and unacceptable.”

“I am deeply anguished by the death of 3 Civil Services aspirants due to water logging in the basement of a coaching centre and that of another student due to water logging related electrocution. That this should happen in the Capital of India is most unfortunate & unacceptable,” Delhi LG said in a post on X.

Saxena added that he has directed the Divisional Commissioner to submit a report, covering every aspect of the tragic incident by Tuesday.

“What has been happening is unpardonable and such issues can no more be glossed over. I have asked the Divisional Commissioner to submit a report, covering every aspect of the tragic incident by Tuesday,” Delhi LG said in a post on the social media platform. Saxena said that those who caused the loss of lives, will be fixed and guilty will be brought to book.

“While nothing can bring back the precious young lives lost due to apathy of the administration and criminal misconduct of those running coaching institutions, responsibility of those who caused the loss of lives, will be fixed and guilty will be brought to book,” he said on X.

Three UPSC aspirants died in the basement of a popular IAS coaching institute in Delhi’s Old Rajender Nagar on Saturday after the basement was flooded with water.

Earlier today, Delhi police arrested two persons, the owner and coordinator of the IAS coaching centre in connection with the deaths. The police identified the deceased as Shreya Yadav, a native of Ambedkar Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana and Nivin Dalwin, a resident of Kerala’s Ernakulam, DCP Central M Harshavardhan told ANI.

Police have informed family members of the deceased and sent the victim’s bodies to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) for an autopsy.

Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Swati Maliwal expressed outrage over the delay in action against the officials responsible for the loss of the lives of three civil servant aspirants at an IAS coaching institute and said that the deaths should be termed ‘murder” instead of a disaster.

The AAP MP stated that an FIR should be filed against government officials, as no minister from the Delhi government, the mayor of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi, or any other officer had responded even hours after the incident.

Swati Maliwal said, “The students are very sad and angry. It has been more than 12 hours, and till now neither any minister of the Delhi government nor the mayor of MCD nor any officer has come. I believe that these deaths are not a disaster. This is murder. An FIR should be registered against all these big government officials.”

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

Basement used as library, no unlocked exit: Delhi Coaching centre where 3 students died in flooding was issued NOC just 18 days ago despite glaring violation of norms

OpIndia Staff
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Basement used as library, no unlocked exit: Delhi Coaching centre where 3 students died in flooding was issued NOC just 18 days ago despite glaring violation of norms

The Rau’s IAS Study Circle centre in Delhi’s Rajinder Nagar, where three students died after its locked basement-turned-library was flooded, was issued a fire safety certificate just 18 days before the incident. The certificate and the incident points towards major corruption in the issue of fire safety certificates by the AAP government in Delhi, because the certificate was issued despite several violations of fire safety norms which have become apparent after the tragedy.

The certificate issued on 9 July 2024 says, Certified that the building of Coaching center Located at Ground, 1″, 2″d && 3″* floor Plot No. 11B, Bara Bazar Marg, Old Rajinder Nagar, New Delhi. in the building comprised of Basement (Storage) Stilt (Parking) Ground + 3 upper floor have complied with the fire prevention and fire safety requirements in accordance with Rule 33 of the Delhi Fire Service Rule, 2010 and verified by the team of officers concerned of this department on 01/07/2024 in the presence of Sh. Ashok Narang and found that the said building is fit for occupancy class “Educational Coaching Centre”.

The certificate claims that the basement is being used for storage, and that all fire prevention and fire safety requirements were fulfilled, which is obviously not true. The building violated several fire safety norms, but this was ignored and the NOC was issued by Delhi fire service.

After the incident, it has been revealed that the basement was being used as a library, and it had biometric access. The door can be opened only with fingerprints of authorised persons. When the building got flooded, the door got locked which could not unlocked as the biometric system didn’t work without power. The students were trapped in the flooded basement where the water level reached 12 feet, leading to the death of three students at the coaching centre.

As per fire safety norms, if the basement of a building is used for office and commercial purposes, there should be a sufficient number of exit ways and access ways. But in the Rau’s IAS coaching centre, there was only one access that to restricted by biometrics which didn’t work during power failure. This was a major violation of the norms.

When there is a biometric system to unlock a door, there should be backup power and an override measure so that the door can be opened in case of power failure or system failure. This was clearly not present in this case.

Moreover, the use of the basement as a library itself is a violation of norms, as the NOC mentions it is to be used for storage only.

The conditions for issuance of a fire safety certificate include-

  • All the exits passage leading to stairs shall be kept free and clear from lock and keys.
  • All the fire safety arrangements provided therein shall be maintained in good working condition at all times.
  • Any loss of life or property due to non-functional safety measures shall be at the risk and responsibility of the management.
  • The trained staff should be available around the clock.

Therefore, the presence of the biometric lock on the only door of the basement was a clear violation of norms.

Despite these facts, the fire safety certificate was issued earlier this month. This means that the basement with only one door was already being used as the library at that time. However the certificate mentions that the basement is used for storage.

The certificate also claimed that the coaching centre complied with all fire safety and prevention requirements, which is also obviously wrong. The basement was being used as a library without authorisation, there was no unlocked fire exit from the basement, which are major violations that led to the deaths.

Delhi BJP has said that the killers and those responsible for the incident can be find in the fire NOC, saying that it was issued by corrupt AAP govt.

They also asked how much share minister Atishi, MLA Durgesh Pathak and mayor Shaili Oberoi received.

Love Jihad in UP’s Jalaun: 5 girls disappear in less than 2 months, Hindu outfits plan indefinite hunger strike in protest; Rs 15,000 reward declared on main accused Akram

श्रवण शुक्ल
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Love Jihad in UP’s Jalaun: 5 girls disappear in less than 2 months, Hindu outfits plan indefinite hunger strike in protest; Rs 15,000 reward declared on main accused Akram

Multiple cases of love jihad have come to light in the Jalaun district of Uttar Pradesh where 5 Hindu girls have disappeared within just one and a half months, and Muslim youths are suspected of kidnapping them. Hindu organisations have started protesting in response to the rise in these incidents and have told the administration to take action against it. Meanwhile, the authorities have announced a reward of Rs 15,000 on the main accused Akram.

According to media reports, five Hindu girls have disappeared from Jalaun town in the last one and a half months which has infuriated Hindu groups and they submitted a memorandum to the district officials. They also threatened to launch a hunger strike if the girls were not recovered by the police. Afterwards, the District Magistrate (DM) and Superintendent of Police (SP) reached the spot and advised them against going on a hunger strike which was put off after assurances by the authorities.

Reportedly, the Muslim young men are targeting girls of the Hindu community in Jalaun town. Hindu organisations protested several times in the past and submitted a memorandum to the higher officials expressing their anger. They then warned of an indefinite hunger strike after no action was taken by the authorities.

A girl from the Kotwali area was to get married on 14th July, however, she disappeared from her home on 3rd July. Her brother filed a missing person complaint in the Jalaun police station. Her father, unfortunately, died on the night of the 13th of July. Afterwards, the leaders of Hindu organisations gathered at Dwarkadhish temple on 15th July and took out a silent procession. They also handed over a memorandum addressed to Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to the Sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) in the Tehsil premises, but the cops failed to find the girl even after a week. Akram is the primary accused in the case.

DM Rajesh Kumar and SP Durgesh Kumar arrived on the scene while a meeting was held on the matter, and asked everyone in attendance to avoid going on a hunger strike. They promised that concrete steps would be taken soon and those who indulged in religious conversion would face strict measures including bulldozer action. Circle Officer Ram Singh revealed that a case was registered on 3rd July in which Akram was declared wanted. Four teams have been formed to arrest him. The SP has announced a reward of Rs 15,000 on him and four teams have been formed to bring back the girl.

Chief Election Commissioner follows Mohammed Zubair, the Islamist who dog-whistled against Nupur Sharma, unfollows him after social media outrage

OpIndia Staff
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Chief Election Commissioner follows Mohammed Zubair, the Islamist who dog-whistled against Nupur Sharma, unfollows him after social media outrage

On Sunday (28th July), several netizens expressed shock that the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Rajiv Kumar was following only 4 accounts through his official X (formerly Twitter) handle. They pointed out that Mohammed Zubair, the fake news peddler who notoriously dog-whistled against Nupur Sharma was amongst the four handles that the CEC was following on X.

The other three handles on his following list included an official account of the Election Commission, All India Radio News, and one politician – Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Hours after netizens pointed this out and registered their outrage, CEC Kumar unfollowed Zubair as well as accounts of Rahul Gandhi and AIR News.  

Earlier, several X users had expressed disappointment and anger asking why the Chief Election Commissioner was following Mohd. Zubair, a fake news peddler who amplified falsehoods and smear campaigns against the Election Commissioners and the polling body. 

While others quoted the famous line from the Bollywood film, ‘The Kashmir File’ – Sarkar bhale hi apki ho, system hmara hai. (This may be your government but we have the system on our side).

An X user named Mikku wrote, “Rajeev Saab is following a man who amplified every post claiming the Election Commission and EVMs are rigged during election time.” 

The Jaipur Dialogues wrote, “Chief Election Commissioner of India is following only 4 accounts on Twitter: Election Commission, Rahul Gandhi, AIR News and Mohammad Zubair. But guess who’s influencing elections in India?”

Following netizen’s outrage, CEC Kumar unfollowed all other accounts except of the polling body including the X handle of fake news peddler Mohd. Zubair and the current Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi. As per his current following list, CEC Rajiv Kumar is now following only the official X handle of the polling body.

(Currently, CEC Rajiv Kumar is only following one account — The official X handle of Election Commission)
Many X users highlighted the development and commended social outrage for bringing the change. 

Navi Mumbai Yashashri Shinde Murder Case: Mutilated body, accused Dawood Sheikh on the run, history of molestation and more – What we know so far

OpIndia Staff
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Navi Mumbai Yashashri Shinde Murder Case: Mutilated body, accused Dawood Sheikh on the run, history of molestation and more – What we know so far

On 26th July, the dead body of a 20-year-old woman identified as Yashashri Shinde was found lying in a pool of blood on an isolated road near a petrol pump in Kotnaka of Uran taluka in Navi Mumbai. Accused in the matter has been identified as Dawood Sheikh. Yashashri was reported missing by her father on 25th July. As per reports, she worked at a private company as a data entry operator. On the 25th morning, Yashashri Shinde left home saying she was going to a friend’s house but never returned.

On the night of 26th July, police got a call that a woman was lying in a pool of blood on the road and stray dogs were nibbling on it. Police rushed to the spot to recover the dead body. Yashashri sustained three stab injuries on her waist and back, reports suggested. TV9 report suggested that there were several injuries on her private parts. Her bones were broken and stab wounds were found on her stomach and back. Several injury marks were found on her chest as well. The face was smashed using a rock so that she could not be identified.

Speaking to the media, senior inspector Rajendra Kote said, “While the victim girl’s parents have named a suspect, Dawood Shaikh, prima facie, we have registered a case of murder against an unidentified accused. The victim girl’s parents have alleged that Shaikh murdered their daughter as she had registered an FIR of molestation and Pocso against Shaikh in the year 2019, after which he was arrested by Uran police and sent to jail.”

Deputy Commissioner of Police (Zone II) Vivek Pansare said, “The body had stab injuries and the face was disfigured as a result of dog attacks. Social media has been taking rounds with misinformation on various things about the case which is not the fact. We have prima facie information about the accused, and our team is working on it.”

After recovering the body, the police called the family to identify the remains. As per India TV report, the face of the victim was smashed and the family identified her based on the clothes and body. The dead body was shifted to the morgue. A case under Section 103 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered for murder. The police said in case of rape is proven in the post-mortem, further Sections will be added to the FIR.

Notably, in 2019, the victim’s father had registered an FIR against Dawood Sheikh for molesting her daughter. As she was a minor, a case under Sections 354 and 506 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Sections 8 and 12 of POCSO were registered. Dawood was arrested and sent to jail. After coming out of jail, he went to Karnataka. The family has alleged that Dawood was in contact with Yashshri.

Reportedly, that his location was seen as Uran and police suspected that he came from Karnataka, called Yashashri Shinde to meet and brutally murdered her. Police teams have been sent to Karnataka to arrest him. While the 2019 FIR suggested Dawood molested Yashashri, media reports hint that it could be a case of “love affair gone wrong”. Call records suggested that she was talking to the accused for several hours. The police said, “The girl was in touch with a boy named Dawood Shaikh from 2019. After the girl’s family had come to know about the boy in 2019, he left Uran and went to his hometown in Karnataka. Since then the duo had been in touch over the phone. A few days back, he had come here. We are investigating what intentions he had when he came here.” Free Press Journal report noted that the police said the victim had a tattoo of the accused name beneath the chest.

No, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman didn’t say women can wear anything, here’s the truth about viral statement

OpIndia Staff
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No, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman didn’t say women can wear anything, here’s the truth about viral statement

Social media has been abuzz following a viral statement of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud popularly known as MBS in which he reportedly claimed, “Only women can decide what they want to wear.” Netizens posted the remark along with pictures of the crown prince and the country’s first Miss Universe contestant Rumy Alqahtani. They wrote that MBS declared, “From now on, women in Saudi Arabia can dress however they want without male permission.”

However, people utilised “Community Notes” on the post of a user named “Dr Maalouf” who had uploaded the same quote to dispute the claim. As per the note, MBS has not made any such comment. The crown prince only said that Islamic laws do not mandate a black abaya or black hijab, but didn’t say women can wear anything they want.

The note said, “The quote starts with “The laws are very clear and stipulated in the laws of Sharia: that women wear decent, respectful clothing, like men. This, however, does not particularly specify a black abaya or a black head cover.”

“Community Notes” were again invoked on the post of another social media user who made the same claim. “While the crown prince did say this in 2018, he refers to women being able to choose from a larger selection of Islamic-approved clothing. No mention of secular clothing or ‘modern clothes’ like the post suggests,” it clarified.

Notably, the comment that is being disseminated in 2024 is derived from his 2018 interview with the American network CBS News. Furthermore, his statement is being misconstrued since, while he talked about women’s personal clothing choices, he did not mention wearing anything without male permission.

In reality, he stated, “The laws are very clear and stipulated in the laws of Sharia: that women wear decent, respectful clothing, like men. This, however, does not particularly specify a black abaya or a black head cover. The decision is entirely left to women to decide what type of decent and respectful attire they choose to wear,” during the interview which was published on 19th March 2018.

Source: CBS News

The statement was in response to a question posed by interviewer Norah O’Donnell, who asked, “You have stated that you are ‘taking Saudi Arabia back to what we were, a moderate Islam.’ What is meant by that?” MBS further conveyed, “We have extremists who forbid mixing between the two sexes and are unable to differentiate between a man and a woman alone together and their being together in a workplace. Many of those ideas contradict the way of life during the time of the prophet and the Caliphs. This is the real example and the true model.” The interview was titled, “Saudi Arabia’s heir to the throne talks to 60 Minutes.”

Notably, Saudi Arabia officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is home to the two holiest cities in Islam, Mecca and Medina. Strict social and religious control has long been a part of the history of Saudi Arabia which is the largest nation on the Arabian Peninsula. Saudi Arabia has recently allowed women to drive cars, is holding mixed-gender events, opening cinemas and conducting Electronic Dance Music (EDM) shows after MBS ascended the throne. These might seem like common things in other parts of the world but Saudi Arabia has historically been a very conservative Islamic country, heavily influenced by powerful religious scholars and ruled by stringent Sharia Law. However, it is now gradually witnessing a new dawn of openness and modernity under MBS.

No more ‘legalised’ child marriage for Indian Muslims? Kerala HC sets new precedent

OpIndia Staff
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No more ‘legalised’ child marriage for Indian Muslims? Kerala HC sets new precedent

On Saturday (27th July), the Kerala High Court ruled that the law against child marriage would apply to all Indians irrespective of their religion, thereby setting a new precedent.

For the unversed, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2006 applies to all Indian citizens, except the Muslim community who are governed by the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act of 1937.

The regressive law considers girls who have attained the age of ‘puberty’ as adults, even though they are not 18. Muslim Marriages with minors have received legal sanction in Indian courts over the years, with personal laws reigning supreme over the law against child marriage

On Saturday, a single-judge Bench of Justice PV Kunhikrishnan pointed out that citizenship was primary and religion was secondary. He ruled that the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act of 2006 would apply to all, including Muslims.

The order came in the context of a 2012 case where a Muslim man had married a child and cited the Muslim Personal Law (Shariat) Application Act of 1937 to rationalise such a union.

The Kerala High Court stated that Section 1(2) of the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act applied to all Indian citizens, living in India as well as abroad.

“The prohibition of child marriage is important in modern society. Child marriage denies children their basic human rights, including the right to education, health and protection from exploitation…Let the children study. Let them travel, enjoy life and when they attain maturity, let them decide about marriage. In modern society, there cannot be any compulsion for marriage,” the court stated.

Earlier in November 2022, the Kerala High Court ruled that a marriage between Muslims under personal law cannot be excluded from the Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act. Justice Bechu Kurain Thomas said if one of the partners in the marriage is a minor, offences under the POCSO Act would apply. The validity of the marriage would not be considered in such cases.

IAS aspirants death in Delhi: Police detains owner, coordinator of coaching centre after basement flooding kills three students

ANI
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IAS aspirants death in Delhi: Police detains owner, coordinator of coaching centre after basement flooding kills three students

Delhi Police on Sunday detained the owner and coordinator of the IAS coaching centre, where three students lost their lives after the basement of the institute was filled with water, a senior police officer said.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Central, M Harshavardhan also said that the police have registered a case against the coaching institute, the management of the building, and those responsible for the maintenance of the drain at that location.

“Case registered under sections 105, 106 (1), 115 (2), 290 and 35 of BNS. This case is against the coaching institute and the management of the building and those who were responsible for the maintenance of the drain of that place…so far we have detained the owner and coordinator of that coaching centre…further investigation underway” DCP Harshavardhan told ANI.

The police identified the victims of Delhi’s Old Rajender Nagar coaching centre incident as Shreya Yadav, a native of Ambedkar Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh, Tanya Soni from Telangana; and Nivin Dalwin, a resident of Kerala’s Ernakulam.

“Rescue operations were launched, along with Delhi Police and Delhi Fire Service, NDRF was also involved. By the end of the search and rescue op…3 bodies were recovered from the basement. All 3 of them have been identified and the family members have been informed.”
Police have sent their bodies to the Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital (RML) for an autopsy.

Earlier in the day, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma assured protesting students that the police would conduct a thorough investigation and take necessary action.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Sachin Sharma while addressing protesting students, said, “Three people have died. Why will we hide anything? We assure you that we will do whatever is legally possible. The investigation is on.”

The students were demonstrating against the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the management of the IAS coaching institute, demanding action over the deaths of three students.

Meanwhile, former Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) Chief Swati Maliwal has alleged corruption in the operation of illegal basements in the city.

“Who will take responsibility for the deaths of three students due to drowning in the basement? Students reveal that they had been demanding drain cleaning repeatedly for ten days, but no action was taken. How can illegal basements operate without corruption? How can extra floors be added? How can encroachments on roads and drains occur without bribes? It is clear that there is no need to follow safety rules, just pay money, and the work gets done,” Maliwal said in a post on X.

“Just sit in AC rooms every day and conduct ‘Important Press Conferences’. They are not ready to work on the ground. Haven’t they learned anything from the deaths due to electric shocks in Patel Nagar a few days ago?” she added in the post.

Notably, the Old Rajender Nagar incident comes days after a UPSC aspirant was electrocuted on a waterlogged Delhi street.

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

Electricity crisis, mismanaged economy: Pakistani businesses pessimistic about future under Shehbaz Sharif government

ANI
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Electricity crisis, mismanaged economy: Pakistani businesses pessimistic about future under Shehbaz Sharif government

There have been protests across Pakistan including in the capital city with cadre of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf and others demonstrating against the continued incarceration of Imran Khan and against inflated electricity bills. With both issues unlikely to see early resolution, these protests are likely to get intense.

Amid this, the Shehbaz Sharif government received another jolt when a Gallup Business confidence Index report showed that businesses have accused the government of mismanagement of the economy.

Business owners have become more pessimistic about their future because of continued political turmoil and the new tax-heavy budget, said the Gallup report as quoted by Express Tribune.

The Gallup business confidence index has surveyed 454 businesses ranging from small to large. The score for the current business situation, future business situation and direction of the country declined by four to 10 per cent, the survey reports.

The survey also stated that many businesses thought the government’s new financial plan for FY25 was not business-friendly. 85 per cent, do not consider the government’s new financial plan as a “good budget.”

Inflation in Pakistan was the most cited problem. Almost 37 per cent would like the government to address Inflation, which soared to 12.6. Another persistent problem for Pakistanis is the continuous disruption of power supply and load shedding.

The survey says that six out of 10 businesses surveyed said they were faced with crippling load-shedding. This quarter 16 per cent more businesses said power outages had increased due to heavy load on power infrastructure in the country in summer.

Operators of retails stores have asked the government to put a check on the rising power tariffs for commercial establishment which has soared to PKR 77.15/unit, the Express Tribune reported.

Meanwhile, concerns are rising in Pakistan’s financial sector amid negotiations with Chinese authorities over rescheduling energy sector loans. On July 26, Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb had met wit the China central bank governor.

Businesses and banks are anxious about the outcome of the talks. There is a fear for future investment if the talks do not get the desired outcome.

“We believe China will not outright reject Pakistan’s request to reschedule energy sector loans, but the final outcome appears bleak,” said a senior banker was quoted as saying by Dawn News.

Meanwhile, the Gallup survey says businesses appeared more pessimistic about the future as 57 per cent expressed negative expectations. The net future business confidence score has worsened by 36 per cent since the last quarter and is now at negative 14 per cent.

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

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