An FIR has been filed against an X user for posting a picture claiming Congress leader KC Venugopal was consuming alcohol at a restaurant.
“A fake news is being circulated by the account @BefittingFactsIt falsely alleges that the black tea being consumed by Shri @kcvenugopalmp is alcohol in a restaurant,” the official X account of Congress tweeted.
“This has been purposely done to malign his image. We have taken congnisance of this mischief and Congress MLC Dr. Venkat Narsing Rao Balmoor has lodged a complaint with the Cyber Crimes Police Station in Hyderabad,” the tweet further said, adding, “Fake news won’t be tolerated and the guilty will be made to bear the consequences.”
A fake news is being circulated by the account @BefittingFacts
It falsely alleges that the black tea being consumed by Shri @kcvenugopalmp is alcohol in a restaurant. This has been purposely done to malign his image.
In its complaint, Congress identified Shashank Singh as the person responsible for spreading what it said was fake news. “Shashank Singh not only posted a false caption with the picture but also tagged the Kerala Police, urging them to take action against Shri KC Venugopal Ji,” it stated.
“This is a serious accusation, particularly given that Shri KC Venugopal Ji is a highly respected leader of the Indian National Congress and represents hundreds of thousands of Indian citizens in Parliament,” the complaint stated.
The original post on X claimed that the restaurant lacked a license to sell alcohol but was nonetheless serving it to Congress leaders.
KC Venugopal was traveling with Rahul Gandhi to Wayanad when they stopped for lunch at the White House restaurant in Thamarassery.
While Congress has been swift in taking action against a social media user, the BJP is yet to initiate proceedings against those responsible for spreading video of BJP president JP Nadda consuming Yogi Kanthika with fake claims that he was eating gutkha and khaini.
Amid the ongoing controversy regarding the NEET UG 2024 exam results, the Bihar Police has arrested around 13 persons including four examinees and their family members who suspiciously helped the aspirants in the MBBS entrance test.
“Investigation into the “paper leak” was handed over to the Economic Offences Unit (EOU) of the Bihar Police on Friday. The case was being investigated by a special team of the Patna Police till now,” concerned authorities confirmed.
“A total of 13 people, including four examinees and their family members, have been arrested so far. Besides, one of the arrested accused is also involved in the Bihar Public Service Commission’s (BPSC) Teachers Recruitment Exam (TRE)-3 paper leak case. All the accused are in judicial custody and EOU sleuths will start their custodial interrogation,” an EOU release said.
“Police have already seized incriminating documents and electronic devices from the possession of the accused. Investigations so far have revealed that the question papers of NEET-UG and their answers were provided to around 35 aspirants before the May 5 exam. Further investigation is underway,” the release added.
Earlier, the Gujarat police detained three people in connection with the NEET UG 2024 paper leak charges after the district collector received information that some authorities were engaging in malpractice. The investigators entered the NEET examination centre and arrested the culprits.
The arrested officials were later identified as Tushar Bhatt, a physics instructor serving as deputy superintendent at the NEET examination centre, and Parsuram Roy and Arif Vora, coordinators. According to Gujarat police, students and teachers made a deal worth Rs 10 lakh to help them pass the exam. The police discovered Rs 7 lakh cash from Tushar Bhatt’s car, which was obtained as an advance, with the remaining 3 lakh to be handed after the exam.
While reports of paper leaks are emerging, the NTA authorities have claimed that no NEET papers were leaked though around 63 cases of using unfair means to get through the examinations have been reported.
The saga began on 4th June after the National Testing Agency (NTA) declared the results of the recently conducted NEET UG-24 exams.
A plea was filed against the NTA stating that grace marks were awarded to 1563 students who appeared for the NEET exam on May 5th. As per the plea, these grace marks aided some of the students to secure top ranks, also scoring 718 or 719 out of 720 which is technically impossible, given the negative marking system. 67 students have scored 720/720, out of which 50 got grace marks for an error in the Physics paper and for loss of time. The plea demanded a thorough investigation of the case, risking the future of around 24 lakhs who appeared for the exam across 4750 centres in India.
Notably, on Thursday (13th June), the Centre informed the Supreme Court that it has cancelled the decision to award grace marks to 1563 candidates who appeared for NEET UG-2024. The Centre also said that these 1563 students have been given the option to go ahead without the grace marks or appear for a re-test which will be held on 23 June. Meanwhile, several petitions have been filed to the SC claiming paper leaks and a significant increase in high scores. However, the NTA clarified that no papers were leaked though 63 cases were found who used unfair means to get through the examination.
The students on Friday continued to protest against the NTA demanding the re-examination of all the students and not just 1,563 of them, who were given grace marks. They also demanded a CBI inquiry into the case. Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan meanwhile stated that the government will not tolerate any malpractices and irregularities in the conduct of competitive exams like NEET-UG, adding that even the accountability of the National Testing Agency (NTA) will also be fixed in cases lapses are found.
“The government is committed to protecting the interests of NEET examinees. I want to assure you that the government will not tolerate any irregularities and malpractice in the conduct of the medical examination. Anyone found guilty of involvement in such practices will be strictly punished. The ministry will also fix the accountability of the NTA. In case any lapses are found at the agency’s level, action will be taken. All concerns of students will be addressed with fairness and equity,” he was quoted as saying.
Pradhan stated that there is no substantial evidence to support the allegations of paper leaks during this year’s NEET-UG exam. He also met with some NEET candidates and their parents on Friday to discuss their concerns.
The Union Education Minister stated that NEET-UG was held in over 4,500 centres, with only six of them reporting erroneous question distribution. “Just because of the six centers, we can’t question the sanctity and credibility of the entire system…,” he said.
When asked if the government will take steps to bring some reforms in the way NTA conducts entrance, Pradhan said, “NTA is a competent agency. However, no institution is perfect, and we work on bringing reforms continuously.”
On Friday (14th June), a video of Mahua Moitra abusing BJP leader Nishikant Dube went viral on social media.
In the video, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP from Krishnanagar claimed, ” I mean I am only angry that the narrative was not about me fighting the BJP and the narrative was not about me fighting Modi.”
“The narrative was me getting into some brawl with some Jharkhandi piece of you know what faecal matter,” she was heard saying. Despite being elected as MP, Mahua Moitra had no qualms about abusing a fellow Parliamentarian due to differences in political affiliation.
Horrible!
Mahua Moitra calls people as "Jharkhandi piece of fecal matter"
Just because she is a liberal, Mahua Moitra can abuse people any way she wants?
The controversial video is part of a 40-minute interview of Mahua Moitra with ‘journalist’ Barkha Dutt. It was uploaded on the YouTube channel ‘Mojo Story’ on 10th June this year.
On being asked about her inappropriate choice of words, the TMC MP justified, “I think I used the phrase because I think I’m also a human being.” The video was posted on X (formerly Twitter) by political commentator Abhishek Banerji.
On 8th December 2023, Lok Sabha expelled Trinamool Congress’s MP Mahua Moitra based on the recommendations of the Ethics Committee in a cash-for-query case. Moitra was expelled hours after the Ethics Committee report was tabled in Lok Sabha.
On 14th October last year, the Indian political scene experienced a major tremor as BJP MP Nishkant Dubey wrote to the ethics committee seeking an inquiry against TMC MP Mahua Moitra in the ‘Cash for Query’ matter.
He based his complaint on the letter written by Supreme Court lawyer Jai Anant Dehadrai, who alleged that most of the questions asked by the TMC MP in Lok Sabha directly or indirectly benefit businessman Darshan Hiranandani.
Dehadrai also accused Moitra of “kidnapping” his pet dog Henry, adding another layer of complications to Mahuagate. Moitra filed a case against Dubey and Dehadrai but never denied accepting gifts.
Interestingly, she has also been accused of sharing her Lok Sabha credentials with Hiranandani so he can post questions independently. Hiranandani has reportedly turned approver in the case and submitted an affidavit suggesting the allegations against Moitra are true.
Today, 15 June 2024, marks the 4th anniversary of the tragic Galwan Valley clashes between Indo-China troops, resulting in significant casualties on both sides and profoundly altering the relationship between the two countries. Four years on, the relations between the two neighbours remain strained. The border deadlock persists despite numerous military and diplomatic efforts.
It all started with the border standoff along the India-China border in Eastern Ladakh. Chinese troopers who weren’t used to being challenged over their salami slicing, found themselves up against an Armed forces motivated to not cede an inch of their territory and give them a bloody nose if need be. This resulted in a scuffle between the two forces at Pangong Tso lake two months before the fateful Galwan Valley clashes.
On June 15, 2020, the Chinese troops had attacked the Indian troops along the LAC near the Ladakh border. The clashes had resulted in India losing 20 of its soldiers. China initially denied facing any casualties in the attack. However, after months of denial, China later acknowledged the loss of at least 5 of its soldiers, although independent reports suggested Beijing lost around 35-40 soldiers in the clashes.
Clashes between Indian and Chinese troops at Pangong Tso lake
The fallen Indian soldiers were honoured by the government and their last rites were performed in the presence of government representatives, accorded them the due status of martyrs. PM Modi and the COAS had also visited to meet and speak to the injured soldiers.
China, on the other hand, went to great lengths to paper over the murky details of clashes lest it triggers a turn of domestic events out of Beijing’s control. However, months after the border skirmish, in February 2021, China conferred posthumous awards upon four PLA troops thus officially recognising the casualties from the Galwan clash for the first time. Earlier, an image of a tombstone of a deceased PLA soldier provided the first evidence of Chinese casualty in the clashes.
Subsequently, a report published by an independent Australian media organisation, The Klaxon, revealed for the first time that there have been significant casualties on the Chinese side as well.
Clashes between Indian and Chinese troops at LAC
“At least 38 PLA troops were washed away and drowned” on the night of June 15 when the clash happened at the Galwan River,” the report said. It also said that evidence has also emerged that strongly suggests The Chinese side have intentionally conflated facts and imagery of two separate but similar clashes that occurred just over a week apart in Galwan.
According to the report, from April 2020, Chinese forces began constructing temporary infrastructure in the Galwan Valley, including tents, dugouts, and machinery. By May, skirmishes erupted between Indian and Chinese troops at various locations along the China-India border, including Pangong Lake in Ladakh.
A report titled “Galwan Decoded,” prepared by social media researchers, asserted that China’s public accounts were largely fabricated. The report was published following a year-long investigation, which involved discussions with mainland Chinese bloggers, information from Chinese citizens, and media reports later deleted by Chinese authorities, the researchers chose to remain anonymous for security reasons.
The report noted that although many blogs and pages were removed by Chinese authorities, digital archives from mainland China tell a different story. It claimed that numerous Chinese soldiers died while attempting to cross the fast-flowing Galwan River. China acknowledged only Junior Sergeant Wang Zhuoran’s death by drowning, while PLA Battalion Commander Major Chen Hongjun, Private Chen Xiangrong, and Junior Sergeant Xiao Siyuan were reported as killed by Indian forces.
The report also included a now-deleted document stating that Wang Zhuoran’s unit was ordered to “perform a support mission” in June 2020. The document described comrades being swept downstream and Wang Zhuoran saving four before getting trapped by stones at the river’s bottom, leading to his drowning due to exhaustion.
The Klaxon report linked the origins of the Galwan clash back to May 22, 2020, when Indian soldiers attempted to build a temporary bridge over the Galwan River. The report specified that on this date, Indian troops led by Colonel Santosh, commander of the 16th Bihar Regiment, constructed a temporary bridge over a stream of the Galwan River to facilitate the monitoring of Chinese activities. The Chinese were constructing their own infrastructure in the buffer zone, and the Indian bridge construction provoked a strong reaction from the Chinese side.
On June 6, 80 PLA soldiers arrived to dismantle the bridge, leading to a confrontation with nearly 100 Indian troops. Following this standoff, both sides agreed to withdraw personnel from the buffer zone and dismantle any facilities that crossed the line.
However, the Chinese did not uphold their promise and began dismantling the Indian bridge instead of removing their infrastructure. In response, on June 15, 2020, Col. Santosh Babu and his troops went to the disputed area in the Galwan Valley at night to remove the Chinese encroachments. Col. Qi Fabao of the Chinese side, along with approximately 150 soldiers, was present.
A close-up of LAC along the Galwan Valley where clashes erupted between Indo-Chinese troops
Rather than engaging in dialogue, Fabao ordered his troops to form a battle formation, disregarding the mutual agreement made on June 6, 2021. When Fabao attacked, he was quickly surrounded by Indian troops. To rescue him, PLA battalion commander Chen Hongjun and soldier Chen Xiangrong engaged in a physical scuffle with Indian troops using steel pipes, sticks, and stones to cover their commander’s escape.
Interestingly, the report reveals that Colonel Qi Fabao was “hit in the head by an Indian army soldier and rushed back with serious injuries.” Additionally, “China’s Hongjun and Xiangrong were immediately neutralized by the Indian army.” Another Chinese soldier, Xiao Siyuan, who was recording the incident, was attacked and severely injured by an Indian soldier and later succumbed to his injuries. Reportedly, after Col. Fabao left and the PLA soldiers saw the bodies of their major commanders, they panicked and retreated.
Wang Zhuoran and his companion Ma Ming, whose company was ordered to support the mission, stepped forward to help their scattered, retreating comrades by guiding them to safety. It is reported that the PLA soldiers, not having time to wear water pants, hurriedly decided to cross the icy Galwan waters at night to continue their attack. The report suggests that at this point, “The river rose suddenly, causing injured comrades to slip and be washed downstream.” Information from those who attended Wang’s funeral indicates that Junior Sergeant Wang Zhuoran successfully pushed four of his comrades across the river, but his legs became stuck in stones at river’s bottom.
A book titled ‘India’s Fearless 3: New Military Stories of Unimaginable Courage and Sacrifice,’ authored by HT’s Rahul Singh and India Today journalist Shiv Aroor, corroborated the stark betrayal and treachery associated with the Chinese forces, along with other stories of remarkable valor exhibited by India’s uniformed soldiers.
The book highlighted Chinese deceit in the Galwan Valley, the effects of which still influence the Indian Armed Forces’ cautious approach to China. It revealed that the attack on Indian forces was premeditated, with the Chinese aiming to unilaterally change the status quo and impose heavy losses on the outnumbered Indian troops to force them into retreat.
However, they encountered resolute and determined Indian forces who thwarted the Chinese plans and inflicted significant damage. Havildar Dharamvir Kumar Singh, a member of the 16 Bihar Regiment, recounted to the authors how the Chinese forces were at least three times more in number than the Indian soldiers in the Galwan Valley.
“There were less than 400 of us. We soon discovered that the number of Chinese soldiers advancing towards us was maybe three times that. We had been fighting smaller numbers of Chinese for two hours before that. But this was their main force, launching an all-out assault against us,” the book quoted Havildar Dharamvir Kumar Singh as saying.
China’s old habit of salami slicing its neighbours’ territorities, its iron-fist control over information and domestic repression to suppress dissent and challenge to CCP’s supremacy underscores the issues facing the Modi government in his third term against a hostile nation with an authoritarian leader at its helm who is bent on flouting the ‘rules based world order’ to “restore” China’s global hegemony.
As PM Modi takes office for the third time, 15th June is not just a sombre day to commemorate the supreme sacrifices of our soldiers and the unscrupulous army it is up against, but against the challenges it may face as Xi Jinping tightens his authoritarian grip over China and amid a highly volatile world marred by invasions, terror attacks, wars, and Climate Change.
A Hindu activist named Aman Kumar alias Aman Baba, a native of Hazaribagh was arrested by police in Jharkhand, where Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM)-Congress alliance is in power, for organising Ram Navami procession earlier this year in a place where the Hindu festival is ‘banned’. Notably, there hasn’t been a single Ram Navami Shobha Yatra in Barkagaon-Mahudi village for the last forty years. Aman Kumar nevertheless organized the procession on 12 April, which led to First Information Reports (FIRs) being filed against him and other people, many of whom were later arrested.
Two months after the event, on the evening of 12th June, Jharkhand police arrived in Patna and took him into custody.
There is a village named Mahudi in Jharkhand where the Ramnavmi Shobha Yatra has been banned for the last 4 decades. A Hindu activist Aman, along with four others, started the Yatra, going against the govt, and soon it became a mass gathering.
Aman Kumar’s family members held a press conference at their residence in Yashwant Nagar and referred to the arrest as a conspiracy. His mother Poonam Devi addressed the media persons and stated that Aman is an activist for Sanatan Dharma. She stated, “There was a dispute over the procession route in Barkagaon for 40 years and the administration had banned the Ram Navami procession. However, he took up the matter and built a chariot which he pulled with his hands from Hazaribagh to Ranchi. His popularity worried the current government and public representatives.”
She further charged, “They began to wonder how a young man could do something that had been ignored for forty years. Dozens of people were made accused on the submission of Circle Officer Baleshwar Ram but only my son was arrested. The officer named Barkagaon MLA and claimed that he put pressure to take the action. He also mentioned that my son was not accused of stealing, fraud, or dishonesty but the politicians were threatened by his popularity. He had only raised issues concerning Hindutva and displacement in Barkagaon.”
Poonam Devi argued that it would have been preferable if the police had shown the same promptitude regarding illegal sand mining and land scams, nabbing extremists and criminals, controlling paper leaks, exposing those involved in transfer-posting scandals and corrupt politicians that they had demonstrated in arresting her son. She added, “The arrest was delayed until after the Lok Sabha poll and the action was taken as soon as elections were over.” His wife Dimple Mishra, brother Ishu Kumar and father Subodh Kumar were also present there.
She also posed the Jharkhand administration with numerous pertinent questions. She voiced that conditions in the state have become so terrible that people are unable to even publicly express their religious beliefs. “Does chanting Jai Shri Ram in India also fall under the category of crime? It is clear that the government was threatened by Aman Kumar who was relentlessly working for Hindutva. He campaigned in favour of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Hazaribagh, Chatra, Dumka, Godda, Ranchi Lok Sabha and many other places during the general election which scared the state administration.”
She added, “The government feared that in the next assembly election, Aman Kumar could pull off a major upset on his own. Should the government truly be concerned with maintaining peace and order, two members of a Birhor family were brutally killed by radicals in Chatra a few days ago. The cops couldn’t reach the hamlet but travelled to Patna to arrest Aman. Two shocking incidents took place in Chatra on the same day. The police were incapable of preventing them but arrived at the house of a Ram Bhakt at 12 in the night to arrest him.”
She asked the Hazaribagh police why they had not been able to take any action in the cases of the Maheshwari family murder, the Sujit Dev murder and the death of Vishwakarma family members in Hazaribagh till now. She noted, “There is open theft of coal and sand and the lottery business is operating publicly in the district. Sand is being sold in broad daylight in the illegal market in Hazaribagh even after the National Green Tribunal’s (NGT) ban. Either the cops are asleep, or they are lying in wait to line their own coffers. The police see only one culprit, my innocent son.”
Police installed barricades to stop Ram Navami procession
The religious procession which was taken out in April was blocked from continuing along its path by police barricades, which resulted in a clash between the devotees and police. After the police stopped the procession, it enraged the devotees after which they hurled stones and vehicles were damaged as well as a few individuals got hurt. The people also set fire to the straw and the fire brigade was called to control the flames. The police used force to control the situation. Mahudi village was converted into a police cantonment.
However, Sub-divisional police officer Kuldeep Kumar claimed that no procession was taken out and some people tried to use the disputed route on the pretext of performing pooja. But videos of people carrying flags and participating in the yatra, and then returning after police stopped them, had appeared on social media. Reportedly, the procession had already reached Sonpura through the restricted route and it was blocked when it was returning from there.
As people got furious after seeing the police blockade, police resorted to lathi-charge. This escalated the situation, with enraged people pelting stones and setting fire to some huts.
Notably, the district administration issued an order in 1985 to block the Barkagaon Mahudi procession path. Every year during festivals like Ram Navami & Navratri, the administration barricades the Muslim-majority area, preventing the yatra from going through the Mahudi route. Hindu activists have been trying to break this ban. In 2017, then-BJP leader Yashwant Sinha and around 100 people were arrested for taking a Navratri procession through the same restricted route in the Mahudi area. The devotees had clashed with police at that time after police stopped them from taking out the yatra.
Asha Kandara (Bhati), who made headlines for passing the Rajasthan Administrative Service (RAS) test some years back while working as a sweeper, is back in the spotlight, but for an embarrassing reason this time. The state Anti-Corruption Bureau arrested Asha for taking huge bribes and running a job racket.
The move is viewed as a fall from grace for the RAS officer, who was once a role model for applicants to the meticulous state civil service test.
A representative for the Rajasthan Anti-Corruption Bureau stated that on Wednesday (12th June) night, the Anti-Corruption Bureau apprehended Asha near Jaitaran with a bribe of Rs 1.75 lakh. The arrest took place as the ACB received information that Asha, who is currently working at the Heritage Nagar Nigam Jaipur was accepting bribes in exchange for recruitment as sweepers.
पाली- 1.75 लाख रुपए की रिश्वत लेते पकड़ी गई महिला आशा भाटी, पुत्र ऋषभ भाटी, दलाल योगेंद्र चौधरी को एसीबी ने गिरफ्तार किया है। यही वही महिला है जो जोधपुर में सफाई कर्मचारी से RAS में 15 जुलाई 2021 में सलेक्ट हुई थी। @BhajanlalBjp@AcbRajasthan@8PMnoCMpic.twitter.com/A0Qa94kdwa
According to authorities at the Anti-Corruption Bureau, she left Jaipur for Pali on Tuesday (11th June) night, while her son arrived in Jaitaran with money. Yogendra Chaudhary, a broker, was also there with the arrested duo. Both stayed at Hotel Sheetal in the heart of Jaitaran Bar.
Acting on the inputs, ACB Inspector Kanchan Bhati caught the RAS officer from the spot with Rs 1.75 lakh in cash. Also, the ACP said that the job deal was fixed for three and a half lakhs.
The arrest is considered as a fall from grace for Asha, who made headlines after passing the renowned RAS exam in 2018 despite working as a sweeper. The results were announced in the year 2021. Asha, a single mother, had declared that she wants to prepare for IAS exams and had not joined the state civil services.
A tragic incident occurred in the Almora district of Uttarakhand on 13th June where a major fire broke out in the Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary area which led to four deaths. Those who died included forest beat officer Trilok Mehta (56), fire watcher Karan Arya (21), Prantiya Rakshak Dal (PRD) member Puran Mehra (52) and Deewan Ram (35), a daily wage worker. The staff arrived at the location in a departmental vehicle in the afternoon to put out the fire.
Almora, Uttarakhand | Four people who went to extinguish the fire in Binsar forest died, while four people were seriously injured. The injured were brought to the base hospital, where they are being treated. pic.twitter.com/unyZfpsOb1
However, according to officials, the fire was blazing so fiercely that the workers were promptly engulfed in the flames and suffered serious burns. Notably, several frontline forest workers have already lost their lives in a wildfire in three separate incidents this year, bringing the overall number of casualties from the forest fire season to ten. Nine of these deaths happened in the Almora region alone.
In a very tragic news 4 forest staff burnt alive in a forest fire at Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary, Almora, Uttrakhand. While performing their duty.
Ex-gratia payments of Rs 10 lakh each to the family members of the deceased have been declared by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami. He added, “In this hour of grief, the entire Uttarakhand government stands with the families of the forest workers. I have instructed the officials to immediately airlift the four forest workers who were injured to Haldwani Base Hospital or to AIIMS (All India Institute Of Medical Sciences) Rishikesh,” Firefighting operations are in progress since the fire is still quite strong in the area. Four others who endured burns were moved to a nearby hospital.
बिन्सर वन्यजीव विहार में वनाग्नि की चपेट में आने से 4 वनकर्मियों के निधन का अत्यंत हृदयविदारक समाचार प्राप्त हुआ। इस दुख की घड़ी में हमारी सरकार दिवंगतों के परिजनों के साथ खड़ी है और हरसंभव सहायता हेतु प्रतिबद्ध है। प्रत्येक मृतक के परिजनों को 10 लाख की अनुग्रह धनराशि देने की…
According to the chief minister’s special secretary, Parag Madhukar Dhakate, the instance happened in the Civil Soyam Forest Division of Binsar Wildlife Sanctuary at around 3:30 pm. He pointed out that the issue is being constantly monitored. A post-mortem is being performed on the deceased. Forest department employees and PRD jawans took a vehicle to reach the spot upon receiving the information. A communique from the state government unveiled, “Their vehicle caught fire. Four of them died before they could jump out of the vehicle, while others got injured.”
Three workers lost their lives trying to put out a forest fire that destroyed a resin factory in the Almora district last month. The Uttarakhand forest fire bulletin revealed that during the past twenty-four hours, seven occurrences involving 4.50 hectares of affected forest have been reported
The massive problem of forest fires in Uttarakhand
According to Nishant Verma, the state’s assistant principal chief conservator of forests and nodal officer for forest fires, Uttarakhand reported 1,213 forest fire occurrences from 1st November to the evening of 12th June, compared to 663 incidents during the same period last year. Seven forest fire incidents were reported by the state on 12th June, four of them were in Garhwal, one in Kumaon and one in the wildlife administration region. The fires caused damage to more than thirteen hectares of forest area.
Over 142 hectares of Uttarakhand’s forestland were destroyed between the 20th to 27th of April this year by massive forest fires that tore across the state’s densely wooded mountains for several hours. The Indian Air Force sent out a Mi-17 V5 helicopter with a “Bambi Bucket” to put out a fire that had spread to a nearby Air Force Station near the Nanda range. Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami expressed alarm over the out-of-control forest fires and stated that the government was making every effort to contain them.
Mi-17 helicopter contains blaze near Lariyakta in Nainital. (Source: The Times of India)
He conveyed, “The forest fires are a challenge for us. This is a big fire. We are working for all the essential needs. We have asked for help from the Army. I am going to conduct a meeting in Haldwani today. We have conducted a meeting in Dehradun also regarding this. We will try to control the fire as soon as possible.” He further stated that anybody found guilty of causing forest fires would face consequences from the respective district administrations.
Naresh Bhatt from Tadiyal village in Tehsil-Jakholi was apprehended by the forest fire protection squad led by Divisional Forest Officer Rudraprayag. According to a news release from the district administration, he was attempting to light the forests on fire to provide space for goats to graze. Hemant Singh and Bhagwati Lal were caught after they were discovered lighting a fire in the North Jakholi village of Dangwal.
The Forest Survey of India (FSI) sent the forest department almost 7,000 alerts this April for both small and large forest fires, a considerable increase over the 925 alerts received during the same period the previous year. The state of Uttarakhand experienced 43 additional wildfire occurrences in a 24-hour period in May, destroying 62 hectares of forest area. This marked an increase in the intensity of the already-raging fire occurrences. 1011 hectares of forest were burnt in a total of 804 incidents.
Months-long wildfires continued to consume the Himalayan hill state’s vegetation. Five individuals reportedly died as a result of 910 forest fire events that have damaged 1,145 hectares of woodland since 1st November. The Uttarakhand Forest Department also lost a significant amount of revenue, more than Rs 25 lakh, as a result of the fires. Pushkar Singh Dhami directed Chief Secretary Radha Raturi to notify all district magistrates and provide guidelines for routinely monitoring forest fires. Additionally, he requested that all district magistrates issue orders prohibiting the burning of any kind of fodder for a week at this time. The burning of solid trash in or close to forests was asked to be prohibited by urban bodies.
The authorities arrested Mosar Alam, Nazifar Alam, Nurul, Salim and Feroz Alam as Uttarakhand grappled with forest fires for weeks which destroyed over 1000 acres of forest area. Furthermore, the state police nabbed at least 52 people for setting fire to forests and destroying several acres of pristine land and as many as 315 cases were registered under the Forest Conservation Act.
A forest fire in Nainital district in Uttarakhand. (Source: The Hindu)
Reasons behind the fire and government response
According to the most recent biennial report by the Forest Survey of India (FSI), forest cover makes up 24,305 square kilometres, or a startling 44.5%, of the state’s 53,483 square kilometres geographical area. 0.2% of these forests are categorized as extremely prone to fire, 1.6% as very highly prone, 9.3% as highly prone, 21.7% as moderately prone, and 67.25% as less prone to fire.
Forest fires are uncontrolled natural fires that happen by accident and threaten the world’s forest ecosystems. Any kind of fire needs three things to survive: fuel, oxygen, and a heat source. This is commonly known as the “fire triangle.” In a forest, there is an abundance of oxygen and fuel in the form of dried trees, shrubs, grasses, and litter, especially during the hot and dry summer months. Drought, dry weather and parched vegetation can all provide simple firewood. A forest fire’s ability to spread is greatly aided by strong winds.
A pamphlet found on the Uttarakhand Forest Department website highlighted that the primary causes of forest fires are high-tension cables, an abundance of highly combustible chir pine trees, and the rising number of people leaving the region for other states, which has left the hills desolate. It pointed out that while the younger generation lacks the environmental education found in the present academic curriculum, making them unprepared to deal with forest fires, older generations who make up the majority of those living in the hills are unable to scale the hilltops to contain the fires. Notably, 95% of forest fires are caused by people, per a 2019 report from the Forest Research Institute, which is housed under the Environment Ministry of India.
Firefighters try to douse a fire after it broke out in the forest in Bageshwar, in May. (Source: India Today)
The Uttarakhand administration declared that “all the instances of forest fires are manmade” in an 8th May Supreme Court hearing. It notified the court that 388 criminal charges against people detected starting forest fires had been filed around the state. According to the administration, the majority of those nabbed tried to burn their stubble but were unable to contain the flames that spread quickly because of high winds. According to the government’s 380-page interim status report filed with the court, fires had an impact on just 0.1% of the forest cover. The state notified the court that the forest fires were being handled by the State Disaster Response Force and the National Disaster Response Force.
After expressing satisfaction with the state’s response about the steps it was taking to address the issue, the court postponed the case until September 2024. The state mentioned that among other things, it was filling open positions at the field level of the Forest Department and had utilized the whole Compensatory Afforestation Fund for firefighting and fire prevention. Meanwhile, Rs 3 lakh in insurance coverage was promised by the state government for 4,000 contract workers in the forest department.
Interestingly, the proposal to utilise pine needles, which fall from the trees from mid-March to the start of July rains, to produce electricity has been developed by the Uttarakhand administration. The chief minister also announced this year the launch of the Pirul Lao-Paise Pao (bring pine leaves and get money) plan, under which the State will buy pine leaves at Rs 50 per kg, significantly more than the previous rate of Rs 3 per kg.
On Friday (14th June), a massive fire broke out at Kolkata’s Acropolis Mall, trapping several people inside the premises. Several fire engines rushed to the scene to extinguish the flames. According to initial reports, authorities had to remove people from the building after the incident happened on the third floor of the Acropolis retail mall in Kolkata’s southern region.
As per the reports, 10 fire engines were dispatched to put out the fire that broke out inside the mall in the Kasba area at about 12.15 pm. “As of now, there is no report of any injury. Firefighting operations are underway. Some firefighters have entered the building wearing oxygen masks,” an official was quoted as saying.
#WATCH | West Bengal: Visuals from Kolkata's Acropolis Mall where a fire broke out. Several fire tenders on the spot. More details awaited pic.twitter.com/e5owCMwwiJ
The entire area was covered in smoke, and traffic in front of the mall was restricted, according to the Kolkata Traffic Police. The cause of the fire was not immediately evident. However, multiple reports indicate that the fire broke out in the mall’s food court area.
The Acropolis Mall fire occurred just days after a fire broke out at a restaurant on Park Street in central Kolkata, causing widespread alarm. No casualties have been reported so far.
#WATCH | West Bengal: Fire breaks out at a restaurant in Park Street, Kolkata. Several fire tenders have reached the spot to extinguish the fire. Details awaited pic.twitter.com/KrnnMCZGnO
“The cause of the fire will be ascertained after a forensic investigation. The authorities will examine whether the restaurant owner had followed safety regulations or not,” Fire and Emergency Services Minister Sujit Bose said.
Earlier, similar incidents took place in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk area and also in Mumbai’s Dombivali area. A massive fire broke out at the Marwadi Katra market area in Chandni Chowk, Delhi on Thursday (13th June). 40 fire tenders were sent on the spot to control the fire. Several shops were destroyed as the fire escalated in the area. The cause behind the fire is yet to be ascertained. No casualties were reported by the concerned authorities. The cooling operations are still underway.
#WATCH | Delhi: Fire broke out at Marwadi Katra of Chandni Chowk. 14 fire tenders rushed to the site. Firefighting operation underway.
In Mumbai’s Dombivali region, massive free broke out in a chemical factory, Indo Amines, located in the Phase 2 area of MIDC. The incident happened on 12th June leaving the nearby residents in a state of panic. Earlier several workers were reported trapped in the fire but later all were rescued to safety. No casualties were reported.
Fire at Dombivali, Mumbai (Image- Loksatta)
In the given case, the reason for the fire is being ascertained. Further inputs are awaited.
The Indian Army has acquired the first batch of indigenously made man-portable suicide drones, known as Nagastra-1. These drones are designed to precisely strike enemy training camps, launch pads, and infiltrators, without endangering the lives of soldiers.
Economic Explosives Limited (EEL), a subsidiary of Solar Industries, designed and produced the drones entirely in India, and they contain more than 75% indigenous components. Nagastra-1 will strengthen the army’s capacity to launch shallow strikes across the border when required. Notably, the Indian Army inked a contract last year to purchase approximately 450 Nagastra-1 loitering munitions.
The first indigenous Loitering Munition, Nagastra–1, developed by Solar Industries, Nagpur, has been delivered to the Indian Army. The Indian Army has placed an order to Solar Induatries’ Economics Explosives Ltd (EEL) to supply 480 Loiter Munitions under Emergency Procurement… pic.twitter.com/ClHofB7EOE
Nagastra-1 kamikaze or suicide drones can launch GPS-enabled precision strikes with an accuracy of 2 metres and a range of nearly 25-30 kilometres. The drones, designed to be carried by infantry forces on foot, have a minimal acoustic signature and use electric propulsion, making them a silent killer.
Nagastra -1, in a 'kamikaze mode' can neutralize any hostile threat with GPS-enabled precision strike with an accuracy of 2m. The man-portable fixed-wing electric UAV of weight 9 kg has an endurance of 30 min, a man-in-loop range of 15 km and an autonomous mode range of 30 km.…
According to the Economic Times, these drones can be used against soft-skin targets. Unlike traditional missiles and precision munitions, they are a low-cost solution that can be used against lower-level targets such as a group of infiltrating terrorists on the border. An additional distinguishing feature is a parachute recovery system, which can return the munition in the event of an aborted mission, allowing it to be reused.
Earlier, the armed forces purchased similar systems from foreign manufacturers during an earlier round of emergency procurements, although at a substantially higher cost. The Nagastra 1 has almost 75% locally sources components, reducing reliance on foreign suppliers. These loitering munitions could potentially be exported to other friendly countries in the future.
On Friday (14th June), a video of a woman narrating the atrocities committed by Trinamool Congress (TMC) goons on BJP workers went viral on social media.
The video was shared on X (formerly Twitter) by political commentator Abhijit Majumder. In the video, a Hindu woman was heard saying in Bengali, “My husband was a polling agent of the BJP. They had also filed a case (fabricated) against my husband.”
“He has been missing since yesterday. The men in the village are not at their homes. They have been hunted down by TMC goons and beaten mercilessly,” she further added.
“My husband was BJP’s polling agent. He is missing. “They beat up our men so badly they will be crippled for life. “We are cut off from bare necessities, our children are starving. “TMC moles in our village are ratting out BJP workers to the goons. “We plead Mamata Banerjee to… pic.twitter.com/oWzSeq2eSr
“Those who had to bear this will be crippled for life. The men were brutally thrashed and stomped on the ground,” the woman pointed out.
She emphasised, “Please ensure that our message reaches Mamata Banerjee – Give us poison (bish) so that we can die peacefully. Else abduct all of us. We do not want to live anymore,”
“We have infants at our house. There is no food at our house. We cannot go to the market and put rice in the mouths of our children,” the woman continued.
“What is the purpose of our existence? It is better that we die,” she said while crying inconsolably. Another woman informed that the local police have been working as TMC moles and outing the addresses of BJP workers.
At the time of writing, the video posted by Abhijit Majumder has been retweeted 2.1K times and liked by 3.1K users on X (formerly Twitter).
The origin of the viral video
OpIndia found that the video was originally posted on the YouTube channel of TV9 Bangla on 3rd June 2024. The woman seen in the victim is from Sandeshkhali village in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal.
When the date is matched with the testimony of the victim, it becomes clear that her husband had been missing from 2nd June this year. Interestingly, the last phase of Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal was held on 1st June 2024.
The whereabouts of the woman’s husband, who happened to be the polling agent of the BJP, remains unknown.
BJP workers in West Bengal flee homes after Lok Sabha elections
Following the Lok Sabha elections in West Bengal, hundreds of BJP workers have fled their villages and homes – a grim situation reminiscent of the 2021 Vidhan Sabha elections and 2023 Panchayat election in the State.
The development was confirmed in a report, published by The Indian Express on Saturday (8th June). While speaking about the matter, a BJP worker named Prasanta Haldar informed, “Election season mane amader ghor chharar season (election season for us means the season of leaving home).”
A resident of Vidyadhar Palli area of Baruipur, Haldar and his family fled home after casting their vote during the 7th phase of Lok Sabha elections. He had sent his wife and children to a relative’s house.
In the meantime, he has sought refuge along with 50 others at the BJP office in Baruipur. Haldar told The Indian Express, “I was forced to leave home in 2021 after the Assembly polls, and then after panchayat polls last year.”
“I was able to get back home in April this year, but now once again, I am homeless. Me and other workers from my village got threats before the Lok Sabha polls, but I still worked for the party. However, on June 2, after the last phase of polls, I left home. I later heard that my home was ransacked,” the BJP worker lamented.
On 6th June, the Calcutta High Court rapped the Mamata Banerjee-led- Trinamool Congress government over post-poll violence in West Bengal.
