Bhopal: BJP’s Lok Sabha member from Bhopal Pragya Singh Thakur fainted during an event organised at party office here on Tuesday to pay tributes to Bharatiya Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookherjee on his death anniversary.
The incident occurred when Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and other senior BJP leaders were paying tributes to Mookherjee at the event held at the party’s state headquarters here.
Former Bhopal MP Alok Sanjar told PTI that Thakur has been undergoing treatment for her ailments and was taking heavy doses of medicines, which could have caused dizziness.
Following the incident, Thakur (50) was taken to her home, where she is currently recuperating, he said.
Earlier on Sunday, Thakur had attributed her health issues, including “loss” of vision, to “torture” she had suffered under the Congress regime.
“I sustained several injuries due to torture by the Congress for nine years. Many injuries resurface due to this torture. There was formation of pus and swelling in my eyes and brain.
“I have blurred vision in the right eye and I can’t see at all from the left one,” she had said, apparently referring to her imprisonment in the 2008 Malegaon blast case in which she is an accused.
New Delhi: Hindu Sena workers on Tuesday defaced a signboard outside the Chinese embassy here against the killing of 20 Indian soldiers in clashes with the Chinese troops in Ladakh’s Galwan Valley last week.
“Today in protest against People’s Republic of China’s aggression on LAC, Hindu Sena activists pasted protest poster stating ‘Cheen Gaddar Hai, Hindi Cheeni Bye Bye’ (China is a traitor, India China Bye bye) on Chinese embassy’s signboard, Hindu Sena president Vishnu Gupta said.
Photo Credit: IANS
The police, however, said no formal complaint has been received in this regard.
“Someone pasted a piece of black paper on the board. CCTV cameras installed in the area are being scanned to identify the culprit. No action has been taken yet in this matter,” a police official said.
There was no immediate response from the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) which maintains the signages in the area.
This is not the first time the right-wing outfit has blackened the road signs in the national capital.
In May 2015, signboards of roads named after Muslim rulers Akbar and Feroz Shah were defaced, and posters of the right-wing group Shiv Sena Hindustan were pasted on them.
Last year, the Babar Road signboard in Bengali Market area in Delhi was blackened by Hindu Sena workers demanding that the name of the road be changed.
New Delhi: A 38-year-old woman was allegedly raped inside a room of the Rouse Avenue Court here, police said on Monday.
The matter was reported on Monday and the accused has been arrested, they said.
In her statement, the woman has alleged that the accused, who is a court staff, raped her inside a room of the Rouse Avenue Court, a police official said.
Medical examination has been done, he said
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central) Sanjay Bhatia said a case has been registered at the IP Estate police station and the accused has been arrested.
New Delhi: In his first remarks on the Ladakh face-off, former prime minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said PM Narendra Modi must be mindful of the implications of his words and cannot allow China to use them as a vindication of its position.
Noting that disinformation is no substitute for diplomacy or decisive leadership, Singh called upon the prime minister to ensure justice for soldiers who died defending India’s territorial integrity.
“To do any less would be a historic betrayal of people’s faith,” he said in a statement.
The Congress has been attacking the government on Prime Minister Modi’s remarks at an all-party meeting that no one has entered Indian territory or captured any military post while referring to the eastern Ladakh standoff.
The government has, however, said that attempts are being made to give a “mischievous interpretation” to the prime minister’s remarks.
Singh said this is a moment where we must stand together as a nation and be united in our response to this brazen threat.
Twenty Indian soldiers, including a colonel, were killed in the violent face-off with Chinese troops on the night of June 15/16 in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley.
Noting that the country is standing at the historic cross-roads, Singh said the government’s decisions and actions will have serious bearings on how the future generations perceive us.
“Those who lead us bear the weight of a solemn duty. And in our democracy that responsibility rests with the office of the prime minister,” he said.
“The prime minister must always be mindful of the implications of his words and declarations on our nation’s security as also strategic and territorial interests,” he said.
The Congress veteran said China is “brazenly and illegally” seeking to claim parts of Indian territory such as the Galwan Valley and the Pangong Tso Lake by committing multiple incursions from April 2020 till date.
“We cannot and will not be cowed down by threats and intimidation nor permit a compromise with our territorial integrity.
“The Prime Minister cannot allow them to use his words as a vindication of their position and must ensure that all organs of the Government work together to tackle this crisis and prevent it from escalating further,” he said.
“We remind the Government that disinformation is no substitute for diplomacy or decisive leadership. The truth cannot be suppressed by having pliant allies spout comforting but false statements,” he said.
Singh also said that the sacrifice of soldiers cannot be allowed to go in vain.
New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday left for a three-day visit to Russia during which he will hold talks with top Russian military brass and attend a grand military parade in Moscow to mark the 75th anniversary of the Soviet victory over Germany in the Second World War.
It is the first visit abroad by a senior union minister in four months as foreign travels were restricted in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
The last foreign trip abroad by a senior member of the union cabinet was by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman when she visited Riyadh from Feb 22-24 to attend a meeting of G-20 finance ministers. Days before Sitharaman’s trip, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar visited Germany from February 18 to 19.
The defence minister’s visit to Russia comes in the midst of an escalating border standoff between India and China, particularly after the killing of 20 Indian Army personnel by Chinese troops in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley on June 15.
“Leaving for Moscow on a three day visit. The visit to Russia will give me an opportunity to hold talks on ways to further deepen the India-Russia defence and strategic partnership. I shall also be attending the 75th Victory Day Parade in Moscow,” Singh tweeted before leaving for Moscow.
Officials said Singh went ahead with the visit, notwithstanding the border row with China, due to India’s decades-old military ties with Russia.
They said the defence minister is likely to hold a series of meetings with top military brass of Russia with a focus on further ramping up military cooperation between the two countries.
A tri-service 75-member Indian military contingent has already reached Moscow to participate in the parade. The Indian team will participate in the parade alongside armed forces personnel from at least 11 countries, including China.
“The visit of the defence minister will strengthen the longstanding special and privileged strategic partnership between India and Russia,” the defence ministry said on Saturday.
“The Indian participation in the Victory Day parade will be a mark of tribute to the great sacrifices made by Russia and other nations in the Second World War in which Indian soldiers also participated and made supreme sacrifice,” it said.
Srinagar: India has said that attempts by the Chinese side to now advance exaggerated and untenable claims with regard to Line of Actual Control are not acceptable.
It also said that the position with regard to the Galwan Valley area has been historically clear. According to news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) in response to queries on the statement issued by the Chinese Spokesperson on the events in the Galwan valley area, External Affairs Ministry Spokesman Anurag Srivastava said such claims are not in accordance with China’s own position in the past.
He said, “Indian troops are fully familiar with the alignment of the LAC in all sectors of the India-China border areas, including in the Galwan Valley”.
They abide by it scrupulously and the Indian side has never undertaken any actions across the LAC. “In fact, they have been patrolling this area for a long time without any incident”. “All infrastructure built by the Indian side is naturally on its own side of the LAC”.
The Spokesman said that since early May this year, the Chinese side has been hindering India’s normal, traditional patrolling pattern in this area. “This had resulted in a face-off which was addressed by the ground commanders as per the provisions of the bilateral agreements and protocols”.
The Spokesman said, the two sides are in regular touch and early meetings of military and diplomatic mechanisms are currently being discussed. (KINS)
New Delhi: Yoga has emerged as a force for unity and it does not discriminate as it goes beyond race, colour, gender, faith and nations, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.
In his message on the sixth International Day of Yoga, he said due to the coronavirus pandemic, the world is feeling the need for Yoga more than ever.
If our immunity is strong, it is of great help in defeating this disease. For boosting immunity, there are several techniques in Yoga, various asanas’ are there, he said.
COVID-19 specifically attacks our respiratory system which gets strengthened on doing ‘Pranayama’ or breathing exercise, Modi said.
Yoga enhances our quest for a healthier planet. It has emerged as a force for unity and deepens the bonds of humanity. It does not discriminate. It goes beyond race, colour, gender, faith and nations. Anybody can embrace Yoga, the prime minister said.
If we can fine-tune our chords of health and hope, the day is not far away when the world will witness the success of a healthy and happy humanity. Yoga can definitely help us make this happen, he said in his message telecast this morning.
Doing work and performing duties properly is also Yoga, he said.
With the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic looming large, International Day of Yoga is being marked on digital media platforms sans mass gatherings.
This year’s theme is ‘Yoga at Home and Yoga with Family’.
On December 11, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly had declared June 21 as International Day of Yoga’, months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi had proposed the idea.
Ferozepur: About seven kg of heroin having a market value of Rs 35 crore was seized by the BSF and police in a joint operation in Punjab’s Ferozepur district, an officer said on Saturday.
Four people — Rajinder Singh, Gurmit Singh, Rukmandeep Singh and Arshdeep Singh — were nabbed on Friday and Rs 2.60 lakh cash was recovered from their possession, police said.
During questioning, the suspects confessed to having links with Pakistan-based smugglers and having received the drug consignment from them, according to Senior Superintendent of Police Bhupinder Singh.
A joint operation was carried out with the help of the 136 battalion of the BSF near the Bare Ke border outpost along the Indo-Pakistan border, the SSP said.
A total of 6.92 kg of heroin was recovered from the fields along the barbed-wire fencing.
Congress questions statement, alleges ‘a lame attempt to obfuscate the truth’
A storm sparked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement on Friday that nobody had intruded across the Indian frontier in eastern Ladakh continued to swirl on Saturday, with a clarification issued by his office leading to more questioning by the Opposition.
The statement issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said attempts were being made “in some quarters to give a mischievous interpretation to remarks by the Prime Minister” at the all-party meeting on Friday.
An Army truck drives along a road in Leh, Ladakh on June 20, 2020. | Photo Credit: AFP
In his closing remarks at the meeting to discuss Chinese aggression, Mr. Modi had said: “Neither has anyone intruded into our frontier, nor is anyone present there, nor are any of our posts under someone else’s occupation.”
The Congress said the government must clarify if Chinese troops were present on Indian territory.
The PMO statement, which did not make a specific reference to the line that has turned controversial, said: “Prime Minister was clear that India would respond firmly to any attempts to transgress the Line of Actual Control (LAC). In fact, he specifically emphasised that in contrast to the past neglect of such challenges, Indian forces now decisively counter any violations of LAC.”
Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs had said the violent clash between the forces of both countries on June 15 in the Galwan Valley that led to the loss 20 Indian lives, was “a result of an attempt by the Chinese side to unilaterally change the status quo there.”
Claims over Galwan
As China reiterated its claims over the Galwan region, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said it was the Chinese side that had crossed the LAC and “sought to erect structures”. “When this attempt was foiled, Chinese troops took violent actions,” he said.
The PMO statement said Mr. Modi’s remarks made a distinction between the current government and its predecessors. “Insofar as there is some illegal occupation…over the last 60 years, more than 43,000 sq.km has been yielded…this Government will not allow any unilateral change of the LAC.”
The Congress said the statement was “a lame attempt to obfuscate”. “PMO and the government need to clearly state their position on the Galwan Valley. Is it not part of Indian territory?” party spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked.
Pointing out that the PMO statement referred only to incidents of June 15, Mr. Surjewala asked: “But what about the intrusions between May 5 and June 15? We refer to several statements of the Defence Minister admitting to the presence of Chinese forces “in large numbers” and the statement of the Chief of Army Staff on “disengagement….If Chinese troops are not present in Indian territory, why is the MEA harping on disengagement and de-escalation as late as on June 17, 2020?,” he asked.
External Affairs Ministry rejects China’s account of what led to the killing and its claim to the entire Galwan Valley
Rejecting China’s “step by step” account of what led to the killing of 20 Indian soldiers in the Galwan valley on June 15, the Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday said the Chinese troops were wholly responsible for the deadly clashes and they had “attempted” to transgress into the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) many times.
“Both sides had agreed to respect and abide by the LAC and not undertake any activity to alter the status quo,” MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in a statement on Saturday in response to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA).
In protest: People calling for the boycott of Chinese goods in Mumbai. | Photo Credit: Vivek Bendre
“The Chinese side departed from these understandings in respect of the LAC in the Galwan valley area and sought to erect structures just across the LAC [on the Indian side]. When this attempt was foiled, Chinese troops took violent actions on 15 June, 2020, that directly resulted in casualties,” Mr. Srivastava added.
The MEA also rejected, for the second time this week, China’s newly articulated claims on the entire Galwan valley. In a statement, repeated by spokesperson Zhao Lijian in a series of tweets on Saturday, the Chinese MFA had said, “The Galwan valley is located on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control in the west section of the China-India boundary. For many years, the Chinese border troops have been patrolling and on duty in this region.” It claimed that India had agreed “not to cross the estuary of the Galwan river to patrol and build facilities” during the military commanders meeting on June 6.
‘Historically clear’
The MEA said the position on the Galwan valley was “historically clear”. “Attempts by the Chinese side to now advance exaggerated and untenable claims with regard to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) there are not acceptable. They are not in accordance with China’s own position in the past,” Mr. Srivastava said, adding that Indian troops had been patrolling the Galwan area for a “long time without any incident”.
To the Chinese version of the events unfolding over the past few weeks, which the MFA put out as a “step by step” account of the developments, the MEA said China had been “hindering” normal patrols by Indian troops since early May 2020. “This had resulted in a face-off which was addressed by the ground commanders as per the provisions of the bilateral agreements and protocols. We do not accept the contention that India was unilaterally changing the status quo. On the contrary, we were maintaining it,” it said.
The MEA’s response came hours after the government clarified Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comments on the Galwan valley clashes, in which he had said, “No one has intruded into Indian territory, nor is anyone in our territory, nor have any of our border posts been captured.” The statement, which has been questioned by the Opposition, also led to comments from former diplomats, who said all communication during times of conflict must be closely monitored.
“It appears the PM misspoke as it is not possible to deny that China has transgressed, and the clarification has come too late,” former diplomat K.C. Singh told The Hindu. “In times of conflict, as it was during the Kargil war and PM Vajpayee’s statements, it is important that public positions conform to facts and inherited strategic wisdom. What the PM says is being heard not only in India but by our opponents and beyond that in the Asia-Pacific region and the world,” he added.
