Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk on Monday ended his fast along with others, after the home ministry assured them that the talks on Ladakh's demands will be resumed in December. Join Secretary, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, Prashant Lokhande met the activists, who were sitting on an indefinite fast at Delhi's Ladakh Bhawan since October 6, and handed them a letter from the home ministry. The letter said the high-powered committee of the ministry, which was holding talks with representatives from Ladakh, will meet them next on December 3. Following this, Wangchuk and his supporters decided to break their fast and called off the sit-in. "On the 16th day of our fast, I am happy to say that our main appeal has been resolved. Just now, the joint secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs, came here at the Ladakh Bhawan and handed me this letter, which says the talks going on between the apex body of Leh and the KDA in Kargil with the central government will be resumed very soon, by December," Wangchuk said. He hoped that the outcome of the talks between the ministry and the Leh Apex Body and Kargil Democratic Alliance, the two socio-political organisations from the two regions of Ladakh, will be positive. "The talks will be carried out by these bodies and I hope that very good outcomes will come, not just for Ladakh but for the whole nation. "I just hope that I do not ever again have to do another anshan (fast) for this reason and it will result in a very happy ending. I want to, on this occasion, thank everybody who supported us in this effort," Wangchuk said. Chering Dorjay Lakruk, the president of the Ladakh Buddhist Association (LBA), thanked Wangchuk and others who took out a march for resumption of the talks that were stalled. "The talks will be resumed now. We have not achieved anything yet. We hope that the talks on our four-point demands will be meaningful," he said. Ladakh MP Mohmad Haneefa also hoped that the talks will have a meaningful outcome. "We had to go back to protest because the talks were not resumed even after (the Lok Sabha) election. We are happy that the talks are being resumed and hope that they will continue till a solution is found. "We hope that the government will take these talks seriously and our issues will be resolved," Haneefa said. Wangchuk, along with his supporters, marched to Delhi from Leh demanding Ladakh's inclusion in the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution. They reached the national capital on September 30 after walking for a month. They were detained at the capital's Singhu border by the Delhi Police and released on the night of October 2. Wangchuk sat on the fast on October 6 to press for the demand for Ladakh's inclusion in the Sixth Schedule and meet the top leadership of the government to raise the issue. The Sixth Schedule of the Constitution includes provisions for the administration of tribal areas in the states of Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram in the northeast. It establishes autonomous councils that have legislative, judicial, executive and financial powers to independently govern these areas. The protesters are also demanding statehood, a public service commission for Ladakh and separate Lok Sabha seats for Leh and Kargil districts. The march to Delhi was organised by the Leh Apex Body, which along with the Kargil Democratic Alliance, has been spearheading the agitation. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
21 October,2024 08:18 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIWith India announcing an agreement with China on patrolling along the LAC in eastern Ladakh, the Congress on Monday said Parliament was not allowed an opportunity to discuss the border situation even once and alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks in 2020 "weakened us immeasurably". India has announced it has arrived at an agreement with China on patrolling in remaining friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, in a major breakthrough in the festering row that came following a series of negotiations between the two sides over the last few weeks. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri indicated that the agreement will lead to disengagement and a resolution of the issues that had arisen in 2020. It is understood that the agreement pertains to patrolling in Depsang and Demchok areas. Congress General Secretary (In-charge, Communications) Jairam Ramesh said, "While we await fuller details of the agreement reached between India and China, it is pertinent to recall that Parliament was not allowed an opportunity for a discussion on the border situation even once these past four and a half years. "And can the nation ever forget these remarks made by the non-biological PM on June 19, 2020, which weakened us immeasurably?" the Congress general secretary said and shared the video of the 2020 remarks. The Congress has alleged that Prime Minister Modi in his remarks on June 19, 2020, gave a "clean chit" to China on the border transgressions. At a media briefing, the foreign secretary said, "Over the last several weeks, Indian and Chinese diplomatic and military negotiators have been in close contact with each other in a variety of forums." "As a result of these discussions, agreement has been arrived at patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control in the India-China border areas, leading to disengagement and a resolution of the issues that had arisen in these areas in 2020," he said. "We will be taking the next steps on this," Misri added. It is not immediately clear whether the agreement facilitates the restoration of patrolling rights that were in place prior to the standoff. The Indian and Chinese militaries have been locked in the standoff since May 2020 and a full resolution of the border row has not yet been achieved though the two sides have disengaged from a number of friction points. The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
21 October,2024 08:07 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIJammu and Kashmir Chief Minister (CM) Omar Abdullah has resigned from the Budgam Assembly seat but will retain the Ganderbal constituency, a stronghold of the National Conference (NC), announced Pro-tem Speaker Mubarak Gul in the House on Monday. Ajaz Jan, the National Conference Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Poonch, also confirmed this decision, reported news agency ANI. Abdullah had secured victories in both the Budgam and Ganderbal seats during the recent Jammu-Kashmir Assembly polls, winning Budgam by a margin of 18,485 votes against the Peoples Democratic Party's (PDP) Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi. In Ganderbal, he defeated PDP's Bashir Ahmed Mir by 10,574 votes, reported ANI. Abdullah previously served as the MLA for Ganderbal from 2009 to 2014 during his first term as CM. The constituency has also been represented by his father, Farooq, and his grandfather, Sheikh, the founder of the National Conference. After taking the oath as Jammu and Kashmir CM on October 16, Abdullah demonstrated a people-friendly approach by instructing the police to avoid creating a "green corridor" or causing traffic disruptions during his travels, emphasising the need to minimise inconvenience for the public. The National Conference leader was sworn in by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar. Surinder Kumar, the MLA from Nowshera in Jammu, was sworn in as the Deputy CM, alongside other ministers. Following his oath-taking, Abdullah received a guard of honour at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar and held his inaugural meeting with the secretaries of various departments, ANI reported. Heading the National Conference-led government in the state, Abdullah has the support of other parties within the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) alliance, along with four independents. The National Conference-Congress alliance achieved a majority in the Jammu-Kashmir Assembly polls. The National Conference won 42 seats while the Congress got six seats. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) put up an impressive performance, securing 29 seats, while the PDP won only three seats. One seat each was won by the People's Conference, Communist Party of India (Marxist), and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), with the Independents winning seven seats. The results of the three-phased Jammu-Kashmir Assembly polls were announced on October 8, marking the first elections in the region following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. (With ANI inputs)
21 October,2024 07:40 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentIndia on Monday announced it has arrived at an agreement with China on patrolling in remaining friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, in a major breakthrough in the festering row that came following a series of negotiations between the two sides over the last few weeks, reported news agency PTI. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri indicated that the agreement will lead to disengagement and a resolution of the issues that had arisen in 2020. It is understood that the agreement pertains to patrolling in Depsang and Demchok areas. "Over the last several weeks, Indian and Chinese diplomatic and military negotiators have been in close contact with each other in a variety of forums," the foreign secretary said at a media briefing. "As a result of these discussions, agreement has been arrived at patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control in the India-China border areas, leading to disengagement and a resolution of the issues that had arisen in these areas in 2020," he said. "We will be taking the next steps on this," Misri added. It is not immediately clear whether the agreement facilitates the restoration of patrolling rights that were in place prior to the standoff. The Indian and Chinese militaries have been locked in the standoff since May 2020 and a full resolution of the border row has not yet been achieved though the two sides have disengaged from a number of friction points. The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades. India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas. In all negotiations since the standoff began, India has been pressing the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to disengage from the Depsang and Demchok areas. Last month, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said roughly 75 per cent of the "disengagement problems" with China are sorted out but the bigger issue has been the increasing militarisation of the frontier. "Now those negotiations are going on. We made some progress. I would say roughly you can say about 75 per cent of the disengagement problems are sorted out," he said at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. "We still have some things to do," he said. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
21 October,2024 06:39 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIPolitics is heating up once again in Baramati ahead of the Maharashtra Assembly election, amid speculation about a potential contest between Deputy Chief Minister (CM) Ajit Pawar and his nephew Yugendra, a member of the third generation of the Pawar clan, news agency PTI reported. The Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) is yet to announce its list of candidates for the November 20 Maharashtra Assembly election, but speculation about probable nominees is rife across various constituencies, including Baramati. Yugendra, 32, is the grandnephew of veteran leader Sharad Pawar and the son of the Deputy CM's brother, Shrinivas. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Northeastern University in Boston and has maintained a close relationship with the family patriarch, PTI reported. Baramati, the traditional stronghold of the Pawar family, recently witnessed a captivating contest in the Lok Sabha elections between the Deputy CM's wife Sunetra and his cousin Supriya Sule, the sitting Member of Parliament (MP) and the daughter of Sharad Pawar. The fierce competition, exacerbated by the family feud triggered by Ajit Pawar's rebellion in July 2023, resulted in Sunetra's defeat, PTI stated. The NCP, headed by Ajit Pawar, is part of the ruling Mahayuti alliance, but the party has not yet declared its nominees. Under the tutelage of Sharad Pawar, Yugendra has been laying the political groundwork for himself, which was reflected during the launch of the Swabhiman Yatra in Baramati in September. He serves as the treasurer of Vidya Pratishtan, an educational institute founded by Sharad Pawar. During the Lok Sabha elections, Yugendra campaigned for Sule, while his father publicly criticised Ajit for leaving Sharad Pawar's side and joining the Mahayuti government with other NCP leaders. Political circles are abuzz with rumours about whether the Deputy CM will contest from the Baramati again in the upcoming Maharashtra Assembly election. 'Self-respecting people of Baramati didn't appreciate what happened to Sharad Pawar saheb' Senior NCP leader Praful Patel recently dismissed these reports, affirming the Deputy CM's candidacy for the traditional seat he has represented multiple times. When asked if he is prepared to replace his uncle in Baramati, Yugendra avoided a direct answer. "I am not interested in replacing anyone, and I don't want to oppose anyone," he stated, although he hinted that he would not shy away from an electoral contest. Yugendra expressed that the people of Baramati, including himself, are loyal to Sharad Pawar and that he could not imagine deserting his grandfather. "Pawar saheb and the people will decide whether I should go to the state assembly," he told a Marathi news portal. He explained that the Swabhiman Yatra was organised to engage with the people of Baramati and remind them of Sharad Pawar's ideology. "Self-respecting people of Baramati didn't appreciate what happened to Pawar saheb," he added. However, Yugendra noted that he has not yet discussed his candidacy with Sharad Pawar. "We have not spoken about the candidature since Sharad Pawar has not visited Baramati. I will address this issue when he visits," he said. Yugendra mentioned that NCP (SP) workers are reaching out to the public, replicating the campaigning strategy adopted during the Lok Sabha elections when they supported Sule. He believes the sentiment from those elections remains strong in Baramati. "On the contrary, the feeling of fear has vanished, and people are more forthcoming," Yugendra asserted in a veiled critique of his uncle and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. In the Lok Sabha elections, Sule led in five out of six assembly segments, including Baramati, within the Baramati parliamentary constituency. She won by over 150,000 votes, polling 732,312 votes—45,000 more than in the 2019 elections. (With PTI inputs)
21 October,2024 06:16 PM IST | Pune | mid-day online correspondentThe demolition of three unauthorised storeys of the disputed Sanjauli mosque in Shimla commenced on Monday, October 21, following permission from the Waqf Board, said Muhammad Latif, president of the mosque's managing committee. The demolition began with the removal of the roof under tight police security, Latif told PTI on Monday evening. "The Waqf Board has granted the permission and allowed us to go ahead, following which labourers were called and work to open the roof started today," he added. After receiving the October 5 order from the Municipal Commissioner (MC) Court, which directed the Waqf Board and the president of the Sanjauli Mosque Committee to demolish three storeys of the five-storey disputed structure in Himachal Pradesh, the information was communicated to the Waqf Board, which subsequently gave the go-ahead, Latif told reporters on Monday. According to the MC Court order, the Waqf Board and the mosque committee president are required to demolish the unauthorised portion of the mosque within two months at their own expense, news agency PTI reported. "Funding is the main issue, as neither the public nor the government will provide money to demolish the structure, and the mosque committee has to bear the expenses from its limited resources," said Latif, who was part of the delegation that submitted a representation offering to demolish the unauthorised floors on September 12, a day after 10 people were injured in Himachal Pradesh during a protest demanding the demolition of part of the mosque. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu stated that this is perhaps the first example in the state where members of the Muslim community has taken the initiative to demolish the unauthorised mosque to maintain peace. He emphasised that people of all religions coexist in Himachal Pradesh with respect and have the right to work in the state. 'Decided to offer to raze mosque to ensure peace' Himachal Pradesh Public Works Minister Vikramaditya Singh welcomed the Sanjauli Mosque Committee's decision to begin the demolition process, stating, "It is a good gesture on the part of the mosque committee to abide by the decision of the Municipal Commissioner's court and voluntarily pull down the unauthorised portions." He added that this move would help maintain social harmony and portray the state positively, which is crucial for attracting tourists, as tourism is a mainstay of the state’s economy. "The government is responsible to 70 lakh people to maintain social harmony and ensure that no activity disturbing social harmony is permitted," he noted, adding that the mosque committee's decision was a significant step in this direction. When Latif was asked about the announcement from the All Himachal Muslims Organisation (AHMO) regarding their intention to challenge the order in the appellate authority and possibly escalate the matter to the Supreme Court, he responded, "We cannot stop anybody from going to court, but we have taken a big decision to offer to demolish the mosque to ensure peace and brotherhood in the state, and we stand by our stance." Earlier, AHMO state spokesperson Nazakat Ali Hashmi had stated that those who submitted the representation lacked the authority to do so, asserting that the MC Court's orders were contrary to the facts, stated PTI. He maintained that the land belonged to the Waqf Board, the mosque is 125 years old, and the storeys are not illegal, noting that the approval of maps is pending with the authorities, yet the MC Court ordered the demolition of the storeys. (With PTI inputs)
21 October,2024 05:43 PM IST | ShimlaUttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath announced a series of welfare initiatives for police personnel during the observance of 'Police Smriti Diwas' in Lucknow on Monday, reported news agency PTI. CM Yogi Adityanath made the announcement during a speech on the 'Police Smriti Diwas' in Lucknow. October 21 commemorates the sacrifice of ten policemen who lost their lives in a 1959 ambush by Chinese troops in Hot Springs, Ladakh, as well as all other martyrs who have served in the line of duty. A significant 70 per cent increase in the uniform allowance and a 25 per cent hike in housing allowances for constables living in barracks were among the highlights of Adityanath's address. Yogi Adityanath said that the government will allocate an additional Rs 10 crore for training, diet, and other expenses for athletes participating in national and international events. This brings the total expenditure on sports-related initiatives to Rs 115 crore. He announced that a ‘corpus fund’ of Rs 1,380 crore will be established for the maintenance of multi-storey police housing and administrative buildings. The chief minister also talked about several notable achievements in law enforcement in the state. Through diligent investigation, 31 mafia members and their 66 associates have been sentenced to life imprisonment, with two receiving the death penalty. He further said that Illegal assets worth Rs 4,057 crore belonging to the mafia and their gang members have been confiscated over recent years. The Anti-Romeo Squad has conducted inspections at over one crore locations, leading to action against more than 3.68 crore individuals since March 2017, he added. He highlighted financial assistance provided to families of fallen officers. A total of Rs 36.2 crore has been allocated to the dependents of 115 policemen and central paramilitary forces who died on duty. Additional funds include Rs 3.5 crore for district police comfort, Rs 4 crore for welfare, and Rs 30.56 lakh for medical reimbursements to serving and retired personnel. He said that since 2017, over 1.54 lakh recruits have joined the police force, including more than 22 thousand women with ongoing recruitment for an additional 60,000 posts. Furthermore, over 1.41 lakh personnel have been promoted to various gazetted positions. Adityanath paid floral tributes at the Police Martyrs Memorial to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice. He emphasised that in the last seven years, 17 officers displayed extraordinary bravery, while 1,618 policemen were injured in their efforts to maintain peace. He also said that under a campaign in the state, more than 1,08,037 loudspeakers were removed from religious places or their sound was controlled as per the guidelines of the Supreme Court, stated PTI. The Director General of Police (DGP), Prashant Kumar, noted that provisions have been made for lifts in multi-storey police buildings up to 11 floors. A corpus fund will ensure proper maintenance of these facilities moving forward. Kumar also remarked on the government's commitment to boosting morale within law enforcement, highlighting increased allowances and enhanced sports funding as key measures. After many years, the uniform allowance has been increased, the barrack allowance has been raised, the sports fund has also been enhanced, he said, as per PTI. "This is so that we can recruit more skilled players, and our colleagues can win as many medals as possible in various sports," Kumar said. The DGP also said, "You must have noticed that Olympic athletes have been directly recruited to the post of Deputy Superintendent of Police by the government. This reflects the special grace of the chief minister and his love for the police force." "So, a corpus fund has been allocated to ensure everything is properly maintained," he added. On UP Police's response amid alert in Delhi after a blast near CRPF school in Rohini area, the DGP said, "We always remain alert." (With inputs from PTI)
21 October,2024 05:19 PM IST | Lucknow | mid-day online correspondentUnion Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu on Monday said that his ministry is considering to amend the existing laws to deal with false bomb threats on aircraft and plans to put those who make such threats on a no-fly list. At a press conference in Delhi, the minister stated, "We are contemplating some legislative action if deemed necessary. We have identified two areas for potential exploration: 1) amendments to the Aircraft Security Rules... One of our proposals is to ensure that once we identify the perpetrator, they will be added to the no-fly list... 2) the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Civil Aviation Act." In the past few days, several airlines received bomb threats, with 36 flights getting threats on Sunday alone. Speaking about the 'Ude Desh Ka Aam Nagrik (UDAN) Yojana', Naidu said that the government plans to establish 50 additional airports or enhance the capacity of existing ones under this initiative. "We envision the UDAN scheme extending for another 10 years. Over the next five years, we plan to initiate 50 more airports or increase the capacity of current ones. By 2047, we believe we can increase the number of airports from 157 today to over 200, potentially reaching 350," he said. He further described the "UDAN Yojana" as a transformative initiative in civil aviation, inspired by Prime Minister Modi's vision to democratise air travel. "The UDAN scheme has been a groundbreaking initiative in civil aviation, stemming from PM Narendra Modi's aspiration to make air travel accessible to all. The major beneficiaries over the past eight years have been remote areas of the country, particularly in the northeast and hinterland regions, which previously lacked connectivity. Now, these areas are well-connected not only to major metropolitan cities but also to various international destinations," he added. Chiefs of BCAS, CISF meet Union Home Secy; discuss issue of bomb threats to airlines Two top aviation security officers met Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan on Monday and discussed the incidents of bomb threats to Indian airlines, leading to diversions, cancellations and passenger inconvenience. Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) Director General (DG) Zulfiquar Hasan and Director General of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) Rajwinder Singh Bhatti met Mohan at the latter's office at North Block in the national capital, news agency PTI reported. The three officers held a meeting for about half an hour.Hasan and Bhatti, both senior officers belonging to the Indian Police Service, have briefed the home secretary about the incidents of bomb threats and the steps taken to counter them, sources privy to the information said. However, details of the meeting are not known immediately. As many as 36 flights of Indian airlines received bomb threats on Sunday. The developments came a day after more than 30 flights of various Indian carriers received bomb threats. This week, nearly 100 flights received threats, sending security agencies into a tizzy. The threats later turned out to be hoaxes. BCAS lays down standards and measures in respect of security of civil flights at international and domestic airports in India while remaining sensitive to the globally evolving aviation security scenario. (With ANI and PTI inputs)
21 October,2024 04:56 PM IST | Delhi | mid-day online correspondentThe newly elected members of the Haryana assembly will be administered oath here on October 25. Senior Congress leader and party MLA Raghuvir Singh Kadian (80) will be the pro-tem Speaker in the 15th Haryana Legislative Assembly and will administer the oath. But before that Kadian will be administered oath by Governor Bandaru Dattatreya as acting speaker. "The Governor will administer oath/affirmation to the Acting Speaker on October 25 in Haryana Raj Bhavan," according to a government communication to Haryana Vidhan Sabha secretariat. The election of speaker and deputy speaker is also likely to be held after the MLAs of the 90-member Assembly take oath. In the October 5 Haryana Assembly polls, results of which were declared on October 8, the BJP returned to power for a third consecutive term by winning 48 seats, while the Congress won 37 seats. The INLD won two seats and three were Independents were also elected. Kadian, who is the senior-most legislator in the House, was also the Speaker of the Haryana Assembly from 2005 to 2009 when the Congress government led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda was in power. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
21 October,2024 04:43 PM IST | Chandigarh | PTICongress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will file her nomination for the Wayanad Lok Sabha bypoll on Wednesday, party sources said. Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, former party chiefs Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi will be present on the occasion, they said. Before filing the nomination, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi will lead a roadshow from Kalpetta New Bus Stand at 11 AM. The nomination will be filed before the district collector at 12 noon on October 23, they said. Priyanka Gandhi is the UDF candidate for the Wayanad parliamentary bye election. "The Congress general secretary will officially file her nomination on Wednesday before the Returning Officer in Kalpetta," a source said. Congress Chief Ministers, along with prominent national and state leaders, are also likely to be present to show their support, the sources said. With the Election Commission (EC) announcing the bypoll to the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat last week, the stage was set for Priyanka Gandhi's electoral debut from the Kerala constituency that could see her enter Parliament five years after joining active politics. Soon after the EC announced the Wayanad bypoll, the Congress declared that Priyanka Gandhi (52) would be its candidate from the seat in Kerala. With the Congress fielding the AICC general secretary from Wayanad, party workers had put up posters in the constituency which had "Wayanadinte Priyankari (Wayanad's beloved)" written on it. Days after the Lok Sabha polls, the Congress had announced in June itself that Rahul Gandhi will retain the Rae Bareli parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh and vacate the Wayanad seat in Kerala, from where his sister Priyanka Gandhi will make her electoral debut. If elected, this will be the first time that Priyanka Gandhi will enter Parliament as an MP. This will also be the first time that the three Gandhi family members -- Sonia, Rahul and Priyanka -- will be in Parliament together. The EC last Tuesday announced bypolls to the Wayanad and Nanded Lok Sabha seats as well as in 48 Assembly constituencies. The bypoll to the Wayanad parliamentary seat and 47 Assembly seats will be held on November 13, along with the first phase of polling for the Jharkhand Assembly. The results will be announced on November 23. Since her entry into active politics in 2019, Priyanka Gandhi has often been projected as a possible challenger to Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Varanasi and also, as a successor to Congress veteran Sonia Gandhi in the family pocket borough of Rae Bareli. However, the Congress has decided to field her from Wayanad, the parliamentary seat that her elder brother Rahul won for two consecutive elections. Priyanka Gandhi was earlier the Congress in-charge of Uttar Pradesh. She emerged as the party's strategist and star campaigner, helping the Congress make impressive gains in some states as well as in the Lok Sabha polls held earlier in the year. After her name was announced for the Wayanad bypoll in June, Priyanka Gandhi had said, "I am not nervous at all.... I am very happy to be able to represent Wayanad. All I will say is that I will not let them feel his (Rahul Gandhi's) absence. I will work hard and try my best to make everybody happy and be a good representative." "I have a good relationship with Rae Bareli as I worked there for 20 years and that relationship will never break," she had said, adding that both she and her brother will work together in both the constituencies. Priyanka Gandhi's poll debut comes at a time when the Congress has been jolted by an electoral defeat in Haryana and it would be interesting to see if she would be able to steer the Wayanad campaign, along with the canvassing for the Jharkhand and Maharashtra polls, to put the grand old party back on track. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
21 October,2024 04:38 PM IST | New Delhi | PTIBihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has expressed deep sorrow over the loss of three labourers from the state who were killed in a recent terror attack in Gagangir, Jammu and Kashmir, reported news agency ANI. In response to this tragedy, the Chief Minister has announced an ex-gratia payment of INR 2 lakh for each family affected by the incident. The Chief Minister has instructed officials to ensure that the families of the deceased receive additional benefits in accordance with existing schemes from the Labour Department and Social Welfare Department. Furthermore, Nitish Kumar has directed Bihar's Resident Commissioner in New Delhi to coordinate with the Jammu and Kashmir government to facilitate the return of the bodies of the deceased to their home state, ANI reported. The attack occurred at a tunnel construction site along the Srinagar-Leh national highway in Ganderbal district on Sunday. A doctor and five labourers were among those targeted when unidentified attackers opened fire as the workers were returning to their camp in Gund, Ganderbal, late in the evening. Tragically, two labourers died on the spot, while three others and the doctor later succumbed to their injuries. Currently, five individuals are receiving medical treatment for their wounds. The incident raised serious concern as this was a targeted killing by the terrorists. The terrorists, believed to be at least two, opened fire indiscriminately on a group of labourers, which included both local and non-local people, stated ANI. Union Home Minister Amit Shah soon after the attack took to X (formerly Twitter) and condemned the act, saying, "The dastardly terror attack on civilians in Gagangir, J-K, is a despicable act of cowardice." The dastardly terror attack on civilians in Gagangir, J&K, is a despicable act of cowardice. Those involved in this heinous act will not be spared and will face the harshest response from our security forces. At this moment of immense grief, I extend my sincerest condolences to… — Amit Shah (@AmitShah) October 20, 2024 "Those involved in this heinous act will not be spared and will face the harshest response from our security forces. At this moment of immense grief, I extend my sincerest condolences to the families of the deceased. Praying for the speedy recovery of those injured," he added. Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also denounced the attack, calling it a "dastardly and cowardly" attack on non-local labourers who were contributing to vital infrastructure projects in the region. Very sad news of a dastardly & cowardly attack on non-local labourers at Gagangir in Sonamarg region. These people were working on a key infrastructure project in the area. 2 have been killed & 2-3 more have been injured in this militant attack. I strongly condemn this attack on… — Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) October 20, 2024 "Very sad news of a dastardly and cowardly attack on non-local labourers at Gagangir in Sonamarg region. These people were working on a key infrastructure project in the area. 2 have been killed and 2-3 more have been injured in this militant attack. I strongly condemn this attack on unarmed innocent people and send my condolences to their loved ones," Omar wrote on X on Sunday. (With inputs from ANI)
21 October,2024 03:29 PM IST | Patna, Bihar | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
