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Dumka, Jan 12 (IANS) The mobile phone of a Rajasthan High Court judge was stolen at the famous Basukinath temple in Jharkhand's Dumka on January 1, despite tight security at the spot, prompting immediate action by the police.

Within days, the case was cracked, leading to the busting of an inter-state gang of mobile thieves and the recovery of eight stolen mobile phones, including the judge's device.

According to Shyamanand Mandal, officer-in-charge of the Jarmundi police station, the theft took place during New Year’s Day at the Basukinath Dham temple, a popular pilgrimage site which attracts thousands of devotees, making it an attractive target for organised theft.

Along with the judge, several other devotees also reported stolen mobile phones. An FIR was promptly registered at the Jarmundi police station, and a special investigation team was formed under senior police officials.

Leveraging technical evidence and intelligence inputs, the team launched a series of raids across multiple locations. The first breakthrough came with the arrest of two suspects from Babupur village in the Teenpahar police station area of Sahibganj district. Their interrogation provided leads that resulted in the arrest of two more gang members from areas near the Bihar-West Bengal-Bangladesh border. In addition to the judge's mobile phone, several other stolen devices were recovered.

The investigation revealed that the arrested thieves were part of a larger inter-state mobile theft network operating out of the Tinpahar area in Sahibganj district. This region has gained notoriety as a hub for mobile theft operations, with multiple gangs running "Pathshalas" (training schools) to train children in pickpocketing and theft techniques.

After completing their training, the children are deployed to crowded places such as temples, markets, and railway stations, both locally and in big cities across the country. These operations are meticulously planned, with gang leaders assigning specific tasks and closely monitoring the young recruits.

The Tinpahar gangs have been implicated in similar incidents in the past, with police records showing that Ranchi police recently apprehended members of a similar gang from the same area.

The arrested individuals were produced in court and subsequently sent to jail. Meanwhile, the police are continuing their investigations to trace other members of the gang and recover additional stolen items.

The theft, which occurred despite the presence of heightened security measures due to the judge's visit, raises serious concerns about the safety of devotees at prominent religious sites. The police have assured the public that measures are being strengthened to prevent such incidents in the future.

--IANS

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Chennai, January 12 (IANS) Actor-turned-politician and Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) founder Seeman on Sunday, intensified his criticism of iconic Dravidian leader, E.V.S. Ramasamy Naicker, popularly known as Periyar.

Speaking to reporters, Seeman questioned Periyar’s contributions to the social revolution, contrasting them with those of Tamil Nadu’s reformers and saints like Vallalar and Vaikundar.

His controversial remarks on Periyar, during an event in Vadalur in the Cuddalore district, triggered widespread protests. In his speech, he had accused Periyar of encouraging incestuous relationships and made other provocative statements. He also criticised Periyar’s alleged remarks against the Tamil language and questioned the legitimacy of calling him a rationalist.

Following these comments, Seeman has been booked under Sections 192 (intent to cause riot) and 353/2 (false information) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Samhita (BNS), based on complaints filed by members of the Dravida Kazhagam (DK), an organisation founded by Periyar.

Seeman further alleged that Periyar had no significant connection to the cause of social justice.

This claim has sparked outrage, with protesters burning images of the NTK chief.

DK President Veeramani criticised Seeman’s remarks, stating: "To question Periyar’s rationalism, one must first ask themselves if they are rationalists."

Thanthai Periyar Dravida Kazhagam (TPDK) General Secretary K. Ramakrishnan attempted to march to Seeman’s residence along with his cadres, demanding evidence of the allegations. However, the police intervened and stopped the march.

Leaders from various political parties, including DMK ministers Duraimurugan and Sekar Babu, VCK President Thol Thirumavalavan, and state Congress President K. Selvaperunthagai, condemned Seeman’s statements.

However, state BJP President K. Annamalai expressed support for Seeman, saying: "I can provide evidence of the books where Periyar made such statements. However, I believe such discussions should not be held publicly as they may offend women and children." He also alleged that many of Periyar’s controversial books had been destroyed over time due to their contents.

On the other hand, BJP ally, PMK president Anbumani Ramadoss strongly defended Periyar. Without directly referring to Seeman’s remarks, he said: "Slandering Periyar is unacceptable. If Mahatma Gandhi is the hero of India’s freedom struggle, Periyar is the leader of Tamil Nadu’s social freedom movement."

Ramadoss highlighted Periyar’s role in pressuring the government to increase reservations to 31 per cent, which he described as a pivotal contribution to social justice.

"While everyone has the freedom to critique Periyar’s ideology, baseless slander cannot be tolerated," he added.

As of now, over 60 cases have been registered against Seeman across Tamil Nadu in districts such as Cuddalore, Madurai, Coimbatore, Dindigul, and Tirunelveli for his remarks.

Seeman, however, remains defiant, asserting that LTTE leader V. Prabhakaran was the only leader who truly defended women’s rights. He also challenged parties to gather votes using Periyar’s name, claiming his own success in winning 32 lakh votes in the previous Assembly elections in the state was by evoking the name of Prabhakaran.

The controversy continues to escalate, with protests and legal actions dominating the political landscape in Tamil Nadu.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 12 (IANS) As the BJP and AAP's aggressive campaigning for the February 5 Delhi Assembly election takes centre stage, the Congress suddenly appears to have run out of steam, rather it has held back its horses. This is intriguing given the fact that this election presents the right opportunity for the grand old party to bounce back in the national capital.

The Congress has been almost wiped out in Delhi as it has failed to win any seat in the last two Assembly polls and the Lok Sabha elections from Delhi.

However, this time there is significant scope for the Congress party as AAP has been engulfed in corruption cases, and its top leadership is on bail after being arrested on various charges. AAP's stint of five years since 2020 has been riddled with controversies and charges of no development. The national capital has witnessed significant political drama and theatrics, leaving people confused about AAP's goals, credibility, and practicality. It is here where the Congress party could have pushed itself into AAP's territories and reclaim its lost space. The BJP, in any case for both of them, is the enemy.

Even though the Congress has finally listed Rahul Gandhi to begin its campaign with a rally in Seelampur to be followed by Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, the initial aggression shown by the Delhi leaders has gone missing. The steam seems to have been taken out after Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party raised a stick.

It all started when veteran leader Ajay Maken launched a frontal attack on Kejriwal while releasing a White Paper on the "black deeds" of both the AAP government and the BJP-led Central government. He declared plans to reveal alleged 'anti-national' links between the AAP chief and certain outfits and even described Kejriwal as 'Farziwal'. The press conference was scheduled for a later date. However, Maken's press conference was postponed. Congress said it was delayed as they needed to get "some documents". Eventually, the press conference was cancelled and may not happen at all.

The reason is that AAP red-flagged Ajay Maken's statement. AAP put the Congress on notice over Maken's "anti-national" barb at Kejriwal and asked the party to take action against him or else it would approach INDIA bloc allies to "drop" the party from the Opposition bloc. AAP was also miffed by the Congress lodging a complaint against Kejriwal, accusing him of "misleading and deceiving" the people with promises of "non-existent" welfare schemes.

Apparently, the INDIA bloc back channels worked for Kejriwal and played a part in persuading the Congress top guns not to escalate its attacks on Kejriwal. Most of the Congress allies in the opposition bloc soon came out in support of Kejriwal. The rallying for the AAP chief in the bloc perhaps did the work and the Congress leashed its veteran leader Maken.

Maken, who had been at the forefront of the party's Delhi campaign has gone quiet. An unexpected twist occurred when the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister announced the 'Pyari Didi Yojana', a scheme promising Rs 2,500 in monthly assistance to women in Delhi if the party comes to power. Why should the Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister launch the scheme and not the party's top leadership, including Priyanka Gandhi, is a question that reflects the confusion that is prevailing in the party.

By going weak before the AAP, the Congress party seems to have given up on the fight. It has left the battle to be fought by individual leaders at the local level. It may or may not be able to fetch big numbers in the Assembly. Even if it gets a few, the party will rejoice as it has been scoring zero in the past two Assembly elections.

The fight between the AAP and the Congress party is largely for the minority Muslims and the marginalised, especially the Dalits. Muslim voters constitute almost 12 per cent of Delhi's population and Dalits make up around 17 per cent of the voters. Both were the Congress' trusted vote bank which later shifted to after 2013. Perhaps, this may be the reason that Rahul Gandhi is beginning his campaign from Seelampur which has a sizeable Muslim population.

The Congress may or may not win a seat or seats in the Delhi Assembly, it, however, has exposed its weakness in the INDIA bloc before its allies – both national and regional. Its not-so-proactiveness will go a long way to further dent its image, especially that of Rahul Gandhi. The grand old party has this one chance to strengthen itself in the national capital where it has seen a drastic decline in vote share in comparison to AAP’s meteoric rise. The Congress' vote share in Delhi has declined drastically over the years, dropping from 40.31 per cent in 2008 to 24.55 per cent in 2013, 9.7 per cent in 2015, and a mere 4.26 per cent in 2020.

Since Delhi's Legislative Assembly was established in 1993, the BJP came to power once The Congress ruled Delhi for three consecutive terms from 1998 to 2013. And after that, the AAP has been in power. With anti-incumbency and the plethora of cases against the ruling AAP leaders, the Congress has the perfect pitch laid to rise and better its position in Delhi’s electoral battle.

However, with AAP raising its stick and INDIA bloc allies siding with Kejriwal, the Congress seems to be in dilemma at how far to push its ally AAP. If the dilemma continues, the odds could weigh heavily on Congress.

(Deepika Bhan can be contacted at deepika.b@ians.in)

--IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 9 (IANS) Chandra Arya, an Indian-origin Member of Parliament in Canada and former PM Justin Trudeau's loyalist, on Thursday announced his candidacy for the position of Prime Minister, just days after Trudeau resigned.

"I am running to be the next Prime Minister of Canada to lead a small, more efficient government to rebuild our nation and secure prosperity for future generations," Arya wrote in a post on X.

Trudeau's time in office faced challenges ranging from strained international relations to domestic controversies, including his handling of the Khalistan issue and visa restrictions on Indian students.

Arya further wrote, "We are facing significant structural problems that haven't been seen for generations, and solving them will require tough choices."

He further added: "I have always worked hard for what is best for Canadians, and for the sake of our children and grandchildren, we must make "bold decisions that are absolutely necessary". If elected as the next Leader of the Liberal Party I offer my knowledge and expertise to do so," adding "We have a perfect storm: Many Canadians, especially younger generations, face significant affordability issues. Working middle class is struggling today, and many working families are retiring directly into poverty."

Arya also said: "Canada deserves a leadership that isn't afraid to make the big decisions. Decisions that rebuild our economy, restore hope, create equal opportunities for all Canadians, and secure prosperity for our children and grandchildren. Bold political decisions are not optional—they are necessary. With prudence and pragmatism as my guiding principles, I'm stepping forward to take on this responsibility and lead Canada as its next Prime Minister."

Chandra Arya, originally from Dwarlu village in Tumkur district of Karnataka, completed his MBA at the Kousali Institute of Management Studies, Karnataka University, Dharwad.

In 2006, Arya immigrated to Canada, where he initially served as the chairman of the Indo-Canada Ottawa Business Chamber before entering politics.

Arya was elected as the Member of Parliament (MP) for the Nepean riding in the 2015 Canadian federal election. He was re-elected in both the 2019 and 2021 elections.

The Indian-origin MP serves as a member of the Standing Committee on International Trade.

In 2022, Arya became the first MP to address the House of Commons of Canada in Kannada, his mother tongue.

He has been vocal about issues such as the vandalism of Hindu temples in Toronto, which he blamed on "Khalistani extremists".

Arya also proposes limiting immigration to "meet our economic growth needs and specifically to skilled trades," criminalising "the glorification and display of support to terrorists, extremism and terrorist organisations," guaranteeing orders for more than 100,000 prefab homes, "revolutionising housing construction with advanced technologies," and defence investments will "prioritise securing Canada's specific needs."

"It's time for Canada to take full control of its destiny. My government will make Canada a sovereign republic."

Former Liberal MP Frank Baylis is the only other declared candidate for the Liberal leadership.

Gatineau MP and Minister of Employment Steve MacKinnon, Foreign Affairs Minister Melanie Joly and Energy Minister Jonathan Wilkinson have all said they are considering running for the Liberal leadership. Former Bank of Canada governor Mark Carney says he is considering whether to run for leader of the Liberal Party.

Ottawa Liberal MP Chandra Arya is running to be leader of the Liberal party, promising to end the consumer carbon tax and to make Canada a republic.

Justin Trudeau announced on Monday he intends to resign as Liberal leader and Prime Minister as soon as the party names his replacement. The Liberal Party of Canada has not yet announced rules for the upcoming leadership contest, including those governing candidates and voting eligibility.

Arya is the first member of the Liberal Caucus to announce his candidacy for party leader.

"We are facing significant structural problems that haven't been seen for generations and solving them will require tough choices," Arya said in a video posted on X.

"Our economic growth and fiscal strength are not benefiting many Canadians."

In a letter announcing his candidacy, Arya says he will make the "big and bold decisions needed to rebuild our economy and foster prosperity for all generations," along with reviewing government spending.

"Every government program and entity will face a simple question: Is it still relevant? If not, it's gone or will be restructured to deliver economic development," Arya said.

"No excuses, no waste. We will have a razor-sharp focus on economic implications in all decisions we make."

Arya unveiled several policy proposals, including pledging an "ambitious goal" of Canada's real GDP reaching $5 trillion within 25 years, raising the retirement age two years and having scientists, engineers, and industry professionals, "lead the way in crafting fact-based policies" to grow the economy and tackle climate change.

"Activist-driven policies, like the consumer carbon pricing mechanism, will be let go," Arya said.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 18 (IANS) The Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO) on Wednesday gave a final opportunity till January 31, 2025 to employers to upload wage details regarding over 3.1 lakh pending applications for Pension on Higher Wages.

Employers have also been requested to submit replies or update the information in 4.66 lakh cases by January 15, 2025 where clarification has been sought by the EPFO.

The EPFO said that the final opportunity is being given as, in spite of so many extensions, it has been observed that more than 3.1 lakh Applications for Validation of Options/Joint Options are still pending with employers.

Many representations have also been received from employers and employers’ associations wherein requests have been made to extend further the time period for uploading wage details of applicant pensioners/members.

“In view of the representations received from employers and associations the employers were given multiple opportunities to submit wage details etc. online till 30.09.2023, again till 31.12.2023 and thereafter till 31.05.2024 to ensure that employers are able to process the applications,” the EPFO said.

The online facility was made available by EPFO for submitting Applications for Validation of Options/Joint Options for pension on higher wages.

The facility was for eligible pensioners/members in compliance with the Supreme Court order dated April 4, 2022.

The facility was launched on February 26, 2023 and was to remain available only till May 3, 2023.

However, considering the representations of the employees, the time limit was extended to June 26, 2023 in order to provide four months’ time to eligible pensioners/members for filing applications.

A last opportunity of 15 days was further given to remove any difficulty faced by the eligible pensioners/members.

“Accordingly, the last date for submission of Applications for Validation of Option/Joint Options by employees was extended to 11.07.2023 and a total of 17.49 lakh Applications for Validation of Option/Joint Options were received from pensioners/members till 11.07.2023,” the statement said.

–IANS

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Patna, Dec 12 (IANS) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday laid the foundation stone for the country's first child cancer hospital, Mahavir Child Cancer Hospital, in Phulwari Sharif town of Patna.

This ambitious project is being spearheaded by the Mahavir Cancer Institute, which already operates two cancer hospitals, and is set to provide free cancer treatment for children up to 18 years.

The child cancer hospital will have the capacity of 100 beds.

It will be an ultramodern, six-storey facility and will be built in an expected time period of 18 months.

The new facility will provide free cancer treatment for children.

The project was launched during a programme commemorating the anniversary of the Mahavir Cancer Institute.

Acharya Kishore Kunal, the Secretary of Mahavir Mandir Nyas Samiti, Building Construction Minister Ashok Chaudhary, and Medical Superintendent L.B. Singh were present, along with religious leaders and officials, to mark the occasion.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar praised the initiative, expressing gratitude to the Mahavir Mandir Trust and the administrators of Mahavir Cancer Institute for their contribution to healthcare.

Addressing a gathering, the Chief Minister extended his best wishes for the successful completion of the hospital, emphasising its importance for children battling cancer.

The construction of this hospital represents a major step forward in pediatric cancer care in India.

Once completed, the hospital will serve as a critical resource for underprivileged families in need of specialised cancer treatment for their children.

The upcoming Mahavir Child Cancer Hospital in Phulwari Sharif aims to provide a lifeline for children battling cancer, particularly those from economically weaker sections.

Acharya Kishore Kunal, the Secretary of the Mahavir Mandir Trust Board, highlighted the significance of the project, stating: "This will be the country's first cancer hospital for children. The problem of cancer is increasing rapidly among children, which is very worrying. Through this hospital, relief will be given to those families who are unable to afford expensive treatment."

The Mahavir Mandir Trust, which operates the iconic Mahavir (Hanuman) temple in Patna, is renowned for its charitable healthcare initiatives.

It already manages the Mahavir Cancer Institute and Research Centre, a leading institution providing comprehensive cancer care in Bihar.

--IANS

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