India

Prayagraj, Oct 16 (IANS) The Akhil Bharatiya Karyakari Mandal Baithak, the three-day national executive committee meeting of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) will begin on Sunday at the Vasishtha Vatsalya Public School premises in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj.

RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat along with several top office-bearers of the Sangh, union leaders, workers and campaigners from every province are scheduled to participate in the meeting.

RSS's Akhil Bharatiya Prachar Pramukh, Sunil Ambekar, told reporters, "The issues to be deliberated include population imbalance and population control, environment conservation, challenges to family unit due to increasing urbanisation and spread of western influences which promote individualism, steps for social harmony, imparting education in mother tongue and extension work."

Under the leadership of Bhagwat, top officials of the Sangh besides office bearers of all 45 prants (provinces) of the organisation will also deliberate on the issues raised by the RSS Chief in his speech delivered on Vijay Dashami during the meeting.

--IANS
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Guwahati, Oct 16 (IANS) Congress leader Shashi Tharoor who is contesting for the post of party president -- election for which is scheduled to be held on October 17, on Saturday said there was no animosity with veteran party colleague Mallikarjun Kharge against whom he is pitted for the top party post.

"Kharge sir is my leader too. We are not enemies. I am fighting to bring change in the Congress party," he said here while interacting with the mediapersons.

Advocating for a change in the Congress party, he said: "I will bring elections to Congress working committee and there will be a change in the parliamentary board in the party too."

On many senior Congress leaders not attending Tharoor's campaign ahead of the party's presidential polls, he said: "I did not mind this... I have got amazing support from the younger leaders of the party."

The Congress leader also denied having any clashes with the Gandhi family regarding the party's presidential election.

"People who supported me are not rebels or against the Gandhis. This is a completely wrong notion. The Gandhis are always with the Congress... and so are we. We are contesting the election with the spirit that whoever wins this election, it will be a victory of the Congress party," he added.

Tharoor also asserted that the new Congress president should focus on reaching out to other parties for the next Lok Sabha election.

He said: "Our test will be in creating a new alliance to challenge the BJP."

The Congress leader also said that if he is elected to the top post in Congress, his another priority will be to stop the party leaders from quitting the grand old party and joining the BJP.

"I feel sad at times to lose party leaders to BJP. I will look into the matter if elected," he added

--IANS
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Bengaluru, Oct 15 (IANS) The Congress party's Bharat Jodo Yatra led by former party president Rahul Gandhi has completed 1,000 km on Saturday.

The rally is currently passing through Karnataka's Ballary district.

On Saturday, at a convention in Ballary, Gandhi continued his attack on the ruling BJP government in the state.

Addressing a huge gathering, Rahul Gandhi criticised the ideology of the BJP and the RSS.

"By this (their ideology) the country is being divided. This is an attack on Hindustan. This is not patriotism, this is anti-national," he said.

"Through the Bharat Jodo Yatra, we are passing from Kanyakumari to Kashmir. This is a 3,500 km journey. It started from Kanyakumari and reached Karnataka. In the beginning, we assumed that walking 3,500 km was a tough task. But, later, it went on to become an easy task," the Congress leader added.

"Whenever we felt fatigued, a certain force encouraged us and made us march ahead. The words of small children, physically challenged, aged and poor served were sources of inspiration. The padayatra was taken up a month ago, people belonging to different religions, backgrounds are together putting steps ahead," he said.

"This ideology of togetherness as proposed by Basavanna, Ambedkar, Narayana Guru is found during padayatra. This nature is in the blood of Kannadigas, this can't be clinched away," he added.

Slamming the Basavaraj Bommai-led Karnataka government, he questioned: "Why there are 2.5 lakh vacancies in Karnataka?"

He further said if the youth want jobs in police, they need to pay Rs 80 lakh.

"The ruling BJP in the state is against Dalits and the people of backward communities. The atrocities on Dalits have risen by 50 per cent. The fund of Rs 8,000 crore reserved for the development of people of this section has been utilised for other purposes," he said.

Rahul Gandhi also said that his family shared a special bond with Ballary and he would do everything possible for the people of the region, once his party comes to power.

--IANS
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Kolkata, Oct 15 (IANS) In an effort to get Sehgal Hossain for questioning in the multi-crore West Bengal cattle smuggling scam, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has now approached a special Delhi court for the production warrant of the bodyguard of Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal.

ED sources said that the matter will come up for hearing at special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court at Rouse Avenue, New Delhi, on Monday.

The development comes following the rejection of a plea by the ED on this count by Calcutta High Court's single-judge bench of Justice Tirthankar Ghosh on October 11.

While rejecting the ED's plea, Justice Ghosh observed that without a proper and valid production document the central agency could not be allowed to take Hossain to New Delhi and only the PMLA court there can issue that production warrant.

In his observation, he took an objection to the ED's process of keeping the option of multiple courts open on this count.

ED sources said that although their sleuths have the court permission to interrogate Hossain while he is in judicial custody at Asansol Special Correctional Home in West Burdwan district, the limited period is not enough to crack him and get answers on crucial points especially the money trail angle.

"That is exactly why we want to take him to New Delhi and question him at the agency's headquarters there," an ED official said.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), which is conducting a parallel probe in the cattle smuggling scam, has mentioned in its fresh charge sheet the names of three companies.

Anant Tradecom Private Limited, Hoque Mercantile Private Limited and Hoque Industries Private Limited were basically shell companies meant for the diversion of cattle smuggling proceeds by the kingpin, Enamul Hoque.

In the charge sheet, the CBI for the first time mentioned Mondal as the direct beneficiary of the scam.

Mondal is also currently under judicial custody at the same correctional home as Hossain in Asansol.

--IANS
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BY VISHAL GULATI
Shimla, Oct 15 (IANS) With Himachal Pradesh heading to the Assembly polls on November 12, Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur is leading his campaign with the slogan 'rivaj badlega' (electoral traditions will change) as BJP governments have repeated in the recent Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh and Haryana polls.


This small hill state has not seen any incumbent party returning to power since 1985. Since then both archrivals -- the Congress and the BJP -- ruled the state alternatively in eight terms.

This time, the saffron party, with anti-incumbency weighing heavy on its governance, seems to be banking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's charisma, instead of flashing its own achievement card.

The Prime Minister held three back-to-back public meetings ahead of the poll announcement.

At every rally, Thakur, the 57-year-old five-time legislator who rose through the ranks, missed no opportunity to remind the public about Modi's special bond and love for the people of the state where he spent a few years as in-charge of the state's affairs in the late 1990s.

"Is baar sarkaar nahin, rivaj badlega (This time not the government, but the tradition will change)," a confidant Thakur, the first-time Chief Minister who has been toeing the Modi government's 'Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas' mantra, told IANS on Saturday before heading to attend Union Minister Amit Shah's rally in Sirmaur district, the first by the Central leadership after the poll announcement.

Firmly believing that the Prime Minister has always bestowed his blessings on Himachal by offering so many developmental projects in the past five years, Thakur asked the Opposition: What is wrong in seeking votes on the name of the 'pradhan sevak' who devoted his life to the welfare of the people and good governance.

"The Prime Minister has always shown his benevolence and affection to the state as he visited every nook and corner of the state as party in-charge of Himachal Pradesh. Secondly, Modi-ji as Prime Minister has visited nine times in the past five years. Even during the coronavirus pandemic he visited the state and dedicated the Atal Tunnel Rohtang."

Taking a dig at the Congress, Thakur said on one hand it has launched 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', and on the other, its senior leaders are following Congress 'Chhodo Yatra'.

"Under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Modi, the present government would again come into power and continue serving the people."

Listing out achievements of the double-engine government that has given the hill state new infrastructure in every step, Thakur, who is leading the party poll campaign, said the Prime Minister's vision and commitment to strengthen health services across the country is being showcased again in the state through the inauguration of AIIMS Bilaspur.

"This (Central) government believes in laying the foundation stone of a project and inaugurating itself."

He thanked the Prime Minister for sanctioning the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and Bulk Drug Park that will strengthen the state's health sector and the pharmaceutical hub.

He expressed gratitude of the Prime Minister for inaugurating the IIIT (Indian Institute of Information Technology) Una, flagging off the inaugural run of the Vande Bharat Express from Amb Andaura to New Delhi and for launching the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana-III (PMGSY) scheme.

"More than 39,500-km road network is catering the needs of the people, especially in rural and remote areas, in the state. Out of this road length, about 50 per cent has come up under the ambitious Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana. The sanction of Rs 3,200 crore for PMGSY-III will transform the prevailing road infrastructure and will further boost rural economic activities," the Chief Minister explained.

Going to the polls with the firm belief that the Centre-state unison helps strengthening the spirit of cooperative and competitive federalism, Thakur, who through his stint believes development and no witch hunting, said this is only the BJP government in the Centre that realised the agony and hardships of the people of the state.

"We succeeded to excel in road, health, medical education, education and other developmental sectors, besides the welfare of the poor, downtrodden and the women.

"The previous government spent Rs 400 crore on social security pensions, whereas we are spending Rs 1,300 crore. Nearly 7.50 lakh eligible beneficiaries are presently getting pensions whereas only 4 lakh pensioners during the previous government tenure," Thakur said, while replying to a question on the Congress promise to restore the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) to benefit 225,000 government employees, a crucial vote bank.

Thakur was elevated to the post after the party's chief ministerial candidate Prem Kumar Dhumal suffered an abject defeat in the 2017 Assembly polls.

In the run-up to the Assembly polls, Prime Minister Modi launched Rs 6,000 crore development works across various sectors and inaugurated AIIMS Bilaspur, the foundation stone of which was laid by him on October 3, 2017.

As far as the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is concerned that is now setting its eyes on conquering hills after demolishing the citadels of all major political parties in Punjab, Thakur said the situation in Punjab was different.

"The people of Himachal earlier also rejected the third front. The leaders of AAP are over enthusiastic after their victory in Punjab, but they should also remember that their candidates have not only lost on all seats in the Assembly polls in Uttarakhand but their security deposits were also forfeited."

For the Congress, corruption, unemployment and poor performance of the government are among the major poll issues.

Political observers told IANS that the BJP under the leadership of Thakur is facing anti-incumbency. This reflected in its humiliating defeat in the October 2021 by-polls in three Assembly seats and one parliamentary seat of Mandi having 17 Assembly seats in Mandi, Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur and Chamba districts.

But Thakur believes it is simply a "Virbhadra wave" that did the trick for the Congress in the by-polls.

He said the Congress won because of the sympathy with the late Virbhadra Singh, which would not happen in the Assembly elections.

But to overcome the anti-incumbency, the BJP central leadership is focusing to induct seasoned politicians with organisational and ministerial experience from the Congress to give the state leadership a new look to win a consecutive term.

"For the Congress, the exodus of leaders means dampening the morale of the grassroots in the run-up to the polls," a political observer told IANS.

He says the induction of three-time legislator Harsh Mahajan, who for over a decade played a crucial role in strengthening the party organization at the grassroots under Virbhadra Singh, in the BJP is the party's 'self-goal'.

Before Mahajan, two sitting Congress legislators -- Lakhwinder Rana and Pawan Kajal -- had also switched loyalties to the saffron party.

A total of 55.74 lakh voters would cast their votes in the elections. They comprise 27,80,203 men, 27,27,016 women, 67,532 service voters and 44,173 first-time voters. In the 2017 Assembly polls, there were 50,25,941 voters.

The counting of ballots will be held on December 8.

The BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections had won all four seats that saw 72.25 per cent polling, 7.80 per cent higher than 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

In 2017, the BJP wrested power in Himachal from the Congress, winning close to a two thirds majority with 44 seats in the 68-member Assembly.

The Congress won 21 seats, independents two and the Communist Party of India-Marxist one.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted vishal.g@ians.in)

--IANS
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New Delhi, Oct 15 (IANS) Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has urged the World Bank to avoid a unidimensional view of subsidies and not to lose focus on the internationally agreed basic principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

She made the remarks on Friday during a meeting of the Development Committee of the World Bank-IMF, in Washington D.C.

Sitharaman also stated that despite this year's projected growth rate of 7 per cent for the Indian economy, "we remain concerned about the global economic outlook and geopolitical environment", according to the Union Finance Ministry.

The Finance Minister further mentioned that the "Food and Energy Crisis paper" rightly identifies energy efficiency as the "first fuel of choice".

Similarly, reducing crop loss and food waste should also be the "first intervention of choice" to ensure food security, she was quoted as saying.

The Finance Minister is currently on a five-day visit to the US.

--IANS
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Srinagar, Oct 15 (IANS) Security forces on Saturday recovered an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by the militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district.

Police said an IED weighing 18 Kgs was recovered by the security forces at Ashtingo village on Bandipora-Sopore road this morning.

"Traffic on the road has temporarily been stopped and the bomb disposal squad called in to defuse the explosive device", police said.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Oct 15 (IANS) Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman shared concerns on key downside risks to the economy owing to slowdown in growth in major economies during a meeting at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) headquarters in Washington D.C.

While addressing the Plenary Meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee, Sitharaman on Friday also raised the cross-border effects due to the ongoing geopolitical situation, rise in commodity prices and tighter financial conditions.

She stated that despite global headwinds, the Indian economy will stay on course and is projected to grow at 7 per cent in 2022-23.

The Finance Minister apprised about the Centre ensuring availability of free food grains to more than 800 million poor and vulnerable families through the country's massive public distribution network.

Sitharaman also praised the IMF on its recent initiative of a new food shock window to help countries address food insecurity.

The Finance Minister further highlighted India's ambitious climate action path through the country's updated Nationally Determined Contributions for decoupling of economic growth from greenhouse gas emissions.

She also highlighted the significance of transfer of climate finance and low-cost technologies from developed to developing countries.

On the sidelines of Friday's meeting, Sitharaman also met the Deputy Managing Director of IMF, Gita Gopinath.

According to the Finance Ministry, they "discussed current global matters, including food and energy security issues, global debt vulnerabilities, climate matters, digital assets and upcoming G20 India Presidency".

Taking to Twitter, Gopinath said: "Had a very good meeting with Finance Minister of India on G20 issues as India takes over the presidency soon."

--IMF
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Bengaluru, Oct 15 (IANS) The world's largest passenger plane Airbus A380 operated by Emirates' arrived at the Kempe Gowda International Airport in Bengaluru on Saturday.

Bengaluru became the first southern city in the country where services of world's largest passenger aircraft is launched.

Minister for Co-Operation, S.T. Somashekar and Bengaluru International Airport (BIAL) Managing Director and CEO Hari Marar described the moment as historical and thanked Emirates for reposing faith in Karnataka government.

Satyaki Raghunath, Chief Strategy and Development officer at BIAL, said that Bengaluru has become the first city in southern India to be served by Emirates flagship A380 services.

The arrival of this wide-body aircraft shows the operation capability and rising passenger demand at Bengaluru airport. The enhanced premium experience that the new A380 service brings to the Dubai-Bengaluru route will not only meet the strong travel demand but also help to stimulate traffic between the two markets, Raghunath added.

Adnan Kazim, Chief Commercial Officer, Emirates, said, "The special relationship that we share with Bengaluru and the state of Karnataka is one of mutual growth and prosperity."

"We are delighted to introduce A380 services to this vital gateway for travellers in south India. Today's flight is testament to the fruitful relationship that we share with the city and we look forward to providing the flagship experiences across all cabins for travellers travelling to and from Bengaluru when we begin our scheduled daily A380 services later this month," he added.

Emirates' flight took off from Dubai at 10 a.m. and landed in Bengaluru at 3.40 p.m. The occassion was marked by celebrations. The special flight operating as EK562 was greeted with a procession of follow-me vehicles, arrived ahead of the launch of scheduled A380 services, which will begin on October 30, an official statement said.

Starting on October 30, Emirates' A380 flights between Dubai and Bengaluru will operate as EK568 and EK569. The daily flight leaves the airline hub at 21:25 hour, arriving in Bengaluru at 2:30 local time the next day. The return flight departs Bengaluru at 4:30 hour and arrives in Dubai at 7:10 hour.

Currently, Emirates operates A380 to more than 30 destinations across the globe. The airbus is loved for its extra legroom. The flight has premium economy.

The other features include shower spa and onboard lounge. Business class cabins provide superior levels of comfort and privacy and spacious seats in economy class.

--IANS
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Bhopal, Oct 15 (IANS) Congress leader Shashi Tharoor who is pitted against veteran party colleague Mallikarjun Kharge for the post of party president -- election for which is scheduled to be held on October 17 -- thanked the party's Madhya Pradesh unit after he was given a warm welcome upon his arrival here on Friday.

The MP from Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency, who arrived here to seek support from the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates, also expressed his disappointment over some Congress leaders openly expressing their support for Kharge.

Kharge had also visited Bhopal two days ago and had appealed to the Congress delegates in Madhya Pradesh to support him, describing himself as "the candidate of a collective leadership of the party" and therefore, he expects "100 per cent support from all delegates".

Addressing a press conference at Congress headquarters here, Tharoor reiterated that senior party leaders should not openly express support towards any particular candidate.

Responding to questions on this issue, particularly on Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's announcement to support Kharge, Tharoor, with smile on his face, said: "I think the election committee of the Congress should take cognizance in this subject."

Interestingly, Madhya Pradesh unit Congress head Kamal Nath had also made it open that he would support Kharge for the party's presidential post.

Kamal Nath, however, had also mentioned that delegates would be free to take decisions on their own.

Tharoor on Friday has received a warm welcome from the state leadership, including former chief minister and state head Kamal Nath and Leader of Opposition (assembly) Govind Singh.

"I am glad at the reception I received in Madhya Pradesh. MP Congress president Kamal Nath, Leader of the Opposition Govind Singh met me," Tharoor said.

There are a total of 502 Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) delegates from Madhya Pradesh of which around 50-55 delegates were present to welcome him at the Congress headquarters.

During Kharge's visit to Bhopal on October 12, around 300-350 delegates were present to welcome at party headquarters.

"All PCC delegates will have the total freedom to vote for the candidate he or she wants to. This election is to elect a member to the party's highest post which is a subject of dignity for each Congress worker. More number of delegates were present during Kharge's visit to office because there was a party programme before his arrival," said a senior Congress functionary.

Meanwhile, Digvijaya Singh's brother Laxman Singh also shared the stage with Tharoor.

--IANS
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