India

Chandigarh, Dec 15 (IANS) The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) team of Jind on Saturday evening arrested Sonia Aggarwal, vice-chairperson of the Haryana State Women Commission, while her personal assistant (PA)-cum-driver Kulbir was caught red-handed while allegedly taking a bribe of Rs 1 lakh in lieu of making settlement in a marital dispute between a couple, an official said.

The action was initiated under the supervision of Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Kamaljeet Singh. The team has recovered Rs 1 lakh from the driver.

Confirming action in connection with the matter, the Haryana ACB wrote in a post on Saturday on social media platform X: "The team of Haryana Anti-Corruption Bureau today arrested Haryana Women Commission Vice-President Sonia Agarwal and her driver Kulbir on charges of taking a bribe of Rs1,00000. The ACB team succeeded in catching the accused Kulbir red-handed while taking a bribe of Rs 1,00000. Investigation is going on in this case. @cmohry #Corruption #vigilance."

As per official information, Anil of Julana in Jind district -- posted as a Junior Basic Teacher -- and his wife, who is in Haryana Police and posted at Bahadurgarh in Jhajjar district, had some dispute for a long time.

Anil's wife had filed a complaint against him with the Haryana State Women Commission, after which he had been summoned by the commission for inquiry. They appeared before Sonia Aggarwal on December 12 during the hearing.

Meanwhile, Anil came in contact with Aggarwal's PA, who reportedly demanded Rs 1 lakh for a settlement in the case.

As per sources, Anil approached the ACB, following which a case was registered under various sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act.

The ACB team laid a trap and caught Kulbir while taking money from the complainant near a park in Hisar on Saturday.

Simultaneously, another team raided the residence of Sonia Aggarwal at Pratap Colony in Kharkhoda, but she was not present there. The team called her and searched the house in the presence of her parents.

The team reportedly took her to the women's police station in Sonepat for further investigation.

The DSP said Sonia Aggarwal had been arrested.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 15 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ravi Kishan on Saturday expressed appreciation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech during the second day of debate on the adoption of the Constitution on the occasion of its 75th anniversary during a marathon 106-minute speech in the Lower House.

Earlier on Saturday, Congress MP and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi questioned the government's stance on Vinayak Damodar Savarkar's views on the Constitution.

Later, during his speech in the House, PM Modi hailed the Constitution of India and outlined '11 pledges and duties' for citizens, including zero tolerance for corruption and an end to the dynastic system, to achieve a Developed India by 2047.

After PM Modi concluded his speech, BJP Ravi Kishan said, "Look at the decency of PM Modi. The Opposition shouts and makes allegations and counter-allegations. Prime Minister Modi took 11 pledges. He described everything as wonderful for every caste and corner of the country. He told me how much the country will be developing by 2047. PM Modi expressed his views quite well and with great decency. Today's PM Modi's speech was a big message for the common people, especially for women. This speech was full of enthusiasm."

Later, when Rahul Gandhi mentioned Veer Savarkar in the Lok Sabha, Shiv Sena MP Dhairyasheel Sambhajirao Mane said, "Savarkar ji is a son of the soil of Maharashtra for us, and his contribution in the country's freedom struggle cannot be denied under any circumstances. Congress was completely stunned by the remarks made by Rahul ji. This proves how much hatred the Congress has towards Savarkar ji. Savarkar ji's contribution and his sacrifice cannot be denied in any way."

Mane added: "The politics being played by raising Veer Savarkar's name in the parliamentary system today is completely inappropriate. Rahul ji reacted to the statement given by Shiv Sena MP Shrikant Shinde, but there was no need for him to react. His (Rahul Gandhi's) grandmother wrote good things about Veer Savarkar and even accorded him the title of freedom fighter. Shrikant Shinde just highlighted Indira Gandhi's views on Veer Savarkar... In such a situation, there was no need to do politics over this."

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) BJP President JP Nadda on Saturday lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech delivered during the debate on 75 years of the Constitution's adoption, saying it will remove the web of confusion being spread by Congress and Opposition on the Constitution and other subjects.

Taking to X, Nadda wrote, “The statement given by the Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji in the Lok Sabha today on the completion of 75 years of the Indian Constitution is going to remove the web of confusion being spread by the Congress and the opposition parties on the Indian Constitution and other subjects and will give a clear direction to the country.”

“In his speech, the Prime Minister has talked about the country's prosperity, empowerment and taking everyone along. The Emergency imposed in 1975 is an all-time example of the murder of democracy. The Congress, which had turned the country into a prison and snatched away the fundamental rights of citizens, is now invoking the Constitution in its greed for power. Congress leaders have also raised objections on celebrating 'Constitution Day'!” he added.

Nadda said, “The beginning of the celebration of 'Constitution Day' and following the ideals of the architect of the Constitution Baba Saheb Ambedkar is proof that BJP is the true protector of the Constitution. In the last 10 years, under the leadership of Modi ji, we are all determined for the upliftment of every section and the all-round development of the country.”

He said, “Our commitment towards 'Integral Humanism' and 'Antyodaya' will give concrete shape to our resolve of building a 'Developed India'.”

Nadda further said, “Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji today shared 11 resolutions with the countrymen in the Lok Sabha on the completion of 75 years of the Constitution. These great resolutions are significant in preserving the Indian Constitution and further strengthening the pledge to live and protect the democratic ideals enshrined in the Constitution.”

“Let us all together strengthen the values of the Indian Constitution by inculcating these resolutions in our daily lives,” the BJP chief concluded.

--IANS

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Bhopal, Dec 14 (IANS) Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Saturday announced projects worth more than Rs 5,000 crore for Mauganj district under the 'Jan Kalyan Parv'.

In his first visit to the new district, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone of the Sitapur-Hanumana Lift Irrigation Project worth Rs 5,041 crore.

The project will provide irrigation facilities to more than 400 villages in Mauganj, which was separated from Rewa and established as a new district head of Assembly elections in 2023.

He announced to make Khatkhari (a town under Mauganj district) a Municipal Council and the construction of a stadium at Devtalab (one of the three Assembly constituencies in Mauganj).

The Chief Minister also announced to establish degree college, and a civil hospital in Hanumana Tehsil and also allocated Rs 5 crore for development works at Shiva temple in Devtalab.

Addressing an event on this occasion, the Chief Minister said that under the Jan Kalyan Parv, an action plan for development works worth Rs 16,100 crore has been made for the entire state.

“Of these, Mauganj district alone has received a gift of Rs 5,041 crore. BJP government has made Mauganj a separate district and therefore, we are committed to fulfilling promises made to the people. All demands of Mauganj district will be fulfilled,” said the Chief Minister.

Meanwhile, he also released Rs 332 crore as the first instalment of scholarship to 60 lakh students of the state.

He also inaugurated the Sarsi Island Resort that has been built and developed by the Madhya Pradesh Tourism Department in Shahdol district.

Located in the middle of the Son River, the Sarsi Island Resort is entirely surrounded by water and can only be accessed via boat services from Itma Ghat and Markandeya Ghat.

--IANS

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Imphal, Dec 14 (IANS) Two migrant workers from Bihar were shot dead by unidentified armed assailants in Manipur's Kakching district on Saturday evening, police said.

A police official in Imphal said that some armed attackers shot dead two migrant workers near the panchayat office in Keirak on Kakching-Wabagai Road when the victims along with a few others were moving by their bicycles.

Police could not confirm immediately who attacked the migrant workers.

The victims were identified as Sunalal Kumar (18) and Dasharat Kumar (17).

The deceased are residents of Rajwahi village in Yadavpur police station area under Bihar's Gopalganj district.

They were engaged in some construction work and stayed in a rented accommodation in Kakching.

The security forces have launched a search operation to nab the assailants.

Earlier on many occasions, migrant workers have been attacked in Manipur.

Meanwhile, search operations and area domination were conducted by security forces in the fringe and vulnerable areas of hill and valley districts.

During the search operations, arms and ammunition recovered include one .22 Rifle, one .303 Rifle, 49 live rounds and various types of ammunition in Kangpokpi District.

Earlier in the day, an armed militant was killed and six others were apprehended after a fierce exchange of fire between Manipur Police Commandos and a militant group in Thoubal District.

A significant cache of arms and ammunition, along with multiple electronic devices, were also recovered from the spot.

A senior police official in Imphal said that armed militants attacked the Manipur Police Commandos at Salungpham Thongkhong during a routine patrol in Thoubal district on Saturday.

The Commando personnel also retaliated against the attack and nabbed six militants while another was injured in the gun battle. The injured cadre subsequently succumbed to his injuries at a private hospital.

All the seven militants belong to the PREPAK group, the police confirmed.

--IANS

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Aizawl, Dec 14 (IANS) The closing ceremony of the International Paragliding Accuracy Championship and Air Sports Festival 2024 was held on Saturday in Mizoram’s Serchhip district.

The championship saw 30 athletes from six countries -- India, Korea, Kazakhstan, Spain, Indonesia, and Nepal -- compete at the event.

Officials said that to promote adventure tourism, the International Paragliding Championship and Air Sports Festival began in central Mizoram's Serchhip district on Tuesday.

Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma graced Saturday’s event as the Chief Guest, while Tourism Minister Lalrinpuii attended as the Guest of Honour.

The Chief Minister praised the athletes' determination and dedication, emphasising that Mizoram has the potential to emerge as a major adventure tourism destination.

He remarked that Serchhip town, with its natural beauty, stands out as one of the best locations in India for paragliding and adventure sports.

Lalduhoma commended the efforts of the local Mizo pilots and expressed gratitude for the collaboration of the Mizoram Government, Mizoram Aero Sports Association (MASA), Federation of Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) and the people of Serchhip in making the championship a grand success.

Tourism Minister Lalrinpuii said that Mizoram is fortunate to have a leader like Lalduhoma passionate about promoting adventure tourism.

She also extended her gratitude to the international participants, urging them to cherish their memories of Mizoram as they return home.

Each category winner was awarded Rs two lakh, the second-place winner received Rs 1.50 lakh and the third-place winner took home Rs one lakh.

Earlier in February 2020, Mizoram hosted the Paragliding Accuracy World Cup and Grand Festival at Serchhip town, 90 km away from the capital city of Aizawl.

Officials said that such international events would boost tourism in this region, and attract tourists from across the world.

International events like the Paragliding Championship would help the people of the state to showcase the ethnicity and diversity of Mizoram to the world.

--IANS

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Jaipur, Dec 14 (IANS) The Rajasthan Forum has expressed deep resentment over the exclusion of Rajasthan-origin artists from the recently organised three-day Rising Rajasthan Summit.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister, Forum President and Padma Bhushan awardee Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt, also a Grammy Award winner, termed it ‘regrettable’.

The Rajasthan Forum, comprising 34 distinguished artist members—including 12 Padma awardees—has been committed to promoting the art and culture of the state for over a decade.

Raising concerns, the Forum questioned the lack of representation for Rajasthan's artists in such a significant event. It noted that key cultural traditions like Dhrupad music, Kathak dance, and folk art were conspicuously absent, as was any performance featuring the Mohan Veena, an instrument invented by Pandit Vishwa Mohan Bhatt.

In his letter, Pandit Bhatt lamented the absence of consultation with Rajasthan Forum, a leading cultural organisation in the state, during the planning of the event’s cultural programmes. He highlighted the Forum's roster of eminent artists, which includes Padma awardees like Devendra Jhajharia, Anwar Khan Manganihar, Gulabo Sapera, Ram Kishore Chhipa, S. Shakir Ali, Tilak Gitai, Munna Master and C.P. Dewal. Prominent cultural personalities like Ila Arun, Prerna Shrimali, Apurvi Chandela, Nand Bhardwaj, and Apra Kuchhal are also part of the organisation.

The Forum has urged the state government to involve Rajasthan Forum in future cultural events to ensure that the state’s rich art and heritage receive the platform they deserve. It emphasised that such collaborations would enhance the relevance and appeal of these programmes.

In its appeal, Rajasthan Forum also stressed the importance of honouring the state’s folk art and artists by giving them opportunities to represent Rajasthan on national and international stages.

Eminent culturist and founder of Rajasthan Forum, Sundeep Bhutoria had also raised this issue recently during Rising Rajasthan.

--IANS

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Kolkata, Dec 14 (IANS) West Bengal Minister for Municipal Affairs & Urban Development Firhad Hakim on Saturday compared the “majority” and “minority” communities in the country which created a controversy.

Addressing a programme at the state-run auditorium in Kolkata, on Saturday, Hakim said that the current “minority” in West Bengal might become “majority” in the coming days.

“In West Bengal, we are currently 33 per cent. Nationally we are 17 per cent. Hence we are addressed as minorities. But we do not consider ourselves as minorities. By the grace of God someday we might also become majorities. We will achieve this with the blessing of the almighty,” the minister said on Saturday.

BJP Information Technology cell chief and the party central observer for West Bengal Amit Malviya said that after revealing his true intentions by describing non-Muslims as “unfortunate” and endorsing Dawat-e-Islam’s efforts to convert Hindus to Islam, Hakim has now claimed that West Bengal and the rest of India will soon have a Muslim majority.

“Hakim envisions a future where Muslims will no longer rely on peaceful protests or marches but will take justice into their own hands—potentially hinting at Sharia law. This aligns with remarks from Trinamool Chopra MLA, who previously cited Islamic scriptures to justify an incident, where a woman was publicly whipped,” Malviya wrote on X.

West Bengal BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar also questioned why the other constituents of the opposition INDIA Bloc are silent and refraining from condemning such a statement by Firhad Hakim.

“This is not just a hate speech. This is a blueprint for creating a Bangladesh-like situation in India,” said Majumdar.

Trinamool Congress leader Kunal Ghosh, while speaking to IANS, refrained from making any comment on this issue saying that he is not aware of the contest in which Hakim said these.

“It will be unfair to isolate a particular portion of the speech and highlight it,” Ghosh said.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Saturday urged modern civil servants to be tech savvy and act as facilitators of change, transcending traditional administrative boundaries.

Speaking at the 50th Foundation Day of the Indian Posts and Telecommunications Accounts and Finance Service (IP&TAFS) in the national capital, Vice President Dhankhar outlined the importance of cross-departmental collaboration in an interconnected world, with the need to adopt artificial intelligence-powered audit systems while maintaining human oversight for critical decisions.

At the event, Union Minister of Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya Scindia, spoke about the three pillars: bringing stability to telecom sector; empowerment of pensioners and the capabilities of the cadre in keeping up with tech developments, behind the success of the officers.

The minister lauded them for their contribution in Department of Telecommunications’ (DoT) SAMPANN pension model, streamlining pension disbursement for over 5 lakh pensioners, and for the consolidation of Digital Bharat Nidhi (DBN).

Scindia said the department’s mission and principles of inclusivity, innovation and security is the kavach that we will hold for every citizen of Bharat.

Since its establishment in 1974, the IP&TAFS has been at the forefront of India’s telecommunications and postal financial landscape. The service has been pivotal in managing spectrum auctions, generating revenue in the form of License Fees and Spectrum Usage Charges, which contribute nearly Rs 25,000 crore annually to the Government of India.

The service has also been instrumental in overseeing the financial health of over 3,500 telecom and internet companies.

A substantial portion of this revenue goes toward supporting the government’s Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) through the Digital Bharat Nidhi, aimed at enhancing digital inclusion across India’s urban and rural regions.

The SARAS portal, an initiative by IP&TAFS, has transformed the process of revenue assurance, digitalizing and standardizing the assessment mechanisms, thus ensuring better accountability in the largest non-tax revenue to the government.

—IANS

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Bengaluru, Dec 14 (IANS) Karnataka BJP President B.Y. Vijayendra on Saturday dismissed Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's bribery allegations against him in connection with the Waqf scam as "baseless".

Earlier in the day, CM Siddaramaiah in his press statement demanded the CBI probe against Vijayendra for trying to hush up the Waqf scam report by allegedly offering Rs 150 crore to former Minority Commission Chairman and BJP leader Anwar Mannippady.

Responding to the allegations, Vijayendra questioned, "You (CM Siddaramaiah), who is terrified of CBI and ED investigations, have questioned the Governor's approval for prosecution and tried in vain to protect yourself legally by hiring senior lawyers from New Delhi. After facing humiliation due to the High Court's verdict, what moral standing do you have to demand a CBI investigation against others?"

"Allegations of corruption, such as the Maharshi Valmiki Development Corporation scam and the MUDA scam, have tightly wrapped around you and your government. In an attempt to escape these scams, you are misusing the power of the Chief Minister’s office to ensure a clean chit through Lokayukta investigations handled by your subordinate officials," he charged.

Even now, to prevent the High Court from ordering a CBI investigation, you are recklessly using taxpayers' money to hire constitutional experts from Delhi to argue your case. No chemical can erase the stains of corruption on you, and as a result of this frustration, you are grasping at baseless issues, believing them to be a 'Brahmastra' (ultimate weapon), Vijayendra slammed.

"With these efforts, you can only attempt a smear campaign against me, but you will achieve nothing more. Evidence against you continues to emerge daily, tarnishing your image. Your obstinate behaviour has already etched your name in history as the only Chief Minister who dishonoured the dignity of the Karnataka CM's office," Vijayendra attacked.

The Anwar Manipaddy report on the Waqf scam concerns Congress leaders who encroached on Waqf properties, not BJP leaders. "Do you lack even the basic understanding to realise that no one would offer Rs 150 crore bribe for allegations against Congress?" Vijayendra questioned.

"The baseless accusations you and your cabinet minister Priyank Kharge are celebrating reflect your childishness rather than political acumen," he maintained.

If you have courage, allow the CBI investigation into the MUDA scam petition pending in the High Court without any objections. Let’s see what happens, Vijayendra challenged.

“In light of your government's attempts to seize farmers' lands and Hindu religious sites under the guise of Waqf properties, the brutal police lathi-charge on Panchamasali reservation protestors, the series of deaths among newborns, and the escalating MUDA scam, it is clear that you are using these trivial, fabricated issues as a distraction,” he claimed.

This reflects the decay of your political wisdom and an attempt to divert the attention of the people of the state, Vijayendra stated.

--IANS

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