India

Varanasi, Sep 12 (IANS) Prohibitory orders under Section 144 have been imposed in Varanasi, ahead for the verdict by the district judge on the maintainability of the suit seeking worshiping right at Shringar Gauri and other deities in Gyanvapi mosque compound, filed by five women plaintiffs.

Varanasi Commissioner of Police (CP) A. Satish Ganesh said that a fool proof security plan is in place for Monday.

He said that police and paramilitary forces will also be deployed in and around areas having mixed population.

Claiming that patrolling vehicles will be positioned at strategic points, the official said quick reaction teams have been formed to act in case of eventuality. Any bid to disturb the law-and-order situation would be dealt with strictly, Ganesh said, appealing to people not to get misled by rumours.

Following the directive of the Supreme Court to decide the maintainability of the case 693/2021 on priority, the district judge had started the hearings on May 20.

With final submissions by Anjuman Intezamia Masjid -- the mosque management committee -- and advocates of the five women plaintiffs seeking worshipping rights at Shringar Gauri in Gyanvapi mosque compound on August 24, the hearing on maintainability of case 692/2021 Rakhi Singh vs state of Uttar Pradesh and others had concluded at the court of district judge Ajay Krishna Vishvesha.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 12 (IANS) The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Sunday arrested a resident engineer of a private company based in Gurugram and three other persons including the bribe giver in an alleged bribery case of Rs 15 lakh.

A senior CBI official said that a case was registered against Anil Kumar Singh, the resident engineer of Voyants Solutions Private Limited based in Gurugram, and two directors of SRSC Infra Private Limited, Bedram Sharma, Parsuram Sharma and its employee Anand Mohan Sharma.

The official said that it was alleged in the complaint that Singh, (the Consultant appointed by NHAI to monitor the progress of a project awarded to Mathura based private company on Sitarganj-Bareilly Section of NH 74) had demanded bribe from the officials of SRSC for passing their bills under the project.

Singh and the employee of SRSC were intercepted and trapped by the CBI while exchanging a bribe amount of Rs 15 lakh. The official said that two other accused (named in FIR) were also caught.

"Searches were conducted at eight locations belonging to the accused at Pilibhit, Gurugram, Mathura and Noida which resulted in recovery of huge cash of Rs 1.56 crore, incriminating documents pertaining to the transactions and project and digital devices, including mobiles," said the CBI official.

All the four arrested individuals would be presented at a court soon, officials said.

--IANS
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Bhopal, Sep 11 (IANS) Prominent Hindu seer -- Shankaracharya of Jyotish, Dwarka and Sharda peeth -- Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati died at his ashram in Madhya Pradesh's Narsinghpur district on Sunday.

The 99-year-old seer -- perhaps the oldest surviving Shankaracharya, passed away following prolonged illness.

As per the information, the seer breathed last at around 3.30 p.m. after a mild heart attack at the Jhoteshwar Paramhansi Ganga Ashram.

Just a few days ago, the seer had celebrated his 99th birthday on the occasion of Hartalika Teej.

Narsinghpur MLA and former MP Vidhan Sabha Speaker N.P. Prajapati (who is among the Shankaracharya's disciples), informed that his Samadhi (symbolic funeral) will take place at 4 p.m. on Monday near the hillside Ashram in the same Narsinghpur district.

Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati was born at a village known as Dighori in Seoni district in Madhya Pradesh in 1924.

He was born in a Brahmin family and his childhood name was Potiram Upadhyay. He had left home when aged just nine years only in pursuit of god.

He was a direct disciple of Shankaracharya Brahmananda Saraswati of Jyotir Math and of Shankaracharya (disputed) Krishnabodha Ashrama of Jyotirmath.

In 1950, his Guru Brahmananda made him a Dandi Sanyasi. He became the president of Akhil Bhartiya Ram Rajya Parishad established by Swami Karpatriji.

On Krishnabodha Ashrama's demise in 1973, the title of Shankaracharya (disputed) of Jyotir Math, Badrinath passed to Swami Swaroopanand. Nine years later in 1982, he also became the Shankaracharya of Dwarka Peeth.

When aged just 18, he had become a part of the country's freedom movement and was known as "Revolutionary Sadhu" for taking part in the 1942 Quit India Movement. He was jailed for it and served a prison sentence for around a year and half.

He not only was a veteran Hindu seer, but also held strong opinion on host of other issues, spanning from Ganga pollution, Uniform Civil Code, Abrogation of Article 370 of Indian Constitution, cow and bull slaughter, women worshipping Shani, on Shirdi Sai Baba and on the RSS and coming to power of the Narendra Modi-led BJP in the 2014 general elections.

He had also claimed that the Bhoomi Pujan of the proposed Ram Temple in Ayodhya by PM Modi on August 5, 2020 was done in an inauspicious muhurt.

He had countless disciples spread all over the country, including key politicians, among them former MP CM Digvijaya Singh.

The nonagenarian Shankaracharya's demise sent shock waves across the country, with many politicians and public personalities, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, union home minister Amit Shah, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, ex-MP CM Digvijaya Singh and MP Congress chief Kamal Nath, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel, besides film actor Ashutosh Rana, taking to the Twitter to condole the death of the seer.

Politicians, including Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and MP Congress chief Kamal Nath expressed their condolences to the demise of the Shankaracharya.

"The news of the death of Swami Swaroopanand Saraswati, the revered Shankaracharya of Paschim Amnaya Shri Shardapeeth, established by Lord Shankaracharya, is very sad. Your incomparable contribution to the Indian knowledge tradition will be remembered by the whole world for eternity," Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted.

Madhya Pradesh Congress Commitee head and former chief minister Kamal expressed his condolence sharing a photograph of his meeting with the seer during his 99th birthday.

"Just a few days ago, by attending his 99th Praktyotsav and Centenary Entrance Year Festival, bowing down to his feet and blessing him," Kamal Nath tweeted.

--IANS
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Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 11 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is on the 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Kanniyakumari to Kashmir, was caught in another controversy on Sunday after he skipped a function for inauguration of memorials of two noted Gandhians of Kerala.

Both the Gandhians - Gopinathan Nair and K.E. Maman - are highly respected in the state.

Rahul Gandhi was passing near the Noorul Islam Medical Sciences (NIMS) at Neyyatinkara during his Yatra and the organisers of the Kerala leg of the journey had agreed that he would inaugurate the memorials of the two Gandhians, constructed at the hospital building. The hospital had taken care of both the Gandhians in their medical emergencies.

While Gandhi passed in front of the NIMS hospital, he did not stop to inaugurate the memorials.

This led to controversy as families and friends of both the Gandhians, including the wife of late Gopinathan Nair, were waiting at the hospital premises for the function.

Congress's state unit President K. Sudhakaran later apologised for the goof-up and promised the NIMS Managing Director that a separate function would be organised for the inauguration.

MP Shashi Tharoor criticised Gandhi for skipping the event, saying: "Such things affect the credibility."

--IANS
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Hyderabad, Sep 11 (IANS) It's finally official. Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao will soon launch a national political party.

During a meeting with former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy here on Sunday, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) President stated that the formation of the national party and formulation of policies will soon take place.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, has been holding discussions with intellectuals, economists, and experts from various fields to work out an alternative national agenda.

KCR told the Janata Dal-Secular leader that TRS party leaders from the village level, district, and state level Presidents and Secretaries are also adopting resolutions to float a national party.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS) Reacting on the probe order into the alleged irregularities in the procurement of 1,000 low-floor buses by the DTC, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday said that the L-G has ordered an investigation into a matter that has already been investigated several times.

Delhi Lt. Governor V.K. Saxena on Sunday approved the Chief Secretary's proposal to forward the complaint received by the L-G Secretariat into the matter of gross irregularities in the procurement of 1,000 low-floor buses by the DTC to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

Addressing a press briefing, AAP leader Atishi said: "The LG is putting all sorts of pressure on the agencies to anyhow file a case or start investigation against Arvind Kejriwal or any of his ministers. Such was his desperation that the L-G ordered an investigation into a matter which has already been investigated several times."

She further that he has hurled allegations against the government that "we have committed corruption in the purchase of buses but he did not care to check that not even a single bus was purchased".

"If the tender was not issued in the first place and no bus was purchased, I challenge all the BJP spokespersons, ministers and investigation agencies to tell me how is it possible to do a scam in such a scenario?" she asked.

"The L-G and all the investigation agencies had to report to the Prime Minister that they had done something to derail the progressive work being done by Arvind Kejriwal. They were running out of time and the L-G committed a huge blunder by picking up the wrong file and documents to launch an attack," the AAP leader alleged.

"We know that he (L-G) has been forced to hurl false allegations against Arvind Kejriwal but he should at least do his homework before launching an attack," Atishi alleged.

--IANS
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Hyderabad, Sep 11 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and and JD-S leader and former Karnataka Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Sunday discussed the agenda of the national party proposed to be launched by the former.

The Janata Dal-Secular leader met KCR, as the Telangana Rashtra Samiti leader is popularly known, at the latter's official residence and they discussed a wide range of issues relating to national politics during the three-hour long meeting.

KCR told Kumaraswamy that the formation of the national party and formulation of policies will soon take place after continuing discussions with intellectuals, economists, and experts from various fields and reaching a consensus on an alternative national agenda.

According to the Chief Minister's Office, they discussed the threat of a political and governance crisis in the country if the BJP's "destructive political moves are not stopped". They felt that people of the country are waiting for an alternative political platform that will carry on the spirit of the Indian Constitution by integrating all communities irrespective of castes, religions and regions, it said.

The two leaders arrived at a consensus that they should put an end to the BJP rule, which is exploiting emotional issues, and use the upcoming general elections as a platform for that.

Kumaraswamy asserted that the immense experience of KCR, who achieved Telangana state by uniting all sections and moving forward in a democratic and peaceful manner, is required by the country in the present situation.

He felt that KCR should move forward to constitute an alternative front in the national politics and play a key role and assured his full support. He added that the country urgently needs a senior leader like KCR in the wake of the space for an alternative in the current national politics.

Kumaraswamy congratulated KCR saying that the entire country is discussing the development achieved by Telangana in just a span of eight years and the whole nation also wants to have similar development.

The TRS leader stressed the need to collectively thwart the conspiracies to create division among people. The two leaders discussed the "dangerous and selfish political path" adopted by the BJP government at the Centre and its consequences and expressed serious concerns.

They arrived at a consensus that they will protect the country from being pushed into dangerous religious hatred in any situation. In this direction, they stressed the need for unity of all alternative political forces to safeguard the spirit of the country's democratic federalism.

The former Karnataka Chief Minister said that people are waiting for an alternative to the BJP across the country. He urged KCR to foray into national politics and contribute his part for the qualitative progress of the country. He said he would extend full support if a political party is established for that purpose

The two leaders felt that people have come to an opinion that the Congress is not a strong alternative to the BJP and they lost faith in the Congress leadership. They discussed the urgent need for the unity of regional parties so that the spirit of democratic federation will flourish.

KCR told Kumaraswamy that there is increasing pressure on him to enter national politics and lead the country like Telangana. He said that people are extending their support in public meetings everywhere during his district tours with cheers and slogans to fight against the BJP and Modi's anti-people and autocratic attitude.

He asserted that people are completely against the BJP, which is constantly creating problems in Telangana, which is running on the path of progress.

The two leaders condemned the anti-farmer policies adopted by the BJP government at the Centre, which is acting as "an anti-farmer" government and is indulging in conspiracies to undermine domestic agriculture.

--IANS
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Chandigarh, Sep 11 (IANS) In an important development, the Punjab and Haryana High Court has observed that constitutional body, the National Commission for Scheduled Castes, "does not possess the power of adjudication and has no authority to issue any mandatory injunction or interim injunction".

Further, Article 338 (5) of the Constitution imposes a duty on the commission to investigate and monitor all matters relating to the safeguards provided for the Scheduled Castes and to conduct inquiries into complaints pertaining to the deprivation of rights and safeguards, observed Justice Vinod S. Bhardwaj, while staying the commission's directive to the local administration to hand over 28 acres of land in Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab to Nahar Nath.

It has ordered that the possession of the land should remain with petitioner Vikas Nath.

"Article 338 (8) vests powers of Civil Court upon the Commission only for limited purposes. The limited scope of power of a Civil Court vested in the Commission is only for enabling it to secure summoning and enforcement of attendance of any person or requiring discovery and production of documents etc.," the court observed.

After hearing counsel for petitioner Rakesh Chopra, the court stayed the operation of the commission order dated July 26-27. It prima facie agreed with the contention of the petitioner that the powers of the commission are limited.

The high court, while listing the matter for next hearing on November 3, contended that "such order of the commission runs contrary to the Supreme Court judgment".

The commission had ordered that the right of cultivation should be given after handing over the possession of land owned of a 'dera' by the administration to complainant Nahar Nath and adequate security be provided to him.

--IANS
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New York, Sep 11 (IANS) Several drugs used to treat Covid-19 patients -- including remdesivir, dexamethasone, and antibiotics for associated bacterial infections -- persist through wastewater treatment and may occur in waterways at levels high enough to negatively affect aquatic organisms, finds a new study.

According to researcher Heather Preisendanz from Penn State, over-the-counter and prescription-strength pharmaceuticals, including antibiotics and pain relievers, are excreted by humans, and many are known to persist through wastewater treatment plants and into nearby waterways, where they can negatively affect aquatic organisms.

"This knowledge spurred concerns that increased use of pharmaceuticals during the pandemic could also lead to increased concentrations of these drugs in wastewater treatment plant effluent and potentially harm aquatic life," said Preisendanz.

For the study, published in the Journal of Environmental Quality, the team collected weekly influent (incoming) and effluent (outgoing) samples from two wastewater treatment plants in central Pennsylvania between May 2020 and May 2021. One of the sites includes a hospital in its service area.

The researchers analysed the influent at both wastewater treatment plants for the virus SARS-CoV-2, as well as the influent and effluent for a variety of medications that may have been used to treat Covid-19.

In their study, the researchers examined two over-the-counter fever reducer/pain relievers (acetaminophen and naproxen), five antibiotics (ampicillin, doxycycline, ofloxacin, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim), two Covid-19 therapeutic agents (remdesivir and dexamethasone, which is used to reduce severe upper respiratory inflammation in patients on ventilators), and hydroxychloroquine, a malaria drug that was ultimately shown in clinical trials to be ineffective for treating Covid-19.

The team found that remdesivir concentrations were correlated with the number of hospitalised Covid-19 patients, while dexamethasone concentrations were associated with the number of hospitalised patients on ventilators.

Specifically, influent to the wastewater treatment plant servicing the hospital had concentrations of remdesivir and dexamethasone of 28 per cent and 31 per cent, respectively, while the average removal efficiencies by the wastewater treatment plant for these drugs were 39 per cent and 56 per cent, respectively.

Hydroxychloroquine was not detected in any of the influent samples collected at either treatment plant.

According to Preisendanz, although risk to aquatic organisms from remdesivir could not be calculated, as no research has yet been done to determine the concentrations that could pose a risk, dexamethasone was detected in quantities that could pose a low acute risk to fish.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 11 (IANS) After the national council meeting of NCP on Sunday, party general secretary Praful Patel said that Sharad Pawar was not a contender for the prime minister's post, and the opposition unity was paramount.

He said Pawar was going to play an important role to bring many forces together.

Patel said, "Sharad Pawar was never and will never be the PM face. He only speaks about the real issues of this country. Some workers of the party expressed their views but Sharad Pawar is not aspiring for the PM post.

"We know our limitations and he is not the opposition's face but will play an important role."

Patel said the NCP was going to play a key role in the upcoming General Elections. But the party's stand was clear that there was a need for the Opposition to unite.

"We were also a part of the UPA government. We don't have any such issue with the Congress," he said.

Sharad Pawar was re-elected as the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) President on Saturday unopposed during the party's national executive meeting.

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who was in the national capital recently met scores of political leaders, including Rahul Gandhi, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, CPI-M Secretary General Sitaram Yechury, CPI's D. Raja and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. Nitish Kumar's purpose of visit was to talk about the opposition unity. He is likely to meet Sonia Gandhi when she returns from abroad. Kumar had also met RJD leader Lalu Prasad and TRS Chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao.A

Nitish Kumar officially denied any prime ministerial ambition, but the political commentators feel that the target is PM's chair. However, the biggest obstacle is the Congress, which is maintaining that being the biggest political formation it's going to the fulcrum of any alliance.

--IANS
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