India

London, Jan 16 (IANS) Accusing two British Army guards of racially discriminating against them at Windsor Castle, a Sikh family has threatened to take legal action against the UK government.

Rapinder Kaur, 36, said she, her turban-wearing husband and their two-year-old child were subjected to racial taunts by guards during a visit to the castle last year, The Independent reported.

She said that as the family were walking alongside the castle's wall, two soldiers standing in a palace window made inappropriate "We are watching you" gestures while laughing and showing them the middle finger. According to the report, the family then complained to the Royal Collection Trust, which operates the palace, and the Ministry of Defence (MOD), which bears responsibility for the guards.

But the family said that all they have received is an email apology from a top-ranking lieutenant, and guidance that the soldiers would receive refresher training.

"The claimant believes that the sole reason for being targeted and singled out by the soldiers was because of their skin colour and the fact that her husband was wearing a turban," a letter sent from the family's solicitors to the Government Legal Department in January 2022 read.

It further said that Rapinder Kaur's family members were the only non-white people there. In a reply in June 2002, the government's lawyers denied any knowledge of the incident and stated that the lieutenant's apology was "not an admission of liability"."

"It is disappointing (that) the Government Legal Department has denied any record of this incident. First, the lieutenant who investigated the incident apologised, but then the Government Legal Department denied it happened, asking me to prove it. Why apologise at all if there was nothing to apologise for?" Rapinder Kaur told The Independent.

"I feel that there is a level of protection afforded to individuals within certain institutions, which does not apply to people like us, minorities," she rued.

This comes as King Charles III visited a gurdwara in Luton, England, last month, and had a wholesome interaction with community leaders, volunteers, and students of Sikh community.

Respecting Sikh traditions, the 74-year-old monarch covered his head with a kerchief, offered prayers, and sat on the floor with Sikh devotees.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party's two-day National Executive meeting, which is likely to endorse an extension of tenure for party President J.P. Nadda and deliberate on its strategy for the upcoming Assembly and the 2024 general elections, was underway here on Monday.

Before the meeting started at the NDMC Convention Centre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held the roadshow. A few cultural performances were held on the roadside as he passed.

Top leaders like Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Railways Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw, Nadda, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Shivraj Singh Chouhan, and others reached to attend the meeting.

Ahead of the meet, Nadda held a meeting with state in-charges and co-in-charges from across the country. He also inaugurated an exhibition, featuring several themes, at the Convention cCntre.

Accompanying the PM in the National Executive will be 35 Union Ministers, 12 Chief Ministers, and 37 regional heads, as well as 350 party workers.

--IANS
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Mumbai, Jan 16 (IANS) 'MasterChef India' contestant Suvarna Bagul showed her culinary skills and impressed the judges and co-contestants with her special Puran Poli, which was prepared with a combination of Maharashtrian and American ingredients in the form of an apple pie.

While presenting her dish, she said: "Whole country will see Maharastra today."

The judges called it to be the best preparation of her till now. They applauded her for her cooking style and innovative idea of presentation.

Suvarna shared: "I am overjoyed that the judges enjoyed my American-Maharashtrian fusion meal. I am pleased that I emerged as one of the top 15 contestants, and I can't contain my excitement about the possibility of preparing even more creative meals in the future."

The top 15 home cooks who were chosen are Priyanka Kundu Biswas from Kolkata, Aruna Vijay from Chennai, Priya Vijan from Bangalore, Dyuti Banerjee from Kolkata, Avinash Patnaik from Bhubaneswar, Santa Sarmah from Amlighat village (P.S. Jagiroad) in Assam's Morigaon district, Nazia Sultana from Guwahati, Gurkirat Singh from Sirsa (Haryana), Yashu Verma from Gazipur City (Uttar Pradesh), Kamaldeep Kaur from Ludhiana, Sachin Khatwani from Lucknow, Suvarna Vijay Bagul from Mumbai, Deepa Chauhan from Bangalore, Nayanjyoti Saika from Tinsukia, and Vineet Yadav from Lucknow.

'MasterChef India' is judged by chefs Ranveer Brar, Garima Arora, and Vikas Khanna.

It airs on Sony Entertainment Television.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) The Bajrang Dal will stage two-day nationwide protests from January 17 against radical elements targetting Hindus to create terror, the Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) announced on Monday.
   
VHP's Central Joint General Secretary Dr Surendra Jain said in the past two years, 9 Karyakartas of Bajrang Dal have been killed and 32 attacked by "Jihadis''.

On January 17 and 18, Bajrang Dal will protest at district centres across the country and submit a memorandum for the President through the District Magistrates, in which a nationwide plan will be presented to neutralise the "jihadist" designs on the country, Dr Jain said.

He said since they recruit indoctrinated Madrasa-pass-out minors and also minors trained in butchering, there is a need to make a permanent provision in the Juvenile Act for punishing such crime-perpetrating so-called "minors" as "adults", he said.

The Bajrang Dal is the youth wing of VHP.


--IANS
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New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) Former IPL chairman Lalit Modi's decision on January 15 to resign as head of his family's branch and naming his son, Ruchir as successor beneficiary of the K.K. Modi family trust with immediate effect, seems to have reopened the feud within the family with its members pouring their grievances on social media.

Soon after Lalit Modi's decision to step down as head of his family branch came to light, his mother Bina Modi, when asked to comment on the development, refused to say anything but added that she will go as per legal advice regarding the ongoing court battle involving her son Lalit Modi.

Lalit Modi is involved in a family property dispute with his mother Bina Modi.

He later tagged the news report quoting his mother in a tweet and said, "Surely all can see the ridiculous nature of greed & avarice now? Giving up my inheritance rights, shows me how far-sighted my father was and how pathetic legal wrangling can derail his dying wishes."

Lalit Modi's brother Samir Modi tagged the abovementioned tweet and tweeted, "I signed the trust deed & gave up my inheritance rights because my father wanted to protect them. I never ever imagined that my mother would abuse this wish and put me on the road. It's truly broken me and my faith in her. Can't imagine what money & greed has done to her."

Samir Modi later deleted the tweet.

Lalit Modi also shared a deleted tweet of his younger brother Samir on his Instagram page where the latter had said, "I used to laugh at my own saying- blood is thicker than water and money is thicker than blood."

Reacting to Samir's post, Lalit Modi said in his Instagram post, "This is truly sad that Samir Modi has to actually live in the same place. I am really worried about his life. He is a very emotional person. And really unwell. Shocking-level people who give birth to u blackmail u. Samir Modi- from me to you- 'THIS TOO SHALL PASS'. You remember this mantra I used to say every time we went through a tough time. I still live by it."

On January 15, Lalit Modi had written a letter to his mother Bina and siblings, sister Charu and brother Samir, informing them about his decision to resign as head of his family's branch and naming his son Ruchir as his successor beneficiary of the K.K. Modi family trust.

"The present litigation with my mother and sister, is tedious, strenuous and has gone on for long, and even though there have been several rounds of discussions for settlement, there is no end in sight. It has caused and continues to cause me immense distress... I have discussed this with my daughter and she and I are of the opinion that I should hand over the control of affairs of the LKM (Lalit Kumar Modi) family and its beneficial interest in the Trust to my son Ruchir Modi," Lalit Modi had written in the letter.

In August 2022, the Supreme Court had appointed former apex court judge Justice R.V. Raveendran as a mediator to settle the family property dispute.

The apex court had observed that the counsel appearing for both sides agreed that they would go without any pre-condition and with an open mind to settle the dispute in mediation.

The decision was taken by a bench headed by the then Chief Justice N.V. Ramana.

--IANS
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Gurugram, Jan 16 (IANS) A 32-year-old man was arrested for allegedly trying to extort Rs 1 crore from a Gurugram-based businessman by threatening to kill him and his family, police said.

The police had received a complaint from the businessman on January 11 who claimed have received an extortion letter from an unknown person.

He said that the man threatened to kill him if he did not pay the ransom amount, the police said.

An FIR was registered at the Sector-14 police station in Gurugram and police swung into action to trace the accused.

The arrested accused was identified as Sandeep Tyagi aka Jitender.

On Sunday, police received a tip-off about the accused. They laid a trap and arrested him from Iffco Chowk on the Delhi-Jaipur Expressway, the official said.

During questioning, it was ascertained that the accused was aformer employee of the complainant and knows about the victim's background and his family.

"The accused will be taken on police remand for further invention," Preet Pal Sangwan, ACP (crime), said.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, Jan 16 (IANS) Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra arrived in Karnataka's state capital to take part in the Women's convention on Monday.

She was received by State Congress President D.K. Shivakumar, Opposition leader Siddaramaiah at the airport. The Congress workers who gathered on the airport premises accorded her a rousing welcome.

The party workers also honoured their leader with a huge apple and flower garland and cheered for her. Priyanka Gandhi will address a mega women's convention organised at the Palace Grounds.

Karnataka Congress wants to counter the BJP's blitzkrieg by roping in Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the government as well as party programmes.

The Congress wants to galvanise the party workers through Priyanka's event. It wants to create a momentum like how it got during the Bharat Jodo Yatra. Congress insiders explain that there will be a major announcement regarding the manifesto of the party for Karnataka by Priyanka Gandhi.

The party had erected huge and tall cutouts and banners across Bengaluru to welcome her. The leaders are hoping to get momentum with this convention for women titled "Na Nayaki (I am the leader)".

--IANS
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New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge has attacked the BJP and the Prime Minister and alleged that 115 people are taking their lives per day.

Kharge said in a tweet, "In #GujaratModel of BJP, 9 daily wagers die by suicide every day in Gujarat, 115 daily wagers commit suicide every day in India. Your 'Double Engine' has crushed the aspirations of the poor under its deadly wheels !"

Kharge had earlier attacked the government and said, "No Prime Minister, no home minister has lied, they are lying, sometimes they say they will give 2 crore jobs some time 15 lakh rupees to each one account, but all false."

"The Congress party made so many governments but the MLAs were lured and the BJP formed their own government, while they talk about protecting democracy."

He said the BJP's main aim is to create hatred and division, but the Bharat Jodo Yatra is fighting these elements and will emerge victorious.

Addressing the a rally in Haryana's Panipat recently, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi lashed out at the government on Agniveer Scheme, and said Haryana has become a champion in unemployment with no jobs for youth.

Gandhi said that earlier a soldier used to serve country for 15 years and proper training and retirement benefits were given but now after five years he will be unemployed.

--IANS
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Joshimath, Jan 16 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Central government have been monitoring the situation in Joshimath. After the Ministry of Home Affairs, a team from the PM's Office visited the holy city to inspect the land subsidence affected areas. The cracks have increased slightly.

The team, headed by Mangesh Ghildiyal, Deputy Secretary PMO, visited the city on Sunday and will submit its report soon, said sources.

According to sources, the purpose of the visit was to separately inspect the condition of the areas with visible cracks and deteriorating water quality.

Disaster Management Secretary Ranjit Kumar Sinha inspected the affected areas on the same day and said that there had been a slight increase in the number of cracks, but no new areas were damaged.

A team of the MHA, led by Border Management Secretary Dharmendra S. Gangwar, had visited Dehradun and Joshimath last week and had held discussions with the the state officials.

The local authorities informed the Central teams about the steps taken by the district administration.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Jan 16 (IANS) Congress leader Acharya Pramod Krishnam has termed his party's senior "manager" as old and irrelevant.

Krishnam tweeted, "After SP now BSP has also flatly refused the arrangement, seems to be that the senior 'manager' of our party, along with being old, has also become irrelevant."

It is apparent that Congress campaign for opposition unity against the BJP seems to have received a setback.

Significantly, Assembly elections are to be held in nine states before the Lok Sabha polls.

In many of these states, including in Uttar Pradesh, the opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) are seemingly drifting away from the Congress.

Krishnam took a jibe at the party manager regarding the same.

Recently, SP president and former UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, while talking to IANS, had said that the relevance of Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra and his party would be decided by the results of the Lok Sabha elections.

On the occasion of her birthday on Sunday, BSP Chief Mayawati informed that the party would not contest assembly elections in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh in 2023 and will contest the Lok Sabha polls alone, without any alliance.

These statements indicate that the Congress might not get the support of the SP and the BSP in the Lok Sabha polls and that the BJP might win against the divided opposition.

--IANS
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