India

Chennai, Dec 19 (IANS) The main opposition party in Tamil Nadu, AIADMK, has announced a protest on December 21, demanding the immediate disbursement of relief measures and compensation for the flood-affected people in the Villupuram district.

The protest march and demonstration will be led by senior AIADMK leader and party organising secretary, C. V. Shanmugam, in front of the Villupuram collectorate.

AIADMK General Secretary and Leader of the Opposition, Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS), made this announcement.

EPS accused the state government of poor management during the heavy rains triggered by Cyclone Fengal earlier this month.

He alleged that the government released over 1.68 lakh cusecs of water from the Sathanur reservoir without issuing prior flood alerts.

This, he said, led to sudden flooding in the Thenpennai River, severely affecting people in the low-lying areas of Villupuram district.

The former Chief Minister claimed that the DMK government’s mismanagement caused severe damage to property and livelihoods.

He said several villages were submerged, and towns like Cuddalore and Villupuram were inundated, with water entering many housing colonies.

The DMK government, however, denied these allegations.

Tamil Nadu Water Resources Minister and senior DMK leader, S. Duraimurugan, said that proper protocols were followed in managing the dam and issuing flood warnings.

In a statement, Duraimurugan clarified that five warnings were issued before releasing water from the dam.

He explained that the decision to release 1.80 lakh cusecs of water was necessary to prevent the dam from breaching, which could have caused the loss of seven TMC of water and widespread devastation.

The minister also emphasised that there was no loss of life due to the water release into the Thenpennai River.

He credited the “deft handling” of the unprecedented situation for averting a larger crisis.

--IANS

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Guwahati, Dec 19 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday attended an insightful presentation on the Gelephu Mindfulness City Project during his four-day visit to Bhutan.

The presentation provided valuable insights into the objectives and framework of the project.

Representatives from Druk Holding and Investments Limited highlighted their ongoing initiatives aimed at fostering environmental sustainability alongside economic development.

The presentation also showcased Bhutan's energy projects, focusing on their potential to fortify the shared interests of Assam and Bhutan.

CM Sarma invited the participating dignitaries and entrepreneurs to attend the upcoming investor summit --'Advantage Assam', which is dedicated to infrastructure and investment opportunities.

Following the presentation, CM Sarma attended a lunch hosted by Lotay Tshering, Governor of the Gelephu Mindfulness City Project.

Later, the Chief Minister, accompanied by his wife Riniki Bhuyan Sharma, met with the revered spiritual leader Sadhguru at the India House in Thimphu. They engaged in a discussion on various spiritual matters, which CM Sarma described as a profoundly enriching experience.

Bhutan's Prime Minister Dasho Tshering Tobgay and his wife Tashi Doma, as well as India's Ambassador to Bhutan, Sudhakar Dalela, and his wife Namrata Dalela, were also present during the discussion.

The CM also held discussions with renowned educationist Arun Kapur, who has rendered more than four decades of exemplary service in the education sector.

He also paid a visit to the historic Simtokha Dzong, an iconic spiritual and cultural landmark of Bhutan, where he offered prayers and sought blessings for peace and prosperity.

CM Sarma, on Tuesday, met Bhutan King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and discussed strengthening the historical ties between Assam and Bhutan and advancing collaborative efforts between the two regions.

The discussion also focussed on fostering Bhutan's development, enhancing the welfare of its people, and promoting broader regional economic development.

In an X post, the Assam CM said, "Cherished moments with His Majesty the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Her Majesty The Gyaltsuen Jetsun Pema | Tashichhodzong."

--IANS

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Mumbai, Dec 19 (IANS) Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni, who was linked to a drug trafficking case, is back in the country after 24 years. She spilled the beans in an exclusive conversation with IANS.

She also talked about her relationship with Vicky Goswami and drugs.

Mamta Kulkarni told IANS, "I met Vicky Goswami in 1996 and in 1997 Vicky Goswami was arrested in a drugs case. He remained in jail for 12 years. During this time he also asked me to meet him, after which I met him once. During this time I focused all my attention towards spirituality. I came to take a holy bath in the Kumbh Mela in 2012 and after that Vicky also went to Kenya."

On the question of marriage with Vicky Goswami, the actress said, "All this is wrong. I have not married Vicky. I was celibate for 12 years and did not even eat onion and garlic during this time. Yes, it is true that I was with Vicky Goswami and will always love him. However, everything ended due to my focus on spirituality. I also met Vicky Goswami in Kenya. However, he was taken to America in a drug case. It has been almost eight years and now everything is over."

On the drugs case registered against her, Mamta said, "What did I lack? People do this for money. I had 10 film offers at that time and I had three houses and two cars. However, I left Bollywood. I think a false case was registered against me in the drug case because of Vicky or for publicity."

He said, "I was declared a fugitive and the officer who filed the case against me, was also declared a fugitive for a few months. As you sow, so shall you reap. Where is that commissioner today? The police did not have any evidence."

--IANS

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Mumbai, Dec 19 (IANS) Bollywood actress Mamta Kulkarni lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying the country is safe under his leadership.

In an exclusive conversation with IANS, the Bollywood actress spoke on a range of topics.

Mamta Kulkarni said, "It is very difficult for India to get such a Prime Minister. Whatever I say about him is less. He loves the country very much and can do anything for it. The country is safe under him. Narendra Modi is an honest Prime Minister… for him work is everything."

“There is a BJP government in the state and the country. Some miracle should happen. There are many potholes on roads. The Law Minister should also pay attention to this,” she added.

The Bollywood actress also expressed happiness over the inauguration of Ram temple in Ayodhya. She said, "I am very happy with the consecration of Ram temple. Earlier a temple was there, then it was demolished and now Ram temple has been built again. I will definitely visit Ram temple in Ayodhya. Apart from this, I will visit Kashi Vishwanath temple and will also go to Kumbh and take a royal bath."

Mamta Kulkarni said, "Now I am a sanyasi and I am neither interested in Bollywood nor anything else. I am no longer in the age to think about Bollywood again. I want to live a spiritual life and participate in spiritual debates so that I can unite everyone."

The actress, who was linked to a drug trafficking case and was back in Mumbai after 24 years, expressed her happiness. Mamta said, "When I was reaching Mumbai, I became very emotional. Tears came to my eyes because I remembered the place from where I started my journey and the Bollywood which gave me so much."

She said, "I have seen a lot of change in Mumbai. However, there is a lot of traffic here and the condition of the roads is also very bad. I had heard that the BMC budget is Rs 25000 crore, but I don't think any such work has been done. There are a lot of potholes on the roads here. Mumbai should be improved, because Mumbai is the economic capital of the country. Mumbai should also be clean."

--IANS

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New Delhi, Dec 19 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday expressed grief over the loss of 13 lives following a collision between two boats in Mumbai while announcing an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh for the kin of the deceased and Rs 50,000 assistance for the injured individuals.

Taking to X, the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) wrote: "The Prime Minister has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh from PMNRF for the next of kin of each deceased in the boat mishap in Mumbai. The injured would be given Rs 50,000."

In another post, the PMO, quoting Prime Minister Modi, wrote: "The boat mishap in Mumbai is saddening. Condolences to the bereaved families. I pray that the injured recover soon. Those affected are being assisted by the authorities: PM @narendramodi."

In a horrific maritime disaster, at least 13 persons drowned, including three Indian Navy sailors plus another 99 were rescued from the Arabian Sea when a naval speedboat on engine trials lost control and abruptly rammed into a passenger ferry, near the Raigad Coast, off Gateway of India, here on Wednesday evening, officials said.

The passenger boat, reported to be a private catamaran named 'Neelkamal', was ferrying around 110 tourists plus five crew members to the world-famous UNESCO Heritage Elephanta Islands, and the disaster occurred around 5:15 p.m., said the BMC Disaster Control.

Official sources said that an Indian Navy's rigid inflatable boat undergoing engine trials crashed into the 'Neelkamal' at high speed, overturning it and throwing most of the tourists into the Arabian Sea near Uran, Karanja on the Raigad coast, around 10 km from Gateway of India.

The sources said that the ferry, 'Neelkamal', may have broken down with the sudden hit, overturned and started sinking with the passengers thrown into the sea.

Videos of the tragedy, clicked by aghast passengers from other ferries in the vicinity showed gruesome shots of people screaming for help, flailing their arms and legs to remain afloat or attempting to hold their near and dear ones from sinking in chilly sea waters.

On receiving the SOS from multiple sources on the disaster, a massive rescue operation was launched by the Indian Navy's four helicopters and 15 other vessels including the Marine Police, Indian Coast Guard, Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority, along with local fishers and other ferry boats to save the victims.

By 9 p.m., the authorities confirmed 13 deaths comprising three Indian Navy sailors and 10 civilians, several 'critical' in different hospitals, and over 100 other tourists whose condition is reported to be 'stable' in various hospitals, while the search continues for another five still suspected 'missing' as darkness fell.

It was not immediately clear whether the ill-fated 'Neelkamal' was carrying passengers as per the stipulated norms for load and other safety measures.

The owner of the vessel, Rajendra Padte, said that the 'Neelkamal' had departed on its regular tourism voyage to Elephanta Islands around 3.15 p.m. and barely a couple of hours later the tragedy was reported, "but it was not our fault".

"An Indian Navy speedboat first encircled my boat, then zoomed off, and returned again at high speed and banged into 'Neelkamal'. All the tourists were wearing life jackets which are now compulsory. More than a dozen other boats are engaged in the rescue operations," a shaken Padte told mediapersons.

A livid Peasants & Workers Party of India (PWP) General Secretary and ex-legislator Jayant P. Patil, who was present at the spot, slammed the concerned authorities that resulted in the tragedy and the 'Neelkamal' sunk into the water soon thereafter.

--IANS

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Patna, Dec 18 (IANS) The controversy surrounding the 70th Combined Competitive Examination prelims of the Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) has escalated into a major protest by candidates here, on Wednesday, demanding the cancellation of the examination.

While the BPSC has cancelled the exam at the Bapu Examination Complex Centre in Patna due to issues like delayed question paper delivery, candidates are now questioning the integrity of the entire examination process.

On December 13, the examination at this centre was disrupted due to a delay in receiving the question paper.

Of the 12,000 candidates, only 5,500 OMR sheets were submitted, raising suspicions about the transparency and fairness of the exam.

The BPSC has cancelled the examination at the Bapu Examination Complex, but it has declared the exams at the remaining 911 centres as fair.

Hundreds of students gathered at the Gardanibagh protest site in Patna, demanding that the entire exam be cancelled and re-conducted.

These students have described their protest as "Chhatra Satyagraha" (Student Struggle), with the slogan "One slogan, one demand -- re-exam, re-exam".

Dilip Kumar, a student leader, voiced strong support for the protesting candidates.

"Not only should the exam at the Patna centre be cancelled, but the entire examination should be scrapped, and a new one conducted with full transparency. We demanded that the BPSC should release CCTV footage from all the other 911 centres to ensure that the exams were conducted fairly," Kumar said.

Dilip Kumar and other protesters have raised concerns that the BPSC has failed to demonstrate the transparency of the examination process.

While only one centre's exam was cancelled, the students fear that similar issues might have occurred at other centres, which have yet to be investigated or made public.

Protestors are demanding that the BPSC cancel the examination held on December 13 and conduct a fresh examination.

Dilip Kumar has called for a high-level investigation into the entire exam process, stating that it should be carried out under the supervision of a retired judge of the Supreme Court.

--IANS

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Agartala, Dec 18 (IANS) Ahead of the 3-day visit of Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Tripura and the 72nd Plenary Session of the North Eastern Council (NEC), security along the India-Bangladesh border and various parts of the state further tightened, officials said on Wednesday.

A Border Security Force (BSF) spokesman said that before the NEC plenary session, top officials led by Tripura Chief Secretary J.K. Sinha visited various bordering areas and districts and reviewed the prevailing security scenario and operational preparedness.

During the visit, various issues pertaining to effective border management including day and night intense domination of India-Bangladesh border by the BSF, joint operations with police and other intelligence agencies to prevent trans-border crime, action against touts facilitating illegal migration, destruction drive of cannabis, security of border population residing ahead of the fence and plan for relocation of villages ahead of the border fence, road connectivity and supply of electricity to BOPs, and land acquisition cases were discussed in depth.

The spokesman said that during the visit to BOP N.C. Nagar, Deputy Inspector General, Gokulnagar also briefed the senior officials about the current security scenario and extra steps taken to further strengthen border security.j

Director General of Tripura Police Amitabh Ranjan, BSF Additional Director General, Eastern Command, Ravi Gandhi, BSF Inspector General, Tripura Frontier, Ashwani Kumar Sharma accompanied the Chief Secretary during the visit to Dhalai and Sepahijala districts.

The Chief Secretary and the DGP lauded the tireless and persistent efforts of BSF troopers deployed on the border in difficult terrain, the spokesman said.

The visit underscored the commitment of the BSF in conjunction with state authorities to bolster border security.

BSF ADG and the IG later met Governor Indrasena Reddy Nallu at the Raj Bhavan and briefed him about the prevailing security scenario along the border and the force's operational preparedness.

The Governor appreciated the efforts of the BSF in Tripura to maintain peace and security in the region and emphasised the importance of enhanced coordination between state agencies and the BSF to address emerging challenges.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia, Governors, Chief Ministers and Deputy Chief Ministers of all eight northeastern states will attend the NEC meeting in Agartala on December 21.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said that the progress of various ongoing and proposed development projects would be discussed in the vital meeting.

He said that a review meeting of the works and planning of the North Eastern Space Application Centre (NESAC) would be held on December 22.

A senior official said that the Union Home Minister and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) Chairman S. Somanath would attend the NESAC meeting.

The Union Home Minister, in the previous NEC meeting in Shillong, had said that in the 50 years of its establishment, the NEC has increased the pace of development of the region by providing a policy-related platform to all the states and simplifying the solutions to their problems.

Headquartered in Meghalaya's capital Shillong, the NEC, a regional planning and statutory advisory body for the eight northeastern states including Sikkim, was constituted under the North Eastern Council Act, 1971, and came into being on November 7, 1972.

--IANS

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Lucknow, Dec 18 (IANS) A Congress worker died on Wednesday during the party’s protest near the Uttar Pradesh Assembly in Lucknow.

The body of the deceased identified as Prabhat Pandey, who had come to Lucknow to join the protest, was taken to the Civil Hospital.

Uttar Pradesh Congress President Ajay Rai reached the hospital after some time.

Ajay Rai said, “We are people who believe in Gandhiji's ideology. We were going towards the Vidhan Sabha with the intention of registering our protest in a peaceful manner. But, the Chief Minister of the state, with the intention of suppressing the voice of the Congressmen, put the Congress workers of the entire state under house arrest a day before. At the same time, pressure was being exerted on them not to come to Lucknow.”

He also sought financial assistance of Rs 1 crore for the family of the deceased Prabhat Pandey from the UP government.

“We demand from the state government that the Chief Minister should provide financial assistance of Rs 1 crore to the family of the deceased Prabhat Pandey and a government job to one member of the family,” he added.

On the other hand, Lucknow Commissionerate DCP Raveena Tyagi said that Gorakhpur resident Prabhat Pandey was brought to the civil hospital from the Congress office in an unconscious state, where doctors declared him dead.

According to doctors, no injury was found on his body. The postmortem of the body will be videographed. Police will take further legal action.

Earlier on Wednesday, Congress leaders who were preparing to march to Lucknow to protest near the Assembly were stopped in different districts of the state and senior leaders were placed under house arrest.

The Congressmen who reached the party office in Lucknow were arrested by the police and left at Eco Garden. The police also arrested the leaders who tried to reach the Assembly.

The police arrested the state Congress president Ajay Rai who was going to protest near the Assembly. After returning from the protest, Ajay Rai reached the Civil Hospital.

--IANS

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Agartala, Dec 18 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Chief Minister Manik Saha on Wednesday said that the state would soon be unemployment-free as the state government is encouraging entrepreneurship.

In the coming days, there would be no unemployment in the state as the government is providing jobs based on transparency and encouraging entrepreneurship, he said.

"We are providing government jobs based on transparency. No one can claim that jobs are being provided unfairly. So far, more than 13,000 government jobs have been provided (since 2018), and almost every day, new announcements of jobs are being made,” Saha told the media on the sideline of a government programme.

He mentioned that new vacancies are being created and filled up promptly.

"However, it is not possible to provide jobs to everyone. For this, various initiatives are being taken to generate employment opportunities," said Saha.

Sharing his experience of attending the Northeast Trade and Investment Roadshow in Mumbai on December 16, he said: "There, I spoke to investors and informed them about Tripura's diverse resources."

"I highlighted various important sectors, including tourism, agriculture, and the hotel industry. Additionally, I showcased the potential of industries like agar, rubber and bamboo. Investors have shown keen interest in the state's bamboo industry, and I informed them about Tripura's bamboo policy. In short, I discussed all aspects of the state's industrial potential, and investors have expressed their interest. People are now showing interest in coming to Tripura,” the Chief Minister added.

Saha emphasised that law and order in the state is very good. "Tripura has been chosen as a preferred destination in the northeastern region in terms of peace and harmony. As more people come here, employment opportunities will naturally increase. Alongside this, many are stepping forward in the fields of entrepreneurship and start-ups. In the coming days, there will be no unemployment in Tripura,” he added.

--IANS

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Imphal, Dec 18 (IANS) The Manipur government on Wednesday said that in view of the growing security concerns arising out of influx from neighbouring countries, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has reimposed the Protected Area Regime in the state as well as neighbouring Mizoram and Nagaland, officials said.

An official statement said that with this reimposition of the Protected Area Regime, the movement of foreigners visiting Manipur would be closely monitored, and they are required to obtain the necessary Protected Area Permits (PAP) in accordance with the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order, 1958.

The Manipur government would like to address certain claims made by an organisation identifying itself as the 'Kuki-Zo Council' recently, the statement said adding that upon investigation, it has been found that no such organisation exists in Manipur.

The origin and authenticity of this group are highly questionable, it said.

"There is no district by the name Lamka, mentioned as a headquarters (of the organisation) in Manipur. This raises strong suspicions regarding the external origins of such organisations that appear to operate outside legal and administrative frameworks," the statement said.

According to the statement, the police are actively looking into this matter and an FIR would be lodged to ascertain the true nature and intent behind such misleading activities.

The people of Manipur are urged to exercise caution and not to pay heed to statements or claims from organisations of dubious origins, which have been surfacing recently with the apparent intention of creating confusion and unrest, it said.

The government remained committed to maintaining peace and harmony in the state and advised the citizens to remain vigilant and trust only credible sources of information, it added.

Further updates would be shared as investigations progress, it said.

The state government also urged the media fraternity, both national and local media houses, to refrain from giving publicity to such press releases from unauthorised organisations and individuals.

The Central government and its agencies are also appealing to disregard such claims from unverified organisations.

The restoration of peace and harmony amongst our communities is of utmost importance at this juncture more than ever, the government statement said, adding that the government would not tolerate any action that threatened to disrupt the peace process.

--IANS

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