India

New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) After Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appeal to support the Khadi industry by buying its products, Bihar's Samastipur district has been witnessing a huge demand for its products.

Recently, PM Modi in his monthly radio programme 'Mann ki Baat' had appealed to people to buy Khadi products.

Dhirendra Karji of the Samastipur Sub-Divisional Khadi Village Industries Committee told IANS that Khadi was now available in varied colours.

"Khadi garments are being made keeping the youth in mind. For winters, shawls and jackets are being manufactured. The products are available at all centres of Samastipur," he said.

The product range varies - mufflers for Rs 300- Rs 500, jackets from Rs 2,000-3,000 and Kashmiri wool shawls from Rs 2,000-Rs 6000, he said.

He said: "Youths are thronging the Khadi stores to buy colourful jackets. I think the interest of youths in Khadi has increased as earlier it did not offer any choices. Now, the young generation has options and hence they are opting for designer Khadi garments."

Talking about the Khadi business, he said it is going well as young people are continuously making Khadi purchases.

Samastipur resident Anas Rizwan said: "Khadi is a symbol of Gandhiji's legacy. Earlier, only elderly people used to wear Khadi, but now the youth are also going for it as garments are available in various colours. We appeal to the youth to wear Khadi and take forward Gandhiji's legacy."

Another local, Sanjit Kumar said: "Earlier people were under the impression that Khadi garments must be thick but now they are available in fine clothing too. Variety is tempting youths and we want them to use it more as it offers designer garments too."

Notably, on July 28, PM Modi said in his 'Mann ki Baat' radio show," There will be many among you people who have not been using Khadi, but today, you wear it with pride. I am very happy over the fact that Khadi Gramodyog's business has crossed Rs 1.5 lakh crore for the first time. Khadi's sale increased by 400 per cent. People's interest in Khadi will also lead to employment generation. I appeal to you that if you don't have Khadi garments, then start buying them this year."

--IANS

svn/rad

Bengaluru, Dec 14 (IANS) Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar clarified on Saturday that Congress was not pursuing politics of vengeance by filing an FIR concerning the Covid "scam".

Speaking to media persons, Shivakumar said, the Congress-led Karnataka government was not pursuing politics of vengeance in initiating action regarding the Covid "scam".

Shivakumar stated, "The government had formed a commission led by High Court Justice John Michael D’Cunha and action was taken as per the panel's recommendations."

"We are studying the recommendations after which more action will be followed and everything will happen within the framework of law," he said.

"If we were to pursue vengeful politics, any decision could have been made. The complainant woman had approached the court. If we were to misuse the police force, any decision would have been taken," Shivakumar stated referring to the POCSO case filed against former CM B. S. Yediyurappa.

"We had discussed certain issues and scams before the election. When the report of the commission is submitted, we can't sit quietly," Shivakumar said.

"Hence, we can't ignore when a commission gives a report and the government will take action," he said.

Sources stated that the Congress government is preparing to initiate legal action against prominent BJP leaders facing the allegations in the Covid scam. Earlier, the Commission had stated that B. S. Yediyurappa and then Health Ministers B. Sriramulu and K. Sudhakar had allegedly indulged in rampant corruption and misuse of power during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The government lodged an FIR in this regarding, naming officials at the Vidhana Soudha police station in Bengaluru on Friday.

The government is also preparing to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look into the matter and act swiftly, the sources confirmed.

The 10-page FIR discusses the role of five doctors, two government officers, a pharmaceutical company and industries. It also mentions the involvement of politicians and no names have been given.

--IANS

mka/svn

New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) Four days after approval by the Union Cabinet, the Bills to enable simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha as well as state and Union Territory assemblies will be introduced in the Lower House on Monday. The Bills will be introduced by Union Minister for Law and Justice Arjun Ram Meghwal.

The Union Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the ‘One Nation, One Election’ reform on Thursday. Meghwal will be presenting two Bills in the Lok Sabha – the Constitution (129th Amendment) Bill as well as the Union Territories Laws (Amendment) Bill.

According to the Centre, this legislation will not only streamline the electoral process, but will also foster greater efficiency, and reduce the financial and administrative burden associated with conducting multiple elections at different times.

The High-Level Committee on Simultaneous Elections headed by former President Ram Nath Kovind had recommended holding concurrent elections for the Lok Sabha and state Assemblies followed by synchronised local body polls within 100 days.

However, critics have argued that implementing synchronised elections could pose logistical and constitutional challenges.

The AAP, the Congress, Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress among others have raised concerns about the impact of simultaneous polls on regional autonomy and fairness.

“This is a controversial issue. Ours is a federal structure in which it is not possible to implement the 'One Nation, One Election' system. The Opposition has not been taken into confidence on the issue. All stakeholders must be taken into confidence before taking such a big decision,” a Congress leader told IANS.

Opposition leaders highlight potential difficulties in dissolving Assemblies mid-way or addressing situations where a state or the Union government falls before completing its tenure.

Proponents of the Bill on the other hand argue that it will usher in a new era of stability and continuity in policymaking, as governments will no longer have to operate in a perpetual election mode.

NDA partners including JD-U and the LJP have voiced strong support for the Bills highlighting the potential to reduce costs and ensure policy continuity.

The government has clarified that the two proposed legislations provide for “mid-term” polls for Parliament or a state Assembly in case a government falls but it will only be for the “unexpired” portion of the five-year fixed term.

--IANS

skp/rad

Chennai, Dec 14 (IANS) Senior Congress leader and Erode East MLA, EVKS Elangovan (75), passed away on Saturday. He had been admitted to a private hospital in Chennai for the past two weeks.

EVKS Elangovan had been hospitalised due to a lung-related issue, Tamil Nadu Congress said in a statement.

The legislator from Erode East constituency has not been keeping well for over a month. He was admitted to a hospital here on November 11. The party said EVKS Elangovan was undergoing intensive treatment for more than two weeks.

“He passed away today despite the best efforts of the medical staff,” the hospital said.

A former Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) President, Elangovan was a seasoned politician and an influential figure in state and national politics.

Elangovan previously represented the Gobichettipalayam Lok Sabha constituency in Tamil Nadu and served as the Union Minister of Textiles from 2004 to 2009 in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government.

However, in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, he lost to A. Ganeshamoorthy in the Erode constituency.

In 2019, he contested from the Theni Lok Sabha constituency but was defeated by O.P. Ravindranath Kumar.

Apart from his national roles, Elangovan also served as an MLA for the Sathyamangalam constituency in 1984.

More recently, he won the Erode East Assembly seat in the 2023 bye-elections following the untimely demise of his son, Thirumagan Evera, who had won the seat in 2021.

Born on December 21, 1948, in Erode district, Elangovan was the son of E.V.K. Sampath and the grandson of Krishnasamy, the brother of social reformer Periyar E.V. Ramasamy.

His political career was deeply rooted in Tamil Nadu’s Dravidian and Congress traditions.

The veteran leader leaves behind a legacy of dedicated political service and significant contributions to Tamil Nadu and Indian politics.

Following the news of his passing, Congress officials have been visiting the hospital where he was receiving treatment.

Police personnel have been deployed around the hospital to maintain public order.

—IANS

aal/rad

Srinagar, Dec 14 (IANS) The Counter Intelligence Kashmir (CIK), a wing of the CID on Saturday carried out raids at multiple locations in Anantnag and Kulgam districts of Jammu & Kashmir.

Officials sources said that sleuths of CIK carried out raids at Anantnag district jail in Mattan and searched various barracks and blocks inside the jail premises.

“The raid is being carried out in connection with the investigations of a terror-related case. The teams of CIK are also carrying out raids in Chawalgam and Sonigam villages of Kulgam district. The raids are being carried out after obtaining search warrants from the court,” sources said.

During similar raids in the past, the sleuths of various investigating agencies discovered mobile phones being used by the inmates. In most of these cases, the jail authorities had expressed a lack of knowledge about these mobile phones.

In a number of such cases, some officials of the jail had also been brought under the scanner of the intelligence agencies.

It must be mentioned that after the terrorist increased their activities targeting civilians, security forces, police and the army, the security forces have been given clear orders to go after terrorists, their over-ground workers (OGWs) and sympathises so that the ecosystem of terror is completely dismantled in J&K.

These terrorist attacks took place in the aftermath of peaceful people-participative Lok Sabha and Legislative Assembly elections in J&K. Intelligence agencies believe that the fair and largely people-participative elections witnessed by the world had created impatience among the handlers of terror sitting across the border and that is why the terrorists have been directed to give the dying militancy the last push in J&K.

On October 20, terrorists opened indiscriminate firing inside the workers' camp of an infrastructure company in Gagangir area of Ganderbal district. Seven civilians including six workers of the company and a local doctor were killed in the Gagangir attack.

--IANS

sq/kvd

Bhopal, Dec 14 (IANS) Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will on Saturday inaugurate 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.

The Sarsi Island Resort features 10 eco-friendly huts.

"These beautiful huts are designed to offer visitors an experience of a lifetime and the accommodations are a perfect amalgam of comfort with sustainability," a senior official of the tourism department said.

The resort is located near prominent tourist destinations, most prominent among them being the Bandhavgarh Tiger Reserve (BTR).

The tiger reserve is of vital importance considering its diverse flora and fauna and is known for the healthy population of tigers and a wide variety of herbivores.

It is unique from the point of biodiversity, as it comprises hills, rivers, marshes and meadows and consequently, a diverse vegetation.

Apart from tigers, as many as 34 species of mammals have been listed and nearly 260 species of birds and 70 species of butterfly can be found there. It will be a major attraction for the tourists staying at the island resort.

Set on the picturesque backwaters of the Bansagar Dam in Shahdol district of the state, the Sarsi Island Resort has been built with modern facilities to attract all class of tourists.

Beside a gym, a library, and a kid’s play zone, a conference room has also been built where business meetings and other events can also be organised.

Officials said the Sarsi resort has been developed to draw tourists along with boosting regional tourism that will support the local economy in turn.

Later in the day, Chief Minister Yadav will visit Mauganj district to inaugurate a newly-built 200-bed hospital and will also lay the foundation of several other projects in the area.

Notably, Mauganj, which was a part of Rewa district, was made a separate district last year.

The Madhya Pradesh government has promised to provide all facilities to the new district to aid in its development.

--IANS

pd/rad

New Delhi, Dec 14 (IANS) Veteran BJP leader, Lal Krishna Advani, has been hospitalised at Delhi's Apollo Hospital after his health deteriorated.

The former Deputy Prime Minister and BJP stalwart was hospitalised late on Friday night.

The 97-year-old Lal Krishna Advani has not been keeping well for quite some time and was hospitalised for the fourth time in the last few months.

The reason for this latest hospitalisation could not be immediately known but doctors said that his condition is stable right now.

The former Home Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government was conferred with the highest civilian honour the 'Bharat Ratna' this year.

As the senior leader could not attend the ceremony organised at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, he was conferred with the award at his home.

Lal Krishna Advani is one of the founders of the BJP and a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)

Lal Krishna Advani was one of the torchbearers of the final phase of the temple movement when he started his Rath Yatra from Somnath to mobilise support for the Ram Temple in September 1990.

On November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the veteran leader's residence to extend birthday wishes. He also shared a photo on social media platform X in which he can be seen gifting a bouquet to the leader.

PM Modi had captioned the photo, "Visited Advani ji's house to extend birthday wishes."

Prior to that PM Modi had said in a post on X: "Heartiest greeting to Advani ji on his birthday. This birthday is more special as the leader has been conferred with the Bharat Ratna this year. He is one of the respected leaders of the country who have dedicated their lives for the development of the country. I pray for his long and healthy life."

"Advaniji has always been respected for his intellect and rich insights. I am fortunate to have received his guidance for many years," PM Modi said.

--IANS

svn/rad

Kolkata, Dec 14 (IANS) On Saturday Kolkata is all set to witness a resurrection of protests, as the medical fraternity and common people are fuming over the granting of “default bail” to two persons accused of evidence tampering in the case related to the rape and murder of a junior doctor of R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital.

The bail was granted because of the failure of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to file the charge sheet against the two accused within 90 days from the date of arrest.

On Friday a special court in Kolkata granted “default bail” to the former principal of R.G. Kar, Sandip Ghosh and the former SHO of Tala Police Station, Abhijit Mondal.

Both have been accused of misleading the investigation and tampering with evidence.

Fuming over the development reportedly because of the failure of the central agency to file the charge sheet in time, West Bengal Junior Doctors’ Front (WBJDF) has announced day-long protests on Saturday primarily targeting the CBI over the development.

At 2 P.M. on Saturday, the WBJDF will organise a protest rally to the office of the CBI’s special crime unit at the Central Government Office (CGO) complex demanding that the central agency takes the moral responsibility for its failure in the matter.

Parallel protest rallies by two other organisations related to the medical fraternity, namely Medical Service Centre and Nurse’s Unit are also scheduled on Saturday.

At the same time ‘Abhaya Manch’, a joint platform of common people from different walks of life, will be organising a protest demonstration at Rani Rashmoni Road in central Kolkata on Saturday afternoon.

The WBJDF will send their representatives there. All these medical fraternity bodies have given an open call to common people to join those rallies in large numbers.

Meanwhile, WBJDF representatives have already claimed that in due course they might again resume their “ceasework protests” which they withdrew a couple of months back keeping the larger public interest in mind.

“A number of influential people are associated with the R.G. Kar tragedy. Our question is whether justice can be achieved even if the involvement of influential people is there,” said a WBJDF representative.

--IANS

src/rad

Srinagar, Dec 14 (IANS) As a cold wave swept across J&K, the difference between maximum and minimum temperatures narrowed further with Srinagar recording minus 4.6 and Jammu 3.6 as the minimum temperatures on Saturday.

At 3.6 degrees Celsius as the minimum temperature, Jammu city recorded this season’s lowest minimum temperature on Saturday.

The maximum temperature was 9.6 and 21.9 in Srinagar and Jammu on Friday.

Gulmarg recorded minus 7.6 and Pahalgam minus 8.4 as the minimum temperature on Saturday.

Jammu city recorded 3.6, Katra 7.5, Batote 4.6, Banihal 4.9 and Bhaderwah minus 0.6 as the minimum temperature on Saturday.

MET department has forecast cold dry weather till December 20 during which period, the cold wave is expected to intensify further.

Morning chill and frost have restricted the movement of pedestrians and vehicles on the roads in Srinagar and other towns of the Valley as people prefer to remain indoors to escape extreme cold in the mornings.

In the evenings also, shops and other business establishments close earlier as people hurry home to join their families during the long, cold winter nights.

Almost all Kashmiris wear the tweed over garment called the ‘Pheran’ during the winter months.

The earthen firepot woven in a basket of willow wicker called the ‘Kangri’ is filled with ember and kept under the Pheran to keep warm during the extreme winter cold.

Despite the tall claim, the local administration had not been able to supply sufficient electricity to people in the Valley although the revenue collection from consumers has appreciably increased in recent months.

This has taught the locals to trust traditional ways to ward off winter chill and stick to the traditional attire that has withstood the test of time.

--IANS

sq/kvd

Chandigarh, Dec 14 (IANS) Farmer leader Sarwan Singh Pandher on Saturday questioned the government's stance, asking how a group of 101 farmers walking on foot towards Delhi could be considered a threat to national peace and order. Dwelling on the decision of Working President of the All India Kisan Congress and wrestler, Bajrang Punia, to join the farmers, he said that they have no problem with a sportsperson or celebrity joining the stir, but want to keep political parties away.

Ahead of the 'Delhi Chalo' foot march, Pandher compared the ongoing farmers' protest to the Parliament's Constitution debate.

"Only 101 farmers will head towards Delhi today at 12:00 P.M. Every movement has its purpose. Despite the government's efforts and military barriers, our voices have reached 140 crore citizens. The voice of Shambhu and Khanauri is resonating across the country, and the Prime Minister must respect this voice," Pandher told IANS.

He further questioned, "While Parliament discusses the Constitution, do Shambhu and Khanauri follow a different Constitution? How can 101 individuals walking peacefully, pose a threat to peace and order?"

Pandher also expressed concern over the health of farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who has been on an indefinite hunger strike for 19 days at the Khanauri border.

"His condition is critical. The entire country is worried, yet the Prime Minister seems indifferent," he remarked.

Dwelling on the decision of wrestler Bajrang Punia to join the farmers, Pandher said that they have no issue with a sportsperson or celebrity joining the stir, but want to keep political parties away.

He also stated that they expect to convince farmers from other organisations, who have stayed out of the stir till now, to join the movement.

The farmers are resuming their march to demand the fulfilment of their long-pending issues, including a legal guarantee for the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and loan waivers.

Since February 13, the farmers have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana, following the government's efforts to halt their previous attempts to reach Delhi. The protest is being held under the banner of Samyukta Kisan Morcha and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha.

Earlier, Pandher announced the decision to march towards Delhi, emphasising the symbolic importance of the struggle. Farmers had prayed at Sikh shrines to express solidarity and seek blessings for their movement's success.

In response, security measures along the interstate border on the Ghaggar rivulet have been intensified, with central paramilitary forces and Haryana police deployed. Temporary barricades heavily guarded by police and paramilitary personnel have been set up to prevent farmers from advancing.

During earlier march attempts, clashes with security forces led to the use of teargas shells to disperse the farmers. The protestors temporarily suspended their march on December 8 after several were injured.

Despite these setbacks, the farmers remain steadfast in their demands for legal reforms to improve the agricultural sector. Haryana Police had previously cited prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to justify their actions in stopping the protestors.

The farmers' march aims to spotlight their grievances and ensure their voices are heard in Parliament.

--IANS

sd/rad