India

Chandigarh, Feb 9 (IANS) A delegation led by Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) president Harjinder Singh Dhami on Friday reached Nanded to join the protest over the proposed amendments to the Nanded Sikh Gurdwara Sachkhand Sri Hazur Abchalnagar Sahib Act, 1956, by the Maharashtra government.

Other members of the delegation comprised Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Daljit Singh Cheema and SGPC general secretary Rajinder Singh Mehta. The delegation will join the protest being organised by Hazur Sahib ‘sangat’ against the amendment passed by the Maharashtra Cabinet.

The Takhat Hazur Sahib in Nanded in Maharashtra is one of the five Takhats (high temporal seats) of Sikhs and is of great historical importance as the 10th Guru of Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh, passed away there.

The decision to amend the Act that will increase the number of the government’s nominees to the religious body’s board has drawn criticism from SGPC president Dhami who said it was “sad, condemnable and a direct interference” in Sikh affairs “which cannot be tolerated”. He has now written a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, seeking an appointment to discuss this issue.

Akali Dal leader Cheema said the state government has opened a way to directly nominate 12 out of total 17 members of the board.

“The number of members sent by the SGPC has been reduced from four to two and nomination of Chief Khalsa Diwan of Hazuri Sachkhand Diwan has been abolished. Similarly, two Sikh MPs who used to be members of the board has also been denied this right in the new amendment,” he wrote on X.

“It’s clear that the state government is going to take full control of the gurdwara board which can’t be tolerated by Sikh community. SAD urged the Maharashtra government to immediately roll back the amendment,” he added.

The Global Sikh Council (GSC), a confederation of national-level Sikh organisations, has called upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene. It warned that such unilateral decisions of the government, led by Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, constituted a gross violation of Sikh gurdwara affairs and would not be tolerated by the Sikhs.

In a statement, GCC President Kanwaljit Kaur highlighted the “consistent disregard” shown by the ruling dispensation in Maharashtra towards Sikh sentiments.

--IANS

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Lucknow, Feb 9 (IANS) Four Lok Sabha seats, a berth in the union cabinet, two berths in the state cabinet and one seat in the UP legislative council - with this on its platter, the Rashtriya Lok Dal is all set to switch sides and join the BJP-led NDA.

A clear indication of RLD joining the NDA is that RLD MLAs will now join the BJP MLAs on their Ayodhya visit on Sunday.

A senior BJP leader said, "Our party is offering them Baghpat, Mathura, Hathras, and Amroha. The party leadership has refused to give them Muzaffarnagar and Kairana. We are even offering Bijnor and Saharanpur. The modalities are still being worked out."

RLD leaders said there had been issues over the SP wanting its leaders to contest some of these seven seats on their symbol. Among these seats is Kairana, where the SP wanted to field Iqra Hasan, the sister of SP MLA Nahid Hasan.

"This policy of 'our candidate, your symbol' is not acceptable to us now. This is against the coalition dharma and amounts to back-seat driving," said a senior RLD leader, admitting that this was a major factor in souring of relations between SP and RLD.

Meanwhile, SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday, while speaking to reporters in Varanasi, did not provide a clear answer on the future of the SP-RLD partnership.

"The BJP knows how to break parties and when to take whom. The BJP also knows how to cheat. You have seen how cheating happened in the recent Chandigarh mayoral elections. The BJP knows how to buy parties. It is not by coincidence that the BJP has become the biggest party. They know where to send ED, CBI, and the IT department," he said.

Akhilesh also appeared to dissuade the RLD from joining the NDA. “Jayant Chaudhary is an educated person and he understands politics well. I am hopeful that he will not let the fight for farmers and prosperity of UP be weakened,” he said.

If the RLD quits the INDIA alliance, it will further weaken the beleaguered alliance in UP an give a major boost to the BJP in western UP.

Seat sharing between SP and Congress, meanwhile, is still in the realms of uncertainty.

Sources in the BJP also confirmed progress in the talks between the two parties.

--IANS

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Lucknow, Jan 15 (IANS) Renowned Urdu poet Munawwar Rana died due to a cardiac arrest at the SGPGI Hospital in Lucknow on Sunday night. He was 71.

The poet had been battling with prolonged illness for the past several months and was undergoing treatment at the SGPGI Hospital. He was suffering from cancer, kidney and heart-related ailments.

Rana's daughter Sumaiya Rana said that her father will be laid to rest on Monday.

Rana's son Tabrez Rana said, "He was hospitalised for 14 to 15 days due to illness. He was first admitted to Medanta in Lucknow and then to SGPGI where he breathed his last around 11 p.m. on Sunday."

The poet is survived by his wife, four daughters and a son.

Born on November 26, 1952, in Uttar Pradesh's Rae Bareli, Rana was widely recognised for his contributions to Urdu literature and poetry, particularly for his ghazals. His poetic style was notable for its accessibility, as he often incorporated Hindi and Awadhi words while avoiding Persian and Arabic, which resonated with Indian audiences.

His most famous poem was 'Maa', which celebrated the virtues of a mother within the traditional ghazal form.

Throughout his career, Rana received numerous accolades, including the prestigious Sahitya Akademi Award in 2014 for his poetry book 'Shahdaba'. However, he returned the award about a year later due to concerns over rising intolerance in the country.

Other awards he received include the Ameer Khusro Award, Mir Taqi Mir Award, Ghalib Award, Dr Zakir Hussain Award, and the Saraswati Samaj Award. His works have been translated into several languages.

Rana spent much of his life in Kolkata and had a significant presence in mushairas, both in India and abroad.

The poet was also active in political developments in Uttar Pradesh. His daughter Sumaiya is a member of the Samajwadi Party (SP), led by Akhilesh Yadav.

Rana has often been mired in controversies for his statements.

The 71-year-old had drawn flak for favouring the Taliban and comparing it with Maharishi Valmiki, as well as for supporting the murder of Samuel Paty, who was killed over a controversy about Prophet Mohammad in Paris in 2020.

--IANS

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Jaipur, Jan 15 (IANS) The Rajasthan government has announced a 'dry day' in the state on January 22 in view of the 'Pran Pratishtha' ceremony at Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The order in this regard was issued by the state Excise Department on Sunday.

Eventually, over 7,000 liquor shops and bars in the state shall remain closed on the day, officials said.

"Due to the consecration ceremony of Lord Shri Ram in the temple being built at Shri Ram Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya, January 22, 2024, is declared as a dry day in the entire state. Liquor shops will remain closed throughout the day on this day. The closing time of liquor shops in Rajasthan is fixed at 8 p.m. In such a situation, liquor shops will be closed at 8 p.m. on January 21, and will open in the morning on January 23," the order stated.

Besides this, all non-veg shops in Jaipur will also remain closed on the day.

--IANS

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Bhubaneswar, Jan 15 (IANS) The Odisha government has announced a holiday on January 17 for all educational institutions and state government offices in view of the inauguration of the Jagannath Temple Heritage Corridor project in Puri on the day.

All the schools, colleges and government offices will remain closed so that the devotees can witness the grand opening event on January 17, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said on Sunday.

The government is anticipating that a huge crowd of devotees will throng the holy city to witness the event.

Rituals for the grand opening of the project have already commenced in Puri from Friday.

Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, the 'King of Puri', earlier invited priests for the 'Maha Yajna' scheduled to start with the placing of an 'Akhand Deepa' on Monday.

The Maha Yajna which will be performed by 108 Sotriya Bramhins will culminate with the offering of Purnahuti by Gajapati in the presence of Chief Minister Patnaik on January 17.

Later, Patnaik will walk through the corridor and dedicate the corridor to the public. He is also scheduled to address the devotees present at the event.

Several dignitaries including the Sankaracharayas of all the traditional four mutts and the King of Nepal have been invited to attend the grand opening event.

The 12th-century shrine and the holy city which is expected to witness a footfall of lakhs of devotees will be under a five-tier security blanket during the event.

As many as 66 platoons of police force will be deployed to manage the traffic and security arrangements in the city on the day.

--IANS

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Dehradun, Jan 15 (IANS) A 12-year-old child was injured after a tiger attacked him on Canal Road in Dehradun late on Sunday evening. The injured child has been admitted to a hospital and is said to be out of danger.

The incident took place when 12-year-old Nikhil was playing with other children on the bank of the Rispana river near Gangotri Vihar bridge in Sandhowali of Kandoli area. Suddenly, three tigers came there and one of them attacked Nikhil.

Other children and nearby residents immediately raised an alarm and rushed to save the child. Hearing the noise and seeing people coming, the tigers ran away leaving the child.

People took the injured child to Doon Hospital, where he is undergoing treatment.

Nikhil, son of Sher Bahadur, sustained a serious wound on the back of his head in the attack.

--IANS

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Kozhikode, Jan 15 (IANS) Stressing that the BJP will emerge as the single-largest party in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said that there was a possibility that the current government's numbers can be brought down.

"I strongly feel they can be brought down to a level where several potential allies may not want to join them," he said.

Speaking during the Kerala Literature Festival (KLF) held on the Kozhikode beach, the politician-writer said that considering India boasts of diverse shades, it was not important that the INDIA bloc must come to a complete agreement in all states.

Talking about the seat-sharing issue among INDIA bloc members, Tharoor hoped for an arrangement in as many states as possible to ensure preventable defeats.

Citing the examples of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the Congress politician remarked that while in Kerala "it is hard to imagine CPM and Congress agreeing on seat sharing, however, in Tamil Nadu the CPI, CPM, Congress, and DMK are together and there is no dispute". They fought the last election together and are likely to fight this one too, he said.

He said that it was important to acquaint the people with the fact that the best candidate should be chosen from their constituency. “Everyone should be aware that only people from Varanasi can vote for (Narendra) Modi. Well, if in other places, they want to vote only to ensure that Modi becomes the PM, it is entirely their choice. However, people need to think if they want an effective administrator who will be good for their region."

--IANS

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Patna, Jan 14 (IANS) A man in Bihar's Bhojpur has been arrested for killing his friend over a Rs 500 dispute, police said on Sunday.

Superintendent of Police, Bhojpur, Pramod Kumar Yadav said that the accused, identified as Ajay Mahto, also tried to mutilate the body as well.

"A complaint was filed by a person named Vinod Singh that his nephew Mohan Singh was found missing since January 10 from his native village Bada Basantpur under Mufassil police station in the district. His dead body was found a couple of days later. We constituted a team and managed to arrest the main accused of this case," he said.

The accused confessed that he had a dispute of Rs 500 with the victim. On January 10, the accused brought Mohan Singh from home for a liquor party. When Singh became inebriated, accused Ajay Mahto throttled his neck until he was dead. He also tried to remove his eyes using fingers. However, he failed in his attempt,” the SP said, adding that they were interrogating the accused to find out if there was involvement of other persons in the crime.

--IANS

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Imphal, Jan 14 (IANS) Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, soon after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi led Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra was flagged off in the state on Sunday, questioned whether it was time for politics by holding rallies in the violence-hit state.

When the situation is getting better in Manipur, Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders are trying to make the situation more complicated, he alleged.

"Considering prevailing situation in the state, is it a time for politics by holding a rally ? This is the hour of protecting lives and properties, and providing comfort and relief,” Singh told the media on the sideline of a programme in Imphal.

Terming Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra as ‘Bharat Todo’ (break India) yatra instead, he claimed that the situation in Manipur is gradually getting better and normalcy being restored.

"Whenever he (Gandhi) comes, problems crop up. If he comes, we have to be careful and alert so that he does not mess with the situation," Singh said.

Gandhi visited Manipur for two days in June last year, weeks after the violence broke out in the state on May 3, and visited a few districts and met the affected people lodged in relief camps.

Terming Prime Minister Narendra Modi led 10-years governance as “anyay kaal” (period of injustice), the Congress on Sunday launched the 66-day long Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra from Manipur’s Thoubal district. The yatra will culminate in Mumbai on March 20 after covering 6,713 km through 15 states. After the BJP Government gave limited permission to use the Hapta Kangjeibung Palace ground in Imphal for launching the ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, the Congress shifted the launch venue to Thoubal's Khongjom War Memorial.

--IANS

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Gurugram, Jan 14 (IANS) The body of Divya Pahuja, a former Gurugram-based model and girlfriend of slain gangster Sandeep Gadoli that was recovered on January 13 -- eleven days after she was shot dead at a hotel here, was cremated on Sunday by her family members.

Divya, 27, was allegedly killed by Abhijeet Singh, the owner of Hotel City Point where she was staying.

Her family members performed the last rites here on late Sunday evening. Her body was brought to Gurugram after a medical board conducted an autopsy in Hisar on Sunday afternoon.

Divya's body was recovered from a canal in Tohana in Haryana's Fatehabad district on Saturday.

"After the postmortem of the body, it was handed over to the family members of Divya. They performed the last rites here in Gurugram," spokesperson of Gurugram Police, Subhash Boken, said.

Meanwhile, an accused in the case Balraj Gill, who was arrested on January 11 in Kolkata, has been sent to four-day police custody.

Gill had allegedly disposed of Divya's body after she was killed on January 2.

Following his arrest in Kolkata, he was brought to Gurugram, and presented on Sunday at a court that sent him to police custody.

According to the police, Divya and Abhijeet were in a relationship.

Abhijeet told the police that he killed her in a fit of rage after she refused to delete some of his objectionable photos from her mobile phone.

The police are, however, yet to recover the 'murder weapon' which was reportedly thrown away by Abhijeet after killing Divya.

Balraj Gill had revealed during the transit remand that he and Ravi Banga had thrown Divya's body in Bakhra Canal in Patiala.

Five teams of Gurugram Police were involved in tracking Balraj and Amit who had absconded along with Divya's body since January 2. Divya's body was identified by a tattoo on her back.

Also, a clue regarding the whereabouts of the body was received after the arrest of Balraj Gill.

In connection with Divya's murder, the police have so far arrested six persons including the prime accused, Abhijeet Singh, his aides Om Prakash, Hemraj, Balraj Gill, Parvesh, and a woman, Megha.

The woman had helped Abhijeet in hiding documents and personal belongings of Divya.

Om Prakash and Hemraj had helped Abhijeet to drag Divya's body into the boot of a BMW car.

Parvesh had supplied the murder weapon to Abhijeet. Divya came in contact with Abhijeet through a jailed gangster, Binder Gujjar.

Binder Gujjar is said to be the prime conspirator in the alleged "fake encounter" of gangster Sandeep Gadoli, along with the

Gurugram Police, which took place in Mumbai in 2016. Divya was the prime accused in the case.

Later, she was arrested in connection with the gangster's murder, and she spent seven years in jail.

She was granted bail last year in June by the Bombay High Court. Divya's family has alleged that her murder was conspired by Sandeep Gadoli's family members, along with Abhijeet.

--IANS

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