India

New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) As AAP supremo and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal stated that he is "fighting to save the country," Congress candidate from the New Delhi Assembly constituency, Sandeep Dikshit, sharply countered the claim on Tuesday, accusing him of only enriching his party and committing various scams, including the controversial liquor policy.

Talking to IANS, Dikshit questioned Kejriwal's integrity, saying: "Which country is he saving? When you swindled Rs 2,000 crore in the liquor policy, were you saving the country? When you claimed you wouldn’t buy a bungalow and instead moved into a luxurious Rs 30-32 crore palace, were you saving the country? When you were secretly helping the BJP win in Haryana, Goa, and Uttarakhand, were you saving the country? And when you failed to clean the drains, failed to provide water, and polluted Delhi’s air, were you saving the country then?"

He further accused Kejriwal of only increasing the wealth of his party through such actions. "The country is much bigger than that, and every citizen contributes to saving the country. Kejriwal has done nothing but commit scams like the liquor policy."

Dikshit also claimed that people were disillusioned with the AAP government and were now seeking change.

"People feel they haven’t had a real MLA for the last ten years. They were hopeful when Kejriwal became Chief Minister, but they feel cheated now. Even basic tasks couldn't be addressed. Just look at this street here - waterlogged cement roads in the NDMC area. If this is the state of the NDMC area, imagine what the rest of Delhi must be like. People are yearning for change. They want an MLA who stays close to them and at least tries to solve their problems."

"When work is done, Kejriwal takes the credit, but when things go wrong, he blames others. This will no longer work. People want a change."

Delhi's Assembly elections are set for February 5, with the vote count scheduled for February 8, according to the Election Commission. As of January 6, there are 1.55 crore voters in Delhi, including 83.49 lakh male voters, 71.74 lakh female voters, and 25.89 lakh young voters.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) All India Congress Committee social media and digital platform chairperson Supriya Shrinate on Tuesday said that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the BJP together have made Delhi the 'Crime Capital' of the country.

Addressing the media, she said that in 2013 when the Congress government was in power in the national Capital, around 80,184 criminal cases were filed in Delhi and now the crime graph has almost trebled with 3,00,429 cases being registered in 2024.

Despite such a high number of criminal cases, crime does not seem to be an election issue for the AAP and the BJP in the Delhi Assembly elections, she said.

She said that women and children have been bearing the brunt of most of the assaults, and women now dread stepping out of homes, fearing for their safety.

Shrinate said that according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), women face two assaults every hour and 40 in a day. She said that when the Congress comes back to power in Delhi, law and order will be a priority issue to be tackled on a war footing.

Earlier, former Delhi Minister Dr Narendra Nath flagged off five LED screen vans, which will tour all the 70 Assembly constituencies of Delhi, to tell the voters about the Congress’ guarantees.

The vans will also highlight the failure of the Kejriwal government in fulfilling the promises made to the people in carrying out the city’s development over the last 10 years.

“10 saal se ruke vikas ko aage badane ke liye Congress hai jaruri (Congress is necessary to take forward the development that has been stalled for 10 years)”, the tagline on the vans proclaims.

Prominent among those present at the launch of the LED screen vans were AICC national spokesperson Abhay Dubey, Sidharth Rao, Jatin Sharma, Tasveer Solanki, spokespersons Asma Tasleem, Rashmi Singh Miglani and Dr Arun Aggarwal.

The vans will take the promises of Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Devender Yadav to the people across all the 70 Assembly constituencies, including the Rs 2,500 per month promised to women under the 'Pyari Didi Yojna', Rs 25 lakh free health insurance scheme to all residents and Rs 8,500 per month stipend for educated, unemployed youth.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate three frontline naval combatants -- INS Surat, INS Nilgiri and INS Vaghsheer -- equipped with cutting-edge technology, to the nation during their commissioning at the Naval Dockyard in Mumbai on Wednesday.

The military warships INS Nilgiri and INS Surat are set to boost the operational capabilities of the Indian Navy.

The commissioning of three major naval combatants marks a significant leap forward in realising India’s vision of becoming a global leader in defence manufacturing and maritime security.

INS Surat, the fourth and final ship of the P15B Guided Missile Destroyer Project, is among the largest and most sophisticated destroyers in the world. It is equipped with state-of-the-art weapon-sensor packages and advanced network-centric capabilities. It can operate a wide range of helicopters, including Chetak, ALH, Sea King, and the newly inducted MH-60R.

INS Nilgiri, the first ship of the P17A Stealth Frigate Project, has been designed by the Indian Navy’s Warship Design Bureau and incorporates advanced features for enhanced survivability, seakeeping, and stealth, reflecting the next generation of indigenous frigates. The warship is equipped with advanced weaponry and systems, including eight BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles.

INS Vaghsheer, the sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene Project, represents India’s growing expertise in submarine construction and has been constructed in collaboration with the Naval Group of France.

In an another event, PM Modi will inaugurate Sri Sri Radha Madanmohanji Temple, an ISKCON project in Kharghar, Navi Mumbai. The project, spread over nine acres, includes a temple with several deities, a Vedic education centre, proposed museums and auditorium, healing centre, among others. It aims to promote universal brotherhood, peace, and harmony through Vedic teachings.

--IANS

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Bhopal, Jan 14 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav on Tuesday expressed that the arrangements made in Mahakumbh in Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh) can be learned from in view of Simhastha-2028 to be held in Ujjain.

He said that Yogi Adityanath-led Uttar Pradesh government under the supervision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made an elaborate arrangement keeping the importance of 'Kumbh' and 'Sanctity' of holy Sangam.

Chief Minister Yadav added that the Madhya Pradesh government has sent a team of senior officials to visit Prayagraj and to note down every single arrangement made there to ensure better preparation for Simhastha- 2028.

"The arrangements made by the Uttar Pradesh government for Mahakumbh in Prayagraj can be learned. Simhastha is going to be organised in Ujjain in the year 2028, and the Madhya Pradesh government has sent a team of officials to watch them closely to ensure better preparation for Simhastha," he added.

He expressed that Mahakumbh will meet the purpose of Sanatan Dharma and crores of people take a dip in Sangam to get blessings of Ma Ganga.

"Geographical structure has its own importance for Sangam, but Mahakumbh itself is a part of Sanatan Dharma. I will pray the Kumbh meets the purpose of Sanatan Dharma," CM Yadav said.

Notably, the Kumbh Mela, one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, began in Prayagraj on Monday (January 13) and will conclude on February 26.

The religious event is likely to attract millions of pilgrims seeking spiritual purification.

According to reports, more than 60 lakh devotees took a holy dip at Sangam, which is called "Amrit Snan" of Mahakumbh.

Sangam is the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna, and mystical Saraswati rivers.

Kumbh Mela occurs every three years in four different locations.

However, Mahakumbh is organised only in Prayagraj after every twelve years.

Additionally, Mahakumbh 2025 is more special not only because of its religious significance but also because of the rare celestial alignment that occurs only once every 144 years.

The importance of Mahakumbh can be understood that, besides taking a dip in Sangam, lakhs of devotees, many of them with families, camp on the banks of Sangam in tents devoting their time to simple living, performing prayers and rituals besides reading religious scriptures.

This practice is called 'Kalpavas', and the pilgrims believe that by practising it, the door of heaven opens for them after their demise.

Along with spiritual, scientific outlook is also important in Kalpavas.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) Delhi Chief Minister Atishi Marlena’s immovable assets have increased by Rs 17.14 lakh since the last Assembly election while the column for spouse name, which carried a name in 2020, has been left blank in an affidavit filed by her along with nomination papers from Kalkaji constituency.

With the progress in Marlena’s political innings, the number of criminal cases against her has also risen between 2020 and 2025. Now, the total number of pending criminal cases against her is four as compared to only one in 2020. She has not been convicted of any criminal offence.

The affidavit filed on Tuesday also makes it amply clear that her official name continues to be Atishi Marlena and not just Atishi – as she had started using to avoid attacks from rival politicians who took her to task for the unusual surname created by combining Marxist and Leninist.

Marlena’s movable assets stand at Rs 76.93 lakh as compared to Rs 59.79 lakh in 2020.

While the affidavit filed ahead of the 2020 Assembly election had mentioned Praveen Singh as Atishi Marlena’s husband, the latest election affidavit has left the column of spouse name blank or “not applicable”.

In 2020, her husband’s immovable assets were Rs 81.42 lakh. Praveen Singh, an IIT and IIM graduate, is a researcher.

According to information available on social media, both Atishi and Praveen had carried out educational reforms in Madhya Pradesh for seven years.

Another marked difference between the CM’s affidavit of 2020 and 2025 is the change in address. In 2020, Atishi Marlena gave an address of Jangpura extension and identified herself as the daughter of Tripta Wahi.

In 2025, the CM identifies herself as Atishi Marlena, daughter of Vijay Kumar Singh, a resident of Block B, Kalkaji.

Interestingly, Marlena’s Congress challenger Alka Lamba has declared immovable assets worth Rs 61.12 lakh for herself and Rs 14.36 lakh for a dependent.

Apart from this, Lamba has also declared a 500 sq ft commercial flat in Gurgaon worth Rs 80 lakh and a residential property in Delhi’s South Extension-I worth Rs 2 crore.

Lamba identifies herself as a social activist with consultancy as her main source of income, apart from her son’s earnings who is a legal professional.

While Lamba has done M.Sc in Applied Chemistry and a Masters in Education from Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh, in 2003 and 2005, Atishi Marlena has mentioned a Master in Science from the University of Oxford in 2006 as her highest qualification.

Marlena’s affidavit mentions her profession as “Politician, Chief Minister of Delhi” and declares her salary as the source of income.

--IANS

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Bengaluru, Jan 14 (IANS) "Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is doing a good job as the Chief Minister. The position is not vacant. I have said the same earlier and that is the reality. There is no confusion within the Congress regarding the CM’s position. We are all doing well. The confusion exists only in the media," said Minister for Large and Medium Industries, M.B. Patil on Tuesday.

Seeking to scotch rumours of a power struggle in the party, M.B. Patil, who met the Chief Minister at his residence in Bengaluru on the occasion of Sankranti, clarified that there were no political discussions during the meeting.

“There are no issues in the party regarding the change of Chief Minister, the appointment of a new KPCC president, or the caste census report. The High Command will decide on all these matters. Even during the party’s legislative meeting on Monday, National General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala made this clear," he stated.

“Home Minister G. Parameshwara and Minister for Cooperation K.N. Rajanna did not attend the meeting due to personal reasons,” he added.

Responding to questions about Belagavi district politics, he said, “There is no conflict between Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and Minister for PWD Satish Jarkiholi. Everyone collectively worked towards building the party office.”

Speaking about the caste census report, Minister Patil stated, “I have never opposed the caste census report. However, I have always maintained that no community should be treated unfairly."

“For example, within the Lingayat community, various sub-sects have been categorised differently. No one has seen the report in its entirety. Nevertheless, if the Veerashaiva Mahasabha is opposing the report, they have the right to do so. Even Surjewala has stated that we must act in a way that does not hurt any community,” Patil said.

“I am not eyeing the KPCC president’s post. As the Minister of Industries, I need to focus on my responsibilities. I have natural aspirations in politics, but they are not driven by greed,” he clarified.

He also blamed the previous BJP government for the delay in settling contractors' bills amounting to Rs 30,000 crore.

“The BJP government had started projects worth Rs 2 lakh crore without any approval, leading to Rs 35,000 crore in unpaid bills. This burden has fallen on our government,” he stated.

However, the infighting within the Congress party continued on Tuesday with Karnataka Excise Minister R.B. Timmapur staking his claim to the post of Chief Minister.

Speaking to reporters in Hubballi, Minister Timmapur said, "Why shouldn't Dalits make it to the post of the CM? Why shouldn't I become the Chief Minister? Who will object if I become the CM."

"I am not sure whether the Congress Legislature Party meeting will approve my name. All these factors will play a role. If the high command decides, I will become the CM," he stated.

--IANS

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Shillong, Jan 14 (IANS) Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Tuesday handed over M-Tab (learning tablets) to students of West Garo Hills at a programme held in Tura.

The M-Tab is an initiative of the Meghalaya CM's Student Digital Learning Scheme, which aims to promote e-education in the state. The tablet is loaded with comprehensive contents related to Higher Secondary level examinations for all streams, including contents, mock question papers, past questions, and solved answer papers for various competitive examinations. It also has high-quality audio-video, animation and 3D graphic content.

In his address at the programme at the district auditorium, Sangma said: "The handheld device is not just a gadget. It is a tool to empower our youth. We want to ensure that our youth get access to learning and are better equipped to face different examinations."

"This programme is to let you know that we care about you, to let you know that we trust you," he asserted, while stating that technology is changing every aspect of lives.

"This government believes that in whatever way possible we must strengthen the use of technology to ensure that we can make the learning more impactful, the learning more meaningful, the learning more exciting and enjoyable," the Chief Minister said.

He said that digital learning through audio-video and pictorial content makes learning more easier and simpler.

"We strongly feel that more and more use of technology at the grassroots level… smart classrooms, digital learning will aid our students… but remember, technology is only an enabler. It can only enable you to learn in an easier way,” he said.

Sangma also said that the government has accorded priority to developing IT-related sectors in the state, including setting up IT parks in Shillong and Tura and laying optical fibres.

"We hope that this project will be completed in the next two years. We are hopeful that every school will be getting access to the optical fibres. It will take time, but the process has started," he said.

He also noted that the existing IT park in Shillong is catering to clients from the US and Europe.

"Our boys and girls from Meghalaya are working for AI companies. They are providing AI companies in the US, and Europe with solutions that predict crop disease, rain, growth of the plant, requirement of water, etc. All this is being done from Meghalaya, this is the kind of transformation that is taking place,” he added.

Around 1 lakh tablets have been distributed from 2021 to Class 11 students. In the 2023-24 academic session, 30,480 students received the benefit of the scheme, as per the Directorate of School Education and Literacy. In the West Garo Hills district, around 3,000 M-Tabs will be distributed. In Tuesday's distribution, over 400 students from 21 different higher secondary schools received the tablets. Close to 5,700 teachers from different higher secondary schools in the state will also receive the tablet, which will facilitate e-learning and assessments.

Speaker Thomas A. Sangma was also present at the programme.

The Vidya Samiksha Kendra, a learning management App designed by the state Department of Information and Technology, aimed to monitor learning outcomes, is also helping the teachers to monitor and assess the outcomes of the students.

--IANS

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Beed, Jan 14 (IANS) Amid ongoing protest over the murder of Massajog sarpanch Santosh Deshmukh from Beed district, the Kej Sessions Court on Tuesday ordered to book Walmik Karad, who is a close associate of Nationalist Congress Party Minister Dhananjay Munde, under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

Karad with a Rs 2 crore extortion case linked to the murder of a sarpanch in Beed district is already under arrest.

Karad had surrendered to the police in Pune on December 31.

The court has granted Karad a 14-day judicial custody and not the CID custody.

The CID is currently investigating Santosh Deshmukh's murder and extortion case involving Karad, who is allegedly being termed by the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) as the mastermind behind the killing of the Massajog sarpanch.

Already eight accused linked to the murder of Santosh Deshmukh were booked under MCOCA.

Thereafter, the Opposition MVA and the family members of Santosh Deshmukh slammed the state government for shielding Karad and stepped up their demands to book him under MCOCA.

The Opposition has alleged that Karad is the mastermind behind the murder of Santosh Deshmukh and he is the one who hatched the plot to murder Deshmukh.

The police have also launched an investigation into the matter.

In a similar development, Karad's mother and his supporters staged a protest against the arrest of Walmik Karad demanding he should be released.

The police have imposed prohibitory orders to avoid any untoward incident and have increased security.

Meanwhile, NCP President and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said that Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the two Deputy Chief Ministers, including Eknath Shinde, have since taken a firm stand that no one will be spared in the murder of Santosh Deshmukh.

"All those involved in the brutal killing will be punished severely," he added.

Ajit Pawar said that the government has appointed an able and efficient officer as the Beed Superintendent of Police who will make all efforts to maintain the law and order situation there.

Reacting to a query on Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi's demand for the resignation of Minister Dhananjay Munde allegedly in connection with Santosh Deshmukh's murder and implementation of crop insurance scheme for farmers, Ajit Pawar said that let the investigations complete.

--IANS

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Aizawl, Jan 14 (IANS) Launching the "Empowering Mizoram Sports" (EMS) programme, Chief Minister Lalduhoma said on Tuesday that Mizos are naturally passionate about sports, yet their performance compared to other states has been lacking.

The Chief Minister launched the EMS programme under the Mizoram 'Bana Kaih' scheme.

Addressing the inaugural function, the Chief Minister said that Mizos are naturally passionate about sports, yet their performance compared to other states has been lacking.

"Winning medals at the National Games is rare, and qualifying in many disciplines remains a challenge. We believe that this isn't due to a lack of talent but because we haven't fully nurtured and showcased our potential. Many talented youths in Mizoram lack access to proper training, and this programme aims to create those opportunities," said Lalduhoma, a former IPS officer.

He added that we have to strive for better results in national and international competitions, envisioning Mizo athletes winning more medals.

The government has already initiated efforts and the impact would become more evident over time, the Chief Minister said.

He added that with India preparing to host the 2036 Olympics and the Indian Olympic Association officially bidding on October 1, 2024, this is a significant opportunity for Mizo athletes.

"Our vision is to groom young talents now to represent India in the 2036 Olympics. To achieve this, the Empowering Mizoram Sports program has been launched with a Rs 2.5 crore budget under the Bana Kaih scheme."

Mizoram's flagship initiative, the handholding scheme -- 'Bana Kaih', was launched in September this year.

The Empowering Mizoram Sports initiative aims to establish sports coaching and talent development programmes across Mizoram.

According to a Sports Department official, as part of this programme, basic coaching would be provided to children aged between 8 to 15, focusing on preparing them for future competitions, particularly the 2036 Olympics.

Priority would be given to sports that offer greater potential for Olympic qualification, more so than other disciplines, the official said.

The programme would operate under a Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) model, fostering community involvement and shared responsibility with the government to ensure sustained interest and commitment.

The EMS programme would initially be implemented as a pilot project in two to three selected districts before being expanded statewide.

State Sports and Youth Services Minister Lalnghinglova Hmar emphasised that the EMS programme aims to identify and nurture talent from even the remotest villages.

However, it is not merely about providing training, the communities themselves must express a desire for coaching, he said.

They will also be responsible for logistical needs, food and accommodations, he added.

This initiative is about fostering a genuine sense of ownership and commitment, the Minister said.

"Our ultimate goal is to prepare our athletes for the 2036 Olympics, which India aims to host. We are determined to see Mizo youth, both men and women, compete at the highest level on the global stage," Hmar said.

--IANS

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New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) The BJP on Tuesday virtually blamed the AAP for being a part of a conspiracy in which an NGO allegedly used a teenage student to send 400 bomb hoax emails to schools in Delhi to "create an atmosphere of fear" ahead of Assembly elections.

Without naming AAP or the NGO, the BJP tried to put together pieces of the puzzle. It tried to conclude that since the NGO, suspected to have influenced the teenager, had links with Chief Minister Atishi's parents there was every possibility that the hoax emails were also a brainchild of the AAP.

“We want answers from the AAP if it has links with anti-national NGO?” asked BJP National Spokesman Sudhanshu Trivedi.

He said the NGO, under the police lens in the hoax email case, was also involved in seeking clemency for the Afzal Guru who was convicted for his role in the 2001 Indian Parliament attack.

He claimed Atishi’s parents had also signed a petition seeking mercy for Afzal Guru, who was executed in 2013.

Even the “Tukre Tukre” slogans against the country’s integrity were shouted in February 2015 on the death anniversary of Afzal Guru. “The Delhi government had delayed sanction for prosecution in the case by five months,” he said, raising questions about the connection between the NGO and the AAP.

"There is fear in Delhi that the AAP has been in touch with dubious NGOs and anti-national activities,” he said.

Delhi BJP President Virendra Sachdeva said it wasn’t a coincidence that attempts to create an atmosphere of insecurity appeared to have been just before the Assembly polls

According to police, the teenager who sent the hoax e-mail was identified using an advanced I-T technique

The police said the teen was identified as the sender of the hoax e-mails. However, they are still trying to determine if more people were involved or if the child acted alone.

The Delhi Police are now examining whether the NGO or other entities may have influenced the child.

--IANS

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