India

Chandigarh, Sep 26 (IANS) Seven tourists were killed and 10 injured in a road accident in Himachal Pradesh's Kullu district, police said on Monday.

The tourists, largely belonging to Uttar Pradesh, were travelling when a Tempo Traveller (UP 14 HT 8272) skidded off the road and rolled down the hill near Jalori Pass in Banjar subdivision on Sunday night.

Most of the injured were admitted to the Regional Hospital in Kullu town, some 200 km from the state capital.

The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained, an official told IANS.

The administration had a tough time extricating the victims of both the accidents from the badly mangled vehicle.

People in the area began rescue operations even before authorities reached the spot.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS) After the action taken by the various central investigating agencies against the extremist organisation -- Popular Front of India (PFI), the demand for banning the latter has started growing louder with each passing day.

The Muslim Rashtriya Manch, an affiliate of the right wing organisation Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), has demanded an immediate ban on the PFI from the Central government after holding a meeting with other nationalist organisations.

The RSS Muslim wing has asked the Union government: "If the PFI has become so dangerous, then why is it not being banned at the earliest? Why are the organisation's bank accounts not being frozen yet? Why are its properties not being attached? Why strict action is not being taken against the leaders, office-bearers and representatives of the PFI on the basis of their involvement in violence-related incidents?"

However, a few days ago the Union government told the Supreme Court that PFI is being banned in several states and it is going to impose a ban on the extremist organisation.

After a meeting with other nationalist organisations, Mohammad Afzal and Shahid Akhtar, the National Convenor of Muslim Rashtriya Manch, described PFI as a more dangerous terrorist organisation than SIMI and said that the evidences recovered during the raids conducted by the central investigating agencies are enough proof to ban this organisation. Hence, the government should immediately ban the PFI by taking strictest action against it.

The Rashtriya Muslim Manch Media In-charge Shahid Saeed said that all the evidences found against the PFI clearly shows that it is a terrorist organisation which receives funding from foreign countries and slogans of 'Pakistan Zindabad' are raised in the rallies conducted by it.

--IANS
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Jaipur, Sep 25 (IANS) The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) meeting called on Sunday at Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's residence has been cancelled as more than 90 Congress MLAs loyal to the veteran party leader threatened to resign, while demanding the new CM face be picked from their group.

"The MLAs want either Gehlot or his pick to be Chief Minister instead of Sachin Pilot," Rajasthan minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas told the media.

Gehlot reportedly received a call from Rajya Sabha MP K.C. Venugopal who asked him to "handle the situation" but the Chief Minister told the Congress' central leadership that it was "not in his hands".

Former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Pilot, meanwhile, is believed to be the central leaders' choice for the chief ministerial position.

A delegation from the Gehlot camp has went to meet senior Congress leader Ajay Maken who is in Jaipur as observer for the CLP meeting.

These include state Urban Development and Housing Minister Shanti Dhariwal, Pratap Singh Khachariyawas and Mahesh Joshi.

Maken, speaking to the media, said: "We are not going to Delhi as of now. We have been asked to take feedback from each and every single MLA."

Meanwhile, sources said that the Congress high command has called both Gehlot and Pilot to Delhi.

--IANS
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Shillong, Sep 25 (IANS) Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said all people living in India are Hindus in terms of identity.

Elaborating the RSS' philosophy, Bhagwat said that Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life.

Addressing a gathering in Shillong, the RSS chief said all are Hindus as all Indians are the inhabitants of Hindustan, which, he said is in the south of the Himalayas, north of Indian Ocean, on the bank of the Indus river.

"The habitants of this area are traditionally called Hindus. This is also called Bharat," said Bhagwat, who arrived here on Saturday on a two-day visit.

He said that even before the Mughals who have spread Islam and the British rulers who spread Christianity, Hindus were already in existence.

Highlighting the ideology of RSS, Bhagwat said the term 'Hindu' covers all those who are the sons of 'Bharat Mata', descendants of Indian ancestors and who live in accordance with Indian culture.

Ruling out the fear of religious conversion, the RSS supremo said to become Hindu one does not have to change since everyone here is Hindu.

"India is not a country with a western concept. It has been a cultural country since time immemorial; in fact, it is such a country, which has taught the world the lesson of humanity."

Since Saturday, he has attended a series of events, including the meeting of RSS functionaries and workers across the hill state.

Several BJP leaders, members of Hindu organisations attended the events organised by the Meghalaya unit of RSS.

Bhagwat's visit to Meghalaya -- a Christian majority state, assumes significance as Assembly elections are scheduled to be held there in February next year.

Elaborate security arrangements were made in the state in view of the visit of Bhagwat, who has a 'Z Plus' security cover.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) The sources in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) have claimed that apart from the BJP and the RSS leaders, a few Congress leaders were also on the radar of a few who were either associated or were in touch with the PFI.

A source said that they came know about this during the course of interrogation of arrested members of PFI.

The sources have claimed that the Congress leaders from southern India were the target of a few persons who were in touch with the Popular Front of India (PFI).

Both NIA and the ED are currently investigating the PFI case.

The NIA is investigating a total of 19 PFI related cases.

Sources have claimed that PFI members had known that the government is going to take action against them due to their suspicious activities and hence they had created a number of dummy organisations to fool the intelligence agencies.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya on Sunday inaugurated the two-day long Arogya Manthan 2022 programme to mark the completion of 4 years of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) and one year of Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM).

Highlighting the PMJAY beneficiaries as the most important stakeholder in the largest global public health insurance scheme, Mandaviya stated that over 19 crore Ayushman Cards have been made in the country spanning its coverage in 33 States/UTs, and more than 24 crore ABHA numbers have also been generated. This reflects an important milestone in the digitization of health records in the country, he said.

Mandaviya further said that the current rate of making 4.5 lakh cards per day will be increased to making 10 lakh Ayushman Cards every day.

"The government's focus is to make health services reach the person at the end of the delivery chain, enabled by technology," he said adding that PM-JAY has been successful in bridging the gap between rich and poor in terms of accessibility of healthcare services in the country.

Union Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics & IT Ashwini Vaishnaw, Union Minister of State for Health Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, NITI Aayog Member (Health) Dr. Vinod Paul, Uttarakhand State Health Minister Dr. Dhan Singh Rawat and CEO National Health Authority Dr. R.S. Sharma were also present on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, Ashwini Vaishnaw said that with the interplay of Information Technology and Health, the vision of Prime Minister of making healthcare accessible in the country can be achieved.

He added that every village in the country will be connected through high speed optical fibres in the next few years which will ensure connectivity and continuous health access to all.

MoS Health Bharati Pravin Pawar stated that the country is not only pioneering the adoption of technology in health services but also ensuring that it is implemented at the grass root level. She added that the government is working holistically to ensure the best of healthcare services to its citizens.

Mandaviya also launched several new initiatives including Health Claims Exchange (HCX), National e-Rupi Portal and Roadmap for Digitization.

The digital versions of Annual Report for NHA, Coffee Table Book and Best Practices Booklet were also unveiled. He also inaugurated the "Digital Health Expo" that saw enthusiastic participation from digital health innovators.

The day one of Arogya Manthan saw informative sessions with representatives from international organisations and ministries like Hong Kong Hospital Authority, Commonwealth Centre for Digital Health, World Bank, Centre for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, Global Health Payment LLC, USA, Health Ministry Mexico, Ministry of Health, Thailand and Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee, Australia along with various thought leaders of healthcare and technology in India.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) Delhi High Court has restrained Axis Bank from substituting PS Toll Road Pvt Ltd (PSTR) as the concessionaire of the Pune-Satara Toll Road Project.

Delhi HC has found Axis Bank in breach of its own undertaking given before the court.

The court in its order has said that Axis Bank is bound by its undertaking given to the court in February 2021 and then in March 2021 that it will not go ahead with the substitution of the concessionaire in the PS Toll Road project, without the court's nod.

According to the court, Axis Bank's undertaking was unconditional, and therefore it cannot rely upon any event under the Concession Agreement or the Substitution Agreement, to appoint a new concessionaire in the project.

PS Toll Road Pvt Ltd (PSTR), the concessionaire of the Pune-Satara Toll Road project, had challenged the appointment of a new concessionaire in the project by the Axis Bank despite a stay on the process by the Delhi High Court in March 2021.

PS Toll Road Pvt Ltd, in its appeal before the high court, contended that Axis Bank was in breach of its own undertaking given before the court in 2021, that it will not finalise the bids or award the contract to a third party, thereby substituting the PS Toll Road Pvt Ltd.

The court has issued notice to Axis Bank and the matter will be heard on September 28.

PS Toll Road Pvt Ltd is a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure Ltd. and was awarded the contract for six laning of 140 KM of stretch between Pune and Satara in Maharashtra on BOT basis. The project is now complete.

--IANS
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New Delhi, Sep 25 (IANS) The bouncers of a club in south Delhi allegedly thrashed a woman and tore off her clothes, the police said on Sunday. Woman's friends were also beaten up in the brawl.

However, the club owner denied all charges, accusing Delhi Police personnel of mental and physical harassment apart from being falsely implicated in the case for not paying 'extortion' money.

According to the police, the incident took place on the intervening night of September 17-18. "A PCR call was received at KM Pur police station regarding an incident of misbehaviour and tearing off the clothes of a woman at 'Da Code' club in South Extension after which the police reached the spot and met the caller," Deputy Commissioner of Police Chandan Chowdhary said.

According to the DCP, when the police reached the spot, they found that the woman caller's clothes were messed up and disordered, and on inquiry, she told that her clothes were torn by two bouncers and their manager of the club. "She further informed that she was misbehaved and hit by them, and they had also touched her inappropriately," the DCP said.

After taking the victim woman to AIIMS Trauma Centre, the police, accordingly, registered an FIR under sections 323 (Punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 354 A (Sexual harassment and punishment for sexual harassment), 354 B (Assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 509 (Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code and began probing the incident.

The senior official said the complainant was examined in the case, who had informed that she had come to the club along with her friends to party, but they had an argument over entry into the club and were subsequently thrashed by the bouncers.

The officer informed that they are investigating the incident and CCTV cameras of the club and other neighbouring showrooms are being analysed. "The details of the bouncers have been taken from the club and efforts are being made to arrest the real culprits," the DCP said.

Chowdhary further informed that the complainant's statement was also recorded before the Concerned Magistrate at Saket Court Complex. Seven days later on September 24, the club, yet again, found itself in controversy as seven of its people were detained after they allegedly tried to stop Delhi Police personnel who went there after a complaint of quarrel and loud music.

"A PCR call was received at KM Pur police station on 12.02 a.m. on September 24 stating that some quarrel has taken place with bouncers of the club and DJ is being played," DCP Chowdhary said.

The senior officer said when the police reached the spot and tried to enter the 'Da Code' club, the bouncers tried to stop them. "Hence, seven persons were detained and action against them was taken under sections 107 and 151 of the Code of Criminal Procedure," the DCP said.

The police also seized an amplifier that was being used to play the music at the bar. Notably, the DCP of the south district also shared a three-year-old old case of the club in which an FIR was registered against five people, including the bar owner and his son, on the complaint of an Excise Department Inspector. Sharing details of that case, the DCP said three years ago in 2019 when the Excise Staff came to conduct a raid in the club, they were assaulted and confined in the bar for several hours by the owner and his staff.

"The Excise Staff was released from the club, when the local police reached there and intervened in the matter. Hence, the club owner, his son and staff were also charge-sheeted in the case," the DCP added. On the other hand, the owner of the club, Surendra Singh Chowdhary, had a complete different story to tell.

In a letter to the Special Commissioner of Police (Law and order), he accused the local police personnel of demanding Rs 5 lakh extortion money every month and when he refused to pay that, he was subsequently threatened by them. On the September 18 incident, the club owner said that around 1 a.m. in the night, four boys and three girls, who were all drunk, misbehaved with the club's staff and when they were told to behave, the girls threatened to implicate us on false charges.

"They forcibly took Rs 1.5 lakh from the podium and then made a call to the police. When the police came, it was the same cop who had been threatening us with extortion and then he yet again threatened us of severe consequences," the club owner wrote in his letter to the Special CP. The owner claimed that the police personnel came the next day on September 18 as well and detained two of their staff members who were explaining to them the previous night's incident.

"We kept requesting the police personnel to investigate with the help of CCTV cameras as our club is completely covered with it and the whole incident has been recorded on it," the club owner said. He said that the police kept his staff members in custody for over 22 hours and thrashed them with belts, sticks and shoes at regular intervals.

The owner claimed that on September 23-24 intervening night, the police, yet again, reached their bar and seized Rs 2,53,000 worth instruments as he refused to pay the extortion money. Responding to the allegations of the club owner, DCP (south), Chowdhary said that further enquiry into the allegations made by the club owner are also being done.

--IANS
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By Vishal Gulati
Chandigarh, Sep 25 (IANS) Paddy grower Gurdev Singh of Zira in Punjab's Ferozepur district was happy as the crop yield in the kharif season was healthy.



Suddenly, his desire to have a profitable crop, with an almost failure of wheat crop in the previous season, was washed away by unseasonal heavy rain in the northern food-bowl states in the past two days.

His fields were almost waterlogged with cultivators and experts saying on Sunday the downpour will be stalling harvesting with chances of crop damage and risks of pest attacks.

The damage is no different in neighbouring Haryana, a leading basmati rice exporter. Both Punjab and Haryana are among the major contributors of paddy to the Central pool.

Worried paddy growers, who were looking towards a great harvest, but the rain played spoilsport, have been demanding adequate compensation for the loss.

In the past rabi season, Punjab and Haryana wheat yields dipped by 49-45 quintals per hectare, a 20-year low. On an average, the yield fell by 20 per cent a hectare, say experts.

They say the heavy rainfall and waterlogging in fields will lead to higher moisture content in the paddy grains that could lead to lower remuneration to farmers due to the deterioration of quality of the grain.

Farmers in both the states rued the untimely rain and strong winds have flattened the standing wheat crop at most places.

The unseasonal rain also caught those farmers unawares who were unable to sell the paddy. Many farmers in Haryana stored their stocks at different mandis. They opted for early maturing paddy varieties, which had been recommended by the government as they required comparatively less water for cultivation.

"We have harvested the paddy crop well in time. Now the produce has been lying in the open in the market for the past four days owing to a strike by 'arhtiyas' (commission agents). After the heavy rain, most of the crop has been damaged. Owing to high moisture, there are chances of discolouring and deterioration of the grain quality," basmati grower Jagtar Bhullar told IANS over phone from the grain market in Karnal, the home constituency of Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar.

He said he planted an early mature variety that was immune to humidity too. "With the poor drainage and proper infrastructure to store the produce, the market yard has literally turned into a puddle with the produce submerged under rainwater."

At several market yards in Haryana, hundreds of gunny bags filled with paddy have been lying in the open due to the strike by the 'arhtiyas'.

The Haryana State Arhtiyas' Association has been on an indefinite strike since September 19. They have been demanding 2.5 per cent commission on the produce instead of Rs 46 per quintal, waiving off a four per cent market fee on the crop, besides allowing farmers from neighbouring states to sell their produce in Haryana.

A scientist at the Punjab Agricultural University in Ludhiana told IANS that heavy rain has damaged the harvested and affected the standing paddy.

"The unexpected heavy rain has not only damaged paddy but will delay cultivation of rabi crops due to waterlogging and high moisture in fields," he added.

The procurement of paddy in Punjab will start on October 1.

"We are wishing the skies clear up and it stops raining. The unseasonal rain and thunderstorms lashing in the past two days have battered our paddy crop that is all ready to be harvested," said Amrik Singh standing in his fields of Samrala in Punjab.

Experts fear that if the rain continues for another day or two, the farmers will be hit really hard as their standing kharif, or summer crops, would be damaged, aggravating the food crisis.

"The crop is ready to be harvested and rain at this time has damaged plants," said agriculturalist Ram Naresh, while pointing towards the flattened crop on the outskirts of Sonipat.

Officials said the losses could run into hundreds of crores, though the exact damage would be known only after assessment by the revenue officials across the states.

The Opposition in Punjab said the damage was widespread in Ropar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Kapurthala, and Bhatinda areas and sought compensation for the affected farmers within a stipulated time.

Highlighting the plight of farmers, Congress leader and former Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda has demanded compensation for the farmers. He sought a girdawari (harvest inspection) for assessment of crop damage.

"Every farmer has suffered a loss due to the damage to the standing paddy crop. Waterlogging in the fields has affected the paddy crop. The government should get the 'girdawari' done and give compensation to the affected farmers," he said.

The Leader of Opposition said earlier too the farmers faced the brunt of weather. "So far the farmers have not been compensated for the damage caused due to heavy rain, hailstorm and waterlogging. Neither the government nor insurance companies come forward to help the farmers in times of distress," he said.

With several parts witnessing flood-like situation, Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday directed the deputy commissioners to ensure drainage of water from the waterlogged areas at the earliest.

Punjab covered 30.84 lakh hectares, comprising 4.65 lakh hectares of highly remunerative basmati rice, under paddy sowing this season, while in Haryana the area under paddy cultivation was around 10 lakh hectares, about 23 per cent less than the previous year.

Most parts of Punjab and Haryana experienced widespread rainfall in the past two days.

The MeT officials said the widespread moderate to heavy rain could continue in the region in the next 24 hours.

(Vishal Gulati can be contacted at vishal.g@ians.in)

--IANS
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Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 25 (IANS) Rahul Gandhi, who is in the midst of the Bharat Jodo Yatra on Sunday condoled the passing away of senior Congress leader, Aryadan Mohammed.

Rahul while speaking to the media persons at Thrissur during the yatra said, "Aryadan Mohammed was a Congress leader who has come to the top Congress leadership from the grassroots. He was a kind-hearted person and was a major presence for the Congress party in the Kerala legislative Assembly. He was personally close to me and my deep condolences on the passing away of the senior leader."

Rahul Gandhi, however, said that the Bharat Jodo Yatra would continue with grief over the passing away of Aryadan Mohammed as many people were involved in the yatra as well as logistics were involved.

Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister of Kerala, A.K. Antony while speaking to the media persons at his Thiruvananthapuram residence said, "His passing away is a very personal loss. We were closely working together in the Congress party for the past several decades. He was a towering leader of the Congress party who has come his way up as a grass root leader. An able administrator and a people's leader, Aryadan Mohammed will always be remembered."

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled the passing away of Aryadan Mohammed. Pinarayi said that Aryadan will always be remembered as a leader who stood for the secular credentials of the country.

Aryadan Mohammed (87), a senior Congress leader and three-time minister from Kerala, passed away at Kozhikode after a brief illness. Aryadan was considered as the 'Chanakya' of Kerala's Congress politics.

He was a minister in the A.K. Antony cabinet and the Oomen Chandy government.

Aryadan was a tourism and labour minister in the Antony government and was Electricity minister in the Oomen Chandy government. He was also a member of the CPI-M leader E.K. Nayanar-led LDF government in 1980 when the Congress party of Kerala split and the faction owing allegiance to A.K. Antony joined the Left government. However, the government fell in 1982.

While his academic qualification was only a matriculation pass, Aryadan Mohammed was a voracious reader and used to quote profusely from all the international and national publications. In the debates in the Kerala Assembly, Aryadan Mohammed was always the firefighter for the Congress party.

An eight-term MLA from Nilambur Assembly constituency since 1970, he was a member of the Kerala legislative Assembly till 2016 on the Congress ticket.

Even during his last days, he was busy scheming political strategies for the Congress party. Aryadan Mohammed had a black mark when he was accused and jailed in the murder of CPI-M leader from Nilambur, Kunhali. He was arrested and jailed in 1969, but later he was acquitted.

Aryadan Mohammed is always remembered as a Congress leader who never budged to the one upmanship of the Congress ally Indian Muslim League in its fort of Malappuram district. The senior Congress leader has always had a warm relationship with political leaders cutting across party lines.

A staunch nationalist and a Congress leader, Aryadan always believed that Congress was the party of India that caters to all sections of the population.

Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President (KPCC), K. Sudhakaran said that Aryadan Mohammed's death was a major loss for the Congress party. The KPCC president said that while Aryadan was suffering from illness, the death was unexpected.

Indian Muslim League leader and MLA, KPA Majeed while speaking to media persons in remembering Aryadan Mohammed said, "Aryadan was basically opposed to the Muslim League's politics, but he was always in the forefront in Malappuram district for the United Democratic Front alliance. He was the flag-bearer of the UDF in Nilambur which was a CPI-M bastion for years and he had wrested that constituency from them. Myself and the Indian Union Muslim League deeply condole the passing away of the senior leader."

--IANS
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