Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday said efforts are underway to evacuate people of the state stranded in violence-hit Manipur.
Expressing concern over the violent clashes in the northeastern state, which have claimed the lives of 54 people, Banerjee urged Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi to monitor the situation and make efforts to evacuate the stranded people.
“Deeply anguished by the kind of messages and SOS we are receiving from Manipur. I am concerned about the safety of the people of Manipur and others hailing from different parts of the country, now stranded there,” she tweeted.
“Govt of Bengal is committed to stand by the people and has decided to make every effort to evacuate people stranded there in coordination with the government of Manipur. The chief secretary has been directed to monitor the entire process, to help people in distress and despair. We are with the people at all times. Urge everyone to maintain peace,” she added.
Banerjee also provided helpline numbers for those seeking assistance.
The total number of people from West Bengal stranded in Manipur is not currently available.
The death toll in the ethnic violence which has engulfed Manipur increased to 54, officials said even as unofficial sources placed the figure at several scores dead and more than 150 injured.
Meanwhile, life limped back to a wary normalcy in Imphal Valley as shops and markets reopened and cars started plying the roads.
Violence first erupted in Torbung area in Churachandpur district of Manipur during the ‘Tribal Solidarity March’ organised by the All Tribal Student Union Manipur (ATSUM) on May 3 to protest the demand of Meiteis for Scheduled Tribe (ST) status.
The march was organised by tribals — including Nagas and Kukis — after the Manipur High Court asked the state government last month to send a recommendation to the Centre within four weeks on the demand for ST status by the Meitei community.
During the march in Torbung, an armed mob allegedly attacked people of the Meitei community, leading to retaliatory attacks in the valley districts, which escalated the violence throughout the state, police said.
Multiple sources said the fighting between communities had left several scores of people dead and nearly a hundred injured. However, the police were unwilling to confirm this.
Meiteis account for about 53 per cent of the population and live mostly in the Imphal Valley. Tribals, who include Nagas and Kukis, account for another 40 per cent of the population and live mostly in the hill districts which surround the valley.
SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha addressed the National Conference on ‘[email protected]’, today at the Convention Centre.
The Conference was organized by IIM Jammu, IIT Jammu, AIIMS Jammu, in collaboration with Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (DICCI) to deliberate upon priorities, prospects and way forward for creating an inclusive & sustainable society.
“The aspirations of humanity can be fulfilled only in the conditions of peace. And, I strongly believe, ‘Ahimsa’ deeply rooted in our great civilization, is making the world realize the futility of conflict and utility of dialogue,” said the Lt Governor.
During India’s G20 presidency, green, accelerated, inclusive & sustainable growth are top priorities and the world is looking at us with a hope to deal with the challenges of Covid, Climate Change and Conflict, observed the Lt Governor.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a new vision to the world that climate change cannot be fought from conference tables alone but It has to be fought from the dinner tables in every home. This will pave the way for sustainable & inclusive development,” the Lt Governor said.
The Lt Governor stressed upon synergy between developmental activities and environment conservation to ensure global prosperity and better quality of life for all. He further observed that Ecological security will lead to economic security and strengthen our social development initiatives.
“India will play the most important & constructive role for climate future and shape the action plan for mitigation, adaptation and environmental management systems. India will guide the world towards achieving the goal of environmentally sustainable development,” he said.
The Lt Governor said that under the leadership of Prime Minister, India has given a new social model to the world for equitable development.
Atma-Nirbhar Bharat, Make In India and Digital India have provided a robust framework for rapid and sustainable growth, he added.
The Lt Governor also underscored the important role of premier institutions like IIM, IIT & AIIMS and the youth to provide future solutions to humanity.
He further emphasized on exchange of best practices and increased cooperation between the countries for Digitally Empowered Society and Knowledge-based Economy.
G20 represents 60% of the world population, accounts 85% of global GDP and 75% of global trade. I am confident that India’s G20 presidency will give new impetus to global relations and strengthen the spirit of “One Earth, One Family, One Future”, he added.
Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary also shared his views and highlighted the efforts to fulfil India’s G20 goals.
Dr Milind Kamble Chairman, BoG, IIM Jammu; Dr Sharad Saraf, Chairman, BoG, IIT Jammu; Prof YK Gupta, President AIIMs Jammu; Prof BS Sahay, Director IIM Jammu; Prof Shakti Gupta, Executive Director, AIIMS Jammu; Prof Manoj Singh Gaur, Director, IIT Jammu, besides delegates from across the country, prominent citizens and students were present.
Trump also said he had fulfilled his promises when it came to Iowans and also to conservative values.
“Together we achieved more for our values than any other administration in the history of our country, and it is not even close,“ he said, saying he took “historic action to protect the unborn.“ He also touted his support for “religious liberty“ and Israel.
On Thursday, Trump had been criticized by the Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America organization for saying abortion “is an issue that should be decided at the state level,” instead of being subject to a national ban. “President Trump’s assertion that the Supreme Court returned the issue of abortion solely to the states is a completely inaccurate reading of the Dobbs decision and is a morally indefensible position for a self-proclaimed pro-life presidential candidate to hold,” President Marjorie Dannenfelser said in a statement.
It’s not clear when Trump made his remarks, but he didn’t directly address Dannenfelser’s criticism.
Former Vice President Mike Pence, who is expected to enter the 2024 presidential race, addressed the group in person in Clive, Iowa. In remarks that focused heavily on his own faith and devotion, Pence commended Trump for his Supreme Court appointments and explained his rationale for supporting American aid to Ukraine.
Other 2024 contenders who addressed the group included former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, Sen. Tim Scott (R-S.C.) and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy.
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government is taking measures to ensure that there will be only one database for all the lands in the state, Special Chief Secretary (Revenue) and Chief Commissioner-land administration (CCLA) G Sai Prasad has said.
Over the past two years, Prasad said several reforms have been effected in the Revenue department to make services easy for the people.
“As part of these efforts, 50 lakh land records out of the 2.74 crore have been rectified. Earlier, everybody used to manipulate survey numbers and meddle with the existing ones but now these interventions will not be possible,” he said in a release on Friday.
According to him, nearly three per cent of the applications made to transfer mutations have overshot the service level agreement (SLA) time limit while 12 percent have been rejected, unlike 50 per cent and 30 per cent respectively a year ago.
Further, the CCLA noted that the law has been amended to transfer the power to alter revenue records from tahsildhars (MROs) to deputy collectors (RDOs).
He observed that the issue of resolving mutation applications has reached a crucial stage as a result of unrelenting auditing efforts at the district and state levels.
Moreover, Prasad said 12 tahsildars were dismissed from service and 13 more were demoted as deputy tahsildars for manipulating land records in the past one year.
Meanwhile, the special chief secretary said registration services have commenced at the village secretariats of 2,000 villages where first phase of resurvey has been completed, including the actual completion of 1,798 registrations.
Likewise, he highlighted that following the first phase of resurvey, 2 lakh mutations gave rise to 4 lakh subdivisions, which will result in 7.8 lakh people receiving land rights documents.
Prasad said Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has directed officials to install survey stones in the 2,000 villages by May 20 where the first phase survey was over, even as 13.5 lakh stones have already been installed.
In addition to the 295 registration offices conducting registration services across the state, Prasad said registration seva kendras will also be started in some urban areas.
Prayagraj: The Uttar Pradesh Police and the Special Task Force (STF) have intensified efforts to arrest Shaista Parveen, widow of slain gangster-turned-politician Atiq Ahmad, and Saddam, brother-in-law of Ashraf whose was also gunned down with Atiq on April 15.
Police teams are carrying out raids in localities and villages of Prayagraj and neighbouring Kaushambhi district, in all known possible hideouts, including the houses of their kin.
Police officials believe that with the murders of Atiq and his younger brother Ashraf, as well as death of Atiq’s son Asad Ahmad in an encounter with the STF in Jhansi on April 13, Shaista remains the only one who could shed more light on the planning and execution of February 24 killings of lawyer Umesh Pal and his two police guards.
Named as an accused in Umesh Pal murder case, Shaista has been on the run since the February 24 murder.
She carries a Rs 50,000 reward on her head.
Shaista did not attend the funerals of her son Asad on April 15 as well as of her husband and brother-in-law held at Kasari Masari graveyard on April 16.
According to a senior police official: “During the past 48 hours, raids have been carried out by police teams in search of Shaista Parveen at Baretha, Mariyadeeh, and Hatwa areas of Kaushambhi district, along with Rajruppur, Chakia, Kasari Masari, and Bamrauli areas of Prayagraj. Even the house of Shaista’s father Mohd Haroon has been searched in Kasari Masari area of Prayagraj.”
Several close relatives are also being questioned about her whereabouts, he added.
Sources claim that Shaista was last seen in Prayagraj in a commercial car and the police are also reaching out to the owners of travel agencies to find out if they have any leads.
Police officials claim that Shaista played a vital part in the conspiracy to eliminate Umesh Pal and has been managing Atiq’s financial affairs since he was jailed.
“Shaista procured the licences for three weapons — including a sophisticated rifle and two pistols — in her name using fake address with the help of Atiq’s connections without even having to go for the mandatory test firing required before being issued a weapon license,” said a police officer.
This has led to the first three cases being registered against her at Colonelganj police station in 2009 under different relevant sections of IPC and Arms Act, the official added.
According to police, Shaista started actively managing her husband’s empire after Atiq went to jail in February 2017. She was even video-recorded walking along with Atiq’s known henchmen in city.
She also started making inroads in political corridors soon after.
Police claim that at the behest of Atiq, she used to collect extortion money from builders and other traders.
She gave the money extorted through such sources to assailants involved in the murder of Umesh Pal and his two police guards.
While conducting raids to nab Shaista post February 24 murders, police even recovered cash worth Rs 72 lakh that she had allegedly given to her servant Rakesh to hide, said a police officer.
Apart from the three cases (dating back to 2009) lodged in connection with procuring weapons illegally, Shaista also has a fourth case registered against her on February 24 at Dhoomanganj police station under relevant sections of IPC which relates to gunning down of mesh Pal and his two police guards in Sulem Sarai locality of Prayagraj.
New Delhi: CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury on Thursday said efforts for opposition unity have picked up the pace ahead of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls and seat adjustments will be made at the state level.
Speaking to the media after meeting Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar here, Yechury indicated that a third front was a possibility.
“Efforts for opposition unity have picked up the pace. An opposition coalition will be formed and seat adjustments will be done at the state level,” the CPI(M) general secretary said.
With Bihar CM Shri Nitish Kumar to carry forward the efforts to unite secular democratic parties to safeguard the Indian Republic, Constitution and Democracy, severely assaulted by the BJP & Modi govt. Defeat the BJP in order to save India & people’s livelihoods. pic.twitter.com/9yXdRGM3tI
“In Kerala, Congress and our party are arch rivals. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is not in a fight there,” he said.
He further said that the third front that is going to be formed will always be after the elections.
“But in India, fronts are formed post polls such as United Front in 1996, in 1998 NDA was formed after elections, UPA formed post polls in 2004,” Yechury said.
Earlier, Bihar CM Kumar, who on Wednesday met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi as part of his initiative to forge an alliance of opposition parties, met Yechury here.
Later, Yechury tweeted, “With Bihar CM Shri Nitish Kumar to carry forward the efforts to unite secular democratic parties to safeguard the Indian Republic, Constitution and democracy, severely assaulted by the BJP & Modi govt. Defeat the BJP in order to save India & people’s livelihoods (sic).”
The Bihar CM also met CPI general secretary D Raja on Thursday.
“Had a meeting with JD(U) leader & Bihar CM Shri Nitish Kumar to discuss broad issues of opposition unity against RSS-BJP. The country is in turmoil and all sections of society are vocal against BJP misrule. Unity of secular-democratic forces is must to protect our democracy and people,” said Raja in a tweet after the meeting.
Bhopal: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday appealed BJP workers to step up their efforts and ensure that the party would win all seven Assembly seats of Madhya Pradesh’s Chhindwara district in the upcoming elections.
Addressing a public gathering in Chhindwara, Shah said that in 2019, BJP had lost Chhindwara Lok Sabha seat from narrow margin, “thus the party workers need to step up their efforts and ensure that the party would win the seat in 2024 general elections and all seven seats in upcoming Assembly elections”.
Chhindwara is considered as the bastion of Madhya Pradesh Congress chief Kamal Nath.
Shah urged the people to vote “overwhelmingly” for the BJP in the Assembly polls to be held later this year.
Meanwhile, hitting at Nath, the Union Home Minister said the former did nothing for the people of the state when he was Chief Minister between December 2018 and March 2020. “Previous Congress governments did not care for the tribals, the poor and those from the Backward Classes. Only the BJP can provide security, prosperity and ensure welfare of the poor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi cares for the respect of tribals, whom the Congress has neglected for years.”
He reminded that it was the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi “who decided to make a tribal woman – Droupadi Murmu – the President of India”. He also reiterated that the Narendra Modi-led BJP government has announced nationwide celebration of legendary tribal leader Birsa Munda’s birth anniversary on November 15 as ‘Janjatiya Gaurav Diwas’.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan levelled several allegations on Kamal Nath, such as “stopping” various public-centric schemes during his 15 months government in the state.
Chouhan said the BJP government sent a lot of money for development of Chhindwara, but Kamal Nath was taking credit out of it.
“Since the day Congress leaders came to know that Amit Shah is coming to Chhindwara, all their leaders went on panic mode. Kamal Nath has started making big announcements to counter BJP’s promises. But, let me tell you all that Chhindwara will no more remain Kamal Nath’s bastion now. BJP will win all seven Assembly seats and Lok Sabha election this time. We have taken a pledge for it,” Chouhan added.
Kamal Nath was first elected to the Lok Sabha from Chhindwara in 1980 and repeated the feat several times, with his only loss coming in a bypoll in 1997. Even when the BJP won 28 out of 29 Lok Sabha seats in 2019, his son Nakul Nath won the election from the seat. The Congress has won all assembly seats in the district in 2018 polls.
Samalkha: Claiming that many have tried to “distort” the history of India and Hindutva over the years, the RSS has resolved to speed up measures to bring a change in the narrative and restore the country’s prestige.
The assertion came at the conclusion of the three-day annual meeting of the Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha (ABPS), the highest decision-making body of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), on Tuesday.
“Over the past 50 years, many have tried to present our distorted history. Some people have tried to distort Indian thoughts and Indian philosophy within the country and abroad. Efforts have been made to talk nonsense about Hindutva, raising some issues,” RSS general secretary Dattatreya Hosabale said at a press conference.
He accepted that there are “some drawbacks in our society like untouchability.”
“But just raising them doesn’t help,” he said, adding, “the narrative of the country must change. There should be Indian answers to Indian questions, whatever be the situation in India. We have to place India in a respectful position.”
Evils like caste discrimination and untouchability have to be done away with in society, he said.
Hosabale was briefing about the RSS meeting attended by nearly 1400 office bearers of the Sangh including the organisation’s chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Even as the journey towards a new self-reliant Bharat’ has begun shunning the “colonial slavery”, the country will have to face many social and national challenges due to “the mentality and distortions” arising during its long history and also due to “the crookedness of selfish, anti-national elements,” noted an annual report presented by Hosabale at the meeting.
“The forces inimical to Bharat’s unity and progress plan newer conspiracies. They are trying to break society in one way or another or to spread confusion by disseminating perverted narratives on the subjects of the country,” it claimed.
Such inimical forces are instigating language, caste or group discord by using “any situation or event” as an excuse and “inciting” youths against “any government scheme like Agnipath”, the report added.
“Ugly incidents of terror, rancour, anarchy and violence have happened at various places,” the report said, adding such incidents need to be stopped.
“We have to speed up the work . we have to give national direction to ideological narratives and properly mobilise the power of Sajjan Shakti or well-meaning people,” the report added.
With the RSS completing 100 years of its establishment in 2025, the ABPS also resolved to “speed up” its work to achieve the organisation’s centenary year expansion targets with a focus on five main areas.
These were listed ad bringing about social transformation and social harmony in “Hindu society” or Samajik Samarasata, strengthening family structure (Parivar Prabodhan), environmental protection, Swadeshi lifestyle, awareness of civic duty,” Hosabale said.
“Be it unitary or a joint family, the efforts have to be taken to keep family values intact in line with the Hindu thoughts,” he added.
Democrats insist the effort turned to their advantage, since plenty of their incumbents welcomed the chance to distance themselves from President Joe Biden. Still, Wednesday’s vote ends weeks of Democratic angst over D.C.’s liberal crime bill, a particularly potent subject after their party’s humiliating losses in deep blue New York that ultimately cost them control of the House last November.
In the initial House vote in February, the vast majority of the House Democrats stuck with Biden — only to have him reverse his position, with Senate Democrats lining up behind him. And even as Senate Democrats emphasize that the circumstances surrounding the D.C. bill are unique, they’re also resigned to the reality that there are more disapproval votes to come.
“Unfortunately, the agenda on the Republican side is to just look for division and have investigations,” said Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow, the No. 3 Senate Democrat. “I would expect them to continue to look for ways to divide people and play politics.”
They won’t have to wait long. Republicans plan to use the same playbook to symbolically reject other Biden administration moves — including a vote this week on a wonky water rule that would cement broad authority for federal agencies to regulate streams and wetlands, an extremely unpopular policy in farm-heavy states.
For much of the House GOP conference, it’s seen as a win-win: A chance to declare their policy position, while putting vulnerable Senate Democrats on the spot in a campaign cycle that heavily favors the GOP. Unlike most bills, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer can’t block GOP-led policy statements from reaching the floor and they require only a simple majority for passage. That means the chamber’s Republicans only need two Democrats to join them to send it to Biden’s desk under full attendance.
On the water rule, for instance, several Republicans have been eagerly predicting they’ll win over Sens. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.), two of the most endangered senators up this cycle who both hail from rural states. Manchin, who has not yet said whether he’s running for reelection, has already indicated he’ll support the measure, while Tester said Monday he is undecided.
With Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) out due to a medical issue and Manchin a “yes” vote, it’s expected to pass the Senate next week, assuming full GOP attendance. And this time, Biden has threatened to whip out his veto pen, after declining to do so on the crime bill.
“Our farmers and ranchers will be pissed about that,” said Rep. Don Bacon (R-Neb.). Summing up the GOP approach generally, he added: “It’s an area that we can have some success. I don’t think it can be our only strategy. But we’re happy.”
West Virginia Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, the top Republican on the Environment and Public Works Committee, said she is optimistic about her chamber passing the water resolution, even if it won’t have the degree of Democratic support that the D.C. crime bill disapproval resolution is expected to garner.
“I would expect Democratic support, I wouldn’t expect it as a lot,” she said.
And there are more disapproval resolutions in the works. Sens. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala) and John Boozman (R-Ark.) have introduced a resolution that would repeal a recent rule from the Department of Veterans Affairs that offered abortion counseling and services in certain cases. Manchin has already signed onto that effort as well.
Manchin and Tester were also the only two Senate Democrats to support a resolution disapproving of a Biden administration policy that enables managers to consider climate change and social goals in retirement investing decisions. But it’s the D.C. crime bill that has drawn the most ire within the Democratic Party.
Biden’s surprise decision to go along with the GOP’s push infuriated many House Democrats who voted against the repeal, some of whom will almost certainly face soft-on-crime attacks from Republicans in their reelection cycles. And it’s prompted some in the caucus to wonder if they should support future GOP-led measures even if the White House opposes them.
“Like in any house, in any office, and any household, there can always be better communication,” Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.) told reporters, though he stressed an otherwise “unified” relationship with the White House. Democrats had to “navigate what is a hostile environment” with Republican control of the House, he added, noting the potential political potency of the legislation undoing Biden administration policy.
Still, it’s clear some are still feeling burned by the White House.
When House Minority Whip Katherine Clark (D-Mass.) brought up the Biden administration’s threat to veto the Obama-era water rule measure during a closed-door meeting Wednesday, there were some audible groans in the room, according to two people familiar with the situation.
Across the Capitol, many Senate Democrats largely blame the discord between the D.C. Council and the city’s mayor for the dramatic back-and-forth. Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser vetoed the measure, only to have the city council override the veto — and then attempt to withdraw its plan earlier this week, in the face of congressional backlash.
“The mayor and the police chief both opposed it, the head of the D.C. Council said, ‘OK guys, don’t vote on it, we’ll go back to the drawing board,’” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.). “So, unfortunately, the whole process has been flawed.”
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( With inputs from : www.politico.com )
Tehran: Iran has vowed to stick to the path of diplomacy and negotiation as it continues to seek a conclusion to the stalled nuclear talks.
Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian made the remarks on Tuesday in an address to a commemoration ceremony, Xinhua news agency reported, citing the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s website.
He stressed that reaching an agreement in the talks on reviving the 2015 nuclear deal in line with the national interests is among the “inherent responsibilities” of the Iranian diplomatic apparatus.
He added Iran has explicitly told the US and other Western parties that high on its agenda are observing red lines, safeguarding national interests, and achieving an agreement to which all parties would be committed.
Amir Abdollahian said Iran will never leave the negotiating table, nor will it back down from its red lines even under the toughest circumstances.
Iran signed the nuclear deal, formally known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), with world powers in July 2015, agreeing to put some curbs on its nuclear programme in return for the removal of the sanctions on the country. The US, however, pulled out of the deal in May 2018 and reimposed its sanctions on Tehran.
The talks on the JCPOA’s revival began in April 2021 in Vienna, Austria. No breakthrough has been achieved after the latest round of talks in August 2022.
