Sunday, December 22, 2024 | 02:12 PM ISTEN Hindi

LIVE: Ukrainians defy 'surrender or die' deadline in Mariupol

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BS Web Team New Delhi

Local residents stand in front of a residential building which was damaged in the besieged southern port city of Mariupol | Photo: Reuters

3:28 PM

Kejriwal an irresponsible leader: Delhi Cong chief on Jahangirpuri violence

Criticising Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party convenor Arvind Kejriwal over the Jahangirpuri violence, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC) chief Anil Chaudhary on Sunday called him an 'irresponsible leader' who is 'not acting' promptly to maintain peace and harmony in the national capital.

"Arvind Kejriwal is just playing the blame game. Why was security not provided when a procession was going? It is the responsibility of the Delhi government and the Central government. Delhi has been a model of peace and unity. Shiela ji handled such incidents well but Arvind Kejriwal is not acting", said Anil Chaudhary.

Further attacking CM Arvind Kejriwal, he added, "This is a statement from an irresponsible leader. When Congress was in power, Shiela ji stood for the people and maintained peace and harmony. This is not the time for blame game but to maintain brotherhood."

Arvind Kejriwal has appealed for peace. "I appeal to everyone to maintain peace as the country can not progress without it. The central government has the responsibility to maintain peace in the national capital. Appeal to people to maintain peace. "The country cannot progress without peace, all people have to maintain peace, law and order. If needed, there is an agency, there is the police, whose responsibility is there," Kejriwal said.

Chaudhary requested the police to act proactively as Eid is near. "He further added, "This is unfortunate and people have not yet recovered from the Northeast Delhi riots. Government should take notice of this. For the past few days, many festivals are taking place and miscreants are acting as well. Steps were taken to provide security when the procession was taking place."

3:25 PM

MVA angst: BJP 'mentally divided' India in 8 years, worse to come

Virtually besieged by an array of central probe agencies baying for its blood, the 30-month-old Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government has expressed its deep angst over how the Bharatiya Janata Party has 'mentally divided' India in the past right years and the worst is yet to come.

They rue that the ruling Shiv Sena-Nationalist Congress Party-Congress triumvirate, struggling to take flight, has been repeatedly grounded by a belligerent BJP which has yet to gulp the ignominy of losing power in October 2019.

Claiming that the vital organs of the state seem to have buckled in, posing a danger to Democracy, they warn that after the communal rift among Hindus-Muslims the majority community could face 'upper castes-lower castes' divisions and the country may hurtle towards totalitarianism.

Senior leaders point out how, with serial deadlines to topple the MVA regime or other opposition-ruled states falling flat, the BJP has discovered angels in the form of Central probe agencies like CBI, ED, ITD, etc, to haunt governments in key states like Maharashtra or West Bengal.

Shiv Sena's Kishore Tiwari, MoS, said the BJP rakes up a new controversy practically every month to divert masses' attention from serious issues like inflation, skyrocketing fuel prices, unemployment, stagnating economy, industries especially MSMEs closing down, etc.

"With deliberately created uncertainties, even the powerful bureaucracy in Maharashtra and other non-BJP ruled states is scared, under pressure from the BJP and not working for public welfare. Now, a trend of 'innocent victimisation' of people like Medha Patkar or Aakar Patel or lawyer Satish Uke and independent journalists is blatantly going on," said a perturbed Tiwari.

NCP Chief Spokesperson Mahesh Tapase accused the Centre of muzzling the Opposition by letting loose the central agencies to pursue the BJP's sinister agenda, and it did not spare even the ordinary folks with threats of ED in the just-concluded Kolhapur North Assembly bypolls.

3:24 PM

Indian Coast Guard gets new hoverport at Okha in Gujarat

Director General of Indian Coast Guard (ICG) VS Pathania inaugurated the hoverport at Okha and laid the foundation stone for a Coast Guard jetty at Vadinar, both located in Gujarat's coastal Devbhumi Dwarka district, the ICG said on Sunday.

Pahania is on a three-day visit to Gujarat from April 15-17.

He visited various ICG units at district headquarters at Okha in Devbhumi Dwarka and Porbandar. He also visited Coast Guard Station Vadinar during this period, the ICG said in a release.

"During his visits, DGICG reviewed operational preparedness of units and interacted with Coast Guard personnel. He also inaugurated the hoverport at Okha and laid the foundation store of Coast Guard Jetty at Vadinar," it said.

The two projects will "provide impetus to ICG growth in the region and will provide faster operational turnaround and maintenance fillip to the CG, it added.

A hoverport is a terminal for hovercraft, having passenger facilities where needed and infrastructure to allow the hovercraft to come on land.

Pathania also reviewed operational preparedness of units and interacted with Coast Guard personnel. Inspector General AK Harbola, Regional Commander (North West) also accompanied the DGICG along with District Commanders, it said.

3:23 PM

China sending up next space station crew in June

China will launch three more astronauts to its newest space station in June after the latest crew returned this weekend following a six-month stay in orbit, an official said Sunday.

The crew of Shenzhou 14 will spend six months on the Tiangong to add two modules to the station, Hao Chun, director of the China Manned Space Engineering Office, told a news conference.

China's ambitious space programme launched its first astronaut into orbit in 2003, landed robot rovers on the moon in 2013, and on Mars last year. Officials have discussed a possible crewed mission to the moon.

The core module of the Tiangong, or Heavenly Palace, was launched in April 2021. Plans call for completing construction this year.

The Wentian module will be launched in July and the Mengtian module in October, Hao said.

2:26 PM

China has been doing rapid infrastructure development on its side of the border: Chushul Councillor

2:23 PM

Karnataka: 40 arrested over stone-pelting at police station in Hubli, 6 cases registered

As many as six cases were registered in connection with stone-pelting that took place on Saturday night at Old Hubli police station leaving four policemen injured in Karnataka's Hubli, said a police official on Sunday. 40 persons involved in the violent act have been arrested and a probe into the matter is underway.

Speaking to ANI, Hubballi-Dharwad Police Commissioner Labhu Ram said, "Last night, a case was registered at Old Hubli PS, where a complaint was filed against a person for uploading a video on social media; the accused was arrested."

1:53 PM

Over 117,000 health centres set up under Ayushman Bharat: Mandaviya

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Sunday that more than 117,000 health and wellness centres have been established across the country as a part of the Centre's Ayushman Bharat initiative.

He was at a Health and Wellness Centre in Meerut district of Uttar Pradesh to take part in a Yoga programme on the occasion of the fourth anniversary of Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centres. The programme was organised as a part of 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav', which celebrates 75 years of the country's independence.

1:24 PM

Jahangirpuri clashes: Delhi Police holds meeting with Aman committees

A day after clashes broke out during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in the city's Jahangirpuri area, the Delhi Police on Sunday held a meeting with members of Aman (peace) committees and asked them to appeal to the people to maintain peace in their area, officials said. There was stone-pelting and arson during the clashes between two communities that left eight police personnel and a local injured. Some vehicles were also torched, they said. The Delhi Police arrested 14 people over the violence, including a 21-year-old man, who allegedly fired a bullet that hit a sub-inspector, officials said on Sunday.

12:41 PM

Delhi Police arrests 14 over Jahangirpuri clashes

The Delhi Police has arrested 14 people over the violence during a Hanuman Jayanti procession in the city's Jahangirpuri, including a 21-year-old man who allegedly fired a bullet that hit a sub-inspector, officials said Sunday. They said they have also recovered a pistol from Md Aslam, a resident of a slum cluster in Jahangirpuri's CD Park, which he allegedly used during the commission of crime Saturday evening. They said there was stone-pelting and arson during the clashes between two communities that left eight police personnel and a local injured. Some vehicles were torched.

12:38 PM

125 kg beef seized in UP's Sultanpur, 1 person arrested: Police

One person was arrested from here and beef weighing almost 125 kg was seized from him, police said on Sunday. Gosaiganj police station's senior sub-inspector Sitaram Yadav said that police raided a "hideout" in Balramau village Saturday night acting on a tip-off, and arrested Nadeem alias Babu, while another person managed to escape. Around 1.25 quintal (125 kg) beef, two knives and other tools were recovered from him, he said. A case has been registered against the person, he said.

12:04 PM

Govt amends FEMA rules to allow 20% foreign direct investment in LIC

The government has amended rules of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA), paving the way for up to 20 per cent foreign direct investment in the insurance behemoth LIC. The government is planning to dilute its stake in LIC through the the Initial Public Offering (IPO). LIC in February had filed the Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) before the markets regulator Sebi for the IPO.

10:43 AM