Month: July 2022

Karnataka Police nabbed the two assailants who stabbed Vastu expert Chandrashekhar Angadi popularly known as Chandrashekhar Guruji to death at a hotel in Hubballi on Tuesday.

The two accused were detained by police in Ramdurg while they were trying to escape.
According to the police, the accused Mahantesh Shirur and Manjunath Marewad are former employees of ‘Saral Vastu’ run by Chandrashekhar Guruji were detained with help of Belgaum Police while they trying to escape in a car.

“Both accused stabbed Chandrashekhar Guruji today afternoon in a hotel lobby where he was staying. He succumbed to death due to injuries. They have been detained. We had formed teams and they were working on gathering information. We shared information with neighbouring districts. The Belgaum Police detained both the accused. Our team has gone there to bring them. We will interrogate them,” said Hubballi Police Commissioner Labhu Ram.

According to Police, Chandrashekhar Guruji was staying at the hotel in Hubballi for the last four days. On Tuesday two people came to the hotel to meet him and called him to the lobby. Soon after Chandrashekhar Guruji reached the lobby, the assailants stabbed him multiple times and ran away. He was rushed to the KIMS Hospital where he was declared dead.

“Some people called him to the lobby area of the hotel where he was staying. One person wished him and then suddenly started stabbing him. Due to multiple injuries, by the time he was shifted to the hospital, he was dead. We have registered a case and are searching for the accused,” said Police Commissioner Labhu Ram.

A case has been registered in Vidyanagar police station. (ANI)

The newly appointed DGP of Punjab Police Gaurav Yadav on Tuesday conducted surprise checks at Mataur Police Station and Phase 8 Police Station of Mohali and said the eradication of drugs and gangsterism is the priority of the state Police Force.

Gurpreet Singh Bhullar DIG Rupnagar Range and Vivek Sheel Soni SSP SAS Nagar were present at the occasion, said a statement by the District Public Relations Officer, SAS Nagar.
DGP Gaurav Yadav inspected the Malkhans, barracks and canteens of Mataur Police Station and Phase 8 Police Station and inquired about the facilities being provided by the police administration.

Highlighting the motive of his surprise check, the DGP said that he was trying to personally go to the police stations to check the working of the police force and see if there was any shortcoming which could be rectified.

He said, “It is the priority of the Punjab Police Force to take strong action against drugs and gangsterism and to eradicate them from Punjab thus providing better law and order to the people of Punjab.”

It would be the agenda of the Punjab Police to improve the basic policing of the Punjab Police and to improve the relations of the police with the general public, he added. (ANI)

Being gay in China has become harder in the last decade as life has gotten harder since Xi Jinping came to power in 2012.

Di Valerio Fabbri, writing in Geopolitica.info said that China’s muscular posture became prominent after Xi set a tone for a more assertive, self-reliant China strengthened by a growing population and traditional values. One outcome has been a subtle but constant narrowing of gay spaces — physical, virtual and philosophical.
Xi Jinping has been tightening breathing space for civil society since he came to power and including groups serving the LGBTQ community. Legislations have been passed to ensure that unauthorised groups have difficulty surviving, for example by cutting them off from banking services or public meeting spaces or by banning media coverage.

Moreover, some in China believe that being homosexual, bisexual, or trans is a foreign concept, based on the fact that numerous Western embassies in Beijing have highlighted LGBT rights.

A more assertive, self-reliant China has resulted in a subtle but constant narrowing of gay spaces, with internet platforms willing to step in and do the government’s dirty work, said Fabbri.

“Will You Look at Me”, an award-winning documentary short film features Huang Shuli and his mother in an anguished conversation regarding Shuli’s homosexuality.

Huang’s mother’s exasperation is evident from her words, “Why did I give birth to a monster?” and is juxtaposed with shots of her indulging in daily chores like picking flowers, swimming in the wild or tending her garden.

Homosexuality has always been a taboo topic in China, where the rights of sexual minorities are non-existent. Social media accounts of several LGBT societies at universities were closed down last year on the basis of unspecified violations.

An increasingly hostile environment is being created for groups pushing for more inclusion. China’s only big LGBT celebration, Shanghai Pride, stands cancelled after police interrogated several of its organizers, reported Geopolitica.info.

Further, LGBT groups have been accused of corrupting young people and serving hostile foreign forces, a rhetoric that has been amplified by State media. Portrayals of “effeminate” and “sissy” men were banned last year by the top media regulator.

Even generic shows featuring subtly romantic male friendships have been banned. In order to prevent the ‘feminization’ of boys, Bejing’s Education ministry has called for strengthening physical education to “cultivate masculinity”.

In 2014, Peng Yanzi, an activist who is working to advance LGBT equality through China’s legal system, underwent electric shocks and hypnotism intended to “cure” his homosexuality by an unspecified clinic in China.

Moreover, same-sex couples are not allowed to adopt children or marry. Chinese censors in 2016 declared that television and films should avoid homosexual themes. In Xi’an, nine activists attempting to organize an LGBT rights convention were detained.

The police told the organizers the city didn’t welcome gay people. The absurd censorship hit the American television show “Friends”, where the plot line about Ross’ lesbian ex-wife was completely removed when it started streaming in China, reported Geopolitica.info.

In an effort to offset the consequences of the former one-child policy, which has resulted in a rapidly greying society, the Communist Party has also pushed for couples to have additional children. Although it’s never stated explicitly, promoting LGBT rights and normalising non-traditional family arrangements could be perceived as undermining that purpose. (ANI)

Delhi High Court on Monday issued notice to former Congress MP Sajjan Kumar on a plea challenging the bail granted to him in a case related to the killing of two people during the 1984 riots.

Special Investigation Team (SIT) challenged the bail order passed by a Special MP and MLA Court.
Justice Yogesh Khanna on Monday issued notice to Sajjan Kumar returnable on July 15, 2022. The bench stayed the bail order challenged in the petition.

Sajjan Kumar is lodged in jail after conviction by Delhi High Court in 2018 in another riots-related case. He was awarded a life jail sentence by the High court. Earlier he was acquitted by Karkardooma Court.

SIT investigating riots-related cases has challenged the bail order passed by Special Judge MK Nagpal on April 27, 2022.

Advocate Ajay Digpaul for the Central government submitted that Sajjan Kumar is involved in a heinous offence and some important witnesses are yet to be examined and if he is released he may tamper with the evidence. He is already convicted in a similar case and is in custody.

Special Judge at Rouse Avenue Court granted bail to Sajjan Kumar on furnishing a bail bond of Rs 1 lakh and one surety bond in the like amount. Court had imposed some conditions on him. (ANI)

Five rockets presumably fired from neighboring Afghanistan fell on the border town of Termez in the south of Uzbekistan, the Uzbek Foreign Ministry said Tuesday.

The rockets fell around 4:20 p.m., with four of them landing on the Majnuntol neighbourhood area and one on a football stadium, it said.
According to the ministry, none of the rockets exploded, so no human casualties and serious destruction occurred, except minor damages to four private houses.

“Currently, the competent authorities of Uzbekistan, together with the Afghan side, are implementing the necessary measures to establish the causes of the incident,” the statement said. (ANI/Xinhua)

Hours after stirring controversy over remarks against the Indian Constitution, Kerala Minister Saji Cheriyan expressed his regret at the state Assembly and said that he respects the constitution but said that his comments are being twisted.

“I respect our constitution and am a politician that upholds the value of our constitution. The news that I criticised the constitution is twisted, express regret and apology,” said Cheriyan.
“I was trying to point out that withdrawing labour laws and imposing new labour codes will lead to extreme exploitation of workers. While speaking about the above issues in very strong terms it led to misinterpretation or spread of a message that I had not intended. I express my deep regret and apology.”

He also highlighted that the directive principles of the constitution say that financial security and social justice should be ensured for all and the exploitation of the same would affect crores of people across the nation.

“The directive principles of our constitution say that financial security and social justice should be ensured for all. But there is no provision in the constitution to seek legal remedy for implementing directive principles. If exploited crores of people in the country would be affected,” he added.

He also stressed that the constitution should be strong enough to lower the growing inequality in the country.

“The directive principles should be strengthened or else the constitution will not be strong enough to fight the growing inequality in the country. It was this apprehension that I was trying to express in my own words,” he informed.

Cherian also clarified that his views on the withdrawal of labour laws and the imposition of new laws were expressed in very strong terms and led to misinterpretation.

The Kerala Minister evoked controversy while addressing a CPI-M programme at Mallapally in Pathanamthitta district, saying that the “Indian constitution can exploit people”.

Several people including the Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly VD Satheesan hit out at the controversial remarks.

Taking to Twitter, Satheesan wrote, “Saji Cherian, Kerala Minister has made the most insulting statements about #IndianConstitution. Obnoxious words. He should resign or Chief Minister should demand the minister’s resignation. #Constitution”. (ANI)

CoWIN platform chief and CEO of the National Health Authority, Dr RS Sharma on Tuesday hailed the country’s progress in the digital infrastructure sector and said that no other country has been able to achieve what India has in this sphere.

In an exclusive conversation with ANI on Tuesday, Dr Sharma said, “India, during the last decade or so has created a number of digital public infrastructures. The beauty of these public goods is that the more you use them, the better it is. We have done a number of them at a scale which no other country has done.”

Stating a few successful digital products made available by the government to the public, Dr Sharma said, “There are multiple products on top of Aadhaar, which is the digital locker – electronic consent, eSign, electronic KYC etc. “

The top National Health Authority official also went on to mention E-Rupi– the digital payment solution launched by PM Modi in August 2021. “Last August, PM announced E-Rupi, basically a prepaid voucher, which is given for a purpose, so it’s basically direct benefit transfer with a purpose,” he said.

“We have performed well in digital public infrastructure and we will continue to do more as we are bringing out new public goods like Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, Open Network for Digital Commerce…We have gone from a platform to a network-centric digital public infrastructure,” Dr RS Sharma said.

On July 4, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asserted that India is leading the world in the digital revolution as the government’s commitment to the use of digital technology in welfare programmes and services delivery is changing the lives of the people of the country.

PM Modi launched multiple digital portals at the ongoing Digital India Week 2022, including single sign-in portal Meri Pehchaan, Digital India Bhashini, Digital India Genesis and Chips to Startup (C2S), during an event held in Gandhinagar in his native State of Gujarat.

Since 2014, more than Rs 23 lakh crore has been transferred to beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfers or DBT, the Prime Minister said. He emphasised the need to adopt technology or else remain backward as was the case during the third industrial revolution when the country remained behind other nations. (ANI)

Independent MLA from Rayagada, Makaranda Muduli on Tuesday extended his support to NDA’s Presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu after Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urged him to support the ‘Daughter of Odisha’.

The independent MLA from Rayagada met CM Naveen Patnaik today, according to an official statement by Chief Minister’s Office (CMO).
During the meeting with Muduli, CM Patnaik requested him to support Murmu stating that she is a daughter of Odisha and pride of the state and every Odia is proud of her.”

Patnaik also said, “I reiterate my appeal to all the members to ensure every vote in her favor.”

Meanwhile, CM Patnaik also talked to Odisha Congress legislature party leader Narasingha Mishra and requested support for Murmu. Biju Janta Dal Organizational Secretary Pranab Prakash Das also met Narasingha Mishra on the directions of CM Patnaik.

Dash informed that BJD chief and CM Patnaik have directed all senior vice presidents of the party and ministers to approach Congress State President and MLAs along with CPIM MLA Laxman Munda.

National Democratic Alliance’s (NDA) presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu and joint opposition nominee Yashwant Sinha are the only two contesting candidates for election to the Office of the President.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday lauded the candidature of the NDA presidential candidate Droupadi Murmu and called it historic on the second day of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) national executive meeting in Hyderabad. (ANI)

Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition partners – Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) on Tuesday voiced concern over the increasing role of country’s premier spy agency ISI on civilian affairs.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif granted the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) status of a Special Vetting Agency (SVA), thus empowering it to conduct verification and screening of all government officers before their induction, appointments and postings, as well as promotions.
Some members belonging to allied parties even criticised the prime minister for not taking the coalition partners and parliament into confidence, vowing to take the matter to the court, reported The Express Tribune.

They quipped that the premier should also consider including politicians in the notification as “most of the traitors” were there.

“This has been done behind the back of coalition partners and parliament,” Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) General-Secretary Farhatullah Babar said, asking why the decision was taken as it is not a single-party government.

In a tweet, Babar said that the decision must be unacceptable to many coalition partners, and they must protest to reverse it, adding that unilateral alteration in civil service rules must be challenged, reported The Express Tribune.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) former information minister Pervaiz Rashid also questioned the move in a tweet, saying that if the task of investigating civilian officers was included in ISI’s responsibilities, then the premier spy agency should also be placed under civilian control and be accountable to the parliament.

PPP Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar chided the premier on tasking the intelligence agency to vet government officers by “requesting” that PM Shehbaz include all public office holders in the notification at once. “Why discriminate against politicians?” Khokhar asked, adding that “after all, traitors are more common in our ranks”.

Similarly, PPP’s former chairman Senator Mian Raza Rabbani also said that the notification issued by the federal government, declaring the ISI as the SVA, was “surprising”, reported The Express Tribune.

“The verification and screening of all civil servants before their induction, appointments, postings and promotions by the SVA amount to ceding civilian space,” Rabbani said.

Besides, he added, the civil servants were already working under the pressure of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) law.

An official of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) said that the decision was surprising for the party too as no discussion had taken place in the party meetings on the issue.

With the special status and powers, some bureaucrats said, the spy agency would keep an eye on the moral and financial affairs of the government officers and would submit details to the promotion boards, especially the high-powered board and Central Selection Board (CSB).

The political set-up in Pakistan has been military-driven for ages and it is also perceived in Pakistan that politicians need the military’s backing to come to power, however, after the newest reform, many now fear that bureaucrats could also need the same support for their appointment and postings.

The move has placed the verification and screening of government officials in charge of postings, appointments, and promotions in ISI hands, leading to concerns of a shrunken civilian space.

The recent reform issued by PM Shehbaz Sharif has raised fears about the military increasing its control over the country’s public life. (ANI)

The Indian Navy requires fighter jets for its aircraft carrier operations for which it has carried out trials of the French Rafale and American F-18 aircraft.

In a press conference on indigenisation in the Navy, the Navy Vice Chief Admiral SN Ghormade said trials of the American and French aircraft have been done to know their capability for aircraft carrier operations.
“Trials of Rafale and Boeing F-18 have done to prove their capability of operating from aircraft carriers. Our aim is indigenisation. We have a Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) aircraft plan but it will take some time. By the time that indigenous project takes place, we are looking at buying aircraft from foreign sources under Inter-Governmental Agreement,” he said.

The Twin Engine Deck Based Fighter (TEDBF) is a developmental programme of the Defence Research and Development Organisation and it would be the advanced version of the Naval Light Combat Aircraft (LCA), Tejas.

The Navy had earlier plans of buying 57 fighters under the plan to buy aircraft from foreign sources but now that requirement has been cut down by more than half.

Answering a query on by when the Indian Navy would be able to make conventional submarines on its own, the Navy Chief said, “We want to encourage indigenisation here. The idea is that we develop some capabilities here and build capabilities for indigenisation for the future.”

“We are continuing with Project 75 India,” Ghormade said on the current status of Project 75 India.

Indian Navy has plans of building six modern conventional submarines under Project 75 India, a Rs 60,000 crore project. (ANI)