January 2023 - Page 51 of 60 - Lokmarg

No Headway In Identification of source in hoax threats calls to Indian airlines

DGCA: ‘Handcuff-Like Device’ To Control Unruly Passengers On Board

By LokMarg 6th January 2023

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) advisory recommends keeping restraining devices inside Aircraft to control unruly passengers.

A senior DGCA official said that they recommend devices kept in aircraft cabins used to restrain unruly passengers of level 3 type i.e abusive physically violent category. The device looks like a handcuff. Equipment for the help of cabin crew. Some airlines in India like Air Asia are keeping it in the aircraft cabin.
He further said that Applying restraining devices should be used when all conciliatory approaches have been exhausted. Civil Aviation Rule (CAR) makes cabin crew responsible for informing the passenger of the repercussion and consequences of such unruly behavior.

The advisory comes in wake of a passenger urinating on a woman on an Air India flight. (ANI)

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Modi Transformed Congress’ ‘Act East Policy’: Shah

By LokMarg 6th January 2023

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday came down heavily on Congress and said that the slogan for North-East was “Look East”, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed to “Act East” and added that the BJP freed Manipur from terrorism.

“Earlier, the Congres’ slogan for North-East was ‘Look East’, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi has changed to ‘Act East’. We transformed Congress’s ‘Look East Policy’ into ‘Act East Policy’. We do what we promise,” said Amit Shah as he inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of several development projects in Manipur.
Shah has laid the foundation stone of Rs 1,400 crore in the state.

He claimed that under the leadership of PM Modi, the northeast, especially Manipur, has become insurgency-free. He also said that PM Modi has increased the connectivity (both aerial and road) among the northeastern states.

“We had promised to make Manipur free from terrorism, today Manipur is completely free from terrorism and is walking on the path of development under the leadership of PM Modi and CM N Biren Singh,” Shah said while addressing the public.

Lauding the work of the party in the past 8 years he said that the BJP government has worked hard towards the development of the state and invested Rupees 3.45 lakh crore for several development projects.

“In just 8 years, PM Modi has visited Manipur 51 times and has invested Rs 3.45 lakh crore for various development projects. This is a proud moment for all of us,” Shah said.

He also said that India’s first sports university of 325 acres and Olympians Park is being constructed in Manipur which will inspire the youth of the state.

He claimed that under Biren’s leadership, citizens of the state are getting benefits under various schemes like Ayushman Bharat Yojana, Ujjwala Yojana etc.

“Manipur, which used to be the hub for insurgency and terrorism, is now been seen as the hub of hope, peace and stability,” Amit Shah said.

Amit Shah also unveil a 165 feet long Tiranga, the tallest in North East at the historic ‘Azad Hind Fauj’ headquarters in Moirang, where Netaji’s INA hoisted the Tiranga in 1944.

“Immensely proud to unveil a 165 feet long Tiranga, the tallest in North East at the historic ‘Azad Hind Fauj’ headquarters in Moirang, where Netaji’s INA hoisted the Tiranga in 1944. The Tiranga will keep reminding us of the heroes of our freedom struggle and inspire the youth,” tweeted Shah.

Underlining the commitment of the Modi government to honouring the true heroes, he said the Modi government is committed to honouring the true heroes of the Indian freedom struggle so that coming generations can know about their sacrifices.

“This is a befitting tribute to legendary Netaji Subash Babu, INA and all the brave hearts of Manipur, who fought for our Independence. Modi govt is committed to honouring the true heroes of the Indian freedom struggle so that coming generations can know about their sacrifices,” tweeted Shah.

Earlier today, Shah and Biren Singh inaugurated Churachandpur Medical College in Churachandpur and hoisted 175 feet tall National flag at INA Headquarters in Moirang. (ANI)

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Man Accused Of Inflight Urination Issues Statement, Defends Himself

By LokMarg 6th January 2023

Shankar Mishra, the accused of urinating inflight on an elderly woman has issued a statement through his lawyers and said that the lady in her message has clearly condoned the alleged act and has displayed no intention to lodge a complaint.

The statement was issued by Ishanee Sharma and Akshat Bajpai who are the lawyers for Shankar Mishra.
The statement further said, “The WhatsApp messages between the accused and the lady clearly show that the accused had got the clothes and bags cleaned on November 28, and the same was delivered on November 30.”

“The lady’s persisting grievance was only with respect to the adequate compensation being paid by the Airline for which she has raised a subsequent complaint on December 20, 2022,” the statement added.

The accused paid the compensation as agreed between the parties on Paytym on November 28 but after almost a month on December 19, her daughter returned the money back, according to the lawyers.

The statements recorded before the inquiry committee by the cabin crew show that there is no eyewitness to the incident and all the statements are merely hearsay evidence, it said.

According to Shankar Mishra’s lawyers, the settlement reached between the parties has also been affirmed in the statements so submitted by the cabin crew.

“The accused has full faith in the judicial system of the country and will cooperate with the investigation process,” the statement added. (ANI)

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India To Deploy Women Peacekeepers To UN Mission In Sudan

By LokMarg 6th January 2023

India is set to deploy a platoon of Women Peacekeepers in Sudan’s Abyei region today as part of the Indian Battalion in the United Nations Interim Security Force (UNISFA).

This will be India’s largest single unit of women Peacekeepers in a UN Mission since it deployed the first-ever all-women contingent in Liberia in 2007, stated the Permanent Mission of India to the UN press release.
In 2007, India became the first country to deploy an all-women contingent to a UN peacekeeping mission. The Formed Police Unit in Liberia provided 24-hour guard duty, conducted night patrols in the capital Monrovia, and helped to build the capacity of the Liberian police.

The Indian contingent, comprising two officers and 25 Other Ranks, will form part of an Engagement platoon and specialize in Community outreach, though they will be performing extensive security-related tasks as well, added the release.

Their presence will be especially welcome in Abyei, where a recent spurt in violence has triggered a spate of challenging humanitarian concerns for women and children in the conflict zone.

The deployment in Abyei will also herald India’s intent of increasing significantly the number of Indian women in Peacekeeping contingents, added the release.

The Security Council, by its resolution 1990 of 27 June 2011, responded to the urgent situation in Sudan’s Abyei region by establishing the UNISFA. The Security Council was deeply concerned by the violence, escalating tensions, and population displacement.

The operation has been tasked with monitoring the flashpoint border between north and south and facilitating the delivery of humanitarian aid and is authorized to use force in protecting civilians and humanitarian workers in Abyei.

UNISFA’s establishment came after the Government of Sudan and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) reached an agreement in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to demilitarize Abyei and let Ethiopian troops monitor the area.

More than 200,000 Indians have served in 49 of the 71 UN peacekeeping missions established around the world since 1948.

India has a long tradition of sending women on UN peacekeeping missions. In 1960, women serving in the Indian Armed Forces Medical Services were interviewed by UN Radio before being deployed to the Republic of the Congo.

Women Peacekeepers are highly regarded in Peacekeeping Missions throughout the world for their ability to reach out and connect with women and children in local populations, especially victims of sexual violence in conflict zones, read the release.

Indian women particularly have a rich tradition in Peacekeeping. Dr Kiran Bedi, UN’s first Police Adviser, Major Suman Gawani and Shakti Devi have made a mark for themselves in UN Peacekeeping.

Our teams in the Congo and South Sudan have also done sterling work in mainstreaming women and children into Community and Social developmental projects at the grassroots level, the release said.

Indian peacekeepers have served in UN peacekeeping missions around the world. They protect civilians and support peace processes, and also carry out specialist tasks. In Eritrea, Indian engineers helped to rehabilitate roads as part of the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE).

Moreover, Indian doctors provided medical care to the local population in missions around the world, including in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Veterinary doctors are also sometimes deployed as part of the peacebuilding process. (ANI)

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Dhami To Lead Joshimath Rescue, Rehab Ops

By LokMarg 6th January 2023

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Friday said that in the wake of the land subsidence at Joshimath in Chamoli district, he would hold a high-level meeting in Dehradun this evening.

“I will hold a high-level meeting with top officials in Dehradun this evening regarding landslides in Joshimath and cracks in houses,” Uttarakhand CM said while talking to ANI.
Apart from the officials of the Disaster Management, Irrigation, Home Department, Commissioner Garhwal Mandal, and District Magistrate Chamoli will also participate in the meeting.

Dhami further said that he would visit Joshimath on Saturday and take stock of the situation.

“A team from BJP has also been sent there,” he added.

Notably, the BJP state unit has also formed a 14-member committee, under the coordination of the party’s state general secretary Aditya Kothari to assess the land subsidence incident and the damages being reported.

Joshimath, in the Chamoli district of Uttarakhand, is seeing severe landslides. Currently, all of the wards in the area have been affected by landslides.

Cracks have reportedly developed in as many as 561 houses in Joshimath as a result of continued land subsidence in the town, stated the District Disaster Management Department.

Following the appearance of cracks in the houses, a total of 66 families are reported to have migrated from Joshimath as of now.

Residents of Joshimath, a sacred town in Uttarakhand, have become alarmed after noticing fissures in the town’s houses and roadways and have been evacuated and shifted to night shelters of the municipality by the administration.

The affected people, their families, and children are currently living in night shelters, officials said.

The locals said that the people affected by the landslide, have been assured by the government that they will get pre-fabricated houses. However, they are worried about when the houses will be allotted to them.

The Uttarakhand government has formed a team of scientists to find out the reason behind the occurrence of land subsidence in Joshimath and the resultant damage reported to the houses.

The team will be visiting the spot and investigating the reason behind the land subsidence, said an official statement from the government.

According to an official statement, engineers from the Geological Survey of India, Wadia Institute, and IIT Roorkee have been included in the team formed on the instructions of Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami.

Cracks have reportedly developed in as many as 561 houses in Joshimath as a result of continued land subsidence in the town, stated the District Disaster Management Department.

Following the appearance of cracks in the houses, a total of 66 families are reported to have migrated from Joshimath as of now.

“Now the process of increasing cracks in Singhdhar and Marwadi has started. Badrinath NH near Singhdhar Jain locality and JP Company Gate in Marwadi, near the forest department check post, is continuously cracking. This crack is increasing every hour which is worrying,” said Joshimath Municipal Chairman Shailendra Pawar. (ANI)

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Aircraft Crashes Into Temple In MP’s Rewa; Pilot Dead

By LokMarg 6th January 2023

One pilot died and another was injured after the plane they were flying in crashed into a temple in Rewa of Madhya Pradesh in the early hours of Friday, police said.

The mishap took place early this morning and the flight was a training flight, Rewa SP Navneet Bhasin said.
The aircraft of a private company was taxiing from Chorhata Airstrip when it crashed after colliding with the dome of a temple in Dumri Village of Rewa district.

“The plane collided with a temple during training, one pilot has died, and the other is injured and is being treated at Sanjay Gandhi Medical College,” Navneet Bhasin, SP, Rewa told ANI.

A team of police personnel reached the spot. Prima facie, bad weather, and fog condition prevailing in the area are being attributed as the reason for the crash.

Further information is awaited. (ANI)

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BJP vs AAP: DMC Turns Battleground

By LokMarg 6th January 2023

A huge ruckus was created on Friday at Civic Centre before the commencement of voting for the MCD’s Mayoral elections.

The ruckus was created regarding the swearing-in of nominated councillors. BJP and AAP councillors clashed with each other and raise slogans against each other ahead of the Delhi Mayor polls at Civic Centre.
Following the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) mayoral election today, Delhi will pick a new mayor, deputy mayor, and speaker of the house.

Aam Aadmi Party has fielded Shally Oberoi and BJP has fielded Rekha Gupta for the post of mayor.

On Congress’s decision to walk out during the voting, Aam Aadmi Party leader and spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj said, “The walkout of congress during the voting is directly benefiting the BJP, especially in the Standing Committee elections.”

Aam Aadmi Party leaders Saurabh Bhardwaj and Atishi both alleged that the fixup between the Congress and the BJP was already decided.

Citing the example of Congress councillor Nazia Danish from Zakir Nagar, Saurabh said, “The Lieutenant Governor of Delhi VK Saxena appointed Nazia Danish as a member of the Haj Committee without the consent of the Delhi government.”

Saurabh even said that through the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, the BJP is allotting posts to the Muslim councillors won by the Congress so that they help the BJP in the election of the Congress Standing Committee.

Although Saurabh Bhardwaj claims his party will be victorious in the Standing Committee including Mayor, and Deputy Mayor, the Aam Aadmi Party fears that the BJP may break into the Standing Committee with 274 votes, and 250 elected councillors will vote.

Along with this, 7 Lok Sabha MPs of Delhi, 3 Rajya Sabha MPs and 14 MLAs among the nominated people, who have been made on the consent of the Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly, will also take part in the voting.

Along with the post of mayor and deputy mayor, the standing committee members will also be elected.

Seven candidates are in the fray for 6 posts on the Standing Committee. Aam Aadmi Party has fielded Amil Malik, Raminder Kaur, Mohini Jeenwal and Sarika Chowdhary while BJP has Kamaljeet Sehrawat, Gajendra Daral and Pankaj Luthra as its candidates for the Standing Committee.

In the MCD elections, the Aam Aadmi Party won 134 seats, while the Bharatiya Janata Party won 104 wards. (ANI)

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Joshimath Subsidence: 561 Structures Report Cracks, 38 Families Displaced

By LokMarg 5th January 2023

A total of 561 establishments in Joshimath reported cracks that emerged after land subsidence, with the most cases in the Ravigram ward in Uttarakhand, the Chamoli administration said in a bulletin on Thursday.

Out of 561 establishments, 127 are in the Gandhinagar ward, 28 are in the Marwadi ward, 24 are in the Lower Bazaar ward, 52 are in the Singhdhar ward, 71 are in the Manohar Bagh ward, 29 are in the Upper Bazaar ward 27 in the Sunil ward, 50 in Parsari, and 153 in Ravigram reported cracks,” the statement read.

The operations of Hotel View and Malari inn have been restricted under Disaster Management Act, 2005, till further orders, the statement added.

In the last 24 hours, a total of nine families have been displaced, which includes four families in Joshimath Municipal Corporation, one from Gurudwara Joshimath, one from Tourist Hostel, Manohar Bagh, and others, the statement read.

A total of 38 families have been displaced till now, it added.

Earlier in the day, in the wake of the news of land subsidence in Joshimath and cracks developing in many houses in the town, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said necessary actions would be taken to ensure the safety of the people.

Dhami said he would be visiting Joshimath soon to take stock of the situation and initiate necessary action.

“I will be visiting Joshimath in a few days and initiate steps to handle the situation. All the reports will be monitored and all the required steps will be taken. I have had a word with the Municipal Corporation chairman Shailendra Pawar to monitor the condition in the district,” said CM Pushkar Singh Dhami told ANI.

Joshimath Municipal Chairman Shailendra Pawar said huge cracks appeared in the houses due to a leakage of water from inside the ground in the Marwadi ward.

The Chamoli district administration on Thursday asked Hindustan Construction Company Ltd (HCC) and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to be prepared to shelter the affected families migrating from Uttarakhand’s Joshimath due to land subsidence. (ANI)

I’ve Seen Obscene CDs With BJP Netas In Them: Kamal Nath

By LokMarg 5th January 2023

Former Chief Minister and PCC chief Kamal Nath on Thursday weighed in on the ongoing ‘obscene CDs’ controversy, saying he has also seen the CDs and they feature BJP leaders.

Nath made the remark while speaking to the media persons in Madhya Pradesh’s Satna district on Thursday.

Nath said, “I have seen the CDs. I was the chief minister at the time. I do not do this type of politics. At that time I didn’t see the need for any further investigation. I did not want the name of Madhya Pradesh to be defamed, which is why the matter was not brought to the fore. There are only BJP people on the CDs. There should be an investigation into these CDs. The truth should come out.”

Earlier, on Tuesday, veteran Congress Leader and Leader of Opposition Govind Singh said, “We have various obscene CDs of BJP ministers, MLAs, leaders and RSS volunteers. But raising allegations like this is not in our culture.”

Singh on Wednesday also invited BJP state president VD Sharma at his residence to see the ‘obscene’ CDs of BJP leaders, ministers, and MLAs. Singh said, “When Sharma comes to my residence, I will welcome him with a garland and then show him the CDs. I will not show the CDs publicly. I have many of them.”

Reacting to Singh’s sensational claim on the ‘obscene’ CDs, the BJP state president said, “Such comments do not behoove political leaders. It isn’t good to question one’s character through allegations not supported by evidence. He is an experienced leader holding a responsible party post. Such reckless remarks don’t suit him.”

“The BJP never resorts to such politics. I wish to reiterate that if he is a responsible leader, he should go public with whatever he has,” Sharma added.

Nath also targeted Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, saying, “It seems he can’t digest his food unless he does two things — criticize Kamal Nath and lie.”

On the absence of Veteran Congress leader of Vindhya region, Ajay Singh Rahul, at the press conference, Nath said, “I have spoken to Ajay Singh and will keep talking to him. There is no division or dispute in the party.” (ANI)

Reports Of Pak Air Strikes In Afghanistan At TTP Hideouts, Islamabad Denies

By LokMarg 5th January 2023

Pakistani forces launched an air strike on TTP strongholds in Nangarhar province, following repeated warnings from both Taliban-Pakistan governments.

Sources in Nangarhar on Thursday morning, January 5, said that Pakistani fighters bombed targets in the Salala neighborhood in the vicinity of the Gushta district.

Pakistan’s National Security Council (NSC) decided three days ago that the country’s forces should adopt a zero-tolerance policy against terrorists.

The government of Pakistan however denied any such strikes. The Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday categorically rejected reports claiming that Pakistan had carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan, terming them to be “utterly baseless and malicious”.

The uncharacteristically strong-worded statement issued at the end of the NSC meeting, which spanned two days, said: “Pakistan’s security is uncompromisable and the full writ of the state will be maintained on every inch of the (sic) Pakistan’s territory.”