Month: July 2024

In a tragic incident, a stampede at a private event in Hathras has claimed 50-60 lives, Hathras DM Ashish Kumar confirmed.

He said that the district administration is actively investigating the incident.

“District administration is investigating the matter. The injured are being taken to the hospital and people are still being recovered. A figure of nearly 50-60 deaths has been reported to me by the doctors,” Hathras DM Ashish Kumar told ANI.

“Permission for the event to be held was given by the SDM and it was a private event. A high-level committee has been formed to investigate the matter. The primary focus of the administration is to provide all possible help to the injured and kin of the deceased,” he added.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed condolences over the incident in the parliament session.

“There are reports of many people dying in the stampede in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh. I express my condolences to those who lost their lives in this accident. I wish for the speedy recovery of all the injured. The administration is engaged in relief and rescue work under the supervision of the state government. Senior officials of the central government are in constant touch with the Uttar Pradesh government. I assure everyone through this House that the victims will be helped in every way,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in the parliament session today.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has also taken cognizance of the tragic incident and expressing his heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families of the deceased, the Chief Minister issued immediate directives to the district administration to expedite relief efforts at the site of the incident.

The Chief Minister has instructed officials to promptly transport the injured to hospitals and ensure they receive adequate medical treatment. He has also wished for the swift recovery of those injured.

Additionally, CM Yogi has ordered district administration officials to arrive at the scene without delay and accelerate the relief and rescue operations. (ANI)

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The Indian Air Force (IAF) rescued 13 fishermen marooned on a small island in the middle of the Brahmaputra north of Dibrugarh in Assam due to a rise in the water level of the river, officials said on Tuesday.

In a post on X, the IAF said, “IAF rescued 13 marooned survivors from a small island in the flooded Brahmaputra, north of Dibrugarh in Assam.”

The IAF said that a Mi-17 IV helicopter from AFS Mohanbari flew in challenging weather conditions on July 2 and undertook the rescue operation from a marshy piece of land.

“The coordinated efforts of Pilot and Flt Gunner ensured prompt and safe boarding of 13 survivors. Emergency first aid was provided by the Indian Air Force after the rescue,” the Indian Air Force said.

Previoulsy personeel of NDRF, SDRF and Inland Water Transport boats had attempted to rescue the fishermen who had been stranded in the middle of the Brahamaputra since Friday. The rising water level and extreme current of the river prevented the rescue efforts, Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) said.

Meanwhile, the flood situation in Kaziranga National Park in Assam has turned critical as the flood waters inundated 95 forest camps. There are a total of 233 camps in the park.

As a result of the flooding, the authorities have vacated six camps.

According to the park authority, the flood waters have submerged all 34 camps in the Agratoli range, 20 in the Kaziranga range, 10 in the Bagori range, 5 in the Burapahar range, 6 in the Bokakhat range and 20 in the Biswanath Wildlife Division.

Sonali Ghosh, Field Director of Kaziranga National Park, said that a wooden bridge near the Moshguli Camp in Agoratoli Range was washed away by floodwaters on Monday, July 1.

“Herds of elephants have started moving towards Karbi Anglong through the Hati Dandi corridor. Heavy traffic diversion has been requested for the NH 715 stretch under Nagaon and Golaghat districts. Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) has also been issued,” Ghosh said.

On Monday the ASDMA said that 19 districts- Kamrup, Golaghat, Majuli, Lakhimpur, Karimganj, Cachar, Dhemaji, Morigaon, Udalguri, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Nagaon, Sivasagar, Darrang,

Nalbari, Sonitpur, Tamulpur, Biswanath, Jorhat- were affected by the floods. It said that all the rivers flowing through the state had crossed the danger mark at several places.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a telephone conversation, assured Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma of full cooperation from the Centre in tackling the flood situation in the state.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said he had briefed the Prime Minister about the relief measures being taken by the State.

“Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji called me a short while ago to enquire about the flood situation in Assam. I explained him that Assam is experiencing a second wave of floods this year due to heavy rains in Arunachal Pradesh and part of our upper Assam districts. I also briefed him about the relief measures undertaken by the state government,” Sarma said in a post on X on Monday, June 1.

“He assured me of full cooperation from the Government of India in this hour of crisis,” he added.

Assam Transport Minister Keshab Mahanta on Tuesday visited Hatimura area under Kaliabor Sub-Division in Nagaon district where the flood waters washed away a portion of an embankment near sluice gate.

The Assam Minister said that, the administration is constantly monitoring the situation and providing safe shelter to nearby people. (ANI)

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BJP MP Bansuri Swaraj moved a notice under Rule 115 in Lok Sabha over Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi’s speech in the House on July 1.

In the notice, Bansuri Swaraj drew the Speaker’s attention to the alleged mistakes and inaccuracies in the speech delivered by Rahul Gandhi on Monday in Lok Sabha, on the discussion over Motion of Thanks to the President’s speech.

Swaraj claimed that Gandhi “deliberately” made a factually inaccurate statement regarding the Agniveer scheme and falsely stated that no compensation is available to Agniveers on attaining martyrdom.

She said that the LoP made the said statement to “mislead” the House. She further alleged that an inaccurate statement was about his party’s conduct qua farmers and referred to it as false and without any basis.

Swaraj called it a deliberate attempt to malign and spread hate against her party.

She also pointed out Gandhi’s statement on the Minimum Support Price (MSP) and said that the central government has always been providing MSP support to the farmers and Gandhi’s remarks that no MSP was given to the farmers was false and “contrary to facts.”

Slamming the LoP’s remarks as “factually incorrect and misleading in nature”, the BJP MP urged the Speaker of Lok Sabha to initiate appropriate proceedings under Rule 115 against Rahul Gandhi.

She also urged the Speaker to take cognizance of the “deliberate inaccuracies” made by Rahul Gandhi and take necessary action.

Earlier in the day, several portions of the maiden speech of Rahul Gandhi as LoP in Lok Sabha targeting the central government over various issues, including minorities, NEET row and Agnipath scheme among others, have been expunged from the records of the Parliament on the orders of the Speaker.

The portions expunged include his comments on Hindus, and PM Narendra Modi-BJP-RSS among others.

Rahul Gandhi in his speech in Lok Sabha on Monday afternoon, during the debate on the motion of thanks on President Draupadi Murmu’s address accused the BJP and RSS of preaching and spreading violence and hatred. His remarks drew protests from the Treasury benches.

The BJP leaders accused the Congress MP “of speaking lies, misleading the House and terming the entire Hindu community violent”. The Congress hit back with counter-allegations against the Modi government. (ANI)

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Ira Khan, daughter of Aamir Khan, has posted some adorable pictures with her grandmother Zeenat Hussain.

On Monday, Ira dropped pictures with Zeenat on Instagram and wrote, “Our faces when we whoop your bums at court piece!”

In the pictures, Zeenat can be seen wearing a white salwar suit while Ira wears an off-white saree with a heavy embroidery green blouse.

Mom-to-be Richa Chaddha reacted to the post and wrote, “Beautiful smiles.”

Ira’s husband Nupur Shikhare dropped heart emojis in the comment section.

Netizens also bombarded the comment section with lovable comments and heart emojis.

A user wrote, “Both of you look lovely. It looks especially graceful in a sari and of course, Zeenat ma’am carries her 90 years beautifully.”

Another fan commented, “Lovely pic, stay blessed.”

Actor Aamir Khan was earlier married to Reena Dutta but separated in 2002. He has a daughter Ira and a son Junaid from his first marriage with Reena.

Ira married her long-time boyfriend Nupur in a traditional Christian wedding in Udaipur, Rajasthan, after solemnising their relationship via a registered marriage at Taj Lands End, Bandra, in Mumbai on January 3.

Reportedly, Nupur and Ira met during the COVID-19 lockdown. The duo had engaged in November last year. (ANI)

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Hina Khan, who is batting with stage 3 breast cancer, received a motivational message from actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu.

Samantha Ruth Prabhu recently took to her Instagram stories to cheer for Hina Khan as she battles her cancer diagnosis.

Samantha re-shared Hina’s latest video on her Instagram story and called her “warrior”.

“Praying for you”. @realhinakhan# Warrior,” she captioned the post.

Hina also reacted to Samantha’s post and wrote, “Takes one to know one…I know you’re an absolute star…and the way you’ve handled all that life threw at you…is beyond amazing..Lots of love and blessings”.

On Monday, Hina shared a video of her visiting a hospital for her first chemotherapy session right after attending an award show.

The video begins with Hina posing for the paps on the red carpet and receiving an award at an event. Then she is seen walking into the hospital for her chemo.

Hina seems emotional and is heard saying “All glam is gone and I’m ready for my first chemo in the hospital. Let’s get better.”

Sharing the video, she wrote, “This award night, I knew about my cancer diagnosis, but I made a conscious choice to normalise it – not just for myself, but for all of us. This was the day that changed everything, it marked the beginning of one of the most challenging phases of my life. So Let’s do some affirmations.”

She continued, “We become what we believe in and I have decided to take this challenge as an opportunity to reinvent myself, again. I have decided to keep the spirit of positivity as the first tool in my toolkit. I choose to Normalise this experience for me and I have consciously decided to manifest the outcome I desire. For me, my work commitments matter. For me my motivation, passion and art matters. I refuse to bow down. This award that I received right before my first chemo was not my motivation alone, in fact I attended this event to reassure my self that I am living up to the benchmark, I have set up for myself. MIND OVER MATTER.”

Encouraging fans with her never-give-up attitude, Hina continued, “I attended the event and went straight up to the hospital for my first chemo. I humbly urge everyone out there too to first Normalise the challenges of your lives then set goals for yourself and try to live up to them all along the way. No matter how hard. Never back down. Never give up.”

Hina, on June 28, confirmed that she has been diagnosed with stage three breast cancer.

The ‘Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai’ actor shared that she has started treatment and is “doing well” and “fully committed” to overcoming the disease.

Hina posted on her Instagram, “Hello Everyone, to address the recent rumour, I want to share some important news with all the Hinaholics and everyone who loves and cares for me. I have been diagnosed with stage three breast cancer. Despite this challenging diagnosis, I wish to reassure everyone that I am doing well. I am strong, determined and fully committed to overcoming this disease. My treatment has already begun and I am ready to do everything necessary to emerge from this even stronger.”

“I kindly ask for your respect and privacy during this time. I deeply appreciate your love, strength and blessings. Your personal experiences, anecdotes and supportive suggestions would mean the world to me as I navigate this journey. I, along with my family and loved ones, remain focused, determined and positive. With the grace of the almighty, we believe I will overcome this challenge and will be completely healthy. Please send your prayers blessings and love,” she added.

Meanwhile, on the work front, Samantha is preparing for Citadel: Honey Bunny alongside Bollywood heartthrob Varun Dhawan. This upcoming web series is an Indian adaptation of the Russo brothers’ Citadel, which originally featured Priyanka Chopra and Richard Madden.

Apart from this, Samantha will star in Bangaram, a film she announced on her birthday this year. This project is especially significant for her as it marks her debut as a producer. (ANI)

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address in the Lok Sabha at around 4 pm on Tuesday.

“At around 4 PM this evening, Prime Minister @narendramodi will reply to the Motion of Thanks, on the President’s address in the Lok Sabha,” the Prime Minister’s Office posted on X.

Earlier, in the day, National Democratic Alliance leaders felicitated PM Modi on his historic third term at the parliamentary party meeting of BJP alliance government on Tuesday.

The Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Kiren Rijiju addressed the reporters after the NDA parliamentary meeting and said that the PM would reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address at around 4 pm.

“Today the Prime Minister will reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address at 4 pm in the Lok Sabha. PM Modi will address the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. Although the time is not confirmed, but it’ll be around 12-1 pm,” the Union Minister said.

The Lok Sabha witnessed a massive uproar in the House over Rahul Gandhi’s remarks. BJP has accused the Raebareli MP Rahul Gandhi of “insulting” the Hindu community.

Prime Minister Modi also hit out at Rahul Gandhi over his remarks and said calling “the entire Hindu community violent is a very serious matter.” Home Minister Amit Shah said that the Congress leader should apologise for his remarks.

Participating in the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s Address, Rahul Gandhi targeted the BJP-led government and alleged there has been “a systematic attack” on the idea of India.

While the BJP held a press conference later to denounce Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, Congress also held an evening presser to slam the ruling party at the Centre.

Rahul Gandhi launched a multi-pronged attack on the BJP targeting it over its remarks during the Lok Sabha campaign, the NEET-UG controversy, Agniveer scheme. (ANI)

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Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav referred to the party’s win in Ayodhya (Faizabad Lok Sabha constituency) as a “victory of mature voters’ democratic understanding.”

Speaking during the debate on the motion of thanks to President Droupadi Murmu’s address, on Tuesday, the SP chief said, “The victory in Ayodhya is the victory of mature voters’ democratic understanding. Hoye wahi jo Ram rachi rakha. (This is Lord Ram’s decision).”

Akhilesh Yadav also addressed ongoing concerns about Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs).

“EVM pe mujhe kal bhi bharosa nahi tha, aaj bhi nahi hai bharosa (I did not trust EVMs yesterday, and I don’t trust them today either). Even if I win 80/80 seats, I still won’t trust them. The EVM issue is not over,” he said.

The SP chief questioned the central government regarding the ongoing controversy surrounding the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET).

“Why are the papers getting leaked? The truth is that the government is doing this so that it does not have to provide jobs to the youth,” Akhilesh Yadav stated.

Speaking on the Agniveer scheme and caste census, Akhilesh Yadav added, “We are in favour of a caste census. We can never accept the Agniveer scheme. When the INDIA alliance comes to power, the Agniveer scheme will be scrapped. A legal guarantee of MSP on crops has not been implemented. Horticulture crops should also be given MSP,”. (ANI)

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Several portions of the maiden speech of Rahul Gandhi as Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha targeting the central government over various issues, including minorities, NEET row and Agnipath scheme among others, have been expunged from the records of the Parliament on the orders of the Speaker.

The portions expunged include his comments on Hindus, and PM Narendra Modi-BJP-RSS among others.

Rahul Gandhi in his speech in Lok Sabha on Monday afternoon, during the debate on the motion of thanks on President Draupadi Murmu’s address accused the BJP and RSS of preaching and spreading violence and hatred. His remarks drew protests from the Treasury benches.

The Bharatiya Janata Party – led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh among others stood up to express their protest and rebut the Congress MP’s remarks.

The BJP leaders accused the Congress MP “of speaking lies, misleading the House and terming the entire Hindu community violent”. The Congress hit back with counter-allegations against the Modi government.

Rahul Gandhi invoked Lord Shiva, Prophet Mohammad, Guru Nanak, Jesus Christ, Lord Budha and Lord Mahavir, saying that he had taken the idea of fearlessness from their teachings.

PM Modi slammed Rahul Gandhi during his speech. “Calling the entire Hindu community violent is a very serious matter,” the Prime Minister said. Home Minister Amit Shah demanded an apology from Rahul Gandhi.

While the BJP held a press conference later to denounce Rahul Gandhi’s remarks, Congress also held an evening press conference to slam the ruling party at the Centre.

Among the portions of Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha speech that got expunged were his accusations against the BJP, stating that the party was treating minorities unfairly and perpetrating violence.

Portions of the Congress MP’s remarks on industrialists Adani and Ambani and on the Agniveer Scheme were also expunged.

Dismissing Rahul Gandhi’s claims on violence against minorities, Dilip Mandal a prominent Dalit voice, claimed that the last decade was the “most peaceful time for India since independence” as he compared the governance under the Congress party.

“During his address, Rahul Gandhi made an objectionable statement that a lot of atrocities are happening against Muslims and Christians in India. I believe that the numbers don’t suggest this. The last 10 years have been the most peaceful time for India after independence if you see the numbers,” Dilip Mandal told ANI.

“During the Congress regime, so many riots used to happen, if you compare that in the last 10 years, only two major communal riot incidents have happened, Delhi and Manipur. So the scale has reduced…riots don’t last long now,” he said.

Mandal alleged Gandhi’s remarks as an attempt “to scare investors” and added that the Congress party is “again trying to appease” Muslims.

“This is an attempt to scare the investors and it will affect India. Congress is again trying to appease Muslims. He is thinking of getting the Muslim votes, especially the Muslim votes of Bihar and UP, from SP and RJD,” Mandal said. (ANI)

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The Delhi High Court will hear Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s petition on Tuesday against his arrest by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the ongoing probe into the alleged liquor policy scam.

On July 1, CM Kejriwal was denied two additional meetings with his lawyers through video conferencing (VC) from Tihar Jail by the Rouse Avenue court.

Special judge Kaveri Baweja dismissed the application moved on behalf of Kejriwal. The special judge said, “Learned counsel for the applicant has failed to convince the court as to how the applicant is entitled to two additional legal meetings through VC on the same grounds which have been discussed and dealt with in the earlier order. There appears to be no reason whatsoever to take a different view based on the contents of the application under consideration.”

It also said that it is not in dispute that a similar application filed by the applicant seeking the same relief of additional legal meetings with his lawyers was dismissed by this court vide a detailed order of April 10, 2024.

It was submitted that Kejriwal is facing about 30 litigations throughout the country and requires two additional meetings with his lawyers through VC to discuss the cases and claim his right to a fair trial.

The counsel for Kejriwal also submitted that, after filing this application, the applicant has been arrested in one more case by the CBI. Further, co-accused Sanjay Singh was allowed additional legal meetings by an order of February 22, 2024.

The CBI, during the hearing, submitted that during the police custody remand, the accused Arvind Kejriwal has been examined/ interrogated. However, he did not cooperate with the investigation and deliberately gave evasive replies contrary to the evidence on record.

On being confronted with the evidence, he did not give a proper and truthful explanation regarding the enhancement of the profit margin for wholesalers from 5 per cent to 12 per cent under the new Excise Policy of Delhi 2021-22, without any study or justification, the CBI said.

In the light of aforesaid facts and circumstances, the further custodial interrogation of the accused Arvind Kejriwal is not required at this stage, the agency submitted.

On June 26, the CBI arrested the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor Kejriwal after a Vacation Judge of the Delhi Court allowed the CBI to examine/interrogate him in the courtroom so that the agency could proceed with his formal arrest.

The court also asked the CBI to place on record the material that they have for his arrest. (ANI)

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