Jabalpur: Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra addresses during a public meeting, in Jabalpur, Monday, June 12, 2023.(Photo:IANS/Twitter)
A day ahead of the crucial Telangana Assembly elections, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday hailed the women power saying that her party will fulfill the guarantees made to the people of the state.
In a post on X, Priyanka Gandhi said, “When women take a resolution, they die only after completing it. We will come to Telangana and fulfill the guarantees. We will create history by following the path of truth, honesty and righteousness with the public.”
She also attached over 38 seconds long video in which she is heard saying “When I was speaking to my mother Sonia Gandhi, and she asked me what do I speak in my public meetings in Telangana and I replied I speak the truth”.
Priyanka Gandhi in the video said that as a mother Sonia Gandhi told her that the promises made to the people must be honoured. “I told her that all the party leaders have taken a pledge to complete the guarantees made to the people in the state, ” she said.
Polling for the 119-member Assembly is scheduled on November 30 and the Congress is eyeing to wrest power from the ruling BRS.
The Congress has already announced six guarantees for the people of the state.
Meanwhile, the ruling BRS is seeking a third consecutive victory in the state.
At least 2, 290 candidates are in the poll fray in the southern state.
Counting of votes will take place on December 3 along with the states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram.
Uttarkashi : Rescue workers pulled out all 41 workers trapped in Uttarakand’s Silkyara tunnel in a multi-agency rescue operation that hovered between hope and despair over almost 17 days.
Union minister V K Singh and Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami welcomed the workers as National Disaster Response Force men brought them out through a steel chute that lined a 60-metre escape passage.
An ambulance with the first of the 41 workers left the mouth of the tunnel around 8 pm, about an hour after a group of rat-hole mining experts dug through the last stretch of rubble.
There was hugging and cheers as the ordeal ended. Outside the tunnel some people chanted “Har Har Mahadev” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai” Ambulances which had lined up at the tunnel ferried the workers to a community health centre where a special 41-bed ward had been set up.
Before this, the workers were given a quick medical checkup as they emerged out of the steel pipe.
A portion of the tunnel collapsed on November 12, blocking the exit for the workers who were inside.
Food, medicines and other essentials were sent to them through a six-inch pipe pushed through the rubble of the collapsed portion. ALK ALM RC.
CM Dhami said no worker was in a critical situation. But the labourers will be kept under medical observation for some time before being sent home, he said.
He said the youngest of the worker was rescued first.Relief was felt far and wide.
Over the phone, Jharkhand’s Sunil, who was camping in Silkyara, spoke to PTI agency on the rescue of his brother Anil.
“Finally, God heard us. My brother could be rescued. I am with him in an ambulance on the way to hospital,” he said in a choked voice.
As the rescue appeared imminent earlier in the day, families stationed in Silkyara were allowed inside the tunnel with their belongings – so that they could travel with their loved ones to the medical centre.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi lauded the relief workers. “Everyone involved in the mission has created an amazing example of humanity and teamwork,” he posted on X.
“It is a matter of great satisfaction that these friends of ours will meet their dear ones after a long wait,” he added.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah said he saluted the grit of the trapped workers for facing such a challenging situation for so long.
The final challenge in the rescue operation was tackled by a group of men versed in the technique of rat-hole mining, which typically involves extracting small amounts of coal by going down narrow burrows.
They were called in to carry out manual drilling after a huge American-made auger boring machine got stuck in the horizontal passage that had been dug up to about 47 meters.
New Delhi : Rain in the national capital has brought temporary relief as pollution levels have ease, but the air quality in the national capital continued to remain under the “very poor” category on Tuesday morning.
According to the India Meteorological Department minimum temperature in the national capital was registered at 14.2 degrees Celsius, surpassing the season’s average by four notches.
Meanwhile, the weatherman has predicted a generally cloudy sky on Tuesday with light rain, while the maximum temperature is expected to hover around 26 degrees.
On Monday the maximum temperature had reached 24.2 degree Celsius, two notches below the normal.
Moreover, the relative humidity at 8.30 a.m on Tuesday was recorded at 96 per cent.
In the last 24 hours, the national Capital recorded 7 mm of rainfall till 8.30 a.m on Tuesday, according to the IMD.
Due to the downpour, the air quality witnessed a slight improvement but was still in the “very poor “category at several AQI monitoring stations.
Anand Vihar entered the “very poor” category with PM 2.5 at 346 and PM 10 at 228, in the “poor” category, while the CO reached 57, in the “satisfactory” category while NO2 was at 41 or “good”, as per the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The Bawana station recorded PM 2.5 at 379, in the very poor category while the PM 10 reached at 245, in the “poor” category, while the CO reached 75, or “satisfactory”.
At Aya Nagar, the PM 2.5 reached 328, in the “very poor” category and PM 10 was at 183, under the “moderate” category. The CO was recorded at 67, under the “satisfactory” category.
However, the AQI monitoring station at Dwarka sector 8 recorded PM 2.5 at 401, in the “severe category”, while PM 10 was at 268 or “poor” while the CO was at 75, in “satisfactory” levels.
The AQI at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport station was in the “very poor” category with PM 2.5 at 326 and PM 10 at 169, in the “moderate” category, while the CO was at 88, in the “satisfactory” level.
The PM 2.5 at Okhla Phase-II was recorded at 335, in the “very poor” category while PM 10 reached 188, under the “moderate” category. The NO2 was 78 and CO at 54, in the “satisfactory” levels.
The AQI between zero and 50 is considered “good”; 51 and 100 “satisfactory”; 101 and 200 “moderate”; 201 and 300 “poor”; 301 and 400 “very poor”; and 401 and 500 “severe”.
An MP-MLA court on Monday summoned Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on December 16 in a defamation case lodged by a BJP leader for allegedly making objectionable comments against party Union Home Minister Amit Shah.
MP-MLA court judge Yogesh Yadav had heard the matter on November 18 and had fixed Monday as the next date for the hearing.
According to Santosh Pandey, lawyer of the petitioner Vijay Mishra, Judge Yadav has summoned Rahul Gandhi on December 16 in the matter.
The case of defamation was filed by BJP leader Vijay Mishra in 2018. He had alleged that Gandhi made objectionable comments against Shah at a press conference in Bengaluru.
Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested seven Kashmiri students from the regional agricultural university following allegations of harassment by a non-local student during the cricket World Cup final on November 19.
The incident, which occurred at a veterinary college in Ganderbal, led to the arrest of these students under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and certain sections of the Indian Penal Code related to public mischief and criminal intimidation.
The arrests were made on November 20 but were initially kept confidential to prevent any potential escalation of tensions. The complaint, filed by a non-local student from Punjab, accused the Kashmiri students of verbal abuse, raising pro-Pakistan slogans, and threatening him for supporting the Indian team during the match.
While the university officials confirmed that there was no violence on the campus, they mentioned that the complainant submitted a video to the police showing some students allegedly raising slogans in the dark. These students were in their fourth year and were close to completing their degrees.
The students remain in custody, and investigations into the case are ongoing. The university authorities have urged the government to reconsider the severity of the charges against the students, citing concerns about their future prospects.
Accompanied by his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Monday launched the ‘Mukhyamantri Teerth Yatra’ scheme to facilitate people to pay obeisance at the sacred places across the country.
Addressing a gathering after launching the scheme on the auspicious occasion of ‘Parkash Purb’ of Guru Nanak Dev here, Mann said the scheme is in line with the teachings and philosophy of the great Guru who spread the message of universal love and brotherhood.
He said a large section of society is not able to visit the sacred places across the country due to one reason or the other, and that is why the state government has started this scheme to facilitate the pilgrims to visit the various holy places.
The Chief Minister said 300 pilgrims from Amritsar, 220 from Jalandhar and more than 500 from Dhuri will be travelling to Sri Hazur Sahib at Nanded in Maharashtra on a train.
He said over 50,000 pilgrims will be availing this facility over three months, adding that 13,000 of them will travel via 13 trains carrying 1,000 passengers each which will leave every eighth day. The remaining will be travelling via buses, with 10 buses leaving every day, carrying 43 passengers each.
The Chief Minister said a team of doctors, volunteers and officials will also travel with the pilgrims to take care of any emergency.
The scheme was earlier launched by the Delhi government.
Some of the scared places where the pilgrims will go include Sri Hazur Sahib and Sri Patna Sahib, Varanasi, Mathura, Ajmer Sharif and others.
Similarly, the Chief Minister said through buses, the pilgrims will be able to visit Amritsar, Sri Anandpur Sahib and Sri Damdama Sahib, Vaishno Devi, Mata Chintpurni, Naina Devi, Mata Jwalaji, Salasar Dham, Khatu Shyam and others.
In his address, Delhi Chief Minister Kejriwal said the AAP governments in Delhi and Punjab are walking on the footsteps of the great Gurus to serve the people of these two places.
He said the important scheme is being launched for facilitating the people who can’t travel to holy pilgrimages because of lack of resources.
In Delhi, 80 per cent pilgrims who are part of the scheme are women and senior citizens, he added.
It’s free for all over freebies in Telangana Assembly elections with the main contenders for power vying with each other to promise the moon to the voters.
While it was Congress which made a headstart with its six guarantees, the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) tried to surpass that and not to be left behind, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) dodged its anti-freebies policy to offer sops to the electorate.
The Congress pulled out all the stops to woo various sections, especially women, youth, farmers and different caste groups.
The party had started the exercise last year with farmers’ declaration. Since May this year, it has come out with declarations for youth, Backward Classes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and minorities.
However, it was the launch of six guarantees on September 17 which set the ball rolling. Senior Congress leader Sonia Gandhi unveiled the six guarantees at a mega rally in Hyderabad which coincided with the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting.
Upbeat over its victory in Karnataka, Congress drafted six guarantees on the lines of five guarantees given in the neighbouring state of Karnataka.
After failing to capture power in Telangana twice despite claiming credit for carving out the state, Congress expects the six guarantees to give it a maiden victory in the country’s youngest state, which goes to the polls on November 30.
Financial assistance of Rs 2,500 for every woman, free bus travel for women in TSRTC buses across Telangana, and cooking gas cylinder for Rs 500 are among the six guarantees.
Under Rythu Bharosa, it promised annual financial assistance of Rs15, 000 per acre for farmers, including tenant farmers. For agriculture labourers, it promised Rs 12,000 per year. Farmers will also get Rs 500 bonus per quintal for paddy crop above the Minimum Support Price (MSP).
If voted to power, Congress will give house sites and Rs 5 lakh for the homeless. It will also give 250 square yard plots to the Telangana movement fighters.
Under Gruha Jyothi, all households will get 200 units of free electricity. Under Yuva Vikasam, the Congress promised Vidya Bharosa Card worth Rs 5 lakh each for students and Telangana international schools in all mandals.
Under Cheyutha, the party promised Rs 4, 000 monthly pension and Rs 10 lakh health insurance.
Going beyond the six guarantees, Congress released its manifesto on November 17, offering a plethora of sops.
Waiver of farm loans up to Rs 2 lakh, interest-free farm loans up to Rs 3 lakh, a comprehensive crop insurance scheme for all major crops, Rs 1,00,000 and 10 grams of gold as Indiramma gift to the Hindu and Rs 1,60,000 for the minority girls at the time of their marriage, financial assistance of Rs 12,000 per year to every auto-rickshaw driver and social security to unorganised workers are among the promises announced in the 42-page manifesto titled ‘Abhaya Hastam’.
For unemployed youth, it promised annual job calendars and filling of 2 lakh vacant posts within a specified time period.
The Congress also promised revival of the ‘Bangaru Thalli’ scheme to provide financial assistance to every girl child born and free electric scooters to every girl studying higher education and are above the age of 18.
It has also promised a monthly honorary pension of Rs 25,000 to the parents or spouse of the martyrs of the first and second phases of the Telangana movement, and provide a government job to one member of their family.
It will also withdraw cases against the Telangana movement activists and allocate them a 250-yard house site, if voted to power.
A daily ‘praja darbar’ at the Chief Minister’s official residence, a judicial inquiry into irregularities in the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project and other corruption allegations, ‘Bhumata’ portal in place of the ‘Dharani’ portal, abolishing the current Contributory Pension Scheme (NPS) and re-introduction of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) are the other major promises.
A month after the announcement of six guarantees by the Congress, BRS released its manifesto. The ruling party promised more than what the Congress has assured.
Monthly financial assistance of Rs 3,000 to poor women, cooking gas cylinder for Rs 400, Rs 5 lakh insurance for every BPL family, increase in social security pensions and enhancement of investment support to farmers are among the major promises of BRS.
BRS President and Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao promised that cooking gas cylinders for BPL families will be provided for Rs 400.
Social security pension for various categories of beneficiaries under Asara pension will be increased to Rs 5, 000 in five years from the present Rs 2,016.
After March 2024, the pension amount will be increased to Rs 3,016 and it will be enhanced every year by taking it to Rs 5,000 in the fifth year.
For the physically handicapped, the pension will be increased from the current Rs 4,016 to Rs 6,016 over the next five years. After March 2024, the amount will be increased to Rs 5,000 and every year it will be increased by Rs 300.
KCR also announced an insurance scheme for all BPL families.
The ‘KCR Bima’ scheme will cover 93 lakh Below Poverty Line (BPL) families holding ration cards.
For every family, the government will pay a premium of Rs 3,600 to Rs 4,000 to the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC). Under the scheme, Rs 5 lakh insurance will be paid to the beneficiary family in the event of the death of the head of the family.
The investment support for farmers under ‘Rythu Bandhu’ scheme will be increased from Rs 10,000 per year to Rs 15,000 per year. In the first year, the amount will be increased to Rs12, 000.
KCR also promised that if BRS is voted to power again, the coverage under Arogyasri health insurance scheme will be increased from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 15 lakh.
Fine rice will be supplied to BPL families through ration shops, BRS promised. Also, homeless poor will be provided house sites.
The BJP, which unveiled its manifesto on November 18, also offered sops, thus dodging its anti-freebies policy.
It promised that the beneficiaries of the Ujjwala Yojana will be given four gas cylinders per year for free. If voted to power, the BJP government will deposit Rs 2 lakh on the birth of a girl child. The amount will be given to her when she attains the age of 21. The party promised that the women Self-Help Groups will be given loans only on 1 per cent interest rate.
The BJP also said that it will reduce petrol and diesel prices by slashing Value Added Tax (VAT).
The party further promised financial assistance of Rs 2,500 per acre for small and marginal farmers. Under the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana, the farmers will be provided free insurance coverage.
The saffron party also promised that rice and paddy will be purchased at Rs 3,100 per quintal, and market intervention fund for turmeric and MSP on parboiled rice.
Those pursuing degree or professional courses will be given free laptops. According to the manifesto, the BJP will ensure that employment is provided to 2.5 youth in the next five years.
As per the BJP manifesto, if voted to power, the Chief Minister will be from Backward Classes.
It also promised to abolish 4 per cent reservation for Muslims, implement Uniform Civil Code and officially celebrate Hyderabad Liberation Day every year on September 17.
New Delhi : A dense and noxious haze, commonly known as smog, enveloped Delhi on Monday, with the air quality plummeting to the ‘severe’ category at several monitoring stations across the national capital.
The Anand Vihar station was in the ‘severe’ category with PM 10 at 421 and PM 2.5 also at 421, while the ozone plunged to 190 in the ‘moderate’ category and CO was at 95, in ‘satisfactory’ level, as per CPCB.
At the Bawana station, PM 2.5 reached 432, in the ‘severe’ category and PM 10 at 366, in the ‘very poor’ category, while the CO reached 94, in ‘satisfactory’ levels and NO2 at 28, in the ‘good’ category.
In Dwarka sector-8 station, the PM 2.5 reached 425 and PM 10 was at 405, both in the ‘severe’ category while CO was at 110, in ‘moderate’ level.
The air quality at the Indira Gandhi International Airport T3 area was ‘very poor’ with PM 2.5 recorded at 372 and PM 10 at 316 while the CO plummeted at 111, under ‘moderate’ category and NO2 was at 20, in ‘good’ levels.
At ITO station, the PM 2.5 plunged to 500 and PM 10 was at 435, both under ‘severe’ category while the NO2 spiked to 290, in the ‘poor’ category.
The PM 2.5 at Jahangirpuri was recorded at 451 and PM 10 reached 435, placing both under the ‘severe’ category. Here, the carbon monoxide was 82 in ‘satisfactory’ level and NO2 at 18, in the ‘good’ category.
PM 2.5 at Okhla Phase-II was recorded at 427, while PM 10 reached 418, placing both under the ‘severe’ category. The NO2 reached 107, in moderate ‘category’ and CO was at 92, in the ‘satisfactory’ levels.
Notably, the AQI between zero and 50 is considered ‘good’; 51 and 100 ‘satisfactory’; 101 and 200 ‘moderate’; 201 and 300 ‘poor’; 301 and 400 ‘very poor’; and 401 and 500 ‘severe’.
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi prayed at Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh on Monday and also sought blessings of lord Venkateswara Swamy for the good health, well-being and prosperity of 140 crore Indians.
Sharing glimpses from Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala, the Prime Minister posted on X: “At the Sri Venkateswara Swamy Temple in Tirumala, prayed for the good health, well-being and prosperity of 140 crore Indians.”
Modi also greeted the nation on the auspicious occasion of the Parkash Purab of Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
He also shared a video clip from yesterday’s Mann Ki Baat in which he had paid tributes to the Sikh Guru.
The Prime Minister posted on X: “Greetings on the auspicious occasion of the Parkash Purab of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. His emphasis on serving others and furthering brotherhood give strength to millions around the world. Had also paid tributes to him during #MannKiBaat yesterday.”
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday greeted the party workers on AAP’s 11th foundation day and said that despite “targeting by the government”, it became a national party.
Addressing a press conference, Kejriwal, who is also the national convener of the party said, “Today, on this day in 2012, AAP was formed and it became a national party in 11 years. Due to hard work by the party, it formed government in two states, and in two states its MLAs were elected and people are talking about it across the country.”
“People used to ask us at Ramleela Maidan that if you too will become corrupt, ” he said.
“In the history of India, no other political party has been targetted as much as AAP has been targetted in the last 11 years. They filed more than 250 false cases against us in 11 years, ” the Chief Minister said.
“All agencies of the country were put after AAP but they never found any evidence to this day, ” he claimed.
“This is the biggest certificate of our honesty, ” the AAP leader said.
On the occasion, Kejriwal said that he misses party leaders Manish Sisodia, Satyendar Jain, Sanjay Singh and Vijay Nair, who are in jail in “false cases”.
He said that his heart is heavy, as this is the first foundation day when party leaders Sisodia, Jain, Singh and Nair are not here with us.
“They have been jailed under false cases. BJP knows to make leaders of other parties bend through false cases but they don’t know how to do that to AAP. It is a matter of pride for us that none of our MLAs sold themselves or broke, ” Kejriwal added.
