Abhinandan's homecoming: Wing Commander's family receives heart-warming welcome onboard

Agencies
March 1, 2019

New Delhi, Mar 1: It is a day of celebration for India as Indian Air Force Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, who was taken into custody by Pakistani rangers; three days ago will be repatriated today.

Pakistani prime minister Imran Khan yesterday announced the release of captured Varthaman, calling it a "peace gesture".

Varthaman's MiG 21 was shot and he bailed out after bringing down one Pakistani F-16 fighter during an air battle to repel a Pakistani attack on Wednesday.

It is worth mentioning that, Abhinandan's father, Retd Air Marshal S Varthaman, and his wife, Dr Shobha Varthama were greeted with loud cheers and salutes by passengers who shared the flight with them from Chennai to Delhi last night.

A viral video shows how the proud parents of Abhinandan received a heart-warming welcome on the flight, as passengers applauded and thanked them for giving India, a warrior like Abhinandan.

From the common man to Ministers to Bollywood stars, every Indian is celebrating the moment, hailing it as a "victory for India."

"Dear @narendramodi ji , I'm touring the border areas of Punjab & I'm presently in Amritsar. Came to know that @pid_gov has decided to release #AbhinandanVartaman from Wagha. It will be a honour for me to go and receive him, as he and his father are alumnus of the NDA as I am," Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh tweeted on Thursday.

"T 3103 - Abhinandan .. शीश झुका कर .. अभिनंदन ," wrote Amitabh Bachchan on Twitter after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan announced that Abhinandan will be released by Pakistan on Friday.

India used diplomatic and military pressure to ensure that Pakistan releases Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman unconditionally, top sources said in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Modi made no compromises on the Pakistani proposal for holding talks, the sources said.

Khan announced in Pakistan Parliament that Abhinandan will be released on Friday as a peace gesture.

India mounted pressure on Pakistan through the international community, with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval holding talks with the US and other P-5 countries, the sources said.

The External Affairs Ministry also exerted pressure on Pakistan through the Arab world, they said.

Wing Commander Varthaman, flying a MiG -21 Bison fighter plane, was chasing Pakistani jets which transgressed into Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday and crossed over to PoK where his aircraft was shot down. He ejected safely and was taken to the custody by the Pakistani Army.

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Agencies
February 16,2020

Lucknow, Feb 16: Resident doctors at the AMU's Jawaharlal Nehru Hospital on Sunday demanded that the charges slapped against Dr Kafeel Khan under the National Security Act be withdrawn.

Dr Khan was arrested by the UP Special Task Force from Mumbai on January 29 in connection with a speech he had delivered during an anti-CAA protest at Aligarh Muslim University on December 12.

The Resident Doctors' Association (RDA) held a protest march on the hospital campus against the slapping of the NSA against the Gorakhpur doctor after he was granted bail in connection with the alleged hate speech.

RDA president Dr Hamza Malik said the move was a "blatant attempt to crush dissent and a violation of the Constitution of india".

He said by targeting the doctor, the UP government had done a great disservice to the entire medical community.

The AMU Students' Coordination Committee also described the decision to charge Dr Kafeel under the NSA a "direct assault" on a member of the medical fraternity who is "known for his upright behaviour and a champion of free speech".

Committee spokesperson and former AMU Students' Union president Faizul Hasan said by charging Dr Kafeel under the NSA even after he got bail was "a direct violation of a Supreme Court ruling on such issues".

Hasan said Dr Kafeel's fate should serve as an eye-opener for the rest of the country regarding the democratic rights in Uttar Pradesh.

The doctor was earlier arrested for his alleged role in the death of over 60 children within an week at the BRD Medical College in Gorakhpur in August 2017. Short supply of oxygen at the children's ward was blamed at that time for the deaths.

About two years later, a state government probe cleared Khan of all major charges, prompting him to seek an apology from the Yogi Adityanath government.

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News Network
January 7,2020

Mumbai, Jan 7: People protesting against the JNU violence were evicted from Gateway of India here on Tuesday morning as roads were getting blocked and tourists and common people were facing problems, a police official said.

Police had appealed to the protesters to shift but they didn't listen, so they were "relocated" to Azad Maidan, the official said.

Hundreds of people, including students, women and senior citizens - who assembled at the iconic Gateway of India since Sunday midnight - demanded action against the culprits and called for Union Home Minister Amit Shah's resignation.

Violence broke out in the Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in Delhi on Sunday night as masked men armed with sticks and rods attacked students and teachers and damaged property on the campus.

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News Network
May 18,2020

New Delhi, May 18: With the highest-ever spike of 5,242 new cases in last 24 hours, the total number of positive COVID-19 cases in India reached 96,169 on Monday, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

With 157 deaths reported in the last 24 hours, the death toll has risen to 3,029, as per the latest update by the ministry.

Out of the total number of cases, 36,824 have been cured/discharged/migrated.

This comes a day after the nationwide lockdown, imposed as a precautionary measure to contain the spread of COVID-19, was extended till May 31.

Maharashtra remains the worst-affected state due to the virus with 33,053 cases, including 1,198 deaths. It is followed by Gujarat (11,379), Tamil Nadu (11,224) and Delhi (10,054).

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