India resorts to massive firing on Pak border

October 9, 2014

New Delhi, Oct 9: Even as India resorted to massive firepower to silence Pakistani guns from across the border, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said everything will be all right soon.

Pak border“Sab theek ho jayega (everything will be all right soon),” Modi said at the At Home function hosted by IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha here on Wednesday. Modi made the statement while responding to queries from the media.

The directors general of military operations (DGMOs) from India and Pakistan spoke via the hotline on Tuesday about the need to de-escalate the situation. The scenario near the International Border (IB) in Jammu, however, remained unchanged.

As firing continued from the Pakistani side, officials said there will be no flag meeting till shelling stops from across the border. The troops have been asked to respond to Pakistani firing and continue with the no-talk stand.

“No talks, continue firing. This is the message we have given to them (Border Security Force) also,” a senior Home Ministry official said.

Sources said the Pakistani Army, Rangers and the Lashkar-e-Toiba were firing shoulder-to-shoulder in a coordinated, systematic and well-planned manner. At least two civilians and 20 others were injured on the Indian side in the last 24 hours. So far, seven people have been killed and close to 60 injured in the shelling.

Border Security Force (BSF) sources said Pakistan Rangers targeted 54 border outposts across Jammu. Cross-border firing continued at all BSF sectors in the area, including Akhnoor, RS Pura, Kanachak and Arnia.

Three personnel suffered injuries and one of them was airlifted to Delhi.

“The government is taking it seriously and we want a quick resolution. We want peace and tranquillity. The government is taking a number of steps, diplomatically and otherwise,” said Raha, who is also the chairman of the Chief of Staff Committee.

Earlier in the day, Army Chief Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag said the Army had given an effective and immediate response to Pakistani shelling. Several Pakistani structures were destroyed though there is no official confirmation on their numbers.

The prime minister was seen having a one-on-one with Gen Suhag at the At Home function before he made the statement.

Throughout the day, Modi was under attack from Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi who asked why the prime minister was silent on the issue of ceasefire violations by Pakistan. About 20,000 people from 30 odd border villages have been shifted to safer locations.

Army officials, however, claimed that there was no firing across the 740 km long Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir since Tuesday night.

Before the lull, there were seven incidents of firing at Poonch, Mendhar, Krishna Ghati and Bimbergali sectors on the LoC.

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who has been tasked by the prime minister to defuse the crisis, reviewed the situation along with Home Secretary Anil Goswami.

The ground zero has flared up considerably since October 3 when shelling from the Pakistan side began. The firing on border villages took place though the two DGMOs decided in August to spare civilians.

Pakistan claimed it began the fresh round of firing after 9 civilians were killed and 25 injured in Sialkot by unprovoked Indian firing.

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Agencies
June 4,2020

New Delhi, Jun 4: Press Council of India (PCI) member BR Gupta has resigned from his post, saying he was unable to work individually or collectively for the media, which is in a "deep crisis".

"I have tendered my resignation as a Press Council of India member," Gupta told PTI.

He said the PCI had the responsibility to encourage media and media professionals constantly.

"But everyone now realises that the media scenario is in a deep crisis. The motto for which the Council was created was not being fulfilled and I felt I was not doing anything remarkable for the freedom of media," Gupta said.

He claimed that the PCI was not a wholly representative body for the media.

"Then how can we come out of the crisis being faced by the media and mediapersons? It is a big challenge for us. I have quit as I have not been able to work individually or collectively being a PCI member," Gupta added.

Referring to salary cuts and job losses, he said media and mediapersons were struggling for social, political and economic justice.

When contacted, PCI chairman Justice C K Prasad said Gupta's resignation has not been accepted yet.

"I have received it (the resignation). I have not gone through it. It has not been accepted," Prasad told PTI.

Gupta was appointed as a PCI member for a three-year term on May 30, 2018.

He said liberty is one of the basic features of the preamble to the Constitution that continues to inspire people and the media.

"It is difficult (for me) to fulfil the unbiased role and responsibility to help citizens and the media for making democracy stronger," Gupta said.

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News Network
February 2,2020

New Delhi, Feb 2: The Congress on Sunday released its manifesto for Delhi polls, promising to implement unemployment allowance of Rs 5,000-7,500 per month and cashback schemes for water and power consumers, if voted to power.

Presenting the manifesto, Delhi Congress chief Subhash Chopra said the party will provide free power up to 300 unit per month.

The manifesto also committed to spend 25 per cent budget each year on fighting pollution and improving transport facilities.

An unemployment allowance of Rs 5,000 for graduates and Rs 7,500 for post graduates per month will be provided under the Yuva Swabhiman Yojna, he said.

The Congress will launch flagship cashback schemes for power and water supply to benefit consumers saving these resources. The party, if voted to power, will open 100 Indira Canteens to provide subsidised meals at Rs 15, Chopra said.

The Congress will challenge the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in the Supreme Court and demand the Centre to withdraw the law. The party will also not implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) and the existing form of the National Population Register (NPR), if voted to power in Delhi.

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Agencies
May 17,2020

New Delhi, May 17: With the highest-ever spike of close to 5,000 cases in the past 24 hours, the COVID-19 count in India has crossed 90,000 on Sunday.

With an increase of 4,987 COVID-19 cases being reported in the last 24 hours, the count has reached 90,927, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The total number of active cases in the country stands at 53,946 today, while 2,872 deaths have been recorded due to the infection so far, with one patient having migrated. 120 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours.

However, on the positive side, close to 4,000 patients have also been cured and discharged in the past 24 hours, taking the tally of cured patients to 34,108.

With 30,706 confirmed cases, Maharashtra remains the worst-affected by the infection in the country.

It is followed by Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, with 10,988 and 10,585 cases, respectively.
The national capital, with 9,333 cases, is also one of the regions which is badly affected by the infection.

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