Massive protests rock Chennai as PM Modi arrives

News Network
April 12, 2018

Chennai, Apr 12: Chaos ruled the highway connecting Tamil Nadu's capital with Tiruchirapalli for several hours on Thursday morning as hundreds of cadre belonging to various political outfits blocked the roads and displayed black fags in protest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's day-long visit.

Giant balloons in black colour with "GoBackModi" written all over them were released at various locations near the Chennai Airport, where Modi's special aircraft landed around 9.30 am on Thursday, even as ace directors Bharathiraaja, Ameer and Vetri Maran landed at the arrival area of the airport and shouted slogans against the Prime Minister's visit.

Major roads leading the airport witnessed bumper-to-bumper traffic as vehicles moved at a snail pace for more than 4 kilometres, causing severe inconvenience to thousands of people, especially fliers. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's vehicle was caught in the heavy traffic snarl and he was forced to walk more than a kilometre to reach the airport to welcome the Prime Minister, who later flew to Thiruvidanthai, 40 km from here, to inaugurate the Defence Expo.

The outfits are protesting Modi's visit accusing him of acting against the interests of Tamil Nadu by delaying setting up of Cauvery Management Board with an eye on May 12 Karnataka Elections. The call which was first given by principal Opposition DMK was lapped up by almost every other outfit barring the ruling AIADMK, its splinter group led by T T V Dhinakaran and the BJP which jumped into the fray to show black flags to the visiting Prime Minister.

Black flags were hoisted atop the residences of top Opposition leaders, including those belonging to DMK chief M Karunanidhi and working president M K Stalin, since Thursday morning, even as cadre belonging to fringe outfit, Tamizhaga Vaazhurimai Katchi, released giant balloons in black in large numbers to show their protest against the Prime Minister's visit.

Cadres of Naam Tamizhar climbed onto giant hoardings in the vicinity of the Airport and showed black flags. Though the Prime Minister will avoid stepping onto major roads, the protesters said their agitation was symbolic but powerful since thousands of common people were on the streets protesting the delay in constituting Cauvery Management Board.

Black was the colour of the day as Stalin, his allies Thol Thirumavalavan, R Mutharasan, G Ramakrishnan and other leaders continued their Cauvery Rights Retrieval walk for the sixth day clad in black shirts. Though the city police had made elaborate security arrangements, groups of protesters sneaked into the airport and shouted slogans against Modi's visit.

Unwilling to take chances, the Special Protection Group (SPG) that guards the Prime Minister and the Chennai Police made several changes to Modi's itinerary to avoid his cavalcade on the main roads. After inaugurating the Defence Expo, Modi will take a chopper to reach Chennai to attend the Diamond Jubilee celebrations of the Adyar Cancer Institute.

To avoid getting onto the Sardar Patel Road, a wall connecting the Cancer Institute with Children's Park has been demolished to ensure direct entry into the hospital from IIT-Madras, where the Prime Minister's chopper will land. The chopper will land at the cricket ground of the prestigious institution raising the hackles of environmentalists who say landing of the helicopter will cause massive stress to animals in the campus and at the Guindy National Park located just metres away.

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News Network
May 12,2020

New Delhi, May 12: Stranded for over 50 days due to the lockdown and suspension of passenger train services, many people in the national capital will finally be able to reach their destinations in different parts of the country after the railways resumed services on Tuesday.

Three special AC trains will leave the New Delhi railway station for Dibrugarh, Bengaluru and Bilaspur.

The train to Dibrugarh in Assam will leave at 4.45 p.m, while the one leaving for Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh and Bengaluru in Karnataka will leave the New Delhi station at 5.30 p.m and 9.15 p.m respectively.

Entry to the station has been facilitated from the Paharganj side for all confirmed ticket holders. No entry for passengers holding such tickets will be permitted from the Ajmeri Gate side, the railways said.

Railway authorities have put barricades outside the station premises and only those with confirmed tickets are being allowed to enter.

All passengers are undergoing thermal screening before entering the station premises. For this purpose, they have also been asked to reach the station 90 minutes prior to the departure of the train.

A senior Railway Police Force officer said every passenger is being subjected to thermal screening. Hand sanitiser machines have also been placed at the entrance and the passengers are being advised to sanitise their hands before entering the station premises.

Syed Yasir, a private retail sector executive, said due to the resumption of services he will now be able to go to Nagpur to be with his family on Eid. 

Surendra, an engineer with a PSU, was on an assignment in Agra when the lockdown was announced. After the Railways decided to resume passenger train services, he came to Delhi in a private vehicle to board the train to Bengaluru.

"I was on an assignment in Agra where I was stuck. I have come from Agra in a private vehicle and now going to board the train to Bengaluru," Surendra, who identified himself with his first name, said.

Five more trains bound for Delhi will leave from Patna, Bengaluru, Howrah, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, the railways said.

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News Network
July 21,2020

New Delhi, Jul 21: The Enforcement Directorate is understood to have initiated a process to freeze over 60 bank accounts in the country on the request of the Brazilian government in connection with a money laundering case in that country, offiicials said on Monday.

They said the agency has undertaken the action under the provision of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in pursuance of a mutual agreement between the two nations to combat financial crimes.

The over 60 bank accounts are held by some individuals and businessmen based in the country, they said.

The probe, they said, is linked to some high profile people of Brazil.

The suspected accounts sought to be frozen by the Enforcement Directorate (ED), on behalf of the Brazilian government, are stated to be of banks in Delhi and Mumbai, they added.

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News Network
March 7,2020

New Delhi, Mar 7: No country in the world says everybody is welcome, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday, hitting out at those criticising India over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Jaishankar criticised the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) for its criticism on the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, saying its director had been wrong previously too and one should look at the UN body's past record on handling the Kashmir issue.

"We have tried to reduce the number of stateless people through this legislation. That should be appreciated," he said when asked about the CAA at the ET Global Business Summit. "We have done it in a way that we do not create a bigger problem for ourselves."

"Everybody, when they look at citizenship, have a context and has a criterion. Show me a country in the world which says everybody in the world is welcome. Nobody says that," the minister said.

The external affairs minister said moving out of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) was in the interest of India's business.

Asked about the UNHRC director not agreeing with India on the Kashmir issue, Jaishankar said: "UNHRC director has been wrong before.

"UNHRC skirts around cross-border terrorism as if it has nothing to do with country next door. Please understand where they are coming from; look at UNHRC's record how they handled Kashmir issue in past," he added.

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