Modi must raise H-1B visa issue with Trump: Indians in US

Agencies
June 25, 2017

Washington, Jun 25: Prime Minister Narendra Modi must raise the contentious H-1B visa issue besides defence cooperation and terrorism during his first bilateral meeting with US President Donald Trump, members of the Indian community said here today.

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Modi, who arrived in the US capital today, was welcomed with loud cheers and applause by a group of people from the Indian community that was waiting outside the Willard InterContinental Hotel to catch a glimpse of the Indian leader.

Among those waiting to catch a glimpse of Modi was Mridula, originally from Hyderabad, and working in New York on an H1B visa. She and her friends, visibly excited to see Modi, said they hoped the Indian Prime Minister would raise with Trump concerns over the H1B visas, widely uses by Indian technology companies to send IT professionals to the US.

"We hope that the outcome on the issue is positive for Indians and at the same time does not anger Americans as well. It is scary when we hear reports of attacks against Indians in the US," she told PTI. Modi "is a very powerful leader and I am sure something very positive on the H1B visa is going to come out of his meeting with Trump," she said.

Avinash Bilugu, another H1B visa holder working in Albany, echoed the concerns over the work visas. "This is a major issue for us. I hope Modi brings it up in his meeting with Trump. Defence and security are other important issues that the two leaders should discuss,” he said.

Aatma Singh, chair of the fundraiser committee of Overseas Friends of BJP (OFBJP), listed terrorism and cyber crime as key issues for the bilateral talks. On H1B visas, he said, the IT industry in the US will be incomplete without the contribution and hard work of the Indian workers.

"India and the US share historic ties and the meeting between Modi and Trump will lay the groundwork for further strengthening bilateral relations in the years and decades to come," he said.

Trump will host Modi at the White House tomorrow and the two leaders would spend about five hours together in various settings beginning with their bilateral discussion, delegation level talks, a reception and a working dinner, the first of its kind hosted by this administration.

Ahead of his visit, Modi had said that he looked forward to the opportunity of having an in-depth exchange of views.

The Trump administration has said that if the Indian side raises the contentious H-1B visa issue during President Trump's meeting with Modi, the Americans were ready to respond.

Trump signed an executive order in April for tightening the rules of the H-1B visa programme to stop "visa abuses".

Trump said his administration is going to enforce 'Hire American' rules that are designed to protect jobs and wages of workers in the US.

The executive order also called upon the Departments of Labour, Justice, Homeland Security, and the state to take action against fraud and abuse of the US' visa programmes.

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News Network
March 13,2020

New Delhi, Mar 13: Delhi's Tis Hazari Court on Friday sentenced expelled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar and six others to 10 years imprisonment for the death of Unnao rape survivor's father. Sengar is already serving life imprisonment for raping the minor.

While sentencing them, District Judge Dharmesh Sharma said, "There can be no denying that rule of law was broken. Sengar was a public functionary and had to maintain the rule of law. The way the crime has been committed, it does not call for leniency."

Sengar and his brother Atul has been directed to give 10 lakh compensation to family of the victim for loss of their father. "There are four minor children involved, three girls and one boy. They have also been uprooted from native place," the judge said.

Seven people, including Sengar, his brother and two police personnel, were held guilty for culpable homicide and criminal conspiracy, earlier this month.

The case pertains to the death of rape survivor's father in custody on April 9, 2018. It was alleged that he was assaulted following a quarrel with some of the accused in the case.

He was taken to the police station and then framed for allegedly possessing an illegal firearm. Pursuant to this, he was sent to custodial remand, during which he died.

The case was transferred to Delhi from a trial court in Uttar Pradesh on the Supreme Court's directions in August last year. Both the death and illegal firearm case was later clubbed by the court.

During the arguments on sentencing on March 12, Sengar had told the court that he should be "hanged and acid poured into his eyes if he has done anything wrong".

The former MLA had also raped the daughter of the deceased in 2017 in Uttar Pradesh's Unnao district and was sent to jail for "remainder of his natural biological life", last year.

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News Network
March 3,2020

Daman, Mar 3: A BJP councillor was shot dead on Monday in the Union Territory of Daman, police said.

Salim Memon was sitting in his motorcycle showroom when three to four unidentified persons shot four to five bullets after asking a visitor there to move out, an official said quoting eye-witnesses.

While fleeing, they also shot two rounds close to this visitor who was standing outside, he said.

"Memon was rushed to a hospital in Marwad area but was declared dead on arrival. CCTV footage is being scanned to nab the culprits," said Daman Superintendent of Police Vikramjit Singh.

Memon was elected to Daman municipality as a Congress candidate but then switched over to the BJP.

Sources said Memon, who also has a land brokerage business, had come out of jail a few months back in connection with a case of rivalry.

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News Network
January 18,2020

Shirdi, Jan 18: The administrative body of Sai Baba's Samadhi calls for the indefinite closure of the Shirdi temple after Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray reportedly said Pathri in Parbhani is Sai Baba's birthplace.

"We have announced to close Shirdi against rumours from January 19," said B Wakchaure of Saibaba Sansthan Trust.

"A meeting of villagers will be convened Saturday evening to discuss the issue. Devotees will not face any difficulty if they come to Shirdi," Mr Wakchaure added.

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