NRI returns from Qatar to face terror link probe; NIA arrests him at  Kerala airport

New Delhi, Mar 30: A Muslim woman from Jammu and Kashmir has donated her savings of Rs 5 lakh, meant for the Hajj pilgrimage, to the RSS-affiliated 'Sewa Bharati' after apparently being "impressed with the welfare work" done by the outfit amid the lockdown due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Khalida Begum, 87, who saved Rs 5 lakh for Hajj, was forced to defer her plans for the pilgrimage due to the lockdown.

Hajj is the annual Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, the holiest city of Muslims.

"Khalida Begum ji was impressed with the welfare work done by the Sewa Bharati in Jammu and Kashmir during the tough time the country is passing through due to sudden outbreak of COVID-19 and decided to donate Rs 5 lakh to the organisation," Arun Anand, head of RSS media wing Indraprastha Vishwa Samvad Kendra (IVSK), said.

The woman wants that this money should be used by the community service organisation Sewa Bharati for the poor and the needy in Jammu and Kashmir. She had saved this amount for performing Hajj, plans for which she deferred due to the present situation, Anand said.

"Khalida Begum ji was among the first few women in Jammu and Kashmir who got educated in a convent. She is the daughter-in-law of Colonel Peer Mohd Khan, who was president of the Jana Sangh," he said.

Jana Sangh was also an associate of RSS and later became the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Anand said despite her age, she had been very active in welfare works for the women and the downtrodden in Jammu and Kashmir. Her son, Farooq Khan, a retired IPS officer, is presently serving as an adviser to the Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor.

Meanwhile, since the lockdown was announced, Sewa Bharati volunteers across the country have been providing food and other essential items to the needy. The Sangh-affiliate's volunteers were seen on Saturday managing crowd and providing food to them at the Anand Vihar bus terminal in Delhi.

New Delhi, Mar 25: The exercise to update the National Population Register (NPR) and the first phase of the Census 2021 will not be held as scheduled due to the 21-day lockdown announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, officials said on Tuesday.

Both the exercises were supposed to be carried out from April 1 to September 30.
Due to the prevailing situation, the NPR and Census exercises have been deferred till further orders, a senior home ministry official said.
The Prime Minister has announced a 21-day lockdown across the country from Tuesday night due to the outbreak of the coronavirus.

Mangaluru, Jun 13: Around people from Bhatkal, who were stranded in United Arab Emirates due to months of covid lockdown, finally reached their hometown today. A charter flight carrying these passengers took from the Ras Al Khaimah International Airport at 11:20 PM (UAE time) yesterday and landed at Mangaluru International Airport at 4.20 am today.

After completing all the formalities, they were taken to Bhatkal in five buses arranged by Bhatkali Jamaatul Muslimeen, Mangaluru. Two hotels and a college hostel have been booked for the institutional quarantine of the returnees. 

The passengers were received at the airport by Majlis E Islah wa Tanzeem executive members, Bhatkali Jamaat Ul Muslimeen executive members, and Bhatkal Muslim Youth Federation executive members. 

Ateequr Rahman Muniri, vice president of Majlis-e-Islah wa Tanzeem and owner of UAE based Nuha General Trading LLC, had taken the initiative of sending stranded citizens of Bhatkal and surrounding regions to back home from UAE.

“After we came to know about the problems of the NRIs stranded in UAE plans were made to charter flights to send them home. I received huge support from the Bhatkal community leaders and youth here in Dubai, who gave their complete cooperation and helped with their efforts in successfully chartering the first flight," Muniri said.