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Pak has 'narrow & limited focus' on Kartarpur: Fees for pilgrims unacceptable

Agencies
March 16, 2019

New Delhi, Mar 16: Contrary to the hype created by Pakistan on Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, Indian officials on Saturday said here that the visiting delegation had a very 'narrow and limited focus' at the Attari talks, but New Delhi is firm about moving ahead with the discussions. 

To the surprise of Indian delegation, at the Attari talks on Thursday, the Pakistani delegation spoke about a 'fee' for the pilgrims.

This did definitely disappoint the Indian delegation, a source said here on Saturday.
Indian officials say contrary to the hype created about a perceived generosity on the part of Pakistan for throwing open the corridor, the formal discussions at Attari did not match such a promise.

India and Pakistan last year agreed to open a special border crossing linking Gurdwara Darbar Sahib in Pakistan’s Kartarpur – the final resting place of Sikh faith’s founder Guru Nanak Dev – to Dera Baba Nanak shrine in India’s Gurdaspur district.

During Attari talks on Thursday, India pressed for visa-free travel for Kartarpur pilgrims.

'This corridor should be absolutely visa-free. There should not be any need for additional document and procedure so that the basic principle of smooth access of large number of pilgrims is allowed,'

SCL Das, Joint Secretary in the Home Ministry and leader of the Indian delegation has said.

Officials from Home Ministry, Ministry of External Affairs, Border Security Force, Defence, Punjab government and Customs attended the deliberations from the Indian side.

The Pakistan delegation was led by Mohammad Faisal, DG in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Indian government remains firm about opening the Kartarpur corridor, says officials there is no doubt about it -- even as post-Pulwama and aerial strike, it was Pakistan who expressed doubts about the March 14 talks.

The second meeting will be held on April 2 and prior to that technical experts will meet on March 19 at the zero points.

According to officials, Pakistan has lived up to its old reputation of making false promises, tall claims and delivering nothing.

On Friday, officials said here that Pakistan is being 'insincere' on the Kartarpur Corridor and among other things what have come to light is that authorities in Islamabad are agreeing to allow only 700 pilgrims per day as against 5,000 proposed by India.

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News Network
August 7,2020

New Delhi, Aug 7: The Congress on Thursday demanded the removal of Karnataka minister KS Eshwarappa from the cabinet and his arrest for his statement that grand Krishna and Vishwanath temples would come up in Mathura and Kashi respectively after "liberating" them.

Mr Eshwarappa made the statement while reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying the foundation of the Ram temple in Ayodhya yesterday.

"By asking kar sevaks (volunteers) to launch a similar campaign, the minister (Eshwarappa) is trying to disturb peace in the society," Congress Karnataka unit chief DK Shivakumar said at a press conference in Ballari today.

"Such people should be arrested immediately, police officials should register a case against him and the Chief Minister should remove him from the cabinet,"he said.

Rural Development and Panchayat Raj minister Eshwarappa had said on Wednesday that he was of the firm opinion that "if not today, tomorrow, Mathura and Kashi temples will be liberated and grand temples would be built there."

"A place of devotion has to be built in both Kashi and Mathura. There too, grand temples have to be constructed. The mosques have to be removed from there," he said.

Mr Eshwarappa, a former BJP state president, said the centres of Hindu belief, Ayodhya, Kashi and Mathura were a kind of a symbol of "slavery" as "temples of our Rama, Krishna and Vishwanath were destroyed and mosques built."

Stating that Mr Eshwarappa is not an individual but a minister who represents the government, Mr Shivakumar on Thursday sought to know from the Chief Minister whether this was his government's stand.

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News Network
April 16,2020

Kochi, Apr 16: As many as 268 British citizens stranded in Kerala due to the nationwide lockdown were airlifted by British Airways on Wednesday from Thiruvananthapuram and Cochin International Airports.

The flight took off from Thiruvananthapuram to London's Heathrow Airport with 110 passengers at 7.30 pm. Later, 158 more passengers boarded the flight from Cochin airport at 10.07 pm.
A medical team, including four doctors, screened the passengers at the Thiruvananthapuram airport before they boarded the flight.

Earlier this month, the first charter flight from India reached London's Stansted with 317 British nationals on board from Goa.

The British government had earlier announced the operation of 19 chartered flights to evacuate its nationals who are stranded in India amid travel restrictions owing to the coronavirus crisis.

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News Network
March 26,2020

Panaji, Mar 26: Three persons, all with travel history abroad, tested positive for coronavirus in Goa on Wednesday, health department officials said, as the tourist haven joined the states which have reported COVID-19 cases.

This is the first time the tourist state has reported coronavirus positive cases.

The Directorate of Health Services, in a late night press statement here, said three suspected cases of COVID-19 from Goa, whose test results were awaited, have turned out positive.

All three are male patients of ages 25, 29 and 55 years. They have travel history of returning to Goa from Spain, Australia and the USA, respectively, the officials said.

The condition of the trio, admitted in Goa Medical College and Hospital near here, is stable, the officials added.

Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said the state is providing the best healthcare facility to the diagnosed patients.

I have been informed by the state Directorate of Health services that three individuals have been tested positive for #COVID19 in Goa.

"We are providing the best healthcare facility to the diagnosed patients, he said.

Their condition is stable at present. e have also traced their contacts and are quarantining them, Sawant added.

Health Minister Vishwajit Rane said the government is taking all precautions and following guidelines related to the viral infection.

In view of the three positive coronavirus cases in Goa, we are following all guidelines laid down by the central government and taking all precautions with the support of chief minister Pramod Sawant, he said.

Our testing facility will be up and running in the next two days. Our team of doctors is doing its est to make sure we contain the spread of virus in the state, Rane added.

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