Rs 2919 crore approved for safety projects in 8 cities

Agencies
August 3, 2018

New Delhi, Aug 3: The government has approved Rs 2,919 crore for various projects to strengthen safety measures in eight cities in the country, the Lok Sabha was told on Friday.

The eight cities are Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Lucknow, Minister of State for Women and Child Development Virendra Kumar said in a written reply to Lok Sabha.

In Delhi, Rs 663.67 crore will be spent on a project that aims at enhancing the safety of women in public places such as roads, parks, markets, schools, metro stations, etc.

The project leverages the latest technology such as video monitoring, facial recognition analytics, person tracking, automatic number plate recognition, dedicated women safety patrol vans equipped with dashboards for viewing live feeds, GPS tracking, onboard video feed sharing, etc. for women’s safety.

The project will cover about 3,700 locations in Delhi.

In Mumbai, Rs 252 crore will be spent on a project involving GIS mapping of criminal hotspots, video surveillance, training of investigating officers, prosecutors and judicial officers, community policing and quick response police teams.

The project will also strengthen the "Police Didi" programme wherein female police officers interact with women living in slums on the issue of sexual harassment and abuse. It is also proposed to spread awareness through media campaigns.

In Bengaluru, a total of Rs 667 crore would be spent for a proposal involving surveillance at public places, quick response police vehicles, placement of NGO volunteers at women’s helpdesk in police stations and critical care response units at leading hospitals, setting up of an integrated support centre for women and children in need, GIS-based crime mapping and analytics, women police outposts near schools, colleges, bus stands and creation of safety islands at vulnerable places.

In Chennai, the project includes the creation of safe-zone clusters at hot crime zones, surveillance technology, GIS-based crime mapping, security in public transport, better sanitation facilities for women, remote monitoring of city lighting, capacity building of police authorities as well as a helpdesk service for women.

A cybercrime and legal assistance compensation lab will also be set up under this project. An amount of Rs 425 crore would be spent, he said.

In Ahmedabad, Rs 253 crore would be spent for a project whose main components include 'One Stop Crisis Centres', surveillance at crime hotspots, radio frequency identification and quick response-based security systems, ‘She Teams’ of women for surveillance and support to women who may face violence.

The project also envisages redevelopment of the Sabarmati riverfront to make it more women-friendly.

For Kolkata, Rs 181.32 crore would be spent on a proposal that includes strengthening of nine women police stations, surveillance in public areas, computer-aided dispatch based emergency response system for dial-100 in cases of women, in-camera testimonies in all criminal courts.

The project will undertake sensitisation programmes especially for boys as well as mass behavioural and cultural change campaign on women's safety.

In Hyderabad, Rs 282.50 crore would be spent on a proposal that involves setting up of a centre for development and empowerment of women as well as a forensic cell and repeat offenders monitoring cell. It also envisages setting up of "SHE Toilets" for women as well as transit dorms for safe temporary accommodation.

In Lucknow, Rs 195 crore would be spent on a proposal that incorporates features such as cyber and forensics infrastructure for better investigation of crimes against women, manpower training in the police force. It envisages the creation of a comprehensive safe city ecosystem by also sensitising all the various stakeholders in the city such as hawkers, shopkeepers, waiters, public servants on issues of women.

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Agencies
January 4,2020

New Delhi, Jan 4: "Sovereign, socialist, secular, democratic republic" is how India is referred to in the preamble of the Constitution. However, J Nandakumar, a key RSS leader and All India Convenor Prajna Pravah, a Sangh offshoot, wants India to reconsider the inclusion of the word "secular", claiming secularism is a "western, Semitic concept".

In an exclusive interview to news agency, Nandakumar said: "Secularism is a western, Semitic concept. It came into existence in the West. It was actually against Papal dominance."

He argued that India does not need a secular ethos as the nation has moved "way beyond secularism" since it believes in universal acceptance as against the western concept of tolerance.

The RSS functionary on Thursday released a book here named "Hindutva in the changing times". The book launch event was also attended by senior RSS functionary Krishna Gopal.

Nandakumar, who has attacked the Mamata Banerjee government in his book for alleged "Islamisation of West Bengal", told IANS: "We have to see whether we need to put up a board of being secular, or that whether we should prove this through our behaviour, actions and roles."

It is for society to take a call on this, rather than by any political class, on whether the preamble to the Indian Constitution should continue to have the word "secular" in it or not, he added.

In between signing his books and obliging wannabe Hindutva cadres with selfies, Nandakumar said that the very existence of the word "secular" in the preamble was not necessary and how the constitution founders too were against it.

"Baba Saheb Ambedkar, Ladi Krishnaswamy Aiyaar -- all debated against it and said it (secular) wasn't necessary to be included in the preamble. That time it was demanded, discussed and decided not to include it," he said.

Ambedkar's opinion was, however, disregarded when Indira Gandhi "bulldozed" the word "secular", in 1976, said the head of the Prajna Pravah, an umbrella body of several right-wing think-tanks

As Nandakumar prepared to return to his base in Kerala, where, he emphasises, the RSS has its work cut out in the "fight against the Kunnor model", he said that the inclusion of "secular" was done with the intent to damage the concept of Hindutva.

"It was to demolish, destroy the overarching principle of Hindutva that binds us together", he said.

Asked whether the Sangh would pressurise the BJP, which has 303 seats in the Lok Sabha, to omit "secular" from the Constitution preamble, Nandakumar smilingly refused to reply.

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News Network
January 30,2020

Mumbai, Jan 30: The Shiv Sena on Thursday endorsed Union home minister Amit Shah's view that alleged inflammatory statements made by Sharjeel Imam, an anti- Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) activist, were dangerous.

No politics should be done on the issue, and such "pest" afflicting the country should be finished off, it said.

Imam was arrested on Tuesday in connection with his speeches at Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi and in Aligarh during anti-CAA protests.

He has been booked for sedition, among other offences.

In an editorial published in its mouthpiece `Saamana', the Sena, a former ally of the BJP, said, "We agree with union home minister's comments that Sharjeel Imam's alleged words of separation are more dangerous than that of Kanhaiya Kumar."

Kumar, former student leader from Jawaharlal Nehru University, had been arrested over alleged separatist slogans shouted during a protest on varsity campus.

The Sena, which has formed alliance with the Congress and NCP to come to power in Maharashtra, is often seen walking a tightrope to preserve its credentials as a pro-Hindutva party.

"The union home ministry, while initiating action against Imam, should not indulge in politics and try to finish off this pest that is afflicting our country," the editorial said.

"One must find out why such language of breaking up this country into pieces is being used by the educated youth of this country more and more frequently. Who is spewing such venom into the mind of Sharjeel who did his graduation from IIT-B and now pursuing PhD from JNU?" the Sena asked.

"Even people involved in Elgar Parishad at Pune are facing sedition charges and these people have been known as intellectuals and are well-known personalities," said the party.

"A conspiracy to bring about a conflict between Hindus and Muslims and ensure continuance of anarchy and civil war as in Iraq and Afghanistan exists. The boost for such activities is coming from a 'political laboratory'," the editorial said.

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News Network
February 26,2020

New Delhi, Feb 26: Calling the recent violence in Delhi as 'planned conspiracy', Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday demanded Union Home Minister Amit Shah's resignation over the clashes that left 20 people dead in two days.

"CWC (Congress Working Committee) believes Home Minister and Centre is responsible. The Home Minister should tender his resignation with immediate effect," the Congress party's interim chief told reporters here.

Violent clashes erupted between pro and anti-CAA groups in parts of northeast Delhi on Monday, leading to widespread vandalism and arson for over two days.

While many blamed police for inaction to control the mobs, Union Home Minister Amit Shah met the top brass of Delhi Police, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, LG Anil Baijal and directed the officials to control the situation.

Gandhi blamed both the Central and the Delhi governments, saying the administration did not take adequate steps on time to curb violence in the national capital.

"Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Center is equally responsible for not activating the administration to reach out to the people to maintain peace and harmony," Sonia added.

The death toll in the violence rose to 20 on Wednesday, according to GTB hospital authorities.

Government sources told ANI that the National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval has been given the charge of bringing normalcy in the capital.

Sources also said that Doval will brief Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Cabinet about the prevailing situation.

The NSA last night visited Jaffrabad, Seelampur and other parts of northeast Delhi where he held talks with leaders of different communities.

Without naming any leader, the Congress interim president also targeted the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party for making inflammatory statements saying that "there is a conspiracy behind the violence, country also saw this during Delhi elections. Many BJP leaders made inciting comments creating an atmosphere of fear and hatred."

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