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Train accidents: Railways minister ‘offers to resign’, PM asks him ‘to wait’

Agencies
August 23, 2017

New Delhi, Aug 23: Railways minister Suresh Prabhu indicated on Wednesday that he's offered to resign after taking "moral responsibility" for two recent train accidents, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked "me to wait".

Prabhu said he's "extremely pained" by the two train derailments in Uttar Pradesh, one on Tuesday and the other last week.

In Tuesday's Kafiyat Express derailment, 70-plus passengers were reportedly injured. In the Utkal Express derailment on Saturday, over 22 people died and scores were injured.

"It has caused me deep anguish," tweeted Prabhu on Wednesday afternoon.

He added that he's devoted his "blood, sweat and tears" in his three years as Railways minister and undertaken several reforms.

India, Prabhu said, deserved a modern railway system.

He said that under PM Modi, there have been "unprecedented investments" in the Indian Railways.

On Sunday, the railway ministry sent on leave top officials including a member of the railway board for the Utkal Express derailment.

Stung by the accident and criticism of opposition parties, the ministry sent member (engineering) railway board Aditya Kumar Mittal, general manager (GM) Northern Railways R K Kulshrestha and divisional railway manager (DRM) R N Singh on leave till further orders.

Mittal was going to retire at the end of this month, but the strict action will send signal to top officials about zero tolerance towards accidents.

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News Network
August 8,2020

Kozhikode, Aug 8: A family of five, returning to their hometown at Koducalli in Kozhikode from Dubai, were aboard the fateful Air India Express flight that crash-landed at the Kozhikode airport claiming at least 18 lives on Friday.

Saifudheen, 40, is a businessman in Dubai. During the vacation when schools were closed here, his wife Fasalunnisa travelled, along with their children Muhammad Shahil, Fathima Sana and Aysha Shanza, to meet her husband.

On Friday, they were all travelling in the Air India aircraft to Kozhikode.

All five have received injuries and have been admitted to Baby Memorial Hospital Kozhikode except Sana, who is admitted to Al Shifa Hospital at Perinthalmanna in Malappuram.

"Saifudheen is my uncle. He and his family members were returning from Dubai when this unfortunate incident occurred. We were informed about the mishap at 8 pm. Now the family members have been shifted to Baby Memorial Hospital and everyone is fine now," Muhammad Salih, nephew of Saifudheen said.

The death toll in the flight crash landing incident at Kozhikode International Airport in Kerala rose to 18, including two pilots, Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said on Saturday.

The minister said that he will visit the Kozhikode airport to take stock of the situation.

Two special relief flights have been arranged from Delhi and one from Mumbai for rendering humanitarian assistance to all the passengers and the family members.

Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and Flight Safety Departments have reached to investigate the incident, the Air India Express stated.

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Agencies
March 16,2020

New Delhi, Mar 16: Chief Justice of India Sharad Arvind Bobde on Monday said that rules for preventing overcrowding in the courts to avoid the spread of coronavirus cannot be relaxed for journalists alone on the basis of profession.

"Can't make an exception on the basis of profession," CJI Bobde said while asking journalists to share information and notes and suggesting that a system can be put in place to facilitate daily media briefing by Secretary-General.

Video conferencing facility being contemplated may be brought into place but not sooner than one week from now and reporters may take turns to attend hearings, CJI Bobde said.

He said that the court does not wish to prevent any reportage.

Attorney General KK Venugopal and Solicitor General Tushar Mehta informed the Chief Justice of India about the crowded corridors on account of restricted entry inside courtrooms.

CJI Bobde said that he himself wishes to assess and take stock of the situation and may do so tomorrow at 10.30 am.

This comes after the top court introduced several precautionary measures to prevent the spread of coronavirus and allowed only restricted entry of lawyers, litigants, and journalists in the courtroom.

Thermal-screening of the lawyers, litigants, and media persons were also conducted in the Supreme Court on Monday amid coronavirus fears.

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Agencies
August 5,2020

Ayodhya, Aug 5: After laying the foundation stone for the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the 'bhoomi pujan' event as an "emotional moment" for the entire country and added that "every heart is illuminated today".

"Every heart is illuminated; it is an emotional moment for the entire country... A long wait ends today... A grand temple will now be built for our Ram Lalla who had been living under a tent for many years," said Prime Minister Modi at foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Ram temple.

"With the construction of this temple, not only history is being made, but is being repeated. 

The way boatmen to tribals helped Lord Ram, the way children helped Lord Krishna lift Govardhan mountain, similarly, with everyone's efforts temple construction will be completed," he added.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Modi conducted 'bhoomi pujan' for the construction work of Ram temple.

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