Cyclone Hudhud approaches Odisha, Andhra; relief teams make final preparations

October 11, 2014

Cyclone Hudhud

New Delhi, Oct 11: Cyclone Hudhud is fast approaching the Odisha and North Andhra Pradesh coast. It is likely to make landfall at Visakhapatnam on Sunday afternoon.

Odisha government has asked the Center to send satellite phones for rescue and relief work. Home Minister Rajnath Singh has also spoken to the chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha, and discussed the plan to combat cyclone Hudhud.

Cyclonic storm Hudhud over East Central Bay of Bengal moved westnorth westward and lay centred over West Central Bay and adjoining East Central Bay at 17.30 hours at about 675 km east-southwest of Visakhapatnam, a weather office report said.

NDRF DIG SS Guleria said, "we have sent 15 teams in Andhra Pradesh. Each team has 45 officers. We have also sent boats to deal with flood situation. Evacuation will start from tomoorw morning. Evacuation of animals will also be done."

"As per the current assessment, the cyclone will cross Visakhapatnam by October 12. It is likely to cross the east coast between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur in the afternoon of the 12th," LS Rathore, Director General of the IMD, said.

He also said that the wind speed of Hudhud was much lower in comparison to the devastating Cyclone Phailin that hit the Odisha coast in October 2013, but the two cyclonic storms belonged to the same category.

"If we compare this system to Cyclone Phailin, then we can say that the wind speed is much lower. Cyclone Phailin had speeds going up to 200kph, but the category of both the systems are same," Rathore said.

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has said its preparations are on war-footing to deal with any emergency.

"We have deployed battalions in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh. We have sent teams to Visakhapatnam on Thursday morning," OP Singh, the Director General of the NDRF, said.

"We have also kept our forces in West Bengal on alert. We will also be activating our control rooms in the areas which are likely to be affected," he said.

The official said that the priority was to set up communications, which is often the first casualty of any natural disaster.

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India would not discriminate among religions, we are not a theocratic country like Pakistan: Rajnath Singh

News Network

January 22,2020

New Delhi, Jan 22: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said Indian values consider all religions equal, and that is why the country is secular and never became a theocratic state like Pakistan.

Speaking at the NCC Republic Day Camp in Delhi, Singh said: "We (India) said we would not discriminate among religions. Why did we do that? Our neighbouring country has declared that their state has a religion. They have declared themselves a theocratic state. We didn't declare so."

"Even America is a theocratic country. India is not a theocratic country. Why? Because our saints and seers did not just consider the people living within our borders as part of the family, but called everyone living in the world as one family," the minister said.

Singh underlined that India had never declared its religion would be Hindu, Sikh or Buddhist and people of all religions could live here.

"They gave the slogan of 'Vasudev Kutumbakam' -- the whole world is one family. This message has gone to the whole world from here only," he added.

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Very thoughtful and eye-catching statement by Defense Minister, Rajnath Singh.

Sir, I kindly request you to convey this beautiful message to your Party’s comrades, who are deprived of this dosage for long times and are badly need of this.

Also, for those from your Party, who are, time and again, spitting the venomous rhetoric against Dalits, Muslims, Christians and others alike.

Yashwant Sinhaji is now doing a wonderful job in this regard.

You will also follow his suit for sure in the days to come; that’s what your honest statement indicates.

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IT dept raids CM Gehlot’s confidants amid political crisis, congress cries foul

Agencies

July 13,2020

Jaipur, July 13: Amid a deepening political crisis in Rajasthan where the number 2 leader of the Congress party Sachin Pilot has revolted, over 200 Income Tax (I-T) sleuths raided the residences and properties of two of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot’s close confidants.

The Income Tax department has carried out searches at over a dozen locations linked to Congress leader Dharamender Rathore as well as jewellery firm owner Rajiv Arora, both of whom are considered close to Gehlot.

Officials said that the raids that are underway in Jaipur, Kota, Delhi, and Mumbai were done after a complaint of tax evasion was made. Under the scanner, they said, are transactions that were made outside the country.

The curious timing of the Income Tax department’s action against Gehlot’s aides has made the Congress accuse the sleuths of acting on the behest of the BJP.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted: “After all, BJP's lawyers came on the field. The Income Tax Department started raids in Jaipur. When will ED arrive?”

The Congress is facing a cliffhanger in Rajasthan after the open rebellion by deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, who on Sunday night claimed that he had the support of 30 MLAs and that Gehlot was leading a minority government in the state.

However, Congress leader Avinash Pande on Monday said 109 MLAs have signed a letter of support to the chief minister, well above the majority mark of 100. The party has issued a whip to all the MLAs, asking them to attend the Congress Legislature Party meeting at 10.30 am.

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Poet Imran Pratapgarhi booked for 'provocative' remarks on Shaheen Bagh in Hyderabad

Agencies

February 26,2020

Hyderabad, Feb 26: Hyderabad Police on Tuesday registered a case against well-known poet Imran Pratapgarhi for his statement asking why there was "no Shaheen Bagh in Hyderabad".

According to Charminar Police, the complaint was registered by Sub-Inspector S Guruswamy, who was on duty at the QQ Stadium on February 24 where an Ehtaji Mishaira (Poetry Program) against the Citizenship Amendment Act, National Register Commission and National Population Register was held.

Permission for the said event was granted by Hyderabad Additional Commissioner of Police to the program organisers with certain guidelines including that poetry program should be held on February 24 from 6 pm to 9 pm, and no speaker should give provocative speeches in the program.

However, police said that the program was started by the organisers at 6 pm and continued till 9:48 pm even after police officers asked them to end the event by 9 pm. The program was attended by around 3,000 members at QQ stadium.

According to police, while addressing the meeting Pratapgarhi said: "Mujhe hairath hai us Hyderabad mein koi Shaheen Bagh kyu nahi hai (I am surprised why there is no Shaheen Bagh in Hyderabad)", which is "provocative" and may cause fear to any section of the public.

In this regard, a case has been registered against organisers for disobeying public servants' orders and the poet has been booked for delivering provocative statements under the relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Further investigation is underway.

Meanwhile, Congress leader Mohammed Ali Shabbir took to Twitter to condemn the police action.

"Hyderabad Police booked a case against poet Imran Pratapgarhi for expressing surprise on why there is no Shaheen Bagh in Hyderabad. For police, this sentence is provocative. Is Shaheen Bagh not a part of India?," Shabbir tweeted.

"Shame on TRS Government and Hyderabad Police for targeting a poet for no-fault," he added.

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