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Farmers' Protest 2.0: Politically motivated or genuine grievance?

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New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) In view of the ‘Chalo Dilli’ call given by farmers’ associations to stage a protest in the national capital on Tuesday, Delhi Police have invoked Section 144 (prohibitory orders) for a period of 30 days till March 12.

As the harvest season winds down, farmers in Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are gearing up for what they are calling ‘Farmers’ Protest 2.0’, reminiscent of the historic demonstrations in 2020-21 against the three now repealed firm laws.

Amid welding sheds over tractor trolleys and stockpiling essentials like waterproof sheets, mattresses, and dry ration, preparations are underway for a march to the Parliament on Tuesday.

With the echoes of the previous protest, which paralysed the major approach roads to Delhi, still resonating, the focus has now shifted to the pressing demands, particularly a statutory guarantee for minimum support price (MSP) for all crops.

The timing of this protest is noteworthy, coinciding with the run-up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, where the ruling BJP-led NDA government is seeking a third consecutive term.

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With the Narendra Modi-led government’s last Parliament sessions having been concluded, there is no room for any legislative action.

Adding a layer of complexity to the situation comes the announcement of conferring the Bharat Ratna upon Chaudhary Charan Singh and M.S. Swaminathan – two stalwarts revered by the farming community.

Former Prime Minister late Charan Singh was known for championing the farmers’ cause, while late agronomist Swaminathan is considered as the father of the Green Revolution.

Questions are being raised whether the protests are politically-motivated or the grievances are genuine.

Despite these uncertainties, the Central government has deputed three ministers to engage in a dialogue with the farmer leaders.

Meanwhile, as farmers from Punjab and Haryana gear up to reach Delhi on Tuesday, the farmers from Uttar Pradesh, especially the Rakesh Tikait faction, are reportedly not joining the protest call.

To stop the farmers from entering the national capital, the police along with the paramilitary forces have been deployed as security measures on Delhi borders, including at Tikri, Singhu and Ghazipur, with cement blocks and pickets with nails installed on the approach roads.

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Large containers to block the roads if needed have also been kept on the borders to stop the farmers from entering the city.

As per officials, over 5,000 security personnel, including paramilitary forces, are on their toes to maintain law and order on the Delhi borders.

–IANS

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MP CM to thank Centre for three new criminal laws in Assembly on Tuesday

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Bhopal, July 1 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav will address the Assembly on Tuesday to thank the Central government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the implementation of three new criminal laws — the Bharatiya Nayay Sanhita (BNS), the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), and the Bharatiya Sakhya Adhiniyam (ASA), which replaced the Indian Penal Code (IPC), Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC), and the Indian Evidence Act, respectively, with effect from July 1.

Calling the three new laws a historic step, CM Yadav said India finally has its own laws to provide justice to its people, adding that July 1 will be remembered as a significant day for both the nation and the state.

“I will address the Assembly on the three new criminal laws on Tuesday and thank Prime Minister Narendra Modi for this historic step,” CM Yadav told mediapersons after the first day of the monsoon session of Madhya Pradesh Assembly.

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Meanwhile, the police said the first FIR under the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita (BNS) was lodged at the Hanumanganj police station in Bhopal at 12:16 a.m. on Tuesday against a person for using abusive language, just 16 minutes after the new laws came into force.

The second and third FIRs under the new laws were also registered in Bhopal at the Nishatpura police station (12:20 a.m.) and Shahjahanabad police station (12:22 a.m.).

A total of 10 FIRs were registered in the next hour, including eight in Bhopal.

ADGP (law and order) Jaydeep Prashad said, “Over 60,000 police personnel have been trained on the new criminal laws. More training sessions and awareness programmes are underway.”

–IANS

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Drugs, contraband valued at Rs 6cr seized in Tripura, Mizoram

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Agartala/Aizawl, July 2 (IANS) Security forces in Tripura and Mizoram seized heroin and areca nuts (betel nuts) valued at over Rs 6 crore and arrested three drug peddlers including a woman in this connection, an official said on Monday.

North Tripura district Superintendent of Police Bhanupada Chakraborty said that acting on a tip off, the police on Sunday night intercepted a vehicle coming from neighbouring Assam and recovered 408 grams of heroin valued at Rs 4 crore.

Two drug peddlers, identified as Sohel Miah and Dilwar Hussain — both residents of the bordering Sonamura subdivision of Sepahijala district, who were travelling in the vehicle, were arrested.

According to police, the drugs, which were coming from Myanmar via neighbouring Mizoram, were intended for Sonamura and then to Bangladesh.

“North Tripura district police alone seized heroin worth Rs 30 crore from various parts of the district in June,” Chakraborty told IANS.

In Mizoram, Assam Rifles, along with police personnel in the state have recovered heroin valued at Rs 56,000 on Sunday at Melbuk in Champhai district from a woman, who was also arrested.

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In another operation, Assam Rifles recovered 273 bags of Areca Nuts worth Rs 1.52 crore at Ruantlang in Champhai district during a special Area Domination Patrol on Sunday.

–IANS

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11 Bangladeshi nationals held in Tripura for illegal entry into India

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Agartala, July 1 (IANS) Eleven Bangladeshi nationals, including six women, were arrested from the Agartala railway station for illegally entering India without valid documents, the police said on Monday.

Acting on a tip-off, Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel arrested the Bangladeshi nationals, aged between 20 and 40 years, from the railway station on Sunday night.

During interrogation, it was revealed that the Bangladeshi nationals were planning to go to Delhi and other Indian cities from Tripura in search of jobs.

With the latest arrests, 22 Bangladeshi nationals have been held from the Agartala railway station in the last three days, while over 81 citizens from the neighbouring country have been arrested in Tripura in the last two months.

All the Bangladeshi nationals had entered Tripura through a clandestine route, intending to go to other states of the country in search of jobs.

–IANS

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Odisha CM Mohan Majhi says govt's main priority is to listen to people's grievances

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Bhubaneswar, July 2 (IANS) Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Monday said his government’s first priority is to listen to the grievances of the common citizen.

Speaking on the occasion of resuming the Chief Minister’s grievance cell at Unit V here on Monday, CM Majhi stated: “During the previous government, there existed an iron wall between the government and people and I think the grievances of the people could not be redressed due to this reason. Today, the wall has been destroyed. A direct link between the government and people has been established.”

Majhi also stated that he will listen to the grievances of people at the cell here every Monday. Emphasising on the need for a robust grievances redressal process at district level, the Chief Minister said that hearing of grievances at the district level also resumed from on Monday.

Majhi asserted that around 99 per cent of the complaints received on Monday will be solved. As many as 1,540 complaints were registered while 5,000 people visited the cell on Monday.

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The other members of state cabinet including Deputy CM K.V. Singh Deo, Ganesh Ram Singkhuntia, Minister of Forest, Environment and Climate Change Department, Pradeep Bal Samanta, Minister of Department of Co-operation, and Krushna Chandra Mahapatra, Minister of Housing and Urban Development were also present during the hearing of grievances at the cell on Monday.

Notably, the chief minister’s grievance cell started functioning after a gap of almost 16 years on Monday.

Former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had reportedly heard grievances at the CM’s grievance cell for the last time in August 2008.

–IANS

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JD(U) MLA hospitalised after fainting at disaster committee meeting in Nalanda

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Patna July 2 (IANS) JD(U) MLA Hari Narayan Singh was hospitalised after his health condition deteriorated during a disaster committee meeting in Bihar’s Nalanda district on Monday.

Singh, who represents the Harnaut Assembly constituency, fainted as soon as he reached the Hardev Bhawan in Nalanda for the meeting. He was rushed to the Sadar Hospital for treatment, from where he was referred to the Medanta Hospital in Patna.

Many JD(U) leaders and workers, including its Legislative Councilor representative Akhlaq Ahmed, gathered at the hospital following the incident. Ahmed said Singh’s health condition worsened as soon as he entered the auditorium for the meeting.

“Singh felt dizzy on his way to the meeting, leading to his hospitalisation. He was already undergoing treatment at the Medanta Hospital in Patna, which is why he was referred there for further treatment,” said Nalanda DM Shashank Shubhankar.

–IANS

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