New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has vehemently criticised Defence Minister Rajnath Singh regarding the controversial Agnipath scheme for recruitment of Agniveers into the armed forces.

In a statement issued on X on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi accused Rajnath Singh of misleading the Parliament on the Agnipath scheme.

In fact, during Rahul Gandhi’s maiden speech in the Lok Sabha on Monday, Rajnath Singh had interrupted, alleging that the Congress MP was intentionally misinforming the House. The Defence Minister had claimed that every martyr in the Indian Army covered under this scheme receives compensation exceeding Rs 1 crore.

“Protection of truth is the foundation of every religion. But Defence Minister Rajnath Singh lied in the Parliament about the assistance given to the family of a martyred Agniveer,” Rahul Gandhi wrote on X.

The Congress leader intensified his criticism of the Defence Minister by sharing a video featuring an interview with the father of Shaheed Ajay Singh, who stated that “their family had not received” any compensation from the Central government.

In the video, Rahul Gandhi also displayed a picture of Lord Shiva, which he had brandished in the Lok Sabha on Monday, saying Rajnath Singh lied in front of Shivji’s photo.

Rahul Gandhi also accused the Defence Minister of deceiving the Parliament regarding the assistance provided to the family of the martyred Agniveer, alleging that the father of martyr Ajay Singh exposed these falsehoods as he demanded an apology from Rajnath Singh to the Parliament, the nation, the armed forces, and the bereaved family.

Rahul Gandhi, who has been critical of the Agnipath scheme, reiterated his opposition during his first speech as Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha.

He accused the government of creating division among soldiers by providing pensions to some and not others, stating, “Agniveer is a disposable tool. One soldier receives pension, while another does not. You are fostering a divide among soldiers.”

Rajnath Singh countered Rahul Gandhi’s allegations, accusing him of spreading misinformation. He also emphasised that the government provides Rs 1 crore in compensation to the families of martyred Agniveers.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also shared the video of Rahul Gandhi on her X handle, stating, “When opposition leader Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of Agniveer, the BJP government responded with falsehoods in Parliament.

“By lying, they insulted the sacrifice and martyrdom of families who have given their sons for the nation. Is this the BJP’s nationalism? The Prime Minister owes the nation an apology for lying and disrespecting the martyrs.”

–IANS

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Amaravati, July 3 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday reiterated his resolve to build Amaravati as a world-class capital but admitted that restoring the investors’ confidence after the “destruction during the last five years” will not be easy.

He said he would have to talk to the Singapore government, which had prepared the master plan, and a consortium of Singapore companies, which had signed an agreement for the Amaravati Capital City Startup Project during the earlier TDP rule but then, the venture was cancelled by the previous YSRCP government.

Asserting that his government will live up to the people’s expectations by overcoming challenges and legal hurdles to build the state capital as per the earlier vision document and master plan, he, however, said he was open to new ideas and improved versions.

The Chief Minister was talking to media persons after releasing a White Paper on Amaravati, whose foundation stone was laid in 2016 when he was the Chief Minister.

He lashed out at his predecessor Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who stopped construction of Amaravati after coming to power in 2019 by mooting the idea of three state capitals.

“This is a case of one person destroying the future of the coming generations. We need to introspect if such persons should occupy a public office,” he said, adding that as a result of the previous government’s policies, investor confidence was lost and Andhra Pradesh’s brand image suffered.

“For example, the Singapore government. I need to talk to them. They may come or may not come. They have their own experience. They don’t need to lose money for us. There are hundreds of such countries and states for them,” he said.

Naidu said investors may have apprehensions about the future as the man responsible for the destruction of the last five years is still in politics. “They feel why they should take risks. They say you have a good track record but what about tomorrow? How can you give assurances,” he said.

The TDP chief said people need to ponder whether such a person is fit to remain in politics. “I am speaking for the future of five crore people of this state,” he said.

The Chief Minister, whose TDP is a partner in BJP-led NDA government at the Centre, said he would use all opportunities and take the help of the Centre to restart the works in Amaravati. He said he would talk to all investors including individuals, companies and institutions and reiterated his vision to create a world-class capital which boosts the image of the state and improves the confidence of the people.

“We need to restart the construction activity, restore the investor confidence, rebuild the brand image and resurrect the economy,” he said. The Chief Minister said if the original plan was implemented between 2019 to 2024, a world-class capital for the state would have been in place, 50,000 to 1,00,000 people would have been residing in the capital, seven lakh jobs could have been created during construction and Rs 2 lakh crore would have been added to the GDP. There would have been Rs 10,000 crore of income through state taxes every year with an increment of 15 per cent every year, he added.

There would have also been an increase in property prices and wealth generation across the state.

Naidu alleged that the previous government systematically weakened and destroyed Amaravati. Land acquisition notification for 1,197.30 acres was withdrawn, annuity for 2,903 farmers was stopped, pensions stopped for 4,422 families and the Rs 485.32 crore budget of the APCRDA lapsed.

The contract of Master Architect for Amaravati Government Complex (AGC) Norman+ Foster was cancelled. It was ordered to limit the civil works to Rs 3,000 crore out of the balance works of Rs 35,583.5 crore, while the YSRCP government complained to the World Bank and stopped the $300 million funding and also the Centre’s Rs 1,000 crore grant. He mentioned that 122 out of 130 land allottees, mostly top institutions in various sectors like education, health and hospitality, lost confidence.

He said due to systematic destruction, buildings remained unfinished and roads got damaged. Credit ratings of the Amaravati bonds were negatively affected.

“The pride and self-respect of Andhra Pradesh people shattered. There was a sharp depreciation in property prices. Wealth generation did not happen. It led to the migration of people from the state to other states as new job creation stopped. There was a loss of existing jobs as businesses moved out due to uncertainty,” Naidu said.

There was cost escalation, damages to the structure, cost of demobilisation of men and machinery, loss of jobs for the labour working, funds locked up in incomplete works, loss of revenue (GST & income tax), theft of materials and probable ill-effect on the structural stability due to long exposure to elements.

He recalled that the state government had taken recommendations of the K.C. Siva Rama Krishnan Committee as well as opinions of various stakeholders for choosing Amaravati as the state capital. On September 3, 2014, the Assembly passed a resolution to establish Amaravati as the state capital. It was centrally located and was planned as a liveable city, a self-financed project, and a growth engine.

Naidu claimed that the largest land pooling exercise in the world was taken up for Amaravati as 29,966 farmers voluntarily came forward to give 34,400 acres of land. Farmers and the APCRDA had entered into a binding agreement under which farmers were promised an annuity for 10 years at the rate of Rs 30,000 per acre for dry land and Rs 50,000 per acre for wet land, while there was a provision for an annual increment of Rs 3,000 per acre for dry land and Rs 5,000 per acre for wet land.

For each acre, farmers were given a returnable plot of 1,000 square yards (residential) and 250 square yards (commercial) for dry land, and 1,000 square yards (residential) plus 450 square yards (commercial) for wet land. Naidu also mentioned that the cost of the total project including tier I and tier II infrastructure and Amaravati Government Complex was Rs 51,687 crore. Tenders were called for a value of Rs 41,170.78 crore out of which all works were grounded and Rs 4,318.67 crore was paid. Rs 1,268.81 crore has to be paid as of date, says the White Paper.

–IANS

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Palghar (Maharashtra), July 3 (IANS) The Maharashtra Police have cracked a major inter-state drug racket operating with mafia links in Maharashtra, Gujarat, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh, seized drugs and related stuff worth Rs 327.69 crore, and nabbed 15 persons in connection with the case, officials said on Wednesday.

Mira Bhayander-Vasai Virar Commissioner of Police Madhukar Pandey told mediapersons that busting of the racket with underworld connections also led to the seizure of four weapons and several live cartridges from one of the accused in Palghar.

The seizures include Mephedrone drugs, raw materials, and other articles like vehicles from manufacturing dens in UP, Telangana, and cash from Gujarat.

Eight of the accused are from Uttar Prades, three each from Telangana and Maharashtra, and one from Gujarat, Pandey said.

The lid on the racket blew off when an investigation was launched on May 15 by the police after intercepting two persons in Vasai town (Palghar) at a checkpost in Chenagaon (Thane), and seized 1 kg Mephedrone worth Rs 2 crore from them.

Their sustained interrogation led to the unravelling of the tentacles of the massive racket spread in other states where police teams were rushed to probe.

One of the teams raided a manufacturing den at Narsapur in Telangana on May 17, seized 103 gm MD worth Rs 20.60 lakh and another 25 kg raw materials worth Rs 25 crore, besides arresting two persons.

The questioning led the police to an associate in the Goregaon suburb of Mumbai and seizure of MD worth Rs 14.38 crore, plus the arrest of another person from Varanasi.

The combined probe continued with the dragnet falling on a person at Padgha village in Thane, leading to seizures of raw materials worth nearly Rs 54,000.

Pandey said the probe teams have found that one person from Mumbai – who is still absconding – had allegedly transferred funds for the manufacture of drugs through an associate in Surat.

The other person was nabbed from Surat along with Rs 10.90 lakh cash, which was being remitted through traditional personal couriers called ‘Angadiyas’.

Accordingly, the police targeted their investigations to a couple of Angadiyas in south Mumbai from whom they seized Rs 6,80,000 that was delivered to them by the accused from Surat.

The probe led to the detection of an MD manufacturing unit in Jaunpur, UP, from where the police seized 300 kg of raw materials worth Rs 300 crore and nabbed three more persons on June 25, followed by three further arrests from Lucknow on June 25/26.

They tipped off the police about another associate operating from Nala Sopara in Palghar from whom the police recovered a revolver, 3 pistols, and 33 bullets, Pandey said.

The accused arrested in the entire scam over the past couple of months are — Shoaib H. Memon and Nicholas L. Tritus (both from Vasai in Palghar); Dayanand M. Mudanar alias Daya, Nasir J. Shaikh alias Baba (both from Telangana); Ghanshyam R. Saroj, Babu Taufiq Khan, M. Nadim Shafiq Khan, Ahmed Shah F.S. Azmi, Amir Taufiq Khan, M. Shadab Shamshad Khan, Alok Virendra Singh, and Shubham Narendra Pratapsingh alias Shbham (all from UP); Mohamed S. Moin (Mumbai); Bharat S. Jadhav alias Babu (Thane); and Murtuza M. Kothari alias Zulfikar (Surat).

Besides the 15, the two others nabbed are Mustafa Y. Furniturewala and Hussain M. Furniturewala, both ‘Angadiyas’ from whom the police seized Rs 6.80 lakh sent by an absconder accused named Salim Dola – who is allegedly linked to the Dawood Ibrahim gang.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) The ‘Sindhu Darshan Puja’ held at Nimu, a forward brigade post in Ladakh, stands as a testament to cultural resilience and ceremonial significance. Every year, the Sindhu Mahotsav in Leh attracts participants from all corners of India to partake in this unique river worship festival, symbolising the deep-rooted cultural traditions of Leh-Ladakh.

Initiated in 1996, the festival’s inception aimed at environmental conservation alongside the preservation of local culture and heritage.

On July 3, 2020, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s surprise visit to Ladakh included a poignant moment when he participated in the traditional ‘Sindhu Darshan Puja’ on the banks of the river at Nimu.

The ‘Sindhu Darshan Puja’, an ancient ritual spanning millennia, holds profound significance in the cultural fabric of the Indus Valley Civilisation.

During his participation, Prime Minister Modi offered prayers for the nation’s peace and prosperity. He also paid homage to the 20 brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the Galwan Valley clash with Chinese troops in Ladakh.

Today, the ‘Sindhu Darshan Puja’ in Leh allows every Hindu to partake in this revered tradition.

Following Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s tenure, the Sindhu Ghat lost prominence until it was revitalised under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government in 2014.

On social media, old photographs from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s unexpected visit to Ladakh on July 3, 2020, resurfaced on the ‘Modi Archive’ X handle.

These images gained traction exactly four years after the event on Wednesday, underscoring the historical perspectives that, after Independence, the entire Indus river came under Pakistan’s control.

However, the rediscovery of sections flowing from Leh district in 1996 prompted the initiation of the ‘Sindhu Darshan Yatra’ in 1997.

This historic event saw participation from 72 prominent figures nationwide, including Narendra Modi during his tenure with the BJP, alongside political stalwarts like Lal Krishna Advani, George Fernandes, Sahib Singh Verma, and Farooq Abdullah.

During his inaugural journey, PM Modi shared a memorable moment with Pandit Jasraj, singing devotional songs on the riverbank.

Since its inception in 1997, Narendra Modi has been a regular participant in the Sindhu Darshan Yatra.

In 2000, serving as the BJP’s national general secretary, he attended when Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee inaugurated the annual festival celebrating the cultural and spiritual heritage of the Indus River.

–IANS

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Tumakuru (Karnataka), July 3 (IANS) The police have arrested a suspected Maoist, who was allegedly involved in the 2005 massacre of seven policemen and a bus cleaner at Venkatammanahalli village in Karnataka’s Tumakuru district, sources said on Wednesday.

The accused has been identified as Komulu Mutyala Chandru, a resident of Garaladinne Keshavapura in Andhra Pradesh.

According to the police, Chandru was part of a gang of about 300 Maoists who laid siege to a police camp at Venkatammanahalli in 2005.

The accused, who was working as a civic worker in the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), has been sent to judicial custody, the police said.

On February 11, 2005, at about 10.30 p.m., nearly 300 Maoists ambushed a police camp at Venkatammanahalli village, killing seven policemen and one civilian besides leaving five others injured.

–IANS

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