Chandigarh, July 7 (IANS) Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Badal on Sunday congratulated 10 Sikh MPs who have been elected to the UK’s House of Commons and appealed to them to work collectively to spread awareness about Sikhism and put a stop to hate crimes against the community.

Asserting that from the time of the first Sikh settlers in 1911 to significant migration of Sikhs in the 1950’s, he said the Sikhs have made immense contributions to various walks of life in the UK to become the fourth largest religious group.

“It is a source of great pride for the Sikh community worldwide that 10 members from the community have been elected as MPs. I offer my heartiest congratulations to Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, Preet Kaur Gill, Kirith Entwisle, Gurinder Singh Josan, Jas Atwal, Dr Jeevun Sandher, Warinder Jas, Satvir Kaur, Harpreet Kaur Uppal and Sonia Kaur Kumar for registering resounding victories in the recent elections in the United Kingdom,” he said.

Badal said the mandate had also given an opportunity to the Sikh MPs to create awareness about the community and put a complete stop to hate crimes against community members.

He said while the UK had taken several steps, including observing National Sikh Awareness and Heritage Month, more needed to be done to sensitise people worldwide about Sikhism.

“This can be done through public dialogues and spreading awareness about the Sikh religion as well as its principles,” he said.

–IANS

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New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) Ajay Upadhyay, a distinguished and pioneering journalist, was cremated at the Harishchandra Ghat in Varanasi on Sunday following his sudden demise from cardiac arrest on Saturday evening. He was 66.

Upadhyay, renowned for his extensive knowledge across various subjects and popularly known as an intellectual titan, held prominent and leading editorial positions in several national newspapers. He served as the Editor-in-Chief of the Hindi daily ‘Hindustan’ for a significant period.

Breathing his last in Varanasi following a cardiac arrest, he is survived by his wife Manju Upadhyay, son Vartik, and daughter Shaynika.

Hailing from Varanasi, Upadhyay settled in Delhi, where he established himself as a stalwart of journalism through knowledge and hard work.

Originally from Onia village in Uttar Pradesh’s Sant Kabir Nagar district, he spent his formative years in Varanasi and received his education there. Upadhyay held significant positions in prominent newspapers such as ‘Hindustan’, ‘Dainik Jagran’, and ‘Amar Ujala’. He is fondly recalled for his exceptional editorial acumen by his colleagues in these organizations.

A former General Secretary of the Editors Guild of India, Upadhyay was known for his scholarly traits, determination, and polite demeanour as a journalist. Starting his journalistic journey at the Varanasi-based Hindi daily ‘Aaj’, he also held a B.Tech in electrical engineering from MACT Bhopal.

Colleagues fondly remember him as a scholarly journalist and a beacon of journalism with unparalleled leadership qualities and a vast reservoir of knowledge. His friend Dilip Cherian paid tribute to Upadhyay, noting the rarity of journalists who matched his scholarly stature. Condolences poured in from various quarters of the media and society mourning his loss.

The Press Club of India issued a condolence message on X: “We are sorry to hear about the passing away of veteran journalist, Ajay Upadhyay. He was 66. He had worked with several leading publications – Dainik Jagran, Amar Ujala, Hindustan & Aaj Tak. May the almighty give strength to the family members at this time of sorrow and grief.”

“There were few journalists or editors of his erudition, a quality he yet wore lightly. No one had his multiplicity of sources Ajay-bhai could summon up on any issue. Economics, politics, geo-security, technology he could access fountains of wisdom on all. He wrote on many, edited with conviction and courage. Owners quailed, sources sighed, readers understood and journalists and journalism stood taller, each time,” Cherian penned in his heartfelt tribute to the departed soul on his X handle.

The Editors Guild of India has also condoled Upadhyay’s death. In a press statement, it said: “The Editors Guild of India condoles the passing away of senior journalist Ajay Upadhyay, member of the Guild and former General Secretary. Mr Upadhyay, 66, passed away on July 6, 2024, in Varanasi. He was associated with several leading dailies and media houses. A versatile journalist, he had professional contacts across the political spectrum. Friendly and affable by nature, he guided a generation of younger journalists in his long professional journey.”

Shashi Shekhar, the editor-in-chief of ‘Hindustan’, reminisced about his time with Ajay Upadhyay in the past, praising him for his diligence, intellect, and expertise. “Ajay, you have departed, but there is one thing that never fades, and that is the past. A significant part of my past belongs to you. You will be remembered!”, he posted on social media.

–IANS

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Patna, July 7 (IANS) A minor girl was abducted and then allegedly gang-raped by three persons in Bihar’s Gaya district, a police official said.

Gaya Police said that one of the accused has been arrested in the matter while two others are still on the run.

The incident occurred in a village that comes under the Imamganj police station of the district. The girl was abducted from her home on the night of July 1. She was taken to a brick kiln where she was gang-raped.

The victim was gang-raped for three days continuously. She was released on July 4 after being threatened with dire consequences.

The girl reached her home. Initially, she was silent for a day but finally narrated her ordeal to her mother. The victim’s family approached the local police and lodged the FIR on Saturday evening.

The accused allegedly tried to pressure the victim’s family not to approach the police, but they reached Imamganj police station and lodged a complaint against them.

As soon as the incident came to light, Imamganj police raided several places and arrested the main accused, Pappu Singh.

“Pappu Singh has been arrested from Sikaria locality under the jurisdiction of Rampur police station of Gaya city and he confessed to the crime,” said Amit Kumar, Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Imamganj range of Gaya district.

The police are searching for the remaining two accused.

–IANS

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Amaravati, July 7 (IANS) YSR Congress Party said on Sunday that the decision to form a committee of officials in the meeting of the Chief Ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana is a “step backward” in addressing the issues arising from the state division.

The opposition party believes that this is a time-consuming approach.

A day after talks between Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his Telangana counterpart A. Revanth Reddy in Hyderabad, the YSR Congress found fault with the decisions taken.

The meeting had decided to constitute a committee of officials to discuss and resolve the issues arising out of Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

Former Minister Perni Nani and former MLA G. Srikhanth Reddy said that both the state governments are aware of the disputes between the two states, the unresolved issues, assets that need to be distributed, and the cases pending in the courts.

“Both state governments are aware of these matters. We believe that the new committee to identify unresolved issues will only lead to further delays in resolving these matters,” they added.

The YSRCP leaders said that the Union government had previously constituted the Sheila Bedi Committee, led by a senior officer, to implement the provisions of the Reorganisation Act passed by Parliament.

“The Sheila Bedi Committee made several recommendations regarding property disputes in the combined state. Over the past decade, these recommendations have been discussed in several stages. However, some recommendations were not accepted and the recommendations which were accepted were not implemented by the Telangana government. We believe that forming a new committee will set the discussions back to the starting point,” they added.

The YSRCP leaders also said that former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had told Union Home Minister Amit Shah at the meeting of the southern states’ chief ministers in Tirupati, the importance of focusing on unresolved issues, as Andhra Pradesh had seen no progress in a decade.

Home Minister Shah had assured that the issues would be resolved within the stipulated time frame.

“Following this assurance, discussions on divided issues by the chief secretaries and officials of both states gained momentum under the auspices of the Union Home Ministry. We believe that forming a new committee without focusing on advancing these discussions will only result in further delays,” they said.

They added that forming a committee without the Union government’s participation raises many questions, given that Parliament enacted the Bifurcation Act and it is the Union government that must implement it.

They claimed that the previous YSRCP government put pressure on the Union government regarding the electricity dues of nearly Rs 7,000 crore owed to the state.

Instructions were issued for payment of these dues, but the case later reached the court.

“Andhra Pradesh is facing severe injustice, especially concerning the management of water projects. Telangana is releasing water from the left canal of Srisailam for electricity generation at will, even as the Rayalaseema region struggles. It is unjust that the meeting concluded without addressing this issue and attempting an immediate resolution,” said former Minister Perni Nani.

The YSRCP leaders also referred to media reports that during the Chief Ministers’ meeting, Telangana demanded a share in Andhra Pradesh’s ports and Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam properties.

There were also reports that Andhra Pradesh was willing to return some villages to Telangana in seven mandals that were merged with Andhra Pradesh in 2014.

“This has caused deep concern among people across the state. The absence of any announcement from the Andhra Pradesh government, including statements from ministers or officials, is increasing public suspicion,” he added.

–IANS

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Panipat, July 7 (IANS) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini on Sunday said in the past 10 years under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the “double-engine government” in the state has established a system that works for the welfare of all sections of society and has taken the development of the state to new heights.

The developmental works carried out during the tenure of the present government have surpassed the works done during the 48 years of previous governments.

The amount of development work done during this government’s tenure has never been done before, said Saini, while addressing the gathering at an event held in Panipat.

During the event, the Chief Minister inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for 32 projects of Rs 227 crore. These include the inauguration of 19 projects of Rs 36.55 crore and the foundation stones for 12 projects of Rs191 crore.

Additionally, the Chief Minister announced an allocation of Rs 10 crore for development works in the Panipat (Urban) Assembly constituency and Rs 10 crore for the Panipat (Rural) constituency.

The Chief Minister said infrastructure is considered a measure of physical development for any nation or state. Strong infrastructure not only uplifts the standard of living of the people residing there but also attracts industries and investments, thereby strengthening the state’s economy.

Haryana maintains an annual economic growth rate of eight per cent due to its strong infrastructure, compared to the national average of 6.7 per cent.

The Chief Minister said when the present government took on the responsibility of serving the state in 2014, “we faced many challenges as the previous government had left a dilapidated economy, a collapsed cooperative structure, and public sector undertakings running at a loss”.

He said the previous governments had always “prioritised regionalism and nepotism” in development and jobs.

During previous governments, there was significant discrimination in development and welfare schemes, with development focused only on one region, neglecting the rest of the state, he claimed.

However, under the guidance of the Prime Minister, following the philosophy of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Prayas, Sabka Vishwas’ and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya’s philosophy of Antyodaya, the pace of development has been accelerated, changing the face of the state without any discrimination, CM Saini added.

–IANS

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