Panaji, July 3 (IANS) South Goa Congress Member of Parliament Capt Viriato Fernandes, on Wednesday, met Union Minister for Road Transport & Highway Nitin Gadkari in New Delhi and sought his intervention to protect Bhoma village from getting destroyed due to the proposed expansion of NH 4A.

Bhoma village has three temples and other religious structures.

With the support of all Opposition parties in Goa, hundreds of people from village Bhoma of Priol constituency are up in arms against the expansion of the national highway to save the temples and houses.

People of Bhoma are against the expansion of National Highway 4A, claiming that many houses will be demolished, along with temples, if the project becomes a reality.

“Today met Nitin Gadkari and apprised him of the issues faced by villagers with regard to highway expansion work at Bhoma village and other locations. Also highlighted the anxiety and concern of farmers with respect to the construction of the proposed Borim bridge that will destroy the ‘Khazans’ and agricultural land,” Fernades said.

“Discussed the possible solutions to the above issues and requested for taking the main stakeholders, farmers and villagers into confidence and addressing their concern,” he said further.

Earlier, villagers of Bhoma in North Goa had written a letter to President Droupadi Murmu seeking her intervention to save their village.

For the last one year, villagers of Bhoma have protested more than 10 times and addressed many meetings, to which opposition political parties, including Congress, Goa Forward and the Revolutionary Goans Party have supported.

They have demanded that the Public Works Department not destroy their village, instead should think of constructing a bypass.

According to locals of Bhoma village, there are three temples and two other religious structures, which will be affected if the expansion of the national highway is done.

–IANS

sbk/kvd

New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, slammed the Opposition for politicising the Manipur issue, saying that the state “will soon reject them.”

PM Modi urged everyone to look beyond politics and work together to ensure stability in the region. He warned those trying to exacerbate the situation, saying, “Those adding fuel to the fire, I warn them Manipur will reject them soon.”

PM Modi also highlighted the reduction in violent incidents in the region over the past few months.

“We are continuously trying to maintain peace and stability in Manipur. More than 11,000 FIRs have been registered, and more than 500 people have been arrested in Manipur, which is a very small state. Now, the incidents of violence are coming down. This means peace is possible,” he said.

He pointed out that schools, colleges, and offices in Manipur are operating like in any other state in the country, and all examinations were held as scheduled.

“Both Central and state governments are actively working to resolve regional issues with patience and peace. Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited Manipur and stayed for weeks there, engaging with relevant stakeholders,” said the Prime Minister, adding that besides political leaders, various government officials also visited the state to assess and address the situation.

Reflecting on the history of the state, he said that Manipur has had a history of disharmony and hostility among certain sections and also cited a 1993 incident.

He pointed out that the Congress party should remember that President’s Rule was imposed in the state ten times during their tenure and also recalled the spate of violence in 1993 that lasted for about five years.

PM Modi added that those who are questioning the situation in the northeastern states must know that the BJP has worked to make this region a powerful engine of growth.

He said that numerous efforts have been made to maintain peace in the North-East, yielding “hopeful” results. He noted that inter-border rifts between states have historically sparked conflicts since Independence, but the current government has been working to end these rifts by working for agreements between states, achieving significant success.

–IANS

sd/bg

New Delhi, July 3 (IANS) A Delhi court on Wednesday extended till July 12 the judicial custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in connection with the money laundering case linked to the alleged liquor policy scam.

Special Judge Kaveri Baweja of the Rouse Avenue Court passed the order upon the expiry of the previously granted judicial custody.

Earlier in the day, the AAP supremo’s bail plea in a corruption case was mentioned before the Delhi High Court for urgent listing. A bench presided over by Acting Chief Justice (ACJ) Manmohan assured that CM Kejriwal’s bail petition will be heard on Friday (July 5).

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday issued notice on a plea filed by CM Kejriwal challenging his arrest by the CBI. A bench of Justice Neena Bansal Krishna asked the central agency to file its response by July 17 in the matter.

Recently, CM Kejriwal was sent to 14-day judicial custody (till July 12) in a corruption case linked to the same liquor policy scam.

On June 26, the CBI formally arrested the AAP supremo when he was produced before Rouse Avenue Court.

A day before, the Delhi High Court stayed a trial court order granting bail to Kejriwal in the money laundering case saying that the documents and arguments were not appreciated by the lower court.

The Supreme Court, in May, had reserved its verdict on the petition filed by CM Kejriwal challenging his arrest and subsequent remand by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the excise policy case. However, he was ordered to be released on 21-day interim bail by the apex court in view of the general elections.

–IANS

pds/uk

Lucknow, July 3 (IANS) UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday announced a judicial inquiry into the stampede in Hathras district in which 121 people were killed.

The probe will be conducted by a retired high court judge and police official, he said.

The probe committee will find out who is responsible for the tragedy, or if it was a conspiracy, the chief minister said.

“We will ensure such incidents do not occur in the future,” he said, adding that the government may put in place a Standard Operating Procedure which will guide the organisation of such events in the future. “We will ensure this,” he said.

The chief minister, who visited Hathras, said that among those killed, six were from other states: four from Haryana, and one each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

–IANS

amita/svn

Lucknow, July 3 (IANS) A 21-year-old woman and her younger cousin brother sustained burns in an acid attack by an unidentified man in the Chowk area here on Wednesday.

Police reported that both victims are undergoing treatment at KGMU Trauma Centre.

According to the police, the woman and her cousin were walking towards KGMU for a counselling session for him.

“As they neared Chowk Stadium, an unidentified man confronted them, left, and then returned minutes later to throw acid on them before fleeing the scene,” said Additional DCP, West Zone, Vishwajeet Srivastava.

Onlookers quickly alerted the police, and the victims were initially taken to SPM Civil Hospital before being referred to KGMU Trauma Centre.

Senior police officers are trying to arrest the attacker and determine the motive behind the incident.

The father of the 21-year-old victim said that his daughter is in critical condition and he hopes for her swift recovery. He also mentioned that the condition of his daughter’s cousin is serious, with more severe burns.

–IANS

amita/kvd