New Delhi, (PTI) The Congress alleged on Wednesday that the government has “failed” on multiple fronts, from national security to food security, and is attempting to divert attention from its “inefficiency” through raids by the Enforcement Directorate.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi accused the BJP-led Centre of keeping the citizens in the dark for almost two-and-a-half years on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.

The Congress as well as media reports have been highlighting that China “had occupied our land”, however, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the entire government kept denying this, Singhvi told a press conference at the AICC headquarters here.

“In an equally telling development, the village head of one of the last settlements along the LAC in Ladakh’s Chushul said today that in the past year, at least three large grazing areas near the village have been turned into a no man’s land or buffer zones after the Indian troops pulled back from the patrolling points in the Kugrang Valley, including patrolling points (PP) 15, 16 and 17,” he said.

“Will the prime minister and the defence minister apologise for keeping the nation in the dark?” the Congress leader asked.

From national security to food security, the government has holistically failed to protect and secure the country on every front, he alleged.

Similar to its failure as regards national security, the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has miserably failed on the economic front as well, Singhvi said.

“Food prices in the current week have risen by 40 to 50 per cent. Let me give you an example of India’s most populous state Uttar Pradesh. The tomato prices that hovered between Rs 30-40 per kg a week ago in Uttar Pradesh have now risen to Rs 80 per kg,” he said.

The Indian economy is recovering from a double whammy as retail inflation accelerated to 7 per cent in August, driven by high food and fuel costs, while factory output plunged to a four-month low of 2.4 per cent, Singhvi said.

The foreign exchange reserves of the country fell by USD 2.23 billion to USD 550.87 billion for the week ending September 9, according to the data released by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Wednesday.

Singhvi also alleged that incidents of crime against women are continuously rising under the Modi government.

He said after failing to govern the country, the Centre now seems to be attacking the opposition parties to “kill two birds with one stone — to divert the attention of people from the BJP’s inefficiency as well as to sabotage the opposition to ensure that no voice is raised against the government”.

​According to a news report published on Wednesday, since 2014, there has been a four-fold jump in the number of ED cases against politicians, 95 per cent of whom belong to opposition parties, the Congress leader said. PTI 

 Chandigarh, Sep 21 (PTI) Punjab Governor Banwarilal Purohit on Wednesday withdrew his order summoning a special Assembly session on September 22 for the AAP govt to move a confidence motion.

The Raj Bhavan cited absence of specific rules on summoning the Assembly for considering only a confidence motion.

The decision came after Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa, Congress leader Sukhpal Singh Khaira and Punjab BJP chief Ashwani Sharma approached the governor, arguing that there was no legal provision to convene a special session of the Assembly to just move a ‘confidence motion’ in favour of the state government.

The AAP government in Punjab had sought the special session to bring a confidence motion, days after it accused the BJP of trying to topple its government. PTI 

 NEW DELHI: The commerce ministry is likely to release the new five-year foreign trade policy (FTP) on September 29, with a view to promoting the country's outbound shipments, an official said.

The current foreign trade policy (2015-20) is in force till September 30.

On March 31, 2020, the government extended this policy for one year till March 31, 2021, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. It was again extended till the end of September this year.

In the policy, the government announces support measures for both goods and services exporters.

''The new FTP will be released on September 29,'' the official said. Districts as an Export Hubs scheme are expected to be part of that document.

Under the scheme, the aim is to initially focus on a certain number of districts which have products that are scalable and hold huge export potential.

The country's exports rose by 17.68 per cent to USD 193.51 billion, while imports grew by 45.74 per cent to USD 318 billion during the April-August period this fiscal.

The trade deficit has widened to USD 124.52 billion from USD 53.78 billion in April-August 2021.

 New Delhi, Sep 21 (PTI) Insurgent group NSCN-IM and government representatives will resume their peace talks here on Wednesday to find a permanent solution to the Naga issue.

A day before resuming dialogue with the government, NSCN-IM said the outfit stands by its demand for unification of Naga inhabited areas and a separate flag, and these are “non-negotiable”.

In an editorial in its mouthpiece ‘Nagalim Voice’, the NSCN-IM also said it is “ironic” to point out that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, “who loves to advertise” his achievements, is expected to take the Naga issue to a logical conclusion as the stalled Indo-Naga talks pick up the threads with a focus on the Framework Agreement (FA) and formulated papers.

The editorial said seven years ago, when Modi took the initiative to supervise the “high-profile” FA signing ceremony on August 3, 2015 at his residence, it generated much hype and hope going by the tone of his highly enchanting speech.

The prime minister took pride in announcing to all political leaders who mattered that he has solved the longest surviving insurgency in Southeast Asia. Going beyond that, the ceremony was telecast live all over the world to put on record his achievement in solving the Naga issue, it said.

“Modi cannot simply shy away from the Naga issue but have a relook through the prism of the Framework Agreement at his own political brainchild. The credit he has taken in bringing about the FA should be unerringly interpreted to take forward in solving the Naga issue,” the editorial said.

The stand of the NSCN-IM on the FA has been distinctly stated time and again. The May 31, 2022 decision of the (Naga) “National Assembly” and the solemn declaration (resolution) adopted on August 26, 2022 by the Naga National Workers of NSCN from Nagaland reaffirming “one people, one nation” and to stand by the FA is on record, it said.

“The unifying principle of ‘one people, one nation’ symbolised by god-given Naga Nation Flag is non-negotiable in the name of Naga political solution,” it said.

Nagaland’s neighbouring states — Manipur, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh — have been vehemently opposed to the idea of unification of Naga inhabited areas under their jurisdictions.

The government of India had signed the FA with major Naga insurgent group NSCN-IM on August 3, 2015 in the presence of Modi to find a permanent solution to the vexed issue.

The agreement came after more than 80 rounds of negotiations spanning 18 years, with the first breakthrough made in 1997 when the ceasefire agreement was sealed after decades of insurgency in Nagaland which started soon after India’s independence in 1947.

However, the talks with the NSCN-IM are currently going nowhere as the group has been insisting on a separate Naga flag and constitution, a demand rejected by the central government.

Separately, the government is also holding peace parleys with splinter groups of the NSCN after entering into ceasefire agreements. The groups that have entered into ceasefire agreements .

 Mumbai,(PTI) The Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena on Wednesday moved the Bombay High Court seeking permission to hold its annual Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park in central Mumbai.

The petition was filed by the Shiv Sena and its secretary Anil Desai.

The plea said the party was constrained to approach the HC as the Mumbai civic body was yet to take a decision on their applications submitted in August seeking permission for the rally.

The petition sought directions to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation to forthwith grant permission for the Sena's Dussehra rally at the Shivaji Park.

The petition was mentioned before a division bench headed by Justice R D Dhanuka on Wednesday, seeking urgent hearing.

The bench posted it for hearing on Thursday.

The Sena in its plea, filed through advocate Joel Carlos, said the party was holding the Dussehra rally every year at the Shivaji Park since 1966 and the civic body had always permitted it.

The Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, which comprised the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress, collapsed in June this year after a revolt led by Eknath Shinde against the Sena leadership.

Shinde was later sworn in as the chief minister with BJP's Devendra Fadnavis as his deputy. PTI

 New Delhi, Sep 20 (PTI) Maintaining a “higher level of operational preparedness at all time” and improving infrastructure, especially along the northern borders, were some of the key lessons from the eastern Ladakh border standoff, Army Chief General Manoj Pande said on Tuesday.

He said this in response to a question during an interaction held at India Defence Conclave here.

When asked by the host what was the next step after the recent disengagement of Indian and Chinese militaries from Patrolling Point 15 in the Gogra-Hotsprings area in eastern Ladakh, he said, “We have made progress in terms of disengagement from friction points. We still have two friction points where we need to move forward.

“We are hopeful as we move forward, talking through both military and diplomatic levels. And, I am sure we will be able to find resolution towards these friction points. That is our immediate aim to disengage from these friction points, before we look at to next step, of perhaps, de-escalation, which will involve pull back of troops.” Asked about the situation in Jammu and Kashmir, the Army chief said, “The situation in J&K is well under control.” Also, the abrogation of Article 370 and the kind of “whole of nation approach” adopted have resulted in a “number of positives”, he said.

“Besides, violence level has come down significantly. In the hinterland, protests or incidents of stone pelting have reduced,” he said, adding that infiltration at LoC has come down.

The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas.

Indian and Chinese militaries on September 12 had moved back their frontline troops to the rear locations from the face-off site of Patrolling Point 15 in the Gogra-Hotsprings area in eastern Ladakh and dismantled temporary infrastructure there as part of a five-day disengagement process.

People familiar with the development had said the two sides disengaged as per the plan which also entailed a joint verification of the entire process.

Though the two sides disengaged from Patrolling Point 15, there has been no progress yet on resolving the standoff in Demchok and Depsang regions.

Asked what were the key lessons from the standoff, Gen Pande said, one was to “maintain a higher level of operational preparedness at all time”.

“Also, importance of infrastructure development, especially along our northern borders, and I am also referring to areas opposite Arunachal Pradesh or the Eastern Sector, besides Ladakh,” he added.

“We also realised that there is adequate scope for infusion of new technology, and that is something we need to leverage, to enhance our abilities to address challenges in the future,” the Army chief said.

He said “we need to have a strategy to effectively operate in the grey zone as well, and build our capabilities”.

Since May 2020, a significant amount of enhancement in Army’s infrastructure, especially in the context of eastern Ladakh, has taken place, Gen Pande said.

The Army is also focussing on “creating infrastructure, road connectivity right up to the border, and have inter-valley connection”, he said, in response to another question during the interaction.

He praised the “tremendous support” the Army received from the IAF in eastern Ladakh, saying, “in a very short time we were able to induct additional troops and heavy equipment, which I feel was very remarkable”.

On other projects, he said the Army is using AI to enhance its capabilities. “In context of what is happening in Jammu and Kashmir, we have used AI for detecting suspicions vehicles. We have hooked on to databases of regional transport (authorities), so that any alien or foreign vehicle can be tracked. These are some of the projects that have made a very good headway,” he added.

Also, the startup ecosystem has been “stepped up in a major way”, Gen Pande said. PTI 

New Delhi, Sep 21 (PTI) Celebrated comedian-actor Raju Srivastava died on Wednesday after over 40 days of hospitalisation here, said his brother Dipoo Srivastava. He was 58.

Raju Srivastava suffered a heart attack on August 10 while working out at a hotel here. He was rushed to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and underwent angioplasty. Since then, he was on the ventilator and never gained consciousness.

“I got a call from the family about half-an-hour ago saying he is no more. It is really unfortunate news. He was fighting in the hospital for over 40 days,” Dipoo Srivastava told PTI.

Raju Srivastava was declared dead at 10.20 am, according to hospital sources.

A familiar face in the entertainment industry since the 1980s, the comedian tasted unparalleled success after participating in the first season of the reality stand-up comedy show “The Great Indian Laughter Challenge” (2005).

aju Srivastava had also featured in Hindi films such as “Maine Pyar Kiya”, “Baazigar”, the remake of “Bombay to Goa” and “Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiya”.

He was the chairperson of the Film Development Council Uttar Pradesh. PTI

 New Delhi, (PTI) From production of ships and submarines to spare parts and weapons, the Indian Navy will be “completely” self-reliant by 2047, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral R Hari Kumar asserted on Tuesday.

At a defence conclave, he said there was much to learn from the Russia-Ukraine conflict which witnessed the use of new technologies, cyber space and all sorts of precision ammunition.

The conflict between the two countries has underscored the necessity of ‘Atmanirbharta’ (being self-reliant) to defend one’s country, he said.

“By 2047, we will have a complete indigenous Navy, whether it be ships, or submarines, aircraft, unmanned systems, weapons, the entire complex.

“We will be completely ‘Atmanirbhar’ Navy. That is what we are targeting,” Admiral Kumar said replying to questions at the India Defence Conclave 2022.

Asked if the supply chain of the Indian Navy was affected due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict, he said, “As of now, we are not hard pressed. We have adequate stock of spares. There has been no let up in our deployment of ships or aircraft today. We have taken steps to get help from our own industry.

Indian Navy had embarked on its “indianisation drive’ in 1961 when INS Ajay, the first small patrol boat, was indigenously made in india, he said.

“Since then, we have progressed a lot,” he added. PTI 

 New Delhi, (PTI) Korean star Lee Jung-jae, who recently won an Emmy for the hit series “Squid Game”, has tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Lee’s agency Artist Company announced on Monday night that the actor had tested COVID-19 positive after undergoing a routine PCR test upon his return to native South Korea from the US where he attended the Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony on September 13.

“In accordance with disease control protocol, actor Lee Jung Jae underwent PCR testing after he returned to Korea on September 18, and his test results came back positive,” the agency said in a statement as quoted by entertainment outlet Soompi.

Lee’s friend, business partner and “Hunt” co-star Jung Woo-sung and his “Squid Game” colleagues Park Hae-soo and Jung Ho-yeon, who took the same flight with him back to South Korea, have all tested negative for COVID-19.

The actor is self-isolating in accordance with the guidelines of government health authorities and has currently halted all of his scheduled activities.

“Our agency will adhere strictly to health authorities’ guidelines and do our utmost to help our actor focus entirely on his recovery, while considering his health our top priority,” the statement continued.

Lee charted history last week when he won the Emmy in the outstanding lead actor in a drama series category for his performance in “Squid Game” becoming the first Asian actor to achieve the feat.

“Squid Game” creator Hwang Dong-hyuk also earned the Emmy for best drama series directing.

The Korean language survival drama, which premiered on Netflix on September 17, 2021, also collected two Primetime Creative Arts Emmys for Lee Yoo-mi (outstanding guest actress in a drama series) and for Chae Kyoung-sun, Gim En-jee and Kim Jeong-gun in outstanding production design for a narrative contemporary program category. 

 Kurmis on Tuesday blocked railway tracks in quite a lot of portions of japanese India not easy Scheduled Tribe (ST) standing and inclusion of Kurmali language within the 8th agenda of the Charter, affecting teach products and services in West Bengal, Jharkhand and Odisha. Agitators squatted on railway tracks at quite a lot of puts, resulting in cancellation, short-termination and diversion of a number of trains.

Teach products and services of South Jap Railway had been in part affected because of blockades at Kustaur and Nimdih stations in Adra department, Khemasuli and Bhanjpur stations in Kharagpur department and Aunlajori station in Chakradharpur department since 4 AM, a railway legit mentioned. The SER has cancelled 18 trains, diverted 13 and brief terminated or brief originated 11 different trains, he mentioned.

Some of the trains that had been cancelled are 12814/12813 Tatanagar-Howrah-Tatanagar Metal Categorical, 12021/12022 Howrah-Barbil-Howrah Janshatabdi Categorical, 22861 Howrah-Titlagarh-Kantabhanji Ispat Categorical, 13512/13511 Asansol-Tatanagar-Asansol Categorical, 18183 Tatanagar-Danapur Categorical and 18033/18034 Howrah-Ghatsila-Howrah Categorical, he mentioned. Owing to the agitation, the SER has diverted 13288 Rajendranagar-Durg Categorical, 18011 Howrah-Chakradharpur Categorical, 12262 Howrah-Mumbai CSMT Duronto Categorical, 12130 Howrah-Pune Azad Hind Categorical, 22905 Porbandar-Shalimar Categorical, 12801 Puri-New Delhi Categorical, 12809 Mumbai CSMT Howrah Mail.

Trains that had been diverted come with 15930 New Tinsukia-Tambaram Categorical, 18029 Mumbai LTT-Shalimar Categorical, 12833 Ahmedabad-Howrah Categorical, 12859 Mumbai CSMT-Howrah Categorical and 22823 Bhubaneswar-New Delhi Categorical, the SER legit added. Agitators additionally blocked a countrywide freeway in Purulia, a state govt legit mentioned.

Because of the stir, Bangriposi-Bhubaneswar Superfast Categorical and Baripada-Shalimar Similipal Categorical remained halted at Bhanjpur for 3 hours, whilst the Tatanagar-Badampahar DEMU and Bangriposi-Rupsa DEMU remained halted at Anlajodi and Betnoti stations respectively. Then again, the agitation in Odisha used to be withdrawn after the native management confident the protesters that their grievances could be taken to the government on the absolute best stage.

BJD’s Rajya Sabha MP Mamata Mahanta, who reached an agitation website online, mentioned, “I absolutely reinforce the call for…Leader Minister Naveen Patnaik has honoured Kurmis by means of sending a girl from the neighborhood to the Parliament. My participation within the stir isn’t political however reinforce to my neighborhood.” Primary Mahanta, one of the vital agitators, claimed that Kurmis had been a Specifically Prone Tribal Teams (PVTG), then referred to as Primitive Tribal Staff (PTG), previous to 1950 however had been got rid of from the ST record. Basant Mahanta, an recommend, alleged that the state govt has now not beneficial the inclusion of Kurmi neighborhood within the ST record in spite of the CM’s assurance.

Round 25 lakh Kurmis live in Odisha, basically in Mayurbhanj, Keonjhar, Sundergarh, Balasore, Jajpur and Sambalpur districts. The stir comes slightly two days after Patnaik wrote a letter to Union Tribal Affairs Minister Arjun Munda in search of the inclusion of 160 communities within the ST record.Patnaik, within the letter, claimed that since 1978 the Odisha govt has beneficial the inclusion of 160 communities of the state within the ST record however the suggestions have now not been authorised. The executive minister mentioned that those communities had been “sufferers of historic injustice” because of extend of their inclusion within the ST record.