Gurugram, October 3 

Samajwadi Party founder Mulayam Singh Yadav has been shifted to the critical care unit at Gurugram’s Medanta Hospital where he is undergoing treatment.

“Shri Mulayam Singh Yadav is currently admitted in the critical care unit of Medanta Hospital and is being treated by a specialised team of doctors,” the hospital said in a statement.

The former Uttar Pradesh chief minister was shifted to the intensive care unit after his health deteriorated last night. The Samajwadi veteran has been undergoing treatment at the hospital since August 22.

The Samajwadi Party in a tweet had said that the health condition of the leader is stable. His son and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav reached the Gurugram hospital where his ailing father is admitted.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to Akhilesh and enquired about Mulayam Singh Yadav's health condition. The Samajwadi party has appealed followers and members to not throng the Medanta as many have started gathering there. Hospital has also stepped up the security. 

 Bhadohi (UP), (PTI) Three people were killed and 64 others injured after a fire broke out in a Durga Puja pandal here due to overheating of a halogen light, officials said on Monday.

A digital show was going on at the pandal and 300-400 people were inside it when the fire broke out on Sunday night. The pandal was reduced to ashes, they said.

The fire broke out in a Durga Puja pandal in Narthua village, a stone’s throw from Aurai police station, around 9.30 pm on Sunday, District Magistrate Gaurang Rathi said.

A total of 67 people were injured in the fire and three of them — Ankush Soni (12), Jaya Devi (45) and Naveen (10) — died. Three of the injured are stated to be serious, he said.

All the injured have been identified, and the district administration and police have their list, he said, adding that the majority of the people inside the pandal were women and children.

A halogen light at the pandal overheated, causing an electric wire to catch fire at multiple points simultaneously. Soon the fire engulfed the wooden scaffolding and the tent, Rathi said.

The cause of the fire was ascertained by a special probe team constituted by Additional Director General Ram Kumar, the DM said.

Superintendent of Police Anil Kumar said that an FIR has been lodged at Aurai police station.

The Durga Puja had been organised by Ekta Club Pooja Samiti, the officials said.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath condoled the loss of lives in the incident, his office said in a tweet on Sunday.

Adityanath has directed officials to ensure that the injured get proper treatment, the Chief Minister’s Officer said. PTI C

The Mahishasura resembles Mahatma Gandhi at a Durga puja organised in Calcutta by an outfit that describes itself as the Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha, the news spreading on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi led India in celebrating the birth anniversary of the Father of the Nation and Bengal basked in the glory of one of the world’s biggest inclusive festivals.

The Indian Air Force will on Monday induct the first batch of indigenously developed Light Combat Helicopter, in a boost to its combat prowess as the multi-role platform is capable of firing a range of missiles and other weapons.

 Benchmark indices fell in early trade on Monday amid weak global market trends and continuous foreign fund outflow.

 Vadodara,(PTI) Two groups clashed and hurled stones at each other over putting up a religious flag in Savli town in Gujarat's Vadodara district, a police official said on Monday, adding 36 people have been arrested.

The incident occurred on Saturday night after a group of people objected to members of another community trying to put up a religious flag alongside their flag on an electricity pole in Dhamiji ka Dera locality, a Savli police station official said.

"The matter escalated and both the communities started hurling stones at each other. Nobody was injured but a vehicle and a shop were damaged by rioters," said Savli police station sub-inspector, AR Mahida.

Cross First Information Reports (FIRs) were lodged by both the groups on late Saturday night, following which a case was registered for rioting, unlawful assembly, rash act endangering human life etc of the Indian Penal Code against 43 people, Mahida said.

A total of 36 people from both communities have been arrested so far, he said.

Police security has been beefed up in the communally sensitive area and the situation is under control, he added. PTI 

Hundreds of people raised pro-Congress slogans as party leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday addressed them amid heavy rains and asserted that nothing can “stop us to unite the country” through the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Soon after Gandhi arrived at the venue for the public meeting on the outskirts of Mysuru, a sudden burst of rain greeted him and the gathering.

As the Wayanad MP chose to continue his speech, the crowds cheered for him, even as many were seen holding up chairs to ward off the torrential rain.

“This journey will continue from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and will not stop. It is raining, but the showers have not stopped this yatra. Heat, storm, cold can’t stop this yatra.

“This river-like journey will persist and in this river you will not find any trace of hate or violence. There will only be love and brotherhood as this is India’s history and DNA,” Gandhi told the gathering.

Earlier, during the day, Gandhi walked for over 10 kilometres from Badanavalu to Mysuru and was welcomed by a beeline of bystanders on both sides of the road. The police were seen struggling to manage the crowd and maintain order amid Congress supporters beating drums in their leader’s welcome.

While roadsides were dotted with young people eager to catch a glimpse of the Congress leader, women were seen on the terrace of their houses to watch Gandhi.

At the venue of the public meeting in Mysuru later, the Congress leader said nothing can deter the Bharat Jodo Yatra which was aimed at “stopping hatred and violence spread by the BJP-RSS”.

On a day the Enforcement Directorate issued summons to Karnataka Congress president DK Shiva Kumar for appearance on October 7 in the National Herald case, Gandhi told the Mysuru gathering, “No matter how much hate and violence the BJP spreads, this yatra will achieve its goal and will unite people.” The former Congress president also attacked the BJP government in Karnataka over graft charges, accusing Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai of crossing all limits of corruption.

“This 40 per cent (commission) government is taking bribes even from BJP people who are unable to pay up, and despite contractor association writing to the prime minister, no action has been taken,” he said.

Moments after the Mysuru rally, Congress leaders took to Twitter to laud Rahul Gandhi’s rain-soaked moment as a sign of his resilience. Twitteratti drew parallels between Gandhi’s address and a similar speech NCP supremo Sharad Pawar delivered amid incessant rains during the Maharashtra elections in 2019.

 AICC general secretaries Jairam Ramesh and Randeep Surjewala took to the microblogging site to say Gandhi was undeterred by rains and was committed to his resolve of uniting India.

“On the evening of Gandhi Jayanthi, undeterred by a downpour in Mysuru, @RahulGandhi electrified a sea of people.

“It was an unequivocal declaration. No force can stop the #BharatJodoYatra from uniting India against hate, from speaking up against unemployment and price rise,” Ramesh said on Twitter while sharing Gandhi’s rally video.

In a tweet in Hindi, Surjewala said, “The resolve to stop hate and to fight against violence shall continue…neither rains nor storm will be able to stop this,” Surjewala said.

A host of Congress supporters also tweeted Gandhi’s Myrusu rally images bearing the caption, “Barsaat ho ya aandhi…nahi rukega yeh Gandhi…(Rain or storm, this Gandhi will not stop).”

Gurugram: Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Mulayam Singh Yadav's health deteriorated on Sunday and he was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Medanta hospital in Gurugram.
The 82-year-old SP leader was admitted for several days but on Sunday he has been shifted to the ICU after his condition deteriorated. Meanwhile, Akhilesh Yadav left for Delhi from Lucknow as soon as he received the news of his father's health.
Mulayam Singh referred to as Netaji- founded the Samajwadi Party. He currently represents the Mainpuri constituency in the Lok Sabha.
Earlier, Samajwadi Party patriarch's wife Sadhna Gupta passed away in July this year.
She was undergoing treatment at a private hospital in Gurugram for a lung infection.
Sadhana Gupta was Mulayam Singh Yadav's second wife. His first wife, Maalti Devi passed away in 2003. Maalti Devi was the mother of Akhilesh Yadav.

Amid growing concerns about the environment in the national capital region, the Noida Police has sought a fleet of electric vehicles for patrolling and other duties in city areas, according to officials.

Besides this, the police have written to the local authorities with a request for replacing over 60 vehicles with newer models, highlighting their dilapidated condition and maintenance costs of over Rs 2 crore so far. The commissionerate currently has around 400 vehicles, including those on emergency 112 service. The request to local authorities is for replacement of 66 vehicles which are in bad shape while the EVs have been sought from the state government in addition to the existing fleet. The commissionerate currently has around 400 vehicles, including those on emergency 112 service.

Police Commissioner Alok Singh said a proposal for introducing electric vehicles has been discussed with concerned government bodies and their approval is awaited. Electric Vehicles are the way forward and as a responsible police force we certainly do not want to leave behind carbon footprint. The EVs would be used for patrolling in urban areas and could also be put for other duties as suited, the Noida police chief told PTI. Electric Vehicles are the way forward and as a responsible police force we certainly do not want to leave behind carbon footprint.

Separately, he said his department has written to the local Noida Authority as well as the Greater Noida Authority for replacing a fleet of vehicles which were provided by them nearly a decade ago. Officials said the police have asked for replacement of a total of 66 vehicles which are older than eight years and most of them having clocked almost two lakh kilometers.

Moreover, the police have spent around Rs 2 crore in maintenance of these 66 vehicles which now frequently report breakdown and stay out of use, according to the letters. The vehicles that need a replacement include Toyota Innova, Maruti Gypsy, Mahindra Bolero. At least five vehicles were taken off road in 2020 while the rest are being used by the police in a poor condition, officials said. The vehicles that need a replacement include Toyota Innova, Maruti Gypsy, Mahindra Bolero.

Chandigarh, October 2

The Punjab Police on Sunday arrested a Haryana resident and seized more than 2.5 lakh pharma opioids from his possession.

Deputy Inspector General of Police, Anti-Gangster Task Force-cum-Ropar Range, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the arrested accused has been identified as Ranjit Goswami of Batra Colony in Sonepat, Haryana.

Police have seized 2,37,000 tablets of alprazolam and 14,400 of the pyeevon spas capsules from his car which he was smuggling from Haryana," an official statement quoted Bhullar as saying.

This is the third such inter-state pharmaceutical drug racket busted by the Fatehgarh Sahib district police in less than three months, he said.

Earlier, Fatehgarh Sahib police had recovered as many as seven lakh tablets/capsules of pharma opioids on July 14, 2022, while, 1.17 lakh tablets/capsules of pharma opioids were recovered on September 4, he said.

The DIG said, acting on a tip-off, police teams from Crime Investigation Agency, Sirhind and Khamano Police Station, intercepted a car bearing a Haryana registration number at Khamano, which was being driven by the accused.

During checking, the police teams seized a huge quantity of pharma opioids, he said.

Fatehgarh Sahib SSP Ravjot Grewal said the arrested accused was into transport business in Delhi and Amritsar.

The accused has confessed that he has been supplying pharma opioids in Punjab for the last few years and most of his customers are in Moga and Ludhiana," she said.

She said the police have got three days remand of the accused after producing him in the court.

Meanwhile, an FIR has been registered under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act at Fatehgarh Sahib Police Station.