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Rail traffic affected in three states due to Maoists shutdown call

April 26, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Dhanbad (Jharkhand), Apr 26 (ANI): Railway authorities on Monday either cancelled or diverted several trains and beefed up security in Jharkhand’s Dhanbad District due to a 48-hour shutdown call given by Maoists.

The Maoists have called for a 48-hour shutdown in three states–West Bengal, Orissa and Jharkhand demanding release of six Maoists who were arrested earlier.

Anand Sagar Upadhyay, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) said that Palamau Express, Ranchi-New Delhi Garibrath and several other trains were cancelled.

He also said personnel of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and state police have been deployed at all important stations.

“The railways in coordination with the state government have deployed personnel of railway protection force (RPF) and state police officials at all our important stations,” Upadhyaya said.

“In view of the security threat, some trains have been cancelled, including the Palamau Express and the Ranchi Garibrath train, and some goods trains have been cancelled, and some have been diverted,” he added.

In the wake of shutdown call, the Railways had decided to restrict speed of all Rajdhani express trains moving in these areas, besides cancelling and diverting some other trains.

During these period, all the Rajdhani express trains passing through Bihar and Jharkhand will run at a restricted speed of 75 kilometers per hour (Kmph) during night hours instead of their original speed of 110-120 kmph. (ANI)

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Heavy rains continue to disrupt life in Mumbai

July 15, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Mumbai, July 15 (ANI): Mumbai and parts of its suburbs continued to receive heavy rainfall on Wednesday morning.

Till 5.30 this morning, the MET department had recorded 77 mm of rainfall at Colaba and 240 mm of rainfall at Santa Cruz.

Water logging was reported from some areas, but road and rail traffic is running normally till now.

As a precautionary measure, people have been warned to leave their houses only if necessary. The incessant showers began on Monday night.

Fishermen have been advised not to venture into the sea.

The MET department has said that the spells of heavy to very heavy rains with strong winds will continue for the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, heavy overnight rains triggered a landslide near a slum locality in suburban Jogeshwari.

No casualty was reported in the incident at Saripur Nagar on Jogeshwari-Vikhroli Link Road. Operations were on to clear the debris.

Another landslide in Konkan region disrupted traffic on the Sindhudurg-Kolhapur Road.

Meanwhile, the Mithi River, whose flooding had brought Mumbai to a standstill during the deluge in 2005, rose above the danger mark.

The 18-km-long Mithi, which runs through several suburbs, leaves key areas like the airport, Western Express Highway and Bandra-Kurla Complex inundated.

According to municipal officers, about a billion rupees is spent each year on bracing the city for monsoon downpours, yet the rains continue to disrupt normal life. (ANI)

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Talks can happen only after shedding violence, Chidambaram tells militant groups

July 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, July10 (ANI): Union Home Minister P.Chidambaram today asked the insurgent groups in the North Cachar Hill District of Assam to lay down the arms and come forward for talks.

Responding to a calling attention notice on ethnic violence in the hills district of Assam in the Rajya Sabha, Chidambaram said militant groups are welcome to lay down arms and come for talks.

Rejecting the cease-fire offer made by the militant Dima Halam Daogah (Joel group), Chidambaram said militant groups couldn’t offer ceasefire to a sovereign country. They should adopt the path of non-violence, and then only talks can happen.

He also told that they could form their own political party, contest elections, and raise issues.

The Centre has alerted the Assam, Manipur and Nagaland Governments that Naga militants are likely to take advantage of the ethnic tensions Zemi Naga tribes and Dimasas since March in North Cachar hills, Chidambaram said.

He also informed the members that the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the North Cachar Hill Council has been suspended as he was alleged to have been routing the money to the militant organisations, and the case has been transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA.

The Governor of Assam has been asked to look after the administration of the Council.

Chidambaram said the Union Government is ready to facilitate talks on any issue between Assam Government and DHD-J.

Rail traffic to the North East has been fully restored and trains were running under security cover. The security situation in NC Hills was periodically reviewed at various levels, and Assam government has been asked to intensify counter insurgency operations, Chidambaram informed the house.

Meanwhile two militants belonging to ULFA were shot dead in Barpeta district of Assam.

According to sources the encounter took place when security forces acting on a tip off launched an operation in Sarthebari area of the district. The two youths opened fire in a bid to escape and security forces retaliated killing them. (ANI)

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Centre provides 2,500 paramilitary personnel of central forces to Punjab

May 26, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

New Delhi, May 26 (ANI): The Centre has provided 2500 personnel of para military forces to Punjab in order to bring the strife-torn situation to normalcy. It has also assured the State of more assistance if required.

“We have rushed 25 companies of CRPF, BSF and RPF to help the Punjab government in bringing peace into the violence-hit areas,” a Home Ministry official said.

The Home Ministry is in constant touch with the state government and it is regularly monitoring the condition.

“It is improving and things are settling down now,” the official added.

Meanwhile, curfew has been lifted from Ludhiana while in other areas including Jalandhar and Hoshiarpur it has been relaxed further, but security forces are maintaining a strict vigil all over the state.

The rail traffic has been restored in the state including the local trains while two special trains have left from Jammu to Delhi to clear the backlog of passengers who were stranded there ue to disruption in rail traffic. (ANI)

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Congress has admitted 1984 riots guilt: Akali Dal

April 10, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Chandigarh, April 9 (IANS) The Congress move to drop Jagdish Tytler and Sajjan Kumar as its Lok Sabha poll candidates over their alleged involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots Thursday drew sharp reactions from leaders in Punjab, the only Sikh majority state in India.

Ruling Akali Dal president and Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said the ‘much belated cancellation of tickets of butchers of thousands of Sikhs was direct acceptance of guilt by (the) Congress of their active role in organising the riots’.

‘The real face of the anti-Punjabi Congress got exposed with the deliberate design of clean chit to Tytler and tickets to both architects of anti-Sikh riots,’ Badal said in a statement.

Sikh organisations had blocked rail traffic Wednesday to protest clean chit to Tytler and Kumar whose names have figured in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

Radical Sikh groups like the Dal Khalsa demanded strict action against Tytler and Kumar.

‘Just taking back the tickets is not enough and our struggle for justice will continue till we see the culprits behind bars. The incident of 1984 was not riots, it was a Sikh massacre and the Congress is solely responsible for it,’ Kanwarpal Singh, Dal Khalsa convener, told IANS.

‘We are still doubtful about a free inquiry in the case. There are many proofs against these tainted leaders and it is very disappointing the Congress is trying to shield them.’

‘Their leaders have also unscrupulously interfered in the inquiry of CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation),’ Kanwarpal Singh added.

‘The withdrawal of Congress ticket is not the conclusive end and it has come only as an interim relief,’ said former Punjab deputy speaker Bir Devinder Singh.

‘It is only a political decision taken due to the widespread upheaval in the Sikh community and because the Congress did not want to face public wrath in Punjab.’

Kiranbir Singh Kang, president of the Youth Akali Dal, said the ‘political gimmick’ by the Congress to withdraw the candidature of Tytler and Kumar was a ‘useless exercise’.

Former president of Akal Federation Kanwar Pal Singh Dhami said: ‘The government has to take stern action against the leaders to suppress the increasing frustration among the Sikh community in the state. Just cancelling their tickets will not work. We want our judiciary to take strict action against them.’

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Sikh organisations block rail traffic in Punjab over Tytler issue

April 8, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Chandigarh/Ludhiana/ Mumbai/New Delhi, Apr 8 (ANI): Several Sikh organisations, protesting against CBI’s clean chit to Jagdish Tytler in a 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, blocked rail traffic in Punjab today.

According to official sources, activists of the Sant Samaj, which includes organisations like the Damdami Taksal and the Dal Khalsa, squatted on railway lines at Gyaspura village near Ludhiana, Beas and Dakoya in Jalandhar.

The Amritsar-Delhi Shatabdi Express, the Malwa Express and the Paschim Express were affected by the blockade, said Government Railway Police (GRP) sources.

Meanwhile, the Sikh Students Federation (SSF) has said that the incident has highlighted the fact that those responsible for the riots have not been punished so far.

“We believe that the act by journalist Jarnail Singh, who threw a shoe on Chidambaram was right. He threw it because even after 25 years, the ones who were responsible for the Sikh riots have not been punished and no justice has been given to Sikhs,” said Gurdeep Singh, SSF president in Ludhiana.

Sikh organisations in Mumbai also came out in support of Jarnail.

“The act may be different in different places. It may vary from person to person, but we are supporting the cause,” said Kulwant Singh, general secretary of the Guru Singh Sabha.

Throwing a shoe at someone is considered an insult in India.

A leading advocate who belongs to the Sikh community condemned the incident, saying legal action should be taken against the reporter.

“I condemn the act. It’s a crime and whosoever has done this act might it be because of aggression or sorrow. It’s not justified. Legal action must be taken against it,” said KTS Tulsi, a senior advocate in New Delhi.

The shoe missed Chidambaram, who leaned back to avoid it. He later smiled and asked security guards to take the reporter out of the room.

This was the latest incident of shoe-throwing as a mark of protest against political leaders, including former U.S. President George W. Bush and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao. (ANI)

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Maoists call for a shutdown in Jharkhand

March 2, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Ranchi, Feb 28 (ANI): Maoists forced a shutdown against alleged police atrocities in Jharkhand on Saturday.

The 24-hour shutdown call disrupted road and rail traffic.

“We are facing a lot of problems. I have to go to Palamu, but there is no train available. The government is not able to do anything. Not only me, all the passengers are facing problems,” said Rahul, a rail passenger.

Bus services to and from Ranchi have been completely snapped, and passengers remained stranded at the bus stands.

Residents said that they were fed up by the frequent shutdown calls that adversely affected their livelihood.

“We run these buses for our livelihood. There is a shutdown here at least once in a week on one pretext or the other. What will the citizens do?” asked Guddu, a bus driver.

Shops and business establishments also remained closed.

Maoists, who are banned in several states including Jharkhand, say they are fighting for the rights of farmers and the poor.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called the rebels the biggest challenge to the country’s internal security. (ANI)

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