SRINAGAR, July 29: Charri Mubrak (silver mace) of Amarnath was taken to the ancient ‘Sharika Bhawani’ temple at Hari Parvat in Srinagar to pay obeisance on the occasion of ‘Shravan Shukla Paksha Pratipada’ on Thursday.
Led by Mahant Deependra Giri, the custodian of Charri Mubarak, the mace was taken to the ancient Sharika-Bhawani Temple, situated on a hillock at Hari Parvat, to pay obeisance to the Goddess on the occasion of Shravan Shukla Paksha Pratipada, as per the age-old traditions.
A good number of Sadhus and devotees participated in the prayers that lasted for about 90 minutes, Mahant Giri said in a statement here.
Goddess Sharika-Bhawani, popularly known as ‘Tripursundari amongst the mystics, is believed to be the ‘Isht Devi’ (Presiding Deity) of Srinagar city, who manifested herself in a figure of ‘Shila’ (Holy Rock) at Hari Parvat.
He said the ‘Chhari-Sthapana’ ceremony shall be performed on July 31 at Shri Amareshwar Temple Akhara Building Budshah Chowk Srinagar and the traditional ‘Chhari-Pujan’ will be performed on the occasion of ‘Nag-Panchami’ that falls on August 2.
The Chhari-Mubarak will be taken on August 7 to the Holy Shrine of Swami Amarnath Ji, situated at an altitude of 13500 feet in South Kashmir from Dashnami Akhara for performing the main rituals of the pilgrimage, added Mahant Giri.
He said the traditional puja and rituals will be performed on the auspicious occasion of Shravan-Purnima on August 12.(Agencies)
Charri Mubarak taken to Sharika Bhawani temple in Srinagar to pay obeisance
One Rank-One Pension: SC dismisses review plea against judgement
NEW DELHI, July 29: The Supreme Court has dismissed a plea seeking review of its order upholding the One Rank-One Pension (OROP) principle adopted by the Centre in its 2015 communication issued to the Chiefs of three defence forces, saying it neither suffers from any Constitutional infirmity nor is it arbitrary.
A bench comprising Justices D Y Chandrachud, Surya Kant, and Vikram Nath said there was no merit in the review petition.
“Application for listing the review petition in open Court is rejected. We have carefully gone through the review petition and the connected papers. We find no merit in the review petition and the same is accordingly dismissed,” the bench said.
The apex court on March 16 had upheld the One Rank-One Pension (OROP) principle adopted by the Centre.
It had said that the Bhagat Singh Koshyari committee report, tabled in the Rajya Sabha on December 10, 2011, furnishes the historical background, the reason for the demand, view of the Parliamentary Committee which proposed the adoption of OROP for personnel belonging to the armed forces and beyond this, the report cannot be construed as embodying a statement of Governmental policy.
It had held that Governmental policy formulated in terms of Article 73 by the Union or Article 162 by the State has to be authoritatively gauged from the policy documents of the government, which in present case is the communication dated November 7, 2015.
The top court’s verdict had come on the plea filed by the Indian Ex-servicemen Movement (IESM) through advocate Balaji Srinivasan against the Centre’s formula of OROP. (Agencies)
Police crack phone snatcher gang
Srinagar, July 29: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Friday claimed to have cracked a gang of cell phone snatchers by arresting three persons and recovered eight phones from their possession in Budgam.
Police received a complaint on Thursday from a labourer, Mohammad Dilshad, saying two unknown persons snatched his mobile phone.
Two suspects were arrested within 24 hours. On their disclosure, eight mobile phones were recovered.
The two were identified as Shabir Ahmad Dar alias Shab Chelam and Abdul Rashid Rather alias Resh Matoo, both residents of Nasralluhpora.
They sold the stolen phones to shopkeeper Irshad Ahmad Dar who has also been arrested. (Agencies)
HM Amit Shah calls on Prez Droupadi Murmu
Jul 29: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday called on President Droupadi Murmu as ruling BJP and Congress continued to lock horns over a comment by a leader of the opposition party in the parliament.
What transpired in the meeting between the home minister and the President is not known immediately.
Called on Adarneeya Rashtrapati, Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji. @rashtrapatibhvn, Shah tweeted.
Parliament proceedings were disrupted for the second consecutive day on Friday due to protests and counter protests over Congress leader in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhary’s terming President Droupadi Murmu as Rashtrapatni.’
On Thursday, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Nirmala Sitharaman led the charge in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively against Congress.
Irani on Thursday had also demanded an apology from Congress President Sonia Gandhi for Chowdhary’s remark, leading to vociferous protests from the opposition members and counter-protests from treasury benches.
Both houses could not function on Thursday and Friday properly due to the pandemonium.
There was also a face-off between Gandhi and Irani during an interval on Thursday, inviting allegations and counter-allegations from both sides. (Agencies)
J&K highway reopened for traffic, stranded vehicles, Amarnath pilgrims allowed
July 29: Vehicular traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway resumed on Friday after blockades caused by shooting stones and mudslides in Ramban district were cleared, officials said.
”Jammu-Srinagar highway is through. Many stretches are still single way open for traffic and intermittent shooting stones still going on,” a traffic advisory said.
It said stranded vehicles were being cleared and people are advised not to travel on the highway without confirmation from traffic police.
Convoys of Amarnath pilgrims from Jammu have been allowed to move towards Kashmir valley, officials said.
The important iron tunnel passage set up in the most vulnerable stretch of the highway was damaged due to intense shooting stones on Thursday evening.
According to officials, mudslides and shooting stones struck the highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, at Mehaar, Cafeteria Moore and Pantiyal areas.
The work is going on to clear the highway and ensure two-way traffic on it, they said. (Agencies)
‘World Is Looking At India’s Youth With Hope,’ Says PM Narendra Modi
Congratulating the students of Anna University, Chennai who are graduating today, July 29, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that whole world is looking at the India’s youth with hope as they are the growth engines not only of the country but as well as the world. “The whole world is looking at India’s youth with hope. Because you are the growth engine of the country and India is the world’s growth engine. This is a huge honour and responsibility on all of you,” the prime minister said at the 42nd Convocation of the university.
The prime minister also congratulated the parents and teachers of the students who had graduated today. “You would have already built a future for yourselves in your minds. Therefore, today is not only a day of achievements but also of aspirations,” said the prime minister.
During the programme, the prime minister awarded gold medals and certificates to 69 students. “We are graduating at a unique time. Some will call it a time of uncertainty but I will call it a time of opportunity. The global pandemic tested every country. Adversities reveal what we are made of. India faced the unknown confidently, thanks to its scientists, healthcare workers and common people. Due to this India is at the forefront. Our industry is in the forefront,” he said.
The prime minister recalled former president Dr APJ Abdul Kalam for his association with Anna University. “May his thoughts and values always inspire you”, said PM Narendra Modi. Tamil Nadu Governor RN Ravi and Chief Minister MK Stalin were also attended the convocation ceremony.
Govt renames 18 schools after ‘martyrs, eminent persons’
The J&K administration on Thursday renamed 18 schools after names of people killed in militant attacks. The administration has directed the School Education Department to take immediate steps, including amending the records for effecting the changes.
Manoj Kumar Dwivedi, Principal Secretary, said the decision to rename the schools had been taken in the Administrative Council meeting held under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on July 22. The formal order to grant the sanction was issued on Thursday.
The divisional commissioners of J&K have been asked to personally monitor the naming of the infrastructure assets in their respective divisions, the order reads.
At least 17 of these schools have been renamed after J&K policemen killed by militants. The Government Higher Secondary School at Soaf Shali in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district has been named after Sarwanand Koul Premi, who was a famous Kashmiri poet. He along with his young son, Verinder, was kidnapped and executed by militants in 1990.
Two pilots martyred in IAF fighter plane crash, one from Jammu
An Indian Air Force MiG-21 fighter that was involved in a training mission near Rajasthan’s Barmer crashed, killing two pilots, on Thursday evening. Advitiya Bal (Flying Lieutenant) S/o Swaran Kumar Bal R/0 Village Mehlu RS Pura Jammu has been martyred in MIG 21 CRASH in Jodhpur yesterday.
Images taken at the disaster site showed the wreckage engulfed in flames and dispersed all about.
“A twin seater Mig-21 trainer aircraft of the IAF was airborne for a training sortie from Utarlai air base in Rajasthan this evening. Around 9:10 pm, the aircraft met with an accident near Barmer. Both pilots sustained fatal injuries,” the Air Force said in a statement.
“IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives and stands firmly with the bereaved families,” the statement added.
Suspended MPs 50-hour long day-night protest continues in Parliament
Opposition MPs continued their 50-hour day-night sit-in protest on Friday morning in front of the Mahatma Gandhi statue inside Parliament premises to mark their strong protest against their suspension and the central government which they claimed was not ready to hold discussion over key issues like price rise and increased GST rates.
A total of 27 MPs including 23 Rajya Sabha MPs and 4 Lok Sabha MPs have been suspended for “unruly behaviour” during the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament.
This is learnt to be the highest number of single-batch suspensions in the Upper House. The 50-hour long sit-in is likely to end around 5 pm on Friday. MPs, who were suspended for the week for their “unruly behaviour and disrupting proceedings” in the Parliament, had started the sit-in protest Wednesday afternoon.
Among the MPs who spent the night outside include Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Sanjay Singh, Trinamool Congress (TMC) leaders Abir Ranjan Biswas and Derek O’Brien while TMC MPs Dola Sen, Sushmita Dev, Mausam Noor, AAP MPs Sushil Gupta and Sandeep Pathak were at the protest site till midnight.
On the second night under the sky, the MPs arranged mosquito nets for themselves.
TMC MP Derek O’Brien and AAP MP Sanjay Singh shared a photo from the protest site where the MPs could be seen inside mosquito nets.
Congress leader Manickam Tagore earlier on Thursday posted a video of a mosquito sitting on a protesting MP’s hand. In that video, a mosquito coil was also seen.
“Non-stop day-night 50 hr dharna still on. About 6 hours to go. Revoke suspension of 27 MPs suspended for seeking a discussion on #PriceRise. Opposition fighting to save sanctity of Parliament from dictators,” tweeted TMC MP Derek O’Brien.
Some of the media reports also claimed that the suspended Rajya Sabha MPs who are protesting in the Parliament had consumed “tandoori chicken” in front of Mahatama Gandhi’s statue.
Sanjay Singh took to Twitter to share several pictures of the protest and said that the Chief Minister of Gujarat should resign as many children lost their parents because of the spurious liquor.
“These innocent children were made orphans by the poisonous liquor of Gujarat. Is it a crime to raise their issue in the House? Should the CM of Gujarat not resign? The night has passed, it is morning. The protest in the Parliament premises continued for the third day,” he said in a tweet.
Singh also shared a video on Twitter and said today the protest has entered the third and they will continue till the government discusses the spurious liquor tragedy in Gujarat.
“Today is the third day of protest and today I am sitting in front of the Gandhi statue inside the parliament premises. The issue because we are protesting is to hold a discussion in Parliament over the death of 75 people by consuming spurious liquor in Gujarat. In the state where the BJP is in power for the last 27 years and where liquor is banned, their small children are orphaned because of spurious liquor. This is the matter we want to raise in Parliament but we were suspended. But I am still in the Parliament premises and will continue to protest,” said AAP MP.
Earlier, Singh told ANI that all the 20 suspended MPs from Rajya Sabha would continue their 50-hour long sit-in till Friday afternoon and that the Modi government should apologize to the people of Gujarat over the spurious liquor tragedy.
MPs who were suspended on Tuesday over ‘unruly behaviour and disrupting proceedings’ include Sushmita Dev, Santanu Sen, Dola Sen, Mausam Noor, Shanta Chhetri, Abhi Ranjan Biswar and Mohd Nadidul Haque.
On July 27, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MP Sanjay Singh was suspended from the Rajya Sabha for the remainder of this week for “throwing paper on the Chair” during the proceedings. Singh was the 20th MP from the Upper House who was suspended for disrupting proceedings in this session. This is the highest number of single-batch suspensions in the Upper House.
On July 25, four Congress MPs including Manickam Tagore, Ramya Haridas, Jothimani and TN Prathapan were suspended from the Lok Sabha for the entire Monsoon session for their ‘unruly behaviour and disrupting proceedings.’
The Monsoon Session of Parliament commenced on July 18 and will continue till August 12. There will be 18 sittings during the Session.
Jammu-Srinagar highway blocked for 2nd consecutive day
July 29: Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained blocked on Friday for the second consecutive day because of shooting stones in Ramban district.
Traffic department officials said shooting stones in Panthyal stretch of the Jammu-Srinagar highway continue to block the road as restoration work could not be started because of incessant rain.
“No vehicular traffic will be allowed on the highway today. Restoration work will be started immediately after the weather improves,” traffic department officials said.
Shooting stones, mudslides and landslides triggered by rain often result in closure of the nearly 300 kms long Jammu-Srinagar highway.
In addition to being the supplies lifeline of the landlocked Valley, the highway is these days used by the Amarnath pilgrims to reach both the south Kashmir Pahalgam and the north Kashmir Baltal base camps.