Jammu, June 6: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrives in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday to flag off the Vande Bharat train service from Katra to Srinagar and lay the foundation/inaugurate projects worth Rs 46,000, people are eagerly looking forward to a new developmental dawn on the union territory’s horizon.

PM Modi is scheduled to rewrite history by realising the over 70-year-long dream of the people in Kashmir, for whom the journey from the landlocked Valley to the rest of the country looked a distant prospect.

As the entire security apparatus drawn from the special protection group (SPG), army, CAPFs and the local police are maintaining the hawkeyed vigil on the security situation to ensure a peaceful and hassle free visit of the PM, the common man in J&K is enthusiastic about the events of the day going to change the future of the UT.

The Jammu-Srinagar national highway has always been the heartburn for millions of people living in the Kashmir Valley because of the highway’s undependability.

A small trickle of rain would trigger landslides, mudslides, shooting stones and caving in of the road, resulting in a blockade lasting days at a stretch on the Jammu-Srinagar highway.

The blockade of the Jammu-Srinagar highway is going to be of little consequence after Saturday, when the commercial operations of the Vande Bharat train service begin.

“All our horticulture, agriculture and handicrafts, including shawls, carpets, and walnut wood furniture, etc., suffer because of the huge transportation cost and the time taken for such products to reach the terminal markets.

“For Kashmir’s future generations, this story is now going to be a forgotten tale of the past. Goods trains will now transport our produce in the shortest possible time at low freight and without any uncertainty about arrival,” said Abdul Salam Mir, 64, a businessman living in Srinagar city.

Students travelling to seek admissions in professional colleges, patients going out for treatment, businessmen travelling to outside markets, and the common man looking for comfort, affordability and certainty of travel, all people living in Kashmir Valley are going to benefit from the train coming to Kashmir.

People outside the Valley, including tourists, businessmen and professionals, will equally benefit.

“From the point of view of integration and unity of the country, the railway link between Kashmir to Kanyakumari is a powerful political message the PM is going to send from Katra town today”, said Krishen Chand, 52, a resident of Katra town.

Mumbai: Today, a high-level Congress delegation led by Mumbai Congress President and MP Prof. Varsha Tai Gaikwad met BMC Commissioner Bhushan Gagrani. The delegation included MLA Aslam Shaikh, MLA Amin Patel, MLA Dr. Jyoti Tai Gaikwad, former corporator Haji Babbu Khan and other former corporators of Mumbai Congress.

Several important issues were raised in the meeting on administrative collapse, corruption and deterioration of public amenities in Mumbai.

‎🛑 Highlights of the meeting:

‎🔸 Increase in property tax without public approval
Violating the directions of the Supreme Court, the BMC increased property tax in the absence of elected representatives. The Congress strongly opposed this unconstitutional move and called it a financial burden on the people of Mumbai.

‎Scams in road construction
‎There is a possibility of massive corruption in the concreting of roads. Only 25% of the work has been completed so far and that too has been hampered by poor quality, damage to pipelines and serious irregularities in tendering – particularly in the inorganic phosphate based geo-polymer concrete tender.

‎🔸 Drain cleaning scam

Drain cleaning before the monsoon has become a sham. All the work has been handed over to contractors, no monitoring, no accountability. The Congress has demanded immediate and strict action.

‎🔸 Medical facilities in ICUs

BMC hospitals – like Baba, Rajawadi, Shatabdi and Bhagwati – are in a shambles. Patients are being forcibly sent to private hospitals, while privatisation of hospitals and delay in development work have worsened the problems.

‎🔸 Waste management
‎The sanitation system is already failing and now the BMC is considering imposing a “garbage tax”. In areas like Kurla and Borivali, the sewer line work has been incomplete for years.

‎🔸 Failure of the education system:

BMC school children have not yet been given books and uniforms. The commissioner has given a deadline of June 15. If this work is not completed, the Congress will again come out with questions on June 16.

‎🔸 Delay in housing schemes and PAP projects:

Housing schemes, PAP and redevelopment projects in areas like Andheri, Vakola, Khar have been victims of builder fraud, misuse of TDR and government negligence.

‎🔸 Other important issues

Corruption in central procurement process

Delay in approving hawking policy

Acute lack of facilities in Muslim graveyards

🗣️ Congress demands:

✅ ACB should investigate contractor mafia in BMC

✅ Independent audit of drain cleaning and road construction works

✅ Independent monitoring body should be formed for BMC tenders

Mumbai cannot be left at the mercy of a neglected and corrupt system. Congress will continue to fight at every level by becoming the voice of the people of Mumbai!

Bengaluru, June 6: Four people, including the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) Marketing Head and DNA Event Management Company staffers, were arrested on Friday in connection with the stampede near the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru that claimed 11 lives.

Nikhil Sosale, Head of Marketing for RCB, along with Sunil Matthew, Kiran, and Sumanth from DNA Event Management, have been arrested, according to the police.

Police said the accused have been arrested in a joint operation at the Bengaluru International Airport.

The police have also raided the residences of Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Secretary Shankar and KSCA Treasurer Jayaram.

The personnel of the Cubbon Park police, who have registered the case in this regard and the special wing of the Central Crime Branch (CCB) conducted the joint operation.

The arrested individuals were on their way to Mumbai. All four accused have been brought to the Cubbon Park Police Station, where they were being interrogated by Seshadripuram Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP).

Even after the permission for the victory parade was not given, Sosle posted a message on social media about the victory parade and later deleted it, the police said.

He also announced that free tickets are available at the Stadium for the victory celebration event.

He allegedly further announced that the tickets would be available at Gate numbers 9 and 10 at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, and did not make arrangements to distribute the tickets.

The post was also made on the Royal Challengers’ official handle that the entry will be given at 3 p.m. This post has led to the gathering of lakhs of people, police said.

The DNA Company has acted as per the directions of Sosle. Among the total 21 gates, only three gates were opened, creating chaos.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday announced the suspension of five senior police officers, including the Bengaluru Police Commissioner and DCP (Central Division), in connection with the stampede incident on June 4.

“Such an incident has not occurred since I became an MLA, minister, Dy CM, and Chief Minister. This incident has deeply saddened us,” he stated.

The Karnataka Police in the FIR claimed that the accused parties — RCB franchise, DNA event management firm, and the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) Administrative Committee — organised the victory celebration without the necessary permissions.

The FIR has been registered under Sections 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder), 115(2) (voluntarily causing hurt), 118(1) (voluntarily causing hurt or grievous hurt by using dangerous weapons or means), 118(2) read with Section 3(5) (voluntarily causing grievous hurt, when the act is done by several persons in furtherance of common intention), 190 (unlawful assembly), 132 (criminal force to deter a public servant), 125(a) (filing false affidavit), and 125(b) (rash and negligent acts that endanger human life) of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.