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Tuesday,13-May-2025
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As bulldozer politics enters Delhi, Congress accuses BJP of bigotry

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 Ahead of the Delhi civic polls, bulldozer politics has entered the national capital both physically and politically. The BJP, AAP and the Congress are at loggerheads since the BJP ruled civic body in Delhi started bulldozing illegal structures in Jahangirpuri and then initiating an anti-encroachment drive in places like Shaheen Bagh.

The Congress and AAP local leaders have opposed the drive in Shaheen Bagh but the Congress is more vocal than Delhi’s ruling party, the AAP. However, on Friday Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia of the AAP wrote a letter to the Union Home Minister asking that the demolition drive be stopped as it will affect 60 lakh people.

Congress General Secretary Randeep Surjewala reacting to the drive said, “The bulldozer of bigotry, superstition, sectarianism, fanaticism, injustice and intolerance heaped upon the Nation by the BJP government has to a large extent trampled upon India’s march ahead.”

“The issues of Development-Progress-Prosperity-Education-Schools-Roads-Hospitals-Infrastructure-Industry-Employment-Agriculture are no longer electoral issues in our country.”

He said that the BJP is not looking at the issues which are relevant to the country. The “BJP sponsored issues are Shamshan/Kabristan, Bulldozer, Loudspeaker, Mandir vs Masjid vs Church vs Gurudwara, changing names of roads and monuments, creating division on the basis of clothing and food habits.”

The politics of bulldozers which started from Uttar Pradesh is taking a pan-India turn with many states ruled by the BJP initiating this from Assam to Madhya Pradesh. However the BJP has defended this move of bulldozers. BJP leader Adesh Gupta blamed the “Bangladeshis and Rohingyas for the violent clashes”, and asked the North Delhi Mayor to remove illegal encroachments in the area. Later he also asked the other two Mayors to remove the encroachments.

However, it is not that there is no opposition. More than a dozen civil society organisations and political parties took out a procession on April 11 to Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal’s residence protesting against the anti-encroachment drive in the national capital.

Holding placards and raising slogans, as the citizen groups marched ahead a large police force stopped them much before the road leading to the LG’s residence. The protesters also shouted slogans against “rising” communalism.

The protesters also included Left wing organisations such as the CPI, CPI(M), CPI (ML), AIFB and RSP.

All India Kisan Mahasabha Secretary Purushottam Mishra told IANS: “This is a demonstration to protest action against the poor of the country. This is not an action against illegal encroachments but an attempt to divide the Hindu and Muslim communities and a campaign for corporates to loot the common man.”

“The government is trying to distract the common man by raising communal politics. We will raise our voice against it across the country. We shall organise demonstrations throughout May,” he said.

However the Congress and the AAP were caught unawares as the BJP seems to have set the agenda for the MCD polls through Shaheen Bagh — famous for its month long anti-CAA protest.

Local AAP MLA Amanatullah Khan was arrested on Thursday for blocking MCD officials, but Congress leaders in Shaheen Bagh continue to accuse the BJP and the AAP of ‘fixing’. Khan was granted bail on Friday.

It blamed the civic body and staged high octane protests after a MCD team reached Shaheen Bagh to raze “illegal” structures in the area on Monday. Congress leader Parvez Alam Khan, Vice Chairman of the Delhi Congress’ Media Department, who was detained by the police said that the local MLA came late after the Congress started protesting; he should have spoken to the administration but “the AAP and the BJP are in match fixing”.

“Why is Adesh Gupta (Delhi BJP chief) issuing orders, this means the mayors are incompetent,” he said.

Crime

15 labourers die after consuming spurious liquor in Amritsar

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Chandigarh, May 13: At least 15 men have died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor in four villages of the Majitha area in Amritsar district, officials said on Tuesday.

The deceased, mostly labourers working in brick kilns, include residents of Bhangali, Marari Kalan Therwal and Patalpuri villages.

Superintendent of Police (Amritsar Rural), Maninder Singh said the main accused Prabhjit Singh has been arrested and he turned out to be the mastermind behind supplying the spurious liquor.

A First Information Report (FIR) was on Tuesday registered under Section 105 of the BNS and 61-A of the Excise Act.

The others arrested were Kulbir Singh, alias Jaggu, a brother of the main accused Prabhjit Singh, Sahib Singh, alias Sarai, Gurjant Singh and Ninder Kaur, wife of Jeeta.

The Investigation Police Officer told the media that preliminary investigation indicated that “all took liquor from a single source on Sunday evening. Some of them died on Monday and locals cremated them without informing the police. We received information about the deaths due to liquor late in the evening (Monday) and initiated an investigation.”

A spokesperson for the government said an investigation of the entire spurious liquor network is on.

In March 2024, as many as 24 people had died in Sangrur due to spurious liquor. Earlier in 2020, more than 100 people died across Punjab in one of the deadliest illicit liquor tragedies.

As the war against drugs ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ to eradicate the drug menace from the state completed 72 days on Monday, Punjab Police registered 6,280 FIRs and arrested 10,444 drug smugglers.

Notably, Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann had asked the Commissioners of Police, Deputy Commissioners and Senior Superintendent of Police to make Punjab a drug free state.

Since the launch of the ‘Yudh Nashian Virudh’ campaign, Punjab Police under the directions of Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav has been conducting different operations including cordon and search operations, night domination and raids at drug hotspots across the state.

Special Director General of Police (Special DGP) Law and Order, Arpit Shukla, who has been monitoring these operations, on Monday said that police teams have recovered 398 kg heroin, 186 kg opium, 117 quintals poppy husk, 8 kg charas, 135 kg ganja, 2.5 kg ICE, 1.2 kg cocaine, 23.57 lakh intoxicant pills/tablets and Rs 8.58 crore drug money from their possession.

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International News

Freed Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander returns to Israel from Gaza

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Jerusalem, May 13: Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander arrived in Israel after being released from Gaza, where he was held in Hamas captivity for 19 months, Israel’s Defence Ministry said in a statement.

Alexander arrived at southern Israel’s Re’im military base adjacent to the Gaza Strip to reunite with his family, who landed only a few hours earlier from the United States, Xinhua news agency reported.

A photo taken earlier in Gaza showed Alexander, wearing a black T-shirt and a baseball cap, being accompanied by armed Hamas militants and a woman from the Red Cross during a handover process.

Alexander was released following direct talks between Washington and Hamas.

US President Donald Trump welcomed the release, writing in a post on his Truth Social platform: “Edan Alexander, the last living American hostage, is being released. Congratulations to his wonderful parents, family, and friends!”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a statement that the country “embraces” Alexander. He stressed that the Israeli government “is committed to the return of all hostages and missing persons — both the living and the fallen,” vowing to “act tirelessly until they are all brought home.”

Israeli Health Ministry Spokeswoman Shira Solomon said Alexander was undergoing an initial medical assessment at the reception facility in Re’im base and would later be transferred to Ichilov Hospital in Tel Aviv.

“Medical teams and staff at the hospital are well-prepared to provide all necessary medical, psychological, and rehabilitative care for Alexander, as well as support for his family and any other needs that may arise,” Solomon said in a statement.

In Hostages Square, a public plaza located in front of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art and renamed following the Hamas-led October 7, 2023 attack, hundreds gathered to watch Alexander’s return on large screens. They held up photos of the freed hostage and signs reading: “Only an end to the war in Gaza would secure the release of the remaining hostages.”

Hamas sources earlier confirmed that Alexander was handed over to a team from the International Committee of the Red Cross at a designated location in southern Gaza’s Khan Younis city. He was then transferred to the buffer zone controlled by the Israeli army before heading to the Re’im military base.

Eyewitnesses in Khan Younis reported that Israeli military activities in the area were halted before and during the release, and the atmosphere remained relatively calm.

In a press statement, Al-Qassam Brigades, Hamas’ armed wing, said Alexander was released as part of the efforts made by mediators to achieve a ceasefire, open the crossings, and allow aid and relief to reach Gaza.

Alexander is a US-born soldier serving in the Israeli army. He was abducted on October 7, 2023, in the Hamas-led raid on southern Israel that resulted in the kidnapping of 251 people and the killing of about 1,200 others.

His return marks an important step toward a new round of negotiations on a Gaza truce deal that will, after the return of Alexander, also secure the release of the remaining 58 hostages in Gaza, of whom 20 are believed to be alive. The negotiations are expected to begin on Tuesday with mediation from Qatar, Egypt, and the US. Netanyahu’s office announced that an Israeli delegation will travel to Doha for talks, but stressed that the talks would take place “only under fire.”

Since October 2023, Israeli fire has killed 52,862 Palestinians and injured 119,648 others in Gaza, according to local health authorities on Monday.

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National News

India to brief foreign Defence Attaches on ‘Operation Sindoor’ today

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New Delhi, May 13: India will brief Defence Attaches (DAs) from various countries based in New Delhi on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m., providing them with technical details of ‘Operation Sindoor’, the country’s recent anti-terror military offensive.

The Indian armed forces are set to share critical insights and operational data, including the performance of the indigenous air defence systems and outcomes of the strike missions carried out between May 7 and May 10.

Sources confirmed that the session will cover a wide array of developments, including the destruction of Chinese and Turkish-made drones and PL-15 missiles by India’s air defence forces, preventing any breach into Indian airspace.

The move comes a day after Director General of Military Operations (DGMO) Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai addressed the media, stating that the budgetary and policy support received by the armed forces over the past decade enabled the creation of a robust multi-layered air defence grid.

He said the system proved to be a decisive shield during Pakistan’s retaliatory aerial attacks on May 9 and 10. “Our battle-proven systems performed exceptionally, and the indigenous Akash missile system played a critical role,” Lt Gen Ghai noted.

The briefing to the Defence Attaches will also include details of a hotline conversation that took place on Monday evening around 5 p.m. between the Indian and Pakistani DGMOs.

Lt Gen Ghai and his Pakistani counterpart, Maj Gen Kashif Abdullah, reportedly discussed methods to restore calm along the Line of Control and reiterated commitments to the ceasefire understanding reached after the Indian operation halted at Pakistan’s request on May 10.

Official sources said that Pakistan conveyed it would not escalate the conflict and expressed willingness to adhere to the ceasefire agreement. The hotline exchange between the two military leaders also included discussions on maintaining restraint and monitoring the situation moving forward.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday addressed the nation for the first time following the understanding that ended the intense military exchanges.

He reiterated India’s hardline stance against Pakistan, stating unequivocally that New Delhi will not hold any dialogue with Islamabad except on issues related to terrorism and Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK).

“The Kashmir issue cannot be viewed in isolation from Pakistan’s continuous export of terrorism,” the Prime Minister said.

He strongly criticised Pakistan’s military and government for protecting and promoting terror outfits, warning that such support could bring about their eventual downfall.

PM Modi’s remarks also come amid reports that Pakistan attached certain conditions to the ceasefire, including a proposal to revive the Indus Waters Treaty, which India had suspended as a non-military strategic pressure tactic.

However, India has maintained that talks, if any, will remain confined strictly to terrorism and PoK.

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