New Delhi: Delhi Police have arrested more than 35,000 individuals and seized a wide range of illicit materials in their operation to enforce the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) from January 7 to February 5, 2025.

A total of 1,098 cases were registered for MCC violations during this period. Among the key seizures were 475 unlicensed arms and 534 cartridges, with 496 individuals arrested in connection with these weapons.

Additionally, the police confiscated 114,699 litres of liquor and arrested 1,423 persons were arrested for liquor-related offences, according to the Delhi police.

The authorities also seized 206.712 kg of drugs valued at over Rs 77.9 crores, along with 1,200 drug injections. A total of 179 individuals were arrested for drug-related offences.

The police also seized Rs 11,70,29,927 in cash, 0.850 kg of gold, and 37.396 kg of silver. In preventive actions, Delhi Police arrested 35,020 individuals under various provisions and other acts.

Meanwhile, the exit polls varied in their prediction of the margin of BJP victory, with one poll saying that the party could win 51-60 out of 70 assembly seats in Delhi. Two polls also predicted an AAP victory. The exit polls were released after voting concluded on Wednesday.

Delhi has 1,561,400 registered voters, including 837,617 males, 723,656 females, and 1,267 third-gender voters. The electorate also includes 239,905 first-time voters aged 18-19, 109,368 elderly voters aged 85 and above, and 79,885 persons with disabilities.

Votes will be counted on February 8. AAP has dominated the last two assembly elections in Delhi.

Jaipur, Feb 6: Cheetahs from Madhya Pradesh’s Kuno National Park will soon be able to move freely into Rajasthan, as a new wildlife corridor is in the works, state Forest Minister Sanjay Sharma confirmed this to media.

“A corridor will be developed to connect Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, allowing free movement of tigers and cheetahs between the two states. With this, cheetahs from Kuno will be able to enter Rajasthan naturally,” Sharma said.

The project will be jointly monitored by both state governments, with a memorandum of understanding (MoU) set to be signed soon in the presence of Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav.

The corridor, spanning approximately 6,500 square km, will stretch from Dholpur to Sita Mata Wildlife Sanctuary, facilitating a more natural habitat for the big cats.

India’s ambitious cheetah reintroduction program saw eight cheetahs brought from Namibia, which Prime Minister Narendra Modi released into Kuno National Park on September 17, 2022, marking the species’ return to the country.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav released five more cheetahs into the wild at Kuno on Wednesday. Among them was Veera, a female cheetah who gave birth to two cubs on February 4. The other released cheetahs included Asha and her three cubs. Additionally, two cheetahs, Agni and Vayu, have been roaming freely since their release on International Cheetah Day, December 4, 2024.

Officials confirmed that Rajasthan was originally considered as a site for the relocated cheetahs, but due to logistical challenges, they were moved to Madhya Pradesh instead. However, the upcoming corridor will now ease movement for the animals, reducing the efforts required to track them as they frequently cross state borders.

This corridor will be a win-win for both the cheetahs and wildlife authorities, ensuring a seamless and safer habitat for the species, officials said.

New Delhi, Feb 6: The Congress on Thursday submitted adjournment motions in the Lok Sabha, demanding an urgent discussion on the deportation of over 100 illegal Indian immigrants by the United States (US) and urged the Centre to clarify its stance and outline diplomatic efforts being made to ensure the dignified treatment of deported individuals.

The Indian nationals who were deported from the US for illegally arriving in the country on Wednesday claimed that they were sent back on the military aircraft with their hands and legs cuffed throughout the journey.

Congress MPs KC Venugopal, Gaurav Gogoi, and Manickam Tagore moved the motions, stressing the need to “urgently address the issue to prevent further dehumanisation” and to “uphold the dignity” of the deported Indians.

Venugopal, in his adjournment motion, called for a discussion on the “ongoing abrupt deportations of illegal Indian immigrants by the US government.”

The motion urged the Centre to clarify its stance and outline diplomatic efforts being made to ensure the dignified treatment of deported individuals.

“This crisis underscores the need for strong policies to prevent illegal migration and create structured legal avenues for those seeking employment abroad.

“There is an urgent need for intervention to dismantle human trafficking networks, provide financial and social reintegration support to deportees, and establish transparent migration frameworks to protect Indians from such predicaments in the future,” Venugopal added.

Gaurav Gogoi, Deputy Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha, also submitted an adjournment motion, describing the deportations as “deeply distressing and humiliating.”

Similarly, Congress whip Manickam Tagore sought a discussion on the “inhumane deportation of Indian nationals by the United States” and urged the government to take necessary steps to prevent their mistreatment abroad.

The development comes a day after a US military aircraft carrying 104 illegal Indian immigrants landed in Amritsar on Wednesday.

The deportees included 33 people each from Haryana and Gujarat, 30 from Punjab, three each from Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra, and two from Chandigarh. Among them were 25 women and 12 minors, the youngest being just four-years-old.

The US military C-17 aircraft, which took off from Texas on Tuesday, landed at Sri Guru Ram Dass Jee International Airport amid tight security. The flight also carried 11 crew members and 45 US officials overseeing the deportation process.

This was the first round of deportations under the Trump administration, coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to Washington next week — his first after Donald Trump’s re-election as US President.

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar had earlier stated that India is open to the “legitimate return” of Indian nationals living illegally abroad, including in the US.

He conveyed India’s readiness to accept these migrants post-verification to US Secretary of State Marco Rubio last month.

President Trump had announced the crackdown last month, stating, “For the first time in history, we are locating and loading illegal aliens into military aircraft and flying them back to the places from which they came.”

Meanwhile, Punjab NRI Affairs Minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal expressed disappointment over the deportations, arguing that many of these individuals had contributed to the US economy and should have been granted permanent residency instead of being sent back.

According to the Pew Research Center, approximately 7,25,000 illegal immigrants from India live in the US, making it the third-largest population of unauthorised immigrants after Mexico and El Salvador.

Many of those facing deportation from Punjab had entered the US through illegal routes, spending lakhs of rupees in the process.

With Trump’s administration intensifying its crackdown on illegal immigration, uncertainty looms over the fate of thousands of Indians living without legal status in the US.