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Dissent in poll-bound Himachal against Agnipath scheme, paper leak scam: Congress working chief (IANS Interview)

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There is a strong resentment in poll-bound Himachal Pradesh against the Centre’s Agnipath scheme for four-year contractual recruitment in the defence recruitment.

The BJP government led by Jai Ram Thakur is riddled with scams, ranging from the recruitment of police personnel to issuance of fake degrees at a price tag of Rs 4 lakh to Rs 10 lakh.

The main opposition Congress has been in full ‘battle gear’ to take head-on the ruling government in the assembly polls likely in November.

These were the views of two-time Congress legislator Rajinder Rana, who has learnt political lessons for years from his once-mentor and BJP’s two-time chief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, to whom he “taught” lesson by defeating him in the 2017 assembly elections.

He had defeated BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Dhumal in a straight contest by 1,919 votes in Sujanpur, the seat the latter was asked to contest from.

In an interview with IANS here on Wednesday, Rana, who is one of the party’s state working Presidents, said there is strong resent among the youth and people of Himachal Pradesh, who felt proud to serve the nation by donning an army fatigue, against the contractual recruitment in the armed forces.

“In my constituency, every third house has a family member in the armed forces. In some house, there are two-three family members serving the nation,” Rana, a known social worker in the area who was once the election manager of Dhumal and he knows his family well, told IANS.

He said people of the Himalayan state, where there is 16 lakh unemployed, want to serve the nation owing to lack of work opportunities in the state. “They are also sturdy to serve the armed forces.”

“The Agnipath scheme is a fraud with the people of the state. There is a strong dissent even among parents of aspirant soldiers as you are going to employ a soldier at the age of 17-18 years when he has not even completed his education. At the age of 21-22, 75 per cent of them will be sent home without any social security incentive, including pension. We protest this scheme and it will be our main election issue,” realtor-turned-politician Rana, who won Sujanpur seat in Hamirpur district for the first time in the 2012 assembly polls as an Independent candidate by a margin of 14,116 votes, told IANS.

The hill state has around 1.20 lakh serving defence personnel and almost equal number of ex-servicemen largely settled in Una, Kangra, Hamirpur, Bilaspur and Mandi districts.

A large number of protesters tried to reach Dharamsala town in Kangra district where Prime Minister Narendra Modi was to hold a roadshow on June 16, but were stopped by police several km before the venue.

The Congress is also eyeing to strengthen its vote bank against the resentment of government employees against the new pension scheme.

Rana said after the re-introduction of old pension scheme in the Congress-ruled Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh, the Congress in the state, if it returns to helm, will bring the old pension scheme.

The old scheme was done away by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government during Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s regime in December 2003. The national pension scheme took effect from April 1, 2004.

Around one lakh employees staged a protest in Shimla early this year, demanding scrapping of the new pension scheme. They say when it comes to financial benefits of the legislators, the government takes quick decision but when it comes to old pension benefits the employees, the government cites fund crunch.

There are about 2.25 state government employees, including about 30,000 contract, part-time, daily wage and para workers. The highest number of employees are employed in the education, public works, irrigation and public health, police and health departments.

Rana, who vacated the assembly seat and unsuccessfully contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections from Hamirpur as a Congress nominee, said the leaked paper of the constable recruitment examination is one of the biggest scams in the country.

The scam is currently being investigated by the CBI and is likely to put the ruling BJP government in embarrassment in the run-up to the assembly polls.

So was the multi-crore fake degree scams by Manav Bharti University in Solan.

“Police records say 43,000 fake degrees were sold by the university across the country. In reality, the number of fake degrees could be 4 to 10 lakh,” said the Congress legislator, who holds allegiance with party veteran and six-time Chief Minister late Virbhadra Singh.

“The fake degree scam could be of over Rs 20,000 crore,” he added.

The fake degree scam was unearthed in February 2019, a year after the University Grants Commission (UGC) received an anonymous complaint about the alleged sale of more than 5 lakh degrees by two private universities in Himachal, Manav Bharti University in Solan and APG in Shimla.

The Congress will soon announce a toll-free telephone number to get feedback from the public about the programmes to be included in its election manifesto.

“The Congress is totally united to take head on the ruling BJP. A strong anti-incumbency wave against the state ruling BJP — evident from the loss of three Assembly and one parliamentary seat in the October 2021 bypolls — will be seen in the assembly polls too.

“Also the state has been seeing a two-party system. A handful rebels from both the Congress and the BJP have been emerging from time to time, but after failing to mark their presence on the larger political landscape,” said Rana, adding the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is nowhere in the picture in the state.

National News

Shia Maulana Imran Raza Ansari was supported by Shia Maulana Rajani Hasan Ali Gujrati and Shia Leader Syed Liaquat Manzoor Mousavi in ​​Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.

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Vadodara/Srinagar, September 28: Shia Maulana Rajani Hasan Ali Gujrati And Syed Liaquat Manzoor Mousavi from Srinagar have strongly supported Shia Maulana Imran Raza Ansari in the 2024 assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir. In their joint statement, they said that only with the right leadership can a province develop, and its citizens can enjoy a bright future because of a clear vision for development and education and effective implementation of policies.

A person with strong leadership skills to ensure accountability, integrity and transparency can only benefit the nation. And a leader who prioritizes education can increase funding, build new schools, and provide scholarships, making education more accessible to all. By recruiting qualified teachers, introducing innovative curricula, and promoting digital learning, educational standards can be significantly raised, vocational training and skill development programs can prepare young people for the workforce, and which can reduce unemployment. And to get these benefits, it is very important to choose a leader like Maulana Imran Raza Ansari along with it. That is why we are determined to support Maulana Imran Raza Ansari, a strong leader who can attract investment, create jobs, and develop essential infrastructure like roads, hospitals and public transport. . By promoting business-friendly policies and fostering entrepreneurship, a province can improve economic growth, reduce poverty and improve quality of life. A compassionate leader can address social issues such as health care, sanitation and housing. can implement remedial programs, which are very effective in ensuring a better quality of life; Mr. Liaqat Manzoor Mousavi, a well-known personality of Jammu and Kashmir from Srinagar, said that Maulana Imran Raza Ansari is an honest and compassionate politician who is always concerned about solving the problems of people of all religions.

Therefore, to ensure the victory of Maulana Imran Raza Ansari from Patan Baramulla Assembly Constituency, the youth of the nation should show political awareness and foresight so that every single vote goes to Maulana Muasoof, which ensures his victory and Maulana Sahib. will be provided an opportunity for national services and that is the reason for the happiness of Kashmir, Jammu and Kashmir needs a leading and visionary politician like Maulana Imran Raza Ansari Sahib after the removal of Article 370, whose problem is Jammu. And there is a need for a prominent role in solving the Kashmir problem, which is not possible without a Shia leader.

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National News

Gujarat: 27 Tamil Nadu Pilgrims Stranded On Flooded Causeway Rescued In Overnight Operation In Bhavnagar

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In an overnight operation, 29 persons, including 27 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, were rescued from a bus that was stranded on a flooded causeway in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district, officials said on Friday.

The bus got stuck on the raised path on a stream near Koliyak village on Thursday evening, said District Collector RK Mehta, who was at the spot to supervise the rescue operation that went on for nearly eight hours.

“The pilgrims were headed towards Bhavnagar city after visiting Nishkalank Mahadev temple near the village. Due to heavy rains in the region, the causeway on the river was submerged. Despite that, the bus driver decided to cross the river,” said Mehta.

However, due to the force of the water, the front of the bus dipped into the river while the rear remained stuck on the causeway, he said.

During the operation, rescuers reached the site in a mini-truck and transferred all the 27 pilgrims from the bus, its driver and cleaner to the vehicle through the rear window of the bus, he said.

But there was more challenge ahead. The mini-truck carrying the 29 persons also got stranded on the causeway, said Mehta, adding that most of the pilgrims were senior citizens.

“We then sent a large truck and transferred these 29 persons on that vehicle. Around 3 am, after nearly eight hours, all of them were brought to safety. We provided them with accommodation and food in Bhavnagar. We have also conducted their medical tests,” said the collector. 

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National News

Haryana Assembly Elections 2024: Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi To Address Rallies In Assandh & Barwala Constituencies Today

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New Delhi: Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi is set to campaign for Haryana Assembly elections on Thursday by addressing rallies in Assandh and Barwala constituencies, where the party is expected to project unity within, as the central leadership has managed an uneasy truce among warring leaders.

Who Will Be Joining Congress Leader Rahul Gandhi’s Rally?

Kumari Selja, who has been keeping away from the campaign, will join Rahul’s rally along with her inner-party ally Randeep Surjewala and former Haryana Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Bhupinder Hooda, amid poll managers indicating that the factional war has been impacting the cadre and electioneering.

The temporary truce came after Selja met Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday for a long meeting to hear her grievances and on Tuesday on her birthday. Selja has announced her decision to restart her campaign but has minced no words in public about her antipathy towards Hooda.

On Wednesday, she posted on ‘X’ her campaign plans for Thursday, which includes Rahul’s rally and three other public meetings in Tohana and Hisar. Rahul is expected to campaign in Haryana for another three days.

Star Campaigners’ Absence Sparks Concerns In Haryana Elections

Amid questions about the absence of star campaigners Rahul and General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra in Haryana, a section in the party claimed that they were holding back their top guns for the final push but sources indicated that Rahul was upset with the way electioneering was managed. Incidentally, Rahul was not present at the launch of seven guarantees for Haryana on September 18 though he was in the national capital with sources saying that he was not happy with the way the manifesto is being formulated. He was of the view that there was no process and guarantees were announced prior to the formal launch by state leaders at their whims and fancies. No reason was given for his absence from the launch, which was attended by Kharge.

Rahul was also upset with the way factionalism intensified after candidate selection with Selja keeping off campaign for almost two weeks while Surjewala was restricted to a few pockets.

Before leaving for the US earlier this month, he had asked the leadership to reconvene a Central Election Committee meeting, which had completed its exercise, to address concerns of Selja and Surjewala. He was also not happy with the Hooda camp for not being accommodative.

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