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Haryana Elections 2024: Congress Fields Vinesh Phogat From Julana In First List Of 31 Candidates, CM Saini Reacts

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Haryana: The Congress on Friday released its first list of 31 candidates for Haryana assembly elections and fielded former wrestler Vinesh Phogat from Julana.

Former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda will contest from Garhi Sampla-Kiloi and state Congress chief Udai Bhan from Hodal.

The party has fielded Mewa Singh against Chief Minister and BJP candidate Nayab Singh Saini in Ladwa.

Pradeep Chaudhary is in the fray from Kalka, Neeraj Sharma from Faridabad NIT, Aftab Ahmed from Nuh, Geeta Bhukkal from Jhajjar (SC), Bharat Bhushan Batra from Rohtak, and Surender Panwar from Sonipat.

In a big boost to Congress, Olympian wrestlers Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat joined the Congress earlier in the day.

Within hours of his joining the party, Bajrang Punia was appointed working president of All India Kisan Congress.

Reacting to the development, Chief Minister Saini said every person has his or her own opinion about which ideology they want to associate with.

However, he took a dig at Congress, saying it has opposed decisions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

CM Saini’s Dig At Congress

He said Congress should clarify its intention behind inducting senior players.

“Every person has its own opinion about which ideology they want to associate with. Congress should clarify its intention behind this. PM Modi has always taken decisions in the national interest. And Congress has always opposed all of its decisions. So they should clarify as they do politics in the name of players, soldiers and farmers,” he said.

Punia and Phogat joined the Congress in the presence of Congress general secretary KC Venugopal, party leader Pawan Khera, Udai Bhan, and AICC incharge of Haryana Deepak Babaria.

Phogat recalled women wrestlers’ fight over sexual harassment allegations against former BJP MP and former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh. “The fight is continuing, it hasn’t ended yet. It’s in court. We will win that fight as well… With the new platform that we are getting today, we will work for the service of the nation,” she said.

“When we were being dragged on the road, all parties except the BJP were with us. I feel proud that I have joined a party which stands with women and is ready to fight from ‘sadak to sansad’…,” she added.

The two well-known wrestlers joined the Congress almost a month before the Haryana assembly polls.

The wrestlers resigned from their respective positions in Northern Railways earlier in the day.

Punia won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics, while Vinesh Phogat became the first woman wrestler to reach the Olympics final.

Phogat announced her retirement from wrestling a short while after she was disqualified from the Paris Olympic Games after being found overweight by about 100 gm in her 50-kg category weigh-in ahead of the gold medal match.

Seat Sharing Talks Between Congress & AAP

Earlier, AICC in-charge of Haryana, Deepak Babaria, talked about seat-sharing talks with AAP for the Haryana polls.

INDIA bloc partners including the Communist Party of India (CPIM) and the Samajwadi Party, have also approached them to fight the assembly elections together in the state.

“Currently we are speaking to the Aam Aadmi Party. One or two other parties have also approached, we will respond in a day or two. CPI (M) and the Samajwadi Party approached us. They are expecting a very small number. They want to make their presence felt in the state,” Babaria stated.

According to sources, Rahul Gandhi sought the opinion of Haryana Congress leaders over the possibility of an alliance for the forthcoming Haryana Assembly elections during the party’s Central Election Committee (CEC) meeting held in the national capital on Monday.

Arvind Kejriwal had earlier stated that his party would contest the Haryana Assembly polls in on its own strength.

The BJP has already released its first list of 67 candidates for Haryana Assembly polls on Thursday.

Voting for the 90-member legislative assembly in Haryana will be held on October 5, with the last date for filing nominations is September 12. Votes will be counted on October 8.

National News

India and Pakistan to stop all firing and military action: MEA

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New Delhi, May 10: A few minutes after US President Donald Trump announced a “full and immediate ceasefire” between India and Pakistan, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land, air and sea with effect from 5 PM Indian Standard Time, on Saturday.

“The Director General of Military Operations of Pakistan called the Director General of Military Operations of India at 1535 hrs earlier this afternoon. It was agreed between them that both sides would stop all firing and military action on land and in the air and sea with effect from 1700 hrs Indian Standard Time today,” Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said in a short media briefing.

“Instructions have been given on both sides to give effect to this understanding. The Director General of Military Operations will talk again on the 12th of May at 1200 hours,” the Foreign Secretary added.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump announced a “full and immediate ceasefire” between India and Pakistan without sharing any details of the negotiations or the ceasefire.

US Secretary of State Rubio also said in a State Department statement that he and Vice-President J D Vance conducted the ceasefire negotiations.

“After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social, the social media platform he owns.

“Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he added.

Secretary of State Rubio said in a separate statement: “Over the past 48 hours, Vice President Vance and I have engaged with senior Indian and Pakistani officials, including Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif, External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Chief of Army Staff Asim Munir, and National Security Advisors Ajit Doval and Asim Malik.

“I am pleased to announce the Governments of India and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire and to start talks on a broad set of issues at a neutral site. We commend Prime Ministers Modi and Sharif on their wisdom, prudence, and statesmanship in choosing the path of peace,” he stated.

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National News

Trump says India and Pakistan ‘agree to full and immediate ceasefire’

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Donald Trump says “India and Pakistan have agreed to a full and immediate ceasefire”.

In a post on social media platform Truth Social, the US President says: “After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE.

“Congratulations to both Countries on using Common Sense and Great Intelligence. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

We have not heard this from either India or Pakistan, stay with us for the latest developments.

Pakistan and India have agreed to a ceasefire with immediate effect, Deputy Prime Minister of Pakistan, Ishaq Dar says.

He adds: “Pakistan has always strived for peace and security in the region, without compromising on its sovereignty and territorial integrity!”

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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Cyber Department warns against fake news circulation amid rising India-Pak tensions

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Mumbai, May 10: The Office of the Additional Director General of Police, Maharashtra Cyber Department, on Saturday issued an advisory warning against the circulation of fake news amid cross-border tensions, asking the citizens to show restraint.

“Spreading false information, knowingly or unknowingly, is a punishable offence under relevant provisions of law. Maharashtra Cyber strongly advises all citizens to exercise restraint and discernment while consuming and sharing information, particularly in relation to matters of national importance. The Government of India maintains official communication channels and verified platforms for issuing statements, updates, and press releases concerning national security and defence matters. Citizens are urged to rely exclusively on these official sources for information and are firmly discouraged from forwarding or amplifying unverified messages, videos, or images that may contribute to social discord or misinformation,” said the advisory.

The department has appealed to all individuals to act responsibly, verify facts from authorised sources, and report any suspicious or misleading content at the earliest opportunity.

“In view of the prevailing cross-border tensions, accurate and timely information concerning developments at the border and adjoining regions holds vital importance for citizens. However, Maharashtra Cyber has observed with concern that amidst the dissemination of critical information, several instances of fake news are being circulated across various digital platforms. This misinformation not only misleads the public but also promotes confusion and unrest within society,” said the advisory.

“A considerable volume of this fake content pertains to alleged army movements, strategic operations, or retaliatory measures from neighbouring countries. Such unverified and misleading content poses a serious risk to national security and may contribute to the escalation of tensions. Unsocial elements appear to be exploiting the sensitivity of the situation by generating and distributing this fake news with the intention of gaining followers, inciting panic, or manipulating public perception,” said the advisory.

Taking cognisance of these developments, Maharashtra Cyber has issued several notices for the removal of such false narratives across social media and communication platforms. The department remains fully committed to maintaining a secure and trustworthy information environment and will continue to coordinate with platform operators and enforcement agencies to curb the spread of misinformation.

The Cyber Department’s advisory comes a day after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde warned that the government will take stern action against those spreading fake news on social media.

CM Fadnavis, at the meeting he chaired to review the security arrangement and preparedness amid escalating conflict between India and Pakistan, asked the administration to study the central government’s ‘Union War Book’ in depth and inform everyone about it.

Police cyber cells in every district should monitor social media and identify handles that are helping Pakistan and take action against them. If anyone is helping the enemy or spreading false information, take action against them, he said at the meeting.

Further, Eknath Shinde said, “Spreading fake news on social media is a serious crime. Strict action would be taken against it. We request that people not film, video, and broadcast whatever preparations are being made by the military and coast guard forces, as it is important from a security perspective.”

He announced that the government will initiate strong action against those engaged in spreading fake news on social media.

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