National News
Kashmir is crown of India, roadblocks in its progress to be removed, says PM Modi

Sonamarg (J&K), Jan 13: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday that Kashmir is the crown of the country, and he desires that this crown should shine better and become more glorious in the days to come.
The Prime Minister said this after inaugurating and dedicating the Sonamarg tunnel to the nation.
PM Modi started his speech by lauding the hard work of the workers who worked to make the Sonamarg tunnel possible and were not deterred from giving the supreme sacrifice.
He offered tribute to civilian workers, who laid down their lives during the construction of the tunnel he inaugurated. He said despite the grave danger to their lives, no worker wanted to go home after the terrorists attacked the Gagangir workers camp. “Nobody wanted to go home even after we lost seven friends to terrorism. My tribute to those martyrs who gave their lives for the country.”
“Kashmir is the crown of India and it is my desire that this crown should become more shining and glorious. In this endeavour, the people of Jammu and Kashmir are helping me. I assure you that any roadblock in the way of realising your dreams will be removed,” the PM assured the people.
He said two days back Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had uploaded some pictures and videos around the tunnel. By seeing those, my eagerness to be here increased. “When I worked here as a BJP worker, I have spent a lot of time in Sonamarg, Gulmarg, Ganderbal and Baramulla. It used to snow heavily even in those days. But, the warmth of the people of J&K did not make you feel the cold. Today is a great day, crores of people are taking part in the Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh. Lohri is being celebrated in Punjab. This is the period of the 40-day intense cold of ‘Chillai Kalan’, which people face with a smile in Kashmir. People are coming to Sonamarg from different parts of the country and enjoy your hospitality,” said PM Modi.
“I recently inaugurated the Jammu rail division. Today I have dedicated Sonamarg tunnel to the country and the people of J&K and Ladakh,” he said.
Referring to Omar Abdullah’s demand for statehood, PM Modi said, “Modi always fulfils his promise. Every promise will be fulfilled at the right time. Every decision has a proper time when it is taken,” the PM said.
“This tunnel was started by us, and it is my decision that whatever work we start we must also inaugurate. Sonamarg and the entire area here will get a great boost. In days to come, road and railway projects will be completed. The Valley will soon be connected through railways. New roads, colleges, etc., it will be a ‘Naya Kashmir’ that we have been speaking about,” said the PM.
“In 2040, India will be a developed nation and no family, no area of the country will be left out in that developed India. In the last 10 years, over four crore poor people got concrete houses. In days to come, three crore more people will get new homes. Free healthcare given in the country is beneficial to the people of J&K as well. New IITs, AIIMS, educational institutions, polytechnics, etc., are being opened. Today you have a good road from J&K to Arunachal Pradesh. The world’s highest tunnel, highest railway bridge, and highest cable bridge are also being built in J&K. Ropeways to Shankaracharya temple, and ropeways to other places will be completed in J&K. These projects will make J&K the most connected place in the country. Through better connectivity, hitherto unexplored tourist destinations will be opened up.,” the PM said in his address.
“Peace in J&K has given great dividends. Over two crore tourists came to J&K in 2024. Everybody connected with tourism has benefitted. Our Kashmir is regaining its glory of being the paradise on earth. People go to enjoy ice cream in Lal Chowk in the evening. Polo View market has become a hub of modern activity. People go with families to cinemas. The situation could out have improved without the participation of the people, no government could have done it without the people’s support. There was an international marathon in Srinagar in which the chief minister also participated. I greeted him for that when he met me in Delhi. After 40 years, international cricket was held in Srinagar. We saw car racing in Srinagar. Gulmarg will host the 5th Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg next month,” PM Modi said.
He said that there are greater and better avenues being thrown open for the youth of the union territory. The local youth will not need to go out for better education in the days to come.
The PM said that the J&K bank has crossed Rs 2.30 lakh crore business and this has increased the lending capacity of the bank. “The dark past of J&K has now changed into the future of prosperity and progress,” the PM said.
Before the PM’s address, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari addressed the public rally. He said to make a self-reliant India, we have to ensure road connectivity and infrastructure development.
“US President John F Kennedy said that American roads are good not because America is rich, but America is rich because American roads are good. After completing the 6.4 km long Rs 2,700 crore Sonamarg tunnel, we are also completing the Rs 6,800 crore Zojila tunnel. Ladakh will have all-season connectivity after the Zojila tunnel is completed,” Gadkari said.
He also referred to various corridors being made in J&K and gave details of projects completed in the UT. He spoke of ring roads in Valley and Jammu division.
The Minister said the distance from Delhi to Srinagar will be completed in 7 to 8 hours within one year. “This will, Hon’ble PM, realise your promise of cutting the distance between Dili and Srinagar,” he said.
Lt Governor Manoj Sinha paid tribute to seven civilians, who were killed by terrorists on October 20 last year in Gagangir. “Hon’ble PM you have realised the dreams depicted in textbooks by restoring the peace and dignity of the people in J&K. This place is no longer known for terrorism, but for tourism now. By giving reservations to underprivileged classes you have ensured equitable progress and opportunities to the people of J&K. Today, you have inaugurated and dedicated the Rs 2,700 crore tunnel. This tunnel will be the line of good luck and fortune on the hand of J&K. Connectivity to Ladakh will also become a reality in 2026,” he said.
“Projects over Rs 1.50 lakh crore of roads and infrastructure are currently being completed in J&K. 99 per cent villages of the UT have road connectivity now. Soon the dream of national integration from Kashmir to Kanyakumari will be realised through Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link. For realising the dreams of every citizen of J&K, I thank you Hon’ble Prime Minister from the depth of my heart,” the Lt Governor said.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah delivered the welcome address. He paid tribute to seven civilians killed by terrorists in the Gagangir area on October 20. He also mentioned people killed during the last 35 years by terrorists, including leaders and workers of his party, the National Conference (NC).
“Your August presence, Hon’ble Prime Minister is proof of the fact that we will not allow forces inimical to the unity and integrity of the country to succeed,” the CM said.
He said people waited for long years for the Sonamarg tunnel and the people living in otherwise cut-off Sonamarg will not have to abandon their homes during the winter months now.
The CM lauded the efforts of the Prime Minister for ensuring peace on the borders in J&K. He said the PM’s mission of ending ‘Dil Ki Doori, Aur Dili Se Doori’ is being proved through the PM’s efforts. He praised the PM for ensuring peaceful, fair elections in J&K.
He hoped the PM would soon ensure statehood for J&K so that the UT gets its rightful place in the union of Indian states.
Crime
Accused in air hostess sexual assault case was porn addict: Gurugram Police

Gurugram, April 19: Gurugram Police said on Saturday that the accused in the air hostess sexual assault case was a porn addict, an official said.
Gurugram Police Spokesperson Sandeep Kumar said that the accused used to watch porn videos habitually, which was also confirmed from the mobile phone recovered from him.
He said that during police interrogation, it was found that the accused has a B.Sc. (OT) degree from a private institute from the years 2019-2022, and he was an average student in studies.
“For the last five months, he was working as a treatment machine technician in the ICU of the hospital. The accused going to the victim at the time of the incident was confirmed from the CCTV cameras installed in the hospital,” he said.
The Spokesperson said that during interrogation of the accused, it was also found that he had watched porn videos before the incident and even after committing the crime.
“Which is also being confirmed from the search history of the accused’s mobile phone. He was produced before the court on Saturday, from where he was sent to judicial custody for further proceedings,” he said.
Meanwhile, the SIT on Friday nabbed the accused, after analysing at least 800 CCTV cameras installed inside and outside of the hospital, who sexually assaulted the woman when she was on a ventilator.
The accused was identified as Deepak (25), a native of Muzaffarpur in Bihar. The accused had been working as a treatment machine technician in the ICU of the hospital for the past five months and was arrested in the Sadar police station area on Friday.
An official privy to the investigation said that the accused has confessed to his crime in the matter.
“While investigating the incident, eight police teams checked the footage of 800 CCTV cameras installed in the hospital, and around 50 hospital staff, including doctors, were questioned about the incident. Keeping in mind the seriousness of the incident, the police teams investigated from every angle and collected a lot of information related to the incident, as a result of which the police got great success in identifying the accused who committed the crime,” said Arpit Jain, DCP (Headquarters).
On Thursday, Vikas Kumar Arora, Commissioner of Police, Gurugram, had constituted an SIT and ordered the identification and arrest of the accused.
As per the order of the Police Commissioner, an SIT was constituted under the leadership of Arpit Jain, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Headquarters, Gurugram, in which a total of eight different police teams were given special directions and deployed to collect information and evidence related to the incident.
Dr. Sanjay Durani, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, said in a statement that: “We have been informed that the police have identified a suspect who has been taken into custody in connection with the ongoing investigation concerning allegations of sexual assault on a patient. On the basis of information provided to us by the police, we have suspended the suspect employee. As we await the final outcome of the investigation, we will continue to provide full support to the police.”
Business
FM Sitharaman to showcase India’s economic dynamism during US, Peru visit

New Delhi, April 19: Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman is set to embark on an official visit to the US and Peru, beginning April 20, where she is slated to participate in multilateral dialogues to showcase India’s economic dynamism, as the country prepares a bilateral trade agreement (BTA) with the US, it was announced on Saturday.
During her visit to the US, the Finance Minister will visit San Francisco and Washington, DC, from April 20-25, according to a Ministry of Finance statement.
In San Francisco, FM Sitharaman would deliver a keynote address at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, titled ‘Laying the foundations of Viksit Bharat 2047,’ followed by a fireside chat session.
The Finance Minister will also interact with top CEOs from prominent fund management firms during a roundtable meeting with investors, besides holding bilateral meetings with CEOs from top information technology (IT) firms based in San Francisco.
She will also participate in an event featuring the Indian diaspora in San Francisco and interact with the Indian community settled there, said the ministry.
In Washington, DC, FM Sitharaman will participate in the Spring Meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, the 2nd G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) Meetings, the Development Committee Plenary, IMFC Plenary, and Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable (GSDR) meeting.
On the sidelines of the Spring Meetings, she will hold bilateral meetings with her counterparts from several countries, including Argentina, Bahrain, Germany, France, Luxembourg, Saudi Arabia, United Kingdom, and the US; besides meeting EU Commissioner for Financial Services; President, Asian Development Bank (ADB); President, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB); United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Advocate for Financial Health (UNSGSA); and First Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
During her maiden visit to Peru from April 26-30, the Finance Minister will lead an Indian delegation of officials from the Ministry of Finance and business leaders, highlighting the strengthening bilateral economic and trade relations between the two nations.
Beginning her visit in Lima, she is expected to call on the President of Peru, Dina Boluarte, and Prime Minister Gustavo Adrianzen, besides holding bilateral meetings with the Peruvian Ministers of Finance and Economy, Defence, Energy and Mines, and also holding interaction with local public representatives.
The Finance Minister will chair the India-Peru Business Forum meeting with prominent business representatives in attendance from both India and Peru.
FM Sitharaman will also hold an interaction with the Indian investors and businesses currently operating in Peru, as well as the Indian business delegation visiting Peru. The Finance Minister will also participate in a community event in Lima, where she will interact with the Indian diaspora living in Peru, according to the ministry statement.
National News
We can’t live like this: Women break down before NCW chief in riot-hit Murshidabad

Kolkata, April 19: Women in Dhuliyan, one of the worst-affected areas in West Bengal’s minority-dominated Murshidabad district, have urged the Centre to set up permanent Border Security Force (BSF) camps in violence-hit pockets to ensure their safety following recent communal unrest over protests against the Waqf Act.
On Saturday, a delegation from the National Commission for Women (NCW), led by its chairperson Vijaya Rahatkar, visited Dhuliyan to meet those affected by last week’s violence, most of whom are Hindus.
Several women broke down during their interaction with the delegation and pleaded for the permanent deployment of central forces.
“We won’t survive without permanent BSF camps here. If needed, we are ready to offer our own land and homes for setting them up,” said a woman, sobbing and touching the feet of a delegation member.
The NCW team assured locals that their concerns would be conveyed to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
“We are here to stand with you in this moment of crisis. The whole country is watching and supporting you. We will submit a detailed report to the Centre and include the demand for permanent BSF presence in this region,” a delegation member told the women.
Even before Saturday’s visit, NCW member Archana Majumdar had stressed the need for permanent Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) camps in the region.
“The women victims in Murshidabad have clearly expressed the need for permanent CAPF deployment to ensure their dignity and safety. We will raise the issue with the Union government,” Majumdar said on Friday.
Meanwhile, the Murshidabad district administration has prepared a preliminary report on property damage. According to initial estimates, over 250 houses and 100 shops — mostly owned by Hindus — were vandalized during the unrest.
“This is just the initial estimate. The actual figure may rise as we complete the detailed assessment,” said a senior district official.
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