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Oppn unity shown for Presidential polls must persist: D. Raja (IANS Interview)

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 CPI General Secretary D. Raja said that there is no dearth of leadership in opposition parties and every party has many capable leaders.

Talking to IANS, Raja said that he wants to continue the opposition unity even after the Presidential polls.

“We want it to continue. Now, we are together on the Presidential election and after the election every party will decide what should be the future course of action on the continuation of unity in the Opposition,” he said.

On the BJP’s ‘Mission South’, he said that the party has tried many times but has always failed in southern states.

Excerpt:

Q: Will the opposition unity, which is being exhibited in the Presidential election, now continue further in future?

Raja: We want it to continue. Now, we are together for the Presidential election and after the election every party will decide what should be the future course of action on the continuation of unity in the Opposition.

We have fielded Yashwant Sinha as the combined opposition candidate for the Presidential elections, which are being fought between two ideologies — one driven by the BJP-RSS combined communal forces and other by democratic and secular forces like us to safeguard the democracy and the Constitution.

Q: The BJP says Opposition lacks face to lead in the national politics. How do you take this?

Raja: What is the meaning of leadership for the BJP? If they don’t recognise our leadership, it’s their fault. It is for our party to recognise ours leadership. We don’t want a certificate from Mr (Narendra) Modi and Amit Shah about my leadership or leadership in Congress and other parties. We are with our own ideologies and we are far better than those in terms of having good leadership.

There is no dearth of leadership in opposition parties, every party has many capable leaders and they are leading their parties.

Q: You said that this year’s Presidential election is a fight between two ideologies, not of two identities and numbers. And the Electoral College are against the Opposition, in such a situation, how your ideology win will?

Raja: It is not a fight between two identities. It is a fight between two ideologies -one is of the BJP-RSS’s fascist, sectarian and divisive ideologies and other is the Opposition parties as secular and democratic parties, who want together to safeguard the Constitution and the democracy.

No doubt, the numbers matter in elections but we are in a fight of ideologies not in a fight of identities and ideology will win all the way. Here, numbers are not the problem, ideologies are the problem.

We will go to the people and explain to them why we are fighting the Presidential election. The Left party, like the CPI, has also decided to be the part of broader opposition unity and support Sinha in order to save the nation, safeguard the Constitution and the democracy.

We have made an appeal to all political parties to come together and hope that more parties will support us to save the Constitution and democracy.

Q: Do you think that a change will take place in the next Parliament elections in 2024?

Raja: Changes have started taking place and making its way in the country against the fascist party, which has put democracy and the Constitution now in peril. The political situation in the country is fully exploited and vitiated by the BJP. The country is in the grip of a ‘kakistocracy’ (a government run by the least capable).

We are trying to put all secular and democratic parties together and partially we have succeeded in bringing all the major parties together in this Presidential election. Let’s see what happens in the future.

Q: To expand its footprint the BJP is now focusing on the Southern state under its well-thought-out ‘Mission South’. What you have to say?

Raja: The BJP has been trying to expand its footholds in South India since long times but it always proved thespeian efforts in Southern states. What is Mission South? What are their (BJP) ideologies?

This will make no impact in the politics of South India for this fascist party. The communal authoritarian ideology of the BJP-RSS is threatening the secular democratic foundation and the people are getting ready to give befitting reply to such fascist political parties.

In democracy, parties can go anywhere and explain their ideologies to the people. Even the people in Northern states have started realising that the BJP is a party which believes illiberal and monolithic ideologies and how misled them through false political rhetoric and narratives.

So, wait and see that the fascist party like the BJP will not succeed further in Southern India also.

National News

241 dead, one survivor as Air India Dreamliner crashes after takeoff from Ahmedabad: Air India

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New Delhi, June 13: In what is being described as one of the worst aviation disasters in Indian history, an Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner carrying 242 people crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad airport.

The aircraft, operating as Flight AI-171 from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick, plunged into a residential complex near BJ Medical College, killing 241 people on board.

The ill-fated flight had 230 passengers, 10 cabin crew, and two pilots. According to officials, only one person, a British national of Indian origin seated in 11A, survived the crash and is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital.

The aircraft took off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport at 1.38 p.m. (IST) on Thursday before losing control moments later and crashing into a densely populated area, igniting a massive blaze and triggering emergency response teams across the city.

Air India confirmed the accident in an official statement on X: “UPDATE: Air India confirms that flight AI171, operating from Ahmedabad to London Gatwick on 12 June 2025, was involved in an accident. The 12-year-old Boeing 787-8 aircraft departed from Ahmedabad at 1338 hrs, carrying 230 passengers and 12 crew. The aircraft crashed shortly after take-off. We regret to inform that, of the 242 aboard, there are 241 confirmed fatalities. The sole survivor is being treated in a hospital.”

The airline also shared the nationality breakdown of passengers: 169 Indian nationals, 53 British, seven Portuguese, and one Canadian.

“Air India offers its deepest condolences to the families of the deceased. Our efforts now are focused entirely on the needs of all those affected, their families and loved ones. A team of caregivers from Air India is now in Ahmedabad to provide additional support,” the statement added.

The national carrier has pledged full cooperation with authorities investigating the cause of the crash and has established dedicated helplines for families seeking information.

Domestic callers can reach the support team at 1800 5691 444, while international callers are advised to dial +91 8062779200.

Regular updates will be provided through Air India’s official website and its X handle.

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Plastic nurdle spill from sunken cargo ship reaches TN’s Dhanushkodi sanctuary, raising alarm

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Chennai, June 10: A plastic nurdle spill from the sunken cargo ship MSC ELSA 3 has spread into the newly declared Dhanushkodi Greater Flamingo Sanctuary in Ramanathapuram district, threatening one of India’s most fragile coastal ecosystems.

The MSC ELSA 3, a Liberian-flagged vessel, sank off the Kochi coast a few weeks ago while carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous materials, 12 with calcium carbide, 367 tonnes of furnace oil, and 84 tonnes of diesel.

The ship’s cargo manifest remains undisclosed, fuelling speculation about the full extent of environmental risk.

Dhanushkodi Sanctuary, located within the Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, supports 128 species of birds — including Greater and Lesser Flamingos — and is home to sea turtles, crustaceans, molluscs, and fish. Its dunes, marshes, and seagrass beds form part of the Central Asian Flyway for migratory birds.

The nurdles — tiny plastic pellets used in industrial manufacturing — resemble fish eggs and can be deadly to marine life. When ingested, they cause internal blockages, starvation, and often death. They also absorb toxins, entering the food chain and posing long-term health hazards.

About 80 bags, each weighing 25 kilograms, have reportedly washed ashore along a 12-km coastal stretch. Affected sites include the Dhanushkodi old church, Irattaithalai, Mugandharayan Chathiram, Gothanda Ramar temple, and Patchappatti village.

Carried by ocean currents from the Thiruvananthapuram-Kanniyakumari coast, the spill now threatens the adjacent Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park, home to vital coral reefs and seagrass beds.

Experts warn these habitats could be smothered by plastic debris, blocking sunlight and disrupting photosynthesis.

Ramanathapuram District Collector Simranjeet Singh Kahlon said, “We’ve identified between 15 and 30 nurdle bags along the coast. A special team has been deployed for cleanup, and additional teams are monitoring for further debris.”

He urged the public not to panic, stating that swift action was underway.

The disaster evokes memories of the 2021 X-Press Pearl incident in Sri Lanka, where 1,680 tonnes of nurdles led to mass marine deaths and crippled fisheries.

Studies showed severe impacts on plankton and larval life forms, threatening entire food chains.

Cleanup efforts in Ramanathapuram face challenges due to the nurdles’ buoyancy and small size, worsened by monsoon waves that break them into microplastics.

With the 61-day annual fishing ban nearing its end, fishermen fear reduced fish catches and consumer hesitancy could harm their livelihoods if the spill worsens.

Environmentalists are calling for urgent intervention, cargo transparency, and long-term containment measures to prevent irreversible damage to one of India’s most critical marine ecosystems.

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Eight Punjab and Haryana HC judges take lead to boost Kashmir tourism post Pahalgam terror attack

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Srinagar, June 9: To give a boost to Kashmir tourism post Pahalgam terror attack, eight judges of the Punjab and Haryana High Court are visiting the valley along with their families.

The visit of the legal personalities along with their families carries a powerful message for the revival of tourism in Kashmir, which got shattered after the Pahalgam terror attack.

On April 22, Pakistan-backed terrorists of Lashkar-e-Kashmir (LeT) killed 26 civilians, including 25 tourists and a local pony owner.

The pony owner sacrificed his life while trying to protect the tourists from the bullets of the terrorists.

The terror attack caused outrage in the entire country, and to avenge the killings of innocent civilians, the Indian Armed Forces carried out airstrikes against terror infrastructure in Pakistan under Operation Sindoor.

In retaliation for India’s attack on terrorist infrastructure, Pakistan resorted to heavy mortar shelling on civilian facilities in Poonch, Rajouri, Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts.

Eighteen civilians were killed in Pakistan shelling, 13 of them in Poonch district, in addition to the destruction of scores of homes, shops, a temple, a mosque, a church and a Gurudwara.

The itinerary of the visiting high court judges includes visits to the Mughal Gardens of Nishat and Shalimar, Shikara rides on the Dal Lake, a visit to the historic Pari Mahal and buying a few handicrafts at the local market.

There could be no better omen for the revival of tourism in Kashmir than the decision of the honourable justices of the High Court to come here along with their families.

Coinciding with the visit of these dignitaries, local tour and travel operators and hotel owners are reporting a gradual rise in the tourist bookings that had virtually stopped after the Pahalgam terror attack.

Tour and travel operators and others connected with the tourist industry have expressed hope that the visit by the most respected legal dignitaries, like the high court judges, will restore confidence among visitors, both domestic and foreign, that Kashmir is a safe tourist destination.

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