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PM to launch projects over Rs 2 lakh crore in Vizag today

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Visakhapatnam, Jan 8: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate and lay foundations for projects worth over Rs 2 lakh crore here on Wednesday evening.

The Prime Minister, who will be arriving on his first visit to Andhra Pradesh after the TDP-led NDA formed the government in the state, will conduct a roadshow and address a public meeting, where he will virtually launch several major projects aimed at driving sustainable growth and infrastructure development, with a particular focus on North Andhra Pradesh.

Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan will accompany the Prime Minister during the roadshow and for the public meeting.

After arrival at INS Dega at 4.15 p.m., the Prime Minister will conduct the roadshow from Siripuram Cross Roads to AU Engineering College, the venue of the public meeting.

Governor S. Abdul Nazeer, Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister of State Bhupati Raju Srinivasa Varma, few state ministers, BJP MP and state party president Purandeswari will share the dais with the Prime Minister.

This will be Narendra Modi’s second visit to Andhra Pradesh after assuming office as the Prime Minister for the third term.

In June last year, he had attended the swearing-in of Chandrababu Naidu and his ministers in Vijayawada.

The Prime Minister was scheduled to visit Visakhapatnam on November 29 but the programme was postponed due to a cyclone alert.

The state government has made elaborate arrangements for the Prime Minister’s visit.

The TDP and its allies Jana Sena and BJP are mobilising people from various parts of North Andhra for the roadshow and public meeting.

Authorities expect 80,000 people to take part in the roadshow, while nearly 2 lakh people are likely to attend the public meeting.

The roadshow will commence at 4:45 p.m. from the Venkatadri Vantillu restaurant area in Siripuram.

The public meeting will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 6:45 p.m. He will leave the venue at 6:50 p.m. and return to the air station around 7:15 p.m. to leave for Bhubaneswar.

PM Modi will lay the foundation stone for the South Coast Railway Zone (SCoR) headquarters in Visakhapatnam. This will meet the long-pending demand of the state under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, 2014.

He will also lay the foundation stone for the NTPC Green Energy Limited’s (NGEL) Green Hydrogen Hub at Pudimadaka in Atchutapuram mandal of Anakapalle district.

To be developed under the National Green Hydrogen Mission, this mega project involves an investment of Rs 1.85 lakh crore and 20 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity to produce 1,500 tonnes per day of green hydrogen.

The project will also produce 7,500 tonnes of green hydrogen derivatives, including green methanol, green urea, and sustainable aviation fuel, primarily targeting export markets.

The Prime Minister will also launch a series of road and railway projects in Andhra Pradesh, collectively valued at Rs 19,500 crore.

He will also lay the foundation stone for a bulk drug park at Nakkapalli in Anakapalle district.

With an investment of Rs 1,438.89 crore, the park is strategically located near the Visakhapatnam-Chennai Industrial Corridor (VCIC) and the Visakhapatnam- Kakinada Petrochemical and Investment Region, promising thousands of jobs and enhanced industrial activity in the region.

The foundation stone will also be for the Krishnapatnam Industrial Area (KRIS City) in Tirupati district under the Chennai-Bengaluru Industrial Corridor.

The project is expected to attract investments of Rs 10,500 crore and create nearly one lakh direct and indirect jobs.

Crime

Operation VISTA 1.0: Delhi Police arrest seven Bangladeshi nationals for violating visa conditions

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New Delhi, Aug 11: In a major crackdown on foreign nationals violating immigration norms, the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) of Delhi Police’s Central District successfully carried out “Operation VISTA 1.0” (Visa Status Verification), leading to the apprehension of seven Bangladeshi nationals for violating the conditions of their visas and overstaying in India beyond the permissible period.

The operation was launched as part of an ongoing drive to identify foreign nationals residing illegally in the national capital by overstaying or breaching visa regulations. During the special verification campaign, police teams conducted extensive checks at hotels, guest houses, and other establishments accommodating foreign nationals across the Central District.

According to Delhi Police, the operation gained momentum when a police team patrolling the Nabi Karim area received specific information from a reliable source that several Bangladeshi nationals whose visas had expired were residing illegally there. Acting on the information, the police apprehended one individual, identified as MD Nazrul Islam Foisal, a resident of Noakhali district in Bangladesh.

During questioning, Foisal disclosed that he was a Bangladeshi national residing in the Nabi Karim area. He produced his Bangladeshi passport, which was verified on the spot. Police found that his passport had been issued on February 8, and that his authorised stay in India was valid only until August 7. However, he was found residing in the country beyond the permitted period without obtaining any extension or authorisation from the competent authorities.

During sustained interrogation, Foisal revealed that several other Bangladeshi nationals were also living in Delhi after violating the conditions of their visas. The information was immediately shared with Inspector Sandeep Dabas, In-Charge of AATS, Central District, who directed the formation of a dedicated team to verify the information and take necessary action.

Based on the disclosure, police teams conducted raids at multiple locations in Delhi, including Madanpur Khaddar and Janta Flats in Sarita Vihar. During the raids, six more Bangladeshi nationals were located and apprehended. Their passports, visas and travel documents were thoroughly examined.

Verification of their immigration records revealed that all seven individuals had entered India legally on Double Entry Visas. Under the conditions of these visas, each visitor was permitted to stay in India for a maximum of 15 days per visit. However, despite the validity of their visas, all seven had exceeded the permissible duration of stay without obtaining any extension or authorisation from the authorities.

Police said the violation constituted a breach of visa conditions and attracted legal action under the applicable provisions governing the stay of foreign nationals in India.

Following verification, all seven Bangladeshi nationals were produced before the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO), which initiated legal proceedings against them. The FRRO subsequently issued Restriction Orders directing that the individuals be detained pending deportation proceedings.

The seven apprehended individuals have been identified as MD Nazrul Islam Foisal, 26, Mohammad Amjad Hossen, 26, Moinul Hossain, 24, Alamin, 25, MD Kawasae Ali, 25, Amran Hossain, 29, and Afranul Haque Bhuyan Sami, 23, all residents of different districts of Bangladesh.

During interrogation, the accused admitted that they had entered India on valid Double Entry Visas and were residing in various parts of Central and South Delhi. Detailed scrutiny of their travel documents established that although their visas remained valid, they had violated the mandatory condition restricting each stay to a maximum of 15 days.

Police officials said all facts were cross-verified with immigration records before legal action was initiated. The authorities emphasised that the action was taken strictly in accordance with immigration laws and established procedures.

As part of the proceedings, police seized and verified seven Bangladeshi passports, seven Indian Double Entry Visas and seven mobile phones. These documents have been taken into possession for verification and further legal action.

The apprehended individuals have been shifted to the Detention Centre at Sewa Dham, Shahzada Bagh, Sarai Rohilla, where they will remain until the completion of deportation formalities.

Police further stated that no previous criminal involvement of any of the seven Bangladeshi nationals has come to light during verification. The present action pertains solely to violations of visa conditions arising from overstaying beyond the permissible period prescribed under their visas.

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Don’t panic, don’t run away; listen to HM Shah’s reply: BJP sharpens attack on Rahul Gandhi

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New Delhi, Aug 11: Amid the ongoing Parliament stand-off, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday launched a scathing critique of Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party, accusing them of holding the House to ransom and exploiting the students’ protest to gain political mileage.

In a pointed attack at the Leader of Opposition (LoP), Rahul Gandhi, the BJP claimed that his arrogance was a key reason behind the Parliament logjam.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters, Sudhanshu Trivedi said the Constitution makers would never have imagined that the temple of democracy would become ‘hostage’ to whims, fancies, and the arrogant attitude of any ‘Shehzada’, a pointed reference to LoP Rahul Gandhi.

“Bhaago mat, daro mat, aur kaan kholkar .. grih mantri ka jawaab suno,” the BJP MP said in Hindi, roughly translating into “don’t run, don’t get frightened, and listen to Home Minister’s reply with open ears”.

Pinning the blame on Rahul and Congress for the Parliament washout, he said that the Opposition’s behaviour over the past few days clearly exhibited their disruption tactics and blatant bid to derail the House proceedings.

He said the government was quick and prompt in addressing the issues raised by the Opposition, but they didn’t keep their word.

“They (Opposition) have been consistently changing the goalposts. First, they demanded stern action against the paper leak mafia and strict regulations to address flaws in the NEET examinations. A new bill was approved by the Cabinet and passed by Parliament, the Education Minister stepped down from his post, and the cases against unruly elements during the Jantar Mantar demonstration were also withdrawn,” the BJP national spokesperson said.

Trivedi stated that the government also agreed to the Opposition’s demand for the Home Minister’s reply, but they decided to run away from debate.

“They insisted on Home Minister Amit Shah’s statement on the Delhi Police crackdown. The government and Home Minister are ready to give a reply in the House, but the Congress party is bent on disrupting the House by now allowing it to function,” the BJP MP pointed out, accusing them of holding the House to ransom.

Claiming that Congress has a history of ‘running away’, he stated that whenever the government readies its reply on any issue, the Opposition develops cold feet and runs away from the House. He cited previous instances, including the Prime Minister’s reply on the Manipur crisis.

“You must not be frightened; you must not run away from debate. You are neither going to Ranchi, nor are you listening to debate that you are demanding,” he said.

Further taking a swipe at ‘Chhattron ki Goonj’, a Congress event to mobilise students’ anger over paper leaks, Trivedi said that the agony and pain of protesting students was not audible to Rahul and the Congress party because of their duplicity.

“Congress party is least worried about the causes and interests of students and is rather milking the issue for political point-scoring, and their leader (Rahul Gandhi) is leaving no opportunity to hold the House to ransom,” he said.

“When Parliament session is underway, he runs away from the House, and after the session is over, he heads on jaunts at foreign locations,” said Trivedi in a bitter taunt.

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Mixed response to Jharkhand bandh, ABVP workers held during protest in Ranchi

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Ranchi : The bandh called by the BJP across Jharkhand and the Assembly gherao programme organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Ranchi on Tuesday, in protest against the police lathicharge on students agitating over alleged irregularities in the JPSC and JSSC recruitment examinations, witnessed a mixed response.

While BJP workers staged demonstrations and blocked roads at several locations in the state capital, ABVP activists attempting to march towards the Jharkhand Assembly were stopped and detained by the police.

Despite sporadic disruptions, normal life remained largely unaffected in many parts of Ranchi during the morning hours. Most commercial establishments stayed open and vehicular movement was largely smooth across the city.

From around 8 a.m., BJP workers took to the streets in several localities, urging traders to down shutters in support of the bandh. Road blockades were reported from Kanke Road, Ratu Road, Harmu Chowk, Argora Chowk, Bodeya and near the CMPDI gate.

Protesters also burnt tyres at several places, disrupting traffic for brief periods before police personnel cleared the roads and restored movement.

In Namkum, BJP workers staged a sit-in protest at Bazaar Chowk around 11 a.m. and blocked the Ranchi-Jamshedpur highway after burning tyres. Police later detained the protesters and removed the blockade, resulting in long queues of vehicles on both sides of the highway.

A similar protest was organised in Lowadih under the leadership of BJP Mandal president Ashok Gop. According to police, 11 bandh supporters were detained from Lowadih and 17 from Namkum and taken to the local police station.

However, the impact of the bandh was uneven across the state capital. Markets remained open and traffic moved normally in several areas, including Main Road, Bariatu and Morabadi.

Meanwhile, the ABVP’s Assembly gherao programme saw activists from across the state gather near the old Assembly complex to protest Monday’s police action against students associated with the JPSC-JSSC movement.

Sloganeering activists sat on the road and attempted to proceed towards the Assembly premises, but were stopped by police.

A brief scuffle ensued between protesters and security personnel during the standoff.

Police subsequently detained the activists and escorted them into buses. In a dramatic show of protest, some student leaders climbed onto bus roofs and continued raising slogans, while others lay down on the road in front of and behind the vehicles.

Outside Ranchi, the bandh had a more pronounced impact in several districts, including Hazaribagh, Palamu, Giridih and Chatra, where BJP workers organised demonstrations and road blockades, affecting vehicular movement.

In Palamu district, BJP workers blocked roads at Chhahmuhan and Redma Chowk in Daltonganj from the early hours of the morning. BJP’s Palamu district president Amit Tiwari accused the state government of endangering the future of the state’s youth through alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations.

In Simdega, party workers blocked National Highway-143 at multiple locations, including Biru, disrupting traffic. Similar road blockades were reported from Dhanwar in Giridih district and Pratappur in Chatra district. Demonstrations backing the bandh were also reported from several other parts of the state.

The bandh call came a day after clashes erupted between students and police during a march towards the Jharkhand Assembly. Thousands of students had gathered on Monday demanding cancellation of the disputed JPSC and JSSC examinations, reforms in the recruitment process, and a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities.

Police had erected multiple barricades to prevent protesters from advancing towards the Assembly. Water cannons and tear gas were used to disperse the crowd, following which a lathicharge was carried out. Several students and police personnel were reportedly injured in the confrontation.

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