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Punjab farmers end protest on Chandigarh borders; consensus on demands

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The stalemate between protesting farmers and the Punjab government led by Bhagwant Mann ended on Wednesday with a consensus on most of their demands, comprising beginning paddy sowing from June 10.

They later called off their protest that began a day earlier on borders of the state capital Chandigarh, similar on the lines of the year-long protest against the Centre’s farm laws at the Delhi borders that ended with the revoking of the three Central farm laws.

The meeting between the Chief Minister and leaders of 23 farmers’ unions under the banner of the Sanyukt Kisan Morcha that lasted for over two and half hours here.

After the meeting, Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Kuldip Singh Dhaliwal reached the protest venue in Mohali, near here, where thousands of farmers had been staging a sit-in protest since Tuesday.

He said the meeting of the farmers with the Chief Minister was fruitful and the farmers accepted to end the protest. There was a consensus on 12 out of 13 demands of farmers.

The prominent demands include minimum support price (MSP) for the purchase of maize, basmati and moong (pulses) that the government has assured, ending staggered paddy cultivation from June 18, electricity prepaid meters not to be installed, besides a compensation of Rs 500 per quintal for those who suffered losses due to early onset of early summer.

The farmers on Wednesday threatened to break the barricades set up on borders to march to the Chief Minister’s residence in Chandigarh if their demands were not met.

After the meeting, farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal told the media that the Chief Minister has accepted their demand to divide the state into two zones for sowing of paddy instead of four.

“Now half of the state would be able to sow paddy from June 14, while the rest from June 17. We have been asked to divide the districts into two zones. Earlier, the government had ordered that the sowing would start from June 18 in a staggered manner in the four zones,” he said.

The government assured the farmers that they would get MSP on moong (lentils) and a notification in this regard has already been issued.

At the meeting, the Chief Minister asked the farmers to immediately go for paddy nursery so that paddy transplantation could be ensured within the stipulated time schedule.

He apprised the farm leaders the government has already issued a notification to procure the entire crop of ‘moong’ on MSP of Rs 7,275 per quintal.

He also assured them that the government is already in the mode of finalizing modalities to procure maize too on MSP to give boost to its ambitious programe of crop diversification.

On the issue of MSP for basmati, the Chief Minister said he would call on Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday to impress upon the government of India to immediately announce MSP on basmati so as to encourage the farmers to go for its cultivation in a big way by shifting from water guzzling paddy.

He also told the farmers that he would also take up the contentious issue of the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) with Shah for expeditious resolution to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.

Mann urged the union leaders to give him some time for at least one year to bring farmer-friendly reforms in the agriculture sector.

At the same time, he urged them to shun the path of agitation and if they had any grouse against the government they should sit across the table to finally find an amicable solution.

Responding to another issue raised by the farm unions, Mann said the government would soon come out with a comprehensive policy for bestowing ownership rights on the cultivators who had been in possession of panchayat land and cultivating the same since long to convert the barren land into cultivable.

In a related development, the Cabinet led by the Chief Minister approved Rs 1,500 per acre incentive to the farmers for sowing of paddy through the Direct Seeding of Rice (DSR) technology.

A sum of Rs 450 crore has been earmarked to provide incentive to the farmers for promotion of less water consuming and cost effective DSR technology.

This step would be instrumental to save nearly about 15-20 per cent water as compared to the conventional puddling method during the lifecycle of crops.

The alarming situation arisen out of fast depleting groundwater mainly due to water guzzling traditional method of paddy transplantation needs bold measures to check this serious trend instantly.

At present, the water table is falling at rate of 86 cm per year, leading to a precarious situation, where no underground water will be available across the state in coming 15-20 years.

According to a spokesperson for the Chief Minister’s Office, this technique will encourage majority of farmers to adopt as it needs far less water for irrigation, improves percolation, reduces dependence on farm labour and improves soil health and help enhancing yield of both paddy and wheat by 5-10 per cent.

The tempers of the protesting farmers had ran high a day earlier as the Chief Minister failed to meet the leaders over their demands and left for Delhi.

Late in the evening, Mann said the agitation was “unwarranted and undesirable” and asked the farm unions to join hands with the government for checking the depleting water table.

Maharashtra

Fraud under the guise of Mumbai loan, Delhi call center exposed, fraud in the name of Bajaj Finance, three accused arrested, use of 105 mobile phones in fraud.

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Mumbai: The Cyber ​​Cell of the Mumbai Crime Branch has exposed a gang that is fooling people by luring them with interest-free loans. The complainant, a 70-year-old senior citizen, filed a complaint at the Cyber ​​Police Station, West Mumbai, after which the police took action and traced these fraudsters and also busted a call center in Delhi from where people were being fooled. The complainant was cheated from August 28, 2023 to November 2, 2024. The complainant was told that he could get a loan from Bajaj Finance Delhi at zero interest. Under the guise of this, the complainant received Rs 1.14 crore from banks in the name of fees for various matters. After that, the Crime Branch conducted an investigation and conducted a raid at Maximum Marketing Private Limited, Anand Vihar in Delhi and busted this call center. In this, the police arrested Shahzad Lal Khan alias Rehman, 30, Anuj Uttam Singh Raut alias Anil Kumar Yadav. 30-year-old and Aamir Hussain, 34, were arrested. 105 mobile phones and a laptop were recovered from their possession.

The investigation concluded that this mobile number has been used in cyber crimes across the country and this number has been used in 132 crimes. This operation was carried out by the Mumbai Crime Branch and Cyber ​​Cell. This operation was carried out on the instructions of Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Pansalkar, Special Commissioner Devin Bharti, Joint Police Commissioner Crime Lakshmi Gautam. DCP Crime Detection Datta Nalawade said that Mumbai Police has appealed to the citizens to remain alert against cyber fraud and not to invest in the lure of profit in the name of high investment. Do not fall for the trap of providing loans without documents on social media. Do not make any kind of investment on the advice of acquaintances and do not download any kind of mobile app. If anyone is a victim of fraud, immediately contact 1930.

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Pahalgam We Will Revenge – But How?

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Kamar Ansari (Mumbai), April 25: The nation is still reeling from the shock of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. Due to the widespread narrative that terrorism has been eradicated from Kashmir, over 2.5 million tourists flocked to the region—only for this tragic attack to take place. There is widespread anger among the public, demanding that every drop of blood and every tear shed in Kashmir be avenged, and that Pakistan be taught a lesson.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are suggesting that the Pahalgam incident should not be politicized. Their sudden concern about politicization seems to stem from the fact that this attack has exposed the hollowness of the government’s claims. Had this administration refrained from politicizing tragic events over the past ten years, they wouldn’t be in a position today to ask others not to do the same.

The Pahalgam attack was inhumane and despicable, and it must be avenged—but what does “revenge” really mean?

The real threat to the nation lies with those who believe that voting for the BJP and electing Modi as Prime Minister constitutes revenge, and that doing so will drive terrorists back into their hideouts. The true target for retribution should be Pakistan and the terrorists—not India’s Muslims. Will attacking mosques and madrasas or targeting Indian Muslims serve as justice for Pahalgam? Some people feel a strong urge to act this way. But the battle is against Pakistan, not against patriotic Indian Muslims who are citizens of this country.

After the Uri and Pulwama attacks, there were loud proclamations of revenge and punishment in Parliament and public gatherings. A “surgical strike” was carried out across the Line of Control in response to Uri, and we were told that Pakistan and the terrorists had been crippled and taught a lesson. Yet, the threat persists. Indira Gandhi truly taught Pakistan a lesson in 1971 by waging a direct war and splitting the country into two. Still, Pakistan did not learn.

So what is the Modi government planning to do now? The government needs to act—not indulge in propaganda. Even adhering to this one principle would be a significant step forward.

Prime Minister Modi has called a cabinet meeting and made some swift decisions. The Pakistani embassy in India has been shut down. All Pakistani nationals in India have been ordered to leave within 24 hours. Even the Wagah border has been temporarily closed. It’s being said that this marks the beginning of cutting diplomatic ties with Pakistan—but what about cricket? India and Pakistan play matches in Dubai, and large numbers of Indian fans attend. Jay Shah heads global cricket affairs and must clearly state that India will no longer play with Pakistan. Chanting “Pakistan Murdabad” in India while playing cricket with them abroad must come to an end.

Deeply affected by the Pahalgam attack, Modi canceled his visit to Saudi Arabia, and Rahul Gandhi is also cutting short his U.S. trip. After such an attack, convening an all-party meeting is standard procedure. But what will that achieve when the same government suppresses opposition voices and refuses to allow discussions on issues from Kashmir to Manipur in Parliament?

The Home Minister does not appear serious about national security. He has failed to protect the lives of citizens, and his resignation is now a common demand across party lines. If the government ignores this demand, then such meetings are just for show.

The abrogation of Article 370 was a welcome move, but what did we gain by stripping Jammu & Kashmir of full statehood? The government offers no answers. Meanwhile, it has slashed the defense budget and made deep cuts in military personnel. This is a dangerous game. Soldiers in Pulwama were denied aircraft for transport, and now in Pahalgam, the safety of thousands of tourists was left in limbo.

Now that the attack has happened and innocent people have died, the government is scrambling to respond. While the Pahalgam attack is inhumane, inciting Hindu-Muslim conflict in its aftermath is even more inhumane.

Local villagers in Pahalgam immediately began helping the injured and their families. A young local man, Syed Hussain Shah, tried to resist the terrorists. When he attempted to snatch a gun from them, he was shot. He pleaded with the attackers, saying, “These people are our guests—please don’t kill them.” In the end, he lost his life. Syed was not a Hindu, but the terrorists still killed him.

Despite tourists reporting that locals helped them during the crisis, the BJP’s IT cell is painting this incident with communal colors. The attack in Pahalgam was not just on tourists—it was an attack on all of us. The people of Kashmir have shown humanity and compassion, saying, “We are also wounded.” We must respect their sentiments.

Our fight is against Pakistan and terrorist organizations. Anyone trying to vilify Indian Muslims or Kashmiri locals in this fight clearly does not want to solve the nation’s problems—they simply want to politicize Pahalgam, just as they did with Pulwama.

The government must now think only in terms of national interest. Hindus and Muslims in this country are capable of deciding among themselves how to coexist.

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Maharashtra

Maharashtra Cyber ​​Department informs citizens about creation of fake Aadhaar, PAN card using AI, appeals to be careful while alerting citizens

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Mumbai: Maharashtra Cyber ​​Department has informed citizens about the creation of fake Aadhaar, PAN card and other government documents generated by AI. Maharashtra Cyber ​​Cell creates awareness among the public about the dangers and harms related to cyber security and cyber. Creation of fake documents through AI has also become common now. Artificial intelligence AI tools are also being misused to create fake government identity cards like Aadhaar and PAN card. AI provides opportunities for innovation but at the same time it also carries high risks. This is a serious concern. AI has the ability to create fake IDs and identity cards. These cards can also be used in bank, personal transactions and economic crimes. On the other hand, fake documents and cards can also be used to defraud banks, telecom companies and government companies. It can also be used to obtain loans and transactions with banks and for embezzlement. National Security These are also concerns for Maharashtra Cyber.

Maharashtra Cyber ​​has given some important tips and tricks to identify fake documents and cards. Similar fonts, especially typographical differences between Hindi and English text. Typographical differences in English text. Image discrepancies. Unnatural lighting or color discrepancies. AI-adjusted image can be made into a fake Aadhaar, while the original Aadhaar card has a QR code which can be verified in the system. Fake Aadhaar fails to do so. Fake Aadhaar cards can be easily identified due to incorrect procedures. Maharashtra Cyber ​​has appealed to citizens to be vigilant and report any suspicious incidents related to such fake ID cards to the National Cyber ​​Crime Complaint Portal at 1945. This service is available 24 hours a day.

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