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Punjab Polls: After rescuing labourers, Sonu Sood hits streets again

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Months after he came to the rescue of labourers walking back home in the days of Covid-19 lockdown, actor and philanthropist Sonu Sood is himself hitting the streets.

With folded hands and smile on his lips, he’s going from house to house event in scores of villages drumming up support for his sister Malvika Sood Sachar contesting the Punjab Assembly polls less than a fortnight away.

With villagers complaining of lack of basic infrastructure facilities like public toilets, sanitation, drainage, disposal of sewage and large potholes as several people have met with accidents, Sood, accompanying his younger sister who is born and brought up in this town in the Malwa region, is assuring improvement, if the Congress party retains the helm in the state.

Malvika joined the Congress just a week ahead of the pronouncement of the February 20 polls for 117 Assembly seats.

She has replaced sitting Congress legislator Harjot Kamal, who joined the BJP and is again in the fray to retain the seat that has been the Congress stronghold since 2007.

Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD)leader and former minister Tota Singh, who was convicted in 2012 in a case of corruption and sentenced to a year of imprisonment, represented this seat for two successive terms — 1997 and 2002.

Malvika, 39, married and running her parental family business in Moga, told IANS that she has taken the political plunge to dedicate herself to serve the society like her brother.

Sonu Sood’s childhood friends in his hometown, some 175 km from the state capital Chandigarh, described him as the messiah of tens of thousands of desperate migrants amidst pandemic and supporting school educations of scores of underprivileged, while his family believes his philanthropy spirit comes from his ancestry.

Born to a business family, the siblings’ father was in the cloth business and mother was an English lecturer in town’s oldest D.M. College of Education.

Their eldest sister is settled in the US.

“Sonu is a household name in every village. We have seen him on news channels on several occasions when he himself was on the streets to help the migrants who were returning to their homes during the pandemic. If he has zeal for serving society, we expect his sister will also follow in his footsteps,” octogenarian Nachhatar Kaur of Rattian village told IANS.

She said the brother-sister duo came to the village last week and sought votes with promise to strengthen village streets and the sewage treatment system.

Sharing similar sentiments, another village elder Ajaib Kaur added, “Ahead of the elections, Sonu’s sister came to our village and sponsored the school fees of several poor students when she came to know that their parents have lost wages due to the pandemic. She has provided money to poor villagers for rebuilding their ‘kutcha’ houses.”

However, Malvika’s rival and AAP candidate Amandeep Kaur Arora believes Malvika’s identity is only her brother.

“Malvika has no identity of her own. She is known only as Sonu Sood’s sister. My identity is that of a doctor and served ex-servicemen and their families,” Amandeep added.

SAD candidate Barjinder Makhan Brar, a lawyer by profession, believes in the dynasty’s advantage.

“My father (Tota Singh) remained an MLA of Moga twice and did a lot of development work. Sonu Sood has just surfaced. He’s just trying to woo the voters by using money. If he has philanthropic initiatives to his credit, what is the contribution of his sister to society? After all, the legislator is the local representative in the Assembly. The voters can’t be befooled for the sake of Sonu’s philanthropy,” he added.

In 2017, Harjot Kamal, then with the Congress, won the seat by securing 52,357 votes, while AAP’s Ramesh Grover finished second with 50,593 votes. Barjinder Brar polled 36,587 votes.

Incumbent Charanjit Singh Channi, the chief minister face of the Congress, while campaigning for Malvika, who did Master of Computer Application, on Wednesday announced if the party returns to power she would be a minister in his Council of Ministers.

In December 2020, a road in Sonu Sood’s hometown was named after his mother, Prof Saroj Sood. At this the actor said he cannot contain his happiness and this will always be the most important chapter in his life.

“Sonu is deeply attached to hometown, his family and friends. He prefers to travel to Moga whenever he spares time from his hectic schedule in Bollywood, Malvika, who runs cloth and education business, told IANS.

Sonu’s grandfather Vidya Rattan Sood was also a known philanthropist.

Malvika’s neighbour Rakesh Khanna said the people in the town are proud of Sonu for bringing this town into limelight through his philanthropic spirit.

He said his parents wanted him to become an engineer. He did his engineering from Nagpur.

“Besides having no godfather in the film industry, he established himself,” Khanna said, adding even his sister has no ego with the fame of her brother.

“Whenever Sonu is in his hometown, you can see him riding on his scooter from his college days. He also prefers to spend time in his father’s shop located in the main market,” Khanna added.

National News

Eid shopping in Kashmir picks up as people throng markets

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Srinagar, June 5: Traffic jams, pedestrian malls packed with pavement sellers, sacrificial animal markets dotting scores of places and buyers jostling and haggling mark the Eid al-Adha shopping in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar city and other cities and towns of the Valley.

Against fears that less enthusiastic shoppers would turn out to mark the Eid eve preparations, Kashmiris are coming out in large numbers, smiling and full of enthusiasm to celebrate the holiest festival of Bakr Eid or Eid al Adha on June 7. The festival also marks the successful conclusion of the Hajj pilgrimage.

Bakery shops, hosiery outlets and poultry shops were bustling with buyers, but the main focus remained on the sacrificial animal markets.

City’s largest sacrificial animal market at Eidgah grounds had flocks of sheep, goats, and a few camels available for the devout to buy. Although rates are competitive and reasonable at the various sacrificial animal markets yet the better-bred sheep and goats are a little costlier than the average breeds.

Muslims all over the World offer animal sacrifices on Bakr Eid to commemorate the sacrifice offered by Prophet Abrahim, who, under Allah’s command, chose to sacrifice his son, Ismail, in submission to the divine command. When Prophet Abrahim blindfolded himself and started to move the blade on Ismail’s throat, a sheep from Heaven replaced Ismail under the knife as Ismail stood smiling some distance away from his father. The father’s ultimate submission to Allah’s will finally became a great celebration as Abrahim returned home holding his son Ismail’s hand in joy.

It is to commemorate the great sacrifice Prophet Abrahim chose to make and the even greater blessing of Allah to accept the sacrifice and save Ismail from the knife that Muslims join in global festivities on Bakr Eid. The festival is a day of great joy and yet of the universal reminder that everything finally lies in the hands of God, by whatever name the believers might remember Him.

Children held by parents thronged markets to buy toys and new clothes as Kashmiris, for once, decided to forget the load on their purses. Locals spend lavishly on the Eid festival as it is a rare moment of joy and faith culminating in prayer and festivities.

For a change, the traffic cops were seen behaving leniently towards motorists and pavement sellers. The motorists ignoring traffic discipline blocked major and minor traffic arteries in the city while pavement sellers spread their merchandise on the pedestrian malls, forcing pedestrians to walk in the middle of the roads.

Having been witness to the worst violence unleashed by the terrorists during the last 35 years, Kashmiris are fast finding their journey to peace and tranquillity decorated with joyous festivals like Eid, Shivratri, Gurupurab, Christmas and Buddha Purnima.

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National News

Bengaluru Stampede: A Tragic Timeline Of RCB Victory Parade That Killed 11 & Injured 40

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Bengaluru: What was meant to be a joyful homecoming for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after their historic Indian Premier League (IPL) win, turned into a nightmare on Wednesday, June 4.

Crowds in the hundreds of thousands flooded the streets of Bengaluru and gathered around the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, hoping to celebrate with their team. But the poorly managed event, marked by last-minute decisions and massive miscalculations, led to a deadly stampede that reportedly claimed at least 11 lives and injured over 40 others.

Here’s a detailed timeline of how the day unfolded:

Morning to Early Afternoon:

The victorious RCB squad landed in Bengaluru and made their way to the Vidhana Soudha to meet Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. Crowds began assembling early across the city, especially outside the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, where the main celebration was to be held.

2:00 PM: Thousands of fans had already gathered outside the stadium, many queuing up at the 13 entry gates, hours ahead of the planned felicitation.

3:00 PM: The roads around the stadium became heavily congested as the crowds swelled further. Police presence was significant but overwhelmed by the sheer volume of attendees. Originally, access to the stadium was controlled through passes, but a late announcement declared open entry for all fans, leading to confusion and chaos.

3:30 PM to 5:00 PM: The official victory parade, scheduled to start around 3:30 PM from Vidhana Soudha to Chinnaswamy Stadium, further intensified the rush. The stadium gates became choke points as people surged forward to secure a spot inside. Barricades were unable to hold the pressure and eventually gave way. In the scramble, people were trampled, resulting in a horrific stampede. Footwear and belongings littered the ground as survivors attempted to carry the injured to safety.

5:00 PM: News began trickling out about the scale of the disaster. Initial reports spoke of three deaths, but the number rapidly climbed. As of now, 11 people have been confirmed dead, and 47 others are being treated for injuries. Disturbingly, the on-field celebrations inside the stadium continued for some time before the extent of the tragedy became clear.

Here’s What Authorities Said

According to a report submitted to the Karnataka government by the Director General and Inspector General of Police, the stampede was caused by an “unexpected gathering of thousands of fans” trying to enter the stadium between 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM. The report stated, “All possible security arrangements were made… however, due to the unexpected gathering of thousands of fans… a barricade was broken, and people fell on each other, resulting in a stampede.”

Chief Minister Siddaramaiah expressed his sorrow, admitting that the government did not anticipate such a massive turnout. “The crowd turnout exceeded all expectations… The stadium has a seating capacity of 35,000, but an estimated two to three lakh people turned up. The pain of this tragedy has also erased the joy of victory,” he said.

A compensation of Rs 10 lakh has been announced for each of the deceased’s families, and medical care for the injured will be fully covered by the state.

Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar, echoing similar sentiments, wrote on X (formerly Twitter), “We are heartbroken by this tragic incident… We did not anticipate such an overwhelming crowd. While the stadium holds 35,000, over 3 lakh people had gathered.”

“Your pain is ours. We stand with our people – in this sorrow,” he added.

An investigation into the stampede has been ordered and a report is expected within 15 days.

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Even UN-designated terrorists didn’t say India surrendered: BJP slams Rahul Gandhi’s ‘dangerous’ mentality

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New Delhi, June 4: The BJP on Wednesday escalated its criticism of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his controversial “Narendra, surrender” remark, accusing him of displaying a “sick and dangerous” mentality and asserting that he lacks the maturity and seriousness expected from someone in his position.

At a press conference held at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, BJP national spokesperson Sudhanshu Trivedi tore into Gandhi, saying, “On one hand, members of various opposition parties, including Congress MPs, who were part of the joint parliamentary delegation sent by India, are returning after strongly and unitedly presenting India’s position in various countries across the world.”

“On the other hand, Congress’ self-proclaimed leader and Leader of Opposition, Rahul Gandhi, is making utterly shallow and frivolous remarks, showing the world that even after attaining the position of LoP, he severely lacks the seriousness and maturity the role demands,” he said.

Trivedi took strong exception to Gandhi’s comments linking Operation Sindoor to “surrender,” saying it was an insult to the armed forces.

“How Rahul Gandhi compared our armed forces’ valour and army officers’ brief on Operation Sindoor’s success with surrender shows how sick and dangerous his mentality has become,” he remarked.

He went on to say that Gandhi’s comments surpassed even those made by India’s adversaries.

“Till now, Congress leaders were making headlines in the Pakistani media, their statements were being quoted in Pakistan’s parliament, and Rahul Gandhi’s statements also made their place in Pakistan’s dossier. But for the first time, Rahul Gandhi has said something which even the Army Chief of Pakistan has not said, nor has any terrorist organisation of Pakistan. Even Masood Azhar or Hafiz Saeed have not said such a thing. None of them said that India surrendered,” he added.

Trivedi posed a sharp question to Gandhi, asking, “Does he want to get one step ahead of these people? Till now, he was giving cover fire to the people of Pakistan, the Pakistani Army and terrorist organisations. Is he trying to become their leader now?”

Calling Gandhi’s words a grave insult to national pride and the Indian Army, Trivedi said, “He doesn’t realise how badly he is insulting this country’s self-respect and the army’s valour.”

Trivedi further questioned the LoP’s political judgment and leadership, saying, “The level of intelligence and wisdom of someone who sees receiving less mandate in their third attempt in the election as a success, and views PM Modi being elected as the Prime Minister for the third time as a defeat, is obvious.”

He also challenged the Congress party to clarify its stance: “According to the Congress, has their Leader of Opposition insulted the Indian Army by using the word ‘surrender’ or not?”

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