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Reservations for Paharis will not undermine Gujjars, Bakarwals: Shah in Jammu

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah addressed a massive public rally here on Tuesday and said that the Justice Sharma Commission has recommended reservations for Gujjars, Bakarwals and the Pahari communities of J&K and all of them will get their lawful right of reservations.

Shah dispelled rumours that the declaration of reservations as STs for the Paharis would in any way undermine the reservations given to Gujjars and Bakarwals.

“This is a rumour being spread by some to create a wedge between the Gujjar/Bakarwal and Pahari communities. Reservations given to Paharis will not undermine the ST reservation of Gujjars and Bakarwals,” he said.

He commended the people of Rajouri and Poonch border districts by saying that whenever there was a threat to the country, these people stood like a wall against the enemy.

“The rest of the country is grateful to you because they can sleep in peace when you are maintaining vigil on the country’s borders,” Shah said.

He said some politicians with vested interest had said there would be bloodbath in the Chenab Valley and Rajouri/Poonch districts if Article 370 was abrogated.

“The presence of such a large number of people, including men, women and children who waited for me for two hours in scorching heat is the answer to those who spoke of bloodbath if Article 370 was abrogated.

“Till August 5, 2019 when Article 370 was removed, three families had converted democracy into a fiefdom in J&K.

“There were no reservations for Gujjars, Bakarwals and Paharis because those three families kept everything for themselves and their few stooges.

“Modiji’s decision to abrogate 370 has opened way for reservations to the underprivileged communities of J&K like Gujjars, Bakarwals and Paharis.

“Instead of power wresting with just three families, Modiji held Panchayat, block and district level elections and today power is in the hands of 30,000 representatives of the people elected to these bodies,” Shah asserted.

He got a rousing response when he asked the gathering whether they would ensure to keep these three families out of power in the future.

The Union home minister said during the 70 years since Independence, for the first time this year, 1.67 crore tourists had visited J&K.

“Stone pelting is a thing of the past. We have taken away stones from the hands of the youth and given them laptops instead,” he said.

Talking about militancy in the state, he said before the abrogation of Article 370 during the previous four years, 4766 militancy related incidents had taken place.

“After the abrogation of Article 370, only 477 such incidents have taken place here so far”, he disclosed.

He said Modi abolished the toll tax at Lakhanpur through which every item whether iron or food products entering J&K would be taxed.

“This would result in an increase in prices which you people had to bear. Modiji has abolished that tax and thereby controlled the prices of various commodities,” he said.

He said nobody could have imagined a medical college in Rajouri till Modiji came to power.

“You have IIT, IIM, NEFT and AIIMS in Jammu now. These things were not even thought of before Modiji came to power in the country in 2014,” Shah said.

He also spoke of various flagships programmes like Ayushmann Health card, rural electrification, roads and bridges and the starting of night flights from Srinagar International airport.

Shah is on a three-day tour of J&K.

Crime

Poppy seeds, areca nuts smuggled from Myanmar seized by Assam Rifles in Mizoram

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Aizawl, Oct 20: Assam Rifles have seized 90 bags of poppy seeds and 120 bags of areca nuts (betel nuts) worth Rs one crore in Mizoram, officials said on Monday.

A defence spokesman said that based on specific intelligence, Assam Rifles conducted a search operation at Farlui road areas, Ruantlang in Mizoram’s border Champhai district, and recovered the contraband.

This significant recovery underscores the Assam Rifles’ zero-tolerance approach towards illicit activities in the region and its continued commitment to ensuring the law and order situation is maintained, an official statement said.

The seized consignment has been handed over to the Customs Preventive Force, Champhai, for further investigation and prosecution under relevant laws.

This operation highlights the Assam Rifles’ ongoing dedication to securing the northeastern region’s borders and preventing illegal trade that adversely impacts the socio-economic stability of the region, the statement said.

An official said that the poppy seeds and areca nuts were smuggled from Myanmar and intended to be ferried to other states in India.

Security forces in Manipur and Assam often destroy illegal poppy cultivation in these states as part of the government’s ‘War on Drugs’ mission.

Poppy cultivation has been identified as a key source for the production of illicit opium. It is estimated that three to four kilograms of opium are produced per acre of poppy cultivation, with one kilogram valued between Rs 4 lakh and Rs 5 lakh in the clandestine market.

On the other hand, the smuggling of areca nuts, also known as Burmese Betel Nuts, from Myanmar has had a negative impact on local farmers in the northeastern states, as they have to struggle to sell their produce at competitive prices.

Areca nut farmers in Tripura and Assam have organised agitations in the recent past against the smuggling of areca nuts from Myanmar.

The Manipur government, on several occasions, said that the ethnic strife in Manipur since May 2023 is a creation of illegal immigrants from Myanmar, adding that these migrants, after illegally settling in the state, started the cultivation of illicit poppies. Myanmar, which shares a 1,643 km unfenced border with four northeastern states — Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, and Mizoram — serves as a key transit point for drugs, particularly heroin and methamphetamine tablets, entering India. The Mizoram districts that border Myanmar are Champhai, Siaha, Lawngtlai, Hnahthial, Saitual, and Serchhip. These six districts share a combined border of 510 km with Myanmar’s Chin state, which is a hub for smuggling of varied drugs, exotic wildlife animals and many other contraband through the Northeastern states.

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Crime

Trinamool leader escapes murder attempt on Kali Puja day in Kolkata

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Kolkata, Oct 20: A former Trinamool Congress (TMC) councilor narrowly escaped a murder attempt on Monday morning, coinciding with Kali Puja celebrations. Miscreants opened fire at Nirmal Dutta, TMC’s Bidhannagar trade union leader and former councilor, in the Duttabad area of Salt Lake.

The bullet missed the target, and his head was smashed with the butt of the gun, injuring him on the head. Dutta, bleeding profusely, was taken to a nearby hospital and later discharged after initial treatment.

The police have launched an investigation into the matter. Nirmal Dutta is a former Trinamool councilor of ward number 38 of the Bidhannagar Municipal Corporation.

According to police, he came to the ward office of the Duttabad area in Salt Lake at around 7.30 a.m. to supervise the work. At that time, a young man wearing a T-shirt came and fired at him. He fired two shots, but both missed the target. Then Dutta was caught by the miscreant. A scuffle broke out between them. Then the miscreant hit him with the butt of a gun and smashed his head. Following the attack, the miscreant fled the spot.

The Bidhannagar South Police Station has launched an investigation and is examining the CCTV footage to identify the miscreant.

After initial treatment at a local hospital, Dutta told media persons, “I had come to the ward office for work. Suddenly, a young man wearing a pink shirt and a mask pulled out a gun. He fired two shots but missed. When he tried to shoot the third time, I got hold of him. He hit me on the head with the butt of the gun. As soon as the people of the neighborhood came out, he fled through the road beside Bengal Chemicals.”

When asked whether he recognised the accused, the former councilor said, “He was wearing a mask, so I could not recognise him, but his eyes and face are still clear in my memory. There was a similar attack on me eight to nine months ago. I do not suspect anyone. I work for people, that is why I am being targeted. Duttabad area, over the years, has transformed. Earlier, there were liquor shops. Now there are roads, electricity, and water.”

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Crime

Dawood wants the fear back, D-Gang sets up extortion cells to revive underworld clout

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New Delhi, Oct 20: Even as mafia don Dawood Ibrahim continues to enjoy the hospitality offered to him by Pakistan, fears of an underworld resurgence in India are cropping up.

The Dawood Ibrahim syndicate is in desperate need of attention, and this has made them scale up extortion threats in various parts of the country.

The fear of Dawood had died down considerably, and this had led to a lull in operations, especially in Maharashtra, the main hub of the syndicate.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that the D-Gang thrived on fear, but now with that factor down, the syndicate is finding it hard to operate.

Dawood Ibrahim, who thrives on the narcotics business, is feeling the heat after the Indian government launched an all-out war against the drug mafia. There have been scores of busts in recent months, and the D-Gang has been facing huge losses.

Police officials probing cases relating to the gang say that since the number of drug busts has gone up considerably, the Dawood network is losing grip.

This has also resulted in the number of recruits going down drastically. The charm of joining the underworld has died down a lot, and this is hurting Dawood and his network. In order to operate seamlessly in India, the gang is in need of more members who could carry out the drug business. There is a massive shortage of manpower, and this is hampering operations largely.

Officials say that the Dawood gang does not seem powerful any longer. The clout within the police, political and Bollywood circles is dying. This is largely to do with the fact that the operations that the gang has been carrying out in recent times are dying down.

Hence, Dawood and his cronies in Pakistan decided to re-strategise. It was decided to slow down the drug business temporarily until they can recruit many more into their fold. The idea now is to run an abduction and extortion racket. This would not only bring in the money, but the fear of the underworld would return.

The gang has decided to indulge in high-profile abductions and then seek ransom.

Further, it was also decided to set up extortion cells in different parts of the country and seek money.

Officials say that this is not so much about the money. The D-Gang has ample money, but feels that the fear factor is not there. It wants to bring back those days when the underworld was thriving in the 1980s. At that time, many were impressed with the manner in which the underworld worked. The very fact that fear could be driven into the minds of the people itself was a caveat for the youngsters to join the underworld.

Hence, it was decided by the D-Gang, based in Karachi, to set up as many extortion cells as possible across the country. The biggest focus of the gang while setting up these cells would be in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

The Mumbai Crime Branch is tracking these cells. Recently, the Crime Branch busted one such gang that was being operated at the behest of Dawood Ibrahim. This cell was being handled by Sajid Electricwala and his associate Shabbir Siddiqui. Last week, too the a case came to light where the D-Gang had demanded Rs 5 crore from cricketer Rinku Singh. The cricketer’s team has been receiving threats on a regular basis, demanding extortion money.

In another case, Zeeshan Siddiqui, the son of slain NCP leader Baba Siddiqui, had received threats demanding a ransom of Rs 10 crore. Two accused, Mohammad Dilshad and Mohammed David, were arrested in Trinidad and Tobago with the help of Interpol. The case too was linked to the Dawood network.

These rising incidents are a clear sign that Dawood Ibrahim wants to bring the underworld back in India. In order to do so, he is setting up extortion cells with the intention of creating fear and panic in the minds of the people.

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