Mumbai: Maharashtra Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Abu Asim has demanded grants to schools, assistance to minority institutions and introduction of educational scholarships. Minorities, especially Muslims, are facing problems in the state due to pending issues of the minority community in the state. Assembly member Abu Asim Azmi has sent a letter to the Minister of Minority Affairs demanding immediate attention to the issues and pending issues of Muslims and also requested to resolve the issues.

In the letter, Azmi said that the free matriculation scholarship given to minority students in the state has been stopped and the dropout rate of students leaving Turkish education schools is around 50 percent and there is a fear that the dropout rate will increase due to the discontinuation of the scholarship. Therefore, the Justice Department should announce Fatima Sheikh Scholarship for students from class 1 to 10. In addition, Rs 5,000 is provided for vocational courses as no government subsidy is provided for courses like microbiology. The education grant for minority students will be increased from Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000. There is also a need to consider what steps the government should take to ensure this and start scholarships.

The government’s decision to provide a grant of Rs 10 lakh for infrastructure facilities to minority schools was implemented during the model code of conduct for the assembly elections, but no proposal has been sought in this regard yet. The proposal for the year 2023-24 under the grant scheme for infrastructure facilities to minority schools is pending due to the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections and the grant has not been distributed to the schools yet. Steps should also be taken to distribute the grant to eligible schools of minority communities.

The above vacancies are for officers and employees in the Maulana Azad Economic Development Corporation and the Ministry of Minority Development, established for the betterment of the minority community. Only 20% of the grants sanctioned for the betterment of the minority community have been spent so far and the above mentioned vacant posts should be filled up by making appointments as early as possible.

Gaza, March 20: At least 16 Palestinians were killed and over 30 wounded in an Israeli airstrike that struck a crowd of mourners in the northern Gaza Strip, according to Gaza health authorities.

The strike hit the Salatin area of Beit Lahia on Wednesday during a gathering to mourn victims of earlier Israeli attacks, Xinhua news agency reported quoting the Palestinian news agency WAFA. Israel’s military did not immediately comment on the incident.

The attack came amid renewed Israeli military operations in Gaza, which officials say target Hamas militants. Gaza health authorities reported over 430 Palestinian deaths since Tuesday, when Israel resumed strikes, ending a weeks-long ceasefire that began on January 19.

Among the dead are more than 170 children and 80 women, according to Gaza officials.

Israel’s military said the operations aim to “eliminate Hamas threats” and would continue “until strategic objectives are achieved.”

Palestinian health officials warned that hospitals are overwhelmed, with emergency services struggling to treat the influx of wounded.

Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said on Wednesday that the airstrikes over the past two days were “only the first step.” “What follows will be far more severe, and you will pay the full price,” he said in a Hebrew video with Arabic captions released by his office.

“Return the hostages and remove Hamas — the alternative is total destruction and devastation,” he warned.

Also on Wednesday, the Hamas-run media office said 2 million residents in Gaza face “complete food insecurity” and an “unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe” due to Israel’s blockade and closed border crossings.

It warned that dozens of bakeries have shuttered, severely limiting bread supplies, and accused Israel of depriving Gaza of “the most basic necessities of life.”

The office urged immediate action to reopen crossings, stating that continued closures risk “famine for hundreds of thousands.”

New Delhi, March 19: Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Wednesday condemned Israel’s latest military strikes on Hamas targets in Gaza, calling them an act of “cold-blooded murder.”

Israel launched heavy airstrikes on multiple locations across the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, marking its first major offensive since the ceasefire that began on January 19. The renewed assault followed the collapse of negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

According to medical officials in Gaza, over 350 people were killed and more than 150 others injured in strikes in northern Gaza, Deir al-Balah, Khan Younis, Rafah, and Gaza City.

Expressing her outrage on X, Priyanka posted, “The cold-blooded murder of over 400 innocent civilians, including 130 children, by the Israeli government shows that humanity means nothing to them. Their actions reflect an inherent weakness and inability to face their own truth.”

She further criticised the response of Western nations, stating, “Whether Western powers choose to recognise this or to acknowledge their collusion in the genocide of the Palestinian people or not, all citizens of the world who have a conscience (including many Israelis), see it.”

“The more criminally the Israeli government acts, the more they reveal themselves for the cowards they truly are. On the other hand, the bravery of the Palestinian people prevails. They have endured unimaginable suffering, yet their spirit remains resilient and unwavering,” she added.

Israel defended its military action, attributing the offensive to Hamas’s refusal to release hostages and its rejection of ceasefire proposals from US Presidential Envoy Steve Witkoff and other mediators.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office on Tuesday stated, “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz have instructed the IDF to take strong action against the Hamas terrorist organisation in the Gaza Strip.”

The statement further noted that Israel was intensifying its military campaign to achieve its war objectives, which include securing the release of hostages held by Hamas.

“Israel will, from now on, act against Hamas with increasing military strength. The operational plan was presented by the IDF over the weekend and approved by the political leadership,” it said.

The latest escalation comes as ceasefire negotiations broke down over disagreements on the next phase of the truce.

Israel sought to extend the initial phase of the three-stage agreement, while Hamas insisted on progressing to the second phase, which was scheduled to begin on March 2 and involve further hostage exchanges.

During the first phase of the ceasefire, Hamas released 33 Israeli hostages and five Thai nationals in exchange for around 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. However, Hamas is still holding approximately 59 hostages.