New Delhi, March 6: Congress leader Udit Raj on Thursday claimed that Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav was not wrong in extending support to its Maharashtra MLC Abu Azmi.

The Congress leader made the remark while speaking to media on various issues including Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK), India’s foreign policy, Article 370, and Bihar politics.

Substantiating Akhilesh Yadav’s support to Abu Azmi who glorified Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, Udit Raj claimed that in the Peshwa Empire, the plight of Dalits and women was miserable.

Claiming that Muslims used to fight for Chhatrapati Shivaji and Hindus used to fight for emperor Aurangzeb, he said singling out any ruler of a specific community is not right.

Dwelling on External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s recent statement in London that Pakistan will have to return PoK and revocation of Article 370 was the first step in that direction, Udit Raj said that the leader’s remark was not completely right.

Denying the positive changes in Jammu and Kashmir, he said: “When Article 370 was revoked, it was said that the move would break the backbone of terrorism and attract investment in Jammu and Kashmir leading to its development. However, nothing happened.”

Dwelling on the border dispute between India and China over Aksai Chin, Udit Raj further said, “Union Home Minister Amit Shah used to say will ‘sacrifice life for Aksai Chin’. But nothing happened and China developed roads on it.”

Claiming that the country’s international diplomacy has failed, Udit Raj said: “In Canada and Scotland, our ambassadors were attacked. A gangster in Sabarmati jail is conversing with people in Pakistan. Now, Khalistani extremists breached security and tried to attack Jaishankar.”

Blaming the BJP for the JD(U)’s reducing strength in the House, the Congress leader said: “The JD(U) earlier had 120 seats in the Legislative Assembly but this number now has been slashed to 45.”

Claiming that the BJP strengthened the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) and weakened JD(U), he said that the Nitish Kumar-led party will soon meet the same fate as the Akali Dal in Punjab.

Dwelling on reports that the new Delhi government has fixed the criteria that women who have an annual income of less than Rs 3 lakh will get the benefits of the Mahila Samriddhi Scheme, Udit Raj said the BJP had promised to provide the financial aid on March 8.

He said: “We will adopt a wait-and-watch approach on the government’s move till March 8.”

Harsil, March 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited an ‘Uttarakhand Tourist Winter Tourism’ exhibition in Harsil, where he explored the state’s breathtaking destinations and cultural heritage.

The exhibition featured renowned sites, including Mahasu Devta, Timmarsain Mahadev Cave, Bala Sundari Temple, Tehri’s paragliding hotspot, Golju Temple, and Kartik Swami Temple.

The Prime Minister was briefed about the significance and unique aspects of these locations.

He also visited an exhibition under the ‘One District, One Product’ initiative, which aims to support local entrepreneurs and promote indigenous Uttarakhand products.

The exhibition showcased traditional attire, Baal Mithai, honey, Buransh juice, handcrafted shawls, and caps. The Prime Minister also witnessed a vibrant folk dance performance, celebrating the rich cultural heritage of the state.

Later, PM Modi flagged off a trek to Janak Taal and launched a bike rally from Harsil Valley, marking another step in Uttarakhand’s winter tourism push.

The visit aligns with the Uttarakhand government’s Winter Tourism programme, which has already attracted thousands of devotees to the winter seats of Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath.

The initiative is designed to promote religious tourism while simultaneously boosting local businesses, including homestays and tourism-related ventures.

Earlier in the day, upon his arrival in Mukhwa, the Prime Minister visited the Mukhimath Temple, revered as the winter abode of River Ganga in the Uttarkashi district. He performed rituals and sought blessings from Goddess Ganga as hundreds gathered to welcome him.

Every year, on Diwali, the idol of Goddess Ganga from the Gangotri Temple is moved to Mukhimath Temple due to extreme winter conditions. The idol remains there for six months until the Gangotri Temple reopens in the summer, at which point it is taken back in a grand celebratory procession.

A day ahead of his visit, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), chaired by PM Modi, approved two significant ropeway projects in Uttarakhand.

The first, a 12.9 km ropeway from Sonprayag to Kedarnath, will be constructed at a capital cost of Rs 4,081.28 crore under the Design, Build, Finance, Operate, and Transfer (DBFOT) model. The second, a 12.4 km ropeway connecting Govindghat to Hemkund Sahib Ji, has been approved for Rs 2,730.13 crore.

According to the CCEA, these projects will enhance last-mile connectivity for pilgrims while generating substantial employment during the construction and operational phases. The ropeways are also expected to drive socio-economic growth, benefiting industries such as hospitality, travel, food, and tourism.

With these initiatives, Uttarakhand is set to emerge as a year-round religious and adventure tourism destination, reinforcing its position as a spiritual and natural retreat.

Kolkata, March 6: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials probing the cash-for-school-job case in West Bengal will now question some influential persons who directly recommended ineligible candidates to the former state education minister Partha Chatterjee.

The CBI now has definite clues about the influential persons directly recommending ineligible candidates who were paying money for school jobs, to the former Trinamool Congress secretary general.

Sources said that the investigating officers have a list of 132 such individuals who made job recommendations at different levels.

However, sources added, the sleuths are shortlisting only those who had direct reach to Partha Chatterjee and hence made the recommendations directly to him.

The shortlisting of the individuals has been done on the basis of their communication with Partha Chatterjee through written recommendations or through WhatsApp and SMS messages.

However, the CBI sleuths are totally tightlipped over the names that have already been shortlisted till the process if completed and summons are issued to them for interrogation.

The investigating officials said that their statements would be extremely crucial to make the case more water-tight against Chatterjee.

The CBI sleuths have also got specific information about Chatterjee personally shortlisting ineligible candidate paying money for school jobs.

This personal shortlisting, sources added, was done more in case of selection of primary teachers than secondary and higher secondary teachers.

Recently, the CBI submitted a report to Calcutta High Court giving details of the candidates who secured appointments even after submitting blank answer sheets in the written examination for recruitment.

In the report, sources added, the central agency sleuths also provided explanation of how the Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) sheets used in the written examination were manipulated for such candidates.

Chatterjee, who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the school job case in July 2022, has also been identified as the main brain behind the scam in the charge sheet filed by the central agency.

Besides him, his close associate Arpita Mukherjee and his son-in-law are among the other accused individuals, as mentioned in the ED’s charge sheet.

A trust titled Babli Chatterjee Memorial Trust, that has been named after Chatterjee’s deceased wife, is also named in the ED charge sheet as an accused entity.

It is alleged that the ill-gotten proceeds were shown as donations to this particular trust and thus diverted.