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Sonia Gandhi accuses BJP of misusing probe agencies to target opposition

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Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday accused the BJP of playing divisive politics and misusing probe agencies to target the opposition parties.

She was speaking at the Congress Parliamentary Party meeting.

“The divisive and polarising agenda of the ruling party and its leaders has now become a regular feature of the political discourse in state after state.”

She said history — not just ancient but also contemporary — is being mischievously distorted and facts are maliciously invented to add fuel to the agenda. It is for everyone to stand up and confront these forces of “hate and prejudice”.

“We will not allow them to damage the bonds of amity and harmony that have sustained and enriched our diverse society for centuries.”she added.

The veteran leader accused the ruling establishment of continuously targeting the opposition, its leaders and workers. The full might of the state machinery is unleashed against them.

“Maximum governance to those in power clearly means spreading maximum fear and intimidation. Such blatant threats and tactics will neither frighten or silence us nor cow us down.” She said.

Sonia alleged that the MSMEs are in the most precarious condition. There is no sign whatsoever that the commitments made to the farmers are going to be fulfilled in any significant manner. Prices of cooking gas and oil, petrol, diesel, fertilisers and other essential commodities have risen to an unbearable limit — and continue to rise.

“A few days back, our party launched a nationwide Mehngai-mukt Bharat campaign in which many of you took part. This must be sustained.”

She praised the Congress-led UPA government’s National Food Security Act and MGNREGA and alleged that though the minister concerned has denied it, inordinately delayed wage payments however, continues to be a serious issue.

“In spite of repeated attempts, we have been unable to get the Government to agree to a discussion on the situation on our borders, a discussion that could only have deepened the sense of collective resolve. The value of non-alignment as a foundational principle of the nation’s foreign policy that was criticised so much has now, I am glad to note, been rediscovered even though it may not be acknowledged as such.” she added.

She expressed concern on the future of the thousands of students who have been evacuated from Ukraine. She charged the government with diluting the labour laws at a time of growing unemployment and livelihood insecurity. Interest rates on employee provident fund accumulations have been reduced considerably.

“Public sector enterprises, the one important avenue for employment of scheduled castes and scheduled tribes are being sold off under the fancy name “asset monetisation”. This will be another disaster as demonestisation turned out to be,” she said.

National News

9 killed, 29 injured in accidental blast in J&K’s Nowgam police station (Ld)

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Srinagar, Nov 15: Nine people were killed and 29 others injured in the massive accidental blast inside the Nowgam police station in Jammu and Kashmir’s (J&K) Srinagar district, official sources said on Saturday.

“Nine people were killed and 29 others injured when a massive accidental blast took part inside the Nowgam police station when police personnel including those from the forensic wing were sampling the explosive material.

“The identities of the people killed in this unfortunate accident will be shared after exact details are confirmed. The dead include a Naib Tehsildar (Executive Magistrate) and a local tailor. Some of the bodies have been completely burnt and this is taking time to identity the dead.

“The injured have been shifted to the Army’s base hospital in Badami Bagh area and other hospitals for treatment”, official sources said.

Same sources said that the explosive material that went off was seized during the raid in Faridabad when the white collar terror module was busted.

DGP J&K, Nalin Prabhat accompanied by senior police officers went to Nowgam police station for an on spot assessment of the situation.

The blast that occurred inside Nowgam police station was so massive that it shattered the glass of buildings around and the sound of the blast was heard in areas 5-10 Kms away from Nowgam area.

A number of vehicles parked inside the police station caught fire due to the massive explosion and fire tenders were pressed into service to douse the flames.

Ambulances rushed to the police station to evacuate the injured policemen to the hospital.

It must be mentioned that 2,900 Kg ammonium nitrate was recovered by J&K Police when it busted the white collar terror module in Faridabad in coordination with the Haryana Police.

During the raid on Dr. Muzammil Ganaie in Faridabad, 300 Kg of the same explosive material was recovered.

While Dr. Adil Rather and Dr Muzammil Ganaie were arrested, third terror accomplice, Dr Umar Nabi had evaded arrest.

He was later killed in a car blast near the Red Fort, in which several civilians were killed and many others were injured.

A lady doctor from Lucknow, Shaheen Shahid was also arrested after an assault rifle was recovered from her car. The arrest of two Over Ground Workers (OGWs) of Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) terror outfit led to the busting of the terror module.

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National News

Central Railway Mazdoor Sangh Threatens Work-To-Rule Agitation As FIR On Union Leaders Sparks Tension, Risking Fresh Service Delays

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Mumbai: The Central Railway Mazdoor Sangh (CRMS) has warned of a potential ‘work-to-rule’ agitation by motormen in response to an FIR filed by the Government Railway Police (GRP) against two of its leaders, Vivek Shisodia and SK Dubey, along with several other unidentified union members.

The FIR was filed for unlawful assembly for a flash strike by motormen on November 6. This disrupted local train services for nearly an hour, causing significant inconvenience to commuters and resulting in heavy crowds at key stations, including Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).

Under the threatened ‘work-to-rule’ agitation, motormen would carry out only their routine duties, refusing any additional responsibilities. Given that over 20% of posts of CR motormen are currently vacant in the Mumbai division, even a partial slowdown could severely affect local train operations.

Sources indicate that the administration is attempting to defuse the protest by employing a divide-and-conquer strategy. Efforts are reportedly underway to keep members of other unions – including NRMU and Rail Kamgar Sena – away from the protest, which could limit its overall impact.

However, insiders suggest that motormen are largely united, especially as Shisodia, one of the accused leaders, is himself a motorman. This solidarity increases the likelihood that any agitation by CRMS could be effective. If implemented, the action could once again disrupt services and put pressure on the authorities to address the unions’ concerns.

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Business

Stock markets end week on a strong note as NDA secures landmark win in Bihar

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Mumbai, Nov 15: Indian equity markets ended the week on a strong note, with benchmark indices gaining on the resolution of the US government shutdown, supported by strong domestic fundamentals, better-than-expected Q2 earnings, easing inflation and NDA’s historic victory in Bihar, according to analysts.

Record-low October inflation reinforced expectations of an RBI rate cut, adding momentum to domestic equities.

According to Vinod Nair, Head of Research, Geojit Investments Limited, sectoral momentum was broad-based, led by gains in IT, Pharma, healthcare and Auto stocks.

“Toward the week’s close, the NDA’s Bihar election victory bolstered investor confidence, but fading expectations of a U.S. Fed rate cut triggered profit booking in IT stocks, tempering their earlier gains,” he mentioned.

The indices remained under pressure for most of the session on Friday, oscillating between losses and brief recoveries, before a strong late-afternoon rebound pushed them into the green.

Volatility picked up as markets tracked the Bihar election outcome, the day’s key trigger.

Sentiment was also weighed down by weak global cues after Wall Street fell sharply overnight, led by declines in Nvidia and other tech majors as investors dialled back hopes of near-term rate cuts amid lingering inflation worries, according to a note by Bajaj Broking Research.

At close, the Sensex ended 84 points or 0.1 per cent higher at 84,563, while the Nifty finished 31 points up at 25,910. Sectoral trends were mixed, with PSU banks leading gains at 1.17 per cent, followed by firm moves in pharma and FMCG.

Energy and infrastructure saw mild upticks. On the downside, IT declined 1.03 per cent, while auto, metal, and realty ended lower.

Among the broader market space, Nifty Small-cap 100 rose 0.38 per cent, while the Midcap 100 gained 0.08 per cent.

According to analysts, Nifty on the weekly chart has formed a strong bull candle with a higher high and a higher low signaling pullback after two weeks of corrective decline, “in line with our expectations from the key support area of 25,400-25,300”.

Going ahead, bias continues to remain positive and a follow through strength above last month high of 26,100 will open upside towards the previous all-time high of 26,277 in the coming week.

Looking ahead, market direction will hinge on key macro triggers such as India’s PMI data, US jobless claims, FOMC minutes and progress on US–India trade negotiations.

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