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Wrestler Bajrang Punia Returns His Padma Shri As A Mark Of Protest; Keeps It On The Footpath

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A day after Sakshi Malik decided to retire from professional wrestling due to the appointment of Brij Bhushan Singh’s close aide Sanjay Singh as the Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) Chief, fellow wrestler Bajrang Punia has taken another drastic step. Punia took to his official handle on X, writing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi about his desire to return his Padma Shri award.

A video surfaced on X (formerly Twitter) of Punia keeping his Padma Shri on the footpath outside of PM’s residence, having been surrounded by police officials and media personnel. The police officials seemed to be requesting him not to return his award, but the 29-year-old was likely adamant on doing it.

“Our protest site was vandalized” – Bajrang Punia

Punia took to X and recalled the events when they started protesting and how the authorities stopped them from doing it by destroying their site.

“Dear Prime Minister ji, hope your health is well. You must be busy in many work but I am writing this to draw your attention to what is happening to the wrestlers of the country. You must be aware that the women wrestlers of the country started a protest in January this year against Brij Bhushan Singh, accusing him of sexual harassment. I too had joined their protest. The protest stopped after the government promised strong action.”

“Our protest went on for 40 days. There was much pressure on us during those days. Our protest site was vandalized and we were also not allowed to protest any more. We did not know what to do next so we went to immerse our medals in the Ganga. Then we were stopped by the farmer leaders and coaches.”

The Haryana-born wrestler acknowledged government’s awards to them since several years, but also admitted that mistreatment of women have left him gutted. Hence, Punia has decided to relinquish it.

“The government has given us a lot. I was conferred with the Padma Shri in 2019. I also received the Arjuna, Khel Ratna award. When I got these awards, I was on cloud nine. But today the sadness weighs more. And the reason is a woman wrestler left the sport because of her security.”

“Sports have empowered our women athletes and changed their lives but the situation is such that the women who could have been the brand ambassadors of beti bachao, beti padhao are now leaving the sport. And we, the wrestlers who were ‘awarded’ could not do anything. I can’t live my life as a Padma Shri awardee while our women wrestlers are insulted. Hence I return this award to you,” he wrote.

Sanjay, who is also the UP Wrestling Association vice-president, was crowned as the new chief of WFI as panel emerged victorious, winning 13 out of 15 posts in the polls. 2010 CWG Gold medalist Anita Sheron also contested the election, but Singh received 40 votes, with the former receiving only 7. Brij Bhushan reacted to the massive development, hoping to have the wrestling events resume across the country.

Teary-eyed Sakshi Malik desired for a woman WFI chief:

Hours after Sanjay Singh emerged as the winner of the elections, Malik resigned and lamented the lack of woman as WFI’s chief. She said during a press conference:”If the president would be a woman, harassment would not happen. But, there was no participation of women earlier and today you can see the list, not even a single woman was given a position. We had fought with complete strength but this fight will continue. The wrestlers of the new generation have to fight.”

Crime

Tripura: Police Seize 44 Kg Of Drugs Worth Rs 2.52 Lakh At Agartala Railway Station

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Agartala (Tripura): Agartala Government Railway (GRP) Police seized 44 kg of drugs worth Rs 2.52 lakhs at Agartala Railway Station, railway police said on Tuesday.

About The Seizure

Acting on a tip-off, police on Tuesday conducted a search near the 13th rail track on the Agartala to Jirania route, near Agartala Railway Station. During the operation, authorities recovered 44 kg of dried cannabis from bushes alongside the tracks. The narcotics were allegedly being smuggled out of the state via train.

According to the police, the seized cannabis has an estimated market value of approximately Rs 2.52 lakhs. The Agartala GRP (Government Railway Police) station has launched an investigation to identify the individuals responsible for this illegal consignment. Further action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation.

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National News

Atishi Likely To Address First House Session As Delhi Chief Minister On September 26 And 27

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Delhi: Aam Admi Party leader and the successor of Arvind Kejriwal as the Chief Minister of Delhi, Atishi Marlena Singh, will likely address her first session as the head of the Delhi assembly next Thursday, September 26. The Delhi government has announced a two-day special session on September 26 and 27, as reported by party officials.

Atishi Takes Over After Kejriwal As Delhi CM

The choice to convene a special session aligns with Arvind Kejriwal stepping down as the chief minister and CM-designate Atishi asserting her right to govern. A senior party member mentioned that the meeting’s agenda is still undecided.

When Will Atishi Take Oath As Delhi’s New CM?

Atishi Marlena, the newly appointed Chief Minister of Delhi, has not yet been sworn in. Although the dates haven’t officially been announced yet, as per a few reports, the oath-taking ceremony is scheduled to occur before the Delhi Assembly session. The Speaker’s Office has announced that the Delhi Assembly session is scheduled for September 26 and 27.

Atishi To Address House

Atishi is scheduled to address the house on the challenges confronting Delhi and to assure the path forward. The member stated that it is uncertain if the oath-taking ceremony will be finished by then, as it will rely on the dates given by LG VK Saxena after approval from the President.

SK Sharma, a constitutional expert and a former secretary to the Lok Sabha and the Delhi assembly, said, “The power to appoint minister and chief minister is with the President. The head of legislative group has laid stake to power. Since AAP has brute majority, there should be no hurdle.”

“A date for oath-taking ceremony needs to be fixed, which is at the discretion of the President and LG.” Sharma said.

“Atishi will be speaking at the house on issues being faced by Delhi and the way ahead. It is not yet clear whether the oath-taking ceremony would be complete by then, as it will depend on the dates provided by LG VK Saxena after concurrence from the President,”

Assembly Sessions

Throughout the course of a year, there are typically three significant assembly sessions conducted, namely the budget session, monsoon session, and winter session. However, there have been occasions where the legislative assembly has convened more than three sessions to address the urgent matters presented by the government. There must also not be a gap longer than six months between two sessions.

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National News

Aligarh Police Sub-Inspector Sits On Railway Tracks To End Life After Alleged Harassment By Judge, Saved by Cops

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Vigilant police officers saved Sub-Inspector Sachin Kumar’s life as he attempted suicide by sitting on railway tracks in Uttar Pradesh’s Aligarh, allegedly due to harassment by Judge Abhishek Tripathi. Judge Tripathi has yet to respond to the allegations.

A video of the incident has surfaced on social media, showing several policemen approaching Kumar while he was sitting on the tracks. They are seen lifting him up and reassuring him, with one officer saying, “What happened? It’s okay. Stand up.” Kumar responded, “No sir, I don’t want to listen to anything.”

In the video, Kumar explains that the judge had repeatedly summoned him to his chamber, verbally abused him, and threatened him. Despite this, his colleagues managed to persuade him to leave the tracks.

According to reports, Kumar had recently arrested five individuals for bike theft and presented them in court. However, Judge Tripathi accused him of detaining innocent people and misbehaving. Distressed by these accusations, Kumar attempted to take his own life.

The police are investigating the incident to clarify the circumstances and address the concerns raised.

4 dead, 6 injured in explosion at firecracker factory in Firozabad

Meanwhile, in a separate incident, four people have died and six people who were injured are undergoing treatment after an explosion occurred at a firecracker factory in Firozabad’s Naushera on Tuesday, said senior police official on Tuesday.

The House has collapsed due to the explosion and several people are feared to be trapped under rubble, said police.

“In Shikohabad PS area, firecrackers were stored at a house and a blast occurred there. Due to the impact of the blast, the roof of a nearby house collapsed. Police took out 10 people from the debris…6 people are undergoing treatment at a hospital and 4 people have died…further rescue operation is still underway,”

Meanwhile, Firozabad District Magistrate Ramesh Ranjan said that the rescue operations are underway.

“Rescue team is present at the spot. District hospital and sub-district hospital, both are on high alert…team of doctors, ambulance, fire team, disaster team, all are present at the spot,” Firozabad District Magistrate Ramesh Ranjan said.

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