Led by factors such as urbanisation and employment opportunities, 22.2 million units of housing will be required in urban centres in the country…reports Asian Lite News
India’s affordable housing market is projected to reach Rs 67 lakh crore by 2030, with cumulative demand likely to be 31.2 million units, a report showed on Wednesday.
The existing shortage as well as upcoming demand for the affordable housing segment in India is estimated to be 30.7 mn units by 2030 and the opportunity to finance these units is calculated to be Rs 44 lakh crore, according to the report by Knight Frank India and CII.
Led by factors such as urbanisation and employment opportunities, 22.2 million units of housing will be required in urban centres in the country. Almost 95.2 per cent of this demand, equivalent to 21.1 million units, will be concentrated in the affordable housing segment, the report mentioned.
A predominant share of 45.8 per cent of the demand will be concentrated among the economically weaker section (EWS) households as there is already an existing shortage of 10.1 million units.
The current portfolio of the affordable housing loan market in India is estimated to be Rs 13 lakh crore, with Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) constituting Rs 6.9 lakh crore and Scheduled Commercial Banks (SCBs) holding a share of Rs 6.2 lakh crore.
“As urbanisation accelerates and income levels rise, affordable housing is positioned to play a pivotal role in shaping the country’s real estate landscape,” Knight Frank India Chairman and Managing Director, Shishir Baijal, said.
Addressing this demand will require innovative strategies, including public-private partnerships, policy interventions, and advancements in construction technologies, making affordable housing not just a social imperative but also a critical driver of economic growth, he added.
The loan market in this category is anticipated to experience significant expansion due to the escalating potential demand for affordable housing.
The reliance on loans is notably high in the affordable housing segment as compared to premium in India.
Based on an assumption of a 77 per cent loan dependency and loan-to-value (LTV) ratios applied at various loan thresholds, the potential financing opportunity for banks and Housing Finance Companies (HFCs) in the affordable housing segment is estimated to be Rs 45 lakh crore, said the report.
India has now won this tournament for a record five times, including their previous triumphs in 2023, 2015, 2008 and 2004…reports Asian Lite News
Araijeet Singh Hundal was the star performer with four goals as the Indian junior men’s hockey team defeated archrivals Pakistan 5-3 in a high-scoring final of the Men’s Junior Asia Cup to successfully defend their title, bagging a record fifth crown in the history of the competition here on Wednesday.
Araijeet Singh Hundal was in top form and scored in the 4th, 18th, 47th and 54th minutes for India and Dilraj Singh (19’) contributed a goal to join him on the scoresheet. Captain Shahid Hannan (3’) and Sufyan Khan (30’, 39’) did their utmost to keep Pakistan in the tie for the majority of the game but their efforts eventually proved futile.
India has now won this tournament for a record five times, including their previous triumphs in 2023, 2015, 2008 and 2004. Hockey India, on this occasion, announced a cash reward of 2 lakh to each player and 1 lakh to each support staff for their impeccable title defence and dominating performances in the Men’s Junior Asia Cup.
While India were settling into the game, Pakistan’s captain Shahid Hannan pounced on a stray ball in the shooting circle and beat Bikramjeet Singh in a one-on-one to steal a goal for Pakistan.
India responded immediately by earning a penalty corner and Araijeet Singh Hundal unleashed a powerful drag flick to the right top corner to restore parity. Both teams went on to trade circle entries without finding the back of the net till the end of the first quarter.
Within three minutes of the second quarter, India were awarded another penalty corner and Araijeet stepped up again, finding the gap between Pakistan’s goalkeeper Muhammad Janjua and the postman with a thunderous drag flick to give India the lead. Following this, the Indian forwards relentlessly pressured Pakistan’s defence.
Soon, Dilraj weaved past two defenders on the left wing and struck the board, extending India’s lead to 3-1. Although Pakistan mounted occasional attacks on the Indian goal and earned a penalty corner as the first half came to a close, Sufyan Khan showcased his drag-flicking skills, beating Bikramjit Singh in goal to make it 3-2.
Araijeet created two chances in quick succession as the third quarter began but Pakistan’s goalkeeper Muhammad Janjua pulled out amazing saves on both occasions to keep Pakistan in the match. Both teams went back and forth until Sufyan Khan, with six minutes left in the quarter, flicked the ball into the Indian goal from a penalty corner and ensured Pakistan headed into the last quarter, level on score.
As soon as the last quarter began, India seized the initiative. Manmeet Singh skillfully manoeuvred past his marker and found an unmarked Araijeet in front of the goal, who deflected the ball into the goal to restore India’s lead and complete his hat-trick.
With ten minutes to go, Zikriya Hayat embarked on a counter-attack, but Indian goalie Prince Deep Singh rushed out to avert any further danger. With six minutes left in the game, India earned a penalty corner and employed a variation to free up Araijeet, who smashed the ball into the top right corner with his flick, making it 5-3 for India.
As the game headed to a close, Hannan Shahid carved out a significant goal-scoring opportunity, but Prince Deep stood firm in goal, swatting away the attempt and sealing India’s victory.
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the FBI on Tuesday called on US telecommunication companies and their customers to take more precautions…reports Asian Lite News
Chinese hackers have been accused of compromising US telecommunications systems and engaging in espionage on American presidential campaigns, with US officials warning that it may take years before the hackers are removed from the network, VOA News reported.
The US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the FBI on Tuesday called on US telecommunication companies and their customers to take more precautions, stressing the breach might go deeper than first thought.
Speaking at a briefing with reporters, Jeff Greene, CISA’s executive assistant director for cybersecurity, said, “We cannot say with certainty that the adversary has been evicted because we still don’t know the scope of what they’re doing.”
Greene said, “We cannot with confidence say that we know everything, nor would our partners,” adding that, “We’re still trying to understand.”
A senior FBI official also discussed breach investigation. The official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity said, “Understanding the scope of the adversary activity through our investigations, in a situation of this magnitude, is measured in years,” according to VOA News report.
The official further warned, “As more comes to light they change their TTPs [tactics, techniques and procedures] and their approach.” The official said, “They may go dormant for a while to lower their profile.”
The breach, first revealed in October, is attributed to Salt Typhoon, a Chinese-linked cyber gang suspected of targeting communications networks to spy on the presidential campaigns of both US President-elect Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger, Vice President Kamala Harris. The hackers have reportedly adapted their tactics as more details about their activities have surfaced, complicating the ongoing investigation.
According to the VOA, both CISA and the FBI emphasized the uncertainty surrounding the long-term impact of the breach. The FBI official warned that fully understanding the scope of the hackers’ operations could take years due to the complexity and scale of the intrusion.
China has repeatedly rejected the US allegations. With regards to the latest US allegations, Liu Pengyu, the spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, in an email to VOA News said, “For quite some time, the US side has patched up all sorts of disinformation about threats of ‘Chinese hackers’ to serve its own geopolitical purposes.”
Liu said China opposes and combats all kinds of cyber attacks and called on US to stop its cyberattacks against other nations. Liu said, “The US needs to stop its own cyberattacks against other countries and refrain from using cyber security to smear and slander China.”
Despite China’s denial, US officials have said that the Chinese breach is more than initially thought, affected telecommunication firms around the world, and that it seems to be part of a larger Chinese government effort to collect information about adversaries around the world, according to VOA News report.
The senior FBI official said, “Certainly, the way they went about it was very, very specific,” noting the focus on telecommunications infrastructure and internet service providers. The official said, “But it fits into the cyber espionage bucket to really inform global goals for the Chinese.”
The CISA and the FBI did not mention the number of telecommunication companies or countries who have been affected. According to the agencies, the Chinese efforts in the US fall into three categories: individual communications, call record of customers and US law enforcement requests pursuant to court orders. (ANI)
Nepal’s Ministry of Defence said, “Chief of the Army Staff, Nepali Army, General Ashok Raj Sigdel is scheduled to visit India from 11th December to 14th December 2024″…reports Asian Lite News
Nepali Army Chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel is scheduled to visit India from December 11 to December 14, Nepal’s Ministry of Defence announced on Wednesday.
In a press statement, the Nepal’s Ministry of Defence said, “Chief of the Army Staff, Nepali Army, General Ashok Raj Sigdel is scheduled to visit India from 11th December to 14th December 2024”.
The press statement also noted, “During his visit, General Sigdel will be conferred upon the rank of Honorary General of the Indian Army by Her Excellency, the President of the Republic of India. He is scheduled to have official call on with higher authorities of India during his visit.”.
“General Sigdel will also participate in the passing out parade of Officer Cadets at Indian Military Academy (in Dehradun) as a Reviewing Officer”, the statement said.
During his visit, General Sigdel is expected to meet top Indian leaders, including President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
The visit by Nepal’s Chief of the Army Staff comes days after the Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi visited Nepal from November 20 to November 24, upon the invitation of Nepal’s Army Chief Sigdel.
General Dwivedi was conferred the honorary rank of General of the Nepali Army by the President of Nepal during his visit.
The practice follows a seven-decade-old tradition of conferring Army Chiefs of each other’s country with the honorary title. Commander-in-Chief General KM Cariappa was the first Indian Army Chief to be decorated with the title in 1950.
General Dwivedi visited key locations during his stay and met President Ramchandra Paudel, Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, and CoAS Sigdel. The tradition of exchanging honorary General insignia between Nepal and India has been ongoing since the beginning of the establishment of both armies.
The strong relations between Nepal and the Indian Army have been further cemented via the Gurkha Regiment. Currently, over 30,000 Gurkha soldiers from Nepal are serving in the Indian Army.
These bonds of friendship are also strengthened by regular exchanges at high levels between India and Nepal.
These frequent high-level visits and exchanges have added momentum to the bilateral partnerships, and helped the leadership to review at regular intervals the entire gamut of the relation. (ANI)
Putin emphasised the relevance of Russia’s import substitution program in the context of BRICS’s shift for the growth of SMEs…reports Asian Lite News
Russian President Vladimir Putin lauded the Indian government and its leadership for its efforts in creating “stable conditions” for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), highlighting India’s economic initiatives, particularly the “Make in India” initiative led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing the VTB Investment Forum in Moscow on Wednesday, Putin drew similarities between Russia’s import substitution program to India’s “Make in India” initiative and expressed Russia’s readiness to establish manufacturing operations in India. Putin also noted that India’s leadership focused on a policy of prioritizing its interests.
“Prime Minister Modi has a similar program called Make in India. We are also ready to place our manufacturing site in India… The Prime Minister of India and the Government of India have been creating stable conditions and this is because the Indian leadership has been pursuing India comes first policy and we believe that investments in India are profitable,” the Russian President said.
Putin also emphasised the relevance of Russia’s import substitution program in the context of BRICS’s shift for the growth of SMEs and the need for a fast dispute redressal forum for the comfortable dealing of SMEs in BRICS+ countries.
He noted the emergence of new Russian brands that are replacing Western brands that have exited the market and pointed out the success of local Russian manufacturers in sectors such as consumer goods, IT, high-tech, and agriculture.
“For us, it has special relevance as part of the import substitution program, we advent of new Russian brands entering our market, which are replacing the brands by Western partners who have voluntarily left our market. And our local manufacturers have been quite successful not only in consumer goods but also in IT and high tech,” he said.
“In agriculture, the number of our manufacturers and producers keeps growing. In 1988, the Soviet Union imported grain for USD 35 billion, and last year, we exported grain to the tune of USD 66 billion, and this is largely the merit of our farmers and producers. And in all these sectors of the Russian Federation, including high-tech ones, there is an acute need to expand opportunities to sell and export products,” Putin said.
Putin further called for enhanced collaboration among BRICS nations for the growth of SMEs and called on the member nations to assess key areas for collaboration during the upcoming summit in Brazil next year.
“I would ask colleagues of the BRICS corporation to analyse the situation on the main areas of cooperation, and we will definitely draw the attention of Brazilian colleagues who will chair BRICS next year,” he added. (ANI)
Both nations also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and agreed to hold the next round of IOSCG in Muscat on a mutually convenient date…reports Asian Lite News
India and Oman on Tuesday reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral relations between the two nations during the 13th round of the India-Oman Strategic Consultative Group (IOSCG) meeting.
The meeting was co-chaired by Secretary Arun Kumar Chatterjee of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) and Undersecretary for Political Affairs in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Oman, Sheikh Khalifa Alharthy.
According to a press release by the MEA, the meeting had discussions ranging from political and strategic cooperation, trade and investment, energy, maritime and defence partnership, digital collaboration, cultural exchange, and people-to-people ties. Both nations also exchanged views on regional and international issues of mutual interest and agreed to hold the next round of IOSCG in Muscat on a mutually convenient date.
Sheikh Khalifa Alharthy also paid a courtesy call on External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar.
The EAM highlighted the strength of India-Oman relations during his meeting with Khalifa Alharthy, noting the wide range of cooperation and new opportunities between the two nations in trade, investments, technology, and space.
“Glad to receive Khalifa Alharthy, Under Secretary for Political Affairs of Oman, today. Noted our wide-ranging cooperation and new opportunities in trade, investments, technology, and space,” Jaishankar remarked on X.
The Sultanate of Oman is a key strategic partner for India in the Gulf and an important interlocutor within regional organisations like the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), Arab League, and Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). Bilateral relations are underpinned by deep historical, cultural, and geographical ties. People-to-people connections date back 5,000 years, while formal diplomatic relations began in 1955. These ties were elevated to a strategic partnership in 2008, reflecting the growing depth of political and economic engagement.
India and Oman share warm and friendly relations, underpinned by historical and cultural linkages, strong people-to-people ties, and a robust strategic partnership. The 13th IOSCG meeting further strengthened the relationship, providing an opportunity for both nations to review and expand bilateral cooperation in new areas for mutual benefit. (ANI)
Speaking about the outcomes of COP29 at a session, she said the conference, which was anticipated to focus on implementation, fell short of expectations. …reports Asian Lite News
Describing COP29 as one steeped in “semantics and not solutions”, a senior Indian official has called the proceedings a missed opportunity to mobilize meaningful climate finance for adaptation and mitigation efforts in developing nations.
Leena Nandan, Secretary of the Environment, Forest, and Climate Change Ministry, highlighted India’s strong stance during negotiations and its leadership role in articulating concerns of the developing world.
Speaking about the outcomes of COP29 at a session, she said the conference, which was anticipated to focus on implementation, fell short of expectations.
“This was to be an enabling COP, a COP which was going to be focused on the means of implementation and what is means of implementation other than funds and resources. And here it was that we found semantics and not solutions. We found rhetoric and not results. And that has been the biggest disappointment,” she said, adding that the sentiment was echoed across the Global South.
Nandan criticized the failure to meet financial commitments, pointing to the stark gap between the widely discussed goal of $1.3 trillion in annual funding and the finalized New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) of $300 billion by 2035.
“Where does that leave us? Precisely nowhere,” she said, emphasizing the dire need for adaptation funding to address challenges affecting billions globally.
A significant issue, Nandan noted, was the absence of a clear definition of climate finance, which allows developed nations to inflate their contributions.
“Without a definition, any claim about mobilized funds becomes unverifiable. The only monitoring the developed countries seem interested in is tracking mitigation levels, not the actual flow of concessional finance to developing nations,” she said.
India, she added, strongly opposed efforts to dilute the principle of CBDR, enshrined in the Paris Agreement, particularly through demands for uniform climate finance reporting by developing nations.
India also raised concerns about the shift in focus within the Mitigation Work Program (MWP). Originally designed to channel actions towards emission reductions, the MWP, Nandan argued, has been reduced to mere monitoring and tracking mechanisms, neglecting the critical issue of providing concessional or grant-based finance for mitigation.
Shyam Saran, former Special Envoy and Chief Negotiator on Climate Change, underscored the immense pressure India faced during negotiations.
“There’s this psychological warfare where India is often painted as standing in the way of international consensus. All we are asking is for developed nations to fulfill commitments they have already made,” he said.
Saran also highlighted the inequities in the global climate regime, noting that India’s developmental challenges, including energy poverty, make emission reductions a complex task.
“If we cap emissions to meet global targets, it will come at the cost of India’s development,” he added, criticizing the narrow focus on current emissions while ignoring historical contributions by developed nations.
India took a firm stand against the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), a trade measure seen as unfairly targeting developing nations. Nandan noted that the G77 and China supported India’s position, calling CBAM fundamentally inequitable.
The CM said the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, passed in 2021, has been quite successful in ensuring the slaughter of cattle…reports Asian Lite News
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday announced that the government has decided to ban serving and consumption of beef in any restaurant, hotel and public places across the state.
The CM said the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, passed in 2021, has been quite successful in ensuring the slaughter of cattle, and “now we have decided to stop the consumption of beef in public places.”
“We had passed the law on prohibition of cattle slaughter three years ago, and it was quite successful, so now, in Assam, we have decided that beef will not be served in any restaurant or hotel and also it will not be served in any public function or public place, so from today we have completely decided to stop the consumption of beef in hotels, restaurants and public places,” the Assam CM said.
The CM said that the earlier decision was to only restrict consumption of beef near temples, but now the government has expanded it to the whole state.
“Earlier our decision was to stop eating beef near temples but now we have expanded it to the entire state so you will not be able to eat it in any community place, public place, hotel or restaurant,” Sarma said.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Sherman Ali Ahmed attacked the state government and accused them of following the principles of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).
“The BJP party has been attacking our Constitution and constitutional mandates. The Indian Constitution has given freedom to every person of India to have their own source of food and their choice of dress. And it is not new. They are following the principles of RSS. From the very beginning, they have been against the Muslim population and also against the lower-caste Hindus, Christians and Buddhists. It is against our constitution and an attack on our constitution,” Congress MLA told ANI on Wednesday.
On Wednesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced that the government has decided to ban serving and consumption of beef in any restaurant, hotel and public places across the state.
The CM said the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, passed in 2021, has been quite successful in ensuring the slaughter of cattle, and “now we have decided to stop the consumption of beef in public places.”
“We had passed the law on prohibition of cattle slaughter three years ago, and it was quite successful, so now, in Assam, we have decided that beef will not be served in any restaurant or hotel and also it will not be served in any public function or public place, so from today we have completely decided to stop the consumption of beef in hotels, restaurants and public places,” the Assam CM said.
The CM said that the earlier decision was to only restrict consumption of beef near temples, but now the government has expanded it to the whole state.
“Earlier our decision was to stop eating beef near temples but now we have expanded it to the entire state so you will not be able to eat it in any community place, public place, hotel or restaurant,” Sarma said.
The Assam Chief Minister also said that the state’s cabinet expansion will take place on December 7. (ANI)
The Minister added that in 2023-24 alone, the website has marked around one crore visitors and more than two crore page views….reports Asian Lite News
Kerala Tourism Minister P.A. Mohammed Riyas on Wednesday launched the revamped website of Kerala Tourism offering more than 20 languages. The website of Kerala Tourism was last revamped in 2017.
Launching the updated website, www.keralatourism.org, Riyas said the user-friendly and interactive portal will showcase the immense possibilities of Kerala as a tourism destination which will be available in a novel way at the fingertips of tourists from any part of the world.
“In the tourism sector, Kerala is competing with countries like Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and Australia. So, we have to give a facelift to our activities by leveraging cutting-edge technology to showcase Kerala as a premium destination by providing all required information at the fingertip of tourists from any part of the world,” he noted.
The Minister added that in 2023-24 alone, the website has marked around one crore visitors and more than two crore page views.
The upgraded website, which is available in over 20 languages, is a comprehensive digital guide that features the state’s unique attractions, culture, heritage, and travel information.
Modern web applications like ReactJS and Python Flask have been used in the refurbished website. This will offer a seamless web browsing experience for users on various gadgets like computers, tablets and mobiles. A custom-built Content Management System (CMS) will manage content efficiently and deliver personalised user experiences. The revamped website also provides easy navigation to tourism-related topics and an improved multimedia playback for users. Apart from newly-added pages, the content has been created with SEO optimisation.
Other highlights of the website are high-resolution pictures with attractive videos and packages with new layouts. The interactive pages are equipped with riveting features like travel planner, live webcast, video quiz and e-newsletters. Through the user-generated content (UGC) facility on the web portal, travellers can share their stories from Kerala, photographs and videos. The other major features of the website include short video clips that give glimpses of Kerala, a video gallery with a collection of 360-degree videos and royalty-free videos, besides a picture gallery from where pictures can be used by tourism stakeholders.
The user-centric website gives info within three simple clicks and it brags of more than one lakh pages with high-resolution images and engaging videos. Launched in 1998, www.keralatourism.org has played a major role in promoting the tourism initiatives of the Department of Tourism. The website has bagged numerous national and global honours including the best among 10 tourism websites in Asia Pacific and the Middle East.
Earlier this morning, an assassination attempt was made on Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal at the Golden Temple premises in Amritsar. …reports Asian Lite News
Former Chief Minister of Punjab and Congress MP Charanjit Singh Channi condemned the assassination attempt at Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh Badal on Wednesday, calling it indicative of “failure of the Punjab government”.
“This is condemnable, this incident should not have happened… This is the failure of the current Punjab government, their immaturity is visible. It has become clear that they are not able to run the administration properly,” Channi said.
He said that such incidents are common in the state, with people getting extorted in villages and cities too.
“Such incidents keep happening in Punjab often, but because it happened with Sukhbir Singh Badal, now people are getting to know about it. People are being extorted in cities and villages, money is being collected by threatening them. There is no law and order in the state.
Earlier this morning, an assassination attempt was made on Shiromani Akali Dal leader Sukhbir Singh Badal at the Golden Temple premises in Amritsar.
Amritsar, Dec 04 (ANI): Shooter overpowered by people present on the spot after he opened fire on Former Punjab Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal at Golden Temple premises while offering ‘seva’ under the religious punishments pronounced for them by Sri Akal Takht Sahib, on 2nd December, in Amritsar on Wednesday. (ANI Photo)
Badal was doing ‘seva’ at the Golden Temple after being declared a ‘tankhaiya’ (guilty of religious misconduct) in August by Akal Takht, who announced religious punishment for him for the “mistakes” and “some decisions” taken by the SAD-led government in the state from 2007 to 2017.
The SAD leader was sitting at the entrance of the Golden Temple with a plaque card around his neck as part of the ‘tankhah’ (religious punishment).
According to sources, the attacker Narain Singh Chaura has been linked with radical organizations and was also on the radar of intelligence agencies ever since his return from Pakistan.
“Chaura was on the radar of Central intelligence agencies since he came out on bail in year 2018. The agencies kept Punjab Police updated about his movement and the activities he was involved in,” the official said
Narain Singh Chaura is a hardcore Pakistan returned terrorist and former head of Akal Federation and had authored books on guerrilla warfare and other seditious materials, according to sources.
“He was involved in smuggling of weapons and explosives into Punjab during the early years of militancy. He reportedly crossed into Pakistan in 1984 and remained there for several years before he returned to Punjab. During his stay in Pakistan, he was remotely in touch with radical organizations in Punjab and helping them,” said a senior official.
According to Amritsar Police, Chaura also had several cases registered against him.
“There are several cases registered against him (Chaura), arms were recovered from him in the past, we will have to check records,” Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said.
Chaura’s wife, Jasmeet Kaur condemned her husband’s action.
She stated that her husband had informed her he was attending a “death anniversary programme” in Amritsar. “I didn’t know what had happened until reporters came knocking at my door. Earlier, he had been lodged in jails in Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Gurdaspur,” Kaur told reporters. “I don’t think what he did was right,” Kaur added.
Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) of Punjab Police, Jasbir Singh recounted the assassination attempt describing how the police acted swiftly to thwart the attack.
Singh explained that despite instructions not to frisk or stop anyone, he identified the alleged attacker and took immediate action.
“When he (Narain Singh Chaura) came there, I was standing alert. Looking at him, everything became clear… He was rounded up, his pistol taken away, and he was arrested,” Singh said in a video released by the Aam Aadmi Party PRO.
Multiple political leaders condemned the attack on Badal, with the Congress claiming the Punjab government being negligent with security and Bharatiya Janata Party saying that the assassination attempt is “indicative of complete breakdown of law and order”.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann condemned the attack and ordered a thorough probe into the incident.
“It is an unfortunate incident. Due to the alertness of Punjab Police personnel, a big incident was averted. The accused was arrested on the spot. I am in touch with senior officials in the Police and the DGP. I have ordered them to conduct a thorough probe into the incident. Very soon, the motive behind the attack will be known. We will not allow such conspiracies which aim to defame the state to be successful.” Mann said.
However, Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) criticised both the Aam Aadmi Party and Congress for the attack on the party leader, stating that the situation in the state is spiralling out of control.
Party leader Bikram Singh Majithia questioned why Chaura had not been arrested earlier, particularly given the sensitive nature of the location.
He also criticised Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann for lapses in police deployment, pointing out that the accused had conducted reconnaissance of the Harmandir Sahib premises on December 3.
“It has come to light that the accused, Narain Singh Chaura, conducted a reconnaissance of Harmandir Sahib on December 3. Why was he not arrested earlier? What kind of police deployment is this? And you are praising the police? What shamelessness is this, Bhagwant Mann?” he said.
Amritsar MP and Congress leader Gurjeet Singh Aujla strongly condemned the attack.
“This is highly condemnable and wrong. This should not have happened…it is the premises of Darbar Sahib. Nobody has the right to take law into their hand. The incident happening there is absolutely wrong,” Aujla said.
Bharatiya Janata Party National General Secretary Tarun Chugh called the incident underscoring “complete breakdown of law and order” under the Bhagwant Mann-led government.
Chugh claimed that the incident revealed the “unchecked operations of violent elements” in the state. “If a person with Z-category security can be attacked, what safety can a common man expect in Punjab?” he questioned.
“In a sensitive border state like Punjab, where security should be a top priority, Maan has failed the people of Punjab on all fronts, he said. (ANI)
