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Rahul slams Modi’s ‘insensitive’ remark on Manipur tragedy

Slamming the Prime Minister, the Congress leader said, “Manipur is burning for months, people are being killed and women raped and children are getting killed.”…reports Asian Lite News

 Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants to burn Manipur and he is not trying to douse the fire.

He also said that the Indian Army can stop the violence in the northeastern state in two days.

His remarks came a day after the Prime Minister spoke on the no-confidence option in Lok Sabha and also spoke on Manipur.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters here, former Congress president Rahul Gandhi said, “Yesterday PM in Parliament spoke for over 2 hours and 13 minutes and in last, for 2 minutes, he spoke on Manipur.”

Slamming the Prime Minister, the Congress leader said, “Manipur is burning for months, people are being killed and women raped and children are getting killed.”

Targeting the Prime Minister, Rahul Gandhi, who is a Lok Sanha MP from Kerala’s Wayanad said: “Prime Minister Modi was speaking in Lok Sabha while laughing. It does not suit him. The Prime Minister of India should not have made the joke. I was not the subject, not the Congress but was Manipur. And what is happening in Manopuur and why it is not being stopped was the subject.”

Rahul Gandhi said that he has been in politics for last 19 years and visited all states whether during floods, tsunami, or violence.

“What I have seen in Manipur, have not seen such thing in last 19 years,” the Congress leader said.

Referring to his statement in Lok Sabha on no-confidence when he said that Bharat Mata has been murdered in Manipur, Rahul Gandhi said, “I said that Prime Minister Modi killed India in Manipur and these are not hollow words.”

He also said that when he reached Manipur and had to visit the people was asked to remove the Kuki or Meitei people from my security detail.

He said, “Today a state has been murdered. The state has been divided. Thus I said BJP has murdered India in Manipur.”

“When Modiji was laughing I thought how a Prime Minister can say like this. He cannot go there. He cannot go, but he should speak on Manipur. Indian Army can stop the violence in Manipur in 2 days.”

Rahul Gandhi alleged, “The Prime Minister wants to burn Manipur and does not want to douse the fire.”

On Thursday, Modi in his over two hours long speech he gave an assurance that peace will prevail in Manipur and that it will march forward on the path of development.

The BJP-ruled state government in Manipur has been trying to resolve the situation prevailing there for the past six years and the efforts will continue in the future too, Modi said.

“The entire country and the House is with Manipur. We will together ensure peace there,”  Modi said.

However he said that all efforts to ensure peace in the state should be free of politics.

ALSO READ-Rahul Gandhi’s Lok Sabha membership restored

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‘Can’t abandon victims of Bhopal gas tragedy’, SC told

The AG said there are various challenges in reopening this matter, but we cannot abandon the victims, because the tragedy is unfolding every day…reports Asian Lite News

The Centre on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that it is keen to pursue its curative petition seeking enhancement of compensation to Bhopal gas tragedy victims — over the $470 million, which has already been paid by Union Carbide.

Attorney General (AG) R. Venkataramani submitted before a five-judge bench headed by Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul that it is a tragedy unfolding everyday and victims can’t be abandoned.

Advocate Karuna Nundy, representing the victims, contended that the victims have to be given an opportunity to give a representation before the court comes to a conclusion in the matter and appreciated the AG’s heartening statement.

The AG said there are various challenges in reopening this matter, but we cannot abandon the victims, because the tragedy is unfolding every day. He added that the government wants to proceed and he has gone through considerable literature on the reopening of settlement. The AG said he will be able to place a note. Nundy said first there is the civil aspect, and then there is the criminal aspect and the matter must be investigated.

The Union Carbide Corporation’s counsel questioned the locus standi of NGOs. The bench — also comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna, A.S. Oka, Vikram Nath, and J.K. Maheshwari — noted that a review was not filed then and a curative petition was filed after a gap of 19 years, and asked the victims’ counsel, in what capacity they will be heard?

The bench, in its order, noted that the AG has taken a stand before the court that the government would like to press its curative petition and a number of NGOs would like to be impleaded, however, counsel for respondent has questioned the maintainability.

The bench said a compilation needs to be prepared by the AG and the company, and it did not allow the counsel representing the victims to file any pleadings. However, the top court clarified that it did not foreclose their rights to be heard by it. The top court has scheduled the hearing after eight weeks and sought a joint compilation by then.

In the previous hearing, senior advocate Sanjay Parikh, representing the victims, said that over the years, the tragedy’s intensity has increased fivefold — deaths, the number of victims, and the extent of injuries.

On September 20, the Supreme Court asked the Centre’s counsel to get instructions whether it wants to pursue its curative petition seeking enhancement of compensation to Bhopal gas tragedy victims – over the $470 million, which has already been paid by Union Carbide.

In 2011, a five-judge bench of the top court had issued notice to the Union Carbide Corporation, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Dow Chemicals Co., US.

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Amarnath tragedy could have been averted

IMD’s Upper Air Instrumentation Division is working on giving the final touches and currently the testing is going on…reports Asian Lite News

More than two years after the announcement, Doppler radar at Banihal in Union Territory (UT) of Jammu & Kashmir is still not functional. It is a crucial missing link that could have helped avert the tragic deaths of over a dozen people at Amarnath Shrine in the UT on Friday.

At least 15 people were killed, and several others suspected to be washed away at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath on Friday evening due to a flash flood from heavy rainfall.

The IMD had forecast only ‘very light rain’ and later said that such localised high rainfall events occur regularly even when authorities term it as an event of cloudburst. The Yatra has been suspended temporarily in wake of the chaos and persisting bad weather conditions.

A Doppler radar is an important tool that gives the India Meteorological Department (IMD) a more accurate assessment of the clouds and rainfall in the given range of the radar, 100 km in case at Banihal.

At Banihal, this Doppler radar is an X-band radar to be installed at a high point to get clearer access to the atmospheric changes in the hilly terrain. The location is under the Defence Geoinformatics Research Establishment (DGRE), that too at a high altitude, away from any village. “That is the reason, there are accessibility issues too. Also, it may have been announced earlier, but the procurement procedure is a lengthy process. It takes time,” said a scientist from IMD.

The radar is slated to cover the entire Pir Panjal range and once functional, would also be helpful in predicting better weather forecast for the 270 km Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the main road used by Amarnath Yatris.

IMD’s Upper Air Instrumentation Division is working on giving the final touches and currently the testing is going on.

IMD’s Director General (Meteorology) Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said, “the work is going on.”

The IMD has automatic weather stations (AWS) all along the Yatra route, both from Pahalgam side and the Baltal side. However, they only give data for realised weather, i.e., for what has happened, light rain, thundershower, heavy rain, or snow fall etc. That data is useful in the long term.

Data from the Doppler radar, as it gives a real time assessment, is helpful for the local administration and the disaster management personnel, especially so for the hilly terrain, as the advance information about the ensuing extreme weather event can prevent fatalities.

“The Radar is already installed and will be made operational this coming week, if all goes well,” said Sonam Lotus, who heads the Regional Meteorological Centre at Srinagar that looks after the UTs of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh.

Yatra resumes after halt

Amarnath Yatra, which was partially suspended after a cloudburst incident near the holy cave, resumed on Monday morning.

A fresh batch of Amarnath pilgrims has started to move from the Jammu base camp.

“We are filled with energy and will not go back without the ‘darshan’ of Baba. We have full faith in Bhole Baba and are waiting for the darshan of Baba. We are happy that the Yatra has resumed. CRPF and other personnel have guided us to move ahead safely,” said the pilgrims.

Amarnath Yatra, which was partially suspended after a cloudburst incident, will resume on Monday from the Nunwan Pahalgam side, informed the Shri Amarnath Ji Shrine Board on Sunday.

The pilgrims were waiting at the Baltal Base camp for the yatra to recommence.

The Indian Army on Sunday inducted radars to trace survivors under the debris which was laid after a cloudburst struck the area near the holy shrine of Amarnath on Friday.

“Xaver 4000 radar has been inducted and has been operational at Amarnath since late noon for finding any survivors under the debris,” said Indian Army officials.

Earlier, Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha on Sunday visited a base camp in Pahalgam and met pilgrims.

“The security personnel and administration have carried out an efficient rescue operation. We pay condolences to those who lost their lives. Efforts are underway to resume the Yatra along with repairing the path. Pilgrims should come, we will provide them with all facilities,” Sinha assured.

Earlier, Lieutenant Governor (LG) of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha on Sunday visited a base camp in Pahalgam and met pilgrims.

“The security personnel and administration have carried out an efficient rescue operation. We pay condolences to those who lost their lives. Efforts are underway to resume the Yatra along with repairing the path. Pilgrims should come, we will provide them with all facilities,” Sinha assured.

ALSO READ-Pilgrims leave Baltal base camp to begin Amarnath Yatra