Congress-BJP having tacit deal: Kejriwal

April 29, 2014

Varanasi, April 29: The AAP convenor asked why Congress president Sonia Gandhi and BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had not campaigned in each other’s constituencies.

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Raking up both the snoopgate and Robert Vadra land deal controversies, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday accused both the Congress and the BJP of having a tacit pre-poll understanding and not taking any action against each other on the two issues.

He also asked why Congress president Sonia Gandhi and BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had not campaigned in each other’s constituencies.

Targeting the Gujarat Chief Minister, Mr. Kejriwal said, “Narendra Modi should clarify his stand on Vadra issue. If BJP is really serious on this issue, why BJP-led Rajasthan government doesn’t register an FIR against him.

“BJP and Congress have joined hands. They just pass comments against each other, but their party-led governments don’t take action against their ‘men’,” he told reporters here.

“If I could register an FIR against Sheila Dikshit and Mukesh Ambani, why BJP-led government cannot register an FIR against Vadra in the last four months in Rajasthan,” he asked.

Going on to target Congress, Mr. Kejriwal said, “If Congress-led UPA Government is really serious on Adani issue, so why doesn’t it ask CBI to probe his role. They (BJP and Congress) don’t do nothing, but only pass comments against each other.”

The AAP leader accused both the parties of having an understanding.

“It has been four months since probe in the snoopgate scandal was handed over to CBI. If CBI wanted, Mr. Modi would have been arrested. BJP and Congress have their deals,” he charged.

Referring to Mr. Modi’s remarks on the issue of taking action against Mr. Vadra, he charged, “There is an internal setting between Congress and BJP“.

Mr. Modi had recently said there will be no witch-hunt against Mr. Vadra.

Condemning the attack on his party volunteers here, he alleged that BJP “goons” were trying to create an environment of fear among the people of Varanasi and also among AAP supporters.

The former Delhi Chief Minister alleged that BJP workers were beating AAP supporters in different parts of Varanasi.

“Violence is not the culture of Varanasi. BJP is creating an atmosphere of terrorism in Varanasi. They (BJP) threaten AAP supporters. BJP workers also tore posters of AAP installed on autos,” he charged.

Mr. Kejriwal claimed that Mr. Modi will lose the elections from Varanasi seat so this is BJP’s ‘baukhalahat’ (restlessness) that they are resorting to such physical attacks.

“Earlier these attacks were confined to me but now BJP goons are targeting AAP supporters. If this is the kind of situation before elections then what will happen after elections if even by mistake Modi wins from here. Imagine what kind of situation will be there in Varanasi and this country,” he said.

“I want to tell them that we will not get scared by such attacks and fight for the country to save the culture of Varanasi and country,” he said.

He demanded that central forces be deployed in Rohania and Sevapuri constituencies of the city as people in villages might be “stopped from voting“.

“It’s the feedback that we have got from villages in both these constituencies,” said Mr. Kejriwal.

He also said that if need be, central forces must be deployed in the rest of the city so that people can go to vote freely and free from any fear of BJP.

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News Network
December 6,2025

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New Delhi: IndiGo, India’s largest airline, faced major operational turbulence this week after failing to prepare for new pilot-fatigue regulations issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The stricter rules—designed to improve flight safety—took effect in phases through 2024, with the latest implementation on November 1. IndiGo has acknowledged that inadequate roster planning led to widespread cancellations and delays.

Below are the key DGCA rules that affected IndiGo’s operations:

1. Longer Mandatory Weekly Rest

Weekly rest for pilots has been increased from 36 hours to 48 hours.

The government says the extended break is essential to curb cumulative fatigue. This rule remains in force despite the current crisis.

2. Cap on Night Landings

Pilots can now perform only two night landings per week—a steep reduction from the earlier limit of six.

Night hours, defined as midnight to early morning, are considered the least alert period for pilots.

Given the disruptions, this rule has been temporarily relaxed for IndiGo until February 10.

3. Reduced Maximum Night Flight Duty

Flight duty that stretches into the night is now capped at 10 hours.

This measure has also been kept on hold for IndiGo until February 10 to stabilize operations.

4. Weekly Rest Cannot Be Replaced With Personal Leave

Airlines can no longer count a pilot’s personal leave as part of the mandatory 48-hour rest.

Pilots say this closes a loophole that previously reduced actual rest time.

Currently, all airlines are exempt from this rule to normalise travel.

5. Mandatory Fatigue Monitoring

Airlines must submit quarterly fatigue reports along with corrective actions to DGCA.

This system aims to create a transparent fatigue-tracking framework across the industry.

The DGCA has stressed that these rules were crafted to strengthen flight safety and align India with global fatigue-management standards. The temporary relaxations are expected to remain until February 2025, giving IndiGo time to stabilise its schedules and restore normal air travel.

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News Network
December 20,2025

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At least seven elephants were killed and one calf injured after a herd collided with the Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express in Assam's Hojai on Saturday morning, leading to disruption of rail services. 

The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express struck a herd of elephants, resulting in the derailment of the locomotive and five coaches. No passenger casualties or injuries were reported, officials said.

The New Delhi-bound train met with the accident around 2.17 am, PTI reported. The Sairang-New Delhi Rajdhani Express connects Mizoram's Sairang (near Aizawl) to Anand Vihar Terminal (Delhi). 

Railway has issued helpline numbers at the Guwahati Railway Station:-

•    0361-2731621
•    0361-2731622
•    0361-2731623

The accident site is located about 126 km from Guwahati. Following the incident, accident relief trains and railway officials rushed to the spot to initiate rescue operations.

Train Services Disrupted

Sources said that due to the derailment and elephant body parts scattered on the tracks, train services to Upper Assam and other parts of the Northeast were affected.

Passengers from the affected coaches were temporarily accommodated in vacant berths available in other coaches of the train. Once the train reaches Guwahati, additional coaches will be attached to accommodate all passengers, after which the train will resume its onward journey.

The incident occurred at a location that is not a designated elephant corridor. The loco pilot, upon spotting the herd on the tracks, applied emergency brakes. Despite this, the elephants dashed into the train, leading to the collision and derailment.

Last month, an elephant was killed after being hit by a train in Dhupguri in West Bengal's Jalpaiguri district. The incident took place on November 30. 

The adult elephant was killed on the spot, and a calf was discovered lying injured beside the tracks. 

Over 70 Elephants Killed In Train Collisions Over Last 5 Years

At least 79 elephants have died in train collisions across the country in the last five years, the Environment Ministry had informed Parliament in August.

In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh had said the figure is based on reports from state governments and Union Territory administrations for the period 2020-21 to 2024-25.

He said that the ministry does not maintain consolidated data on the deaths of other wild animals on railway tracks, including in designated elephant corridors.

Singh confirmed that three elephants, including a mother and her calf, were killed on July 18 this year after being hit by a speeding express train on the Kharagpur-Tatanagar section in West Bengal's Paschim Midnapore district. The incident took place near Banstala between Jhargram and Banstala stations.

The minister said several measures have been taken jointly by the Environment Ministry and the Railways to prevent such accidents.

These include imposing speed restrictions in elephant habitats, pilot projects such as seismic sensor-based detection of elephants near tracks and construction of underpasses, ramps and fencing at vulnerable points.

The Wildlife Institute of India, in consultation with the ministry and other stakeholders, has also issued guidelines titled 'Eco-friendly Measures to Mitigate Impacts of Linear Infrastructure' to help agencies design railways and other projects in ways that reduce human-animal conflicts.

Singh added that capacity-building workshops were conducted for railway officials at the Wildlife Institute of India in 2023 and 2024 to raise awareness on elephant conservation and protection.

A detailed report titled 'Suggested Measures to Mitigate Elephant & Other Wildlife Train Collisions on Vulnerable Railway Stretches in India' had also been prepared after surveys across 127 railway stretches covering 3,452 km.

Of these, 77 stretches spanning 1,965 km in 14 states were prioritised for mitigation, with site-specific interventions suggested. 

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News Network
December 16,2025

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held talks with Jordan’s King Abdullah II in Amman, during which the two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral relations, with the Prime Minister outlining an eight-point vision covering key areas of cooperation.

Describing the meeting as “productive”, PM Modi said he shared a roadmap focused on trade and economy, fertilisers and agriculture, information technology, healthcare, infrastructure, critical and strategic minerals, civil nuclear cooperation, and people-to-people ties.

In a post on social media platform X, the Prime Minister praised King Abdullah II’s personal commitment to advancing India–Jordan relations, particularly as both countries mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year.

“Held productive discussions with His Majesty King Abdullah II in Amman. His personal commitment towards vibrant India-Jordan relations is noteworthy. This year, we are celebrating the 75th anniversary of our bilateral diplomatic relations,” PM Modi said.

The meeting took place at the Al Husseiniya Palace, where the two leaders also exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), both sides agreed to further deepen cooperation in areas including trade and investment, defence and security, counter-terrorism and de-radicalisation, fertilisers and agriculture, infrastructure, renewable energy, tourism, and heritage.

The MEA said both leaders reaffirmed their united stand against terrorism.

PM Modi arrived in Amman earlier on Monday and was received by Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan, who accorded him a formal welcome. Following the talks, King Abdullah II hosted a banquet dinner in honour of the Prime Minister, reflecting the warmth of bilateral ties.

Jordan is the first leg of PM Modi’s three-nation tour. From Amman, the Prime Minister will travel to Ethiopia at the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, marking his first official visit to the African nation. The tour will conclude with a visit to Oman.

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