Forced conversions rock Houses

December 11, 2014

New Delhi,Dec 11: The religious conversion of 100 people in Agra drew sharp protests in Parliament on Wednesday with the Opposition demanding an explanation from the Modi government.

An angry Opposition stalled the proceedings in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha, demanding action against some RSS-affiliated organisations, which were allegedly carrying out the conversions.

In Rajya Sabha, BSP chief Mayawati alleged that RSS-affiliate Bajrang Dal converted some Muslim families to Hinduism in Agra by force and allurement.

It was the responsibility of both the Centre and the state government to safeguard life, property and religion of all, she said. Mayawati got instant support from the members of the Congress, Left and Trinamool, who shouted slogans demanding an explanation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“The House and the country need reassurance that the Constitution will not be violated. It is a diabolical plan by the BJP,” said Anand Sharma, the Deputy Leader of the Congress in the Rajya Sabha.

“The Prime Minister must clarify,” said Left leader Sitaram Yechury. The issue of conversions will be taken up by the Opposition during a discussion on “rising communal incidents in India” scheduled in the Rajya Sabha next Wednesday.

The concerted attack by the Opposition appeared to push the government on the back foot. BJP’s Muslim face and Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi sought to pacify the Opposition by asserting his government’s commitment to secularism.

However, Union Minister Ram Shankar Katheria claimed that the conversions were voluntary. “I don’t think religious conversion was done forcibly; they willingly converted is what I got to know,” said Katheria, who represents Agra in the Lok Sabha.

Outside Parliament, the Congress said the conversion issue was a ploy of the Modi government to divert the attention of the nation from key issues such as unemployment and price rise.

“The Modi government’s agenda is to confuse, confound and create chaos. It wants to divert, digress and depart from key issues,” AICC spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said.

Reports from Agra said a police complaint has been filed against the conversion drive held on Monday.

A case has been registered on the basis of a complaint by a villager that 57 Muslim families from a rag-pickers' colony were given inducements like identity cards for availing welfare schemes, to convert to Hinduism.

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Over 58 lakh names dropped from draft voter list in Bengal ahead of polls

News Network

December 16,2025

The deletion of over 58 lakh names from West Bengal’s draft electoral rolls following a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has sparked widespread concern and is likely to deepen political tensions in the poll-bound state.

According to the Election Commission, the revision exercise has identified 24 lakh voters as deceased, 19 lakh as relocated, 12 lakh as missing, and 1.3 lakh as duplicate entries. The draft list, published after the completion of the first phase of SIR, aims to remove errors and duplication from the electoral rolls.

However, the scale of deletions has raised fears that a large number of eligible voters may have been wrongly excluded. The Election Commission has said that individuals whose names are missing can file objections and seek corrections. The final voter list is scheduled to be published in February next year, after which the Assembly election announcement is expected. Notably, the last Special Intensive Revision in Bengal was conducted in 2002.

The development has intensified the political row over the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress have strongly opposed the exercise, accusing the Centre and the Election Commission of attempting to disenfranchise lakhs of voters ahead of the elections.

Addressing a rally in Krishnanagar earlier this month, Banerjee urged people to protest if their names were removed from the voter list, alleging intimidation during elections and warning of serious consequences if voting rights were taken away.

The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the revision and accused the Trinamool Congress of politicising the issue to protect what it claims is an illegal voter base. Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari alleged that the ruling party fears losing power due to the removal of deceased, fake, and illegal voters.

The controversy comes amid earlier allegations by the Trinamool Congress that excessive work pressure during the SIR led to the deaths by suicide of some Booth Level Officers (BLOs), for which the party blamed the Election Commission. With the draft list now out, another round of political confrontation appears imminent.

As objections begin to be filed, the focus will be on whether the correction mechanism is accessible, transparent, and timely—critical factors in ensuring that no eligible voter is denied their democratic right ahead of a crucial election.

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India’s Tougher Pilot Fatigue Rules: Why IndiGo’s Operations Crashed Into Turbulence

News Network

December 6,2025

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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