Will go back to the pre-Independence era if people fail to save democracy: Kharge

News Network
August 30, 2023

Mysuru, Aug 30: AICC leader Mallikarjun Kharge said that at a time when all other states are approaching Congress to deliver poll promises, Prime Minister Modi should also be appreciating the Grand Old Party's welfare programmes.

"However, he turns a blind eye to it. He believes that whatever he does is right. People should step forward and fight to save the Constitution and democracy. Else, we will go back to the pre-Independence era", Kharge said.

He was speaking after launching the Gruha Lakshmi scheme in Mysuru on Wednesday. 

"PM Modi had said that our promises in Karnataka are not true. The implementation of Gruha Lakshmi is yet another proof that we walk our talk. No where in the country such welfare programmes are implemented," he said.

"We have report cards with list of achievements of each Congress leader whenever we were in power, right from the era of Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhai Patel, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and Manmohan Singh. BJP leaders indulge in criticism as they have no achievements to share their report cards," Kharge said.

He said, "All the airports, ports, institutes including AIIMS, IITs are our contribution. BJP picks our old programmes, paints it, and inaugurates them," Kharge said.

"When India got independence, literacy rate of the country was 18 per cent. It increased to 74 per cent in 2014. Female literacy increased from 7 per cent to 65 per cent in 2014. The literacy rate of SCs, STs, and minorities increased from 7 per cent to 66 per cent, 59 per cent, and 59 per cent, respectively in 2014. Number of primary schools increased from 2 lakh to 8 lakh in 2014. Average life span, which was 32 years, increased to 71 years of age. Infant mortality rate in Gujarat is 40 to 45 per 1000 births, while it is 30 in the entire country. We brought voting rights for all by implementing the Universal Adult Franchise. Decreased the voting age from 21 years to 18 years. Rajiv Gandhi brought voting rights for women in panchayat and municipal elections. Dr B R Ambedkar, Jawaharlal Nehru brought the Indian Constitution. Congress brought MNREGA and Food Security Act. Congress-led state governments too have implemented several welfare programmes in the past, including Anna Bhagya scheme in Karnataka. Are all these not indicators of progress? " Kharge questioned. 

Kharge further slammed BJP and said, "They only loan money to a few big businessmen who later flee from the country without repaying."

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News Network
November 21,2025

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Local authorities say the Israeli military has expanded the so-called “yellow line” truce demarcation in Gaza City and repositioned its forces deeper into the territory in violation of a ceasefire agreement that came into force on October 10, besieging dozens of Palestinian families.

Gaza’s Government Media Office announced in a statement on Thursday that Israeli forces widened the boundary by shifting the markers, and advanced roughly 300 meters (984 feet) into the neighborhoods of Ash-Shaaf, An-Nazzaz and Baghdad Street.

The move pushed further into civilian areas, trapping families who were unable to flee as tanks rolled forward, it added.

“The fate of many of these families remains unknown amidst the shelling that targeted the area,” the office said, adding that the expansion of the yellow line shows a “blatant disregard” for the ceasefire deal.

On Friday, sources said the Israeli military carried out continued air and artillery strikes inside the so-called “yellow line” east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.

According to the reports, Israeli warplanes and tanks targeted areas within the zone. One Palestinian was reported killed and several others wounded in the strikes, the sources said.

The fresh aggression came only a day after 25 Palestinians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City and Khan Younis on Wednesday.

The media office reported that Israel has consistently violated the truce deal since its implementation last month, with near-daily attacks by air, artillery and direct shootings.

The office said over 400 violations have been documented. These breaches have resulted in the deaths of more than 300 Palestinians and left hundreds injured.

The Government Media Office in Gaza urged the guarantors of the ceasefire — the US, Egypt, Qatar and Turkey — to take swift action to halt the ongoing violations and facilitate the delivery of food, shelter materials, medical aid, and infrastructure equipment.

The so-called “yellow line,” set out in the agreement between Israel and Hamas resistance movement, refers to a non-physical partition where the Israeli military repositioned itself when the truce deal took effect.

It has allowed Israel, which routinely fires at Palestinians who approach the line, to retain control over more than half of the Gaza Strip.

International bodies, including the UN Independent International Commission of Inquiry, the International Association of Genocide Scholars, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, B’Tselem, and other rights groups, have concluded that the Israeli war on Gaza amounts to genocide.

In the attacks in Gaza since October 2023, Israel has killed at least 69,546 people and injured 170,833 others, leveling large swaths of the territory and displacing almost all of the population. 

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News Network
November 21,2025

Tejas.jpg

An Indian Air Force (IAF) Tejas fighter jet crashed on Friday, November 21, afternoon during its aerial demonstration at the Dubai Air Show, plunging to the ground at around 2:10 pm local time while performing a manoeuvre before thousands of spectators.

The IAF confirmed the incident, stating that a Tejas aircraft participating in the show had crashed and that further details were being gathered. An Air Force spokesperson said more information would be shared after initial assessments.

The crash sent thick black smoke billowing into the sky near the airport, causing panic among visitors, including families and children who had gathered to watch the display. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the pilot managed to eject before the aircraft went down. Emergency response teams rushed to the scene, and officials have not released information on casualties or damage so far.

The Tejas is a 4.5-generation, multi-role fighter aircraft developed indigenously by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). Designed for versatility, it is capable of offensive air support, close combat, ground attack missions and maritime operations. The aircraft family includes single-seat fighters and twin-seat trainers for both the Air Force and Navy.

HAL describes the latest version, the LCA Mk1A, as the most advanced in the series, featuring an AESA radar, an upgraded electronic warfare suite with radar-warning and self-protection jamming, smart multifunction displays, a digital map generator, a combined interrogator–transponder system and a modern radio altimeter. These enhancements significantly improve the aircraft’s combat capability and survivability.

Further updates from IAF and UAE authorities are awaited.

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News Network
November 21,2025

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Udupi: The Malpe Police have arrested two men from Uttar Pradesh for allegedly sharing classified information related to Indian Navy vessels with individuals in Pakistan, posing a serious threat to national security.

According to a complaint filed by the CEO of Udupi Cochin Shipyard, Malpe—an institution under the Union Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways—the prime accused, Rohit (29), was working as an insulator through subcontractor M/S Shushma Marine Pvt Ltd. He had earlier served at Cochin Shipyard Limited in Kochi, Kerala, where naval ships are under construction.

Udupi SP Hariram Shankar said the accused had unlawfully shared, via WhatsApp, confidential identification numbers of Navy-related ships and other classified details while working in Kerala, allegedly for illegal gains.

After joining the Malpe shipyard unit, Rohit reportedly continued collecting sensitive information through a friend in Kochi and circulated it to unauthorised individuals, violating national security protocols and potentially endangering India’s sovereignty, unity, and integrity.

Based on the complaint, Malpe Police registered a case under Section 152 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Sections 3 and 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923.

A police team led by Karkala Subdivision Assistant Superintendent of Police Harsha Priyamvada—along with PSI Anil Kumar D, ASI Harish, and PC Ravi Jadhav—conducted the investigation and arrested the two accused, identified as Rohit (29) and Santri (37), both residents of Sultanpur district, Uttar Pradesh.

The duo was produced before the court, which remanded them in judicial custody till December 3. Further investigation is in progress.

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