Embarrassment for Congress: Sharad Pawar backs Ramdev

June 6, 2012

New Delhi, June 6: There has been a major embarrassment for the Congress. A day after the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi hit out at the civil society for targeting the Prime Minister, key UPA ally Sharad Pawar met Baba Ramdev and expressed support for his fight against black money.

"He (Baba Ramdev) has taken up the issue of black money. Till the money stashed away in foreign countries does not come out, there is no chance of eradicating poverty from the country," Pawar said.

After his meeting with Pawar, Baba Ramdev said, "The money flowing back to India would help in reducing the prices of petrol and diesel."

The Congress has had an uneasy relation with the NCP. A few delegates at the Congress Working Committee meeting had in fact suggested that the NCP was eating into the Congress vote bank.

Pawar's endorsement of Ramdev's campaign is bound to add to the Congress's discomfort. It is also bound to upset Pawar's old foe Anna Hazare. Team Anna is believed to be upset with Ramdev for stealing the show at Sunday's fast.

The Union Minister said he did not "smell politics" in Ramdev's campaign as he has announced that he will meet leaders of all political parties ranging from Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat to AIADMK supremo Jayalalithaa and SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav.

"He (Ramdev) has said he will meet responsible leaders in all the states and important persons who take key decisions. He has done one good thing that he has not spoken of any one party. He has talked about all parties and we liked this approach," Pawar said.

Pawar is among the 15 Union Ministers against whom Team Anna has levelled allegations of corruption.

Pawar said there was a need for everyone to examine how to adopt the path suggested by Ramdev and move forward. The Agriculture Minister said Ramdev made certain suggestions on changing tax laws.

He said the funds collected by the government through taxes was not enough to carry out development works as desired and hidden money can help in this regard.

"When this hidden money will come out, it will benefit all and help change the life of the common man," Pawar said.

Pawar said he first met Ramdev five-six years back at a yoga camp he had organised in his hometown. He said that he was impressed by Ramdev's ability to influence people and promote ancient Indian practices like yoga.

Pawar's meeting with Ramdev comes a day after the yoga guru met Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Gadkari.

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Bomb threats target CRPF schools across India, 2 days after blast at Delhi institute

News Network

October 22,2024

Several Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) schools across India were hit with hoax bomb threats on Tuesday, just days after an explosion occurred near a CRPF school in Delhi. The threats, sent via email late Monday night, targeted schools in Delhi and Hyderabad, according to sources.

Earlier this week, a bomb exploded outside a CRPF school in Delhi’s Rohini area, causing significant damage to nearby vehicles and property. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported.

In response to the blast, Delhi Police confiscated CCTV footage from nearby markets as part of their investigation. Sources indicate that surveillance footage captured a suspect at the scene, wearing a white T-shirt, displaying suspicious behavior the night before the explosion.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the explosive device had been hidden in a polythene bag, buried in a shallow pit, and covered with garbage. The blast caused a hole in the school's boundary wall and shattered the window panes and signboards of nearby shops.

Following the incident, the Delhi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, Section 3 of the Indian Explosives Act, and other relevant sections.

The FIR states, "A case of an explosion caused by an unknown explosive substance has been registered, and the investigation continues." It also details the damage, noting that the blast left a hole in the boundary wall and affected nearby structures.

The targeted schools serve children from CRPF and other paramilitary families, and the recent threats have heightened concerns. In response, Delhi authorities have placed the city on high alert, ramping up security measures, especially in markets, ahead of the Diwali festival.

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‘Don't fly Air India from Nov 1 to 19’: Khalistani terrorist Pannun's fresh threat

News Network

October 21,2024

Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on Monday warned passengers not to fly on Air India flights from November 1 to 19. He asserted that an attack could take place on an Air India flight during the specified dates, which coincide with the "40th anniversary of the Sikh genocide".

The founder of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), who holds dual citizenship in Canada and the US, had issued a similar threat around the same time last year.

Pannun's fresh threat comes amid several airlines in India receiving multiple threat calls about potential bombings, all of which turned out to be hoaxes. It also occurred at a time when India and Canada are engaged in a murky diplomatic row following Canada's allegations of India targeting Khalistani elements in the country, including the murder of another terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

In November 2023, Pannun released a video claiming that Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport would be renamed and would remain closed on November 19, warning people against flying on Air India that day. The National Investigation Agency charged him with criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, and various offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

In December last year, Pannun threatened to attack the Parliament on or before December 13, following reports of an alleged foiled plot to kill him. December 13 marks the anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Parliament in 2001.

He also threatened to kill Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of State Police Gaurav Yadav on Republic Day this year. He also urged gangsters to unite and launch an attack on Mann on January 26.

Pannun has been designated a terrorist by the Ministry of Home Affairs since July 2020 on charges of sedition and secessionism, as he leads SFJ, a group advocating for a separate sovereign Sikh state. A year prior to this, India banned SFJ as an "unlawful association" for engaging in "anti-national and subversive" activities.

In another development, on October 17, the United States charged a former officer of India's spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for allegedly directing a foiled plot to murder Pannun, a charge New Delhi has rejected as baseless allegations.

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