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Tag Archives: Gujarat
India Slams Bilawal Bhutto’s Comments Against PM
New Delhi:
India on Friday blasted Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto over his offensive personal attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, calling it a “new low even for Pakistan”.
In a firm and unsparing condemnation of Bilawal Bhutto’s remarks at the UN, New Delhi said Pakistan lacks the credentials to cast aspersions on India and added that “Make in Pakistan terrorism” has to stop.
In a highly objectionable comment on Thursday, Bilawal Bhutto had said: “Osama bin Laden is dead, but the butcher of Gujarat lives and he is the Prime Minister of India.” He was reacting to Foreign Minister S Jaishankar calling Pakistan the “epicentre of terrorism” in a powerful takedown.
“These comments are a new low, even for Pakistan. The Foreign Minister of Pakistan has obviously forgotten this day in 1971, which was a direct result of the genocide unleashed by Pakistani rulers against ethnic Bengalis and Hindus. Unfortunately, Pakistan does not seem to have changed much in the treatment of its minorities. It certainly lacks credentials to cast aspersions at India,” the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The Pakistan Foreign Minister’s “uncivilised outburst” seemed to be a result of Pakistan’s “increasing inability to use terrorists and their proxies,” said the ministry.
“Cities like New York, Mumbai, Pulwama, Pathankot and London are among the many that bear the scars of Pakistan-sponsored, supported and instigated terrorism. This violence has emanated from their Special Terrorist Zones and exported to all parts of the world. ‘Make in Pakistan’ terrorism has to stop.”
India said Pakistan is a country that glorifies Osama bin Laden as a martyr, and shelters terrorists like Lakhvi, Hafiz Saeed, Masood Azhar, Sajid Mir and Dawood Ibrahim. “No other country can boast having 126 UN-designated terrorists and 27 UN-designated terrorist entities,” said the statement.
“We wish that Pakistan Foreign Minister would have listened more sincerely yesterday at the UN Security Council to the testimony of Ms. Anjali Kulthe, a Mumbai nurse who saved the lives of 20 pregnant women from the bullets of the Pakistani terrorist Ajmal Kasab. Clearly, the Foreign Minister was more interested in whitewashing Pakistan’s role. Pakistan FM’s frustration would be better directed towards the masterminds of terrorist enterprises in his own country, who have made terrorism a part of their State policy. Pakistan needs to change its own mindset or remain a pariah,” the government said.
Union ministers also condemned the comments, calling Bilawal Bhutto “mentally bankrupt and irresponsible”.
“The language used by the Foreign Minister of Pakistan shows that not only does he represent a bankrupt country, he is also mentally bankrupt,” said Meenakshi Lekhi, junior Foreign Minister.
“He is the representative of a failed state and is himself failed, so Pakistan is also failed. What can you expect from those who have a terror mindset?”
Anurag Thakur, the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister, called the comments “nefarious and shameful”.
“Maybe they (Pakistan) still feels the pain of 1971. More than 93,000 Pakistani soldiers surrendered before India that day. His grandfather (Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, former Pakistan President) wept when they lost,” Anurag Thakur told reporters.
“Pakistan’s soil has been used to groom, shield and protect terrorism. Their nefarious plans have been exposed to the world,” Mr Thakur said.
Yesterday, Foreign Minister Jaishankar said in a searing attack on Pakistan: “My advice is to clean up your act and try to be good neighbour. Hillary Clinton, during her visit to Pakistan, said that if you keep snakes in your backyard you can’t expect them to bite only your neighbours, eventually they will bite the people who keep them in the backyard.”
PM Modi has been cleared of any wrongdoing by investigations into the 2002 Gujarat riots. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court rejected an appeal against his exoneration in one of the cases linked to the killings.
Over 1,000 people were killed in three-day violence in Gujarat and the state police faced charges of not doing enough to stop the riots that began after a train coach carrying pilgrims was burnt in Godhra, killing 59 people.
What we know about India’s deadly Morbi bridge collapse in Gujarat
CNN
—
The deaths of 135 people in the collapse of a cable suspension bridge in India’s western state of Gujarat is one of the worst public safety tragedies to hit the country in recent years.
As authorities investigate the incident, questions have been raised about how the narrow walkway collapsed and the role of an electrical manufacturing company tasked with maintaining the colonial-era structure, which only reopened to the public last week after repairs.
Here’s what we know.
Some 200 people are estimated to have been on the bridge across the Machchhu River in the town of Morbi when it collapsed into the water below on October 30 at around 6:30 p.m. local time, according to Gujarat authorities.
At least 30 children were among the 135 killed, officials said. It is unclear how many people remain missing and authorities have not released a figure for those injured.
A 36-second video clip shared by the Morbi District Administration via CNN affiliate News-18 shows a large crowd of young men gathered on the bridge in the moments before it collapsed.
The video appears to show some of the men shaking the bridge from side to side before the structure gives way, plunging the people standing on it into the river.
Gujarat Home Minister Harsh Sanghavi said on October 31 that a cable appeared to have snapped.
Photos from the aftermath show people gathering on the riverbank beside the mangled metal walkway, which hung at a sharp angle into the water.
Survivors and witnesses of the deadly incident described scenes of chaos.
“People were hanging from the bridge after the accident, but they slipped and fell into the river when it collapsed,” Raju, a witness who gave only one name, told Reuters. “I could not sleep the entire night as I had helped in the rescue operation. I brought a lot of children to the hospital.”
Narendrasinh Jadeja, whose friend lost seven members of his family, including four children, told Reuters: “I cannot express how angry and helpless I am feeling.”
The Morbi Suspension Bridge was built during British rule around 1900 and is 230 meters (755 feet) long and just 1.25 meters (4 feet) wide.
For decades, it’s been a popular tourist attraction in the riverside town, whose cobblestone streets carry the architectural legacy of colonial rule.
The bridge was closed for six months of renovations in April, according to the managing director of Oreva, a Gujarat-based electrical appliances manufacturer that oversaw the maintenance work.
Video shows people clinging to wreckage after deadly bridge crash
At a reopening ceremony on October 26, the managing director told reporters the structure would not need any major work for “eight to 10 years,” according to a video of the event posted to social media.
A five-person special investigation committee has been established to investigate the incident, Gujarat Home Minister Sanghavi said on October 31.
Search and recovery operations by hundreds of personnel from state and national disaster relief teams and the Indian military remain ongoing.
Nine people have been arrested and are being investigated for culpable homicide charges, state police said on October 31. All of the suspects are associated with Oreva.
They include two managers, two ticket clerks, two contractors and three security guards, according to senior police officer Ashok Kumar Yadav.
Since the deadly incident, public scrutiny has turned to Oreva, a company based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat’s largest city.
Oreva started out as a clockmaker before diversifying into electronics, according to its website, which describes the firm as the “World’s Largest Clock Manufacturing Company” and “one of the Major Brands in India.”
CNN has reached out to Oreva several times, but has not received a response.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived at the site of the fatal collapse in Morbi on November 1.
Following an aerial survey of the area, he was seen taking stock of rescue efforts underway as he stood at one end of the collapsed suspension bridge.
“Went to Morbi, which witnessed the horrific bridge mishap. Met the bereaved families and extended condolences. I visited the site of the tragedy and went to the hospital where the injured are recovering,” Modi tweeted after visiting a local hospital.
The Indian leader added that he met personnel involved with rescue operations and chaired a review meeting.
The Chief Minister’s Office of Gujarat tweeted that Modi had “assured them of all possible assistance from the government.”
Search and recovery operations continued on Tuesday as divers scanned the area for bodies.
Families of the victims will receive compensation from the Prime Minister’s National Relief Fund, Modi said earlier.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel said the state government would provide the equivalent of about $5,000 in compensation per family of the deceased and about $600 each for the injured.
Cremations of the victims are expected to begin on November 1.
World leaders have paid tribute to the victims and their families in the wake of the tragedy.
US President Joe Biden sent his condolences to those who lost loved ones during the collapse.
“Today, our hearts are with India. Jill and I send our deepest condolences to the families who lost loved ones during the bridge collapse and join the people of Gujarat in mourning the loss of too many lives cut short,” Biden said in a statement Monday.
“The United States and India are indispensable partners, with deep bonds between our citizens. In this difficult hour, we will continue to stand with and support the Indian people.”
China’s President Xi Jinping also expressed his sympathies to Modi, Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported.
“On behalf of the Chinese government and the Chinese people, I would like to express our deep condolences to the victims and extend our sincere sympathy to their families and the injured,” Xi said, according to CCTV.
More Than 130 People Dead in Cable Bridge Collapse in India’s Gujarat State
The Indian state government of Gujarat opened a criminal inquiry into the agency tasked with maintaining a historic cable bridge after the popular attraction collapsed on Sunday under the weight of hundreds of visitors, killing more than 130 people.
Harsh Sanghavi, the state’s home minister, told reporters that an inquiry under criminal provisions relating to manslaughter was opened into a local company. The bridge, which was built in the late 19th century, reopened to the public last week after months for repairs.
Mr. Sanghavi didn’t name the company. Several Indian news outlets reported that a local industrial company known as Oreva was in charge of the bridge’s maintenance and repairs.
Ashok Yadav, a senior official with the Gujarat state police, told reporters late Monday that nine people had been arrested in connection with the probe into the bridge’s collapse. The arrested people included two managers of the Oreva company, two ticket clerks at the bridge that collapsed, two bridge-repair contractors and three security guards tasked with regulating the entry of people on the bridge, according to Mr. Yadav.
Calls to Oreva weren’t answered on Monday and it didn’t respond to emails seeking comment.
Mr. Yadav said police could make more arrests as the inquiry continues.
“Our effort is to set a strong example through this whole process,” he said.
Rescue operations continued into Monday, with 170 people pulled from the waters of the Machchhu river that the bridge spanned, the state disaster management agency said.
Videos shared by television channels and on social media showed people in the water clinging to portions of the collapsed bridge and trying to climb out.
Tushar Daftary, a local member of Lions Clubs International community service group, who was among those helping with rescue operations last night, said many people were visiting family in the area due public holidays in the past week, including Diwali and Gujarati new year. That meant more people than usual visited the bridge over the weekend, according to Mr. Daftary.
A local news report said some visitors expressed concerns to ticket agents that some people were shaking the overcrowded bridge.
Videos posted on social media platform Twitter showed the bridge—which sways when people walk on it—thronged with visitors, some of whom appeared to be vigorously shaking its suspension cables. Users of
Meta Platforms Inc.’s
Facebook in India and outside the country, however, were unable to view posts with the Gujarat hashtag for several hours on Monday.
“Keeping our community safe,” a message said, when users clicked through to a page that would normally display a stream of videos, photos and news reports related to the state or the bridge collapse. It added that the posts were temporarily hidden as “some content in those posts goes against our Community Standards.”
“The hashtag was blocked in error,” a Meta spokeswoman said Tuesday, adding that it has since been restored.
She declined to say what material may have violated the platform’s standards, which don’t allow violent and graphic content, hate speech, and other types of material. India is Facebook’s largest market by users. Meanwhile, videos of Halloween revelers being crushed in South Korea over the weekend remained visible throughout Monday via a hashtag for the world Seoul.
After The Wall Street Journal sought comment from Facebook Monday, posts with the Gujarat hashtag became visible again, with the top post a video from an Indian TV network showing the moment the bridge collapsed.
The state has said it would award the equivalent of nearly $4,900 to families of those who died in the disaster, as well as give compensation to the injured. Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi,
who governed the state for more than a decade as he cemented his political rise, also unveiled compensation for victims and expressed his sorrow.
The tragedy cast a shadow over Mr. Modi’s three-day visit to the state that started Sunday, which is intended to showcase development projects ahead of elections there that are due later this year. The prime minister has been leading a renewed push to draw more factories to India and to create more jobs. In the hours before the bridge collapse, Mr. Modi presided over the start of construction on an aircraft manufacturing facility in the state in partnership with Europe’s Airbus SE, hailing it as a step forward for the country’s goal of becoming a global manufacturing hub.
But India’s efforts to attract more manufacturing and create more jobs have often faced challenges from concerns over the country’s dilapidated infrastructure and safety lapses, a worry that is likely to be made worse by Sunday’s disaster.
—Newley Purnell contributed to this article.
Write to Krishna Pokharel at krishna.pokharel@wsj.com and Tripti Lahiri at tripti.lahiri@wsj.com
Corrections & Amplifications
Harsh Sanghavi is the home minister for India’s Gujarat state. An earlier version of this article misspelled his surname as Sanghvi on second reference. (Corrected on Nov. 1)
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Release of convicts in Bilkis Bano case in Gujarat sparks outrage in India
This week, 11 men serving a life sentence for the crimes were released from prison on remission by the Gujarat state government, sparking widespread outrage and an emotional appeal for justice from Bano.
In a statement issued Wednesday through her lawyer, Bano said the news left had her “numb” and “bereft.”
“I trusted the system, and I was learning slowly to live with my trauma,” she said, adding that the release had shaken her faith in the justice system. “No one enquired about my safety and well-being before taking such a big and unjust decision.”
The development comes as a shock to the country that has struggled to address widespread sexual violence against women. In recent years, authorities have made laws stricter and instituted harsher punishments, but conviction rates for rape remain low.
Women’s rights groups said that the release of the perpetrators on Aug. 15, an anniversary of the country’s 75 years of independence, was a blow to every rape victim.
“It shames us that the day we should celebrate our freedoms and be proud of our independence, the women of India instead saw gang-rapists and mass murderers freed as an act of State largesse,” the groups said in a statement.
It was also a setback for survivors of the Gujarat riots, who have fought long and hard for justice. The riots erupted in 2002 after a train fire blamed on Muslims killed a group of Hindu pilgrims. More than 1,000 people were killed in days of vigilante violence that followed, most of them Muslims. Narendra Modi, the chief minister of Gujarat at the time, is now India’s prime minister. Under his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, hate speech and violence against Muslims has risen sharply.
The men released this week have received a hero’s welcome. In one video from outside the prison, they are given sweets. Local media said the men were later honored with garlands by members of Hindu nationalist groups affiliated with the BJP.
Sujal Mayatra, the official who led the panel in Gujarat that recommended the men’s release, said the decision was based on various factors.
“They had completed 14 years of tenure. We enquired about their conduct and parole time,” he said. “The nature of crime and victim’s safety was also taken into consideration.”
In India, life sentences are meant to last until death, but convicts are eligible to seek early release after 14 years. While the latest remission policy says those convicted of rape and murder cannot be released prematurely, the policy at the time of the Bano case did not make that distinction.
In a 2017 BBC interview, Bano said she was fleeing the violence in a group of 17 that included her mother and young siblings in March 2002 when a mob accosted them.
Besides raping Bano and killing her daughter, the men gang-raped her cousin before murdering her and her 2-day-old baby. Bano was one of only three people from the group to survive the massacre.
Human rights lawyer Vrinda Grover, who has been part of efforts to reform legislation on violence against women, described the government’s decision as “grossly arbitrary and discriminatory.”
“The mask of the government being concerned about sexual violence against women has slipped. This is a majoritarian state signaling impunity for hate crimes,” she said.
Bano’s case took years to work its way through the Indian justice system, finally resulting in convictions in 2008. All the while, she was a target of death threats, forced to move frequently and live in hiding.
In 2019, India’s Supreme Court ordered the state government to pay about $62,000 in compensation to Bano, noting that she had been forced to live like a “nomad” and an “orphan.”
Now, her family feels like they are back at square one.
“The battle we fought for so many years has been wrapped up in one moment,” Yakub Rasool, Bano’s husband, told the Indian Express.
Bano, in her statement, said that her grief was not hers alone “but for every woman who is struggling for justice in courts.”
“Give me back my right to live without fear and in peace,” she said.
Vijay Rupani quitting as CM of Gujarat part of BJP’s image ‘makeover’ | India News
NEW DELHI: BJP continues with its strategy of image “makeover” with surprise decisions as Vijay Rupani, who resigned as Gujarat chief minister on Saturday, being the fourth CM to quit office after BS Yeddyurappa (Karnataka) and Trivendra Singh Rawat (Uttarakhand) resigned in the past few months.
Sarbanand Sonowal, under whom the party had contested the Assam assembly elections, resigned even after an impressive victory to pave the way for the succession of Himanta Biswa Sarma, the incumbent CM of the state.
Sarbanand Sonowal, under whom the party had contested the Assam assembly elections, resigned even after an impressive victory to pave the way for the succession of Himanta Biswa Sarma, the incumbent CM of the state.
There have been varied reasons for the replacement of the four CMs but the exit of Rupani had been doing the rounds in the past few months mainly after the second Covid wave hit the state hard and questions were raised about the government’s handling of the crisis. Sources said it was speculated that an understanding had been reached late last year that Rupani will be replaced as party will go into state polls in December 2022, under the new chief minister.
The exact timeline was not known and it seems likely that the replacement would most likely be from the Patidar community, a decisive vote bank, that has had a few grouses with the state BJP leadership. Senior party leaders including general secretary (organisation) B L Santhosh, union minister and state in charge Bhupendra Yadav, health minister Mansukh Mandaviya and minister of fisheries Vijay Rupala are in the state capital where a smooth transition is likely amid possibility of a Patidar leader replacing Rupani.
Party sources maintained that the change of leadership is being considered under supervision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In Uttarakhand, Trivendra Singh Rawat had to resign after the central leadership was getting feedback about “lacklustre” performance of his government and also some controversial decisions like proposed take-over of temple managements by the state government. A section of RSS and groups of seers were said to be unhappy and had threatened to launch agitation against the government.
The central leadership had failed to contain dissensions in its Karnataka unit over Yeddyurappa, who had to quit finally after which Basavaraj Bommai took over as the CM.
Why Vijay Rupani may have resigned as Gujarat CM and who could be his successor | India News
NEW DELHI: In a sudden and unexpected move, Vijay Rupani resigned as the chief minister of Gujarat on Saturday ahead of assembly elections in the state due late next year.
Rupani is the fourth BJP chief minister to be axed this year after BS Yediyurappa (Karnataka), Tirth Singh Rawat (Uttarakhand) and Trivendra Rawat (Uttarakhand).
Speaking to reporters after submitting his resignation at the Raj Bhavan, Rupani acknowledged that in BJP, there is a tradition of responsibilities shifting from time to time.
Rupani is the fourth BJP chief minister to be axed this year after BS Yediyurappa (Karnataka), Tirth Singh Rawat (Uttarakhand) and Trivendra Rawat (Uttarakhand).
Speaking to reporters after submitting his resignation at the Raj Bhavan, Rupani acknowledged that in BJP, there is a tradition of responsibilities shifting from time to time.
“I was allowed to serve the state for five years. I have contributed to the development of the state. I will further do whatever is asked by my party.
“In BJP, there has been a tradition that responsibilities of party workers change from time to time. I will be ready to take whatever responsibility that the party will give me in the future,” he said.
Covid crisis and ‘soft’ image
While the exact reason behind Rupani’s departure can only be speculated, observers point to factors like the Covid crisis and his image as the CM.
The second wave of Covid pandemic in Gujarat and the resultant economic as well as social distress may have had a role to play in Rupani’s exit, PTI reported quoting observers.
Some observers said that Rupani’s soft-spoken nature led to the image of a “weak” CM who allowed bureaucrats to overrule the political leadership.
Rupani first became the Gujarat chief minister on August 7, 2016, following the resignation of incumbent Anandiben Patel, and continued in the office after the BJP’s victory in the 2017 assembly elections.
He had completed five years as the CM in August this year.
Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani resigns: People of Gujarat would have appreciated had Mr. Rupani resigned for his monumen… https://t.co/8zJSifjh1h
— Jignesh Mevani (@jigneshmevani80) 1631356145000
Shift in BJP’s brand of politics?
Rupani’s resignation comes during the year which has witnessed similar high-profile exits in other states. This is a departure from how the BJP operated during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first term in office.
The saffron party remained largely unyielding in backing its chief ministerial picks before 2019 despite voices against some of them.
Political watchers believe the changes highlight the BJP leadership’s analysis of the ground feedback and its readiness to address them, even though a final word on the shake-up can only be delivered at the elections.
Notably, Anandiben Patel was the only chief minister who was asked by the party to quit during the 2014-19 period. This was also in Gujarat.
The party had then cited its convention of retiring those over 75 years of age from government positions. She was subsequently replaced by Rupani.
BJP’s Fear of AAP – A Chronology:🔹AAP enters Uttarakhand🔸CM Trivendra Rawat Resigns🔸CM Tirath Singh Rawat Resig… https://t.co/ATRrQI1rgV
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) 1631361960000
The recent spate of changes effected by the party at the central government or in states ruled by it has marked a return of more conventional politics with the standard political fault-lines of caste identity pushing the urge to experiment to the background.
The enhanced share of Other Backward Classes (OBCs) at 27 and dalits at 12 in the Union Council of Ministers following its expansion in July was showcased as a major highlight.
The saffron party also replaced Lingayat stalwart B S Yediyurappa as Karnataka CM with another Lingayat leader Basavaraj S Bommai.
In Uttarakhand, it replaced two Thakur chief ministers with another Thakur leader, and speculation was rife that Rupani, who comes from a numerically insignificant Jain community, may make way for a Patidar, the largest community in the western state.
Who will be Rupani’s successor?
While the BJP has not announced Rupani’s replacement yet, names of Gujarat deputy CM Nitin Patel, state agriculture minister R C Faldu and Union ministers Purshottam Rupala and Mansukh Mandaviya are doing the rounds.
“Names of Patel, Faldu, Rupala and Mandaviya are being discussed. But it is impossible to say who will be the chief minister as the decision will be taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” a party leader said.
Mandaviya and Patel visited the BJP office in Gandhinagar earlier today, shortly after Rupani announced his resignation.
Mandaviya, who like Patel belongs to the influential Patidar community, is also considered a front-runner. Leaders of the community had demanded recently that the next chief minister should be a Patidar.
State BJP president C R Paatil, who originally hails from Maharashtra, is unlikely to be considered for the CM’s post, sources said.
(With inputs from PTI)