Amidst the several rape cases that were reported in Haryana this month, BJP leader RK Saini has come out with a controversial statement saying that such cases do not take permission from the government before happening.&nbsp;

Saini said &quot; These rape&nbsp;incidents do not ask the government before taking place. They have been happening for ages.&quot;

He said that with the increase in social activities and population such cases are also on the rise.&nbsp;

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Sarkaar ko puchkar to ye maamle nahin hote. Ye to aadikaalon se hote rahe hain. Ye hai ki kabhi kam kabhi zyada hue hain. Jaise jaise social activities aur jansankhya badhti jaa rahi hai, us tarah ki ghatnayein badhti jaa rahi hain: RK Saini, BJP on rape incidents in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Haryana?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Haryana</a> <a href="https://t.co/5sdkYCXHI3">pic.twitter.com/5sdkYCXHI3</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/954694961764581377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/haryana-rape-cases-cm-khattar-talks-of-capital-punishment-if-girls-below-12-raped-30167" target="_blank">Haryana rape cases: CM Khattar talks of capital punishment if girls below 12 raped</a>

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/another-rape-in-haryana-the-sixth-in-six-days-29983" target="_blank">recent Haryana rapes</a> have included the gang rape of an&nbsp;11-year-old&nbsp;in Panipat. The police said, she was strangled to death and was raped again after her death.

A&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/now-3-year-old-raped-by-minor-in-haryana-29873">three-year-old</a>&nbsp;daughter of a labourer was abducted and allegedly raped by a 14-year-old boy, her neighbour.

A 15-year-old was&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/haryana-rape-and-murder-class-12th-suspect-found-dead-in-kurukshetra-29852">raped and murdered</a>&nbsp;in Kurukshetra and her mutilated body was later found a 100 km away in Jind.

A 45-year-old labourer was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl and inserting a wooden stick inside her private parts near Pinjore.

The latest incident reported was of a college student raped from Gurugram district&#39;s Farrukhnagar.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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Saini said 'These rape incidents do not ask the government before taking place. They have been happening for ages'

Amidst the several rape cases that were reported in Haryana this month, BJP leader RK Saini has come out with a controversial statement saying that such cases do not take permission from the government before happening. Saini said " These rape incidents do not ask the government before taking place. They have been happening for ages." He said that with the increase in social activities and population such cases are also on the rise. Sarkaar ko puchkar to ye maamle nahin hote. Ye to aadikaalon se hote rahe hain. Ye hai ki kabhi kam kabhi zyada hue hain. Jaise jaise social activities aur jansankhya badhti jaa rahi hai, us tarah ki ghatnayein badhti jaa rahi hain: RK Saini, BJP on rape incidents in #Haryana pic.twitter.com/5sdkYCXHI3 — ANI (@ANI) January 20, 2018 × Also read: Haryana rape cases: CM Khattar talks of capital punishment if girls below 12 raped The recent Haryana rapes have included the gang rape of an 11-year-old in Panipat. The police said, she was strangled to death and was raped again after her death. A three-year-old daughter of a labourer was abducted and allegedly raped by a 14-year-old boy, her neighbour. A 15-year-old was raped and murdered in Kurukshetra and her mutilated body was later found a 100 km away in Jind. A 45-year-old labourer was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl and inserting a wooden stick inside her private parts near Pinjore. The latest incident reported was of a college student raped from Gurugram district's Farrukhnagar.

Rape incidents don't take permission from government: BJP leader RK Saini

Shortly after Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh decided to &nbsp; ban Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s magnum opus, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-cleared-by-the-supreme-court-in-four-states-stays-ban-29917">the Supreme Court decided to stay the ban</a> today.

The Supreme Court&#39;s mandate has triggered a wave of reactions from all across the country, especially from leaders belonging to the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/haryana-becomes-fourth-state-to-ban-padmavat-29698">four states</a>.&nbsp;

Rajasthan&#39;s Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said that he respected SC&#39;s decision and is ready to abide by it.&nbsp;

&quot;My department and I will look for a legal provision if one is possible after reading SC&#39;s decision and then we will move forward,&quot; he noted.&nbsp;

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We respect the Supreme Court&#39;s decision, will abide by it. My department &amp; I will look for a legal provision, if one is possible, after reading SC&#39;s decision and then we will move forward: Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmaavat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmaavat</a> <a href="https://t.co/W7eW0AMdQQ">pic.twitter.com/W7eW0AMdQQ</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/953901919860285441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Another reaction came from Haryana&#39;s Health Minister Anil Vij who said that the Supreme Court gave its directive without &quot;listening to our side&quot;.&nbsp;

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Supreme Court gave the decision without listening to our side. Supreme Court is the supreme so will abide by the decision. We will also examine the decision and see if there is a scope of appealing against it: Anil Vij, Haryana Health Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmaavat?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmaavat</a> <a href="https://t.co/XhGluX1kre">pic.twitter.com/XhGluX1kre</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/953916057349062656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&quot;Supreme Court is the supreme so will abide by the decision. We will also examine the decision and see if there is a scope of appealing against it,&quot; Vij noted.&nbsp;

Deepika Padukone starrer Padmaavat was cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification with a UA certificate last month.

The Board, headed by Prasoon Joshi, called for <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-cuts-proposed-on-padmavati-only-5-modifications-says-central-board-of-filmcertification-28132">a few modifications</a> to be made to the content of the film including the one that required the film&#39;s title to be changed from Padmavati to Padmaavat.

The makers of the film were reported to have agreed to the Censor Board&#39;s suggestions after which the movie was set for <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/confirmed-padmavat-to-release-on-january-25th-28879">a release on January 25</a>.

Various Rajput groups have been protesting against Padmaavat&#39;s release including the Karni Sena.&nbsp;

Harish Salve, the lawyer representing film&#39;s producers noted in the court today saying, &quot;If somebody has a problem, then he or she can approach appellate tribunal for relief. The state can&#39;t touch the content of a film. Request the Central government to pass a direction to the states for a better and an effective step and solution,&quot;&nbsp;

The Supreme Court's mandate has triggered a wave of reactions from all across the country

Shortly after Rajasthan, Haryana, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh decided to ban Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus, the Supreme Court decided to stay the ban today. The Supreme Court's mandate has triggered a wave of reactions from all across the country, especially from leaders belonging to the four states. Rajasthan's Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria said that he respected SC's decision and is ready to abide by it. "My department and I will look for a legal provision if one is possible after reading SC's decision and then we will move forward," he noted. We respect the Supreme Court's decision, will abide by it. My department & I will look for a legal provision, if one is possible, after reading SC's decision and then we will move forward: Rajasthan Home Minister Gulab Chand Kataria #Padmaavat pic.twitter.com/W7eW0AMdQQ — ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2018 × Another reaction came from Haryana's Health Minister Anil Vij who said that the Supreme Court gave its directive without "listening to our side". Supreme Court gave the decision without listening to our side. Supreme Court is the supreme so will abide by the decision. We will also examine the decision and see if there is a scope of appealing against it: Anil Vij, Haryana Health Minister #Padmaavat pic.twitter.com/XhGluX1kre — ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2018 × "Supreme Court is the supreme so will abide by the decision. We will also examine the decision and see if there is a scope of appealing against it," Vij noted. Deepika Padukone starrer Padmaavat was cleared by the Central Board of Film Certification with a UA certificate last month. The Board, headed by Prasoon Joshi, called for a few modifications to be made to the content of the film including the one that required the film's title to be changed from Padmavati to Padmaavat. The makers of the film were reported to have agreed to the Censor Board's suggestions after which the movie was set for a release on January 25. Various Rajput groups have been protesting against Padmaavat's release including the Karni Sena. Harish Salve, the lawyer representing film's producers noted in the court today saying, "If somebody has a problem, then he or she can approach appellate tribunal for relief. The state can't touch the content of a film. Request the Central government to pass a direction to the states for a better and an effective step and solution,"

Padmaavat release row: Rajasthan, Haryana say they respect SC decision, will see if can appeal

Popular Haryanavi folk singer Mamta Sharma has been found dead with her throat slit in Baniyani village.

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Haryana: Folk singer Mamta murdered, body dumped in field in Rohtak&#39;s Baniyani village.Police have sent the body for postmortem
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/953993338046287873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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A resident of Kalanaur village, Sharma was a popular folk singer famous for singing at religious events.

News reports quoted her son Bharat as saying that she had gone to attend an event on January 15, and had not returned.

A missing person&#39;s complaint was filed by a Mohit Kumar who was accompanying Mamta to the event.

News reports quoted Kumar as saying they had come across some people on the way whom Mamta had gone with to Gohana, Sonipat. She told Kumar she would return in a few hours.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/22-year-old-singer-from-haryana-shot-dead-in-suspected-case-of-enmity-22578" target="_blank">22-year-old Haryana singer Harshita Dahiya shot dead, police suspect case of enmity</a>

Police have begun an investigation into the murder.

Haryana has been in the spotlight over the last few days with <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/another-rape-in-haryana-the-sixth-in-six-days-29983" target="_blank">six rapes</a> being reported from the state in as many days.&nbsp;

Sharma was a popular folk singer famous for singing at religious events

Popular Haryanavi folk singer Mamta Sharma has been found dead with her throat slit in Baniyani village. Haryana: Folk singer Mamta murdered, body dumped in field in Rohtak's Baniyani village.Police have sent the body for postmortem — ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2018 × A resident of Kalanaur village, Sharma was a popular folk singer famous for singing at religious events. News reports quoted her son Bharat as saying that she had gone to attend an event on January 15, and had not returned. A missing person's complaint was filed by a Mohit Kumar who was accompanying Mamta to the event. News reports quoted Kumar as saying they had come across some people on the way whom Mamta had gone with to Gohana, Sonipat. She told Kumar she would return in a few hours. Also read: 22-year-old Haryana singer Harshita Dahiya shot dead, police suspect case of enmity Police have begun an investigation into the murder. Haryana has been in the spotlight over the last few days with six rapes being reported from the state in as many days.

Haryana folk singer Mamta Sharma murdered, found with her throat slit

Another rape was reported on Thursday from Haryana, a state that is already under the scanner. This is the sixth rape in six days.

This latest rape, of a college student, was reported from Gurugram district&#39;s Farrukhnagar.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Haryana?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Haryana</a>: College student allegedly raped in Gurugram district&#39;s Farrukhnagar on Monday. Case registered against 2 accused.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/953978873464610816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The rape occurred on&nbsp;Monday, with a case being registered against two accused on Thursday.

Further details of the case are&nbsp;awaited.

Meanwhile, National Commission for Women Chairperson Rekha Sharma <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/harayana-police-do-not-know-how-to-behave-with-women-ncw-chairperson-rekha-sharma-29943" target="_blank">slammed Haryana Police</a> Thursday.&nbsp;

She said she had asked the Haryana Police Commissioner for a detailed report on the rapes, but that she had not been satisfied with it.

She then said she had been getting a number of complaints about Haryana policemen. And that they did not know &quot;how to behave with women&quot;.

The Haryana rapes have included the gang rape of an&nbsp;11 year old&nbsp;in Panipat. According to the police, she was strangled to death and then raped again after she was dead.

The&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/now-3-year-old-raped-by-minor-in-haryana-29873">three-year-old</a>&nbsp;daughter of a labourer was abducted and allegedly raped by a 14-year-old boy, her neighbour, on Tuesday in Hisar.

A 15 year old was&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/haryana-rape-and-murder-class-12th-suspect-found-dead-in-kurukshetra-29852">raped and murdered</a>&nbsp;in Kurushetra and her mutilated body was later found a 100 kms away in Jind.

And A 45-year-old labourer was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl and inserting a wooden stick inside her private parts near Pinjore.

The opposition Congress meanwhile has lashed out at the Manohar Lal Khattar government over the deteriorating law and order situation.&nbsp;

A case has been registered against two accused

Another rape was reported on Thursday from Haryana, a state that is already under the scanner. This is the sixth rape in six days. This latest rape, of a college student, was reported from Gurugram district's Farrukhnagar. #Haryana: College student allegedly raped in Gurugram district's Farrukhnagar on Monday. Case registered against 2 accused. — ANI (@ANI) January 18, 2018 × The rape occurred on Monday, with a case being registered against two accused on Thursday. Further details of the case are awaited. Meanwhile, National Commission for Women Chairperson Rekha Sharma slammed Haryana Police Thursday. She said she had asked the Haryana Police Commissioner for a detailed report on the rapes, but that she had not been satisfied with it. She then said she had been getting a number of complaints about Haryana policemen. And that they did not know "how to behave with women". The Haryana rapes have included the gang rape of an 11 year old in Panipat. According to the police, she was strangled to death and then raped again after she was dead. The three-year-old daughter of a labourer was abducted and allegedly raped by a 14-year-old boy, her neighbour, on Tuesday in Hisar. A 15 year old was raped and murdered in Kurushetra and her mutilated body was later found a 100 kms away in Jind. And A 45-year-old labourer was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl and inserting a wooden stick inside her private parts near Pinjore. The opposition Congress meanwhile has lashed out at the Manohar Lal Khattar government over the deteriorating law and order situation.

Another rape in Haryana, the sixth in six days

Haryana is all set to become the first Indian state to mandatorily fortify food items like wheat flour, milk and edible oils.&nbsp;

Haryana&#39;s Food and Drug Administration Department has decided to fortify food items in a bid fight anaemia and malnutrition in the state.&nbsp;

The move was discussed in a department meeting headed by Haryana&#39;s Principal Secretary of Health, Amit Jha.

&quot;These fortified food items would be distributed in mid-day meal in schools, at Public Distribution System outlets and under all Integrated Child Development Schemes. This would benefit about 80 lakh people who would be provided nutritious food,&quot; Jha noted.

The meeting was attended by over 150 representatives from the Edible Oil Manufacturers Association, Milk Producers Association, Roller Flour Miller Federation and other leading business organisations.

The food items would be fortified with iron, folic acid, Vitamin A, D, B-12, zinc and other nutrients under an initiative taken by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Health Minister Anil Vij. &nbsp;

(With inputs from PTI)

The move was discussed in a department meeting headed by Haryana's Principal Secretary of Health, Amit Jha

Haryana is all set to become the first Indian state to mandatorily fortify food items like wheat flour, milk and edible oils. Haryana's Food and Drug Administration Department has decided to fortify food items in a bid fight anaemia and malnutrition in the state. The move was discussed in a department meeting headed by Haryana's Principal Secretary of Health, Amit Jha. "These fortified food items would be distributed in mid-day meal in schools, at Public Distribution System outlets and under all Integrated Child Development Schemes. This would benefit about 80 lakh people who would be provided nutritious food," Jha noted. The meeting was attended by over 150 representatives from the Edible Oil Manufacturers Association, Milk Producers Association, Roller Flour Miller Federation and other leading business organisations. The food items would be fortified with iron, folic acid, Vitamin A, D, B-12, zinc and other nutrients under an initiative taken by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Health Minister Anil Vij. (With inputs from PTI)

Haryana to become first state to fortify essential food items

In yet another shocking incident, a three-year-old daughter of a labourer was allegedly raped by a 14-year-old minor neighbour on Tuesday, in Haryana&#39;s Hisar.

The incident occurred when the girl&#39;s parents had gone out to work.&nbsp;

The accused also threatened the girl with severe consequences if she told anyone about the incident.

It is the fifth case of rape in the last five days.

The accused has been arrested by the Police.

The incident comes at a time when the state is already under scanner for the brutal rape and murder of a 15-year-old Dalit girl.

She was abducted and raped with her private parts being mutilated.&nbsp;

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/haryana-rape-and-murder-class-12th-suspect-found-dead-in-kurukshetra-29852" target="_blank">Class 12 suspect in Haryana rape &amp; murder found dead in Kurukshetra</a>

In the wake of such rape incidents, especially against minors, being reported from different parts of Haryana, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said such incidents are unfortunate, but strict action will be taken against the culprits. &nbsp;

He further requested the Opposition parties to not politicise the issue. 
&nbsp;

The incident occurred when the girl's parents had gone out to work.

In yet another shocking incident, a three-year-old daughter of a labourer was allegedly raped by a 14-year-old minor neighbour on Tuesday, in Haryana's Hisar. The incident occurred when the girl's parents had gone out to work. The accused also threatened the girl with severe consequences if she told anyone about the incident. It is the fifth case of rape in the last five days. The accused has been arrested by the Police. The incident comes at a time when the state is already under scanner for the brutal rape and murder of a 15-year-old Dalit girl. She was abducted and raped with her private parts being mutilated. Also read: Class 12 suspect in Haryana rape & murder found dead in Kurukshetra In the wake of such rape incidents, especially against minors, being reported from different parts of Haryana, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said such incidents are unfortunate, but strict action will be taken against the culprits. He further requested the Opposition parties to not politicise the issue.

Three-year-old raped by minor in Haryana; fifth rape in 5 days

In another case of brutal sexual assault in Haryana, a 50-year-old man was arrested for allegedly mutilating the private parts of a 10-year-old girl by inserting a wooden object, police said today.

The incident, which took place yesterday in an area near Pinjore, comes barely days after two minor Dalit girls were allegedly raped and killed in separate incidents in the state. In one of the cases, a 15-year-old school student, was brutally assaulted and her private parts mutilated.

The girl&#39;s family has lodged a complaint, following which the man was arrested and booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Assistant Sub-Inspector, Pinjore police station, Brij Pal said.

The man, who is a distant relative of the victim, allegedly inserted a wooden object into her private parts, police said.

The officer said that as per the complaint given to the police the accused had not raped the girl, but assaulted her in a brutal manner.

&quot;According to the complaint, the accused mutilated the private parts of the girl,&quot; Pal said.

The girl&#39;s mother found her crying and rushed her to a hospital in Panchkula. The crime was allegedly committed when she was playing outside her house, he said.

The matter is being investigated. The man and the girl&#39;s family hail from Uttar Pradesh and have been living in an area near Pinjore for the past many years, the assistant sub-inspector said.

Opposition Congress in Haryana has alleged that these shocking incidents were a grim reminder of how the law and order situation in the state had deteriorated in the past three years.

These cases come close on the heels of another incident last month, in which a six-year-old girl was raped and killed in Haryana&#39;s Uklana area in Hisar district.&nbsp;

Police said the man, who is a distant relative of the victim, allegedly inserted a wooden object into the girl's private parts

In another case of brutal sexual assault in Haryana, a 50-year-old man was arrested for allegedly mutilating the private parts of a 10-year-old girl by inserting a wooden object, police said today. The incident, which took place yesterday in an area near Pinjore, comes barely days after two minor Dalit girls were allegedly raped and killed in separate incidents in the state. In one of the cases, a 15-year-old school student, was brutally assaulted and her private parts mutilated. The girl's family has lodged a complaint, following which the man was arrested and booked under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and provisions of the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, Assistant Sub-Inspector, Pinjore police station, Brij Pal said. The man, who is a distant relative of the victim, allegedly inserted a wooden object into her private parts, police said. The officer said that as per the complaint given to the police the accused had not raped the girl, but assaulted her in a brutal manner. "According to the complaint, the accused mutilated the private parts of the girl," Pal said. The girl's mother found her crying and rushed her to a hospital in Panchkula. The crime was allegedly committed when she was playing outside her house, he said. The matter is being investigated. The man and the girl's family hail from Uttar Pradesh and have been living in an area near Pinjore for the past many years, the assistant sub-inspector said. Opposition Congress in Haryana has alleged that these shocking incidents were a grim reminder of how the law and order situation in the state had deteriorated in the past three years. These cases come close on the heels of another incident last month, in which a six-year-old girl was raped and killed in Haryana's Uklana area in Hisar district.

Haryana: Man arrested for allegedly mutilating private parts of 10-year-old girl

The cold wave sweeping northern India tightened its grip in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and parts of Himachal Pradesh, as dense fog forced the Indian Railways to cancel 22 trains and reschedule another eight.

Delhi recorded the season&#39;s lowest minimum temperature at 4.2 degrees Celsius, three notches below the average, the Met office in the national capital said.

Dense fog delayed 45 north-bound trains, while eight were rescheduled and 22 were cancelled by the Railways.

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/kejriwal-blames-lg-for-deaths-in-delhi-says-he-appointed-useless-officer-28898" target="_blank">Kejriwal blames LG for deaths due to cold, says he appointed &#39;useless officer&#39;</a>

The night temperature in Srinagar slipped to the season&#39;s lowest at -6.2C, a MeT department official said in Srinagar.

This was the third straight night when the minimum temperature in Srinagar settled at -6.0C or below.

Many water bodies in the the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir have partially frozen due to the intense cold wave. The Dal Lake partially froze early today, but a bright sunshine through the day defroze the popular lake&#39;s surface.

Elsewhere in the Kashmir Valley, the minimum temperature stayed several degrees below the freezing point.

Biting cold conditions persisted in parts of Himachal Pradesh. The high-altitude tribal areas groaned as the minimum temperature in the hills ranged between -13C and -20C.

Keylong and Kalpa, in tribal Lahaul and Spiti, and Kinnaur recorded a low of -7.2C and -3.4C respectively.

The temperature during daytime, however, rose by 2-3 degrees in Himachal, including in Una, which recorded the highest maximum temperature in the state at 25.8C.

Punjab, Haryana and their common capital Chandigarh remained under the grip of intense cold conditions. Narnaul recorded the lowest minimum temperature in the states at 0.2C.

The minimum temperature remained up to five degrees below the normal in parts of Punjab and Haryana, the MeT office in Chandigarh said.

The minimum temperature in Chandigarh was 3.4C.

In the desert-state Rajasthan, Bhilwara, Alwar, Churu, Sikar, Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh and Pilani districts reeled under the cold wave.

Alwar was recorded the coldest place in the state at 0.3C, followed by 1.5C in Sikar, 2C each in hill station Mount Abu and Churu, and 2.2C in Sriganganagar.

In Uttar Pradesh, the Met office in Lucknow said the day temperature fell markedly in Bareilly division. The lowest minimum temperature in the state was in Meerut at 2.9C. 
 
The Met office has forecast dry weather in Uttar Pradesh during the next 24 hours, with shallow to moderate fog at a few places over eastern and western UP.&nbsp;

Delhi recorded the season's lowest minimum temperature at 4.2 degrees Celsius

The cold wave sweeping northern India tightened its grip in Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana and parts of Himachal Pradesh, as dense fog forced the Indian Railways to cancel 22 trains and reschedule another eight. Delhi recorded the season's lowest minimum temperature at 4.2 degrees Celsius, three notches below the average, the Met office in the national capital said. Dense fog delayed 45 north-bound trains, while eight were rescheduled and 22 were cancelled by the Railways. Also read: Kejriwal blames LG for deaths due to cold, says he appointed 'useless officer' The night temperature in Srinagar slipped to the season's lowest at -6.2C, a MeT department official said in Srinagar. This was the third straight night when the minimum temperature in Srinagar settled at -6.0C or below. Many water bodies in the the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir have partially frozen due to the intense cold wave. The Dal Lake partially froze early today, but a bright sunshine through the day defroze the popular lake's surface. Elsewhere in the Kashmir Valley, the minimum temperature stayed several degrees below the freezing point. Biting cold conditions persisted in parts of Himachal Pradesh. The high-altitude tribal areas groaned as the minimum temperature in the hills ranged between -13C and -20C. Keylong and Kalpa, in tribal Lahaul and Spiti, and Kinnaur recorded a low of -7.2C and -3.4C respectively. The temperature during daytime, however, rose by 2-3 degrees in Himachal, including in Una, which recorded the highest maximum temperature in the state at 25.8C. Punjab, Haryana and their common capital Chandigarh remained under the grip of intense cold conditions. Narnaul recorded the lowest minimum temperature in the states at 0.2C. The minimum temperature remained up to five degrees below the normal in parts of Punjab and Haryana, the MeT office in Chandigarh said. The minimum temperature in Chandigarh was 3.4C. In the desert-state Rajasthan, Bhilwara, Alwar, Churu, Sikar, Sriganganagar, Hanumangarh and Pilani districts reeled under the cold wave. Alwar was recorded the coldest place in the state at 0.3C, followed by 1.5C in Sikar, 2C each in hill station Mount Abu and Churu, and 2.2C in Sriganganagar. In Uttar Pradesh, the Met office in Lucknow said the day temperature fell markedly in Bareilly division. The lowest minimum temperature in the state was in Meerut at 2.9C. The Met office has forecast dry weather in Uttar Pradesh during the next 24 hours, with shallow to moderate fog at a few places over eastern and western UP.

Cold wave tightens grip over north India

On the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, nearly six people were found murdered within a span of two hours at separate locations in Haryana&#39;s Palwal district.

The accused has been arrested by the police. &nbsp;

As media reports, the murders carried out between 2 am and 4 am, were committed using an iron rod.

The killer, reported to be an ex-army soldier, was arrested in an injured state by the police in Adarsh Colony.&nbsp;

He was taken to Palwal&#39;s civil hospital for treatment but was later referred to another hospital in Faridabad.

The accused first killed a woman in a hospital. Later, he managed to sneak out and attacked five more people, including three security guards, on streets between Palwal&rsquo;s Agra Road and Minar Gate areas.

A video which is doing the rounds shows a man wearing a blue sweater and a pair of white trousers entering a hospital&#39;s corridor, looking around while holding a rod in his hand.&nbsp;

The exact cause of the deaths is yet to be ascertained but police are investigating and suspect the culprit to be mentally unstable.

The murders carried out between 2 am and 4 am, were committed using an iron rod

On the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, nearly six people were found murdered within a span of two hours at separate locations in Haryana's Palwal district. The accused has been arrested by the police. As media reports, the murders carried out between 2 am and 4 am, were committed using an iron rod. The killer, reported to be an ex-army soldier, was arrested in an injured state by the police in Adarsh Colony. He was taken to Palwal's civil hospital for treatment but was later referred to another hospital in Faridabad. The accused first killed a woman in a hospital. Later, he managed to sneak out and attacked five more people, including three security guards, on streets between Palwal’s Agra Road and Minar Gate areas. A video which is doing the rounds shows a man wearing a blue sweater and a pair of white trousers entering a hospital's corridor, looking around while holding a rod in his hand. The exact cause of the deaths is yet to be ascertained but police are investigating and suspect the culprit to be mentally unstable.

Video: 6 killed in two hours in Haryana's Palwal, accused held

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to lift the ban on firecrackers in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh.

The court will now hear the case against on January 5.

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SC refuses to lift the ban on bursting of firecrackers in Punjab, Haryana &amp; Chandigarh, says it would hear the case against the ban on January 5.
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The Supreme court had in October ordered a ban on the sale of firecrackers ahead of Diwali and even after Diwali in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh till the next hearing.

The ruling came in order to curb the rise in air pollution caused by burning of firecrackers&nbsp;after Diwali in Delhi.

The notice came in order to curb the rise in air pollution caused by burning of firecrackers, after Diwali in Delhi

The Supreme Court on Friday refused to lift the ban on firecrackers in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh. The court will now hear the case against on January 5. SC refuses to lift the ban on bursting of firecrackers in Punjab, Haryana & Chandigarh, says it would hear the case against the ban on January 5. — ANI (@ANI) December 15, 2017 × The Supreme court had in October ordered a ban on the sale of firecrackers ahead of Diwali and even after Diwali in Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh till the next hearing. The ruling came in order to curb the rise in air pollution caused by burning of firecrackers after Diwali in Delhi.

Supreme Court refuses to lift ban on firecrackers in Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh

A day after the Haryana government wrote to Centre to fix minimum qualification for MPs and MLAs for contesting elections, Congress leader Bhupendra Singh Hooda said that before minimum qualification,&nbsp;priority should be set to achieve 100 per cent literacy in the country.&nbsp;

He said &quot;We are living in a democratic set up where less educated or even uneducated have the right to contest. I think before we suggest that minimum qualification criteria be put in place, our first target should be to make the country 100 per cent literate&quot;.

He said under present scheme of things such criteria may restrict candidates who otherwise may be equally capable as the educated ones.&nbsp;

The Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday wrote to the central government to fix minimum qualification for MPs and MLAs for contesting elections.&nbsp;

The state government had earlier issued to fix minimum qualification for panchayat elections, which was upheld by the court.

In September 2015, the state assembly had passed a bill for fixing the minimum qualification for contesting elections to Panchayati Raj institutions.&nbsp;&nbsp;

He said under present scheme of things such criteria may restrict candidates who otherwise may be equally capable as the educated ones

A day after the Haryana government wrote to Centre to fix minimum qualification for MPs and MLAs for contesting elections, Congress leader Bhupendra Singh Hooda said that before minimum qualification, priority should be set to achieve 100 per cent literacy in the country. He said "We are living in a democratic set up where less educated or even uneducated have the right to contest. I think before we suggest that minimum qualification criteria be put in place, our first target should be to make the country 100 per cent literate". He said under present scheme of things such criteria may restrict candidates who otherwise may be equally capable as the educated ones. The Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Saturday wrote to the central government to fix minimum qualification for MPs and MLAs for contesting elections. The state government had earlier issued to fix minimum qualification for panchayat elections, which was upheld by the court. In September 2015, the state assembly had passed a bill for fixing the minimum qualification for contesting elections to Panchayati Raj institutions.

Ensure 100 per cent literacy before fixing minimum qualification for MLAs, MPs: Hooda

&nbsp;A reply to Right to Information (RTI) application filed by social activist Harinder Dhingra has revealed that out of the 35 police stations in Haryana&#39;s Gurugram, six police stations do not have ladies washrooms.

The RTI stated the police stations in Sector 14, New Colony, Bajghera, Sector 50, Sohna and Kherki Daula do not have ladies toilets.

The RTI also said the police stations in Rajendra Park, Sector 14, Shivaji Nagar, New Colony, Udyog Vihar, Bajghera, Sector 10, Sector 18, Sector 9A, Sector 50, Metro, Sector 53, Sushant Lok, IMT Manesar, Sohna, Badshahpur, Kherki Daula, and Bhondsi don&#39;t have a ladies lock-up.

Out of 35 police stations, 18, in total, do not have lock-ups for women prisoners despite the High Court orders.

?A reply to Right to Information (RTI) application filed by social activist Harinder Dhingra has revealed that out of the 35 police stations in Haryana's Gurugram, six police stations do not have ladies washrooms

A reply to Right to Information (RTI) application filed by social activist Harinder Dhingra has revealed that out of the 35 police stations in Haryana's Gurugram, six police stations do not have ladies washrooms. The RTI stated the police stations in Sector 14, New Colony, Bajghera, Sector 50, Sohna and Kherki Daula do not have ladies toilets. The RTI also said the police stations in Rajendra Park, Sector 14, Shivaji Nagar, New Colony, Udyog Vihar, Bajghera, Sector 10, Sector 18, Sector 9A, Sector 50, Metro, Sector 53, Sushant Lok, IMT Manesar, Sohna, Badshahpur, Kherki Daula, and Bhondsi don't have a ladies lock-up. Out of 35 police stations, 18, in total, do not have lock-ups for women prisoners despite the High Court orders.

RTI reveals several Gurugram police stations don't have ladies toilets

&quot;The day I was born, my father tried to bury me alive,&quot; Manju Singh tells me. &quot;The moment he knew he&#39;d had a daughter, he charged into the windowless room in which my mother had delivered me and started digging a hole in the mud floor. The umbilical cord had just been cut. My maternal grandmother scooped me up and fled.&quot;

Sitting before a wood stove in her outdoor kitchen in Haryana, Singh is cooking breakfast. It&#39;s winter, around dawn, and the 35-year-old mother of two speaks in a matter-of-fact tone, not allowing her narrative to interrupt the rapid motion of her rolling pin. The year is 2012 and there&#39;s bad news from India&rsquo;s just-published Census report: the number of girls born, compared to boys, has fallen drastically between 2001 and 2011&ndash; from 927 to 919.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/02-manju-in-the-kitchen-and-cooking-the-bread.width-1440-20171128070633.jpg" />
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&lsquo;That I lived is nothing short of a miracle,&rsquo; Manju says while cooking on a wood stove (Others)
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&quot;That I lived is nothing short of a miracle,&quot; Manju continues. &quot;My mother had to fight hard to keep me alive. Even while I was growing up my father tried several times to kill me. He&#39;d beat me to pulp. But somehow, I lived through it all. I was just that stubborn.&quot; She laughs.

For generations, no girl child in Singh&rsquo;s family in Sadikpur village had been allowed to live. When she was 10, Manju&rsquo;s father told her that he had watched his sister being buried alive by his father. Killing new-born female progeny was a family &lsquo;tradition&rsquo;. The strictly &lsquo;sons only&rsquo; policy was implemented ruthlessly.

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A milestone on the way to Manju&rsquo;s village, Sadikpur (Others)
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What happened in Singh&#39;s family over generations was not an isolated instance. Female infanticide &ndash; an unfortunate confluence of culture and economics &ndash; was practiced in some parts of India for centuries. The methods varied from region to region, but all were equally macabre &ndash; feeding the baby grain husk to slit her windpipe, a morsel of rice to choke her, tobacco juice to poison her. Strangulation, starvation, overfeeding, and the fate Manju escaped &ndash; being buried alive &ndash; were also common.

These methods are now rare, though not entirely absent. In 2014, according to National Crime Records Bureau data, 121 cases of infanticide were reported in the country. But female infanticide in India was once widespread enough to necessitate a law against it: the Female Infanticide Prevention Act of 1970. It only succeeded in making the killers more furtive, their crimes harder to detect.

What did nearly eradicate infanticide was ultrasound, a technology that came to India in the late 1980s. With ultrasound imaging techniques, parents could identify the gender of their child in the womb. Identification services combined with sex-selective abortions at affordable prices mushroomed all over India. Though the practice of infanticide declined, many more girls actually died.

In 1994, India passed the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostics Techniques Act to prohibit sex determination during ultrasound. But the Act, as well as an amendment passed in 2003, have been ineffective: India&#39;s ratio of young girls to young boys has slid lower every decade.

Manju is trying to counter this in her corner of Haryana. Breakfast cooked, she is now vigorously working the hand-pump in the courtyard to fill water for her family for the day. She tells me about the traditional rituals that accompanied infanticide in different parts of India:

&quot;In the state of Rajasthan a popular song urges the daughter not to return to this land. They used to sing that after killing the infant. And in Punjab they would place the girl alive in an earthen pot with a lump of jaggery, some gram and raw cotton yarn. Then they buried the pot while chanting &lsquo;Gud khaanyi, punni katti. Aap na aayi, veerey nu kalli&#39; [Eat this jaggery, spin this cotton. Don&#39;t come back. The next time, send your brother instead]&rsquo;.&quot;

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Manju&rsquo;s kids and husband: &lsquo;I love my son too, but my daughter is special&#39; (Others)
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Manju explains: &quot;Gram and jaggery are symbols of celebrating a boy child. And the cotton yarn is what a sister ties on her brother&#39;s wrist to ask for his protection. These male symbols are meant to invoke a son.&quot;

Singh is a health and gender rights advocate in her community in Ambala district; she works (at the time of our meeting) with the Voluntary Health Association of Punjab. She educates village women about preventing the crime her father tried to commit. &quot;I understand women&rsquo;s concerns, the pressures they face. I never preach to them; I try to befriend them. That&#39;s the only way to make change happen,&quot; she says as she winds up her household chores and steps out for the day.

Our first stop is a village meeting. A crowd of women has gathered and a raucous debate is underway. The topic of discussion is the relative &lsquo;merits&rsquo; of sons and daughters. Many women give various reasons for their preference: &quot;Daughters are expensive to bring up. We need to spend on their dowries;&quot; &quot;Sons earn money, they bring dowries. Daughters only take from their families;&quot; &quot;A daughter gets married and goes away but a son is always there to look after you;&quot; &quot;Raising a daughter is like watering a tree in your neighbour&#39;s garden.&quot;

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Addressing a meeting, discussing the relative &lsquo;merits&rsquo; of sons and daughters (Others)
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Then a middle-aged woman at the back of the crowd pipes up in a robust tone: &quot;All of you who want only sons, can you tell me who will make the babies? Can men give birth to children? We need girls too. Girls are great! Ask me, I have two daughters.&quot; The air becomes thick with cheers.

But the truth is, there is little cause for cheer. According to Census 2011 data, Haryana has only 834 girls for every 1,000 boys in the 0-6 age group. There aren&#39;t enough girls in the state for young men to marry. Entire villages in Haryana are now devoid of brides. Bachelors are desperate, trying everything from propitiating the gods to buying brides from other states and arm-twisting local politicians to get them brides in exchange for votes.

Says Singh, &quot;When I got married I learned about sex-selective abortion. It was all around me. It was happening in practically every home. Women were under immense pressure to do it. Many of them were undergoing five, six, even 10 abortions in the quest for a son. It&#39;s physical and mental torture. I felt very strongly that I should work with women to try and stop this killing... It was a calling from deep within.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false"><img alt="" draggable="false" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/06-manjus-constituency-is-women-sc-manju-figh.width-1440-20171128071113.jpg" />
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According to Census 2011 data, Haryana has only 834 girls for every 1,000 boys in the 0-6 age group (Others)
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&quot;Even medicine can become a poison if not used correctly,&quot; Singh tells me. &quot;Ultrasound technology was supposed to be used to improve the health of mothers and babies. But society has used it as a killing tool. People are complicit. So are doctors. It&#39;s illegal to reveal the sex of the child and sex-selective abortion is illegal too. But it happens all the time, clinics do this everywhere. And it&#39;s so much easier compared to infanticide that people feel it is okay.&quot;

At the end of a day of trudging from village to village, addressing meetings, gathering data, chatting with pregnant women, and talking to young mothers who&#39;ve just given birth to female children, it&#39;s time for Manju to head home. The sun is setting and there&#39;s a cold wind blowing. Her daughter is back from school and busy preparing for her mother&#39;s arrival. Steaming cups of tea and biscuits await us.

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A cold wind is blowing on the way back to Sadikpur that evening; at Manju&rsquo;s home, her daughter awaits us with steaming cups of tea (Others)
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Ruffling her daughter&#39;s hair, Singh praises her effort and then turns to me and asks, &quot;Do you have a daughter?&quot; &quot;Yes,&quot; I answer. &quot;Then,&quot; she says, &quot;you&#39;ll know what I mean when I say that they are precious. When I was pregnant for the first time, I prayed for a girl. And god&nbsp;heard me. I love my son too, but my daughter is special.&quot;

This <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/articles/manju-fights-to-change-the-script" rel="nofollow" target="blank">article</a> was originally published on 22/03/2016 on the <a href="https://ruralindiaonline.org/" rel="nofollow" target="blank">People&#39;s Archive of Rural India</a>.

(Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity).

Image Credit: Svati Chakravarty

Manju Singh is a health and gender rights advocate in her community in Ambala district and educates village women about preventing female infanticide. Her father tried to bury her when she was born but she survived

"The day I was born, my father tried to bury me alive," Manju Singh tells me. "The moment he knew he'd had a daughter, he charged into the windowless room in which my mother had delivered me and started digging a hole in the mud floor. The umbilical cord had just been cut. My maternal grandmother scooped me up and fled." Sitting before a wood stove in her outdoor kitchen in Haryana, Singh is cooking breakfast. It's winter, around dawn, and the 35-year-old mother of two speaks in a matter-of-fact tone, not allowing her narrative to interrupt the rapid motion of her rolling pin. The year is 2012 and there's bad news from India’s just-published Census report: the number of girls born, compared to boys, has fallen drastically between 2001 and 2011– from 927 to 919. ‘That I lived is nothing short of a miracle,’ Manju says while cooking on a wood stove (Others) × "That I lived is nothing short of a miracle," Manju continues. "My mother had to fight hard to keep me alive. Even while I was growing up my father tried several times to kill me. He'd beat me to pulp. But somehow, I lived through it all. I was just that stubborn." She laughs. For generations, no girl child in Singh’s family in Sadikpur village had been allowed to live. When she was 10, Manju’s father told her that he had watched his sister being buried alive by his father. Killing new-born female progeny was a family ‘tradition’. The strictly ‘sons only’ policy was implemented ruthlessly. A milestone on the way to Manju’s village, Sadikpur (Others) × What happened in Singh's family over generations was not an isolated instance. Female infanticide – an unfortunate confluence of culture and economics – was practiced in some parts of India for centuries. The methods varied from region to region, but all were equally macabre – feeding the baby grain husk to slit her windpipe, a morsel of rice to choke her, tobacco juice to poison her. Strangulation, starvation, overfeeding, and the fate Manju escaped – being buried alive – were also common. These methods are now rare, though not entirely absent. In 2014, according to National Crime Records Bureau data, 121 cases of infanticide were reported in the country. But female infanticide in India was once widespread enough to necessitate a law against it: the Female Infanticide Prevention Act of 1970. It only succeeded in making the killers more furtive, their crimes harder to detect. What did nearly eradicate infanticide was ultrasound, a technology that came to India in the late 1980s. With ultrasound imaging techniques, parents could identify the gender of their child in the womb. Identification services combined with sex-selective abortions at affordable prices mushroomed all over India. Though the practice of infanticide declined, many more girls actually died. In 1994, India passed the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostics Techniques Act to prohibit sex determination during ultrasound. But the Act, as well as an amendment passed in 2003, have been ineffective: India's ratio of young girls to young boys has slid lower every decade. Manju is trying to counter this in her corner of Haryana. Breakfast cooked, she is now vigorously working the hand-pump in the courtyard to fill water for her family for the day. She tells me about the traditional rituals that accompanied infanticide in different parts of India: "In the state of Rajasthan a popular song urges the daughter not to return to this land. They used to sing that after killing the infant. And in Punjab they would place the girl alive in an earthen pot with a lump of jaggery, some gram and raw cotton yarn. Then they buried the pot while chanting ‘Gud khaanyi, punni katti. Aap na aayi, veerey nu kalli' [Eat this jaggery, spin this cotton. Don't come back. The next time, send your brother instead]’." Manju’s kids and husband: ‘I love my son too, but my daughter is special' (Others) × Manju explains: "Gram and jaggery are symbols of celebrating a boy child. And the cotton yarn is what a sister ties on her brother's wrist to ask for his protection. These male symbols are meant to invoke a son." Singh is a health and gender rights advocate in her community in Ambala district; she works (at the time of our meeting) with the Voluntary Health Association of Punjab. She educates village women about preventing the crime her father tried to commit. "I understand women’s concerns, the pressures they face. I never preach to them; I try to befriend them. That's the only way to make change happen," she says as she winds up her household chores and steps out for the day. Our first stop is a village meeting. A crowd of women has gathered and a raucous debate is underway. The topic of discussion is the relative ‘merits’ of sons and daughters. Many women give various reasons for their preference: "Daughters are expensive to bring up. We need to spend on their dowries;" "Sons earn money, they bring dowries. Daughters only take from their families;" "A daughter gets married and goes away but a son is always there to look after you;" "Raising a daughter is like watering a tree in your neighbour's garden." Addressing a meeting, discussing the relative ‘merits’ of sons and daughters (Others) × Then a middle-aged woman at the back of the crowd pipes up in a robust tone: "All of you who want only sons, can you tell me who will make the babies? Can men give birth to children? We need girls too. Girls are great! Ask me, I have two daughters." The air becomes thick with cheers. But the truth is, there is little cause for cheer. According to Census 2011 data, Haryana has only 834 girls for every 1,000 boys in the 0-6 age group. There aren't enough girls in the state for young men to marry. Entire villages in Haryana are now devoid of brides. Bachelors are desperate, trying everything from propitiating the gods to buying brides from other states and arm-twisting local politicians to get them brides in exchange for votes. Says Singh, "When I got married I learned about sex-selective abortion. It was all around me. It was happening in practically every home. Women were under immense pressure to do it. Many of them were undergoing five, six, even 10 abortions in the quest for a son. It's physical and mental torture. I felt very strongly that I should work with women to try and stop this killing... It was a calling from deep within. According to Census 2011 data, Haryana has only 834 girls for every 1,000 boys in the 0-6 age group (Others) × "Even medicine can become a poison if not used correctly," Singh tells me. "Ultrasound technology was supposed to be used to improve the health of mothers and babies. But society has used it as a killing tool. People are complicit. So are doctors. It's illegal to reveal the sex of the child and sex-selective abortion is illegal too. But it happens all the time, clinics do this everywhere. And it's so much easier compared to infanticide that people feel it is okay." At the end of a day of trudging from village to village, addressing meetings, gathering data, chatting with pregnant women, and talking to young mothers who've just given birth to female children, it's time for Manju to head home. The sun is setting and there's a cold wind blowing. Her daughter is back from school and busy preparing for her mother's arrival. Steaming cups of tea and biscuits await us. A cold wind is blowing on the way back to Sadikpur that evening; at Manju’s home, her daughter awaits us with steaming cups of tea (Others) × Ruffling her daughter's hair, Singh praises her effort and then turns to me and asks, "Do you have a daughter?" "Yes," I answer. "Then," she says, "you'll know what I mean when I say that they are precious. When I was pregnant for the first time, I prayed for a girl. And god heard me. I love my son too, but my daughter is special." This article was originally published on 22/03/2016 on the People's Archive of Rural India. (Disclaimer: The author writes here in a personal capacity). Image Credit: Svati Chakravarty

Opinion: Manju fights to change the script

Haryana&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suraj Pal Amu on Saturday threatened West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of a similar fate like Surpanakha if she continues to support Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s magnum opus &quot;Padmavati&quot;.

The party&#39;s chief media coordinator, Amu told ANI, &quot;Mamata Banerjee should not forget how women like Surpanakha was dealt by Lakshman, who chopped off her nose.&quot;

&quot;Like Rani Padmavati, she (Mamata) is also a woman. If she cannot respect a woman, she will get the answer from the people of Bengal,&quot; added Amu.

Amu made the statement after Banerjee, at an event on Friday, welcomed the film to be released in Bengal.

A few days back, the Bengal chief minister tweeted in support of the film, &quot;Padmavati&quot;, and said the controversy surrounding it was &quot;the calculated plan of a political party to destroy freedom of expression&quot;.

&quot;We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice,&quot; the tweet further reads.

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The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Padmavati?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Padmavati</a> controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice
&mdash; Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/MamataOfficial/status/932496407730126848?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
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<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bjp-condemns-member-who-offered-reward-for-padmavati-actress-deepika-padukones-head-24684">Earlier on November 19, Amu made derogatory remarks against Bhansali, actress Deepika Padukone and actor Ranveer Singh and announced a reward of Rs 10 crore for beheading the actress.</a>

Amid the hue and cry, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmavati-row-producers-postpone-films-release-24582">the release date of the epic drama &#39;Padmavati&#39; starring Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor has also been postponed from December 1.</a>

Haryana's Bharatiya Janata Party leader Suraj Pal Amu on Saturday threatened West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of a similar fate like Surpanakha if she continues to support Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus 'Padmavati'

Haryana's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Suraj Pal Amu on Saturday threatened West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of a similar fate like Surpanakha if she continues to support Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus "Padmavati". The party's chief media coordinator, Amu told ANI, "Mamata Banerjee should not forget how women like Surpanakha was dealt by Lakshman, who chopped off her nose." "Like Rani Padmavati, she (Mamata) is also a woman. If she cannot respect a woman, she will get the answer from the people of Bengal," added Amu. Amu made the statement after Banerjee, at an event on Friday, welcomed the film to be released in Bengal. A few days back, the Bengal chief minister tweeted in support of the film, "Padmavati", and said the controversy surrounding it was "the calculated plan of a political party to destroy freedom of expression". "We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice," the tweet further reads. The #Padmavati controversy is not only unfortunate but also a calculated plan of a political party to destroy the freedom to express ourselves. We condemn this super emergency. All in the film industry must come together and protest in one voice — Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) November 20, 2017 × Earlier on November 19, Amu made derogatory remarks against Bhansali, actress Deepika Padukone and actor Ranveer Singh and announced a reward of Rs 10 crore for beheading the actress. Amid the hue and cry, the release date of the epic drama 'Padmavati' starring Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor has also been postponed from December 1.

'Padmavati' row: Haryana BJP leader invokes Suparnakha to warn Mamata Banerjee

The Haryana government has suspended mobile internet services in 13 districts of the state till the midnight of November 26 to maintain law and order.

Haryana Additional Chief Secretary (Home) S S Prasad on Friday made the announcement ahead of rallies to be carried out by a Jat body and ruling BJP&#39;s Kurukshetra lawmaker on Sunday.&nbsp;

According to Prasad, Internet services, SMS and dongle services will be suspended in Jind, Bhiwani, Hisar, Fatehabad, Karnal, Panipat, Kaithal, Rohtak, Sonipat, Jhajjar and Charkhi Dadri.

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Haryana govt suspended mobile internet, SMS &amp; dongle services in Jind, Hansi,Bhiwani,Hisar,Fatehabad,Karnal,Panipat,Kaithal,Rohtak,Sonipat,Jhajjar &amp; Charkhi Dadri till 26 Nov midnight citing likelihood of tensions due to agitators during rallies in Jasiya, Rohtak &amp; Jind on 26 Nov
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/934247132617261057?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&quot;The order is issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of the state of districts as mentioned and shall be in force for the next three days,&quot; the order said.

It mentioned that there is a possibility of causing tension, annoyance, obstruction or injury to persons, danger to human life and property, disturbance of public peace and tranquillity within the limits of state of Haryana by protestors or agitators and anti-social elements during the two public rallies on Sunday at Jassia in Rohtak district and at Jind.

The government&rsquo;s order comes following an incident of road blockage due to protest in Jind district and police&#39;s resort to lathi-charge on Friday.

Jat leader Sandeep Bharti, who led the protesters, was demanding cancellation of Saini&#39;s rally.

Kurukshetra MP Mr Saini, who had been opposing quota for Jats, had earlier announced a &quot;Samanta Maha Sammelan&quot; in Jind for November 26.

&nbsp;

(with inputs from agencies)

Internet services, SMS and dongle services will be suspended in Jind, Bhiwani, Hisar, Fatehabad, Karnal, Panipat, Kaithal, Rohtak, Sonipat, Jhajjar and Charkhi Dadri.

The Haryana government has suspended mobile internet services in 13 districts of the state till the midnight of November 26 to maintain law and order. Haryana Additional Chief Secretary (Home) S S Prasad on Friday made the announcement ahead of rallies to be carried out by a Jat body and ruling BJP's Kurukshetra lawmaker on Sunday. According to Prasad, Internet services, SMS and dongle services will be suspended in Jind, Bhiwani, Hisar, Fatehabad, Karnal, Panipat, Kaithal, Rohtak, Sonipat, Jhajjar and Charkhi Dadri. Haryana govt suspended mobile internet, SMS & dongle services in Jind, Hansi,Bhiwani,Hisar,Fatehabad,Karnal,Panipat,Kaithal,Rohtak,Sonipat,Jhajjar & Charkhi Dadri till 26 Nov midnight citing likelihood of tensions due to agitators during rallies in Jasiya, Rohtak & Jind on 26 Nov — ANI (@ANI) November 25, 2017 × "The order is issued to prevent any disturbance of peace and public order in the jurisdiction of the state of districts as mentioned and shall be in force for the next three days," the order said. It mentioned that there is a possibility of causing tension, annoyance, obstruction or injury to persons, danger to human life and property, disturbance of public peace and tranquillity within the limits of state of Haryana by protestors or agitators and anti-social elements during the two public rallies on Sunday at Jassia in Rohtak district and at Jind. The government’s order comes following an incident of road blockage due to protest in Jind district and police's resort to lathi-charge on Friday. Jat leader Sandeep Bharti, who led the protesters, was demanding cancellation of Saini's rally. Kurukshetra MP Mr Saini, who had been opposing quota for Jats, had earlier announced a "Samanta Maha Sammelan" in Jind for November 26. (with inputs from agencies)

Mobile internet services to be suspended in Haryana till Sunday ahead of public rallies

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Center, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi governments on the petition on stubble burning and dust pollution.

Stating that it&#39;s an emergency situation, the Supreme Court sought expeditious action from the authorities.

The court also said that there will be no stay on matters pertaining to pollution which is going on before any other court.&nbsp;

The Supreme Court was hearing a plea seeking to curb rising pollution in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR).

A Bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, considered the submission of lawyer R.K. Kapoor that rise in dust particles on roads, stubble burning in Delhi&rsquo;s neighbouring States like Haryana and Punjab have led to an alarming rise in pollution levels in the NCR and adjoining areas.

&ldquo;We cannot ignore the pollution,&rdquo; the Bench said earlier.&nbsp;

The plea sought a direction to the Centre and the States concerned to take steps to curb road dust and stubble burning. It also sought effective implementation of the odd-even car rationing scheme.

&nbsp;

Stating that it's an emergency situation, the Supreme Court sought expeditious action from the authorities.

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notices to the Center, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi governments on the petition on stubble burning and dust pollution. Stating that it's an emergency situation, the Supreme Court sought expeditious action from the authorities. The court also said that there will be no stay on matters pertaining to pollution which is going on before any other court. The Supreme Court was hearing a plea seeking to curb rising pollution in Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR). A Bench, comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud, considered the submission of lawyer R.K. Kapoor that rise in dust particles on roads, stubble burning in Delhi’s neighbouring States like Haryana and Punjab have led to an alarming rise in pollution levels in the NCR and adjoining areas. “We cannot ignore the pollution,” the Bench said earlier. The plea sought a direction to the Centre and the States concerned to take steps to curb road dust and stubble burning. It also sought effective implementation of the odd-even car rationing scheme.

Air pollution: Supreme Court issues notices to Centre, state govts

Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked several states to inform about the action taken against stubble burning.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-pollution-tips-to-choose-air-purifier-23667">The court asked Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan to inform about the action taken against stubble burning.</a>

Observing that the situation was grave in wake of advisories issued against sending children to school &amp; discouraging morning walks, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-wakes-up-to-hazardous-smog-23655">the court said that stubble burning may be the visible villain but there are other contributory factors too, the court observed.</a>

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Air Pollution matter: Delhi High Court asks Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan to inform about action taken against stubble burning.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/927850756593434625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 7, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Meanwhile, with the air quality in Delhi getting worse, the CISF ordered the issuance of over 9,000 face masks for its personnel deployed to guard the IGI Airport, the Delhi Metro and other government ministries and installations here.

A senior officer of the paramilitary force said CISF Director General (DG) O P Singh has ordered for the issuance of the masks so that the men and women of the force out in the open, could better combat the severe toxic smog.

&quot;While 2,000 protective face masks are being issued immediately, 7,000 more will be sent to all the units in Delhi in the next few hours,&quot; he said.

The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), a paramilitary force under the Union home ministry, is tasked to guard the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, the Delhi Metro and a number of government departments and ministries in the national capital region.

A blanket of thick haze enveloped Delhi this morning, as pollution levels breached the permissible standards by multiple times.

The court asked Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan to inform about the action taken against stubble burning.

Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked several states to inform about the action taken against stubble burning. The court asked Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Rajasthan to inform about the action taken against stubble burning. Observing that the situation was grave in wake of advisories issued against sending children to school & discouraging morning walks, the court said that stubble burning may be the visible villain but there are other contributory factors too, the court observed. Air Pollution matter: Delhi High Court asks Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Rajasthan to inform about action taken against stubble burning. — ANI (@ANI) November 7, 2017 × Meanwhile, with the air quality in Delhi getting worse, the CISF ordered the issuance of over 9,000 face masks for its personnel deployed to guard the IGI Airport, the Delhi Metro and other government ministries and installations here. A senior officer of the paramilitary force said CISF Director General (DG) O P Singh has ordered for the issuance of the masks so that the men and women of the force out in the open, could better combat the severe toxic smog. "While 2,000 protective face masks are being issued immediately, 7,000 more will be sent to all the units in Delhi in the next few hours," he said. The Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), a paramilitary force under the Union home ministry, is tasked to guard the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, the Delhi Metro and a number of government departments and ministries in the national capital region. A blanket of thick haze enveloped Delhi this morning, as pollution levels breached the permissible standards by multiple times.

Delhi HC asks states to inform about action taken against stubble burning

As air pollution surged to severe levels in Delhi, Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday&nbsp;asked state governments in the national capital region to take steps to mitigate it and effectively implement the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

Vardhan, who is currently in Germany to attend a crucial climate change conference, said several meetings with all the state governments including Delhi have been held and measures required to deal with the issue have been agreed upon and reviewed regularly.

The NCR includes the whole of Delhi and certain districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, covering an area of about 53,817 sq kms.

&quot;(The minister) has requested all the state governments in the NCR region to take effective steps for mitigating the levels of air pollution and bring them to acceptable levels.

&quot;He has also requested for the effective implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan, as well as other steps identified in various meetings held by the central government with the state governments to improve the situation,&quot; an official statement quoting him said.

&quot;Every possible step required to tackle the situation has been already identified and the need of the hour was to put them into action at ground level, which will yield significant results,&quot; the statement quoting him said.

The minister also requested the governments of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to implement the ban related to stubble burning.

&quot;The current high levels of smog in some areas are the result of adverse meteorological conditions,&quot; he said.

He has also requested the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) to effectively implement the identified steps in a practical manner so that visible improvement is seen on the ground.

A combination of smoke from stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana and moisture turned Delhi into a &quot;gas chamber&quot; today, prompting authorities to announce a series of preventive measures including a four-fold hike in parking fees and slashing of metro fares.

The smog brought down visibility levels, affecting flight and train operations. The heavy air permeated living rooms and even the underground metro stations in the city making it difficult to breathe, turning eyes watery.

The air quality index was in the &#39;severe&#39; category, with a score of 448 on a scale of 500, for the second time this year.

In pursuance of the Supreme Court order dated December 2, 2016 regarding air quality in the NCR, the Graded Response Action Plan was prepared for implementation under different Air Quality Index (AQI) categories namely -- Moderate and Poor, Very Poor and Severe, as per the National Air Quality Index.

The NCR includes the whole of Delhi and certain districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, covering an area of about 53,817 sq kms.

As air pollution surged to severe levels in Delhi, Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan on Tuesday asked state governments in the national capital region to take steps to mitigate it and effectively implement the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP). Vardhan, who is currently in Germany to attend a crucial climate change conference, said several meetings with all the state governments including Delhi have been held and measures required to deal with the issue have been agreed upon and reviewed regularly. The NCR includes the whole of Delhi and certain districts of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, covering an area of about 53,817 sq kms. "(The minister) has requested all the state governments in the NCR region to take effective steps for mitigating the levels of air pollution and bring them to acceptable levels. "He has also requested for the effective implementation of the Graded Response Action Plan, as well as other steps identified in various meetings held by the central government with the state governments to improve the situation," an official statement quoting him said. "Every possible step required to tackle the situation has been already identified and the need of the hour was to put them into action at ground level, which will yield significant results," the statement quoting him said. The minister also requested the governments of Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh to implement the ban related to stubble burning. "The current high levels of smog in some areas are the result of adverse meteorological conditions," he said. He has also requested the Supreme Court-mandated Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) to effectively implement the identified steps in a practical manner so that visible improvement is seen on the ground. A combination of smoke from stubble burning in Punjab and Haryana and moisture turned Delhi into a "gas chamber" today, prompting authorities to announce a series of preventive measures including a four-fold hike in parking fees and slashing of metro fares. The smog brought down visibility levels, affecting flight and train operations. The heavy air permeated living rooms and even the underground metro stations in the city making it difficult to breathe, turning eyes watery. The air quality index was in the 'severe' category, with a score of 448 on a scale of 500, for the second time this year. In pursuance of the Supreme Court order dated December 2, 2016 regarding air quality in the NCR, the Graded Response Action Plan was prepared for implementation under different Air Quality Index (AQI) categories namely -- Moderate and Poor, Very Poor and Severe, as per the National Air Quality Index.

Take effective steps to mitigate air pollution: Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan

On Friday, police had arrested a bus conductor for the murder of the class 2 Ryan International schoolboy.&nbsp;

The driver of the bus however has said police and top offficials of Ryan International School had pressured him to say the knife used in the murder of seven-year-old Pradhuman Thakur was part of the bus&#39;s tool kit.&nbsp;

Mail Today reported on Monday that Saurabh Raghav, the bus driver, &quot;spilled the beans about the alleged weapon used in the crime&quot;.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pradyuman?src=hash">#Pradyuman</a> death case: Team of Haryana Police reaches Mumbai; will visit Ryan International Group&#39;s headquarter, to question its owner
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/907131987281944576">September 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Ryan International School CEO Ryan Pinto files anticipatory bail application in Bombay High Court; hearing likely to take place tomorrow.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/907141044931665921">September 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pradyuman?src=hash">#Pradyuman</a> death case: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Ryan?src=hash">#Ryan</a> International Group&#39;s northern zone head Francis Thomas and branch (Bhondsi) coordinator arrested last night.
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/907081693822988289">September 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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2 people from school mgmt arrested yesterday;investigation will be done methodically: Police commissioner <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gurugram?src=hash">#Gurugram</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pradyuman?src=hash">#Pradyuman</a> death case <a href="https://t.co/C8F4pluMkv">pic.twitter.com/C8F4pluMkv</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/907113516754018304">September 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Have dispatched teams for document verification so that we are able to investigate case in totality: Police Commissioner <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gurugram?src=hash">#Gurugram</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/907117222576898049">September 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

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Police deployment at Gurugram&#39;s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RyanInternationalSchool?src=hash">#RyanInternationalSchool</a> amid raging protests, all campuses of the school in the city closed till tomorrow. <a href="https://t.co/mTwAjSdymu">pic.twitter.com/mTwAjSdymu</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/907073060645122048">September 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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It added: &quot;Speaking to Mail Today, Saurabh Raghav, the driver of the same bus in which the accused was a conductor, claimed that he was being forced by police officers and top officials of Ryan International to admit that the knife used in the crime was part of the bus tool kit.&quot;&nbsp;

Mail Today reported Raghav as saying: &quot;Since I am the driver of the bus in which Ashok Kumar was a conductor, I was interrogated by police officers and top officials of the school. They forced me to admit that the weapon of crime (knife) was part of the bus tool kit. They detained me till 1.30 am on Saturday and tried every possible way to terrorise me. Since the knife was not part of the toolkit, I categorically denied it.&quot;&nbsp;

Mail Today quoted Raghav as saying of that fateful day: &quot;There were principal, three teachers and some top school officials present along with the police officers on the campus. Officers in civil dress threatened to apply third degree on me if I would not admit that the knife was a part of the toolkit.&quot;&nbsp;

He added: &quot;I inspected the toolkit just a day earlier and I am 100 per cent sure that the knife was not part of the toolkit.&quot;

Pradhuman&#39;s father Varun Thakur meanwhile will approach the Supreme Court today.&nbsp;

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There were security lapses, one of the reasons for Pradyuman&#39;s death says his father as he leaves for Supreme Court <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RyanInternationalSchool?src=hash">#RyanInternationalSchool</a> <a href="https://t.co/wBjtseoSXY">pic.twitter.com/wBjtseoSXY</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/907069303551270912">September 11, 2017</a></blockquote>
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He has been asking for a parallel CBI enquiry even as Gurgaon Police investigate the murder of his son.&nbsp;

Thakur has said on record that he is &quot;not happy&quot; with the police investigation. &nbsp;

ANI reported Thakur as saying: &quot;It`s been two days that my son is dead and we all miss him a lot. My only wish is that the truth should come out and justice given to my wife and me. There is something which the local police are missing and so the case should be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). I am not happy with the police investigation, and I want a detailed investigation as there is something which is missing in the probe. There are a lot of loopholes which need to be investigated and the CBI can do in-depth investigation which will clear the motive of the murder.&quot;&nbsp;

And that he thinks the &quot;investigation is being influence by someone who does not want the truth to come out&quot;.&nbsp;

ANI reported Thakur as saying: &quot;The murder took place within 10 minutes, which means the conductor was already prepared to kill my son. As soon as the child entered the toilet, the accused attacked him. Also, why did no one listen to my child when his throat was slit? Did they ignore deliberately? I think the investigation is being influenced by someone who does not want the truth to come out. No culprit must be spared. Even if one of them is let loose, it`ll boost morale of people like them.&quot;

ANI meanwhile reported that all of Ryan International&#39;s schools in the city will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday.&nbsp;

It added that the Ryan International Group&#39;s northern zone head Francis Thomas and its Bhondsi branch -- Pradhuman used to go to school at the Bhondsi branch -- coordinator were arrested on Sunday night.

The school principal -- who had been called in for questioning today -- fell ill on Monday and had to be hospitalised.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

A Mail Today report said on Monday that Saurabh Raghav, the bus driver, had 'spilled the beans about the alleged weapon used in the crime'?

On Friday, police had arrested a bus conductor for the murder of the class 2 Ryan International schoolboy. The driver of the bus however has said police and top offficials of Ryan International School had pressured him to say the knife used in the murder of seven-year-old Pradhuman Thakur was part of the bus's tool kit. Mail Today reported on Monday that Saurabh Raghav, the bus driver, "spilled the beans about the alleged weapon used in the crime". #Pradyuman death case: Team of Haryana Police reaches Mumbai; will visit Ryan International Group's headquarter, to question its owner — ANI (@ANI) September 11, 2017 × Ryan International School CEO Ryan Pinto files anticipatory bail application in Bombay High Court; hearing likely to take place tomorrow. — ANI (@ANI) September 11, 2017 × #Pradyuman death case: #Ryan International Group's northern zone head Francis Thomas and branch (Bhondsi) coordinator arrested last night. — ANI (@ANI) September 11, 2017 × 2 people from school mgmt arrested yesterday;investigation will be done methodically: Police commissioner #Gurugram on #Pradyuman death case pic.twitter.com/C8F4pluMkv — ANI (@ANI) September 11, 2017 × Have dispatched teams for document verification so that we are able to investigate case in totality: Police Commissioner #Gurugram — ANI (@ANI) September 11, 2017 × Police deployment at Gurugram's #RyanInternationalSchool amid raging protests, all campuses of the school in the city closed till tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/mTwAjSdymu — ANI (@ANI) September 11, 2017 × It added: "Speaking to Mail Today, Saurabh Raghav, the driver of the same bus in which the accused was a conductor, claimed that he was being forced by police officers and top officials of Ryan International to admit that the knife used in the crime was part of the bus tool kit." Mail Today reported Raghav as saying: "Since I am the driver of the bus in which Ashok Kumar was a conductor, I was interrogated by police officers and top officials of the school. They forced me to admit that the weapon of crime (knife) was part of the bus tool kit. They detained me till 1.30 am on Saturday and tried every possible way to terrorise me. Since the knife was not part of the toolkit, I categorically denied it." Mail Today quoted Raghav as saying of that fateful day: "There were principal, three teachers and some top school officials present along with the police officers on the campus. Officers in civil dress threatened to apply third degree on me if I would not admit that the knife was a part of the toolkit." He added: "I inspected the toolkit just a day earlier and I am 100 per cent sure that the knife was not part of the toolkit." Pradhuman's father Varun Thakur meanwhile will approach the Supreme Court today. There were security lapses, one of the reasons for Pradyuman's death says his father as he leaves for Supreme Court #RyanInternationalSchool pic.twitter.com/wBjtseoSXY — ANI (@ANI) September 11, 2017 × He has been asking for a parallel CBI enquiry even as Gurgaon Police investigate the murder of his son. Thakur has said on record that he is "not happy" with the police investigation. ANI reported Thakur as saying: "It`s been two days that my son is dead and we all miss him a lot. My only wish is that the truth should come out and justice given to my wife and me. There is something which the local police are missing and so the case should be investigated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). I am not happy with the police investigation, and I want a detailed investigation as there is something which is missing in the probe. There are a lot of loopholes which need to be investigated and the CBI can do in-depth investigation which will clear the motive of the murder." And that he thinks the "investigation is being influence by someone who does not want the truth to come out". ANI reported Thakur as saying: "The murder took place within 10 minutes, which means the conductor was already prepared to kill my son. As soon as the child entered the toilet, the accused attacked him. Also, why did no one listen to my child when his throat was slit? Did they ignore deliberately? I think the investigation is being influenced by someone who does not want the truth to come out. No culprit must be spared. Even if one of them is let loose, it`ll boost morale of people like them." ANI meanwhile reported that all of Ryan International's schools in the city will remain closed on Monday and Tuesday. It added that the Ryan International Group's northern zone head Francis Thomas and its Bhondsi branch -- Pradhuman used to go to school at the Bhondsi branch -- coordinator were arrested on Sunday night. The school principal -- who had been called in for questioning today -- fell ill on Monday and had to be hospitalised.

Ryan school murder: Bus driver claims police, school forcing him to say knife was part of toolkit

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the now-disgraced former chief of the Dera Sacha Sauda, ran a parallel economy inside his headquarters in Sirsa, Haryana.&nbsp;

The Army, police, and paramilitary team searching his headquarters on Friday found plastic Rs 10 and 1 coins inside the Dera on Friday.&nbsp;

The search of the Dera HQ had been ordered by the Punjab and Haryana high court, and was led by a retired judge.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/watch-exclusive-inside-gurmeet-ram-rahims-strange-fantastical-home-19934" target="_blank">WATCH EXCLUSIVE: Inside Gurmeet Ram Rahim&#39;s strange &amp; fantastical home</a>

News reports quoted police as saying the Rs 10 coins were orange coloured, and that the Re 1 coins were blue coloured.&nbsp;

Police said the plastic coins were used as money at the shops inside the Dera headquarters.&nbsp;

The words &quot;Dhan Dhan Satguru tera hi&nbsp;asara, Dera Sacha Sauda Sirsa&quot; were inscribed on the coins.

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Haryana: Found in markets near Dera Sacha Sauda&#39;s Headquarter in Sirsa-&quot;Gurmeet Ram Rahim&#39;s plastic currency&quot; <a href="https://t.co/ZwhlJtSl70">pic.twitter.com/ZwhlJtSl70</a>
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Ram Rahim was convicted recently of raping two of his women disciples in 2002. &nbsp;

Some 41 paramilitary companies, four Army columns, police from&nbsp;four districts, one SWAT team, and a dog squad were deployed for the search operation at the Dera headquarters.&nbsp;

News reports said some 50 videographers and more than a dozen locksmiths accompanied the police, Army, and paramilitary personnel.

Digging machines were also taken into the HQ to look for hidden tunnels.

News reports said a large amount of cash was found.&nbsp;

A search team found coloured plastic coins inside the Dera headquarters on Friday

Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, the now-disgraced former chief of the Dera Sacha Sauda, ran a parallel economy inside his headquarters in Sirsa, Haryana. The Army, police, and paramilitary team searching his headquarters on Friday found plastic Rs 10 and 1 coins inside the Dera on Friday. The search of the Dera HQ had been ordered by the Punjab and Haryana high court, and was led by a retired judge. WATCH EXCLUSIVE: Inside Gurmeet Ram Rahim's strange & fantastical home News reports quoted police as saying the Rs 10 coins were orange coloured, and that the Re 1 coins were blue coloured. Police said the plastic coins were used as money at the shops inside the Dera headquarters. The words "Dhan Dhan Satguru tera hi asara, Dera Sacha Sauda Sirsa" were inscribed on the coins. Haryana: Found in markets near Dera Sacha Sauda's Headquarter in Sirsa-"Gurmeet Ram Rahim's plastic currency" pic.twitter.com/ZwhlJtSl70 — ANI (@ANI) September 8, 2017 × Ram Rahim was convicted recently of raping two of his women disciples in 2002. Some 41 paramilitary companies, four Army columns, police from four districts, one SWAT team, and a dog squad were deployed for the search operation at the Dera headquarters. News reports said some 50 videographers and more than a dozen locksmiths accompanied the police, Army, and paramilitary personnel. Digging machines were also taken into the HQ to look for hidden tunnels. News reports said a large amount of cash was found.

Gurmeet Ram Rahim ran parallel economy inside Dera Sacha Sauda HQ: Police

By Chhavi Bhatia

There is an eerie silence that hangs over the beautiful, planned city of Panchkula.

The satellite town is still coming to terms with the worst mob violence that it witnessed in recent times.

Panchkula was the epicentre of violent clashes that erupted after the conviction of controversial self-styled Godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh by a CBI court on Friday.

Ram Rahim&#39;s Dera Sacha Sauda may say that the conviction was an &quot;injustice&quot;, but the ground reality is quite different.

What is more baffling is the fact that the Haryana Police underestimated the Dera followers, the DNA has learnt from sources.

The two hours after the verdict changed the face of the city.

According to the sources DNA spoke to, there were three groups that were responsible for the violence.

The three groups of Dera followers were camping in three different locations.

The first group was camping near Shimla-Zirakpur National Highway near Old Panchkula.

The second group was camping in Sector 3 near Tau Devi Lal Stadium. It is said that they didn&#39;t cause much of the damage.

The third group was based in the Green Belt in Sector 5 of Panchkula.

As soon as the verdict was announced, convicting Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 15-year-old rape case, in a seemingly coordinated manner, these three groups quickly took over the city and began what was one of the worst episodes of mob violence that India has seen in recent times.

What is shocking is that despite the &#39;intel inputs&#39;, and strict orders from the court, the police failed to contain the mob.

DNA has learnt from its sources that the Haryana Police had &quot;assumed&quot; that the devotees had gathered to catch a glimpse of their beloved Guru. The reason may be because for 72 hours, nearly 1.5 lakh &quot;Premis&quot;, as the Dera followers are popularly knowns, remained completely peaceful without any report of even minor skirmishes from any part of the town.

The police, despite heavy bandobast, coudn&#39;t envisage the extent of the Dera followers&#39; reaction.

Old Panchkula has been burnt down to some extent by the furious mob. Though the curfew is still on in the city, power supply has been restored in most sectors of Panchkula.

The DNA has also learnt that the majority of those who were killed in the violence were stone-pelters.

After the first tear gas was fired in Sector 2 near the Shimla-Zirakpur Highway, the city was engulfed in complete mayhem. The protesters used the legs of cots and tree branches as weapons.

Two hours after the Ram Rahim verdict, the face of the city had changed

By Chhavi Bhatia There is an eerie silence that hangs over the beautiful, planned city of Panchkula. The satellite town is still coming to terms with the worst mob violence that it witnessed in recent times. Panchkula was the epicentre of violent clashes that erupted after the conviction of controversial self-styled Godman Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh by a CBI court on Friday. Ram Rahim's Dera Sacha Sauda may say that the conviction was an "injustice", but the ground reality is quite different. What is more baffling is the fact that the Haryana Police underestimated the Dera followers, the DNA has learnt from sources. The two hours after the verdict changed the face of the city. According to the sources DNA spoke to, there were three groups that were responsible for the violence. The three groups of Dera followers were camping in three different locations. The first group was camping near Shimla-Zirakpur National Highway near Old Panchkula. The second group was camping in Sector 3 near Tau Devi Lal Stadium. It is said that they didn't cause much of the damage. The third group was based in the Green Belt in Sector 5 of Panchkula. As soon as the verdict was announced, convicting Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the 15-year-old rape case, in a seemingly coordinated manner, these three groups quickly took over the city and began what was one of the worst episodes of mob violence that India has seen in recent times. What is shocking is that despite the 'intel inputs', and strict orders from the court, the police failed to contain the mob. DNA has learnt from its sources that the Haryana Police had "assumed" that the devotees had gathered to catch a glimpse of their beloved Guru. The reason may be because for 72 hours, nearly 1.5 lakh "Premis", as the Dera followers are popularly knowns, remained completely peaceful without any report of even minor skirmishes from any part of the town. The police, despite heavy bandobast, coudn't envisage the extent of the Dera followers' reaction. Old Panchkula has been burnt down to some extent by the furious mob. Though the curfew is still on in the city, power supply has been restored in most sectors of Panchkula. The DNA has also learnt that the majority of those who were killed in the violence were stone-pelters. After the first tear gas was fired in Sector 2 near the Shimla-Zirakpur Highway, the city was engulfed in complete mayhem. The protesters used the legs of cots and tree branches as weapons.

How Haryana Police failed to control Dera Sacha Sauda mob: Ground report from Panchkula

Uttarakhand will be open defecation free by this month-end, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has asserted. He said his government has given maximum emphasis on Prime Minister Narendra Modi&#39;s call for a &#39;Swachh Bharat&#39; and has taken a number of steps for cleanliness.

&quot;By the end of May, Uttarakhand will be open defecation free, barring a few areas in Haridwar,&quot; Rawat told PTI in an interview.

The 56-year-old chief minister said a plan is being chalked out to rejuvenate the two rivers in Dehradun - Song and Tons - so that clean water flows through them.

&quot;The confluence of the two rivers is already free from smell. Birds have started drinking water there. It is an encouraging news,&quot; he said.

Earlier, the Centre had announced that Sikkim was the first state to become open defecation free followed by Himachal Pradesh and Kerala.

It was anticipating four more states -- Uttarakhand, Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab -- to achieve the target of open defecation free by this year.

Rawat assumed the charge of chief minister of Uttarakhand on March 18 after the BJP stormed to power winning 57 of the 70 assembly seats, by ousting the Congress.

He also highlighted the BJP government&#39;s transfer policy for state bureaucrats and police officers saying it was completely transparent and balanced.

&quot;There has been not a single complaint regarding the transfers we have done. There was no corruption in the transfers, these were balanced and transparent,&quot; he said.

(PTI)&nbsp;

The Centre said it had anticipated the same for four more states, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab

Uttarakhand will be open defecation free by this month-end, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat has asserted. He said his government has given maximum emphasis on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's call for a 'Swachh Bharat' and has taken a number of steps for cleanliness. "By the end of May, Uttarakhand will be open defecation free, barring a few areas in Haridwar," Rawat told PTI in an interview. The 56-year-old chief minister said a plan is being chalked out to rejuvenate the two rivers in Dehradun - Song and Tons - so that clean water flows through them. "The confluence of the two rivers is already free from smell. Birds have started drinking water there. It is an encouraging news," he said. Earlier, the Centre had announced that Sikkim was the first state to become open defecation free followed by Himachal Pradesh and Kerala. It was anticipating four more states -- Uttarakhand, Haryana, Gujarat and Punjab -- to achieve the target of open defecation free by this year. Rawat assumed the charge of chief minister of Uttarakhand on March 18 after the BJP stormed to power winning 57 of the 70 assembly seats, by ousting the Congress. He also highlighted the BJP government's transfer policy for state bureaucrats and police officers saying it was completely transparent and balanced. "There has been not a single complaint regarding the transfers we have done. There was no corruption in the transfers, these were balanced and transparent," he said. (PTI)

Uttarakhand to be open defecation free by May 31: CM Rawat

Fearing harassment, a group of female students of a government high school in Haryana`s Rewari have been sitting on a hunger strike for five consecutive days, demanding upgradation of their school.

The girls said that they would be molested if they travel to a senior secondary school located in a different village for higher studies.

The district education authorities said that they would put the demand of the girls before the higher officials and would also seek the education minister`s intervention.

The protesting girls said that they would not stop until the government accepted their demand.&nbsp;

(ANI)&nbsp;

District education authorities said that they would place the girls' demand before higher officials and would also seek the education minister`s intervention

Fearing harassment, a group of female students of a government high school in Haryana`s Rewari have been sitting on a hunger strike for five consecutive days, demanding upgradation of their school. The girls said that they would be molested if they travel to a senior secondary school located in a different village for higher studies. The district education authorities said that they would put the demand of the girls before the higher officials and would also seek the education minister`s intervention. The protesting girls said that they would not stop until the government accepted their demand. (ANI)

Haryana: Girls on hunger strike want better village school, say they'll be molested if they go elsewhere

Haryana is on the edge as the ongoing Jat agitation seeking reservation in education and government jobs has once again raised the spectre of last year&#39;s violence that killed 30 people.

Members of the Jat community have been sitting on dharnas in 19 of the state&#39;s 22 districts since January 29.

The fresh protests come at a time when Haryana is observing golden jubilee of its formation.

The images of mobs setting houses, schools, eateries and other places on fire during last year&#39;s quota agitation are still fresh in public memory.

The Delhi-Ambala National Highway, the gateway for travel to Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, had remained blocked for days.

The Manohar Lal Khattar government had drawn flak from various quarters, including the opposition, for its alleged inept handling of the situation last year.

A complete breakdown of the official machinery was witnessed between February 19 and 22 last year.

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<h5>Members of the community have been staging dharnas in 19 of the state&#39;s 22 districts since January 29. Last year, there had been a complete breakdown of the state machinery between February 19 and 22</h5>
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Later, a committee headed by former Uttar Pradesh DGP Parkash Singh probed the acts of omission and commission of officers during the Jat quota violence and indicted several officers for not taking appropriate steps, thus allowing the situation to worsen.

As many as 1,196 shops were set ablaze, 371 vehicles torched, 30 schools/colleges were burnt, 75 houses were set on fire, 53 hotels/marriage palaces were devastated, 23 petrol pumps were attacked and vandalised, the committee had observed in its report.

An industry body had pegged the loss at around Rs 34,000 crore in last year&#39;s violence.

The mode of protests this year is giving sleepless nights to the first ever BJP government in Haryana, a state carved out in 1966.

Despite the government assuring the Jats that it will do whatever possible within the ambit of the law and the agitation leader promising that the stir will be peaceful, the growing number of protesters with each passing day is proving a tightrope walk for the Khattar government, which does not want to allow a repeat of last year&#39;s situation. 
 
Notably, opposition parties -- the Indian National Lok Dal and the Congress -- have given their support, asking the Khattar government to fulfil the promises it had made to the Jat community.

Jats are demanding reservation in government jobs and educational institutions, besides withdrawing of criminals cases registered against several youths of the community during last year&#39;s agitation, release of those lodged in jail, and compensation and government jobs to the next of kin of those killed in last year&#39;s agitation.&nbsp;

Like last year, this year too the epicentre of the stir is Rohtak, Sonipat, Hissar and Jhajjar districts.

The All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti (AIJASS) is spearheading the fresh stir and is being led by its national president Yashpal Malik (55), who hails from Uttar Pradesh and has no link with Haryana.

Last year, Haryana Police had slapped a sedition case against him. However, Malik has been active and has been criss-crossing the state this year during fresh round of the stir to drum up support.

The Haryana government&#39;s decision to grant reservation to Jats and five other communities in jobs and educational institutions under the newly created Backward Class &#39;C&#39; category was challenged last year after a PIL was filed in this regard before the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

The PIL was filed by a Bhiwani resident, who challenged the constitutional validity of the Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in Services and Admission in Educational Institutions) Act, 2016, passed by the assembly on March 29 last year.

The Act provides 10 per cent quota in Class III and IV posts and educational institutions and six per cent quota in Class I and II posts to Jats, Jat Sikhs, Rors, Bishnois, Tyagis and Muslim Jats in Schedule-III.

The government has been trying to defend its quota law since. While reservation continues to be the main demand of the Jats, the protesters are also putting pressure on the government for other demands as well.

The state had last year enacted a law for providing reservation to Jats in consultation with all stakeholders, but later on the court has stayed it and now the matter would have to be dealt with in a legal manner only, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has said.

The state government has appointed a senior advocate to plead the case in the court, Khattar had said earlier.

&quot;Once the stay is vacated, the state government would request the Centre to include the Act (granting reservation to Jats and others) in the 9th Schedule,&quot; he said.

The Khattar government has also announced a fresh compensation, this time for &quot;innocent persons&quot; who were injured during the 2016 Jat reservation stir.

The BJP government in the state had last week formed a five-member committee, headed by Chief Secretary D S Dhesi, to hold talks with the agitating Jats.

Recently, a meeting between representatives of a Haryana government-appointed committee and leaders of the Jat agitation remained inconclusive.

The fresh round of stir is a sort of tightrope walk for the BJP government, which does not want to let the law and order situation get out of hands this time, even as it is wary of taking any strict action that alienates the predominant Jats totally.

In view of the fresh Jat stir, paramilitary forces have been deployed in sensitive areas, while the state police is maintaining a strict vigil.

(PTI)

The Jats are demanding reservations in govt jobs & educational institutions

Haryana is on the edge as the ongoing Jat agitation seeking reservation in education and government jobs has once again raised the spectre of last year's violence that killed 30 people. Members of the Jat community have been sitting on dharnas in 19 of the state's 22 districts since January 29. The fresh protests come at a time when Haryana is observing golden jubilee of its formation. The images of mobs setting houses, schools, eateries and other places on fire during last year's quota agitation are still fresh in public memory. The Delhi-Ambala National Highway, the gateway for travel to Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, had remained blocked for days. The Manohar Lal Khattar government had drawn flak from various quarters, including the opposition, for its alleged inept handling of the situation last year. A complete breakdown of the official machinery was witnessed between February 19 and 22 last year. Members of the community have been staging dharnas in 19 of the state's 22 districts since January 29. Last year, there had been a complete breakdown of the state machinery between February 19 and 22 × Later, a committee headed by former Uttar Pradesh DGP Parkash Singh probed the acts of omission and commission of officers during the Jat quota violence and indicted several officers for not taking appropriate steps, thus allowing the situation to worsen. As many as 1,196 shops were set ablaze, 371 vehicles torched, 30 schools/colleges were burnt, 75 houses were set on fire, 53 hotels/marriage palaces were devastated, 23 petrol pumps were attacked and vandalised, the committee had observed in its report. An industry body had pegged the loss at around Rs 34,000 crore in last year's violence. The mode of protests this year is giving sleepless nights to the first ever BJP government in Haryana, a state carved out in 1966. Despite the government assuring the Jats that it will do whatever possible within the ambit of the law and the agitation leader promising that the stir will be peaceful, the growing number of protesters with each passing day is proving a tightrope walk for the Khattar government, which does not want to allow a repeat of last year's situation. Notably, opposition parties -- the Indian National Lok Dal and the Congress -- have given their support, asking the Khattar government to fulfil the promises it had made to the Jat community. Jats are demanding reservation in government jobs and educational institutions, besides withdrawing of criminals cases registered against several youths of the community during last year's agitation, release of those lodged in jail, and compensation and government jobs to the next of kin of those killed in last year's agitation. Like last year, this year too the epicentre of the stir is Rohtak, Sonipat, Hissar and Jhajjar districts. The All-India Jat Aarakshan Sangarsh Samiti (AIJASS) is spearheading the fresh stir and is being led by its national president Yashpal Malik (55), who hails from Uttar Pradesh and has no link with Haryana. Last year, Haryana Police had slapped a sedition case against him. However, Malik has been active and has been criss-crossing the state this year during fresh round of the stir to drum up support. The Haryana government's decision to grant reservation to Jats and five other communities in jobs and educational institutions under the newly created Backward Class 'C' category was challenged last year after a PIL was filed in this regard before the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The PIL was filed by a Bhiwani resident, who challenged the constitutional validity of the Haryana Backward Classes (Reservation in Services and Admission in Educational Institutions) Act, 2016, passed by the assembly on March 29 last year. The Act provides 10 per cent quota in Class III and IV posts and educational institutions and six per cent quota in Class I and II posts to Jats, Jat Sikhs, Rors, Bishnois, Tyagis and Muslim Jats in Schedule-III. The government has been trying to defend its quota law since. While reservation continues to be the main demand of the Jats, the protesters are also putting pressure on the government for other demands as well. The state had last year enacted a law for providing reservation to Jats in consultation with all stakeholders, but later on the court has stayed it and now the matter would have to be dealt with in a legal manner only, Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar has said. The state government has appointed a senior advocate to plead the case in the court, Khattar had said earlier. "Once the stay is vacated, the state government would request the Centre to include the Act (granting reservation to Jats and others) in the 9th Schedule," he said. The Khattar government has also announced a fresh compensation, this time for "innocent persons" who were injured during the 2016 Jat reservation stir. The BJP government in the state had last week formed a five-member committee, headed by Chief Secretary D S Dhesi, to hold talks with the agitating Jats. Recently, a meeting between representatives of a Haryana government-appointed committee and leaders of the Jat agitation remained inconclusive. The fresh round of stir is a sort of tightrope walk for the BJP government, which does not want to let the law and order situation get out of hands this time, even as it is wary of taking any strict action that alienates the predominant Jats totally. In view of the fresh Jat stir, paramilitary forces have been deployed in sensitive areas, while the state police is maintaining a strict vigil. (PTI)

India: Haryana on edge as ongoing Jat agitation raises fears of last year's violence

Self-proclaimed Indian god-woman Sadhvi Deva Thakur, who fired gun shots in the air at a wedding in India&#39;s northern state of Haryana on Tuesday, today surrendered to a magistrate court.

The shots killed the groom&#39;s aunt and critically injured three relatives after which Sadhvi was on the run for three days.

Media reports state that a video shows her first firing from a revolver and then a double-barrelled gun.

Other reports said Thakur had apparently walked up to the dance floor, asked the DJ to play the song of her choice, began dancing and then shooting.

She reportedly paid no heed to the pleas of both the bride&#39;s and groom&#39;s families and continued firing until the 50-year-old aunt collapsed and three others were injured.

Thakur and her six guards escaped following the chaos. A case of murder was registered against the seven.

Thakur, 27, has been remanded in police custody for five days while her guards are still absconding.

&quot;I am innocent. I didn&#39;t do anything wrong. It&#39;s a conspiracy against me,&quot; a BBC report quotes her as saying. &quot;I&#39;m very sad that someone died at that event,&quot; she added.

Thakur, vice-president of a fringe Hindu organisation, the All India Hindu Mahasabha, has been in the news earlier too - for saying that Muslims and Christians must undergo sterilisation to restrict their growing populations and that Hindu women must have more children to counter the threat of becoming a minority religion in their own country.

English daily DNA has also quoted her as saying that idols of Hindu gods and goddesses should be placed in mosques and churches and a statue of Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, should be installed in Haryana.

Thakur, born in Bras, a small village in Karnal district, set up an ashram in her village a few years ago, reports said.

She is known to dress in saffron robes and wear gold jewellery.

(WION)

Sadhvi Thakur's shots killed a woman and critically injured three other relatives at the wedding

Self-proclaimed Indian god-woman Sadhvi Deva Thakur, who fired gun shots in the air at a wedding in India's northern state of Haryana on Tuesday, today surrendered to a magistrate court. The shots killed the groom's aunt and critically injured three relatives after which Sadhvi was on the run for three days. Media reports state that a video shows her first firing from a revolver and then a double-barrelled gun. Other reports said Thakur had apparently walked up to the dance floor, asked the DJ to play the song of her choice, began dancing and then shooting. She reportedly paid no heed to the pleas of both the bride's and groom's families and continued firing until the 50-year-old aunt collapsed and three others were injured. Thakur and her six guards escaped following the chaos. A case of murder was registered against the seven. Thakur, 27, has been remanded in police custody for five days while her guards are still absconding. "I am innocent. I didn't do anything wrong. It's a conspiracy against me," a BBC report quotes her as saying. "I'm very sad that someone died at that event," she added. Thakur, vice-president of a fringe Hindu organisation, the All India Hindu Mahasabha, has been in the news earlier too - for saying that Muslims and Christians must undergo sterilisation to restrict their growing populations and that Hindu women must have more children to counter the threat of becoming a minority religion in their own country. English daily DNA has also quoted her as saying that idols of Hindu gods and goddesses should be placed in mosques and churches and a statue of Nathuram Godse, the assassin of Mahatma Gandhi, should be installed in Haryana. Thakur, born in Bras, a small village in Karnal district, set up an ashram in her village a few years ago, reports said. She is known to dress in saffron robes and wear gold jewellery. (WION)

Indian 'god-woman' surrenders three days after firing celebratory shots at wedding in Haryana

The father of a rape victim allegedly thrashed the accused inside the jail with the help of prison officials in the Indian state of Haryana, his family has claimed. 
 
The incident came to light after the medical report of the accused, Naveen, was made public. 
 
A resident of Bharat Nagar, Naveen is currently lodged in the district prison here. 
 
His family has complained to the police in this connection but no action has been taken so far. The family has now approached the Chief Minister&#39;s Office. 
 
Naveen&#39;s family has alleged that on July 28, jail warden Jogendra took the rape victim&#39;s father to the jail by presenting him as a worker and allowed him to beat the accused. 
 
He thrashed Naveen inside his cell and even kicked his genitals after illegally getting support of the jail staff. Naveen reported the incident to his family members who visited him next day, they claimed. 
 
On July 29 following court orders, Naveen&#39;s medical examination was conducted and it was found that he has sustained injuries and bruises all over his body. 
 
Naveen&#39;s family has claimed that no FIR has been lodged against the accused. 
 
(PTI) 
 
&nbsp;

The family says the warden smuggled the rape victim's father into the jail disguised as a worker

The father of a rape victim allegedly thrashed the accused inside the jail with the help of prison officials in the Indian state of Haryana, his family has claimed. The incident came to light after the medical report of the accused, Naveen, was made public. A resident of Bharat Nagar, Naveen is currently lodged in the district prison here. His family has complained to the police in this connection but no action has been taken so far. The family has now approached the Chief Minister's Office. Naveen's family has alleged that on July 28, jail warden Jogendra took the rape victim's father to the jail by presenting him as a worker and allowed him to beat the accused. He thrashed Naveen inside his cell and even kicked his genitals after illegally getting support of the jail staff. Naveen reported the incident to his family members who visited him next day, they claimed. On July 29 following court orders, Naveen's medical examination was conducted and it was found that he has sustained injuries and bruises all over his body. Naveen's family has claimed that no FIR has been lodged against the accused. (PTI)

Rape victim's father thrashes accused inside Indian jail, his family claims

A low-caste Indian who survived a gang-rape aged 17 only to be raped again, allegedly by men awaiting trial for the first attack, said today she feared she and her family would never be safe again. 
 
Police say the 20-year-old student from India&#39;s lowest Dalit caste was abducted from outside her college on July 13, drugged and raped before being dumped on a highway. 
 
Three men have been arrested in connection with the attack, two of whom had been charged with raping her in 2013, and only released on bail a few months ago. 
 
&#39;Latest attack was act of revenge&#39; &nbsp; 
 
Relatives say they believe the latest attack was revenge for her refusal to drop her complaint against the men, who they say were able to evade justice because they belonged to higher castes and had political connections. 
 
&quot;I will have to spend my entire life in constant fear of being raped again or killed,&quot; said the woman, who AFP is not naming for legal reasons. 
 
&quot;My life will never be the same. I am worried about my family&#39;s safety. They can harm us any time,&quot; she told AFP by telephone from her hospital bed in the northern Indian state of Haryana. 
 
India promised to speed up rape trials in the wake of a fatal gang-rape in 2012 that shone a global spotlight on frightening levels of violence against women in India. 
 
But rape and sexual assault remain commonplace and cases are often slow to come to court -- especially if the defendants are wealthy and well-connected. 
 
Relatives of the victim said the alleged perpetrators of the 2013 rape had offered them money to withdraw the case, and threatened to attack her again if they did not. 
 
&quot;We were offered five million rupees ($75,000) to withdraw the case. They are rich people and have strong political links,&quot; her cousin told AFP. 
 
&quot;We didn&#39;t give in to their demands and pursued the case, but we were let down by the court, which gave them bail in May,&quot; he told AFP in the city of Rohtak in Haryana, where the family moved to after the first attack.&nbsp; 
 
&#39;Only rich get justice&#39;&nbsp; 
 
He said he believed his cousin was originally attacked because she had spurned the advances of one of the alleged rapists. 
 
&quot;He must have thought, they are poor and helpless, and we will get away with the crime,&quot; he added. 
 
The relative said police only moved to arrest the alleged perpetrators after weeks of protests by the Dalit community, who face widespread discrimination in India even though this is illegal. 
 
&quot;We were tossed from one police station to another, but no one was listening. The accused were bribing them and were getting all help from the authorities,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;This country is only for rich and for upper castes, only they get justice,&quot; said the cousin, adding that the entire family had now converted to Buddhism to escape discrimination under the Hindu caste system. 
 
&#39;Justice system failing sexual assault survivors&#39;&nbsp; 
 
Local police say they are using all their resources to track down another two men accused in last week&#39;s attack, and have set up a special investigation team. 
 
&quot;We are collecting all evidence and will investigate the case in a fair and transparent manner,&quot; Rohtak police chief Rakesh Arya told AFP.&nbsp; 
 
But rights activists say the case shows the justice system is still failing victims of sexual assault, more than three years after the Delhi gang-rape that sparked mass protests. 
 
&quot;We need action now to end this brutality that has become routine and to give the victims of violence the justice and protection they deserve,&quot; said Anju Malhotra, gender advisor to the UN children&#39;s agency UNICEF. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

'My life will never be the same. I am worried about my family's safety'

A low-caste Indian who survived a gang-rape aged 17 only to be raped again, allegedly by men awaiting trial for the first attack, said today she feared she and her family would never be safe again. Police say the 20-year-old student from India's lowest Dalit caste was abducted from outside her college on July 13, drugged and raped before being dumped on a highway. Three men have been arrested in connection with the attack, two of whom had been charged with raping her in 2013, and only released on bail a few months ago. 'Latest attack was act of revenge' Relatives say they believe the latest attack was revenge for her refusal to drop her complaint against the men, who they say were able to evade justice because they belonged to higher castes and had political connections. "I will have to spend my entire life in constant fear of being raped again or killed," said the woman, who AFP is not naming for legal reasons. "My life will never be the same. I am worried about my family's safety. They can harm us any time," she told AFP by telephone from her hospital bed in the northern Indian state of Haryana. India promised to speed up rape trials in the wake of a fatal gang-rape in 2012 that shone a global spotlight on frightening levels of violence against women in India. But rape and sexual assault remain commonplace and cases are often slow to come to court -- especially if the defendants are wealthy and well-connected. Relatives of the victim said the alleged perpetrators of the 2013 rape had offered them money to withdraw the case, and threatened to attack her again if they did not. "We were offered five million rupees ($75,000) to withdraw the case. They are rich people and have strong political links," her cousin told AFP. "We didn't give in to their demands and pursued the case, but we were let down by the court, which gave them bail in May," he told AFP in the city of Rohtak in Haryana, where the family moved to after the first attack. 'Only rich get justice' He said he believed his cousin was originally attacked because she had spurned the advances of one of the alleged rapists. "He must have thought, they are poor and helpless, and we will get away with the crime," he added. The relative said police only moved to arrest the alleged perpetrators after weeks of protests by the Dalit community, who face widespread discrimination in India even though this is illegal. "We were tossed from one police station to another, but no one was listening. The accused were bribing them and were getting all help from the authorities," he said. "This country is only for rich and for upper castes, only they get justice," said the cousin, adding that the entire family had now converted to Buddhism to escape discrimination under the Hindu caste system. 'Justice system failing sexual assault survivors' Local police say they are using all their resources to track down another two men accused in last week's attack, and have set up a special investigation team. "We are collecting all evidence and will investigate the case in a fair and transparent manner," Rohtak police chief Rakesh Arya told AFP. But rights activists say the case shows the justice system is still failing victims of sexual assault, more than three years after the Delhi gang-rape that sparked mass protests. "We need action now to end this brutality that has become routine and to give the victims of violence the justice and protection they deserve," said Anju Malhotra, gender advisor to the UN children's agency UNICEF. (AFP)

India: Gang-raped twice by same men, survivor in Haryana lives in fear

A twenty-year-old &quot;low-caste&quot; Dalit student was allegedly gang-raped again by five men in north India&#39;s Haryana state last week, police said today. 
 
The incident happened in Rohtak city on Wednesday.&nbsp;The victim, a student of Rohtak&#39;s IC College, was earlier gang-raped by the same accused in Bhiwani in 2013. Police had then arrested the two accused who were granted bail by a local court. 
 
The accused waylaid the woman from outside the college and raped her. She was found unconscious in bushes in Sukhpura Chowk locality after which she was rushed to a government hospital. 
 
Haryana deputy superintendent of police Pushpa Khatri said the student, who is still in hospital, has identified all five men - two of whom are currently on bail awaiting trial for raping her in 2013.&nbsp;&quot;We have formed several teams to arrest the accused.&quot; 
 
&quot;I was coming out of the college. These five accused - two were outside and three were inside the car. I was scared seeing them. They took me in the car,&quot; the victim said from her hospital bed. 
 
The victim&#39;s family alleged that she was gang-raped again because they refused to accept a settlement amount of about $74,480 offered by the accused. 
 
The woman&#39;s brother said the accused were threatening them to reach an out-of-court settlement.&nbsp;The family also alleged they were forced to move to Rohtak district in the state from a neighbouring district after the 2013 attack because of harassment by the accused. 
 
&quot;These five accused had raped her in 2013 also. They gang-raped and threatened her. Among the five, only two were arrested and the rest three are out. We had even got the high court to issue summons to them. We left Bhiwani out of fear,&quot; said the victim&#39;s brother. 
 
He said his sister wanted to become a lecturer, but this horrifying incident had shattered her. 
 
Members of the Dalit caste held small protests in Rohtak on Sunday to demand justice for the victim. 
 
Rohtak city woman police station house officer, Garima, said a case has been registered against the accused and a manhunt has been launched to arrest them. 
 
&quot;We have received information that a girl has been hospitalised and she has been raped. On this basis, we have recorded her statement. Girl is a student of IC college. She was picked up from outside the college in a car and five persons raped her,&quot; said Garima. 
 
The fatal gang-rape of a student on a bus in Delhi in 2012 shone a global spotlight on frightening levels of violence against women in India.&nbsp;It also led to major reform of India&#39;s rape laws, including speeding up of trials and increased punishments for offenders, but horrific attacks continue to be reported in the media on a daily basis. 
 
Violence against women is common in India, with rapes, acid attacks, domestic violence dowry and deaths being reported frequently. 
 
According to the National Crime Records Bureau, India registered 337,922 incidents of crimes against women in 2014, up by 9 per cent since 2013. Out of those, 36,735 were incidents of rape. 
 
(Agencies)

The 20-year-old has identified all five men, two of whom are on bail awaiting trial. Police say they have formed teams to arrest the accused

A twenty-year-old "low-caste" Dalit student was allegedly gang-raped again by five men in north India's Haryana state last week, police said today. The incident happened in Rohtak city on Wednesday. The victim, a student of Rohtak's IC College, was earlier gang-raped by the same accused in Bhiwani in 2013. Police had then arrested the two accused who were granted bail by a local court. The accused waylaid the woman from outside the college and raped her. She was found unconscious in bushes in Sukhpura Chowk locality after which she was rushed to a government hospital. Haryana deputy superintendent of police Pushpa Khatri said the student, who is still in hospital, has identified all five men - two of whom are currently on bail awaiting trial for raping her in 2013. "We have formed several teams to arrest the accused." "I was coming out of the college. These five accused - two were outside and three were inside the car. I was scared seeing them. They took me in the car," the victim said from her hospital bed. The victim's family alleged that she was gang-raped again because they refused to accept a settlement amount of about $74,480 offered by the accused. The woman's brother said the accused were threatening them to reach an out-of-court settlement. The family also alleged they were forced to move to Rohtak district in the state from a neighbouring district after the 2013 attack because of harassment by the accused. "These five accused had raped her in 2013 also. They gang-raped and threatened her. Among the five, only two were arrested and the rest three are out. We had even got the high court to issue summons to them. We left Bhiwani out of fear," said the victim's brother. He said his sister wanted to become a lecturer, but this horrifying incident had shattered her. Members of the Dalit caste held small protests in Rohtak on Sunday to demand justice for the victim. Rohtak city woman police station house officer, Garima, said a case has been registered against the accused and a manhunt has been launched to arrest them. "We have received information that a girl has been hospitalised and she has been raped. On this basis, we have recorded her statement. Girl is a student of IC college. She was picked up from outside the college in a car and five persons raped her," said Garima. The fatal gang-rape of a student on a bus in Delhi in 2012 shone a global spotlight on frightening levels of violence against women in India. It also led to major reform of India's rape laws, including speeding up of trials and increased punishments for offenders, but horrific attacks continue to be reported in the media on a daily basis. Violence against women is common in India, with rapes, acid attacks, domestic violence dowry and deaths being reported frequently. According to the National Crime Records Bureau, India registered 337,922 incidents of crimes against women in 2014, up by 9 per cent since 2013. Out of those, 36,735 were incidents of rape. (Agencies)

2013 rape survivor gang-raped again by same men in north India

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today joined over 30,000 people here for the second International Yoga Day celebrations as he pitched for treating diseases like diabetes through the ancient spiritual discipline. 
 
Modi, dressed in a white-coloured t-shirt and trouser along with a scarf, led over 30,000 participants, including defence forces personnel and school children, for the second International Day of Yoga celebrations here at the Capitol Complex amid tight security. 
 
The Prime Minister, who arrived here last night, participated in a mass demonstration of &#39;Common Yoga Protocol&#39;. A yoga enthusiast himself, he performed yoga &#39;asanas&#39; along with the people at the event. 
 
Over 30,000 people from all ages -- 10,000 each from Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana -- performed yoga &#39;asanas&#39; on pink and blue coloured mats during the event. Separately, about 10,000 people also performed yoga at over 100 other locations in Chandigarh itself. 
Earlier addressing the gathering, Modi pitched for treating diabetes through yoga. 
 
&quot;I want to request trainers who are associated with yoga, from this public platform. From next year when we celebrate yoga day, in this one year, you continue to do what you do for yoga but focus on one subject and this is my subject -- diabetes -- Diabetes and yoga,&quot; he said. 
 
&quot;All people belonging to the yoga field, whatever knowledge they have, they must continue with the rest of their yoga activities but this (diabetes) must be the main focus,&quot; Modi said. 
 
Expressing concern over rising number of patients suffering from diabetes, Modi asked yoga trainers to help in controlling the disease. 
&quot;In India, patients suffering from diabetes are rising. We might be able to get rid of this disease or not but with the help of yoga, diabetes can be controlled. Can we start a public campaign to suggest measures in yoga to the common man suffering from diabetes. 
 
&quot;It will be an achievement if we can help in treating diabetes. From next year, we can take another disease. But I want that for good health, we should address any one disease every year. We should run a public campaign with an aim to address one disease,&quot; he said. 
 
Yoga is not only a way to get rid of a disease but it also guarantees wellness. For holistic development of lives, yoga is a great way, he said. 
 
(PTI)

Says it's a great way to treat diseases like diabetes

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today joined over 30,000 people here for the second International Yoga Day celebrations as he pitched for treating diseases like diabetes through the ancient spiritual discipline. Modi, dressed in a white-coloured t-shirt and trouser along with a scarf, led over 30,000 participants, including defence forces personnel and school children, for the second International Day of Yoga celebrations here at the Capitol Complex amid tight security. The Prime Minister, who arrived here last night, participated in a mass demonstration of 'Common Yoga Protocol'. A yoga enthusiast himself, he performed yoga 'asanas' along with the people at the event. Over 30,000 people from all ages -- 10,000 each from Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana -- performed yoga 'asanas' on pink and blue coloured mats during the event. Separately, about 10,000 people also performed yoga at over 100 other locations in Chandigarh itself. Earlier addressing the gathering, Modi pitched for treating diabetes through yoga. "I want to request trainers who are associated with yoga, from this public platform. From next year when we celebrate yoga day, in this one year, you continue to do what you do for yoga but focus on one subject and this is my subject -- diabetes -- Diabetes and yoga," he said. "All people belonging to the yoga field, whatever knowledge they have, they must continue with the rest of their yoga activities but this (diabetes) must be the main focus," Modi said. Expressing concern over rising number of patients suffering from diabetes, Modi asked yoga trainers to help in controlling the disease. "In India, patients suffering from diabetes are rising. We might be able to get rid of this disease or not but with the help of yoga, diabetes can be controlled. Can we start a public campaign to suggest measures in yoga to the common man suffering from diabetes. "It will be an achievement if we can help in treating diabetes. From next year, we can take another disease. But I want that for good health, we should address any one disease every year. We should run a public campaign with an aim to address one disease," he said. Yoga is not only a way to get rid of a disease but it also guarantees wellness. For holistic development of lives, yoga is a great way, he said. (PTI)

Indian PM takes centre stage, leads 2nd International Yoga Day celebrations

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