In a not-so-expected sight, BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu was seen running towards Narendra Modi's official residence after he got stuck in traffic and was late for a meeting in the national capital on June 9 (Sunday).

Bittu did not wish to be late for the meeting inside Narendra Modi's official residence,&nbsp;however, the national capital's heavy traffic had slowed him down.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/multi-layered-security-no-fly-zone-in-delhi-as-capital-gears-up-for-pms-swearing-in-ceremony-729854">Multi-layered security, no-fly zone in Delhi as capital gears up for Modi's swearing-in ceremony</a>

When he found himself getting late, the minister got out of his car and started running on the road as guards flanked him.

The footage of the MP running at a roundabout in front of Modi's&nbsp;official residence was widely shared on social media platforms.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Ravneet Singh Bittu running towards PM Residence as his car stuck into traffic. <a href="https://t.co/YwDWXorPNX">pic.twitter.com/YwDWXorPNX</a>
— Pooja Sangwan ( Modi Ka Parivar ) (@ThePerilousGirl) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThePerilousGirl/status/1799696383131418936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 9, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

"One should never be late," he said while speaking to NDTV and added that many leaders were reaching for the meeting, so he decided to get out of the car and instead run to the residence rather than wait for the jam to clear.

<h2>Bittu to be part of Modi 3.0 Cabinet&nbsp;</h2>

Bittu lost the Ludhiana seat to the Congress's Amrinder Singh Raja by a huge margin in the Lok Sabha elections. However, the leader is likely to be part of the Modi 3.0 cabinet.

Bittu is former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh's grandson, who was seen as a hero of the anti-terrorism campaign in the state and was assassinated in a terror attack while still holding the office.

Watch:&nbsp;PM-designate Modi's swearing-in ceremony: Traffic advisory in Delhi today for oath ceremony

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/pm-designate-modis-swearing-in-ceremony-traffic-advisory-in-delhi-today-for-oath-ceremony-730036/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

After attending the tea meeting, Bittu said, "It is a very big thing for me that they (NDA) have chosen me in their cabinet even after losing the elections. Punjab has been given priority this time...I will prepare the ground for BJP to win the Assembly elections in 2027...Just 2 years ago, the people of Punjab rejected Congress, everyone knows the work that AAP is doing. So, people have only one option which is BJP...I would like to become the Chief Minister of Punjab if given a chance."

"Whether it is PM Modi, Amit Shah or others, all of them gave me their trust. There was no demand when I left Congress, but I did not want to sit in the opposition after winning for the third time. BJP made my dream true," he added.

(With inputs from agencies)

In a not-so-expected sight, BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu was seen running towards Narendra Modi's official residence after he got stuck in traffic and was late for a meeting in the national capital on June 9 (Sunday).

In a not-so-expected sight, BJP leader Ravneet Singh Bittu was seen running towards Narendra Modi's official residence after he got stuck in traffic and was late for a meeting in the national capital on June 9 (Sunday). Bittu did not wish to be late for the meeting inside Narendra Modi's official residence, however, the national capital's heavy traffic had slowed him down. Also Read: Multi-layered security, no-fly zone in Delhi as capital gears up for Modi's swearing-in ceremony When he found himself getting late, the minister got out of his car and started running on the road as guards flanked him. The footage of the MP running at a roundabout in front of Modi's official residence was widely shared on social media platforms. Ravneet Singh Bittu running towards PM Residence as his car stuck into traffic. pic.twitter.com/YwDWXorPNX — Pooja Sangwan ( Modi Ka Parivar ) (@ThePerilousGirl) June 9, 2024 × "One should never be late," he said while speaking to NDTV and added that many leaders were reaching for the meeting, so he decided to get out of the car and instead run to the residence rather than wait for the jam to clear. Bittu to be part of Modi 3.0 Cabinet Bittu lost the Ludhiana seat to the Congress's Amrinder Singh Raja by a huge margin in the Lok Sabha elections. However, the leader is likely to be part of the Modi 3.0 cabinet. Bittu is former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh's grandson, who was seen as a hero of the anti-terrorism campaign in the state and was assassinated in a terror attack while still holding the office. Watch: PM-designate Modi's swearing-in ceremony: Traffic advisory in Delhi today for oath ceremony After attending the tea meeting, Bittu said, "It is a very big thing for me that they (NDA) have chosen me in their cabinet even after losing the elections. Punjab has been given priority this time...I will prepare the ground for BJP to win the Assembly elections in 2027...Just 2 years ago, the people of Punjab rejected Congress, everyone knows the work that AAP is doing. So, people have only one option which is BJP...I would like to become the Chief Minister of Punjab if given a chance." "Whether it is PM Modi, Amit Shah or others, all of them gave me their trust. There was no demand when I left Congress, but I did not want to sit in the opposition after winning for the third time. BJP made my dream true," he added. (With inputs from agencies)

Watch: BJP leader gets stuck in traffic, runs on foot to Modi's house for tea meet

Yemen&#39;s government delegation to UN-brokered peace talks in Kuwait said it will leave on Saturday, signalling the collapse of four months of UN-brokered negotiations with Shiite Huthi rebels. 
 
&quot;Today (Friday), we are holding some farewell meetings... and the delegation will leave on Saturday,&quot; delegation spokesman Mohammad al-Emrani told AFP. &quot;There can be no more talks after the new coup,&quot; he said referring to the rebels&#39; formation of a supreme political council to run war-torn Yemen. 
 
The Iran-backed Huthi rebels and the General People&#39;s Congress of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh on Thursday jointly announced setting up the 10-member council. 
 
The job of the council would be to &quot;manage state affairs politically, militarily, economically, administratively, socially and in security&quot;, a statement issued by the rebels said. UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the rebels&#39; move &quot;contravenes&quot; their commitment to the peace process and &quot;represents a grave violation&quot; of UN Security Council Resolution 2216 on Yemen&#39;s conflict. 
 
A UN spokesman in Kuwait, however, said Ould Cheikh Ahmed was scheduled to meet with the rebels later on Friday, and with ambassadors of the 18 countries backing the peace process in Yemen. Indirect negotiations held in Kuwait since April have failed to make headway. Most of the discussions focused on the type of the government to run Yemen during a transition period. 
 
&quot;It must be made clear here that it is the Huthi-Saleh alliance that foiled the peace talks in Kuwait. They have shown that they were never serious about a peaceful settlement,&quot; Emrani said. 
 
A top aide to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi said on Thursday that the government considered the peace talks had wound up without agreement. 
 
&quot;The negotiations have completely ended,&quot; said Abdullah al-Olaimi, deputy director of the president&#39;s office and a member of the government delegation. 
 
More than 6,400 people have been killed in Yemen since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of Hadi&#39;s government. Another 2.8 million people have been displaced and more than 80 per cent of the population urgently needs humanitarian aid, according to UN figures. 
 
(AFP)&nbsp;

The delegation points towards the rebels' formation of a supreme political council to run war-torn Yemen as the reason for exit

Yemen's government delegation to UN-brokered peace talks in Kuwait said it will leave on Saturday, signalling the collapse of four months of UN-brokered negotiations with Shiite Huthi rebels. "Today (Friday), we are holding some farewell meetings... and the delegation will leave on Saturday," delegation spokesman Mohammad al-Emrani told AFP. "There can be no more talks after the new coup," he said referring to the rebels' formation of a supreme political council to run war-torn Yemen. The Iran-backed Huthi rebels and the General People's Congress of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh on Thursday jointly announced setting up the 10-member council. The job of the council would be to "manage state affairs politically, militarily, economically, administratively, socially and in security", a statement issued by the rebels said. UN special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the rebels' move "contravenes" their commitment to the peace process and "represents a grave violation" of UN Security Council Resolution 2216 on Yemen's conflict. A UN spokesman in Kuwait, however, said Ould Cheikh Ahmed was scheduled to meet with the rebels later on Friday, and with ambassadors of the 18 countries backing the peace process in Yemen. Indirect negotiations held in Kuwait since April have failed to make headway. Most of the discussions focused on the type of the government to run Yemen during a transition period. "It must be made clear here that it is the Huthi-Saleh alliance that foiled the peace talks in Kuwait. They have shown that they were never serious about a peaceful settlement," Emrani said. A top aide to President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi said on Thursday that the government considered the peace talks had wound up without agreement. "The negotiations have completely ended," said Abdullah al-Olaimi, deputy director of the president's office and a member of the government delegation. More than 6,400 people have been killed in Yemen since the Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of Hadi's government. Another 2.8 million people have been displaced and more than 80 per cent of the population urgently needs humanitarian aid, according to UN figures. (AFP)

Yemen quits UN-backed peace talks

Almost 22 months ago, Maldivian journalist, Ahmed Rilwan, 28, disappeared in Mal?. He was last seen&nbsp;on a closed-circuit television camera while trying to buy a ferryboat ticket on his way home. His family still believes he will return one day, but his colleagues have a far more grim take on this. They believe Ahmed has been murdered.&nbsp; 
 
A police chief inspector recently confirmed that he was in fact abducted on the same night from his apartment. &nbsp; 
 
&quot;The situation is very bad. The media is under attack from all fronts,&quot; said Zaheena Rasheed, editor of the online newspaper, The Maldives Independent, where Rilwan worked as a reporter. 
 
For most travellers, Mal?, the capital city of the Maldives, is just a quick stopover on their way to dreamlike beaches and crystal blue waters. However, the dreamy landscape has a much more sinister side to it and Zaheena has good reason to be worried. &nbsp; 
 
&quot;I am very afraid. I myself have received death threats. I could disappear or I could be killed. My office has already been attacked. Other media offices have been burned to the ground,&quot; he fears are not unfounded. 
 
The streets of Mal? are home to criminal gangs involved in drug dealing, robberies and violence on commission. A survey by the Asia Foundation, based on interactions with 130 gang affiliates, reports that there are &quot;between 20 and 30 different gangs operating in Mal?, with 50 to 400 members in each group.&quot; This means that more than a thousand individuals are involved in such criminal activities in a city of 150,000. &nbsp; &nbsp; 
 
These gangs often carry out violence on behalf of political groups. The report reads: &quot;Politicians and businessmen often offer drugs and alcohol when they (the gang members) complete an illegal task (commissioned by them). Hence, there is a reciprocal relationship between gang members and politicians and businessmen.&quot; They often act in an atmosphere of impunity.&nbsp; 
 
Gang members are most likely to get away with it given the protection offered by the rich and influential. Even if some are caught they are able to get out of police stations without their crimes being brought to book. Escaping a gang is nearly impossible for a designated victim. Mal? is a small town on an island. Hiding is not really a viable option.&nbsp; 
 
It is not only about the fear of gangs. The Maldivian media is facing an increasingly difficult situation. In April, a group of journalists was arrested for a day. They were part of a protest against a draft law aiming to reintroduce defamation as a crime that was abolished seven years ago. Just a month before, the Civil Court had halted the printing of Haveeru, the oldest and most widely-circulated Maldivian newspaper. An order issued against a three-decade old ownership dispute. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
The turbulent situation took off in 2008, a turning point in the history of the archipelago. The human rights activist and environmentalist Mohamed Nasheed became the first democratically elected president of the country. His victory ended three decades of autocratic rule by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who was the longest-serving politician in South Asia. Gayoom granted economic growth to the archipelago, but democracy paid a high price. One-party elections, politicians appointed only by the president, heavy restrictions on freedom of press, religion and dissent were the norm. 
 
Nasheed&#39;s liberal agenda came as a break with the past. After decriminalising defamation, his government passed a bill to establish a Media Council &quot;to preserve the freedom of media&quot;. He allowed foreign journalists to travel freely to the country and granted greater access to the local press. Minivan News, then the only local English online newspaper, could start working in the Maldives rather than in exile in Sri Lanka. &nbsp; 
 
Young democracies, however, are often fragile, and so was Nasheed`s presidency. After less than three years, a police mutiny and weeks of protest staged by his opponents, he decided to resign &ndash; or was forced to do so &quot;at &nbsp;gunpoint&quot;. &nbsp; &nbsp; 
 
In a contested run-off, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, half-brother of the man who ruled for 30 years, became the new Maldivian President. &nbsp; &nbsp; 
 
In 2015, events abruptly turned and Nasheed&#39;s situation plummeted. Following a trial that Amnesty International called &quot;deeply flawed and politically motivated&quot;, the former president was sentenced to 13 years for terrorism. He was accused of arbitrarily removing the criminal court chief judge during his presidency. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
Some Maldivians did not accept the verdict in silence and took to the streets in Mal?. The police arrested many protesters, including three reporters, who were covering the protest. &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
&quot;There is a big crackdown on media freedom. It is very difficult for a person who is critical of the government to find any kind of work in the country,&quot; said Azra Naseem, a Maldivian research fellow at the Institute for International Conflict Resolution and Reconstruction in Dublin City University. &quot;If you are not with the government there is no space for you in the Maldives.&quot; 
 
Former president Nasheed is currently in London. 
 
He was authorised to leave his prison cell for a delicate surgery on the condition that he would return to jail once the treatment was done. However, that may not happen now. The British government has granted former president Nasheed political refugee status. A news welcomed by the media community and sections of Maldivian citizens who are not keen to toe the totalitarian line. 
 
&quot;Maldivians want to see better days. I am not alone and this is my home. I grew up in a dictatorship and I don&#39;t want to see my country regress into fear. I want to see a freer and more equal Maldives,&quot; Zaheena Rasheed said.

Journalists arrested, a former president on the run, criminal gangs, political unrest, radical Islamists and more...

Almost 22 months ago, Maldivian journalist, Ahmed Rilwan, 28, disappeared in Mal?. He was last seen on a closed-circuit television camera while trying to buy a ferryboat ticket on his way home. His family still believes he will return one day, but his colleagues have a far more grim take on this. They believe Ahmed has been murdered. A police chief inspector recently confirmed that he was in fact abducted on the same night from his apartment. "The situation is very bad. The media is under attack from all fronts," said Zaheena Rasheed, editor of the online newspaper, The Maldives Independent, where Rilwan worked as a reporter. For most travellers, Mal?, the capital city of the Maldives, is just a quick stopover on their way to dreamlike beaches and crystal blue waters. However, the dreamy landscape has a much more sinister side to it and Zaheena has good reason to be worried. "I am very afraid. I myself have received death threats. I could disappear or I could be killed. My office has already been attacked. Other media offices have been burned to the ground," he fears are not unfounded. The streets of Mal? are home to criminal gangs involved in drug dealing, robberies and violence on commission. A survey by the Asia Foundation, based on interactions with 130 gang affiliates, reports that there are "between 20 and 30 different gangs operating in Mal?, with 50 to 400 members in each group." This means that more than a thousand individuals are involved in such criminal activities in a city of 150,000. These gangs often carry out violence on behalf of political groups. The report reads: "Politicians and businessmen often offer drugs and alcohol when they (the gang members) complete an illegal task (commissioned by them). Hence, there is a reciprocal relationship between gang members and politicians and businessmen." They often act in an atmosphere of impunity. Gang members are most likely to get away with it given the protection offered by the rich and influential. Even if some are caught they are able to get out of police stations without their crimes being brought to book. Escaping a gang is nearly impossible for a designated victim. Mal? is a small town on an island. Hiding is not really a viable option. It is not only about the fear of gangs. The Maldivian media is facing an increasingly difficult situation. In April, a group of journalists was arrested for a day. They were part of a protest against a draft law aiming to reintroduce defamation as a crime that was abolished seven years ago. Just a month before, the Civil Court had halted the printing of Haveeru, the oldest and most widely-circulated Maldivian newspaper. An order issued against a three-decade old ownership dispute. The turbulent situation took off in 2008, a turning point in the history of the archipelago. The human rights activist and environmentalist Mohamed Nasheed became the first democratically elected president of the country. His victory ended three decades of autocratic rule by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom who was the longest-serving politician in South Asia. Gayoom granted economic growth to the archipelago, but democracy paid a high price. One-party elections, politicians appointed only by the president, heavy restrictions on freedom of press, religion and dissent were the norm. Nasheed's liberal agenda came as a break with the past. After decriminalising defamation, his government passed a bill to establish a Media Council "to preserve the freedom of media". He allowed foreign journalists to travel freely to the country and granted greater access to the local press. Minivan News, then the only local English online newspaper, could start working in the Maldives rather than in exile in Sri Lanka. Young democracies, however, are often fragile, and so was Nasheed`s presidency. After less than three years, a police mutiny and weeks of protest staged by his opponents, he decided to resign – or was forced to do so "at gunpoint". In a contested run-off, Abdulla Yameen Abdul Gayoom, half-brother of the man who ruled for 30 years, became the new Maldivian President. In 2015, events abruptly turned and Nasheed's situation plummeted. Following a trial that Amnesty International called "deeply flawed and politically motivated", the former president was sentenced to 13 years for terrorism. He was accused of arbitrarily removing the criminal court chief judge during his presidency. Some Maldivians did not accept the verdict in silence and took to the streets in Mal?. The police arrested many protesters, including three reporters, who were covering the protest. "There is a big crackdown on media freedom. It is very difficult for a person who is critical of the government to find any kind of work in the country," said Azra Naseem, a Maldivian research fellow at the Institute for International Conflict Resolution and Reconstruction in Dublin City University. "If you are not with the government there is no space for you in the Maldives." Former president Nasheed is currently in London. He was authorised to leave his prison cell for a delicate surgery on the condition that he would return to jail once the treatment was done. However, that may not happen now. The British government has granted former president Nasheed political refugee status. A news welcomed by the media community and sections of Maldivian citizens who are not keen to toe the totalitarian line. "Maldivians want to see better days. I am not alone and this is my home. I grew up in a dictatorship and I don't want to see my country regress into fear. I want to see a freer and more equal Maldives," Zaheena Rasheed said.

Mal?: Political hit jobs, drugs, robberies - the grime under the sun and sand

Run, News on Run, stories on Run, articles on Run, Run stories at Wion, Run news, Run latest news