Kolkata, June 13 (IANS) The disciplinary committee of the Trinamool Congress legislative party in the West Bengal Assembly on Friday issued a final warning to Bharatpur MLA Humayun Kabir, cautioning him against making public statements that continue to embarrass the party leadership.Kabir, known for his frequent controversial remarks, was summoned to the office of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sovandeb Chattopadhyay within the Assembly premises. According to party sources, Chattopadhyay personally handed over the caution notice and conveyed that this would be treated as the “last and final warning.”The move follows Kabir’s latest comments that stirred fresh controversy. Without naming anyone, he alleged that a section of the party leadership was in covert communication with the Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari. “The leadership should investigate how many elected representatives are in regular touch with Adhikari,” Kabir said, prompting backlash from fellow TMC legislators who demanded he furnish evidence to support his claims.This is not the first time Kabir has drawn the ire of the party. In March this year, the disciplinary committee had issued him a show-cause notice for similar anti-party remarks but refrained from taking stronger disciplinary action at the time, instead issuing a formal warning.Kabir has repeatedly courted controversy with remarks that have embarrassed the Trinamool Congress. Last year, he came under fire for allegedly saying that Hindus in the minority-dominated Murshidabad district would be “cut and thrown into the Bhagirathi River.” In November, he was again served a show-cause notice for making statements critical of the party.More recently, during the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, Kabir publicly questioned the party’s decision to field cricketer-turned-politician Yusuf Pathan from the Baharampur constituency, deriding him as an “outsider.”Despite multiple warnings, Kabir has continued to speak out in ways that undermine the party’s image, leaving the leadership with little patience.–IANSsrc/skp

Guwahati, June 13 (IANS) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has issued a “shoot at sight” order in the Dhubri district for those who try to disturb communal peace and harmony in the locality.

Sarma, who visited Dhubri on Friday, told reporters here, “I have instructed the police to take strict action against those who try to create any disturbance towards upholding communal peace and harmony in the Dhubri district. If required, police will carry out ‘shoot at sight’ order at night towards miscreants to maintain a peaceful situation here.”He also said, “Since last week, the law-and-order situation in Dhubri has been challenging. The day after Bakra Eid, some elements kept a severed cow head in front of a Hanuman Mandir. People from both communities thereafter met, and the peace committee also held discussions, and it seemed to have resolved. But the next day, another cow head was kept in the premises. Then there was a stone pelting incident too. Moreover, there were posters to include Dhubri as part of Bangladesh that were pasted here. A communal group has been active here to spread unrest, and we have adopted a zero tolerance policy against the same.”The Chief Minister also said that the Rapid Action Force (RAF) and, CRPF will also be sent to Dhubri on Friday. He mentioned that pending cases against criminals will be proceeded with, and proper actions will be taken. “What transpired in Dhubri during Bakra Eid, and how are we responding to the situation. We are fully committed to ensure enforcement of Law and Order in the district and defeat all communal forces,” Sarma said, adding, “A new beef mafia has emerged in Dhubri, which procured thousands of animals just ahead of Eid. Investigation is underway, and the perpetrators will be put behind bars.”The CM further said, “Recently, there have been some political changes in the state of Assam and Bangladesh. After this, a particular section has become extremely active online and on the ground level and is trying to create a planned negative environment, like the incident of throwing beef in the Hanuman temple of Dhubri.”–IANStdr/uk

Ahmedabad, June 13 (IANS) The Gujarat government has stepped in to support grieving families with logistical assistance in the wake of the Air India Flight AI-171 crash. The State Roads and Buildings Department has made arrangements for accommodation and transport for the relatives of the victims who have arrived in Ahmedabad.According to an official statement, facilities have been set up at the Circuit House and other designated locations, ensuring ease of movement between these sites and the Civil Hospital, where identification and post-mortem procedures are ongoing.”To ease the difficulties faced during this challenging time, the Department has arranged for stay facilities at Circuit House and other designated locations, as well as transportation between these places and Civil Hospital, Ahmedabad,” the statement read.Relatives seeking assistance with accommodation or transport can reach out to the following helplines: Control Room Landline: 079-23251900, Control Room Mobile: 9978405304, Krunal Patel (Roads and Buildings Department): 9429610137Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the family of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, expressing grief over the veteran BJP leader’s death in plane crash. Among those present was Rupani’s wife, Anjali Rupani, who had returned from London following the accident.In a tribute shared on X, the Prime Minister described Rupani’s passing as “unimaginable” and recalled their long-standing association.”Met the family of Shri Vijaybhai Rupani Ji. It is unimaginable that Vijaybhai is not in our midst. I’ve known him for decades. We worked together, shoulder to shoulder, including during some of the most challenging times,” PM Modi wrote.Highlighting Rupani’s dedication to the party, PM Modi noted, “Vijaybhai was humble and hardworking, firmly committed to the Party’s ideology. Rising up the ranks, he held various responsibilities in the Organisation and went on to serve diligently as Gujarat’s Chief Minister.”–IANSjanvi/svn

New Delhi, June 13 (IANS) Grief has gripped the Sant Tukaram Nagar area of Pimpri-Chinchwad in Maharashtra as the family of 28-year-old Irfan Shaikh, a cabin crew member in the ill-fated Air India flight that crashed in Ahmedabad on Thursday, mourns his death. Flight AI171, a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner bound for London, crashed shortly after takeoff from Ahmedabad, killing all the passengers on board, including the crew members.The fatalities include almost all 230 passengers and the 12 crew members onboard. Irfan was among the 12 cabin crew members who lost their lives in the crash. Only one passenger miraculously survived.Speaking to IANS, Irfan’s uncle, Firoz Shaikh, said that the young crew member had called his mother shortly before boarding the ill-fated flight. “He used to talk to his parents daily. Before this flight too, he spoke to his mother. None of us imagined it would be our last conversation with him,” said Firoz.On being asked to comment on his aviation journey, he said that Irfan completed a cabin crew training course, and he began his career with Vistara. Following the merger between Air India and Vistara, he was absorbed into the Air India workforce and was flying international routes. “He has been working as a cabin crew for the past 1-1.5 years, and nobody would’ve thought that he would die in such a tragic incident. It’s extremely sad and tragic, and we are still unable to cope with this tragedy,” he said.”Irfan’s parents and elder brother rushed to Ahmedabad as soon as news of the crash reached them. His brother’s DNA sample has been collected to assist in identifying Irfan’s remains. The family has been told that results will take 48 to 72 hours, after which the body may be released,” he added.–IANSsas/uk

Patna, June 13 (IANS) Political strategist and Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing him of systematically discriminating against Bihar while favouring states like Gujarat and Maharashtra.Addressing the media in Gaya district as part of his ongoing Bihar Badlaav Yatra on Friday, Kishor questioned the recent announcement made by the Prime Minister in Madhubani regarding the launch of a new Shramik train from Saharsa.“Why are such announcements never made for Gujarat or Maharashtra?” he asked.“If Prime Minister Modi truly has the courage, let him announce a Shramik train from Gujarat to Tamil Nadu. He knows he won’t get a single vote in Gujarat if he does that,” Kishor said, alleging that Bihar is being short-changed in terms of development and infrastructure.Drawing a sharp contrast, Kishor said, “Gujarat got GIFT City, a solar park, and a bullet train. Bihar, on the other hand, got Shramik trains. Why this glaring disparity when the PM represents both Bihar and Gujarat?”He added that Bihar does not need more trains to ferry its youth out in search of work. “What Bihar truly needs is quality education and employment so that migration becomes a choice, not a compulsion. Our youth are packed into coaches like animals. This must end.”Kishor also made a significant announcement regarding Jan Suraaj’s approach to the 2025 Bihar Assembly elections. He laid out the party’s candidate selection policy, stating that every effort would be made to ensure that only individuals with clean images are given tickets.“Even if by mistake a wrong candidate is selected, I urge the people not to vote for such a person,” he said, adding, “Even the UPSC selects IAS and IPS officers through the most rigorous process, yet not all of them turn out to be honest. Jan Suraaj, too, will strive for the highest standards, but human error cannot be ruled out.”Kishor asserted that Jan Suraaj’s mission is not merely to win elections, but to win Bihar. He appealed to voters across party lines to support candidates who are clean, capable, and committed to the state’s development — irrespective of their political affiliation.–IANSajk/skp

Mumbai, June 13 (IANS) Describing the Ahmedabad air crash as ‘alarming’, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut on Friday called for fixing responsibility for the tragedy in which 241 people aboard the London-bound Air India plane were killed.“Is anyone responsible for it or not? Will the matter be closed after being labelled as an accident?” asked Raut during a media interaction.The government cannot run away from its responsibility by calling it an accident. “The government is there to prevent accidents and save lives,” he said, intensifying the blame game over the tragedy.He said the government cannot wash its hands of just by calling it an accident. “The government must bear the responsibility. Who undertook the privatisation of the airline? The government had accepted its inability to run the airline, so who is responsible?” he said.“Someone has to be held responsible for the accident. After all, a plane crashed within 30 seconds after take-off before our eyes, killing people,” he said.“Did the two engines fail, or did something else happen inside the plane. The reality needs to come out,” he said.The Shiv Sena leader also targeted the BJP for questioning the Boeing Dreamliner’s deal under the UPA government and raising suspicions about the deal.He said those responsible for the tragedy should have resigned on moral grounds. “Whenever there is a rail accident, we demand the resignation of the railway minister. We demanded the resignation of the Home Minister after the Pahalgam incident. But they don’t come forward and own up to their failure,” he said.Raut’s attack on the government comes at a time when some Opposition leaders have started demanding an investigation into the incident by a sitting or retired Supreme Court judge.Amid the political war of words over the air crash, Congress leader Udit Raj launched a scathing attack on the aviation safety system in India, claiming that a Director at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) holds a fake degree and that oversight failure led to the tragedy.Speaking to IANS, Udit Raj said, “The DGCA director’s degree is fake. Such incidents are bound to happen when people with fake degrees are clearing safety standards. Sikkim University has stated that his degree is forged. A PIL has also been filed in the High Court. When such people sit in key positions in civil aviation, accidents are inevitable.”The ill-fated Air India Dreamliner had taken off from Ahmedabad on Thursday afternoon on June 12 en route to Gatwick, London, but crashed moments later into a residential area, making it one of the worst aviation disasters in recent memory.In addition to the death of 241 people on board the plane, many people died in the area where it fell. The government has launched a probe into the tragic incident.–IANSrch/uk

Mumbai, June 13 (IANS) Aishwarya Toshniwal from Akola district in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region, who is a second-year student at the BJ Medical College in Meghani Nagar area of Ahmedabad, narrowly escaped the Air India plane crash.Toshniwal said, “This was the most terrifying experience of my life, which I will never forget.”She saved her life by pulling herself out of the smoke from the fifth floor and wrapping a blanket around herself.Toshniwal, a resident of Durga Chowk in Akola, was sleeping on the fifth floor of the second building of the hostel when the accident occurred.Suddenly, there was a loud noise and smoke billowed everywhere. Despite that, Toshniwal managed to save her life by making her way through the thick smoke.One of the family members of Toshniwal from Akola said, “Aishwarya is studying in the second year of DM Oncopathology at Gujarat Cancer Research Institute Medical College, Ahmedabad. She had returned to Ahmedabad from Akola after celebrating her grandfather’s birthday. She was suddenly woken up by a loud noise while sleeping.””When she woke up, there was smoke everywhere. Realising the seriousness of the situation, Aishwarya wrapped herself in a blanket and saved her life by finding a way through the darkness and smoke and coming down from the fifth floor. Aishwarya had burn marks on her face, hands and legs,” the family member said.In a panic, Aishwarya immediately called her father, Amol Toshniwal, who was at his saree shop in Durga Chowk, Akola, at that time. As soon as he received his daughter’s call, he was shocked and closed the shop and immediately went home.Amol Toshniwal said, “We were shocked when we saw the news on TV. But by the grace of God, our daughter survived such a big accident.”Aishwarya’s mother, Madhuri Toshniwal and her grandparents thanked God amid tears.The grandfather said, “Our granddaughter had come for my birthday, but she had to face such an accident. I thank God a hundred times that she is safe.”The shocked Toshniwal family has expressed their condolences to those injured and killed in the accident.–IANSsj/svn

Ahmedabad, June 13 (IANS) The black box of the Air India Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, which crashed minutes after takeoff in Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, has been recovered from the wreckage of the aircraft.The black box, technically known as the flight data recorder, is expected to play a vital role in unravelling the cause that led to the disaster.It contains crucial information such as flight speed, altitude, engine performance, and cockpit audio, including communications between the pilots and air traffic control.These specialised devices are built to withstand extreme temperatures, water, and severe impact, ensuring the survival of key data even in catastrophic conditions.Contrary to its name, the black box is typically painted bright orange to make it easier to locate amid wreckage.Constructed from highly durable materials like steel and titanium, the device houses two main components: the Digital Flight Data Recorder (DFDR) and the Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR). The DFDR logs technical flight parameters, while the CVR captures audio from the cockpit, including pilot discussions and radio exchanges with air traffic control.In a parallel development, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has recovered a digital video recorder (DVR) from the wreckage.Investigators believe this could serve as additional evidence, offering visual insights into the final moments of the crash.Authorities are now preparing to analyse both the flight recorders and the DVR to piece together a comprehensive timeline of events leading up to the crash.Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with the family of former Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani, expressing grief over the veteran BJP leader’s death in Thursday’s tragic Air India plane crash.Among those present was Rupani’s wife, Anjali Rupani, who had returned from London following the accident.In an emotional tribute shared on X, the Prime Minister described Rupani’s passing as “unimaginable” and recalled their long-standing association.”Met the family of Shri Vijaybhai Rupani Ji. It is unimaginable that Vijaybhai is not in our midst. I’ve known him for decades. We worked together, shoulder to shoulder, including during some of the most challenging times,” PM Modi wrote.PM Modi noted, “Vijaybhai was humble and hardworking, firmly committed to the party’s ideology. Rising up the ranks, he held various responsibilities in the Organisation and went on to serve diligently as Gujarat’s Chief Minister.”–IANSjanvi/svn

Bhopal, June 13 (IANS) In a state where agriculture forms the backbone of rural livelihoods,…

New Delhi, June 13 (IANS) What began as an ordinary day in Ahmedabad turned into a nightmare within seconds, as a deafening explosion in the sky shattered the calm on Thursday. Eyewitnesses recounted scenes of horror after an Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner, bound for London, crashed shortly after takeoff from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport. An eyewitness, Hansa Ben, a relative of a victim of the Air India Flight AI171 crash, speaking to IANS, said, “We were outside on the road when the incident happened. My sister-in-law was running a tea stall there. She and her son were both present at the spot. The boy was 15 years old and was sleeping on a rope bed (khatiya). Suddenly, there was a fire and he got caught in it. He didn’t survive. His mother has been admitted to the hospital…”Another eye-witness, Suraj Gajjar, whose house is just 500 metres away from the crash site, said, “When the blast happened around 1.40 p.m., we ran from our house, it’s about 500 meters from here. Everyone from the local area gathered at the spot. Within 5-6 minutes, the police, fire department, and all emergency services had already arrived and have been working non-stop since then. The bodies being recovered are all from the plane crash. Work has been ongoing here continuously…”Another eyewitness recalled how his life was saved by just 40 seconds. “I missed it by just 40 seconds”, recalled a shaken young man who had been on his way to his brother’s admission. “…Had I been there a little earlier, I could have been a victim too… I immediately called all my friends and asked them to rush to the spot. No one had the courage to go near the fire, and even the fire brigade hadn’t arrived. When we arrived, we first went to the canteen. My group and I tried to remove the gas cylinders to prevent more explosions. Despite the danger, one explosion had already occurred. We didn’t care for our safety, our focus was on rescuing the trapped”, he said.As rescue teams continue their task, the people who stood just seconds away from the crash site relive the trauma while sharing their tragic ordeals, which is likely to remain in their “memory box” till their last breath.–IANSsas/skp