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Chandigarh, Mar 30 (PTI) Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) has convened a meeting of all Sikh organisations on April 6 at its headquarters in Amritsar, in connection with the state government's decision to amend the law for punishment for sacrilege of religious texts. SGPC President Harjinder Singh Dhami, after a meeting with SGPC members here on Monday, termed the issue extremely sensitive and emphasised the need for a collective 'panthic' opinion. He said representatives of all Sikh organisations, Nihang Singh groups, Damdami Taksal, Sikh institutions, scholars, judges and lawyers, Sikh Missionary Colleges, Singh Sabhas, Sikh federations, heads of various sects, among others have been invited to participate in the meeting. Dhami stated that the SGPC supports enacting stringent laws to prevent sacrilege and ensure a permanent and meaningful solution, but expressed concern that the Punjab government "has not clarified its position". At a recent meeting in Amritsar, the SGPC had asked the government to ensure that the sentiments of the Sikh community are respected and that all information sought by it in this matter is promptly provided. Speaking here on Monday, Dhami further stressed the distinction between general religious texts and Sri Guru Granth Sahib, describing the latter as the eternal, living Guru, bestowed with Guruship by the Sikh Gurus themselves. He said preserving the sanctity, honour, and supreme status of Sri Guru Granth Sahib is of utmost importance and "to build a unified panthic consensus" over the issue, the SGPC has called this joint meeting of Sikh bodies and institutions. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had on Saturday said that the state will toughen the sacrilege law and anyone committing "beadbi" (sacrilege) of Guru Granth Sahib will face punishment up to life imprisonment. The Mann government will be convening a special session of the Vidhan Sabha on April 13 to amend the Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008 for stricter punishment against sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and other religious texts. SGPC president Dhami said that earlier, the Punjab government had formed a select committee regarding the Punjab Prevention of Offences Against Religious Scriptures Bill, 2025. The SGPC's high-level committee had repeatedly sought clarification and responses from the government, but despite several letters, no information was provided, he claimed. "The government has now created further confusion by proposing amendments to the Jagat Jot Sri Guru Granth Sahib Satkar Act, 2008. It is equally important to consider that any law framed by the state government would be applicable only within Punjab, raising questions about its implementation in other states in case of sacrilege incidents," he said. The SGPC president reiterated that the apex religious body of the Sikhs has always advocated for strict laws and continues to demand that a unified national consensus be reached and implemented effectively. He said invitation letters will be sent to leaders of all Sikh organizations, urging them to attend the April 6 meeting. PTI SUN NB NB
IMPHAL, Nov 17: The NPP on Sunday withdrew support from the BJP-led Government in Manipur, even as violence continued to rock the state as offices of the Congress and the saffron party were ransacked in the hill district of Jiribam where an unidentified body was found earlier in the day, officials said. Follow the Daily Excelsior channel on WhatsApp A BJP MLA's ancestral house was vandalised in Imphal Valley while a building owned by Ashab Uddin, the Independent legislator of Jiribam, was ransacked, officials said. The incidents occurred a day after irate mobs set fire to the residences of ...Read More >
BJP member Manas Dutta blamed the previous BJD government and held it responsible for not extending their service agreement which ended in April, 2024. As hundreds of women working as support staff under the Mission Shakti department staged a demonstration outside the Assembly over different issues, the opposition BJD on Monday demanded immediate release of their salaries. While the agitating women were shouting slogans at the Mahatma Gandhi Road leading to the Assembly, the issue was raised in ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 17 (PTI) Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday hit out at the government, saying voting at the introduction stage of two bills on simultaneous elections in the Lok Sabha showed the BJP did not have the two-third majority required to pass a constitutional amendment. Two bills that lay down the mechanism to hold simultaneous elections were introduced in the Lok Sabha after a fiery debate on Tuesday. Opposition parties dubbed the draft laws -- a Constitution amendment bill and an ordinary bill -- as an attack on the federal structure, a charge rejected by the government. "We (th ...Read More >
Amritsar, Jan 14 (UNI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann on Tuesday announced to set up a state-of-the art Surjit Patar Center for ethical Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the Guru Nanak Dev University (GNDU). Chairing a function to pay homage to the eminent writer Dr Surjit Patar here, he said that this center will be equipped with the latest ultra modern technology. He assured fulsome support and cooperation to the University for this Noble Cause. Mann also announced to institutionalise an Award in the memory of great writer which will be given to the budding writers to encourage th ...Read More >
Kolkata, Jan 21 (VOICE) The West Bengal government on Tuesday approached the Calcutta High Court, challenging the special court's verdict sentencing Sanjay Roy, convicted in the rape and murder of a junior doctor of state-run R.G. Kar Medical College and Hospital, to life imprisonment. State Advocate General Kishor Datta has approached the division bench of Justice Debangshu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi seeking a "death penalty" for the convict. The division bench has admitted the petition from the state government. After the court pronounced the quantum of sentence, Chief Minister Mama ...Read More >
Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami is the first person to register his marriage on the Uniform Civil Code (UCC) portal in Uttarakhand. It is mandatory under UCC provision to register the marriage solemnized after march 2010. CM Dhami, who married Geeta Dhami on February 5, 2011, received the certificate of registration from Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Radha Ratudi. This moment marked the launch of the UCC, making Uttarakhand the first state in India to implement such a law. All marriages solemnized after March 2010 must be registered The UCC mandates that all marriages ...Read More >
Bhubaneswar, Dec 3 (PTI) Odisha MLAs across party lines on Tuesday demanded an increase in their salaries and enhanced pensions for former lawmakers. The issue was raised during Zero Hour by Opposition chief whip Pramila Mallik, supported by members from both Congress and BJP. Mallik emphasised the need to increase the pension of former MLAs, saying they were struggling to manage due to rising market prices and medical expenses. She pointed out that a committee formed by the previous government had already submitted a report recommending an increase in the salary of MLAs to Rs 2.5 lakh per ...Read More >
Gurdaspur (Punjab) [India], December 4 (ANI): Jasmeet Kaur, wife of Narain Singh Chaura, who attempted to assassinate Sukhbir Singh Badal, condemned her husband's actions on Wednesday. She stated that her husband had informed her he was attending a "death anniversary programme" in Amritsar. "I didn't know what had happened until reporters came knocking at my door. Earlier, he had been lodged in jails in Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Gurdaspur," Kaur told reporters. "I don't think what he did was right," Kaur added. Narain Singh Chaura opened fire at Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Sukhbir Singh ...Read More >
Amritsar, Dec 17 (PTI) Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla on Tuesday urged the Punjab government to take steps to bring back the bodies of Punjabis who were among 11 Indians who died in a restaurant in Georgia. Eleven Indian nationals were found dead at a restaurant in Georgia's mountain resort of Gudauri, the Indian mission had said on Monday. Georgia's Ministry of Internal Affairs had said the initial inspection found no signs of injury or violence. All victims died from carbon monoxide poisoning, local media reported, citing police. The Indian mission in Tbilisi had said it was saddened to ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 18 (PTI) The Pakistan high commission on Wednesday said it issued 84 visas to Indian pilgrims to visit the Shree Katas Raj temples in Punjab province's Chakwal district. The group has been given visas to visit the Katas Raj temples from December 19 to 25. The temples are also known as Qila Katas. It is a complex of several Hindu temples connected to one another by walkways. Under the provision of a bilateral protocol on visits to religious shrines, Sikh and Hindu pilgrims from India visit Pakistan every year.Pakistani pilgrims also visit India every year under the protocol. ...Read More >
Kolkata, Jan 22 (VOICE) West Bengal government's hyperactive approach in seeking the death penalty for the RG Kar case convict is surely politically motivated, the father of the victim woman doctor said on Wednesday. The state government had moved to Calcutta High Court challenging the verdict of a special court in Kolkata on January 22 sentencing Sanjay Roy to life imprisonment and also seeking the death penalty for the sole convict. On Wednesday, the victim's father said that although they also want the death penalty for Roy, they feel that the state government's hurried approach to seekin ...Read More >
Guwahati, Jan 31 (PTI) The Gauhati High Court has issued notices to the Assam government and its various departments over rampant rat-hole coal mining and asked them to furnish what steps they have taken to stop the unlawful activity. Taking suo motu cognizance of the Dima Hasao coal mining tragedy, the high court registered a public interest litigation on Monday and issued notices the next day to seven government departments, including the office of the chief secretary. "The court has taken note of various reports which suggest that around more than 200 rat-hole mines are in operation in Um ...Read More >
Hyderabad, Feb 5 (PTI) The Telangana Legislative Assembly secretary issued notices to some BRS MLAs who 'shifted loyalties' to the ruling Congress on disqualification petitions filed by the regional party. They have sought time to submit their responses. Kadiyam Srihari, one of the MLAs who received the notices, said on Wednesday that, to his knowledge, he and two other MLAs have received notices. "We have replied to the notice, seeking time to respond," he told PTI. Ten BRS MLAs have switched over to the ruling party since the Congress assumed office in December 2023. Another MLA who 'swi ...Read More >
Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 5 (PTI) The presence of a Bharat Mata portrait, allegedly associated with RSS shakhas, at a World Environment Day event at the Raj Bhavan on Thursday led to the state government boycotting the programme, prompting Governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar to assert that there would be no compromise on Bharat Mata. Kerala Agriculture Minister P Prasad, who boycotted the event, said that the state government respects Bharat Mata, but using an image commonly associated with RSS shakhas for an official function at Raj Bhavan is unconstitutional. While the Raj Bhavan went ahead ...Read More >
Patiala (Punjab), Dec 3 (PTI) The Punjab government will launch a massive recruitment drive in the health and the education departments, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann said on Tuesday and added that his dispensation had already provided about 50,000 jobs. Addressing a gathering while handing over appointment letters to new recruits, Mann said the state government was committed to provide ample opportunities for youngsters to excel. So far, around 50,000 government jobs have been provided to them, he said. Further new avenues will be opened for the youngsters to ensure that they become an acti ...Read More >
Panaji, Dec 10 (PTI) Karachi-born Shane Sabastian Pereira entered India to live in his ancestral village in Goa just four months after his birth, but it has taken him 43 years to obtain Indian citizenship. Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant on Tuesday handed over the Indian citizenship certificate to the Pakistan-born Christian man under the Citizenship (Amendment) Act. Shane is the second person from the coastal state to receive the certificate, after Joseph Francis Pereira, another Pakistani citizen who was granted Indian citizenship in August this year. Shane, originally from Demello Wado ...Read More >
New Delhi, Dec 12 (PTI) The Union Cabinet on Thursday approved bills to implement 'One Nation, One Election', and the draft legislations are likely to be introduced in Parliament in the ongoing Winter session, sources said. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government is keen on holding wider consultations on bills which are likely to be referred to a parliamentary committee. Sources said the government was also keen to consult the Speakers of various state legislative assemblies through the committee. Moving ahead with it ...Read More >
Ranchi, Dec 12 (PTI)The Jharkhand Assembly on Thursday passed the second supplementary budget of Rs 11,697.45 crore for the 2024-25 fiscal. After this, the four-day session of the assembly was adjourned sine die by Speaker Rabindra Nath Mahato. Finance Minister Radhakrishna Kishore tabled the second supplementary budget, allocating a maximum outlay of Rs 6,390.55 crore to the women, child development and social security department to boost the government's flagship scheme Maiyan Samman Yojana. Under this scheme, the state government initially provided Rs 1,000 per month to women between the ...Read More >
Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal's hunger strike enters its 17th day. His health is critical. The Supreme Court urges dialogue between the government and Dallewal. Dallewal demands MSP guarantee and other farmer-centric issues. He has written an open letter to the Prime Minister. Farmers' organizations continue their protests at the Punjab-Haryana border.The Supreme Court on Friday expressed serious concern over the deteriorating health of Punjab farmer leader Jagjit Singh Dallewal, who ...Read More >
Mumbai, Jan 21 (VOICE) Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut and Punjabi sensation Diljit Dosanjh's fates are intertwined through their films "Emergency" and 'Panjab 95" due to the chatter around both the movies. On Tuesday morning, Diljit took to Instagram, where he posted a note apologising that his film "Panjab 95", has once again faced a hiccup in its release in India. "We are very sorry and it pains us to inform you that the movie Panjab 95 will not release on 7th Feb due to circumstances beyond our control," he wrote. The movie, which is based on the life of prominent Sikh human rights act ...Read More >
Kolkata: On the 13th day of teachers' protest outside Bikash Bhavan, the protesting teachers split among themselves and formed a new platform. At least 2,500 protesters stood by the chief minister, as stated in a press conference by education minister Bratya Basu on Monday. Reacting to a question from media, Basu said in Titagarh, "I will trust those who have written to me expressing their faith in the chief minister."The new organisation formed was named the West Bengal Untainted Teachers Associ ...Read More >
Bhopal, Dec 18 (PTI) Congress MLAs demonstrated on Wednesday in the Madhya Pradesh assembly premises by holding kettles and tea cups alleging rising unemployment in the state. The MLAs held placards accusing the state government of forcing youngsters to sell tea by depriving them of jobs. Also Read | 'Mukadma, Mulzim, Ilzam, Ittila, Chashmdeed': BJP Government in Rajasthan To Replace Urdu Terms in Policing With Hindi Words. "Unemployment is growing in MP. Youths will have no option but to sell tea in such a situation," the leader of the opposition Umang Singhar, who led the protest on the t ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Jan 2 (PTI) Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday claimed that the Centre was trying to"bring back" the now-repealed farm laws, referring to the newly announced draft of the National Policy Framework on Agricultural Marketing. The AAP-led Punjab government has termed the newly announced draft policy as an attempt to reintroduce the three central agricultural laws passed in 2020 "through backdoor." After a yearlong protest by farmers, the Centre had repealed the laws. Speaking to reporters here, Mann also stated that the demands of the protesting farmers pertain to the c ...Read More >
Chennai: Tamil Nadu Assembly Speaker M Appavu walked out of a meeting of his counterparts in Patna on Monday after accusing Governor R N Ravi of continuing to 'disrespect' the people of the state, elected government and century-old TN Legislative Assembly. Ravi's activities were 'deeply worrying.' he said. Citing the recommendations of the Punchhi, Sarkaria, Rajamannar and Venkatachaliah Commissions, on the appointment of Governors, Appavu argued that the state legislature should be empowered to 'remove' the Governor through a resolution and the wording that the 'Governor shall hold office du ...Read More >
Baghpat (Uttar Pradesh) [India], January 28 (ANI): Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal has sought AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal's apology from the nation after BR Ambedkar's statue was vandalised in Punjab's Amritsar on January 26. A youth has vandalised the life-size statue of Ambedkar in Amritsar by climbing atop it and striking it with a hammer on Republic Day on Sunday. A video clip purportedly of the incident also went viral on social media. Also Read | Maha Kumbh Mela 2025: A Day Before Mauni Amavasya Amrit Snan, 5 Crore Devotees Take Holy Dip in Triveni Sangam on January 28, Total Pilgrim ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jan 31 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi Friday launched a sharp attack on the Aam Aadmi Party, accusing it of stalling Delhi's development while treating the city as its "political ATM" to fund its ambitions in other states and using the "looted" money for its own publicity. Addressing a public rally in Dwarka here, he urged people to vote for the BJP in the Assembly polls and allow him to serve them. Modi stressed that Delhi does not need a confrontational government but one that works in coordination with the Centre. The prime minister urged voters to elect a "double-engine go ...Read More >
Ranchi, Feb 5 (PTI) The Hemant Soren government on Wednesday said the state has received investment proposals to the tune of Rs 26,000 crore, having the potential of generating 15,000 jobs, during 'Advantage Jharkhand' programme held as part of Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) in Kolkata. Soren, along with his wife and MLA Kalpana, attended the eighth edition of the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) at the invitation of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. "Investors have come up with investment proposals to the tune of Rs 26,000 crore in Jharkhand during 'Advantage Jharkhand' ...Read More >
Chandigarh, Jan 17 (PTI) Ten more farmers sat on a fast-unto-death at the Khanauri protest site in solidarity with Jagjit Singh Dallewal, whose indefinite fast in support of various demands of the farmers led to further deterioration of his health on the 53rd day. Besides Dallewal, 111 farmers from Punjab have been sitting on an indefinite fast for the past three days. Farmers, under the banner of the SKM (Non-Political) and Kisan Mazdoor Morcha, have been camping at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Punjab and Haryana since February 13 last year, after security forces did not a ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 4 (ANI): Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) leader Naresh Gujral dubbed the attack on party leader and former Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal as an "attack by extremists on the moderate forces of Punjab" and called for a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the matter. Speaking to ANI on Wednesday, the SAD leader also alleged that the attacker has 'Khalistani connections,' and that the incident was an attempt to "destabilise" Punjab. Also Read | Banda Road Accident: 12-Year-Old Among 3 Killed As Unidentified Vehicle Hits Auto-Rickshaw in Uttar Pradesh. ...Read More >
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi is expected to visit Hathras on Thursday to meet the family of a Dalit woman who had died allegedly after gangrape in September 2020, Congress members said. Police stepped up the deployment of personnel in and around Bool Garhi village in the Chandpa area of Hathras in light of the expected visit of the opposition leader. Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajay Rai in Lucknow confirmed that Rahul Gandhi would be visiting the family in Bool Garhi, Hat ...Read More >