Amritpal Singh, a pro-Khalistan propagator and the chief of Waris Punjab De (WPD) outfit, who is facing charges under the National Security Act (NSA) was arrested by Punjab Police from Moga on April 23. Amritpal’s arrest came a month after the police launched a massive crackdown against him and his outfit. Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Headquarters Sukhchain Singh Gill said Amritpal was arrested on April 23 at around 6.45 a.m. from Rode village in Moga district, following a special operation carried out in the past 35 days. Rode is the native village of Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, the militant leader who was killed in 1984. A special flight carrying Amritpal Singh landed at Dibrugarh airport from where he will taken to the Central Jail located in the Upper Assam town, officials said.
Wrestler Bajrang Punia on protest against WFI: ‘Nothing has been done so far to resolve our issues’
Ace India wrestler Bajrang Punia said on April 23 that the reason why wrestlers are protesting once again is that nothing has been done so far to resolve their issues and the wrestlers are here to save wrestling. Top Indian wrestlers, including Bajrang Punia, Vinesh Phogat, Ravi Dahiya, and Sakshi Malik, held a sit-in protest in Jantar Mantar in January this year, demanding that Brij Bhushan be removed from the head office and Wrestling Federation of India be disbanded. They had accused the body and its chief of sexual harassment and mistreatment of wrestlers.
Kerala police arrest accused who wrote threat letter to PM Modi
Police arrested the person who wrote a letter threatening to launch a suicide bomb attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Kochi scheduled for April 24. The accused has been identified as Xavier, the police said on April 23. Kochi City Police Commissioner K. Sethu Raman said, “The person who sent the threat letter against the Prime Minister was arrested. Xavier, the accused was arrested yesterday. The reason is personal enmity. He wrote the letter to trap his neighbour. We found him with the help of forensics.
Amul-Nandini was made emotional issue due to Karnataka polls: Nirmala Sitharaman
To suddenly say Amul is being brought to Karnataka to kill Nandini is “brazen”, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on April 23, as she alleged that the Gujarat-based dairy cooperative had entered the State when Congress was in power in Bengaluru. She said things were tweaked, twisted and made an emotional issue because it is election time in Karnataka.
Firm in my demand for action on BJP’s corruption: Sachin Pilot
Former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on April 23 said he will continue with his agitation against his own government for action against the corruption in the previous BJP government. Mr. Pilot said he is not backing down from the stand he has taken against the State Congress government and has been “politely requesting” it to take action in corruption cases from the previous dispensation. He said despite his daylong fast on April 11, no action has been taken in such cases.
Poonch attack | Terrorists used steel bullets, decamped with soldiers’ weapons
The terrorists who ambushed an Army truck in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch used steel core bullets, capable of piercing an armoured shield, and decamped with the soldiers’ weapons, officials said on April 23, amid intensified efforts to trace and neutralise the perpetrators. They said a sniper is believed to have targeted the truck from the front before the other terrorists sprayed bullets and lobbed grenades on it.
Internet services restored, curfew relaxed in violence-hit Odisha’s Sambalpur
The Odisha Government on April 23 lifted a curfew during the daytime and withdrew a ban on internet services in Sambalpur city which had recently witnessed violence during Hanuman Jayanti celebrations, an official said. Internet services were fully restored after 10 days, while the administration relaxed the curfew from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m., he said. These decisions were taken after “significant improvement of the law and order situation” in the Western Odisha city, the Sambalpur district official said.
India climbs 6 places on World Bank’s Logistic Performance Index
India has climbed six places on the World Bank’s Logistic Performance Index (LPI) 2023, now ranking 38th in the 139 countries index, as a result of significant investments in both soft and hard infrastructure as well as technology. India was ranked 44th on the index in 2018 and has now climbed to 38th in the 2023 listing. India’s performance has drastically improved from 2014, when it was ranked 54th on the LPI.
Sudan rivals pledge evacuation help, U.S. diplomats airlifted
American embassy staffers were airlifted from Sudan early on April 23, as forces loyal to rival generals battled for control of Africa’s third-largest nation for a ninth day amid fading hopes for de-escalation. The warring sides said they were helping coordinate the evacuation of foreigners, though continued exchanges of fire in Sudan’s capital undermined those claims. A senior Biden administration official said U.S. troops are carrying out the precarious evacuation of U.S. Embassy staffers. The troops who airlifted the staff out of Khartoum have safely left Sudanese airspace, a second U.S. official confirmed.
Tamils flag escalating attacks on temples in northern Sri Lanka
Tamils in Sri Lanka have witnessed an escalation in the attack on Hindu temples in recent weeks, a trend that they note is part of the State’s “ongoing Sinhalisation project” in the island’s north. In recent weeks, Tamil media reported multiple incidents of vandalism at temples, where Hindu deities were found missing or damaged. In Jaffna, some Tamils have sought to counter the trend by placing a Hindu deity in a public space, prompting police to petition the court seeking its removal. Several Tamil political parties have called for a protest on April 25 against the recent temple attacks, among other issues.
Finance Ministry working with MeitY, RBI to clamp down on ponzi apps: Nirmala Sitharaman
Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on April 23 said the Finance Ministry is working with MeitY and RBI to clamp down on ponzi apps to prevent them from taking away hard earned money of gullible investors. Cautioning investors against ponzi apps, Ms. Sitharaman said investors should do their due diligence and should not be lured by claims of lucrative returns made by them. “There are also apps which are coming out and reaching out to people saying we can do this, we can do that. Your money will fetch you this much.
India makes a strong case for including wrestling, archery and kabaddi at CWG’s regional meet
The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on April 23 made a strong case for the inclusion of archery, wrestling and kabaddi as regular sports in Commonwealth Games roster at CGF’s Asia and Oceania regional meet. While kabaddi has never been a part of CWG programme, shooting and archery are two disciplines where Indian athletes have had excellent performances in past editions before it was done away during previous Games in Birmingham.
