Bhadohi (UP):

Hospitals have been built at three police stations premises on National Highway 19 between Varanasi and Prayagraj for the convenience of devotees coming to the holy city for Maha Kumbh.

Superintendent of Police Abhimanyu Manglik on Sunday said that hospitals have been built in Aurai, Gopiganj and Unj police station premises of the Bhadohi district.

All the three hospitals will start functioning smoothly on January 14.

One of the routes for people from many states including Purvanchal region of Uttar Pradesh to reach Prayagraj is through Bhadohi, Mangalik told PTI.

Out of the 82-km stretch between Varanasi and Prayagraj, 45 km falls in Bhadohi district, he said, adding that lakhs of devotees coming to Maha Kumbh will pass through this route.

So, these hospitals will be helpful for devotees who need medical assistance, the SP said.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Santosh Kumar Chak said a doctor, paramedical staff and all the necessary medicines will be available round-the-clock at these hospitals.

Apart from this, these hospitals will be in contact with other government and private hospitals for any emergency situation, the CMO said, adding that an ambulance will be present at every police station hospital. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Laurene Powell Jobs, the wife of late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi on Saturday before heading to Prayagraj for Maha Kumbh. Ms Lawrence was accompanied by Swami Kailashanand Giri Ji Maharaj of Niranjani Akhara to the temple.

Wearing an Indian attire (a pink suit and a white ‘dupatta’ on her head), Ms Laurene offered prayers from outside the sanctum sanctorum at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

“She followed the traditions of the temple…As per our Indian tradition, in Kashi Vishwanath, no other Hindu can touch the Shivling. That’s why she was made to see the Shivling from outside,” Kailashanand Giri said.

#WATCH | Varanasi, UP | Kailashanand Giri Ji Maharaj of Niranjani Akhara, along with Laurene Powell Jobs, wife of the late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, visit Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi. pic.twitter.com/TMv1W3t4iw

— ANI (@ANI) January 11, 2025

He also mentioned that they prayed for the successful completion of the Maha Kumbh without any obstacles or difficulty.

“Today, we have come to Kashi to pray to Mahadev that the Kumbh is completed without any obstacles… I came here to invite Mahadev. Our disciple Maharshi Vyasanand is with us from America. Tomorrow he is becoming a Mahamandaleshwar in my Akhara,” he added.

Ms Laurene, who was renamed as ‘Kamala’, will attend the upcoming Maha Kumbh in Uttar Pradesh’s Prayagraj. According to Kailashanand Giri, she will stay in Kumbh and is also planning to take a dip in Ganga.

‘Maha Kumbh’, the grand mela, is scheduled to begin on January 13 and conclude on February 26 in Prayagraj. It is held once every 12 years. On Saturday, a major water laser show showcasing key events related to the Maha Kumbh was inaugurated by the Industrial Development Minister, Nand Gopal Gupta Nandi, at the Yamuna Bank Ghat in Prayagraj. The show, prepared at a cost of nearly Rs 20 crore, was held for 45 minutes.

The UP government has implemented extensive security measures and made elaborate arrangements to ensure a safe and grand celebration of the event. Thousands of AI-powered CCTVs, underwater drones, and state-of-the-art facilities for visitors and devotees have been set up. At least electric buses have been deployed across the state for devotees, with 30 more buses expected from Lucknow to ensure seamless transportation across various routes.

Varanasi:

At least 200 two-wheelers were charred as a massive fire broke out in the vehicle parking area of Varanasi’s Cantt railway station in Uttar Pradesh during the early hours of Saturday.

Visuals show a huge blaze in the parking area as officials of the fire brigade and police department were engaged in dousing the fire. In one of the videos, a team of police officials can be seen bringing a water hose to the incident site and splashing water on the fire. Massive smoke and a haze due to the smoke can also be seen.

Around 12 fire brigade vehicles reached the spot to extinguish the fire, along with teams of Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF), and local police team, officials said.

There were no reports of injuries.

According to the initial investigation, the fire was caused due to a short circuit.

“There were some cycles too that have been burnt…The fire was due to a short circuit. We are conducting further investigation,” CO GRP Kunwar Bahadur Singh said.

Most of the two-wheelers that were burnt in the incident belong to railway employees, officials said.

“I parked my bike around 12 am…One of the people near the vehicle parking told me that one short circuit had already taken place around 11 pm and was fixed. After a few hours, one passenger told me that there was a huge fire outside. I took out my bike and parked it on the other side…Soon after, the fire had spread across the parking lot,” a railway employee said.

The fire was put out after two hours, officials said.

Ayush Jaiswal, co-founder and CEO of Pesto Tech, has made a heartfelt appeal on social media, requesting urgent help in protecting his family’s property in Varanasi. Mr Jaiswal, an Indian-origin entrepreneur based in the United States, claimed that a group of individuals is attempting to seize his father Rajendra Jaiswal’s shop. He took to X to share his distress, describing the situation as “painful to watch” especially since he was in the US and unable to personally intervene.

In his post, he claimed that an employee, accompanied by a group of individuals, forcibly broke into the shop, replaced the locks, and unlawfully occupied the premises. Despite his father’s attempts to report the incident to the police, Mr Jaiswal alleged that his father was thrown out of the police station. He expressed concerns about the threats faced by his family and urged attention to the matter, highlighting the difficulties his elderly father was facing due to the alleged land-grabbing attempts. 

“Urgent Appeal for Justice. I am in the US right now & it’s so painful to see my father suffer with thugs trying to take up his property with Police literally looking the other way. I’m posting this on behalf of my father in case X can help,” he wrote on X.

“This person is a relative who has a gun and has been indirectly threatening for a long time. I’ve recordings of him cornering me and harassing me. He’s constantly trying to extort money. Unfortunately, this comes when I hired him and have given him a stable job for years. He decided to keep my property,” he added.

See the post here:

Urgent Appeal for Justice

I’m in the US right now & it’s so painful to see my father suffer with thugs trying to take up his property with Police literally looking the other way.

I’m posting this on behalf of my father in case X can help.

A senior citizen, Mr. Rajendra…

— Ayush Jaiswal (@aayushjaiswal07) November 25, 2024

In response to the post, the police said that it was a property-related family dispute and that they have registered a case.

“It is a property-related family dispute (between complainant and his sister’s son). FIR has been registered and investigation has started. Action will be taken on merit,” said the Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP), Kashi Zone, on their official X account.

जांच एवं आवश्यक कार्यवाही हेतु सहायक पुलिस आयुक्त चेतगंज (9454401637) को निर्देशित किया गया है ।

— DCP Kashi (@VnsDcp) November 25, 2024

Internet users offered words of support and many expressed hope for a swift and fair resolution to the dispute. Mr Jaiswal later thanked the police for their response and clarified that one of his cousins was causing the trouble. He wrote, “Thank you! That’s right. One of my cousins has been creating the trouble. Quite unfortunate.”

Varanasi:

Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi on Friday witnessed spectacular fireworks and a mesmerizing laser show on the occasion of Dev Deepawali.

The festivities were attended by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar.

The festivities illuminated the night sky over the sacred river Ganga, as thousands of devotees gathered on the Ghats to celebrate the auspicious occasion.

Amidst the chanting of ‘Har Har Mahadev’, people enjoyed boat rides as fireworks lit up the heavens. The celebrations also featured a grand Aarti at Saryu Ghat in Ayodhya.

The laser and sound show at Chet Singh Ghat further added to the vibrant atmosphere, as the city reverberated with spiritual fervor.

pic.twitter.com/0qyMdlZ5LS

— Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) November 15, 2024

In the grand event, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath call Kashi “unique on the occasion said that the city has preserved its tradition and culture while transforming remarkably over the past decade under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership.

“In the last 10 years, we have witnessed a changing India, and the people of Kashi have been part of this transformation. Kashi has preserved its tradition and culture while emerging anew. Ten years ago, experts wouldn’t even recommend using the water of the Ganga here for bathing due to pollution,” CM Yogi said during an event marking Dev Deepawali in Varanasi.

He further highlighted the cleaning of the Ganga under the Namami Gange project, initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Under PM Modi’s leadership, the river has been cleaned as part of the Namami Gange project. Today, its water is so clean that it can even be used for drinking,” he added.

The Chief Minister praised Kashi as a magnificent spiritual and religious centre. “Our Kashi is unique across the three worlds. It is the sacred abode of Baba Vishwanath, with the uninterrupted flow of Mother Ganga and its holy pilgrimages presenting Kashi as a magnificent spiritual and religious hub for India and the world,” he said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

So far as car thefts go, this one from Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi breaks new grounds. The ‘car’ in question was actually a two-wheeler. But that does not detract from the uniqueness of the modus operandi.

The owner of the scooty – the resident of a flat in Varanasi’s Kabir Nagar – has said a girl in a school uniform had come to her and asked for the keys of her two-wheeler. 

The scooty needs to be moved, she had said. 

Seeing the school uniform, the woman had handed over the keys.

What happened next was caught on the CCTV camera installed outside the building. 

The footage shows the girl turning the scooty around carefully, taking furtive glances to see if anyone is watching. Then she starts the vehicle and comfortably rides away.

But it may not be a ride into the sunset. The police are now searching for her.

The scooty owner has filed a complaint with the Varanasi police, on basis of which a First Information Report has been registered. 

Varanasi:

Common people have high hopes from the Union Budget 2024-25 which will be presented in the Parliament on Tuesday. Speaking to IANS, small traders from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency Varanasi have shared their thoughts on the Union Budget.

Chandanlal, who runs a Banarasi saree business, said, “We have a lot of expectations from the Modi government, including reduction of GST on Banarasi sarees. There is high demand for our art and tradition, but due to increasing GST, sales are decreasing. If the government provides some help to promote our business, Banarasi sarees can reach people at lower prices.”

Surya, who runs a guest house in Varanasi, told IANS, “The government should put an end to the commission given to brokers who bring guests to hotels or guest houses. Also, the GST on stays is very high. Even if a guest stays for one day, he or she will have to pay 12 per cent GST. To promote tourism, the government should reduce GST.”

Another trader said, “We hope the government will provide tax relief to small businesses. Also, the prices of goods used in restaurants, such as lentils and raw materials are increasing. The government should address this problem faced by the small traders like us.”

Another trader from Varanasi hopes that the government will present a Budget that provides relief to both traders and the common people. “The government should ensure that people do not get disappointed with the Budget. Also, the government needs to reduce taxes.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Varanasi:

Two youth, Ved Prakash Yadav and Aman Yadav Katta, were arrested for imitating a scene from the popular OTT series ‘Mirzapur’ for a social media reel, the police said.

According to the police, the two have been arrested over a viral video showing Ved taking a round of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya Malviya’s statue in a car, with both of his legs on the dashboard.

The video also shows Ved smoking while sitting on a chair, even as Aman is standing behind him.

In the background, the theme song of ‘Mirzapur’ is playing.

Inspector Cantt Shivakant Mishra said that the duo had been arrested on charges of disturbing public peace.

Both the youth were produced before a magistrate and later released on bail.

The police official said that after the video went viral, resentment started brewing among locals as the reel had been shot near legendary freedom fighter and founder of BHU Bharat Ratna Mahamana Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya’s statue.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Varanasi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday made a surprise visit to the under-construction Varanasi stadium and sports complex to review the work in progress there after attending a Kisan Samman Sammelan, Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, and praying at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

Taking to X, PM Modi wrote: “Reviewed the progress at the Dr. Sampurnanand Sports Stadium in Kashi. This stadium and sports complex will greatly help the youth of Kashi.”

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath during his visit to the upcoming sports facility.

In the pictures shared by PM Modi, he can be seen interacting with the officials over the model of the sports complex besides inspecting other facilities.

The sports facility seems to be coming up along world-class standards with floodlights and lush green outfields.

This was PM Modi’s first visit to his constituency after scoring a hat-trick from Varanasi in the recently concluded Lok Sabha elections.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

A Varanasi-bound IndiGo flight today received a bomb threat at the Delhi airport, prompting authorities to inspect the plane, officials said.

The flight, 6E2211, was scheduled to take off from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport around 5 am and was stopped on the runway minutes before departure.

“At 05:40 am, a phone call was received from the IGI airport regarding a bomb threat. A message ‘BOMB BLAST @30 MINUTES’ was written on a piece of paper inside the lavatory of the flight and was found by the pilot,” an official said.

The aircraft, with 176 passengers onboard, was immediately taken to the isolation bay for further necessary action, the official said, adding that a quick response team was deployed, which has so far not found any suspicious items.

All passengers were deboarded through the emergency door and are safe, the official said.

#WATCH | Passengers of the IndiGo flight 6E2211 operating from Delhi to Varanasi were evacuated through the emergency door after a bomb threat was reported on the flight. All passengers are safe, flight is being inspected.

(Viral video confirmed by Aviation authorities) https://t.co/el2q5jCatxpic.twitter.com/ahVc0MSiXz

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2024

The IndiGo also released an official statement and said that the aircraft was taken to a remote bay as per guidelines by airport security agencies.

“The flight is currently undergoing inspection. Post completion of all security checks, the aircraft will be positioned back in the terminal area,” the airline said.

ALSO READ | Mumbai Cops Receive Hoax Message Threatening To Blow Up Taj Hotel, Airport

Earlier this month, a tissue paper with the word ‘bomb’ written on it was found on an Air India flight lavatory at Delhi airport, but it had turned out to be a hoax.

Police had said that they received information regarding a tissue paper found in the lavatory of an Air India flight scheduled to depart for Vadodara on May 15, with the word ‘bomb’ written on it.

“Following standard security protocols, a thorough inspection was conducted, and no suspicious items were found,” an official had said.

Several hospitals and schools in Delhi have recently been targeted with bomb threat emails, that claimed the presence of explosives on their premises. However, investigators found the threats to be false alarms.