New Delhi : Mohammad Mansoor, founder of  Exelon and Saara Group, was honoured Hind Ratan Award by the NRI Welfare Society of India at the 38th International Congress of NRIs on the eve of the 70th Republic Day in New Delhi. The congress is held annually in association with the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas celebrations.

Mansoor is among the pioneers who supported the sports and media initiatives in the Kingdom of Bahrain. He also introduced the first franchise based T20 Premier Cricket League, following the format of Indian Premier League, in the Kingdom of Bahrain under the patronage of  Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa in 2018. The initiative was critically supported by the legends of the sport and Bollywood celebrities.

The initiatives by Mohammad Mansoor brought together leading investors, celebrities, members of the film fraternity and sports from India to support the initiatives by the Royal Family of Bahrain towards the growth of sports and media industry in the region. His presence and support towards Brave Combat Federation which is the fastest growing Mixed Martial Arts organisation in the world found by Sheikh Khalid bin Hamad Al Khalifa and operated by Mohammed Shahid are also recognised among the global sports community.

One of the leading businessmen in Bahrain, Mansoor is the Chairman & CEO of SAARA Group, who heads a series of ventures and organisations spread across the domains of Information Technology, Energy, Media, Oil & Gas, Sports Initiatives, Seed Capital Investments, and Social Initiatives. Exelon is among his most ambitious initiatives which are spread across the Kingdom of Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and India. Exelon serves SABIC & ARAMCO apart from bringing multiple investment initiatives to the Kingdom of Bahrain. This includes SMEXINDO and facilitating the development of projects leading to Garuda City from Indonesia and global initiatives. Mansoor is also a member of Bahrain India Society, patron of Bahrain Kannada Sangha and the patron of Indian Club, Bahrain.

“I am humbled by the love and recognition which is a pillar of strength to each of my initiatives. I firmly believe that it is the duty of expatriates as global citizens to support progressive initiatives in the region where they operate. This will have a significant impact on the way the world perceives India and Indians. I am honoured by the Hind Ratan Award from the NRI Welfare Society of India, and this motivates me to strengthen my initiatives in the region and towards multiple projects which will add value towards the NRI community in the region by being a part of multiple progressive initiatives by the Kingdom of Bahrain”, said Mohammad Mansoor.

Mohammad Mansoor represented the Indian business community in Bahrain by being one among the entourage of King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa during his official visit to India.

 (With His Majesty KING HAMAD BIN ISA AL KHALIFA, King of Kingdom of Bahrain)

(Presenting the cricket bat to H.H. Shaikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Khalifa on Bahrain’s 1st Cricket Premier league)

(With Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, Prime Minister of Bahrain)

(With Crown Prince H.H. Shaikh Salman Bin Hamad Al Khalifa)

(With Mohammad Shahid , CEO of Brave Combat Federation , and Mohammad Arayyed)

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Kolkata (PTI): The Raj Bhavan here moved the Election Commission of India, urging it to identify and take strong action against officials in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal who may have "leaked names of gangsters and goons" to political parties, sources said on Saturday.

In the wake of the ongoing general elections, the office of Bengal Governor C V Ananda Bose had, using its own mechanism, compiled a list of suspected criminals across the state who could be used by political parties to intimidate voters on or before poll dates besides creating other law and order situations.

In the second week of March, the Raj Bhavan had shared a list of such goons and anti-social elements with top officials of the CEO's office, West Bengal, through the state Director General of Police for appropriate pre-emptive action, an official said.

"A few senior officials of the CEO office, West Bengal may have leaked the list of the suspected criminals, provided by the Raj Bhavan, to top political leaders of the state," the source told PTI and suggested that, in doing so, may have thwarted the governor's attempts to reign in criminal activities during the polls.

The Raj Bhavan move comes in the wake of sustained face-offs between the governor's office and the state administration over political and administrative matters in Bengal.

The move by Bose was also made within 48 hours of the Trinamool Congress complaining about him with the CEO for "repeatedly illegally interfering with the ensuing Lok Sabha Elections, 2024" after he reportedly made initial plans to visit poll areas during the silent period and the first phase on polls in north Bengal, an idea which the Governor later scrapped.

The names of anti-social elements were gathered based on complaints received from people over the phone at the 'Peace Room' established by Governor Bose inside the Raj Bhavan premises and also from grassroots feedback he received during his field visits, the source said.

"These goons and anti-social elements are likely to disrupt the voting process by scaring the common voters during the polls in this state. This disclosure of confidential and sensitive information is a gross violation of Clause E of the ECI manual (Document No: 324.6.EPS:MA: 004:2023)," he said.

The official, however, refused to disclose the name of the political party or parties to whom the 'confidential' list was allegedly leaked.

"… This exercise of identifying the persons responsible for making the voters/villages vulnerable shall be undertaken polling station wise indicating the name of (the) village, hamlet, names of the potential troublemakers, including their address, and so on. This work has to be done by maintaining complete confidentiality of the informers/source…" Clause E of the ECI manual states.

Hence, the Raj Bhavan source added, "It was incumbent upon the Election Commission authorities of Bengal to maintain confidentiality of the sensitive information on goons."

The CEO of West Bengal received a substantial number of complaints related to violence and voter/polling agent intimidation from three Lok Sabha constituencies – Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduars – which went for polls on Friday during the first phase of elections.

The complaints were lodged by both the ruling Trinamool Congress as well opposition parties like the BJP, Left and Congress amid assertions from the CEO’s office that polling was "largely peaceful".

Earlier on Wednesday, incidents of violence were reported during Ram Navami processions from Saktipur and Beldanga in Murshidabad district where at least four persons were injured.

The ECI on Friday suspended the OCs of the two police stations for "failing in containing and preventing repeated communal violence in areas under their jurisdiction".

Apprehensive that goons and anti-social elements would be used to scare voters by creating an atmosphere of violence and would be indulged in other electoral malpractices like casting of false votes, multiple opposition party leaders as well as those of the Trinamool Congress have also registered complaints with the poll body.

The ECI, incidentally, has asked the Union Home ministry to deploy 920 companies of central forces in West Bengal, which is the highest in terms of such deployment anywhere in the country for this year's ongoing Lok Sabha elections.