Rajnath to begin two-day J&K visit from Wednesday
New Delhi, July 3: Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday will begin a two-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir during which he is slated to hold a high-level meeting in Srinagar and pay obeisance at the holy cave shrine of Amarnath.
Informed sources said the Minister will leave for Srinagar on Wednesday evening and return to Delhi on Friday afternoon.
Rajnath Singh's agenda, said ministry officials, was yet to be disclosed but it was confirmed that he would start his day on Thursday by visiting Amarnath cave, to which a 60-day annual pilgrimage commenced on June 28 and will continue till August 26.
The minister later in the day will chair a high-level security review meeting where top army brass, officials of the Jammu and Kashmir government and police, central paramilitary forces and intelligence agencies will be present, said a source, adding he will also hold political discussions with Governor N.N. Vohra.
Rajnath Singh will be accompanied by Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba and other ministry officials dealing with Jammu and Kashmir related matters. National Security Advisor Ajit Doval is also expected to accompany him.
The meeting is expected to review the impending threats from terrorist outfits active in Jammu and Kashmir, particularly to the Amarnath Yatra, and measures taken to neutralise them.
Safe and uneventful conduct of the Amarnath pilgrimage is among the top priorities of the security establishment and the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir government are leaving no stone unturned to ensure this.
The meeting shall discuss measures to minimise attempts by locals to disrupt anti-terror operations by indulging in stone-pelting and protests during operations against militants in the Kashmir Valley.
The security brass will also review steps for a heightened vigil at the Line of Control and International Border to curb infiltration of foreign terrorists linked to Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed, including those looking to target the Amarnath Yatra.
Over two lakh pilgrims from across the country have registered for the Yatra. Security measures have been taken keeping in mind the ceasefire violations on the border and other terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.
It would be Rajnath Singh's first visit to Jammu and Kashmir after the Bharatiya Janata Party's decision to end its alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party led to the fall of the Mehbooba Mufti-led coalition government and imposition of Governor's rule in the state.
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Riyan Parag likely to be fined 25 percent of match fees for vaping inside dressing room
New Delhi (PTI): Rajasthan Royals captain Riyan Parag is set to be fined 25 per cent of his match fee for bringing the game into "disrepute" after being caught vaping on camera during the IPL game against Punjab Kings in Mullanpur.
Parag's actions during the Royals' chase on Tuesday night drew condemnation on social media.
PTI has learned that on field umpires Tanmay Srivastava and Nitin Menon had not reported the matter to match referee Amit Sharma right after the game. They only did that after seeing visual proof and Sharma found Parag guilty for a code of conduct breach as per the IPL guidelines.
The Level 1 offences carries 25 per cent deduction from match fees and one demerit point.
"He is set to be fined a portion of his match fees and a demerit point for a Level 1 offence," said an IPL source.
The Indian government had banned e-cigarettes back in 2019, prohibiting their production, sale and distribution. As per the law, the offender faces imprisonment up to one year and/or a Rs one lakh fine for a first time offence.
"Article 2.21 of IPL Code of Conduct is intended to cover all types of conduct that bring the game into disrepute and which is not specifically and adequately covered by the specific offences set out elsewhere in this Code of Conduct, including Article 2.20," the IPL Code of Conduct states.
"By way of example, Article 2.21 may (depending upon the seriousness and context of the breach) prohibit, without limitation, the following: (a) public acts of misconduct; (b) unruly public behaviour; and (c) inappropriate comments which are detrimental to the interests of the game.
"When assessing the seriousness of the offence, the context of the particular situation, and whether it was deliberate, reckless, negligent, avoidable and/or accidental, shall be considered.
"Further, the person lodging the Report shall determine where on the range of severity the conduct lays (with the range of severity starting at conduct of a minor nature (and hence a Level 1 Offence) up to conduct of an extremely serious nature (and hence a Level 4 Offence)."
Since it is a Level 1 offence there was no need for a hearing.
Parag, who has not had the best of times with the bat this IPL, was seen inhaling an e-cigarette, also known as vaping, in the dressing room during the live broadcast of their game against Punjab Kings. Royals won the game to end Kings' unbeaten run in the tournament.
This is not the first controversy to hit the Royals this season. Earlier this month, team manager Romi Bhinder was fined Rs one lakh for breaching PMOA protocol after being found using his phone in the dugout.
IPL and BCCI officials involved in the conduct of the IPL termed it as a careless act in the age of social media and prying TV cameras.
Royals next host Delhi Capitals at home on Friday night.
