State govt 'sleeping' as law and order collapses in Punjab: Anurag Thakur
Rupnagar (Punjab) (PTI): Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday attacked the AAP dispensation in Punjab, saying law and order "collapsed" in the state after the formation of "one government", and suggested it "wakes up" and takes some steps.
His remarks come in the backdrop of the last month Ajnala incident in which self-styled Sikh preacher and Khalistani sympathiser Amritpal Singh and his supporters, carrying swords and guns, clashed with police for the release of one of his aide.
In Delhi, they say the police should be handed over to them, "what have they done to the police (here in Punjab)", the BJP leader and information and broadcasting minister said without naming the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) or its government in the state and in the national capital.
Law and order situation has "collapsed" in the state in the last one year, Thakur, who was here to launch the 'Yuva Utsava-India@2047', told reporters.
"What has happened to Punjab's situation in the last one year? The incidents which took place here, what do they indicate," Thakur asked.
"The Punjab Police used to be discussed throughout the country and today, what this discussion has now turned into. Who is responsible for this?" he asked.
The Union minister wondered if the law and order situation of a state "breaks down too soon with the formation of one government".
To another question, Thakur said law and order is the responsibility of the state government. "I hope that this sleeping government wakes up and its honeymoon (period) is over. It should now wake up and should take some steps," he said
The Bhagwant Mann government in Punjab is facing flak from opposition parties, including the BJP, over the Ajnala incident and a clash between gangsters in Tarn Taran jail that resulted in the death of two criminals held in connection with singer Sidhu Moosewala murder case.
However, Mann, who holds the home affairs portfolio, had earlier said that his government would maintain law and order and no one will be allowed to disturb its hard earned peace.
The BJP has also targeted the AAP government, demanding governor's rule in the state.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Rupee settles at record low of 95.73 against US dollar
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee weakened further and fell to a record low of 95.73 (provisional) against the US dollar on Thursday, amid a strong dollar and worries over inflation amid elevated energy prices.
Forex traders said the rupee is expected to trade with a negative bias amid inflation concerns and the strength of the US dollar in the overseas market.
The West Asia crisis and the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz have disrupted crude petroleum imports into India. Also, the sharp rise in crude prices has made fuel imports costlier.
The rupee has become the worst-performing currency in Asia for the year, registering a loss of over 6 per cent so far this year, as elevated crude oil prices, a strong dollar and concerns over the West Asia crisis weighed on investor sentiments, traders said.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened lower at 95.74 against the American currency.
In a volatile trade, the USD/INR pair witnessed an intra-day high of 95.61 and an all-time intraday low of 95.96 against the greenback before settling at 95.73 (provisional), down 7 paise from its previous close.
The rupee on Wednesday slipped to an all-time low of 95.80 against the US dollar, and settled at 95.66 against the greenback.
"We expect the rupee to trade with a negative bias amid inflation concerns and a strong dollar. Rising inflation in the US dimmed expectations of a rate cut by the Fed," said Anuj Choudhary, Research analyst at Mirae Asset ShareKhan.
Choudhary said geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran and foreign fund outflows may also pressurise the rupee.
However, any intervention by the RBI and import duty hike on gold and silver may support the rupee at lower levels. USD/INR spot price is expected to trade in a range of 95.50 to 96.10, Choudhary added.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 98.51, down 0.01 per cent.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.50 per cent at USD 106.16 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex jumped 789.74 points to settle at 75,398.72, while the Nifty climbed 277 points to 23,689.60.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 4,703.15 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
On the domestic macroeconomic front, wholesale price inflation shot up to a 42-month high of 8.3 per cent in April on the back of a spike in energy prices that followed the disruptions caused by the West Asia conflict.
Wholesale price index (WPI) inflation was 3.88 per cent in March, while it was 0.85 per cent in April last year.
"Positive rate of inflation in April 2026 is primarily due to an increase in prices of mineral oils, crude petroleum & natural gas, basic metals, other manufacturing and non-food articles, etc," data released by the commerce and industry ministry showed.
