UP electricity department contract worker dismissed for waving Palestine flag
Saharanpur, Apr 6 (PTI): An electricity department contract worker has been dismissed from service in this Uttar Pradesh district for allegedly waving a Palestine flag on Eid, officials said on Sunday.
The termination notice was issued after photographs of him waving the Palestine flag became circulated on social media.
Saqib Khan, who worked in the Kailashpur power house, waved the flag after Eid 'namaaz' on March 31, the officials said.
Electricity department executive engineer Sanjeev Kumar said the department deemed his action "anti-national" and promptly took steps.
"Saqib Khan, a contract worker in the Kailashpur power house, waved a flag of Palestine after offering 'namaaz' on Eid and posted of it a picture on social media," Kumar said.
"When the matter came to the department's notice, it was considered an anti-national activity and action was taken immediately. A letter was written to the contract company concerned and it was directed to remove Khan from service," he added.
The department has instructed the contract company to immediately terminate Khan's employment and confirm the action.
The incident follows action against eight individuals in the district who were also seen in a video waving Palestine flags and raising slogans.
The authorities are identifying other individuals involved based on widely-circulated footage and plan to initiate legal proceedings against them.
Superintendent of Police (City) Vyom Bindal had said on March 31, "A video has come to our notice through social media in which some youngsters are seen waving the flag of another country. The matter is being investigated, following which further action will be taken."
Vyom had said that, after offering 'namaaz' at the Ambala Road eidgah, some youngsters raised slogans while waving flags of another country that were promptly removed by police.
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South zone finalists announced at WAVES VFX challenge in Bengaluru
Bengaluru: The South Zone round of the WAVES VFX Challenge took place today in Bengaluru, organized by the Association of Bangalore Animation Industry (ABAI).
The day-long competition brought together talented participants from across southern India, with the goal of selecting top finalists who will go on to represent the region at the national finals next month during the WAVES Summit in Mumbai.
Finalists were selected in three categories:
Student Category
Winner: Soumya Das
Runner-up: Gagan HP
Professional Category
Winner: Mohamad Javeed
Runner-up: S Sai Chandan
Enthusiasts Category
Winner: Gagan Ajai
Over 1,500 entries were received from students, working professionals, and VFX enthusiasts, all centered around the theme “Super Hero Power.” Out of these, 14 entries were shortlisted to compete in today’s final round. One winner and one runner-up from each category were chosen to represent the South Zone in Mumbai.
ABAI Secretary R.K. Chand appreciated the strong participation and encouraged industry professionals to attend the Mumbai summit, which will host well-known personalities from films, advertising, and creative sectors. He also mentioned that the WAVES Challenge was recently launched in Bengaluru by Sanjay Jaju, Secretary, Ministry of Information and Broadcasting.
The event was inaugurated by Dr. Sagar Gulati, Director of the School of Creative Design and Information Technology at Jain (Deemed-to-be University), the zonal partner for the competition.
The day also featured two special sessions led by industry experts. Vijay Selvam from the global VFX studio MPC held a masterclass titled “Concept Reality,” where he discussed lighting, animation, compositing, and photorealistic effects. Students got the chance to interact with him during a Q&A session.
Another session was conducted by Rakesh H, Lead Head at The Mill, who spoke about how visual effects are used in advertising. Nearly 100 students attended these sessions, gaining valuable industry insights and learning opportunities.
