After threatening posters, Muslim traders in Uttarakhand now gets ‘intimidating calls’ to leave town
Dehradun: Amidst ongoing communal tension in Purola, members of the minority Muslim community traders have reported receiving "intimidating calls," urging them to leave the town immediately as they have allegedly been "identified and targeted." The reports, as mentioned by the Times of India, highlight the concerns faced by Muslim shopkeepers in the area.
Earlier, the Muslim traders were threatened by pasting posters on their shop asking them to leave their business and town for their own good.
The tension in the Uttarkashi district escalated following the arrest of two men, Ubed Khan and Jitender Saini, who were accused of kidnapping a minor Hindu girl last month. This incident further heightened the already tense atmosphere in the region.
According to one affected shopkeeper interviewed by TOI, some of the calls were directly made by individuals associated with right-wing organizations, while others were placed by people known to them personally for a considerable period. The shopkeepers have been informed that reopening their shops may result in vandalism or arson. The affected individuals expressed their predicament, stating that they are uncertain about where to go if they are forced to leave the town, as they have been residing there for several decades.
As a result of the situation, more than 30 shops owned by Muslims remain closed since the incident. Some shopkeepers have already left the town, while others are contemplating the same course of action.
To ensure the maintenance of law and order in Purola, SP (Uttarkashi) Arpan Yaduvanshi confirmed the deployment of a PAC (Provincial Armed Constabulary) platoon by the police.
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No unannounced load shedding in Kerala, outages due to overload, says Minister
Palakkad (PTI): Kerala Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty on Saturday said there was no unannounced load shedding in the state, attributing recent power interruptions to temporary overload caused by high consumption.
Clarifying concerns raised from various parts of the state, the minister said the disruptions are not deliberate but occur when demand peaks, particularly between 10 pm and 11 pm.
"It is not being done intentionally. Power consumption has risen sharply, and when there is excessive and indiscriminate usage, the system experiences overload, leading to natural supply interruptions," he told reporters here.
His remarks come amid complaints that several areas have been witnessing frequent power cuts, often lasting around 15 minutes and occurring multiple times during the night.
Krishnankutty said the state's power demand has crossed 6,195 MW, putting pressure on the supply system. He added that around 70 per cent of Kerala's electricity is procured from outside, and existing power banking arrangements have been exhausted.
"We have approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to purchase more power. However, this will come at a higher cost," he said.
The minister said the government is trying to avoid increasing electricity tariffs and urged consumers to exercise restraint in usage to help manage the situation.
Responding to opposition criticism over the ruling LDF's earlier claims of a decade without power cuts, he said the current situation is not unique to Kerala.
A power crisis is emerging across the country, he said, and sarcastically asked the Opposition to take note of the role of natural factors in this.
Krishnankutty expressed confidence that the situation would improve within two days, while cautioning that long-term energy security would depend on enhancing in-state power generation.
He also warned that future generations could face serious challenges if adequate electricity production capacity is not developed within Kerala.
