Cong govt slaps National Sec Act against 2 men in Madhya Pradesh for 'illegally' transporting cows
Agar Malwa (MP), Feb 8: Authorities in Agar Malwa district of Madhya Pradesh have booked two men under the National Security Act (NSA) for alleged illegal transportation of cattle and disruption of public peace, a police official said on Friday.
The incident comes close on the heels of the Kamal Nath-led government invoking the stringent NSA against three persons accused of cow slaughter in Khandwa district.
"The two accused Mehboob Khan, a resident of Lambakheda in Ujjain district, and Rodumal Malviya of Agar Malwa, were arrested on Thursday under the NSA for transporting cows illegally and disrupting public peace," Kotwali police station in-charge Ajit Tiwari said.
After their arrest, a court sent the duo to the central jail in Ujjain, he added.
According to police, Agar Malwa town had witnessed tension on January 29 in the bus stand area when the two accused were carrying cows in their vehicles. People had protested against them, after which the market was shut.
The duo was later booked by the police.
"They were found to be involved in such activities in the past as well, which had led to disruption of peace in the area," Tiwari said.
The NSA was invoked against them by District Collector Ajay Gupta after Agar Malwa's Superintendent of Police (SP) Manoj Kumar Singh sent a report on the matter.
"In the past, four cases of illegal transportation of cows were registered against Mehboob and three cases against Rodumal, because of which the administration imposed the NSA against them," he said.
Talking to reporters in Mandsaur two days back in connection with the Khandwa case, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh had said it is the police who decide which sections should be applied and invoking the NSA appeared unnecessary in that case.
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Philippines president declares national energy emergency amid global fuel supply risks
Manila: Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has declared a national energy emergency, citing the “imminent danger” to the country’s fuel supply due to global disruptions linked to the ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran, Al Jazeera reported.
“The declaration of a state of national energy emergency will enable the government… to implement responsive and coordinated measures under existing laws to address the risks posed by disruptions in the global energy supply and the domestic economy,” Al Jazeera quoted Marcos Jr as saying.
As part of the emergency response, a committee has been formed to ensure the orderly movement, supply, distribution and availability of fuel, food, medicine, agricultural products and other essential goods, he said.
The emergency declaration, which will remain in force for one year, allows the government to procure fuel in advance and take action against hoarding and profiteering.
Authorities are also empowered to take action against the hoarding, profiteering and manipulation of petroleum product supplies.
Energy Secretary Sharon Garin said the country currently has about 45 days of fuel supply based on current consumption. She added that the government is working to procure 1 million barrels of oil from countries within and outside Southeast Asia to build a buffer stock, though uncertainties remain.
Meanwhile, Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez said the government is in talks with Washington to secure exemptions that would allow for the purchase of oil from countries under US sanctions.
The announcement comes amid rising public discontent. Transport workers, commuters, and consumer groups have planned a two-day strike to protest fuel price hikes and what they call inadequate government response.
Piston, a federation of public transport associations, described the declaration of a national energy emergency as a “superficial band-aid that deliberately ignores the structural roots of the fuel crisis”.
“If the government genuinely intends to protect transport workers and commuters from this geopolitical crisis, it would immediately suspend the Excise Tax and Value-Added Tax on petroleum products to drastically lower prices overnight,” Al Jazeera quoted Piston as saying.
Renato Reyes Jr, of the progressive civil society coalition Bayan, said the declaration “does not address the basic problem of runaway oil prices and [their] effects on the mass transport system and other sectors in the country”.
As part of the government’s mitigation measures, students and workers in some cities are being given free access to bus rides, and the government has started to provide a 5,000 peso subsidy for public transport workers, including motorcycle taxi drivers, to help them cope with rising fuel costs.
