Cyclone 'Pabuk' moves towards the Andamans; yellow alert sounded
New Delhi, Jan 5: A 'yellow' alert has been sounded for the Andaman and Nicobar Islands as a cyclonic storm is moving towards the archipelago, the Home Ministry said on Saturday.
The sea condition will be high over the Andaman Islands, the Andaman Sea and the adjoining areas of east-central and south-east Bay of Bengal till January 7 due to the cyclonic storm 'Pabuk', a home ministry official said, quoting a weather bulletin.
'Pabuk' originated over the Gulf of Thailand and neighbourhood, moved west-northwestwards with a speed of 10 kmph and lay centred over Thailand and neighbourhood, he said.
The storm will become very rough over south-east and east-central Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Islands and the adjoining Andaman Sea by January 8 and rough over east-central and adjoining south-east Bay of Bengal by January 8.
The sea condition will be very rough over the Nicobar Islands till Sunday. People in the Andaman Islands are advised to remain in safe places, the official said.
The weather department has advised total suspension of fishing operation over the Andaman Sea and adjoining south-east and east-central Bay of Bengal till January 7 and over east-central and adjoining south-east Bay of Bengal till January 8.
Fishermen are advised not to venture into the Andaman Sea and adjoining south-east and east-central Bay of Bengal during the period, the official said.
"It is very likely to move west-northwestwards and emerge into Andaman Sea by forenoon of today. Thereafter, it is very likely to move northwestwards and cross Andaman Islands around evening/night of January 6 as a cyclonic storm with a wind speed of 70-80 kmph gusting to 90 kmph," the official said.
The cyclonic storm is very likely to move north-northwest wards and then recurve north eastwards towards Myanmar coast and weaken gradually during January 7-8.
According to the bulletin, the sea condition will be high over the Andaman Sea along and off south Myanmar and Thailand coast till this evening.
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Women BJP MLAs protest against opposition in UP assembly premises
Lucknow (PTI): Women BJP MLAs held a protest in the Vidhan Bhawan complex before the one-day special session of Uttar Pradesh assembly, slamming the opposition for defeating the passage of a bill, which would have led to implementation of the Women's Reservation Law, in the Lok Sabha.
This followed another demonstration by Samajwadi Party MLAs, who alleged that the BJP was misleading public in the name of women's reservation.
The women BJP legislators assembled in front of Chaudhary Charan Singh's statue in the assembly premises, holding banners inscribed with the slogan "Insult to Matrushakti (women's power), India will not tolerate it". The protesting members entered the main hall of Vidhan Bhawan carrying the banners.
Participating in the protest, the state Minister for Women Welfare and Child Development, Baby Rani Maurya, told reporters that all opposition parties, including the Samajwadi Party and the Congress, had opposed the women's reservation, a stance for which they would have to pay a heavy political price.
"On this issue, all of us women stand united. We will ensure that we secure our reservation," she said.
BJP MLA Ketki Singh remarked that their protest represents the collective outrage of millions of women across the state.
Singh asserted that the opposition has betrayed women by creating hurdles in the path of women's reservation. The current demonstration is merely the beginning, and very soon, women from every street, intersection and household will join the protest movement, she said.
Minister Vijaylakshmi Gautam said, "We strongly condemn the despicable act committed by the Samajwadi Party and the Congress in an attempt to hold back 'half the population' (women). Their action was directed against the very bill that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had introduced to empower and strengthen Nari Shakti (women's power), and which he strived to pass expeditiously."
Uttar Pradesh assembly is holding a one-day special session on Thursday. During the session, the government is set to move a censure motion against the opposition parties over their failure to pass the Constitution Amendment Bill, which would have led to implementation of the Women's Reservation Act, in the Lok Sabha.
