Digvijaya seeks arrest of man who made 'doctored' video of pro-Pakistan slogan during Jodo Yatra
Indore (PTI): Amid the BJP's allegation that pro-Pakistan chants were raised during the Rahul Gandhi-led Bharat Jodo Yatra in Madhya Pradesh recently, senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Sunday demanded that the man who made the "doctored" video of the slogan-shouting be identified and arrested.
The former Madhya Pradesh chief minister asserted that no "Pakistan Zindabad" slogan was raised during the yatra.
On Friday, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) IT cell head Amit Malviya had posted a video of the yatra in which Rahul Gandhi, party general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath are seen walking and a voice purportedly shouting "Pakistan Zindabad" is heard towards the end of the 21 second clip. The yatra was passing through Bhanbarad in Khargone district at the time.
Talking to reporters here, Digvijaya Singh said, "We have marched around 2,250 km, but no 'Pakistan Zindabad' slogan was raised during the yatra."
Singh, however, said he has not seen the video clip but was told that an unidentified man raised the slogan from the terrace of a house when the yatra was passing by and fraudulently connected it to the foot march.
"I have come to know that a few second-long video clip has come to light. Now it is up to the government, administration and police to identify and arrest the man who made this doctored clip and ensure that he gets strict punishment," he said.
"The Congress will fully cooperate with the police in the fake Pakistan Zindabad video case," he said.
He accused the BJP of raising the issues of Hindu-Muslim and Hindustan-Pakistan.
Two days ago, the Congress termed as "doctored" a video posted by the BJP IT cell head claiming that "Pakistan Zindabad" slogans were raised during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Madhya Pradesh, and said there will be "payback" for such tactics by the ruling party's "dirty tricks department".
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India-bound LPG tanker clears Hormuz
New Delhi (PTI): A tanker carrying liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) for India has sailed out of the Strait of Hormuz and is now headed towards the country, an official statement said on Sunday.
The Marshall Islands-flagged LPG carrier MT Sarv Shakti, loaded with 46,313 tonnes of LPG and staffed by 20 crew, including 18 Indians, cleared the key shipping chokepoint on May 2 and is expected to reach Visakhapatnam on May 13, it said.
The cargo -- enough to meet half a days requirement of the country -- will partly tide over supply constraints being faced since the start of the West Asia conflict more than two months back.
Ship-tracking data showed its position in Oman Gulf on Sunday evening.
The very large gas carrier has previously made runs between the Persian Gulf and Indian ports, has been chartered by state-owned Indian Oil Corporation (IOC).
Sarv Shakti is the first India-linked tanker to cross the war zone since a weeks-old US blockade of ships tied to Iran began, pushing transits through Hormuz back down to almost zero.
There are as many as 14 Indian flagged or India-owned vessels still stranded on the west side of the Strait of Hormuz.
The statement said no incident involving Indian-flagged vessels has been reported in the past 24 hours. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways is working closely with the Ministry of External Affairs, Indian missions and maritime stakeholders to ensure crew welfare and uninterrupted operations.
The Directorate General of Shipping (DG Shipping) control room has handled 8,373 calls and more than 17,965 emails since activation, including 38 calls and 127 emails in the last 24 hours.
India has also facilitated the repatriation of more than 2,953 seafarers so far, including 31 in the past day from across the Gulf region.
Port operations across the country remain normal with no congestion reported, the statement added.
