Vinesh Phogat, Bajrang Punia set to join Congress, meet Kharge
New Delhi (PTI): Wrestlers Vinesh Phogat and Bajrang Punia are set to join the Congress on Friday ahead of the Haryana Assembly polls, sources said.
Phogat and Punia met Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and other senior leaders at his 10 Rajaji Marg, and will officially join the party at a press conference at the AICC headquarters here.
"Both Bajrang Punia and Vinesh Phogat are joining the party. Whether one of them will contest or both would contest would become clear soon," a party source said.
Also, Phogat on Friday resigned from the Indian Railways citing personal reasons.
Both Phogat and Punia had met former Congress president Rahul Gandhi here on Wednesday. The Congress had put out a photograph of Gandhi with Phogat and Punia on its official X handle.
Punia is a Tokyo Games bronze medallist, while Phogat became the first woman wrestler to reach the Olympics final, the stage where she was disqualified after being found over weight by about 100 gm in her 50-kg category weigh-in. She subsequently announced her retirement from the sport.
Punia and Phogat were part of the protest over sexual harassment allegations against former BJP MP and then Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in 2023.
The Congress and AAP are engaged in seat-sharing talks for the Haryana Assembly polls with hard bargaining from both sides.
Voting on 90 assembly seats in Haryana will be held on October 5 and counting of votes will be undertaken on October 8.
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Bengaluru airport introduces AI-based system to enhance safety at vehicle-aircraft intersections
Bengaluru: Bangalore International Airport Limited (BIAL) has introduced an integrated smart airside safety system at Kempegowda International Airport to improve operational safety at key intersection zones.
According to The Hindu, the system has been designed to enhance safety at Cross Service Roads (CSRs), where aircraft and ground vehicle movements intersect.
According to BIAL, the system integrates AI-based computer vision, automation, and centralised monitoring to manage right-of-way movements and reduce the risk of human error.
“CRSs are among the most sensitive areas within airport operations, requiring precise and seamless coordination between aircraft and ground vehicles. Traditionally, right of way protection at these intersections relied on manual or semi-manual inset light activation, creating dependencies on human intervention, increasing the risk of delays and limiting operational visibility,” TH quoted BIAL as saying.
The new system uses real-time detection of vehicle movement, risk assessment, and automated signalling. AI-enabled cameras identify potential conflicts and trigger automated inset light signals to ensure aircraft priority. Normal operations resume once the area is confirmed clear.
“Based on these detections, the system triggers automated inset light activation to protect aircraft right‑of‑way and restores normal signalling once the intersection is confirmed clear. A centralised monitoring and analytics platform digitally logs all events, strengthening governance, compliance, and operational control,” BIAL said.
By embedding technology into operations, the system creates a data-driven separation layer between aircraft and ground vehicles, significantly reducing human error, especially during night and low-visibility conditions.
“Precision-led signal activation improves traffic flow, minimises unnecessary stoppage and enhances turnaround efficiency. It also establishes a scalable foundation for predictive safety analytics, enabling trend analysis, peak-hour optimisation, compliance mapping and risk forecasting to support continuous improvement and stronger airside governance,” BIAL said.
