Gujarat

Ahmedabad, Dec 19 (PTI) Terming farm loan waiver a "short-term solution", Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel Wednesday hinted that the BJP government in the state did not have any immediate plans to write off farmers' debts.

He made the remarks in the wake of the newly-formed Congress governments in Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh announcing farm loan waivers, fulfilling a promise made by the party ahead of the Assembly polls.

Ahmedabad, Dec 14 (PTI) As many as 83 Hindus hailing from Pakistan, who had migrated to the city years ago, were awarded Indian citizenship by the district authorities here Friday.

At a camp organised at the District Collectorate, Collector Vikrant Pandey and local MLA Balram Thawani handed over the certificates of Indian citizenship, issued in accordance with the provisions of the Citizenship Act, 1955, to these 83 applicants.

Most of the applicants were either Sindhis or from Maheshwari community.

Ahmedabad, Dec 9 (PTI) Three workers died Sunday apparently after inhaling a poisonous gas while cleaning a tank at a steel plant near Ahmedabad in Gujarat, police said.

Two other workers are critical.

The incident occurred at Laxcon Steels Limited located on Bavla-Changodar Road when a worker descended into a tank for cleaning and complained of uneasiness, a Changodar police station official said.

Ahmedabad, Dec 8 (PTI) A man was Saturday arrested in Ahmedabad's Ramol area for allegedly sexually assaulting his teenage stepdaughter, police said.

The accused was held Saturday after the 14-year-old victim's mother filed a complaint against him on Friday, said Ramol police inspector M S Kotwal.

"As per the complaint, since the last seven months, the accused used to regularly sexually assault his stepdaughter. He also threatened her to not reveal this ordeal to anyone," said Kotwal.

Mehsana, Dec 7 (PTI) Unidentified robbers looted parcels of cash, gold and diamonds worth lakhs of rupees on a state transport bus on Mehsana-Ahmedabad highway in Gujarat Thursday night, police said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Manjita Vanzara said Friday that a complaint has been lodged with Langhnaj police station in Mehsana district and further probe was on.

Ahmedabad, Dec 4 (PTI) Gujarat police Tuesday arrested four persons in connection with the leak of a constable recruitment exam paper, a senior police official said.

A written exam for the recruitment of Gujarat police constables was Sunday cancelled hours before it was scheduled to commence after authorities learnt that the paper had got leaked.

As many as 8.75 lakh candidates were to appear for the exam, for 9,700 posts, which was to start at 3pm Sunday in 2,440 centres across Gujarat.

Ahmedabad, Nov 29 (PTI) The Pakistan Maritime Security Agency (PMSA) apprehended 22 Indian fishermen and seized three boats off Gujarat coast Thursday, Porbandar-based National Fishworkers' Forum (NFF) said.

The boats and the fishermen belong to the coastal town of Veraval in Gir-Somnath district of Gujarat, said Manish Lodhari, secretary of the NFF.

The PMSA apprehended them near the International Maritime Boundary Line in the Arabian sea, he said.

The fishermen were on board three boats -- Kusum, Annapurna and Kajal.

Ahmedabad, Nov 28 (PTI) Right-wing leader Pravin Togadia Wednesday asked the RSS to clarify its stand on the Ram temple issue and sought to know why the Modi government had failed to build the temple so far.

Referring to the Vishwa Hindu Parishad's 'Dharma Sabha' held in Ayodhya on Sunday, Togadia, who has now floated Antarrashtriya Hindu Parishad (AHP), alleged that it might be an attempt to help the BJP in the assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh.

Suresh Nair was arrested on Sunday by Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) for supplying the bombs used in 2007 Ajmer dargah blast that killed three and injured 17.

According to The Indian Express, “Nair has been accused of having supplied the bombs used in the attack that killed three and injured 17. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had declared Rs 2 lakh reward on his arrest. Nair was one of three absconding accused in the case. The other two are Sandeep Dange and Ramchandra.”

Ahmedabad, Nov 22 (PTI) After the 182-meter tall `Statue of Unity' of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Gujarat may get a gigantic Buddha statue.

Sanghakaya Foundation, a non-profit Buddhist organisation, said Thursday that it has demanded land from the government for installing an 80-feet high statue of Lord Buddha in Gandhinagar district.

It has roped in Ram Sutar, the sculptor behind the Statue of Unity, for the project, it said.

"We are expecting to get land soon," president of the foundation Bhante Prashil Ratna told reporters here.