Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman to be released by Pakistan Tomorrow

On Thursday, Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was confirmed to be released by Pakistan. The news surely comes as a victory for India and was welcomed by over a billion Indians and many more worldwide who were praying for the safe return of the brave Indian Air Force Pilot to the Indian soil.

India on Wednesday demanded the immediate and safe return of IAF pilot, Abhinandan after his MiG-21 Bison was brought down by Pakistani forces. India demanded that the pilot should be treated in accordance to Geneva Convention.

The 34-year-old Wing Commander is a graduate of the National Defence Academy (NDA).The ancestral roots of captive Commander are in Thirupanamoor village. He was first commissioned as a fighter pilot in 2004.Fifteen years into service, he was an efficient Sukhoi-30 fighter pilot Officer Abhinandan Varthaman. He was promoted to Wing Commander and was assigned to the Mi-21 Bison squadron.He was trained at the IAF centres of Bathinda and Halwara.
As per reports, Abhinandan is the son of a decorated former fighter pilot Air Marshal Simhakutty Varthaman, who retired after serving as the Eastern Air Command Chief.
It's a starnge coincidence that S Varthaman had been an advisor for Mani Ratnam's film Kaatru Veliyidai which was set against the backdrop of the 1999 Kargil conflict between India and Pakistan.
His mother is a doctor.Reportedly, Wing Commander Varthaman belongs to a family of bravehearts, he is married to Tanvi Marwah, who is also a retired IAF Squadron Leader and has two children.
His brother, too, serves, in the Indian Air Force. Abhinandan is a student of Sainik Welfare School, Amatavatinagar in Chennai.

Currently, he is in the custody of Pakistani security forces and will be returned to India on Friday, said Pakistan PM Imran Khan today.

Ceasefire Voilation by Pakistan

Pakistani fighter jets Wednesday violated Indian air space in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district but were pushed back by Indian aircraft.
India today confirmed that an Indian Air Force (IAF) pilot was missing after a MiG 21 Bison shot down a Pakistan fighter jet on Wednesday morning. The MiG 21 Bison of IAF has also crashed.Pakistan is claiming that the missing IAF pilot is in its custody, but India is ascertaining facts at the moment. At the briefing it was also said that IAF successfully foiled Pakistan Air Force’s attempt to enter into Indian air space.

Pakistani fighter jets Wednesday violated Indian air space in Nowshera sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri district but were pushed back by Indian aircraft.Pakistani jets also dropped bombs when forced back by IAF jets.

The jets entered into Indian air space over Nowshera sector this morning, the official said. They were immediately pushed back by Indian jets on air patrol.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi: Hope missing IAF pilot returns home soon

Congress President Rahul Gandhi after opposition meeting: Leaders condemned Pakistani misadventure & expressed deep concern for safety of our missing pilot. Leaders urged govt to take the nation into confidence on all measures to protect India's sovereignty, unity & integrity.

IAF Air Strikes In Pakistan: US asks Pakistan to take action against terrorist groups

After one of the deadliest terror attacks on CRPF jawans in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pulwama, India on Tuesday conducted air strikes deep inside Pakistan, the first time after the 1971 war that it has hit targets in that country. The NDA government announced that India had struck the biggest training camp of the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) in Balakot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the pre-dawn hours of Tuesday, in which a very large number of JeM terrorists and their trainers were blown up.

By striking terrorist camps about 80 km away from the Line of Control in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, India chose non-military targets, the Jaish-e-Mohammed-run terror camps, and justified the strikes as pre-emptive since terrorists were plotting another attack.

On Wednesday, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said the objective was to act against a terror camp and that India doesn’t wish to see a further escalation.

In her opening remarks during her bilateral meeting with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Swaraj said after Pakistan refused to acknowledge and act against terror camps, the Indian government decided to take preemptive action.

Meanwhile, five Pakistani posts were destroyed as the Indian Army retaliated to unprovoked cross border heavy shelling and firing of missiles late Tuesday night. Defence Ministry Spokesperson Lt Colonel Devender Anand said the firing resulted in several casualties on the Pakistani side.

Vande Bharat Express : PM Modi Flags Off Train 18

Vande Bharat Express, India's first semi-high speed train was flagged off by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 15th Feb.from the New Delhi Railway Station.

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and members of the Railway Board were present on the occation and boarded the train on its inaugural journey.The train will travel from Delhi to Varanasi in nine hours and forty-five minutes. It has a stoppage time of 40 minutes each at Kanpur and Prayagraj, where there will be special programmes. The PM did the inspection of the train and said he is proud that such a train had been produced indigenously at the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai in 18 months.

Vande Bharat Express has a maximum speed of 160 kmph and has travel classes like Shatabdi trains but with better facilities. It gives totally new travel experience to passengers.

The bookings for the train has begun and are running commercially from February 17 from Delhi to Varanasi five days a week.

The train has two executive coaches along with 16 other air conditioned coaches.The total seating capacity is 1,128 passengers. All coaches have automatic doors, GPS-based audio-visual passenger information system, on-board hotspot, WiFi for entertainment purposes with comfortable seating. All toilets are bio-vacuum type.

Rahul Gandhi slams PM Modi Over Vande Bharat Breakdown, Pitches for Train's Revamp Under 2019's Congress Govt.

The Vande Bharat Express, broke down early on Saturday and was stranded around 18km from Tundla at 6.30 am. The Vande Bharat Express was returning from Varanasi to New Delhi when it experienced an issue related to brakes in the train's last coaches.

Train 18 started making strange sounds which was scheduled to reach Delhi in around 2.5 hours, following which smoke with a foul smell was noticed in the last four coaches. During inspection, it was founded that breaks of the last few coaches had jammed, following which they decided to move the train at 10 kmph. However, the train encountered the same problem again. The issue was resolved and the train engineers, after consulting with senior officials, decided to run it at 40 kmph.

The railway ministry issued a statement that Vande Bharat Express was standing 18km from Tundla since 6.30 am where it seemed to be disruption due to a possible cattle run over. This was not Train 18's commercial run. The train was bought to Delhi for its first commercial journey. The train is already overbooked beyond the capacity and can run up to a maximum speed of 160 kmph.There stands a possibility of uncertainty over the first commercial run of Train 18 on Sunday due to the breakdown.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Saturday slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Make-in-India’ initiative  referring to the breakdown of Vande Bharat Express and said that most people feel it has failed.

Gandhi said that the government's policy needs to rethink. He assured that the Congress are thinking very deeply about how it will be done, Gandhi tweeted.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday slammed Congress president Rahul Gandhi after he mocked central government's 'Make in India' campaign over the breakdown of Vande Bharat Express.

Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal retaliated strongly and said it is a shame that Rahul Gandhi chose to attack the hard work and ingenuity of Indian engineers, technicians, and labourers.

Reacting to Goyal's comment, senior Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam asked the railway minister to not react in frustration.

Major Chitresh Bisht Martyred in IED blast near LOC (Nowshera Sector) Two Days After Pulwama Attack

A 31 yr old Major rank Army officer Chitresh Bisht was martyred in an IED blast near the Line of Control in Jammu Kashmir's Nowshera sector. He was returning his hometown Dehradun on 28th of February for his wedding on 7th  March.The incident happened on 16th Feb. after the deadly Pulwama attack.

The major died while defusing an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), which had been planted by terrorists. The IED was planted around 1.5 kms inside the Line of Control in Rajouri district.

The blast took place a few hours after Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir. The meeting was attended by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval among others.

Pulwama attack: Raises Questions On Security?

On Thursday 14th Feb. in Pulwama district, a JeM terrorist drove his SUV containing around 350 kilos of explosives towards a convoy of over 2,500 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel, returning from leave. The SUV rammed into one of the buses killing 44 of the jawans.

The terrorist had the cover of other JeM members who opened fire on the CRPF men in three other buses to stop them from coming to the help of their fellow troopers.

Serious security lapse

How did the terrorist, identified as Adil Ahmad Dar, who lived just 10 km away from the area carried out deadliest terror attack on security forces in the state?

There was a warning

The Kashmir Police on February 8, had sent an intelligence input about a possible IED attack to the CRPF, BSF, ITBP, SSB, Army and the Air Force through a letter written by the state police Inspector General.

The intelligence input was sent on behalf of the Inspector General of Police, Kashmir. It asked all security agencies to sanitize areas properly before occupying your place or deployment as there are inputs that IEDs could be used.

Even after issuing a early warning, the CRPF's 78 vehicles were allowed which were carrying around 2,500 security personnel to go from the transit camp in Jammu to Srinagar.Another CRPF vehicle was partly damaged.It is difficult to believe how anyone in that bus could have survived said a police officer.

Who was Adil Ahmad Dar?

He was a 22-year-old school dropout from Gundibagh village in Pulwama. He had joined the Pakistan-based terror group led by Masood Azhar, last years Photos & videos were put on internet soon after the deadly attack. After he was beaten by troops, he became terrorist says his parents.

Agencies believe Ghazi Rasheed is the IED expert who trained Adil Ahmad Dar, the man who executed the suicide strike in Pulwama.

In a video Adil released, he said: "My name is Adil, I joined the Jaish-e-Mohammad a year ago. After waiting for one year, I have got the chance to do what I joined the Jaish for. By the time this video reaches you, I will be in heaven. This is my last message for the people of Kashmir.Jaish has kept the flame alive and stayed put in adverse circumstances.Come, join the group and prepare for one last fight."

Full Freedom Given To Forces: Says PM Narendra Modi on Pulwama Attack

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, gave strong warning to Pakistan and the perpetrators of the terror attack on a CRPF convoy in the Valley saying that the security forces have been given full freedom to choose time and place for the future course of action.

He said that nation’s blood is boiling,terror outfits and their masters have made a big mistake and will have to pay a very heavy price for their actions.

The Prime Minister made these remarks at two separate events — at the flag-off ceremony of the Vande Bharat Express, India’s fastest train from Delhi to Varanasi, and at a public meeting later in Jhansi — after he emerged from a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

He appealed to all opposition parties including his own, not to politicise the terror attack because the neighbouring country was trying to destabilize India.

In Jhansi, where he laid the foundation stone for a defence manufacturing corridor and other infrastructure projects, Modi said: “Suraksha balon ke liye aage ki karyavahi tai karne ke liye samay kya ho, sthan kya ho, swaroop kya ho woh saare faisle karne ke liye izazat de di gai hai. Perpetrators of the Pulwama attack and the conspirators will be definitely punished for their act. The neighbouring country should realise that this is an India with a new policy, new practice.

He said the terror outfits and their masters would be given an “appropriate reply for their barbaric act.

The sacrifices of the security personnel, he said, will not go in vain. “I want to give this assurance to 130 crore people of the country from this land of Jhansi, the land of braves,” he said, adding that “the country has faith in the courage and capability” of its security forces. 

Twitter want's to boycott Navjot Singh Sidhu after giving pro Pakistan Statement on Pulwama Terror Attack

Navjot Singh Sidhu,Punjab Cabinet Minister's favourable remarks for Pakistan haven't gone down well with the social media users. The minister, who is also an important member of 'The Kapil Sharma Show' had earlier interjected that can we blame an entire nation for the actions of a handful people. He further added that we should find the root cause of the problem and hold dialogue to find a solution. These remarks,coming at this point of time when the country has lost 40 jawans in the Pulwama terror attacks, are now facing criticism.

Twitter wants to boycott Navjot Singh Sidhu for giving statement on Pulwama terror attack.

The top three trending hashtags on Twitter were #BoycottSidhu, #BoycottKapilSharmaShow and #BoycottSonyTV. He gave a statement "For a handful of people, can you blame the entire nation and can you blame an individual?"

"It is a cowardly act and I condemn it firmly and those who did it must be punished," Sidhu said.

These statements however, did not go down well with internet users and viewers of the show. Soon, #BoycottSidhu started trending on Twitter, with people demanding that he should be boycotted from the show. They also demanded a boycott of the show and Sony TV if he is not removed.

According to the latest news,  sources said that Navjot Singh Sidhu is out of "The Kapil Sharma Show"

India Getting Support Worldwide On Pulwama Terror Attack

US ambassador was the first to offer his condolences to India. Other countries like France, Germany,Russia, Israel, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives etc. about 48 countries supported India in the fight against terrorism. United States warned its people against travelling to Pakistan after the incident that took place on February 14.

However,China on Friday condemned the Pulwama terror attack but declined India's appeal to list Masood Azhar, Pakistan based terror group chief as a global terrorist by the UN.

                                          US to Ajit Doval on Pulwama Terror Attack:

US National Security Advisor John Bolton & Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo said that they fully support India to fight against terrorism. They had a telephonic conversation on Friday evening in which they resolved to hold Pakistan to account for its obligation under the UN resolutions and remove all obstacles to designate Masood Azhar as a global terrorist.

India Withdraws Most Favoured Nation From Pakistan

After a suicide bombing terror attack in Pulwama in which at least 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel lost their lives, the Indian government has withdrawn The Most Favoured Nation or MFN status from Pakistan a move which would enable India to increase customs duty on goods coming from neighbouring country.

Both the countries are members of WTO which means they have to treat each other and other WTO member as favoured trading partners in terms of imposing custom duties on goods.

The Government said that they will take every possible step to ensure complete isolation  of Pakistan from the international community, which is expected to have a hand in Pulwama attack carried out by Jaish-e-Mohammed.

There is hardly any strong trade ties between the two countries, it is considered that such a move will only be symbolic.

Pulwama Attack : PM Modi holds Top Cabinet Meet

On 14th February 2019, a convoy of 78 buses transporting over 2500 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel from Jammu to Srinagar on the National Highway 44 was attacked by a vehicle-bound suicide bomber in Lethipora near Awantipora, Pulwama district, Jammu and Kashmir, India resulting in the death of at least 38 Central Reserve Police Force personnel and the attacker. The responsibility of the attack was claimed by the Pakistan-based Islamist militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed.

Militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed based in Pakistan claimed responsibility for the attack. They also released a video of the assailant Adil Ahmad Dar alias Adil Ahmad Gaadi Takranewala alias Waqas Commando, a 22 years old resident of Kakapora who had joined the group a year ago.Initial investigation suggested that the car was carrying more than 350 kg of explosive.

Condemning the attack, the government in a strongly-worded statement, demanded that "Pakistan should stop supporting terrorists and terror groups operating from their territory." The centre also appealed to the International community to support the proposal to Jaish-e-Mohammed Chief Masood Azhar, as a designated terrorist under the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the UN Security Council.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted that the sacrifices will not go in vain.The attack on CRPF personnel in Pulwama is despicable. I strongly condemn this dastardly attack. The sacrifices of our brave security personnel shall not go in vain. The entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with the families of the brave martyrs. May the injured recover quickly, he said.

Latest Update On Pulwama terror attack: PM Modi ends high-level CCS meeting, Rajnath Singh to leave for Srinagar

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is chairing a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Securities (CCS) to deliberate over the Pulwama terror attack.Along with Mr Singh, the meeting, chaired by PM Modi, was attended by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.A 12-member team of the NIA has left for Jammu and Kashmir to start investigating the Pulwama terror attack. Union Home Minister Rajanth Singh will fly to Kashmir today to take stock of the situation in the state.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's Entry in Indian Politics Ahead Of 2019 General Elections

Priyanka Gandhi formally entered into politics on 23rd January 2019 being appointed as General Secretary for UP East by her brother & Congress President Rahul Gandhi. There are speculations that the Congress have adopted agressive strategy to confront BJP.

The decision did take most political observers by surprise. The questions that crop up with Priyanka's appointment are: Is this good time to officially step on the political stage? And is UP the best place? Has the Congress gifted away the state? Has it just made things easier for the rival Bharatiya Janata Party?
Priyanka Gandhi's formal entry also means that now she is on the radar for personal attacks. Her husband Robert Vadra is already being investigated by the Enforcement Directorate for his land deals in Haryana and Rajasthan. Knowing BJP, it would use the Vadra card and go all out in its attack on the Congress and Priyanka Gandhi.

All the Opposition parties are trying to come together in an alliance against the BJP in 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Following the trend, the two rivals of Uttar Pradesh -- the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party -- also decided to do the same. The two, however, left the Congress out of the alliance. The thinking was that a 50:50 SP-BSP partnership would have a better chance of defeating BJP. But with the Congress contesting all the 80 seats with Priyanka Gandhi leading, the advantage now seems to be with the BJP.