5 Killed in Metro Bridge Collapse

In a gruesome mishap on Sunday morning, part of the Delhi Metro segment under-construction collapsed in Zamroodpur, close to Kailash Colony, South Delhi, killing five labourers and injuring 15 others.

While the incident occurred at 5 am on a busy intersection close to Lady Shri Ram College, rescue operations to remove the bodies was still in the progress.

According to DMRC spokesperson Anuj Dayal, preliminary inquiry showed that the accident had occurred as a pier cap got displaced.

The pier cap on top of the pillar gives support both to the launcher and the segment. The launcher is used for erecting the segment.

This was the second incident involving a launcher, the first happened in Laxmi Nagar in October 2008.

DMRC chief Sreedharan was flying from Bangalore soon after hearing the incident, he added.

He said work was on at the Central Secretariat-Badarpur section of Metro Railway when the segment collapsed.

“Around 30 persons were working at the site at that time and 15 of the were injured who were taken to Moolchand hospital, All India Institute of Medical Sciences and Safdarjung. Three of them were suffering from major injuries, three were discharged after first aid,” Dayal added.

The entire site, which is on the busy intersection of East of Kailash-Amar Colony-Kailash Colony, has been cordoned off.

Large crowds and media thronged the area packed with police and fire brigade personnel to see the fallen segments on the ground and dangling gargantuan orange coloured launcher.

Speaking to HT at the site Additional DCP South East Sanjay Kumar Jain said, “Delhi Police, Fire Brigade, Disaster Management team all rushed here soon after call of the collapse came at 5 am. Three persons have been killed, two are still trapped, 12 injured have been taken to hospital.”

The whole structure was still hanging precariously and one had to work very slowly otherwise it could collapse, he added.

“The collapse of the heavy structure had broken the road and burst a pipeline. The water had been shut off,” he said.

“Fortunately at that time there was not much traffic on the busy intersection except those labourers who were working.”

He said police would be registering a case of death due to negligence.

Vijay Bahadur, Divisional Fire Officer, East Delhi said, “We have deployed ten Fire Brigade units including the Bronto Skylift which can go above 40 metres. We are trying to use to skylift to raise the fallen launcher after putting slings.”

He said the fire brigade had removed three casualties from the site.

DMRC chief Sreedharan quits after Metro accident

In a dramatic announcement that came on his birthday, Delhi Metro chief E Sreedharan today said he was quitting from the post owning moral responsibility for an accident at its construction site which claimed five lives.

Sreedharan, who turned 77 on Sunday, announced his decision at a crowded press conference here this afternoon, soon after his visit to the site of the collapse of an under-construction bridge of Delhi Metro in Jamrudpur of south Delhi’s Lajpat Nagar.

“As the head of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, I take moral responsibility for the incident…So I have decided to resign and I have put in papers and I have sent it to Lt Governor Tejinder Khanna and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit,” he said.

Asked whether his decision will delay the Metro projects which are scheduled to be completed before the Commonwealth Games, he said, “The views you are making may be correct but my personal conviction in this matter cannot be compromised.”

Delhi government said it was not for taking any hasty decision on the resignation of Sreedharan.

“We are not to take any hasty decision on the resignation of Sreedharan,” said P K Tripathi, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister.

Delhi Government says it will not not take any “hasty decision” on resignation of Delhi Metro Chief Sreedharan.

“We know that the Metro is doing a good job. But we feel that the contractors are being pressurised to complete the
jobs ahead of the Commonwealth Games as many of the projects are well delayed,” a senior BJP leader said.

E Sreedharan, Managing Director of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, also visited the site to get a first knowledge of
the accident. Sreedharan, who was in Bangalore in the morning, had cut short his visit and flew back to the capital.

Pop star Michael Jackson was pronounced dead today after paramedics found him in a coma at his Bel-Air mansion, city and law enforcement sources told The Times.

Los Angeles Fire Department Capt. Steve Ruda told The Times that paramedics responded to a 911 call from the home. When they arrived, Jackson was not breathing.

Micheal Jackson

The paramedics performed CPR and took Jackson to UCLA Medical Center, Ruda said. Hundreds of reporters gathered at the hospital awaiting word on his condition. The sources, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said family members rushed to Jackson’s bedside, where he was in a deep coma.

The circumstances of Jackson’s death remain unclear. Law enforcement sources said that Los Angeles Police Department robbery-homicide detectives have opened an investigation into the death, though they stressed that there is no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

The detectives plan to interview relatives, friends and Jackson’s doctors to try to figure out what happened. The L.A. County coroner’s office will determine a cause of death. A Los Angeles Fire Department source told The Times that Jackson was in full cardiac arrest when rescue units arrived.

A doctor was in the house performing CPR on Jackson, said the source who asked not to be identified  because he was not authorized to speak to the media. Paramedics were called to a home in the 100 block of Carolwood Drive off Sunset Boulevard.

Jackson rented the Bel-Air home — described as a French chateau built in 2002 with seven bedrooms, 13 bathrooms, 12 fireplaces and a theater — for $100,000 a month. The home is about a six-minute drive from UCLA Medical Center. Jackson has three children — sons Prince Michael 7, and Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., 12, and daughter Paris Michael Katherine, 11.

Jackson, 50, died as he was attempting a comeback after years of tabloid headlines, most notably his trial and acquittal on child molestation charges.

In May, The Times reported that Jackson had rented the Bel-Air residence and was rehearsing for a series of 50 sold-out shows in London’s O2 Arena. Jackson had won the backing of two billionaires to get the so-called “King of Pop” back on stage.

His backers envisioned the shows at AEG’s O2 as an audition for a career rebirth that could have ultimately encompassed a three-year world tour, a new album, movies, a Graceland-like museum, musical revues in Las Vegas and Macau, and even a “Thriller” casino. Such a rebound could have wiped out Jackson’s massive debt.

Right now I am going through a little rough time. My employers are in process to terminate my services. my PIB card of journalism is seized. not worried, support of gursikhs giving me strength. parmatma sahayee hai and these hurdles are nothing. As of now i would be more comfortable in replying to others queries.

“Khalsa ji, We should not forget what happenned in 1984. It was third ghallughara against sikhs. I am not in favour to misguide our youth to wrong path but at the same time we need to learn lessons from it. we remember our shaheeds every day in our ardaas. Sikhs have always fought against injustice, not able to understand how Prime Minister is asking us to forget the massacre. Would he or his party can ask muslims to forget gujrat riots?  if not then why asking us. I don’t consider myself as a second grade citizen. Only coward sikhs can forget this massacre.” Guru Nanak Sahib said ‘je jeeve pat lathi jaaye sab haraam jeta kich khaye.’ and guru tegh bahadur sahib said ‘bhay kahoo ko det nahin nanh bhay manat aan’. If we dont follow the path of our gurus then nothing would left in sikhi. We need to live with honour.

Comments, quires, and feedback welcome.

Posted on behalf of:

Jarnail Singh,
Journalist,
New Delhi.

Officially and exclusively posted on http://www.webjassi.com

Today I wanted to reach out to you today regarding infrastructure. The BJP has recently released an “Infrastructure Vision”, which list out a number of recycled ideas for India’s infrastructure. The BJP has alleged that “the UPA rule has proved to be a disaster for infrastructure development”.

Successful Congress Leaders

Once again, the BJP is providing blatant untruths in order to mislead you, as it has little to show for its own performance when in power.

The document in the attached link puts forward some facts that show how the Congress-led UPA government outperformed the BJP-led NDA government in every sphere of infrastructure development.

Who has worked on improving India’s Infrastructure – Congress-led UPA or BJP-led NDA? Some Facts

You will notice that the UPA has invested almost 80% more on infrastructure than the NDA did. The UPA has shown far better results across infrastructure sectors, such as telecom, power, roads and ports.

Once again, I hope you will note that the facts speak for themselves.

Please feel free to share both these documents with others, in order to generate informed discussion and decision-making.

Data Source: Congress

I expect that by now the ministers should learn that they will get a hard hit of shoe unless and until they give the answer to the people’s questions.  I salute Jarnail Singh for his “courage and bravery”. He did the right thing for the sikh community, i just want to tell him that he should not feel alone or down. All the Sikh Comunity is with him and his family for support from now on…

P Chidambaram Getting Almost Hit By A Shoe

Praising Delhi journalist Jarnail Singh for his “courage and bravery” in hurling a shoe at Home Minister P Chidambaram during a press conference, Sikh political party Shiromani Akali Dal on Tuesday announced a cash reward of Rs 200,000 for him.

“Decisions are not taken by throwing shoes but this incident has showed our pain and suffering. Bhagat Singh had also thrown a bomb in the assembly. We have thus announced a reward of Rs 200,000 for his courage and bravery,” Avtar Singh Hit, national general secretary of Shiromani Akali Dal, told IANS.

Jarnail Singh hurled a shoe at Chidambaram, at a press conference here, over his response to the Central Bureau of Investigation’s (CBI) clean chit to Congress leader Jagdish Tytler on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

The president of the Delhi unit of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) Manjit Singh also supported Jarnail Singh’s act.

“I fully support the journalist. What he has done represents the feelings of all the Sikhs of the country, and not only Sikhs it represents the feelings of all the law abiding citizens of the country,” Manjit Singh told IANS.

“Three months ago in Punjab, Rahul Gandhi had promised to not give tickets to Sajjan Kumar and Jagdish Tytler but they were given tickets, and CBI also gave a clean chit to them. We are waiting for the court’s judgement and our struggle will continue,” he said.

Meanwhile, leaders of various Sikh organisation on Tuesday held a sit-in at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi to protest the CBI’s clean chit to Tytler in a case relating to the 1984 massacre of Sikhs.

Around 4,000-5,000 people participated in the dharna. The protesters first offered ‘ardas’ or prayer at the Gurdwara Bangla Sahib at noon after which they proceeded towards Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s house. They were, however, stopped near Jantar Mantar.

Shoe hurled at Chidambaram at Cong press conference

A Sikh journalist on Tuesday hurled a shoe at Home Minister P Chidambaram protesting against CBI’s clean chit to senior Congress leader Jagdish Tytler accused in 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, but it missed the target.

Chidambaram, who was addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters, was surprised when suddenly Jarnail Singh, journalist from a Hindi daily, flung the shoe and an alert Home Minister made a quick movement to see it pass by him.

“Please take him away,” said Chidambaram who later added “gently, gently” as the journalist was escorted out of the press conference hall. Later, he was taken away by police but it was not clear whether any case has been registered against him against the backdrop of Chidambaram saying “I forgive him”.

As the action caused a flutter in the hall, a composed Chidambaram appealed to the reporters, “let not the action of one emotional person hijack the entire press conference. I have answered his questions to the best of my ability.”

It all started with the journalist asking him about the clean chit given by CBI to Tytler in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots case under pressure from the government.

“First of all let me make it clear that CBI is not under the Home Ministry. To my knowledge neither the Home Ministry nor any ministry of the government had put any pressure on the CBI,” Chidambaram said.

“CBI has only given a report to the court. It is for the court to accept or reject or ask for further investigation by CBI. Let us wait for the court decision,” he said.

As the journalist persisted with his questions, Chidambaram told him “no arguments, you are using this forum…” following which the journalist hurled his shoe.

An unapologetic Singh said he will not apologise for his action, though his manner of protest might have been wrong. “My manner of protest might have been wrong, but I did not intend to hurt anyone,” he said.

Asked if he could have used some other manner to protest, he said, “for the last 25 years this has been happening. So what other method is left (to protest)”.

Earlier this month, CBI had given a clean chit to 1984 anti-Sikh riots accused Tytler and sought permission from the court for the closure of the case against the Congress leader.

This is What exactly Happened

(Source Hindustan Times)

There was little indication of the emotive action to follow when Delhi journalist Jarnail Singh asked Home Minister P Chidambaram a question about the 1984 anti-Sikh riots at a press conference on Tuesday.

What ended with a shoe being hurled started with a seemingly innocuous question by the senior Dainik Jagran journalist seated in the front row. Here is how it went:

Jarnail Singh: It has been 25 years since the anti-Sikh riots but the Congress has not done anything. Is it not shameful?

Chidambaram: Please don’t use this as a political platform. Please ask me the question.

Jarnail Singh: Nothing has been done against Jagdish Tytler. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is under the home ministry.

Chidambaram: You are still not asking me the question.

Jarnail Singh: My question is was there any pressure from the home ministry to pressure the CBI to let off Tytler although the agency works independently.

Chidambaram: Neither the home ministry nor any other ministry put any pressure on the CBI. The CBI is only reporting to the court. The court is to decide whether to accept or reject the report. Or they can ask the CBI to further investigate.

Jarnail Singh started to say something…

Chidambaram: Let us be patient, let us wait for the courts to take up the case.

Jarnail Singh again started to say something…

Chidambaram: No arguments please, no arguments.

Jarnail Singh blurted out “I protest!”. He then bent down and took off his white-black-striped sneaker and flung it at Chidambaram, who momentarily had a stunned look before he regained his composure and swerved to avoid the missile.

As Congress workers escorted him away, Chidambaram said: Please take him away… gently, gently.

When an uproar broke out at the crowded press conference, at the party headquarters, Chidambaram tried to silence them saying: Please ask questions. Let not an emotional action of one person hijack the entire press conference.

Later, a reporter asked Chidambaram about the fate of Jarnail Singh and whether he would forgive him.

Chidambaram: Yes, I forgive him.

My Personal Message to Jarnail Singh: You have done the right thing, we all are in your support…