The Army has handed over to the government video clips of the cross-LoC surgical strikes as per laid down procedure, Union Minister Hansraj Ahir said today, amid a growing chorus that evidence of the operation on terror launch pads in PoK be made public.

Ahir, the Minister of State for Home, said there is a process for putting such issues in perspective which was duly followed by the Army as well as the government.

Separately, Kiren Rijiju, also a MoS for Home, said everyone should have faith in the government and allow the Army to take its own call.

“The laid down procedure has been followed. The DGMO briefed (about the surgical strikes). It was not the Defence Minister nor the Prime Minister and not the Home Minister. It was the DGMO who briefed (the media). That was the right thing to do and they (Army) did it.

“There was a time when written documents were submitted.

Now the times have changed. Now clips are given and the clips have been given,” Ahir told reporters.

The statements by Ahir and Rijiju came amid demands that government release the footage of Army’s recent surgical strikes on terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

“Have faith in the government and leave it to the Army,” Rijiju told reporters here when asked about the demand for release of proof of the surgical strikes by the Army.

A political slugfest erupted yesterday over the surgical strikes with Mumbai Congress chief Sanjay Nirupam calling it “fake”, provoking stinging criticism from BJP even as his own party said it “totally dissociates” from his remarks.

As the government mulled options on the issue of release of the video footage of the surgical strikes, a debate raged with BJP leader Subramanian Swamy favouring putting out an edited version of the video on the operation while most experts spoke against it.

Rejecting the demand, the BJP attacked some Congress leaders and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal for raising questions over the strikes and accused them of giving a handle to Pakistan to advance its false propaganda.

The Congress, on its part, insisted that it never questioned the authenticity of the strikes but steered clear of the demand, including from within its own ranks, for the release of evidence, saying it would give appropriate advise in the best interest of national security if consulted by the government.

Swamy, a Rajya Sabha member, said anybody questioning the operation should prove prima facie evidence to support his allegation but added that an video should be released following a newspaper report today that gave details of the operation.

“I think they should edit the video of the logistics value of it and show the other part, showing explosions, the dead body… they have got in the video. So all these parts can be released,” he said.

Former army chief Gen V P Malik slammed those questioning the credibility of the strikes saying, “The video should not be released just because some stupid people have sought so.”

He told PTI it was “utter nonsense” that people are asking the army to prove the operation and wondered what is wrong with the political class.PTI

FORECAST FOR OCTOBER:“Nothing too much, the golden mean, the middle path” is a typical Zorastrian commandment. It applies very specially to you Librans as balance and poise go with you. From September 8, Jupiter will be in your sign, western astrology.You will be the conductor of arts, music, science, beauty and films. But it is your ability to negotiate and settle any dispute which will be of special significance right through this year and the next. So powerful is the combination of Jupiter in Libra and Saturn in Sagittarius that it could lead to a new peaceful order. God has taken your hand. Respond with all you have.

ARIES:Astrophysicists tell us that the movement of Earth in space is responsible for our climate. In the same way,your movements — forceful, determined and positive,will help you in trips, ties,communication,and journeys.A chance to divorce or marry is possible. At satsangs and meetings, believe it or not, God will preside invisibly.

TAURUS: Every metal has a frequency and also a certain beauty.You Taureans have the impossible combination of utility and beauty. In October, you will have the strength of Hercules and the generosity of Mother Teresa.Face opposition boldly but graciously. Be sure that Mother Nature loves you immensely and will never allow anybody to hurt you

GEMINI: The rings of the planet Saturn have bewitched even the astrophysicists because they are huge, powerful and yet so very delicate and thin like our hair.You have the ability to live at many levels, right from technological to the spiritual. Children, hobbies, entertainment, marriage, wild passionate creativity lead you to the altar.

CANCER: All of us know that Cancerians are home birds.For one year, the domestic scene will change for the better in every which way. Opportunities for job switch, investments, partnerships are possible. I am exaggerating it when I say that you may meet God face to face between this October and the next. Piety helps. LEO: “Prathamahim nama leta tava joi / jaga kaham sakala si dha hoi.” It means remember Ganeshji and then embark on any task or word. It will soon be your time for glory and greatness, travel and pleasure and status and prestige. At the same time, if you delve deep in your heart you will find the rose of spirituality and great delight.

VIRGO: You will discover the sheer complexity and beauty of life itself because now your heart will rule over your head which is so very rational and objective. Friends and family will help you all the way. The other happy news is that domestic matters related to parents, inlaws, and your spouse will improve. Prayers and bhajans are certainly advisable and absolutely necessary.

LIBRA: As they say on TV for every project, “your time is now”. New projects, old ventures activated, journeys, health problems, loans and funds and a certain discipline and confidence will mark all that you do.Live wisely and beautifully and nobly is what my heart is telling me. Be decisive and confident of victory.
SCORPIO:“Peace hath her victories no less renowned than war.” It simply means that the greatness of peace is as great as the greatness of war.You will fight nobly and powerfully for the unfortunate, the weak, the helpless, the artist, the women who are downtrodden and you will come up victorious.

SAGITTARIUS: We are at our very best only when we face the greatest challenge and danger. October will certainly show you the way to be courageous and confident. You will certainly succeed and prevail over all odds because Jupiter your main planet is in the eleventh angle of friends, fame, and happiness. Best to take help from spiritual masters, gurus, holy books and your own conscience.

CAPRICORN: Blow your own trumpet just as the elephant does.I know you are cool, critical, slightly cold and definitely well-organised. It may surprise you to know that astrophysicists tell us that the rings of Saturn are felt very powerfully on the snow and ice of the entire world.Your ruling planet is Saturn. Time to be a boss in all affairs.

AQUARIUS: Science tells us that there is a type of shrimp which lives in the water but makes a very loud sound all around. It is a hint for you to be extravagant, move in social circles, invite friends over, take a chance if you jolly well feel like it. Research, technological innovations and new values and thoughts in spirituality will help you greatly to be not only big but great.

PISCES: Loans and funds,renovation and decoration, travel and ties could make a changeover in your thinking and behaviour patterns. The tinkle of money will be sweet music to your ears. But if you want to add real happiness and longevity to your years, give freely of yourself to others.Charity and compassion are the life blood of the universe.

As Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa remained in hospital for nearly two weeks, the Madras High Court today asked the state government to inform it about the health condition of the AIADMK supremo by tomorrow.

The court also observed that an official release with regard to the health condition of 68-year-old Jayalalithaa, who has been undergoing treatment at a hospital here since September 22, will reduce the anxiety of the people.

The remarks were made by a division bench while hearing a PIL by social activist ‘Traffic’ Ramaswamy, who sought a detailed report from the government on the health condition of Jayalalithaa.

The court asked Tamil Nadu’s Additional Advocate General C Manishankar to get back to it by tomorrow after consulting the government on the health condition of the chief minister.

Manishankar told the court that the corporate hospital had been issuing medical bulletins daily on her health condition and describing the treatments given to her.

But the court said though the hospital was releasing bulletins, being the chief minister of the state, some official release with regard to her health will reduce the anxiety of the people.

The petition has also sought release of photographs of the meeting she is said to have had with her cabinet colleagues and officials at the hospital.

The bench said that it is not passing any order on the PIL but directed the additional advocate general to consult the government on the matter.

ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and three of his top aides were seriously ill after being poisoned during a lunchtime feast and have been shifted to an unknown location under strict measures, media reports claimed today.

Meals prepared for Baghdadi and three other ISIS leaders were allegedly poisoned in Nineveh’s Be’aaj district in Iraq, several Arabic-language and Iranian news sites reported.

Citing a source, Iraqi news agency WAA said the four are suffering from “severe poisoning” and “have been transferred to an unknown location under strict measures.”

After the incident, ISIS militants were conducting several arrests in order to determine who was behind it.

Baghdadi, who has reportedly been wounded multiple times, carries a USD 10 million bounty on his head.

News of Baghdadi’s poisoning came as Iraqi media claimed some top ISIS commanders were among 16 militants killed when one of the leaders’ explosive belt exploded during a meeting.

“A number of the ISIS members were wearing explosive belts during the meeting, and the explosion took place due to a defect in one of them,” Al-Sumaria Iraqi media outlet said.

ISIS or IS is an al-Qaeda splinter group and it has seized hundreds of square miles in Iraq and Syria.

Al-Qaeda has distanced itself from the group, chiding it for its lack of teamwork in its aggressive, brutal expansion.

A man was today detained by the NIA from Tamil Nadu in connection with its ongoing investigation in the disappearance of 21 people from Kerala who are believed to have joined the Islamic State (ISIS), a day after the anti-terror probe agency arrested six people in the case.

The NIA had yesterday carried out searches at various places and arrested six persons from Kerala for allegedly plotting terror attacks in the country at the behest of ISIS.

Those arrested from two districts of Kerala were produced before a special court in Ernakulam which remanded them in NIA’s custody till October 14.

After arresting the six–Manseed alias Omar Al Hindi, Abu Basheer alias Rashid, Swalih Mohammed T alias Yousuf, Safwan P, Jasim NK and Ramshad Nageelan Kandiyil alias Aaamu– NIA teams assisted by central security agencies and police personnel from Kerala, Delhi and Telangana, launched search operations in Chennai and Coimbatore during which another person was detained, official sources said.

Without divulging his identity, the sources said he was being questioned and may be placed under arrest “as he was not speaking the truth”.

The searches were conducted after credible information was received that some youth from Kerala and Tamil Nadu along with their accomplices have entered into a criminal conspiracy to commit terrorist acts by collecting explosives and other offensive material for targeting important persons and places of public importance in various parts of south lndia, the sources said.

The NIA has already registered a case in connection with the 21 missing youths from Kerala who are believed to have joined ISIS terror group in Afghanistan and later moved to Syria and some other countries.

In a step that will ensure release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu, the Karnataka legislature today adopted a unanimous resolution empowering the government to take an “appropriate” decision to provide water for irrigation to meet the state farmers’ demand.

The decision by both the Houses of the legislature at the second such special session in 10 days came on the day when the Supreme Court asked Karnataka government to apprise it by tomorrow afternoon whether it has released water to Tamil Nadu as directed by it on September 30.

Moved by the government, the resolution makes no mention about release of Cauvery water to Tamil Nadu or the Supreme Court orders, but it modified the September 23 resolution to draw water from the four reservoirs in the Cauvery basin only for drinking purpose, to allow its use for irrigation also.

On September 30, the apex court had directed Karnataka to discharge 6,000 cusecs water from October 1-6, warning that no one would know when the “wrath of the law” would fall on it.

In his reply in the Assembly, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah gave strong indications of complying with the order of the Supreme Court to release water to Tamil Nadu, while assuring the people that government would make all efforts to meet drinking water needs and to save standing crops.

Siddaramaiah said the state had never defied the court orders and noted that “we are in a federal set up”.

Farmers in the Cauvery basin had been demanding release of water as otherwise the crops would wither, he said, adding, once it is released for them, some quantum would flow naturally to Tamil Nadu, where it would be recorded in the Biligundlu gauging station.

“The Supreme Court has said we have to release 6000 cusecs of water. We have to respect the court order. We are also expecting some quantum of water (rainfall),” he said without directly making any reference about release to Tamil Nadu, which is at loggerheads with the state on the issue.

He said in the last 10 days, there was inflow of an average of 7,000 cusecs per day into Cauvery basin reservoirs and if water is released into canals in the state,3,000 cusecs would flow naturally and be recorded at Biligundlu, besides seepage water. About 1,200 to 1,300 cusecs would also flow even if the crest gates are closed.

Official sources said once water is released for farmers in Cauvery basin for irrigation, it would naturally flow to Tamil Nadu.

The resolution also noted that the water storage levels in Hemavathy, Harangi, Kabini and Krishnaraja Sagar had increased to 34.13 TMC ft as of today from 27.60 TMC ft on September 23, when the legislature passed resolution to use it only to meet drinking water needs. .

The Centre today issued a country- wide alert asking states to step up vigil to foil any attempt by Pakistan-based terror groups to avenge the surgical strike on their launch pads in PoK even as Home Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed security situation along the Indo-Pak border.

Security agencies were also apprehending stepped up action by militants currently operating in Jammu and Kashmir targeting security forces and civilians following yesterday’s surgical strike by special forces of the Army on seven terror launch pads in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir(PoK).

Security was strengthened at vital installations across Punjab and a high alert has been sounded at all airbases across the state while evacuation of people residing in villages along the International Border continued.

During the hour-long meeting with the country’s top security brass, Singh instructed the officials to ensure that the forces posted along the border remain on alert as the situation along the Indo-Pak border continues to be volatile, official sources said.

The Army, meanwhile, trashed reports in Pakistan about Indian casualties during the operation, saying one member of the special forces received minor injury during exfiltration but it was not due to any enemy or terrorist action.

The operation was a clinically planned one and the attack on the seven launch pads were carried out simultaneously, sources said.

The sources said it was a moonless night and total darkness helped the special forces bring in the element of surprise with total effectiveness.

It has been estimated that casualties was at least 40 on Pakistani side but there was no official confirmation.

Choppers also hovered over several sectors on the Indian side of the LoC to divert attention of the Pakistani security forces guarding various posts.

India may examine a proposal from Iran to develop airport at its strategic Chabahar port as part of comprehensive infrastructure development that includes rail-road connectivity to the port.

The Chabahar port in the Sistan-Balochistan province on the energy-rich nation’s southern coast lies outside the Persian Gulf and is easily accessed from India’s western coast bypassing Pakistan.

“There is already an operational airport at Chabahar. The Iranian delegation to India has asked us whether India would be willing to develop and modernise it during the review on the latest development and situation on the bilateral pact…

on the Chabahar port,” an official told PTI.

Apart from discussions on expanding scope of cooperation to cover development of the entire Chabahar port, it was discussed that air transport could be of much significance, the official disclosed.

The high-level Iranian delegation led by Minister of Roads and Urban Development Dr Abbas Akhoundi and comprising Ambassador Gholamreza Ansari and Deputy Minister and MD for PMO Mohammad Saeid Nejad, among others, held a meeting with Indian authorities led by Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari here.

The official said Chabahar has an operational airport and the Iranian minister enquired whether India would be willing to modernise it.

After meeting the Iranian team and a delegation from Afghanistan, Gadkari hoped that Chabahar project will open a new gateway for development of India, Iran and Afghanistan by boosting regional connectivity and trade.

He said further, “We will try to complete the project within the time schedule. We are also finding out what are new things for which we will have opportunity for development and investment. The Iranian minister has given lots of innovative suggestions regarding business development.”

A “milestone” pact on the strategic Chabahar port in southern Iran that will provide India access to Afghanistan and Europe bypassing Pakistan was signed by India and Iran in May this year after detailed discussions between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani.

Besides the bilateral agreement to develop the Chabahar port, for which India has committed USD 500 million, a trilateral agreement on transport and transit corridor was signed by India, Afghanistan and Iran, which Prime Minister Modi has said could “alter the course of the history of the region”.