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By:

Quaid Najmi

4 January 2025 at 3:26:24 pm

Bhujbal’s chopper lands in Pune parking lot

Mumbai : In what is suspected to be a breach of aviation protocols, a chartered helicopter ferrying Food & Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal from Mumbai to Pune skipped a designated helipad and landed in a vehicle parking lot almost a km away.   The shocker happened in Purandar taluka, where Bhujbal was slated to attend a function marking the 200 th  birth anniversary of the social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule in his home village Khanwadi.   As crowds of bewildered people watched...

Bhujbal’s chopper lands in Pune parking lot

Mumbai : In what is suspected to be a breach of aviation protocols, a chartered helicopter ferrying Food & Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal from Mumbai to Pune skipped a designated helipad and landed in a vehicle parking lot almost a km away.   The shocker happened in Purandar taluka, where Bhujbal was slated to attend a function marking the 200 th  birth anniversary of the social reformer Mahatma Jyotirao Phule in his home village Khanwadi.   As crowds of bewildered people watched from around the sprawling parking lot, the helicopter appeared to drop speed in its flight, flew over some overhead high-tension electric cables, and descended gingerly into the parking lot - raising a thick dust-storm in which it disappeared for seconds - before touching the ground.   Moments later, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) senior leader Bhujbal and others stepped out of the chopper, looked around in the unfamiliar territory before several vehicles and police teams rushed there. Minutes before there was chaos and confusion with some locals shouting warnings at the ‘wrong landing’.   Eyewitnesses said that the chopper’s powerful rotors created a thick dust storm and sparked alarm among the people in the vicinity, and many scrambled to the spot to check what exactly was going on in the parking lot.   Later, the Pune Police said that a designated helipad was available for the chopper landing but were at a loss to explain how the pilot missed it and veered off quite a distance away in the vehicle parking space. Subsequently, they asked the pilot to fly it to the correct landing spot.   Shaken and angry local NCP leaders questioned how a pilot flying a VIP on an official trip could mistake a parking lot for a helipad when the weather and visibility was clear. They demanded to know whether the helipad was improperly marked or it was a question of communication or sheer negligence.   The Pune Police indicated that they would report the matter to the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) which may take action against the errant pilot and the helicopter company.   “There was no accident. We all emerged safely. The helicopter pilot landed wrongly in a parking lot because the helipad was not visible. All of us are fine and there is nothing to worry,” said Bhujbal, before he was whisked off by his security team.   “There are many faults in numerous airplanes and helicopters, including maintenance issues and other problems. That's why I keep saying consistently that VIPs must exercise caution while flying. Fortunately, an accident was averted today, but that doesn't mean the authorities should be negligent. We expect the government to take urgent precautions.” Rohit R. Pawar, MLA, NCP (SP)

Xi urges EU to stand with China against ‘unilateral bullying’



Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday called on the European Union to work together with China to stand against what he described as "unilateral bullying."


During a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez in Beijing, Xi emphasized the importance of stronger cooperation between China and the EU, especially in light of the ongoing trade tensions with the United States.


As reported by the state-run Xinhua news agency, Xi said, "China and Europe should fulfil their international responsibilities... and jointly resist unilateral bullying practices."


At the same time, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated that while China does not want a trade war, it is not afraid of one either.


“Tariff and trade wars have no winners. China does not want to fight these wars but is not scared of them,” Lin said, according to the Global Times.


He also criticized the US approach, saying, “If the US truly wants to resolve issues through dialogue, it must stop applying extreme pressure and acting recklessly. These tactics do not work on China. Any dialogue must be based on equality, mutual respect, and reciprocity. If the US insists on continuing a tariff and trade war, China's response will continue to the end.”


Lin added that China is a responsible global player.


“Our countermeasures against US bullying are not only about safeguarding China's legitimate rights and interests, but also about defending international rules and order, safeguarding the common interests of all countries as well as global fairness and justice,” he said.


Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron on Friday described the US decision to reduce tariffs on the EU to 10 percent as a "fragile pause." He urged Europe to use all tools available to protect itself.


“The partial suspension of American tariffs for 90 days sends out a signal and leaves the door open for talks. But this pause is a fragile one,” Macron wrote on X, according to The Guardian.


“Fragile, because the 25% tariffs on steel, aluminum and automobiles and the 10% tariffs on all other products are still in place,” he added.

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