Union Minister Giriraj Singh has stoked controversy with his latest remarks after Bharatiya Janata Partys defeat in the Bihar bypolls. Giriraj Singh has attacked Rashtraya Janata Dal after the partys win in Araria Lok Sabha constituency saying that Araria will become a terror hub now. In what is being sees as an insult to the peoples mandate, Singh, no stranger to controversy, termed the result a threat for the state and also for the nation. Araria keval seemavarti ilaka nhi hai, keval Nepal aur Bengal se judha nhi hai. Ek kattarpanthi vichardhara ko unhone janam diya hai, Yeh Bihar ke liye khatra nhi hai desh ke liye khatra hoga. Woh atankwadiyon ka gadh banega (Araria isnt only a border area, it isnt only connected to Nepal and Bengal. An orthodox mentality has been formed after this. This is not only a threat for Bihar, but also for the country. It will become a terror hub), said Singh. #BREAKING A day after bypolls defeat, Union Mantri insults voters | After the twitter.com\/699dV12usA However, the saffron party managed to clinch the Bhabhua assembly seat. Araria witnessed a moderate voter turnout of 57 percent. RJD won the Araria Lok Sabha seat by a…
Month: May 2018
PM Narendra Modi wishes nation, says ‘Ugadi greetings to all’; watch video
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the eve of Ugadi today addressed a programme via video conferencing in Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh at the Rashtriya Jan Jagriti Dharam Sammelan. while talking about the place where the Ugadi programme was taking place, PM Modi said, Mahrishi Ved Vyas had said that those who visit Srisailam rise above all ties. PM then went on to tell the gathering the meaning of Ugadi and the reason of its importance. Ugadi ka arth hota hai ek yug ki shuruat. It is the festival of beginning of human civilisation, it is the festival of beginning of everything, he said. PM Modi added, There were numerous attempts to hurt our prestigious culture traditions when India was chained to slavery. It tolerated everything kept going ahead. What was it that kept it going? Saints like you. While talking about the situation of the country, PM said, The people of the nation want to see it free of internal weaknesses, not only those based on caste or religion but all those factors which weaken it. He added that the Bevu-Bela Prasad is the perfect examplae to understand how our traditions introduce us to the principles of life. I hope, all…
PM Narendra Modi to open Indian Science Congress in Manipur today
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday will visit Manipur to open the Indian Science Congress (ISC). He is also scheduled to inaugurate several projects and address a public reception function. The Prime Minister will deliver the inaugural address at the 105th session of the ISC at Manipur University. Imphal will become the second city to host this event in the North-East. At Luwangshangbam, the Prime Minister would inaugurate Luwangpokpa Multi-Sports Complex, ST Girls Hostel (Liberal College) and Rani Gaidinliu Park (Mantripukhri). He would also lay foundation stones for several projects including National Sports University, 15 transit accommodations for doctors and teachers, 1000 Anganwadi Centres etcetera.
Defamation case: Delhi HC closes Rs 10 crore defamation suit filed by Arun Jaitley against CM Arvind Kejriwal
The Delhi High Court today closed the Rs 10 crore defamation suit filed by Union minister Arun Jaitley after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal apologised to him. Jaitley had filed this second defamation suit after Kejriwals former lawyer Ram Jethmalani allegedly abused him in open court during the proceedings of the original defamation suit against the Aam Aadmi Party chief and five other party functionaries. Justice Manmohan allowed the settlement application jointly filed by Jaitley and Kejriwal and disposed of the suit following the AAP chiefs apology, which was accepted by the BJP leader. The court accepted the written undertaking and statement of both the leaders and decreed the suit in accordance with the settlement application. During the hearing, advocate Anupam Srivastava, appearing for Kejriwal, told the court that the matter was settled and Jaitley accepted the apology tendered by the AAP leader. Senior advocate Rajiv Nayyar and advocate Manik Dogra, representing Jaitley, also said the dispute was settled by the parties. The court noted that the settlement application was signed by the leaders as well as their advocates who undertook that their clients would abide by the undertaking given. Another bench of the high court is scheduled to hear…
Sachin Tendulkar donates his salary of Rs 90 lakh to Prime Minister’s Relief Fund
Cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar, whose term as Rajya Sabha MP ended recently, has donated his entire salary and allowances to the Prime Ministers Relief Fund. In the past six years, Tendulkar has drawn nearly Rs 90 lakh in salaries and other monthly allowances. The PMO has also issued a letter of acknowledgement which states: Prime Minister acknowledges this thoughtful gesture and conveys his gratitude. These contributions will be of immense help in providing assistance to the persons in distress. Tendulkar, along with veteran actress Rekha, have been criticised a lot for their poor attendance in the Parliament all these years. Tendulkar, however, has made good utilisation of MP Local Area Development fund. According to data released by Tendulkars office, he has claimed to have sanctioned 185 projects across the country with Rs 7.4 crore out of his allocated Rs 30 crore being used for educational and related structural development, including building and renovation of classrooms. Tendulkar also adopted two villages under the Sansad Gram Adarsh Gram Yojana Scheme, including Puttam Raju Kandriga in Andhra Pradesh and Donja in Maharashtra.
Unnao gangrape allegedly involving BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Senger: Allahabad High Court seeks Yogi Adityanath govt’s stand
The Allahabad High Court today sought the Uttar Pradesh governments stand on the Unnao gangrape case allegedly involving a BJP MLA and details of action taken. A bench of Chief Justice D B Bhosale and Justice Suneet Kumar, taking cognisance of the gangrape case in Uttar Pradesh on a letter to the court by senior lawyer Gopal Swaroop Chaturvedi detailing the incident, slated the matter for next hearing on April 12. It sought the state governments stand on the case and also asked the advocate general or one of the additional advocates general to remain present during the course of hearing to apprise the court about the case and action being taken. The court also ordered that the body of the victims father should not be cremated, if not done so. The body was, however, cremated yesterday. The man had died on Monday in custody after his 18-year-old daughter had accused BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar, his brother Atul Singh and his aides of raping her. Chaturvedi demanded fair investigation in the heinous crime and also on the death of the victims father. The police had yesterday arrested Atul Singh in connection with the gangrape of the woman and the…
Government websites hit by outage, cyber security chief says not hacking
Over a dozen official websites including those of defence and home ministries were today hit by an outage which was blamed on hacking but the national cyber security chief maintained it was caused by a technical glitch. Officials said tonight that efforts were underway to fix the affected sites. The National Coordinator of Cyber Security Gulshan Rai said a hardware failure was detected after some of the prominent Government websites that were hosted on the servers of National Informatics Centre(NIC) went down displaying an error message to visitors. The statement from Rai contradicts a tweet by Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman who had earlier claimed it to be a hacking incident. Action is initiated after the hacking of MoD website. The website shall be restored shortly. Needless to say, every possible step required to prevent any such eventuality in the future will be taken, she had said in her tweet. A Defence Ministry spokesman had said we are seized of the matter. The National Informatics Centre, which maintains the website, is trying to restore it. The spokesperson had claimed that there were chinese characters on the website, indicating the possible involvement of Chinese hackers. However, within hours of Sitharamans tweet, NIC…
Impeachment notice against CJI Dipak Misra is politically motivated, says ASG Satya Pal Jain
The impeachment notice moved by Congress and other opposition parties against Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra is politically motivated, Additional Solicitor General Satya Pal Jain said on Saturday. Unfortunate and politically motivated and seems to be an attempt to intimidate judiciary and give message that if you dont decide on cases as per our wishes, well indulge in character assassination of judges, Jain said. On Friday, the opposition parties led by Congress moved the impeachment motion in the Rajya Sabha seeking the removal of CJI Misra under Article 217 read with article 124 (4) of the Constitution of India. The motion was signed by 64 sitting members of the House. As per Article 124 (4), A Judge of the Supreme Court shall not be removed from his office except by an order of the President passed after an address by each House of Parliament supported by a majority of the total membership of that House and by a majority of not less than two-thirds of the members of that House present and voting has been presented to the President in the same session for such removal on the ground of proved misbehaviour or incapacity.
Congress is a ‘drama company’, Rahul Gandhi does ‘drama’, says Union minister Ananthkumar Hegde
Rahul Gandhi does drama and the Congress is a drama company, Union Minister Ananthkumar Hegde has said, attacking the Congress president over his frequent visits to places of worship during elections. The Minister of State for Skill Development said it is only now (during elections) that Rahul Gandhi has realised that a religion called Hindu Dharma exists. Today, our Rahul Gandhi has remembered that there is also a Hindu dharma in our country and thats the reason he has started visiting temples and mathas, Hegde told a public rally in Belagavi district of poll-bound Karnataka yesterday. That man does not even know how to take teertha (holy water given devotees at temples). Just because someone advised him, he goes to temples and mathas with Kaavi (saffron) clothes wearing Rudraksh malas (garlands).to mosques donning (skull) cap with chicken feather, and churches wearing a cross. He wants to do drama, nothing else, he said. Hegde has often landed in trouble for making controversial remarks and, at times, had to tender apology. The rabble-rousing Lok Sabha MP from Uttara Kannada recently spoke about changing the Constitution to remove the word secular. He apologised following an uproar. His earlier remarks linking Islam to terrorism…
Sushil Modi fires fresh salvo against Lalu Prasad Yadav and family
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi today fired a fresh salvo at RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his family for reportedly acquiring a property worth over Rs 3 crore in a posh locality of the state capital through a shell company. Addressing a press conference here, the minister produced a number of documents and claimed that the BJP had in June last highlighted the alleged purchase of a prime property by Prasad, his younger son and heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav and other members of their family through Fairgrow Pvt Ltd, though it was not clear then as to where the fixed asset was located. The Income Tax department has recently attached a two-storied house, close to the international airport here, built on an area of 7,105 square feet (owned in the name of the aforementioned company). The dots can now be joined and inference drawn that this is the same property which we had spoken about a year ago, Modi said. The senior BJP leader alleged that documents related to the companys registration showed that its address, names and whereabouts of 20 shareholders were fake, making Fairgrow the sixth such company with which the RJD supremos family has been…
4 killed in Haryana after fuel tank of a car exploded
In a bizarre incident, four people were killed after the fuel tank of a car exploded and subsequently the vehicle collided with a truck on GT Road near Haryanas Shamgadh village in Karnal. Police personnel rushed to the spot. Further details awaited. Recently in Haryana, five people including a woman and a three-year-old girl, were killed while 14 others injured when their tractor-trolley was hit by a truck near Neemriwala village on Bhiwani-Charkhi Dadri road. In another road accident, a 27-year-old person was killed three others sustained serious injuries when their car rammed into road divider on NH-1 near Ambala cantt.
Uttar Pradesh bypolls: Akhilesh Yadav launches scathing attack on BJP after SP wins Gorakhpur, Phulpur
Uttar Pradesh bypolls: After shocking BJP in its bastion, former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister and Samajwadi Party supremo Akhilesh Yadav on Wednesday attacked the saffron party. Speaking to mediapersons, Akhilesh Yadav thanked people of Gorakhpur and Phulpur constituencies for extending their support to Samajwadi Party. He also thanked the parties – BSP, Congress, Nishad Party, Peace Party, Communist forces, and others, which supported SP in the by-elections. Expressing his delight over the result, he congratulated the two SP candidates, who won from the two constituencies with a substantial vote-margin. Attacking BJP, he said people have shown the mirror to the party. He accused the BJP of not delivering on any promise after coming to power. Speaking to mediapersons, Yadav said people have shunned the web of illusion weaved by the BJP. He also said that BJP must realise that public doesnt approve politics of hate and alleged that Yogi Adityanath-led government tries to fuel tensions among communities. If this is the anger of people in areas of CM Deputy CM, you can imagine the anger of the people of the rest of the country: Akhilesh Yadav, SP. #UPByPoll pic.twitter.com\/5nTlOIT4hz Akhilesh Yadav also criticised BJP government for snatching peoples job with…
Two arrested for robbing diamonds worth Rs 17 crore in Surat
Two persons were today arrested for robbing semi-processed diamonds worth around Rs 17 crore here at gunpoint, police said. The incident happened on March 14. Police identified the arrested accused as Arjun Pandey and Manvendra Thakur, both hailing from Uttar Pradesh, and added that a third man, Mohit Singh Rana, was still at large. Surat Police Commissioner Satish Sharma said that the looted diamonds belonged to a polishing firm called Glow Star Manufacturing Company, and were robbed at gun point from its manager and another employee when the two were on their way to deposit it in a vault in Katargam locality here. On the way to the safe deposit vault, the employees were attacked by a group of robbers who fired a round in the air and snatched the bag containing the diamonds. The employees were also injured in the process, Sharma said. He said the diamonds were roughly valued at around Rs 17 crore, adding that an exact valuation was not possible because they were semi-processed. He said that the two were arrested following a manhunt by teams from the crime branch, special operations group and Katargam police. Sharma informed that the looted diamonds were recovered from Pandeys…
Kerala opposition slams Pinarayi Vijayan government over unruly police
The Kerala opposition slammed the Pinarayi Vijayan government in the Assembly on Monday over losing control over the state police as they have become a bunch of unruly hooligans and turned rabid. Seeking leave for an adjournment motion on this topic, former Home Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan presented cases that took place in the past two weeks involving unruly police officer. Earlier this month, in Alappuzha, two civilians were killed by a police vehicle when officers were chasing a traffic violator. In another incident, a police officer punched a retired railway official when he had stopped his car for the Kerala Governor to pass through. Then, a video went viral on social media which showed a police officer hurling abuses, said Radhakrishnan. He added that Vijayan and the state police chief Loknath Behera were purposely absent from the House proceedings so that Minister for Culture A.K. Balan was saddled with the responsibility for replying on behalf of the government. Balan said: Yes we know of what has happened and it will take time as some officials are still under the hangover of the Congress-led UDF rule. While we have suspended five police officers, it will not end with that. No erring…
Ride of a lifetime! When UP forest officials carried ailing leopard on a motorcycle
In a heartwarming incident, forest department employees in Uttar Pradesh The officials found a leopard lying unconscious near Potha Nulla at Tangia 28 nursery in Dakshini Chowk range on Sunday around 11 am, local media reported. The compassionate officials carried the unconscious leopard on a two-wheeler to save its life as arranging a cage would have taken time – a luxury they could not afford given the animals condition. As soon as forest department officials found the animal in an unconscious state, they informed ranger Daya Shankar Tiwari. The ranger immediately rushed to the spot with his assistants D P Kushwaha, Virendra and Mobin Ali and also informed DFO Manish Singh about the ailing big cate. They further requested for a cage to carry the leopard to a nearby veterinary hospital. However, after realising that the wait for cage could cost the leopard its life, the staff decided to carry the big cat on a motorcycle without fearing for their own lives. DFO Singh told Times Of India that the ailing leopard was found in Dakshini Chowk range during patrolling on Sunday, following which the forest employees carried it on a motorcycle to the forest department office from where it…
Hyderabad residents restore damaged road, name it KTR-Ivanka Trump Road: Why it is an embarrassment for government
Riled with the governments apparent lack of interest in repairing a stretch of damaged road in their locality, residents of Hyderabad After the repair was completed, they named it after Telangana Municipal Minister KT Rama Rao and US President Donald Trump M Krishank, a Marredpally resident and activist, took to Facebook to share the updates on the repair. He wrote about the work being done and also shared some pictures online. Last year when only few roads were beautified we requested Ivanka Trump to visit Marredpally Roads so that Government would repair our Roads. Neither Ivanka Trump came nor the Government repaired our Road. So we got onto the streets, pulled our sleeves up and attempted to repair it #Marredpally #Cantonment Citizens who participated in this one-of-a-kind initiative were seen holding placards that read: This road is named as KTR-Ivanka Trump road. Neither Ivanka Trump came to this road nor the government repaired this road. Watch video| Krishank had taken to Facebook before starting the campaign to invite people to join him in repairing the road. He wrote, Request friends with strong hands and shoulders to join us on Sunday 7am to repair the Road near St.Johns College, Secunderabad. The…
AAP gets a new voice to attack Modi government, and he’s not Arvind Kejriwal
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has a new voice these days. And it is not that of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, but of his deputy, Manish Sisodia. With Kejriwal increasingly maintaining a low profile, his education minister has taken on the task of voicing the Delhi governments grievances and spearheading the battle against the Centre. He has been particulary active over the last one week. From calling the Lt Governor a dictator and accusing him of running a parallel government to writing a three-page letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the removal of Delhi governments advisors, he has taken over from his mentor the job of attacking the Centre. Sisodia even addressed a press conference, otherwise the forte of Kejriwal, launching a broadside against the Modi government. But party leaders stressed that the two were working in tandem. A party leader held that the emergence of Sisodia as the voice of AAP was a well planned strategy. After AAPs lackluster performance in Punjab and Goa, many in the party believed that Kejriwals rabble rousing had boomeranged. Soon, the attacks on Modi by Kejriwal were not as aggressive as they used to be. And there was no one better than…
PM Modi says ordinance on rape demonstrates government’s determination to act on issue; stresses to make sons more responsible
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said the promulgation of an ordinance on rape demonstrated his governments determination to act on the issue, but stressed that people had to respect their daughters and make their sons more responsible for an atmosphere of safety. Modi also pitched for a social movement to ensure the safety of women and girls while addressing a rally here. Shivraj ji (Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan) just referred to the capital punishment provided in the ordinance for rape against minors and I could see that it (the remark) received cheers from everyone present here, he said. There is a government in Delhi which listens to your voice and takes decisions. So, the Centre has made a provision for capital punishment to the monstrous intent, he said while referring to the recent ordinance. The Union Cabinet on April 21 approved the ordinance under which the death penalty could be awarded to those convicted of raping girls below 12 years of age, amid a nation-wide outrage over cases of sexual assault and murder of minors in Kathua and Surat and the rape of a teenager in Unnao. Modi, however, called upon the people to create an atmosphere…
Income Tax department saves over Rs 977 crore in 5 years; here is how
The Income Tax department has saved a whopping over Rs 977.54 crore in five years thanks to email. The department has doubled its email conversation with taxpayers since 2013-14. The tax department has saved Rs 212.27 crore on postage cost in 2017-18 (till December 31), according to The Indian Express report. According to the Finance Ministry data, the tax department has saved Rs. 140.91 crore in 2014-15, 348.55 crore in 2015-16, 177.36 crore in 2016-17 and 212.27 crore in 2017-18. According to data, 14.15 crore e-mails were being sent to taxpayers in 2017-18, as compared to 11.82 crore in 2016-17, and 6.56 crore in 2013-14. It has been learnt that the rise in online communication was witnessed in 2015-16. In 2015-16, the tax department rolled out paperless assessment across the country. It has been leart that the Central Processing Centre (CPC) for Income Tax returns has so far sent around 73.73 crore digitally signed intimations by email. Apart from these around 67.96 crore SMS alerts and around 4.17 crore intimations by conventional speed post across the country. The tax department has calculated the savings on postage cost by taking the average cost per speed post or ordinary post as Rs…
Dyal Singh college name change row: Harsimrat Badal wants chairman sacked for hurting Sikh sentiments
Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal today asserted that renaming of Dyal Singh College will hurt the sentiments of Sikh community and strongly rejected the efforts of the college administration to change its name despite a clarification by Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar that the Centre will not allow any such move. Coming down hard on the Dyal Singh college governing council chairman Amitabh Sinha, Badal said she was shocked at what the chairman and the committee were up to. On Wednesday, she met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded that Sinha is sacked for attempting to hurt the religious sentiments of Sikhs. Despite assurances given by Human Resource Development Minister (Prakash Javadekar), making it clear that there would be no question of the college being renamed, the man has the audacity to hold an annual programme (on April 25) with a banner bearing the changed name Vande Mataram College. I have raised the issue with the ministers. Due action should be taken soon. I do not know where is he deriving strength to do these things, ANI quoted Badal as saying. The reaction is significant in the wake of reports that the name of the college was changed quietly and…
AAP launches fresh attack on EC, accuses it of destabilising Delhi government
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Addressing media in the national capital, partys chief spokesperson Saurabh Bharadwaj termed the Election Commission as biased. The party alleged that the poll body, in collusion with the BJP government at the Centre, is trying to destabilise the Arvind Kejriwal government. Countrys EC with Prime Minister is conspiring to destabilise the elected government in Delhi, Bharadwaj said, adding that the party sees it as a very dangerous sign. The statement came in response to a remark by S.K. Mendiratta, former legal advisor to Election Commission, who said that the poll body did not seek his opinion before the poll panel disqualified 20 AAP MLAs for holding Office of profit. I have given them my opinion whenever it was sought. In this case (office-of-profit complaint against AAP), they did not feel the necessity of seeking my opinion. So I (have) just kept away, said Mendiratta to IE. Mendiratta further said to IE, The High Court itself has said that they (AAP MLAs) should have been called and given an opportunity to explain. Why they (the Commission) did not (give them that opportunity), I don They (EC) have accepted High Court The AAP leader also criticised former…
Bus driver kills helper in Delhi: How smart work by police helped crack case
A case of a Delhi bus driver running over his helper while trying to reverse the vehicle and killing the man would have gone unsolved had it not been for smart thinking by the Delhi Police. The driver, along with his employer, had allegedly dumped the body in Chhawla area of south-west Delhis Dwarka. As the matter came up before the police for investigation, both the owner and the driver tried to convince police of their ignorance. Despite all attempts by the duo to carry out what they thought was the perfect crime, the police managed to ensure that they failed to give cops the slip. The matter came to light when the family members of the deceased, identified as Shravan Kumar Yadav, lodged a report with police, said Shibhesh Singh, DCP (Dwarka). At the same time, a body was found near Goyla Dairy, he said. Police initially thought it was a case of abduction and initiated a probe into the matter. Subsequently, police managed to trace Yadavs body. The body was not in a state to be recognised as it was eaten by animals. Yadav was identified by the ID-proof and mobile phone which police recovered from the body….
Hyderabad woman thanks MEA Sushma Swaraj after being rescued from Oman
A woman from Hyderabad thanked the External Affairs Minister (EAM), Sushma Swaraj, on Friday after she was rescued from Oman, where she was allegedly being forced to work as a housekeeper in three houses. Reshma, the rescued victim, told ANI that she and her daughter Niloufer Shaik were sent to Dubai on the pretext of a good job by an agent, but after reaching, Reshma was sent to Oman. We left for Dubai on 28 December 2017. The agent said our salary would be Rs 20,000 per month and after landing there, they took us to an office and kept us there. Later, they took away my daughter for work and since then, I have no contact with her. They kept me for ten days there and shifted me to Oman and they made me work in three houses at a time, she said. Reshma said she was locked in a room for two days without food and water when she refused to work, and later escaped and approached the Indian embassy for help Reshma, now rescued from the clutches of her employer, thanked Swaraj for the Indian embassys assistance and also requested her to rescue her daughter.
No leadership change in Goa due to Manohar Parrikar’s absence, says BJP
The Goa BJP today said that there was no question of a change in leadership in the state due to the illness of Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. A section of leaders said that, in the remote chance of a change in leadership, the reins of the government would still be with the BJP and not its coalition partners. The issue of Parrikars absence from the helm of affairs in the state was discussed today at the partys meeting here chaired by BJP national general secretary (organisation) BL Santhosh, said leaders. It was informed by the national leader (Santhosh) that the question of giving the top seat to any other party does not arise. The leadership of the government will remain with the BJP, Deputy Speaker and BJP legislator Michael Lobo told reporters after the meeting. Union AYUSH minister and North Goa Member of Parliament Shripad Naik ruled out the possibility of a leadership change in Goa. There is no such possibility. Parrikar is recovering and he will soon be back to lead the government, he said. Santhosh did not talk to mediapersons following the meeting and other leaders, including Assembly Speaker Pramod Sawant, refused to comment on queries posed by…
Pawan Kalyan takes U-turn over special status to Andhra Pradesh; here is what he said
Taking a U-turn on the issue of special category status to Andhra Pradesh, actor-politician Pawan Kalyan on Monday said the tag was not important. In an interview to a television channel, the Jana Sena chief said that it doesnt matter whether the state gets the tag of special status or not. What is important is the financial help from the central government, he said. Pawan, younger brother of superstar and Congress leader Chiranjeevi, also ruled out any truck with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) till the states demands are met. The actor had been targeting Andhra Pradeshs ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) ever since it accepted special package from the BJP-led NDA government last year in lieu of the special category status. Pawan had been addressing a series of meetings to target TDP. He had also described the special package as a stale laddu. Last week, he had even threatened to launch an indefinite fast to seek special status. The u-turn came amid the allegations by the TDP that Pawan has secret understanding with the BJP. TDP president and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had criticised the actor for making allegations of corruption against the TDP government instead of targeting…
Uttar Pradesh rejig: Yogi Adityanath government transfers 37 IAS officers, promotes Gorakhpur DM Rajiv Rautella
The Uttar Pradesh government has transferred 37 IAS officials, including 16 District Magistrates, an official said on Saturday. Rajiv Rautela, the District Magistrate of Gorakhpur, who courted controversy on Wednesday for barring the media from accessing details at the Lok Sabha bypoll counting centre, has been shifted and prompted as Divisional Commissioner of Devipatan. The bureaucratic rejig was effected late on Friday. The Samajwadi Party has wrested Gorakhpur, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanaths home constituency, from the BJP after several decades. Anoop Chandra Pandey, the industrial and infrastructure development commissioner (IIDC) credited with the success of the UP Investors Summit held in February has been rewarded with additional charge of the NRI Department, besides the additional charge of Greater Noida. Alok Sinha has been made the new principal secretary (Commercial Tax), Nitin Ramesh has been made the new principal secretary (Housing). He replaced Mukul Singhal who has been sent to the Silk Department. Senior bureaucrat Rajeev Kapoor who was in waiting ever since his return from a central deputation has been made the chairman of PICUP; Alok Tandon has been given additional charge of Noida as its chairman. Deepak Agarwal has been made the new divisional commissioner of Varanasi while Chandra…
PM Narendra Modi to address major globally televised event during UK visit in April
Prime Minister Narendra Modi would address a major globally televised event during his three-day visit to the UK next month to attend the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Bharat Ki Baat, Sabke Saath is being billed as a niche event, which will take place in a broadcast studio setting in central London on April 18. A few hundred guests picked out by an open ballot following registrations on bharatkibaat.org will get the chance to participate in the moderated question and answer session with the Prime Minister. A unique niche event is being planned in London on April 18. Titled as #BharatKiBaatSabkeSaath, it will be a one of its kind live interactive conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Vijay Chauthaiwale, in-charge of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Foreign Affairs Department, announced on Twitter. The Prime Minister will arrive in London from Sweden and hold a series of bilateral meetings, including with British Prime Minister Theresa May and an audience with Queen Elizabeth II, expected on April 18. On April 19 and 20, he will take part in the CHOGM discussions along with heads of government from other 52 member-countries of the Commonwealth. The visit has been dubbed as historic within…
Mamata Banerjee’s winning formula: Every party should fight where it is strong against BJP
Since there is no dominant leader with a countrywide appeal in the opposition camp at the moment, it is natural that the most energetic opponents of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will take the lead in trying to bring together the different parties to fight the ruling party at the Centre. Not surprisingly, Mamata Banerjee is playing that part. Having singlehandedly ousted the Communists from West Bengal against what appeared at the time as insuperable odds, she has now taken on an even bigger challenge to evict the BJP from Delhi. Prior to the 2004 general election, Sonia Gandhi assumed the role of a coordinator and succeeded in toppling the Atal Behari Vajpayee government, which was confident of a second term. It remains to be seen whether the West Bengal Chief Minister succeeds in her endeavour, which is not dissimilar to what happened in 2004. Her formula is simple. Each party should fight where it is strong against the BJP (Jo party jahan strong hai, wahan usko ladna chahiye). This is the basis of her one-to-one confrontations with the saffron outfit. However, there will be a problem with this arrangement where two parties may claim to be equally strong in…
Morning News Bulletin: Track Latest stories
Indu Malhotra set to be SC judge The government is learnt to have cleared the appointment of senior advocate Indu Malhotra as a judge of the Supreme Court, sources in the Law Ministry said yesterday. She will be the first woman judge to be appointed to the top post directly from the bar. With this development, the government has decided to put on hold the elevation of Justice K M Joseph, who heads the Uttarakhand High Court. Bihar, Chhattisgarh reject Niti Aayog CEOs remarks on backwardness Chief ministers of Bihar and Chhattisgarh yesterday rejected Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kants remarks that these were among the states that were keeping India backward and said their states have made tremendous progress. On Monday, Kant said states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan are keeping India backward, especially on social indicators. Bhopal mayor removes bus stand hoarding bearing Asarams name Following Asarams conviction in a rape case and a demand that the places named after him be rechristened, the Bhopal Municipal Corporation today removed a hoarding from a bus stand bearing the name of the controversial self-styled godman. Earlier in the day, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan had…
Mamata Banerjee hits out at Centre for leasing out historic Red Fort
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today came down heavily on the Center for leasing out the the historic Red Fort in New Delhi and the Gandikota Fort in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh to a corporate house. Describing the Red Fort as the symbol of the nation and the day as the sad and dark day in our history, Banerjee questioned why the central government was unable to take care of the historical fort. Why cant the Government even take care of our historic Lal Qila? Red Fort is a symbol of our nation. It is where Indias flag is hoisted on Independence Day. Why should it be leased out?, Banerjee tweeted this evening. The Dalmia Bharat Limited today won contracts to adopt the iconic Red Fort and the Gandikota Fort. The 77-year-old corporate conglomerate beat IndiGo Airlines and the GMR group to bag the contract worth Rs 25 crore spanning five years to maintain the fort. The Dalimia Bharat group under the memorandum of understanding will maintain the monument and build basic infrastructure around it. In March this year 31 prospective monument mitras (friends of heritage sites) were shortlisted by a oversight and vision committee for developing tourist-friendly…