President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday conveyed his birthday greetings to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.
Chandrashekar Rao’s birthday falls on February 17. Please accept my warm greetings and good wishes on your birthday on February 17, 2019. May the Almighty bless you with happiness, good health and many more years of dedicated service to the nation,” the President said in a letter to KCR.
In a separate release from the CMs office, KCR appealed to his TRS party cadre not to celebrate his birthday following the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed.
Two out of the four disgruntled Congress MLAs, against whom a disqualification petition is pending with the assembly Speaker, on Friday met party leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and reportedly pledged loyalty to the party.
“MLA Shri Nagendra and Shri Ramesh Jarkiholi met CLPleader Shri @siddaramaiah along with minister Shri Zameer Ahmed Khan,” Karnataka Congress said in a tweet.
Though what transpired at the meeting was not known, party sources calling it a one-to-one meeting said that the legislators pledged their loyalty to the party and requested the CLP leader to withdraw the disqualification petition while narrating their grievances.
Siddaramaiah is said to have advised both Jarkiholi and Nagendra not to take any decision in haste until the Lok Sabha elections are over, according to the sources.
The CLP leader on Thursday had said that his petition seeking disqualification of four disgruntled party MLAs was pending with the Speaker, who is the competent authority to take action under the anti-defection law.
The former Chief Minister said that his petition to the Speaker has nothing to do with the four MLAs attending the session since Wednesday, as he noted that the legislators have violated the whip in earlier instances.
The four disgruntled Congress MLAs, who had gone missing for several weeks amid political turmoil in Karnataka, surfaced on Wednesday two days after the party recommended their disqualification to Speaker K R Ramesh Kumar.
The lawmakers had kept the party on tenterhooks for several weeks, defying its whip twice to attend the Congress Legislative Party (CLP) meetings on January 18 and February 8. They had skipped the assembly Budget Session since February 6 and surfaced only on Wednesday.
The four– Ramesh Jarkiholi, Umesh Jadhav, B Nagendra and Mahesh Kumathali– were reported to be in touch with the BJP, which has been accused of trying to poach the MLAs to bring down the JDS-Congress government. Though Umesh Jadhav and Mahesh Kumathali have not met Siddaramaiah, they had attended the session on Wednesday and Thursday.
Party insiders have said that Jadhav may have made up his mind to join the BJP and he has reportedly been promised Gulbarga Lok Sabha seat against Congress veteran Mallikarjuna Kharge, whom he considers arch rival.
Surprisingly, Kumathali known as close confidant of Jarkiholi kept away from Friday’s meeting, with reports of alleged cracks in ties between them. The Congress had petitioned the Speaker on Monday, seeking action against the four MLAs after warning them to mend their ways and fall in line. The MLAs were earlier given notices, seeking an explanation for their conduct and to meet Siddaramaiah in person, which they had not complied with.
According to sources, the four decided to attend the proceedings to vote in favour of the finance bill during the budget that concluded on Thursday, to save themselves from the disqualification move.
The air quality in the national capital improved Friday and was recorded in the “poor” category due to rain in various parts of the city that washed out suspended particulate matter (PM), authorities said.
According to data provided by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), the overall air quality index (AQI) of Delhi was at 249. An AQI between 0 and 50 is considered “good”, 51 and 100 “satisfactory”, 101 and 200 “moderate”, 201 and 300 “poor”, 301 and 400 “very poor”, and between 401 and 500 “severe”.
The CPCB said that 26 areas in the national capital recorded ‘poor’ air quality, while only in one area it was ‘severe’. The level of PM2.5 (particles in the air with a diameter of less than 2.5 micrometres) was recorded at 107 and the PM10 level was at 167, it said.
In the National Capital Region (NCR), Ghaziabad, Greater Noida and Noida recorded ‘poor’ air quality while Gurgaon had ‘moderate’ air quality. Authorities said that the overall air quality is likely to improve to ‘moderate’ by Saturday.
“Rain scavenging of suspended particular matter has contributed towards the improvement of the region’s air quality. The slow improvement in “AQI” despite of good rain is mainly due to isolated rainfall in different pockets.
“Air quality will be in moderate to poor category till February 17,” the Centre-run System of Air Quality and Weather Forecasting (SAFAR) said.
It said the air quality is expected to slightly deteriorate Monday onwards.
The National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) on Friday opposed the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project saying that instead of focusing on this “wasteful” big-ticket project, the government should strengthen the existing rail network in the country.
While talking to reporters, NFIR general secretary M Raghavaih alleged that the bullet train was a dream project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has not thought about its economic viability. The Rs 1.08 lakh crore bullet train project is wasteful. Since India is not a developed country, it does not need this project. The country can think about it after 2040, when it becomes a developed nation.
“The government should prioritise work on the existing train routes, instead of focusing on the bullet train project. Before the bullet train starts running, it is important to undertake repairs and maintenance work of the tracks across the country,” Raghavaih said.
The project had a little or no justification on the grounds of economic viability or public service, he said, adding that only a handful of high-income countries with specific demographics have high-speed rail (HSR), while many have failed in their efforts, others have abandoned it after studying it
Another NFIR office-bearer, J G Mahurkar, warned that the railway employees may launch an agitation over the NDA government’s “failure” to accept their demands, including that of risk and hardship allowance to employees.
Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe had launched the bullet train project in Ahmedabad in September 2017. The ambitious project is expected to be completed by 2022 and will cut travel time between the two cities from seven hours to less than three.
The Maharashtra Congress, which has been trying to persuade Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) leader Prakash Ambedkar to join the anti-BJP coalition, says it was disappointed with his approach as he was not showing any flexibility and keenness for a tie-up.
The Congress said Ambedkar was adamant that the party should give an action plan in writing on bringing the RSS in the constitutional framework.
The Congress and NCP have earlier said they were ready to give four seats to Ambedkar. However, the latter has announced candidates for 12 Lok Sabha seats.
Interestingly, the Dalit leader, grandson of Dr B R Ambedkar, has not announced his own candidature from Akola, a Lok Sabha seat he had earlier represented.
The Congress on Friday expressed surprise that he was yet to announce the candidate from Akola.
“We agree there has to be a common minimum programme. But Ambedkar’s insistence that the Congress gives an action plan in writing on how to curb parallel administration run by the RSS in the government is laughable,” a Congress source said on Friday.
“Congress will be in a position to give an action plan or take steps in that direction only if we are in the government. Now, focus has to be on how to win the election by ensuring there is no division of votes. Ambedkar’s stand is a sign that he is not keen on alliance. We are disappointed with his approach,” the source added.
The state leadership has become cautious about Ambedkar’s moves and feels that his tactic of not announcing a candidate in Akola so far, is due to his uncertainty of his prospects in Akola.
“There are speculations that he may not contest the Akola seat, where he had finished third last time,” the source said.
“Since the Congress has become cautious, the party is preparing to field a new face in Akola, who will give a tough fight to sitting BJP MP Sanjay Dhotre and Ambedkar if he decides to contest on his own or field his nominee. As far as the Congress is concerned, it will wait for Ambedkar to make his next move. We don’t want a message to go that we were not accommodating,” the Congress insider said.
Congress and NCP have said they were ready to give four seats to Ambedkar in order to avoid division of votes.
Talking to agencies, Ambedkar said he has announced candidates in 12 constituencies – Buldhana, Nanded, Yavatmal, Madha, Amravati, Latur, Satara, Sangli, Baramati, Pune, Hatkanagale and Nashik.
“We had sought 12 seats where Congress didn’t have candidates to field or where they have been consistently losing. The number of seats was immaterial. We wanted an action plan from the Congress regarding bringing the RSS within the constitutional framework. If there is no discussion on this, we are not going with the Congress,” Ambedkar said.
State Congress chief Ashok Chavan said Ambedkar was offered four seats as against his demand for 12 seats.
“As far as his other demand of restricting the RSS is concerned, Congress is supportive of it. We too are against that ideology. Now, it is up to Ambedkar to respond,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Congress is expected to begin the process of finalising its first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections next week.
The list will be announced later. The first list will include constituencies where there is no dispute over choice of candidates, the party insiders said.
Party sources told agencies that Wednesday’s meeting between NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress president Rahul Gandhi was aimed at discussing the issue of joint campaigning.
Accordingly, both the parties will have a joint rally in Nanded and later in Parli (in Beed district) next week. Sharad Pawar and AICC general secretary Mallikarjun Kharge are scheduled to address the two rallies along with the state leaders.
A 36-year-old man was sentenced to seven years imprisonment by a local court in Maharashtra for raping a married woman in his neighbourhood.
District Judge Kavita D Shirbhate convicted Bablu Lakhan Shaha under section 376 (rape), 385 (extortion) and 506(2) (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code and also imposed a fine of Rs 9,000 on him.
Additional Public Prosecutor Sanjay More said Shaha had called the woman, who resides in the same building with her husband and two children, to his home on the pretext of some work on December 13, 2013, and raped her in the kitchen. He also threatened her.
Shaha then started demanding sexual favours from the woman. He asked her to give him for Rs 2 lakh and threatened to kill her husband, More said.
Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar Friday said the Pulwama terror attack was an attack on the nation and there should be no attempts to politicise the issue.
The former Union minister also took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over some of the latter’s statements after such attacks during the Congress-led UPA regime.
Speaking to reporters on home turf Baramati in Pune district, Pawar called on Thursday’s attack on the CRPF convoy in Jammu and Kashmir as an attack on the nation.
“I can remember, Prime Minister Modi, before coming to power, used to say in his election rallies that (then PM) Manmohan Singh’s government had failed to teach Pakistan a lesson (after such attacks).
“He (Modi) used to say the Manmohan Singh government did not have ability to teach a lesson (to Pakistan). He also used to remark that only those with a 56-inch chest could administer a tough lesson to Pakistan,” Pawar said.
Modi, in his rallies, used to exhort people to replace the UPA government with that of the BJP so that Pakistan could be given a befitting reply for such terror attacks, Pawar told reporters.
“But everyone has seen what has happened now. But today I will not repeat that same demand which he (Modi) had made (at that time),” Pawar said.
The kind of image that Modi created of himself in the run-up to the 2014 Lok Sabha polls had now become a “100 per cent failure”, he said.
The hand of state players in Pakistan cannot be ruled out in the Pulwama attack looking at its magnitude and explosives used, Pawar said. Having such capabilities was not possible for common persons or outfits, he added.
“Such explosives and weapons are generally available with the army. Since they cannot get it from the Indian Army, it is clear the neighbouring nation provided such weapons to the attackers,” he claimed.
Pawar said that the way the attack was carried out showed the attacker/s were trained by experts. “Since the army can give such training, it shows the attackers were given training from the neighbouring nation’s soil,” claimed Pawar.
The former defence minister said that the attackers had knowledge of the CRPF convoy’s movement. Calling the situation worrisome, Pawar said there was need to give national security and defence greater importance.
He said, if needed, an all-party meet should be convened so that a message goes out the entire country stands united during this trying time.
The Maharashtra government has signed a memorandum of understanding with a city-based NGO to beautify neighbouring Thane and Pune with art works and by conducting sanitation and hygiene workshops.
An agreement was signed earlier this week in Pune by government authorities with NGO Rouble Nagi Foundation (RNAF) in the presence of Maharashtra cabinet minister Girish Bapat.
An RNAF statement informed it would soon sign similar MOUs with the state government to carry out such works in Nagpur, Vasai and Virar.
“As part of the MoU, the RNAF will provide art teachers in our municipal schools, decorate the city by installing murals and art works and also help beautify the city,” Thane municipal commissioner Sanjeev Jaiswal told PTI.
“This partnership will help us work towards development goals in education, urban beautification, sanitation, hygiene and women empowerment,” RNAF founder Rouble Nagi said.
The Maharashtra government on Friday paid tributes here to the 40 CRPF jawans martryed in Thursday’s terror attack in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Maharashtra Minister of State for Revenue Sanjay Rathod, state Chief Secretary D K Jain and Principal Secretary in the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) Bhushan Gagarani paid tributes to the CRPF personnel at a brief ceremony held at the Mantralaya, the state secretariat.
A two-minute silence was observed as a mark respect to the departed souls.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis condemned the “cowardly” terror attack.
“Deeply pained. Entire Nation stands with the #CRPF family. We salute the supreme sacrifice for the Nation and pray for speedy recovery of the injured ones!” he tweeted.
On Thursday, an explosives laden truck rammed into a CRPF convoy in Pulwama outside Srinagar, killing at least 40 soldiers in one of the biggest terror attacks in recent years. Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) has claimed the responsibility for the terror attack.
Sushil Chandra on Friday took charge as the new Election Commissioner (EC) of India.
Led by Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sunil Arora, ECI has now two ECs-Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra.
Born on May 15, 1957, Chandra is a 1980 batch Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer. In the IRS service, Chandra has rendered his service in various states, namely, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Gujarat, and Maharashtra.
Acquiring his academic proficiency from Roorkee University and LLB from DAV College, Dehradun, Chandra has worked extensively in the areas of international taxation and investigation at various places.
Chandra brings rich experience from his position of Director of Investigation, Mumbai, and Director General (Investigation), Gujarat. Besides this, he has undergone various training programmes at Singapore, IIM Bangalore, and Wharton.
Prior to joining ECI, Chandra held the office of chairman in Central Board of Direct Taxes, Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, and Government of India and was also Member (Investigation), CBDT.
President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday conveyed his birthday greetings to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao.
The air quality in the national capital improved Friday and was recorded in the “poor” category due to rain in various parts of the city that washed out suspended particulate matter (PM), authorities said.
The National Federation of Indian Railwaymen (NFIR) on Friday opposed the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project saying that instead of focusing on this “wasteful” big-ticket project, the government should strengthen the existing rail network in the country.
A 36-year-old man was sentenced to seven years imprisonment by a local court in Maharashtra for raping a married woman in his neighbourhood.
The Maharashtra government on Friday paid tributes here to the 40 CRPF jawans martryed in Thursday’s terror attack in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir.
Sushil Chandra on Friday took charge as the new Election Commissioner (EC) of India.