Crisis in K’taka: Cong slams BJP for ‘brazen attempt’ to destabilise govt

By

-

January 16, 2019

The Congress on Wednesday slammed the BJP for its “brazen attempt” to destabilise the party’s coalition government with JD(S) in Karnataka.

A political crisis is brewing in the state, where two Independent MLAs Tuesday withdrew support to the seven-month-old ministry amid trading of poaching charges by the ruling coalition and BJP.

The BJP’s Karnataka MLAs have been camping at a resort in Haryana in an “effort to thwart any poaching attempt” by the ruling JDS-Congress coalition.

“The entire confusion has been created by the BJP. Was that really required? They did it brazenly throwing morality and ethics to the wind. It is shameful and disgusting,” Karnataka Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao told agencies.

Blaming Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national president Amit Shah for the current political crisis is Karnataka, Rao said the party under their aegis has become “anti-constitutional.”

“The topic for discussion should not be the stability of our government but what BJP has reduced to under Modi and Amit Shah. The BJP today has become an anti-constitutional party.

“It is misusing the government machinery to threaten the MLAs and their rivals,” he alleged.

Allaying fears over the stability of the Congress-JDS dispensation, Rao said, “All our MLAs are intact and nobody is going anywhere. They are all with us together.”

The party has taken measures to address whatever grievances some people have but all the MLAs are very much in the party and nobody is going away, he added.

After two MLAs– R Shankar and H Nagesh– withdrew their support to the government Tuesday, rumour mill has been agog that the government’s fall was imminent as many other Congress MLAs may follow suit and resign from their respective constituencies.

Despite claims that all the MLAs were with the party, Ramesh Jarkiholi and Umesh Jadhav remained incommunicado.

Congress spokesperson Subhash Agarwal said these two MLAs may not be in touch at this moment but they were very much in the party.

“Our party is stable. Those two MLAs withdrawing support is of no consequence. Numbers are in our favour and there is no threat to the government,” he said.

Former Goa RSS Chief asks Parrikar to focus on his health and retire

By

Web Team

-

January 16, 2019

Former Goa RSS chief Subhash Velingkar on Wednesday said that Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar should give priority to his health and retire, instead of continuing to occupy the top post.

He also said that the Goa BJP once felt that a “dynamic” leader like Parrikar should become the prime minister of the country.

Velingkar, who was once a strong supporter of Parrikar, had fallen out with him after the BJP-led state government decided to give grants to English medium schools. In 2016, he formed his own political outfit Goa Suraksha Manch (GSM).

“If I was with him (under current circumstances), I would make him retire. Health comes first,” 70-year-old Velingkar told agencies.

Parrikar, 63, who is suffering from a pancreatic ailment, has been recuperating at his private residence near here. He had undergone treatment at hospitals in Mumbai, Delhi and the USA last year.

“His health is important for Goa. Parrikar is a dynamic leader, he is a good leader. He is good in decision making, but for the lapses,” Velingkar said.

“His lapses are there and they are getting more serious after 2012. It was not before that. We (BJP in Goa) wanted him to become the prime minister of the country,” he added.

“We used to feel that he should be in the Centre. Goa is a small place for him. We wanted him to go in the Parliament. It is the proper place for him. That was our opinion. But he was not interested…This was in 2006-08,” Velingkar said.

He alleged that Parrikar never believed in collective decision. “If he wanted to take rest (now), he would have done that. To continue in the chair is his wish. But he should understand what his priority should be. He requires lot of rest.

“The current drama (of continuing in the chair) is pitiable. Look at the pictures (released by his office). He need not drag on with this,” he added.

Velingkar, who was removed from the key post by the RSS in 2016, said he anyway wanted to retire from the organisation at the age of 70 in order to focus on writing.

“I wanted to retire from Sangh at the age of 70 and then go for research and writing. I have a collection of around 1,000 articles in Marathi and Konkani. I wanted to publish them,” he said.

Commenting on the RSS and its role in politics, Velingkar said, “RSS should decide what it wants to do.”

“The RSS in its original form was never subjugated to politics. It was playing a role of a guide in politics. It had an upper hand. But the situation is no more the same,” he added.

“Now in Goa, BJP is running the RSS. Those in the BJP are running the RSS. And this is an unfortunate situation,” he said.

“Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas” will make BJP win 74 LS seats in UP: JP Nadda

By

Web Team

-

January 16, 2019

Union minister and BJP Lok Sabha election in-charge for Uttar Pradesh JP Nadda exuded confidence on Wednesday that the saffron party will win 74 Lok Sabha seats out of 80 in the state and downplayed the new alliance between the SP and the BSP for the general elections.

On his first visit to the state capital after being appointed as the party’s election in-charge for UP, Nadda held a meeting with senior party office bearers and said that, we shall increase our tally of Lok Saba seats from the state by winning 74 seats, one more than last time,” he told reporters.

The BJP will register a handsome win in the Lok Sabha elections and all records will be broken. The reason for this is the work done by the government under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The people’s affection towards the prime minister will also prove instrumental in BJP’s win, he said at the party headquarters here.

Asked whether there is any threat from the newly-formed SP-BSP alliance, Nadda said that we knew that this (alliance) is going to happen. We had anticipated this. Our strategy will be to bag at least 50 per cent vote share (in the Lok Sabha polls).

On allegations levelled by rival political parties that the BJP has been unable to fulfil its poll promises.They are telling their own records and their political culture has been of commission, corruption and division. The BJP believes in Sabkaa Saath, Sabkaa Vikaas , Nadda said.

#BESTStrike: Union accepts 10-step pay hike formula, to withdraw stir

By

Afternoon Voice

-

January 16, 2019

The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) workers’ union on Wednesday agreed to withdraw its ongoing nine-day-old strike after they accepted the ’10-step’ pay hike to be granted to them by way of an interim measure by the civic transport undertaking’s management.

The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) workers, its management and other parties concerned will now go for mediation to resolve their dispute.

Around 32,000 BEST workers have been on strike since January 8 over their various demands, including pay hike, revision of pay scale of junior level employees and merger of BEST’s budget with that of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

A state-appointed high-powered committee had earlier this week suggested that the BEST employees’ salary be hiked in 10 steps as an interim measure.

The BEST workers’ union’s counsel Neeta Karnik Wednesday said this was agreeable to employees but they want an independent mediator to resolve the issues.

“We cannot sit with BEST. We want an independent mediator who has knowledge of labour laws… we want a retired high court judge to be appointed as mediator,” Karnik said.

A division bench of Chief Justice N H Patil and Justice N M Jamdar agreed to this and directed the parties to suggest names.

“The mediator shall within a period of three months discuss demands put forth by the employees, like 20-step pay hike, the merger of BEST and BMC budgets, and so on,” the court said in its order.

The BEST union and its management agreed to have retired high court justice F I Rebello as the mediator.

After the court dictated its order, Karnik made a statement before the bench that the strike will be called off by Wednesday afternoon.

The court noted that the first step was to ensure the strike was called off.

“The strike should not have happened at all. The situation should not have been brought to this extent. The BEST and BMC should show more consideration towards the BEST workers. It is not easy for families to survive with low salaries,” Chief Justice Patil said.

To the workers, he said, “No employee will ever say he or she is satisfied with their job and salary. But we are all part of a system that needs to continue functioning.”

The court was hearing a petition filed last week by advocate Datta Mane, seeking that the strike be declared illegal and called-off.

BEST’s counsel M P Rao told the bench that the management was ready to implement the “10-step increment” for its employees with effect from January this year.

The increase, however, will be implemented subject to the fact that the strike is called off, Rao told the bench.

As per the BEST workers’ union and BMC’s previous submissions in court, a ‘one-step’ increase in pay for BEST workers amounts to around Rs 330 per month.

More than 2,300 women to go on Hajj 2019 without ‘Mehram’: Naqvi

By

Web Team

-

January 16, 2019

Over 2,300 Muslim women from India will go on Hajj this year without ‘Mehram’ or male companion as all those who applied under this category have been exempted from the lottery system, Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said on Wednesday.

The Modi government had last year allowed women going to Hajj without Mehram which had resulted in about 1,300 Muslim women going for the pilgrimage without any male companion. They had been exempted from the lottery system. While, Naqvi inaugurating the new office space of Haj Division at RK Puram here said that for the first time after the Independence, 2,340 Muslim women have applied to go on Haj in 2019 without Mehram. This year too, on the directions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Minority Affairs Ministry has made arrangement to send these women on Haj without the lottery system.

Women from all states are among the 2,340 that have applied to go on Haj in 2019 without Mehram. More than 2,67,000 applications had been received for Haj this year out of which 1,64,902 applications have been submitted online. A lottery is conducted to select the pilgrims as there is a fixed quota allotted by Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage. A record number of 1,75,025 Muslims, including about 48 per cent women from India performed Haj in 2018 that too was without any subsidy, Naqvi said.

Naqvi further added that, Reduction in GST on Haj pilgrimage will ensure significant decrease in air fare from various embarkation points. Making the Haj process digital has helped in making it transparent and pro-pilgrims. With the Goods and Services Tax on Haj pilgrimage reduced from 18 per cent to 5 per cent, about Rs 113 crore will be saved by Haj pilgrims this year.

The Ministry of Minority Affairs, in cooperation with Saudi Arabia Haj Consulate, Haj Committee of India and other agencies concerned has completed preparations for the pilgrimage three months before the schedule to ensure that the pilgrimage is more comfortable for the pilgrims.

‘Paras Healthcare’ to invest Rs 500 crores to add 830 beds in 2019

By

Web Team

-

January 16, 2019

Hospital chain ‘Paras Healthcare’ is investing Rs 500 crore to add 830 beds in 2019, a top company official said on Wednesday.

We are investing Rs 500 crore to add 830 beds in 2019 across our three hospitals. This includes 232 beds in our Panchkula hospital which we have just opened, Paras Healthcare Managing Director Dharminder Nagar told PTI.

The multi speciality hospital in Panchkula is a part of the company’s expansion plan for the year. The company will also be opening a hospital in Ranchi with 350 beds during the year and will be adding 250 beds in another hospital. The hospital in Ranchi is being set up in partnership with Heavy Engineering Corporation (HEC), Nagar said without disclosing the location of the hospital.

When asked how the company is funding the expansion, Nagar said: This is mainly through equity which we have raised. The company had raised USD 42 million (around Rs 275 crore) in July 2017 from private equity firm Creador. The rest would be through debt.

The company follows an asset light model and its focus has always been to serve the middle class and to manage the quality and be cost effective. The company has hospitals in Gurugram, Patna, Darbhanga and Panchkula, he added.

Letters to the Editor: January 16, 2019

By

Web Team

-

January 16, 2019

FEATURE LETTER DIARY 679x400 e1545637164261

United We Stand

The win of Congress in three big states has increased the reputation and significance of Congress is also big, that even in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan, the BSP alliance is formed with the Congress in the two states If there is unity in Congress in Uttar Pradesh, even political analyst says that if Congress is successful in the states, Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav will not be able to ignore the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, which became the fourth largest power in the Uttar Pradesh, they can become a factor and in Uttar Pradesh. Mayawati and Akhilesh can force the Congress to join this alliance for the kind of union that Congress and Rahul Gandhi played an important role in Bihar; this alliance was defeated by Modi and Amit Shah’s pair and now in the same year in Uttar Pradesh in 2019. Now only we can say that united We stand divided We fall.

Hafiz Muhammad Ilyas

Happy Pongal

Pongal, also referred to as the ‘harvest festival’, is observed by the people of Tamil Nadu, located in the Southern part of India. The idea behind celebrating this day is the gratification of people towards their God — the Sun, for bringing about the season of harvest, which is a boon for them.

A few day before the festival, people particularly the women, cleans and decorates the whole house with flowers. They use swastik and kumkum to embellish big earthen vessels. The pit is filled with water and rice by either the youngest or the oldest member of the family. As per the traditions, it is of paramount importance to add some milk to water in which rice is cooked which is to be offered to the sun. People who get involved in cooking rice for the God have to take utmost care of cleanliness. They are not supposed to step over the rangoli which has been designed for decoration.

Jubel D’Cruz

Historic 10% quota bill cleared

Central government cleared 10 per cent quota bill and it ensures wider canvas for our Youngistan to display their talent and contribute towards India’s transformation in the years to come. Thus, the government’s historic 10 per cent quota bill for economically weaker section cleared in Rajya Sabha with a clear margin and the so called Opposition unity came cropper. It was a master stroke by Modi and that will be in effect once President give his nod it will become a reality. The government termed this legislation as a shot in the arm and the timing was fashioned towards the fag end of its tenure and considered by the ruling partners as a slog over six. The opposition unity came cropper in the end game and the gathbandhan members call it a foul despite approval in Parliament and Rajya Sabha with a clear verdict.

Arati Abhishek

Bus strike paralysed city

BEST bus strike paralysed the city and daily commuters suffered the most. It is not fair on the part of the Public Transport system to make people suffer for their demands. Long queues were witnessed in most part of the city and that gave a bad picture. Both ladies and school going children suffered the most. Senior Citizens and people with health problems stood for a very long time to get a bus or any other transport for going to their destination. The city was caught napping by a near total strike by the BEST drivers and conductors. Lakhs of daily commuters, including students appearing for their exams had to trudge to the nearest Railway Station as the Government failed to provide alternate transport. Thus, BEST strike not only paralysed the city and it almost came stand still as alternate transport was not available and local trains was the only last resort to commute within the city.

Akhilesh Krishnan

Historic Series win

Team India script history and that too in Australian soil with a series win and that too 70 years of test match cricket down under. There is no excuse that the Australian side was weak of just an A team of the Kangaroos. The win by Kohli’s men is counted as an historic win and each and every player contributed to this win. Ashwin, who played only at Adelaide managed 62 runs stand with Pujara in the first test and that paved way for a 31 runs victory to begin with. Ashwin took four vital wickets in the first innings and that put an end to an Australian resurgence in the series. The other two spinners also performed well in the final test to have a firm like grip and an unassailable lead in the series. Both Agarwal and Pujara played to a plan to put up huge score and that neutralised the chances of Australia making a comeback in the series. In all it was team work that made the difference and the Aussies were just push over in a fierce fight.

Kudos to Kohli’s invincible side!

Jayanthi Chitra Rugmini

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Take care on Reservation

By

C K Subramaniam

-

January 16, 2019

Reservation and corruption are stumbling blocks contributing to deprivation of eligible candidates in our system. Representation of minorities should be banned and substitute monopoly of the intelligentsia. When you give a dole to someone you deprive him of his dignity, when you deprive someone of his dignity you rob someone of his destiny. Give infrastructure to live and develop rather than pickpocketing non-reserved classes.

Vote bank politics does not sustain, the example portrayed by the genuflection and decimation of an omnipotent national party into parroting by frail dispensation stammering Rafael in sleep. It is moral. Stop communistic preferences in the delivery of quota. Stop representation of minorities. Enforce monopoly of the intelligentsia. We should progress. National burdens are to be removed and it is time to rehabilitate them in some work-oriented programmes, rather than fielding them in undeserving quarters. Let us strive hard to bring up everybody with good facilities for coaching and opportunities for employment. It is also necessary to increase facilities for skill development. It is time to take care on the reservation.

The need for more reservation only enforces the point that job and economic growth has failed to provide alternate avenues of employment. This will neither increase the number of jobs in government nor address the faulty recruitment processes. With 50 per cent reservation itself the merit is compromised. Now with 60 per cent, that will be compromised more. There can be following ways to deal with this dilemma:-

1) Let the Apex Court review and reconsider its previous approach. There has to be a limit on how long a person can remain in backward class, though he may have been born one.

2) OBC quota is too big at 27 per cent. Instead of raising the reservation to 60 per cent, keep it at 50 per cent like it was and bring the OBC quota at par with other reserved categories, to around 10 per cent and give the additional approx 15 per cent so created to the upper caste poor.

3) Remove caste-based reservations altogether to make India a reservation-free country. But to all the poor, give everything like books and study material free, no fees should be charged to them. But in any case, merit should not be compromised either in admissions to colleges or universities or in jobs.

Earlier it has already been said that reservation cannot be granted on economic terms alone because it will be against the fundamental character of the reservation i.e., forwarding the suppressed castes of past. How can it be allowed now? In India 70 per cent of the population earns around 2 lakh/year, so how come 8 lakhs is economically backward? Either remove the caste reservation at all and convert it into the class reservation for all of 50 per cent or give this reservation only within already 50 per cent reserved. Both cannot be done together. Otherwise, it amounts to a negative reservation or reverse reservation which is illegal.

It is time to abolish all kind of caste-based reservations. Now, the reservation should be given only based on the lesser number of children in a family, ex-servicemen and differently enabled people. Past 71 years of vote bank politics initiated delivery of quota that aggravated communal tensions. Misinterpretation regarding social backwardness and economic deprivation made terrible imbalances between logic and madness.

Thousand years of untouchability is fictitious and it pertains to monarchy followed by colonialism. There was no nation, no citizens. We were mere subjects of some idiotic monarch. We rather our forefathers lived in utter poverty dispossession deprivation subjugation and it all was due to monarchy and colonialism. When 10 years of privilege was purposed regarding quota for tribals, the Congress veterans misused it in all respects, extended to rich, saying social deprivation does not absolve economic development,which impacted the lives of poor of unreserved classes.

The ultimate solution for racial discrimination is to ban quota and corruption so that meritorious can access deserving platforms. Bring monopoly of intelligentsia against representation of minorities. A contrivance to equality of opportunities and breach of consumer right to choose best service goods are fallouts of misinterpretation of secularism and vote bank politics. Social backwardness can be solved when one becomes rich through monopolistic elements swear against it, they want to enjoy undeserving enrichment by accessing platforms regardless of merit.

(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)

Sedition law is being manipulated by the BJP Govt: Kapil Sibal

By

Web Team

-

January 16, 2019

Senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Wednesday demanded that the sedition law be scrapped as those in power are “manipulating” it. He also called for a change in the government to save the country.

Real sedition is when those in power manipulate institutions, misuse the law, breach peace and security by inciting violence. Punish them in 2019. ‘Sarkar badlo Desh bachao’ (change government, save country), Sibal said on Twitter.

His reaction come two days after former JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar and others were slapped sedition charges in a charge sheet filed in the court.

Oscars winning director Sofia Coppola to reunite with Bill Murray for ‘On The Rocks’

By

Web Team

-

January 16, 2019

The “Lost in Translation” team of actor Bill Murray and director Sofia Coppola are reuniting for a new project. Coppola, 47, is set to direct A24 and Apple’s first collaboration “On the Rocks”, sources said.

Murray, 68, will star alongside actor Rashida Jones in the film which is being described as a father and daughter tale. The story follows a young mother who reconnects with her larger than life playboy father on an adventure through New York.

Their maiden collaboration, “Lost in Translation” had fetched Coppola an original screenwriting Oscar while Murray was nominated for best actor. The duo also worked together on 2015 Netflix holiday special “A Very Murray Christmas”.

Coppola will also produce the project along with Youree Henley, while her brother Roman Coppola and Mitch Glazer will serve as executive producers. Production will start in coming months in New York City.