K Kavitha files defamation case against BJP leaders after calling her Middleman of AAP liquor mafia

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August 22, 2022

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao’s daughter and MLC, K Kavitha on Monday said that she will file a defamation case against Delhi BJP leaders – MP Parvesh Varma and former MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa for their allegations that she acted as a “middleman” between the liquor mafia and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government.

Kavitha said she will also move court seeking an injunction order against those making the allegations. “The allegations made on me are completely baseless…I don’t have any link with what was said in the Delhi Excise scam. They have all the agencies in their hands, they can do whatever investigation that is required. We will completely cooperate,” K Kavitha said.

She further said that BJP is doing this because our chief minister KCR has been vocal in criticizing the policies of the union government, and thus it is trying to malign the reputation of her family.

“We don’t get panicky on these kinds of allegations…We are going to fight and we are family from fighters,” she said.

The BJP on Sunday had alleged that a bribe of crores of rupees was given to Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia to increase the commission from 2.5 percent to 12 percent under the Delhi government’s revamped liquor policy and the first installment of the same was given to him.

BJP further alleged Rs 150 crore was given to Sisodia. Accusing Sisodia of holding meetings with the Telangana leader, the BJP sought an answer from him on the same. BJP leader Parvesh Verma and Manjinder Singh Sirsa held a press conference yesterday and alleged that KCR’s daughter K Kavitha acted as a “middleman” between the liquor mafia and the AAP government.

The BJP leaders said that several meetings were held between the liquor mafia, ministers, and officers to make the excise policy in line with them.

“The meeting was done in Oberoi Hotel in Delhi. The Delhi Excise officer, commissioner, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia, some liquor mafia, and some political persons were the attendants of the meeting. KCR’s family members were present in the meeting. She had brought many members of the liquor mafia to meet Manish Sisodia. They came on a private plane. They had implemented the policy in Punjab. They had planned everything along with Arvind Kejriwal and Sisodia,” said Verma.

“Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Excise Minister Manish Sisodia should explain why the commission of liquor sellers was increased by 10 percent. He should also explain the relationship between him, K Kavitha, and the members of the liquor mafia – Dinesh Arora, Vijay Nayar, and Vijay Arora. And by collecting money from all this, Aman Dhal used to do the work of giving it to the Aam Aadmi Party. Which has liquor contracts in Delhi as well as in Punjab,” he alleged.

Manjinder Sirsa said that he will soon reveal the evidence of the politicians’ involvement in the case. “Along with the meetings at the Oberoi Hotel in Delhi, meetings of these liquor mafia were also held at the Hyatt Hotel in Chandigarh. After these meetings, AAP leaders implemented the same liquor policy in Delhi and Punjab which is already being followed in Telangana and West Bengal,” he alleged.

Andhra Pradesh CM Jagan Mohan Reddy meets PM Modi in Delhi

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ANI

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August 22, 2022

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy met Prime Minister Narendra Modi at his residence here on Monday. This is CM Reddy’s second meeting with the prime minister in three months.

It is believed that issues related to the development of the state including funding, Polavaram Dam and sanction for new medical colleges etc may have come up.

Reddy, who is on a visit to the national capital, is also expected to meet some of the senior central ministers as well. Raddy has met Modi earlier this year as well.

In a meeting in April, Reddy had briefed PM Modi about many projects and issues including the Polavaram project, Kadapa steel plant, rationality in the selection of eligible persons under the National Food Security Act, and arrears to the state from Telangana, etc.

According to an official statement released at that time, among the development works discussed, the Polavaram project took the spotlight.

Reddy placed before the PM the revised estimates for the Polavaram project.

He stated that the Technical Advisory Committee held on February 11, 2019, revised the estimates of the Polavaram project to Rs. 55, 548.87 crores.

“The state would require another Rs.31,118 crore to complete the project. Rs 8,590 crore would be spent on construction and Rs 22,598 crore for land acquisition and rehabilitation,” CM Reddy had said. In the earlier meeting, the CM also discussed the process of payment for the rehabilitation of families who will be displaced due to the Polavaram project.

CM has requested the payment of the R&R package directly into their bank accounts.

Election for the post of President is challenging for Congress

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ANI

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August 22, 2022

The election for the post of president has now become a challenge for Congress with the reluctance of party leader Rahul Gandhi to contest the polls.

The Congress party has completed the internal election process till August 20. The party had announced that the election for the post of president will be held between August 21 and September 20 but despite several attempts, Rahul Gandhi has not cleared the stance till now.

According to sources, the Central Election Authority has fully prepared to complete the election process on time.

The chairman of the authority is waiting for a meeting of the Congress Working Committee which will announce the election dates for the post of chairman and then the authority will notify the same.

Sources said the process seems to remain stuck since Rahul is not willing to contest the election for the post of Congress president, although all the efforts to convince him are still going on.

In fact, Rahul is adamant about giving the post of president to a non-Gandhi and that is why he is preventing sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra from filing a nomination, sources claimed.

At the same time, Sonia Gandhi does not want to hold the post due to health reasons and Rahul wants a non-Gandhi should hold the post in place of Sonia.

Congress tried to persuade Rahul and considered Priyanka as the second option. If not, Sonia Gandhi will be asked to stay till 2024 for the sake of party unity, said sources.

If the logjam continues, there may be an attempt to agree on one of the names of the leaders like Ashok Gehlot, Mallikarjun Kharge, KC Venugopal, Kumari Shailaja, and Mukul Wasnik.

The next few days are going to be very important for the Gandhi family keeping the time frame for Congress presidential election in mind which has technically started on Sunday itself.

Meanwhile, Congress plans to embark on ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ from Kanyakumari on September 7 under the leadership of party leader Rahul Gandhi and the 148-day march will culminate in Kashmir.

The five-month yatra is scheduled to cover a distance of 3,500 kilometers and more than 12 states. The padayatra (march) will cover a distance of 25 km every day.

The Yatra will include padayatras, rallies, and public meetings which will be attended by the senior Congress leaders including Sonia Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

The Congress suffered a debacle in the assembly polls held earlier this year and the yatra is seen as an attempt to rally the party rank and file for the upcoming electoral battles.

Meanwhile, sources said Rahul Gandhi will meet civil society people and organizations in Delhi on August 22 to listen to their issues and share their thoughts. Gandhi will also discuss his Bharat Jodo Yatra and its purpose with people from civil society.

Ahead of his Bharat Jodo Yatra starting from Kanyakumari on September 7, Rahul Gandhi will work with civil society to chalk out a strategy for the 2024 general elections.

Gandhi is going to meet organizations and individuals working for different sections of society before his Bharat Jodo Yatra.

Russia detains IS suicide bomber plotting terrorist attack in India

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ANI

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August 22, 2022

IED — Russia detains IS suicide bomber plotting terrorist attack in India 5

The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) on Monday said that its officers had detained a suicide bomber, a member of the Islamic State terrorist group, who was plotting a terrorist attack against one of India’s leadership elite, Russia news agency Sputnik reported.

“Russia’s FSB identified and detained a member of the Islamic State international terrorist organization banned in Russia, a native of a country in the Central Asian region, who planned to commit a terrorist act by blowing himself up against one of the representatives of the ruling circles of India,” the authority said in a statement.

The detained was recruited by one of the IS leaders as a suicide bomber in Turkey, the statement added.

This story is still developing and more information is awaited in this regard.

Islamic State and all its manifestations have been notified as Terrorist Organization and included in the First Schedule to the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 by the Central Government.

According to Home Ministry, IS is using various internet-based social media platforms to propagate its ideology. Cyberspace is being closely watched in this regard by the agencies concerned and action is taken as per law.

Farmers arrived at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar protesting over unemployment

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ANI

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August 22, 2022

Farmers from across the states arrived at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Monday early morning protesting over unemployment.

Meanwhile, the Delhi police also detained some farmers and have increased the security on all the borders amid the protests.

As per the information, Delhi Police has detained some farmers protesting at Ghazipur on the Delhi-UP border.

Meanwhile, the traffic situation in the city witnessed disruption as police put up checkpoints at the borders resulting in a traffic pile-up.

Traffic movement slowed down at the Noida-Delhi Chilla border as security is heightened at the border entry points.

Delhi Police has increased the security forces and barricaded the Singhu border which is located in North-West Delhi and Ghazipur border which is located on the Delhi-Meerut expressway.

Earlier, the Samyukt Kisan Morcha (SKM) – an umbrella body of farmers – had announced the beginning of its 75-hour sit-in in Lakhimpur Kheri of Uttar Pradesh from Thursday (August 18) to press for their pending demands.

SKM is an umbrella group comprising around 40 farm organisations, primarily demanding the proper implementation of minimum support price (MSP) for crops.

In April, Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU) leader Rakesh Tikait joined the protest held by the Telangana leaders in New Delhi against the Centre’s paddy procurement policy and said that there is a need for another protest in the country.

Tikait also added that the farmer umbrella body Samyukt Kisan Morcha will back every Chief Minister who fights for the farmers’ issues.

South Korea, US begin annual joint military exercises

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ANI

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August 22, 2022

South Korea and the United States on Monday began regular joint military exercises titled the Ulchi Freedom Shield, which include field training for the first time in four years due to increasing tensions in the Asian region, South Korean media reported.

The military drills will last until September 1 and will include computer simulation for command posts, field training and civil defense exercises, according to Yonhap news agency. During the first part of the drills, the military of the two countries will reportedly practice repelling possible attacks by North Korea and protecting a metropolitan area . The second part will be dedicated to counterattack missions.

In addition, South Korean and US soldiers will train using different real-life scenarios in 13 combined training programs during field maneuvers, the media outlet reported. Those will include detection of improvised explosive devices at nuclear facilities, a semiconductor plant fire, a collapse of the banking system, terrorist acts at airports and drone attacks.

The exercises are also scheduled to involve a full operational capability assessment and transfer of operational control from the US to South Korea, according to the news agency.

Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, military personnel will be required to take PCR tests before participating in the drills and wear masks during the training, Yonhap reported.

In recent years, such military exercises have taken place only in the form of computer simulations due to the spread of COVID-19 worldwide and the desire of the previous South Korean administration to establish a dialogue with North Korea, which sharply criticizes joint drills of Seoul and Washington.

Manish Sisodia alleged BJP offered to close all CBI, ED cases against him if he join them

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ANI

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August 22, 2022

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on Monday alleged that the has received an offer by the Bharatiya Janata Party to split the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in what he claims was a quid pro quo as the CBI initiated a probe into the Delhi’s now withdrawn excise policy.

In a tweet today Sisodia wrote in Hindi he has received an offer by the BJP to join them by splitting the AAP in return for getting the cases of CBI and ED against him closed.

“My reply to the BJP is – I am a descendant of Maharana Pratap, a Rajput. I will cut off my head but will not bow down to the corrupt and those who conspire. All the cases against me are false. Do what you want to do,” Sisodia tweeted.

Last week, CBI conducted searches on Sisodia’s official residence and carried out raids at several places in connection with the alleged corruption in the implementation of Delhi’s Excise Policy.

The AAP has said the allegations of corruption are politically motivated. In a tweet in Hindi today, Kejriwal said: “Rupee is falling, people are troubled by inflation, unemployment is at a high and these people are playing ‘CBI-ED’, and are busy toppling governments chosen by people and exchanging abuses and barbs the entire day,” he said.

“Who do people talk to about their issues and whom should they go to? How will the nation progress like this?” the Delhi chief minister tweeted.

Manish Sisodia along with Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal left for Gujarat today for a two-day visit. They are scheduled to address a town hall meeting in Himmatnagar and a town hall meeting in Bhavnagar on Tuesday.

Patra chawl scam: Sanjay Raut to remain in judicial custody till Sept 5

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ANI

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August 22, 2022

sanjay Raut 1 — Patra chawl scam: Sanjay Raut to remain in judicial custody till Sept 5 10

The judicial custody of Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Monday was extended till September 5, in connection with the Patra Chawl land scam case.

As per the information, after the initial hearing in the court, Raut’s judicial custody was valid till August 22 but on August 22, Monday a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court extended his custody till September 5.

Earlier on August 1, Raut was sent to Enforcement Directorate’s custody till August 4 in the same case. On the same day, ED produced him before a special sessions court after his arrest. ED officials raided the Shiv Sena leader’s home on July 31, and after detaining and questioning him for several hours, arrested him on August 1.

On June 28 this year, Sanjay Raut was summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the prevention of the money laundering case pertaining to the Rs 1,034 crore Patra Chawl land scam.

Madhya Pradesh: IMD issues Red alert for heavy rainfall in 39 districts

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ANI

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August 22, 2022

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday issued a red alert for heavy rainfall in 39 districts including Bhopal, Ujjain, Jabalpur, Ratlam, Neemuch and Mandsaur.

IMD also informed that a deep depression over the Central parts of Madhya Pradesh and adjoining south Uttar Pradesh has weakened into a depression.

The IMD said that the depression will continue to move west-north-westwards across north Madhya Pradesh and weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area during the next 24 hours.

“Depression over Central parts Madhya Pradesh and adjoining south Uttar Pradesh near latitude 24.4°N and longitude 78.8°E, about 60 km north of Sagar (Madhya Pradesh). To move west-north-westwards across northwest MP and weaken into a Well-Marked Low-Pressure Area next 12 hrs,” tweeted IMD.

For Northeast Madhya Pradesh, IMD tweeted, “Depression over Northeast Madhya Pradesh near latitude 24.4°N and longitude 79.7°E, about 70 km north-northeast of Damoh (Madhya Pradesh). To move west-northwestwards across north Madhya Pradesh and weaken into a Well-Marked Low-Pressure Area during the next 24 hours.

The department also predicted moderate rainfall to take place in twelve districts including Indore, Gwalior, Dhar and Khargone.

Earlier on Saturday, the IMD reported that rain occurred in large parts of the state on Saturday. Guna district received 44.0 mm of rain between 8.30 a.m. and 5.30 p.m. Umaria district in eastern Madhya Pradesh received 86.9 mm of rain in the last 24 hours, which ended at 8.30 a.m.

Student found hanging in medical college hostel in UP

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Web Team

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August 22, 2022

A student of Saifai medical college was found hanging on a ceiling fan in Up’s Etawah on Saturday evening.

SSP Jai Prakash Singh said “autopsy report has concluded that cause of death is hanging.”

Himanshu Gupta from Gorakhpur joined medical college in February.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has asked the District Magistrate and Senior Superintendent of Police to submit a report on the student’s death within 24 hours.

The incident came to light when a hostel mate of Himanshu went to his room to call him for dinner, “He made several knocks on his door, but Himanshu did not respond. He then informed other students and the security guard. When the door of the room was brought down, they found the body of Himanshu hanging from the ceiling fan. As no sucide note was found, it is not yet clear why the boy took the extreme step, the police said.

Meanwhile the family alleged that their son was murdered and urge UP CM to probe CBI into it.