Bharatiya Janata Party Prime Minister Narendra Modi took the party’s call for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections to West Bengal on Wednesday, attacking Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Third Front and the Congress. Modi hit out at the Congress saying President Pranab Mukherjee should have been made the Prime Minister after Indira Gandhi’s death in 1984.
“Pranab should have become the PM after Indira Gandhi’s death. In 2004, Pranab was the senior most. He should have been made the PM, not Manmohan,” Modi said addressing a rally in Kolkata.
Reacting to this, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari said, “It’s unfortunate that the CM of Gujarat is dragging in the august office of the President of India into controversy.”
Modi launched an all-out war against the Mamata Banerjee government and the Left parties in West Bengal. The Gujarat strongman exhorted the people to vote for the BJP if they wanted progress and development.
“India will only become a world leader if Bengal becomes the national leader,” Modi said to loud cheers.
“I promise you if you welcome BJP in Bengal, I will undo what has been done to Bengal in last 60 years,” he said.
Like Uttar Pradesh, for West Bengal also, he said, “If Gujarat can provide 24 hour power, why can’t West Bengal?”
Modi also took a dig at the Third Front saying the country will become third grade if a Third Front comes to power. He also added that the people of the country have already decided the outcome of the 2014 polls.
Congress insulted Pranab Mukherjee by denying him PM post: Narendra Modi
Sushma Swaraj insults North East community with ‘flat nose’ slur
Bharatiya Janata Party’s Sushma Swaraj inadvertently insulted people from India’s North East when she spiritedly defended them in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday with an inexcusable racial slur.
Swaraj who rose to speak about the death of Nido Taniam, a youth from Arunachal Pradesh, who was beaten to death in Delhi in a suspected racial attack, said ‘people with flat noses are as much Indians as those with sharp ones.’
The Nido Taniam incident is the latest opportunity for political leaders to join the blame game. Most have made a mad dash to get on the political bandwagon after the death generated anger, hurt and disillusionment in the streets and in the media after Nido’s tragic death.
As if being referred to by derogatory names and made fun of in their adopted cities wasn’t enough, Swaraj just casually established the very stereotyping the people from India’s northeast are trying to break. The ‘flat nose’ reference was not only unnecessary, but also in very poor taste, considering that Swaraj and her party wanted to be seen sympathizing with people from the North East. It’s as unforgivable as calling someone dark skinned even to defend them.
Even when she raised the issue in the Lok Sabha, Swaraj’s aggression was mainly aimed at political rivals than at those who lead racist mobs against innocent people or the policemen who refuse to take action against the perpetrators.
“Congress Vice President, Delhi CM are sitting on a dharna instead of ensuring people’s safety,” Swaraj said. “Arunachal Pradesh is also a part of India and children of the Northeast are as Indian as anyone else,” she said going on to suggest setting up of hostels where North East students could stay with people from other parts of India.
Ninong Ering Ninong Ering, the Union Minister for Minority Affairs and an MP from Arunachal Pradesh, asked leaders not to politicise the death of Nido Taniam. It doesn’t look like that is going to happen.
With Lok Sabha polls looming over the horizon like a large blimp, leaders will inevitably try to gain as much mileage as possible from incidents such as these. Don’t let them fool you into thinking that the concern stems out of a personal investment in important issues that affect the common man.
Rapes and attacks on people from the North East happened in the past. A 30-year old BPO employee from Manipur was gang raped by five drunken men in a moving vehicle in 2010. In 2009, A young woman pursuing Masters in Jamia Milia Islamia was waylaid and molested by a group of school boys while she was returning home after college. The international Business Times lists some more such incidents here.
But it took an election year for Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejrwal, who is also Delhi’s Chief Minister, to visit the venue of protests and promise action. Will the politicians ever get the fact that there is an urgent need to sensitize the common man, including the police forces that often choose to ignore complaints of racial abuse?
Swaraj owes an apology to the community for adding insult to their long festering injury.
My buffaloes more famous than Queen Victoria: Azam Khan
Taking a dig at the much-hyped brouhaha over his buffaloes, Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan on Wednesday said that his cattle had become more famous than Queen Victoria and that everyone including him must have a fortune like his buffaloes.
Apparently peeved over the extent of hoopla over his stolen buffaloes in media, Azam Khan said that whenever he switched on the TV, he got to see his buffaloes and people carrying their dung over their heads.
He continued his sarcasm saying that he would pray to Allah that everyone should have a fortune like his buffaloes.
Azam Khan’s seven buffaloes were stolen from his farmhouse on Friday night.
The furore over the matter came to light when a high-level search team was roped in to hunt the missing cattle.
It was a first of its kind search operation, with UP cops and sniffer dogs on their toes to search the missing buffaloes.
A massive search operation was launched by senior police officials, who also scoured through slaughter houses and neighbouring areas.
The missing cattle were finally traced after a day of strenuous hunt.
Three police officials also had to bear the brunt of the buffalo theft as they were later transferred over dereliction of duty.
Khap panchayats are retrograde, can’t be part of culture: Chidambaram
In a veiled attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his defence of khap panchayats, Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday described them as retrograde organisations which cannot be part of India’s culture.
“What is a khap panchayat? A khap panchayat is a retrograde organisation. It is not part of India’s culture and I am appalled to see somebody say it’s part of India’s culture. How can it be part of India’s culture?” he said while addressing students of Shri Ram College of Commerce (SRCC) here.
His comments come against the backdrop of Kejriwal, who had in a recent interview, said he does not see the need for banning khap panchayats or unelected all-male village councils because they serve a “cultural purpose.”
Attacking Kejriwal’s Aam Admi Party (AAP) for defending khap panchayats, Chidambaram said, “(it’s) rubbish. Must have the courage to stand up and say these retrograde practices are not part of India’s culture…These are simply (organisations of) self serving individuals who propagate this poisonous culture”.
“How can you tell a boy or a girl what you should wear and what you should not wear, who you should marry, who you should not marry.
“Each one knows what the rules of normal behaviour are and each one will adopt those rules of normal behaviour. I can’t go and argue a case in a court wearing a swim suit. I know if I have to go to a court, I have to dress like a lawyer. But I can’t go to a swimming pool wearing my lawyer’s robe…
“I think people know what they are expected to do…Who is this khap panchayat to tell do this or do that,” the Finance Minister said.
He further said likewise, there are many forces in the country which spread ‘poison’ sow seeds of distrust and differences and call this part of India’s culture.
Girl bites man’s tongue when he tries to kiss her
An 18-year-old girl bit off the tongue of a man, who forcibly tried to kiss her, police said.
In her complaint to police, the girl alleged that the man, identified as Kamlesh (30), had been stalking her for the last ten days and he forcibly tried to kiss her in public near Income Tax colony in Kotra Sultanabad area of the city, they said. The girl, in a fit of rage, then bit off his tongue.
Later, the accused, who hails from Morena district in Madhya Pradesh, and the girl reached the Kamla Nagar police station where the man claimed that he knew the girl for the last four years and that she owed him money.
Following the incident, Kamlesh was arrested and booked under section 354 (assault or use of force to outrage a woman’s modesty) of the IPC, police said.
A move to block Arvind Kejriwal from cancelling power firms’ licenses
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has asked the region’s power regulator to revoke the licences of two electricity distributors if they fail to supply power, drawing criticism from the companies. But today, a tribunal which decides cases relating to electricity issues in Delhi said the firms’ licenses cannot be revoked without its permission.
The distributors targeted by Mr Kejriwal are BSES Yamuna Power Ltd and BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd, run by billionaire Anil Ambani’s Reliance Infrastructure Ltd.
“Anil Ambani playing politics wid delhi’s electricity? Whose politics is he doing?,” Mr Kejriwal tweeted last evening.
Reliance responded with a statement that said the group is “extremely disappointed with the Delhi Chief Minister’s tweet attacking our Group Chairman.”
The Reliance-backed companies have been warned by the Delhi government that they must clear their bills with power providers and cannot threaten the city with large blackouts on account of a cash crunch. Reliance Infrastructure runs the distribution companies, with the Delhi government holding a 49% stake.
In the event of the licences being revoked, “suitable officers” would be appointed to administer the distribution companies and keep power switched on, the government has said.
State-run power producer NTPC has said that BSES Yamuna Power, which sells electricity in the central and eastern parts, must pay its bills or be cut off from February 11.
BSES Yamuna Power has already expressed its inability to pay state-run power generation companies citing lower tariffs and a shortfall in revenues.
The row could result in outages of up to 10 hours a day, it had warned, provoking Mr Kejriwal to allege “blackmail.”
The distributors contend that the regulator has failed to increase power tariffs in line with the rising cost of power, leading to a revenue loss of more than Rs. 15000 crore.
Dark clouds hover over Vijay Mallya’s empire
More than a year after one of India’s top airlines, Kingfisher, stopped flying, its flamboyant owner Vijay Mallya is battling against losing control of his $2.2-billion or Rs. 13,640 crore ($1=Rs. 62) corporate empire.
Mr. Mallya, once the self-proclaimed “King of Good Times”, made his fortune in the liquor business and controls a conglomerate spanning beer, airlines, fertilisers and engineering.
But in several firms in his United Breweries Group, 58-year-old Mr. Mallya’s ownership has substantially shrunk, while in others, large portions of his holdings are pledged with banks — and in some cases are starting to be sold off.
“The legacy of the empire, which he inherited from his dad, is at risk,” said a Mumbai-based analyst from a group that has lent to Mr. Mallya’s companies, asking not to be named.
Mr. Mallya, owner of a Formula One team and host of lavish yacht parties with Bollywood stars and politicians as guests, was India’s 29th richest man in 2007, worth an estimated $1.5 billion or Rs. 9,300 crore, according to Forbes.
But pressure on Mr. Mallya has mounted over the past two years since Kingfisher Airlines’ fortunes went into a downward spiral, hit by high fuel prices, fierce competition and heavy interest costs.
The company, which has never made a profit since it began flying in 2005, owes vast sums to banks, airports, fuel suppliers and staff, while owners of Kingfisher’s grounded planes have taken them back.
Bitter legal battle
Last year, banks which say they lent more than $1.5 billion or Rs. 9,300 crore to Kingfisher started demanding immediate repayment after Mr. Mallya failed to come up with a convincing airline revival plan.
Mr. Mallya is now in a bitter legal battle with lenders to prevent them from selling properties and assets given as security against loans, which the banks say include his beloved personal villa in Goa.
As part of a money-raising strategy, Mr. Mallya in 2012 abandoned control of his United Spirits to British drinks group Diageo — although a court has since annulled the decision in response to a petition from Kingfisher creditors chasing their dues.
Meanwhile, Dutch brewer Heineken last year upped its holding in United Breweries, which makes Kingfisher beer, to near 39 per cent, overtaking Mr. Mallya’s stake.
Badrinath priest rape: Victim runs hotels in area, devotees allege conspiracy
Woman, who has accused head priest of Badrinath temple Keshavan Namboothiri of molesting her at a Delhi hotel, is a native of Uttarakhand and owns a hotel in Badrinath.
It is believed that she got married only last year. After getting married, she went to Kedarnath-Badrinath shrine where she doled gifts to the staff and priests.
The paper also reported that she used to meet Keshavan Namboothiri at the temple very often for seeking his blessings.
Keshavan Namboothiri was arrested on charges of molestation and wrongful confinement of a pregnant woman on Tuesday. The woman alleged that the priest called her up on Monday and told her he was unwell and wanted to meet her. On reaching the hotel room, she found cigarette stubs and could smell alcohol.
The 36-year-old priest pulled her towards him and touched her inappropriately. She claimed she pushed him and ran out of the room but he ran behind to stop her. Her statement was recorded and an FIR registered under sections 342 (wrongful confinement) and 354 (assault to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of IPC. Namboodiri’s cousin who was present with him at the hotel has also been arrested for abetting the offence.
“As soon as I learnt about the incident, I was shocked. I can’t speak. I have known him personally. It could be a conspiracy against him,” another priest, Bhuvan Chandra Unniyal told Dehradun amarujala.
The Badrinath-Kedarnath Temple Committee has suspended Namboothiri following the reports of his arrest. “He can be reinstated in case he can prove himself innocent before the police,” Chairman of the committee, Ganesh Godiyal, said in Dehradun.
Meanwhile, locals have expressed their shock over the incident and alleged conspiracy. They said an independent probe should be initiated against Keshavan Namboothiri so that the truth emerges.
AAP government to challenge Amar Singh’s acquittal in Cash for votes
The Delhi government is all set to challenge the acquittal of former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh and five others in the cash for votes scam.
The government has written to the Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung recommending the order of a lower Court in cash for votes to be challenged in the High Court.
A Delhi court had in November 2013 acquitted Amar Singh, former BJP leader Sudheendra Kulkarni and three other BJP leaders in the sensational scam.
The Law and Home Department of Delhi government have written to the L-G to challenge the order. Government sources say they feel that there was enough evidence against the accused.
The five people were arrested by the Delhi Police in 2011 on the charges of trying to bribe the MPs to vote for the government during a trust vote on Nuclear deal in 2008.
The case of the Delhi Police against these leaders has been collapsed. The Court had also observed the whole idea of the BJP MPs was to expose the horse trading and not to indulge in it. These BJP leaders have always maintained that they were whistleblowers and not accused.
Those who were discharged from the trial include BJP MP Ashok Argal, and two former BJP MPs Faggan Singh Kulsate and Mahavir Bhagora. Suhail Hindustani, who was accused of participating in the scam, was also acquitted.
According to the court’s decision, only Amar Singh’s aide Sanjeev Saxena is facing trial for giving bribe.
2-rupee beauty treatment for common skin problems!
Good things do come in small packages! Limes – the green coloured citrus fruit found in abundance in India is full of vitamin C, citric acid, flavonoids and antioxidants which neutralise the action of free radicals in our body, increasing our immunity to fight against deadly diseases like cancer. Not just this, limes make an excellent home remedy to banish skin problems as well. Here’s how you can make packs using lime juice.
To lighten dark spots
Use lime juice to lighten dark spots on the skin. Apply on the area with a cotton ball and leave it for 30 minutes. Lime juice has bleaching properties which help lighten skin. Be sure to stay indoors and not expose your skin to direct sunlight after this remedy can make your skin sensitive to sunlight. Do apply sunscreen before you step out. Not just on face, you could even lighten dark underarms using this remedy.
Anti-pimple pack
Pimples or acne erupt without a warning especially in oily skin. In order to keep them at bay, regularly apply a pack of lime juice with honey. Honey has anti-bacterial properties while lime juice is acidic in nature which will control the oil. Use it every week as part of your skincare regimen. If your pimple’s gone but left a scar, simply massage some fresh lime juice on it to bleach your skin and reduce its appearance.
To remove tan
If too much sun exposure has left your skin tanned, you can make use of this tried-and-tested home-made pack. Mix some gram flour (besan) and curd (dahi) and add some lime juice to this paste. Apply it evenly on your skin and let it dry. Now, wash your face with water and pat dry. Do this weekly once for better results. You could also try some more home-made packs for tanned skin.
For glowing skin
If making a face pack takes too much of your time, simply make it a habit to have a glass of lukewarm water with some honey and freshly-squeezed lime juice in it. Drink this in the morning to start your day on a healthy note and get an inner glow in your skin.
To banish dandruff
If you’ve tried all anti-dandruff shampoos but still not got rid of it, it’s time to switch to this home remedy. Simply add some lime juice in water and use it as a last rinse when you wash your hair. Its acid will help rid your scalp of dandruff. You could also use lemons for skin problems like acne,
blackheads, etc.
Limes are green in colour and slightly smaller in size than lemons. They are available almost throughout the year in India. In order to make these packs, you could buy fresh limes and squeeze out their juice, or you could also opt for bottled lime juice available in most grocery stores.