Sena, BJP alliance going through rocky turmoil

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September 20, 2019

Despite tying up for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, Shiv Sena and BJP’s alliance for the upcoming Maharashtra assembly elections is going through rocky turmoil like in 2014. Only difference is that this time BJP is in a steering position to run the alliance. This time, BJP has made it clear to Uddhav Thackeray‘s Shiv Sena that after taking out the seats that the two parties won in 2014; the remaining seats will be distributed equally. This will leave Shiv Sena with around 115 seats in the alliance’s seat distribution plan. Shiv Sena has, however, raised an objection to this and pointed to the fact that Devendra Fadnavis had promised before the Lok Sabha elections that seat distribution for assembly polls will be equal for both the partners. Shiv Sena had won 63 seats and BJP had won 123 seats in the 2014 assembly elections. Even though last week, Uddhav Thackeray had said that in a couple of days the alliance would be announced for the assembly elections, it has been nine days since. Now it’s Pitru Paksha BJP-Sena has their superstitions too, the chosen candidates will not even get enough time to campaign for themselves. This tug of war will have meaning.

In 2014, Shiv Sena was even ready to take a cut of 20 seats but was not ready to go down below 150, for which BJP claims the alliance didn’t work out.

Now, even though the Shiv Sena leadership has accepted that they will be getting lesser number of seats than BJP, they are not ready to accept the 128 seats offered and want a minimum of 135 seats. Both Shiv Sena and BJP have acquired leaders from Congress and NCP to better prepare for the assembly elections. However, this has also created doubts that the parties are readying plans to contest the elections separately. Uddhav Thackeray satirically remarked that he has asked Fadnavis to prepare and handover a list of Shiv Sena candidates too.

On the other hand, Fadnavis has remained non-committal and said “discussions are on”. Shiv Sena should accept its situation practically. The Sena has expressed its desire to have an “equal share” and wants the two parties to contest 135 seats each of the total 288 in the state, leaving the rest to their respective allies. The BJP, however, has refused to give in to the demand and has asked for a bigger share of the pie, up to 160 seats. Sena have hinted at a possibility of the two parties contesting independently if the party doesn’t get as many seats as it has been demanding. After the first two meetings ended in a deadlock, Uddhav Thackeray reportedly called an urgent meeting with the party’s MPs, MLAs and political strategists to discuss a possibility of going solo in the upcoming elections. However, the situation today is very different, political analysts point out. Even though senior Sena leaders have claimed the party is prepared to fight the elections on its own if an alliance is not worked out, analysts say Sena stands to lose a lot more than the BJP.

The Modi wave benefited both the BJP and the Sena equally in the state. But over the past five years, apart from the Modi wave, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has also managed to build his own image as an indomitable leader. The alliance helped the party’s steamroll the state, winning 41 out of the 48 Lok Sabha seats. Soon after the general elections, the Sena has again been critical of the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre and Fadnavis’s government in the state. Through its editorials, the Sena’s mouthpiece has been critical of the BJP governance, even playing the role of opposition on several occasions. In Mumbai, the Sena has decided to oppose Fadnavis’s move to axe over 2,600 trees in the Aarey forest. In spite of expressing difference Sena has no choice and BJP can think of aligning with anyone. The dilemma of staying in alliance or going solo has exposed the weakness of Shiv Sena. The top leadership has ego issues. These are the same issues that led to division of Shiv Sena, and the MNS was formed. But there persists a pressure from some of its seasoned leaders to stay in the alliance. So, that is one reason.

Their anti-Modi stand is more an “ego” issue than a political strategy. Staying in alliance is more important for them as compared to BJP. Their overall tally may come down to a single digit if they choose to go solo. Therefore, despite the ego issues they choose to remain in the bad relationship with BJP. The chances of BJP alone getting the clear majority are quite slim. In such a situation, Shiv Sena will have upper hand at bargaining to lend its support, and will also get a chance to get even with the BJP. That is also one of the reasons why Sena is still in alliance.

Meanwhile, Uddhav is looking out for the future of his son as deputy CM. He would not go solo but he will play his last straw to get his demands obeyed by BJP.

The Election Commission is also expected to announce the poll dates for assembly elections in Haryana, Maharashtra and Jharkhand soon.

Looking at the trend, the poll schedule for Maharashtra and Haryana for 2014 elections was announced on September 20 and the voting took place on October 1.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

PM Modi Kick starts the campaign

By

Suraj Chandran

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September 20, 2019

Maharashtra is gearing up for state polls in coming month. With campaigning on in full swing in the state, social media too is abuzz with the probable election schedule. The start of the election campaign comes at a time when BJP and Shiv Sena are still struggling to reach an understanding on the seat sharing formula for the state polls. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has launched Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) election campaign in Nashik. Modi blamed the Congress for the plight of Kashmiris for decades. He called for making efforts to create a new paradise in the valley. He also said that lot of efforts are being made from across the border to foment violence in Jammu & Kashmir. Modi said that the decision to abrogate Article 370 was taken in the interest of unity of India. He said,“This decision is going to the medium of fulfilling the aspirations and dreams of the people of Jammu & Kashmir. Plenty of efforts are being taken across the border to spread unrest and disbelief and foment violence in Jammu & Kashmir.”

When our correspondent Nikhil Sagare spoke to Congress chief spokesperson Ratnakar Mahajan he said, “Congress party’s campaigning is going on. A campaign is being held by Nana Patole. Half the portion of Maharashtra is witnessing drought and another half portion has witnessed floods. The government has been unable to resolve these issues. It has failed to address the problems of farmers. This government which has come to power by raising corruption issue has been indulging in corruption. More than 15 leaders are involved in corruption but cases have not been probed.”

Modi also hailed Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis as youth icon. Addressing the rally in Nashik PM said that Maharashtra has witnessed unparalleled growth under the leadership of Fadnavis. “Crores of people blessed Devendra Fadnavis in his 4000 km statewide tour. Maharashtra’s people have decided to bless only those who will work as per expectations.”

Samajwadi Party leader Abu Azmi said, “Development is the major agenda of our party. I had started a company at Mankhurd, Shivaji Nagar which are slum areas to generate employment. Youth are getting attracted towards drugs which need to be prevented.”

He also added that Maharashtra has blessed Devendra Fadnavis immensely during his yatra and had made up their mind about retaining him as their CM.

This was Modi’s first public meeting in Maharashtra after the BJP’s victory in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. The state polls are also important for BJP because this is the first time that BJP has its own chief minister in Maharashtra and it is the bigger partner in the National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

BJP MLA Atul Bhatkhalkar said, “Once election dates are declared we will officially start campaigning. Our main plank is our performance of five years under leadership of Devendra Fadnavis and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We will make announcement pertaining to seat distribution at appropriate time.”

With chief minister Devendra Fadnavis leading the campaign for the BJP, the assembly elections will be a test for the ruling party on its development model and governance. The start of the election campaign comes at a time when BJP and its alliance partner Shiv Sena are still struggling to reach an understanding on the seat sharing formula for the state polls. Although the two sides had decided to contest equal number of seats in the 288-member assembly, a section of BJP is keen to contest more seats in the state polls.

Shiv Sena MP Vinayak Raut said, “The campaigning for election will begin after the filing of nomination forms. Unemployment, farmer’s suicide, drought in Marathwada are the major issues in this election. Shiv Sena has always supported the cause of farmers. We have also taken steps to improve health care facility.”

The state will go to polls next month. The assembly elections in Maharashtra are important because the alliance of BJP and Shiv Sena had won 41 out of the 48 seats in the state. Even as the two sides had contested the 2014 assembly elections separately, the alliance partners formed the government together with a comfortable majority. BJP had won 122 seats while Shiv Sena could manage to win 63 seats in the earlier state polls.

NC should file proper petitions in courts for release of political detainees

By

Hem Raj Jain

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September 20, 2019

This refers to the statement of the National Conference (NC) on September, 16 that the party would take legal course to challenge the detention of its party President Farooq Abdullah under the ‘Public Safety Act’ (PSA) in J&K.

It is high time the NC realises that the present unfortunate situation in J&K [where Kashmir is under lock-down since August 5, 2019 after Government of India unconstitutionally & illegally got Article 370 of the Constitution amended, Article 35-A repealed and State of J&K bifurcated in two Union Territories] is the result of the NC itself playing over-smart on the issue of the political fate of J&K. Even now if the NC discharge its political responsibility properly (by filing writ petition in J&K High Court and Supreme Court) then not only the office-bearers and members of the NC but all the political detainees (detained and arrested including after August 5, 2019) can be got released but the solution of Kashmir problem can also be achieved to the satisfaction of all concerned, as explained below:-

(1)- First and foremost the NC should understand that the NC is not a party like other parties in J&K because it was on the support of the NC (through its popular leader Late Mr. Sheikh Abdullah) that (despite Junagarh and Hyderabad which came to India, being Hindu majority princely States) the Muslim majority J&K did not go to Muslim theocratic Pakistan but came to Hindu majority secular socialist (welfare-State) India through ‘Instrument of Accession’ (IoA). The NC should further understand that the support of entire J&K (including PoJK) was so certain that Pakistan (which is now day-in and day-out demanding plebiscite in united-J&K) could not dare to go for plebiscite after UN resolution 1948 (which mandated plebiscite in united-J&K) rather sabotaged UN resolution 1948 by not vacating PoJK (a precondition for plebiscite).

(2)- Now the situation has reversed. Presently India is unnecessarily worried that the Muslim majority area of united-J&K may go to Pakistan if plebiscite is carried-out in united-J&K. This apprehension of India is due to simple reason that India has compromised on both the fronts namely the secularism and welfare-state. What is most unfortunate is that this has not only emboldened Pakistan to demand plebiscite but has also made – [in face of the demand of some separatists who all along have been in very small minority (despite temporary anger due to said ill-conceived legislative & administrative actions of the GoI on and after August 5, 2019) and will again be in very small minority] – the GoI to inflict atrocities on the people of J&K (mainly to Muslim Kashmir). The GoI unnecessarily (in addition to lockdown of Kashmir since August 5, 2019) has been making its security forces (instead of retrieving PoJK for carrying out plebiscite) to show their ‘bravery’ by training their guns mainly at civilians of Kashmir under the protection of AFSPA, PSA etc.

(3)- No doubt the NC (which brought Muslim majority J&K to India) is mainly responsible for this unfortunate situation in J&K because the NC could have restored secularism and welfare state in India and could have easily paved the way for plebiscite in United-J&K in favour of India (which the NC still can do) but it did not do so despite repeated requests and reminders to the NC about it. Hence, now when entire leadership of the NC is under detention and arrest now at-least the NC should realise its political responsibility towards the people of India and especially of J&K and double so of Kashmir valley and should do the following:-

(i)- First, the NC should understand that the link between India & J&K is not through Article 370 & 35-A but through IoA as these Articles came in existence much after IoA. The purpose of Article 370 & 35-A are (A)- to ensure outsiders-free J&K to facilitate free & fair plebiscite and (B)- Pending plebiscite, for the purpose of managing J&K politically, administratively and legally only as per the wishes of the people of J&K as expressed by laws made by legislature of J&K and as per the laws and Constitution of India applicable to J&K to the extend consented by the legislature of J&K. Therefore, repeal of Article 35-A and amendment of Article 370 of the Constitution are unconstitutional and against the spirit & letter of IoA.

(ii)- The NC should immediately file writ petition in J&K High Court (generally as per online petition which seems to not have been admitted as it was not filed in person). In this writ petition, the NC should also pray that all the political detainees, arrested, imprisoned under any law (including those who demanded separation before or after August 5, 2019) should be made free because as per IoA it is the legal right of the people of J&K to (in plebiscite) opt either for India or for Pakistan or for becoming independent. This writ petition should be filed in J&K High Court because the jurisdiction of High Court under Article 226 is wider than that of Supreme Court of India (SCI) under Article 32 of the Constitution.

(iii)- Hindu majority rest of India has failed to restore secularism and welfare-state. Hence, Muslim majority J&K should take the lead and for this the NC should become a truly national party. For achieving these –

(A)- In the interest of restoring secularism the following five writ petitions should be filed in Supreme Court of India (SCI).
(B)- For bring welfare- before filing writ petition SCI, the NC should demand (by demonstration all over India which will bring members to the NC in huge numbers for all across India) the recovery of Rs 1,000 lakh crore / Trillion (for solving economic problems of economically humble Indians, the overwhelming majority of India) Income tax from ~1 million tax evaders and as expected also by ‘United Nations Convention Against Corruption’ (UNCAC) of which India too is a signatory.

It is hoped that now when the leadership and other office bearers and member of the National Conference are under detention, arrest and jailed then (instead of giving lip service to the cause of J&K) the NC will become truly national party and will do as mentioned above (including writ petitions in J&K High Court and Supreme Court), so that process of the assimilation and integration of Muslim majority united-J&K into Hindu majority secular, socialist (welfare-state) India can be completed in 2019 which was started by the NC itself in 1947.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this article are the personal opinions of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of AFTERNOON VOICE and AFTERNOON VOICE does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.

Don’t complain about high fines, but be a disciplined driver

By

C K Subramaniam

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September 20, 2019

Road Safety Awareness needs to be sensitised. Minor traffic violations can be let off after warning, however, violations of traffic which is of serious nature should be penalized at once. Traffic on road has three components namely – Compliance of rules and driving safe, apprehending violators and upkeep of infrastructure through proper functioning.

The steep penalties for violation of road rules that came into force on September 1 under the Motor Vehicles (Amendment) Act, 2019 have produced a backlash, with several State governments opting to reduce the quantum of fines, or even to reject the new provisions. Gujarat has announced a substantial reduction in the fines, West Bengal has refused to adopt the higher penalties, Karnataka and Kerala are studying the prospects to make the provisions less stringent, and others are proceeding with caution. Motorists have reacted with outrage at the imposition of fines by the police, obviously upset at State governments pursuing enforcement without upgrading road infrastructure and making administrative arrangements for issue of transport documents.

Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari has reiterated that it is left to the States to choose the quantum of fines, since it is their responsibility to bring about deterrence and protect the lives of citizens. Gadkari’s argument is valid, and the intent behind amending the Motor Vehicles Act cannot be faulted. After all, India has some of the deadliest roads in the world, and 1,47,913 people died in road accidents only during 2017. The question that has arisen is whether enhanced fines can radically change this record when other determinants, beginning with administrative reform, remain untouched.

The core of reform lies in Section 198(A) of the amended law, which requires any designated authority, contractor, consultant or concessionaire responsible for design or construction or maintenance of the safety standards of the road to meet those laid down by the Central government. This provision, which prescribes a penalty for a violation leading to death or disability, can be enforced through litigation by road users in all States. Since the standards are laid down, compliance should be ensured without waiting for a road accident to prove it. Until infrastructure meets legal requirements, fines and enforcement action are naturally liable to be challenged in courts; the condition of roads, traffic signals, signage and cautionary markings which affect motorists, cyclists and pedestrians, would all fall within its ambit.

State governments also cannot escape responsibility for failing to reform their Regional Transport Authorities, since these offices are generally steeped in corruption. The Transport Ministry could well have made electronic delivery of RTO services mandatory, something that a lapsed UPA-era Bill promised. It should act on this now. Ultimately, ending the culture of impunity that allows government vehicles and VIPs to ignore road rules will encourage the average citizen to follow them. Gadkari should lose no time in forming the National Road Safety Board to recommend important changes to infrastructure and to enable professional accident investigation.

Better enforcement and infrastructure are key to mitigating anger over higher road fines. But there are number of traffic violators, who are ready to pay fines to escape punishment even though the fine rates have gone up. We cannot call it futile fines. When it pinches your pocket, then you feel the responsibility of following the traffic rule to the hilt. For example wearing of helmet by two wheeler riders is compulsory and it is proper to follow the rules for safeguarding our interest.

Helmet is a part and parcel of Motor Driving but people generally avoid wearing it for various reasons. By avoiding helmet people are risking their lives and put the family into unnecessary trouble. Even Pillion riders will have to wear helmet. Helmet is insurance to life after all as most of the accidental deaths are due to head injury. While a recent National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) report declares that motorcyclists are about 18 times as likely as car occupants to die in a traffic crash and three times as likely to be injured, a study conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neuroscience, Bangalore has also confirmed that the severity of head injury, death due to head injury, incidence of skull fracture and occurrence of post-traumatic epilepsy were higher among those who were not using helmet as compared to those who did. Protective headgear certainly reduces the severity of the impact on the brain. Unfortunately, the majority still prefer a severely injured brain to a fractured helmet. So, it is not the time to carp about high fines but be a disciplined driver.

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

Letters to the Editor: 20 September, 2019

By

Web Team

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September 20, 2019

Supreme Court verdict on substantial funding for declaring a body under RTI Act welcome

Well-analysed Supreme Court verdict dated September 17, 2019 (Civil Appeal 9828 of 2013) declaring DAV College Trust and Management Society public-authority under RTI Act because of substantial government-funding is welcome, but may not serve the purpose till central government takes corrective measures to practically implement the verdict. Otherwise as usual, substantially government-funded bodies declared public-authority by CIC will challenge CIC-verdicts in High Courts for easy stay-orders and unending adjournments thus unnecessarily involving precious time of CIC and courts.

Remedy is that central government by notification may declare all public-private-partnerships, sports-bodies, cooperative-societies and other such bodies, public-authorities under RTI Act. Land and Building Departments of central and state governments should study all cases of allotment of land or government-accommodations at subsidised rates or lease, and declare all these as public-authorities under RTI Act.

Central government has already desired that Mother Dairy may be public-authority under RTI Act. Retired Central Chief Information Commission RK Mathur in a CIC-verdict noted that Institute of Banking Personnel Selection IBPS is not a public-authority under RTI Act even though four million candidates appear every year for examinations conducted by it. For future, an undertaking should be taken from all bodies being given land or government-accommodations at subsidised rates or substantial government-funding that these will be under purview of RTI Act.

Co-operative giant IFFCO through which annual fertiliser-subsidy of rupees thousands of crores is routed gifted prime-properties worth rupees hundreds of crores in New Delhi to its office-bearers with even Comptroller and Auditor General report pointing out massive irregularities in functioning of IFFCO.

BCCI challenged CIC-verdict ordering it as public-authority under RTI Act at Madras High Court despite Union Ministry of Sports supporting CIC-verdict in this respect. It is noteworthy that even Law Commission on being approached by central government subsequent to Supreme Court directions, opined in favour of BCCI to be under purview of RTI Act.

Subhash Chandra Agrawal

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

Centre slashes corporate tax rates to boost economy

By

Web Team

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September 20, 2019

The government on Friday slashed the income tax rate for companies by almost 10 percentage points to 25.17 per cent and offered a lower rate to 17.01 per cent for new manufacturing firms to boost economic growth rate from a six-year low by incentivising investments to help create jobs. The tax cut will cost the exchequer Rs 1.45 lakh crore annually.

After announcement of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, domestic investor wealth soared by Rs 2.11 trillion in morning trade on Friday as equity market rallied following a slew of economy-boosting announcements by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman. The BSE Sensex advanced over 1,300 points to a high of 37,421.70. Led by the spike in equities, the market capitalisation of BSE-listed companies climbed Rs 2.11 trillion to Rs 1.4 trillion. From the 30-share Sensex basket, barring NTPC, all other 29 scrips were trading in the green led by Tata Steel, Maruti Suzuki India, HDFC Bank and Yes Bank, which were trading with gains of up to 5.7 per cent. The rupee also rallied 66 paise to 70.68 against the US dollar on announcements made by the finance minister.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the reduction in tax rates has been done by promulgating an ordinance to an amendment to the Income Tax Act. “In order to promote growth and investment, a new provision has been inserted in the Income Tax Act, with effect from financial year 2020. It will allow any domestic company an option to pay income tax at 22 per cent subject to the condition that they will not avail any exemption or incentives,” she told reporters here. After considering surcharges and cess, the effective tax rate will be 25.17 per cent. This compares to 30 per cent corporate tax rate currently, and an effective tax rate of 34.94 per cent.

“To attract fresh investment in manufacturing and boost Make In India, new provision has been inserted in the I-T Act, which allows any new domestic company incorporated on or after October 1, 2019, making fresh investment in manufacturing, and starts operations before March 31, 2023, an option to pay income tax at 15 per cent,” she said.

The effective rate for new companies would come to 17.01 per cent after considering surcharges and cess subject to the condition that they do not avail any other tax incentive or concession such as tax holidays enjoyed by units in special economic zones (SEZ) or accelerated depreciation.

This compares to the current base rate of 25 per cent for new companies and an effective tax rate of 29.12 per cent. Also, the companies will not have to pay minimum alternate tax (MAT).

She said any company which do not opt for concessional tax regime and avails tax exemptions or incentives shall continue to pay tax at pre-amended rates. “These companies can opt for concessional tax regime after the expiry of tax holiday or exemption,” she said.

To provide relief to companies which continue to avail exemptions and incentives, rate of MAT has been reduced from existing 18.5 per cent to 15 per cent.

Also, the super-rich tax introduced in Sitharaman’s maiden budget on July 5 by way of a higher surcharge on income, shall not apply on capital gains arising on sale of equity shares in a company or business that is liable to pay securities transaction tax (STT). The enhanced surcharge shall also not apply to capital gains arising on sale of any security, including derivatives in the hands of foreign portfolio investors, she said.

To provide relief to listed companies which have already made a public announcement of buyback of shares before July 5, 2019, tax on such buyback shall not be charged. Sitharaman, however, sidestepped questions on the impact the concessions will have on the fiscal deficit target, saying that the government was conscious of the reality and will reconcile numbers.

With her maiden budget seemingly failing to address issues facing the economy and doing little to bolster growth that has slowed to a six-year low and check unemployment that has risen to a 45-year high, Sitharaman has over the past one month announced measures in three tranches for different sectors of the economy including automobiles, banks and real estate.

India’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth slowed for the fifth consecutive quarter in April-June 2019 to 5 per cent, the lowest in six years. This was on the back of faltering domestic demand, with both private consumption and investment proving lackluster.

In response, her initial policy measures included support for the automobile sector, reduction in capital gains tax, and additional liquidity support for shadow banks. Accompanying structural reforms included a further easing of the foreign direct investment regime and consolidation of the public banking sector. In the third part, last Saturday (September 14), she announced a stressed asset fund to finance unfinished real estate projects and measures to boost exports.

Mumbai ATS needs more hands to trap drug peddlers

By

Vaidehi Taman

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September 19, 2019

Few days back, five people were arrested including the factory owner Jitendra Paramath and four others who handled circulation of the drug across the country. The Maharashtra Anti-terrorism squad is always vigilant but the ratio between cops and peddlers is quite visible. Many illegal parties that happen beyond the time allocated by the police may leave you with a warning. Resorts and camp tours and holiday destinations surround Mumbai, these destinations are haven for such parties and gatherings. Consumption and sale of drugs are illegal in India so the party birds try to be extra careful. In most of the cases they never get caught. Rather they become more confident. Look at any social media or sites, just register your demand for drugs you will get the delivery. On some social media the close groups of such party arrangers openly leave their contact numbers if you want.

The misguided youth, having lack of time from parents and living with their own challenges find emotional outlets in such events. A rave is an electronic music dance party that lasts all night. It can feature performances from DJs or live music performers. Raves usually take place in dark rooms filled with laser lights, strobes and for machines. Law enforcement agencies suspect a lot of drugs, including Ecstasy, do the rounds at a rave. These party organizers choose such a place where strictly no moral policing would take place; one can do what one wants to do.

It was 1980 when the word rave was coined. These days, you can see rave parties in some electronic dance music festivals. Goa, Mumbai and Lonavala are the land of party animals and such festivals are common. But these days Pune is also stealing the show and its Sunburn music festival is another source. Laser light, coloured images, fog machines, and visual effects, painted bodies, glow sticks, and pasties on the body of girls and boys. The youth here is in trance.

Drug overdose deaths and activation of unidentified drug peddlers controversy surrounding suspicious deaths and high-profile crimes—drugs and alcohol seizure from the party venue is not new, we read it in news every month. But there is no concrete way to deter these people. They find their ways and sometimes these minds are extra sharp than the cops.

It is widely known that drug use is common at raves. Drugs like MDMA, LSD, and marijuana are the most common rave drugs and typically cause users to feel mellow and friendly. However, everyone reacts differently to drugs and other drugs like cocaine can cause aggressive behaviour.

There are some common drugs that are used in Rave parties and whenever we read news these are the names of the drugs that get surfaced. MDMA — also known as Ecstasy, E, Molly and Energy, LSD — also known as Acid, Rainbow, Red Lips, Smiley, Sugar, and Zen, Cocaine — also known as Yay, Blow, White Powder, Rock, Sniff and Snow, Marijuana — also known as grass, weed, reefer, Mary Jane, Kush or hemp. The manufacturing units have their own operations; good that ATS is very vigilant and grabbing the custodians of drugs.

Behavioural issues to movies like Sanju Baba and Udta Punjab, attracts youth. They want to try to experience what their heroes did and this is one-way trap. One who gets in for trial remains here until death or extreme rehabilitation. Consumption of drugs is even due to the competition and pressure. Some crave for freedom; some are in search of peace and fun. Moreover, due to life style in metro cities, teenagers have easy access to drugs since most of the dealers are high school age themselves. The marketing of drugs works differently than other marketing schemes. Since the more people who use, the more people who crave, it’s very difficult to set up a drug operation in an unsaturated area. If you went to a place where nobody had ever used meth and tried to sell the stuff, nobody would want it. That’s where teenagers come in. They’re much more likely to accept risky behaviours and try new substances. Once you become an addict, you’ve made an addict for life. Those teenagers will grow up addicted to the substance, and it will spread like wildfire- creating an entirely new drug scene. As much as I hate capitalism for making people greedy and willing to take advantage of each other, it gives us the freedom to choose what substances to buy and not to buy. At this point, Cops are doing their job, but we as citizen need to be more responsible towards youth of our country, if we can’t stop at least we can report the incidences.

(Any suggestions, comments or dispute with regards to this article send us on feedback@www.afternoonvoice.com)

Meow-Meow, MCat nabbed in Panvel

By

Afternoon Voice

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September 19, 2019

Five people were arrested including the factory owner Jitendra Paramath and four others who handled circulation of the drug across the country.

The Maharashtra Anti-terrorism squad probing the multi-crore-drug lobby of Mephedrone (Meow-Meow, MCat) has nabbed the key person behind the manufacturing of the banned narcotic drug at a factory in Panvel.

On September 10, the ATS officials acting on specific information busted the factory and seized 129 kg of pure Mephedrone worth Rs 56 crore in the international market.

ATS officer said, “A chemistry graduate, Doctor had improvised the technique of drug manufacturing. We launched a manhunt to nab the doctor whose real name is Sardar Patil, a native of Sangli district in Maharashtra. The accused was referred to as the Doctor in the cartel as he was considered one of the best sythesisers of the drug and knew how to manufacture Ketamine, Methamphetamine and also Mephedrone.”

He said, “He worked at a chemical factory named Omkar industries in Sangli till 2015. It is at this factory that the Doctor learned and mastered the skill of synthesising synthetic drugs like Ketamine, Meth and Meow Meow.”

The factory at which the Doctor worked till 2015, Omkar industries, was owned and run by Transport baron Ravindra Konduskar. Konduskar ran a fleet of buses across the state and was arrested by the DRI (Directorate of Revenue Intelligence) in 2015 following a Mephedrone seizure from a bus in Pune.

The seizure led to a raid at Omkar industries and another 355 kg of Mephedrone was seized by the DRI. Konduskar had reportedly employed some Iranian chemical synthesisers for synthesising the drug and it was from them, the Doctor learned the process of synthesising.

Two more suppliers of Mephedrone have been arrested by the ATS who handled the smuggling network for the cartel and another 4.9 kg of Mephedrone has been seized. The Doctor was arrested from his hometown in Sangli where he had been hiding since the drug bust and is presently in the ATS custody.

It is remarkable that drug smugglers are targeting students of various schools and colleges in the city. According to Mumbai police, at least 125 drug peddlers have been arrested under a special drive in the last eight months from western suburbs and contrabands worth more than Rs 4 crore have been seized from them. Many women were arrested by Bandra police for being part of the illegal drug ring. Gang of women peddlers, especially from Bandra, are found to be involved in the drug trade in a big way. These women used to supply drugs to areas like Andheri, Dongri, Jogeshwari, Borivali, and Nallasopara.

As per Additional Commissioner of Police (West) Manoj Kumar Sharma, drug suppliers used women, and in some cases even children as couriers. Senior police officials from Bandra to Oshiwara and the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) to Powai have been directed to flush out peddlers. Police are concentrating on suburbs like Bandra, Oshiwara and Khar which are highly affected by the menace.

SE Asian countries want to purchase Tejas: Rajnath Singh

By

Web Team

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September 19, 2019

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday flew in the Tejas fighter aircraft from the HAL airport in Bengaluru, becoming the first defence minister to fly in the indigenously-built light combat aircraft (LCA). He said that said many countries in the South East Asian region have expressed their willingness to purchase Tejas aircraft.

Wearing a G suit, the minister buckled himself in the seat behind the pilot in the aircraft. He was accompanied by Air Vice Marshal N Tiwari, who is also the Project Director, National Flight Test Centre, ADA (Aeronautical Development Agency) in Bengaluru.

Defence Minister tweeted, “Flying on ‘Tejas’, an Indigenous Light Combat Aircraft from Bengaluru’s HAL Airport was an amazing and exhilarating experience. Tejas is a multi-role fighter with several critical capabilities. It is meant to strengthen India’s air defence capabilities.”

Rajanath Singh said about his experience that the fight was very smooth and comfortable. He further stated that he was thrilled. It is remarkable that the Tejas is an indigenous light weight, multi role supersonic aircraft developed in both fighter and trainer versions. Advanced materials like composites are used in the manufacture of the Tejas to reduce weight and increase the component life. The Tejas is designed to carry a veritable plethora of air-to-air, air-to- surface, precision guided and standoff weaponry.

100 days of Modi Government 2.0

By

Vinod Dixit

-

September 19, 2019

There is no doubt that after winning the election; Modi started working for towards first 100 days plan. As PM Narendra Modi braced for a second term with a historic mandate, herculean economic challenges await him. Modi government has become more appreciative and encouraging of wealth creators.

PM Modi has described the first hundred days of BJP government as “development, trust and big changes.” He said 130 crore people inspired his government to take significant decisions in this period.

PM Modi has been bolder and has taken important decisions in his second innings. In the first 100 days of the Modi 2.0, the special status of Jammu and Kashmir stands altered, triple talaq is a law, Unlawful Activities Prevention Act has been amended and the Right to Information Act diluted.

In a big victory, the Modi government finally managed to successfully turn the triple talaq bill into an Act. The law that allows triple talaq is one such law and was needed to be abolished. It grants equality to Muslim women and is a powerful measure for women empowerment. The Triple Talaq bill bans and criminalizes the practice of instant triple talaq among Muslims.

The abrogation of Article 370 which stripped off the special status enjoyed by the people in Jammu & Kashmir was a massive success in favour of the Saffron party. In a smart move, the party militarised the state and removed the article 370. The BJP had earlier in its ‘Sankalp Patra’ promised to annul the controversial clause – a long pending demand of the RSS. The Government also passed the Jammu and Kashmir (Reorganization) Act, 2019, under which J&K was bifurcated into two Union Territories- Jammu and Kashmir with a legislative assembly and Ladakh without a legislative assembly.

The government announced the merger of 10 state-owned banks to form four large banks. The move was aimed at providing relief to banks from rising NPAs and better banking facilities to consumers. The aim was to create the 2nd largest, 4th largest, 5th largest and 7th largest PSBs in India. Now the total number of public sector banks in India stands at 12, down from 27 in 2017. The bank mergers are expected to reduce the cost of lending, enhance profitability and boost the economy.

Apart from passing 36 bills in one session, PM Modi at the start of the budget session said that the country is looking towards a $5 Trillion Economy by 2024. To reach the promised economy, the centre also merged ten of the biggest public sector banks (PSBs) into four entities.

The third most contentious bill to pass was the RTI (Amendment) Bill, 2019. This bill seeks to amend the RTI Act, 2005. It was passed in the upper house by a voice vote amid a walkout from the Congress, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Trinamool Congress (TMC) and the other opposition parties.

The government has also simplified the GST refund process. All pending GST refund due to MSMEs will be paid within 30 days. The government also announced linking of Repo rate to interest rate, thus, reducing EMI for housing and car loans. The government has attempted to simplify lives by making labour laws more transparent. The government has approved the Code on Wages, Bill 2019 to provide fixed minimum wages to the entire workforce.

The government has extended the PM Kisan Scheme to another 3.44 crore farmers, taking the total number of beneficiaries under the scheme to 6.37 crore. The Parliament passed the Motor Vehicle (Amendment) Act 2019, paving the way for efficient, safe and corruption free transport system in the country. The law also aims to improve road safety and help citizens in their dealings with the transport departments.

There is no doubt that Modi has captured the keys to India’s Parliament by outlining an aspirational agenda for the country viz. creating millions of jobs, building world-class infrastructure and eliminating corruption. Modi government has managed to package and sell the policies to their young voters with ease. The magnetism of a decisive leader has proved more important in the development policies of the country.

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