Yogi cracks the whip, more policemen suspended

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Yogi cracks the whip, more policemen suspended

Aggressively pursuing his zero-tolerance policy for corruption, UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath continues to crack the whip on corrupt police officials.

After suspending two IPS officers within 24 hours, the state government, on Thursday night, suspended more police personnel on charges of corruption and dereliction of duty.

A case for extortion has been registered in Mahoba against suspended SSP Mani Lal Patidar.

In Mahoba, the government suspended Rajesh Kumar Saroj, a former inspector of Charkhari police station, former station officer Kharela, Raju Singh, former SO Karbai, Devendra Shukla, and constable Rajkumar Kashyap.

SSP Mahoba Mani Lal Patidar was earlier suspended on Wednesday and a vigilance probe has been ordered against him.

In Prayagraj, where SSP Abhishek Dixit was suspended on Tuesday, nine more police personnel have faced action.

Kareli inspector Anjani Kumar Srivastava, Atarsuiyya inspector Sandeep Mishra, Kareli inspector Nagendra Kumar Nagar, Sub-Inspectors Gaurav Tiwari, Prem Kumar, Kuldeep Kumar Yadav, Durgesh Rai, Ibrar Ansari and Head Constable Ram Pratap Singh have been placed under suspension.

According to official sources, action has been taken based on the complaints received against these police personnel and more heads could be expected to roll in the coming days.

A senior police officer in the rank of ADG, said, “Action should have been taken much earlier but it is still welcome. It will help in cleansing the system and inculcate discipline in the force. A large number of police personnel who have affiliations with political leaders, do not toe the line of discipline which naturally makes working difficult.”

For DGP Vikram Singh said that the results of this action would take about six months to start showing and if the strictness continues, UP police will regain lost glory.

Parimal Nathwani takes oath as Rajya Sabha MP for third term

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Parimal Nathwani takes oath as Rajya Sabha MP for third term

Rajya Sabha Chairman M. Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday administers the oath to Parimal Nathwani who was re-elected for a third term as a member of the Rajya Sabha.

Nathwani of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu (YSR) Congress Party was re-elected as a member of Rajya Sabha in the biennial election from Andhra Pradesh.

Nathwani was elected to Rajya Sabha in May 2008 for his first term and in April 2014 for his second term.

Rajya Sabha Secretary-General Desh Deepak Verma and other senior officers of the Upper House Secretariat were also present on the occasion.

Rajasthan CM postpones all meetings for one month

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Rajasthan CM postpones all meetings for one month

Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has postponed all meetings for a month beginning from Wednesday.

The decision came on Tuesday night, a state government press release said.

Around 40 employees in the Chief Minister’s residence and office were found COVID infected. They also included the police and Rajasthan Armed Constabulary (RAC) personnel, who were associated with the Chief Minister’s security.

Gehlot said following the norms of social distancing and health protocols are the main measures that can fight the spread of Covid-19. This infection can be controlled by protecting ourselves.

“For this reason, on the advice of doctors, I have decided not to meet anyone for the next month. However, I will participate via video conference for matters to discuss good governance,” he said in the release.

Gehlot said that in this crisis of the Covid-19 epidemic, protecting the lives of the people of the state was the highest priority of the government. For this, the state government was making every effort by strengthening the medical facilities, but the infection of this epidemic can be prevented with everyone’s support, he said.

The Chief Minister appealed to the people of the country to wear masks, keep social distancing, avoid crowds, keep social interactions to a minimum, leave home only when necessary and cater to all other health protocols with full responsibility.

The lockdown was an attack on the poor, says Rahul

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The lockdown was an attack on the poor, says Rahul

Continuing his attack on the government over the state of the economy, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi has alleged that the unplanned lockdown broke the backbone of the Indian economy and it was the Modi government’s third attack on the unorganized sector.

Releasing his fourth video of the series on Wednesday, Rahul Gandhi said: “The poor, those working in small and medium businesses, are daily wage earners. They eat with what they earn each day. When you announced a lockdown without notice, you attacked them.”

Gandhi reiterated his point that the lockdown did not yield results as India surpassed Brazil and became the second worst-hit nation by the pandemic. “The Prime Minister said the fight will be for 21 days, the backbone of the unorganized sector broke in 21 days,” he added.

The Congress leader alleged that the government did not pay any heed on the advice of the party and when it was time to open after the lockdown, the Congress party told the government several times that helping the poor was essential. “A scheme like NYAY needed to be implemented, the money needed to be directly deposited in bank accounts. But they didn’t do it,” said Rahul Gandhi.

The Congress in its letters to the Prime Minister had suggested that for small and medium businesses, the government should prepare a package.

“They needed to be saved. Without this money, they would not be able to survive, but the government did nothing. Instead, the government waived off taxes worth lakhs of crores of the richest 15-20 people,” the Congress leader said.

“The lockdown was not an attack on corona but an attack on the poor of India. It was an attack on the future of our youth, laborers, farmers, and small shopkeepers and unorganized sector,” Gandhi has been saying this all along.

Earlier Rahul Gandhi in his video had questioned the GST and demonization. Rahul Gandhi had said that the GST was the UPA’s idea of easy taxation but the NDA has made it “complex and complicated”.

“The GST implemented by the NDA government is different as four slabs of taxes are there to the tune of 28 percent, it’s very complicated and very difficult to understand,” said Rahul.

The small and medium businesses can’t comply with this tax procedure but the big companies can hire as many accountants as possible, he said.

He had said that “this GST is an absolute failure. Not only is it unsuccessful, but it is also an attack on the poor and on the small and medium businesses. GST is not a tax system, it is an attack on India’s poor. It is an attack on small shopkeepers, small and medium businesses, farmers, and laborers.”

Rahul last week released his second video and alleged that demonetization was an attack on India’s poor, its farmers, laborers, and small shopkeepers and termed it as an attack on India’s unorganized economy.

Rahul Gandhi said that “demonetization did not erase black money as was claimed by the Prime Minister and it did not benefit the poor and the advantage was given to India’s biggest billionaires.”

He had said demonetization wiped out cash from the system and due to this, the informal sector has suffered because the unorganized economy runs on cash whether it is a small shopkeeper, farmer, or laborer.

Telangana Assembly seeks award for PV, AIMIM boycotts proceedings

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Telangana Assembly seeks award for PV, AIMIM boycotts proceedings

The Telangana Assembly took up and passed a resolution on Tuesday to urge the Centre to confer the Bharat Ratna posthumously on former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao, even as the AIMIM boycotted legislative proceedings.

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM), a friendly party of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), said in a brief statement that it decided to boycott Tuesday’s proceedings in the Telangana Assembly and the Legislative Council as it “cannot support the resolution and discussion on the centenary celebrations related to Rao”.

AIMIM’s floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi and six other members stayed away from the Assembly when the House discussed and passed the resolution moved by Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, urging the Centre to confer the country’s highest civilian award on late Narasimha Rao.

AIMIM’s both Legislative Council members also did not participate in the proceedings.

The unanimously passed resolution also demanded that the Centre install Narasimha Rao’s statue and portrait in Parliament and rename the Central University of Hyderabad as PV Narasimha Rao Central University.

Several Muslim groups in Telangana have been opposing the birth centenary celebrations of Narasimha Rao on the ground that the Muslims could never forget the fact that it was during his rule that the Babri Masjid at Ayodhya was demolished. The state government’s move to pass the resolution for the Bharat Ratna to the former PM further angered them.

In February 2005, AIMIM had refused to support a condolence motion in the Assembly of then undivided Andhra Pradesh to pay tributes to Narasimha Rao, who died on December 23, 2004.

The party legislators led by floor leader Akbaruddin Owaisi had then walked out of the Assembly after the motion was moved.

It was perhaps the first time in the parliamentary history of India that a party had refused to endorse a condolence motion to pay tributes to a former Prime Minister.

“We cannot, or even history will not forget the demolition of Babri Masjid on December 6 in 1992, which was caused due to his political inaction,” Akbaruddin Owaisi had then said.

Senior BJP leader in MP joins Congress

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Senior BJP leader in MP joins Congress

The Bharatiya Janata Party received a jolt in the Gwalior-Chambal region of Madhya Pradesh on Tuesday with senior party leader Satish Singh Sikarwar, who contested the last assembly polls from the region, joining the Congress along with hundreds of supporters.

Sikarwar on Tuesday reached Bhopal with hundreds of supporters from Gwalior to join the Congress in the presence of former Chief Minister and Congress state president Kamal Nath. Many senior leaders, including the Congress organization in-charge Chandra Prabhash Shekhar and former minister Ramnivas Rawat, were also present.

Sikarwar contested the last election as a BJP candidate from Gwalior east and was defeated by Congress candidate Munnalal Goyal.

Goyal left the Congress with former Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and joined the BJP and resigned from the membership of the state Legislative Assembly. The BJP is likely to pick Goyal as a candidate in the upcoming by-elections. With Sikarwar joining the Congress, speculation is rife that the Congress can make Sikarwar a candidate from Gwalior east.

Telangana BJP MLA advised by police to use bullet-proof car

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Telangana BJP MLA advised by police to use bullet-proof car

In view of a grave security threat, the Hyderabad police have advised T. Raja Singh, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) lone member of the Telangana Legislative Assembly, not to move around on a two-wheeler and travel by a bullet-proof car allotted to him by the government.

In a letter to Raja Singh, Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anjani Kumar said that providing proper security to him was a priority.

“It is to inform you that due to your threat perception, enhanced security has been provided to you, and security personnel is also being alerted and checked from time to time. Special training has been organized for all your PSOs periodically,” said the letter dated August 28.

The police chief wrote that on occasions, the MLA is seen moving around on a motorcycle.

“This poses a grave security threat to you. Therefore, your kind cooperation is solicited to ensure proper security. That you kindly completely avoid moving on a motorcycle and travel by the bullet-proof car allotted. The government has provided this car only for your security,” it added.

Raja Singh, who is known for making controversial statements and was also booked by the police on various occasions, represents the Goshamahal Assembly constituency in Hyderabad.

He was recently at the center of a controversy that erupted after a report in the Wall Street Journal that Facebook’s content policies favored the BJP.

The MLA however, claimed that he never posted any inflammatory content on social media.

He added that his official Facebook account was hacked and blocked in 2018.

The US newspaper quoted unnamed Facebook insiders that one of the India policy executives intervened in an internal communication to stop a permanent ban on Raja Singh after he allegedly posted communal, divisive content.

Will try to win hearts of rebel MLAs: Raj CM

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Will try to win hearts of rebel MLAs: Raj CM

After the resolution of the crisis arising out of rebellion by Congress MLAs owing allegiance to Sachin Pilot, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday said that he would try to know their grievances and then try to win them over.

Gehlot was speaking to the media before leaving for Jaisalmer, where MLAs from his camp are staying, to chair a Congress Legislature Party meeting.

“As the Chief Minister, it is my responsibility to win the hearts of my MLAs if they have any cause to be annoyed with me. We will try to figure out what all promises were made to them and why they have grudges,” he said.

Gehlot pointed out that a 3-member committee has been formed by the Congress high command to look into the grievances of MLAs.

However, Gehlot parried the question about his opinion on Pilot’s return to the Congress fold as the Chief Minister had earlier dubbed his once-deputy ‘nikamma’ and ‘nakara’ (incompetent, worthless).

Pilot, who was sacked as Deputy Chief Minister and PCC chief in July, is returning to state capital Jaipur from Delhi via road after meeting the party leadership and will be welcomed at different places en route by his supporters.

The Chief Minister also attacked the BJP, saying that all their plans and projections have failed badly.

“Imagine their situation — they hired 3 planes which remained grounded as the MLAs refused to fly to a new place. They also wanted to take their MLAs for camping; that also could not be done. A meeting of MLAs scheduled to be held at a hotel on Tuesday has also been cancelled. Look, how they have fallen flat,” he remarked.

Gehlot said that he owes a lot to the Congress MLAs who stayed for a month in hotels and not even one of them joined the rival camp. “I have told them that I will be obliged to them for life,” he added.

He asserted that the Congress government in Rajasthan will complete its 5-year term and return to power again in the next Assembly elections.

Demand for Rahul to take over party begins in Kerala

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Demand for Rahul to take over party begins in Kerala

In a passionate plea to former Congress president Rahul Gandhi, Leader of Opposition in Kerala and top party leader Ramesh Chennithala on Tuesday wrote to the former that he is the only alternative to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s authoritarian regime.

“The only opposition and the only alternative to Modi’s authoritarian regime is Rahul Gandhi. In these times, where even some of the mainstream media houses have become partisan and pro power, your good self has been successful in waging a lonely battle against the Modi-Amit Shah duo,” said Chennithala in his letter to Gandhi.

“The grassroots level workers are eagerly waiting for Rahulji to take over the reins of the party. This will infuse unmatched enthusiasm among our cadres and will catapult our party towards recapturing the past glory,” said Chennithala.

Chennithala adds that they are going through an unprecedented crisis and Sonia Gandhi has been struggling, despite her health issues, to rudder this boat through these tempestuous times.

“But to match the crookedness and the robustness of the BJP, we need to have your young and dynamic leadership at the helm of affairs. The nation had appreciated the highest democratic principles shown by your good self while abdicating the presidentship of Congress party, taking up the moral responsibility for UPA’s debacle in 2014 general elections. However, it’s time for you to kindly reconsider your decision. The Assembly elections to Bihar and five other states are due in nine months’ time,” notes Chennithala.

He ends his letter by saying that this is an appeal to your good self on behalf of all the Congress Workers and the secular and liberal citizenry of this great nation to take over the reins of the party and lead us in this struggle to re-discover the spirit of India.

Gandhi is the Wayanad Lok Sabha member and this letter comes at a time when Kerala has its Assembly elections in May 2021.

Amid reconciliation talks, Cong leaders hint at Rahul-Pilot meet

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Amid reconciliation talks, Cong leaders hint at Rahul-Pilot meet

Political circles in Rajasthan were on Monday agog with talks of a likely resolution to the crisis arising out of rebellion by Congress MLAs owing allegiance to Sachin Pilot. Congress sources claimed that the Pilot camp lawmakers will meet Rajya Sabha MP KC Venugopal during the day and even meet with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi thereafter.

The Congress sources said that veteran party leader Ahmed Patel had pitched in to resolve the issue that had threatened the survival of the Ashok Gehlot government after the Pilot camp raised a banner of revolt over the state leadership.

The Congress had sacked Pilot as Deputy Chief Minister and the Rajasthan Congress President. So far, Gehlot has stayed put in the CM chair amid claims and counter-claims on attempts to poach MLAs.

On Sunday night, a Congress Legislature Party meeting was held in a Jaisalmer hotel, where MLAs from the Gehlot camp are lodged. In this meeting, they held mixed views on taking back the rebels into the party fold.

While a few MLAs suggested that the rebel camp leader should be taken back in view of the “wafer-thin margin” of the Gehlot government over the opposition in the Assembly, others were not ready to budge and were not in favor of taking back the Pilot followers.

Meanwhile, the Gehlot camp in Jaisalmer is keeping a wary eye on any development in Delhi vis-a-vis the proposed meeting.

A senior Congress worker confirmed to IANS that a few Ministers from Rajasthan had hinted to the meeting and that the views of party MLAs were sought ahead of the scheduled meeting on reinducting Pilot and his loyalist MLAs.

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