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Archives for August 2018

Akhilesh accuses Modi, BJP of making ‘hollow promises’

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Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of making “hollow promises” and the Uttar Pradesh government of not “paying heed to the poor and marginalised”.

“They have left the youngsters high and dry, aimless and without jobs,” the former Chief Minister said while interacting with party workers and supporters, asking them to gear up for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Yadav also accused UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s government of failing to protect women, minorities and the common people and not being able to control the law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh.

He said these few people were running the state by making policies that benefit them.

The 45-year-old said that it would be the “cycle (SP’s election symbol) that will ensure the defeat of the BJP and the communal forces”.

“In the present dispensation, people have been robbed of happiness and to expect anything from them is just a mirage,” Yadav added.

He also accused the media of being partisan and favouring the ruling party, saying that the media houses were taken over by the corporates and were failing to discharge their duties as the fourth pillar of democracy.

(Ians)

On Onam, PM Modi’s sombre message for Kerala speaks of strength and hope

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Onam celebrations have been understandably subdued across flood-hit Kerala this year. Homes bore minimal decorations while several temples across the state chose to use funds meant for celebrations to provide much-needed relief materials to locals staring at the ongoing crisis. PM Narendra Modi on Saturday had a sombre Onam message for people in the state and assured them of the entire country’s help.

PM Modi took to Twitter to wish people on Onam. “May this Onam give further strength to the people of Kerala to overcome the adversities they have been facing for the past few days,” he wrote. “The entire nation stands shoulder to shoulder with Kerala and prays for the happiness as well as prosperity of its citizens.”

President Ram Nath Kovind too expressed hope that the state recovers from the devastating floods. “Good wishes to fellow citizens, particularly to our brothers and sisters in Kerala, on Onam. May this festival mark a new beginning for all those in Kerala recovering in the aftermath of the floods, and gradually beginning to rebuild their lives,” he posted on Twitter.

The prevailing situation in the state has been described by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan as the worst natural calamity here in 100 years. He also said that preliminary assessment of losses was around Rs 20,000 crore which was equal to state’s annual plan size for 2018-19.

While lakhs of people have returned to their homes, some estimates say that around 8.69 lakh people are still in 2287 relief camps across the state. 231 people have lost their lives in the deluge. And while there is a tussle between the state government and the Centre over an ‘offer’ of Rs 700 crore in aid from UAE, people across the country have united to send relief materials and give monetary assistance. The Centre too has released Rs 600 crores in assistance, promising more in the time to come.

The ground reality continues to be extremely grim and what would have otherwise been a joyous occasion to celebrate the state’s harvest festival has turned rather colourless.

Congress President Rahul says Congress not involved in 1984 anti-Sikh riots

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Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Friday said “Congress was not involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots”, in which nearly 3,000 Sikhs were killed, mostly in the national capital when the party’s government was in power at the Centre.

To a question being asked in an event in the UK Parliament about the 1984 riots, Gandhi said: “I have no confusion in my mind about that. It was a tragedy, it was a painful experience. You say that the Congress party was involved in that, I don’t agree with that. Certainly there was violence, certainly there was tragedy.”

Later, during an interactive session at the London School of Economics (LSE) when he was again asked about the anti-Sikh riots and former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement on it, Gandhi said: “When Manmohan Singh spoke, he spoke for all of us. As I said earlier, I am a victim of violence and I understand what it feels.”

“So, I am against any sort of violence against anybody on this planet. I get disturbed when I see anybody being hurt. So, I condemn that 100 per cent and I am 100 per cent for punishment for those involved in any violence against anybody. That’s crystal clear,” said Gandhi.

He further explained that people who haven’t had violence inflicted upon them, think that violence is what you see in movies. “That’s not what it is. I have seen people who are loved very much being killed.”

“I have also seen the person (Prabhakaran) who killed my father (Rajiv Gandhi) being killed. When I saw Prabhakaran lying on the beaches in Jaffna, when I saw him being humiliated, the way he was, I felt sorry for him, because I saw my father in his place and his children in my place,” he added.

“So, when you are being hit by violence, when you understand it, it has a completely different impact on you. Most people don’t actually understand violence. It’s a horrible thing,” he added.

Some Congress politicians, including Sajjan Kumar, have been accused of leading the killer mobs. They have denied the allegations.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)

Vijay Mallya’s cell to have TV, toilet, washing area and sunlight: CBI submits video in UK court

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The Barrack Number 12 of Mumbai’s Arthur Road Jail, where CBI plans to lodge embattled businessman Vijay Mallya, has a television set, private toilet, a washing area, availability of proper natural light, access to library and a courtyard to take a walk.

The specifications were highlighted after a UK court asked Indian authorities to submit a “step by step video” video of the jail compartment where Mallya would be kept. The court’s directions came after Mallya’s defence team focused its objections on the lack of natural light available in Barrack 12 and claimed that the “government of India assurance cannot be relied upon”.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a nearly 10 minute-long video highlighting various facilities before the London court.

“The UK court wanted to see if Indian jails are hygienic. We have given them proof of the hygiene level and medical facilities available in jail. In fact, the barrack in which Mallya would be lodged is east-facing so it has lot of sunlight too,” a senior level official as saying.

Barrack 12 at the Arthur Road Jail houses high-profile inmates, including prisoners who face a security threat elsewhere, or ones who could pose a threat to others. It’s a ground-plus-one structure with eight cells on each floor.

In an earlier report, The Indian Express had given a glimpse of the cell. The report stated that while prison barracks ordinarily have Indian-style toilets, some cells in Barrack 12 have western-style commodes. Inmates are provided with a mattress, a pillow and a bedsheet, and a melamine glass, plate and two bowls in which to have meals and water.

Melamine utensils are preferred because prisoners can’t use them to attack other prisoners or jail staff, or to inflict injuries on themselves. The cells are covered by CCTV cameras, and guards posted inside and outside the barrack watch over inmates round the clock.

The Westminster Magistrates’ Court judge, expressing dissatisfaction with the still photographs provided by the Indian authorities of the jail premises, had even given specific instructions for the video to be shot and submitted within three weeks.

Judge Emma Arbuthnot said a video of the Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai, where they plan to keep Mallya, should be shot in daylight so that it is clear if the prison would get any natural light or not.

The 62-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss, who has been on bail in an extradition warrant since his arrest in April last year, is fighting extradition to India on charges of fraud and money laundering amounting to around Rs 9,000 crores.

In the ongoing extradition proceedings, if the judge rules in favour of the Indian government, the UK home secretary will have two months to sign Mallya’s extradition order. However, both sides will have the chance to appeal in higher courts in the UK against the Magistrates’ Court verdict.

Man held for cheating people with promising of foreign jobs

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The cyber police have arrested Kulvinder Kumar (45) on the allegation of fleecing people by offering the lure of jobs in foreign countries and then cheating people.

Kiran Tilabolu from Pandeshwar here was hunting for jobs. He received an e-mail on November 30, 2017, informing him that jobs in foreign countries would be provided. When he contacted the sender, he was told that he would be employed in Canada. When Kiran said that 26 more people are also in need of jobs, the concerned agreed to absorb them in employment. A total of Rs 5, 96,150 collected in the form of application fee and other fees, was remitted on behalf of all of them through NEFT.

After the money was remitted, Kiran did not get responses to telephonic calls and e-mails. Thereafter, a complaint was filed in the cyber crime police station, accusing the concerned of promising jobs and then cheating people.

During the investigation, the police found out that the brain behind this fraud was the owner of a firm named World Star Placement Services located in Punjab. It also transpired that he was near Kallangut, Goa. The cyber assistant sub-inspector, Omdas, and head constable, Videep, went to Goa on August 22 and arrested the accused in Fort Aguada region. The accused had visited Goa as a tourist.

The operation was conducted by inspector, Pavitra Tej and other personnel under the guidance of city police commissioner T R Suresh, deputy commissioners of police, Hanumantharaya and Uma Prashanth.

Siddaramaiah want to be CM again

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Former chief minister Siddaramaiah has, on several occasions previously, stated that he would not want to contest in any future elections. But, from his recent speech during the inaugural function of a temple at Holenarasipura town on August 24, it can be gleaned that the former chief minister is having second thoughts about this stance.

During his speech at the function, Siddaramaiah expressed that he wanted to be chief minister of the state for one more term and added that he has confidence that the people would support him and bring him to power once more.

Commenting on the Assembly elections that were held a few months ago, Siddaramaiah said that he was sure that he would be chief minister once again and that when he was chief minister, he had instituted several schemes to help people of all classes but, the people did not support him. “Elections now are being fought on the basis of caste and money. This is dangerous in a democracy,” he stated.

He then criticised the Central government for not providing relief funds to the district of Kodagu that until recently, had been battling heavy rains and horrific landslides. He also took a dig at the Prime Minister for not personally visiting the district and taking stock of the situation.

Responding to Siddaramaiah’s wish to become chief minister again, CM HD Kumaraswamy said that he would be delighted if Siddaramaiah’s wish were to come true. State minister for water resources DK Shivakumar, however, said that Siddaramaiah’s statement was probably made to encourage the party workers and that this was not the way the former chief minister usually speaks. “The interests of the party come first. All of us have our own aspirations but, we will stick to our promise that Kumaraswamy will remain the chief minister for the entire five-year term,” he explained.

Modi government lacks coherent strategy for Pakistan: Rahul

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Congress President Rahul Gandhi said on Friday that the Narendra Modi government lacks a “coherent strategy” towards Pakistan and attacked Modi for his foreign policy based on “hugs”.

Speaking at an event at the International Institute of Strategic Studies (IISS) of London, Gandhi said that Pakistan promotes terrorism in India and it is not possible to talk in such a situation.

“The Modi government lack a coherent strategy towards Pakistan, it’s episodic. The Prime Minister flies there for a wedding. There’s no deeply thought out strategy,” he said.

Taking a dig at the Prime Minister, Gandhi said: “I’ve also been trapped in the hug politics but I don’t think you can run foreign policy based on hugs. It doesn’t work. We have tremendous structures in our country, institutional structures that understand these things, one has to use those structures to develop strategy.”

“The question with Pakistan is who do you talk to in Pakistan. Pakistan, from our perspective, has a number of institutions. So the difficulty from an Indian perspective is which institution do you talk to?” Gandhi said.

The Congress leader said some of the institutions in Pakistan are hostile towards India and some are attacking India. “So we don’t want to talk to them.”

He said: “You wait till the time Pakistan is able to resolve some of these issues, you wait till the time Pakistan is able to have a coherent structure you can talk to, but it’s very difficult to sign something if you don’t know what’s going to happen the next day.”

“It’s a huge commitment of political will…and if you sign something and the next dayelike that happened for example with Mr. Vajpayee and that is a classic example,” he added.

On India’s relationship with South Asian countries, Gandhi said: “What is important is that you develop a strategy based on your foundational strengths.”

“I don’t see a coherent strategy based on India’s strength, I see tactical responses, I see knee-jerk reactions but I don’t see a strategic vision that says this is how India is going to chart its course through 21st century,” he added.

He also attacked the Prime Minister for what he temed “centralisation of power” and said: “What is being going on in the last four years is a massive centralisation of power, in the CM on one hand and the PM on the other.”

Doctors should serve in rural areas before getting promotion: Naidu

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The Vice President, Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu addressing the 15th World Rural Health Conference with the theme “Healing the Heart of Healthcare – Leaving no one behind”, in New Delhi on April 26, 2018.
The Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare, Shri Ashwini Kumar Choubey and other dignitaries are also seen.

Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu on Saturday said that every doctor should serve at least 3 years in rural areas before getting a promotion.

“It should be made mandatory for young doctors to serve at least 3 years in rural areas before getting promotion,” Naidu told the first convocation ceremony of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Bhubaneswar.

He said there was a need to increase the number of doctors available at healthcare centres in rural areas as the absence of qualified medical practitioners was making people approach quacks.

“We need to overcome the acute shortage of healthcare providers as also the infrastructure in rural areas,” he added.

Naidu also stressed on the need to increase the number of medical colleges.

The Vice President said medical education curriculum had to be constantly updated, by including the latest developments and methods of treatment.

“Doctors must be trained to be more sensitive towards the sufferings of the patients and their families and should provide the healing touch with effective communication. There can be no greater service than restoring fellow human beings to good health,” he said.

Naidu said schemes such as ‘Ayushman Bharat Yojana’ or the National Health Protection Scheme would be a game-changer in terms of accessing healthcare services in India.

Speaking on girls’ education, he said: “Who says women can do nothing? Given an opportunity they can do wonders. Girls are outperforming boys.”

Speaking at the event, Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the institution was growing fast and hopes rare surgeries, which are now carried out at AIIMS Delhi, would soon be conducted at AIIMS Bhubaneswar.

He said it would be a befitting tribute to former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee if his statue was installed in the premises of AIIMS here.

Notably, Vajpayee had laid the foundation stone of the hospital here in 2003.

Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda said AIIMS Bhubaneswar provided treatment to over 5 lakh patients last year.

Karnataka seeks Rs 2,000 cr aid from Centre for flood victims

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Karnataka on Friday sought Rs 2,000 crore interim relief from the central government for relief and rehabilitation of flood victims in the southern state’s Kodagu district.

“I appeal to you to release an interim relief of Rs 2,000 crore to enable the state government rehabilitate Kodagu’s flood-hit victims,” said state Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy in a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday.

The Chief Minister’s office released the letter to the media on Friday night.

As per initial estimates, the huge loss caused by heavy rains, floods and landslides to the infrastructure, public property and crops is feared to be Rs 3,000 crore.

The letter also highlighted the large-scale destruction the natural calamity caused to crops, coffee plantations, spices and arecanut (beetle nuts) across the hilly district, about 270 km southwest of Bengaluru.

Thanking Modi for enquiring about the situation in Kodagu on August 19 and providing help in the rescue operations through the Indian Army, Navy and air force, the chief minister said the landslides changed the geomorphology and river course in the region.

“As the arterial roads connecting Kodagu have been battered, relief operations and the movement of essentials like food, drinking water and medicines were hampered,” recalled Kumaraswamy.

The torrential rains, landslips and floods during the southwest monsoon from August 14-22, claimed 17 lives and damaged over 2,200 houses.

“Undeterred by the devastation, the state machinery and the district administration rescued over 4,500 people and provided shelter to 7,500 people in 53 relief camps, served 50,000 food packets and supplied rice, oil, pulses, salt and sugar,” added the letter.

230 kg Ganja seized in Bengal, two arrested

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The city unit of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) on Friday seized 230 kgs of ganja from a vehicle in West Bengal’s Alipurduar district and arrested two residents of Assam in this connection, a senior NCB official said.

The seizure was made from Alipurduar district’s Madarihat area during a joint operation by the NCB personnel and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) troopers.

“The two accused, both residents of Assam’s Dhubri district, brought the contraband worth Rs 40 lakh from Assam and were travelling to a nearby Falakata railway station when they were arrested from the truck. They were planning to take the contraband to Kolkata,” Zonal Director of Bureau’s Kolkata unit Dilip Kumar Srivastava said in a release.

“The two arrested accused will be produced in the Jalpaiguri court along with the seized contraband on Saturday for further legal action,” he added.

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