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Archives for March 2023

Delhi liquor scam: ED questions Sisodia second time in Tihar

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NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) Thursday began the second round of questioning of former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia at the Tihar Jail here in connection with its money laundering probe into alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy, officials said.

The federal probe agency had recorded the statement of the 51-year-old Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader for the first time on March 7 for about five hours.

Sisodia is currently lodged in judicial custody after the CBI arrested him on February 26 in connection with alleged corruption in the formulation and implementation of the now-scrapped Delhi liquor or excise policy for 2021-22.

The ED obtained a local court’s permission to question the politician, who till recently was the deputy CM of Delhi, in the cell number 1 of the jail.

The agency is expected to question him about the alleged change and destruction of cellphones that were in his possession and the policy decisions and the timeline followed by him as the excise minister of Delhi.

These charges were made by it in its charge sheets filed before the court.

It is alleged that the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 to grant licences to liquor traders allowed cartelisation and favoured certain dealers, who had allegedly paid bribes for it, a charge strongly refuted by the AAP.

The policy was later scrapped and the Delhi LG recommended a CBI probe following which the ED booked a case against the same accused under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Will always be part of sports: Emotional Sania bids last goodbye

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HYDERABAD:  There was quite a sprinkling of stars. Some of her closest buddies from the circuit were on the court and celebrities and ministers were off it. All converged into the Lala Bahadur Stadium in Hyderabad to watch their most loved and famous woman’s player appearing in her last match. The same venue where she won her first Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) singles title close to two decades ago. The eclectic crowd made some noise when Sania Mirza, who wanted to bid adieu to the sport that gave her so much at home, entered the arena. 

The ensemble too was on familiar lines. Sania had some of her former doubles mates in attendance and they came together to play a few hits and rallies for one last time. There were her former mixed doubles mates Croatian Ivan Dodig and Rohan Bopanna, one of her closest friends Bethanie Mattek-Sands, Cara Black and Marion Bartoli. They played matches for the audience too. 

In the stands were some former international players, celebrities and ministers (Union and state) too. It was Yuvraj Singh who received a huge roar. He paired up with Bethanie against Sania and Ivan for an exhibition tie.

‘Happy tears’ flowed once again as Sania talked about her career and thanked her fans. “I’m grateful for all that I’ve been able to achieve in my career, I couldn’t be more grateful being here with my family, my best friends and my fans who have supported me all along.” 

Several celebrities, bureaucrats and political leaders such as CV Anand, Dulquer Salmaan, Kiren Rijiju, and Jayesh Ranjan were present. Her son Ishan and her parents too were present. It was an understandably emotional moment for Sania as she began her speech by saying,  “It’s been one amazing ride, representing my country is an achievement in itself and I’ll always be thankful for the support I’ve received throughout my 20-plus years career. I’m only retiring as a player, but will always be a part of Indian sports and tennis.”

‘Larger than life’: Indian film-maker Rajamouli shoots for Oscar fame

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HYDERABAD: Indian director SS Rajamouli’s films are all-singing, all-dancing spectacles — and he is now a favourite to secure the first-ever Oscar for an all-Indian film.

His three-hour extravaganza “RRR” is a fictionalised story of two colonial-era revolutionaries, filled with large-scale, visual effects-laden action sequences and musical numbers.

It has smashed box offices in India, wowed audiences from the United States to Japan, and is a front-runner for the Best Original Song award at next month’s Oscars, having already beaten out Taylor Swift and Rihanna for the same prize at the Golden Globes.

“When I’m going to a movie, I would like to see larger-than-life characters, larger-than-life situations, larger-than-life drama,” Rajamouli told AFP.

“And that’s what I like to make,” he said at his office in the southern city of Hyderabad. “Nothing holds the heroes back in delivering their action sequences.”

A word-of-mouth hit that has seen moviegoers dancing in cinema aisles, Telugu-language “RRR” has become one of the highest-grossing Indian movies ever. It has also introduced the country’s lesser-known but prolific southern cinema industry to a worldwide audience.

India’s Hindi-language Bollywood cinema industry has long been known as the world’s most productive, but international film awards beyond the festival circuit have largely remained the preserve of English-language movies.

That changed when Bong Joon-ho’s “Parasite” swept four Oscars in 2020, including Best Film and Best Director, after decades when the plaudits for Korean cinema were confined to the critics.

The only previous Indian Oscars won were for English-language films — the 1982 British-Indian co-production “Gandhi” and 2008’s Mumbai-set British drama “Slumdog Millionaire.”

Now Rajamouli hopes a statuette for the dance number “Naatu Naatu” will pave the way for Indian auteurs to do the same. Shot in front of Ukraine’s turquoise presidential palace — before the war — it features high-energy performances from the two leads as they confront their antagonist. “We are breaking ground, but I think we are in very, very initial, initial steps,” said the 49-year-old.

“If you see (South) Korea, for example, the kind of inroads that they have made… we should aspire to do that, all Indian filmmakers.”

‘Unprecedented’

Rajamouli was born in the southern state of Karnataka. His father was a scriptwriter who exposed him to the industry. His early influences included prominent Telugu directors but he found himself drawn to epic Hollywood films such as “Ben Hur” and “Braveheart”, and is a fan of Steven Spielberg and James Cameron.

Rajamouli’s 2015 historical action-drama “Baahubali” — then the most expensive film made in India — made him a household name domestically, leading a wave of southern films to the top of the multilingual country’s box office. The 2017 sequel was well-received, with both movies among the highest-grossing of all time in the nation of 1.4 billion people, cementing Rajamouli’s reputation as a blockbuster director.

He was “pleasantly surprised” by the buzz around “RRR” in the West, he said, pointing to what he called a “lack of maximalist entertainment.”

“There’s a section of audiences who wanted that, a celebratory kind of engagement with the cinema.”

Despite appearing on Netflix only two months after it debuted across 1,200 US theatres in March last year, “RRR” has become among North America’s highest-grossing Indian films. It was “unprecedented” and “a total outlier”, said analyst David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research.

Audiences continue to flock to packed screenings for repeat viewings — a January showing at Hollywood’s historic TCL Chinese Theatre sold out in 98 seconds.

Rajamouli’s films have been compared to Marvel superhero movies and he said it would “be an honour” to be asked to do one — but he worries that a major studio would want to involve itself in the production process.

Troubling undertones

The accolades for “RRR” have also been accompanied by criticism of perceived troubling undertones in the film, including the promotion of Hindu nationalism and hyper-masculinity. “RRR” contains Hindu mythology and nationalist fervour at a time when filmmakers, mostly in Bollywood, have been repeatedly targeted by Hindu right-wingers on social media.

Rights campaigners say that under Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bollywood stars are facing increased pressure — particularly minority Muslim actors like Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan.

Rajamouli grew up in a “deeply religious” Hindu family but is now an atheist and believes that “religion essentially is exploitation.”

He blames criticism of the film on the polarisation of debate in India that does not allow for a middle ground. “Any extreme point of view, I oppose,” he said.

“I don’t have any kind of hidden agenda… I make films for people who are willing to pay their hard-earned money on the film ticket.

“I like to get them entertained, make them feel dramatic about the characters, about the situations, have a good time, go back and live their lives.”

Sidhu Moosewala’s parents sit outside Punjab Vidhan Sabha complex to seek justice for son

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SidhuMooseWala-Photo

CHANDIGARH: The parents of singer Sidhu Moosewala, who was shot dead last year, sat on a protest outside the Punjab Assembly complex here on Tuesday seeking justice for their son.

Speaking to reporters, an emotional Balkaur Singh said the masterminds behind his son’s murder were still at large. He said nothing concrete has been done by the investigation agencies and demanded a CBI probe into the incident.

Carrying placards, Singh and his wife Charan Kaur sat outside the state assembly. They were accompanied by some senior Punjab Congress leaders, including Leader of Opposition Partap Singh Bajwa.

Shubhdeep Singh Sidhu, popularly known as Sidhu Moosewala, was shot dead in Punjab’s Mansa district on May 29.

“I have come here today as we have no other option. For the last 10 months, nothing concrete has been done. Enough time has been given to police and the administration to act.”

“But the reality is the (murder) case is being suppressed. Crucial witnesses are being eliminated and nothing is going in our favour. So, we are forced to sit outside the Vidhan Sabha,” the singer’s father said.

“Till the time, the state assembly is in session, we will sit outside in protest,” he said.

Meanwhile, Punjab minister Kuldeep Singh Dhaliwal met Moosewala’s parents outside the assembly complex and said the AAP government was with them.

“It is your own government, you do not need to sit on any dharna.

We will fight your battle,” he told Moosewala’s father, adding that all the culprits, including the masterminds of the crime, will be nabbed.

Talking to reporters, Dhaliwal assured that the case is being investigated fairly.

He said 29 people have so far been arrested in the case, adding that two of the accused were killed in an encounter, while five are to be brought from outside the country for which the state government was already in touch with the Centre and other agencies concerned.

Asked if the ongoing probe was being compromised, Moosewala’s father earlier said, “Not only is it being influenced, efforts are on to close the case.

What is the current status of the investigation? “A celebrity was murdered triggering worldwide anger, but the Indian government is not listening,” he said.

“Only the shooters (involved in the case) have been arrested, but what about the masterminds?” he asked.

When asked if he would demand a CBI probe, Singh replied, “Definitely, it should be done. When nothing has been done so far, only shooters involved have been nabbed. So far only supplementary challans have been presented in this case.”

“I have come here because no one is listening to us,” he said.

Drawing parallels, an agitated Singh said when a political figure is killed, prompt action is taken and the accused are brought to the book.

“I have submitted a list of people involved in my son’s killing to the authorities. But nothing has happened. I prefer to die on the road seeking justice for my son,” he said.

“What action has been taken against (Canada-based gangster who had claimed responsibility for Moosewala’s killing) Goldy Brar? A red corner notice was issued against him, but what after that?” he asked.

Moosewala’s father also offered reward money for those giving information about the masterminds behind the killing of the popular singer.

“I have said I would make arrangements for reward money. What pressure is Goldy Brar facing…he is living his life comfortably abroad,” he said.

Pointing towards his wife, Singh said, “Both of us are heart patients. If we do not get justice while we are still alive, what is its worth?” Singh also alleged that he was receiving death threats for pursuing the case.

He added that his family had been cooperating with the administration in probing the case, but they were yet to get any justice.

A month after Turkey-Syria quake, survivors need shelter, sanitation

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ANKARA: One month after a powerful quake devastated parts of Turkey and Syria, hundreds of thousands of people still need adequate shelter and sanitation, and an appeal for $1 billion to assist survivors is only 10 per cent funded, hampering efforts to tackle the humanitarian crisis, a United Nations official said Monday.

The Feb. 6 earthquake and strong aftershocks have killed more than 46,000 people in Turkey, destroyed or damaged around 230,000 buildings and left hundreds of thousands of people homeless — making it the worst disaster in Turkey’s modern history. The U.N. estimates that the earthquake killed around 6,000 people in Syria, mainly in the rebel-held northwest.

About 2 million survivors have been housed in temporary accommodation or evacuated from the earthquake-devastated region, according to Turkish government figures. Around 1.5 million people have been settled in tents while another 46,000 have been moved to container houses. Others are living in dormitories and guesthouses, the government said.

“Given the number of people that have been relocated, given the number of people that have been injured and given the level of the devastation, we do have extensive humanitarian needs now,” Alvaro Rodriguez, the U.N. Resident Coordinator in Turkey, told The Associated Press.

“We have some provinces where up to 25 per cent of the population — we’re talking sometimes half a million people — have relocated. So the challenge we have is how do we provide food, shelter, water for these communities?” he said.

The U.N. representative said tents are still needed even though they are not “the optimal solution” for sheltering people. He reported some cases of scabies outbreaks because of poor sanitary conditions.

Last month, the U.N. made a flash appeal for $397.6 million to help Syrian quake victims — just over half of which has come in — and a $1 billion appeal for victims in Turkey to cover emergency needs, such as food, protection, education water and shelter, for three months. Rodriguez said the appeal for Turkey is only about 10 per cent funded.

“The reality is that if we do not move beyond the roughly 10 per cent that we have, the U.N. and its partners will not be able to meet the humanitarian needs,” he said.

Rodriguez added: “Turkey has been a country that has supported 4 million Syrian refugees over the last few years, and this is an opportunity for the international community to provide the support that Turkey deserves.”

The World Bank has estimated that the earthquake has caused an estimated $34.2 billion in direct physical damages — the equivalent of 4 per cent of Turkey’s 2021 GDP. The World Bank said recovery and reconstruction costs will be much higher and that GDP losses associated with economic disruptions will also add to the cost of the earthquakes.

In Syria, the situation remained dire one month after the deadly earthquake, with aid groups citing fears of a looming public health crisis with families still packed into overcrowded temporary shelters and crucial infrastructure damaged by the quake.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said in a statement that Aleppo’s water infrastructure — already ageing and damaged by the war — had been further damaged by the quake, which “reduced the system’s efficiency and raised the risk that contaminated water could pollute the supply.”

Water contamination is of particular concern in Syria as the country had already been battling cholera outbreaks before the earthquake.

While the quake generated an initial outpouring of aid, relief organizations cited fears that the world’s attention will move on quickly, while basic humanitarian needs remain unmet. Meanwhile, political and logistical issues have in some cases blocked aid from reaching those in need.

Amnesty International said Monday that between Feb. 9 and 22, the Syrian government had “blocked at least 100 trucks carrying essential aid such as food, medical supplies and tents from entering Kurdish-majority neighbourhoods in Aleppo city” while Turkish-backed rebel groups in northwest Syria blocked at least 30 aid trucks sent by rival Kurdish groups from entering Turkish-controlled Afrin in the same period.

“Even in this moment of desperation, the Syrian government and armed opposition groups have pandered to political considerations and taken advantage of people’s misery to advance their own agendas,” Aya Majzoub, the rights group’s deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement.

Foxconn reiterates pact to set up unit in Telangana

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Foxconn

HYDERABAD: Two days after Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer Foxconn released a statement denying it had “entered into any binding, definitive agreements” in India, the firm’s chairman, Young Liu, in a letter to Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao on Monday, said that it is committed to setting up a manufacturing facility in Kongara Kalan, situated 35 km away from Hyderabad.

“I was indeed inspired by your vision and the efforts towards the transformation and development of Telangana. I now have a new friend in India and I look forward to working with you in future. As discussed with you during our meeting on March 2, Foxconn is committed to setting up a manufacturing facility at Kongara Kalan and I seek the support of your team in operationalising the Kongara Kalan Park as early as possible. I would also like to take this opportunity to kindly invite you to Taiwan as my personal guest. It would be my honour to host you in Taipei. Look forward to meeting you soon,” the letter read. 

The letter puts to rest a lot of speculations regarding the Taiwan-based company’s commitment to set up an electronics manufacturing unit in the State. It must be noted that Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai was ridiculed by opposition party leaders after the company released a communique denying any binding agreements during its chairman’s visit to the country. 

When Rao and Liu met at Pragathi Bhavan on March 2, it was agreed upon that Foxconn, also known as the Hon Hai Technology Group, would set up an electronics manufacturing facility in Telangana with employment generation potential for over 1 lakh people. Rao, at that time, emphasised that Telangana considers Taiwan as a natural partner and that the State is glad to be a part of Foxconn’s growth story.  

Siddaramaiah had set graft target for ministers: CM Bommai

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Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai. (Photo | Express)

HUBBALLI: Launching a tirade against former CM Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on Monday said that the Congress Legislature Party leader had given a target to his ministers for collection. “Ask MB Patil, HC Mahadevappa and KJ George about the target,” Bommai said, adding that Congress has always encouraged corruption and have no moral grounds to question BJP.  

Reacting to Congress calling for a bandh over alleged corruption in the state government on March 9, Bommai said, “The Congress would itself be bandh soon as it is a den of corruption.”

“The time has come for the party to become extinct. No one will support their bandh,” he said. 

‘False prestige’
After Congress Belagavi Rural MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar re-inaugurated the Shivaji statue which was already inaugurated by the CM, Bommai said his predecessor BS Yediyurappa had released Rs 50 lakh for it, and called the re-unveiling a drama staged by the Congress as for false prestige. 

Congressman distributes free sarees, women injured in minor stampede

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BELAGAVI: Ahead of the Assembly polls, several aspiring candidates are busy wooing voters by distributing gifts on the pretext of religious rituals. In the latest case, several women were believed to be injured in a minor stampede that occurred during the distribution of sarees by supporters of a high-profile leader, who is likely to be the Congress candidate from the Raibag Assembly segment.

Thousands of women thronged the farmhouse of Shambhu Kallolikar, a senior IAS officer of the Tamil Nadu cadre who recently took a voluntary retirement to enter politics, to attend the pooja to the newly dug well at the farmhouse at Jodatti village in Raibag taluk on Sunday.

Women collect bags containing sarees at
the farmhouse of retired IAS officer
Shambhu Kallolikar at Jodatti

Even as the distribution of sarees was on, the massive crowd of women went out of control and some of them sustained injuries in the mad rush. Sources said the number of women swelled after the news of free sarees spread in Raibag taluk.

Over 20,000 women gathered at the farmhouse, more than the organisers expected. Unable to control the rush, the organisers cancelled the distribution of sarees.

On the pretext of holding haldi-kumkum events, leaders are distributing sarees, utensils, mixers and dinner sets. Recently, Kagwad MLA Shrimant Patil distributed sarees on the premises of his sugar factory in Kagwad. Prior to that, MLA Laxmi Hebbalkar, former MLA Sanjay Patil and Congress leader Nagesh Mannolkar too distributed goodies to the voters.

With Congress certain to field Kallolikar against sitting MLA Duryodhan Aihole of BJP in Raibag, the contest between the two is expected to be close. Aihole has won the last three elections in a row and yet he is expected to face a tough challenge from Kallolikar, given his rising popularity in the constituency.

BS Yediyurappa’s chopper landing delayed by garbage

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Former Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa (Photo | PTI)

KALABURAGI: The helicopter, carrying former chief minister BS Yediyurappa, encountered a landing predicament on Monday morning in the outskirts of Jewargi town when plastic sheets and pieces of tarpaulin, began flying in the air as the chopper approached the landing spot. 

BJP workers welcome former
CM BS Yediyurappa at Jewarji
on Monday during Vijaya
Sankalpa Yatre

The garbage items reduced visibility of the pilot, who decided to postpone the landing for a few minutes. The chopper hovered over the spot and landed after authorities removed the items. 

Yediyurappa arrived in Jewargi to participate in a roadshow as part of the Vijay Sankalpa Yatra. From Jewargi, he went to Afzalpur and to Aland in the same chopper.

At night, the former CM is scheduled to arrive in Kalaburagi by road, and will fly to Yadgir district on Tuesday.

CBI says Rabri fixed her own questioning date

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Former Bihar CM Rabri Devi

CBI says Rabri fixed her own questioning date
CBI, which was under attack from RJD leaders and workers for questioning former chief minister Rabri Devi in the alleged land-for-job scam, after finishing its task disclosed Rabri herself had fixed the date for questioning. The CBI officials statement came as a surprise, particularly for those RJD leaders crying foul over the questioning. Although there were reports that Rabri was co-operating with CBI officials, the officials’ revelation may help bring down the curtain on the entire episode. Her son and deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav, however, jibed the CBI frequent vists to their residence.

RJD minister attacks Centre on Agniveer
Bihar cooperative department minister and senior RJD minister Surendra Yadav started a controversy by calling Agniveers ‘Hijro Ki Fauz’ recently. The minister was, in fact, not targeting the job seekers but the Central government which decided to make appointment of soldiers for a limited period in Army. Yadav said that the country will have an Amry of eunuchs after eight and half years. Taking a shot at minister’s remark, BJP said that it only demonstrated the minister’s mental instablity. “Even people from Nepal joined our Army and formed Gurkha units,” they said.

Need panel for alliance coordination: CPI-ML
The demand for setting up coordination committee of grand alliance in Bihar is growing over the time. Close on the heels of Congress’ demand for setting up coordination committee, CPI-ML raised the issue at its meeting held in the state capital recently. The Left party stressed the need of coordination committee to discuss certain issues related to grand alliance, which consisted of seven parties. The same demand was earlier made by HAM chief and former CM Jitan Ram Manjhi. CM Nitish Kumar and his deputy Tejashwi Yadav, however, have maintained silence.

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