Ahmedabad: After the jolt of 11 of its legislators voting for the opposite camp in the presidential poll, the Congress in Gujarat is set to get another jolt with the quitting of leader of the Opposition Shankarsinh Vaghela from the party along with his supporters, including several legislators.

Mr Vaghela may announce on Friday the formation of a third front or return to the BJP more than two decades after he split the saffron party in mid 90s. Friday is Mr Vaghela’s birthday and he is holding a convention of his supporters in Gandhinagar.

Among the options Mr. Vaghela is reportedly considering include joining the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), which has two MLAs in the State and is trying to create a third front in Gujarat where the polity remains distinctly bipolar for decades.

The Congress has advised its leaders against attending the event, which is likely to be a platform to criticise the party’s leadership on preparations for Assembly polls to be held later this year.

“It is unfortunate that the party has asked all legislators to skip the convention. We will attend it and are prepared to face the consequences,” said Mahendrasinh Vaghela, Mr. Vaghela’s legislator son.

Stunned by the open defiance by party legislators by their action of cross-voting, the Congress high command immediately called party president Bharatsinh Solanki and State in charge Ashok Gehlot for a meeting in New Delhi.

The divisions in the State unit of the Congress is likely to result in a section of legislators joining the BJP ahead of the elections. More immediately, the cross-voting will affect the Rajya Sabha polls for three seats: the Congress has one of those. Incumbent Ahmed Patel, a party stalwart, is likely to be repeated by the party.

For last the two months, Mr. Vaghela has been sulking over his differences with Mr. Solanki.

Mr. Vaghela had criticised the party high command for ignoring his repeated suggestions on election preparations. Party insiders say Mr. Vaghela’s main demand is the removal of Mr. Solanki, but the high command has not yielded to it.

(Agencies)

Bengaluru: The Karnataka cabinet today approved free laptops to about 1.5 lakh students who have got admitted to government or aided medical, engineering and first grade colleges in the academic year 2017-18.

The initiative is expected to cost Rs 300 crore to the state government.”Government has approved free distribution of laptops to students who have obtained admission in government and aided medical, engineering, first grade and polytechnic colleges for the academic year 2017-18,” Jayachandra told reporters here after a cabinet meeting.

He said “the estimated cost is Rs 300 crore… government aims to cover 1.5 lakh students and the criteria is their family annual income should be below Rs 2.5 lakh.”

The government’s intention to this effect was earlier announced by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in his budget speech to encourage higher education.

The other decisions taken by the cabinet today included approval for new Karnataka Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics Policy 2011-2022.

Jayachandra said the new policy intends to bring in more investments into the sector and create employment to about 20,000 people.

The new policy gives thrust on skill development in the sector and to project Karnataka, especially Bengaluru as the hub in animation, visual effects and gaming globally, the minister added.

The cabinet also gave administrative approval for promoting Karnataka tourism in BMRCL Metro stations at a total expenditure of Rs 37.38 crore and applicable tax for next 5years and to entering into agreement with BMRCL.

(Agencies)

Dhule: A gangster was hacked to death by a rival gang in full public view in Maharashtra and the entire incident was recorded on CCTV, the footage of which has gone viral, the police said on Thursday.

The disturbing CCTV footage was leaked on Wednesday evening after it was taken into police custody. A separate probe has been launched to investigate as to how the footage of the crime, recorded by a camera in a neighbouring building, got leaked.

The incident took place on Tuesday around 6.15 a.m. when the 33-year-old gangster, Rafiuddin Shaikh alias Guddya, had gone for a morning walk by the river bank.

“After the walk, he stopped by for a cup of tea at a popular stall when at least 10 members of a rival gang suddenly barged inside the shop and shot at him with a country-made revolver,” said an official of Dhule Police Control, refusing to be identified.

Incapacitated by the bullet, Shaikh fell down and the assailants pounced on him with swords, hockey sticks and curved swords and began dragging him out of the tea shop.

While pulling him out, the mob attacked Shaikh as blood mixed with rainwater started flowing on the footpath and the road, shows the CCTV footage.

As Shaikh lay there motionless, at least one man kept attacking him till he was pulled away by an associate. All of them fled before police reached the spot.

Of the 10 attackers, the police have established the identities of seven who are on the run. A manhunt has been launched, the officer added.

The attackers have been identified as Vilas Goyar, his sons Vicky Goyar, Shyam Goyar and Vijay Goyar, their associates Rajendra Devare, Bhima Devare, Dadu Devare.

Shaikh, who was out on bail, had several cases pending against him of extortion, attempt to murder, rape and murder in several districts of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh, the official said.

The prime suspect, the Goyar family, is considered equally notorious in Dhule with its involvement in several crimes and an old rivalry with Shaikh.

(IANS)

Bengaluru: Continuing the outrage against ‘Hindi imposition’, a pro-Kannada group has on Thursday morning defaced metro boards carrying Hindi letters.

Activists of the Kannada Rakshna Vedike threw black ink on the boards with Hindi signage at many stations in the state capital.

The protesters claim that the time they had allotted the Bangalore Metro Corporation Limited (BMRCL) to remove Hindi from the boards had expired and that they had now decided to act upon it.

The Rakshna Vedike split into small groups around 3 am and managed to deface boards at Yeshwantpur, Deepanjali Naga, Nagasandra, Mysore Raod and Goraguntepalya.

The Bangalore police managed to detain a few activists at the KR Market metro station.

Earlier, the Union Urban Development Ministry had asked BMRCL to ensure Hindi signage is used in the metro’s new Phase 1 stretch that was inaugurated in June. The Kannada Development Authority had later asked for a reply from BMRCL about the same.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party lawmaker Naresh Agarwal had the government benches in the Rajya Sabha up in angry protest today when he referred to Hindu Gods in comments that have been expunged or removed from records. The Upper House of Parliament had to be adjourned amid loud protests.

Mr Agarwal has since expressed regret.

Since the comments have been expunged, they cannot be reported. The Samajwadi Party lawmaker was speaking in a fractious debate in the house on recent incidents of mob lynching and murders in the name of cow protection when he made the comments.

“He has linked each of the Hindu Gods with a brand of alcohol. If he would have made this statement outside Parliament, he would’ve been booked. Do you have the audacity of repeating this in relation to any other religious denomination? Would you do this?” said Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, demanding an apology.

Mr Agarwal later said he had “not meant to hurt anyone.”

Earlier in the debate, he alleged that people linked to the BJP were behind recent mob attacks by cow vigilantes, which was firmly rejected by Minister of State for Home affairs Hansraj Gangaram Ahir.

The minister drew protests from the opposition when he said states have all the powers to deal with such incidents and that there was no need to change existing laws. He said the home ministry has already issued an advisory to all states to immediately start registering FIRs in such cases and asked them to take action and arrest culprits. He also pointed out that the Prime Minister has spoken against killings in the name of cow protection which will not be tolerated.

Samajwadi Party members came to the Well or Centre of the house and raised slogans expressing dissatisfaction over the government’s reply to questions on the steps taken by the Centre to stop the mob murders.

(Agencies)

REUTERS/Amit Dave

New Delhi: Ram Nath Kovind, the NDA candidate, was on Thursday elected as India’s 14th President receiving an overwhelming majority of votes from the country’s lawmakers.

Mr. Kovind defeated opposition’s Meira Kumar, a former Lok Sabha speaker, garnering more than 65 per cent of the votes in the Electoral College, the Returning Officer for the poll announced on Thursday.

The 71-year-old, who will be the second Dalit to hold the top constitutional position, received 2930 votes with a value of 702044, the returning officer, Anoop Mishra, said.

Mr. Kovind will be the first BJP member to be elected president.

Ms. Kumar, also a Dalit, polled in 1844 votes with a value of 367314.

The Electoral College comprises of Members of Parliament and members of legislative assemblies of all states.

A total of 4,896 voters — 4,120 MLAs and 776 elected MPs — were eligible to cast their ballot. MLCs of states with legislative council are not part of the electoral college.

While the value of an MLA’s vote depends on the population of his or her state, the value of an MP’s vote remains the same at 708.

The polling was marked by cross-voting in various states where many opposition members favoured Mr. Kovind.

The Vice-Presidential election will be held on August 5.

While BJP has nominated a former party president, Venkaiah Naidu, the opposition has fielded former West Bengal governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi.

(Agencies)

Kohima: Naga People’s Front leader and ruling DAN chairman TR Zeliang was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Nagaland on Wednesday at Darbar Hall, Raj Bhavan in Kohima. Governor PB Acharya administered oath to Zeliang after Shurhozelie Liezietsu failed to turn up in the special emergent session of the State Assembly to take a floor test. The governor has asked Zeliang, who claimed to enjoy the support of 47 legislators, to prove his majority by July 22. The Cabinet members will be sworn-in only after the floor test.

Zeliang becomes the 19th chief minister of the Northeastern state. He was appointed as the chief minister in the morning by the governor. Speaker Imtiwapang Aier had submitted his report to governor Acharya, stating that former CM Liezietsu was not present in the special emergent session of the House on Wednesday morning “to avail the opportunity granted by the Hon’ble Governor to prove his majority in the House.” The House was then adjourned sine die.

The Guwahati High court had dismissed Liezietsu’s petition for a stay on the governor’s directive to him to seek vote of confidence in the House on or before July 15.

Zeliang, who had stepped down in February this year following large-scale violence after several groups opposed holding civic polls in the state with 33 per cent reservation for women, had for the past three weeks claimed that majority of the DAN legislators were in favour of his return to the chief minister’s post. Zeliang and his supporters – whose numbers had increased to 47 in a House of 59 – had accused chief minister Liezietsu of nepotism, favouritism and failure to govern the state. Liezietsu, who is not a member of the Assembly, incidentally is contesting a by-election on July 29 from the North Angami-I constituency.

(Agencies)