Telangana BJP MLA Raja Singh

Hyderabad Upset over the possible appointment of Ramchander Rao as BJP’s Telangana President, the party’s firebrand MLA Raja Singh on Monday wrote to Union Minister G Kishan Reddy saying that he is resigning from the primary membership of the saffron party.

Reddy is presently the state chief and the party high command is likely to announce new successor on Tuesday.

Singh said the decision to appoint the new head of the party in the state has come as a shock and disappointment, not just to him, but to lakhs of Karyakartas, leaders, and voters who have stood by the party through every high and low.

“With great sadness, I have decided to resign from the primary membership of the Bharatiya Janata Party. I request you, Shri Kishan Reddy ji, to kindly inform the Hon’ble Speaker of the Telangana Legislative Assembly that T Raja Singh is no longer a member of the BJP,” he said in the letter.

There are many capable senior leaders, MLAs, and MPs within Telangana who have tirelessly worked for the growth of BJP and who have the strength, credibility, and connections to lead the party forward. Unfortunately, it appears that some individuals, driven by personal interests, have misled the central leadership and taken decisions by running the show from behind the curtain, he alleged.

“This not only undermines the sacrifices of grassroots workers but risks pushing the party into avoidable setbacks,” he said.

He said he has been a dedicated Karyakarta, elected three times in a row with the blessings of the people and support of the party.

“But today, I find it difficult to stay silent or pretend that all is well. This is not about personal ambition, this letter reflects the pain and frustration of lakhs of loyal BJP Karyakartas and supporters who feel sidelined and unheard,” Singh said.

Though he may be stepping away from the party, the Goshamahal legislator said he remains fully committed to the ideology of Hindutva and the service of Hindu Dharma and the people of his constituency.

New Delhi: A Delhi court on Monday allowed the CBI to close the case of first year JNU student Najeeb Ahmed, who went missing on October 15, 2016, saying the agency “exhausted all options”.

Additional chief judicial magistrate Jyoti Maheshwari also “earnestly hoped” Najeeb was traced soon.

“This court expresses its regret that while the proceedings in the present case end with this closure report, a closure for Najeeb’s mother and other loved ones, still eludes us,” the order said.

While it accepted the agency’s closure report, the court granted liberty to the CBI to re-open the investigation on the receipt of any credible information on Ahmed’s whereabouts and intimate the court accordingly.

The judge said there was no evidence of any scuffle or exchange of Najeeb with any person on the day of his disappearance once he returned to the hostel to show his disappearance was caused by any suspect or any other person at JNU.

“An analysis of the discussion shows that CBI has undertaken a holistic investigation and exhausted all options,” the court said.

She also noted that when Najeeb left the hostel room, his cell phone and laptop were lying in the room only.

“It is evident that all conceivable aspects which could have been investigated upon, have been thoroughly covered by CBI, but no credible information could be received regarding the whereabouts of Najeeb Ahmed. An analysis of the above discussion shows that CBI has undertaken a holistic investigation and exhausted all options,” the court said.

Further, the grounds raised by the protest petitioner by Ahmed’s mother, in alleging lapses in the investigation by CBI, was examined at length and stood rejected, the judge added.

The order continued, “This court is cognisant of the plight of an anxious mother, who has been on a quest to find out about her missing son since 2016, but the investigating agency in the present case, i.e., CBI cannot be faulted for the investigation carried out. The quest for truth is the foundation of every criminal investigation, yet there are cases where the investigation conducted cannot achieve its logical conclusion, despite the best efforts of the investigating machinery.”

The CBI in October 2018 closed its investigation into the case as the agency’s efforts to trace Ahmed, a first year master’s student at JNU, yielded no results.

The agency filed its closure report before the court in the case after getting permission from the Delhi High Court.

Ahmed went missing from the Mahi-Mandvi hostel of JNU on October 15, 2016, following a scuffle with some students allegedly affiliated to the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad the previous night.

Nafees’ counsel had previously said it was a “political case” in which the “CBI has succumbed to the pressure of its masters”.

The case was initially probed by Delhi Police but later transferred to the CBI.

Prakash Shah, Mukesh Ambani

Mumbai: Prakash Shah, a senior executive at Reliance Industries and a close aide of Mukesh Ambani, has made headlines for giving up his successful corporate career and a salary of ₹75 crore to become a monk.

According to Financial Express, Shah and his wife, Nain Shah, took diksha , a spiritual vow, on the occasion of Mahavir Jayanti, choosing a peaceful life of spirituality over wealth and luxury.

Shah was a Vice President at Reliance and played a key role in major company decisions. His decision to leave behind his high-paying job and comfortable lifestyle has surprised many. Photos shared online show him in plain white robes, barefoot, carrying only a few personal items. He has taken vows of celibacy and given up all material comforts to follow a simple and spiritual life.

Shah’s transformation didn’t happen suddenly. Friends and colleagues say he had been deeply interested in Jain philosophy for many years. Over time, his spiritual beliefs became stronger and eventually led him to renounce his worldly life.

An accomplished professional, Prakash Shah is a Chemical Engineer and completed his post-graduation from IIT Bombay. He had a successful career, handling key projects like petcoke marketing and the Jamnagar gasification plant at Reliance.

Now, as a Jain monk, Shah follows a life based on discipline, simplicity, and spiritual practice.

Mumbai: A fire broke out on the set of a serial at the Film City in Mumbai on Monday morning, civic officials said.

There was so far no report of any casualty, they said.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s fire brigade received a call about the blaze in a tent area of the Annapurna set, behind the Marathi Bigg Boss set, located at Dadasaheb Phalke Chitranagari in the Film City in Goregaon (East) area at 6.10 am, they said.

Four fire engines and as many jumbo tankers were rushed to the spot. An assistant divisional fire officer and three station officers were deployed at the site where fire-fighting was underway, a civic official said.

No person was reported to be injured so far, the official added.

New Delhi: US President Donald Trump’s decision to unleash American air power on Iran makes a “mockery” of his own calls for the continuation of talks with Iran, the Congress said on Monday and slammed the Modi government for neither criticising nor condemning the US bombing and Israel’s aggression.

The opposition party reiterated the absolute essentiality of immediate diplomacy and dialogue with Iran.

Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said President Trump’s decision to unleash US air power on Iran makes a mockery of his own calls for the continuation of talks with Iran.

“The Indian National Congress reiterates the absolute essentiality of immediate diplomacy and dialogue with Iran. The Government of India must demonstrate greater moral courage than it has so far,” he said.

“The Modi Government has unequivocally neither criticised nor condemned the US bombing and Israel’s aggression, bombings and targeted assassinations,” Ramesh said on X.

It has also maintained a deafening silence on the genocide being perpetrated on the Palestianians in Gaza, he added.

His remarks come after the US bombed three major nuclear sites — Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan — in Iran, bringing itself into the Israel-Iran conflict.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday conveyed to Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian India’s “deep concern” over Iran’s conflict with Israel and called for immediate de-escalation of the situation through “dialogue and diplomacy”.

The US attack on the Iranian nuclear facilities has triggered fears of a wider regional conflict, with many leading countries and blocs calling for restraint.

Lucknow: The Samajwadi Party on Monday expelled three of its MLAs for allegedly siding with ideologies opposed to the party’s core values and working against public interest.

Those expelled from the party are Abhay Singh (MLA from Gosainganj), Rakesh Pratap Singh (Gauriganj) and Manoj Kumar Pandey (Unchahar), the SP said in an official statement shared on its social media handles.

The party said the legislators were removed for endorsing “communal, divisive, and negative ideologies” that go against the Samajwadi Party’s inclusive and progressive principles.

The party accused the expelled leaders of supporting forces that are anti-farmer, anti-women, anti-youth, anti-business, anti-employment, and against the rights of the marginalised.

The SP said these leaders were earlier given a “grace period” for self-correction, but that time had now lapsed. It added that there is no room in the party for individuals acting against public welfare or its core ideological framework.\

The statement concluded with a warning that in the future, those engaging in “anti-people activities” or opposing the party’s foundational values will face permanent expulsion.

“Be trustworthy wherever you are. Best wishes,” the note ended.