Archives for 2017

Chennai: J Jayalalithaa’s niece Deepa launched a new political forum while rival factions in ruling AIADMK provided welfare assistance across Tamil Nadu on her 69th birth anniversary today in an escalating fight for her legacy.

As a war of words broke out, the state government led by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, his predecessor and dissident leader O Panneerselvam and AIADMK observed the birth anniversary of the late chief minister in different ways including holding of medical camps and planting of saplings.

Addressing a crowded press conference at her home, Deepa said her political journey had “begun” and also unveiled a flag depicting the images of Jayalalithaa and M G Ramachandran which she said was only a flag of the Forum named as ‘MGR AMMA Deepa Forum’.

Responding to a query, Deepa said the people desired that she contest from R K Nagar constituency that fell vacant following the demise of the late AIADMK supremo.

Deepa said she has been receiving several requests to enter politics and today’s announcement was to respect their wishes.

Deepa, who will be the treasurer of the Forum, said her next course of action would be decided in due course and she would reveal it at the “appropriate time”.

In a veiled attack on Panneerselvam, AIADMK general secretary V K Sasikala, who is lodged in a Bengaluru prison, said, “When enemies and traitors wanted to defeat the party and the government, Amma’s soul guided us and has put up the AIADMK government in the seat of power.”

“Let us vow to protect the party, and work for the people,” she said in her letter published in today’s edition of party mouthpiece “Dr Namadhu MGR”

Panneerselvam hit out at Sasikala and her family without naming her for trying to take over the party against Amma’s (Jayalalithaa) wishes.

“Dharma Yudham will continue (to retrieve the party and government),” he said and reiterated his demand for a judicial inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of Jayalalithaa.

Paying floral tributes to Jayalalithaa, Panneerselvam gave away welfare assistance to the people at Tondiarpet in North Chennai.

Palaniswamy planted a sapling at the Omandurar Government Estate here marking the launch of a drive to plant 69-lakh saplings and a greening project in areas hit by last year’s Vardah cyclone commemorating Jayalalithaa’s birth anniversary.

AIADMK presidium chairman K A Sengottaiyan led the birth anniversary celebrations at party headquarters here in which the chief minister and other senior leaders took part.

Once a supporter of Sasikala, Jayalalithaa’s nephew Deepak Jayakumar has now said her attempt to become the chief minister was “unacceptable” to the people of Tamil Nadu, while claiming that the late AIADMK chief had left behind her properties to him and his sister.

He claimed that the former chief minister had bequeathed her properties, including her Veda Nilayam bungalow in Poes Garden here, to his sister Deepa and him, by leaving behind a will.

Sasikala was set to become chief minister succeeding Pannerselvam but the Supreme Court verdict in the disproportionate assets case dashed her hopes.
Deepa earlier said the Sasikala camp does not deserve to be in “Amma’s place” (Jayalalithaa) at all.

“Certainly not good for the people because this kind of takeover(by Sasikala camp), this kind of hijacking the party is absolutely not acceptable for anyone, especially the cadre of AIADMK because their wishes have been totally ignored.”

Deepak said party members did not favour TTV Dinakaran’s appointment as AIADMK’s deputy general secretary.

While speaking to TV news channels yesterday, Jayakumar questioned reinduction of Dinakaran, who is nephew of Sasikala, and S Venkatesh into the party.

While Deepa can aspire for positions in the AIADMK, Venkatesh and Dinakaran could not, he said apparently referring to the removal of the two by Jayalalithaa in 2011.

“They are trying to bring family rule.. probably they both forced Sasikala to hand over the party to them,” he alleged, adding, “Even the party cadres will not accept this.”

(PTI)

Washington: India’s demonetisation led to huge cash shortages that have “adversely affected” consumption and like a “vacuum cleaner” it sucked in cash and then was slowly replacing the currency, a senior IMF official has said.

“You’ve heard about so-called ‘helicopter drops’ of money with unconventional monetary policies, so one way to characterise this demonetisation initiative is as a vacuum cleaner,” Paul A Cashin, Assistant Director in the IMF’s Asia and Pacific Department, and mission chief of India, told PTI.

“It’s sucking in cash, withdrawing it from the economy, and then the vacuum cleaner is going in reverse, slowly replacing cash but as I said, at a fairly modest pace. That’s led to a lot of cash shortages that have adversely affected consumption,” Cashin said in response to a question as the IMF released its annual country-report on India.

Given the shortage of cash in the market, IMF in its report urged the Indian Government to continue to enhance the supply of new banknotes, and if needed consider extending or expanding targeted temporary exemptions, including on use of old banknotes, particularly for rural and remote areas.

“While the financial system is expected to weather the currency exchange-induced temporary growth slowdown, the authorities should remain vigilant given the potential further build-up of NPAs and elevated corporate sector vulnerabilities, and ensure prudent support to the economic sectors affected by the currency exchange initiative,” the IMF said.

IMF said the repercussions from India’s currency exchange initiative will likely persist through the first quarter of 2017.

Real GDP growth is projected to slow to 6.6 per cent in FY2016/17 and then rebound to 7.2 per cent in FY2017/18, due to temporary disruptions (primarily to private consumption) caused by cash shortages accompanying the currency exchange initiative.

“These effects are expected to gradually dissipate by March 2017 as cash shortages ease and would be offset by tailwinds from a favourable monsoon and low oil prices, and continued progress in resolving supply-side bottlenecks,” it said adding that consumer sentiment remains strong, which will support near-term growth recovery as cash shortages ease.

Prime Minister Modi in November last year announced withdrawal of the legal tender of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes in circulation.

This was replaced with a new series of Rs 500 and Rs 2000 currency notes, with an objective to unearth unaccounted wealth and eliminate counterfeit currencies from circulation.

In its report, the IMF said the currency exchange initiative and its associated cash shortages are weighing heavily on activity, and its impact on financial institutions should be monitored carefully.

Given the dominance of cash in everyday transactions, the decreased availability of cash and associated payment disruptions caused by the currency exchange initiative have strained consumption and business activity and the operations of the financial system, posing a new challenge to sustaining the growth momentum.

The supply of new banknotes in the first month following the initiative was insufficient, even as the authorities took multiple steps to ease the currency transition, the report said.

According to IMF, while the financial system is expected to weather the currency exchange-induced temporary growth slowdown, the authorities should remain vigilant to risks—in view of the potential further build-up of NPAs, including among private banks and elevated corporate sector vulnerabilities—and ensure prudent support to the affected economic sectors.

(Agencies)

Houston: The wife of Indian engineer Srinivas Kuchibhotla, who was shot dead in an apparent hate crime by a Navy veteran at a bar in Olathe city, has said that she had her doubts about staying in the US but was assured by her husband that “good things happen in America”.

Speaking at a news conference organised by GPS-maker Garmin where Srinivas worked, Sunayana Dumalasaid reports of bias in the US make minorities afraid as she questioned “do we belong here”. She said she now wonders what will the US government do to stop hate crimes against minorities.

Dumala said she was concerned about shootings incidents in America and had doubted whether they should stay in the country, but her husband said that assured her saying that “good things happen in America.” Consul General of India in Houston Anupam Ray is supervising the current situation and providing all possible help for the grieving family and the community in Olathe area of Kansas.

“Immediately when the incident occurred, Consulate rushed Deputy Consul R D Joshi and Vice Consul H Singh to Kansas to be with the family of Srinivas at this trying moment,” Ray told PTI. Ever since, they have been with the family of Srinivas and have assured Sunayna of all possible support and help at this grieving moment, he said.

Consul Joshi also met the shocked and frightened Indian community in Olathe and Alok Madasani injured in the shooting on Wednesday night. Madasani is now stable and has been discharged from the hospital. A third person, an American man identified as Ian Grillot, 24, who tried to intervene also received injuries in the firing at Austins Bar and Grill in Olathe in Kansas City in the US state of Missouri.
A University of Kansas Hospital spokeswoman said he is in fair condition. The incident evoked outrage from in the US and India with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj expressing shock over the incident. “I am shocked at the shooting incident in Kansas in which Srinivas Kuchibhotla has been killed. My heartfelt condolences to bereaved family,” she said in a tweet yesterday.

The shooter, Adam Purinton, reportedly got into an argument with the victims in the terms of racism, and shouted “get out of my country”, “terrorist” before shooting them. He reportedly provoked them into an argument asking about their presence and work in his country, and how they are better than him. According to police, Purintonleft the bar after the argument and thenreturned with a gun and shot the three men.

He was arrested on Thursday, five hours after the incident and charged with one count of premeditated first-degree murder and two counts of attempted premeditated first-degree murder in Johnson County, Kansas, District Attorney Stephen Howe told reporters. Howe, however, declined to elaborate on the motive of the incident, although local police said they were working with the FBI to investigate the case.

The FBI was looking at whether it was a hate crime. An FBI spokesperson said agents and police canvassed the area on Thursday and the investigation continued yesterday. Some eye-witnesses have said the attack was racially motivated. One bystander told the Kansas City Star that the gunman shouted “get out of my country” before shooting the Indian victims.

Grillot said in a recorded interview on Thursday that the bullet went through his right hand and into his chest, just missing a major artery but fracturing a vertebra in his neck. The shooting incident comes at a time when hate crimes and acts of bigotry have risen notably in America after President Donald Trump came to power.

According to Garmin, Kuchibhotla and Madasani worked in the company’s aviation systems. “Unfortunately, two associates on our Aviation Systems Engineering team, Srinivas Kuchibhotla and Alok Madasani, were shot. We are devastated to inform you that Srinivas passed away and Alok is currently recovering in the hospital,” Garmin said.

Kuchibhotla and Madasani hailed from Hyderabad and Warangal respectively. Kuchibhotla posted on LinkedIn in 2014 that he managed helicopter programmes. He had a master’s degree in electrical and electronics engineering from the University of Texas at El Paso. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Hyderabad. A 2014 post on LinkedIn said Madasani was an aviation programme coordinator manager at Garmin.

(Agencies)

Bengaluru: Karnataka’s Congress lawmaker K. Govindaraju on Thursday denied paying “crores of rupees” to the party high command or President Sonia Gandhi, Vice-President Rahul Gandhi and Treasurer Motilal Vohra, whose allegedly abbreviated names were found in a diary at his home here.

“The diary, alleged to have been found when the Income Tax officials searched my house last year, does not belong to me. The entries in it were not made by me nor its my handwriting. Someone had left it in my house,” Govindaraju told reporters here.

A member of the Legislative Council and Parliamentary Secretary to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, Govindaraju, however, admitted that the IT sleuths raided his house a year ago in connection with the filing of tax returns for the previous fiscal (2015-16) and earlier years.

Terming the diary contents “explosive”, former Chief Minister and state BJP chief B.S. Yeddyurappa told reporters here last week that initials ‘SG’ stood for Sonia Gandhi, ‘RG’ Rahul Gandh, ‘MV’ Motilal Vohra and ‘DVGS’ for Digvijay Singh, who is in-charge of the ruling party’s affairs in the state.

“Govindraju paid about Rs 1,000 crore to the Congress high command over the last couple of years at the behest of Siddaramaiah to ensure his continuation as the Chief Minister in the state,” he alleged.

However, Govindraju dismissed the charge.

“I know nothing about the diary or its entries. You should ask the IT department and find out how Yeddyurappa came to know about its contents. I have not paid any money to the high command, or to the offices of SG, RG or MV as mentioned in the diary.

“I have already told the IT officials that the diary did not belong to me and would have been planted in my house to trap me. It is a mystery how they (IT sleuths) found it in my house,” he added.

(IANS)

Chennai: Once a supporter of V K Sasikala, J Jayalalithaa’s nephew Deepak Jayakumar has now said her becoming the Chief Minister was not acceptable to the people of Tamil Nadu, while claiming that the late AIADMK chief had left behind her properties to him and his sister.

He claimed that the former Chief Minister had bequeathed her properties, including her Veda Nilayam bungalow in Poes Garden here, to his sister Deepa Jayakumar and him, by leaving behind a will.

Jayakumar said Sasikala assuming the top post was “unacceptable” to the people of Tamil Nadu. He also asserted that party members did not favour TTV Dinakaran’s appointment as Deputy General Secretary of AIADMK.

While speaking to television news channels yesterday, Jayakumar questioned the reinduction of Dinakaran and S Venkatesh into the party. While Deepa can aspire for positions in the AIADMK, Venkatesh and Dinakaran could not, he said, apparently referring to the removal of the two by Jayalalithaa in 2011.

“They are trying to bring family rule.. probably they both forced Sasikala to hand over the party to them,” he alleged. “Even the party cadres will not accept this,” he added.

This may lead to a situation wherein the party may split and aid DMK to form the government in the state, Jayakumar told the channels.

Jayalalithaa had in 2011 expelled Sasikala, her husband M Natarajan and nephew Dinakaran, besides some of their other relatives including Venkatesh, from AIADMK for reportedly interfering in party and government affairs.

On O Panneerselvam being the Chief Minister, Jayakumar merely said he respected him. “He was a good chief Minister,” he said, adding that he was still in the party and therefore the question of sacking him and taking him back into AIADMK did not arise. “It is his (OPS) party,” he added.

(PTI)