Nasheman

India's largest selling Urdu weekly, now also in English

You are here: Home / 2023 / Archives for April 2023

Archives for April 2023

Modi rallies will impact Lok Sabha polls more, not assembly: HD Deve Gowda

by

Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda

BENGALURU: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to launch his blitzkrieg rallies ahead of the May 10 polls, former Prime Minister and Janata Dal (Secular) supremo HD Deve Gowda in an exclusive interaction with The New Indian Express said Modi’s rallies will have more impact on the Lok Sabha polls than on Assembly polls, which are fought on local issues. Excerpts:

There is nothing special in my campaigning. I have told them (the party leaders) to line up three programmes a day. I will campaign in around 40 constituencies… I have been fighting for the last 60 years. Kumaraswamy has continued it more effectively with his programmes. Despite undergoing heart operations twice, he is working hard.

Farm loan waiver, old age pension, and many more measures were taken by him. Even his enemies will admit that he is a politician who keeps his word.

Take a look at the results of the last (2018) Assembly elections. We won three seats each in Vijayapura and Raichur, two in Bidar, and one in Yadgir district. We won nine seats in that region. This time, we will win more in that region. Some friends, not all, want to brand it as just an Old Mysuru party. The facts are different.

What do they have to say about  Yediyurappa’s son backing out from a contest in Varuna  (from where Congress leader Siddaramaiah is contesting)? What is the reaction of the BJP high command? What does that indicate? They have their own internal understandings.

 
It is difficult. BJP won 303 seats, this time it is difficult for them. But it is possible for them to form a government with the help of others. Even that is not possible for Congress. Look at Rajasthan, they are fighting. Also, other parties will not accept Congress’ leadership.

He will address the rallies in around 40 to 50 places. Its effect will be more on the Parliament elections. This (Assembly poll) is a regional issue. His speeches will have more impact during the Parliament elections, but it is difficult during assembly elections, it is all about local issues.

After he took over as the AICC president, Mallikarjun Kharge seems to be making efforts and meeting leaders from different parties …
Each one is saying something different. One is talking about Adani and one is talking about something else. There is no meaning to it.

We are fighting to save the party. This is a farmers’ party and as a son of a farmer, I am making all possible efforts in that direction. JDS has earned the confidence of farmers and poor people. We have always been committed to social justice. People have not forgotten that.

I had implemented it, but the BJP scrapped it. They should not have done it. It is wrong. I have taken a stand that we will restore it.

Honestly, I don’t think that is going to happen. JDS will get a simple majority.

Siddaramaiah plays localite card to woo voters

by

Siddaramaiah

MYSURU: The filing of nomination papers from the Varuna constituency by Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah turned out to be a massive show of strength in his home turf with thousands accompanying their leader, who is fighting his last election.

The temple town of Nanjangud was flooded with his supporters, even as the veteran played the emotional card seeking their blessings to counter BJP. Stressing that he is a local, he asked people to ensure his victory by a margin of one lakh votes.

“Going by the pulse of the people, Congress will win 150 seats. But JDS is hoping for a fractured mandate to take advantage of the situation,” he said.

He said his son Yathindra, the sitting MLA of Varuna who is more popular than him in the constituency, will campaign for him. He said he will devote two days to campaign in Varuna. 

Wife richer than Siddu
Opposition leader Siddaramaiah’s wife Parvathi is richer than her husband, reveals the affidavit submitted by Siddaramaiah while filing his nomination from Varuna.

His immovable assets are valued at Rs 9.43 crore, while his wife’s at Rs 19.56 crore. She also has inherited assets of Rs 1.29 crore. While Siddaramaiah has movable assets of Rs 9.58 crore, she has Rs 11.26 crore. Siddaramaiah has a cash deposit of Rs 21.86 lakh, while Parvathi has Rs 6.92 crore.

Siddaramaiah has gold worth Rs 21 lakh and silverware worth Rs 1.26 lakh. His wife has gold worth Rs 32.40 lakh and silverware worth Rs 2.83 lakh.

Parvathi has loans of nearly Rs 16.24 crore, while Siddaramaiah’s burden is lesser at Rs 6.84 crore.
Siddaramaiah has no agricultural land in his name, while Parvathi has 1.08 acres in Kundalahalli, 7.17 acres in Torayana Katuru, non-agricultural land at Vijayanagar.

Congress victory in state to provide a spark to Kharge ahead of Lok Sabha polls

by

Mallikarjun Kharge

MYSURU: “I want to tell state Congress leaders that it does not matter to me who will become the chief minister. I want Congress to win in Karnataka. MLAs and high command will decide the chief minister. You worry about people,” asserted AICC president Mallikajun Kharge in Bengaluru on Sunday.

Knowing that the victory for Congress in Karnataka means a lot for Congress and to him as it is his home state, the 80-year-old Kharge sent out a clear message to Ahinda leader Siddaramaiah, KPCC chief 
DK Shivakumar and others, who are making repeated statements on the chief minister’s post, to win the polls first.

The polls here are key ahead of the Assembly elections in Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, leading up to the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Kharge, who took over as the president of the Grand Old Party at its most trying times when the party had lost its opposition status in the Lok Sabha, wants to win Karnataka that will give him further legitimacy.

The return of Congress to corridors of power will give further impetus to the grouping of opposition parties, including TMC, AAP and TRS, to set a national narrative, allowing Kharge to emerge as a national opposition leader.

Congress lost the bargaining power after winning just 17 out of 70 seats in Bihar and was offered 25 seats by DMK in Tamil Nadu. But an emphatic victory in Karnataka will increase Congress’ bargaining power, other than giving a further stamp of approval to Rahul Gandhi’s Bharath Jodo Yatra that passed through 530 km in the state.

It will also provide Rahul a further zeal to take on Narendra Modi in the winning spheres of BJP. But a defeat will give scope for too many knives to come out, questioning the party’s leadership that would be difficult to contain even with the intervention of Gandhis. Kharge should now pull up his socks and push leaders and cadres to make use of the anti-incumbency factor, PayCM campaign, and allegations of corruption against the government to defeat BJP and not to worry about the chief minister’s post.

Political commentator Prof Muzaffar Asadi said this victory is badly needed for Kharge and it will also boost the prospects of Congress at the national level. He said Kharge has drawn the eyeballs of Dalits and the depressed towards Congress, adding to its vote kitty.

‘Will adapt with Congress ideology…(but) ties with RSS leaders will continue,’ says Shettar

by

Jagadish Shettar

Despite having a strong Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and Jan Sangh background, former chief minister Jagadish Shettar quit the BJP after a three-decade-long association with it to join Congress on April 16. His decision to quit BJP came after the latter denied him a ticket to contest from his Hubballi-Dharwad Central constituency.

Now with the Congress, Shettar says his secular image and thoughts would make it easy for him to adapt with the Congress party’s ideology. In an exclusive interview with The New Indian Express, Shettar, who is now contesting on a Congress ticket from the same HD Central constituency, speaks of his ties with the RSS, and that although he may not attend programmes of the Sangh, his relationship with its leaders will continue.

Systematic efforts were there in the party to neglect me for the last several months. I was not even allowed to speak at the state executive meetings held every quarter. I wanted to raise the issue at the core committee meeting, but it is not being held regularly. When (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah was party president he used to ask the core committee to meet every month, but now they are being held once in three-four months. So I was unable to express my grievances. It was not taken seriously whenever I raised burning issues related to the party and the government.

The state leaders were not interested in exploiting my experience, and even the state in-charge Arun Singh never discussed party affairs with me. So I started feeling suffocated. In the meantime, a whisper campaign was started against me by Mahesh Tenginkai, who is now contesting from the Hubballi Dharwad Central segment and who is a close associate of BJP generation secretary (Organisation) BL Santosh. I also brought it to the notice of the party leaders, but they were unresponsive. Later, I became impatient as everybody took me for granted.

I wanted to tell it in the party forum. If I had gone directly to them, perceptions would have been built saying Shettar always come with complaints. Despite that, once I did try to inform Amit Shah about it. I also got an appointment to meet him and informed him that the party position is not good in Karnataka and that there were some problems with the government, too. But I was unable to speak everything as some other leaders were there. I again requested Shah for a personal meeting, and he did agree to it on some later day, but that day never arrived.

It is another kind of a whisper campaign. The Sangh has never been involved in political activities. I came to know that some ticket aspirants went to seek the blessings of some RSS leaders, and the latter had clarified that the question of Shettar not contesting the elections would not arise.

I was shocked when State Election In-charge Dharmendra Pradhan telephoned me to inform me that I would be denied the ticket. Is it the way to treat people who built and served the party for over three decades? I expressed my rejection of the party’s decision on his face, and said, ‘Do whatever you want, I will contest the election.’ Later national president JP Nadda called, and I gave him the same reply, and requested him to reconsider. Later, the party started negotiations and offered that somebody from my family would contest, and promised to make me a Rajya Sabha member. I clearly informed them that I don’t want to bring any of my family members into politics, and that I am also not interested in becoming an MP.

While the negotiations were happening, I informed Union Minister Pralahd Joshi that I would wait till April 14 and then take a decision. I had clearly informed them about a respectable exit and requested to be allowed to remain an MLA for six months. As the party was unable to respond, I took a clear stand on quitting BJP. If the central leadership had invited me a week or ten days earlier and informed me about its decision, I would have made up my mind. This all-of-a-sudden decision pained and disturbed me, and I decided to rebel against the party, whatever the consequences.

As I was thinking of alternatives, the Congress party sent feelers for talks. Initially, I did think of contesting as an independent, but later realised that since the BJP has a government at the Centre and in the state, they could have hammered me, my followers and workers. Moreover, the whole responsibility would be on me alone. So I chose a national party so that they (the BJP) could be confronted with a greater force. Also, I have no funds to launch a party like Janardhan Reddy or Yediyurappa did.

My secular image and thoughts will make it easy for me to get adapted with the Congress party ideology, My thinking is maintaining harmony among communities and doing good for everybody, which is the same as the Grand Old Party. When I was the opposition leader and minister, I worked with leaders of all parties, and none spoke negatively about me then. So I will get adjusted to any system.

My intention is to strive for the public good. I will not be party to what other leaders of the party say or criticise. It is not necessary to criticise the RSS day in day out if I am in the Congress party. If there is any such issue, I will speak then. I don’t want to create controversies by speaking on non-issues.

I may not attend the programmes of the Sangh, but my personal relationship with its leaders will continue. But I cannot say whether the relationship will continue or not. I don’t want to drag the RSS into my politics.

I don’t want to comment on the national leaders and affairs of the national BJP. As far as Modi and Shah are concerned, they have built the party. Why should I say anything about them? As far as Karnataka is concerned, (BJP) leaders here are taking advantage of Modi.

Heatwaves may impede social development

by

NEW DELHI:  A new study shows that heatwaves in India are increasing in frequency, intensity and lethality, which might disrupt the progress of achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Heatwaves are burdening public health, agriculture, and other socio-economic and cultural systems and thereby the economy. 

The study “Lethal heat waves are challenging India’s sustainable development” published in PLOS Climate states climate change induced heatwaves may impede India’s progress toward its SDGs. India is committed to achieve 17 SDGs set by the United Nations which intend to eradicate poverty, achieve good health and well-being, decent work and economic growth.

The study analysed India’s heat Index (HI) with its climate vulnerability index (CVI) to analyse the country’s climate vulnerability. Using publicly available data and comparing India’s progress in SDG over 20 years (2001-21) with extreme weather-related mortality in the given period.   

The study estimated the Heat Index, which shows that nearly 90% of the country is in danger zone from heat wave impact. However, CVI, which is more a composite index accounting socioeconomic, livelihood and biophysical factors assessed that around 20% of the country is highly vulnerable to climate change.
Similar effects were observed for the national capital, where HI estimates show almost all of Delhi is threatened by severe heat wave impacts, which is not reflected in its recent state action plan for climate change. The research results showed that Delhi lies in the 6–7˚C temperature anomaly zone.

This will aggravate heat-related vulnerabilities like concentration of slum population and overcrowding in high HI areas, lack of access to basic amenities like electricity, water and sanitation, non-availability of immediate healthcare and health insurance, poor condition of housing and dirty cooking fuel.
In the study, there are huge disparities over heat impact in two indexes. The study explains that CVI doesn’t not include measures of the primary climate change risks (like heatwaves). So it fails to identify the regions of greatest vulnerability to climate change.

However, results showed that combining HI with CVI can identify practical climate vulnerability impacts that account for extreme weather events at the state level. This, in turn, aids in developing a better understanding of India’s SDG progress. This paper advocates the urgency of improving India’s extreme weather vulnerability assessment while supporting its developmental needs.

“This study shows that heatwaves make more Indian states vulnerable to climate change than previously estimated with the CVI. The heatwaves in India and the Indian subcontinent become recurrent and long-lasting, it is high time that climate experts and policymakers re-evaluate the metrics for assessing the country’s climate vulnerability” says Ramit Debnath, one of the authors of the paper at University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. Debnath further adds that heatwaves are putting 80% of the country’s people in danger which remains unaccounted for in its current climate vulnerability assessment.

“If this impact is not addressed immediately, India can slow its progress towards sustainable development goals” he further said. This paper advocates the urgency of improving India’s extreme weather vulnerability assessment while supporting its developmental needs.

Atiq-Ashraf murder case: 3 assailants remanded in 4-day police custody

by

LUCKNOW:  The three assailants of Atiq Ahmed and his brother Ashraf, were sent to four-day police custody till April 23 by the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) in Prayagraj on Wednesday. Meanwhile, five police personnel were suspended in connection with the double murder of the gangster brothers on Saturday night in full public view.

The three attackers – Lavlesh Tiwari, 22, Sunny alias Mohit Singh, 23, and Arun Kumar Maurya,18, lodged in Pratapgarh jail, were taken by the Prayagraj police to the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) amid tight security arrangements on early Wednesday morning. As per local sources, the cops were seen racing on the court premises while escorting the three attackers owing to security reasons. All three had covered their faces with a cloth. 

The Special Investigation Team (SIT), set up by Prayagraj Police Commissioner Ramit Sharma, had sought seven-day remand of the attackers from the CJM court which approved only four-day police custody remand. Gangster-politician Atiq Ahmad and his brother Ashraf were shot dead by the three  using sophisticated weapons when the gangsters, accused in Umesh Pal murder case, were being taken for routine medical check-up in police custody.

Lawyers can’t go on strike or abstain from judicial works: Supreme Court

by

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday said lawyers cannot go on strike or abstain from work and directed all high courts to constitute a grievance redressal committee at the state level headed by the chief justice, where advocates could make representations for redressal of “genuine problems”.

A bench headed by Justices MR Shah and Ahsanuddin Amanullah said that a separate grievance redressal committee be constituted at the district court level to provide a forum, where lawyers could seek redressal of their genuine grievances related to procedural changes in filing or listing of cases or misbehaviour of member of the lower judiciary.

“We once again reiterate that no member of the bar can go on strike. Time and again this court has emphasised that advocates going on strike or abstaining from their work hampers judicial work”, the bench said.

The court disposed of an application filed by the District Bar Association of Dehradun seeking an appropriate forum for the redressal of their complaints and directed the registry to send a copy of this order to the registrar general of all high courts for taking steps in accordance with the order.

Justice Shah, who pronounced the order, said if members of the bar have some genuine grievance or face difficulty because of the procedural changes in filing and listing of matters or any genuine grievance pertaining to the misbehaviour of member of the lower judiciary, they can very well make a representation for redressal of genuine grievance by some forum so that such strikes could be avoided.

It said the forum should be a place where members of the bar can vent their grievances.

“Therefore, we request all high courts to constitute a grievance redressal committee in their respective high courts which may be headed by the chief justice and such a grievance redressal committee should consist of two other senior judges–one each from the judicial services and one from the bar–to be nominated by the chief justice as well as the advocate general of the state, chairman of the bar council of the state and the president of the high court bar association”, it said.

The bench said the high courts may also constitute a similar grievance redressal committee at the district court level.

“It is observed that the grievance redressal committee will consider the genuine grievances related to the difference of opinion or dissatisfaction due to procedural changes in filing and listing of the matter in respective high courts or any district courts in their respective states and any genuine grievance pertaining to misbehaviour of any member of lower judiciary provided such grievance must be genuine and not to put any pressure on any judicial officer”, the bench said.

India logs 12,591 new Covid cases in a day, highest in around 8 months

by

NEW DELHI: India recorded 12,591 new Covid cases in a day, the highest in around eight months, while the active case burden increased to 65,286, according to Union Health Ministry data updated on Thursday.

The death toll has increased to 5,31,230 with 40 fatalities, which includes 11 reconciled by Kerala, the data updated at 8 am stated.

The total tally of Covid cases was recorded at 4.48 crore.

The daily positivity rate was 5.46 per cent and the weekly positivity rate was 5.32 per cent.

Active cases now comprise 0.15 per cent of the total infections, while the national COVID-19 recovery rate was 98.67 per cent, according to the health ministry website.

The number of people who have recuperated from the disease has surged to 4,42,61, 476 while the case fatality rate was recorded at 1.18 per cent.

According to the ministry’s website, 220.66 crore doses of Covid vaccine have been administered in the country so far under the nationwide COVID-19 vaccination drive.

Ahmedabad Diary: In first 100 days, 4 shown the door from CM’s office

by

Bhupendra Patel

In first 100 days, 4 shown the door from CM’s office
In the first 100 days of Bhupendra Patel’s administration, four officials have been removed from his office. According to sources, his personal assistant Drumil Patel was the first to be fired, on direct orders from PMO. Then additional PRO Hitesh Pandya resigned due to his son’s alleged connection with Kiran Patel, an alleged thug. Naimesh Dave, an officer on special duty at the CM’s office has been transferred and appointed as Sabarkantha collector. Recently, CM’s close VD Vaghela was removed from the post, after a complaint was filed against him with the PM’s office.y 

State BJP leaders to campaign in Karnataka
State BJP leaders have been tasked with campaigning in the Karnataka elections. The party has planned to send 150 workers from Gujarat for the campaign. Aside from that, six government and BJP organisation leaders will be on a continuous tour of Karnataka, according to sources, Gujarat BJP leaders will camp in Karnataka beginning April 15. General Secretary, BJP Gujarat, Pradip Singh Vaghela, former ministers Ganpat Vasava, Pravin Mali, Jeetu Vaghani, Purnesh Modi, and CM Bhupendra Patel have all been named for the campaigning.

BJP to undergo major changes before LS polls
There is a major upheaval in the BJP politics, with district and city presidents being replaced quickly along with the removal of state general secretary Bhargav Bhatt.The speculation is that the Gujarat BJP will undergo significant changes before the Lok Sabha elections. The position of state general minister is regarded as the most important in the BJP, after state president. According to party sources, after the local elections, the municipal elections, and then the assembly elections, the party high command was receiving complaints against Bhatt, and there is a speculation within the party that he was removed thereafter.

China launches three days of military drills in Taiwan Strait

by

BEIJING: China launched military drills around Taiwan on Saturday, in what it called a “stern warning” to the self-ruled island’s government following.

Dubbed “United Sharp Sword”, the three-day operation will run until Monday, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theatre Command said in a statement.

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen Tsai immediately denounced the drills, pledging to work with “the US and other like-minded countries” in the face of “continued authoritarian expansionism”.

China’s war games will send planes, ships and personnel into “the maritime areas and air space of the Taiwan Strait, off the northern and southern coasts of the island, and to the island’s east”, said Shi Yin, a PLA spokesman.

Exercises on Monday will include live-fire drills off the coast of China’s Fujian province, which faces Taiwan, the local maritime authority said.

A meeting between President Tsai Beijing and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in California.

China views democratic, self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if necessary.

“These operations serve as a stern warning against the collusion between separatist forces seeking ‘Taiwan independence’ and external forces and against their provocative activities,” the PLA’s Shi said.

“The operations are necessary for safeguarding China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Taiwan’s defence ministry said eight Chinese warships and 42 fighter jets were detected around the island on Saturday.

The ministry expressed “solemn condemnation of such irrational actions”, adding the detections — which included 29 jets crossing Taiwan’s median line, the largest number yet this year — took place between 6 and 11 am local time (2200 GMT to 0300 GMT).

China was using Tsai’s US visit as an “excuse to conduct military exercises, which has seriously undermined peace, stability and security in the region”, the ministry said.

The drills also follow the departure from Beijing of French President Emmanuel Macron and EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, who were in China to urge Xi Jinping to help bring an end to the war in Ukraine.

Last August, China deployed warships, missiles and fighter jets around Taiwan in its largest show of force in years, following a trip to the island by McCarthy’s predecessor, Nancy Pelosi.

McCarthy, who is second in line to the US presidency, had originally planned to go to Taiwan himself.

The decision to meet in California instead was viewed as a compromise that would underscore support for Taiwan but avoid inflaming tensions with Beijing.

On Saturday, there were no immediate signs of heightened military activity on Pingtan, a southwestern Chinese island that is the closest point on the mainland to Taiwan.

A handful of cargo ships cruised through the waters near the coastline, while tourists in sunglasses and baseball caps snapped selfies on the viewing platforms.

But Fujian’s provincial maritime authority has warned vessels not to enter waters near the live-fire drills on Monday.

Tsai returned to Taiwan on Friday after visiting her island’s dwindling band of official diplomatic allies in Latin America, with two US stopovers that included meetings with McCarthy and other lawmakers.

Hours before her meeting with McCarthy on Wednesday, China sent its Shandong aircraft carrier through Taiwan’s southeastern waters on its way to the western Pacific.

Beijing said Friday that “Taiwan is an inseparable part of China”, after repeatedly warning against the Tsai-McCarthy meeting.

“China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity will never be divided,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press briefing.

“The future of Taiwan lies in reunification with the motherland.”

Chinese military commentator Song Zhongping said the exercises were intended to demonstrate that the Chinese army will be ready if “provocation intensifies” to “solve the Taiwan issue once and for all”.

KNOW US

GET INVOLVED

PROMOTE

Archives