Nasheman News : Delhi Police on Monday filed a chargesheet against former JNU Students Union (JNUSU) President Kanhaiya Kumar and nine others in a sedition case after some students shouted “anti-national slogans” in February 2016.

The chargesheet filed before Metropolitan Magistrate Sumeet Anand also names former student activists Umar Khalid and Anirban Bhattacharya. 

The charges slapped under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) deal with sedition, voluntarily causing hurt, forgery, using as genuine a forged document, punishment for unlawful assembly, unlawful assembly with common object, rioting and criminal conspiracy.

The matter has been listed for further hearing on Wednesday.

With the coalition partners expected to hold talks on the tricky seat-sharing issue amid pressure within the Congress not to cede much to Janata Dal (Secular), Kumaraswamy stressed there should not be any “pettiness” on both sides.

In an interview to media, the chief minister said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charisma was “fading” with growing anti-incumbency, and pitched for Congress president Rahul Gandhi for the top job while also admitting that there was a lack of consensus among anti-BJP parties on choosing Gandhi.

As his government completed seven months in office, the JD(S) leader downplayed reports of contradictions within the coalition and said he would overcome all the “bitterness” smoothly. 

“Both of us (Congress-JD(S)) should go together (in Lok Sabha polls) is our opinion. Because the reason behind forming this government (in Karnataka) is to stop the BJP from coming to power and improve the atmosphere in the country…” Kumaraswamy said when asked whether the JD(S) would go it alone if seat-sharing talks fail.

He said after the formation of the coalition government in the southern state, a lot of changes had taken place in the country’s political landscape, including BJP’s downslide and Congress victory in some bypolls and assembly elections in three states.

“…in my opinion if Congress loses its way and tries to move with overconfidence, what will happen they will understand, with their past political experience, I do not think they will forget them. 

“They should treat us respectfully. They should not treat us as third grade citizens. There should be give and take policy,” Kumaraswamy said. 

The JD(S) has demanded 12 out of 28 seats for the Lok Sabha polls, to which the Congress has expressed its reservations.

In the 2014 polls, BJP had won 17 seats in the state, Congress 9 and JD(S) 2 seats.

Seat-sharing is expected to be a litmus test for the Congress-JD(S) combine, mostly in the old Mysuru region constituencies, where the JD(S) is a dominant force in the Vokkaliga heartland and the Congress has its sitting MPs.

Reiterating that the coalition intend to face the Lok Sabha polls together, the Karnataka chief minister said leaders of both the parties are expected to discuss and come to a final decision later this month.

“Our national president (H D Deve Gowda) feels that after the government formation, for every thing two-third (for Congress) and one-third (for JD(S)) concept was adopted like in the ministry or board corporation appointments.

“There are 28 seats…they (Congress) should take two- thirds and give us one-third, this is what his feeling is, and mostly, I feel they will also agree,” he said. 

Asked whether his party’s demand for 12 seats was negotiable, Kumaraswamy did not give a direct response. He however, said the two-third and one-third was the Congress’ formula for the coalition.

Congress and JD(S) had bitterly fought the May 2018 assembly polls, but joined hands as the polls threw up a hung verdict.

“Some may say that it (coalition) may survive only till parliament elections. I want to say that after the parliamentary election also the government that will be formed in Delhi and the environment that will be created will lead to a situation where the Karnataka government continues to work safely,” the chief minister said.

Meanwhile, Kumaraswamy accused the BJP of attempting to destabilise his government by trying to poach coalition MLAs. 

“I know who they (BJP) are approaching, what they are offered to MLAs. I am collecting all the news and doing whatever (possible) from my side to see to that BJP does not disturb the government…” he said.

Kumaraswamy said the coming together of BSP’s Mayawati and SP’s Akhilesh Yadav was a “strong combination” and it may scuttle and slow the BJP’s speed in Uttar Pradesh.

He also claimed that Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s image has “diminished”, while Lalu Prasad Yadav-led RJD was getting sympathy, and in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, the BJP did not perform well as it did the last time. 

Asked about possible cracks in the anti-Modi front, the chief minister said, “I feel a strong combination may emerge against the BJP. I also feel that the ‘mahagatbandhan’ may emerge as an alternative to national parties”. 

Regarding projecting Rahul Gandhi as the prime ministerial face of the anti-BJP combine, Kumaraswamy said Deve Gowda had announced JD(S) support to the Gandhi scion and that “others will also come on board”. 

“I feel after the results, every one will agree on a common leadership despite differences,” he said. 

Kumarawamy also termed the Centre’s latest move of providing reservation to economically backward among the general category as a “desperate” step ahead of polls. 

PTI

Nasheman News :  A Karnataka Minister on Monday alleged that the BJP was trying to poach Congress legislators.

“Three of our MLAs are in Mumbai. We (Congress) are aware of the horse trading that is being attempted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Our legislators have also admitted to being approached by the BJP,” Minister for Irrigation D.K. Shivakumar told the media here.

The BJP was trying to “destabilise” the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S)-Congress coalition government by poaching the legislators, he alleged.

Shivakumar, however, did not name the MLAs who were reportedly approached by the BJP.

The Congress leader spoke to the media ahead of a meeting held by the party’s senior leaders, including Deputy Chief Minister G. Parameshwara, former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and state unit president Dinesh Gundu Rao.

The ruling coalition partner JD-S leader and Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy, however, asserted that the government continues to remain stable.

“All the legislators are in touch with us and we are certain of the stability of the coalition government,” Kumaraswamy told the media.

The BJP flayed the coalition government for blaming the BJP to hide its failures.

“Daily activity of Kumaraswamy government…Cry Operation Kamala (referring to alleged poaching by the BJP), hide failure to run government by blaming BJP. Fight among themselves for power…,” the party’s state unit tweeted.

In the 225-member Assembly, the Congress has 80 MLAs including the Speaker, the JD-S 37 and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) 104.

Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy said that he was “amused” by Modi making baseless allegations for the second time.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday mocked Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy by referring to reports that mentioned that HDK said he was being treated “like a clerk” by the coalition government in the state.

Speaking at Ramlila Maidan at the BJP National Convention in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “In Telangana, the coalition was badly defeated and in Karnataka, where the coalition’s first government was formed, the Chief Minister there is so worried — and it has only been a few months — that he says instead of a Chief Minister, he has been treated like a clerk.”

Reacting to the jibe, Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy said that he was “amused” by Modi making baseless allegations for the second time.

“I am amused to see Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacting to a statement which I never made. After farmers loan, this is the second time he is reacting to false information/statement. Such statements won’t deter our coalition government from the development agenda,” Chief Minister Kumaraswamy said.

Last week, several media reports had surfaced which claimed that the Chief Minister had shed tears at a JD(S) party meeting. The reports also claimed that Kumaraswamy felt like he was being offered the position of a clerk while the Congress leaders were trying to usurp power. Soon after the reports surfaced, Kumaraswamy called them baseless, and told the media that he had never said anything of the sort.

In response to Modi’s statement, former CM Siddaramaiah said, “Looks like Sangh Parivaar’s clerk Prime Minister Modi is speaking from his own experiences. Old habits… the rest you know”.

In December last year, PM Modi had called the farm loan waiver a cruel joke and that only 800 farmers in the state had benefited from Kumaraswamy’s loan waiver scheme.

Soon after, Kumaraswamy had called the accusations incorrect and insensitive, while listing out the total number of loans that were waived in the state.

Nasheman News :  Fire at Kumbh Mela site, no one injured: A cylinder exploded in a tent at the Digambar Ani Akhara at the Kumbh Mela site in Prayagraj, triggering a massive fire on Monday, a day before the fair officially opens, police said. There were no immediate reports of anyone being injured, Akhara police station inspector Bhaskar Mishra told media. Firefighters rushed to control the blaze which engulfed the makeshift structure at the venue.

Security has been tightened for world’s largest human congregation, Kumbh 2019:Scores of devotees from across the country took a holy dip at Sangam Ghat on the occasion of Makar Sankranti in Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj, formerly known as Allahabad, on Monday.Security personnel take the oath to execute their duties honestly after offering prayers at Sangam, the confluence of rivers Ganges and Yamuna ahead of the Kumbh Festival in Allahabad.

 Millions of Hindu pilgrims are expected to take part in the large religious congregation called Kumbh festival that runs for a period of over a month starting from January 15.Makar Sankranti or Maghi, is a festival day in the Hindu calendar, in reference to deity Surya. The day marks the first day of sun’s transit into the Makara, marking the end of the month with the winter solstice and the start of longer days.

Hindu holy men sing bhajans at Sangam. Special tent colony have been set up in Arail area of the event for Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who are scheduled to arrive on January 24. Pilgrims and tourists can book tents as per their needs and budget online through Kumbh Mela website.