Rumours of the death of former Prime Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart Atal Bihari Vajpayee were being circulated on WhatsApp and social media platforms on Thursday. While the internet was abuzz with obituaries to the 93-year-old two-time Prime Minister, there were others who tried to find out the truth and attempted to counter the messages by saying that they were rumours. There was, however, no official clarification issued by the BJP to counter the messages.
According to a report in Dainik Bhaskar, such reports have been triggered even before. In 2015, a school professor in Balasore district in Odisha had claimed that Vajpayee was dead. Following the rumours, a bereavement meet was organised and the school was ordered to remain closed. When the district collector was informed that the news was fake, the said principal was dismissed. On December 24, 2016, a school paid tributes to “late” Vajpayee and lit candles and offered flowers to Vajpayee’s photograph.
Navjot Singh Sidhu’s Bank Accounts Seized For Non-Payment Of Taxes
The IT department noted that Mr Sidhu had failed to provide documentary evidence in support of his claim during the course of assessment proceedings.
The Income Tax (IT) department on Thursday seized two bank accounts of Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu for non-payment of taxes.
While the former cricketer’s tax dues stand at Rs. 52 lakh, payments to be made were towards dress expenses (Rs. 28,38,405), tour and traveling expenses (Rs. 38,24,282), salary expense (Rs. 47,11,400) and petrol and diesel expenses (Rs. 17,80,358).
The IT department noted that the Congress leader had failed to provide documentary evidence, such as bills or invoices in support of his claim during the course of assessment proceedings. Since the authenticity of the transactions could not be established, 30 percent of the total expenses were disallowed in order to prevent leakage of revenue.
“The assessee had gone in to appeal against the order on January 17 last year, but the Commissioner of Income-tax (Appeals) or CIT (A) passed the order favouring the revenue and not provided any relief to the assessee, as he had failed to provide any documentary evidence in support of his claim,” an official statement noted.
Defeating BJP is the only goal in Karnataka said Sharad Yadav
Sharad Yadav, the rebel JD(U) leader said the upcoming Assembly elections in Karnataka in May, resembled a semi-final to the next Lok Sabha elections and it was his party’s objective to vanquish the BJP at any cost.
Addressing a press meet on Friday Yadav said “The entire nation is watching the Karnataka elections. We should make India BJP free. I have come to Karnataka for this” He included that JD(U) had not chose to back either the Congress or JD(S).
“I am here for two days. I will address party leaders and let you know,” he included.
“Amit Shah Is A Jain, He Needs To Clarify First Whether He Is AHINDU: Siddaramaiah
Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today took a dig at BJP president Amit Shah for calling him ‘AHINDU’ (anti-Hindu), saying that the latter is a Jain and he should first clarify whether he is AHINDU.
New Delhi: BJP President Amit Shah addressing party workers during ‘Jan Raksha Yatra’ to protest the alleged murders of party workers in Kerala, in New Delhi on Sunday. PTI Photo by Vijay Verma(PTI10_8_2017_000081B)
Shah had said at a press conference at Davangere two days ago that Siddaramaiah is not an ‘AHINDA’ leader (a Kannada acronym for minorities, backward classes and Dalits) but ‘AHINDU’ leader (anti-Hindu).
Siddaramaiah told reporters in Mysuru that Shah should first clarify his position whether he is “AHINDU or not.”
“Amit Shah is a Jain. He needs to clarify first whether he is AHINDU. Jain is a separate religion. How can he talk about me like that,” Siddaramaiah said.
He said Shah was scared of him due to which he was making all “baseless” allegations against him.
KKR’s Aussie pacer Starc ruled out of IPL with injury
In a big blow to two-time champions Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL), pace spearhead Mitchell Starc was on Friday ruled out of the fourth Test against South Africa and the IPL due to a tibial bone stress fracture in his right leg.
In the final Test here, Starc was replaced for by South Australia’s Chadd Sayers. Starc will fly home after the series for further injury investigation and assessment.
Starc was roped in for a whopping sum of Rs 9.4 crore by KKR and was tipped to lead the franchise’s bowling attack,.
Sans the 28-year old fast bowler, KKR will now depend more on compatriot Mitchell Johnson.
It is understood that in accordance with the Player Regulations, KKR will now be allowed to choose a replacement from the Registered and Available Player Pool (RAPP).
Afghanistan suicide bombing kills 3
An Afghan provincial council member, along with a local pro-government leader and an attacker, was killed when the latter blew himself up in the country’s Kunar province on Friday, a government spokesman said.
The explosion occurred in the afternoon after the arrival of Shah Wali Hemat, a provincial council member, to attend a local funeral ceremony, government spokesman Ghani Musamim told Xinhua news agency.
A local tribesman named Abdul Rahman also died on the spot.
A security guard was injured in the explosion, the latest targeted attack against government officials and local leaders.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
(IANS)
Nepal PM to visit India from April 6-8
Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli will visit India from April 6 to 8 on his maiden foreign trip after assuming office, in line with the tradition of a Nepali PM visiting India on his first overseas trip, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Friday.
Oli’s visit comes following an invitation from his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi. Accompanied by his wife Radhika Shakya, Oli will lead a government delegation comprising of ministers, members of Parliament, secretaries and other high-ranking officials of the Nepali government, the Ministry said.
His visit aims to revisit the century-old ties between the two countries.
During the visit, Oli will pay courtesy calls on Indian President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu. Some senior Cabinet members of the Indian government will call on the Nepali leader.
Oli will also visit Pantnagar, Uttarakhand and attend a programme at Govind Ballabh Pant University of Agriculture and Technology, according to the Ministry.
The Indian External Affairs Ministry said in a statement that Oli’s upcoming visit “will provide an opportunity to the two sides to review wide-ranging cooperative partnership and to progress it further”.
‘I made a mistake, but Karnataka voters won’t’ – Amit Shah on calling BSY corrupt
Days after embarrassing BJP by calling his own party chief ministerial candidate B S Yeddyurappa corrupt, BJP national president on Friday delivered the denouement saying that though he made a mistake, the people of Karnataka will not.
Shah during his visit to Mysuru on March 30, said tat though in a slip of tongue he said that Yeddyurappa government is corrupt instead of Siddaramaih’s, but the people of Karnataka will not make such mistake while voting in the election.
It may be recalled that addressing a press conference Shah made a blooper and said “If ever there is a competition on the most corrupt, then Yeddyurappa government will be awarded number one,”
Soon after the faux pas, the Congress was quick to taunt the BJP for ‘speaking the truth.’ “The Truth can never be suppressed. Even Amit Shah agrees that Yeddyurappa led the Most Corrupt Government ever,” tweeted the Karnataka Congress.
Another BJP leader Prahlad Joshi who translated Amit Shah’s address, on the same day publicly said that Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, will not do anything for the downtrodden like Dalits, poor, and backward classes and Modi will harm the nation.
The series of goof ups happened on the day Election Commission announced the dates of much-awaited Assembly polls. Karnataka will vote on May 12 and the counting and announcement of results will be held on May 15.
In Karnataka, Amit Shah Missed A Crucial Trick, Congress Tries To Prove
Lingayat support to the BJP surged in 1990, when Congress leader and former premier Rajiv Gandhi abruptly removed a Lingayat leader as Chief Minister
For nearly three decades, the Lingayats, a powerful upper caste group in Karnataka, have voted for the BJP, whose presumptive Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa is the most statured leader of the community. The prosperous Lingayats were believed till recently to form 17% percentage of the state’s population and are governed by a cluster of about 1,000 mathas or religious seminaries, each with its own spiritual head.
Two days ago, it was one of these leaders that presented BJP chief Amit Shah with a letter that is being interpreted as a new couple alert – a pairing of the Lingayats with the Congress, which just a week back said that the Lingayats should be recognized as a religious minority – like the Jains or Sikhs or Buddhists. The BJP says the Congress is trying to skim political support with a move that will divide Hindus.
But Lingayats have long held that they are not to be mixed with Hindus. “Those who believe this decision threatens the Hindu religion are exaggerating. It’s too vast and rooted to be in any danger,” said the Siddalinga Swami of a prominent Lingayat seminary in North Karnataka. “We are not anti-Hindu, but we don’t subscribe to some tenets of Hinduism. This can pose a problem only to those people who speak in favour of an undivided Hindu society, but never act against the ills that plague it. They want to maintain status quo, we are challenging it.”
Unexpectedly, the Lingayats are now the central flash point between the Congress and the BJP. Rahul Gandhi visited a large Lingayat math in February. Amit Shah tweeted that he visited another today.
The Lingayats were formed as a sect in the 12th century by the social reformer Basavanna who rejected the caste system and championed gender equality. Their support to the BJP surged in 1990, when Congress leader and former premier Rajiv Gandhi abruptly removed a Lingayat leader as Chief Minister. When the BJP won Karnataka in 2008, marking its first government in the south, the Lingayats were a large part of its success. The community influences the results of at least 100 of the 224 constituencies in the state.
On May 12, Karnataka will vote for its next government. The incumbent Congress administration, led by Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, congregates the support of Hindu minorities, backward classes and Dalits, collectively acronym-ed “AHINDA”.
Word play on that was offered earlier this week by Amit Shah when he said the Chief Minister is “not AHINDA but A-Hindu or anti-Hindu.” His speech was made at a rally in Central Karnataka. He urged Lingayat spiritual leaders to keep the community united in support of the BJP.
CBSE made mistake, We are punished: Why 16 lakh Class X, over 3 lakh Class XII students are fuming
Lakhs of students are affected by CBSE’s decision to hold re-examinations for Class X and Class XII Maths and Economics papers, respectively.
Maths is widely considered as one of the most dreaded subjects for students around the world. Appearing for one Maths examination can be a nerve-wracking experience. But imagine writing the same exam twice – with a new set of questions? That is exactly what over 16 lakh Class X students will have to go through as their Maths – and the Economics paper for Class XII – has been scrapped following a question-paper leak.
Most CBSE students were left fuming when CBSE announced earlier this week that the exams for Class X Maths and Class XII Ecomics will have to be taken once again. Admitting that the two papers were leaked on WhatsApp, CBSE said a new date will be announced shortly.
Ticking off each subject after its exam is over brings about a special joy for students across the country in the otherwise tense month of March. The ticks were unticked. The books were brought back. Lost time was, well, lost.
Even as authorities face an uphill task to apprehend the culprits behind the paper leak, the task ahead for students appear even steeper.
Protests across the country erupted shortly after CBSE announced its decision to conduct re-examinations. Online and out on the streets, students expressed anger at a time when they should have been expressing a strong determination to get good marks.
In one such protest at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, students braved the summer sun to show exactly what they thought of CBSE and its decision.
“CBSE should have put every single measure in place to ensure that papers do not leak. If the leak happened, it is not our fault, why should we write the papers again,” asked Priti Rajput, a Class XII student. Agreed Ajith Kurup, a Class XII student in the science stream. “My engineering examinations are round the corner and I was putting finishing touches to my preparations. Now, I have to put it on hold and revise for an exam I have already appeared for. What is my crime?,” he asked.
Other protestors in locations across Delhi and elsewhere echoed similar sentiments.
Over 28 lakh candidates registered for the CBSE examinations this year. Of these 16,38,428 candidates are appearing for Class X and all of them will now have to write the Maths paper again. Another 11,86,306 students are appearing for Class XII exams. Of these, more than 3 lakh students wrote the Economics paper and will now have to write it once again.
The sheer scale of conducting CBSE exams is astounding. That two of these exams have to be conducted once again is, therefore, appalling. “I understand the despair of students. I am a parent myself and even I have had sleepless nights,” HRD minister Prakash Javadekar said recently.
It will, however, indeed take sleepless nights for students to ensure they appear for the re-examinations with confidence even if their faith in the Board conducting the exam remains forever shaken.