Nasheman News : Senior advocate H.S. Phoolka on Thursday submitted his resignation from the Aam Aadmi Party to party chief Arvind Kejriwal.

Phoolka, representing the victims of 1984 anti-Sikh riots case, thanked Kejriwal for giving him an opportunity to “serve the party”.

“I have resigned from AAP and handed over the resignation to Kejriwal ji today. Though he asked me not to resign, I insisted,” he said.

However, the former Punjab MLA did not reveal the reason for his resignation.

“Will be briefing media tomorrow… to explain the reason of leaving AAP and my further plans,” he added.

Phoolka, who joined AAP in 2014 and was voted to Punjab Assembly from Dakha, had resigned from the Assembly as an MLA in October last year.

He had announced that he would resign from the Assembly if the Congress government in Punjab led by Chief Minister Amarinder Singh did not take action against those behind the incidents of sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib and the police firing in October 2015 on those protesting against the sacrilege incidents.

Phoolka has demanded the government should register cases against former Chief Minister and senior Shiromani Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal, SAD president and former deputy chief minister Sukhbir Singh Badal and former director general of police (DGP) Sumedh Singh Saini.

Earlier, in July 2017, Phoolka resigned from the post of Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly to continue to fight cases of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots victims in courts after the Delhi Bar Council disallowed him from contesting the cases of riot victims, saying he held an “office of profit” as Leader of Opposition.

He also contested the 2014 Lok Sabha from Ludhiana from AAP, but lost to the Congress candidate.

Nasheman News : Actor-turned-politician and BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha on Thursday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold a press conference as his predecessors have done in the past and take “candid extempore questions”.

“Sir, we all saw your well scripted, choreographed, well researched and rehearsed TV interview on Monday evening. With due respect to the anchor, wonder lady, Smita Prakash, isn’t it high time and the right time to enhance your image as an able and capable leader taking candid extempore questions?” Sinha, who is a vocal critic of the Prime Minister, said in a series of tweets.

Attacking Modi for not taking questions from the media, the BJP MP from Patna Saheb said, “We know you don’t want to face them but at least have the courage to answer questions from the tall statesman Yashwant Sinha and learned journalist Arun Shourie.” 

Hitting out at Modi, he said that though in the interview he looked “calm and composed”, it was not “convincing or at par with his earlier performances”.

Sinha also questioned Modi for not holding a press conference in the last four and half years and said, “In the past all Prime Ministers have had Press conferences but Sir, you haven’t had even one in your tenure of 4.5 years. Why Sir? 

“Let’s have genuine journalists without the ‘Sarkari’ (government) mindset and not your regular ‘Raag Darbari’ (King’s court) clan,” he said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader also questioned Modi over the allies leaving the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) fold in last few months.

“Why are different people leaving us despite ‘Sab ka Saath Sab ka Vikas’, ‘Ram Janam Bhoomi’ etc.?” he said, adding, “Let’s come clean in the New Year, being bold, honest and transparent without dramatic effects.”

The veteran actor then said, “As a friend, colleague and brother this food for thought. Accept it, good for you and the nation, but if you reject it then may God Bless us. Elections are around the corner, Sir. Long Live Democracy.”

Meanwhile, Smita Prakash, the journalist who interviewed Modi, replied to Sinha taunting that he was a hero ‘shotgun’ and not a villain like Saamba.

“Sir if the tweet is for Modi be the hero that you used to be and tag him no? Buzdilon ki tarah ek tuch patrakaar ko kyon tag kar rahein hain? Aap Shotgun hain, Saamba nahi (Why are you tagging small journalists like us like a coward? You are shotgun and not a Saamba),” she said.

Addressing a rally at Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh last week, PM Narendra Modi had said the Congress promised loan waivers to lakhs of farmers, but the JD(S)-Congress coalition in Karnataka did not deliver.

HD Deve Gowda said more than 60,000 farmers have already received money directly into their bank accounts
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Former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda Wednesday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking a jibe at the Karnataka government’s farm loan waiver scheme and questioned him about demonetisation and the Ram temple issue.

“I have observed taunting statements of @narendramodi on Karnataka’s crop loan waiver scheme. Dear PM, more than 60,000 farmers have already received money directly into their bank accounts. We are determined to keep our promise to the farmers and are acting on the same lines,” Mr Gowda said in a tweet.

“Dear @narendramodi, if your index finger is busy questioning us, the other fingers are questioning you about demonetisation, Clean Ganga, inter-linking of rivers, Ram Mandir and other unfulfilled promises. Please remind yourself about how you treated farmers during protests in Delhi,” the JD(S) chief said in another tweet.

Addressing a rally at Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh last week, PM Modi had said the Congress promised loan waivers to lakhs of farmers, but the JD(S)-Congress coalition in Karnataka did not deliver.

“Lollipops” were handed out. The loan waiver was given to only 800 farmers, PM Modi had claimed.

Also, taking on the state government over loan waiver scheme, PM Modi, while addressing party workers of the state via video conference, on Friday had termed it as the “most cruel joke on farmers”.

PM Modi’s comments had drawn sharp criticism from Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and Congress leader Siddaramaiah.

While Mr Kumaraswamy had accused the Prime Minister of misleading the country for “political gains, Mr Siddaramaiah questioned PM Modi’s “moral right” to criticise the state government’s farm loan waiver scheme and called him “anti-farmer”.

The Kumaraswamy-led state government had announced over Rs. 45,000 crore loan waiver scheme in July, soon after coming to power.

But it has been bogged down by several issues relating to banks.

Nasheman News :  Four Congress workers were hit and injured by the pilot vehicle of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan when he was returning home from office for lunch on Thursday, the Congress said.

Congress legislator M. Vincent told IANS that the four party workers got injured in two different incidents.

He said some Congress activists waving black flags were hit by the pilot vehicle in what he insisted was “a deliberate attempt”, injuring two of them. 

Later, another 200 metres from the first site, “the pilot vehicle knocked down two of our workers who were on a two-wheeler”, said Vincent.

Congress legislator K.S. Sabarinadhan told IANS that two of them had been taken to the Medical College Hospital and two were being treated at the General Hospital.

“Our workers have got bruises and injuries on the shoulder, hands and legs,” he said.

The Congress is observing Thursday as a black day to protest the manner in which the government facilitated two women to pray at the Sabarimala temple a day earlier.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath directed all the district magistrates to ensure that stray animals, including cattle, are transported to Gau Sanrakshan Kendras by January 10.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has directed all the district magistrates to ensure that stray animals, including cattle, are transported to ‘Gau Sanrakshan Kendras’ by January 10, an official said Thursday.

Addressing the district magistrates (DMs) through video conferencing on Wednesday night, Adityanath said they should ensure that farmers and residents do not face any problems due to stray cattle.

Kanji Houses in every district would be renamed ‘Gau Sanrakshan Kendras’.

“Those leaving their cattle on roads should be dealt with strictly and fine should be imposed on them when they come to take their cattle from such centres,” the chief minister said.

Adityanath said help from traders, businessmen and people’s representatives should be sought in running these ‘Gau Sanrakshan Kendras’.

The state government has been under some pressure from farmers protesting over stray cattle destroying their crops.

Over the past week, people in at least two villages in western UP’s Aligarh and Firozabad districts rounded up stray cattle and locked them up in government schools, refusing to let classes run until the administration did something about the animals.

PTI

Nasheman News : A dawn-to-dusk Kerala shutdown call, given by the Sabarimala Karma Samithi (SKS) to protest against the visit of two women to the Sabarimala temple on Wednesday, evoked a mixed response in the state on Thursday.

The SKS said the shutdown was intended to oppose the role of the Kerala government which apparently facilitated the entry of the women inside the temple before dawn on Wednesday.

There were skirmishes at various places between the organisers of the shutdown and those who tried to resist it.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Sangh parivar forces have pledged their support to the SKS shutdown call, and their activists are enforcing it.

While state-owned and private buses are off the road, private vehicles, mostly two wheelers are plying. Private cars are also moving in Thiruvananthapuram and other major cities in Kerala.

Ten people in Kannur were arrested after they attacked vehicles that plied before the BJP office.

Even as the two traders’ body in the state had announced that they would open their shops, in several places, shops were yet to open.

However, in Kozhikode, traders were determined to open their shops, even as the SKS and BJP activists were protesting.

“This frequent calling of shutdown is not acceptable as we are determined to open the shops and from now on, we will open in future also,” said a group of shopkeepers at Kozhikode.

Similarly, in Thevara near Kochi, shops are open.

An incident of stone pelting at an interstate bus from Karnataka was reported from Kozhikode district. 

Similar incidents have also been reported from Kasargode, Palakkad and certain other places.

Various university examinations scheduled for Thursday have been postponed and all educational institutions in the state are closed.

Meanwhile, the weekly cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan decided to see that strong action is taken against those who try to create trouble during the shutdown.

At Pandalam in Alappuzha district, angry BJP and Sangh parivar activists took out a protest march, after one of their supporters who was injured in a stone throwing by CPI-M workers, on Wednesday, died late night.

One CPI-M worker has been arrested and the wife of the deceased said the family does not believe that a fair probe will happen.

Panic gripped Sandalwood on Thursday as sleuths from the Income Tax department knocked on the doors of producer Rockline Venkatesh and Power Star Puneet Rajkumar’s homes.

It is said that residences of producers of Blockbuster hit KGF Vijay Kiragandhur and Villain producer CR Manohar have also been raided. 

On Thursday morning, eight officers who came in two vehicles raided the house of Rockline Venkatesh in Mahalakshmi Layout and Puneeth Rajkumar’s residence in Sadashivnagar. 

According to sources, the officers conducted raids in 10 places in total. The IT officials are checking the documents at the residences of the producers. All the mobile phones of the people being raided were switched off and the family members were not available to comment.

Residences of KGF star Yash, film producer Jayanna, actor Sudeep and Shivrajkumar are also being raided.

Agencies

Nasheman News : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday condoled the death of veteran cricket coach Ramakant Achrekar and said his demise is as a “big loss” to the sporting world.

“Ramakant Achrekarji was a shining beacon of the Guru Parampara. An outstanding mentor, he groomed cricketing talent for years and the gems he trained went on to bring immense glory to the nation. His passing away is a big loss to the sporting world. My condolences,” the Prime Minister said in a tweet. 

Achrekar, who trained legendary Indian batsman, Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar and his friend Vinod Kambli, among others, died on Wednesday in Mumbai following a heart attack.

He was 87 and breathed his last at his home in Dadar around 5 p.m.

Achrekar, honoured with a Padma Shri in 2010 and Dronacharya Award in 1990, was instrumental in coaching Tendulkar, Kambli and over a dozen other top cricket stars in the finer nuances of the game.

Nasheman News : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh should order Central agencies to raid the private residence of Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar to search and seize files related to the Rafale deal in national interest, said Goa Congress spokesperson Siddhanath Buyao.

The spokesperson said Parrikar should be accorded security following the disclosure about Rafale, or, he would meet the fate of judge B.H. Loya and former Gujarat Home Minister Haren Pandya.

Buyao said officials and personal staff of the former Defence Minister should be quizzed while Parrikar, Health Minister Vishwajit Rane and other Cabinet ministers, who were present at the Cabinet meeting where the former Defence Minister allegedly made reference to possessing files related to the fighter jet deal, should be put through a lie detector test.

“In national interest, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh should order the agencies under his Ministry and other Central agencies to raid Parrikar’s house and his bedroom to seize the files in his possession,” Buyao told a press conference on Wednesday.

“He (CM) can meet the fate of judge Loya or Haren Pandya, because this statement was made by Parrikar according to Vishwajit Rane. Parrikar should be given security, now that Parrikar has said that (Rafale) files are with ‘me'”, Buyao said, adding that the individual speaking to Rane in the purported audio conversation should also be identified and provided security.

“This is a very serious matter. We have to get to the bottom of this. Rane and other ministers who were present at the Cabinet meeting, where Parrikar made those comments about the Rafale files, should be subjected to a lie detector test,” he added.

Parrikar, who is suffering from advanced pancreatic cancer, is currently recuperating at his private residence.

Earlier on Wednesday, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala in Delhi, released the audio of a telephonic conversation purportedly between Rane and another person whose identity was kept anonymous, in which Rane is heard saying that Parrikar, during a recently held State Cabinet meeting, said that he has files related to the Rafale deal in the bedroom of his private residence where he is currently recuperating.

Surjewala asked Modi to come clean on the deal and make public the files which Parrikar “is using to threaten the Centre and the BJP”.

Rane has, however, said the conversation is doctored and also asked BJP national president Amit Shah and Parrikar to probe the matter.