Nasheman News : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath on Tuesday expanded his cabinet inducting 28 ministers including Arif Aqueel, the lone Muslim face in the new council of ministers.

Aqueel, MLA from Bhopal North, is the first Muslim minister in the state after 15 years. 

Keeping the regional balance in view, Kamal Nath inducted nine MLAs from the Malwa Nivad region, six from central Madhya Pradesh, five representing the Gwalior-Chambal region and three from Bundelkhand in his cabinet. 

Governor Anandiben Patel administered the oath of office to the new ministers at the Raj Bhavan here. 

The ministerial team includes 11 loyalists of the Chief Minister, nine from Congress veteran’s Digvijay Singh’s camp, seven from Jyotiraditya Scindia’s camp, and one from former state party chief Arun Yadav’s camp.

There are only two females in the cabinet-Vijay Laxmi Sadho from Maheshawr and Imarati Devi from Dabra.

The cabinet expansion was done after both Kamal Nath and Scindia held discussions with the party central leadership. 

Congratulating the new ministers, both Kamal Nath and Scindia asked them to work towards fulfilling the Congress’ commitment of ensuring the progress and welfare of the state. 

The session of the newly elected Assembly is scheduled to begin from January 7.

Mohammad Kaif was responding to a comment made by Imran Khan on India.

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has come out strongly against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for his comments on India and the state of minorities. Imran Khan had recently said he will show the Narendra Modi government how to look after minorities in the country.

Taking a dig at Imran Khan, Kaif questioned the treatment meted out to minorities in Pakistan. He said Pakistan should be the last country that should lecture others on treating minorities properly.

“There were around 20 per cent minorities at the time of Partition in Pakistan. Less than 2 per cent remain now. On the other hand, the minority population has grown significantly in India since Independence. Pakistan is the last country that should be lecturing any country on how to treat minorities,” he said in a tweet.

Kaif was responding to Imran Khan’s recent comment where he said Pakistan will teach India how to look after its minorities.

While speaking at an event on December 23, Imran Khan said that he had resolved to “show” the Narendra Modi government how rights of the countrymen should be preserved.

Referring to Bollywood actor Naseeruddin Shah’s statement on the sense of insecurity among minorities in India, Imran Khan had said, “We will show the Modi government how to treat minorities. Even in India, people are saying that minorities are not being treated as equal citizens.”

Kaif is not alone in taking a dig at Pakistan in recent times. Former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir, on multiple occasions, has slammed Pakistan for its alleged activities in Kashmir.

The Bharatiya Janata Party and AIMIM president Asaduddin Owaisi also slammed Imran Khan for his comments. While the BJP called Pakistan a country that shelters terrorists, Owaisi said it’s high time that Imran Khan learns something about inclusive politics and minority rights from India.

“According to the Pakistani Constitution, only a Muslim is qualified to be President. India has seen multiple Presidents from oppressed communities. It’s high time Khan sahab learns something from us about inclusive politics & minority rights,” Owaisi had said.

Koppal: Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy on Monday, December 24 informed that the farm loan would be completely waived off by January 31 next year.

Addressing presspersons here Kumaraswamy said as loan waiver is a serious issue of the state the government will waive off the farm loan by January 31. He further said that the BJP party have never spoken about farmers problems when they were ruling, but now they are simply creating suspicion on loan waiver, anymore this won’t be entertained. 

The BJP has been misleading the people saying that the government has cut the funds of other departments and diverted it to loan waiver scheme, which is not true, he added.

He further speaking about sand mafia said that illegal sand business was not started during coalition government it was there when BJP government was ruling but the BJP is simply making allegations on the present government.

JDS district working president Veeresh Mahantaiah Mutt, state secretary KM Syed, spokesperson Mounesh Vaddatti, leaders Amare Gouda Patil, Pradeep Gouda Mali Patil were present.

 JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda on Monday, December 24 dismissed any threat to the ruling coalition headed by his son HD Kumaraswamy after the recent cabinet rejig.

The government was stable and the alliance will efficiently fight the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, he told reporters.

“Nothing will happen…why do you have doubts? It is all your (media) creation,” Gowda said in response to a question about troubles for the coalition government after the ministry expansion and reshuffle on Saturday.

Pointing out that there are senior leaders and high command in the Congress to resolve all issues, he said “don’t worry, the coalition government will work efficiently.” 

“We (alliance partners) will fight efficiently during parliament polls, there are no issues…I’m saying there is no trouble for a coalition government,” Gowda added.

Kumaraswamy Saturday had expanded his six-month-old cabinet, inducting eight members from the Congress in the much-awaited exercise, while dropping two ministers.

The rejig was marked by rumblings of dissidence, as many senior Congress MLAs were upset over their exclusion.

The JD(S) was not part of this round of cabinet expansion.

Asked when JD(S) will fill vacant slots under its quota, the party patriarch said “JD(S) is a small party and whatever we get, it is great for us, we don’t have any dispute.” 

After the recent cabinet expansion, Kumaraswamy cabinet’s strength now stands at 32.
According to to the pact between the two parties at the time of formation of the coalition government in May, two posts are now vacant from JD(S).

PTI

 Nasheman News : Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday took a swipe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for ignoring a BJP worker’s question, during a recent video interaction with party workers from Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, about the middle class struggling with the government’s taxation policy.

Gandhi pointed to a December 19 interaction that saw Nirmal Kumar Jain, a BJP worker, asking the Prime Minister why his government was busy collecting all manner of taxes but not providing any relief to the middle class by reducing the Income Tax rates or easing the procedures for securing loans. 

While putting his question Jain specifically urged the Prime Minister to take care of the middle class.

Modi’s reply was: “Thank you, Nirmal ji. You are a trader, so it’s normal that you will talk business. I favour taking care of common people and the common people will be taken care of.”

Modi then immediately switched to addressing workers from neighbouring Puducherry by saying: “Chaliye Puducherry ko Vanakam.”

Reacting on media reports on the issue, Gandhi took to Twitter to yet again target Modi for his reluctance to face questions. 

“Vanakam Puducherry! That’s NaMo’s answer to the struggling middle class. Forget a press conference he can’t even string together a polling booth worker’s conference. BJP-vetted questions is a superb idea. Consider vetted answers as well,” tweeted Gandhi.

The Congress President has repeatedly questioned Modi for not holding a press conference since he became the Prime Minister in 2014. 

The police officials claim that it is done in an attempt to promote communal harmony ahead of the elections. 

Noida police have asked the companies and offices in the industrial hub to ensure that their employees don’t offer namaz in public places including parks.

The police notice further states that companies will be held responsible if their employees are found offering namaz in parks, according to a report.

Over the past few months, the number of people offering namaz in parks in Noida has increased significantly. Hence, this is an attempt at maintaining communal harmony ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, said police officials while explaining the move.

The notice, which has been sent to all the companies in the Sector 58 area, asks the employees to offer namaz either in the office or mosques.T

The order notice be issued like “It has been often seen that the Muslim workers of your company assemble in the park to offer Namaz and I, the SHO, have told the group to not hold prayers in the park. Also, their plea to the city magistrate has not received any permission to do so…If employees of your company come to the park, it will be assumed that you have not informed your employees and your company will be held liable.

“Thus, it is expected from you that you at your level inform your Muslim employees to not come to the park to offer Namaz. If employees of your company come to the park, it will be assumed that you have not informed your employees and your company will be held liable.” Pankaj Rai is the SHO of the Sector 58 police station was quoted by timesnow as saying.

 Nasheman News : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday inaugurated the country’s longest rail-cum-road bridge in Bogibeel over the Brahmaputra river in Assam.

The Prime Minister arrived at the Mohanbari Airport near Dibruharh and headed to Bogibeel in a helicopter. 

Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi and Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal received Modi at the airport.

Inaugurating the bridge that connects Dhemaji and Dibrugarh, Modi and his cavalcade took a ride, stopping in the middle and waving at thousands of people waiting on either sides.

Built at an estimated cost of over Rs 5,000 crore, the bridge is expected to help over five million people living in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh and significantly enhance India’s defence capability by ensuring faster movement of troops and supplies to the eastern border with China.

The foundation stone of the bridge was laid by the then Prime Minister of H.D. Devegowda in 1997. The construction works started only in 2002 when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister.

The bridge, situated 17 km downstream of Dibrugarh spans the Brahmaputra river and connects the town in the south to Dhemaji to the river’s north.

It is located just over 20 km away from the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border and is thus expected to act as an alternative to the Kolia Bhomora Setu in Tezpur.

By : Rizwan Asad

After the recent cabinet expansion there seem to be discontent within the congress party.

To crub the dissidents activities KPCC president Dinesh Gundo Rao has warned the party leaders against anti-party activites. Mr Rao said that in future if any leader goes against the interst of the party we will take serious action against them.

He added that senior party leaders who were denied ministerial berths are speaking against the party and showing their unhappiness Mr, Rao said that no one is above the party and everyone is equal whether he is a panchayat member or MLA or a minister if anyone goes against the interst of the party we will take serious action he added.

Mr Rao cautioned senior leaders not to fall in to any type of trap has they maybe misused by others party leaders.

In a message to some senior leaders who have spoken against the party KPCC expelled nine district and taluk panchayat leader for anti – party activites. The deccision were taken based on the recommendation of the party’s disciplne committee.

Mr Rao said that he will speak to Ramalinga Reddy and Ramesh Jarikholi and try to pacify them and there is always room for accomadation in the cabinet in future.

He said that leaders speaking against the party was a emotional reaction after the cabinet expansion and everything will be resolved. It is to be seen how soon the problem within the congress will be resolved.