Nasheman News : The Congress on Friday demanded the resignation of ailing Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar over the rape of a British national on Thursday near the popular beach village of Palolem in South Goa.

The recurring sexual assault on foreign nationals in the coastal state will have an impact on Goa’s tourism prospects, president of the Goa Congress women’s unit Pratima Coutinho told reporters at the state Congress headquarters here.

“The CM of Goa is missing. He is not keeping good health. He is not ready to distribute portfolios. He is holding 38 ministries and he is not even willing to distribute them. He is the home minister of Goa and molestation, rapes are increasing day by day,” Coutinho said, reacting to the rape of the middle-aged British national on Thursday morning. 

The accused in the case was arrested by the police the same evening.

“The BJP government has finished mining in Goa. The tourism industry which is the main source of revenue, is facing a setback with these rapes and such incidents. Every year we see foreign nationals raped and molested. How can we expect foreign tourists to come to Goa? High time CM Parrikar resigns or gives his portfolios to other ministers,” she also said.

Goa is one of the top tourism destinations in the country and attracts more than seven million tourists annually, out of which half a million are foreigners.

Meanwhile, after the Goa BJP announced its protest march on Friday from the state BJP office to the Panaji ferry ramp, right opposite the Congress state headquarters, the Congress unfurled a banner outside its office premises ‘welcoming’ protestors from the ruling party to “explain their lies on Rafale deal”.

 Nasheman News : Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy on Thursday, December 20 said that he was waiting for a message from his coalition partner, the Congress party, to write to the Governor about carrying out the exercise.

“I’m yet to receive message from Delhi (Congress high command),” Kumaraswamy said in response to a question about writing a letter to the governor for the cabinet expansion exercise.

Addressing presspersons here, he said “Soon after our senior coalition partner (Congress) gives us the message, I will write to the governor.” 

Seeking to contain simmering discontent within the party over cabinet expansion, the Congress on Tuesday had said the Congress-JD(S) coalition ministry would be expanded on December 22 as announced earlier.

Congress Legislature Party leader Siddaramaiah, Pradesh Congress President Dinesh Gundu Rao and Deputy chief minister G Parameshwara left for Delhi this evening to meet the Congress high command, including general secretary in-charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal, to discuss the expansion and the probable names.

According to sources, they are expected to meet Congress president Rahul Gandhi during the visit. However, reports suggest that Gandhi was in Shimla on a personal visit.

Asked whether the cabinet expansion would take place on December 22, the Chief Minister said, “please ask Congress party.” 

“There are no issues with us (JDS)… we are ready for it. They (Congress leaders) too have gone to Delhi with an intention to expand the cabinet.” 

Dinesh Gundi Rao on Tuesday, December q8 had indicated that it may be cabinet expansion or reshuffle or both may happen on December 22, creating worry among several ministers about being dropped from the ministry.

Kumaraswamy, on his part, did not spell out anything clearly to a question, whether it will be cabinet reshuffle on Saturday.

Pointing out that the Congress was the major party in the coalition, Kumaraswamy said, whatever they decide,” accordingly we will carry out the exercise.” 

“There is no problem within our party (JDS), we are all united…..the vacant posts that are there we will fill them, we are ready, there are no issues within us,” he added. With the cabinet expansion exercise being postponed repeatedly, several aspirants, especially those from the Congress, had openly expressed their displeasure.

Despite repeated reiteration by Congress leaders that the expansion will take place on the scheduled date, party MLAs are sceptical about it happening till the Lok Sabha polls early next year. Some of them have also cited the current “Shoonya Masa” that is considered inauspicious month, as the reason.

According to the pact reached between the two partners at the time of formation of the coalition government in May, there are now six vacant ministerial positions left for the Congress and two for the JD(S).

This will be the second expansion of the Kumaraswamy’s ministry, who currently heads the 26-member cabinet.

Along with cabinet expansion, the coalition partners are also likely to appoint MLAs as heads to boards and corporations, and as parliamentary secretaries to Ministers on December 22.

New Delhi,: Calling the Goods and Services Tax (GST) “Gabbar Singh Tax” again, Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said his party has “jolted” Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the issue and Modi now wants to implement what the Congress had suggested earlier.

“The Congress has finally jolted Narendraji from his deep slumber on Gabbar Singh Tax. Though still drowsy, he now wants to implement what he had earlier called the Congress Party’s ‘Grand Stupid Thought’. Better late then never Narendraji!,” Gandhi tweeted.

His remarks came two days after Modi said at an event in Mumbai that the government was aiming to bring 99 per cent of items at or below 18 per cent GST slab.

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Panchkula (Haryana), India’s former World Cup winning captain Anup Kumar on Wednesday announced his retirement from Kabaddi, ending a 15-year iconic career.

Anup announced his retirement ahead of a Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) season 6 match, where he represents the Jaipur Pink Panthers.

A veteran in his sport, Arjuna Awardee, Anup began his international career in 2006 at the South Asian Games in Sri Lanka. He was part of the national team that won gold medals in 2010 and 2014. 

Thereafter, he captained the national team in 2014 and it was during his tenure that the team won 2 gold medals at the Incheon Asian Games in 2014 and the Kabaddi World Cup in 2016. 

In season 2 of the Pro Kabaddi League, Anup captained U Mumba and led the team to victory.

Announcing his retirement, Anup said: “I started playing kabaddi because I liked it and it was a great hobby, over the years a hobby became the most important part of my life.”

“The day I took to playing kabaddi professionally, I had one dream, to represent my country and bring back a gold medal, I am one of the few lucky people who had the opportunity to accomplish the most important dream of my life.”

“Today, with the PKL, the magnitude of the sport has grown leaps and bounds and I could not be happier than to watch and grow and be a part of this journey. This platform is an extremely important aspect of my life and that is why today I use the platform to make this announcement,” an emotional Anup added.

Anup further said that he will aim to be associated with the sport even after he hangs his boots.

“Coincidentally, today is also the 10th birthday of my son, and that makes this date even more memorable. Going forward, if there is anything I am confident about, it is knowing that I will always want to be connected to the sport,” he said.

Reacting to the announcement, PKL League Commissioner Anupam Goswami said: “This is a great decision by a great player from a great stage of kabaddi. It is also for the first time a senior player has announced his retirement of his playing career during an ongoing season of Pro Kabaddi.”

“Just shows the importance kabaddi players attach to a league like Pro Kabaddi. Anup of course has been a senior player and a role model athlete for this sport. We totally respect his decision,” Goswami added.