By: Faizan Rizwan
The Indian Gymkhana one of the oldest and reputed clubs of Bangalore has contributed immensely for the Kerala and Kodagu relief fund.
Everyone knows by now the catastrophic plight of the Keralite’s and even the people of Kodagu. And everyone has done their best to provide instant relief to the victim’s nay sufferers of the worst tragedy ever as far as one can remember.
So to lend a helping hand The Managing Committee of the Indian Gymkhana decided to contribute and collected for the Noble Cause. So for this very purpose they organized the Kodagu/Kerala Food Relief Fund Collection Center.
Needless to say that the response of the members of the club and family friends relatives and donors from Bangalore was humongous and as of now commodities and clothes food materials medicines etc was collected and their 1st relief Vehicle left Bangalore for its destination on 27th August, 2018.
Varavara Rao arrested in plot to assassinate PM
The Maharashtra Police on Tuesday arrested Maoist ideologue Varavara Rao here for his alleged involvement in a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his family members said.
A police team from Pune arrested the revolutionary writer after searching his house and the houses of his family members and friends including a journalist.
Varvara Rao was shifted to the government-run Gandhi Hospital for a medical check-up. He is likely to be produced before a court here before shifting him to Pune.
In June, police in Pune had allegedly recovered a letter mentioning a plan to assassinate Modi from the house of one of the five persons arrested in connection with the Bhima Koregaon violence.
The letter written by a person identified only as ‘R’ reportedly mentions a plot to kill the Prime Minister on the lines of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.
It also referred to requirement of Rs 8 crore to purchase a M-4 rifle and four lakh rounds to execute the plot. The letter reportedly mentions Varvara Rao’s name.
Varvara Rao, who heads ‘Veerasam’, an association of revolutionary writers, had strongly denied the allegations. He had said that all five arrested in the case were working for the betterment of downtrodden.
BJP posters dub Rajiv Gandhi ‘father’ of mob lynching
Days after Congress President Rahul Gandhi denied his party’s links in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots, Delhi BJP spokesperson Tajinder Pal Singh Bagga on Tuesday put up posters here describing the late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi as the “father” of mob lynching.
Bagga told IANS, “I have put up the posters across the city to remind Rahul Gandhi that his father was the director and producer of mob lynching in the country in 1984.”
Rahul Gandhi said in London on Friday that the Congress was not involved in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in which nearly 3,000 Sikhs were killed, mostly in the national capital, after the assassination of then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.
The Congress condemned the BJP posters.
Congress spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi said: “We have a despicable poster outside the BJP office denigrating a deceased Prime Minister (Rajiv Gandhi) who lost his life in service to the nation. Reflects BJP’s petty mindedness.”
(Ians)
Mayawati says Modi government ignoring Kerala
Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Tuesday accused the Modi government of giving a step-motherly treatment to flood-hit Kerala and demanded that the calamity be declared a “national disaster”.
The former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister said in a statement that despite the magnitude of the crisis, Kerala was not given adequate help by the central government.
This was done because the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was playing politics even in such testing times for Keralites, she said.
The BSP leader said that Kerala was suffering huge losses, both of life and property, in the worst floods in nearly a century.
But despite demands for more funds and help, the central government was turning a blind eye to the crisis. “The BSP condemns in the harshest words such petty politics by the central government and the BJP.”
Giving up on its biased approach, the NDA government should instead provide more assistance, funds, relief and help in the rehabilitation process in the state, she said.
“At a time when millions of individuals are doing something or the other to help those in crisis in Kerala, the union government should also come forward with a positive mindset.”
She said it was unfortunate that while the union government was not declaring the Kerala floods a national disaster, it was not even approving the levying of a cess under state GST as sought by the Kerala government.
Mayawati directed her party cadres and office bearers, specially in south India, to extend all possible help to those affected by the floods in Kerala which have claimed hundreds of lives, caused widespread destruction and left thousands without homes.
(IANS)
Iranian MPs refer Rouhani to judiciary over economy
Iran’s parliament has referred President Hassan Rouhani to the country’s judiciary after he failed to impress legislators with his explanation of his government’s handling of Iran’s economic struggles.
Rouhani was summoned by parliament on Tuesday for the first time since taking power five years ago to answer questions on a range of economic issues, including unemployment and inflation.
In voting after the session, which was broadcast live on state television, MPs expressed dissatisfaction with four out of five of Rouhani’s responses.
The leader has been under intense pressure since US President Donald Trump withdrew from a landmark nuclear deal between Iran and several world powers, worsening an economic crisis and sparkings a series of domestic protests.
In Tuesday’s session, he blamed Iran’s economic woes on an “American conspiracy” and urged parliament to support his cabinet.
“There is an anti-Iran group sitting in the White House that is planning a conspiracy against us,” Rouhani said. “But together we will tackle this phase.
Iran unemployment crisis, rising living costs bite amid sanctions
“It should not be said we are facing a crisis. There is no crisis. If we say there is, it will become a problem for society and a threat,” he said.
Political unrest
Parliament has already impeached Rouhani’s labour and economy ministers this month and the president replaced the head of the central bank, amid concerns about the sharp depreciation of the national currency, which has lost more than half of its value since April.
While Iran’s parliament has the power to impeach a president, Rouhani is protected by the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who recently said that removing the president would “play into the hands of the enemy.”
Parliament asked Rouhani about:
Unemployment, slow growth, the rial
Financial reforms
Access to global financial services
Banking
Smuggling
The MPs quizzed Rouhani on his government’s failure to tackle the rise of unemployment, slow economic growth and the fall of the rial, as well as cross-border smuggling operations.
The president said he had asked the country’s Revolutionary Guard to help stamp out illicit trade.
The only answer which legislators accepted related to international banking sanctions, which they agreed were beyond the government’s control.
Hardliners, who always opposed the nuclear deal and any thaw in relations with the West, have called on Rouhani to step down.
The case will now be referred to the country’s judiciary for consideration.
Aljazeera
Coalition govt will collapse in few weeks says D V Sadananda Gowda
Union Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation D V Sadananda Gowda, predicted that the JD(S)-Congress coalition government in Karnataka, will collapse in two to four weeks. Speaking to reporters in Mangaluru on Tuesday,
Gowda said: “Siddaramaiah, H D Kumaraswamy and Deve Gowda can never be together. Bowing to pressure from the high command, Siddaramaiah had agreed to the coalition. All attempts are being made to destabilise the government. Siddaramaiah is daydreaming of becoming chief minister again,” he said.
“There is no way in which BJP can support Congress. BJP aims to free India from Congress. Siddaramaiah needs JD(S) to become CM again. That won’t happen if the current coalition government falls. Siddaramaiah is poor in calculations,” Gowda remarked
Adityanath announces job and Rs 30 lakh for Sudha Singh
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday congratulated Rae Bareli resident Sudha Singh for winning a silver medal at the 3000 meter steeplechase competition at the ongoing Asian Games-2018 in Indonesia.
Extending his greetings to her, the Chief Minister announced a Rs 30 lakh reward for the sports person and added that she will also be given a gazetted officer’s job in the state government.
Yogi stated that with her hard work and dedication, Singh has brought laurels for the state and the country and that the whole state was feeling honoured with her achievement.
Indian long distance runner Sudha Singh on Monday clinched a silver in women’s 3000 m steeplechase event in the Asian Games at Jakarta by clocking 9 minute 40.03 seconds to win her second Asian Games medal.
288 schools to compete in KBD Juniors
The second season of KBD Juniors kabaddi tournament will be hosted across 12 cities and will see the participation of 288 schools, it was announced here on Monday.
The tournament will have 24 schools per city, and 3,500 students between the age group of 11 to 12 years battle it out to make it to the grand finale.
The 24 schools in each city are divided into 8 groups of 3 teams who will play against each other. From each group, the team finishing first will then make it to the round of city finals, which will take place during the home leg of each city as part of Season VI of VIVO Pro Kabaddi and then the National finals.
The city qualifiers will be hosted between end of August and early September.
(IANS)
Siddaramaiah’s clarifies comment on becoming CM again.
Former chief minister (CM) of Karnataka and chairman of coordination committee, Siddaramaiah’s circumstantial statement about his desire to become CM if the people support him appears to have opened up the proverbial Pandora’s Box. Several people and party leaders have lapped up the statement of Siddaramaiah with glee and begun to issue statements, some of which have developed into spar between leaders.
Agricultural minister in the coalition government, N H Shivashankara Reddy, said at Chamarajanagar on Monday August 27 that if the coordination committee decides in favour of Siddaramaiah, he and others in the party would be bound by such a decision. He said that if Congress had gained majority, Siddaramaiah would have been the automatic choice for the post of the CM and therefore, if the coordination committee decides so, Siddaramaiah will replace Kumaraswamy. Basavakalyana MLA, B Narayana Rao, said that Siddaramaiah becoming chief minister is a foregone conclusion.
The statement of the former CM has fuelled speculations and discussions about change in the chief minister. Some JD(S) leaders have been trying to calm down the situation by issuing statements.
Siddaramaiah said that the coordination committee is not entitled to discuss about who should be the chief minister and that party legislators decide this issue. JD(S) state president, H Vishwanath, too made a statement similar to that of the CM. Vishwanath also added that the coordination committee is meant to build and not break, and that Kumaraswamy will be the CM for the full term of five years.
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president, Dinesh Gundu Rao, said that Siddaramaiah was instrumental in the formation of the coalition government and there is no need to attach special meanings to his statement. Water resources minister, D K Shivakumar, said that the coalition government is not an earthen pot to break as and when one wished.
BJP MLA, Umesh Katti, noted that minister, Zameer Ahmed, had said in the past that the coalition government led by Kumaraswamy had entered registered marriage. “But this government has not entered any marriage. The parties concerned are engaged in illicit relationship. Because of immoral relationship and internal fights, this government will crumble within a week,” Katti predicted.
(IANS)
Gadkari directs officials to open Shiradi Ghats in one week
Nitin Gadkari, Minister for road transport and highways, convened a meeting in New Delhi at Transport Bhavan, on Monday, August 27 with regard to the persistent problems of the Shiradi road.
Nalin Kumar Kateel and four legislators from Karnataka took part in this meeting, where Nitin Gadkari gave strict instructions that Shiradi Ghat roads should be opened within a week. He also said that Pumpwell flyover, which has been languishing over the last several years must be completed within four months.
Kateel was accompanied by Sullia MLA, Angara, Beltangady MLA, Harish Punja, Puttur MLA, Sanjeev Matandoor, and city (north) legislator Bharat Shetty.
The problem of delay in completing highway 66 four-lane work from Kundapur to Talapady was also discussed in the meeting, sources said.
The representatives raised the topic of the need to stop toll booths at Brahmarakootlu in BC Road and at Surathkal at the entrance of NITK, and widening of the highway for four km on national highway between BC Road and Hassan.
The minister has also agreed to depute a team to assess the damage suffered by the National Highways in the district due to heavy rains.
(PTI)