A mixed response was witnessed to the Madhya Pradesh farmers’ call for the 10-day shutdown in the state beginning Friday amid heavy police presence, coinciding with the first anniversary of the death of seven persons in police firing on farmers.

In state capital Bhopal, Mandsaur and other places, milk, and vegetables supply were affected, due to which prices of vegetables recorded an uptick.

Security personnel, including those from the paramilitary forces, were deployed in strength.

Though the shutdown had limited effect in big cities and towns, it was widespread in small towns and suburbs.

Aam Kisan Union Kedar Sirohi told IANS: “Farmers are united and continuing with their protest. The state government is trying to make their protest a failure but they are not ready to bow before the government at any cost.”

Rashtriya Kisan Mazdoor Mahasangh leader Shivkumar Sharma accused the government of spreading lies and rumors on the agitation by farmers.

“The question is not who is supporting the agitation. The question is if the demands of the farmers are valid,” he said.

Retired IPS officer, Kempaiah, who has been functioning as adviser to home minister since 2014, will have to let go of the post, as chief minister H D Kumaraswamy commented that the home ministry is not in need of an adviser and that the department has enough efficient officers who are willing to work with total commitment.

He was speaking to media persons at Vidhana Soudha after holding a meeting with senior police officials including director general of police Karnataka Neelamani Raju on Thursday, May 31. He said that discussions were held about the need for the home department to function strictly including maintaining law and order situation in the state. “We will also take certain tough decisions,” he clarified.
Addressing the police officers, he asked them to work in a way that people get to know that the government in the state has undergone a change. “Police need to work honestly. We will not allow political interference in the working of the department. They need not bend under any kind of pressure. They should take effective steps to handle illegal activities including rowdyism. I will hold another meeting shortly where detailed discussions will be held,” he said.

When he was questioned about the continuance of the services of the adviser to home minister appointed in the past, Kumaraswamy squarely dismissed the need for such a post. He said that if a need for an adviser is felt by any other department, both JD(S) and Congress will take a joint decision.

The chief minister also held meetings with officials of water resources and education department on this occasion.

The much awaited portfolio sharing between alliance partners in the JD(S)-Congress coalition government may finally be announced on Friday with senior leaders of both parties holding two rounds of talks in the city on Thursday and overnight Wednesday, to pave the way for a smooth Cabinet expansion, possibly this weekend. The all important finance portfolio as well as power and PWD, insiders said will go to the JD(S) as per the consensus arrived at during the talks.

After Mr H.D. Kumaraswamy took over as CM on May 23 along with his deputy, Dr G. Parameshwar of the Congress, the two partners have been wrangling over portfolio sharing with the prized finance portfolio proving to be the major bone of contention. Reason: Any party which gets finance, controls fund allocation for various ministries and will oversee populist programmes that better its poll prospects in the 2019 parliament polls that are just 11 months away.

Sources in the Congress confided that problems in portfolio allocation were sorted out during talks which took place at Kumara Krupa guest house and later at Taj West End. Janata Dal(S) patriarch and former PM Mr H.D. Deve Gowda will go over the final decision on the portfolios Friday morning.

The BJP’s bad streak with bypolls continued on Thursday as it won only one Lok Sabha seat and one Assembly seat out of a total of 15 bypolls.

Of the 27 Lok Sabha bypolls that have been held across the country since the BJP’s 2014 win, BJP has won just five. But 10 days before the bypoll results, BJP President Amit Shah had spoken about the party’s bypoll jinx.

Speaking to reporters at the BJP headquarters on May 21, in the aftermath of the Karnataka government formation, Shah had taken a dig at the Congress.

“What is Congress celebrating? Are they celebrating their seats going from 122 to 78? Or their Ministers losing? Congress is now a PPP party – Punjab, Puducherry and Parivar (Family). Congress campaign was based on lies and divisive tactics. They even used muscle and money power,” he said.

Speaking about the BJP’s bypoll downslide, Shah said, “Congress has found a new way of seeing defeat in victory. When we lost bypolls recently, Congress started talking about our losses even though they didn’t win. We snatched 14 states from you. Is that bigger or losing 9 bypolls? Congress and JDS went against the mandate. This is an impure alliance.”

Know about pregnancy wellness through a book that aims to increase the chances of expecting mothers in giving successful and less-stressful natural birth; read the story of war and conquest, of loss and death, of kingship and legacy through the eyes of a prisoner; flick through the interesting life of an investigative journalist, who will count himself lucky if he brings across the truth of a case out alive; and wade through the tale of a woman who gives up on her career for her family and later finds a way through it as she realises that her husband is involved with another woman.

The IANS bookshelf offers these reads for this weekend.

1. Book: Birthing Naturally; Author: Mahima Bakshi; Publisher: Rupa; Price: Rs 399; Pages: 216

In the light of the many complications that arise following a Caesarean-section delivery –infections, excessive blood loss, internal scarring to name a few — more and more women are reverting to natural births. But the ability to give birth naturally depends on the pregnant woman and not her obstetrician-gynecologist (OB-GYN). Of course, C-sections are unavoidable in certain cases and, eventually, it is the mother’s and the child’s health that matters.

“Birthing Naturally” is a comprehensive book on pregnancy wellness that aims to increase the chances of expecting mothers in giving a successful and less-stressful natural birth. This book will help you as a friend and as an antenatal “care-giver” so you can enjoy your pregnancy, and provide valuable tips for your postnatal period to complete your experience of motherhood.

2. Book: The Conqueror; Author: Aditya Iyengar; Publisher: Hachette; Price: Rs 350; Pages: 260

Kingdoms are built by men. Legacies are built by emperors. It is 1025 A.D. The mighty Chola empire that controls much of southern “Bharat varsha” is helmed by emperor Rajendra Chola I — a man as enigmatic as his kingdom is renowned. Known for his might and vision, he has now set his sights upon the southern seas, governed by the powerful Srivijaya empire. But his victories also bring forth stories of those affected by his ambition.

Of an unnamed princess forced to fend for herself among enemies after everything she has ever known is destroyed by the ravaging Chola forces. Of maharaja sangrama, captive in an alien land, who is torn between his enmity tempered by an unusual friendship with the elusive Rajendra Chola and his fierce determination to return to his kingdom.

Told through the eyes of a prisoner of war and a princess without a kingdom, “The Conqueror” is a magnificent narrative — of war and conquest, of loss and death, of kingship and legacy.

3. Book: Obsessed; Author: Ruchi Kokcha; Publisher: Harper Black; Price: Rs 199; Pages: 232

Investigative journalist Avik has finally found the one case that could bring him glory. Or death. As the mystery behind millionaire Kalki Rajput’s murder grows thicker, Avik is forced to risk it all to bring out the truth that has eluded many before him.

If only he could uncover what the victim’s daughter had witnessed. Of course, that would mean diving into the depths of her madness. He had thought he could resurface with the truth. Now he will count himself lucky if he makes it out alive. And sane.

4. Book: In the game of Love; Author: Meenakshi Kumar; Publisher: Vitasta; Price: Rs 250; Pages: 274

The traditional social structure where a woman was the homemaker is being rapidly transformed into a new one as more and more educated women are stepping out of their homes to pursue careers. An MBA from IIM Ahmedabad, Suman dreams of a top position in her company. But marriage to Kunal and the birth of her daughter change her life goals.

In her quest to be a perfect mother, wife and homemaker, she quits her job and, somewhere along the way, she neglects herself losing her shapely figure and smart appearance.

Kunal moves into the arms of his secretary, Tara. Does Suman accept the situation tamely? What happens to her decision to go away and build a new life with her old friend, Rajan?

Curfew was imposed in some parts of Meghalaya’s state capital Shillong on Friday following a violent clash that broke out between the police and an unruly mob in the city’s Motphran area.

“Curfew has been imposed in areas under Lumdiengjri police station and Cantonment Beat House from 4 a.m. this (Friday) morning in view of the breakdown of law and order in Shillong city (Motphran, Mawkhar and adjoining areas) following the violent clash on Thursday night,” Deputy Commissioner of East Khasi Hills district, Peter. S. Dkhar said.

The police used tear gas to disperse the mob but they did not move out of the area.

The clash erupted after a bus conductor was allegedly assaulted by a group of people residing at Them Aew Mawlong (Harijan’s lane).

However, the situation turned volatile later in the night when the mob attempted to march towards Them Mawlong and started pelting stones at the police deployed in the area.

A journalist and four civilians were injured in the clash.

“We (police) have tightened the security all over the city after miscreants set four vehicles on fire in four different locations at Motphran, Umsohson, Rynjah and Nongmynsong,” Davies Marak, the district police chief of East Khasi Hills said

Three stone pelters’ were arrested. The police seized petrol bombs and other sharp weapons from their possession.

After the Rashtriya Janata Dal wrested the Jokihat Assembly seat from the ruling JD-U in Bihar, a senior Janata Dal-United leader blamed rising prices of petrol and diesel for the drubbing.

A day after Shahnawaz Alam won the seat by over 41,000 votes, JD-U General Secretary K.C. Tyagi on Friday said: “Rising price of petrol and diesel mainly angered people that led to our defeat in Jokihat and NDA elsewhere” in the bypolls held on May 28.

Tyagi said the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Centre should take measures to control and check the price hike which is “directly impacting rural economy and common man”.

He said the BJP “should go for more coordination and meetings with its allies before taking any decision”. The JD-U is an ally of the BJP-led NDA at the Centre, besides operating an alliance in the state.

Another BJP ally Lok Janata Party also said that rising prices of petrol and diesel is bad sign and main cause behind growing anger among people.

LJP state president Pasupati Kumar Paras, who is also a minister in the Nitish Kumar cabinet, said the BJP should take spiralling price hike seriously.

Two months ago that RJD had defeated JD-U in bypolls to Jehanabad assembly seat and the Araria Lok Sabha seat.