Amid the raging controversy over data privacy, Union minister Smriti Irani on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, alleging that he had increased his popularity by using bots from Uzbekistan and Russia while his party was using technology to divide the country on caste lines.

The Information and Broadcasting Minister, who spoke at length on the debate around data theft, users’ privacy and the controversy surrounding Cambridge Analytica, said it was time India had a policy for digital broadcasting and news, and that she would make some announcement in this regard “very soon”.

Replying to queries on Rahul Gandhi, Irani claimed that his own constituents don’t want to give him a chance, and for the first time in the past three years, all the local body elections and assembly seats have been lost by the Congress in his constituency.

“That means that the people, he has been so-called serving for over a decade, know that this is a gentleman who does not deliver on promises of governance, on promises of progress, on promises of prosperity.

“So when his own people have certified that he is not acceptable to us as a leader, how do you presume that I have a chip on my shoulder,” Irani said at the India Economic Conclave in Delhi.

In another jibe at Gandhi, she called herself a “self-made woman” and said her identity is not defined by who her father is.

Amethi had witnessed a high-pitched electoral battle between Rahul Gandhi and Smriti Irani in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections which the latter had lost.

Asked if she will take on Rahul Gandhi again in 2019 in Amethi, Irani shot back saying that when one loses the local body and assembly elections, “the electorate is telling you not to come back”.

Asked about the Congress chief gaining more traction in social media, Irani said, “Well for a gentleman who has increased his popularity on the basis of bots, that too from Uzbekistan and Russia, I am sure he will do well when he goes to those countries. So far as his own Lok Sabha constituency, one must understand that you want to give him a chance but his own constituents do not”.

Bots are fake automated accounts that use artificial intelligence to influence discussions and promote specific ideas or products.

On whether she will challenge Rahul Gandhi to a debate, Irani said: “Well for a guy who has somebody else to handle his Twitter handle, will he debate me?…. I need to throw out a challenge to an equal.”

Talking about Congress and its alleged links with Cambridge Analytica, Irani said: “Here is a political party that is so desperate to retain power that it will analyse the caste of every voter and then engineer a communications strategy so that it either instils fear or it instigates you to vote for a person because they belong to a particular community”.

Christopher Wylie, a former Analytica employee turned whistleblower, in a deposition before the House of Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sports Committee in London had said the company had worked extensively in India and believed it was employed by the Congress.

Irani claimed that this was not just a data theft issue but a deeper malaise and a challenge.

“Somewhere in the psyche of the Congress party is a belief that we divided this country on the basis of caste decades ago, now let us use technology to divide them,” said the minister.

“For Cambridge Analytica to say we are hired so that we can tell you what discord, what kind of negative campaign you can run in what community, make them feel so morbid that they choose their electoral candidate not on the basis of development but on the basis of fear that you instill in them,” Irani said.

Dismissing allegations about the NaMo (Narendra Modi) app secretly recording users’ data, Irani said most apps seek information from users and to tantamount it to snooping would be very childish.

The Congress president had claimed that the NaMo app secretly recorded audio, video and contacts.

“Modi’s NaMo App secretly records audio, video, contacts of your friends and family and even tracks your location via GPS. He’s the Big Boss who likes to spy on Indians.

“Now he wants data on our children. 13 lakh NCC cadets are being forced to download the APP,” Rahul Gandhi had said on Twitter using the hashtag “DeleteNaMoApp”

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday said he would contest in the May 12 assembly election from the Chamundeshwari constituency in Mysuru.

“I will contest from Chamundeshwari seat on a Congress ticket and win with the blessings of the people as I had in the past,” Siddaramaiah told reporters here, accepting the challenge of JD-S state President H.D. Kumaraswamy, who dared him to do so on Wednesday.

Though the 69-year-old veteran leader contested from the same seat seven times since 1983 and won five times, he was re-elected from Varuna in this district in the 2013 assembly poll.

“I have full faith and belief in my voters. They will not listen to him (Kumaraswamy) or will they let me down. If he has guts, let him also contest from here. Will see whom the people will elect,” he said.

Kumaraswamy told reporters sarcastically that he would return to Chamundeshwari after the poll results to give his reaction to the “defeat” of Siddaramaiah by the electorate.

The Chief Minister plans to field his eldest son Yatindra from Varuna, which is also his home town, if he contests from Chamundeshwari.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today demanded strict action against people involved in the alleged leak of CBSE examination papers, and said he feels “sorry and sad” for students who will have to re-appear for the exams.

Kejriwal said responsibility should be fixed in the matter, a day after the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) announced re-examination in Class 10 mathematics and Class 12 economics papers in wake of reports of papers being leaked.

“I really feel sorry and sad for the students who have to give their exams again for no fault of theirs. Responsibility shud be fixed n strict action shud be taken against those responsible (sic),” Kejriwal tweeted.

Earlier today, Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar termed the CBSE paper leak issue “unfortunate” and said culprits would not go scot-free.

The Delhi Police’s crime branch is investigating the alleged leak after registering two separate cases in the matter.

The police has received phone numbers from which WhatsApp messages containing the papers were circulated and it is trying to identify the users of these numbers.

The investigators have also asked the Board to share the details of how the papers were sent to examination centres.

On March 15, the Delhi government had said it has received complaints of the Class 12 CBSE accountancy paper being leaked. A probe was later ordered even though the Board denied any leak.

The election dates for Karnataka effectively declared, the Election Commission has forced limitations on execution of the state’s MP’s Local Area Development scheme.

The EC kept in touch with the Chief Secretary and Chief Electoral Officer of the state, forcing a restriction on new arrival of funds for the MPLAD scheme in Karnataka. The election board additionally prohibited fresh arrival of funds for the MLAs and MLCs Local Area Development scheme. The boycott would stay in compel till the completion of the election procedure.

The EC on Tuesday declared that voting for the state Assembly polls will be held on May 12.

Narendra Butolia, principal secretary to the EC, wrote to the Chief Secretary Ratna Prabha and Chief Electoral Officer Sanjiv Kumar that no work under the MPLAD or MLA or MLC LAD plans would initiate regardless of whether the work order was issued before Tuesday. The works could begin simply after the finishing of election process in the month of May.

He informed that if a work under the MPLAD or MLA or MLC LAD scheme had already begun on the ground before the declaration of election dates on Tuesday, it could proceed. In addition, the authorities could likewise make payment for the works which is officially finished on the off chance that they were satisfied with the quality of the works.

According to a March 1 report of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Karnataka was qualified to get Rs 140 crore in 2017-18 for MPLAD scheme on proposal of the Lok Sabha MPs from the state. The Center, nonetheless, has discharged Rs 25 crore until now. Additionally, the Center so far discharged Rs 15 crore against Karnataka’s aggregate entitlement of Rs 60 crore for usage of the MPLAD scheme on suggestion by the Rajya Sabha MPs from the state

A week after he went on an indefinite hunger strike demanding anti-graft regulations, social activist Anna Hazare on Thursday broke his fast following negotiations with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister of State for

Agriculture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Ramlila Maidan in the national capital.
“The people and the government are not different. It is the government’s job to look after the citizens and its country. It needs to ensure that citizens do not get any reason to hold protests,” Hazare told reporters.

Almost seven years after leading an anti-corruption movement which became one of the main reasons for UPA’s debacle, the 80-year-old activist had once again demanded setting up of the Lokpal at Centre and Lokayuktas in states. This time, however, his main target was the Narendra Modi government for failing to deliver. His 2011 agitation had led to the passing of the Lokpal and Lokayuktas Act 2013, but the Centre is yet to appoint an ombudsman. This time Hazare was also demanding better Minimum Support Prices (MSPs) to farmers to address agrarian distress.

Unlike the last time, when Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi, Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav came together under Hazare’s leadership and a new party, the Aam Aadmi Party, was born, there were no high-profile visitors this year. While farmers of the Bharatiya Kisan Union made up a large number of the crowd, the young and the urban were largely missing, except perhaps for a group of youngsters from Umang theatre in Burari. Leaders of various unions took to the stage to list their demands.

Karnataka Assembly elections 2018: Veerappa Moily said, “…this is my response to those who write that I wanted seat for my son… dynastic…. He will not contest.”

Senior Congress leader M Veerappa Moily said his son Harsha Moily will not contest in the upcoming Karnataka Assembly elections, days after a row broke out over the selection of candidates.
“I have decided. My son (Harsha) has also decided that he will not contest the election this time…We have decided to work for the victory of Congress party in Karkala and all other places,” he told reporters here yesterday.
He said, “For the sake of the unity of Congress party we have taken this decision.”
Responding to a question, the former union minister said, “…this is my response to those who write that I wanted seat for my son… dynastic…. He will not contest.”
Moily recently tweeted from his unverified handle about money allegedly playing a role in the selection of Congress candidates for the May 12 assembly polls. “INC needs to solve money in politics. We can’t afford to have contractors and their nexus with the state PWD Minister (H C Mahadevappa) determine how candidates are selected for the upcoming assembly elections,” he tweeted.
The tweet was shared by Harsha Moily who tagged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. After the tweet went viral, it was deleted from both the Twitter handles.
Moily had said it was “a mistake” committed by someone else and the Twitter handle was not in his control.
“It’s not (an) appropriate (tweet)….. I’m withdrawing,” he had said.
The tweet row broke out amid reports that Moily, also a former Karnataka chief minister, was unhappy over ‘discouraging’ remarks made by Mahadevappa during a screening panel meeting about giving party ticket to Harsha to contest the assembly polls from Karkala.
The Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee had recently issued a showcause notice to Harsha Moily seeking an explanation over his controversial tweet.

All India Congress Committee (AICC) national spokesperson Priyanka Chaturvedi slammed BJP and alleged that the party was playing divisive politics and filling hatred among people.

Addressing media here on Thursday, March 29, Priyanka said, “It is a known fact how BJP misrules and misgoverns the states where they have power. Now they continue doing the same at the Centre. While the Congress government under Siddaramaiah has worked towards creating healthy environment, we have seen how BJP continued to neglect farmers’ issues and challenges that they face. The BJP has created a lot of distress in Dakshina Kannada,”

“Mangaluru is a significant contributor for the GDP in the state. This area is known for social justice, as a hub of education and also as cradle of banking sector,” she added.

“The state government’s various policy initiatives in terms of waiving farmer’s loan, assisting with drift irrigation farming and many more have benefitted thousands of farmers. The policies of the state government have ensured farmers’ benefit and growth in the state,” she informed.

“However, we see total disregard and apathy coming from the Centre for the policies. The Centre’s import policies have been harming rubber plantations in the district. These policies have been drafted at the Centre at the cost of our farmers. They even said that areca is cardiogenic without any study, and evidence to back their claim. They are hurting and hitting out at the farmers of the district,” she said.

“We are constantly talking about development and they do not have any development agenda. The tried and tested politically patented strategy of BJP is about pitting one community against other, creating division in the minds of people in places which are known for peaceful co-existence. BJP wants to grow at any cost and at the cost of peace and harmony of this district,” Chaturvedi charged.

“This agenda of the party does not focus on development, but on creating hatred in the minds of people. We are committed to ensure that law and order prevails and we also see a political party which is hell bent on creating trouble. I am sure that people of Dakshina Kannada will ensure that these divisive policies will not thrive,” she said.

“Election dates have been announced and we can see in the last two days how BJP national president Amit Shah has helped us in campaigning claiming Yeddyurappa government as the number one corrupt government in the country. In another rally, he claimed that Modi’s policies are anti-people and anti-Dalit which is an admission of guilt. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asked the centre to resolve Mahadayi issue and to have dialogue with two states, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi refused to answer. The CRPF headquarters which was supposed to come up in Karnataka is now moved away to a state,” she explained.

“In the year 2017, Karnataka faced one of the worst droughts. We were expecting some sympathy or else at least equality in distribution of funds. Karnataka received Rs 1,435.95 crore compared to Rs 8,196 crore to Maharashtra, Rs 3,894 crore to Gujarat, and Rs 2,153 crore to Rajasthan where BJP is ruling. Even the IBPS exam were conducted in English and Hindi, due to which Kannadigas found it difficult to appear as there was no option of Kannada. We questioned the Centre in this regard, but have received no answer,” she said.

“I am expecting Prime Minister Narendra Modi to answer all these questions when he comes for campaigning in this area and I am also confident that people will turn their backs on divisive politics,” she concluded.

Chief whip of legislative council Ivan D’Souza, Mayor Bhaskar Moily and others were present.