Category: India

Ex-hockey captain Prabodh Tirkey joins BJP days after quitting Congress

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Former Indian hockey captain Prabodh Tirkey on Thursday joined the BJP, days after resigning from the Congress which withdrew his election nomination.

Tirkey was fielded by the Congress in the Talsara assembly seat in Sundergarh district, but the party later withdrew his nomination and named Devendra Bhitaria in his place.

He was welcomed to the BJP by its state president Manmohan Samal. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, senior BJP leader Jayanarayan Mishra and Bolangir MP Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo were also present on the occasion.

Tirkey joined the BJP on a day Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the state to kick-start the party’s campaign for the twin polls.

Reacting to the development, Congress general secretary Ajoy Kumar said the party withdrew his candidature because he was not active in the constituency despite being named as a candidate.

“Tirkey is a gentleman, but he was not active in his constituency,” he said.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Arjuna Awardee CRPF Chief Sports Officer DIG Khajan Singh faces dismissal from service amid sexual harassment allegations | Exclusive

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The ministry of home affairs has accepted the Union Public Service Commission’s recommendation to dismiss controversial deputy inspector general (DIG) of CRPF Khajan Singh from the force, sources told News18 on Thursday.

The Arjuna Award winner chief sports officer of the Central Reserve Police Force has been given time to present his case, or else the dismissal process will be initiated against him, they added. If Khajan Singh chooses to represent his case, he will be heard, and an appropriate decision will be taken, said the sources.

UPSC recommended the dismissal of Khajan Singh who was facing allegations of sexual assault and harassment, according to the sources. In Group A service cases, the UPSC gives its recommendations on which the disciplinary authority acts.

While top-level sources told News18 that the matter had been communicated to Khajan Singh, he denied receiving any intimation.

“They can carry out dismissal, but have they got any proof against me? They have recommended dismissal on the basis of statements given by a few people. They have no proof,” Singh told News18. “I am sitting in my office. I have to take legal advice. They have no proof against me. Dismissal has been recommended on the basis of three or four statements; they have found no proof.”

The CRPF had already suspended Singh in 2021 after a preliminary inquiry.

Several women constables from the force had complained against Khajan Singh for allegedly sexually harassing, threatening, and misusing his position and power for many years. A Delhi court though acquitted him of rape charges.

Singh was an international-level swimmer who represented India in the 1982 Commonwealth Games and the 1988 Olympics, while he won a silver medal at the 1986 Asian Games in Seoul. In 1984, he received the Arjuna Award, India’s second-highest sporting honour. He runs the Khajan Singh Swimming Academy in Delhi.

Almost 10 years ago, a woman complained against Khajan Singh and a coach, claiming that they sexually harassed and intimidated her, and a case was also filed.

During the hearing of an internal complaints committee, other women also spoke up against Singh.

According to media reports, a CRPF constable said that Khajan Singh had “gone beyond harassment” and was very influential. He would only admit those whom he wanted to target later.

In December 2018, a complaint was filed with Delhi police against Khajan Singh by a wrestler from the CRPF, who alleged that she was blackmailed and threatened that some photos of her taken secretly would be leaked if she spoke out. Later the complaint was withdrawn and Singh was acquitted.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Sena (UBT) releases manifesto, focuses on ‘reclaiming’ Maharashtra’s glory

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Thursday released his party manifesto, a day before voting in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls, focusing on stopping the “loot” of Maharashtra, job creation and farm loan waiver.

Thackeray said the Sena (UBT), in association with the INDI Alliance government, will work to “bring back the glory of Maharashtra”.

Referring to the GIFT City in Gandhinagar, he said a financial centre, which he claimed was moved to Gujarat, will be built in Maharashtra, enabling employment opportunities in the state.

He said jobs will be created at the district level so that youth from the state won’t have to migrate.

Thackeray said an industry-friendly atmosphere will be created in Maharashtra and environment-friendly projects will be encouraged in the state.

His party has been opposing the Jaitapur nuclear power project, a refinery project in Barsu and the Vadhavan port – all along the state’s coast.

“After Maha Vikas Aghadi was toppled through betrayal, the state government is running an agenda of looting Maharashtra, obviously with the blessings of the Centre. Maharashtra’s businesses are being moved out of the state. This loot will be stopped after the INDI Alliance government comes to power,” he said.

The manifesto said in the last eight years, the states got subordinate treatment and also proposed changes in the Goods and Service Tax.

He said agricultural equipment and seeds will be made free of GST, adding that “tax terrorism” will be stopped.

For farmers, the former Maharashtra chief minister also promised a loan waiver. Through the ‘INDIA’ government, Thackeray said, they will not only waive farm loans but also revise the conditions concerning crop insurance.

He assured implementation of Minimum Support Price (MSP) recommended by the Swaminathan Committee report.

Thackeray said warehouses and cold storages will be built to check the loss of perishable agricultural items.

He also proposed setting up a research centre under the Agriculture Ministry that can conduct surveys about the demand for crops across the country and the world. This can help guide farmers in growing crops that are in demand.

Thackeray emphasised the strengthening of health infrastructure in the country.

He also said action will be taken against those using objectionable language against women.

Meanwhile, the BJP’s Mumbai unit chief Ashish Shelar said the manifesto of the Shiv Sena (UBT) was its “same old and superficial promises”, adding that those who indulged in corruption in supply of body bags during the COVID-19 pandemic were talking about strengthening the district civil hospitals and primary healthcare centres.

“The manifesto is ironic. Those who opposed mega projects seeking ransom and forced them to go to other states are now claiming they (after coming to power) will set up financial centres and create employment at the district level. Those who forgot to give financial help to farmers are now talking of changing crop insurance norms and taking seeds and fertilisers out of the GST’s ambit,” he claimed.

The Shiv Sena (UBT), which is taking forward the Congress’ manifesto that is a reflection of the ‘tukde tukde’ gang, is now talking about decentralisation of powers and ending tax terrorism, Shelar said.

Eight seats in Maharashtra will go to polls in the second phase of the Lok Sabha polls on Friday.

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Supreme Court verdict tomorrow on 100% EVM-VVPAT verification petitions

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Supreme Court is set to announce its verdict on Friday (April 26) on petitions seeking 100% electronic voting machine (EVM) and voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) verification. This comes after the court’s statement on Wednesday, April 24, where it had expressed its inability to conduct elections and emphasised the need to trust the technical submissions of the Election Commission.

During the hearing, the Supreme Court reserved its judgment on the plea demanding full verification of EVMs and VVPATs. A bench comprising Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta remarked, “Courts have already intervened twice, if there is room for improvement, we will consider it.”

Also Read: SC says it cannot conduct elections, have to trust EC’s technical submissions

The EC defended its current practice of 5% VVPAT verification, arguing that EVMs are tamper-proof and challenging candidates to show any mismatch between EVM votes and VVPAT slips. However, petitioners disputed this, raising doubts about the re-programmability of EVM microcontrollers. They cited an RTI reply indicating that microcontrollers can be re-programmed, contrary to the EC’s claims.

The court raised fresh queries with the EC regarding EVMs and VVPATs, seeking clarity on whether VVPAT machines also have a programmable memory, storage, sealing of EVM machines, security of VVPAT machines, and duration for storage of EVMs and VVPAT machines.

The court emphasised the importance of voter satisfaction and trust in the electoral process. It interacted with senior Deputy Election Commissioner Nitesh Kumar Vyas to understand the functioning of EVMs. Senior advocate Maninder Singh, representing the EC, asserted that EVMs are standalone machines and cannot be tampered with, although he acknowledged the possibility of human error.

Notably, the top court was hearing a batch of pleas seeking complete cross-verification of votes cast using EVMs with VVPATs. The VVPAT is an independent vote verification system that enables electors to see whether their votes have been cast correctly. The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), one of the petitioners, sought the reversal of the poll panel’s 2017 decision to replace the transparent glass on VVPAT machines with an opaque glass.

With the Lok Sabha polls currently underway, the ADR seeks to match the count in EVMs with verifiably recorded votes and ensure voter satisfaction through VVPAT verification.

The seven-phase Lok Sabha polls began on April 19, with the second phase scheduled for April 26.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

High Commission attack case: NIA arrests UK resident

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has made an arrest in connection with the 2023 case involving the violent attack on the High Commission of India in London and unlawful actions during subsequent protests.

“Inderpal Singh Gaba, a resident of Hounslow, UK, has been apprehended by the NIA for his involvement in unlawful activities during protests that occurred on March 22, 2023,” news agency ANI reported on Wednesday, April 25.

The attack on the High Commission of India in London by “anti-national elements” happened on March 19, 2023. Approximately 50 individuals, believed to be associated with the Khalistani separatist movement, trespassed into the premises during a pro-Khalistan protest. During the attack, officials were injured, the Indian flag was disrespected, and public property was damaged.

The attackers, reportedly organised by UK-based Gurcharan Singh of the Dal Khalsa, Avtar Singh Khanda of the Khalistan Liberation Force (KLF), Jasvir Singh, and their associates, both Indian and foreign nationals, seized the national flag flying atop the Indian High Commission in London.

The protest was fueled by anger over the hunt in India for Amritpal Singh, the leader of “Waris Punjab De,” a radical organisation associated with actor and activist Deep Sidhu. Singh was arrested in April last year and the stringent NSA was invoked against him. He, along with nine of his associates, is currently lodged in Dibrugarh jail. Singh was allegedly involved in organising a massive protest on February 23, last year, protesting the arrest of his key aide and kidnapping accused, Lovepreet Singh.

Meanwhile, on Wednesday, the counsel of Amritpal Singh claimed that he would contest the Lok Sabha polls from the Khadoor Sahib seat in Punjab. Amritpal Singh’s legal counsel Rajdev Singh Khalsa had met the preacher in Dibrugarh jail on Wednesday and requested him to contest the polls.

“I met ‘bhai sahab’ (Amritpal Singh) in Dibrugarh central jail and during the meeting, I requested bhai sahab that in the interests of ‘Khalsa Panth’, he should fight elections this time from Khadoor Sahib to become a member of parliament. Bhai sahab accepted my request in the Panthic interests… He will fight as an Independent candidate,” Khalsa had claimed.

Amritpal Singh, who styled himself after slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, was arrested in Moga’s Rode village on April 23 last year following a more than one-month-long manhunt.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Andhra Pradesh Lok Sabha elections: A look at YSRCP candidates

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), led by Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, is eyeing yet another dominating election cycle in the 2024 Lok Sabha and Andhra Pradesh Assembly polls both will be held simultaneously on May 13.

The YSRCP is contesting polls alone across all the 25 parliamentary constituencies in the state. This time, it is up against the Congress-led INDIA bloc and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), comprising the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), former CM N Chandrababu Naidu-led Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Pawan Kalyan’s Jana Sena Party (JSP).

In the 2019 elections, YSRCP registered a landslide victory in Andhra Pradesh, winning 22 of the 25 seats with a vote share of 49.89%. The TDP could only manage three constituencies and got 40.19% votes, while the two national parties — the BJP and Congress — failed to open their account.

Besides this, YSRCP also clinched 151 of the 175 seats in the state Assembly, dethroning the TDP government in the state. The Naidu-led party could only get 23 seats, while the remaining constituency went to the JSP.

However, in recent times, several YSRCP leaders, including sitting MLAs, have joined the BJP and Congress. Also, YS Sharmila, daughter of united Andhra Pradesh’s former Congress chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and Jagan Reddy’s younger sister, merged her YSR Telangana Party with the Congress earlier this year. She is currently the president of the grand old party’s state unit.

Voting dates

In Andhra Pradesh, voting for the 2024 general elections will be held in the fourth phase on May 13. The state witnessed a total voter turnout of 80.38% in the 2019 polls.

Total seats

Andhra Pradesh has 25 parliamentary constituencies, making it the ninth largest state, alongside Rajasthan, in the number of Lok Sabha seats. Out of the 25 constituencies here, four seats are reserved for the SC candidates and one seat is reserved for the SC candidates, while the remaining 20 are unreserved.

YSRCP candidates

YSRCP continues to dominate the political scenario in the state and is expected to give a neck-to-neck challenge to the BJP-led NDA in the general elections. Besides aiming for a second consecutive term in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, the party is hoping for maximum numbers of Lok Sabha seats as well. Here’s a look at YSRCP’s candidates in the 2024 elections:

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Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Amit Shah promises end to Muslim reservation in Telangana if BJP comes to power

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Union Home Minister Amit Shah, announced on Thursday, April 25, that if BJP is voted to power in Telangana, it will end reservation for Muslims in the state. Shah also said his party would replace Muslim reservation provided by Congress and TRS with reservation for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs).

“Once voted to power, we will do away with the Muslim reservation granted by Congress and TRS, and will instead provide reservation to SCs, STs and OBCs,” Shah said.

The minister made this statement during a rally in Telangana, where he urged voters to support BJP and ensure victory for Narendra Modi as prime minister once again.

Also Read: Telangana Lok Sabha elections 2024: Know number of seats, schedule and BJP candidates

He criticised Congress and the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), accusing them of corruption and neglecting people’s welfare. He alleged that both parties were more focused on looting the state than on development.

Shah particularly targeted the Congress and TRS for their stance on the construction of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, suggesting that their leaders were upset over the temple’s construction. He claimed that Congress had turned Telangana into an “ATM of Delhi” and accused both parties of having a common goal — to loot the state.

The Union home minister declared Telangana could only prosper under a BJP government and urged voters to bless the party with 12 seats in Telangana and ensure the slogan ‘Abki Baar, 400 Paar!’ becomes a reality. “Telangana can prosper only when the BJP government is at the helm. Press the ‘lotus’ button, choose Modiji, and see development coming!” Shah said.

Promising to bring about change, Shah declared that if BJP comes to power, the party will celebrate September 17 as Hyderabad Liberation Day every year.

Telangana is witnessing a three-way contest between the ruling Congress, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

The southern state has a total of 17 parliamentary constituencies, where voting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections will take place in a single phase on May 13. The counting of votes will be held on June 4.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal was the buyer in Delhi’s biggest land deal last year

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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There were 29 land deals in the National Capital Region (NCR), which includes New Delhi and areas around it like Gurugram and Noida, in the last financial year ending March 2024.

Most of the land deals (22 out of the 29) were in Gurugram. There was only one large land deal Delhi and the buyer was none other than Deepinder Goyal. the founder of ₹1.6 lakh crore ($20 billion) food delivery giant, Zomato.

Goyal spent ₹79 crore to buy a five-acre property at Dera Mandi in Delhi between January and March 2024.

Most other names in the list of top land buyers — 25 out of 29 deals — in and around Delhi included real estate developers who will eventually build residential societies on these properties.

Earlier in 2023, Mumbai-based Godrej Properties, the $8 billion developer listed on the stock exchanges, paid ₹900 crore for a 7.91 acres of land on Golf Course Road in Gurugram.

Aside from the parcel on Golf Course Road, Godrej Properties also struck two other deals for properties in Gurugram and Noida. The total value of all the land bought by the company last year was ₹1,803 crore.

DLF Homes Developers signed a deal to buy 29 acres of land at Golf Course Ext Road in Gurugram for ₹825 crore in the last quarter of FY24.

314 acres of land were bought and sold in these deals, compared to 23 deals covering 273.9 acres a year earlier, data from Anarock, a real estate consulting firm, showed.

Experion Developers signed four deals to buy land in Gurugram and Noida with a combined value of ₹1,650 crore.  

Interestingly, online gaming company Gameskraft Technologies Private Ltd signed a deal to buy 8.61 acres of land for ₹90 crore in Balola village in Gurugram for “educational purpose”.

These are some interesting facts about the land deals in NCR in the financial year ending March 2024: 

208.2 acres of land were bought and sold in Gurugram in 22 deals

20 out of these 22 land deals in Gurugram were exclusively for residential development.

At least two land deals, spanning over 7 acres each, were planned specifically for commercial real estate projects.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

PM-KISAN 17th Instalment: When can beneficiaries expect it, how to apply and more

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The government is likely to release the 17th instalment of the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi (PM-KISAN) Yojana (scheme) in May 2024. However, so far there has been no official announcement on this from the government. The government released the 16th instalment of the scheme on February 28, 2024.

Under the PM-KISAN scheme, all landholding farmers’ families are provided a financial benefit of ₹6,000 per annum, payable in three equal instalments of ₹2,000.

PM Kisan is a central sector scheme that provides income support to all landholding farmers’ families in the country to supplement their financial needs for procuring various inputs related to agriculture and allied activities as well as domestic needs.

Under the scheme, the entire financial liability towards transfer of benefit to targeted beneficiaries is borne by the government.

All landholding farmers’ families, which have cultivable landholding in their names are eligible to benefit under the scheme.

Here are the steps to apply for 17th instalment online:

Step 1: Visit pmkisan.gov.in official website and go to farmer’s corner

Step 2: Click on ‘New Farmer Registration’ and enter Aadhar number and fill captcha

Step 3: Now enter details and click on ‘Yes’

Step 4: Fill the information asked in the PM Kisan application form 2023, save it and take a printout for future reference

Eligible farmers can check the status with these steps:

Step 1: Visit pmkisan.gov.in

Step 2: Select the option ‘Beneficiary Status’ under the ‘Farmers Corner’ section on the home page

Step 3: Enter the registered Aadhaar number or bank account number.

Step 4: Click on ‘Get Data’

Step 5: The status of the instalment will be displayed

ALSO READ | Will the payment under PM-KISAN be increased? Here’s what Finance Minister said

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow