Category: India

Amid row, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat backs reservations

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

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RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said the Sangh Parivar never opposed reservations extended to certain groups. Addressing a programme at an educational institution in Hyderabad, Bhagwat said the Sangh is of the opinion that the reservations should be extended as long as they are needed.

Bhagwat’s reiteration came in the wake of a war of words taking place between BJP and Congress over reservations. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Bhagwat last year in Nagpur said that reservations should continue as long as there is discrimination in society.

Discrimination exists in society even though it is invisible, he had said.

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

Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely resigns

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

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Delhi Congress Chief Arvinder Singh Lovely resigned on Sunday, April 28, following party’s alliance with the Aam Aadmi Party for the Lok Sabha elections. He said the Delhi Congress unit was against the alliance but the party high command went ahead with it.

In his resignation letter sent to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Lovely said all unanimous decisions taken by the senior Delhi unit leaders have been “unilaterally vetoed” by AICC Delhi in-charge Deepak Babria.

This comes days after former Delhi minister and AICC member Rajkumar Chauhan resigned from the party following an altercation with Babria.

Lovely wrote, “It is with a heavy heart that I write the present letter to you finding myself handicapped and unable to continue as the President of the Delhi Party Unit. I had gratefully accepted the role as the DPCC President with the sole objective of supporting the local Congress party workers with whom I have an extremely close connection and life-long association.

“However, since I cannot protect the interests of the party workers, I see no reason to continue in the said post. Therefore, with great regret and an extremely leaden heart, I, Arvinder Singh Lovely, do hereby tender my resignation from the post of DPCC President,” he said.

Lovely had assumed charge of the post in August 2023.

The Congress and the AAP are constituents of the INDIA bloc formed by opposition parties to take on the BJP in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. While the AAP is contesting four Lok Sabha seats in Delhi, the Congress has fielded candidates on three.

The BJP had won all the seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi in the 2014 and 2019 general elections.

With inputs from PTI

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

Mumbai SIT detains actor Sahil Khan from Chhattisgarh in Mahadev betting app case

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

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The special investigation team of Mumbai cyber cell has detained actor Sahil Khan from Chhattisgarh in connection with the Mahadev betting app case, an official told PTI on Sunday, April 28. The actor was apprehended from Jagdalpur in Chhattisgarh on April 27 after the Bombay High Court rejected his pre-arrest bail plea, he said.

Khan was recently questioned by the SIT in connection with the case.

The SIT has been conducting a probe into the alleged illegal transactions between certain financial and real estate firms in the state and the promoters of the controversial Mahadev betting app.

The size of the scam is about ₹15,000 crore, as per the first information report (FIR) registered by the police in the case. An investigation is underway against Khan and 31 other individuals. The probe involves examining their bank accounts, mobile phones, laptops, and all technical equipment, according to the police.

So far, one person has been arrested in the case and further investigation is underway, the official said. Sahil Khan, known for films like ‘Style’ and ‘Excuse Me’, has become a fitness expert.

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

Lok Sabha polls: Voter turnout in Rajasthan over 62%, down by 4% since 2019

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

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The final voter turnout in the two phases of the Lok Sabha polls on all 25 seats of Rajasthan was 62.10%, about 4.24% less than the 2019 Parliamentary election.

In the 2014 general election, the voter turnout was recorded at 63.02% in the border state

In the first phase of polling, which took place on April 19 for 12 Lok Sabha seats, 58.28% turnout was registered.

In the second phase on Friday, when the remaining 13 Lok Sabha seats went to polls, the voter turnout was 65.52%, according to the Election Commission.

The bypoll for the Bagidora assembly constituency in Banswara district was also held simultaneously on Friday.

According to the EC office, about 77.50% voting took place in the constituency.

The assembly seat had fallen vacant after Congress MLA Mahendrajeet Singh Malviya switched over to the BJP. Malviya contested the Lok Sabha election from Banswara as a BJP candidate.

Barring a few confrontations and complaints of bogus voting in Barmer-Jaisalmer, polling was peaceful, the officials said.

According to the official data, 65.52% voter turnout was recorded collectively in Barmer-Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Jalore, Chittorgarh, Banswara, Kota-Bundi, Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, Ajmer, Pali, Udaipur, Rajsamand, Kota, and Jhalawar-Baran constituencies.

In a statement, Chief Electoral Officer Praveen Gupta said the voting percentage increased in Kota, Banswara and Barmer Lok Sabha constituencies as compared to the 2019 polls.

Karauli-Dholpur registered the lowest turnout in Rajasthan at 50.04%.

In Kota, the voter turnout in 2019 was 70.22%, which this year increased to 71.86%.

In the Barmer Lok Sabha constituency, 73.3% voting was recorded in 2019, which increased to 76.5% this time and in Banswara, it was up from 72.9% to 74.41%.

Women voted more than men in eight Lok Sabha constituencies, five of which went to polls in the second phase and three in the first, Gupta said.

Percentage of female (male) voters in Churu was 63.71 (63.51), Jhunjhunu 54.03 (51.92), Sikar 58.92 (56.26), Pali 57.25 (57.13), Jalore 63.35 (62.48), Udaipur 68.01 (65.36), Banswara, 75.75 (72.05), and Rajsamand 59.18 (57.63).

According to the EC, a total of 3,28,515 officers and state employees oversaw the voting.

During voting, a total of 1,59,449 security personnel, comprising Rajasthan Police, Home Guards, Forest Guards, and RAC were deployed.

A total of 5,35,08,010 people are registered as voters in the state.

There were 266 candidates — 247 male, 19 female — who entered the fray for the 25 Lok Sabha constituencies.

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

Heatwave conditions in south Bengal to get more severe, says Met department

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

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Heatwave conditions prevailing in south Bengal are likely to get more severe with the possibility of further rise in maximum day temperatures in most districts in the region, the Met department said.

Panagarh in Paschim Bardhaman district recorded West Bengal’s highest temperature of the day on April 27 at 44.6 degrees Celsius, it said.

The weather office forecast a gradual increase in day temperature by one to two deg C till April 30 and thereafter no large change for the subsequent two days.

Severe heatwave conditions will prevail over Bankura, Birbhum, Jhargram, Purba and Paschim Medinipur, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman districts, the meteorological department said.

It said that heatwave conditions are very likely to prevail in the north Bengal districts of Malda, Dakshin and Uttar Dinajpur.

The weather office said that people should avoid prolonged heat exposure and outside work between 11 am and 4 pm.

Kolkata recorded the day’s maximum temperature at 41.1 deg C while neighbouring Salt Lake saw the mercury rise to 41.8 deg C, the Met said.

The other places which recorded above 40 degree Celsius temperatures are Medinipur(43.5), Bankura (43.2), Barrackpore (43.2), Bardhaman (43), Asansol (42.5), Purulia (42.7) and Sriniketan (42), the Met data 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

World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2024: History, significance and theme

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

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Every year, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work is celebrated on April 28 worldwide. The Safety Day aims to raise awareness and educate people about the importance of safe, healthy, and proper working environments.

The Safety Day was first celebrated by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in 2003 and since then it has become a global celebration. The special occasion promotes the prevention of work-related accidents for both individuals and organisations.

In June 2022, the International Labour Conference (ILC) decided to include ‘a safe and healthy working environment’ in the ILO’s framework of fundamental principles and rights at work, according to ILO.

History

The World Day for Safety and Health at Work began in 2003. This was declared as an annual campaign to promote safety in the workplace. On this day, the International Commemoration Day of Dead and Injured Workers is also marked globally and celebrates the anniversary of the adoption of the Occupational Safety and Health Convention by the ILO in 1971.

Significance

The day promotes awareness about the importance of a healthy and safe workplace.

According to the UN, the World Day for Safety and Health at Work is a significant tool to raise awareness of how to make work safe and healthy and of the need to raise the political profile of occupational safety and health.

The International Labour Organization (ILO) observes this day to stress the prevention of accidents and diseases at work, capitalising on its traditional strengths of tri-partyism and social dialogue.

World Day for Safety and Health at Work 2024: Theme

The ILO announces a different theme or topic every year on this occasion. For 2024, the theme is to focus on ensuring safety and health at work in a changing climate, which reveals new data on the impact of climate change on workers’ safety and health.

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

Four unidentified persons booked for threatening journalist over newspaper article

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

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Four unidentified persons were booked on Saturday April 27 for threatening a woman journalist in Mumbai over a newspaper article, a police official said.

Sukhda Sadanand Purav aka Neha Purav of Navkal newspaper, in her complaint at MHB police station in Borivali West, said she had published an article on April 14 about Union Minister and BJP’s Mumbai North Lok Sabha candidate Piyush Goyal reportedly having trouble due to the smell of fish while on a campaign trail.

Four men came to her residence on Thursday April 25 night at around 10:30 pm and warned her against publishing such articles, the MHB police official said quoting her complaint.

Four persons have been booked under Indian Penal Code sections 448 (house trespass), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 34 (common intention) and further probe was underway, he said.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi strongly condemned the incident in a post on social media platform X.

Interim Cabinet Minister and Mumbai North Candidate, Piyush Goyal continues to embarrass his party and hurt the sentiments of the first residents of Mumbai, the Koli community by saying he cannot stand the smell of fish. Just for reporting this, Neha Purav, Navakal journalist is… pic.twitter.com/saSAh7762j

— Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) April 26, 2024

In another news, an Australian journalist recently alleged that she was forced to leave India after the government refused to extend her work visa contending that her reportage had “crossed a line”.

Avani Dias, the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, said she had to leave India on April 19, the day the Lok Sabha elections started after the government objected to her reporting on the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

“Last week, I had to leave India abruptly. We were also told my election accreditation would not come through because of an Indian Ministry directive. We left on day one of voting in the national election in what Modi calls “the mother of democracy,” Dias said on X who had been working in India for the past two-and-a-half years.

(With inputs from agencies)

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

Odisha Assembly Polls: BJP names 8 more candidates including 4 turncoats

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

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The BJP on Saturday April 27 announced the names of eight more candidates for the assembly polls in Odisha, with four of them being former members of the ruling BJD who switched allegiance to the saffron party recently.

These turncoats are Seemarani Nayak (Hindol), Arindam Roy (Salipur), Geetanjali Sethi (Kendrapara), and Prasant Jagdev (Khurda). Jagdev, formerly a BJD MLA from Chilika, was ousted from the party before he joined the BJP. Roy is a popular Odia actor.

The remaining candidates announced by the party are Fakir Mohan Naik (Telkoi), Murali Manohar Sharma (Champua), Rabindra Andia (Basta), and Banikalyan Mohanty (Basudevpur).

The saffron party has so far announced candidates for 140 out of the 147 assembly segments, the BJD has declared 141 candidates, while the Congress has put forth 138 aspirants for the polls, slated to be conducted in four phases from May 13 to June 1.

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

BJP replaces Poonam Mahajan with lawyer Ujjwal Nikam for Mumbai North Central Lok Sabha seat

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

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The BJP on Saturday April 27 dropped incumbent Lok Sabha MP Poonam Mahajan as its candidate from the Mumbai North Central seat and named lawyer Ujjwal Deorao Nikam in her place.

Nikam is a well-known name in the legal circle and was a government counsel in the Mumbai terror attack case.

Mahajan, the daughter of late BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, was elected from the constituency in 2014 and 2019. She is also a former president of the BJP’s youth wing.

Party leaders have claimed that the decision to drop her was based on organisational feedback. Though indications had been there for some time that Mahajan would be dropped, it was the party’s search for her replacement that took time, sources said.

The Congress has fielded its city unit chief and Dharavi MLA Varsha Gaikwad from Mumbai North Central.

Voting in Mumbai is scheduled to be held on May 20 in the fifth phase of the polls.

The BJP also named eight more candidates for the Odisha assembly polls, which will be held alongside the general elections.

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

Meet Amritpal Singh, the separatist leader contesting Lok Sabha polls from Punjab’s Khadoor Sahib

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

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Self-proclaimed Sikh preacher and separatist leader Amritpal Singh is all set to contest as an Independent candidate from the Khadoor Sahib Lok Sabha seat in Punjab. Currently in Dibrugarh jail in Assam, Singh has been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and National Security Act. He will contest against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP)’s Laljit Singh Bhullar and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)’s Manjeet Singh Manna for the seat.

Amritpal Singh, the leader of Waris Punjab De, a pro-Khalistan group, was arrested last April. This occurred after he and his supporters, armed with swords and guns, forcibly entered a police station on the outskirts of Amritsar in February 2023, to help his aide, Lovepreet Singh Toofan, escape prison.

Following the incident, the Punjab Police launched a crackdown against Singh and his organisation. They were charged with various offences such as inciting social discord, assaulting police officers, and obstructing public officials from performing their duties.

Singh, who had modelled himself after the dead Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, managed to evade the police on March 18 last year in Jalandhar. The Punjab Police said at the time that he had changed his clothes and switched from a Maruti Brezza car to a motorcycle to evade arrest. Singh had reportedly sought refuge in a gurdwara before changing his appearance and fleeing on a motorcycle. He was branded a ‘fugitive’.

Singh recorded and released several videos during that time.

In his first recorded video message released on a YouTube channel, Amritpal Singh urged Sikh people worldwide to join the Sarbat Khalsa programme on Baisakhi and talked about unity in addressing Punjab’s issues. “For a long time, our community has been engrossed in putting up fronts on small issues. If we have to solve the issues of Punjab, then we have to be together,” he said.

Singh also addressed the government’s actions, stating they had “cheated us” and said many of his companions were “arrested, NSA was imposed” and sent to Assam. “That’s why I appeal to all Sikhs to assemble on the occasion of Baisakhi,” he said.

A day after that, an audio clip allegedly of the Khalistani separatist was circulated widely on social media. In the recording, a man speaking in Punjabi said he was Amritpal Singh and claimed he did not make demands for surrender to the Punjab government. “These are all rumours,” he said in the audio.

“I have not made any surrender demands to the government,” he stated. “I am not afraid of going to jail or police custody. Let them do what they want,” he said. He also said he was ‘weakened’ and gets to eat only one meal a day.

A few days later, Singh released a second video claiming he was not a fugitive and would soon “appear in front of the world.” In the video posted on the same YouTube channel, the ‘Waris De Punjab’ head said, “I am not a fugitive, but a rebel. I have not run away.” He claimed that he was not “afraid of the government.”

“Do whatever you want to do,” he challenged, “Whoever wants to beat me, I am not afraid.”

Later Amritpal Singh was arrested in April and detained in Dibrugarh jail where nine of his associates have also been held.

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