The Indian Panorama

Tag: Maharashtra

  • 84.11 lakh COVID-19 cases, 1,24,985 deaths in India

    84.11 lakh COVID-19 cases, 1,24,985 deaths in India

    New Delhi (TIP): India’s COVID-19 tally crossed the 84-lakh mark after 47,638 new infections were reported in the past 24 hours, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare’s data on Friday, November 6. The coronavirus cases in the country continue to decline further but the overall infections reached 84,11,724 including 5,20,773 active cases.

    Total cured cases reached 77,65,966 with 54,157 new discharges in the last 24 hours. Meanwhile, with 670 new deaths, the toll mounted to 1,24,985 overall.

    Maharashtra reported 1,07,358 active cases, 15,51,282 discharges and 44,804 deaths so far. While Karnataka reported 33,114 active cases, 7,94,503 discharges and 11,312 death so far due to the disease. A total of 38,729 active cases, 3,71,155 discharges and 6,769 deaths were recorded in the national capital till Thursday. According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), a total of 11,54,29,095 samples have been tested for coronavirus till November 5, of these, 12,20,711 samples were tested yesterday. Ten State and Union Territories accounted for 78.2 per cent of total active cases in the country, according to the Health Ministry.

    80 teachers test positive for virus in Uttarakhand

    Eighty teachers tested positive for coronavirus in Uttarakhand’s Pauri district, forcing the authorities to shut over a dozen schools for five days, according to an official.

    Schools in the state had reopened for Classes X and XII on November 2 after a long gap due to the coronavirus outbreak. Over a dozen schools have been closed for five days as a safety measure after 80 teachers tested positive for COVID-19, Pauri Chief Medical Officer Madan Singh Rawat said on Friday. The teachers have been isolated for 14 days while students and others who came in their contact are being identified, Rawat said.

    The CMO said principals of the schools concerned were to be blamed as they should not have allowed the teachers to come to the school before the arrival of their test reports.

    The office of the additional director, primary education, has also been closed till Sunday after an employee tested positive for coronavirus there, he said.

  • Science of Spirituality/SKRM Feeds Tens of Thousands During India’s Nationwide Lockdown

    Science of Spirituality/SKRM Feeds Tens of Thousands During India’s Nationwide Lockdown

    NEW YORK / NEW DELHI (TIP): As the world comes to grips with a global pandemic of epic proportions, countries have taken strong measures to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus. On March 24, a nationwide lockdown was instituted in India in an effort to protect its 1.3 billion-strong population by breaking the cycle of infection and containing the outbreak. However, as declared by Dr Tedrous Ghebreyesus, director general of the World Health Organization (WHO), “these steps can have unintended consequences for the poorest and most vulnerable within a population.” In India, millions of migrant workers dependent on daily wages have been impacted. Government programs are being implemented to ensure food and essentials reach the most vulnerable at this time.

    Complementing the national efforts, under the leadership and guidance of Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, spiritual head of US based  Science of Spirituality (SOS)/Sawan Kirpal Ruhani Mission (SKRM), SOS volunteers across the country have mobilized to set up food kitchens and food drives, bringing warm meals and basic essentials to individuals in need. From Delhi to Jalandhar, Amritsar to Hyderabad, Mumbai to Dehradun, SOS volunteers, while practicing social distancing, have united to prepare and package meals and supplies at SOS Centers around the country. These packages are then distributed in collaboration with the local government authorities on a daily basis as a means of alleviating hunger within the communities. With over 3000 satellite centers around the world, and over 2000 centers in India alone, the organization’s large footprint affords it the expansive reach necessary to feed tens of thousands during these challenging times.

                                                  Distributing food in Ahmednagar, Maharashtra

    Service to humanity or seva, as it is known in Hindi, is a core tenet of Science of Spirituality, a worldwide spiritual organization dedicated to transforming lives through meditation. In the words of Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj, service is “the sweetest fruit on the tree of love.” It is an acknowledgement of the fundamental unity underlying our existence, and when carried out with kindness, compassion, and in a spirit of selflessness, such service has the power to change the world, one heart at a time.

                                                   Distributing food in Ahmedabad, Gujarat

    This spirit of selflessness, kindness, and generosity has been growing around the world as individuals and communities embrace their common humanity and find creative ways to help each other at this time. So much so that when the definitive history of the coronavirus pandemic is written, it will not only relate a story of loss and despair, but also one of human unity, where we came together as a global community to meet one of the greatest challenges of our time.

    For more information about Sant Rajinder Singh Ji Maharaj and Science of Spirituality, visit www.sos.org

  • Lok Sabha passes Citizenship (Amendment) Bill

    Lok Sabha passes Citizenship (Amendment) Bill

    NEW DELHI (TIP): The Lok Sabha passed the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslim refugees coming from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan after facing religious persecution there, a little past midnight on Monday, December 9, after a heated debate that lasted over seven hours.

    The Bill, which was passed in the Lok Sabha with 311 members favoring it and 80 voting against it, will now be tabled in the Rajya Sabha for its nod.

    Several amendments brought by opposition members, including one by a Shiv Sena MP, were defeated either by voice vote or division.

    According to the proposed legislation, members of Hindu, Sikh, Buddhist, Jain, Parsi and Christian communities, who have come from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan, till December 31, 2014 facing religious persecution there, will not be treated as illegal immigrants but given Indian citizenship.

    In a hard-hitting reply to the debate on the proposed legislation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said people belonging to any religion should not have any fear under the Modi government as he asserted that the bill will give relief to those minorities who have been living a painful life after facing persecution in neighboring countries.

    Shah also said the Modi government will definitely implement the National Register of Citizens (NRC) across the country and when it will be done, not a single illegal immigrant will remain in the country.

    Shah said there is a difference between illegal immigrants and those who have come after facing religious persecution in the three neighboring countries.

    “No one should have any fear of being persecuted under the Narendra Modi government,” he said after nearly seven-hour-long debate which was marked by fiery speeches by MPs belonging to both the opposition and the ruling alliance.

    The home minister said had India not been divided on religious lines in 1947, there was no need for the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill.

    “Muslim population in India has increased from 9.8 per cent in 1951 to 14.8 per cent in 2011 while the Hindu population has decreased from 84 per cent in 1951 to 79 per cent in 2011.

    “Whereas, the minority population in Pakistan has decreased from 23 per cent in 1947 to 3.7 per cent in 2011. Similarly minority population in Bangladesh has decreased from 22 per cent in 1947 to 7 per cent in 2011,” he said, adding India does not discriminate against anyone on the basis of religion.

    The home minister said the Citizenship Bill will give relief and constitutional respect to those who have been living a painful life after facing persecution in neighboring countries.

    Shah dismissed the suggestions that the Bill is violative of Article 14 of the Constitution, which guarantees equality for everyone, as it aims to give citizenship to persecuted people only.

    “This Bill is not unconstitutional and not in violation of Article 14 and has nothing to do with Muslims in India,” he said but made it clear that Rohingya Muslims, coming from Myanmar, will not be given Indian citizenship.

    The home minister countered the Congress charges that the bill is communal in nature, by taking a dig at the opposition party, saying “Congress is such a secular party which partners Muslim League in Kerala and Shiv Sena in Maharashtra”.

    “Modi government’s only religion is the Constitution,” he asserted.

    He also said India doesn’t need a refugee policy as the country has enough laws for the protection of refugees.

    Earlier, initiating the debate, Shah said the bill has the endorsement of India’s 130 crore citizens as it was part of the BJPs’ election manifestoes in 2014 and 2019.

    Opposition leaders Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Saugata Roy, N K Premchandran, Gaurav Gogoi, Shashi Tharoor and Asaduddin Owaisi opposed the introduction of the bill, saying it was violative of various provisions of the Constitution, including move to grant citizenship on the basis of religion.

    While defending the introduction of the bill, Shah said the Congress had “divided” the country on the basis of religion that is why it was necessary to bring the bill and added that it was brought on the basis of reasonable classifications provided under the Constitution.

    The tabling of the emotive bill through division of votes came in the wake of protests and incidents of violence in Northeastern states with most of the student unions and regional political parties opposing it, saying it will nullify the provisions of the Assam Accord of 1985, which fixed March 24, 1971, as the cut-off date for deportation of all illegal immigrants irrespective of religion.

    “We will have to differentiate between intruders and refugees. Citizenship amendment bill does not discriminate against anyone and does not snatch anyone’s rights,” Shah said while initiating the debate on the contentious bill.

    Trying to allay apprehensions of people of the Northeast, Shah said the Narendra Modi Government is committed to protect the customs and culture of people of the region and informed that Manipur will be brought under Inner Line Permit regime, where the proposed law will not be applicable.

    The home minister said under the proposed legislation, citizenship will be granted to refugees coming from the three countries after facing religious persecution there even without documents, including ration cards.

    Noting that India has given similar rights to people in the past, Shah said Manmohan Singh and L K Advani could become prime minister and deputy prime minister respectively due to this after they came from present-day Pakistan.

    “This bill is not even .001 per cent against Muslims. It is against infiltrators,” he said earlier while introducing the bill.

    During the debate, which was marked by heated arguments, AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi also tore the bill, saying it was aimed at making Muslims “stateless” and will lead to another partition.

    Opposing the bill, Congress MP Manish Tewari said the bill is “unconstitutional” and “contrary to the spirit of the Constitution which is secular”.

    “Equals cannot be treated as unequal. When a person comes to India, he is a refugee. You cannot discriminate against him on the basis of religion,” he said during the debate.

    “The bill is against the Constitution, against the spirit of Constitution and against the ideology propounded by Babasaheb Ambedkar,” Tewari said.

    Discrimination on the basis of religion, he further said, was not in tune with the Preamble of the Constitution which specifically mentions the word ‘secularism’.

    “Secularism is embedded in the Constitution,” he said.

    Supporting the bill, BJP MP Rajender Agarwal said the country cannot ignore the suffering of the people who have come here after facing religious persecution.

    He said Pakistan has failed to protect its minorities under the Nehru-Liaquat pact.

    While NDA allies the JD(U) and the LJP extended support to the bill, fence sitters, including the BJD and the YSRCP also supported the bill while suggesting that Muslims should also be included in the bill.

    Meanwhile, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the NRC and the CAB will never be allowed in Bengal as long as the TMC is in power.

    “It’s a divisive bill and shall be opposed at any cost,” she said in Kharagpur while claiming that at least 30 people have committed suicide in the state due to panic over the implementation of the National Register of Citizens (NRC).

    Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha, said the government was trying to create impression that by opposing the legislation, the party was anti-Hindu.

    “We are opposing the bill because it is discriminatory in nature. It wreaks havoc on the very foundations of the Constitution. This is a step towards Hindu Rashtra. India should maintain the essence of humanity,” Chowdhury said.

    Surpriya Sule (NCP) said the perception is that every Muslim is feeling insecure and the largest minority community should not be felt left out.

    Referring to DMK MP K Kanimozhi, Sule also asked, “What happens to those who practice atheism?”

    As per the bill, “on and from the date of commencement of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019, any proceeding pending against a person under this section in respect of illegal migration or citizenship shall stand abated on conferment of citizenship to him.”

    “Provided that such person shall not be disqualified for making application for citizenship under this section on the ground that the proceeding pending against him and the central government or authority specified by it in this behalf shall not reject his application on that ground if he is otherwise found qualified for grant of citizenship under section.”

    The BJP-led NDA government had introduced the bill in its previous tenure and got Lok Sabha’s approval. But it did not introduce it in Rajya Sabha, apparently due to vehement protests in the Northeast and lack of majority in the House. That bill lapsed following the dissolution of the last Lok Sabha.

    (Source: PTI)

  • Maharashtra Mahabharat : Devendra Phadnavis Announces his Resignation as Chief Minister

    Maharashtra Mahabharat : Devendra Phadnavis Announces his Resignation as Chief Minister

    MUMBAI(TIP):  The beleaguered Devendra Fadnavis announced at a press conference here on November 26 that he will submit his resignation to the Governor.

    Fadnavis in his statement said that the people of Maharashtra had given a clear mandate to BJP- Shiv Sena combine to form a government. But Shiv Sena claimed chief minister’s position with BJP on a rotational basis, something BJP had never agreed to. BJP made all efforts to have its old alliance partner to drop the demand but was stonewalled. Shiv Sena chose the parties it had always opposed.

    NCP offered BJP support to form a government and a claim of majority was submitted to the governor who invited Fadnavis to form the government.

    However, situation has changed.  “We do not have majority. We will sit in the opposition”, said Fadnavis.

    All eyes are now on Maharashtra Governor who is expected to accept the resignation of Fadnavis and invite the leader of the legislature party of Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress alliance to form a government.

    (It is a developing story)

  • Maharashtra Mahabharat: Supreme Court Orders Floor Test on November 27

    Maharashtra Mahabharat: Supreme Court Orders Floor Test on November 27

    Sena, NCP, Congress hail apex court order; BJP says will prove majority

    Ajit Pawar resigns as deputy chief minister

    Ajit Pawar has resigned as deputy chief minister

    Developing story

    I.S. Saluja

    NEW DELHI / MUMBAI(TIP): The high drama over government formation in Maharashtra is full of surprises and interesting twists.  The efforts for a ghar vapasi of Ajit Pawar seem to be succeeding with Ajit Pawar resigning as deputy chief minister, November 26 afternoon.

    Earlier in the morning, Supreme Court of India delivered its verdict on petitions filed by Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress challenging Maharashtra Governor’s “arbitrary and unconstitutional” action in inviting Fadnavis to form a government and swearing him in as chief minister who does not command majority. The petitioners claimed that they had the numbers and demanded immediate floor test.

    The Supreme Court directed that the floor test for Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis to prove his majority in the Maharashtra Assembly be conducted on Wednesday, November 27.

    It directed Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari to ensure that all elected members of the House were sworn in on Wednesday itself.

    The apex court said the entire proceedings had to be telecast live. Voting in the Assembly would not be on the basis of secret ballot, it said.

    Fadnavis was sworn in as chief minister and NCP’s Ajit Pawar as his deputy by the governor at a hush-hush ceremony in Raj Bhavan on Saturday morning.

    In the 288-member House, the BJP will have to prove support of 145 MLAs to remain in power.

    The BJP and the Sena, which fought the last month’s Assembly polls in an alliance, secured a comfortable majority by winning 105 and 56 seats, respectively.

    The Sena, however, broke its three-decade-long ties with the BJP after the latter declined to share the chief minister’s post.

    The NCP and Congress won 54 and 44 seats, respectively.

    Welcoming the Supreme Court’s order calling for a floor test in the Maharashtra Assembly on Wednesday, the Shiv Sena, NCP and Congress on Tuesday said truth would win and asserted that the BJP would be defeated.

    On its part, the BJP said it respected the verdict and expressed confidence that it would prove majority on the floor of the House.

    NCP chief Sharad Pawar, whose nephew Ajit Pawar rebelled against the party last week and supported the BJP to form government in the state, hailed the apex court for upholding the constitutional principles.

    “I am grateful to Hon’ble SC for upholding democratic values and constitutional principles. It’s heartening that the Maharashtra Verdict came on the #ConstitutionDay, a Tribute to Bharatratna Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar!” Pawar tweeted after the ruling.

    Shiv Sena’s Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said truth could not be defeated.

    “Satyamev jayate” (truth shall prevail), Raut tweeted.

    “Satya pareshan ho sakta hai…parajit nahi ho sakta…Jai Hind!!” (Truth can get frustrated, but cannot get defeated), he said in another tweet.

    Sena leader Eknath Shinde said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should resign as the Uddhav Thackeray’s party-led coalition had the support of “162 MLAs” to prove majority in the Maharashtra Assembly.

    He claimed that during the floor test, the ‘Maha Vikas Aghadi’ of the Sena, NCP and Congress would have the support of “170 legislators”.

    NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik also hailed the Supreme Court order.

    “Satyamev Jayate BJP ka khel khatm (Truth alone shall win, end of the BJP’s game),” Malik said on the micro-blogging site.

    Welcoming the ruling, the Congress said the Constitution is supreme in a democracy, “which is more powerful than money and muscle power”.

    Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil exuded confidence that his party would be able to prove majority on the floor of the House.

    “We respect the court order. We are ready to prove majority and we will show it,” Patil told reporters here.

    The BJP would hold a meeting of its senior leaders on Tuesday to work out a strategy ahead of the floor test, he said.

    (With inputs from agencies)

  • Maharashtra Government Formation: Sena approaches SC, calls Maharashtra Governor’s action arbitrary, malafide

    Maharashtra Government Formation: Sena approaches SC, calls Maharashtra Governor’s action arbitrary, malafide

    Dilip Patil replaces rebel Ajit Pawar as leader of NCP legislature party

    I.S. Saluja

    MUMBAI/NEW DELHI (TIP): Maharashtra government formation is presenting swift and interesting scenes. After the Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari swore in Devendra Fadnavis as the chief minister on November 23 morning, the ShivSena challenged the Governor’s “arbitrary and malafide actions and decisions” in the Supreme Court.

    The party has filed a writ petition in the apex court against the state governor, a Sena functionary said here.

    Meanwhile, NCP leader Sharad Pawar held a meeting of NCP legislators in Mumbai. At the meeting, Dilip Patil was elected leader of the legislature party in place of the rebel Ajit Pawar who claimed support of 22 MLAs and was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister in Phadnavis government.

    Addressing a press conference, Sharad Pawar, who was accompanied by Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray, said Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis did not have the numbers to win the vote of confidence in the Maharashtra Assembly.

    Pawar also produced three MLAs of the NCP, who accused Ajit of luring them to the Raj Bhavan where they were paraded before Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari.

    “Ten to 11 MLAs had gone with Ajit Pawar to the Raj Bhavan this morning. Of them three are with me here and the others will soon follow,” Sharad Pawar said.

    He added that the MLAs who were still with Ajit Pawar knew that they stood to lose their membership of the state Assembly under the anti-defection law. “All the MLAs who went with Ajit Pawar are in touch with us,” Sharad Pawar said.

    The Maratha chieftain pointed out that as leader of the NCP legislature party, Ajit Pawar had a list of signatures of all the party MLAs. “I assume he has submitted the same list to the Governor. I will have to speak to the Governor and find out,” Pawar said.

    Three MLAs, who were taken to the Raj Bhavan by Ajit Pawar, showed up at Sharad Pawar’s press conference where they alleged that they were duped by the younger leader. “Ajit Pawar had called me to discuss something where I found some other MLAs. We were all suddenly taken to Raj Bhavan and before we could understand what was happening, the oath-taking ceremony was completed,” NCP MLA Rajendra Shingane told reporters. His testimony was backed by two other NCP MLAs, Sandip Kshirsagar and Sunil Bhusara, who said they were unwittingly taken to the Raj Bhavan for the oath-taking ceremony.

    The three leaders said they immediately came to Sharad Pawar as soon as they got out of Raj Bhavan.

    Addressing the media, Uddhav Thackeray said the BJP is practicing horse-trading. “Let them try luring any Shiv Sena MLA and they know what awaits them,” Thackeray said.

    Hitting out at Fadnavis, Thackeray said the CM did not respect democratic values. “…..from now on there is no need for election. Instead of saying ‘I will return’ some people should simply apply Fevicol to their chair and sit on it,” Thackeray said.

    Later in the day, senior BJP leader Sudhir Mungantiwar said Ajit Pawar gave the letter of support on behalf of all 54 NCP MLAs. “There is no need for a separate letter from each legislator. The letter from the leader of the Legislature Party is sufficient,” Mungantiwar told reporters.

    The month-long political impasse, after the October 24election results, ended dramatically with Devendra Fadnavis returning as the chief minister, backed by the Sharad Pawar-led NCP.

    NCP leader Ajit Pawar was sworn in as Deputy Chief Minister.

    Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari administered the oath to the two in the morning ceremony, where only official media was present.

    “People had given us a clear mandate, but Shiv Sena tried to ally with other parties after results, after which President’s rule was imposed. Maharashtra needed a stable government, not a ‘khichadi’ govt,” Fadnavis said.

    Ajit Pawar, after taking oath as Deputy Chief Minister, said: “From result day on October 24, no party was able to form the government. Maharashtra was facing many problems, including farmer issues. So, we decided to form a stable government.”

    Sharad Pawar on Thursday, November 21 night had said there was a consensus among the NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena that Uddhav Thackeray should lead the new government.

    The political situation in Maharashtra is fluid and nobody can possibly predict the next scenario. However, one thing appears to be certain that given the fact that BJP is determined to have control of Maharashtra, it will go to any extent to remain in power now that Phadnavis is sworn in as chief minister. It may well be the repeat of Karnataka. Thanks to availability of huge funds and no accountability on sources of funding and spending, political parties will freely go in for horse trading, something which is an integral part of the political culture of India, as widespread corruption from top to bottom is. Reports are that each political party is securing its MLAs, keeping them in hiding, to prevent crossovers.

    (With inputs from PTI)

  • SC rejects Sahara’s plea to put on hold Aamby Valley auction

    SC rejects Sahara’s plea to put on hold Aamby Valley auction

    NEW DELHI (TIP): In a setback to Subrata Roy, the Supreme Court on Aug 10 turned down his plea to halt the process for auction of Sahara Group’s flagship property Aamby Valley by the official liquidator of the Bombay High Court.

    On behalf of Roy, senior counsel Kapil Sibal told a three-judge Bench headed by Justice Dipak Misra that Sahara was holding negotiations with a foreign company to sell 26% stake in Aamby Valley and requested it to put the auction process on hold. However, the Bench said it would stay the auction process only if Sahara deposited Rs 1,500 crore with SEBI in terms of its earlier order.

    The top court’s refusal to stay the process for auction of Aamby Valley – a Rs 34,000- crore real estate – means the liquidator can go ahead with the publication of auction notice on August 14.

    In a last ditch attempt to save Sahara group’s flagship property Aamby Valley in Pune district of Maharashtra from being disposed of, the company had on Wednesday moved the top court with a request to halt the entire process on the ground that the company was ready with a new payment plan.

  • After 21 yrs, end of road for Chevrolet vehicles in India

    After 21 yrs, end of road for Chevrolet vehicles in India

    GM to stop selling products, focus on exports

    NEW DELHI (TIP): American auto major General Motors today decided to stop selling its vehicles in India as there was no turnaround in its fortunes here after struggling for over two decades to make a mark. It started its India journey in 1996.

    The company will now focus on exporting vehicles from its manufacturing plant at Talegoaon in Maharashtra after it stopped production at its first plant at Halol in Gujarat last month. It has also exited from four other international markets, including Russia and Europe.

    GM Executive VP and President of GM International Stefan Jacoby said after exploring many options the company determined that the increased investment originally planned for India would not deliver the returns of other significant global opportunities.

    “It would also not help us achieve a leadership position or compelling, long-term profitability in the domestic market,” he added.

    GM sales in India were down nearly 21% in 2016-17 to 25,823 units. Its production, however, grew about 16% to 83,368 units most of which were exported.

    In 2015, GM had announced plans to invest $1 billion to enhance manufacturing operations and roll out 10 locally produced models in India while deciding to stop production at its first plant at Halol in Gujarat. However, struggling to make a turnaround in India, the company put on hold the plan and undertook a full review of its future product portfolio here.

    VOLVO CARS TO START ASSEMBLY IN INDIA

    GOTHENBURG (TIP): Swedish auto major Volvo Cars will start assembly operations in India by the end of this year to expand in the local market and become more competitive and profitable. It will start assembling its premium SUV XC90 and has entered into a contract manufacturing agreement with Volvo Group India to use the latter’s existing infrastructure near Bengaluru and production licence. “It’s impossible to grow on imports in India. That’s why we are entering India with local assembly,” Volvo Cars president and CEO Hakan Samuelsson told a group of visiting Indian reporters.

    Source: PTI

  • With 82 seats, BJP makes gains in BMC polls, finishes 2 short of Shiv Sena’s tally

    With 82 seats, BJP makes gains in BMC polls, finishes 2 short of Shiv Sena’s tally

    MUMBAI (TIP): The Shiv Sena on Thursday (February 23) emerged as the largest party in the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) elections with 84 seats, but the BJP, which made massive gains, said it could take control of the civic body with the backing of independents.

    Shiv Sena activists celebrated earlier in the day as it appeared it was set to take control of the BMC, but at the end it finished with just 84 of the 227 seats. The BJP came close with 82 seats.

    Any party or combine will need 114 corporators for a simple majority.

    Across Maharashtra, however, the Bharatiya Janata Party made major gains in elections held for municipal bodies. The Shiv Sena victory came in Thane.

    BJP Mumbai president Ashish Shelar said the party had bagged 82 seats in Mumbai and had the support of four independents and that it was in a position to claim the crucial post of mayor.

    “This is a historic victory for the BJP … We are only three seats less than the Shiv Sena … The credit goes to the development agenda of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis,” he said.

    An aggressive Shiv Sena had snapped ties with the BJP+ ahead of the municipal elections and its leader Uddhav Thackeray had expected the Sena to win at least 100 seats, if not an outright majority.

    The BMC, which is also the country’s largest municipal body, has an annual budget of Rs 37,000 crore in 2016-17.

    The Congress trailed at a distant third in Mumbai, forcing its city unit chief Sanjay Nirupam to accept moral responsibility. He has offered to resign from the post.

    The Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) of Raj Thackeray, Uddhav’s estranged cousin, finished with seven seats. The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) bagged nine seats and the Hyderabad-based Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen three. The BJP’s solid gains came in other major cities of Maharashtra. The BJP raced towards victory in the Pune Municipal Corporation, pushing the ruling NCP to a poor second spot. The Shiv Sena, the MNS and the Congress fared poorly in the state’s cultural and IT capital.

    The contest was close in Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation near Pune, with the ruling NCP leading in 27 seats and the BJP at the second place with 21 seats.

  • Japan confirmed Netaji’s death to US within weeks: UK website

    Japan confirmed Netaji’s death to US within weeks: UK website

    LONDON (TIP): Japan had confirmed to the US within weeks about the death of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose in a plane crash in Taiwan in 1945, a UK website set up to document evidence on the circumstances of the freedom fighter’s demise claimed on Sept 8.

    Bosefiles.info says Japan’s communication to the US in 1945 was an interim report and a prelude to the final report handed over to the Indian government in 1956.

    The information had been sought by Lord Louis Mountbatten as commander of Allied Forces in India (then under British rule) and South East Asia.

    The Commander of the Allied Land Forces in the South West Pacific, US General Douglas MacArthur, through the Yokohama Division of the Japanese Army sought information from Japan on ‘Reported Death of Chandra Bose” on behalf of Mountbatten on August 30, 1945 – 12 days after Netaji is believed to have been killed on August 18.

    The latest disclosure is attributed to 91-year-old US-based Govind Talwalkar, the former chief editor of ‘Maharashtra Times’ who had received the documents from the National Diet (Parliament) Library of Japan on December 23, 2015.

    In the “ad interim” report now published on the website, the Japanese government said Bose died “in an airplane accident” in Taihoku (Japanese name for Taipei).

    The report says the 97-2 Model Japanese bomber carrying Bose reached the Taihoku Airfield (from Tourane, now known as Da Nang) at 13:00 o’clock.

    It states: “After refuelling it took off at 14:00 o’clock. When it rose about 10 metres above the ground the propeller of the left side engine fell apart. The plane, shaking violently right and left, listed to the left and crashed against the mound at the end of the airfield. Fire broke out instantly at both the front and the rear of the plane.

    “Bose, drenched in gasoline and covered with flame, emerged from a hole on the left side and toward the front of the fuselage.

    “His aide H R (Habib-ur-Rahman) also crawled out of the machine, and endeavoured to extinguish the fire on Bose, who however had been severely burned, beside being injured at several places, including two or three cuts in the neck. Ten minutes after the accident, he was taken to the Army Hospital in Taihoku, and received treatment at 15:00 o’clock. His death came at 21:00 o’clock.”

    In reference to the “disposition of the remains of Bose”, the report said, they were “placed in a coffin” on “August 20”, the “cremation” took place on “22 August” and the “funeral at the Nishi Honganji Temple, Taihoku” on “August 23”.

    “The records provided by the Japanese National Diet corroborate the mass of evidence published Bosefiles.info to establish beyond all doubt Bose’s tragic death at Taipei on 18 August 1945,” the website said in a statement.

    (PTI)

  • Enforcement Directorate attaches Vijay Mallya’s properties worth 6,630 crore

    Enforcement Directorate attaches Vijay Mallya’s properties worth 6,630 crore

    NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Saturday attached RS 6,630 crore worth properties belonging to loans defaulter Vijay Mallya, Times Now reported.

    Considered to be one of the biggest attachments by the ED till now, beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya’s assets including:

    • A 22 acre farmhouse and land worth Rs 200 crore in Mandwa, Maharashtra
    • An under-construction mall in Bengaluru
    • A luxury apartment in Bengaluru
    • Shares of United Spirits Ltd (USL) and United Breweries Limited (UBL) worth Rs 3,000 crore.
    • Fixed deposit worth Rs 10 crore

    This is the second attachment after his property worth Rs 1,411 crore was attached by Enforcement Directorate recently.

    Mallya, whose now-defunct group company Kingfisher Airlines owes over Rs 9,000 crore to 17 Indian banks, had left the country on March 2 and fled to the UK.

    “The total attachment under today’s order is worth Rs 4,234.84 crore but the present market value of these properties and assets is Rs 6,630 crore approximately,” the agency’s order said.

    The provisional attachment order, issued under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), said it has ordered for seizing a farm house in Mandwa in Alibaugh worth Rs 25 crore, multiple flats in Kingfisher tower in Bengaluru worth Rs 565 crore, fixed deposits of Mallya with a private bank to the tune of Rs 10 crore and shares of USL, United Breweries Limited and Mcdowell Holding company, jointly held by the liquor baron and UBHL and his controlled entities, worth Rs 3,635 crore.

    The agency alleged these assets were the “proceeds generated out of criminal activity” of the alleged default of bank loans as it claimed Mallya “criminally conspired” with Kingfisher Airlines (KFA) and United Breweries Holdings Limited to obtain funds through the consortium of banks and out of this total amount, the principal fund of Rs 4,930.34 crore “still remains unpaid.”

    “In addition, huge number of shares were also being held in the name of various other group companies controlled directly or indirectly by Mallya. Hence, it appeared that even though sufficient funds were available with the promoters of KFA– Mallya and UBHL– they had no intention to make payment towards the bank loans from the consortium banks.

    “They deliberately and intentionally kept the huge number of shares approximately worth Rs 3,600 crore pledged with UTI Investment Advisory Services Ltd and other financial institutions without substantial underlying liabilities and thus kept the consortium in dark,” the ED said in the order, accessed by PTI.

  • Big victory for #RightToPray campaign: Landmark verdict lifts ban on entry of women into Haji Ali dargah

    Big victory for #RightToPray campaign: Landmark verdict lifts ban on entry of women into Haji Ali dargah

    MUMBAI (TIP): In a landmark verdict, the Bombay High Court today lifted the ban on women’s entry inside the inner sanctum of the Haji Ali Dargah.

    While delivering the verdict, the High Court stated that the ban imposed on women is contrary to the fundamental rights of a person as provided in the Constitution.

    High Court has said that women should be permitted in the dargah along with men and has ordered the Maharashtra government to provide security to ensure the safety of the women.

    A bench of Justice Vidyasagar Kanade and Justice Revati Mohite-Dere gave the verdict on a public interest litigation which urged lifting restriction on women inside the inner sanctum which houses the mazaar or tomb of the saint. The ban was imposed by somewhere between March and June 2012 by the Haji Ali Dargah Trust.

    The Trust had defended the ban saying entry of women in close proximity to the tomb of a male saint is grievous sin in Islam.

    The State government had batted for women saying they cannot be banned inside the inner sanctum unless it is shown that banning them is integral to Islam.

    On 30th March 2016, the Bombay HC had observed that there’s no law which prevents women from entering temples. The HC also said that women should have equal access to places of worship and it is the state government’s duty to protect rights of women.

    “If you allow men then you should allow women also”, the HC added.

  • Former Union Home Minister Shinde Inaugurates Maharashtra Chapter of INOC, USA

    Former Union Home Minister Shinde Inaugurates Maharashtra Chapter of INOC, USA

    NEW YORK CITY (TIP): Sushil Kumar Shinde, a former Chief Minister of Maharashtra and a former Minister of Home Affairs of India formally inaugurated the Maharashtra Chapter of INOC, USA on Aug. 16, 2016, at an animated gathering at a prestigious Manhattan Restaurant and inaugurated Devendra Vora as its new President. Vora hails from Maharashtra and has been an active supporter of the Congress Party and its ideology for a long time.

    In his speech, Shinde urged the Congress supporters not to lose heart but to continue to work hard to earn people’s trust again. ‘Congress was in similar predicaments before but always came back when people realized that Congress party is their best option to keep political tranquility at home while achieving sustained growth.’ He recollected efforts as Home Minister in dealing with various domestic upheavals and expressed doubts that the current Government is pursuing proper strategies that could bring peace and harmony at home. He also agreed with current assessment within the party that it hadn’t done a great job of communicating its achievements to the public at large and hoping to do a better job in the future.

    After welcoming the Chief Guest and Sangat Singh Gilzian, MLA from TANDA URMUR District of Punjab, Harbachan Singh, Secretary-General of INOC, USA, thanked both dignitaries and the distinguished guests for gracing the event. He dwelt in some detail upon some of the landmark achievements of the Congress party and how it had transformed India as one of the leading countries of the world. “India is more connected today than it has ever been – networks of railways, roads, airlines, information, communication, people and media where new ideas emerge, develop and take flight very rapidly,” he said. He opined that youth which forms a great chunk of India’s population would undoubtedly unleash their talent and energy through modern technology and play a greater role in forming future governments. He reminded that the Indian people have and will continue to throw out governments that fail them and which does not fulfill campaign promises.

    Mohinder Singh Gilzian, President of INOC, IUSA facilitated the new Chapter officers and members and was happy to see them join the dozen other Chapters already established since a long time.

    George Abraham, Chairman, felicitated the Chief Guest and lauded his brilliant career in politics from his humble beginnings to becoming the Chief Minister of Maharashtra, Governor of Andhra Pradesh and Home Minister of India. He congratulated the newly appointed President of Maharashtra Chapter Vora and wished him and Ms. Malini Shah (Chairperson) well in their development of the chapter.

    Sangat Singh Gilzian, was very appreciative of the work of INOC, USA and reassured everyone that the Congress party alone, with its rich long experience and established institutions, can provide maximum benefits to the people and develop the country not only to keep pace with the advanced countries of the world but also to compete with them effectively. He was proud that some of the best talents in the world in every sphere of human activity, science, and technology, were trained in India. He said that the foundation laid by the Congress Party is very strong, and it had already embarked on eradicating irrational red-tape and outdated laws which were suffocating India of the speed of progress it desired so critically.

    The placing of the Shawl on Devendra Vora, amidst a big applause, by Shinde, highlighted the event.

    Devendra Vora thanked, Shinde, SangatSingh and INOC, USA for the confidence and the responsibility entrusted to him. He vouched that he would take his responsibilities seriously and would do his best to live up to their expectations.

    Zach Thomas (Vice-Chairman), Harry Singh (Joint Secretary), Subash Kapadia, Mohammed Islam, Arvind Vora, Ms. Priscilla Pinto, Ms. Megha Mehta, Ms. Hema Virani, Rajesh Joshi, Divesh Tripathi, Kaushik Dave and Peter Shah were amongst the many prominent persons who attended.

  • BJP, Dalits, and the ‘Cow politics.’

    BJP, Dalits, and the ‘Cow politics.’

    In these four years, I also saw with, some disquiet, forces of divisiveness and intolerance trying to raise their ugly head. Attacks on weaker sections that militate against our national ethos are aberrations that need to be dealt with firmly. The collective wisdom of our society and our polity gives me confidence that such forces will remain marginalized, and India’s remarkable growth story will continue uninterrupted,”so said honorable Pranab Mukherjee, President of India, addressing the nation on the eve of the 70th yearof Independencefrom British colonialism.

    It is indeed quite an emphatic and forceful statement coming from the bully pulpit of the highest office in the land. It also puts to shame those who refuse to acknowledge the growing intolerance and prejudice that is sweeping across India by the rightwing zealots who are emboldened by the election of Narendra Modi to power. The question to ponder is whether this is only an aberration or a growing trend that may have disastrous consequences to the way of life as we experience it today!

    Just as India was celebrating its Independence Day, word has come out from Bengaluru that SEDITION charges are being filed against Amnesty International of India, an organization that promotes human rights and creates awareness when it is violated in any part of the world. Once again, it appears that the law enforcement agencies are madepawns by ultra-nationalists bent upon imposing their version of cultural hegemony on the diverse people of India.

    Millions of Indians everywhere must be feeling the shame of India as the President has spoken out on the continuing assaults on Dalits. In a recent incident in Una, Gujarat, four Dalit youths were severely beaten up and dragged on the road for nearly a kilometer for allegedly possessing beef. It is widely known that the so-called upper castes will not touch the carcass and the Dalits are forced to clear or handle it and when they do, they are mercilessly beaten up in the name of self-appointed ‘Gau Rakshak Samiti.’

    Dalits who constitute one-sixth of India’s population, some 170 million people, live in precarious existence, shunned by much of Indian society because of their rank as “untouchables” or Dalits – meaning broken people – at the bottom of India’s caste system. Dalits are discriminated against, denied access to land and basic resources, forced to work in degrading conditions, and routinely abused at the hands of police and dominant caste groups that enjoy state’s protection.

    It appears that the Prime Minister had finally broken his silence when he made a statement in a town hall meeting saying that “I feel really angry that some people have opened shops in the name of cow protection. I have seen that some people commit anti-social activities through the night, but act as cow protectors by the day”. It is noteworthy that Modi did not call for the prosecution and punishment of these cow vigilantes but asked the authorities to prepare ‘dossiers’ on them and keep them under control!

    Almost a year ago, a mob lynched Mohammed Akhlaq in Dadri U.P. on suspicion of possessing beef in his home refrigerator. Subsequently, the meat was sent for forensic examination. In June, Baliyan, who is a member of Modi’s Council of Ministers, BJP MP Yogi Adityanath and BJP MLA Sangeet Som defended the killers and demanded action against the dead man’s family for the ‘crime of eating beef.’

    If there is growing intolerance on the dietary habits of Indians and rising violence by the emboldened vigilante groups who have taken up law unto their hands, many in the current leadership are in complicity, lending credence to their nefarious activities with their overt or covert support to this highly charged environment.

    Amit Shah, the President of BJP, boasted once that wherever there is a BJP government, there is a ban on beef. Raja Singh, a member of Parliament, went even further stating that he extends his full support to all those who take it upon themselves to teach those Dalits a valuable lesson!Mohinder Lal Khattar, the current Chief Minister of Haryana, is on the record saying that Muslims can live in the country only if they give up eating beef. Panchajanyam, an RSS newspaper has quoted Vedic scriptures that ordered the killing of sinners who slaughtered cows and the Union Minister of Agriculture Radhamohan Singh termed cow slaughter a ‘mortal sin.’

    There is no doubt that these vitriolic statements from higher ups have given fodder and cover to these cow vigilantes who roam the streets and become the judge, jury, and the executioners. Since BJP came to power, states like Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand have tightened laws against cow slaughter, but those in the leadership used the beef issue as an emotive political tool without any repercussions from the Prime Minister. In Maharashtra state, one may get five years incarceration for possession of beef as opposed to two years for sexual harassment of a woman!

    Prime Minister himself effectively conjured up the specter of a ‘pink revolution’ – cow killing on a mass scale – in the event of a BJP’s defeat in the 2014 election as part of a   strategy to motivate people and to vote for his party. Both in Western Uttar Pradesh and again in Bihar Modi spoke at length about the dangers of ‘pink revolution.’ “The agenda of the Congress is the pink revolution,” he said. “we have heard of the green revolution and white revolution but never pink, and this means the slaughter of animals (pashu). You see, the color of mutton is pink, and they are committing the sin of exporting it and bringing revolution…Because of this, our animal wealth is being slaughtered, our cows are being slaughtered, or sent abroad to be slaughtered….And now the Congress is saying, ‘if you vote for us, we will give you permission to kill cows’”

    It is quite apparent that if Modi has to call the heinous and brutal beating of the Dalit boys in Gujarat as criminal wrongdoing and ask that the perpetrators to be punished, he would have to cross that ideological line he and his party have helped to formulate in attaining the power. However, what he has done with his recent statement to the nation is an attempt to soothe the bruised feelings of Dalits who are critical to the BJP’s prospects in the upcoming elections in U.P. and Punjab. What else could explain his silence in all these months when Muslim youths were lynched or beaten up by cow vigilantes?

    The very idea of a consolidated vote bank based on the ideology of ‘Hindutva’ to include the Dalits and other backward castes may be fast unraveling as the video footage of the beating has gone viral and stoked Dalit anger. The nation also witnessed the de-recognition of the Ambedkar Students Association in Chennai, mistreatment and subsequent suicide of the Dalit scholar Rohit Vemula in Hyderabad, torching of a Dalit home in Haryana and killing of two children. All these incidents may only reinforce the age-old Dalit thinking that BJP is essentially a party dominated by an upper caste ideology, and there may be very little room left in it for anyone else!

    (The author is a former Chief
    Technology Officer of the United
    Nations and Chairman of the Indian
    National Overseas Congress, USA)

  • Legendary Ranthambore tigress Machhli dies, cremated with full Hindu rituals

    Legendary Ranthambore tigress Machhli dies, cremated with full Hindu rituals

    JAIPUR (TIP): Machhli, the tigress who won hearts and became one of the icons of the “Save the Tiger” movement in India, passed away on Thursday at the age of 19. She had reportedly not been eating for five days, and is believed to have died of old age. A tiger usually lives 14-15 years. She was later in the day cremated with the observance of Hindu rituals.

    People who visited her at the Ranthambore National Park in the Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan expressed their sadness at her passing. This comes less than a month after Jai, Maharashtra’s biggest tiger who called the Umred-Karhandla Wildlife Sanctuary his home, first disappeared and was spotted in another district.

    Machhli, often referred to as the tigress queen of Ranthambore, is remembered by wildlife enthusiasts and tourists as one of the most versatile felines of her species in the area, having given them many occasions to preserve for posterity either as images or as video. In fact, the official website of Ranthambore National Park says she was the most photographed tiger there.

    Machhli, designated as T-16, was also known as “lady of the lake” because she could be found mostly around the local water body. However, that was not the reason why she was named Machli, which means “fish” in Hindi. She got the name because some marks on her face resembled that of a fish.

    The official website of Ranthambore National Park chronicles Machhli, whom it refers to as Machli, thus: “There could be many reasons behind her fame, but the one and only thing that has captivated many attentions are her muscular and majestic look and her dominance at the whole Ranthambore jungle.”

    On her rise to fame and spotlight, the site notes: “Her legendary fight with 14-foot-long crocodile has really created a history and it was the first time such an encounter was recorded and filmed. Interestingly, Machhli has been photographed many times and has gained a lot of popularity among the wildlife lovers. Many documentaries and short films have been shot on her and she is the star of the wild tiger world.”

  • MUMBAI-GOA HIGHWAY BRIDGE COLLAPSE: 2 DEAD, 44 MISSING

    MUMBAI-GOA HIGHWAY BRIDGE COLLAPSE: 2 DEAD, 44 MISSING

    MUMBAI (TIP): A British era bridge on the Mumbai-Goa National Highway collapsed in the wee hours of August3 due to excessive rains in the Konkan region in Maharashtra.

    Maharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis also arrived at the bridge collapse site to review the relief and rescue work.

    The rescuers have recovered two dead bodies from the overflowing Savitri river and a massive search is on for others who are missing, Raigad Collector Sheetal Ugale had confirmed.

    At least 44 people, two buses and several other vehicles went missing near Mahad city after the bridge, more than seven decades old and a critical link to the Mumbai-Goa National Highway, crashed around 1 am due to the flood waters rushing into the river.

    Two state transport buses with 11 passengers each are also missing and there was no contact with either their drivers or the passengers, Raigad Collector Sheetal Ugale said.

    Since the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation buses, which started from Mumbai, did not arrive at their scheduled Mahad depot, Ugale appealed people to get in touch with the concerned authorities about their missing relatives. Locals said that around five to six private vehicles were also missing and they were feared to be washed away in the floods.

    The ICG has meanwhile pressed Chetak Helicopters into search operations for tracing missing vehicles. Sea king 42C all weather aircraft with diving team has also been pressed into service by the Indian Navy. A massive search operation have been initiated, Ugale confirmed

    “The bridge was built during the British era. After discussion with the National Highways Authority, we have shifted traffic to the new parallel bridge nearby. We are trying to confirm reports of other missing vehicles,” Ugale said.

    Source: Zee News

  • Narsingh Yadav fails second dope test, Olympic hopes fade

    Narsingh Yadav fails second dope test, Olympic hopes fade

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Narsingh Yadav’s hopes of competing in the Olympics seemed bleak on July 27 after the wrestler failed a second dope test which was conducted on him on July 5. It is learnt that Narsingh+ , already under provisional suspension for failing a June 25 dope test, has also flunked the second test done on both his ‘A’ and ‘B’ samples taken on July 5.

    “It’s the same substance that was found in the first test. It was unlikely that it would go out of the system,” a Wrestling Federation of Indian source said referring to banned anabolic steroid methandienone. Narsingh has been claiming that he has been framed in the scandal by rivals, who, he alleged, spiked his food supplements+ and meals.

    But the 26-year-old’s food supplements have reportedly been found to be clean in tests conducted after his allegations, dealing a further blow to his Rio hopes. The Maharashtra wrestler had been picked over two-time Olympic medallist Sushil Kumar after he won the quota place with a bronze medal in last year’s World Championships. Following the doping storm, Parveen Rana+ was named as Narsingh’s replacement in the 74kg category, a move that has been approved by United World Wrestling. (PTI)

  • Self-inflicted injuries: BJP’s anti-Dalit moorings laid bare

    Self-inflicted injuries: BJP’s anti-Dalit moorings laid bare

    The BJP has just done a Bihar in Uttar Pradesh. In Bihar, its electoral prospects were damaged by no less than the RSS chief. In UP, a middling BJP leader called Mayawati, Dalit icon B R Ambedkar’s self-anointed legatee, words that shouldn’t be used even in drawing room conversation. The BJP has been swift in expelling the leader but it remains to be seen whether this is perception management to control the damage not just in UP but also Punjab, a state with the country’s highest Dalit population simultaneously going to the polls.

    But for this intemperate statement, the BJP had learnt from the Waterloo in Bihar. It was luring away Mayawati’s lieutenants, started cobbling a Bihar-type grouping of backward caste leaders, party chief Amit Shah made the mandatory pilgrimage to a UP Dalit’s house and Prime Minister Narendra Modi inducted five Dalits in his first Cabinet reshuffle. However, Dalit ferment is underway elsewhere too, beginning with Rohith Vemula’s suicide. Mumbai saw a massive Left-Dalit rally against the demolition of Ambedkar Bhavan and large parts of Gujarat shut down against the public flogging of Dalits by vigilantes of a self-styled cow protection unit.

    The BJP has scored all these self goals with no provocation from any quarters. Rather the heightened social and religious tensions in several parts of the country are due to the BJP’s upper caste-centric mindset and the low standards in public speaking set by its senior leaders. From Punjab to Maharashtra, the BJP has single-mindedly pushed a vigilante-led cow protection agenda that ignores the reality on the ground. As for using offensive words, wasn’t it junior Minister V K Singh who described journalists as “presstitutes”? And didn’t the Prime Minister term a fellow-politician’s companion as “50 crore ki girlfriend”? As no party can afford to be counted without the Muslim and Dalit votes, the BJP had no choice but to act contrite to keep the latter in good humor. As political temperatures rise in UP and Punjab, time will tell whether the expulsion of the UP BJP leader was a sincere effort to discipline the cadres.

  • Devyani Khobragade Appointed Private Secretary to Minister Athawale

    Devyani Khobragade Appointed Private Secretary to Minister Athawale

    NEW DELHI (TIP): Former Deputy Consul-General of India in New York Devyani Khobragade has been appointed as the private secretary to Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Ramdas Athawale.

    A source close to the Republican Party of India chief said an order appointing Devyani was passed July 14.

    Her father Uttam Khobragade, a former IAS officer, is the national executive president of RPI-A, which is part of the Bharatiya Janta Party-Shiv Sena-led Mahayuti (grand alliance) in Maharashtra, and had joined the party in September 2014.

    The 1999-batch IFS officer was arrested on Dec. 12, 2013, in the U.S. when she was India’s deputy consul-general in New York on visa fraud charges and for allegedly providing false declarations in a visa application for her maid.

    She later was released on a $250,000 bond.

    The incident had triggered a diplomatic row between the U.S. and India

  • Modi expansion: Shiv Sena roars, Akali Dal chooses silence

    Modi expansion: Shiv Sena roars, Akali Dal chooses silence

    When asked to comment on the recent changes at the Centre, a Shiv Sena leader observed: “It was the BJP government’s expansion, not the NDA’s”. NDA coalition partners have reason to be unhappy. They have not just been left out in the ministry expansion; they were neither consulted nor briefed. Basic niceties and coalition dharma, it appears, are no longer in fashion. By now reconciled to the way it is treated in “Modi Durbar”, the Akali Dal leadership has stopped complaining. Only the Shiv Sena makes public its anger at the deliberate neglect. Unafraid of jeopardizing its arrangement in Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena’s reaction varied from “we do not beg for Cabinet berths” to questioning the caliber of Modi’s ministers. In the BJP’s growth and expansion scheme in states, allies serve a limited purpose.

    BJP leaders’ arrogant behavior annoys the Shiv Sena but the Akali Dal has apparently learnt to put up with it. Whatever the portfolio, it appears content with the Badal bahu’s adjustment in the ministry. The Centre’s “discrimination with Punjab” used to be a recurring theme of Chief Minister Badal’s speeches at one time. It is a different tune he plays today. If he does make a demand – like seal the border – it is more to shrug off responsibility for the drug menace than genuinely find a solution. Larger issues – terror attacks, neglect of agriculture, meagre hikes in MSPs, river cleanup, Central stand on SYL etc – no longer agitate the Badals as they did in the past. Only Delhi Akali leader Manjit Singh GK has shown some courage while accusing the Modi government of having “the same mindset as the Congress on the issue of the 1984 anti-Sikh riots”.

    The RBI has pointed to a loss of Rs 12,000 crore of bank loans in the wheat procurement in Punjab, but both the Central and Punjab governments have failed to come clean on the issue. A cover-up in this day and age does not last long. An otherwise aggressive Akali leadership turns meek while taking up Punjab’s legitimate demands with the Centre. It has a right to keep its peace with Modi but, as a Congress leader has pointed out, Punjab is under-represented at the Centre.

  • STUNG ONCE, BHAGWAT SAYS HE NOW AVOIDS SPEAKING ON QUOTA ISSUES

    STUNG ONCE, BHAGWAT SAYS HE NOW AVOIDS SPEAKING ON QUOTA ISSUES

    NAGPUR (TIP): “Kuchh karne jao to virodh karne wale bahot hote hain, (if you set out to to do something, you often meet stiff resistance),” said RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat here on June 23, indirectly referring to the hue and cry over his pre-Bihar election interview in which he spoke of the need to check if the benefits of reservations were reaching the poor.

    Bhagwat was addressing a convention of Matang community here on Thursday. Matangs are a backward community seeking reservation. “Now I avoid speaking on the issue,” said the RSS chief ruefully. “RSS does not run the government, nor does it interfere in its working. But the Prime Minister and the chief minister (of Maharashtra) are swayamsevaks and I hope they will help you,” he said, while assuring Matangs that if he gets a chance, he would take up the community’s demand for quota with them.

    The Sarsanghachalak said RSS was relentlessly working towards building an egalitarian society. “There should be no discrimination among Hindus and none should be barred from entering a temple, the water resources and crematorium should be common for all… In the Sangh, we train swayamsevaks in such a way that they see only a Hindu and not caste and community,” Bhagwat said. “Had the faith been weak, it would have been wiped out by now. It is only our indifference that creates barriers and encourages conversions,” he said.

  • 16 Dead In Fire At Pulgaon, Indian Army’s Largest Ammunition Depot In India

    16 Dead In Fire At Pulgaon, Indian Army’s Largest Ammunition Depot In India

    NEW DELHI May 31 (TIP): A fire at a massive military ammunition depot in Pulgaon in Maharashtra has killed two Army officers, a jawan and 13 civilian fire fighters. 17 people were injured and reported to be are in stable condition, the Army said today.

    The blaze began at 1:30 am at a shed in the depot, about 115 km from Nagpur, with television footage showing flames lighting up the night sky above the largest ammunition centre in India and the second-largest in Asia.

    Ammunition stored and distributed from here includes AK-47s and BrahMos missiles.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked Defence Minister to visit the central ammunition depot in Maharashtra’s Pulgaon to take stock of the situation after a major fire killed at least 17 security personnel, including two Army officers, there.

    Modi also expressed pain over the loss of lives caused by the fire and prayed for quick recovery of the injured.

    “I pray that those who are injured recover quickly. Have asked RM @manoharparrikar to visit the spot & take stock of the situation.

    “Pained by loss of lives caused by a fire at central ammunition depot in Pulgaon, Maharashtra. My thoughts are with the bereaved families,” the Prime Minister said on micro-blogging site twitter.

    Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Army Chief General Dalbir Singh Suhag visited the depot today. “The cause of fire will be known after Army’s inquiry,” said Mr Parrikar. He also visited the injured in hospital.

    Earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said he had been informed that the fire has been contained.

    The injured reportedly include the Commanding Officer of the depot who was leading efforts to protect the ammunition. However, NDTV does not have independent confirmation of this.

    Thousands of families living in nearby towns and villages have been evacuated from around the depot.

    The army has ordered a Court of Inquiry or investigation; sources said they cannot confirm if the fire was an accident or sabotage.

    Firefighters using 10 fire engines worked through the night to contain the blaze, said Ramesh Barde, a fire officer with the Nagpur fire department.

    “The fire was brought under control by 6:15 am. The situation is under control and a report is being prepared,” he added, speaking from the scene.

     

  • Gujarat Sthapana Divas Celebrated at the Indian Consulate

    Gujarat Sthapana Divas Celebrated at the Indian Consulate

    Obviously delighted to see a packed room with Gujrati community members, Consul General of India in New York, Ambassador Riva Ganguly Das said, “You are the first State to celebrate Sthapana Divas at the Consulate” and added “Somebody suggested that India is a large country with so many States and each State should celebrate its day in the Consulate. I said the idea was good and readily agreed”. Incidentally, the suggestion was given by The Indian Panorama Chief Editor Prof. Indrajit S Saluja.

    Congratulating the gathered Gujrati community members the Ambassador highlighted rich heritage of Gujarat and listed the strengths of theState andthe Gujratis. She said Gujrat was full of places of tourist interest and she was looking forward to visiting some, some day.

    Some NYPD officers who had been helpful in organizing the Gujarat and Maharashtra Sthapana Divas a day earlier at the Times Square were honored on the occasion. The gathering was addressed by a few Gujrati community leaders which included TV Asia chairman H.R. Shah.

    NYPD officers honored at the event with the Consul General
    NYPD officers honored at the event with the Consul General
  • Bharat Mata ki jai

    Bharat Mata ki jai

    The rather intriguing debate over what it means to be nationalistic – or variably, a patriot – that started with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat declaring that all Indians are Hindus, and was given a far Left turn in JNU, finally seems to have arrived at a consensus. A nationalist is one who can ‘spontaneously’ chant “Bharat Mata ki jai”. For some freshly self-anointed priests of nationalism, that is the only definition. The Shiv Sena believes citizenship should be decided by that. Waris Pathan – a Maharashtra MLA of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehad-ul Muslimeen (AIMIM) and a worthy follower of his maverick party chief Asaduddin Owaisi -has been suspended by a unanimous, even if patently illegal, resolution of the Maharashtra Assembly for refusing to give this proof of his nationalism.

    Asaduddin Owaisi may be forging his AIMIM as a perfect counterfoil to the RSS, but the Congress supporting the resolution in the Maharashtra Assembly is proof that the country may be perilously close to giving in to the easiest-to-sell far-right nationalistic ideology. If you can’t beat them, join them. The Maharashtra Speaker said the action against Pathan followed the ‘sentiment’ of the House. When perceptions matter, they have to matter on all sides. It is not the words ‘Bharat Mata’, but the idea behind it that is sought to be conjured in certain quarters, that makes some among the minorities wary. Forcing someone to do something itself raises a red flag. In any case, if a person is accused of being anti-national, it is for the prosecutor to prove the guilt, not for the suspect to demonstrate his innocence.

    Sober political leadership demands that the “nationalist” rhetoric be reined in before it gets totally out of hand. India is a fragile democracy. It is a dangerous game to allow narrow ideas and narrower men to deplete and disrupt our social harmony. The road to harmony in India is not to be paved with a steamroller of a single definition of nationalism but must be cemented with accommodation and cooption. Assimilation will follow, all it needs is patience.

  • Three Indian Americans among 26 of the Top Women Engineers

    Three Indian Americans among 26 of the Top Women Engineers

    WASHINGTON (TIP): Three Indian Americans were among the top women engineers recognized in a Business Insider piece.

    The Business Insider Feb. 24 piece on the “Most Powerful Women Engineers” of 2016 was released in the midst of National Engineer’s Week, Feb. 21 through Feb. 27. The list was generated to give a “shout-out to the female engineers with powerful careers who are leading important technologies at their companies or being pioneers in other ways.”

    Oracle’s Vinita Paunikar, Affirm’s Trisha Kothari and Intel’s Sumita Basu were recognized in the Business Insider list.

    Oracle's Vinita Paunikar
    Oracle’s Vinita Paunikar

    Paunikar was the highest ranked of the Indian Americans, coming in at No. 14.

    Vinita Paunikar is a vice president at Oracle responsible for release management of products and services.

    She created a release-management team that has launched 200 products across more than 20 lines.

    She’s also worked on several of Oracle’s mainstay products, including its flagship systems-management solution, Enterprise Manager Cloud Control, now also the core-management platform for Oracle’s cloud services.

    A graduate of Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology in Maharashtra.

    Affirm's Trisha Kothari
    Affirm’s Trisha Kothari

    Trisha Kothari is making a name for herself at the young age of 23.

    Kothari is Affirm’s first female engineer at the financial-technology startup cofounded and led by Max Levchin, the former cofounder of PayPal.

    Affirm turns your smartphone into a credit card of sorts, allowing you to make monthly payments on things you buy from merchants that accept it.

    “Trisha was instrumental in building the core aspects of a financial platform that powers everything we do,” Affirm’s COO, Huey Lin, said about her.

    Levchin even goes so far as to say that “Trisha Kothari is one of the most exciting up-and-coming coders in America.”

    Before joining Affirm, Kothari did several internships at Google and LinkedIn. She also earned a Google Anita Borg scholarship and one from Microsoft and is a member of the high-IQ organization Mensa.

    She is a graduate of Dhirubhai Ambani International School and the University of Pennsylvania.

    Intel's Sumita Basu
    Intel’s Sumita Basu

    At No. 26: Intel’s Sumita Basu is a strategist and technical assistant to the Intel vice president and general manager.

    She’s been with Intel since 2002 with increasing responsibilities. In her last gig with the company, she oversaw the equipment installation for Intel factories worldwide — a huge job.

    For her PhD, she did experiments with the International Space Station.

    One of Basu’s most impressive accomplishments is that she invented the world’s first lead-free patterning process, allowing Intel to become the first chip company in the world to limit the use of that toxic substance in its manufacturing processes.

    A graduate of Jadavpur University (bachelor’s) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (doctorate), Basu has also invented the world’s first lead-free patterning process. The invention has allowed Intel to become the first chip company in the world to limit the use of that toxic substance in its manufacturing process, according to the Insider piece.