Akhilesh proposes joint candidate against Modi in 2019, Cong non-committal

News Network
June 2, 2018

Bengaluru, Jun 2: Despite winning just 37 seats, constant protestations that he’s chief minister due to Rahul Gandhi’s benevolence and of him being beholden to the Congress and not to the people of Karnataka, HD Kumaraswamy has emerged from a protracted cabinet-formation exercise with a clear upper hand.

The JD(S) has walked away with plum portfolios — finance, energy, excise and public works — leaving many Congress leaders, including DK Shivakumar who had set his eyes on the energy ministry, baffled and upset.

After four days of parleys, Congress and JD(S) hammered out the final split on Friday: The Congress gets 22 portfolios, including home, industries, revenue and Bengaluru development, and the JD(S) 12.

“Both parties have agreed to the portfolio-sharing formula. There are no differences,” AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka, KC Venugopal, said at a press conference attended by the chief minister, his deputy G Parameshwara, senior Congress leaders Siddaramaiah, Mallikarjun M Kharge and Shivakumar.

Ministers set to take oath on June 6

The ministers, who are yet to be picked, will take oath at 2pm on June 6. The parties were keen on a Sunday swearingin, but the event had to be postponed as governor Vajubhai R Vala is in New Delhi for four days from Saturday to attend a conclave of the governors.

Admitting that there was a tussle over the finance portfolio, Venugopal said the Congress decided to concede it to the JD(S) following AICC president Rahul Gandhi’s intervention.

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“Rahul wants the coalition to succeed in the larger interest of the country. Based on his advice, we’ve agreed to give the finance portfolio to the JD(S),” he added.

The decision to hand energy and public works department ministries to the JD(S) has not gone down well with many Congress leaders, especially Shivakumar who held the portfolio in the previous government. Shivakumar had skipped the talks held in the morning.

The parties have framed a formula to ensure smooth functioning of the coalition government: Form a coordination committee led by former CM Siddaramaiah; evolve a common agenda based on both parties’ manifestos; appoint one spokesperson from each party to brief media; Congress and JD(S) to share posts of chairpersons of boards and corporations on a 2:1 ratio.

The coordination committee will also include Kumaraswamy, KC Venugopal, G Parameshwara and JD(S) secretary general K Danish Ali. The panel will meet once a month.

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coastaldigest.com news network
July 27,2020

Ayodhya, Jul 27: With days to go for the August 5 "bhoomi pujan" ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, the mosques adjacent to the demolished Babri Masjid premises are spreading the message of a peaceful coexistence of Hindus and Muslims.

There are eight mosques and two mausoleums located close to the 70-acre Babri Masjid premises mandated by the Supreme Court for a temple of Sri Ram.

Azaan and namaaz are offered in the mosques and the annual "Urs" is held at the mausoleums without any objection from the local Hindus.

The eight mosques located near the upcoming Ram temple premises are Masjid Dorahikuan, Masjid Mali Mandir ke Bagal, Masjid Kaziyana Achchan ke Bagal, Masjid Imambara, Masjid Riyaz ke Bagal, Masjid Badar Paanjitola, Masjid Madaar Shah and Masjid Tehribazar Jogiyon ki.

The two mausoleums are Khanqaahe Muzaffariya and Imambara.

"It is the greatness of Ayodhya that the mosques surrounding the Ram temple are giving a strong message of communal harmony to the rest of the world," Haji Asad Ahmad, the corporator of the Ram Kot ward, said. The Ram temple area is situated in Ahmad's ward.

"Muslims take out the 'juloos' of Barawafaat that goes through the periphery of Ram Janmabhoomi. All religious functions and rituals of Muslims are respected by their fellow citizens," the corporator said.

Asked for a comment on the presence of mosques near the upcoming Ram temple premises, the chief priest of the temple, Acharya Satyendra Das, said, "We had a dispute only with the structure that was connected to the name of (Mughal emperor) Babur. We have never had any issue with the other mosques and mausoleums in Ayodhya. This is a town where Hindus and Muslims live in peace."

"Muslims offer namaaz, we perform our puja. The mosques around us will strengthen Ayodhya's communal harmony and peace will prevail," he added.

Both Hindus and Muslims have accepted the Supreme Court verdict over Ram Janmabhoomi, Das said, adding, "We have no dispute with each other."

Sayyad Akhlaq Ahmad Latifi, the "sajjada nasheen" and "pir" of the 500-year-old Khanqaahe Muzaffariya mausoleum, said Muslims in Ayodhya are performing all religious practices freely.

"We offer prayers five times a day in the mosque at Khanqaah and hold the yearly 'Urs'," he added.

"What a scene would it be -- a grand Ram temple surrounded by small mosques and mausoleums and everyone offering prayers according to their beliefs. That will be representative of the true culture of India," Mahant Yugal Kishore Sharan Shastri, the chief priest of the Sarayu Kunj temple adjacent to the Ram Janmabhoomi premises, said.

Reacting to the presence of mosques and mausoleums near the Ram Janmabhoomi premises, Triloki Nath Pandey, the decree holder of the land as the "first friend of Ram Lalla" as mandated by the Supreme Court, said, "We do not have any objection to either those mosques or any other mosques. We will not trigger a dispute regarding any structure, Ayodhya must live in peace and communal harmony."

Mahant Raju Das, the priest of the Hanumangarhi temple, said, "The presence of the mosques tells the story of Ayodhya's communal harmony. A Ram mandir will be built and there will be no objection to the mosques or religious practices of Muslims."

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Agencies
June 12,2020

Google on Friday announced the launch of a new feature on Google Search, Assistant, and Maps for users in India to help them find information on COVID-19 testing centres near them.

The search giant has partnered with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and MyGov to provide the information on authorised testing labs.

The feature is currently available in English and eight Indian languages including Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, Gujarati, and Marathi.

According to the company, users will now see a new "Testing" tab on the search result page providing a list of nearby testing labs along with key information and guidance needed before using their services.

On Google Maps, when users search for keywords like "COVID testing" or "coronavirus testing" they will see a list of nearby testing labs, with a link to Google Search for the government-mandated requirements.

Google said that the Search, Assistant, and Maps currently feature 700 testing labs across 300 cities and working with authorities to identify and add more testing labs located across the country.

The company reiterates that it is important to follow the recommended guidelines that help determine testing eligibility before visiting.

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News Network
April 11,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 11: The effective handling of Covid-19 pandemic by the Kerala Government has received a big endorsement in the International media with the latest being a report in Washington Post which suggests that the State’s success could prove instructive to the entire country.

The Washington Post quoted Kerala Health Minister K K Shailaja Teacher as saying “We hoped for the best but planned for the worst. Now, the curve has flattened, but we cannot predict what will happen next week.”

"The Minister said six states had reached out to Kerala for advice. She, however, noted that it might not be easy to replicate Kerala’s lessons elsewhere," according to the Minister's office quoting the report here on Saturday.

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