Andhra CM Kiran Reddy stages protest at Jantar Mantar against his own party

February 6, 2014

CM_Kiran_ReddyNew Delhi, Feb 6: The drama over the formation of Telangana scaled new heights on Wednesday with Andhra Pradesh chief minister Kiran Reddy staging a sit-in protest in the Capital while a harried government weighed the option of a voice vote to pass the contentious legislation.

The CM doing an Arvind Kejriwal at Jantar Mantar seemed even more bizarre as Reddy was opposing his own Congress party's decision to form Telangana.

The task of getting the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Bill through Parliament looks more challenging as Reddy set an unusual precedent by leading the anti-Telangana stir even as Congress pledged support to the new state.

While Reddy and some of his cabinet colleagues protested, Seemandhra MPs from Congress, YSR Congress and TDP disrupted Parliament, forcing adjournment of Lok Sabha followed by Rajya Sabha.

It is learnt that Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader K Chandrasekhar Rao has urged the government to pass the bill by a voice vote, arguing that bills to create Uttarakhand and Jharkhand were passed in a similar manner.

Government sources said the voice vote route could be an option as the Telangana bill is not a constitutional amendment, but senior Congress leaders remain cautious, pointing to vehement opposition to the new state.

However, the political directive to Congress floor managers is clear enough. "The next Lok Sabha will have 17 MPs from Telangana and 25 MPs from Seemandhra, the die seems cast," said a minister.

The bill is expected to be cleared by the Union Cabinet on Thursday with a group of ministers having finalized a draft.

BJP reiterated that it will oppose marshalling out of anti-Telangana MPs and also demanded that the two Houses must be in order when the bill is considered, conditions that Congress felt were aimed at delaying the bill.

Meanwhile, TDP leader N Chandrababu also reached the capital to oppose the Centre's "unilateral" decision to create a new state without adequate consensus. "The Centre must take the states into confidence. But the Centre is violating all this and that is not correct," he said.

Official sources said a TDP delegation led by Lok Sabha MP Nama Nageshwar Rao expressed readiness to support the bill. Rao represents TDP MPs from Telangana region.

With the government planning to bring the Telangana bill to Parliament, possibly Rajya Sabha first, on February 12, emotions are coming to a boil with supporters of both camps coming close to blows at Andhra Bhawan on Wednesday.

The heated exchanges between Telangana and Seemandhra MPs in Parliament also threaten to spill out of hand forcing the government to consider tough action like seeking the suspension of anti-Telangana MPs.

Though government managers are cagey in spelling out plans for disciplinary action, saying the matter is for presiding officers to decide, passing the bill in the presence of Seemandhra MPs seems a rather fraught task.

The noisy and chaotic start to the continuing winter session did not bode well for transaction of business and finance minister P Chidambaram admitted as much while addressing a business conclave, saying he doubted if Parliament will pass any law.

"We have to go through the ritual of attending Parliament every day and come back empty handed," Chidambaram said.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was more optimistic, saying "hiccups" over Telangana would subside. "I think these are hiccups. I hope all sections of the House will have the wisdom to set aside these prejudices and create an atmosphere conducive to harmonious working of the House," he said.

But the situation does not look promising for the government, as tough action like suspending anti-Seemandhra MPs will only increase the bitterness over the formation of Telangana.

While BJP is not making things easier for the government, the Congress will end up losing face on both sides of the Telangana divide if it backs out at this stage.

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Agencies
January 5,2020

Puducherry, Jan 5: Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, a former IPS officer, became the butt of Twitterati jokes on Saturday after she tweeted that NASA recording of the sound of the sun was in fact 'Om' chant. She wrote at @thekiranbedi: "NASA recorded sound of the sun -- Sun chants Om."

The post got 5.6K retweets and 17.7K likes, and as many as 472.6K views.

One user remarked: "Wrong. The Sun said NaMo NaMo. You should've checked the UNESCO version along with the NASA version."

A post read: "And we thought you were intelligent."

One user posted a picture of Kiran Bedi with Sadhguru Jaggi who was trolled a few days ago after he posted his support on the Citizenship Amendment Act. He commented: "This picture can be provided."

A Twitter user reminded the former bureaucrat about the Indian Constitution's Fundamental Duties (Article 51A) that says that it shall be the duty of every citizens of India to develop scientific temper, humanism and the spirit of inquiry and reform.

Another wondered aloud: "We don't know how you cleared the Civil Services exams. We are ashamed...."

A user posted a clip of a well known stand-up comic who talked about the celestial hum which many claim to be Om chant.

A post read: "I consider this tweet by you as one of the best jokes of the millennium. The saffron brigade is successful in brainwashing learned people like you."
One user commented: "Once upon a time this lady was a hero to many. What a disgrace now!"

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Ahmed Ali Kulai
 - 
Monday, 6 Jan 2020

Shame on you!!

 

Dont know how you are appointed as IPS officer

 

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News Network
March 5,2020

Lucknow, Mar 5: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath said last night that the role of teachers would come under the scanner when "anti-India" slogans are raised at universities and institutions of higher education.

"When anti-India slogans are raised at institutions of higher education, we should be prepared to ask why this type of distortion occurrs among our students?" he said at a programme organised by the Basic Shiksha Parishad in Lucknow.

"We begin our work with pledge for the country's unity and integrity and today slogans are raised for the division of the nation. In such a situation, questions are raised over the role of teachers who are considered equal to god in society," he said.

"Who all are involved in this sin and chaos? Governments can provide resources, but the one who has given them basic education, who has given them secondary education and who has led them to that place, all of them should evaluate their actions today," the chief minister said.

Speaking about the condition of education in the state when his government came to power three years ago, he said there was an atmosphere of chaos and anarchy in the state and the condition of basic education was very bad.

"The worst problem was that of proxy teachers. Our government started the process of prohibiting proxy teachers in the first phase," he said.

Adityanath said that a teacher is not just a government servant, but the fate of the nation. He said teachers should learn from Chanakya.

Had Chanakya confined himself to Nalanda University, he would not have been able to make India a superpower of the world during that period. Teachers will have to prepare themselves according to the challenges and need of society, he added.

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News Network
May 24,2020

New Delhi, May 24: The Indian economy is likely to slip into recession in the third quarter of this fiscal as loss in income and jobs and cautiousness among consumers will delay recovery in consumer demand even after the pandemic, says a report.

According to Dun & Bradstreet's latest Economic Observer, the country's economic recovery will depend on the efficacy and duration of implementation of the government's stimulus package.

"The multiplier effect of the stimulus measures on the economy will depend on three key aspects i.e. the time taken for effecting the withdrawal of the lockdown, the efficacy of implementation and duration of execution of the measures announced," Dun & Bradstreet India Chief Economist Arun Singh said.

The report noted that the government's larger-than-expected stimulus package is likely to re-start economic activities.

Besides, measures taken by the Reserve Bank of India like reducing the repo rate by a further 40 basis points to 4 per cent, extending the moratorium period by three months and facilitating working capital financing will also help stimulate the momentum.

Singh said while the measures announced by the government are "positive", most of them have been directed towards strengthening the supply side of the economy, and "it is to be noted that supply needs to be matched with demand", he said.

Besides, "in the absence of cash-in-hand benefits under the government's stimulus package, demand for goods and services is expected to remain depressed", he added.

He further said the loss in income and employment opportunities, and cautiousness among consumers, will lead to a delayed recovery in consumer demand, even after the pandemic. As debt and bad loan levels increase, the banking sector might face challenges.

The report further noted that even as the monetary stimulus is expected to inject liquidity and stimulate demand for a wider section of the economy, the channelisation of funds from the financial institutions will be subjected to several constraints.

The foremost concern being increase in risk averseness, as the balance sheets of firms, households, and banks/NBFCs have weakened considerably and low demand for funds by firms as production activities have been on a standstill during the lockdown period, Singh said.

India has been under lockdown since March 25 to contain the spread of the coronavirus, resulting in supply disruptions and demand compression.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed a nationwide lockdown to control the spread of coronavirus on March 25. It has been extended thrice, with some relaxations. The fourth phase of the lockdown is set to expire on May 31. 

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