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New rainbow coalition as TMC joins DMDK-PWF combine

April 9, 2016

Chennai, Apr 9: G K Vasan-led Tamil Maanila Congress (TMC) today joined the DMDK-PWF combine for the May 16 Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu, leading to the emergence of a new rainbow coalition under DMDK founder and its Chief Ministerial candidate Vijayakant.tmc

Eventually, DMDK sacrificed 20 of the 124 seats allocated to it earlier, to be distributed among TMC and PWF members.

DMDK will now be in fray in 104 seats while Vaiko-led MDMK will contest 29 seats, according to the revised seat-sharing understanding arrived at today.

Disclosing the seat-sharing pact, MDMK founder and PWF Coordinator Vaiko said TMC has been alloted 29 seats while CPI (M), CPI and VCK will fight from 25 segments each.

On March 23, People's Welfare Front (PWF) had clinched a poll pact with DMDK, announcing Vijayakant as the combine's Chief Ministerial candidate. 124 of the total 234 Assembly seats were then allotted to the actor-politician's party.

The visibly cheerful leaders promised that the new combine, if elected to power, will usher in transparency and end corruption.

Vasan, whose party had earlier made an unsuccessful bid to align with ruling AIADMK, said that people from all walks of life were yearning for a 'change' and that this coalition will do that by ensuring transparent governance, ending corruption and implementing prohibition.

"Captain Vijayakant (as he is addressed) will meet these aspirations of people," Vasan said. Vaiko, who slammed both DMK and AIADMK over corruption, alleged that the two parties had left the state in a 'bad shape' due to graft.

"The coalition government under beloved brother Vijayakant will end corruption and close down (state-run) TASMAC liquor retail outlets," he said.

Vaiko also promised employment, creation of Lok Ayukta and farm loan waiver. Vijayakant also expressed confidence that the coalition would triumph at the hustings.

Earlier in the day, PWF leaders Vaiko, G Ramakrishnan (CPI-M), R Mutharasan (CPI) and VCK's Thol.Thirumavalavan held parleys with Vasan at his Alwarpet residence here.

Later, all of them drove to the DMDK headquarters at Koyambedu where the poll pact was clinched following talks with Vijayakant.

A former Union Minister in the UPA cabinet, Vasan had revived his father G K Moopanar founded TMC in 2014 after he walked out of Congress.

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Agencies
May 5,2020

Jammu and Kashmir, May 5: Awarding the prestigious Pulitzer Prize to three Indian photographers, the Pulitzer Board at Columbia University claimed that it was for their work in Kashmir as "India revoked its independence".

The award to Channi Anand, Mukhtar Khan and Dar Yasin in the feature photography category for their pictures for the Associated Press was announced on Monday.

The prizes, considered the most prestigious for US journalism, are associated with the university's Graduate School of Journalism where the judging is done and is announced, although this year it was done remotely.

Besides a certificate, the prizes carry a cash award of $15,000, except the public service category for which a gold medal is awarded.

The public service prize went to The Anchorage Daily News for a series that dealt with policing in Alaska state.

In making the award to the three, the Board said on its website that it was "for striking images of life in the contested territory of Kashmir as India revoked its independence, executed through a communications blackout".

Besides making the false claim about "independence" of Kashmir being "revoked", the board that includes several leading journalists did not explain how their photographs could have reached the AP within hours of the incidents recorded "through a communication blackout".

India's Central government only revoked Article 370 of the Constitution that gave Jammu and Kashmir a special status and it was not independent.

Indian journalists were allowed to operate in Kashmir, while only non-Indian journalists were barred.

The wording of the award announcement calls into question the credibility of the Pulitzer Board that gives out what are considered prestigious journalism awards.

The portfolio of pictures by the three on the Pulitzer web site included one of a masked person attacking a police vehicle and another of masked people with variants of the Kashmir flag, besides photos of mourners and protesters.

One of the finalists for the Pulitzer Prize for explanatory journalism was a reporter of Indian descent at The Los Angeles Times, Swetha Kannan, who was nominated for her work with two colleagues on the seas rising due to climate change.

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Agencies
August 2,2020

Ayodhya, Aug 2: With the foundation laying ceremony of the grand Ram temple around the corner, the work at the stone-carving workshop of Ram Janambhoomi in Ayodhya has reached its final stage.

Speaking to news agency, caretaker of Ram temple stone workshop Hanuman Yadav said, "Stonework is ready for the construction work till the first floor of the temple. Cleaning work is almost done but some work is still left which will be done soon after the trust's meeting."

Talking about the characteristics of the sandstone chosen work the construction, he said, "It was chosen for the construction as it can withstand rigours for thousands of years. These designated stones are minutely carved according to the need of the temple."

The stone-carving workshop for the Ram temple construction was established in Ayodhya by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) in 1990.

On August 5 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Ayodhya for rituals that will mark the beginning of Ram temple construction, Hanumangarhi is the first stop he would be visiting.

The construction of Ram temple will begin in Ayodhya after the ceremony to lay the foundation stone in which various dignitaries from the political and religious fields are likely to participate apart from RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat. 

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News Network
June 30,2020

Mumbai, Jun 30: Senior Congress leader and former Union minister Prithviraj Chavan on Tuesday demanded a ban on NaMo app alleging that it was violating privacy of Indians.

The former Maharashtra chief minister also alleged that the NaMo app, the official mobile phone application of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, surreptitiously changes the privacy settings and sends data to third party companies in the US.

"Its good that Modi government is protecting privacy of 130 crore Indians by banning 59 Chinese apps. The NaMo app also violates privacy of Indians by accessing 22 data points, surreptitiously changing the privacy settings and sending data to third party companies in the US," Chavan tweeted.

India on Monday banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including hugely popular TikTok and UC Browser, saying they were prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and security of the country.

The move came against the backdrop of the border stand-off with China and recent clash in Galwan Valley in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.

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