It could be cricketer Azharuddin vs Asaduddin Owaisi in Lok Sabha elections 2014

March 10, 2013

Asaduddin_in_Lok_Sabha

Hyderabad, Mar 10: In what may turn out to be one of the most interesting poll contests in 2014, the Congress might field former cricketer Md Azharuddin against MIM's Asaduddin Owaisi from the Hyderabad Lok Sabha constituency.

The MIM and Congress have fallen apart of recent, and its president Asaduddin has taken on chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy after dubbing him as communal. The move to pit Azhar against his friend Asaduddin is Kiran Kumar Reddy's move to get back at the MIM, said sources. Incidentally, the CM and Azhar too are good friends from their cricketing days.

Azhar met Kiran Kumar Reddy at the AP Bhavan in Delhi on Saturday. "I do have interest in AP politics," the former Hyderabadi cricketer told the media after the meeting. When asked if he would contest from Hyderabad on the Congress ticket, Azhar said: "It all depends on the Congress high command." Azhar was all praise for the chief minister's performance, but feigned ignorance about the falling out between the Congress and MIM. According to the sources, the CM took time out of his busy scheduled to meet Azhar, thus making it clear that it was a significant meeting.

Azharuddin, who was banned from playing cricket for India after his alleged involvement in the match-fixing cases, joined the Congress just before the 2009 elections and won with a thumping majority from Moradabad Lok Sabha constituency in Uttar Pradesh. Recently, a city court had set aside the life ban imposed on Azhar by the Board of Control for Cricket in India .

The CM's game plan, according to the sources, is to cut the MIM to size in Old City, its bastion, by fielding the cricketer-turned-politician.

"Kiran wants to disprove Asaduddin's remark that it was the Congress that benefitted from associating with the MIM, and prove that it was other way round. In what appears to have become a personal war, Kiran wants to prove that minus the Congress, MIM would not get more than two seats in the Assembly," a close aide of Kiran Kumar told STOI.

If Azhar does end up as the Congress candidate from Hyderabad constituency, the going will not be easy for Asaduddin. "If the TDP again fields Zahid Ali Khan, the Muslim votes will get split and it will not be

easy for the MIM to retain the seat. And the BJP too can add to the MIM's discomfiture by fielding a Hindu candidate. Azhar's entry should be a wake up call for the MIM," said the sources. Analysts believe that it was Owaisi who ensured that Azhar did not contest Lok Sabha from Andhra Pradesh in 2009 and had him dispatched to UP.

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News Network
April 6,2020

New Delhi, April 6: India recorded the highest number of 704 positive cases of coronavirus in the past 24 hours, said the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday.

With these new cases, the total number of COVID-19 positive cases in India have now climbed to 4,281.

Total deaths stand at 111 including 28 new deaths. So far, 318 COVID-19 patients have been cured across the country.

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Agencies
March 16,2020

Amaravati, Mar 16: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy said that paracetamol is the only medication for coronavirus.

He said that COVID-19 is lethal for those have comorbid conditions including blood pressure, asthma and kidney diseases.

"There is no need to get panic about Coronavirus. Its impact is majorly on senior citizens aged above 60 years. It is dangerous to those suffering from diabetes, blood pressure, asthma and kidney diseases. For others, it is not so much dangerous. And paracetamol is the only medication for coronavirus," Reddy said on Sunday while addressing a press conference on the postponing of the local body elections as coronavirus cases continue to rise.

"In case anybody coming from foreign countries is found suffering from cough, cold and fever, bleaching powder should be sprayed on their belongings and things they use. The government is creating awareness on such precautions," he added.

Reddy slammed the State Election Commissioner's decision of postponing the local body elections for six weeks and alleged that the SEC was acting at the behest of TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu.

The opposition has targeted Reddy on his statement, saying the chief minister is behaving "ignorantly" and "irresponsibly" on the issue of coronavirus.

"While Telangana CM had changed his stand and closed shops and theatres in his state, Jagan Reddy is speaking as if there is no need for any panic. This CM is behaving ignorantly and irresponsibly," said Naidu.

Andhra Pradesh has reported one case of coronavirus. The total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across India has risen to 110.

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News Network
April 16,2020

Kochi, Apr 16: A middle-aged man carrying his ailing father on his shoulders walked close to one-kilometre in Kerala’s Punalur when the autorickshaw he was driving was allegedly stopped by the police over the ongoing lockdown. He was bringing back his father from the hospital after he was discharged on Wednesday.

In a video that has gone viral on social media, the man can be seen carrying his bare-bodied father on the shoulders and struggling to handle the weight while a woman carrying the hospital documents, prescriptions and other items, is running along with him.

The incident took place in Punalur town of Kollam district.

The 65-year-old man, a native of Kulathupuzha, was released from the Punalur Taluk Hospital and his son was taking him home when he was stopped on the road. The man has alleged that even after he produced hospital documents, the police refused to let him pass with the autorickshaw.

The vehicle was stopped about a kilometre from their house in the middle of a traffic jam and the family had to walk the rest of the path. He said even after he told the police and showed papers from hospital he was not allowed to go.

After the video went viral in Kerala, the state human rights commission took suo motu cognizance of the incident.

The nationwide lockdown has prevented all non-essential movement in the public space while medical emergencies have been allowed. The extended lockdown will now continue till May 3.

According to the police, the vehicle did not have the patient when it was stopped. The driver was asked to show a declaration document.

He stepped out of the vehicle and walked to the hospital which was 200 metres from the checkpoint and returned carrying his father on the back, said the police.

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