UDF allies Muslim League, Kerala Congress (M) eyes extra Lok Sabha seats

Agencies
January 29, 2019

Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 29: With the Lok Sabha elections only weeks away, two allies of the Congress-led UDF -- Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) and Kerala Congress (Mani) -- are seeking an extra seat each to contest. Kerala has 20 Lok Sabha seats and the Congress traditionally contests in 16 seats, the IUML- in two and the Kerala Congress (M) and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) in one each. In 2014, the Congress won eight seats and its allies their share.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, KM Mani, Chairman of the Kerala Congress (Mani), replied in the affirmative when asked if his party was going to seek an extra seat to contest. "Kottayam is already our seat and we will ask for one more seat. It could be Idukki, Chalakudy or Thrissur," said Mani.

The Kottayam seat was held by Mani's son Jose K Mani. But last year, as part of a patch-up formula to bring back Mani into the UDF, the Congress leadership, much to the chagrin of many UDF allies, handed out a vacant Rajya Sabha seat to Mani.

Mani, who has been a legislator for the past 50 years, immediately took the seat and asked his son to resign from the Lok Sabha and file the Rajya Sabha nomination.

Mani's party consists of the erstwhile Kerala Congress (Joseph) faction, led by PJ Joseph, who was an ally of the Left Democratic Front (LDF) and a State Minister in the VS Achuthanandan Cabinet till he merged his party with the Kerala Congress (Mani).

With Mani raising the demand for an extra seat, the IUML has also expressed a desire for one more seat: Wayanad or Badagara.

IUML General Secretary KPA Majeed told the media on Tuesday that they will raise this issue at the appropriate meeting of the UDF.

The IUML contests the Malappuram and Ponani Lok Sabha seats, both in Malappuram district. "IUML certainly deserves more seats to contest in the Lok Sabha," said PK Firoz, who heads the party's Youth Wing.

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News Network
July 10,2020

New Delhi, July 10: Hours before gangster Vikas Dubey was killed in an alleged police encounter on Friday, a plea was filed in the Supreme Court demanding urgent listing for action into his "possible killing" by Uttar Pradesh Police.

Advocate Ghanshyam Upadhyay had apprehended in his plea that there is a high possibility that Dubey will also be killed in a 'fake' encounter after his arrest from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh a day ago.

Upadhyay claimed that the UP Police was expected to "concoct the same story of encounter" for Dubey like it did when four of his associates were killed after the 2 July incident.

Dubey was the primary accused in the killing of eight policemen in Kanpur on July 2. He was arrested from Ujjain on Thursday. He was killed in a police encounter, when he allegedly tried to flee on Friday morning.

"During the hunt for Dubey and co-accused, five of his accused aides were arrested/caught and then killed by the police in the name of encounter...Thus, there is every possibility that even Dubey shall be killed by Uttar Pradesh Police like other co-accused once his custody is obtained," Upadhyay feared.

He submitted that the killing of the accused by the police in the name of encounter no matter how heinous the crime was "against the rule of law and serious violation of human rights and nothing sort of Talibanisation of the country". Upadhyay sought hearing in the matter on Friday itself, citing extreme urgency.

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Agencies
June 19,2020

Srinagar, Jun 19: Suspended Jammu and Kashmir DSP Davinder Singh, arrested while ferrying two Hizb-ul-Mujahideen terrorists in a vehicle on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway earlier this year, was granted bail by a Delhi court on Friday, his lawyer said.

Singh and another accused in the case - Irfan Shafi Mir - were granted the relief by the court in a case filed by special cell of Delhi Police, noting that the probe agency failed to file charge sheet within 90 days from his arrest, as prescribed under law, their lawyer M S Khan said.

The bail was granted on a personal bond of Rs 1 lakh and two sureties of like amount.

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News Network
May 27,2020

New Delhi, May 27: As per the prediction from the IMD, severe heatwave conditions continued in several parts of north India with Delhi recording the country’s second-highest temperature at 47.6 degrees Celsius. On the other hand, Churu in Rajasthan sizzled at 50 degrees Celsius, reporting the highest temperature in the country. Also Read - Delhi Temperature: Heatwave to Continue, IMD Issues Alert, Mercury Rises to 46 Degrees

In Delhi, the mercury soared to 47.6 degrees Celsius in Palam area and most places recorded their maximum temperatures six notches above normal. The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative figures for the city, recorded a maximum of 46 degrees Celsius.

The last time when the mercury at the Safdarjung weather station touched the 46-degrees-Celsius mark was on May 19, 2002.

The IMD said the weather stations at Lodhi Road and Aya Nagar recorded their respective maximum at 45.4 degrees and 46.8 degrees Celsius.

In its earlier forecast, the IMD has said that dust storm and thunderstorm with winds gusting up to 60 kilometres per hour is likely over the National Capital Region on Friday and Saturday.

On the other hand, severe heatwave conditions prevailed in several parts of Rajasthan on Tuesday, with the mercury touching 50 degrees Celsius in Churu district.

The IMD said this is the second-highest maximum temperature recorded in Churu district in the month of May in the last 10 years.

Other areas such as Bikaner, Gangangar, Kota and Jaipur recorded maximum temperatures of 47.4 degrees Celsius, 47 degrees Celsius, 46.5 degrees Celsius and 45 degrees Celsius, respectively.

In the adjoining areas of Chandigarh, the severe heatwave condition continued in Haryana, Punjab with Hisar being the hottest place in the region at 48 degrees Celsius.

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