Mahadayi row: Shiv Sena says Amit Shah acting like kangaroo court

Agencies
February 27, 2018

Panaji, Feb 27: In a stinging attack on Amit Shah, who has promised a solution to the long-standing Mahadayi river dispute, the Goa unit of Shiv Sena said today the BJP president was acting like a "kangaroo court" and "delivering a verdict" on the issue without any authority.

Addressing a press conference in poll-bound Karnataka yesterday, Shah had said the BJP would solve the Mahadayi river water sharing dispute between Goa and Karnataka if voted to power.

"Shah's statement is completely against the wishes of Goans and he seems to have taken us for granted. We have to know who has given the authority to Shah, who belongs to Gujarat, to decide about our water," Sena spokesperson Rakhi Prabhudesai Naik said.

When the Mahadayi Water Dispute Tribunal is already hearing the petition, how can Shah act like a "kangaroo court and give his verdict?" she asked.

A kangaroo court is a court without judicial powers which conducts unfair trials in disregard for law.

"We are strongly against the diversion of the Mahadayi river water as it would adversely affect our life in Goa. The entire State has been unanimous in its opposition to the diversion. Under these circumstances, Shah is merely bluffing the people of Karnataka," said Naik.

The Sena is part of the ruling coalitions led by the BJP at the Centre and in Maharashtra. However, the Uddhav Thackeray-led party has been sulking over what it calls "unfair treatment" meted out to it by the BJP, and routinely takes potshots at its leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Shah.

Karnataka, which has been locked in a bitter feud with Goa on sharing the river water, is seeking release of 7.56 tmcft water for the Kalasa-Banduri Nala project.

The project is being undertaken to improve drinking water supply to the twin cities of Hubballi-Dharwad and districts of Belagavi and Gadag.

The dispute, pending before the Mahadayi Water Disputes Tribunal, has become a major political issue in Karnataka ahead of Assembly elections.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi had yesterday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to call a meeting of the chief ministers of three riparian states--Goa, Karnataka, and Maharashtra--to solve the Mahadayi row.

Naik said Sena leaders, including Maharashtra state minister Dipak Kesarkar and party MP Sanjay Raut, have whole-heartedly supported Goa "in its fight to save Mahadayi from being diverted".

"The Sena is the only party whose national leaders are standing behind Goans. While BJP leaders are openly slaying Goa's interest, Congress leaders are silently supporting the diversion. National leaders of the Congress party have not uttered a single word opposing diversion of the river water," she said.

Referring to Shah's remarks, Naik asked BJP leaders from Goa to make their stand clear on the issue.

Goa Chief Minister and BJP stalwart Manohar Parrikar had last December written to Karnataka BJP president B S Yeddyurappa, conveying to him that he was ready to spare Mahadayi water for the southern state for drinking purposes.

The letter was dismissed as an electoral gambit by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah of the Congress who questioned the locus standi of Yeddyurappa on the issue.

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News Network
February 1,2020

Feb 1: The Congress on Saturday expressed hope that the Union Budget would provide relief to the salaried class through tax cuts and invest in rural India besides providing a healing touch to the common man and industry facing “hardship” since demonetisation.

Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the last budget led to crashing consumption levels, soaring unemployment and falling GDP. “Budget 2019= Consumption crashed, Unemployment soared, Farm distress surged, Incomes declined, Investments slumped, Public spending fell, GDP nose dived!,” Surjewala tweeted. “Yet, Modiji gave Corporate Tax Cuts of Rs 1,45,000 crore. Let Budget 2020 give tax cuts to Salaried Class and invest in Rural India,” he said

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot hoped the budget fulfils expectations of the common people. “Budget 2020 is the time for NDA government to provide a healing touch to common people and industries facing hardships since noteban. Hope the budget fulfils expectations of common people and provide relief across sections,” Gehlot said.

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News Network
March 18,2020

Washington, Mar 18: Hundreds of distressed Indian students, stuck in the Philippines, are seeking help through video messages as they are unable to fly back home due to the travel restrictions imposed by India to contain the spread of the deadly novel coronavirus, according to friends and relatives of some of these students in the US.

The Indian government on Tuesday banned the entry of passengers from Afghanistan, Philippines and Malaysia to India with immediate effect amid stepped up efforts against the spread of COVID-19.

In a video message by one of these students Akhil Bala Nair, around 200 Indian students had booked their flight tickets for India in the next few days. But all of them have been cancelled due to the new policy.

Most of the students, she said, had booked their flights for March 17 and rest were schedule to travel to India on March 19 and 20. But the flights were cancelled and scores of Indian students are now stuck at the airport in Manila, Nair said in the video message sent to Prem Bhandari, head of the Jaipur Foot USA.

“It is need of the hour that the Indian government send a plane to bring these Indian students back home,” Bhandari, who in the past has worked for the cause of the Indian diaspora, and who was approached by these students told PTI.

According to these students, some 100 of them have been at the airport since Tuesday.

They all have confirmed tickets but the airport authorities are not allowing them to check in because of the new travel regulations.

While the airport authorities have asked them to go back to their respective place of residence, the students said they were unable to travel because of the absence of local taxi or shared ride services.

The students said that they are running out of time as the Philippines government has given them 72 hours time to exit the country, which started from March 16, after which the country will go into lockdown.

“This means we would not be able to travel anywhere outside Philippines after March 20,” Nair said in her message.

The students said that there are many of them who have applied for renewal of their visas and are unable to travel to India.

There are nearly 1,000 Indian students presently in Manila who are willing to travel back home, they said.

Meanwhile, the Indian Embassy in Manila, in a tweet, said that they, along with the Ministry of External Affairs, are trying to work out a solution.

“It is requested to all to kindly have patience,” the embassy said.

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News Network
July 14,2020

Jaipur, Jul 14: In a show of strength, Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot-led Rajasthan Congress camp on Monday released a video showing at least 16 MLAs sitting together.

This comes hours after the Congress held a legislature party meeting. Party leaders said 106 of 122 MLAs attended, a claim contested by the Pilot camp.

The 10-second video was shared late at night on Pilot's official WhatsApp group.

In the video, at least 16 MLAs are seen sitting together in a close circle. Pilot is not seen in the video.

Six other people can be seen in the video but they could not be identified.

Some of the MLAs seen in the video are Indraraj Gurjar, Mukesh Bhakar, Harish Meena.

Tourism Minister Vishvendra Singh tweeted the video with the caption "Family".

Ladnun MLA Mukesh Bhakar tweeted, "...Loyalty in Congress means Ashok Gehlot's slavery. That is not acceptable to us."

Pilot has been upset since he was denied the Rajasthan chief minister's post after the December 2018 assembly elections.

On Sunday, he claimed to have the backing of 30 Congress MLAs and "some independents".

Those close to him disputed Gehlot's claim that his government had a majority, and said this is proven in the assembly and not at the CM's house.

Sources close to him have also ruled out the possibility of Pilot joining the BJP.

In the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs and the BJP 72. In the past, the ruling party has claimed the support of 13 independents, two MLAs each from the CPM and the Bharatiya Tribal Party, and one from the Rashtriya Lok Dal.

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