South Connect: Recent Episodes
South Connect
A day after a 111-year-old chief of the Siddaganga Mutt, Shivakumara Swamy was laid to rest, the Congress has targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not attending his funeral. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara took to Twitter to question the Prime Minister’s absence and added that repeated requests to confer the Lingayat seer the Bharat Ratna have gone in vain. Also, Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy had recently said the Central government should confer the Bharat Ratna on the seer.
Taking a U-turn on his earlier stance on women of menstruating age entering the Sabarimala Temple, Congress President Rahul Gandhi said that he sees validity in arguments in favour of the women's rights and the traditions of the temple. Gandhi was speaking at a press meet during his 2-day UAE tour. “I can see validity in the argument that tradition needs to be protected and I can see validity in the argument that women should have equal rights,” he said at the press meet. However, earlier last year, Rahul Gandhi had openly said that he held a different opinion on the issue from that of his party's state unit leaders. He stated that he believed women should not be barred from entering any place, despite the Congress leaders in Kerala feeling otherwise. Reportedly, Kerala MPs wanted to stage a protest outside the parliament over the issue, but former Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi had opposed it. However, in UAE Gandhi also confirmed that he had taken this revised stance after speaking to Congress leaders in Kerala who rooted for protecting the traditions of the Sabarimala temple.
With the 'Mahagathbandhan' of opposition parties taking shape ahead of Lok Sabha polls Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday said some more parties will be asked to join it. Naidu, who was on one-day visit to the national capital, met Sharad Pawar, Congress President Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, and discussed the issue in the wake of a rally in Kolkata being organised by Trinamool Congress on January 19, where Opposition parties will put up a show of unity. According to a news report Naidu discussed with Gandhi the strategy to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party in the upcoming general elections.
Much has transpired in the five states of South for the year of 2018 and for states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu it has been the worst of all the years considering the kind of calamity both the states were going through. What is it that made news in the five states of South? HW News English presents a round-up for the year 2018 for the five states of south.
HD Kumaraswamy on Thursday said Tamil Nadu and Karnataka were not "Indo-Pak enemies" and the states can resolve the matter of proposed Mekedatu project on Cauvery River. The centre is expected to call a joint meeting of the heads of both the states in the next 10-15 days to iron out the differences. Chief Minister Kumaraswamy met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday and thanked the centre for giving clearance to the state government for preparing the Detailed Project Report of the Mekedatu project. The JD(S) leader added that the proposed Mekedatu project would be more beneficial to Tamil Nadu and requested the AIADMK and DMK not to make the issue a political one.
After several years of delay, Andhra Pradesh will finally have its own High Court in Amaravati. President Ram Nath Kovind on Wednesday issued a gazette notification for the functioning of the new High Court in Amaravati with effect from January 1. The new High Court for Andhra Pradesh will be the 25th High Court in the country. The new Andhra HC is expected to function from a temporary structure in the state's capital till a permanent building is set up at the 'Justice City' being planned in Amaravati.
A 24-year-old pregnant woman tested positive for HIV after being given a blood transfusion at a government hospital in Tamil Nadu. The HIV positive blood had been donated by a young man on November 30 and given to the woman on December 3 after technicians at a government blood bank’s laboratory found nothing wrong in the tests. However, by the time he could alert the hospital, the blood had already been administered to the woman.Later the affected woman lodged a complaint with police, seeking action against hospital staff.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu responded to the attempts by TRS Chandrasekhar Rao, to form a 'Federal Front Naidu said that it would only end up benefiting the ruling-BJP at the Centre. In a separate development, he also lashed out at the opposition YSRCP in the state and the AIMIM for extending their support to KCR with their own political motives at play.
Ahead of the cabinet expansion of the coalition government in the state on December 22, several party legislators are lobbying for their inclusion with party's leader and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. As Congress Legislative Party leader Siddaramaiah discussed the cabinet expansion and appointment of chairmen of boards and corporations with about 70 legislators on short-listing some of them for approval by party President Rahul Gandhi in New Delhi on December 21.
From 4 transwomen allowed to offer prayers at Sabarimala to Chandrababu Naidu being lashed out for visiting Rajasthan and MP for Congress' new CMs' oath-taking ceremony, what is it that transpired in the 5 states of South? Watch HW News English to watch the latest updates from the 5 states of South
From DMK's Stalin's proposal for Rahul Gandhi's name for the PM candidate to pacing up on the progress on disbursing compensation to the victims of Agri Gold scam, what is it that is happening in the five states of South? Watch South Connect to know it all!
From the Indian Navy putting out a warning message for an upcoming cyclonic storm to appointing a new home minister for Telangana, watch it all here for all the latest updates from the 5 states of South
Now lets take a pause for a while and think..think for sake of humanity.. so many lives were gone and the centre aided with just Rs. 600 crore where as for a statue the centre had spent 3000 cr, the statue. Honestly, I did not have a privilege of being born in the same era as Sardar Patel himself but it causes me to reflect on the fact that a man who played such an important role in India's struggle for freedom, untouchability and caste discrimination and was completely against building statues and memorials and if he was alive today I am sure he would have also opposed the government's 3000 crore project over human life.. So i dedicate this episode of South Connect to all the brave hearts who survived the severe kerala floods just because of their never say die spirit, even if the centre did not back them up as much.
Twenty hours after Chandramukhi, the transgender candidate contesting the Telangana elections on a Bahujan Left Front (BLF) ticket, went missing, the trans community in Hyderabad has stated that they will be filing a petition to the Hyderabad The community will also be filing a complaint with the Telangana Election Commission. Chandramukhi has reportedly been missing since 8.25 am on Tuesday. The police on Tuesday reviewed CCTV footage of Chandramukhi’s residence and remain tight-lipped about their investigation.
Kamal Haasan on Tuesday appealed to Kerala chief minister P Vijayan to "rise above politics" and extend support to the people affected by Cyclone Gaja in Tamil Nadu. Haasan wrote to the chief minister, saying Cyclone Gaja has caused "widespread damage and destruction to life and property". He said his party, Makkal Needhi Maiam has urged the Kerala government and its people to come forward and assist in a way they deem fit to help Tamil Nadu "stand up on its feet again.
BJP chief Amit Shah Sunday attacked the state govenment's proposal to give 12 per cent quota to Muslims, saying his party will never allow it as religion-based reservation is unconstitutional. Shah hit out at TRS chief and Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao over the issue during campaign rallies ahead of the December 7 Assembly polls in the state. Shah had further said that Rao promised reservation to the minority community ""despite being aware"" of the 50 per cent ceiling and forwarded the proposal (bill) to the Centre.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami sought an assistance of Rs.15,000 crore from the Centre for dealing with the destruction caused by cyclone Gaja in the state during a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. The cyclone that created havoc in Tamil Nadu's 12 Cauvery delta districts killed 63 people and left hundreds homeless. Mr Palaniswami requested the Prime Minister to send a team of Central government functionaries to assess the damage from the cyclone that had hit the coast of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry
The BJP in Karnataka took to the streets on Wednesday in support of the section of sugarcane farmers protesting against the state government this week. Senior BJP leaders including leader of the opposition BS Yeddyurappa. Kumaraswamy was also criticised for appearing to dismiss the concerns of the protesters after he described the protesters as 'goons' and claimed that they were not sugarcane farmers. He also claimed that the opposition BJP was organising the protests in the name of sugarcane farmers.
A lawmaker from Telangana's ruling party has quit and is heading for the Congress. With weeks to go for assembly elections in the state, the resignation of K Vishweshwar Reddy -- the richest parliamentarian in Telangana, with declared assets worth over Rs. 500 crore -- is seen as a deep setback for the K Chandrashekar Rao's Telangana Rashtra Samithi. He will join Congress in presence of Sonia Gandhi on 23. Reddy further said he resigned due to shift in party ideolology.
Andhra Pradesh
Accusing the State government of extending full support to the promoters of the Kakinada Special Economic Zone (KSEZ) by using police power over farmers who were fighting for their land, State secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) P. Madhu on Monday said the party would call for massive transplantation in the land acquired for the purpose in the last week of December.
Telangana
Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao laid stress on constituting the Federal Front. He said that Telangana state will play a key role in the coming years in the national arena.
“The Congress and the BJP failed in solving the problems of the country. There is a need of a Federal Front,” he said, adding that he will organise the Front after the Assembly elections.
Tamil Nadu
President Ram Nath Kovind today spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami and inquired about the situation in the state in the aftermath of cyclone Gaja, which has so far claimed 45 lives.
In a tweet, the president said the people and the Government of India were ""standing by those in distress"" in Tamil Nadu.
Karnataka
The Central government has approved an additional assistance of Rs. 546.21 crore to Karnataka, which was affected by floods and landslides in August, said an official statement on Monday.
A high-level committee meeting, chaired by Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, approved the additional assistance of Rs. 546.21 crore from the National Disaster Response Fund to Karnataka, affected by floods/landslides, said the statement from New Delhi.
Kerala
BJP President Amit Shah Tuesday slammed the Pinarayi Vijayan government's handling of the situation in Sabarimala as ""disappointing"" and accused the Kerala government of treating pilgrims as ""Gulag inmates"" and making them spend nights next to ""pig droppings"".
Asserting that his party stands firmly with every Ayyappa devotee who holds the Sabarimala tradition close to his heart, the BJP President said his party will not let the LDF ""crush people's faith with impunity"".
Kerala:Activist Trupti Desai, who wants to enter Kerala's Sabarimala temple in defiance of a decades-old custom on women of menstrual age, has been blocked by hundreds of protesters at the Kochi airport since she landed at 4:30 am on Friday. The protesters, who staunchly support the restrictions on women despite the Supreme Court ending the ban in a landmark order in September, say they won't allow Trupti Desai and her six colleagues to step out of the airport. Taxi drivers say they will not take the visitors anywhere.
Tamil Nadu:Severe cyclonic storm 'Gaja' crossed between the Tamil Nadu and Puducherry coast between Nagapattinam and Vedaranniyam early Friday, with wind speed gusting up to 120 km per hour, a weather bulletin said. According to Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority, as many as 76,290 people were evacuated from low lying areas and sheltered at over 300 relief centres in six districts including Nagapattinam, Pudukottai, Ramanathapuram and Tiruvarur. Due to Cyclone Gaja, a holiday has been declared for educational institutions in Nagapattinam.
Telangana:Unaccounted cash worth Rs. 70 crore was seized in separate searches carried out in poll-bound Telangana on different occasions, since the Model Code of Conduct came into force, a poll official said today. Besides, illegal liquor worth Rs. 6.70 crore was seized by the police and income tax officers, Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Rajat Kumar told reporters in Hyderabad.
Karnataka:The Karnataka government is now among those to have entered the statue race as it plans to install a 125 feet tall one of Mother Cauvery near the Krishnarajasagara Dam on Cauvery River in Mandya district. The project, estimated to cost around Rs. 1,200 crore, will require about 400 acres of land and is expected to be ready after two years.
Andhra Pradesh:In a decision that is certain to trigger a fresh face-off with the Centre, the Andhra Pradesh government has stated that Central Bureau of Investigation personnel will now have to seek prior permission before entry into the state for official work.
The state government has issued a notification withdrawing consent accorded to officers of the investigation agency to carry out search and operations without informing it first.
Andhra Pradesh
With the election campaign heating up, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu said that the Telangana state government was unable to use Hyderabad properly due to lack of proper administrative skills. “I put Hyderabad on the global map,” he said after inspecting the construction activity in the new AP capital of Amaravati.
Telangana
Recent reports state that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao is an "agriculturist" with around Rs. 22 crores to his name but no car, according to details he submitted while filing his nomination on Wednesday for the December state election. Mr Rao - or KCR as he is popularly known - filed his papers to contest from Gajwel assembly constituency. According to the documents, KCR is richer by Rs. 7 croresince 2014, when he took over as chief minister of newly-carved Telangana. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief has listed agriculture as his profession and declared a farm income of Rs. 91.5 lakh annually.
Tamil Nadu
The cyclonic storm 'Gaja' is set to make landfall in Tamil Nadu today. The cyclonic storm will hit the Tamil Nadu coast between Cuddalore and Pamban. 'Gaja' that lay over southwest and adjoining southeast and west central Bay of Bengal is about 480 km north east of Nagapattinam and is very likely to cross coast between Pamban and Cuddalore on Thursday evening or night with a wind speed gusting upto 100 kmph, the Met office said.
Karnataka
A statue of late DMK chief M Karunanidhi will be unveiled in Chennai next month, the party announced Thursday. National level leaders of various political parties are expected to attend the function to unveil the life-size statue on December 16. It will be located alongside a refurbished statue of DMK founder and late chief minister CN Annadurai at the party headquarters here, it said.
Kerala
A few flights were rescheduled, some cancelled as the international airport in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram halted its operations for five hours Wednesday night to enable the bi-annual centuries-old ceremonial procession of the famous Padmanabha Swamy temple to pass through the runway. At least four flights were rescheduled, two cancelled as the take-off and landing operations came to a halt at the airport here between 4 pm and 9 pm to allow the traditional "Aaratu" procession of the temple, airport sources said.
Late Union Minister Ananth Kumar was cremated with State Honours on Tuesday. Senior BJP leaders had gathered to pay their final tributes to Union Minister Ananth Kumar who passed away on Monday. Journalist Santosh Thammaiah who was arrested by the Karnataka Police for derogatory remarks against Prophet Muhammad was granted bail on Tuesday evening. Santosh is the editor of the right-leaning magazine Aseema. Speaking at an event organized to protest the state govt's Tipu Jayanti celebrations, he allegedly made derogatory remarks against Prophet Mohammed. Ayyappa Dharma Sena chief Rahul Easwar said that the organization will guard the temple until next hearing. The Supreme Court decided to hear the review petitions against Sabarimala Judgment in open Court on January 22, 2019. The latest bulletin from the Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authority (TN SDMA) reads that Cyclone Gaja will make landfall around Thursday evening, a little later than what was predicted on Tuesday. The man who attacked YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy did not have security clearance to access sensitive parts of the Vishakhapatnam airport. An RTI reply by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security revealed. Soon after the Congress released their candidate list for Telangana, the Telugu Desam Party released their first list of candidates, consisting of names of people contesting from nine constituencies on Tuesday.
Karnataka:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid his last respect to Union Minister late Ananth Kumar at his residence in Bengaluru on Monday. Prime Minister Modi also met the family members of Ananth Kumar and expressed his condolences. Ananth Kumar passed away at the age of 59 while battling lung cancer.
Kerala:
The Supreme Court decided to hear the review petitions against Sabarimala Judgment in open Court on January 22, 2019. The Supreme Court will hear 49 petitions seeking review of its earlier verdict.
Tamil Nadu:
Cyclone Gaja is expected to hit the coast of Tamil Nadu on November 15. weather experts have predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall in several coastal areas from the night of November 14. Andhra Pradesh:
Former Andhra Pradesh minister C Ramachandraiah, who resigned from the Congress joined the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on Tuesday.
party president YS Jaganmohan Reddy welcomed him in Vizianagaram during its praja sankalp padayatra
Tamil superstar Rajinikanth Friday lashed out at the ruling AIADMK in Tamil Nadu for its protests against certain scenes in actor Vijay’s release ‘Sarkar’, questioning the rationale behind protesting against a film certified by the Censor Board. He “strongly condemned” the demands for deletion of scenes. He had also tweeted that “It is against the law to hold protests seeking removal of some scenes from a Censor board certified film and trying to stall the screening and damaging the banners"
Jana Sena Party chief Pawan Kalyan on Sunday addressed a massive gathering of supporters at Jaggampeta in Andhra Pradesh said that his decision to extend support to the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in 2014 was a 'mistake'. The JSP chief also said that there would not be a repeat of 2014 as the party would never entertain Naidu’s move to make his son, Nara Lokesh, the next Chief Minister of the state. He also came down heavily on Naidu and said that the administration was filled in corruption.
The Karnataka Police on Wednesday said Ballari-based mining baron and former Bharatiya Janata Party minister Janardhan Reddy is absconding. The Bengaluru Police are looking for Reddy in connection with a bribery case and accused Reddy of demanding Rs 18 crore to bail him out of a case. Reddy was a minister in the BS Yeddyurappa government at the time. The money was allegedly converted to gold and handed over to Reddy’s close aide
With the Sabarimala temple in Kerala set to reopen on November 5, the district collector in Kerala has imposed Section 144 of the CrPC in Sabarimala and nearby areas. The hill shrine in Sabarimala will be open for devotees on November 5 and 6. Prohibitory orders will be in place from Saturday midnight till Tuesday midnight.
A weather warning has been issued to fishermen in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in view of impending rains. The Tamil Nadu State Disaster Management Authorities (TNSDMA) tweeted on Thursday that strong winds from the East would be impacting the coast of North Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. Tamil Nadu DMA stated that winds would reach up to 35 to 45 kmph and that they have cautioned fisherfolk in the regions to be wary and not to venture out to sea for the next 24 hours.
Days after the attack on YS Jaganmohan Reddy inside Vizag airport, Andhra Pradesh Opposition leader and YSRCP chief has written two letters to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh. While in one he sought central intervention on the attack, in the other one he sought assistance to the state government towards Cyclone Titli relief measures by releasing funds. The letters were submitted to Rajnath Singh by YSRCP delegation
Tension following the Supreme Court verdict allowing women of all ages to enter the Sabarimala temple continues to prevail in the state of Kerala. On Saturday, the ashram of Swami Sandeepananda Giri, the director of the School of Bhagavad Gita, was attacked by unidentified men, who set ablaze two cars and a scooter parked in the compound of the ashram located in Kundamankadavu in Thiruvananthapuram. The incident took place during the early hours of Saturday and some unidentified persons set the two cars and the scooter on fire.
The Enforcement Directorate, which conducted a search and seizure operation at Amnesty lndia’s office in Bengaluru on Thursday, has stated that the NGO had violated the Foreign Transaction (Regulation) Act. The ED has frozen Amnesty’s bank accounts since the search operation began on Thursday afternoon. In a statement released to the media, the ED said that Amnesty International India Foundation Trust had received foreign funds worth Rs 36 crore through a foreign commercial route.
More than a year after 18 AIADMK MLAs, who had pledged loyalty to ousted AIADMK Deputy General Secretary and independent MLA TTV Dhinakaran, the Madras High Court upheld the Tamil Nadu Speaker’s order disqualifying them. The order will come as a relief for the Palaniswami government The verdict also means that the Election Commission have to notify bye-elections to the 18 constituencies that have fallen vacant.
The Maharishi Valmiki Award for 2018-19 has been conferred on former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda for his work in uplifting SC/ ST communities, the Karnataka government led by Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy said on Tuesday. The announcement was made by Social Welfare Minister Priyank Kharge who met the veteran politician to invite him to accept the award.
The death of Father Kattuthara at St Mary's church Monday has sent a shiver down the spine of nuns, who had protested against rape accused Bishop Franco Mulakkal. Father Kattuthara, who was a prosecution witness in the rape case had given a statement to the police against Fr Franco, was found dead on Monday morning. While the exact cause of his death is not known, Father Kattuthara ’s brother Jose Kattuthara said he was suspicious about his death
A New York Times journalist named Suhasini Raj climbed part-way up the Sabarimala hill on Thursday morning. Suhasini who was apparently climbing the hill to report on the story. Initially, the protesters began shouting at her. Suhasini reportedly told protesters, that she was 50 years old, but they remained suspicious and understood at some point along her journey that she was below the age of 50. Suhasini later told the media that she did not wish to hurt anyone's sentiments.
Franco Mulakkal, the senior Catholic priest accused of repeatedly raping a nun, has been granted bail by the Kerala High Court over three weeks after he was arrested.The priest had approached the high court for bail last month after it was rejected by a lower court. Franco Mulakkal's bail comes with certain conditions. He has been directed to surrender his passport and not enter Kerala except for appearing before the investigating office. Anusha Bhattacharya gives more insights
Former ISRO scientist Nambi Narayanan received compensation of Rs 50 lakh from the Kerala government on Tuesday, asa directed by the Supreme Court. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan presented the compensation himself to the scientist, who was wrongly accused of spying on India, thus plunging his life and career in uncertainty. The Supreme Court on September 14 had ordered the government pay Rs 50 lakh as compensation to Nambi within eight weeks for the mental trauma he was forced to undergo.
The National Ayyappa Devotees Association has filed a review petition against the landmark judgement of the Supreme Court allowing women of all ages into the famous Sabarimala shrine. According to the report, the petitioner further demanded the review petition should be considered as an appeal and allow re-appreciation of facts, evidence and law. Anusha Bhattacharya gives more insights
Telangana caretaker minister and son of TRS chief K Chandrashekar Rao, KT Rama Rao said that the TRS will not support the BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections. Rama Rao was using the Twitter platform as a means to reach out and said that the BJP and the TRS have a strong difference of opinion. He further added that TRS doesnt polarise based on any criteria and therefore there is no question of joining or aligning with them.
Hundreds of Ayyappa devotees, including women, blocked state and national highways in various parts of Kerala on Tuesday, protesting against the recent Supreme Court verdict, permitting women of all ages to worship at the hill shrine at Sabarimala. In the state capital, the activists squatted on the road from 11 am to noon, chanting Ayyappa mantras, but allowed ambulances and vehicles carrying patients to pass. The activists held aloft placards, stating that the court was not bigger than Lord Ayyappa and demanded that the state and central government enact suitable legislation to maintain the age old ban.
The Ministry of Health on Monday confirmed the reports of oral polio vaccines contaminated with the type-2 polio virus which were given to the children in Telangana and other states like Maharashtra and UP. As per the reports, a Health Ministry official confirmed that some vials of the oral polio vaccines were contaminated. The officials further added that there is no need to panic. The polio surveillance team in the three states have been asked to step up the monitoring of all those children who have been given the vaccine and keep a close watch for any symptoms.
AP BJP president Lakshminarayana said that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu misused the funds released by Centre and also donations given by people for capital construction. he said that the government did not take any initiative to develop capital city. Lakshminarayana alleged that Chief Minister Naidu was doing real estate business with the lands of Amaravati capital city. He had also asked the Chief Minister to reveal the details of donations which were given by people for capital construction.
A day after Home Minister Rajnath Singh said at a public speech in Kerala that Rohingyas have started entering Kerala, a communication from the Railway Protection Force marked ‘secret’ claimed that a huge number of Rohingyas are coming to Kerala by train. The communication is dated September 26 – a day before Rajnath Singh made his speech – and was sent from the Principal Chief Security Commissioner. The communication lists out 14 trains on which Rohingyas are supposedly travelling to Kerala and Chennai.
Despite stiff opposition Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy’s plan to start English medium in government schools is close to becoming a reality. A report from the Regional Institute of English makes it a strong point for the government of Karnataka to take this pilot run in at least 1,000 schools all across the state.
As the BJP and the Congress are debating over the alleged irregularities in the Rafale deal, the grand old party has come out with a list of 26 scams to target the ruling party. With the assembly elections to five states and the Lok Sabha elections fast approaching, Divya Spandana, the social media who heads of the Congress party, tweeted a list of “All the scams and corruption of Modi and his Govt”, with images of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, a few Union ministers and other prominent BJP leaders. The tweet was shared by more than a thousand Twitter users. Anusha Bhattacharya gives more insights on it..
Of the 50 Maoist squads who killed Araku MLA Kidari Rao, the Vishakapatanam rural police has released the pictures of three Maoist suspects including two women. These three Maoists were also identified by the police. As per reports, the Maoists who got information about the MLA's visit took the advantage and killed him along with ex-MLA Siveri Soma.
An Andhra Pradesh lawmaker and a ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader were shot dead by Maoists in Visakhapatnam district.The daylight killings today triggered violence in the area and furious locals set police stations on fire in Dumbri Guda and Araku. A lot of files were burnt and furniture was damaged in the vandalism. Rao, who was the legislator from Araku was attacked when he was returning from a party event. Eyewitnesses said they were intercepted by a large group of armed Maoists.
The Karnataka wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday accused Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy of sedition and sought action over his remark asking people to "rise in revolt" against the saffron party for its alleged attempts to destabilise the state government. Holding placards and raising slogans against Deve Gowda and kumaraswamy the BJP staged a protest terming the chief minister's remark as a "call for anarchy."
The interrogation of Bishop Franco Mulakkal, who has been accused by a nun of raping her, got underway for the third day at the hi-tech interrogation cell in the Crime Branch office today. Superintendent of Police, Kottayam, who is leading the interrogation team, had told the media on Thursday night that the interrogation will be wrapped up on Friday. The bishop has been interrogated for over 15 hours in the last two days.
According to the study, Sitting MLAs across the country have an average annual income of Rs 24.59 lakh, with Karnataka topping the charts with its legislative assembly members earning an average of over Rs 1 crore per annum.The report says that the average annual income of 3,145 sitting MLAs at Rs 24.59 lakh, with the 711 MLAs in Southern region having the highest average annual income of Rs 51.99 lakh. Anusha Bhattachraya gives more insights..
The Karnataka government on Monday announced a cut of Rs 2 in excise duty on petrol and diesel, making it the fourth state to bring down the soaring fuel rates after Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan and West Bengal. Petrol was selling at Rs 84.59 per litre in Bengaluru on Monday . Former PM and Janata party leader Deve Gowda had called this decision as commendable.
The Thailand’s ambassador to India has expressed his disappointment over procedural issues in accepting foreign assistance for relief work after floods. The ambassador posted a tweet on Thursday evening, in which he referred to the issues with the offer of foreign help. According to the ambassador Thailand had proposed government-to-government assistance but it was “politely refused” by India. In his tweet he said “I saw the suffering & I knew the private sector wanted to contribute. I just tried to find a way while respecting host government’s guidelines. I believe in perseverance... I hope they contribute the Rs 54,00,000,
Normal life in the JDS-Congress ruled Karnataka today came to a standstill as Opposition parties in the state actively participated in the Bharat bandh move, called upon by Congress president Rahul Gandhi against the rising fuel prices and depreciation of rupee. Hundreds of workers belonging to the Congress, JD(S), Left parties and various other outfits came out on the streets to ensure the bandh was a success.
To mark the first anniversary of the murder of Gauri Lankesh, the Gauri Memorial Trust has lined up events all day today. Activist Swami Agnivesh, who has been the target of attacks recently, will lead a protest march to Raj Bhavan. Prominent Kannada writers who were found to be on the hit list of the alleged killers of Gauri will be part of the march. The programme will also see the release of a tabloid published by the Gauri Media Trust.
Suspense over early Telangana elections continued on Sunday with chief minister K. Chandrashekar Rao saying the matter will be taken up and announced at an “appropriate platform” in the coming days. There has been much speculation over the possibility of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi. Talking about the state government’s recently launched ‘Rythu Bandhu’ scheme, under which every landowning farmer is given ₹4,000 per acre to bear farming costs, Rao assured that the scheme would run for as long as the TRS is in power. The TRS chief also took a dig at former governments of united Andhra Pradesh, stating the schemes launched earlier were “destructive” for the people of Telangana.
Amid strong indications of early elections in Telangana, the ruling TRS is all set to hold a massive show of strength here on Sunday. The rally will be preceded by a meeting of the state cabinet, which is likely to take a decision on the early polls. According to the leaders of TRS, Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will take “key decisions” at the cabinet meeting and announce them at the public meeting.The cabinet may pass a resolution to dissolve the Assembly and recommend this to Governor Narasimhan. If the Election Commission agrees, the polls may be held in December along with the elections in three other states. The massive mobilisation of people is expected to hit the traffic as thousands of vehicles will be heading towards the venue.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu met Karnataka Chief Minister HD KumaraSwamy at Gateway hotel here this morning, enroute to Tirupati tour. In a brief meeting, both of them discussed on the necessity of unity among all regional parties, especially in South India. The meeting continued for half an hour. The Chief Ministers said that all the regional parties should come together to defeat the NDA govt. Both the Chief Ministers stressed the need for unity of all regional parties.#HWNewsEnglish #PoliticalNews #News
Telugu actor and former Rajya Sabha member Nandamuri Harikrishna was killed in a road accident near Telangana’s Nalgonda district today early morning. He was 61. He was the fourth son of N. T. Rama Rao, former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and founder of the Telugu Desam Party. Mr. Harikrishna suffered a severe head injury after he was thrown out of his speeding car, which rammed into a divider. He was declared “dead” by the doctors at the Hospital, which was 15 kms away from accident site. At around 5.45 a.m., the car rammed into a divider near Anneparthy, colliding with an oncoming SUV. Two other occupants in the car sustained minor injuries. Special permission has been obtained to conduct postmortem at the hospital, replacing the procedure at the District Government Hospital. Anusha Bhattacharya gives more insights
DMK leader MK Stalin was elevated as the party President, being elected unopposed to the top post on Tuesday that is on August 28. At the party's General Council meeting held in Chennai DMK General Secretary said that Stalin was elected unopposed, as he was the sole candidate who had filed nomination for the party chief's post. The 65-year-old Stalin's elevation comes about three weeks after the death of his father and party president M Karunanidhi on August 7.
Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy on Sunday sought to put an end to the war of words between Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and his Cabinet colleagues, Deputy CM G Parameshwara and Tourism Miinister Sa.Ra.Mahesh over the Union Minister losing her cool during her visit to the flood-hit Kodagu district. The CM personally called her on Sunday, expressed his regret and requested her to forget the whole matter. the CM had also tweeted a two page letter where he said that he looks forward to the continued support for the central government and in particular to the defense minister.
Union Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on friday lost her cool at a press conference in Karnataka. Sitharaman blasted Karnataka minister Sa Ra Mahesh during the press conference. Sitharaman got upset when she was asked to wrap up the press conference due to lack of time. She said that she was following the "minute-to-minute" programme that was given to her. Nirmala Sitharaman, who is a minister from Karnataka, visited Kodagu today and had also offered Rs 1 crore from the Members of Parliament Local Area Development) fund for the district. Anusha Bhattacharya gives more insights
Supreme Court directs that the water level at Mullaperiyar reservoir be maintained at 139 ft till August 31 in view of Kerala floods. Earlier Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Friday dismissed the Kerala government’s allegation in the Supreme Court that sudden release of water from Mullaiperiyar Dam by Tamil Nadu had led to flood in the neighbouring states. Earlier, Mr. Palaniswami inspected the collapsed regulator himself inspecting the damaged structure and also got into the river for a closer look at the damaged portion. He announced that a new regulator would be built at a cost of ₹410 crores across the Coleroon river about 100 metres away from the regulator that had collapsed. Temporary repairs to plug the breached regulator would be completed in four days said the CM. Anusha Bhattacharya gives more insights..
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Tuesday announced that the UAE has extended Rs. 700 crore as financial assistance to rebuild the flood-hit state. The UAE has been one of the first countries to offer solidarity with the people in Kerala. The UAE is home to several people from Kerala who have moved there. According to estimates, there are 2 million Indians in the UAE, who form around 30 per cent of the country's population. The UAE government had also formed a national emergency committee to help the flood victims. Anusha Bhattacharya gives more insights..
"With water receding in flood-hit areas the Centre has directed the government departments and forces to focus on ensuring emergency supplies of food, water, medicines and restoration of essential services such as power, fuel, telecom and transport links as the death toll went up to 361. Rainfall in flood-ravaged Kerala will gradually subside this week, bringing some relief to the state currently in the middle of one of its worst crises. Kerala has recorded 164% excess rainfall in this month alone, said the weather office. Commercial flight operations from the Naval airport at Kochi commenced today with the first Air India flight from Bengaluru arriving on Monday morning. At least a thousand people are still stranded at five villages around Chengannur. Anusha Bhattacharya gives more insights..
With death toll rising over 100 and more than one lakh people living in relief camps across the state, a red alert was sounded in 11 of the 14 Kerala districts. The Centre on Thursday deployed all three wings of the armed forces in a massive rescue operation. Helicopters airlifted stranded families from rooftops and dam gates were thrown open as heavy rain brought fresh havoc. North and central Kerala has been worst hit by the floods. Cochin airport has been shut till Saturday after water flooded the complex. Southern Railways and Kochi Metro today suspending their operations due to floods . Anusha Bhattacharya gives more insights
Kerala Chief Minister Vijayan on Wednesday wrote to his counterpart in Tamil Nadu and sought his intervention in regulating water level at the Mullaperiyar dam at 139 feet from the permissible 142 feet. Kerala has been battered by unabated rainfall that has led to heavy flooding and landslides. At least 87 people have died in the state so far even as a red alert has been sounded in 12 of the 14 districts. Water from Mullaperiyar flows down to Idukki reservoir, which is already brimming with a storage of 2,397 feet against its maximum capacity of 2,403 feet.
Congress President Rahul Gandhi criticised the ruling TRS, accusing it of failing to check corruption in Telangana. Rahul Gandhi described telangana as the "corruption capital" in his recent Telangana rally and alleging that only 'one family' government is running the state. Anusha Bhattacharya gives more insights.
"Kerala’s Finance Minister Thomas Isaac today described the Centre’s immediate relief of Rs 100 crore for the flood-affected state as inadequate. Monsoon fury over the last four days has killed 37 people and displaced almost 1 lakh in Kerala. Kerala Chief Minister Vijayan had sought Rs 1,120 crore as immediate relief in a petition to the Centre on Sunday. But after a day-long aerial survey on Sunday, Union home minister Rajnath Singh announced Rs 100 crore as immediate relief. Anusha Bhattacharya gives more insights on this..
Tamil Nadu has topped in terms of value of banking-related crimes so far this financial year. The data was revealed on the last day of the monsoon session of Parliament. The data was presented by the finance minister of the state Shiv Pratap Shukla in reply to a question on ATM robberies. The Minister said specific data on incidents of ATM robberies was not available. 7 incidents were reported in Tamil Nadu, but the value was higher when compared to other states, which is around 8.24 crore. Anusha Bhattacharya gives more insights on this..
DMK patriarch M Karunanidhi will have its burial site at Chennai's Marina Beach, the madras high court decided today as thousands mourned the death of the last of the towering politicians of Tamil Nadu. Karunanidhi's son MK Stalin was seen breaking down, surrounded by DMK leaders. A loud cheer rose up from thousands of supporters outside. Mourners, including politicians and celebrities, streamed into Rajaji Hall in Chennai to pay tribute to the leader where body was kept. PM modi too had visited Chennai to pay his respect.
A temple priest from Kerala's Thrissur district has been arrested on Monday for allegedly threatening to kill President Ram Nath Kovind who is on a three-day visit in the state. The person has been identified as Jayaraman, a priest of Chirakkal temple in Thrissur. President Kovind had arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday evening. The President will also inaugurate the 'Festival of Democracy' to mark the conclusion of the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Kerala Legislative Assembly on Monday. HW News correspondent Anusha Bhattacharya gives more insights on this case.
This segment brings all the latest news and updates from the states of South India. An Alappuzha native, Vimalraj, wielding a knife in hand managed to sneak into the presence of chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan at the Kerala House in New Delhi. He was immediately restrained and handed over to the police. CMO sources said it's suspected that the attacker is of unsound mind. According to reports, the suspect had tried to commit suicide in front of CM Vijayan. The incident happened at around 9.45 am today. More details awaited. Miss Anusha Bhattacharya gives more insights about the case.
The state government has launched 'Mukhya Mantri-Yuva Nestham', a scheme through which an allowance of Rs 1000 per month will be provided to unemployed youth in the state. The decision was taken in a state cabinet meeting held in Amaravathi. "The scheme will be extended to all those eligible even if there are more than one beneficiary in a family. The state government will implement the scheme in a very transparent manner like pension scheme. The money will be credited directly into the bank accounts through biometric authentication. About 12 lakh youths in the age group of 22-35 years will get the benefit of the scheme. The registration for the scheme will start mid-August.
"Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MPs on Wednesday continued their two week-long protest to demand special status for Andhra Pradesh. The MPs gathered in Parliament premises in front of Gandhi statue to get their voices heard.The party leaders raised slogans on the special status issue. Andhra's ruling party and the Centre have been at loggerheads for the past few months over the special status issue. Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu has vowed to wage an uncompromising fight against the NDA Government for “betraying” the state over the Special Category Status (SCS) issue and other promises made at the time of bifurcation of the State.
Demand for separate North Karnataka state puts JD(S)-Congress in crisis. Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy is now battling the first major political crisis of his two-month-old coalition regime for a separate North Karnataka state picking up. Leaders from the region, consisting of 13 districts, are planning a bandh on August 2 to press their demand. An eight-month pregnant woman in Andhra Pradesh was carried by her husband and other villagers for 12 km through a forest so she could make it to an ambulance. 22-year-old Jindamma, who was suffering labour pains, gave birth on the way. Her baby boy died before she could get to the ambulance.
South Connect brings latest news and updates from Southern States. A lawyer turned activist Ajit Nayak was killed on his way home in Dandeli. The identity of the attackers is still unknown. Nayak was on his way home after finishing work. An audiotape of a Kerala church priest and a nun has emerged in the light of sexual assault incident. The priest in the leaked audio conversation is threatening the un to withdraw the case if she wants an asylum. The security was increased outside Kauvery Hospital on Sunday where ailing DMK chief M Karunanidhi has been admitted. YSR Congress chief Jaganmohan Reddy announced that he cannot assure reservations to Kapus if he was elected to power. The Telangana government is planning to roll a Mid-Day Meals scheme.#HWNewsEnglish #PoliticalNews #News
South Connect brings latest news and updates from Southern States. DMK chief Karunanidhi shifted to ICU, supporters gather outside Kauvery Hospital. BJP MLA B Sriramulu supports North Karnataka Demand. National Commission of Women reccommends banning confession practice in church, Kerala Catholic Bishop Council rejects. Telangana government approves allocation of land to political parties to construct party offices. Watch the video to see the news in detail.
South connect segment brings you latest news from across the southern states. 1. Karnataka has been named the new national leader in renewable energy generation. 2. Kerala doctors confirmed the 2 years old boy's death was not due to Shigella. 3. The Tamil Nadu government submitted a video footage of late Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalitha in the Madras High Court to prove that she was not pregnant. 4. Nirmala Sitharaman snubbed the AIADMK party man O Pannerselvam and declared that there was no appointment scheduled. 5. Former PM Manmohan Singh said that the assurance to Andhra Pradesh was made by him on behalf of parliament and he expected it to be fulfilled by the government. 6. After Andhra Pradesh, now in telangana too the demand for special status is gaining ground.
1. HD Deve Gowda has backed Rahul Gandhi for the prime ministerial post. 2. While Congress is working on seat sharing formulas with JDS, BJP is set to drop old faces. 3. Malayali women start Ready To Wait campaign aimed to support the restriction on entry of Women in Kerala's Sabarimala temple. 4. The Centre confirmed o that groundwater in the Thoothukudi where Sterlite is located, is polluted. 5. The work for building Andhra Pradesh's new capital Amravati has taken a hit after Hyderabad court stayed the land acquisition at Undavalli village. 6. To reduce the pollution in the capital city, Hyderabad Metro Rail Corporation has launched electric bike service. The Metro e-bikes will cost as low as Rs 4 per kilometre.
1. KPCC Chief Dinesh Gundu Rao held a meeting of party workers in Bengaluru and asked them to be ready for the Early Lok Sabha Polls. 2. The Special Investigation Team has held seventh accused in the Gauri Lankesh murder case. 3. The ruling Left Democratic Front in Kerala is all set to expand its base of allies. 4. Kerala has been ranked the no.1 state as the best-governed state in the country. 5. The AIADMK government has come under fire from the opposition DMK for not supporting the No- Confidence Motion. 6. Jaganmohan Reddy had announced that the party will launch a statewide bandh starting from July 24
In the South Connect segment, we bring you important news updates from Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. While BJP MPs have raked up the expensive Iphones and leather bag gift issue, Karnataka Minister D K Shivakumar has refuted that public exchequer has been affected. Kerala, on the other hand, witnessed another VIP arrogance case with MLA PC George breaking the barrier at Thrissur toll plaza. In Andhra Pradesh, TDP MP Diwakar Reddy has refused to participate in parliamentary proceedings despite party issuing a whip. Telangana Congress workers are irked as the state gets no representation in the CWC.
"1. Karnataka:
Days after Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy cried in the party meeting, a senior Congressman said some of the leaders from the party are tormenting the CM. Kumaraswamy had said that holding on to the coalition is like drinking poison. However, he has retracted his statement now saying his speech was misreported and the coalition is strong. This incident had also prompted a response from finance minister Arun Jaitley. He tweeted, ""Listening to these statements of Hon'ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, my memory took me back to the tragedy era of Hindi cinema. However, the newly appointed KPCC Chief Dinesh gundu Rao hit back at him saying Jaitley should first look into bjp's effort of stitching an unholy alliance. It has been Barely 50 days since the Congress-JDS post-poll alliance formed the government in Karnataka and the cracks are becoming more apparent. Now people are wondering whether this will repeat on the national level if the opposition coalition comes to power.
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