Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge's aide arrested for drug possession in Maharashtra
A controversy has erupted in Bihar over the Election Commission's claims regarding foreign nationals in the state's electoral rolls. The poll panel sources alleged that individuals from Nepal, Bangladesh, and Myanmar holding Indian documents were found during the revision of electoral rolls. In response, the Bihar Leader of Opposition dismissed these claims, likening the sources to 'urine'. The opposition leader questioned the credibility of media sources, comparing them to rumours about capturing Pakistani cities. BJP and allies retaliated, accusing the opposition of abusing and relying on illegal voters. The clash has intensified the ongoing tussle between the Election Commission and the opposition in Bihar.
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The Hindu
29 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Issue new ration cards to all eligible beneficiaries: BJP
The BJP has demanded the government to issue new ration cards to all eligible beneficiaries as it had promised and wanted it to acknowledge the Centre's contribution towards free distribution of foodgrains under the PM 'Garib Kalyan Yojana' on Monday. Party president N. Ramchander Rao, who is currently on a tour to Nalgonda, told a meeting of party workers that the Congress government has not been giving due credit to the Modi government for the foodgrains supply and had even removed the Prime Minister's photo from the ration shops. The BJP leader also warned against restricting the issuance of new ration cards to ruling party followers as is being alleged in certain quarters. He also criticised the BRS government for not issuing a single new ration card during its two terms in power. The newly elected State president was received with enthusiasm by the party cadre during his road journey as his convoy was halted at many places with the former being profusely garlanded. During his interactions with various groups, Mr. Rao once again reiterated the party's stand against the inclusion of 10% quota for Muslims in the 42% BC quota. The former MLC pointed out that the Supreme Court had rejected reservations based on religion and said BC would be losing out if Muslims were included in the category. There is no point in criticising the Centre when it is the Congress government which had brought the BCs quota bill in the Legislative Assembly, hence the onus on implementing is on the latter, maintained Mr. Rao. 'We are not against BC quota but only against the quota based on religion,' he declared. The government has been in power for 18 months but is yet to act on the pending SLBC and Didi irrigation projects, he complained. The party is taking the local body polls in all seriousness and will contest for all posts from the village level to the district level. His call for the cadre is to ensure the party flag is hoisted in every village of his home district. The Revanth Reddy government has cheated the farmers and students, instead of taking up the promised schemes. Farmers' suicides have been continuing unabated and pending fee reimbursement has thrown the education sector into a crisis, said Mr. Rao. Just like the BRS government, the current regime too is mired in corruption coupled with policy failures, hence the time is ripe for the BJP to give confidence to the people that a double engine government alone can develop Telangana, he added.
India Today
41 minutes ago
- India Today
Is ULFA still a thorn in India's side?
On July 13, the separatist group United Liberation Front of Asom's (ULFA) Independent faction issued a press statement alleging a wave of drone attacks on four of their bases inside Myanmar at dawn that day. It claimed the strikes killed three of their top commanders, including Lieutenant General Nayan Medhi alias Nayan Asom. 19 have allegedly been killed and 19 more injured. The Paresh Baruah-led insurgent group blamed India for the strikes, but the Indian military has denied getting into claims and counter-claims, it is highly unusual for a rebel group like the ULFA-I to admit reverses because it affects the morale of its ranks. The more important question one needs to address, however, is how important or relevant the ULFA-I is anymore. Does it constitute a major threat to Indian security forces in the northeast?To answer this question, one needs to remember that a faction of the ULFA had already signed an agreement with the Centre and the Assam state government in December 2023. This was the pro-talks faction led by Arabinda Rajkhowa, and included most top leaders who had been handed over to India by Bangladesh after Sheikh Hasina took over as Prime Minister in January 2009. The Bangladesh crackdown left the ULFA with only bases in the deep hilly jungles of Myanmar's Sagaing region - bases in Bhutan had been earlier demolished in 2003 by the Royal Army in Operation All Clear, which the Indian Army Myanmar Army has occasionally responded to Indian pressure and nabbed some rebels. But it has never launched any major crackdown by the security forces in Bhutan or Bangladesh. This is partly because it's busy fighting many powerful insurgencies within the country, and partly because groups such as the ULFA are located in remote, hilly, somewhat inaccessible, jungle an Indian government that is committed to putting an end to insurgencies, be it in Kashmir, Maoist-affected areas, or the northeast, the denial of the Myanmar borderlands as a base is a high priority. It is in this context that the ULFA's Independent faction becomes Naga rebel factions like the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Isak-Muivah) are trying to negotiate a final settlement with India — they have been going on since 1997. Only the NSCN's Khaplang faction remains hostile. But it's made up mostly of Burmese Nagas and focuses on controlling areas in the Naga Self-Administered Zone in Myanmar. The ULFA-Independent is based in those areas, along with some Meitei rebel groups of Manipur, with support from pitch for complete settlementThe Assam government under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has already offered an olive branch to Paresh Baruah, even as he's made an agreement with the pro-talks faction. His approach and that of the Centre — where he has considerable influence — has been to bring all rebel factions into a fruitful dialogue. This approach brought all rebel factions of the Bodo tribe to the table and led to a comprehensive settlement in 2020. The ULFA-I is the only remaining major group in Assam left behind in the may argue that the group's strength has depleted a lot due to desertions and arrests, and a drop in recruitment. The surrender of its deputy commander-in-chief, Drishti Rajkhowa, in November 2020 was a severe blow; as was the recent arrest of another top commander, Rupam ULFA's appeal amongst Assamese youth is nowhere near what it was in the 1990s. Repeated splits in the organisation and loss of bases in Bhutan and Bangladesh have made it weaker than thus believe this is the right time to strike blows and redouble efforts to bring the ULFA-I to the table. This is consistent with the Centre's approach against the Maoist rebels in central India. The offer for talks made to Paresh Baruah remains valid, but since there is no ceasefire in place. Indian forces can strike whenever and wherever feasible. Strikes that lead to the loss of senior activists hurt a rebel faction, which already faces a dearth of experienced commanders, and may be a factor in initiating force or a renewed threat?The ULFA-I's effective fighting strength may not be in the thousands anymore, but the group cannot be taken lightly for two reasons: One, while it may lack the ability to attack security forces through ambushes like the Naga or Meitei rebel group, it is capable of sabotage operations, having launched attacks on oil storage depots and gas pipelines before. Since Assam has many critical infrastructure facilities like oil refineries in place, this threat cannot be taken with the regime change in neighbouring Bangladesh leading to the ouster of the India-friendly regime of Sheikh Hasina, the possibility of Paresh Baruah returning to revamp ULFA-I bases in the country cannot be ruled out. He has contacts in the Bangladesh intelligence community, anti-Indian political parties, and Pakistan's ISI, whose agents became active after Hasina's some in Indian security architecture may feel this is the right time to neutralise the ULFA-I, either by bringing Paresh Baruah to the table or by engineering large-scale desertions by demoralising the rank and Assembly polls are due in March-April next year. Any achievement on the insurgency front — starting talks or engineering large-scale surrenders — will help boost the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in what is the pivotal state of India's northeast.(Subir Bhaumik is a former BBC and Reuters correspondent and author who has worked in Bangladesh as a senior editor with Ends(Views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author)Must Watch
The Hindu
41 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Development works are our answer to the opposition, says CM
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, on Monday, highlighted the development projects undertaken in Indi of Vijayapura district and said that it the government's answer to the criticism by the Opposition. The Chief Minister also invited the Opposition for an open public debate, adding that he would demonstrate the documents showing the projects undertaken by the government in various regions. 'Today, we laid the foundation stone for projects worth Rs 4,157 crore and inaugurated several other projects worth Rs 401 crore. We launched developmental projects worth around ₹4,559 crore in Indi in a single day. What more proof is required that we are treading a path of development? The BJP and JD(S) are always falsely accusing us of running out of funds for development. I would like to tell the people that we have set aside Rs 83,000 crore for development projects, apart from the guarantee schemes. I am inviting the opposition leaders for an open public debate. I will demonstrate, using proper documents, that we have taken up several development projects in every region. Let the people of the State decide,' the CM said during the launch event in Indi in Vijayapura district on Monday. Mr. Siddaramaiah released the logo of the Karnataka State Lime Development Board on the occasion. He said that during his two tenures as CM, the focus was on the all-round development of the district. 'We have given priority to irrigation and horticulture in the district. We have completed long-pending major and medium irrigation projects, launched lift irrigation schemes, taken up mini irrigation projects like filling of tanks and lakes, construction of farm ponds, and expanded drip irrigation coverage. This has changed the face of Vijayapura. The region that was earlier branded as a dry land is now the land of growing horticulture crops. The last time I came here, I heard that farmers were uprooting lemon trees. I promised to help them and we have kept the promise,' the CM said. 'We have started the KLSDB only to organise lime farmers and help them get better prices for their produce, and to promote entrepreneurship by taking up the production of value-added farm produce. Do we need more proof that ours is a pro-development government? Our answer to the BJP's propaganda is through development,'' he said. Mr. Siddaramaiah said that the people of the State have seen through the lies of the BJP and JD(S). 'They have been saying we are bankrupt. But we are responding to their propaganda through development and welfare programmes. Our welfare programmes are so successful that other party governments are using them as models. After the launch of the Shakti guarantee scheme, 500 crore women travelled for free, 1.23 crore families have received monthly support under Grihalakshmi, and over 1.64 crore houses are getting 200 units of power supply for free under the Gruha Jyothi scheme. Crores of Kannadigas have benefited from Annabhagya and Yuvanidhi schemes. I appeal to the people not to believe in the lies of the BJP-JD(S). I challenge the BJP to respond to the development projects that are right in front of their eyes,' he said. He praised Congress MLA Yashwantrayagouda Patil as a wise and pragmatic politician who knows how to get funds for his constituency from various departments. 'He is committed to the development of his constituency and we are committed to the development of the State,' he said. Speaking on occasion, Mr. Patil urged the CM to set up a regional development board for the Kittur Karnataka region. 'You are gracious enough to release Rs 5,000 crore to the Kalyan Karnataka regional development board. We request to set up a similar board for our region, which is also among the backward regions of the State, and release special funds for its development. I request you to announce this in the Cabinet meeting that is likely to be held in Vijayapura in the coming months,'' Mr. Patil said. He demanded additional funds and projects for the Karnataka State Lime Development Board. The inaugurated projects include 19 lakes built at a cost of ₹232 crore, a mega market built in Indi town at a cost of ₹30 crore, and Jal Jeevan Mission projects worth ₹110 crore. Foundation stone was laid for the Sri Revanasiddeshwara lift irrigation project works of over ₹3,000 crore, Tidagundi branch irrigation canal extension and pipeline canals at ₹534 crore, roads and bridges at a cost of ₹331 crore and a Government Tool room and Training college at a cost of ₹73 crore, the MLA said. Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar, Ministers H.C. Mahadevappa, Dinesh Gundu Rao, M.B. Patil, H.K. Patil, Shivanand S. Patil, and Sharan Prakash Patil, among other leaders were present.
