TDP MLA Ganta Srinivasa Rao ridicules ‘Vennupotu Dinam', he says Jagan has not learnt a lesson yet
Addressing a press conference at his residence in the city on Wednesday (May 4, 2025), Mr Ganta Srinivasa Rao said that typically, when a political party loses an election, their leader assesses the reasons behind the loss, conducts meetings with the cadre, and prepares strategies to rebuild public trust. However, in the case of Mr. Reddy, it seems like he believes the people committed a mistake by not voting for him. The former CM is unable to accept the fact that people have rejected him, he added.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao alleged that over the past week, the YSRCP leaders have been staging unnecessary drama in the name of 'Vennupotu Dinam'. He also questioned the YSRCP leaders, what exactly is the purpose behind 'Vennupotu Dinam'.
'Is it to restart the Amaravati capital works that the YSRCP halted in the name of three capitals? Is it to secure funds for the Polavaram project or to bring the Prime Minister to Andhra Pradesh to lay the foundation for development projects worth thousands of crores?', he questioned.
He further asked, 'Is it to revive the long-pending Metro Rail project or establish the Railway Zone which the YSRCP neglected? Is it to arrange a ₹12,000 crore financial package for the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP), to which the former CM did not make a single attempt to protect it from privatisation?'
The Bheemunipatnam MLA also dared the YSRCP leaders to come for a constructive debate on the implementation of promises made in their manifesto, instead of organising events like 'Vennupotu Dinam,' which he opined as meaningless.
The MLA also criticised former CM Mr. Reddy, stating that the previous government took five years to raise pensions by just ₹1,000. He also accused the YSRCP of failing to fulfil major promises, such as liquor prohibition, the release of a job calendar, and a few others.
He also stated that in the last one year, under the NDA government, several important assurances have already been implemented, including the Mega DSC recruitment drive, the revival of Anna Canteens, abolition of Land Titling Act, distribution of free LPG cylinders through the Deepam scheme, increase in pensions. He also reiterated that Chief Minister has already announced that the government will launch the 'Thalli Ki Vandanam' scheme on June 12, before the reopening of schools and also offer free bus travel for women starting August 15.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
39 minutes ago
- Indian Express
As Nitish govt faces attacks on law and order, numbers show why crime in Bihar among India's highest
As Assembly elections approach, a recent spate of murders – the latest on Thursday, when five gunmen shot and killed a notorious criminal on parole inside a private hospital in Patna – has sparked a political row over law and order in Bihar. The Opposition has long been attacking the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government, with RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav claiming that Bihar has descended into 'chaos' under the leadership of an 'unconscious CM'. Even Chirag Paswan, who heads the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) and is a part of the NDA, has now said that the recent murders 'demonstrate the complete collapse of law and order in Bihar'. While Nitish Kumar is credited across the board for reversing the trend of 'jungle raj' in Bihar, over the last decade under him, data from the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) and the Bihar Police's state-level figures accessed by The Indian Express shows that crime is rising. The rise in the overall number of crimes in Bihar has been 80.2% from 2015 to 2024, as per the State Crime Records Bureau (SCRB) data. In contrast, from 2015 to 2022, according to the latest available national-level data, India saw an increase in overall crimes of 23.7%. The number of crimes in Bihar has risen every year since 2015 – barring 2016, 2020 (when the Covid-19 pandemic struck), and 2024. The highest year-on-year increase was recorded in 2017, when crime rose by 24.4%. In 2022, there were 3.5 lakh crimes in Bihar, up 23.3% from the previous year. In contrast, crime fell at the national level – by 4.5% in 2022 and 7.7% in 2021. The latest SCRB data shows the number of crimes rose in 2023 to 3.54 lakh, before falling marginally to 3.52 lakh in 2024. As of June 2025, Bihar has seen 1.91 lakh crimes, more than half what was recorded in 2024. Since 2015, Bihar has been among the 10 worst states in terms of overall cases of crimes. Adjusted for population, though, Bihar's rate of crimes per lakh people has been significantly below the national average. In 2022, Bihar recorded the seventh highest number of crimes at a rate of 277 cases per lakh population. However, India recorded an overall crime rate of 422 cases per lakh population. In fact, after 2015, Delhi reported the highest crime rate for five years, while Kerala ranked the worst for three years. This, however, is also a factor of registration of cases, which could be higher in Delhi and Kerala due to the economic and educational status of its residents. Though Bihar's overall crime rate did not exceed the national average in any year since 2015, the NCRB data shows that Bihar's law and order issues stem from a consistently higher-than-national-average incidence of violent crime. Take murder, for instance. While overall murder cases have fallen from 3,178 in 2015 to 2,930 in 2022, Bihar has ranked second-highest in the country for the number of murders each year since 2015, behind only the much more populous Uttar Pradesh. The number of attempted murders has risen in Bihar, from 5,981 in 2015 to 8,667 in 2022, putting the state at second-highest after UP again. According to the latest SCRB data accessed by The Indian Express, Bihar recorded 1,379 murders till June 2025, compared to 2,786 in all of 2024 and 2,863 in 2023. [CHART: Murders and attempted murders in Bihar]Adjusted for population, in 2022 for example, Bihar recorded 2.3 murders and 6.9 attempted murders per lakh population, exceeding the national average of 2.1 and 4.1, respectively. Over the past decade, while Bihar's murder rate peaked at 3.1 in 2015, the rate of attempted murders was highest in 2017 at 9.1. However, owing to its large population, Bihar's rates of murder and attempted murder make it a middle-of-the-pack state – it ranked among the top-10 states for murder only in 2017 and had the 12th highest murder rate in 2022. However, the state has been in the top five for the rate of attempted numbers every year from 2015 to 2022, suggesting a persistent issue. In 2017, Bihar recorded the second-highest rate of attempted murders. The most common motive for murder in Bihar has consistently been property disputes, which was the most cited reason in all but one year from 2015 to 2022. In 2018, there were 1,016 murders linked to property disputes, the highest on record in this period. As a share of all murders, property-related cases peaked at 36.7% in 2017. In 2022, personal vendetta was the most common motive for murder at 804 cases or 27.4% of all murders. In fact, Bihar has reported the most murders linked to property disputes every year from 2015 to 2022, except in 2018 when UP was on top. While Bihar had recorded the fourth-highest number of murders linked to personal vendetta in 2015, it has been first on this measure from 2018 to 2022. Data shared by the Bihar Police showed that the top motive in 2025 (till June) was personal vendetta, with 513 cases accounting for 37.8% of all murders. Property disputes, at 139 cases, accounted for 10.2% of murders. Behind the high incidence of murder in Bihar are violations of the Arms Act, 1959. The Bihar Police, in a report published earlier this year, identified the prevalence of fake arms licences, illegal firearms and unauthorised sale of ammunition as the primary reasons behind rising violent crime over the last decade. From 2015 to 2022, the number of Arms Act violations rose from 1,846 to 3,549 – an increase of 92.3% – with a majority of cases linked to unlicenced weapons. On this front, Bihar has ranked in the worst five states every year from 2015 to 2022, except in 2016 when it was sixth. In the same period, it was UP that recorded the most Arms Act cases. But as a rate, Bihar has gone from seeing 1.8 Arms Act cases per lakh population in 2015 to 2.8 in 2022, putting it consistently below the national average, which stood at 5.8 in 2022. Among other violent crimes, Bihar has reported an increase from 2015 to 2022 in the number of kidnappings (65.9%), robberies (39.2%), cases voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means (61.3%), and cases of voluntarily causing grievous hurt (17.7%). In 2022, Bihar figured among the top five states for kidnapping, robberies and voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means, and in the top 10 for voluntarily causing grievous hurt. Though cases of dacoity and extortion have dropped considerably in Bihar, it ranks third and seventh respectively among the states. Adjusted for population, Bihar falls below the national average for cases per lakh population for a number of violent crimes. However, in 2022, the state's 13.1 cases per lakh of voluntarily causing grievous hurt and 9.4 kidnappings per lakh are above the national averages of 6.2 and 7.8, respectively. But as per the Bureau of Police Research and Development, which falls under the Union Home Ministry, Bihar has the most stretched police force in the country as of January 2023. At 114.57 police personnel per lakh population, Bihar has the lowest such ratio among the states and higher than only the UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu. With a sanctioned strength of 1.44 lakh, Bihar's police force is understaffed with as many as 42,000 vacancies, which is the third-largest such deficit among all states. This is despite spending a larger share of its Budgetary outlay on the police than states like Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Telangana in 2022-23 and having the seventh highest number of police stations in the country.
Scroll.in
an hour ago
- Scroll.in
‘Tiger Lessons': A compelling novel about the shared existence of humans and animals in the forests
'When a hundred lives are lying hungry in the backyard, how can I eat food here?' Gurappa questions his family when they ask him to eat his meal in peace without bothering about the sheep in the pen. Just like other shepherds in his village, Gurappa measures his own happiness by the merry bleatings of his sheep. The fact that he was unable to enjoy his meal while the animals starved was far-fetched for his family. It often earned him a look of disapproval from them. But it reveals Gurappa's character immediately, and along with it, the worldview of this unusual and striking novel. Konda Polam by Sannapureddy Venkatarami Reddy has been translated into English as Tiger Lessons by Narasimha Kumar from the Telugu. It explores the lives of shepherds, locally known as gollas while their village, situated at the foothills of the Nallamala forests in the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh, experiences the devastating consequences of famine. The novel captures the ordeals of the gollas during Konda Polam, a practice where shepherds take their flocks to graze deep inside the forests during famine. This period was particularly difficult for shepherds as food and water were scarce. They had to survive on rationed food of hard millet rotis, jaggery, pickles, onions, and rice. As if surviving on rationed food for weeks on end was not enough, the constant anxiety of not having enough water for themselves and their flock increased their hardship. The rustic idiom For someone like me who has lived their entire childhood immersed in nature, over time, I have developed a deep appreciation for the natural world. The dense and detailed description of pastoral life in Tiger Lessons can only be explained by Reddy's true understanding of the Nallamala region. He evocatively portrays the truth of such a life, the communities' resilience, and their ability to withstand environmental shocks while adapting to their new circumstances. Reddy's words have a magical way of climbing into the readers' hearts. I would like to especially mention the exquisite description of the fortitude of shepherds during Konda Polam. Tiger Lessons offers an honest perspective of everyday experiences and emotions of the golla, as well as yaanadi, and sugaali tribes who live in the Nallamala region. In fact, the translation of local Telugu idioms and proverbs adds a layer of richness to the story. It is these unique elements that make this novel a captivating read. The tribesmen's banter and witticisms signify how individuals and groups blend into social structures, systems, or networks, often with long-standing historical or cultural roots. Though a few aspects of the translation might appear unrefined to a sensitive reader, I believe that for a translator who wants to capture realities as they are, he chooses this route to convey unpleasant truths. In this novel, Kumar appears to have rejected an idealised translation style. 'Springs of the Eternal Soul', 'Mead of the Bald Oxen', 'Guy with Crooked Ears', 'Frolic Springs', and 'Pile of Bean Creepers' – the names of places awakened wistfulness in me for a time that is long bygone, and to a land into which I have never stepped into. However, when a novel narrates a life across several pages, its novelty wears off after a while. In Tiger Lessons, while this may be the case, the author introduces surprise elements to keep the story interesting. A disruptive moment comes when the gollas encounter tigers from whom they must defend themselves and their flock. There is another unusual scene featuring the courtship behaviours of a male and a female python. The male follows a trail of scent and mating calls left by the female, eventually copulating in the wilderness. It is impossible for a reader not to be struck by the skill and artistry woven into these descriptions, especially those of the animal kingdom. A hard, merciless world Tiger Lessons also draws attention to social injustices faced by the yaanadi tribe through the lens of true events, where, driven by greed, vested interests commit environmental crimes by exploiting natural resources. The tribe who ekes out living by fishing, hunting, and foraging – wild turmeric, hill pepper, jungle millets, medicinal herbs, and various edible roots get sucked into a world of crime. Reddy writes piercingly about the organised red sandalwood smugglers who thrive in the Nallamala forests. These smugglers cater to a lucrative black market by turning the poor yaanadis into scapegoats. A tribe that possesses only forest survival skills, therefore, becomes easy prey to law enforcement agencies. The realism is deepened by the fact that Reddy grew up only a few miles from the foothills of the Nallamala ranges. Tiger Lessons also reminded me of Man-Eaters of Kumaon, The Temple Tiger, and The Man-eating Leopard of Rudraprayag by Jim Corbett, not in the way that Corbett, a hunter, naturalist, and writer, tracked man-eating tigers and leopards, but more in terms of the writing style. Tiger Lessons encourages patience, persistence, and a deeper appreciation for natural rhythms. Readers will also be inspired to step away from a purely urban or technologically driven existence and reconnect with the natural world, fostering a greater understanding of ecological balance and sustainability. The characters in this book are multifaceted and sometimes they contradict their original personalities. Reddy has captured not just the misgivings of the human heart but also of the animal and plant kingdoms. A profound love for the natural world turns out to be a powerful catalyst for Ravi, the software engineer turned shepherd. After experiencing Konda Polam for the first time, Ravi is inspired to make life-altering decisions towards environmental activism and conservation work. As the translator, Kumar has strived to maintain Reddy's original intent and voice. He displays a strong linguistic and etymological knowledge of the lives he's written about. Tiger Lessons is a rare novel. It gives the reader lessons in various disciplines – geography, anthropology, biology, botany, economics, and agriculture. Not only does it create a richer and more personal experience but it also gives us a unique sensory experience that will be hard to forget long.
Hans India
an hour ago
- Hans India
Kazipet railway mfg. unit work making fast progress: Rly Min
Kazipet: Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy jointly inspected the upcoming Railway Manufacturing Unit in Kazipet and praised its rapid progress and transformative potential. Built with an investment of Rs 500 crore, the factory is poised to start full-scale operations by 2026, fulfilling a decades-old public demand in Warangal. The Railway Minister said the facility, described by officials as a 'mega factory,' will not only manufacture railway coaches and engines but also handle design and production for metro trains. This ushers in cutting-edge technology to the heart of Telangana. Minister Vaishnav expressed satisfaction over the pace of construction and reiterated the central government's focus on modernizing the state's railway infrastructure. Vaishnav reaffirmed his commitment to improving railway infrastructure in Telangana through initiatives such as Vande Bharat trains, station modernisation, and enhanced connectivity. His direct supervision of the construction of Kazipet's RMU demonstrated the central government's dedication to completing the project on time. During the visit, the Union Railway Minister engaged with South Central Railway officials to discuss plans for doubling railway capacity in Telangana. Union Minister Kishan Reddy, speaking to the media on Saturday, during the inspection, said, 'On behalf of Warangal district and the entire Telangana state, we extend heartfelt gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Minister Ashwini Vaishnav for realizing the people's long-standing dream.' Reddy recalled that proposals for a coach factory in Warangal date back nearly 40 years, with former PM PV Narasimha Rao initiating early efforts. The vision gained momentum under Prime Minister Modi, who personally laid the foundation stone for the unit. He mentioned that the RMU will create direct jobs for approximately 3,000 individuals and will generate numerous indirect job opportunities through related sectors such as transportation, design, and maintenance. In addition to the RMU, Kishan Reddy highlighted the central government's approval of the textile industry and renovation of historic structures such as the mantapa in Warangal's pillared temple. He also recalled the development of 40 railway stations across Telangana, all of which are being upgraded to reflect local heritage and offer improved passenger amenities. The Center has completed half of the Warangal Ring Road project, and Reddy emphasized the need for an airport in Warangal to complement the region's growing infrastructure. He mentioned that repeated appeals were made to former CM KCR and have continued under the current Congress government to acquire the necessary land for aviation facilities. Responding to critics who question what the BJP government has delivered for Telangana, Reddy stated, 'Those who doubt should come and see the development firsthand. The transformation under Modi's leadership is visible and undeniable.' Kishan Reddy responded to a question by stating that, according to the RR policy implemented by the state government, they can recommend job placement for individuals who have given their land for the project. This will be considered, as has been done in other areas during project implementation.
