24
INDIA
www.asian-voice.com AsianVoiceNews
Asian Voice | 17th March 2018
SOUTH
TDP pulls ministers out of Narendra Modi’s Cabinet AMARAVATI: Andhra Pradesh's Telugu Desam (TDP) has formally pulled out of the central government following a conversation between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Andhra Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu that failed to stop the break up of the allies. The development came after Naidu announced that his party would withdraw its ministers as the Centre had failed to grant AP special category status. “Public anger over the neglect of AP's interests has left me with no option,” a close aide quoted Naidu telling Modi. Andhra Pradesh
N Chandrababu Naidu
Agriculture Minister S o m i r e d d y Chandramohan Reddy said, “In coming days we will take appropriate decision at appropriate time.” The statement came a day after TDP's P Ashok Gajapathi Raju (Civil Aviation) and YS Chowdary (Science and
Technology) submitted their resignations. “The party took a decision that we should resign. We have resigned now. It was a matter of courtesy that we met the Prime Minister and presented our resignation,” they said. In response, the BJP has also pulled out two of its ministers from the Naidu government in Andhra. Party leaders rejected the “betrayal” charge as “baseless and unfortunate”. They argued that the Modi government had moved to deliver a significant part of the assistance promised when Telangana was created. “The assistance was to be over 10 years. Most
of it has been delivered in four years,” said BJP state unit chief Hari Babu. Modi reportedly sought a dialogue with the state's leadership and Naidu. However, the CM indicated that the TDP's patience had run out after four years of waiting. While Modi said the issue “could have been resolved” had both the leaders “sat and discussed it”, Naidu reportedly said his party and the state had “waited patiently and moved out after four years”. He also added, “Ultimately we had to take the decision.” Naidu said the decision to pull out was taken “in deference to the people's sentiment”.
Karnataka ready with its own flag BENGALURU: A red, white, and yellow flag designed for Karnataka has been approved by the state's Siddaramaiah government, which will now ask the Centre for permission to use it. The “tricolour” features the state's emblem, “Ganda Bherunda”- a two-headed mythical bird. The “Naada Dwaja” borrows two colours from a flag that is
already associated with Karnataka and is “unofficially” used in functions, including the state's formation day. “It was decided
to have a flag for the state as a symbol of the pride of Kannadaspeaking people. It was the intention, opinion and voice of Kannadigas,” Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said. Siddaramaiah had faced criticism when he set up a panel to choose a flag design in July last year. Now, critics have drawn
comparisons with Jammu and Kashmir, which is allowed to fly its own flag besides the national flag, because of its special status under the constitution. Karnataka CM has, meanwhile, expressed confidence that the flag would be cleared by the Centre. “There is nothing in the Constitution that says States should not have a flag,” he said.
NORTH
Haryana CM favours all-party meet to discuss SYL issue CHANDIGARH: The INLD staged two walkouts in Chandigarh during the reply to the debate on Governor's Address by Manohar Lal Khattar even as the CM favoured an allparty meeting on the Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) canal issue, asking the Opposition not to politicise it. Khattar said, “The Opposition should refrain from using the SYL issue as a ladder to climb to power as the public is well aware of its political gimmicks. For the Opposition, the SYL only means 'Satta Yun Hi Lunga'.” He reiterated the resolve of the state government to get every single drop of its share in the river waters through the SYL, and offered to convene and all-party meeting to draw a line of action on this issue. Leader of Opposition Abhay Chautala had a day before Khattar's speech, threatened to launch a “Jail Bharo Andolan” on May 1, if the government failed to start the canal's construction. Khattar, meanwhile, said the three-and-a-halfyear-old BJP government
Honeypreet may get life imprisonment if convicted
WEST BENGAL
Biplab Kumar Deb sworn in as Tripura CM
Biplab Kumar Deb (right) with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah
AGARTALA: Biplab Kumar Deb was sworn in as the Chief Minister of Tripura's first BJP government in Agartala. Held at the Assam Rifles ground, the ceremony was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh, and senior BJP leaders Lal Krishna Advani, and Murli Manohar Joshi. Also present were Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled states like Vijay Rupani of Gujarat, Shivraj Singh Chouhan of Madhya Pradesh, Sarbananda Sonowal of Assam, and Raghubar Das of Jharkhand. Outgoing Tripura CM Manik Sarkar also attended the event. “Treat me as your son, brother, not as the CM. Pull my ears to put me on the right track if I err in providing you good governance,” he said to the 3.7 million people in the state. Addressing the Left Front leaders, Prime Minister Modi said that their long experience in running government in Tripura can guide the newly-formed inexperienced one. The new state ministry include Sudip Roy Barman and Ratan Lal Nath, both defected from the Congress party. Rio takes centre stage in Nagaland In Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio was sworn in as the Chief Minister for the
Manohar Lal Khattar
had ensured equitable development, brought transparency in recruitment and curbed corruption. “A strong message has gone out that now jobs are given only on merit. This government represents 25 million people of Haryana. We believe in 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'.” The CM said that his government had aensured equitable development. “Earlier, there was a perception that more development works remained concentrated in regions from where Chief Ministers came,” Khattar said. He claimed that 3,200 of the 4,500 CM's announcements had either been completed or was nearing completion.
Honeypreet being brought to court
CHANDIGARH: Adopted daughter of convicted Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, Honeypreet Insan may get life imprisonment if found guilty in connection with a sedition and criminal conspiracy case. The “Papa's Angel” has been charged for allegedly conspiring and inciting violence in Panchkula following conviction of Gurmeet in two rape cases by the local CBI court. Honeypreet was produced before a session court in Panchkula last week. Twenty two people, including Honeypreet, have been given sedition charges by the special investigation team (SIT) of the Haryana police. The
chargesheet describes that she hatched the conspiracy to spread violence in Panchkula at the Dera headquarters with the 45member management committee. Currently in Ambala Central Jail, Honeypreet is booked under various sections. If the court finds her guilty under section 121A and section 120B of the IPC, Honeypreet can be convicted with life imprisonment. Last year on August 25, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was convicted of raping two female followers. Large-scale violence spread in Panchkula and Sirsa following the conviction, causing the death of 38 people and injury to 264 others.
AsianVoiceNewsweekly
fourth time in Kohima, along with 11 cabinet ministers, six of them from ally BJP. Governor PB Acharya administered the oath of office to the 12-member council of ministers at Khuochiezie. The venue is of significance as this was where Nagaland's statehood was announced on December 1, 1963. Rio's Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) has four berths in the council of ministers. Two of which, went to the lone JDU legislator G Kaito Aye and Independent Tongpang Ozukum- both who support the NDPP-BJP government. The BJP has 12 MLAs in the 60-member assembly. His swearing-in ceremony was attended by Amit Shah, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju, North East Democratic Alliance convenor Himanta Biswa Sarma, and Chief Ministers of five BJP-ruled states in the northeast. Rio promised to remove VIP culture from the state, promote meritocracy, ensure good governance, transparency, and working together with neighbouring states with a spirit of understanding. HE said an early and final settlement to the protracted Naga political issue would remain foremost on his government's priority list.
Clash over purification of statue SERAMPORE (WEST BENGAL): The workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool Congress clashed over the ''purification'' of a bust of Jan Sangh founder Syama Prasad Mookerjee at Serampore in West Bengal's Hooghly district. Three persons were arrested in connection with the incident, the police said. The ''purification'' of the bust followed the defacement of another statue of Mookerjee in Kolkata on March 7. The statue was attacked a day after two statues of communist icon Lenin were vandalised in Tripura in the wake of the declaration of the Assembly poll results in the north-eastern state.
The clash took place when BJP supporters had gathered at the RMS ground for the ''purification'' of the bust with milk and water, the police said, adding that a group of TMC workers stopped them and poured milk on the bust.