OUR EDITIONS: JAIPUR & AHMEDABAD
CORONA
25°C - 35°C
ALERT JAIPUR l SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020 l Pages 12 l 3.00
COVID-19 UPDATE
WORLD
6,39,159 1,57,95,688 DEATHS
MAHARASHTRA 13,132 DEATHS 3,57,117 CASES
CONFIRMED CASES
DELHI 3,777 DEATHS 1,28,389 CASES
RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764 l Vol 2 l Issue No. 49
INDIA
31,405 13,37,021 DEATHS
TAMIL NADU 3,320 DEATHS 1,99,749 CASES
CONFIRMED CASES
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RAJASTHAN
602
DEATHS
GUJARAT 2,282 DEATHS 53,631 CASES
34,178
CONFIRMED CASES
KARNATAKA 1,726 DEATHS 85,870 CASES
11th hour Cong High Command call saves the day!
A NARROW ESCAPE
FROM PREZ RULE! Cong MLAs lay siege to Raj Bhawan for 5 hrs! Aditi Nagar Jaipur: An eleventh hour ‘visionary’ call from Congress high command to Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot to lift Congress MLAs Raj Bhawan dharna on Friday evening virtually proved to be a narrow escape from a likely President rule in Rajasthan. According to sources, a ‘soft spoken and patient’ Governor Kalraj Mishra had gone so upset during the day with Congress MLAs slogan shouting at Raj Bhawan in the presence of Chief Minister Gehlot that at
RAHUL GANDHI @RAHULGANDHI The country is ruled by constitution and law. Governments are formed and run by the majority of the people. The conspiracy to demolish the Rajasthan government is clear. This is an insult to the eight crore people of Rajasthan. The Governor should call a session of the Legislative Assembly so that the truth comes before the country. #ArrogantBJP one stage he had seriously thought to request the Union Home Ministry to send CRPF troops for the safety and security of Raj Bhawan because according to top Rajasthan BJP leaders
also, the security of Raj Bhawan could not have been left to Rajasthan Police, which is directly controlled by the Chief Minister, who also holds charge of Home Department. Turn on P8
Can’t your govt guard Guv:
Miffed Mishra asks CM Kashiram Choudhary Jaipur: Governor Kalraj Mishra raised serious questions on the comments made by CM Ashok Gehlot on Friday evening while claiming that he tried to give a political color to the constitutional request and the constitutional decision to be taken on that request. “I am hurt and sad because of it. If any letter comes from your side, I have to take a constitutional decision based on the investigation conducted based on Constitutional provisions and this authority has been entrusted in me by the Constitution of India,” a release read, adding that the government presented
CM Ashok Gehlot, Avinash Pande and other Congress leaders outside Raj Bhawan on Friday. —PHOTO BY SANTOSH SHARMA
BJP: Political drama scripted by Gehlot Aishwarya Pradhan Jaipur: Reacting on the volatile political situation in Rajasthan, the state BJP leadership criticised the language used by CM Gehlot on Friday calling it unconstitutional. State party chief Satish Poonia critically called ‘The Great Rajasthan Political Drama’ completely scripted, produced, directed and enacted by CM Ge-
hlot. While LoP Gulab Chand Kataria criticized CM for instigating people to surround the Governor House. Kataria asked the Governor to call in CRPF for the security of Ran Bhawan. Deputy LoP Rajendra Rathore pointed at the zero communication between CM and sacked deputy CM for one and half years and yet blaming BJP for the feud. FULL REPORT P2
the request to call the assembly session on 23rd July 2020. The release further read, “Before I could speak with experts, you made a public statement that if the Raj Bhawan is gheraoed, then it will not be your responsibility. I have a request to you, if you or your Home Department can not provide security to the governor, then what is your opinion on the law and order in
the state? In addition, kindly inform which agency to contact to provide security to Governor? In my long political career, I have never heard such a statement being made by any Chief Minister and is it not the beginning of wrong practice of pressure politics that elected MLAs are staging a sit-in inside Raj Bhawan? Therefore it is my request that you clarify on all these points.”
They came, they sat... Did they ‘conquer’? Yogesh Sharma Jaipur: Congress MLAs in the Ashok Gehlot camp on Friday staged a fivehour dharna at the Raj Bhawan. The CM said that despite a letter, the Governor has not called the Assembly session and alleged that he was under “pressure from the higher ups”. “We want an assembly session from Monday. But the governor is not calling it
under pressure,” he told reporters outside the hotel where the MLAs supporting him are camping. Gehlot said that after the recent Cabinet meeting, the governor was requested through a letter to call an Assembly session to discuss the political situation, review coronavirus pandemic and its effects on the state’s economic situation. He also said that if the public Turn on P6
AHMED PATEL @AHMEDPATEL Very curious to know if the BJP President goes incommunicado with 30 MP’s , is actively collaborating with the Congress party & lodging himself in a Congress ruled stated under police protection - will it be mere dissent or defiance that merits disqualification?
After 1993, History repeats itself @ Raj Bhawan? Jaipur. Current turbulent politics will not let the present day generation believe that the foundation of politics in the state was cemented by politics of ethics, dignity and principles. There was a time when Congress had a chance to topple state govt led by BJP stalwart B h a i ro n Singh Shek-
hawat but Ashok Gehlot had then preferred the healthy democratic principles and traditions over power on offer. Turn on P6
‘Hope Guv won’t act under any pressure: Gehlot —PHOTO BY SUMAN SARKAR
Naresh Sharma Jaipur: Hours after meeting Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Friday said he hopes that the Governor will not come under “any pressure” and that an Assembly session shall be called soon. Addressing the media, Gehlot said, “I am sure that Governor will not come under any
pressure and he will make a decision on Assembly session soon. We hope the session begins soon and various issues can be discussed.” Calling the Governor a ‘constitutional head’, he said: “I do not hesitate to say that he couldn’t have stopped the decision of calling (Assembly Session) without some pressure from the top. I have requested if he has any queries then it could have been solved.
CM Ashok Gehlot at the Raj Bhawan gates, on Friday.
Why did he not decide yesterday? We have requested him again to make a decision soon. People are waiting.” He further said that along with party MLAs, he is sitting here in protest on the basis of Gandhian principle. “After he (Governor) gives us a letter, we will decide the further course of action,” he added. Earlier in the day, Congress MLAs supporting Rajasthan Chief Minister raised
slogans at the Raj Bhawan after reports came to the fore that Mishra had denied convening the state Assembly session due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “If media reports are true about Governor saying that state Assembly session can’t be conducted due to COVID-19, then we are ready to conduct COVID-19 tests of 200 MLAs,” Raghu Sharma, Rajasthan Minister and Congress leader said.
RAJASTHAN JAIPUR | SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020
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CMs ‘SHOW OF SUPPORT’
LONG WALK TO POWER Rajendra Gudha walks out of the Raj Bhawan in Jaipur on Friday amid the sensitive political situation in Rajasthan.
WE’RE WITH YOU
CONFIDENT Divya Maderna flashing victory sign to the media outside Raj Bhawan in Jaipur on Friday.
Congress MLAs showing their support to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot by raising slogans at Raj Bhawan on Friday.
Poonia calls Cong’s sit-in low-level pressure tactics Aishwarya Pradhan Jaipur: The BJP leadership in the state jointly addressed a press conference on the volatile political circumstances at the party headquarters and criticized the language used by CM Gehlot on Friday calling it ‘unconstitutional’. State chief Satish Poonia critically called ‘The Great Rajasthan Political Drama’ completely scripted, produced, directed, and enacted by CM Ashok Gehlot. Poonia blamed Gehlot for all the chaos and accused the CM of trying to put all the blame on PM Modi and HM Shah for everything that is going wrong in the state. Poonia said the language used by CM was not only below the stature of a CM but also unconstitutional. While calling the sit-in of Congress MLAs as low-level pressure tactics, he alleged that the Congress delegation including CM had sent all the pandemic guidelines for a toss. He alleged CM of in-
Rajendra Rathore, Satish Poonia, Gulabchand Kataria, and Arun Chaturvedi during the PC on Friday.
PICTURE PERFECT
stigating people with his speech and making the Governor house a political battlefield. He said his party will take all necessary steps in public interest in the future.
He alleged lawlessness being promoted by the government itself. LOP Gulabchand Kataria said that CM Gehlot is getting trapped in his own net. He called it be-
low dignity to sit-in at the Governor House in an attempt to infringe on the jurisdiction of the Governor. He also criticized CM for instigating people to surround the Governor House. Kataria asked the Governor to call in CRPF for the security of the Governor House. Deputy LOP Rajendra Rathore pointed at the zero communication between CM and sacked deputy CM for one and half years and yet blaming BJP for the feud. Rathore also expressed concern on more than 33000 corona positives and 600 deaths.
—PHOTOS BY SUMAN SARKAR & SANTOSH SHARMA
GUARDING TOUGH Police officials guarding the gate of Raj Bhawan in Jaipur on Friday.
Mishap causes ammonia leak from tanker, spreads panic Satyanarayan Sharma Jaipur: An incident took place due to the gas leakage from a tanker under the Prahladpura underpass on Tonk Road in Shivdaspura of Jaipur near Chaksu. While the gas tanker was passing from the underpass, the cap of the tanker broke by colliding. After the incident, officials of civil defense, Shivdaspura police, and fire brigade teams reached the spot and
Moderate to heavy rains lash parts of Rajasthan First India Bureau Jaipur: Moderate to heavy rainfall lashed parts of Rajasthan on Friday with many areas in Ajmer reporting incidents of water-logging. Traffic was affected on several areas due to water-logging. The temperature in the capital dropped to some degree Celsius as a result of the moderate downpour here. IMD had predicted the same in morning.
Water supply to suffer a hit for 2 days due to repair work Naresh Sharma
Civil defence officials spraying water on the tanker on Friday.
started sprinkling water to bring the situation under control. The tanker is being
told to be filled with ammonia gas. As of now, there is no news of any public injuries.
Jaipur: Jaipur city will not get water supply for the next two days. Similarly, Dudu, Sambhar, Phulera, Phagi, Narena, Chaksu, and Bassi, while Niwai, Todaraisingh, and Malpura cities and rural areas in Tonk district will not get water supply, due to some maintenance work in Surajpura pump house. Check nuts and rod of
30 Raj workers stuck in UAE due to pending fines Jaipur: Thirty Indian workers are stranded here in the UAE as they were stopped from boarding a repatriation flight after they failed to pay the fine for staying in the country with expired visas, according to a media report on Friday. Forty Rajasthani construction workers were to board a charter flight repatriating Indians to Jaipur on July 17, the Gulf News reported. Of them, only 10
could clear the immigration check as the rest had fine dues, the report said. Some of us are on visit visas while some others’ residence visas have already expired. We didn’t know we would have to pay fines. Some have fines of about 10,000 dirham (Rs 2,03,700) to 11,000 dirham (Rs 2,24,000) while others have smaller amounts of fines, one of the workers told the newspaper. —PTI
two 700 mm sluice valve will be replaced. All 30 sluice valves and butterfly valves will be repaired. It will take 7 to 8 hours to clear the pipeline to carry out the repairing work. The new pump will be installed in Ramniwas garden station besides 4 sluice valves will be replaced and all valves will be repaired an Amanishah pumping house.
CLAIMS IT HAS ANTIBODIES ASI in ACB net for accepting ` 6K bribe in Sawai Madhopur Meghwal launches ‘Bhabhi Ji Papad’ to fight corona First India Bureau Sawai Madhopur: ACB on Friday caught a police ASI red-handed accepting a bribe of Rs 6000. ASI Brijmohan Pal is posted at Udaee mod police station in Gangapur City. Complainant Ateesh Meena had reported against his neighbour for encroaching on his plot. The neighbour too had registered a cross-case against Ateesh. ASI Brijmohan pres-
surized the complainant and got the matter settled between the two at Rs Two lakh while Rs 40,000 for himself. The complainant
paid Rs 20,000 to the ASI and reported the matter to ACB. ACB asked the complainant to pay Rs 4000 to ASI while its trap was set. ASI was caught accepting balance Rs 6000 of the settled amount from the complainant. ACB DSP Bhairulal led the ACB operation with the active assistance of Sunil Kumar at the ASP office in the mini secretariat. ACB is now further investigating the case.
New Delhi: Union Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal launched ‘Bhabhi Ji’ crisps (papad) on Wednesday while claiming that the food item will help drive away the novel coronavirus. A video of the launch that surfaced on Friday has gone viral on social media. Arjun Ram Meghwal is the minister of state for water resources, river development & Ganga rejuvenation, and of Parliamentary affairs. In the video, Meghw-
Under the Atmanirbhar India campaign, a papad manufacturer has come up with this product that will help in the formation of antibodies to fight the coronavirus. We congratulate this firm for coming up with this initiative under the campaign.
Arjun Ram Meghwal,
Arjun Ram Meghwal holding packets of the Papad.
Minister of state for water resources
al who is also a BJP MP from Bikaner, Rajasthan, can be seen
manirbhar India campaign, a papad manufacturer has come up
holding two packets of ‘Bhabhi Ji’ papad and saying, “Under the At-
with this product that will help in the formation of antibodies to fight the coronavirus. We congratulate this firm for coming up with this initiative under the Atmanirbhar India campaign.” Soon after the video surfaced on social media, it went viral. The company which has manufactured the papad is from Bikaner and claims that the product has gilloy and other immunity boosting ingredients. —Agencies
RAJASTHAN JAIPUR | SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020
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Corona blast forces lockdown in Alwar for 2 days
8 deaths, 958 new cases; toll crosses 600 mark First India Bureau
Health workers carry body of a person who died due to coronavirus infection for cremation in Ajmer. —PHOTO BY HIMANSHU SHARMA
The 218 patients diagnosed coronavirus positive in the district included the DSO and City SHO as well First India Bureau Alwar: The district administration has decided to lockdown the Alwar district for two days considering the alarming rise in the coronavirus positive cases recently. With the latest figure of positives touching 1,200, the administration is in a tizzy. A meeting chaired by collector Anandi and attended by the trader community resulted in the decision to observe complete lockdown in the city on July 25 & 26. The markets will observe limited opening timing, that is from 7
am to 7 pm even after July 26, but the markets would not open on Mondays and Tuesdays as a caution. Adjacent Tijara will also observe a lockdown on Tuesday. Collector Anandi has increased the monitoring in wake of more than 200 corona positives surfacing every day in the district. She has also alerted various departments on the situation. The 218 patients diagnosed positive included the DSO and City SHO as well. Alwar stands at third position in terms of total coronavirus positives in the state. There have been 39,000 sam-
ples collected so far out of which the report of 10000 is pending. The number of positives so far is 2,300 while 1,127 patients have recovered including a 97 year old woman. 26,000 reports so far have reported negative. The proximity of Alwar with UP and Haryana with active social and business relations with both the states makes it more exposed to the virus infection. There are many in Alwar city who commute daily to Delhi for their business and jobs which becomes an added reason for importing the Covid-19 virus from NCR.
Jaipur: Last 24 hours added staggering 958 new corona positive cases in the state taking the toll to 34,178 along with reporting 8 deaths taking the death toll so far to 602. Five deaths each were reported from Jodhpur. 2 from Barmer and one from Nagaur. 224 new cases were reported from Alwar followed by 158 from Jodhpur, 91 from Pali, 84 from Jaipur, 63 from Ajmer, 62
from Bikaner, 39 from Jalore, 22 each from Barmer, Churu & Kota, 21 each from Bharatpur & Udaipur, 18 from Nagaur,16 from Dolpur, 13 from Karauli, 12 from Sikar, 11 each from Baran & Jhunjhunu, 8 each from Bhilwara & Dungarpur, 7 from Sri Ganganagar, 5 each from Rajsamand & Tonk, 4 each from Dausa & Pratapgarh, 3 from Jhalawar, 2 from Sawai Madhopur,1 each from Bundi & Chittorgarh
MP, IAS OFFICIAL TEST POSITIVE
The cumulative district wise tally of the corona positives on Monday is as follows – Ajmer 1414, Alwar 2451, Banswara 122, Baran 102, Barmer 1111, Bharatpur 2302, Bhilwara 439, Bikaner 1609, Bundi 50,
State’s first plasma bank to be set up in Sawai Man Singh Hospital: Health Min Vikas Sharma Jaipur: Health Minister Dr Raghu Sharma said that efforts have been started to set up State’s first Plasma Bank at the Sawai Man Singh Hospital to fight better with COVID-19. Dr Sharma on Friday releasing a poster of Plasma Bank has appealed to ‘Corona Survivors’ to donate more and more plasma. Dr Sharma said that in the present scenario the Rajasthan Gov-
ernment is very sensitive towards the health of the general public. State government is making all possible efforts to increase the recovery rate and to reduce the fatality rate. He said looking
at the unprecedented and encouraging results of plasma therapy at the Sawai Man Singh Hospital, government is setting up State’s first Plasma Bank there. Dr Sharma has ap-
Desire for kids reason UDH removes 7 officials in state for recent kidnappings First India Bureau
Satyanarayan Sharma Jaipur: The state police have successfully solved the abduction case of two 3-year-old girls from Jaipur and Hanumangarh. Both the girls were kidnapped by the people who did not have children and wanted to have one. In Jaipur, a couple wanted a child, so the husband and his friends kidnapped two children one by one in the city on their motorcycle. At first, a girl from Ramnagariya was abducted, but later she was dropped back due to her age. After that, a 3-yearold girl playing with her 8-year-old sister was picked from Pratap Nagar on July 22. Officers from more than half a dozen police stations in Jaipur East district carried out 48
hours of continuous search operation and got the victim back from the possession of the accused. At the same time, the accused, Neeraj Kumar, Jitendra Gurjar, Raja Mohan and Rahul Singh Bairwa, were also arrested. DCP Rahul Jain informed that the first child was found within an hour of kidnap on July 20, but another girl was abducted on July 22. The police caught the accused with the help of CCTV footage. On the other hand, in Hanumangarh, the
3-year-old girl Khushbu kidnapped from the town area was found by the police within 24 hours from Hisar in Haryana on Friday morning. The accused Renu (30) was also arrested from Hansi. It was revealed in the police investigation that Renu used to visit the house of the victim regularly to meet a woman living in the same house as Khushbu and her family. The accused also said that she has no child and thought of keeping the girl as her child.
Jaipur: UDH has taken strict action and has removed several executive officers from various municipal bodies across state. According to the departmental orders issued, the EO of Jaitaran Municipality Shravan Ram was turned APO. He has been asked to report to the DLB headquarters.
EO of Ladnu Municipality Meghraj Dudi has also been turned APO and his charge has been given to Ladnu Tahsildar Kartikey Meena while Dudi will report to DLB directorate. In another order, 4 local body personnel have been turned APO, including Dinesh Kumar from Sri Ganganagar, Vishwash Godara from Padampur Municipali-
Ministerial staff of Pilot team turn APO First India Bureau Jaipur: As a result of the suspension of three ministers from the state cabinet, some officers posted in as the ministerial staff to the suspended ministers were turned APO on Friday. Akash Tomar, special assistant to Sachin Pilot has been turned APO along with
Praveen Kumar (second), private secretary to Vishwendra Singh. Earlier on July 22, private secretary of Vishwendra Singh, Raghvendra Shekhawat and SO Mahavir Prasad Soni were also turned APO. On the same day SO Dinesh Sharma, SO Rajendra Shekhawat and SO Surendra Sharma were turned APO.
ty, Sahib Ram of Kesrisinghpur Municipality and Gopal Krishna from Gajsinghpur Municipality. The orders were issued by DLB Director Deepak Nandi. Gangapur City Rural Child Development Project Officer Jagdish Prasad Meena has been turned APO. With the orders issued by the Director Integrated Child Development Services.
Getting mobile signal is a challenge in rural areas, so the young student climbs a hill every morning and stays there in the searing heat
Barmer: Cricketer Virendra Sehwag has a huge following on social media. His tweets have in the past attracted a lot of attention and he has done it again. The ‘Nawab of Najafgarh’ in a tweet expressed his interest to help Harish. Sehwag was impressed by dedication of Harish towards studies.Veeru has shared a picture and information about
Photo of Harish shared by Virendra Sehwag.
Harish from Barmer. “This young boy goes up a hill to get internet connection to attend online class and comes
back in the afternoon. I admire him for his dedication and wants to help him,” Sehwag said. In the picture, Harish
is sitting on a chair with books in front of him on the table and a phone in his hand with scenic hills as the backdrop. First India News was the first to air the story of Harish and his daily struggle to attend online classes. Getting uninterrupted mobile signal is a challenge in rural areas of Barmer. This posed a challenge for Harish who lives in Bhilon ki Basti. So, he walks upto two kilome-
First India Bureau Jodhpur: Senior IAS officer and incharge of Jodhpur, Navin Mahajan held a joint meeting of medical & health department and police officials to discuss corona situation. Mahajan has took charge after divisional commissioner and district collector tested positive. He also took feedback from medical college administration and superintendents of all three big government hospitals in city.
Over 233 kgs of opium seized in Raj New Delhi: Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) seized nearly 234 kgs of opium from state, the “largest” seizure this year yet, and arrested two people on charges of drug trafficking. The seizure was made on July 19 from Shadi village in Chittorgarh. “A team from the Jodhpur zonal unit
raided the residential premises of a person, R Lal, and seized 233.97 kgs of opium. Another person M K Dhakad of Bhilwara district has also been arrested,” NCB Deputy Director (Operations) K P S Malhotra said in Delhi. The agency also seized a SUV as part of the operation, he said. —PTI
The mother of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh’s sah sar karyawahak Dr Krishna Gopal passed away on Friday morning. Krishna Gopal along with the members of the Sangh Parivar were present during the last rites at Garhmukteshwar Ghat in Noida.
Veeru offers help to Barmer’s studious lad Harish First India Bureau
pealed to all the ‘Corona Survivors’ to donate their plasma. In his message, he said that there will be no weakness in donating plasma and it is very important for corona patients. On this occasion, Medical Education Secretary Shri Vaibhav Galriya, Sawai Man Singh Medical College principal Dr Sudhir Bhandari, Dr Ajeet Singh and Dr Suneet Bundus and other officers were present.
Jodh: Mahajan takes charge, holds meet
LAST RITES
SHOUTOUT ON TWITTER
Chittorgarh 226, Churu 563, Dausa 277, Dholpur 1093, Dungarpur 556, Ganganagar 137, Hanumangarh 183, Jaipur 4710, Jaisalmer 159, Jalore 1029, Jhalawar 436, Jhunjhunu 523, Jodhpur 5556, Karauli 263, Kota
1183, Nagaur 1230, Pali 2295, Pratapgarh 166, Rajsamand 497, Sawai Madhopur 167, Sikar 845, Sirohi 791, Tonk 252 and Udaipur 1077 along with 182 from other states & countries. The virus infection in Jaipur is now clearly spread around the city with patients emerging from all part of the district and city. Experts say situation in Jaipur is under control considering the inter district travellers that come to the city.
ters to climb the nearest hill in the morning. He stays there in the searing heat with 45 degree temperature till 2pm. “I don’t have internet at home but because of that I don’t want to miss my studies,” said the student of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya. Sehwag who offered help to him already runs a residential school in Jhajjar in Haryana where he provides free education to children of martyrs.
14 trucks of illegal sand seized in city First India Bureau Jaipur: Harmara police in Jaipur has seized 14 trucks of illegal sand on Friday. SHO Ramesh Saini had ordered action against the sand mafia. The police action created chaos among sand mafia and they tried to use their connections to contain the police action. Meanwhile, the trucks have been kept at the police station and mining department has
been informed about them. According to sources, while illegal mining had been going on for quite some time in Loha Mandi area, the police have taken action after a longtime. SHO Saini said that the action was taken after rise in criminal activities.
PERSPECTIVE JAIPUR | SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020
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IN-DEPTH
GEHLOT DISPLAYS HIS STRENGTH
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t’s been a fortnight but the constitutional crisis in Rajasthan is far from resolution. What began as Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot versus Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot has now turned into a showdown between Gehlot and Governor Kalraj Mishra. After the Rajasthan High Court ordered for maintaining status quo in the disqualification case and also granted Sachin Pilot’s request to make the Centre a party to the case as the constitutional validity of the Tenth Schedule was under challenge, the scene shifted to Raj Bhavan where more than 100 legislators loyal to the chief minister raised pro-Gehlot and anti-Kalraj Mishra slogans in a show of strength. By parading his MLAs Gehlot proved that he still has a majority in the 200-member House. The scene was reminiscent of 1993 when BJP leader Bhairon Singh Shekhawat had reached Raj Bhavan with his MLAs and the governor was forced to invite him for forming a government. The current crisis may not have the same Shekhawat-like happy ending for Gehlot. Or so it seems. Accusing the governor of being “under pressure from the top”, Gehlot said that he had requested for the assembly session to be convened from Monday but to no avail. The government had sent a file regarding the session to Raj Bhawan after which the chief minister even met the governor. But Raj Bhawan did not return the file. Nor was there any indication if Kalraj Mishra will convene the session. With this round going to Sachin Pilot, the Congress is once again preparing to move the Supreme Court for justice.
SHOULD WOMEN PURSUE CAREERS? SADHGURU, ISHA FOUNDATION Ranked amongst the fifty most influential people in India, Sadhguru is a yogi, mystic, visionary and a New York Times bestselling author Sadhguru has been conferred the Padma Vibhushan by the Government of India in 2017, the highest annual civilian award, accorded for exceptional and distinguished service
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UK’s LESSON IN ‘FALSE’ HISTORY
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nterested in British citizenship? Read its history first. Not any history but the one sanitized by the government to hide its colonial past. A “Life in UK” test covering, among other things, British history, culture, sport, and music taken for foreign nationals seeking immigration has led to an outcry from 180 academics and historians. The test is mandatory for those applying for “indefinite leave to remain” or citizenship. The outrage is particularly over questions about British history which some historians, including best-selling author William Dalrymple, want the government to revisit as it glosses over Britain’s colonial past. They have called the citizenship test “fundamentally misleading” on slavery and the colonial Empire. In an open letter “written in protest”, the “historians of Britain and the British Empire” pointed to the “on-going misrepresentation of slavery and Empire” in the citizenship test. The official handbook published by the Home Office is “demonstrably false”, the letter said. The letter also found “misleading” the view that Empire “ended peacefully” because the British so decided. The historians joined the issue with the claim that “while slavery was illegal within Britain itself, by the 18th century it was a fully established overseas industry”. The historians wrote, “In fact, whether slavery was legal or illegal within Britain was a matter of debate in the 18th century, and many people were held as slaves.”
Coming to women, in particular,this idea that every woman should work has gained great momentum inthe last 40 to 50 years. It has come because of a certain element ofexploitation that has happened to women because of their financial dependence on the man
owadays, sometimes there is a certain disdain with which people look at women who are not employed out of their houses. Even when we have young children, this attitude persists. What should one do? Sadhguru: Generally, people work for financial needs. If you are working out of a passion for what you are doing, that is different, but most people work for financial gain. So, if there is a financial requirement in a family, women going to work or pitching in by working from home is perfectly fine. The question is not about whether you should work or not. The question is whether there is such a need or not. If the need has become social rather than financial, I don’t see a need that every woman must work. The idea of creating so much technology in the world is because someday, we want to create a world where neither man nor woman needs to work. We can live on vacation. But many people work because they are in a mode of compulsive action. They don’t know what else to do with themselves. That is an unfortunate way to be. Coming to women, in particular, this idea that every woman should work has gained great momentum in the last 40 to 50 years. It has come because of a certain element of exploitation that has happened to women because of their financial dependence on the man. As a reaction to that, women thought the only way is to go to work. But I think it is only in some families that such exploitation happens. It is not true with many families. The idea that you are a real woman only if you earn money, has been borrowed from the man’s mind. In the name of women’s liberation, women have taken on men’s values. This is true slavery.
If she wants to become free, a woman should not take on man’s values. She should see how to enhance the feminine into a flower-like, fragrant existence on the planet. And this is something only she can do. In terms of my personal experience, my mother never went to work outside. And my father would have never thought that she should work, but was she a useless person? Absolutely not. Without her, what would we be? Her dedication, the way she gave herself to her children and husband, is what has made us who we are. A deep sense of concern, care, and looking at life beyond your own personal wellbeing was something that was instilled in us simply by looking at her. There was no way you could miss it because her life was never about herself. With great joy, day or night, she served her family. This was not slavery, this was done out of absolute love. If you told her that she was being exploited, she would have been immensely offended because, for her, it was such an experience of love to expend herself in doing what she was doing. The world becomes beautiful not because you earn
The idea that you are a realwoman only if you earn money, has been borrowed from the man’smind. In the name of women’s liberation, women have taken on men’svalues
money. Whether it is an individual’s life or a family, community, or the world, it becomes beautiful because there are a few people there existing out of their love, truly wanting to reach out and do something beyond their personal wellbeing. That is what makes the world beautiful. A family is the smallest unit of community in the world, and if this does not happen in a family, it will not happen anywhere in the world. If a child is not exposed to this sense of love and dedication right from
Perils of the ‘pornification’ of popular culture
A
re women more sexually liberated than ever before? So suggests the burgeoning sexual marketplace. From vibrators and erotica to bondage and beyond, the marketplace has transformed transgressive sexual practices into everyday household affairs. But is this sexual freedom truly liberating, or does it transform women from sexual objects of male desire to sexual subjects in their own right? These were the questions we sought to explore in our study investigating young women’s sexual and intimate lives through a series of in-depth interviews. In the course of these interviews, which took place in a southern state in the United States, we were struck by how the women’s sexual and inti
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mate relationships reflect current trends in pornography, particularly in relation to themes of dominance and submission.
THE “PORNIFICATION” OF CULTURE Recent decades have witnessed the emergence of the female-oriented erotic industry, including boutiques and designer sex toys, a rise in sex practices once generally considered taboo, and sex manuals, blogs, and podcasts. By 2024 the global sexual wellness market (including sex toys and related products, lingerie, etc.) is projected to grow to 39 billion dollars. The online pornography industry alone is currently worth an estimated 15 billion dollars. Together, these trends reflect a “pornification” of culture, by which porn
tropes and narratives become embedded in popular texts, highlighting and normalizing particular kinds of sexuality. At the forefront of this trend was the 1972 pornographic film Deep Throat that earned both mainstream attention and backlash. Banned in 23 states,
the film still managed to break box-office records and launched the “pornochic” trend. During the same period, works written by and for women – Anne Desclos’ Story of O (published in English in 1965), Nancy Friday’s My Secret Garden (1973), and Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying
(1973) – helped define modern conceptions of female sexuality premised on paradoxical notions of dominance and submission. Contemporary examples of pornification can be traced to the premiere of HBO’s series Sex and the City (1998-2004) which normalized casual sex and
popularized sex toys such as vibrators for an entire generation of women. This marked one of the first instances of sex being reimagined on-screen as liberating – something women do to please themselves rather than their male counterparts. Subsequent marketization, from erotic-dancing classes to online dating platforms, has since recast sexuality in ways that ostensibly celebrate women’s autonomy, femininity, and sexual power. In 2011, the first of the Fifty Shades of Grey erotic trilogy, which popularized BDSM practices (an abbreviation for bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism), became the bestselling book of the decade. FOR FULL REPORT LOG ON TO WWW.THECONVERSATION.COM
childhood, it will not happen. This does not mean a woman cannot do this if she goes to work. If there is a need to work, she has to do something about it. Once again, to take my mother as an example, she did not go to work, but she made sure that whatever could be done at home was done so that it need not be bought in the shop. Throughout my childhood, until I moved out of my family situation, I never slept on a pillow without a little bit of embroidery. She always made sure there would be at least some embroidery – maybe a little parrot or a little flower. Without this, my life wouldn’t be the same. She could have bought it in the shop. My father could afford it, but she made sure that she did that little thing. That was her way of pitching in. Whether you make money or you save money, it still contributes to the family. So, how a particular woman function is an individual aspect according to the requirement of that family. But no one needs to develop a philosophy that all women should work or all women should not work. THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY THE AUTHOR ARE PERSONAL
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TWEET Piyush Goyal @PiyushGoyal Interacted with BRICS trade ministers and called for removing hurdles in access to medicines at affordable prices. BRICS countries must stand in solidarity & seize opportunities that come our way to build a strong, resilient & reformed trading system. Anand Sharma @AnandSharmaINC Supreme Court is the last hope to save constitutional democracy. India is watching whether constitutional bench judgements and supreme court settled laws on floor tests will be honoured or not?
Spiritual SPEAK
Ardently do today what must be done. Who knows? Tomorrow, death comes. —Buddha
Vol 2 Issue No. 49 RNI NO. RAJENG/2019/77764. Printed and published by Anita Hada Sangwan on behalf of First Express Publishers. Printed at Bhaskar Printing Press, D.B. Corp Limited, Shivdaspura, Tonk Road, Jaipur. Published at 304, 3rd Floor, City Mall, Bhagwan Das Road, C-Scheme, Jaipur-302001, Rajasthan. Phone 0141-4920504. Editor: Jagdeesh Chandra, responsible for selection of news under the PRB Act
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Border row: India China focus on ‘full’ disengagement at LAC Another meeting of senior commanders may be held soon to chalk out further steps New Delhi: India and China on Friday reviewed the situation in the India-China border areas at the 17th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) and agreed that early and complete disengagement of the troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), de-escalation from IndiaChina border areas and full restoration of peace and tranquillity was essential for smooth overall development of bilateral relations. They also agreed that another meeting of senior commanders may be held soon so as to
PLA’s MOVE
—FILE PHOTO
Army trucks moving towards Ladakh.
work out further steps to ensure expeditiously complete disengagement and de-escalation. The Indian delegation was led by Joint Secretary (East Asia) in External Affairs Ministry
and Director General of Boundary and Oceanic Dept of Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs led the Chinese delegation. A External Affairs Ministry release said
IN THE COURTYARD
Allahabad HC dismisses petition seeking stay on ‘Bhoomi Pujan’ Prayagraj: The Allahabad High Court has dismissed a petition seeking a stay on the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony for the proposed Ram temple, scheduled to be held on August 5 in Ayodhya. The bench, comprising Chief Justice Govind Mathur and Justice Saumitra Dayal Singh, said that the
petition is based on assumptions and there is no ground for apprehending that the norms of social and
physical distancing would be violated during the event. The petitioner, Saket Gokhale, had claimed that more than 300 people were being invited for the event. Court said that it expected the government to follow all COVID-19 protocols & didn’t find any reason to interfere in the matter. —ANI
SC ADJOURNS TO AUG 4 HEARING ON PLEA AGAINST BHUSHAN
HEARING ON SHIFTING OFJAMAAT CHIEF CASE TO NIA ADJOURNED
New Delhi: SC adjourned to August 4 hearing on a 2009 contempt petition against senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan for allegedly accusing past CJIs of involvement in corruption. A three-judge bench headed by Justice Arun Mishra adjourned the hearing in 2009 contempt petition matter after all parties sought adjournment. Senior lawyer Dr Rajeev Dhavan, appearing for Bhushan, said that the last hearing in the matter was held in 2013. —ANI
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Friday adjourned to October 9 hearing on a petition seeking transfer of the case against Tablighi Jamaat chief Maulana Saad in connection with the Nizamuddin congregation to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). A division bench of Justice Siddharth Mridul and Justice Talwant Singh adjourned the matter to October 9 in view of a similar matter pending before the Supreme Court. —ANI
Probe panel gets six more months New Delhi: The SC extended by six months the time given to the three-member commission to complete its inquiry into the December 2019 Hyderabad encounter case. A bench headed by CJ SA Bobde heard the submissions of the lawyer appearing for the panel and granted
HYDERABAD ENCOUNTER it six-month extension, as was sought. The commission was supposed to submit its report by August 2020. The commission headed by former SC judge, Justice VS Sir-
‘ORGANISE EVENTS ON ONE YEAR OF ARTICLE 370 ABROGATION’ New Delhi: BJP has written to presidents and in-charges of its state units to organise events on completion of one year of abrogation of Article 370 and the Triple Talaq Bill becoming an Act. In August last year, the Centre revoked Article 370, which gave special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir
and bifurcated the region into two UTs- J&K, and Ladakh. On the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, from July 28 to August 3, BJP state units have been asked to hold a rally and connect to people in their regional language. A press conference in capital of all states is also planned on August 3 in this regard.
purkar, was set up by apex court to investigate the police encounter of four men accused in the gruesome gang rape and murder of a veterinary doctor. The commission had sought more time to complete probe, citing COVID-19 pandemic ‘hindered’ the sittings of the commission. —ANI
that the two sides reviewed the situation in the India-China border areas and the ongoing disengagement process along the Line of Actual Control (LAC )in the Western Sector.
“They agreed that early and complete disengagement of the troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and de-escalation from India-China border areas in accordance with bilateral agreement and protocols and full restoration of peace and tranquillity was essential for smooth overall development of bilateral relations,” the release said. The two sides noted that this was in accordance with the agreement reached between the two Special Representatives (SRs) during their telephonic conversation on July 5, 2020. —ANI
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Sonia, Rahul remember Ex-PM PV Narsimharao New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi have written congratulatory letters to the Telangana unit of the party for organising a year-long celebration on the birth centenary of former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao. “The birth centenary of Narasimha Rao is an occasion for us to recall and pay tribute to the scholarly and erudite personality,” Sonia Gandhi’s message said. “After a long career in state and national politics, he became Prime Minister of India at a time of grave economic crisis. Through his bold leadership, our country was able to overcome many challenges successfully. The Union Budget of July 24, 1991, paved the way for the
TPCC President N Uttam Kumar Reddy pays floral tribute to former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao during his birth centenary celebration in Hyderabad on Friday. —PHOTO BY PTI
economic transformation of our country,” it added. “I congratulate the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee for having organised these year-long celebrations. PV Narasimha Rao was a very respected national and interna-
tional figure. The Congress party takes pride in his many accomplishments and contributions,” she added. Rahul too congratulated the Telangana unit for organising the year-long celebrations to commemorate Rao’s many achievements.
‘Mahindra varsity, an admirable initiative’ New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi auded the Mahindra Group for setting up an autonomous university in Hyderabad. In a letter, which was shared by Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra on his Twitter handle, PM Modi termed the setting up of Mahindra University (MU) an admirable initiative. “Education and knowledge are the cornerstone of growth and
Education and knowledge are the cornerstone of growth and progress of any nation or society. A university does not merely impart education but lays the foundation of character building and nation building among the future citizens of the country. —Narendra Modi, Prime Minister progress of any nation or society. A university does not merely impart education but lays the foundation of character building and nation
building among the future citizens of the country,” Modi said in the letter. It expands the thinking horizons of the stu-
dents and enables them to make a meaningful contribution to the society and the nation, he added. “Today, technology and innovation
have become the driving force in every field of activity,” Modi said. The leveraging of technology to take education to people will lead to true empowerment of people, particularly the underprivileged sections, PM noted. “This noble gesture of Mahindra Group will surely go a long way in providing quality & value based education to students & also equip them for the larger battles in life,” Modi said.
‘Rift with Centre due 5 held for killing abducted to Insolvency law’ Kanpur lab technician New Delhi: Moves to dilute a new bankruptcy law caused disagreements between PM Modi’s government and the central bank, according to former Reserve Bank of India Governor Urjit Patel. The rift centered around a February 2018 circular issued by the RBI, which forced banks to immediately classify borrowers as defaulters when they delayed repayments, barred defaulting company founders from trying to buy back their firms during insolvency auctions, & push them into bankruptcy if a resolution timeline wasn’t met. In a book released Friday, Patel — who headed RBI between Sept 2016 and his unexpected resignation in December 2018, said the government seemed
BABRI DEMOLITION: LK ADVANI DEPOSES BEFORE CBI COURT New Delhi: BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani recorded his statement in the Babri mosque demolition case. The veteran leader recorded the case before the special CBI court in Lucknow throughVC. On Thursday, the court recorded the statement of another BJP veteran Murli Manohar Joshi in the case. Joshi had told the special CBI court that he was innocent and implicated in the case by the then Congress government at the Centre. The 86-year-old leader had also called the prosecution witnesses in the case as “liars”.
Urjit Patel
to lose enthusiasm for legislation in the middle of the year he left the central bank. “Instead of buttressing & future-proofing the gains thus far, an atmosphere to go easy on the pedal ensued,” Patel wrote. “Until then, for most part, the finance minister and I were on the same page, with frequent conversations on enhancing the landmark legislation’s operational efficiency.”
Kanpur: Five people, including a woman, have been arrested in connection with the alleged kidnapping case of Sanjeet Yadav. However, the victim has allegedly been killed by kidnappers, the Kanpur Police informed on Friday. This comes after a police team allegedly failed to stop the kidnappers from escaping with the ransom. Sanjeet’s relatives are claiming that they have given the ransom amount of Rs 30 lakh to the kidnappers. However, the police claimed that the accused did not receive the money and Sanjeet’s body has not been recovered yet. Yadav worked as a technician at a private lab in Kanpur and was kidnapped on June 22. Revealing details about the case at a press conference, Mohit Agar-
FINANCE MIN HOLDS REVIEW MEET FOR STRESSED HOUSING PROJECTS New Delhi: Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday held a meeting to review the performance of the special window for affordable and mid-income housing (SWAMIH). The meeting was conducted with the secretaries of the ministries of Finance and senior management
team of the State Bank of India, SBI capital markets limited and SBICAPS ventures limited (SVL). The fund has so far approved 81 projects with an investment of Rs 8767 crore, said the release. The SWAMIH Investment Fund has progressed from a policy announcement to an operational initiative on the ground.
Police officials at the spot to recover the body of lab technician Sanjeet Yadav from Pandu River in Kanpur. — PHOTO BY PTI
wal, IG Kanpur Range said that two out of the five accused- Gyanendra Yadav, Kuldeep, Nilu, Ramji and Preeti- were friends and former colleagues of Sanjeet. “On June 22, a man named Sanjeet Yadav was kidnapped. The police teams were searching for him since then. On Thursday, five ac-
cused have been arrested. After the kidnapping, Sanjeet was kept in a house rented by the accused, adding that the man was killed after he made a failed bid to escape. On June 23, Sanjeet Yadav’s family filed his missing complaint with police followed by which a case was registered on June 26. —ANI
CHAR DHAM YATRA OPENS FOR PILGRIMS FROM OTHER STATES Dehradun: Days after opening the Char Dham Yatra for the local residents of Uttarakhand, the Char Dham Devsthanam Board on Friday allowed people from rest of the country to visit the holy places. The pilgrims will, however, have to produce the negative report of the COVID-19 test done at least 72 hours ago, Ravinath Raman, the CEO of the Devsthanam Board said. According to the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) issued by the board, pilgrims have to register themselves with the Devsthanam Board on its website.
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COVID-19 UPDATE
According to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the cumulative death toll in the country has reached 30,601 with the addition of 740 deaths in the last 24 hours
INDIA’S TALLY STANDS AT 12,87,945
I- Day gala: No public gathering, use tech, says MHA advisory
T A man stands near barricades inside the sealed residential area during the lockdown in all containment zones in Kolkata.
New Delhi: India reported the highest single-day spike of 49,310 coronavirus cases on Friday, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The total COVID-19 positive cases stand at 12,87,945 including 4,40,135 active cases, 8,17,209 cured/discharged/mig rated. With 740 deaths in the last 24 hours, the cumu-
HUMAN TRIAL
lative toll reached 30,601. Maharashtra has reported 3,47,502 corona-
virus cases, the highest among states and Union Territories in the country. A total of 1,92,964 cases have been reported from Tamil Nadu till now, while Delhi has recorded 1,27,364 coronavirus cases. According to to ICMR, 3,52,801 samples were tested for coronavirus on Thursday and overall 1,54,28,170 samples have been tested so far. —ANI
Delhi: 14-yr-old raped in Corona facility New Delhi: A 14-yearold girl admitted to a 10,000-bed Covid Care Centre in Chhatarpur, was raped last week inside the facility by a 19-year-old man who was housed there, the police said on Thursday. The man and his friend, who stood guard and allegedly recorded the crime at the Sardar Patel Covid Care Centre, have been arrested in the
first such known case in the national capital, officials said. Both of them are coronavirus disease patients. “The girl was immediately shifted to a govern-
ment hospital, where she continues to receive treatment for Covid-19. The suspects, too, are yet to recover and have been moved to another hospital while they remain in judicial custody,” said Parvinder Singh, additional deputy commissioner of police (south). A case has been registered under the POCSO Act.
Rahul Gandhi @RahulGandhi I kept warning them on Covid19 and the economy. They rubbished it. Disaster followed. I keep warning them on China. They’re rubbishing it.
New Delhi: Union Health Minister Dr Harsha Vardhan on Friday said India undertook the COVID-19 challenge with the highest level of political commitment with PM Narendra Modi personally monitoring the situation and ensuring a pre-emptive, pro-active and graded response. Speaking at the Shanghai Cooperation
PM Modi to inaugurate labs of ICMR New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate three new highthroughput labs of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) in Noida, Kolkata, and Mumbai through video conference on July 27. Uttar Pradesh Chief Ministers Yogi Adityanath, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray are expected to take part in the virtual event. —ANI
An elderly woman rows a makeshift raft to cross a flood-affected area of Mayong village in Assam.
trict has faced four waves of flood. Seven deaths have been reported and around 300
to follow certain preventive measures such as maintaining social distancing, wearing of masks, proper sanitization, avoiding large congregations, protecting vulnerable persons and follow all guidelines related to Covid-19 issued by the MHA. Therefore, all programmes should be organised in a way that a large congregation of people is avoided and technology is used in the best possible manner for celebration befitting the occasion. —ANI
‘India committed to face Covid challenge’
Death toll in Assam floods reaches 93 Dibrugarh: Four more people lost their lives in flood-related incidents in Assam on Thursday, taking death toll to 93, State Disaster Management Authority said. So far, 28,32,410 people have been affected due to floods in 26 districts of the state. People in Dadhiya village are facing hardship as several houses are submerged in water due to flood in the area. They are using boats to ferry themselves to safer places. Pallav Gopal Jha, District Commissioner said, “This year, our dis-
he Ministry of Home Affairs issued an advisory for the Independence Day celebrations on August 15 amid Corona. It has asked all the government offices, states, Governors etc to avoid congregation of public and urged the use of technology for conducting the celebration proceedings. In view of the spread of Covid-19 pandemic, while organizing various programmes or activities for the Independence Day celebrations, it is imperative
cattle have died in floodrelated incidents.” Meanwhile, Parimal Suklabaidya, Assam’s
Minister of Environment and Forest, said that this year’s casualty of wildlife is less. —ANI
the session is announced. After nearly five hours, the dharna ended and the MLAs returned to the hotel. Outside the Raj Bhawan, AICC spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the governor has given a note to CM seeking clarifications and these points will be taken care of at a Cabinet meeting Gehlot is calling at Friday 9.30 pm. Meanwhile, late in the night a Cabinet meeting was held at CMR where siscussion was held on the 6 points demanded by the Gov-
ernor. Letter will be sent to the Governor tonight itself. In another development, a caveat was filed in the Supreme Court on behalf of Sachin Pilot Camp, which said that if the Speaker appeals, the Pilot camp should also be heard. Meanwhile in another development, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the BJP of a conspiracy to bring down party government in Rajasthan and said the state Governor should call an assembly session
Organisation (SCO) Health Ministers’ meeting, Dr HarshaVardhan expressed his deepest condolences at the loss of lives
across the world due to COVID 19. He also expressed his “sincere gratitude” for the efforts of those who are in the frontline. “The world is faced with an unprecedented disaster, which has so far affected of the entire planet leading to close to 15 million cases and 0.6 million deaths globally,” said the Minister. —ANI
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POWER Gallery WILL K D TRIPATHI BE CAG?
In the corridors of power, new name of KD Tripathi has cropped up for the post of CAG. Tripathi, 1980 batch IAS officer, is presently Secretary to the President of India. Will he move from the Rashtrapati Bhawan ? Though certain quarters rule out this possibility, PMO may give surprise. 13 IPS OFFICERS RETIRING IN JULY 2020
As many as 13 IPS officers of various cadres and batches are retiring in July 2020. They are: Sunil Garg of UT; Sunil Kumar of Bihar; Anil Kumar of Haryana; VH Rao Deshmukh and Vipul Shukla of Jharkhand; NS Megharikh and TR Suresh of Karnataka; Akhilesh Jha of Madhya Pradesh; M Nageswar Rao of Odisha; K Narsimha Rao of Rajasthan; C Sridhar of Tamil Nadu; Uttam Kumar Majumdar of Tripura and Mrs Kamleshwari Chandra of Uttar Pradesh. ASHISH JOSHI TO GET ONE MONTH’S EXTENSION?
CEO of the Lok Sabha TV, Ashish Joshi is expected to get one month’s extension beginning August 1. His term is coming to an end on July 31. DR SHRIKAR KESHAV PARDESHI LIKELY TO RETURN TO PARENT CADRE ON AUG 10
Dr Shrikar Keshav Pardeshi, working as Joint Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office, is expected to return to parent cadre on August 10, 2020 after completion of five-year tenure at the Centre. He is a 2001 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre. RAJESH BHUSHAN OFFICIALLY APPOINTED AS SECRETARY, HEALTH
Rajesh Bhushan, who is serving as OSD, Health and Family Welfare, has officially been appointed as Secretary in the same Department. He is a 1987 batch IAS officer of Bihar cadre. AJAY TIRKEY APPOINTED AS SECRETARY, LAND RESOURCES
Ajay Tirkey has been appointed as Secretary, Department of Land Resources. He is a 1987 batch IAS officer of MP cadre. RAM MOHAN MISHRA APPOINTED AS SECRETARY, WOMEN & CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Ram Mohan Mishra has been appointed as Secretary, Ministry of Women and Child Development. He is a 1987 batch IAS officer of Assam-Meghalaya cadre. ANIL KUMAR JAIN IS ALSO SECRETARY, MINES
Anil Kumar Jain, Secretary Coal, has been assigned an additional charge of Secretary, Mines. He is a 1986 batch IAS officer of MP cadre. ASHWANI LOHANI JOINS GMR
Several villages inundated in Bihar deluge; 2000 rescued Bettiah: The turbulent Gandak river breached the embankment at a village in Sangrampur block of East Champaran district of Bihar on Thursday night, leaving several villages inundated. Officials said that, following heavy pressure and high water current in the river, about 25 feet stretch of main embankment was breached, which falls
under Areraj sub-division. “There is no loss of life reported from any part though six to seven villages have been affected after the breach of the embankment. Teams of the NDRF rescued over 2,000 people from the affected villages in an operation which began at midnight,” said Dhirendra Kumar Mishra, sub-divisional magistrate (SDM), Areraj.
The capabilities of Ashwani Lohani who has repeatedly proven himself in the public sector, would now be utilised by the private sector. This honest to the core officer, who is recognised as one of the country’s finest always delivers excellence. VIVEK RAM CHAUDHARY IS WESTERN AIR COMMAND CHIEF
Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhary has been appointed as the new Western Air Command Chief. TERM OF DESH DEEPAK VERMA AS SECRETARY-GENERAL, RAJYA SABHA EXTENDED
The term of Desh Deepak Verma as Secretary-General, Rajya Sabha has been extended for a period of one year with effect from September 1, 2020. He is a retired IAS officer. By arrangement with : http:// whispersinthecorridors.com
FROM PG 1 They came... surrounds the Raj Bhawan, then it will not be the government’s responsibility. Gehlot, along with the MLAs, went to the Raj Bhawan in the afternoon, complaining that the governor was sitting on letter that the Cabinet had sent seeking an assembly session on Monday. The chief minister held discussions with the governor separately while the MLAs began a dharna in the lawn and asserted that it will be called off only when the date for beginning
so that the truth comes out before people. Gandhi’s remarks have come amid a factional fight in the state Congress between camps led by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and former Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot. “There is a rule of Constitution and law in the country. The governments are formed and run on the basis of majority given by the masses. BJP’s conspiracy of toppling the Rajasthan government is clear. It is an insult to the eight crore people of Rajas-
than. The Governor should convene a session of the state assembly so that the truth can come out before people,” he said. Rajasthan plunged into a political crisis after differences between Pilot and Gehlot came out in the open. Rajasthan Assembly Speaker CP Joshi has sent disqualification notices to Pilot and 18 MLAs. Pilot and MLAs supporting him have approached the Rajasthan High Court against the notices.
After 1993... The moment of reck-
oning came in the early 90s when then CM Shekhawat had gone to US for his heart treatment. MLA Bhanwar Lal Sharma approached Ashok Gehlot with an offer to topple Shekhawat govt through horse trading. An unflinching Gehlot tried to make power hungry Bhanwar Lal Sahrma understand that to topple the govt of an ailing Shekhawat govt would defy both the healthy democratic traditions and principles of ethical politics. Gehlot went out of the way and met
then Governor Baliram Bhagat and PM Narsimha Rao to convey that the Congress will not be a party to conspire using horse trading as means. Later an MLA confirmed Shekhawat that he actually was given Rs 5 lakh for switching sides. When Shekhawat returned from the US and Governor told him of the role played by Ashok Gehlot, Shekhawat got emotional. It is hard to believe that principles and ethics could ever weigh so heavy on the heaven that power offers.
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FOREST DEPT MANTRA: MY WAY OR NO HIGHWAY Nirmal Tiwari
A
midst political disputes in Rajasthan, the road development projects of the state are also being affected. Even after giving a week’s time by the then Chief Secretary last month, the road projects of NHAI are still waiting for the approval of the Forest Department. Even after a month, no specific action has been taken on these pending cases. On June 18, after the border dispute with China, the progress of
five projects, including the emergency landing project of strategic importance involving NHAI, was reviewed by the Chief Secretary DB Gupta. During this time, the matter of stopping the files of two projects by Forest Minister Sukhram Bishnoi came to light, along with a case of pending important projects due to some officials of the Forest Department. Under the Bharat Mala project, a proposal to develop a touchdown facility in Phalodi at Jaisalmer National Highway in the state has been pending in government offices for the last two years.
Even after giving a week’s time last month, several road projects of NHAI are still in a limbo waiting approval from the Forest Department
‘FILES STUCK FOR FOUR MONTHS’
N
HAI General Manager Pradeep Mudgal informed that three files of Delhi-Baroda Expressway and Amritsar Jamnagar Expressway have been stuck at the end of Forest Minister Sukhram Bishnoi for 4 months. Bishnoi has repeatedly stuck these files in the name of land compensation to the farmers, whereas the files of these projects have nothing to do with the land dispute. In the matter, DB Gupta has instructed to refer the matter to the Chief Minister. Mudgal added that the minister repeatedly raises objections and sends the file back, mentioning various reasons like the incorrect underpass position and other issues. On Thursday, PWD Department’s Additional Chief Secretary Veenu Gupta also held a meeting in this regard and gave directions to the officials so that the important road development projects can be completed on time.
Three files of Delhi-Baroda Expressway and Amritsar Jamnagar Expressway have been stuck at the end of Forest Minister Sukhram Bishnoi for 4 months. Bishnoi has repeatedly stuck these files in the name of land compensation to the farmers, whereas the files of these projects have nothing to do with the land dispute
‘NO APPROVAL DUE TO THE GODAVAN PROJECT’
W
hen a border dispute came up with China, the government once again remembered this project. On June 18, Gupta, the then head of the state bureaucracy, reviewed the project related to NHAI, in which the NOC of the Forest Depart-
ment was not available. The file of the Jaisalmer Emergency Landing project is also pending with the District Forest Officer of Jodhpur. The officer argues that approval is not being given due to the Godavan project, but
NHAI’s CGM MK Jain is claiming that the location of the project has been changed with the permission of the Defense Ministry, following the objection of the Forest Department. Despite this, the Forest Department is not providing NOC.
—Pradeep Mudgal, General Manager, NHAI
31 road projects cleared: All for the Ram temple: Soil Diya thanks PM, Gadkari from 55 sacred spots collected for Rajsamand’s growth
Cops come close to solving murder of history-sheeter
First India Bureau
Ajmer: Police said to have found some clues on which basis it suspected involvement of Akash Soni and Varun Choudhary in murder of history-sheeter Vikram Sharma on Wednesday night. The assailants indiscriminately fired at Vikram Sharma outside his home. He died at the spot. Police had seized 14 empty cartridges and two vehicles from the spot. The police sources said that one of the cars belonged to Akash Soni, a resident of Foy Sagar, which allegedly connects him to this incident. The police also suspected Varun Choudhary’s link with this murder on the basis of a photo on social media. In his photo, Varun Choudhary and Akash Soni are seen together in a hotel. The police though working on every angle believed that both of them may have a hand in this murder.
Aishwary Pradhan
Rajsamand: On the recommendation of MP Diya Kumari, 31 roads have been approved in the third phase of Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana in all the eight assembly constituencies of Rajsamand Lok Sabha. An amount of Rs. 215.59 crore has been sanctioned for 343.7 km of road construction. While thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Rural Panchayati Raj Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, Diya Kumari said that it would be meaningless to discuss the development and providing basic amenities to the public without laying a network of roads in the area. The central government is making every effort to provide basic amenities to the public. Efforts will also be made to get financial approval of the scheme as soon as possible. After the recommendation of MP Diya Ku-
Diya Kumari
mari, 31 roads have been approved including Beawar Ajmer Jawaja Beawar to Kotda Kabra Road, Jaitaran Pali Raipur BaladaBeawar Road, Jaitaran Pali Raipur Biratiya Kalan to Jhali ki Chowki, Jaitaran Pali Raipur Bar Giri Babra Road, Jaitaran Pali Jaitaran Hanuman Bawri to Jhanjanwas, Jaitaran Pali Jaitaran ChandliaDeoria Road, Jaitaran Pali Jaitaran AgewaNimaz-Bodibawri Road via Sangawas, Jaitaran Pali Jaitaran Balunda to Phalka Road and Merta Nagaur Merta Ren-Panchrolia via Dattani-Kheduli-Sogawas-Dangawas Road among others.
Jaipur: Soil from 55 temples, shrines, monasteries and religious places has been collected from across the state to be sent to Ayodhya for the foundation stone ceremony to be held on August 5. VHP office-bearers along with saints, sages and religious chiefs ceremoniously worshipped the collected soil and of-
Soil packets will be sent to Ayodhya for the foundation stone ceremony to be held on August 5 in Ayodhya.
fered it flowers as a token of reverence. A seminar was also held on the occasion in which the speakers remembered the days of struggle to get the Ram temple constructed. The August 5 event will be attended by five VHP office bearers. Soil from almost two dozen temples will be sent to Ayodhya on Saturday using postal services.
MAROONED IN AJMER!
People drive through a flooded road during heavy monsoon shower in Ajmer on Friday. —PHOTO BY HIMANSHU SHARMA
Shubham Jain
BHOOKHE PETT BHAJAN NA HOYE!
H
eard of the saying “Bhookhe pett bhajan na hoye” (One can’t sing praise on an empty stomach)? Well, Friday afternoon was the perfect example of how the Raj Bhawan effectively managed the demonstration held by the Congress MLAs in the lawns. But how did the Raj Bhawan manage to subdue the ‘anger’ in the legislators? The simple answer to this is by distributing cold water and Parle-G biscuits to MLAs! Sounds weird? Well, truth be told, when the legislators were appealing to the Governor to accept their request on holding the assembly session, the heat and humidity, after the rains, made them perspire too much.
Keeping this in mind the water and biscuits were made available which not only diverted the MLAs’ attention from the matter for a little bit but also ensured that when Governor appealed to them to stop their sloganeering, they adhered to it. Once having consumed the biscuits, the MLAs sat and staged a sit-in. Few days back CM Ashok Gehlot was also seen having chai and the samebrand of biscuits with MLAs in the hotel while remebering his Youth Congress days. —Kashiram Choudhary
GRASSROOTS WORKERS, PEOPLE PUZZLED
T
he general public in the desert state have been wondering if the MLAs and minister would start functioning like they used to in normal days. In many photos and videos doing the rounds on social media, some of the legislators were seen doing yoga in the hotel lawn, crowding around a chef cooking food, watching movies, playing carrom and celebrating the birthday of an MLA. In a video, mostly women
Off the
RECORD
‘RED-FACED’ MINISTER BHAYA PUTS HIS OWN ORDER ON HOLD
M
ining Minister Pramod Jain Bhaya has been facing flak in the matter for the past sometime as he had to put a stay on his own order. The issue pertains to stripping the Mining Director off financial powers which was issued on June 3 and now the ‘mantriji’ had to issue a new order on July 23 asking that his earlier order be ‘kept in abeyance’. The ‘development’ has left the minister red-faced in political and administrative circles. Due to his tussle with the then Mining Director Gaurav Goyal, the minister had stripped the Director off the financial powers and entrusted these powers with him. But the then Principal secretary- Mines, Kunji Lal Meena had termed the entire action to the wrong and illegal and forwarded the matter to Law Department. When the Law Department opined that the minister’s actions were wrong, the matter reached CMO. Although the CMO did not give any direction but the
legislators including minister Mamta Bhupesh and Olympian Krishna Poonia are seen among others crowding around a chef. Congress MLAs learning Italian dishes went viral it was not well accepted by the general public. Yet another picture of MLA Vinod Lilawali went viral recently wherein the leader was shown enjoying delicacies. Interestingly, at the same time BJP leader Ramlal Sharma’s pic, enjoying desi dishes at Veer Hanuman near Samode went viral which was well appreciated by the locals. Interestingly, in both Congress and BJP, the grassroots workers have been questioning the ongoing ‘show’ of high profile hotels. —Yogesh Sharma
Pramod Jain Bhaya
Gaurav Goyal and Kunji Lal Meena were removed from the department. However, now the minister had to fall back on the ‘right path’ and after fifty days, he had to roll back his controversial order. In comparison with former Secretaries, Subodh Agarwal is a senior officer of ACS level and is a claimant for the position of Chief Secretary. Thus minister Bhaya will have to work in tandem with Agarwal. Newly appointed Director KB Pandya, although sits at Jaipur and not Udaipur, is also not going to work on the minister’s behest since he has a good connect in the CMO. Thus, the minister and the new officers will have to follow the rules and protocol. —Rajendra Chhabra
If you can understand the difference between what to hold on to and what to let go - you will be a happier person. —Jagdeesh Chandra, CEO & Editor, First India
POSTAL REG NO. JPC/010/2019-21 www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
SANJIVANI COOPERATIVE SOCIETY SCAM
2ND FRONT JAIPUR | SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020
08
Union Min attacks CM Gehlot saying Rajasthan is watching his politics of ‘deceit’ and ‘fraud’
‘There is a political conspiracy, will become clear soon’ A Jaipur court has directed Rajasthan’s SOG to investigate the role of Shekhawat in connection with the alleged Rs 884 crore scam First India Bureau New Delhi: There is a political conspiracy, said Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Friday after a Rajasthan court’s order to investigate him and his associates in alleged ‘Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society’ scam. “There is a political conspiracy. It will become clear in the coming days
that how, when and who is behind it,” Shekhawat said on the Rajasthan court’s order to investigate against him and his associates in alleged ‘Sanjivani Credit Cooperative Society’ scam. A Jaipur court has directed Rajasthan’s Special Operations Group (SOG) to investigate the role of Shekhawat in connection with the alleged Rs 884 crore
lice served a notice to Shekhawat for the probe in connection with FIR in the matter related to an alleged plot to topple the Rajasthan state government, registered by the Special Operations Group (SOG). “This statement does not suit those who
scam. The court was hearing a petition, filed by Barmer district residents Ladu Singh and Guman Singh, claiming they invested Rs 54 lakh and Rs 14 lakh respectively due to Gajendra Singh Shekhawat which were never returned and they were cheated. Earlier, Rajasthan po-
Governor assures Cong delegation of Justice!
In Delhi to meet high command: Rebel MLAs
used to talk about democracy. Opposition Leader in Rajasthan Assembly Gulab Singh has said that we don’t believe on Rajasthan Police and CRPF should be deployed for the security of Raj Bhavan,” he said. Gehlot reportedly made the remark when he said that Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra is not calling the state Assembly session due to “pressures from the top”. Speaking on the political crisis in Rajasthan, the Union Minister said:
RHB gives relief to allottees The lease amount will be calculated at residential reserve rate; benefit of revised rates on lump-sum lease deposit till 31 Dec 2020 in the old outstanding cases ‘AATISHI’ INNINGS
First India Bureau
—File photo
If eyes could speak! CM Ashok Gehlot, Governor Kalraj Mishra, Sachin Pilot and Satish Poonia.
From P1 The ‘panic situation’ at Raj Bhawan further worsened, when a Gandhian CM Gehlot had got so upset and agitated with Governor’s failure to accord his sanction to convene the special session of assembly, that he had publicly warned Raj Bhawan that if people of Rajasthan will come tomorrow to Jaipur to gherao or demonstrate outside Raj Bhawan, then he will not be responsible (for a likely breach of law and order). According to highly placed sources, only this statement of Gehlot was ‘sufficient’ to prepare for a valid ground for the centre to put the state under President rule. Thereafter, New Delhi got immediately ‘active’ and the video tape of Gehlot’s allegedly ‘irresponsible’ (according to relevant quarters in New Delhi) speech was called for, to study and to decide the
further course of action. Infact, the top BJP leadership in New Delhi and Jaipur was surprised with such a statement of a sitting CM and specially Gehlot, who enjoys the reputation and goodwill of a very mature and seasoned chief minister and also has never spoken such a ‘language’. However, subsequently, by guessing the seriousness of the situation, Gehlot, apparently under sensible advice from congress high command and may be also from Avinash Pande, himself came forward and immediately lifted the dharna of Congress MLAs from Raj Bhawan, which could have otherwise been an indefinite scenario, where a few thousand people and specially the Congress workers would have thronged to or gheraoed the Raj Bhawan the next day, further escalating the situation to a point of no return.
Subsequently, by speaking to media, a concerned CM clarified that sometimes such statements are the ‘political requirement’ of the situation and no one is required to get worried or panicky. But according to sources, Raj Bhawan and New Delhi did not ‘accept’ Gehlot’s clarification on the face value. In this way, an unpleasant situation of suddenly putting the state under President rule was averted and by taking a separate appointment with the Governor Kalraj Mishra, senior Congress leaders camping at Raj Bhawan, Avinash Pande, Ajay Maken and Randeep Surjewala, met Mishra for about half an hour and effectively expressed their view point. However, in a matching response Governor also assured the delegation that he will certainly do ‘justice’ in this entire matter.
Jaipur: Members of the Sachin Pilot camp on Friday, rebutted CM Ashok Gehlot’s accusations regarding the MLAs being held hostage by the BJP and said that they were camped in Delhi to hold talks with the Congress High Command and narrate their woes. MLAs—Suresh Modi, Murari Lal Meena, and Vedprakash Solanki—all stated that the accusations being levied on them by Gehlot were ‘out of line.’ “Gehlotji has been CM three times but his accusations have hurt us. Neither have we left Congress nor approached BJP, we were saddened by him sidelining us and our neglect during the one and a half year of his government. The MLAs came to Delhi to meet the High Command of the party and narrate their woes,” Meena said. Suresh Modi added that they had been dissatisfied with Gehlot’s style of functioning as a result of which work in their constituencies were “hampered” in the tenure. Solanki further reiterated that the MLAs still support Pilot and will continue to do so in the future.
Shivendra Parmar Jaipur: RHB Commissioner Pawan Arora said on Friday that in all the old outstanding cases from before May 28, 2020, the outstanding lease amount can now be deposited according to new revised rates, however, this benefit will be given on one lump sum payment of the outstanding lease amount till 31 December 2020. As per the order issued on May 28, the rates of lease amount
were revised by the Board. According to the revised rates, now the lease amount will have to be paid at the rate of 2.5 percent in residential and institutional allocations and 5 percent in cases of commercial allocations. The lease amount will be calculated at the residential reserve rate. He said that along with this, the cases of allottees who have deposited the lease amount as per the rates fixed earlier, will not be reopened.
Dilawar moves court over BSP MLAs’ merger with Congress First India Bureau Jaipur: A BJP MLA on Friday filed a petition in the Rajasthan HC for quashing the merger of six BSP MLAs with the Congress, a move months back which helped the ruling party to retain majority in the assembly. The petition by Madan Dilawar also challenges the inaction of the Speaker in not deciding on his plea seeking the disqualification of the BSP MLAs from the
assembly. The petition will be heard by a single-judge bench of the high court on Monday. Sandeep Yadav, Wajib Ali, Deepchand Kheria, Lakhan Meena, Jogendra Awana and Rajendra Gudha won the 2018 assembly elections on BSP tickets. They applied for merger as a group with the Cong on September 16 last year. The Speaker passed an order two days later declaring that the six MLAs will be treated as an integral
Madan Dilawar
part of the Congress. The BJP MLA had then filed a petition to Speaker CP Joshi against the merger being not treated as defection, which would have led to the six MLAs’ disqualification from
WORRYING SCENARIO!
Patel says Guj Govt needs to be transparent on Covid surge In a Twitter message, he expressed concern that the State’s “Covid-19 mortality rate of 4.4% is very high” Dr Anita New Delhi: With the State’s corona tally touching 20,000 in the first 23 days of July and Thursday’s 1,078 new cases being the 20th peak this month, a concerned Congress Rajya Sabha member Ahmed Patel has blamed the State Gov-
ernment for Gujarat reporting the country’s highest mortality rate of 4.4%. In a message on his Twitter handle, Patel mourned, “At 4.4%, Gujarat’s Covid-19 mortality rate is very high.” “Why?” he asked, and pointed out that, “First, it is because Gujarat is not testing
Ahmed Patel
“Sometimes the Chief Minister talks about sending the audio to the US for investigation as he does not believe CBI. This is their internal matter.” Taking to Twitter, the Central Minister attacked Gehlot and said Rajasthan is watching his politics of “deceit” and “fraud”. “Gehlot ji, Rajasthan is watching and understanding your politics of deceit, fraud and threats in greed of power!! #RajasthanPoliticalCrisis,” Shekhawat tweeted.
— FILE PHOTO
enough & testing late. As a result there is a delay in identifying positive patients. Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Delhi - which have similar or less population than Gujarat are conducting far more tests.” Ahmed Patel, who hails from Gujarat, asserted that, “The State Government needs to be open & transparent,” since things had slipped out of control. The Congress lead-
er said the situation was more alarming since the virus is spreading across the State. “The infection has spread to rural areas where adequate medical facilities are absent. People have to travel to other districts for help and are doing so at later stages of the infection.” As on July 24, the State had 53,631 positive cases with 2,283 deaths.
the assembly. Dilawar has now contrasted the treatment of his own petition with the action taken by the Speaker on a plea by Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi, seeking the disqualification of 19 dissident MLAs led by Sachin Pilot. He said while the Speaker issued disqualification notices to the 19 MLAs the same day he received the complaint from the Congress, no action has been taken in his case even after four months.
MLA Babulal admitted to hospital First India Bureau Jaipur: Kathumar MLA Babulal Bairwa, one of the Congress MLAs who are staying at Fairmont Hotel, has been admitted to Sawai Man Singh Hospital in Jaipur after he complained of difficulty in breathing. Congress MLAs have been staying at the hotel for nearly two weeks after the state plunged into a political crisis as the differences between Sachin Pilot and CM Gehlot came out in the open.
www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia JAIPUR, SATURDAY JULY 25, 2020
HEAR THE
HISSS... Snakes are generally shy animals who want nothing to do with humans. Humans, though have an ancient relationship with snakes, of attraction and fear!
NEHAL NAYAR
nehal.nayar@firstindia.co.in
T
hroughout history, humans have had an uneasy relationship with serpents. Snakes are animals that fascinate many people while frightening others, good or bad, most people have strong feelings about snakes, but few people remain neutral. Unfortunately, most humansnake interactions had lead to the destruction of snakes to the point that many species of snakes have become extinct and there is a long list which is endangered. Ophidiophilia is an attraction to snakes while ophidiophobia is the fear of snakes. Snakes are mystical animals that are a part of stories, tradition, culture, mythology, religion and folklore and yes, superstitions. We have all heard love stories of naag-naagin and many of the devout will step out today to feed’ milk ‘to the snakes in this holy month of Saawan, this naturally comes from worshipping Lord Shiva, the destroyer with snakes coiled around his neck. The fact is that reptiles cannot digest dairy products and rarely
drink milk, holds no water with belief ruling the roost. Exotic photography with snakes and keeping snakes as pets, howsoever risky it may be at times, hold an attraction especially for people who wish to show a certain false bravado. In the age of social media, it makes for a huge amount of Likes and Comments on the page! The whole aura surrounding snakes is so interesting and beguiling that most people do not know basic truths like if you kill a snake it’s partner will come after you are blatantly false. Snakes do not have any sort of social bond, nor the intellect nor memory to recognise and remember an assailant. Bollywood, which has spawned quite a few movies and serials based on this myth, can be blamed for the common belief ! And, a snake’s head when cut off it will stay alive till sundown and it captures the face of its killer in its eyes is the stuff of horror movies and simply not believable by mature adults.
09
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JAIPUR | SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020
10
VICKY KAUSHAL: THE JOSH MACHINE GURMAN SINGH cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
B
FA CE OF TH ED AY
eginning his nearly decade-long association with the Hindi film industry as an assistant director, Bollywood star Vicky Kaushal has won many hearts and achieved great success in a small amount of time. Vicky is one of the most talented actors to have stepped into Bollywood. He has not only impressed the audience through his acting skills but also got applause from megastar Amitabh Bachchan. His roles are extremely compelling and he totally gets into the skin of the character, making the audience get swayed by his charm and excellent screen presence. He is a promising Bollywood actor, who managed to woo critics and audience alike with his debut film ‘Masaan’. His performance left everyone with
YOUR DAY Horoscope by Saurabbh Sachdeva
nothing but praises for him. He then went on to star in ‘Zubaan’ and later, surprised everyone with his portrayal of a negative character in Anurag Kashyap’s ‘Raman Raghav 2.0’ The earnestness with which Kaushal plays his characters has earned him fans within the industry as well as among audiences. In 2018 Kaushal rose to prominence with supporting roles in Raazi as Iqbal and as Kamli in Sanju, two of the highest-grossing Hindi films of the year where he casted his magic spell through his stupendous performances for which he also got Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor. The actor has also tried his luck in the OTT plat-
ARIES
TAURUS
GEMINI
CANCER
You will have lot of fun at home with family today and you all will feel very fortunate for that.You have lot of money in your account to keep you going in future. Do not take your health for granted specially during these trial time. On academic front, you are always well prepared.
Your strategies on business front will bring good profits and no matter how tough the time is, you will only keep growing.You have a good money in account to start something new so without wasting anytime just keep forging ahead. You must work out for a fit body & mind.
People appreciate your sincerity and talk good about you even behind your back. You have a great health and this is not gifted rather you have worked very hard to get here. You desire to have a happy family and luckily you have one. You lover will surely meet you today.
Some of you can expect the promotion at work and for the others work security is guaranteed. You have started following a discipline routine and this will keep you healthy. Business owner may need some time but stay rest assured you will get back on the track.
MAR 21 - APR 20
APR 21 - MAY 20
MAY 21 - JUNE 21
JUNE 22 - JULY 23
LEO
VIRGO
LIBRA
SCORPIO
People at work always praise you for your hard work and professionalism therefore you must keep motivating others. You need a change in your diet to make you feel more energetic and healthy. Your kids will bring immense joy in your life and you will feel very grateful for that.
You must start trusting others and help them In growing by giving them responsibilities on work front. Newly married couple will be in demand among family and close friends. You must do all you can to conserve money for the future. You will overcome any discomfort.
No matter how you manage but you have to keep in touch with your loved ones as relationships are built with efforts.Money is flowing into your life right now to boost your financial stability, all you need to do is it to invest and save it in the beat way for future benefits.
You are someone who loves to keep self improving in your respective field and grow everyday. You are famous in your social circle and it is because of the nature of reaching out people. You are someone who hold the hands for both the good and the bad time.
JULY 24 - AUGUST 23
AUG 24 - SEP 23
SEPT 24 - OCTOBER 22
OCT 23 - NOVEMBER 22
SAGITTARIUS
CAPRICORN
AQUARIUS
PISCES
You can expect a very relaxing, silent atmosphere at home and you will love this calmness.You are going to make profits in everything today. You have a budget and you never mess with it and this quality is what made you rich. You will get all the pampering form you siblings today.
Your seniors consider to you to be very important for the company and you have to live up to the image. You must not refrain from bargaining as doing so can help you to save a lot. Your seniors consider to you to be very important for the company ,live up to the image.
With God’s grace you will start something new today and you will get all the support and blessings of your parents .You may have to showcase your skills in front of many people even if digitally to succeed in your endeavours. A younger child in family will make you proud.
On professional front, you have a promising career ahead of you. You are a free bird and you do as you please. You can expect a raise in salary but having a job at these times is also something you must be grateful for. Leave no stone unturned in making your lover feel special.
NOV 23 - DEC 22
RADHIKA CHOWDHARY, Model
form and amazed the audience with his majestic and outrageous performance in Netflix Original film ‘Love Per Square Foot’ and with his quirky comedy in ‘Lust Stories’. Later in 2018 with Vicky Sandhu as Vicky Kaushal’s alter ego brought out his flamboyant side in the film Manmarziyan. Vicky Kaushal had a career turnaround in 2019, where he again wore the hat of an Army officer and paid tribute to Indian Army in “Uri: The Surgical Strike” This turned out to be one of the biggest hits of the year and the film earned him his maiden National Award. Later in 2020, Kaushal made his entry into the horror genre with Bhoot: Part one - The Haunted Ship.
DEC 23 - JAN 20
JAN 21 - FEB 19
FEB20 - MARCH 20
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JAIPUR | SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020
11
FUN TIMES! Deepika Padukone
D
eepika Padukone spent her Wednesday evening playing a series of ‘TPL- Taboo Premier League’ with her star husband Ranveer Singh and his family. The ‘Tamasha’ actor took to Instagram on Thursday to share a picture from the game session with her family and stated that the board game went extremely competitive. “TPL-Taboo Premiere League. With everyone
bringing their A-Game to the TaBoo Table I must say it is getting extremely competitive!” she wrote in the caption. The ‘Chhapaak’ actor celebrated Ranveer Singh’s birthday at home earlier this month and shared that she gorged on the birthday cake for a week. The celebrity couple has been staying at home ever since the COVID-19-induced lockdown was imposed in the country. —ANI
... her post
B ENGAGED!
L
ooks like quarantining together has worked wonders for Demi Lovato and Max Ehrich as the couple just revealed the good news that they’re engaged. For the unversed, Demi started dating the Young and the Restless star in March and it seems as though the two already want to spend forever together. Both took to Instagram to share some snaps from their romantic proposal at a beach and we can’t help but notice the gorgeous engagement ring that looks perfect on Lovato’s finger. Brownie points to Mr. Ehrich, for sure! Demi, who has always had a way with words wrote a sweet note to her now fiance as she gushed about how she fell in love with Max the moment she met him. —Agency
humi Pednekar has been trying to advocate positive social messages through her movies as well as her nature protection initiative ‘Climate Warrior.’ The actor is also making the best possible use of her social media platforms to “raise awareness at every level possible” for as she says, “climate change is real and climate change is here.” As a part of the initiative, the ‘Bala’ actor has been highlighting several personali-
RAISING AWARENESS ties, be it from entertainment or from other grounds, who are doing path-breaking work to protect the environment. Recently, the 31-year-old actor also collaborated with a young ‘Climate Warrior’ of India -- Licypriya Kangujam. Pednekar, through her Instagram handle introduced the eight-year-old girl from Manipur, who is rallying the youth of the country to be more climate-conscious.
Sharing a video clip of the young activist on Friday, the actor wrote, “Though young, her work towards climate activism is beyond her years... A receiver of prestigious accolades such as a Dr APJ Abdul Kalam Children Award, a World Children Peace Prize and an India Peace Prize, she has created a symbolic device called SUKIFU (Survival Kit for the Future) to curb the air pollution.” —ANI
Bhumi Pednekar
NEW ALBUM The Great Screening
RELEASED
T
he international singer left Swifties screaming when she announced she was releasing a new album. Taylor revealed her playlist on Thursday with a heartwarming note which had her pour her heart out. Now that the album is out, we joined the fans to stream one song at a time. After we found ourselves rewatching the music video of Cardigan for the fifth time, we decided to dive into the other songs on the album. “Before this year I probably would’ve overthought when to release this music at the ‘perfect’ time, but the times we’re living in keep reminding me that nothing is guaranteed. My gut is telling me that if you make something you love, you should just put it out into the world. That’s the side of uncertainty I can get on board with. Love you guys so much,” she said. —Agency
Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt
E
ver since Gully Boy hit the screens in February 2019, the film created massive waves with its content and received countless accolades under its belt. The Zoya Akhtar directorial has been a favourite at the International circuit as well. After winning the NETPAC award for Best Asian Film at the
Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) in South Korea last year the film has been invited to the prestigious ‘Busan International Film Festival’ under the Request Cinema Screening category on popular demand. Gully Boy was also nominated as India’s official entry for the 92 Oscars for 2019. —Agency
Joke about fourth pregnancy
I
t seems actor Ryan Reynolds isn’t looking to have a fourth child with his wife Blake Lively any time soon. According to Fox News, the 43-year-old actor shared a brief clip from his 2010 film ‘Buried’ on Instagram with the logo for Aviation Gin -- his own brand -- edited into the scene in several places, including a flask that Reynolds takes a drink from. Reynolds wrote in the caption, “Before Deadpool, I was an actor, One of my favourite projects was a film called ‘Buried’ and it’s now on @Hulu. 10 years later, it really holds up!”
Demi Lovato and Max Ehrich Taylor Swift
He joked, “Although I don’t recall the aggressive product placement.” The 32-year-old actor Lively left a funny comment on her hubby’s post. “I think this just got me pregnant,” she said, as captured by Comments by Celebs. In typical fashion, Reynolds offered a witty response. The ‘Deadpool’ star wrote in response, “I will be out of the office starting July 22nd through the middle of forever and ever. If you need immediate assistance during my absence, please contact someone. Anyone. Otherwise, I will respond to your message as soon as possible upon my unlikely return. Thank you.” Reynolds and Lively already share three daughters. —ANI
Blake Lively
CITY BUZZ www.firstindia.co.in I www.firstindia.co.in/epaper/ I twitter.com/thefirstindia I facebook.com/thefirstindia I instagram.com/thefirstindia
JAIPUR | SATURDAY, JULY 25, 2020
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TEEJ MATA RI PUJA
Diya Kumari
Diya Kumari and her friends
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ajsamand MP Diya Kumari performed the traditional Poojan of Teej Mata at the City Palace on Friday. Dressed in ‘Lehariya’, she garlanded Teej Mata and duly worshiped the Goddess. On this occasion, she said that the people of Jaipur and Rajasthan are very involved in the procession of Teej and Gangaur Mata. Due to the Corona epidemic, the royal procession of Teej Mata could not be taken out in the walled city of Jaipur this year. The procession of Teej Mata was taken out of the Janani Deodhi to the gate and brought back to the Palace. The MP expressed hope that next year this procession will be could be taken out with full elegance and enthusiasm. —City First
Diya Kumari doing the Puja
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QUE... QUEen Q1. My flatmate keeps borrowing my watches without asking. I find this very annoying (especially when it’s my favourite watch), but I don’t want to seem uptight. How can I stop her? Ans. Hi, I can understand your issues about not calling her out on this. Does she just borrow watches or everything? If she borrows your stuff indiscriminately, then change your flatmate! On the other hand, if she is a ‘watch-borrower’, gift her a watch with a message. If she persists then the next time she is wearing your watch, pretend to search, then walk up to her and laughingly tell her that you have to wear this today! Take it off her hand and clip/strap it on yours. Do it a couple of times. Q2. I’ve fallen for a girl, but she’s an anime character. Is it really a bad thing? Ans. Well, it depends on how old you are! If you are a teenager it’s perfectly fine, however, if you are above 20 and ‘she’ is the only girl in your life, my advice is that go and meet more people. Join an activity that will build up your confidence. Have any questions? Mail them to quequeenfirstindia@gmail. com; don’t worry, your name will not be disclosed!
he brilliant artistry of the jewellers and craftsmen of the pink city is known throughout the world. In this series of opulent heritage, another accolade has just joined. Dharmendra Bhalla from Jaipur has made his place in the World Book of Records London for his extraordinarily splendid jewellery design. Priced at 6 lac dollars/Rs 4.58 crores, he has designed a 24-carat gold ring in the shape of Corona, with purity above 9999. This ring has already been declared to be the purest gold ring with a gorgeous design. Bhalla has been invited to London at the British Parliament for felicitation upon creating this masterpiece. This is the first piece of purest gold craftsmanship in the world, with the shape of the Coronavirus. It is unbelievable
Teej Mata Ki Sawari
WORTH A
RECORD Dharmendra Bhalla
and unique that this ring has been labeled as the purest gold jewellery ever made in the history of mankind.
Life Saviours
Talking about this achievement, Bhalla says that the world was shrouded in a cover of negativity because of this global pan-
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he patients are being treated smoothly at Geetanjali Medical College and Hospital following all the rules of COVID-19. A 61-year-old patient was successfully treated by left septal pacing in South division. The operation was done by Dr Ramesh Patel, Dr Kapil Bhargava, Dr Danny Mangalalni, and Dr Shalabh Agarwal. Left septal pacing is a type of safe pacemaker in which the patient’s heartbeat is controlled by a doctor. Its cost is as much as a normal pacemaker, thus it is proving very useful. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
Ring curated by him
demic. To change this distressing period of lockdown into something fruitful, he decided to work on this ring. He was inspired to replicate the structure of Coronavirus by being haunted by the constantly increasing cases of Coronavirus. The virus which has impacted the whole world adversely is now a proud jewel of his artwork. He took about one and a half months to make this ring. To keep his work distinct, he made use of the purest quality of gold which was never used by any jeweller, to date. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
Financial Results T CITY FIRST
CITY FIRST
Good over Bad
he Board of Directors of AU Small Finance Bank Limited at its meeting held on Friday, approved the unaudited financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020. Commenting on the performance, Sanjay Agarwal, MD & CEO, AU Small Finance Bank said, “Bank continues to perform well enough on all metrics such as Deposit
Growth, Extra Liquidity Buffers, Assets Quality, Digital Banking, Inclusive Banking, Customer Engagements and Employee Safety & Well-being resulting into a satisfactory quarter. In Q1FY21, our PAT grew by 48% with a continuous declining trend in the cost of funds.” Considering the social distancing protocols of current times, AU Bank recently organized its 25th AGM virtually. cityfirst@firstindia.co.in
CITY FIRST
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short film ‘Jurm Aur Kanoon’ made by Pratham Sharma portraying that good always takes over the evil and that even single person can make a big difference, be it a policeman, a politician, or anyone who brings any kind of positivity in the society and influences the minds of individuals. Every day many corrupt individuals get away with the crimes they do because the law and order which is meant to protect the society from these mafias becomes a business for the rich and the privileged to get away with their c r i m e s and the people who follow the right path have to suffer. This needs to change, be the change, bring the change! cityfirst@firstinPratham Sharma dia.co.in
WHAT’S HAPPENING!
HAPPY B’DAY! IPS Hemant Kumar Sharma celebrated his birthday on 24 July, Friday. We wish him all the best!
Poster of the film
RAJASTHAN: Venture Catalysts is a leading integrated incubator and start-up mentoring and fundraising organisation which launched its Jaipur operation via the virtual platform on Friday. Venture Catalysts provides a combination of capital, mentoring, and networking opportunities to budding entrepreneurs thereby contributing actively to the growth and the success of the investee companies.
GUJARAT: In a live session with Nilparna Sen, CEO KG Fitness, Certified Nutrition Coach and Personal Trainer interacted with Surat’s leading psychologist and behavorial therapist Bhavna Raja who has seen success stories with hundreds of people with their mental issues. Her expertise lies is child psychology, suicide prevention, anxiety, depression, marital issues, body image issues, and many more.