Hyderabad, May 21 (IANS) Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Congress leaders paid tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on Tuesday on his death anniversary.

They garlanded the statue of the late Prime Minister at Somajiguda in the heart of the city.

AICC in-charge for Telangana Deepa Dasmunshi, former minister and government advisor Mohammed Ali Shabbir, former minister K. Jana Reddy, former MP V. Hanumantha Rao and others paid tributes to the late leader.

Revanth Reddy, who is also President of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC), described Rajiv Gandhi as the architect of modern India. He recalled the contributions of the former Prime Minister to the development of the information technology sector.

While paying their tributes, the Congress leaders recalled Rajiv Gandhi’s services to the nation.

Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy paid tributes to Rajiv Gandhi by garlanding his statue in Khammam.

Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar, who is currently on a visit to the United States, participated in Rajiv Gandhi’s death anniversary event at Times Square in New York.

The minister recalled that it was due to the initiatives taken by Rajiv Gandhi that India made rapid strides in the field of technology. He said the former Prime Minister reduced the voting age to 18, thus enabling youth to participate in the nation’s development.

Ponnam Prabhakar said when several anti-social forces were dividing the country in the name of religion and caste, Rajiv Gandhi sacrificed his life for national unity and integrity.

–IANS

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New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Delhi Police have arrested a 41-year-old man after ink was thrown at Kanhaiya Kumar, the Congress’s Lok Sabha candidate from Northeast Delhi, police said.

The accused was identified as Ajay Kumar a.k.a Ranbir Bhatti, a resident of New Usmanpur.

According to police, on May 17, at 6:53 p.m. a police control room call was received regarding the ink incident.

“It was found that Kanhaiya Kumar, Congress candidate was in a meeting in AAP Office at 4th Pushta, Swami Satyanarain Bhawan, New Usmanpur. Chhaya Sharma, AAP Councillor was hosting the meeting,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (northeast) Joy Tirkey.

After the meeting, when Chhaya Sharma came down to see off Kanhaiya Kumar, some persons came and put garlands around Kumar.

“After garlanding him, some people threw ink on Kumar and tried to assault him. When Chhaya Sharma tried to intervene, they misbehaved and threatened her,” said the DCP.

“One person has been arrested on Monday while efforts are being made to round up the others,” the DCP added.

–IANS

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Jaipur, May 21 (IANS) Even though the Lok Sabha elections in Rajasthan concluded in April, the supporters of Sachin Pilot and Ashok Gehlot still seem to be in campaigning mode, with both sides singing paeans and claiming that their favourite leader is more popular.

While the Pilot camp is claiming that the young leader’s popularity has risen tremendously, Gehlot’s followers are asserting that the seasoned Congressman still enjoys the trust and blessing of the high command and hence he was given charge of the Amethi seat as senior observer.

Pilot’s supporters are quite jubilant over the rising popularity of their leader among all sections of society in almost all states.

They have been sharing the details of his meetings with their family and friends with a sense of pride for choosing the ‘right’ leader with a strong future.

Sushil Asopa, former PCC Secretary in Rajasthan told IANS, “Apart from the Gandhi family and Congress President Kharge, Sachin Pilot is the only leader in the Congress who has a tremendous demand in every state. He has already held meetings in different states even as the fifth phase of the Lok Sabha polls was completed on Monday.

“The Congress has three Chief Ministers and a dozen former Chief Ministers but they, too, are not as much in demand in other states.”

Giving the numbers, he said, “Pilot has held around 98 election meetings in 14 states and covered around 51 Lok Sabha seats. This record is just awesome.”

Asopa added, “Pilot has covered states like Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, NCT of Delhi, Odisha, Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.”

He did not stop here and said, “Former CM Ashok Gehlot has been unable to cover any other state in the country after being limited to Amethi in Uttar Pradesh as an observer.”

Meanwhile, Ashok Gehlot’s supporters are gung-ho about his Amethi assignment.

Congress leader Varun Purohit, a known Gehlot supporter said that the former CM got the prestigious Amethi seat as an observer because of his close relationship with the Gandhi family and the trust that the party high command has in him.

He did not stop here and questioned why Pilot had been appointed as AICC observer for the North East Delhi Lok Sabha seat from where former JNU Students’ Union president Kanhaiya Kumar is contesting.

However, Asopa asserted that Pilot got North East Delhi as he is a young leader and has been nurturing young leadership across the nation.

–IANS

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Guwahati, May 21 (IANS) As the Lok Sabha elections got over in Assam, BJP’s ally Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) has been gearing up for the Panchayat polls.

Moreover, the party leadership also directed the grassroots workers to prepare for the by-elections in a few assembly segments.

A senior leader of the AGP said on Tuesday that the party is hopeful of winning at least one Lok Sabha seat this time in the recently concluded polls in the state.

BJP left two seats – Barpeta and Dhubri – for AGP. Party stalwart and eight-time MLA Phani Bhusan Choudhury contested elections in Barpeta on AGP’s ticket. The party is hopeful of winning the Barpeta Lok Sabha segment.

Meanwhile, Javed Islam fought polls against Badruddin Ajmal in Dhubri parliamentary constituency. Congress senior leader and former state minister Rakibul Hussain also contested from that seat. AGP leaders are hopeful that the division of opposition votes in Dhubri may bring some good news for them.

The AGP has conducted an in-depth review meeting with the party workers in Guwahati on Monday evening. The top party leaders took feedback from the district-level workers about the party’s winning possibility in two LS seats.

“We held discussions with other party leaders about strengthening our base for the upcoming Panchayat polls. Further, by-elections will occur in a few assembly seats. The grassroots workers were given tasks to prepare grounds for the next elections,” the senior AGP leader mentioned.

Notably, Panchayat polls were due in Assam in December last year. However, it was delayed due to Lok Sabha polls.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma earlier said that Panchayat elections will take place in the state after the conclusion of Lok Sabha polls.

–IANS

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New Delhi, May 21 (IANS) Delhi Police on Tuesday took Bibhav Kumar, the former personal secretary of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to Mumbai in connection with the assault on AAP Rajya Sabha member Swati Maliwal, police official privy to the probe said.

“Kumar had formatted his phone on May 17, citing a malfunction. Kumar is taken to Mumbai to retrieve the data as he had formatted the phone there,” said the official.

On May 18, CM Kejriwal’s close aide Bibhav Kumar was arrested in connection with the assault on Maliwal and produced late at night before a local court which sent him to a five-day police custody.

Kumar was also taken to CM residence on Monday where the crime scene was recreated.

Delhi Police registered a case against Kumar for molestation and attempted culpable homicide after he allegedly assaulted Swati Maliwal at the Chief Minister’s residence on May 13.

The FIR includes charges under sections 308 (attempt to commit culpable homicide), 341 (wrongful restraint), 354(B) (assault or use of criminal force to woman with intent to disrobe), 506 (criminal intimidation), and 509 (word, gesture, or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code at the Civil Lines police station.

–IANS

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