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Sensational revelations in phone tapping case heats up Telangana politics

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Hyderabad, May 30 (IANS) Two weeks after Lok Sabha elections, Telangana politics have again heated up with sensational disclosures in phone tapping case landing the main opposition, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), in a tight spot.

The alleged confessions of a former police officer and three suspended officers, who were all arrested in the case, have triggered a war of words among ruling Congress, BRS and BJP.

The confessions of the accused have revealed startling details of the phone tapping operation conducted by the state’s Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) under the previous government of the BRS.

The revelations about the modus operandi aimed at ensuring a third term for BRS in the Assembly elections, the targets of snooping and the alleged misuse of official machinery to cut financial support to opposition and to make ‘settlements’ in disputes have caused an upheaval in state politics.

The confession statements, reportedly recorded in March-April, have surfaced during the last four days.

It started with the confession of former Deputy Commissioner of Police (Task Force) P. Radha Kishan Rao.

He revealed that then Congress MP and present Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, dissidents within BRS, businesspersons and journalists were among the targets of phone tapping.

He claimed that T. Prabhakar Rao, then chief of the SIB, was in charge of the entire operation aimed at gathering data on anyone who seemed to be a threat to the government led by K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR).

He revealed that once an individual was flagged, the Intelligence Bureau’s deputy chief, Praneeth Kumar, was reportedly tasked with creating profiles to neutralise potential threats to the government.

He also made the sensational claim that KCR wanted to arrest BJP national general secretary B.L. Santhosh in BRS MLAs poaching case to force a compromise and get rid of the Enforcement Directorate case against his daughter K. Kavitha.

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The former cop revealed that in the last week of October 2022, then SIB chief Prabhakar Rao discussed with him that CM KCR got information from one MLA Pilot Rohith Reddy that some persons claiming to be influential in BJP are in touch with him, asking him to leave BRS and join BJP along with some more MLAs.

KCR wanted to use it to corner BJP and he asked the SIB to put surveillance over those private persons and the MLA. As per the plan, the MLA enticed the private persons to come to a farm house near Moinabad, where spy cameras were fixed.

Radha Kishan Rao revealed that due to inefficiency of some Cyberabad police officers KCR did not succeed in his plan to arrest Santhosh.

A day after the former DCP’s statement, confessions of Additional Superintendent of Police Bhujanga Rao and Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police Tirupathanna also surfaced.

The two officials, who had earlier served in SIB, alleged that at the instance of BRS leaders, disputes between companies, businesspersons and VIPs were settled. Phones of not just opposition leaders, their family members, student leaders and journalists but even judges were tapped.

“The SOT in SIB under Praneeth Kumar directly supervised by Prabhakar Rao also used to monitor and put surveillance over student union leaders and caste organisation leaders who are critical of the BRS government, journalists and high court judges and advocates who are having important cases of government and party leaders; etc., to find out more details about their personal lives and their activities so that they can be influenced or countered at appropriate times,” said Bhujanga Rao, who also named a High Court judge.

The officials claimed that during the elections including the recent Assembly elections held in November 2023, funders of Congress and BJP were tracked and cash was seized from them.

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They also alleged that businesspersons in real estate and construction sectors were arm twisted to provide financial support to BRS.

A realtor was forced to purchase electoral bonds to the tune of Rs 13 crore.

The SOT also kept surveillance on businesspersons, companies and VIPs having conflicts with their rivals and ‘settlements’ were made through alleged blackmailing tactics.

Praneeth Rao, who played a key role in the phone tapping operation, reportedly claimed that phones of about 1,200 people including political rivals, their family members and supporters, judges, journalists and business persons were tapped.

He revealed that they prepared profiles of political rivals of BRS with the help of a technological tool, provided by a private company.

Praneeth Rao, who was the first to be arrested in the case which came to light in March after the Congress party came to power, stated that 17 computers and special servers were used for phone tapping. As many as 56 personnel of SOT were used for the operation.

He also confessed that after Congress came to power, Prabhakar Rao directed him to stop phone tapping. He also allegedly directed him to destroy records before his resignation.

Following confession statements of the accused, the BJP was quick to demand arrest of KCR and a CBI probe into the entire matter.

BJP MP K. Laxman accused Revanth Reddy of taking a backstep in the case on direction of high command.

“Phone-tapping and misusing the police machinery by KCR is not a common crime but an anti-national act which should not be condoned. Anti-nationals should not be spared,” he said.

Reiterating the allegation that Congress and BRS are two sides of the same coin, Laxman believed that BRS will join the INDIA bloc anytime after the elections.

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BJP general secretary Bandi Sanjay Kumar called KCR’s actions a disgrace to democracy.

“Phone tapping done under the BRS regime is worse than the emergency. This is a violation of Constitutional and human rights,” he said, adding that KCR’s fear of BJP is now out in the open.

The BJP leader believes that BRS chief is unfit to hold any constitutional position, including that of an MLA and needs to be banned from contesting elections.

“Despite clear evidence, why isn’t the Congress government arresting KCR? Why hasn’t the main accused, Prabhakar Rao, been brought back from the USA?” he asked.

The BRS, however, accused the Congress government of selectively leaking information on the alleged phone tapping issue to drag its leaders into the issue.

Former minister S. Niranjan Reddy wondered how the investigating officials could go out of way to link BRS leaders to the issue.

“Phone tapping, if at all has taken place, might have been done as part of the system,” he said and alleged that the government is mischievously leaking information.

He warned that if the same campaign continues to malign BRS leader, the party will take legal recourse.

The BRS leader asked if it is not a fact that phone tapping had taken place even during the regime of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. He claimed that during the peak of Telangana movement, the phone of KCR too was allegedly tapped.

He took exception to the remark made by Chief Minister Revanth Reddy that KCR should undergo lie detector test in connection with phone tapping issue.

“It’s ridiculous that the Chief Minister, who was earlier caught red-handed while trying to buy an elected representative ahead of Council elections, is making value judgement on the phone tapping issue,” Niranjan Reddy said.

–IANS

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PM Modi to give certificates to 11 lakh Lakhpati Didis; roll out Rs 2,500 crore fund

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PM Modi to give certificates to 11 lakh Lakhpati Didis; roll out Rs 2,500 crore fund

PM Modi to give certificates to 11 lakh Lakhpati Didis; roll out Rs 2,500 crore fund

New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) Union Minister for Rural Development and Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Thursday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will give certificates to 11 lakh new ‘Lakhpati Didis’ at a special function to be held at Jalgaon in Maharashtra on August 25 (Sunday).

The programme will have nationwide participation through the virtual mode.

The Prime Minister will release a revolving Community Investment Fund of Rs 2,500 crore, which will benefit about 48 lakh members of 4.3 lakh women Self Help Groups (SHGs), Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.

PM Modi will also release a bank loan of Rs 5,000 crore, which will benefit 25.8 lakh members of 2,35,400 Self Help Groups (SHGs).

Shivraj Singh Chouhan also said that people from about 30,000 places across 34 states and union territories including state capitals and district headquarters will join this program through the virtual route.

He said that Lakhpati Didis are women who earn Rs 1 lakh or more per annum. These Lakhpati Didis have not only pulled their families out of poverty but are also becoming role models for the rest of society, the Union Minister said.

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“The Rural Development Ministry has already created 1 crore Lakhpati Didis. Now our target is to create 3 crore Lakhpati Didis in the next 3 years. It is heartening to note that one of these community resource persons has created 95 Lakhpati Didis,” Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.

He further explained that the Ministry has adopted a structured process to enable the SHG families to earn an annual income of Rs 1 lakh or more.

This includes capacitating National Resource Persons and developing Master Trainers in each state.

These Master Trainers further train the Community Resource Persons on business planning, financing and convergence process.

The cadre of 3 lakh Community Resource Persons, who have been specially trained in business planning and the skilling of SHG members, are doing a great service in this regard, the minister added.

Some of these community resource persons will also be facilitated.

As of now, the Ministry of Rural Development has formed 15 lakh Lakhpati Didis during the first 100 days which has succeeded the 11 lakh target for the period, Shivraj Singh Chouhan said.

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–IANS

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Tripura flood death toll rises to 12, more NDRF teams deployed (Lead)

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Tripura flood death toll rises to 12, more NDRF teams deployed (Lead)

Tripura flood death toll rises to 12, more NDRF teams deployed (Lead)

Agartala, Aug 22 (IANS) The flood situation in Tripura, which has been lashed by heavy rains for the last four days, remained grim on Thursday and the India Meteorological Department (IMD) retained its ‘Red alert’ for all eight districts, officials said.

They added that more National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have been deployed as the rains and floods continue to play havoc.

Till Thursday, 12 deaths, including that of a 12-year-old girl and a woman were reported from South Tripura, Gomati, and Khowai districts and two persons were also said to be missing.

A Disaster Management Department official said that two more fresh casualties due to the floods were reported from south Tripura and Gomati districts, while around 65,500 people are taking shelter in 450 relief camps in all eight districts.

He said that 17 lakh people were affected in the entire state, which witnessed the monsoon flood in such a catastrophic manner for the first time in several decades.

Chief Minister Manik Saha, who is supervising the disaster management work, spoke to Union Home Minister Amit Shah for the second day on Thursday and apprised him of the prevailing scenario.

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Home Minister Shah said in a post on X, “Spoke with CM Tripura, Dr Manik Saha, and took stock of the flood situation in the state. The Centre is rushing teams of NDRF, apart from boats and helicopters, to the state to assist the local government in relief and rescue operations. Assured of all possible assistance from the Centre as and when required. The Modi government firmly stands with our sisters and brothers in Tripura during this hour of crisis.”

Later, the Chief Minister while expressing gratitude to the Home Minister said that HM Shah informed him that 11 NDRF teams would be sent to Tripura from different locations in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

He said arrangements would also be made for choppers to airlift stranded people in the flood-affected areas.

“More number of boats would also be sent along with the NDRF teams. The entire state government machinery has been working round the clock to tackle the unprecedented natural calamity. I thank public representatives, social workers and the people at large for cooperating with the state government in this hour of crisis,” CM Saha said.

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The central government has provided two helicopters for airlifting stranded people in Gomati and South Tripura districts.

Following the directions of the state government, due to the heavy rain and flooding, all educational institutions remained closed.

An India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said that though a ‘heavy’ to ‘very heavy’ rainfall alert has been continued and a ‘Red alert’ has been sounded in all eight districts, the rain is likely to reduce slightly from Thursday evening.

“The low pressure area over north Bangladesh and neighbourhood persisted over the same region on Thursday. The associated cyclonic circulation now extends up to 9.4 km above mean sea level. It is likely to move nearly westwards across West Bengal during the next 48 hours. Additionally, a cyclonic circulation is likely to form over North Bay of Bengal and neighbourhood on August 24,” the official said.

The IMD recorded 233 mm rainfall in Agartala from 8.30 A.M. on August 21 to till 8.30 A.M. on Thursday.

According to Disaster Management Department officials over 1,055 houses were damaged either fully or partially and hundreds of trees were uprooted blocking many important highways.

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Landslides occurred in 2,032 places across the state, out of which 1,789 locations were cleared by Thursday evening.

As per preliminary estimates, around 5,000 hectares of vegetable farms and 1.20 lakh hectares of other crop lands are still submerged.

Water Resource Department officials said that most of the prominent rivers in Tripura were either flowing above ‘critical’ or ‘danger’ levels while the state’s main river Gomati has crossed the ‘extreme danger’ level in many places of Gomati and Sepahijala districts, as rainfall has continued.

The Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) has cancelled 10 local trains in Tripura.

An NFR spokesman said that due to heavy rain railway tracks were damaged in Gomati district, forcing the authorities to cancel these trains.

A Defence spokesman said that following the requisition from state administrations, four columns of Assam Rifles were deployed in different districts and they were working in close coordination with the civil administration to rescue civilians stranded due to floods.

First aid and essential items have been distributed by the Assam Rifles to hundreds of stranded people and those in relief camps.

–IANS

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Waqf Amendment Bill is unconstitutional, undemocratic & unfair: Maulana Madani

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Waqf Amendment Bill is unconstitutional, undemocratic & unfair: Maulana Madani

Waqf Amendment Bill is unconstitutional, undemocratic & unfair: Maulana Madani

New Delhi, Aug 22 (IANS) The Muslim organisation on Thursday criticised the Union government over the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, calling it unconstitutional, undemocratic and unfair as it goes against the freedom of religion guaranteed by the Constitution.

“Amendment bill being brought to Waqf is unconstitutional, undemocratic and unfair. The proposed amendments to the Waqf Act are also against the freedom of religion provided by the Constitution and also violates articles 14-15 and 25 of the Constitution,” said Jamiat-i-Ulama Hind, President, Maulana Arshad Madani while addressing a joint press conference of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind and Muslim Personal Law Board at the Constitution Club in New Delhi.

He added that the amendment bill is also the government’s interference in religious matters which Muslims will not accept.

“Under the guise of the amending bill, an attempt is being made to deprive the Muslims of this great country and of its heritage which our forefathers have left in the form of Waqf for the betterment of the poor, destitute and needy people of the country,” said Maulana Arshad Madani.

He said that amendments have been made in the bill without consulting the Muslim religious figures and taking the Muslims into confidence while Waqf is a purely religious and Shariah matter because once the Waqf is applied.

“The donor does not remain the owner of the property rather that property is transferred to the ownership of Allah,” he explained.

Maulana Madani said that while presenting the Amendment Bill in the parliament, it was claimed that it would bring transparency to the work and would benefit the weak and needy people of the Muslim society.

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“This bill is proof of the malicious intent of the government and its dangerous plans. If this bill is passed not only the protection of Waqf properties across the country may be in danger but also a door of new conflicts will be opened and the status of those mosques, tombs, buildings, imam badas and lands which are Waqf properties or which are located on Waqf land will be made doubtful,” Maulana Madani said.

He added that instead of the Waqf Tribunal and Waqf Commissioners, all powers under this bill will be transferred to District Collectors.

“By increasing the number of members of the Central Waqf Council and Waqf Boards, their status is also being changed and the door is being opened to appoint non-Muslims in it as well. This bill will also remove the requirement of being Muslim for officers and members,” he said.

Maulana Madani said that this is not a Hindu-Muslim issue but a constitutional problem and this bill is also against Muslim religious freedom.

He said that the Shrine Board, which was formed for the maintenance and protection of Hindu religious places, had a clear explanation that Jains, Sikhs or Buddhists would not be its members.

He questioned that if Jains, Sikhs and Buddhists cannot be members of the Shrine Board, how can the nomination and appointment of non-Muslims be justified in the Waqf Board?

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“While Jainism and Buddhism are not considered separate from Hinduism, they are considered a separate sect. If they cannot participate in the shrine board even if they are Hindus on the basis of being a sect, then why is the nomination and appointment of non-Muslims in the Waqf boards made mandatory?” Maulana Madani asked.

He said that there are laws in Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh etc. that those who manage the affairs of the Hindu religion’s property must be Hindus.

“Just as no other religious group can interfere in the religious affairs of Hindus, Sikhs and Christians in the same way, the management of Waqf properties should also be done only by Muslims. We do not accept any such proposal in the endowment system,” he added.

He said that it is clear that the intention of the government is not pure and through this bill, its purpose is not to bring transparency in the work and to benefit the Muslim community but to deprive Muslims of their Waqf properties and to weaken the claim of Muslims from the Waqf properties.

Maulana Madani said that an endless series of new conflicts can start in this way and taking advantage of the weak legal status of Muslims in the amendment bill may make it easier to occupy Waqf properties.

He added that we are not talking about one or two amendments but most of the amendments in the bill are unconstitutional and dangerous and destructive for the Waqf.

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“This bill is also an attack on the constitutional powers given to Muslims. If the Constitution has given religious freedom and equal rights to every citizen then some special powers have also been given to the minorities living in the country. And the amendment bill negates all these powers completely,” he said.

Maulana Madani added that under the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024, it has been suggested that Section 40 of the current Act should be removed while the 2006 Joint Parliamentary Committee on Waqf and Justice Sachar Committee reported that a large number of Waqf properties are illegally occupied while the incumbent government is also referring to the same Sachar Committee report.

“Despite this, it has been suggested in the 2024 bill that the State Waqf Board shall not be empowered to identify properties which are illegally occupied and to try to recover them. This proposal of the government is very harmful to the existence of endowments,” he said.

He added that during the last ten years, the minorities of the country, especially the Muslims, were put on the margins, and to make them believe that now, as citizens, they have no rights and powers, many laws have been forcibly brought and implemented.

“This Waqf Amendment Bill is also one of them by passing it in any way there is a conspiracy to forcefully apply it on Muslims, which we cannot accept,” he said.

–IANS

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Calcutta HC questions Bengal govt's 'late realisation' to probe financial irregularities at RG Kar

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Calcutta HC questions Bengal govt's 'late realisation' to probe financial irregularities at RG Kar

Calcutta HC questions Bengal govt's 'late realisation' to probe financial irregularities at RG Kar

Kolkata, Aug 22 (IANS) The Calcutta High Court on Thursday questioned the decision of the West Bengal government to set up a special investigation team to probe the alleged financial irregularities at the state-run R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital in Kolkata when the controversial former principal Sandip Ghosh was in charge of the institution, even as the state health department was informed about the irregularities last year.

A single-judge bench of Justice Rajarshi Bhardwaj made this observation while hearing a petition by the whistle-blower in the matter — former deputy medical superintendent of RG Kar — Akhtar Ali, who had sought the High Court’s intervention to seek protection in anticipation of security threat for being vocal against Sandip Ghosh.

On Wednesday, Ali also filed a public interest litigation seeking a probe by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the alleged financial irregularities at RG Kar.

During the hearing, Justice Bhardwaj observed that “from the inclusion of senior police officers in the special investigation team, it is evident that the matter is serious, and wondered why the team was constituted a year after the matter was brought to the notice of the state government”.

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The state government counsel argued that the petition has been deliberately filed at this moment amid the recent incident of the rape and murder of a woman doctor in the R.G. Kar Medical College & Hospital.

The state government counsel also questioned why the petitioner remained silent for one year after the complaint was not acted upon as claimed by him.

The Calcutta High Court also directed the state government counsel to present a detailed argument on the formation of SIT on Friday.

The West Bengal government earlier this week announced the formation of a special investigation team comprising four senior IPS officers and headed by an officer of the rank of Inspector General of Police to prove the allegation of financial irregularities at RG Kar since 2021, when Sandip Ghosh was the principal there.

Opposition parties have already claimed that the formation of SIT by the state government was nothing but an eyewash, and it had been created not with the intention of revealing the truth behind the financial irregularities, but rather with the motive of destroying evidence in the matter.

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–IANS

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Odisha: RDC-level probe to be launched soon into spurious liquor deaths

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Odisha: RDC-level probe to be launched soon into spurious liquor deaths

Odisha: RDC-level probe to be launched soon into spurious liquor deaths

Bhubaneswar, Aug 22 (IANS) Amid the furore over two deaths caused by the consumption of spurious liquor in Ganjam district, Odisha Excise Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan announced on Thursday that a probe by the Revenue Divisional Commissioner into the hooch tragedy will be initiated soon.

At least 23 persons from Moundpur, Jenapur, and Karabalua in Chikiti block had consumed country liquor from an unlicensed shop on Monday evening. They later fell ill and were admitted to a nearby hospital, where two of them died during treatment on Wednesday, prompting Harichandan to direct the officials to take all necessary steps to stop the illegal trade of liquor in the state.

Speaking to mediapersons, Harichandan said, “An RDC-level probe will be launched in this matter within the next couple of days. Action will be taken based on its report which will be submitted within two months. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi will soon take the decision in this regard.”

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He also vowed that the network of illegal liquor trade in the state will be completely destroyed within a year.

“As many as 217 illegal liquor manufacturing units have been identified in the state which will be demolished soon. Instructions have already been issued in this regard. Around 117 persons have so far been arrested following raids in different districts,” Harichandan.

He also assured the people that no illegal liquor unit will remain in existence in the state.

The Minister said the Excise Superintendent in Berhampur, Pradip Panigrahi, has been transferred for negligence in duty on Wednesday, while the government has also suspended Excise Inspector Ramesh Chandara Mohanty and Sub-inspector Prasanna Kumar Jali for similar lapses.

The deceased have been identified as Jura Behera and Lokanath Behera from Jenapur village, who died at the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur.

The opposition BJD has also the issue in the state Assembly on Thursday, demanding resignation of the Excise Minister.

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–IANS

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