January 2024 – Page 6 – Safir News Agency

BJP Alleges "Big Scam" In West Bengal, Cites Centre's Auditor CAG Report

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BJP Alleges 'Big Scam' In West Bengal, Cites Centre's Auditor CAG Report

BJP accused Mamata Banerjee of treating the public money like her own.

New Delhi:

The BJP on Wednesday cited a CAG report to allege that “mother of all scams” to the tune of about Rs 2 lakh crore had taken place in Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal.

In a press conference, BJP West Bengal president Sukanta Majumdar accused the state government headed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of treating the public money like her own.

“Her government has tried to loot public money everywhere. The CAG report is a slap on her government’s face and exposes it,” Majumdar alleged.

In strong-worded remarks, BJP national spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia alleged that the “mother of all scams” has been found out in West Bengal even though Banerjee speaks about “Maa, mati and manush”.

He alleged that the Trinamool Congress president was a “chor” (thief) and the “kingpin of the corrupt”.

“It is a battle of two ideologies,” Bhatia said and claimed that all constituents of the INDIA bloc are part of an ideology that centred on corruption and family rule while the Modi government is dedicated to promoting honesty and ridding society of graft.

According to Bhatia and Majumdar, the report highlights that over 2.4 lakh utilisation certificates, required to be submitted for completed projects within a fixed time, were not done so by the state government. The total money involved is around Rs 1.95 lakh crore, they added.

Both the leaders alleged that Rs 3,400 crore was withdrawn from the exigency fund by Banerjee’s government and one-third of the amount was for the utilisation by the home ministry which is headed by her. The government has not accounted for the money, they said.

“Was this money given to Rohingyas, her family members or for triggering riots,” Bhatia asked.

Bhatia alleged that be it the Congress, AAP, RJD or the TMC, no one should believe they are above law. Several leaders who had this kind of an arrogance are behind bars, he added.

He said she has forgotten that the baton of law straightens up the worst of the corrupt. He hit out at the state government for a recent incident in which Enforcement Directorate officials were attacked by a violent mob close to a TMC leader whose house they had gone to raid as part of their probe in a corruption case.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Hyderabad

Harish reminds CM that nursing recruitment was initiated by BRS

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Even the nurses who got the orders were very much aware of the fact. Calling it much ado about nothing by the Congress government, he said the Chief Minister was trying to project it as an achievement of the new government.

Published Date – 31 January 2024, 09:35 PM

Harish reminds CM that nursing recruitment was initiated by BRS

Hyderabad: Coming down heavily on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy for the yawning gap in between the Congress government’s promises and fulfillment and for claiming credit for the recruitment of nursing officers, former Health Minister and BRS MLA T Harish Rao said on Wednesday that Revanth Reddy should not forget that the appointment orders he was distributing to the newly recruited nurses owed to the notification issued during the BRS regime.

Even the nurses who got the orders were very much aware of the fact. Calling it much ado about nothing by the Congress government, he said the Chief Minister was trying to project it as an achievement of the new government.

He wanted the Chief Minister to clarify whether the appointment letters were being issued by completing the recruitment process of the nurses within the 50 days of the Congress party coming to power.

“What we find fault with was only the attitude of the Chief Minister. We are neither pained nor jealous about it,” he said.

The Chief Minister had left all those hopeful of Group 1 notifications on February 1 totally disappointed. He was deliberately silent about it in his address, Harish Rao said.
“When we call spade a spade, the Chief Minister could see only a curse in it. He has proved once again that all his election promises were empty promises. The job calendar given by the Congress has become one more addition to the long list of unfulfilled assurances such as waiver of loans up to Rs 2 lakh for farmers, hike in Rythu Bandhu assistance, provision of LPG cylinders at Rs.500, Rs.4000 unemployment allowance and Rs.2500 assistance under the Maha Lakshmi scheme,” he said.

“Where does the Congress get the right to talk about jobs and employment?” he asked, recalling that that the Congress government could give hardly 10,000 jobs to the unemployed in the Telangana region from 2004 to 2014.

The BRS government could create a history by providing 1.65 lakh jobs in nine and a half years. The recruitment process was in different stages of progress for another 40,000 jobs.

“We will welcome it if the Congress government can fulfil its promise of 2 lakh jobs in one year. At least the party high command should ensure that good sense prevails on the Chief Minister on this count,” he said.

Middle East

5 terrorists killed in Syrian Army operation

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During the anti-terrorism operation which was conducted in Idlib province, several Hayat Tahrir al-Sham terrorists were also injured.

Arab news sources also reported that the Turkish Army has detained several people affiliated with the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham.

Three regions came under the control of the Syrian army in 2018, but the fourth region, which includes Idlib province in northwestern Syria and small parts of Latakia, Hama, and Aleppo provinces, is still under the control of terrorist groups and adversary groups.

At the end of the summer of 2018, the leaders of Russia and Turkey reached an agreement in Sochi, Russia, during which Turkey promised to remove or disarm the terrorists based in that region without bloodshed.

MP/6010748

Hemant Soren Refused To Sign Arrest Memo Until He Resigned: Sources

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Hemant Soren Refused To Sign Arrest Memo Until He Resigned: Sources

Transport Minister Champai Soren will be the next chief minister.

Ranchi:

In a seismic — but long-brewing — development in Jharkhand politics, Hemant Soren has been arrested in a money laundering case after resigning as the chief minister.

Top Enforcement Directorate officials told NDTV that Mr Soren refused to sign his arrest memo until he submitted his resignation to Jharkhand Governor CP Radhakrishnan. They said the agency’s officials took the chief minister to the Raj Bhavan to resign.

The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha leader was then taken to the ED office in Ranchi for questioning and formally arrested. Before his resignation, he was questioned at his residence in the city for at least six hours in connection with the money laundering case linked to an alleged Rs 600-crore land scam.

While Mr Soren’s arrest was not unexpected, the person chosen to take over as chief minister has taken many by surprise. Contrary to the earlier speculation, Mr Soren will not be replaced by his wife Kalpana Soren but by senior JMM leader and transport minister in the outgoing cabinet, Champai Soren.

The ED’s arrest of Mr Soren on Wednesday came two days after a search operation at his Delhi residence on Monday. While the agency’s officials had not found the JMM leader there – leading to jibes from the BJP of him being ‘on the run’ – they had seized Rs 36 lakh in cash and a BMW car which, they claimed, belonged to him.

Earlier in the day, Mr Soren had filed a case against senior officers of the Enforcement Directorate’s Ranchi office under the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) Act in connection with Monday’s operation. In his complaint, the JMM leader, who belongs to a scheduled tribe, claimed the action harassed and maligned him and his entire community.

Mr Soren also said that he was not the owner of the BMW or the cash that was seized by the ED and that the agency’s officers had leaked “selective misinformation”.

Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Winter waning, brace for early summer

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According to Dr A Shravani, a scientist at IMD-Hyderabad, the next five days will witness a notable increase in temperatures across Hyderabad and even other parts of Telangana before returning to normal

Published Date – 31 January 2024, 10:33 PM

Hyderabad: Winter waning, brace for early summer

Hyderabad: Winter’s grip on Hyderabad appears to be loosening as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has now predicted a surge in temperatures after mid-February, marking an early onset of summer.

According to Dr A Shravani, a scientist at IMD-Hyderabad, the next five days will witness a notable increase in temperatures across Hyderabad and even other parts of Telangana before returning to normal. However, post-mid-February, a constant rise in temperatures is anticipated.

On Wednesday, Chandanagar reported the highest maximum temperature of 35.2 degrees C, marking a significant departure from the seasonal norms. This is the first instance of such high temperatures in the locality since the onset of winter. Ameerpet also experienced a spike in daytime temperatures, recording a high of 34.7 degrees C, signalling the gradual transition towards warmer weather.

The IMD-Hyderabad predicts a continued upward trend in daytime temperatures over the next five days, with the average maximum temperature expected to range between 31 and 32 degrees C. While the days are growing warmer, the nights are anticipated to remain comfortable, although not chilly.

On Wednesday, Rajendranagar recorded a minimum temperature of 12.9 degrees C. Malkajgiri followed closely with a minimum temperature of 13.1 degrees C. Despite the daytime warmth, the minimum temperatures in the city are forecasted to hover around 17 degrees C for the next three days.

In addition, the IMD-Hyderabad has predicted the occurrence of haze during early mornings.

Middle East

After ICJ ruling, all countries now obliged to stop aiding Israel’s Gaza war: South Africa

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South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor

South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor says a recent ruling by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) means all countries have an obligation to stop aiding Israel in its brutal military campaign in Gaza.

Pandor said on Wednesday that ICJ’s last week ruling on a genocide case against Israel brought by South Africa “makes it clear that it is plausible that genocide is taking place against the Palestinian people in Gaza.”

“This necessarily imposes an obligation on all states to cease funding and facilitating Israel’s military actions,” she said.

The World Court did not determine whether or not Israel is guilty of genocide, but it ordered the Israeli regime to take all measures to prevent its troops from committing acts of genocide in Gaza and to improve the humanitarian situation of Palestinians in the territory.

The ruling has been regarded as a defeat for Israel and its supporters in a war that has killed nearly 27,000 people in Gaza since early October.

The Israeli regime has fiercely criticized South Africa for lodging the complaint in the ICJ as the case could lead to convictions for regime’s leaders if the court rules that genocide has actually taken place in Gaza.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, said on Wednesday that the Israeli regime has been spreading fake news and lies about the African country to fight back against the ICJ case.

Vincent Magwenya said, however, that the move would not deter South Africa from working for freedom of Palestine.

“We are expecting more, but none of it will deter South Africa from the pursuit of seeing a free Palestine, free from occupation and genocidal attacks,” said Magwenya in a post on the X.

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"Hanuman Was A Big Diplomat": S Jaishankar Finds Familiar Ground In Ramayan

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New Delhi:

Foreign minister S Jaishankar today found a Ramayana reference to his job — and an epic diplomat. In an exclusive, wide-ranging interview with NDTV Editor-in-Chief Sanjay Pugalia, Mr Jaishankar spoke of finding examples in the Indian context for things instead of borrowing from the west.

In this context, he said even his job was featured in the great epic Ramayan.

“Hanuman was big diplomat. An actual diplomat, since he was sent to Lanka as an envoy,” he told NDTV.

“Hanuman also had an intelligence mission. He had to gain information on Sita. And he was also an activist diplomat, since on his way out, he caused them great loss,” Mr Jaishankar said, referring to the burning of Lanka, the capital of the demon king Ravan, who had abducted SIta.

He also spoke of the diplomatic tactics and mind games that Hanuman had employed while in the audience hall of Ravan.

“He managed to sit on a higher seat than the king and his ministers, which put them at a psychological disadvantage,” Mr Jaishankar said, pointing out that so much of it is relevant even today.

India

Delhi: INDIA bloc leaders hold meeting to discuss seat-sharing for LS polls

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Mamata spoke on how her good relationship with the Congress party deteriorated over time because of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

Published Date – 31 January 2024, 11:23 PM

Delhi: INDIA bloc leaders hold meeting to discuss seat-sharing for LS polls

New Delhi: The meeting of the ‘Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA) was held in the national capital on Wednesday to discuss the seat-sharing agenda for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, DMK leader TR Baalu, and CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury left Kharge‘s residence after the meeting.

Meanwhile, the rift between the INDIA bloc ally partners continued as Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee reiterated that she wouldn’t give even a single seat to the Congress party, and Bihar CM Nitish Kumar recently dumped the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance) and the INDIA bloc to form a new government with the support of the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state.

“We had given a proposal to the Congress party of two seats in Malda, but, they didn’t agree on that. Now, they won’t get even a single seat in the state,” said Mamata Banerjee.

Mamata spoke on how her good relationship with the Congress party deteriorated over time because of the Communist Party of India (Marxist).

“CPM is the number one broker of BJP, I have suffered a lot of beatings from CPM and I will never forgive that. I had good contacts with Congress. Because of CPM, my relationship with the Congress party got spoiled.” The comments from the West Bengal CM come even as Congress sources indicated that they were still attempting to get Mamata on board as a potential ally and that seat-sharing talks in Bengal were only on hold.

“INDIA bloc seat sharing in West Bengal is on hold. TMC and Congress are considering the proposals. TMC is still a part of INDIA Alliance,” the party’s sources said.

Meanwhile, following Uttar Pradesh Congress in-charge Avinash Pandey’s remarks that the Samajwadi Party is adopting a ‘one-sided’ policy in Uttar Pradesh, party’s Chief Akhilesh Yadav asserted on Wednesday that there will be an alliance in the state and that the seats will be allocated ‘properly’ The Samajwadi Party (SP) announced the names of 16 candidates for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The SP has offered 11 out of the 80 Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh to the Congress.

Both the Congress and the SP are members of the INDIA bloc formed to take on the BJP-led Centre.

“There will be an alliance in Uttar Pradesh and seats will be allocated properly. We will try to throw the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of the state,” Yadav said while speaking to ANI in Uttar Pradesh’s Mainpuri.

“The Samajwadi Party believes that the candidate who can take on the Bharatiya Janata Party will get the ticket. We are not inclined towards any particular candidate. Efforts will be made to defeat the BJP,” he added.

Earlier today, Avinash Pandey said, “The Samajwadi Party is not following the alliance dharma; SP is making one-sided announcements in the alliance. The list released yesterday also included many seats on which the Congress Party had a claim. What the Samajwadi party is doing is very dangerous and Congress itself is not getting information about it.” Earlier, Nitish Kumar took the oath as Chief Minister of Bihar for the ninth time in Raj Bhawan, Patna, switching sides again, this time with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA).

It was for the second time in two years that Nitish Kumar had jumped the ship, his fifth crossover in a little over a decade.

INDIA or ‘Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance’ is a group of opposition parties, including the Congress. The parties have come together to take on the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and prevent it from winning a third straight term at the Centre in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.

Hyderabad

Orthopaedic surgeons meet to be held in Karimnagar

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The Karimnagar Orthopaedic Surgeons Association (KOSA) is organizing the conference at V convention centre on the outskirts of Karimnagar town

Published Date – 31 January 2024, 10:54 PM

Orthopaedic surgeons meet to be held in Karimnagar — KOSA president and TOSACON organizing secretary Dr Bangari Swamy and other doctors releasing booklet of conference in Karimnagar on Wednesday.

Karimnagar: The ninth annual conference of Telangana Orthopaedic Surgeons Association (TOSACON)-2024 will be held in Karimnagar from February 1 to 4.

The Karimnagar Orthopaedic Surgeons Association (KOSA) is organizing the conference at V convention centre on the outskirts of Karimnagar town. Announcing this to media persons here on Wednesday, KOSA president and TOSACON organizing secretary Dr Bangari Swamy informed that modern inventions in orthopaedic education and new medical education would be discussed.

The conference would be more useful for orthopaedic students as well doctors. More than 1,000 doctors from various parts of the country have registered their names to take part in the conference.

Sports

CK Nayudu Trophy: Hyderabad take three points from drawn match against Jammu and Kashmir

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Hyderabad took three points by virtue of the first innings lead after drawing their clash against Jammu & Kashmir in the BCCI Senior Men’s Under-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy Round 4

Updated On – 31 January 2024, 10:58 PM

CK Nayudu Trophy: Hyderabad take three points from drawn match against Jammu and Kashmir — Hyderabad took three points by virtue of the first innings lead after drawing their clash against Jammu & Kashmir in the BCCI Senior Men’s Under-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy Round 4

Hyderabad: Hyderabad took three points by virtue of the first innings lead after drawing their clash against Jammu & Kashmir in the BCCI Senior Men’s Under-23 Col CK Nayudu Trophy Round 4, at Jammu University Ground, on Wednesday.

After posting massive 467 runs in their first innings, Hyderabad skittled out the hosts for 178 in 91.1 overs to take a first innings lead of 289 runs. Nitin Sai Yadav scalped four wickets while Ilyaan Sathani took three wickets. Aniketh Reddy added two scalps to his name.

Brief Scores: Hyderabad 467/10 in 145.3 overs vs Jammu & Kashmir 178/10 in 91.1 overs (Mujtaba Yousuf 23, Ilyaan Sathani 3/51, Nitin Sai Yadav 4/45, Aniketh Reddy 2/28).

Somaraju slams century

Somaraju scored an unbeaten 113 as his side HCAL defeated IDL Chemicals by a massive 243 runs in the HCA C Division Institutions One-Day Championship in Hyderabad on Wednesday.

Brief Scores: HCA C Division Institutions One-day Championship: HAL 320/4 in 35 overs (Somaraju 113no, Sandeep Kumar 68no) bt IDL Chemicals 77 in 18.3 overs (Ramana 4/27, Siddhappa 4/1); GHMC 249/5 in 35 overs (Viswajith 98, Raghupathi 76no) bt FCI 141 in 27.4 overs (Pramod 52; Sai Prasad 5/24, Bala 3/11).