Anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare today said that the absence of independent institution of Lokpal has given room for several leaders to go scot free in the country. Had such an institution with total autonomy been there, then these leaders would have faced the music, he said while addressing a news conference here.
Social activist Anna Hazare today gave an ultimatum to the politicians in the country to pass the Lok Pal and Lok Ayukta bills at the earliest or face a boot from the people of the country in the 2014 general elections. Mr Hazare, who was on the last leg of his more than one month tour of the state, was addressing the media here at the circuit house.
Telugu Desam Party leader Shobha Rani has declared Oscar Award for the YSR Congress honorary president Y S Vijayamma “for her acting with glycerin-aided tears at losing her husband in an accident and having her son in jail”.
Talking to the media here on Thursday, she alleged that all the tears of Vijayamma were for winning the by-elections. She said that the good name Vijayamma earned as a good housewife had evaporated after she started supporting her son, who was involved in criminal activities. She posed some questions to Vijayamma and her daughter Sharmila.
APTransco has directed Discoms to fully gear up to face any eventuality in view of expected gales and winds, especially in the coastal areas as the monsoon is all set to hit the State within a few days and issued instructions to take up all the precautionary measures to avoid electrical mishaps.
BC Welfare Minister Basavaraju Saraiah has alleged that the BC Ministers were facing injustice in the State.
Speaking to the media at Hanamkonda DCC Bhavan here on Thursday, Saraiah said that the BC ministers had blindly signed on the agreements on the directive of Dr YSR, who became chief minister twice with the blessings of AICC Chief Sonia Gandhi.
CPM State secretary BV Raghavulu has said that his party was totally against amending the law to stop bye-elections. The proposal would destroy the spirit of democracy, he added.
Speaking to the media here on Thursday, Raghavulu said that his party was in favor of conducting elections in Damasha system abolishing the present election system. He felt that the Congress MLAs were resigning to save their political career by coming out from the sinking party, but not with good aim.
Complaining that the news reports being carried by the Sakshi newspaper and TV channel were mere publicity material promoting their owner and YSR Congress chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy and the party’s candidates contesting in the ensuing by-elections, TDP has asked the Election Commission to treat all such reports and discussions as paid news and the cost of publication or telecast be added in the expenditures of the party candidates.
The TDP has requested Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to order investigation into a news report published in the Sakshi newspaper that some persons died due to shock on hearing that the YSR Congress chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was arrested by the CBI.
Revolutionary Democratic Front (RDF) has demanded that the Union government withdraw military force from Chattisgadh.
Speaking to media persons here on Thursday, RDF president and revolutionary writer Vara Vara Rao demanded that the Centre stop Green Hunt Operation. He wanted the Union government to scrap “Salwajudam” and implement Supreme Court verdict on the issue. He also wanted the Centre to immediately cancel the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Multi National Mining Companies in the East and Central areas in the country.
Former chief justice of Allahabad High Court Ambati Lakshmana Rao has appealed to the youth and women to join politics and bring about electoral reforms.
Government Chief Whip Gandra Venkatramana Reddy here on Thursday lodged a complaint with district Collector and District Election Officer Rahul Bojja alleging that YSRCP Parakala candidate Konda Surekha has violated election rules by distributing money along with a pamphlet.
He demanded that the district Collector initiate action against Konda Surekha for violating rules. Collector said that he would initiate action after conducting an inquiry on the issue. (NSS)
Alleging that YSRCP Chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was attracting youth like notorious Charles Shobraj, PCC has said that Jagan has broken the record of Veerappan, who had only robbed forests in the country.
Endowments Minister C. Ramachandraiah has said that corruption was not confined to only some departments during late YSR regime, but it spread to almost all the departments.
Home Minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy on Thursday met Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy in the CM’s camp office and conferred wit him for over two hours. Sabita Reddy’s meeting with the Chief Minister attained importance as six ministers, who had received notices from the Supreme Court in connection with the YSR Congress chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s disproportionate assets case, were being called by the CBI one after another for inquiry.
Superstar Priyanka Chopra has visited the sets of Madhur Bhandarkar’s ambitious project “Heroine”. The 29-year-old actress spent quality time with the film’s lead actress Kareena Kapoor, with whom she had a bitter relationship in the past.
“Hopped in on Madhur Bhandarkar’s set of heroine and hung out with Bebo (Kareena) and my entire fashion team.. Such fond memories..,” she posted on Twitter. Bhandarkar, who worked with Chopra in his last outing “Fashion”, also tweeted his joy on the actress’ visit on the sets.
Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan loves to practice yoga so much that he carries his yoga mat everywhere.
While shooting for his upcoming film “Cocktail”, the 41-year-old actor used to spread his yoga mat anywhere he would find a place and did his exercises.
Saif also invited his co-stars Deepika Padukone and Diana Penty for yoga sessions on the set and gave them a few yoga lessons. Both the actress’s would sportingly join Saif. “Cocktail” has been produced by Saif and Dinesh Vijan’s Illuminati Films.
At least 14 people, including three children, were killed and more than 35 others injured today when a powerful bomb went off outside a seminary in the troubled Quetta city of southwestern Pakistan.
The bomb was detonated by remote control outside Jamia Islamia Maftah-ul-Uloom at Saryab Road this afternoon while a ceremony for students who had completed memorising the Quran was being held inside, police said.
Fourteen people were killed, officials were quoted as saying by TV news channels.
Officials at hospitals said they had received 37 injured people.
Two of the four women condemned to death by a tribal jirga in northern Pakistan for allegedly mingling with men and singing at a wedding are alive and well, rights activists told the Supreme Court today.
Two of the women were traced in remote Sertay village in Kohistan region of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province and they were unharmed, rights activists Fouzia Saeed and Farzana Bari and officials informed the apex court.
Bari, who was part of an official team that was airlifted to the region by helicopter, met the two women,officials said.
Sachin Tendulkar will now be Rahul Gandhi’s neighbour in Delhi.
Tendulkar, who took oath as Rajya Sabha member on Monday, has been allotted 5 Tughlak Lane bungalow, a type VII accommodation normally given to cabinet-rank ministers.
The stately house in Lutyen’s zone is just opposite the house of Gandhi, who stays at 12 Tughlak Lane.
Spread over 7000 sq feet, the bungalow allotted to Tendulkar has spacious bedrooms and big lawns.
Sources said the final formalities are being conducted by the Rajya Sabha Housing Committee, which is responsible for allotments to Rajya Sabha MPs.
Bharatiya Janata Party national executive committee member Ch Vidyasagar Rao on Thursday demanded that YSR Congress party honorary president Y S Vijayamma make her stand clear on the Telangana statehood before campaigning for by-elections in the Parkal Assembly constituency.
Talking to media persons at district party office, Vidyasagar Rao said that the YSR Congress should clear its stand on the Telangana issue as former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy has cheated the people of the region in 2009 elections by promising Telangana state.
Pradesh Congress Committee official spokesman B Kamalakara Rao on Thursday alleged that YSR Congress president Jagan Mohan Reddy was a bigger criminal than notorious smuggler Veerappan.
Talking to media persons at Gandhi Bhavan, Kamalakara Rao said that Jagan Mohan Reddy’s illegal business activities have crossed the borders of several countries while smuggler Veerappan’s smuggling of red sandalwood was confined to three states. He alleged that Jagan has been using the same criminal tactics in the politics which he used to extend his illegal business.
The State High Court on Thursday rejected the lunch motion petition filed by the CBI seeking three-day extension of custody of YSR Congress president and Kadapa MP Jagan Mohan Reddy, who was arrested in connection with disproportionate assets case.
The High Court while refusing to extend the CBI custody of Jagan asked the probing agency to explain why it was seeking extension of his custody on immediate basis. The court said that it could accept the petition in lunch motion format.
The next week by-polls have many unique characteristics tagged to it and has ushered in many a leader to the fore and not without many surprises.
To start with, Congress electioneering always centred round Sonia Gandhi as the star campaigner with candidates relegating to second or third rung on the dais. There were a couple of occasions where the PCC chief or chief minister, depending on the stature, would be allowed to speak a word or two.
Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Thursday approved the file seeking the permission for prosecution of Senior IAS officer Y Sri Lakshmi, both under Criminal Procedure Code and Prevention of Corruption Act.
Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Thursday approved the attachment of 44 properties in various districts in the name of the family members of promoters of Satyam Computers.