MIIXEDXED BAAGG SUNDAY CHENNAI 3 FEBRUARY 2019 37 4 BJP men held for ‘Electoral reforms pending thrashing journalist Raipur, Feb 3 (PTI):

Four BJP functionaries, including the Raipur district unit chief, were arrested for allegedly thrashing a lo- due to lack of political will’ cal journalist at the party offi ce here, police said today. u ECI has repeatedly written to govt, says former CEC Quraishi BJP’s Raipur district president Rajeev ‘PM denying Agrawal and three local offi ce-bearers -- New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI): targeted efforts at voter education. Vijay Vyas, Utkarsh Trivedi and Deena In the book’s foreword, Dongre -- were arrested late Saturday employment Contemporary issues, such as There is much to celebrate about night based on the First Information infl uence of money and criminali- Indian democracy but many elec- former President Pranab Report (FIR) lodged by journalist Suman opportunities sation in politics, have also been toral reforms are pending for long, Pandey, a local police offi cial told PTI. addressed, as have been the elec- due to lack of political will or plain Mukherjee writes that in varsities’ toral reforms proposed by experts The four, who were booked under In- lethargy, says former Chief Election the abuse of money and on these subjects. dian Penal Code Sections 342 (wrongful New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI): Commissioner S Y Quraishi. confi nement), 323 (voluntarily causing According to Quraishi, several He says it is also imperative to hurt), 504 (criminal intimidation) and 34 muscle power to infl uence important reforms have come Congress president Rahul Gandhi be mindful of some shortcomings (common intention), were later released through the intervention of the today alleged that Prime Minister in our system which leave a lot of on a bail bond from the police station, voters remains a cause of judiciary, which has always acted Narendra Modi has denied employ- scope for improvement in democratic he said. Peeved over the incident, local as a guardian angel of democracy. ment opportunities in universities mechanisms. Quraishi has edited a journalists sat on an indefinite protest in concern ‘As the country moves forward, to deprived sections, as his mantra collection of essays written by those S Y Quraishi front of the Raipur Press Club in Motibagh is their exit from the mainstream many old and new challenges are who have studied India’s unique ex- ades of India’s Elections’. The essays in the book, pub- area here today, demanding expulsion of and development of ‘industrialist surfacing, calling for a swift and periment in electoral democracy, as ‘Reforming campaign fi nance lished by Penguin Random House, the accused from the BJP. friends’. decisive action,’ he says. well as analysts, politicians, social laws, decriminalisation of politics cover a range of subjects, from the Pandey, who works with a local Rahul attacked the Prime Minister In the book’s foreword, former workers, activists, businesspersons and bringing in a proper law for evolution of the Election Commis- website, in his complaint alleged that citing a media report which claimed President Pranab Mukherjee and public servants. transparent constitutional ap- sion, the story of the fi rst electoral he was thrashed on Saturday when that the recent Supreme Court go- writes that the abuse of money Many electoral reforms are long pointments to posts, such as that roll, election laws, the deepening he was recording a video of a scuffl e ahead for reserving university fac- and muscle power to infl uence vot- pending due to lack of political of the CEC, are just some of the of democratic institutions over among BJP leaders during the party’s ulty positions for candidates from ers remains a cause of concern. will or plain lethargy, he says in many issues regarding which the the decades to the participation district-level meeting to review their Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes ‘The spirit of democracy will be the introduction of ‘The Great ECI has repeatedly written to the revolution ushered in by the Elec- defeat in the recent Chhattisgarh As- and Other Backward Classes at the subverted if these malpractices March of Democracy: Seven Dec- government,’ he writes. tion Commission’s untiring and sembly polls. department level may reduce the are not checked,’ he says. posts available to them by 25 per cent to even up to 100 per cent. ‘First, Modiji snatched educational Amman temple opportunities from the deprived section of people by reducing seats. Stopped scholarships. Attacked youngsters like Rohit Vemula,’ kumbhabhishekam Rahul tweeted. Now, through the 13-point ros- ter, employment opportunities for on 11 February them in universities have also been ended, he alleged. |NT Bureau| ‘He (Modi) has one mantra: Exit Chidambaram, Feb 3: of the deprived sections from the mainstream. Development of in- The kumbabhishekam of Sivagami Sunadari Amman temple, inside dustrialist friends,’ Rahul alleged. the premises of Chidambaram Nataraja temple will take place on Following an Allahabad High 11 February. Addressing the press, Deekshthars Jaya Bhaskara, Court order - upheld by the Su- Navamani and Nataraja Subramania said the consecration will take preme Court - the University place between 9 and 10 am. Totally eight kaala poojas will take place, Grants Commission (UGC) had last before the kumbhabhishekam with the fi rst one starting 7 February. year announced a new mechanism For the kumbhabhishekam, a special yaga sala has been created in for implementing faculty reserva- Nataraja temple in which more than 23 Aacharyas will be perform- tions, which is calculating total ing the pooja. Also, special parayanamans, Vedic discourses and a posts department-wise rather than nadhaswaram concert will take place, they informed. institution-wise. Yogi denied Won’t be back to reply to Sonali Bendre permission to address returns to set rally in West Bengal u After a sabbatical, Budget debate: Jaitley pens an emotional note Lucknow, Feb 3: New Delhi, Feb 3: New York, Feb 3 (PTI): Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Bollywood actress Sonali Bendre Offi ce today released a statement Union Minster Arun Jaitley to- Behl, who was in New York for her saying that the West Bengal gov- day said his medical treatment at cancer treatment, has shot for an ad ernment has denied permission for a US hospital is all over but hint- campaign after a long time. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath’s ed that he may not return to India Sonali shared a photograph from rally in West Bengal without any in time to reply to the debate on the sets and posted an emotional prior notice. Yogi Adityanath was Interim Budget in Parliament. note. She wrote, scheduled to address a rally in West Jaitley, 66, had missed present- ‘Being back on a Dinajpur, West Bengal, today. ing the sixth and fi nal budget of set after a major AIBEA general secretary C H Venkatachalam speaking at the According to news agency ANI, the Narendra Modi government’s sabbatical - one 23rd conference and 65th anniversary celebrations of Tamil- Mritunjay Kumar, the Information present term as he had to fl y to that has been test- nadu Bank Employees’ Federation in Chennai today. AITUC- Advisor to CM Yogi Adityanath the US due to ill health. ing in many ways on Tamilnadu president K Subbarayan is present. said, ‘Ye UP CM ki lokpriyata ka hi In his absence, the charge of so many levels - is a asar hai ki Mamata Banerjee [West the finance ministry was given surreal feeling. After Bengal CM] ne helicopter landing to Railway Minister Piyush all this, I sort of feel ka permission tak nahi diya [It Goyal, who on 1 February pre- an additional sense of is because of UP CM Yogi Adity- sented the Interim Budget for purpose and meaning and I’m so grate- anath’s popularity that Mamata 2019-20 financial year. Jaitley ful to be back in action. I don’t think Banerjee even denied his helicopter had on the Budget day stated that words would do justice to how beautiful from landing in West Bengal].’ he would be back in India soon. nature of his illness but reports it feels to be back at work...to face the Meanwhile, BJP leaders and In an interview to PTI here, he suggest he was suffering from camera again and portray the range supporters in South Dinajpur said he was on recovery course soft tissue cancer and had to be of emotions required. Given that my gheraoed the District Magistrate and his return to India in time operated upon. This is his fi rst emotions have been running high for outside his bungalow in Balurghat to reply to the Budget debate in overseas visit after he underwent the last couple of months, it feels good for denying permission to Yogi Parliament will depend on when a renal transplant surgery on 14 to give into the emotions that the job Adityanath’s chopper to land at his doctors allow him to leave. May, 2018, at AIIMS. That time requires. It’s just the kind of day that Balurghat airport. ‘It depends on after my treat- too, Goyal was given the addition- helps me #SwitchOnTheSunshine BJP leaders claimed that DM is ment here, which is all over. I am al charge of the Finance Ministry. #OneDayAtATime.’ Children singing at the neither co-operating nor giving on the recovery course. It’s when Jaitley, who had stopped attend- The actress put up a brave front and a satisfactory reason for deny- Japanese Night Vol. 8 at my doctors allow me to go back. ing offi ce at the beginning of April, shared inspiring notes and her pictures ing permission. The state BJP, Rani Seethai Hall in As of present, as I understand, was back in North Block -- the sporting a bald look. She is a voracious however, said that Yogi Adity- Piyush Goyal will be replying (to seat of the fi nance ministry -- on reader and even runs a book club on her Chennai, Saturday. anath’s helicopter will now land at the Budget debate in Parliament),’ 23 August. name. A few days back, Sonali, husband Consul-General of Japan in Raigunj and he will travel to Bal- he said. He had in September 2014 Goldie Behl celebrated BFF Hrithik Ro- Chennai, Kojiro Uchiyama urghat by road and then return Jaitley had last month fl own undergone a bariatric surgery to shan’s birthday. Former wife and close to Raigunj to address his second and Origami artist Shivaram here for treatment of an unstated treat weight gain that he suf- friend Sussanne Khan, Gayatri Joshi public meeting before leaving for Narayanan are present. illness. Neither he nor the gov- fered because of a long-standing Oberoi and husband Vikas Oberoi had Uttar Pradesh in the helicopter. ernment has commented on the diabetic condition. also joined in the celebrations. Students detention in US: MEA offi cials to meet them u 100 calls have been received so far through hotlines: Indian Ambassador Washington, Feb 3: sue regarding the University of highest priority, to be proactive gana. A US federal court has Farmington in Farmington Hills, The US authorities had arrested 129 Indian in helping our students and we already charged eight Indian Indian Ambassador to the US, Michigan. We have been very have been doing that. The stu- student recruiters- six from Harsh Vardhan Shringla, today quick off the block in trying to students for illegally staying in the country. The dents can be assured that they Detroit and one each from expressed confi dence that the of- ensure that the interests of our are not alone, the weight of the Florida and Virginia - in con- fi cials of the Ministry of External students are protected.’ arrested Indian students are mainly from Andhra Government of India is behind nection with this case and Affairs (MEA) will have access to ‘We have either met or are them,’ ANI quoted him as saying. the Department of Homeland all students detained by the US scheduled to meet shortly a Pradesh and Telangana It may be recalled that a de- Security, US Immigration authorities as part of ‘pay-and- majority of students under marche was issued on Saturday and Customs Enforcement stay’ scam by Monday. detention. We have had our to the US Embassy in New agency have also issued war- He remarked that the ‘weight of people go to each and every tained students have been the students. Delhi over the detention of the rants for the arrest of 600 the government of India’ is behind center across the country to advised about various legal ‘Each of our fi ve Consulates in students. persons. the detained students. access our citizens and to options and the students can the country has identifi ed a nod- The US authorities had ar- The US authorities claim that In an exclusive interview to ensure the students are okay. also ask for access to lawyers. al offi cer who could be contacted rested 129 Indian students the detained students had taken ANI, Shringla said, ‘We are obvi- By Monday we will have ac- The seasoned diplomat added for any issue in this situation. for illegally staying in the admission in a fraudulent univer- ously concerned and distressed cess to almost all our stu- that over 100 calls have been We have been given instructions country. The arrested Indian sity in order to take advantage of that so many Indian students dents,’ he added. received so far by the hotlines from the foreign secretary that students are mainly from the US government’s pay-to-stay have been implicated in this is- Shringla said that the de- set up by MEA in order to help this should be handled with the Andhra Pradesh and Telan- scheme.