Hindutva hardliner Yogi Adityanath to be next Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh

March 19, 2017

Lucknow, Mar 19: Springing a surprise, the BJP on Saturday nominated firebrand saffron leader Yogi Adityanath as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh. UP BJP?president Keshav Prasad Maurya and Lucknow Mayor Dinesh Sharma are the deputy chief ministers.

adityanath

Adityanath, the ‘mahant’ (head priest) of the famous Gorakhnath Peeth in Gorakhpur, was unanimously elected leader of the BJP Legislature Party at its meeting here in the presence of Union minister M Venkaiah Naidu and BJP general secretary Bhupendra Yadav, who were sent in as observers.

“Adityanath was elected unanimously at the meeting of the legislators,” Naidu told reporters. Naidu said no other name was proposed at the meeting.

Adityanath (44), the Lok Sabha MP?from Gorakhpur, met Governor Ram Naik and staked claim to form the government. He will be sworn in as the 21st chief minister of the state on Sunday.

The other members of the cabinet would be announced on Sunday, ahead of the swearing-in ceremony.

The drama
Much drama preceded Adityanath’s nomination. In the afternoon, his name started making the rounds, replacing that of Union minister Manoj Sinha and others as likely candidates for the top post.

Adityanath rushed to Delhi, where he had a long meeting with BJP president Amit Shah and vice president Om Mathur. Later, Adityanath went to Lucknow with Maurya and Mathur.

Adityanath was closeted with Naidu and Bhupendra for around 30 minutes, after which they participated in the meeting of the legislators.

The suspense over the chief minister continued till the last minute and none of the 325 legislators from the BJP and its allies seemed to have any inkling of the party’s choice.

Naidu said after his election as leader of the legislature party, Adityanath urged the party leadership to let two senior colleagues assist him in administration. Naidu said on his request, the party leadership allowed Adityanath to have two deputies. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shah would be present at the swearing-in ceremony.

“The chief ministers of the states ruled by the BJP and its alliance partners have also been invited to attend the oath-taking ceremony,” Naidu said.

He said the mandate for the BJP in the UP polls was historic, adding, “It is a watershed moment for the BJP. It has proved that the nation wants to move with Modi.”

The main agenda of the party in UP?would be development and good governance, he said.

“It’s a mandate against corruption, black money, caste and communal politics... people have supported us cutting across caste lines,” Naidu added. “We will together ensure the development of UP, and end goonda raj,”?Adityanath said, addressing the newly elected legislators of the BJP and its alliance partners Apna Dal and Suheldev Bhartiya Samaj Party.

Sources said BJP MLA from Shahjahanpur Sauresh Khanna moved the proposal for electing Adityanath as the leader of the legislature party.

A large number of Adityanath supporters descended on the state capital from Gorakhpur and nearby districts and chanted slogans in his favour outside the venue of the meeting. Even before the polls, his supporters had demanded that he be declared the chief ministerial face of the party. Adityanath was one of the star campaigners of the BJP and addressed close to 100 election meetings in different parts of the state.
Who is Adityanath?

-Firebrand Hindutva advocate, Adityanath’s remarks often trigger controversy
-Head priest at Gorakhnath temple; founder of vigilante group Hindu Yuva Vahini
-Won Gorakhpur seat five times; at 26 was youngest member of 12th Lok Sabha
-Had differences with BJP in the past; in 2007 over ticket distribution

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News Network
March 15,2024

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Bengaluru, Mar 15: Work from home to using toilets in malls, residents of India's 'Silicon Valley' Bengaluru are exploring all options to combat the unprecedented water crisis. People across various neighbourhoods have been forced to order food from restaurants and take bath on alternate days due to the water scarcity.

Even those in high-rise apartments equipped with water harvesting systems now find themselves reliant on water tankers for basic needs, leading to stringent usage restrictions.

Eateries are mulling over use of disposable cups, glasses and plates to avoid excess use of water.

Educational institutions are also feeling the pinch. Recently, a coaching centre in the city asked its students to attend classes online due to an 'emergency' for a week. Similarly, a school on Bannerghatta Road was also closed, asking students to attend classes online just like they did during the Covid pandemic.

Residents have come with up new methods to try and conserve water. With temperature rising, it is difficult to avoid a daily shower but they are left with no option but to take bath on alternative days, said Sujatha, a resident of KR Puram.

"What to do? Clean vessels, cook food, wash clothes....so, we have started using paper plates, that way we have cut down on our water usage. And we order food twice a week. We are using the washing machine only once in a week now," she said.

Some others have resorted to visiting a mall to take a shower or use the toilet facilities.

Lakshmi V, an IT professional living in Singasandra, has been requesting her firm to allow WFH option so that she and her family can temporarily shift to her native place in Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu until the situation becomes better.

"If the situation persists, we are thinking of seeking a work from home option. We are planning to move to our native place in Tamil Nadu temporarily till rain arrives here," she said.

Bengaluru primarily gets its water supply from two sources - Cauvery river and groundwater. For most non-drinking uses, recycled water processed by sewage treatment plants is used. With no rain for a while now, the primary sources have been stretched to their limits. Bengaluru needs 2,600-2,800 million litres of water daily, and the current supply is half of what's required. The result is a daily struggle for the city's residents.

The brunt is also being borne by people living in the outskirts of Bengaluru, especially in 110 villages that were merged with the city in 2007.

The crisis has also turned into a political battle between the state's ruling Congress government and the opposition BJP with Lok Sabha just weeks away. While the BJP has held several protests blaming the government, the Congress has accused the BJP-ruled federal government of not providing financial assistance to drought-hit Karnataka.

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News Network
March 19,2024

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Mangaluru: The Mangalore International Airport (MIA) will connect to a new domestic destination with the introduction of a non-stop flight to Tiruchirappalli International Airport in Tamil Nadu. 

The non-stop service, once-a-week, will operate on Wednesday (from TIA) and Thursday (from MIA), starting April 3. Air India Express will operate the flight.

The flight is expected to help those taking up a pilgrimage to Vailankani shrine.

Sources from the AIE said that the airline carrier decided to fly non-stop between the two southern Indian cities as a flight to Jeddah, which will start from April 3, arrives from Tiruchirappalli International Airport. 

“It is a ferry or positional flight from TIA to MIA. Instead of flying empty, the management has decided to run it as a commercial flight. This will help both passengers and the airline. The airline will deploy Boeing 737-800 aircraft with a 186-seater all-economy configuration on this route. 

The same flight, after landing in MIA, will further fly to Jeddah,” a source said. 

The flight IX 1498 will depart every Thursday at 5am from MIA to TIA. The TIA-MIA flight IX 1499 departs at 12.50pm. It is a one-hour nonstop flight. The same flights will also operate nonstop between Jeddah and MIA. 

The non-stop flight IX 499 will depart MIA at 2.50pm and reach King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah at 6.25pm. The IX498, will depart from Jeddah at 7.25pm and reach MIA early at 3.40am.

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News Network
March 27,2024

Bengaluru: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday launched simultaneous raids in multiple places, including Bengaluru and Shivamogga.

Reports suggested that the ongoing raids are in connection with the Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blast in Bengaluru’s Rameshwaram Cafe on March 1. The blast had injured at least ten people as per the police report.

The Central Crime Branch (CCB) had launched an investigation alongside the NIA, and the trail of the suspect led them to Tumakuru first and subsequently to Ballari. Investigators believe that the bomb was planted by Mussavir Hussain Shazib, a handler of the Islamic State’s Shivamogga module who was aided by another IS handler called Ahmed Taahaa.

Sources in the know said that Shazib and Taahaa had stayed in Chennai for about a month between January and February using fake credentials. The names of the suspects were identified after they traced the cap worn by Shazib to a shop in a mall in Chennai. The cap, which was abandoned by the bomber in Bengaluru after the blast, was reportedly bought by Taahaa, around January-end.

As per the NIA, Shazib hails from Masjid Road in Thirthahalli, Shivamogga district, and Taahaa from Fish Market Road, Soppu Gude, Thirthahalli Rural. Both "wanted" suspects have been termed "absconders" by the NIA.

The NIA has questioned seven jailed terror suspects so far in connection with the blast. The investigation agency had also obtained seven-day custody of a jailed terror suspect named Maaz Muneer Ahmed.

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