As LS poll looms, Mayawati names 28-yr-old nephew as her successor. Who is Akash Anand?

News Network
December 10, 2023

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Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leaders on Sunday said party president Mayawati had named her nephew Akash Anand her successor as party chief. The announcement was made during a meeting in Lucknow to discuss the coming Lok Sabha elections. The BSP president has yet to make an official declaration.

Party leaders said the BSP chief gave Akash the responsibility to strengthen the party in states apart from Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, a task he had already been handling in the run-up to the recent Assembly elections.

Akash, the son of Mayawati’s younger brother Anand Kumar, oversaw the party’s poll preparation in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Chhattisgarh. In a departure from the party’s usual strategy of not organising padayatras and demonstrations, in August he led a 14-day padayatra in Rajasthan where he has been in charge of the party’s affairs since last year. The party failed to match its 2018 performance of winning six seats, bagging only the constituencies of Sadulpur and Bari.

Akash played a role in the campaigns in MP, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana too. In June, the BSP chief deployed him and Rajya Sabha MP Ramji Gautam, the central coordinator for these states, to prepare and launch the election campaign on issues concerning Dalits, religious minorities, OBCs, and tribals. On August 9, Akash led a foot march in Bhopal during which there was an attempt to gherao the Raj Bhavan, raising the issues of the marginalised. Despite its efforts, the party failed to open its account in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana.

Akash completed his schooling in Delhi and his MBA degree in London. He returned to India in 2017 and in May of that year accompanied Mayawati to Saharanpur where a Thakur-Dalit clash had occurred. He was introduced to party workers in September 2017, a few months after the BJP came to power in the state after registering a massive victory in an election in which the BSP finished third with 19 seats.

Akash became more active politically in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha election and was credited with bringing his aunt over to social media platform X. In 2019, a day after the Election Commission banned Mayawati from campaigning for 48 hours, Akash took to the stage and addressed his first rally, urging people to vote for the SP-BSP-RLD alliance. 

SP chief Akhilesh Yadav and then RLD president Ajit Singh also joined him on stage. A few weeks after the alliance’s defeat, Mayawati appointed him the party’s national coordinator and tasked him with reaching out to the youth, especially those from the Dalit community, and bringing them into the BSP fold.

After the UP Assembly polls last year, the BSP chief told the cadre that she would send Akash to different parts of UP to collect “truthful progress reports of work done by the party” and encourage youth workers.

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News Network
November 18,2024

Advisors to US President-elect Donald Trump have instructed his allies and associates to refrain from using the inflammatory language they previously employed when discussing issues related to migrants and the deportation of asylum seekers, in a bid to avoid “looking like Nazis.”

US media reports said that Trump’s associates had been asked to stop using the word “camps” to describe potential facilities that would be used to accommodate migrants rounded up in deportation operations across the country.

The reports said the US president-elect’s allies had been ordered to stave off such charged terms as they would bring to mind “Nazis,” and be used against Trump.

“I have received some guidance to avoid terms, like ‘camps,’ that can be twisted and used against the president, yes,” one Trump ally told American monthly magazine Rolling Stone.

“Apparently, some people think it makes us look like Nazis.”

The presidential advisers also cautioned surrogates and allies to keep racist terms, which have dogged Trump’s campaign, out of their remarks.

They said with Trump’s heated rhetoric that used to compare undocumented immigrants to “animals” and his slight that they are “poisoning the blood of our country,” detractors did not need to reach too far to find parallels to Nazi Germany.

Stephen Miller, who Trump tapped to be his deputy chief of staff of policy, specifically used the word “camps” to describe holding facilities that he hoped the military could put together for immigrants.

Tom Homan, who served as the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and is chosen by Trump to be in charge of the US borders, was no stranger to such language.

“It’s not gonna be a mass sweep of neighborhoods,” he said in an interview earlier this week. “It’s not gonna be building concentration camps. I’ve read it all. It’s ridiculous.”

Becoming a little more forthright about the new government’s aggressive deportation plans, Homan likened the early days of the Trump administration to the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003.

“I got three words for them – shock and awe,” he said. “You’re going to see us take this country back.”

Trump made immigration a central element of his 2024 presidential campaign but unlike his first run, which was mainly focused on building a border wall, he has shifted his attention to interior enforcement and the removal of undocumented immigrants already in the United States.

People close to the US president and his aides are laying the groundwork for expanding detention facilities to fulfill his mass deportation campaign promise.

The businessman-turned-politician deported more than 1.5 million people during his first term.

The figure do not include the millions of people turned away at the border under a Covid-era policy enacted by Trump and used during most of Biden’s term.

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News Network
November 19,2024

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In the wake of the tragic drowning of three students at a resort near Ullal on the outskirts of Mangaluru city, the tourism department in Dakshina Kannada is set to implement comprehensive safety guidelines for properties with swimming pools or beach access. This initiative aims to ensure guest safety and prevent similar incidents in the future.

New Safety Mandates for Resorts and Homestays

Rashmi S.R., deputy director (in-charge) of the tourism department, announced, “We will instruct all homestays and resorts to enforce precautionary measures, especially those with pools or direct beach access. Properties must ensure 24/7 supervision, particularly during guest hours. This tragedy highlights the importance of having trained personnel on-site.”

Key Safety Guidelines

The district, home to around 150 homestays and 130 resorts, will see the following measures enforced:

  • Clearly displaying pool depths.
  • Installing adequate safety equipment, such as life buoys.
  • Employing trained lifeguards at all times.
  • Establishing clear pool operating hours.
  • Reviewing and implementing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for pool and beach usage.

Booming Beach Tourism Calls for Vigilance

Manohar Shetty, president of the Association for Coastal Tourism (ACT), Udupi, highlighted the growing popularity of beachside resorts, particularly during peak seasons. Properties in Udupi, often fully booked with tourists from Bengaluru, Mysuru, Kodagu, and Shivamogga, face increasing pressure to maintain safety standards.

Udupi district boasts 22 beachside commercial properties catering to this rising demand.

Shetty emphasized, “Authorities must scrutinize safety measures and carefully evaluate guidelines before issuing new resort licenses. Panchayats should rely on the Karnataka Town and Country Planning Act when handling such cases.”

Long-Term Solutions for Water Safety

Recognizing the need for a cultural shift in water safety, Shetty proposed integrating swimming lessons into school curricula. This move would not only equip students with essential skills but also encourage safe participation in water-based activities.

A Safer Tomorrow for Coastal Tourism

As the tourism sector thrives, Mangaluru’s proactive approach underscores its commitment to visitor safety. The tragic incident serves as a wake-up call, propelling the industry towards stricter regulations and better preparedness, ensuring that coastal vacations remain both enjoyable and safe.

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News Network
November 18,2024

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Mangaluru: The Ullal police have arrested Manohar, the owner of Vazco Beach Resort, and its manager Bharath in connection with the drowning of three college girls from Mysuru at the resort’s swimming pool on November 17.

City Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal confirmed the arrests, stating that a case has been registered under Section 106 of BNS. The bodies of the victims, all in their twenties, have been handed over to their parents. The women had arrived at the resort for a weekend getaway on November 16.

Following the tragic incident, the resort was sealed by officials led by Mangaluru Assistant Commissioner Harshavardhan. The trade license of the resort, issued on June 13, 2024, has been suspended, and the tourism department has temporarily revoked the resort's registration. These actions prohibit the resort from engaging in any tourism-related activities until further notice.

Someshwara TMC Chief Officer stated that the suspension was due to the resort's failure to implement adequate safety measures, which resulted in the loss of three lives. Further investigations are underway.

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