Operation Lotus thwarted in Telangana; 2 swamijis, 1 businessman held for luring TRS MLAs

News Network
October 27, 2022

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Hyderabad, Oct 27: Barely a week before the Munugode byelection, Cyberabad police last night raided a farmhouse on the outskirts of the city and reportedly detained three persons for allegedly trying to lure four TRS legislators into the BJP.

The MLAs in question — Guvvala Balaraju (Atchampet - SC), B Harshavardhan Reddy (Kollapur), Rega Kantarao (Pinapaka-ST) and Pilot Rohith Reddy (Tandur) — themselves tipped off the police, Cyberabad Commissioner of Police (CP) Stephen Raveendra revealed.

As much as ₹ 100 crore was offered to a key leader in secret negotiations at a farmhouse, sources said.

Cyberabad police commissioner Stephen Raveendra said the TRS MLAs had called the police, saying they were being "lured and bribed to change parties".

"They said they were offered big money, contracts and posts to switch parties," he said.

Apart from ₹ 100 crore for the main leader, ₹ 50 crore was offered to each MLA, sources said. After the police raid, the four TRS MLAs were taken to the home of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, the TRS chief.

Those detained are Satish Sharma, alias Ram Chandra Bharati, a priest from Haryana's Faridabad, D Simhayaji, a seer from Tirupathi, and a Hyderabad-based businessman, Nandakumar.

Sources say the investigators are working on leads to establish the that these three were working at the behest of a BJP leader.

Satish Sharma and D Simhayaji are seen in photos with BJP leaders but it is not yet established whether they were acting on behalf of the party. Videos were also viral on social media of Nandkumar with Union tourism minister Kishan Reddy but he denied any conspiracy by the BJP to buy MLAs and said several people got photographed along with him and that did not establish any ties beyond that.

The men had come to Hyderabad on fake identities, said the police chief. Sources suggested that one of them was possibly in the Maharashtra coup in which the Shiv Sena-led coalition collapsed after a key leader, Eknath Shinde, broke away and formed a new government with the BJP.

Sources in the BJP denied the allegations, claiming there is "no reason" for them to offer astronomical amounts for four MLAs when the ruling party (TRS) has a comfortable majority.

Telangana BJP leaders DK Aruna and the BJP MP from Nizamabad, D Arvind accused Chief Minister Rao or KCR of staging the "bribe" incident to deflect attention from the high-stakes assembly by-polls in Munugode on November 3.

"It is drama. KCR understood that the TRS is losing in Munugode. So they orchestrated this drama," BJP leader Vivek Venkataswamy said.

Since 2019, there have been claims that the BJP wants to launch an "Operation Lotus" in Telangana, where the TRS enjoys a comfortable majority. Operation Lotus is the term used by the opposition to describe the alleged bribing of ruling party MLAs by the BJP to topple governments.

Recently, Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) claimed that the BJP was trying to lure away its MLAs in Delhi and Punjab.

In August, there were reports of a BJP leader claiming that around 18 MLAs of TRS would soon join the BJP.

Accused reportedly close to Shah, Kishan

The accused, Ramachandra Bharati, is said to be close to the RSS and was seen several times with top BJP leaders and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. Nandakumar, on the other hand, is said to be close to Union Minister of State for Tourism G Kishan Reddy. TRS sources also revealed that the Delhi BJP leadership was in talks with multiple MLAs.

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News Network
September 12,2024

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to CJI D Y Chandrachud's house for Ganesha puja celebrations has raised doubts in the mind of Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut, who questioned whether he would deliver 'justice' in the ongoing case the party has in the Supreme Court, given that the PM is the other party in the case.

Speaking to ANI, Raut said "Ganpathi festival is going on, people visit each other's houses. I don't have info regarding how many houses PM visited so far...but PM went to CJI's house and they together performed 'Aarti'."

He said that a custodian of the Constitution meeting politicians could raise doubts in the minds of people.

"In our case, other party is the central govt...Chief Justice should distance himself from this case because his relation with the other party in the case is openly visible," Raut continued.

He also raised questions if the CJI be able to give them justice in the case. "We are getting dates after dates and an illegal govt is going on...Shiv Sena and NCP were broken in such a way...we are not getting justice and PM Modi is taking a lot of interest in the illegal govt of Maharashtra, to save them," the Sena (UBT) leader continued.

Raut alleged that a doubt had been formed in Maharashtra's mind given the 'bond' the PM and the CJI seem to share.

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News Network
September 10,2024

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The Israeli regime has attacked displaced Palestinians in the southern part of the Gaza Strip with US-provided 2,000-pound bombs, killing at least 40 civilians, mostly women and children.

As many as 60 others were injured in the attack that targeted an area previously declared by the Israeli military as a “humanitarian zone” at the al-Mawasi refugee camp in the city of Khan Younis on Tuesday.

The military alleged that it had struck members of the Hamas resistance movement, who were “operating a command and control center” inside the targeted area, a claim that was rejected by the group as a “blatant lie.”

“The resistance has repeatedly confirmed the absence of any of its members among civilian gatherings or the use of such areas for military purposes,” Hamas said.

The bloodletting took place as part of the regime’s ongoing genocidal war on Gaza, which began on October 7 in response to a retaliatory operation staged by the territory’s resistance groups.

So far, close to 41,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 94,800 others wounded in the brutal military onslaught.

The Tuesday massacre came after the refugee camp witnessed an influx of homeless Palestinians, who had fled there from the death and destruction spree caused by the war elsewhere across the coastal sliver. Between 30,000 and 34,000 people were living upon each square kilometer of the camp at the time of the attack, the United Nations estimates show.

The weapons deployed during the massacre have been identified as American-made MK-84 bombs, which carry 900 pounds of explosives. 

The payload can create a crater about 15 meters wide and over 10 meters deep, besides being capable of causing deadly damage around it within a radius of approximately 73 meters. 

This is not the first time when the regime deploys the ammunition against civilian targets during the war. 

More than 70 Palestinians were killed after it struck the refugee camp with the same bombs in July.

As part of its unbridled military support for the regime, the United States has armed it with as many as 14,000 of the bombs since the onset of the war.

Hamas also called the US “complicit” in such massacres that “are being deliberately carried out without regard for international law, humanitarian law, or resolutions calling for an end to the aggression.”

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News Network
September 20,2024

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Kasaragod: In a heartbreaking turn of events, the vibrant life of a young medical student from Kasaragod district was tragically cut short in a road accident in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, on Wednesday night.

Mohammed Rashid, a 20-year-old second-year MBBS student, hailed from the close-knit community of Kattatadka AKG Nagar in Kerala's Kasaragod district. Brimming with hope and aspirations, he had recently returned to Coimbatore to continue his studies after spending cherished moments with his family during a brief vacation back home.

On that fateful evening, around 8 PM, Rashid was crossing the road to grab dinner at a nearby hotel when tragedy struck. A speeding tipper truck hit him, leaving the young student fatally injured. Though he was rushed to the hospital, his fight for life ended before he could make it to the emergency room.

The devastating news sent shockwaves through his family and friends. His father, Ahmed, who works in the Gulf, returned immediately, heartbroken, to mourn the unimaginable loss of his beloved son. Rasheed's relatives, too, made the painful journey to Coimbatore, overcome with grief and disbelief.

The passing of Mohammed Rashid has left a deep void not only in the hearts of those who knew and loved him but in the wider community. His dreams of healing others and serving society as a doctor were tragically cut short, leaving behind an irreplaceable loss.

May his memory be a reminder of the fragility of life and the promise that he once held.

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