Jailed Jagan is on trial today in Andhra-elections

June 12, 2012

Hyderabad, June 12: A crucial day for Jagan Mohan Reddy and the Congress in Andhra Pradesh. By-polls to the Nellore Lok Sabha seat and 18 Legislative assembly constituencies is underway on Tuesday. The ruling Congress, the opposition TDP and Jagan's YSR Congress party will be slugging it out for these seats. Polling has commenced at 8 am.

The assembly seats including one in Telangana fell vacant following the disqualification of Congress rebels who joined Jagan's party.

The Tirupati seat fell vacant following Praja Rajyam chief Chiranjeevi's election to the Rajya Sabha.

YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy will remain in Chanchalguda jail during polling as his custody was extended on Monday in the alleged disproportionate assets case. Jagan's arrest could go against the ruling Congress in these elections because Jagan's family has been calling it political vendetta.

Other factors that could weigh on voters minds are enhanced electricity charges and erratic power supply in the state. The recent hike in petrol price - the steepest ever - and a severe shortage of drinking water could also hurt the Congress' prospects.

The by-polls to 18 Assembly segments on Tuesday will not lead to the fall of the Kiran Kumar Reddy government in Andhra Pradesh anytime soon but will give a new direction to the state politics. A 'wave' is anticipated in favour of YSR Congress, its chief's arrest in the disproportionate assets case and the corruption allegations against him notwithstanding, and its candidates are expected to 'sweep' the crucial by-elections.

Jagan's arrest by CBI and the subsequent campaign by his mother YS Vijaya and sister Sharmila have in a way generated sympathy for the YSR Congress. As the current trends indicate, the YSR Congress is the front-runner in almost all the constituencies except Parkal in Warangal district of Telangana.

The Congress' strategy in this regard miserably backfired and virtually landed it in the dock as the misdeeds of the past eight years started haunting it.

The TDP, which otherwise should have benefited from the anti-incumbency factor, was caught in the crossfire between the Congress and the YSR Congress though it started off with some advantage in the beginning.

In Parkal the TRS is bent on preventing the BJP's victory as it will threaten its existence as the sole torch-bearer of the statehood movement.

In the Nellore Lok Sabha constituency, sitting Congress MP Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy who quit his party to join the YSR Congress will face former Union Minister T Subbarami Reddy of the Congress.

Meanwhile, the election authorities have made elaborate arrangements in 18 assembly constituencies and one Lok Sabha seat where 46,13,589 voters are expected to exercise their franchise in 5,413 polling stations spread over 12 districts.

State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Bhanwar Lal told reporters that 50,000 polling personnel, including 138 companies of Central Armed Police Force (CAPF), have been deployed for the conduct of the elections.

By-polls were necessitated in 16 of the 18 assembly seats as the sitting Congress MLAs were disqualified for switching loyalty to Jagan and voting against the Congress government during a no-trust vote in December.

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Bomb threats target CRPF schools across India, 2 days after blast at Delhi institute

News Network

October 22,2024

Several Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) schools across India were hit with hoax bomb threats on Tuesday, just days after an explosion occurred near a CRPF school in Delhi. The threats, sent via email late Monday night, targeted schools in Delhi and Hyderabad, according to sources.

Earlier this week, a bomb exploded outside a CRPF school in Delhi’s Rohini area, causing significant damage to nearby vehicles and property. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported.

In response to the blast, Delhi Police confiscated CCTV footage from nearby markets as part of their investigation. Sources indicate that surveillance footage captured a suspect at the scene, wearing a white T-shirt, displaying suspicious behavior the night before the explosion.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the explosive device had been hidden in a polythene bag, buried in a shallow pit, and covered with garbage. The blast caused a hole in the school's boundary wall and shattered the window panes and signboards of nearby shops.

Following the incident, the Delhi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, Section 3 of the Indian Explosives Act, and other relevant sections.

The FIR states, "A case of an explosion caused by an unknown explosive substance has been registered, and the investigation continues." It also details the damage, noting that the blast left a hole in the boundary wall and affected nearby structures.

The targeted schools serve children from CRPF and other paramilitary families, and the recent threats have heightened concerns. In response, Delhi authorities have placed the city on high alert, ramping up security measures, especially in markets, ahead of the Diwali festival.

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‘Don't fly Air India from Nov 1 to 19’: Khalistani terrorist Pannun's fresh threat

News Network

October 21,2024

Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on Monday warned passengers not to fly on Air India flights from November 1 to 19. He asserted that an attack could take place on an Air India flight during the specified dates, which coincide with the "40th anniversary of the Sikh genocide".

The founder of Sikhs for Justice (SFJ), who holds dual citizenship in Canada and the US, had issued a similar threat around the same time last year.

Pannun's fresh threat comes amid several airlines in India receiving multiple threat calls about potential bombings, all of which turned out to be hoaxes. It also occurred at a time when India and Canada are engaged in a murky diplomatic row following Canada's allegations of India targeting Khalistani elements in the country, including the murder of another terrorist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar.

In November 2023, Pannun released a video claiming that Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport would be renamed and would remain closed on November 19, warning people against flying on Air India that day. The National Investigation Agency charged him with criminal conspiracy, promoting enmity between different groups on the grounds of religion, and various offences under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

In December last year, Pannun threatened to attack the Parliament on or before December 13, following reports of an alleged foiled plot to kill him. December 13 marks the anniversary of the terrorist attack on the Parliament in 2001.

He also threatened to kill Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and Director General of State Police Gaurav Yadav on Republic Day this year. He also urged gangsters to unite and launch an attack on Mann on January 26.

Pannun has been designated a terrorist by the Ministry of Home Affairs since July 2020 on charges of sedition and secessionism, as he leads SFJ, a group advocating for a separate sovereign Sikh state. A year prior to this, India banned SFJ as an "unlawful association" for engaging in "anti-national and subversive" activities.

In another development, on October 17, the United States charged a former officer of India's spy agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) for allegedly directing a foiled plot to murder Pannun, a charge New Delhi has rejected as baseless allegations.

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