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Tumakuru, (Karnataka) Oct 8 (IANS) Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, leading the 150-day Bharat Jodo yatra, said on Saturday that he believes in 'tapasya' and that he wants an element of suffering while interacting with the people.

Addressing mediapersons in Turuvekere town on the sidelines of the march, Rahul Gandhi stated that not just him, his entire family believes in the concept of 'tapasya'.

He was responding to questions on how the rally has changed him as a person. "Along this padyatra, communication with people, I wanted an element of suffering for myself.

"I didn't want the march to be easy. I was wanting to do something which would make me suffer. While I am talking to my people, I can share my sufferings. That was the idea.

"So, I find that to be a very powerful experience. When you are walking on the road and speaking to your people, after suffering, the communication is better.

"For me, it's been a learning experience. It began 31 days ago but for me the learning has not yet begun. I can already see the advantages of this type of communication," Rahul Gandhi explained.

"Also, the interaction with people is the most beautiful part of the journey. But unfortunately, things I say get distorted. When I am speaking in front of cameras, those behind it distort my words.

"There is tremendous wisdom among our people but it gets wasted by the kind of politics we are running. They have a lot to say but are unable because of the political system. I am also getting a huge amount of support, I don't mean by numbers but from individuals with whom I interact," he added.

--IANS
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Karnataka, Oct 8 (IANS) The Bharat Jodo Yatra, currently in its Karnataka leg, will take a break on October 17 in view of the Congress presidential poll.

For the around 40 Pradesh Congress Committee delegates participating in the march, polling booths will be set up at the camp site itself where all eligibles, including Rahul Gandhi, will cast their votes, officials said.

Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has clearly stated that the voters only need an ID card for exercising their franchise.

Headed by the senior party leader Madhusudan Mistry, the Central Election Authority, will oversee the poll process, notification of which was issued on September 22.

The last date for withdrawal of nominations is October 8 and results are scheduled to be declared on October 19.

Voting will take place only if two candidates compete. In case only one of the candidates remains after the nomination withdrawal date, he will be elected unopposed.

--IANS
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Jaipur, Oct 8 (IANS) During the three-day stay of RSS General Secretary Dattatreya Hosabale in Ajmer, sevaral meetings related to the organisational works of the field-level volunteers were held in the city.

There was detailed discussions and review of the works and goals of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), such as expansion and strengthening of the Sangh, which is set for its centenary year in 2025.

There was a detailed discussion about the development of the weaker sections of the scoiety through service works by the Sangh.

In order to increase the effectiveness of such projects and service works, discussions were held to increase the participation of noble minds in the society, said Jagdish Singh Rana, Prant Sanghchalak of RSS.

The workers from north-west Rajasthan were present in Friday's meetings, wherein the informal style of reaching out to the society and communication by the workers of the Sangh were discussed, he added.

--IANS
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By Nirendra Dev
New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) BJP chief J.P. Nadda and Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be on a three-day visit to Assam from Saturday.


The occasion is inauguration of newly built Assam BJP headquaters at Beltola, Guwahati.

Nadda was likely to visit Meghalaya on Sunday, but that has been reportedly deferred to later this month after Diwali.

Three northeastern states, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura are scheduled to go for polls by February-March 2023.

But both the BJP stalwarts making a joint visit to Assam gives more positive and clear signals about the saffron outfit's plans and preliminary preparations for all important 2024 general elections.

The battle of 2024 would be occasion for making a hat-trick by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Encouraged by its performance - 282 in 2019 and 303 in 2014 - now the party wants to consolidate their hold further in east and northeast India.

In Assam, in 2019, the BJP could win nine seats out of 14. The AIUDF had won one and Congress could win three. In 2021, BJP retained the state government in Assam.

The Congress disappointment did not end with electoral defeat in the state where they had a fair chance of winning. What is politically significant is that the Congress is now a demoralised outfit in Assam - where it had a very strong base, and several Congressmen and women have already jumped ship while embracing BJP's right-wing politics.

Ambitious Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is a good organiser and he has reportedly promised his new-found mentor Shah 'mega improvement' in BJP and its alliance partners' performance in Assam and other northeastern states. In 2019, BJP won both seats in Arunachal Pradesh and also Tripura.

The Leftists are a much demoralised and marginilised entity in one time red-fortress Tripura and apparently, the saffron party's chief competitor in 2023 would be a local tribal-based party.

Post West Bengal polls win in 2021, Trinamool Congress made a lot of noise vis-a-vis forays into Tripura but all such efforts have turned damp squib chiefly because there is no substantial Muslim vote bank in Tripura.

Congress had one seat in Meghalaya while another seat had come to BJP's ally NPP of Conrad Sangma.

In Nagaland and Mizoram, the solitary seat in each state had gone to regional partners in 2019. But with regard Nagaland's lone Lok Sabha seat, the saffron party would be asking for it.

In Manipur also the BJP, which returned to power in early 2022, may easily win both Lok Sabha seats in 2024.

The BJP is planning big in states such as West Bengal and Odisha.

In Mamata Banerjee-ruled Bengal, much to the chagrin of its detractors, the BJP had won 18 seats.

It would be more than happy to retain the hold and win at least 20-24 seats.

In 2021 assembly polls, the Left parties including CPI-M and the Congress drew blank, thus showing the possible state of affairs in the state which has altogether 42 seats. While the northeast has 25 Lok Sabha seats, Odisha has 21 and with Bengal's 42 it comes to 88 seats.

These 88 seats would be very important from 2024 polls point of view. In 2019, the saffron surge had resulted in victories over 40 seats.

The law of the average suggests, the saffron party's tally for Lower House of Parliament may come down in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat in 2024. Thus, the poll strategists are working overtime to make a significant deeper penetration in north east and especially in Odisha.

The BJD of Naveen Patnaik is a partner at the centre though not part of the NDA officially.

The Chief Minister is now 75 and he will be around 77 when poll bugle is blown. In the absence of any second rung leader in the BJD; the Lotus party is trying to fill in the gap.

A former Biju Janata Dal MP, Baijayant Panda is now saffron party's in-charge in Assam. Another Odisha leader and vocal national spokesman Sambit Patra is now coordinator for the party for all north eastern states.

In Odisha, BJP could win eight while Naveen's party had won 12. The marginalised Congress could win only one and no body is really talking about prospects of Congress revival.

On a slightly larger canvas, the BJP has to do well in southern states as well.

For the ruling BJP, the 2024 battle would have to be negotiated in nine states mainly -- most in eastern and southern states.

The states are Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.

From these states again, the saffron party could win only 67 seats. While Karnataka contributed maximum (25) into the saffron party kitty out of 28, followed by 18 from Mamata-ruled West Bengal and eight from Odisha.

Importantly again the challenge also comes from key regional chieftains including Mamata Banerjee in West Bengal -- that has 42 parliamentary seats and also YSR Jagan Mohan Reddy in Andhra Pradesh.

There are also formidable regional challengers like K Chandrashekhar Rao in Telangana (TRS) and M K Stalin of DMK in Tamil Nadu.

The BJP has pushed for aggressive works in Telangana and new in-charge is Tarun Chugh, who was involved in organisational matters as deputy B.L. Santhosh in the party headquarters. Another able hand Arvind Menon has been appointed as co-in-charge.

Menon has handled states such as West Bengal and UP earlier.

For Odisha, Sunil Bansal will be a key player as the in-charge.

For the state of West Bengal, while Mangal Pandey will be the in-charge; he would be assisted by Amit Malviya and Asha Lakra as Saha Prabharis.

Till recently, the BJP had control over 18 states after Maharashtra came into its kitty.

The coming months and polls in key states will be vital in more ways than one. They are Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh in December 2022, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Tripura in Feb-March 2023, Karnataka April-May 2023, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan and Mizoram by November-December 2023.

From the nine states in eastern and southern India, the BJP has 67 and its alliance partners have only eight making it 75 for NDA.

That means 154 seats are with other parties and this is where the saffron strategies will have to chalk out innovative plans.

(Nirendra Dev is a New Delhi-based journalist. He is also author of book,
'The Talking Guns: North East India'. The views expressed are personal.)

--IANS
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Jaipur, Oct 7 (IANS) Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani on Friday made a big announcement of opening a medical college and hospital each in two districts of Rajasthan and a cricket stadium in Udaipur with an investment of Rs 65,000 crore.

Participating in the Invest Rajasthan summit here, Gautam Adani said, "Today I am very happy to attend the summit. We have announced an investment of Rs 65,000 crore. Simultaneously, while talking to Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, we have got approval for two proposals. Two medical colleges will be opened in Rajasthan. In the districts where there are no medical colleges, it has been agreed that we can contribute by opening medical colleges along with civil hospitals. We also discussed with CM Gehlot and Assembly Speaker C.P. Joshi about building a cricket stadium in Udaipur. On behalf of Adani Foundation and Adani Group, we will provide full cooperation to build the stadium."

Both CM Gehlot and Gautam Adani arrived for the media interaction in the same e-vehicle. While Gehlot sat next to the e-rickshaw driver, Adani, Torrent Group Chairman Sudhir Mehta and Speaker C.P. Joshi sat came in the rear seat.

After Adani and Mehta, Rajasthan Cricket Association President Vaibhav Gehlot interacted with the media. Gehlot himself did not say anything.

--IANS
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Ahmedabad, Oct 7 (IANS) Senior Congress leader and party presidential post candidate Mallikarjun Kharge, who is campaining in Gujarat, on Friday appealed the party delegates in the state to extend their support in the election.

Earlier in the day, he visited Gandhi Ashram to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi.

Kharge addressed the party delegates and sought their support in the election.

Later speaking to media persons, he said, "I never intended to contest the presidential election, but senior party leaders and workers insisted that I should contest the election, (thus) I am contesting."

In another development, BJP leader Kuldipsinh Raulji from Savli taluka of Vadodara district joined Congress in presence of the state unit president Jagdish Thakor and other leaders.

Vadodara district Congress president Sagar Brahmbhatt told IANS this will help the party in long term as Raulji is a cooperative leader and grass root network in the district that will benefit the party.

However, BJP's Vadodara unit office bearer Natwarsinh Solanki told IANS, "Raulji has little influence on voters in the rural area... the BJP vote bank is very strong and committed, it does not get divided with one or two leaders quitting the party."

--IANS
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New Delhi, Oct 7 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Friday that it has attached Rs 1.54 crore lying in bank accounts of Indians for Amnesty International Trust (IAIT) under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The ED had initiated the money laundering probe on the basis of an FIR registered by the CBI against Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd (AIIPL) and others under Section 120(B) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and Sections 11, 35 and 39 of Foreign Contributions Regulatory Act (FCRA).

The Amnesty International India Foundation Trust (AIIFT) had been granted permission under the FCRA in 2011-12 for receiving foreign contributions from Amnesty International. However, the same was cancelled later. The IAIT and AIIPL were formed in 2012-13 and 2013-14, respectively, to 'escape' the FCRA route and carried out NGO activities in the guise of service export and FDI.

The ED learnt during the investigation that upon cancellation of FCRA licence of Amnesty International India Foundation Trust, a new method was adopted by Amnesty entities to receive money from abroad, and Amnesty International (UK), sent Rs 51.72 crore to AIIPL in the guise of export of services and foreign direct investment. However, no documentary proof for the alleged exports, such as invoices and copies of agreements, were submitted during the investigation.

"It is prima facie found that Amnesty International (UK) invested in Amnesty International India Pvt Ltd in the form of 'compulsory convertible debentures'," an ED official said.

Subsequently, IAIT established an overdraft facility for Rs 14.25 crore, keeping Rs 10 crore FD of AIIPL as collateral. The overdraft facility was used by IAIT for Amnesty India's NGO activities, including paying salary and other administrative and operational expenses.

The total attachment in the case now stands at Rs 21.08 crore.

--IANS
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Guwahati, Oct 6 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah and BJP president J.P. Nadda will visit Assam on Friday to take part in a mega party workers' meet here, a senior party leader said on Thursday.

Bhabesh Kalita, BJP's Assam unit president said the two senior party leaders will also inaugurate the newly-built Assam state BJP headquarters on Saturday followed by a booth-level workers' meeting.

The BJP has formed a new core committee along with a few others including an election management committee for upcoming elections. Shah and Nadda will meet core committee members on Friday evening to discuss various issues related to the state.

Speaking to mediapersons here, Kalita said that at least 40,000 booth-level party workers across the state will take part in the meeting.

All Ministers, MPs, MLAs, and district-level office bearers will also attend the meeting. A few veteran party workers will be felicitated during the occasion.

It is believed that the programme is scheduled to kick-start the Lok Sabha poll preparation in Assam and other northeastern states.

Three north-eastern states -- Meghalaya, Tripura, and Nagaland are going for poll early next year. In Mizoram, elections will be held in the last part of 2023.

BJP is facing a sweet and sour relation with Conrad Sangma-led National People's Party (NPP) with Sangma announcing for going to elections without any pre-poll tie with the BJP in Meghalaya, while in Nagaland, the BJP has been enjoying a more favourable alliance with the ruling NDPP (National Democratic Progressive Party).

In Mizoram, though the ruling Mizo National Front (MNF) is a part of the NDA, there were some clear discomforts between the allies.

Party sources said Shah and Nadda may discuss these issues with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who is the chairman of Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA) -- launched in 2016 with the objective of uniting the non-Congress parties in the region.

--IANS
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Patan, Oct 6 (IANS) Since the last 15 days, Gujarat BJP President C.R. Patil while addressing party workers at various places has repeatedly said that this time party candidates will be finalised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah so they should not come for recommendation.

Contrary to this statement, on Wednesday during his visit to north Gujarat, Patil gave green signal to two BJP candidates.

He told local media, "BJP workers are well aware that party's parliamentary board, and the Prime Minister and Union Home Minister takes final call on party candidates, but Alpesh Thakor is our senior party leader, so he will contest from his Radhanpur constituency and we are confident that he will win, we wish him all the best."

The Gujarat BJP President added that Dilip Thakor, the sitting BJP MLA from Chanasma Assembly constituency, too, will contest and win the seat.

On Monday, Alpesh Thakor while addressing people in his constituency had announced that he will contest upcoming state Assembly elections and had sought support of the Thakor community and people. He also reminded the people that last time, due to lack of support he had lost the by-election in 2019 which should not happen this time.

On the other hand, local Thakor leaders are against the nomination of Thakor from Radhanpur constituency. One such group is led by Lavingji Thakor, who had given the slogan to local voters that "Local will win election, and migrant candidate will be defeated" directly targeting Alpesh Thakor, a turncoat, who switched over side from Congress to the BJP.

--IANS
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Geneva, Oct 5 (IANS) The World Health Organization on Wednesday issued an alert for four "contaminated" India-made medicines, chiefly for paediatric use, identified in the west African nation of The Gambia and found to contain chemicals that are toxic and potentially fatal after 66 child deaths.

"WHO has today issued a medical product alert for four contaminated medicines identified in #Gambia that have been potentially linked with acute kidney injuries and 66 deaths among children. The loss of these young lives is beyond heartbreaking for their families," the WHO said in a series of tweets, citing its Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"The four medicines are cough and cold syrups produced by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Limited, in India. WHO is conducting further investigation with the company and regulatory authorities in India," it said.

The WHO Medical Product Alert said that the four substandard products, reported to it in September, are Promethazine Oral Solution, Kofexmalin Baby Cough Syrup, Makoff Baby Cough Syrup and Magrip N Cold Syrup, all stated to be manufactured by Maiden Pharmaceuticals Ltd located in Haryana.

Noting that the stated manufacturer has not provided guarantees to WHO on the safety and quality of these products, the alert said that laboratory analysis of samples of each of the four products confirms that they contain unacceptable amounts of diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol, both "toxic to humans when consumed and can prove fatal".

"The substandard products referenced in this alert are unsafe and their use, especially in children, may result in serious injury or death," it said, adding that the toxic effects can include abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, inability to pass urine, headache, altered mental state, and acute kidney injury which may lead to death.

All batches of these products should be considered unsafe until they can be analysed by the relevant national regulatory authorities, the WHO said.

While these four products have been identified in The Gambia, it apprehended that they may have been distributed, through informal markets, to other countries or regions, and it "is important to detect and remove these substandard products from circulation to prevent harm to patients".

WHO requests increased surveillance and diligence within the supply chains of countries and regions likely to be affected by these products. Increased surveillance of the informal/unregulated market is also advised, the alert said.

It underlined that all medical products must be approved and obtained from authorised/licensed suppliers, the products' authenticity and physical condition should be carefully checked, and advice taken from a healthcare professional when in doubt.

"If you have these substandard products, please DO NOT use them. If you, or someone you know, have used these products or suffered any adverse reaction/event after use, you are advised to seek immediate medical advice from a qualified healthcare professional and report the incident to the National Regulatory Authority or National Pharmacovigilance Centre," the alert said.

"National regulatory/health authorities are advised to immediately notify WHO if these substandard products are discovered in their respective country," it added.

--IANS
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