Regional

New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) According to an exclusive opinion poll conducted in Karnataka by ABP-CVoter, there is very strong anti-incumbency against the BJP government led by Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai.

According to the survey, as many as 57 per cent of the respondents said they are upset and wish to change the state government. Corruption has emerged as the third most pressing issue in the poll-bound state, after unemployment and infrastructure.

According to the ABP-CVoter survey, 50.5 per cent of the respondents rated the performance of the BJP government as 'poor'. In contrast, just 27.7 per cent rated it as 'good' with another 21.8 per cent rating the performance as 'average'.

ABP-CVoter had conducted a similar opinion poll in Gujarat in late 2022 before the Assembly elections, wherein about 42 per cent of the voters had rated the performance of the BJP government as 'good' while 32 per cent had rated it as 'bad'.

Even in Himachal Pradesh, where the BJP lost narrowly to the Congress to go out of power, 38.6 per cent of the potential voters had rated the state government's performance as 'good' with 36.4 per cent rating it as 'poor'.

The exclusive ABP-CVoter survey interacted with around 25,000 respondents in Karnataka across demographics, age groups and identities.

The survey throws up more bad news for the BJP. When it comes to the Chief Minister, as many as 46.9 per cent of the potential voters rated the performance of incumbent CM Basavraj Bommai as 'poor', while just 26.8 per cent rated his performance as 'good'.

In the same survey, a considerably higher proportion (39.1 per cent) singled out Congress leader Siddaramaiah as their preferred choice to be the next CM, while 31.1 per cent opted for Bommai.

Anti-incumbency against the BJP government seems to have the least impact over perceptions about Prime Minister Narendra Modi. According to the survey, 47.4 per cent of the respondents rated the performance of Modi as 'good', while 33.8 per cent rated it as 'poor'.

The strong anti-incumbency sentiments tally with the ABP-CVoter projection that gives the Congress between 115 and 127 seats, a comfortable majority in the 224-member Karnataka Assembly, which goes to the polls on May 10.

--IANS
san/arm

Kolkata, March 24 (IANS) Enforcement Directorate (ED) sleuths have summoned the inspector-in-charge of Suri Police station in West Bengal's Birbhum district to the agency's head office in New Delhi in connection to its ongoing probe on the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam.

Sources said that Sk Mohammad Ali has been asked to be present on Saturday with all his bank documents.

Previously, Ali had been questioned by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) which is conducting a parallel probe in the multi-crore scam.

Sources said crucial documents have been sourced by ED sleuths which revealed hefty amounts were transferred in phases to bank accounts of some individuals who were mainly coordinating the legal affairs of Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal, who is currently in judicial custody in Delhi's Tihar jail for his alleged involvement in the scam.

So far, Ali has not commented on the development.

On Thursday, the ED had summoned Kripamoy Nandi, the superintendent of Asansol Special Correctional Home in West Burdwan district, to the agency's headquarters in New Delhi on April 5.

Mondal was housed at the Correctional Home since his arrest in August 2022 till the time he was taken to the national capital by ED sleuths earlier this month

--IANS
src/ksk/

Bengaluru, March 24 (IANS) Union Home Minister Amit Shah's warm gesture to B.Y. Vijayendra, son of former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa, during the breakfast meeting on Friday has raised a debate in the state political circles.

Shah, who arrived in Karnataka, visited BJP Central Parliamentary Board Member Yediyurappa's residence and had breakfast. Yediyurappa and Vijayendra stood at the entrance to welcome the Union Home Minister with a bouquet.

In a significant gesture, Shah after getting down from the vehicle, asked Yediyurappa to pass on the bouquet to his son Vijayendra. "Yediyurappa Ji aap bouquet iss ko de do (give bouquet to him)," said Shah.

Later, Yediyurappa passed on the bouquet to his son, who presented it to Shah, and was patted on his shoulders. Along with Yediyurappa's daughters, Vijayendra served breakfast to Shah and the photos have gone viral on social media.

Talking to the media, Vijayendra stated that he was delighted when Amit Shah arrived at their residence.

"The leaders discussed the political situation in the state. In the next elections, there won't be any chance for a hung Assembly. It has been discussed to communicate the state and central government programmes to the people. There was no other discussion between leaders other than politics," he said.

When asked about his possible contest in the Varuna constituency against Opposition leader Siddaramaiah, Vijayendra stated the decision has been left to the central leadership. "I have toured Shikaripura constituency once. I am taking another round of tour there," he said. Shikaripura constituency is presently represented by his father Yediyurappa.

Shah's visit is being analyzed as a message to the BJP leaders, who are openly expressing their reservations on high command giving prominence to Yediyurappa.

BJP National General Secretary C.T. Ravi had objected to Yediyurappa's statement of allocating a party ticket to his son B.Y. Vijayendra.

Ravi has stated that the party will not allow the kitchen cabinet to function. Yediyurappa had to take back his statement. Vijayendra had made an open statement that no one should take Yediyurappa's silence as weakness and they will repent. "Does anyone have the strength to assure a majority in elections for the party?" Vijayendra had asked.

Minister for Housing V. Somanna also had a tiff with Vijayendra, and stated that "he is just a son of Yediyurappa and many people like him are around him".

Amid the growing differences, Amit Shah had to intervene and resolve the matter.

Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, state in-charge Arun Singh, state President Nalin Kumar Kateel were also present at Yediyurappa's residence.

--IANS
mka/dpb

Patna, March 24 (IANS) A 55-year-old city-based trader became a victim of cybercrime and was left poorer by Rs 5 lakh after he was duped on the pretext of having a date with a woman.

The incident came to light on Thursday evening when the victim reached the Kotwali police station in Patna and lodged a complaint against unknown persons.

Initially, the complainant claimed that he had won the lottery. The caller asked him to come to a particular hotel to collect the 'prize'. When he reached there on Wednesday evening, the accused took him at gunpoint and forcibly snatched his ATM card and transferred Rs 5 lakh from his account.

When the police officials pressed for more details, the victim revealed the original story.

"The complainant claimed that he was hiding the actual incident as it was embarrassing for him since it could ruin his image in family and society," said Sanjit Kumar, SHO of the Kotwali police station.

"We have registered an FIR under relevant sections of the IT Act as well as IPC sections against unknown persons and the investigation is underway," Kumar said.

The victim is a prominent pharmaceutical trader of Patna.

--IANS
ajk/dpb

Chennai, March 23 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Thursday asserted that the government would take stringent action against those involved in the honour killing of a youth in Krishnagiri.

Stalin was responding to the calling attention motion by the leader of opposition Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) in the state Legislative Assembly.

The Chief Minister, in his reply, said, "Twenty-six-year-old Jagan was hacked to death in broad daylight by his father-in-law and three accomplices on Tuesday." Three persons, including Shankar, who is the AIADMK branch secretary of the area, were involved in the murder. Tamil Nadu has been a land of social justice and apart from politics, everybody should come together to maintain social harmony, he added.

His statement branding the first accused as an AIADMK leader led to the opposition strongly protesting it.

Notably, Jagan had married Saranya (21) a month before against the wishes of the girl's family. On March 21, the woman's father Shankar and his accomplices intercepted Jagan while he was on his way to work on a two-wheeler and hacked him to death.

After the crime, Shankar surrendered before the Mahila court, Krishnagiri district even as the Kaveripattanam police registered a case and conducted investigation.

He was lodged in Salem Central Prison. However, his other accomplices are at large.

The family members of Jagan attacked the residence of Shankar and ransacked it on Tuesday night and a heavy police protection was given to the residence of Shankar fearing further law and order problems.

The opposition had slammed the killing of the youth and Edappadi K. Palaniswami (EPS) said that the state was into the path of violence and added that Tamil Nadu under the DMK regime has become a field of murders.

--IANS
aal/shb/

Chennai, March 23 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Assembly passed the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Online Gambling and Regulation of Online games bill" for the second time on Thursday.

The bill was passed unanimously in the House.

It was cleared again after Tamil Nadu Governor R.N. Ravi had returned it on March 8 asking the state government to furnish additional information with certain changes.

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin, while reintroducing the bill in the Assembly for the second time, said that several people have lost their lives due to online gambling. He said, "I am standing here with a heavy heart. Fourty one people lost their lives due to online gambling in Tamil Nadu."

Some of the people who had committed suicide had left a note behind asking the government to ban online games, Stalin said.

He called upon the legislators to pass the bill unanimously not just with the mind but also with the hearts.

The bill, the chief minister said, would be again resent to the Governor for his consideration.

"We might have differences of opinion in ideologies and politics, but no one with a heart can have a difference of opinion over gambling that kills people," he said, adding that the state government had the right to discipline and protect people residing under its jurisdiction.

Some of the DMK legislators also pointed out on the Governor's meeting with the representatives of the E- Gaming Federation (EGF) in December 2022, when the state government was awaiting his assent on the bill against online games.

--IANS
aal/shb/

Kolkata, March 23 (IANS) Kripamoy Nandi, the superintendent of Asansol Special Correctional Home in West Bengal's West Burdwan district has been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to New Delhi for questioning.

The correctional home housed Trinamool Congress strongman Anubrata Mondal before he was taken to New Delhi this month in connection with the multi-crore cattle smuggling scam,

The central agency sleuths sent an email communique to Nandi late Wednesday night on this count. ED sources said that Nandi has been asked to be present at the central agency's headquarter at New Delhi on April 5.

Nandi has acknowledged to the media persons of receiving the summons from the central agency. He said that he will be informing his higher authorities and act according to instructions passed down to him.

Since Anubrata Mondal, also the Trinamool Congress's Birbhum district president, was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in August last year in connection to the cattle smuggling scam, the Asansol Special Correctional Home became his shelter. His matters were being heard at the special CBI court in the same coal-belt city in West Burdwan district till ED sleuths took him to New Delhi for questioning. He was questioned within this correctional home premises a number of times by the sleuths of both the CBI and ED.

In fact, for quite some time the same correctional home housed Sehgal Hossain, the bodyguard of Mondal, before he was also taken to New Delhi by the ED. Hossain is currently housed at Tihar Jail in New Delhi like Mondal.

--IANS
src/dpb

Chennai, March 23 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu police and the fire department of the state will be conducting inspection at all the firecracker units of Virudhunagar, Pudukottai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Tirunelveli districts of the state to ensure that the units are not functioning after 9 a.m.

The fire department had already issued an advisory that the fire units must not function after 9 a.m. in the morning and later commence work only after 4 p.m. when there is a respite in the heat. The move is to prevent any explosion due to excessive heat during summer period.

The district police superintendents and the head of the fire and rescue units of the respective districts will be coordinating the inspection being conducted at all the units.

The government's move comes after 11 people were killed in an explosion at a firecracker unit in Kancheepuram on Wednesday.

The fire and rescue department officials said that the explosion took place during the afternoon and this was a total violation of the directives of the government. The owner of the factory Narendran was arrested.

The hub of the firecracker industry of the country is Sivakasi in Virudhunagar district which alone accounts for an annual turnover of Rs 6,000 crore. While all the other districts of Tamil Nadu may have a business of around Rs 1,500 crore per annum, the total turnover from the industry in the state is nearly Rs 7,500 crore and employs a large number of workers.

--IANS
aal/svn/

Farrukhabad, March 23 (IANS) The headmaster of a primary school at a village in Uttar Pradesh's Farrukhabad district has been booked for allegedly molesting and physically assaulting girl students of the school after turning up drunk for duty.

The headmaster allegedly came to school drunk and molested girl students on Tuesday.

The Basic Shiksha Adhikari (BSA) has suspended the headmaster and a departmental inquiry has been initiated against him.

Station house officer (SHO) Sant Kumar Patel said, "Police teams have been sent to arrest the 40-year-old headmaster, who is absconding. A case under section 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code and under the POCSO Act has been registered at Amritpur police station after the parents of the victims filed a complaint."

The SHO added, "All the victims are being produced before the magistrate to record their statements, following which further action will be taken against the accused."

Meanwhile, after news about the incident spread, angry villagers approached block education officer Anoop Singh and complained about the matter. Some villagers also informed senior officials in the district administration.

According to police, last year in August, the accused headmaster was found half naked in an inebriated condition in the school. He created a ruckus following which he was suspended. On January 20, this year, the BSA reinstated him.

--IANS
amita/svn/

Shamli (UP), March 23 (IANS) A 40-year-old man has been booked for allegedly raping a 13-year-old mentally challenged girl in a village here.

The incident came to light after the girl was found to be pregnant. She had been repeatedly complaining of stomach pain, after which her parents took her to a doctor who confirmed that she was three months pregnant.

The family members alleged that a man, who lives in their neighbourhood, raped the minor and absconded after being exposed.

Shamli SP Abhishek said that an FIR has been registered against the accused under relevant sections based on a complaint filed by the victim's mother. He is presently absconding.

Meanwhile, the girl's family alleged delay in filing the case by the police.

"We were requesting the police station for about a week for action, but to no avail. When we took our complaint to the district-level cops, only then the case was registered," the parents said.

--IANS
amita/shb/