Regional

Chennai, May 9 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which is conducting raids at several places in Tamil Nadu on Tuesday, has detained five people.

According to sources in the premium investigating agency, the detained people were supporting a banned terrorist organisation.

Details of those detained are not available as the raids were still being conducted. However, former Madurai region president of the Popular Front of India (PFI) Mohammed Qasier is one among those detained.

Sources in the NIA told IANS that the searches are a follow-up of the September 2022 searches and raids in various offices and residences of the Islamist organisation PFI which was subsequently banned in the country.

Around 100 senior leaders of the PFI are still in judicial custody.

According to sources, the raids are being conducted due to some tip-offs on certain persons funding the former PFI activists. The agency is conducting raids to get information on the money trail.

--IANS
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Hyderabad, May 9 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh police have arrested five persons in Hyderabad for alleged links with a radical group.

Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) of Madhya Pradesh police arrested the suspects on Tuesday, a day after it picked up 11 alleged members of the same group in Bhopal.

The arrests were made by the ATS in coordination with the Hyderabad police. The police reportedly seized jihadi literature, knives and airguns from those arrested.

The five men arrested in Hyderabad are suspected to have links with those held in Madhya Pradesh. They were shifted to Bhopal for investigation.

Further details like the name of the radical group and the names of those arrested are awaited.

--IANS
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Chennai, May 9 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister, M.K. Stalin will visit Japan on May 23 to seek more investments in the state.

He said that he would be inviting Japanese companies for the investment meet to be held in Tamil Nadu in January 2024.

Stalin was speaking to reporters on Tuesday after laying the foundation stone for Japanese major Mitsubishi's new AC plant in Chennai.

He added that his trip to Japan will strengthen India-Japan friendship.

Tamil Nadu Industries Minister, Thangam Thenarasu; Kazhuhiko Tamura, MD Mitsubishi Electric India; Yasumichi Tazunoki, Group President Mitsubishi and Consul General of Japan in Chennai, Masayuki Taga were present during the event.

The Chief Minister had undertaken only one foreign tour after he assumed office on May 7, 2021.

The trip was to Dubai, UAE, and had garnered an investment of Rs 6,000 crore to the state.

--IANS
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Satara, May 9 (IANS) Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar has said that he doesn't read or give much credence to what is written in the 'Saamana' Group of newspapers of the ally Shiv Sena (UBT), here on Tuesday.

Referring to a passing remark in the 'Saamana' and 'Dopahar Ka Saamana' on Monday that Pawar had failed to create a succession line in the NCP, Pawar countered by saying, "they do not know what we are doing in our party".

"What we decide in our party is our internal matter... Our colleagues know how our party will move forward and we are satisfied with what we are achieving. They (Saamana Group) have a right to write and criticise, we don't consider it important from our viewpoint," declared Pawar in a direct snub at Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut.

He made it clear that in the NCP, his colleagues say many things, express different opinions and debate, but they don't go out and publicise it as these are internal issues.

"All my colleagues are clear that tomorrow a new leadership will be ready in this party...In 1999, when we came to power with the Congress, the NCP had many new names in the cabinet like Jayant Patil, Ajit Pawar, Dilip Valse-Patil, or R.R. Patil, who was a first-timer. They proved themselves," asserted the NCP supremo.

Pawar also slammed Bharatiya Janata Party's Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Congress' former Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan's recent comments on the NCP.

To Fadnavis's plea asking the voters in Karnataka to 'send the NCP parcel' back to Maharashtra, Pawar dismissively said that Fadnavis knows how to play word games without doing any work.

On Chavan's allegation that 'NCP is the BJP Team B in Karnataka', Pawar hit back at the ally, asking what was his standing in the Congress, whether it is A, B, C, his colleagues would reveal in private.

Dwelling on the tricky issue of seat-sharing talks for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in the Maha Vikas Aghadi, Pawar said that he will soon meet former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray and state Congress chief Nana Patole in the matter and it was necessary to rope in the PWP and the Left parties in it.

"There may be differing opinions, but that doesn't mean we have any misunderstandings," referring to the dark murmurs in political circles on the MVA's purported squabbles on many issues.

Pawar paid homage to the late educationist, Padma Bhushan Karmaveer Bhaurao Patil (1887-1959) on his 64th death anniversary earlier in the day at his memorial, and later addressed a meeting of students and teachers of the Rayat Education Society founded by him in 1919, which has now grown to over 700 educational institutions serving the poor in the state.

--IANS
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Jaipur, May 9 (IANS) Former deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot on Tuesday said that Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot's leader was not Sonia Gandhi but BJP's Vasundhara Raje.

"This fact has become clear from the speech of the Chief Minister, which he delivered the day before yesterday in Dholpur," he said.

Pilot raised questions on Gehlot's statement "that praised BJP leaders, but tarnished the image of the party's own MPs and MLAs".

On Sunday, Gehlot said that former CM Vasundhara Raje and two BJP leaders, namely Kailash Meghwal and Shobharani Kushwaha, helped him in saving his government.

Speaking on Gehlot's statement, Pilot said, "Gehlot should explain why there are two faces to his statement. If he says that BJP was trying to topple the government and on the other side, he says that Raje was trying to save his government, then what does he want to say."

Pilot was holding a press conference on Tuesday at his residence.

He said that he wondered why no action was taken against alleged corruption under Raje's tenure. He said that after Gehlot's Dholpur address, it has become clear why action was not taken against such corrupt deeds.

Pilot said, "For the first time, I am seeing that someone is criticizing his own party's MPs and MLAs. The praise of BJP leaders and the insult of Congress leaders is beyond my understanding. This is completely wrong.

"From the words of the Chief Minister, it seems that their leader is Vasundhara Raje, not Sonia Gandhi," he said.

Surprisingly, Pilot has called a press conference when Rahul Gandhi has reached Mount Abu to attend Congress's Sarvodayi training camp.

Pilot said, "We had gone to Delhi and shared our concerns with the high command. Also, I wrote letters for several months on the issue of corruption in Vasundharaji's regime. I also staged a one-day fast. But no action was taken on any of our demands. I understand why action was not taken. Now I am hopeless. The public is God. Everyone will have to bow down before the public. So will take out a march (Jan Sangharsh Yatra) from Ajmer to Jaipur on May 11 against corruption. This will be a 125 km long journey and it will take five days.

"We will go to people and will raise issues related to youths' issues which includes the paper leak. The RPSC officials' role was found in the paper leak case. Its headquarter is in Ajmer. Hence Ajmer has been chosen for the yatra..

"This yatra is not against any one, but is against corruption. We will try to become people's voice via this yatra," he added.

He also said, "Charges of treason were levelled against us, but thereafter, a committee was formed under the leadership of Ahmed Patel, and a roadmap was drawn later. Thereafter, we all worked to strengthen Congress. I was called corona, 'gaddar (traitor)' and 'nikamma (useless)' but we continued working to strengthen the party."

Answering a query on Gehlot's allegations that some MLAs were lured by giving Rs 10 crore to Rs 20 crore, he said, "I have been hearing such allegations since last three years, if they want to take action, should take it, why there is delay in taking action," he questioned.

"Some people are trying to weaken Congress, but we will not let them become successful in their attempt," he added.

On Sunday, Gehlot accused the MLAs of Pilot Camp in Dholpur of taking Rs 10 to 20 crore bribe during a political crisis. Gehlot also advised the MLAs to return Amit Shah's money.

Sachin Pilot is continuously raising the issue of no action being taken against the corruption during BJP rule.

Pilot again raised the issue of corruption in the meeting organised on the occasion of the inauguration of a hostel built in the memory of the son of Minister Hemaram Chaudhary in Barmer. Pilot said that raising the issue of corruption under the BJP rule made many people upset, but he did not care. "I will keep raising my voice against corruption," he said,

The very next day, in Rajakhera of Dholpur, CM Gehlot accused the Pilot camp of taking money from Amit Shah. Now the war of words between the two leaders has intensified on this issue.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, May 8 (IANS) On the last day of campaigning for the May 10 Karnataka Assembly elections, Congress' Karnataka unit president D.K. Shivakumar on Monday appealed to the voters to give him an opportunity to become the Chief Minister of the state.

Addressing a massive rally in Ramanagara, Shivakumar said: "You have given a chance to H.D. Kumaraswamy who won here to become the CM. Now, you have to give an opportunity to Shivakumar as well.

"You have made Kengal Hanumantaiah as the CM, you made Deve Gowda as CM (former PM H.D. Deve Gowda), you made Ramakrishna Hegde as CM (late Karnataka CM). Now, can't your son from this soil become CM?" he wondered while addressing the people.

"Nikhil Kumaraswamy (contesting from Ramanagara seat and son of H.D. Kumaraswamy) is a young man. He has the opportunity to win from here in future. I am an aged person. If you want me to become the CM, the Congress should win here. Our candidate Iqbal Hussain must win here," Shivakumar appealed to the people.

Currently, the Ramanagara seat is held by H.D. Kumaraswamy's wife Anita Kumaraswamy. Her son Nikhil Kumaraswamy is contesting as JD-S candidate now.

--IANS
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Bengaluru, May 8 (IANS) In run up for the crucial Karnataka Assembly polls, the Congress campaigned aggressively in the southern state with party chief Mallikarjun Kharge, party leaders Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra holding 85 public meetings and road shows.

Kharge, who was elected as the party President last year, camped in Karnataka, his home state, from April 15 onwards and addressed 36 public meetings, including one with former party chief Sonia Gandhi in Hubballi.

Kharge, 81, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, addressed four press conferences in the state ahead of the polling in the state.

Meanwhile, former party chief Rahul Gandhi, who was disqualified as a Lok Sabha in March this year following conviction in the defamation case by a Gujarat court, also addressed 23 public meetings and road shows in the state and highlighted the alleged corruption under the BJP government in the southern state.

He kicked off his Karnataka campaigning from Kolar, where he made the Modi surname remark on April 13, 2019 while campaigning for party candidate and former Union minister K.H. Muniyappa, who eventually lost to BJP candidate S. Muniswamy as the BJP won 25 of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka.

Besides Rahul Gandhi, his sister and party General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi too addressed 26 public meetings and road shows in the state and targeted the ruling BJP government at the centre and in the state.

During her campaigning she also slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi on several occasions by highlighting the alleged corruption in the state. According to party leaders, the Congress' five guarantees announced in its manifesto were also highlighted by all the leaders in the state. The Congress has announced Gruha Jyothi (200 units of free electricity), Gruha Lakshmi Rs 2,000 monthly to every woman head of the family, Anna Bhagya-10 kg of food grains of their choice (among rice, ragi, jowar, millet) to every person in a BPL family, and free travel to all women in regular Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation and Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation buses.

Polling for the 224 member assembly is scheduled on May 10 and counting of votes will take place on May 13.

--IANS
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Hubbali, May 8 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi camping in Karnataka and addressing a gathering in Haveri has uplifted the spirits of the party cadres in north Karnataka. Coupled with this the organisational machinery of the BJP is functioning tirelessly and has almost completed four rounds of door-to-door campaigning.

In Hubbali, BJP candidate Mahesh Tenginkai, the party state general secretary and the blue-eyed boy of senior leader B.L. Santhosh, has been working hard to defeat the Congress candidate Jagadish Shettar whose exit from the BJP has become national news.

While Shettar has the support of the local people and their goodwill, being a six-term MLA and a former chief minister, the Hubbali seat is a stronghold of the BJP and the RSS. The arrival of the Prime Minister in the adjacent district of Haveri where he dwelt on the development measures undertaken by his government and a 'double engine' government in the state seems to have struck a chord with the voters.

M.R. Krishan Tulangi, a farmer in Hubbali while speaking to IANS said, "The Prime Minister has said that the government of India is purchasing urea at a cost of Rs 50 per kg and distributing it to farmers at Rs 5 per kg. This is a very important gesture on the part of the BJP government towards the farmers. This time I will vote for the BJP even though Jagadish Shettar is a good person and a winnable candidate."

In Gadag also there is support for the BJP candidates and most of those whom this correspondent spoke to said that even though the Karnataka BJP is not up to the mark and corruption allegations are there, the Prime Minister was doing good work for the country. To support him they have to vote for the BJP.

Basavaraj Pujar, a driver in Gadag told IANS, "The Prime Minister in his speech at Haveri said that our country is presently the fifth largest economy in the world and will soon become the third largest economy. This filled me with pride and I have decided to vote for the BJP."

In Belagavi, however, the presence of the Maharashtra Ekikaran Samithi (MES) which stands for the merger of the border districts of Karnataka with Maharashtra, is likely to play spoilsport to the prospects of the BJP in four seats.

In addition to the Prime Minister's roadshow and public programmes, the presence of grassroot RSS cadres is helping the BJP conduct door to door surveys, which the Congress is lacking.

Another factor is the presence of a large number of youths for campaigning for the BJP while the Congress has middle aged people in its campaign team.

With only two days left for the elections and with the campaigning ended today, the BJP and the Congress are in an all out mode to garner the maximum votes.

--IANS
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Panaji, May 8 (IANS) With a view to draw the attention of the government and spread awareness about the protection of the Mhadei river, vigilant environmentalists have decided to form a seven kilometre long human prayer chain on May 20 along the banks of the Mandovi river.

This human prayer chain will extend from the end of Miramar Beach to the Santa Monica jetty in Panaji, a distance of seven kms.

The 'Earthivist Collective', in association with the 'Goa Heritage Action Group' (GHAG) and the 'Save Mhadei Save Goa Front' have come together for this chain.

Heta Pandit, historian and member of GHAG, said that this event will offer people from all over Goa an opportunity to come together and connect with the river, its history and its soul.

"We appeal to people to join us and show their support for this vital ecosystem," Heta Pandit said.

She said that nearly 7000 persons are expected to participate in the seven km-long human chain.

Goa and Karnataka are currently embroiled in a dispute over the Kalasa-Bhanduri dam project across the Mhadei river, being heard by a central tribunal.

--IANS
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Kochi, May 8 (IANS) A day after the boat accident that claimed the lives of 22 people at Tanur in Malappuram district, the Kerala police on Monday arrested Nasar, the owner of the ill-fated boat, Atlantic, from Kozhikode.

The incident occurred around 7.30 p.m. on Sunday night when the boat was approaching the jetty with over 40 passengers. It sank leaving 22 people dead.

Following this incident, Nasar was on the run and on Monday morning a police team intercepted his car and took him, his brother and a friend into custody from near here.

The police are understood to have tracked the vehicle as Nasar's phone was in the vehicle, while he was not there.

They were believed to be on their way to meet an advocate to seek legal assistance for Nasar.

Earlier in the day Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan who arrived at Tanur announced a judicial probe and asked for the formation of a special team to conduct the probe.

Meanwhile unconfirmed reports say that the boat did not have proper registration documents and fitness certification.

The boat pilot and his assistant managed to escape soon after the boat capsized and the police are also on the lookout for them.

--IANS
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