
Have nothing to say: Kerala LoP Satheesan on Vellappally's derogatory remark
Satheesan said he had just pointed out the fact that Vellappally's statements were against the philosophy of Sree Narayana Guru. Earlier in the day, Vellappally had come down heavily against Satheesan for 'nursing chief ministerial ambition.' Vellappally also said that Satheesan is 'keeping an anti-Ezhava stance.'
'My voters knew better than anyone else. In my constituency, about 52% of voters are from the Ezhava community. What did I say against the Ezhava community? I like Guru and believe in his philosophy. I will oppose anyone who is making such communal statements,' he said. He also downplayed the social media campaigns comparing the last journeys of former CMs Oommen Chandy and V S Achuthanandan.
'The vehicle which carried the body of Oommen Chandy travelled to Kottayam through MC Road and the funeral procession of VS travelled through MG Road and his body was cremated in Alappuzha. People liked these two leaders. The government arrested persons who made derogatory remarks against VS from their houses. However, the police did not act against those who denounced Oommen Chandy,' he added. Satheesan also alleged that there were widespread irregularities in the voters list published by the State Election Commission.
'The names of many people who had voted in the last election were omitted. However, the names of those who died three or four years ago are included in the list. It is wrong to set the deadline to include names in the voters list as 15 days. The delimitation has been completed in violation of HC's instructions. If the commission did not take action to review the list, the UDF will take legal recourse,' he said.
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Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Logjam over SIR: Rijiju says House can't discuss EC's functioning, Congress counters
Parliament saw little legislative business Wednesday as the Opposition attempted to bring up the SIR in Bihar and the government said rules and precedent do not allow for a debate on the Election Commission, which is conducting the exercise. Lok Sabha was adjourned within minutes of its proceedings getting underway. Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned until 2 pm soon after it commenced. The RS was later adjourned for the day after the passing of the Carriage of Goods by Sea Bill by voice vote. Opposition parties have repeatedly sought a discussion during this Parliament session on the SIR exercise. Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju, during the second half of LS, told the Opposition that the government is 'very open to take up for discussion any matter'. 'On the issue of SIR which they are disturbing the House (on) from day one, we all know the matter is under the consideration of the Supreme Court and is sub-judice. Under Rule 186 (8), any matter can be discussed in the House only if it does not relate to a matter which is under adjudication by a court of law…' he said. In the past, he said, it had been clearly established in LS that matters 'falling under the domain of the Election Commission cannot be discussed'. 'The House cannot have a discussion on the working of an autonomous body like the Election Commission. Do you want to break the rules established by this House? Do you want to throw out the provisions of the Constitution of India?' he said. Deputy Leader of Congress in LS Gaurav Gogoi said: 'Just to jog the memory of the BJP-led NDA government — Parliament has a long history of discussing electoral reforms and functioning of the EC… There is ample precedent,' he said, citing debates in 1961, 1981 and 1991, among others. Congress MP Manish Tewari said the Rijiju was 'absolutely wrong' and that the House had 'discussed many times' in the past the 'conduct of the Election Commission'. In RS, after ministers laid papers on the table of the House, and an obituary was read out for former J&K governor Satya Pal Malik, Deputy Chairman Harivansh said he would not admit 35 notices received under Rule 267. MPs can seek discussions on urgent matters under Rule 267. '…none of these notices are in adherence to the rules as enunciated in the past…' Harivansh said, sparking protests. Harivansh appealed to members to let the House function during Zero Hour. With the MPs not relenting, the Deputy Chairman adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm. After the House reconvened, members of the Opposition tried to raise a point of order. Bhubaneswar Kalita, who was then chairing Rajya Sabha, said he would allow a point of order only when there was order in the House. He asked all the members to return to their seats. Leader of Opposition in RS Mallikarjun Kharge said: 'When members from this side raise a point of order then you say that the House is not in order. There, they are giving speeches. And, you are allowing them. This is unfair, untenable…' To this, the leader of House J P Nadda said: 'Sir, those who create disorder in the House have no right to raise point of order. If you are so interested, obey the rules accordingly, otherwise the Chair's direction is final.' When Opposition MPs were called to speak on the Bill, they either did not go back to their seats and forfeited their chance, or tried to raise SIR issue. Kalita said nothing would go on record and moved to the next speaker.


Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Top-secret letters by telecom providers blew lid off ‘illegal surveillance' during BRS regime
On December 6, 2023, a routine letter from a telecom service provider reached Telangana's Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) office in Hyderabad. Called a reconciliation letter in official parlance, it was marked 'top secret' and addressed to the then DIG of SIB. Just three days earlier, a new government had stormed to power in the state, with the Congress led by Revanth Reddy ousting K Chandrashekar Rao's BRS. The letter asked whether the service provider, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, should continue legal interception or surveillance of a set of phone numbers. According to the letter, the numbers, included as an attachment, were under legal interception from November 16 to November 30, 2023 — the fortnight leading up to Assembly elections. Reconciliation letters are sent when the 15-day window of legal surveillance — or surveillance done in the interest of the state — expires and service providers need re-authorisation for another 15 days. This letter, and similar reconciliation letters for the same number of days sent by well-known private and public service providers to the SIB office, form the foundation of Telangana's case against five top police and intelligence officers and a TV channel operator, who are accused of indulging in the illegal surveillance of 600 individuals — using the state's anti-Naxal surveillance mechanisms — to benefit the BRS, The Indian Express has learnt. Those allegedly snooped on included politicians, party workers, bureaucrats, businessmen, a sitting High Court judge, as well as their spouses, drivers and even childhood friends, according to a perusal of official documents and detailed conversations with investigators. A chargesheet in the case was filed on June 8, 2024. According to investigators familiar with the probe and the chargesheet, the surveillance was carried out 'to ensure BRS's victory in the (Assembly) elections by monitoring potential political leaders of opponent parties as well as rebels in the BRS'. The reconciliation letter dated December 6, 2023, read, 'This is to inform you that during the above-mentioned period, we have received the request letters from legal interception of Mobile/IMEI/ILD numbers as per the attached details: Kindly confirm the authenticity of the said letters.' The telecom provider, Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited, did not respond to queries from The Indian Express. While the mandate of the SIB, which was set up in 1990, is to track and prevent the activities of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), 'at least 600 numbers were found to be unrelated to Left Wing Extremism or the CPI (Maoist)', highly placed sources said. 'When probe agencies investigated further, they were found to be the numbers of politicians, bureaucrats, political party workers, businessmen and others from different walks of life,' a highly placed source said. The accused The accused in the case are former SIB chief and IPS officer T Prabhakar Rao, Deputy Superintendent of Police D Praneeth Rao, Additional Superintendents of Police M Thirupathanna and N Bhujanga Rao, former Superintendent of Police P Radhakishan Rao, and a TV channel owner, A Shravan Kumar Rao. While the Supreme Court had given Prabhakar Rao protection from arrest until August 5, Praneeth Rao, Thirupathanna, Bhujanga Rao and Radhakishan Rao were arrested and are out on bail. A Shravan Kumar Rao is lodged in a Central prison in Hyderabad in connection with a different case. The BRS, which was earlier called Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), was in power in the newly formed state of Telangana for 10 years starting 2014. BRS leader and two-time Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao also held the state intelligence portfolio. It was when the BRS lost elections to the Congress on December 3, 2023, that the case against the six blew open. On December 4, a day after the election results were announced, SIB chief Prabhakar Rao resigned from his official post. The very same day, allegedly on his instructions, Praneeth Rao and others destroyed 62 hard disks from the SIB office in an attempt to destroy evidence, investigators said. According to investigators, in the destroyed and formatted electronic devices, some of which were recovered from the Musi river in Hyderabad, were 'political profiles of BRS opponents generated through intelligence gathered illegally using SIB's resources or the state's resources'. Under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885, surveillance in the interest of public safety, in case of a public emergency or in cases of incitement against the state is allowed with due authorisation. According to investigators, in this case, the designated authority for authorisation was Prabhakar Rao, and the review committee comprising the Chief Secretary, Secretary of the General Administration Department and the Law Secretary followed his lead. The allegations of illegal phone tapping first surfaced on March 10, 2024, when an Additional Superintendent of Police of the SIB lodged a complaint at Hyderabad's Punjagutta police station, accusing DSP Praneeth Rao of using illegal means to gather intelligence and then destroying the evidence. It was this complaint that would eventually prompt investigators to revisit the letters sent by telecom service providers with the list of those who were allegedly surveilled. According to officials, the charges against the accused include criminal conspiracy, public servants misusing their official position, causing disappearance of evidence, cyber terrorism, unauthorised and illegal surveillance and monitoring of phones, etc of targeted political leaders, their staff, family members, businessmen and their employees and bureaucrats. The counter The Indian Express reached out to all six accused in the case. Mohith Rao, advocate of M Thirupathanna, said, 'The Hyderabad police's contention that phones were intercepted and listened to is wrong. All that was obtained were legal CDRs of people linked to LWE. Also, A-1's (Prabhakar Rao's) subordinates were merely following legal orders passed to them by him.' Aakriti Jain, advocate on record for Prabhakar Rao, said that her client 'stands by the arguments in the Special Leave Petition filed in the Supreme Court'. As per this petition, he is a decorated police officer who, as SIB chief, did not indulge in illegal surveillance. On the alleged destruction of evidence, the petition read, 'The incident cannot be attributed to the petitioner, who had already vacated office hours earlier.' According to the petition, Prabhakar Rao left the SIB office at 4 pm after tendering his resignation on December 4. When contacted, Dasouju Sravan Kumar, a BRS MLC and spokesperson, said, 'Governments indulge in legal surveillance to check anti-social elements, including extremists, that too as per the law. The question of illegal surveillance or targeting of political leaders or others does not arise without the sanction of the apex committee comprising the Chief Secretary, the Home Secretary and the DGP. Unfortunately, the Hyderabad police, at the behest of the current Chief Minister, are on a futile fishing expedition which will not yield any results. They are trying to tarnish the image of the BRS leadership in the name of an investigation through an untenable and illegal SIT.'


Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Approve BC quota bills or face ‘political tsunami' in 2029, Revanth warns Modi
Hyderabad: Chief minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday launched a blistering attack against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, accusing the Centre of deliberately stalling the approval of Telangana's 42% Backward Classes (BC) reservation bills. He warned that Telangana's BC empowerment model of a caste survey and a bold quota expansion would turn into a political tsunami and "wash away the Modi-led BJP into the Bay of Bengal." Revanth's remarks came during a high-profile dharna—dubbed 'BC Poru Bata'—held at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, which saw participation from a wide spectrum of INDIA bloc leaders, Congress ministers, MPs, MLCs, MLAs, and prominent BC leaders. While Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi were not present as they had gone to attend JMM leader Shibu Soren's funeral on Tuesday night, they deputed senior party leaders and MPs to show solidarity with what Revanth described as a 'historic movement' for BC justice. In a fiery speech, Revanth declared, "If PM Modi wants to remain in office, he must ensure the approval of the two BC reservation bills. Telangana's BC community is prepared to sacrifice everything for this cause. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Best-Selling Luxury Watches – Selling Out Fast Luxury Watches Buy Now Undo If Modi fails, the OBCs will bring down his govt and make Rahul Gandhi the next prime minister." You Can Also Check: Hyderabad AQI | Weather in Hyderabad | Bank Holidays in Hyderabad | Public Holidays in Hyderabad He went on to warn, "Don't force us to return to Delhi again in such numbers. Next time, we will confront you in Telangana. Either sign the blls while you are still PM or watch us implement them after Rahul Gandhi takes charge. You have delayed them for four months. That's why we are here—not in Hyderabad—to expose your 'anti-BC' stand on a national stage. We are vowing from Jantar Mantar on behalf of four crore people of Telangana that we will bring down Modi govt in 2029. " Revanth also questioned the rationale behind the Centre's objection to the state-specific legislation. "We are not asking for a piece of land in Gujarat or its ports. We're only demanding the right to implement 42% reservations in Telangana—for our people, in our state. Who gave you the authority to crush this mandate?" He dubbed Modi the "biggest enemy of the BCs" and didn't spare state BJP leaders either, calling out Union ministers G Kishan Reddy and Bandi Sanjay, and Telangana BJP chief N Ramchander Rao for their silence. "With what face will you go to BC voters now? You didn't even join this dharna. Have you aligned with Modi to block BC empowerment?" he asked. Revanth also targeted the BRS for its past decisions, blaming former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao for capping overall reservations at 50% under the Panchayat Raj Act, 2018. "We've moved an ordinance to scrap that cap. It's now pending with the President," he said. Taking a swipe at the BJP's 2029 ambitions, Revanth responded to party MP Nishikant Dubey's comments that Modi will again be the PM face. "Let Modi contest 2029 if he dares. Rahul Gandhi-led INDIA bloc will defeat him decisively, and the BJP won't cross 100 seats," he predicted. He invoked Rahul Gandhi's slogan 'Jitni hissedari, utni bhagedari' (proportional representation for social justice), warning political consequences for those who defy it. "No matter how powerful, if anyone opposes Rahul Gandhi's vision, Telangana will mark the political death of their career," the CM asserted. Revanth insisted that the BJP's continued delay is a deliberate attempt to suppress BC aspirations. "The BC quota bills are pending with the President for the last four months. If we don't get an appointment with her tomorrow (Thursday), it will confirm BJP's 'anti-BC' bias," he said. Calling himself as a 'crusader for social justice,' Revanth added, "Over 300 chief ministers have led different states in India, but I am proud to be the one who conducted a caste survey and passed 42% BC reservations. I thank my cabinet colleagues and Rahul Gandhi for their unwavering support."