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The Print
a day ago
- General
- The Print
What's behind Telangana CM Revanth Reddy's new gau raksha focus & what the state plans to do
Reddy hails from a farmer's family in remote rural Telangana and in his younger days was associated with the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), aligning him briefly with the Sangh-Hindutva ideology. While the initiative, discussed at a meeting Saturday, is meant to improve livestock management and animal welfare, observers say the plan will appeal to Hindu voters. Hyderabad: Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has thrown his weight behind gau raksha with a series of cow protection measures planned, including the establishment of state-of-the-art cow shelters—a move analysts say has clear political undertones and is aimed at broadening the Congress leader's support base. 'The CM's administrative initiatives to protect cattle, probably a first from a Congress CM here, could help him reach out to Hindus who revere cows,' said R.V. Chandravadan, a retired bureaucrat, who is associated with the BJP. Chandravadan said the police crackdown and Director General of Police (DGP) Dr Jitender's firm tone last week—when he issued a stern warning to cow smugglers and those involved in illegal slaughter ahead of Bakrid—would 'not have come without the prod or nod of the political bosses'. The Telangana BJP welcomed Reddy's move, but said it was the result of its pressure on successive governments to protect cows and fully enforce the ban on their slaughter, especially in Hyderabad and other places with significant minority populations. 'We welcome it. If Revanth thinks it will aid him electorally, let him. But the public knows who actually stands and fights for gau raksha,' said N.V. Subhash, senior leader and state BJP chief spokesperson. According to sources, the chief minister's cow protection move was prompted by the recent deaths of bovines at the Vemulawada temple, the abode of Raja Rajeshwara Swamy, a form of Lord Shiva, where devotees offer kodelu (young bulls) as thanks for their fulfilled wishes. The chief minister called a meeting with the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) as well as animal husbandry and district officials Saturday, 'pained by the alarming and continuing deaths of young oxen at the Vemulawada temple'. In the past week, 23 young bulls have died and about 15 are in a serious condition, as vets struggle to prevent further loss of lives at the temple in Rajanna Sircilla district, represented by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president K.T. Rama Rao in the Telangana assembly. The temple, which is under the state government's control, has a 15-acre gau shala in the nearby Tippapur village, which officials say is vastly inadequate to house the 1,350 bulls crammed there. Its capacity is a maximum of 400 cattle. 'One can imagine the conditions there. Heat waves during the summer, and then heavy rains have recently caused waterlogging, breeding of mosquitoes, etc. The young, energetic bulls, who should run, jump and graze freely, are confined in one place with fodder dumped at some spots. It is a survival-of-the-fittest situation with tender ones coming under the hoofs of robust ones,' said Dr Ravinder Reddy, district veterinary and animal husbandry officer. 'The temple receives 5-10 young bulls daily. Some devotees, to cut the costs of their mokku (offering), leave 1-1.5-year calves here, which are too tender to thrive in such testing conditions.' While the temple usually gives away the donated uncastrated bulls to needy farmers, a local said that the distribution was halted last year after it was found that a large number of calves were handed to some individuals based on a minister's recommendation. They were found to be misused; some allegedly were sold later for slaughter. Vemulawada temple executive officer Vinod Reddy and district collector Sandeep Kumar Jha did not respond to ThePrint's calls and messages seeking their response. This report will be updated if and when they respond. Also read: Telangana's Miss World pageant in hot water as UK contestant leaves midway feeling 'exploited, paraded' Moving cows and bulls from overcrowded spaces A senior CMO official told ThePrint that the chief minister's plan is to shift all such cows and bulls from overcrowded spaces in Vemulawada and other gaushalas, as well as those roaming on streets, to the soon-to-be set up shelters 'in partnership with NGOs, temple committees, charitable organisations, etc'. In the first phase, the chief minister proposes to establish cow shelters within the premises of veterinary university campuses and allied colleges, agriculture university grounds and associated colleges as well as temple precincts in the state. Cows and young bulls seized from illegal smuggling and transportation are also expected to be sheltered in these safe houses. The slaughter of cows and productive age bulls is prohibited under various laws, including The Telangana Prohibition of Cow Slaughter and Animal Preservation Act, 1977. 'These state-of-the-art shelters will have modern sheds to shield the cattle from bad weather, proper medical facilities and, importantly, vast green pastures for natural grazing. The idea to have these centres in veterinary college campuses is based on the model of hospitals attached to medical colleges,' said the CMO official. The chief minister suggested that cow shelters be built on sprawling 50-acre lands with ample space for grazing and free roaming to avoid congestion. He asked officials to identify suitable lands in the state for the purpose. 'We plan to have four to five in four regions of the state, to begin with,' the official said. Following the chief minister's advice, a committee headed by Animal Husbandry Department Special Chief Secretary Sabyasachi Ghosh was formed earlier this week to prepare an approach paper for the establishment of cow shelters and an action plan with full budget estimates for the construction, management and upkeep of the new cow shelters. Plans for one such shelter are already drawn up, to be built at MK Palli village in the Moinabad mandal near Hyderabad. The CM had reviewed various designs for the MK Palli shelters and suggested some changes, while instructing officials to finalise them within a week. Police crackdown on cow smugglers Meanwhile, as Bakrid nears, Telangana police are cracking down on illegal transportation of cattle, especially cows. Police are conducting meetings of peace committees, cattle transporters and butchers across the state 'to enlighten them about the legal requirements and consequences of illegal activities'. 'Previous offenders were bound over to ensure that they do not engage in illegal activities. Religious leaders and community elders are requested to educate their communities about the legal and ethical aspects of animal sacrifice,' DGP Jitender said in a statement Friday. Authorities have set up round-the-clock interstate and inter-district check posts with veterinary doctors to prevent illegal transportation of cattle. Police pickets have been set up in sensitive areas and mobile patrolling has been intensified. Authorities have also set up cattle holding centres with proper facilities and veterinarians. Close watch is being kept on shanties where cattle are sold. 'Any person trying to disturb law and order would be dealt with as per law and appropriate sheets will be opened against them,' the police chief warned, at the same time cautioning cow protection vigilantes not to take the law into their hands. 'They have no authority to stop or check any vehicle. They may provide information, if any, to the local police station about the illegal transportation of animals. Such cattle and the vehicle would be seized and legal action taken on the persons involved.' (Edited by Sugita Katyal) Also read: Months after arrest in Pushpa 2 stampede case, Allu Arjun given Gaddar award by Revanth govt
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Maharashtra development juggernaut rolls on
Keshav Upadhye, a young, dynamic and prominent face, has been working with the Bharatiya Janata Party for over two decades. In 2014, the then state president Devendra Fadnavis had appointed Upadhye as the spokesperson in his team. Owing to his journalistic background and better understanding of the socio-economic issues of the state, Upadhye made a mark as a spokesperson in a short span. He articulates the views of the party and aggressively defends the party on various platforms including the Marathi and Hindi national news channels. Keshav Upadhye worked for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and after completing his degree in Journalism from Ranade Institute, Pune, he began his career as a journalist with daily Pudhari, Loksatta and Mumbai Tarun Bharat. Knowing the pulse of the news, he writes on varied topics and on various platforms like the newspapers, blogs and other social media platforms. He was involved in two study groups formed by the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini in 2006 to study the naxalite movement and its adverse impact on the development of Chhatisgarh. The Prabodhini later published this report. He was also a part of the Prabodhini's fact-finding committee formed to study the Solapur riots. LESS ... MORE In the financial year 2024-25, Maharashtra has attracted a record foreign direct investment of Rs 1,64,875 crore. Maharashtra has once again topped the country in foreign direct investment. This has proved that foreign investors have shown tremendous faith in the decisions and policies of the Mahayuti government in the last 3 years. In the financial year 2024-25, India attracted the foreign direct investment of Rs 4,21,929 crore. 40 percent of this investment has been made in Maharashtra. There has been as much as 32 percent rise in investment compared to the last year. Out of this an investment of Rs 25,441 crore has been made in Maharashtra in the last quarter i.e January to March 2025. Maharashtra has set a new record of the highest foreign investment in the last 10 years. This is the proud moment in the tenure of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Since 2014, the state is moving rapidly towards its aim of 'developed Maharsahtra' under the leadership of Devendra Fadnavis. The foundation for all-round development of Maharashtra was laid during the five year period from 2014 to 2019. Projects like Metro, Samruddhi Mahamarg, river linking project, Jalyukt Shivar showcase the vision of prosperous development of the state. Projects worth Rs 1,48,380 crore have been started for 337 km long metro in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMRDA) alone. Multiple projects like Navi Mumbai Airport costing Rs 19,600 crore, Vadhavan Port project costing Rs 76,220 crore, Atal Setu and Coastal Road have been underway in the state since 2014. Fadnavis government has taken many decisions considering the future needs of the state. Fadnavis government has shown a futuristic vision of development through projects like solar energy subsidy scheme for rooftop solar energy use, construction of 1500 km long new roads across the state, Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, Shaktipeeth Mahamarg, Nar-Par-Girna river linking project, Wainganga-Nalganga river linking project. Uddhav Thackeray betrayed BJP and formed the Maha Vikas Agadhi in 2019. Over a period of next two and half years, i.e till July 2022, Uddhav Thackeray kept no stone unturned in showing his anti-development face and his poisonous hatred for BJP by suspending many development schemes launched by Devendra Fadnavis. The two and half year rule of Uddhav Thackeray government took Maharashtra 20 years back in terms of development. The Mahayuti government of BJP-Shiv Sena under the leadership of Eknath Shinde came to power in July 2022 and the development of the state regained pace. Projects like Airbus, Foxconn moved out of Maharashtra because of Uddhav Thackeray's inaction only. This same inaction of Uddhav Thackeray was the reason behind Vedanta semiconductor project also moving out of Maharashtra. During the two and half years of Uddhav Thackeray's rule the development schemes launched during Fadnavis government were suspended one after the other. Uddhav Thackeray's decision to stop the crucial project like Mumbai Metro was driven by his revenge mentality. Devendra Fadnavis was trying to start the Tata Airbus project in Nagpur since 2017. Uddhav Thackeray did not do the required follow up for investment projects after becoming Chief Minister. Uddhav Thackeray, who himself was running the state from home via Facebook live, had launched a propaganda campaign against the Mahayuti government. But the people of the state gave a fitting reply to this campaign in the assembly elections. The Mahayuti government has set an example of what happens when the government speedily provides necessary facilities to investors. Investors trust a government that provides them with facilities like land, water, electricity along with required licenses swiftly. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has proved his determination by making the country a fifth largest economy. Prime Minister Modi has dreamt of making the country's economy a five billion trillion economy. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis is working relentlessly, so that Maharashtra contributes in realizing this dream of Prime Minister Modi. The Prime Minister has set a goal to realize this dream by 2027. Chief Minister Fadnavis has created a favourable environment for investment by implementing industry-friendly policies. We are witnessing this record foreign direct investment as an effect of this. There is absolutely no doubt that this development juggernaut of Maharashtra will be unstoppable now. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Indian Express
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
DU's Faculty of Law witnesses chaos, exam delay after students denied admit cards due to low attendance
Tensions ran high at Delhi University's Faculty of Law on Tuesday morning after scores of students were denied admit cards for the ongoing term-end examinations due to low attendance. A protest that broke out amid the chaos delayed the day's first exam by nearly two hours. The situation escalated late Monday night when a group of agitated students allegedly broke into the examination department. By early Tuesday, protesters locked the main examination room and allegedly broke into the Dean's office. The entrance remained shut until the university administration intervened, broke open the lock, and allowed the examination to proceed. The examination began at 11.30 am. According to a senior official in the Delhi University administration, around 300 students across all three law centres were not issued admit cards for failing to meet the mandatory attendance requirement. 'The administration is conducting a thorough inquiry into the matter,' the officer said. 'We are committed to ensuring complete transparency in the process of who is being detained from receiving admit cards and why.' The controversy drew in student leaders from across political lines, with members of both the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and the National Students' Union of India (NSUI) among those affected. Responding to the unrest, Professor Anju Vali Tikoo, Head and Dean of the Faculty of Law, issued a statement later in the day: 'All the students who have been detained due to shortage of attendance are being provisionally allowed to sit in the L.L.B II/IV/VI term examination, May-June 2025, subject to the outcome of the Enquiry Committee.' This is not the first time that exams have been delayed due to low attendance. Last year, the Faculty of Law deferred its LLB exams for the second, fourth, and sixth semesters. The exams, originally scheduled from July 4 to July 26, were postponed after several students failed to meet the mandatory attendance criteria, sparking protests and demands for leniency.
Time of India
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Abhyuthanam Adharmasya Tadatmanan Srijamyaham
Keshav Upadhye, a young, dynamic and prominent face, has been working with the Bharatiya Janata Party for over two decades. In 2014, the then state president Devendra Fadnavis had appointed Upadhye as the spokesperson in his team. Owing to his journalistic background and better understanding of the socio-economic issues of the state, Upadhye made a mark as a spokesperson in a short span. He articulates the views of the party and aggressively defends the party on various platforms including the Marathi and Hindi national news channels. Keshav Upadhye worked for the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and after completing his degree in Journalism from Ranade Institute, Pune, he began his career as a journalist with daily Pudhari, Loksatta and Mumbai Tarun Bharat. Knowing the pulse of the news, he writes on varied topics and on various platforms like the newspapers, blogs and other social media platforms. He was involved in two study groups formed by the Rambhau Mhalgi Prabodhini in 2006 to study the naxalite movement and its adverse impact on the development of Chhatisgarh. The Prabodhini later published this report. He was also a part of the Prabodhini's fact-finding committee formed to study the Solapur riots. LESS ... MORE Just two days after the Pahalgam massacre, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had expressed his anger in a few short yet powerful words, saying that he would punish the terrorists who carried out these attacks and the forces supporting them in a manner that was beyond their imagination. The rulers of Pakistan are experiencing how true these words of the Prime Minister were after 'Operation Sindoor'. 'Operation Sindoor' has proven that another powerful force has emerged on the face of this world in the form of India. In the 15 days up to May 7 after the Pahalgam massacre, efforts to frame the central government as the accused had started with great vigor. 'How can we stop Pakistan's water, attack Pakistan, why is the 56-inch chest silent now?' Opposition leaders and Modi opponents on social media had started using this kind of language. Some groups had even demonstrated their empty vessels by suggesting the possibility that the Pahalgam attack was staged. Leaders like Ajay Rai, by hanging chillies and lemons on a replica of a Rafale aircraft, raised doubts not on the Modi government but on the capabilities of the respected Indian Air Force. These groups had also managed to quell their opposition to Modi by making fun of the mock drills announced to prepare the citizens for war. All these groups have been completely silent and have lost their voice since the launch of 'Operation Sindoor'. They did not expect the central government to take such steps. Some actors were also observed to be in a hurry to shed a 'ray' of their intelligence on the world by saying that there is no evidence that Pakistani terrorists were killed after the Indian army's action. Whereas, the Indian army has made 'Operation Sindoor' a success by accurately destroying the bases of terrorist organizations 'Lashkar-e-Taiba', 'Jaish-e-Mohammed' and 'Hizbul Mujahideen' in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. Another phase in the revenge for the Pahalgam attack has been completed. Many defense and political experts had speculated that India would stop after completing this phase. Defying all these predictions, India has intensified its operation. However, this action was inevitable. This situation is not created by India, this conflict has been imposed on India by the army chiefs of Pakistan and the rulers of Pakistan who prostrate before them. India has suffered a lot in the undeclared war waged by Pakistan since 1980s. Punjab was disturbed by the specter of Khalistan in the 1980s, including the deaths of thousands of innocent civilians, including important figures like Indira Gandhi, Army Chief Arun Kumar Vaidya, and Harcharan Singh Longowal, subsequently followed by the violence in the Kashmir Valley in the 1990s, inciting Kashmiri youth to demand Azad Kashmir, killing thousands of civilians, hundreds of security forces personnel, police, the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, the 2001 Parliament attack, the 2008 Mumbai attack, and bomb blasts in many places in the country… the common man of India has been put through all of these experiences. Heads of terrorists in Pakistan and supporters of Pakistan in India used to applaud after seeing the grief of relatives of the victims of these terrorist incidents. This had to be accounted for at some point, and it is happening now. The tolerance shown so far has been shattered by the Pahalgam incident. There are many facets of this Sindoor operation. After 2014, the Modi government, using the mantra of 'Made-in-India', developed many weapons and armor within the country, created world-class defense systems, and took a leap in the production of missiles. In the last ten years since 2014, there have been deals like Rafale and missile systems like S-400. These deals were done between the two governments without any intermediaries. Since there were no middlemen or brokers, there was not even a hint of corruption in these transactions. The use of S-400 and Rafale has stood out during the ongoing operation. India has made great progress in arms manufacturing under both Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat. During the Modi era, India has developed a missile system like Dhanushya in the country. The defense production through the Atmanirbhar Bharat Mission, such as the Arjun main battle tank developed with indigenous technology, and the Tejas fighter aircraft made entirely in India, has been very effective in this Sindoor Mission. India, which imported all weapons until a few years ago, has exported weapons worth Rs 22,000 crore. All the atrocities and misdeeds done by Pakistan till now are finally being accounted for. And those who are eager to take the blame for this should definitely do so now. Lord Krishna has told us that there is nothing wrong in destroying injustice. Many generations have tolerated terrorism till now. The threshold of Shishupala's 100 mistakes in the form of terrorist activities was bound to be crossed at some point, and the Pahalgam attack was the final breaking point. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
Scroll.in
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Why the India-Pakistan ceasefire is giving Modi supporters heartburn
'Yaachna nahi, ab rann hoga,' the Bharatiya Janata Party posted on its official X profile on May 9 alongside a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi dressed in an air force jumpsuit. 'It is time for war, not appeals.' The BJP invoked lines from a famous Hindi poem by Ramdhari Singh Dinkar, as India and Pakistan appeared to be headed for a full-scale war. On May 7, India had launched missile strikes on alleged terrorist infrastructure within Pakistan, as a response to the terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 persons. However, a little over 24 hours after the BJP's post on X, American officials claimed to have brokered a ceasefire between the two counties, bringing the hostilities to an abrupt halt. While many citizens, especially those living in the border states, expressed relief at the end of military action that has claimed over 20 civilian lives, the Hindu right wing reacted with disappointment and anger. Hindutva activists, pro-government media personalities and even BJP leaders took to social media to express their dismay at what they interpreted as a surrender by India from a position of might. 'It feels a bit anticlimactic to quit when you are clearly ahead,' Shefali Vaidya, a prominent supporter of the party, wrote on X. But she also added that she trusted decisions made by the country's leaders. Others were less sparing in their questioning of the government's thinking. Shakti Singh, who is with the students' wing of the BJP, tagged Prime Minister Modi in an X post complaining about India not being able to do to Dawood Ibrahim and Hafiz Saeed what the US did to Osama bin Laden in Pakistan. 'As long as these terrorists are alive, a ceasefire makes no sense,' he wrote. Guwahati-based businessman Moon Talukdar, a former Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad leader and now a BJP member, said the abrupt ceasefire would not stop Pakistan from pushing terrorists into India. 'India should have annexed Pakistan-occupied Kashmir,' the 30-year-old said. 'Until and unless we take over PoK, the war will continue. If the ceasefire had not taken place and PoK was annexed, India would have established that we are not a weak country and would be on the same level of world powers like Russia and the US.' American 'overstepping' What has angered the BJP's supporters are the American fingerprints all over the decision – the ceasefire was announced by US president Donald Trump. Journalist-turned-politician Swapan Dasgupta, who is a member of the BJP's national executive, explained the discomfort in a post on X. 'This ceasefire/'understanding' hasn't gone down well in India as … it was peremptorily announced by Trump who suddenly appeared out of nowhere & pronounced his verdict,' he wrote. India has not acknowledged any American role in mediating the agreement to cease military action against Pakistan. Nevertheless, Trump went on to claim on Sunday that he would try to work with both India and Pakistan to come up with a 'solution' for Kashmir next. The president's comments upset many Indians concerned about America's purportedly growing involvement in the region. Republic Media Network editor-in-chief Arnab Goswami lashed out at Trump for 'overstepping'. 'He [Trump] has no idea about the ground situation, he has no idea what is happening here,' a charged-up Goswami told a reporter. 'I think this is beyond him. This is typical Trump overreach. I don't buy this. We will finish this.' Some of the anger over what many viewed as the government backtracking from its earlier aggressive posture was directed at the Indian Foreign Service officer Vikram Misri, who has led the press conferences about Operation Sindoor over the past week. Social media users dug up old pictures of him with his family and circulated them with details about his daughter's professional life. The trolling and the insinuations about his daughter's supposed political leaning got so nasty that Misri had to change the privacy settings on his X profile. 'Erase Pakistan from the world map' The anger among the Hindu right-wing stemmed from their expectations that the 'strong' Narendra Modi government was best placed to deliver a 'final solution' to the Pakistan problem. 'I am absolutely unhappy because general Hindu society wanted something simple – a final solution to eradicate jihadism,' Kolkata-based activist Sayan Lahiri told Scroll. Lahiri is a convener of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-linked students organisation Paschim Banga Chhatra Samaj. Backed by the BJP and RSS, the Samaj had led a violent protest march to the West Bengal state secretariat to protest against the rape and murder of a junior doctor in Kolkata's RG Kar hospital last August. On Saturday, the 31-year-old Lahiri railed against the ruling party for succumbing to 'pressure from the US'. 'The demand from patriotic Sanatani Hindus was to erase Pakistan from the world map,' he said. 'We have still not been able to find those responsible for the Pahalgam massacre.' A member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in Guwahati, who did not want to be named, told Scroll that many ground-level workers were not satisfied. 'We could have used our full capacity to show our strength,' he said. 'Yeh dil maange more, ' he added. 'The heart wants more.'
