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Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Influencer's arrest over Operation Sindoor post triggers row
A political row erupted on Sunday over the arrest of social media influencer Sharmishta Panoli by the Kolkata Police over a controversial social media, with the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) slamming the West Bengal government of 'selective enforcement' of the law. Panoli, a 22-year-old law student from Pune in Maharashtra, was arrested in Gurugram on Friday night for allegedly hurting religious sentiments in an Instagram video on Operation Sindoor –– India's military response to Pakistan over the Pahalgam terror attack. On Saturday, she was produced before the Alipore court in Kolkata, which remanded her in judicial custody for 14 days. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Sunday, criticised Panoli's arrest, saying she had already deleted the video and publicly apologised for it prior to her arrest. 'There have been no reports of communal unrest linked to her remarks, yet the Kolkata Police is acting with uncharacteristic haste. This is no longer about law and order — it is about selective enforcement,' BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya said in a post on X. Malviya questioned if similar action would be taken against West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee as she made 'far more divisive statements, which have had far-reaching consequences, including tragic loss of life and destruction of property on multiple occasions'. 'Will the law be applied to her with the same urgency? India is watching. This isn't just a case in West Bengal — it reflects how a young Hindu woman is being targeted to appease a vote bank. Justice must not be politically convenient,' he added. BJP lawmaker Kangana Ranaut urged for Panoli's release, saying, 'harassing someone in the name of law and order is not good'. 'Everyone has democratic rights. She has apologised for her indecent remarks,' she was quoted as saying by news agency ANI. 'She should be released soon because she is a very young woman.' Andhra Pradesh deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan appealed to the police to act 'justly' in the case. 'Blasphemy must be condemned, always! Secularism isn't a shield for some and a sword for others. It must be a two-way street. West Bengal Police, the nation is watching. Act justly for all,' the Janaena Party leader, a key BJP ally, said on X. Dutch Parliamentarian Geert Wilder also took to social media to extend his support to Panoli. 'Free the brave Sharmishta Panoli! It's a disgrace for the freedom of speech that she was arrested. Don't punish her for speaking the truth about Pakistan and Muhammad. Help her @narendramodi,' the leader of the far-right Party for Freedom said. Kolkata Police, however, refuted the allegations that they acted 'in haste' or the arrest was unlawful, saying such narratives were 'actually incorrect and misleading'. 'All legal procedures were duly adhered to. All attempts were made to serve notice, but she was found absconding on every occasion. Consequently, a warrant of arrest was issued by the competent court, following which she was apprehended lawfully from Gurgaon,' Kolkata Polcie said on X. 'She was thereafter produced before the appropriate magistrate and granted transit remand as per due process of law.' HT reached out to at least three senior Trinamool Congress leaders, however, none of them commented on the developments. (Any quotes from TMC so far? Any response?)
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Business
- The Hindu
The case for a special fiscal package for Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh is in deep financial distress and there is a strong case for the Finance Commission to make a special dispensation for the State. When Telangana was carved out of the larger State of Andhra Pradesh in 2014, the rump State of Andhra Pradesh demanded that it be given a 'special category' status to cope with the loss of Hyderabad, the dominant tax generator of the combined State. Even though then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh gave an assurance on the floor of Parliament conceding this demand, the Act dividing the State did not make any provision for a special category status. The division of the State took effect in June 2014, a time when the National Democratic Alliance government had replaced the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre; N. Chandrababu Naidu became the first Chief Minister of the rump State of Andhra Pradesh. All through his term (2014-19), Mr. Naidu fought energetically for the parliamentary assurance to be honoured but the Narendra Modi government stonewalled the plea on the ground that the Centre had discontinued the 'special category' scheme on the advice of the 14th Finance Commission. Mr. Naidu, who returned as the Chief Minister in 2024 is staring at near empty coffers after the blows of structural fiscal handicaps and the pressure of funding unaffordable freebies under the preceding Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy government (which he topped up handsomely in his own campaign). Competitive freebies under electoral pressures are a State-level issue and the Centre is under no obligation to come to the State's aid. But the Centre has a definite obligation to compensate Andhra Pradesh for the structural fiscal losses it suffered on account of the bifurcation of the State. An option A straightforward option is for the Centre to make an exception and accord 'special category' status to Andhra Pradesh on the ground that it is only fulfilling an assurance given in Parliament. But for Andhra Pradesh itself, this may not be an attractive choice because the 'special category status' has been watered down. Unlike before, when a special category State received substantial fiscal support through Plan assistance, all that it now gets is external loans such as those from the World Bank on slightly softer terms. Such a diluted 'special category status' will be a hollow victory for Andhra Pradesh. A better option for Andhra Pradesh is to seek a special package of assistance that is more generous than a straitjacketed special category status. There are many precedents for politically driven, discretionary special packages such as the Koraput-Balangir-Kalahandi special plan for Odisha and the Bundelkhand special package for Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. Bihar was also given a special 'pre-election' package in 2015. However, such 'one off' packages on political and discretionary grounds weaken the federal fabric and are best avoided. A neater option is for the Finance Commission to recommend a special package for Andhra Pradesh. Since the Finance Commission is an apolitical, professional body enjoying a constitutional status, its recommendation will have gravitas. States and divisions But what is the case for Andhra Pradesh that the Finance Commission should consider? All divisions of States into smaller units post 1956 have been done on political, administrative or geographical considerations. This has inevitably resulted in an uneven division of fiscal capacity. There are many indicators of the fiscal capacity of a State. One of the most robust is the State's own revenue. Consider State divisions that happened post 2000: Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Bihar were broken up in the year 2000, and Andhra Pradesh was divided in 2014. The table shows that in terms of per capita own revenue, in each of these cases, the carved out States, namely Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Telangana, gained at the expense of the rump States. But the loss in the case of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh was relatively small when compared to that of Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. One possible formula for a special package is that if the loss in fiscal capacity of a State on account of division is more than 10%, the Centre would give a special package spread over a limited period to compensate for the loss. On this formula, both Bihar and Andhra Pradesh will qualify for assistance. The Finance Commission could of course consider other formulae that it thinks better capture the gain or loss in fiscal capacity. The important thing is that States such as Andhra Pradesh that have lost fiscal capacity on account of bifurcation are not abandoned to fend for themselves. It is incumbent on the Finance Commission, which is free to make recommendations to put our fiscal federalism on a sound footing, to evolve an objective, apolitical and formula-based solution to the problem. Duvvuri Subbarao is former Finance Secretary to the Government of India and a former Governor, Reserve Bank of India
The Hindu
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Letters to The Editor — May 30, 2025
Manipur situation The intent by some in the National Democratic Alliance 'to form a 'popular' government in Manipur' is strange (Page 1, May 29). That these people are unaware of the ground reality is cause for concern. The consensus of all stakeholders and a proper settlement of the ethnic conflict is what will pave the way for a conducive environment. One expects the government of the day to engage with the warring factions and find a lasting solution to the crisis. Prabhu Raj R., Bengaluru MP's line Congress Member of Parliament Shashi Tharoor has done a good job of turning the defence of India's position vis-à-vis Pakistan into an unqualified eulogisation of the top leader in the course of India's diplomatic outreach (Inside pages, 'Shashi Tharoor faces flak from his own party for remarks on LoC breach', May 29). Reading between the lines, one can say with certainty that the MP awards more marks to the government of the day than previous Congress governments in dealing with Pakistan. For all his scholarship, sophistication, sensitivity and sensibility, are his words laced with the belligerence typical of right-wing hardliners? Is there a desperation to demonstrate that he wears his patriotism on his sleeves? A poet dreamt that he was a butterfly and was left to wonder which way he was dreaming. The MP seems to share the poet's predicament. G. David Milton, Maruthancode, Tamil Nadu Had the erudite leader remembered the India-Pakistan war of 1965, he would have known that the Indian Army had not only crossed the ceasefire line but also captured the entire Haji Pir bulge in the Battle of Haji Pir Pass. It marked a turning point in the conflict and held until vacated under the Tashkent Agreement. Not recognising such significant military achievements would be more than unfair to the valour and the sacrifices of India's armed forces. S.K. Choudhury, Bengaluru The MP's statements have sparked understandable outrage within his own party. While political maturity involves acknowledging national achievements beyond party lines, it is troubling when such statements blur ideological boundaries and confuse people. By appearing to align with the ruling party's narrative, the MP risks weakening the Opposition's position and inadvertently bolstering the BJP's propaganda. It is essential for Opposition leaders to maintain clarity, consistency, and an accountability to the values their party stands for. Rukma Sharma Jalandhar, Punjab Digital literacy Digital literacy in rural India is essential. Many lack Internet access and basic digital skills. Governments and schools must provide the necessary infrastructure and training. Bridging this divide ensures equal opportunities for education, jobs, and growth. As a student, I believe it is time to act. Buvan Doolla, Mumbai Inadequate Torrential rainfall following the early onset of the southwest monsoon has undoubtedly exposed the creaky drainage infrastructure of Indian cities. There is no doubt that several of India's metropolitan cities do not have well-equipped drainage systems to deal with the recent changes in weather patterns. With weather vagaries becoming the new normal, cities have to invest more to revamp their drainage systems to avoid the flooding that affects livelihoods and causes damage. M. Jeyaram, Sholavandan, Tamil Nadu
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Business Standard
6 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
National security: How India can secure much-needed funds for defence
Experts say increasing the defence budget as a share of GDP even by ten basis points could significantly increase access to funds Ruchika Chitravanshi Bhaswar Kumar Delhi Listen to This Article Following the national security challenges that emerged after the Pulwama terror attack in February 2019, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government that year issued additional terms of reference for the 15th Finance Commission (FFC). In July 2019, as part of the reference, the finance ministry asked the FFC to examine whether a separate mechanism for funding defence and internal security ought to be set up and, if so, how such a mechanism should be operationalised. Six years later, in the wake of the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22 and subsequent military conflict between India and Pakistan after the Indian
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Business Standard
7 days ago
- Politics
- Business Standard
NDA CM conclave backs Operation Sindoor, praises PM Modi and armed forces
The National Democratic Alliance passed a resoltion in the favour of the Operation Sindoor at the CM Conclave held in New Delhi on Sunday. Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma presented a resolution , which was approved by Maharashtra Deputy CM Eknath Shinde. The NDA CM conclave saw the participation of 20 Chief Ministers and 18 Deputy Chief Ministers from various states. The resolution discussed Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership skills and the heroic deeds of the Indian Army during Operation Sindoor. The resolution was passed with a full majority during the meeting, and the strikes conducted by the Indian Armed Forces on Pakistan's terror hideouts were praised. The proposal also discussed the work being done under PM Modi's leadership towards 'Sashakt Bharat, Samarth Bharat, and Atmanirbhar Bharat'. The NDA CM conclave included a significant discussion on commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Emergency, declared on June 25, 1975. Leaders resolved to mark the anniversary in remembrance of the Emergency imposed by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, a period that exposed citizens to widespread political turmoil and suppression of civil liberties. The government had announced in 2024, that June 25 will be remembered annually as "Constitution Murder Day" in remembrance of the Emergency, which stands as a stark chapter in the nation's history. Declared by then-Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, the Emergency saw the suspension of fundamental rights and the imposition of strict censorship, aiming to quell political dissent and maintain order. The legacy of the Emergency continues to serve as a reminder of the fragility of democratic freedoms and the necessity of safeguarding them against authoritarian tendencies. Meanwhile, leaders at the conclave also passed two key resolutions: one applauding the armed forces for their role in Operation Sindoor, and another supporting the ongoing caste census initiative. The NDA CM's conclave included big names such as Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath, Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma and Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan.
