Hyderabad, June 27 (IANS) BJP MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy has demanded that former chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and ex-minister K. T. Rama Rao should be punished for “phone-tapping” during the previous BRS regime.

The MP from Chevella, who testified on Friday before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the phone-tapping case, told media persons that false cases were booked against him and his phone was tapped after he quit Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS).Reddy alleged that his and his wife, Sangita Reddy’s, phones were tapped several times. Vishweshwar Reddy also revealed that he had to escape to Bengaluru and stay there for two weeks to avoid arrest after a case under non-bailable sections was registered against him.Reddy, who quit BRS in 2018, said K. Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) and K. T. Rama Rao (KTR) should be punished to prevent phone-tapping in future.The Lok Sabha member from Chevella, who recorded his statement before SIT officials, said if necessary, the state government should seek help from the Centre to probe the case.He alleged that during the by-elections to Munugode and Dubbak Assembly seats, his phone was tapped.Reddy said that though he brought this to the attention of the then Director General of Police (DGP) Mahender Reddy, he did not take it seriously.Reddy also stated that he would raise the issue in Parliament.The MP’s mobile number was found in the CDR list of the Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB), which had placed several leaders of opposition parties, journalists, businessmen and others under surveillance.Media personality Radhakrishna also appeared before the SIT on Friday to record his statement.The Managing Director of ‘Andhra Jyothi’ testified before Jubilee Hills ACP P. Venkatigiri.The SIT on June 17 recorded a statement of Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President B. Mahesh Kumar Goud.Meanwhile, BJP MP Raghunandan Rao on Friday slammed SIT for not calling him to testify, though he was the first to complain about phone-tapping.The Lok Sabha member from Medak claimed that phone-tapping had started during the by-election to the Dubbak Assembly seat in 2020. He was the BJP candidate in the by-election.Raghunandan Rao said that though he had complained to the DGP several times about the phone-tapping, no action was taken.The BJP leader remarked that SIT is indulging in ‘time-pass’ in the name of investigation. He asked why the SIT had not arrested former SIB chief T Prabhakar Rao, the prime accused in the case.Rao said the manner in which investigations are being conducted into phone-tapping and the Kaleshwaram project proves that Congress and BRS are hand-in-glove.The SIT has questioned Prabhakar Rao several times. He had allegedly formed a Special Operations Team under a suspended DSP within the SIB to tap phones of leaders of the opposition parties and some other individuals to benefit the then-ruling political party and its leaders.The phones of political leaders, businessmen, celebrities, journalists, members of civil society and even judges were allegedly tapped by the team.–IANSms/svn

New Delhi, June 27 (IANS) The Congress on Friday shared a video of Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi highlighting his plan to nurture tribal leaders and support their community’s fight against social injustice and dispossession of land due to digitalisation.The six-minute video shows LoP Rahul Gandhi voicing the party’s solidarity with tribals and the Congress’ resolve to stand with them to fight for their rights.“My interest is to nurture tribal leaders in the party. We want the dynamic leaders who are serious about serving the community to step forward and hold posts of district heads, along with those from communities like Dalits, OBCs and others,” LoP Gandhi said.”We have launched an experiment in Gujarat and appointed 41 district heads and the situation is bound to improve in the times to come when their united and empowered voice gains strength,” LoP Gandhi said.“Across the country, we are going to empower district presidents to function as nodal officers and run the party, uphold the ideology of the Congress and add new members,” he said, adding that the party would offer financial support to district heads.The LoP said the party wants decisions to be taken in districts like Ahmedabad and Banaskantha not Delhi.“It will take some time but we want 10-15 tribal leaders to be groomed in each district. We want leaders who can relate with people on the ground and offer solutions to their problems,” the Congress MP said.Rahul Gandhi also discussed problems of tribals after digitalisation of land records and their loss of ownership.One of the suggestions discussed was to set up a tribal legal council which would argue cases of land ownership of tribals in courts.The non-creation of forest right committees under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 in the country was also raised by one of the tribal leaders during the meeting.–IANSrch/rad

Bengaluru, June 27 (IANS) The Karnataka High Court on Friday quashed two hate speech cases filed against former Chief Minister and BJP MP Basavaraj Bommai, who was accused of promoting enmity between groups by alleging that Waqf authorities were grabbing land.A bench headed by Justice S.R. Krishna Kumar passed the order after considering the quash petitions filed by Bommai and accordingly dismissed the cases against him.Bommai had argued that the criminal complaints filed against him were frivolous and vindictive. He was represented by senior counsel Prabhuling Navadgi.The alleged statements were made by Bommai during a protest rally organised by the BJP in November 2024, condemning the Congress-led Karnataka government for allegedly allowing the Waqf Board to encroach upon the properties of farmers and temples.During the rally, Bommai had remarked that “wherever a stone is thrown in Savanur town, it is Waqf land.” He was booked under Section 196(1)(A) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for promoting enmity between groups.The court observed that the complaint was vague and lacked substantive allegations. Referring to precedents set by the Supreme Court and the High Court, the bench concluded that continuation of the proceedings would amount to an abuse of the legal process. Accordingly, the cases were quashed.However, the bench clarified that the order applies only to Bommai and not to the other accused persons.Three separate complaints were filed in November 2024, against former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai, BJP leaders C.T. Ravi and former BJP MP Pratap Simha, and a prominent pontiff, following allegations of provocative speeches that incited religious tension.Of the three complaints, two FIRs were registered at the Shiggaon police station in Haveri district against Bommai, Pratap Simha, and Ravi, in connection with a BJP protest held on November 4, 2024. During the protest, organised in response to the Waqf land issue, the leaders accused the state government and Waqf of encroaching on farmers’ properties.Home Minister G. Parameshwara then announced legal action against BJP leaders and religious pontiffs.In response, the state BJP said: “The state government has booked false cases against BJP and its supporters just to suppress it. They won’t succeed in their effort. We will challenge all false charges in court. Already, the Karnataka high court has dismissed many FIRs that were filed against BJP leaders.”–IANSmka/dpb

Agartala, June 27 (IANS) Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Friday that the state’s unemployment ratio is less than the national average and the government is trying hard to further improve it. Distributing appointment letters among 222 government job aspirants in the school education and health and family welfare departments, the Chief Minister said that as per the periodical labour force survey by the Union Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, Tripura’s unemployment percentage was 10 as against the national average of 5.80 during the 2018-19 financial year.”The unemployment percentage as per the said survey in 2023-24 has come down to 1.7 per cent in Tripura against the national average of 3.2 per cent. It shows that employability is more in the state,” he said.Chief Minister Saha said that since the BJP government came to power in Tripura in 2018, till now 19,484 men and women have received government jobs in many departments maintaining total transparency and without any political backing or favour.Besides, through the outsourcing system, over 5,700 people were engaged in different departments while several thousand people were engaged in private security and other services, he added.The Chief Minister said that through the Tripura Industrial Development Corporation employment was generated for 1,617 people.As per the wishes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the state government has been regularly trying to improve the skills and efficiencies of in-service government employees, he said.“The efficiency level among government employees across the country was 33.95 per cent and Prime Minister Modi made all out efforts to increase the percentage and now it is 54 per cent,” CM Saha said.He said that the state government has given priority to education, health, communication, and the overall development of tribals under the direction of Prime Minister Modi.“In just six months from January to June 2025, I inaugurated and laid the foundation stones of more than Rs 638.65 crore worth of projects in different places. There is no end to development,” he said.The Chief Minister said that the Modi government has so far signed 11 to 12 pacts with various organisations in different northeastern states, leading to the establishment of peace in the region that helps to boost development in all sectors.Saha, who also holds the education portfolio, said that on June 23 Tripura became the third state in India after Mizoram and Goa to attain the distinction of being a fully literate state with the literacy rate rising to 95.6 per cent.–IANSsc/rad

Srinagar, June 27 (IANS) The J&K Police on Friday arrested three people for their alleged…

New Delhi, June 27 (IANS) Delhi Health Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh said on Friday that the government is working to introduce the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model in 11 hospitals and a transaction adviser is being appointed for the purpose.Speaking to reporters after an inspection at Bawana’s Maharshi Valmiki hospital, Singh said the government is committed to implementing the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and address concerns of patients and the doctors.“We have come across some lapses and shortcomings at Maharshi Valmiki Hospital and I have ordered their resolution within 15 days,” said Singh.He claimed that the Health Department was on the path of recovery after suffering due to mismanagement of the previous AAP government.The Health Minister pointed to delays in construction of an operation theatre at the hospital which has not been completed for over a year, problems with civil works, and shortage of staff.The Delhi Health Minister’s visit to the hospital comes a day after the Anti-Corruption Branch (ACB) booked former health ministers and AAP leaders Saurabh Bharadwaj and Satyendar Jain for alleged corruption in health infrastructure projects involving 24 hospitals and expenditure of Rs 5,590 crore by the Delhi Government.A cheating, breach of trust and conspiracy case was registered after the Centre, on the recommendation of Lieutenant Governor V.K. Saxena, granted sanction for proceedings against the previous government’s minister under Section 17A of the Prevention of Corruption Act.The financial embezzlement linked to the projects, mired in inexplicable delays and astronomical cost overruns, took place in 2018-19, said the official.Massive irregularities, unexplained delays, and significant misappropriation of funds have been found in the construction of various hospitals, polyclinics and ICU infrastructure across the city, said an investigator.Substantial deviations and cost escalations, amounting to several hundred crores, were observed. Not a single project was completed within the prescribed timeline, said the complaint filed on August 22 by the then Leader of Opposition, Vijender Gupta.Gupta had highlighted grave irregularities and suspected corruption in various health infrastructure projects under the GNCTD.The complaint named former Health Ministers Bharadwaj and Jain, alleging systematic manipulation of project budgets, misuse of public funds, and collusion with private contractors.–IANSrch/rad

Bengaluru, June 27 (IANS) Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Friday dismissed remarks made by Minister K.N. Rajanna suggesting political changes in Karnataka, saying it is better to ignore such statements, and that there is no internal rift in the state unit.He said this while responding to media queries here after paying floral tributes to Nadaprabhu Kempe Gowda’s statue on the occasion of his 516th birth anniversary, near the eastern entrance of Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.When mediapersons asked him about Minister for Cooperation and his close confidante K.N. Rajanna’s statement that the state politics will see a big change soon, CM Siddaramaiah said that Minister Rajanna had only stated that “there could be some political developments in the state, not that something definite would happen”.The CM said that it would be best to ignore the statement when he was asked how Minister Rajanna’s remarks should be interpreted.Karnataka Cooperation Minister K.N. Rajanna, on Thursday, stirred a political debate by saying that the state will witness major changes after September, fuelling speculation about internal conflict within the Congress.Minister Rajanna made the remark after meeting Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at the Vidhana Soudha in Bengaluru.Rajanna, a close confidant of CM Siddaramaiah, had remained silent following the recent honey trap controversy. He had previously claimed in the Assembly and later in Delhi that there were attempts to honey trap him and that he was ready to take on the role of state Congress President held by Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar.He also expressed willingness to resign from his Ministerial post.Speaking to the media, Minister Rajanna had said, “Let the month of September pass — you will witness big changes. There will be a revolution.”When asked whether he was referring to changes in the state politics, the Minister confirmed, saying, “Yes, I am referring to state politics. Everything will begin after September.” Rajanna also said that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is governing under pressure.While trying to dismiss the speculations generated after Rajanna’s statements, CM Siddaramaiah said that there was nothing to be interpreted.Speaking about Kempe Gowda, CM Siddaramaiah stated, Kempe Gowda was an able and visionary administrator and is regarded as the founder of modern Bengaluru.The 516th birth anniversary of Kempe Gowda is being celebrated by the government in collaboration with the Kempe Gowda Development Authority and BBMP, he said.The CM recalled that during his previous term as Chief Minister (2013-18), the government, after discussions with the Adichunchanagiri Mutt pontiff Nirmalanandanatha Swamiji, confirmed Kempe Gowda’s date of birth and has since then been celebrating the occasion officially every year.He stated that if Bengaluru is recognised at an international level today, it is because Kempegowda laid its foundation.The Chief Minister added that the government is committed to honouring Kempe Gowda’s legacy. Kempe Gowda, who built watch towers in four directions of the city, had a clear vision of how Bengaluru’s administration should function. During his rule, he developed several locality-based markets such as Nagarathpet, Chickpet, and Balepet. His model of administration remains exemplary, Siddaramaiah said.”Our government is working towards realising the dream of developing Bengaluru,” the Chief Minister said. The main celebration of Kempe Gowda Jayanti was held at Jagajeevan Ram Nagar in Sumanahalli.Deputy Chief Minister D. K. Shivakumar paid floral tributes at the statue of Kempegowda located near the Bengaluru airport.–IANSmka

Bhopal, June 27 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh has recorded 37 per cent more rainfall than normal between June 1 to 26, according to India Meteorological Department’s regional office, Bhopal. Jhabua and Alirajpur districts have recorded the highest rainfall, and the IMD has forecast that these two districts will receive heavy rain in the next 24 hours.Heavy rain is also predicted in 20 other districts, including Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, and Jabalpur.According to IMD’s data, an orange alert has been issued for these two districts. Ten other districts – Rajgarh, Vidisha, Raisen, Sagar, Damoh, Seoni, Umaria, Dindori, Mandla, and Balaghat – are under heavy rain alert.Meanwhile, a yellow alert for rainfall is in place for Bhopal, Indore, Ujjain, Jabalpur, Gwalior, and other districts.Weather officials said that a low-pressure area is also active along this path.Additionally, a cyclonic circulation is active in northeast Madhya Pradesh.With heavy rain lashing the state, Chief Minister Mohan Yadav has directed officials to make arrangements to tackle any untoward situations.In a meeting with senior officials on Thursday, the Chief Minister directed that barricades be placed at waterlogged spots like submerged roads and bridges to ensure citizens’ safety.Drainage and sewer blockages should be resolved urgently, he said.In case of water release from dams, villagers should be informed through announcements, WhatsApp, phone calls, and other means.Disaster response teams must remain active, and boats should be arranged in the districts as required.The Chief Minister has directed officials to ensure arrangements at religious places during the upcoming major festivals in the next two months.District administrations have directed officials to ensure necessary arrangements at religious places during the upcoming major festivals in the next two months for the convenience of devotees.He has instructed that monsoon-related issues must be addressed promptly, and adequate arrangements should be made for seeds and fertilisers for farmers.–IANSpd/svn

Meerut, June 27 (IANS) Two persons were arrested on the charges of making objectionable comments…

Mumbai, June 27 (IANS) Mumbai BJP chief and Minister of Cultural Affairs Ashish Shelar on…