National
Congress still in a dilemma over Khammam Lok Sabha ticket
Hyderabad, April 23 (IANS) With just two days to go for the filing of nominations for Lok Sabha elections in Telangana, the Congress party is yet to announce its candidate for the Khammam seat.
With family members of three ministers and some others aspiring for the ticket, the party leadership is finding it difficult to choose a nominee.
The issue reached Bengaluru, where Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka and Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy reportedly met Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar on Monday.
The two ministers later also had separate meetings with AICC President Mallikarjun Kharge, who was in Bengaluru. Party sources said Kharge will take a final decision.
Bhatti Vikramarka’s wife Nandini and Srinivas Reddy’s brother Prasad Reddy are strong contenders for the ticket.
Agriculture Minister Tummala Nageswara Rao wants the ticket for his son Yugandhar.
The minister, however, made it clear that he will abide by the decision of the party high command.
While both Srinivas Reddy and Nageswara Rao joined the Congress party before Assembly elections held in November 2023, Vikramarka is a senior leader, who has remained loyal to the Congress party over the years.
Since Vikramarka’s brother Mallu Ravi is contesting as a Congress candidate from Nagarkurnool, a section of the party leaders are opposing ticket to another member of his family.
Former Warangal MP, R Surender Reddy’s son R Raghurami Reddy is also in the race.
There is speculation in Congress circles that the party may also field former minister Mandava Venkateshwara Rao, who hails from Nizamabad District.
As the majority of party leaders in Khammam are pressing for fielding a local candidate, the leadership is likely to allot ticket to Nandini or Prasad Reddy.
As Khammam is a stronghold of the Congress party, there are multiple contenders for the ticket.
Former Union Minister Renuka Chowdhury was also an aspirant but she was recently nominated to the Rajya Sabha.
The state leadership of the Congress party had requested the high command to field former party chief Sonia Gandhi or senior leader Priyanka Gandhi from Khammam but the high command rejected the proposal.
The delay in announcing the candidate has led to confusion among the party cadres and affected the party’s poll preparations, even as both the BJP and BRS are ahead in campaigning.
Though the Congress leadership has not officially announced candidates for three Lok Sabha seats, Velichela Rajender Rao filed his nomination for the Karimnagar Lok Sabha seat on Monday after the party leadership gave its nod.
The Congress has also not announced its candidate for the Hyderabad Lok Sabha seat. However, Hyderabad district Congress committee chief, Sameer Waliullah is reportedly preparing to file his nomination.
The Congress party has already announced its candidates for 14 seats.
Fresh from its victory in the Assembly elections, the party is confident of winning maximum Lok Sabha seats.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party had bagged three seats. Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy has been exuding confidence that the Congress will win 12 seats.
–IANS
ms/rad
National
Defence Ministry: Year 2025 will be year of reforms
On Wednesday, the Defence Ministry announced that 2025 will be designated as the “Year of Reforms,” with a primary focus on establishing integrated theatre commands to enhance collaboration among the three branches of the military.
These reforms are aimed at transforming the armed forces into a technologically advanced, combat-ready force capable of executing multi-domain integrated operations, the ministry stated.
The initiative will emphasize emerging domains such as cyber and space, alongside cutting-edge technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, hypersonics, and robotics.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh described the “Year of Reforms” as a pivotal milestone in the modernization of the armed forces.
“It will set the stage for significant advancements in the nation’s defense capabilities, ensuring the security and sovereignty of India in the face of 21st-century challenges,” he said.
National
A 3.2 magnitude tremor struck Gujarat’s Kutch district on Wednesday morning
A 3.2 magnitude tremor struck Gujarat’s Kutch district on Wednesday morning, according to the Institute of Seismological Research (ISR).
The district administration reported no casualties or property damage following the quake.
The tremor occurred at 10:24 am, with its epicenter located 23 kilometers north-northeast (NNE) of Bhachau, as per the Gandhinagar-based ISR.
Last month, the region experienced four seismic events exceeding a magnitude of 3, including a 3.2 magnitude tremor just three days ago, with its epicenter also near Bhachau.
Earlier tremors in the area included a 3.7 magnitude earthquake on December 23 and a 3.2 magnitude event on December 7, according to ISR reports.
Kutch was also jolted by a 4.0 magnitude earthquake on November 18, 2024. On November 15, a 4.2 magnitude quake hit Patan in north Gujarat, based on ISR data.
Gujarat is considered a high-risk earthquake zone, having experienced nine major earthquakes over the past 200 years, according to the Gujarat State Disaster Management Authority (GSDMA). The 2001 earthquake in Kutch, which occurred on January 26, was the third-largest and second-most destructive in India in the last two centuries, according to the GSDMA.
National
Diljit Dosanjh faces legal action over concert songs
Singer and actor Diljit Dosanjh’s much-anticipated New Year’s Eve concert in Ludhiana faced legal hurdles after a complaint was filed by Punditrao Dharenavar, an assistant professor from Chandigarh.
Following the complaint, the Deputy Director of the Women and Child Department, Government of Punjab, issued a formal notice to Ludhiana’s District Commissioner, urging them to prohibit Dosanjh from performing specific songs during his live show on December 31, 2024.
The notice specifically targets songs accused of promoting alcohol, including Patiala Peg, 5 Tara Theke, and Case (Jeeb Vicho Feem Labbiya), even if the lyrics are slightly modified. The complaint points to previous warnings issued to Dosanjh by various commissions advising against performing these controversial tracks.
Despite these warnings, the singer allegedly continues to perform the songs with minor alterations. Dharenavar raised serious concerns about the influence of such music on young audiences, especially when minors are present at live events.
Adding to the controversy, Dharenavar referenced a 2019 Punjab and Haryana High Court ruling, which directed law enforcement to ensure that songs promoting alcohol, drugs, or violence are not played at public events, including concerts. This ruling underscores the legal basis for the complaint and has further intensified the scrutiny surrounding the event.
National
UP Minister’s convoy overturns, 5 person injured
Five people sustained injuries when a vehicle in the convoy of Uttar Pradesh Minister and Nishad Party chief Sanjay Nishad overturned into a ditch near Januan village in the Khejuri Police Station area of Ballia district late last night.
Sanjay Nishad shared details of the incident, stating that the accident injured five party workers, including four women.
“I was traveling with the convoy to participate in the Constitutional Rights Yatra organized by the party on Tuesday night. Near Januan village in the Khejuri area, one of the vehicles following the convoy lost control while trying to avoid an animal and overturned into a ditch,” Nishad explained.
The injured individuals have been identified as Rakesh Nishad, Ramrati, Usha, Geeta, and Iravati Nishad.
Senior police and administrative officials quickly arrived at the scene following the incident to oversee the situation.
National
Suchir Balaji’s mother alleges Murder
The mother of Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old former OpenAI researcher found dead after accusing the company of copyright violations, has alleged that her son was “murdered” and called for a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) probe.
Poornima Rao, Suchir’s mother, claimed her son’s death was a “cold-blooded murder” that authorities wrongly ruled as suicide. She further disclosed that a private autopsy report conflicted with the findings of the initial police investigation.
Rao alleged that her son’s apartment had been “ransacked” and cited evidence of a struggle in the bathroom, including bloodstains that suggested he had been assaulted.
“We hired a private investigator and conducted a second autopsy to uncover the truth. The private autopsy does not confirm the cause of death stated by the police. Suchir’s apartment was ransacked, there were signs of a struggle in the bathroom, and it appears he was hit based on blood spots. This is a cold-blooded murder being misclassified as a suicide. Lobbying in San Francisco won’t deter us from seeking justice. We demand an FBI investigation,” Rao wrote on X.
Elon Musk reacted to Rao’s post, commenting, “This doesn’t seem like a suicide.”
Balaji was discovered dead in his San Francisco apartment months after accusing OpenAI of violating copyright laws during the development of ChatGPT, as reported by Fox News. Despite these claims, the San Francisco Police Department found no evidence of foul play and ruled the death a suicide.
On October 24, shortly before his death, Balaji voiced doubts about the “fair use” defense in generative artificial intelligence. “I recently participated in a NYT story about fair use and generative AI, and why I’m skeptical ‘fair use’ would be a plausible defense for a lot of generative AI products,” he wrote on X.
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