Will CBI Second Chargesheet Pave Way For Jagan Arrest?

The Central Bureau of Investigating (CBI) probing the disproportionate assets case against Kadapa MP and YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is expected to file a second chargesheet in the case to further tighten the noose. There is speculation that Jagan may be arrested after filing of this chargesheet. Meanwhile, Jagan continues to tour the West Godavari district ahead of assembly by-elections - 17 of the 18 assembly by-elections that Jagan is campaigning for will be in an area that has been loyal to his father YSR Reddy and the bypolls were necessitated because they openly supported Jagan. Elections here are likely to be held before the end of May. Today, he will tour Narsapuram. He is traveling with a ring of supporters constantly around him, seemingly ready to pre-empt and hype any attempt to arrest their leader. The gist of the charges the CBI has made so far is that businessmen and others were encouraged to invest in Jagan Mohan's vast business empire, following which they would receive licences or other favours from the government, which was headed by his father, late YS Rajasekhar Reddy. The chargesheet refers to YSR stating that had he been alive, he would have been tried under the Prevention of Corruption Act for accepting bribes and misusing his office. This is hugely embarrassing for the Congress because YSR was celebrated by the party. Jagan has not been arrested so far. Sources in the government say they're concerned over whether his arrest could provoke law and order problems, as well as turn public sympathy in his favour. While this is the government's present position, everyone's attention is now centered on the second chargesheet that CBI is expected to file today. Whether to arrest Jagan or not at this juncture, depends on the contents of the second chargesheet, say the political observers.  

Communal Riot Erupts in Sangareddy Town

All of a sudden, communal riot erupted in normally peaceful Sangareddy town in close proximity to Hyderabad city on the intervening night of Thursday-Friday. Two groups of rioters pelted stones at each other and torched shops and houses, causing extensive damage. Twenty persons including some policemen were injured in the violence but there were no deaths. Property worth about Rs 1.3 crore is said to have been destroyed in the rioting. The violence broke out all of a sudden around midnight Thursday and went on till the wee hours of Friday. It all began around 11 pm Thursday night after a local BJP leader Pawan Kumar posted some mischievous remarks about the Prophet on Facebook on Thursday. Word spread and some members of a minority community staged a dharna in the town, They demanded the arrest of Kumar. While they were being pacified, another group gathered at the old bus stand in Sangareddy and began pelting stones at shops and vehicles. They tore flexi banners and attacked the vehicle of a former MLA. This incited rioting by people of another community near the old bus stand. Security has been beefed up across the state. Section 144 has been imposed in the town after a spell of curfew. Police are in a high state of alert with only two days to go to Sri Rama Navami festival. Medak Collector S Suresh Kumar along with IGP (west) Rajiv Ratan, DIG N Sanjay and SP P J Victor visited the riot-hit areas. Learning of their visit, a group of rioters rained stones on their convoy near the Government Girls High School, forcing the police to use tear gas and batons again. A case has been registered against the Facebook account holder under Section 295 of the Indian Penal Code. He has not been arrested so far. Later Friday, deputy chief minister C Damodara Rajanarasimha, home minister P Sabitha Indra Reddy and major industries minister J Geeta Reddy visited the spot and promised action against the police officials who had failed to act. They promised to extend necessary help to the victims. The home minister said he suspected that the rioting was deliberately incited.      

30 Glorious Years of Telugu Desam Party

The State Telugu Desam Party today celebrates completion of 30 years in state politics. On this same day N.T. Rama Rao has founded the party in the year 1982 to counter Congress party both at the state and center. He is the first person in the country to bring various political parties on one platform to bring non congress party to power at the Cener. That was Nandamuri Taraka. Rama Rao, the hero of the masses in his reel life, who later became their hero in real life by unseating the nearly century old and well-entrenched Congress, and forming the first ever non-Congress Government in the State. NTR, as he was fondly called, launched the Telugu Desam Party in March 1982, and within a year - on January 5, 1983, to be precise - the fledgling party dealt a crushing blow to the Congress. He was successful in weaning the Telugus from their unflinching loyalty to Indira Gandhi. The wayward functioning of the Congress in the State and the Andhras' anger over the way the Chief Minister, T. Anjaiah, was insulted in public by Rajiv Gandhi, who was then only the AICC secretary-general, at the Hyderabad airport changed the mood of the public which started looking for an alternative to the Congress. NTR fulfilled that need by espousing the cause of 'aarukotla Andhrula atma gauravam' (self-respect of six-crore Andhras). Soon after taking over as Chief Minister, NTR kept many of his election promises, which many had then dismissed as populist and earned a place for himself in the heart of Telugus. After his advent, the Telugus elsewhere got their exclusive identity, breaking away from the original tag of  'Madrasis'. While emphasising the importance of Telugu, he, however, held out the assurance that the TDP would also encourage and protect the languages and culture of people from other States. Apart from introducing the cheap rice scheme of selling the grain at Rs.2 a kilogram for poor people with a monthly income of Rs.500 or less, he fought with the Centre to amend the Hindu Succession Act to ensure equal property rights to women. He introduced educational reforms and laid the foundation for the Telugu Ganga project to provide drinking water to Madras city apart from irrigating the dry lands of Rayalaseema. Much water has flown under the bridge in these 30 years, political equations within the state and at the center have changed. Now the party under the able guidance of Nara Chandrababu Naidu is trying to uphold the principles and glory of the party. Let's wish, the party which was launched to protect the 'Atma Gouravam' of Telugu people, flourishes further and succeeds in doing so in future also.            

KCR Pleasure Trip Draws Criticism

At a time when both Telangana and Telangana issue are burning. Meek Telangana activists are resorting to self immolations demanding carving of a separate state. People are taking to roads daring the scorching sun to agitate for Telangana. Irony is that, at this time, KCR and his family are engaged in fun and frolic, too far away from the heat. According to sources, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, his wife Shobha Devi, two of his sisters and KTR's brother-in-law are on a pleasure trip to Papikondalu Hills agency area. First they visited Bhadrachalam temple and had darshan of Lord Sri Rama and later proceeded to Papikondalu. There a special A/C Launch has been arranged to take them for sight-seeing on Godawari river. Many an entertainment program are also been planned on the boat. Sources told, they spent last night in special tents erected amidst Papikondalu hills. There is nothing unusual in people going to Papikondalu on pleasure trips, but what is not palatable is, at this juncture, when Telangana MPs in Delhi are stalling Parliament sessions with their demand for separate state and entire AP state is embroiled in political turbulence, KCR chose to go on a pleasure trip along with his family! Of course, it is not a new thing he has done this time. Earlier also, when over three lakh employees of the state were pondering whether to put a stop to their 42 days old Sakala Janula Samme or not, KCR went into hibernation, growing vegitables at his farmhouse. Does it not remind you of one such character - who was playing fiddle, while the Rome burnt?

Telangana Uproar: TRS Intensifies Protests

The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) has called for another bandh on Tuesday 27 March, 2012 to demand immediate action from the Centre on creating a separate state carved out of Andhra Pradesh. The shutdown call came after one more person died yesterday and another was battling burn injuries after he attempted to immolate himself for separate statehood to Telangana. Two days after an MBA student committed suicide in Warangal, an autorickshaw driver immolated himself in Hanamkonda town in the same district. Rajmouli, who doused himself with kerosene in a public park and immolated himself, left behind a suicide note saying he was taking his life due to the delay in formation of a separate Telangana state. In another incident, a youth tried to immolate himself at Wanaparthy town in Mahabubnagar district yesterday. BR Goud torched himself at a busy cross-road in the town and was shifted to hospital. The suicides come close on the heels of by-election results in Telangana, which demonstrated that the sentiment for a separate state is still strong. Of six Assembly seats, TRS bagged four seats and BJP one. An independent fighting for the separate state was also elected. The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) had yesterday stalled the state Assembly and also raised the issue in Parliament. With the shutdown call, the region may witness another round of protests for a separate state, much severe than the earlier 42-day Sakala Janula Samme that has crippled the entire state administration.      

AP By polls: Telangana Sentiment 50-50

The just concluded by polls in 6 Telangana constituencies bared the fact that even the socalled 'betrayers of Telangana' have also got good number of votes. It is indisputable that 'Telangana-sentiment' has worked its way in all of these six segments - Mahboobnagar, Nagar Kurnool, Kollapur, Kamareddy, Station Ghanpur and Adilabad. Only in Mahboobnagar, BJP candidate has won, but there too the sentiment was the same. It is very interesting to note the voting pattern in these six constituencies. While the TRS candidates won with impressive margins, the Telugu Desam and Congress parties, whom TRS has branded as the betrayers of Telangana, also polled considerable number of votes. In Mahboobnagar, BJP candidate Yennam Srinivas Reddy polled 39,272 votes against 44,814 collective votes polled by Congress and TDP. From Nagar Kurnool, Nagam Janardhan Reddy (Independent) got 71,000 votes against Cong-TDP's 62,284 votes. In Kollapur, TRS candidate Jupally Krishna Rao could garner only 58,107 against 78,370 votes captured by Congress and TDP. In Station Ghanpur, TRS candidate T Rajaiah polled 81,279, while COngress and TDP got 77,606 votes. In Adilabad, Jogu Ramanna of TRS got 59,452 while Congress and TDP candidates polled 49,305 votes together. In Kamareddy segment, TRS candidate Gampa Govardhan polled 75,699 votes, whereas Congress and TDP candidates netted over 50,000 votes. These figures clearly show that though Telangana sentiment had influenced 50 per cent of the electorate, the other 50 percent preferred the socalled betrayers of Telangana. And, the TRS party is not able to digest this very fact.  

Yeddyurappa to be Karnataka CM Again?

In all probabilities, BS Yeddyurappa is going to be Karnataka chief minister once again. He is hopefully camping in Delhi since yesterday, while the man whom Yeddy wants to replace as chief minister, Sadananda Gowda, has also reached Delhi complying with the party's call. Sadananda Gowda has met this morning with his party's most senior leaders - LK Advani, Rajnath Singh, Murli Manohar Joshi and finally, BJP president Nitin Gadkari. Last night, Mr Gowda said in Bangalore before taking a chartered plane to Delhi that he had been promised by Mr Gadkari that there would be no change in leadership in Karnataka. Not if Mr Yeddyurappa can help it.Sources in the BJP say the party has accepted that currently, it cannot afford to antagonise Yeddyurappa, who has, since the weekend, proved rather unsubtly that he remains its tallest leader in Karnataka. Since a court dismissed corruption charges against him last week, Mr Yeddyurappa has been proving his might to his party in Karnataka. He was made to quit as Chief Minister in July, when those charges first surfaced in a report on illegal mining.  There are other cases still in court against him and his family for using his office to help themselves to public land at sweet prices. When Mr Yeddyurappa arrived at the Delhi airport last night, he was asked if he was going to become the next Chief Minister of Karnataka. "I have no idea. High command knows everything," he replied. "All important leaders wanted to meet and Nitin Gadkariji and Jaitelyji told us to come to Delhi. So we're going to meet them," he added. Interestingly, Gowda was hand-picked by Yeddyurappa as his replacement when he stepped down. Now, Mr Gowda is unwilling to make room for the return of his mentor. A group of nearly 70 of the BJPs MLAs showed their allegiance to Yeddy by moving into a five-star resort on the outskirts of Bangalore. On Tuesday, Mr Yeddyurappa's supporters refused to report to work at the Karnataka Assembly for the budget session. Only after negotiations on Tuesday night with the party's central leadership, Mr Yeddyurappa and his large team showed up in the Assembly on Wednesday.