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‘I am exhausted and disillusioned’: TN Congress worker lashes out at Rahul Gandhi in strongly worded letter

By
The Commune
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A strongly-worded open letter written by one of the Indian National Congress worker from Tamil Nadu named Purasai Geetha, has accused Rahul Gandhi of abdicating from his duties and called out the double standards taken by the party on various issues related to the state.

The letter starts with the following statement, “I am exhausted and disillusioned my beloved leader” and goes on to say that the party workers gave everything to help the UPA alliance win in Tamil Nadu in 2004 and 2004 amidst the 1.76 lakh crores 2G scam, coal scam and the CWG scam, at a time when the Congress became synonymous with corruption.

She also said in the letter that while the DMK shifted the blame on the Congress for ‘framing them’ [DMK] in the 2G scam and not taking any meaningful measure to protect interests of Tamils in Sri Lanka, the Congress party has been playing second fiddle and ‘meekly surrendering’ itself to the DMK which conveniently deserted the Congress ahead of 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

On the issue of “Jallikattu” the Purasai Geetha expresses dismay and contempt for senior party leaders like former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Jairam Ramesh who supported the ban on Jallikattu. the ancient sport and revered tradition in Tamil Nadu. “Did you even know anything about this traditional sport till you apparently saw it recently? We were made to quickly disown our earlier stand when the general public erupted in protests? The entire episode and your volte face made us look like fools and buffoons. Why did you not stick to the earlier stand, even if it was wrong? Did you do this deliberately?”, the Ex MC lashed out at the Congress MP.

Purasai Geetha then trains the guns on Rahul Gandhi for the double standards shown by the party with respect to NEET examination and Tamil Nadu’s 69% reservation provision. She pointed out how Nalini Chidambaram appeared in the court in support of the case and their senior party leader and one of India’s famous lawyers, Kapil Sibal was arguing that the 69% reservation should be brought down to 50%. Such incoherent actions according to the Geetha made the workers feel orphaned. She also called out Rahul Gandhi for attacking the communists in Kerala while shaking hands with them in Delhi.

Purasai Geetha then goes on to point out the hypocrisy of Rahul Gandhi who had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She said that while PM Modi goes on official tours, the Congress leader was out of the country on regular basis which are personal in nature. “Why do you take so many personal trips, my beloved leader? What are you hiding from us and the country? Please save us from any more embarrassments on this front, we beg you!”, Purasai Geetha exclaims in the letter.

She was also dissed all the gimmicks of Rahul Gandhi who recently, jumped into the sea which led to the viewing of his abs and called it theatrics completely disconnected with real issues. “You are already an object of mockery and ridicule nation-wide because of your childish behaviour and utterances. Please don’t make us look like jokers and a laughing stock like you, my beloved leader”, she said.

She also asks Rahul Gandhi to own up for his family’s misgivings – Jawaharlal Nehru gifting away India’s territory to China, Indira Gandhi’s Emergency and giving free run to the communists, Rajiv Gandhi’s mistake on reservation and pushing the economy to a halt and Sonia Gandhi’s running of a parallel proxy government. She asks Rahul Gandhi to come to Tamil Nadu often give new directions for the party and not embarrassments.

Geetha also constantly heaps praise on Prime Minister Modi by saying “While interacting with fishermen from our state, we expect you to teach them about safety, their rights and how technology will help them further, like PM of our country does, and not just swim with them and flash your abs to grab headlines”.

“If you are so fit, you might just join sports but alas, you’re way too old for most competitive sports that need fitness.”, she says in the letter.

She asks Rahul Gandhi to instill some hope in the cadres or atleast let them know if they should just retire from politics, ending the letter with an ominous line, “From one of the last few cadres of Tamil Nadu Congress”.

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Congress, DMK squandered national asset in 2G spectrum scam and destroyed India’s banks, says Rajeev Chandrasekhar

By
The Commune
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rajeev chandrasekhar

At a press conference held in Tamil Nadu, BJP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Rajeev Chandrasekhar talked about the 2G spectrum scandal which took place when the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) held power at the Centre from 2004 to 2014 and gave away valuable 2G telecom spectrum for free to a group of corporates.

Chandrasekhar said the ten-year rule of Congress and the DMK had left India’s economy in tatters and added that the five-year rule of the DMK and Congress in Puducherry has practically ruined the state. The BJP leader accused the Congress party of supporting corruption at an institutional scale, ravaging the nation’s economy. He also held the Congress responsible for destroying the banking system of the country.

He then went on to ask both the DMK and the Congress why they do not talk about the ten-year rule at the Centre, and why they only talk about Tamil Nadu. He accused both parties of squandering a strong economy inherited from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee-led government. Furthermore, he point out that mentioned senior Congress leader and former Finance Minister P Chidambaram in 2005 had said that India was one of the strongest economies in the world.

Chandrasekhar then went on to quote the Indian Supreme Court ruling which said that the allotment of the 2G spectrum by the Congress and DMK government was “unconstitutional and arbitrary”; the court had further said that this was “virtually gifting away an important national asset”. He accused the Congress of taking away people’s asset and giving it away to a few businessmen. Instead of using the asset for people’s good, he alleged,  the Congress used it for the good of some people.

However, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, Chandrasekhar said, from 2016, the spectrum was allotted through auction, earning the people ₹60 thousand crores. In March 2021, the Modi government again conducted a spectrum auction and bagged ₹77,800 crores rupees, he said. He urged the voters of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry to look back at the history of Congress and said that the people must question Rahul Gandhi and MK Stalin on their past policies in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and India. People should ask them about the corruption and the money looted from the people of India and how the NDA government is bringing the money back for the development of the people, he stated.

Lambasting the dynastic politics of the two parties, Rajeev Chandrasekhar went on to say that with the Congress and the DMK, it is not about helping the public raise a son but only helping them raise their own sons. These two parties are not parties of development but parties that loot the world, he said.

Under the Modi administration, money has been spent on the development of India’s infrastructure, not into the bank account in Italy, he said.

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Edlapadu land encroachment by Church: District officials turn blind eye, no response from Centre

By
The Commune
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Edlapadu land encroachment

District officials in Edlapadu Mandal in Andhra Pradesh’s Guntur District are allowing land encroachment and illegal construction activities by a Church to proceed unhindered, despite several complaints from locals and concerned citizen-activists.

The Legal Rights Protection Forum (LRPF) had written to the Centre on Tuesday, March 2, asking for immediate action against the illegal construction of a church and the erection of a 40 feet tall cross at Errakonda Hill in Edlapadu Mandal, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh. Both structures are built on encroached land.

Writing to Prahlad Joshi, Union Minister of Mines, the LRPF had detailed the facts of the case so far. The letter asked for urgent action to remove the illegal structures constructed at the encroached site and impose penalties on the church and organisations who committed the crime. The letter also sought a departmental enquiry and action against concerned public authorities who intentionally ignored the unauthorised construction even after umerous complaints were made.

In response to this letter and the subsequent media attention that was focused on this issue, the Sub-Collector of Narasaraopet has alleged that the Christian shrine belonging to RCM Church was already present in Edlapadu village on Errakonda Hill.

In a press release, the Sub-Collector, Narasaraopet mentioned that an application was submitted by RCM Church for the construction of steps to reach the existing shrine. However, no details on whether this shrine had the necessary permissions and authorisations were given in the press release. Neither were any details on the application for the construction of steps given in the press release, such as the date of the aforementioned application.

Following the press release by the Sub-Collector, the LRPF has again written to the Collector of Guntur District and the Centre regarding this issue.

“With reference to the Press Release dated 02.03.2021 released by the Sub-Collector of Narasaraopet, we wish to bring to your notice the following instances of complaints lodged with various revenue and other government officials against encroachment and unauthorized constructions at Errakonda Hill at Edlapadu Mandal, Guntur District, Andhra Pradesh. We also wish to bring to your kind notice, the acts of Roman Catholic Church, Edlapadu Parish, Guntur Diocese which is behind the encroachments which have started on 21st October 2020”, the letter, a copy of which is with The Commune, states.

“As such how a gigantic cross of 40ft was allowed to be installed at the top of the hill? When was the application for construction of steps submitted?”, the letter asks.

Alleging a collaboration between the perpetrators of the land encroachment and the district officials, the letter also states that it is inconceivable that revenue officials were unaware of large earth-moving equipment, working for days together, at the hill.

The letter by the LRPF further points out that Father Kodavati Bose, who belongs to the Church behind the alleged land encroachment, even posted a video on Facebook on 26 February 2021 showing the installation of the 40 feet tall cross on the hill. In the video, he also mentioned that the grand inauguration of the Cross will take place on 15 March and will be held with the blessings of Rev. Bishop Bhagaiah. He further extended an open invitation to all to attend the event.

On 10 November 2020, Kodavati Bose had posted on Facebook that the construction of steps in the area had started. However, from recent photographs, it is seen that steps are yet to be constructed. What measures were taken to stop this unauthorised construction, the letter asks.

On 6 December 2020, a public prayer event was organised on a grand scale by Kodavati Bose on the same hill. Photographs of the event, which were uploaded to Facebook, show that a large tract of the land had been levelled, indicating that preparations were then underway to install the cross. No attempt was made to stop the encroachment on the Errakonda hill.

The LRPF’s letter also alleges that this was a well-planned operation to occupy the hill, going back months. On 21 October 2020, Kodavati Bose had, in a Facebook post, announced that “major work” on the Rahadhari Maatha Punya Kshetram had begun.

In a Facebook video posted on 6 January 2021, Kodavati Bose says that complaints were received against the construction activities of the parish on Errakonda hill, and adds that he was asked to halt the construction. However, after talks with revenue officials, construction has commenced again, he says. In the video, he mentions that he has taken permission from officials of the Mines department and also informed the Mandal Revenue Officer of his intention to go ahead with the construction of shrine and the erection of the cross at the top of the hill.

However, on 18 January 2021, an RTI query revealed that no permissions of any kind were issued by Tahsildhar of Edlapadu Mandal for the construction of any religious structure on Errakonda Hill, which according to records, spans an area of 85.5 acres. This information of no permissions having been granted for construction on the hills is in direct contradiction to the aforementioned press release by the Sub-Collector, Narasaraopet, which mentions the shrine as already having been built and mentions that permission was sought to build the steps to the shrine.

The RTI query also stated that action would be taken as per Encroachment Act 1905 on any construction that was noticed on Errakonda Hills.

However, land encroachments and unauthorised construction obviously continue in the area.

Despite full knowledge of the illegal construction activities by the Roman Catholic Church’s Edlapadu Parish right from October of last year, the district administration turned a blind eye to the situation. The lush green hills are now destroyed, encroachment is rampant and unauthorised constructions are springing up in the area.

The laws of the land stand violated and the culprits get away with impunity ―and, lots of land. The LRPF’s complaints to the Centre have not resulted in any response so far either.

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‘Third front not possible’: Yechury makes it clear to Kamal

By
The Commune
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Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) said that a third front is not possible in Tamil Nadu as the DMK-alliance is strong to face the BJP.

Speaking to the press in Salem, Yechury said that “Actor Kamal Haasan is my close friend. But, to face the BJP, DMK alliance is strong. A third front is not possible in Tamil Nadu.”

He criticized the incumbent AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu saying that the an unborn child in the state is burdened with ₹62,000 crores debts. Speaking on the elections, Yechury said that since the BJP was weak in West Bengal it has kept an 8 phase poll and that the BJP is out to overthrow democratically elected governments.

He also said that the Election Commission should ensure that the postage ballots issued to the disabled, 80-year-olds, are registered by them and not anybody else.

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SpaceX’s Starship blows up moments after ‘perfect landing’

By
The Commune
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Moments after what was considered to be a beautiful landing, SpaceX’s rocket Starship exploded into smithereens, after what had supposedly been a perfect flight. Just as a SpaceX commentator said “A beautiful soft landing,” on the live broadcast of the test flight, although flames were coming out at the bottom and crews were trying to put them out, it exploded a moment later.

This was the third such landing attempt to end in a fireball after an otherwise successful test flight for the Starship, being developed by SpaceX to carry humans and 100 tons of cargo on future missions to the moon and Mars. This rocket had been aimed at gathering data about how well the flaps worked while the Starship was horizontal. It is to be noted that the previous two trials (SN8 and SN9) had also crashed on landing, in December and then in early February.

Meanwhile, the company’s eccentric genius founder Elon Musk had a rather different reaction to this event. In a tweet responding to tempered congratulations from an admirer of his work, Musk replied, “RIP SN10, honorable discharge.”

The Starship rocket, which is about 394-feet (120 metres) tall along with its super-heavy first-stage booster, is SpaceX’s next-generation fully reusable launch vehicle. This is the centre of Musk’s ambitions to make human space travel more affordable and routine.

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AIADMK-BJP seat share finalized, details inside

By
The Commune
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AIADMK has allotted 20 seats to the BJP for the upcoming Assembly Elections slated to happen on April 6, 2021.

The AIADMK has also decided to give its full support to the BJP’s candidate for the Kanyakumari parliamentary constituency in the by-elections to be held on April 6.

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Naxal-affected Tribals, Dalits from MP & Chhattisgarh demand probe into Justice SS Shinde

By
The Commune
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justice ss shinde varavara rao

Maoist ideologue and writer-activist Varavara Rao was last week granted interim bail by the Bombay High Court in the Elgar Parishad―Bhima Koregaon violence case. Granting the 81-year old Rao bail on medical grounds, the bench comprising Justices SS Shinde and Manish Pithale had ruled that as there were inadequate facilities in the Taloja jail hospital, which is where the octogenarian Maoist activist was lodged, it was a “genuine and fit” case for granting bail in view of Rao’s advanced age.

In opposition to the bail relief provided by the Bombay HC, tribals and Dalits from Naxal-affected areas of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh have petitioned to the Chief Justices of the Supreme Court and the Bombay High Court, demanding an inquiry into Justice SS Shinde and all the cases he has ruled on.

The letter has been written by members of the Communist Himsa Peedit Adivasi Aur Dalit Sangharsh Samiti, an organisation for tribals and Dalits affected by the violence wreaked upon by Naxal militants.

The Samiti is based in the Naxal-affected Balaghat district in Madhya Pradesh.

In a letter dated 24 February 2021, the petitioners have detailed Varavara Rao’s history with Maoist militancy and his connections with underground Naxal organisations. They have also asked that the judge who granted the bail relief to Rao be shown the conditions in areas affected by Naxal violence.

Rao’s role in the Bhima Koregoan case

Varavara Rao was arrested on August 28, 2018 for his alleged involvement in the Bhima-Koregaon violence on January 1, 2018. An FIR filed in Pune alleged that on the eve of the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Bhima Koregaon, an evening programme called Elgar Parishad had been organised, in which noted Leftist activists and underground Naxalite groups had participated. Police claimed that speeches delivered at the event on December 31, 2017, were partly responsible for inciting violence the next day.

Pune police had even arrested Rao in connection with an alleged conspiracy to assassinate Prime Minister Modi in June 2018.

“Our blood boils on hearing Varavara Rao’s name”, states letter by victims of Naxal violence

“We are villagers affected by Naxal-Maoist-Communist violence, living in Naxal-affected areas of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh states. Recently, the Bombay High Court’s Justice SS Shinde granted bail to infamous Maoist leader Varavara Rao, which has caused us grief, and we would like to present our views on the matter”, the letter states.

A copy of the letter written by members of the Communist Himsa Peedit Adivasi Aur Dalit Sangharsh Samiti

Speaking of Varavara Rao’s role in the spreading of Maoist terror, the letter goes on to state, “Hearing Varavara Rao’s boils the blood of thousands of tribal and Dalit villagers like us who are affected by Naxal Communist terror. People like you have prosecuted Maoist killers on a national scale.”

“Under such circumstances, the granting of bail to a terrorist by Justice SS Shinde without consulting thousands of affected Dalits and tribals like us, and only listening to the submissions of Rao and the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is in itself highly condemnable”, the letter states.

The Bombay High Court bench comprising Justices SS Shinde and Manish Pithale ― the same bench that granted bail to Varavara Rao ― also upheld the bail granted to an alleged ISIS fighter, with a bail bond of only ₹1 lakh.

The letter then goes on to address Justice Shinde. “We request Justice Shinde that in order to gather information and experience on Maoist terror, he along with his family, come to regions affected by Maoist Communist violence. Stay here for a few days so that you come to realise how Naxal killers tear apart limb from limb and gouge out the eyes of people, thus killing their helpless victims”,  the letter adds.

“If Justice Shinde is fortunate enough, as a representative of the Indian judiciary system (a system which the Naxals consider illegitimate), Justice Shinde or his family members would grant the Maoist Communists a happy chance at torturing them”, the letter notes in harsh terms.

Petitioners demand probe on Justice Shinde

The letter adds that Justice SS Shinde’s history of judicial rulings inspires fear and is of great concern. The letter says that the pattern of the verdicts in his recent cases is dangerous and that he comes across as very partial and suspicious. The letter also raises questions as to why the cases concerning ruling parties always go to the bench comprising Justice Shinde.

The letter also puts into words the petitioners’ anguish over whether noted Jesuit priest and another Maoist Communist ideologue Stan Swamy would be released similarly by the court.

“We Naxal-affected people request that a committee of Supreme Court judges be formed to investigate the cases so far ruled on by Justice Shinde and that the Supreme Court order the Income Tax department to conduct an inquiry into illegal assets, if any, accrued by Justice Shinde”, the letter says.

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Estate owned by Bishop KP Yohannan of Believer’s church attached by IT department

By
The Commune
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believer's church

Evangelist KP Yohannan, the self-proclaimed bishop of Believer’s church is under the radar of the Income Tax (IT) department. The Cheruvally estate owned by him has been attached by IT sleuths.

Earlier, the IT department and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had conducted raids on various establishments linked to the Believer’s Church and had unearthed tax evasion and money laundering worth crores of rupees.

Now, in a serious setback for Yohannan, the IT department has attached 2000 acres of land which Believers church took over from Harrisons Malayalam by allegedly forging documents.

The Kerala government had planned to construct an airport in this estate adjacent to Sabarimala temple. However, from the beginning, there were accusations regarding vested interests being involved in this project.

Yohannan currently resides in Texas and has been served with a notice, to which he responded that he could come back to India only in December.

However, the IT department is not going to hold back and will move ahead with its investigation regardless of any cooperation, or the lack thereof, from Yohannan.

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CM Pinarayi Vijayan involved in Kerala gold smuggling case, says main accused Swapna Suresh

By
The Commune
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pinarayi vijayan gold smuggling

Swapna Suresh, the main accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case, has alleged that Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan is involved in the case, along with three of his ministers and the speaker of the assembly, reports Organiser.

The Customs Department, in its report submitted to the Kerala High Court, quoted Swapna, saying, “The respondent (Swapna Suresh) had clearly stated about the improper and illegal activities of the CM, three ministers and the Speaker. She has also further stated about the involvement and kickbacks received by high-profile persons from various deals.”

“The role of former principal secretary (M Sivasankar) in acting as the link between the high-profile politicians of Kerala and UAE consulate officials as well as some others in coordinating illegal financial dealings under the cover of various activities and projects of the state government was also revealed by her,” said the affidavit submitted by the Customs and Preventive Commissioner Sumit Kumar in the high court.

The accused was involved in gold being smuggled through the United Arab Emirates (UAE) consulate in Thiruvananthapuram. Investigations by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had revealed that the smuggling was a massive national security problem, as the purpose of the gold was to spread terror in India and derail the national economy.

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IT raids on Bollywood director Anurag Kashyap and actress Tapsee Pannu reveal discrepancies worth 650 crores

By
The Commune
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anurag kashyap it raids

After the Income Tax (IT) department conducted raids at various places linked to actress Tapsee Pannu and filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, the IT department said in a statement on Thursday (04 March) that it found evidence of huge suppression of income and a discrepancy of around ₹ 300 crore through its searches. 

The IT carried out search operations in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi and Hyderabad. A total of 28 premises were covered in different locations, which include residences and offices.

The search revealed evidence of huge suppression of income compared to the actual box office collections. Company officials working for Anurag Kashyap could not explain the discrepancy of around ₹ 300 crore, said the statement from the IT department.

There is also evidence of manipulation and under-valuation of share transactions of the production house amongst the film directors and shareholders, having tax implication of about ₹ 350 crore.

Cash receipts amounting to ₹ 5 crore have been recovered from the leading actress and further investigations are on. Bogus expenditure having a tax implication of about ₹ 20 crore has been detected as well.

The IT department was able to secure huge amounts of digital data in the form of emails, WhatsApp chats, hard disk etc at the office premises of the two talent management companies which are under investigation. Seven bank lockers were also found and they have been placed under restraint.

The opposition parties have slammed the raids, calling it “politically motivated”. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that “the raids are being carried out against those who supported farmer protests”.

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TheCommune
The Commune is a news and views portal focusing on social and political issues of the southern part of India with a focus on Tamil Nadu.
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