Anti-YS Rajasekhara Reddy campaign gets louder

                                                                         
Panabaka Lakshmi, who was in Krishna district on Friday, told the media that the dalits did not get any benefit when YSR was chief minister. In Hyderabad, Nagarkurnool Lok Sabha MP told TOI that the dalit welfare programmes suffered a huge setback during the tenure of YSR. "If one looks at the diversion of funds meant for the welfare of the scheduled castes and tribes, there is no doubt that the late CM was anti-dalit" Jagannatham said.

According to the Congress MP, some ruling party leaders have been carried away by the hero-worship of YSR. "I respect YSR as a strong leader. However, when it comes to the issue of injustice he did to my community, I would not hesitate to criticize him," he said, adding that YSR had never shown any respect for the constitutional mandate in the matter of social justice.

Stating that he has perused through the reports of the parliamentary committees on social welfare, Jagannatham said YSR diverted the funds given by the Centre for the welfare of the SCs and STs to other programmes. "While the TDP regime diverted Rs 6000 crore meant for SC/STs, fund diversion by the YSR government rose to a staggering Rs 18,000 crore. Because of the continuous neglect of the SC/ST communities, the diversion amount has now crossed Rs 24,000 crore," he said. Jagannatham also claimed that the SEZ policy pursued by YSR pauperized the SC and STs. "See the displaced people of Jedcherla SEZ. All are either SCs or Lambadas, an ST community. All of them have lost their land. Now, these people have no place even to bury their dead. Who else should be blamed for this other than YSR?" the Congress MP asked.

According to Jagannatham, YSR refused to take grants from the central institutes because he did not want to keep alive financial corporations. As a result, all the financial institutions meant to assist the weaker sections were killed. "Institutions such as the SC Finance Corporation , ST Finance Corporation and BC Corporation became non-functional in Andhra Pradesh since the time of YSR," he said.

Guntur:175 calls to woman land Guntur Urban SP in court

                                                          
HYDERABAD/GUNTUR: Guntur Urban SP S Shyam Sundar has found himself in another controversy after the recent tussle with his fellow IPS officer and Guntur Rural SP over official quarters. A Hyderabad-based software engineer filed a writ petition in the High Court on Friday alleging that the SP has developed a ‘close relationship’ with his estranged wife.
The petitioner urged the High Court to direct the respondents (Guntur SP and others) not to proceed with the investigation into the case registered against him under sections 498A, 506, 509, 354 and 307 of IPC. He alleged that the Guntur SP was making all efforts to fix him and his family members in the criminal case under the influence of Gopi Priya.
Dealing with a writ petition filed by Kotha Karthik, Justice R Subhash Reddy directed the DGP, additional DGP (CID), Guntur SP, SHO of Arundalpet police station and the software engineer’s wife Kotha Gopi Priya to file counter affidavits in three weeks. In his writ petition, Karthik sought CID investigation into the conduct and role played by Shyam Sundar in a criminal case filed against him by his wife.The petitioner urged the High Court to direct the respondents (Guntur SP and others) not to proceed with the investigation into the case registered against him under sections 498A, 506, 509, 354 and 307 of IPC. He alleged that the Guntur SP was making all efforts to fix him and his family members in the criminal case under the influence of Gopi Priya.There is ample evidence to show that she had telephoned the SP 250 times between January 1 and March 20, 2012. Similarly, the SP also telephoned her 175 times during the period.

SRK's speech at Yale University

                                                                   
Good evening everyone, I'd like to thank you all for giving me the opportunity to be here. I also want to thank Isha for following up with the most disorganised and incommunicative person in the world in order to fix today's meeting with all of you. Thanks I really am honoured and extremely happy to be here.
 Journeys can be defined by age and time or even by destinations, as most often they are. But I feel it is hard for me to tell the story of my life in those terms because the concept of time has always eluded me. The day my father died seemed longer than my entire childhood.
 I have memories of being in Yale five years ago. It was December and so damn cold that while professing love to my leading lady and singing a Bollywood ditty, which went something like this - Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna - my mouth froze itself to death. I say death because as I inched closer to kiss her, mouthing the words Kabhi Alvida Na... my mouth and jaw just got locked.

So I am hoping my second outing to your wonderful university turns out differently because it would be highly embarrassing if I said "good evening Yaleites" or "Yalers" or whatever you guys are called, and got stuck at...yaaaaa....that wouldn't make for much of a speech.

I was told not to dwell too much on my movies when I speak to you, I am to give you an inspirational talk- tell you stuff you can think about when you leave this room.

That worries me, it gives me performance anxiety. Here you are, 1500 of you, hoping to hear words of wisdom from this sexy, desirable man, who couldn't kiss a girl, last time he was in Yale because it was too cold. But I'm not that guy, I mean, I'm sexy and desirable for sure but I'm not about to leave you anymore inspired than when you walked in here.

I read this lame joke on Google the other day (yes I pick everything up from Google, even the script of my next movie and I'm not ashamed of it - you can pick me up on Google too if you like!).

Akhilesh meets PM, seeks funds for central aided projects

                                                                  
New Delhi, April 14  Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav Saturday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here and discussed a range of issues, including funding for development projects, the Kumbh Mela and the Ganga cleaning drive.
The meeting at the Prime Minister's House at 7, Race Course Road was billed as a "courtesy call" by Akhilesh Yadav, who took over a month ago as Uttar Pradesh's youngest chief minister at 38.
But he did go armed with a long list of expectations the state government has from the centre.

"We have not demanded any package for the state. It was a good meeting with the prime minister. A host of issues related to Uttar Pradesh, including NREGA, roads, problems related to coal shortage, the Kumbh Mela to be held soon and the Ganga cleaning project were discussed," Akhilesh Yadav told reporters after the meeting.

The chief minister said he had demanded the central government's help and sanction of requisite funds for various centrally-aided projects, including those in the health, education, power, surface transport, drinking water, flood control and student welfare.
"The prime minister assured us that funds will be sent for all the schemes being implemented in the state," he said.
The chief minister also apprised the prime minister of preparations with regards to the Kumbh Mela to be organised in Allahabad and asked the government to increase its share in infrastructure development for the religious congregation of millions from across the world.
Akhilesh Yadav informed Manmohan Singh that his government has undertaken certain "course corrections" and was trying its best to bring back the state on the track of development and fiscal growth.
Agriculture, he told the prime minister, was a top priority of the Samajwadi Party (SP) government in the state. He asked for support in the power sector, crucial for growth of the agriculture sector.
The chief minister also told Manmohan Singh that the funds the Planning Commission allocated for development of Bundelkhand and Poorvanchal were inadequate and demanded that these be increased, sources said.

Odisha govt exploring back channel talks for MLA release

                                                         
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik who visited Koraput on Friday held a crucial meeting with local leaders where the back channel negotiation option figured, a senior official said.

Some elected representatives from Koraput were directed to explore contacts with the Chasi Mulia Adivasi Sangha (CMAS), a front organisation of the Maoists, for striking a deal with ultra group Andhra Pradesh Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) and to hold talks on other demands raised by them, the official said.

Some leaders have been entrusted with holding talks with top CMAS functionaries who in turn could negotiate with the AOBSZC holding 37-year-old Hikaka hostage and which has refused talks,another official said.

The AOBSZC has demanded release of 30 prisoners, including hardcore Maoist Chenda Bhusanam alias Ghasi, accused of killing 55 policemen in exchange for the freedom of the 37-year-old tribal legislator kidnapped on March 24 from Koraput district. "Direct negotiations would have facilitated the process," Home Secretary U N Behera said, adding no back channel contact with the abductors has been established so far.

Stay away from my parks and statues, Mayawati warns SP

                                                              
Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati, who had drawn flak from the Supreme Court for wasting taxpayers' money by building parks and installing her statues, today warned the ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh that any move to make changes in the memorials erected during her regime could create law and order problem.
The ruling SP should take a lesson from the BSP government which did not make any dent in the honour and prestige of the various parks and memorials set up by the Mulayam Singh Yadav government in the name of its ideologues and great men," she said at a function after paying floral tributes to Dr B R Ambedkar here. The former chief minister warned against any move to make changes in the parks saying "it would create a law and order problem not only in the state but also in the country"
The SP government should not indulge in any act which could create a problem in the country and their government could also face serious problem," she said.

Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Thursday had announced that while the previous regime had built parks and statues, his government will set up IT park in Lucknow to attract companies to the state capital.