Govt support to fish medicine only for this year: Lokayukta

Govt support to fish medicine only for this year: Lokayukta Bathinis Told To Procure Fishlings, Pay Rent To Exhibition Society TIMES NEWS NETWORK  Hyderabad: Making it clear that the state cannot sponsor or support superstitions, Lokayukta Justice B Subhashan Reddy on Wednesday directed the state government to stay away from the conduct of the fish medicine camp held annually by Bathini Harinath Goud. “Except the blind belief among people that this fishling stuffed with some substance would, when swallowed, cure asthma and ailments related to lungs, there is no scientific basis for the same,” the judge said.     However,the Lokayukta allowed the state government to extend logistic support like providing bandobast, water, toilets, ambulance, etc to the camp for this year alone. The Bathinis, however, were directed to procure fishlings on their own for this year’s event, to be held between 8 am and 8 pm on June 8 and 9. “No such support would be available to the organisers of this camp from next year onwards,” Justice Subhashan Reddy said and ruled that the organisers should make arrangements on their own from next year onwards.     The judge made this order after hearing petitioner Atchuta Rao of AP Baalala Hakkula Sangham who wanted the court to direct the organisers not to administer this medicine to children. The judge heard from the authorities of GHMC, police and revenue wings their side of the story on the reasons for their support to the event.     The judge in his nine-page order said that both the AP High Court and the city civil court had earlier held that this fish medicine had no medicine in it and there was no basis to show that this medicine would cure any ailments. However, the judge said that since the courts or experts who went into the issue earlier came to a conclusion that this substance was neither useful nor harmful to humans, he could not direct the authorities to prevent Harinath Goud from organising this camp. “He is not publicising the event and people come every year to avail this ‘medicine’,” the judge said. “It is like faith healing and Harinath can be seen as a faith healer,” he said. Justice Subhashan Reddy further ruled that the Exhibition Society which charges Rs 2.7 lakh for letting out the venue for the fish prasadam event, should collect the same from Harinath Goud. It can offer him the facility and amount can be collected in installments, he added.     Later, addressing the media, Subhashan Reddy said that the revenue authorities had informed him that the land that was allotted to Bathini Harinath Goud by the state in Hyderabad earlier was being taken back because the land was not put to use by him for the specified purpose so far.

BJP surges on Modi, Cong flounders, Nitish jolted

BJP surges on Modi, Cong flounders, Nitish jolted Saffrons Bag 6/6 in Guj, TMC Keeps Howrah TIMES NEWS NETWORK  New Delhi: The Lok Sabha and assembly bypoll results in four states offer no cheer to Congress, deliver a boost to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, bring succour to Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee and present Bihar CM Nitish Kumar with a reality check.     Wednesday’s standout result was BJP’s clean sweep of two LS and six assembly seats in Gujarat. Modi immediately hailed the victories as a signal that Congress’s time in office is up. As the assembly seats were held by Congress,  they amplify BJP’s success.     Congress’s continued poor run will give the Opposition a leg-up ahead of the monsoon session of Parliament where it may be even less inclined to cooperate with the government. The poor results shrink Congress’s political capital, impacting its capacity for unilateralism.     The ruling party may not have the stomach for bold decisions on issues like Telangana and reforms as it will now have to focus on crucial elections in major states like Delhi, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.     Now, BJP holds 17 of Gujarat’s 26 LS seats and the results are bound to resonate at the meeting of the party’s national executive in Goaover the weekend where the debate over projecting Modi as PM is likely to crop up.     Congress turncoat Vitthal Radadia’s thumping win in Porbandar, hometown of Congress state chief Arjun Modhwadia, points to the party’s reduced fortunes. Spurred by a rising hype over Modi, BJP has reiterated its dominance in Gujarat.     Modi and Nitish Kumar were in Delhi on Wednesday at a meeting of CMs where they did not exchange a word.     The Bihar CM did not offer any reaction to rival RJD retaining the Maharajganj LS seat with a 137,000-vote margin.     RJD nominee Prabhunath Singh’s win is seen as a cause for some concern for Kumar, although the seat had been held by the rival camp. In 2009, RJD had scraped through on less than 3,000 votes.     It may, however, be premature to read the Bihar result solely as a result of Kumar’s growing estrangement with the BJP. The constituency has a good presence of upper castes with Rajputs backing the RJD nominee. The area is influenced by controversial former MP Shahbuddin and Yadavs continue to back Lalu Prasad.     In fact, some observers maintain, Janata Dal(U) might have benefitted had BJP put up a candidate as this could have split the Rajput and Bhumihar support for RJD in this election.  BYPOLL BOOST FOR BJP & MODI LOK SABHA Porbandar | BJP Vitthal Radadia defeats Cong candidate by 1.34 lakh votes Sabarkantha | BJP Haribhai Chaudhary defeats Cong’s Krishna Gadhvi by over 71 000 votes Maharajganj | RJD | RJD’s Prabhunath Singh defeats P K Shahi of JD(U) by 1.37 lakh votes Howrah (WB) | Trinamool | Prasun Banerjee beats CPM’s Sridip Bhattacherje by 27,000 votes  Assembly Dhoraji (GUJ) | BJP Pravin Mankadia defeats Cong’s Haribhai Patel by 11,497 votes Morva Hadaf (GUJ) | BJPNimisha Suthar defeats Cong’s Bhupendrasinh Khant by 17,716 votes Jetpur (GUJ) | BJPRadadia’s son Jayesh defeats Cong’s Jagdish Pambhar by 52,910 votes Limbadi (GUJ) | BJPKiritsinh Rana defeats Cong’s Satish Patel by 24,787 votes Yavatmal (MAHA) | Cong Nandini Parvekar defeats BJP’s Madan Yerawar by 15,233 votes Cong continues to lose ground in major states  New Delhi: On the whole, BJP is not seen to have been a significant factor while Prabhunath Singh – a controversial leader – is a heavy weight.     The Maharajganj outcome may not influence Kumar’s resolve to leave NDA if Modi is projected as the PM as it is not seen as a reflection of the JD(U)-BJP rift. But the results do underline the need for Kumar to account for discontent among influential caste groups like Bhumihars and tone up the state administration.     The failure of JD(U) candidate P K Shahi, a Bhumihar, to receive the support of his caste indicates that Kumar will need to re-calibrate his election strategy to account for a four-cornered contest in which he must grab a sizeable section of the minority vote.     The Bihar result brought cheer to Lalu Prasad, but this does not necessarily mean he is on the comeback trail. A more splintered vote where BJP puts up its nominee can spell trouble for him. At the same time, he can bask in his moment of success, particularly in the light of a large victory margin

Decorated J&K cop arrested for terror links

Decorated J&K cop arrested for terror links Sanjay Khajuria TNN  Jammu: AdecoratedJammu & Kashmir police sub-inspector (SI) was among two cops arrested on Tuesday for their alleged involvement in a grenade attack on a police post at Thathri in Doda district.      Sources said Shiv Krishan Sharma, a recipient of President's gallantry award for his role in anti-insurgency operations, was arrested on the basis of the disclosures of five men arrested for the attackon April27.His personal security officer, Mohd Ayub, has been arrested as well. Police had claimed to have solved the case on May 23 with the arrest of the five --Abdul Rashid, Akhter Hussain, Mohammad Rafi, Altaf Hussain and Mohammad Yaqoob. They told police that Sharma had given them weapons and explosives recovered from them.     Sources said the five were allegedly planning some political killings without elaborating further.  8 hurt in Kashmir grenade attack Srinagar: At least eight people, including two policemen, were wounded after a grenade aimed at an Army vehicle missed its target and went off on a street on Tuesday. TNN

Reds kill CRPF officer in fresh violence

Reds kill CRPF officer in fresh violence 50 Personnel Were On A Combing Op When Rebels Fired TIMES NEWS NETWORK  Raipur: An assistant commandant of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was killed on Saturday in a Maoist firing at village Khallari, about 15km from Nagri town in Dhamtari district of Chhattisgarh.     Police sources said CRPF assistant commandant S K Das was killed in the encounter.     Following a tip-off about the presence of rebels in the area, CRPF 211 battalion’s around 50 personnel were on a combing operation, when the rebels fired indiscriminately, leading to the encounter.      The attack comes a week after the mowing down of Congress leaders and their security personnel. One of them was Mahendra Karma’s personal security officer who died due to his wounds on Saturday, taking the toll up to 30.     “PSO Siyaram Singh, who received serious intestinal injuries in the gun fire, died of multiple organ failure at the hospital,” police sources said.     He had received bullet injuries which caused the infection.     Meanwhile, anti-insurgency operations in and around Darbha is getting hampered by booby traps laid by the Maoists.     Every inch of the land in the area gives an impression that there could be some sort of explosives which might take off if stepped on or even touched.     An example of a booby trap: an effigy of chief minister Raman Singh lay by a tree with a note, “Hamari jan adalat Raman Singh ko fansi ki saja deti hai (our people’s court orders Raman Singh to be hanged till death).     This was near Narayanpur area. Before the effigy could be taken down, a cow began grazing the area and when it got close to it, the effigy exploded, wounding the cow severely.     The effigy was stuffed with explosives.

Painkillers can up heart attack risk

Painkillers can up heart attack risk Kounteya Sinha TNN  London: Two of the world’s most common painkillers taken in high doses over a long period of time increases the chances of heart attack.     The painkillers Ibuprofen and Diclofenac, called non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), are used by millions of Indians. A study announced by the Lancet on Thursday showed that 11 out of 1,000 people who pop these pills regularly and in high doses will suffer a heart attack.     High doses of NSAIDs, researchers say, increases major vascular events (non-fatal heart attacks, strokes, and death) by around a third, mainly by increasing the risk of heart attacks.     Importantly, the risk is highest in those with a previous history of heart disease or people prone to high blood pressure or cholesterol.     NSAIDs have been used by people with inflammatory disorders like rheumatoid arthritis. Earlier research has linked their use with an increased risk of serious gastrointestinal complications, while a new generation of NSAIDs (coxibs) developed to reduce these gastrointestinal side effects have come under scrutiny for increasing the risk of heart attacks and death.