TDP's lone Lok Sabha member in Telangana joins TRS

In a setback to TDP in Telangana, its lone Lok Sabha member from the state Ch Malla Reddy joined the ruling TRS today. Malla Reddy, who represents Malkajgiri Lok Sabha constituency here, joined the TRS in the presence of party president and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. Welcoming Malla Reddy into the party fold, Rao said the entry of the MP into TRS should be seen as part of "reconstruction of Telangana". TDP won 15 Lok Sabha seats in AP and one (Malla Reddy from Malkajgiri) in Telangana in the 2014 general elections. Though the party had won 15 Assembly seats in the 2014 elections (simultaneously held with Lok Sabha polls), its strength came down to three as 12 MLAs joined the ruling TRS. TDP is in power in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh. Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also said the annual budget of Telangana would be to the tune of Rs two lakh crore by 2019-20 and up to Rs five lakh crore by 2024. Such a big budget means a lot can be done for welfare of different sections of society, he said. The Telangana government proposed a Rs 1.30 lakh crore budget for 2016-17.

Student attempts suicide after argument with policeman

A 20-year-old student today attempted to commit suicide by trying to immolate himself in front of Vanasthalipuram Police Station here following an "argument" with a sub-inspector over lodging a complaint. One Gopi Krishna, came to Vanasthalipuram police station to lodge a complaint against his classmate alleging that he was sending him objectionable messages on his phone, Inspector S Murali Krishna said. "Sub-Inspector V Saidulu told Gopi to speak to his classmate as both were friends before lodging the complaint. However, an argument broke out between Gopi and the Sub-Inspector over the matter after which Gopi attempted to immolate himself. However, police stopped him from doing so," Krishna said. Gopi's mother approached the police and requested not to register any case over the her son's attempt to commit suicide in view of her son being a student and hence, no case was registered, he added.

Telangana gears up to celebrate 2nd statehood day

The Telangana government has made elaborate arrangements to celebrate the state's second formation day tomorrow. The main official function will be held at the Parade ground here in which Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao will participate. The state government has sanctioned special funds for organising celebrations in all districts of the state. Telangana came into existence on June 2, 2014 as per the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act passed in Parliament. Many government buildings, including Legislature and Secretariat, and public spaces have been illuminated colourfully on the occasion. A number of cultural programmes have been lined up by different government agencies. The state government announced awards for a number of persons from different fields in recognition of their meritorious service.

Comedy actor Razak Khan passes away

Veteran comedy actor Razak Khan, who worked in films like "Hera Pheri", "Raja Hindustani" and "Baadshah" among others, died today following a cardiac arrest. "Lost my elder brother Razak bhai due to cardiac arrest. Please pray for his soul," the actor's close friend Shehzad Khan posted on Facebook, confirming the death. Khan, 65, was rushed to Holy Family hospital in suburban Bandra at around 12.30 AM where on arrival doctors declared him dead. His funeral is likely to be held tomorrow at the Narialwadi Kabaristan at Byculla in the city. Filmmaker Priyadarshan, who worked with Razak in "Hera Pheri", mourned the death of the comedian. "I just got to know. It is really sad. He has worked with me in a lot of movies and he was a great actor," filmmaker Priyadarshan told PTI. The comedian was also seen in Salman Khan's "Hello Brother", Shah Rukh Khan-starrer "Baadshah", and Aamir Khan's "Raja Hindustani". Khan's notable roles include "Anari No 1", "Hera Pheri", "Har Dil Jo Pyar Karega", "Aamdani Atthani Kharcha Rupaiyaa" and "Hungama". "Vikas Mohan yesterday, Razzak Khan today .. We are losing a lot of good people. Hope the families find strength in these times," director Anurag Kashyap tweeted. "Funny man Razak Khan has also passed away. May his soul rest in peace," Arshad Warsi tweeted. Filmmaker Hansal Mehta wrote, "Sad to hear about passing away of Razzak Khan. His finest performance in 'Dubai Return' with @irrfan_k unfortunately remains in the cans." "R I P. Razak Khan, a colleague of many a film. Condolences to all concerned!," actor Rishi Kapoor tweeted. Comedian Rajpal Yadav said the actor will be missed. TV comedy star Kapil Sharma tweeted, "A very nice person n talented actor. May your soul rest in peace Razak bhai.

Gulberg Society massacre: Verdict likely tomorrow

A special SIT court is likely to pronounce its verdict tomorrow in connection with a 2002 post-Godhra riots case of Gulberg Society in which 69 persons including former Congress MP Ehsan Jafri were killed. Special Court Judge P B Desai will deliver the judgement over eight months after the trial concluded on September 22, 2015. The Supreme Court, which is monitoring the case, had directed the SIT court to give its verdict by May 31. There are 66 accused named by the SIT in the case, of which nine are behind bars since 14 years, while others are out on bail. One of the accused, Bipin Patel is a sitting BJP corporator from Asarva seat. He was also the corporator in 2002 when the massacre happened and won the election for fourth consecutive term last year. Last week, the court had turned down pleas moved by two accused--Narayan Tank and Babu Rathod--to conduct narco analysis and brain mapping tests on them to prove their innocence. The court maintained that it was not required when the verdict was imminent. During the trial, riots victim's lawyer had argued that the massacre was a pre-planned criminal conspiracy hatched by the accused to kill minority community members of the Gulberg Society. The defence had refuted the conspiracy theory of prosecution and claimed that the mob resorted to violence only after slain Congress MP Eshan Jafri fired several rounds on them. The Gulberg Society case is one of the nine cases of the 2002 Gujarat riots probed by the Supreme Court appointed SIT. The incident had taken place a day after S-6 coach of Sabarmati Express was burnt near Godhra train station, where in 58 'karsevaks' were killed.

Muslims in India have no inclination to resort to violence: Hamid Ansari

Muslims in India have no inclination to resort to "ideologies and practices of violence", Vice President Hamid Ansari said today, as he offered Moroccan scholars a glimpse of India's efforts to seek acceptance of diversity. "The Muslim experience in modern India is that its citizens professing Islamic faith are citizens, consider themselves as such, are beneficiaries of the rights guaranteed to them by the Constitution, participate fully in the civic processes of the polity and seek correctives for their grievances within the system," Ansari said. "There is no inclination in their ranks to resort to ideologies and practices of violence," he said while delivering a lecture at the Mohammed V University here in the Moroccan capital on the last day of his trip. The Vice President said that Indian Muslims have lived in India's religiously plural society for over a thousand years and that has impacted on modern India and its existential reality of a plural society on the basis of which a democratic polity and a secular state structure was put in place. "The Indian model was of relevance to our globalising world because in India, an attempt was being made to look beyond the traditional virtue of tolerance and seek acceptance of diversity and adopt it as a civic virtue," said Ansari, who was conferred an honorary doctorate by the university. Speaking on 'Accommodating Diversity in a Globalising World: The Indian Experience', he said the challenge for the modern world is to accept diversity as an existential reality and to configure attitudes and methodologies to deal with it. He said that in countries having complex societal makeup, accommodation of diversity in political structures and socio-economic policies is not an option but an imperative necessity ignoring which can have unpleasant consequences.

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