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Congress to discuss ‘alliance hurdles’ at Chintan Shivir

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The Congress is gearing up for its Chintan Shivir in Rajasthan’s Udaipur next week and party president Sonia Gandhi has sought a draft report from the sub committees on Monday ahead of the CWC meet which will formalise its agenda. Sources say among the political resolutions, the alliances will be the key focus on the lines of the Shimla Shivir, which paved the way for the government in 2004.

Sources say that as suggested by political strategist Prashant Kishor, the party will focus on how to take like-minded parties on board and start the consultation process just after the Chintan Shivir. The problem crops up where the party is pitted against regional parties, as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday said there will be no alliance with the TRS and warned all the leaders not to talk about it.

Similarly in Andhra Pradesh, the party has to make a choice between the TDP or going alone as YSRCP is unlikely to go with the Congress. The party is in alliance with the DMK in Tamil Nadu, with JMM in Jharkhand and with the NCP-Shiv Sena in Maharashtra.

In the North East, either the BJP or the regional parties have replaced the Congress and the alliance with the AIUDF failed in Assam. The party is zero in West Bengal and state chief minister Mamata Baneejee is not willing to play second fiddle to the Congress at the national level as she is herself trying to build an alliance of regional parties.

The emergence of the AAP outside Delhi has created another problem as regional parties are taking the place of the Congress in the states. A leader who recently left the Congress to join the BJP said, “the real problem is regional parties which are eating into Congress votes while the BJP is strengthening its vote base socially and through social sector schemes which played a key role in recent electoral wins.”

States like UP, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal, where the regional parties are pitted against the Congress, will be on the agenda in the brainstorming session besides a focus on 180 Lok Sabha seats where there is minimal presence of the party which is a cause of concern. To get back its lost glory, the party has to form alliances to be a formidable challenger in the states.

The major test will be in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh this year, where the AAP is making inroads, then states like Karnataka, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh which are going to the polls in 2023. These are the major states where the Congress has to perform better and win to throw a challenge to the BJP in the 2024 general elections.

Crime

Why Bengal govt is taking time to implement SC’s order on cancellation of school jobs: Calcutta HC

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Kolkata, April 21: The Calcutta High Court, on Monday, observed why the West Bengal government and West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) are taking time to implement the order by the Supreme Court (SC), cancelling 25,753 teaching and non-teaching jobs in state-run schools.

Acting on a contempt-of-court petition filed against the state government and WBSSC for not implementing the apex court order, Calcutta High Court’s division bench of Justice Debangsu Basak and Justice Shabbar Rashidi also directed the state government and the commission to explain to the court within a day.

The next hearing on the matter will be on April 23, and the state government and the commission will have to submit their explanations on the same day.

Last year, the same division bench of Justice Basak and Justice Rashidi cancelled 25,753 teaching and non-teaching jobs, which is the entire panel of WBSSC for 2016. The state government approached the SC challenging the order.

Earlier this month, the SC division bench of Chief Justice of India Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar upheld the order of the Calcutta High Court and also accepted the observation that the entire panel had to be cancelled because of the failure on the part of the state government and the commission to segregate the “genuine” candidates from the “tainted” ones.

Thereafter, the contempt of court petition was filed at the same division bench of the Calcutta High Court, accusing the state government and the commission of not even initiating the termination of jobs of those who have already been identified as “tainted” by the commission itself.

During the hearing in the matter on Monday, the division bench observed that there will be problems if even the “tainted” candidates continue receiving their salaries.

On Monday, the division bench also raised the question of why the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officials are not interrogating those candidates who have already been identified as “tainted.”

The division bench also observed that the CBI should find out how those who were paid money by the “tainted” candidates against jobs.

On Wednesday, the CBI counsel will also have to give an explanation to the court in the matter.

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National News

Delhi CM’s heat action plan: 3000 water ATMs, cooling shelters, ‘Aapda Mitras’

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New Delhi, April 21: Activating the disaster management machinery and proposing 3,000 cold water ATMs, Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Monday unveiled Heat Action Plan (2025), promising to collectively offer respite to people in sweltering heat.

Apart from involving 1,800 National and Delhi Disaster Response volunteers or ‘Aapda Mitras’, the plan talks of setting up shaded, cooling shelters, opening 3,000-4,000 large water RO units attached to boundary walls of Delhi government schools and office buildings to dispense cold water round-the-clock for five lakh citizens.

It also proposes setting up 3,000 water ATMs for the public on PWD roads — near bus stops and traffic intersections.

Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said the national capital’s seasons are often associated with civic woes — water shortage in summer, pollution in winter and waterlogging in monsoon — but her government would ensure citizens can enjoy every season without trouble.

Repeating her government’s commitment to offer relief to heat-struck people, CM Gupta said under the Heat Action Plan, 3000 water coolers or ATMs would be installed — 1,000 on public roads, 1000 in government buildings and 1,000 in the rural belt.

“We will also seek help from private entities under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives,” she said.

The Chief Minister said the Delhi government will regularly issue heat alerts through SMS and social media for the public to take precautions.

Besides special heatwave wards in hospitals, Aapda Mitras will also be deputed for anti-heat actions in slums.

“Every life is precious for the nation and the city, and we are committed to saving it,” she said, suggesting measures to help even animals.

Earlier, PWD Minister Parvesh Verma said the Delhi government is going to prove its commitment to public welfare through its actions and not just announcements.

He said the Delhi government has already launched GPS-linked water tankers to meet the summer crisis and initiated the introduction of new heat-resistant, cool roofs for government buildings, and the experiment will be expanded gradually.

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Maharashtra

Loudspeakers of mosques in Mumbai, Kurt Somaiya’s notice against mosques, threat of deteriorating atmosphere, police notice to maintain law and order,

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Mumbai: Mumbai The controversy over loudspeakers of Mumbai mosques has now intensified. BJP leader Kret Soumya is adamant on action against mosques in Mumbai, after which the Mumbai Police also issued a restraining order notice to Kret Soumya. But despite all this, Kret Soumya visited the Bhandup police and not only demanded action against loudspeakers, but the police, under Kret Soumya’s pressure, took action against loudspeakers of four mosques in Malind. In addition, an illegal mosque was located in Jala Ram Market. Action was taken against it. So far, 11 loudspeakers have been removed. All these loudspeakers were on the mosque within the limits of the Bhandup police station. This information was given by Kret Soumya.
Bhandup police had issued a notice under Section 168 to Kreet Soumya to maintain law and order, asking him not to visit the Muslim settlements of Bhandup Khandipara during his visit on April 19, as this could pose a threat to law and order and also create traffic problems. Along with this, the police had also issued an order for action under Section 223 for violating the notice, despite which Kreet Soumya appeared at the Bhandup police station.
Kreet Soumya’s incitement against mosques is at its peak, and Kreet Soumya’s campaign in Mumbai city is also threatening law and order and communal harmony, while Kreet Soumya has also warned of intensifying this campaign, which continues to pose a law and order problem in Mumbai city. Kret Soumya’s campaign against mosques has also raised fears of communal tension, while the police have now started the process of sending notices to Kret Soumya for visiting Muslim-majority areas. However, despite this, Kret Soumya tries to pressure police officers by going to the relevant police station, while the police have banned Kret Soumya from entering mosques and other religious places in Muslim-majority areas. This is the first time this action has been taken against Kret Soumya in Bhandup.

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