Politics
Telugu Desam Party gears up for annual conclave ‘Mahanadu’ at Ongole

Andhra Pradesh’s main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is gearing up to hold its ‘Mahandu’ or annual conclave near Ongole on May 27 and 28 with the party chief N. Chandrababu Naidu exhorting party cadres to be ready for early elections.
The party on Wednesday began preparations for the event on 80 acres of land at Manduvari Palem on the outskirts of Ongole town of Prakasam district.
It decided to organise ‘Mahanadu’ outside Ongole after the state government denied permission for conducting the event in Ongole mini-stadium.
The TDP alleged that the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government deliberately delayed the allotment of the mini-stadium for holding ‘Mahanadu’ and finally rejected permission.
‘Mahanadu’ is organised every year in May, coinciding with the birth anniversary of party founder and former chief minister N. T. Rama Rao.
During the two-day deliberations, the party discusses the political situation and passes resolutions on a host of issues.
The annual conclave this year will focus on the prevailing ‘anarchic’ situation in Andhra Pradesh and its future.
TDP national president and former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu has asked the organising committees to focus on novelty and the party ideological commitments during the two-day event.
Over 5,000 delegates are expected to attend ‘Mahanadu’, which is being held in Ongole for the second time. The town had last hosted the event 15 years ago.
At the ‘Mahanadu’, Naidu is expected to urge the party cadres to be ready to face the elections whenever they are held.
He had called upon the party cadre on Tuesday to get ready for ‘early polls’ if announced ahead of the 2024 general elections.
“Advance elections are likely in the state ahead of 2024. Cadres and leaders should be prepared for this. We should get ready to face any challenge,” he said during a teleconference with party leaders.
The TDP chief said all sections of people were facing severe problems under the Jagan Reddy regime. In a difficult situation like this, they were looking at the TDP as a symbol of hope and a chance for their future.
Naidu said that a strong anti-government wave was sweeping all over against the YSRCP regime. The people were giving a warm reception to the TDP leaders during the ‘Badude Badudu’ campaign against increased taxes. On the other hand, the government faced public anger during its ‘Gadapa Gadapaku’ programme.
Chandrababu Naidu pointed out that the general public were coming forward and eagerly narrating their hardships to the TDP leaders. This was a clear indication of the huge anti-government sentiment. The TDP re-emerged as a pillar of assurance for the future of the state, he said.
The TDP chief shared his experiences and huge response during his visits to the districts as part of ‘Badude Badudu’ campaign. The unpopularity of the YSRCP rule was evident among all sections and in all regions of the state. The Jagan regime is facing a very severe resentment, he added.
Naidu asserted that the TDP leaders at all levels should move closer to the people. The TDP cadres and leaders should be prepared to meet any challenge.
Chandrababu Naidu held a meeting with party mandal and village committees to review ‘Badude Badudu’, party membership drive, voter verification and ‘Mahanadu’ arrangements. He asked the party leaders to visit every household in their areas. All sections were welcoming the TDP leaders and pouring out their woes because of the wrong policies in the past three years.
The TDP completed its 40 years in March this year. It was on March 29, 1982 that N. T. Rama Rao, a popular Telugu actor, formed the TDP on the slogan of Telugu self-respect.
NTR, as he was popularly called, created a record of sorts by coming to power within nine months of forming the party.
He died in January 1996, a few months after his son-in-law Chandrababu Naidu led a revolt against him to become the chief minister of then undivided Andhra Pradesh. Naidu led TDP to power in 1999 and remained chief minister till 2004, when Congress wrested the power.
After bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, TDP formed the first government in the residuary state. In 2019, the party lost power to YSRCP led by Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Maharashtra
Mira Bhayandar: 266 properties sealed as MBMC struggles to meet ₹200 Cr property tax collection target

Mira Bhayandar: With just two days left in the ongoing financial year, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) is facing a herculean task of collecting at least ₹28 crore to keep itself qualified for receiving grants under the 15th finance commission.
Stung by the cold shoulder response to notices and warnings, the MBMC’s tax department has sealed more than 266 properties of chronic tax defaulters who owe more than ₹5 crore. The MBMC had managed to recover a little over ₹172.58 crore till Tuesday evening which hovers below 79 percent of the total amount billed by the civic body towards property tax collections.
Surge in collection through digital payments
As per information sourced from the tax department, the target was set at ₹190 crore for the financial year 2021-22. However, the MBMC had managed to mop up just ₹161 crore. Against this year’s demand of around ₹222 crore, the MBMC has so far managed to recover a little over ₹172.58 crore 1 April 2022 to 28, March, 2023. The collections were limited to ₹150 crore in the corresponding period last year.
Notably, there has been a surge in collections through digital modes of payments including links on the municipal website and mobile application facilitated by the civic administration. Till now, more than ₹65.12 crore has been received from 1,24,715 taxpayers via digital payments. The assessed number of properties in the twin-city is currently pegged at around 3,68,501 including 63,498 commercial and 3,05,003 residential units. While the actual target is ₹222 crore, the MBMC needs to recover at least ₹200 crore to keep itself qualified for receiving grants under the 15th finance commission. Apart from this the shortfall in revenue generation is all set to put a negative effect on the ongoing developmental projects in the twin city.
Crime
Delhi HC stays FIR registration against Max Group owner’s son

The Delhi High Court on Wednesday stayed a sessions court order that had directed the police to register an FIR against Veer Singh, the son of Max Group founder-chairman Analjit Singh, for inducing a woman to cohabit with him and to establish sexual relations with him after performing a sham marriage ceremony.
Justice Anup Jairam Bhambhani stayed the order after Singh moved to the High Court.
The court has also issued notices on the plea and the case has been scheduled to come up for next hearing on May 29.
On March 27, Additional Sessions Judge of Saket Courts, Arul Verma, had directed the police to register an FIR under Sections 376, 493, 496, 417, 341, 342 and 354C of the IPC for inducing the woman to cohabit and have sexual relations with him (Veer Singh) without her consent.
The woman has alleged that Singh has “committed rape upon her” as she entered into a sexual relationship with him on the belief that she is “lawfully married” to him and that he is her husband.
The present case pivots around the allegation that Singh induced the revisionist to reel under a misconception of fact that she is lawfully married to him and it is on the basis of this “misconception” of fact that Singh established sexual relations with her.
At the outset, the court noted that the judgments relied upon by Singh’s counsel pertain to instances where there was sexual intercourse on the pretext of false promise of marriage. The court said that it is a case where prima facie there are allegations of commission of sexual intercourse without the consent of the woman.
It has been alleged that Singh and his family members had organised a wedding ceremony on December 4, 2018, in Taiwan and post-wedding rituals like ‘griha pravesh’ (when a newly-wed bride enters her new home with her husband) and ‘dhol’ ceremony.
It is to be noted that a child was begotten from this relationship and it is the revisionist’s case that in May 2020, Singh first got her and the child moved to a rented accommodation and later expressed that he did not want to cohabit with her any more.
The woman represented by advocates Shivani Luthra Lohiya and Nitin Saluja has claimed that Singh has also asked for the child’s custody and is disowning the factum of marriage.
It is alleged that after a sham ceremony was orchestrated by Singh and his family members, the woman has been deceived, followed and observed without her consent. It is alleged that Singh placed CCTV cameras and baby monitors in the bedrooms and the lobby, and recorded her movements without her consent and knowledge.
The court said that by perusing the records, it is revealed that a ceremony was conducted between the parties (the revisionist and respondent Singh) in Taiwan followed by post-wedding functions.
“A perusal of the photographs and videos produced on record reveals prima facie certain essential ceremonies of a de rigueur (proper) marriage were performed viz applying vermilion on the forehead, garlanding each other, applying mehndi and griha pravesh,” the court said.
Verma said that such a ceremony is “bound to induce” the revisionist to believe that a lawful marriage was entered into, and on this basis she agreed to cohabit and have sexual intercourse with Singh.
Singh’s sister had also congratulated the parties via Facebook on their marriage while his father had sent her a voice note welcoming her into the family.
However, Singh’s counsel adverted to certain emails exchanged between the parties to contend that Singh had no intention to marry the revisionist and that both of them had agreed to be in this relationship without a marriage.
To this, the court said that these contentions cannot be countenanced in as much as the abstruse personal messages exchanged between the parties do not unequivocally establish the claim of the respondent and that the messages were exchanged prior in time from the date of the marriage.
In the present case, allegations have been levelled by the revisionist that Singh has committed the offence of voyeurism against her and she placed reliance on her letter dated February 20, 2021, to the SHO of Defence Colony police station.
“Veer and staff members had also video recorded me while I was changing my clothes or when I was breastfeeding my son,” the woman alleged.
“This allegation, which prima facie crosses all bounds of decency and makes a woman feel unsafe in her own abode, definitely needs to be probed by the police,” the court noted.
“CCTV footage to establish incidents of stalking or voyeurism have to be obtained. Even the victim’s statement under Section 164 CrPC has to be recorded and medical examination conducted in order to unearth the truth of the matter,” the court said.
“The allegations as brought forth at this juncture paint a portrait of a hapless woman left in a lurch. Such an affront to the dignity of a woman cannot be brushed under the carpet for it will compound her ignominy,” the court said.
National News
Disrespect of national anthem complaint: Bombay HC refuses to grant relief to West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee

The Bombay High Court dismissed a plea by West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee seeking the quashing of a criminal complaint filed against her by a BJP leader for allegedly disrespecting the National Anthem.
The HC said there was no patent illegality in the session’s court order.
A single bench of Justice Amit Borkar dismissed the application filed by Banerjee challenging a sessions court’s order of January 2023 remitting the matter back to the magistrate’s court for inquiry and on the issue of issuance of summons.
Banerjee in her application said the sessions court, instead of quashing the summons and remitting the matter, ought to have quashed the entire complaint.
Justice Borkar, however, noted there was illegality in the sessions court’s order and hence the HC need not interfere.
A magistrate’s court in March 2022 issued a summons to Banerjee on the complaint filed by activist Vivekanand Gupta alleging that during a public function at Yashwantrao Chavan Auditorium at Cuffe Parade in Mumbai, Banerjee had started singing the National Anthem in the sitting position, and later standing up and singing two verses before abruptly stopping and leaving the venue.
The West Bengal chief minister had challenged the summons before the special court.
In January 2023, Special Judge R N Rokade set aside the summons issued by the magistrate on procedural grounds and asked the magistrate to consider the complaint afresh.
In her application in the HC, Banerjee challenged this order claiming that the summons ought to have been quashed instead of directing the magistrate to consider the same afresh.
Gupta in his complaint claimed that Banerjee’s acts amounted to an insult and disrespect to the national anthem, and hence they are an offence under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act of 1971.
He had lodged a complaint in the Cuffe Parade police station but moved the court of the metropolitan magistrate after the police failed to take any action.
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