Headlines from today's papers.
New state of Telangana is born today
India gets its 29th state today as the southern state of Andhra Pradesh will formally be split into two, with its northern area being carved into a new state called Telangana. The move comes after prolonged protests by residents who have felt the region has been neglected. Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrasekhara Rao, 60, will be sworn in as chief minister Monday morning, while N Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party will be sworn in as chief minister of the residual Andhra Pradesh state a week from now. Telangana will have a population of 35 million. Hyderabad will be the shared capital of both states for ten years, after which the city will become the capital of Telangana.
India’s democratic power will impact world: Modi
On his first visit to the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters in New Delhi after being sworn in as prime minister, Narendra Modi emphasised the challenge the party will face in keeping the faith of 550 million voters. Modi said that India must make the world realise that the country's democratic power will have a global impact. He added that his decision to invite leaders from neighbouring countries for his swearing-in ceremony last week was an attempt in that direction. Modi also said that it was the “common expectation that unified the electorate” in favour of the BJP and it was the party’s responsibility to live up to the popular expectations.
Congress MLA suspended for criticising Rahul Gandhi
Bhanwar Lal Sharma, a Congress MLA from Rajasthan, was suspended on Sunday for making critical comments about party vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Sharma had derided Gandhi's lack of direction on Saturday, calling him the "MD of the Congress Circus", while also criticising his choice of advisors. Sharma stated that he was not aware of the suspension until contacted by the media, but said that he did not care about the move. Earlier, the Congress had suspended Kerala leader TH Mustafa for calling Gandhi a “joker”.
Badaun case: Three accused said to confess to crime
Three of the men accused in the gang-rapes and murder of two teenage backward caste girls in a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun district last week are reported to have confessed to the crime, though a senior police officer said that no such statement has been recorded. So far, five people have been arrested in connection with the crime, including two policemen. Meanwhile, former UP chief minister Mayawati visited the village on Sunday to meet with the victims’ families, a day after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had done so.
Kolkata Knight Riders win second IPL title
The Kolkata Knight Riders beat the Kings XI Punjab by three wickets on Sunday at Bangalore’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium to win their second Indian Premier League title in three years. KKR, co-owned by Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, were last crowned champions in the 2012 edition of the Twenty20 domestic cricket tournament. Chasing Punjab's 199, of which 115 runs were scored by wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha, Kolkata got over the early loss of their openers to reach their target with three balls to spare, riding on batsman Manish Pandey's 50-ball 94. Following the win, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee took to Facebook to congratulate the team, as well as Khan.
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New state of Telangana is born today
India gets its 29th state today as the southern state of Andhra Pradesh will formally be split into two, with its northern area being carved into a new state called Telangana. The move comes after prolonged protests by residents who have felt the region has been neglected. Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrasekhara Rao, 60, will be sworn in as chief minister Monday morning, while N Chandrababu Naidu of the Telugu Desam Party will be sworn in as chief minister of the residual Andhra Pradesh state a week from now. Telangana will have a population of 35 million. Hyderabad will be the shared capital of both states for ten years, after which the city will become the capital of Telangana.
India’s democratic power will impact world: Modi
On his first visit to the Bharatiya Janata Party headquarters in New Delhi after being sworn in as prime minister, Narendra Modi emphasised the challenge the party will face in keeping the faith of 550 million voters. Modi said that India must make the world realise that the country's democratic power will have a global impact. He added that his decision to invite leaders from neighbouring countries for his swearing-in ceremony last week was an attempt in that direction. Modi also said that it was the “common expectation that unified the electorate” in favour of the BJP and it was the party’s responsibility to live up to the popular expectations.
Congress MLA suspended for criticising Rahul Gandhi
Bhanwar Lal Sharma, a Congress MLA from Rajasthan, was suspended on Sunday for making critical comments about party vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Sharma had derided Gandhi's lack of direction on Saturday, calling him the "MD of the Congress Circus", while also criticising his choice of advisors. Sharma stated that he was not aware of the suspension until contacted by the media, but said that he did not care about the move. Earlier, the Congress had suspended Kerala leader TH Mustafa for calling Gandhi a “joker”.
Badaun case: Three accused said to confess to crime
Three of the men accused in the gang-rapes and murder of two teenage backward caste girls in a village in Uttar Pradesh’s Badaun district last week are reported to have confessed to the crime, though a senior police officer said that no such statement has been recorded. So far, five people have been arrested in connection with the crime, including two policemen. Meanwhile, former UP chief minister Mayawati visited the village on Sunday to meet with the victims’ families, a day after Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had done so.
Kolkata Knight Riders win second IPL title
The Kolkata Knight Riders beat the Kings XI Punjab by three wickets on Sunday at Bangalore’s M Chinnaswamy Stadium to win their second Indian Premier League title in three years. KKR, co-owned by Bollywood superstar Shahrukh Khan, were last crowned champions in the 2012 edition of the Twenty20 domestic cricket tournament. Chasing Punjab's 199, of which 115 runs were scored by wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha, Kolkata got over the early loss of their openers to reach their target with three balls to spare, riding on batsman Manish Pandey's 50-ball 94. Following the win, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee took to Facebook to congratulate the team, as well as Khan.
