Telangana

Controversy

Hardening his stand, the Chief Minister announced that only 1,200 employees are now left in the TSRTC.

With the employees of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) continuing their strike, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao on Sunday night said that there was no question of taking back those who did not join duties before the deadline set by the government. The Chief Minister announced that only 1,200 employees are now left in TSRTC, even as about 50,000 employees continued their strike for a second consecutive day, paralysing bus services across the state. Terming the strike illegal, the government had asked the employees to report for duty by 6 pm on Saturday, failing which they will lose their jobs. Hardening his stand, the Chief Minister ruled out merging TSRTC with the government, which is the main demand of the striking employees. Stating that those who went on strike committed a grave mistake, he said there was no question of any compromise with them. He made it clear that there will be no talks with the striking employees."The strike by RTC now is illegal, irresponsible and based on wrong thinking. In states like Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chattisgarh and Manipur, there are no RTCs. They are there nominally in Bihar, Odisha, Jammu and Kashmir, West Bengal, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. After Karnataka, large number of buses are being run in Telangana. When we are taking care so well, is there any need for them to go on strike?” the CMO quoted KCR as saying, in a statement. These are the demands of #TSRTC unions- maternity benefit, allowing RTC to start transport of parcel, purchase new buses, fill vacancies, hike the salary which has been due since 30 months etc. Demands which can make this corporation healthy#Telangana#TSRTCStrike pic.twitter.com/ZUT2vVKuv8 — Donita Jose (@DonitaJose) October 6, 2019 At a review meeting with top officials, KCR pressed for the appointment of new employees soon. He said the newly-recruited employees should be made to give an undertaking that they would not join any trade union. KCR also directed the officials to immediately hire and operate 2,500 private buses. There are 4,114 private buses and if they are made into state carriages, they would also come under the TSRTC, he said. He said a new beginning would be made in the history of TSRTC and it will be turned into a profit-making organisation. He noted that TSRTC is incurring losses to the tune of Rs 1,200 crore and has Rs 5,000 crore debts coupled with the ever rising diesel prices. It was decided that 50 percent of the buses in TSRTC will be private buses while the remaining will be owned by the public utility. The Chief Minister believes that if measures are taken in this direction and buses are run efficiently, TSRTC will become profitable in two to three years. While some took to social media like Twitter to back the government's decision, many protested against it, using the hashtag #IStandWithRTC Getting to hear a lot of conspiracy theories about the #TSRTCStrike. Come on now, spare a thought for 50,000 workers and their families. Have a heart.#RTCStrike #IStandWithTSRTC#SaveTSRTC — syed mohammed (@syedmohammedd) October 6, 2019 Salaries of Telagana MLAs are one of the Highest paid in the country ₹2.5 Lakhs /month + Benefits But they Don't have money .to pay to RTC employees #iStandwithTSRTC#tsrtcstrike pic.twitter.com/w3ZCC6nR6L— Srikanth (@srikanthbjp_) October 6, 2019 RTC has been the backbone of our Telugu states long before KCR, and it will remain so long after he is gone.#IStandWithTSRTC — nikrat (@300_126) October 6, 2019 This is completely illegal and inhuman. In solidarity with all employees of #TSRTC . Workers will not watch this silently. We will resist this move of @TelanganaCMO Workers unity zindabad. @cpimlliberation @Dipankar_cpiml @cpimspeak @kanhaiyakumar @kavita_krishnan https://t.co/6trpdxEtdD — AICCTU Karnataka (@aicctukar) October 6, 2019 This is very sad. World over Public transport is strengthened. Here, in a city which had only 3800 buses and RTC employees asking for a better TSRTC, @TelanganaCMO decides to sack all of them. We at BBPV stand in solidarity with #TSRTC employees. @HydWatch @CitizensForHyd https://t.co/M4yf6H0HLc — BusPrayanikaraVedike (@BBPVedike) October 6, 2019 Reasonable demands left unmet, the government agenda seems to be turning over public transit to private interests. https://t.co/EdI1QayZ6X — DharmaVirodhi Aditya (@almostinfamous) October 6, 2019 This is not the Telangana our crew faught for #TSRTCstrike https://t.co/qaBl7bqEBe — CityOrdinary (@CityOrdinary) October 6, 2019 IANS inputs Read: As Telangana bus strike continues, authorities seek alternate ways to run services

Body 2:

Weather

According to the Telangana State Development Planning Society, parts of the city recorded rainfall of nearly 10 cm.

TNM Staff

File photo: PTI

Water gushed into the ICU of a hospital in Hyderabad as torrential rains once again lashed the city, inundating low-lying areas on Sunday. Water entered the Intensive Care Unit of Malla Reddy Narayana Multispeciality Hospital in Jeedimetla. One to two-feet deep water accumulated in the emergency ward in the basement, causing severe inconvenience to patients. Hospital staff, with the help of attendants of patients, were seen pumping out water. Many parts of the city experienced heavy rains in the afternoon, flooding the roads and throwing the normal life out of gear. The heavy rains that lasted for over two hours also inundated low-lying areas and brought the vehicular traffic to a halt. According to the Telangana State Development Planning Society, parts of the city recorded highest rainfall of nearly 10 cm. Quthbullapur, where Malla Reddy Hospital is located, recorded 9.2 cm rainfall. The Hyderabad Meteorological Centre said cumulonimbus clouds caused heavy rains at many places. Heavy rains led to tree fall in #Ranigunj #Secunderabad #HyderabadRains. @GHMCOnline's disaster response teams on the field to clear water-logging, fallen trees across the city @Director_EVDM @CommissionrGHMC pic.twitter.com/yMdqzUxn4F— TOI Hyderabad (@TOIHyderabad) October 6, 2019 Woman who was washed away in a flooding street at LB nagar #Hyderabad rescued by a resident during #HyderabadRains on Sunday. The act was caught on #cctv @XpressHyderabad pic.twitter.com/UWwv2bCKGw — PintoDeepak_TNIE (@PintoDeepakTNIE) October 6, 2019 Due to heavy rains and water logging on main road, traffic slow moving towards airport at Shamshabad. Public going to airport are advised to take ORR to reach Airport seamlessly. pic.twitter.com/JRdd6Z13AO — CYBERABAD TRAFFIC (@CYBTRAFFIC) October 6, 2019 The city during last two weeks experienced many spells of heavy rains, breaking new records. The city recorded more than 100 percent excess rainfall during September. Just last month, in a similar incident, water had entered the emergency ward of the Lalaguda railway hospital. Meanwhile, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast more rains in Telangana over the next three days. While the IMD alert states that thunderstorm and lightning was likely to occur on Monday, it issued a heavy rain alert for Tuesday and Wednesday. IANS inputs Read: Inundated streets and homes: What causes flooding in Hyderabad's Madhapur? Hyderabad's Punjagutta flyover floods yet again during heavy downpour Part of the historic Golconda fort in Hyderabad crumbles due to heavy rains

Body 2:

Crime

In the last week of September, the ACB booked cases against 17 government officials after the scam came to light.

TNM Staff

The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) made two more arrests on Sunday in Telangana's "ESI scam." A pharmacist who assisted pharma companies and government officials in the scam was taken into custody. Earlier on Sunday, the managing director of Life Care Drugs and Pharmaceuticals was arrested. Nagalakshmi, a pharmacist working with the ESI Hospitals, is accused of colluding with Baddam Sudhakar Reddy, the managing direction of Life Care Drugs. Sudhakar is accused of roping in former Insurance Medical Services (IMS) director Dr CH Devika Rani, who allegedly assisted Sudhakar in obtaining a purchase order worth Rs 8.25 crore. In the last week of September, the ACB booked cases against 17 government officials after the scam came to light. The officials were accused of colluding with pharma companies, preparing fake indents and records to purchase medicines and surgical kits from a select few pharma companies in the name of emergency supplies. While the loss to the exchequer is pegged at Rs 11.69 crore, an ACB official speaking to The Hindu stated that, "The IMA director, along with her other colleagues and four private individuals, including a Telugu news channel journalist, had allegedly diverted Rs 300 crore by procuring drugs from non-rate contract firms in the name of ‘emergency medicines.'" The ACB took seven persons into custody late last month, including the IMS director Devika, Joint Director K Padma, the Assistant Director Vasantha Indira, Senior Assistant Harshvardhan, a pharmacist Radhika, the managing director of Omni Medi, Srihari and his employee Nagaraju. On October 1, the ACB reportedly took into custody the senior assistant of ESI hospital M Surendernath Babu, making him the eighth arrest. The ACB had accused Surendernath of forcing the in-charge medical officer of Patancheru to sign a false indent for medicines. Those medicines were however not delivered to the ESI hospital. Surendernath is accused of colluding with K Padma, the joint director of Insurance Medical Services and the pharmacist M Radhika. The investigation into the case is ongoing.

Body 2:

Controversy

The opposition pointed out that several RTC employees were active participants in the Telangana agitation for separate statehood and added that a 'thankless' KCR had now betrayed them.

TNM Staff

Opposition parties in Telangana flayed the decision of the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao to likely sack close to 50,000 employees of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) for going on strike. As about 50,000 employees continued their strike for a second consecutive day, paralysing bus services across the state, KCR on Sunday evening said that there was no question of taking back employees who did not join duties before the deadline set by the government. The Chief Minister announced that only 1,200 employees were now left in the TSRTC."BJP strongly condemns the thoughtless and provocative decision taken by Chief Minister KCR on the striking employees of TSRTC, by declaring that all those who didn't heed his warning are dismissed. KCR has no right to take this unilateral action without any substantial reason. His order will be challenged in courts and can never be actually implemented," Telangana BJP President K Laxman said in a statement."KCR seems to be clearly forgetting that we are a nation with legal framework and he can't take such knee jerk decisions overnight on thousands of employees," he added. The BJP also pointed out that several RTC employees were active participants in the Telangana agitation for separate statehood and added that a 'thankless' KCR had now betrayed them. "KCR with his brazen decision to dismiss RTC employees is trying to impact thousands of employees and their families and drag them on to the roads during festival season. This is the reward KCR wants to give to the employees in the state for having fought alongside for Telangana formation," the Telangana BJP chief said. Taking to Twitter, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief Uttam Kumar Reddy said, "Telangana Congress severely condemns CM KCR’s threats to dismiss TSRTC employees. We stand by RTC employees and will participate in all their struggles against this dictatorial attitude. We fully support their demand for the merger of RTC into the state government." Other Congress leaders like MLC T. Jeevan Reddy and TPCC working president Ponnam Prabhakar also lashed out at KCR. Speaking to reporters in Hyderabad, Congress Legislative Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka said, “We are convinced that the chief minister is preparing to hand over the corporation to a private company belonging to a ruling TRS member. He knows that the corporation which is already in debts could be easily privatised. People of Telangana should understand this conspiracy and resist it." Many people also took to social media to voice their support for the employees, with the hashtag #IStandWithTSRTC.

Body 2:

Controversy

With some reports stating that the money will go to two sons of the Nizam, other descendants of the last Asaf Jahi ruler are gearing up to claim their share.

IANS

Image: Facebook/The Nizam's-Hyderabad

A battle royale appears on cards as 120 descendants of the last Nizam of Hyderabad are ready to challenge in court any move to deny them their due share in 35 million pound deposited in a London bank seven decades ago. With the UK High Court on October 2 ruling in favour of India in the 70-year-old dispute, the focus is on the legal heirs of seventh Nizam Mir Osman Ali Khan, the last ruler of Hyderabad State which acceded to India in 1948. With some reports following the court verdict suggesting that the money will go to Prince Mukarram Jah Bahadur, the titular eighth Nizam and his younger brother Muffakham Jah, other descendants of the last Asaf Jahi ruler are gearing up to claim their share. Nawab Najaf Ali Khan, one of the grandsons of Mir Osman Ali Khan, told IANS that it was he who took the initiative to get the money stuck in the bank by digging out old records and holding negotiations."If those two grandsons are the only claimants as being claimed, why were they sitting quiet till 2013," he asked. He claims that he had a solicitor in London to fight the case till 2016 but he was persuaded to come under Nizam Estate to jointly fight the case. Khan, who claims to be representing interests of 120 descendants, said they were party to the agreement between Nizam Estate and the Indian government to jointly fight the case. They were assured that the money will be distributed among all legal heirs of Nizam. The UK High Court rejected Pakistan's claim over the funds deposited in a NatWest Bank Plc during Hyderabad's accession to India in 1948. After Partition of India and before the merger of the then Hyderabad state with India, Nizam's Finance Minister Moin Nawaz Jung had transferred 10,07,940 pounds sterling and nine shillings in the name of then Pakistan High Commissioner in London, H.I. Rahimtoola in the NatWest Bank. India raised an objection to the transfer, saying the Nizam was not an independent ruler and prevailed upon the bank to freeze the account. Since then, the matter was hanging fire. The Nizam had refused to accede to India after the country's Independence on August 15, 1947. He wanted to remain an independent state or join Pakistan. The princely state finally merged with the Indian Union in September, 1948 after an operation by Indian Army. Pakistan has four weeks to challenge the UK High Court's ruling. Nizam's descendants expect some clarity in the case in next 10 days."If the two brothers deny us our share, we will go to court. We will not keep quiet," said Najaf Ali Khan, son of Prince Hasham Jah Bahadur. "We will decide after consulting our legal advisors," he said when asked if they would approach London High Court or a court in India. He wondered why nobody raised an objection when he was fighting for 15 years for the money stuck in the bank. He claims that neither Nizam Trust nor the divorced wife of Mukarram Jah has anything to do with this money. Khan claimed that his grandfather never stated that only Mukarram Jah and Muffakham Jah are his two legal heirs. "All his sons, grandsons and granddaughters are his heirs," said Najaf Ali Khan, who is also president of Nizam Family Welfare Association. Khan said Nizam used to issue a notification on birth of his sons and daughters, naming them as his heirs. Khan contended if only Mukarram Jah and his brother were the only legal heirs, others would not have received the benefits from various trusts formed by Nizam. He pointed out that all the legal heirs of Nizam got their share in the Rs 206 crore received from the government of India in 1995 for the sale of fabulous Nizam jewellery. Najaf Ali Khan's father Hasham Jah Bahadur was one of the 16 sons of Mir Osman Ali Khan. The Nizam also had 18 daughters. Only a daughter is surviving. Ten of Nizam's sons and daughters were issueless. He had 104 grandchildren, some of whom have passed away, according to the family. About 400 family members of the Nizam clan, mostly 5th and 6th generation, are settled in Hyderabad, other parts of India and abroad. Mir Osman Ali Khan, who ruled Hyderabad State from 1911 to 1948 and was considered the richest man in the world with a fortune of $2 billion. After Hyderabad State acceded to India, he was appointed Rajpramukh of the state in 1948 and held the administrative post till 1956 when the title was abolished. Osman Ali Khan had bypassed his eldest son Azam Jah Bahadur, the Prince of Berar, to name the latter's son Mukarram Jah his successor. Following Mir Osman Ali Khan's death in 1967, Mukarram Jah became the titular Nizam. Mukarram Jah, who turned 85 on October 6, spent most of his life abroad -- Australia and Turkey. Married five times, he is said to have lost much of his wealth in divorce settlements. Read: UK court refutes Pak's claim over Hyd Nizam's £35 million fund, rules in India's favour

Body 2:

Road Safety

Refuting media reports that the driver was a minor, police said that the motorcycle was carrying a 3-year-old who was seriously injured and remains in critical condition.

TNM Staff

A couple on a motorcycle were killed and their three-year-old niece seriously injured in Hyderabad after an over-speeding SUV rammed into their bike on Sunday. Various media reports had suggested that the driver of the SUV was a minor, but the Rajendranagar police have clarified to TNM that the driver was 20-year-old Mohammad Aziz, who is now in custody. The couple and the child were on a service road beside the Outer Ring Road in Rajendranagar police limits when the driver of the SUV rammed into the vehicle from behind. The deceased have been identified as Lingamolla Chennaiah (38) and Padmamma (32), both residents of Moinanad. They were en route to their native place at Nawabpet mandal in Mahbubnagar district to celebrate Dasara along with their cousin. The accident took place near the Telangana State Police Academy junction. Police say the driver of the SUV was over-speeding and lost control of the vehicle after hitting the bike. The SUV then overturned and fell into a trench on the roadside. The couple died on the spot due to heavy bleeding, while the girl child was rushed to Osmania General Hospital for treatment. The driver of the SUV also suffered injuries and was shifted to a private hospital. Speaking to TNM, inspector N Ramulu said, "Reports about the SUV driver being a minor is not true, he is 20 years old and have been taken into custody. He is at Cherlapally jail for now, there was no alcohol in his blood stream. This is a case of over-speeding." In shocking visuals that emerged from another accident that took place on Saturday, two men on a bike could be seen being run over by a speeding SUV. Both men died on the spot and were not wearing helmets as they attempted to cross the Hyderabad-Mumbai national Highway near Zaheerabad. Horrific road accident caught on CCTV two person died after they were hit by a SUV while crossing the busy #Hyderabad- #Mumbai national Highway 65 near Zaheerabad. #Telangana pic.twitter.com/sDzf4cDjoz — Aashish (@Ashi_IndiaToday) October 7, 2019 /p>

Body 2:

Protests

Even as state-wide protests are still on, the employee unions will hold an emergency executive meeting to decide the future plan of action.

TNM Staff

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) leaders of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) employees unions were detained by the Hyderabad Central Zone police at Gun Park as the leaders went to offer tributes to the martyrs of Telangana movement at the Telangana Martyrs’ memorial near the state Assembly. The leaders were planning to step up their ongoing strike by staging protests at the city's Dharna Chowk after paying tributes at the memorial. On Sunday, a statement from the office of Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao announced that only 1,200 employees are now with the TSRTC. There is no clarity on the jobs of those on strike as the CM said that there was no question of reinstating those who did not report for duty within the stipulated time period on Saturday. He also said that the process to appoint new employees will begin soon, with the condition that the person should not join any trade union. The CM’s decision exacerbated the situation, as the employees declared that they will not stop the agitation. TSRTC JAC Chairman, Ashwathama Reddy, Employees Union State General Secretary Raji Reddy, along with other executive members of the TSRTC JAC were among those who have been taken into custody. Speaking to the media while being detained, Ashwathama Reddy said, “Till yesterday (Sunday), we fought for the protection of TSRTC. Now we are fighting for the protection of democracy. We urge the people of the state to see this high-handedness by the government and support our cause.” He further added, “KCR became CM because of the sacrifices of the TSRTC labourers. Now, we are not allowed to visit the martyrs’ memorial.” The leaders were detained in different police stations in the area. Speaking to TNM, Abids Station House Officer (SHO) said, “We have detained as many as four representatives of TSRTC. We are yet to charge them under any sections. Further action will be taken as per the orders from the higher officials.” The police have denied permissions to hold rallies and protests at Gun Park and Dharna Chowk, claiming law and order issues. Meanwhile, the employee unions have decided to hold an emergency executive meeting to decide the future plan of action. Since Friday midnight, over 48,000 employees have been on an indefinite strike, to demand the Corporation's merger with the state government, along with job security and strengthening of the TSRTC by recruiting more. However, the CM’s statement said, “TSRTC will not be merged with the government and that the government will not have any talks with those who went on strike.” While the TSRTC employees are standing firm and protesting, the Telangana government is dependent on private drivers and vehicles to continue bus services. Meanwhile, private agencies, who are cashing in on the needs of people who are stranded at different bus stations, are charging extra fares. Opposition parties and trade unions have slammed the government for the recent chaos in the state. BJP state president Dr K Laxman said, “CM KCR, with his brazen decision to dismiss TSRTC employees, is trying to impact thousands of employees and their families, and drag them on to the roads on a festival day. This is the reward KCR wants to give to the employees of the state for having fought for Telangana formation." Telangana Telugu Desam Party (TDP) state leader Ravula Chandrasekhar Reddy also condemned the detention of the TSRTC leaders, and urged the CM to hold talks and sort out the matter. Also read :TSRTC strike: Nearly 50,000 employees may lose jobs as Telangana CM KCR rules out talks

Body 2:

Protest

TSRTC Joint Action Committee co-convenor Thomas Reddy said that the government is conspiring to clampdown the protests by arresting the remaining JAC leaders.

TNM Staff

After the detention of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) Joint Action Committee leaders who were protesting against the government, JAC co-convenor Thomas Reddy on Monday alleged that the government was planning a clampdown. He claimed that the TRS government was conspiring to arrest the remaining JAC leaders. Condemning the detention of the JAC leaders--Ashwathama Reddy, Raji Reddy, BS Rao and others, he said, “This is an atrocious move. We strongly condemn it. They have arrested our leaders illegally. They should be released immediately. There is a conspiracy to arrest the remaining 16 leaders. There is surveillance on us. We could be detained at any time,” Thomas claimed. On Monday, police detained the JAC leaders who gathered at Gunpark in Nampally to pay homage to the Telangana martyrs. Speaking about Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s decision to lay off the 48,000-odd protesting employees, Thomas said, “We consider the laying off of employees on Sunday as a black day in the history of TSRTC. We protested legally. We gave prior notice about our protest, but neither the management nor the Transport Minister called us for discussions.” Thomas said that the government had the ulterior motive of privatising the TSRTC. “They are deliberately tainting our protest as undemocratic in the eyes of people. The government has pushed TSRTC into trouble with the intent of privatising it.” He added, “Since the beginning KCR neglected TSRTC. He imposed heavy taxes on the corporation. The government owes the corporation Rs 2,200 crores. Is it wrong to demand our remuneration?” Thomas further said that the government hasn’t paid wages to the employees. He stressed that the struggle of the JAC is genuine. “The population of Bengaluru is the same of the twin cities--Secunderabad and Hyderabad, yet when they are plying 6,000 buses, we only have 2,200 buses. When we point this out, KCR is saying that we are doing drama and speaking against the government.” The TSRTC JAC called for an indefinite strike on October 5, as the government failed to consider their 26 demands. The primary demand was to merge the TSRTC with the government. However, the government rejected their demands, and instead issued an ultimatum asking all staff to report to duty by 6 pm on October 5, else they would be dismissed. Despite the warning, 48,000-odd employees went ahead with the strike.

Body 2:

Bye-elections

Parepally Shekar Rao, whose nomination was rejected on technical grounds, has been suspended from the CPI(M) for a year.

Charan Teja

Image: Facebook/CPIM Telangana

Following the rejection of CPI(M)’s candidate for Telangana's Huzurnagar bye-poll, the party has suspended candidate Parepally Shekar Rao from the party. The decision came from the party's state executive committee a week after the Returning Officer (RO) rejected the nomination on technical grounds. Officials claimed that the nomination lacked the required documents. Huzurnagar Assembly constituency will see bye-polls on October 21. As many as 119 sets nominations were filed by 76 candidates, of which the nominations of 45 candidates were rejected for various reasons. As things currently stand, there are 28 candidates in the fray. Speaking to TNM, Communist Party of India (Marxist) state secretary Tammmineni Veerabhadram, said, “It has been found that Parepally Shekar Rao failed to fulfil his responsibilities as a candidate, despite the written notice from the RO concerned for the submission of documents within the stipulated time. The district committee, too, felt that he acted inefficiently. The state committee has decided to suspend him for one year." Veerabhadram also said that the CPI(M) cadre and leaders would now support and campaign for Telangana Praja Party candidate Sambasiva Goud. According to sources, the party was also approached by the TRS, TDP and Congress for support. Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (CPI) has decided to support the TRS. Veerabhadram urged the CPI to rethink its decision to support the TRS in the upcoming election, "especially at a time when the KCR government is taking feudal measures like deciding to dismiss 48,000 RTC employees,” he said. Huzurnagar is witnessing bye-polls as state Congress chief Uttam Kumar Reddy resigned as the MLA after he won an MP seat from Nalgonda constituency in the 2019 general elections. Uttam Kumar Reddy's wife Padmavathi Reddy is the Congress candidate from Huzurnagar, while ruling TRS fielded Saidi Reddy. Saidi Reddy had lost to Uttam Kumar Reddy by a margin of 7,466 votes in 2018. The BJP and TDP are also in the fray. Also read: Telangana's Huzurnagar bye-poll: Nominations of CPI-M candidate, 44 others rejected

Body 2:

Politics

On Sunday, in Hyderabad, KCR seemed to channel the very same anger as Jayalalithaa when he said, "There will be no more talks with the unions."

Priyanka Thirumurthy

"He is behaving like Tuglakh, like Hitler.""He didn't give us these jobs, then how can he remove us?""We are fighting for the protection of democracy.""This is a cowardly decision and will not benefit anyone." These are merely a handful of accusations hurled at Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao by the striking State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) employees, over the last week. After the CM's refusal to concede to their 26 demands, the employees' anger spilled on to the streets in the form of protests. Their demands ranged from hike in salary and additional benefits to the merging of the corporation with the state government. KCR however refused to have talks with the unions representing 50,000 odd employees. Instead, much to their shock, the CM went on the offensive. When public transportation came to a grinding halt after protests, he decided to hire 2,500 buses and recruit staff to ply them. He then gave a deadline for employees to return to work and when they didn't, he announced that as of Sunday, the corporation only had 1,200 staff. And even as the Chief Minister took a hard stand, his actions brought to mind the tale of another leader who had taken a similar decision over 15 years ago. In 2003, then Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, quashed a similar protest in the state and even earned the approval of the Supreme court for her actions. When over one lakh state government employees and teachers decided to go on strike in July that year, the Chief Minister merely watched on unperturbed. Unions representing over 13 lakh employees and teachers were part of the agitation, protesting the withdrawal of dearness allowance and cash benefits under the pension scheme. If allowed to gain momentum, the protest could have crippled the functioning of the government. The Chief Minister's initial reaction befuddled political observers but her calm demeanor turned out to be a warning for the storm which was to be unleashed. Before the protests could take root, she struck back - preventive arrests, cases against employees and dismissals from the very first week splintered the groups, creating internal differences. On the very second day of the protests, she dismissed 2,500 secretariat staff. Over the next 20 days, thousands of employees were arrested under the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and over one lakh workers were dismissed. Two weeks into the protest, she warned, "They (employees) should realise their duties before fighting for their rights. The government employees form only 2 per cent of the state's population. I can't cater to all the demands of this minority ignoring the interests of the 98 per cent." And by the third week, leaders from 80 unions were forced to request her to get their members reinstated. On Sunday, in Hyderabad, KCR seemed to take the same tone as he said, "There will be no more talks with the unions. The government’s priority would be to ensure the TSRTC gets back to making profits. It has been incurring a loss of Rs 1,200 crore year after year, and its accumulated losses are about Rs 5,000 crore.While the ever-rising fuel prices are becoming a burden, the employees went on a strike, which is unethical and illegal." Senior journalist Kalyan Arun, who has been writing on Tamil Nadu politics for three decades points out that the trend of taking the bull by its horns began with former TN Chief Minister MG Ramachandran."In 1978, when faced with protests from transport employees he simply got private drivers to take over. He told them to come with licenses, get registered and start driving," he explains. "Back then too, ESMA was invoked to ban the strike. He however didn't dismiss anyone from their jobs," he adds. The senior journalist believes that politically it may benefit KCR to take a tough stand."Currently, the Telangana Chief Minister, does not have a favourable public perception because of the way he has handled farmers' issues and even his move to get a new secretariat has not been received well by the public," he says. "By taking a definite stand on this issue, he can gain politically," he adds. But Jayasree Balasubramanian, a former journalist, points out that Jayalalithaa's actions were considered largely autocratic."She even had 150 media persons detained in that particular term. Government employees and media are all pillars of democracy. The big picture is that she shook these pillars. This worked against her," she says. Jayasree points out that Jayalalithaa was defeated in the next assembly election."There were several other issues that played against her - like the anti-conversion bill for instance. But the way she handled these protests was also a factor," she says. "Jayalalithaa however did soften her blow in the end and did not press charges against the arrested employees," she adds. Similarly MGR too held talks with unions and gave into a few demands."The public only cares if their buses are running and if they can move around. There is very little sympathy for government employees because they are believed to be over paid and under-worked," says Kalyan. "But this doesn't mean that they should be completely cut off. KCR should make his authority clear and then sit down to talk on his own terms. The reasonable demands must be considered," he explains. (With inputs from Mithun MK)

Body 2:

Protest

"All employees are ready to receive the orders and challenge them in court," said JAC convenor Ashwathama Reddy.

TNM Staff

Image courtesy: Twitter/@CityOrdinary

The Joint Action Committee of the employees of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) on Monday dared Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao to issue orders sacking 48,000 striking employees. The JAC, comprising various TSRTC employee unions, said they would challenge any such order in the court."He (KCR) is saying 48,000 employees have been removed from service. Let him issue the orders. All employees are ready to receive the orders and challenge them in court," said JAC convenor Ashwathama Reddy. He told reporters after a meeting of JAC leaders that the Chief Minister's statement that new employees will be recruited in TSRTC shows his arrogance. He said removing such a large number of employees was undemocratic."So far we have been fighting for protection of RTC but now we need to fight to save democracy," he said. The JAC leader said employee phobia had gripped the Chief Minister. He said while they were demanding the government to protect RTC, the government was trying to privatise the public utility. He said the employees and people will resist the government's attempts. The JAC also ruled out calling off the strike, which entered the third day on Monday. Leaders of various unions said they would go on hunger strike to intensify the protest. The meeting passed a resolution, demanding merger of the TSRTC with the government. KCR, as the Chief Minister is popularly known, has ruled out the merger and made it clear that no talks will be held with the striking employees. The Chief Minister on Sunday also announced that there is no question of taking back the employees who failed to join the duties before Saturday evening deadline set by the government. He said only 1,200 employees were left in the TSRTC. At a review meeting with officials on Monday, the Chief Minister said the government has not dismissed the employees but they dismissed themselves by not joining the duty before the expiry of the deadline. KCR reiterated that for the government and the TSRTC, there are only 1,200 employees. The Chief Minister also made it clear that the government has no interest in totally privatising the RTC and that it is taking all measures to strengthen the organisation. KCR, however, directed officials to divide the existing TSRTC fleet of 10,400 buses into three categories. Fifty percent of buses (5,200) belong to the TSRTC and they will remain under it. He said 30 percent of the buses (3,100) buses taken on hire should be run under the TSRTC supervision and administration. Another 20 percent of the buses (2,100) belong totally to private operators and they will be allowed to ply as the state carriages. TSRTC is currently running 21 percent hired buses. KCR said the measures had to be taken due to TSRTC unions' over-action. "They have cut the branch of a tree on which they were sitting," he said. He asked the Director General of Police to form special teams to prevent TSRTC employees who left the organisation from creating disturbances at the bus depots or bus stations. "The DGP would take appropriate action against anyone except the 1,200," the CM said. He said the unions have lost their identity and existence. He made it clear that in future there will not be any unionism in the RTC. TSRTC bus services carry more than a crore commuters every day. TSRTC authorities claimed that they have made all arrangements to ensure that people do not face hardships in reaching their destinations on the occasion of Dasara festival. They said on Monday, 3,105 RTC buses and 2,013 hired buses were operated. They also claimed that more than 6,000 private vehicles, school and college buses and maxi cabs were operated. IANS inputs

Body 2:

Law

The police's 'Hawk Eye' app will now be integrated into each app that offers a cab service, for commuters in distress.

TNM Staff

With an aim to make transport safer, especially for women, the Telangana police have taken up an initiative to integrate their patrol cars with passengers cabs. This is being done through the police's 'Hawk Eye' app, which will now be linked to each app that offers a cab service."The commuters travelling in any public service cabs in case of any emergency have access to an “Emergency Button” in the related cab services app. Once a commuter in distress presses the “Emergency Button” in the App, the message will be transmitted to Hawk Eye App of the police through a backend operational work flow," the police said in a press note. This will send the latitude and longitudinal coordinates of the passenger to the police, along with other details of the passenger cab, to the police control room and closest patrol car, besides the police officers concerned under whose jurisdiction the area lies. "Once the information is received, police will be able to respond immediately to reach the commuter in distress by continuously tracking the movement of the vehicle on the geotagged map. This facility will not only help in apprehension of the offender before the crime is committed but also help in enhancing the levels of safety and security to all the commuters on the move and their family members at home," the police said. #YourSafetyIsOurTopPriority Telangana State Police- Integrating the #EmergencyButton of '' OLA, TORA, PRYDO '' with the SOS feature of #HawkEyeMobileApp.#Preventing the untoward while She/He have boarded in the said cab services. POLICE - #TheEverReady pic.twitter.com/SWP1xDOhpQ— DGP TELANGANA POLICE (@TelanganaDGP) October 7, 2019 Police said that the process of integration was already completed for Ola cabs, Tora cabs and Move in Sync, besides a few others, and requested all other providers of cab services and public service vehicles to get their app integrated. "Hyderabad is the fastest growing metropolitan city in India with all IT and ITES industries converging here from all over the globe. There has been an imperative need to provide a safe and secure environment for women in Telangana state in general and Hyderabad in particular. The endeavour of the Telangana Police is to ensure a crime free, safe and secure society," the press note stated.

Body 2:

Protest

The RTC management misplaced the strike notice issued by the unions causing a delay of close to a month before the talks could begin.

Mithun MK

On Monday, several Telangana State Road Transport Corporation union leaders were taken into custody briefly and the state government stands accused of attempting to weaken the unions. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s threat to sack close to 50,000 RTC staff did not help rein in the agitating staff but instead ensured that opposition parties also extend support to the RTC employees. As the crisis shows no sign of abating, the question arises if the state government misread the resolve of the unions to carry on with the strike this time around. Trouble began for the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) when friendly neighbour and Andhra CM Jagan Mohan Reddy decided to give 52,000 APSRTC employees status on par with state government employees. The announcement in Andhra Pradesh has become a headache for KCR with almost all unions, even those considered friendly to the TRS, joining the strike. The unions, representing 50,000 odd employees of the RTC, are all of the view that all promises made by KCR to the employees before Telangana attained statehood have not been fulfilled. The unions allege that not only has KCR forgotten the promises made to the RTC employees, but that he has chosen to neglect the corporation after coming to power in 2014. The unions say that the demand for merging RTC with the state government was a promise made by KCR during the Telangana statehood agitation. Another unkept promise was to give TSRTC employees (then part of the APSRTC) wages at par with that of central government employees. After coming to power, KCR would often direct the GHMC to bail out the TSRTC, but the payments rarely came. Though KCR has time and again talked about taking steps to pull RTC out of a financial crisis, it never materialised. The unions have, in the past, made similar calls for a strike, but the issue would always end with a compromise. This time, the call for strike made in September fell on deaf ears. Sources with the labour department told TNM that the RTC management misplaced the strike notice issued by the unions, causing a delay in response. Preliminary talks between stakeholders that should have happened through September took place just 48 hours before October 5, the day the statewide strike was set to begin. The lack of response from the CMO, the transport ministry and the RTC management upset the staff, and the rushed talks held between the unions and a state government-appointed committee also failed. The unions have made a total of 26 demands to the state government, but the state government has sought more time. This was a move the unions considered a delay tactic to get through the festival season when there is a higher demand. While the demand to merge TSRTC with the state government is only one of 26 demands being made by the unions, most of their demands are focussed on means to make RTC profitable. What the unions want The unions are demanding that the state government repay pending dues to the RTC in the form of special services extended to the state government. Besides, they want the state to scrap the Motor Vehicles tax, help reduce the burden of diesel costs, allocate 1% of the state budget for the TSRTC to strengthen the corporation and release the budget for the corporation on time. The employees are also seeking a salary hike, as their last hike was in 2017. They have also demanded new buses, vacancies to be filled, basic job security and maternity benefits for women. TSRTC employees have said that they want the state to consider the RTC as a public service rather than as a profit-making entity. Telangana transport minister P Ajay Reddy has had very little role to play in trying to resolve the crisis. The minister reportedly told the unions leaders that any decision on RTC will be taken by KCR. How KCR responded KCR responded to the TSRTC employees by verbally sacking nearly 50,000 of them on Sunday. The CM had reportedly said there was no question of reinstating those who did not report for duty by 6 pm on Saturday — the deadline given by the state government. As of Sunday, only 1,200 RTC employees showed up for work, and the CM intends to now fill the 'vacant posts'. KCR has appointed a committee to develop a public-private partnership model to operate TSRTC. A move that has angered the unions further. The unions have even dared the CM to issue an order sacking them, and that they would challenge any such order in court. On Monday, unions across the state began protests before bus depots. Police were deployed at various key depots to prevent protests. In Hyderabad, the unions attempted to protest at Dharna Chowk despite not receiving permission from the police, and a few of the RTC union leaders were taken into preventive custody. Speaking to the media while being detained, TSRTC JAC Chairman Ashwathama Reddy said, “Till yesterday (Sunday), we fought for the protection of TSRTC. Now we are fighting for the protection of democracy. We urge the people of the state to see this high-handedness by the government and support our cause.” “KCR became CM because of the sacrifices of the TSRTC labourers. Now, we are not allowed to visit the martyrs’ memorial,” he added. The unions, for now, appear to be firm on their demands and have received backing from opposition parties like the Congress and BJP.

Body 2:

Entertainment

The duo’s videos on TikTok and YouTube have over a million views and more than half the followers on social media are not even from India, let alone the Telugu states.

Priyanka Richi

The “Oh! My god Oh! My god” fever is everywhere. From Twitter to Swiggy and even Netflix catching on and making hilarious use of the phrase, the one-liner that appears in nearly every video from Team Bhargav is going places. Funbucket Bhargav, the mastermind behind the videos, has risen to become a social media sensation overnight though he's no longer with the YouTube channel Funbucket. His partner in crime, Nithyashree or the “Oh my God” girl as she's known, is already a familiar face to the Telugu audience. Having made her debut in the 2018 hit movie Care of Kancherapalam, the 13-year-old seems to be enjoying her stardom. The duo’s videos on TikTok and YouTube have over a million views and as Bhargav puts it, more than half the followers on social media are not even from India, let alone the Telugu states. Recently, Nithya on her Instagram page shared a video of a bunch of foreigners acting in a spoof of their most popular ‘French fries’ video. In the original video, Nithya refuses to eat the potato fry that her mother makes for her. However, when her brother puts the same thing into a MacDonald's cover that he takes from the dustbin, she immediately goes, "Oh my God! Oh my God!" and says that it's her favourite French fries. View this post on Instagram I hate potato fry . . @bhargav_chippada @jay__prakash_ @shailaja_goru_ @ram_deverakonda @preetham_parker_ @sai_nawin @sasi_kumar_650 @sai__kadiyam A post shared by Ⓒⓤⓣⓘⓔ Ⓟⓘⓔ (@nithyasree2006) on Aug 17, 2019 at 4:10am PDT How did a 25-year-old guy and a 13-year-old school-going girl manage to grab attention from across countries? Well, Nithya and Bhargav are still trying hard to find an answer! Where it all began Bhargav, a tenth-class pass, first came to Hyderabad in 2012, in the hope of acting in movies. Having acted in a few films as a junior artiste, the young boy wanted to create a portfolio for himself to grab a chance as an actor. But what Bhargav didn’t have back then was a smartphone with which he could shoot and upload videos. “I was working in a mobile shop and the first smartphone I ever used was sponsored by my friends after they all pooled in money. My friend Ram and I used to message every other celebrity on social media asking for a chance, until one guy responded and called us to Hyderabad," he recalls. This helped Bhargav bag a chance to act in a small role in a popular Telugu comedy show, Jabardasth. “I used the chance to my full advantage so much so that I even started using it as an identity for myself. I managed to find a place for myself to stay after I told the owner that I was an actor in Jabardasth,” Bhargav laughs. During his constant attempts to find a chance to act in the movies, Bhargav worked as an office boy in a director’s office for around six months. It was then that he thought it would be wiser to return to his village in Vizianagaram. “It made no sense to mouth dialogues on Dubsmash. What filmmakers needed was a portfolio with original content. And every time someone asked me to send a video, all I had were Dubsmash videos,” Bhargav says, adding, “I went back to my village and with the help of a local politician, I shot a short film titled Cinema Loki Daredi. The film became popular and that’s when I got my first offer from the YouTube channel FunBucket.” While acting for FunBucket, Bhargav got his second offer from Vigo Video which turned around the young man’s fortunes overnight. “It was only after I started making videos for Vigo that I bought a smartphone on my own. This time I bought an iPhone, not because I adored the brand, but because I knew I needed to produce quality videos. All I had till then were my friends who helped me in shooting and editing content,” the 25-year-old says. Bhargav no longer works for Funbucket but the moniker ‘Funbucket Bhargav’ seems to have stuck. Meeting the “Oh! My god” girl Nithya met Bhargav a few months ago in Vizag through a common friend. Nithya by then was already a star, having made her debut in the Venkatesh Maha film Care of Kancherapalam. “We shot for the film in 2016 when I was just 10 years old. I had previously worked in two others films but Care of Kancherapalm was the first one to release,” Nithya shares. Nithya’s mother Shailaja too acts along with her in the videos. She's also made an appearance in Kancherapalam, playing a school teacher. However, Nithya believes that it was the viral French fries video which brought her into the limelight, and people began identifying her as the “Oh! My god Oh! My god” girl. The 13-year-old gives full credit to Bhargav for coming up with the punch one-liner, and he, in turn, praises Nithya for taking the phrase to places. “We had used the same dialogue in another video but no one noticed it until Nithya delivered it for the first time in one of our early videos,” Bhargav says, adding, “I noticed how in the comments section everyone was going gaga over 'Oh! My god'. I realised the dialogue had finally managed to tickle people’s funny bone and from then on, it has been the USP in creating our videos.” Nithya and Bhargav’s videos are hilarious and offer a satirical take on everyday situations. The ideas are born out of situations the duo comes across in their daily lives. “For example, French fries are nothing but potato fries in a more attractive package. We pull faces when our mothers cook them but make zero fuss while eating them from a plastic cover. We made a script out of this, and people laugh because they relate to it all too well in their real lives,” the young man says. A star both on the big screen and online, the “Oh! My god girl” is flooded with film offers, and Nithya says she is in discussions for various projects. “My entire family is quite supportive and they love watching me act on the big screen,” she adds. Bhargav is definitely enjoying his new-found stardom with even a couple of fan pages celebrating the star. We ask Bhargav what his future plans are and the young man has a heart-warming response. “It was my friend Ram who introduced me to acting. It has always been his dream to visit Goa, that too in a car. I have recently partnered with an online game platform for their promotions and with the money I earn, I would want to buy a car and take him to Goa!” On the acting front, Bhargav says he doesn’t aspire to be a hero. “I am ready to do characters that have substance and people recognise me for the roles I play. And most importantly, I hope to learn to speak English properly. Language gives you more confidence and I believe more than studying further, I can connect to a wider audience if I overcome the language barrier,” he signs off. (With inputs from Shilpa S Ranipeta)

Body 2:

Crime

A mother of two children, Vanitha had been living with her parents in Nagole and had travelled to the US earlier this year.

TNM Staff

A woman from Hyderabad was found dead under suspicious circumstances at her residence in North Carolina in the United States on Monday. 38-year-old Gajam Vanitha, who hailed from Nagole, was reported to have killed herself. The local police have however, reportedly taken into custody her husband, 42-year-old software engineer Shiva Kumar, for questioning. This, even as Vanitha's parents approached the LB Nagar police in Hyderabad, alleging foul play in her death. A mother of two children, Vanitha had been living with her parents in Nagole and had traveled to the US earlier this year. “We are awaiting further details. The family requested our help to bring the body of Vanitha from the US. She left for the US in July this year and since then, had not been in contact with her parents. On Sunday evening, they got a call from other relatives in the US that she had committed suicide in her bedroom,” LB Nagar Police inspector V Ashok Reddy was quoted as saying. Vanitha's family alleged that she had been harassed by her husband and her in-laws, which drove her to take the extreme step. “We are suspicious about her death. Even if it is a suicide, her husband is responsible for her action. She was not allowed to talk to her parents for four months,” Sriramulu, an uncle of the victim, was quoted as saying. The police are now making arrangements to bring the body back.

Body 2:

Accident

A show cause notice has been issued to the training academy.

TNM Staff

In what seems to be a major lapse, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has found that one of the two trainee pilots on board the Cessna 172 aircraft, which crashed near Vikarabad in Telangana earlier this week, was not authorised to be in the plane at the time of the accident. A show cause notice has been issued to the training academy, Wings Aviation Private Limited, the parent company of Rajiv Gandhi Aviation Academy, and has been given seven days to respond. Prakash Vishal and Amanpreet Kaur had taken off from Begumpet Airport in Hyderabad on Sunday and were on a training sortie, when the tragic incident took place. Stating that the flight was authorised by Deputy Chief Flight Instructor Raunak Cyril, who has now been barred from his post, a senior DGCA official told PTI, "As per the authorisation book entry, the flight was to be operated by Kaur only. The presence of another pilot (Vishal) shows that Cyril failed to perform his duties as laid down in training and procedure manual of the academy." The trainee pilot apparently lost control of the aircraft before it crashed into the fields. Police had rushed to the scene and cordoned off the area. Officials of the aviation academy also rushed to the accident site. Meanwhile, officials are also probing the conditions which may have led to the crash. “It appears like the aircraft would have been struck by a thunderbolt. As of now, we do not suspect any technical glitch. It was affected by bad weather,” an official from the aviation sector was quoted as saying. In February this year, a Cessna 172 Skyhawk, a single-engine four-seater, crashed near Pune in Maharastra due to a technical snag in the engine. The pilot, who was on a solo flight, survived the crash and suffered a broken arm.

Body 2:

Tollywood

The biopic is based on the life and struggles of yesteryear Osmania University student leader George Reddy.

TNM Staff

The makers of the Telugu film George Reddy released its official trailer on Monday. The movie, starring Sandeep Madhav, is a biopic based on the life and struggles of yesteryear Osmania University student leader George Reddy. George was a founding member of the Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU). In 1972, he was murdered by a gang which was allegedly backed by a Right wing organisation. George was a boxer and a gold medalist in Physics, who was also deeply influenced by the writings of Left philosophy. He was known to have worked for students coming from rural and marginalised sections. The trailer depicts George's politics that once shook the university. At that time, George was hailed as Hyderabad's Che Guevara."Privatisation is taking over, poor staying poor and rich becoming richer. Being against this, we have raised our voice to protest, but our protest has remained unheard" - it is this dialogue, from one of George's speeches, that opens the trailer. The trailer further shows a brawl in a dining hall, the speech of a Right wing student leader in which he utters "Bharat Mata Ki Jai" and also portrays the once fierce political landscape of Osmania University. The film is being directed by Jeevan Reddy, who co-directed Dalam with Ram Gopal Varma. Sandeep Madhav earlier acted in the lead role of Vangaveeti, a Ram Gopal Varma film based on the life of Vangaveeti Ranga. Watch:

Body 2:

Politics

Having worked with news dailies and TV news channels for 18 years, 36-year-old Mallanna is a popular name in Telangana households for his reportage.

Charan Teja

As the political battle ahead of Telangana's Huzurnagar bye-poll heats up, the ruling TRS and opposition Congress are facing a unique contender — journalist-turned-politician 'Teenmaar Mallanna', formerly known as Naveen Kumar. Mallanna's election symbol is a matchbox. Having worked with newspapers and TV news channels since 2001, 36-year-old Mallanna is a popular name in Telangana households for his reportage and his often satirical and bold takes on social and political issues. Mallanna has triple Masters — MA (Political Science) and Masters of Communications and Journalism (MCJ) from Osmania University and MBA (Master of Business Administration) from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU). Unlike his recent past, where he would typically find himself in the middle of busy schedules of TV shows or out reporting on the ground, Mallanna is now reaching out to the voters of Huzurnagar as he is up against TRS's Saidi Reddy and Congress' Padmavathi Reddy. In a conversation with TNM, Teenmaar Mallanna explained why he decided to start his political career with the Huzurnagar bye-polls."For the past few months, I have exposed several corrupt dealings and incidents of illegal land grabbing in the state on my YouTube channel and other social media platforms. As a journalist, it's my responsibility to reveal the dark side of the power and after that, it's up to the opposition parties and civil society to fight that," Mallanna explains. "Unfortunately, opposition parties, mainly Congress, have been compromised due to vested interests, and civil societies have their own weaknesses. I felt it's time for me to step into the political battle.” He further adds, "Irrespective of the parties, be it TRS, Congress, Telangana Jana Samiti, CPI or CPI(M), all of them are party to crimes like land grabbing, exploitation of Backward Classes, SC/STs, minorities and those economically backward among dominant castes. That's why they never questioned anything — it was to save their own skins." When asked about his allegations and his investigative reports, Mallanna says, "I have documents that show as many as 76 MLAs in the government and some other powerful people are corrupt, and I have placed them on record. If I had been wrong, they could have already initiated a legal procedure, but since my argument has weight, they're trying to find out how the information was leaked, instead of launching a probe into the corruption." Mallanna claims that he is confident of winning Huzurnagar bye-elections, stating that he is getting a huge response from the different sections of people. He has not entered politics for Huzurnagar bye-elections alone, but to remain in the fray and fight for people, he says. Mallanna says he is standing for the bye-polls despite threats and disruptions in his campaign. "The majority section, the poor, SCs STs and BCs minorities are with me. As soon as I asked for campaign funding, people immediately pooled up their little amounts and sent me Rs 14 lakh. The same people will elect me. In this elections, the money of political parties won't work," he says. Mallanna's team comprises research scholars, students, journalists and like-minded individuals, and has carried out a survey on problems that residents of Huzurnagar face. The team has come up with a report that details around 600 problems and also suggests solutions. Mallanna says he will start a political platform that will work beyond this bye-election. "Let alone solutions, these parties and their candidates don't know even six out of 600 problems in the constituency. I'm not afraid and I want to do some good for the people before I die,” he adds. The Huzurnagar bye-poll was necessitated after the resignation of Telangana Congress Chief Uttam Kumar Reddy after he was elected to the Lok Sabha from the Nalgonda constituency earlier this year. The election has turned into a high-stakes battle as the Congress has fielded Padmavathi Reddy, Uttam Kumar's wife. Meanwhile, TRS candidate Saidi Reddy had contested from the same constituency earlier during the Assembly elections in 2018 but had lost to Uttam Kumar. Read: CPI(M) suspends Huzurnagar MLA candidate after his nomination is rejected

Body 2:

Controversy

Maruthi Rao was also given the mic and he delivered a short speech, greeting those who had gathered on the eve of Dasara in Miryalaguda.

Nitin B.

Months after he was given conditional bail, Maruthi Rao, the prime accused in the caste killing of 24-year-old Pranay, a Dalit man in Telangana, was spotted sharing the stage with Miryalaguda MLA N Bhaskar Rao and Telangana Legislative Council Chairman Gutta Sukhender Reddy. Pranay was hacked to death in September last year, allegedly for marrying an upper caste woman, Amrutha, who's from the Vyshya community. Maruthi Rao is Amrutha's father, and the police said that he had plotted the murder and executed it through a contract killing. Ironically, when the murder took place, N Bhaskar Rao was among the first politicians who visited Pranay's house and assured his family of strict action against the accused. Chairman of Telangana Legislative Council #GuttaSukhendarReddy and Baskar Rao @MiryalagudaMla trs sharing dais with Maruthi Rao, a prime accused in a caste killing case who reportedly confessed the crime. This is not a coincidence - #MaruthiRao was organising committee a Gen Sec pic.twitter.com/hYwYTaRRgo — kartheek (@kartheek777) October 8, 2019 In videos which have surfaced, the MLA and the Chairman are seen sharing the stage with Maruthi Rao, during an event on the eve of Dasara in Miryalaguda town. Maruthi Rao was also given the mic and he delivered a short speech, greeting those who had gathered for the event. #MaruthiRao also addressed the crowd! pic.twitter.com/XpwRjZKHru — kartheek (@kartheek777) October 8, 2019 While this raised concerns that Maruthi Rao could influence the case, the MLA in question denied the charge. Speaking to TNM, TRS MLA Bhaskar Rao said, "I went there in my capacity as a public representative. This is an annual occurrence where all parties come together and host a massive event for Dasara. The Council Chairman was the chief guest this year. It is a big event that is attended by several thousand people." Bhaskar Rao claimed that there was no way he could scrutinise each person who would attend the event, but admitted that he knew that Maruthi Rao would be present."I had no control over who will attend the event and who will not. But as an MLA, I could not skip it. There is a committee that organises the event, and they are the ones who send out the invite," he added. The committee that Bhaskar Rao referred to is the Hindu Usthava Samithi, an organisation in which Maruthi Rao has been an office bearer for many years. "I would like to assure the people that there is no relation between the event and the case. This does not change anything. Our stand is the same and I will be the first one to demand action against him for the crime. I speak frequently to Pranay's family and Amrutha, and I will do so again now and assure them of the same," Bhaskar Rao said. On September 14, Pranay and his wife Amrutha, who was pregnant at the time, were coming out of a private hospital in Miryalaguda, when Pranay was attacked with a machete and killed on the spot. The entire incident was caught on CCTV camera, and the caste killing created wide outrage in the state. Amrutha delivered a baby boy in January this year, and Maruthi Rao was granted condition bail in April this year. In June, the Nalgonda police filed a 1600-page chargesheet detailing the sequence of events that led to the planned murder of Pranay. Shortly after Pranay's murder, a group under the banner of 'Thalli Thandrula Parirakshana Vedika' (Parents’ Protection Forum), comprising members of the Arya Vyshya Sangham, the same caste that Maruthi Rao belonged to, put their weight behind the accused and even took out a rally for him in Miryalaguda and even met him in jail. Several social media posts too hailed him as a hero, with many users changing their display picture to Maruthi Rao's. Read: Pranay murder: Nalgonda police file 1600-page charge sheet against eight accused Watch: Violence against inter-caste couples, and the need for a new law ‘Casteism killed Pranay, we must uproot caste’: 21-year-old Amrutha vows to fight

Body 2:

Controversy

While the police filed a 1600-page chargesheet in June, the trial is yet to start.

Nitin B.

The appearance of Maruthi Rao, the prime accused in the caste killing of 24-year-old Dalit youth Pranay, at a public stage in Miryalaguda town has triggered a major row. Maruthi was spotted sharing the stage with Miryalaguda MLA N Bhaskar Rao and Telangana Legislative Council Chairman Gutta Sukhender Reddy. Pranay was hacked to death in September last year, allegedly for marrying an upper caste woman, Amrutha, by her father, Maruthi Rao. The police said that Rao, who got conditional bail earlier this year, had plotted the murder and executed it through a contract killing. Speaking to TNM, Pranay's father, Balaswamy, said that they were hurt seeing the visuals of the event, and alleged that Maruthi Rao was trying to influence the case."We are hurt. Why won't we be? It was clearly established by the police itself that he had committed the murder. When we see him roaming around freely, it hurts all of us," Balaswamy said."He is attempting to influence everyone and stall the case, as it is a life and death situation for him. Yesterday, he participated in a big meeting and made a short speech. If it goes on like this, tomorrow he may even start building up support among the public for him, after committing such a heinous crime," Balaswamy added. While the Nalgonda police filed a 1600-page chargesheet in June detailing the sequence of events that led to the planned murder of Pranay, the trial is yet to start."We still have faith in the law and we are proceeding according to the legal system. All we can do now, is wait. We are hoping that the trial of the case starts soon," Balaswamy said. Speaking to TNM earlier on Wednesday and responding to concerns that Maruthi Rao could influence the case, the MLA in question, Bhaskar Rao, denied the charge."I would like to assure the people that there is no relation between the event and the case. This does not change anything. Our stand is the same and I will be the first one to demand action against him for the crime," Bhaskar Rao had said. The murder On September 14, Pranay and his wife Amrutha were coming out of a private hospital in Miryalaguda, when he was attacked with a machete and killed on the spot. Amrutha was pregnant at the time, and delivered a baby boy in January this year. The entire incident, which was caught on CCTV camera, had created wide outrage. Maruthi Rao had also found support when the case had come to light. Shortly after Pranay's murder, a group under the banner of 'Thalli Thandrula Parirakshana Vedika' (Parents’ Protection Forum), comprising members belonging to the same caste as Maruthi Rao, took out a rally for him and even met him in jail. Read: TRS MLA shares stage with Pranay caste killing prime accused Maruthi Rao

Body 2:

TSRTC strike: Nearly 50,000 employees may lose jobs as Telangana CM KCR rules out talks

Heavy rains lash Hyderabad, IMD says more in store

2 more arrests made in Telangana's multi-crore medical supplies scam

'KCR has no right': Opposition flays govt's plan to sack nearly 50,000 over RTC strike

120 descendants of Hyderabad Nizam ready for legal battle over £35 million fund

Two dead in Hyderabad after 20-yr-old rams over-speeding SUV into bike

TSRTC strike: Hyderabad police detain union leaders ahead of their protests

Telangana CM weakened TSRTC with an aim to privatise it alleges union leader

CPI(M) suspends Huzurnagar MLA candidate after his nomination is rejected

KCR’s crackdown on TSRTC strike a reminder of Jayalalithaa’s iron hand strategy

Striking TSRTC employees dare Telangana CM KCR to issue orders to sack them

'Panic button' in Hyderabad cabs now, as police launch new initiative

RTC strike in Telangana enters 4th day: Could the crisis have been avoided?

How the 'OMG OMG' duo Bhargav and Nithya shot to international fame with TikTok

Hyderabad woman dies in the US, family alleges foul play

Cessna crash in Telangana: Only one pilot was authorized to be on plane, finds DGCA

Watch: Trailer of 'George Reddy' portrays life of Osmania Uni's own Che Guevara

Meet 'Teenmaar Mallanna,' the journalist taking on TRS and Cong in Huzurnagar bye-poll

TRS MLA shares stage with Maruthi Rao, prime accused in Pranay caste killing

'He will influence case': Pranay's father on TRS MLA sharing stage with Maruthi Rao