Shimla/New Delhi, May 11 (PTI) Veteran Congress leader from Himachal Pradesh and former Union minister Sukh Ram died early Wednesday at a Delhi hospital. He was 94.
The Congress leader, who was airlifted and admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Delhi on May 7 after suffering a brain stroke in Manali in Himachal Pradesh, died at the hospital at 1:35 am, hospital sources said.
Sukh Ram’s grandson Aashray Sharma said his body will be kept at Seri Manch in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi to enable people to pay their last respects on Thursday.
“Goodbye grandfather, the phone won’t ring now (alvida dadajee, abhi nahi bajegee phone ki ghanti),” Sharma said in a Facebook post around 2 am on Wednesday.
In another post, Sharma said Sukh Ram’s body will reach his home city Mandi on Wednesday at 6 pm.
Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur expressed condolences over Sukh Ram’s demise.
In a tweet in Hindi, he said, “I am grief stricken to hear the news of death of former union minister and veteran leader from Mandi Pandit Sukh Ram Jee.”
His contribution to politics was very vital and will be always remembered, he added.
“May Ishwar provide place to his departed soul at His feet and his bereaved family get strength to bear the irreparable loss,” he added.
Thakur had on May 7 provided a state helicopter for airlifting the veteran political leader to Delhi for treatment.
Sukh Ram was the Union minister of state communications (independent charge) from 1993 to 1996. He was a member of the Lok Sabha from the Mandi constituency.
He won five assembly elections and was thrice elected to Lok Sabha.
In 2011, Sukh Ram was sentenced to five years imprisonment for corruption during his tenure as communications minister in 1996. His son Anil Sharma is a BJP MLA from Mandi.
Born on July 27,1927, Sukh Ram had represented the Mandi assembly seat from 1963 to 1984. During his tenure as state animal husbandry minister, he was credited with bringing cows from Germany which led to an increase in income of farmers.
He was elected to the Lok Sabha in 1984 and served as a junior minister in the Rajiv Gandhi government. Sukh Ram served as minister of state for defence production and supplies, planning and food and civil supplies.
While Sukh Ram represented the Mandi Lok Sabha constituency, his son Anil Sharma contested and won the assembly seat in 1993. The Congress leader had won the Mandi Lok Sabha seat in 1996, but he and his son were expelled from the party after the telecom scam.
Subsequently, they floated the Himachal Vikas Congress Party, which entered into a post-poll alliance with the BJP and joined the government.
In 1998, Sukh Ram contested the assembly elections from Mandi Sadar and won by a huge margin. His son Anil Sharma was elected to the Rajya Sabha in 1998.
Sukh Ram along with his grandson rejoined the Congress right before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to get a Congress ticket for Aashray Sharam but he could not win.
Sukh Ram’s other grandson Aayush Sharma is an actor and married to Bollywood superstar Salman Khan’s sister Arpita.
The Aam Aadmi Party’s Mumbai unit went across to all flood prone areas and inspected the rivers, nallahs and storm water drains (SWDs) that cause the flooding in the respective areas and were shocked to find out that there is absolutely no pre monsoon de-silting done!
Merely two weeks are left for the onset of the Monsoon Season in Mumbai but once again BMC has failed to clear the rivers, nallahs and SWDs of silt and debri – which means they will overflow and once again major areas of the city will have to face floods. Even by the BMC’s own figures major nallahs and SWDs in the city are far from desilted. If the BMC’s own documents and their online tracker are to be believed only 43% of the city’s nallahs & SWDs and only 84% of Mithi River have been desilted! As per BMC large parts of nallahs including the Poisar river, Chandravarkar Nallah & 48 other nallahs have not even begun desilting. Only 28 % of South Mumbai’s nallahs and SWD’s have been desilted. Only 58% of the Eastern Suburbs nallahs and SWDs have been cleaned. Similarly in the Western Suburbs 50% of the nallahs and SWDs have not been cleaned. In total even the BMC admits it has only cleaned 55% of the city’s minor nallahs.
The shocking truth is that even these figures are fake and nowhere near ground reality!! AAP volunteers and leadership went to various spots along the Mithi and saw that the river is still hopelessly choked up at Jogeshwari, BKC, Bandra East & Kalina – this poses a major threat to all Western Suburbs. Even smaller Nallahs & SWD’s are still choked up across the city nullahs. The Eastern Suburbs are worse off as none of the nallahs have even been attempted and the 58% claim is totally fake!
“The Shivsena Government has shown complete apathy to the death and devastation caused in Mumbai year after year. In power in BMC for three decades and now in the State too, their only interest is in looting the BMC and their utter recklessness in ignoring the pre monsoon preparation is nothing short of malafide criminal intent. It is time to bury the ghost of the “Spirit of Mumbai” and file criminal charges against those responsible for the floods that we are inevitably going to face.” said Mumbai President Preeti Sharma Menon.
“The sheer lies behind the reportage of the cleaning of the Mithi River proves that there is something rotten in the BMC. There seems to be a massive nexus between the contractors cleaning the river and Municipal Authorities and they think the lives of Mumbaikars is a cheap price to pay.” said AAP Leader and Mumbai’s Riverman Gopal Jhaveri.
The Aam Aadmi Party demands that an external independent body be appointed to audit the pre monsoon preparation and all the contractors and officers who have failed to do the work and those that have misreported the figures be tried for attempted murder. And, if the city floods again this monsoon, criminal negligence cases should be filed against the Councillors of those wards. It is time that Mumbaikers put these criminals in jail!
AAP complains against alleged sexual harrassment by Dr. Manoj Patel at Nanavati Hospital, Vile Parle
Writes letters to the Dean of Nanavati Hospital and Santacruz Police Station demanding immediate inquiry and action
The Aam Aadmi Party today submitted letters of complaint to the Dean of Nanavati hospital, Vile Parle, and the Santacruz Police Station, in response to reports of alleged sexual harassment by a doctor of Nanavati Hospital on 31st March 2022. Dr. Manoj Patel, a practitioner under General Medicine has allegedly molested a girl during what was a routine health check-up. What makes this incident even more appalling, is that when the victim rushed out of Dr. Manoj Patel’s ward and publically called out the doctor’s misbehaviour; the hospital staff acted as mere bystanders, and did nothing to support the victim.
“This is a condemnable offence of an extremely grave nature, and must be met with the strictest action against the perpetrator, if the allegations of misbehaviour are found to be true. We demand that the authorities take immediate cognizance of this incident, and initiate an inquiry. It is extremely important that the sanctity of the medical profession is maintained, and no such act is ever repeated.” said Preeti Sharma Menon, National Executive Member and Mumbai Prabhari.
Vuln!! Path it now!!
Condemns violent attack on Delhi CM Kejriwal’s residence by BJP goons
Demands Mumbai Bank fraud-accused Pravin Darekar’s immediate resignation as LoP
The Aam Aadmi Party today ‘gheraoed’ the BJP Maharashtra Office at Nariman Point, South Bombay, to protest against the BJP’s misrule – be it the naked corruption by LoP Pravin Darekar in the Mumbai Bank scam, or the shameless thuggery in the attack on the Chief Minister’s residence in Delhi by BJP goons. The Police violently cracked down on the AAP rally, attacking party volunteers, and forcefully detaining the gathering.
The BJP is unnerved by the Aam Aadmi Party’s success in Delhi and Punjab, and today, in full public view, with the Delhi Police being bystanders, BJP goons violently attacked the Delhi CM’s residence. They broke CCTV cameras, smashed security barriers, and vandalized the residence’s gates. The BJP is convinced that it is above the law of the land, and is prepared to take any measures necessary to try and deter the Aam Aadmi Party.
The Party leaders and volunteers, who gathered in front of the BJP Maharashtra office with placards & banners, raised slogans and demanded the immediate resignation of BJP leader Pravin Darekar – the Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council; for defrauding Mumbaikars by falsely claiming to be a labourer, to contest and win the Mumbai Bank Elections. BJP LoP Pravin Darekar has deceived and stolen from Mumbaikars; he has lost the moral right to continue as LoP, and must face the harshest punishment for his crime.
“The BJP believes that its leaders and supporters can act with no care for the law of the land, and with absolute impunity. The attack on Delhi CM Kejriwal’s residence by BJP goons is shocking, and shows that the BJP is willing to pursue any means necessary to stop the AAP’s growth, but we shall not be deterred. AAP demands that BJP leader Pravin Darekar be arrested; that he immediately resign as the Leader of Opposition of the Maharashtra Legislative Council; and that the Maharashtra Govt. set up a Special Investigative Team to conduct a time-bound investigation of the misappropriation of the Mumbai Bank funds, which has affected thousands of customers.” said Dhananjay Shinde, AAP Maharashtra State Secretary.
Demands resignation from the office of LoP, calls for SIT
The Aam Aadmi Party today held a press conference wherein the Party leaders called for the immediate resignation of BJP leader Pravin Darekar – The Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council, for blatantly cheating Mumbaikars by falsely claiming to be a manual labourer to contest & win the Mumbai Cooperative Bank elections; and for overseeing the misappropriation of bank funds to the tune of 2000 crores during his tenure as the Chairman as the Bank.
The Mumbai Bank is a cooperative bank where Mr. Darekar fraudulently claimed to be a ‘manual labourer’, and continued as Chairman for two terms, from 2011 to 2021, prior to which he was a Director for two terms. During this period, as per the the Cooperative department’s and NABARD’s audit reports, there were irregularities related to the misappropriation to the tune of 2000 crores from 2015 to 2021 – with a criminal disregard of regulatory compliances and procedures, as stipulated by the law.
The Aam Aadmi Party, led by Maharashtra State Secretary Shri Dhananjay Shinde, has been at the forefront of exposing Pravin Darekar’s dubious credentials as a manual labourer, which were used by him to register in an organization meant only for manual labourers – the Pratigya Cooperative Labour Organization. Mr. Pravin Darekar was disqualified as a labourer by the Maharashtra State Co-operative Department on 3rd January 2022. It was on the basis of a complaint filed by Dhananjay Shinde on 8th January 2022 at the MRA Marg Police Station, that an FIR was lodged against Pravin Darekar, on 15th March 2022 – under sections 120B, 199, 406, 417, 420, 465 and 468.
“The Leader of Opposition is an office of the highest honour, and we cannot allow a dishonest, corrupt leader like Darekar to hold the said office. The former BJP CM Devendra Fadnavis, and Cooperative Ministers Subhash Deshmukh and Chandrakant Patil shielded Pravin Darekar, and hence, are equally liable for the crimes committed by him. The MVA Govt has also failed to take action against the LoP, because their leaders were acting as Directors of the Mumbai Bank at the time.” said Dhananjay Shinde, AAP Maharashtra State Secretary.
“AAP demands that BJP leader Pravin Darekar immediately tender his resignation as the Leader of Opposition of the Maharashtra Legislative Council, and that the Maharashtra Govt. set up a Special Investigative Team to conduct a time-bound investigation of the misappropriation of the Mumbai Bank funds, which has affected thousands of customers. We also demand that an administrator be appointed by the RBI to govern and monitor the Bank’s functions till this issue is taken to its logical conclusion.” said Preeti Sharma Menon, AAP National Executive Member and Mumbai Prabhari.
The Kerala High Court on Tuesday denied bail to the prime accused in the 2017 actress assault case in which actor Dileep is also an accused.
Justice P V Kunhikrishnan denied the relief to Sunil N S also known as ‘Pulsar Suni’, who is the main accused in the case.
The court dismissed his plea for regular bail, saying it cannot be granted at this stage.
The detailed order is not yet available.
The actress-victim, who has worked in Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam films, was abducted and allegedly molested in her car for two hours by some persons who had forced their way into the vehicle on the night of February 17, 2017 and later escaped in a busy area. The entire act was filmed by those persons to blackmail the actress.
There are 10 accused in the 2017 case and police have arrested seven. Dileep was arrested subsequently and released on bail.
Petrol prices in the national capital as well as most state capitals crossed Rs 100 a litre mark as its rates on Tuesday were hiked by 80 paise a litre and that of diesel by 70 paise, taking the total increase since last week to Rs 4.80 per litre.
Petrol in Delhi will now cost Rs 100.21 per litre against Rs 99.41 previously, while diesel rates have gone up from Rs 90.77 per litre to Rs 91.47, according to a price notification of state fuel retailers.
Rates have been increased across the country and vary from state to state, depending upon the incidence of local taxation.
Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata already had petrol prices of over Rs 100 per litre, and most state capitals now have rates higher than that.
Petrol price in the national capital had last crossed Rs 100 a litre mark on July 7, 2021, and went on to touch an all-time high of Rs 110.04 before the Modi government on November 4 reduced excise duty on auto fuels. Most states matched that cut with a reduction in local sales tax or VAT.
Post that daily rate revisions were put on hold as elections in five states, including Uttar Pradesh, approached.
But, the cost of raw materials during this period climbed from USD 82 per barrel to close to USD 140 before retracting. It is around USD 112 per barrel on Tuesday.
This is the seventh increase in prices since the ending of a four-and-half-month long hiatus in rate revision on March 22. On the first four occasions, prices were increased by 80 paise a litre – the steepest single-day rise since the daily price revision was introduced in June 2017. On the following days, petrol price went up by 50 paise and 30 paise a litre, while diesel rose by 55 paise and 35 paise a litre.
In all, petrol and diesel prices have gone up by Rs 4.80 per litre – the steepest increase in any eight days since the daily price revision was implemented in June 2017.
In Mumbai, petrol comes for Rs 115.04 a litre, while in Chennai, it is priced at Rs 105.94 and in Kolkata at Rs 109.68.
Diesel is priced at Rs 99.25 a litre in Mumbai, Rs 96 in Chennai and Rs 94.62 in Kolkata.
Rajasthan’s Ganganagar district on the border with Pakistan has the costliest fuel in the country at Rs 117.14 per litre for petrol and Rs 99.96 for diesel.
Besides local taxes, rates are also dependent on freight.
Moody’s Investors Services last week stated that state retailers together lost around USD 2.25 billion (Rs 19,000 crore) in revenue for keeping petrol and diesel prices on hold during the election period.
Oil companies “will need to raise diesel prices by Rs 13.1-24.9 per litre and Rs 10.6-22.3 a litre on gasoline (petrol) at an underlying crude price of USD 100-120 per barrel,” according to Kotak Institutional Equities.
CRISIL Research said a Rs 9-12 per litre increase in retail price will be required for a full pass-through of an average USD 100 per barrel crude oil and Rs 15-20 a litre hike if the average crude oil price rises to USD 110-120.
India is 85 per cent dependent on imports for meeting its oil needs and so retail rates adjust accordingly to the global movement.
Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday embarked on a visit to China to attend a regional meeting on war-torn Afghanistan.
The third meeting of ‘Foreign Ministers of Neighbouring Countries of Afghanistan’ is being held on March 29 to 31, according to the Pakistan Foreign Office (FO). The meeting will be held in Tunxi, central China’s Anhui province.
“Besides attending the Neighbouring Countries Ministerial meeting, the Foreign Minister will interact with counterparts from participating countries,” said the FO.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to host a dialogue between the foreign ministers and the acting Foreign Minister of Afghanistan’s interim government, Amir Khan Muttaqi, on the sidelines of the meeting.
Foreign Ministers of Indonesia and Qatar have been invited to the meeting as “guests”.
Pakistan had initiated the ‘Neighbouring Countries’ format in September 2021 with a view to evolving a regional approach on the situation in Afghanistan after the hardline Taliban seized power in Kabul in August last year.
The Taliban regime in Afghanistan has not been recognised by the international community amidst severe economic and humanitarian problems faced by the country.
Pakistan hosted the first meeting on September 8, 2021.
The FO said Pakistan fully supports a regional approach on Afghanistan for promoting durable peace and stability in the region.
Pakistan will continue to support the international community’s efforts to advance the shared objectives of a peaceful, stable, sovereign, prosperous and connected Afghanistan, said the FO.
Qureshi has been invited by State Councilor and Foreign Minister of China Wang.
Vehemently opposes the MVA’s decision to allocate 300 flats via MHADA to MLAs and MLCs across Maharashtra
The Aam Aadmi Party today slammed the MVA government for placing its selfish interests over public welfare, when it comes to decision making. In what is clearly a please-all for the political class, the MVA announced the allocation of 300 flats via MHADA to MLAs and MLCs from across Maharashtra.
Contrary to the MVA, the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab has focused on bold, citizen-centric decisions – the latest of which is that all MLAs, irrespective of the number of the terms served by them, would recieve a single pension from the government. Until now, a two-time MLA would get two pensions and a five-time MLA would get five pensions; something that was absolutely ridiculous & without any precedent world over, leading to the AAP government’s landmark intervention to correct this unjustifiable policy.
“Globally, 6 years of an individual’s annual income can afford someone decent housing, but that is simply not true for Mumbai, where real estate prices remain skewed and sky-high. Instead of providing relief to the Aam Aadmi in a high-inflation and scarce housing market, the MVA is seeking to providing 300 new flats to MLAs & MLCs in Mumbai, despite fully functional ‘MLA hostels’ having been made available to them.” said Ruben Mascarenhas, AAP Mumbai Working President.
“On the one hand you have the Delhi & the Punjab Government taking pro-people decisions, while on the other hand, you have the MVA government – which is abusing it’s power to cater solely to the political class. Rather than addressing the problem of public housing in Mumbai as a priority issue of policy making, the MVA is choosing to provide for the lavish lifestyles of its MLAs and MLCs. This is nothing but an arrogance of power, seeking to further the VIP culture that continues to prevail among our representatives, and must be vehemently opposed by all, at all costs. The MVA needs to take lessons from the AAP Government in Punjab.” said Preeti Sharma Menon, National Executive Member and Mumbai Prabhari.
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