Students nurturing plants and creepers at the vegetable garden developed at Sri Padmavati Mahila Viswa Vidyalayam (SPMVV) campus in Tirupati.
| Photo Credit: K.V. Poornachandra Kumar

For the first time, several students pursuing higher education at Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) and Sri Padmavati Mahila Viswa Vidyalayam (SPMVV) have become first generation farmers, that too, organic farmers.

The two universities are currently in the process of established organic vegetable gardens at their respective premises. Welfare Organisation for Rural Development (WORD) extended their technical expertise and overall guidance in adopting natural farming methods, while another NGO Society for Human Rights and Social Development (SOCHURSOD) procured the seed, arranged labour and provided training to the students.

One cent of land each has been earmarked for the garden at SVU’s Botany department and SPMVV’s Godavari hostel block. Beds and trenches are formed alternately across the garden and ‘Ghana Jeevamruthan’, a mixture of cow dung, cow urine, jaggery and pulses powder, is applied to the soil. The native seed varieties of various vegetables are dipped in a similar substance called ‘Beejamrutham’ and planted.

Planting pattern

The planting pattern used is such that thirteen types of vegetables and seven varieties of greens are densely planted across the plot. Vegetables like brinjal, chilli, tomato and lady’s finger (red), roots like carrot, beetroot, and radish are planted in a scattered manner.

Bitter gourd, bottle gourd and ridge gourd are planted on the periphery so that the creepers are allowed to climb along the fence. Marigold (Banthipuvvu), which is known to prevent pests, is also planted randomly. A mix of neem seed extract and native soil is sprinkled to enhance growth, while yellow traps are installed here and there to tackle insects.

“The yield from this 20ft x 20ft plot is sufficient to feed a family of five to seven persons for four months,” says professor B. Hemavathi of SPMVV Department of Bioscience and Sericulture, who is coordinating the plot on behalf of the National Service Scheme (NSS) cell.

Green teams

Both institutes have formed ‘green teams’ of 21 members from their respective campuses, who are required to monitor the plot, showcase them to visitors, train fellow students and impart knowledge to the general public on the advantages of growing vegetables at their residential complexes, apartments and even roof tops.

WORD general secretary K. Gangadharam, who has been pursuing natural farming and training citizens for nearly three decades, invites agricultural entrepreneurs to replicate his model to provide chemical residue-free vegetables to the public.

A seven-judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud on November 8, 2024 delivered four separate judgements in a case related to the minority status of Aligarh Muslim University. Photo: Supreme Court of India via PTI

Supreme Court judge, Justice Dipankar Datta, in his separate dissenting opinion in the Aligarh Muslim University case, revealed there was hardly any meaningful consultation on the judgment among the seven judges of the Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud.

The draft opinions from the Chief Justice, which became the majority opinion and judgment of the court, reached him late and were constantly revised.

Also read: SC verdict on AMU minority status: University’s teachers’ body welcomes judgment

A brief consultation by the Bench was held only on November 7.

Also eead: Owaisi hails Supreme Court ruling on AMU’s minority status

Justice Datta compared his “unenviable position” to that of Justice M.P. Thakar, a junior member of a five-judge Constitution Bench, in 1985. Justice Datta quoted the latter’s words of how the consultative process was given a miss, “a ‘give’ and ‘take’ of ideas, with due respect for the holders of the opposite point of view (in a true democratic spirit of tolerance), with willingness to accord due consideration to the same, would not have impaired the search for the true solution. Or hurt the cause of justice”.

Justice Datta said the heavy workload of the judges may have been the reason behind the lack of any consultations.

“A common venue for a purposeful and effective dialogue where members of the Bench could freely express their points of view, an attempt to share thoughts and to exchange opinions, a ‘give’ and ‘take’ of ideas, in true democratic spirit to build up a consensus – all these seem to have taken a backseat, having regard to the immense pressure of work which we, the CJI and the other judges on the Bench, have undertaken during the time ever since the judgment was reserved,” Justice Datta said.

The judge said his ordeal of waiting for the draft opinions that came late – one on the eve of the Deepavali break – and squeezing in time between regular court work gave him little time to read and prepare his opinion.

“I do not grudge getting very little time to express my views in the manner I would have wished to express. Had it not been a race against time to circulate the opinion by November 6, 2024, the limit I had set for myself and assured to the CJI, the opinion could have been much better articulated and more compact,” Justice Datta said.

Former Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa
| Photo Credit: file photo

The Justice John Michael D’Cunha Commission, which probed alleged irregularities in COVID-19 procurements and management in Karnataka, has recommended the prosecution of the then Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa and his Minister for Health and Family Welfare B. Sriramulu over the purchase of three lakh PPE kits from two Chinese firms in April 2020 at exorbitant rates though there was “no compelling reason”, extracts from the report available with The Hindu show.

The commission has recommended their prosecution under sections 7 and 11 of The Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988, and for criminal breach of trust and disciplinary action against concerned officials.

Justice D’ Cunha submitted the interim report to the State government on August 31, and a Cabinet subcommittee is presently examining the report.

Former Health Minister B. Sriramulu
| Photo Credit:
file photo

PPE kits from China

The report finds that 3 lakh PPE kits were procured through direct purchase orders without any tenders or exemption granted from the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurement Act, 1999, from DHB Global Hong Kong (China) and Big Pharmaceuticals at a cost of over ₹2,000 per unit.

“The procurement was made purely on the directions of the CM and the Health Minister, GoK, without following the basic procurement rules and procedures,” the report stated. It further said that “the whole process was manipulated to grant the contract to the select and favoured supplier of the CM and the Health Minister apparently with a view to obtain unfair advantage”.

The report further said it found that the State government had procured a total of 18.07 lakh PPE kits during COVID-19 at a price ranging between ₹400 and ₹1,444.80, apart from this instance. It also noted instances of PPE kits being bought locally for a fraction of the cost procured from the two Chinese firms, both days prior to and after the said direct purchase order issued in the first week of April 2020.

Also read | Govt. bore freight and transport charges of PPE kits despite companies initially quoting it, says report 

“These purchases clearly point out that PPE kits were readily available in the domestic market at a reasonably lower rate, and therefore, there was no compelling reason to import PPE kits from China,” the report said.

‘Undue advantage’

The D’Cunha Report, recommending prosecution, said, “… the then Chief Minister and the then Health Minister either by themselves and/or in collusion with the suppliers by corrupt and illegal means have obtained undue advantage for themselves and/or the supplier by abusing their position as public servants and/or by using their personal influence over other public servants involved in the transaction,” the report says.

BJP MP Raju Bista during a public meeting in support of party’s candidate from Madarihat Rahul Lohar ahead of the by-election.

With only a few days left for bypolls on six Assembly seats in West Bengal, the campaign has picked up with leaders of political parties launching scathing attacks on their political opponents.

State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Sukanta Majumdar while campaigning for his party candidate at Taldangra in Bankura launched an aggressive attack not only at the Trinamool Congress but also at the West Bengal Police.

“Our fight is not with the Trinamool Congress, but with the police. If the police are removed, there will be no political party called Trinamool Congress within 15 minutes,” Mr. Majumdar, who is also a Union Minister of State, said. The Balurghat MP also threatened the police by saying that they should not work as agents of the Trinamool Congress. “If you want to work as agent of Trinamool Congress then remove the national emblem from your uniform,” the BJP leader said.

Another BJP lawmaker, MLA Niladri Sekhar Dana was heard at a public meeting exhorting his supporters to buy ‘equipment’ in an oblique reference to assemble arms to fight political opponents.

Bypolls on November 13

Bye-election to six Assembly seats — Naihati, Haroa, Medinipur, Taldangra, Sitai (SC) and Madarihat (ST) — will be held on November 13. The polls assume significance as it comes right after protests rocked the State over the rape and murder of a doctor at R. G. Kar Medical College and Hospital. The protesters had kept the Opposition parties away from the protests and the bypolls are an opportunity for the principal Opposition to take on the ruling party in West Bengal.

The Trinamool Congress leadership rubbished the aggressive remarks as “political posturing”. TMC leader Kunal Ghosh said that the BJP has not been able to win elections with the deployment of central forces in the past. In the Lok Sabha polls concluded earlier this year the Trinamool Congress won 29 of the 42 Lok Sabha seats and the BJP won only 12. The Congress party was able to win only one Lok Sabha Seat.

Hakim’s ‘sexist‘ remark

Meanwhile, Trinamool Congress leader and State’s Minister Firhad Hakim has found himself in the centre of the controversy over alleged alleged sexist remarks he made against BJP leader Rekha Patra, the face of Sandeshkhali protests. Mr. Hakim, who is also the Mayor of Kolkata Municipal Corporation made the remarks during campaigning at Haroa Assembly seat in North 24 Parganas.

The remarks which landed the Trinamool Congress leader in a soup was made in context of the BJP candidate losing the Basirhat Lok Sabha seat with a margin of over three lakh votes. During the day the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leadership lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission, demanding censure against Mr. Hakim in the ongoing bypoll campaign.

“The BJP announced a candidate from Sandeshkhali. Where is that candidate? She (Rekha Patra) lost… ‘heroo maal’. She later lodged cases against our candidate,” Mr. Hakim had said. With pressure mounting on him, the Trinamool Congress leader offered an apology later in the day.

“If my words have hurt her [Rekha], I am truly sorry. I would never even dream of disrespecting any woman. My leader is a woman; my mother, wife, daughters, and granddaughters are all women. We honour women in Bengal,” Mr. Hakim said. The Minister added that disrespecting women is not part of the culture of the State which worships female deities during Durga Puja and Kali Puja.

After playing an officer of the Indian Air Force in Operation Valentine, actor Varun Tej awaits the theatrical release of his new Telugu film Matka, in which he plays a character inspired by the gambler Ratan Khatri, referred to as ‘matka king’. “I was keen to be a part of a film that has the potential to appeal to a wide audience. I liked director Karuna Kumar’s raw and rugged narrative style in Palasa 1978 and was eager to work with him when he narrated a fictional story inspired by the life of Ratan Khatri,” Varun Tej explains with enthusiasm when we meet for this interview at Vyra Entertainments office in Hyderabad.

Varun Tej; in a still from ‘Matka’
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement

Varun emphasises that Matka, to be released in multiple languages on November 14, is essentially a Telugu film, staying true to its home language and cultural context. As the script evolved (Karuna Kumar wrote 13 drafts), Varun was taken in by portions that emerged as a spin-off of happenings in Khatri’s life. “It is interesting to know how Khatri expanded his network and gambling spread across India and affected the Indian economy. We have included a few events pertaining to the Emergency and the demonetisation of high denomination bank notes (1978). However, we were not keen on making a biopic.” 

The character Vasu portrayed by Varun, is fictional though created along the lines of Khatri. Matka traces his journey from his 20s to his 50s, transforming from a youngster desperate to make ends meet to becoming a power-hungry gambler. “Khatri came to India during the Partition. The film is set in Visakhapatnam and Vasu arrives as a refugee from Burma. Later, he narrates the story of his early life to his daughter in a fairytale format, referring to his character in the third person. I liked how Karuna Kumar has written these segments,” says Varun, adding that Matka depicts nightclub glitz, crime and the underworld in the port city in the 1960s and 70s, a facet that has not often been explored. 

Varun Tej in ‘Matka’

In Varun’s decade-long career since Mukunda (2014), he has often chosen films from diverse genres and settings — a world war backdrop in Kanche, a gangster comedy in Gaddalakonda Ganesh, science fiction adventure in Antariksham 9000 KMPH and a boxer in the sports drama Ghani. He has also been a part of romances such as Tholi Prema and Fidaa and the comedies F2 and F3. “I strive to do something different in each film. Along the way, I have also realised the need to cater to a larger audience. Unlike my recent films, I am confident that Matka’s appeal will not be limited to a certain demographic; there are plenty of moments that will give the audiences a theatrical high.”

Varun terms Matka a ‘massy’ film but he is not taking the easy route of a formulaic mainstream entertainer, given the trajectory of his character from 1958 to 1982. “A regular commercial film is also tough to pull off,” he explains. “Such films can work only for star heroes whose persona translates to the characters they play and their huge fan bases celebrate them. Today, the audiences want something unique; we have to design a world that suits the story and the emotions need to be relatable.” He reveals that by the second draft of Matka, he had a fair idea of where it was headed. “I knew what the director intended to convey about economic inequality and other aspects, all in an entertaining format.”

One of the distinct looks sported by Varun Tej in ‘Matka’

Varun discusses how the film attempts to portray good versus evil, emphasizing he was drawn by the delineation of how an individual’s action is determined by hunger. “Someone who has food on his table and parents who care for him might judge another person’s act of stealing for hunger as a crime. We may not approve of the theft but we need to understand where that person comes from.”

Varun asserts that Matka does not celebrate Vasu as a superhero. “We show his glamorous side as he splurges, but we also show the repercussions of his actions. If the film were to end up glorifying him, I would not have been comfortable doing it.” He mentions how the character portrayed by Meenakshi Choudhary tries to show Vasu the mirror. “Her character, too, comes from a tough background but she is content with what they have, while he is not. This is where the character differentiation happens.”

Planned to the hilt

Matka involved extensive pre-production to plan the production design, cinematography and other technical aspects. Varun was glad to do extensive script-reading sessions with the director. “Karuna Kumar had a 300-page book with all the details of pre-production work. Everything was precise, from camera angles to the type of lenses used. Cinematographer Kishor Kumar (Thangalaan fame) used anamorphic lenses for the initial portions and the camera movements were as per the trends in the 1960s and 70s. He had planned the camera angles and cuts thoroughly, to ensure that no time was wasted on set. It was similar with the other departments as well.”

Matka was filmed in 75 days, of which Varun shot for nearly 65 days. He discloses that the film has more than 100 scenes as opposed to the norm of 70 to 90 scenes. “I had read the script multiple times and analysed Vasu’s behaviour. Yet, I was nervous on day one to see if the director liked what I portrayed. Since my character goes through four stages, I was nervous each time I portrayed the character in a different age,” he laughs.

Varun reckons that his previous film, Operation Valentine, may not have worked due to multiple reasons but he prefers putting the past behind him, exuding confidence in Matka and looks forward to its reception.

Justice P.B. Balaji, judge of the Madras High Court, at the launch of the book ‘Generative AI in the Courtroom: A Practical Handbook for Modern Justice’, in Chennai on Saturday, November 9, 2024
| Photo Credit: Akhila Easwaran

Artificial Intelligence (AI) will play a crucial role in legal research, administration, and summarising voluminous documents, and the thumb rule for effectively using it in any field lies in letting it only assist humans and not dominate, said Justice P.B. Balaji, judge of the Madras High Court, in Chennai on Saturday (November 9, 2024).

Launching the book ‘Generative AI in the Courtroom: A Practical Handbook for Modern Justice’ written by entrepreneur Aspire. K. Swaminathan and lawyer Anita Thomas, Justice Balaji said: “We cannot deny the fact that AI is here to stay. There were apprehensions when mobile phones were introduced. We termed it a necessary evil and only allowed the technology to grow extensively, leaps and bounds. Something similar is now happening with AI, which cannot be dispensed. But the key is not being dependent on AI but managing and adapting to change.”

He also observed that tagging and listing similar sets of cases can be done through AI. “It can also help in bringing out a separate list of cases which need not be adjudicated and just be disposed of on the basis of the earlier judgments of the Supreme Court. AI can also help lawyers in preparing documents. The Supreme Court had come up with software like SUPACE and SUVAS to translate judgments and other documents using AI in different languages.”

He also asserted that AI should not be used for writing judgments. “Judges can use AI to summarise voluminous pleadings. But AI should not be used for writing judgments because it does not have a heart. Judges require empathy to decide, especially when it comes to cases dealing with children or domestic violence.”

Retired IAS officer PWC Davidar, who is currently the Advisor, Digital and Simplified Governance, Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency, highlighted various challenges in putting together voluminous data from various departments of the government and how AI helps in simplifying it. He said AI could assist in offering Government to Citizen, Government to Business, and Government to Government services.

Dakshinamurthy V. Kolluru, Pro Vice Chancellor, Vijaybhoomi University, urged for the active participation of lawyers to help build AI to have its impact in every possible domain. Mr. Swaminathan and Ms. Thomas were among others who spoke during the event.

Relatives and locals during the funeral of Village Defence Guard (VDG) Nazir Ahmed, who was killed by terrorists, in Kishtwar district, Saturday (November 9, 2024).
| Photo Credit: PTI

The last rites of the two Village Defence Guards (VDG) killed by terrorists were performed near their village in Jammu and Kashmir‘s Kishtwar district on Saturday (November 9, 2024), with locals demanding security and adequate relief, including a Government job for each of the two families.

The bodies of Nazir Ahmed (42) and Kuldeep Kumar (40) were found near a rivulet deep inside the Kuntwara forest on Friday after a hectic 12-hour-long search operation.

“The hunt for the terrorists behind the gruesome incident was underway, with additional forces mobilised from adjoining areas on Saturday to extend the cordon,” officials said.

The bodies of the two Village Defence Guards reached their homes in Ohli village late Friday (November 8, 2024) night.

“The post-mortem examination of the bodies was conducted in the village in the morning, which confirmed that they were shot in the head from behind,” the officials said, adding that the victims were found blindfolded and their hands tied to their backs.

They said the terrorists used a pistol to kill the unarmed VDGs, who had gone to the forest area to graze their cattle on Thursday (November 7, 2024). Mr. Kumar lost his father, Amar Chand, over a week ago, and this was his first trip to the forest area after the tragedy; otherwise, it was his friend Ahmad who took care of his livestock during the mourning period.

While Mr. Ahmad was the first to be laid to rest at the local graveyard, Mr. Kumar’s cremation took place in the periphery of the village, with the participants chanting anti-Pakistan and anti-terrorism slogans.

“This was the second incident of its kind in our village, as decades ago one of the residents was shot dead by terrorists. The area was subsequently cleared of terrorism more than 15 years ago, and the latest incident is a cause of concern for the villagers,” former sarpanch Mohammad Farooq told PTI.

Nazir is survived by his wife, three sons, and one daughter, besides a handicapped brother, while Kumar left behind his wife, two sons, and a daughter.

Mr. Farooq said while the village is five kilometres from the last motorable road, it took almost eight hours for the search parties to retrieve the bodies from the forest area.

“Both the deceased belong to poor families and were the sole bread earners, leaving behind their children. We request the government to provide adequate ex gratia relief, including a government job to each family,” he said.

The former sarpanch also demanded the strengthening of the VDGs in the village to counter terrorism.

“They (terrorists) want to create a wedge between our communities, but we want to tell them that we have lived together for centuries and will thwart their nefarious designs,” he said.

Firdous, another villager, said such incidents spread disturbance and “we want the government to recruit one VDG from each of the 130 houses.” He demanded a massive search operation to wipe out the terrorists.

“People are frightened by this incident as we are mostly farmers and depend on the forest produce for livelihood,” he added.

Rajesh Kumar, another villager, said the whole village was grieving. “We want the Government to ensure proper rehabilitation of the families,” he added.

Rikhi Raj slammed Pakistan and said killing unarmed and poor persons is no “Jihad”.

“We shame the terrorists and Pakistan for this cowardly action. They cannot fight our army and are shedding the blood of innocents,” he said.

The Kashmir Tigers, an offshoot of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM), have claimed that they killed the VDGs. The group also shared pictures of the bodies.

Kishtwar along with several other districts of Jammu region, including Rajouri, Poonch, Reasi, Udhampur, Doda and Kathua districts, recorded increased terror attacks this year.

“Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat and General Officer Commanding of Jammu-based White Knight Corps Lt. General Navin Sachdeva visited the area on Friday (November 8, 2024) and later held a joint meeting to review the security situation in the district,” the officials said.

Meanwhile, former president of J&K BJP Ravinder Raina and the party’s Kishtwar MLA Shagun Parihar visited the village to convey their condolences to the bereaved families.

The seventh edition of the Kuttikkanam International Film Festival (KIFF) will be held at Marian College (Autonomous), Kuttikkanam, on November 14 and 15.

The festival is jointly conducted by the Department of Communication and Media Studies at the college and the Medios Talkies Film Society in collaboration with the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy and the Federation of Film Societies of India (Kerala).

The festival is themed around ‘SHE’ (Stories of Her Empowerment), focussing on women-centred cinema. Actor Vincy Aloshious will inaugurate the festival.

The festival will showcase films that highlight the challenges faced by women in society and their intense struggles for survival. A total of 16 films from various countries will be screened at the festival.

The festival will feature competitions for short films and documentaries, with ₹10,000 awarded for the best short film and ₹5,000 for the best documentary.

Directors Jeo Baby, Johny Antony, Shahi Kabir, Dr. Biju, Arun Bose, P. Vijayakrishnan, editor Ranjan Abraham, lyricist Vayalar Sarath Chandra Varma, cinematographer Sunny Joseph, and film critic Madhu Eravankara will be attending the festival and interacting with delegates.

Peerumade MLA Vazhoor Soman, College Principal Ajimon George, administrator Fr. Joseph Ponganthanathu, and Kottayam Regional Coordinator of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy Shaji Ambattu, among others, will attend the festival.

Admiral Dinesh Kumar Tripathi, Chief of the Naval Staff. File.
| Photo Credit: PTI

India has a highly effective mechanism for monitoring the oceans, known as maritime domain awareness, and is fully aware of “who is where and who is doing what” to ensure the country’s interests are not compromised, Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi has said.

The Navy Chief also dismissed the dual carrier operation by China in the South China Sea as “nothing we should be concerned of “.

Also read | All eyes are now on the Indian Ocean region

Addressing the media after the grand finale of THINQ 2024, a nationwide quiz competition organised by the Indian Navy on Friday evening, Mr. Tripathi also said India keeps a “close watch” on activities in its “area of interest”.

He made these remarks at the Ezhimala Naval Academy here in response to a question on China’s growing influence in the region through its cooperation with Sri Lanka.

“What China does in any part of the globe, let them do it. What they do in our area of interest, we are keeping a close watch. Nothing happens in our part of the world which we do not know,” CNS added.

He said the Navy is keeping a very close watch in our areas so that India’s national interests are not compromised in any way, anywhere.

“When their units, whether military or non-military, operate in the Indian Ocean region, we do ensure that our national interests are not compromised. We have got a fantastic organisation to keep the oceans under watch, which is maritime domain awareness, and we know exactly who is where and who is doing what,” the Navy Chief said.

He said the dual carrier operation is nothing concerning India.

“We have done these dual carrier operations for many years now,” he added.

Mr. Tripathi also said the Indian Navy is very proud of the two young women Naval officers who are now on a mission to circle the globe in a boat as part of the Navika Sagar Parikrama-2.

“They are reaching their first port of call in Australia on Saturday. During the voyage, they will only touch four ports across the globe. It is a very challenging journey, as they will have to face rough seas and weather. But they are well-equipped and well-trained. They already have training for 36,000 nautical miles,” Tripathi said.

Talking about the initiatives like THINQ quiz competition, he said that the Navy has several such initiatives to popularise the force among the countrymen, especially youths, and educate them on what the Navy does during peace and during ‘not-so-peaceful times’.

He said innovation is one of the top priorities for the Navy, and the Indian Navy always wanted to remain on top of the technology curve.

“There is a process in which we recruit our officers and cadets. We assess the suitability. I am not worried about the quality [of resources] which we are getting,” he added.

He said the Navy also involved big public sector undertakings, medium, small, and micro establishments, and start-ups for technology sessions in an initiative to popularise the Navy’s pursuit of technological mastery.

For the THINQ 2024 editions, as many as 12,600 schools from 3,800 cities and towns in the country participated. Sixteen teams entered the semifinals, and eight teams contested in the grand finale held here.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah during a public meeting for the Assembly polls in Jharkhand. Photo: X/@AmitShah

Taking a jibe at the JMM-led coalition in Jharkhand, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday (November 9, 2024) equated it with a “burnt transformer” that “failed” to relay the power of prosperity sent through the “high tension line” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Centre.

He also appealed to the people to vote for the BJP for peaceful Ram Navami celebrations, promising that he would participate in such festival in Hazaribag if the BJP government was voted to power.

“Narendra Modi’s government is like an HT (high tension) power line. An HT line cannot supply electricity directly to your homes; a transformer is needed. The Hemant Soren government (Jharkhand CM) is like a burnt transformer.

“The Centre sends lakhs of crores of rupees through its HT line for development, but it is not transmitted to you. The time has come to change this burnt transformer,” Mr. Shah claimed addressing a poll rally in Hazaribag.

Mr. Shah alleged that the JMM-led regime was involved in multiple scams, including ₹1,000 crore in MGNREGA, ₹600 crore in land deals, ₹1,000 crore in mining, and liquor.

He further accused the state JMM-Congress coalition of “devouring” the free ration sent by PM Modi.

“The JMM-led alliance in Jharkhand allowed Maoists to prosper, but PM Modi uprooted them in 10 years,” he claimed.

Hitting out at the Congress, Mr. Shah alleged, “The Congress made Kashmir the hub of terrorism. Its leaders feared going to Lal Chowk, but now I ask them to fearlessly visit Lal Chowk with their grandchildren.”