Give us fair price or nod to commit SUICIDE’

First India Bureau

BJP were going on in the state. However, there was a grapevine in the ‘relevant political circles’ that the state unit will also be seen with Raje in the grand program organized at Salasar in Churu on the occasion of Vasundhara’s birthday.

Although Raje’s birthday falls on March 8, and since this time Holi festival is on March 8, Vasundhara has shifted her birthday program by 4 days.

However, it now seems that all is still not well between Raje and Poonia camp since on March 4, the youth wing of state BJP - BJYM - has organized a program to gherao the state assembly and state president Satish Poonia himself will be present and spearhead the rally. Other organizations of the state BJP will also take part in the protest and Poonia, on Saturday, made strategy regarding the protest. Therefore, although on the surface it appeared that the concerned parties had made amends, but, a political observer has pointed, that, all is not what it may seem!

OMAR’S ‘NO’ TO RAHUL’S PROPOSAL

Recently, when Rahul & Priyanka Gandhi were skiing in the snow in Gulmarg, they had also sent an invitation to National Conference leader Omar Abdullah to go skiing with them. Omar had readily agreed to this, but his father, Farooq Abdullah, rejected the idea outright, and is said to have told Omar in an almost reprimanding manner - ‘Do you have the slightest presumption that you can ski like this? What would the Kashmiri people of the state think? What political message would be conveyed by this? Umar could not resist his father’s words and refused to accompany Rahul. After this Rahul’s dinner was fixed with PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti. But when Rahul’s skiing photo became viral on the social media, Mehbooba also cancelled the dinner on the pretext that she was going to attend the Jammu session of the party, so she could not attend the dinner. Interestingly, like always, Rahul seems to be taking some time to read the political signals.

AKHILESH KEEPING DISTANCE FROM ELDERS

Akhilesh’s close friends also now feel that SP supremo Akhilesh Yadav couldn’t handle the Ramcharit Manas case with ‘maturity.’ In this matter, showing haste, Akhilesh has unnecessarily decided to fight with the State’s forward castes. SP spokesperson Richa Singh and Roli Tiwari Mishra, who lodged a quick protest against Swami Prasad Maurya’s controversial remarks on Ramcharit Manas, were expelled from the party by Akhilesh saying that ‘both these leaders are involved in antiparty activities’. In fact, Akhilesh was in London when Maurya made the remark & couldn’t be contacted. Exhausted, Richa Singh wrote a long message to Akhilesh’s wife Dimple Yadav & told her that ‘you are also the daughter of a Kshatriya, how are you tolerating all this?’ Dimple called up Akhilesh and said, ‘What is all this going on in the party?’ After talking to Dimple, Akhilesh called up Richa and Roli, ‘who were adamant about protest.’ Akhilesh got angry and at the same time showed both of them the door.

Nashik: In the face of financial difficulties, farmers in the state’s Nashik district have asked the Central government to grant them ‘permission’ to commit suicide. Agricultural workers are in dire straits as onion prices have dipped recently.

Farmers have alleged that it has become difficult for them to even recover the amount of money they use to grow their crop.

While talking to ANI, a farmer said, “The onions are being sold at Rs300-400 per kg in the mandi (vegetable market). I have already spent

BJP CONTINUES TO ALIGN WITH CHAUTALAS

Rs3.5 lakh but I will not be able to make even Rs1 lakh now. I do not know how to deal with this issue. The Modi (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) government should look after farmers’ issues. But he is least bothered about us.” We deserve to get fair prices for our crops, or else, the government should give us permission to commit suicide.

We can’t even think of buying a Rs10 chocolate for our children,” the farmer added.

Echoing a similar sentiment, a female farmer also expressed disappointment over low onion prices. “We have onions in a one-acre area. I

Same Story

Last week, 63-year-old farmer Rajendra Chavan, who resides in Barshi tehsil of Solapur, was compensated `2.49 for 512kg of onion at a rate of `100 per quintal. After deduction of transportation, weighing, labour and other costs, he received the paltry sum for his crop.

The onions are being sold at `300-400 per kg in the mandi (vegetable market). I have already spent `3.5 lakh but I will not be able to make even `1 lakh now. I do not know how to deal with this issue. We deserve to get fair prices for our crops, or else, the government should give us permission to commit suicide. —A farmer have grown onions after mortgaging my gold. My total expense was Rs50,000 but when I went to the market to sell my produce, I could not even get Rs20,000-25,000. The

First India Bureau

A high-level meeting of BJP leaders was held in Delhi recently regarding Haryana. If sources are to be believed, in this meet it has been decided by consensus that ‘BJP will fight the 2024 polls with JJP. BJP’s focus is on non-Jat voters.

The party knows that Chautala’s JJP has the potential to make a big dent in Jat vote bank and party strategists are confident that the Jannayak Janta Party can garner at least 30% of the Jat votes. BJP strategists know that if Dushyant succeeds in making a dent in the Jat vote bank in upcoming polls, then the saffron party can cross the electoral battle by betting big on its non-Jat vote bank. Sources reveal that in this important meeting in Delhi, it has also been decided that Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar will not be replaced till 2024. Moreover, in the 24 elections, the BJP will cancel the tickets of its existing MPs in bulk, replacing them with new ones as it wants to bet on the faces.

TELANGANA ELECTIONS MAY BE HELD AHEAD OF TIME

Telangana CM KCR wants to expand his party at the national level; He is visiting different states & is also in constant contact with nonBJP satraps as he wants to ‘be a part of opposition unity’ and emerged as a major pivot.’ Sources reveal that KCR’s personal astrologer has advised him that ‘if he conducts early polls, he can regain power ‘with a bang’. Sept 2023 is said to be the most favourable time for elections, while the tenure of current assembly is till Jan 16, 2024. Following the advice, KCR told loyalists, ‘You people should start preparing for the elections ahead of time.’

Mumbai: There are 11 hotspots where maximum deaths from crossing tracks take place, reveals an analysis conducted by the Central Railway (CR). Between January and September 2022, 113 casualties were reported from these hotspots, stated a report.

A recent media report stated that CR proposed placing new boundary walls, fencing and foot-over-bridges (FOBs).

The study, as to the report, pointed out that in spite of infrastructure being available at some locations, people do not use it or the public has broken down walls to use gaps and access railway tracks. Track crossing or trespassing, as officially called, is a leading cause of casualties on the suburban railway network. Nearly 1, 585 casualties were reported in the Mumbai division of the CR last year.

The experts spotted two spots between Kurla and Vidyavihar stations, one between Tilak Nagar and Chembur, Chembur and Govandi, Mankhurd and Vashi, Wadala and King's Circle, Wadala and Ravli cabin, Kalyan and Thakurli, Ghat- kopar and Vikhroli and besides one each at Kopar and Thakurli.

The analysis showed that despite having a foot overbridge between Kurla and Vidyavihar, commuters don't use it. A similar pattern is observed in Kopar and Thakurli as well but these areas also need a boundary wall to prevent casualties, the experts noted.

Central government should do something about it.”

“Centre must increase prices or we won’t be able to pay the school fees of our chil- dren. We work hard to grow the onions, but unfortunately, we are getting the right price for it. We want permission to just end our lives,” the woman rued.

Warning of a movement against the Centre if no action is taken, a farmer explained farmers’ situation. “We begin the preparations three to four months in advance, but when we go to the market with our produce, we end up getting Rs300-Rs400 per kg. Farmers spend almost Rs50,000 to Rs60,000 on the land but get only Rs10,000 to Rs11,000 for one tractor-full crop. There is no profit, we are suffering only loss.”

173kg silver anklets seized; three arrested

First India Bureau

Mumbai: Three residents of Maharashtra, including two jewellers, were detained by the Gujarat police at Valsad and around 173 kilograms of silver anklets worth Rs1.10 crore were seized from them, said the officials. They were on their way to sell the ornaments at Udaipur in Rajasthan.

Police have identified detained as Vijay Patil (car driver), Santosh Odkey and Satish Odkey, all residents of Kolhapur in Maharashtra.

After receiving a tipoff, the police kept a watch on NH-48 near the sugar factory at Valsad and tried to stop a speeding car at Atul village, coming from Mumbai direction.

“Our teams were under watch to intercept the vehicles carrying liquor bottles and

Artistic Endeavour

caught three people in a car with seizure of silver payals (anklets). The two jewellers told us that they had purchased jewellery from Kolhapur in Maharashtra and were on their way to sell it to jewellers in Udaipur,” said AK Verma, Deputy Superintendent of Police, Valsad district. As per police, driver tried to escape but the police chased car and intercepted the vehicle. On questioning, the driver failed to give satisfactory answers, and hence the police checked the vehicle, and found the silver anklets hidden, they said.