The event organised at QMC Auditorium in Kanga- roo Point, Brisbane from 5 pm to 9.00 pm was spon- sored by the Queensland Mental Health Commission and its other major support-

Yogi discusses UP political situation with Amit Shah, Apna Dal chief

New Delhi, June 10: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath met Union Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the state's political situation and Covid management. Former Union Minister and Apna Dal chief, Anupriya Patel also joined the deliberations. Adityanath's meeting with Shah lasted for around 90 minutes. Sources said that their discussion revolved around preparations for the Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls next year and possible cabinet expansion or reshuffle in the state. The BJP's performance in recent panchayat polls was also discussed and it was decided to focus on electing its members as 'Zila Panchayat Adhyaksh' ahead of the polls, sources said. "In the meeting, the strategy for winning the maximum posts of Zila Panchayat Adhyaksh was also discussed as a BJP member heading it will send a strong message ahead of the Assembly polls," a source said. Patel, who was Minister of State in the first Narendra Modi government but failed to make the grade in its second term, is demanding a ministerial berth for herself in the Modi cabinet and a ministerial post for her husband Ashish Patel in the state. Sources said she is also demanding posts of Zila Panchayat Adhyaksh of five districts -- Mirzapur, Jaunpur, Pratapgarh, Banda, and Farrukhabad. Shah also had a separate meeting with Patel after Adityanath left. Adityanath reached the national capital on Thursday. He is expected to meet Prime Minister Modi on Friday morning and BJP chief J.P. Nadda in the afternoon. Preparations for the Assembly elections will be the main agenda of Adityanath's meeting with the party's central leadership, sources said. The sources also said that the handling of the Covid situation during the second wave of the pandemic by the Uttar Pradesh government is also likely to be discussed during the meetings. While the state's efforts drew flak from the opposition, the BJP leadership had appreciated the works done by the UP government. Adityanath's visit to New Delhi has fuelled speculation about the possible changes in the Uttar Pradesh cabinet and in the party structure ahead of the Assembly polls. "A possible cabinet expansion or reshuffle is also likely to be discussed in the meetings. Changes in the state BJP unit are also part of the agenda in order to strengthen the party ahead of next year's Assembly elections," a party insider said. Talks of changes are doing the rounds for the last fortnight ever since BJP General Secretary, Organisation, B.L. Santhosh and state incharge Radha Mohan Singh visited Lucknow to review the party's preparations for the Assembly elections. The sources also said that the role of former Union Minister Jitin Prasada, who jumped ship from the Congress to the BJP on Wednesday, will also come up during Adityanath's meetings with the central BJP leadership. A wellknown Brahmin face in Uttar Pradesh, Prasada is son of late Congress leader Jitendra Prasada.

Won't quit Parliament, continue fight for people's rights: Farooq Abdullah

Srinagar, June 9: Amid speculation about any possible changes to the status of the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, former J&K Chief Minister and National Conference President Farooq Abdullah said on Wednesday that he won't resign as a member of the Parliament and will continue to fight for peoples rights. He was talking to reporters after a meeting convened by the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) at the residence of former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti here. "I won't resign from the Parliament. We will continue to fight for the rights of the people in the Parliament till we are alive," Abdullah said. To a question on the rumours about a further bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir and the creation of a separate Jammu state with parts of Kashmir Valley in it, he said such rumours keep floating in Kashmir and they have also been

Big jolt for Congress as Jitin Prasada joins BJP

New Delhi, June 9: Former Union Minister and senior Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh Jitin Prasad on Wednesday joined BJP in presence of union railway minister Piyush Goyal and Rajya Sabha member Anil Baluni at party headquarters, giving a big jolt to the Congress party. Welcoming Prasada, Goyal praised his commitment to serve the people and said that he (Prasada) will play an important role in Uttar Pradesh. "He will have a major role in Uttar Pradesh politics in the future. He is someone who is connected to the ground realities and is a popular leader in the state," Goyal said. Prasada thanked BJP president J.P. Nadda, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah for accepting him in the saffron fold. Prasada said, "The question is not why I'm leaving a party but why I'm joining another party. If there is a party in the real sense today, an institutional party, then it is the BJP. Other parties are either regional or person specific." After joining BJP, Prasad said, "I feel there is no purpose of your doing politics or staying in a political party if a person is not able to serve or protect the interest of its people. I realized being in Congress and not being able to do the same. So, I joined BJP and my work will only speak for itself." His father Jitendra Prasada was a prominent 'Brahmin' face in Uttar Prasad, who had challenged Sonia Gandhi's leadership in 1999 and had contested against her for the post of party chief. He died in 2002. The saffron party believes that Prasada joining BJP will help it pacify Brahmins in Uttar Pradesh, where the Assembly poll will be held early next year. A party insider said that Prasada could be projected as the Brahmin face of the party which is completely missing in Uttar Pradesh. Prasada, once close to Rahul Gandhi, was part of Group-23 (G-23) signatories who had written to Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi demanding for sweeping reforms in the party. Despite being a dissenter, he was tasked with the Congress campaign in West Bengal, which turned out to be a disappointment. Taking a stand against the party, he opposed Congress's alliance with the Indian Secular Front (ISF) in West Bengal.

hearing the same. "Rumours always keep floating in Kashmir. Let them do what they want to do, we are holding the rope of Allah and we hope that he will keep our future secure," he said. The meeting convened by the PAGD, a conglomerate of Kashmir-based political parties, on Wednesday was attended by PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, Farooq Abdullah, Awami National Conference leader Muzaffar Shah and CPI-M leader Yusuf Taragami, among others. The PAGD was floated for the reversal of the constitutional changes made to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019. Taragami has been appointed as the new spokesperson of PAGD.