A Bengaluru businessman Alam Pasha (58) is the happiest man over the resignation of B.S. Yediyurappa. Pasha has been fighting a legal battle against Yediyurappa and his ministerial colleagues in an alleged land deal for long. Although after much uncertainty and a “revolt” within state BJP against him, Yediyurappa resigned on 26 July, it seems that the central BJP leadership was getting worried that the law might catch up with him soon and it would not be good at a time when crucial Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand are months away.
In January, Yediyurappa and his former industries minister Murugesh Nirani were “granted protection from arrest” by the Supreme Court, which took up their petition against the revival of a criminal case against them. The next hearing in the apex court is on Monday. Pasha is aggrieved since 2010, and has been complaining about being threatened with life, and how he was allegedly forced to relinquish his claim over 26 acres land which was earmarked for affordable housing to the underprivileged in the state capital. Talking to The Sunday Guardian, Pasha alleged that after he declined to part with the land, and by virtue of cut and pasting his signature over the land documents, Yediyurappa as CM had sold the same land to the builders. “My signatures and company seal were forged. Thus, a major offence of forgery was established by the Lokayukata police and a charge-sheet was filed, showing Yediyurappa as the main accused.” Pasha said that, however, the court’s criminal proceedings were obstructed for 11 years until the SC intervened in January 2021, ordering to continue the money transactions trail proceedings against Yediyurappa and others. “I had almost lost hope of getting justice as I ran from pillar to post and I was tortured by the goons of the Yediyurappa government,” Pasha said, adding that the sudden resignation by Yediyurappa has “rekindled a ray of hope in him”.
CPI (M) MP Talk of The Town
John Brittas, newly elected CPI (M)’s Rajya Sabha Member, has become a talking point in the Parliament House, especially among the Upper House members. Well, many MPs are curious to know how his name comes up so frequently in the lots drawn to put up starred questions. Brittas is being contacted by many to know the secret of his luck.
His name came up in the draw of lots on 19 July when Parliament met for the monsoon session, and later on 20, 22, 23 and 26 July. For the Question Hour on 30 July, his name was the first for raising the starred question. Brittas secured fifth place in the draw of lots on 23 July for Private Members’ Resolutions to be included in the List of Business for 13 August (Friday) also.
Former Union minister and BJP MP Alphons Kannanthanam went up to Brittas to ask him what “spell” he has done to get his name in the lots so frequently. Kannanthanan told The Sunday Guardian that his name came up only thrice in the last two years.
A Congress member joked with some media friends, “Let us take Brittas to a casino to hit the jackpot!”
Mamata Thanks PM for helping Improve Her Hindi
West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee during her interaction with mediapersons in the national capital made special efforts to reply to questions in Hindi in the same language. Asked how she could speak Hindi so fluently, Didi said, “Modi ko dekhke Hindi achha ho gaya; Amit Shah ko dekhke Gujarati bhi achha ho gaya—kem chho, kem chho (how are you, in Gujarati).” When TMC party MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy, who had organized the media interaction for the CM at his official residence, started thanking journalists in Bangla, she asked him to switch to Hindi.
Delhi Police chief Asthana’s Pleasure Is Half
Controversial New Delhi Police Commissioner Rakesh Asthana must be pleased, at least, with one thing that he has come to sit on this prestigious post’s chair which was once occupied by his former boss-cum-foe Alok Verma in the CBI. While Verma was heading the CBI, Asthana was his number two. As CBI head, Verma had ordered an FIR against Asthana for alleged corruption and forgery charges. Within days, Verma was unceremoniously out. In May, an attempt was made to make Asthana CBI chief, but he could not as CJI N.V. Ramana cited a March 2019 apex court ruling which says that no officer with less than six months left in retirement should be appointed as a police chief. So, Asthana’s pleasure is only half by occupying the CP’s chair three days before his retirement which was once occupied by Verma. But more pleasure may be in store for Asthana in days to come. One wonders whether this has been done to “upgrade his status” for a bigger role after his one-year-term in the capital police.