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Ex-Punjab CM Channi Rooting For A Khalistani In Lok Sabha Exposes Cong
Punjab Congress leaders were quite surprised by the manner in which former Punjab chief minister and Jalandhar MP Charanjit Singh Channi came out openly in support of the controversial Khadoor Sahib MP, Amritpal Singh. Channi triggered a political uproar of sorts after he claimed that the BJP-led Central government had curbed the freedom of speech of Amritpal by continuing to hold him in NSA custody in an Assam jail. Reacting to the remark, BJP MP and Union Minister of State Ravneet Singh Bittu had a heated exchange with him in the Lok Sabha as he felt Channi was behaving like a traitor. “A former CM is behaving like a traitor and is misleading the entire country through the House.” Channi coming out in support of Amritpal did not go down well with the Punjab Congress. Party sources said Channi, a Dalit leader, had set a dangerous precedent of speaking up for a Khalistani leader in his pursuit for Jat votes. It may be recalled that the Congress and the country had lost Indira Gandhi to Khalistani assassins. In the Lok Sabha,  LoP Rahul Gandhi got party MPs to heckle Bittu when he started countering Channi. Bittu had left the Congress ahead of the Lok Sabha poll and joined the BJP and became a minister. Channi kickstarted the spat with Bittu by saying the BJP was like the East India Company, which had taken over trade to rule the country. Bittu got up to say something after which Channi reminded him, “Your grandfather (former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh) was a Shaheed (martyr)….” Bittu retorted, “My grandfather laid down his life for the country and not for the Congress.”
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Raj Thackeray’s To Fight Assembly Elections Alone, Creates Flutter In Maharashtra
Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader Raj Thackeray’s resolve to contest at least 225 of the 288 Maharashtra assembly seats has generated suspense as he only recently had wholeheartedly stood by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the Lok Sabha election. Just back from a US-Europe tour, Raj made this announcement to plunge full-fledged in the assembly election at a party meet. His detractors immediately seized upon Raj’s changing stance and different interpretations began surfacing about his exact plan. Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut says that Raj’s policy is ever changing but always harming the interests of Maharashtra. On the other hand, the Sena (Shinde) has taken a cautious line. Senior minister Deepak Kesarkar has expressed confidence that Raj could alter his stand after the matter is discussed with him by Mahayuti leaders. Meanwhile, Raj’s announcement is seen to have two angles. Firstly, he will field around 225 candidates and decide his strategy according to the election verdict. Secondly, his announcement will be used as a bargain counter while discussing seat sharing with the Mahayuti. Though the picture is still hazy, social media posts have started appearing, listing the names of probable candidates and their constituencies. The suspense is heightened since the BJP, the Sena (Shinde) and the NCP(Ajit) have given enough indications that they will not sacrifice much in terms of the seats to be contested by the respective partners.
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Didi Defies INDIA Bloc Consensus, To Attend NITI Aayog Meeting
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has affirmed her participation in the upcoming NITI Aayog meeting in New Delhi, despite INDIA bloc leaders deciding to boycott the event. Sources close to the TMC leader indicate that Didi’s attendance underscores her commitment to securing Bengal’s financial interests within the framework of federal relations. While aligning with the INDIA bloc, Banerjee is keen to assert her state’s autonomy, signalling a nuanced approach separate from opposition alliances. Political analysts interpret Banerjee’s move as a strategic assertion rather than a rupture in opposition unity, emphasizing her intent to voice for Bengal’s dues amounting to Rs 176,000 crore, including the allocation under Awas Yojana and MGNREGA schemes. Party insiders say that the NITI Aayog forum is a perfect platform for Banerjee to raise her state’s pressing fiscal concerns. In a pre-departure statement, Mamata voiced her objections to what she described as discriminatory practices by the Central government towards Bengal. She termed the Centre’s actions as a method to divide the eastern region economically and geographically. It may be noted that speculations were rife that Didi might drop from NITI Ayog meet to avoid controversy. It may be mentioned that Mamata did invite Samajwadi party chief Akhilesh Yadav to her Martyrs’ Day rally which underscores her strategy to strengthen regional political fronts independent of Congress.
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Pankaja Munde Touted As Maharashtra’s Future CM, Even Supporters Astounded
Notwithstanding her two successive defeats in general elections and her backdoor entry into the state legislative council, BJP leader Pankaja Munde’s supporters have once again started propagating her name as a future CM of Maharashtra. Pankaja’s birthday falls on July 26 but she has decided not to celebrate it this year since three of her supporters reportedly committed suicide owing to her defeat in the recent Lok Sabha election. As MLC, she will visit her home district, Beed in Marathwada on July 29. Her supporters have started preparations to welcome her. As part of this euphoria, banners to laud her have come up in certain parts. Those in Buldana have become talk of the town since her image is shown, along with the headline: Future CM. Pankaja had lost the 2019 assembly election against her cousin Dhananjay Munde though she was a sitting minister. Now that both are on the same side of the ruling alliance, he had worked for Pankaja’s victory in the Lok Sabha election but she could not win. Following this defeat, pressure began mounting on the three-party Mahayuti government to ‘accommodate’ her. Accordingly, she was fielded by the BJP for the council election. Due to the assured quota of votes from the lower house, she is now a MLC. But the claims that she is a mass leader by her supporters have astounded even people sympathetic to her since she is the daughter of legendary Gopinath Munde.
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DMK Takes To Streets To Publicise Prejudiced Budget
The Budget blues are being felt all over the country save for Bihar and Andhra which got the most favourable allocations. While it is natural that the BJP, fast learning coalition dharma, gave away dollops of financing to keep the two most important allies in good humour, it offended too many states, including those ruled by the party itself, in skewed distribution of funds. Nowhere was the antipathy towards differential treatment of friends and foes felt more than in Tamil Nadu. Crying hoarse over funds needed to mitigate the misery caused by unprecedented flooding in Chennai at the hands of Cyclone Michaung and five southernmost districts that were hit by extraordinary amount of rain in 2023, Tamil Nadu saw a measly Rs 500 crore paid before the cyclone hit as woefully inadequate to relieve the flood-hit. Doles were paid out by the government of at least Rs 1,000 per family, but everything came from state funds rather than the Centre. No wonder the ruling DMK decided to take to the streets to point out the huge prejudices in the BJP that has earmarked Tamil Nadu as the most rebellious state and fiercest critic of the Narendra Modi government. While Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad and Pune are to get flood relief funds, there is zilch for Chennai, the worst hit of them all last year.

TRENDS & VIEWS

Editor’s Note: Big Punch In Small Pack

It is the Third Anniversary of Short Post and as a news media startup launched during the Covid-19 pandemic it certainly feels better than good to find ourselves where we are today. Here, I must cite the unstinted support of our seasoned contributors, all senior editors in the country, who brought a great degree of maturity and sagacity to the Short Post newsroom. But for them, our tagline “Authentic Gossip”, an Oxymoron, would not have matured viably. Our user numbers may be small but our stories have created the desired impact among people who matter — decision makers and influencers. We offer a big punch in a small pack and Short Post with its 225-word stories has been punching above its weight category. Having posted close to 3,000 stories in the last 36 months, Short Post, I feel, is an idea whose time has come.
And this is vindicated by our two marquee advertisers – IDFC FIRST Bank and ICICI Lombard. Both believed in our story and have supported us from Day one. A big thank you to both.
If you look at the media landscape – print, TV and digital — it is a mixed bag. There are job losses as some outfits have closed down while a lucky few were bailed out by large corporate houses. Yes, there is a lot of action in the digital space. However, the entry of corporate houses has raised the question of independence of news media outfits. Sadly, there are just a handful of independent media outfits in the country that are highly respected for their neutrality. At Short Post, our credo is not to take sides, prejudge issues or be biased but, informing readers of behind-the-scenes happenings. In essence, Short Post strives to be a neutral editorial platform — neither anti-establishment nor pro-establishment.
As I said last year, disruptions in the media world are moving at a fast and furious pace. Technology is playing a very big role in how content is generated and consumed. But, we are neither alarmed nor perturbed as it is all a part of the evolution process. What gives us comfort is that AI is unable to create original gossipy content. And that is the news arena where we have achieved a distinction.