01-03-2021 The Asian Independent

www.theasianindependent.co.uk
ASIA
01-03-2021 to 15-03-2021
3
UP: BHIM ARMY inches
closer to SP-RLD alliance
Lucknow : The ongoing farmers'
agitation and the changing political
scenario in western Uttar Pradesh are
now throwing up new political combinations,
ahead of the 2022 Assembly
election.
The Samajwadi Party and the
Rashtriya Lok Dal alliance in the
region is likely to be joined by the
emerging Bhim Army's political wing
- Azad Samaj Party.
According to highly placed
sources, channels of communication
have been opened between Samajwadi
Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Bhim
Army chief Chandra Shekhar.
"The two leaders have spoken to
each other thrice and if all goes well,
west UP may see a SP-RLD-Bhim
Army combine in the 2022 Assembly
elections," said a source.
In the 2019 Lok Sabha elections,
SP-RLD alliance was joined by
Bahujan Samaj Party in Uttar Pradesh.
Chandra Shekhar, when asked,
evaded all questions about the possible
alliance but said that all parties
must come together to defeat the BJP
which has caused irreparable damage
to the state and its people, particularly
weaker sections.
A senior Bhim Army functionary,
meanwhile, said that in the present situation
in western UP, the SP-RLD-
Bhim Army alliance could prove to be
a winning combination.
"The best thing is that Bhim Army
and RLD are not in the race for the
chief minister's post. Alliances break
only when there are more than one
claimants for the top post," he said.
Chandra Shekhar told reporters that
his first priority was to contest the
upcoming panchayat elections under
his own banner.
"We will build up our organisation
till the booth level in the panchayat
elections and then decide our future
course of action," he said.
Political analysts feel that the SP-
RLD-Bhim Army combine could
bring Muslims, Jats and Dalits on a
single platform and this could upset
the BJP's apple cart in region.
For the Samajwadi Party, this could
be the much-needed shot in the arm.
Akhilesh has also been looking for
a formidable ally for the Assembly
polls after the BSP walked out on him
last year and Bhim Army fits the bill.
The icing on the cake, meanwhile,
is the sudden resurgence of the
Rashtriya Lok Dal which has been catapulted
to the political centre stage in
western UP during the farmers' agitation.
Any alliance which has RLD in
it, is bound to start with a major
advantage.
I-T raid on Chennaibased
tiles maker
New Delhi : The Income
Tax Department conducted
income introduced
by the group as
searches on a business group
share premium
engaged in tiles and sanitary
ware maker based out of
through shell companies,"
it said.
Chennai, resulting in the detection
Total undis-
of undisclosed income
closed income
worth Rs 220 crore.
detected so far
A Finance Ministry statement,
comes to Rs 220
which did not disclose
crore, it said,
the name of the group, said that
adding that cash of
the search was conducted at 11
around Rs 8.30
premises, and surveys were
done in nine premises of the
group in Tamil Nadu, Gujarat
secret office and the software
maintained in the cloud, it said.
"It was found that the transactions
crore was also found and
seized. Search action was still
on and investigations were in
and Kolkata on Friday,
to the extent of 50 per progress. The official statement
February 26.
cent were out of books. said that the Income Tax
In the course of the search, Considering the previous Department remained committed
unaccounted sale and purchase turnover, the suppression of
to track the generation of
of tiles were detected and income may be in the range of unaccounted cash and its
details of unaccounted transactions
were unearthed in the
Rs 120 crore. This is in addition
to Rs 100 crore of undisclosed
movement in Tami Nadu and
Puducherry.
FPIs invest Rs 25,787 Cr
in Indian equities in Feb
New Delhi : As the Indian
equities continued to scale new
highs post the Union Budget
for FY22, the net foreign portfolio
investments (FPI) into the
Indian equities in February was
Rs 25,787 crore.
The total net FPIs in 2020
now stand at Rs 45,260 crore,
as per NSDL data.
Foreign investments have
continued to flow in post the
Union Budget which
announced further liberalisation
measures including privatisation
of banks and also did
not come up with a new tax
levy.
So far, in the financial year
2021-22, net FPIs into equities
stood at Rs 2.63 lakh crore, the
highest ever FPI inflow into the
country. Further, the net foreign
institutional investment (FII)
during the month was Rs
42,044.46 crore.
The rising foreign investments
have also led to the
strengthening of the Indian
rupee. However, the recent
bond yield surge both in the US
and the domestic market have
caused a frenzy in among the
investors leading to bear run in
the stock markets.
TN Guv gives nod to Vanniyar reservation Bill
Chennai : Tamil Nadu Governor
Banwarilal Purohit has accorded his
assent to a Bill to provide 10.5 per
cent internal quota to the Vanniyakula
Kshatriya community within the reservation
for Most Backward Classes
(MBC) and Denotified Communities
(DC).
The Governor on Friday gave his
assent to Tamil Nadu Special
Reservation of Seats in Educational
Institutions and of Appointments of
Posts in Services under the State within
the Reservation for the MBC and
DC, Act, 2021. The notification was
published in the Gazette of the State
government the same day.
The law has created two more
groups one covering 25 MBCs and 68
DCs and another covering the remaining
22 MBCs.
The law provides internal reservation
for three categories - 10.5 per cent
quota for MBC (Vanniyakula
Kshatriyas), 7 per cent for DC and the
MBC communities having similarity
with DC and 2.5 per cent
the other MBC not included in
the above category.
Vanniyakula Kshatriya
includes Vanniyar, Vanniya,
Vannia Gounder, Gounder, Palli,
Agnikula Kshatriya and
Padayachi.
The law permits the government
to appoint an officer not
below the rank of district backward
class officer to be the competent
authority for carrying out
the provisions and the rules made
in respect of private educational
institutions.
The law was made on the recommendation
of the chairman of
the TN Backward Classes commission
on the demand made by various
communities to provide internal
quota. The State Assembly had passed
the Bill on half-an-hour before the
Election Commission announced the
date of Assembly poll for the state and
the model code of conduct came into
effect on Friday.
"There had been consistent representations
from the Most Backward
Class of Vanniakula Kshatriya for providing
separate reservation for them in
admission to such educational institutions
and in appointments or posts in
the services under the State as they
could not compete with the other
castes and communities included in
the list of Most Backward Classes and
Denotified Communities so as to get
their due and legitimate share of such
reservation benefits. The Chairman of
the Tamil Nadu Backward Classes
Commission examined the demand
made by various communities to provide
for internal reservation within
Most Backward Classes and
Denotified Communities for various
categories and recommended to the
Government that internal reservation
may be given for three categories,
namely, Most Backward Classes (V) -
10.5 per cent, Most Backward Classes
and Denotified Communities - 7 per
cent and Most Backward Classes - 2.5
per cent," states the Bill
Exclusive quota for Vanniyars has
been the consistent demand of the
PMK, a key ally of the ruling
AIADMK. The party had held a series
of protests since December to press for
its demand. Meanwhile, the AIADMK
on Saturday, struck poll deal with
PMK, offering it 23 Assembly seats.
Elections for 234-member Tamil Nadu
Assembly are scheduled to be held in
a single phase on April 6.