Ex-Andhra CM Kiran Kumar Reddy rejoins Congress
New Delhi, July 13 : Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Friday rejoined the Congress that he left in protest against the bifurcation of the state in 2014.
Reddy went to the Congress headquarters here and rejoined the party in the presence of General Secretary and former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and party leader Randeep Singh Surjewala.
Earlier, Reddy met party President Rahul Gandhi.
Reddy was the last Chief Minister of a united Andhra Pradesh before the formation of Telangana on June 2, 2014. He had succeeded K. Rosaiah as Chief Minster in 2011.
Addressing a press briefing, Kiran Reddy said: "I am very happy that I am coming back to the Congress family. Although I resigned as Chief Minister, I cannot be separated from the Congress because in my family we were MLAs for nearly 8 terms - my father and me.
"Whatever identity I have got today is because of the Congress. I was an MLA for four terms, was the Chief Whip, the Speaker of the Andhra Pradesh Assembly and the Chief Minister. In the present circumstances too, I strongly feel that the Congress should be strengthened and Rahul Gandhiji's (party President) hands should be also strengthened," he added.
"Unless, the Congress comes back to power in Delhi, justice will not be done to the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana."
Chandy praised Reddy for doing "many good things" when he was the Chief Minister.
On the ‘No-confidence motion to be moved by the TDP during Parliament's monsson session, Surjewala said: "(This) will be deliberated upon by the Congress Parliamentary Party."
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'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
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Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
