Telangana BJP MLA seeks abolition of family planning for Hindus
Hyderabad, May 5 (PTI): Telangana BJP legislator Paidi Rakesh Reddy on Monday called for the abolition of family planning for Hindus, so they can have more children.
Addressing a party meeting in Nizamabad, the Armoor MLA, indirectly referring to last month’s terror attack in Kashmir's Pahalgam, said that the terrorists had asked if the victims were Hindus before killing them.
He asserted that only unity among Hindus could protect future generations and safeguard the country.
He also remarked that the "opposite person" was "playing the game" with 11 to 12 children and roaming around with bombs, while "our" children were scared even of firecrackers.
"I am telling all of you, brothers and women, since you are all here, I am requesting that family planning for Hindus be abolished. Give birth to a sufficient number of children. The unity of Hindus is the only way to stop these guns. We are one. If there is no Dharma, there is no country. And if there is no country or Dharma, there are no future generations. Kashmir is an example of that," he claimed.
Reddy further stated that the terrorists in the Pahalgam attack did not ask the victims about their caste—whether they were blacksmiths or barbers, Tamilians, Maharashtrians, or Telugus. "Did they ask? They asked if you were Hindu," he said.
The BJP leader could not be immediately reached for clarification on his statement.
Reacting to Reddy’s comments, Congress Lok Sabha member Chamala Kiran Kumar Reddy said that in a secular country like India, religion should not be used to criticise or compare issues.
"This does not address the real problem and instead creates unrest in the country. Rakesh Reddy’s comments, provoking Hindus to have more children, reflect personal views. If the government wants to promote such activity in the national interest, that's a different matter," the Congress MP said.
He added that as a responsible elected representative, Reddy should not provoke people in the name of caste.
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Vodafone Idea moves SC seeking Rs 30k crore AGR dues waiver
New Delhi, May 15 (PTI): The Supreme Court on Thursday agreed to hear a fresh plea of Vodafone Idea seeking waiver of around Rs 30,000 crore adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues.
A bench comprising Chief Justice B R Gavai and Justice Augustine George Masih was urged by senior lawyer Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the telecom firm, that the plea needed an urgent hearing.
The telecom company has sought a waiver of around Rs 30,000 crore towards interest, penalty, and interest on penalty components of its AGR dues.
Rohatgi said the survival of the petitioner firm was crucial for maintaining competition in the telecom sector.
Now the Centre holds a 49 per cent stake in the company following a recent equity conversion of interest dues, he added.
The bench is likely to hear the plea on November 19.
The top court had previously refused to review its 2021 order rejecting the pleas of telecom majors including Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea for rectification of alleged errors in calculation of AGR dues payable by them.
A bench comprising former Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Abhay S Oka and Sanjay Kumar dismissed the pleas seeking review of the 2021 order in-chambers on January 28.
On July 23, 2021, the apex court dismissed their applications seeking rectification of the alleged errors in calculation of AGR dues.
The telecom companies argued that arithmetical errors in the calculation be rectified and there were cases of duplication of entries.
The top court in September 2020 fixed a time frame of 10 years for telecom service providers struggling to pay Rs 93,520 crore of AGR related dues to clear their outstanding amount to the government.
In its September 2020 order, the apex court said that telecom operators should make the payment of 10 percent of the total dues as demanded by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) by March 31, 2021 and the rest amount would be paid in yearly instalments commencing from April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2031.
The top court, which held the demand raised by the DoT with respect to AGR dues as final, said there should neither be a dispute raised by the telecom companies nor any re-assessment.
The apex court in October 2019 delivered its verdict on the AGR issue.
The DoT moved a plea in the top court asking for a staggered payment of the dues by telcos over 20 years.
