Anybody can be PM, Rahul is popular; Modi indulging in attention diversion: Shatrughan

Agencies
May 12, 2018

Patna, May 12: Firing a fresh salvo, disgruntled BJP MP Shatrughan Sinha today questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi's criticism of Rahul Gandhi for expressing readiness to become PM and alleged that he was indulging in "attention diversion politics" instead of answering the "pertinent" questions raised by the Congress president.

In a series of tweets on a day when assembly polls are being held in Karnataka, the Patna Sahib BJP MP said the Congress president, who has "matured in the past few years", was popular with the general public and asked what was wrong if the leader heading the biggest, oldest national party saw a possibility of becoming the next Prime Minister. 

"Anybody can become PM in our country. Naamdar, Kaamdar, Daamdar or for that matter any average Samajhdaar, if he has the numbers and support.

"Why are we making such a hue and cry about it? After all, isn't it their internal matter and any PMship has to be through verdict of majority," Sinha said in a series of tweets tagging both Modi and the BJP and signing off with slogans of "Jai Karnataka, Jai Hindi!

"Modi had mocked Rahul Gandhi’s remarks that he is ready to become the PM if Congress emerges as the largest party in the 2019 general election, calling him immature and ‘naamdar’ (dynast). "You (Gandhi) are ‘naamdar’ , while I am ‘kaamdar’ (ordinary worker)," he had said earlier.

Sinha, who is at loggerhead with party leadership ever since being ignored in Bihar election in 2015, is frequently seen in the company of former Union minister Yashwant Sinha who quit BJP recently after consistently attacking Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.

He went to meet jailed RJD chief Lalu Prasad and had also met West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee recently in the national capital along with Yashwant Sinha and Arun Shourie, another vocal critic of Modi Government.Sinha, who served as Union minister in the NDA government of A B Vajpayee, said that instead of answering "pertinent questions" raised by Congress President "we go for attention diversion politics an art which we have mastered, far from development and other issues".

"Sir, you received our full support along with media support and now you are raising slogans so that it isn't taken over? What's wrong if the president of the biggest, oldest national party sees the possibility and wishes to become the next PM, if he wins the upcoming elections," Sinha said on Twitter, tagging the BJP.

"By the way, the president of the oldest party has really matured in the past few years and has been raising some pertinent questions which we are refusing to answer or even entertain. The Neerav, the Lalit, the Mallyas, the Bank, the Rafael deal and so on," Sinha said in another tweet, tagging both Modi and the BJP."

Instead of answering, we go for attention diversion politics an art which we have mastered, far from development and other issues.

"However Sir, its a matter of our people, our politics and our policies, so less said the better. With regards to you! Jai Karnataka, Jai Hindi!," the BJP leader said in another tweet on the micro-blogging site.

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News Network
December 6,2025

pilot.jpg

New Delhi: IndiGo, India’s largest airline, faced major operational turbulence this week after failing to prepare for new pilot-fatigue regulations issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). The stricter rules—designed to improve flight safety—took effect in phases through 2024, with the latest implementation on November 1. IndiGo has acknowledged that inadequate roster planning led to widespread cancellations and delays.

Below are the key DGCA rules that affected IndiGo’s operations:

1. Longer Mandatory Weekly Rest

Weekly rest for pilots has been increased from 36 hours to 48 hours.

The government says the extended break is essential to curb cumulative fatigue. This rule remains in force despite the current crisis.

2. Cap on Night Landings

Pilots can now perform only two night landings per week—a steep reduction from the earlier limit of six.

Night hours, defined as midnight to early morning, are considered the least alert period for pilots.

Given the disruptions, this rule has been temporarily relaxed for IndiGo until February 10.

3. Reduced Maximum Night Flight Duty

Flight duty that stretches into the night is now capped at 10 hours.

This measure has also been kept on hold for IndiGo until February 10 to stabilize operations.

4. Weekly Rest Cannot Be Replaced With Personal Leave

Airlines can no longer count a pilot’s personal leave as part of the mandatory 48-hour rest.

Pilots say this closes a loophole that previously reduced actual rest time.

Currently, all airlines are exempt from this rule to normalise travel.

5. Mandatory Fatigue Monitoring

Airlines must submit quarterly fatigue reports along with corrective actions to DGCA.

This system aims to create a transparent fatigue-tracking framework across the industry.

The DGCA has stressed that these rules were crafted to strengthen flight safety and align India with global fatigue-management standards. The temporary relaxations are expected to remain until February 2025, giving IndiGo time to stabilise its schedules and restore normal air travel.

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News Network
December 15,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 15: Educational institutions in Mangaluru that rely on the popular Mangala Stadium for their annual sports events are bracing for an inconvenience as the city's key sporting venue is set to close its gates for a significant upgrade. The stadium is expected to be unavailable for approximately two months starting from January 15, 2026.

The closure is necessitated by a proposed overhaul of the stadium's facilities, with a special focus on upgrading the synthetic track. Pradeep Dsouza, Assistant Director of the District of Youth Empowerment and Sports (DYES), Dakshina Kannada, confirmed the development.

"Experts have visited the stadium, conducted a thorough inspection, and have given the go-ahead for a complete makeover," Dsouza stated. "Funds have been allocated for the project, and we are currently awaiting the final green signal from state officials to commence the work. We anticipate that the work will likely begin in the second week of January. Consequently, we have stopped renting out the stadium to colleges and other organizations in preparation for the upgrade."

The timing presents a logistical challenge for colleges, as many schools have already concluded their sports meets.

"Colleges will now be organizing their events and will need to find alternative locations to host their sports meets," Dsouza added. He suggested a few potential venues, including the Dakshina Kannada police ground, University College grounds, Panambur grounds, Swaraj Maidan in Moodbidri, and the Mangalore University sports grounds in Konaje.

However, many institutions note that finding a comparable venue will be difficult. While the DK police ground and University College grounds are closer to the city center, they do not possess the extensive facilities and infrastructure offered by Mangala Stadium.

Dr. P Dayananda Pai - P Satisha Govt First Grade College, Carstreet, is one such institution dependent on the stadium. Principal Jayakar Bhandary expressed hope for a swift completion of the work. "We expect the work to be completed at the earliest. If not, we will be forced to look for other venues to host the sports day for our students," Bhandary said, highlighting the pressing need for the city's main sporting facility.

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News Network
December 16,2025

IPL.jpg

The IPL 2026 auction has seen uncapped Indian stars laugh their way to the bank. While Cameron Green set a world record as he was roped in by Kolkata Knight Riders for Rs 25.20 crore, making him the costliest overseas player ever in any franchise competition across the world, CSK roped in Prashant Veer and Kartik Sharma for a record bid of Rs 14.20 crore each. Sri Lanka's Matheesha Pathirana was picked up for Rs 18 crore by KKR. 

However, top names like Liam Livingstone, Prithvi Shaw, and Sarfaraz Khan have gone unsold. The mini-auction for IPL 2026 is being held in Abu Dhabi, with three-time winners Kolkata Knight Riders coming in with the biggest purse (Rs 64.30 crore). Chennai Super Kings entered the auction with the second-biggest purse (Rs 43.40 crore). The upcoming edition of the Indian Premier League will be held between March 26 and May 31.

Here is the full list of sold and unsold players:

Jake Fraser-McGurk - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
David Miller - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Delhi Capitals - Rs 2 crore
Prithvi Shaw - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Devon Conway - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Cameron Green - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Kolkata Knight Riders - Rs 25.20 crore
Sarfaraz Khan - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Gus Atkinson - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Rachin Ravindra - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Liam Livingtone - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Wiaan Mulder - Base Price Rs 1 crore - Unsold
Wanindu Hasaranga - Base Price Rs 2 crore - LSG - Rs 2 crore
Venkatesh Iyer - Base Price Rs 2 crore - RCB - Rs 7 crore
Deepak Hooda - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
KS Bharat - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Quinton De Kock - Base Price Rs 1 crore - Mumbai Indians - Rs 1 crore
Rahmanullah Gurbaz - Base Price Rs 1.50 crore - Unsold
Jonny Bairstow - Base Price Rs 1 crore - Unsold
Jamie Smith - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Ben Duckett - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Delhi Capitals - Rs 2 crore
Finn Allen - Base Price Rs 2 crore - KKR - Rs 2 crore
Matt Henry - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Akash Deep - Base Price Rs 1 crore - Unsold
Jacob Duffy - Base Price Rs 2 crore - RCB - Rs 2 crore
Shivam Mavi - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Gerald Coetze - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Matheesha Pathirana - Base Price Rs 2 crore - KKR - Rs 18 crore
Spencer Johnson - Base Price Rs 1.50 crore - Unsold
Anrich Nortje - Base Price Rs 2.00 crore - LSG Rs 2 crore
Fazalhaq Farooqui - Base Price Rs 1.00 crore - Unsold
Rahul Chahar - Base Price Rs 1.00 crore - Unsold
Ravi Bishnoi - Base Price Rs 2.00 crore - RR - Rs 7.20 crore
Maheesh Theekshana - Base Price Rs 2.00 crore - Unsold
Mujeeb Ur Rahman - Base Price Rs 2.00 crore - Unsold
Akeal Hosein - Base Price Rs 2.00 crore - CSK - Rs 2 crore
Atharva Taide - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Anmolprteet SIngh - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Abhinav Tejrana - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Abhinav Manohar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Yash Dhull - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Aarya Desai - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Auqib Dar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - DC - Rs 8.40 crore
Vijay Shankar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Rajvardhan Hangargekar - Base Price Rs 40 lakh - Unsold
Mahipal Lomror - Base Price Rs 50 lakh - Unsold
Eden Apple Tom - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Prashant Veer - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - CSK Rs 14.20 crore
Shivang Kumar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - SRH - Rs 30 lakh
Tanush Kotian - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Kamlesh Nagarkoti - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Sanvir Singh - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Rouchit Ahir - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Kartik Sharma - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - CSK Rs 14.20 crore
Mukul Choudhary - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - LSG Rs 2.60 crore
Tejasvi Singh - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - KKR - Rs 3 crore
Vansh Bedi - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Tushar Raheja - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Ashok Sharma - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - GT - Rs 90 lakh
Raj Limbani - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Kartik Tyagi - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - KKR - Rs 30 Lakh
Simarjeet Singh - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Aarya Desai - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Naman Tiwari - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - LSG - Rs 1 crore
Aakash Madhwal - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Sushant Mishra - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - RR - Rs 90 lakh
Wahidullah Zadran - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Shivam Shukla - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Yash Raj Punja - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - RR - Rs 30 Lakh
Prashant Solanki - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - KKR - Rs 30 Lakh
Vignesh Puthur - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - RR - Rs 30 lakh
Karn Sharma - Base Price Rs 50 lakh - Unsold
Kumar Kartikeya Singh - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Sediqullah Atal - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Pathum NIssanka - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - DC - Rs 4 Crore
Rahul Tripathi - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - KKR - Rs 75 lakh
Sean Abbott - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Michael Bracewell - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Ben Dwarshuis - Base Price Rs 1 crore - Unsold
Jason Holder - Base Price Rs 2 crore - GT Rs 7 crore
Dashun Shanaka - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Daryll Mitchell - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Matthew Short - Base Price Rs 1.50 crore - CSK - Rs 1.50 crore
Tom Banton - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Jordan Cox - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Josh Inglis - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Tim Seifert - Base Price Rs 1.50 crore - KKR - Rs 1.50 Crore
Kyle Jamieson - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Adam Milne - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Lungi Ngidi - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Mustafizur Rahman - Base Price Rs 2 crore - KKR - Rs 9.2 crore
Chetan Sakariya - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Kuldeep Sen - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Waqar Salamkheil - Base Price Rs 1 crore - Unsold
Danish Malewar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - MI - Rs 30 lakh
Salman Nizar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Akshat Raghuwanshi - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - LSG - Rs 2.2 crore 
Satvik Deswak - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - RCB - Rs 30 lakh
Aman Khan - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - CSK - Rs 40 lakh
Vicky Ostwal - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Mayank Rawat - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Mangesh Yadav - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - RCB - Rs 5.20 crore
Salil Arora - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - SRH - Rs 1.40 crore
Ravi Singh - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - RR - Rs 95 lakh
KM Asif - Base Price Rs 40 lakh - Unsold
Sakib Hussain - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - SRH - Rs 30 lakh 
Mohammad Izhar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - MI - Rs 30 lakh 
Onkar Tarmale - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - SRH - Rs 30 Lakh
Murugan Ashwin - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Tejas Baroke - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
KC Cariappa - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Mohit Rathee - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Cooper Connolly - Base Price Rs 2 Crore - PBKS - Rs 3 crore
Dan Lawrence - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Taskin Ahmed - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Richard Gleeson - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold
Alzarri Joseph - Base Price Rs 2 crore - Unsold
Riley Meredith - Base Price Rs 1.50 crore - Unsold
Jhye Richardson - Base Price Rs 1.50 crore - Unsold
Dheeraj Kumar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Tanay Thyagarajan - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Connor E. - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Irfan Umair - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Chintal Gandhi - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Amit Kumar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - SRH - Rs 30 lakh 
Vishal Nishad - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold 
Nathan Smith - Base Price Rs 75 lakh - Unsold 
Daniel Lategan - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold 
Atharva Ankolekar - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - MI - Rs 30 Lakh
Karan Lal - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold 
Utkarsh Singh - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold 
Ayush Vartak - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Ayush Hinge - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - SRH - Rs 30 Lakh
Jikku Bright - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Izaz Sawariya - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold
Krains Fuletra - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - SRH - Rs 30 lakh
Sarthak Ranjan - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - KKR - Rs 30 lakh
Daksh Kamra - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - KKR - Rs 30 lakh
Manishankar Murasingh - Base Price Rs 30 lakh - Unsold

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