Double blow for AAP: Shazia Ilmi, Captain Gopinath quit Arvind-Kejriwal led Party

May 24, 2014

Double blow for AAP
New Delhi, May 24: In what can bring more trouble to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) after its disastrous performance in the Lok Sabha polls, two of its prominent leaders Shazia Ilmi and Captain Gopinath on Saturday resigned from the party.

Ilmi and Gopinath made the announcement at the time when Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal is in judicial custody till June 06 in a defamation case.

Ading to AAP woes, Gopinath said he decided to quit after increasing differences in the party. He had earlier also spoken against party. Gopinath, who launched the first Indian low-cost carrier, had joined the party few months before the General Elections.

Ilmi, who expressed her dissatisfaction with the party's leadership, told a press conference that there is a lack of internal democracy within AAP.

Only a small group has gripped AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal and they take all the decisions, said Ilmi. Hitting out further, Ilmi said: "I find it amazing that we cannot follow principles of swaraj in our own party."

"AAP did a lot to change national political discourse, but it lacked party democracy."

She insisted on reinventing the party, so that it could go beyond agitation against leaders.

Ilmi made the announcement after the Aam Aadmi Party's Political Affairs Committee met at Prashant Bhushan's residence to pacify her.

In a bid to dilute the whole matter, former Delhi law minister Somnath Bharti had earlier in the day said he met Ilmi and there is no major issue. "These things happen in a family," said Bharti, assuring all is well.

Earlier in the day, Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashutosh watered down the report, saying he did not know if Shazia Ilmi was unhappy. “She has not contacted the party yet, therefore I can't comment,” added Ashutosh.

Delhi BJP chief and the newly-elected MP from Chandni Chowk, Dr Harsh Vardhan, took a jibe, saying that any AAP member, who comes to know even 10 percent of the party's real face, will quit.

Ashwini Upadhyay, who was expelled by the AAP last month due to "anti-party activities", meanwhile, said soon no one will be left in the party except Kejriwal, Sisodia,Yogendra Yadav, Sanjay Singh and their sycophants.

As per reports, the senior party leaders are trying to persuade Ilmi from resigning.

The journalist-turned-politician, who contested Lok Sabha elections from Ghaziabad constituency, even lost their security deposit as she could get just 89,125 votes.

She had earlier lost the Delhi Assembly Elections from RK Puram seat.

Earlier:

Shazia Ilmi resigns from AAP?

Shazia-Ilmi
New Delhi, May 24: Senior AAP leader Shazia Ilmi has reportedly resigned from the party, marking the first casualty to AAP's disastrous Lok Sabha performance. It is learnt that she sent a letter to the political affairs committee giving her resignation.

Ilmi has been unhappy with the party's decisions in recent months and felt overlooked when the ticket for Delhi was denied to her in favour of "outsiders" like Ashutosh and Ashish Khetan. Ilmi did not respond to calls and messages despite repeated attempts but a message from an unidentified phone number said she was planning to announce her resignation on Saturday at a press conference.

Ilmi was one of the founder members of the Anna movement and a popular TV presence but sources said that she felt sidelined when the party asked her to fight the LS poll from Rae Bareilly instead of Delhi. Ilmi declined and was later given a ticket from Ghaziabad. She however lost badly to BJP candidate V K Singh.

The move could not have come at a worse time for the party with its main leader Arvind Kejriwal in prison for the next 2 weeks.

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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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News Network
December 2,2025

Puttur: The long-cherished dream of a government medical college in Puttur has moved a decisive step closer to reality, with the Karnataka State Finance Department granting its official approval for the construction of a new 300-bed hospital.

Puttur MLA Ashok Kumar Rai announced the crucial development to reporters on Monday, confirming that the official communication from the finance department was issued on November 27. This 300-bed facility is intended to be the cornerstone for the establishment of the government medical college, a project announced in the state budget.

Fast-Track Implementation

The MLA outlined an aggressive timeline for the project:

•    A Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the hospital is expected to be ready within 45 days.

•    The tender process for the construction will be completed within two months.

Following the completion of the tender process, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah is scheduled to lay the foundation stone for the project.

"Setting up a medical college in Puttur is a historical decision by the Congress government in Karnataka," Rai stated. The project has an estimated budget allocation of Rs 1,000 crore for the medical college.

Focus on Medical Education Department

The MLA highlighted a key strategic move: requesting the government to implement the hospital construction through the Medical Education Department instead of the Health and Family Welfare Department. This is intended to streamline the entire process of establishing the full medical college, ensuring the facilities—including labs, operation theatres, and other necessary infrastructure—adhere to the strict guidelines set by the Medical Council of India (MCI). The proposed site for the project is in Bannur.

Rai also took the opportunity to address political criticism, stating that the government has fulfilled its promise despite "apprehensions" and "mocking and criticising" from opposition parties who had failed to take similar initiatives when they were in power. "Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has kept his word," he added.

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News Network
November 30,2025

girlnomore.jpg

Mangaluru, Nov 30: A 22-year-old college student succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital in Mangaluru today, days after she was hit by a goods tempo while crossing a road in Padubidri.

The deceased has been identified as Preksha, a resident of Nadsalu Billitota in Padubidri. The fatal incident occurred as Preksha, who was returning home after completing her examination, attempted to cross the service road towards Mangaluru. She was struck by a goods tempo approaching from the Udupi side, causing her to fall and sustain a severe head injury.

Prompt action from local residents ensured she received immediate first aid before being rushed to a hospital in Mangaluru for specialised treatment. Despite medical efforts, she passed away while undergoing care.

Preksha was a student at Karavali College, Vamanjoor on the outskirts of Mangaluru city. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that she belonged to a financially vulnerable family, having previously lost her father. She is survived by her mother and brother.

A case related to the accident has been registered at the Padubidri police station, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances that led to the collision. The incident highlights the growing concerns over road safety, particularly on busy service roads, and serves as a tragic reminder of the human cost of traffic accidents.

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