tadepalligudem l sunday l january 24, 2021 l `8.00 l PAGES 24 l city EDITION larry king, legend of U.S. tv talk show, passes away at 87 Staple of US television for decades, King lost his battle with Covid at Cedars-Sinai Med Centre in Los Angeles on Saturday Celebrities, leaders just a call away Sang with sinatra, kissed brando The Larry King Show ran from 1978 until 1994, winning King a coveted Peabody Award in 1982. He started Larry King Live on CNN in 1985, a show that covered a wide range of topics. In 1995 he presided over a Middle East peace summit. His show featured everyone from Dalai Lama to Elizabeth Taylor, from Mikhail Gorbachev to Barack Obama, Bill Gates to Lady Gaga ■ ■ Frank Sinatra, who rarely gave interviews, appeared in King’s show in 1988 in what would be the singer’s last major TV appearance More elusive than Sinatra was Marlon Brando, but the latter appeared in King’s show in 1994. They hit it off so famously that they ended their talk with a song and an on-the-mouth kiss 50,000 on-air interviews conducted by king in his five-decade career CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA ■ BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ WARANGAL ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI What happens next? The spat between the State government and SEC Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar over the conduct of panchayat elections may lead to a ‘constitutional crisis’, opine former bureaucrats The Constitution is like a third umpire in cricket. All have to obey the decision of the third umpire and go back to the pavilion once given out. Similarly, we all have to respect the Constitution As per SC judgement during seshan tenure #CEC and #SEC competent to take disciplinary action against the officers including IAS and IPS during elections not State government. Whoever is non cooperating with #SEC are doing at great personal risk LV Subramanyam, former Chief Secretary IYRKRao, Retd IAS @IYRKRao All eyes on Supreme Court Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy said that the petition of the State government will be heard in the Supreme Court on Monday and the government will take further steps based on the directions of the apex court. Till then no officials will attend the election duties and no employees will cooperate with the SEC, he added SEC N Ramesh Kumar releases PR poll notification in Vijayawada on Saturday | Prasant Madugula Mamata Banerjee participates in foot march to mark Netaji’s 125th birth anniversary, in Kolkata on Saturday | PTI Strong India following in Netaji footsteps: PM Bitter political fight to appropriate Subhas Chandra Bose’s legacy; Didi cancels speech after slogans of Jai Shri Ram E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kolkata Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday sought to draw a parallel between Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s vision and his government’s action at an event to mark the legendary freedom fighter’s 125th birth anniversary in Kolkata. Modi said Netaji would have been proud to see that the country has become strong and is following in his footsteps from the Line of Control (LoC) to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with Pakistan and China, respectively . “Netaji had dreamt of a strong India, from LAC to LoC. We are following in his footsteps. Whenever our sovereignty was challenged, we have given a befitting reply he said at ,” a programme held in the Victoria Memorial Hall here. “Netaji wanted to build an Atmanirbhar Bharat. Today, India is heading towards the same goal,” said Modi. The PM’s visit assumed significance ahead of the Assembly polls in West Bengal. Apart from recalling Netaji’s contribution, Modi’s speech projected the Bengal icon as the leading light of India’s Independence whose dreams the present government is trying to realise. He also likened his party’s Sonar Bangla slogan with Netaji’s dream. The ‘Sonar Bangla’ slogan has become a political tool of the BJP to attack Mamata’s “poor” governance. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who also attended the event, was visibly angry as a section of the crowd chanted Jai Shri Ram when her turn came to speak. Announcing her decision not to deliver her address, she said: “I think the government’s programme should have dignity This is not a politi. cal programme.... It (slogan) doesn’t suit you to insult an invitee. In protest, I will not speak anything,’’ Mamata said and returned to her seat on the dais next to Modi. The awkward moment came when the event moderator announced her name as the next Why not four national capitals, asks Mamata E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Kolkata As West Bengal politics heated up ahead of the makeor-break Assembly elections later this year, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee set the cat among the pigeons on Saturday demanding four separate capitals , in the country with four parliament sessions in these cities on rotation. Speaking at an event to mark Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s 125th birth anniversary hours before Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Kolkata to participate in another Netaji function, Banerjee asked: “The British ruled the entire country from Kolkata. Why should there be only one capital in our country why , not four national capitals in North, South, East and West?” She went on to ask: “Why can’t four parliament sessions be held on a rotational basis?” Earlier, Banerjee took part in a road show stretching 5.5 kms. She inaugurated Netaji’s birthday celebration by blowing conch shells and visited the Netaji Bhavan, the late Indian National Army leader’s home in the city Taking a dig at the Centre’s unilateral deci. sion to mark January 23 as Parakram Diwas (day of valour), Banerjee said: “We celebrate Netaji’s birthday every year, we don’t celebrate it only in the year of elections.” The contrasting moods of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee at Victoria Memorial Hall event | twitter speaker, but some people in the audience chanted Jai Shri Ram and said they would not like to listen to her. Before coming to Victoria Memorial, Modi went to Netaji’s residence and visited his museum. Senior BJP leaders, including Kailash Vijayvargiya and Swapan Dasgupta, wanted to accompany him, but were not allowed by the Netaji Research Bureau. What is Parakram Diwas (day of valour)? How could they unilaterally decide to mark January 23 as Parakram Diwas without consulting the state government? We have called it Desh Nayak Diwas Mamata Banerjee, CM Nod to tractor rally after R-Day H a r p r ee t B a j w a @ Chandigarh In the end, it seems both sides have had their way Agitating farm. ers will hold a tractor rally in Delhi on Republic Day following permission given by Delhi Police. But, budging from their demand that the rally will be held on Outer Ring Road, the farmers are likely to opt out of it. Over one lakh tractors are expected to be part of the rally . Sources said the parade will have five routes over a stretch of more than 100 km. The farmers are likely to take the inner roads of the Capital instead of Outer Ring Road. Delhi Police have agreed to remove barricades from Singhu and Tikri borders to allow the tractors to enter Delhi. The tractor parade of farmers against the farm laws is likely to take place after the official Republic Day parade Farmers, police reach pact After a meeting with the Police officials on the route, president of Swaraj India Yogendra Yadav said: “The farmers and Delhi Police have reached an agreement on the route. Final details are to be worked out.” Ignoring govt request, SEC notifies PR polls E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @Vijayawada Even as the State government sought revision of the panchayat election schedule citing the Covid-19 vaccination drive, State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar on Saturday issued notification for the first phase of polls. The panchayat elections will be held in four phases from February 5 to 14. As per the SEC notification, the first phase of elections will be held in 14 revenue divisions of 11 districts. The first phase of polls will not be held in Prakasam and Vizianagaram districts. Polling will be held in three divisions of Srikakulam, two divisions in Kadapa and one each in the remaining nine districts. Prior to issuing the notification, Ramesh Kumar expressed Top officials boycott SEC video conference E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e dissatisfaction over the function@ Vijayawada ing of Panchayat Raj higher officials. “The Panchayat Raj ComThough State Election Commissioner has the responsibility missioner Nimmagadda Ramesh to coordinate the affairs related Kumar asked the Chief Secreto elections. But even after assurtary, Director Gening the HC to coneral of Police, Prinduct polls based on Nimmagadda cipal Secretaries of 2021 rolls, the PR ofwrites to DGP Finance and Panficials could not subchayat Raj and also mit the same and we Taking exception to the PR Commissionare forced to go with the remarks of an er to participate in a the 2019 voter list as employee leader, SEC video conference there is no other opRamesh Kumar wrote scheduled at 3 pm tion. This has rea letter to DGP, stating on Saturday none of , sulted in depriving that the SEC views them turned up for 3.6 lakh newly enthis as most provoking it, giving an indicarolled voters from tion that they will exercising their not attend any election related franchise,” the SEC told media. meeting till the petition filed by Stating that the SEC is taking the State government in the Suthe issue (electoral rolls) seriouspreme Court comes up for hearly he said action will be initiated , ing on Monday . against those responsible for it at P4 On Friday, the Panchayat Raj an appropriate time.  One held for stealing 3 lions from Durga temple chariot, 9 kg of silver recovered E x p r e s s N e w s Se r v i c e @ Vijayawada More than four months after the theft of three silver lion statues from the chariot of Kanaka Durga temple, the city police and the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe attacks on temples, nabbed the accused in the case and recovered 9 kg of silver and stolen property from him. Disclosing this to newsmen here on Saturday, City Commissioner of Police Bathini Sreenivasulu said the accused, Jakkampudi Saibaba (49) is an old offender hailing from Gollavanitippa village in Bhimavaram mandal of West Godavari district. He committed similar crimes in The silver bars recovered from the accused who stole three lions from Durga temple chariot, on Saturday | Prasant Madugula the past and even served jail term in 2008 and 2011. Giving the details of the theft that came to light on September 16, 2020 during the audit of temple properties after the chariot fire at Sri Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple at Antarvedi, the Police Commissioner said Saibaba visited Durga temple in June 2020 and saw the chariot covered with a tarpaulin near Mallikarjuna Mahamandapam. After observing it closely, he found one of the silver lion statues on the four corners of the chariot broken and decided to steal them. A month later, he visited the temple equipped with the necessary tools to remove the silver lions from the chariot. In pursuance of a plan, Saibaba entered the temple premises in the guise of a trash collector and stayed near Mallikarjuna MahamandaP3 pam.  officials gave a slip to the meeting convened by SEC till 5 pm. They visited the SEC office later and handed over the letter written by the Chief Secretary to the SEC to his office staff. Earlier in the day, the SEC while addressing a press conference exuded hope that the officials would attend the video conference to discuss the arrangements and logistics for the panchayat elections. With officials not responding to the SEC, experts opine this could give rise to constitutional crisis unprecedented in recent times. Meanwhile, Panchayat Raj Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy said that the petition of the State government will be heard in the Supreme Court on Monday and the government will take further steps based on the directions of the apex court.  P4 express read Ramatheertham gets idols from Tirupati Vizianagaram: Amid tight security, the newly sculpted idols of Lord Rama, Goddess Sita and Lord Laxmana at Sri Venkateswara Institute of Traditional Sculpture and Architecture of TTD reached Ramatheertham temple in Vizianagaram district on Saturday morning from Tirupati. WITH THIS ISSUE Tech 21 Trends for the year PLUS 12 PAGES