It is customary for Central Minister Venkaiah Naidu to hold Sankranthi Sambaralu, a special event every year during Sankrathi Season. Janasena President Pawan Kalyan and Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devender Fadnavis are invited as Chief Guests for the event. 

Health Minister Kamineni Srinivas, BJP State President Kambhampati Haribabu and other BJP cadre also attended the event. The above picture is when fans felicitated Venkaiah and Pawan Kalyan in the event. Pawan Kalyan attending the celebrations gain prominence in the wake of rumours that Pawan Kalyan may lead BJP for the 2019 elections.

Recently Venkaiah also nominated Pawan Kalyan for Swachch Bharat program, a cleanliness initiative of the Narendra Modi’s government.

Telangana CM KCR proudly announced on Sunday that anybody could report about a bribe demanded by government officials. Speaking in a public meeting in Warangal, KCR announced a toll-free number – 040-23454071 – where people can lodge a complaint if state officials demand a bribe. 

He stated that he’d see to it that there wouldn’t be any sort of “corruption” in his governance and people enjoy the fruits of it. But what’s more shocking is that the number KCR given is ‘wrong’. In reality, however, the number belongs to the Arogyasri call centre (104 services) and it accepts questions related to the medical service. 

Interestingly, it deals with both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. “Dial 1 for AP, Dial 2 for Telangana,” the automated system responds.The IVRS system provides five options to lodge different types of complaints but only with regard to medical-related complaints. So, KCR got it ‘completely’ wrong.

Reacting to a petition seeking stay on a recent order of the High Court of Judicature, at Hyderabad for both AP, Telangana, to ban traditional cock fight games during the Sankranti festival, Supreme Court on Monday passed a stay order and asked the High Court to maintain “Status Quo” in the issue till the case is resolved. 

A bench headed by Chief Justice H.L. Dattu directed the High Court to lift the ban on the traditional cock fight games for time being. This makes it further easy for the gamblers who bet big on cock fights in Godavari districts of Coastal Andhra Pradesh. 

Justifying cock fights, the petition stated, “During Sankranti, all the family members who stay abroad gather at their hometowns for a period of five days. The cock fights are part of the tradition and culture, without which the festival loses its prominence. 

These cocks are especially brought up in their family like sons for cock fight in the villages during the course of the year and waits for this Sankranti festival which is held for five days.” The petitioners further said if the traditional cock fight is stopped then a special breed of cocks fed and brought up for the purpose would “collapse” and this would not be in the interest of environmental science. 

“Further, the audience who visits (sic) the state during the Sankranti festival from across the globe, comes to see the special breed of cock fight and if the same is not continued then the Sankranti festival looses its significance,” the petitioner said. They further claimed that during the last two years i.e 2012-13 nearly 3452 foreigners (NRI’s) came to these district and spend nearly Rs 600 crores to see the cock fight and in 2013-14 nearly 3561 foreigners (NRI’s) came and spend nearly Rs 634 crores.