Controversial Computer Baba faces a tough time with regime change in MP

Achhe din over?

His good days are over, it appears. After the regime change in Madhya Pradesh, self-styled godman Namdeo Das Tyagi aka Computer Baba is facing a tough time. The previous Kamal Nath-led Congress government had appointed him the chairman of the river trust. He was given the status of a Cabinet minister. But the Bharatiya Janata Party government has started curtailing the facilities accorded to him. Tyagi had campaigned for the Congress party in the run-up to the Assembly elections and was considered close to former chief minister Digvijaya Singh. His vehicle and personal staff have been removed by the new government and he is left only with a gunman. He might be removed from the chairman’s post soon. Tyagi, who is known to switch loyalties, is spending time in his ashram during the lockdown.

More warnings

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has amended the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Rules. The new rules, notified in the Gazette on Monday, will come into force from September 1. According to the new rules, manufacturers will have to carry a message on cigarette packets, which reads, “Tobacco causes painful death", in white font against a red background, besides, “Quit today call 1800-11-2356" in white on a black background. A pictorial health warning will be placed before the textual warning.

Akhilesh’s job jibe

Samajwadi Party (SP) president and former Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday joined the chorus of Opposition leaders who welcomed the announcement by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to extend the lockdown till May 3. But he also found a reason to take aim at the government. He said despite the impassioned appeal of the Centre, private companies had started to retrench their employees. He said several others were cutting the salaries of employees citing losses or lack of market/demand during the lockdown. He noted it was the the duty of the government to ensure the poor did not face difficulties owing to the sudden loss of their livelihoods. He also took credit for all the "good work" his party members were doing among the poor in the state.