Jayalalithaa replaces AIADMK candidate for Rajya Sabha polls, expels him

CHENNAI: Two days after his nomination was announced, Tamil Nadu chief minister and AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa on Monday sacked N Chinnadurai, the party's Rajya Sabha poll nominee from the primary membership of the party.

Chinnadurai was among the four nominees announced by Jayalalithaa on Thursday for the Upper House. In an official statement, the chief minister said party's organizing secretary and former minister A K Selvaraj would now be the official candidate for the Rajya Sabha polls.

Detailing the reasons for the expulsion of her partyman, Jayalalithaa said Chinnadurai had acted in violation of party's policies and rules, besides bringing disrepute and bad name to the party. "Party cadres are directed not to have any links with him," she said. Chinnadurai was the chairman of Tirunelveli district panchayat union and joint secretary of AIADMK's ilaignar and ilampengal pasarai (a wing of young men and women).

The AIADMK supremo said based on the inputs, the party's parliamentary board, a superior body met and reconsidered the candidature of Chinnadurai and replaced him with Selvaraj.

Party sources said a serious corruption charge against Chinnadurai resulted in the party high command sacking him. Chinnadurai was the only AIADMK district panchayat chairman during the DMK regime. M Ganesan of Veerapandianpattinam in Tuticorin moved the Madras High Court on Friday with a prayer to direct the government to register an FIR against Chinnadurai for alleged misappropriation of funds in his previous stint in the district panchayat.

In 2011, on a petition from Ganesan, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court had ordered an inquiry for alleged financial irregularities to the tune of Rs two crore. While a departmental inquiry vindicated the charges, no action was taken by the government thereafter. The Bench subsequently dismissed Ganesan's another petition, after submission from the state that a vigilance inquiry was on against Chinnadurai and others and there was no need for an FIR.

Incidentally, the party also replaced its nominee K Thangamuthu of Thanjavur for the biennial RS election in June last year, only to accommodate CPI candidate and party's national secretary D Raja at the eleventh hour. S Muthukrishnan (Tirunelveli city district secretary), Tirunelveli mayor Vijila Sathyanand (party's Trinelveli city district women's wing secretary) and Tuticorin mayor L Sasikala Pushpa (party's women's wing secretary) are the other AIADMK nominees for the RS polls slated for February 7.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

6.1-magnitude earthquake strikes off Indonesia's Java: US Geological Survey

JAKARTA: A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia's main island of Java on Saturday, the US Geological Survey reported, sending panicked residents running from their homes.

People in the town of Adipala near the epicentre said they felt the ground shaking hard for up to 20 seconds, as the quake struck in the sea off the coast of southern Java.

"We all just ran onto the street, there were so many people," Astri, a florist who goes by one name, told AFP by phone from her flower shop.

"But it doesn't seem to have damaged anything around here, and we're getting back to work," she said.

The quake struck at 12:14pm (0514 GMT) 39 kilometres (24 miles) south-southeast of Adipala at a depth of 83 kilometres, the USGS said.

Indonesian officials said there was no risk of a tsunami and no immediate reports of damage or casualties.

"We don't expect a lot of damage because the quake was deep, but we will monitor as it was felt quite strongly on the coast near the epicentre," meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency technical chief Suharjono told AFP.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

A 6.1-magnitude quake that struck Aceh province on Sumatra island in July 2013 killed at least 35 people and left thousands homeless.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Shadan Masood to contest as SP candidate from Saharanpur

LUCKNOW: Shadan Masood, son of disqualified Rajya Sabha MP Rashid Masood, was today named as Samajwadi Party candidate from Saharanpur parliamentary constituency.

Shadan Masood has been declared as the party's candidate in place of Imran Masood, SP's national general secretary and spokesman Ramgopal Yadav said in a statement here.

66-year-old Rashid Masood was the first MP to lose his seat after the Supreme Court on October 21, 2013, struck down a provision that protects a convicted lawmaker from disqualification on the ground of pendency of appeal in higher courts.

He was held guilty in a case of corruption and other offences in September.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Sikh rights group wants Sonia Gandhi to depose before US court

NEW YORK: A Sikh rights group wants Congress Party President Sonia Gandhi to depose before a federal court here in a human rights violation lawsuit filed against her after she informed the court that she had not visited the US in September last year and was not served summons in the case.

Sikhs For Justice (SFJ) has been given time till February 6 by a federal court to "investigate" whether Gandhi was in the city between September 2 and September 9, 2013 and file its opposition to Gandhi's motion to dismiss the human rights violation lawsuit due to insufficient service of summons.

SFJ legal attorney Gurpatwant Singh Pannun said the plaintiffs will request the US federal court to make the Congress President depose regarding her presence in the US in September 2013 and on the service of summons on her.

Gandhi had submitted a new declaration on January 13 to the US court in support of her motion to dismiss the lawsuit.

In the declaration, Gandhi stated that she was "not in New York or in the US during the period of September 3, 2013 through September 9, 2013."

SFJ has claimed that Gandhi was in the city for medical treatment at the Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre during September.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Syrian government and opposition meet in presence of mediator: UN

GENEVA: Syria's warring sides met briefly together in the same room on Saturday for the first time since peace talks started in Geneva, the UN said.

UN mediator Lakhdar Brahimi's spokeswoman confirmed on Saturday morning that he and the two sides were meeting in the same room.

The meeting, during which Brahimi spoke while the two delegations had listened, wrapped up in under half an hour, a source inside the room told AFP.

The delegations had been due to sit down early Friday at UN headquarters in Geneva for their first direct talks, but Brahimi was unable to get them into the same room after the opposition insisted the regime must be prepared to discuss Assad leaving power.

Following the brief meeting Saturday morning, the two sides were believed to have moved to separate offices, with Brahimi shuttling between them.

The UN mediator was expected to try to coax the two parties back into the same room for an afternoon session seen focusing on humanitarian issues, especially the situation in the besieged central city of Homs.

With neither side appearing ready for serious concessions, mediators will be focusing on short-term deals to keep the process moving forward, including on localised ceasefires, freer humanitarian access and prisoner exchanges.

Opposition Coalition official Ahmad Ramadan told AFP weekend talks would focus on Homs, where hundreds of families are living under siege with near-daily shelling and the barest of supplies.

"We will talk exclusively about... how to put an end to the siege of Homs, ensuring humanitarian corridors to besieged areas and stopping the regime's bombing and killing," Ramadan said Friday.

Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Muqdad denied that the talks would focus on Homs.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Thousands bid adieu to Akkineni Nageshwara Rao at funeral

HYDERABAD: Family and fans of thespian Akkineni Nageshwara Rao bid a tearful farewell to the actor on Thursday. The funeral was performed with state honours with a 21-gun salute by the Andhra Pradesh Special Police.

The APSP fired three times in the air as the funeral pyre was lit by ANR's sons Nagarjuna, Venkat helped by some of the grandchildren, including Supriya at the Annapurna Studios. The 90-year-old Dada Saheb Phalke award winner had died on Wednesday due to cancer.

Practically the entire film industry was present at the cremation which took place at 2.58 pm with the lighting of the funeral pyre. ANR's heroine of many films, Sridevi, who lives in Mumbai flew down to pay her last respects to the departed actor.

Since early Wednesday morning, the body of Nageshwara Rao was kept at the Annapurna Studios, the studio he founded, at Banjara Hills.

Thousands of people filed past the body to pay their last respects to ANR. After 11am on Thursday, the body was taken in a flower-bedecked van to the AP Film Chamber of Commerce at Filmnagar where several film personalities including well-known producer and Dada Saheb Phalke awardee D Rama Naidu, Movie Artistes Association (MAA) president Murali Mohan and scores of others from the film fraternity paid their respects.

The body was once again taken in a procession from the film chamber to the Annapurna Studios where the cremation took place.

ANR's son Akkineni Nagarjuna who could not control his emotions as he wept openly at the funeral on Thursday. He was overcome by emotion as he carried the funeral pyre of his father along with ANR's grandchildren including Suman, Naga Chaitanya, Sushanth and Akhil.

The family intended to perform the cremation at the Erragadda cremation grounds but at the instance of the film industry decided to do it at the sprawling Annapurna studios itself so that a memorial also could be built for ANR at the site.

Among those who were present at the funeral included union minister of state for tourism K Chiranjeevi, minister Danam Nagendar, Dasari Narayana Rao, Adiseshagiri Rao, Muralimohan, Ali, Venkatesh, former chief minister Nadendla Bhaskara Rao, Krishnam Raju, K Raghavendra Rao, T Subbarami Reddy, Dil Raju, Sridevi, Jr NTR, Nannapaneni Rajakumari, several directors, producers and artistes.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

President gives 7 days to AP assembly to discuss Telangana Bill

NEW DELHI: President Pranab Mukherjee has allowed the Andhra Pradesh legislature a seven-day extension until January 30 to tender its opinion on the Telangana Bill. The extension falls way short of the four weeks sought by the state government, and is meant to keep alive the possibility of Parliament considering the legislation when it meets on February 5.

The Centre had earlier recommended an extension of no more than 10 days to state government to send back the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill. The reasoning was to allow the Union home ministry and law ministry the estimated 10-days to prepare the final draft Bill to be introduced in Parliament.

The demand for a four-week extension did not find favour with home ministry, as by the time this period would end on February 20, the forthcoming two-week session of Parliament would be over. Accepting the home minstry's advice to only grant a reasonable extension, possibly by a week to 10 days, the President on Thursday cleared the file, fixing January 30 as the new deadline.

The Andhra Pradesh chief secretary had earlier written to the President seeking an extended deadline for approval of the Telangana Bill by the state legislature, citing the nearly 4,000 amendments proposed by various MLAs. More recently, a revised letter was received from the state, conveying that the number of amendments sought had risen from 4,000 to around 9,000. Insisting that a reasonable timeframe was needed to study and rationalize the amendments, the state chief secretary had sought a four-week extension of the original January 23 deadline.

According to home ministry officials, a four-week extension would make February 20 the outer limit for the assembly to clear the Telangana Bill, and this would be co-terminus with the end of concluding session of the 15th Lok Sabha. "Allowing such a long extension would mean that the bill would not get Parliament's nod, thus making the creation of Telangana impossible under the current regime," a senior official said.

The creation of Telangana is seen as crucial to the Congress' electoral prospects in the Andhra, which accounted for the largest number of seats won by the party in the 2009 Lok Sabha poll.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

BJP-MDMK formally declare alliance for Lok Sabha polls

CHENNAI: The BJP and the Vaiko-led MDMK on Thursday formally declared their alliance for the Lok Sabha elections, becoming the first parties to do so in Tamil Nadu. This declaration came at a press meet at Thayagam, the MDMK party office in Chennai.

The declaration was preceded by two hours of talks between state BJP chief Pon Radhakrishnan and Vaiko at the venue. The question of the number of seats each party would contest would be thrashed out later, Vaiko said, adding, "I have accepted the BJP invite to participate in the February 8 rally to be addressed by prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Chennai".

He said there were no pre-conditions for talks and he was not one to dictate which parties should come on board the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA). "I can say that there is a 100 per cent Narendra Modi wave all over country and the results will prove it," he said. On a Congress leader's disparaging remarks over Modi's tea seller origins, Vaiko said even Abraham Lincoln rose to be the american president from humble background.

Vaiko said the Lok Sabha polls would be "a watershed in Indian politics and democracy and I am fully confident that Narendra Modi will adorn the PM's chair as there is a tremendous supporting wave for him in the country". Asked if he would contest the polls, Vaiko said the party would decide. He parried queries on whether Vijayakanth-led DMDK would join the alliance.

Vaiko said following pre-alliance talks held in Delhi with the state BJP team in the presence of BJP national president Rajnath Singh in Delhi last week, he was proud to announce the alliance on the "auspicious occasion" of the birthday of Indian nationalist revolutionary Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose.

The MDMK chief recalled that NDA alliance government under Atal Behari Vajpayee had refused to supply arms to Sri Lanka even as Colombo was prepared to pay for it. He expressed confidence that a government led by Modi will likewise take a stand on the issue of Sri Lankan Tamils without any compromise with the Rajapaksa government and help Ealam Tamils realize their dream.

State BJP chief Pon Radhakrishnan recalled that his party had a good relationship with the MDMK in the 1998 and 1999 regimes. "Now we have again come together and hope that our alliance will come first and win many seats in Tamil Nadu," he said. To a query, he said BJP was sure Vijayakanth led DMDK would come on board the NDA alliance.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Indian fishermen can't fish near Katchathivu, Centre tells HC

CHENNAI: Sri Lanka's sovereignty over the island of Katchativu is a settled matter and fishermen from India do not enjoy any right to indulge in fishing activities in the region, the Centre informed the Madras high court on Thursday.

In counter-affidavit, filed in response to a PIL seeking a direction to retrieve the island ceded to Sri Lanka by two agreements in 1974 and 1976, the Centre categorically said: "As far as the government of India is concerned, the issue of the maritime boundary between India and Sri Lanka and, consequently, that of sovereignty over Katchativu island is a settled issue".

As for the PIL-petitioner Fisherman Care president L A Peter Rayan's contention that the agreements provided for fishing rights for Indian fishermen, the Centre said: "Under the 1974 and 1976 agreements, traditional rights allowed are access for our fishermen and pilgrims to visit Katchativu for drying nets, resting and the annual St Antony Festival. The right of access is not understood to cover fishing rights around the island to Indian fishermen." Noting that it was not a case of ceding of an Indian territory to another country, the counter said the 1974 agreement demarcated the boundary between the two countries from Palk Strait to Adam's Bridge and clarified certain issues handed down unresolved and undetermined from the colonial period.

The counter said the boundary falls one mile off the west coast of the uninhabited island of Katchativu, and added: "Is did not involve either acquiring or ceding of territory belonging to India, since the area in question had never been demarcated. Thus, the agreement. Did not require a constitutional amendment to be enacted through the Parliament."

However, the agreement of 1976 determined maritime boundary between and Sri Lanka in Gulf of Mannar and the Bay of Bengal and related matters. These agreements were placed before the parliament and came into effect following due process of ratification and exchange of instruments of ratification between the two countries, the counter said.

The first bench comprising Chief Justice R K Agrawal and Justice K Ravichandrabaabu, before which the matter had come up for hearing on Thursday, adjourned the matter to January 27 for further hearing.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Magistrate moves Delhi HC against DU's study leave condition for PhD

NEW DELHI: A metropolitan magistrate on Thursday moved the Delhi high court seeking relief from Delhi University's mandatory requirement of taking two years' leave from work for pursuing PhD.

The woman judicial officer in Patiala House court submitted before a bench of Justice Manmohan that the condition of the varsity and the University Grants Commission that she should take two years' leave from her employer (Delhi High Court) to pursue PhD is arbitrary and unreasonable.

Justice Manmohan asked the university to inform the court on whether the academic council or the dean took the decision to reject the magistrate's plea to exempt her from condition of taking two years' leave.

The bench also directed that the magistrate may continue studying till her petition is decided.

Magistrate's counsel M R Shamshad told the bench that "PhD is a regular but research-based course for which imposing such conditions to a judicial officer, who wants to pursue PhD course in law related field is completely arbitrary and without any rational and reasonable nexus."

He submitted that because the topic chosen by the petitioner is "ombudsman for good governance" and it has direct link with the day-to-day function performed by the petitioner as metropolitan magistrate, she stands to gain experience for the course.

The magistrate has challenged the ordinance of the varsity which requires PhD candidates sponsored by their employers and employees in service of any other recognised institute to take study leave for two years to fulfil residency requirement of the Delhi University.

The counsel said the requirement of study leave is a "disqualifying restriction and an unreasonable infringement" of the fundamental right of equality as the ordinance puts teachers of Delhi University on a different footing not requiring them to take study leave.

The counsel also relied upon a 2012 judgement of the high court in which plea of another woman magistrate, presiding over a mahila court and pursuing PhD in prenuptial agreements, against the condition of two years' leave was allowed.

In that case the court observed that since the subject of PhD relates to judiciary, a judicial officer stands to gain by discharging her duty as she can collect necessary material from real case studies of various kinds of litigation coming to the court.

In 2009, UGC issued an ordinance requiring teachers working with varsities other than DU and candidates sponsored by their employers to take two years leave from work for pursuing PhD.

On January 24, 2013, the magistrate applied with DU for enrolment as PhD student proposing her topic as "Ombudsman for good Governance". She cleared Junior Research Fellowship examination and the interview. She was asked to deposit fee but given provisional admission subject to grant of two years study leave from her employer.

The magistrate deposited the fee for March 2013 to February 2014 and also made a representation to the varsity to exempt her from the condition but in vain.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

CBI chief raises questions on agency powers after Lokpal Bill

NEW DELHI: Pointing out some "anomalies and legal inconsistencies" in the Lokpal Act, the CBI has raised a question as to whether the entire probe agency will be divested of all powers if any of its officer was found guilty of corruption or tampering with evidence.

CBI director Ranjit Sinha while highlighting the "anomalies" in the Lokpal Act and amended Central Vigilance Commission Act in connection with its working has sought clarifications from the Union Government.

Sinha said these needed to be thoroughly examined to avoid any litigation as otherwise the entire anti-corruption effort will be weakened.

In a five-page letter to department of personnel secretary S K Sarkar, Sinha referred to some of the anomalies in the Lokpal Act which included Section 38, agency sources said today.

Section 38 is a provision to "divest such agency engaged or associated with the Lokpal of all powers" if an officer or employee of the office of the Lokpal or agency engaged or associated is likely to destroy or in any way tamper with the evidence or influence witnesses in corruption cases.

The CBI director said "clarification is required as to whether for a wrongdoing of an officer, the entire agency can be divested of all powers and responsibilities".

Sinha also referred to another Section 46 (i) of Lokpal which deals with punishment of those who make vexatious complaints, saying this process should be initiated only after the individual against whom the complaint has been made approaches the competent court.

"It is suggested that in case such false, frivolous or vexatious complaint is made against the CBI, then Director CBI should also be authorised to make such complaints in the court," Sinha said.

The much awaited Lokpal Bill, which was passed during the Winter Session of Parliament last month, got the assent of President Pranab Mukherjee on January one.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

'Former Pak Taliban head among 50 killed in military operations'

PESHAWAR/ISLAMABAD: The former interim chief of the Pakistani Taliban was among 50 militants, including 36 foreign fighters, killed in heavy air strikes in the lawless North Waziristan region, military sources said on Wednesday.

The Pakistan Air Force jets had bombed suspected militant hideouts in North Waziristan — a key haven for Taliban and al-Qaida elements — on Monday night, which was backed by army gunship helicopters.

At least 50 militants were killed in the attack. "Most of the terrorists killed in North Waziristan strikes on night of January 20/21 are foreign fighters which include 33 Uzbeks, three Germans and reportedly important terrorist commanders," a Pakistani military source said.

He named the militant commanders as "Wali Mohammad (predecessor of Qari Hussain), Asmat Shahin Bittani, Noor Badshah and Maulvi Farhad Uzbek".

Bhittani served as the acting TTP chief after the killing of Hakeemullah Mehsud and also headed the Taliban supreme shura (decision-making council).

Wali, alias Toofan, earlier headed the 'fidayeen squad'. Pakistani combat jets had pounded militant bases in the North Waziristan, including the home of Taliban commander Adnan Rashid in retaliation for a string of deadly attacks on security forces.

The operation by air force jets took many by surprise. This was the first time the air force resorted to air strikes in North Waziristan since a ceasefire was finalised with local Taliban chiefs in 2007.

Meanwhile, minister for defence production Rana Tanveer said no military operation is being carried out in North Waziristan.

Talking to mediapersons in Wah Cantonment on Wednesday, he said political and military leadership have unanimity of views with regard to the strategy on Taliban.

He said decision whether talks or the operation will be taken in the next few days.

The minister said some groups have been contacted for the dialogue process.

North Waziristan is one of seven regions in Pakistan's Federally Administered Tribal Areas governed by tribal laws.

An insurgency led by the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan plagues the region.

Local media reports said many civilians have started moving out from North Waziristan fearing impending full-scale military operations.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Delhi HC refuses to hear plea seeking quashing of Kejriwal's nomination

NEW DELHI: The Delhi high court on Wednesday refused to entertain an NGO's plea seeking quashing of the nomination of Arvind Kejriwal for alleged illegalities in his affidavit filed before the Election Commission before the 2013 assembly polls.

A bench of Chief Justice N V Ramana and Justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw directed the NGO, Maulik Bharat Trust, to approach the magisterial court for appropriate action.

"Whatever relief you are seeking from this court cannot be granted in this PIL," the bench said, adding, "You can approach the magisterial court as high court is not the appropriate forum."

The court also observed "you have a good case, so go to a appropriate magistrate and argue your case and then ask for prosecution if there is any violation of the election rules".

In its petition, the NGO had alleged that Keriwal has violated provisions of the Representation of People Act by submitting an incorrect affidavit, regarding details of his assets and income, at the time of filing his nomination.

"In the affidavit submitted to Election Commission at the time of filling of nomination he submitted the wrong detail of his Indirapuram plot. He also undervalued the cost of his property and mentioned its market value at Rs 55 lakh. Present fair market value of the property is approximately Rs 2.4 crore....," the PIL alleged.

Apart from cancellation of Kejriwal's nomination, the NGO had also sought a CBI inquiry of the allegations they had levelled against him as well as directions to the government "to generate a permanent mechanism to check and verify affidavit of all candidates willing to contest elections".

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Saudi Arabia deports quarter million migrants in 3 months

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia says it has deported "more than a quarter million" foreign migrant workers from the kingdom over the past three months.

The interior ministry said late Tuesday the foreigners had been residing in the country illegally and were in violation of labor laws. It didn't elaborate.

The deportations began after November 4 with a nationwide campaign targeting many of the kingdom's 9 million migrant laborers after years of lax law enforcement.

Many of those deported were Ethiopians accused of crossing into Saudi Arabia illegally through its southern border with Yemen.

Most foreign workers in the kingdom are from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia and the Philippines, as well as Egypt and Yemen.

Saudi authorities say booting out illegal foreign migrants will open more jobs for its own citizens.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

CPM decides to contest Lok Sabha seats in various states

NEW DELHI: Top CPM leadership has decided to contest a number of seats in various states in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, though a final decision would be taken in March.

The Politburo of the party, which met here for two days, "approved" the seats to be contested in a number of states and debated the pros and cons of talks being carried out in some states with Left and non-Congress secular parties to reach an electoral understanding, party sources said.

Party leaders remained tight-lipped about the number of seats CPM would contest or from which states, saying the Central Committee, which would meet for two days from March one, would take the final call.

The Central Committee would also finalise the party's election manifesto then, they said.

Barring West Bengal, Kerala and Tripura, among other states CPM may put up candidates could be Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and a few in the north, the sources said.

They said the Politburo discussed the preparations for the Lok Sabha elections and heard reports from state units about the talks they were carrying out with non-Congress, non -BJP parties for electoral understanding in some states.

Regarding West Bengal, a CPM statement said, "Given the notorious record of the ruling party (Trinamool Congress) in rigging elections and preventing voters from casting their votes, the Election Commission should take special measures to ensure a fair and peaceful election."

It also attacked Mamata Banerjee's party for its "callous attitude" in dealing with the recent rape and murder cases, which CPM leaders said has been "rising exponentially".

CPM also condemned the murder of and attacks on SFI and Left activists and "rampage against democratic rights. All elected bodies and institutions are being subverted."

On the T P Chandrasekharan murder case in Kerala, it said the acquittal of leading CPM activists by the court "shows that the charge levelled of conspiracy by the party (CPI-M) leaders has been proven to be false."

CPM's Kerala unit chief and Politburo member Pinarayi Vijayan said, "The murder of Chandrasekharan was unfortunate. We have been saying all along that we had no role in it. What has now collapsed is a script based on complete lies to malign and haunt CPM. The party has been completely cleared."

CPM also said the UPA government had decided to increase the number of LPG cylinders as the Left parties have been carrying out nationwide protests for several months. It also demanded scrapping of the Aadhar linkage and the delivery of 12 cylinders at subsidised rates, as earlier.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

BJP activists demand resignation of Somnath Bharti

NEW DELHI: A group of BJP youth activists led by Delhi party president Vijay Goel on Tuesday staged a protest here demanding resignation of law minister Somnath Bharti for allegedly misbehaving with women in south Delhi last week.

The protesters began their march from Delhi BJP office towards Kejriwal's protest site at Rail Bhavan but were stopped by police and ITBP personnel at Parliament Street.

Demonstrators raising anti-AAP and anti-Kejriwal slogans demanded resignation of Bharti and tried to break barricades and jostled with security personnel.

The protesters along with Goel were detained and taken to Parliament Street Police Station in two buses. They were later released.

Bharti had created a controversy last week when he went to a locality in his constituency of Malviya Nagar, claiming a drug and prostitution ring was being run from a residence and demanded police raid the place.

However, the police had refused saying they have no warrant to do so. The AAP workers allegedly forced a couple of women from Uganda to give urine samples. Their action came under alround attack but the AAP government insists that action should be taken against the police officials.

The BJP is also demanding Bharti's resignation on the ground that he has been indicted by a court for tampering of evidence.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

IED, hand grenades recovered during anti-Maoist operations in Bihar

MUNGER/JAMUI: A huge haul of explosives, including 70 hand grenades and 25 live pipe bombs, were recovered in a joint operation launched by the CRPF and Bihar Police in Naxal-hit Munger and Jamui districts of the state on Tuesday.

Acting on a tip-off about the presence of several Maoists, police, led by SP Navin Kumar, recovered the huge cache of arms during operation "Green Hunt", Jamui SP Jitendera Rana said.

Materials used for making bombs have been recovered along with live pipe bombs, he said.

The Maoists, however, managed to flee. An exchange of fire between security forces and the ultras took place before the cache of arms was recovered in Harni jungle area, the SP said.

In 2005, the then SP K C Surendra Babu and six other other policemen were killed in a landmine attack by the Maoists in the same Bheem Bandh forest area.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Arvind Kejriwal defending use of 'racist' language by minister: CPM

NEW DELHI: CPM on Tuesday castigated chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for raising the issue of Delhi Police's accountability to defend his law minister Somnath Bharti and AAP supporters who targeted African women and used "racist" language against them.

"The question of the police being made accountable to the elected government in Delhi has to be resolved and the central government must take it up to get this decided through Parliament," the party Politburo said here.

It said Kejriwal, while raising this issue, was defending the action of Bharti and AAP supporters "who targeted some African women in a south Delhi locality. These women's rights were violated and racist language was used against them. The minister had no business to direct such illegal activities."

"It is improper of the chief minister to cover up this act by citing the wider problem of police accountability to an elected government," the CPM said.

The major Left party said the wider question of accountability of the police in Delhi was of "vital concern to the people especially in the context of the rising number of crimes against women."

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Andhra govt seeks four more weeks to debate Telangana bill

NEW DELHI: Andhra Pradesh government has sought extension of the January 23 deadline by four more weeks for discussing and debating the Telangana bill in the state assembly before it returning to the President.

The home ministry has sent the Andhra Pradesh government's letter to the Prime Minister's Office, which in turn will send it to Rashtrapati Bhavan for a decision by the President.

Sources said the state government has conveyed that the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill has been debated by the assembly only for a few days and many of the legislators are yet to speak on it and hence extension of the deadline was required.

President Pranab Mukherjee had sent the draft bill to the state legislature on December 12 and gave time until January 23 to discuss and return it.

However, it is not clear what are the recommendations of the home ministry and what would be the President's call on the request for extension of the deadline.

There were precedents of giving extension of deadline to debate the state reorganisation bills.

The Madhya Pradesh Assembly was given extended time by the then President to discuss and approve the bill for creation of Chhattisgarh.

If the time limit is extended beyond January 23, the Centre will have a very narrow window to get the Telangana Bill passed in the Parliament which will commence on February 5 to pass the Vote on Account.

However, experts are of the opinion that whatever the assembly does, Parliament can go ahead with its legislative process for creation of the new state.

The Union Cabinet had on December 5 given the go-ahead for the creation of a 10-district Telangana and outlined the blueprint for carving out the country's 29th state.

Telangana will comprise 10 districts and the rest of Andhra Pradesh will consist of 13 districts. Hyderabad will remain the common capital for both the states for a period not exceeding 10 years.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Assamese poet Rabindra Sarkar gets Sahitya Akademi award

NEW DELHI: Assamese poet Rabindra Sarkar has been conferred the Sahitya Akademi Award for the year 2013 for "Dhuliyori Bharir Sans" his book of poems, an official statement said on Tuesday.

Sarkar's book was selected on the basis of recommendations by a three-member jury comprising Srun Sarma, Hrishikesh Goswami and Malinee Goswami in the Asssamese language.

Those selected for the Sahitya Akademi awards for the 2013 was announced at a press conference in December last year.

"This year awards for the Assamese and Gujarati categories were not announced due to some unavoidable reasons," K. Sreenivasarao, Secretary, Sahitya Akademi had told reporters then.

Previously the Gujarati poet Chinu Modi was conferred the Sahitya Akademi Award for the year 2013 for his poetry book "Khara Zaran".

Some of the other winners of the award announced in December, 2013 to include Bollywood lyricist-scriptwriter Javed Akhtar, Hindi novelist Mridula Garg and renowned Bengali poet Subodh Sarkar.

The Sahitya Akademi Award winners in 23 languages would be honoured in March during the Festival of Letters being organised here by the Sahitya Akademi.

The award comprises an engraved copper plaque, a shawl and a cheque for Rs 1,00,000.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Committee chief spews venom against India

AMRITSAR : A controversial video has appeared on social networking site Facebook showing Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) president Sham Singh patting the back of Kashmiri separatists and stating that PSGPC has always been extending warm welcome to Kashmiri Sikhs.

"Muslims of Kashmir may or may not vote for Pakistan but Kashmiri Sikhs will first vote for Pakistan, we have worked hard for past 11 years , ever since the formation of PSGPC," said Sham Singh in the video that has gone viral on the net. Sham Singh whose credentials of being a Sikh have always been questioned has been shown addressing a meeting.

In the video, he has said that Pakistan High Commission in India had cancelled visa of 500 Kashmiri Sikhs who wanted to visit Pakistan on the occasion of birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev, Sikh's first master. He said there have been talks of giving Most Favoured Nation status to India by Pakistan. "Because of this reason Kashmiri Sikhs had been denied visa," he said.

The controversial president of PSGPC has also asked the Pakistan government to stop importing chicken feed from India claiming that it has traces of pork. He said people here see and fondly eat healthy chickens but they didn't know that the chicken had been fed on chicken feed imported from India which contains pork.

"Let's vow not to eat any chicken for one month that is fed on the chicken feed imported from India," he exhorted. Sham Singh had earlier been in controversies for giving shelter to Indian Sikh ultras's seeking refuge in Pakistan and exploiting Sikh religious sentiments on the directions of Pakistan's intelligence agency ISI through the platform of Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board that was once headed by ISI chief Javed Nasir.

Intelligence sources are of view that Sham Singh could have given such a statement in support of Kashmir Sikh's since Sikh militants Manjit Singh alias Pinka and Ranjit Singh Nita both hail from J&K and were currently in Pakistan.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

New bill to give Singapore police special powers in Little India

SINGAPORE: Singapore government today introduced a new bill in parliament that will give police special powers to maintain public order in Little India, the scene of the worst riot in 40 years in the country that led to the deportation of 56 Indians.

The proposed law would allow police and other state agencies to enforce the alcohol restrictions and regulate movement of persons in Little India, deputy prime minister Teo Chee Hean said today, in his address to the parliament.

Little India is an an enclave of migrant workers from South Asia in Singapore that was torn by the riot on December 8. The riot broke out after the death of an Indian worker in a road accident.

The Public Order (Additional Temporary Bill) seeks to give law enforcement officers the power to search and interview individuals entering the area for alcohol and prohibited items, and empower officers to ban individuals from being in the area during specified times if their presence is deemed to potentially threaten public order, the Straits Times said.

Powers will also be granted to officers to swiftly cancel or suspend the business license of licensees who have been suspected to have flouted the law, the daily said.

Teo, who is also the Home Affairs Minister, said the new provision was scoped more tightly compared to the wide-ranging powers that come into effect when the Public Order (Preservation) Act is invoked.

"The Bill proposes that the law be valid for one year. This will provide sufficient time for the ministry to enact longer term legislation to take into account the findings and recommendations of the Committee of Inquiry (COI), and recommendations arising from public consultations on the review of the liquor licensing regime," Teo said.

The deputy prime minister gave a detailed account of the riot on December 8 and the subsequent measures taken to deal with the incident in his ministerial statement.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

To avoid downgrade, government seeks 75 new posts for DGCA at market rates

NEW DELHI: The real prospect of Indian aviation being downgraded by the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), thanks to a dilapidated directorate general of civil aviation (DGCA), has forced the government to make some last-ditch amends to retain DGCA's current rating. The aviation ministry wants aviation safety experts to be hired full-time for the regulatory body at market rates — as existing sarkari norms keep talent away from it.

"We are seeking Cabinet nod to create 75 posts for flight operations inspectors (FOI). We are also seeking permission o pay them as per industry norms. The global norm is to have one FOI for every 10 aircraft. India has 760-odd aircrafts and helicopters and so we are seeking 75 posts," said an official.

The aviation ministry wants nod for this proposal at the earliest as the FAA recently audited the DGCA and its report is expected this month itself. Given the recent diplomatic spat between India and US over the Devyani Khobragade issue and the continuingly effete form of DGCA — that US had been overlooking in the past due to good ties with India apart from commercial interests like selling its aircraft to Indian airlines — there is increasing nervousness in aviation circles this time.

Also, UPA-II has not been able to get the civil aviation authority bill passed by Parliament and pave the way for this FAA-type agency to eventually replace the DGCA.

About three months back (just before the FAA team came for the audit), the government had hired full-time pilots from commercial airlines for DGCA as flight operations inspectors (FOI). Ten 10 serving pilots — senior ones of the rank of instructor and examiners — were taken on contract for a year at a monthly pay of Rs 10-12 lakh. An equal number of pilots grounded due to medical reasons or being over 65 years of age (maximum age of a commercial pilot) will be hired on a monthly pay of Rs 3-5 lakh.

The FAA has listed 33 deficiencies in DGCA during an audit earlier last year. "UPA has continuously ignored DGCA even as air traffic grew in India after 2007 when low cost carriers started mushrooming. Even as air traffic exploded, the safety oversight mechanism of DGCA kept deteriorating over the years. It is only India's clout in the global market that has prevented a DGCA downgrade so far," said a senior pilot.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

Gujarat incident cannot be forgotten or pardoned, Nitish Kumar says

PATNA: Slamming Bollywood superstar Salman Khan for defending Narendra Modi, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Monday said what had happened in Gujarat in 2002 cannot be "forgotten or pardoned".

"You may talk anything but what happened in Gujarat cannot be forgotten or pardoned," Kumar told reporters reacting to Salman Khan's statement as to why Modi would seek pardon for Gujarat riots as he was cleared by court.

Kumar also did not appear to be impressed with Modi's vision of Bullet trains.

Kumar, who himself served as Railway minister during NDA government, said the concept of Bullet trains was first mooted by late Indira Gandhi in 1980s and the idea kept from coming time to time.

"An attempt was made during my time to run a Bullet train from Mumbai to Ahmedabad, but later it was found that in India it is a difficult work," he said on the sidelines of 'janata durbar' programme.

"We tried to start a train running at a speed of 180 kmph but it was found a loss making proposal," he said.

Taking an apparent dig at BJP PM pick, he said, "Everybody talks a lot before elections but let us see whether you come to power or not to unveil the visions."

On Modi's criticism of Congress in the BJP meet in New Delhi, he said, "A few people in a bid to hog prominent space in media talk much...I am not among them."

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More

National Investigation Agency to take over case against Yasin Bhatkal

MANGALORE: Mangalore City Police has decided to hand over the case against Mohammed Ahmed Sidibapa aka Yasin Bhatkal registered against him in Ullal police station under crime number 242/2008 to the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Ahmed Sidibapa, the alleged founder leader of proscribed terrorist organisation- Indian Mujahideen (IM) is one among the 13 accused named in the above case and declared a fugitive by the police.

Ahmed Sidibappa has been charged with criminal conspiracy (120 B), conspiracy to commit offences punishable by section 121 - that is - waging or attempting to wage war, or abetting waging of war against the state (121A), collecting arms, with intention of waging war against the state (122 IPC), promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, sections 5, and 6 of Explosives Substances Act, and 10, 11, 13, 18, and 19 of UAPA.

Ahmed's arrest near Motihari, Bihar on August 28, 2013 has since changed the equation. However, with NIA evincing keen interest in the above case, Mangalore City Police has moved papers to transfer the case to them. City police chief R Hithendra said NIA is in touch with the city police in this regard and have shown interest. "We have sent papers to transfer the case to NIA through the home ministry and the police chief office," he said.

NIA has carried out lot of investigation into the case, he said, adding it is in interest of the case that one agency does the investigation. Others wanted in this case are Mudassir Yasin, Mohammad Akbar, Iqbal Bhatkal and Riyaz Bhatkal. Syed Mohammad Naushad, Ahmad Bawa Abubakkar Shabbir Bhatkal and Qayamuddin are incarcerated in jails in Gujarat. Mohammad Ali, Javed Ali, Mohammad Rafique and Fakir Ahmed are out on bail.

07.20 | 0 komentar | Read More