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Expunges Gujarat HC observations New Delhi, April 14 The Supreme Court has expressed grave concern over the use of religion to undermine the heterogeneous relations among different communities in the context of the Gujarat riots in its landmark judgment in the Best Bakery case, warning that it was bound to have dangerous repercussions.
Congress leaders have ‘lost mental balance’, says
BJP
‘India Shining’ linked with rural facilities, says
Advani
EC gets report on Lucknow stampede |
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PM making personal attacks:
Pawar Jethmalani to decide after consulting
parties Injured Jogi makes emotional appeal to voters CEC to visit Ranchi today
BJP list for 5 Haryana seats likely tomorrow
2 killed in Naxalite violence over poll boycott
Why India won’t sign NPT Additional
Protocol
15 ship crew
members rescued
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SC expresses concern over misuse of religion
New Delhi, April 14 A Bench of Mr Justice Doraiswamy Raju and Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat while analysing the happenings in the state in its 69-page judgment, ordering retrial in the case outside Gujarat, said such tendency “strikes at the very root of an orderly society, which the founding fathers of our Constitution had dreamt of”. “In a country like ours with heterogeneous relations and multi-racial and multi-lingual society which necessitates protection against discrimination on the grounds of caste or religion, taking lives of persons belonging to one or the other religion is bound to have dangerous repercussions and reactive effect on the society at large and may tend to encourage fissiparous elements to undermine the unity and security of the nation,” the court said. It said “when ghastly killings take place in the land of Mahatama Gandhi, it raises a very pertinent question as to whether some people have become so bankrupt in their ideology that they have deviated from everything which was so dear to him.” Expressing anguish over the happenings in the state and subsequent efforts to subvert the justice delivery system, the Supreme Court said “when a large number of people, including innocent and helpless children and women, are killed in diabolic manner, it brings disgrace to the entire society”. In a related appeal by Mumbai-based social activist Tista Sitalwad of NGO, Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP), the Bench expunged certain observations by the Gujarat High Court in its judgment against her while upholding the acquittal of all 21 accused in the case. The Supreme Court said such remarks should not be made by courts against persons and authorities, unless they were essential or necessary for decision of the case. “Courts are not expected to play to the gallery or for any applause from anyone or even need to take cudgels as well against any one, either to please their own or any one’s fantasies,” it said. The observations made by the High Court against the CJP and Tista Sitalwad “shall stand expunged and deleted from the judgment, and consequently must be treated as having never existed or being part of it,” the Bench ruled. The High Court in its observations had cast aspersions on the integrity and sincerity of the CJP and Sitalwad in taking up the cause of Best Bakery key witness Zahira Sheikh and other riot cases before the apex court. |
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Congress leaders have ‘lost mental balance’, says
BJP
New Delhi, April 14 “Congress aur uske netaon ka mansik santulan bigad gaya hai,” (Congress and its leaders have lost their mental balance), BJP spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said at a media briefing here. “If Congress leaders compare Ms Sonia Gandhi with Mother Teresa, then I can only say they have their mental balance,” Mr Naqvi remarked. He was replying to a question on the Congress assertion that even Mother Teresa, Dr Annie Besant and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad were born outside India. Earlier, the Congress had termed as “totally bogus” the foreign origin issue raised by the BJP against Ms Sonia Gandhi and cited several instances of great Indian citizens who were not born in India but chose their destiny to live and die for the country. The Congress claimed that Maulana Azad, Dr Annie Besant and Mother Teresa were not born in India but they devoted their lives for the cause of India. Rubbishing the Congress attack on the NDA government over unemployment, Mr Naqvi challenged the Congress to have a debate on the issue and asserted that the Vajpayee government had achieved the targets set for creating employment in the past six years. He claimed the Vajpayee-led government had nearly achieved the target for creating employment which it had fixed for itself during the past five years. For the next five years also, the BJP was committed to solving the unemployment problem, he said. “The next five years will be an era during which we will prioritise removal of unemployment,” he said. Mr Naqvi asked the Congress to prove its claim that the NDA government not created enough employment opportunities during the past five years or else “apologise” to the people for making a false propaganda against the BJP. Giving details, he said the NDA government had unleashed an infrastructure revolution in the country, creating millions of direct and indirect jobs in the process. The Rs 54,000-crore National Highway Development Project had provided direct employment to 5 lakh people and indirect employment to five time more people than that number. Also, 11 lakh PCOs had been set up all over the country which had given employment to about 35 lakh people. |
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‘India Shining’ linked with rural facilities, says Advani
Dhenkanal (Orissa), April 14 Harping on the development issue, he said the day villages and towns were linked with pucca roads and irrigation facilities provided to six lakh villages, ‘India Shining’ would be complete. “India has already started shining and in the coming days it will be complete if the Vajpayee government is voted back to power,” he said. With this aim, the Vajpayee government has undertaken the National Highway upgradation project and Prime Minister’s “Sadak yojna” for rural areas, he said. Defying the scorching sun, Mr Advani, who addressed a gathering here on way to Puri where his second leg of “Bharat Uday yatra” terminates this evening, said India would be a developed nation and no one could halt its progress. The NDA government, he said, also decided to undertake river-link projects in the country to provide irrigation facilities to farmers. Earlier, Mr Advani told newsmen at Talcher that the Centre would firmly deal with the Naxalites who were trying to create problems in league with the Maoist Communist Centre of Nepal. Mr Advani said the Maoist Communist Centre in Nepal was trying to create disturbance in West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh, Chhatisgarh and Orissa. “We will firmly deal with the Naxalites,” he added. Mr Advani, who touched eight Lok Sabha and 29 Assembly constituencies in the state during his yatra, however, did not make any commitment on giving the special category status to Orissa as demanded by the BJD-BJP government here. “If such a proposal comes, we will see”, he said when asked about granting the status to Orissa. —
PTI Puri, April 14 Addressing a rally here at the end of the 8,540-km-long yatra that carried him through 128 Lok Sabha constituencies in 14 states, Mr Advani said six years of the Vajpayee government had brought India to a “take-off stage” to make it a leading and developed country. Mr Advani said the issues which were brushed aside earlier as “dry” and not considered emotive have now created a movement. “We have prepared the country to make good governance, development and leadership the touchestones to elect the government,” the Deputy Prime Minister said. He said that “Bharat Uday” would be complete only when proper roads and irrigation facilities were provided in rural India and urged people to bring back to power Mr Vajpayee. —
PTI
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EC gets report on Lucknow stampede New Delhi, April 14 Deputy Election Commissioner A.N. Jha told The Tribune tonight that “we have received the report from the CEO of Uttar Pradesh today. However, we are still awaiting the report from the Chief Secretary.” He said the commission would deliberate on the report on April 16, when all the three commissioners would be in the Capital. The commission had sought a report on the saree stampede incident from the Chief Electoral Officer and the Chief Secretary to find out whether there was any violation of the model code of conduct. Major Oppostion parties had moved the commission to take action against the BJP for violating the code and the poll panel had assured them that it would take the necessary steps after receiving the reports. Sources in the Election Commission said they had sought clarification on a few issues like whether the political party had sought permission for holding the event, if prohibitory orders were in place and whether sarees were distributed at the venue. Stepping up its attack on the BJP, the CPM released photocopies of advertisements published in newspapers about the function to celebrate the birthday of BJP leader Lalji Tandon. The ads and posters clearly showed that it was a BJP function as the organisers and guests were top leaders of the UP unit of the party, CPM leader Nilotpal Basu told mediapersons here today. “Further, BJP flags adorned the venue where free saree distribution was to take place,” Mr Basu emphasised. The issue assumes importance as Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee is scheduled to file his nomination papers in Lucknow tomorrow. Though the filing of nomination papers by Mr Vajpayee will be a low key affair, pressure is mounting on him to change Mr Tandon as his election agent of the Lucknow constituency. The name of S.S. Ahluwalia is being bandied about as the new election agent of Mr Vajpayee. However, BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said “he had no idea as he insisted that a poll agent was appointed only after the filing of nomination papers.”
Lucknow, April 14 “No decision has been taken”, Mr Vajpayee told reporters here in reply to a question whether Mr Tandon had been removed as his poll agent in the wake of the sari stampede in which 21 persons lost their lives. —
PTI |
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Priyanka blames BJP for stampede tragedy
Rae Bareli, April 14 “The Opposition will definitely make an election issue the saree distribution programme organised by the in charge of the Prime Minister’s Lok Sabha constituency Lalji Tandon in violation of the Model Code of Conduct,” she told newspersons at Samardaha village. Campaigning for her mother and AICC President Sonia Gandhi, Priyanka termed the stampede tragedy as unfortunate but blamed the BJP for
organising such a programme on the election-eve. “Earlier, the BJP had gained electoral mileage on the Kargil war and fought election on the issue,” she said adding the opposition would not hesitate in exploiting the Lucknow incident in the coming elections as it was a result of a function organised in “violation” of the Model Code of Conduct. —
PTI |
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Disabled rights activist on fast over voting
issue
New Delhi, April 14 Convenor of the Disabled Rights Group (DRG) and a wheel-chair user, Abidi is disillusioned with the response of the Election Commission. Sitting in front of Jantar Mantar here with like-minded activists, representing different categories of disability, Abidi said the disabled voters were only asserting their right to cast their vote with dignity. Activists from Deafway, Deepalya, Leprosy Mission and National Blind Association have joined Abidi to fight for their rights. Abidi says, “We are merely asserting our right to exercise our franchise in an enabling environment guaranteed by the Persons With Disability (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Partici-pation Act, 1995)”. In its communication to the Chief Electoral Officers of all States and Union Territories, the Election Commission has said that facilities should be provided to orthopaedically disabled persons to take their wheel-chairs inside the polling booths and wooden ramps may be provided for this purpose wherever possible. Anyone who is familiar with governance will understand that the EC has used an escape clause by its choice of words as “may” and “wherever possible”. The circular is silent on the rights of visually impaired voters. We had asked the EC to provide Braille facility on the Electronic Voting
Machines (EVMs) to enable visually impaired persons to cast their vote independently, Abidi said. He said, India which stands out as the largest example of democracy, had failed to ensure disabled-friendly elections. |
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PM making personal attacks: Pawar
Mumbai, April 14 In the first press conference after being operated upon for an oral swelling earlier this month, he said, “The BJP will face repercussions of personal and low-level attacks by Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister against opponents.” —
PTI |
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Jethmalani to decide after consulting
parties
New Delhi, April 14 “I am on my way to London tonight. I
will be back in a day or two. Then I will consult my supporters and
the political parties which have supported me and take a decision in
this regard,” he told PTI from Mumbai, reacting to Mr Vajpayee’s
appeal. — PTI |
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Injured Jogi makes emotional appeal to voters Raipur, April 14 His wife, Ms Renu, has resigned her job as Assistant Professor in Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College to take up campaigning for her husband. She is leaving Mumbai tomorrow for Mahasamund where she is likely to tour villages to seek votes for him. Amit Jogi, who returned to Raipur yesterday, has been working out election strategies with party workers. The family has planned to release posters of Ajit Jogi which show him greeting people with folded hands from his hospital bed. Simultaneously, lakhs of copies of Jogi’s letter, appealing for support, will be distributed all over
Mahasamund. The letter, written by Ajit Jogi on Monday, says he had survived the big accident because of the good wishes, love of the people and by God’s grace. “I feel that I should serve the people of the Mahasamund Lok Sabha seat. God also wants this. That’s why He has given me a new life,” he says in the letter. “If God wills and your good wishes are with me, I will try to come and meet you for at least a day so that I get your enthusiastic support for the election on April 20,” Jogi states in the letter. Sources close to the Jogi family said there were plans to bring him in a helicopter to Mahasamund on the last day of campaigning. Ms Renu Jogi, who yesterday sent her resignation to the Principal Secretary, Health, is unlikely to address election meetings in Mahasamund. She is likely to move around the constituency with folded hands, seeking support for her husband. She may not join the Congress immediately, sources said. They cited domestic reasons due to injuries to her husband in an accident, as grounds for her not being able to continue in the government job. Amit Jogi is not likely to campaign in Mahasamund. He will rather focus on backroom election management, something he had done in Marwahi during the last assembly elections. Central and state Congress leaders are also camping in Mahasamund to keep the momentum of campaign.
Jogi taken off ventilator
Mumbai, April 14 Mr Jogi was taken off ventilator for the first time since his admission to the Bombay hospital here after being flown from Raipur on Sunday evening. He was shifted from one unit of the ICU to another and would be kept in the ICU for some more days to avoid infection, hospital sources said. The former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister is also being given physiotherapy treatment. ‘’He is quite comfortable and responding well to the treatment,’’ a hospital source said adding that he would not talk to mediapersons for the next couple of days. —
UNI
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CEC to visit Ranchi today New Delhi, April 14 During his stay in the Capital of Jharkhand, the CEC will hold meetings with leaders of political parties and civil and police officials on the preparations for the conduct of free and fair poll in the state. Polling in the state will be held in two phases with six parliamentary constituencies going to polls on April 20 and the remaining eight constituencies going to polls on April 26. This will be the first parliamentary poll in Jharkhand after the state was carved out from Bihar. Meanwhile, the EC has directed that the expenditure incurred on security arrangements like barricades and rostrums for campaigning by leaders are to be credited to the candidate in whose constituency the meeting takes place or to a group of candidates who are present. In cases where there were more than one candidate of the political party present at the time of the meeting of the leader, the expenditure would be apportioned equally among all, the EC said in a letter to Chief Electoral Officers of all States and Union Territories. |
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BJP list for 5 Haryana seats likely tomorrow
New Delhi, April 14 While former cricketer and commentator Navjot Singh Sidhu was likely to be fielded from Amritsar, there was likely to be a debate on the seats in Haryana and the lone seat of Chandni Chowk in Delhi, party sources said. In Haryana, the party is yet to announce its candidate for Rohtak, Hisar, Kurukshetra, Sirsa (SC) and Bhiwani Lok Sabha constituencies. The party had delayed the announcement of candidates in these five constituencies as it wanted to know the candidates of its rival parties before releasing the list. Among the contenders for the Rohtak seat are Abhimanyu, brother of Union Minister Sahib Singh Verma’s son-in-law, Om Parkash Dhankar, national secretary of the BJP, and Naresh Malik, who had joined the BJP recently. Ranjit Singh Chautala, estranged brother of Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala, could be fielded from Hisar, where the secretary of the party’s Haryana unit Prof Shakuntala Raj is another contender. While party’s Haryana unit vice-president Gurdayal Singh Saini could be party nominee from Kurukshetra, former party state unit president Ram Vilas Sharma could be fielded from Bhiwani. In Sirsa (SC), Mahavir Singh, son of former Haryana minister Peer Chand, could be the party candidate, party sources said. |
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2 killed in Naxalite violence over poll boycott
Jagdalpur (Chattisgarh), April 14 Sources said the Naxalites had targeted a Superintendent of Police, who was to pass through the area. Four state policemen were injured yesterday in landmine blasts triggered by Naxalites in the Pujari Kanker area of Bijapur police district, about 500 km from Raipur. The district administration in the Bastar region had received information about plans by Naxalites to make a major strike before the poll. |
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Tributes paid to Ambedkar
New Delhi, April 14 Among other leaders who paid tributes were former Prime Minister V.P. Singh, Union Ministers Satyanarayan Jatia, Priya Gautam and Ashok Pradhan, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah, Leader of the Opposition Manmohan Singh and Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit. —
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Why India won’t sign NPT Additional
Protocol
New Delhi, April 14 The sources said the international community was well aware that Iran signing the Additional Protocol at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters in Vienna late last year had not put any undue pressure on New Delhi to do the same. The sources said India was only subject to the basic minimum safeguards of the IAEA which are facility-specific. Besides, India not being a member of the NPT, is not obliged to be subject to safeguarding all its facilities. It is a globally acknowledged fact that India is not yet recognised as a nuclear weapons state under the NPT. By the same token, India does not get nuclear supplies and dual-use technology. The sources clarified that extra safeguards and intrusive inspections were not meant for India. They said NPT was inherently discriminatory and unable to encourage the reality of India being a nuclear weapons state. Besides, the NPT also has the public perception of being ineffective, particularly in view of “Khangate”, the blatant proliferation activities of Pakistan’s disgraced “Father of the Nuclear Bomb” A.Q. Khan. When asked to comment on this aspect of the NPT, official sources said: “The NPT and other inherently discriminatory non-proliferation regimes have been unable to stop actual proliferation.” The Additional Protocol allows the UN’s nuclear watchdog to receive more access to data and greater powers, though snap inspections — such as those in pre-war Iraq — are ruled out. The Additional Protocol gives the IAEA the right to conduct searches at short notice — but not unannounced inspections. It gives inspectors broader search powers, including the right to demand information on non-government facilities and the right to check radiation levels in wider areas. The Additional Protocol also makes it incumbent on governments to report all matters relating to its nuclear fuel cycle.
Haldia (W. Bengal), April
14 The wooden logs that the ill-fated cargo vessel, Genius Star VI, was carrying yesterday during the mishap came to the aid of the trio who clutched at one of them to survive for 27 hours, roughly 350 km south-east off Haldia. The three in life jackets were rescued by the coast guard ship, Varaha. —
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SEER CONVICTED OF SEX
ABUSE SURRENDERS EIGHT OF FAMILY BURNT TO DEATH |
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In video: New
Year celebrated across the country.
Dissatisfied with the Election Commission’s “half-hearted” assurance to 45 million disabled voters for a barrier-free access to polling booths, disabled rights activist Javed Abidi has started a fast unto death.
Convenor of the Disabled Rights Group and a wheel-chair user,
Abidi is disillusioned with the response of the Election
Commission. Sitting in front of Jantar Mantar here with
like-minded activists, representing different categories of
disability, Abidi said the disabled voters were only asserting
their right to cast their vote with dignity.
