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New Delhi, May 16 Over 200 prominent personalities with Left leanings, including Mr Praful Bidwai, Mr Tarun Tejpal, Ms Nafisa Ali, Shyam Benegal and Ms Shabana Azmi have appealed to the CPI and the CPM to be part of the Congress-led government instead of lending it support from outside.
CPM decision on joining govt
today
Surjeet for including
SP in alliance Coalition name being worked
out
JD(S) to join hands with Cong in govt
formation
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Congress, allies agree on cheaper power
for farmers
Uma rejects reports of quitting over Sonia becoming
PM
Sonia unacceptable as PM:
Marandi
BJP leader flays Left on disinvestment
22 ministers take oath in Orissa
Rights’ body notice to EC on missing
names
NTR’s ashes immersed — a vow fulfilled
Jaya dismisses demand for resignation
SC for customary laws Top Naxalite leader
held in Orissa
Accord to rehabilitate Bru refugees in
June
HC order forces 20,000 mines in Rajasthan to suspend work
Fan gives freebies on Madhuri’s birthday
‘Main Hoon Na’ sweeps USA, UK
Veteran scribe Venugopal
dead
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Intellectuals want Left to be part of govt
New Delhi, May 16 The 31-member national executive of the CPI is expected to consider the appeal. CPI general secretary, A.B. Bardhan said he would present the appeal before the national executive members. Signatories to the appeal have expressed the view that the Left can undertake the task only as a part of the government and not by supporting it from outside. They feel supporting the government from outside is a negative approach which may be interpreted by people as shirking responsibility. Complimenting the Left for its contribution in reviving the secular, democratic voice of the nation, the signatories have said: “The Left has performed a very positive and constructive role. It has provided the ideological and organisational direction and leadership to the struggle against the policies and programmes pursued by the pro-imperialist government headed by the BJP. That in the verdict of the people, the Left has been assigned a decisive role has to be read as a reflection of this political reality.” “To usher in changes on secular and democratic lines, the Left has to use the possible access to power even if there are certain political risks involved in it. Let not the Left, therefore, feel shy of sharing power at the Centre, instead assume a role the people expect them to fulfill as is evident from the electoral result.” |
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CPM decision on joining govt
today
New Delhi, May 16 “The central committee members are expressing their views. We would take a decision tomorrow,” said the CPM general secretary, Mr Harkishen Singh Surjeet. The two-day meet of the committee which began this morning to consider the recommendations of the politburo was divided on the issue of joining the government. As the Left parties have decided to take a united stand this time, the decision of the CPM tomorrow would be crucial for the long-term stability of the Congress-led coalition at the Centre. The meeting discussed issues ranging from economic agenda, disinvestment and joining a Sonia Gandhi-led government. As many as 70 members were present at the meeting which was held in the backdrop of Kerala leaders V.S. Achutanandan, P. Vijayan and M.A. Baby opposing CPM joining the Congress-led government and Mr Jyoti Basu, Mr Surjeet and Mr Yechuri favouring it, sources said. None of the participants were willing to speak on the issue which is likely to be debated even tomorrow. They said several participants opposed the CPM’s participation in the government although Mr Somnath Chaterjee said the party had its own way of arriving at a decision after hearing all opinions. Sources said the leaders were finding it difficult to reverse the stance taken by the CPM at the 16th party congress where it had justified its 1996 decision not to join the government. The party had argued that “in a coalition where the majority of the parties are of a bourgeosie character, it would be sheer illusion to expect to implement alternative policies.” “It is one thing to extend support to a bourgeosie combination at the Centre to keep out a more reactionary combination, it is another thing altogether to join such a government,” it had stated. One of the major stumbling block in the CPM joining the government appeared the issue of disinvestment, and sources said the party would become fait accompli to many decisions taken by the Congress-led coalition government that could prove detrimental to it in its strongholds in Kerala and West Bengal. Sources said members expressed reservation against taking part in the government due to the party’s basic differences with the Congress on economic affairs. They had even opposed the idea of being a party to the common minimum programme, signalling the hardening of the stance among the central committee members. Apprehending a clash of interest with the Congress on disinvestment and privatisation in future, the members pointed out that the CPM participation in the government would only compound the problems as the party would be unable to vote against any proposal which went against its principles, the sources said. Those opposing the sharing of power with the Congress also expressed concern that the party was their main
opponent in Kerala and West Bengal. |
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Surjeet for including
SP in alliance New Delhi, May 16 It was not immediately known whether the two had merely accompanied Mr Surjeet. Mr Ajit Singh and Mr Amar Singh, who incidentally endorse Ms Gandhi’s candidature for the prime ministership, maintained that they had been extended an invitation. Congress leaders, however, feigned ignorance about this, saying the two had come on their own. Senior leader Manmohan Singh, who briefed the Press about today’s meeting, refused to answer any questions on the issue. It is now to be seen whether the Congress will succeed in keeping the Samajwadi Party out of the government or will eventually succumb to Mr Surjeet’s pressure. There are strong reservations in the Congress about including the Samajwadi Party in the government, especially since Mr Mulayam Singh refused to have a pre-poll alliance with them with the SP and the Congress fighting it out bitterly in the recent elections. The
general view is that if the Samajwadi Party leaders are keen on strengthening the
secular forces, they could do so by lending outside support to the new government. |
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Coalition name being worked
out New Delhi, May 16 The names under consideration include People’s Progressive Alliance, National Progressive Front or People’s Progressive Front. However, a final view on this will be taken after the Left parties have completed their internal discussions on whether they would be participating in the new government or lending it outside support. Congress sources said initially the participating leaders had almost decided on naming it Secular Democratic Front or Secular Progressive Alliance. However, this was vetoed by the leaders from the southern state, particularly DMK chief
M.Karunanidhi. He contended that there was no proper translation for the term “secular” in their regional languages and the word which comes closest to it had negative
connotations. It was also decided that senior Congress leaders Manmohan Singh and Pranab Mukherjee be entrusted with the task of preparing the first draft of a
common minimum programme, based on the election manifestos of all the participating parties. The draft is likely to be circulated for discussions to the constituents of the new alliance within two days. It was also decided to constitute a coordination committee, comprising representatives of all parties, for a smooth functioning of the alliance. The committee, it was stated, would be headed by the new Prime Minister Sonia Gandhi but some other senior leader would be named as its convenor. Sources said this post could go to the Left parties, especially if they decide not to join the government. While all the leaders present at the meeting unanimously chose Ms Gandhi as the leader of the new alliance, it was not known as to how many would actually be joining the new government. With the Left parties and the DMK still undecided on this issue and CPM leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet pushing for the inclusion of the Samajwadi Party, this matter was deliberately left for later discussions. |
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JD(S) to join hands with Cong in govt formation
Bangalore, May 16 The JD(S) today authorised party President and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda to hold talks with Congress President Sonia Gandhi on the modalities of the formation of a new government in the state and elected state party unit president Siddaramaiah as its legislature party leader. Speaking to reporters after a meeting of the party’s newly elected MLAs and MPs, Mr Deve Gowda said they decided to maintain the secular credentials of the party. The meeting, he said, discussed whether to opt for another round of poll or seek the support of secular parties in the formation of a new government in the light of a hung Assembly and decided on the latter. The JD(S)’s decision here comes a day after Mr Deve Gowda met Ms Gandhi and other senior Congress leaders in Delhi and discussed the issue of formation of a new government in the state. In the fractured verdict which saw the removal of the Congress from power with 65 seats and the emergence of the BJP as the single largest party with 79 seats, the JD(S) with 58 seats has come out as the king-maker. The JD(S), with a final tally of 58 members, has been propelled to the centre stage in the post-election scenario with neither the Congress, which secured 65 seats, nor the BJP, which emerged the single largest party winning 79 seats, able to attain a simple majority to form the government. Briefing newsmen after the meeting, Mr Deve Gowda said the legislators had unanimously stated that the party should not let go of the secular credentials it had been maintaining since the Janata Dal split in 1999 at any cost and authorised him to work out the modalities with Ms Gandhi. He said on an invitation from Ms Gandhi last night he had held informal discussions with her. But nothing was discussed about the formation of a coalition government in the state at the meeting. —
UNI |
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Congress, allies agree on cheaper power
for farmers New Delhi, May 16 It is not the ideology, but wisdom acquired from the Lok Sabha elections and fall of NDA’s poster boys like Chandra Babu Naidu, that have encouraged the political parties to unite over this issue. They are now ready to “rewrite the power reforms of the previous NDA government.” The state leaders of these parties and different farmer organisations seem to be determined to get subsidised or even free power for the agricultural sector. Despite annoyance of the World Bank, the IMF and industrial associations like the CII and the FICCI, Dr Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy, newly elected Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh has passed orders waiving the power tariff arrears worth Rs 1,192 crore. He has announced to provide free supply of electricity to the agricultural sector,in tune with his electoral promises. It would cost Rs 436 crore a year to the state exchequer. After the defeat of the Congress in Punjab, state Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has also decided to review the decision of the state government to charge from farmers despite party’s promise of providing free power, during previous state Assembly elections. Political pundits say farmers in Haryana have also punished Chautala government in their own way for not supplying cheap power to the farmers. Farmers in the state along with Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and other states have been facing tough weather for the past few years. Bharti Kisan Union leaders say though the state governments of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh claim to provide subsidised electricity through state exchequer, but “ frequent power cuts in rural areas, poor growth of agricultural sector and due to increasing input costs, farmers are unable to pay even subsidised power bills.” According to economists Free power to the agricultural sector may be out of fashion these days and even against the provisions of the World Trade Organisations. But farmers in India need state support to face the challenge of cheap imports from highly subsidised agricultural produce in the USA and European countries.” Even Dr Manmohan Singh, who is tipped of Finance Minister for the new government has expressed concern that unfriendly weather and hard economic conditions in states like Andhra Pradesh have forced over 10,000 farmers to commit suicide during the NDA regime. “ We will have to increase investment in agricultural sector and devise ways to support them in the new economic scenario,” he had said recently. |
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Uma rejects reports of quitting over Sonia becoming PM
Bhopal, May 16 The firebrand BJP leader also dismissed suggestions that her opposition to Ms Gandhi becoming Prime Minister could affect state’s development and its ties with the Centre saying “the state has every right to get its due...Funds with the Centre are nobody’s personal money but belongs to the people”. Terming as `baseless and false’ rumours about her resigning, Ms Bharti told reporters here “I am opposing her (Sonia) being made Prime Minister and nothing prevents me from airing my views on the issue as it involves the sentiments of crores of Indians”. She said the mandate was not in favour of Ms Gandhi as the Congress leader was never projected as prime ministerial candidate in the run up to the elections. “Making Sonia Gandhi Prime Minister will amount to cheating people as they voted for the Congress but never imagined that person of foreign origin will be imposed”, she said. Asking Ms Gandhi to drop the idea of becoming Prime Minister, she said “I am ready to appeal and beg to anyone. I also appeal to Ms Gandhi to be away from the race”. Answering queries, Ms Bharti said crores of people would associate themselves with movements being planned across the country, including swadeshi leader Govindacharya’s `Rashtriya Swabhiman’ agitation to oppose prime ministerial post to Ms Gandhi. A day after senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj and her husband Swaraj Kaushal announced their decision to resign from Rajya Sabha, if Ms Gandhi was sworn in as premier, rumours spread here today about Ms Bharti toying with similar ideas. “I respect Sonia Gandhi. She is a graceful woman but has no understanding of India,” Ms Bharti said, adding that she need not step down from the post to oppose Ms Gandhi becoming the Prime Minister. She claimed that many “self respecting” Congressmen are also “against” Gandhi taking up the top post but they are “unable” to express their views openly. —
PTI |
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Sonia unacceptable as PM: Marandi
Ranchi, May 16 “I respect the people’s mandate for a change, but it was not in favour of a foreigner becoming the Prime Minister as Congress neither got a full mandate nor had projected its leader before the elections,” the former Jharkhand Chief Minister told a press conference here. “The martyrs of India’s independence would have been hurt at the news of a foreigner leading the nation had they been alive today. Even Mahatma Gandhi would have been pained,” he said. “I cannot swallow the bitter pill. It is an insult which I am unable to stand,” he said wondering at the Congress alliance parties’ “failure” to choose “one leader from among one crore Indians.” “Some Jaichands and Mirzafars (figures in history) are facilitating Sonia Gandhi to rule the country.” Asked whether he would follow the footsteps of senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj, who has threatened to resign from Parliament if Ms Gandhi became the Prime Minister, Mr Marandi said he had been sent by the people to the Lok Sabha where “I can keep my feelings and fight in the house as well.” Asked whether he meant JMM chief Sibu Soren as ‘Jaichand’, Mr Marandi said: “Why name only him, there are others too?” The JMM, which has won five seats this time, is a member of the Congress-led alliance. The main ingredient in a democracy was the change which was welcome. “But this change was not in favour of Ms Sonia Gandhi becoming Prime Minister as the Congress has got only 145 seats. Therefore, her ruling the nation is not welcome,” he said. “We never expected a foreigner would become the Prime Minister,” he said when asked why the NDA government had failed to enact a legislation barring a person of foreign origin from holding constitutional posts. Mr Marandi said he would go to any extent in his movement against a person of foreign origin becoming the country’s prime minister. “It is true that history repeats itself. But we should see to it that history should not be repeated as far as a foreigner ruling us is concerned,” he added. —
PTI
Protest against Sonia
Bangalore The protestors, under the ‘Swathantra Rakshana Vedike’ banner, converged on MG Road and took out a 3 km procession. —
UNI
BJP
undecided on attending Sonia’s swearing-in ceremony New Delhi, May 16 Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, his Cabinet colleague Jaswant Singh and Sushma
Swaraj, party general secretary Pramod Mahajan and NDA convener George Fernandes are expected to attend the meeting. The BJP leaders have raised once again the issue of Mrs Gandhi’s foreign origin. Senior RSS leader and former BJP general secretary K.N. Govindacharya announced a “rashtriya swabhimaan abhiyaan” to protest against a person of foreign origin occupying the high office. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti also lent her support to the movement. Mrs Sushma Swaraj who has held key portfolios said she and her husband Swaraj Kaushal would resign from the Rajya Sabha if Mrs Gandhi was sworn in as the Prime Minister. Former Prime Minister Chandra Shekhar has reacted sharply to Mrs Swaraj’s threat. In a letter addressed to President Mr A.P.J Abdul Kalam, here said her statement was unconstitutional and anti-national. He urged the President to suspend Mrs Swaraj’s membership to the Rajya Sabha and take action againt her for the contempt of Constitution. |
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BJP leader flays Left on disinvestment
New Delhi, May 16 “The policies pursued by the NDA government vis-a-vis reforms, especially disinvestment, should be looked in the overall context of economic development and reforms,” former convener of BJP’s economic cell Jagdish Shettigar said here. “One may have some reservations about the constitution of the Disinvestment Ministry, but in the given economic situation, one cannot think of dumping the process,” Mr Shettigar said, pointing to CPI leader A. B. Bardhan’s statement yesterday suggesting reversal of disinvestment process in some PSUs and also closure of the Disinvestment Ministry. Asserting that the issue of disinvestment should not be debated in isolation, Mr Shettigar said: “The CPI leader should not have made such an irresponsible statement when his party is going to be part of the new government or support it from outside.” |
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22 ministers take oath in Orissa
Bhubaneswar, May 16 The 22-member Ministry included 14 from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and eight from its alliance partner, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The new ministry comprises 15 cabinet ministers and seven ministers of state. While Mr Kalindi Behera, Mr Prafulla Ghadhei, Mr Padmanav Behera, Ms Pramilla Mallik, Mr Suryanarayan Patra, Mr Bijoy Shree Routray, Dr Damodar Rout and Mr A.U. Singh Deo of the BJD were sworn in as Cabinet Ministers, BJP members who got Cabinet berths included Mr Biswabhushan Harichandan, Mr Samir Dey, Mr Golaknath Naik, Mr Manmohan Samal and Mr K.V. Singh Deo. Ministers of State from the BJD included Mr Balabhadra Majhi, Mr Rabi Narayan Nandam, Mr Debasis Naik and Mr Nagendra Pradhan from the BJP, Mr Jayanarayan Mishra, Mr Pradipta Naik and Ms Surama Padhi were sworn in as ministers of state. Mr Naveen Patnaik brought in four new faces each from the BJD and BJP in the Ministry. —
UNI |
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Rights’ body notice to EC on missing
names
Mumbai, May 16 The commission issued the notice after actor Anjan Srivastava filed a petition before it. The petitioner has asked the commission to probe into the names missing from the electoral lists as well as the number of errors detected by voters. Srivastava has also demanded that a retired high court judge should be appointed to probe into the matter. Prominent citizens of Mumbai formed the Citizens’ Awareness Forum days after elections to the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections closed on March 26. According to actor Kunika Lall, founder-member of the Citizen Awareness Forum, the body has already managed to rope in 5000 members. She said as many as 20 lakh voters in Maharashtra were missing from the voters’ lists. Those supporting the forum include industrialist Adi Godrej, columnist Shobha De, film personalities Pooja Bedi, Soni Razdan, Kalpana Lajmi, Aruna Raje, Anjan Srivastav, Madhur Bhandarkar, Mahesh Manjrekar, film producers Raj Tilak and Kukku Kohli, designer Neeta Lulla, ad man Prahlad Kakkar and others. Though several of them had even participated in a media campaign to get people out to vote, their own names were knocked off the electoral lists. “We are asking for a repoll since we cannot wait for another five years to vote in a government of our choice,” Lall said. The Maharashtra Election Commission, however, has passed on the buck to citizens saying it was the responsibility of the voters to ensure that their names were present in the voters’ list. The forum has questioned the process of data gathering by the Election Commission. The citzens’ body also alleged that Commission officials did not verify the names in the list. Gerson D’Cunha, ad man turned civic activist, felt that the Election Commission could have carried out a paid advertisements to educate people on the need to check their names in the electoral lists. “The fact is people did not know what to do till polling day,” D’Cunha said. Officials of the Maharashtra Election Commission refused to comment on the matter. |
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NTR’s ashes immersed — a vow fulfilled
Srirangapatna (Mysore), May 16 “I feel relieved and satisfied,” Parvathi told PTI as she immersed the ashes of NTR, eight years after his death. She said she had vowed in front of NTR’s samadhi in 1996 that she would not rest contended till Naidu, who overthrew the TDP founder and took over party reins to later become Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, was voted out of power. “With Naidu’s humiliating defeat in the recent elections, my vow has been fulfilled”, Parvathi said. Unable to bear the rout of the TDP a 70-yeal-old supporter today committed suicide. Palnati Raja Rao, hailing from Srinivasapuram near Jangareddy Gudem of West Godavari district, had set out for Rajahmundry on May 14 telling his family that he was going to Kovvur. However, when he did not return home, one of his family members Palnati Prabhakar Rao came here in search of him and found his body near Kumari Talkies Godavari bundh. After registering a case, the police handed over the body to the family members. This is the second such case reported so far. Earlier on May 13, a 38-year-old mason V. Nagaraj committed suicide, unable to bear the TDP’s defeat by jumping into the river Godavari from a road-cum-rail bridge. —
Agencies |
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Jaya dismisses demand for resignation
Chennai, May 16 “The demand is atrocious and slanderous,” she said in a statement here. The DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance yesterday demanded her resignation, alleging that she had disenfranchised select groups in a “planned manner” with the connivance of revenue officials in order “to win at any cost”. Turning the tables on the Opposition parties on the issue, she charged the DMK with adding a large number of bogus voters in the rolls. “It is true that there were deletions from the electoral rolls. We were affected by the deletions as a majority of those omitted were our supporters. The DMK had included a large number of bogus voters in the rolls,” she alleged. She said the preparation of the rolls was the sole responsibility of the Election Commission, which was autonomous, and did not come under the control of the state government. “Is DMK President M. Karunanidhi, who has been in politics for years and a former Chief Minister himself, not aware of this?” she asked. The state government was not responsible for the deletions and demanding its resignation for it was the “funniest thing”, Jayalalithaa said. —
PTI |
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SC for customary laws New Delhi, May 16 “The dispute of village community, particularly relating to access to land having water source is not a traditional civil litigation as is handled by ordinary civil courts under the CPP,” a bench of Mr Justice Shivaraj V Patil and Mr Justice D.M. Dharmadhikari ruled. The court said though the state was the sovereign dominant owner of natural resources like land and water, but in a case like this where the two village communities represented by two different clans had been using them, they would have a “joint and equal right” to the sources to their satisfaction as per mutual agreement under customary laws. “These are disputes to be dealt with and handled only on the basis of customs of the village communities and through a very informal procedure contained in the rules,” it said. The dispute arose between Sai clan of Longkhum village and Pongen clan of Mangmetong village in Mokokchang district of Nagaland over the access to the source of water and the ownership of two acres on which it exists. The court directed that none of the members of the two clans “shall restrict access to anyone of the two village communities to the common water source.” Though the dispute between them dates back to 1942 when the authorities had demarcated the disputed land and raised pillars to indicate its boundaries, the litigation was initiated in 1985 by the Sai clan when the opponent had removed the pillars. The case reached the Supreme Court in an appeal after the Guwahati High Court had passed an order under the CPC in favour of the Sai clan. But the apex court said the High Court had overlooked the customary laws of hill districts of Nagaland while deciding the case and there was flaws in its order. “Neither the CPC nor the Evidence Act is applicable in adjudicating the dispute of people living in the hill districts. Akin to their traditional fora a village Dobhasis Court and district village courts have been constituted to decide such dispute on the basis of customs of the villages and the procedure indicates is not at all formal,” it said. “Villagers in disputes arising between them concerning exercise of community rights to natural resources like land and water can never feel satisfied by a mere formal decision of such disptue in favour of one party or the other,” the court said, while allowing both clans to use the water source. |
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Top Naxalite leader held in Orissa
Malkangiri, Orissa, May 16 Dara alias Sontosh, the “area commander” of Kalimela Dalam of the People’s War(PW), has been operating in Malkangiri district since the past six years and was allegedly involved in several Naxalite attacks. The Naxalite leader, the police said, was also involved in the killing of policemen in Maliguda in 2002 and Gompagunda bomb blast, which killed 10 policemen in 2003 in the district. He had also masterminded the Naxalite attack in Koraput town on February 6 last and been instrumental in laying landmines near Kolab Nagar killing six CRPF jawans. Police said Sontosh was a resident of Jilen guda village near Kalimela and had been serving in capacities in the PW in Malkangiri district. He had undergone PW training in Mining Peta in Andhra Pradesh and was given a special charge as “area commander” of Malkangiri to cause poll disturbance. The Naxalite leader was caught near MV 79 village by the police, Malkangiri Supreintendent of Police P S. Debdutta Singh said. The district police claimed that it was a major success for police in Malkangiri to nab Sontosh. The police had received several vital clues during interrogation. Sontosh had confessed that about 100 Naxalites, including 15 lady cadres of the PW, had participated in raiding several police stations and district armoury. —
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Accord to rehabilitate Bru refugees in June
New Delhi, May 16 Mizoram Home Minister Tawnluia told UNI that the venue and date for the 12th and concluding round of talks between the state government and the BNLF earlier scheduled to be held from April 29, would now be decided after the completion of the entire election process and formation of the Central government. Following these talks an agreement between the two sides would be inked enabling the BNLF cadres to rejoin mainstream and return of Bru refugees from the six camps of Tripura after seven years, Mr Tawnluia said. ‘’Although polling in Mizoram was held on April 20, it would have been futile to hold talks and sign any agreement ahead of the completion of the electoral process,’’ the Home Minister said. —
UNI |
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HC order forces 20,000 mines in Rajasthan to suspend work
Jaipur, May 16 “It would be a temporary closure as the miners would be allowed to get EC certificate from the state pollution control board on the guidelines of the union environment ministry,” the sources told PTI here. It its order of March 2003, January and April of 2004, the High Court had expressed its serious concern on the violation of the “eco-friendly mining plan’ and directed the Rajasthan Government to make the environmental clearance mandatory for every mine, the sources said quoting the court’s order. Taking a stern action, the state Mines Department yesterday ordered the miners to close down operations beginning tomorrow, if they did not have EC, they said. —
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Fan gives freebies on Madhuri’s birthday
Jamshedpur, May 16 Papu Sardar, as he is popularly known in the area, has been observing the birthday of the star with much fanfare every year by immersing in philanthropic work. Owner of a snack shop here, Mr Papu Singh, provided four water coolers to the physically challenged children at Cheshire Home on the outskirts of the city and also distributed food packets and fruits to the old persons at an old-age home to mark the 37th birthday of Madhuri Dixit yesterday. Like every year, Pappu also distributed snacks and
ice-cream at a concessional rate along with free pouches of cosmetics of a particular brand of which Madhuri is a brand ambassador. A large number of people queued up at Pappu’s shop and celebrated the day with Mr Singh, who decorated his shop with lifesize cutouts and photographs of
Madhuri. |
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‘Main Hoon Na’ sweeps USA, UK
New Delhi, May 16 The film, which opened to excellent collections all over India after its release on April 30, seems to have taken the UK box office by storm. The film collected a whopping £ 322,290 (nearly 2 crore) in its opening weekend from just 41 cinema, occupying the seventh place in the top 15 charts and, more importantly, netting the highest per screen average of £ 7,860 (Rs 4.51 Lakh), ahead of such Hollywood films like “Kill Bill: Vol. 2” (which topped the charts but netted a per-screen average of £ (3,560), “50 First
Dates” (which was fourth on the rankings but had a poor per-screen average of £ 1,534) and “Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed”(per-screen average of £ 1,166). “Main Hoon Na” also had an excellent start in the USA, where it grossed $ 7,04,651 (Rs 3.12 crore) in its opening weekend from just 79 theatres, giving it a high per screen average of $ 8932.30 (Rs 4 Lakh). In term of gross rankings in its opening weekend, the film was at number 20 on the US box office charts. —
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Thiruvananthapuram, May 16 A staunch Leftist, he was associated with the Kerala Socialist Party and the Revolutionary Socialist Party and participated in the
movement against the repressive ‘Diwan rule’ in erstwhile royal state of Travanocre.—PTI |
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New Delhi, May 16
In video (
