Wednesday, January 25, 2006, Chandigarh, India
Updated at 3:00 am (IST)

SC indicts Buta, Centre  Bihar Assembly dissolution New Delhi, January 24 The Union Government and Bihar Governor Buta Singh today came in for severe indictment of the Supreme Court for “undue haste” in dissolving the State Assembly in May last year after election even without administering the oath to elected legislators and foisting yet another poll on the economically backward state, saying the constitutional provisions were thrown to the winds in the process.

Bihar Governor Buta Singh comes out of Bihar Nivas in New Delhi on Tuesday. — PTI photo Editorial: Go home, Buta

Judgement must be accepted, says PM
New Delhi, January 24
Even though Prime Minister Manmohan Singh affirmed that whatever the Supreme Court has observed on Bihar must be accepted by the country, precariously placed Bihar Governor Buta Singh ruled out his resignation in the wake of the apex court’s indictment of his role in the dissolution of the state Assembly last year.

Left, BJP want Buta to step down
New Delhi, January 24
Within minutes of the Supreme Court verdict on the Bihar’s Assembly dissolution, the Left and the BJP converged on the demand of the resignation of the Governor, Mr Buta Singh, bringing the UPA coalition under pressure.

Fernandes, Advani to meet Kalam today

Rehri owner sets himself on fire in Patiala

Patiala, January 24 Mr Gopal Krishan Kashyap, president, Rajiv Gandhi Prontha Rehri Market, Patiala, and a senior Congress worker, is struggling for life at the local Rajindra Hospital after he set himself on fire near the bus stand today in the presence of a heavy police force to lodge his protest against the denial of allotment of iron sheds to uprooted rehri pullers by the MC authorities. Gopal Kashyap, president of the Rajiv Gandhi Prontha Market Union, Patiala, attempts self immolation near the railway station in Patiala on Tuesday. — Photo by Rajesh Sachar

HC not to negotiate with striking lawyers
New Delhi, January 24
The Delhi High Court administration has not initiated any move to negotiate with the striking Tis Hazari lawyers and stated that reports to this effect being fed to the media by agitating advocates had no truth as the “stalemate” was still continuing.

Arrest warrant against Mukesh Ambani
Raipur, January 24
A court here has issued a non-bailable arrest warrant against Reliance Industries Ltd Chairman Mukesh Ambani and a company employee in a case of forgery related to a Reliance mobile holder’s complaint of being charged excess billing.

Interest on home loans may go up
New Delhi, January 24 
The RBI’s decision to raise key short-term interest rate by 25 basis points to 5.50 pc could trigger hike in loan rates, including housing loan rates. The hike comes at a time when the country is experiencing a boom in construction activity especially in the housing sector. Amidst concerns that this could have negative impact on this booming sector, Finance Minister P Chidambaram said if external situations improved, the hike in repo rates by the RBI could be reversed.(Details on Business page)

‘Punj-Aab’ rolls into Lahore Lahore, January 24 ding on the wave of new found interest and enthusiasm which now fills the air on both sides of the Indo-Pak border, “Punj-Aab” bus today rolled into the Gulberg terminus in Pakistan with a galaxy of VIPs aboard the bus. In video (28k, 56k) Pakistani dancers welcome a bus crossing into Pakistan at Wagah near Lahore on Tuesday. — Reuters photo