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Cong aligns with BJP on Narmada, calls for Gujarat bandh
Jaish behind Kashmir blasts, says Home Secy
Dogra moves CAT
against Saran
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PIL seeks removal of Chawla
EC wants Chennai Police Commissioner to go
Ayodhya demolition case posted
to April 29
Probe against IPS officer for sexual abuse
Ghani Khan Chowdhury laid to rest
Dewani murder: Salem chargesheeted
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Cong aligns with BJP on Narmada, calls for Gujarat bandh
Ahmedabad, April 15 “Since 1961, all political parties in Gujarat has spoken in one voice regarding the Narmada dam which is directly linked to the progress of the state and is the life-line of Gujarat,” senior GPCC leader Hasmukh Patel told reporters. “Therefore we appeal to the Union Government to let the work on the dam continue and not stall it (of raising the dam’s height to 121.92 metres),” he said here. “Protesting against the stand taken by some elements who do not want to see the state prosper, we, in support of the wishes of people of the state, have decided to observe ‘Gujarat bandh’ tomorrow,” Mr Patel said. He said different sections of the society in Gujarat, including the BJP, NGOs, business fraternity were “united” and had “one voice” on the issue of Narmada dam. “Through this bandh we want to tell our leadership (in Delhi) that the people of Gujarat feel deeply for the Narmada Dam project,” Mr Patel said and asked the people to maintain peace and calm tomorrow. Mr Patel, however, stopped short of declaring an open support for Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who will undertake a 51-hour long fast at Sabarmati Ashram tomorrow after the Narmada Control Authority’s review meeting turned out to be inconclusive. “We will decide on the matter (to support Modi) after consultations with our leadership in Gujarat,” Mr Patel said. “Top Congress leaders, including GPCC president Bharat Solanki, Leader of the Opposition in the Gujarat Assembly Arjun Modhvadiya and Congress MPs from the state will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tomorrow and appraise him before he takes a final decision on the dam,” he added. Mr Patel, however, could not give a conclusive answer as to why Union Water Resource Minister Saifuddin Soz had recommended the work on the dam to be stopped inspite of the Gujarat Congress regularly updating the Centre on the issue. “The meeting of the Narmada Control Authority has been inconclusive and it is for the Prime Minister to take a final decision on the matter,” Mr Patel remarked. The leaders of both the Gujarat Congress and the BJP, including Chief Minister Narendra Modi, had on April 10, staged a demonstration at the Sabarmati Ashram here against the social activist Medha Patkar-led Narmada Bachao Andolan which is opposing the raising of height of the dam. The leader of the Opposition Arjun Modhvadiya on several occasions have spoken in the recently-concluded session of the Gujarat Assembly, supporting the stand of the BJP on the issue of the dam being built on the river Narmada in the district of Narmada in South Gujarat. Two days ago, a pro-dam NGO, Narmada Abiyan, which has the support of the business community in the city, had claimed that the NCA Review Meeting (which proved inconclusive today) was just an “eye-wash” and had threatened to stage an agitation in entire western region if the work on the dam is stalled.
— PTI |
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NBA office ransacked
Vadodara, April 15 |
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Protests against Aamir
Ahmedabad, April 15 |
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Jaish behind Kashmir blasts, says Home Secy
New Delhi, April 15 A decision to this effect was taken by the Home Secretary following a high-level meeting here to review the security situation in the country, sources said. The meeting was held in the wake of grenade attacks in Srinagar and twin blasts in the historic Jama Masjid in Delhi yesterday, they added. Emerging out of the meeting this morning, Mr Duggal said Pakistan-based terrorist outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) was responsible for the seven grenade attacks in the Kashmir valley yesterday and nine persons had been taken into custody in the state in connection with the explosions. Asked about the situation in Delhi, he said, "The situation has been assessed and it is absolutely normal." The hour-long meeting at North Block was also attended by Special Secretary (Internal Security) in the Home Ministry G.S. Rajgopal, Delhi Police Commissioner K.K. Paul, Director-General of Military Operations Madan Gopal, and senior officials from the Home and Defence Ministries. The Home Ministry had sent advisories to all states last night asking them to be on a high alert and foil any attempt to disturb peace. On the blasts in Srinagar yesterday, a senior Home Ministry official said, "The terrorist groups apparently wanted to give a message that they are active and can launch bomb attacks." These blasts came ahead of the preparations being made for the Amarnath Yatra, which is expected to start by the June-end. Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil later reviewed the security situation in Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country with the Home Secretary and other top officials of his ministry. |
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Dogra moves CAT
against Saran
New Delhi, April 15 Mr Dogra, a Secretary-rank IFS officer, has been recalled after the Foreign Office here found his work unsatisfactory and following complaints from the local Indian community. He responded with an attack on Mr Saran in unusually sharp and far from diplomatic language in an eight-page letter that found its way to newspapers in New Zealand. Mr Dogra asked the head of the diplomatic service to prove the charges against him or resign. Mr Dogra has now informed Mr Saran in a letter that he has handed over the charge to the Deputy Chief of Mission following an ultimatum to him to do so. But Mr Dogra has refused to return home and decided to go on leave till Mr Saran’s tenure ends. He has sought time to vacate his official residence and come back to New Delhi. Appearance of Mr Dogra’s letter in New Zealand’s newspapers had angered the External Affairs Ministry, which threatened to take disciplinary action against him. Mr Dogra has also approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) here challenging the recall order. Contending that he was an upright officer who had done no wrong, he has alleged that the decision to recall him was taken in an “arbitrary manner” and no reasons had been cited for the action. Deciding “not to take lying down”, Mr Dogra has challenged the Foreign Secretary to prove the charge of “financial impropriety” levelled against him, as had appeared in media. The envoy has written letters to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi also to allege that he had been wronged and highlight that his “human rights have been trampled”. Mr Dogra’s wife has also surrendered her official passport, saying it was an “insult” to have one when her husband was being “humiliated” and “ill-treated”. He caused immense embarrassment to the government when he refused to obey the command and instead demanded Mr Saran’s resignation. |
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PIL seeks removal of Chawla as EC
New Delhi, April 15 A public interest litigation (PIL) by the JPCOP Chairman, Mr Chandra Bhushan Singh, also raised the issue of "office of profit" in the PIL filed in the Supreme Court registry. He accused Chawla of having close relations with the Congress and its leaders, which was evident from five of its MPs — A.A. Khan,
R.P. Goenka, Ambika Soni, Dr Karan Singh and A R Kidwai— contributing a total of Rs 85 lakh from the MPLAD schemes to the two trust of his family and said he could not be allowed to hold the constitutional post of the EC.a The petitioner also alleged that Chawla, had been "indicted" by the Justice Shah Commission, which had probed the excesses during the 1975 Emergency, imposed by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, for his role as a public servant while holding important positions in Delhi during the relevant period. |
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EC wants Chennai Police Commissioner to go
New Delhi, April 15 This is the second time the EC is seeking the transfer of Mr Nataraj following his remark that Tamil Nadu Chief Minister was an ''ideal woman'' to which the DMK and its Union Minister for Environment and Forests A. Raja had taken exception. The commission had asked the state government to remove the police official early last month, but the Madras High Court ruled that the EC's order was ''not binding'' before the issue of notification for the May 8 Assembly election. The EC has since challenged the Madras High Court verdict in the Supreme Court. |
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Ayodhya demolition case posted
to April 29
Rae Bareli, April 15 The eight accused in the case include former deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani, former Union Minister Murli Manohar Joshi, former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti, BJP general secretary Vinay Katiyar, VHP president Ashok Singhal and senior Parishad leaders Vishnu Hari Dalmia, Acharya Giriraj Kishore and Sadhvi Ritambhara. Earlier, defence counsels, Mridul Rakesh, L B Singh and Anurag Ahloowalia, submitted an application on behalf of the eight accused before the court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate V K Singh. The application questioned and inter alia challenged the locus standi vis-a-vis the competance of the CBI to conduct prosecution and thereby prosecute the accused, and also examine the prosecution witnesses against them. The court fixed April 29 for filing of objections by the CBI counsel. UNI |
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Probe against IPS officer for sexual abuse
Patna, April 15 The 1994 batch IPS officer, Amitabh Kumar Das, against whom the inquiry was on, was at present posted as commandant of the Bihar Military Police battalion at Jamui. Das has been charged by a daughter of another IPS officer (former DIG), Shabnam, with sexually exploiting her for over eight years and then turning down her plea for marriage. She wrote two letters to Chief Minister Kumar in January and March this year following which he ordered an inquiry by a woman IPS officer into the episode. IG(Hq) Anil Kumar Sinha said the allegations against Das were very serious in nature. |
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Ghani Khan Chowdhury laid to rest
Kolkata, April 15
Thousands of mourners lined up the roads as the mortal remains of the leader were drawn in the hearse bedecked with flowers passed through national highways from Farakka to Malda town in the afternoon. Earlier, the body, escorted by Union Information Minister Priya Ranjan DasMunshi andhis close relatives ,was flown to Farakka in an Army helicopter. A large number of Congress workers and leaders of other political parties gathered at Chowdhury’s residence and the Kotwali burial ground to pay their respects to the leader. Some poor women and elderly persons cried when the late leader’s body was shifted from the hearse and put inside the coffin .Some of them even fainted. |
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Dewani murder: Salem chargesheeted
Mumbai, April 15 The chargesheet was filed in a special court set up under Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) nearly three months after Salem’s arrest. A copy of the chargesheet was handed over to Salem and Shah Alam. Salem had earlier confessed to his role in the murder but later retracted his confessional statement saying it was taken under duress.
— PTI |
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A costly kiss
Akola, April 15 Later, the matter was brought before the village panchayat, which found the youth guilty of committing a crime and asked him to pay Rs 16,000 as penalty to the girl, village sources said. —
UNI |
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Dawood’s woman aide held
Hyderabad, April 15 |
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Arun Gawli booked
Mumbai, April 15 |
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Surve’s remand extended
New Delhi, April 15 |
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