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Left insists House will decide on profit Bill
SC again refuses to stay quota policy
Govt will protect minorities: Arjun
RSS asks cadres to be calm
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AP bans ‘The Da Vinci Code’
Bhatt files plea for ‘Fanaa’
IAF plane makes emergency landing
Left insists House will decide on profit Bill
New Delhi, June 1 |
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Even though the Left has maintained that it is for country’s highest legislative body to decide on the matter and that the Election Commission should not precipitate matters any further, it has once again suggested that the complexities connected with the Bill should be referred to a special parliamentary committee of senior MPs cutting across party lines. There is consternation in both camps that if the Election Commission is going ahead with examining the complaints against Members of Parliament allegedly holding office of profit, the prospect of some more disqualification of MPs cannot be ruled out. Though all sides are putting up a brave front, the BJP believes it is on firm ground in insisting that the commission cannot drag its feet in deciding the complaints of 40 MPs holding office of profit. These petitions have been forwarded to the Election Commission by Rashtrapati Bhavan. The BJP-led NDA had met the Election Commission in this regard yesterday, sharpening their attack against Congress president Sonia Gandhi. The bottom line was that the commission could not adopt double standards in the wake of the retrospective disqualification of Jaya Bachchan. Election Commission officials are categoric that they are examining these complaints and not indulging in delaying tactics. The process in some cases required a direct interface with the complainant, sources in the EC explained. Just as the Congress is delicately placed with Ms Gandhi once again in the eye of a storm pertaining to disqualification, the Left also has its back to the wall as there are complaints against nearly 12 of its MPs, including Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee for allegedly holding office of profit. Mr A.B. Bardhan of the CPI dismissed President Kalam’s concerns on the issue of uniformity in the legislation, contending that the states had their own definition and list of office of profit. This is also the stand of the Manmohan Singh government. CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat, however, side-stepped the question of whether the Left wanted Parliament to pass the Bill in its current form when it comes up in the monsoon session of Parliament or after considering the amendments suggested by the President. Mr Karat observed the Left was not in favour of advancing the monsoon session of Parliament to specifically deal with the Bill. If after such reconsideration and without any amendment the Parliament sends the Office of Profit Bill back to the President, Mr Kalam will have to give his assent. The Prime Minister has already articulated the Centre’s stand on the concerns raised by Mr Kalam. Therefore, even as the government feels at this juncture that there is no need for it to come foward with amendments to the Bill, the Left is yet to firm up its position. At the same time the Left wants wants a wider discussion by seasoned parliamentarians on the provisions of the Bill, leaving no ambiguity on the definition of office of profit.
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SC again refuses to stay quota policy
New Delhi, June 1 The apex court on whose direction the doctors spearheading the agitation on the issue ended their strike today, clarified that if the stay was granted without knowing the stand of the government, it would amount to virtually allowing the petitions without hearing. A vacation Bench of Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat and Mr Justice C K Thakker, which appreciated the decision of doctors to call of their agitation, told senior advocate L.M. Lahoti, appearing for a section of medicos and students that the court had sought a pointed clarification on the issue in its order of May 29, while admitting two PILs. Lahoti made a fresh plea for interim stay on the government decision today soon after the Union Government counsel placed status report before the Court on the strike situation, explaining that the agitation had been called off as per its yesterday’s directions. The Court said if the interim stay was granted, then the questioned posed by it to the government for reply, would in a way be rendered redundant. While admitting the PILs of advocate Ashok Thakur and social activist Shiv Khera, the Court had framed three questions to be answered by the government in its affidavit to be filed in eight weeks. In the questions considered to be “core and vital” to the entire issue of OBC reservation, the apex court had asked as to what was the basis of fixation of reservation norms for OBC, what was the rationale for determining who is OBC and what are the modalities to implement the reservation policy and basis for deciding such modalities. The Court had also said that it would examine the issue of “serious political and social ramification” of the policy and whether it tended to divide the country on “caste lines” later during detailed hearing of the matter. Apart from challenging the 27 per cent reservation for OBCs in institutions of specialised education like AIIMS, IITs and IIMs, one of the petition had also challenged the validity of 93 Constitution amendment enabling the Centre and state governments to frame laws for providing reservation to OBCs. The main ground to challenge it was that there was no official data available about the OBC population in the country after 1931 census done by the British Government on caste lines.
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Govt will protect minorities: Arjun
New Delhi, June 1 The minister, who is currently in Saudi Arabia, was speaking at a reception by the Aligarh Muslim Old Boys’ Association in Riyadh. He said the government would ensure that the minorities get what was legitimately due to them. The minister has said that the minority character of the Aligarh Muslim University would be protected beyond any doubt. Pointing out that minority education would continue to receive high priority from the government, Mr Singh also announced on the occasion that an examination centre for AIEEE would be opened in Saudi Arabia in the next academic year 2007.
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RSS asks cadres to be calm
New Delhi, June 1 Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who is in Manali, also condemned the terrorist bid. He has also appealed to everyone to remain alert. “It is heartening that the police has been successful in thwarting the designs of the terrorists. The attempt highlights the need for all our activists to be more alert and cautious,” a statement issued by the RSS said. “The government should frame appropriate law and take all necessary steps to crush terrorism and in this endeavour all political parties and the people should support it,” it said. It also appealed to its cadre to remain vigilant, but not panic, remain calm and supplement the efforts of the government to crush terrorism. Condemning the attempt on the RSS headquarters, Leader of Opposition L.K. Advani cautioned the government against any “soft” approach towards terrorism. The senior BJP leader also criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his remarks in Srinagar about “zero tolerance” towards human rights violations, saying that the phrase should have instead been used against anti-national forces. He also emphasised the need for greater intelligence on ISI modules in the country. He flayed the ruling UPA for the repeal of POTA and Siachen demilitarisation talks, saying that such moves reflected a soft approach toward terrorism. “Such measures send out a message of soft policy on terrorism,” Mr Advani, who cited the recent attacks on tourists in Jammu and Kashmir, said. BJP president Rajnath Singh held the Centre’s policies responsible for the “increasing” incidents of terrorism.
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AP bans ‘The Da Vinci Code’
Hyderabad, June 1 The film was to be released in several theatres in the city from tomorrow. The ban comes in the wake a few Christian organisations in the city protesting against the film for allegedly portraying Christ’s life in a bad light. The order said the government had received representations from various minority organisations in general and Christian organisations to impose a ban on the
film.
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Bhatt files plea for ‘Fanaa’
New Delhi, June 1 Bhatt along with the Jan Sangharsh Manch, a social organisation, made a special mention about the filing of the petition before a vacation Bench of Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat and Mr Justice C.K. Thakker through their counsel Colin Gonsalves. They sought a direction to the Director-General of Police, Gujarat, for providing adequate security to cinemas in the state to enable them to exhibit the film. The court directed the petitioners’ counsel to file a complete memo of parties they wish to name as respondents in the petition and it would be taken up for hearing only after this formality was completed. The court, however, declined to fix any date.
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IAF plane makes emergency landing
New Delhi, June 1 The IL-76 aircraft developed an undercarriage problem but landed safely at 1.30 pm. All emergency procedures were activated as per the drill, the spokesperson added.
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