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AP House adjourned over Telangana row
Cabinet approves salary hike of MPs
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Punjab MPs meet PM to seek sops for industry
Elders concerned over farmers’ suicides
Sikhs go on rampage in Jaipur
Protests against cutting of hair
Mumbai blasts suspects travelled from Lucknow
Govt extends ceasefire with ULFA to facilitate talks
Notice against Jaswant
rejected
SC seeks stand of Centre on gas victims’ plea
SC refers BSP split in UP to Bench
SC gives relief to Dilip Kumar
HC reprieve for Hooda
BJP mulls case against Arjun
Rao begins indefinite fast
Reddy releases CD on ‘evidence’ against CM
Rajasthan Cong approves Jagat’s suspension
Poet Panicker dead
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AP House adjourned over Telangana row
Hyderabad, August 23 TRS legislators stalled the proceedings of the state Assembly several times, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House for the day. The TRS members had given adjournment notice for discussing the Telangana issue and for adopting a resolution in the Assembly favouring a separate Telangana state. Speaker Suresh Reddy disallowed the notice, prompting the agitated members to storm into the well of the House holding placards accusing the Congress of betraying the people of the region. As disruptions continued even after three adjournments, Reddy declared the House adjourned for the day. In a related development, the Chief Minister made it clear that the Congress never went back on its promise on Telangana. He produced a purported agreement reached between the Congress and the TRS before the 2004 poll, which clearly said a second States Reorganisation Commission would go into the merits of the formation of Telangana state. ‘‘While respecting the views of the First States Reorganisation Commission, the Congress notes that there are many valid reasons for the formation of Vidarbha and Telangana states. However, the reorganisation of existing states raises a large number of issues. The party feels that the whole matter could be best addressed by another SRC,’’the agreement said. The Chief Minister, who was flanked by a host of ministers from Telangana, told reporters at the Assembly Committee Hall that the Congress was the first to recognise that there was a demand for Telangana, and the party MLAs from Telangana were the first to articulate this demand. He said he was personally neither for a separate state nor against it.‘‘We have left the decision to Ms Sonia Gandhi, and she will take a decision at an appropriate time.’’ Reddy, however, claimed that his government had been taking keen interest in the development of the Telangana region.
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Cabinet approves salary hike of MPs
New Delhi, August 23 The Salary, Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament (Amendment) Bill, 2006, was passed by a voice vote with Left parties opposing its passage, demanding formation of an independent committee to decide on the matter instead of it being done by the members themselves. “We are lawmakers and should not make laws that give us additional financial benefit, especially because there is serious economic distress and large employment,” CPI’s Gurudas Dasgupta said, adding, “MPs should not take up the responsibility of increasing their own salaries”. This was supported by CPM’s Basudeb Acharya, who termed the Bill and its timing as an “embarrassment” and also demanded that MPs should not have any say in fixing their own salaries. However, support for the Bill flowed in from all other parties, including the Samajwadi Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal, Trinamool Congress, Bahujan Samaj Party, JD (U) and the Shiromani Akali Dal. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi was one with many members who said the media had created hype about the hike and had not gone into the hard conditions in which many MPs lived. “The media finds any item of the legislators as juicy. As a Minister for Information and Broadcasting, I do not dispute the right of the media to project what they deem fit. But I would urge them to go into the harsh realities and penury in which many legislators live,” Mr Dasmunsi said. The minister cited several instances in this regard. For instance, he said he had himself seen an ex-MLA selling biscuits at a bus stand. Among other benefits, the Bill - prepared after taking into account the recommendations of the Joint Committee on Salaries and Allowances - proposes to hike the salary of MPs to Rs 16,000 from Rs 12,000, daily allowance to Rs 1,000 from Rs 500, air travel passes to 34 from 32 in a year, apart from increasing the pension to Rs 8,000 from the present Rs 3,000.
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Punjab MPs meet PM to seek sops for industry
New Delhi, August 23 The MPs from the Congress, SAD and the BJP also urged the Prime Minister to increase the minimum support price of paddy and take steps for the completion of Bathinda refinery. Mr Ashwani Kumar, who was asked by the Prime Minister to consult the Punjab Government to suggest schemes and proposals for the state, said the first report on the proposals would be submitted to Dr Singh by September 8. He said he had already written to Chief Minister Amarinder Singh in this regard and had asked his officers to get in touch with the government officials. The Prime Minister told the delegation that the border districts of Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Gurdaspur and Ferozepur required special attention in terms of the fiscal and industrial infrastructure. He said schemes such as Border Areas Development Programme should be strengthened. Dr Singh assured the delegation that the Centre was fully committed to the industrial development of Punjab and protecting the interests of farmers. He indicated that steps would be taken to provide relief to
The Prime Minister said Punjab was poised for growth in areas such as information technology. On Bathinda refinery, he asked Mr Kumar to apprise him of its latest status so that appropriate steps could be taken. Dr Singh is expected to visit the state later next month to lay the foundation stone of the Indian Institute of Science in SAS Nagar. Those who met Dr Singh included Ms Preneet Kaur and Dr M.S. Gill (Congress), Mr S.S. Dhindsa, Mr S.S. Libra, Mr Rattan Singh Ajnala (SAD) and Mr Avinesh Rai Khanna (BJP).
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Elders concerned over farmers’ suicides New Delhi, August 23 Initiating the short duration discussion on the suicide by the farmers in various parts of the country and the demand to increase the MSP, Congress MP M.S. Gill said: “The country is dependent on farmers as more than 65 per cent of its population is in villages.” Noting that the country has to take them along to achieve the goals of agrarian progress, he expressed concern over reports farmer suicides being reported from many states, including Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. “When the farmers of Punjab are committing suicide, then what to talk of other states,” he said. He said a majority of farmers were having only small holdings of up to two acres and their income was meagre. “There are no riches in rural areas whereas the number of billionaires is increasing in the country,” he said, demanding that the MSP for next wheat crop should be announced in advance so that farmer could decide which crop to produce. Mr Rajnath Singh (BJP) also reiterated that maximum population of the country is engaged in agriculture sector and their condition is worsening day by day, leaving them with no other alternative but to suicide. “Other sectors can wait but this sector needs immediate succour otherwise the situation worsen further,” he said. Criticising the government’s decision in March this year to import wheat from USA and Australia, he said the imported wheat would be costing between Rs 9 and Rs 10 per kg but the domestic farmers were only being paid in the range of Rs 6.50 to Rs 7 per kg. Even after the bonus of Rs 50 per quintal, announced this year, the difference between imported and domestic wheat remained at Rs 2.50 per kg. Mr Rajnath Singh said the price of diesel had been increased seven times in the past few years. “Farmers have been bearing the brunt of these increases frequently. Natural calamities also play their role in destroying the crops,” he noted, charging the government with not being “sympathetic” towards farmers and termed most of its policies “faulty.” He said 10 big multinational companies were selling seeds in the country, including Monsanto’s Bt cotton, at exorbitant high prices of Rs 1,600 for 450 grams with a royalty of Rs 1,200 per packet. The BJP leader urged the government to look into the farmers’ problems in all respects and dissuade them from the extreme step. Mr Janeswar Mishra (SP) demanded that peasants be given right price for their produce by increasing the MSP.
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Sikhs go on rampage in Jaipur
Jaipur, August 23 The driver and guard of the Additional Superintendent of Police, Mr Sanjay Shrotiya, who was monitoring the protests, were injured in the stone pelting. The windscreen of his vehicle was damaged, the police said. Protesters carrying swords demanded the arrest of the six accused and went on the rampage, ransacking the Gandhinagar Police Station, where the case was registered. They damaged some hand-drawn carts and forced traders to shut their shops, they said. Mr Shrotiya, the investigating officer for the case, said Station House Officer Ramdeo Singh and Sub-Inspector Rajkumar of Gandhinagar police station were withdrawn from active duty and sent to the police lines for negligence in dealing with the case. “We are leaving no stone unturned to arrest the miscreants who abducted the Sikh boy, Indrapreet Singh, and beat him and trimmed his hair before releasing him on Monday,” he said. Mr Shrotiya denied allegations about the police intimidating Indrapreet Singh’s family over the filing of the case, and said this was had arisen from some “misunderstanding.” A large police contingent was deployed at Raja Park, where Sikh leaders organised a rally that cricketer-turned-MP Navjot Singh Sidhu and SGPC head Avtar Singh Makkar were expected to attend.
— PTI
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Protests against cutting of hair
New Delhi, August 23 “This act manifests in the anti-minority atmosphere in BJP-led Rajasthan. Similar atrocities have been committed against Muslims and Christians in the state in the past”, AICC Minority Affairs Department chairman Imran-ur-Rehman said. He said all countrymen understood the sanctity of keeping of hair by the Sikh community. Akali Dal Panthic chief Manjit Singh led a protest march and demanded punishment to the culprits. Akali activists took out a march, raised slogans and burnt an effigy of the Rajasthan Government. The Shiromani Akali Dal threatened an agitation if the culprits were not nabbed immediately. “The culprits should be nabbed immediately and stern action taken against them”, party leader Onkar Singh Thapar said. The Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee deputed a 25-member team for a spot study of the incident and meet officials in Jaipur to press for speedy action in the case.
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Mumbai blasts suspects travelled from Lucknow
Lucknow, August 23 According to GRP Lucknow SP Neera Rawat the letter received by the Charbagh Station Superintendent on Tuesday gave coach and berth numbers by which the alleged terrorists had travelled from Lucknow to Vadodara. Refusing to divulge more details, she said the information had been tallied with the railway charts of that date and it indeed confirmed that three persons had travelled to Vadodara on those three berths. According to GRP sources the four-line hand written letter in English had been posted from GPO Lucknow on August 19 and was received at the Rajendra Nagar post office on Tuesday. From the writing it did not appear that the writer was very educated. The letter had said three persons who had travelled in coach No S4 of Sabarmati Express berth number 33, 34 and 35 were involved in Mumbai blasts. After verification of the reservation chart it was found that Nafees (25), Babli (24) and Nimisha(22) had travelled on the berths mentioned in the letter. However, the information provided in the reservation slip has not been verified as yet. According to sources permission from the railway headquarters in Delhi had been sought to verify it. Vadodara police has also been informed about the development and furnished with all available details. Significantly, Lucknow has been in the eye of suspicion especially after the revelations that the two terrorists who had been recently arrested in Delhi had reportedly collected a consignment of RDX from Lucknow.
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Govt extends ceasefire with ULFA to facilitate talks
New Delhi, August 23 “As of now, we have decided to extend the suspension of the Army operations against ULFA for 15 days,” Union Home Secretary V.K. Duggal told newspersons after a meeting here with two key mediators - Assamese writer Indira Goswami and Rebati Phukan - negotiating on behalf of the group. The meeting was also attended by National Security Adviser M.K. Narayanan and Intelligence Bureau Director E.S.L. Narasimhan. “No incident has taken place in Assam during the past 10 days (since Army operations were stopped). But in case any violence takes place, this will be reviewed,” Mr Duggal said. The Centre had first suspended the operations against ULFA on August 13, and the group responded five days later by announcing the “cessation of hostilities”. Mr Duggal, however, said the Centre had sought a written commitment from ULFA on three points i.e. the group had to come for direct talks, parleys should be held on a particular date and the representatives for this dialogue. “We have also suggested that the top leadership of ULFA should come for talks to make the dialogue meaningful. We will take a view on the date of the direct talks when the mediators get back with the points (raised today),” Mr Duggal said. Asked about the possibility of releasing five jailed ULFA leaders to facilitate the talks as demanded by the group, Ms Goswami said, “The government has raised some points which ULFA has to clarify. Mr Rebati Phukan will convey the message to ULFA and get the points clarified”. Mr Phukan said, “There is every possibility that the five detainees will be released by the end of August”. Today’s meeting between the mediators and the government was the second within a week. On Friday, Ms Goswami and Mr Phukan had met Mr Narayanan and Mr Duggal and reviewed the progress made since June 22 meeting between the Centre and the ULFA-nominated People’s Consultative Group. Ms Goswami said she and Mr Phukan would meet the government representatives again soon to push the peace process.
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Notice against Jaswant
rejected
New Delhi, August 23 The Congress member along with other members had given a privilege notice against Mr Jaswant Singh for having placed on record on August 1 “a purportedly forged letter and thereby misleading the House over the issue”. The notice given by the members said the BJP leader had quoted a letter, which was claimed to be correspondence between Harry Barnes, a former US Ambassador to India, and US Senator Thomas W. Graham. But Barnes had reportedly denied having anything to do with that correspondence. The Rajya Sabha Chairman while giving his ruling said it clearly emerged that Mr Jaswant Singh quoted from the letter which he believed to be true and which he had also authenticated as true. “It cannot, therefore, be said that his statement in the House on August 1 was wrong or made deliberately to mislead the House. Accordingly, no breach of privilege arises from his statement...I do not consider it to be fit case to be raised as a matter of breach of privilege. I, therefore, withhold my consent,” the Chairman said. Mr Shekhawat said the basis of Mr Narayanasamy’s notice was merely a newspaper report and the comments offered by the Leader of Opposition clearly revealed that the newspaper report was not based on “substantial facts”.
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SC seeks stand of Centre on gas victims’ plea
New Delhi, August 23 The Bhopal Gas Peedit Mahila Sangathan in an application moved as part of its pending writ petition on compensation issue said the award of $470 million was on the assumption that the deaths due to the tragedy was nearly 3,000 and over a lakh persons were injured. But now the Madhya Pradesh Government has published a data on compensation claims which stated that over 15,000 persons had sought compensation for deaths and 5.5 lakh persons had claimed it for various types of injuries caused due to ill effects of the gas leaked in 1984. Since the figures of death as well as injured had now been projected five times more than that presumed earlier, the compensation needed to be enhanced five times, sangathan counsel Indira Jaisingh argued. Taking note of her arguments, a Bench of Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal, Mr Justice C.K. Thakker and Mr Justice P.K. Balasubramanyan gave four weeks’ time to the Union Government to file an affidavit making its stand clear. Union Government counsel W.A. Qadri submitted that out of over 15,000 death cases only 5,207 were found to be connected with the tragedy and, therefore, 10,700 were out of it were rejected by the settlement tribunal. Similarly, compensation had been paid to over one lakh persons for various kinds of injuries.
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SC refers BSP split in UP to Bench
New Delhi, August 23 A three-Judge Bench comprising Mr Justice K. G. Balakrishnan, Mr Justice P. P. Nalekar and Mr Justice D. K. Jain took the decision after it was argued on the part of the split group MLAs who had joined Chief Minister Mulayam Singh’s SP by senior advocate Harish Salve that there was no comprehensive decision by the apex court on the issue of split. Whether the split should be recognised as one-time event or a continuing process and whether the Speaker should take immediate note of a group splitting or should he wait for the process in a party to complete in the face of developing event, these questions were very important, but not appropriately decided by the apex court in earlier cases. The issue had come before the court earlier also in the BSP leader Mayawati’s case when a group of her party had split and extended support to BJP leader Kalyan Singh, but by the time the case entered in final stage of hearing, the tenure of the Assembly was over and the court did not give any finding on the issue as it had only remained of academic interest. In view of this, clear position of law needed to be laid down on this issue, Mr Salve said. BSP counsel S. C. Mishra opposed it, saying first the Speaker should be directed to decide the matter, as had been directed by the Allahabad High Court in its judgement pronounced in February this year. The high court had directed the Assembly Speaker to decide first the question of disqualification application against 13 BSP MLAs who had split first on December 4, 2003 and were later joined by 24 others. Since the group of 13 did not constitute one-third of the BSP legislature party, they would have been disqualified had the Speaker taken a decision in their case, Mr Mishra said. The Speaker had instead sat over the matter and decided the matter when the total strength of the breakaway group had risen to 37 to meet the one-third requirement.
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SC gives relief to Dilip Kumar
New Delhi, August 23 The 84-year-old Bollywood tragedy king moved the apex court for stay of the proceedings through his counsel Harish Salve, who made a special mention of filing of his petition. A Bench, headed by Mr Justice K. G.Balakrishnan while granting interim stay on the warrant, said it would not be enforced by the trial court. On the plea for granting exemption to the veteran actor from personal appearance in the trial court, the Bench told Mr Salve that he could move an appropriate application regarding this before the trial court. |
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HC reprieve for Hooda
New Delhi, August 23 The non-bailable warrant was issued by a city court initially on January 4, 2005, but after it could not be executed, the same was issued afresh on August 10. The Delhi Police had even filed a chargesheet against Mr Hooda, putting his name in column-2 of the accused persons not sent for trial. The Chief Minister, who claimed that he was not at all aware of the case, registered his presence in the court on August 18 consequent to the latest non-bailable warrant after reading about it in newspapers. He had subsequently moved a petition in the high court yesterday for quashing of the FIR, the city court’s order taking cognizance of it and the non-bailable warrant through his counsel and Haryana’s Additional Advocate-General Ajay Siwach. Taking cognizance of his petition, Mr Justice A.K. Sikri, today issued notice to the Delhi Police on his petition and directed it to file a reply why the case against him should not be quashed. The court while fixing next hearing for January 16, 2006, stayed the operation of the order for non-bailable warrant and also exempted him from personal appearance in the lower court. The relief was given to the Chief Minister after senior advocate Dinesh Mathur appeared on his behalf along with Mr Siwach contended that Mr Hooda was not at all aware of the case and the FIR of January 22, 2002, and the subsequent chargesheet against him was filed without his having any knowledge of the case.
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BJP mulls case against Arjun
New Delhi, August 23 “His (Arjun Singh’s) statement that there was no compulsion on anybody to sing the national song is a crime. He should be booked for insulting the national song. We are considering legal action against him,” BJP leader Vijay Kumar Malhotra told newspersons. However, he could not explain as to under what section the Minister could be charged with. The BJP has also accused Mr Arjun Singh of surrendering to anti-national forces for his remarks that schoolchildren would not be forced to sing Vande Mataram on September 7 to
The issue also figured at the BJP’s Parliamentary Party meeting chaired by former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Mr Malhotra said.
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Rao begins indefinite fast
New Delhi, August 23 TRS members also forced adjournment of the Lok Sabha during Question Hour demanding steps for formation of Telangana state. Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee appealed to Mr Rao to end his fast and assured to give him “full opportunity” to put forward his point of view in the House. Mr Chatterjee called upon all the members to join him in requesting Mr Rao to return to the House. Mr Rao, accompanied by scores of TRS activists from Telangana as well as Delhi, started his fast at Jantar Mantar here. Former Prime Minister V P Singh visited the striking TRS leader to express his solidarity. Mr V P Singh appealed to the UPA to reconsider the TRS demand for creation of a separate Telengana state. He also appealed to Mr Rao to reconsider his decision to go on fast, saying the TRS leader should look after his health as he had to keep up the fight for the Telangana cause. Charging the Congress with being opportunistic, Mr Rao said Congress leaders campaigned during the Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh wearing TRS colours, but once the party won two-thirds majority, it ignored its allies. Mr Mukherjee, who addressed a press conference today, rejected TRS allegation of “betrayal” on the Telangana issue and said the Congress had made all efforts to address the concerns of TRS.
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Reddy releases CD on ‘evidence’ against CM
Bellary, August 23 At a press conference here where he released the CD more than a month after he levelled the charge, Mr Reddy showed blurred video footage of two mine owners and an exporter conversing over “money collection” to the “CM’s fund”. Mr Reddy repeated the corruption charge against Mr Kumaraswamy, Home Minister M.P. Prakash and Forest Minister Chenigappa, alleging that “armtwisting and threatening tactics” were adopted by them to collect money from mine owners in Bellary district where he himself (Mr Reddy) is also a mine owner.
— PTI
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Rajasthan Cong approves Jagat’s suspension
Jaipur, August 23 A State Congress Executive Working Committee meeting held under the chairmanship of state unit chief B.D Kalla approved the suspension of Jagat Singh, Bharatpur district chief Rajveer Singh and 10 other party workers. The working committee has decided to send the recommendations to the disciplinary committee of the AICC. The meeting also supported the AICC decision to suspend Mr Natwar Singh. However, while Mr Natwar Singh stopped short of directly targeting the Congress today, his son Jagat Singh was outrightly rebellious, saying he was ashamed to be a party legislator. Addressing a farmers rally organised by the Kisan Sangharsh Samiti here, Jagat Singh said,’’ This is my last meeting as a Congress MLA.’’
— UNI
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Poet Panicker dead
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 23 The end came in the afternoon at a private hospital, where he was admitted for a lung infection. Dr Panicker’s condition worsened and he was on support system for the past 10 days. He was 76. He is survived by his wife and two daughters. Dr Panicker, an icon of modernist culture and thinking, was a scholar and poet of international repute. He was conferred the Padmasree. He had also won several awards, including the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award and the Kendra Sahitya Akademi Award.
— UNI |
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