 |
|
|
Sealing: CJI gives relaxation in order
Anti-terror mechanism will test Pak intentions: PM
Your jokes unpalatable, says Bar Council to Chief Justice
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
 Sanjay Dutt appears before TADA courtMumbai, October 18 Actor Sanjay Dutt, one of the accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, today appeared before the special court set up under the Terrorism and Disruptive Activities Act here in response to summons. Judge Pramod Kode had issued the summons to Dutt and 25 other accused Shortly afterwards, the TADA court exempted all 26 accused from further personal appearance until further orders. Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt arrives at the special TADA Court for the hearing on the 1993 bomb blasts case in Mumbai on Wednesday. — PTI photo
Race for post of next President picks up
Sonia exhorts NGOs to be more active
Maya vows to attain absolute majority in UP
Venkata Reddy surrenders before police
HUDA conducts planning audit of townships
TMC, Cong stage rally on Singhur issue
Four more die of dengue
Jaya foresees fall of DMK govt
Quota report to be tabled in Parliament
OBC panel member unhappy with report
SC mellows down order on OBC quota Bill
India may send man to space
MP not allowed to board plane Govt defends placing laws in Ninth Schedule
VIP security reviewed
Civic workers beaten up after dengue death
Clear stand on death row convict: DSGMC to BJP
|
|
Sealing: CJI gives relaxation in order
New Delhi, October 18 Virtually passing his last order on the sealing issue as further hearing was posted for February, while Mr Justice Sabharwal will be retiring on January 14, he said “there is wholesale violation in the Capital. The rule of law is basic structure of the Constitution and so long as the laws are there, the government has to see that they are implemented. If not, it is duty of the court to see that they are implemented, otherwise we will be violating our oath.” The CJI said being a citizen of Delhi, he was well aware of the problems created due to blatant violations of law permitted by the government agencies. “I have relatives in Delhi who also have been affected by the orders (on sealing). Should I look at their problems or the rule of the law,” visibly dismayed Mr Justice Sabharwal said, telling the parties that they should not expect a review of the order but certain modification required for effective implementation could be permitted. Solicitor General G E Vahanvati, who had moved an application on behalf of the Government for modification of the order, said at least over three lakh affidavits were required to be filed by affected traders and handled by the court-appointed Monitoring Committee and the deadline of November 10 was too short a time to deal with an enormous problem like this. In view of the government request for modification of the September 29 order, the court extended the date for filing of affidavits up to January 31. The master plan was not in any way connected with the sealing issue, the court said while making slight modifications in its earlier order and posted further hearing for February next year. But before the date was extended, Justice Sabharwal in a lighter vein asked the Solicitor-General whether he wanted the extended date after January, apparently referring to his impending retirement date. An embarrassed Solicitor-General said: “I will be the last person to think of it. I have highest regard for your Lordship. I can’t even think of it. It is a complex matter requiring sufficient
time.” Understanding his embarrassment, the CJI said whatever he had said was in a lighter vein.
|
|
Anti-terror mechanism will test Pak intentions: PM
New Delhi, October 18 Addressing the Combined Commanders' Conference of the armed forces here, Dr Manmohan Singh said “New Delhi has put Pakistan on notice that any democratic government of India would find it difficult to continue on the present path of addressing all outstanding issues unless Islamabad clearly deals with the issue of terrorism.” “We live in a dangerous and unstable neighbourhood”, he said, adding the spread of science had led to emergence of weapons of mass destruction -- most recently seen manifested in North Korea. This trend, Dr Singh said, was changing the regional balance of power and threatening trans-regional consequences. “The transformed security challenges now include anarchistic ideologies, communalism of various kinds, threat from pandemics and terrorism over and above conventional threats,” he said. Terming terrorism as a principal challenge to national security, the Prime Minister said the commanders to upgrade its terrorism fighting capabilities as well as step up surveillance and interdiction system. Maintaining that the threat of terrorism was international, he said India would have to reorient its strategic thought to combat the scourge by re-working its relations with major powers as well as in the country’s immediate neighbourhood. “Terrorists are becoming increasingly sophisticated in the way they deal with death and destruction. Thus, there is a need to upgrade our capabilities, which have traditionally been geared to conventional threats.” Calling for developing a national security strategy, the Prime Minister said the policy to deal with terrorist threats could not be restricted only to perpetrators of terrorist acts, but should also seek to modify the behaviour of states where terrorists found safe haven, sanctuary and material sustenance. “The transformed security challenges now include anarchistic ideologies, communalism of various kinds, threat from pandemics and terrorism over and above conventional threats,” he said. “Internationally, we have taken a firm stand that the fight against terrorism has to be long-term, sustained and comprehensive,” he said, adding that it could not be ad-hoc, selective or compartmentalised in terms of region, religion or
organisations. Terrorist networks sustain themselves due to acts of commission or omission by states. The Prime Minister said developing adequate defence capability and science and technology to meet all contemporary challenges to security was critical in efforts to strengthen the country economically, socially and
technologically. “We are in a position today where pursuit of national interest requires the use of an integrated approach combining political, economic, military and other levers of both soft and hard power,” the Prime Minister said. Referring to Bangladesh, Dr Singh said the economic pull on migrants from Bangladesh of the Indian market offered opportunities to our enemies who sought to incite terrorism in India. And yet, the Prime Minister said, the overarching imperative for both countries was to find a pattern of cooperative engagement, which could convert recent economic success to improve the welfare of the people on both sides of the border. “This will change the economic imbalance, which is causing some of difficulties that we face with
Bangaldesh,” he said. The Prime Minister said the countries of South Asia had a shared destiny and India to an extent could help create such a thinking by giving our neighbours greater stake in our economic prosperity. Turning to the situation in Sri
Lanka, the Prime Minister expressed concern on the recent escalation in the civil war. About China he said that India
had made a good beginning in addressing the border dispute and in creating mutual trust in a peaceful bilateral relationship. A critical aspect of our policy must be the rapid development of infrastructure in our border areas, he said ,adding this was now recognised to have major implications not only for internal security, but also as a force multiplier when it came to our external security.
|
|
Your jokes unpalatable, says
Bangalore, October 18 Bar Association chairman Sadashiva Reddy, while talking to The Tribune said a decision to this effect was taken after a seven-hour meeting of the Bar on Sunday. Mr Reddy said the Bar Council was agitated by what he termed as “unpalatable and undignified jokes” as well as “inappropriate anecdotes during public speeches, which were aimed at showing lawyers in poor light”. The meeting was also attended by state Advocate-General Uday Holla, who made a spirited attempt to ensure the Bar Council did not take this extreme step. Mr Holla pointed out that the Chief Justice had clarified that not all lawyers were corrupt, but this only added fuel to fire, with lawyers expressing their dissatisfaction at the explanation. Lawyers in Bangalore recently and in other parts of the state, including Dharwad, had expressed serious concern at the statements made by the Chief Justice. These included a statement made during the oath-taking ceremony of newly enrolled advocates, during which the Chief Justice reportedly joked, “The look all the young advocates have is like the one people have on their first night”. During a court hearing, when a woman advocate sought an adjournment saying, “My Lord, I am very busy with one leg in Delhi and another in Tamil Nadu”, the Chief Justice replied, “Then Madhya Pradesh must be having all the fun”. Mr Reddy said the Bar Council had received complaints regarding both incidents as well as other incidents which had occurred during public functions. He said due to this, the state Bar Council had passed a resolution, stating the occasion of the golden jubilee should not be used to blame the advocate fraternity. All advocates and their associations in the state had been asked to disassociate themselves with all golden jubilee celebrations attended by the Chief Justice, he added. Earlier addressing a gathering at Gulbarga, Chief Justice Cyriac Joseph said in his speech that lawyers were responsible for corruption in the judiciary and urged them to uphold the dignity and credibility of the judicial system. His comments on lawyers of Dharwad, who had boycotted court work to protest against non-starting of the work on the circuit bench building, had resulted in an angry procession by the Dharwad Bar, which had asked him to clarify on his comments.
|
|
|
Sanjay Dutt appears before TADA court
Mumbai, October 18 Judge Pramod Kode had issued the summons to Dutt and 25 other accused Shortly afterwards, the TADA court exempted all 26 accused from further personal appearance until further orders. Sanjay Dutt arrived in the court in his trademark blue jeans and light blue shirt, the attire he has chosen for his court appearances. He was in the court till 2.30 in the afternoon. Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told reporters that the verdict on Dutt was expected after Divali holidays. Dutt is accused of possessing an AK-56 rifle and destroying it with the help of friends.
|
|
Race for post of next President picks up
New Delhi, October 18 While the election for the country’s highest post would only take place in the second half of 2007, interested personalities have started testing the waters. Mr Shekhawat has been assiduously cultivating political parties for the past two years. Not only that, he has been taking independent stand on various issues on which the BJP has diametrically opposite views, but in the Rajya Sabha, too, Mr Shekhawat’s handling of tricky situations has evoked a sympathetic cord among the non-saffron parties. Dr Karan Singh, who has been nursing an ambition to head the nation for some years now — as he had thrown his hat in the race in 1997 when Mr K. R. Narayanan was elected to the top post — has been trying to seek support from not only his own Congress party but has been sending feelers to other important political people and parties. Dr Singh had lost out in 1997 as the political parties, in wake of the acceptance of Mandal report, at that point of time wanted a man from the deprived sections like the Schedule Caste to reach the Rashtrapati Bhavan so that the heated political tempers could be cooled down. In 2002, the BJP was keen to acquire a secular image and that is why it readily accepted the Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mr Amar Singh’s proposal to appoint Dr A. P. J. Abdul Kalam as the next President to replace Mr Narayanan. Mr Chatterjee, who became the Lok Sabha Speaker after the Congress-led UPA government assumed power in 2004, is the latest to join the pursuit for the top job. In case of Mr Chatterjee, more than him the Communist Party of India (Marxist) is interested in getting its candidate to the Rashtrapati Bhavan. The CPM strategists, led by party General Secretary Prakash Karat and Polit Bureau member Sitaram Yechury, feel that if a card holding member of their party goes on to occupy the top post it would enhance the acceptability of their party in the middle class and the bourgeois circles which in turn will help the party expand its political base in the northern states. The CPM, rather the entire Left spectrum, is hoping that the debate would not veer around caste consideration and a Brahmin like Mr Chatterjee would stand taller in the political calculations. Apart from the above names, supporters of Dr Kalam have launched a signature campaign for a second term for him. Dr Kalam has declared that he was not keen on a second term and would like to retire to devote his time to teaching. The debate will take definite contours after the results of the Assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh,
Uttarakhand, Punjab and Manipur are declared.
|
|
|
Sonia exhorts NGOs to be more active
Uchahar, October 18 Speaking at a function to mark the conclusion of the medical camp organised by the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF) through Lifeline Express, Ms Gandhi said the voluntary and NGO sector could play a meaningful role in raising awareness and increasing community participation in the area of development. Admitting that at present only a few organisations were working to serve society, she claimed those who cared and served society were successful by all means. In her brief 10-minute speech, Ms Gandhi refrained from making any statement and stuck to speaking on the development of her constituency. She elaborated on the RGF’s activities and claimed that despite a financial crunch several projects were underway. “It is an achievement that the foundation is doing its work without any publicity.” The foundation is running 1,300 village libraries for schoolchildren in 21 states, taking care of education and livelihood of 1,400 children who have lost their parents to terrorism. At the same time the RGF has constructed small dams for water storage in Rajasthan where water is a scare commodity. The express reached Uchahar on September 22 and during its 27 days’ stay gave medical advice to 7,233 patients, besides conducting 777 eye-operations, 127 plastic surgeries and distributed 550 hearing aids and 127 tri-cycles to the disabled. Rae Bareli has had three such medical camps earlier at Jais, Bachrawa and Jagidishpur. Such medical camps had also been organised in the nearby Amethi Lok Sabha constituency of Rahul Gandhi. Lifeline Express or Jeevan Rekha Express is a mobile hospital in a train run by the Indian Railways (IR). There are two such trains, each specially designed air-conditioned coach has two surgical operation theatres with three operating tables, a sterilising room, several patient wards, on-board power generators, a pantry car, storage for medical supplies and accommodation for medical staff. The train pulls in different parts of the country, usually remote rural areas with insufficient medical facilities, or areas hit by natural disasters. It remains there for a few days while medical care is provided to the local people.
|
|
|
Maya vows to attain absolute majority in UP
Lucknow, October 18 Using the solemn occasion of placing the ashes of the departed leader at the Bahujan Samaj Prerna Kendra here today, Ms Mayawati officially launched the party’s election campaign for the forthcoming Assembly elections. Lashing out at her opponents for “hurting the self respect of Dalits”, she held the Congress-led UPA government accountable for the “grave insult” to the downtrodden by not declaring a national mourning at the death of Kanshi Ram just as it was declared at the death of J.P., MG. Ramachandran and more recently Ustad Bismillah Khan. Just as Kanshi Ram had fulfilled the vision of Dr B.R. Ambedkar of Dalits acquiring the “master key of political power”, she said she would carry forward the unfulfilled mission of her guru by bringing the BSP to power with absolute majority in UP and also of “controlling” the Centre sooner than later. Warning the SP government of an investigation into the “open misuse of public money in giving doles as unemployment allowance and kanya
vidyadhan” as soon as her party returned to power, the BSP chief said that such schemes were meant to bribe rather than empower people. Earlier, it took more than four hours for the flower-bedecked rath carrying the ‘asthi
kalash’ to cover the 8-km route from the airport to the BSP Prerna Kendra on Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg. Shouting slogans like ‘Kanshi Ram ka mission
adhura, Bahen Mayawati karengi pura’, lakhs of people from all parts of the state and even Uttrakhand lined the roads. They had arrived to pay their last respects to the Dalit leader whose ashes were brought here by his political successor to be placed at the memorial set up last year.
|
|
|
Venkata Reddy surrenders before police
Hyderabad, October 18 Venkat Reddy gave himself up before the Kurnool district SP Malla Reddy following the Supreme Court's refusal to give more time to the convict to explore the option of parole. "As his clemency was rejected by the court, we have taken him into custody and sent him to Charlapally Central Prison in Hyderabad," the SP said. Venkat Reddy, a close associate of Chief Minister
Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, was released from prison on August 12 this year, following the grant of pardon by the then Governor Sushil Kumar Shinde. By then, Reddy, whose wife is a Congress MLA from Nandikotkur in Kurnool district, served only five out of 10 years of rigorous sentence pronounced by the apex court. Venkat Reddy's lawyers sought time for his surrender, requesting the apex court for clarifications on some issues, including seeking parole and moving a mercy petition once again. The court, however, declined the plea, stating that the judgment was self-contained. The milestone judgment, which found fault with the way the Congress leader's sentence was commuted for “extraneous reasons”, has the Opposition parties, including the TDP, BJP and the Communist parties, demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Rajasekhara Reddy. The TDP has taken up an agitation across the state, demanding Reddy to step down in view of the strictures passed by the court. A party delegation has sought appointments with the President and the Prime Minister to highlight the “irregularities” committed by Reddy in pushing the release of his follower. In a counter move, the Congress has already taken an appointment with the Prime Minister tomorrow to submit a list of alleged TDP activists against whom criminal cases were withdrawn by the Chandrababu Naidu government. The Congress Legislature Party (CLP) today appealed to the Union Home Minister Shivaraj Patil to accord permission to the CBI to prosecute K Sivaprasada Rao, former TDP minister and official spokesperson of the party, in the bomb blast case of 1999, in which four persons were killed.
|
|
|
HUDA conducts planning audit of townships
New Delhi, October 18 Mewat district is still backward, both infrastructurally as well as socially. Nuh, despite being just 30-odd km from Gurgaon, the “millennium” city bustling with the state-of-the-art malls and multinationals, lacks even basic infrastructure like health and education. However, now the state government is planning a township at the district
headquarters and as a first step will float a Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) residential sector. The Principal Secretary, Town and Country Planning, Ms Shakuntala Jakhu, told The Tribune today that a blueprint to develop areas in the district was ready. Some parts had already been declared controlled areas to avoid undesired real estate activity which usually followed whenever news of any such development activity was reported in a particular area. Other infrastructure like roads, parks, educational and health institutions were also part of the blueprint. When and if this happens, it will be able to bridge the “developmental distance” between the dazzling Gurgaon and the backward Mewat region. Mewat, merely a few kilometres away from the razzle dazzle of Gurgaon, is a sad story of stark contrast in the indices of development between two adjoining areas of the National Capital. HUDA is also conducting a “planning audit” all over the state to assess deficiencies while planning infrastructure for its townships. A checklist of infrastructure available and planned for the future has already been prepared for Panchkula, Gurgaon and Hisar and similar exercises are on in other HUDA townships in the state.
|
|
|
TMC, Cong stage rally on Singhur issue
Kolkata, October 18 Ms Banerjee was not present at the rally as she is still recovering after the attack on her by the police and the CPM cadres at a dharna in Singhgur on September 25. But all senior TMC leaders and workers of the TMC’s Mahila Samiti participated in the rally. Congress leaders, Ms Krishna Debnath and Ms Chandrani Bhattacharyya, also addressed the gathering. Earlier, a large number of women farmers from Singhur and adjoining villages came in a colourful procession to the city, carrying sickles and broomsticks as a symbol of protest against their forcible eviction from their farms to provide land to Tata Motors. At Chowringhee, effigies of the Chief Minister, Mr Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and the Left Front Chairman, Mr Biman Bose, were burnt by angry protestors, who raised slogans demanding a CBI inquiry into the deal between the CPM and Tata Motors. Leaders addressing the rally reiterated that they would fight to resist forcible evictions of farmers from their lands at Singhur and elsewhere and transferring them to industries. Ms Banerjee, on Sunday, had sent a letter to Ms Sonia Gandhi seeking support to her movement against the CPM misrule and on the Singhur issue. She also formally wrote to the WBPCC. Yesterday, Mrs Margaret Alva, the AICC general secretary (in charge of West Bengal), responded to the TMC’s request and allowed the Congress workers to join today’s protest rally as Ms Banerjee finally agreed to disassociate herself from the BJP.
|
|
Four more die of dengue
New Delhi, October 18 According to the control room of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP), the four dengue deaths have been reported from Delhi, Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. The number of dengue cases has increased from 5710 yesterday to 6423 today. These 713 fresh cases of dengue have been reported from eight states. The maximum increase in dengue cases has been reported by Maharashtra (340) followed by West Bengal (113), Delhi (94), Rajasthan (84), Punjab (46), Uttar Pradesh (21), Haryana (nine) and Gujarat (six). The number of dengue cases in Delhi and the National Capital Region has increased from 1637 to 1731. Of these, 1100 cases are from Delhi alone and 531 are from NCR and neighbouring states. The All-India Institute of Medical Sciences here has reported a dengue death. Rohit Sharma, a 25 year-old resident of Bareilly died last evening. Dr D.K. Sharma, Medical Superintendent of RP Centre at AIIMS said Rohit was in serious condition when he was brought to the institute. He died within an hour of being brought to the casualty. Dr Sharma said that at present, 178 dengue patients were admitted to the institute. Another 180 patients are under observation.
|
|
Jaya foresees fall of DMK govt
Chennai, October 18 She said the DMK government would soon be overthrown by the people, but regarding political realignment she said: “I do not wish to elaborate on the topic as the parties concerned have not approached me till now. But the realignment has already begun.” In the Tamil Nadu state Assembly out of 234, the DMK holds 95 seats- at present, 22 short of majority. But it formed the government with the support of other DPA constituents like the Congress, the CPM, the CPI and the Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK). Jayalalithaa’s assertions are no unfounded as the CPM and the CPI along with the opposition parties have severely criticised the DMK-led government, charging it with rigging the elections and sought the nullification of Chennai Corporation poll. Tamil Nadu CPM Secretary N. Varadarajan said: “The elections to Chennai Corporation should be cancelled and re-elections should be held.” Though an ally of the DMK, it contested eight seats because of “unjust approach” of the DMK in seat-sharing and alleged “our candidates were assaulted and the entire polling to the corporation became a farce.” Mr Varadarajan said people of the state were aware of the “irregularities, rowdyism and abuse of power” by the AIADMK government in the 2001 civic poll and by-elections to three Assembly constituencies but observed: “Seen in this background, the malpractices by DMK men is shocking.” “This is more shocking considering that the CPM joined hands with the DMK in opposing the autocratic and anti-people actions of the AIADMK during the state Assembly poll and the last Lok Sabha elections,” he added. However, the DMK-led government is not under threat as the CPM has only seven seats while the Congress and the PMK hold larger chunks in the state Assembly.
|
|
Quota report to be tabled in Parliament
New Delhi, October 18 “The committee will submit its report to Parliament,” Mr Janardan Dwivedi, head of the committee, told reporters. His assertion assumes significance as the Supreme Court had directed the government to submit the report to it in a “sealed cover”, a move that evoked criticism from several political parties. The apex court had since then modified its order noting that the report would be given to it after it was tabled in Parliament. In the Standing Committee here this evening the members discussed the Supreme Court directive on the issue and decided on the stand, although the quota issue was not on the list of agenda. The committee was scheduled to discuss a Bill to amend the Suppression of Immoral Traffic Act (SITA). The committee is expected to meet on November 1 and 2 to deliberate on the Bill providing 27 per cent reservation to OBC in aided institutions. The Bill was introduced in Parliament in August and referred to it. Sources said the committee would hear the views of Mr Veerappa Moily, who headed the Oversight Committee that went into the issue of preparing a roadmap for implementation of the quota as also the officials of the SC and ST Commission and experts before formulating its report.
|
|
|
OBC panel member unhappy with report
New Delhi, October 18 He said the suggestions of the committee, set up to prepare a roadmap to implement OBC quotas, “defeat the entire purpose of the reservation policy.” “Excessive pre-occupation with excellence over equity will defeat the purpose of the reservation policy.” Mungekar said, appearing on ‘India Tonight’ programme on CNBC. Expressing dissent on the Committee’s recommendations, particularly those allowing premier educational institutions to set up cut-off marks for admissions as high as they wish, Mungekar, a member of the Planning Commission, said such references could have been avoided had the members shown the final report before being submitted to the Prime Minister. “The final product would have been much better had we seen the report before it was submitted to the Prime Minister,” he said, adding that with such a step “consensus (arrived at several panel meetings) would have reflected in the report”. He said there was a general consensus at the meetings that any reference to creamy layer should be avoided in the report and yet the references made it to the appendix section. Mungekar, a former Vice-Chancellor of Bombay University, said the report gives equity a secondary place in preference of excellence. “It was not the original intention. This upsets me,” he said.
|
|
|
SC mellows down order on OBC quota Bill
New Delhi, October 18 A Bench of Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat and Mr Justice Lokeshwar Singh Panta, while criticising the government during the hearing on October 16 for “playing games” on the reservation issue had summoned the standing committee report, but in the order signed a day later and made available to the media today, attributed a statement regarding placing of it on record only to Additional Solicitor-General (ASG) Gopal Subramaniam. It said in all probability, it was submitted that the report, if received, would be placed before Parliament in the winter session which is likely to commence on November 27. “An assurance is given by him (Subramaniam) that a copy of the standing committee’s report shall be placed in a sealed cover before this court,” Soon after the court order on October 16, the government had reacted sharply the directive about summoning the standing committee report as Parliamentary Affairs Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunsi had said that he would first ensure the placing of it before Parliament. He had also stated that it was the prerogative of Parliament to consider the report as it was in its domain.
|
|
India may send man to space
New Delhi, October 18 Mr Manmohan Singh, an official statement on Wednesday said, reviewed India’s space and atomic energy programmes with the scientists. The possibility of the Department of Space developing a manned space programme was also discussed. The department’s other plans, including upcoming launch missions, a profile of missions proposed up to 2013, project for developing a regional navigational system as well as futuristic plans covering air-breathing propulsion systems, heavy lift launches and advanced communication technologies came up for review. The presentation on nuclear power focussed on the scenario for its development, on the cost-effectiveness and environmental sustainability of nuclear power, on the three stage nuclear programme and the approach of the Department of Atomic Energy. An introduction to advanced technologies under development
for meeting India’s energy needs was also provided. — IANS
|
|
MP not allowed to board plane
New Delhi, October 18 Mr Laxman Singh reached Delhi airport on October 15 to board an Emirates flight to attend the United Nations General Assembly session in New York. The flight was scheduled to have a stopover in Dubai. Mr Singh, a BJP MP from Madhya Pradesh and younger brother of AICC General Secretary and former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Digvijay Singh, met the top leadership of the BJP, including Mr L.K. Advani, in this regard. The BJP was toying with the idea of raising the issue in a big way in the winter session of Parliament, scheduled to start in the last week of November. One interesting official version of the incident was that he insisted on getting the boarding passes for New Delhi as well as Dubai at Delhi airport itself. When the airline officials refused to oblige, the argument turned bitter. The MP demanded to know how could the airline refuse to give him both the boarding passes when his wife, who was to travel along with him, had been given Dubai boarding pass at Delhi.
|
|
Govt defends placing laws in Ninth Schedule New Delhi, October 18 In an affidavit filed in response to a Supreme Court notice seeking its replies to a bunch of petitions challenging placing of certain legislations passed by Gujarat, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu governments on land reforms, revenue related matters and on reservation issues, the Union Government said certain laws which even violated fundamental rights could also be placed in the 9th Schedule if they did not hit at the basic structure of the Constitution. The government has taken a stand that the test of judicial review of a law was only that if it violated both fundamental right as well as the basic structure of the Constitution, which were prohibited from placing in the 9th Scheduled. The apex court has referred this matter to a nine-judge Constitution Bench, which is scheduled to take up the petitions on the issue for arguments from October 30. The stand of the Union Government assumes importance in the wake of several orders passed by the court in recent times, considered by the government as adverse to the laws passed by it. There was strong demand from certain quarters within the UPA that the law passed by Parliament giving one-year reprieve from sealing in the Capital, be placed in the 9th Schedule.
|
|
|
VIP security reviewed
New Delhi, October 18 The 90-minute meeting was chaired by Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and attended by National Security Adviser M. K. Narayanan, Home Secretary V. K. Duggal and SPG Director B. V. Wanchoo. Besides Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, those provided SPG cover include Ms Gandhi, her children Rahul and Priyanka and former Prime Minister A. B. Vajpayee. The meeting comes in the backdrop of government contemplating an overhaul of VIP security cover. Sources said the meeting took stock of the intelligence inputs regarding the VIP security.
|
|
Civic workers beaten up after dengue death
Mumbai, October 18 The girl, Neha Rane, 13, died of dengue on Monday, according to a statement issued by the health officer of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation. Rane is the first confirmed instance of dengue claiming a life in the city. Though at least three others have died of suspected dengue in the past weeks, the civic body had passed on the blame to private hospitals for incorrect diagnosis.
|
|
Clear stand on death row convict: DSGMC to BJP
New Delhi, October 18 In a statement here, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee chief Harvinder Singh Sarna also took exception to the BJP’s “praise” for TADA, alleging the anti-terror law had been misused in Punjab during the unrest in the state. Mr Sarna, who cited SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar’s call for all-party support for clemency to death-row convict Davinder Pal Singh Bhullar, demanded the BJP make its position clear on the issue. “We would like the BJP, which is an alliance partner of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), to state whether it supports Makkar’s demand in connection with Bhullar’s case,” Mr Sarna said.
— TNS
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Videos
