New Delhi, May 10
Bolstering cooperation in the field of civil-nuclear energy will be high on the agenda of External Affairs Minister SM Krishna during his three-day visit to the Central Asian republic of Kazakhstan from tomorrow. India and Kazakhstan signed a civil-nuclear energy cooperation accord during the visit of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev to New Delhi in January last year, barely months after New Delhi got a waiver from the nuclear suppliers’ group (NSG) to undertake nuclear commerce.

An admirer of India’s development model, the Kazakh President is keen that Indian companies have a greater presence in Kazakhstan. He has invited Indian companies to participate in 170 major projects in a variety of sectors to speed up industrialisation of his country.

Briefing reporters on the visit, External Affairs Minister’s spokesman Vishnu Prakash and Joint Secretary (Eurasia) Ajay Bisaria said the two countries were discussing a broad-based inter-governmental umbrella agreement like the one between India and Russia for nuclear cooperation on a whole range of items, including fuel, uranium, mining and nuclear plants. India will also firm up a road map for scaling up business ties, including a lucrative oil deal, during Krishna’s visit on which he would be accompanied by senior officials and a high-level business delegation.

Describing Kazakhstan as one of India’s “most important neighbours”, Prakash said the visit would focus on firming up “a blueprint for scaling up collaboration in diverse sectors”. Krishna and his Kazakh counterpart Kanat Saudabayev will hold delegation-level discussions on Wednesday on a wide range of issues, including expanded economic, energy and security ties between the two countries. The two sides will also hold discussions on finalising an agreement on the Satpayev oil block.

“We are hopeful of positive progress on an agreement on the production and exploration at Satpayev oil block,” Bisaria said. It’s one of the most important issues to be discussed, he said, adding that experts and officials from the Petroleum Ministry and ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL), the overseas arm of India’s oil major, would take part in the discussions.

New Delhi, May 10
Union minister Jairam Ramesh, who exceeded his brief in batting for banned Chinese telecom companies, probably did not know that these companies are barred from operating in US and also the European Union on ground of “threat to national security”, said sources in the Home Ministry upset with his comment. These Chinese companies supply telecom switching equipment and make mobile handsets that can be used as tool by foreign hackers as well as spies.

The Chinese companies do not meet the laid down criteria and suspicions remain about their board of directors. One of the criterion was that an engineer who has worked in Pakistan will not be allowed to work in India. Actually Ren Zhengfei, the Chairman of the Huawei, is a former Chinese Army officer. Zhong Xing Telecommunication (ZTE) is mobile handset maker that provides handsets to leading telecom operators. The funding and holding of both these two companies are very complex that has led to the ban of these companies in India, the officials explained.

Sources said Ramesh probably did not know that China does not even allow items like Basmati rice from India that is traded in more than 100 countries across the world. The Chinese insist on carrying out a “pesticide” test of their own. Basmati produced in Northern India is exported under test and international conditions to other countries. No agriculture produce from India is allowed in China. After 15 years of negotiations the Chinese have allowed only 4 agriculture items from India to be traded in China. India has banned these companies from operating in areas that are highly sensitive.

Ramesh, who is the minister of state for Environment and Forests, on a visit to China over the weekend had made a statement saying Indian security establishment was “alarmist and paranoid” about China. He also said that he had faced opposition from a “suspicious” security and defence establishment in India on taking forward climate co-operation with China.

The Union Home Secretary GK Pillai clarified there was no country-specific discrimination. The Home ministry had banned a Russian company from bidding in India. The checks are carried out on all companies operating in high-security technology sectors. India insists on “fire walls” within the system”. “We do it for everybody. The Chinese are no different,” said Pillai.

Gandhinagar, May 10
VHP leader Pravin Togadia was questioned by Supreme Court-constituted Special Investigation Team (SIT), which is probing some cases of 2002 riots, for more than four hours here today. The VHP leader, who had come along with his supporters to SIT office, was questioned in connection with a complaint by Zakia Jaffery, wife of former MP Ehsan Jaffery who was killed in Gulburg Society riot of 2002.

Togadia was questioned by former CBI DIG A K Malhotra for more than four hours, SIT sources said. "SIT has been formed to hang Pravin Togadia. If my name was Hussain I would not have been called by them," Togadia said after coming out of SIT office. "SIT has called me because I am a Hindu, no Hindu in Gujarat is safe. In this country Hindu saints, temples, organisations are targets of jehadis," he further said.

Referring to the Godhra train carnage incident, Togadia said no SIT has been formed to find out truth about the deaths of 57 karsevaks in Godhra.

When asked about what kind of questions he was asked, he said, "They asked me what kind of speech I had given one year before riots. They also asked, why was I in Gujarat at the time of riots and whom did I talk to". "I replied, I am a Hindu, I have right to be in Gujarat and with regard to whom I contacted, I know 82 crore Hindus in the country whom should I name," Togadia said.

Togadia reached the SIT office in block number 11 of Old Secretariat campus around 1100 hours along with several VHP activists who shouted 'Jai Shree Ram' slogans.

After the VHP leader went inside, nearly 100 activists, including some sadhus, gathered in the lawn outside the office and started singing bhajans.

Before reaching the SIT office, Togadia visited Mahalakshmi temple in Ahmedabad and Panchdev temple in Gandhinagar.

Togadia was called for questioning by SIT on April 19 by the SIT, but he had failed to appear before it then. The SIT has already questioned Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi with regard to the complaint of Zakia. The Supreme Court on April 27, 2009 had asked the SIT to inquire into Zakia's complaint. She had approached the apex court after the Gujarat High Court refused to give any direction and asked her to seek redressal before the Magistrate's Court on November 3, 2007. — PTI

New Delhi, May 10
The Supreme Court today asked the Delhi High Court to go ahead with the trial of former Uttarakhand Chief Minister ND Tiwari in a paternity suit filed by a man claiming to be his biological son even as the Congress leader argued that the case was frivolous and aimed at maligning his image. A three-member Bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan said the HC would decide on the maintainability of the suit on territorial jurisdiction and limitation, besides on the issue of accessibility.

The Bench, which included Justices Deepak Verma and BS Chauhan, passed the order after senior counsel Harish Salve, appearing for Tiwari, argued that Rohit Shekhar filed the paternity suit shortly after his mother, Ujjwala Sharma, had got divorce from her husband in 2006.

The divorce was intended to facilitate the paternity suit, Salve said, contending that Rohit should first prove that he was not the son of the person divorced by his mother before claiming to be the biological son of Tiwari. For this, he had to show that his father did not have access to his mother following their separation in 1970, the counsel argued.

Senior counsel PS Patwalia, appearing for Rohit, said a mere DNA test would settle the paternity suit against the 85-year-old Tiwari. Salve, however, objected to this stating that the question of subjecting Tiwari to DNA test to ascertain the claims of Rohit would arise only after the HC had gone into the issues of “accessibility” which was necessary under Section 112 of IPC, the maintainability of the suit in Delhi despite the fact that the alleged relationship had taken place in UP and the delay in filing the suit, 29 years after Rohit was born. 

New Delhi, May 10
The Supreme Court today expunged the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s adverse remarks against former Senior Additional Advocate General (AAG) Bharat Bir Singh Sobti.

A three-member Bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan passed an order after senior counsel PP Rao, appearing for Sobti, contended that the HC had wrongly presumed that his client had deliberately kept some documents away from the HC.

On May 29 last, the HC had remarked “some external force(s) had successfully plotted, prevented and prevailed upon Sobti to keep the original record away from the court.” According to the HC, Sobti’s conduct was not above board in the whole episode.

Rao contended that the file in question was with then AAG Atul Nanda and not his client who, being a local counsel, had a limited role of managing miscellaneous hearings. Sobti had been recommended for appointment as a HC judge. On November 13 last, the SC had stayed the HC order and issued notice. Today’s order was passed in the light of the reply from the court and the rejoinder filed by Sobti.

Hyderabad, May 10
In an unprecedented move, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah has ordered vigilance inquiry into the allegations of irregularities against his cabinet colleague D Prasada Rao.

It is for the first time in the state’s history that a Chief Minister has ordered probe against a minister. Curiously, the demand for such an inquiry has come from the minister himself.

Under attack from the opposition for alleged irregularities in execution of some road construction worksunder National Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), the Revenue Minister Prasada Rao wrote a letter to the Chief Minister, seeking a probe by vigilance department to clear his name.

In a swift response, Rosaiah ordered the inquiry last night. The main opposition TDP has been mounting pressure on the senior minister over allegations of misuse of public money in some road works in his nativedistrict of Srikakulam.

“Certain political parties have been alleging that I have resorted to gross misuse of power in laying roads between Gummapadu and Ashokam villages and from national highway to Singupuram village under NREGP.

I request that the government order probe into whether the road laying was done for the gram panchayats or for private purposes; whether there were any violation of rules under NREGP, whether payments weremade without completing the works or whether the works were sanctioned against the norms. I am prepared for any inquiry so that the truth can come out,” the minister said in his letter.Under normal circumstances, the governments routinely turn down such challenges thrown by theministers for inquiries in response to the opposition charges.

However, Rosaiah sprang a surprise on both the ruling Congress and opposition TDP leaders by quickly ordering an inquiry.The swift move came close on the heels of a controversy over the allegations made by a senior Congress MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao that there were “several Madhu Kodas” (a reference to corrupt ministers) inthe Rosaiah cabinet.

By ordering a vigilance probe into allegations against his colleague, the Chief Minister has sent a clear message that he would not hesitate to initiate swift action to stamp out corruption.

Mumbai, May 10
Tough competition among several aspirants in the Congress vying for Rajya Sabha seats may make it tough for Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma who is tipped to enter Parliament from Maharashtra.

Elections to six Rajya Sabha seats in Maharashtra are due on June 11 and as per the proportional representation, the Congress and the NCP will have two seats each while the Shiv Sena and the BJP will have one each.

However, the Congress is witnessing tough competition where a large number of women, minorities, and Dalit leaders apart from regional satraps are pulling strings to get into the Upper House. According to sources union ministers Vilasrao Deshmukh, Sushilkumar Shinde and a host of leaders holding senior positions in the Congress are pitching for their men and women.

So the news that the Congress leadership would be looking towards Maharashtra for a safe seat for Union Commerce Minister Anand Sharma has rankled some of the aspirants. “There are only two seats that the Congress stands to win, so candidates from the state should be selected,” a senior party leader said.

A section of the party leaders have now warned that selecting someone from outside Maharashtra would leave the Congress party open to accusations that it was against the Marathi people. Rumblings of Marathi pride are finding place in language newspapers controlled by some Congress politicians.

Some of the comments made by Congress leaders sound straight out of speeches made by Bal Thackeray and his nephew Raj. There are dark hints that the Congress may have to pay the price when elections to the Mumbai municipality are due later this year or in early 2011.According to Congress sources, delegations of party workers from Maharashtra have already met with leaders in Delhi and warned against ‘foisting outsiders’. The candidates will be finalised next week and nominations are due to be filed by May 31.

The MPs from Maharashtra who are retiring include industrialist Rahul Bajaj, Tariq Anwar, Shivraj Patil, Vijay Darda, Sanjay Raut and Sharad Joshi from across the political spectrum.