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Bypoll results:Advani says Cong should look at writing on wall

Nagpur: Terming the bypoll results as "significant," BJP leader L K Advani on Tuesday said the "anger" of the people has resulted in the defeat of the Congress which should look at the writing on the wall.

Advani said the Congress allies lost everywhere in the bypolls. The defeat of the Congress was notable even in states like Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and Haryana where it is in power, he said.

"It is the anger of the people that has resulted in the defeat of the Congress in four bypolls. The results are very significant to the party and it should be taken as a writing on the wall," he said.

"It is apparent that the people of the country are no more willing to tolerate the UPA because of its consistent anti-people and corrupt track record. The countdown for the demise has begun," he said.

Apart from the severe drubbing in the Hisar Lok Sabha constituency, the Congress lost all the three Assembly bypolls, results of which were declared on Monday

6.3 quake hits Papua New Guinea 

Sydney: A 6.3-magnitude earthquake rocked Papua New Guinea's remote New Britain region on Tuesday, but was unlikely to cause a tsunami, Australian seismologists said. The US Geological Survey said the quake occurred at a depth of 10 kilometres , about 163 kilometres east-northeast of Kandrian, New Britain and some 576 kilometres from the capital Port Moresby.

Geoscience Australia, which also measured the tremor at 6.3-magnitude, said the quake was close to the coastline. "People living in that local area would have gotten a fairly strong shake," seismologist David Jepsen said adding that some vulnerable structures could have been damaged by the tremor.

"I don't think there would be a (local) tsunami," he added. Jepsen said quakes of such magnitude were common in the New Britain region of Papua New Guinea, which sits on the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire", a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.

A 6.7-magnitude jolt hit the country on Friday but there were no reports of damage in the impoverished Pacific island state. A giant tsunami in 1998, caused by an undersea earthquake or a landslide, killed more than 2,000 people near Aitape, on the country's northwest coast.

Yeddyurappa bail plea hearing adjourned to Oct 20

Bangalore: The Karnataka High Court today adjourned to October 20 the hearing on the interim bail plea of former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, arrested in connection with alleged irregularities in denotifying government lands.

Justice B V Pinto adjourned the hearing on the application filed on Monday by Yeddyurappa, who, facing imminent arrest, had surrendered before the Lokayukta Court on Saturday last after it rejected his bail application.

The Judge rejected the plea by C H Hanumantharaya, the counsel for the petitioner Sirajin Basha, for 20 days time to file his objections to the bail plea. Yeddyurappa's counsel Ravi B Naik objected to this and submitted that since it was only an interim bail application, it should be heard as early as possible.

The Lokayukta court had on October 15 remanded Yeddyurappa in judicial custody till October 22. Yeddyurappa, against whom five private complaints have so far been filed by Basha alleging irregularities in denotification of government land, has been undergoing treatment in the state-run Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology for high blood pressure and chest pain since October 15.

Advani in Nagpur, takes on govt over corruption

Nagpur: Speaking to the media first time after Yeddyurappa's arrest, senior BJP leader LK Advani on Tuesday addressed a public gathering in Nagpur. He lashed out at the government calling Manmohan Singh the weakest Prime Minsiter. Advani has been on the road for eight days now. He had earlier cancelled two press conferences in Madhya Pradesh. Advani said, "When I called Manmohan Singh as the weakest Prime Minister (in 2009), people criticised me. It is a fact that he is being controlled by 10, Janpath. No decision is taken without a clearance from there." 

Targetting the Congress, Advani said, "The results of bypolls are significant, and a reflection of UPA-II's inability to govern. It is the writing on the wall, electorate's warning to the government".

He said that the BJP would provide good governance if it came to power in any state or at Centre. "My party will bring back the black money stashed in foreign banks. If that money returns to India, not one of six lakh villages in the country will be without power, drinking water, roads, schools and hospitals. There will be prosperity in every village," he promised.

Sarpanch of Hazare's village fails to meet Rahul, returns home 

New Delhi: Upset over not getting an appointment with Rahul Gandhi, the sarpanch of Anna Hazare's village and his colleagues today decided to return home saying now even if they get an appointment, the village will decide whether to meet the Congress leader or not.

Congress P T Thomas, who had interacted with them and had reportedly fixed the much-talked about meeting, however apologised for the "communication gap" that led to the confusion.

"We have come here after being told that we have an appointment with Rahul Gandhi on October 18 at 9 am. We came here believing the words of the MP. Now the MP says there was a communication gap. We are returning home. 

"We have said in our letter seeking appointment with Gandhi that we want to meet him as suggested by the MP. We were contacted by Thomas' office several times. Even Rahul Gandhi's office called the sarpanch several times," Suresh Pathare, a close aide of Hazare, told reporters here.

He said now they are not meeting Gandhi as it appeared that there were some "ego problems" and "the village panchayat will decide whether to meet him if an appointment comes in the future".

His comments came after the six-member team from Ralegan Siddhi led by sarpanch Jaisingh Mapari met Thomas at his residence this morning to sort out the matter. Mapari also claimed that he received several calls from Gandhi's office on the issue of appointment.