LUCKNOW: Accusing the Election Commission of buckling under Congress pressure, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati today said its direction to have her statues and those of BSP symbol ‘elephant’ covered were "anti-dalit" and "casteist".

The BSP chief said that following its constitutional responsibility with honesty and dedication, the EC should have issued directives to get Congress' poll symbol 'hand' and RLD's symbol 'handpump' covered like the statues of elephant.

"If the EC does not take right decisions regarding the symbols of these two parties, then the people will consider this decision (with regard to BSP) taken with an anti-Dalit and casteist mentality and under pressure of the Congress-led government at the Centre," she claimed.

It was a low-key 56th birthday today for Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, who used the occasion to release the list of 403 candidates for the coming state polls.
"Tickets have been given to 88 SC candidates, 113 OBC, 85 religious minorities, specially Muslims, 117 upper caste, of which 74 are Brahmins and 33 Chattriyas," she said adding this was to honour the concept of equality.

The BSP is contesting on its own the assembly elections of UP, Punjab and Uttarakhand.

Unlike in the past when a huge cake was cut on her birthday amid state-wide celebrations and she announced a number of new projects, the UP CM did not do so this year keeping in view the model code of conduct ahead of next month's Assembly polls. — PTI

Perth: India captain Mahendra Singh is certain to miss the Adelaide Test against Australia following a one-Test ban for maintaining a slow over rate in the third Test that ended here today.

The India captain was penalised for being two overs short of the required rate during the match here that India lost by an innings and 37 runs to go down 0-3 in the four-match series. Dhoni pleaded guilty in front of International Cricket Council match referee Ranjan Madugalle. He was also fined 40 per cent of his match fee while his teammates were docked 20 per cent each. It was India's second over-rate offence in the last 12 months after Dhoni was warned of this during the West Indies tour last June-July.

India bowled 76 overs in 362 minutes in Australia's only innings of the match. The fact that India went into the match with an all-pace attack could have had an affect on the over rate.

Vice-captain Virender Sehwag is most likely to lead the side in the fourth Test beginning January 24, while the wicketkeeping responsibility should go to back-up gloveman Wriddhiman Saha.

Earlier, captains were let off the hook for three over-rate offences within 12 months. Post the rule change, they will be penalised if they are found guilty twice in one year. — IANS

ISLAMABAD: The fate of Pakistan's embattled leaders, including President Asif Ali Zardari, could be decided tomorrow when the Supreme Court takes up the memo scandal and high-profile graft cases even as the beleaguered government has turned to Parliament for crucial support.

The National Assembly or Lower House of Parliament is expected to vote tomorrow on a resolution that seeks endorsement and support for "efforts made by the political leadership for strengthening democracy" and calls for reposing "full confidence and trust" in them.

Even as Parliament considers the resolution, a 17-member Bench of the apex court will resume hearing of a case related to the reopening of corruption cases that were closed under the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), a graft amnesty issued by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf in 2007.

A judicial commission appointed by the apex court to investigate a mysterious memo that sought US help to prevent a feared military coup in Pakistan last year will also continue its proceedings tomorrow.

Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz, who triggered a storm in the country's political circles by making public the memo, is slated to testify before the commission tomorrow, though doubts continue to surround his plans to travel to Pakistan.

The Supreme Court had warned last week that Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani could be disqualified and that action could also be taken against Zardari if the government kept defying its orders on the NRO issue.

The court had said that Gilani "may not be an honest person on account of his not being honest to the oath of his office". It further warned that the President could face the "same consequences" for violating his oath of office. — PTI