L A T E S T      N E W S

BJP raises Coalgate issue in Parliament

New Delhi: Parliament is set to witness a stormy week from Tuesday onwards, as the BJP seems determined to embarrass the Centre over the CAG's damaging report on the allocation of coalfields.

"We have demanded the resignation of the PM and will repeat our demand. It is unlikely that Parliament will function smoothly," a  BJP leader said.

"They left no stone unturned to target us when George Fernandes was defence minister during NDA days. Why should we let them go scot free now when the country's top auditor has yet again found them guilty of a scam that led to a loss of Rs. 1,86,000 crore to the public exchequer."

The party is particularly enthused about the idea that this report embarrasses the Prime Minister directly, as he was also the coal minister for much of the period. Due to this, the party focused solely on this scam on Friday though three CAG reports had come out.

"Politically, it suits us to step up the pressure in this matter. One blow after another as scams tumble out regularly will further deepen the impression in the public mind that the Congress is the root of corruption. When Congress leaders attack the CAG, they further dent their own credibility in the public mind," said another BJP leader.

Maruti reopens Manesar plant

Manesar: Maruti Suzuki India on Tuesday reopened its Manesar plant amid heavy security, a month after a lockout was declared due to the violence in which one senior company official was killed and 100 others injured.

Workers are standing in queue outside the factory gate to enter the plant amid heavy rain. Haryana Police has provided 500 personnel, out of which 200 are inside the plant and 300 in areas around the facility.

Besides, the company has also formed its own special force numbering 100, which includes ex-service men.

The company had earlier announced that only 300 permanent workers will resume work. Maruti Suzuki India (MSI) Chief Operating Officer (Administration) S Y Siddiqui had said yesterday that the workers would operate just a single shift from 8 am to 4:30 pm.

6 fishermen injured in attack by SL navy

Rameswaram (TN): In the second such incident in two days, six Tamil Nadu fishermen were injured when they were allegedly attacked today by the Sri Lankan navy which also detained 13 others near Katchatheevu in the Palk Straits, Official sources said the Lankan Navymen attacked the fishermen with stones, nylon ropes and rods and took away their three boats.

Gnanasekaran, who suffered head injury, has been admitted to a hospital here while five others suffered minor injuries, they said, adding, the fishermen were near Katchatheevu, an islet ceded to Sri Lanka by India under an agreement in 1974.

The detained fishermen had been taken to Mannar district in Sri Lanka for being remanded there, the sources said.

On Sunday, the Lankan Navy allegedly took away at gun point the catch netted by fishermen who put to sea from here, when they were near Katchatheevu after surrounding 10 boats.

In another incident on the same day in Nagapattinam, eight fishermen of Vedaranyam village were injured in an attack allegedly by Sri Lankan naval personnel in mid-sea off Arukattuthurai in Tamil Nadu.

Today's attack comes a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, charging the government with "soft handling" the issue of Sri Lankan Navy's alleged attacks on Tamil Nadu fishermen.

Jayalalithaa had said "soft handling" had emboldened the Sri Lankan Navy to attack and harass fishermen of Tamil Nadu with impunity, and asked the government to ensure that the island nation's navy refrains from doing so.