Sunday, January 27, 2013, Chandigarh, India
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Ready to face no-trust motion: Shettar
Bangalore/Davanagere: Asserting that his government still enjoyed a majority even after 13 BJP MLAs announced their resignation, Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar on Sunday said he is ready to face a no-confidence motion, if the opposition moves it.
“I have majority. There is no threat to the government. I am ready to face a no-confidence motion if the opposition moves it,” he told reporters at Honnali, 60 km away from Davanagere in the presence of Excise minister M P Renukacharya, a staunch
Yedyurappa loyalist.
Shettar said he would be leaving for Delhi on Sunday to meet the newly elected BJP President Rajnath Singh.
The Shettar government’s very survival is at stake after 13 MLAs loyal to Karnataka Janata Paksha (KJP) chief and former BJP strongman B. S. Yeddyurappa announced their decision to quit assembly membership.
Their bid to submit their resignations to Speaker K. G. Bopaiah on January 23 was in vain as he was not in station, an issue over which they cried foul and petitioned Governor H. R. Bhardwaj to whom they submitted copies of resignation letters.
Bhardwaj had stated on Saturday that the Shettar government still enjoyed a majority and as a leader of the BJP legislature party, it was left to him to take action on the issue of resignation by 13
MLAs.
Bopaiah, who is in Madikeri, will return to the city on Monday.
Sources in the KJP said that apart from the 13 MLAs who are ready to quit their assembly membership, eight more are likely to join them. But BJP leaders are engaged in hectic parleys to prevent them from resigning.
The BJP wants to ensure that the budget session starting from February 4 goes smoothly. — PTI 
Nandy leaves
Jaipur; police seeks session video
JAIPUR: The police has sought video of author Ashis Nandy’s controversial comments that people from
OBC, SC and ST communities were the “most corrupt” made at the Jaipur Literary Festival even as he left the city skipping rest of the event amid protests demanding his arrest.
“Investigation into the matter is going on. We have sought the video footage of yesterday’s session in which he made the remarks and also his clarification to be put on record,” Additional Commissioner of Police Girraj Meena told
PTI.
“We have been informed by the organisers that Nandy left the city today but proper action will be taken once the initial probe is over,”
Meena said.
Nandy was to address a session on Hindi English Bhai Bhai at the festival this morning but failed to turn up as the SC/ST Rajasthan Manch which had filed a police complaint against him held protests. The five-day festival will end on Monday.
According to police sources, the officer, who has been assigned the case, is on leave, an issue raised by the protesters.
When asked if the investigating office is on leave, he said, “The probe is on and I will seek a clarification from the officer if required.”
Investigating Officer Sumit Gupta, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Ashok
Nagar), did not respond to repeated calls.
Janesh Singh, SHO Ashok Nagar police station, where the FIR was filed against Nandy and the organiser Sanjoy Roy last evening over the remarks, said that the statements of the complainant and the organiser would be recorded.
Rajpal Meena of the SC/ST Rajasthan Manch, who lodged the complaint, along with his supporters today protested against Nandy and the organiser at Ambedkar circle.
“We are demanding immediate arrest of Nandy for derogatory remarks against STs and the organisers of the festival for allowing him to make the controversial remarks,”
Meena said.
“It is surprising that the IO is on leave. It gives impression that the police want to protect him but we are not going to sit quiet,” he said.
Local activists also protested near the entrance of the venue at the main road and shouted slogans against him.
“It is a fact that most of the corrupt come from OBCs and Scheduled Castes and now increasingly the Scheduled Tribes,” Nandy had said participating in a session at the Festival on Saturday.
Hours after he made the remarks, an FIR was lodged with the police against him in Jaipur under Section 506 IPC (criminal intimidation) and the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes(Prevention of Atrocities) Act.
Nandy’s comments triggered a storm with BSP chief Mayawati and LJP leader Ram Vilas demanding registration of case under SC/ST Act against
Nandy. Mayawati wanted him to be jailed immediately. Congress, BJP, JD(U), CPI as also the SC Commission Chairman
P.L. Punia condemned the remarks.
While seeking to clarify, Nandy made a flip-flop saying he would apologise if he had been misunderstood.
He said he actually meant that if people from OBC, SC and ST indulge in corruption, it is “corruption indeed” while those from upper caste can go scot-free. — PTI
Narendra
Modi meets new BJP president
NEW DELHI: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi Sunday met new Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) president Rajnath Singh and congratulated him on assuming the new party position.
Rajnath Singh will lead the BJP into the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, and the meeting assumes significance as Modi is one of the prominent contenders for the prime minister’s post from the party.
The party has kept quiet on its choice for the top post.
The meeting, however, was described as a “courtesy call”, with Modi tweeting he was going to meet the new party president to “congratulate” him.
“Leaving for Delhi...Will meet Shri Rajnath Singh ji & congratulate him on his taking over as BJP president,”
Modi tweeted in the morning.
Rajnath Singh was unanimously elected BJP president on Wednesday, replacing Nitin Gadkari at the last moment. Mr. Gadkari had to let go a second term at the last minute because of charges of financial irregularities in companies involved with Purti Group, with which he has been associated. — IANS
Pro-Telangana leaders get permission for protest in Hyderabad
HYDERABAD: After arrests of Telangana leaders and activists, Hyderabad police on Sunday granted permission to the Telangana Joint Action Committee
(JAC) to hold demonstrations in the city. The police said the JAC can stage protests at Indira Park till Monday evening.
The permission came after legislative council member and eminent academician Chukkah
Ramaiah, revolutionary balladeer Gadar and others held talks with state home minister Sabita Indra Reddy and police commissioner Anurag Sharma.
Ramaiah said Telangana supporters in large numbers would participate in the protest. He also demanded release of all leaders and activists arrested in Hyderabad and other parts of
Telangana.
Police had earlier refused permission for 36-hour protest called by the JAC to press the demand that the centre make an announcement on Telangana by Monday. With police finally giving them permission, the JAC leaders who had launched the protest at JAC office left for Indira Park.
Legislators of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), who sat on a protest at state assembly, also began their march for the venue. TRS leader E. Rajender appealed to people from all Telangana districts to reach
Hyderabad. — IANS
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