Singhal, Togadia detained, released
Shahira Naim/TNS

Lucknow, August 26
Bringing an end to a day-long drama, the Uttar Pradesh Government late tonight decided to release VHP's Praveen Togadia, Ramvilas Vedanti and former BJP MLA Lallu Singh from the Etah jail on personal bonds and assurance of good behaviour.

VHP president Ashok Singhal was also released only a few hours earlier. He left for Delhi by the evening Air India flight. VHP activists held demonstrations at district headquarters across the state on the second day of the call for the 84 kosi parikrama, leading to 184 more detentions.

A total of 2,433 VHP supporters have been detained since yesterday. Of them, 958 were released today, said ADG Law and Order RK Vishwakarma. Singhal was released following high court orders. Hearing a habeas corpus petition, the Lucknow Bench of Allahabad High Court directed the state government to release Ashok Singhal, Praveen Togadia and Swami Rambhadracharya, if they had been detained illegally and their basic fundamental right to liberty had been violated.

The order was passed by a Division Bench of Justice Imtiyaz Murtaza and Justice DK Upadhayaya on a habeas corpus petition filed by local lawyer Ranjana Aginihotri. Special Secretary Home Arun Mishra said Singhal had not reached Ayodhya and was detained from Lucknow. No breach of peace was apprehended from him and hence he was released.

BJP openly comes out in support of VHP
Vibha Sharma/TNS

New Delhi, August 26
The BJP today came out in open support of VHP’s controversial Chaurasi Kosi parikrama, launching a direct attack on the Akhilesh Yadav government both inside and outside the Parliament. Though the BJP still terms its endorsement as a support for “fundamental rights” of people, sources say the state government’s crackdown will now be used to aid election campaign committee chief Narendra Modi’s UP-2014 strategy.

Modi is expected to be in Mathura for the state’s executive committee meeting somewhere around September, after which the BJP will roll out its plan for UP - which holds immense political importance considering its share of 80 MPs in the Lok Sabha.

Party sources attribute the change in stance to the “U-turn” by the Samajwadi Party government, which, they say, clamped down on the yatra despite earlier indicating otherwise. Though the party continues to rubbish anything political in the VHP’s high-profile religious venture, political observers feel otherwise. They say all the happenings around the high drama point toward the role of key players - BJP and SP - and such events will now only increase ahead of 2014.

The yatra, in fact, has been christened in political circles as an apt example of a “set-match” between BJP/RSS and SP to ensure maximum gains through polarisation of votes in the heart of the country. Which is why political analysts also wonder at the “controlled” manner in which the high drama was enacted. There were no serious confrontations which could have resulted in serious social and political implications for all concerned.

Religious politics over the Ram Mandir is a “tried and tested formula” for both SP and BJP. While the saffron party maintained a tacit distance from the VHP-sponsored programme to send a correct message to “secular voters”, apparently, BJP’s ideological fountainhead RSS, Modi and his right hand man Amit Shah - who is now managing the UP affairs for the party - are banking on the issue to bring back those who feel the BJP abandoned its religious agenda somewhere down the line.

Cong keeps up its winning streak in K’taka
Shubhadeep Choudhury/TNS

Bangalore, August 26
Victory of Karnataka’s ruling party Congress’ candidates in two of the three Legislative Council seats in the August 22 bypolls has come as a shot in the arm for Chief Minister Siddaramaiah who, to a section of partymen inimical to him, continues to be an “outsider”.

The results of the council bypolls declared today follows the Congress’ success in wresting two Lok Sabha seats from the Janata Dal (secular) in the byelections held on August 21.

Mandya and Bangalore (rural) Lok Sabha seats - for which the byelections were held - were considered JD (S) bastions. Losing these to the Congress has dealt a severe blow to the JD (S) as it is now preparing to have a new state president in place of HD Kumaraswamy, former Chief Minister and son of party supremo HD Deve Gowda.

Kumaraswamy’s wife Anitha was JD (S) candidate at Bangalore (rural) where byelection was necessitated as a result of the sitting MP, none other than Kumaraswamy himself, getting elected as an MLA and qutting his Lok Sabha seat.

For Anitha Kumaraswamy, the defeat in the byelection was her second straight loss after she lost in the Assembly elections from Channapatna constituency held in May.

There is a lot of speculation about who will replace Kumaraswamy. Kumaraswamy’s brother HD Revanna is also a JD (S) MLA and a former minister. Given the JD (S)’s reputation as a family party, Revanna should be the natural choice to fill in the place left vacant by his brother.

In all likelihood, the next JD (S) state president, expected to be named on Wednesday after a meeting of the party’s office-bearers here, will not be a member of the Gowda family.

Siddaramaiah joined the Congress in 2006. Before that, he was with the JD (S), which was unwilling to make him the Chief Minister. He recently talked in the Assembly about how he was denied the CM’s post to make Kumaraswamy the CM.

Deve Gowda, all-India president of JD (S) and also a former Prime Minister, is expected to make an attempt to shed the image of the JD (S) as a “father-son party” and have someone from outside his family as the state party chief. Kumaraswamy will continue to hold the post of the Opposition Leader.

For Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the victory in the Lok Sabha and council byelections will taste all the more sweet because the three main Opposition parties - JD (S), BJP and Karnataka Janata Party (KJP) - had joined hands against the ruling Congress in the bypolls.

While Congress candidates wrested Hubli-Dharwad and Mysore-Chamarajanagar council seats from the BJP, an independent candidate won the Chitradurga seat which too was earlier represented in the council by the BJP.

Durga case
SC’s no to contempt plea against UP Govt
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, August 26
The Supreme Court today dismissed a plea for slapping contempt on Uttar Pradesh government for suspending IAS officer Durga Shakti Nagpal for implementing the SC order for removing unauthorised religious structures on public land.

A Bench comprising Justices HL Dattu and SJ Mukhopadhaya said the stage of contempt would arise only after the state government had rejected the officer’s plea for revoking her suspension. At this stage, there was nothing to show that there was willful and deliberate contempt by the state authorities and as such it was too early to make such pleas.

Earlier, the SC had declined to hear a PIL seeking revocation of the suspension order against the 2010 batch IAS officer, observing that she was capable of defending herself and no public interest petitions by a third party could be entertained on the issue.

Nagpal, who was the sub-divisional officer in Noida, was suspended on July 27 on the charge of demolishing the wall of an under-construction mosque in a village without following the due process and ignoring the possibility of a communal flare-up.

In his contempt petition, advocate ML Sharma had contended that the 28-year-old officer was merely implementing the SC verdicts relating to unauthorized shrines constructed on government land and taking action against her on this score amounted to committing contempt against the apex court.

Actor Om Puri booked for assaulting wife

Mumbai, August 26
Bollywood actor Om Puri was booked for allegedly assaulting his wife at his apartment in suburban Andheri, the police said today.

"Om Puri's wife Nandita Puri approached us on Thursday night with a complaint against her husband. She complained that her husband Om Puri assaulted her with a wooden stick after which we registered an FIR against him," said Harishchandra Parmale, Senior Inspector Versova police station.

The 62-year-old actor has been booked under Section 324 (punishment for causing hurt by dangerous means), Section 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and Section 506 (criminal intimidation) of the IPC and was declared absconding in the case, he said.

The duo began arguing about the maintenance of their flat in Trushil Building at Seven Bungalows in Andheri's Versova area, after which the enraged actor allegedly assaulted Nandita with a stick on Thursday night. — PTI

Two TDP members suspended from RS 
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 26
Two days after Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar suspended 12 anti-Telangana MPs for disrupting proceedings, Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien today cracked the whip on two TDP members in the House for continuously disrupting its working to voice their pro-united Andhra viewpoint.

It was only after the two MPs were asked to leave that the House could clear the long-pending Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010, which is seeking to make marriage laws more women-friendly. CM Ramesh and YR Chowdhary were suspended under Rule 255, which states: “The chairman may direct any member whose conduct is in his opinion grossly disorderly to withdraw immediately from the council and any member so ordered to withdraw shall do so forthwith and shall absent himself during the remainder of the day’s meeting.”

The action came during the post-lunch session when Ramesh and Chowdhury continued with their protests in the House despite being given time to speak on the issue.

After repeated warnings by the chair, they were suspended for the day. Undeterred, the RS members are promising to resume their protests in the Question Hour on Tuesday. Ramesh told The Tribune that they would camp on the floor of the Well even if they are suspended again.

Incidentally, Kurien had given Chowdhury three minutes to speak with the condition that he and Ramesh would not come to the Well after that.

After 12 wasted sittings, Meira Kumar eventually suspended 12 anti-Telangana MPs on Friday for causing grave disruption of House proceedings. Eight Congress and four TDP MPs were asked to remove themselves from the House for five consecutive sittings. The MPs have been protesting against division of Andhra Pradesh since the beginning of the current session. Earlier too, they were warned “for holding the House to ransom”. 

SC rejects PIL against Andhra bifurcation
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, August 26
The Supreme Court today dismissed a PIL against the move to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh for the formation of a separate Telangana state, observing that the petition was premature.

“The Central Government will take the matter to Parliament which will accept or reject it,” a Bench comprising Justices HL Dattu and SJ Mukhopadhaya remarked while rejecting the PIL. The petitioner had contended that there was no justification for the formation of Telangana as similar demands from other states such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Assam and West Bengal were pending for several years.

Also, the bifurcation move had resulted in agitations in Andhra Pradesh and set in a feeling of insecurity and fear among the people, the petitioner argued. 

Make India energy sufficient: Pranab to scientists
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, August 26
President Pranab Mukherjee has exhorted scientists and technologists to take a cue from the US towards turning a country from being a huge net energy importer to an energy self-sufficient country.

Addressing the scientists after inaugurating the advanced Crude Oil Research Centre at Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Indian Institute of Petroleum (CSIR-IIP), in Dehradun today, President Pranab Mukherjee said that it had been projected that by 2030, India would have to meet 90 per cent of crude oil, 60 per cent of natural gas and 57 per cent of coal requirements through imports, which will incur huge foreign exchange outgo to buy expensive energy. He said, however, ''scientists and technologists of our country were still to debate on efforts to make the nation self-sufficient in energy.''

''I am yet to hear a debate by our scientists and technologists as to how our country can become self-sufficient in energy. Even the more optimistic experts point out that India has insufficient energy resources,'' he said.

Citing an example of United States, he said US too faced similar debate but it proved everyone wrong when it turned itself from being a huge net energy importer to being energy self-sufficient through the discovery of shale gas. ''This has been possible because of a crucial technological breakthrough in efficient recovery of shale gas,'' he added, hoping for similar innovations from the country's scientists and technologists.

Referring to the recent Uttarakhand disaster, the President asserted that the recent deluge in Uttarakhand was a wakeup call for the entire nation. ''We need energy to sustain growth but it has to be ecologically safe,'' he said.

Describing CSIR IIP as a front-ranking research institution of the country, he said it was a matter of pride that CSIR IIP had till date evaluated more than 500 crude oils, which he said had immensely boosted domestic refining capabilities of the country.

Uttarakhand Governor Aziz Qureshi lauded President Pranab Mukherjee's ability as effective statesman. He said even before becoming President, Pranab Mukherjee always played an important role in resolving key issues of the country. Uttarakhand Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna in particular appreciated the President's role towards ensuring prompt assistance to Uttarakhand in the aftermath of rain disaster. Chief ccientist, CSIR, SM Nanoti, and Director, CSIR, IIP, MO Garg, and senior IIP scientist SK Sharma also addressed the gathering. Earlier in the day, President Pranab Mukherjee attended the Annual Convocation of the University of Petroleum and Energy Studies (UPES) at Dehradun.

Addressing the students, President Pranab Mukherjee yet again reiterated that India was the fourth biggest consumer of energy in the world, after US, China and Russia and asserted that energy resources in the country were inadequate to sustain high levels of consumption.

RS approves Bill to make divorce women-friendly
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 26
The Rajya Sabha today passed a Bill to amend marriage laws that seeks to provide for irretrievable breakdown of marriage as a ground for divorce with certain safeguards to the wife and children. The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010, aims to make divorce friendly for women providing for the wife’s share in the husband's immovable property after "irretrievable breakdown" of marriage.

Replying to a brief debate, Law Minister Kapil Sibal said there was a need to protect women's rights as the society was still patriarchal. “So let's be clear. Legislations are a message that MPs are on the side of women in a patriarchal society. With this intent we bring this Bill," he said. Sibal said the wife’s share in the husband's self-acquired property will be decided by court.

According to the new clause, if ancestral property cannot be divided, a woman should get sufficient compensation by calculating her husband’s share in it. The amount of compensation can be worked out by the court hearing the divorce case. The Bill allows both parties to file for divorce on the ground of “irretrievable breakdown” of marriage. Both parties have to live apart for at least three years before filing for such a petition.

Provisions have been made to restrict grant of a decree of divorce on ground of "irretrievable breakdown" of marriage if the court is satisfied that adequate provision for maintenance of children has not been made consistently with financial capacity of the parties to the marriage. Also, the wife has the right to oppose the grant of a divorce on the ground that the dissolution could result in grave financial hardship. The Bill also provides that a court can take an ex parte decision on granting divorce if one of the two parties refuse to move a joint application.

Asaram summoned for sexual abuse probe

Ahmedabad/Jodhpur, Aug 26
Controversial self-styled godman Asaram Bapu was today summoned by the Jodhpur police to appear before it for questioning within four days over the sexual abuse allegation levelled against him by a minor girl. The summons was delivered in Ahmedabad to a representative of the 72-year-old Asaram.

"We have issued summons to Asaram Bapu and asked him to appear before us to record his statement within four days of receiving it," DCP (West) Jodhpur Police Ajay Pal Lamba told PTI in Ahmedabad. “We called Asaram Bapu's representative from the ashram to a local police station in Ahmedabad and executed the summons," he said.

"After the primary investigation it turned out that the victim's accusations were prima facie established. Hence we summoned Asaram Bapu to remain present before us, on or before August 30, to record his statement," Lamba said.

Lamba said an opportunity is being given to Asaram Bapu for presenting his version regarding the allegation levelled against him by the 16-year-old girl. Asaram, who was booked for allegedly sexually assaulting the girl in a Jodhpur ashram, is currently in Indore.

The self-styled godman claimed last night that he was innocent and regards the minor as his "daughter". His spokesman has also denied the charges against him. He has been booked under sections 376, 342, 506 and 509 of the IPC, section 8 of the Prevention of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and sections 23 and 26 of the Juvenile Justice Act.

When asked about the allegation that Asaram Bapu is used to evading summons issued either by police or inquiry commissions, Lamba said, "If he will not respond to our summons, we will issue another one and if he still ignores it, then we may initiate action for his arrest. But that will be considered only after August 30."

Besides the summons served on Asaram Bapu, notices have also been issued to the manager of Chhindwara gurukul in Madhya Pradesh, hostel warden and the main caretaker of Asaram, who was present at Manai ashram in Jodhpur with him on August 15, when the alleged sexual assault took place there.

The girl was studying in Asaram's Chhindwara gurukul before she was sent to Jodhpur ashram, police said. "In the investigation so far, we have found the allegations of the girl to be prima facie true and now we are giving Bapu a chance to prove that he was not guilty," Lamba said.

However, authorities at Asaram Bapu's ashram in Ahmedabad denied receiving any such communication from the Jodhpur police related to the complaint. "Until this moment, we have not received any communication either from the Jodhpur police or on their behalf from local police," said Asaram Bapu's Motera Ashram spokesperson Sunil Vankhede. — PTI 

Hang rape accused to stop crimes: Sushma Swaraj
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 26
The Opposition today questioned slack progress in the December 16, 2012, Delhi gang rape case after the government promised expeditious justice in the August 22 Mumbai incident saying evidence had been collected and all the five accused arrested.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj declared that rape accused should be hanged to create a firm deterrence and asked, “Even as we discuss the Mumbai gang rape case, it is very sad to note that no justice has yet been done in the Delhi gang rape case. The accused have still not been punished. Is this fast track justice? Hang one or two accused and you will see the crimes will stop.”

Sushma was supported in her argument by JDU’s Sharad Yadav and CPI’s Gurudas Dasgupta, with the latter also raising the incident where a woman cop in Jharkhand’s Latehar was gang raped by robbers while she was travelling.

Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, meanwhile, in a statement in Parliament said public order and the police were subjects exclusively dealt with by the states and the Maharashtra Government would do its “utmost to complete the investigation of the crime and prosecute the accused under law expeditiously.”

It was at this point that Sushma asked the government why none of the accused in the Delhi gang rape case had yet been brought to justice. “This despite Parliament passing an all new law,” she said.

Shinde informed the House that the young photojournalist gang raped in Mumbai had along with her male companion gone for a photo shoot to the Shakti mill compound at about 6 pm on the fateful day. “The accused restrained and separated them. Thereafter, the lady was gang-raped. Later on, both, the lady photojournalist and her male companion, were allowed to go at about 7 pm. They reached Jaslok Hospital, Mumbai, at 8 pm where the lady photojournalist is being treated,” the government statement said terming the incident shocking.

‘Involve students to create awareness about dengue’

New Delhi, August 26
Expressing concern over spurt of dengue cases in the national capital, Delhi Health and Family Welfare Minister A K Walia today said students should be involved to create mass awareness about the disease. Schools should become centres for sensitisation of society, he said at a meeting here.

Walia said students should be involved in the control strategy as they can play a vital role in creating awareness about dengue in their neighbourhood. As many as 89 cases of dengue have been reported in Delhi so far this year as compared to only nine cases in the corresponding period last year. He said it was alarming to find dense breeding of mosquitoes in various zones. — PTI

RS approves Bill to make divorce women-friendly
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 26 
The Rajya Sabha today passed a Bill to amend marriage laws that seeks to provide for irretrievable breakdown of marriage as a ground for divorce with certain safeguards to the wife and children. The Marriage Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2010, aims to make divorce friendly for women providing for the wife’s share in the husband's immovable property after "irretrievable breakdown" of marriage.

Replying to a brief debate, Law Minister Kapil Sibal said there was a need to protect women's rights as the society was still patriarchal. “So let's be clear. Legislations are a message that MPs are on the side of women in a patriarchal society. With this intent we bring this Bill," he said. Sibal said the wife’s share in the husband's self-acquired property will be decided by court.

According to the new clause, if ancestral property cannot be divided, a woman should get sufficient compensation by calculating her husband’s share in it. The amount of compensation can be worked out by the court hearing the divorce case. The Bill allows both parties to file for divorce on the ground of “irretrievable breakdown” of marriage. Both parties have to live apart for at least three years before filing for such a petition. 

Provisions have been made to restrict grant of a decree of divorce on ground of "irretrievable breakdown" of marriage if the court is satisfied that adequate provision for maintenance of children has not been made consistently with financial capacity of the parties to the marriage. Also, the wife has the right to oppose the grant of a divorce on the ground that the dissolution could result in grave financial hardship. The Bill also provides that a court can take an ex parte decision on granting divorce if one of the two parties refuse to move a joint application.

Population boom: Consider PIL suggestions, SC tells Centre
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, August 26 
The Supreme Court today asked the government to consider a PIL petitioner’s suggestions for initiating “innovative voluntary measures” to check the rapid growth of the country’s population, set to become the largest in the world by 2030 and cross the 170-crore mark by 2060. A Bench comprising Justices BS Chauhan and SA Bobde refused to entertain the PIL filed by social activist Avishek Goenka, but asked the Centre to treat it as proposals for controlling the expanding population.

The Bench said measures to bring down the population growth fell in the policy domain which was better left to the government. According to the petitioner, poor and illiterate people are largely responsible for the rapid growth as this section is caught in the vicious circle of misery. The Centre should ask all its ministries to create a space for family planning measures, besides involving the corporate sector and the print and electronic in the effort, the PIL pleaded.

SC seeks views on plea for NHRC chief’s removal
Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, August 26 
The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to file a status report on complaints of “misbehaviour” against former Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan and the plea for his removal as Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).

A Bench comprising Justices BS Chauhan and SA Bobde sought the response within three weeks on a PIL alleging that the ex-CJI and his relatives accumulated wealth in excess of their known sources of income during the tenure of Justice Balakrishnan in the SC.

Appearing for the PIL petitioner, NGO Common Cause, advocate Prashant Bhushan contended that nearly three years had lapsed since the complaint was given to the government with supporting documents. “The issue cannot be allowed to go on and on,” he pleaded. The Bench asked the Solicitor General to inform the court as to whether the Centre had disposed of the complaint or it was still pending. 

In Delhi, Bera bats for India-US ties
Says Modi can apply for US visa, but State Dept will decide

US Congressman Ami Bera (left) with former Indian envoy to the US Ronen Sen at an interactive session.

Ashok Tuteja/TNS
New Delhi, August 26
Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi can apply for the US visa if he so desires but a decision on his application can only be taken by the State Department, Ami Bera, the only Indian-American in the US Congress, said here today.

Asked why Modi, an elected Chief Minister, was being denied visa by the world’s oldest democracy, he said, “If the CM desires, he can apply... anyway, this is a State Department issue.” Bera was addressing former diplomats, intellectuals and journalists at an interaction organised by Aspen Institute here. Former Indian Ambassador to the US Ronen Sen moderated the programme.

On India-US relations, he agreed with suggestions that the ties had cooled somewhat in recent months but hastened to add that this was due to both countries being more occupied with domestic issues rather than any other reason. 

Bera, who is a member of the US Foreign Affairs Committee, called for stronger ties between India and the US. “The relationship between the world’s oldest democracy and the world’s largest democracy could become the most defining partnership of the 21st Century...the Indian-American community has a significant role to play in enhancing this relationship,” he added.

On Pakistan, he was of the view that India and the US should have a regular dialogue on the South Asian country because both have a shared interest in its stability. 

Bera acknowledged the crucial role being played by India in the reconstruction programmes under way in Afghanistan. It was in the interest of the US, India and Afghanistan to intensify trilateral consultations on the evolving situation in the war-torn country in view of the drawdown by foreign troops in 2014. 

Referring to Iran’s nuclear stand-off with the West, he said the US sanctions against the Islamic republic were aimed at conveying a strong message to the Iranian leadership that it could not pursue a weapon-oriented programme. “Iran acquiring nuclear weapons will trigger an arms race in the Middle east...this will be bad for the entire world.”