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coal storm
Parakh reversed decision to favour Birla: CBI
Ministers, India Inc concerned over FIR against Birla
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Will be elated if Modi becomes PM: Advani
LS poll: Congress, NCP set to begin seat-sharing talks
Cong state leaders holding dual posts told to quit one
Toll 36; Odisha wants Rs 1,523-cr aid
SC: Fine can’t be more than twice the bounced cheque amount
Ensure litter-free rallies: NGO to politicians
Mob attacks police for raiding illegal abattoir, six injured
Telangana turmoil
Indian, Bhutanese troops undertake cycle expedition
A ‘joke’ for Congress, a shot in the arm for BJP
Witch-craft haunts Assam village
India to have tsunami warning system soon
Shiv Sainiks force cops to arrest man for Facebook post
Shirdi temple, Thackerays receive bomb threat
Lingayat Mutt chooses Malala for award
Couple beaten up for 'affair'; 4 cops suspended
Asaram refused to cooperate for potency test, says doc Govt may rename PDS after Indira Gandhi MP minister gets EC notice
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Cong, BJP, Left trade charges
Vibha Sharma/TNS
New Delhi, October 16 Parakh’s remarks prompted demands of the PM’s resignation by the BJP and a “fair and transparent” probe by the Left parties. The Congress dismissed the charges, counselling the Opposition to be restrained while commenting on a sub-judice matter. The BJP termed Parakh’s statement a “unique turnaround” in the multi-crore coal scam and reiterated its demand for the resignation of the PM who “was then the Coal Minister under whose signature and seal the monumental scam happened.” “As much as 17 billion tonnes of coal reserves worth Rs 50 lakh crore were allocated to over 140 private companies free of cost during 2006 to 2009. In the bizarre allotment, neither the state exchequer got any benefit nor did the ultimate consumer receive any benefit by way of cheap power. The only beneficiary seems to be the ruling party. This is a monumental corruption that the Congress-led government is desperately now trying to cover up,” BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said. His senior colleague Yashwant Sinha also counselled the former coal secretary to reveal “details about how coal files were disposed of”. “He has spoken a little. He should come out clean now, make public statements on how files were disposed of at that time, how chits were received from Congress party headquarters and the PMO and how the PMO transmitted those instructions to the Coal Ministry for allotment of coal blocks either to the favourites or to persons with whom they had struck deals,” Sinha said. CPM leader Sitaram Yechury said that though the PM had “reluctantly” made a statement in the Rajya Sabha on the issue, several questions remained unanswered. “What is required is a speedy completion of the investigation and a thorough revelation of who did what and on that basis, action must follow,” he said. Jumping to the defence of his party and the PM, I&B Minister Manish Tewari called the BJP a “self-firing automatic weapon which is unfortunately full of blanks”. “Our attention has been drawn to some reports which have appeared in sections of the press today. Most respectfully, I would like to submit that the entire matter is under investigation that is being monitored by the Supreme Court of India directly. Therefore, in a sub-judice matter where investigations are in progress, it is inappropriate for people to be commenting in a manner in which they've done” he said. Tewari said it was “not important as to what the BJP has to say because they have been saying this for the past 10 years. But responsibility and propriety demand that in an investigation which is being monitored by the apex court, people need to be restrained in their utterances”.
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Parakh reversed decision to favour Birla: CBI
New Delhi, October 16 In the FIR relating to allocation of Talabira II and III coal blocks in 2005, the CBI has named Parakh, Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla and Hindalco on various charges, including criminal conspiracy and criminal misconduct on part of government officials. The agency said during the 25th screening committee meeting, chaired by Parakh, applications of Hindalco and Indal Industries were rejected for mining in Talabira II and III "citing valid reasons". On the recommendations of the Screening Committee, the coal blocks were allocated to Mahanadi Coalfields and Neyveli Lignite Corporation, both public sector undertakings. These recommendations were placed before the "competent authority" that agreed with Parakh, who later issued letter of allocation to the PSUs on June 16 and July 15 of 2005. Within days, a "personal meeting" took place between Parakh and Birla in which the industrialist requested for the allocation of Talabira II coal block, the CBI said. "Pursuant to these letters and personal meeting between Parakh and Birla, Parakh, by abusing his official position as a public servant, recommended the allocation of Talabira II along with Talabira III coal block to Hindalco Industries Limited, along with other two companies without any valid basis or change in circumstances," the agency alleged in its FIR. Defending his decision, Parakh said: "There is absolutely nothing wrong with the decision." He wanted the PM should also to be included as a conspirator.— PTI
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Ministers, India Inc concerned over FIR against Birla
New Delhi, October 16 Corporate Affairs Minister Sachin Pilot said such a development would dampen investment sentiment, while Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma termed it as unfortunate. Describing the development as "unfortunate", Anand Sharma said it could raise questions over investor confidence in the country. In a veiled criticism of the CBI, he said the authorities should not "play to the gallery and create an environment of sensation and shock". A number of industry leaders have also expressed concern over the CBI action against Kumar Mangalam Birla, who heads $40-billion business conglomerate, Aditya Birla group, which is present across sectors like metals, mining, cement, retail, telecom, technology and finance. — PTI
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Will be elated if Modi becomes PM: Advani
Ahmedabad, October 16 It was a triangular meeting on one platform -- Modi; former Chief Minister and his friend-turned-foe Keshubhai Patel and foe-turned-friend Advani. While the three met at the Ahmedabad circuit house annexe for a meeting of the Somnath temple trust of which Patel is the chairman, Advani and Modi spent almost the entire day together dedicating to the people two public gardens under the Sabarmati river-front project and later an ultra-modern technical university IITRAM at Maninagar, the state Assembly constituency of Modi in Ahmedabad. Advani’s going back to the old tack and praising the Modi administration sky high for making Gujarat a model of development in India which was “praised even abroad” and his statement expressing happiness at the prospect of his one-time political disciple becoming the Prime Minister gave an indication that the veteran BJP leader might have started reconciling with the changed situation. He could be eyeing the Gandhinagar constituency for re-contesting in the coming Parliamentary elections, a possibility that looked very bleak a few days ago when Advani openly objected to Modi being named the prime ministerial nominee by the BJP. Advani, however, will have to first cross the hurdle of the RSS which want the BJP to compulsorily retire all aspirants above the age of 75. It was the second time that Advani appeared on the same dais with Modi after the recent Bhopal rally, but the first on the Gujarat soil since the relations between the two soured on the prime ministerial nomination. But despite sharing the same dais, travelling together in the same vehicle from the circuit house annexe to the Sabarmati river front and again taking a ride on a golf cart together to see the public gardens he inaugurated, the distance that Advani maintained from Modi and his body language showed that the veteran leader was mentally finding it difficult to allow his “protégé” to supercede him in the run-up for the prime ministership. Sources in the BJP said the possibility of Patel, presently the president of the Gujarat Parivartan Party, virtually a breakaway group of the BJP, returning to the parent organisation was not discussed in the presence of Advani as was expected before the meeting.
Why the change of heart
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LS poll: Congress, NCP set to begin seat-sharing talks
Mumbai, October 16 Sources in both parties said the talks could stretch into several rounds with the final decision being taken by the Central leadership of the respective parties. As in the past, both outfits are raising their demands in order to gain an upper hand over each other in carving up the 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state. A tough-talking Congress is demanding that the ally concede more seats than it did in the last election. "There is a demand from our MPs and ministers that we demand more seats than in the last elections," Maharashtra Congress Committee president Manikrao Thakre told reporters. Congress sources say they want the party to contest in 29 seats from the 26 it did in the 2009 parliamentary elections. While the party won 16 of the seats it contested, the NCP bagged just eight of the 22 seats in which it fielded its candidates. "Taking into account the ground realities, the NCP should not demand more seats. Apart from poor performance in the last Lok Sabha elections they have also fared poorly in the local body elections as well," says a Congress leader. Several opponents of NCP supremo Sharad Pawar in the Congress are demanding that their party contest all the seats if seat sharing talks do not work out. The NCP, however, is sounding characteristically conciliatory.
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Cong state leaders holding dual posts told to quit one
New Delhi, October 16 In a letter issued to all AICC general secretaries, Pradesh Congress presidents and Congress Legislature Party leaders recently, Congress general secretary in charge of organisation Janardan Dwivedi said: “This is to remind you about the decision of the party that except in extraordinary situations, no party person should have dual posts, which means a post in the party organisation as well as in the government or as the head of any board, corporation or commission. This should be followed at every level.” By extraordinary situation, the Congress means party president Sonia Gandhi’s dual positions. Sonia is both the UPA chairperson and the head of the National Advisory Council. As the party president and chief of the ruling coalition, she has certain prerogatives, the party maintains. The decision to direct party men to hold one position was taken by Rahul Gandhi, now Congress vice-president, at the time of the last AICC reshuffle. Rahul has himself consistently denied a ministerial offer from the PM, choosing to work in the party organisation. Following his directive, top ministers quit one of the two positions they were holding-former minister Ajay Makan resigned even before he was made the general secretary in charge of AICC communications department recently. Ambika Soni resigned as a minister upon becoming AICC general secretary in charge of Congress president’s office; Ghulam Nabi Azad chose to keep the Health Ministry and quit as the general secretary in charge of Andhra from the AICC; Mukul Wasnik quit the Cabinet after becoming the AICC general secretary; and Jitender Singh chose to be the MoS Defence, giving up his party position as the AICC secretary. While at the AICC level, Rahul’s directive has more or less been followed (except by Manish Chatrath who is both the AICC secretary and the chairperson of the Delhi Tourism and Transport Corporation); at the state level, several senior Congress leaders have yet to comply with it, including around nine from Haryana and Himachal. The following persons from Haryana have yet to comply with the directive: Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president (a party post) Phool Chand Mullana also holds the rank of a minister as the Deputy Chairman of Haryana High Power Committee on 20-Point Programme (a government post); while Karnal MLA Sumita Singh is the Haryana Mahila Congress chief as well as the Chairperson of the Haryana Warehousing Corporation. In the Virbhadra Singh-led Himachal, seven leaders have yet to give up one of the two positions held by them. They are: Former Shimla MLA Harbhajan Singh Bhajji, currently the general secretary in the Himachal Pradesh Congress Committee (a party post) and the vice-chairman of the Himachal Pradesh Water Management Board; former minister Harsh Mahajan, Himachal Congress vice-president and chairman of the Himachal State Cooperative Bank; former Forest Minister Ram Lal Thakur, currently both general secretary in the Himachal Congress and Chairman of the state’s 20-point programme in the rank of a minister. Other Himachal leaders holding two posts in AICC list are: Former Himachal Assembly Speaker Gangu Ram Musafir (vice-president in the Himachal Congress and Chairman of the Himachal Financial Corporation); Congress stalwart Kuldeep Singh Pathania (chief spokesperson of the Himachal Congress and Chairman of the Himachal Pollution Control Board); Inder Lakhanpal (Chief Parliamentary Secretary in Himachal and state in charge of the Sewa Dal, Congress’ frontal organisation); Kewal Singh Pathania (spokesperson of the Himachal Congress and Vice-Chairman of the Himachal Forest Corporation).
Nine cases in haryana, himachal
Nine politicians from the region are in the yet-to-comply list. Prominent among them are: Haryana Cong chief Phool Chand Mullana, former Himachal Forest Minister Ram Lal Thakur, former Himachal Assembly Speaker Gangu Ram Musafir and former minister Harsh Mahajan
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Toll 36; Odisha wants Rs 1,523-cr aid Bhubaneswar, October 16 The toll following the high-velocity cyclone and floods thereafter in five districts of the state rose to 36 today after the recovery of eight more bodies. Of these, five were found in Balasore while three bodies were recovered in Mayurbhanj district, a senior official said. "In order to take up relief and restoration work of an immediate nature, I request you to release an advance of Rs 1,000 crore over and above the corpus of Rs 523 crore available in the State Disaster Response Fund for 2013-14," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Stating that it would help the state government in meeting the immediate requirements for relief and restoration, Patnaik said a detailed report in the form of a memorandum would be presented soon after the assessment of the damage. "An early response in the matter will be highly appreciated," Patnaik said. Highlighting the "extensive" damage caused to the power infrastructure in Ganjam district, Patnaik said that a major grid station had been devastated. "The power infrastructure requires immediate restoration, for which I have already sought the support of the Government of India, particularly the PSUs under the Ministry of Power such as PGCIL, NTPC and NHPC," Patnaik said. — PTI
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SC: Fine can’t be more than twice the bounced cheque amount
New Delhi, October 16 First and foremost is the fact that the power to levy fine is circumscribed under the statute to twice the cheque amount. "Even in a case where the court may be taking a lenient view in favour of the accused by not sending him to prison, it cannot impose a fine more than twice the cheque amount. That statutory limit is inviolable and must be respected," a Bench of Justices TS Thakur and Vikramajit Sen said. It set aside the Calcutta high court order which had directed a person to pay Rs 1,49,500 as against the cheque amount of Rs 69,500. In this case, a trial court had sentenced a person to six months imprisonment and directed him to pay compensation amounting to Rs 80,000 in a cheque- bounce case. The accused, Somnath Sarkar, then approached the high court which directed him to pay an additional Rs 69,500 to the complainant and his jail term was waived. Sarkar then moved a mercy plea before the Supreme Court saying that he was not capable of paying the amount. The court after hearing his plea set aside the high court order and reduced the amount of Rs 69,500 to Rs 20,000. "The high court has, in the case at hand, obviously overlooked the statutory limitation on its power to levy a fine," the Bench said. — PTI
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Ensure litter-free rallies: NGO to politicians
New Delhi, October 16 Thousands of rallies are held across the country during and before elections and all kinds of waste is found strewn after the rallies, the NGO, Imagindia Foundation which is running the ‘Come, Clean India’ campaign, said. “It often looks like a tsunami of waste has swirled through the ground, roads and streets after such rallies, which also sends a signal that leaders who arrange these rallies are callous towards cleanliness in India,” a spokesperson of the campaign said. He said a recent statement by Narendra Modi that India needs toilets more than temples, and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh’s remark on the same issue, indicates rare bipartisan support on the issue of sanitation and cleanliness in India. The organisation asked politicians to show their commitment towards making toilets, sanitation, zero-litter and clean rivers a reality in India. Asking Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to declare their rallies as litter free, the spokesperson said, “We sincerely urge both the leaders that they must lead India by declaring that henceforth, their election rallies shall be litter free and proper attention will be paid to waste management. “They (should) galvanise change for a clean India and demonstrate leadership by showing visible respect for cleanliness at their rallies.” Terming it as an opportunity for the leaders to show their commitment to a clean India, he said, “We should introspect why India is today perhaps the world’s dirtiest country?” — PTI
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Mob attacks police for raiding illegal abattoir, six injured
Vadodara, October 16 Six persons, four policemen and members of a local cow protection committee, were injured when the mob pelted them with stones and also set a police vehicle on fire, they said. While two persons received minor injuries, four others were admitted to SSG Hospital here for treatment. — PTI
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GoM seeks feedback from public
New Delhi, October 16 The Home Ministry said the feedback should be related to the terms of reference and should be mailed to feedbacktogom-mha@nic.in The GoM, headed by Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, was constituted to address all the issues that need resolution at the Central and state government levels in the matter. Defence Minister AK Antony, Finance Minister P Chidambaram, Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ghulam Nabi Azad, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas M Veerappa Moily and Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh are the members of the GoM. Minister of State for Personnel and Prime Minister's Office, V Narayanasamy, is the Special Invitee on the panel. The terms of reference for the GoM are: Determine the boundaries of the new state of Telangana and the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh with reference to the electoral constituencies, judicial and statutory bodies, and other administrative units and look into the legal and administrative measures required to ensure that both the state governments can function efficiently from Hyderabad as the common capital for 10 years The panel will take into account the legal, financial and administrative measures that may be required for transition to a new capital of the residuary State of Andhra Pradesh and look into the special needs of the backward regions and districts of both the states and recommend measures. It will also look into issues relating to law and order, safety and security of all residents and ensure peace and harmony in all regions and districts consequent to the formation of the state of Telangana and the residuary state of Andhra Pradesh, and the long term internal security implications arising out of the move and make suitable recommendations. The GoM met for the first time on October 11 and gave assurance that the concerns of Andhra Pradesh would be addressed with "fairness and objectivity". The next meeting of the GOM will be held on October 19. — PTI
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Indian, Bhutanese troops undertake cycle expedition
Chandigarh, October 16 The expedition, flagged-off from Drugyel Dzong in Bhutan by the Commandant, Indian Military Training Team (IMTRAT) on October 12, was received and flagged-off to its next destination from Binnaguri Maj Gen BK Pande, General Officer Commanding, Kripan Division, yesterday, according to a statement issued here. The 25-member team of soldiers from both armies is being led by Lt AK Singh of 4 Dogra. The Dogra regiment comprises troops belonging to Himachal Pradesh and part of Punjab and Jammu region. Over a course of seven days, the team members will traverse 473 km through Drugyel Dzong, Chimakothi (both in Bhutan), Hasimara, Binnaguri, Bagrakot, Pedong, Sevoke and Sukna in West Bengal, where it is scheduled to be flagged-in on October 18 the General Officer Commanding 33 Corps, Lt Gen KJ Singh.
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A ‘joke’ for Congress, a shot in the arm for BJP
New Delhi, October 16 Terming Madani’s remarks a disclosure on the “Congress strategy of exploiting minorities”, BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said it was now quite clear how the grand old party had been exploiting people for votes all these years. “It has been scaring voters to get their votes, but people are slowly recognising their game plan,” the Muslim face of the saffron party maintained. The Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind is known as the best crowd-puller among the minority community. For Modi, who is banking on the anti-Congress mood in the country and his personal image as a development-oriented leader, the real challenge is to counter anti-Muslim sentiments and attract “secular” parties as allies before 2014 poll. Trying desperately to amend his anti-Muslim image, it is an interesting turn of the events for the Hindutva poster boy considering that the grand old party believes that “Muslims don’t just detest the BJP and Modi, but hate them”. The saffron party believes Madani’s statement accusing the Congress of playing the secular card to garner votes while appearing soft on the Gujarat strongman will help the BJP in campaign and rallies, the first test of which will be at Kanpur on October 19. Though most political parties steered clear of the row, Congress spokesman Meem Afzal trashed the remarks as “joke”. “I wonder what the reason behind this newfound love between Madani and Modi could be,” he said yesterday, terming the remarks “an insult to the entire Muslim community”. An unperturbed Madani was, however, quoted as saying: “It is a totally different issue. What was Modi’s agenda and on what basis did he win the Gujarat election? The media has been observing a change in his approach during the run-up to the General Election... I won’t say about him now. My focus is solely on secular parties’ way of gaining Muslim votes.”
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Witch-craft haunts Assam village
Guwahati, October 16 The village is called Shikarigaon inhabited by Mising tribe people. Jorhat DSP Sanjukta Parashar said a police picket has been set up in the vicinity of the village to keep round-the-clock vigil so that nothing untoward happens there. She said an 11-year-boy in the village, who had been bogged down by pox, had named some villager accusing them of practising witch-craft. So far, the police has not registered any case in connection with the episode. Initial reports said the villagers were planning to murder them. A district official while allaying the apprehension claimed that the villagers had now decided to only ‘purify’ them through some rituals. The administration has tried to make some intervention with the help of local tribal institutions to prevent the situation spinning out of control. Meanwhile, Bhaskar Pegu, vice-president of Takam Mising Porin Kebang (TMPK), an influential social organisation among the Mising tribals, said superstition was deeply rooted in the community and the people could go to any extent under its influence. “We have been trying to tell the people that these are all superstitions that do no good. But it is difficult to convince them. In this case, the boy under the so-called spell of aai (mother goddess) has asked the people to keep the 35 persons under watch till he purifies them on the forthcoming Lakshmi puja day,” Pegu said from
Majuli.
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India to have tsunami warning system soon
New Delhi, October 16 China is also building a similar tsunami early warning centre in the South China Sea. The region currently gets alerts from Pacific Tsunami Warning Center (PTWC). Two years ago, the issue of having such a system in the South China Sea was raised in a meeting with the Regional Integrated Multi-Hazard Early Warning System for Africa and Asia (RIMES), a Bangkok based 18-member multi-governmental organisation, of which India is also a member. It was suggested that India should build capabilities of issuing early warning in an event of tsunami in the South China Sea, which was agreed upon by India. The South China Sea countries are also members of this organisation. Currently, the Indian Tsunami Early Warning System (ITEWS) in Hyderabad is cross-checking the data it receives. “After the 2004 tsunami, we had set up the ITEWS. We keep getting the data, so we have a system in place. Currently, we are cross-checking the data as giving correct information about when and where the tsunami will occur is paramount. This alone should take 3-4 months,” said Shailesh Nayak, secretary, Ministry of Earth Science (MoES). The next stage is setting up Bottom Pressure Recorder- the devices in the South China Sea that will record changing sea levels in an event of an earthquake and setting up of tidal stations. “For this, we would have to install these devices in the seas and this would require assistance from the countries in the region. The location for these devices is very important as it should neither be too far from fault line nor too close from it,” the official added. The South China Sea is over 3.5 lakh sq km area of disputed territorial waters that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan. Six countries — China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and the Philippines — stake claim over the sea and the Spratly archipelago. India plans to take approval from Inter-governmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC), the United Nations body for ocean science, observatories, data and information exchange and other services such as Tsunami warning systems. This would also help in better coordination and sharing of data with Indonesia and Australia. Acting as one of the Regional Tsunami Advisory Service Providers (RTSPs) for the Indian Ocean Region, the ITEWS also provides tsunami advisories to the Indian Ocean rim countries along with Australia and Indonesia. — PTI
The time frame
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Shiv Sainiks force cops to arrest man for Facebook post
Mumbai, October 16 The police said the trouble broke out late Tuesday night after a large group of Shiv Sena activists led by Bhartiya Vidyarthi Sena leader Vikas Repale tried to storm a housing society in Kalyan where the man who allegedly made the Facebook post resided. The police ensured that neither the man nor his family were harmed. “There was some tension but things are now peaceful. We have arrested one man for the Facebook post,” Thane police commissioner KP Raghuvanshi told reporters. On Tuesday evening, hordes of Shiv Sena cadres descended on the Madhav Sankalp Housing Society after hearing that a resident, Dhananjay Pathak, had posted something derogatory on Thackeray. However, Pathak’s relatives told the police that his page had been hacked and he was not responsible for the post. Another person who liked the post was arrested from Dadar in Central Mumbai, the police said. So far his name has not been released to the media. The police also added today that the Facebook page has been removed. Shiv Sena leader Repale said he had filed a complaint with the cybercrime cell of the Mumbai police. Last year two young women who had vented their anger at the state-wide shut down following Thackeray’s death were arrested by the police in
Palghar.
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Shirdi temple, Thackerays receive bomb threat
Shirdi/Indore, October 16 "The anonymous letter, written in Hindi, has also threatened to set off explosions on the same day at a local Shiv Sena office, Shiv Sena Bhawan at Dadar in Mumbai, the residence of Thackerays, 'Matoshree', the place of cremation of Bal Thackeray on Shivaji Park ground in Mumbai, besides famous Khajrana Ganesh temple in Indore," acting executive officer of Shirdi Trust Ajay More said. The letter further said the blasts will be triggered to avenge the killing of one Khalil and his relative in Indore. — PTI
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Lingayat Mutt chooses Malala for award
Bangalore, October 16 The Basavashree award for 2014 would be presented to Malala, said Shivamurthy Muruga Sharana of Sri Muruga Mutt in Chitradurga, Karnataka. Previous recipients of the prestigious award include Medha Patekar, Kiran Bedi, Shabana Azmi, Anna Hazare, Dalai Lama, PT Usha, Vandana Shiva, Swami Agnivesh and others. Malala will be first non-Indian to receive the award. “Our Swamiji has spoken to Malala’s family over phone. He has also spoken to people in the External Affairs Ministry. She will certainly come to India next year to receive the award. The function is normally held in Chitradurga. The function for giving the award to Malala is likely to take place as early as January next year”, Jayanna, public relations officer of the mutt, told this reporter. The award is given to honour people for their contribution to society. It carries a purse of Rs 3 lakh and a memento. Jayanna said Malala has been chosen for the award for her contributions in the field of women’s education. Jayanna added that the Basavashree award 2013 would also be presented to NR Narayana Murthy, chief founder of Infosys, for his contribution to the field of information technology.
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Couple beaten up for 'affair'; 4 cops suspended
Dhar/Indore, October 16 Dhamnod police station in-charge Mukesh Ijardar, a sub-inspector and two other policemen were suspended for negligence in their duties, said Indore Range's IG Vipin Maheshwari. 20 persons have been arrested in this connection, the IG said. The incident took place last night in the Dhamnod police station area of the district. The couple was roughed up, partially undressed and then paraded through Khokariya, Balwari and Bayadipura villages for their alleged "affair", the police said. The man was forced to beat a steel plate to tell people about his "acts" and was also beaten by a stick. — PTI
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Asaram refused to cooperate for potency test, says doc Ahmedabad, October 16 "He (Asaram) was brought for the test but did not cooperate for the same, so he was taken back by police," hospital superintendent, Dr MM Prabhakar, said. The magistrate's court in Gandhinagar had yesterday remanded Asaram in four-days' police custody. Asaram, 72, was brought to the city on Monday evening on a transit remand from a court in Jodhpur, where he was lodged in jail since August in connection with sexual assault charges against him by a girl hailing from Uttar Pradesh. Surat police also recently registered two complaints - one against Asaram, the other against his son Narayan Sai - of rape, sexual assault, illegal confinement and other offences, on the basis of a complaint filed by two sisters. The elder of the two sisters has accused Asaram of repeated sexual assault between 1997 and 2006 when she had been living in his ashram on the outskirts of Ahmedabad city. — PTI
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Govt may rename PDS after Indira Gandhi New Delhi, October 16 "There is a proposal to rename the existing Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS)," food minister K V Thomas said. "There are many suggestions like Indiramma Anna Yojana and Annapurna Scheme. We are considering Indiramma Anna Yojana and a final decision on it has not been taken yet." With Lok Sabha elections not far away, the thinking in the Congress-led UPA government is that late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's name would help it electorally in view of her pro-poor image. The food security law, a brainchild of UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi, could be projected as the unfinished task of Indira Gandhi's 'Garibi Hatao' campaign launched in the 1971 elections. The minister said the name of the food law would not be changed because that would require an amendment. "We are going to change the name of the scheme and not the law," Thomas said, adding that he is discussing the issue with Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh. — PTI
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New Delhi, October 16 Taking cognisance of his criticism of the model code at a programme of Rajput Sabha in Bhopal on October 14, the EC said that by doing so he has shown "utter disrespect and disregard" to the provisions of the code and asked him to reply by October 18. — PTI
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Ahmedabad, October 16
Bhubaneswar, October 16
