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With
general election 2014 only a few months away... Gujarat CM Narendra Modi addresses a public meeting at Raigarh on Friday. — PTI In Delhi, BJP candidates to have separate manifestos |
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Hooda hard sells Haryana in C’garh Cong’s 2nd list out; Sajjan’s Kumar’s son among 14 get ticket Leaders slug it out to secure ticket for their favourites DSGMC members violated Delhi Gurdwara Act: Jasjit SAD (Delhi-UK) president Jasjit Singh addresses a press conference in
New Delhi on Friday. A Tribune photograph Poll date in MP: Nov 25 Will return land if illegal: Amarinder Two IAF squadrons to get President’s Standards
Road regulator to be
in place before next Budget: Minister Second BJP MLA gets bail in UP riots case Al-Qaida-linked group has India in
crosshairs 3 die as Mangala Express derails near Nashik The accident site near Igatpuri in Nashik district on Friday morning. — PTI National press DAY Rumours, panic buying push salt to Rs 100/kg Mid-air scare
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Campaigning hits fever pitch Raipur/Raigarh, November 15 While the Gujarat Chief Minister attempted terse one liners such as - “Congress has only two tasks - dig on Modi and dig for gold” - to humour listeners, Congress managers remained unfazed dismissing Modi’s rally mania as a “sign of BJP’s desperation” after an astounding 67 per cent voting in tribal Bastar which the Congress believes it has earned. This vote will swing the results in Chhattisgarh with the BJP holding 11 of the 12 Bastar seats currently. “Why has Modi turned active after the Bastar voting? Signals are clear,” said Congress general secretary (Chhattisgarh) Mukul Wasnik who has been camping here since November 6 galvanizing supporters. Officially, state BJP led by Chief Minister Raman Singh has certainly outdone the Congress on the number of public meetings addressed, having hit around 150 since the first phase polling for 18 seats on November 11. The state has 90-member Assembly. The Congress, too, has marshaled its best to take on the BJP which is seeking a third term. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressed workers in Raipur recently and Congress president Sonia Gandhi held rallies in tribal Ambikapur and Bhilai constituencies. To raise the pitch ahead of D Day, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi will arrive for three rallies in Raigarh and Raipur districts tomorrow - the same areas Modi touched in his canvassing spree. This will be Rahul’s first appearance for the second phase canvassing in the state. Importantly, he is visiting Kharsian segment from where the Congress has fielded the son of former state president Nand Patel, who was killed in the May 25 naxal ambush which eliminated top Congress leadership in Chhattisgarh. Naturally, the ambush has been a recurring theme in Gandhis’ speeches with Congress manifesto promising schemes in the name of slain leaders if elected and a memorial at the attack site. But voters deny the issue’s pan-state resonance. “This matter is limited to segments from where wards of slain leaders are contesting. We are concerned with development on which Raman singh has done well,” says 80-year-old Ganga Ram Thakre, predicting BJP’s return. Another disadvantage the Congress faces in the state is - lack of a chief ministerial candidate to counter an aggressive two-time BJP CM Raman Singh, who is leading from the front and whose personal popularity is high. “It’s Raman Singh versus a faceless Congress here. I would still say both parties have equal chances. Whoever wins Bastar will win the state,” says Vinay Rathore, scooter repair shop owner in Raipur. Facelessness of the Congress in Chhattisgarh stares at you from huge hoardings the moment you enter Raipur city from Vivekanand airport. While BJP billboards bear Raman-Modi images crying out, "Kal aaj aur kal, Raman Singh aur kamal”. Congress’ all-Gandhi hoardings appear lonely.
Electioneering hots up
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In Delhi, BJP candidates to have separate manifestos
New Delhi, November 15 Delhi BJP chief Vijay Goel said the BJP would release its "main" manifesto on November 22 while manifestos at constituency-level will be prepared by the party candidates. He said water, power, corruption, price rise and "lack" of security for women will form the basis of BJP's campaign in the city. "We will come out with separate manifestos for assembly constituencies," he said addressing a press conference. Goel said the main manifesto will reflect the party's vision for Delhi. The BJP today announced that Azad Singh, Mayor of North Delhi Municipal Corporation, will contest from Mundka in North West Delhi.
— PTI
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Hooda hard sells Haryana in C’garh Raipur, November 15 “I am surprised that Haryana buys coal from Chhattisgarh but gives to farmers cheaper power than your CM Raman Singh gives,” Hooda said canvassing for a young party leader Vikas Upadhyay who is challenging BJP’s powerful minister and CM’s right hand man Rajesh Munat in the Raipur West seat here. The Raipur district has seven assembly seats of which the BJP holds five, three of the sitting MLAs being ministers in the state cabinet. Hooda’s canvassing plank was out and out Haryana and how it had outdone most states following UPA’s policies which Chhattisgarh under the BJP had lost out despite being natural resource rich. “We don’t have the bounty of nature like minerals or water or mines, but we still progressed because we followed the policies set out by the Congress-ruled UPA whereas the BJP proved to be a worthless government,” Hooda said attacking Raman Singh and questioning the absence of Chhattisgarh players from the medal winner tally in Commonwealth and Olympic Games where Haryana, he said, had done tremendously well. The Congress alone is pro-poor, said Hooda at the rally later brushing aside queries from local journalists about controversial land deals of Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra. “In a deal between two parties, how is the state government concerned about what one paid and what the other received. The case against Robert Vadra is malafide,” the Haryana CM said. Earlier in the rally, Hooda counted a series of measures Haryana had undertaken under the Congress rule to give widows and old age persons higher pensions than Chhattisgarh was giving and also to give honorarium of Rs 2000 to sarpanches. “Do you have anything like that here,” he asked the crowds accusing the BJP of the absence of “neeyat, neta and niti (character, leadership and policies). His justification - BJP kept changing leaders while the Congress stuck to one. Haryana CM will tomorrow address rallies in Bilha and
Raigarh.
Selja questions reduction in SC quota
Social Justice Minister Kumari Selja was also in Chhattisgarh on Friday to canvas for Congress candidates and took on Raman Singh for reducing the SC reservation in the state from 16 to 12%. The Congress has made this reduction a poll issue considering 9 of the 72 seats going to polls on November 19 are SC seats and the SCs hold sway on many more.
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Cong’s 2nd list out; Sajjan’s Kumar’s son among 14 get ticket New Delhi, November 15 Two former Delhi University Students’ Union presidents have also been selected by the party. Ragini Nayak and Amrita Dhawan, DUSU president in 2006 and 2007, respectively, will contest from Janakpuri and Tilak Nagar constituencies, respectively. The party has already announced 56 candidates for the December 4 Assembly elections out of which 42 are the sitting MLAs. Dayanand Chandela from Rajouri Garden is the only sitting MLA whose name was dropped by the party this time in view of serious criminal charges against him. Though, he is replaced by his wife, Dhanvantri Chandela, in the second list. The Congress has fielded new candidates in 13 of these 14 constituencies, except, Deepak Tyagi from Burari. These 14 candidates announced by the party in the second list will face a tough fight in the elections ahead as they have been Congress’ weakest area to make a mark. The party had lost 12 of these 14 seats in 2008 Assembly polls. The other names floated by the party include Inderjeet Singh from Rithala, KK Wadhwa from Rohini, Tasveer Solanki (Dwarka), Bijender Dutt Sharma (Najafgarh), Vinay Mishra (Palam), Virender Kasana (Greater Kailash), OP Bhiduri (Tughlakabad), Harnam Singh (Trilokpuri), Begraj Singh (Karawal Nagar). The Sikh population is dominant in eight constituencies out of the total of 70 in Delhi. These include Rajouri Garden, Hari Nagar, Kalkaji, Shahdara, Tilak Nagar, Moti Nagar, Timarpur and Rani Bagh. Meanwhile, Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee president Manjit Singh (GK) criticised the Congress for giving ticket to Jagpravesh and said it was like rubbing salt on the wounds of 1984 riot victims.
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Leaders slug it out to secure ticket for their favourites Ajmer, November 15 What is having a further effect on the choice of the candidates, especially in Ajmer, is the strong caste factor, which the residents actually feel could push the other important issues plaguing the region on the back-burner. Poll watchers point out that of the eight seats in Ajmer, Sachin Pilot could use his influence to secure a ticket for the candidate of his choice only in one constituency, that being Ajmer (South). On the other hand CP Joshi had a free run in Bhilwara and was able to get tickets for almost all his favourites. Quite similar was the situation in the BJP. Kataria wanted his man on the Sahada seat in the district, but Vasundhara Raje wanted someone else. While Kataria wanted Badri Prasad Chaudhuri to contest, Raje wanted another Jat leader to contest. But with Jat having lost on two previous occasions consecutively, there was a lot of opposition to him being given the ticket. Finally, Raje had her say in some way as she managed to get his younger brother the ticket. But overall, the situation does not seem to be very much in control of either party as of now with the local issues not being tapped. There is a very strong divide on the caste lines, but as of now neither the Congress or the BJP seem to have anything in hand to exploit the same, with the latter facing strong protests from the Vaish community. People in Ajmer district fear that the real issues might go unnoticed under the seize of rhetoric’s of caste panchayats. People’s concerns are that under the influence of caste factor, issues like corruption, inflation, better roads and healthcare facilities, sanitation, etc might be sidelined.
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DSGMC members violated Delhi Gurdwara Act: Jasjit New Delhi, November 15 Jasjit Singh said as per provisions of the Section 26 of the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Act 1971, DSGMC members cannot contribute in any way to any political party. Contesting assembly election by the DSGMC office-bearers is not only unconstitutional, but also a clear violation of law. He said before contesting the election, the DSGMC members should resign from the gurdwara committee. Reacting against the Jasjit’s statement, Sirsa said Jasjit has never been member of the gurdwara committee. He is not aware of rules and regulations. Jasjit’s statement shows his negative attitude. Kalka could not be contacted for the comment. Spokesman of the DSGMC said for the last 25 years, gurdwara committee members have been contesting General Election and they have been corporators and chairmen. Jasjit is doing all these things just for getting cheap publicity.
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BJP leaders busy pulling each other down, says Sonia
Khargone/Rewa, Nov 15 Addressing election rallies in Khargone and Rewa, Sonia also hit out at the Shivraj Singh Chauhan-led BJP government in Madhya Pradesh, alleging funds provided by the Centre for welfare schemes were “looted” by the “corrupt” establishment in the state. Sonia said BJP leaders were busy pulling each other down but they should realise that India is not just any other country which can fall prey to their “selfish” motives. — PTI
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Will return land if illegal: Amarinder Chandigarh, November 15 He categorically said: "If it is established that those who sold me the land did not have its rightful ownership and it belonged to the government, I am prepared to return it to the government." He also clarified that he had purchased only 120 kanals of land and not 795 kanals as mentioned in these columns based on the tribunal's report
today. He said he had mentioned the land transactions in his income tax returns also. He pointed out at no stage during the process of registration of the land any questions were raised about the legal ownership of the sellers of the land. Capt Amarinder pointed out the records showed the registries were done under the due process of law in a transparent manner and he had no reason to suspect at that time that the land did not belong to people from whom he had bought it as they had produced all documents which were duly verified before the registration. He said he was never asked by the commission to clarify his stand on the matter.
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Two IAF squadrons to get President’s Standards Chandigarh, November 15 The Standards are awarded to IAF flying or operational squadrons as a mark of recognition of their service to the nation. Non-flying establishments are awarded the
Colours. A squadron becomes eligible for the award of the President’s Standards after completion of 18 years. Besides President Pranab
Mukherjee, Punjab Governor Shivraj Patil, Chief Minister Parkash Singh
Badal, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne and a host of civilian and military dignitaries and retired officers from the two squadrons will be present at the airbase, home to No. 220 Squadron and Su-30 fighters. The squadron was formed before the 1965 Indo-Pak war at Pune by Sqn Ldr NF Watts and during the war was engaged in air
defence, ground attack and close air support missions, playing a major role in thwarting enemy advances in the Chamb-Jaurian sector. During the 1971 Indo-Pak war, the squadron operated from
Uttarlai, conducting 33 missions involving shooting down enemy Sabre aircraft, destroying four supply trains and other support sorties. In June 1981, the squadron was converted on to the MiG-23 aircraft and later disbanded after the aircraft were phased out in 2009. Now known as the Desert Tigers, the squadron was resurrected in 2011 with the Su-30 and is the first squadron in the Western Air Command to receive this aircraft. The other unit to receive the Standards, No. 32 Squadron, the Thunderbirds, is based at Jodhpur and flies the MiG-21 Bison. Raised on the Mystere aircraft by Wg Cdr ER Fernandes at Adampur in Punjab in October 1963, the squadron carried out deep strikes inside Pakistan during the 1965 war. In 1971 it operated from Amritsar with Su-7 aircraft and was the first unit to attack Shorkot airfield. The squadron won a Maha Vir
Chakra. After a stint in Hindon, tasked with the defence of New Delhi, the squadron converted to the MiG-21 in 1984 and moved to
Rajasthan.
Top honours
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Road regulator to be
in place before next Budget: Minister New Delhi, November 15 “We are looking to put in place a regulator before the next Budget. The draft Bill is ready and the regulator will be an authority that can make judicious and adjudicatory decisions. Projects are often spread over 25 years and the regulator will look at concerns such as debt management and restructuring of projects,” Fernandes said. The roads ministry has prepared a draft legislation to establish an industry regulator with both enforcement and advisory functions. The Regulatory Authority for Highways in India Bill, 2013, proposes to give adjudicatory powers to the proposed regulator in areas such as contract dispute resolution, enforcement of contractual provisions and renegotiation of future contracts. This means decisions taken by this authority will be legally enforceable. The road regulator will have adjudicatory powers to deal with concerns such as contract disputes and renegotiation of future contracts and the decision taken by the body will be legally enforceable. The regulatory authority is proposed to have jurisdiction on national highways and any other road under the administrative control of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. It will also have an advisory role in areas such as renegotiation of existing contracts, setting service standards, project entry and exit options, tariff structuring and toll mechanisms, knowledge management, and specific policy issues.
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Second BJP MLA gets bail in UP riots case Lucknow, November 15 Rana came out of the jail after almost two months when District and Sessions Judge Rama Jain granted him bail on two surety bonds of Rs one lakh each. He has already been granted bail in two other related cases. MLA from Thana Bhawan constituency of Shamli, Rana was the first BJP MLA to be arrested in Lucknow on September 20 after a court had issued non-bailable warrants against 16 persons for their alleged role in the communal violence. The riots, which started after some khap and political leaders delivered inflammatory speeches at a mahapanchayat, had resulted in the death of 62 persons and rendered 50,000 homeless. After the intervention of the newly-appointed Meerut IG Ashutosh Pande, the khap heads from Muzaffarnagar and adjoining districts have postponed their proposed programme to court arrest from today as a mark of protest against the frequent police raids in villages in connection with the riots. The district administration has assured them that a senior state government representative would meet them soon to address their grievances. In a related development, the state government has conceded to Justice Vishnu Sahai’s request to extend the tenure of the commission probing the Muzaffarnagar riots by six months, said Special Secretary Saroj Kumar.
Was first to get arrested
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Al-Qaida-linked group has India in
crosshairs Srinagar/ New Delhi, Nov 15 The leader of the group, who uses pseudonym Abdur Rehman al Hindi, announced the formation in the video statement released this week. In New Delhi, officials confirmed the existence of the video. These are actually fringe groups within the main frame of the Al-Qaida looking to assert their authority. It goes without saying that India could be the possible target as the Al-Qaida has been weakened to an extent that it would not be in a capacity to attack the US. Thus, the easiest and closest target is India. In August this year, Al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahri issued specific guidelines that had endorsed the right of militants to fight Indian forces in Kashmir. Also captured Indian Mujahideen (IM) elements like Abu Jundal have revealed of their close ties with Al-Qaida. In the latest issue, the ‘Al Hind’ video statement is titled ‘From Kandahar to Delhi’ and shows seven armed individuals, including al Hindi at an unknown location. While five militants have their faces covered with scarves, the faces of three, including al Hindi’s, has been blurred. Indian agencies are studying the video. The use of the name ‘Al Hind’ was common with Indian Mujahideen during 2007-08. The statement assumes significance as it was released on a web forum, which has been exclusively releasing statements of Al-Qaida’s central command and its affiliate branches in Yemen, Syria, Somalia and other places. The forum also releases communiqués from Al-Qaida chief Ayman al Zawahiri, including his several latest releases some of which included references to fighting in Kashmir. This year, Al-Qaida and its affiliate groups which include Tehreek-e-Taliban, Pakistan, and Tehreek-e-Taliban, Punjab, have increasingly mentioned Kashmir as the next theatre of war once US draws out of Afghanistan. Senior Indian Army commanders and analysts have also warned of a “ripple effect” of the US’ withdrawal from Afghanistan impacting the region. In the statement, which echoed the rhetoric of several Al-Qaida statements issued this year, al Hindi incites Indian youth to fight and warns of “avenging” the events of Gujarat, Assam and Hyderabad. The statement also mentions recent rioting in Uttar Pradesh’s Muzaffarnagar and warns that “we never forget our enemies”. “Sons of this ummah (nation) are marching to you from the land of faith Afghanistan,” al Hindi warns. The video includes trademark Al-Qaida visual theatrics, including graphics showing a path emerging from Afghanistan’s Kandahar, going through Pakistan and leading to Indian capital New Delhi through Punjab state. In a trailer version of the video statement, released last month, the militants identified as Abu Mohammad and Abu Baseer of Uttar Pradesh, Abu Mus'ab and Abu Saeed of Karnataka are shown firing machine guns in an unidentified mountainous region.
Terror threat
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3 die as Mangala Express derails near Nashik Mumbai, November 15 Central Railway officials said the incident occurred around 6.30 am when the train was negotiating the mountainous terrain of the Western Ghats. The coaches that went off the tracks were S-8, S-9, S-10, S-11, B-1, B-2, B-3, A-1, GS-1 and SLR. The derailed coaches were tossed on to the adjacent tracks disrupting rail traffic. The railway officials said the injured had been taken to hospitals at Igatpuri, Ghoti and Nashik. Ten buses were arranged to ferry 450 passengers to the Igatpuri railway station from where a special train with 22 coaches was organised to take the passengers on their onward journey to Ernakulam in Kerala, the officials said. The derailment led to cancellation of the Mumbai-Manmad Rajyarani Express, the Mumbai-Manmad Panchavati Express, the Mumbai-Bhusawal Passenger and the Nanded-Mumbai Tapovan Express. The Mumbai-Nanded Tapovan Express was terminated mid-journey at Kalyan in Thane district. Another 11 long-distance incoming and outbound trains from various locations such as Howrah, Varanasi, Lucknow, Guwahati, Ranchi, Nagpur, Rajendranagar and Bhubaneswar were diverted through alternative routes, officials said. Sources at Nashik said the S-10 coach bore the brunt of the impact and piled on to another coach. Most of the casualties were reported from this coach. While one passenger died in the coach, the others died at the hospitals, local officials said. Fifteen of the injured passengers received serious injuries, sources said.
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Stalwarts to discuss media’s role in serving public interest today Tribune News Service New Delhi, November 15 In Delhi, the Press Council of India is organising a seminar on “Role of Media in Serving Public Interest and Conferment of National Awards for Excellence in Journalism”. Vice-President Hamid Ansari will launch the day-long celebrations at which Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari will be the guest of honour. Press Council of India Chairman Justice Markandey Katju will preside over the inaugural function. Stalwarts of the print media in the country will take part in the deliberations.
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Rumours, panic buying push salt to Rs 100/kg
Patna/Kolkata, November 15 Fifteen people have been arrested and 21 FIRs lodged against those indulging in rumour-mongering about shortage of salt in various districts in Bihar, Principal Secretary (Food and Consumer Protection) Shishir Sinha said. Sinha said the profiling of the arrested persons was being done to find out their role in creation of artificial crisis about salt. More arrests and FIRs were likely in this connection, he said, adding the rumour mongers spread falsehood in a manner in Odisha and Bihar.
— PTI
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Rahul meets Bihar Cong leaders Writing goof-ups at Congress rallies
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Raipur/Raigarh, November 15
Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi-UK) president Jasjit Singh (UK) today threatened to approach the Election Commission to get nominations of the DSGMC general secretary Manjinder Singh Sirsa and joint secretary Harmeet Singh Kalka cancelled, who had been given tickets by the SAD
(Badal) to contest the Delhi Assembly election.
At least three passengers were killed and 37 others injured when 10 compartments of the Nizamuddin-Ernakulam Mangala Lakshadweep Express derailed between Ghoti and Igatpuri railway stations, near
Nashik, early this morning.
“Congress’ prince Rahul Gandhi keeps hammering change. Will someone tell him that the systems he wants to change are the ones his father and grandmother created,” Modi said to an amused gathering in Raigarh where the venue had to be shifted to a bigger stadium at the last moment, courtesy swollen crowds. 
In the second list of 14 candidates released by the party, former BJP legislator Harsharan Singh Balli has been given ticket from the Hari Nagar constituency. Balli, who has been four-time Member of Legislator (MLA) from the area, joined the Congress on Tuesday after he was denied a ticket from the BJP.
While
there was a major tussle between Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, senior
Congress leader CP Joshi and the Union minister Sachin Pilot to secure tickets for their candidates in the Congress, the situation was not quite different in the BJP as well with the chief ministerial candidate Vasundhara Raje and the state leader Gulanchand Kataria slugging it out.
Giving the break up, he said the first registry was done on March 14, 1997, for 42 kanals and 7 marlas (registry No. 2205), two separate registries were done on April 1, 1997, for 24 kanals and 40 kanals (registry Nos. 13 and 15) and another registry was done on April 25 for 13 kanals and 13 marlas.
