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Kejriwal govt wins trust vote in Delhi Assembly

NEW DELHI: The minority Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government on Thursday won a critical trust vote in the Delhi Assembly after all eight Congress legislators extended their support to it.

With only 28 legislators in the 70-member house, the AAP needed the backing of the Congress — whose 15-year rule ended in December — to remain in office. 

Eventually, the confidence vote moved by AAP leader and Education Minister Manish Sisodia was passed 37-32. The 31-strong Bharatiya Janata Party and the sole Akali Dal legislator voted against the government. 

Earlier in the day, the AAP government moved a confidence motion on the floor of the Delhi Assembly and urged members to rise above political affiliations and support alternative governance for the people of Delhi.

AAP leader Sisodia, while moving the vote of confidence, said, “It is not the individual MLAs who are sitting here; it is the people of Delhi who are sitting here... each of the 70 MLAs sitting here represent Delhi’s people.”

“The people of the country are watching today that what kind of decision will be taken here today,” he said.

“We are not a party, we are representatives of people and urge the MLAs of all party’s to rise above party lines and support alternate governance for the people of Delhi,” he said.

Sisodia said his party didn’t compromise to form the government. The people of Delhi gave AAP the “moral mandate” to form government, he said.

Terming it a historic day for AAP, Sisodia, who was flanked by Chief Minster Arvind Kejriwal, said, “We are here for development. We stand here to clean the politics of the country.

“We want to ensure that people in Delhi get clean water to drink and cheap electricity. We are here for the traders, farmers and youth of Delhi. We will improve the facilities for the people of Delhi,” he said.

Meanwhile, the main opposition BJP declared that it will vote against the confidence motion.

Party leader Harsh Vardhan, in his speech, launched a scathing attack on Kejriwal and his party for taking Congress support to form the government.

When Kejriwal had said that he would neither give nor take support from the corrupt Congress party, everyone had respect for him. He had even made strong statements like pledging not to enter into a coalition with Congress on a TV channel. But when such a pledge take in the name of his son is broken, it raises questions, he said.

“A party which Kejriwal used to refer as the most corrupt party, the party against which he contested elections, the party against which he said that if elected to power he will send corrupt ministers to jail, and will unearth all unfair trades of that government, he has taken support of that party.

“Today the country wants to know what was his compulsion to form a coalition with the same party,” said Dr Vardhan.

Attacking AAP’s decisions on water and electricity soon after coming to power, Dr Vardhan said the urgency shown by AAP in implementing populist measures is not reflected in taking on the corrupt.

He also claimed that people with the cleanest image got the maximum votes.

“People gave maximum seats to the most honest party (BJP), which emerged as the largest party.

“It is an irony that the party that was ruling for 15 years lost the power, the one which won the highest number of seats is sitting in Opposition and the one that stood second has formed the government,” he said.

Speaking on the confidence motion, Congress state chief Arvinder Singh Lovely said the party could give the support even for full five years if the AAP government worked in the interest of the people.

“Kejriwalji, you keep making statements frequently that the government could go in 48 hours. I assure you today that as long as you keep taking decisions in the interest of people of Delhi, there is no threat to your government.

“And should the need arise, we will support you for full five years so that you can give a good government.. as long as we feel that decisions that you take will not halt development and there is no sense of injustice to the state, we will keep supporting you... Our party’s support will be there for you in whatever decision you take for development and in the interest of people,” he said.

The Congress leader said that his party supported the government to avoid forcing another election on the people of Delhi.

Lovely, however, at the same time attacked the government over its recent decisions on enlarging the subsidy on power and free supply of water saying it was the House that can decide on shifting subsidy from one head to another and not the government.

“You are new to the government. The officials should have briefed you properly. The earlier budget had approved certain subsidies and that cannot be changed now. The House should have been involved. You have to fix accountability on the officials who misled you,” Lovely told the Chief Minister.

He also wondered what promises the government will put on hold if it decides to give subsidy worth Rs 1,300 crore.

Though caveating his response by saying that Congress does not want to begin its support to AAP on a negative note, Lovely said that even the free water decision of Government will not reach the intended beneficiaries and alleged that “water has become costlier” for Delhiites on the contrary.

He also told Kejriwal that his government should take “tough measures” against corruption irrespective of persons and departments concerned and that Kejriwal could definitely stumble upon it if MCDs ruled by the BJP are probed.

“When Kejriwal had talked about corruption of Delhi government, he had talked about MCDs as well. Something will be found out in Delhi government or not, it will definitely be found out in the MCDS,” Lovely said. — AgenciesBack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

West Bengal gangrape: 2 charged with murder 

KOLKATA: A murder case has been filed by the police against the two main accused in the gangrape of the 16-year-old girl who died of burns. The doctors treating the teenager said she was pregnant at the time of her death.

The death of the girl has sparked outrage in the city, with the family of the victim alleging that they have been threatened to leave the state by the city police.

“We have filed a murder case against the two main accused on the basis of the final statement of the girl in which she had said that she was set on fire,” Additional Commissioner of Police (Bidhannagar police) Anant said on Thursday.

“The doctor who was treating the girl also told us that the girl was pregnant at the time of the death. We have sent the foetus to the forensic science laboratory for determination of the age of the foetus,” he said.

The victim, who was gang-raped twice in October had died on December 31. Her family members had claimed that she was burnt alive by the culprits.

They met West Bengal Governor M. K. Narayanan on Thursday and demanded death penalty for the rapists and security for the family.

The family had also alleged that they have been threatened to leave the state by the city police along with the body of their daughter.

According to reports, the girl was first gang-raped on October 25 at Madhyamgram in the northern fringes of the city and found lying in a field near her house.

She was forcibly taken away by the same gang and gang-raped again when she was returning home with her parents after lodging a complaint with the local police station.

The severely injured girl was later found lying unconscious near the railway track at Madhyamgram the same day.

Her family thereafter changed their residence from Madhyamgram to Dum Dum in the city.

Six people were arrested after local residents demanded immediate action against the gang, but the victim’s family members alleged that on December 23, a close associate of the gang leader Chottu had visited their home and threatened them with dire consequences if the girl did not withdraw her complaint.

The girl received the fatal burn injuries the same day at her home. — PTIBack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ganguly yet to decide on resigning as WBHRC chairman

KOLKATA: Former Supreme Court judge Ashok Kumar Ganguly on Thursday said he has not yet ‘decided’ on whether to resign as the chairman of West Bengal Human Rights Commission (WBHRC).

“I have not decided anything,” Justice Ganguly told PTI in Kolkata.

Demands for his resignation from the WBHRC have echoed in several quarters following a three-judge Supreme Court committee’s indictment of him over allegations of sexual harassment of a female law intern in December, 2012.

Asked about his next course of action in view of the possibility of the Union cabinet taking up the issue on Thursday, Justice Ganguly said, “I will not comment on anything now.”

The government is likely to take a decision on Thursday on sending a Presidential reference to the Supreme Court for conducting a probe into allegation of sexual harassment against Justice Ganguly.

The Home Ministry would place a note before the Union cabinet (to discuss the issue of sending Presidential reference in the Justice Ganguly case), Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had said on Wednesday. — PTIBack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indian student assaulted in Australia remains critical

MELBOURNE: The condition of 20-year-old Indian student, who was brutally attacked on December 29, remains critical but was responding to medicine well, according to his brother.

Manrajwinder Singh from Reservoir was standing with his other two friends near the footpath east of Princess Bridge when they were approached by eight men of African appearance and a woman about 4.15 am (local time) on Sunday.

The trio were attacked by the gang who fled away with their mobile phones, according to a police statement.

Singh, a student of accounting course in Cambridge College here, remains in ICU at Alfred hospital after being operated once for serious head injury.

The victim’s brother Yadwinder Singh said his brother was still in induced coma but was responding well to medicines.

“He is not out of danger but he is responding well to medicines,” he said.

Yadwinder praised the hospital staff and the prompt work of the Victoria Police in nabbing the culprits.

“The hospital is giving the best medical treatment to my brother and I'm satisfied with the way the Victorian Police has responded to this incident,” he said.

“However, right now our main concern is the recovery of our brother,” Singh said.

While the investigations were still on, the Victoria Police has already arrested three attackers.

A 17-year-old Sydenham boy was charged with intentionally cause serious injury, robbery and theft and has been remanded in custody to appear at a children’s court on Thursday.

Earlier, a 16 year-old St Albans boy was charged with serious assault and remanded in custody.

The third arrest in the case, a 15-year-old Ascot Vale boy has been released and is expected to be charged on summons.

Officials at the Indian consulate in Melbourne are also in regular touch with the Singh’s family.

“We are in regular touch with the Singh’s family and have extended all the support we can offer,” Nirmal Chowdhry at the Indian Consulate here, who visited the victim at the hospital, said.

The Indian Consulate is helping out the family to speed up the visa process of the Singh’s parents who are currently in India.

On Wednesday, a group of Indian community members, including Councillor and former Darebin Mayor Tim Singh, and Australian Labour Party member Manoj Kumar visited the victim’s family to show their support and express sympathy.

Kumar said “safety is a biggest concern in nearby CBD area especially for students who work late night for their expenses and this is one of the example of safety failure.” — PTIBack

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Musharraf rushed to hospital with 'heart problem'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf was rushed to hospital on Thursday after suffering a "heart problem" on his way to court for a hearing in his trial for treason, police and an aide said.

The 70-year-old had been summoned to the special tribunal after failing to show up for two previous sessions due to security threats against him.

Jan Mohammad, a senior police official told the court in Islamabad that Musharraf had fallen ill while being transported to the hearing under heavy security.

"He has been shifted to Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology after he got heart problem," Mohammad said.

An aide to Musharraf, who is facing a series of criminal cases dating back to his 1999-2008 rule, told AFP the retired general was in "bad shape". — AFPBack

 

 
 



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