L A T E S T      N E W S

Rail budget focuses on transparency, safety: PM

NEW DELHI: Calling the railways an engine of development, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the railway budget unveiled Tuesday had its focus on transparency and passenger safety.

The Rs 149,176 crore Rail Budget presented in the Lok Sabha focused on "transparency and integrity" as well as the safety needs of commuters, Modi said in remarks later.

The budget "keeps in mind the development of India. We can see the great use of technology also", he said.

"This budget shows where we want to take the railways and at the same time where we want to take India through the railways," the prime minister said.

The budget introduces the country's first bullet train, to ply between Mumbai and Ahmedabad, and increase the speed of passenger trains up to 200-km an hour on select routes.

The budget "strengthens institutionalized mechanism" in the Indian Railway network, which carries 23-million passengers every day.

Modi said the railways play "a very important role" in the country's development.

He said the country should have paid more attention to railways after independence in 1947. "Better late than never." -Agencies

Trinamool, BJP members lock horns in LS

NEW DELHI: Members of Trinamool Congress and ruling BJP today locked horns and were almost on the verge of physical clash in the Lok Sabha as a result of which the House could not transact any business in the post-lunch session.

Trouble started as the House met following a break after presentation of the Railway Budget at 2.10 PM with Trinamool members demanding roll back of fare hike announced recently and accusing the government of giving "nothing" to West Bengal which is ruled by the party.

The uproar led to adjournment till 3 PM and then till 3.30 PM.

When the House re-assembled, agitated Trinamool Congress and AAP members trooped into the Well opposing the budget.

While Trinamool members were raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railway Minister D V Sadananda Gowda and the Railway Budget, BJP members raised counter slogans from their seats like 'abki baar Modi sarkar (this time Modi government)'.

Amid the war of slogans and counter-slogans, two BJP MPs rushed to the Well apparently accusing Trinamool members of disrupting proceedings.

A heated exchange of words ensued and members from the two sides came to the verge of a clash. A couple of marshals were also seen separating the members from the two parties.

Hukma Dev Narain Yadav, who was in the Chair, adjourned the House till 4.30 PM sensing the gravity of the situation as Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prakash Javadekar, his senior M Venkaiah Naidu and Minister Kalraj Mishra rushed to calm the tempers.

Some Congress members were also seen rushing to the Well to avert any ugly incident.
When the House again met after the adjournment, Trinamool leader Saugata Roy said BJP member Hari Narayan Rajbhar used "filthy language" against women members of TMC and "threatened" to beat them up when they were protesting in the Well against the budget.

This was objected to by the BJP members and an uproar followed.

Roy, who wanted to raise a Point of Order for restoration of order in the House, was countered by Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prakash Javadekar, who said people who disturbed the House were now complaining.

"We respect you (Trinamool members). But the issue is who disturbed the House... Those who disturb are complaining. Ask them to maintain order," Javadekar said.

There was also uproar when he said that people had elected BJP with a "massive majority". He went on to add that all 543 elected members are representatives of people and respected.

Later, agitated Trinamool members staged a dharna near the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Parliament House complex alleging that BJP members threatened to hit them and used objectionable language.

TMC member Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar told reporters that a BJP MP used derogatory language when they were protesting against the Railway Budget.

She said it was an unwarranted and uncalled for interference by BJP members. -PTI

Amit Shah likely to be named BJP chief tomorrow

NEW DELHI: Amit Shah (50) is likely to be announced the new chief of the BJP tomorrow. The announcement could come after a meeting of the top decision-makers of the ruling party. Shah is a close aid of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and had a played a vital role in the last General Election, especially in Uttar Pradesh, where the BJP won 71 parliamentary seats out of the total 80.

Source says that Shah’s name emerged with assembly polls due in Maharashtra, Haryana and Jharkhand. Other names doing the round were of JP Nadda and Om Prakash Mathur.- Agencies

Omar meets Sonia, Manmohan

New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and discussed various issues including the debacle of the alliance partners in the Lok Sabha polls.

The meeting lasted for nearly 30 minutes during which the National Conference leader briefed Gandhi about political health of his state, official sources said here.

The meeting assumes significance amid loud cries in both the parties that they should not contest the forthcoming polls, scheduled later this year, together.

However, there was no official word from either parties about today's deliberations, the first after the Lok Sabha elections results were declared on May 16.

National Conference, which had four MPs in previous Lok Sabha, drew a blank in this year's parliamentary polls.

Congress, which had two MPs in previous Lok Sabha from the state, could not get a single seat.

While the opposition PDP secured three Lok Sabha seats -- Srinagar, Anantnag and Baramulla -- from the Valley, BJP walked away with the other three including its maiden victory in Ladakh.

Omar later met former prime minister Manmohan Singh.

"It was a pleasure to call on and spend some time talking to Manmohan Singh. I will always be grateful for his support and advice," he said. PTI

Sonia meets President as Congress seeks Leader of Opposition status

New Delhi: Congress chief Sonia Gandhi Tuesday met President Pranab Mukherjee amid the party's keen desire that its leader in the Lok Sabha should be accorded the status of Leader of Opposition.

Party leaders said that Gandhi met the President but termed it as "courtesy meeting".

The Congress is keen on the post of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, saying that it is the second largest party in the lower house and was the lead party of United Progressive Alliance.

Gandhi herself has articulated the demand, saying that the Congress was single largest opposition party and had a pre-poll alliance.

"We are entitled to get the post of Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha," she said Monday.

The Congress has 44 members in the Lok Sabha. However, its strength is less than 10 percent of the total strength of the house, which stands at 545. 

Bharatiya Janata Party leaders have cited precedents to indicate that it was not favourably inclined towards the Congress demand. However, the party has said that the decision rests with Speaker Sumitra Mahajan.

FIFA semi-final: Brazil vs Germany tonight

BELO HORIZONTE (BRAZIL): As Brazil and Germany prepare to do battle in their World Cup semi-final here on Tuesday, old stereotypes of both countries` football philosophies are being rewritten.

Amazingly for two World Cup powerhouses with 24 semi-final appearances, this will be just their second meeting in the competition after the 2002 final. Back then a rugged German side that battled it`s way to the final with a series of 1-0 wins on the back of the best goalkeeper in the tournament, Oliver Kahn, faced a Brazil side containing a magical front three of Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo. That night an uncharacteristic Kahn mistake put Luiz Felipe Scolari`s Brazil on their way to a fifth title. 

However, the only constants from 12 years ago may be that Scolari is back as Brazil boss and Germany still have the best `keeper in the tournament in Manuel Neuer. Even Neuer represents the German`s style shift in the past decade with his sweeper-like ability to flee from his box and become an extra outfield player in building the play from the back.

Germany have played 500 more successful passes than anyone else in the competition and more than 1,000 more than Brazil, who still lag behind Chile despite having played a game more. Since committing to attack when hosting the tournament in 2006, Germany have scored 40 goals in the last three World Cups helping them a record run of four consecutive semi-finals.

Their passage to the last four in Brazil by beating Algeria and France has also seen them lay to rest some ghosts of German football`s less than glorious historical moments. West Germany`s perceived collusion with Austria to knock out the Algerians and Harald Schumacher`s assault on France`s Patrick Battiston as they reached the final 1982 was seen as the height of their win at all costs mentality. 

The German sides of recent years will be much more fondly remembered by the football world at large, yet that attractive football hasn`t got them over the line in the final stages. Defeat in the final of 2002 was followed by semi-final defeats in 2006 and 2010.

Brazil`s approach to hosting the tournament has been rather different. Winning at their own World Cup is all that counts, no matter what reputations or opposing players take a battering in the process. Scolari`s men committed 31 fouls in their hunt of Colombia and, in particular, James Rodriguez in Friday`s quarter-final, the most of any side in a game at this World Cup.

"I am all for hard, clean challenges, but there were one or two tackles which were over the limit," said Germany`s Bastian Schweinsteiger on Sunday.

"The Brazilians aren`t the magicians here of old, the team has changed and so has their playing style."

"Hard challenges definitely belong to that, it`s something we have to be careful of and the referee as well." The strategy was hardly an isolated one, Brazil also committed 28 fouls against Chile in the previous round. Brazil`s poster boy Neymar insisted he had no problem winning ugly before facing the Colombians, but the ugliest sight of all for his fans, teammates and coaches was him leaving the field for the final time at this World Cup on a stretcher after suffering a broken vertebrae minutes from the end of the quarter-final.

The Barcelona forward was the one residual element of the famous `Jogo Bonito` left in this side. As 1970 World Cup winning forward Tostao concluded earlier in the tournament: "Brazil have two strategies: number one, give it to Neymar; number two give it to Neymar." Without his flair there seems little other option than to fight their
way to the final. –Agencies