KYOTO: On the second day of his Japan tour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today visited two prominent ancient Buddhist temples here — Toji and Kinkakuji — offering prayers and mingling with the common people and tourists.

The dress-conscious Modi was attired in all-white kurta pyjama, sleeveless jacket and white sandals, when he visited the temples, apparently to send out a message of solemnness of the occasion.

In Kinkakuji, the Prime Minister mingled with tourists and visitors, shook hands, pulled ears of a child and posed for photographs with groups of people.

He began his day with a visit to the ancient Toji Temple, which is inspired by the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh of Hindu philosophy.

He was accompanied by his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, when he went around the famous temple which is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Modi was at the temple complex for about half an hour during which he enquired about the history of the eighth-century Buddhist pagoda.

Chief monk Mori took the Prime Minister around the complex having wooden temple, including the five-storied main pagoda.

"I am Modi, you are Mori," he told the chief priest Yasu Nagamori jokingly after reading name on his identity card.

The main pagoda stands 57 meters tall, making it the tallest pagoda in Japan, and has become a symbol of both the temple and Kyoto as it can be seen from many places across the city.

While leaving the complex, Modi thanked Abe for accompanying him to the temple and spending time with him.

Abe, on his part, told Modi that this was only the second time that he had visited Toji temple, the last being during his student days.

The Japanese Prime Minister had specially come here from Tokyo to meet Modi and be with him.

Monk Hasi, who also accompanied Modi at the Toji temple, said: "We are happy that the Prime Minister visited us. It is a matter of pride for our temple. He has a big heart".

Earlier, a number of Indians carrying the Tricolour had gathered at the temple to see Modi, who went and shook hands with the excited crowd. — PTI

NEW DELHI: The coming Assembly elections in four states are being delinked, with Maharashtra and Haryana likely to go to the polls first in the third week of October. The other two states — Jammu and Kashmir and Jharkhand — may witness elections in late December-early January.

The Election Commission is working on the schedules and may announce the programme for Maharashtra and Haryana by the middle of September, highly placed sources said. Hectic discussions are on between the Commission and the Union Home Ministry on assessing the requirement of forces and their allocation.

Sensitive and hyper-sensitive constituencies are being identified so that adequate forces can be deployed to ensure free and fair polls without violence. The tenure of the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly comes to an end on November 8, while that of the 90-member Haryana House will end on October 27.

The sources said the schedule is being worked so that it would not clash with the current 10-day Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Maharashtra and the subsequent Navratri and Dussehra celebrations that end on October 3. They said the Commission hopes to complete the polls in the two states before Diwali which falls on October 24.

The sources said the attempt was to see that the fortnight-long campaign period does not fall in the period of religious celebrations. The elections are being delinked because of the requirement of paramilitary forces, which is more in the case of Jharkhand, which faces Maoist insurgency, and Jammu and Kashmir that has been dealing with militancy problem for long.

In the last elections, Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a seven-phased polling, while in Jharkhand it was spread over five phases. The revision of rolls in Jammu and Kashmir is currently on and is expected to be over by the first week of October.

The cut-off date for eligibility in Jammu and Kashmir will be October 1, 2014. The electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir have a special provision for four cut-off dates for revision — January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1.

The election schedule in Maharashtra and Haryana is being planned in such a way that electioneering is avoided during festive seasons. Attempts to invoke religion could also be checked by this, the sources said. The Commission also wants to see that the period between the announcement of the election and completion of the process is not unduly long so that governance process is not affected.

Along with the announcement of the schedule, the EC normally puts in place the Model Code of Conduct that puts fetters on governments undertaking new schemes and projects and also taking policy decisions during the election period. — PTI

NEW DELHI: The government is likely to approve a hike in dearness allowance (DA) to 107 per cent from the existing 100 per cent, benefiting around 30 lakh Centre’s employees and its 50 lakh pensioners including dependents.

“The average rate of retail inflation for industrial workers from July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014 works out to be 7.25 per cent. Thus, the Central government will hike dearness allowance for it employees by 7 per cent,” an official said.

He said the Finance Ministry will now put a Cabinet proposal for approval of 7 per cent DA hike from July 1 this year as the revised Consumer Price Index-Industrial Workers data for June was released by Labour Ministry on Saturday.

With increase in DA, the pensioners will also gain as the benefit provided to them as dearness relief will be hiked to 107 per cent of basic pay.

The previous UPA government had increased DA to 100 per cent from 90 per cent with effect from January 1, 2014, on February 28 on the basis of agreed formula for revision of the allowance.

However, the Central government Employees’ Union is not very enthused by the 7 per cent hike in the dearness allowance, as their long pending demand of merger of DA with basic pay has not been given heed by 7th Pay Commission and the government.

“The erosion of value of wages is unbearable at 50 per cent dearness allowance. Now it will be 107 per cent. It is high time to merge DA with basic pay to provide relief to employees,” Confederation of Central Government Employees’ President KKN Kutty told PTI.

“We had summited our memorandum in this regard to 7th Pay Commission. They forwarded it to Central government. We have apprised about the issue to the newly elected NDA government.

But no decision has been taken so far,” he said.

With merger of DA with basic pay, the salary and allowances paid in proportion of basic pay are increased. As per earlier practise, DA was merged with basic pay once it breached 50 per cent mark. But the 6th Pay Commission has disallowed that. — PTI

ISLAMABAD: Mounting pressure on embattled Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Opposition leader Imran Khan today vowed to fight till death and asked Pakistanis to rebel against the illegal regime after two persons were killed and about 450 others injured in police crackdown on protesters.

"I request all the nation, civil servants, bureaucrats and police to rebel against this illegal government," Khan told his supporters.

The cricketer-turned-politician asked officials to ignore all illegal orders from the PMN-L party-led government.

"I am prepared to die fighting for the freedom for my people," he said, adding, "allah ya azaadi ya maut (either freedom or death)".

His comments came hours after police baton-charged hundreds of anti-government protesters led by Khan and Canada-based fiery cleric Tahir-ul-Qadri who marched towards Sharif's residence in the high-security 'Red Zone' here demanding his resignation.

The clashes started after Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Khan and Pakistan Awami Tehrik (PAT) chief Qadri ordered their supporters to shift the protest venue in the front of the residence of Prime Minister Sharif to force him to quit.

The police fired tear gas shells and rubber bullets to disperse the protesters outside the Prime Minister's official residence and the adjacent Parliament building.

Hundreds of protesters entered the lawn of Parliament but they were pushed back at the main entrance of the building, where the army was deployed.

About 450 injured were brought to the Polyclinic and Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, the two premier state-run hospitals, a government official said.

A police official said over 70 policemen and five Frontier Constabulary personnel were injured in clashes with protesters armed with sticks, catapults and stones.

Qadri' PAT in is twitter account claimed that seven of its supporters were killed in police action, but figures could not be verified officially.

Khan said yesterday that the government could use force against protesters as they were not prepared for it.

"We are ready now. The government cannot function," he said, adding, "We will remain here until we take resignations from Nawaz Sharif and Shahbaz Sharif," he said.

He said his party would file an FIR against Sharif and Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Khan for killing people.

Khan defended the protests saying that they were marching peacefully.

"Nawaz Sharif is a fascist and does not believe in democracy ... in democracy peaceful protest is our right," he said, adding, "Those who say we shouldn't have done this do not know the difference between freedom and slavery".

So far the protesters failed to break into the security cordon and reach the Prime Minister House.

PTI leader Pervaiz Khattak said that they will not stop until Sharif resigns, as the protest entered 18th day.

Qadri also emerged from his container and addressed the supporters in husky voice which he said was due to effect tear gas. "I salute my sons and daughters who won today," he said without explaining.

He promised to make another speech later on and vowed to continue to struggle till final victory of "revolution".

Fearing backlash from protesters, roads leading to Prime Minister Sharif's Lahore residence, where he is currently residing, have been blocked and heavy contingent of police deployed. His brother and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif is also living there.

Sharif had left the Prime Minister House in Islamabad for his Lahore residence, which is sprawling on acres of land, on Friday along with his personal staff.

"Sharif had vacated the Prime Minister House fearing it might come under siege from the protesters," a source in the ruling PML-N told PTI.

"Sharif will not move to the Prime Minister House in Islamabad till the police manage to clear the area from Khan's Pakistan Tahreek-i-Insaf and Qadri's Pakistan Awami Tahreek," the source said, adding Sharif and his family members would not travel by road in the present circumstances.

Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid said protesters had committed a crime by attacking Parliament, which is a "symbol of democracy".

Intermittent clashes are continuing and fresh contingents of the police were sent this morning as reinforcement.

The situation was very tense in the capital as a number of demonstrators refused to budge from the protest site.

Both the leaders are agitating since August 14 against alleged rigging during the last year General Election.

A late night government announcement categorically ruled out Sharif's resignation and said there is no threat to his life.

Meanwhile, the protesters clashed with the police at famous Liberty Chowk and the Mall Road in Lahore. Half a dozen protesters suffered injuries and were shifted to hospital where their condition is stated to be out of danger.

A group of Khan's supporters gathered outside the residence of Defense Minister Khawaja Asif in Sialkot, some 150 km from Lahore, and pelted stones at it.

the police, however, managed to disperse them.

In Multan, some 350 km from Lahore, the Tehrik-e-Insaf activists blocked the motorway road for several hours. Police used baton to disperse them.

Opposition leaders have criticised both Khan and Qadri for inciting violence. — PTI

JAIPUR: Expressing concern over frequent ceasefire violations, Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Prakash Javadekar on Sunday cautioned Pakistan that it should avoid increasing tension along the border as it would not be beneficial to it.

"We fully believe Pakistan should mend its ways, because it would not be beneficial to Pakistan to increase tension with India," Javadekar said at a press conference here.

"They (Pakistan) are holding talks with terrorists, then with us ... this will not work ... talks on border is already being continued in flag meetings...," he said, reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's views.

"We are always worried about Pakistan, what is happening in Pakistan. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee used to say a phrase: 'You can choose a friend, not a neighbour' ... Pakistan is our neighbour," Javadekar said.

"We want stability and prosperity in Pakistan because that is how we both (India-Pak) can progress together," he said.

"But unfortunately, the fragility which we are experiencing in Pakistan has made the situation a little difficult. We will try our best for good relations," he said.

"What Pakistan is doing for the last 15 days reflects its domestic situation...," he said. — PTI

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s initiative to reach out to every student through TV, radio and the Internet on Teachers Day has failed to enthuse private schools of Delhi which feel that “forcing” them to make arrangements for it will dampen the celebration of the occasion.

The Directorate of Education (DoE) of Delhi government has issued a notification directing all private as well as government schools to organise a broadcast of the Prime Minister’s address and a Question and Answer session with school children through television or through Internet from 3 p.m. to 4.45 p.m. on September 5.

The directive clearly states that “any laxity in the arrangements shall be viewed seriously.”

The DoE notification came following an order by the Ministry of Human Resources Development (MHRD) that all the schools throughout the country will have to make arrangements so that students can watch the Prime Minister’s live address on TV.

The government directive asked all head of schools to make available the requisite number of televisions, set-top box connections, projectors, screens, amplifiers and generator sets or inverters on hiring basis, if these are not available in the schools.

Though a number of private schools termed the initiative as “good and positive”, they feel making the necessary arrangements for showing the address to the students will put lot of burden on the teachers and they will not be able to celebrate the day.

“It’s a good initiative on part of the Prime Minister to bond with students and also take efforts to enhance the image of teachers in the eyes of students. But Teachers Day is a special day for the teachers to enjoy but now they will end up spending the entire day to ensure implementation of the government directive,” said Ameeta Mulla Wattal, Principal of Springdales, Pusa road.

Wattal also talked about “many structural, administrative and technological difficulties” in implementing the government directive.

Madhulika Sen, Principal of Tagore International school, Vasant Vihar said many private schools will find it difficult to make the arrangements for showing PM’s address to the students.

“The main concern is getting all the students assembled at one place and then making them listen to the PM. We have two auditoriums so we would be able to manage. But what about the smaller private schools,” Sen asked.

She, however, said the initiative is a good one to get connected with students. “Students are eagerly looking forward to hear him,” she said.

Another school principal, on condition of anonymity, said implementation of the government directive will require “lot of expenditure” and that the schools are unhappy about “the way it is being forced on them“.

“Besides the expenses, we will have the problem of lack of space in our school. We will allow the nursery students and students till class 5 to leave early. They are too young to understand the speech and will be tired by afternoon,” the principal said.

Authorities of a number of other private schools also expressed unhappiness over the government directive.

Principals of several government schools refused to comment when asked about their reaction to the directive by the DoE.

According to the directive of DoE, government schools can use funds from Vidyalaya Kalyan Samiti (VKS) for putting in place the necessary arrangements.

“In government schools, all the necessary expenditure for hiring items for aforesaid arrangements shall be incurred from VKS fund,” the directive stated.

It said the Prime Minister’s interaction with students would be telecast live by Doordarshan through its national and regional channels. It would also be available through live webcasting on different platforms of Doordarshan and the website of MHRD.

“Therefore, all heads of schools of government,government aided, unaided, MCDs, NDMC and Cantonment Board Schools shall make arrangement to assemble the children in order from 2.30 pm to 4.45 pm on that day so that children view the Prime Minister’s address.”

Further the directive says that all heads of the government schools of Delhi running in single shift shall make arrangement to hold the classes from 1.00 pm to 5.30 pm on September 5.

Government aided and unaided schools may opt for either of the timings from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm or 01.00 pm to 05:30 pm.

The Delhi government has asked the Education Department to to submit a report on preparedness for the event by 5 pm, September 2.

The directive also states that parents should be informed well in advance about the same through text messages, almanac, students diary, displaying on the notice board of the school etc., for security and safety of children during commutation.

In addition to that, all heads of schools have been asked to submit details of number of students viewing the programme to DOE.

“All districts of DDEs/EOs/DEOs will visit the schools during this time falling in their jurisdiction to monitor and ensure that directions are being complied with in letter and spirit.

“All above directions are to be complied with strictly by HOS of govt, govt aided/unaided/MCDs/ NDMC /cantonment board schools. Any laxity in the arrangements shall be viewed seriously,” the directive stated. — PTI

JODHPUR: Ten pilgrims were killed and 34 others injured, 16 of them seriously, when a bus carrying them collided head-on with a truck in Pali district today.

The bus carrying pilgrims from different villages of Udaipur was returning from the shrine of Baba Ramdeo near Pokhran when the mishap took place, district magistrate (Pali) Rohit Gupta said.

"When the bus was passing through Manida village on the Pali-Udaipur bypass at about 6am, it collided with a truck coming from the opposite direction", said Gupta.

The accident took place apparently as the driver of one of the vehiles dozed off at the wheel, an official said.

While six passengers died on the spot, four others died on way to the hospital.

"We have rushed 16 passengers, who were seriously injured, to Jodhpur and others have been admitted to the Bangar Hospital in Pali itself," Gupta said.

The Pali administration has announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 50,000 each for the next of the kin of the deceased from the chief minister's relief fund.

The bus was carrying about 45 passengers.

While the driver of the truck was missing after the accident, the bus driver was killed in the accident. — PTI