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Modi turns teacher, says he is a task master
New Delhi: In a first, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today turned a teacher interacting with lakhs of school children across the country through video conferencing, laying emphasis on girls' education, cleanliness and the need to protect environment while describing himself as a "task master".
Choosing the occasion of Teachers' Day, the birth anniversary of late philosopher-statesman S Radhakrishnan, he gave a pep talk to the students as well as teachers, stressing on building respect for the profession of teaching, character building and skill development.
For the 90-minute interaction arrangements were made in lakhs of schools across the country even though governments in states like West Bengal and Tamil Nadu did not show much enthusiasm.
The event also brought out the lighter side of Modi who confessed to being mischievous in his childhood and regretted that childhood was being lost in the current age.
During the interaction with a gathering of children, telecast live across the country, he narrated anecdotes and faced questions from the floor as well as from six cities from Leh to Thiruvananthapuram through video conferencing.
"Your style conveys an image that you are a head master.
Are you tough like a head master or are you sweet," asked a girl student from Delhi.
"I am a task master. I do a lot of hard work and extract hard work from others. I told officers in my first interaction that if you work for 11 hours, I am ready to work for 12 hours, if you work for 12 hours, I am ready to work for 13 hours," Modi said.
His gentle query to the girl whether she was accompanied by her head master evoked laughter in the audience that had a good sprinkling of teachers.
A boy from Manipur asked how to he can become the Prime Minister. In response, Modi said he hailed from a humble family and never thought of reaching the top.
"That is the beauty of our democracy and our Constitution-makers. Anybody can become the Prime Minister if you win the confidence and love of the people," he told the questioner.
"Start preparing for 2024, Till then I have no threat," he said, adding "I hope you will call me for your swearing-in", in remarks that again sent the audience into peals of laughter. -PTI
Jung
seeks President's nod to invite BJP to
form government
NEW DELHI: Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung has
sought President Pranab Mukherjee's permission to invite the single
largest party in the state assembly - the BJP - to form the government
in Delhi, informed sources said on Friday.
In a report sent to the president, Jung has
recommended that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) be invited to form the
government in the national capital.
Delhi has been under President's rule since Aam
Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal resigned as chief minister Feb
14 after just 49 days in office.
The BJP won 31 seats in the 70-member house but now
has 28 legislators after three were elected to the Lok Sabha in the
general elections held April-May.
In a house with an effective strength of 67, the
lone Akali Dal legislator is a BJP ally. There is a JD-U member, an
Independent and an AAP rebel.
The Congress won eight seats.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said he
neither has any knowledge about the LG's letter to the president nor has
he received any invitation to form a government.
"I have no idea about this. We have not got
any invitation from the LG. As we don't have the numbers in the house,
we are critically analysing all options," Upadhyay said, adding the
party was ready for fresh polls if needed.
According to party sources, Upadhyay met senior
party leader and Home Minister Rajnath Singh Friday to
"discuss" the matter.
Meanwhile, the AAP, which emerged as the second
largest party in Delhi winning 28 seats (one turned rebel) criticised
the LG and argued the BJP was not the choice of the people.
"This will be murder of democracy, if the BJP
forms a government. They are hungry for power and will go to any length
to get it. BJP is not the choice of the people. Fresh elections must be
held in Delhi," AAP legislator Somnath Bharti told a news channel.
IANS
AAP accuses LG of promoting horse-trading
New Delhi: With the LG planning to call the single largest party to form the government in Delhi, the AAP on Friday launched a scathing attack on Najeeb Jung accusing him of promoting "horse-trading".
"Media reports clearly signal that Lt Governor of Delhi is promoting horse-trading. President should not allow him and BJP to play with democracy. It will be a rape of the Constitution if a party, which has refused to form government once, is invited to form the government," senior AAP leader and party's Delhi convenor Ashutosh tweeted.
"I hope Lt Governor remembers that letter of refusal written by (then BJP Chief Ministerial candidate) Harsh Vardhan. If he does not have, then
the AAP can pass it to him.
How can Lt Governor invite a party to form the govt which has in writing refused to from govt.
The BJP did this in December," he said.
Ashutosh said former President K R Narayanan had set a precedent that the party which had proof of majority will only be invited to from the government.
"The AAP will request President Pranab Mukherjee to not let Delhi Assembly be made a floor for horse trading. President K R Narayanan has set the precedent long back. As per him, party which claims majority should have proof of majority support.
"Constitutionally minority government can't be formed.No party can be allowed to form government without submitting proof of majority support in Assembly," he tweeted.
The BJP is likely to be invited to form a government in Delhi with Jung sending a report to the President seeking permission to call the single largest party to take a shot at power though it is well short of majority in the Assembly.
Senior AAP leader and Patparganj MLA Manish Sisodia said if media reports were true, then it was against the "spirit of the Constitution."
The Congress too attacked the LG, saying BJP should not get an opportunity to form government "using the back door".
"BJP should first prove its majority on the floor of the House. Congress and its MLAs will vote against the motion and not align with a communal party like BJP," Congress spokesperson Mukesh Sharma said.
The BJP has said that if contacted by the LG, it will do a critical analysis of the situation before taking any call.
"Our stand is clear. If polls are held then we are ready. If LG calls us then it is our political duty to do a critical analysis and take a call," said BJP Delhi unit chief Satish Upadhya. -PTI
Liquor factory run by Indians busted in Saudi Arabia
Dubai: Saudi authorities have busted an underground liquor factory run by Indian nationals, arresting two men and seizing huge quantities of liquor and equipment used for packaging, a media report said.
The alcohol was smuggled in from a neighbouring country and then packaged at the factory, the Saudi Gazette said.
"Inspectors from the department foiled attempts to mix liquor with Dettol to change its colour and con customers into thinking it was foreign liquor," said Spokesman of Anti-Drug Department in the Eastern Province, Col Salman Al-Nashwan.
The Indian nationals, however, were not identified.
Large numbers of Dettol bottles were seized from the distillery, the report said.
Officials seized 1,956 bottles and 264 cans of spirits ready for sale, in addition to 3,504 bottles and two huge tanks of liquor, each with a capacity of 1,000 liters, prepared for packaging.
There were also another 10 empty tanks for stocking and equipment for packaging. The inspectors also seized 204,000 Saudi riyals in cash from the house of the Indian national who ran the distillery.
Al-Nashwan said his team maintained round the clock surveillance on a warehouse after receiving a tip-off and when one of the suspects arrived at the scene, the officers detained him.
He confessed to transporting liquor in cans from a neighbouring country prior to packaging and selling it as foreign liquor.
Large quantities of stickers of foreign liquor brands were recovered from the pickup vehicle used by the suspect, he said.- PTI
10
die in house collapse
JAMMU/SRINAGAR: Ten persons were killed and some others feared missing after a house collapsed due to landslide in Rajouri district of Jammu and Kashmir today.
The house collapsed due to landslide from mountain top triggered by heavy rains in Thana Mandi belt of Rajouri district, a senior police officer told PTI.
Ten persons have died and their bodies have been recovered and some are feared missing, he said.
The police and Army besides locals have launched operation to rescue people buried under debris. So far they have recovered ten bodies, he said.
One each person in Sunderbani and Darhal areas have also been killed in flash-floods today, he said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people have abandoned their homes as the flood situation turned grim in the Valley on Friday.
The flood situation became serious with unprecedented heavy downpour continuing for the fourth day
today.
The administration is finding it difficult to reach the inundated areas.
Reports from all the 10 districts of the Valley indicate hundreds have abandoned homes in inundated areas to shift to safer places.
Electric supply in most areas of South Kashmir districts remains suspended because of uprooted electric poles and apprehensions of accidents due to electric short circuits in water logged villages and towns.
— Agencies
Rain lashes Punjab, Haryana
Chandigarh: Widespread rainfall
on Friday lashed most parts of Punjab and Haryana plummeting the maximum temperature by
up to two degrees Celsius in the region.
The entire Punjab and Haryana received rainfall accompanied with a wind speed of 20 km per hour, the MeT office here said.
Rain waters inundated all low-lying areas of the region, reports said.
The downpour eased power situation in parts of Punjab and Haryana.
In Haryana, Amabal received 7.4 mm of rainfall, Bhiwani 6.2 mm, Dadri 20 mm, Loharu 12 mm, Ballabgarh 14 mm, Fatehabad 10 mm, Faridabad 10 mm, Pataudi 15 mm, Hisar 18 mm, Beri 50 mm, Jhajjar 60 mm, Jind 11 mm, Assandh 16 mm, Karnal 24.5 mm, Nilokheri 18 mm, Kurukshetra 20 mm, Pheowa 20 mm, Mahendergarh 24 mm, Narnaul 20 mm, Nuh 50 mm, Hodal 12 mm, Morni 3 mm, Samalkha 20 mm, Israna 60.5 mm, Panipat 19 mm, Bawal 58 mm, Rohtak 22.6 mm, Dabwali 28 mm, Rania 63 mm, Sirsa 36 mm, Ellenabad 73 mm, Gohana 2 mm and Jagadhari 1 mm.
In Punjab, Amritsar was drenched by 64 mm, Barnala 5 mm, Bathinda 40 mm, Talwandi Sabo 31 mm, Faridkot 73 mm, Sirhind 22 mm, Fatehgarh Sahib 12 mm, Ferozepur 63 mm, Gurdaspur 61.3 mm, Madhopur 53 mm, Dasuya 15 mm, Mukerian 27 mm, Jalandhar 5 mm, Kapurthala 28 mm, Jagraon 5 mm, Khanna 6 mm, Moga 16.4 mm, Muktsar 92 mm, Nabha 20 mm, Patiala 33 mm, Dhuri 8 mm, Kharar 35 mm and Tarn Taran 46 mm.
Chandigarh, the joint Capital of Punjab and Haryana, received 3.2 mm of rainfall.
However, rain accompanied with wind is giving worrying moments to paddy growers, as repeated showers and wind were quiet harmful for early variety of paddy, experts said.
The vast tracts of farms in some parts of Punjab and Haryana were seen with flattened paddy, reports said.
A farmer Jatinder Singh rued that in case rain and wind continued to lash the area, growers of early variety of paddy were set to face great losses as paddy faced the risk of discolouration of grain, besides getting flattened.
However, the rain was beneficial for late varieties of paddy, experts said.
— PTI
Australian PM returns 11th century stolen idols to Modi
New Delhi: Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott today handed over to his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi two antique statues of Hindu deities which were allegedly stolen from temples in Tamil Nadu before being bought by art galleries in Australia.
During his meeting with Modi, Abbott returned the idols, one of which is a Nataraja --the dancing Shiva-- which belonged to the Chola dynasty of 11th-12th century.
The other sculpture is of Ardhanariswara, which represents Shiva in half-female form, and dates back to 10th century.
Both the statues were allegedly stolen from temples in Tamil Nadu and their return was sought by India in March.
Returning the sculptures is a testimony to Australia's good citizenship on such matters and the importance with which Australia views its relationship with India, Abbott's office said.
The Nataraja statue, cast in bronze, was purchased by the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) in February 2008 at a price of USD 5.1 million from art and antiquities dealer Subhash Kapoor who was then based in New York.
The Ardhanariswara statue was purchased by the Art Gallery of New South Wales in 2004 for approximately 300,000 Australian dollar (USD 280,979).
In 2012, Kapoor, owner of the "Art of the Past" gallery in New York, was arrested in Germany and subsequently extradited to India. He is accused of conspiracy to commit burglary and smuggling from Tamil Nadu antique idols of Hindu deities belonging to Chola dynasty.
The case is currently at the prosecution stage in Tamil Nadu and Australian authorities have been assisting in conducting investigation in the case in Australia In March, the Ministy of External Affairs had through India's High Commission in Canberra made a formal proposal to the Australian Department of Attorney General by forwarding the request of the Tamil Nadu police for the return of the two idols. -PTI
Country ready to tackle threat from outfits
like al-Qaeda: IAF chief
NEW DELHI: IAF chief Arup Raha on Friday said there was a threat from terror groups such as al-Qaeda but the country is ready to tackle such outfits.
“There is a threat perception from such agencies but the nation is prepared for it,” he said when asked about the al-Qaeda threat to start operations in India.
He was talking to reporters on the sidelines of a seminar on the role of Air Force in the 1965 war with Pakistan.
US media and intelligence agencies had said on Thursday that al-Qaeda has established a new branch to wage jihad in India, revive its caliphate and impose sharia in the Indian sub-continent.
The creation of the group called “Qaedat al-Jihad in the Indian Subcontinent” was announced by As Sahab, al-Qaeda’s official media outlet, in a lengthy video posted on social media outlets.
Al-Qaeda is active in Afghanistan and Pakistan, but the group’s leader Ayman al Zawahiri said “Qaedat al-Jihad” would take the fight to India, Myanmar and Bangladesh.
Security agencies feel the video could be an attempt by al-Qaeda to carry out fresh recruitments in the sub-continent as it stares at diminishing influence vis-a-vis the ISIS. — PTI
Al-Qaeda wants to portray Modi as enemy of Islam: US analyst
WASHINGTON: Al-Qaeda, which has announced the creation of a separate wing for India, wants to portray Prime Minister Narendra Modi as an enemy of Islam and as such India should take its threat "very seriously", a well-known American counter-terror expert said today even as the US tried to downplay the terrorist outfit's capabilities.
"This video, the first from (al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-) Zawahiri this year, should be taken very seriously. Al-Qaeda wants to portray Prime Minister Modi as an enemy of Islam," ex-CIA analyst Bruce Riedel, who is considered to be one of the
US top experts on counter-terrorism, told PTI.
"From its base in Pakistan and with its close links to the
Lashkar-e-Taiba, al-Qaeda is a dangerous menace to India," Riedel said when asked about the latest video of Zawahiri announcing al-Qaeda's creation of a new branch for the Indian subcontinent to wage jihad in India, including
Kashmir, Gujarat and Assam, with the goal of establishing a caliphate and impose sharia ranging from Afghanistan to Myanmar.
Zawahiri had announced new branch of al-Qaeda called "Qaedat al-Jihad in the Indian Subcontinent", "seeking to raise the flag of jihad, return Islamic rule, and imposing Sharia across the Indian subcontinent," in the video which was posted on various social media websites including YouTube.
Reiterating that the new Indian government should take the threat very seriously, Riedel said New Delhi should increase its counter-terrorism co-operation with the US and Afghanistan.
After the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, counter-terrorism cooperation between India and the US has increased significantly.
The US, however, is yet verify the authenticity of the video or the creation of a new wing of al-Qaeda.
"We haven't been able to verify that yet. Obviously, we're looking to see if there's more information we can get about this here," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf told reporters at her daily news conference. "We also don't regard this announcement as an indication of any new capabilities by al-Qaeda," she said.
At the same time, she reiterated that the US remains committed to dismantling al-Qaeda anywhere that it poses a threat to the US and make sure that it doesn't renew its threat to America. — PTI
Release undertrials who have served half their term: SC
NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court today ordered release of all undertrial
prisoners who have spent half of the maximum sentence prescribed for the
offences they are charged with, bringing much needed relief to poor
people who are languishing in jails as they are not able to pay sureties
and bail bond to get out of jail.
Expressing concern that more than 60 percent prisoners are undertrials,
the apex court assigned the task to lower judicial officers to visit
each jail under their jurisdiction from October 1 to find out and
release such prisoners immediately. It also set a period of two months
time to finish the work.
"The judicial officers (Magistrate/Sessions Judge/Chief Judicial
Magistrate)shall identify prisoners who have completed half of the
maximum period of imprisonment provided for the offences they are
charged with. After complying the procedure under Section 436A of
Criminal Procedure Code they shall pass appropriate order in jail itself
for the release of such prisoners," a bench headed by Chief Justice
R M Lodha said.
"They shall visit once in a week for two months in each jail under
their jurisdiction for the purpose of effective implementation of
Section 436A for releasing prisoners," it said.
Section 436A talks about maximum period for which an undertrial prisoner
can be detained and it stipulates that such prisoners can be released by
the court on a personal bond with or without sureties if he/she has
spent half of the maximum period of imprisonment in jail.
It is estimated that out of around 3.81 lakh prisoners across the
country, about 2.54 lakh, are undertrials. In many cases, the accused
have spent more time in jail than the actual sentence which might be
awarded to him in case of conviction.
The bench, also comprising justices Kurian Joseph and Rohinton F Nariman,
made it clear that there is no need for lawyers to be present while
judicial officers take decision for release of prisoners.
It said the judicial officers, after finishing the task, shall file a
report to Registrar General of the concerned High Court.
It said thereafter the Registrar General of High Courts shall file
report with the Secretary General of the Supreme Court. — PTI
Indian pleads guilty to visa fraud in US
NEW YORK: A 41-year old Indian has pleaded guilty for running an eight-year long visa fraud scheme to facilitate the illegal entry of Indian immigrants in the US by sponsoring their visa applications and falsely claiming to provide employment for them in the country.
Sandipkumar Patel of Edison, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before US District Judge William Walls of the District of New Jersey to conspiring to defraud the US and to filing a false federal income tax return.
He will be sentenced in January next year, Assistant Attorney General Leslie Caldwell of the Justice Department's Criminal Division said in a statement.
According to court documents filed with the plea agreement, Patel sponsored visa applications of Indian nationals from 2001 to 2009 by falsely claiming to provide employment for them in the US. He falsely certified on the visa applications that he would employ the immigrants in various technical fields at several New Jersey companies, facilitating their illegal entry into the country.
Over the course of the scheme, immigrants paid Patel thousands of dollars for the false certifications to secure their visas. Patel issued payroll cheques and other payroll forms as a cover-up for his scheme. The Indian nationals were then required to reimburse Patel for his payroll tax expenses.
He used the fraudulent payroll cheques to support false applications to extend the visas and charged the immigrants fees for the visa extensions.
As a result of falsely carrying the immigrant employees on his payrolls, Patel overstated his payroll expenses on his federal income tax returns by more than 1.4 million dollars over four years and under-reported his tax obligation by over 400,000 dollars for those years.
— PTI
Sania-Cara disappoint in US Open semis
NEW YORK: It was the end of the road for India's Sania Mirza and her Zimbabwean partner Cara Black as the third seeded duo lost to Swiss-Italian pair Martina Hingis and Flavia Pennetta in straight sets in the US Open women's doubles semifinals here.
Sania and Cara suffered a 2-6, 4-6 loss in an hour and 10 minutes to the unseeded team at the Louis Armstrong here Thursday.
Last year as well, Sania, who was partnering China's Jie Zheng then, failed to get past the semis stage.
But the Indian tennis star still has a shot at the top prize. Sania and her Brazilian partner Bruno Soares, the top seeds, will take on American-Mexican team of Abigail Spears and Santiago Gonzalez in the final of the mixed event.
Sania is the only Indian left in the competition after Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna bowed out from their respective doubles events in the earlier rounds.–Agencies
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