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Six killed in blast at MLA’s house
What ails Laloo Prasad
Yadav?
SC summons CBI Director
Bus to Muzaffarabad: Mufti meets Natwar
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Separate funds for roads in North-East likely
PM concerned at high
Time-bound probe into Lucknow clashes
assured
SC notice to Goa Chief
Minister
Fresh case against Kanchi
seer
Stardust awards for Amitabh, Hrithik, Priety
Gutkha baron to appear in Mumbai
court
Amartya Sen stranded on way to
Santiniketan
Naidu takes Cong govt to
task
Darjeeling Hill Council renamed, term
extended
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Six
killed in blast at MLA’s house Patna/Ranchi, February 21 Six persons were killed and two seriously injured when the bombs went off inside the house of RJD MLA from Dhaka Manoj Kumar Singh in Bihar’s East Champaran district. The Election Commission externed RJD MP Sadhu Yadav, brother of the Chief Minister, from the Gopalganj constituency where his wife Indrani Devi is in fray. Gopalganj comes under Yadav’s Lok Sabha constituency. Another party MP Mohammed Sahabuddin from Siwan was detained in Beur jail till the completion of the poll process on February 28 on a directive by Siwan District Magistrate C.K. Anil. The action against the lawmaker came a day after the Patna High Court had given him bail in the murder of a CPI (ML) leader. By contrast, it was a quiet end to the din and bustle of electioneering in Jharkhand where 28 of the 81 seats go to poll in the last round. An estimated 2 crore 65 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the last phase of polling in the two states scheduled for February 23. Nearly two crore voters are eligible to choose their representatives for 93 of the total of 243 seats in Bihar in the final phase which will seal the electoral fates of 1329 candidates, including Rabri Devi. In Jharkhand, where 28 of the total 81 seats go to the polls in the final phase, the most keenly watched contest is on in Santhal Parganas district where it will be a proxy battle for supremacy between two prominent tribal leaders JMM chief Shibu Soren and his estranged party colleague Stephen Marandi. Of the 28 seats going to the poll in the last phase, Santhal Parganas alone accounts for 18 and pitches Marandi, contesting as an independent, against Soren’s son Hemant in the Dumka seat. Durga Soren, another son of the JMM President, is also in fray in Jama constituency. About 64 lakh voters are eligible to vote in the final phase in Jharkhand which will have 532 aspirants. With ruling RJD in Bihar and the BJP in Jharkhand facing tough electoral battles, exit polls predicted hung assemblies in both the states. Of the 93 seats in Bihar, the RJD is contesting 86, the BJP (43), the JD-U (50), the Congress (33), the LJP (74), the BSP (92), the CPI and the CPI-ML in three each. RJD President Laloo Prasad and Rabri Devi, undeterred by the exit-poll projecting a fragmented verdict by TV channels, left nothing to chance in seeking a clear mandate for their party for another five years “to keep communal forces at bay”. —
PTI |
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What ails Laloo Prasad
Yadav?
New Delhi, February 21 While lack of development, absence of roads and law and order, missing electricity, growing unemployment, closed industries, falling educational standards and farmers’ woes have angered the electorate to a large extent but this was possibly not enough to unseat the RJD in Patna because of his hold on Muslims and Yadavs. The resentment against Laloo-Rabri Devi regime is strong in almost every section of society and Muslims, Yadavs and other deprived castes have not remained insulated from this growing disillusionment against the RJD regime. Muslims, who have been living in an environment of insecurity particularly after the demolition of Babri Masjid in December 1992, have a grouse against the RJD as it has failed to share the state’s largesse with them. Local Muslim leaders, who used to get some contracts given by the state government in the past, have almost been neglected while
distributing the state’s largesses. In several cases of land grabbing, Yadav leaders enjoying the RJD patronage have forcefully occupied Waqf properties. This has angered many local Muslim leaders who have been campaigning for the Lok Janshakti Party of Union Minister Ramvilas Paswan. Over and above, salaries have not been paid to Urdu teachers in primary schools for several months now. Even the RJD chief’s own community has been nursing a complaint saying that Laloo Prasad Yadav has done everything for his family. “He does not trust anyone else in the party. When he stepped down in the wake of the fodder scam, he opted for his wife instead of choosing someone from the party,” a senior RJD leader told this
correspondent in Patna. Laloo Yadav’s two brothers-in-law Sadhu Yadav and Subhash Yadav have immensely benefited from the 15 year RJD rule. Not only this, both the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party have fielded large number of Yadav candidates which is going to harm the RJD considerably as the contests are multi-cornered and that is why close. There are 1329 candidates for 93 Assembly seats in the last phase which makes almost 11 candidates for every constituency. But what possibly is upsetting the RJD supremo most is the Election Commission’s decision to post a central observer in every Assembly constituency as this move has made Laloo Yadav’s reliable and time tested strategy of “booth management” more difficult. In the earlier elections, the RJD used to garner votes by preventing voters to come to booths. This was aided and abetted by the district
administration which was in control of the RJD chief’s favourite District Magistrates and Superintendent of Police. Even the presence of the mediapersons particularly of the different television news channels has made the task of “booth management” more difficult and complex. In this situation, the Janata Dal (U) and the LJP are the main beneficiaries of the anti-Laloo vote. The Congress, because of its ambivalent stand on the RJD rule, has failed to encash the anti-RJD sentiments. But all this may not be enough, as Laloo Yadav is popularly perceived to posses a “magic” which makes him invincible. |
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SC summons CBI Director
New Delhi, February 21 The court also provided protection to former Haryana Education Director Sanjiv Kumar, who had exposed the scam, against arrest and directed that no prosecution would be launched against him during the pendency of his petition seeking probe in the case. A direction to this effect was issued by a Bench of Chief Justice R.C Lahoti, Mr Justice D.M Dharmadhikari and Mr Justice B.N Srikrishna, when senior advocate Anil Diwan told the court that Sanjiv Kumar who was a “whistleblower” in the scam, was being hounded by the CBI instead of the state Chief Minister, Mr Om Prakash Chautala. Mr Diwan said while the CBI had dropped the name of the Chief Minister from the FIR in the scam, it had only named his Political Adviser and an Officer on Special Duty (OSD) as accused. “How can a Political Adviser, or OSD work without the instruction of the Chief Minister,” Mr Diwan asked. Mr Diwan, who had extended help to Sanjiv Kumar along with some other lawyers to fight his case in view of his “exposing” the scam facing “harassment” at the behest of the power that be, reminded the court that the “spirit” of its November 5, 2004 direction, ordering a CBI inquiry, was that the focus of its probe should be more on the scam. Agreeing with his arguments, the court observed that “prima facie” it looked that the CBI instead investigating the scam, had diverted its attention more to Sanjiv Kumar. Mr Diwan said the CBI had raided the house of Sanjiv Kumar, his father-in-law, his friends and other relatives last week and claimed to have unearthed assets disproportionate to his known sources of income. “Could the assets of his relatives and friends be accounted in his name. It is a clear case of harassment” he said. Mr Sanjiv Kumar was approached by a CBI SP investigating the case through two “touts” for a bribe of Rs 55 lakh to close inquiry against him, the audio cassette of which he had submitted to the CBI Director, Mr Diwan said. |
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Bus to Muzaffarabad: Mufti meets Natwar
New Delhi, February 21 The Chief Minister, who was the chief guest at the inauguration of a photo exhibition on the state, said he had “congratulated Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh on the decision to start the bus service.” Referring to the success of civic poll in the state, he said people had braved threats and come out to vote in large numbers. “We should have faith in our people. When the Prime Minister and External Affairs Minister decided (to go ahead with the bus service), they showed confidence in people,” he said. He said work had already begun to develop the road and transhipment of passengers might be initially needed at Uri near the Line of Control (LoC). Mr Sayeed said those who wanted to visit the Hindu pilgrimage site of Sharda Peeth in the Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) would also be allowed to do so. The Chief Minister said a reflection of the dreams of Jawaharlal Nehru, Mahatma Gandhi and Sheikh Abdullah were visible in today’s Kashmir. “Attempts were made to deny the state its diversity but no one accepted it.” The photo exhibition, put up by the Department of Audio-Visual Publicity (DAVP) in association of Jammu and Kashmir government, was inaugurated by Information and Braodcasting Minister Jaipal Reddy. The exhbition portrays the situation in Kashmir in the past few decades through tellling pictures. |
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Separate funds for roads in North-East likely
New Delhi, February 21 Sources indicated that there was also a possibility in shift in policy from building roads to ‘comprehensive corridor management’ that could maximise the velocity and throughput of highways. This may require fresh set of institutional innovations, and organisational structures, as against the existing efforts, which are focused on pre-inauguration activities, sources said. The total plan outlay for the roads and bridges sector is also expected to see a major hike from the existing Rs 12,6990.30 crore. This is excluding the provision of the north-eastern region and Sikkim. The sources said the government was keen on converting the roads transport and highways sector into a major engine for growth as “development and proper maintenance of road network is crucial to accelerating the process of economic development and the removal of inter-regional disparities”. Sources said owing to delays of project construction, full economic impact of these projects is yet to be achieved. |
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PM concerned at high drop-out
rate in schools New Delhi, February 21 “We will not allow this vital programme to suffer for want of adequate financial resources,” Dr Singh told the first meeting of the governing council of the National Mission for Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, an integrated flagship programme to attain universal elementary education in the country. Chaired by Dr Singh, the meeting was also attended by Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram and Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia. The Prime Minister attributed the high drop-out rate to “lack of adequate facilities, large-scale absenteeism of teachers and inadequate supervision by local authorities. In this connection, he said, the government had widened the scope of the midday meal scheme as it had helped ensure retention of children in schools. While investment in the nutrition of children has helped improve their participation, Dr Singh also urged state governments to evolve innovative policies to ensure that teachers attend schools as well. HRD Minister Arjun Singh echoed the Prime Minister’s concern over the the high drop-out rate in schools. He said though the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) had improved acces to schooling, the “official statistics are, however, also showing that the drop-out rate is disturbing.” “Of every 100 children enrolled in Class I, only 47 reach Class VIII, which is the terminal year of elementary education. This slow survival rate needs to be squarely addressed,” he emphasised. Reiterating the UPA government’s commitment to universalisation of elementary education, Dr Singh said it had imposed an education cess to raise the necessary resources for this programme. Referring to states like Jammu and Kashmir and in the North East which have problems mobilising matching resources for this programme, the Prime Minister hoped Mr Chidambaram and Dr Ahluwalia would look into this issue. “The SSA is far too important to be permitted to languish for want of funds,” he added. Stating that the SSA had great potential in promoting gender parity, Dr Singh cited a support scheme under which 750 residential schools for girls were being opened in the country’s educationally backward blocks. He said the government was now focussing on opening of new schools in districts and blocks with a substantial population of Muslims. Briefing presspersons after the meeting, the HRD Minister said Mr Chidambaram had assured the governing council that this programme would not face any financial constraint. Stating the meeting had made “the task and path very clear”, Mr Arjun Singh said he would be going to individual states, staring with Punjab next month, to oversee the progress of this programme. |
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Time-bound probe into Lucknow clashes
assured
Lucknow, February 21 Meanwhile, indefinite curfew remained in force in the Thakurganj police station area for the second day today. The condition of four of the 10 injured at the King George Medical University’s (KGMU) Hospital remained critical. The authorities were considering transferring at least one of the critically injured to the SGPGI. Lucknow SSP Navneet Sakera informed TNS that while no arrests had been made till now, the police had tightened its noose around the two persons named in the FIRs filed at Thakurganj police station yesterday. The FIRs filed by the families of the bereaved had named two persons from the locality charging them with using firearms that caused the deaths. The police raided the houses of these two persons but they managed to escape. The SSP said that the police had already moved the court to seek orders to seal their properties. Meanwhile, amidst heavy security the three deceased — Arif Hussain, Mohammad Aqil and Guddu — were buried at the Tilewali masjid graveyard late last night. Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav also visited the masjid to offer condolences to the bereaved families. The Chief Minister personally handed over a compensation cheque for Rs 5 lakh to each family. Earlier he visited the KGMU to meet the injured and take a first-hand account of their condition and line of treatment. As part of the damage-control exercise, senior minister Mohammad Azam Khan appealed to the Muslim community to overlook the provocation of “some criminal elements”. The minister assured that the government and administration would not take sides and bring the guilty to book. Refusing to call it a Shia-Sunni riot, Mr Khan said he was aware that respected Shia leaders of the community were “equally pained” by the incident that had made a dent into the harmony with which Mohurrum was being observed. Tracing the sequence of events that led to the clash, he said that the Barelvis setting up a separate Muslim Personal Law Board almost two months ago led to such developments that caused to threaten the “political unity of the Muslims”. According to Mr Khan, the Shias had set up their own board. Many other boards had followed, giving the impression that the Muslims were a divided lot. The events also caused “mistrust” and “brought down the level of tolerance,” which made certain criminal elements conspire Sunday’s clashes, claimed the minister. |
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SC notice to Goa Chief
Minister
New Delhi, February 21 A Bench of Chief Justice R. C. Lahoti, Mr Justice D. M. Dharmadhikari and Mr Justice B. N. Srikrishna directed Mr Rane and the state government to file their separate replies by Febraury 28 when the matter will be taken up for further hearing. Former Attorney-General Soli J. Sorabjee, appearing for Mr Parrikar said that the action of Governor S. C. Jamir was in “gross violation” of constitutional provisions. “I have not come across such outstretched interpretation of constitutional provisions so far, as had been done by the Goa Governor,” he contended. The Governor has no power to sack a Chief Minister in the manner it was done in Goa, Mr Sorabjee said adding that as per the constitutional provisions “a Chief Minister can either be ousted if he has lost a confidence vote in the Assembly, or a no-confidence motion is passed against him.” Similarly under the Constitution, the Governor has no power to sit in judgement over the Speaker’s order regarding conducting the proceedings in the House. If any party or person has objection to Speaker’s order it could only be challenged in the court of law. If the Congress was so aggrieved of the Speaker’s order not allowing an MLA to vote because there was notice to him on his status, the party could have moved the court. “Why the Congress has not filed any petition in the court against the Speaker if it was so aggrieved,” Mr Sorabjee asked. When the court specifically asked as what was the interim relief sought by Mr Parrikar, Mr Sorabjee said Mr Rane should not be allowed to function as Chief Minister till the issue was decided by the court. He also said that the Governor’s action against Mr Parrikar was “highly biased” as he was given only less then 48 hours to prove his majority, which he did on Febraury 2. But after he won the vote of confidence he was sacked, the Assembly was immediately prorogued and Mr Rane was sworn-in around midnight. By proroguing the Assembly, the BJP was prohibited from bringing a no-confidence motion against Mr Rane and all these actions of the Governor were not only unconstitutional but undemocratic, Mr Sorabjee said. On the other hand, Mr Rane was given unlimited time of over a month to prove his majority, he said.
Jamir calls on Home
Minister
New Delhi, February 21 Mr Jamir, who had an half-an-hour meeting with Mr Patil, left the North Block from the rear gate dodging waiting mediapersons. His meeting assumes great significance as the Rane government, which was to prove its strength in the floor of the House on or before February 24, has recommended February 28 as the date to convene the Assembly session for seeking the confidence vote. After pulling down the Manohar Parrikar government and installing Mr Pratapsinh Rane as the new Chief Minister, the Congress had been working hard to secure the numbers in the House by persuading a few BJP MLAs to resign their seats in the Assembly. With the Goa BJP MLAs remaining quarantined in Jaipur, the Congress’ attempt to trigger resignations in the rival camp has become virtually impossible. |
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Fresh case against Kanchi
seer
Kancheepuram, February 21 The seer, who was arrested in connection with the murder and Auditor Radhakrishnan assault cases, is at present staying in Kalavai, near here, after being granted bail by the Supreme Court in the murder case and the Madras High Court in the assault case. After obtaining bail in the two cases, the Acharya had obtained anticipatory bail in the “tampering of mutt accounts”. His anticipatory bail petition in the “Thirukottiyur” Madhavan assault case was pending before the Principal Sessions Court. The police had given an undertaking that he would not be arrested in the case till the disposal of the petition. The fresh case was registered against him on a complaint by Ms Chitra, wife of Ravi Subramaiam. The police registered an FIR against the seer and four advocates, including two women advocates, who allegedly visited Ravi Subramaniam in the sub-jail here, allegedly at the behest of the Acharya and offered him money to turn against the police. Apprehending arrest, the Acharya in his anticipatory bail application said he had nothing to do with the case, which he claimed was devoid of truth. Stating that it was not possible for anyone to meet the accused-turned-approver in the sub-jail, the Acharya said the case had been registered solely for the purpose of “putting him behind bars once again and negate the Supreme Court and High Court orders”. The case was aimed at creating grounds to cancel the bail, he said in the petition and described it as an abuse of the process of law. — UNI |
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Stardust awards for Amitabh, Hrithik, Priety
Mumbai, February 21 Hrithik received the Best Actor Award for `Lakshya’ while Preity bagged the Best Actress Award for her performance in `Veer Zaara’ at the glittering function last night. Yesteryear superstar Rajesh Khanna was awarded the ‘Pride of Film Industry Award’ while actor Vinod Khanna was bestowed with a special honour as the ‘Role Model for the Year’. Megastar Amitabh Bachchan and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali were awarded Stardust Special Award for the film ‘Black’. Abhishek Bachchan was honoured with ‘Star of the Year’ award while `Hum Tum’ director Kunal Kohli was given the ‘Hottest Young Film-maker Award’. The ‘Hottest Film Award’ went to `Phir Milenge’ for its “different” theme. —
PTI |
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Gutkha baron to appear in Mumbai
court
Mumbai, February 21 Joshi, who is wanted for his alleged links with the underworld, is said to be living abroad. The MCOCA court has issued non-bailable warrants against him and Rasiklal Dhariwal, who owns the Manikchand gutkha company. The prosecution will try to obtain police remand of Joshi so that he can be questioned about the allegations against him. Dhariwal, who claimed to be living in Dubai, has issued newspaper advertisements, saying that he will return after March as he has to live abroad till then to maintain his NRI status. Police sources say Joshi will be asked about comments he purportedly made to television channels against Dhariwal. Television channels had broadcast interviews with Joshi from abroad where he accused Dhariwal of being linked with the Dawood Ibrahim gang. The channels allegedly quoted Joshi as saying that he had tried to dissuade Dhariwal from doing business with the gang. The Mumbai police were on the trail of Joshi after a member of the Dawood Ibrahim gang allegedly implicated him and Dhariwal in a case regarding the export of gutkha- manufacturing machinery to the Pakistan-based gangster. The police issued a summons against the two businessmen after Jamruddin ‘Kalia’ Ansari ,alias Jumbo, made the allegations against them. Jumbo told the police that Joshi and Dhariwal approached Dawood in Karachi to resolve a business dispute. Joshi, who was employed with Dhariwal before branching out on his own, had allegedly claimed a compensation of Rs 40 crore from the former. Dawood settled the matter by asking Dhariwal to pay Joshi Rs 9 crore and Rs 4 crore to him, Jumbo is said to have told the police. The confessions of the gangsters also indicate that the two businessmen were asked to provide technology for ‘Fire’ gutkha ,allegedly promoted by Dawood’s brother,Anees
Ibrahim, the police says. |
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Amartya Sen stranded on way to
Santiniketan
Kolkata, February 21 Several other trains were also halted because of the protest at Bhedia station where local people blocked the track, demanding that express trains stop there. The demand began in a disciplined manner but turned violent when the police stepped in. The police was pelted with stones in which about 15 police and civic officials were injured. When the mob refused to disperse even after the bursting of tear gas shells, the police fired 12 rounds in the air, breaking the protest. The police then escorted the economist to his hometown by road after considerable delay. —
IANS |
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Naidu takes Cong govt to
task
Hyderabad, February 21 “When we had cited the Punjab experience, the present Chief Minister (Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy) argued that Punjab did not have coal reserves to sustain the free power policy. But how come his government is now imposing all kinds of restrictions on the facility?” he questioned. Mr Reddy, whose first official signature as Chief Minister pertained to the file on free power to agriculture, recently put many curbs on the scheme, excluding many sections from the purview of free power. The government justified the move, stating that the steps were only aimed at more effective implementation of the scheme. |
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Darjeeling Hill Council renamed, term
extended
Kolkata, February 21 He said the government also decided to rename the autonomous council as the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council, as demanded by the Ghising. In Darjeeling, Mr Ghising, who had asked the people to get ready for launching a prolonged agitation, has called an urgent meeting of his party to review the situation in the wake of the government’s decision. |
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In video: Curfew in Lucknow, following communal
clashes. (
