 |
|
|
BJP banking on Modi card
Naval pilot dies in crash
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Amitabh starts taking liquid diet
Mamata kicks off poll campaign
CEC to visit West Bengal
today
SP dumps Mukhtar Ansari
PM informed of Natwar’s ouster: Cong
Cong to embrace Gowda’s enemy
RJD creates furore in House over Shahabuddin
SC stays Waqf Board order on Taj
Two-day police remand for Monica Bedi
SC rejects bail plea of Jogi’s son
BSP wins both
Assembly seats
Rare honour for Indian doctor
No decision on wage board: govt
|
|
BJP banking on Modi card
Gandhinagar, December 5 Modi has singlehandedly steamrollered the Congress opposition in the first two rounds, snatching the prestigious Ahmedabad municipal corporation and 17 of the 23 district panchayats in the state besides a large chunk of the taluka panchayats and the town municipalities. If his strategy continues to pay rich dividends in the third and final round as well, Modi may well opt for Assembly elections in the first quarter of 2006 instead of waiting for 2007. BJP spokesperson Purshottam Rupala is upbeat and sure that the dynamic leadership of Modi will ensure a continuity of the BJP run of successes this time as well, while Congress leader Arjun Modvadia hopes that the anti-incumbency factor will bring victory to his doorstep. Both parties are, however, not taking any chances. The Congress, which controls Rajkot municipal corporation, has replaced 42 of the 44 sitting party corporators. The BJP, which is in power in the bulk of the others, has similarly done a major replacement exercise in a bid to neutralise the anti-incumbency factor. Besides tackling anti-incumbency, this move also ensures the presence of Modi loyalists from one end of the civic format to the other. Though this large-scale weeding is expected to fuel dissatisfaction and consequent dissent, BJP campaign managers are pitching their hopes on Modi’s appeal to the voters carrying the day. The Chief Minister has already commenced his whirlwind street shows with a visit to Vadodara on Sunday and Rajkot on Monday. Over the next three days, he is expected to cover the remaining civic bodies. If the BJP is using its ace liberally, the Congress seems struck for a matching response. For some inexplicable reason, it has refrained from pitching in Union Textile Minister Shankersinh Vaghela, the only leader capable of some sort of a matching response. |
|
Naval pilot dies in crash
Mumbai, December 5 The aircraft which was on a routine sortie to aircraft carrier INS Viraat stationed near Mumbai when it crashed at 11.30 hours. Lt Commander Pannu, (30) was killed on the spot when the aircraft hit a barrier during the take-off run at the airport. He is survived by his wife. A board of inquiry has been ordered to probe the cause of the crash. The aircraft broke into two pieces following the mishap. According to sources this was the third crash in three years though there were no casualties in the earlier incidents. The sources said contrary to specifications the aircraft did not take off vertically. It shot off in a horizontal direction and crashed into the boundary wall. The aircraft barely missed falling into the heavily populated area of Bogmalo adjoining the airport. Naval sources in Goa say the Sea Harriers are outdated training aircraft. The aircraft which went down today was among those received from the United Kingdom in 1988-89. |
|
Amitabh starts taking liquid diet
Mumbai, December 5 Veteran comedian Asrani, who visited Bachchan at the hospital, said today that the superstar had began taking a liquid diet, and also read the morning newspapers. “Amitabh Bachchan’s sense of humour is back,” Asrani said, adding that his activities are resuming to normal. Apart from Asrani, Sahara group chief Subrato Roy also visited him at the hospital, sources said. Bachchan, who is recovering from `diverticulitis of small intestine’, is being kept in the ICU for some more days on the request of his family members, although doctors at the hospital said he was fit to be shifted out of ICU.
— PTI |
|
Mamata kicks off poll campaign
Kolkata, December 5 Later, at a rally at the circus ground, she declared she would allow a fortnight to other anti-CPM parties in the state to join them in the fight for dislodging the CPM from power. She said if the Bihar model of polling was adopted in the Bengal elections, the ruling CPM, which had been in power since 1977, could be defeated. She indicated she was ready to share seats with the Congress if it severed its ties with the CPM. Effigies of Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee were burnt at several places by TMC workers and supporters. Today’s march, which was organised by Mamata’s newly formed West Bengal Democratic Front, started the beginning of their long-drawn agitation and the election campaign against the Left Front government. The procession began around 2 pm from the Esplanade area. It passed through Chowringhee, Jawaharlal Nehru Road, Park treet, Acharyya Jagadish Bose Road areas and ended at the circus ground around 5 pm. About one lakh persons participated in the procession. They were carrying festoons and placards denouncing the CPM’s misusing of power and the police and the government’s bowing down to the captalists and other vested interests. Several hundred poor peasants, who came from the remote districts, carrying with them ploughs, sickles, bows and arrows, also took part in the procession. Almost all senior leaders of the TMC and other partners of the newly formed front, including the BJP, the PDS, the CPI(M-L), the RJD, the NCP and the Samajwadi Party, participated in the stir. |
|
CEC to visit West Bengal
today
New Delhi, December 5 During his visit, Mr Tandon will assess various aspects of revision of electoral rolls, coverage of Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC), polling booths and law and order situation in the state, EC sources said. He will discuss with senior civil and police officials among other things the execution of non-bailable warrants, the sources said. |
|
|
SP dumps Mukhtar Ansari
Lucknow, December 5 Disowning any link with independent MLA from Mau at present incarcerated in Ghazipur jail, Samajwadi Party national general secretary Amar Singh asserted that, SP had never given a ticket to Mukhtar. He virtually ran a parallel government during behenji (Mayawati’s) rule. Speaking to the media, Mr Amar Singh went to great lengths to put in a decent distance between the party and the don. Substantiating his point, he said that when the don’s name had figured in connection with the abduction and killing of VHP leader Rungta in Varanasi the Samajwadi Party was quick to issue a press statement against him. Charging the Congress and BJP with attempts to hit out at the Mulayam Singh Yadav government by holding Mukhtar Ansari responsible for murder of the BJP MLA, Amar Singh commented that both the parties were stretching their imagination to prove that the don was as close to the CM. Releasing a list of 13 cases of political murders committed during the rule of Congress, BJP and BSP, the SP national general secretarary virtually defended the recent spate of political murders in the state. “I am not saying that killing of Krishnand Rai was justified. We are sad at this most unfortunate incident. The STF is investigating it and the guilty would be punished,” declared Mr Singh. However, he maintained that, “the political murders, by no stretch of imagination, were Samajwadi Party’s legacy.” Launching a frontal attack on the Congress, Mr Singh said that while the Congress President does not miss a chance to criticize UP, she remains a mute spectator to the anarchy prevailing in other state governments. “Our sin is that we don’t dance to her tune”, he asserted. |
|
PM informed of Natwar’s ouster: Cong
New Delhi, December 5 Congress spokesman Anand Sharma said the Opposition was resorting to disruption of Parliament to cover up its embarrassment and divert attention from the developments involving Ms Uma Bharti in Madhya Pradesh. “The
Opposition is adopting a confrontationist approach even after Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh made a statement in both Houses on the Volcker
issue in response to demand made by them,” he said. Mr Sharma said important business, including discussion on legislation on communal violence and issues like WTO and internal security, could not be taken up due to the stand taken by the Opposition. He said investigation into the Volcker issue should not be preempted. Replying
to questions, he said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had been apprised of
the decision to remove Mr Natwar Singh from the party’s steering
committee. However, he was non-committal on whether the move was a “signal”
for the minister’s removal from the Cabinet. “You can draw your
own inferences,” he said replying to repeated queries. He said Mr Natwar Singh had been dropped from the highest policy-making body of the Congress as it was felt that he could not continue as its member on the grounds of propriety. Mr Natwar Singh was not invited to the Steering Committee meeting as it had to discuss and take a decision on him. Replying
to another question, he said it had already been made clear that Mr
Natwar Singh’s son Jagat Singh and his friend Andaleeb Sehgal were not
part of any Youth Congress delegation to Iraq in January, 2001. He said statements by Jagat Singh about his visit to Iraq would be looked into by the party. Sources said the party leadership had not liked the repeated statements by Mr Natwar Singh that there was no need for him to quit the government. They said while the party had taken a well considered position on the Volcker issue, Mr Natwar Singh had not helped his case by his repeated statements about not quitting the ministry. They
indicated the party could consider disciplinary action against Jagat
Singh over his “inconsistent statements” on visit to Iraq. |
|
|
Cong to embrace Gowda’s enemy
Bangalore, December 5 The Congress, sources say, is testing waters to ascertain whether it can break out of JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda’s grip. A good result for the Congress in the panchayat elections could mean dissolution of the State Assembly and a mid-term poll. A formal arrangement could then be made with Mr Siddaramaiah for the Assembly elections. Mr Gowda, who has been having the upper hand over the Congress since the past few months projecting himself as pro-development seems to have been caught on the wrong foot. His son and party president H.D. Kumaraswamy has said the JD (S) will walk out of the coalition government. State Chief Minister N. Dharam Singh, who was Mr Gowda’s choice for chief ministership and is perceived to be unable to stand up to the former Prime Minister, is still following the middle path. Even hinting at embracing Mr Gowda’s sworn enemy, Mr Siddaramaih, would affect his position as Chief Minister. Talking to reporters at his residence, the Chief Minister said only Mr Gowda could talk about withdrawing support to the coalition government as he was the national president of the party. Mr Kumaraswamy was the state president. Mr Dharam Singh said the former Prime Minister had himself stated that the zila and taluk elections would not have any bearing on the coalition government. He said in such a scenario, there was no need to take Mr Kumaraswamy seriously. Meanwhile, in an effort not to rock the boat further, the Congress seems to be sticking to an informal arrangement with the Siddaramaiah faction of the JD (S). Congress state party president Mallikarjuna Kharge is the pointman who has been entrusted with the job of bringing Mr Siddaramaih around. However, when questioned on this score, he said the Congress had not received any proposal from Mr Siddaramaiah on the issue. |
|
RJD creates furore in House over Shahabuddin
Patna, December 5 A team of five RJD MLAs, led by Ms Rabri Devi, charged the NDA government with denying some facilities to Shahabuddin, now lodged in the Bhagalpur jail. Ms Rabri Devi alleged that in sharp contrast to the biased treatment with Shahabudin by the administration, other prisoners in the same jail, who were close to the NDA, were allowed to enjoy facilities beyond the applicable jail manual, including meeting with people from outside freely. While Ms Rabri Devi came down in the well of the House, four other RJD MLAs, Mr Ajay Paswan, Mr Sachidanand Yadav, Mr Ramanuj Prasad and Ms Prema Chowdhury, stood up on the benches in the media gallery and picked up the chairs pretending them to throwing inside the House. The Chief Minister Nitish Kumar sharply reacted to this unruly behaviour by the RJD MLAs disturbing the proceedings of the House. Mr Nitish Kumar said, “The members should not make such unparliamentary gestures affecting the dignity of the House. There is a method to protest”. |
|
SC stays Waqf Board order on Taj
New Delhi, December 5 Taking cognizance of an appeal filed by ASI against the UPSCWB’s July 13 order, a Bench of Ms Justice Ruma Pal, Mr Justice S.B. Sinha and Mr Justice S.H. Kapadia issued notices to the Waqf Board, UP Government, its Commissioner for Ancient Archaelogical Sites and Mohammed Irfan Bedar who had filed a petition before the Board regarding the Taj Mahal’s title. While seeking replies from them, the court said all issues pertaining to the maintainability of the ASI’s petition were kept open at this stage. Solicitor General (SG) G.E. Vahanvati, appearing for the ASI challenged the order of the UPSCWB on the ground that there were sufficient reliable historical evidence to show that the title of Taj was vested in the Government of India under British rule. The ASI in its petition said if the Waqf Board order was not immediately stayed, it would threaten Taj losing the status of “world heritage” monument conferred by UNESCO. It asked whether a national monument, declared as world heritage, could be declared the property of a particular entity or community. Besides, it would open a pandora’s box on various issues pertaining to the Taj Mahal, including its maintenance, security, protection of environment around it and if the order of Waqf Board was accepted, then a “mutawalli (caretaker)” have to be appointed to look after the monument. The Waqf Board in its order had said that apart from Taj, other monuments like Roza Tahmahal, Jamatkhana and adjacent mosque were waqf properties and they should be registered under the control of UPSCWB. The ASI also questioned the legality of Waqf Board order on the ground whether it had a right to entertain a petition by an individual, contending that the UPSCWB had tried to achieve something in “oblique and indirect manner what it could have not have achieved directly.” In another Taj-related matter, the Bench also appointed a five-member committee to assess the damage caused to Yamuna bed behind the monument due to construction of Taj corridor project illegally during the tenure of former UP Chief Minister Mayawati. The committee comprising advocate Krishan Mahajan, who is amacus curiea in all Taj related cases, R.C. Trivedi, a scientist from Central Pollution Control Board, one more representative from it, an expert nominated by Ministry of Environment and Forests and ASI’s Agra range Superintending Engineer. The committee was directed to submit its report within eight weeks on three aspects whether soil dug from river bed and debris left there after the project was stayed had been lying there or removed, effect of the project on the environment around Taj and restoration of the ecology of river bed to its original shape. |
|
|
Two-day police remand for Monica Bedi
Bhopal, December 5 In view of security concerns, the women’s police station, where the former Bollywood starlet was lodged after being brought from Hyderabad late last night, was converted into a court room where Judge D K Dangi remanded her to two-day police custody. “We had sought five days of police remand, but the court granted two days,” Superintendent of Police A K Singh said. Monica was brought under tight security from Hyderabad by a train to Itarasi and then shifted to Bhopal by road. She, along with Salem and three others, was accused of procuring passports on forged documents around four years ago. Judge D K Dangi had issued a production warrant against Monica, who was facing similar charges in Hyderabad where she was lodged in judicial custody. — PTI
|
|
SC rejects bail plea of Jogi’s son
New Delhi, December 5 Amit Jogi, one of the 14 accused in the murder of Chhattisgarh NCP leader Ram Avtar Jaggi, had sought interim bail for attending to his father in the hospital. The Bench of Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat and Mr Justice S.H. Kapadia, however, directed that Amit Jogi be brought to Delhi from Raipur by the CBI in its custody, escorted by two of its officials to enable him to meet his father. The court rejected the bail plea stating that the trial court had drawn a schedule for day-to-day hearing in the case between December 13 and 31 and, therefore, he could not be released on bail at this stage as it would disturb the entire trial process. The court directed that after meeting his father in the hospital, Amit Jogi be taken back to Raipur before December 13 and during his stay in Delhi, the CBI officials would remain with him. He would not make any attempt to contact any witness or tamper with evidence. |
|
BSP wins both
Assembly seats
Lucknow, December 5 In Aurai in Sant Kabir Nagar district BSP wrested the seat from SP when its candidate Ranganath Mishra bagged 42 per cent of the votes and defeated SP candidate Rita Singh by a margin of 5530 votes. Polls were necessitated here when Governor T.V. Rajeswar in an unprecedented move disqualified sitting MLA Udaybhan Singh for getting convicted in a criminal case. |
|
Rare honour for Indian doctor
New Delhi, December 5 A recipient of the country’s highest honour for the medical profession, the B C Roy National Award, Dr Malik was named in a unique publication titled, “Caring Physicians of the World’’ which profiled 65 physicians from 55 countries.
— PTI |
|
No decision on wage board: govt
New Delhi, December 5 Replying to a written question, Minister of Labour and Employment K Chandrasekhar Rao said the government had not taken any decision for setting up a new wage board for newspaper industry. |
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Mailbag | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
Videos
