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Tight security for AICC plenary
BJP attacks govt, PM
on Quattrochhi issue
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NDA leaders to meet Kalam on Quattrocchi issue
Minority groups attack fifth Kumbh
Phone-tapping case: one more arrested
DM, SSP to execute eviction order of Lalu, Rabri
Panel set up to review NET
Proposals for SEZs okayed
Don Bosco student abducted
Corruption issue puts Cong on backfoot
Kalam’s call to educationists
Nod to 26 pc FDI in uplinking news channels
Five get AWWA award
Rajasthan Patrika founder dead
MiG-21 crashes, pilot ejects
New DGs for ITBP, SSB
Dutch PM arrives today
Ram Lakhan Yadav dead
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Tight security for AICC plenary
Hyderabad, January 17 After the Central and state intelligence agencies have warned of possible attacks from Maoists and the ISI modules, the Andhra Pradesh Government is taking no chances over security concerns. As many as 8,000 security personnel have been deployed in and around the GMC Balayogi Stadium, now called Rajiv Nagar for the plenary, while another 7,000 police personnel would be keeping watch over the city. Every one of the six entry points to the stadium has two police pickets stationed. "Only those with valid passes will be allowed inside. "We request the Congress workers across the state not to venture into the city without valid passes," Mr K Keshava Rao, PCC president, appealed. He said nearly 1,500 delegates, including ex-MPs, ex-MLAs, Zila Parishad chairpersons, Municipal Corporation chairpersons, city corporators, were allowed to attend the plenary as the state was hosting it. The plenary will start at 4 pm on January 21 and the AICC President, Ms Sonia Gandhi, will be brought to the venue in a ceremonial parade. Mr Rao informed that Ms Gandhi would lay the foundation stone of the new premises of the party office, Indira Bhavan, adjacent to the present Gandhi Bhavan, on January 21. Meanwhile, notwithstanding the suggestions from the AICC for a frugal diet during the three-day plenary, the state Congress is organising sumptuous meals for the delegates at a cost of Rs 1 crore. Six food courts are being organised for about 14,000 delegates expected to attend the plenary. Transport has become a major hassle for the organisers, with more than 2,000 vehicles required to ferry men and material to the venue. While about 120 buses are being hired
from state-owned road transport corporation, the rest are being arranged through private travel companies. |
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BJP attacks govt, PM
on Quattrochhi issue
New Delhi, January 17 “It was for the first time that the investigative agency was forced to bail out the government of the day,” BJP national general secretary and former Law Minister Arun Jaitley said addressing a demonstration on Parliament Street here. Training his guns on the Prime Minister for being “unaware about the happenings in his government”, Mr Jaitley said “Dr Manmohan Singh is in office but not in power.” Taking a dig at the Prime Minister for making a statement from Guwahati on the politically sensitive issue, Mr Jaitley said: “The Prime Minister was afraid of being subjected to intense questioning in the national capital and hence chose to make a statement in Guwahati.” Subsequently, addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar accused the Congress-led UPA Government of not only subverting institutions like CBI but also cheating the country on the Bofors case. “The Bofors saga represents the total subversion of institutions. The Prime Minister’s office has been discredited. The CBI has been compromised. The Law Minister has been reduced to acting as an instrument for hushing up the case. The Congress has been rendered speechless. India has been cheated,” Mr Javadekar said adding the BJP shall continue to protest against this.
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NDA leaders to meet Kalam on Quattrocchi issue
New Delhi, January 17 The NDA leaders took this decision after an hour-long meeting at NDA chairman Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s residence here on this evening. BJP spokesperson
V.K. Malhotra told mediapersons here that NDA convener George Fernandes would write a letter to UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to help in bringing the Italian
businessman back to India for a fair trial. |
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Minority groups attack fifth Kumbh
New Delhi, January 17 The Shabri Kumbh is being organised by the RSS in the tribal Dang area of Gujarat from February 11 to 13. Alleging that such an event, wherein more than five lakh people would descend upon the protected area, “would also result in irreparable losses to forests and environment in Dang”, they termed it a political and religious gimmick targeted only at “increasing the numbers of Hindus in the country”. A delegation comprising Mr Udit Raj of the All-India Confederation of SC/ST organisations and Mr Samson Christian of the All-India Christian Council, met Home Minister Shivraj Patil today to apprise him about the “ the on-going campaign by the VHP, the RSS, the Bajrang Dal and others of intimidation and a re-conversion, ” which they feared could flare up any time and lead to another “Godhra-like incident”. They also met HRD Minister Arjun Singh yesterday and urged him take up the matter with the Home Ministry. Mr Udit Raj said, “ The state government under the pretext of development has released crores of funds so that simple and naive tribals can be lured. And where allurement doesn't work, the VHP and RSS activists are using force.” Demanding that the Centre appoint a judicial inquiry into the anti-Christian publicity material being distributed among tribals, he questioned the idea behind holding the fifth Kumbh that was not even a part of Hindu scriptures. He was joined by Mr Abraham Mathia, a member of Minority Commission, Maharashtra, and Ms Shabnam Hashmi from ANHAD, who informed mediapersons that ta PIL had also been filed in the Supreme Court against publicity material being distributed . |
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Phone-tapping case: one more arrested
New Delhi, January 17 A resident of Rohtak, Haryana, Dhawan had allegedly forged two letters that were used for tapping the phones. He worked in a private security agency. He had allegedly forged letters on the name of the Joint Police Commissioner, Home Secretary and a Deputy Secretary of the Delhi Government. Dhawan was today remanded to the police custody till January 20. The police wanted to ‘recover’ some documents that he had supposedly hidden at a place in Dehra Dun and also the computer used by him. The police had got to him through co-accused Bhupinder. The police had been searching for him for sometime now. Dhawan claimed that he surrendered when he came to know that the police was looking for him. Besides, the fourth accused himself surrendered before the Special Cell today. The Delhi police has so far arrested the three accused, including owner of a South Delhi-based detective agency Bhupender Singh, Reliance Infocomm staff Kuldeep and a private security operative Anurag. |
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DM, SSP to execute eviction order of Lalu, Rabri
Patna, January 17 The development came in the wake of the apparent dilly-dallying attitude shown by Lalu-Rabri duo to vacate the residence. It was learnt that DM Patna Rajendra Prasad and SSP Kundan Krishnan were entrusted by a competent authority of the State Building Department to execute the eviction notice without any further delay. State Building Department Minister Monazir Hasan confirmed this development, though no specified time frame was mentioned to the district authorities in the letter issued to them to execute the eviction notice served on Mr Yadav and Ms Rabri Devi two days back. RJD supremo Mr Yadav, after the kharmas (inauspicious month) was over on January 14, told mediapersons that he would be vacating 1 Anne Marg soon. Mr Yadav and Ms Rabri Devi were already allotted the 10 Circular Road residence, which was renovated with necessary security upgradation almost a fortnight back. While Mr Hasan said he would not interfere in the matter directly, to avoid any possible political controversy, he, however, pointed out stating, "We maintained a lot of patience. The regime has changed and now there is a new Chief Minister. They should have cooperated with the State Building Department officials who are trying to discharge the legal obligations of getting the house vacated to help the new Chief Minister move in."
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Panel set up to review NET
New Delhi, January 17 In a statement issued here today, it was pointed out that the Secretary, UGC and Dr M.V. Krishnaswamy, Joint Secretary (NET) will act as the Convenor and Member Secretary of the Review Committee respectively. The committee will review the scheme of the NETand to suggest modifications, if any, to the existing scheme and review the requirement of NET as one of the mandatory qualifications for appointment to the post of lecturers. |
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Proposals for SEZs okayed
Hyderabad, January 17 The Cabinet also approved to give 50 acres to Satyam computers at Bhimli mandal in Visakhapatnam district at a cost of Rs10 lakh per acre. Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy said Apache Holdings, after receiving 315 acres, would start establishing a sector-specific SEZ for the footwear industry. A minimum of 15,000 employment opportunities would be created in the state by Apache and a minimum of Rs 200 crore would be invested by the company. The Cabinet also approved allotment of 50 acres at Visakhapatnam to Satyam computers to promote the area as an SEZ. |
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Don Bosco student abducted
Patna, January 17 The student is a son of former Director-General of the Animal Husbandary Department and a fodder scam accused Om Prakash Dibakar, and a close relative of the former RJD Minister and MLA Shyam Rajak. The abduction took place at around 8 am when the kidnappers picked him up in a Maruti van, which was later found abandoned by the police. The incident has sent shockwaves across the adminis tration. Prasant Jain was abducted on January 5 from Patna. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has instructed the police to recover Nirmalendu at the earliest. According to sources, the Chief Minister Nitish Kumar was studying the report submitted recently by Justice Dharampal Singh Commission, which was formed after the abductions of Golu and Kishley last year. Meanwhile, in another gruesome incident, social activist and BSP leader Faiz Ahmed was shot dead at Buxar today. |
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Corruption issue puts Cong on backfoot
New Delhi, January 17 Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s presidential address and the political resolution had dwelt at length on the issue of corruption, mocking the BJP for projecting itself as a party with a difference. Having been at the receiving end for years, it was the turn of the Congress to destroy the BJP’s plank on probity in public life. Five years later as the Congress is preparing for its next plenary session at Hyderabad this week-end, corruption still remains a burning issue. Only this time round, the Congress is very much on the backfoot as its political opponent was then. Having just about recoverd from the Volcker controversy, which forced senior party leader K. Natwar Singh to quit the government under a cloud, the ongoing Quattrocchi affair has put the spotlight firmly on Mrs Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Bofors kickbacks case has been resurrected even as the BJP has accused the Congress president and the PM of bailing out the Italian businessman by facilitating the defreezing of his London bank accounts. Mrs Gandhi is in the firing line because of her proximity to Quattrocchi while Dr Singh and his two ministerial colleagues H. R. Bharadwaj and Suresh Pachouri have been accused of pressurising the CBI into giving a clean chit to the Bofors accused. Although the government has gone into damage-control mode, the challenge before the party at the Hyderabad plenary is to see that both Mrs Gandhi and the Prime Minister remain insulated from the Quattrocchi affair and are able to retain their “clean” image”. At the same time, it has to ensure that its attack against the BJP on corruption remains undiluted, especially in view of the recent “cash for query” sting operation involving opposition MPs. The Congress has already made it abundantly clear that the Gandhi family had nothing to do with the Quattrocchi issue, pointing out that the party president has repeatedly stated that the Bofors case must be probed and the guilty brought to book. The Congress president does not interfere in the working of any ministry or agency, party spokesperson Anand Sharma has been at pains to state. Similarly, Dr Singh has been described by the party as a mature and restrained leader who does not influence decision-making in other departments and agencies. Although the Hyderabad plenary is expected to keep up its offensive against the opposition on corruption, its leadership will necessarily be forced to offer explanations in the light of the recent developments. Mrs Gandhi can be expected to reiterate her known position on the Bofors kickbacks case in her opening address even as the party is all set to go the extra mile to highlight how she sacrificed the Prime Minister’s job since this is the first plenary being held after the Congress-led UPA came to power at the Centre.
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Kalam’s call to educationists
Kolkata, January 17 Dr Kalam today attended three important functions, including the inauguration of the post centenary golden jubilee celebration of the Calcutta University on the occasion of its 150th year of foundation. The President opened a 120 MW solar plant at Sagardhigi in the Sunderban islands. He also attended the CII’s Annual Partnership Summit, 2006 at the Salt Lake Stadium. He inaugurated a rain-water preserver plant at Raj Bhavan. Inaugurating the Calcutta University’s post golden jubilee celebration at the Science City near Salt Lake, Dr Kalam asked the university authorities to maintain the great prestige of the historic educational institution, which had produced the country’s best human resources in its long 150 years of existence. The UGC Chairman, Prof V.N.Rajasekharan Pillai acknowledged the great contribution of the university in the country’s development of education and science and technology.
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Nod to 26 pc FDI in uplinking news channels
New Delhi, January 17 According to an official Press note issued today, FDI up to 100 per cent would be allowed with prior approval of the government for uplinking of non-news and current affairs TV channels. FDI up to 26 per cent will be permitted with prior approval of the government for uplinking news and current affairs channel. For the news channels, the government has imposed the condition that portfolio investment in the form of foreign institutional investors (FII) and non-resident Indian (NRI) deposits shall not be persons acting in concert with the FDI investors as defined by the Securities and Exchange Board of India. For setting up uplinking hub and teleports, the government has allowed FDI of 49 per cent.
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Five get AWWA award
New Delhi, January 17 Mrs Paishola Shanglai’s, whose efforts as a trainer for enterprenual skills in Meghalaya have come to the fore and Mrs Poonam Singhal, who has been felicitated for her untiring efforts for bereaved families of Army personnel who lost their lives in the bridge collapse at Kharo in Himachal Pradesh. |
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Rajasthan Patrika founder dead
Jaipur, January 17 He was 80. He is survived by two sons and a daughter. Kulish, who was born on March 20, 1926 in Tonk district of Rajasthan, started his career in 1945 as a clerk in a government department. Later, he switched over to writing and participated in various poetry competitions organised by All India Radio and received royalties for his works from the national broadcaster.
— UNI |
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IL-38 aircraft returns after
modernisation
New Delhi, January 17 The aircraft, equipped with a new state-of-the-art sensors and weapons package arrived at the naval air station INS Hansa, Dabolim on Sunday. The first IL 38SD aircraft of the Indian Navy, IN 305, is fitted with multi-functional “Sea Dragon Mission Suite”, augmenting its independent capability of search, detection, localisation and tracking of aerial, surface and subsurface targets and destruction of surface and subsurface targets. |
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Ahmedabad, January 17 “The MiG-21 crashed after facing an engine surge while the pilot was pulling out after the practice sortie at Samrat firing range during an air-to-ground firing exercise,” the IAF spokesperson said. Pilot J.P.S. Bains ejected out safely and no one was injured on the ground, he said. A court of inquiry was ordered by the IAF. — PTI
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New DGs for ITBP, SSB
New Delhi, January 17 |
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Ram Lakhan Yadav dead
New Delhi, January 17 The veteran leader from Bihar had been ailing for some time. He was brought to the national capital from Patna for treatment three weeks ago in a serious condition, but did not respond to medication.
— UNI |
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