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Pranab floats new front ahead of Bengal poll
Kerala unit to decide on tie-up with Karunakaran: Sonia
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Hectic lobbying on for Uttaranchal CM’s post
Cong will go it alone: Amarinder
PM statement on Iran in Parliament today
Kidwai tipped to be Rajya Sabha Vice-Chairperson
Govt moots National Judicial Commission
808 striking doctors sacked
5 Naxals killed in Gaya
Retired CFSL officer clarifies on Jessica case
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Pranab floats new front ahead of Bengal poll
Kolkata, March 5 Announcing this at a press conference here this evening, Mr Mukherjee said since Ms Mamata Banerjee was still reluctant to leave the BJP-led NDA, there was no alternative but to form a new democratic front minus Trinamool Congress and BJP for fighting against the CPM and other Left
parties. He said the PDS, JMM, RJD, Jan Shakti Party and some other secular forces had been inducted in the new front. He hoped some more parties, now in Ms Banerjee’s front, would join them. He said within next few days, they would announce the list of their candidates and begin their poll campaign. Strongly reacting to the WBPCC(I)’s decision, the TMC leader, Ms Banerjee said that it was an attempt by the Defence Minister to once again disunite the anti-Left parties which would ensure the easy victory for the CPM. The BJP leadership also accused Mr Mukherjee of conspiring against the people of the state. The BJP president, Mr Tathagata Roy, felt the new step would further divide the anti-Left votes which would help the CPM. The CPM state leadership, however, did not give any importance to either the formation of the new front under Mr Mukherjee or Ms Mamata Banerjee’s criticism against it. The Left Front chairman, Mr Biman Bose, who is an important politburo member of the CPM said they cared little about the formation of new front. He was confident the Left parties would again come to power with a massive mandate. But a section of the Congress(I) leadership was totally surprised at the Defence Minister’s sudden decision to form a separate front, which was both anti-Mamata and anti-Left parties, when the CPM and other front partners had already completed the first round of election campaign since the finalisation of their respective candidates’ lists on February 16. The former Railway Minister, Mr Ghani Khan Chaudhury, said today the state Congress(I) in Malda would go to the polls with an electoral understanding with Ms Mamata Banerjee as they had done in the recent municipal and panchayat polls in the district. He did not give much importance to Mr Mukherjee’s decision of forming the new election front at this stage. Several Congress(I) workers in some districts both in North Bengal and South Bengal have already made some electoral understanding with TMC and the BJP as they done in the panchayat elections against the CPM. |
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Kerala unit to decide on tie-up with Karunakaran: Sonia
Kochi, March 5 In a 15-minute address to Congress Parliamentary Party members here this morning, Ms Sonia Gandhi described as a “very good sign” the enthusiasm of the workers, reflected in the party rally here last evening. Ms Sonia Gandhi, who had mounted an indirect attack on the CPI(M)-led Left Front during the rally, today urged the workers not to take their opponents lightly. Exhorting workers to focus on a development agenda for the state, the Congress chief assured that she would take up with the Central Government, the state’s grievances regarding the raw deal to Kerala in the Railway Budget. Speaking on behalf of the MLAs, Mr Aryadan Mohammad urged the central leadership to take into consideration the workers’ sentiments before taking any decision on Kerala. Forty-six of the 53 MLAs were present at the meeting, which was presided over by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. Also present were KPCC President Ramesh Chennithala, CWC member A.K. Antony, AICC Kerala in charge Veerappa Moily and Union Minister Vayalar Ravi. In an informal interaction with the editors of three leading Malayalam dailies and a television channel, Ms Sonia Gandhi said the central party leadership would consider the matter only after the local unit makes any suggestion on it.
— UNI Chennai (TNS): Congress President Sonia Gandhi virtually kicked off the Democratic Progressive Alliance(DPA) election campaign here today for the May 8, Tamil Nadu Assembly elections. Addressing a mammoth rally after the 3 days DMK conference, she appealed the people of Tamil Naidu to free themsleves of the clutches and mis rule of ADMK. She said, “Our coalition needs your support.” Showering praise on DMK president M. Karunanidhi, she said, it was because of him the UPA could come to power at the Centre. |
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Hectic lobbying on for Uttaranchal CM’s post
Dehra Dun, March 5 Hectic lobbying for Chief Ministership began with the names of PCC chief Harish Rawat, Information Minister Indira Hridayesh, Congress leader Satpal Maharaj and Speaker Yashpal Arya doing the rounds for the top post. However, senior Congress leader Motilal Vora, in-charge of party affairs in Uttaranchal, categorically told reporters in Almora that the next assembly polls would be held under the leadership of Tiwari. Party sources said a final decision in this regard would be taken by Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Rawat, a known detractor of Tiwari, said since Tiwari had created the controversy, only he could end it. “We are fully backing Tiwari, but I fail to understand why he has taken such a step,” he said. Kishore Upadhaya, an MLA from Tehri, said, “If he wants to quit, then the high command must respect his sentiments.” But, Hridayesh said Tiwari should continue as Chief Minister. Panchayati Raj Minister Pritam Singh, who was involved in a spat with Tiwari during a cabinet meeting on Friday, chose not to comment. Sources said Tiwari was upset with Singh’s behaviour and this might have prompted him to send his resignation to the party High Command. In a sudden move, Tiwari yesterday expressed his desire to quit from active politics ahead of assembly elections early next year. Stating he wanted to quit politics, he said he was growing old and urged Mrs Sonia Gandhi to relieve him from his
responsibilities within one month. The sources said 81-year-old Tiwari was sulking for quite sometime for being marginalised in Congress heirarchy. The Congress veteran, who was the Chief Minister of undivided Uttar Pradesh four times and had served in the Union Cabinet, was not nominated to the all-powerful Congress Working Committee. Tiwari’s decision to quit came as a surprise since he had made similar announcements in the
past. — PTI |
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Cong will go it alone: Amarinder
New Delhi, March 5 The Chief Minister, who was in the Capital today, said the party would not enter into an alliance with the Left parties. He said the Left parties demand “too many seats” and it is difficult for the Congress to accommodate them. He said the Congress had left 11 seats for the CPI in the last elections, of which it had won two. “Those two MLAs are also with us,” he said. The Chief Minister said the Left parties did not have a support base in the state but had “little pockets” of influence. He said vote share of Communist parties was not transferred to the Congress and vice-versa. On the possibility of alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), the Chief Minister said the issue had not been discussed. “But the opinion in the party is to go on its own,” he said. Answering queries, the Chief Minister maintained that the state government was not facing anti-incumbency. “The Congress is on the offensive and the Akalis are on the defensive,” he said. The Chief Minister said only three promises from the Congress manifesto were pending and these would be fulfilled. Taking a dig at SAD chief Parkash Singh Badal, the Chief Minister wondered why the Akali Dal leader made remarks on the implementation of the Congress manifesto. “It is our promise to people and we are answerable to them,” he said. Counting “crop diversification, smooth procurement and investment in industry” as the top achievements of his government, the Chief Minister said the state had received Rs 56,000-crore investment in last year and the figure was likely to touch Rs 1,00,000 crore by the end of this year. The Chief Minister said development and fight against corruption would be issues of the Congress in the Assembly elections. He said while the prestigious science institute, modelled on IISc Bangalore, would be set up at Jalandhar, the National Law Institute would come up near Chandigarh. The state government had offered to set up the country’s first defence university at Patiala. The Chief Minister said crop yield in the state was likely to be affected this season due to relatively high temperature in winter months and the state not receiving rain in this period. |
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PM statement on Iran in Parliament today
New Delhi, March 5 “Prime Minister would reply to the Iran debate in both the Houses of Parliament on Monday,” Information and Broadcasting Minister Priyaranjan Dasmunshi told reporters here. The statement of Manmohan Singh on Monday is significant as the Left parties have been insisting that India should not be a party to referring Tehran to UNSC and New Delhi’s stand on the issue should be discussed in Parliament. Left parties, who prop up the Congress-led coalition government from outside, have been threatening to take “strong action” if the UPA acts without taking Parliament into confidence. Communists have expressed their displeasure to the two previous votes against Iran by India at the IAEA meet. At the March 6 IAEA meet, the atomic energy body is expected to discuss Tehran’s nuclear programme since 2003. The council is expected to consider action against Iran soon after the IAEA meet to review the Iranians' efforts to acquire nuclear enrichment technology. Because of continuing uncertainties about Iran's intentions, the IAEA's board voted last month to report Tehran to the Security Council for its failure to reestablish a moratorium on enrichment and to answer questions from weapons inspectors. Dasmunshi said Prime Minister would make a statement on the Indo-US nuclear deal and other agreements reached with US president on Tuesday. CPM mouthpiece People’s Democracy in its editorial said “the carrot of the nuclear deal should not entice India to be prepared to be beaten by the US imperialist stick to fall in line. India, under this UPA government, must beware of this eminent danger. Any compromise of our independent foreign policy, a commitment made in the UPA’s Common Minimum Programme, can neither be accepted nor tolerated.” |
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N-deal not aimed at neighbours
New Delhi, March 5 Government sources yesterday said the nuclear deal should, in fact, come as a matter of comfort to the neighbours in view of the fact that India had now made it clear that only 35 per cent of its nuclear capacity was dedicated for its strategic programme. |
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Kidwai tipped to be Rajya Sabha Vice-Chairperson
New Delhi, March 5 While Ms Kidwai, who was brought into the Upper House from Chhattisgarh, will be elevated to an important post, Mr Tiwari is going to be appointed a Governor, sources said. Mr Rehman would also be accommodated as a Governor. But Mr Tiwari, who was known for his deft moves, was also interested in becoming a Union Minister in the UPA government, sources said, adding that the party high command would move cautiously while deciding on his replacement in Uttaranchal. Mr Tiwari wanted that he should be replaced by none other than his ministerial colleague Indira
Hridesh, but the high command was faced with a serious dilemma as it was impossible to accept him as a chief ministerial candidate. Uttaranchal Pradesh Congress Committee chief Harish Rawat, under whose leadership the party had won the Assembly election in 2002, was a serious contender for the post. The party high command had been worried for quite some time over reports that the Congress was increasingly losing ground in the state and it was very difficult to win the next year’s Assembly election under Mr Tiwari’s leadership. Signal were sent to Mr Tiwari to step down but he had been ignoring the subtle messages and sticking to the chair causing serious damage to the Congress’ electoral prospects, sources said. The move to make Ms Kidwai the Rajya Sabha Vice-Chairman was being initiated with an eye on the Uttar Pradesh politics, sources said, adding that the party was going to revamp the Uttar Pradesh Congress Committee soon. Uttar Pradesh Pradesh Congress Committee chief Salman Khurshid was on his way out, sources said, adding that he was likely to be replaced either by a Brahmin or by a person who does not belong to any of the major castes of the state. |
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Govt moots National Judicial Commission
New Delhi, March 5 “We have a draft law on the National Judicial Commission which will go into complaints of misconduct of judiciary,” he said, adding the proposal is that such issues are dealt with by their own peers. He was winding up a discussion on the Contempt of Courts (Amendment) Bill, which he described as a “first step” towards more transparency and accountability in the functioning of judiciary. The Bill was passed unanimously giving Parliamentary approval to the legislation which had been cleared by the Lok Sabha on February 21.The amended law makes truth a “valid defence”. With this amendment, “justification by truth would be treated as a valid defence if the court was satisfied that it was in public interest and the request for invoking the said defence was bona fide,” the minister said. Maintaining that the government would ensure that the judiciary was not browbeaten or scandalised, the minister said the citizens were being granted limited rights in public interest to defend themselves in such cases. Agreeing that the present amendment was not comprehensive, the Law Minister said he would come back to the House with a comprehensive legislation to deal with the issue of accountability, especially in the context of changing times.
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808 striking doctors sacked
Mumbai, March 5 For the first time, striking doctors from outside Mumbai were expelled on Saturday night for not returning to work. In Pune, 310 doctors from the Sassoon Hospital were expelled as per an order issued by the Dean. The Maharashtra Association of Resident Doctors (MARD) claimed here today that all 14 teaching hospitals in the state have been rendered non-operational due to the strike. With the doctors showing no signs of returning to the hospitals, the Maharashtra government reached out to them by enacting an ordinance guaranteeing their safety. Resident doctors in public hospitals will now be classified as public servants so that anyone assaulting them would be held without bail. The ordinance was enacted today. Meanwhile, MARD claimed here that more than 4,000 resident doctors from Delhi and Andhra Pradesh have offered to join the strike to express solidarity with their counterparts in Maharashtra. The doctors are demanding an increase in stipend and improvement in working conditions apart from protection from assaults by relatives of patients. Meanwhile, several parallel OPDs have sprung up outside hospitals. These are being run by striking doctors. Pharmaceutical companies have also stepped in with free medicines at these parallel OPDs. |
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5 Naxals killed in Gaya
Patna, March 5 According to the police, five Naxalites were shot dead in a fierce encounter lasting nearly four hours, when over 100 activists of the underground outfit attacked Dumaria police station in Gaya, close to the Jharkhand border, to loot firearms. The building of the police station and adjoining residence of the officer in-charge were partially damaged in the attack. The Naxalites planted landmines on the Sherghati-Dumaria road which delayed in reaching reinforcements, the police said. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar enquired about the incident from DGP Ashish Ranjan Sinha. Mr Sinha said the situation was under control and the police were on high alert in all the 16 Naxal-hit districts of the state. |
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Retired CFSL officer clarifies on Jessica case
New Delhi, March 5 “All the allegations are baseless and false,” he said ruling out the possibility of manipulation of evidence at the lab, “as things are checked and cross-checked at every level.” He told a TV channel the cartridges were received in sealed condition and “there is no reason to change the cartridges and also it does not solve any purpose.” The Investigative Officer of the murder case, Mr Surinder Sharma, had said Mr Roop Singh had allegedly changed the cartridges at the CFSL at the behest of a UP politician whose son was an accused in the case.
— PTI |
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Shekhawat discharged
New Delhi, March 5 According to AIIMS Director Dr Venu Gopal and senior physician Dr Ashok K
Hemal, medical investigations conducted on Mr Shekhawat were found normal and during the last two days his health improved.
— UNI |
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Hearing in BSP MLAs’ case today
Lucknow, March 5 The meeting will discuss in detail the fallout of the High Court judgement and the party’s future strategy outside and inside the legislature.
— UNI |
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AP police arrest suicide bomber
Hyderabad, March 5 The accused, Sattar, was identified as an operative of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and trained to become a suicide bomber.
— UNI |
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