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Vajpayee, Advani court arrest on fuel price hike
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Left, SP protest today
Walkout in West Bengal Assembly
Special
court to hear Rahul’s bail plea today SC: minority institutes
can conduct separate tests
Delhi bomb blast: court takes two decades to free 5 persons
Trucks to go off road today
Khurana to launch political outfit
‘Fanaa’ withdrawn from Gujarat theatre
SP workers protest against notice to Amitabh
Missed train? Sorry, we can’t help you
47 held with fake visa documents
Maharashtra ex-minister released
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Vajpayee, Advani court arrest on fuel price hike
New Delhi, June 12 Mr Vajpayee, who spearheaded the NDA protest rally here, said “a strange phenomenon has emerged with states being asked to share the burden. We have no objection if states cut taxes on their own. But it will be a joke if the Centre uses its pressure on states to get these slashed.” Accusing the Congress-led UPA government of failing to control prices, Mr Vajpayee, who is also the chairperson of the NDA, insisted that the Centre should reduce excise and customs duties to bring down prices of petrol and diesel. “The Centre cannot pressurise state
governments to cut down taxes to reduce prices when it had hiked them. The Centre must roll back the prices. Inflation has skyrocketed because of this decision. It is not the responsibility of the state governments alone to provide relief to the people,” Mr Vajpayee said. “The UPA government is in a state of confusion,” he said, while addressing rallyists before courting arrest. The former Prime Minister, who sat in front of a large canvas of price chart, also spoke about the rise in prices of edible goods and fuel since the UPA took power in 2004. In their speeches, both Mr Advani and BJP president Rajnath Singh flayed the Congress for sales tax cuts in party-ruled states. The BJP chief demanded that the Centre should fix customs and excise on fuel to 20 per cent as the maximum limit. He also attacked the Left for adopting “double standards” on the price rise. “Why is the Left not willing to cut sales tax in West Bengal? Why are they protesting price increases while staying in power?” he asked. Expressing similar views, Mr Advani said the UPA in its common minimum programme had promised to work for the poor, but had failed to deliver. “Last two years have only brought deaths, suicides and killings,” he claimed. In an obvious
attack on Ms Sonia Gandhi over her correspondence with the government regarding price increases and income tax forms, Mr Advani called her letters over the issues a “fraud”. Other NDA leaders who addressed the rally held at Jantar Mantar here were Janata Dal (U) chief Sharad Yadav and Shiv Sena leaders Manohar Joshi and Ananth Geethe. Mr Sharad Yadav attacked the Centre for importing wheat from Australia.
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Left, SP protest today
New Delhi, June 12 The Communists have ruled out any reduction in sales taxes by West Bengal and Kerala Governments, until and unless the Centre slashes the excise and customs duty on the oil prices. The Left parties are being supported in the protest by the Samajwadi Party, the Telegu Desam Party, the Asom Gana Parishad and the ruling ally Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam. The proposed agitation includes a general strike in Kerala, demonstrations in Uttar Pradesh and road blockades in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Orissa, Delhi and other parts of the country. Rallies, processions and public meetings will be part of the protest, the Left leaders said.
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Walkout in West Bengal Assembly
Kolkata, June 12 Later in the day, while speaking at the sit-in-demonstration in the Esplanade area against the petrol and diesel price rises, the TMC leader, Ms Mamata Banerjee suddenly fell sick. Doctors attending on her said she fell sick because of the prevailing heat and humid weather. However, soon the TMC leader regained consciousness and was taken to her Kalighat residence. Earlier, the TMC MLAs boycotted the Governor’s Address alleging that he had been giving false and untrue statements highlighting the state government’s performances. They also did not participate in the Speaker’s election for his refusal in recognizing the TMC as the main opposition in the Assembly. The senior CPM MLA Mr Hashim Abdul Halim was elected Speaker uncontested for the sixth time since 1982.
Special
court to hear Rahul’s bail plea today New Delhi, June 12 Special Judge N. K. Gupta heard arguments on a petition which said
the bail hearing posted by the Metropolitan Magistrate for tomorrow
should be heard by the special court.
The police had yesterday filed an application before the special
Judge challenging the powers of a metropolitan court here to try the
case against Rahul, son of slain BJP leader Pramod Mahajan, and sought
its transfer to a special court. Accepting the application, the special
court directed the police to produce Rahul, now lodged in the Tihar
jail, for further hearing on the application.
The special court also here today sent Sahil Zaroo, co-accused in the
Rahul Mahajan drug abuse case, to 10 days in judicial custody. Special
Judge N K Gupta remanded Sahil to judicial custody after he was produced
before him on completion of his eight-day police remand.
Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Police filed an application before the
special Judge for transfer of custody of Sahil in connection with a
Shahtoosh shawl smuggling case registered in Mumbai. A team of
Maharashtra police officials produced before the Judge a transfer
warrant issued by a Metropolitan Magistrate in Mumbai ordering the
transfer of custody of Sahil from the Tughlaq Road police to their
counterparts at Marine Drive.
The special Judge, however, declined to take any action on the
application, saying that he did not have any powers at present and
directed the Maharashtra Police to approach the Delhi District Judge,
who could, if found necessary, mark the plea to him.
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SC: minority institutes
can conduct separate tests
New Delhi, June 12 The Vacation Bench comprising Mr Justice Arijit Pasayat and Mr Justice Altamas Kabir, while fixing the matter for further hearing next month, rejected the contention of the state of Maharashtra opposing the association’s plea for conducting separate entrance tests for the BA, B.Ed, BDS, pharmacy and MCA courses.
— UNI
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Delhi bomb blast: court takes two decades to free 5 persons
Chandigarh, June 12 A few days ago, the Additional Sessions Judge, Delhi, Mr Vinod Kumar, who is trying nine cases connected with the blasts, had discharged five accused of all charges on the grounds that the material on the judicial file was not sufficient to frame a charge against them under any offence. While the alleged main conspirator of the blasts, Delhi-based income tax lawyer Kartar Singh Narang, and five other accused in the cases have already died, there are 38 accused still awaiting a final word on their role in the cases. Ms Harvinder Kaur, counsel for the accused, says, "The first charge-sheet was filed on August 7, 1985. Since then, there has been little movement in the matter. I don't know how long the remaining accused will continue to await justice." That the case is moving at a snail's pace is indicated by the fact that so far, the court has managed to frame charges of murder and attempted murder against barely half a dozen persons. Incidentally, the prosecution claims to have as evidence against some of the accused slips of paper having their names written on them. These slips were recovered from Mohinder Pal Singh Khalsa, who is no more, and M.S. Oberoi, both allegedly accomplices of the main conspirator. The prosecution has been relying heavily on the alleged disclosure statement made by deceased Khalsa to the police. The case has been dragging despite the directions of the Delhi High Court to the trial court to speed up the process. Already, over 45 judges have heard the matter, with some of them getting transferring without even passing a single order. The prosecution had initially stated that it would produce about 1650 witnesses in the case. Such is the irony of the matter that many of the accused, who had barely gotten out of their teens when they were arrested for their alleged role in the blasts, have reached middle age awaiting the fate of their cases. "The delay has been too much. If over 20 years are taken just to decide the issue of faming of changes, imagine how long the entire case will take to end," rues Ms Harvinder Kaur.
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Trucks to go off road today
New Delhi, June 12 The strike, called by the All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC), will begin from 6 a.m. tomorrow and as many as 3,700 affiliated members across India, including 22 associations from Delhi, will support the call. The closure of booking offices and keeping vehicles off the road is expected to result in losses amounting to several crores. The association has made representations to the Finance, Petroleum and the Transport Ministries seeking complete roll-back of prices. Meanwhile, truck operators have already increased freight rates by 6 per cent after the latest hike in fuel prices.
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Khurana to launch political outfit
New Delhi, June 12 Addressing a press conference here, Mr Khurana said the formalities for the launch of his “Delhi Vikas Mahasangh” were being finalised and a formal announcement would be made by the month-end. The outfit would be initially a non-political one and two months ahead of the Assembly elections it would be converted into a political outfit, Mr Khurana said adding former Delhi minister Rajendra Gupta would be it’s chairperson and legislator Dayanand Chandela will be its Secretary General.
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‘Fanaa’ withdrawn from Gujarat theatre
Jamnagar, June 12 Local MP Vikarmbhai Madam who owns the cinema, told UNI that he had decided to suspend the screening of the film on the advice of film producer Yash Chopra, who reportedly spoke to him after the immolation incident. “I am not going to bow down to the threat of the BJP, but took the decision considering all aspects,” Mr Madam said.
— UNI
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SP workers protest against notice to Amitabh
Lucknow, June 12 Speaking in Badaun today Mr Yadav threatened the Congress of dire consequences if it did not desist from harassing party national general secretary Amar Singh and UP brand ambassador and member of the UP Development Council Amitabh Bachchan. Enraged over a notice sent to the Big B for possessing a pair of sunglasses reportedly worth Rs 2.7 lakh, the protesters sporting red party caps and dark glasses came out on the roads in Lucknow,
Varansai, Allahabad and Agra. In Lucknow, the SP workers burnt effigies of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi in front of Vidhan Sabha. They charged that the Congress and the Central Government of indulging in the politics of revenge against the senior actor. In Allahabad, where the actor spent his childhood, some 150-odd protesters shouted slogans and burnt effigies in front of the Income Tax office. According to the SSP, Mr Vijay Singh Meena , the violence was over a transfer dispute and not related to the protest in support of Amitabh Bachchan. An FIR against the erring persons has been registered at the Civil Lines police station.
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Missed train? Sorry, we can’t help you
New Delhi, June 12 The incident relating to scientist couple of Sudip Sen Gupta and Rajinder Kaur highlights the harsh reality of just how the Railways leaves its passengers to fend for themselves even if they miss their train for no fault of theirs. On Thursday, the couple and their daughter
Ramonika, who were travelling to New Delhi by the Rajdhani, missed the connecting train, Ashram Express, to Ahmedabad as the train from Kolkata, the scheduled arrival time of which is 11 a.m., reached New Delhi at 3 p.m. The connecting train departs from the Old Delhi railway station at 3.05 p.m. Their approaching the station officials proved fruitless, who heard their story sympathetically, but told them that even though they were aware of the problem, they were “helpless in the matter”. “We know you have missed the train, but neither can we get you reservation on tomorrow’s train or any other train as all are running full. Moreover, the Railways holds no responsibility in such cases,” they told Dr Gupta and his wife. The couple was also informed that the facility of re-validation of tickets, which existed till early 2006, had been withdrawn. Re-validation meant that passengers who missed their train could get their tickets revalidated for the next train. The couple was advised to get a refund, minus of course the clerkage charges. Since Dr Gupta and his wife had to join office on Monday, the next best thing they did was ring up relatives in Delhi and catch the next flight home. “There is no other way, we have to reach Ahmedabad as soon as possible,” they said.
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47 held with fake visa documents
New Delhi, June 12 The youths, who were planning to board a Qatar Airways flight, were arrested last night after immigration officials found out irregularities in their visas and handed them over to the police. Most of the arrested were in their mid-20s and hailed from Punjab and Haryana. On questioning, some of them told the police that they had secured visas after paying nearly Rs 3 lakh to a Ropar-based travel agent, a senior police official said. The police has charged them under Sections 420, 468, 471 and 120B of the IPC.
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Maharashtra ex-minister released
Mumbai, June 12 Naik spent less than two weeks in jail as he complained of illness because of which he was sent to JJ Hospital. The former minister was kept in the ICU for several days after he complained of chest pain. However, after a series of media reports highlighted the extra facilities made available to Naik, the hospital authorities declared Naik fit following which he was sent back to jail last week. Former Additional Chief Secretary Ashok Khot who was sentenced along with Naik, is however, still serving his jail sentence. Both Naik and Khot were found guilty of issuing fresh licensces to saw mills for operating on forest land though this was expressly banned by the apex court. Naik had to quit his post as Forest Minister after being indicted by the Supreme Court.
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