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BJP claims magic number
Karnataka Poll |
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Protesting Gujjars detained
Mid-air Scare to PM’s Aircraft
Arushi Murder
Go slow on industrial policy, Buddhadeb told
Goa finally cancels mega housing projects
Indian govt sets aside land for SAARC varsity
Check ragging, UGC to varsities
UK wants India to open financial sector
Office of Telugu newspaper attacked
Antony pays homage to Indian soldiers
VHP to launch campaign to oust Bangladeshis
Raj targets North Indian students
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BJP claims magic number
Bangalore, May 26 B.S. Yeddyurappa, who was unanimously chosen today as the leader of the party's legislative wing paving the way for him to stake claim to form the government, said two Independent MLAs - Shivraj Tangadagi from Kanakagiri constituency (SC) in Koppala district and G.D. Shekar from Hosadurga segment of Chitradurga district, had assured us to give support. While Shivraj was a BJP rebel, Shekar contested the elections as Independent after he failed to get nomination from the Janata Dal (Secular). Three other Independent MLAs also offered support to the BJP in writing, Yeddyurappa claimed. However, BJP leader and former party president Venkaiah Naidu said they would not like to divulge the names of the MLAs before submitting the letters given by the Independent MLAs to the Governor. The BJP bagged 110 of the 224-member Assembly and needed support of three MLAs for establishing simple majority. Having claimed the support of five out of the total six Independent MLAs, it is now in a position to form the government in the state with two MLAs more than what it needed to realise its goal. It was, however, evident that obtaining the support of the Independent MLAs was not as easy as it first appeared to be. The meeting of the BJP legislators to elect their leaders was over by around 1.30 pm. But a press conference, which was to be followed by Yeddyurappas's meeting with the Governor to stake the claim for forming the government, kept getting delayed.
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Karnataka Poll
New Delhi, May 26 The BJP, on the other hand, had chosen its chief ministerial candidate, B.S. Yedyurappa, in advance and this paid them rich dividends. The saffron party also set its house in order by burying internal differences and running a well-oiled campaign with its general secretary Arun Jaitely micro-managing the elections. The Congress, on the other hand, ran a faceless campaign. Or rather it had too many chief ministerial aspirants - S.M. Krishna, Mallikarjun Kharge, Veerappa Moily and Sidderamaiah - which only ended up confusing the electorate. Besides the uncertainty on the leadership issue, the Congress paid the price for poor selection of candidates, internal sabotage, a non-existent state organisation, an ineffective election management and its inability to change sitting candidates. As many as 36 of the 65 incumbent Congress MLAs were defeated. The Congressmen privately acknowledge that the BJP’s decision to project a Chief Minister had helped the party immensely not just in Karnataka but also in Gujarat and in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Publicly, however, nobody is willing to accept that this policy needs to be revisited as the rules of the game have changed over the years. Congress leader in charge of Karnataka elections Prithviraj Chauhan said the party had taken a conscious decision not to project any one leader and instead go in for the campaign with an array of leaders. “It is the Congress policy... we don’t project leaders till after the election. If we wanted to project S.M. Krishna, we would have, but we wanted to keep our social coalition intact,” he argued. Other senior leaders said since the Congress had far too many leaders, it finds it difficult to project any person as others then start demolishing him. In the case of Karnataka, the Congress strategists admit that S.M. Krishna’s return to state politics at the last minute created a lot of uncertainty on the leadership issue as it had been assumed till then that PCC chief and party’s Dalit face Mallikarjun Kharge would be its chief ministerial candidate. “There is no doubt we paid the price for riding on two horses,” a Karnataka Congress leader confessed. In the process, Krishna’s appeal to the urban middle class did not work as the Congress managed to win only 10 of the 28 seats in Bangalore while the party’s failure to project Kharge cost them a large chunk of the scheduled caste seats, which were taken by the BJP. An angry Krishna has already gone on record to put the blame for the party’s humiliating defeat on “lack of clarity in the elections strategy, bungling in the selection of candidates and the failure to project state leaders. Stating that they were ignored in the distribution of tickets, the Karnataka Congress leaders pointed out how the party gave five tickets to members of the Baliga community, which has minuscule population while the 80-lakh Tamilians went unrepresentative.
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Protesting Gujjars detained
New Delhi, May 26 They submitted a memorandum to the Prime Minister demanding imposing of President’s rule in the state. Several Gujjar activists were killed in Rajasthan during an agitation in the state demanding Scheduled Tribe status for the community. The BJP in its election manifesto had promised to provide Gujjars ST status helping them in government jobs. But it has betrayed the community after coming to power in the state, said Ramvir Singh Bidhuri, Nationalist Congress Party MLA in Delhi and Sukhbir Singh Jaunapuria, Haryana MLA, who led today’s demonstration. They are patrons of the Gujjar movement. Their major demands include dismissal of Vasundhara Raje government in Rajasthan, registering criminal cases against her, Rs 10 lakh compensation next to the kin of those killed in police firing and job to one member of the family. Gujjars from various villages in the capital gathered at Jantar. Till noon, a large number of people gathered there and moved towards Parliament in the leadership of Bidhuri and Jaunapuria. They were stopped at the Parliament Street by the police and arrested. Later, they were released. The protesters submitted a memorandum to the police. The demonstrators also burnt an effigy of the Rajasthan Chief Minister.
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Mid-air Scare to PM’s Aircraft
New Delhi, May 26 Details emerging in the inquiry, being conducted by the civil aviation authorities, have revealed that the Dornier, flying a few miles behind the PM’s aircraft, did not cause the blip on the air traffic controller’s radar in New Delhi on April 23. So far it was being believed that the blip on the radar was of the Dornier. The inquiry report is yet to be submitted. Hints emerging from the inquiry have revealed that the blip was caused due an error in the radar itself. The blip is now being described as “a mirror image” of another aircraft’s arrival in the air space above Delhi. This could also be possible as an aircraft carrying a transponder on board, which could be linked to the secondary radars on ground. But some officials said this was not possible as the blip did not have a call sign, which any aircraft would normally have. This fact that the blip did not have a call sign means that it was a “mirror image” of another aircraft, said a source. Another version for the blip being given was that it might be due to some sudden atmospheric changes. Heat could be one. But this seems implausible, as the temperature was not so high. Even if that was the case then the radar was giving an erroneous signal. The PM was returning to the national capital from Jamshedpur when the scare was caused. The ATC detected an unidentified blip on its flight path on the radar screen behind the PM’s aircraft.
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Aged couple found murdered
New Delhi, May 26 The bodies of Ashok Goel (62) and his wife Lata Goel (55) were found lying in their room with the heads bashed in and the throats slit. The police said the bodies have been sent for the postmortem examination and efforts were being made to trace the domestic servant, Mukesh Yadav, who was absconding. Yadav was hired only a fortnight ago on the recommendation of some friends. He was yet to be verified by the police. In fact, the couple had filled the varification form only yesterday and was planning to submit it to the area police station. The police said the description of the servant had been sent to all local police stations and the neighbouring states. Senior police officers and personnel of the Central Forensic Science Laboratory also inspected the site of the crime. The dog squad was also called in. While the investigations were still on, the police suspects robbery as the motive. This is because all household goods were found littered in the house and the cupboards ransacked. The double murder in this South Delhi’s up-market colony has caused a flutter among the residents. A large number of people gathered outside the C-Block house after the bodies were discovered this morning. Goel, a retired hotel executive, and his wife were living alone. Their two married daughters are living separately in Pitampura, West Delhi. The incident has once again brought into focus the insecurity of senior citizens living alone in the capital. The Delhi police had only recently launched a special domestic servant verification campaign after a series of domestic servant-related crimes.
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Arushi Murder
Noida, May 26 According to DSP K.K. Gautam (retd), who tracked the dead body of Hem Raj on the terrace of Dr Rajesh Talwar’s flat, there are many sign which show that Hem Raj had put up a struggle against his killers before going down. There was leather in his teeth, some hair were also found in his mouth and his nails might have been having the stains of the killers blood, perspiration of his assailants on his body etc. All these are normal when somebody fights for his life, said Gautam. Three glasses were found in Talwar’s room and the remnants of more than one person’s urine had been found in Hem Raj’s toilet. The investigators had also collected a sample of Talwar’s urine. The involvement of other person’s in Hem Raj’s murder can not be denied, said Gautam. There are possibilities of finding many facts or proofs like nails, body odour etc by the police. If the police fail, the doctor, who did the post mortem of the body, would have noticed that the teeth of the deceased were clenched, said Gautam. In Arushi’s room, the mattress had been cut and there were blood spots in her bed. The police must has taken forensic and electronic records of all these. The inspector general of police and the DIG police are still camping in Noida, Gautam said. There was no forensic team with the police when they sent Arushi’s dead body for autopsy by 11 am. There was only one doctor for post mortem, whereas normally there should be a team of doctors. Every murder spot is divided into slabs of one sq ft and then subjected to minute examination. Although the room had been washed there are still remained some traces of blood, etc, remarked DSP Gautam. ADG Brij Lal said the investigations were continuing and it was not suitable time to say something at this stage. But the question arises that why the police has named somebody in the press conference.
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Go slow on industrial policy, Buddhadeb told
Kolkata, May 26 He was also advised to consult the party leadership and the front partners before deciding on land acquisition in future so that the Singhur and Nandigram episodes were not repeated. The meeting was summoned for reviewing the party’s poor performance in the panchayat elections in Singhur and Nandigram for which the Chief Minister’s wrong handling of the land acquisition policy was held responsible. Party general secretary Prakash Karat was present at the meeting as observer. The Chief Minister was present all through, but he also found time during the day for actors Shahrukh Khan and Juhi Chawla, also the proprietors of Kolkata Knight Riders IPL cricket team, to discuss with them sports and the development of the sports activities in the state, particularly cricket. At the meeting, a larger section of the leadership criticised the government’s policy of forcible acquiring farmlands in Singhur for Tata Motors and elsewhere and they also blamed the government for wrongly handling the problems. But still the meeting reaffirmed the party’s faith and confidence in the Chief Minister and the government’s new industrialisation policy with private investments. After the meeting, Basu told the mediapersons that the present industrial policy would continue. He also turned down Mamata Banerjee’s demand for returning lands to the farmers in Singhur, calling it impractical. Basu admitted they made mistakes in many fields for which the people had voted against them. He said the party would once again discuss their performance in the panchayat elections.
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Goa finally cancels mega housing projects Mumbai, May 26 For the past fortnight, the entire coastal belt of Salcette in South Goa, including the popular tourist haunts of Colva, Benaulim and Carmona just outside Margao town, has seen huge public protests against the housing projects. Using the provisions that govern the panchayati raj institutions, gram sabhas consisting of local residents have heckled and in some cases manhandled elected panchayat representatives for signing away commonly held lands to big city developers. The residents are backed by the powerful Catholic Church and the opposition BJP, which is seeking to discredit the Kamat-led Congress government. Though the gram sabhas do not enjoy any power to veto the decisions of the elected panchayats, these bodies have managed to force the panches and even ministers in the Kamat government to bend to their will. In village after village, mega housing projects proposed by big builders and clandestinely supported by ministers and their followers in the panchayats have been scrapped. Using the Right to Information Act, residents are pulling out documents that state that the housing projects would encroach on natural drainage systems, water bodies and put pressure on the civic infrastructure. “The government should stop all mega housing projects in Goa. We are fighting to protect the land of our ancestors for posterity,” says Father Maverick Fernandes Bowing to the pressure from residents, the government had to crackdown even on builders who have begun work on their projects. Information obtained under the RTI indicated that builders in many parts of Goa were blocking access roads used by residents. Public pressure has now forced the government to issue stop work notices to these projects. The local action committees spring across Goa have formed the Ganv Ghor Rakhonn (save our homes and villages) Manch to force the government finalise village development plans with active local involvement before giving permission for the projects. The government is also under pressure to make it compulsory for all builders to have rainwater-harvesting systems, garbage and sewage treatment plants before new projects are undertaken. Activists say most local residents would not be able to pay lakhs of rupees for flats in the gated communities.
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Indian govt sets aside land for SAARC varsity
New Delhi, May 26 A huge space - some 100 acre - identified for the university at Maidangarh in Mehrauli, was today dedicated to the project by external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee. The university was announced way back during the 13th summit of SAARC in Dhaka, where Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made an emphatic statement in this regard. The objective of the SAARC university is to remove illiteracy and promote higher education across the SAARC space - the two main objectives that prompted SAARC leaders to agree upon such an arrangement, with India in the lead role. The project will facilitate quality education for students of the SAARC grouping, and will roll from the next academic session in July 2009. In the meantime, modalities regarding syllabus to be taught, administrative arrangements for healthy governance of the institution, admission and recruitment nuances, and fee structure will be clearly spelt out. Involved also with the proposal is the Ministry of Human Resource Development. As regards capital costs - whereas India will pay for setting up of the university, which will work on a non-profit basis, campuses of the facility will also come up in the SAARC member nations. To begin with, the university will have a chief executive officer supported by a team, for which member nations have also been asked to send in recommendations. Gowhar Rizvi, director, Ash Institution of Innovations at Harvard University, who had earlier been asked to develop an operational plan, has prepared the university’s concept. The university’s autonomy has been accorded top priority by those behind the draft, and a provision of both privately-aided and government-supported education has been made to ensure independence of the academic institution. Prof G.K. Chadha, member of the Prime Minister’s economic advisory council and former vice-chancellor of JNU, is the frontrunner for the top post of the university.
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Check ragging, UGC to varsities
New Delhi, May 26 In a communication
to registrars, the UGC has asked them to ensure that varsities strongly
voice the anti-ragging sentiment by splashing messages against the
malpractice on banners and hoardings across college/university
campuses. The UGC’s instruction has roots in the landmark judgement,
which the Supreme Court of India passed in 2001, exhibiting zero
tolerance towards ragging. The apex court, while hitting at the root of
evil, held that listing number of cases of ragging by universities would
not suffice; details of punitive action taken must form a part of any
anti-ragging attempt to deter violators. The UGC also instructed
universities to display on hoardings and banners the specifics (names
and contacts) of college authorities that can be contacted in the event
of ragging. For those still looking for ways to fighting the menace,
websites dedicated to the malpractice are more than alive these days.
One of them - www.stopragging.com
is witnessing record visitations ahead of the academic session start.
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UK wants India to open financial sector
Chandigarh, May 26 Welcoming Dr Ashwani Kumar, Lord Digby Jones suggested that India and Britain should work together for finding technology solutions for climate change in partnership with countries like the US, Germany and France in a manner that would not jeopardise India’s economic growth. Lord Digby Jones further informed Dr Ashwani Kumar that the UK government believed that the opening up of the financial, insurance, legal and accountancy sectors would contribute to the GDP growth of India. He further added that there were immense possibilities for India-UK collaboration in the education sector. Lord Digby Jones reiterated UK’s stand on restructuring of the UN Security Council and the support for India’s permanent membership. He also expressed the hope that the Doha Round negotiations would move forward. Dr Ashwini Kumar expressed the view that the potential of the India-UK business relationship needed to be fully explored and that a purposeful engagement between Indian and British businesses was now possible across a wide spectrum of economic activities. He informed that British businessmen could have a greater role in India’s physical and social infrastructure development for which an amount of $ 1.5 trillion was required in the next 10 years.
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Office of Telugu newspaper attacked
Hyderabad, May 26 The reason for their ire was a lead story, published in the daily, making critical comments about leaders of the Dalit organisations, who resort to blackmail tactics and strike deals with the ruling political dispensation. Though the story, with a caption “Hired Leaders”, did not mention anyone by name, it was allegedly targeting the champions of weaker sections, including Manda Krishna Madiga, who heads the Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS), spearheading a movement for increase in reservations for “Madiga” sub-sect of the Scheduled Castes. Enraged over the report, a group of over 20 MRPS workers, armed with batons, petrol bottles and stones, drove in two vans to the newspaper office at the posh Jubilee Hills area and gave vent to their ire. After barging into the office, they manhandled the staff, ransacked the furniture and broke the windowpanes. Raising slogans and hailing Krishna Madiga’s leadership, the agitators set afire the furniture there. However, no one was injured in the attack. Hours later, five MRPS activists were taken into custody by the police. Justifying the attack, Krishna Madiga warned that any one who insulted the weaker sections would face similar fate. “We caution journalists to exercise restraint while writing about Dalits and weaker sections. Today’s report is clearly a part of a conspiracy to defame the Dalit leadership,” he said. The MRPS leader pointed out how “Andhra Jyothi” had been trying hard to project Telugu superstar Chiranjeevi, who belongs to the upper caste, as a “champion of weaker sections” at the cost of several genuine organisations working for decades for the cause of the Dalits. He demanded unconditional apology from the newspaper’s Managing Director V Radhakrishna. The newspaper is the second largest daily in the state. Rejecting the demand, Radhakrishna said “How can they demand my apology after attacking and damaging my office?”
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Antony pays homage to Indian soldiers
New Delhi, May 26 Immediately after the arrival of Antony at the cemetery, a small detachment of the smartly dressed German guards stepped forward to aid the minister to place a wreath at the memorial on which it was inscribed ‘Their name liveth for ever more’. As the delegation members stood in silence for two minutes, the last post was sounded marking the end of the ceremony. Antony, thereafter, took a walk around the cemetery and went to the area where the graves of the Indian soldiers were located. In the cemetery record book, the defence minister wrote, “ I salute to the heroic memory of the Indian soldiers, who sacrificed their precious lives”. A total of 162 soldiers of undivided India have been laid to rest at 17 locations in Germany. Of these, 50 have been commemorated in the Berlin War Cemetery. The soldiers laid to rest here belong to the Indian Armoured Corps, the Indian Artillery, the Infantry, the Royal Indian Army Service Corps, the Madras Sappers and Miners, the Indian Army Remount Corps and the Indian Army Ordnance Corps.
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VHP to launch campaign to oust Bangladeshis
Ahmedabad, May 26 “Bangladeshi infiltration has become a big problem for the country. There are more than three crore Bangladeshi immigrants in the country and they have become carriers of terror in India,” VHP all-India secretary Surendra Jain told reporters here. “VHP will launch a nation-wide campaign against the Bangladeshis and make sure that they are driven out of India. Not a single one should be allowed to stay in the country,” Jain said. “It will be a people’s movement across the nation which will begin in a couple of months,” Jain added. “Though this issue is not new but now the problem has become very serious. It has been proved that Bangladeshis are not merely infiltrating but they are attacking the country and we need to stop this before it gets out of hand,” Jain added. Jain also demanded the resignation of home minister Shivraj Patil’s for his comment that cases of Afzal Guru and Sarabjeet Singh should be viewed in a similar context.
— PTI
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Raj targets North Indian students
Pune, May 26 "Pune, with its large number of reputed universities and institutions imparting higher education is attracting students from Northern states, who are given admissions on massive donations, leaving the deserving Marathi aspirants in lurch", he said at a party rally held late last night, defying the police ban. "We will be watching these institutions as the new academic year is approaching. We know that these affluent students from UP and Bihar also indulge in eve-teasing and arrogant behaviour. If they persist with this, they will be taught a lesson," the MNS leader said. Thackeray said he would not like to equate those coming from UP and Bihar with the people from other North Indian states. — PTI
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Robots decoding criminal faces in the offing 3 women among 4 killed
in mound cave-in Rape case against Orissa Congress MLA Lieut-Gen Lamba takes over as 21 Corps GOC FIve militants killed
in faction fight Driver booked for rash driving
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