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Andhra CM booked for violating poll code
Maya: Arushi case politicised |
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Apex court quashes cases against NRI siblings
Raje, Modi likely to dominate BJP meet
Mamata announces fresh stir at Singur, Nandigram
Assam: Govt makes an offer to ultras
If anyone can help the Gujjars, Raje
can India hits back at US on WTO CPM proposes tax on pvt oil firms Narayan Rane resumes bid for CM’s post
Mahayagya for environment
Inflation, terror to be BJP’s poll plank
Dehra Dun boy’s kidnappers want Rs 5 lakh
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Andhra CM booked for violating poll code
Hyderabad, May 29 A case in this regard was registered at Saifabad police station on a complaint filed by state election authorities under provisions of Representation of People’s Act. The development follows a directive by the Election Commission, which took a serious note of the press conference held by the CM at his camp office after completion of the election campaign on Wednesday. The poll panel held that addressing a media conference after the completion of campaign period was in violation of article 126 of RP Act. It also took serious view of the contents of the press conference in which Reddy took pot-shots at his political opponents and outlined the development activities of his government. “Following a complaint by the state election authorities, we have registered a case against the Chief Minister. We will also proceed against news channels for telecasting the press conference live,” the Additional Director General of Police A.K. Khan said. Similar cases will be registered against the CM and the television channels in nine other districts where byelections to four Lok Sabha and 18 assembly constituencies were held. The allegation against Reddy is that he tried to influence the voters by addressing a press conference, a day after campaigning came to an end. The EC took particular note of the CM’s statement recalling the development works taken up during the last four years, which amounted to influencing the voters. The state chief electoral officer I.V. Subba Rao said the district collectors had been asked to file cases against the news channels as well. Earlier, the poll panel had issued a notice to the CM for violating the poll code on May 17. It had also cracked the whip on opposition leader and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu for addressing a press conference in Krishna district after the election campaign ended. Naidu was also served a notice earlier for violating the election code by participating in the electioneering beyond the 10 p.m. deadline. Meanwhile, about 60 per cent of an estimated 86 lakh voters exercised their franchise in the bypolls for four Lok Sabha and 18 Assembly constituencies. The byelections, which were necessitated following en masse resignation of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) members, are widely seen as a referendum on the demand for a separate Telangana state.
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Maya: Arushi case politicised
New Delhi, May 29 Mayawati was obviously referring to Renuka who had earlier, in a statement, expressed disappointment over the way police was proceeding with the investigations in the case. She had resented UP police’s aspersions on the murdered child’s character and said their action amounted to defamation. Stunned by Mayawati’s political rhetoric over the case, Renuka said she was shocked by the Chief Minister’s response. Instead of helping put the case on the right track and streamlining the investigation process, Mayawati had chosen to say this, Renuka said. She added that she had reacted to the situation as a mother. “I really don’t understand why Mayawati is reacting so personally. I was reacting as a mother. I really wish she would know what that feels like,” the minister said. Politics of the case apart, the UP police continues to be under tremendous public pressure for casting shocking aspersions on the character of Arushi Talwar and her murdered domestic help Hemraj. The matter today also caught attention of the National Commission for Women, whose members plan to visit Arushi’s family to take stock of the situation and help in whatever way they can. Meanwhile, chairperson of the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights Shanta Sinha told The Tribune that the commission was waiting for a response of the UP police to their letter on the subject. The commission, while citing rights of the child guaranteed by the UN Charter on Child Rights signed by India and the Juvenile Justice Act, had earlier sought the police to explain how they arrived at their proximity theory to explain a gruesome murder. The commission has held DIG Gurdarshan Singh’s comments about Arushi as violation of child rights. “We would like the cops to explain. That’s all. If we are not satisfied we have the power to recommend suspension of the erring cop,” said Sandhya Bajaj, commission member.
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Apex court quashes cases against NRI siblings
New Delhi, May 28 A Bench of Justices S.B. Sinha and L.S. Panta quashed the criminal cases against the NRI students, Monica Kumar and her brother Manish Kumar, on the ground that it was filed with a malafide intention by the management of Santosh Medical College. The apex court noted that the filing of the criminal cases for alleged assault, criminal intimidation and other charges against the students was fallout of a long-standing dispute between the management and the students over some financial transactions. According to the apex court, though in normal circumstances it would not quash a criminal case but due to the “peculiar” circumstances of this case it was compelled to invoke its jurisdiction under Article 142 of the Constitution to render justice. Under Article 142, the Supreme Court has extraordinary powers to pass any order, decree or judgment for rendering justice to aggrieved persons. It was the allegations of the students that the college management had taken a loan of Rs 25 lakh from their US-based father Dr Narendra Kumar, presently working as professor/medical director of Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Middleboro Place, Modesto, California. After Kumar started requesting the repayment of his loan, the college management headed by chairman Mahalingam started targeting the two siblings by deliberately failing them in the examinations and foisting false cases, the petition before the apex court alleged. Initially, the NRI siblings had filed a petition before the sessions court in Uttar Pradesh for quashing the criminal cases but it was rejected. The Allahabad High Court, too, refused to interfere with the registration of criminal cases in the Vijay Nagar police
station. — PTI
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Raje, Modi likely to dominate BJP meet
New Delhi, May 29 In fact, the dates and venue of the party’s decision-making body earlier scheduled for May 31 to June 2 had to be changed last minute from Jaipur to Delhi because of the statewide Gujjar agitation. Party sources said a group of BJP functionaries had come here two days ago to meet party president Rajnath Singh and suggested that the only way out to bring down temperatures in Rajasthan was to immediately replace Raje. But Leader of Opposition
L.K. Advani dismissed the suggestion outright. BJP vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi implicitly confirmed this meeting today when he said in reply to a question, “They came to meet Rajnathji,” but added, “I can’t tell you what they suggested.” As for their demand he said, “We emphasised that there is no question of replacing the Chief Minister”. Similarly, more than 24 Bihar MLAs are also camping here, pressing the high command to get rid of the party’s top leader and state Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi. But Naqvi insisted, “Neither Vasundhra’s removal nor Bihar MLAs’ demand will come up for any discussion in the national executive”. On the other hand, the BJP vice-president indicated that the party’s morale would be maintained through a general tenor of self-congratulation on recording their first victory in Karnataka. Similarly, the BJP, upset with the secularisation of the only Hindu state and the abolition of monarchy in Nepal, will direct all its ire at the Indian government on this. Naqvi said the national executive would pass separate resolution on “India’s diminishing stature” among its immediate neighbours. He said the national executive would discuss three resolutions, one on current political situation, the second on price rise and the third on the developments in India’s immediate neighbourhood and its diminishing stature among its neighbours”. A day earlier, BJP general secretary Arun Jaitley had also demonstrated his party’s concern over the latest developments in the Himalayan state. He had said, “Another issue which may cost this (UPA) government dearly is subleasing India’s foreign affairs to Yechury and company”. He was referring to CPM Politburo member’s forays into Kathmandu and Nepal and his much-publicised interactions with the Nepalese Maoist leaders to restore normalcy there.
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Mamata announces fresh stir at Singur, Nandigram
Kolkata, May 29 The Congress, which till now was not vocal on the issue, would also join the stir against the CPM. Even some of the partners of the Left Front have come out in support of the poor as RSP minister Kshiti Goswami has publicly welcomed the fresh agitation. Mamata said the results of panchayat elections at Singur and Nandigram had already reflected the people’s hatred and indignation against the CPM. The report of the Amnesty International published yesterday also acknowledged the amount of injustice and atrocities committed by the ruling CPM in the name of restoring the rule, she said. She said it was now their duty to fight for the landless victims at Singur and Nandigam by punishing the guilty. Mamata will be visiting Singur on Sunday and Nandigram on Wednesday. Mamata demanded that the 400 acres of land at Singhur, which was “forcibly acquired for Tata Motors”, should be returned to the owners immediately. Meanwhile, Jyoti Basu criticised Mamata for making an absurd demand. But the compensation of the “unwilling farmers” could be increased, he said. State industries minister Nirupam Sen said he was ready for talks with the affected people and also their leaders but in no case the lands already acquired and handed over to Tata Motors could be returned to the “owners”.
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Assam: Govt makes an offer to ultras
Guwahati, May 29 Official sources informed that the meeting, which was chaired by the Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and attended by the General Officer Commanding
of the 4 Corps of Indian Army, the state police chief, senior officials of state government and paramilitary forces, reviewed the impact of the unified command operation against insurgents. It was decided that the state government would make fresh appeals to all insurgents groups, including the ULFA, to come forward for talks on a pre-condition that ‘parleys will be held within the framework of Indian Constitution.’ The decision has virtually put an end to chances of any talks with the banned ULFA, which insists that talks with the government of India should focus on its core demand for ‘restoration of sovereignty of Assam’. Notably, the peace process with ULFA, which was initiated towards the end of 2005, petered out next year after three rounds of negotiations between the Government of India and the negotiators appointed by the outfit, after the outfits insisted on commitment on part of the government to discuss its demand for ‘sovereignty’. In the light of the decision, Assam government would now test the water and respond to the unilateral truce declared by the Black Widow or Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel faction) that ran riot in North Cachar Hill district of the state, only when the outfit agrees to discuss its demands within the framework of the Indian Constitution. A source informed that from now onwards there would be no let-up in sustained intensive operations against the insurgent groups who are not willing to hold talks with the government within the framework of Indian Constitution.
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If anyone can help the Gujjars, Raje
can
New Delhi, May 29 The suggestion, the Centre says, is legally untenable as it requires reservation over and above the existing constitutional limit of 49.5 per cent for SCs /ST's and OBCs. This is constitutionally impossible unless the state revises facts and justifies ST status for Gujjars as per the existing guidelines. At present, only those tribes can seek STs who exhibit primitive traits, social and economic backwardness, geographical isolation, shyness of contact and distinctive culture. Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh have earlier secured ST status for Gujjars in their states on the aforesaid ethnographic basis. Gujjars in Jammu and Kashmir qualified for being completely landless; those in Himachal sailed through as they were denied the right to citizenship and were not even on voters' lists until recently. These states, however, followed the right route for seeking ST status for Gujjars. They sent their proposals to the Tribal Affairs Ministry which referred them to the Registrar General of India. From there, the matter was sent for review to the National SC/ST Commission, paving the way for cabinet approval. The process is long-drawn. A reality check by The Tribune, however, confirms that while the process is under way, nothing stops the state government from protecting any tribe seeking protection on grounds of backwardness. In Gujjars' case, the demand is even more relevant as no one else can give them any quota immediately, not even the National Commission for De-notified Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Tribes. Balkrishna Renke, chairman of the Commission today told The Tribune: “De-notified tribes are those communities which were treated or supposed to be born criminal and described as such under the British Criminal Tribes Act, 1871. The Act was repealed in 1952 and the 500 tribes listed as criminal by the Act were de-notified. That Act notified Gujjars as criminal tribes only in two districts of Uttar Pradesh, where they were declared de-notified post 1952. Since the Gujjars were not notified as criminals anywhere else in India and were hence never de-notified, even we can't do anything for them. But the state can.”
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India hits back at US on WTO
New Delhi, May 29 US trade representative Susan Schwab yesterday said advanced developing countries were serving their narrow interests by claiming to speak for rest of the developing world. Asked to comment on Schwab’s remarks, commerce and industry minister Kamal Nath said here, “I don’t think this requires a response, because 140 countries know which country is the blockage.” The latest proposals on opening a global market for agriculture and industrial products have been rejected by India, which has sent a high-level team to Geneva for talks. India’s objections relate to livelihood concern for millions of farmers and upcoming industries. It wants enough protection for farmers against cheap imports and flexible duty structure to safeguard its interest while opening its market.
— PTI
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CPM proposes tax on pvt oil firms New Delhi, May 29 The party has referred to a similar tax imposed by the US under Ronald Reagan administration. It said, “In 1980, a federal legislation was passed in the US, which levied such a tax on oil companies because of the profits they earned as a result of the sharp increase in oil prices brought about by the Arab oil embargo”. The Politburo pointed out, “Recently, on May 7, 2008, a Democrat senator introduced a Bill, The Consumer-First Energy Act of 2008, which would impose a tax on windfall profits on major oil companies”. The CPM has also demanded reduction of customs duty on oil imports from 5 per cent to nil and reduction of excise duty without an ad valorem, which it felt could provide necessary relief to the oil companies. Party sources indicated that oil prices and current inflation were likely to figure in the three-day central committee (CC) meeting, which began today. This would be the first CC meet after its Coimbatore congress and was primarily aimed at the division of work, the sources said.
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Narayan Rane resumes bid for CM’s post Mumbai, May 29 Rane, who is back in Mumbai, has refused to tell the media what transpired at the meeting. However, his close associates are busy informing mediapersons that a regime change has been promised right away. After complaining against lack of governance in Maharashtra and veiled threats to quit, Rane was given an audience by Sonia Gandhi several weeks ago. His supporters put out that the regime change had been postponed till the end of the polls in
Karnataka. Rane’s meeting shortly after the Congress debacle in the Southern state has already set the rumours mills rolling. Hectic lobbying is on with several Congress leaders rushing to
Delhi. Deshmukh himself is in the capital and meeting with senior party leaders, while a number of other aspirants for the top-job are also in the race.
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Mahayagya for environment
Dehra Dun, May 29 The mahayagya is conducted for the preservation of forest cover and
environment. Swami Shankaracharya, swami Mandaleshwar, swami Chidnand of Parmarth Niketan, Arjun Guni Maharaj and Chandra Swami are participating in the mahayagya. The mahayagya started on May 24 and will end on June 4.
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Inflation, terror to be BJP’s poll plank New Delhi, May 29 He said, “On price rise, this government is completely out of its depths. This will progressively turn the middle-class opinion makers its enemies. This government’s prized schemes like the
NREG Scheme have failed to make any impact. “The third thing is that every time there is a terrorist strike, there is only a knee-jerk reaction from this government,” the BJP leader said. And the BJP is hoping to cash in on this exasperation of the UPA allies, he added.
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Dehra Dun boy’s kidnappers want Rs 5 lakh
Dehra Dun, May 29 Nitish, a student of class IV of a local school, was kidnapped by two motorcycle-borne youths. Nitish's father Ram Rattan Shah, who is a civil contractor and resides in Indira Colony, Chukuwala area, said his son had been missing since Tuesday afternoon. He further informed that some children of the area told him that they had spotted Nitish with two youths on a motorcycle. "On Wednesday, I got a call from the kidnappers who demanded Rs 5 lakh for releasing my child,” said Shah, who had lodged a complaint in this regard at Dhara Police Picket. When Shah was at the police picket, he again received a call and the kidnappers threatened to kill the child in case he failed to meet their demand. A case has been registered.
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Two Tata Motors officers
arrested for gas leak MLA falls off dais following argument with minister Farmers stage dharna Huge cache of arms seized ISI agent gets 14 years in jail
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In an extraordin- ary development, Andhra Pradesh police have booked Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy on charges of violating the model code of conduct in the byelections.
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