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Landmine blast: Buddha was Maoists’ target
Six held, 10 detained
Maharashtra Sadan attacked
RTI Act has made common man powerful: PM
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Study bares plight of bidi workers
N-deal Cross-border terrorism
threat to peace: Pranab IAF chief on 5-day visit to China CPM: Cong backs soft Hindutva Finally, BJP defends Pragya Sadhvi faints in court, alleges torture
North Indians adding to commuting woes: Sena
Moga Sex Scandal
SP supports Cong on Afzal’s hanging
Abandoned bags create panic in Shillong
Staff efficiency determines legislature’s success: Atwal
President to visit Bhutan
Pragya sent to judicial custody till Nov 17
Bofors Case
It is Sonia vs Modi in Chhattisgarh
Belgian king arrives
Truckers’ demand cut in diesel prices
Church near Dehradun ransacked
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Landmine blast: Buddha was Maoists’ target
Kolkata, November 3 The investigations further revealed that there were gross lapses in security provided to the Chief Minister and other dignitaries, including union steel minister Ramvilas Paswan, during their visit to Salboni, near Midnapore, where they had gone to attend the foundation laying ceremony of the Rs 35,000 crore steel plant project of the Jindal group of industries. The landmine planted in the paddy field exploded, but missed the target. Six policemen received severe wounds and of the injured four are still struggling for life in a nursing home in south Kolkata. Prime Minister Mamohan Singh today phoned the Chief Minister from the National Capital and enquired about his health and the incident. Buddhadeb himself disclosed this to mediapersons at Writers Buildings today. However, he refused to make any comment on the yesterday’s incident. He said he was waiting for a detailed report from DGP A.N. Bhora, who went to Salboni for an on-the-spot inquiry. At Midnapore, Bhora admitted that there were certainly some
security lapses, adding that the policemen responsible for the lapses would be dealt with firmly. Mamata Banerjee has demanded an independent probe into the yesterday’s incident in Midnapore and also the CPM’s vandalism at Singur. She criticised the Chief Minister’s mishandling of the state police, which led to the landmine blast. Mamata urged the Prime Minister to call an all-party meeting immediately for finalising a new code of conduct for ministers and political leaders for protecting common people from atrocities and torture by parties in power. Mamata was addressing a rally organised by the Trinamool Congress and other anti-Left parties near the Mahatma Gandhi’s statue in the maidan today. The rally was held in protest against vandalism by CPM activists at Singur
yesterday. Later around 2 pm, a large procession comprising all anti-CPM parties and some prominent citizens was taken out. The processionists, carrying festoons and placards against the CPM, passed through the Central Avenue and reached the five point crossing at Shambazar in north Kolkata around 5 pm. Later, they assembled at the Netaji Statue and then dispersed. The CPM also took out a procession today through certain areas in central
Calcutta. The CPM condemned the Maoist attack on the Chief Minister and others. The processions taken out simultaneously paralysed normal life.
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Six held, 10 detained
Midnapore, November 3 Addressing a press conference here today, DGP Anup Bhushan Bhora said, “A high-level committee, comprising senior police officials, reached the explosion site during the day and started its investigation. Six persons have been arrested, while 10 detained in this connection.” “The nature of the explosion and all sides of security lapse are being probed and if any police official is found to have been negligent in his duty, appropriate action will be taken up,” the DGP said. “New types of explosives and splinters, which had never been used earlier, were used in the landmine. It is suspected that Maoist ultras were responsible for the incident,” Maliwal said.
— UNI
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Maharashtra Sadan attacked
New Delhi, November 3 The police said the miscreants entered the Maharashtra Sadan around 12.30 pm in small numbers and started breaking things near the reception, and shouting slogans against Maharashtra Navnirman Sena leader
Raj Thackeray. While the protesters demanded Raj Thackeray’s arrest, they also raised slogans against the Maharashtra Chief Minister for alleged inaction against the attacks. The employees at the sadan said the miscreants entered and started breaking glass doors and pots placed at the reception. Resident commissioner Apurva Chandra informed Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and deputy chief minister R.R. Patil about the incident. Meanwhile, the police has arrested three Delhi-based members of the Rashtrawadi Shiv Sena and beefed up security around
the sadan.
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RTI Act has made common man powerful: PM
New Delhi, November 3 Inaugurating the 3rd annual convention on the RTI here, the Prime Minister, however, observed that the public authorities in the country still had to go a long distance in proactive disclosures. “They must endeavour to voluntarily put out in the public domain information of use to our citizens. This will be a major challenge for the public authorities in the arena of information housekeeping.” Pointing out that there has been an exponential growth of requests for information by citizens over the past three years since the Act came into force, he, however, emphasised that the measure of success in empowering citizens with information should not be limited to the reduction in the number of requests by the public authorities. There must be enhancement in the quality of voluntary disclosure so that information seekers were not required to join long queues. Manmohan Singh also pointed out that there were some difficulties in the implementation of that Act, which must be removed. Applicants found it difficult sometimes to file applications because of procedural bottlenecks. The modes of payment of fees were also somewhat limited. At many places, adequate attention had not been paid to training personnel and modernising records management systems. There was also a need for a greater publicity of the provisions of the Act. The Prime Minister said the RTI was a powerful instrument of citizens’ empowerment. It was indicative of the process of nurturing of the Indian democracy and the assertion of people’s power at various levels of government. However, the citizens must also constantly remember that “democracy is not just about rights. It is also about responsibilities. Democracy is not just about asserting one’s own identity but also about respecting the identity of others. Democracy is not just about seeking benefits but also about contributing to the process of nation building”. “We are passing through a phase in our national life when each one of us is more conscious about our rights, our entitlements, and about our identities. But we do not seem to be really equally conscious of our responsibilities, our social obligations, and our national commitments as citizens of a free democratic country.” The countrymen must not forget their collective responsibilities and concern for national goals. The two-day convention titled “RTI and its Ramifications for Good Governance” will have seven technical sessions covering major aspects of governance. It is being attended by representatives of civil society and media both from within the country and from SAARC nations. It is expected to produce documents of contemporary as well as long-term relevance to South Asia.
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Study bares plight of bidi workers
New Delhi, November 3 While the owners of this industry are still lobbying with the government to escape the law, which, from November 30, mandates pictorial health warnings on tobacco product packs, a new study bares the plight of 4.4 million bidi workers in India; 75 per cent of them are suffering multiple illnesses due to tobacco hazards. Their earnings range from Rs 29 a day in Tripura to Rs 64 a day in Gujarat. In the sites of the Voluntary Health Association of India’s (VHAI) study-Jangipur, Murshidabad (West Bengal) and Anand (Gujarat) - bidi workers make a meagre Re 33 for rolling 1000 bidis a day. Even 12 hours of work doesn’t guarantee that output, which means the entire family must work from dawn to dark for bare survival. No wonder in Jangipur, the Lok Sabha constituency of external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, 91 per cent of bidi workers are women and children. While the latter forego education to support families, women bidi workers suffer the risk of higher rates of miscarriage than the national average. Jangipur has, in fact, emerged as the epicenter of the drudgery being faced by bidi workers in West Bengal. Here, women must be qualified as bidi rollers to get married; and children must help families meet the target of 1000 bidis. Mostly, families can roll only 400 bidis a day, earning Rs 18 with which to feed five to eight people. Often, the agent rejects the rolled stock as poor to escape even the paltry payments. As for the government, it can’t do much as the sector is home-based, and unorganised. Titled “Caught in a death trap”, the study further reveals that the bidi industry currently employs a whopping 2,25,000 children; 76 to 95 per cent of the total employment is women. While workers risk the dangers of contracting TB, anemia and asthma, industry owners conveniently flout labour laws, including Child Labour Prevention Act, Bonded Labour (Abolition) Act and the Bidi Workers’ Welfare Cess Act. They also enjoy tax concessions on grounds that they are employing poor people at home. “Bidi manufacturers have perpetuated the myth that they provide jobs to the poor in the safety of their homes. Actually, in the name of door-step employment, they exploit poor people by flouting the minimum wages act and exposing workers to health hazards,” Alok Mukhopadhyay, VHAI chief executive told The Tribune today. He vehemently argued for labeling bidi packs with pictorial warnings, saying even workers want such warnings as they are illiterate. In Gujarat, 8 out of 10 bidi rollers who also smoke want warnings on packs. Further, 95 per cent of respondents want to shift to alternative employments - something that doesn’t suit the bidi lobby, which wields sufficient influence in the government. The study however is very significant considering the government focus on tobacco control primarily concerns cigarettes, even though bidis sell eight times more than cigarettes. Also, bidis are more dangerous to health, and kill 600,000 Indians annually. The VHAI says it will discuss the study with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on grounds that none of the flagship programmes of the government - mid-day meal, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan or NREGA - seem functional in places where people roll bidis for a living. “Manufacturers have vested interests in people’s impoverishment. This tendency makes a mockery of human rights,” Mukhopadhyay says.
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N-deal
New Delhi, November 3 Without naming Chatterjee, who was recently expelled from the CPM, former MP Nilotpal Basu said, “The presiding officers play a significant role in ensuring the independent functioning of Parliament and accountability of the government. It is through the presiding officers that the united will of Parliament asserts itself.” “But, not only has the clear breach of privilege by the Prime Minister that the government will come back to Parliament before signing the Indo-US nuclear deal overlooked, but also, without any such requirement, the Prime Minister has been handed out a clean chit,” he charged. In an article in the latest issue of party organ ‘People's Democracy’, Basu said even an adjournment motion on the attacks on Christians, moved by the Left, was “outrightly rejected” as such a motion “actually involved voting.” “Did the concern of the government to avoid voting, which has led to continuation of the same session from July to December, also prompted it to try and sabotage an adjournment motion and rub off somewhere? These are questions which will raise their heads in these difficult times facing our parliamentary democracy,” he said. Accusing the government of “blatantly attempting” to avoid facing Parliament, he said this was the longest ever session having “the least number of sittings”, thereby creating a record of sorts. The CPM leader said it was “outrageous” that Leader of the Opposition L.K. Advani himself had proposed the adjournment of the session.
— PTI
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Cross-border terrorism
threat to peace: Pranab New Delhi, November 3 “The series of attacks in Pakistan show the fragile internal situation of that country, a situation we continue to monitor closely and which we hope will not deteriorate. The situation in Afghanistan remains a grave concern and a resurgent Taliban poses a threat beyond Afghanistan,” he said in an address on India’s Security Challenges and Foreign Policy Imperatives at National Defence College here. With China developing its military capabilities in outer space and doing a global search for resources, he said Beijing posed new strategic and geopolitical challenges, forcing India to look for more sophisticated ways to deal with the Asian giant. “We (India) would need to develop more sophisticated ways of dealing with these new challenges (strategic and geopolitical) posed by China. We are today faced with a new China.” “Today’s China seeks to further its interests more aggressively than in the past, thanks to the phenomenal increase of its capacities after 30 years of reforms,” he said. Noting that relationship between India and China was “somewhat normalised,” the minister said there still existed “some unresolved issues” between the two countries. “However, we need to factor in the fact that as a result of our engagement, we today have a completely different situation than when we started. Further, the economic developments in the period had given both countries new capabilities,” he added.
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IAF chief on 5-day visit to China New Delhi, November 3 Air Chief Marshal Major arrived in Beijing on the invitation of General Xu Qiliang, Commander of the Chinese Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). In defence circles, the visit is seen as an important milestone in bilateral defence exchanges. This is the second ever visit of an Indian Air Force Chief to China. The previous one was when Air Chief Marshal A.Y. Tipnis visited China in May 2001. IAF chief met General Xu Qiliang, Commander of the PLAAF, and held discussions on bilateral issues. He will also be meeting the Chinese defence minister Liang Guanglie during his visit. The Air Force Chief will also be visiting military units in Hangzhou and also witness the Zhuhai Airshow in which the Indian Air Force aerobatic team of Surya Kirans is participating. The Chief would also be visiting the capital Air Defence centre of the PLAAF and the 28 Air Division. Separately, the Commander Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), Admiral Wu Shengli, is visiting India concurrently, in a continuing exchange of high-level contacts between the two countries. In May 2006, during the visit of then defence minister Pranab Mukherjee, a MoU on exchanges and cooperation between India and China in the field of Defence was signed. The MoU laid a solid foundation and institutionalised the framework for further development of defence cooperation between the two countries.
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CPM: Cong backs soft Hindutva New Delhi, November 3 Though CPM politibureau member Sitaram Yechury did not spare the BJP for communalising the political scenario, the latest charge against the Congress was reminiscent of the Left and its allies’ criticism of the Congress during the 1990s. This clearly indicated growing chasm between the Left and the Congress. Making a candid speech at the ‘People’s Convention’ held here today on the issue of ‘Restore the Constitution - make a communalism and terror-free India’, Yechury did not mince words to the minorities either. He exhorted them not to be contented with mere assumption that “if there are Muslim terrorists, there are also Hindu terrorists” and instead work to fight against both. He also exhorted the Muslims and Christians to support the Left and secular forces. The convention was arranged by a group of Muslim organisations in the context of Batla House incident and the recent exposure of the Sangh Parivar’s involvement in terrorism. He ridiculed the BJP and its leaders of now saying: “A terrorist has no religion. When we were saying this they (the BJP) were charging us with Muslim appeasement. Now their statements clearly prove that it is not us but they who were fanning communal passions among the Hindus.” Pointing at the contradictions within the Sangh Parivar, Yechury pointed out: “While the BJP says terrorism has no religion, the RSS passed a resolution to fight Islamic terrorism.” He also charged the BJP with being part of a larger global conspiracy by practicing a two-faced ideology, adding that this menace needs to be tackled through a new alternative. Undeterred by the poor show of the Left in attracting new allies, except TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu and JD(S) president H.D Deve Gowda, the CPM leader was confident that every 10 years the nation sees a third front-led government and, therefore, the time has now come for the Left government.
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Finally, BJP defends Pragya New Delhi, November 3 He gave the Sadhvi a clean chit declaring that “nothing has emerged against her even in the polygraphy test, brain mapping tests and lie detector tests” and “no evidence has come in public domain much less credible evidence showing the complicity of Pragya Thakur in the Malegaon blasts.” Instead, Prasad quoted the Mumbai ATS to charge: “The said Riyaz Bhatkal (an alleged SIMI activist) has also been found to be involved in the recent blasts in Gujarat, Rajasthan and other terrorist attacks,” and deny Pragya’s involvement in the blasts. The BJP spokesperson has alleged that “The entire investigation is lacking in fairness, transparency and may suffer the taint of a sponsored investigation.” The strong, though belated, defence of the Sadhvi is in sharp contrast to Prasad’s own position a day after her arrest, when he had declared that “A terrorist has no religion and the BJP is for strong action against terrorists.” For two days Prasad kept repeating this on behalf of his party. Prasad was only articulating the line adopted by leader of Opposition L.K. Advani, who was the first to use this phrase. But simultaneously, BJP president Rajnath Singh came out in strong defence of Pragya Thakur saying: “The BJP or RSS workers are never involved in terror activities. Also until she is proved guilty in the court of law, the Sadhvi should not be branded a terrorist,” Rajnath argued. The BJP president denied any association with her saying: “When you attend some function, many more persons are also there. This never means you are associated with all of them.” Initially there was outrage in the BJP over Rajnath’s implicit defence of a terror accused and his critics in the party felt that he was causing discomfiture to the BJP and Advani by diluting the BJP’s terror plank. Next day there was a meeting of the Sangh leaders with the BJP leaders and Rajnath repeated his assertion. However, Advani also stuck to his line though he toned down his statement by merely asserting that terrorist had no religion. Advani’s statement was in sharp contrast to the RSS which in its recent Karyakarni Mandal resolution had specifically mentioned “Islamic terrorism.” Since then the BJP has been in a state of confusion over the whole issue and by and large avoided taking a clear stand either way.
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Sadhvi faints in court, alleges torture Mumbai, November 3 During her testimony, Pragya denied that she was involved in carrying out the blasts in Malegaon. She said the motorbike used in the blasts was sold by her long ago. The sadhvi, who was an active member of the Sangh Parivar before she took up sanyas, said she would reveal everything later. “I will speak when I get justice,” she told the court. Pragya sent to judicial custody Nashik: Sadhvi Pragya Singh Thakur, arrested in connection with Malegaon blasts, allegedly had a long telephonic conversation with the absconding main accused in the case and told him why there had been fewer casualties in the incident, the prosecution told a court here today. Meanwhile, he court sent the sadhvi, Shivnarayan Singh Kalsangram and Shyam Bhawarlal Sahu to magisterial custody till November 17 in connection with the blast that left six persons dead. — PTI
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North Indians adding to commuting woes: Sena
Pune, November 3 The paper decried the hue and cry raised over the mob lynching of Dharam Dev in a local train recently and said, “This episode had nothing to do with Marathi-Bihari divide as was projected by some elements. In Mumbai’s local trains hundreds of such incidents take place daily and even Marathi people, too, get beaten up.” The paper also condemned the reported attack on a Marathi woman IAS officer named Ashvini Thakre in Poorniya district of Bihar and said not a single Bihari leader spoke against it. It also criticised the reported refusal of Bihar Chief Miniser Nitish Kumar to attend an NDA Kisan rally organised in Haryana because Shiv Sena, too, had been invited for the same. No Shiv Sena leader actually attended the rally called by Omprakash Chautala. But Nitish Kumar chose to make a political stunt, the editorial said. “These pseudo secularists are comfortable in the company of Imam of Jama Masjid or Muslim league. But they hate the nationalist Shiv Sena,” it alleged.
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Moga Sex Scandal
New Delhi, November 3 The apex court had on February 7 stayed the high court order for a CBI inquiry into the Moga sex scandal involving some councillors, a journalist and businessmen facing trail for exploiting women, including minors. However, the stay was renewed subsequently. The Punjab government moved the SLP on February 4, challenging the December 11 order of the high court. The SLP had raised several questions, including the high court’s “over stretching” its suo motu jurisdictional powers for ordering the CBI probe when the trial had proceeded well. Punjab’s standing counsel Ajay Pal contended that the high court order had stalled the trial proceedings. CBI, Centre did nothing wrong in Bofors Case
The Centre today contended before the Supreme Court that no contempt was committed either by it or the CBI in the Bofors case, particularly while pursuing the case against Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, the prime accused. Additional solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam made the assertion while arguing on a contempt of court petition filed by advocate Ajay K. Agrawal. Explaining his case for half-an-hour, Agrawal contended that then CBI director Vijay Shankar and the Centre had committed contempt by failing to inform the court about the arrest of Quattrocchi in Argentina in February 2007. A Bench comprising Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice Aftab Alam, however, made it clear that the petitioner had failed to specify whether the CBI had violated any court order or wilfully suppressed any material information. The judges also wondered how the CBI could be held responsible on an issue in which the Argentine police was involved. No hearing yet in Punjab waters accord case The Supreme Court was today non-committal on giving a date for hearing the presidential reference on the Punjab Termination of Agreement (PTA) Act by a Constitution Bench. A Bench comprising Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice Aftab Alam agreed that the matter be heard soon, but did not fix any date for the matter. Haryana mentioned the issue before the Bench as soon as the court began the day’s proceedings and sought an early hearing. “Let the Constitution Bench hear it soon,” state counsel Abhishek Singhvi pleaded with the Bench. Senior advocate Harish Salve represented Punjab. Meanwhile, the court has fixed November 18 for hearing the case relating to the Hansi Butana canal. The President has made a four-point reference to the Supreme Court about the validity of the PTA Act passed in 2004 when Amarinder Singh was the Punjab Chief Minister. The Act scrapped all water accords with neighbouring states from 1981 onward, including the SYL canal agreement, on which the apex court had ruled in favour of Haryana.
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SP supports Cong on Afzal’s hanging
New Delhi, November 3 Addressing the media, SP general secretary Amar Singh said his party opposed any type of extremism, whether by the minority or the majority community, and the same holds true in the case of Afzal Guru in whose case also the nation’s law should be respected. “But why Afzal was not being hanged is totally up to the government,” he said when asked whether he was for or against hanging of the 2001 terror convict, especially when the matter had once again been brought into focus after Digvijay Singh yesterday called for Afzal’s hanging. On seat sharing with the Congress in Uttar Pradesh, Amar Singh said his party was ready for anything except merging with the Congress. “We want to fight unitedly and we are ready to support them to the extreme, but will not go for merger with the Congress,” he said, adding that, “We are still ready for talks on the issue”. — UNI
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Abandoned bags create panic in Shillong
Shillong, November 3 A ladies leather bag was found near a dustbin while an air bag was found in front of a restaurant in the Police Bazar area. After they were found lying in the area and none claiming them, people informed the police. A police team from the special branch and bomb disposal squad went to the area and cordoned off both the sites before taking custody of the bags. The bags were taken to the special branch headquarters to check whether there were any explosives, sources said. Only personal belongings were found from the bags, the sources said adding that the bags were later claimed by the owners. — PTI
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Staff efficiency determines legislature’s success: Atwal
New Delhi, November 3 “With the widening scope and complexities of government business and technological revolution, the duties and responsibilities of the officials of the legislature secretariat have also become varied and complex. They are entrusted with the duties of an exacting nature in so far as they are expected to serve
the house, the Speaker, the committees and the members of the legislature objectively, impartially and efficiently,” said Atwal, who
inaugurated the 24th Parliamentary Internship Programme of the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies Training (BPST) of the Lok Sabha
secretariat. The programme is being attended by 43 participants from 29 countries and is funded by the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme and the Special Commonwealth Africa Assistance Programme (SCAAP). Atwal added that the officers must have thorough knowledge of the relevant rules and practices and a clean grasp over the intricacies and nuances of procedures. “They must keep themselves abreast of developments in all important matters and sensitive issues so that they are
not taken unaware and are able to handle a difficult situation with the desired promptitude,” said the Deputy Speaker. Secretary-general of the Lok Sabha P.D.T Achary also addressed the
participants.
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President to visit Bhutan
New Delhi, November 3 An external affairs ministry release said India and Bhutan share unique, warm and cordial relations. These relations are characterised by close consultations, maturity, complete trust and mutual understanding. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Bhutan in May 2008 soon after the establishment of the new democratically elected Government in Bhutan. The PM of Bhutan, Lyonchhen Jigmi Y. Thinley, visited India in July 2008. These visits were in keeping with the tradition of regular visits and exchange of views at the highest levels between the two countries. The visit of the President at this significant moment in Bhutan’s history will further strengthen bilateral relations, the release added.
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Pragya sent to judicial custody till Nov 17
Nashik, November 3 The lawyer of Maharashtra Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) told chief judicial magistrate K.D Boche, before whom Thakur and two others were produced amidst high drama, that during the long conversation between her and prime accused Ramji after the September 29 Malegaon blasts, Ramji told her that “I have done my job.” Pragya asked Ramji whether the police had seized her motorcycle used in Malegaon blasts and why fewer people had killed in the blasts, said the prosecution. Ramji told Pragya that “I did not find proper parking place for the bike”, claimed the prosecution. The court sent the sadhvi, Shivnarayan Singh Kalsangram and Shyam Bhawarlal Sahu to magisterial custody till November 17 in connection with the blast that left six persons dead. When the CJM asked Pragya Singh Thakur whether she wanted to speak, the sadhvi replied, “I have to tell you a lot of things and needs long time.” She asked the court: “Can I get justice?” Pragya fainted briefly but regained consciousness after having water. The court also remanded three others arrested in connection with the Malegaon blasts to police custody till November 10.
— PTI
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Bofors Case
New Delhi, November 3 The Centre contended that “nothing was left” in the matter after the high court by its two separate verdicts held that no case was made out under the Prevention of Corruption Act (PCA) and quashed charges against all accused except Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi. Additional solicitor general (ASG) Gopal Subramanium said PCA charges were quashed on February 4, 2004, against the accused after his predecessor in the NDA government, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, had told the high court that there was no evidence to proceed under the Act. He said later on May 31, 2005, the high court had quashed other charges framed by the chief metropolitan magistrate against the accused. The high court had quashed the charges after Subramanium’s colleague ASG Bhagwan Dutta had conceded that the CBI was unable to get either the authenticated or originals of Swiss documents on the basis of which the investigating agency had proceeded against the accused. The apex court was hearing petitions relating to Quattrocchi, who has not yet appeared in any Indian court, and contempt petition against former CBI director Vijay Shanker for allegedly misleading the court over the extradition proceedings initiated against the Italian businessman. The court wanted to know if the decisions of the high court were challenged or not. “Had anybody challenged the discharge of the accused by the high court,” a Bench headed by Chief Justice K.G Balakrishnan asked. Subramanium said CBI had not filed any appeal.
— PTI
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It is Sonia vs Modi in Chhattisgarh
Raipur, November 3 With request for Modi's election meetings in their respective constituencies coming from party candidates, the state party election office is trying hard to ensure that Modi takes part in as many public meetings as possible where it is felt that Modi's presence would make a significance impact on party's electoral fortunes. Modi will be campaigning for two days in the state in the last leg of electioneering for the first phase of election. The state Congress has made it clear that party president Sonia Gandhi, party general secretary Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be the star campaigners in the state.
— PTI
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Belgian king arrives
New Delhi, November 3 King Albert II will hold summit-level discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his stay in New Delhi.
Ashwani Kumar is a member of the delegation from the Indian side to assist the Prime Minister in the discussions. The Apex Chambers of Commerce and Industry will host King Albert II.
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Truckers’ demand cut in diesel prices
New Delhi, November 3 “If our request is not considered by November 15, 2008, then the road transport industry will be compelled to ruin itself because no business can continue to run in perpetual loss,” AITWA president Ramesh Agarwal said. The truckers community were expecting that the government would reduce the diesel prices that is predominantly used by the farmers and the commercial vehicles and any decrease in duties on diesel would reduce the transportation cost of all items, he added. “We will stop operating from November 15 if diesel prices are not reduced and our trucks will come to a halt then,” AITWA national secretary R.K Gulati said. AITWA claims to have about 35,00,000 trucks under its membership across the country. “We once again appeal to the government to reduce the diesel prices for maintaining parity with current price of crude oil so that the trucking industry, which is in a worse condition than airlines, may get breathing once again,” Agarwal said. He said, at present, on an average one truck is incurring about Rs 18,000 operating loss per month.
— PTI |
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Church near Dehradun ransacked Dehradun, November 3 The attackers tore Christian literature, broke furniture and looted the donation box . They took away the Holy Bible. As the attackers threatened to desecrate a copy of the holy book at Clock Tower, Congress leaders intervened. Four workers of the sena were detained at the site this afternoon. Visibly shaken, pastor Hemant said the Bethesda Mary Trust, a registered body, had been running a prayer hall for 90 Christian families residing in the area. “Today at 9.30 am, a group of youths, numbering 50 or more, astride bikes, scooters and cars along with policemen descended on the prayer hall and started beating us up. They broke the furniture and took away Rs 6,500 from the donation box. They also took away all our literature and the holy book," he alleged. Pastor Hemant, caretaker Ranjit and another youth, Asher, was brutally assaulted. The police took away Asher. “The attackers raised slogans against Christians,” said Ranjit. The left threatening to burn the the Bible at Clock Tower. W ailing Christian women and children hastened to approach a few Christian leaders who contacted Suryakant Dhasmana, a senior Congress leader. Dhasmana informed Dehradun SP Pushpak Jyoti about the incident following which policemen in strength were stationed at the Clock Tower. At noon when the Vir Savarkar Sena activists gathered there, they were taken away and the literature was seized. The workers were later let off . It was only after pressure was mounted on senior police officials that a case was registered under Sections 452, 323, 380,427 and 295, IPC, against “unknown workers of the Vir Savarkar Sena” on a complaint by Christians. However, no one was arrested till late evening.
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Call to check radioactive content Animated
Chandamama on big screen Barnala to give salary to relief fund
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