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ISI hand in blasts not ruled out, says Gogoi
SC upholds order on troops fitness
Baba Amrik gets bail
Manmohan to meet Rajapaksa next week
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Talks on social security pact with US put on hold
CPM had warned govt of blasts: Yechury
CPM had warned govt of blasts: Yechury
India plays down Pranab’s statement on China
Denied ticket, old-timers set for defection
Assembly poll: Slogan war begins between
BJP, Cong
Slogan war begins between
BJP, Congress
Rohit’s police custody extended
Denied ticket, old-timers set for defection
Marathi family threatened
in Karnal
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ISI hand in blasts not ruled out, says Gogoi
Guwahati, November 7 “We have been following vital clues and will be able to zero in on the forces that engineered the blasts. It would not be proper at this stage to name anyone behind the dastardly acts. Involvement of the ULFA, ISI, jehadis or for that matter outside forces cannot be ruled out,” Gogoi said, adding his government was open to any inquiry either by the CBI or a judicial commission to the serial blasts. Gogoi today distributed compensation cheques to the next of kin of those killed in the blasts in Kokrajhar town in western Assam. He also distributed cheques to the kin those killed in the two blasts that rocked Barpeta Road in Barpeta district. The state government has provided Rs 3 lakh as compensation against each of those killed in the serial blasts. Meanwhile, the Assam government today made it mandatory for recording the name and address of drivers/owners and checking of vehicles before being allowed to park within all municipal areas in the state. Also, all urban civic bodies in the state have been instructed to remove car parking areas from crowded places like markets and police stations in view of car bombs that caused devastation in Guwahati city.
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SC upholds order on troops fitness
Chandigarh, November 7 Dismissing a special leave petition (SLP) filed by the Union of India against the operation of the high court order with costs, the apex court has held that personnel placed in the low medical category (LMC) cannot simply be discharged on the basis of their condition without the recommendations of a duly constituted invaliding medical board. The orders would affect several thousand troops. A large number of them, who had been prematurely discharged, would now be eligible for reinstatement along with consequential benefits. In April, 2007, the Army had issued orders to discharge about 27,000 LMC troops. The rational given was that with the expected recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission, the number of senior JCOs and NCOs opting for pre-mature had reduced leading to excess manpower. Later, the Army had revised its manpower cut programme and reduced the number to LMC troops be discharged to over 15,000. Orders issued by the Manpower Planning Directorate at the Army headquarters stated that the manpower of personnel below officer rank was in excess to the authorised strength. A review carried out last year had revealed a significant drop in the annual wastages, primarily due to reduced number of pre-mature retirements. “About 500 affected personnel had moved the high courts at Delhi and Chandigarh pointing out that the discharge orders were not issued by the competent authorities, thereby, violating provisions of Army Rule 13,” Rajeev Anand, a lawyer representing some petitioners said. After the Delhi High Court had allowed a petition filed by Naib Subedar Rajpal Singh against his discharge, the Union of India had moved an SLP in the Apex Court against the order that granted a stay on the operation of the judgment. “Initially a stay was granted against their discharge but was later vacated with direction that the discharge of the troops would be subject to the out come of the SLP,” Maj K. Ramesh, another lawyer, said. “Since the Apex Court had stayed the operation of the judgment, the Army began discharging LMC troops and they would be eligible to seek consequential benefits of the order and can appeal for reinstatement,” he added.
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Baba Amrik gets bail
The Supreme Court today granted bail to Baba Amrik Singh, lodged in Patiala jail since January 2007 after being charged with misappropriation of Dera funds amounting to Rs 5.5 crore. The money was meant for kar sewa of historical Sikh shrines in Pakistan.
“No one could be kept in jail for two years without being subjected to trial,” Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice C.K. Thakker ruled, rejecting the Punjab government's contention that the accused might "abscond" after getting bail. The state government also said the accused had "friendly links" with terrorist groups in Pakistan, where he had visited time and again. The apex court, however, said the state was at liberty to arrest him if it had other cases against him. "If he is convicted, let him be in jail for any number of years. But you (state) can't be over-anxious to keep him in custody without trial,” the Bench observed. In his petition, Amrik Singh said he was facing two similar cases of misappropriation of funds of Dera Jagtar Singh, Tarn Taran and Amritsar. The Punjab and Haryana High Court had granted him bail in one case, observing that keeping him in custody would not serve any purpose after filing of the challan, but erroneously rejected a similar plea in the other case, he pleaded.
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Manmohan to meet Rajapaksa next week
New Delhi, November 7 The Sri Lankan leader is arriving here to attend the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Scientific, Technical and Economic Cooperation Summit to be hosted by India from November 11-13. Briefing reporters here today, N Ravi, secretary (East) in the External Affairs Ministry said, the summit would be attended by the leaders of all seven-member countries- India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Thailand, Nepal and Bhutan. The Prime Minister will also hold meetings with the visiting leaders on the margins of the summit, being convened to take forward the process of integration of countries around the Bay of Bengal. However, all eyes will be on the Singh-Rajapaksa meeting since little is known in the country about the seven-nation grouping, which had held its first summit in Bangkok in 2004.
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Talks on social security pact with US put on hold
New Delhi, November 7 Overseas Indian affairs minister Vayalar Ravi had recently stated that formal negotiations on the accord would begin soon so that it could be signed in the near future. However, official sources yesterday confirmed that the two countries would now have to wait for Obama to take charge of the White House before entering into formal negotiations on the accord, aimed at securing a better deal for Indian nationals working in the US. The proposed agreement is significant for the large number of Indians working in the US in the backdrop of the global economic meltdown and Obama’s clear hints at putting a check on outsourcing. The proposed accord would protect the interests of Indian professionals by securing exemption from social security contribution in case of short-term contracts. India has already signed social security pacts with France and Belgium. An agreement with Australia is expected to be signed in January-February. Similar accords with the Netherlands and Czech Republic have also been approved. Obama is said to be a strong supporter of the growing Indo-US strategic partnership and also backs the bilateral nuclear deal, but has strong views on outsourcing of US jobs, which is a cause of concern in India.
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CPM had warned govt of blasts: Yechury
New Delhi, November 7 Even as the CPM Politburo issued a note today, Sitaram Yechury said, “We gave a list of eight other blasts at the NIC meeting where we sought investigations into the role of one or the other RSS organisation.” Reacting here today to the involvement of a serving Lt Colonel and other retired personnel of the Army in the Malegaon blasts Yechury said, “This is a very serious issue” and felt that the infiltration of Hindutva forces in the Indian Army signify “disturbing implication for national security.” He said, “Some extremist elements both amongst the Muslims and Hindus are resorting to terrorist violence...The Central government must take the reports of Hindutva infiltration in the Army seriously.” The Politburo note has also demanded an inquiry into the role of Bhonsala Military School.
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CPM had warned govt of blasts: Yechury
New Delhi, November 7 Reacting here today to the involvement of a serving Lt Colonel and other retired personnel of the Army in the Malegaon blasts Yechury said, “This is a very serious issue” and felt that the infiltration of Hindutva forces in the Indian Army signify “disturbing implication for national security.”
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India plays down Pranab’s statement on China
New Delhi, November 7 “We have seen press reports, which convey a misleading impression of what the external affairs minister said about China in his speech to the National Defence College on November 3,” external affairs ministry spokesman Vishnu Prakash said in a statement. “In his speech, he (Mukherjee) recognised that there is enhanced engagement with China and as a result of our engagement, we today have a completely different situation; economic development has given both our countries new capabilities and that it is our belief that there is sufficient space for both India and China to grow together and build a cooperative relationship in the new architecture,” the spokesman added. The spokesman asserted that at no point in his speech did the minister use the word “threat” to describe China. “There is thus no cause for misinterpretation and the kind of negative gloss that has been put on the speech by certain elements in the media.’’ Reports from Beijing suggested that China had not taken kindly to Mukherjee’s statement with the
Chinese leadership asserting that there was no question of China
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Denied ticket, old-timers set for defection
Bhopal, November 7 As nominations for the polls closed today, the desertions, rebellions and shows of strength reached their crescendo. At least three former Congress ministers have resigned from the party after being denied ticket. Mukesh Naik has quit the party to contest the polls on the Bharatiya Janshakti Party ticket. Another former minister Balendu Shukla too has resigned, but has chosen to climb atop BSP’s elephant to fulfil his ambition of entering the Assembly. Yet another former minister Manvendra Singh has left the Congress to contest as an Independent. The main grudge of the congressmen is that PCC president Suresh Pachauri has cornered a disproportionate number of ticket for his supporters, leaving other Congress satraps high and dry. Union HRD minister Arjun Singh has even written a letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi complaining of “lack of wider consultation” in the distribution of ticket. The BJP has denied ticket to 44 sitting MLAs, prompting many of them to switch parties. The final picture is likely to emerge after the last of withdrawals of nominations on November 10.
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Assembly poll: Slogan war begins between
BJP, Cong
Jaipur, November 7 While the BJP publicised “Jai Jai Rajasthan” slogan in their first poll rally yesterday besides popularising “ab nahi rukega Rajasthan” painted on bill boards carrying CM Vasundhra Raje’s picture, installed all over the city, the Cogress today hit back announcing the slogan “Ab nahi Bikega Rajasthan”. Former Congress CM Ashok Gehlot said the BJP had sold off ancient ‘havelis’ and many other landmarks, historical monuments and brought in land mafia in the state, “They have sold off the state. That is why we urge the residents to vote them out of power so that Rajasthan is not sold again.” The BJP was already deriding the Congress terming it as a “Bin dulhe ki baraat” (marriage party without the groom), as the Congress had not named any CM candidate while Raje is being projected as the CM candidate by the BJP. Gehlot also made a dig at Raje accusing her of playing cheap politics by playing the women card. Gehlot said the Congress if voted to power will get a CBI inquiry into several deals made by the BJP government in the state. He termed BJP leaders like L K Advani, Venkiah Naidu and Rajnath Singh as seasonal birds, who meet people of Rajasthan only during elections.
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Slogan war begins between
BJP, Congress
Jaipur, November 7 While the BJP publicised “Jai Jai Rajasthan” slogan in their first poll rally yesterday besides popularising “ab nahi rukega Rajasthan” painted on bill boards carrying CM Vasundhra Raje’s picture, installed all over the city, the Cogress today hit back announcing the slogan “Ab nahi Bikega Rajasthan”. Former Congress CM Ashok Gehlot said the BJP had sold off ancient ‘havelis’ and many other landmarks, historical monuments and brought in land mafia in the state, “They have sold off the state. That is why we urge the residents to vote them out of power so that Rajasthan is not sold again.” The BJP was already deriding the Congress terming it as a “Bin dulhe ki baraat” (marriage party without the groom), as the Congress had not named any CM candidate while Raje is being projected as the CM candidate by the BJP. Gehlot also made a dig at Raje accusing her of playing cheap politics by playing the women card. Gehlot said the Congress if voted to power will get a CBI inquiry into several deals made by the BJP government in the state. He termed BJP leaders like L K Advani, Venkiah Naidu and Rajnath Singh as seasonal birds, who meet people of Rajasthan only during elections.
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Rohit’s police custody extended
Panaji, November 7 Judge P.V Kamat extended the remand and fixed the hearing on Rohit's bail application for Monday, SP (north Goa) Bosco Gorge said. Earlier, on November 5, Rohit was sent to three-day police custody by the Judicial Magistrate (first class) Mapusa, north Goa.— UNI
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Denied ticket, old-timers set for defection
Bhopal, November 7 And they are using it to the fullest extent. On their part, all three smaller players are welcoming the rebels with open arms. As nominations for the polls closed today, the desertions, rebellions and shows of strength reached their crescendo. At least three former Congress ministers have resigned from the party after being denied ticket. Mukesh Naik has quit the party to contest the polls on the Bharatiya Janshakti Party ticket. Another former minister Balendu Shukla too has resigned, but has chosen to climb atop BSP’s elephant to fulfil his ambition of entering the Assembly. Yet another former minister Manvendra Singh has left the Congress to contest as an Independent. The main grudge of the congressmen is that PCC president Suresh Pachauri has cornered a disproportionate number of ticket for his supporters, leaving other Congress satraps high and dry. Union HRD minister Arjun Singh has even written a letter to party chief Sonia Gandhi complaining of “lack of wider consultation” in the distribution of ticket. The BJP has denied ticket to 44 sitting MLAs, prompting many of them to switch parties. The final picture is likely to emerge after the last of withdrawals of nominations on November 10.
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Marathi family threatened
in Karnal
Karnal, November 7 Vijay Singh Suryavanshi, a resident of Jalgaon in Maharashtra,and his wife Kalpana were threatened by three persons, who came to their house armed with pistols on Wednesday and asked them to leave the city. Suryavanshi, in his complaint to the police, said the intruders, who were speaking Haryanvi, warned that his entire family would be eliminated if he did not leave the town. The incident has sent shock waves among 500-odd Marathi families staying in Karnal for past more than 15 years. “We are having ration cards and our children are studying in local schools but still we are being threatened to leave,” said panic-stricken Marathi families. Besides seeking police protection, these families have approached the union energy minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and also plan to meet President Pratibha Patil. These families are not sending their children to schools and told the teachers, who came to their houses to enquire about absence of their wards, about the threat received by the Suryavanshi family.
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