 |
|
|
Ferozabad
Bypoll
Sonia, PM pay tributes to Indira
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Madurai, October 31 Home Minister P Chidambaram tonight warned Pakistan against meddling with India and said any more attack from the country will be retaliated “very strongly”.
Balraj Puri gets Indira Gandhi Award
Chinese soldiers on Lankan ships?
Tamil Tigers training Naxals: Top
Justice Nirmal Yadav shifted to Uttaranchal HC
Maoist chief Ghandy to undergo narco test
Terror threat: AI beefs up security
Security plan for Guwahati chalked out
Margao Blast
6 booked for ragging
|
|
Ferozabad
Bypoll AICC nominee Raj Babbar faces Dimple Yadav Anita Katyal Our Political Correspondent
New Delhi, October 31 Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav is particularly furious with the Congress as top leaders of friendly parties normally refrain from campaigning against each other in what are billed as key contests. Mulayam Singh Yadav has staked his family prestige on the upcoming Lok Sabha bypoll where he has fielded his daughter-in-law Dimple Yadav, the seat considers to be its traditional bastion by the SP. The bypoll in Ferozabad was necessitated after the SP leader’s son Akhilesh Yadav, who had contested from two constituencies in the last Lok Sabha elections, vacated this seat in favour of Kannauj. What is even more galling for Mulayam Singh Yadav is that the Congress has fielded SP rebel Babbar against his daughter-in-law. And to make matters worse, the Congress decided to up the ante by rushing Rahul Gandhi to campaign for Babbar. Angry SP leaders are privately questioning the grand old party’s move given the antipathy between Babbar and Mulayam Singh. Except for a short period when the SP bailed out the last UPA government in the trust vote last year, its relations with the Congress have never been cordial. Fresh strains developed when they failed to arrive at a seat-sharing arrangement in the last Lok Sabha elections. Sulking SP leaders constantly accuse the Congress of being ungrateful with its outspoken general secretary Amar Singh openly charging the Congress of adopting a “use and throw policy”. Rahul Gandhi’s decision to campaign against Mulayam Singh Yadav’s ‘bahu’ is being seen as yet another example of the Congress’ “selfishness”. UP Congress spokesperson Akhilesh Singh, however, was unapologetic about the Congress decision to spread its wings. “We can’t always think of things like gratitude and the possibility that the SP might bail us out again if we run into problems with Mamata,” he said, adding their goal was very clear. “We have to emerge as UP’s number one party and every election, be it a by-election, assembly or general, is important for us,” he added. Mulayam has reason to worry on another count. Hoping that the Muslim ire against his party was dying down, the SP has fielded former BJP leader Kalyan Singh to campaign in Ferozabad. However, SP leaders admit the Congress scion’s periodic forays into the UP hinterland have shaken their party’s Muslim support base.
|
|
Sonia, PM pay tributes to Indira
New Delhi, October 31 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the slain leader’s daughter-in-law Sonia Gandhi were among the first ones to pay homage at her memorial on the banks of Yamuna in the capital. Vice-President Hamid Ansari and late PM’s grandson Rahul and granddaughter Priyanka, along with Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dixit and several other Union Ministers, also paid floral tributes to her at the memorial. Sonia Gandhi said, “She was a strong woman but she had a gentle side top her many people don’t know. She was composed and calm.” Among the series of events organised by the party included the screening of a 42-minute film at an exhibition on the life and times of displaying some rare photographs and literature. While rededicating themselves to her vision, ideals and commitment to the welfare of disadvantaged section of the society, party leaders observed a two-minute silence at 9.20, the time when she was assassinated. Later at the 24th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration for 2008, the Congress president said the liberation of Bangladesh (in December 1971) was a “prime example of her commitment” to protect India and its people. “She was a relentless campaigner for peace between nations but never hesitated in upholding India’s supreme national interest,” she said. She added it was unbelievable to know that “Indiraji is not among us. It is very difficult to believe that it has been a quarter of a century since Indiraji was martyred, upholding the finest of our values. Even today she continues to inspire us by the ideal she espoused and the causes she championed”. Sonia Gandhi recalled the green revolution that “made India self reliant in food production”. “Indiraji’s contribution to India’s integration and development is unparalleled.... Even 25 years after her martyrdom her legacy remains as strong as ever,” Manmohan Singh said, who also present on the occasion. Calling upon people to imbibe the late Prime Minister’s idealism and values, Singh said “As we pay homage to Indiraji, we should also re-dedicate ourselves to the ideals and values that she embodied. That indeed would be the best way to honour her memory.”
|
|
PC: Any more terror attack from Pak will be retaliated
Madurai, October 31 He said he had been warning Pakistan not to play with India and that the Mumbai attacks should be the “last game”. “We have been gaining strength day by day to counter terrorism from across the border. I have been warning Pakistan not to play games with us. (I have told them that) the last game should be Mumbai attacks. Stop it there,” he told a public meeting here. “If terrorists and militants from Pakistan try to carry out any attacks in India, they will not only be defeated but will be retaliated very strongly,” he said in his speech in Tamil.
— PTI
|
|
|
Balraj Puri gets Indira Gandhi Award
New Delhi, October 31 Congress President Sonia Gandhi conferred the award on 81-year-old Puri for his contribution to peace, national unity, communal harmony and human rights, especially in Jammu and Kashmir. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh lauded the key role of Puri in reconciling many differences between Jawaharlal Nehru and Sheikh Abdullah and later Indira Gandhi and Abdullah. "Many of Balraj Puri's efforts were low profile and have gone unsung," Singh said speaking at the function to confer the award which comprises Rs 5 lakh and a citation. Congratulating Puri, the Prime Minister said: “He richly deserves this honour. Shri Balraj Puri’s life has been one of selfless service to the society and to our country. It has been a life dedicated to the cause of promoting peace, goodwill and communal harmony. It has been a life spent in building bridges between regions and communities. “As an activist, many of Puri’s efforts have been low profile and have gone unsung. It was he who helped to reconcile many of the differences between Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and Sheikh Abdullah, and later Indiraji and Sheikh Sahib. The capital he built upon was his large circle of friends and comrades in every part of J&K , ” the PM said.
|
|
Chinese soldiers on Lankan ships?
Chennai, October 31 A group of fishermen told reporters at Rameswaram that a team of higher officials from Coast Guard met them on Wednesday and inquired specifically about Chinese soldiers on Lankan vessels. The officials took photographs of the injured fishermen and the damaged boats. The attacked fishermen said the Coast Guard officials asked them to describe the appearance of those soldiers whom the fishermen identified as Chinese. The officials took note of the fishermen's views and assured them that it would be conveyed to the authorities concerned. Fishermen belonging to Ramanathapuram and Nagappattinam districts have been complaining about Chinese presence for the last three months. They had also alleged that it was the Chinese who had treated them harshly. On October 28, a group of fishermen who were attacked and chased by the Sri Lankan navy near Katchatheev island said they saw Chinese soldiers on Lankan ships. And on September 25, two groups of fishermen belonging to Nagappattinam who returned to shore wearing gunny sacks complained that the Sri Lankan navy and the Chinese who were on their boats attacked them and ill-treated them. They asserted that they could distinguish between Sinhalese and non-Sinhalese, since they were meeting the Sinhalese regularly for several decades. The fishermen said they were stripped naked, made to stand in the midnight sea breeze with ice boxes on their head. The fishermen were asked to tear the Indian National Flag in their boats and forced to wear them as loin cloth, while saluting the Sri Lankan national flag. They were forced to eat food, which was urinated by the Chinese soldiers, they said.
|
|
|
Tamil Tigers training Naxals: Top AP cop
Hyderabad, October 31 “We have information that the Tamil Tigers are extending support to the Naxalites here. However, we are fully geared up to meet any challenge from them,” state director-general of police RR Girish Kumar said. The top cop’s disclosure came in the backdrop of reports that Maoists have been procuring arms and training from Tamil Tigers. There were intelligence alerts also about joint training camps and meetings by Maoists and LTTE cadre in the forest areas of central India. In fact, based on specific intelligence inputs, the security all along the coastal areas in south was beefed up recently to prevent any infiltration bid by Tamil Tigers. It is believed that Maoists had sought the help of the Tamil Tigers, who are experts in guerilla warfare and the use of explosives, in defending themselves against an imminent offensive, code-named “Operation Green Hunt”, on Abujmad, their strategic base and stronghold in the Dandakaranya forest area in Chhattisgarh. The state DGP, however, asserted that Maoists would not be allowed to regain their lost ground in AP, which was once their bastion. He said an additional 15,000 personnel would join the state police force soon. After a prolonged lull, the Maoists appear to be gearing up for a comeback in AP. It is feared that the massive anti-Naxalite operations in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Orissa may force the rebels to re-enter AP.
|
|
|
Justice Nirmal Yadav shifted to Uttaranchal HC
Chandigarh, October 31 Available information suggests Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Tirath Singh Thakur received a communiqué in this regard about a day ago. The Chief Justice has, in turn, replied to the Apex Court that he has no objection to Justice Yadav’s transfer from the HC here. Justice Yadav is on leave ever since her name surfaced in the “cash-for- judge scam” in August last year. Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan also appointed a three-judge committee to look into the matter. A show-cause notice was, subsequently, issued to Justice Yadav. But as of now the case against her stands closed. It is believed Justice Yadav, by the virtue of her existing seniority, will now join the Uttaranchal High Court at Nainital as the first puisne or the senior most judge after the Chief Justice — a development which has not gone down well within the legal circles. It seems a section of lawyers is seeing her transfer as a reward of sorts, than anything else. As of now, Justice Nirmal Yadav stands at number 15 in terms of seniority here. With her transfer, the number of HC here will go down to 47 against the recommended strength of 68. The number is expected to go down still further to 46 with the elevation of Justice JS Khehar as the Chief Justice of the Uttarakhand HC.
|
|
Maoist chief Ghandy to undergo narco test
New Delhi, October 31 Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja ordered the narco-test on Ghandy, a Politburo member of the outfit, after the Delhi Police contended it had not been able to elicit all information from him even after the use of all scientific methods of interrogation. The court allowed the contention of Public Prosecutor Naveen Kumar who relied upon a Delhi HC judgement stating that use of narco-analysis test is of particular relevance in terror-related cases and other serious offences where the investigating agency do not have vital leads.
— PTI
|
|
Terror threat: AI beefs up security
Mumbai, October 31 “We received an e-mail last week which we passed on to the security agencies concerned. The Bureau of Civil Aviation has also issued an alert. On our part, we are taking all the required security measures," an Air India spokesperson
said today. The airline had received a similar e-mail in April, threatening to blow up its headquarters at Nariman Point in Mumbai. “I am not aware about any such threat. Air India has so far not communicated to us on the issue. However, we monitor security measures on a regular basis," Deputy Police Commissioner Brijesh Singh said.
— PTI
|
|
Security plan for Guwahati chalked out
Guwahati, October 31 As per the recommendations of an enquiry committee headed by former state DGP DN Dutt, which was constituted in the aftermath of last year’s serial blasts, a Special Task Group has been constituted for the implementation of the security action plan for the city. The process of installation of the GIS/GPS system at the city police control room has already begun under the project. For its smooth operation, a group of police officers have been sent to the US to acquire the necessary training.
|
|
Margao Blast
Panaji, October 31 Vinayak Patil (27), and Vinay Talekar (30), were allegedly involved in planting a bomb, which was defused before it went off, at 20 km away from Margao, the police said.The bomb at Sancoale was in series with the Margao explosions, which triggered pre-maturely killing two Sanatan Saunstha activists - Malgonda Patil and Yogesh Naik.
— PTI
|
|
6 booked for ragging
Lucknow, October 31 Amit Kumar, a first year BDS student in the Poorvanchal Institute of Medical Science in Gorakhpur, about 300 km from here, has alleged that six of his seniors forced him to drink liquor and assaulted him when he protested and refused to follow their instructions. “According to Kumar, the seniors used to barge inside his hostel room to abuse him physically. In the last few days, the seniors had become more violent,” police inspector Gajendra Kumar Rai said.
— IANS
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | Suggestion | E-mail | |
