New Delhi, November 23
Even though it seemed unlikely that the government would table the Liberhan Commission report in a hurry tomorrow, the main Opposition, the BJP, appeared in two minds here today whether to stall Parliament proceedings on this issue for the second day tomorrow.

After day-long disruption of both Houses of Parliament, Deputy leader of the BJP in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj indicated here today that the BJP was also weighing the option to move a privilege motion against Home Minister P Chidambram for selectively leaking out the report to a section of the media.

She said, “By calling it (leak) unfortunate, the Home Minister cannot escape his responsibility,” implicitly accusing Chidambaram of having wilfully leaked it.

She questioned the timing, pointing out how the entire Opposition and even sections within the UPA like Mamata Banerjee and the DMK had demonstrated rare solidarity and forced the government to retrace its steps on the Sugar Control Order issue.

Besides, she said, there was also broad agreement between the NDA, the Left and sections of the UPA to nail the government on other major issues like 2G Spectrum scam and the Madhu Koda scandal. “The government wanted to divert the attention of the people from these issues and deflect the Opposition attack. The timing of this leak is also significant. The campaigning for the first phase of the polling in Jharkhand ended today,” Sushma said.

“All this will be discussed at the BJP parliamentary party meeting tomorrow morning before arriving at any decision,” Sushma said.

The government, on its part, seemed in no hurry to place the Liberhan report on the table of the House. “The decision to place the report and the ATR has to be taken by the Union Cabinet. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is away to the USA and will return on Sunday, which means a Cabinet meeting should be held only on Monday, unless he authorises Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to chair the Cabinet in his absence,” which is unlikely, sources said.

Formally., the government maintains that it has the report and the ATR ready. Only the Hindi translation is not yet ready. And the BJP was in a mood to waive off this precondition if Speaker Meira Kumar provided some more time to the government for translating the report in Hindi.

Meanwhile, the Congress has rubbished the BJP allegation of selective leak, but a senior party leader virtually conceded that the present Congress dispensation stood vindicated by the Liberhan report. He said it proved three things: One that the BJP/RSS were responsible for the demolition, two that former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao was culpable because he preferred to sleep through the entire episode and three that Muslim leaders shortchanged their community.

Congress sources privately conceded that this had helped divide the Opposition against the Congress/UPA government on the sugar issue. It would also help it heap all blame for the demolition on Narasmiha Rao and perhaps help it recover its lost ground among UP Muslims.

Patna, November 23
The campaigning for the 26 seats of the Jharkhand assembly going to the polls in the first phase came to an end today.

The polling will be held on November 25. The Election Commission has claimed to have made elaborate security arrangement by deploying around 200 companies of the Central Paramilitary Force (CPMF), besides the state police machinery, for the polling day.

In view of the Naxals’ call to boycott the elections, the poll timings have been rescheduled from 7 am to 3 pm.

Out of the total 470 candidates are in fray for the 26 seats, 212 are Independents. Besides the state party chiefs of the BJP and the JD(U), four ex-ministers, six former MPs and a former Speaker of the assembly are also trying their luck in the first phase. The BJP has the highest stake on these seats as it had won 13 of these 26 during the last elections in February, 2005. The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) had bagged six, Congress three and JD(U) had won two . The RJD and the All-India Forward Block had got one seat each.

The Jharkhand elections have become quite important for both the Congress and the NDA and they are leaving nothing to chance to turn the tide in their respective favours. AICC president Sonia Gandhi and the Congress’ star campaigner and youth icon Rahul Gandhi have already addressed election meetings for the first phase of elections.

BJP chief Rajnath Singh, LK Advani, Venakaiah Naidu and Shatrughan Sinha were seeking votes for their party candidates. JD(U) president Sharad Yadav and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar also campaigned for the NDA candidates. RJD chief Lalu Yadav and his ally Ram Vilas Paswan addressed a score of election meetings for their alliance candidates.

The Election Commission roped in Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a resident of Jharkhand, to make an appeal to the people of his native state to exercise their right to vote.

Hyderabad, November 23
Billed as the “mini general elections”, the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) went to polls today, providing the first litmus test for Chief Minister K Rosaiah’s leadership.

The poll battle involved high political stakes for the ruling Congress as it faced the first election after the death of charismatic leader YS Rajasekhar Reddy, who had steered the party to power for second successive term in the April Lok Sabha polls.

For Rosaiah, the septuagenarian leader picked by the high command for the top post, the municipal polls provided the first major challenge.

Despite his vast legislative experience, Rosaiah lacks mass base and has never been a crowd-puller.

The elections also came against the backdrop of an uneasy power struggle in the ruling party between loyalists of YSR’s son and CM-aspirant YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and his detractors.

The race has become prestigious for all political parties as the GHMC is now the country’s second largest urban conglomerate, after New Delhi, covering 24 Assembly and four Parliament constituencies and spread over three districts.

The polling began on a dull note but picked up pace as the day wore on. Nearly 50 per cent of 57 lakh voters exercised their franchise to decide the fortunes of 1,310 candidates who are in the fray for 150 municipal divisions.

The polling was by and large peaceful barring minor incidents of scuffle between rival groups, the GHMC commissioner SP Singh said. Over 10,000 policemen were deployed for smooth conduct of polls.

The counting of votes will be held on November 26, while the elections for the posts of Mayor and Deputy Mayor will be held on December 4.

This is the first municipal election since the formation of Greater Hyderabad in 2007 after merging eight municipalities and 12 villages of neighbouring districts with Hyderabad.

While Congress put up candidates in all 150 divisions, the main opposition party, the TDP, contested 141 seats. The Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) fielded candidates in 70 seats.

Of 24 Assembly constituencies, which come under the GHMC limits, the Congress had won 14 seats in the recent General eEection followed by MIM 7 and one each by the TDP, the BJP and the Lok Satta.

New Delhi, November 23
The Supreme Court today sought the responses of CBI and Delhi government to the bail plea of dismissed Assistant Commissioner of Police (Delhi), SS Rathi, who is serving life imprisonment for killing two Haryana-based businessmen at Connaught Place in 1997 mistaking them for terrorists.

A Bench comprising Justices Dalveer Bhandari and AK Patnaik issued notices on Rathi’s petition challenging his conviction for gunning down businessmen Pradeep Goyal and Jagjit Singh on March 31, 1997.

Senior counsel Harish Salve and Amrendra Saran said Rathi has been in jail for over five years and as such is entitled to bail.

The shootout had led to the removal of then Delhi Police Commissioner Nikhil Kumar, who is now a Congress MP from Bihar. Delhi High Court had on September 18 upheld the conviction and life sentence awarded to 10 policemen, including Rathi.

New Delhi, November 23
The Union Cabinet will meet tomorrow to discuss the tabling of the Liberhan Commission report. The unscheduled meeting before the start of Parliament’s sitting has strengthened speculation that the government may be pushed to table the report on the Babri Masjid demolition.

The meeting will be chaired by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in the absence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who is in the US.

Earlier in the day, the government had indicated the possibility of tabling of the report in Parliament earlier than expected without adequate copies of the voluminous document.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister PK Bansal also said a meeting of the Union Cabinet was necessary before tabling the report as the Action Taken Report had to get the Cabinet’s nod.

The Opposition today accused the Congress-led UPA government of selectively leaking the Liberhan report to gain political mileage and demanded that the entire report be tabled in Parliament. Later in the day, Mukherjee met Congress president Sonia Gandhi to discuss the issue.

Political observers say while the leak had succeeded in differentiating the ideological differences between main Opposition BJP, its allies and other parties like the Left, the BSP and the SP, all of which had become too uncomfortably close for the Congress on the sugar pricing issue, the stalling of the Parliament was becoming an uncomfortable issue for the party in power.

Officially the party described the “leakage” of the report in the media as “a very serious issue”.While in a tongue-in-cheek remark Congress spokesman Manish Tewari appreciated the “investigative” skills of the media, he also said leakage of the report was a very serious issue.

However, even as he proceeded to call the leakage of the sensitive report a serious issue, he said perceptions in the minds of people regarding who was responsible for the demolition of Babri Masjid, with or without the leakage of the report, were clear.

Targeting the BJP, he said the indictment of those responsible for the incident was clear. “Perceptionally, the indictment is very clear. The issue in the mind of people is already settled as far as guilt and culpability are concerned. The BJP and its affiliates are responsible (for the demolition),” Tewari said, adding that events that culminated in the demolition of the mosque were played in “full public view”.

Hyderabad, November 23
The alleged illegal iron ore mining by Karnataka Minister G Janardhan Reddy’s company is snowballing into a major political controversy in Andhra Pradesh with the opposition stepping up its attack on the mining baron.

A day after the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) concluded that Obulapuram Mining Corporation (OMC), owned by Reddy, was carrying out "illegal" mining in the AP-Karnataka border, the main opposition TDP set a two-day deadline for the government to stop all mining activity by the company.

“If the government fails to stop mining activity within 48 hours, we will resort to direct action and stop the transport of iron ore from Anantapur district,” the TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu warned at a press conference here.

The OMC is in the eye of a storm for its alleged illegal mining, encroachment into non-leased areas and violation of forest and environment laws. Its owner and the mining tycoon, who had recently led a revolt against Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa, is facing the wrath of the opposition for “looting public wealth and polluting politics in the state.”His business links with the family of former Chief Minister late YS Rajasekhar Reddy have also come under scanner. The opposition parties have alleged that YSR’s son and Chief Minister-aspirant YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was the beneficiary of the OMC’s ill-gotten wealth.

Naidu alleged that the Bellary Billionaire had pumped in money into “Sakshi”, the Telugu daily and television channel owned by Jagan.

Demanding that the government immediately cancel all mining leases and seize iron ore in the region, the opposition leader threatened to take up the issue at national level to prevent the “mining mafia” from dictating terms to the elected government.

He alleged that Chief Minister K Rosaiah, like his Karnataka counterpart Yeddyurappa, had surrendered to the “mining mafia” and had shut his eyes to the illegal activities of the OMC.

New Delhi, November 23
The chairman of Organising Committee of 2010 Commonwealth Games Suresh Kalmadi admitted that he had conceded to demands of Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) president Mike Fennell “in the interest of the Games and for the country”.

In a probing interview to Karan Thapar on Devil’s

Advocate programme, Kalmadi also talked about his meeting with Fennell in London recently. “For both sides, it was give and take. We reached an agreement and we had a joint statement and the matter is over,” he said.

When asked “who’s doing the giving”, Kalmadi said “whatever is in the interest of the Games, we have accepted it”.

Kalmadi said it was “not true” that he gave in altogether and Fennell got everything he wanted. However, he refused to “discuss” any of the issues between the CGF and the

Organising Committee when Thapar pointed out that Mike Fennell is insisting on an independent technical review panel starting work in January next. “I don’t want to discuss about it because we have resolved the issue. There is a co-ordiantion commission which is coming and all the decision will be taken after that, and

we will have another meeting with Mike Fennell, and all these things will be decided”, Kalmadi said, apparently trying to wriggle out of the situation.

Imphal, November 23
‘Mr Manipur’ contest in 2007 was going on just like any other annual event in Imphal. And as it used to be each year, this time, too, there were several contenders for the coveted title. All of them were seated in the contestant corner, waiting anxiously for their turn and hoping to outdo their competitors.

But one of the participants, Kh Pradip Kumar, 30, was vying with something that others were not: the deadly, incurable human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). It was he who clinched the title, thus making the event historic.

Having got to know about the disease in 2000, Kumar showed immense courage and kept his nerve in fighting the stigma that his being infected by the virus brought along.

Not only ‘Mr Manipur’ (in 60-kg category), he went on to clinch a bronze medal in a national-level body building competition at Trichur, Kerala, in April this year.

Sharing his experiences with The Tribune, Pradip, who is now preparing for next year’s competition in Goa, says: “In early 1990s, drugs from neighbouring Myanmar were flooding Manipur. Ninety per cent of those who were addicted died. I got hooked to it in 1992, but left it a year later. But, I was discovered HIV+ only in 2000 after a brief illness… Life took a U turn for me after that. I was hurt most when my friends stopped calling on me… I survived, thanks to the support from my family, particularly my parents and elder brother’s family.”

Says Pradip’s father Kh Kalachand Singh: “When the doctor broke the HIV+ news to them, we were left to face the hell. I, however, did not go mad at my son. After all, it was an accident and he now needed our support.”

Jettisoned by his friends, Pradip remained confined to his house for three years while taking anti-retroviral therapy (ART).

He kept himself busy in home flower nursery and trying to regain control over his mind to show the world what a person with HIV+ could be capable of.“One day in 2005, I asked my doctor if it was fine with me to undergo physical training as I was feeling weak. The doctor only advised light one. I went to my neighbourhood gymnasium and told my friends that I was to start light training. But, the touch of the cold iron bar there steeled my nerve and made me determined to undergo hard training to build my body,” Pradip says.

The results were there for all to see soon. Pradip was adjudged ‘Mr Manipur’ two years later. Also, he was made “Brand Ambassador” in 2008 by the Manipur AIDS Control Society ahead of his winning a bronze medal at the national event in Trichur 
(in 2009).

“For others, it was just winning medals but for me it was like touching the sky. I have proved a point before the world that HIV+ persons, too, should be allowed to live in a compassionate environment… My family’s support has been tremendous,” adds Pradip.

Chennai, November 23
Close on the heels of opposing the Centre on the sugarcane pricing policy, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi and leader of the DMK, a key constituent of the UPA government, today expressed reservations over the draft Marine Fisheries (Regulation and Management) Act, 2009, saying that the conditions stipulated for fishing beyond 12 nautical miles were “too severe and impracticable”.

In a letter to Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar dated November 19 and released to the press today, Karunanidhi said the Bill had been drafted without consulting the concerned stake holders.

Referring to the clause that makes a special permit mandatory for fishing beyond territorial waters, the CM said the fishery resources in the inshore areas had been completely exploited and those fishermen benefiting from the motorisation scheme and those owning mechanised boats were venturing into the sea to exploit the underexploited offshore resources.

Since those fishing within the territorial waters were being issued fishing licences, special permits to go beyond 12 nautical miles would pave way for duplication of licence system and create confusion.

In the absence of clear-cut geographical zoning, it would not be possible to prevent fishermen from crossing 12 nautical miles. Hence, the clause should be made applicable only for deep sea fishing vessels registered under the Merchant Shipping Act, Karunanidhi said.

A penalty of Rs nine lakh had been proposed for fishing beyond territorial waters without special permit. This was against the schemes implemented by the Central and state governments to encourage the fishermen to tap the under exploited offshore commercial resources like tuna which fetched substantial foreign exchange.

As the fishing activities in Palk Bay area in Tamil Nadu are already affected due to the harassment of fishermen by Sri Lankan navy and the marine fish production is already exhausted in territorial waters, the introduction of the bill would have wider implications, he warned and requested the Agriculture Minister to intervene in the issue and initiate a wider dialogue with concerned stake. holders.

The Chief Minister Karunanidhi letter was released on the same day when AIADMK supremo J Jayalalithaa asserted that her party would oppose it in Parliament at the introductory stage itself.

Alleging that the Bill had been drafted for the benefit of multi-national fishing companies who would be allowed free access to the offshore waters, Jayalalithaa, in a statement today, asked the DMK to withdraw support to the Centre, if it really had concerns for fishermen. 

Chennai, November 23
Actor-turned-politician Vijaykanth, whose DMDK ensured the split of anti-DMK votes in the last Lok Sabha elections, today announced that his party would contest the December 19 bypolls to the two constituencies in Tamil Nadu.

The actor said his party would contest without any alliance in Vandavasi and Tiruchendur as it had the support of the people. Lashing out at the ruling DMK and opposition AIADMK, he said more and more people were supporting his party, since it provided an alternative to both the major Dravidian parties.

He also said Chief Minister M Karunanidhi announced schemes worth Rs 100 crore for Lankan refugees, only after his party started working for their welfare. He also alleged that Karunanidhi did not achieve anything for Tamils in his long political career, except sacrificing the rights of Tamils in Cauvery water dispute, Sri Lankan Tamils conflict and Mullaiperiyar dam row.

Vijaykanth’s party emerged as the major opposition in the last byelections in five seats by securing more than 20 per cent votes, in the absence of the AIADMK, which boycotted the elections. However, he is facing a stiff contest this time, as the AIADMK has entered the fray and already announced its candidates.

The AIADMK candidates are confident, as Vijaykanth’s DMDK did not poll much votes in the two seats, in the 2006 Assembly elections, securing less than 4,000 votes in Tiruchendur and about 9,000 votes in Vandavasi.

New Delhi, November 23
Millions of adults covered under the literacy programme of the government may now look forward to formal certification for their education and training on skill development.

The National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) is planning to provide certificates to the learners under the literacy programme ‘Saakshar Bharat’.

“We are in the process of integrating with Saakshar Bharat programme under which we want to provide certificates to the learners for their education. We want to provide certificates to learners on skill development,” NIOS chairman Sitansu S Jena told reporters today at a function to celebrate the foundation day of NIOS.

He said certificates of Class-III, Class-V and Class-VIII would be provided to the learners once they complete the courses. The NIOS plans to develop the course materials under the programme.

“We are sending a proposal to the government for this initiative. If it happens, a lot of adults will be able to get skill certification which can be of immense help for them in career growth,” Jena said.

The government had started the National Literacy Mission in 1986 with a view provide education to illiterate people. However, there was no provision of providing any certificate to the learners under the programme.

The government this year recast the literacy programme with launching of Saakshar Bharat which aims at making 70 million people literate in the next five years. The NIOS will prepare course materials in skill development. The Jan Siskhan Sansthans, which are providing skill development programmes to the neo-literates, will follow the course materials of NIOS.

Jena said NIOS, which provides schooling to over 1.6 million students in distant mode, would start grading system in the examination. The modalities were being worked out, he said.

The NIOS has prepared a scheme for better coordination and networking between open schools in states. The scheme envisages strengthening the state level open school institutes so that they can prepare their course materials. The open school institutions are there in 14 states. The scheme also envisages starting the open schooling institutes in the rest of the states.

The Bihar government has started a ‘Hooner’ (skill) programme in collaboration with NIOS under which 15,000 girls are being given training on skill development. Jena said the number of learners would be increased to 50,000.

The NIOS is organising a meeting of the Commonwealth Schooling Association. Representatives from 25 Commonwealth countries are participating in this conference. “We are looking forward to networking between the open school systems in the Commonwealth countries so that we will be able to share the best practises,” Jena said. — PTI

Agartala, November 23
BSF officials were today asked to maintain close surveillance along the 856-km long porous Indo-Bangla border in Tripura, official sources said.

Raman Srivastava, Director-General of BSF, who arrived here on a two-day visit, held series of meetings with top BSF officials of the state and visited two border outposts (BOP) besides meeting the Governor and the Chief Minister.

Sources said, during meeting with the officials, the DG directed all officials to maintain a close vigilance in the border areas so that no unwanted elements could enter into the Indian territory from the neighbouring Bangladesh.

He would tomorrow visit two air-maintained BOPs in the North Tripura district and interact with jawans and officials.

The visit assumes significance in view of the mounting pressure on Bangladeshi security force on the Indian insurgents using their soil for conducting subversive activities in Indian territories.

BSF sources said, the official was also apprised about the outcome of the Inspector-General level meeting held recently in Sylhat in the first week of this month.

BSF had nabbed Ulfa’s self-appointed finance secretary Chitraban Hazarika and self-styled foreign secretary Shashadhar Chowdhury along the Bangladesh border in West Tripura district this month. — PTI 

Guwahati, November 23
Five personnel of the Assam Rifles, including two officers, were killed in an ambush by suspected militants belonging to the United National Liberation Front (UNLF) in a remote hill area of Manipur bordering Myanmar today.

An Army spokesman said an area-domination patrol party of the Assam Rifles was ambushed by suspected UNLF in the Old Samtal area in Chandel district of Manipur Hills at around 9.30 am.

Five personnel from the 43rd Assam Rifles were killed in the ensuing gunbattle. Those killed included two officers - Assistant Comandant Raminder Kumar and Major Bhupinder Mehra.The area, which is located close to the India-Myanmar border, was stated to be thickly forested and hilly with lack of proper surface communication.