Lucknow, February 25
Senior leaders, including former BJP president Rajnath Singh, and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi received minor injuries when the police resorted to lathicharge and water cannon to push back BJP workers protesting against price rise here today.

Many BJP workers suffered injuries and have called for a UP Bandh on March 2 to protest against ‘state sponsored violence against BJP workers.’

Denying initiating of firing or lathicharge on the BJP workers, ADGP Brijlal said mild force was used to maintain the law and order when BJP workers pelted stones and created chaos in the heart of the city this morning.

The trouble began when the BJP workers attempted to break the police cordon and turned towards the Vidhan Sabha that has been banned for holding demonstrations by the Mayawati government.

Led by former party president and Chief Minister Rajnath Singh, the demonstration was stopped by the police. Agitated party workers pelted stones and tried to jump the barricades after which the police chased and bit them up with lathis.

The clash took a serious turn as the police used water cannons and burst tear gas shells to disperse the violent mob. Rajnath Singh was spotted protecting himself using a chair as a shield.

Some policemen were injured in the clashes that lasted for over a hour. One BJP activist received rubber bullet injury while the SP (City) Paresh Pandey was manhandled by the angry mob.

Rajnath Singh described the police action deliberate and uncalled for. He blamed the state government for instigating violence on the unarmed peaceful demonstrators.

Dr Murli Manohar Joshi and general secretary Vinay Katiyar also blamed the police for resorting to violence.

While addressing a rally earlier at the Jhule Lal Park on the banks of the Gomti, Singh had pointed at a nexus between the Centre and Mayawati government for the unprecedented hike in prices of essential commodities.

New Delhi, February 25
Much hyped war of words being played out between the Home Ministry and the Maoists fizzled out today. Nobody from the Home Ministry called up the mobile number (09734695789) given out by Maoist leader Koteshwar Rao alias Kishenji, while the Maoists have not sent out a fax to the Home Ministry detailing their demands.

The Tribune managed to speak to a person on this very mobile number around 7 pm today. The call placed to the mobile number was responded to immediately. On being asked if Kishenji could come on the line, the person on the other side identified himself as his aide Raju. He clarified, “Nobody from the Home Ministry had called up on the 5 pm deadline”. He disconnected the phone on being asked about the next step. Subsequently, several attempts to dial the number failed as it was either busy or out of coverage area. Around 9:15 pm the number was switched off, as per the computerised recording announcement made by the service provider Vodafone.

The Home Ministry made no attempts to call the elusive Kishenji on the 5 pm deadline given by him, sources said. The ministry officials cross checked with electronic media offices, who had claimed to have received calls from Kishenji, but none could confirm whether these were actually made by him.

Guwahati, February 25
Out on bail, senior ULFA leader Mithinga Daimary today hailed the government’s decision to release him as a “positive step” and said the ULFA had decided to hold talks with the government provided other top group leaders, who are currently in jail, were released.

“It is a positive step of the government to have facilitated my release and I am grateful to the Centre and the Assam government for that. However, other senior ULFA leaders should also be released if the government sincerely wants the group to participate in dialogue,” Daimary told newsmen waiting outside the Guwahati Central Jail.

“It is difficult to speak out everything when one is in jail. We will make everything public at the right time. However, it is clear that we (ULFA leaders) have decided to sit for a peaceful political dialogue to solve the Indo-Assam conflict subject to an appropriate response from the government,” he added.

Other top leaders of the ULFA currently in jail include chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, advisor Bhimkanta Buragohain, foreign secretary Sasha Choudhury, finance secretary Chitraban Hazarika, cultural secretary Pranati Deka and armed wing deputy chief Raju Barua. Vice-chairman Pradip Gogoi has been granted bail but awaiting his release subject to completion of formalities over bail bonds.

Daimary, whose real name is Dipak Das, was central publicity secretary of the ULFA from 1992 till he was arrested in December 2003 by the Royal Bhutan Army in the Himalayan Kingdom.

Daimary was in the Guwahati Central Jail along with at least seven other top ULFA leaders. He was released on bail today. The state government as part of its efforts to persuade ULFA leaders to come forward for dialogue, had decided not to oppose his bail petition in the TADA court here.

New Delhi, February 25
The key anti-Sikh riots accused, Sajjan Kumar, whom the CBI has failed to arrest despite being armed with a non-bailable warrant (NBW) against him, is reported “missing” for the past one week and his Personal Security Officer (PSO) has been suspended for his failure to know about Sajjan kumar’s whereabouts.

Ram Niroha, a Delhi police constable who was posted as Sajjan Kumar’s PSO had reported it before the security wing on February 19. Kumar, a protectee falling under Z+ security, apparently gave his security team a slip. The police suspended the PSO as he was supposed to accompany him all the time. Though, it has also been alleged that Kumar was allowed to go into hiding so that he could avoid arrest till the High Court disposes of his anticipatory bail plea.

“We are verifying the PSO’s claims and are unaware of Kumar’s whereabouts,” said a senior Delhi police official on condition of anonymity. Niroha has been with Sajjan Kumar since the past one year. According to Niroha, he last saw Kumar at his residence in Madipur. As per the security manual, Kumar has an armed guard on vigil at his house round-the-clock with a PSO always accompanying him and an escort vehicle whenever he steps out. “If all these people feign ignorance about where Sajjan has disappeared, something is definitely fishy,” hinted the official with regard to an inquiry against other security members deployed with Kumar. 

New Delhi, February 25
Lt Gen P K Rath, former commander of 33 Corps, today withdrew petition against his court martial in the Sukna land scam from the Armed Forces Tribunal here.

Giving reasons for the move, Rath's counsel Ajit K Singh said his client withdrew the petition as the tribunal had already ordered reconvening of the Court of Inquiry (COI) in the case allowing Lt Gen (retd) Avadesh Prakash, former Military Secretary, to cross examine six witnesses.

“During the COI and cross-examination by Prakash, we will also get the opportunity to present our side. So, we will wait for the outcome of the COI and then take further decision,” he said.

Asked if the reconvening of the COI would delay court martial proceedings against him also, he said: “Nothing can proceed until the COI is over as we are also part of it.”

Rath's petition in the Delhi High Court, in which he had contended that he had been singled out in the case and the “offence” against him had been “prejudged”, was dismissed on jurisdiction issue earlier this month. Thereafter, he had moved to the Principal Bench of the AFT here.

The Eastern Command, headed by Army Chief-designate Lt Gen VK Singh, had initiated the COI against Gen Rath after the Cabinet Committee of Appointments had approved his elevation as Deputy Chief of Army Staff, Rath said in his petition.

Rath, along with Lt Gen Prakash, is facing court martial in the case that relates to no objection certificate being given by the Army to a private realtor to construct an educational institution on a 71-acre plot adjacent to Sukna military base in Darjeeling. — PTI

New Delhi, February 25
Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar reiterated that the current inflationary trend in foodgrains is partly because of higher MSP and insisted that this was a conscious policy of the UPA government.

Rejecting most of the charges levelled by Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj, Pawar claimed that prices of many items have already started coming down and may stabilise soon. He quoted PM Manmohan Singh to say, “The worst is over,” but added that the government policy is only that the vulnerable sections do not get affected. But Pawar’s reassurance failed to convince the Opposition that staged a walkout, chiding the government for being insensitive to the plight of the common man.

The debate on price rise, held simultaneously in both Houses of Parliament, came after two days of Opposition stalling tactics, protesting against the back-breaking price rise. It also saw a new bonding developing between the Left, right and centrist Opposition parties, with prominent leaders like Mulayam Singh Yadav (SP) reminding that they had supported the Congress only to prevent the BJP from coming to power. We went with you after they raised the Babri Masjid issue,” he said, which was promptly endorsed by Lalu Prasad (RJD).

Meanwhile, Pawar forcefully rejected Swaraj’s charge that the price rise is a result of wrong policies of the government. He claimed, “Rural India is changing. In my own district, 55,000 new motorcycles have been bought by the farmers after the last crop,” said the Agriculture Minister.

He also dismissed the Opposition charge of rising prices citing the letters of Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and UP government, who had wrote that the market price there was lower than the MSP price the government is offering to lift additional foodgrain.

New Delhi, February 25
Vying for his attention like every other Indian does around Budget time, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's daughter Sharmistha has written an open letter asking him to exempt artistes like herself from income tax and instead tax up to 95 per cent of the income of eve-teasers.

“At home, whenever I try to share my precious views with you on the forthcoming Budget, I am silenced by your steely glance (hence the open letter)... I hope you will seriously consider my suggestions regarding certain tax incentives as well as levying new taxes," wrote Sharmistha Mukherjee, a well-known danseuse.

Her letter, mostly in jest, also highlights the problems that women face in the country, particularly in the national capital. Among the new taxes she wished be slapped were: "90 to 95 per cent income tax levied on... homosapiens found on the roads of Delhi and NCR whose sole purpose in life is to push women-driven vehicles off the road.” "The same could be applied to all road-side Romeos and eveteasers across the country." Sharmistha confirmed writing the letter.

An exponent of Kathak, she asked her father to exempt performing artistes from the income from their performances. “This would keep us more focused on our art and not waste time raking our (mostly) (sic) financially-challenged brains trying to understand various tax-saving schemes,” she wrote, but asked Bollywood stars to be exempt from this exemption. Also, in her wishlist was a "very special tax" on her friends who refuse to partake of dinner cooked by her; "A special Commonwealth tax levied on those found littering the streets, imitating dogs whenever these see a wall and jay walking." The letter came on the eve of Budget, and it was not clear if her father had taken note of the suggestions. — PTI 

Mumbai, February 25
In one of the biggest such scandals unearthed in recent years, the highest-ranking postal official of the Maharashtra and Goa region was caught on the charge of demanding a bribe of Rs 2 crore from a builder. Chief Post Master General of Maharashtra and Goa Manjit Singh Bali was arrested from a South Mumbai restaurant last night, CBI officials said.

Subsequent searches at the residence of Bali, a 1978-batch officer of the Indian Postal Service, yielded Rs 34 lakh in Indian currency and some foreign currency, including $10,000, imported liquor and two imported cars.

Further searches are being conducted at other properties owned by Bali, according to Director, CBI (Western Region), Rishi Raj Singh. Investigators will also search a locker belonging to Bali in Gwalior. Agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and the Income Tax authorities will also join the probe.

The CBI netted Bali following a complaint by former corporator of the Mira-Bhayandar Municipality Rita Shah, who was working towards getting a post office set up in her constituency. The post office was to come up on a 2,000 sq m plot that was being developed by a local builder. Shah said the builder offered to construct a building and offered 25 per cent of the area for the post office.

The proposal, however, required a no objection certificate (NOC) from the office of the Chief Post Master General. According to the CBI, Bali demanded a bribe of Rs 2 crore to give the NOC.

In her complaint to the CBI, Shah said she was approached by a father-son duo, Arun and Harsh Dalmiya, who ran a consultancy in South Mumbai. They allegedly told Shah that they would be brokering a deal between Bali and the builder and sought her help in obtaining the Rs 2 crore pay-off. Shah said she was surprised to find documents submitted to the Chief Post Master General in the possession of the Dalmiya duo. “The Dalmiyas assured her that the NOC would be given on payment of bribe,” CBI director said.

Shah then approached the CBI and lodged a complaint. A trap was laid to net Bali and the Dalmiya duo. The father and son were arrested while they accepted bribe from Shah. Bali was arrested when he turned up to collect money from Harsh Dalmiya, according to the CBI.

New Delhi, February 25
India has asked Pakistan to hand over 34 militants based there. The list includes seven Khalistan militants, 17 Indian Mujahideen (IM) cadres and members of the Lashker-e-Taiba (LeT), which is blamed for the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.

In total, India has split the names into three separate divisions and these were submitted to the visiting Pakistan delegation today by the Indian officials. The Home Ministry had handed over the dossiers to the Ministry of External Affairs.

Sources in the Home Ministry said the dossier also contained the name of Let mastermind Hafiz Saeed and seven others of his organisation. These were handed over at the talks between Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir.

In the first dossier, a demand has been made to hand over Hafiz Saeed and his associates Muzzamil, Abu Hamza, Abu Khafa and Usman. All of them have been named in the chargesheet filed by the Mumbai police in connection with the 26/11 attack. India has also asked Pakistan to hand over Lashkar commander Sajjid Mir, retired Pakistan army Major Iqbal and one more person for questioning as they were suspects in the Mumbai attack.

The second dossier relates to seven Khalistan militants and 17 IM terrorists that includes five Pakistani nationals. Some of the Sikh militants and their organisations - like the Babbar Khalsa International and Khalistan Commando Force (Panjwar) - have their bases in Pakistan. The ISI continues to aid and abet them. IM founder Riyaz Bhatkal is also based in Karachi.

In the Mumbai attack dossier there is separate demand for handing over of Mohd Illyas Kashmiri, whose links with global terror group Al-Qaida have been established by the FBI. He is the operational HuJI chief and Al-Qaida's Brigade 313. He had issued a threat against sportspersons visiting India for the Hockey World Cup, Indian Premier League and Commonwealth Games.

India has also taken note of rallies organised by the JuD where anti-India rhetoric was whipped up.