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Telangana on boil again, Jagan detained
‘84 Riots Case |
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Free bosses for talks: ULFA
Visa row with Canada closed chapter: Krishna
Maya defends her crores
Now, Joshi defies party stand
CBSE’s grading system draws flak
RS Poll RS Nomination
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Telangana on boil again, Jagan detained
Hyderabad, May 28 Jagan, a strong votary of integrated Andhra Pradesh, was prevented from taking up his “Odarpu (Consolation) Yatra” by Telangana activists who resorted to stone-throwing and clashed with young MP’s supporters, leading to tension in the region. Amid high drama, he was taken into preventive custody at Vangapally in Nalgonda district and brought back to the city. “It was not advisable for him to conduct the tour in view of the surcharged atmosphere. He was taken into preventive custody to avert a law and order problem,” Home Minister P Sabitha Reddy said.Earlier, defying the party high command’s directive to defer his proposed six-day tour in the Telangana hotbed, the fiery MP boarded the Inter-City Express here and headed for Mahaboobabad in Warangal district, where he was to kick off the yatra covering 72 villages and to meet 77 bereaved families. However, tension kept mounting since morning with pro-Telangana activists, particularly those belonging to the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), staging protests along the route and vowing to prevent Jagan from “stepping his foot on Telangana soil”. The railway station at Mahaboobabad turned into a war zone as protesters hurled stones and attacked Jagan’s supporters and policemen. In the melee, the gunmen of Jagan’s key supporter and local Congress MLA K Surekha opened fire at the protesters. “One person was seriously injured and 10 others received minor injuries,” state DGP RR Girish Kumar said. The police fired rubber bullets and lobbed teargas shells to control the rampaging crowd. As tempers ran high, Surekha, a former minister who had quit the cabinet in support of Jagan’s candidature for CM’s post, attempted suicide by consuming sleeping pills in the presence of the media. She was immediately rushed to the hospital. Fearing a major law and order problem in view of the “strong emotions” in the region, the Congress high command had advised the MP to drop his plans. A defiant Jagan caused a major embarrassment to the party by undertaking the tour. It was seen as a direct confrontation with the central leadership. Jagan’s Telangana tour posed twin problems for the government: It threatened to trigger clashes between pro-Telangana activists and those who oppose the state’s bifurcation. And it also exposed internal bickering and an escalating power struggle in the ruling party.
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‘84 Riots Case
New Delhi, May 28 Additional Sessions Judge Sunita Gupta ordered framing of charges against Sajjan Kumar, his cousin Balwan Khokhar, Krishan Khokhar, Mahender Yadav, Captain Bhagmal and Girdhari Lal under Sections 120-B (conspiracy), 302 (murder), 395 (dacoity), 427 (mischief causing damage to property), 436 (mischief by fire or explosives), 153A (promoting enmity between different communities) and Section 449 (house trespass in order to commit offence) of the IPC. The court has fixed the matter for July 1 on day-to-day hearing basis. The court has charged Sajjan of abetment too.“The five other accused are excluded from abetment, rest of the charges will be the same,” said the court. All accused pleaded not guilty.
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Free bosses for talks: ULFA
Guwahati, May 28 The outfit also clarified that it had never said that the talks with government could take place without the presence of its commander-in-chief Paresh Barua.Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on May 26 said the Assam Cabinet had decided to hold talks with the ULFA even without the presence of Paresh Barua. The ULFA statement came today after its jailed central committee members, including ‘chairman’ Rajkhowa, ideologue Bhimkanta Buragohain, ‘foreign secretary’ Sasha Choudhury and ‘finance secretary’ Chitrabon Hazarika, ‘cultural secretary’ Pranati Deka, ‘deputy commander-in-chief’ Raju Barua held discussions with the outfit’s ‘vice-president’ Pradeep Gogoi and ‘publicity secretary’ Mithinga Daimary in Guwahati Central Jail. The preliminary meeting of the outfit’s central decision making body was facilitated so that the ULFA could initiate its move to come to the negotiation. Daimary, who issued the statement, urged the government to create a proper atmosphere for taking the dialogue process forward. It asked the government to release the jailed ULFA leaders so that the central committee can meet in a free manner and decide on the next course of action. “ The ULFA could take a collective decision on holding talks only if its leaders are released from jail. At no point of time, had we said talks could be held without Paresh Barua. Any final decision on holding talks will be taken by the general council of the ULFA, ” said the statement. Of 16 central committee members of the ULFA, six are in a jail in Assam, while general secretary Anup Chetia is lodged in Bangladesh jail. Two leaders --- Pradeep Gogoi and Daimary --- are out on bail. The three central committee leaders remain untraced since December 2003 after Operation All Clear of Royal Bhutan Army that demolished ULFA base in the Himalayan kingdom. One central committee leader is dead while one is on parole due to illness. That leaves commander-in-chief Barua and another leader Jibon Moran at large.
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Visa row with Canada closed chapter: Krishna
Bangalore, May 28 “We have received a copy of the statement made by Jason Kenny, Canadian Minister for Citizenship and Emigration. He has expressed high regards for India. They have deeply regretted the recent letter drafted by low-level visa officials, casting aspersions on security forces,” Krishna said here while reading out the statement received from the Canadian authorities. On the Pakistan Supreme Court letting off JuD chief Hafiz Mohd Saeed, Krishna said India had given “enough evidence” against the Mumbai terror attack “mastermind”. “We are disappointed with the Pakistan SC dismissing appeal by the federal government and the Punjab government against release of Saeed. We regard Saeed as a mastermind for Mumbai attack”, Krishna said. “The Pakistan SC has come to certain conclusions on the basis of whatever evidence they had... We have given enough evidence. Our legal experts say that the evidences provided by us were sufficient to prosecute and get conviction for Saeed”, the External Affairs Minister said. He said Saeed had openly appealed for jihad against India and the LeT and the JuD, headed by him, had been designated as terrorist outfits by the UN Security Council. “Pakistan has assured us that they will not allow their soil to perpetrate terrorism against India”, Krishna said, adding that India would like to believe in that assurance.
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Maya defends her crores
Lucknow, May 28 In a three-page press statement hitting out at all political parties, particularly the Samajwadi party, Mayawati asserted that it was well known to all that when Mulayam Singh Yadav had joined politics, he had only a few bighas of land and a bicycle. “Today Mulayam Singh Yadav and his family’s disappropriate assets is the subject matter of a pending writ petition filed by one Vishwanath Chaturvedi in the Supreme Court. Before attacking others, such people should first see where they stand”, charged Mayawati.
— TNS
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Now, Joshi defies party stand
New Delhi, May 28 “Caste census will further divide society. It is not a good idea. It will drive people towards division,” said Joshi, becoming the first BJP leader today to oppose caste enumeration of population, a move that is in line with the RSS thought on the issue. Joshi’s opposition of the stand is significant and reflects the existing divergence within the saffron ranks of views on this sensitive subject. “There is no doubt that differences of opinion exist within the BJP on this issue. We will debate the matter in our national executive or the parliamentary party and will soon come out with a stand,” said the saffron stalwart, who represents the conservative upper caste section of the BJP which has been traditionally opposed the Mandal politics and all that defines caste-based ideas. It’s this very view which the RSS embodies, with Joshi today publicly firming it up. “The RSS is against the caste census but my views on the subject are my own. I don’t know if the party has been officially supporting the idea. I was away from India for some days,” said the BJP leader, going against the stand, which the BJP took in the Lok Sabha when the debate on caste census took place. At that time, deputy leader of opposition in the lower house Gopinath Munde stood with the Yadavs to seek caste enumeration in the census. When asked why he was going against the party’s professed line, Joshi said, “We are a democratic party and we have our views. My only contention is this: Do you want to aggravate the existing schisms in society or do you want to consolidate the society. Caste census will divide people,” said the former HRD Minister, who refused to buy the argument that caste enumeration was important for sociological reasons.
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CBSE’s grading system draws flak
Chandigarh, May 28 In what came as a shock to the board, around 114 RTI applications seeking actual percentage of the candidates were received on the very first day of the results today. The officials, who claim that holding back the percentage was part of the evaluation, are now in a fix over whether or not to answer the queries. “We had a meeting regarding the issue and have even sort legal help. If we start answering the RTI then everybody would go for it then what is the point of having grades?” claimed a senior CBSE official from Panchkula. Rama Sharma, official spokesperson of the CBSE, said: “Answering any such RTI is a policy matter and I can’t say anything till is decided upon.” According to the officials from Delhi Region, such RTIs are being received from almost every part of the country. The board has introduced a nine-point grading system with an aim to eradicate classification of students on percentage basis. Parents hold the confusion created by the cumulative grade point average system responsible for it. “They have just given us some absurd figures and grades and I don’t know where does my child stand. He was expecting more than 97 per cent but according to this grade he has just got 89 per cent. I will also file in an RTI “ said a parent from Chandigarh.
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RS Poll New Delhi, May 28 The party can get two MPs elected from Karnataka. The second person nominated is Ayanur Manjunath. Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yedyurappa was trying hard to send up Shobha Karanjlanje, former minister in his council, to the Council of States, but his detractors were keen to prevent Shobha’s elevation to Parliament. Besides Naidu, the BJP has decided to send Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi from his home state of Uttar Pradesh. The CEC also cleared the name of party’s treasurer Piyush Goyal from Maharashtra. His father VP Goyal too was party’s treasurer for a number of years and also a member of the Upper House. Goyal is considered a member of BJP president Nitin Gadkari’s inner coterie. Party spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy has secured renomination from Bihar, ostensibly through the good offices of former BJP president Rajnath Singh who is considered to be his patron. In Chhatisgarh, Chief Minister Raman Singh was pressing for the selection of Nand Kumar Sai and he got it. In Madhya Pradesh, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan is lobbying for Anil Dave and from Rajasthan Vasundhra Raj wants Hema Malini to be nominated. But these will be taken up later. Today mainly four states - namely UP, Bihar, Karnataka and Maharashtra - were taken up because these have legislative councils and those elections are also being held alongside. The meeting chaired by president Nitin Gadkari was attended by almost all CEC members, including LK Advani and Arun Jaitley, according to the BJP statement. |
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RS Nomination Lucknow, May 28 Putting up a brave front, the party president told the media that instead of Jaya party spokesman Mohan Singh would now be the candidate for the second seat. Incidentally, Mohan Singh had for long been the original choice till the party suddenly sprung a surprise two days ago by announcing Jaya Bachchan’s name. Significantly, Jaya Bachchan’s decision not to accept the Samajwadi offer for a Rajya Sabha seat comes after expelled SP leader Amar Singh’s meeting with her husband Amitabh Bachchan. The refusal is being seen as a major victory for Amar Singh who was instrumental in bringing the film star to the Samajwadi Party. He had made his displeasure clear when she did not quit the party following his expulsion in January this year. Jaya Bachchan’s refusal to accept the party ticket has caused humiliation to the SP as the party president, while nominating her for a third term, had stated that she was a loyal party leader who had contributed to the party’s growth.
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The Telangana region was once again on the boil today.Large-scale violence and protests shook the region over the controversial tour by Congress MP and CM-aspirant YS Jagan Mohan.
Lucknow, May 28
New Delhi, May 28
Though Naidu belongs to Andhra Pradesh, he has all along got elected from Karnataka, since the BJP never had enough MLAs in Andhra Pradesh.