New Delhi, May 16
Accepting defeat in Assembly elections in West Bengal and Kerala as the will of the people yearning for change, the CPM central leadership today asserted communism’s relevance and said it would be a mistake to write off the Left.

Following a brief introspection meeting of the party Politburo, where West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya was marked absent today, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said some people were mistaken in writing the “epitaph of the Left”.

“Even with the erosion of support, we polled 1.95 crore votes in Bengal - more than in Lok Sabha elections of 2009. We received 41 per cent of the vote share. What we could not, however, judge was that while we were adding to our base, our opponents were consolidating their positions equally well. So while we got 11 lakh votes more than what the 2009 share was, they got 34 lakh additional votes at the same time,” Karat explained, in his first utterance since the humiliating loss in West Bengal.

The CPM today asked its state units to look into all the issues and causes of electoral reverses and submit reports for review by the Central Committee which will meet in Hyderabad on June 11 and 12 after a Politburo meeting scheduled for June 10.

The party said it would reconnect with the people in West Bengal, and congratulated itself for a good show in Kerala, where the vote share difference between the victorious Congress-led combine and the defeated Left Democratic Front (LDF) is 0.89 per cent only.

Karat was quick to give the credit to Kerala CM V.S. Achuthanandan, whom he had earlier sought to sideline. Refusing to admit his misjudgment, Karat said, “There was no question of foregrounding anyone. Comrade Achuthanandan played an important role in rallying people around the LDF but there were other factors like this time that helped us - like the LDF was more united this time than in 2009.”

The CPM boss also dismissed speculations that Bengal Chief Minister had offered to resign from the Politburo.

“No one has resigned or offered to resign,” Karat said of the Bengal Chief Minister, adding that the latter had chosen to stay back due to post poll violence reports from the state. “That is our main worry,” Karat said, circulating a list of party workers attacked by the ruling combine in the state after the declaration of Assembly poll results on May 13.

Jiten Nandi, a CPM member, was allegedly killed by TMC workers in Garbeta in West Midnapore yesterday despite Trinamool chief Mamata Banerejee's appeal for peace.

Chennai, May 16
Shortly after taking over as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Jayalalithaa today implemented her major poll promises of free rice to ration card holders and BPL families, gold for “mangalsutra” for girls for marriage and carried out a top-level bureaucratic reshuffle.

She ordered distribution of 20 kg free rice per month to ration card holders and 35kg of rice to BPL families. Old-age pension has been doubled from Rs.500, maternity leave for government staff hiked to six months from three months and financial assistance to fishermen during fishing ban period raised from Rs,1,000 to Rs.2,000 as Jayalalithaa signed relevant files soon after being sworn in.

She also hiked the marriage assistance for poor people from Rs 25,000 to Rs 50,000. Jayalalithaa said she was serious in fulfilling the poll promises and has created a new ministry ‘Special Programme Implementation’ for this. — PTI 

New Delhi, May 16
The Supreme Court today issued another notice to the Rajya Sabha-appointed probe panel, seeking its response to Sikkim High Court Chief Justice PD Dinakaran’s plea for quashing the proceedings against him.

Justice Dinakaran has filed two petitions in the SC challenging the impeachment proceedings for his removal on 16 charges of misbehaviour, including corruption and land grab.

In one petition, he has questioned the inclusion of senior counsel PP Rao in the three-member probe panel headed by SC judge Aftab Alam, alleging that Rao had campaigned against his proposed elevation to the apex court and as such was biased against him.

A summer vacation Bench comprising Justices GS Singhvi and Prasad today sought the panel’s views on the second petition of Justice Dinakaran in which he contended that the panel had violated the laid down procedure on several counts. First, the panel had exceeded its jurisdiction by expanding the scope of the Rajya Sabha mandated probe to level as many as 16 charges against him, the petition said.

Second, the panel had denied him copies of all documents relied upon by it and because of this he was not in a position to defend himself. Third, 14 of the 16 charges had nothing to do with his position as a judge. Under the Judges Inquiry Act, which provided for removal of SC and HC judges, only charges that had a bearing on the functions of a judge should form part of the impeachment proceedings.

Fourth, the panel had conducted “a roving inquiry into the allegations and that too behind his back much before the charges were framed” for which there was no legal provision, the counsel argued.

Fifth, the panel passed two orders against him at a sitting held on April 24, 2011, though there was no quorum, Saran said. The arguments on both the petitions would continue on May 18.

New Delhi, May 16
A Delhi court Monday deferred to May 21 its order on the bail plea of former CWG Organising Committee chief Suresh Kalmadi, blamed for alleged irregularities in awarding the contracts for the games.

CBI Judge Talwant Singh said: "The order on bail plea of accused Kalmadi is reserved for May 21." Kalmadi is lodged in Tihar jail since May 4. He was arrested by the CBI April 25 for allegedly buying TSR (timing scoring and result) equipment from Swiss Timing at inflated price of Rs.141 crore for the mega sporting event. Kalmadi, who has moved the court for bail, refuted the CBI allegation that he was the main functionary of the Organising Committee and brought about a situation to favour Swiss Timing.

"Everyone was allowed to download things from the website. If only two companies chose to do it, it is not our fault. Not a single person has ever complained that our criterion was so fanciful that it cannot be met," Senior advocate U.U. Lalit, appearing for Kalmadi, submitted before the court. Lalit said the invitation for bids from experienced companies for TSR and allied services was put on the website for all and only two companies, Swiss Timing and MSL Spain, had applied for the contract, for which the former was found eligible at all stages and by all the agencies concerned.

Opposing Kalmadi's bail plea, the CBI said: "The documents procured during the investigation reveal that Kalmadi had played a vital role in awarding contracts to the Swiss company. The letter of invitation along with the tender shows how certain firms were favoured." — IANS 

New Delhi, May 16
A CBI team reached Denmark today to assist local authorities in the case against Purulia arms drop case prime accused Kim Davy in the Danish High Court, which is expected to pronounce its verdict on Thursday on extradition of Kim Davy to India to face trial.Ahead of the verdict, the Indian Government is hopeful that the High Court will clear the decks for Davy’s extradition to India. A two-member team of CBI is in Copenhagen to assist authorities there with the facts and evidence collected against Davy. Though India is not a party to the case in the Danish court, the role of the team is limited to helping the prosecutors there with necessary material evidence.

A five-member constitutional bench of the Denmark High Court is hearing the plea of the Denmark government which challenged a lower court order against the extradition of Davy to India.

“Authorities in Denmark have been pursuing the case very seriously as it has been hanging for very long. Considering the gravity of the case, the High Court also constituted a five-member constitutional bench which is expected to pronounce its verdict on May 19," an official said today. — PTI

Ahmedabad, May 16
IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt today stuck to his statement made in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had asked officials to be "indifferent" towards rioters during the 2002 post-Godhra communal violence, while deposing before the Nanavati Commission.

Bhatt, who was DCP, State Intelligence Bureau (SIB) in 2002, claimed before the panel that he had personally informed Modi about the "imminent" threat to slain ex-Congress MP Ehsan Jaffery and the people of Gulburg society (attacked by a mob), and the reports of police inaction from across the city.

He also claimed, while deposing before the Commission comprising retired Judges G T Nanavati and Akshay Mehta, that the CM did not give any specific instructions on measures to protect the people of Gulburg society, where Jaffery and 68 others were killed by a rioting mob on February 28, 2002. The 1988-batch IPS officer, in his affidavit filed in the apex court, has maintained that he was present at the high -level meeting of officials called by Modi on the night of February 27, 2002 after the Godhra train burning incident. Bhatt told the commission, probing the post-Godhra riots, that he had provided all the information to the SC-appointed SIT as required by them in connection with the complaint filed by Jaffery's wife Zakia before the Supreme Court. When the Commission asked about the statement with regard to Modi, he owned up to what was stated. In his affidavit, Bhatt had alleged that Modi, in the February 27 meeting, had said that "Hindus be allowed to vent out their anger", and "Muslims be taught a lesson. — PTI

Chandigarh, May 16
In a significant ruling that could set into motion a process to amend certain provisions of the Navy Act, the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) has held that regulations pertaining to the powers of summary dismissal vested in naval authorities do not meet the ends of natural justice.

Unlike corresponding provisions in the Army Act and the Air Force Act, which bring out clearly the fundamental provision of providing an opportunity through examination of the witnesses and the right to cross-examination by the accused in the presences of an independent witness, the Tribunal observed that provisions of the Navy Act lack requisite inbuilt safeguards.

“It will be pertinent to draw the attention of the respondents (Navy Chief) to the peculiar situation, in which the personnel of the Navy are seeking redressal in High Courts and AFTs, due to the summary powers of dismissal vested in the Navy Act,” said the Tribunal’s bench, comprising Justice AC Arumugaperumal Adityan and Lt Gen S Pattabhiraman.

Disposing of a writ pursued by the widow of a sailor who was dismissed by a summary court martial for allegedly falsifying official documents, the Tribunal set aside the punishment and ruled out that her husband would be deemed to have retired from service and that she would be entitled to family pension from the date of her husband’s death. The Tribunal held the summary trial to be vitiated since it was against the principles of natural justice.

The sailor was dismissed from service in May 2000 and sentenced to 90 days rigorous imprisonment besides reduction in rank. He died in November 2010 during the pendency of the writ filed by him earlier. He had contended that he had not been given adequate opportunity to defend himself during his summary trial.

The Tribunal also directed the Navy Chief to consider incorporation of suitable measures to make the provisions of Regulations 27 and 29 of the Regulations for the Navy, Part -II (Statutory) to be in conformity with the safeguards as built into the corresponding provisions of the Air Force and the Army Acts, since the summary disposal powers of dismissal cannot be treated as an admonition.

New Delhi, May 16
Under notice from the National Scheduled Caste Commission for not giving any representation to the SC/ST members in the search panel set up to select the PGI Director, the Health Ministry today said such positions were squarely filled on considerations of merit and not caste.

In a meeting with chairperson of the commission P.L. Punia today, the Ministry representatives countered the charge of non-representation of the weaker sections in the panel, saying despite the search panel not having any SC/ST member, two candidates from this category made it to the shortlist. They were referring to Dr B. Behera (PGI, Chandigarh) and Dr Vinod Paul (AIIMS).

Chairman of the commission has now asked the Ministry to put its views in writing before the panel. He had earlier summoned the Health Secretary to explain the charges made by certain SC/ST unions based in Chandigarh who alleged that the entire process of shortlisting of the candidates was discriminatory, flawed and needed to be quashed.

Though the Health Secretary was out of India and could not attend the hearing before the Commission, Ministry representatives said the position of the PGI Director was not a reserved position and required meritorious candidates’ selection.

“They contended that the search panel for this selection need not have had any SC/ST member as per the existing rules. They added that the eight-member panel comprised men of eminence drawn from the best fields in the country and that the final authority to select the candidate lay in the Institute Body of the PGI,” Commission chairperson today told TNS, saying he had asked the Ministry to submit a comprehensive reply in writing.

The Institute Body in its meeting earlier had agreed to send a panel of three names to the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet (ACC). These included Dr Yogesh Chawla; Dr Amod Gupta and Dr Raj Bahadur. This was the first occasion when the Institute Body did not itself finalise a name for selection out of the shortlist they were handed.

The appointment remains on the hold with the ACC yet to take a call.