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9 parties back Anna, call Bharat Bandh on Aug 23
SC lifts ban on ‘Aarakshan’
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Freedom from pesky SMSes in six weeks
Nod to Bill to end discrimination in juvenile homes
Maoists kill 11 policemen in Chhattisgarh
Justice Soumitra Sen
Fuel crunch puts brakes on HC work
Naidu keen on reviving Third Front
CBI raids on Jagan firms continue
Pro-Jagan
MLAs to quit
AI flight skids off runway, passengers safe
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9 parties back Anna, call Bharat Bandh on Aug 23
New Delhi, August 19 In an obvious attempt to find favour with Team Anna, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said, "The government Bill is not adequate. The public mood is against it... It will not serve the purpose." He said their leaders were of the "unanimous opinion that the government Bill is unacceptable. It’s a weak and ineffective bill. We want an effective Lokpal legislation," he said. Adding the Left voice to the rising demand on corruption and black money Karat said, “Effective measures are also required to unearth black money stashed away abroad.” CPI general secretary A.B. Bardhan went a step further and said, "We may even demand its withdrawal if necessary.” Besides Karat and Bardhan, their other two Left comrades Abani Roy and Debabrata Biswas as also TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu, JD-S president H.D. Deve Gowda, RLD chief Ajit Singh, BJD leader B. Mahtab and the AIDMK leader M Thambidurai also raised their voice rejecting the existing Lokpal Bill as "unacceptable" announced joint nationwide protests next week to demand an effective legislation to curb corruption in high places. Unveiling the agitation programme, Karat said, "We have decided to conduct demonstrations, dharnas and other forms of protests all over the country against rampant corruption and growing attacks on democratic rights" on August 23. Karat of course tried to underplay any effort to create another Third Front saying, "These are issue-based protests ". He, however, dodged the suggestion of 'Bharat Bandh', but hinting at the coming together of the entire Opposition from Left to Right saying "We will meet again after August 23 to decide on the future course". Asked about any possibility of the entire Opposition to unite on this issue he said, "The NDA has also expressed that the government version of the Bill does not serve the purpose,” but added, “All opposition parties were organising their own agitational programmes.” Karat characterised the arrest of Hazare as "assault on democratic rights.” Curiously after suggesting Bharat Bandh, the BJP/NDA seemed to be getting second thoughts. Section of the BJP appeared diffident, with sources saying they fear that Anna could accuse them of trying to appropriate his movement and that is why are not committing anything so far.
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SC lifts ban on ‘Aarakshan’
New Delhi, August 19 The CBFC chairperson had also ensured that all the four Board members who cleared it were from the SC/ST or the other backward class (OBC) categories, the apex court noted. Once a film was cleared by the CBFC, popularly known as the Censor Board, no state could ban it before its release on the basis of a report from the state screening committee, apprehending law and order problem, the Bench held. UP had suspended the screening of the film in the state for two months contending the characters of the film were sharply divided on the issue of reservation for SC/ST and OBC candidates in education and jobs and as such it would create unrest in the state which was sensitive to such subjects. The Bench, however, pointed out that no law and order problem was being faced by any of the states, including Punjab and Andhra Pradesh which had initially prevented the screening. Also, it was the duty of the state government to maintain law and order situation arising from the screening of a film cleared by the Censor Board, it held. The apex court said it was of the view that reservation “is also one of the social issues and in a vibrant democracy like ours public discussion is necessary for the smooth running of a healthy democracy. In fact, such discussions on social issues bring in awareness which is required for the effective working of the democracy.” Further, only when there “is public discussion and there is some dissent” on such issues could an informed decision be taken which was necessary in our society, the court pointed out. The Bench passed the order on a writ petition filed by producer Prakash Shah challenging the ban imposed by UP, AP and Punjab. AP and Punjab had subsequently lifted the restrictions.
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Freedom from pesky SMSes in six weeks
New Delhi, August 19 The 800 million mobile users will now have the choice to say no to these and other types of pesky unsolicited text messages (SMS) from telemarketers selling flats, credit cards, personal loans and other services in six weeks after DND (do not disturb) number 1909 becomes operational. Responding to a question by Akali Dal member Naresh Gujaral on unsolicited calls and messages, which evoked heated responses from Rajya Sabha members from different parties considering their high nuisance value (even chairman Hamid Ansari wanted to know how telemarketers get the list of numbers), Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said mobile phone users could opt for not receiving text SMS in seven categories like education, real estate, health, consumer goods and automobiles, banking, insurance, financial products, credit cards, tourism and leisure, and communication, broadcasting and entertainment by registering their number in National Do Not Call (NDNC) registry by calling or sending SMS to toll free number 1909. The government will impose very high fines for telemarketers violating the DND, Sibal said. On first offence a fine of Rs 25,000 would be imposed which would keep increasing for the subsequent five offences after which the registration of the telemarketer would stand cancelled, he added. Gujaral earlier said the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2010, had been stayed by TDSAT due to non-provision of separate numbers to telemarketers by DOT. Regulations could only come into force once these numbers become operational, he added. While there is no stay in the TDSAT proceedings Sibal said regarding voice SMS the problem was a “little complicated” because the whole system of communication in voice, which applies to landline and mobile, had to be changed. “When those numbers are allocated the system will work,” he said. Meanwhile, users can opt for not receiving messages for any of the seven categories or all of these. Even misleading messages like the one cited above would be taken care of once the service becomes operational. Once a number is registered, the server will block any unsolicited text message if a telemarketer tries to send it. “If you register, you will not get those messages,” Sibal said. The NDNC Registry is a database having the list of all telephone numbers of subscribers who do not want to receive UCC “Unsolicited Commercial Communication”. Disconnection of telecom resources of defaulting telemarketers and blacklisting them have also been provided in the Telecom Commercial Communications Customer Preference Regulations, 2010, Sibal said. The service will also extend to pesky cold calls selling credit cards and personal loans, hitting banks, brokers and insurers may be the hardest as about 50 per cent of telemarketing calls and SMSes come from the financial services industry.
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Nod to Bill to end discrimination in juvenile homes
New Delhi, August 19 Replying to a brief debate on the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Amendment Bill, 2010, Women and Child Development Minister Krishna Tirath said segregation of children suffering from leprosy, sexually transmitted disease, Hepatitis-B, TB and unsound mind was not required. She said in the opinion of experts as well, segregation was no more necessary for the treatment of such children. The minister said the Delhi High Court had also held that there was a need to amend discriminatory legislations and to ensure that persons suffering from leprosy enjoy equal status. The Bill seeks the omission and amendment of certain sections of the original Act, which had provisions for “removal” of such children from juvenile homes to treatment centres. She said the segregation of the children from juvenile homes would have adverse impact on their mind.
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Maoists kill 11 policemen in Chhattisgarh
Raipur, August 19 A team of Chhattisgarh Armed Police team was ambushed by the Maoists in Metlaperu village forests under Bhadrakali police station area in the district this evening, Additional Director General (Naxal operation) Ramnivas told PTI over phone. Eleven policemen were killed in the attack and four Maoists perished when the police team retaliated, he said. Two teams of security personnel were sent for patrolling from Bhadrakali and Bhopalpatnam police stations. One of them comprised CRPF and district police personnel while the other team consisted of Chhattisgarh Armed Police members, Ramnivas said. — PTI
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Will move SC if LS adopts motion: Justice Sen
Kolkata, August 19 "I will defend myself in the Lok Sabha, but if the motion is adopted there also, I will move the Supreme Court," Sen told PTI here. Asked whether he would consider resigning, Sen said, "There is no question of resigning because I have not committed any wrong as alleged. This has also been held by a division bench of Calcutta High Court upon proper appreciation of facts and law." "I was granted only one-and-a-half hours in which I could not place before the House most of the facts," Sen said. The judge said that he could not show documents to prove his innocence as there were thousands of pages which needed threadbare analysis. "The motion was discussed in my absence and I did not get a chance of rebuttal," Sen, who presented his case before the House on Wednesday, said. The Rajya Sabha approved the impeachment motion against Justice Sen with 189 members of the 206 present in the 245-member House voting in favour, recording well over two-third majority required for such a move. The impeachment saw members of all parties, except BSP, holding Sen guilty of misappropriating Rs 33.23 lakh in a 1983 case. Lok Sabha informed
New Delhi: The process to remove Justice Soumitra Sen today moved a step forward with the Lok Sabha being informed about the passage of a motion in the Rajya Sabha to impeach him. Lok Sabha secretary general T K Viswanathan read out the message from the Upper House for presenting to the President the motion for removal of Justice Sen from office. The motion is expected to be taken by the Lok Sabha on August 24 and 25. Creating history, Rajya Sabha on Thursday overwhelmingly approved the motion against Justice Sen, who could become the country's first judge to be removed for misconduct. After a seven-hour impeachment process marked by a brainstorming debate, 189 members of the 206 present in the 245-member Upper House voted in favour, recording well over 2/3rd majority required for such a move. The impeachment, first time in the Rajya Sabha and second in Parliament's history, saw members of all parties, except the BSP, holding Sen guilty of misappropriating Rs 33.23 lakh in a 1983 case. — PTI
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Fuel crunch puts brakes on HC work
Guwahati, August 19 The fuel shortage has been sparked by the ongoing blockade imposed by the Sadar Hills District Demand Committee
(SHDDC) since August 1. Though some oil outlets at Imphal are selling fuel on rationing system, the rush is so heavy that people have to stand in a long queue for four to five hours to procure a limited quantity of fuel. However, the price of a litre of petrol in grey market has already hit Rs 100. Meanwhile, the
All-Manipur School Students' Transporters Association stated that they might not be able to continue the service of ferrying students in view of the fuel scarcity. The general secretary of the association, Y Sunder, appealed to the government to take up necessary measures and ensure fuel supply in the interest of the students. The highway blockade has hit the government ambulance services in the hill districts of Manipur compelling the CMO of Senapati district, Dr Simpson
Sareo, to request the SHDDC for a free passage of the government ambulance on humanitarian grounds. The Naga Frontal Organisations in the Manipur hill area today held protest rallies in the district and sub-divisional headquarters of
Tamenglong, Senapati, Chandel and Ukhrul districts to protest against any move of the state government for creating Sadar Hills district. The rallies were held simultaneously.
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Naidu keen on reviving Third Front
Hyderabad, August 19 Once seen as a ‘kingmaker’ during United Front and NDA regimes, Naidu has been keeping himself away from national politics ever since his party severed ties with the BJP-led NDA after the debacle in 2004 elections. Sensing the public mood across the country and the growing support for anti-corruption campaign, Naidu is said to be keen on reviving the idea of the Third Front as an alternative to the Congress and the
BJP.
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CBI raids on Jagan firms continue
Hyderabad, August 19 “The searches are continuing. We have collected documents as part of investigations. The operations will continue," CBI Joint Director VV Lakshmi Narayana told reporters. The raids began yesterday after the CBI filed FIR against Jagan and 50 others, invoking cases of criminal conspiracy, cheating, falsification of records and corruption under different sections of the Indian Penal Code and also the Prevention of Corruption Act. Among the targets of CBI searches today were Penna Cements, VANPIC, RR Globals, Aurobindo Pharma, Nimmagadda Foundation, Navbharat Ventures, Brahmani Infotech, the Special Economic Zone in Jadcherla where Aurobindo Pharma and Hetero Drugs have offices and Bayyaram iron ore mines.
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Pro-Jagan MLAs to quit Hyderabad, August 19 A meeting of the Jagan loyalists was held here today to chalk out their future course of action in the wake of the CBI probe. As many as 12 MLAs attended a closed-door meeting convened at Jagan’s residence at Banjara Hills. However, Jagan is currently on a tour of Krishna district. It is estimated that about 20 out of 155 Congress MLAs are loyal to Jagan. However, there is no immediate threat to the Congress, despite having a slender majority in the 294-member Assembly. The ruling party had succeeded in wooing the actor-turned-politician, Chiranjeevi, into its fold. His 18-member Praja Rajyam Party has merged with the Congress, providing it the much needed boost. The meeting of pro-Jagan MLAs, including former minister P Subhashchandra Bose and K Ramakrishna, resolved to counter what it called the “smear campaign” against the Kadapa MP. They dubbed the CBI investigation as political vendetta and witch-hunting.
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AI flight skids off runway, passengers safe
Kochi, August 19 None of the passengers or crew was hurt and all of them were evacuated immediately. The aircraft has been brought back to the runway and will return here after mandatory air safety checks. — PTI
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support of the Lokpal Bill, the Left Front and five secular allies adding up to nine, have gone ahead and announced nationwide agitation in support of Anna’s demand to reject the Lokpal Bill.
A Bench comprising Justices Mukundakam Sharma and AR Dave also pointed out that the CBFC had included two experts, one legal and another on Dalit movement, in the committee that did the review and assessment.