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Fresh trouble for Kiran Bedi as her NGO trustee quits
Punish us if we are wrong but bring Lokpal: Kejriwal
Sushma meets ex-party MPs in Tihar Jail
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Gadkari remark aims at reining in Advani
BJP attacks govt on RBI policy
Cabinet approves media wage board recommendations
Truce in Nagaland, trouble in neighbourhood
J&K grenade attack: Army trying to find a pattern
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Fresh trouble for Kiran Bedi as her NGO trustee quits
New Delhi, October 25 With attacks against Team Anna mounting, the Core Committee will meet on Saturday during which the members are expected to work out its strategy following controversies on Prashant Bhushan's remarks on Kashmir and alleged financial misconduct of Arvind Kejriwal and Bedi. The attendance of Hazare, who is on a 'vow of silence' now, in the crucial meeting is not confirmed with Team Anna sources saying that he will attend only of he breaks his 'maun vrat'. Though Kejriwal defended Bedi and questioned the intentions of the government in passing the Lokpal Bill, Congress dismissed Hazare's charges that those in the government are behind the campaign against his team and expressed hurt at the use of phrase "gang of four" in the government by the Gandhian. Trouble escalated for Bedi as Anil Bal, proprietor of Flywell Travel and a trustee of India Vision Foundation (IVF) run by Bedi, quit the NGO alleging that her defence on overcharging her hosts has conveyed a "wrong impression" that he was responsible for inflated invoices after issuing cheaper tickets. Bedi is under fire for overcharging hosts by inflating her travel bills by charging business class fares while going by economy class. She defended herself saying she did not personally benefit and that the money thus saved went to the foundation. Bal said in a statement that he found it "bizarre" the resolution passed by trustees of the NGO that the travel agent should refund the excess amount collected to Bedi's hosts as he has nothing to do with them. Bal said, “In view of what has happened which unnecessarily tarnished my reputation I have decided to resign as trustee of the IVF with immediate effect and have also requested the IVF to engage another travel agent for their travel needs. "Amount to the credit of the IVF as on date in our records is being refunded to IVF by crossed cheque to close the account with us," he said in a statement here. Bedi told PTI that Bal's statement itself showed that she had not done anything wrong. "Wish he had said this a few days ago," she said.
— PTI
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Punish us if we are wrong but bring Lokpal: Kejriwal
Ghaziabad, October 25 Kejriwal, who was accused by Swami Agnivesh of depositing donations for Hazare agitation in a trust run by him, said if they have committed mistakes, then the government was free to probe and punish them by taking the strongest possible action. "Dont forgive us. Give us twice the punishment given to common people. But bring Lokpal and you will have to," he said. He lamented that the whole attention is being shifted from corruption movement and Lokpal to Core Committe which has "no importance". "Whether Kiran Bedi paid bills or not has become national issue. It will not benefit nation. It will be useful when Lokpal will come. The government should understand that their ways and methods are increasing the anger among people," he said. "If these smear campaign continues, then the people of this country are watching and the next movement will be 10 times bigger," he said. "If Kiran bedi has committed a crime, hang her. Send her to jail but talk about Lokpal Bill. Whatever mistake she has done, investigate and punish her but we cannot decide it in a press conference whether the allegations are true or false," he said. —
PTI
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Sushma meets ex-party MPs in Tihar Jail
New Delhi, October 25 "It is the festive occasion of Diwali but our innocent people are sitting inside while the real culprits continue to rule," Swaraj told reporters before she entered the jail complex here. The Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha said, "The least we can do is meet our people, tell them that we stand by them. It is a festive day, we can give them some sweets and let them know we care." Former BJP MPs Mahavir Bhagora and Faggan Singh Kulaste along with Kulkarni were arrested by Delhi Police in the case related to alleged attempt to bribe MPs ahead of 2008 trust vote in Lok Sabha. BJP MP Ashok Argal is also an accused in the case. Swaraj's visit came a day after another accused, Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh, got bail in the matter on health grounds. After the meeting, Swaraj said that her jailed party colleagues continued to be in high spirits. "One thing which gave us satisfaction is that they are in high spirits and they have told us to not worry too much about them. They also said told us that they were proud of what they had done," Swaraj told mediapersons. The BJP maintains that its MPs had acted as whistleblowers and exposed attempts to buy MPs to win the July 22, 2008 trust vote.
— PTI
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Gadkari remark aims at reining in Advani
New Delhi, October 25 Speaking to a news channel Gadkari said this evening, “I am not a candidate for the PM post.” He, of course, refused to comment on Advani or Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi or any party leader’s aspiration to be projected as the PM candidate for the 2014 elections. Gadkari said his only ambition is to ensure that the BJP under his leadership wins 200 seats so that it can form the next government. Gadkari had earlier announced that the party would not project anyone for the PM post and take any decision only after the general elections. But that did not dampen the race in his party for being declared the party’s PM candidate for 2014. Nor did it deter the octogenarian Advani from nursing the prime ministerial ambition. Despite continued demand that he clarify or rather categorically state that he is not a candidate, Advani kept dodging the issue saying, “Any decision about this will be taken by the party. Even in 2009 it was the party which had decided to project me as the PM candidate.” On another occasion, he let out his secret ambition when he said that health permitting he could consider the proposal when the time comes, adding that in the normal course by the time the next general elections are held he should be 87. Ever since September 8 when Advani announced his intent to go on this countrywide yatra, questions have been raised about the real intent of the yatra. It is seen as his attempt to emerge as the indispensable mascot of the BJP so that when the time comes the consensus settles on him. Sources said Advani has achieved considerable success in his 13-day yatra from Chhapra in Bihar to Bhubhaneshwar in Orissa and he expected this achievement to firmly establish his claim for the PM post. There is clear discomfort in the BJP on this score, not only among other competitors but even others, who feel that he is too old and should have announced his retirement from active politics by now. But now with Gadkari having categorically ruled himself out pressure is going to mount on Advani to follow suit.
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BJP attacks govt on RBI policy
New Delhi, October 25 Sinha spoke, while releasing Gadkari’s letter to the PM, blaming the current UPA policies for food inflation. “What the government has done, is that they have abandoned their responsibility of controlling inflation and put it squarely on the RBI,” Sinha said.
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Cabinet approves media wage board recommendations
New Delhi, October 25 The recommendations regarding allowances like transport allowance, HRA and hardship allowance will come into effect from the date of notification of the awards. The Supreme Court is currently hearing a petition filed by some newspaper managements.
— TNS
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Mathai: Travel alerts should be
carefully-worded
New Delhi, October 25 “We have conveyed to the Americans that the language of such alerts are disproportionate… we will take it up with other countries also,’’ Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said at a press conference while briefing the media on Vice-President Hamid Ansari’s visit to Perth from October 27 to represent India at the CHOGM Summit. Apart from the US, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have issued travel advisories, giving an impression that India was not a safe place to travel between October and January. The US State Department, in its advisory issued on October 19, urged its citizens to pay particular attention to their personal security during the Indian holiday season, which includes Hindu, Islamic, and other religious and secular holidays. Mathai said New Delhi had been told by these countries that it was a legal obligation on them to issue such travel alerts. These countries had also informed the Indian authorities that while issuing these alerts, they took on board some of the reports in the Indian media. Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay has, meanwhile, taken up the matter with Mathai, dismissing the travel advisories as "nothing but scaremongering" that would damage the tourism industry during its peak season for overseas business. Asking the Foreign Office to take up the matter immediately with the countries concerned and ask them to withdraw their travel advisories, Sahay also pointed out that Jammu and Kashmir had witnessed the highest number of tourists this summer. “We will continue to impress on these countries that the language of such advisories should be proportionate and moderate,’’ Mathai added.
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Truce in Nagaland, trouble in neighbourhood
Guwahati, October 25 Assam, Arunachal Pradesh and Manipur governments are worried over the NSCN rebels designs to create trouble in their territories. Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has recently said that NSCN-IM rebels were behind fresh trouble brewing in Dima Hasao hill district in Assam besides other bordering areas in the state. Dima Hasao hill district shares border with Nagaland. “We have taken up the matter with the Central Government. The NSCN rebels are creating trouble not only in Dima Hasao district, but also in other areas of the state having border with Nagaland. We have put our forces on alert against the design of NSCN rebels,” Gogoi said. Rebels belonging to the NSCN-IM have promoted a new outfit called Hill Tiger Force (HTF), a militant group formed by elements from non-Dimasa tribes in Dima Hasao hill district of Assam. The HTF is opposed to peace process between the Union Government and Dima Halam Daogah (DHD) militants belonging to majority Dimasa tribe in the hill district. Arunachal Pradesh Governor General JJ Singh (retd) has urged the Union Government to deploy more paramilitary forces along the Myanmar border to check cross-border movement of insurgents and criminals.
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J&K grenade attack: Army trying to find a pattern
New Delhi, October 25 An assessment will be made as to who were the people behind these attacks and what were their cross-border links. Sources said though it was too early to say anything about today’s serial-attacks, however, knowing the past, such events can be used by acerbic separatists to whip up an anti-Army and an anti-India hysteria. This could very well be the handiwork of some locals who want to pursue their narrow goals. The Jammu and Kashmir government has been advised by the Union Home Ministry to be on the vigil. A senior functionary who is in the know of Kashmir matters said hundreds of militants are waiting to cross the line of control (LoC). “The suspicion is that these militants will attempt to cross over into India during the winter months,” he added.
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Ghaziabad, October 25
New Delhi, October 25
