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Mayawati, Priyanka face off at Amethi
minorities sub-quota remark
ID card must for rail travel in AC, executive class
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Zakia seeks copy of SIT report on Gujarat riots
Make payments to farmers through
cheque, Centre tells states
President
releases IIC commemorative stamp President Pratibha Patil with Union Minister of State for Telecommunication & IT Sachin Pilot (L) and former Attorney General Soli J Sorabjee releases the commemorative postage stamp and first day cover on the occasion of the golden jubilee of India International Centre in New Delhi on Thursday. A Tribune photograph
brihanmumbai municipal corporation polls
Apex court relief for Assam death row convict
North India shivers as chill returns
Emergency records not in PMO files
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Mayawati, Priyanka face off at Amethi
Lucknow, February 9 “This region is not the Nehru-Gandhi family’s ‘babauti’ (fiefdom),” declared BSP supremo Mayawati while addressing a rally at Udharpur village on the Sultanpur-Rae Bareli highway this morning. Not mincing any words, she held the family responsible for the backwardness of the region. “If the family had done some developmental work for the region in the 40 years that the party was in power in the state and the Centre, they wouldn’t have had to indulge in the drama of going door to door and holding roadside meetings,” she said. “Soniaji and Rahulji have sent me here as this is not an ordinary election. After 22 years, there is an opportunity before you to vote for change. “So please ponder over issues and vote judiciously. It is not for my or my family’s honour but for your honour and the honour of the region and state. In your happiness is the happiness of my family,” was Priyanka’s emotional appeal to the gathered crowd, while her children stood next to her looking bemused. The face-off of these two leaders has a long history. It was the clearly the popularity of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra which had forced Mayawati to change the name of Amethi to Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar during a "savdhaan rally" (caution rally) in Amethi on December 11, 2002, which was formally created on May 21, 2003. The provocation for the sudden creation of the separate district of Amethi was more political than administrative. Even then as is now, the Congress and BSP were in direct confrontation for Dalit votes. What made BSP chief Mayawati nervous then was the Congress’, mainly Priyanka Vadra’s threat, to do ‘kar seva’ to rebuild the hutment of a Dalit from Punnupur village whose house had been demolished by the local Thakur landlord. The phenomenal public and media support for the young leader had unnerved the BSP Chief Minister. The extent of Mayawati's fears was visible when she held a "savdhaan rally" (caution rally) in Amethi on December 11, 2002, to prevent Dalits from being "misled" by Sonia Gandhi. It was at this rally that she had declared Amethi as a separate district. She named the newly created district Chhatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar with five tehsils - Amethi, Gauriganj and Musafirkhana of Sultanpur district and Salon and Tiloi tehsils of Rae Bareli districts.
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EC censures Khurshid for violating poll code
New Delhi, February 9 Khurshid, while campaigning for his wife Louise, a Congress candidate from Farrukhabad Assembly constituency in Uttar Pradesh, had promised the electorate last month that the party would increase the sub-quota for minorities to nine per cent, out of the 27 per cent Other Backward Classes (OBC) reservation. The EC order came on BJP's complaint about Khurshid's remarks, asking the Commission to take action against him for violation of the model code of conduct. The Election Commission - comprising Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi and Election Commissioners VS Sampath and HS Brahma, in its 15-page order, held that Khurshid had violated the model code of conduct and hoped he would not repeat such violations. "The Commission hereby censures Salman Khurshid and expects that such violations of the model code of conduct would not be repeated by him in the future," said the EC order. — PTI
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ID card must for rail travel in AC, executive class
New Delhi, February 9 The new rule will be effective from February 15. According to the Ministry of Railways, the passengers of these AC classes would be required to produce one of the prescribed identity card (ID card) in original as and when required, failing which all the passengers booked on that ticket will be treated as without ticket and charged accordingly. However, the ID card will not be required at the time of purchase of reserved AC tickets through internet. These instructions are valid for all categories of trains, with the above mentioned classes of travel. In case of passengers, who are automatically upgraded by the system from sleeper class to air-conditioned class or upgraded by on-board ticket checking staff on realisation of difference of fare, the condition of carrying proof of identity during the journey will not be applicable.
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Zakia seeks copy of SIT report on Gujarat riots
Ahmedabad, February 9 The court of Metropolitan Magistrate MS Bhatt issued notices to the SIT and posted the hearing to February 13 following the applications moved by social activists Teesta Setalvad and Mukul Sinha. The Supreme Court-appointed SIT yesterday filed the final report in a sealed cover on the complaint by Zakia Jafri, wife of Congress ex-MP Eshan Jafri, who was among the 69 persons killed in the Gulberg Housing Society riots. Around 1,200 people were killed in the communal riots. Jafri in her complaint had sought prosecution of Modi, along with 57 others, for aiding and abetting communal riots. There was no official confirmation whether or
not the cases against Modi have been closed in the report or he has been given a clean chit. The Magistrate will now have to examine the report. "We would like to see the report because at the moment we are concerned whether the order of Supreme Court has been complied with and whether or not all documents have been placed before the magistrate's court," said Teesta, voicing apprehensions on the SIT action. Reactions to the SIT report were being made based on media reports that suggested that Modi may have got relief. "We had submitted all the facts to the SIT, and then they have submitted such a report, it is very disappointing," Zakia told reporters. — PTI
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Make payments to farmers through cheque, Centre tells states
New Delhi, February 9 Food Minister KV Thomas said the Centre’s wish was conveyed to the states at the conference on Targeted Public Distribution System and Storage that ended today. Leading grower Punjab, which has now started making payments to farmers by cheques, albeit through arthiyas (commission agents), once again was in the focus of Food Corporation of India chairman Siraj Hussain. Hussain specifically asked Punjab to ensure direct payment through necessary amendments in the state Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) Act (Mandi Act), thereby eliminating the powerful arthiya lobby that acts as a middleman in the money transaction between farmers and the government. According to the present policy followed by Punjab, all payments are made through the commission agent according to the bill submitted by him to procurement agencies. While all payments above Rs 10,000 are made through cheques, a lesser amount can be given to farmers in cash. Officials agree that this particular loophole holds a great potential for irregularities. Punjab arthiyas are already at war with the FCI after the central agency decided to credit money directly into the paddy growers’ account for the 2011-12 lifting season. It was only after the Punjab Government approached Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar that the FCI decided to keep direct payment system in abeyance for a year. Under the current payment system, FCI issues cheques of payment to commission agents and thereafter, the commission agents make payment to farmers. The well-established system has, however, resulted in deep socio-economic problems. Several researchers said that the system has resulted in village land passing from the hands of farmers to arthiyas. Men whose forefathers tilled the same fields for generations were forced to sell their land to settle “debts”, often illegal, entirely fraudulent or even non-existent, suggests a report. Officials admit that commission agents act as money lenders before the sowing season and therefore demand some sort of a leverage to get their money back from farmers. “The arrangement (arthiyas) is largely accepted both by farmers and others concerned. We talked to several farmers who say the system suits them,” said a senior official.
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President
releases IIC commemorative stamp
New Delhi, February 9 Speaking on the occasion, Minister of State for Communication and Information Technology Sachin Pilot said that the stamp had tried to capture the spirit and essence of the IIC by presenting the microcosmic and multidimensional character of the centre. He recalled how the IIC was created with a spirit to carve out a relationship among the garden, the building, the water, the earth and the sky, and the process of learning that takes place here through this confluence. The minister expressed satisfaction that the centre has more than lived up to this vision by creating awareness and influencing public opinion on the relevant issues of the day - issues not only of global concern but equally of relevance in the localised context of India. He said how postage stamps which began as a paper token for receipt of postage had assumed additional dimensions, becoming a tool for celebrating and promoting the nation’s heritage and a grand image of postal administration and a statement of the nation’s sovereignty. Earlier welcoming the guests, the president of the Board of Trustees Soli Sorabjee recalled the history of the centre, the association of great men with the institution and its growth over the decades. Considered one of the country’s premier cultural centre, the IIC is a non-government institution, widely regarded as a place where statesmen, diplomats, policy makers, intellectuals, scientists, jurists, writers and members of civil society meet. The idea of IIC was first suggested by well-known philanthropist John D Rockefeller to the then Vice-President Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan in October-November, 1958, on the lines of Tokyo’s International House of Japan. CD Deshmukh, the first chairman of the centre, invited international architect of repute Joseph Allen Stein to design it. Kapila Vatsayan also on the Board of Trustees, proposed the vote of thanks.
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brihanmumbai municipal corporation polls Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service
Mumbai, February 9 The clamour for street-corner rallies is led by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray who has lost the battle to hold an election-eve rally at Mumbai's Shivaji Park. After the Bombay High Court rejected Raj's plea to hold a rally at this venue, the MNS appealed before the Supreme Court which also struck down the plea. The apex court rejected MNS’s plea on the grounds that the area has been declared a silent zone. Raj wanted to display his clout at Shivaji Park as it is a stone's throw away from Shiv Sena Bhawan where his estranged uncle Bal Thackeray's party is headquartered. Having lost in the courts, the MNS has now applied for permission to hold a rally on a street opposite the Shiv Sena headquarters. "We have applied for permission to hold a rally at the Ram Ganesh Gadkari Chowk and are waiting to hear from the Shivaji Park police station," MNS leader Nitin Sardesai told mediapersons today. According to party leaders, Raj Thackeray would participate in the rally. Police officials said they apprehended a law and order problem if the MNS was allowed to hold a rally near the Shiv Sena headquarters. The Sena Bhawan is a high security zone and was targeted in the terror bombings of March 1993. The entire building had to be demolished and rebuilt after it suffered extensive damage in the blast. Raj Thackeray has received support from none other than Maharashtra's Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. "Nothing will happen if noise pollution norms are relaxed for a few days. If major grounds are not made available to political parties, we will be forced to hold meetings on the streets," Pawar told mediapersons in Pune. However, both have been snubbed by Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan. "With technologies like mobile phones and the Internet, politicians have alternative methods to reach out to voters. They should not insist on big grounds for the purpose," Chavan told mediapersons.
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Apex court relief for Assam death row convict
Guwahati, February 9 Standing counsel of the Assam Government in the Supreme Court Abhijit Roy told over the phone from New Delhi that during the course of argument today, it was pointed out to the court that one more similar case of Devinder Pal Singh Bhullar, where the issue is also delay in disposal of the mercy petition by the President of India, was pending before another Bench of the court. The court after taking note of the argument decided to refer the matter to the Chief Justice of India asking whether these similar cases can be tagged together and heard by one particular Bench. The Division Bench requested the Chief Justice of India to decide as early as possible.
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North India shivers as chill returns
Chandigarh, February 9 Cold wave conditions intensified and Shimla recorded a stinging - 4 degree C, while Srinagar reeled under -2 degrees C. Mercury slid to -1 degree C at Narnaul and hit the sub-zero level at Amritsar. Both places in the northern plains were colder than Dharamshala in Himachal Pradesh, which recorded a low of 2 degrees C. The skies, however, were clear and weather remained dry in the northern region. Karnal was the second coldest place in Haryana as it recorded - 1 degree C. In Punjab, Ludhiana and Patiala recorded 4 and 3 degrees C, respectively. Chandigarh recorded a minimum of 5 degrees C, two notches below normal. The higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh continued to reel under sub-zero temperatures. Kalpa in Kinnaur district was the coldest place in the state, recording a low of - 11 degrees C. It was followed by Manali which shivered at -7 degrees C. The free fall of mercury continued in the Kashmir Valley as well with Srinagar recording a low of - 2 degrees C while it was 4 degrees C in the plains of Jammu. The minimum temperatures also fell by two-three degrees in the national capital region of Delhi. The weather office has predicted sunny days ahead, while the mist or haze could occur during morning and the evening. Ground frost is likely to occur at a few places in Punjab and Haryana during the next two nights. An official of the Indian Met Department said that cold wave conditions would persist in the region in view of the recent snowfall in the hilly regions of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. He said there would be some cloud formation in the region after two days and the region could witness light rain resulting in further decline in the night temperatures.
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15-yr-old stabs teacher to death in classroom
Chennai, February 9 Maheswari, a mother of two, raised an alarm when Irfan started stabbing her. She was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead. School officials caught the student, who hid in a toilet, and handed him over to police. Parents of other students rushed to the school to take their wards home. Police said Irfan was upset with Maheswari for complaining about him to his parents and killed her as revenge. Irfan’s classmates said the boy is normally reserved and used to enter the class last, but today he ran ahead of others to the class. His neighbours told reporters the boy is normally quiet and they were shocked to hear he had committed a murder. A visibly shocked school administrator Father Bosco Perianayagam told reporters the boy had come prepared to attack the teacher with a knife in his bag. The school has been closed for four days.— Agencies
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Emergency records not in PMO files
New Delhi, February 9 The transparency panel also directed the competent authorities in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) to enquire into how the records of "an important post-Independence event" were not traceable in the PMO files. In a reply to an RTI applicant, the PMO had claimed that despite its best efforts, the communication relating to proclamation of Emergency could not be traced in its records. When the matter reached the Central Information Commission (CIC), the PMO officials again reiterated the position stated in the RTI reply. Although Chief Information Commissioner Satyananda Mishra did not fault the concerned officials for the missing records, he said, "we must observe that this is something surprising." "The records relating to such an important event in the history of post-Independence India should be carefully preserved for future and cannot be allowed to get lost in the labyrinth of government offices," Mishra said. In his order, Mishra said, "We would like the competent authorities in the PMO to enquire into this matter and to ensure that these records are retrieved or traced, and should be preserved appropriately for the citizens to access." — PTI
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Poll Snippets
While voters at various places had told candidates well in advance that they would boycott elections, it actually happened only in Kathua village, along the Rapti river, which falls under the Tulsipur Assembly segment in Balrampur district. Villagers decided not to cast their vote to lodge their protest against the authorities’ failure to provide them with a bridge over the river. According to the villagers, they had to travel a long distance to cross the river in the absence of a bridge. Chief Election Officer Umesh Sinha confirmed that Kathua was the only place where there was a total boycott of the elections.
Women to check burqa-clad voters
This time, the Azamgarh administration has taken special care to avoid unnecessary controversy over the alleged fake voting by ‘purdah-nasheen’ (burqa-clad) women. In every poll, rival parties exchange expletives over real or imagined incidents of burqa-clad women casting fraudulent votes. According to the district administration, there would be women booth-level officers in every village who will verify each burqa-clad woman with her photo identity document before letting her cast her vote.
Gadkari’s copter brings tent down
With two accidents in two days, BJP workers are now whispering that they should be prepared to risk life and limb to attend meetings of BJP president Nitin Gadkari. Yesterday, a portion of the tent at his meeting in Bhadohi collapsed due to the whirlwind raised by Gadkari’s helicopter. As the giant bird was about to land on the grounds of Kashiraj Mahavidyalaya in Bhadohi, the dust storm raised by it off balanced the two monkeys sitting on a “sheesham” tree. They fell on a corner of the tent that was ready to take off in the tornado raised by the helicopter. Despite the loud announcements on the mike requesting volunteers to hold on to the poles supporting the canopy, a portion of it collapsed creating chaos at the meeting just as Gadkari had arrived.
Huge turnout has parties in a tizzy
The unprecedented polling percentage — close to 65 per cent in the first phase — in an issueless election with apparently no ‘wave’ has set in motion wild speculations among the major political parties filling them with trepidation. Reminiscent of the proverbial blind men describing an elephant from their perspectives, political parties are describing the huge turnout as advantageous to them. For one, it is an “anti-incumbency vote” while for another, it is a “vote for change by the youth”. Some others call it “a vote against corruption” or a “reiteration for the sarvjan agenda”. One will have to patiently wait for almost a month to discover if anyone was right. (Compiled by Shahira
Naim)
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Mullaperiyar row
Odisha Minister quits
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Two star campaigners — BSP’s Mayawati and Congress’ Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who was accompanied by her children — addressed two public meetings in Amethi today blaming each other’s rule for the region’s backwardness.
Ahmedabad, February 9 
New Delhi, February 9
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who arrived in Amethi today on the third round of her campaigning in the present elections along with her children Raihan and Miraya, addressed a meeting in which she blamed the various governments which have ruled in the past 22 years of ignoring the people of the region.
