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Chandigarh skyline in danger
Phase 3: Polling for 56 seats today
Delhi Car Blast |
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Bomb baffles investigators
Samjhauta Blasts
Schools not sparing the rod to lose recognition
‘MoF prepared March 25 note with insufficient documents’
GCM of Maj-Gen Sarup adjourned till March 14
Karnataka Higher Education Minister dead
Big B still in hospital
Ensure hi-security number plates by June 15: SC
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UT Admn trains guns on Punjab over Camelot
Says master plan was tailor-made to accommodate builder Saurabh Malik/TNS
Chandigarh, February 14
The verbal assault is significant as Punjab MPs and MLAs had sold a chunk of land to Tata Housing Development Company in the Capitol Complex’s vicinity. In a status report submitted to the high court, Punjab’s former DGP-cum-investigating officer Chander Shekhar has already asserted that Punjabi Cooperative House Building Society, constituted by the “representatives of the people”, purchased land in Kansal village. It was “later on sold to private companies at a very heft profit by the public representatives”. As the case against the Tata Camelot housing project came up for hearing before the Bench of Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Mahesh Grover, Chandigarh’s senior standing counsel Sanjay Kaushal minced no words to say: “The master plan was not made for the residents of Nayagaon. It was prepared keeping Tata in mind.” Going into the circumstances on which he was basing his conclusion, Kaushal said Punjab attempted to give the impression of its concern for Chandigarh by specifying that only low-rise construction would be permissible within a kilometre from the eastern end of the Secretariat building. But, the reason behind the specification was that the distance of the project was 1.9 km from there. Claiming to have been sidetracked, Kaushal said on the Administration’s behalf that “Chandigarh was not taken on board while preparing the master plan. The matter did not go to the coordination committee.” Kaushal added that another fact that substantiated the contention was that the bylaws of the Nayagaon Gram Panchayat were put in place two years after the master plan came into existence. The Bench also heard that Chandigarh had earlier also opposed the master plan of Nayagaon. “The government, under the pressure of the MLAs, made the plan. We were helpless and took the matter up with the co-ordination committee”.
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Phase 3: Polling for 56 seats today
In all, 1,018 candidates, including 77 women, will have their fates sealed tomorrow. There are also 754 Independents in the fray. The third phase of polling would decide the electoral fortunes of three state Cabinet ministers, a minister of state, 29 sitting members of the Assembly and 14 former ministers. Prominent candidates include Cabinet ministers Indrajit Saroj (Manjhanpur), Nandgopal Gupta (Allahabad South) and Dharmaraj Nishad (Shahganj), Minister of State Vinod Singh (Lambhua) and former ministers Rangnath Mishra (Mirzapur Sadar) and Rakesh Dhar Tripathi (Handiya). BJP legislative party leader Om Prakash Singh is contesting from Chunar, while former Assembly speaker Kesri Nath Tripathi of the BJP is in the fray from Allahabad (South). UP Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi’s brother Shekhar Bahuguna is contesting from Phaphamau, while SP Lok Sabha MP Reoti Raman Singh’s son Ujjwal Raman Singh is a candidate from Karchana. Other districts going to the polls tomorrow are Allahabad, Kaushambi, Sultanpur, Chatrapati Shahuji Maharaj Nagar (Amethi), Jaunpur, Varanasi and Sant Ravi Das Nagar (Bhadohi). The interstate borders with Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh in the Naxal-affected districts have been sealed from this evening. Elaborate security arrangements are in place with the deployment of 737 companies of both the Central Paramilitary Force and the Provincial Armed Constabulary.
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India in catch-22 situation
Ajay Banerjee/TNS
New Delhi, February 14 Within hours of yesterday's blast, Israel blamed Iran for the attack and New Delhi found itself caught in an ugly war-of-words between two sworn enemies. The Indian establishment opted to tread cautiously as it saw a potential minefield in every word. National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon intervened while diplomats have been working behind the scene to calm down tempers even as the US upped the ante against Iran. New Delhi has good relations with both countries. So much so, that it is at present defying global sanctions imposed on Iran and continues to ship oil from Tehran. India has been urged by global powers to use its good offices and bring Iran to the negotiating table. Yesterday US-based Jews - the majority community of Israel - asked India to follow the sanctions. India can ill-afford to do that, said a functionary. Some 16 per cent of its growing crude oil needs are sourced from Tehran and there is no alternative to it. On the other hand, Tel Aviv is a major partner is India's Defence modernisation projects of missiles, radars and weapons, among other items. These transactions run into billions of dollars. Some of its cutting-edge technologies are deployed in India. The IAF's eyes-in-the-sky, the air-borne early warning system (AWACS) that provides real-time images to controllers on the ground, operates on an Israeli radar. Sources in the establishment said they were shocked at the manner in which Israel launched a tirade against Iran without waiting for the probe to even start. Tel Aviv pinned the blame on Tehran or its backed Hezbollah even as the Indian investigators were picking up the evidence of the blast from the spot in Central Delhi. By yesterday night, Israel Ambassador to India Alon Ushpiz said, "This is Iran-sponsored terror. Iran does whatever it can to kill our civilians." Iran has denied any hand in the incident.
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Bomb baffles investigators
New Delhi, February 14 After examination of the blast site, forensic experts have concluded that neither any battery nor any circuit was used in the bomb but traces of aluminium were found from the spot. The experts also said RDX was also not used in the explosion. This indicates that it was a hi-tech bomb which was surely not assembled in a localised manner. Sources said the device was very sophisticated. It could contain plastic explosives, Delhi Police Commissioner BK Gupta said tonight. The fact that no battery or circuits have been found has left the probe teams baffled as it leaves a mystery as how the device was triggered. Gupta said the bomb could have been triggered by a remote- controlled device or a timer or mechanically. That is still not clear. “We have also recovered magnetic pieces from the site of the bomb blast. The Centre for Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) will be conducting a chemical examination,” he said.
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No remorse, says key accused
Rajinder Nagarkoti/TNS
Panchkula, February 14
“Yes, I have planted the briefcases containing explosives in the Samjhauta train and I have no remorse. If I would get the opportunity to plant the explosives again I would not hesitate,” said Kamal Chauhan to the advocate who was engaged by his father in one-to-one conversation in the NIA special court here. Kamal Chauhan, who was arrested on Sunday by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), was produced amid tight security before the special NIA court here from where he was sent to police remand till February 24. As it was in-camera proceedings, mediapersons were not allowed inside the court. In the court of NIA Special Judge Kanchan Mahi, Kamal Chauhan’s father Radhe Shyam had engaged Delhi-based advocate Anil Soni for his son. But Kamal declined the legal assistance and reportedly said he did not need any advocate and declined to sign the ‘vakalatnama’. NIA counsel RK Handa said they had sought 15-day remand of Kamal but the court allowed it only for 10 days. He said, to plant the explosives in the train, Kamal had received arms and ammunition training at the Karni Singh shooting range in Faridabad and in Bhopal. Thereafter, he along with Lokesh and two others, planted the explosives in train, he added. Outside the court complex, Kamal again admitted before the mediapersons that he had planted the bomb in the Samjhauta train. But Kamal’s father Radhe Shyam claimed that his son was innocent.
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Schools not sparing the rod to lose recognition
New Delhi, February 14 These stringent child-friendly rules form part of the National Guidelines for Eliminating Corporal Punishment in Schools which the government will now notify to operationalise relevant sections of the Right to Education (RTE) Act that ban the practice by law. Section 17 of the Act (which came into force two years ago) barred schools from traumatising children physically or mentally and tasked the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR), monitoring body under the law, to frame guidelines to help realise the goal. The NCPCR has finalised the guidelines which, for the first time, define corporal punishment for statutory purpose. “Three categories of corporal punishment have been identified and defined-physical punishment, mental harassment and discrimination. We have received information about children committing suicide on account of discrimination on the basis of caste, gender, occupation and region. Once the HRD Ministry notifies these guidelines, teachers would be liable to be penalised for punishing kids,” said NCPCR member VK Tikoo. To be released nationally on March 5, foundation day of the NCPCR, the guidelines outlaw all defined forms of corporal punishment and stipulate punishment-free environment as one of the conditions for giving recognition and no objection certificate to a school by the state government and also a condition for giving affiliation to a school by the state board. State governments would have to adopt these requirements in a month of the Centre notifying the national anti-corporal punishment guidelines.
TEACHERS MUST * Tell children, "You need to do this…" instead of "I need you to do this". *
Give clear instructions of expectations by saying for instance, "stay quiet" instead of "be good". *
Avoid "don't do this…or that" commands.
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‘MoF prepared March 25 note with insufficient documents’
New Delhi, February 14 Appearing before the Joint Parliamentary
Committee (JPC) on 2G Spectrum distribution, the Finance Ministry officials disclosed that the ministry note of June 15, 2007 to the Department of Telecom (DoT) had specified that technology neutrality and spectrum pricing must be included in the terms of reference (ToR) while distributing mobile telephony licences to the new entrants. The officers told the Joint Parliamentary Eventually, the CBI court dismissed his plea, stating he did not give the court sufficient evidence to substantiate his charge. The members asked
the officers when the Cabinet note of December 2003 had already stated the spectrum pricing
has to be discussed and decided by Telecom and Finance Ministries, whether there was the need to reiterate it in this note. They have asked the ministry officials to file a written reply to their queries before the next hearing.
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GCM of Maj-Gen Sarup adjourned till March 14
Jalandhar, February 14 While the court was to assemble today, sources said the board of officers had decided yesterday evening that the court would not be convened today. Earlier, the GCM proceedings were scheduled to begin on February 7 but the court was adjourned on the same day till February 14. “They adjourned the court without citing any valid reason”, the sources added. General Sarup is facing five charges of alleged irregularities in the purchase of store items.
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Karnataka Higher Education Minister dead
Bangalore, February 14 While a number of BJP ministers in Karnataka including former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa and the present home minister R Ashok have been found embroiled in various scams and scandals, Acharya and Law Minister Suresh Kumar remained two BJP leaders who could never be accused of doing anything improper. A medical doctor by training, Acharya was credited with being the pioneer in eradication of manual scavenging in India when he was president of the Udupi municipal committee in 1968.
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Big B still in hospital
Mumbai, February 14
A spokesperson at the hospital said no decision has been taken on Bachchan's discharge as yet.
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Poll Snippets
In the jubilation of the rising voting percentages, another momentous development was virtually overlooked. During the second phase of polling on February 11 around 95 persons in Gorakhpur cast a negative vote against all candidates.
When they expressed the desire to do so, they found that even the presiding officers were not aware of such a provision existing under Article 49-O of the Conduct of Election Rules, 1961, which governs elections in India. It clearly says: "If an elector, after his electoral roll number has been duly entered in the register of voters in Form-17A and has put his signature or thumb impression thereon as required under sub-rule (1) of rule 49L, decided not to record his vote, a remark to this effect shall be made against the said entry in Form 17A by the presiding officer and the signature or thumb impression of the elector shall be obtained against such remark." This clearly is the impact of Team Anna's campaign urging voters to exercise this option in case they felt that none of the contesting candidates deserved their precious vote. In Lucknow, Swami Agnivesh yesterday recommended to the Election Commission to add an additional button in the EVM machine with the above option. While confirming that some people did record "none of the above" option during voting in Gorakhpur this time, EC officials have, however, advised voters not to opt for this option merely on grounds of novelty.
Nomination cancelled
The nomination of the Rashtriya Lok Dal candidate from Kairana in the newly created Prabudh Nagar district was cancelled by the Election Commission after it was discovered that he had filed his nomination under a fake name just to conceal his criminal record. RLD candidate Vishal Kashyap's nomination paper was cancelled by the returning officer after it was found that he had managed to change his name in the electoral roll from Kaushal, his original name, to Vishal just to cover up his criminal antecedents. The discrepancy came to light when Peace Party candidate Yaqub pointed this out to the RO during scrutiny of nomination papers.
Trouble for BJP
This time the BJP in UP is facing the wrath from a section that it had never expected. Sant Mahasabha, an umbrella body of various sadhu organisations, has demanded the removal of the mention of Ram Temple from the BJP's election manifesto. A delegation of the Mahasabha even met officials of the EC in this regard. According to national president of the Sant and Hindu Mahasabhahas Chakrapani Maharaj, the BJP has repeatedly used the temple issue only for its political advantage. The sadhus have even threatened to go on fast unto death in front of the EC office if the BJP does not delete the mention of Ram Mandir from its manifesto.
Blame game
It is a common practice to blame everything unfavourable on one's rivals during election days. But Samajwadi Party spokesperson Rajendra Chadhury appears to have taken this a bit too far by blaming the Mayawati government for the relatively low turnout in the second phase of polling on February 11. "The gang of the ruling party became active after the high voter turnout in the first phase and started threatening people which in turn reduced the voting percentage in the second phase despite fine weather," he told mediapersons. The SP is writing to the EC urging it to remove certain
senior officers close the present regime in order to ensure free and fair elections during the remaining phases. (Compiled by Shahira
Naim)
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Ensure hi-security number plates by June 15: SC New Delhi, February 14 A three-judge bench of Chief Justice SH Kapadia and justices AK Patnaik and Swatanter Kumar also issued contempt of court notices to AP Principal Secretary (Transport) D Lakshmi Parthasarathy and Transport Commissioner Hiralal Samaria for their repeated failure in filing proper affidavits on implementation of apex court order on HSRP. “Installation of HSRP is a statutory command which is not only in the interest of the state’s security, but also serves a much larger public interest,” said Justice Kumar. — PTI
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Around 1.78 crore voters across 10 districts would cast their votes for 56 Assembly seats, including those in the sensitive Naxal-affected districts of Sonbhadra, Chandauli and Mirzapur, in the third phase of polling tomorrow.
Training its guns at Punjab, the Administration went a step ahead to allege that the government succumbed to the pressure imposed by the State MLAs.
Lucknow, February 14
