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Apex court slams Gujarat over probe into encounter killings
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Now, Jet mistreats differently abled woman
SC slams Gujarat over probe
into encounter killings
Now, virtual dissection of frog!
tackling terror - IV
Go tech savvy to avoid petition delays: SC tells govt
2G SCAM
Israel wants India to reduce
dependence on Iranian oil
Govt to ensure early return
of Indian kids from Norway
NRHM CAM
SAMAJHAUTA BLAST
PENSION TO PRE-1973 DISABLED EX-SERVICEMEN
Katju says Bihar media not free
NANDIGRAM FIRING
Gowda to stay as CM: Gadkari
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Jaiswal to get EC notice for code violation
New Delhi, February 24 Jaiswal had after casting his vote in Kanpur in the 5th phase of polling yesterday said, "If Congress gets majority then it will form the government... In case we don't get clear majority we sit in the opposition and I see no alternative but governor's rule." The matter was discussed at the meeting of the Commission attended by Chief Election Commissioner SY Quraishi and the two Election Commissioners VS Sampath and HS Brahma. The EC acted on the BJP complaint made against Jaiswal yesterday on his President's Rule comments, which it termed as a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and had asked the Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer to send the same to Delhi and procure the video of Jaiswal's speech made in Kanpur. UP CEO Umesh Sinha had told PTI, "A complaint from the BJP had been received here and the same has been forwarded to Election Commission in Delhi for further necessary action." Sources said the EC had also sought a report on the matter from the district magistrate of Kanpur, which has since been given. Jaiswal had yesterday said, "those who lack confidence are looking for alliance....Congress will not forge any alliance." However, soon after returning to Delhi, he appeared to retract, saying his statement was "twisted" by reporters. "...the reality is that we will form a government with clear majority in UP and nobody can stop it from happening," Jaiswal said. Reacting sharply to Jaiswal's remarks, the BJP accused the Congress of treating the state like its fiefdom and dubbed the minister's comments as "undemocratic and a threat to the voters" Party leader L K Advani said imposition of President's Rule in UP if the Congress does not get a majority would be blatant misuse of the provision. "A Union Minister has publicly announced that if our government is not formed President's Rule will be imposed...Article 356 will be used. Nobody can even think of such blatant misuse. The makers of our Constitution had never imagined it would be used in the manner the minister has stated," Advani told reporters. — PTI
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Apex court slams Gujarat over probe into encounter killings
New Delhi, February 24 Even as a Bench comprising Justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Desai was raising questions on the issue, senior counsel Tushar
Mehta, appearing for Gujarat, said it was unfortunate that only his state was being made a target on issues of human rights. The Bench was hearing two PILs filed by lyricist Javed Akhtar and noted journalist BG Verghese on fake encounters. “The state shares the concerns of the petitioners and the court on human rights violations. But, why this concern is restricted to Gujarat,” counsel Mehta wanted to know. On the other hand, the Bench took exception to the Gujarat Government merely informing it about yesterday’s appointment of former Bombay High Court Chief Justice KR Vayas as the chairman of the monitoring panel. “You can’t come to us with a fait accompli like this. You should have taken us into confidence on the appointment since it related to our order,” the Bench told Mehta and another senior counsel Ranjit Kumar, who also appeared for Gujarat. Kumar said the appointment had to be done without any delay in view of the three-month deadline set by the Bench on January 25 for submitting a status report. But the Bench was not convinced. “You have unnecessarily complicated the matter.” The state government also argued that since the committee’s chairman Justice MB Shah, a retired SC judge, had resigned the state had to find a replacement urgently.
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Now, Jet mistreats differently abled woman
New Delhi, February 24 The incident occurred on Monday when Anjalee Agarwal, who suffers from limb girdle muscular dystrophy - a progressive neurological condition in which a person is unable to stand or move and is confined to a wheelchair, was allegedly denied a wheelchair to get off the plane and threatened to be bodily lifted by male loaders. As the airline launched an inquiry, official sources said the DGCA was also probing the incident. The incident on a Jet Konnect flight (9W 2211) from Delhi to Raipur occurred a day after differently-abled woman Jeeja Ghosh was offloaded from a SpiceJet flight. A Jet Airways spokesperson said the incident has been reported at the Mumbai headquarters of the airline. — PTI
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SC slams Gujarat over probe
into encounter killings
New Delhi, February 24 Even as a Bench comprising Justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Desai was raising questions on the issue, senior counsel Tushar Mehta, appearing for Gujarat, said it was unfortunate that only his state was being made a target on issues of human rights. The Bench was hearing two PILs filed by lyricist Javed Akhtar and noted journalist BG Verghese on fake encounters. “The state shares the concerns of the petitioners and the court on human rights violations. But, why this concern is restricted to Gujarat,” counsel Mehta wanted to know. On the other hand, the Bench took exception to the Gujarat Government merely informing it about yesterday’s appointment of former Bombay High Court Chief Justice KR Vayas as the chairman of the monitoring panel. “You can’t come to us with a fait accompli like this. You should have taken us into confidence on the appointment since it related to our order,” the Bench told Mehta and another senior counsel Ranjit Kumar, who also appeared for Gujarat. Kumar said the appointment had to be done without any delay in view of the three-month deadline set by the Bench on January 25 for submitting a status report. But the Bench was not convinced. “You have unnecessarily complicated the matter.” The state government also argued that since the committee’s chairman Justice MB Shah, a retired SC judge, had resigned the state had to find a replacement urgently. But the Bench insisted on the state suggesting some retired SC judge to head the monitoring committee who would be acceptable to the petitioners as well. Court ire The court on Friday pulled up the Gujarat Government for not consulting it over the appointment of the chairman of a committee monitoring the investigations into 22 encounter killings in Gujarat during 2002-06 Senior counsel Tushar Mehta, appearing for Gujarat, said it was unfortunate that only his state was being made a target on issues of human rights
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Now, virtual dissection of frog!
New Delhi, February 24 Behind the cutting edge technology is Arul
Moorthy, a computer scientist from Chennai, who spent eight years creating his virtual frog dissection model, which he unveiled before top experts assembled here for the UGC’s special session on “virtual educational tools”. The session was hosted by the Consortium for Educational Communication, the inter-university centre established under the
UGC, which had last year notified new rules to phase out all animal dissections and replace them with teaching using computer simulations and models. In doing so, India followed a global trend to phase out animal dissection or to make it voluntary despite opposition from scientists, who believe the experience was impossible to replicate with
models. Moorthy’s demonstration was in line with the UGC’s thought. It began with an overview of the frog’s body, followed by 3-D stereoscopic demonstration of its dissection. The process was photo-realistic and seemed like it was actually happening. “Extra care has been taken to make the computer generated frog look photo-realistic so that students can have real time experience of the dissection. Gradually, we can develop a model that engages students and allows them to feel and touch the frog as it is dissected virtually. With advanced technology, we can introduce the elements of feel, touch and smell although the current model is only a beginning,” Moorty told The Tribune. The demonstration contained a simulation of incisions on the frog’s body and deep displays of the amphibian’s body parts such as the heart, liver, lung, intestine and stomach. The audiences got the feel of 3-D virtual dissection as Moorthy had them wear 3-D glasses for special effects. “Virtual reality is all about creating realistic lifelike experiences in the virtual world of computers using technology. Such experiences can be in the form of sound, touch, smell or taste,” Moorthy explained. A postgraduate in compute engineering from Anna University, Moorthy has given special effects in more than 100 films. He was also behind the re-released 1997 version of Chhota
Chetan, the first ever 3-D film made in India. “In the second version we introduced better visual and sound effects,” he said. About his model, which students can use to learn frog’s dissection without actually being in the lab, Moorthy said the future platform for education would be mobile and virtual reality education models needed to be seen and encouraged in that context. “Gradually we should be able to have students do dissections real time. But that will take some more research and time,” he said.
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Clear Centre-state demarcation could have averted debate
Ajay Banerjee/TNS New Delhi, February 24 Set up in different circumstances, for separate purposes and under different ministries, all the three agencies have one thing in common - the rules mandate some sort of coordination with the states. The degree of coordination varies from agency to agency. It is most stringent in case of the CBI, while the NIA follows close behind. The two agencies enjoy wide-ranging powers and even have special courts across the country to hear matters. The National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), opposed by 14 Chief Ministers of non-Congress-ruled states, lacks this kind of clarity on Centre-state coordination. Had it been mentioned in the Home Ministry order of February 3, a needless debate could have been avoided. The NCTC draws its powers to arrest from Section 43 (A) of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) that was amended and approved by Parliament after the November 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Section 43 (B) of the same Act clearly provides that NCTC has to hand over an arrested person or seized material to the Station House Officer (SHO) of the nearest police station. But the opposing Chief Ministers fear misuse. Former DGP of Punjab KPS Gill said, “Terrorism has no boundaries. We need a unified response. These objections from the states are uncalled for and can be addressed.” The cooperation model of the CBI and the NIA runs differently. The CBI, working since 1963, under the Delhi Special Police Establishment Act, 1946, is authorised to conduct investigations in the states “with the consent of the state government concerned”. The CBI cannot proceed till the state government doesn’t allow it or asks the CBI for help. Such a formula cannot work in counter-terrorism operations. Former Special Secretary, Internal Security, ML Kumavat, who was also DG of BSF, said, “NCTC was long overdue. However, we must take the states on board. The system cannot run without cooperation. Even the CBI cannot work without the local police.” The NIA, set up within weeks of the Mumbai attacks, does not need the consent of the states in the manner the CBI does. The NIA can probe eight offences: bomb blasts, terrorism, attacks on nuclear installations, hijacking of aircraft, weapons of mass destruction, money laundering, fake currency etc. The Centre-state relations in the NIA work like this: The SHO of a police station sends a report to his state government which, in turn, informs the central government. Further action is decided by the Centre - whether the case should be handed over to the NIA or that the state police could continue. The prominent cases that the NIA is handling are the Mumbai attacks and Samjhauta Express blasts. The NIA is not proactive unlike the NCTC. Even when the NIA was formed, it came perilously close to violating Centre-state relations. When the NIA Bill was debated in December 2008, Sitaram Yechury of the CPM, speaking in the Rajya Sabha, suggested an amendment to make the association of the state government in the investigation and trial of offences mandatory. Lastly, the NCB is mandated to coordinate its action with the state governments and other authorities to enforce all laws relating to drug trafficking but it does not need any permission from the states. The Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, which came into effect in November 1985, had made a provision for constituting a central authority. (Concluded)
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Go tech savvy to avoid petition delays: SC tells govt
New Delhi, February 24 “Condonation of delay (in filing petitions) is an exception and should not be used as an anticipated benefit for government departments. The law shelters everyone under the same light and should not be swirled for the benefit of a few,” a Bench comprising Justices P Sathasivam and J Chelameswar held in a judgment. The verdict assumes significance in view of the fact that the central and state governments account for a large chunk of the over 30 million cases pending in various courts across the country. “In our view, it is the right time to inform all government bodies, their agencies and instrumentalities that unless they have reasonable and acceptable explanation for the delay and there was bona fide effort, there is no need to accept the usual explanation that the file was kept pending for several months/years” for various reasons, the Bench ruled. The government departments were under a special obligation to perform their duties with diligence and commitment, the Judges pointed out while dismissing an appeal filed by the Office of the Chief Post Master General and others on the ground of a delay of 427 days in filing it. The Bench did not agree with the petitioners’ contention that they did not stand to benefit from the delay and the refusal to condone the delay would result in a meritorious matter being thrown out at the very threshold and deny them justice. The petitioners had also argued that the judiciary should not presume that delays were deliberate. Further, “it must be grasped that judiciary is respected not on account of its power to legalise injustice on technical grounds but because it is capable of removing injustice and is expected to do so”.
Court
speak
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Illegal remittances: SC notice to TN CM Jayalalithaa
New Delhi, February 21 A Bench comprising Justices Altamas Kabir and SS Nijjar, however, refrained from staying the September 30, 2011 judgment of the Madras High Court quashing the CBI?s FIR against Jayalalithaa in the case. Jayalalithaa was CM in 1992 also. The HC had quashed the proceedings on her plea that there was an inordinate delay in the investigation and trial. In the appeal, CBI has contended that though the remittance was made in 1992, the income tax department noticed it only in 1996. The FIR was promptly registered in the same year, but the investigations took time as it had to be done in the United States, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates, the CBI reasoned.
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2G SCAM New Delhi, February 24 The application, filed through counsel Prashant Bhushan, comes just a day after Janata Party President Subramanium Swamy filed an appeal in the SC, challenging the clean chit given to Chidambaram in the 2G case by CBI Special Judge OP Saini. The CPIL contended that the CBI court had refused to name Chidambaram as a co-accused in the case holding that there was no evidence on record to show his involvement in the scam. In its verdict, the court had covered only two issues - fixing of spectrum pricing at the 2001 level and allowing some telecom companies to offload their stakes for huge profits. However, the “facts/documents that are being highlighted in this application, does not leave any room for doubt that further investigation is necessary in the case,” the CPIL averred. Clarifying that it was not challenging the verdict of the CBI Judge, the CPIL cited seven reasons for ordering a further probe. First, the then FM overruled the officers of his own ministry who favoured auction of spectrum. Second, the FM agreed to raise the spectrum allocation from 4.4 Mhz to 6.2 Mhz, causing an additional loss to the government. Another point was that he was aware of the legal position that price could have been raised even after the letters of intent were issued. He was also in the know of the “manipulations and irregularities” in the issue of letters of intent.
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Israel wants India to reduce
dependence on Iranian oil
New Delhi, February 24 ''If Iran becomes nuclear, Saudi Arabia will also acquire nuclear technology from Pakistan,'' visiting Israeli Energy and Water Resources Minister Uzi Landau told a select group of journalists while winding up his visit to India. He said he had told his Indian interlocutors that Iran must be prevented from acquiring nuclear capability and the sanctions being imposed by the US and the EU were best avenues to achieve this goal. Asked what was the response of the Indian side to his suggestions, he said ''we were listened to very attentively...my impression is that people here understand very well what we are saying.'' Landau was of the view that India could also consider the option of buying oil from the open market like Israel has been doing instead of depending upon Iran. The US and the EU want India to reduce its dependence on Iranian oil, claiming that Tehran is using oil revenues to develop nuclear weapons. But despite imposition of economic sanctions by the US and the EU, India continues to import oil from the Islamic republic. It imports some 12 per cent of its oil requirements from Iran-between 350,000 and 400,000 barrels per day. New Delhi says it adheres to UN sanctions against Iran but not those imposed by individual countries. The US had recently again asked New Delhi to cut its oil imports from Iran when Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai visited Washington. Meanwhile, the Israeli minister said his country had every reason to believe that Iran was behind last week's incident in which a bomb ripped through the car of an Israeli diplomat in New Delhi. ''Iran is a major exporter of terrorism. It will continue with this. It has no inhibition in promoting its political goals, whatever the means be.'' Landau said Israel was satisfied with the highly professional manner in which the Indian authorities were conducting the probe into the incident. ''India itself is suffering from terrorism because of a rough neighbourhood.'' The minister said his country was keen to strengthen its existing “friendly ties with India” through cooperation in the energy sector.
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Govt to ensure early return
of Indian kids from Norway
New Delhi, February 24 He was replying to a question on reports that Norwegian officials were trying to keep the children -- one-year-old Aishwarya and three-year-old Abhigyan - there after their visas expire next month. The authorities have applied for extension of visa by their own. "It is government of India's firm commitment that the children must be given the opportunity to come to India," Krishna said. New Delhi had yesterday conveyed to Norway its serious concerns over the manner in which the Norwegian authorities were seeking to extend the residence permits of the two children. It was pointed out to the Norwegian Foreign Office in Oslo as well as in The Norwegian Embassy in New Delhi that the children were neither orphans nor Stateless persons, and enjoyed the protection of the Indian State and any request for extension of Residence Permit on their behalf should emanate from either the parents or the Indian State. ''The Norwegian Government was urged once again to expedite the process of return of the young children to India in view of the humanitarian dimension of the issue. It was underlined that India has strong legislative and institutional mechanism to protect the interests of children after their return to India,'' MEA spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said in response to a question. The MEA acted swiftly after media reports suggested that the Norwegian authorities had sent a letter to the parents of the two kids asking them if they could give their consent to the children to settle in Norway. The parents, Anurup and Sagarika
Bhattacharyya, received the letter yesterday asking them if their children could stay in Norway. They were also asked to file an explanation if they decided otherwise. The parents say they will not apply for the renewal of their children's visas that expire on March 8. So if the children are allowed to stay on in Norway, it would likely be on humanitarian grounds. Aishwarya and Abhigyan have been in a foster home for the last 10 months. They were taken away by the child welfare service in
Stavenger, Norway. Last week, the parents met their children for a few hours watched closely by officials of Norway's child welfare services. They can only meet the children once every three months. A plea by Anurup's brother Arunabhas Bhattacharya that he be given custody of the children is yet to considered by the Norwegian authorities, which agreed to even look at that option only at the intervention of the Indian government.
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NRHM CAM Lucknow, February 24 At the break of dawn around 30 CBI teams involving around 200 officials simultaneously raided 30 places across 22 districts of the state, mostly in the Purvanchal districts, a few places in Lucknow and also a few western UP districts like Meerut and Ghaziabad. According to CBI Joint Director Javeed Ahmad today’s raid was mostly on the residence and business establishments of drug suppliers associated with the NRHM, and some health department officials and doctors. A drug supplier from Varanasi- Mahendra Pandey and his three brothers were today arrested by the CBI. He is said to be close to former health minister Anant Mishra. Another prominent drug supplier whose offices and residences were raided today is Guddu Khan reportedly close to the corridors of power in Lucknow. According to sources, he has admitted that he was given the medicine supply contract in NRHM by BSP MLC Ram Prasad Jaiswal, a close aide of former health minister Babu Singh Kushwaha. The CBI had interrogated both Jaiswal and Kushwaha a few days ago. With the CBI registering fresh cases today a total of 12 cases have already been lodged in connection with the alleged embezzlement in the scam estimated at between Rs 5,000 to over Rs 10,000 crore of mainly Central funds. The political fallout of these fresh raids in the middle of an election campaign is crucial. The Congress has been using the NRHM scam to target the Mayawati government over corruption. Last year, UPCC president Rita Bahuguna Joshi had filed a Right to Information (RTI) petition to seek details on spending of Centre's funds in the NRHM by the Mayawati government. The raids come a day after another strange development. After first declaring the death of Lakhimpur Khiri Community Health Centre clerk Mahendra Sharma as a case of murder the police now claim to have found a suicide note from his official residence inside the compound of the Pasgawan CHC. Sharma’s decomposed body was found at his official residence on February15 a week after his disappearance on February 7. His death is the fifth unnatural death in the financial bungling related to the NRHM scam. The note discovered by the police, held Khiri CMO Dr JP Bhargava, deputy CMO Dr Balbir Singh and other officials responsible for the suicide. Sharma’s wife Mithelesh has challenged the suicide note as fake and an attempt to cover up. It has been sent to handwriting experts for examination.
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SAMAJHAUTA BLAST Panchkula, February 24 Aseemanand had also denied any link with Kamal Chauhan two days ago. Kamal’s uncle Vishnu Chauhan and friend Kismat Chauhan said the NIA had illegally picked up Kamal from the Depalpur police station in Madhya Pradesh on February 10. They said both of them had accompanied Kamal to the police station and thereafter NIA sleuths took him to Indore. Later, Kamal was shown arrested from Noida on February 13. NIA special public prosecutor told the court that the authorities needed to take him to various places in connection with the investigation. These places included the arms training camp in Madhya Pradesh. He added they had to ascertain the room, where the bombs were made and the markets from where the material for making explosives was bought. Defence lawyer Shailender Babbar said the NIA’s demand was illegal. He also appealed to the court to get Kamal’s medical examination done. The NIA court extended Kamal’s police remand till March 2. The court also issued production warrant to take Lokesh Sharma, another accused in the case, to Mumbai on February 27. He has to be produced in a Mumbai court in connection with his involvement in the Malegaon 2008 blasts.
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PENSION TO PRE-1973 DISABLED
EX-SERVICEMEN
Chandigarh, February 24 The veterans concerned, many of whom belong to this region, would now be entitled to get their dues and arrears in accordance with existing rules and court rulings. Lawyers associated with the cases said some of the affected veterans were in their nineties now. Disabled personnel are entitled to a disability pension consisting of a “service element” commensurate with the length of service and a “disability element” that depends upon the quantum of injury. Prior to 1964, on disability decreasing below 20 per cent, the disability element used to be withdrawn, but the service element continued if the service rendered was more than 15 years. The service limit for service element was brought down to 10 years in 1964 and 5 years in 1968. With effect from 1973, the qualifying service requirement for service element was totally abrogated and persons with even one day of service became eligible for service element. Even after 1973, the MoD refused to extend the benefit of service element to earlier retirees with lesser length of service, leading to a spate of litigation. Ultimately, various high courts ruled in favour of disabled ex-servicemen, asking the govt to release service element irrespective of length of service to pre-1973 retirees. Though the appeals filed by the government against HC decisions were time and again dismissed by the SC, the MoD continued to file SLPs against its disabled veterans, leading to multiple litigation. Sources associated with the issue said the Adjutant General’s Branch and the Army’s Personnel Services Directorate repeatedly requested the MoD’s Department of Ex-Servicemen Welfare to resolve the issue, but the requests were not acceded to. Sources say the current Secretary DESW Samirendra Chatterjee, however, saw reason in the Army’s proposal and played an instrumental role in withdrawing all such appeals and conceding the matter. On the last date earlier this month, the Supreme Court Bench hearing the case had asked the MoD to “seek instructions” if it did not want an adverse order. The veterans have welcomed the government’s move to withdraw the said cases.
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Katju says Bihar media not free
Patna, February 24
However, he hastily clarified that this is what he had been hearing and he had no concrete proof to vindicate this perception.
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NANDIGRAM FIRING Kolkata, February 24 The Supreme Court also upheld the high court’s judgment that the firing was unjustified, illegal and unconstitutional. The state government can now proceed with the execution of the HC order and the CBI can also conduct further investigation to bring all culprits to book. After the incident during the Trinamool’s movement against forcible acquisition of land in 2007, the Calcutta High Court had ordered a suo moto inquiry into the incident by the CBI. It was alleged that the police and the CPM cadres jointly attacked and killed the people who were protecting their land against the forcible acquisition. After receiving the CBI report, the Division Bench of the Calcutta High Court observed that the firing at Nandigram was unjustified and unconstitutional. The court also directed the state government to take appropriate legal action against the guilty policemen and others. In the CBI report, as many as 12 senior police officials including a DIG, four IGs, seven inspectors and sub-inspectors had been indicted. The CBI had also identified as many as 12 CPM workers and supporters who were involved in the attack. But instead of honouring the high court’s order, the Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee’s government challenged the decision in the Supreme Court through a petition filed on December 8, 2007. After coming to power, the Mamata Banerjee government moved the apex court on November 16, 2011, to withdraw the case. And today, after a prolonged hearing, the Supreme Court dropped the case and allowed the state government to withdraw the petition. Mamata was happy that the HC judgment on the police firing at Nandigram had been upheld. She said that the government would now take legal action against the guilty according to the CBI report. The families of victims would also get proper compensation according to the high court’s order. Former Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and CPM secretary Biman Bose did not make any comment on the apex court order.
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Gowda to stay as CM: Gadkari Bangalore, February 24 The reason behind Gadkari cutting short his programme in Karnataka is the determined and desperate bid being made by the deposed Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to make a return as Chief Minister. Yesterday Yeddyurappa held a meeting at his residence with MLAs, MLCs and MPs loyal to him. In the gathering, he reportedly threatened that if he was not reinstated by February 27, he would revolt against the party. “We wanted to discuss ideological issues, about training of legislators and party workers, about strengthening the organisation and so on. But under the circumstances - with the leadership issue dominating the discussions - it was not possible to follow the agenda of the meeting. So Gadkariji left after about two hours of meeting”, a party functionary told this reporter. Dharmendra Pradhan, who oversees party affairs in Karnataka on behalf of the high command, tried to play down the BJP national president’s decision to advance his exit. Pradhan claimed Gadkari had left for UP to campaign for the Assembly elections under way there. It was, however, later learnt that Gadkari had actually headed for his hometown Nagpur from Bangalore. In a brief interaction with reporters following his two hours meeting with the party legislators, Gadkari ruled out removal of incumbent D V Sadananda Gowda from the Chief Minister’s post. Gadkari, however, tried to mollify the sulking BJP strongman, saying the party respects him. “Yeddyurappa is party's popular leader in Karnataka and a popular face of the party in the state. The party respects him”, he said. The BJP chief said he was not convinced by the Lokayukta’s report on illegal mining indicting Yeddyurappa. The Governor H R Bhardwaj also played a partisan role against Yeddyurappa, Gadkari said. “However, being the Lokayukta’s report and we cannot ignore it. Once Yeddyurappa is acquitted of the charges, he will be given the recognition due to him”, Gadkari said. “Sadananda Gowda is leading the government now. The question of changing the leadership does not arise”, Gadkari said. In a bid to play down fissures in the Karnataka unit of the party, Gadkari said “there is no political crisis in Karnataka. The party is united. The party is committed to the progress and development of Karnataka”. The BJP chief, however, admitted that there were “small problems”. “Karnataka Core Group will be invited to Delhi most probably on March 3 to solve them”, he said.
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Poll Snippets During the fifth phase of polling in 13 districts, at least in nine polling stations spread over four districts, voters had boycotted polls, which Chief Electoral Officer Umesh Sinha described as being due to "development issues". In keeping with the rising awareness towards exercise of their right to reject candidates, voters this time have collectively boycotted polls in several places and raised development issues with candidates when they came to solicit votes. Village Pahadpur on the banks of Nakatiya River in Bareilly has suffered due to lack of basic amenities like a bridge over the river and a road connecting their village. According to reports, the village has not been able to get its young men married off as no one wants to send their daughters to a place not having so much as a connecting road. At present, there are 20 youths who have not been able to find matches due to the village's backwardness when it comes to infrastructure. Video tape available this time? Trouble for Union coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal over his President's rule remark is far from over. In Lucknow, BJP has moved the Election Commission over Jaiswal's comments, following which, the EC has sought a video tape of the statement to ascertain for themselves what he had exactly said. Uttar Pradesh CEC Umesh Sinha has forwarded the complaint to the Election Commission in Delhi. An EC notice to another central minister for violation of the model code of conduct would itself be a record of sorts. Dynastic polling A family that votes together stays together seems to be the maxim for the Samajwadi Party's first family. The visual that all the news channels and newspapers flashed during the fifth phase polling was of Mulayam Singh Yadav's clan voting at Sefai's Junior Primary School's booth number 195. The media was in attendance to record the moment. First came the brothers and nephews to cast their vote - Mulayam (Mainpuri MP), Ram Gopal (Rajya Sabha MP), Shivpal (Leader of Opposition in UP Vidhan Sabha), Akhilesh (Kannauj MP and state SP president) and Dharmendra (Badaun MP). Well after the powerful Yadav clan had left the booth, the women folk of the family appeared including the wives and daughter-in-laws with heads demurely covered. The message was clear - that in Yadav land, husbands and wives don't cast their vote together. The only exception was the newly-wed couple- Mulayam's younger son Prateek arrived with wife Aparna who did all the talking with the media while the husband smiled on. (Compiled by Shahira Naim)
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The Election Commission today decided to issue show cause notice to Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal for alleged poll code violation for his comments on imposition of President's rule in Uttar
Pradesh.
Time is not far when students will be able to dissect frogs without killing them. For the first time in India, the model of a computer-generated frog, which can be dissected real time, has been developed for use in science experiments.
Among the host of central agencies, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Narcotics Control Bureau
(NCB) are the ones that look into heinous crimes across the country. Set up in different circumstances, for separate purposes and under different ministries, all the three agencies have one thing in common - the rules mandate some sort of coordination with the states.
The Centre for PIL (CPIL), at whose instance the Supreme Court started monitoring the CBI investigation in the 2G case, today approached the SC pleading for a probe into the role of Home Minister P Chidambaram in the spectrum pricing in 2008 when he was the Finance Minister.
The application, filed through counsel Prashant Bhushan, comes just a day after Janata Party President Subramanium Swamy filed an appeal in the SC, challenging the clean chit given to Chidambaram in the 2G case by CBI Special Judge OP
Saini.
The government has promised all-out efforts to ensure the early return of the two Indian children from Norway following attempts by the Norwegian authorities to keep them in foster care after the expiry of their visa next month. “We will make all out efforts to achieve the goal of getting back the children to India where they belong,” External Affairs Minister SM Krishna said.
He was replying to a question on reports that Norwegian officials were trying to keep the children -- one-year-old Aishwarya and three-year-old Abhigyan - there after their visas expire next month.
Kamal Chauhan, the alleged Samjhauta Express bomber, today said he does not know the alleged key conspirator in the case, Swami Aseemanand. Kamal made this statement before mediapersons outside the District Courts complex here.
Fearing things might go out of control, BJP national president Nitin Gadkari today wound up in two hours what was supposed to be a two-day brainstorming session of the BJP, and left Bangalore in a huff.
The commission in its meeting today decided to issue the notice to Jaiswal asking why action should not be initiated against him for his controversial comments, a senior Commission official told PTI.
