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Poll results no reflection on BSP rule, says Mayawati
SP to choose CM after Holi Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav comes out after a meeting of the party's parliamentary board in Lucknow on Wednesday. — PTI
Journalist held for attack on Israeli diplomat
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Veteran journo or terror conspirator?
U’khand: Cong rebel wants CM’s chair in lieu of support
Illegal mining
Global SUMMIT from today
Women BSF constables guard the Indo-Pak border at Shahpur post near Ajnala. Photo: Vishal Kumar
Chandigarh, Haryana women
bag Stree Shakti awards
Italian PM speaks to Manmohan over fishermen’s killing
British-era coin found in Andhra temple
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Poll results no reflection on BSP rule, says Mayawati
Lucknow, March 7 Addressing the media at the party headquarters, Mayawati ruled out that the verdict was against her government's reported corruption. "If the government policies had been rejected by the people, I would not have won 80 seats and become the second largest party in the state," she said. Admitting the failure of the so-called social engineering formula, the BSP supremo said while the Dalit votes of her core constituency had remained intact and gone completely to her party, the support of Brahmins, OBCs and Muslims had been divided among various parties. She attributed the poll outcome to the Muslim quota politics of the Congress, its reaction in the BJP and the continuous highlighting of this tug of war in the media. "Due to the Congress resorting to the Muslim quota politics, the BJP tried to draw political mileage by creating a fear psychosis among the upper castes and OBCs." Apprehending the consolidation of Hindu votes, almost 70 per cent of the Muslim voters transferred their votes to the Samajwadi Party, she said. "With these Muslim votes and a share of the OBC and upper caste votes, the SP managed its victory," she maintained. Blaming the media for keeping the issue alive throughout the elections by repeatedly highlighting it, Mayawati said when the people of the state would be fed up by the misrule of the Samajwadi Party, they would curse the Congress, the BJP and also the media. She expressed fears that the new SP government would put her welfare programmes on the back burner. "Very soon you will find that the people of Uttar Pradesh will get fed up with the mis-governance of the SP government and recall the good governance of the BSP," she said. She claimed that she had undertaken developmental work in the state despite the non-cooperative attitude of the Centre Government. The BSP president said now her focus would be to educate her party workers so that they could ensure that the people were able to decipher the attempts to divide them on religion and caste lines for political purposes.
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SP to choose CM after Holi
Lucknow, March 7 Emerging from the meeting, state president Akhilesh Yadav, however, insisted that ‘netaji’ would be the next Chief Minister. The meeting of the new SP Legislative Party, earlier scheduled for this evening, would now be held after Holi. Many of the newly elected MLAs along with their supporters who had converged at the party headquarters here were a divided lot as far as the choice of new Chief Minister was concerned. Among the younger MLAs there is a clamour for Akhilesh to assume the office of the Chief Minister. Still there is a section in the party which wants national president Mulayam Singh Yadav to become the Chief Minister for some time before handing over the baton to the next generation. According to senior party leader and Rampur MLA Mohammad Azam Khan, the matter should be best left to “netaji”. “To date, the party has left all major decision to netaji. There is no reason to rake up an unnecessary controversy at this point when none really exists,” said Khan. Earlier in the day, senior Yadav personally met around 100 newly elected members as well as members of the SP Parliamentary Board to gauge their mood. According to sources, countering the jungle raj image of the party was the main concern of the senior leader. Mulayam Singh Yadav asked his legislators to keep a stern watch over the misuse of party flag by anti-social elements. “Anyone trying to break the law and abuse the party’s name or symbol would not be spared,” he reportedly told the newly elected members.
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Journalist held for attack on Israeli diplomat
New Delhi, March 7
Diplomat Tal Yehoshua
Koren, wife of Col Yossi Refaelov, the Defence Attache of Israel to India, and three others were hurt in the
explosion. Kazmi freelances for various news agencies and newspapers, including some published from Iran and the Middle-East. The police seized $2,000 and some incriminating documents from
Kazmi, a resident of BK Dutt Colony in the posh Jor Bagh locality here. He was today produced in the court of Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Vinod Yadav and sent in police custody till March 27. Public prosecutor Rajiv Dhawan pleaded in court that Kazmi was an integral part of the entire conspiracy and his custodial interrogation was necessary as there was a possibility of involvement of foreign nationals in the crime. The police said Kazmi knew the motorcycle-borne bomber who had used a magnet to “stick” a palm-sized bomb on the rear end of the diplomat’s Innova vehicle. A senior police officer said the motorcycle used to plant the bomb had also been recovered. “He
(Kazmi) is one of the conspirators of this wider conspiracy. It is a case of international terrorism. It is not necessary that only Indians are involved in this case. There is a possibility of some foreign nationals being involved in the case,” the public prosecutor said. The blast had pitch-forked India in the middle of a bitter war of words between Israel and Iran. So far, Delhi has not directly pointed an accusatory finger at Iran for the blast and has not linked Kazmi’s “acquaintances” in the Middle-East and Iran as Tehran’s complicity in the attack. Indian officials, when asked if Israeli allegations of an Iranian hand in the blast were correct, said “at this stage no conclusion can be drawn. Investigations are underway”.
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Veteran journo or terror conspirator?
New Delhi, March 7 The Kazmi family belongs to Meerut and has been living in Delhi for 30 years. Kazmi is reported to have covered world news for Doordarshan and specific assignments for the British Broadcasting Corporation. He has worked with the Iran News Agency besides freelancing for other
organisations.
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U’khand: Cong rebel wants CM’s chair in lieu of support
Dehradun , March 7 The pitch was queered by the Congress rebel, Mantri Prasad Naithani, who emerged victorious from Devprayag constituency. Naithani today declared at Srinagar Garhwal that he would support whichever party offered to make him the Chief Minister. Why should the CM be from either the Congress or the BJP, he asked dramatically and asserted that he would prove to be as good a chief minister as any, if only he is given an opportunity. Naithani is one of the three Independent candidates to have won in the election. With all the three being Congress rebels, the party was hopeful of securing their support. However, even if all the three support the Congress, the party would still fall short of a simple majority by one. It is, therefore, important for them to secure the support of all the three Congress rebels and also the solitary UKD(P) candidate to have won the election. The BJP, on the other hand, is banking on the support of the three victorious candidates of the Bahujan Samaj Party and the UKD (P). But it will still require the support of at least one of the three Congress rebels for a simple majority. Chief Minister Maj. Gen. B.C.Khanduri (retd) submitted his resignation to Governor Margaret Alva. Congress leaders had met Alva last night and staked claim to form the government by virtue of being the ‘single largest party’, having won one more seat than the BJP. But Khanduri too indicated that BJP could also be in a position to form the government.
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HC quashes FIR against Yeddyurappa
Shubhadeep Choudhury/TNS
“The HC order today amounted to setting aside of the Lokayukta’s report on illegal mining. Both the report and FIR were found to be bad in law”, Sandeep Patil, Yeddyurappa’s lawyer, told this reporter. Justices K Bhaktavatsala and K Govindaraju quashed the FIR (First Information Report) that was registered at the instance of the controversial Governor H R Bhardwaj. Yeddyurappa was forced to quit on July 31 following the Lokayukta indictment of him in the report submitted to the government on July 27. Bhardwaj, while accepting the Lokayukta’s report, had directed the police attached to the ombudsman to launch criminal proceedings against the former Chief Minister. While upholding Yeddyurappa’s petition, the division bench said Lokayukta’s report had failed to cite what official favour was extended by Yeddyurappa, then the Chief Minister, to the mining company. “In a nutshell, there is no material placed on record to establish that the petitioner has shown any official favour to the companies. Mining lease was granted in favour of the above said companies by the state in the month of September 2007, during which period, the petitioner was neither a mining nor a chief minister.”
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Liver cirrhosis assuming alarming proportions
Aditi Tandon/TNS
New Delhi, March 7 In India, there are no epidemiological studies on the incidence and prevalence of liver-related diseases, but experts say liver cirrhosis, liver cancer, alcoholic liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are all on the rise. To debate the problem which will assume epidemic proportions if not addressed now, top global and national liver experts will assemble in Chandigarh beginning tomorrow for the International Liver Summit being hosted by Fortis, Mohali. Doctors from King's College, Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic are expected to share their experiences. A major discussion point here would be the inclusion of Hepatitis B vaccine in India's national programme. Three doses of the vaccine provide full protection from the Hepatitis B virus, which is 100 times deadlier than the AIDS virus. The domestic cost of the vaccine is less than Rs 1,000 per child. Dr Arvind Sahni of Hepatology Department in Fortis, Mohali, said, "Globally, 30 per cent cases of liver cirrhosis are caused by Hepatitis B and over half of all liver cancers are caused by this virus. It is transmitted mainly through mother to child and can be prevented by a vaccine. It is time the government included this option in the Universal Immunisation Programme. The cost of the vaccine is nothing as compared to Rs 22 lakh, the cost of a liver transplant any patient of liver cirrhosis will ultimately require." Hepatitis B is incurable and most sufferers don't show signs. However, the virus slowly leads to scarring of the liver, liver cancer and chronic liver failure. Globally, two billion people have ever been infected with it. In India, 2 to 7 per cent of the population is said to be infected with Hepatitis B, which can be tested by a simple blood test. Other causes of liver diseases will also be discussed at the liver summit.
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Women power mans the frontier
Shahpur Post (Indo-Pak border), March 7 They are the women BSF constables who have not only entered the all-male citadel of the BSF but are also playing their role equally well when compared to their male counterparts. The Tribune team visited the border belt and found these women guarding the country’s borders shoulder-to-shoulder with male BSF guards even in the riverine border area where a high degree of vigil is needed. Raju Mann, who was in the first batch of women to be recruited in the BSF, said that on an average, they performed 10 hours of duty daily, which includes six hours at the observation post and three hours of night patrolling. Sandeep Kaur, a BSF constable hailing from Jodhpur Pakhar village in Bathinda, said they were always deployed on the border in pairs (along with another woman BSF guard). They also receive full cooperation from their male counterparts, they said. Harpreet Kaur from Mansa said she initially faced problems in adjusting to the profession, but slowly things fell into place and now she was totally in sync with it. Jaspreet Kaur from Moga admitted that she was nervous when she first joined her duties on the border, but the trust exhibited in her by the higher-ups boosted her morale. When asked whether they felt homesick, they admitted that at times they felt low but a simple phone call to the family brought them back to normal. “Moreover, we can avail leave thrice a year.” They stay in separate barracks near their place of posting where they have access to dish TV and mobile phones which facilitate their entertainment in free hours. They are also provided facilities for outdoor games. On any instance which made them feel proud, Raju said that once they had spotted a couple of men who were just about to step into Indian territory, but when they warned them from the observation post, the men went back. “Initially, they ignored our warning, but when they saw weapons in our hands, they retreated,” she recalled. These girls also continue to pursue academics. Raju has completed her MA and is now doing MSc (IT). Sandeep, Harpreet and Jaspreet are doing their graduation. “We get leave whenever we have to appear for exams,” they said. On what would their message be to the people of Punjab on the skewed sex ratio, they said, "We have made our parents proud. Please don't kill the girl child." The BSF expressed satisfaction at the performance of these women constables. Already around 700 women constables are deployed along the border in the state and more recruitment is under way.
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Chandigarh, Haryana women
bag Stree Shakti awards
New Delhi, March
7
Kanwaljit Kaur from Chandigarh was awarded the Kannagi Award for providing hope, guidance and counselling to visually-disabled girls, while Haryana’s Jagmati Malik bagged the Mata Jijabai Award for woman empowerment by organising self-help groups on various issues, including Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, MGNREGA, female foeticide, total sanitation and Right to Information. Draupadi Ghimiray of Sikkim was conferred the Rani Gaidinliu Zeliang Award for working for children with disability. Chhattisgarh’s Sandhya Pandey, who lost her eyesight in 1999, was conferred the Rani Laxmibai Award for boldly facing enormous adversities in life. Hypno Padma Kamlakar from Andhra Pradesh was awarded the Devi Ahilyabai Holkar Award. A postgraduate in sociology, Kamlakar was the first woman hypnotist and psychologist to practice counselling in the country and has conducted over 1,500 programmes. Bureaucrat Rakhee Gupta Bhandari, currently posted in the Railway Ministry, was conferred the Rani Rudramma Devi Award for her contribution in bringing rural women to the mainstream by encouraging women sarpanches to visit public offices for knowledge and information. Presenting the awards at Vigyan Bhavan today on the eve of International Women’s Day, President Patil lauded the increasing contribution of women to social progress on all fronts but lamented the low child sex ratio of 914 girls per 1,000 boys in the 0-6 age group. She appealed to women to come forward and participate in the process of development.
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Italian PM speaks to Manmohan over fishermen’s killing
New Delhi/Rome, March 7 The two sides put out different versions of what transpired during the call over the two marines who have been held in Kochi on charges of murder after they allegedly shot dead two Indian fishermen. “Any attitude from the Indian side that is not fully in line with international laws risks creating a dangerous precedent for international peacekeeping and anti-piracy mission,” Monti was quoted as saying to the Indian leader. "The alleged incident, the circumstances of which have still to be clarified, occurred in international waters and jurisdiction is therefore only Italian,” Monti said. The PMO in New Delhi said both the leaders spoke about last month's incident and the Italian leader expressed regret over it. — PTI
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Uttar Pradesh may continue for a few more days as members of the Samajwadi Party Parliamentary Board who met informally this morning have left the matter to national president Mulayam Singh Yadav.
Bangalore, March 7