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‘War crimes’ against Tamils
in Lanka rock Parliament
TMC ministers skip PM’s dinner
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BJP may keep safe distance
Oppn brands two Bills as anti-federal
graft charges
26/11: 8-member panel from
Pakistan arriving today
Defence Ministry clears promotions of senior Army officers
HC stays Maj Gen’s GCM in equipment scam
Indian, US troops conduct joint drill in Bathinda
India aviation expo takes off today
RS member wants lion to be adopted as national animal
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‘War crimes’ against Tamils
in Lanka rock Parliament
New Delhi, March 13 The two parties from Tamil Nadu, supported by the Left, wanted India to support a resolution moved by the US, France and Norway in the UNHRC against the alleged atrocities committed on Sri Lankan Tamils during the civil war in the island nation. The protests gained momentum a day after airing of a video by Britain's Channel 4 showing slain LTTE chief Prabhakaran's 12-year-old son's body stripped to the waist with five bullet holes in the chest. Lanka had denied the charges. In the Rajya Sabha, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal was forced to commit that External Affairs Minister SM Krishna would make a statement on India’s stand on the issue in Parliament on Wednesday. Finance Minister and Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee tried to mollify agitated DMK and AIADMK members in the Lok Sabha, saying that the government had not decided its stand on the issue. He, however, did indicate the country’s stand saying the government normally did not back country-specific resolutions. “The PM has written to (DMK chief) Karunanidhi and the Tamil Nadu Chief Minister. We do not support any specific resolution for a particular country. We will determine a time to discuss this after discussions with the human rights team,” the Finance Minister said. Later in the day, Tamil MPs also met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, demanding an assurance from the government that India will support the resolution seeking a probe into alleged atrocities against ethnic Tamils during the civil war. Opposition BJP and Left also wanted the government to clear its stand on the UN vote. For the UPA it is a tightrope walk as it attempts to balance the desire for strong ties with Sri Lanka and the demand of the DMK, a key constituent of the UPA coalition. The PM had written to Karunanidhi saying that India was pushing Lanka to understand the “importance of a genuine process of understanding to address the grievances of the Tamil community.” But it seemed to suggest that Delhi would not support the motion. Given the sensitivity of the situation at home and its implications on the future relationship with Lanka, Delhi is learnt to be discussing the use of words in the UN resolution. There is a possibility that India abstains from voting though sources say Delhi feels Lanka should mount a credible investigation into war crime allegations. Another possibility is that there may not be a vote to pass the resolution.
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TMC ministers skip PM’s dinner
New Delhi, March 13 The Prime Minister is learnt to have underlined the need for greater cohesion and coordination among the UPA allies in Parliament. It was pointed out that since the budget session involves voting on several crucial Bills, it was critical for all the UPA parties to ensure the presence of all its members in Parliament and vote with the government. Allies were told that while they were at liberty to voice their contrary views on any issue, they should support the government during voting in Parliament. Referring to the amendments moved by the TMC to the Presidential address, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee asked the allies not to do anything which would help the Opposition parties and warned that the government could even fall if these amendments were carried. The 30-minute coordination committee meeting was held before the dinner at the Prime Minister’s official 7, Race Road residence. Besides the PM, Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Finance Minister Pranab
Mukherjee, Home Minister P.Chidambaram, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Ahmed Patel, Congress president’s political secretary, represented the Congress. Finding itself vulnerable after its dismal performance in the recent assembly polls, the Congress wants to avoid any confrontation with its partners. Today’s meeting of the UPA coordination meeting was meant to reach to the allies and to dispel any criticism of unilateralism by the Congress. Among the allies who attended the meeting included Praful Patel of the
NCP, T.R.Baalu of AIADMK, Farooq Abdullah of National Conference and a junior Trinamul Congress MP Ratna De Nag. Although the TMC has seven ministers and its total strength in Parliament is 25, Mamata Banerjee asked them not to attend the PM’s dinner and instead asked a junior, first time MP Ratna De Nag to represent the party. TMC sources henceforth Nag will attend all UPA meetings in place of its senior leaders or ministers to signal Mamata banerjee’s displeasure with the UPA government over her pending demand for a financial package for West Bengal.
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BJP may keep safe distance
New Delhi, March 13 Karunanidhi family scion Kanimozhi leading the noisy protest today pleased the BJP and raised its hopes of the DMK withdrawing from the UPA government, creating a crisis. The BJP has been confabulating with the AIADMK, perceived as only adding fuel to the fire and encouraging the DMK to put the government in a spot. Additionally to impress upon the Tamil populace the BJP’s support, party spokesperson SS Ahluwalia said yesterday that Sushma Swaraj and M Venkaiah Naidu would lead a delegation to Lanka to study first-hand the conditions of Lankan Tamils.
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Oppn brands two Bills as anti-federal
New Delhi, March 13 These Bills are - the Railway Protection Force (RPF) Amendment Bill 2011 and the BSF Amendment Bill 2011. The first one seeks to do away with Government Railway Police and assign to the Central Railway Protection Force the power to deal with crimes in trains and railway premises. These powers were hitherto vested in the GRP comprising state police officers. The GRP has 50 per cent funding by the states. The BSF Amendment Bill, on the other hand, seeks to extend policing powers of the BSF beyond the current radius of around 8 km from the border to the entire border district where they are posted. The Opposition today said the GRP has 50 pc state funding and could not be disbanded. "This Bill was originally piloted by Mamata Banerjee when she was Railway Minister. Now she is talking of the NCTC being anti-federal. She proposed in her time that the entire powers vested in the GRP be brought under the Central railway police force. This proposal is against the federal principles of the Constitution," CPM Leader in Rajya Sabha Sitaram Yechury today said. Both the BJP and the Left maintained separately that the government was systematically moving towards curtailment of the rights of state governments. Earlier, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had written to the PM objecting to the RPF Amendment Bill. He had said police and law and order were state subjects and could not be encroached upon. The BSF seeks to amend the BSF Act of 1968 and to enlarge the scope of powers of the BSF deployed in border areas. Right now the BSP powers in border areas of deployment are fixed and delineated. "But the amendment bill seeks to give the BSF policing powers in the entire border area of deployment," Yechury explained today.
In question l
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) Amendment Bill 2011 l
The BSF Amendment Bill 2011
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graft charges
New Delhi, March 13 A Bench comprising Justices HL Dattu and AR Dave asked the Mumbai Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik to conduct the probe and gather evidence relating to all movable and immovable properties of Kripashankar and his family, including his wife, son, daughter and daughter-in-law. The Bench asked the police chief to submit a status report in six weeks. The Bench passed the order on petitions filed by Kripashankar and his family members pleading for a stay of the February 22 Bombay High Court order. The HC had allowed the police chief to take into consideration the probe report of the Assistant Police Commissioner, but the SC said this should not be so. The city police commissioner would conduct an investigation without going by the ACP’s findings. The Bench directed the petitioners not to alienate or transfer any of the property and file an undertaking in the form of an affidavit in this regard in the SC. The petitioners’ have allegedly accumulated huge wealth disproportionate to their known sources of income. The properties include several flats, plots, agriculture land, expensive cars and several other valuable assets. The SC clarified that a PIL filed in the HC would be treated as FIR against Kripashankar and his family.
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26/11: 8-member panel from
Pakistan arriving today
New Delhi, March 13 Sources said the commission includes two prosecutors from the Pakistan Federal Investigation Agency, five defence lawyers and officials from the Interior and Foreign ministries. A Deputy Director in Pakistan’s Interior Ministry is the coordinator for the commission's visit. The visit of the commission was cleared last week by a Pakistani anti-terrorism court conducting the trial of LeT's Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and six other suspects in the Mumbai massacre. New Delhi had earlier asked Pakistan to send the commission between February 1 and 10. However, the panel could not go ahead with the visit due to various reasons. Meanwhile, ahead of the arrival of the commission, a court in Mumbai issued summons to four persons, including a magistrate, to record their statements in connection with the 26/11 terror attack case. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate of the Esplenade court in south Mumbai issued the summons to magistrate RV Sawant Waghule, who recorded the confession of Ajmal Kasab, and crime branch officer Ramesh Mahale, who was the investigating officer in the 26/11 terror strike. Two doctors from state-run J J Hospital and civic-run Nair hospital have also been asked to appear in court to record their statements.
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Defence Ministry clears promotions of senior Army officers New Delhi, March 13 Despite the clearance of the promotion list today, the Ministry will separately review the promotion policy which, at present, allows for five discretionary marks to an officer based on the judgement of the top commanders of the Army, sources said. The list cleared today has promotions for Brigadiers who will become Major Generals and those for Major Generals who will be promoted as Lieutenant Generals. In the Army, all officers are not promoted to the next rank. It is a selection process. Those who are left out retire and do not carry on till 60 years of age. Over 40 Major Generals and 60 Brigadiers have been considered by the Army boards for promotions. Crucially, some of the Major General who are to be promoted as Lt Generals, were slated to retire on March 31. A promotion will mean they will serve for two more years that is till the age of 60.
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HC stays Maj Gen’s GCM in equipment scam
Chandigarh, March 13 A division bench of the High Court (HC), comprising Justice Anil Kumar and Justice SK Misra today directed the Army not to proceed with the GCM till April 25, when the case comes up for hearing next. The GCM, which commenced at Jalandhar in February, was scheduled to re-assemble on March 14 after being adjourned. On the previous date of hearing on February 9, the HC had directed the Army to file an affidavit-reply on Sarup’s petition and the petitioner to file his rejoinder thereof so that they could be taken up for consideration by the bench in today’s hearing. Sarup’s counsel, Col SK Aggarwal (retd) said the Army did not file its affidavit in time for them to prepare their rejoinder and the affidavit was placed before the bench by an officer representing the Army today. Maj Gen Anil Sarup, who has now retired, faces five charges under Section 52 and 63 of the Army Act for intent to defraud and acts prejudicial to good order and military discipline. A court of inquiry (COI) presided over by Lt Gen PC Katoch, then Director General, Information Systems, at Army headquarters, found that prices of items procured for troops when Sarup was serving as Additional Director General Ordnance Services at Army Headquarters, were heavily inflated vis-à-vis market rates. Following this, the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command ordered disciplinary action to be initiated against him.
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Indian, US troops conduct joint drill in Bathinda
Bathinda, March 13 The drill, codenamed “Desert Lark”, saw the Indian and US troops establish a cordon using their combat vehicles at night and then conduct dismounted searches by day to flush out insurgents as also use the third dimension as part of the operation. The Sarvada Saviours troops focused on the challenges faced by Sappers in the domain of countering threats of the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), infrastructure development in strife-torn regions and inaccessible areas and execution of rescue and relief operations during natural calamities or disasters. The exercise provided an opportunity to both sides to understand functioning of Engineer Brigades with special emphasis on operations under United Nations mandate in troubled areas. The exercise was witnessed by an Indian and US Army delegation, headed by the GOC-in-C South Western Command, Lt.General Gian Bhushan and Lt Gen Francis "Frank" Wiercinski, commander of the US Army Pacific, as also the co-chair of the Executive Steering Group (ESG) for the Indo-US army training events and exchanges. In addition, a number of senior members of the Indian Army also witnessed the drills and interacted with the troops participating in the exercise, both at Mahajan and Bathinda. The ongoing fortnight-long exercise “Yudh Abhyas” is part of a series of joint exercises between the Indian and the United States Armies since 2005, agreed upon under the New Framework of India-US Defence Relationship. The seventh edition of “Yudh Abhyas” is under way since March 5 in two locations under the South Western Command.
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India aviation expo takes off today
Hyderabad, March 13 The highlight of the show will be the Airbus ACJ 318, the corporate jet version of the A318 airliner. The bizjet, according to Airbus, is similar in external size to a traditional large jet but has a cabin twice as wide, offering a never-before experience in terms of comfort, space and freedom of movement. Featuring a lounge-like main cabin, the jet would have another room that could be used as an office by day and bedroom with ensuite bathroom at night. “Corporate jets like ACJ 318 are primarily business tools, but are also an extension of home and office for executives who want to take into air what they have on the ground,” Airbus CEO (customers) John Leahy said. The five-day air show has drawn the attention of business visitors after the maiden landing of the much-awaited Boeing Dreamliner and the Sukhoi Superjet 100. To be inducted into the Air India fleet in May, the Dreamliner will be on display for three days. Jointly organised by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, the event will be inaugurated by Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh.
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New Delhi, March 13
DMK embarrassed the government by disrupting the Rajya Sabha on the Sri Lanka Tamil issue, the PM convened a meeting of the UPA coordination committee to seek the cooperation of allies in the smooth functioning of Parliament.
The troops of the Bathinda-based Chetak Corps along with a contingent of US troops today conducted a joint cordon and drill here to neutralise terrorists in an abandoned village in the desert ranges.
The drill, codenamed “Desert Lark”, saw the Indian and US troops establish a cordon using their combat vehicles at night and then conduct dismounted searches by day to flush out insurgents as also use the third dimension as part of the operation.
Hyderabad, March 13
