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Search operations on in Assam, over 200 still missing
Accident was waiting to happen, say victims’ kin
Anna kicks off campaign for strong Lokayukta, hits out at Rahul
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House panel for increase in agri investment
Rahul’s visits to Maharashtra, Amethi a wake up call
Chhattisgarh keeps fingers crossed for Menon’s release
Hindus in Russia lose last bid to save their largest temple
Unique ‘conservation swap’ in Karnataka
Subhash Joshi is NSG chief
FISHERMEN’S KILLINGS 5 farmers end lives in Vidarbha 118 surgeons get show-cause notices Richard Loitham’s death
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Search operations on in Assam, over 200 still missing
Guwahati, May 1 Rescue teams of the National Disaster Response Force and BSF neither found any survivors not recovered any bodies today. The Assam Government was still in the dark about the number of passengers onboard the ferry. The DIG (communication) at the BSF Frontier Headquarter here, CL Belwa, said 380 tickets of Panchabhai (AS 323) were sold at the ghat and children did not need a ticket to travel. He said 40-45 bodies were recovered, including those retrieved by locals last night. The boat started its journey from Kachari Ghat at Dhubri for Jaleswar in Goalpara on the South Bank of the river. It got caught in the storm after it had travelled for about 90 minutes. Assam Police DGP JN Choudhury said 17 bodies were with the police. He said about 100 persons had either been rescued or swam to safety. The owner of ill-fated boat Panchabhai (AS 323), Syed Ali Bepari, was absconding. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said the toll was likely to rise though 40 bodies were recovered amid inclement weather and very strong river current. A probe has been ordered into the tragedy and three senior ministers were at Dhubri to oversee rescue operations, Gogoi said. The enquiry will be conducted by Jitesh Khosla, Additional Chief Secretary, Assam and submit its report within 30 days. “The probe committee will also determine if there were any lapses on the part of any authority, including violation of rules or licence condition for operation of ferry service. If so, it will fix responsibility,” he added. The CM said since the tragedy occurred close to the India-Bangladesh border, the Centre was in touch with the neighbouring country for recovery of bodies that may have been swept into its territory.
Boats ill-maintained
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Accident was waiting to happen, say victims’ kin
Dhubri, May 1 The double-deck ferry broke into two and personal belongings of the victims were seen floating in the waters bearing grim testimony to the tragedy that occurred last evening. "The accident was waiting to happen. Private ferry operators blatantly flout norms by carrying people and goods much above permissible limit, but the authorities turn a blind eye to such happenings," Enamul Haque, a 27-year-old resident of Jaleshwar, said. He said the lure of easy money drove ferry operators to disregard safety norms for the trip between the northern and southern banks of Brahmaputra, which generally takes around one-and-a-half hour. "The government is not giving correct figures. There were more than 500 passengers in the ferry who were crossing the river from Kacharighat area," Nazrul Islam, another local, claimed. Islam is among many in Dhubri district bordering Bangladesh who have lost members of their family in the worst ever disaster that took place at 4.20 pm yesterday. Locals claimed the ill-fated ferry was carrying many more passengers than the permissible permit. "Not a single body has been recovered since the morning when the NDMF, BSF and the state police took charge of operations. All bodies were recovered by local people while 80 people were saved from drowning," Abdur Rahman Khaleque, another local, said. — PTI
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Anna kicks off campaign for strong Lokayukta, hits out at Rahul
Mumbai, May 1 Shortly before leaving for the pilgrimage town of Shirdi, from where he is to begin his tour, Anna said the Congress leader was simply looking for publicity by his visit to the drought-hit areas of Satara in Maharashtra. "Rahul Gandhi spent a few hours in the drought-affected area and the media praised him for that. But how can someone solve the problem of drought like this?" Anna said. Anna, who was felicitated by his fellow-villagers of Ralegan Siddhi shortly before he left for Shirdi, told mediapersons that he had no differences with the members of his team. High-profile members of Team Anna, including Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi, were absent from Anna's latest campaign against corruption. This gave rise to speculation that members of Team Anna were upset by Anna's decision to share the stage with Ramdev. "There are no differences between us. The decision was taken in the presence of everyone," Anna said. The activist also called for the strictest punishment being awarded to those involved in the Adarsh Housing Society scam. Without naming former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Anna said the strictest punishment should be awarded to those found guilty of corruption. During the next five weeks, Anna is scheduled to meet people across the political and social spectrum to create awareness for a strong ombudsman.
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Aarushi case Parmindar Singh
Ghaziabad, May 1 Nupur's lawyer argued before the session court that an interim bail should be granted to her as her reputation would be affected if she is jailed. The lawyer stated that bail should be granted till the proper hearing of bail application while claiming that the CBI itself has said that the agency does not have enough evidence against her. Her lawyer stated that finger prints found at the crime scene did not match with Nupur and since her husband and co-accused Rajesh Talwar was given bail, she should also be given bail on parity basis as she is a woman. Additional District Judge S Lal reserved the order on the bail application. Her bail application before the special CBI court was rejected following opposition from the investigating agency CBI. Last evening, Nupur looked dejected when she arrived at the jail at around 6 pm. Jail superintendent Veeresh Raj Sharma said, “She relaxed a little after watching TV for a few hours with other women inmates and a discussion with them about the Aarushi case,” he said. Nupur reportedly told other prisoners that she was innocent and would prove that in court. Around 8.30 pm, she was served dinner consisting daal, potato, rice and chappatis. After dinner, she slept in the barrack. She woke up at 5.30 am, bathed and recited the Hanuman Chalisa. She then lined up with other prisoners to be counted. Her breakfast was tea, jaggery and roasted gram. She also read the newspapers and asked for some books, including the Gita, which was issued to her once the prison library opened for the day. Two members of Nupur’s family visited the jail and met her for 20 minutes.
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SC reserves verdict in Maya’s assets case
New Delhi, May 1 A Bench comprising Justices P Sathasivam and Dipak Misra passed an order to this effect after two hours of arguments by senior counsel Harish Salve contending that the CBI had foisted the false case against his client. According to Mayawati, the CBI had instituted the case under “political pressure” despite the findings that she had no role to play in the Taj Corridor scam. The CBI had conclusively recorded that “not even a single penny came into my hands out of the Rs 17 crore disbursed in Taj Corridor case” and in view of this, the present disproportionate assets case “should have been dropped immediately” by the investigating agency, she had said in an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court. She had also written to the CBI Director seeking a review of the disproportionate assets case against her in view of two judgments of the Income Tax Commissioner (Appeals), New Delhi, giving her clean chit for the assessment years from 1998-99 to 2004-05. However, according to the CBI, her assets had gone up from Rs 1 crore in 2003 to Rs 50 crore in 2007.
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House panel for increase in agri investment
New Delhi, May 1 In its report submitted to the Parliament on Monday, the committee on agriculture and cooperation asked the government to go in for a quantum enhancement in the sector in the next plan period to make farming a viable option and also finalise the 12th Plan document in “next three months. The panel, which is headed by CPM leader Basudeb Acharia, said the increase in public sector investment in agriculture in the range of 17.6 to 22.5 per cent and Gross Capital Formation (GCF) in farming and allied sectors at 2004-05 prices for 2010-11, was “meagre”, considering that agriculture was the principal source of livelihood for 58 per cent of the country’s population. What further “flummoxed” the group was the fact that budget of a key department like Agriculture was not even 50 per cent of the Rural Development Department, the manager of UPA’s flagship programmes like MGNREGA. Considering that 60 per cent of the population is living on 15 per cent of the GDP, the committee exhorted the Planning Commission to go in for a quantum enhancement of public investment in the sector, “break free from shackles” of existing piecemeal approach toward the sector and opt for a holistic approach. The delay in finalisation of the 12th Plan outlay also earned the government criticism from the panel, which said despite it specifically asking for timely completion in order to implement the next plan schemes from day one, ie April 1, it had been told that the document would take another three to four months before it is placed before the National Development Council.
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Rahul’s visits to Maharashtra, Amethi a wake up call
New Delhi, May 1 Rahul got a first-hand account of the simmering discontent in party units at both places as party workers made no attempt to sugar coat their views. Party workers, who are generally in awe of Gandhi family members and are at their sycophantic best in their presence, had no such pretensions this time. Instead, they spoke out angrily about the poor health of the organisation and even went to the extent of blaming the Congress leadership for the state of affairs. Congress strategists would be ill-advised to ignore the feedback Rahul Gandhi received on the two trips as the party has little time for course correction before it plunges into the hurly-burly of yet another round of Assembly elections that will be followed by the Lok Sabha elections in 2014. Rahul Gandhi did hold a two-day brain-storming session with UP leaders last month to discuss reasons for the party's debacle, but there is, so far, little evidence of any follow-up action. Rahul's forays into Maharashtra and UP have been an eye-opener. Party workers in his own constituency minced no words in telling him that he should also take responsibility for the Congress's performance and complained about his inaccessibility. Playing down the angry response of workers at Amethi, Congress leaders maintained this was expected following a defeat in elections, but admitted that the degree of frustration among UP cadres was much higher. "Not only was the party mauled badly, but the signs of revival appear bleak as the Congress is not able to attract youth because of the growing perception that it has no future in UP," remarked a UP Congress leader. The party's proximity to the Samajwadi Party at the Centre is not helping its cause in UP. Demoralised due to the Assembly poll debacle, party workers are confused about the role they are expected to play vis-a-vis the new SP government. Mayawati's BSP has occupied the main opposition space. Given the prevailing state of affairs, there are few takers for the UP Congress chief's post which is viewed as a "crown of thorns". Rita Bahguna Joshi submitted her resignation as state unit president soon after the UP poll but there is no word yet on her replacement. Rahul's visit to Maharashtra was meant to revitalise the state party unit after it lost the Mumbai civic elections and where it is fast losing ground to its ally, the Sharad Pawar-led NCP. Angry workers wanted the Congress to snap ties with the NCP which, they said, was eroding their party base. They are also wary of Pawar's growing proximity to the Shiv Sena after he tied up with it in several zilla parishads. The NCP chief is clearly looking at other options with an eye on the 2014 elections, realising that the UPA government has lost much of its sheen.
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Chhattisgarh keeps fingers crossed for Menon’s release
Raipur, May 1 Armed Maoists kidnapped Menon, 32, on April 21. They have been demanding the release of 17 comrades, including eight serving sentence, from various jails. But as per the agreement, no Maoist is being released. His wife Asha told The Tribune over the telephone: “I am eagerly waiting for my husband’s return… I am worried about his health as he is an asthma patient.” The state government has kept a team of doctors ready at Sukma to attend to Menon as soon as he is released. Sources said that he and his family might be flown to Raipur for better medical attention. The administration is toying with the idea of transferring Menon from Sukma to somewhere else. “He can also be sent to New Delhi on deputation to give him relief from the trauma that he must be undergoing,” a senior bureaucrat said. “However, it will also depend on Menon whether he wants to be relocated,” he said. Menon reportedly earned popularity in his district as he emphasised on several welfare schemes for the tribals. There are many in the administration and the police who believe that the Maoists have deliberately adopted the strategy of kidnapping top bureaucrats to stop paramilitary forces from entering in several parts of jungles, including Abhujmaad, that are under the red rebels control. Menon’s kidnapping forced the police to stop operation Green Hunt. Incidentally, it was Maoist negotiator BD Sharma, who as the Bastar District Collector in the seventies, had banned the entry of Indians and foreigners in Abhujmaad after the BBC screened a secret film made on the night life of tribals living in primitive conditions. Only two years ago, the government had decided to “open the doors” to Abhujmaad. Last month, for the first time, a CRPF team went inside for scouting. When the Maoists nominated Sharma as their representative, many were amused. Menon is the second District Collector to have been kidnapped by Maoists in recent times after his Malkangiri counterpart. Though in Orissa, Malkangiri is not too far from Sukma and touches the Chhattisgarh border. The Orissa Government relocated the IAS official, after his release. Although no Maoist is being released from the jail as was demanded by the Maoists in exchange of Menon, Chief Minister Raman Singh has said “we will fulfill all promises made and ensure that no innocent tribal is arrested or harassed on false charges”. Talking to this correspondent, Raman Singh described the signing of the agreement between the Maoist representatives and government mediators as a “historical step” and hoped that it would prove to be a milestone in the progress of Chhattisgarh.” “I am confident that this would help restore long lasting peace in Naxalite affected areas as the Maoists representatives have understood our problems also,” said Singh. For the agreement, Principal Home Secretary NK Aswal stood guarantor. The two-page agreement was signed by Maoist negotiators BD Sharma, former IAS District Collector of Bastar, and Prof G. Hargopal of Hyderabad University and Nirmala Buch, ex-Chief Secretary of undivided Madhya Pradesh, and SK Mishra, former state Chief Secretary. The Chief Minister invited the four negotiators to the state secretariat on Tuesday and thanked them for their efforts to release Menon. Singh said the Chhattisgarh Government was keen to solve the Maoist issue forever and was ready for talks at any forum for a peaceful solution. On Monday evening, the state government had panicked when red rebels threatened to produce Menon before a ‘Jan Adalat’ to face a chargesheet if their demands were not met by May 2. However, at 9 pm, after the fifth round of talks, the government and Maoist representatives announced an agreement between them. They said Menon would be released in 48 hours and the administration would immediately put into action a committee to review cases of alleged Maoists in the jail and give utmost attention to the welfare and grievances of Bastar’s tribals.
Collector to be freed on May 3
A Maoist spokesman said late Tuesday night that Menon would now be released in the Tadmetla forest of South Bastar on May 3, a day after the 48-hour agreed time limit. The state administration was expecting Menon to return by Wednesday evening.
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Prince Andrew for better bonding of C’wealth nations
Guwahati, May 1 Speaking at a public reception, the Prince laid stress on strengthening partnership between India and Britain in various fields for the benefit of the new generation. The 52-year-old said his weeklong India visit was part of the celebration of the diamond jubilee of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, as desired by the Queen. Immediately after arriving at the Dimapur airport, Prince Andrew drove straight to the Commonwealth War Cemetery at Kohima to pay homage to the soldiers of the Allied Force who laid down their lives in the ground battle in Kohima during World War II in the summer of 1944. The Prince said it was imperative that the younger generation be made aware of the sacrifices made by soldiers to ensure the freedom for another generation. “Shortly after the war, Lord Mountbatten visited Kohima; the Queen knows the Nagas well; we recognise the past and cherish it, but the future is more important,” the Prince told the huge gathering at the convention centre of the Nagaland Baptist Church Council (NBCC). In his welcome address, Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio said while an entire generation grew up hearing painful stories of the war, Prince Andrew’s visit was expected to usher in a new era of greater partnership and better understanding between the Nagas and the British. “Your visit will also rekindle old friendship and shared history,” Rio said. He presented a Konyak brass gong, a headgear, a spear and a dao and two bamboo baskets to the Prince amidst applause. The apex tribal council Naga Hoho also welcomed Prince Andrew on behalf of the Naga people. In a statement, the Council sought to bring to the notice of the Prince and the British Government “the expectations of the Naga people in reciprocation to the hospitality and the support extended to the then British empire by the Naga people”. Later, the Prince also visited World War Museum at Kisama Heritage Village, 12 km south of Kohima before his departure.
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Hindus in Russia lose last bid to save their largest temple
New Delhi, May 1 A note of the Ministry of External Affairs, which has been following the developments, states that the High Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation at Moscow, on April 4, dismissed the final appeal of the VSSD against eviction. These orders were earlier upheld by two lower courts that ruled in favour of the termination of a 49-year lease agreement the Vedic Society had with owners of the building (in which the Russian state is 100% stakeholder). Though the Government of India maintains the Hindus and the Russian side have reached an amicable agreement after the quashing of the VSSD appeal, chairman of the society Suren Karapetyan says the development is “disrespectful” to Hindus in Russia, who now have nowhere to go to practice their faith. “The bailiffs came and removed the deities forcibly. They smoked cigarettes inside the temple, and played cards,” says Karapetyan. A recent note the MEA forwarded to Punjab MP Avinash Rai Khanna, who had sought case details from the PM after The Tribune reported the matter, states, “On April 14, 2012, the Consulate General of India (CGI), St Petersburg, informed that in the aftermath of the court’s verdict of eviction of premises by the VSSD, the two sides have signed an agreement for evacuation of the premises by September 30, 2012, and payment of compensation by the company in lieu of the construction activities which the VSSD took up at the site.” Speaking to The Tribune from St Petersburg today, Karapetyan said the Hindus were feeling let down by the government. “Now we don’t have the capacity to respond to our religious needs as the only temple with housed deities, is gone. Over 20,000 Indians are being affected. We represented our case to the Embassy of India in Moscow, but received no response. We appealed to the President of India, but got no answer,” says Karapetyan. The government note, on the other hand, states the MEA “had kept abreast of the issue and appealed to the Russian authorities for its fair resolution”. But the Hindus in Russia are not impressed. Karapetyan asks, “Such a thing is impossible in case of an orthodox Church or a mosque. Why is it possible in case of a Hindu temple?” Importantly, when the VSSD took over the premises in 1992, the building was an unfinished construction of bricks and concrete. From 1992 to 2003, the society completed the construction on its own cost (which the owners have agreed to pay in part, as per the MEA note). The temple was built in 1999. In 2010, the owners moved the first court-the Court of Arbitration in St Petersburg-for termination of lease with the VSSD. This court rejected the case, but the owners won in subsequent courts.
Temple trail
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Unique ‘conservation swap’ in Karnataka
Bangalore, May 1 The 220 KVA line was originally supporting the now defunct Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited’s mining operations. Mining in the area has been shut down on the orders of the Supreme Court following a case by local wildlife conservation groups. The Karnataka Government had sought forest clearance from the FAC in early 2010 for permitting a power line to supply power from the Udupi Power Corporation’s Thermal Power plant in Nandikur. Since the proposed 400 KVA power line cuts through 8.3-km stretch of the critical evergreen forest corridor in Chikmagalur district, a field inspection was conducted by an FAC expert committee comprising conservationist K Ullas Karanth and AJT Johnsingh, a retired dean of the Wildlife Institute of India. Based on the report of the expert committee, the FAC panel proposed a first of its kind “conservation swap” scheme. To compensate for the loss of 8.3-km wildlife corridor because of the power line, the state government was advised to dismantle the existing 25-km power line passing through the Kudremukh National Park. Due to objections from the Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Limited (KIOCL), the recommendation was not implemented initially. The work on the new power line was, however, started. Local wildlife groups protested against this. The Wild Cat-C and the Bhadra Wildlife Conservation Trust sought intervention of the FAC through a letter dated October 10, 2011. The FAC viewed the violations seriously. As a result the state government provided an undertaking to the FAC that the existing power line through Kudremukh would be dismantled before the Udupi Power Corporation transmission line got commissioned. On April 17, the physical dismantling of the Kemmar-Kudremukh power line began after alternative power was provided to a few affected villages on the eastern edge of the park. Wildlife conservation groups have welcomed the dismantling of the power line and congratulated the authorities involved in paving the way for the swap.
THE POWER GAME
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Subhash Joshi is NSG chief
Dehradun, May 1 The appointment will be effective from the date of his taking over the post till his superannuation on February 28, 2014, or further orders. Joshi is an IPS officer of the 1976 batch.
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FISHERMEN’S KILLINGS New Delhi, May 1 The Italian government, through senior counsel Harish Salve, also contended before a Bench comprising Justices RM Lodha and HL Gokhale that the compensation could not be construed as interference with the Indian legal system. The clarifications have come a day after the Bench had taken serious exception to the compromise reached before a Lok Adalat and decreed subsequently under the provisions of the Admiralty suit. Lok Adalats had no jurisdiction over such suits, it had pointed out. Meanwhile, the Bench asked the Italian government to come out with its stand by tomorrow on ensuring the presence of four sailors of the Merchant Navy ship, Enrica Lexie, in connection with the trial of two marines charged in the incident. The Bench made it clear that the impounded ship could be allowed to leave the Indian shores only if the presence of the four seamen was guaranteed. The court was hearing a plea by the owners of the ship, seeking its release in view of the huge losses arising from its non-utilisation. The Bench clarified that while two marines charged with the killings were already under detention, the presence of the other four against whom there was no evidence so far might, for some reason, be required at a later stage.
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5 farmers end lives in Vidarbha Mumbai, May 1 Speaking to mediapersons here, Kishor Tiwari, VJAS President, said three suicides were reported from Yavatmal district while one death each was reported from Washim and Amravati district. "All these farmers were deep in debt and were waiting for relief announced by the Maharashtra government in December last. But when they received nothing, they were forced to take the extreme step," Tiwari said. Giving details of the victims, Tiwari spoke of Ramdas Dhale of Chincholi village in Yavatmal district, who owed more than Rs 3 lakh to a bank apart from a local money lender. The others who committed suicide are Ajabrao Meshram of Shivani and Ramnna Pedkulwar of Aril in Yavatmal, Parvatibai Kadel of Poharadevi in Washim, and Shriram Kakad of Sategaon in Amravati, Tiwari said. The number of farmers who have committed suicide so far in 2012 has touched 332, according to Tiwari. Poor rainfall during the last monsoon season has worsened the situation for the farmers, according to the VJAS. "Standing crop on 90 lakh hectares of land including 40 lakh hectares bearing cotton crop has been lost, according to the government's own records," says Tiwari. Following this, the government announced relief of Rs 2,000 crore and cotton farmers were promised aid of Rs 8,000 per family. However, many farmers are yet to see the money, because of which, the number of suicides has gone up, says Tiwari. Following revelations by the VJAS, a defensive Maharashtra government said it will accelerate disbursal of relief to affected farmers. Agriculture Minister Radhakrishna Vikhe Patil told reporters that Rs 1,300 crore of the sanctioned Rs 2,000 crore has already been disbursed and the delay in disbursal of the rest of the funds was because of problems in preparing list of farmers eligible for relief.
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118 surgeons get show-cause notices Lucknow, May 1 Minister of Health and Family Welfare Ahmad Hasan has a issued a warning to them to take their duty in the operation theatre seriously. Some of them have reportedly not performed a single surgery during their entire service period. When despite the warning the surgeons did not show interest in surgery, the department had undertaken an inquiry which confirmed that there were 118 surgeons drawing salary from the government coffers who had not conducted a single surgery in the period under consideration which is since January this year.
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Richard Loitham’s death Bangalore, May 1 Prakash said the two suspects, Syed Afzal Ali and Vishal Banerjee, have been booked today in connection with Richard’s death. However, they have not been arrested. “Before taking further action, we will see the forensic examination report of the remains of the deceased’s body,” Prakash said. He said the college authorities have been asked not to allow Banerjee and Ali to go out of town. Asked if the police had any specific evidence against Banerjee and Ali, hostel-mates of Richard, or if the two had been booked for murder simply to pacify agitated students from north-eastern states who suspect Richard to have been murdered and are demanding action against the culprits, Prakash replied, “I will not comment on this.” He however added, “Based on physical evidence and opinion of experts, we decided to register a case of murder.” Prakash said the report of forensic examination of remains of Richard’s body was expected to be given in the next three-four days. Richard, a native of Imphal and student of Acharya NRV College of Architecture in Bangalore, was found dead in his hostel room on April 18. He had met with an accident while riding a bike three days earlier. Richard was driving the bike, while his hostel mate, Spoorthi Raj, was riding pillion. Vishal Banerjee, another hostel inmate, and Spoorthi had bought the bike by raising funds together. It was initially believed that Vishal Banerjee had a fight with Richard over the TV remote on the evening of April 17. The two did fight but it was not over the remote. Vishal had a fight with Richard over damages caused to the bike by the accident. Syed Afzal, a friend of Vishal, joined the fight and allegedly punched Richard on the face a couple of times. Richard was found dead in his hostel room the following day. Police initially suspected that Richard had died of the injuries he had sustained during the bike accident. But this was not found acceptable by Richard’s friends. “The bike accident was not a serious one. He was not even recommended to take an X-Ray by the doctors who examined him,” P Om Prakash, president of the Manipuri Meitei Association, Bangalore, told this reporter. The autopsy report apparently mentioned lacerations and multiple abrasions on Richards’ body besides cerebral haemorrhage, which led to his death. The bruises on Richards’ body prompted Om Prakash and others to suspect his death to be a case of murder. “We met the Karnataka home minister R Ashoka yesterday and requested him to speed up investigation in the case. We have lots of expectations from the Karnataka government. We hope it rises to our expectations,” Om Prakash said.
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Guwahati, May 1
Social activist Anna Hazare today kicked off his tour across Maharashtra to press for a strong Lokayukta by criticising Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi.
Shortly before leaving for the pilgrimage town of Shirdi, from where he is to begin his tour, Anna said the Congress leader was simply looking for publicity by his visit to the drought-hit areas of Satara in
Maharashtra.
New Delhi, May 1
