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Over dozen Indian youth in Lashkar cadre: Jundal
26/11 attack dominates Krishna-Khar talks
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Tokyo meet: India for long-term ties with Afghanistan
4 states to vote in full for Pranab
He is a friend of Communists, says Trinamool
Planning panel to monitor infrastructural projects: Montek
Shettar in as Karnataka Chief Minister
Swearing-in on Wednesday
BJD leader shot by suspected Maoists
India accounts for 1.5% of global drug trials on humans
Maharashtra’s sugarcane
output set to fall sharply
Advani backs Modi over reporting on Kalam’s book
Crime against women highest in WB, Andhra
Army probe into chopper straying into PoK over
Maharashtra pulls the plug on new
beer in old bottles
Militants hurl grenade at Speaker's residence
Schoolgirl forced to drink urine for bed-wetting
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Over dozen Indian youth in Lashkar cadre: Jundal
New Delhi, July 8 26/11 planner Sayed Zabiuddin Ansari, alias Abu Jundal, has revealed that he was not the only Indian operating in Pakistan under the wings of the LeT. He has listed out a dozen such youth, who were a part of the outfit’s key operations. These youth have been visiting Saudi Arabia, among other countries, to stitch together modules to attack India. After Mumbai attacks, international pressure mounted on Pakistan and seven persons — all of Pakistan origin — were arrested in March 2009. However, Jundal kept on working for the LeT, managing its websites and online ‘jihad’ spewing venom on India and the US. In March 2011, he was sent to Saudi Arabia on a Pakistan passport under the name of Riyasat Ali. Indian agencies have so far ruled out any allurement on the basis of money for these youth, who have been ideologically radicalised following the 2002 anti-Muslim Gujarat carnage. These youth, so far, are not involved in any terror-related incident in India, but could emerge as the future planners and executors of attacks, sources said. Unlike the past, when fugitives on the run found a safe haven in Pakistan, these youth are not wanted in any case in India, making it all the more difficult to gather details about them, their operations and contact points. In case they get caught, it will be easier for Pakistan to wash its hands off any blame. Conversely, India will find it impossible to blame its western neighbour for aiding and abetting terrorists like it did in the 26/11 attacks. Like Jundal, these boys are likely to be living under assumed names and on fake identity. Very little is known about their backgrounds. After Jundal’s interrogation, special teams of the Delhi Police and Central agencies have fanned across India to gather information on these youth and their contacts. In the past, Pakistan-based groups and even its spy agency, the ISI, has provided patronage to the 1993 Mumbai blast accused and underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his henchmen. The ‘founders’ of the Indian Mujahideen, Bhatkal brothers - Riyaz and Iqbal - also have found a safe haven in Pakistan.
Saudis ‘not’ deporting Fasih
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26/11 attack dominates Krishna-Khar talks
New Delhi, July 8 Krishna had a 30-minute meeting with his Pakistani counterpart Hina Rabbani Khar in Tokyo today on the margins of an international conference on Afghanistan. The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere, official sources said. The Indian minister said there was need for creating the right atmosphere between the two countries. In this connection, he drew attention towards the anti-India activities being carried out by JuD chief and Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed, who continues to enjoy the patronage of the Pakistani establishment. The meeting between the two ministers came three days after the conclusion of foreign secretary-level talks between the two countries in New Delhi. At the end of his meeting with Foreign Secertary Ranjan Mathai, Pakistan Foreign Secretary Jalil Abbas Jilani had rejected any insinuation about the involvement of Pakistani state actors in the Mumbai attack. He also asked India to share with Pakistan the confessions made by Abu Jundal, prime accused of the Mumbai carnage, who was arrested recently. The two ministers shared their assessment of the foreign secretary-level talks. Krishna also pressed Khar to expedite the release of Sarabjit Singh, an Indian prisoner on death row in Pakistan, and stressed that both sides should take a larger humanitarian view of the issue of prisoners in each other's country. On her part, the Pakistani minister assured Krishna that the civilian government in her country was committed to pursuing former Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani's vision of bridging relations with India. Krishna also informed Khar that he proposed to visit Islamabad in early September for formal talks between the two ministers to review the progress in the second round of the dialogue process, resumed in February last year after a hiatus of more than two years in the wake of the 26/11 attack. Krishna was earlier scheduled to visit Pakistan on July 17-18 but the trip had to be deferred in view of the Presidential poll in India scheduled for July 19.
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Tokyo meet: India for long-term ties with Afghanistan
New Delhi, July 8 ''India does not plan to limit its future development engagement in Afghanistan to a particular time frame or only to the present planned projects. Our partnership is for the long term. The pace and nature of the utilisation of the present and future Indian assistance will be determined by the preference, comfort level and absorptive capacity of the Afghan government," he said, addressing an international meet on Afghanistan in Tokyo. The representatives of nearly 70 nations and international organisations pledged to give Afghanistan $16 billion for civilian needs over the next four years to prevent instability and chaos that may follow after foreign troops leave that country. In what is seen as a strong endorsement of India's initiatives on Afghanistan by the international community, the 'Tokyo Declaration' said the participants welcomed the results of the Delhi Investors' Summit on Afghanistan, underscoring the importance of implementing its recommendations. The participants reaffirmed the significance of risk mitigation and credit provision schemes by the international community in promoting private sector investment in Afghanistan. The Indian minister reiterated that New Delhi did not visualise its partnership with Afghanistan as condition-based or transitory, nor was it looking to back out of this partnership. ''In spite of not being a traditional donor country, we have shared significant resources for Afghanistan’s reconstruction and development.'' However, he stated while the international community was assisting Afghanistan in attaining its long-cherished goal of self-reliance, it must also acknowledge that despite the successes in embattled nation, the basic ideological, infrastructural, logistical and financial infrastructure of terror was still intact in the region.
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4 states to vote in full for Pranab
New Delhi, July 8 The entire bunch of political parties, which have MPs and MLAs from these states, have officially announced support for
Mukherjee, though the CPI and the RSP, which also have lawmakers in Kerala and
Tripura, have decided to abstain from voting. All the votes to be polled in these states will go to Mukherjee as the parties, including
CPM, have pledged support for Mukherjee’s presidential bid, save for some unlikely event of cross-voting. Overall in the election, Mukherjee is likely to have a smooth ride with an assured support from parties that have a vote value of at least 6.5
lakh, much above the requisite figure of 5,49,442. With NDA allies JD-U and the Shiv Sena breaking ranks with the BJP to support
Mukherjee, the number on his rival side has dwindled and Sangma is likely to garner around 3.2
lakh. He can muster around 3.65 lakh votes, if the Trinamool Congress supports
him. Kerala, which has a vote value of 41,812 in the electoral college of 10,98,882, has 140
MLAs, 29 Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs, of which 15 MLAs (13 from the CPI and two from the
RSP) and an MP (CPI) will abstain from voting. Mukherjee is likely to garner 38,830 vote value while abstention is valued at 2,988. In Tripura with 60 MLAs and three MPs, Mukherjee is likely to pocket votes having a value of 3,606. Three MLAs of the CPI and the
RSP, with a vote value of 78, will abstain from voting. Nagaland and Sikkim have a vote value of 1,956 and 1,640,
respectively. Meghalaya, Sangma’s home state, has a vote value of 3,204. It is presenting an interesting picture with some regional parties within the Congress-led coalition in the state rooting for the “son-of-the-soil” in the July 19 poll. The counting of votes will take place on July 22. It will be interesting to know whom will Sangma’s daughter
Agatha, a minister in the UPA government, vote for in the poll for which her party
(NCP) has announced support for Mukherjee. Congress leader and Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma has attacked Sangma by questioning his claim of representing the tribals in the presidential poll. The former Lok Sabha Speaker “can’t behave like a rogue element”, he has said. The Trinamool Congress will announce its decision just 72 hours before the polling. The party had broken ranks with the UPA on the presidential poll and the Congress is now working hard to woo her back. The supporters of the 77-year-old former Finance Minister include the Samajwadi Party, the
BSP, the CPM, the Forward Bloc and the JD-S among others. The UPA figures had come down to 4.12 lakh after the Trinamool Congress decided against the Congress choice. With support of the SP (66,688 vote value), the BSP (45,473), the JD-U (40,737), the Shiv Sena (18,495), the JD-S (6,138), the CPM and the Forward Bloc (around 41,000) and others offering support, Mukherjee can expect a vote share of about 6.5
lakh. The electoral college for the presidential poll has 4,896 members-776 MPs and 4,120
MLAs. If all votes are polled, a candidate who gets more than 5,49,442 votes will be declared the winner. — PTI |
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He is a friend of Communists, says Trinamool
Kolkata, July 8 “He
(Mukherjee) owes a lot to CPM and the Left Front. When he started his political career in the Bengal Congress in the 1960s, he received a lot of help from the Marxists,” Panchayat Minister Subrata Mukherjee said. “And now, when he is leaving the party politics, he is again getting help of the Communists. He has been a very close friend of CPM all through his life,” he added. The
Trinamool, the second largest constituent of the UPA, is yet to take a stand on the presidential election after its preferred candidate, former president APJ Abdul
Kalam, declined to contest. - IANS
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Planning panel to monitor infrastructural projects: Montek
Ludhiana, July 8 Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said this during an interaction with mediapersons in Ludhiana last
evening. Ahluwalia, who has once again shot into eminence with the Prime Minister taking charge of the finance portfolio, said the Planning Commission would monitor the progress of the (infrastructural) projects. In case, the projects get delayed because of the non-availability of clearances from other ministries, the issue would be referred to the Prime Minister’s Office
(PMO) so that the Principal Secretary could work with the secretaries from the other ministries towards the resolution of the issue. He added that targets for infrastructure sectors had been fixed following discussions at the tripartite level of the Planning Commission, the ministries and the
PMO. Reiterating that 9 per cent growth for 2012-17 was not realistic, he said that last year the growth rate was 6.4 per cent. In
the last quarter of 2011-12, it had come down to 5.3 per cent. “Though pessimists say the deceleration would continue, the government should stabilise the decline. However in the first year (2012), it is impossible to have a growth rate of more than 6.5-7 per cent. “The world is in a definite slowdown mode. If we’re able to achieve 8 per cent growth rate for 2012-17, it will be remarkable,” he added. Referring to the fuel supply agreements
(FSAs) of Coal India Limited (CIL) with private sector power companies, he said that in case of a shortfall in the domestic production of coal, it should be imported. To counter the high costs of the coal import, a price-pooling mechanism could be adopted, he added. Admitting that inflation is a problem, he said that last year, inflation was in double digits. “This year, we hope that fiscal deficit would be less. We also hope that international oil prices will not be a pressure on inflation,” he said. He said, “If we pick up on the growth side, we should be able to bring inflation down. The average inflation rate in India in the past 10 years has been 6 per cent. Whenever it goes beyond 6 per cent, it becomes a problem for the people. The government accepts this.” The Planning Commission Deputy Chairman, while emphasising that Foreign Direct Investment
(FDI) should be encouraged, said FDI was not a panacea. “FDI is not a
saviour. Actually, it is the domestic investment that saves (the economy of) the country. FDI is an indicator that the country is (an) open (economy). A country that has major international companies investing in it makes the people comfortable. Similarly, when
Indian companies invest abroad, it is a sign that we are a mature economy,”
he said.
Poverty line being reviewed
According to the Tendulkar Committee report, in 2004-2005, around 37 per cent population was below the poverty line. In 2009-10, it came down to approximately 29 per cent. Responding to the charge of an “unrealistic poverty line”, Ahluwalia said the Rangarajan Committee had been set up in May to review the poverty line. The poverty line would be pan-India - it would be the same for all states,
irrespective of the level of prosperity.
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Shettar in as Karnataka Chief Minister
Bangalore, July 8 No CM belonging to the Vokkaliga community has been able to complete his five-year term since 1956. Kengal Hanumanthaiah, Kadidal Manjappa, HD Deve Gowda, HD Kumaraswamy and DV Sadananda Gowda had to make way for others due to developments witnessed in the state since 1956. Hanumanthaiah, who is best remembered for his vision and contribution to the construction of Vidhana Soudha, the state secretariat, was the Chief Minister of the old Mysore state from March 30, 1952, to August 19, 1956. Hanumanthaih had to resign as the Chief Minister shortly before the unification of Karnataka in 1956. He, however, moved on to national level and was continuously elected as an MP representing Bangalore city from 1962 to 1977. Kadidal Manjappa was the CM of the old Mysore state for a short period, from August 19, 1956, to October 31, 1956. He voluntarily relinquished his post and S Nijalinagappa took over the reins. Deve Gowda, who became the 14th Chief Minister of the state from 1994 to 1996, could not complete his tenure as the United Front, a conglomeration of non-Congress and non-BJP regional parties, chose him to head the government and he became the 11th Prime Minister. — PTI
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Swearing-in on Wednesday
Bangalore, July 8 The BJP legislature party is slated to meet in Bangalore on Tuesday to formally elect Shettar as Chief Minister. Shettar will be sworn in as Chief Minister on Wednesday.
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Mumbai, July 8 Dara Singh (84) was taken to the hospital on Saturday following a severe cardiac problem. "He is still extremely critical. He is under high dose of medication. I would not say he is stable," Ram Narain of Kokilabain Hospital said. "We are still trying to find the exact reason... He came yesterday with no pulse and low BP (blood pressure). We have to keep him on ventilator to get his BP and oxygen stable. Right now he is very serious," he added. Dara Singh, who won the title of Rustam-e-Hind in wrestling, entered the movie world in the 1960s. He appeared in various films such as "Watan Se Door", "Daada", "Rustom-E-Baghdad", "Sher Dil", "Sikandar-e-Azam", "Raaka", "Mera Naam Joker" and "Dharam Karam". He was last seen in a 2007 release "Jab We Met". He also featured in mythological television shows "Ramayana" and "Mahabharat". Apart from acting, Dara Singh also tried his hand at direction.
— IANS
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BJD leader shot by suspected Maoists
Rourkela, July 8 Besides, a hand-written poster was found from the spot. It claimed that People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI) was responsible for the killing, Panigrahi said. While PLFI claims itself to be a Maoist outfit, police officers say it is actually a criminal group based in Gumla. A few days ago, both the Rourkela and Sundergarh police in separate operations busted a major network of the organisation and arrested some of its major masterminds, including Arjun Thakur from Rourkela and Dhanjaya Bhuyan from Kuanrmunda.
— PTI
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India accounts for 1.5% of global drug trials on humans
New Delhi, July 8 But a lower share in the global drug trial component has not resulted in lesser mortality of human volunteers involved in such trials in India. On an average, 10 persons have died every week in clinical trials in the country over the past four years. Between 2008 and 2011, 2,031 deaths were reported during drug trials in India, forcing the government to set up committees for review of the existing clinical trial approval mechanisms. Mortality rates have remained consistently high despite the public outcry against this trend, with 438 deaths being reported in 2011, preceded by 668 in 2010, 637 in 2009 and 228 in 2008. The death rate -- more than one person everyday -- is shockingly high when seen in the light of new data the Health Ministry has gathered from the World Health Organisation's international clinical trial database. The data shows that around 1,76,641 clinical trials have been carried out till now throughout the world to test the efficacy of new drugs on humans. Of these, only 2,770 have taken place in India. It constitutes a mere 1.5 per cent share in total trials held across the world in multiple countries Officials of the Health Ministry further say that the component of globally driven trials being held in India is on the decline, contrary to popular perception. Before March last year, the trials held in India constituted 27.7 per cent of the internationally driven trials involving global drug developers and testers. This share is now down to 20 per cent. "Clinical Trials Registry of India shows that our share in the globally driven clinical trials is reducing. It has come down from 27.7 per cent to 20 per cent in the last five years. That indicates bulk of clinical trials happening in India are indigenous," Secretary, Health Research VM Katoch said. There is no comparative data available with the Health Ministry on mortality of human subjects involved in clinical trials in India vis-à-vis other countries in the world. The Drug Controller General of India (DCGI), which maintains such data, has information only on deaths that occurred in the country. On 2,031 deaths in drug trials over the last four years, Health Ministry sources say such serious adverse events could occur due to various reasons. "These could be disease-related deaths like cancer etc or unrelated causes...," sources said. The government is now awaiting the report of an expert committee constituted to probe irregularities in the functioning of Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) which grants approvals to companies to hold clinical trials in India. In its last report, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health had alleged an unholy nexus among drug makers, CDSCO officials and experts who grant opinions for use of drugs. The panel had found that CDSCO had approved 33 drugs (out of a randomly selected sample) for use in India without any country-specific clinical trials. Experts claimed that government data on deaths during clinical trials of drugs in India was "underestimated". "In India, we allow the company conducting clinical trial on a drug to appoint its own investigator to assess deaths of subjects involved. There is no independent auditing. Under- reporting is natural," a medical expert, who refused to be named, said. He alleged that the system of DCGI's approval for clinical trial requests is weak. — PTI
High mortality
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Maharashtra’s sugarcane
output set to fall sharply
Mumbai, July 8 As per information available from the state agriculture department, acreage under cane could fall as much as 10 per cent. With not enough water for the cane under cultivation sugar output could fall by as much as 20-25 per cent, farmers’ organisations have warned. The Indian Sugar Mills Association (ISMA) has, however, pegged the likely fall in sugar output at a more conservative 16 per cent. “Area under sugarcane cultivation will fall in Maharashtra and Karnataka due to inadequate rainfall. However, output from Uttar Pradesh is expected to rise because of more land devoted to cane cultivation," ISMA said in a study released in Pune earlier this week. Maharashtra is expected to produce around 76 lakh tonnes of sugar in 2012-13 as against 90 lakh tonnes in the previous year, according to ISMA. However, farmer organisations such as Shetkari Sanghatana say cultivators are hesitant to sell cane to sugar co-operatives because they haven't paid them on time. "Though the sugar co-operatives have to pay within 14 days they have delayed payment this year," Raghunath Patil,a leader of the Sanghatana said. Meanwhile, a fodder scheme introduced by the government to provide relief to farmers in Maharashtra is proving to be lucrative for cane farmers. Reports from a number places in Maharashtra say, farmers are selling sugarcane to the state government's fodder camps because of the higher prices paid. The state government is paying between Rs 2,500 and Rs 2,900 for every tonne of fodder as against Rs 1,800 for every tonne of sugarcane paid by the sugar factories. According to the Shetkari Sanghatana, since the state government is also more prompt in paying the farmers its members are encouraged to sell cane as fodder.
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Advani backs Modi over reporting on Kalam’s book
New Delhi, July 8 “I have often felt that in India’s political history no political leader has been as systematically and viciously maligned as Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Do not these reports also reveal a conscious effort at vilification?” said Advani in his blog. “Modi and his government enthusiastically cooperated with Kalam. Yet no newsman thought it worthwhile to report these complimentary observations of his!” “I was surprised to find reports supposed to be based on the book about Gujarat in which (then Prime Minister) Atal Bihar Vajpayeeji was being found fault with for trying to protect the Narendra Modi government,” the BJP veteran said. He said Vajpayee's casual query to Kalam: “Do you consider going to Gujarat at this time essential” has been read by the media as the Prime Minister wanting to stop the President from going to Gujarat. The BJP leader pointed out that former President APJ Abdul Kalam had laid to rest all rumours that he was not welcomed in Gujarat after the post-Godhra riots in 2002. He says the NDA government never prevented Kalam from going to Gujarat. Advani says that in his book Dr Kalam says that his visit to Gujarat in August 2002 was his “first major task” after taking over as President. He writes: “Many apprehensions were expressed, among them that my visit might be boycotted by the chief minister, that I would receive a cold reception and that there would be agitations from many sides. But, to my great surprise when I landed at Gandhinagar, not only the Chief Minister, but his whole Cabinet colleagues and a large number of legislative members and administrators, including the public, were present at the airport”.
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Crime against women highest in WB, Andhra
New Delhi, July 8 The National Crime Records Bureau figures show that Andhra Pradesh, accounting for nearly 7 per cent of the country's population, recorded 12.4 per cent of total crime against women with 28,246 cases. Madhya Pradesh reported the highest number of rape cases (3,406) accounting for 14.1 per cent of total such cases reported in the country. Rape cases have been further categorised as incest rape and other. Incest rape cases have decreased by 7.3 per cent from 288 cases in 2010 to 267 cases in 2011 as compared to 9.2 per cent increase in overall rape cases. — PTI
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Army probe into chopper straying into PoK over
New Delhi, July 8 The CoI into the incident has been completed and the report submitted to the Northern Command headquarters, Army sources said here today. However, they made it clear that none of the two Aarmy pilots involved in the incident had been grounded by the authorities. The pilots were detained by the Pakistani authorities at the Olding sector near Skardu, about 20 km from the LoC, for a few hours before they were allowed to fly back to India. Later, it emerged that even after landing in Pakistani territory, the pilots did not realise their location and asked the Pakistani personnel to refuel their chopper. It is also believed that the Pakistani authorities carried out a thorough search of the Cheetah helicopter and checked the GPS devices also to verify the route taken by it. To avoid future mishaps in various Army operations, the Northern Command headquarters issued a tender to procure 80 GPS advanced navigation systems for the Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. The Cheetah and Chetak helicopters comprise the large majority of the Indian Army’s fleet of choppers. Besides, the tender for the procurement of 197 light utility choppers to replace the Chetak and Cheetah is also at an advanced stage. The last two contenders are the Russian Ka-226 T and Eurocopter’s AS-550 C3 Finnec. -
PTI
gps snag
z The two pilots had taken off from Leh on October 23 last year with two maintenance staff for repairing a Dhruv helicopter but strayed into Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) apparently due to problems in their GPS devices in inclement weather.
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Maharashtra pulls the plug on new
beer in old bottles
Mumbai, July 8 The state government has pulled out the Maharashtra Manufacture of Beer and Wine Rules - dating back to 1966 - under which breweries are to sell beer only in new bottles. "The government has begun legal proceedings against the breweries that recycle bottles," an official of the state Excise Department said. Till recently, scrap dealers bought used beer bottles from consumers for The market for used beer bottles has taken a beating after the Maharashtra Government moved against recycling beer bottles a few weeks ago, sources here said. Then, it was quite normal to find a popular brand of beer filled in a bottle which originally belonged to a competitor. Some breweries which moved the Bombay High Court against the state government rules were disappointed after the judges upheld the measures. Now with breweries having to buy new bottles every time, the final price of beer has shot up. A bottle of mild beer costs as much as Rs 110 in Mumbai. "The companies have increased the price of beer by as much as Rs 10 per bottle because of the
new rule," says Sudhakar Shetty, who heads the Hotel and Restaurants Association in Mumbai.
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Militants hurl grenade at Speaker's residence
Imphal, July 8 The grenade, which was hurled from outside the gate at around 9 AM, fell inside the gate but it failed to explode, the sources said. Th Lokeshore Singh was not at his private residence as he stays at his official residence at Babupara area here but his other family members reported the matter to the police. Bomb experts later defused it near Natum hill, sources said, adding no individual or group has claimed responsibility for the incident.
— PTI
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Schoolgirl forced to drink urine for bed-wetting
Santiniketan (WB), July 8 Girl's father Manoj Mistry lodged a complaint with the Bolpur police station late last night alleging that his daughter was "forced to drink urine that was squeezed into her mouth from the wet bedsheet by the warden of Karabi girls' hostel of the school" under Visva-Bharati University. The girl is a student of Patha Bhavan, residential coeducation primary and secondary school. The Visva-Bharati authorities today formed a four-member committee to look into the matter. The panel would submit its report as soon as possible, they said.
— PTI
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Jantar Mantar
Uttar Pradesh has five
CMs!
The political grapevine is abuzz with reports that Uttar Pradesh is run, not by one, but as many as five Chief Ministers. The line-up is Samajwadi party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, the party’s Muslim face Mohammad Azam Khan, the SP leader’s brother Shivpal Yadav, his cousin Ram Gopal Yadav and Akhilesh Yadav, in that order. First-time CM Akhilesh is apparently yet to come to grip with the intricacies of running a huge state like UP. As a result, the veteran Mulayam Singh Yadav is taking all key decisions while the others are running their own independent empires. In fact, the recent move allowing legislators to purchase vehicles worth Rs 20 lakh from their development funds was reported to be the brainchild of Mulayam who is known to keep the party rank and file in good humour. Akhilesh is said to have admitted privately that he often comes to know about the decisions made by his ministers through the media.
On display: SP & BSP mannerisms
When UPA Presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee visited Lucknow last week to seek support for his candidature, the scenes witnessed at CM Akhilesh Yadav’s residence and BSP chief Mayawati’s house were a study in contrast. Akhilesh had hosted a special lunch for Mukherjee where he met the SP MPs and legislators to appeal to them for their vote. However, the solemn occasion was marked by chaotic and noisy scenes as a large number of SP and Congress workers gate-crashed the party. The scene at the dinner hosted by Mayawati was totally different. The disciplined nature of the BSP was on full display at the former CM’s residence. There were no crowds thronging the place and no gate-crashers. Awe-struck BSP legislators stood around meekly awaiting instructions from ‘behenji.’ A beaming Mayawati later declared that “every BSP MLA and MP would vote for Mukherjee.”
The UPA government proposes to commence the monsoon session of Parliament on August 7 but a formal decision has been held back because of a procedural hitch. The schedule of a session is usually recommended by the Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary Affairs (CCPA). However, the CCPA cannot meet as it was headed by Pranab Mukherjee in his capacity as Lok Sabha leader. Now that he is the UPA’s Presidential candidate, the committee is headless. It has not been reconstituted as no decision has been taken on the appointment of a new Lok Sabha leader. Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is a front-runner for this crucial post though the names of senior leaders like Urban Development Minister Kamal Nath and Petroleum Minister S. Jaipal Reddy also figure in the list of probable contenders.
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New Delhi, July 8
New Delhi, July 8
Amid growing concerns over alarmingly high number of deaths during drug trials in India, new data revealed that of all the clinical trials conducted globally until now, only 1.5 per cent happened in India.
In his blog today, the veteran politician, while referring to Kalam's latest book “Turning Points”, said no other politician had been as systematically and viciously maligned as Modi.
