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Pranab-headed GoMs distributed
among PC, Antony, Pawar
Sporadic violence continues
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Mayawati’s statue vandalised in Lucknow
Prem Bhatia Awards for journalism announced
No bail for French diplomat who ‘raped’ his daughter
Cong-NCP rift
Madhumita murder
Modi’s Godhra remarks a political stunt: Sibal
Parties woo Muslims as K’taka polls approach
India asks Sri Lanka to release its fishermen
Team Anna fast: Thin crowds on Day 2
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Pranab-headed GoMs distributed
among PC, Antony, Pawar
New Delhi, July 26 Others who have been entrusted with crucial responsibilities include Home Minister P Chidambaram and Defence Minister AK Antony. Antony, who was unofficially designated number two in the government, has been given charge of the GoM on corruption which was set up last year in the wake of Team Anna’s agitation for a Lokpal Bill. The panel, which was headed by Mukherjee, had recommended scrapping of discretionary powers of ministers, cleared a new public procurement Bill and suggested legislative and administrative measures to deal with cases of corruption against public servants. Given Antony’s clean image, it was only appropriate that he should have been appointed head of this GoM. The Defence Minister is the new convener of EGoMs on pricing and commercial utilisation of gas and on ultra-mega power projects. Pawar, who returned to work today after the Congress and the NCP decided to bury the hatchet, will be heading the EGoM on management of drought which is slated to meet next Tuesday. This panel has acquired importance following reports of a severe drought in several parts of the country because of a weak monsoon. Pawar has also been given charge of the GoM on environmental clearances for coal blocks. This GoM was set up to resolve the differences between the environment and coal ministries after Jairam Ramesh held up clearances for coal mining. This became a serious issue as coal production slowed down while supplies to power plants were also affected. In both these cases, Pawar has a tough task on hand. The Agriculture Minister also heads the GoM on integrated strategy for water management. The headship of the sensitive EGoM on spectrum was initially given to Pawar but he declined the offer. Subsequently, P Chidambaram was appointed its head. The EGoM mandated to decide on the pricing of public issues of public sector companies is headed by the Home Minister while the GoMs under his charge include the panels to amend the Competition Act and discuss the draft coal regulator Bill. Government sources said while Chidambaram had been given responsibility of panels which deal with economic issues, Pawar was given charge of groups which are related to his ministry while Antony heads GoMs which are looking at sensitive issues. It was also underlined that the inter-ministerial panels were reconstituted on July 17, several days before Pawar complained about the UPA government’s unilateral style of functioning and threatened to walk out of the ruling combine. Sources said the two developments were not linked.
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Sporadic violence continues
in Assam; toll mounts to 44
Guwahati, July 26 Curfew was relaxed for four hours in the morning in Kokrajhar town. Stray incidents of violence were reported from Kokrajhar Chirang, Dhubri and Baksa. Shoot-at-sight orders were in force in the worst-affected Kokrajhar district, while night curfew was on in Chirang and Dhubri districts. Four more bodies were recovered from Chirang district this morning. An executive magistrate of Kokrajhar district Bipul Saikia was injured in an attack by unidentified assailants and his vehicle damaged while he had gone to visit a relief camp in Bhotgaon Kanchipara area of the district with some relief materials and without any police security. The All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) has claimed that 48 Bodo tribe villages were burnt down in the three districts, rendering around 1.20 lakh people homeless. “These people have nowhere to go now. They have to be given proper rehabilitation assistance,” ABSU president Promod Bodo told The Tribune. On the other hand, Religious Minority Council (RMC) of the BTC demanded a CBI inquiry into the communal violence. The RMC leaders accused BTC chief executive member Hagrama Mohilary of being biased against riot-hit religious minority community members. As many as 15 ambulances along with medicine stock were dispatched to the affected areas this morning. Health Minister Dr Himanta Bishwa Sarma said: “We will ensure proper health care for all victims. The government is arranging more doctors for the three severely affected districts.”
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Mayawati’s statue vandalised in Lucknow
Lucknow, July 26 The guard posted at the park told the police that around 4-6 motorcycle-borne youths reached the park and started breaking the statue with a hammer, a senior official said. Senior officials, including Principal Secretary, Home, RM Srivastava, DGP Ambrish Chandra Sharma and the District Magistrate reached the spot after the incident. They said a serious note had been taken of the incident and strict action would be taken against those involved in the act. BSP leader Swami Prasad Maurya also inspected the spot and demanded that the statue be immediately repaired and those involved in the act arrested. A number of pamphlets of the Uttar Pradesh Nav Nirman Sena were also found at the spot. Heavy police force has been deployed at the spot after the incident. Earlier in the day, sena office-bearers had told the media that they wanted the state government to remove all statues of Mayawati installed in Lucknow and Noida within 72 hours “otherwise they would be doing the same”. They also accused Mayawati of being involved in a number of scams. Meanwhile, the state unit of the Bahujan Samaj Party has warned the state government of dire consequences if the statue was not restored. —
PTI
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Prem Bhatia Awards for journalism announced
New Delhi, July 26 Ramesh has been named for the award for his excellent and unbiased coverage of political economy. He has covered important events like the demolition of the Babri Masjid on December 6, 1992. His coverage stood out for the excellent reporting on the impact of the demolition on the lives of those living in Ayodhya. Shalini Singh has bagged the award for her reporting on environmental issues, including the ravages of mining and the protests over the Posco Steel Plant in Odisha. Her report on the child football makers of Meerut also got international attention. The awards have been instituted in the memory of Prem Bhatia, an eminent journalist and former Editor-in-Chief of The Tribune. The awards will be presented at the 16th Prem Bhatia Memorial Lecture at the India International Centre here on August 11.
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No bail for French diplomat who ‘raped’ his daughter
Bangalore, July 26 Mazurier’s wife Suza Jones, who hails from Kerala, has stated in her complaint that her daughter complained of pain in her private parts and pointed to her husband as having caused that pain. Their maid also reported that Mazurier was closeted in the room with the victim for a long time. The court rejected Mazurier’s bail plea on the basis of these two submissions. Mazurier, deputy head of Chancery in the Consulate of France, was arrested on June 19 following a complaint by his wife. The police had earlier sought clarifications and returned the findings of the DNA test carried out by the Forensic Science Laboratory here on the samples collected from the victim and the alleged perpetrator. The report was said to be inconsistent.
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Cong-NCP rift
Mumbai, July 26 "I speak to the state Congress chief (Manikrao Thakre). I speak to NCP leader Praful Patel. We used to meet informally for coordination. Now, there will be a coordination committee with a proper agenda. Everything will be structured," Chavan told reporters here. According to the CM, the co-ordination committee will meet every month. Responding to questions from reporters, Chavan said there was no pressure on him from the party's central leadership to yield ground to the Nationalist Congress Party. “I don't know what pressure you are talking about. I was under no pressure from my party leadership," Chavan said. Regarding cases against ministers of the NCP that were supposed to be the bone of contention between the allies in Maharashtra, Chavan said the government had no role to play in that regard. "Some cases are being reported in the media and some are sub-judice. There is little a government can do in this,” Chavan said. On the White Paper, which the government brought out on irrigation that irked the NCP that holds the portfolio, the CM noted that his aim was only to bring facts about the department in the public domain. "There is no question of my going after anybody," Chavan said. The Chief Minister parried questions on whether he would continue to lead the party in Maharashtra in the 2014 Assembly elections. "It’s too early to say," Chavan said. Regarding dissent within his own party, Chavan said party MLAs wanted to discuss important issues with him to which he had no objections. "I don't consider the letter an act of dissidence," Chavan said.
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Madhumita murder
Dehradun, July 26 Pandey was arrested after the high court verdict from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh by the CBI. Pandey was earlier let off by the trial court for the want of evidence but the Uttarakhand High Court on July 16 pronounced him guilty and sentenced him to life imprisonment, while upholding the life sentence of key accused Amarmani Tripathi, his wife and two others. Accepting the plea of the CBI, which demanded life sentence for Pandey, alias Pappu, the court had directed the police to take him into custody immediately but he was untraceable. He was arrested by the CBI a few days ago. Amarmani, his wife Madhumani and two others, namely Rohit Chaturvedi and Santosh Kumar Rai, were convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment by a Dehradun court in 2007 for hatching a conspiracy and killing Madhumitta Shukla, who was shot dead in Lucknow on May 9, 2003. Amarmani has been an SP MLA and minister during the course of his trial before he was convicted in 2007. He was with the BSP and a UP minister when Madhumita was killed. After thorough investigation, the CBI filed a charge sheet against Amarmani and others on December 19, 2003.
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Modi’s Godhra remarks a political stunt: Sibal
New Delhi, July 26 Sibal, a noted lawyer himself, dismissed Modi’s remarks today as a political stunt ahead of Gujarat Assembly elections and dared the Gujarat CM to come clean on the issue if he really wanted to do justice to the victims and their
families.
“The Supreme Court has clearly laid down in its judgments that whenever a statement is made with respect to the commission of a cognisable offence, an FIR has to be compulsorily registered. But in 12 years since the Godhra riots, there has been no FIR against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. When there is no FIR, who is going to try him, pronounce him guilty or hang him?” Sibal asked. “We have ample evidence against Narendra Modi in the matter. The civil society has been fighting the battle for more than a decade. I must say that there has been no justice in the case so far and the Gujarat Chief Minister’s remarks to an Urdu daily are politically motivated in view of the forthcoming Assembly elections in the state. Even the SC directions are not being implemented in his case,” Sibal said. Modi has been accused of giving tacit support to the riots in which more than 1,000 Muslims were killed following the February 27, 2002 Godhra train burning incident in which 57 'kar sewaks' returning from Ayodhya were burnt alive. Union Corporate Affairs Minister M Veerappa Moily said it was for the judiciary to decide on the guilty and take appropriate steps to punish them. Asked if Modi's remark was aimed at appeasing the minorities, he said, "I don't know whether it is to appease minorities. But I think it is highly reprehensible and irresponsible". Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid, taking a dig at Modi, said if the Gujarat Chief Minister was aiming to change his image with such a remark, it would be better to change his behaviour and role instead. "I don't think we believe in kangaroo justice. The law of the land will prevail. The courts will decide. The agencies that are working for the courts will have to decide, place the material before the court and the court will take a decision," he said. "I don't think that we can decide the issue either on the streets or that Modi can take a decision by himself," he said. Asked if Modi's remark was aimed at adopting a pro-minority image, Khurshid said: "If he wants to improve his image, let him. But I feel he should change his behaviour and his role. That will be the best. Changing image will not help."
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Parties woo Muslims as K’taka polls approach
Bangalore, July 26 Interestingly, both parties have launched their respective initiatives for winning the hearts of the minority community by first apologising to them. The JD (S) has become a suspect in the eyes of the members of the community after it joined hands with the BJP in 2006 to form the government in Karnataka under the leadership of HD Kumaraswamy. At a “Muslim rally” organised by the JD (S) at the Palace Ground here recently, the party admitted its “mistake” of aligning with the BJP and reassured the community that it would work for its all-round development. JD (S) apparently feels that its traditional support base among people of the Vokkaliga caste, combined with the Muslims, will be a formidable electoral combination. JD (S) supremo and former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda was present at the rally and talked about the contribution of the Janata Parivar and JD (S) in particular to the community’s welfare. The Congress recently apologised to Muslims for the defeat of party candidate Iqbal Ahmed Saradagi in the recent elections to the Karnataka Legislative Council due to cross-voting. Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president G Parameshwara, accompanied by Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Assembly Siddaramaiah, tendered apologies to the Muslims in a meeting here. Given its numerical strength in the Legislative Assembly, the Congress was assured of three Council seats but had fielded four candidates, hoping to win the fourth one with its own surplus votes, support of Independents and possible cross-voting by two other parties, the BJP and JD (S). The party’s calculations, however, went awry.
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India asks Sri Lanka to release its fishermen
New Delhi, July 26
In New Delhi, the MEA also took up the issue again with the Sri Lankan High Commission. Official sources said India was expecting early release of the fishermen following the intervention by New Delhi at the top level.
The Sri Lanka Navy allegedly chased some Indian fishing boats and arrested the 23 fishermen when they were fishing near Katchatheevu in the Palk Straits on Saturday midnight. They were produced in a Mannar court on Monday and remanded till August 6.
The issue has sparked protests in Tamil Nadu, with political parties in the state asking the Centre to intervene and secure the release of the fishermen.
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President’s
Standards for 3 BRD Chandigarh, June 29 In military ethos, the President's Standards award is considered as one of the greatest honours to be bestowed upon a unit or establishment in recognition of exceptional service rendered by it, both during war and in peace. Number 3 Base Repair Depot is the third depot to receive the Standards. In 2004, 1 BRD at Kanpur was awarded the Standards and last year 9 BRD at Pune received the President’s Colours. The IAF has a total of 13 BRDs, which are engaged in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft, missiles, weapons, aero-engines, radars, communication equipment and other gadgets. It would be for the first time that a function to award the President’s Standards is being organised in Chandigarh. The Chandigarh depot would be the second IAF establishment in Chandigarh to receive the Standards. In 2007, Chandigarh-based 48 Squadron, which is the lifeline of troops deployed in Ladakh, was awarded the Standards, but the function was held at Bhuj where 37 Squadron, a fighter outfit, was also given the Standards at a joint function. Set up in August 1962, 3 BRD is responsible for the maintenance of Soviet-origin helicopters like the Mi-8, Mi-17 and Mi-35 and the overhaul of AN-32 engines. It has also carried out several modifications to the helicopter fleet to meet operational requirements, undertaken aircraft life extension projects and carried out research on various aeronautical aspects. At present it is assembling and flight-testing the latest acquisition of the IAF, the Mi-17-V helicopters. The AFCME is a specialised medical evaluation centre for aircrew of all the three services of the Armed Forces, paramilitary organisations, government agencies and civil aviation establishments. Set up in Lahore under the Royal Indian Air Force to conduct medical examinations and assessments of aircrew for flying fitness, it moved to New Delhi in 1942.
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Team Anna fast: Thin crowds on Day 2 New Delhi, July 26 The indefinite fast of Anna’s aides at Jantar Mantar entered its second day on Thursday. The crowd - though less in number - responded well to the charged speeches by Team Anna members, with Arvind Kejriwal only joining the bandwagon later in the evening. He had gone to Bulandshahr in UP for a court hearing on his remarks against MPs for calling them “corrupt, criminals and rapists”. While reading out the letter that he would be submitting to the Bulandshahr court, Kejriwal lashed out at tainted MPs and the government. He said, “I don’t think I have done anything wrong. I respect the law of Parliament. Rather, it is those sitting inside who have no regard for the House. Instances of indiscipline like throwing mikes and indulging in unruly behaviour are quite common.” He added that as many as 522 MPs have been charged with graft, 76 charged for serious offences, 14 accused for murder, 20 for attempt to murder and 15 charged for kidnapping. The number of MPs with criminal record has gone up each time because parties give ticket to criminals, he said. On Salman Khurshid’s rebuff that Team Anna was free to go to the United Nations with complaints, team core committee member Gopal Rai, who is also on indefinite fast, said, “This reflects the insensitivity and indifference of the government towards its own people.” Even as the Anna associates continued with their digs against MPs and the UPA government, Anna remained silent. Earlier, he had also congratulated Pranab Mukherjee on his election as President
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Lucknow, July 26
