|
|
|
|
|
SC notice to Maya in Taj corridor case
7 Cong MPs to resign over Telangana
Karnataka BJP rebel MLAs to resign today
Youth can help tackle complex challenges: PM
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
UP to add 17 BCs in SC list Yashwant bats for Modi as PM
Father, son make history, fly IAF’s AN-32 together
Air Cmde RS Sodhi (right) with his son Flt Lt Angad Singh in the cockpit of an IAF AN-32 aircraft at Vadodara on Monday.
A Tribune photograph
Book Shinde, PC, court to police
BJP seeks Manmohan’s statement
‘Vishwaroopam’ Ban
Jaipur revels in lit fest warmth as curtains come down
Anne Solange Nobel, Tahar Ben Jello, Selma Dabbagh and Ahdaf Soueif at a session on the last day of the Jaipur Literature Festival on Monday. — PTI
Focus on FTA as Khurshid’s Europe tour begins
Relocated hoolock gibbons give birth in Arunachal forest
Portion of Pinjore-Parwanoo bypass caves in, repairs on
Repair work under way on a damaged stretch of the Pinjore-Parwanoo bypass on Monday. Tribune photo: Nitin Mittal
Maintain status quo on land near Ayodhya site: SC
|
|
SC notice to Maya in Taj corridor case
New Delhi, January 28 According to the petitioners, the trial court should have proceeded with the criminal case against Mayawati and the then Environment Minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui despite the then Governor TV Rajeshwar’s refusal in 2007 to grant sanction to prosecute them under the Prevention of Corruption Act and various provisions of the Indian Penal Code for cheating, forgery, and criminal conspiracy. The appeal in the SC has been filed by one of the PIL petitioners in the HC. Rejecting the PILs on November 5, 2012, the HC had upheld a June 2007 order of the special CBI court dropping the criminal proceedings against Mayawati and Siddiqui for want of Governor’s sanction. BSP’s continuing its outside support to the Manmohan Singh government is now bound to hinge on the stand the CBI and the Centre would take in their response to the appeal in the SC. With 36 BSP MPs in Parliament - 21 in the Lok Sabha and 15 in the Rajya Sabha - Mayawati could tilt the scales against the UPA which has been surviving on a razor thin majority in the Lower House, thanks mainly to the BSP and the Samajwadi Party of Mulayam Singh Yadav. UPA’s dependence on the BSP for survival had become all the more crucial following parting of ways by Mamata Banejree’s Trinamool Congress. With the Budget session of Parliament likely to begin in less than a month, the UPA is left with no option but to maintain its ties with the BSP. At the same time, it cannot afford to blatantly protect Mayawati in the Taj Corridor case in the SC as it would deal a major political blow to the Congress, already at the receiving end for a series of alleged scams at the Centre and policy paralysis. Appearing for Mayawati, senior counsel KK Venugopal contended today that this was the fourth attempt to prosecute his client as a similar plea had been rejected by another SC Bench. On July 6, 2012, a Bench comprising Justices P Sathasivam and Dipak Misra quashed a disproportionate assets case linked to the Taj Corridor scam and pulled up the CBI for targeting Mayawati. “The CBI exceeded its jurisdiction in lodging” an FIR against her on October 5, 2003, the Bench had ruled. The CBI had contended that it had registered the FIR on the basis of an apex court order on September 18, 2003. The SC had passed the order on a PIL alleging a scam involving the release of Rs 17 crore without proper sanction for the Taj Heritage Corridor Project under the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) area at Agra.
|
|
7 Cong MPs to resign over Telangana
Hyderabad, January 28
The MPs said they would ask the party leadership to take a decision to carve out a separate state in a week or forward their resignations to the Speaker. “We will meet tomorrow (Tuesday) to send the resignation letters and will chalk out our future course of action. This will be our last meeting,” said K. Rajagopal Reddy, one of the MPs. “There is no question of compromise on Telangana. We will join the people to fight for separate state,” he added. There are 17 Lok Sabha members from Telangana region, which comprises 10 districts including Hyderabad. Twelve of the MPs are from the Congress and they include three Central ministers. The MPs, who attended the meeting are K Rajagopal Reddy, Ponnam Prabhakar, Madhu Yaskhi, S. Rajaiah, G. Vivekanand, Gutha Sukender Reddy and Manda Jaganath. Senior Congress leader K Keshava Rao and some other party leaders from the region also attended the meet. According to sources, there were differences among the MPs over the resignations. Some of them felt resignations would not help achieve Telangana and this would only benefit Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS). Madhu Yaskhi told reporters that the TRS was eyeing 2014 elections and clarified that their only goal was Telangana and not the elections. He claimed that MPs were using their posts only to fight for Telangana in Delhi and reminded their critics that people of Telangana sent them to parliament. Reacting to threats by some Telangana groups threatening to target Congress MPs, Yaskhi dared them to target leaders from Seemandhra (Rayalaseema and Andhra regions) creating hurdles in formation of Telangana. — IANS
|
||
|
Karnataka BJP rebel MLAs to resign today
Bangalore, January 28 A Yeddyurappa group spokesperson today said 16 to 18 BJP legislators would resign from the Assembly at 11 am tomorrow. Thirteen BJP legislators loyal to Yeddyurappa (including two ministers who had quit their posts) wanted to resign from the Assembly on Wednesday but were forced to put their plan on hold as the Speaker remained unavailable and incommunicado. Assembly Speaker KG Bopaiah, who was in Nepal on a private visit, has since returned to Karnataka. He is slated to be present in his office tomorrow. This delay in acceptance of resignation by the Speaker is believed to have cost Yeddyurappa the support of two of the 13 legislators who were ready to quit the Assembly on Wednesday. Thippeswamy and Vittala Katakadonda, who were part of the group of 13 MLAs who had gathered in the Assembly on January 23 to resign from their seats and then join the Yeddyurappa-led Karnataka Janata Party (KJP), have apparently gone back to the BJP fold. A petition filed before the Speaker today by BJP MLAs seeking action against the rebel MLAs for throwing their weight behind Yeddyurappa didn’t mention Thippeswamy and Katakadonda’s names. But former minister Sunil Valyapure’s name was included in the petition. Valyapure participated in the Haveri function of the KJP last month but was not present in the high drama enacted on January 23 when the rebel MLAs had created a ruckus after they found out that the Speaker was not present in his office in the Assembly. In the 225-member Karnataka Assembly, the BJP has 118 MLAs, including the Speaker. One nominated member and one Independent member are supporting it, taking the effective strength of the treasury benches to 120. The largest opposition party, the Congress, has 71 members, followed by 26 of the JD(S). Six unattached Independents take the total number of legislators who are neither part of the BJP nor aligned with it to 103. Two seats in the Assembly are vacant. Yeddyurappa, therefore, will have to secure the resignation of at least 18 MLAs to achieve his
objective of bringing down the Shettar government and prevent it from presenting a populist budget in
the Assembly session next month. Yeddyurappa fears a populist budget will brighten the BJP’s prospects in the Assembly elections due in May.
|
||
|
Youth can help tackle complex challenges: PM
New Delhi, January 28 Addressing the National Cadet Crops (NCC) Republic Day camp, the PM said India could meet complex challenges if the energy of its youth was channelised in a "positive direction". “India is a young nation. Our youth are our major strength. Today, more than ever before, there is greater awareness among the youth about their rights. Equally, there is a strong desire to contribute directly to the betterment of society,” the Prime Minister said. He also acknowledged the contribution of NCC towards nation-building, social harmony and in inculcating the core value of patriotism, discipline and self-less service among the nation's youth. The NCC, he said, had made praiseworthy efforts in spreading awareness among the masses on important issues such as female foeticide, cancer control, energy conservation and environment protection. The youth, he said, should keep the NCC motto of unity and discipline uppermost in their mind and reminded them that discipline and a united nation could meet any challenge. “It is a matter of pride that the NCC has always come forward and discharged its duty in the sphere of disaster relief social service and community development,” he said. He said he was aware of the high standards achieved by cadets in the fields of training, support and adventure activity. It is heartening to learn that NCC cadets have undertaken several successful mountaineering, trekking and sailing activities.
|
||
|
UP to add 17 BCs in SC list
Lucknow, January 28 The castes included in this list are: Rajbhar, Nishad, Mallah, Kahaar, Kashyap, Kumhar, Dheemar, Bind, Prajapati, Gheevar, Bhar, Kevat, Baatham, Machchua, Turaha, Manjhi and Gaur. Playing with caste politics, Yadav has once again tried to draw a wedge in Mayawati’s vote bank by supporting these most backward castes among the OBCs attempting to get them SC status and hoping to win over their allegiance. However, Mayawati had put a spanner in Yadav’s move as officially she had blamed Yadav for harming their interest still further by withdrawing benefits they were getting as OBC. She had pointed out that these castes being listed as SC in Uttar Pradesh was beyond Mulayam’s power as it was the Central government’s prerogative to do so. — TNS
|
||
|
Yashwant bats for Modi as PM
New Delhi, January 28 Although there have been stray voices making similar suggestion, this is for the first time that a senior leader, whose intervention last week changed the course of the BJP presidential election, has chosen to go public regarding it. The significance of the statement should also be viewed in the light of the fact that it came a day after Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi called on Rajnath Singh, who was elected the BJP chief on January 23. Yet, by speaking his mind, Sinha has also queered the pitch for BJP president Rajnath Singh who has to work out the delicate balance with allies, especially the Janata Dal (United) that is “not very keen on projection of Modi as prime ministerial candidate.” On his part, Sinha felt that being the oldest ally of the BJP, the JD (U) should remain in the alliance but conceded that being a separate party, it could after careful consideration decide future course of action.
JD(U) cautious NDA ally JD(U) was cautious in reacting to the suggestion and termed it as a personal view of Sinha. The party said it would rather await the stand of the BJP. Party spokesman Shivanand Tiwari said the JD(U) had conveyed its position to the BJP through its leader Nitish Kumar
|
||
|
Father, son make history, fly IAF’s AN-32 together
Chandigarh, January 28 Air Commodore RS Sodhi, Air Officer Commanding, Air Force Station, Vadodara, made this record with his son, Flight Lieutenant Angad Singh Sodhi, who is presently posted at 12 Squadron, based at Agra. The family hails from Chandigarh. While a number of fathers and sons/daughters are serving in the IAF at the same time and have even been posted to the same station, the instance of a “family aircrew” on a regular operational sortie has been unheard of. Three generations of this family have served with the Indian Air Force. It began with Wg Cdr Bhupender Singh Sodhi (retd) joining the IAF in November 1949, being commissioned into the administrative/legal branch. Both his sons subsequently chose this illustrious career. The elder son, Air Cmde PS Sodhi, joined as a medical officer and is presently commanding No. 5 Air Force Hospital, Jorhat. The younger son is Air Cmde RS Sodhi. Flt Lt Angad, who is the latter’s son, joined the Air Force as a pilot in June 2010. Air Cmde RS Sodhi was commissioned in June 1979 as a fighter pilot and has logged 3,500 hours of flying on various aircraft. An alumnus of the Defence Services Staff College and the College of Defence Management, he has been decorated with the Vishisht Seva Medal distinguished service.
|
||
|
Book Shinde, PC, court to police
Hyderabad, January 28 The Ranga Reddy district court directed the LB Nagar police station on the outskirts of Hyderabad to register the case against the two ministers. The court gave the direction on a complaint by a lawyer who alleged that the two ministers cheated the people of Telangana by going back on their announcements to carve out a separate state. — IANS
|
||
|
BJP seeks Manmohan’s statement
Nagpur/New Delhi, Jan 28 The Congress said in New Delhi that a decision will be taken at an appropriate time. Talking to reporters in Nagpur, BJP president Rajnath Singh said his party was in favour of carving out Telangana from Andhra Pradesh, and blamed Congress-led central government for delaying it. “The Congress gave an assurance that they will form Telangana. The BJP has been saying that there should be a separate state of Telangana, and we have been raising the issue in and out of parliament, but government has been delaying the decision,” Rajnath Singh told reporters. “Now they are saying they need some more time. We and the people of Telangana want to know how much time is needed for formation of the state. The prime minister should make a statement on this,” he said. Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi said in New Delhi: “It is a very sensitive issue. Sentiments of people of Andhra Pradesh are attached. Ghulam Nabi Azad has already given his statement in this regard. At an appropriate time a decision will be taken.” Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde had fixed the January 28 deadline for the decision. Shinde, however, Sunday issued a statement saying the “consultation process” on formation of Telangana will take “some more time”. For the second consecutive day Monday, Osmania University in Hyderabad remained tense with police barricading students from taking out a rally. — IANS
|
||
|
HC decision on Kamal Haasan’s plea today
Chennai, January 28 As the court met this morning to decide on the ban, Haasan’s counsel filed petitions challenging prohibitory orders imposed by district collectors under Section 144 of CrPC across the state and sought hearing on it along with the main case. Deferring the matter till tomorrow, Justice K Venkataraman, who had watched the movie on Saturday, suggested the petitioner to “explore all possibilities” to find an “amicable” solution with the government. The judge suggested to the petitioner to “keep in mind, the law and order situation in the country… unity of the nation… because of this there should not be any disharmony among the communities…. That is the primary consideration”. Talking to mediapersons outside the court, petitioner’s counsel PS Raman said: “We challenged the district collectors’ orders and sought it to be heard along with the main petition.” On court’s suggestion for an amicable situation, Raman said: “The court only made an observation that since Kamal Haasan has returned to town, he can try to find a compromise. That is not a court order. You shall not consider it a court order.” To another query on reports of release of pirated DVDs of the movie, he said: “We have not made any submissions in this regard in the court.” Haasan’s brother Chandra Haasan said the loss during the weekend holidays could be “anywhere between Rs 30-80 crore. We don’t know if theatres are available.... We don’t know if they will be willing to exhibit it in the middle of the week or even if they are available in the next week, we don’t know”. On if the ban was a curb on the freedom of expression, he said: “This is a matter of law. Judges are there to do the interpretation”. To a query on whether the film in any way hurt the sentiments of Muslims or not, he said: “Even at the time of making the movie, we were sure that it wouldn’t affect the sentiment of any community.” On the removal of objectionable scenes from the movie, he said: “One, I cannot envisage anything objectionable that they may find. Two, it is the director’s prerogative to agree to cut or not to cut. That will be Kamal Haasan’s decision, not producer’s.” The court had on January 24 declined to grant an interim stay on the two-week ban imposed on the movie, which has angered Muslim outfits for depicting their community in a “negative” light. The actor has missed two deadlines for the film, a spy thriller starring Haasan in the lead along with Rahul Bose, Pooja Kumar and Jaideep Ahlawat. The film first ran into rough weather after some theatre owners resisted the tech-savvy actor’s decision to premiere the movie, made in Hindi and Telugu, as well, on a DTH platform ahead of its screening in theatres on January 11. The actor-director landed in Chennai late last night from Los Angeles, but refused to comment on the matter. Haasan had held a special screening of the film, reportedly made on Rs 100-crore budget in three languages, for the Muslim outfit leaders, but failed to win their approval. — PTI
In rough weather
* Kamal Haasan's 'Vishwaroopam' was released worldwide on January 25 *
Theatre owners had blocked the film's premiere on DTH platform on January 10 *
Later, the Tamil Nadu Govt imposed a two-week ban on the screening of the film over its portrayal of Muslims *
A similar ban has been imposed in Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka
|
||
|
Jaipur revels in lit fest warmth as curtains come down
Jaipur, January 28 The JLF has grown from 40 participants six years back, to close to two lakh footfalls recorded this year, claimed the organisers. With close to 280 speakers, who are among the best known authors from several literary languages of the country and the world, poets and subject experts from the best institutions of the world, available to thousands of people free of cost, created a unique platform for mass interaction. This year, with Google and Twitter joining the JLF as sponsors added a new dimension to the literature festival. With five lakh hits on the web cast, all sessions made available on the web and ‘140 Kahani’, a programme where thousands joined to write a story in 140 characters made it more interactive and appealing to the young. One could see, through the five-day festival, the most interesting and intelligent questions were raised by the very young. But, the old mind sets refuse to go, was evident at several occasions. Despite these discordant notes, the level of discourse was engaging. In a session aptly titled “Maps of Love and Hate” that dealt with the literature produced in the Arabic world constituted of 21 countries, with diverse voices yet with common themes and threads running across, Ahdaf Soueif, organiser of the Palestine Literature Festival observed, “What literature does at its best is, it makes you experience things you have never lived, you learn to empathise by living through the experience of reading a book that humanises you.” In the opening session titled ‘A Rebel State,’ eminent Marathi author Bhalchandra Nemade cleared the air, stating rebellion is nothing new, India has had a great tradition of rebels like Kabir, Tukaram and Buddha, who questioned the established truth, and the writers should carry that legacy as their religion, with a sense of responsibility. “ Every rebellion has a built-in constructive side to it,” he assured. But, a few ironies remained entangled despite all the discourse on a free society and liberty. Jeet Thayil, whose latest novel “Nacropolis” that won the DSC JLF Prize and is on the short list of Man Booker, a story that for the first time brings to the fore the voices of the minority from Mumbai, remained at the receiving end of threat from the same very minority. He had to move with his security in the venue. Somewhere in between what is said and what is being understood, the threads are lost. In the same session, he made a meaningful comment, “Here, at the JLF, it is easy to be a rebel, everybody is waiting to get hurt, getting offended, without looking at the complexity of thought. Thoughts are not tweets, limited to 140 characters. And writers rebel with ideas within their world of written word.” Meanwhile, despite rumours of an impending arrest of Sanjoy Roy, producer of the JLF, the two directors who addressed a press conference, Namita Gokhale and William Dalrymple, refused to make a comment on the subject. Gokhale said, “The purpose of the festival is to understand and accommodate multiple voices, the JLF is a platform for manthan, a churning of ideas and someone has to take the poison that comes out of this churning.” Sources from the administration confirmed, they were waiting for the festival to be over before they proceeded with action. Everything is on the camera. If you don’t play by the rules of the game, then be prepared to face music, said a personnel from Jaipur administration under condition of anonymity.
|
||
|
Focus on FTA as Khurshid’s Europe tour begins
New Delhi, January 28 India and the EU have been negotiating the FTA since June 2007. The talks were to conclude in 2011 but differences over the level of opening of the market have delayed the accord. India has been seeking a single visa for its professionals on short-term contractual visits to the European Union. On the other hand, the EU has been asking for significant reduction in customs duty on cars, wines and spirits in their exports to India. During his visit to Belgium on January 30-31, Khurshid will hold bilateral discussions with Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Didier Reynders and with the European Union’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission, Baroness Catherine Ashton. The two-way trade between India and the EU stood at $91.3 billion in 2010-11. The bilateral trade is expected to more than double to exceed $207 billion by 2015 once the two sides sign the FTA. The FTA would involve slashing of duties on over 90 per cent of the commodities and opening up of the mutual markets for services and investment. Sources said the possibility of the accord being signed during the India-EU Summit in Brussels this summer could not be ruled out. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will lead the Indian delegation at the summit. Before arriving in Belgium, Khurshid will be in Germany on a two-day visit from tomorrow during which he will hold talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel and other leaders. The talks are to focus on bilateral relations as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest. Summit level Indo-German consultations are slated to be held later this year when Prime Minister Singh visits Germany. India and Germany are strategic partners since 2000 and share long-standing friendly relations based on common values of democracy, respect for fundamental rights and mutual trust. Both countries are celebrating 60 years of diplomatic relations.
Free trADE pact & its importance * The two-way trade between India and the EU stood at $91.3 billion in 2010-11 *
The bilateral trade is expected to more than double to exceed $207 bn by 2015 once the two sides sign the FTA *
The FTA would involve slashing of duties on over 90 per cent of the commodities and opening up of the mutual markets for services and investment
|
||
|
Relocated hoolock gibbons give birth in Arunachal forest
Guwahati, January 28 This particular gibbon family is among the five stranded families rescued from the remote agrarian Dello village under the Mehao Gibbon Rescue Project by the Arunachal Pradesh Forest Department and International Fund for Animal Welfare Wildlife Trust of India (IFAW-WTI). About 15 more gibbons are currently stranded in scattered trees separated in farmlands in Dello area in the hill state awaiting relocation. Named ‘Ouiji’ (meaning ‘hope’ in the local Idu Mishmi dialect), the infant was photographed suckling on its mother seven days back by IFAW-WTI primatologist Dr Kuladeep Roy. The baby was born to the third family, rescued and moved from Dello in February last year. The family was sighted “moving about and feeding” in the release site in Sally Lake, Mehao Wildlife Sanctuary. “This marks a milestone in our project,” Ipra Mekola, State Advisory Wildlife Board Member, who oversees the project, said. Dr NVK Ashraf, Chief Veterinarian, WTI, said, “We are preparing for capture of more families in Dello in the coming months.” Hoolock Gibbons species, the Western Hoolock gibbon (Hoolock hoolock) and the Eastern Hoolock Gibbon (Hoolock leuconedyes), are distributed in seven states of Northeast India on the southern bank of the Dibang-Brahmaputra river system. The Eastern Hoolock Gibbon (H. leuconedyes) is confined to Arunachal Pradesh in the district of Lohit, Dibang Valley and Changlang. In Assam, Eastern Hoolock Gibbon distribution is restricted in the reserve forest of Sadiya Sub division only, according to Dr Dilip Chetry, a wildlife biologist working on Hoolock gibbon conservation. Habitat fragmentation and hunting are the major threats to gibbons in India. Added to this situation is the lack of basic information and poor conservation awareness about the species in different sections of the people including the frontline staff of the Forest Department, which is yet another major hindrance in the conservation of the species.
|
||
|
Portion of Pinjore-Parwanoo bypass caves in, repairs on
Panchkula, January 28 The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is repairing the damaged road now. The particular stretch has been closed and the traffic is being diverted to the opposite lane. NHAI Director Anil Dahiya said, “Due to presence of debris, rainwater got stagnant in the area which later resulted into caving in of the road stretch. But that patch will be repaired soon.” It was on April 6, 2012, that the four-lane bypass had become operational after the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The 11-km bypass runs from Mallah
road, about 400 m from Pinjore’s Yadvendra Garden, and joins the national highway near Timber Trail in Parwanoo. Around 5.5-km stretch of the road falls in Haryana, while the remaining is in the Himachal territory. “It exposes the quality of the material that has been used to construct the bypass,” said Vijay Bansal, a resident of Pinjore who works at Panchkula. “Chances of accidents increase during the night as the stretch has been closed and the traffic diverted to one side,” he added. “Cracks and potholes are visible at some other places also,” said Binny Dua, a commuter. Commuters have to pay toll tax for using this road stretch. Around 20,000 vehicles cross the toll plaza every day. The number increases to around 30,000 on weekends. The monthly revenue generation
|
||
|
Maintain status quo on land near Ayodhya site: SC
New Delhi, January 28 “We are hopeful that this status quo will continue. While doing the excavation this status quo should not be disturbed,” a bench comprising justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai said. The remarks were made by the bench during the hearing of issues relating to a permission seeking to change the tarpaulin and ropes at Lord Rama's make-shift temple at the disputed site and to relieve two judicial officers appointed at the direction of the Allahabad High Court since 2003 to visit the place fortnightly for keeping it updated about the situation there in Ayodhya. The Registrar of the high court made an application stating that since the issues relating to the the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya was now before the apex court, the two judicial officers, who had been appointed as Commissioners on High Court order should be relieved from their duty. The Commissioner, Faizabad District, also said there was a need for permission from the apex court for carrying out work relating to the tarpaulin and ropes at the make shift temple. The bench was told that earlier it was on the order of the high court such works were done. While posting the matter for hearing on February 18, the bench said it may allow the prayers made in the applications but will not allow any more impleadment in the case. “Change of tarpaulin, ropes, etc, can be allowed but nothing should change the status quo,” the bench said. The apex court had admitted several petitions challenging the Allahabad High Court verdict of three-way division of the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya. It had stayed the operation of the September 30, 2010 verdict of the high court. The apex court on May 9, 2011 had dubbed as “strange” the high court's verdict of three-way division of the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid site in Ayodhya and had stayed its operation saying none of the parties had demanded partition of the land. While ordering status quo at the site, which means that prayers at Ram Lalla's make-shift temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya would be going on as usual, the Court had restrained any kind of religious activity on the adjacent 67-acre land, which had been taken over by the Centre. All the parties to the suit had expressed satisfaction over the Supreme Court's May 9 order. — PTI
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
It was a regular sortie but with a difference. As an IAF’s AN-32 tactical transporter got airborne from Air Force Station,
Vadodara, today it carved a niche in aviation history as the aircraft was being flown by a father-son crew. An act so far unrecorded in the history of the IAF’s transport fleet.
Literature, art, theatre and music, it was all there, enriching the sixth chapter of DSC Jaipur Literature Festival
(JLF) that concluded this evening peacefully. Though one could see policemen with binoculars scanning the routes leading to Diggi Palace, the venue of the
JLF, from the rooftops, looking for disturbing elements, if any.
Barely a few months after the newly constructed Pinjore-Parwanoo bypass was thrown open to the public, its 100-m stretch has caved in near Parwanoo toll plaza. This has put a question mark on the kind of material used to complete the Rs 412-crore project.
The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) is repairing the damaged road now.
“We will examine the case,” a Bench comprising Justices HL Dattu and Ranjan Gogoi said while issuing notice to Mayawati, CBI, the Centre and the UP government seeking their response to a petition challenging an Allahabad High Court’s refusal to entertain a batch of PILs on the issue.
“A debate has been taking place for many days now. When I travel, there is a strong demand from common people and workers that Narendra Modi should be declared as the prime ministerial candidate. After careful thought, I have concluded that if the BJP declares Modi as its PM candidate, then the BJP will benefit hugely in the elections. It will have a big impact on voters. I have no doubt regarding it,” Sinha told reporters here.
Diverse voices were raised in sessions spanned through the day, with oblique references to the controversy that left a bitter taste in the mouth with repeated resolves to keep the JLF, a platform that it has been for voicing multiple points of view, free from the stereotypical close mindedness. 