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SC: Divorced women entitled to monthly maintenance
Education, sanitation on Rotary’s agenda in India
Ron D Burton |
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Our focus remains on improving ties with SAARC nations: Khurshid
Beni says next LS polls will mark SP’s end
Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Varma addresses mediapersons in Lucknow on Saturday. PTI
8 policemen held guilty in fake encounter case
MLA who assaulted Mumbai cop loses security
India asks Pak for full report
on Chamel Singh’s death
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SC: Divorced women entitled to monthly maintenance
New Delhi, March 30 A Bench comprising Justices KS Radhakrishnan and Dipak Misra made the clarification while dismissing a petition filed by a person challenging his divorced wife’s claim to monthly maintenance, 13 years after she had accepted a consolidated amount towards permanent alimony thereby giving up her right to claim for maintenance in future. The couple’s marriage had taken place in May 1987. Five years later, the wife, Neelamma, moved an application in the family court under Section 125 CrPC contending that her husband was not maintaining her and therefore seeking grant of maintenance.
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Education, sanitation on Rotary’s agenda in India
Chandigarh, March 30 Burton, who was in the city on Saturday, stated that each Rotarian would be encouraged to do some social act that helps in changing lives. “Projects at the district level will be started according to the needs of society. District governors will be asked to identify problems in their areas and these will be taken up at the district level,” Burton, member of the Rotary Club of Norman, Oklahoma, USA, said. Burton said that in his district, projects like breakfast scheme for students of high schools, transportation facility for physically challenged persons are among the issues addressed by Rotary club. The key areas Rotary in India would be focusing on are to ensure education for all, promising better sanitation facilities in villages, medical aid to poor apart from adopting schools in villages to provide better infrastructure and developing some villages as modern villages. Burton, who has been associated with the Rotary movement since 1979, said that Rotarians are endeavouring to make a positive contribution to society by physically and mentally empowering women. “About 18 per cent of Rotarians across the country are women. Some are even district governors,” he said. Although Burton will take over as international president from July for a year, he has already raised over $2.8 million for the Rotary Foundation which is the philanthropy wing of the Rotary.
Indo-Pak project
The Rotary movement, to encourage better understanding between India and Pakistan, has initiated a project named ‘See your Roots’. In this Indo-Pak peace programme, persons who during Partition went to Pakistan or migrated to India will be given facilities to visit the places they left during Partition.
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Our focus remains on improving ties with SAARC nations: Khurshid
Chandigarh, March 30 Pointing out that given the prevailing geopolitical situation, relations with South Asian countries could have taken a turn for the worse, he said every SAARC country has some unfinished agenda of its own. He said India too had its own problems, but being a large and responsible country, it was better equipped and more determined to overcome the challenges it faces. He was speaking at the inaugural session of a seminar on “Changing Scenario in South Asia: Leveraging Economic Growth for Collective Prosperity” organised at Centre for Research in Rural and Industrial Development (CRRID) here today. Giving an overview of issues defining bilateral relations with different South Asian countries, Khurshid said India was today at a stage where global players were vying for a share in its markets. Secretary, Public Diplomacy, Division Ministry of External affairs, PR Chakravarty said the principal concern with central Asia was connectivity and hence the need to engage Pakistan and Afghanistan was crucial. He said greater economic cooperation with South Asia was the only way forward and we should examine issues from an economic angle. Political issues, he said, were already well-known and would not be resolved overnight, but economic cooperation can give impetus to improving bilateral ties. Delegates and representatives from various think-tanks and research institutes from India, Pakistan, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka are attending the seminar. Technical sessions were also held wherein experts discussed the changing scenario in South Asia and issues pertaining to trade and connectivity. Presentations were made on emerging opportunities and impending issues in South Asia, leveraging economic growth for collective prosperity in the region, trade and investment integration and promoting regional security.
n Stating that the return of former Pakistani dictator Parvez Musharraf and associated developments were Pakistan’s “internal matter”, Union Minister of External Affairs Salman Khurshid said India is closely watching the situation. n On being asked about India’s assessment of the current situation in Pakistan, he said the people of Pakistan were the best judge on who should rule them, though India will extend all support to Pakistan in its democratic
endeavours.
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Beni says next LS polls will mark SP’s end
Lucknow, March 30 Speaking to reporters, he defended his prediction made during a Holi Milan function in Gonda last evening where he claimed that the Lok Sabha polls would prove the end of Samajwadi Party as it would end up winning only four seats. “This is my political analysis and you cannot force me to believe otherwise. I feel that the Congress will get 40 seats, the BSP will win 26 seats, the BJP will end up with 10 seats and Mulayam Singh would manage barely four seats,” he emphasised. The SP while demanding Verma's removal as the minister from the Union Cabinet over the “funeral procession” comment said he has lost his "mental balance". The Kurmi leader, whose frequent verbal duel with Yadav is now being seen as part of a larger strategy to strike a wedge in the OBC vote bank in UP, however, admitted that his predictions had gone haywire in 2012. Refusing to take responsibility for his earlier flawed forecast, Varma blamed the Congress debacle on two issues — 4.5 per cent reservation for minorities from within the OBC quota and revival of the Batla House case. “The Congress may have to suffer again if it repeats the same mistake this time as well,” he said. Varma today charged Yadav with betraying Muslims. He even hinted at a nexus between the Samajwadi Party leaders and the BJP, saying that Mulayam can strike a deal with the BJP to keep the Congress out in Uttar Pradesh. He recalled that even in 1998 it was a meeting with BJP leader L K Advani held at Jaya Jaitley’s house that had made Yadav go back on his words after promising to support Sonia Gandhi for the prime minister’s post. “In 2003, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister, Mulayam was able to form a government in Uttar Pradesh with merely 135 legislators as he had Atalji’s blessings. BJP Speaker Kesri Nath Tripathi flouted all anti-defection rules till Mulayam got the numbers and then acknowledged the defections as a split in the BSP,” recalled Varma. Varma said even in 1990, as Chief Minister Mulayam had permitted VHP leader Ashok Singhal to reach Ayodhya and promote religious passions as it suited his interests at that point of time. Varma even charged Mulayam with jumping in the poll fray in Gujarat just to divide Muslim votes and help Narendra Modi retain his chief ministership. Amidst speculation that he may be dropped from the union Cabinet, Varma struck an emotional note saying he would breathe his last while being in the Congress and his last resolve was to see Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi become Prime Minister. Reacting to Varma’s harsh remarks, SP general secretary Ram Asrey Kushwaha demanded his immediate removal from the government. Alleging that the Congress MP from Gonda had lost his mental balance, he suggested that Varma should seek medical treatment. Meanwhile, BJP state spokesperson Manoj Mishra criticised both Varma and Mulayam, saying they were working in tandem and levelling baseless charges against each other in order to divert people’s attention from the failure of the state and the Central governments in improving the lot of the common people of Uttar Pradesh.
Akhilesh lashes out at Cong
UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav on Saturday launched a blistering attack on the Congress, alleging anybody who does not act according to its wishes, faces “persecution” through the CBI. Akhilesh claimed that the UPA will suffer heavily in the next Lok Sabha elections due to “widespread dissatisfaction” among the people of the country.
Beni’s removal sought
SP general secretary Ram Asrey Kushwaha demanded Union Minister Beni Prasad Varma’s removal from the government. Alleging that the Congress MP from Gonda had lost his mental balance, he suggested that Varma should seek medical treatment.
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8 policemen held guilty in fake encounter case
Lucknow, March 30 The CBI, which investigated the case on the directives of the Supreme Court, had filed the chargesheet against 19 policemen. Ten of them have died during the intervening years of trial. The court has fixed April 5 for pronouncing the quantum of punishment. Special CBI Judge Rajendra Singh has announced the conviction of eight cops on charges including murder and conspiracy. One policeman, Prem Singh, has been acquitted for want of evidence. All the eight policemen were present in court and have been sent to jail. They are PAC platoon commander Ramakant
Dixit, the then SHO of Madhopur police station RB Saroj, sub-inspectors Naseem Ahmed, Mangal Singh, Pervez
Hussain, Rajendra Prasad Singh, head constable Prem Narain Pandey and constable Ram
Karan. The encounter took place on the intervening night of March 12 and 13, 1982, when a police team had gone to the house of Ram Baran Shukla at Madhopur village under Katra Bazaar in Gonda after getting information about the presence two members of a gang - Ram Bhulawan and Arjun
Pasi. During investigation, CBI discovered that after Singh was injured, the policemen forcibly dragged 12 innocent villagers out of their houses and shot them dead, passing it off as killings of cross-firing which had also killed Singh.
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MLA who assaulted Mumbai cop loses security
Mumbai, March 30 The Mumbai police withdrew Kadam’s security shortly after he was suspended from the Maharashtra Assembly till December 31. The other four MLAs including Bahujan Vikas Aghadi legislator Kshitij Thakur who were suspended along with Kadam did not have security, police officers said. Kadam was provided with four security personnel after he had complained of threats from the underworld a few years ago, police sources said here. Known for his rough and ready tactics, Kadam hit the limelight for assaulting Samajwadi Party MLA Abu Azmi in the Assembly more than two years ago.
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India asks Pak for full report on Chamel Singh’s death New Delhi, March 30 According to official sources, the Indian High Commission, which continues to press the Pakistan authorities for a copy of the post-mortem report, has asked for the same on March 27 when an official from the mission met the officials of Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad. India has also conveyed its concern to Pakistani authorities over the unnecessary delay in providing details of the post-mortem examination and other details, they said. On March 13, the Pakistan authorities conducted the autopsy in Lahore and handed over the mortal remains of Chamel Singh the same day, sources said. — PTI
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Chandigarh, March 30
Saying that India’s relations with South Asian countries were very good, Union Minister of External Affairs Salman Khurshid said in the backdrop of socio-economic developments in Europe and Central Asia, the country’s focus remains on South Asia as several fundamental issues have to be addressed in this region.
Unrelenting in his attacks on friend-turned-foe Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav, Union Minister for steel Beni Prasad Varma today declared that he was “ready to face anything and expose his true colours”.
