The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	India ready for regional co-op to help Afghanistan: Khurshid Tribune News Service New Delhi, April 26 Without naming Pakistan, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid today slammed Islamabad for seeking to gain strategic depth in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of NATO troops in 2014, while underlining that the greatest challenge to the war-torn nation came from terrorism emanating from beyond its borders. “Afghanistan will experience lasting peace only if short-sighted perceptions of competition and strategic depth are replaced by collaboration and economic development in the nation by countries of the region and the rest of the world,” Khurshid said while addressing the ‘Heart of Asia’ ministerial conference on Afghanistan in the Kazakh capital of Almaty. Khurshid sought to reassure Pakistan and the rest of the international community that India does not see Afghanistan as a zone of competitive influence and wanted it to be an area of opportunity for regional cooperation. The minister said the international community must realise that the solution to Afghanistan’s problems could not be based on military alone but ought to be rooted in a political approach that enjoyed a democratic sanction. “We are also glad to note that there is widespread agreement that an acceptable solution can be the one that comes from within Afghanistan and finds its sustenance from the respect for Afghan society and its institutions.”
	Union Budget clause triggers wealth tax furore in Punjab Sanjeev Sharma/TNS New Delhi, April 26 The furore in Punjab over wealth tax on farmers is triggered by the insertion of a clause in this year's Union Budget which has redefined urban land for computation of wealth tax. With the two main political parties, the ruling Akali Dal and the principal Opposition, the Congress, raising the decibel level over the issue, the provision has been highlighted though till now it had virtually gone unnoticed buried in the Budget fine-print. The ruling party has convened an emergency session of the Vidhan Sabha on May 3 and party president announced a “do-or-die battle” to oppose the wealth tax on farmers. A Congress delegation also rushed to meet Finance Minister P Chidambaram to demand rollback of the proposed tax to protect farmers. A clarification on the issue may come by May 6 or 7 when the Finance Minister replies to the discussions on the Finance Bill and the Budget is cleared. The intriguing part is that the uproar for now is limited only to Punjab although the clause will apply across the country. The plausible reason for that as per reports some notices have been issued in Punjab by the Income Tax Department which has led to the issue becoming livewire. Several experts in finance, taxation and public policy outside the state are not aware of the clause and its implications. However, with this being an issue that directly affects farmers it may not remain a Punjab specific issue. The clause in the Finance Bill seeks to amend Section 2 of the Wealth Tax Act and seeks to amend the definition of urban land. The current discussion that centres around 8 km from the municipal limits is applicable to cities with a population of more than 10 lakh. There are other definitions that have been provided for small towns. A 6 km radius has been defined for towns with a population of more than 1 lakh but less than 10 lakh. And finally, a radius of 2 km will apply for towns with a population of more than 10 thousand but not exceeding 1 lakh. Wealth tax will be applicable in all these conditions. Under this proposal, agricultural urban land will be levied wealth tax at 1 per cent at circle rates. Estimates are that a farmer will have to pay atleast Rs 30,000 per acre every year to the central government. Redefining urban land The insertion of a clause in this year's Union Budget which has redefined the definition of urban land for computation of wealth tax The ruling party has convened an emergency session of the Vidhan Sabha on May 3 and party president announced a “do-or-die battle” to oppose the wealth tax on farmers A Congress delegation also rushed to meet Finance Minister P Chidambaram to demand rollback of the proposed tax to protect farmers A clarification on the issue may come by May 6 or 7 when the Finance Minister replies to the discussions on the Finance Bill and the Budget is cleared
	JPC: Chacko meets Speaker, clarifies stand Girja Shankar Kaura/TNS New Delhi, April 26 The stalemate between the government and the Opposition over the removal of Congress member PC Chacko as chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), probing the 2G spectrum allocation scam, continued today even as CPM member Sitaram Yechuri wrote to other members of the panel raising questions regarding the possible involvement of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Facing the heat over his removal as JPC chairman, Chacko met Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar today to explain his position on issues concerning the controversial draft report on 2G scam. Fifteen of the 30 members of the JPC had met the Speaker yesterday demanding Chacko’s removal for his “partisan” report which gives a clean chit to both Prime Minister and Finance Minister P Chidambaram. Reports suggest that the meeting of the JPC, which was cancelled yesterday because of a Lok Sabha member’s death, may take place on May 3 to adopt the report and have a possible vote on whether or not to except it. The committee is expected to table its report in Parliament by May 10, when its term ends. After his meeting with the Speaker, Chacko said he went to meet Kumar on his own today to explain his position but did not give details. Chacko said since some members had approached the Speaker, “I thought it would be better that I consult her before deciding on the date (of the next meeting)”. Meanwhile, CPM member Sitaram Yechuri has said the draft report prepared by Chacko states in Section 10.45 that “in view of the above, the committee are inclined to conclude that the Prime Minister was misled about the procedure decided to be followed by the Department of Telecommunications in respect of issuance of UAS licences. Further, the assurance given by the Minister of Communications and Information Technology in all his correspondence with the Prime Minister to maintain full transparency in following established rules and procedures of the Department stood belied”. He points out that on the other hand former Telecom Minister A Raja in his letter to Chacko has stated that he had kept the Prime Minister informed at each step of the process and through personal meetings as well as during Cabinet meetings. Yechuri’s letter Yechuri has written to other JPC members raising questions regarding the possible involvement of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. He seeks to know from the Prime Minister whether Raja had met him personally in the first week of January 2008 as stated in his letter to brief him about the procedure he was going to follow.
	India protests UP minister’s detention at US airport Washington/New Delhi, April 26 India has formally protested to the US the brief detention of Uttar Pradesh minister Mohammad Azam Khan at Boston airport as he arrived to take part in an event at Harvard University. Khan, who is accompanying UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for the presentation of a Harvard study on the Kumbh Mela pilgrimage, was detained for about 10 minutes for "further questioning" at Boston Logan International Airport on Wednesday, according to Indian officials. The issue was raised in Parliament by Samajwadi Party (SP) members who protested the "insult" of their leader. Once the visitors were cleared for entry by immigration, a woman officer of the US Customs and Border Protection wing of the Homeland Security took Khan to an adjacent room "for further questioning," sources said. Incensed, Khan is reported to have kicked up a ruckus in the immigration area saying he was detained because he was a Muslim and sought an apology from the officer who merely said she was doing her duty. As arguments became heated, officials from the Indian consulate in New York intervened and Khan was escorted out of the airport. In Washington, Indian embassy spokesman M Sridharan said the mission has "taken up the issue with the State Department officially and we have conveyed our serious concern." "We have asked them to intervene and take appropriate measures to avoid recurrence in the future." At the State Department, when asked to comment on the incident, spokesman Patrick Ventrell said he was "not aware of the specifics of this case" as the Department of Homeland Security has jurisdiction over airport movements inside the US. But "I do want to underscore that we have a very important bilateral relationship with India and a very robust and thorough diplomatic exchange with our partners, he said. "We very much value our partnership with the Government of India." The Azam Khan case is the latest instance of Indian VIPs being detained at US airports. Last year, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan was detained for over two hours by immigration officials at a New York airport. — IANS Boston episode Azam Khan (pic), who is accompanying UP Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav for the presentation of a Harvard study on the Kumbh Mela pilgrimage, was detained for about 10 minutes for "further questioning" at Boston Logan International Airport on Wednesday Indian embassy spokesman M Sridharan said the mission has "taken up the issue with the State Department officially and we have conveyed our serious concern" The Azam Khan case is the latest instance of Indian VIPs, including actor Shah Rukh Khan and former President APJ Abdul Kalam, being detained at US airports
	Anil Goswami appointed new Home Secy New Delhi, April 26 Senior IAS officer Anil Goswami, a seasoned hand on Jammu and Kashmir affairs, was today appointed the new Home Secretary and will have a two-year tenure from June end. Goswami (58), a 1978-batch IAS officer, is the first bureaucrat from the Jammu and Kashmir cadre to be appointed to the top post. A resident of Jammu, Goswami will be Officer on Special Duty with immediate effect till June 30 when he takes charge from incumbent RK Singh. The name of Goswami, currently Secretary in the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, was cleared by the Appointments Committee of Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Goswami, who will have a fixed tenure of two years till June 2015, had served both the Jammu and Kashmir as well as the Central governments in different capacities, including as Special Secretary in the Home Ministry. — PTI
	Ramdev, saints back Modi as PM candidate Sandeep Rawat/TNS Haridwar, April 26 Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi today got another major fillip in his run-up as a prime ministerial candidate in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, as a major section of the saint community under yoga guru Ramdev hailed him as the right choice to lead the country to the path of development. In Haridwar as the chief guest at the inauguration function of Vedic-modern mode of education school ‘Acharya Kulam’ at Patanjali Yogpeeth, Modi was described by many saints as the right person to lead the country, who has instilled feeling of hope and pride among the people of the country. In his 50-minute address, Modi thanked the saints for their blessings, saying that he has still some goals to achieve and faults to rectify as a human being before he tries to fulfil the aspirations of the people. He said he alone did not change Gujarat but 6 crore people did it. In the same way, the entire nation cannot be changed by one Modi but the vision of billion odd people is needed to change the system. Modi, who has been avoiding questions on the 2002 post-Godhra violence against Muslims, today said there has been no riot in the state in the past 12 years. Later Modi lashed at the Congress-led Central and Delhi governments for undue hurdles, allegations, cases and investigations being levied on Ramdev. He compared himself with Ramdev as far as pressure tactics are resorted to by the Congress against both of them. Modi said he needed the blessings of saints not for a post (PM), instead he wanted their guidance so that he might not do anything wrong and commit sin. To this, Ramdev along with renowned saints said Modi is the first choice of people of the country owing to his development-oriented vision, work and governance. Ramleela Ground crackdown Why did they (Congress) carry out a crackdown on Ramdev’s supporters at Ramleela Ground.... The British could not suppress our freedom movement by resorting to violence. How do they think they can do the same to Ramdev? — Narendra Modi, Gujarat CM
	Army, MoD upset with MEA over China moves Want Foreign Ministry to talk tough to Beijing, demarcate boundary Arun Joshi/TNS Jammu, April 26 The Indian Army and the Ministry of Defence appears to be miffed at the Ministry of External Affairs the way it has shied away from talking tough to Beijing since 1986 when first Chinese troops intruded into the Indian side in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir. “The MEA was told several times that it should talk tough and get the boundary demarcated so that the Chinese could be shown their place and it was also clearly stated that today’s India is not that of 1962,” a source told The Tribune. When the frequency of intrusions, some have calculated it close to 300 in the past 27 years, registered a sharp rise in 2009, the Army and the MoD asked the MEA that it should assert and get the Line of Actual Control (LAC) demarcated so that such situations don’t recur. The factual position on the ground is that the cold desert where mountains of sand stand tall, it is very difficult to put a barbed wire fence and demarcate the border, but a line can be drawn with rocks which separate China from the India on the LAC. “This is what we had been pleading with the MEA, because it is not the job of the Army to draw lines, they can only guard the frontiers.” At Daulat Beg Oldie, India did reactivate its airfield on May 31, 2008, and also started work to pave the road, but forgot thereafter every thing. Few trial flights and the airfield was rendered into disuse. Similar thing happened when Fukche airfield was activated on November 4 in the same year. In September 2009, it reactivated Nyoma airfield where Indians could ferry their troops in AN-32 aircraft. The current intrusion and setting up of the tented post by Chinese in DBO area, close to Aksai Chin that India lost to China in 1962 war, is unprecedented even by the deepest of the deep intrusion inside the Indian side of the LAC. Another threat looms large that Chinese may attempt to vitiate the atmosphere further by surrounding the DBO airfield. These matters have come up in the strategic sessions of the Indian Army and the only answer they have found is that Indian Bair Force and Indian Army’s aviation corps should start the flights to the three airfields, but the problem that they have analysed is that the airstrips were not repaired after the initial euphoria over resuming the flights over there. The vagaries of weather have damaged the air strips at the forward landing airfields.
	Cabinet asks Guv to hold emergency session Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 26 The Punjab Cabinet today requested Governor Shiv Raj Patil to convene an emergency session of the Vidhan Sabha to discuss the “extremely dangerous and critical situation” that had arisen out of the Centre’s decision to impose wealth tax on agricultural land in the country. An emergency meeting of the Cabinet, chaired by Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, also urged the Centre to immediately withdraw any proposal to impose wealth tax on agricultural land falling within the aerial radius of 8 km of municipal limits by classifying them as “urban lands”. A resolution passed at the meeting said the farming community in Punjab was already reeling under an unbearable and crippling burden of farm indebtedness to the tune of over Rs 37,000 crore. The resolution further said the decision would not only “crush and destroy the farmers” of the country but would also deal a deadly blow to the nation’s economy on the whole. The entire chain of business, trade, industry and marketing chain, including shopkeepers and arhtiyas, would be seriously destabilised and brought to the brink of “total annihilation” by this decision. While talking to mediapersons later, Badal urged all the regional and national parties to rise above political divide to save the bread-winner of the country. Badal said he had already taken up the issue with BJP national president Rajnath Singh and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley. The Chief Minister and his deputy and SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal will lead a delegation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to urge him to withdraw the government’s decision in this regard and not to push forward with the proposed amendments to the Finance Bill. Badal said the SAD was committed to safeguard the interests of the farmers and they would not allow the Centre to implement the decision. Cabinet resolution Govt urges the Centre to withdraw proposal to impose wealth tax on agricultural land falling within the aerial radius of 8 km of municipal limits A Cabinet resolution says farming community is already reeling under burden of Rs 37,000-cr farm debt
	All CBI branches to get forensic labs Tribune News Service Chandigarh, April 26 With the usage of scientific aids, technology and forensics being crucial in the success of investigation, the Central Bureau of investigation (CBI) is expected to get a boost in its forensic examination capability. All branches of the CBI will set up facilities to collect and analyse forensic evidence during the course of investigation. Sources said a proposal for the installation of Forensic Evidence Collection Unit (FECU) is being prepared by the CBI for submission to the Ministry of Home Affairs. These units will have their own necessary skilled manpower, dedicated equipment and resources. At present, CBI’s capability for forensic examination is limited and it has to depend on forensic laboratories that are beyond its control. While the CBI has a fully equipped Central Forensic Science Laboratory (CFSL) at New Delhi catering to a wide range of forensic examination and analysis, there is also a proposal to establish a new state-of-the-art forensic laboratory at the CBI Training Academy in Ghaziabad. The CBI, which has branches located all across the country, has so far established Technical and Forensic Support Units (TFSUs) at 16 zonal headquarters. Zonal headquarters further have varying number of branches and sub-units under them. The CBI has also drafted a plan for capacity building of the CFSL at New Delhi in terms of improving infrastructure, hardware etc.
	After Afzal hanging, inmate threatened to kill him: Sister Tribune News Service Amritsar, April 26 Amid reports of attack on Indian prisoner Sarabjit Singh in a Lahore jail, the worried family is desperately trying to contact his lawyer and human rights activist in Pakistan. His sister Dalbir Kaur said Sarabjit had been apprehending a threat to his life for some time and he had brought it to the notice of his lawyer Awais Sheikh. She said it was negligence on the part of jail authorities as they did not provide him proper security despite the threat. She smelt a conspiracy in the entire incident while asking why Sarabjit was brought out of his barrack today. Replying to a query, she said the incident may have a link with India hanging Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. “A fellow prisoner of Sarabjit had clearly told him ‘you have hanged Afzal Guru and we will avenge the same by attacking you’,” she said. Meanwhile, talking on phone from Pakistan, Sheikh said he had reached Jinnah Hospital and was trying to meet Sarabjit. He said they will take up the matter of attack on Sarabjit with the authorities, but at present saving Sarabjit's life is crucial as it is a key issue to Indo-Pak ties. His daughter Swapandeep Kaur said they came to know about the incident through the media.
	Portion of Bhopal hospital collapses; 2 die, 14 injured Bhopal, April 26 Two persons were killed and 14 others injured when the two-storied portion of a women’s ward of BHEL-run Kasturba Hospital collapsed this evening, officials said. “The bodies of two persons — Jameel and Arun — were found when the rescue team started removing debris of the collapsed structure,” collector Nikunj Shrivastava said. The structure, which was nearly 50 years old, collapsed around 5 pm when tiling work going on at the ground floor, he said. The collector did not rule out the possibility of more persons being trapped under the collapsed structure. Executive Director of BHEL SR Prasad said 14 persons received injuries and were being treated in another wing of the hospital. Prasad said: “We have scanned the collapsed structure and there is nobody trapped inside. The work is on to clear the debris but one person was reported missing and efforts were on to locate him.” — PTI
	After ban, bulk sales of gutka reported in Maharashtra Shiv Kumar/TNS Mumbai, April 26 Inter-state smugglers are making a killing in Mumbai. And it is not gold, drugs or liquor which is on sale but the humble gutka and pan masala that was banned in Maharashtra nearly a year ago. Police say consignments of gutka and pan masala are brought as cargo and personal luggage from neighbouring Karnataka and states in Northern India where there is no ban in their production and sale. "We have seized gutka packed in sacks that are mixed with other goods and offloaded at various places," says Ahmed Rashid, an inspector at Bhiwandi near Mumbai. One of the biggest gutka hauls was made last week when the Food and Drug Administration, acting on a tip-off stumbled into a huge godown stocking this contraband. In all some, Rs 45 lakh worth of gutka and pan masala were seized from godowns at Masjid Bunder in South Central Mumbai. "We know the gutka and pan masala business is going very strong in Mumbai because we find empty packets lying on the road all the time," says Suresh Deshmukh, joint commissioner of FDA. The FDA activated its network to crack down on the gutka smuggling network. The police say, apart from bringing in gutka by train, a lot of it is being moved to the town of Bhiwandi which is becoming a major tran-shipment point since it is fast turning into a logsitics hub servicing cities such as Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Navi Mumbai and Nashik. Two years ago, the Cigarette and Bidi Retailers Association had estimated that the gutka and pan masala business in Maharashtra was a Rs 5,000 crore industry and Mumbai accounted for 35 per cent of this. The association which was lobbying against the proposed ban, however, failed after the Maharashtra Government went ahead with it. The ban on Gutka has, however, prevented the sale in small sachets. According to pan walas a selected few are supplying gutka at a huge premium to regular customers. These are available in sacks and customers do not have a choice of brand, they say. Smugglers thrive Police say consignments of gutka and pan masala are brought as cargo and personal luggage from neighbouring Karnataka and states in Northern India where there is no ban in their production and sale Apart from bringing in gutka by train, a lot of it is being moved to the town of Bhiwandi, which is becoming a major tran-shipment point since it is fast turning into a logsitics hub servicing cities such as Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Navi Mumbai and Nashik Rs 45 lakh worth of gutka and pan masala was seized from godowns at Masjid Bunder in South Central Mumbai last week
	Minor gang-raped by 4 in M’rashtra Mumbai, April 26 A 13-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped by four boys in a house in suburban Vakola, the police said today. The victim was asked by one of female friend to accompany her after the latter was invited by a male friend to his house in Vakola last evening, they said. As the victim reached there, four boys were already present in the house. After the six had a friendly chat, the boys started consuming alcohol. After a while, the victim was given spiked drinks following which she lost conscious. The boys then raped her, the police said. The accused, including the victim's female friend, are absconding, they said, adding that alcohol bottles were also recovered from the house. The victim was rushed to civic run VN Desai hospital where she is undergoing treatment, the police said, adding a case was registered and manhunt was launched for the accused. — PTI Drink spiked The victim was asked by a female friend to accompany her to a male friend’s his house in Vakola As the victim reached the house, four boys were already present there The victim was given spiked drinks following which she lost conscious and was raped
	FIR filed against TMC MP, Sudipta Sen Charge: Non-payment of salaries to staff of a TV channel run by chit fund firm Kolkata, April 26 An FIR has been filed against Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Kunal Ghose, Saradha Group chairman Sudipta Sen and two others for non-payment of salaries to a television channel run by the chit fund company. The FIR was filed last night at the Park Street police station by journalist and non-journalist employees of Channel 10 stating that they were not paid salaries for the last three months despite repeated assurances, a senior journalist of the channel Bithin Sarkar said today. The FIR also alleged that the employees were made to work though their salaries were not being paid. Kolkata police chief Surajit Kar Purakayastha said he was unaware of the FIR and that Joint CP (Crime) P K Ghose should be contacted, but he was not available either. The TMC MP, on his part, said he was only an employee with responsibility for editorial content of the channel. “I’m ready to face any investigation. “I was not the owner. Finance and accounts were not under me. I did not have cheque signing authority. Attempts are being made to tarnish my image,” Ghose, who was the Saradha group media CEO, said. He said that Sudipta Sen, the Saradha Group chairman, was the owner of Channel 10. Meanwhile, seeking to turn the tables on the Centre in the chit fund scam, the Trinamool Congress today demanded the resignation of Union Minister A H Khan Chaudhary for his alleged links with the Sarada group and raised questions over Prime Minister's role in the issue for not taking any action. Answering a query on the alleged role of his party MPs in the chit fund scam, Trinamool leader Derek O'Brien, in New Delhi, said the party was doing its own investigations into the case and "no one will be spared". The Left parties demanded a CBI probe into the chit fund scam in West Bengal, saying the licence to these firms was granted by central agencies such as the RBI and state-level inquiries would not serve the purpose. "In the chit fund scam in West Bengal, in which lakhs of people have been ruined, we want a central investigation be done because these companies were given licenses by authorities like the RBI and the SEBI as a regulator. No state investigation will serve the purpose," CPM leader Sitaram Yechury told reporters here. — PTI New Bill to protect investors The West Bengal government on Friday decided to introduce a new Bill for protection of investors following the duping of thousands allegedly by chit fund company Saradha Group, after withdrawing an earlier one passed by the former Left Front regime. The new Protection of Depositors Interest Bill 2013 will replace the earlier West Bengal Protection of Depositors Interest Bill 2009 introduced by the previous Left Front government, which was sent back by the President to the state government as sought by it The new Bill will be tabled on the second day of a special session of the Assembly on April 29 and 30, Speaker Biman Banerjee said
	20 killed as tractor plunges into gorge Rayagada (Odisha), April 26 At least 20 persons were killed and 25 injured, 12 of them seriously, when a tractor carrying a marriage party fell into a gorge in Rayagada district today, police said. The incident took place in a remote area between Uppar Anchal Bari and Hataguma when the tractor, carrying about 60 persons from Hiranpadu village, plunged into gorge after one of its front wheels broke on a hill top. The victims, including women and children, were returning home at Hiranpadu village after attending a wedding at Seriguma village when the accident occurred, Rayagada SP Rajesh Pandit said. "So far, we have information regarding death of 20 persons but the bodies are yet to be identified," said Tapan Mohanty, inspector in-charge of Rayagada Police Station. All the injured persons were taken to Rayagada district headquarters hospital. — PTI
	Karnataka Poll Communal polarisation may help candidate facing porn slur Shubhadeep Choudhury/TNS Mangalore, April 26 A young woman teacher at the Govinda Dasa College at Surathkal on the outskirts of Mangalore city told this reporter that she was a supporter of the BJP but would not vote for the party candidate in this election. Her colleague, another young woman, also expressed similar view though she refrained from spelling out her political preferences. The BJP candidate from the Mangalore City (North) seat, of which Surathkal is a part, is none other than J Krishna Palemar, one of the three BJP ministers who figured in a scandal regarding watching a porn clip inside the Assembly on Palemar’s mobile phone. Palemar, who quit the Cabinet in the wake of the scandal, has been given ticket by the ruling BJP despite the controversy and the 60-year-old saffron party nominee is contesting from Mangalore City (North) for his third consecutive term as a lawmaker. According to Ananda, a local journalist, the porn clip watching scandal which took place in February last year continues to remain a source of embarrassment for the BJP candidate. Palemar, Ananda said, was keeping a low profile even though the elections were less than two weeks away. Top BJP leaders of the state also were keeping a distance from Palemar in this election, Ananda said. Yet the saffron party nominee, a real estate businessman by profession, remains a strong contender for the Mangalore City (North) seat. This is because his main rival from the Congress party, Mohiuddin Bawa, is a Muslim and votes are likely to be cast on communal lines when polling takes place here on May 5. The way aspirants from the Congress fought for the party ticket before the nominee was decided upon also had made a bad impression on the voters. “Palemar is a good man. Watching porn clip is a personal matter. This incident will not determine the choice of the voters,” said Promilla (30), a computer instructor. “Many people watch porn in private. Palemar cannot be singled out for punishment just for that. May be it is morally wrong but it is so common,” Prashant (45), a businessman, said. “Watching porn in the Assembly is criminal,” said Upendra, environmentalist and a former employee of the Union Carbide (he quit the company after the Bhopal tragedy). He, however, said the porn issue had been blown out of proportion by the media. “Palemar should be condemned for his various other illegal activities, including in the area of real estate and export of iron ore,” Upendra said. Besides Palemar, the other two BJP ministers involved in the scandal - Lakshman Savadi and CC Patil - have also been given tickets by the party from their respective constituencies falling in Gadag and Belgaum districts. The Congress has submitted a graphic depiction of the sleaze to the Election Commission for advertisement clearance to release it to various dailies in the state. A Legislature Committee set up under the chairmanship of a ruling party member to probe the porn clip watching incident gave clean chit to Palemar and Patil, while it censured Savadi mildly. ‘Misguided’ Benefit The BJP candidate from the Mangalore City (North) seat is J Krishna Palemar, one of the three ministers who figured in a scandal regarding watching a porn clip inside the Assembly on Palemar's mobile phone Yet Palemar, a real estate businessman by profession, remains a strong contender for the seat This is because his main rival from the Congress, Mohiuddin Bawa, is a Muslim and votes are likely to be cast on communal lines
	Set aside ego, bring Yeddyurappa back: Uma Bharti Bangalore, April 26 BJP vice-president Uma Bharti today favoured bringing Karnataka’s former Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa back into the party fold by "setting aside ego". The firebrand leader said those "at the helm of affairs" should take the initiative as "we should toe the line that 'the country first, individuals second'. Ego has to be set aside". Asked if she would take the initiative to bring Yeddyurappa back into the party fold, Madhya Pradesh’s former Chief Minister said she was not a senior leader and does not consider herself eligible for the task. "Those who are at the helm of affairs... they should do it," said Uma, who was in the city for campaigning for party candidates of the May 5 Assembly elections. Describing Yeddyurappa, who quit the BJP late last year and formed a regional party Karnataka Janatha Paksha, as a "swayamsevak" who had been a dedicated BJP worker, Uma said she had been attached to him. "He is like my elder brother. And the message is that right now, our country is facing a crisis, the crisis in many forms, like never before. So, we all have to be together," she said favouring Yeddyurappa's return, adding that the BJP should not make any attempts to weaken the party. Asked if BJP’s electoral prospects are better with or without Yeddyurappa, she said it's very difficult to say, but added that the BJP is a cadre-based party. Recalling that she was out of the BJP for about five years, Uma said she has realised that fighting the party only harmed "national interests", adding that she is sure others who had left the BJP felt exactly the same way. — PTI
	BJP has created world record in corruption: Rahul Haveri/Tumkur, April 26 Raising the pitch against the ruling BJP, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today accused it of having created "a world record" in corruption and said there was no functional government in Karnataka. In his rallies at Haveri, Tumkur and Mysore, Gandhi on the second leg of his tour for the May five Assembly polls, said the BJP was more preoccupied with internal squabbles and its leaders fought among themselves for money. "On the issue of corruption, Karnataka government has created a world record," he said, stepping up the offensive he launched against BJP in his first leg of tour on April 23. Accusing the BJP of "looting" public money, he said: "Congress kahti hai, aapka paisa aapke haath aur BJP kahti hai aapka paisa hamare paas" (Congress says your money, your hands and BJP says your money, with us). Castigating the BJP for its lack of governance, he said, "Karnataka has everything. Only there is no government". — PTI
	Two Tamil actresses drown while shooting Chennai, April 26 Two actresses shooting for upcoming Tamil romantic-comedy "Naiyaandi" in Tiruvarur drowned Friday while taking a bath in a pond, a source in the film unit said. "Saraswathy, 24, Sukanya, 22, and Viji, 21, entered a pond to take a bath as there was no shooting. All three of them did not quite know how to swim. They were bathing in the pond at a point where the water was shallow. As they moved deeper into the water, they were trapped by plants in the pond," the source told IANS. "People passing by noticed Sukanya struggling, and rushed to save her. They managed to get her out alive. However, the other two had already drowned by then. Their bodies were drawn to the bank," the source said. The police has sent the bodies for post-mortem examination. Sukanya is under treatment at a local hospital. — IANS
	BJP, Left want Ashwani to go; govt rules it out Ashok Tuteja/TNS New Delhi, April 26 The government was on the defensive today even as it rejected the Opposition’s demand for the resignation of Law and Justice Minister Ashwani Kumar for vetting a CBI status report on investigations into coal block allocations. Soon after the CBI told the Supreme Court that the agency's status report on coal allocation scam was "shared" with Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and senior officials of PMO and Coal Ministry, the BJP and the Left parties demanded the resignation of the Law Minister. “The government has been caught with its pants down,” said Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley. CPI leader Gurudas Dasgupta demanded that Ashwani Kumar be immediately removed from the Union Cabinet. Government managers went into a huddle this afternoon, discussing the strategy needed to be evolved to tackle the Opposition’s challenge on the embarrassing development. “The CBI director has clearly said that the draft report was seen by the Law Minister and not the final report. There is no question of him (Ashwani Kumar) resigning,’’ Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath said. “I have done no wrong. Truth will prevail," Ashwani Kumar was heard saying after a meeting of the UPA allies. He had a separate meeting with the PM to explain his position.
	Centre steps in as SAD wants to force Cong on back foot Sarbjit Dhaliwal/TNS Chandigarh, April 26 Immediately after the core committee of the ruling SAD announced last evening to confront the Central Government in a big way on wealth tax on the farm lands in and around cities, the Union Finance Ministry swung into action to seek a status report on such cases in Punjab. The SAD has devised its strategy to push an aggressive Congress on the back foot by projecting it as an anti-farmer organisation. Sources said income tax officials at Jalandhar remained busy last night gathering details of cases involving the levying of the wealth tax in the farm sector. All information was passed on to the Finance Ministry around midnight, it is learnt. Sources said Finance Minister P. Chidambaram had sought the details of such cases from his ministry in New Delhi. Congress MPs from Punjab also met Chidamabaram yesterday. Sources said there were 70 such cases in which notices had been farmers in the state to deposit the wealth tax. In some cases, the properties had been attached to recover the dues. There are also some farmers, who have deposited the tax but have moved court to challenge the levying of the tax. Nagra brothers in Jalandhar have been given notices to recover about 50 lakh as a wealth tax on a land measuring 30 acres. Interestingly, these are not new cases. The assessment in certain cases was made in 1999 and notices for the recovery of the tax were issued to the farmers thereafter. First case was of Mann brothers in Patiala. Second case was of Tara Singh in Jalandhar and the third case was of Nagra brothers also in Jalandhar. However, farmers appealed went up to the Supreme Court level, but their appeals were dismissed. Even the Special Leave Petition filed in the Supreme Court in July 2011 was dismissed in December the same year. As a part of the implementation of the Chelliah Committee recommendations, the Wealth Tax on unproductive assets was levied in 1992. These assets included farm houses, motors cars (except those not used for earning lively hood), yachts, boats and aircrafts purely used for luxury purpose, jewelry, urban lands and cash in hand above Rs 50,000. However, in the Finance Act of 1992, while dwelling on the definition of urban lands, some lands were excluded. For instance, no tax was to be charged on the land where permission could not be given in any case to construct any building, the land purchased for the trading purpose( exemption from tax 10 years), land acquired to put up industrial unit( exemption for two years) and the land on which some sort of construction is done. But there was no mention of agriculture land. Ravish Sood, an Income Tax advocate, who argued the cases of farmers, said if the Centre wanted to give relief to farmers, it would have to amend the law and include the agriculture land in the exemption list.