|
|
|
|
|
Maya justifies caste-based rallies
Modi slams UPA’s food security programme
|
|
|
|
Rahul may desire nutritional component in Food Bill
Chit fund scam: SC asks states to clarify stand
Onion prices soar due to shortfall in supply
Govt to beef up security at Buddhist shrines
Final testing of upgraded Arjun in Aug
Two CRPF jawans held for making video clip of woman on train
Now, celebrity health tips as caller tune
|
|
Maya justifies caste-based rallies
Lucknow, July 14 Claiming that her party’s caste-based rallies were meant to transform the social order by promoting an egalitarian social system Mayawati said those on the other side of the social divide will not be able to fathom the range of inequalities still suffered by the SC, ST and the OBC communities. “We have to change this order. The struggle started by social reformers like Phule, Ambedkar and Kanshi Ram and others has to be taken forward by the BSP. For us it is not for immediate political advantage but for social reconstruction,” Mayawati said here today. Addressing mediapersons at the BSP headquarters, Mayawati urged the courts to ban religion-based organisations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the RSS and the Bajrang Dal. “These organisations decide the prime ministerial candidates and policies of the BJP. They remain in the backdrop but indulge in dirty politics and are a threat to the nation,” she said. She also aired her disagreement with the apex court’s decision to ban candidates if they had been convicted by even a trial court for two ore more years. “I reques the central government to appeal against the order as it can be misused politically,” she said. Hitting out at Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi’s “puppy” remark, she said there was no concept of a Hindutva patriot under the constitution which she advised Modi to study with some seriousness. She said by making such a remark Modi had lowered the dignity of the Constitution and should be punished for it. Not sparing her party MP from Hamirpur, Vijay Bahadur Singh for coming out in support of Modi’s remark, she issued him a final notice to refrain from the “disease of making statements in his personal capacity”. The BSP had long ago decided not to extend him a second term she said. The BSP supremo did not mince words to attack the Akhilesh-led SP government for inducting the kin of her former minister Babu Singh Kushwaha. She said now the SP government had lost the moral right to claim that it was fighting corruption. “During my time I did not spare even senior leaders if they were found indulging in corruption. Now those very elements are being taken in by the Samajwadi party,” she said. Lashing out at the state government for the rapidly deteriorating law and order situation Mayawati said the rule of the law had been replaced by a SP-supported rule of goondas and mafia. Reiterating the BSP’s demand for imposition of President’s rule in Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati said on April 19, 2013, her party had met the Governor to submit such a memorandum which had been ignored by the Governor.“I would repeat this demand at every press conference till it is accepted,” she said. the religion link
She urged the Supreme Court to ban RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal. "Parties, especially Congress and BJP, are playing politics of passion. The way in which party leaders visited Faizabad to woo Hindu and Muslim votes proves it," she said. politics over blasts
"It is the responsibility of both the governments to protect lives of the people and their religion. But, I am sad to say they do not seem to be serious towards their responsibility due to which the attacks took place at Bodh Gaya," said
Mayawati.
|
|
Modi slams UPA’s food security programme
Pune, July 14 "They have brought before the nation a food security Bill and are claiming as if a meal has already come on the plates," Modi said. He also chose to launch the attack on the Congress over the scam-hit CWG games from the home turf of its MP and disgraced former chairman of Organising Committee Suresh Kalmadi. "Two countries hosted two games...South Korea hosted Olympics and India the Commonwealth Games. While Korea brought honour to itself through the Olympics, our nation lost its honour in the eyes of the world," he said addressing students and faculty at the Ferguson College here. "One country uses sport to bring laurel to itself among the global community and another brings itself dishonour." Modi, however, chose not respond to criticism by his opponents for defending his government over the way it tackled 2002 post-Godhra communal riots and his "puppy" and "I am a Hindu Nationalist" remarks which have invited criticism. Referring to growing cyber crime, Modi said his government has set up the world's first Forensic Science University in Gujarat. "Now the Congress will say what is new. Mind you, I am not talking about courses in forensic science being taught in colleges and universities. I am talking about a Forensic Science University, which is the first of its kind in the world," he said. Without naming Rajiv Gandhi, Modi referred to the late Prime Minister's remarks about ushering India into the 21st century, saying, "Our ears have got tired of hearing about the 21st century. Did anybody have the vision about how to take India into the 21st century?" "If anybody had a vision about how to take India into a new millennium, we would not be standing where we stand now." Modi lamented the atmosphere of "neerasha" (despondency) in the country but said "I have not lost hope". "I don't endorse this view. It
is essential that we get out of this despondency," he added. — PTI
|
|
Rahul may desire nutritional component in Food Bill
New Delhi, July 14 However, those having a role in implementation of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s mega plan ahead of the general elections are not sure if the country’s procurement infrastructure or its current financial position allows the government the luxury of looking beyond the basic concept of rice, wheat and coarse grains. Congress-led UPA’s Food Bill programme promises rice, wheat and coarse grains at Rs 3, 2 and 1 per kg, which, some experts suspect, will only add to the problems of the country’s highly porous and faulty public distribution system, also rife with corruption and mismanagement of grains. But as far as edible oils and pulses are concerned, besides the government’s self-admitted absence of assured overall domestic availability and weak procurement operations, the fact is the country is also heavily dependent on imports to fulfil the rising needs. Officials say imports of edible oils crossed $10 billion in 2012-13 from $9.7 billion and of pulses from $2.33 billion as compared with $1.85 in 2011-12. Rising demand and weakening position of rupee are only going to make matters difficult for the country’s planners. Any attempt to blunt the Opposition’s attack on Food Bill will only put additional burden on the exchequer, officials say. Some Opposition-ruled states may be supplying pulses and edible oils at subsidised prices but intervention from the Centre would naturally add financial burden on exchequer, which would have to provide Rs 1.24,723 crore annually for the Food Bill.
|
|
Chit fund scam: SC asks states to clarify stand
Like West Bengal, several thousand poor depositors and agents of the chit fund in these states had been cheated. In West Bengal 20 depositors had even committed suicide. The Tripura and Assam governments have already agreed on the CBI probe into the scam. West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had declined and instead ordered a CID inquiry. The chit fund firm owner Sudipta Sen and other directors, including Debjani
Mukherjee, were arrested. Yesterday, the Supreme Court Chief Justice Altamas Kabir had issued the notices following a petition filed by Aloke Jena from
Odisha. Jena had demanded a CBI inquiry into the chit-fund operation in the state where over 20 lakh families had been defrauded, according to affidavit filed by him in the court. He also demanded that the CBI probe be ordered by the Supreme Court to look into their operations and also protect people against getting cheated. The Saradha chit fund, with its headquarters in West Bengal, had started operations in 2010. But the company flourished enormously during the first year of Mamata Banerjee’s government in 2011-12. It was also alleged that Sudipta Sen had the blessings of the Chief Minister. Sen had also alleged, in a written statement submitted before the CBI, that the two TMC MPs and some other political leaders were involved in the company’s operations. The charges were, however, denied.
|
|
|
Onion prices soar due to shortfall in supply
Mumbai, July 14 According to information available from the main onion markets today, prices of the bulb in the wholesale markets have gone up to Rs 26 per kilogram as supplies have fallen by nearly 50 per cent. "First, a severe drought this summer resulted in inadequate water for the crops. Whatever crop was available is now damaged," says Shankar Gole, a trader at the Lasalgaon market. Wholesale onion prices at the Lasalgaon Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) market went up from Rs 1,225 per quintal in June to Rs 2,500 per quintal last week. Retail onion prices have touched Rs 35 per kilogram in Mumbai and are expected to increase even further. According to traders at the Navi Mumbai Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee, retail prices of onions could touch Rs 40 in the next few days before falling around September-October, when the next crop comes in. Earlier this year, rising onion prices in Maharashtra caused farmers from other places like Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan to bring in onions to the Lasalgaon market by road.
|
|
Govt to beef up security at Buddhist shrines
New Delhi, July 14 “We will do everything to assuage the concerns of any country over the safety of Buddhist places of worship in India...after all, we have invested a lot in the concept of Buddhist circuit,’’ sources said. Various arms of the government, including the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs, were in touch to discuss ways in which the security could be tightened at Buddhist shrines in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Odisha. On his recent visit to Mayanmar, Foreign Secretary, Ranjan Mathai, was asked whether the blasts had anything to do with the violence against Rohingya Muslims in the Southeast Asian nation and whether security had been increased at Buddhist shrines after the Bodh Gaya incident. Mathai assured the Myanmar authorities that India would share with it the outcome of the investigation and that security was being further enhanced at all religious places. Some informal queries have also been made to New Delhi by Thailand over how safe it would be for the Buddhist pilgrims from Southeast Asia to visit India in wake of the Bodh Gaya blasts.
|
|
Final testing of upgraded Arjun in Aug
New Delhi, July 14 The first test will examine its missile firing ability, while the second one will look into tank’s automotive aspects i.e. its running especially with added load. The Army and the DRDO will conduct these trials. The first set of trials is slated in the second week of August, while the second one will be conducted in the third week. Successful testing will pave the way for the production of the upgraded Arjun. In all, 124 tanks of the first series have been produced so far. The tank is produced by the DRDO’s, Combat Vehicles Research and Development Establishment near Chennai. A major modification involves equipping the new version of the tank with missile firing capability. The DRDO aims at firing missiles accurately up to a range of 2,000 km. The missiles, fired through the tank’s main gun, are primarily meant for targeting armoured vehicles and fortifications over extended ranges. The automotive trials will test the new suspension of the tank designed to handle up to 70 tonne weight. The engine will be from the same German parentage. The upgraded version has 89 improvements over its predecessor. These include long-range missile firing capabilities, panoramic sights with night vision, enhanced weapon penetration, digital control, better hunter-killer capability, improved auxiliary power unit (APU), better communication equipment and navigation aid. The tank will have frontal explosive reactive armour (ERA) to protect against incoming missiles.
|
|
Two CRPF jawans held for making video clip of woman on train
Bhopal, July 14 While the 23-year-old woman boarded the train's S-10 coach from Vidisha for coming to Bhopal yesterday, a group of CRPF jawans, who were also travelling in the same coach, started making a video-clip of the woman with a cellphone. When the woman got suspicious of their activities, she strongly objected to their act and confronted a constable, Dharmendra Kumar, who was allegedly shooting the clip, and tried to snatch the cellphone from him. In the melee, one of the jawans, identified as Dinesh Kumar Thakur, allegedly assaulted her while another deleted the clip from the phone. Other commuters threw out baggages of some of them. By the time the train reached Nishatpura yard area near the Bhopal station, someone pulled the chain to stop the train. GRP reached the spot and restored order. When the train reached Bhopal station, the two constables (Dharmendra and Dinesh) were arrested and later released on
bail. — PTI
|
|
Now, celebrity health tips as caller tune
New Delhi, July 14 These are some of the celebrities who have lent their voice to create simple and effective health messages through mobile phones to the first-of-its-kind joint health awareness initiative of the World Health Organisation and Government of India. The initiative - Donate Your Caller Tune for a Cause (DYCTC) - was launched in the National Capital this week to promote a healthy lifestyle. Phone users can join the programme by ‘donating’ their regular caller tune and replacing it with a health awareness message. The initiative assumes significance at a time when non-communicable diseases have been spelt as a major concern by the apex health body. Speaking at the launch, KN Desiraju, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, said, “We are facing a growing burden of non-communicable diseases. A large proportion of these are preventable to a large extent by modifying behavioural risk factors like unhealthy diet, lack of physical activity, consumption of tobacco products and alcohol etc.” WHO Representative to India Dr Nata Menabde said, “The idea is to promote the adoption of a healthy lifestyle.”
|
Five Naxals held in Chhattisgarh
|
| 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 | |
Kolkata, July 14
