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Congress counters Naidu, Jagan on Andhra division
Third Front not now, only after polls: Mulayam
Mulayam Singh Yadav in New Delhi on Monday. Tribune photo: Mukesh Aggarwal
One-man judicial commission begins probe into Muzaffarnagar riots
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Keran showdown
Govt’s no to cooling-off period for babus taking poll plunge
Manmohan leaves for ASEAN summit tomorrow
Service chiefs, PM discuss N-command authority
Usmani may have ‘left’ the country
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Congress counters Naidu, Jagan on Andhra division
New Delhi, October 7 Top party leaders privately did not rule out the imposition of President’s rule in the state if the law and order situation went totally out of hand. “There is no situation for President’s rule in Andhra today. But as the situation emerges we will see,” party spokesperson Bhakta Charan Das said. Accusing TDP and YSR Congress of indulging in cheap politicking on the issue, Das said the leaders of both parties - Chandrababu Naidu and Jagan Mohan Reddy had earlier supported the demand for Telangana. “The decision was taken after widest possible consultations and after taking the opinion of people of the state and the country on board. There should be no politics now. Why did these people not revolt when the consultations were on,” asked Das. He recalled a December 28, 2012 letter which Naidu wrote a letter to Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde where he referred to a party politburo decision that read, “In deference to the sentiments of people of the region, TDP supports the demand for separate statehood for Telangana.” Naidu at that time said, “Telangana is a historic necessity and the TDP has done the right thing by supporting it.” The Congress spokesperson also quoted Naidu as having said earlier that the TDP would do everything required - legally, constitutionally and politically - to create Telangana. “Today they have changed their stand to suit their political ends,” Das slammed the TDP chief who is now fasting against the same Telangana. The Congress also called the bluff of YSRCP leader Jagan who is on fast unto death against the division of Andhra reminding him of June 25, 2013 when the YSR Congress at the party’s second plenary at Idupulapaya, passed a resolution supporting Telangana. The Congress also gave a time line of consultations on the issue saying widest possible dialogue was held.
The Timeline
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Third Front not now, only after polls: Mulayam
New Delhi, October
7 He, however, reiterated that the Third Front would be formed after elections and claimed the next Prime Minister would be from among the alliance partners. “The Third Front formation is not possible now, as differences can crop up among parties on ticket distribution and seat sharing,” he told reporters
here. Mulayam said all political parties of the proposed alliance would contest poll on their own strength and then get together after the next General Election. He said his party was in touch with CPM leader Prakash Karat and CPI leader AB Bardhan over the Third Front formation after poll and had an understanding on that. “We feel the Third Front government should come to power at the
Centre. The country’s next Prime Minister will be a Third Front candidate,” he
said. Mulayam, who has been spearheading the cause of a Third Front government and aspiring for the top post, said neither the BJP nor the Congress would be able to form the government. Asked who would be the Third Front prime ministerial candidate, Mulayam said only one prime ministerial candidate had been announced so far, in an apparent reference to BJP’s Narendra
Modi. “But, the Third Front candidate will be the next Prime Minister of the country,” he
claimed. CPM general secretary Prakash Karat had recently held a meeting with
Mulayam. — PTI
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One-man judicial commission begins probe into Muzaffarnagar riots
He assured the families of the deceased of justice and bringing the guilty to book in an impartial manner.
Justice Sahai has appealed to citizens to come forward to share any relevant information that they may have at the commission’s camp office at the Inspection Bungalow of Kukda Mandi in Muzaffarnagar. He said that the probe would focus on four points: what caused the riots, the action taken by the government officials at that time, identification of those responsible for it and measures to prevent such riots in the future. Meanwhile, the fate of the two BJP MLAs -- Sangeet Singh Som and Suresh Rana, jailed under the NSA for their alleged involvement in inciting the riots will be decided on September 10 when the Uttar Pradesh State Advisory Board takes up the two cases. Muzaffarnagar district magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma and SSP HN Singh will appear before the board in Lucknow on September 10 for the hearing. The two accused Som and Rana have been brought to Muzaffarnagar jail on the CJM court’s orders.
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Rahul Gandhi pushes for making Amethi agri hub
Lucknow, October 7 “While a farmer sells potato between Rs 6 and Rs 10 per kilogram, those who make potato chips sell it at Rs 400 per kg…. Mangoes from UP are sold in the US and Britain but what do our farmers get?” asked Gandhi. He was speaking at a public function after laying the foundation stone of a mega food park in the Jagdishpur area of Amethi today. The park is being developed by the Aditya Birla Group. It is expected to have 50 units and provide direct employment to around 2,500 people besides giving indirect opportunities to additional 25,000 people and benefiting 40,000 farmers of the region. Explaining the rationale behind setting up the park, Rahul said whatever was produced in UP should largely be processed in Amethi, which he saw the potential of being developed as an agricultural hub. “Farmers will feel they are getting better compensation for their hard work,” Gandhi said. “UP is the largest producer of ‘mentha’. Guess what happens to it. It is exported in raw form for which the farmer gets a pittance. It is processed in foreign countries and then comes back to us as finished products and we pay a hefty amount for it,” Gandhi pointed out. The situation could be reversed, he said. A cargo terminal could be set up at the Fursatganj airstrip in Rae Bareli from where mangoes and other processed food items could be directly sent abroad fetching maximum returns to the local farmers. Citing Bengaluru development as a science and R&D hub, the Amethi MP said the setting up of the HAL unit there around 60 years ago became a triggering factor. He hoped for the same to happen with Amethi. “A beginning was made by Rajivji who had had worked to provide good roads to the region,” he said. Industrialist Kumar Mangalam Birla termed Rahul as the symbol of expectations of the new generation and observed that the Congress vice-president spoke less about politics and more about development. Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Processing Charan Das Mahant was also present. The Shaktiman Mega Food Park spread over 72 acres is estimated to generate revenue of Rs 450 crore, which will significantly boost local employment and economy in the area.
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Militants may have left war-like stores
Ajay Banerjee/TNS
New Delhi, October 7 Troops on the ground aided by a small unit of the para-commandos and armed with equipment to detect ammunition have been tasked to comb the area thoroughly. The fact that militants had survived at an altitude of 10,000 feet for so long means they were well-equipped and well-stocked with dry rations. Troops have been instructed to move with caution. The area has dense forest. There could be mines and also other wire-traps that could trigger blasts leading to needless casualties. Even a dead body of a militant could be a booby-trap to cause deaths. Four Indian Army jawans have been injured so far. The dense jungle provide ideal hiding ground. The mountains are jagged which hold the possibility of natural crevices which could have been used to dump stores. The fact that terrorist have not fired a shot in four days does not mean that they have gone back to Pakistan. “This could very well be a ploy to entice troops deeper within the forests,” said sources. Indian Army is in a dominating position from all sides. The terrorists are holed up, but the terrain is undulating and is very treacherous with four nallahs criss-crossing the areas. The location is peculiar. It is west of the Shamshabari ridge that will soon be under snow closing all ingress routes. The 268th infantry Brigade is headquartered at Pharkian Gali while a battalion of the Army is stationed between the ridgeline and the LoC - a distance of some 12-15 km.
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Govt’s no to cooling-off period for babus taking poll plunge
New Delhi, October 7 The government's decision is based on the opinion of Attorney General Goolam E Vahanvati and the Ministry of Law and Justice. The EC, early last year, had written to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) and Law Ministry after it got concerned over a number of "senior civil servants" jumping into the electoral fray and hence asked the government to bring in a "cooling-off period" clause between leaving the government job and joining a political party by these officials. It had then suggested amendments to service rules of IAS, IPS and other class 'A' services officials to enable that protocol. The AG said "that any such restriction (against officials joining politics or contesting poll) whether by way of services rules or by way of an amendment of the election laws may not stand the test of valid classification under Article 14 of the Constitution of India". The legislative department of the ministry said this "would not be in harmony of the provisions of the Constitution". Based on these legal advices, the DoPT which is the nodal authority for regulating services rules of All-India service officials, told the EC recently that its suggestions in that regard "may not be appropriate and
feasible". — PTI
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Manmohan leaves for ASEAN summit tomorrow
New Delhi, October 7 Briefing mediapersons today, Ashok K Kantha, Secretary (East) in the External Affairs Ministry, said India and the 10-nation ASEAN would formally sign a free trade agreement on services and investments by the end of 2013 and implement the ambitious pact by July 2014. The two sides had finalised the FTA in services and investments during the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit in December last year. It was earlier expected to be signed at the Brunei summit during the prime minister's visit.
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Service chiefs, PM discuss N-command authority
New Delhi, October 7 Army Chief General Bikram Singh, Air Force Chief Air Chief Marshal NAK Browne and Navy Chief Admiral DK Joshi briefed the PM on the security scenario. National Security Adviser Shiv Shankar Menon was also present on the occasion. The Prime Minister took stock of the preparedness of the country’s nuclear arsenal. This was a biannual meeting. The command and control structures of the forces handling the arsenal are understood to have come up for discussion at the meeting of the Nuclear Command Authority headed by the Prime Minister. The Tri-Service Strategic Forces Command (SFC) was created in 2003 to manage and administer the country’s nuclear arsenal. The powers to activate the nuclear ‘button’ rest with the PM. The upcoming Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA) with China is also within the scope of discussion. The PM is expected to visit China in the third week of this month and the BDCA is expected to be inked during that meeting.
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Usmani may have ‘left’ the country
Mumbai, October 7 He might have cultivated contacts while in prison and could have even set up sleeper cells comprising ex-convicts, they say. Usmani had been in jail since 2008. The escape of six suspected activists of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India from a jail in Madhya Pradesh is also giving sleepless nights to security officials. Reports quoting intelligence agencies say the six may link up with Usmani out of country to carry out terror attacks. Officials have tightened security in Mumbai ahead of the festival season.
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