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DELHI POLLS
Rs 90 lakh looted from cash van
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Parties maintaining model code now: CEO
Goel urges Rahul to make fact-finding Delhi tour
Rs 5,000-cost imposed on Dikshit for non-appearance
DUSU protests private food outlets on campus
IM ultras remanded in Special Cell custody
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Sonia-led panel okays renomination of 29 MLAs
Ministers Walia, Goswami; Speaker Shastri in pending list Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service
New Delhi, October 28 The names of 11 sitting MLAs, including Education Minister Kiran Walia, Rajendra Nagar MLA and Transport Minister Ramakant Goswami and Speaker of the Delhi Legislative Assembly Yoganand Shastri have been kept in the pending list so far on account of their poll surveys predicting defeat. No consensus could be reached on the candidature of MLAs from Madipur and Chhatarpur respectively-Malaram Gangwal and Balram Tanwar. They are also placed in the list of 11 sitting MLAs whose names have been kept pending. Top sources in the Congress confirmed to The Tribune that there was a complete unanimity on the names of 29 sitting MLAs who will again be fielded to contest polls. The list of 11 sitting MLAs whose situation is still uncertain has been left to Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and Delhi Congress Chief Jai Prakash Agarwal to decide among themselves. Dikshit on her part has been favouring renomination of all the 42 MLAs of the Congress. The High Command has however placed a premium on 'winnability'- the reason why the CEC led by Sonia did not stamp the proposal to approve the candidature of Goswami and Kiran Walia. The Delhi Assembly has 70 seats. For the first time today, the CEC sat to discuss the candidature of only 40 sitting MLAs of the Congress. The practice otherwise is to discuss all the candidates in one go.
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Rs 90 lakh looted from cash van
New Delhi, October 28 According to the police, the van is associated with the cash replenishment agency, CMS. It was looted at about 2.15 pm. The van driver, Ranjeet, had parked the vehicle in front of the liquor shop. One of the two custodians, Paramveer, went to the shop to collect cash. The armed van guard, Sukhbir, and the other custodian, Mahesh Sharma along with Ranjeet were waiting for Paramveer to return, according to the police. Four armed assailants, who were wearing helmets, came towards the van and held the three men hostage at gunpoint. Before the victims could retaliate, the robbers stole a box containing Rs 90 lakh cash and fled. "While fleeing into an adjacent colony, the assailants also robbed the guard's gun and later threw it," said a police officer. The cash van officials immediately informed the police about the incident. The police cordoned the area and examined the site of the incident. They recovered the guard's gun. According to the police, the CMS cash van left the company office in Patparganj at about 10.30 am and reached the liquor shop by 2 pm. During this period, it had collected cash from 22 centres, including petrol pumps and private non-banking financial firms. The police are presently questioning the four officials of the cash van. According to the police, the guard, Sukhbir, claimed that he could not fire his gun as it was stuck when the robbers were looting the van. The police have registered a case under the provisions of the Indian Penal Code at the Guru Teg Bahadur Hospital. "The statements of the van officials who witnessed the robbery are being verified. The footage of the CCTV cameras installed at the site of
the incident is being examined to see if the image of the motorcycles has been captured,” said the officer. |
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Parties maintaining model code now: CEO
New Delhi, October 28 The Chief Electoral Officer, Vijay Dev, said that with the strict implementation of the Model Code of Conduct, the parties have become more cautious about the laws and provisions of electoral process. "The electioneering is a learning process. As and when things are becoming clearer, we have seen reduction in the number of Model Code of Conduct violations. Like political parties earlier thought that putting up banners and posters on private property does not come under defacement of property. But the law as it stands today suggests that any political content on private property that is in full public view will be classified as a violation," he said. The number of cases being filed against the political parties is receding. However, Arvind Kejriwal's Aam Aadmi Party still tops the list of violators followed by the BJP and the Congress. It has the maximum violations registered in the form of FIRs and complaints, he added. "The violations among political parties have substantially reduced. "A week ago, the AAP had 89 FIRs against them and now the number has climbed by just one more case this week. The graph showing the number of violations will start to
see a downward spiral," he said. The Chief Electoral Office has recorded a total of 2,927 cases of violations of the Model Code of Conduct. Three hundred and forty-four FIRs have been lodged in which 90 were against AAP, 75 against 75 BJP, 60 Congress and 23 against BSP. The CEO had also launched a single window clearance system at all District Election Offices, which had set a deadline of 36 hours to grant non-objection certificates to political parties willing to hold rallies and public meetings. "In all nine districts, there are nodal officers who are granting timely permission and meeting the deadline," said Dev. "However, the election office will not force the local administration to provide any permission to anyone. Our job is to make sure that the political parties concerned are either granted a 'yes' or 'no' in a time-bound manner," he said. |
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Goel urges Rahul to make fact-finding Delhi tour
New Delhi, October 28 Goel said, "The Chief Minister is misleading not only the people, but even her party on the issue of development. It seems that the Congress vice-president only sees the picture presented to him by the Chief Minister and builds his opinion about Delhi. I invite him to a tour of Delhi so that his myths are busted." He said, "The Chief Minister should make her stand clear on the issue of statehood. She is creating confusion by referring to the multiplicity of authorities but not supporting the BJP's demand for full statehood for Delhi. The NDA government had brought the Delhi Statehood Bill, but the then Congress government under the present Chief Minister had opposed the Bill in 2004. The Chief Minister had then declared that Delhi could not get full statehood like other states. Schemes like Rajiv Ratna Awas Yojana, Annashree Yojana and Food Security were inaugurated by the Congress president, but they have not been implemented fully. In 2008, the Congress had promised to provide 60,000 affordable houses to the poor but, till date not a single house has been allotted to them. The failure of Annashree Yojana was recognized by the Congress itself when it announced the Food Security Scheme, which in turn was announced without proper data of the beneficiaries, Goel said. The Signature Bridge project was announced in 2004 and is still under construction. In between the estimated cost of the bridge has been revised at least six times, leading to a huge escalation of cost. The CAG questioned the cost escalation by Rs 672 crore, he added. |
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Rs 5,000-cost imposed on Dikshit for non-appearance
New Delhi, October 28 "...The direction that was earlier issued by this court was for the complainant's (Dikshit) appearance for her examination and cross examination in the case lodged by her. As she did not appear, a cost of Rs 5,000 is imposed on the complainant. "Now list the matter for further hearing on January 27, 2014. The complainant is directed to appear without failing for her examination and cross examination...," Metropolitan Magistrate Namrita Aggarwal said. The court, however, allowed Dikshit's application for exemption from personal appearance for today, but directed her to remain present before it on January 27, 2014, the next date of hearing, "without giving any excuse". During the hearing, Dikshit's counsel sought exemption for his client, saying she could not appear as she is busy in election meetings for finalising the list of candidates for the upcoming elections. The counsel for Gupta, however, argued that the ground sought by the Chief Minister is "ridiculous", specifically in the light of earlier direction of the court. Gupta's counsel Ajay Burman opposed the plea of Dikshit's counsel, saying his client is being harassed just because he is an accused in the case. The court had on August 6 framed criminal defamation charges against former Delhi BJP chief Gupta in the complaint filed by Dikshit. Dikshit had filed a complaint against Gupta alleging that the BJP leader had used "uncivilised" language against her in the run up to the MCD polls last year while accusing her of helping and conniving with power companies. The court had directed Dikshit to appear before it today to record her evidence against Gupta. The BJP leader had earlier said that when he seeks exemption from appearance, he is acted against while the Chief Minister's exemption is allowed. To this, the court had assured him that coercive action would also be taken against
Dikshit. — PTI |
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DUSU protests private food outlets on campus
New Delhi, October 28 Shouting slogans against the varsity administration for not taking action against these outlets, students demonstrated at Arts Faculty on north campus. They marched towards the private canteens where they sat for an hour during the day. Later, the student leaders met the Dean of Students' Welfare (DSW) and the Proctor and demanded immediate action on this issue. They have demanded a written reply from the DSW in 24 hours failing which the agitation will be taken to colleges and a university strike will follow. The DSW and the Proctor assured the students that they will take steps soon to resolve the issue. The students have been opposing the increased presence of private canteens at a time when canteen for employees serves full meals in Rs 14. DUSU president Aman Awana said that the DU administration is promoting commercialisation and this will not be tolerated on campus. "These are not canteens but shops. If they do not take prompt action, we will be forced to take this agitation to a higher level," he said. |
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IM ultras remanded in Special Cell custody
New Delhi, October 28 The Special Cell wants to interrogate the accused in connection with the discovery of an illegal arms factory in outer Delhi's Meer Vihar on November 2011. M S Khan, the lawyer of the two accused, told the court that the NIA allegedly forced them to make confessions. Outside the court, he said, "They (Yasin and Asadullah) were threatened that they would be killed in an encounter or imprisoned if they didn't confess." Bhatkal and Akhtar were arrested in August-end this year near the India-Nepal
border. |
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