New Delhi, December 1
In an attempt to ensure a fourth term, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit today endorsed a six-point plan, 'Delhi Womanifesto', to ensure women's security and promised to work tirelessly to implement it within the next year.

Dikshit has requested a single-command system which can serve as a mechanism for smoother functioning of the police and judicial system, in coordination with the Central Government. "Our manifesto is also focused on special training of the police force with respect to crimes against women and increasing the number of women in the police force," she said.

"Our proposal to set up five fast-track trial courts in rape cases, after the December 16 incident, was accepted by the Delhi High Court. An increase in the number of judges and improvement in infrastructure, however, still needs to be addressed and will be done so in coordination with the Central Government," she said.

Lauding the policies of the manifesto, she said, "Our manifesto focuses on the extension of the Ladli Scheme which will be known as Qabil Ladli, opening of crèches to look after the children of working women, child-friendly courts and more working women hostels. We are committed to building 20 toilets per assembly constituency in the first phase that will be for women and managed by women."

She said initiatives have been taken up and more are in the pipeline to ensure women's security in Delhi. "However, a lot more can be achieved in partnership with the citizens in order to achieve our vision of making Delhi a truly safe city for all its residents," Dikshit said.

New Delhi, December 1
The BJP today expressed discontent over the inaction of the Election Commission of India for not stopping the alleged derogatory campaign against Narendra Modi.

BJP president Vijay Goel said, "On November 30, derogatory pamphlets were distributed prior to Modi's rally. In the past also this has been done and we had lodged a formal complaint with the Election Commission, but the campaign continues unabated. I do not see any visible action in this regard and this has caused us deep anguish."

"We are going to lodge a police complaint regarding this now and seek investigation. In gross violation of the poll guidelines, the print lines are missing on these pamphlets. Such attempts are condemnable and show desperation of our rivals who have resorted to such undemocratic practices," he said.

Taking a dig at the Congress, he said that rallies of Rahul Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi were a flop show with only a handful of people being there. "People are leaving Chief Minister's public meetings in between and all surveys are pointing out that the Congress is trailing very badly. On the other hand, the BJP's top leaders are drawing huge crowds. A desperate Congress is thus running mudslinging campaign now," he said.

Lashing out at the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Goel said that it is making misleading claims about its support base. "Our party cadres have been directed that in the last leg of the campaign the half-truths of AAP must be exposed. The AAP is the biggest violator of poll guidelines and it has made untenable and vague promises in its manifesto. Several of its leaders have been caught on camera agreeing to resort to unfair means," he added.

New Delhi, December 1
Ensuring that a peaceful democratic process is carried out when Delhi goes to polls on December 4, the Delhi Police in coordination with the central security forces will implement elaborate security arrangements in the national Capital.

The arrangements include the deployment of Police Control Room (PCR) vehicles and Quick Reaction Teams (QRTs) across the city. The focus will be on guarding the entry points, also known as 'nakas', to Delhi from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh with a view to preventing the movement of unaccounted money, liquor and musclemen, who can be used to intimidate voters. Security agencies will keep a close watch on polling booths that have been earmarked as 'low critical' and 'high critical' by the Delhi Electoral Office on grounds of having a history of violence, political conflict, as well as a 'communal angle' in the areas inhabited by minority communities.

On a terror threat, sources in the intelligence agencies said, "There is a general threat. The Delhi elections have been grabbing the attention of several unwanted elements because of the big political leaders campaigning here." Intelligence agencies have also been sharing information with the Delhi Police to prevent a 'law and order' situation.

About 35,000 Delhi Police personnel, including women constables and officers, and 107 companies of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) will be deployed for security duties for the Delhi Assembly elections, according to officials of the Delhi Electoral Office. The CAPF companies were earlier posted in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan for the elections that were held there and are now being sent to Delhi.

The CAPF deployment will consist of troops who have been farmed out from the Central Reserve Police Force, the Border Security Force, Central Industrial Security Force, the Sashastra Seema Bal and the Special Auxiliary Police of Bihar, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh.

Starting from the night of December 2, the deployment of Delhi Police and CAPF personnel across the city will begin. The next day more personnel will be deployed at 2,531 polling premises that will accommodate 11,763 booths. The security arrangements will last until the end of the polling session on December 4.

New Delhi, December 1
As the Border Security Force (BSF) will soon take over the India-Myanmar Border, it plans to increase the strength of its force and recruit more women.

The Director General, BSF, Subhash Joshi, at the 48th Raising Day of the force held here today said that there will be more recruitment of woman constables and officers. “Presently there are more than 2,500 woman personnel in the BSF. In the next three years, we plan to have twice as many woman personnel as we have now,” said Joshi.

The BSF is recruiting 14 woman assistant commandants and 35 woman sub-inspectors. It plans to recruit 1,500 woman constables between the end of the year and 2014.

The BSF was raised on December 1, 1965, with the responsibility to guard the border with Pakistan and Bangladesh. On the day of its inception, the force had 25 battalions and presently it has 175 battalions.

Joshi on the BSF’s annual press conference held on Friday had said that the government has sanctioned an infrastructure plan for the BSF. The plan consists of building infrastructure along the border, including jawans living quarters and also raising 11 new battalions within the next two years.

Joshi today said that the BSF plans to construct a new headquarters in Delhi. He said that the land for this project is being acquired.

At the celebrations of the 48th BSF Day, there was a march past by 11 frontier contingents, camel contingent and a Mahila (woman) contingent. Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar was the chief guest on the occasion. There was also a “Dare Devil BSF Motorcycle” show.

New Delhi, December 1
Press Council of India Chairman Markandey Katju has called upon the Judiciary to honour in letter and spirit the principles of Separation of Power between Legislative, Executive and Judiciary, suggesting a debate among all sections of society for norms of functioning of the three pillars of democracy without encroaching on each other's domain.

"In a democracy, the will of the people expressed through their elected representative is very important but at the same time, our Constitution propounds the Doctrine of Judicial Review and gives power to the High Court and the Supreme Court to declare a statute ultra vires if it violates or infringes upon the provisions of the Constitution. This is a very important power but has to be exercised with caution so that there should not be any confrontation between the two important institutions," he said delivering the inaugural Prof. Mohammed Iqbal Khan Memorial lecture at Khurja, in western UP last evening.

The former Supreme Court judge suggested a debate among judges, professors, lawyers, executive functionaries, students and civil society to have norms of functioning for the three pillars of democracy so as not to encroach on each other's domain.