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India asks US Embassy to stop commercial activities by
Jan 16
NEW DELHI: In further retaliatory steps over the arrest of diplomat Devyani
Khobragade, India has asked the US to "discontinue" commercial activities being undertaken from its embassy premises in New Delhi by January 16.
India's action comes ahead of the January 13 deadline for the indictment in New York of
Khobragade, Deputy Consul General in New York, on visa fraud charges.
Acting tough, the government has asked the embassy to stop commercial activities undertaken under the aegis of the American Community Support Association
(ACSA), including restaurant/bar, video club, bowling alley, swimming pool, sports field, beauty parlour and gym.
The US has also been asked to provide the tax returns filed by it with Indian authorities for commercial activities, which are afforded through ACSA to non-diplomatic persons, including private American citizens and their families, government sources said.
Indian authorities have cited the provision of such commercial facilities to non-diplomats as a violation of Article 41(3) of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961.
The convention states that "the premises of the mission must not be used in any manner incompatible with the functions of the mission as laid down in the present convention or by other rules of general international law or by any special agreements in force between the sending and the receiving State."
It is also understood US diplomatic vehicles will now attract penalties for all traffic-related offences such as
unauthorised parking, red light jumping, dangerous driving, etc.
Necessary action against vehicles with AF (Applied for) number plates is also on the cards. — PTI
9 killed as Mumbai-Dehradun Express catches fire in Thane
MUMBAI: Nine persons were charred to death when a fire broke out in three coaches of
the Mumbai-Dehradun Express near Dahanu road in neighbouring Thane district in the wee hours of Wednesday.
Among the nine dead, one is a woman and four are men while the rest were yet to be identified, said Western Railway PRO Sharat Chandra.
Four persons have sustained minor injuries, said the police. The fire erupted in one of the three coaches and soon spread to other two coaches when the passengers were sleeping at about
2.50 am, Chandra said, adding the cause of the blaze is not yet known.
He said that a level-crossing gate man spotted the fire and immediately alerted the guard inside the train.
The guard subsequently informed the motorman following which the train was stopped.
"Due to alertness of the gate man, a major disaster was averted," Chandra said.
The train was halted at Gholvad railway station, near Dahanu road, where the fire was brought under control.
Meanwhile, Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge on Tuesday expressed grief over the death of passengers in the fire mishap on board the Mumbai-Dehradun Express and announced an ex-gratia of Rs
5 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed.
"The Railway Minister has expressed deep grief over the incident and announced an ex-gratia of Rs
5 lakh for those who died in this unfortunate incident and Rs 1 lakh to those seriously injured,"
Chairman, Railway Board, Arunendra Kumar, said.
A sum of Rs 50,000 will be given to those who received minor injuries.
The Commissioner of Railway Safety will conduct an inquiry into the fire incident, he said.
"The cause of the fire is yet to be ascertained. However, the fire has been put out and the train has made its forward journey," Kumar said.
He said the damage was restricted due to an alert guard.
The coaches have been separated from the train and the train has it made its forward journey, he said.
Senior railway officials have rushed to the site.
Helpline numbers: 022-23011853, 022-23007388. — PTI
Bhushan blames BJP-affiliated groups for attack on AAP office
GHAZIABAD: AAP leader Prashant Bhushan, who is under fire for his remarks on Kashmir, on Wednesday blamed BJP- and RSS-affiliated organisations for the attack on the party office, saying they were “extremely frustrated with the rise of AAP".
“This incident shows extreme frustration on the part of BJP, RSS and its affiliated organisations with the phenomenal rise of AAP. They are afraid of AAP and fear that it will damage their prospect in the Lok Sabha elections,” he told reporters on Wednesday.
Activists of a right-wing group attacked and vandalised the Aam Aadmi Party headquarters in Kaushambi in UP’s Ghaziabad district to protest against
Bhushan’s remarks on referendum in Kashmir.
This incident, Bhushan said, proves that those parties are ready to use any means, “even going to the extent of vandalism and physically assaulting AAP leaders and supporters.”
“This shows their fascist mentality and lumpen behaviour. It is unfortunate to see that a national party like BJP is now resorting to all kinds of violence and unleashing its goons,” he added.
Bhushan had recently said a referendum should be carried out in Kashmir to decide on deployment of the army to deal with security threats in the Valley.
However, the Aam Aadmi Party had distanced itself from his views.
On AAP distancing itself from his views on Kashmir, he said, “There can be a difference of opinion within a party. I have already clarified and explained what I meant and there is not much difference in the party’s statement. Neither I nor the party has said that Kashmir should be separated from India after conducting a referendum.”
Talking about the attack on him in 2011, Bhushan said, he had lodged a complaint with Delhi Police but it “didn’t take any action and allowed them to go scott free“.
“Two years back, the same people had attacked me in my chamber opposite the Supreme Court. One of the assailants last time was also present this time. Another attacker runs a website and a BJP leader promotes this website,” he charged.
Reacting to the incident, Congress leader Kamal Nath said, “I condemn all politics of violence.”
Earlier, activists of a right-wing group on Wednesday attacked and vandalised the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) headquarters in Kaushambi in Ghaziabad with bricks and stones to protest against party leader Prashant Bhushan’s remarks on referendum in Kashmir.
Around 40 activists of the Hindu Raksha Dal broke flowerpots kept outside the AAP’s office and tore party posters. Some glass doors were also smashed in the attack.
“We today staged a protest against AAP’s stand on Kashmir. AAP leader Prashant Bhushan’s remark on Kashmir are very sad for Hindus due to which we staged a protest outside the party office,” said Pinky Choudhary, national convenor, Hindu Raksha
Dal.
The police said no one was injured in the attack.
SSP Dharmendra Singh said, “We have identified some people. They were some residents of Ghaziabad and the numbers of their cars have been noted. Action against them will be initiated soon.”
AAP spokesperson Dilip Pandey said, “Some youths, who are said to belong to Hindu Raksha Dal, gathered outside the party office and raised slogans against AAP. They also broke flowerpots placed outside the party office.”
The police has registered a case against unknown persons.
Singh said there was no security at the party office but policemen have now been deployed there and at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s residence, which is just a kilometre away.
He said they will again take up the issue of security with Kejriwal and try to convince him about that. Earlier, Kejriwal had turned down the security offered to him by Ghaziabad and Delhi police.
Meanwhile, the Ghaziabad Police on Wednesday arrested the national convenor of Hindu Raksha Dal from Sahibabad area in connection with the incident.
Besides arresting national convener of Hindu Raksha Dal Pinki Choudhary in connection with the attack,
the police has detained another person in the regard.
"We have arrested an accused for the attack on AAP's office. The police
is also scanning footage of CCTV installed at party's office to identify other accused, who would also be arrested soon," Rav Vijay Singh, Deputy Superintendent of Police,
said.— Agencies
No reason to worry about future: PM to diaspora
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday sought to dispel apprehensions of the Indian diaspora on the state of the economy, saying the country was heading towards “better times” and there is no reason to despair about its present or worry about the future.
He also said that regardless of the outcome of the next elections, they will once again demonstrate the strength of India’s democracy and its institutions.
“I know that many of you have questions about the future of the Indian economy and concerns about social challenges, the shape of our polity and the issues of governance in our country. There is a perception in some quarters outside India that the country is losing its momentum of the past decade,”
Dr Singh said.
“I wish to assure you that there is no reason to despair about our present or worry about our future. Indeed, as I have said earlier, we are heading into better times ahead and I would urge you to remain engaged in the future of this country with confidence and optimism,” the Prime Minister said at the 12th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas in Delhi.
“Our economy has done well over the past decade. In the nine years since 2004, we averaged a healthy growth rate of 7.9 per cent per annum. There has been no doubt a slow down in the recent past, and we will probably end this year at the same level as last year with 5 per cent growth,”
Dr Singh said. — PTI
CBI registers
2 fresh cases in coal allocation scam
NEW DELHI: CBI has registered two fresh cases in connection with alleged irregularities in allocation of coal blocks during 1993-2004.
The agency has registered cases against BLA industries, Castron Technologies, Castron Mining, the MD of
BLA, some unknown public servants and private persons, CBI sources said.
It is alleged that undeserving companies were given coal block allocations.
They said BLA was allegedly permitted to sell the coal in the open market against the principle of captive mining.
CBI spokesperson said searches are being conducted at Dhanbad, Narsinghpur
(MP), Mumbai and Kolkata in connection with the case.
— PTI
Goa building collapse toll rises to 19
PANAJI: The death toll in Canacona building collapse has gone up to 19 after one more body was recovered, officials said.
“One body was recovered last evening (Tuesday) and another one late night, taking the death toll to 19,” Director of Fire and Emergency Services Ashok Menon told PTI.
The rescue operation, which had stopped after two adjacent buildings tilted, resumed on Tuesday afternoon.
The under-construction building in Chawdi area of Canacona collapsed last Saturday. Its location on a narrow lane had made rescue operations difficult.
According to the officials, at least ten more bodies are still under the debris.
The state government has called in special machinery to demolish three adjacent buildings, including the two which are tilted. — PTI
Bopanna-Qureshi enter semis, Paes-Stephanek crash out
SYDNEY: Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi progressed to the semifinals of the Sydney International but Leander Paes failed to rescue his 2014 season from a poor start as he crashed out in the first round with Czech partner Radek Stepanek.
Bopanna and his Pakistani partner, seeded third, faced stiff resistance from Trat Huey of Philippines and Briton Dominic Inglot before prevailing 6-7(3) 7-6(5) 10-3 in the quarterfinals.
They now face giant-killers Lukas Rosol and Joao Sousa, who dumped the top seeded American pair of Mike and Bob Bryan 3-6 6-3 14-12 in their quarterfinal.
For Paes, it has been a nightmarish start to the new season. At the Chennai Open, he did not get to play a single ball as his partner Fabio Fognini pulled out due to an injury.
And on Wednesday he and Stepanek, seeded second, were ousted 4-6 4-6 in 65 minutes by the French pair of Julien Benneteau and Edouard Roger-Vasselin.
After losing the first set, Paes and Stepanek saved a break in the opening game of the second set off the Czech’s serve. They had a chance to break their opponents in the next game but the Frenchmen saved.
Paes and Stepanek were leading 2-1 when rain forced suspension of play for about 45 minutes.
The Indian was broken in the seventh game which handed an opening to Benneteau and Roger-Vasselin, who extended their lead to 5-3 by holding serve in the next.
Stepanek held his serve to stay in the match but the second seeds could not stop Roger-Vasselin from serving out the set and the match in the next game.
The winners will now take on Australian pair of James Duckworth and Samuel Groth.
Paes now heads to the season’s first Grand Slam, the Australian Open, without much match practice. — PTI
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