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Jat reservation may hit BJP’s Haryana, western UP plans
ABVP loses varsity polls in Modi’s backyard
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TRS rules out merger with Cong MCI amends its ethical code MP absent from Sonia Gandhi’s farewell dinner
Manmohan unlikely to visit Pakistan
Justice Thomas refuses to head Lokpal search panel
Cable fire led to Sindhuratna mishap: Navy
Withdraw security of 288: HC to UP Docs’ stir: 17 more patients die
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Jat reservation may hit BJP’s Haryana, western UP plans
New Delhi, March 3 “If they were so serious about giving Jats reservation they should have done it six months ago. Now they will not even be able to send the circular of the decision,” says a senior BJP leader. BJP’s problem is of complicated by absence of “tall Jat leaders” in the party fold. In Punjab, its requirements are well looked after by the presence of strong ally Akali Dal, in Haryana the party so far has no such comfort, which makes the presence of the Chautala-led INLD in the NDA almost necessary. One of the few Jat leaders that the BJP can boast of is Captain Abhimanyu, who is part of the Narendra Modi’s inner team looking after UP. While Muzzaffarnagar violence had alienated Jats from the Congress and the Samajwadi Party, the decision can tilt them in the favour of the UPA. The Congress is expected to tie up with Jat leader Ajit Singh’s RLD. Though Ajit Singh had contested 2009 with the BJP, he crossed over to the Congress and was also also made a minister. The only solace that the BJP can draw is from the fact that the reservation for Jats will have to be at the cost of other sections of the OBCs, which, they feel, will adversely affect Congress’ political prospects. States with significant Jat population include Rajasthan, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab and UP and support of these areas is crucial for any political party. States with lesser population of Jats include J&K, HP, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat.
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ABVP loses varsity polls in Modi’s backyard
New Delhi, March 3 Of the 10 seats of the university senate, the NSUI bagged six while the ABVP managed just two seats. The rest went unopposed. The move may appear mundane but the Congress is already using it to counter Modi’s self created support wave. “Why should we not tout the fact that the man who has been proclaiming a wave in his own favour could not even inspire university students to support the BJP’s students’ wing? Someone who can’t win a university election should not claim a pan-India wave in his favour,” Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said a day after Modi, in Lucknow, said a “BJP tsunami would drown SP, BSP and Congress in UP”. Even in the students’ welfare body elections of Gujarat University, the NSUI bagged nine out of 14 seats. In the capital today to meet Congress leaders, victorious president and vice-president of Gujarat University Girish Shudankar and Rohit Chaudhary said the NSUI victory was significant since the entire apparatus in Gujarat was working to ensure ABVP’s win.
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TRS rules out merger with Cong Hyderabad, March 3 However, the meeting, attended by party MLAs and senior leaders, kept the option of forging an electoral alliance with the Congress open. “An overwhelming majority of TRS members urged us not to merge the party with the Congress. So, it was unanimously decided to continue the TRS as a separate political entity and play a major role in the construction of Telangana state,” the TRS supremo said. The party set up a five-member committee, headed by Rajya Sabha member K Keshav Rao, to hold “consultations” with other political parties, including the Congress, for future tie-ups ahead of the General Election. The TRS, which has been in the forefront of the statehood movement since its inception in 2001, is a dominant player in Telangana and is seeking to appropriate the entire credit for achieving the statehood goal. The Congress, on its part, has been hopeful that the TRS will merge with it as the dream of a separate state has been realised. The ruling party is also said to have promised the Chief Minister’s post to Chandrasekhar Rao in the new state. However, a majority of TRS leaders strongly opposed the merger proposal, saying the sub-regional party now has a historic responsibility of developing the new state.
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MCI amends its ethical code New Delhi, March 3 In a development that has attracted widespread criticism, the MCI has amended its existing Code of Ethics Regulations in a way to exempt professional associations of doctors from its reach. The MCI moved the amendment to Regulation 6.8 of the Indian Medical Council (Professional Conduct, Etiquette and Ethics) Regulations, 2002, which deals with the relationship which doctors and their professional associations have with pharmaceutical and allied health sector industry. This regulation clearly states that a medical practitioner as an individual and an association will not receive gifts, travel facilities, hospitality, cash or other allowances under any pretext from any pharma firm or allied health service firm. But the MCI, in its February 18 executive meeting, brought an amendment to the Code of Ethics Regulation for doctors for exempting the Professional Association of Doctors from the jurisdiction of the MCI. Regulation 6.8 was notified by the MCI in December 2009 in the wake of misuse of loopholes in the ethics regulation of 2002 by professional associations of doctors including the Indian Medical Association. Topmost among these misuses was the endorsement of Pepsi and Dabur products by the IMA functionaries in return for money and also of some products by the Indian Academy of Paediatrics in return for favours. In fact, the illegal endorsements of Pepsi and Dabur products was revealed by Kerala based practitioner Dr N Babu who continues to face harassment at the hands of the IMA for raising his voice against unethical practices. The Ethics Committee of the past MCI which stands disbanded (elected MCI took over from Board of Governors last year) had recommended action against the endorsing docs and even suspension of their licences. But the new move of the MCI ensures that the IMA in the pending matter goes scot free. CPM leader Brinda Karat has now written to Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad to stop this ill-conceived move” of the MCI. In a letter to Azad, Karat has said: “Does it now mean that what is impermissible for an individual doctor is permissible if he or she acts in association with others? The absurdity is striking.” She has demanded rejection of the retrograde step of the MCI.
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MP absent from Sonia Gandhi’s farewell dinner New Delhi, March 3 Pal's absence added weight to the ongoing apprehension that he is in touch with the BJP for a switch over. Jagdambika Pal has been cross with the central leadership for not being rewarded with a senior position or a ministerial berth in the party despite years of service. No wonder his absence was the most noticeable part of Sonia's farewell dinner for Congress leaders and MPs before they face the upcoming Lok Sabha election. Senior leaders of the party maintained Pal's presence was being awaited “but he did not arrive further fanning the speculation that he might actually be contemplating joining the BJP”. While Pal bunked the all-important event attended by all top Congress ministers, office-bearers and MPs, tainted party member Suresh Kalmadi was present at the dinner where Sonia and her son and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi were said to be personally attending to guests to see if their platters were full. "Soniaji was going around like a perfect hostess asking everyone what they wanted. It was a feast. Food was great. Every detail had been fixed to the last bit. The atmosphere was positive, just the kind one needed before going into elections," said a Congress office -bearer who attended the dinner. No leaders from states were invited to the dinner, sources said adding that the only Chief Minister present was Sheila Dikshit, who accompanied her MP son Sandeep Dikshit. "Sheila Dikshit being local was present. Most MPs and office-bearers came with spouses," said sources adding that politics was kept out of the evening though the message of optimism ran far and wide.
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India in touch with neighbours to counter insurgent groups
Ashok Tuteja writes from Nay Pyi Taw India is in touch with neighbouring countries to thwart any attempt by Indian insurgent groups operating from there to disrupt the Lok Sabha elections. Official sources today said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will seek full security cooperation from Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal when he meets the leaders of these countries here on the margins of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Summit to be held tomorrow against the backdrop of the looming threat of violence by insurgent groups to sabotage the electoral exercise. The Prime Minister arrived in Myanmar this afternoon to attend the summit on what seems to be his last overseas trip as the PM, reflecting the importance India attaches to relations with its neighbours. He is scheduled to hold talks with Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Bhutan Prime Minister Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay and Myanmar President U Thein Sein. He will also meet Myanmar’s pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi tomorrow evening just before flying back to New Delhi. The seven-nation BIMSTEC was poised to play a more active role in regional integration and cooperation, the PM said in a statement. In the field of security, BIMSTEC has steadily put in place enabling instruments for regional approaches to international terrorism, transnational crimes, drug trafficking and mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, he added. Sources said India had been receiving “very good” cooperation from Myanmar in tackling the threat from Indian insurgent groups. “We have an ongoing cooperation with Myanmar… we will again raise our (security) concerns,” they added. They noted that Bangladesh had extended full cooperation to India in the security field over the past few years. Successive governments in Nepal have assured New Delhi that the country’s territory would not be allowed to be misused for anti-India activities, sources pointed out. Pakistan’s ISI has been quite active in Nepal. Asked about reports that there could be high-level of violence in proposed Telangana during the elections, sources said “we are doing whatever we can to ensure that it does not happen”. On the PM’s upcoming meeting with the Sri Lankan leader, sources said India would like to see much more progress in terms of reconciliation on the ethnic issue in the island nation.
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Manmohan unlikely to visit Pakistan
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s long-cherished desire to visit his birthplace in Pakistan before demitting office may remain a dream. “I don’t know…we have not got anything planned,” an official source said when asked if the PM could visit the neighbouring country before completing his term.
Singh was born at Gah village in Pakistan on September 26, 1932. He has often expressed his desire to visit Pakistan, hoping such a trip would contribute to normalising relations between the two neighbours. Islamabad has extended numerous invites to Singh to visit Pakistan. In November, Sartaj Aziz, Adviser on Foreign Affairs to Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, had personally invited Singh on behalf of the Pakistani leadership. Pakistan’s Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, the younger brother of the Pakistan Premier, had renewed the invitation in December. Singh has, however, held the view that he would go to Pakistan only if such a visit results in a positive outcome. India has been unhappy with Pakistan over a variety of issues, including the slow pace of progress of the trial in the 26/11 Mumbai attack.
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Justice Thomas refuses to head Lokpal search panel
New Delhi, March 3 “The reason is when I went through the rules, our committee which is called the search committee was to recommend names to select committee. The select committee need or need not accept those names. So it was not worthwhile to have this search committee,” he said. Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi later said: “Where is the question of government being embarrassed… It is a statutory body. Each position on this has to be fulfilled.”
— PTI
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Cable fire led to Sindhuratna mishap: Navy
New Delhi, March 3 The fire in the submarine on February 26 off Mumbai resulted in the death of two officers and injuries to seven sailors. The Board of Inquiry (BoI) has found that the fire was caused due to problems in the cables, Navy officials said in New Delhi. Investigations are still on into the incident. The battery pit has been found to be safe and the fire took place in the compartment above it, the officials said.
— TNS
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Withdraw security of 288: HC to UP Lucknow, March 3 Responding to a PIL, a Division Bench comprising Justices Imtiyaz Murtaza and Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya has given 10 days to the state government to implement the order. The case would now be heard on April 7. The list includes former ministers in the Mayawati government and present BSP state president Ram Achal Rajbhar, Rakeshdhar Tripathi, Daddu Prasad, Nand Gopal Gupta, former MPs Harish Nagpal, mafia kingpin-turned-politician DP Yadav, Pankaj Chaudhary, former Congress MP from Rampur Begum Noor Bano, minister Raj Kishor Singh’s brother and many former MLAs and Samajwadi Party office-bearers. Separate orders may be passed later in cases where actual threat of any nature is perceived. In its 429-page counter-affidavit, state Home Secretary Kamal Saxena presented a list of 562 persons who had been given state security despite having arms licences. This included 127 persons given security under the orders of various courts and 288 persons with criminal antecedents. The High Court advised the state government to refrain from giving security to those who already possessed arms licence.
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Docs’ stir: 17 more patients die Lucknow, March 3 The junior doctors at Kanpur’s Lala Lajpat Rai Hospital (LLR) are protesting lathi-charge on them allegedly at the behest of Samajwadi Party MLA Irfan Solanki. The Chief Minister said the guilty would be punished after an inquiry into the February 28 incident was complete.
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