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Poll code not applicable to defence matters, says EC
Cong set to fall back on ‘Bharat Nirman’
Exit of Muthalik, Sabir Ali leave BJP red-faced
Cong, BJP must disclose foreign funding: AAP
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Prez re-promulgates Sebi ordinance giving more teeth
Share polio-free strategy with Pak: Pranab
Cop hurt as Hizb militants attack J-K police team
ED begins probe into Punjab’s VAT refund scam
RLD’s Ajit allied with his father's adversaries: Modi
Ulema Council chief to take on Mulayam
BJP MLA among 51 let off in 2 cases related to Gujarat riots
CBI arrests top I-T officer, 3 others for bribery
Sethusamudram project useless: Jaya
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Poll code not applicable to defence matters, says EC
New Delhi, March 29 This order shall be treated as standing instructions of the commission and will be "applicable for all elections in future", the EC said. "The Model Code of Conduct is not applicable to any matter pertaining directly to the Defence forces, be it the recruitments/promotions for defence forces, all service matters pertaining to them, Defence purchases of all kinds, tenders relating to the matter of the defence forces and consequently no reference need be sent to the commission pertaining to model code in these matters," the EC said. The poll body's instructions came in response to a request by the Defence Ministry for permission for routine procurement of 6400 MT of edible oil for the troops and routine procurement of the already approved quantities of scaled ration items for personnel for this year and for next year. The new order assumes significance as the Defence Minister recently approached the EC for approving the process of appointing Chief of Naval Staff to succeed Admiral DK Joshi. — PTI
New Navy Chief soon: Antony
Thiruvananthapuram: The next Indian Navy chief will be named soon, defence minister AK Antony said on Saturday. "The selection process is in the final stages. The next Naval Chief would be announced soon," Antony said. IANS.
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Cong set to fall back on ‘Bharat Nirman’
New Delhi, March 29 Expected to be junked in the process are some of Congress' original tag lines such as "Main Nahi Hum", "Naseehat Nahi Nateeje" and "Kattar Soch Nahi Yuva Josh", hitherto occupying TV prime time and billboard space ahead of the 16th Lok Sabha elections. But, party sources said surveys had indicated that tags with negative slants were not affecting voters' responses positively. On the contrary, "Bharat Nirman", an advertising campaign run alongside the aforesaid, generated more interest among the electorate. The evidence has triggered an attempt to shift from negative political messaging to positive one, with Congress insiders saying the new campaign tag could read: "Sabko avsar, sabko adhikaar…" This will complement the already being used "Har Haath Shakti, Har haath taraqqi" line. Past Congress campaigns with anti-BJP and anti-Narendra Modi underpinnings, when surveyed for impact, didn't yield the desired results, sources told The Tribune. In fact "Kattar Soch Nahi Yuva Josh" campaign that featured Congress' Goa NSUI president Hasiba Amin witnessed such visceral reactions on part of viewers that Amin's social networking accounts were flooded with hate mails and she had to seek police help. The ironical part is — all these ads had Congress vice-president and party campaign driver Rahul Gandhi as the central figure. "The message going out was negative," said a source privy to recent surveys commissioned by the Congress to study current campaign impact. Same was the case with other Congress ads with Rahul and anti-Modi sentiment at their heart. These include "Main Nahi Hum"; "Naseehat nahi Nateeje". It was easy for viewers to see negativity in these ads with Rahul's routine stress on the BJP PM nominee's centralised manner of working. The Congress manifesto only strengthened this thought by asking voters to choose between an "inclusive" and an "exclusionary doctrine". Sources said many of these tags with negative slants would gradually be taken off air and new ad campaigns stressing Congress development and growth agenda would replace them. A new TV and mass campaign is being designed by Dentsu India in consultation with Rahul's sister Priyanka Gandhi, minister Jairam Ramesh and Mohan Gopal, head of Rajeev Gandhi Institute for Contemporary Studies, considered close to Rahul. "New advertisement campaign will talk about Congress-led UPA's achievements and the rights-based regime it guaranteed to people. It will feature extensively on right to food, right to information, right of business to street vendors. We will also talk about our future rights agenda and economic growth promises," said a top Congress leader. The new campaign will be designed to impress Congress' new target constituency - 80 crore Indians sandwiched between the poverty line and middle class.
No-negative mission
* Tags with negative slants to be gradually taken off air are: ‘Main Nahi Hum’, ‘Naseehat Nahi Nateeje’ and ‘Kattar Soch Nahi Yuva Josh’ *
All these ads have Congress vice-president and party campaign driver Rahul Gandhi as the central figure
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Exit of Muthalik, Sabir Ali leave BJP red-faced
New Delhi, March 29 Migration from one party to another in the run-up to elections is a practice that many leaders indulge in for a variety of reasons, yet the admission of these two -- among a host of others -- resulted in a sharp reaction. In the case of Sri Ram Sene chief
Muthalik, the BJP central leadership distanced itself over the decision saying that it was taken by the state unit in Karnataka. The state unit was asked to swiftly contain the damage after questions were asked over the induction of a person whose men bashed up women outside a Mangalore pub. The discourse got entangled around the dignity of women that BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi is promising to
uphold. Sabir Ali is known to have been a signatory to a letter that 65 MPs sent to American President Barack Obama in November 2012 urging him to not grant visa to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra
Modi. The contents of the letter appeared last summer and had caused a political
furore. The entry of Sabir Ali acquired a curious turn after senior party leader and vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi raised the red flag after the expelled Janata Dal (United) MP was welcomed by two prominent BJP central leaders -- general secretary Dharmendra Pradhan and Sudhanshu
Trivedi, political adviser to BJP chief Rajnath Singh. Sabir Ali joined the issue with Naqvi and threatened to file a defamation case against the BJP leader for alleging that he had links with arrested IM terrorist Yasin Bhatkal and dared him to present proof against him. He also alleged that people like Naqvi have kept the community away from the
BJP.
Damage control
The BJP on Saturday told party members to air grievances inside the organisation instead of going public on social media.
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Cong, BJP must disclose foreign funding: AAP
New Delhi, March 29 It demanded that the probe into the foreign funding of the Congress and the BJP should be monitored by the EC, since the Home Ministry, which virtually gave a "clean chit" to these two parties, as per AAP, could not be expected to complete an impartial investigation. — TNS
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Prez re-promulgates Sebi ordinance giving more teeth
New Delhi, March 29 The ordinance, which lapsed on January 15, has been re-promulgated for the third time as Parliament could not pass the Securities Laws (Amendment) Bill 2013 in the Winter session. “Yes,” said a top government official when asked if the President has re-promulgated the Sebi ordinance. Among others, the ordinance provides powers for Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) Chairman to authorise search and seizure. For re-promulgating the ordinance for the third time, the Finance Ministry had sought opinion of the Law Ministry and later it was cleared by the Cabinet. The ordinance was earlier promulgated by President Pranab Mukherjee on July 18, 2013 after the Cabinet gave its approval to amend the Sebi Act, 1992 to give Sebi additional powers and was re-promulgated on September 16. As per the amended law, Sebi can regulate any money pooling scheme worth Rs 100 crore or more and attach assets in cases of non-compliance and its Chairman can order "search and seizure operations." It also empowers the market watchdog to seek information, such as telephone call data records, from any persons or entities in respect to any securities transaction being investigated by it. The amendments would clear the air over regulatory gaps and overlaps with regard to types of instruments used in raising funds. — PTI
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Share polio-free strategy with Pak: Pranab
New Delhi, March 29 He underscored the need to remain vigilant since the country would remain at risk till the whole world was freed of the virus. Addressing a polio-free conclave organised by Rotary International which has worked along with a clutch of other agencies in the two-decade-old anti-polio drive, the President said, “I would like our people to reach out to such countries that can benefit from our success and experience. “Countries such as Nigeria, Pakistan, Afghanistan, countries in West Africa and even Syria, which are said to be polio-infected, can be assisted in so many ways. We can share with them the strategies that brought us success and help them improve their own health systems and infrastructures. As long as the polio virus survives anywhere, it is a threat to all populations everywhere.” On the occasion of India’s completion of three years without polio, the President said that India’s success must make the country more vigilant. “We will need to keep up our watchfulness and preparedness and take all the precautions necessary to ensure that there is no recurrence of this dreadful disease in our country. I do believe that as viruses and diseases do not respect borders, it is in our own interest to assist those populations of the global community that are still vulnerable.” He noted that the unprecedented programme was taken up by the central and state governments supported by several national and international agencies.
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Cop hurt as Hizb militants attack J-K police team
Srinagar, March 29 A policeman was injured when militants attacked a police party near Kakpora Pulwama, 20 km from Srinagar. The injured has been identified as Javid Iqbal of the Indian Reserve Police (IRP) 18 battalion. He was shifted to a Pampore hospital, where his condition is stated to be stable. The firing created panic in the area and shopkeepers downed their shutters. Militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen has claimed the responsibility of the attack. Almost an hour before the incident, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti held a road show in the area. In Srinagar, a major tragedy was averted after an IED was detected near an Army camp in Bemina. Sources said Army’s Road Opening Party found 10 kg IED in a pressure cooker which was kept in a bag. “The troops immediately alerted the bomb disposal squad. The area was immediately cordoned off and sniffer dogs were called,” said an official. “The IED was later defused after which the traffic was allowed to ply on the stretch,” he said. Militants also fired on a team of Army's counter- insurgency unit on the Srinagar-Baramulla highway near Palhalan. “The Army did not retaliate as the gunshots were fired from a residential area. The area was, however, immediately cordoned off and during a search one AK-47 rifle and a magazine was recovered,” said an official.
10 kg IED defused
* In Srinagar, a major tragedy was averted after an IED was detected near an Army camp in
Bemina. * Sources said Army’s Road Opening Party found 10 kg IED in a pressure cooker which was kept in a bag.The explosive was later defused *
Militants also opened fire on an Army team in Palhalan near Srinagar
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ED begins probe into Punjab’s VAT refund scam
Chandigarh, March 29 The ED is believed to be looking to the way these exporters who claimed VAT refunds on bogus exports violated the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). The ECIR under provisions of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) has been registered. The ED sleuths are investigating how these exporters sent money to bogus consignees in other countries and then got the money back in dollars. The money (in rupees) is alleged to have been sent abroad and dollars received through hawala in return. The ED has also sought information regarding all cases where VAT refunds have been issued to three exporters - York International, Jaldhara Exports and Trimurti Hoseiry - from the Punjab Excise and Taxation Department. The owners of these companies will now be summoned and asked to explain the money trail. The ED sleuths are also looking at the use of money refunded to these exporters by the government as VAT refund. It is believed that other than three companies, over 30 other companies are involved in the scam. The case is already being investigated by the Economic Intelligence Unit of the excise and taxation department, after the Punjab and Haryana High Court reversed its earlier judgment of handing over the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation. These exporters obtained VAT refunds worth crores by claiming that they were sending the hosiery goods to Bangladesh and also to other states within the country. But the goods were neither sold nor sent to either Bangladesh or states outside Punjab. The goods were never dispatched and were fraudulently shown to have been sent to consignees outside of Punjab or exported to Bangladesh by submitting forged bills and transportation receipts.
FEMA violation
* Industrialists from Ludhiana, Khanna and Mandi Gobindgarh are accused of fraudulently obtaining VAT refunds by presenting forged export receipts *
The exporters allegedly obtained refunds by claiming they were sending hosiery goods to Bangladesh and other states within the country, which they never did *
The ED is looking to the way exporters violated the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) to claim refunds.
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RLD’s Ajit allied with his father's adversaries: Modi
Lucknow, March 29 He accused Ajit of allying with the Congress. He said while Ajit's father Chadhury Charan Singh was praised for his pro-farmer politics, Ajit "sat on the lap of the Congress", which ignored the interests of jawans and farmers. "How can you trust someone who can ally with his father's adversaries?" he asked. Parodying former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri's slogan "Jai
Jawan, Jai Kisan", Modi said today it had become "Mar Jawan, Mar
Kisan" (die jawan, die kisan) as farmers were committing suicides and soldiers were being killed on the borders. Describing the Union Aviation Minister as a "hawai
neta", he said the BJP had instead presented a "grassroots leader" in former Mumbai commissioner Satpal Singh. Raking up the issue of an Indian soldier beheaded on the border, Modi said: "On the one hand Pakistan beheads our soldiers and on the other, Pakistan's PM is treated to chicken
biryani." Talking about the country's first war of independence in 1857, when
"kamal" (lotus) and "roti" were mystic symbols of ridding the country of British rule, Modi said in the present electoral battle to free the country of the Congress rule, the symbols were “kamal” and
“Modi”. Later, he addressed another rally at Amroha where a part of the dais collapsed.
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Ulema Council chief to take on Mulayam
Lucknow, March 29 Rashadi, while addressing mediapersons today, charged Yadav with taking the Muslims for a ride and said the community had been discriminated each time the SP came to power in the state. "The Muslims would not be fooled by the Samajwadi Party once again. We will not be misled by him any longer," said the council chief after its parliamentary board decided to field him from Azamgarh. Following BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi's declaration as the BJP candidate from Varanasi, Yadav had announced his decision to contest from Azamgarh as well as his traditional seat of
Mainpuri.
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BJP MLA among 51 let off in 2 cases related to Gujarat riots
Ahmedabad, March 29 While Chaudhary and 15 others were charged with killing two persons in private firing, 35 Muslims were tried for looting and setting a number of shops owned by the Hindus on fire in Radhanpur town on March 1, 2002, in the wake of the Godhra train carnage. Sessions Judge GM Damodar exonerated all accused in both cases for want of evidence. The court ruled that two persons were killed not in private firing but in police firing on a violent mob, while the Muslim accused were exonerated because there was no evidence of their involvement in looting and arson of the shops. In spite of a strong police contingent in Radhanpur town in view of the communal tension, a violent Muslim mob had indulged in looting and arson of shops and Hindus retaliated. It was alleged that a Hindu mob led by Chaudhary had opened fire on the Muslims, killing two persons, but the court accepted the evidence that firing on the mob was opened by the police on duty and not Chaudhary or anyone else in the mob. It is a rare 2002 communal riot-related case where all accused of both communities have been exonerated of all charges. Considered to be a close confidant of Chief Minister and BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Chaudhary is currently a member of the Assembly from Vav constituency and is one of the secretaries of the state party.
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CBI arrests top I-T officer, 3 others for bribery
Bhopal, March 29 A case was registered yesterday on the basis of a complaint alleging that Poonam Rai, a 2007 batch officer of Indian Revenue Service (IRS), had demanded a bribe of Rs 25 lakh for closing pending matter of income tax assessment of the complainant's firm, a press release issued by CBI said. It was further alleged in the complaint that Rai's husband Ganesh Malviya and middleman, identified as Preetam Chotrani, were negotiating the bribe amount at her behest. During the verification of complaint, Malviya allegedly agreed to receive the part payment of Rs 10 lakh of the demanded bribe and asked the complainant to deliver the bribe amount to the middleman, the release said. The CBI laid a trap and the bribe amount was allegedly accepted by the middleman at his office in MP Nagar area here. Subsequently, the bribe amount was delivered to the residence of the I-T officer through Sanjay Raut, another person, where Malviya was arrested accepting bribe. — PTI
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Manmohan accuses BJP of dividing people
Moran (Assam), March 29 “The BJP has no philosophy and principles. It divides people. How can a party that divides people take the country forward? In Congress, we take people along to serve the country,” Singh said, adding: “In the BJP, only one person thinks (in an oblique reference to BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi without naming him). He asked people to vote for Congress candidates, stating that the UPA regime had been successful in implementing welfare schemes. Singh said the Congress had been working sincerely for welfare, development, justice, equality and dignity of everyone since the country gained independence. He sought votes for two veteran Congress nominees Bijoy Krishna Handique and Paban Singh Ghatowar, who are contesting from Jorhat and Dibrugarh constituencies, respectively. Singh, who has been a Rajya Sabha MP from Assam since 1991, however, did not say anything about addressing burning problems of the state such as floods, illegal migration from Bangladesh etc. Harping on the UPA government’s achievements, including Food Security Act, NRHM, MNREGA and RTI, the PM dismissed Opposition’s corruption allegations against the Congress regime and blamed the BJP for repeatedly failing the UPA government’s attempts to bring anti-corruption legislations in Parliament. “The BJP stonewalled our (UPA’s) attempts to bring anti-corruption legislations in Parliament. That reflects what the BJP really is,” Singh said. He pointed out that the RTI Act enacted by the UPA government had brought in transparency and helped people to fight corruption. “We have ensured that in the past 10 years, prices of PDS items meant for the poor have not been increased. The Food Security Act will ensure supply of essential items such as wheat and rice at the cheapest price to nearly 80 crore people in the country,” he said. Stating that 14 crore people had been elevated from BPL to APL bracket in the past 10 years, Singh said by 2017, 5 crore youth would be covered under skill development training schemes.
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Sethusamudram project useless: Jaya
Ramanathapuram, March 29 Campaigning for Anwar Raja, AIADMK candidate from Ramanathapuram constituency, Jayalalithaa wondered why the DMK was so keen to implement such a project. "Is it for the benefit of the people of the state or for self-interest," she asked. She said the project would affect the marine wealth in the sea including traditional fish population and coral reefs that helped in breeding fish. Besides,it would affect the livelihood of the fishermen, she said. "The AIADMK is opposing the project because the fishermen are against it," Jayalalithaa said. Besides big ships could not pass through the Sethusamudram channel, she claimed. Even the state-owned Poompuhar shipping corporation ships, carrying 30 per cent of the coal requirement of thermal power stations of Tamil Nadu would not be able to pass through the channel, she said. — PTI
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Manish Tewari operated upon at AIIMS, stable New Delhi, March 29 Sources close to the minister said Tewari was taken for the surgery this morning and then taken to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) later. “The minister is in a stable condition and he has been shifted to a private ward,” the source said. Tewari (48) was admitted to AIIMS yesterday and sources said doctors of the nephrology department attended to his ailment. Tewari had been admitted at a south Delhi hospital a few days ago. Tewari was expected to be Congress’ candidate from Ludhiana Lok Sabha constituency, from where he had won the election in 2009, but has not been fielded by his party this time. Tewari had earlier said he was not in the poll fray because of his health about which he is learnt to have conveyed to his party's leadership. Among those who wished Tewari was BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi who in a post on 'twitter' prayed for the union minister's speedy recovery and good health. — PTI
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Jaisalmer patna Kolkata New Delhi
Kohima
Thane Machilipatnam (AP) Thane Namakkal (TN) Mumbai Debate between Nilekani, Ananth ends in chaos
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President Pranab Mukherjee today suggested India could share it strategy in successfully eradicating polio with countries including neighbours Pakistan and Afghanistan.
BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi today lashed out at Rashtriya Lok Dal
(RLD) national president Ajit Singh in his bastion Baghpat. He accused Ajit of allying with the Congress. He said while Ajit's father Chadhury Charan Singh was praised for his pro-farmer politics, Ajit "sat on the lap of the Congress", which ignored the interests of jawans and farmers.
