|
|
|
|
|
Vasundhara remark: Cong questions EC inaction
Bomb factory in M’rashtra triggers fear of poll violence
On poll eve, China asserts stand on Arunachal
Actor Biswajit out to work his charm on Delhi voters
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Citing security, Sonia refuses to show US court her passport
Israel recalls three diplomats over Delhi airport assault
Mamata bows to EC, agrees to shift officers
INS Vikrant sold for Rs 60 crore
A file photo of decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Vikrant
|
|
Vasundhara remark: Cong questions EC inaction
New Delhi, April 8 “Wonder why the Election Commission is shying away from taking action against Rajasthan Chief Minister and why SP Government is not arresting Amit Shah who has been booked in a case of hate speech,” asked Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala. The Congress had complained to the EC against Raje who had in an election speech recently taken a dig at Congress’ Imran Masood saying election results would clarify who will perish and who will stand. Masood, Congress’ Saharanpur candidate had in a recent speech, said Muslims of UP would kill Modi if he tried to do a Gujarat in UP. The EC had taken cognizance of Masood’s remarks, with the CEO office in UP ordering registration of an FIR against him. To a pointed query whether the Congress was accusing EC of impartiality, Surjewala said, “I am only questioning the delay on EC’s part in taking expeditious action against Rajasthan CM when expeditious action was taken against our candidate in UP.”
|
|
Bomb factory in M’rashtra triggers fear of poll violence
Mumbai, April 8 The Kolhapur police said the bomb factory was discovered on Saturday after they were tipped off about someone looking to sell remote-controlled devices in sufficient quantities. Four youths who were picked up by the Kagal police in the district led investigators to a unit located at the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation complex there. "Some of our men posed as buyers and nabbed them when came to sell us a bomb," said District Superintendent of Police Manojkumar Sharma. Sharma said the youths were demanding Rs 8 lakh for a set of bombs and were carrying one explosive device which they had brought with them to show the undercover policemen posing as prospective buyers. All youths were residents of the area, the police said. Theu have been identified as: Ajinkya Manohar Bhopade (22) and Aniket Bhivaji Mali (22) from Chokak village in Hatkananagale, Nilesh Babanrao Patil (20) from Male Mudshingi, in Hatkanangale and Anil Popat Kharase (26) from Kabnur-Ichalkaranji in Hatkanangale. The police team that raided the factory found explosives, including gelignite sticks, remote control switches, wire cutters, power control equipment, circuit boards and blue prints for making small bombs, the police said. Bhopade and Mali were the brains behind the venture. Bhopade is a diploma holder in electronics, while Mali was a wireman. The two had hit upon the idea of making bombs using the electronic locking equipment in cars which are remotely controlled by a hand-held device, police sources said. The other two were tasked with finding buyers for the bombs apart from sourcing explosives from the market, the police said.
Car locking gadget in bombs!
* The sophisticated bomb-making unit was discovered in Maharashtra's Kolhapur district, which is part of the sugar belt, at the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation complex *
The factory was unearthed following the arrest of four youths by the Kagal police. They were using electronic locking equipment used in cars to make bombs
|
||
|
On poll eve, China asserts stand on Arunachal
Beijing, April 8 “Our relationship needs to feature peace and common development. We hope our bilateral relationship can move forward and bring more benefits to people of our two countries and achieve a common development,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a media briefing. Responding to questions on India's general election, specially the polls in Arunachal Pradesh, Hong said China has put a “great emphasis” on the development of Sino-India ties. “As for territorial dispute you mentioned our position is clear,” he said. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as Southern Tibet. Beijing views it as part of the dispute over the 4000 km-long Line of Actual Control between the two countries. Commenting about the election process in general, Hong said: “We hope that Indian election can carry on smoothly.” Polling will take place tomorrow in six constituencies spread across four north-eastern states in round two of the nine-phase Lok Sabha elections. — PTI
|
||
|
Actor Biswajit out to work his charm on Delhi voters
New Delhi, April 8
The actor still holds the on-screen charm that he once exhibited in the romantic melodies of early seventies such as ‘Hum Dum Mere, Man Bhi Jao’ and ‘Tumhari Nazar Kyon Khafa Ho Gayi’. He continues to fascinate people as they come out of their houses to greet him during campaigning. “I have still got so many fans. Their response is tremendous which makes me feel charged. People wave at me from the rooftop. They often sing my songs,” said the actor. What prompted Biswajit to switch to politics at the age of 78 after entertaining people for decades on the silver screen is the desire to serve his countrymen. “I have done enough in my reel life. Now in real life, I want to serve the nation. That is my ambition,” says Biswajit. Biswajit says politics is all about serving people irrespective of one’s place of origin. “For me, politics is serving my countrymen, especially those who have made me who I am today,” he says. A newcomer in politics, he is fighting on the plank of women security. “The major issue today is providing security to women, not water or power. Your mother and sister need to be safe. What are you going to do with ‘bijli and pani’?” he says. Biswajit’s association with Mamata Banerjee dates back to her activism days. “I know Mamata since she the time she was fighting against the CPM government. At that time, I gave my support to her as I liked her views and ideas. She is not scared of anybody. Her strength is people,” he said. “It does not matter if I win or lose. That is secondary for me. I get excited to see my fans even today,” he said.
|
||
|
Citing security, Sonia refuses to show US court her passport
New York, April 8 The court order came on a lawsuit filed by rights group Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) that claimed it had served summons on Sonia when she had allegedly visited New York’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre for a check-up last September. The SFJ has sought compensatory and punitive damages from Sonia for her alleged role in "shielding and protecting" Congress leader from prosecution for their alleged role in the 1984 riots. Sonia’s attorney Ravi Batra submitted before the court that his client had "nothing to hide". He handed over to court a letter dated April 5 signed by Sonia to him in which she stated: "In matters of disclosure of my travels, which are contained in the passport, the Government of India has informed me that they would not permit such a disclosure.” — PTI
The case file
* Rights group Sikhs for Justice has sought compensatory and punitive damages from Sonia Gandhi for her alleged role in “shielding and protecting” Congress leaders from prosecution for their alleged role in the 1984 riots * It claimed to have served summons on Sonia on September 9 when she allegedly visited New York’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Centre for a check-up * Sonia maintains she wasn’t in the US at that time and the court had sought a copy of her passport to determine her presence in the US on the said date.
|
||
|
Israel recalls three diplomats over Delhi airport assault
New Delhi, April 8 "We take this matter seriously and the three diplomats were repatriated to Israel," said Israeli Embassy spokesman Ohad Horsandi. The Delhi Police had registered a case against the diplomats. Since the diplomats could not be arrested as they enjoy diplomatic immunity, the police had sent a report about the incident to the External Affairs Ministry. An immigration official had been allegedly manhandled by the three diplomats, who are said to be relatively junior officials. The diplomats were apparently frustrated over delay in immigration clearance before catching a flight to Kathmandu. One of the diplomats allegedly slapped the immigration officer. A case under the section 186 (obstructing public servant in discharge of public functions) and 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) of Indian Penal Code was registered against the three Israeli diplomats. The CCTV footage was also referred to in the police complaint.
|
||
|
Mamata bows to EC, agrees to shift officers
Durgapur\ New Delhi, April 8 “I will appoint the five officers as directed by the Election Commission. I have no objection,” Mamata said at a hurriedly-called press conference here. “It will rather be good for me, I have good contact with all the officers in my state,” Mamata said. She agreed to transfer SPs of four districts and a district magistrate as directed by the commission following complaints against them, though she had launched a scathing attack on the EC yesterday and had even threatened to disobey the order and get jailed as consequence. Mamata, however, continued with her criticism of the Election Commission over the decision, saying, “I respect the Election Commission, but they are playing a political game. It is their political vendetta.” Earlier, backed by powers enjoyed under the Constitution, the Election Commission of India virtually cracked the whip on the West Bengal Government asking the CM to comply with its directive on transferring six officials in the state. The EC had set a deadline of 10 am on Wednesday for the transfer of these officials. The West Bengal Government had, in an unprecedented act, earlier defied the EC orders with Mamata saying that she would go to jail but won’t transfer the officials. In a letter to the Election Commission, the state chief secretary on Tuesday wrote that the transfer could lead to administrative problems. The EC had ordered transfer of eight officials, including a district magistrate and five SPs, after reports of wrongdoing in polls. The EC draws its powers under Section 324 of the Constitution which says: “The superintendence, direction and control of the preparation of the electoral rolls for, and the conduct of, all elections to Parliament and to the legislature of every state .... shall be vested in a commission (Election Commission)”.
|
||
|
INS Vikrant sold for Rs 60 crore
Mumbai, April 10 The Maharashtra Government had earlier expressed inability to maintain Vikrant, the Indian Navy's first aircraft carrier which was commissioned in 1961. It was decommissioned in January 1997. The Defence source said once the money was paid, the company would have to tow the ship away from the Naval Dockyard, where it is anchored currently, within 30 days. “The condition of the ship is so bad that it is not worth converting it into a museum,” the source said, adding that the Navy would be able to use the space vacated by the ship in the dockyard for some other fruitful purposes. In January 2014, during the hearing of a public interest litigation, which opposed the plan to scrap the ship, the Union Ministry of Defence told the Bombay High Court that it had completed its operational life. While the Maharashtra Government stated that to preserve it as a museum would not be viable financially. The High Court subsequently dismissed the PIL. The Majestic-class aircraft carrier, purchased from Britain in 1957, played a key role in enforcing the naval blockade of East Pakistan during the Indo-Pakistan War of 1971. — PTI
|
|
| HOME PAGE | |
Punjab | Haryana | Jammu & Kashmir |
Himachal Pradesh | Regional Briefs |
Nation | Opinions | | Business | Sports | World | Letters | Chandigarh | Ludhiana | Delhi | | Calendar | Weather | Archive | Subscribe | E-mail | |
Indian Navy’s decommissioned aircraft carrier INS Vikrant, which played an important role in the 1971 Indo-Pak war, has been sold for Rs 60 crore.
"The auction process of INS Vikrant was completed last week and a company named IB Commercial Pvt Ltd won the bid,” said a Defence source tonight.
