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Black money: SC gives Centre one more week to set up SIT
Cong MPs meet today amid ‘bring Priyanka’ calls
Bihar CM wins trust vote
If invited, Modi’s wife will attend swearing-in |
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NCP blames Cong for poll drubbing
Uttrakhand to move SC on stalled power projects
Kejriwal to remain in Tihar Jail till June 6
EC to frame charges against Ashok Chavan
Poonch tense after assault on girl triggers clash
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Black money: SC gives Centre one more week to set up SIT
New Delhi, May 24 “Now you can’t avoid a SIT probe,” a Bench comprising Justices BS Chauhan and AK Sikri remarked when Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran sought a week’s time, pleading that “it is not that we want to avoid setting up the team.” The court was obviously referring to the change of government at the Centre following the 16th Lok Sabha election. The SG said the government had completed all the formalities for putting in place the SIT and required just a week more for issuing the necessary notification as directed by the SC. Earlier, the SC had set May 23 as the deadline for the purpose. The SC also directed the government to ensure that all the documents relating to black money, including the details received from Germany about the Indian account holders in the LST bank in Liechtenstein, were in safe custody of an officer of the rank not less than an under secretary. The court passed the order as senior advocate Ram Jethmalani, one of the PIL petitioners on the black money issue, expressed apprehension that the documents might be destroyed. He cited this week’s fire accident in Shastri Bhavan, where several key Central ministries were located, in which vital documents were reduced to ashes. The SG said black money files were safe as these were kept in the Finance Ministry housed in North Block. Nevertheless, the SC passed the order for safe custody. The SC had directed the Centre to set up a SIT on July 4, 2011, but the government challenged the verdict by filing a review petition and has been avoiding formation of the SIT. In the 2011 verdict, the SC said the 10-member high powered committee set up by the government to investigate the black money cases, particularly of Pune-based stud farm owner Hasan Ali Khan, should be converted into a SIT with three additions – the two former SC Judges BP Jeevan Reddy (as chairman) and MB Shah (vice-chairman) and the chief of the Research and Analysis (RAW), an external intelligence agency. The SIT was asked to report to the SC. The 10-member committee was led by revenue secretary in the Finance Ministry.
Govt wants more time
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Cong MPs meet today amid ‘bring Priyanka’ calls
New Delhi, May 23 The pitch to give Priyanka, Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s daughter, a leading role in the party was raised today by outgoing Food Minister KV Thomas, who said there was a special and building interest in the Congress to have Priyanka assume some leadership position. Thomas’s statement is critical as it comes days after Capt Amarinder Singh, former Punjab Chief Minister and Congress MP from Amritsar, said the same thing. In an interview to The Tribune, Amarinder said Priyanka and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi would make a great team and complement each other in the party’s interest. While Thomas, re-elected from Kerala, took the demand forward today, saying people loved Priyanka because she resembled former PM Indira Gandhi in manner, the Congress on the official level played down these urges. Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed said, “Rahul Gandhi is the fittest leader of the Congress and he will continue to lead the party. Priyanka Gandhi has defined her role and decided to concentrate in two constituencies represented by her mother and brother. What she does in the future is her decision.” Sources in the Congress, however, said though the party might officially downplay rampant interest in Priyanka, she already has a key role in devising Rahul Gandhi’s political strategy. She oversaw his campaign so also her mother’s and was said to have approved the controversial TV interview of Rahul which failed to resonate with the people in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections. Leaders agree that at the meeting of the Congress Legislature Party tomorrow, some MPs could discuss the possibilities of bringing Priyanka into the party fold. “The meeting is meant to elect Congress president as leader of Congress Legislature Party. But nothing stops MPs from demanding Priyanka’s entry. Two MPs Amarinder Singh and KV Thomas have already openly voiced their minds,” said a top party leader adding that the entry of Priyanka could be gradually engineered just like that of the Rahul. Rahul was brought into the party as general secretary in-charge of the Indian Youth Congress on the eve of 2004 Lok Sabha elections which he fought from Amethi and won. The same route could in future be adopted for Priyanka, provided the Gandhi family takes a calculated decision on how the responsibilities between Rahul and his younger sibling Priyanka would be divided.
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Bihar CM wins trust vote
Patna, May 23 A 68-year-old Mahadalit leader, Manjhi, was Tuesday sworn-in as the 23rd Chief Minister of Bihar. A total of 145 legislators voted for the motion moved by the chief minister while opposition BJP’s 88 legislators walked out of the Assembly. The House has 243 members, but currently it has only 237 members. The ruling Janata Dal-United (JD-U) has 117 legislators and it was supported by one CPI legislator, two Independent legislators, four Congress legislators and 21 RJD legislators. Manjhi was on Monday named by outgoing chief minister Nitish Kumar after he was authorised by the JD-U legislature party to select a new leader. Manjhi — from the Mushahar community — was SC/ST Welfare Minister in the Nitish Kumar cabinet. He is legislator from the Makhdoompur assembly constituency.— IANS
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If invited, Modi’s wife will attend swearing-in
Ahmedabad, May 23 Modi had never mentioned about the existence of his wife till in the affidavit filed along with the nomination papers for the Vadodara Lok Sabha constituency in April. In the affidavits filed with the nomination for the four consecutive state Assembly elections earlier, Modi had always left the column for the spouse’s name blank. Jashodaben had left for a pilgrimage for Modi’s success in the Lok Sabha elections.
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NCP blames Cong for poll drubbing
Mumbai, May 23 “Our position has improved as compared to that of the Congress. We got more seats than the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections,” NCP chief Sharad Pawar told senior party leaders here today. While the Congress won two seats in the Lok Sabha elections, the NCP bagged four out of the 48 seats in the state. Pawar, however, felt that both the parties should quickly conclude seat-sharing talks so that they can choose candidates for the Assembly polls. Earlier, party spokesman Nawab Malik blamed the Congress’ policies for the defeat in the elections. “Hike in prices of diesel and LPG cylinders hurt us badly,” Malik said. He further added that the welfare measures initiated by the UPA government were not implemented properly. The NCP leadership also felt that senior leaders, including fromer Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi, did not adequately convey the achievements of the government to the people.
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Uttrakhand to move SC on stalled power projects
Dehradun, May 23 On the recommendations of a committee constituted by the Supreme Court, a ban has been imposed on certain power projects. The decision in this regard was taken at a Cabinet meeting held yesterday. “There is no such ban in Himachal Pradesh. That state is not only fulfilling its own requirements but also selling surplus power every year,” said Chief Secretary Subhash Kumar, while talking to
mediapersons.
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Kejriwal to remain in Tihar Jail till June 6
New Delhi, May 23 Party leaders who met at Kejriwal's Tilak Lane residence after the hearing have decided to appeal in the high court next week against the local court's decision. Later in the evening it also held volunteers’ meet to chart its future plan of action. In the next three days, the party would begin work towards a mass campaign to apprise people about the circumstances that led to former Delhi Chief Minister's arrest. In this process a letter written by Arvind Kejriwal from jail would be distributed to people of Delhi from Monday during its people contact programme that the party is utilising as a way to step up its campaign in run-up to fresh Delhi Assembly polls.
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EC to frame charges against Ashok Chavan
New Delhi, May 23 A team of lawyers of Chavan, who recently won the Lok Sabha polls on a Congress ticket from Nanded, today deposed before the poll panel where it was decided that specific charges will be framed against him before the final hearing is commenced in this case. “Both Chavan and complainants against him have been asked to submit their representations by next week after which charges will be framed and the hearing will be done from May 30,” a source privy to the development said. — PTI
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Poonch tense after assault on girl triggers clash
Poonch, May 23 Trouble erupted in the town yesterday after an auto driver allegedly misbehaved with a local girl from the minority community. He allegedly also beat her up along with her brother in Malti area near the Line of Control. The girl and her brother went to the police station to lodge an FIR, but the police did not take action. News of the incident spread like wildfire in the town and within 30 minutes, members from the girl’s community staged a protest at the bus stand against the police failure to control eve-teasing. Agitated protesters gave the district police 12 hours to arrest the accused and threatened a bandh if the accused was not arrested till 7 am, Friday. An FIR was registered against the driver, but he was not arrested. Today morning, protesters re-assembled at the Poonch bus stand to press for the accused’s arrest and enforce the bandh. Some of them tried to stop traffic in the Kanoyian area and flagged down a bus for plying during the bandh and smashed the vehicle. People began hurling stones, which resulted in a clash that left two persons injured.
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