The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

	Shah may be named BJP president today Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 8 Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s close associate Amit Shah could be named the new president of the BJP tomorrow. The final call on the decision is expected after a meeting of the party’s parliamentary board tomorrow. Sources say the decision to officially announce Shah’s name as the BJP president has received a green signal from RSS. With Assembly elections due in Maharashtra, Haryana, Delhi and Jharkhand, it was decided that Shah should be appointed to ensure early gains in the four states, the first political test for the BJP after the General Elections. If named the president, Shah will succeed Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Other two frontrunners for the post, JP Nadda and Om Mathur, may be given important organisational or government posts. What worked for Shah is his spectacular performance in the recently held Lok Sabha elections.
	Britain still keen to sell Eurofighter to India Ashok Tuteja Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 8 Britain is understood to be still trying to convince India to re-look at Eurofighter Typhoon instead of going in for the French Rafale aircraft as part of its plans to buy over 100 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). At his meeting with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj here, visiting British Foreign Secretary William Hague drew her attention towards the technological advantages of Typhoon jets, built on the strength of four European nations —— the UK, Germany, Spain and Italy. British Chancellor of Exchequer George Osborne is understood to have raised the issue at a separate meeting with Finance and Defence Minister Arun Jaitley. London’s renewed bid to sell Typhoons to India came amid reports that the MMRCA tender for which India selected the French Rafale aircraft from the Dassault Aviation stable is still in the works and would take at least another six months to be ready. The British Foreign Secretary is the first high-level dignitary from his country to touch base with the new Narendra Modi government in India. MEA spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said the meeting between Hague and Swaraj started on a ‘good note’ with Britain announcing its decision to install a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at London’s Parliament Square. During their ‘wide-ranging and extensive talks’, the two leaders discussed steps to enhance economic cooperation, civil nuclear cooperation and people-to-people contacts. They also reviewed the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan as also the UN Security Council reforms. India also invited Britain to become a partner in infrastructure projects such as the Bangalore-Chennai economic corridor. Swaraj told Hague that she would be visiting Britain in October to participate in the mini-Pravasi Bharatiya Divas (PBD) to be held there.
	1962 India-China war Jaitley rules out release of Henderson report Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 8 Defence Minister Arun Jaitley today ruled out releasing the top secret Henderson Brooks report on the 1962 war debacle with China. Less than four months ago, Jaitley had batted for declassifying the same report and even written an article which was posted on the BJP website saying: “I am of the opinion that the report’s contents could have been made public some decades ago.” The report authored by the then Lt General Henderson Brooks and Brigadier PS Bhagat was commissioned by the Indian Army. The report is classified as ‘top secret’ in India. On March 18 this year, Australia-based journalist Neville Maxwell, who claims to have a copy of the Henderson-Brooks report, uploaded one part of it on his website. It was widely reported in the papers and television. The very next day on March 19, Jaitley, the then Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, wrote an article saying: “In the past 52 years, the report has been kept as a closely guarded secret. However, to keep these documents top secret indefinitely may not be in the larger public interest. I am of the opinion that the report’s contents could have been made public some decades ago.” Today as Defence Minister Jaitley followed the same line taken by his predecessors. “This is a top secret document and has not been declassified so far. Further, the release of this report, fully or partially, or disclosure of any information related to this report will not be in the national interest,” he said, adding that he was aware of reports purporting to disclose a part of the Henderson Brooks Report. The response of the Minister was in lieu of information sought by HK Dua, a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha, in March this year. The BJP had justified the demand for releasing the report on the ground that the country would know how the government pushed the military into a war it could only lose. “What are they trying to hide by making the war report classified?” BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad had then asked. Prasad is now the Union Law Minister. “We have a right to know what went wrong. We lost the war because of Nehru,” Prasad had said while holding the country’s first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru responsible for the debacle.
	‘Police used black magic to probe anti-superstition activist’s murder’ Members of the body set up by him seek probe Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service Mumbai, July 8 An organisation that works against superstitious practices in the country has called for investigations into allegations that the Pune police had sought help of “tantriks” to trace killers of its chief Narendra Dabholkar. Dabholkar headed the Andha Shraddha Nirmoolan Samiti and was shot in Pune last year. According to reports, the then Pune Police Commissioner Gulabrao Pol sought the help of a “tantrik” to solve the case. Media reports said Pol had sought help of retired police constable Manish Thakur who allegedly practised black magic to communicate with spirits of the dead. Dabholkar’s son Hamid, who is in charge of the Samiti, has urged the Maharashtra Government to hold an inquiry into the matter. “Investigations have to be conducted to find out if there is any truth in this allegation,” Hamid said. The report has raised the hackles of senior political leaders in the state. Condemning such practices, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar said people in authority who practised black magic should be dealt with under the law. Pol, who has since retired from the police force, denied that “tantriks” were called to his office. Manish Thakur, who was named in the report, said he had converted to Christianity and hence did not practise black magic.
	India asks UN group to vacate govt house Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 8 India has asked the United Nations Military Observer Group on India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) to vacate a government bungalow in New Delhi, saying the mission has outlived its relevance. “We have asked it (UNMOGIP) to vacate the bungalow and rationalise its presence in India,’’ MEA spokesman Syed Akbaruddin told reporters here in what clearly suggests the toughening of its stance against the mission which New Delhi has opposed for long. The bungalow on the Purana Qila road has been the UNMOGIP office for the last four decades. It was allotted to the mission “free of charge”. Asked if New Delhi’s move reflected a changed policy, the spokesman said, “We are in the budgetary season. Everybody is tightening their belts. You pay for what you get.” He noted that there was no paucity of funds with the UN. New Delhi’s contention is that the mission has become irrelevant after the Shimla Agreement under which India and Pakistan agreed to resolve all disputes, including Kashmir, bilaterally.
	Kalyan Singh new WB Guv Kolkata, June 8 Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh has been appointed the new Governor of West Bengal, official information reaching the state government said today. The post fell vacant following the resignation of MK Narayanan. The ruling TMC and the Oppostion, particularly the CPM, have protested against Singh’s appointment as the Governor. The CPM moved a resolution in the state Assembly today against his appointment. Leader of the Opposition Surya Kanto Mishra said people would not accept the BJP leader, responsible for the demolition of the Babri mosque, during his tenure as Chief Minister in UP as the Governor. — TNS
	Advanced BrahMos test-fired Balasore (Odisha), July 8 India today successfully test-fired an advanced version of the 290-km range Brahmos supersonic cruise missile off the coast of Odisha, giving the country the capability to hit enemy targets hidden behind mountains or in a cluster of buildings with “pinpoint accuracy”. The missile travelled its full strike range of 290 km in 500 seconds to hit its simulated target after being fired from the Integrated Test Range at Chandipur-on-sea, around 15 km from Balasore, BrahMos chief A Sivathanu Pillai said. “The advanced guidance system integrating multiple navigation satellites, including the Gagan system powered with new software algorithm and developed indigenously by Indian scientists and industries, resulted in pinpoint accuracy of the missile system against hidden land targets in mountain warfare.” BrahMos and DRDO officials involved in the test-firing at the launch block had said earlier the missile could deviate around 10 metre from its target, but the new system would reduce it to less than 5 metre which will make it highly effective against targets such as hardened concrete bunkers in mountain warfare. The missile was test-fired from a mobile launcher at 10.38 am, Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) said. It is capable of carrying a conventional warhead of 300 kg. — PTI
	Cong to stake LoP claim with Speaker today Aditi Tandon Tribune News Service New Delhi, July 8 The Congress is set to make a formal claim with Lok Sabha Speaker for the post of Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha tomorrow. The letter staking the claim is written by party chief Sonia Gandhi. Sources in the Congress today confirmed to The Tribune that the Congress president has asked the Speaker to consider the principal law governing the LOP issue and rule in favour of the party. Sonia has named Congress’ Leader in Lok Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge as the party’s LOP candidate. The letter drafted yesterday is pending for submission as the Congress was yet to get signatures of all 60 MPs (including 44 of the Congress and the rest of party’s pre poll UPA allies). “We have collected all the signatures and the letter is ready for submission to Lok Sabha Speaker. The submission will happen tomorrow,” party sources told The Tribune adding that Sonia had again met Congress’ Lok Sabha MPs this morning to stress the party’s claim on the crucial post. Sonia had yesterday said the Congress, being part of the UPA pre poll alliance, had 60 MPs. Lawfully also, it had the claim on the post of LOP in the lower house. She had said that the party would demand the post. Party sources said the very fact that the Congress president as chairperson of the Congress Parliamentary Party in both Houses had personally written the letter on the issue displayed the priority Congress accorded to the matter. It is learnt that Sonia may herself meet the Speaker to present the letter along with party’s deputy leader in LS Amarinder Singh considering party’s leader in the House is the LOP candidate. Asked till what time would the Congress await Speaker’s response on the matter, party’s deputy leader in Rajya Sabha said, “We will wait till a reasonable time after which we will exercise other options.” The Congress is confident of getting the LOP’s post on the ground that the principal Act governing LOPs defines the LOP as “leader of the single largest party in opposition to the Government as recognised by the Speaker.” This law makes no mention of the 10 pc strength of the House requirement which the Congress says the BJP has deliberately spread to confuse issues.

Restore cancelled MBBS seats: Govt to MCI
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 8
The government today stepped in to prevent MBBS seats in as many as 150 medical colleges from being disapproved by the Medical Council of India (MCI).

The MCI has earlier disapproved permissions to 150 medical colleges in varied categories such as establishment of new colleges, increase of MBBS seats and renewal of permission because these colleges had sent their compliance reports to the council later than a certain stipulated date.

Cautioning the MCI against working in public interest, Health Secretary Lov Verma today wrote a letter to MCI president Jayshreeben Mehta asking her to complete the legal formalities needed to be completed to ensure the MBBS seats in 150 colleges – mostly government – are preserved in students’ interest.

“The government cannot afford to accept the possibility of losing such a large number of MBBS seats on the basis of mere technicalities,” the Health Secretary said directing the MCI to carry out compliance verification assessments in respect of the 150 colleges in question.

B’desh awarded major chunk of disputed area

New Delhi, July 8
The Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague in The Netherlands has awarded Bangladesh 19,467 sq km out of total 25,602 sq km disputed area with India in the Bay of Bengal.

While the verdict was termed as "win-win" situation by Bangladesh, India said it was "studying" the "full implications" of the verdict by the arbitration tribunal.

"The Arbitration Tribunal for Delimitation of Maritime Boundary between Bangladesh and India, established under Annex VII of the UN Convention of Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), rendered its award on July 7, 2014.

"We respect the verdict of the Tribunal and are in the process of studying the award and its full implications," the spokesperson for the External Affairs Ministry said.

"We believe that the settlement of the maritime boundary will further enhance mutual understanding and goodwill between India and Bangladesh by bringing to closure a long pending issue. This paves the way for the economic development of this part of the Bay of Bengal, which will be beneficial to both countries," the spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, Bangladesh described the verdict a "win-win" situation for the parties as it resolved a long-standing bilateral conflict. "The award enables both sides to move forward into a new future and to build a new era of understanding and cooperation in the maritime sector," Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali said in Dhaka. — PTI