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Heavy rain warning in U’khand today
Kailash Mansarovar Yatra |
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The controversy over a separate Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee for Haryana has fuelled tension in the state as well as Punjab
Remove SGPC task forces from gurdwaras: Jhinda
Akalis protest outside Sonia’s residence
SGPC on toes against any takeover bid
Badal: Centre has realised Haryana’s mistake Nalvi: Centre has no power to advise Guv
Won’t give up gurdwaras’ control: SGPC
Akal Takht’s decision unfortunate: NAPA
Hooda: Nothing illegal in having separate panel
Rajasthan Sikhs too seek separate panel
Nada Sahib gurdwara under watch
Bangalore school horror
No headway in Lucknow gang rape, murder case
Surat blasts: SC acquits 11 for lack of proof
Govt: No AI plane was behind MH-17
China circulates controversial Arunachal maps among troops
Fireman dies, 6 hurt in Mumbai high-rise blaze
Govt to review 3.5-yr course for village health officers
HC admits Cong plea challenging Modi’s election
Mid-day meal: 24 students fall ill in Bihar
Assam Cong chief throws Iftar party for warring sides
40 Indian prisoners in Saudi Arabia released
Karnataka CM caught napping during debate on sexual offences
More GM crop varieties get nod for field trials
Monsoon hits Gujarat
SC notice to govt on misuse of bungalows
Top Maoist leader arrested in Odisha
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Heavy rain warning in U’khand today
Dehradun, July 18 The Rishikesh-Kedarnath National Highway remained blocked at Banswada and Sirobagad in Rudraprayag district. The Border Road Organisation personnel were unable to clear the Rishikesh-Gangotri national highway which remained blocked for the third day today. The traffic on Rishikesh-Badrinath national highway also remained disrupted at Lambagad. Officials are keeping a close watch on the water level of the major rivers in the state. Srinagar where the Alaknanda river had created havoc in 2013 received 41.4 mm of rainfall today. “Ramangar in Nainital recorded 106.2 mm of rainfall, Nainital 152.0mm of rainfall and Haldwani 150 mm rainfall,” said Piyush Rautela, Executive Officer, State Emergency Operation Centre. As a precautionary measure, the Central Government has agreed to station MI-17 helicopters in Dharchula and Gauchar till July 25. “We have requested the Central government for more helicopters to evacuate people in case of an emergency,” said Bhaskaranand Joshi, Secretary Department of Disaster. The Rishikesh-Yamnotri National Highway (NH-94) has now been opened for small vehicles till Jankichati. The Met Department has predicted heavy to moderate rainfall in the next two days. Heavy rainfall has been predicted at isolated places in Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Tehri,Haridwar, Nainital, Almora, Bageshwar and Pauri districts on July 19 . While very heavy rainfall (180- 150 mm) is also likely to occur in isolated places of Pauri, Nainital and Almora districts on July 19.
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Rawat against opening other routes
Tribune News Service
Dehradun, July 18 He said the move could deprive Uttarakhand of its sole right to conduct the yatra. Rawat said the traditional Kailash Mansarovar route that goes through the Dharchula Shiyalekh areas in Uttarakhand had been followed since ages. He said: “It is only through this route that pilgrims come across Chota Kailash and Om Parwat, which are also part of the pilgrimage.” He said Rishi Parmanand also went on pilgrimage of the Kailash Mansarovar from this route . “Similarly, historian Rahul Sanskritayan preferred Uttarakhand route to travel to Kailash Mansarovar rather than taking up much easier Kathmandu route,” he said. He said opening of any other routes to Kailash Mansarovar would hit the economy of people, who directly or indirectly linked to the pilgrimage. Rawat urged the Prime Minister to re-consider his appeal to China for opening of other yatra routes.
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SAD activists lay siege to Ambala gurdwaras
SGPC, Punjab SAD leaders visit Jind to thwart any move of taking possession of the religious places Manish Sirhindi & Parvesh Sharma Tribune News Service Ambala/Jind, July 18 The Sikhs under the banner of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) laid siege to the gurdwaras in an attempt to thwart any move to take possession of the religious places. Senior SAD leader Balwant Singh Ramoowalia, under whose leadership the Sikhs have assembled here, said the HSGPC Act had been passed in a blatant violation of the law and the Sikhs under no circumstances would allow the Haryana Government to take charge of the SGPC-run gurdwaras. “We will not give away control of the Sikh shrines. If there is any use of force, we will resist it peacefully,” he said while speaking to The Tribune at Manji Sahib Gurdwara. Ramoowalia said: “We will camp here as long as possible and in case the government uses force, our resistance will be peaceful.” “The Sikhs have arrived here on their own to protect the gurdwaras even if they have to face the bullets,” he added. In Jind, fearing use of force by the Haryana government to take possession of gurdwaras, the SAD and the SGPC have deputed their leaders to undertake regular secret visits to gurdwaras to take timely action and thwart any such move of the government and the HSGPC. Though the staff of both gurdwaras — Shri Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib Gurdwara and Dhamtan Sahib Gurdwara — were not ready to share the details, sources confirmed that during the past 24 hours around 25 SAD leaders and SGPC members had visited these gurdwaras. But they came as ordinary visitors in their private vehicles without any security. “Since the government has gone ahead by passing the Bill and got the approval of the Haryana Governor, we fearit may take action in coming days,” said an SGPC employee posted at a gurdwara on the condition of anonymity. After much persuasion, gurdwara staff disclosed the names of only two visitors — SGPC member Dyal Singh and secretary Mahinder Singh. Dyal Singh came to the gurdwara yesterday and met the employees and left in the evening. Mahinder Singh came today morning and met all employees and checked arrangements at the gurdwara. “The visits by SGPC member Dyal Singh and SGPC secretary Mahinder Singh were not related to the tension over the formation of the HSGPC,” said gurdwara manager Jagjit Singh. Though the gurdwara staff denied any connection between the visits and the prevailing tension over the formation of the HSGPC, the fact that management of the local gurdwara has increased security by deputing more staff in the shrine shows that preparations are going on to challenge any move to take the possession of the gurdwara from it. “Around 20 to 25 leaders of the SAD and the SGPC Amritsar have visited our gurdwara. But they came without informing us and left after paying obeisance. They did not discuss anything with us,” said accountant of Jind gurdwara Kulwinder singh. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who was in Julana today, refused to say anything over the issue when asked whether they would use force to take possession of gurdwaras.
Frequent visits
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Remove SGPC task forces from gurdwaras: Jhinda
Kurukshetra July 18 HSGPC (ad hoc) Chief Jagdish Singh Jhinda said: “I have informed the state government and requested it to take immediate action against the deployment of task force at the gurdwaras. The government should utilise its powers and send the force out as these can be dangerous for law and order.” However, he denied making comment on the Jathedar’s rejection of their plea to reconsider excommunication of state Sikh leaders. He said: “We have already left the decision to the Sikh sangat. We will accept whatever the sangat and the Akal Takht decide for us.” More than 100 SAD and SGPC supporters from Punjab and Haryana have been deployed at the Gurudwara Chhati Patshahi, Kurukshetra. Haryana Sikh leader Didar Singh Nalvi said: “Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar have turned the gurudawras into cantonments which is condemnable. In spite of taking action against these people, the Akal Takth Jathedar has turned a blind eye to this matter.” SGPC Chief Avtar Singh Makkar said “No task force has been deployed. These people are here to make sure that no untoward incident take place. Gurudwaras were always under the control of SGPC and they would always remain.” Help get gurdwaras vacated, Hooda urged Ambala: A delegation of the Sikh leaders from Haryana met Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in New Delhi late Friday evening and apprised him about the prevailing circumstances in state gurdwaras. Harpal Pali, who led the delegation, said SAD ministers had laid siege to various gurdwaras and he had requested the Chief Minister to get these vacated from their control as soon as possible
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Akalis protest outside Sonia’s residence
New Delhi, July 18 Many protesters were injured when the Delhi Police used water cannon to stop them from marching in front of the house of Sonia. Some of them were taken into preventive custody. A large number of Nihangs and members of various Singh Sabhas from the national capital took part in the protest. The protesters raised slogans against the Congress and flayed the decision of the Haryana Government for passing a Bill for constituting the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) to manage the state gurdwaras. Addressing the protesters GK said the Congress-led Haryana government had cheated Sikhs by passing a Bill for a separate gurdwara body as a ‘Money Bill’, which means salaries of the workers of the new body would be paid by the government and it would also control the donations of the gurdwaras.
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SGPC on toes against any takeover bid
Amritsar, July 18 SGPC chief Avtar Singh Makkar said they would make all possible efforts to stop the formation of a separate gurdwara committee in Haryana. “The Union Home Ministry has also heeded to our plea and issued a letter to Haryana government today. Besides, we are also consulting legal experts over the issue,” he added. Meanwhile, according to sources, the ruling SAD has taken a serious note of the situation unfolding in the neighbouring state and has put its senior leaders on the front line by assigning them duties in major shrines of the state to foil any takeover bid. Sources said the ruling party has sent Sucha Singh Langah to Nada Sahib Gurdwara, Prem Singh Chandumajra to Kurukshetra, Balwant Singh Ramoowalia to Ambala, Bibi Jagir Kaur to Gurdwara Panjokhra Sahib and Balwinder Singh Bhunder to Jind. Apart from them, SGPC members, party MLA and ex-MLAs too have been assigned duties. Similarly, around 100 SGPC employees from Amritsar and another 250 from other parts of the state have been sent to Haryana shrines. They have already reached there along with the SGPC officials. There are eight major historic gurdwaras in Haryana which fall under Section 85 of the Sikh Gurdwara Act. Besides there are 17 other gurdwaras that come under Section 87 and another 14 gurdwaras with nominated committees. The SGPC also runs educational institutions including schools and colleges in
Haryana. Seeking divine intervention Apparently seeking divine intervention in the crisis in which the SGPC finds itself today, the security staff at the Golden Temple on Friday organised an Akhand Path for the ‘chardi kala’ (high spirits) of the SGPC. The ‘bhog’ ceremony was followed by ‘Gurbani Kirtan’ and ‘Ardas’. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh was also present on the occasion.
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Badal: Centre has realised Haryana’s mistake Chandigarh/New Delhi, July 18 “I am shocked at the brazenness shown by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in confronting not only the Constitution of India but the entire Khalsa Panth. With the formation of HSGPC, the Hooda had posed a great danger to the hard-earned in the state as well as the country.” The Sikhs could have internal differences of opinion on political issues, but on religious issues they have made sacrifices to win the right for 'sewa sambhal' of gurdwaras, the entire 'qaum' is united, he added. Earlier in the day, Badal met Prime Minister Narendra Modi for about Subsequently, he met Rajnath Singh and the duo was joined by Finance Minister Arunj Jaitley, Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office, Jitendera Singh, and Principal Secretary of the Prime Minister. The meeting last for about 75 minutes, according to Harcharan Singh Bains, Adviser to Badal on national affairs. Emerging from the meeting with Modi, Badal told mediapersons that Modi had assured him that the religious sentiment of any community would not be hurt.
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Nalvi: Centre has no power to advise Guv Ambala, July 18 He said the issue of the HSGPC was a state matter and the Union government had no power to advise the Governor to withdraw it. “It is unconstitutional and an insult to the office of governor,” Nalvi said. “The letter is against the sentiments of the state Assembly and a disregard to what the people of the state want,” he said. Such a letter has set a wrong precedent and the Haryana government should not oblige.
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Won’t give up gurdwaras’ control: SGPC
Karnal, July 18 SGPC senior vice-president Raghujit Singh Virk today made it clear that they would rather die than allow anybody to take control of the gurdwaras. Virk welcomed the Union Home Secretary’s letter to the state government specifying the Centre’s views about withdrawing the assent of the Governor for the Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (HSGMC) Act, and said the Congress always played a divide-and-rule card and this time it would not succeed.
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Akal Takht’s decision unfortunate: NAPA
Jalandhar, July 18 North American Punjabi Association (NAPA) Executive Director Satnam Singh Chahal said: “We have nothing to do with the decision of a separate Haryana Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (HSGPC) but the excommunication of those Sikh leaders who were asking for a separate committee by the Akal Takht Jathedar is unfortunate.” Chahal questioned, “When there are several religious issues and concerns of the Sikh Community, then why our Jathedars are taking more interest in the political issues of the Sikh community?” “The separate HSGPC is a political issue and it should be tackled on political front. Misuse of the Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs is unwarranted,” added Chahal. He said the Akal Takht is a supreme authority of Sikhs and nobody should be allowed to put pressure on the Akal Takht chief. The Akal Takht chief is not answerable to SGPC or any individual. Therefore, the Jathedar should think twice if they should interfere in any issue or not, the NAPA executive director said.
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Hooda: Nothing illegal in having separate panel
Julana, July 18 “We have done everything as per law and there is nothing illegal in the formation of the HSGPC (Haryana Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee). If the Punjab Assembly has passed any resolution, it’s their matter and we do not have anything to do with it,” said Hooda in Julana after addressing a public meeting. When asked about the Punjab Government approaching the Central government and exploring other options, Hooda said they had initiated the process that would be completed in coming days. He added the Congress government had just fulfilled the long-pending wish of the Haryana Sikhs by forming the HSGPC.
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Rajasthan Sikhs too seek separate panel
Hisar, July 18 Talking to The Tribune over telephone, Rajasthan SGPC (ad hoc) president Hardeep Singh Dibdiba said the Sikh community was enthused by the setting up of the separate SGPC in Haryana. “We are planning to meet Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje within a week to press for our demand.” Slamming the SGPC and the Akali Dal, he said the SGPC had become a tool in the hands of the Akali Dal. Justified the constitution of the separate committee in Haryana, he said the Akali Dal was trying to create an unsavoury situation in Haryana by taking up the confrontationist path.
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Nada Sahib gurdwara under watch
Chandigarh, July 18 Panchkula Deputy Commissioner Dr SS Phulia said, “We are watching the situation closely. No conflicts have come to our notice as of now. This is the internal matter of both the committees”. — TNS
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Angry parents demand arrest of child's rapists
Bangalore, July 18 Though the horrifying incident occurred on July 2 on the premises of Vibgyor High School, it came to light on July 15 when the victim's parents lodged a complaint with police, as the school management failed to act against the accused. "There is an attempt to destroy evidence and hush up the crime. We suspect the school management is trying to protect the accused, as it failed to register a case when the minor told her class teacher on July 9 that she was sexually abused by the sports teacher and physical instructor in a room," Reddy said. "We will not allow the school to hold classes till the accused are arrested and police file a case against its management for criminal negligence," said Reddy, a former legislator from the Opposition BJP from KR Puram in the city's eastern suburb. Refuting any delay in acting on the parents' complaint, a police officer said the accused were being interrogated and a special investigation team was formed to collect evidence against them. "The investigation is on and we are waiting for the medical report of the child as part of evidence. It is a sensitive case as the victim is just six-year-old," the officer said. Meanwhile, protests continued in front of the school, as hundreds of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad activists joined the parents and sought action against the management for failing to provide safety to the students. — IANS ‘Cancel school recognition’ The state government today wrote to the Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations to cancel the recognition of Vibgyor High School. Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani has also expressed concern over the safety and security of the children. School Education Secretary of the Ministry, R Bhattacharya spoke to Chief Secretary Kaushik Mukherjee and inquired about the action taken so far. — TNS
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No headway in Lucknow gang rape, murder case Lucknow, July 18 While police officials claimed to have identified the deceased as an employee of Sanjay Gandhi Post-graduate Medical Institute (SGPGI), the four special teams formed to apprehend the assailants found no success. The state government ordered suspension of the station house officer and another policeman late Thursday night for failing to "follow basic rules in such cases". Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Lucknow, Navneit Sikera told IANS that senior officials had taken a grim view of the delays and mishandling of the case by policemen, and suspended the errant officials at Mohanlalganj police station. The gang rape and murder, a few km away from the venue visited by former US president Bill Clinton, Thursday also jolted the state government. Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav summoned DGP AL Banerjee, Chief Secretary Alok Ranjan and Principal Secretary (Home) Rakesh Bahadur and took a briefing on the incident. Sutapa Sanyal, nodal officer of Crimes against Women Wing of the UP Police has been assigned the task of cracking the case and investigating the matter, an official said. Sanyal, an ADG, told the media that it has been inferred that more than one person was involved in the crime. "Forensic teams are on the job and we hope things will be worked out soon," she added. — IANS
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Surat blasts: SC acquits 11 for lack of proof
New Delhi, July 18 A Bench comprising Justices TS Thakur and C Nagappan set aside their conviction, holding that even the recovery of weapons allegedly used in the attacks “is not satisfactorily proved by cogent and reliable evidence. “Such being the position, we have no manner of doubt left that the conviction of the appellants cannot be sustained.” Among those acquitted were Husein Ghadially, Aziz Ibrahim Patel and Yusuf Dadu. They had been convicted and sentenced by a designated court at Surat on October 4, 2008.
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Govt: No AI plane was behind MH-17
New Delhi, July 18 It also said that both national carrier Air India and private airlines Jet Airways had issued orders to divert their flights from the conflict zone of Ukraine. According to a statement, “The Ministry of Civil Aviation has informed that Air India and Jet Airways have issued orders to divert their flights from the conflict zone of Ukraine. “This follows a Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777, Flight MH17 enroute from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur with 295 people aboard, being shot down in eastern Ukraine near the Russian border on Thursday,” it said. The Ministry also said that there was no Air India flight near the ill-fated Malaysian plane at the time of the incident. As per information received so far, there was no Indian aboard the ill- fated plane that was on its way to Kuala Lumpur from Amsterdam. Some reports in the media suggested that Air India flight—AI 113 from Birmingham to Delhi—was “right behind” MH-17 along with a Singapore Airlines flight from Copenhagen.
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China circulates controversial Arunachal maps among troops Beijing, July 18 All major army units will receive new, more accurate maps in the near future, PLA Daily reported. The Lanzhou Military Command, one of seven PLA ground force commands, has updated more than 15 million maps for its troops, it said. Though the official media here has not published the maps being circulated in its military, it reportedly incorporated China's claims over the disputed borders with India as well as South and East China Seas. — PTI
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Fireman dies, 6 hurt in Mumbai high-rise blaze
Mumbai, July 18 The fire broke out at the 22-storeyed Lotus Business Park at 11 am this morning. The fire was initially categorised as a grade-one blaze and later upgraded to grade two as the flames spread from the 21st floor to the 20th fanned by strong winds. Fire officials said they called in nine water tankers and a dozen fire engines to help douse the blaze. “All people who were trapped in the offices of the building were safely evacuated and the fire was put out as it broke out,” a fire brigade spokesman said. Around 13 firemen and 20 officers, who were on the rooftop of the building, were trapped as the fire broke out again. The incident, which started as a routine fire call soon became a major operation as 11 firemen were trapped, necessitating a helicopter rescue operation by the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard later in the afternoon. However, the trapped firemen had inhaled a lot of smoke by then and one of them died. The deceased fireman was identified as Nitin Inglekar, an official of the BMC Disaster Control said. Six firemen were admitted to a hospital. Fire officials suspect that the blaze might have been caused by a short circuit. Two floors on the building have been completely gutted. A number of prominent film personalities like Hrithik Roshan, Ajay Devgn and Pooja Shetty have their offices in this building. Fire officials said late afternoon that the blaze had been doused. The fire — the cause of which is not known — broke out at 10 a.m. when a majority of the office complexes in the building had not yet opened for the day’s work. It was brought under control at 4 pm, an official said. (With agency inputs)
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Govt to review 3.5-yr course for village health officers
New Delhi, July 18 Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan said he wanted to review and re-examine the course. “We plan to review the programme to determine its merits. I am engaging with the ministry officials on it. Chhattisgarh, for instance, introduced the course even before it was approved by the previous government, but discontinued it later. We need to find out why it happened. Any new course must bring value to the system. We will look at the course and talk to stakeholders,” said Vardhan. The Health Minister is visiting Chhattisgarh next week and will meet the students who enrolled for the ambitious 3.5-year BSc Community Health course which former Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad had pushed in the previous regime. The idea was to meet shortage of public health specialists in villages. After a prolonged debate over the necessity of having a course that would allow half trained persons to administer medicines to villagers, the course was finally approved by states in the Cabinet last year. Not many states have since implemented it with the Centre now saying it would again debate the course in a meeting of the Central Council of Health, the apex health policy making body in India. Vardhan plans to call the CCH meet shortly. As approved, the course was to produce community health officers who would get a BSc Community Health degree but would not be allowed to prefix the word ‘doctor’ with their names. This move came after stiff opposition to the course by the Indian Medical Association which said it would create different sets of healthcare standards for the urban and rural people. The course as approved by the MCI enables Class XII science (physics, chemistry and biology) pass outs to enrol for BSc (Community Health) at rural health schools which will be affiliated to state health sciences universities for grant of degrees. The MCI is the licensing and registering authority for BSc (CH) graduates, who will have to seek re-registration every five years. To prevent any misgivings, the course structure prescribes that BSc (CH) graduates will only prescribe generic medicines for common ailments, will not prefix Dr and will only work in public health settings. The Centre has meanwhile asked the states to furnish details of financial implications for introducing the course in their project implementation plans under the existing National Health Mission scheme.
About the course
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HC admits Cong plea challenging Modi’s election
New Delhi, July 18 The petition, filed by Congress’ Ajay Rai who contested Banaras unsuccessfully against Modi, alleges that the BJP leader violated various provisions of the Representation of Peoples Act (RPA), including those related to declaration of assets and liabilities of the spouse whose name Modi disclosed for the first time in these elections. Congress’ legal cell secretary KC Mittal today told The Tribune that the said the petition was crucial as it raised issues related to alleged election misconduct by the respondent. The Congress had earlier slammed Modi for spending crores in his campaign by way of an advertising blitzkrieg and vowed to take the matter to a logical conclusion. Rai, who lost his deposit from Varanasi, has alleged in the petition that Modi resorted to allurement of voters violating Section 123 of the
RPA.
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Mid-day meal: 24 students fall ill in Bihar
Patna, July 18 The children complained of uneasiness after having the mid-day meal at Rasulpur Korigawan primary school near Hajipur in Vaishali district, a district official said. All the children were admitted to a state-run primary health centre in the district and are said to be out of danger. "I have asked an official to inquire into it and submit a report soon," the official said. Police collected samples of the meal, he added. Doctors, who examined the children, did not find any sign of poison. Last year, 23 students died after eating poisonous meal at a primary school in Saran district. In Bihar, 16 million students get food under the mid-day meal scheme, which is running in 72,000 schools across the state. IANS
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Assam Cong chief throws Iftar party for warring sides
Guwahati, July 18 Dissident MLAs have set a deadline for removal of the Chief Minister by Sunday. Legislators from both the groups came to attend the Iftar party. Kalita said, “The holy month of Ramzaan provides all of us with an occasion to forget bitterness, if any, among ourselves and strengthen the bond of friendship and brotherhood. There are problems within the Congress legislature party in Assam and I have been assigned by the high command to resolve it. I have been trying to do it.” Senior most MLA Dr Bhumidhar Barman said, “We all respect the party high command. The problems (dissidence) should be solved by the high command soon and whatever decision is taken by the high command will have to be accepted by all of us. All party men want to see an early solution to the crisis so that the stalemate could be removed soon.” A senior party leader said the AICC had conveyed it to the dissident group that they must have patience at least till November where Assembly elections in Haryana and Maharashtra are going to be held. The AICC is not in a hurry to take a decision regarding the change of leadership in Assam. The AICC has summoned two senior MLAs, Sarat Borkotoky (from the rebel group) and Anjan Dutta who is closer to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi camp, to New Delhi. While Dutta has left for Delhi today, Borkotoky is going there tomorrow. Dutta, however, said he was on a personal visit to Delhi. He is accompanied by another Congress legislator Debabrata Saikia, son of late Hiteswar Saikia, a former chief minister of Assam.
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40 Indian prisoners in Saudi Arabia released
New Delhi, July 18 The 40 labourers, who hail from the states of Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh, were working in Saudi Arabia for a private contractor. They were in jail for one year following their arrest for holding protests upon the death of one of their colleagues. According to official sources, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj took up the matter with the Saudi government to seek the release of these workers. The labourers will be arriving in India on July 18. "The efforts of the Foreign Minister have helped secure the release of these 40 labourers after she took up the matter with the Saudi government," BJP leaderShahnawaz Hussain said here. The labourers had been in prison in Saudi Arabia since July 16 of last year. Relatives of some of the labourers had met Swaraj, who immediately asked the Indian ambassador to secure their release. They (labourers) were released on July 6 after the construction company took back its case.
Jailed abroad
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Karnataka CM caught napping during debate on sexual offences
Bangalore, July 18 Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah today found himself in an embarrassing spot as video footage on TV channels showed him apparently dozing off during a debate on sexual offences against women in the Legislative Assembly. Siddaramaiah was seen in the video grab tilting his head in the front with eyes closed as the House was immersed in an animated debate with the opposition BJP going hammer and tongs against the government over a spate of recent sexual offences and gunned for the resignation of Home Minister K J George. The video shot was aired by TV channels but the Chief Minister said he was not napping."I was not sleeping. Who told you?. It is not correct," Siddaramaiah said to reporters' question."I was very much attentive. I was listening to that (debate)," the Chief Minister said. The BJP had raised the issue of alleged rape of a six-year old girl student in a prominent public school in Bangalore which came to light on July 15 though it took place on July two and the alleged rape of a 22-year old woman who was sitting in a car with her friend here on July 10 midnight. A 16-year old nun was allegedly raped here on Wednesday at a seminary where she was staying to undergo training. The series of incidents has sparked a public outrage and protests, particularly the horrific rape of the minor girl in the school.
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More GM crop varieties get nod for field trials
New Delhi, July 18 The environment ministry today gave its approval for field trials of certain varieties of Genetically Modified (GM)-crops, including rice, brinjal, chickpea, mustard and cotton. The chairman of the Genetic Engineering Approval Committee (GEAC), which met here today, said they cleared 15 such proposals. ""Field trials have been cleared for rice, brinjal, chickpea, mustard and cotton, etc. GEAC has allowed research in Indian conditions," said Hem Pande, the GEAC chairman. "We cleared 15 proposals today. We had a backlog of about 70 proposals and have cleared about 60 of those till date. (cumulatively from March 2014)," he added. PTI
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Monsoon hits Gujarat
Ahmedabad, July 18 Monsoon normally hits Gujarat by June 10 but this year, there were no signs of rain so far barring some isolated showers in some parts of the Saurashtra and south Gujarat regions. The state received between 25 mm and 150 mm rainfall today. The weather office attributed this to a low pressure area over the Bay of Bengal. The conditions are likely to continue for the next three days, the weather office said. Experts say the delay in monsoon is likely to affect paddy production in south Gujarat and the groundnut crop in the Saurashtra region. The total area under the paddy cultivation had also come down by 60 per cent this year.
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SC notice to govt on misuse of bungalows
New Delhi, July 18 A Bench headed by Chief Justice RM Lodha issued notice to the Centre in response to a letter received from former Comptroller and Auditor General Vinod Rai, citing the news report and contending that such overstays were in violation of the SC verdict The news report, based on an official response under the RTI law, had named, among others, former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, Lalu Prasad, A Raja, SM Krishna and Mukul Wasnik. The apex court has converted the letter as a PIL petition by taking suo motu cognisance of the issue.
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Top Maoist leader arrested in Odisha
Bhubaneswar, July 18 "Sabyasachi Panda was arrested by police last night from Berhampur. The arrest of Panda who carried a high reward on his head is a big achievement of the Odisha police," Patnaik announced in the assembly today. Sabyasachi, who carried a reward of Rs 5 lakh on his head, was active in the Maoist movement for more than two decades, the chief minister said adding he was the guiding spirit behind formation of Chasi Mulia Samiti and Kui Lawenga Sangha in 1995 in Rayagada and Gajapati districts. Stating that these organisations were the foundation for spreading Maoist network in those areas, Patnaik said Panda was the founder of Bansadhara and Ghumusur Divisions of Odisha State Committee (OSC) and Secretary of Odisha State Organising Committee (OSOC) of CPI (Maoist) till 2012. The top Maoist was operating in Southern Odisha. Sabyasachi was involved in numerous sensational cases like the Nayagarh and R Udayagiri armoury loot, killing of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati, abduction of two Italian nationals and blowing up of ambulance in Kandhamal besides, overall involvement in killing of 25 security personnel and 34 civilians, the Chief Minister said. — PTI
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