The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Amar shares dais with Mulayam, says he was a ‘Mulayamwadi’

Lucknow, August 5
Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh on Tuesday shared the dais with Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav for the first time in four years after bitter parting of ways with the party, even as he insisted that political connotation should not be attached to this gesture.

Singh, who was invited to the programme for the inauguration of an over 300 acres park in memory of SP veteran Janeshwar Mishra, congratulated Mulayam and his son and chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for developing it. He also reminisced that he would call himself ‘Mulayamwadi’, referring to his intimacy with the SP supremo before his expulsion in 2010.

“Janeshwarji did not have two-three acres of land in his lifetime, but Mulayam and Akhilesh developed such a massive park on more than 300 acre land in his memory. I want to thank Mulayam Singhji for inviting me because it is a memorable moment,” he said.

Narrating an anecdote from one of his meetings with Mishra, Singh said the veteran leader had once asked him if he was literally a ‘samajwadi’, to which Singh had replied he was a ‘Mulayamwadi’.

“Once Janeshwarji told me, Amar whatever you have, you’ve got it without much struggle. He told me had I gone to jail, fought elections, toiled under the scorching sun, met with people, then I would have been a ‘samajwadi’. “I had told him that going by your definition I am not a ‘samajwadi’ at all, I am a ‘Mulayamwadi’,” Singh said. Earlier on Tuesday, Singh had said it would be “extremely wrong” to add “political connotation” to his attending the programme. — PTI

India puts defence deals with Finmeccanica on hold

New Delhi, August 5
In the wake of alleged chopper scam, India has put on hold all procurements from Italian defence group Finmeccanica and its affiliate companies. The move will hit hard acquisitions for the armed forces as the group is taking part in projects worth over Rs 30,000 crore.

In separate circulars, the Department of Defence and the Department of Defence Production have said that “all procurement or acquisition cases in pipeline with Finmeccanica group of companies, including its subsidiaries and affiliates,” should be put on hold.

The orders, accessed by PTI, say that there should be “strict compliance” by all three services and public sector units, the Ordnance Factory Board and other departments concerned under it with its orders in this regard.

Finmeccanica is the parent firm of AgustaWestland, which was accused of paying kickbacks to the tune of over Rs 360 crore in the Rs 3,600 crore deal for supplying 12 VVIP choppers to the Air Force and the deal has since been scrapped. The ministry has also asked the departments under it to stop any kind of dealings with the firms named in the VVIP chopper scam FIR, including AgustaWestland, IDS Tunisia, IDS Mauritius, IDS Infotech, Mohali and Aeromatrix Solution Limited, Chandigarh.

After the chopper scam broke out, the government had decided to go slow on defence deals with the Finmeccanica group, but this is the first time it has put the deals with the group on hold.

The circulars, issued within months after the government took over, may also hit the Navy’s requirements for radars as Finmeccanica Group’s company Selex is involved in programmes such as Indigenous Aircraft Carrier with its radars. — PTI

Purchases may get hit

The move will hit hard acquisitions for the armed forces as the firm is involved in projects worth over ~30,000 crore

It will affect the Navy's requirements for radars as Finmeccanica Group's company Selex is involved in programmes such as Indigenous Aircraft Carrier with its radars

No double standards by Cong on insurance Bill, says Rahul

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi arrives at Parliament House for the Budget session in New Delhi on Tuesday. PTI

New Delhi, August 5
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi today rejected the BJP’s charge that the party was doing a ‘U-turn’ on the insurance Bill, saying that there are “no double standards” by it on the issue.

“I think, there are no double standards on the insurance Bill by the Congress,” Gandhi told reporters in Parliament.

The Opposition party has kept the government guessing on the crucial Bill asking it to take on board all stakeholders and favouring the Select Committee route.

The insurance Bill, which was listed in the Rajya Sabha yesterday, was deferred for consideration for the time being after a meeting of the government with Opposition leaders failed to break the deadlock in the face of the demand to send it to a Select Committee.

The meeting, convened by Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu yesterday, could not iron out differences with the Opposition despite Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s plea that the current Bill has virtually the same language and content as the previous Bill of the UPA government. “We are totally in favour of FDI. It is our baby and it was the BJP which was opposed to the Bill in 2008. We were given to understand that our Bill is going to be passed in the House. But the NDA government has made some substantive amendments to the Bill,” Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad had said.

“We have recommended that the substantive issues like the FDI, which have been diluted by the FII, along with other issues should be discussed, examined dispassionately and objectively by the Select Committee. The Bill can be passed in the winter session and we will ensure its passage,” he had said.

Rejecting suggestions that it was doing a “flip-flop” on the insurance Bill issue, party spokesperson Randip Surjewala had said, “If investments of lakhs of people are going to be jeopardised, then the necessary balancing has to be done.” — PTI

Jaitley, Naidu meet Anand Sharma

For early passage of the insurance Bill, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday met Congress leader in Rajya Sabha Anand Sharma.

"To attribute to the Congress that we are against reforms, against development and acting against national interest, those who did not allow this Bill and other legislations to be taken up for six years are not the ones to teach the Congress where India's national interest lie," Sharma said.

Rane takes back resignation
Tribune News Service

Mumbai, August 5
Maharashtra’s Industries Minister Nayaran Rane, who had resigned a few days ago, has withdrawn his resignation. Talking to mediapersons after a meeting with senior party leaders, he said he would continue working for the Congress in the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Earlier, Rane’s supporters had told mediapersons that he would quit the Congress and form a new party.

Rane’s submission is seen as a victory for Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan who will now continue working as undisputed leader of the Congress party in Maharashtra till the Assembly elections.

The Congress leadership simply ignored Rane’s demand for the post of Chief Minister or chief of the Congress party in the state. He is not even in the election co-ordination committee of the party.

Facing a tough battle from the Shiv Sena in his pocket borough Sindhudurg, Rane seems to have decided that his chances lay best with the Congress.

Indian Navy in Vietnam
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 5
Cementing India's 'Look East' policy, stealth frigate INS Shivalik today docked in Vietnam — a country locked in a bitter dispute with China.

The warship commanded by Captain Puruvir Das arrived at Hai Phong in Vietnam on a three-day goodwill visit this morning. “The visit is aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and enhancing inter-operability between navies of the two nations,” the Indian Navy said. During the stay at harbour, various activities are planned including official calls, reception of Vietnamese personnel on board the ship, including visitors for guided tours.

The ship will exercise with Vietnamese Naval ships for improving inter-operability in communication, search and rescue procedures and other areas. This is the sixth visit by Indian Navy to Vietnam in as many years.

44 nurses return from Libya

Kochi, August 5
Relief writ large on the faces of 44 Indian nurses who arrived here this morning from strife-torn Libya via Dubai even as four others are bound for different destinations in the country. While 44 nurses reached Kochi by an Emirates flight, another three were bound for Delhi, CEO of Non-Resident Keralite Affairs Department (NoRKA) P Sudeep told PTI.

One nurse was bound for Mumbai. Ten nurses are expected to reach Kerala tomorrow morning, he said. NoRKA officials were at the airport to receive the nurses, who were paid Rs 2,000 as travel expenses to reach their homes. Relatives thronged the area to welcome their dear ones.

But amid the joy of homecoming many nurses are hoping the state government would extend some financial package to them. Loans, mounting debts, no salaries for the past 3-4 months are giving them sleepless nights, they said.

Jisha George from nearby Tripunithura, who arrived here this morning, told PTI she was working at the Tripoli Medical College (TMC) since July last year. A batch of 68 nurses had gone there along with her.

Jisha said she and many other nurses had not been paid salaries for the past three to four months. She was given a cheque for 4,000 dinars, but could not get it encashed as the hospital management said there were no funds, she said.

There was shortage of petrol and gas and most of the time there was power cut in the hostel where some 250 nurses had been put up, said Jisha, who left two of her young children and husband in Kerala, hoping of a better future for her family.

Recounting her journey to safety, she said they took a bus to the Libyan border from where another bus took them to Tunisia.

All praise for the Indian Ambassador in Tunisia, Jisha said the Ambassador was personally present to receive them and ensured that all of them were safe in the hotel. From Tunisia, they boarded an Emirates flight to Dubai airport yesterday and took another Emirates flight to reach Kochi. — PTI

Financial aid sought

Nurses are hoping that the Kerala Government will extend them financial help as they are worried about loans and mounting debts on them

Those working at Tripoli Medical College had not been paid salaries for the past three to four months, as the hospital management did not have funds

There was shortage of petrol and gas and most of the time there was power cut in the hostel where some 250 nurses had been put up

UGC bans animal dissection in undergraduate, PG courses
Ananya Panda & Deepender Deswal
Tribune News Service

New Delhi/Hisar, August 5
The University Grants Commission (UGC) has banned dissection and experimentation of animals in the zoology and life sciences laboratories of the universities and other higher education institutes in the country.

The move comes following objections from Union Minister and animal activist Maneka Gandhi and discussions with the animal rights group — People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) — in a meeting recently.

Dr Chaitanya Koduri, Science Policy Advisor, PETA, told The Tribune today that following several rounds of discussions, the UGC had finalised a draft notification for banning animal dissection in the labs in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. "As per an estimate, lives of nearly 19 million animals will be saved following this notification."

Colleges and universities under the UGC, henceforth, have to mandatorily comply with the directions with immediate effect as the latest instructions have been issued under section 12 (j) of the UGC Act, 1956.

Alternative methods of teaching, such as digital simulations, interactive CD-ROMs, films, charts have been recommended by the UGC in place of experiments on live animals. To promote alternative techniques, the UGC would allocate funds during the 12th Plan.

The UGC draft directs the institutes to constitute dissection monitory committees (DMC) for strict compliance of the instructions relating to the use of animals for research purposes only. “The DMC would ensure that the animals used for research are procured from ethical sources and not removed from the wild, transported to the labs without stress or strain to the animal.”

All universities and colleges are supposed to report compliance to the UGC directions in view of the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 and suggest ways if any within three months.

An official at the office the of UGC secretary confirmed the development and said the draft notification was ready and it would be sent to the institutes soon with the instructions for compliance and suggestions, if any, for implementation of this notification within three months.

Draft notification says

The use of animals in dissection, in addition to pollution and climate change, is responsible for the gradual depletion of their population

Institutes should form committees for strict compliance of the instructions relating to the use of animals for research purposes only

Western Command chief calls on Delhi Lt Governor
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 5
General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, Lt Gen Kamaljit Singh called upon Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Najeeb Jung at the latter’s residence in New Delhi today.

After exchange of pleasantries, the Army Commander sought Lieutenant Governor’s assistance in ongoing endeavours of the Army, including welfare related activities. He also reiterated the Army’s objective towards the development of Delhi Cantonment and areas under the Army’s management.

Lt Gen Kamaljit Singh expressed his gratitude to the Lieutenant Governor for his positive approach towards the welfare of serving troops, retired soldiers and their families.

The Army commander also assured the Lieutenant Governor of the Army’s continued support during natural calamities and disasters.

Cong, NCP toughen stand over seat sharing
Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service

Mumbai, August 5
Leaders of both the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party have begun yet another round of threatening noises before sitting down to hammer out a seat-sharing agreement for the forthcoming Assembly elections.

Both the parties have invited applications from candidates interested in contesting all 288 Assembly seats in the state. Spokespersons for both outfits say it is part of a contingency plan in case they have to go it alone in the polls.

“We will have the names of candidates by August 16 or 17,” Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Manikrao Thakre told reporters here today.

The NCP, too, says it is preparing to contest all seats. “We would like to contest 50 per cent of the seats in the state, if that is not possible we should go it alone,” Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar had told party workers in Amravati on Monday.

The Congress is, however, talking tough. “We may give them 10-15 seats more but certainly not 50 per cent,” Thakre said.

However, leaders of both parties admit that they are on a weaker wicket after the disastrous performance in the Lok Sabha elections. “A final call on seat sharing will be taken by our national leaders in Delhi,” a Congress leader said. In the 2009 elections, the Congress had contested 174 seats, leaving 114 of the 288 for the NCP.

Meanwhile, several sitting MLAs from both the parties are planning to stay away from the contest, fearing defeat. “We have got feelers from many leaders saying they would want to work for the party,” a Congress leader said.

We may give them 10-15 seats more but certainly not 50 per cent. We will have the candidates’ names by August 17.
—Manikrao Thakre, MPCC President

We would like to contest 50 per cent of the seats in the state, if that is not possible we should go it alone.
—Ajit Pawar, NCP leader

Coal scam: Three cases filed against SKS Ispat
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 5
The CBI today registered three cases against Chhattisgarh-based SKS Ispat and Power Limited for allegedly misrepresenting facts while applying for coal blocks.

With these cases, the CBI has so far registered 27 cases in the coal block allocation scam.

The cases have been registered against the company, its promoters, members of the 35th Screening Committee, government officials and others on charges of criminal conspiracy, cheating and criminal misconduct under Sections 120 B and 420 of the IPC and Section 13(1)(d) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.

The agency has been conducting searches at residential and official premises of the accused persons in Mumbai, Raigarh, Raipur and Delhi.

The company acquired three coal blocks — Ravanwara in Madhya Pradesh in 2007, Fatehpur and Vijay Central in Chhattisgarh in 2008 and 2011, respectively — by allegedly misrepresenting the facts. Sources said the firm had misrepresented on the aspect of preparedness and was ineligible on the aspect of net worth.

Rape charge against DIG for publicity: Model’s ex-lawyer

Mumbai, August 5
In a new turn to the rape and molestation case against IPS officer Sunil Paraskar, a former lawyer of the alleged victim, a model-turned-actress, has said she never told him about the rape and claimed she brought up the charge to gain publicity to enter a reality show.

“I have submitted the messages exchanged between me and the victim through SMSes and WhatsApp. After going through these messages, it will be clear that she (the model) filed the case against DIG Paraskar purely for publicity so that she gets a place in a reality show,” Rizwan Siddiqui, who earlier represented the model, has told the police.

Siddiqui was quizzed by the Crime Branch for nearly four hours yesterday when his statement was recorded.

The lawyer said he had sent a “notice” to Paraskar in the second week of July on behalf of the alleged victim to protest the demand by the officer for expensive gifts.

Siddiqui said he stopped representing the model after he realised her intentions were not “right”. — PTI

Congress loses Gandhinagar district panchayat to BJP
Manas Dasgupta

Gandhinagar, August 5
The Gandhinagar district panchayat, one of the two district panchayats in Gujarat under the control of the Congress, has fallen to the BJP with nine of its members crossing over to the saffron party. Tapi in south Gujarat is the only district panchayat among the 26 district panchayats in the state left in the Congress kitty now.

District panchayat president Hinaben Patel had been in touch with the BJP leaders ever since the Congress decided to enforce a leadership change in the state’s capital district panchayat to accommodate the critics of the district panchayat president. The BJP leadership had reportedly assured her the post if she succeeded to bring with her adequate Congress members to upstage the party from power in the district panchayat.

With the joining of Hinaben with her eight supporters, the BJP strength in the 27-member Gandhinagar district panchayat went up to 17, while the Congress was reduced to mere 10. This is the second major loss of the Congress in the state after the BJP wrested the Junagadh Municipal Corporation ousting the Congress in the elections last month.

The Congress has now lost all eight municipal corporations, most municipalities, a majority of the taluka panchayats and 25 of the 26 district panchayats in the state, most of which were scheduled to go to the polls next year.

Hinaben and her supporters were welcomed in the party at a function held at the state party headquarter.

Wiped out

District panchayat president Hinaben Patel along with eight members joined the BJP, bringing the saffron party's strength in the 27-member panchayat to 17 and Congress' down to 10

The Congress has now lost all eight municipal corporations and most municipalities, a majority of the taluka panchayats and 25 of the 26 district panchayats in the state

violence against women
India protests UN rapporteur's report
Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 5
India has lodged a strong protest against UN special rapporteur's report on the status of women in the country which said violence against women in India was systematic and sexual harassment widespread.

In response to the report which rapporteur Rashida Manjoo submitted to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) recently, the Government of India has trashed the document as "highly prejudicial".

Manjoo had visited India in 2013 for an assessment of women's rights post the December 2012 Delhi gang.

The report, submitted at the recent session of the UNHRC, made a range of observations on India, including decrying the use of two-finger test on rape victims, wondering why marital rape was not a criminal offence, citing unacceptably high numbers of rapes and taking note of the rising acid attacks and the continuation of the Armed Forces Special Powers Act which gave security forces impunity.

The special rapporteur in her opening observations said, "Violence against women in India is systematic and occurs in the public and private spheres…. Women are discriminated against not only by sex but also by caste, class, ability, sexual orientation and tradition. That exposes them to violence… from the womb to the tomb."

The Rapporteur added that "physical, sexual and psychological abuse of women in the private sphere is widely tolerated by the state and the community according to interlocutors".

India has objected to the observations saying, "The report makes it appear as if it (read rapes and sexual harassment) is a national phenomenon."

"We do not agree with the labelling of violence against women in India being systematic. Such a sweeping remark smacks of a highly prejudiced state of mind. We also don't agree with the observation that abuse of women was widely tolerated by the state. Such a general remark once again is baseless," states India's response to Manjoo's report.

India has levelled 16 allegations of bias against the UN Rapporteur. While the country continues to be in denial, women activists back the Rapporteur's work. Madhu Mehra, who works in the sector, asks, "If violence against women in India was not systematic why would the country need to respond by way of so many recent laws and amendments including to the criminal law?"

Supreme Court lawyer Vrinda Grover wonders whether the government would have acted had it not been for public outrage over the Delhi gang rape.

"Would they have acted the way they did under public pressure? The criminal law amendment had been pending for years. Why did we need a brutal rape to get it going? That's what is called tolerance for violence," she says.

What it states

Violence against women in India is systematic and occurs in the public and private spheres

Women are discriminated against not only by sex but also by caste, class, ability, sexual orientation and tradition

Physical, sexual and psychological abuse of women in private sphere is widely tolerated by the state and community

SC gives Centre five weeks to decide Delhi Assembly’s fate

New Delhi, August 5
The Supreme Court today asked the Centre to take a decision on dissolution of the Delhi Assembly “one way or another” within five weeks, questioning it for continuing to keep the House in suspended animation when no party is coming forward to form the government.

“One party says it does not want to form government. Other says it cannot. Third party has no strength. In a situation like this, why should people suffer?” it asked.

A five-judge Constitution Bench headed by Justice HL Dattu also asked as why MLAs be paid from taxpayers’ money for sitting idle due to Assembly kept in suspended animation. The apex court asked Additional Solicitor General PL Narasimha to convey the “feeling” of the court on the issue to appropriate authority.

“I think they (authorities) will take a decision,” Justice Dattu said while adjourning the plea of Aam Aadmi Party for dissolution of the Assembly for five weeks. “Why should taxpayers’ money be paid to legislators who are not doing anything? Authority concerned should think and act,” the Bench also comprising justices J Chelameswar, A K Sikri, R K Agrawal and Arun Mishra said.

It asked the Centre what steps it has taken to explore the possibility of government formation during the past five months. President’s rule was imposed on Delhi on February 17. — PTI

3 killed in gang war outside Roorkee jail

Haridwar, August 5
Three persons were killed and seven others were injured in a shootout outside Roorkee prison today.

The incident occurred in the evening when historysheeter Chinu Pundit was coming out of the prison after serving imprisonment. As soon as Pundit came out of the main gate, four unidentified persons opened fired at him.

Three persons, including Pundit’s brother, died on the spot. It is believed that members of the Sunil Rathi gang allegedly tried to kill Pundit as the two groups had been at loggerheads for the past few years.

Rural Superintendent of Police Parmendra Dobhal reached the spot with additional police force.

The deceased have been identified as Pundit’s brother Tarun Tyagi, Lokendra and Raman Marwah. One of the seven injured is stated to be critical and has been referred to Jolly Grant Hospital, while the rest are being treated at the Civil Hospital.

Haridwar SSP Dr Sadanand Date has ordered a probe into the incident. Security has been beefed up in and around the prison. — TNS

Governors of UP, Gujarat get addl charge

NEW DELHI, AUGUST 5
President Pranab Mukherjee today appointed Ram Naik, Governor of UP, to discharge functions of the Rajasthan Governor in addition to his own duties until regular arrangements for the office are made. Margaret Alva completed her tenure today.

Since Alva also held charge of Goa, the President asked Gujarat Governor Om Prakash Kohli to discharge additional functions of Goa Governor. — TNS