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Will talk to extremists if they shun arms, says Rajnath
MPs seek action to curb crimes against women
Centre backs UPA decision on job quota for Jats
Cong disrupts RS over PM’s remarks on WTO |
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Bihar Assembly bypolls
Amid attacks, Sachin allowed to skip House
Sedition case against TRS MP Kavitha
Marines’ case: Italian PM dials Modi seeking solution
Lokpal among top priorities of govt: PMO
Maharashtra Assembly polls
Yale degree comment miscontrued, says Smriti
UP tops in child rights violations
Railways Amendment Bill sent to select panel
Pak pounds 11 BSF posts, 4 hurt
Cong slams Bhagwat over Hindu remark
Nigerian tests negative for ebola virus
WHO meets on use of experimental Ebola drug
Buddha says will step down from Politburo
Body found at Kumari Selja’s Delhi home
Bill introduced to repeal 36 archaic laws
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Will talk to extremists if they shun arms, says Rajnath
New Delhi, August 11 In his reply to the discussion on the working of the Home Ministry in the Rajya Sabha, the Home Minister reiterated the government stand against extremism in the country and said it was willing to hold talks with the insurgents in the North-East and the Maoists in other parts “only” if they were willing to give up arms. Singh said not just insurgency in the North-East, but left wing extremism is also a big challenge. He said open violence by any group would not be allowed and if anyone was ready to hold talks, so was the government. “But this would happen only after arms have been laid down...We are not ready to hold talks with anyone who is holding arms,” Rajnath said, while talking about the areas infested with left wing extremism. While pointing out that insurgency in the north-eastern states was a “big worry”, the Home Minister said the government was willing to talk to them, but within the purview of the Constitution. He said there was an urgent need to stop illegal immigration into the country from across the borders. He said as part of steps being taken by the Home Ministry, which is the in charge of internal security, an Indian National Citizen Card would be issued to every citizen of the country. He said this process would take at least three to four years and stressed that the process of National Population Register (NPR), which is already underway, would continue. Seeking the cooperation of the Opposition, Singh said his government was committed to not only communal harmony in the country, but to a united India. He said the main task of the Narendra Modi-led government was to ensure the security of the people so that they could live with dignity and without any fear from anyone. Dialogue on K-issue under ambit of 'insaniyat'
N-E insurgent groups call for strike on I-Day
Guwahati: Proscribed insurgent groups in the North-East have called for a joint strike to "prohibit" Independence Day celebrations on August 15 in the region to protest the "continued occupation" on the region by India.— TNS
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MPs seek action to curb crimes against women
New Delhi, August 11 While discussing the functioning of the Home Ministry, Congress MP from Punjab Ashwani Kumar expressed concern over violence against women and children in the country and urged the government to take strong steps to check such crimes. He said another issue of major concern was the spread of drugs culture among youths in Punjab, where seven out of 10 youths were into some kind of addiction. Kumar also raised the issue of riots in Uttar Pradesh and other states in the country, saying "Is it just a coincidence that 300 riots have taken place in 12 seats from where BJP candidates have won?" Another Punjab MP MS Gill highlighted the shortage of police force in the country to effectively handle the law and order situation. Comparing the sanctioned strength of constables that to Italy and the US, Gill said 450 constables are catering to a population of one lakh in Italy and the figure is 230 in the US. On the other hand in India, the sanctioned strength of constables per every lakh of population was just 136. He urged Home Minister Rajnath Singh, who was present in the House, to consult Prime Minister Narendra Modi and cut through the bureaucracy to increase the recruitment in the police force. Members also demanded effective mechanisms to combat terrorism and favoured a development policy to check extremism and prevent infiltration.
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Centre backs UPA decision on job quota for Jats
New Delhi, August 11 A Cabinet meeting held on March 3, 2014 when Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister had decided to include the Jat community in the Central List of OBCs for nine states – Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan (Bharatpur and Dhaulpur districts), Uttar Pradesh and Delhi. The Centre had then rejected the recommendation of the National Commission for Backward Classes against the proposal. The commission had “not adequately taken into account the ground realities and therefore (the then government) decided not to accept the advice” given by it, the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry said in the affidavit. The present government’s support for job quota for Jats has come ahead of the assembly elections in Haryana, Jammu and Kashmir, Maharashtra and Jharkhand. The Centre pointed out that the nine states in question had already included Jats in their respective state list of OBCs. The UPA government had issued a notification on March 4, 2014 amending the Central List of OBCs to include the Jat community in the list for the nine states. The affidavit by the Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry said the move to include the Jat community “is a reasoned decision” and that the advice of the Backward Commission was only “ordinarily binding” on the government, not always. The NDA government’s stand has come in response to SC notice on a batch of PILs seeking quashing of the March 4 notification, issued just a day ahead of the announcement of the 16th Lok Sabha election. The petitioners had contended that the move amounted to “vote bank politics and purchase of Jat votes which is as bad as bribery.” The Jat community has been doing well economically and socially and as such it should not be allowed to cut into the 27 per cent OBC quota, they pleaded. Denying this, the affidavit said the “allegation is unfounded. It is respectfully submitted that the Central Government has acted bona fide and in public interest.” On April 1, the SC had asked the Centre to produce the files relating to the Cabinet decision. Attaching the minutes of the Cabinet meeting, the government said “it contains the reasons for including the Jat community” in the central list.
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Cong disrupts RS over PM’s remarks on WTO
New Delhi, August 11 As soon as the House met for the day, Congress deputy leader Anand Sharma demanded the suspension of the Question Hour to seek clarifications on the PM’s remarks which, according to him, contradicted Commerce Minister Nirmala Seetharaman’s statement on the issue. Sharma accused the PM of “belittling” Parliament and “misinforming” people on the issue at a time when the House is in session. With many other Congress members creating uproar over the issue, Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the House. The scene was somewhat similar when the House reassembled and the Chair was forced to adjourn it again despite Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s statement that there was no contradiction in what the PM had stated and what the Commerce Minister had said in the matter. As Congress members repeatedly talked about contradiction, the Commerce Minister got up to say, “Let us not give room for any kind of distortion...PM’s comments are very much in the background we have discussed.” She said the previous government had not moved for four years on the Peace Clause in the WTO agreement and “left it hanging”, adding, “It is important to read the Prime Minister’s statement in that context.” On Congress leader’s remarks that she had said there was no deviation made by the NDA government at the WTO from the previous UPA government, she said, the agreement signed by the previous regime was “not a perfect one” and Sharma, a former Commerce Minister, had admitted it “gracefully”. The minister said she had only stated in the statement that her government was not reneging on the agreement signed at the WTO by the UPA and was only doing course correction.
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Nitish, Lalu launch joint campaign, flay BJP
RJD chief advises Mulayam, Mayawati to join hands in Uttar Pradesh
Hajipur, August 11 Nitish Kumar, who had parted ways with Lalu in 1994 and succeeded in dethroning him in Bihar in 2005 with a BJP alliance, says the Narendra Modi government at the Centre knows that it cannot fulfil the tall promises it has made and will resort to spreading religious passion to cling to power. “They can run the government. They cannot run the country. Did achchhe din (good days) come?” he asked, referring to the BJP’s slogan during the General Election. “Achchhe din will never come. But they have come for some people in the BJP. In fact, their apne din (own days) have come,” said Kumar, who split with the BJP last year over his opposition to Modi’s elevation as prime ministerial candidate of the BJP, and quit as the Chief Minister after his party JD(U) was routed in the recent Lok Sabha polls. He said his alliance with Lalu, whose party RJD also fared poorly in the polls but fetched more votes than the JD(U), was the need of the hour as the country was in “danger”. Hailing the alliance between the RJD and the JD(U) as ‘home-coming’, Prasad appealed to the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh to also bury their hatchet and join hands to defeat the BJP. He said if the vote percentage of the RJD, the JD(U) and the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls were added it would be 45%, which is much bigger than BJP which got over 29% vote in Bihar. Prasad spoke after Kumar in a signal that he is the bigger partner in the alliance which includes the Congress at the joint rally at Jamalpur village. Prasad said the two parties had come together for the sake of social justice which was threatened by the BJP which came to power by “feeding false promises to people”. — PTI
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Amid attacks, Sachin allowed to skip House
New Delhi, August 11 Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman PJ Kurien informed members that he had received a letter from Tendulkar, seeking the permission of the House to remain absent because of “personal and professional commitments as well as certain family exigencies”. “Does he have the permission of the House to remain absent?” the Chair asked the members, drawing objection from some members. Naresh Agarwal of the Samajwadi Party observed that the cricketer had no respect for the House. Sachin, he said, was in Delhi on Friday to attend a function but failed to come to Parliament. Naresh Gujral of the Akali Dal said Sachin had shown disrespect to the House, while Satyvrat Chaturvedi of the Congress also raised objections. However, the Deputy Chairman brought the matter to an end by stating that he was taking Sachin’s letter at its face value and there was no need for discussion on it. Tendulkar has not attended even a single sitting of the House during the current session. The former cricketer had clarified his absence from the House by saying that there was a medical emergency in the family.
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Sedition case against TRS MP Kavitha
The case was registered two days ago under Sections 124-A (sedition) and 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) of the Indian Penal Code following directions from a local court, said a police officer. A local court had last week directed the police to investigate and file a case against Kavitha, the Nizamabad MP, upon a complaint. The complaint was filed by K Karunasagar, an advocate and the convener of the BJP’s city legal cell. Kavitha, in an interview, had made observations that Jammu and Kashmir and Telangana were not part of India earlier. — PTI
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Marines’ case: Italian PM dials Modi seeking solution
Rome, August 11 "We hope for a rapid, positive solution," Renzi told Modi during a telephonic conversation, Italian news agency ANSA quoted Renzi's office as saying. Italian marines Massimiliano Latorre and Salvatore Girone have been held in India since allegedly shooting to death fishermen Valentine and Ajesh Binki during an anti-piracy mission in February 2012, off the Kerala coast, an incident that sparked diplomatic tension between India and Italy. The marines, deployed on the Italian-flagged oil tanker MT Enrica Lexie, said they mistook the fishermen for pirates. They are now staying in the Italian Embassy in New Delhi awaiting trial. India has removed the possibility of a death penalty but insisted that the marines would still be prosecuted under the anti-piracy law. Now, they face up to 10 years in jail. Rome wants the marines to be tried in Italy, claiming the incident took place in international waters. However, New Delhi says it has the right to try the Italians as the victims were Indians on board an Indian fishing boat. Italy argues that the case sets dangerous and wide-ranging precedents for any country involved in anti-piracy missions overseas. Italy has said it may also seek international arbitration in the case. — PTI
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Lokpal among top priorities of govt: PMO
New Delhi, August 11 In its communication to the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, the PMO has identified setting up of the Lokpal, passing of Citizen’s Grievances Bill and amendments to the Prevention of Corruption Act as immediate thrust areas of the government. The government was in the process of appointing chairperson and members of the Lokpal, sources said. — PTI
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BJP to release candidates’ list on Aug 15
Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service
Mumbai, August 11 Sources said the party was expected to field its sitting MLAs barring those who won the Lok Sabha elections earlier this year. The BJP will announce new candidates in these seats, which are likely to be held by it, if it goes to the polls with the Shiv Sena, they said. As per the old seat-sharing arrangement with the Shiv Sena, the BJP fields candidates on 117 seats leaving rest of the 288 Assembly seats to its ally. This time, four more parties are part of the NDA alliance and talks to accommodate all of them are expected to go till the last day of filing nominations. In the 2009 Assembly polls, the Sena contested 169 seats, leaving 119 for the BJP. Both parties had then said that it was a temporary seat adjustment because of the threat from Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirman Sena. The BJP had won 46 seats while the Sena bagged 44. Relations between the BJP and the Sena have turned frosty with the national party demanding 50% of the seats in the state Assembly. On the other hand, the Shiv Sena is keen on sticking to the old formula.
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Yale degree comment miscontrued, says Smriti
The comment of the minister came a day after she was widely quoted in the media as saying that: "In that kitty of mine where people call me 'anpad' (illiterate) I do have a degree from Yale University as well which I can bring out and show how Yale celebrated my leadership capacities." Irani attempted to set the record straight today by saying that her comment on the Yale University course was "miscontrued". "Unfortunate that statement of my participation in a leadership program & certificate thereafter was misconstrued," the minister tweeted, hours after activist and writer Madhu Kishwar sought to challenge Smriti's reported claim on her Yale degree. Ksihwar had earlier trashed Smriti's comment on having a Yale degree by tweeting: "What d'you do with HRD Minister who doesn't know difference between university degree & certificate issued to student for itsy-bitsy 6-day course."
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UP tops in child rights violations
New Delhi, August 11 The cases have been registered by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) which was set up in 2005 to take cognisance of violations of the children’s rights and monitor the role of the state governments in the matter. The commission has reported that it has registered 2,333 complaints of child abuse and violations of the children’s rights in the last three years and so far this year. A total of 934 complaints were registered in 2013-14. The highest numbers of cases — 532 — were reported from Uttar Pradesh. In 2012-13, 766 cases were registered from across the country out of which 362 were from Uttar Pradesh. In 2011-12, 455 such cases were registered as against 178 so far this year. The complaints relate to a range of issues including corporal punishment, sexual and physical assault and trafficking and abuse cases in children’s homes. The NCPCR Act and the Central Model Rules framed under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000, provide for monitoring, inspection, standards of care and measures that may be taken by the state government. In response to complaints, the NCPCR gives recommendations to the states and the Union Territories to act appropriately.
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Railways Amendment Bill sent to select panel
New Delhi, August 11 In simple words, the Bill implies that a passenger or his kin seeking compensation for injury or death due a train accident must first prove that the victim had before meeting with the accident exercised “reasonable care and precaution”. Besides, the Bill also says there will be no compensation for those who die or get injured while boarding or alighting from a moving train; this when half of Indian platforms are too short to accommodate 24-coach trains. The legislation was referred to the Select Committee of Parliament for correction after MPs, including those of the ruling party, asked Railway Minister Sadananda Gowda: “You expect a dead man to prove he died of his own carelessness or otherwise?” The minister was quick to send the Railways Amendment Bill 2014 to the House committee but not before he made a feeble attempt at his own defence: “This Bill was approved by the previous UPA Cabinet in January”. That apart, the Bill’s jocular provisions attracted the wrath of BJP ally Shiv Sena who vehemently rejected its provisions. The actual reality check for the saffron outfit however came from its own MP Sanjay Jaiswal who reminded the sitting ministers that party ideologue Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay’s death during a train journey in 1968 remains unsolved to date. “BJP ideologue Pt Deen Dayal Upadhyay died mysteriously while travelling in train from Lucknow to Patna on February 11, 1968. His mortal remains would not have been identified had it not been for a dry fruit vendor who recognized the body. If the BJP after being in power has not managed to solve the mystery if its mentor’s death, how can we expect poor victims of train accidents to prove they died despite being careful?”
Deputy Speaker's election tomorrow
New Delhi: Election for the post of Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker will take place on Wednesday and the nomination of candidate is slated for Tuesday. A notification issued by the Lok Sabha said notices of motions for the election of Deputy Speaker can be given before noon on Tuesday. AIADMK leader M Thambidurai is the likely choice of the NDA for the post. Thambidurai was Deputy Speaker from 1985 to 1989. — PTI
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Pak pounds 11 BSF posts, 4 hurt
Jammu, August 11 Skirmishes between the BSF and the Rangers continued till 6.30 am today before guns fell silent on both the sides. The Indian post and the villages that bore the brunt of the Pakistan shelling were Nikowal, Bhudwar, Tent Guard, Pittal, Pindi Charkan, Kaku-de-Kothe, Chinaj, Jeora, Nawapind, Jogna Chak, Trewa, Chanana, Jabowal, Suhagpur and Pindi Kalan. The injured BSF personnel — Head Constable Sunil Kumar and Constable Bishnu Nandan Yadav —— have been hospitalised at Government Medical College and Hospital. They belong to the 192 Battalion. Injured civilians have been identified as Rishi Kumar and Rani Devi of Suhagpur Colony in Suhagpur Village of Arnia belt. Around 3.30 pm today, the Rangers again fired three mortars that exploded near Trewa village. Unprovoked shelling and heavy firing by Pakistan Rangers comes a day after Pakistan premier Nawaz Sharif regretted “bad” ties with India and a day ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Ladakh tomorrow. Modi is going to inaugurate On May 26, the day of Modi’s oath-taking ceremony, Pakistan troops were firing at the Indian positions on the LoC in Poonch when Nawaz Sharif was making a landing at New Delhi airport in the morning. Rangers had engaged BSF in a border firefight when Modi was taking oath in the evening. “It all started yesterday around 4.15 pm when sniper shots were fired at our Nikowal and Bhudwar posts in Arnia. We immediately contacted Rangers but they denied their involvement,” revealed a senior BSF officer. “Around 8.40 pm last evening, the Rangers opened fire with small arms on our posts. Initially, we exercised restraint but when they didn’t stop, we retaliated. The exchange of fire continued till 11.30 pm”, he added. “Around 1 am, the Rangers started firing mortars and heavy machine gun fire on 11 of our posts on the 20 km-stretch along the border in Arnia area prompting us to give them a befitting response with similar calibre weapons”, the officer said. “They fired all sorts of mortars from 81 mm to 51 mm. Being a battalion range weapon, mortars also fell in some villages and in the fields. In Suhagpur a mortar hit a banquet hall. Besides two BSF jawans, two civilians — a woman and a boy —— were injured in the Pakistan shelling”, he said. “Pakistan stopped firing and shelling around 6.30 am”, he added. The officer informed that this morning BSF bomb disposal squads fanned out in different villages to detect and defuse or detonate unexploded shells. Pakistan summons Indian deputy envoy Islamabad: Pakistan on Monday summoned the Indian Deputy High Commissioner here and lodged a protest over "unprovoked firing" by Indian troops. Deputy High Commissioner Gopal Baglay was summoned by the Pakistan Foreign Office and issued a demarche over firing across the Working Boundary in Sialkot sector on August 10-11, which resulted in one civilian casualty and injuries to three others. The FO said it was the 54th incident of truce violation by Indian troops since July this year. PTI
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Cong slams Bhagwat over Hindu remark
New Delhi, August 11 Congress’ senior spokesperson Anand Sharma while slamming Bhagwat for saying “all Indians living in India were Hindus”, said: “India is known for its unity in diversity. It is a multicultural, multilingual nation. That is its real beauty and that beauty should be preserved at every cost.” He said Bhagwat’s comments were in line with a series of divisive and polarising moves being made by the BJP and its leaders these days. He referred to reports of communal clashes in UP, instances of so-called “Shudhhikaran” and talk of conversions in various parts of India. “We have several such instances at hand to show that bad days are here to come,” Sharma said.
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Nigerian tests negative for ebola virus
New Delhi, August 11 The passenger was tracked as part of India's ongoing surveillance of the deadly virus. He was taken to Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital and tested for EVD. The results were negative. — TNS
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WHO meets on use of experimental Ebola drug
Geneva, August 11 The talks come as countries ravaged by the tropical disease in west Africa are gripped by panic, with drastic measures brought in to contain the epidemic causing transport chaos, price hikes and food shortages, stoking fears people could die of hunger. There is currently no available cure or vaccine for Ebola, one of the deadliest viruses known to man, and with the death toll fast approaching 1,000, the WHO has declared the latest outbreak a global public health emergency. But the use of experimental drugs has opened up an intense ethical debate, and medical experts from around the world are set today to join WHO-hosted discussions to draft guidelines for using non-authorised medicines in emergencies such as Ebola. — AFP
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Buddha says will step down from Politburo
Kolkata, August 11 Bhattacharjee decision, which was discussed at the last state committee meeting in June in the presence of Prakash Karat, will be again discussed at the next party meeting. — TNS
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Body found at Kumari Selja’s Delhi home
New Delhi, August 11 The body of Sanjay, who is the husband of a maid at Selja’s residence, was spotted by the maid around 8 am near the servant’s quarters of the former minister’s house in Delhi’s Sunehri Bagh area. Sanjay, an employee of Sena Bhawan, was found lying in a pool of blood with injury marks on his head. “He (Sanjay) had injury marks on his head. It looks like he was beaten using a rod,” an official said. Sanjay’s sister-in-law Rakhi said he was having a dispute with Selja’s cook over vacating the servant quarter he and his wife were living in. Another relative said Selja was in the house when the body was spotted by his wife. “Though it seems to be a murder case, we are investigating it from all angles,” a police official said. — IANS
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Bill introduced to repeal 36 archaic laws
New Delhi, August 11 The Amendment Acts which are sought to be repealed include amendments to the Representation of the People Act, marriage Act, election laws, divorce laws and Anand Marriage Act and the Evidence Act. Two standalone Acts which will also be repealed are Foreign Jurisdiction Act and Sugar Undertaking (Taking Over of Management) Act. — PTI
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Hajipur, August 11
Jammu, August 11
Expressing desire to bring about a permanent solution to the Kashmir issue, the government on Monday said it was willing to have any dialogue under the ambit of 'insaniyat' (humanity) to address the problem and favoured good relations with Pakistan. "We want to find a permanent solution to the Kashmir issue. We are ready for any kind of dialogue within the Constitutional framework... If necessary, we are even willing to hold a dialogue within the framework of insaniyat," Rajnath Singh informed the Rajya Sabha. — PTI
Hyderabad, August 11
New Delhi, August 11