The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

BJP, RSP endorse Pankaja Munde as CM candidate
Shiv Kumar
Tribune News Service

Mumbai, October 4
Calls to anoint Pankaja Munde, daughter of senior BJP leader Gopinath Munde who died earlier this year, as the party’s CM candidate got louder today at the party’s rallies across Beed district.

“Pankaja should be made the chief ministerial candidate of the BJP-led alliance,” Mahadev Jankar, who heads the Rashtriya Samaj Party (RSP), said at a rally today. BJP president Amit Shah was present on the occasion.

The RSP represents the Dhangar community and the Shiv Sangram Party (SSP) is part of the alliance that represents the Marathas.

Vinayak Mete, who heads the SSP, also demanded that Pankaja be named the CM candidate in case the BJP came to power.

The call to pass on Munde’s mantle to Pankaja has gotten louder ever since she kicked off on her ‘sangharsh yatra’ against the Prithviraj Chavan government last month. With women turning out in large numbers to Pankaja’s rallies, several BJP leaders acknowledged that she was in the race for the top job if the party emerged as the single largest party in the Assembly.

Pankaja acknowledges that she is in the race. “I won’t turn down the CM’s post if it is offered to me,” said Pankaja while talking to mediapersons last week.

At a public meeting in Beed today, Shah also acknowledged the popular mood in Pankaja’s favour. “I know what you people want. I also sincerely hope that the party gives big responsibility to Pankaja,” said Shah. He said that he wanted the OBCs, which accounted for 52 per cent of Maharashtra’s population, to unite under Pankaja.

Some sections of the Brahmin-dominated BJP led by party president Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari are opposed to the sudden emergence of Pankaja as a top leader in the party.

In opposition

Some sections of the Brahmin-dominated BJP led by party president Devendra Fadnavis and Union Minister Nitin Gadkari are opposed to the sudden emergence of Pankaja as a top leader in the party.

Both are said to be contenders for the top post and are likely to oppose any move in Pankaja’s favour

2 UP cops who filed chargesheet against Amit Shah transferred

Muzaffarnagar, October 4
Two policemen who were involved in preparation of the chargesheet against BJP president Amit Shah for alleged hate speech, which was rejected by a local court, have been transferred. Deputy Superintendent of Police (New Mandi Circle) Yogender Singh and investigation officer of the case sub-inspector Bharat Lal were shifted yesterday.

Senior Superintendent of Police HN Singh, however, said it was a routine transfer and had no connection with the Amit Shah case.

Deputy SP Yogender Singh had been shifted to the Police Lines from the Circle of New Mandi, while sub-inspector Bharat Lal had been shifted to the Bhorakala police station from the New Mandi police station, he said.

Bharat Lal had investigated the case, while Yogender Singh had filed the chargesheet in the court.

Shah was chargesheeted by the police on September 10 for his alleged hate speech during campaigning here for the Lok Sabha elections.

The court of Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate Sunder Lal on September 11 refused to take cognisance of the chargesheet against BJP president Amit Shah in connection with the alleged hate speech made by him and returned it to the police.

Lal had refused to take cognisance of the chargesheet as the police had not followed the provisions of 173[2] CrPC in which they did not try to arrest the accused before filing the chargesheet in court.

Returning the chargesheet to remove errors, the court had said police cannot file a chargesheet under Section 188 of the IPC as it should be filed as a private complaint by the officer concerned. — PTI

Modi’s US visit a ‘game changer’
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 4
India today characterised the high-octane visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the US as a “game changer” with the bilateral relations set to acquire a new and higher trajectory.

Taking stock of the September 26-October 1 visit to New York and Washington, top officials in the government described as “well-balanced” the packed programme during which Modi met nearly 100 important people. He had 35 separate engagements with various segments of opinion makers during the visit, which is bound to have an impact on the India-US relations.

The officials said National Security Adviser Ajit Doval had stayed back in the US to discuss a comprehensive counter-terror roadmap, which included how to disrupt the financial and tactical support to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s group “D-company”. The India-US joint statement also had a mention of D-company. Besides dismantling safe havens for terror and criminal networks, both sides reiterated that Pakistan needed to bring the perpetrators of the November 2008 terror attack to justice.

The NSA will also discuss the issue of US snooping on various countries, including India. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj had told US Secretary of State John Kerry that snooping was “unacceptable” to India.

On defence cooperation and co-production, the officials said the joint statement made categorical reference to setting up of a task force, since there was still lack of clarity in Washington on offsets. The interactions are aimed at narrowing down such issues.

Asked whether during the talks, the concerns of Sikh groups mentioned to the PM found a reflection, the officials pointed out to the Madison Square Garden event where it was mentioned and that it was in response to specific issues raised by the Sikh groups.

Among the visit’s highlights was Modi’s interaction with top honchos of multi-national corporations and a meet organised by the US-India Business Council. Officials said a survey of the council indicated a commitment of investment of $42 billion from its members.

While trade and investment remained a top priority, officials said, business delegations were hopeful that the Gujarat-like experience of doing business would be replicated in Delhi. While nagging issues including the retro-taxes got flagged, the officials said the interactions were also meant to getting a feedback.

Investment on the way

Modi's packed programme involved meetings with nearly 100 people, including various segments of opinion makers

Officials pointed out that Modi's interaction with the US-India Business Council indicated a commitment of investment of $42 billion

Gold should be used to boost economy, create jobs: WGC
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 4
Stocks of gold in India currently stand at over 22,000 tonnes held by individual households and temples, according to the World Gold Council (WGC). India is the second largest gold consumer in the world after China and the two countries account for 60 per cent of the gold consumption. China became the largest global market for gold demand in 2013.

The WGC said today that gold should be put to work for the economy, creating jobs, developing skills, generating exports and revenues. “Let us showcase gold as a key enabler of growth, employment and revenue generation and use India’s historical asset to enhance the nation’s prosperity,” said Somasundaram PR, Managing Director, WGC, India, while speaking at the inaugural session of the second India International Bullion Summit in Mumbai.

“As a nation, we need to focus on measures that will unlock the potentially transformative value of the gold stored in millions of private household in order to fund nation’s growth. To do this, we must find ways to mobilise and monetise the household savings imbedded in gold stocks,” said Somasundaram.

Unveiling WGC’s five-year ambition for the Indian gold industry, he said India should endeavour to become the “jeweller to the world” by increasing gold jewellery exports to $40 billion (five-fold) from the current $8 billion.

In addition, the target should be to double employment with 5 million new jobs created across the value chain for gold– manufacturing, retailing, assaying and recycling. He said 40% of gold demand should be met through domestic stocks and 60% from imports and mining. “This should include big and meaningful thrust to enhancing gold deposit schemes, extend duty benefit and import entitlement for domestic gold deposits,” he said.

The MD said 75% of gold sold to be standardised and hallmarked, higher LTV (loan to value ratio) for hallmarked jewellery and mandatory hallmarking for pieces above a designated selling price.

He said the vision would address the savings habit underpinning gold demand, support value addition, increase employment opportunities and benefit the industry in an organised way without curbing supply or impacting the current account deficit. “This will allow the gold trade to operate in a free and transparent manner for the benefit of millions of households and eventually lead to increased economic wealth for the nation,” he added.

'Jeweller to the world'

We need to focus on measures that will unlock the potentially transformative value of the gold stored in millions of private household in order to fund nation's growth. To do this, we must find ways to mobilise and monetise the household savings imbedded in gold stocks. — Somasundaram PR, MD, world gold council, India

Suffocation led to tragedy: Patna admn

CM Jitan Ram Manjhi meets an injured in a hospital. PTI

Patna, October 4
Facing flak for the stampede at Gandhi maidan that left 33 dead and 29 injured, the Patna Administration today denied lapses and said the tragedy “seems to be result of suffocation” due to the huge gathering of people for Dasehra celebrations.

“People appear to have died due to suffocation,” District Magistrate Manish Kumar Verma told reporters at Patna Medical College and Hospital.

Senior Superintendent of Police Manu Maharaj echoing him attributed the tragedy to “asphyxiation”.

“CCTV footage shows movement of a huge mass of people and there is no clear picture of stampede visible in the footage ... The incident (the deaths) seems to have happened due to suffocation,” he said.

“Some people are seen falling and others picking them up ... Light was dim, as the high mast light was not functioning near Ramgulam chowk... CCTV footage due to poor light is not conclusive,” the SSP told a press conference at the PMCH principal’s chamber. — PTI

‘Plastic wrapper’ creates scare on Air India plane
Thought to be grenade earlier, it was part of security drill
Girja Shankar Kaura
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, October 4
A grenade-like object found on an Air India Boeing 747 aircraft sent the airline and security officials in a tizzy when it landed at the Jeddah airport today. However, officials said the object was a “plastic wrapper” and part of the security drill on the aircraft.

Air India also clarified that the plane flying on the Mumbai-Hyderabad-Jeddah sector was not the one which had been kept on the stand-by for Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his recent visit to the United States of America. The plane had been operating on the Delhi-Frankfurt route during this period, it said. The Prime Minister had undertaken a five-day visit to the US from September 25.

As soon as the jet landed at the Jeddah airport in the wee hours of Saturday, the flight crew informed local security agencies about the object on board the plane. The security agencies at the airport took charge of the aircraft and after carrying out a security drill cleared it for operations.

The object, earlier suspected to be a “defused grenade”, turned out to be only a “plastic wrapper”, an Air India official said.

In a statement, Air India said, “Air India flight AI965 of October 3, 2014, operated on the sector Mumbai-Hyderabad-Jeddah. On landing at Jeddah, cabin crew found a suspicious object and informed the authorities concerned. After screening the aircraft and the object, which was found to be a plastic wrapper, the Jeddah airport security cleared the aircraft for further operations thereafter”.

It added that a committee, under the chairmanship of the Joint Managing Director, Air India and Commissioner of Security, Civil Aviation (COSCA) had been formed to investigate the incident.

“Air India would like to clear that at no point of time was the safety of the passengers or the aircraft compromised,” the statement added.

Sources said the object had been kept on board the Air India aircraft as part of a security drill carried out by the National Security Guards since the last week of September at select airports in the country to check the alertness of the crew and others concerned.

AI panel to probe incident

Air India said a committee, under the chairmanship of the Joint Managing Director, Air India, and Commissioner of Security, Civil Aviation, had been formed to investigate the incident. It said "at no point of time was the safety of the passengers or the aircraft compromised".

Sources said the object had been kept on board the Air India aircraft as part of a security drill carried out by the NSG since September last week at select airports in the country to check the alertness of the crew.

Lord Balaji gets richer by Rs 20 crore in Brahmotsavam

Tirupati, October 4
The famous Lord Venkateswara shrine at Tirumala has netted more than Rs 20 crore by way of darshan tickets and hundi collections during the nine-day annual Brahmotsavam festival which concluded today.

The hill temple received a total of Rs 20.18 crore from various sources such as hundi, ticket and laddu sales during the nine-day period, an increase of Rs 5.26 crore over the Rs 14.92 crore earned last year, said Executive Officer MG Gopal of the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams, the body which manages the shrine.

A total of about 10 lakh devotees participated in the nine -day festival which coincides with 'Navratri', he added. — PTI

Gujarat Police on high alert
Manas Dasgupta

AHMEDABAD, October 4
The Gujarat Police are on high alert following intelligence inputs that some anti-social elements may create communal tension in the state. The communal disturbances during Navratras in Vadodara have given credence to the intelligence.

The police is making intensive search in sensitive areas. During Navratras, the police detained some workers of the VHP, who had assumed the responsibility of “policing” garba venues to ensure that no Muslim youth enters such venues.

BRIEFLY

President Pranab Mukherjee (L) launches the 65th TB Seal Campaign on Saturday. PTI

Women play with vermillon powder on the occasion of Vijaya Dashmi in Agartala on Saturday. PTI

Kolkata
Team visits blast site: A central intelligence team on Saturday visited Khagragar village in Burdwan district where a blast killed two suspected militants on Thursday. The team found war equipment, explosive materials, and detonators in the area. The police also arrested suspected agents of the Indian Mujahideen from Nadia and Murshidabad. TNS

Thiruvananthapuram
Jeans remark draws flak: Criticising legendary singer KJ Yesudas for his remark against women wearing jeans, National Commission for Women chairperson Lalitha Kumaramangalam said it was unfortunate that such an unethical comment was made by the top-notch singer. PTI

Rameswaram
40 fishermen return home: Forty fishermen, who were part of the 76 arrested by the Sri Lankan Navy and ordered to be released by a court in the island nation, arrived Rameshwar on Saturday. PTI

Ahmedabad
3 held for smuggling gold: Three persons, including a minor girl, were arrested in two incidents at Sardar Vallabhbhai International Airport, Ahmedabad, for allegedly attempting to smuggle in 26 gold bars collectively worth over Rs 82 lakh. PTI