The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Maharashtra Votes 2014
Rahul questions Modi’s silence on China, Pakistan
Condemns him for ‘anti-poor and anti-farmer’ stand

Raigad/Latur, October 8
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi entered the Maharashtra poll campaign on Wednesday, targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP for their silence on China, Pakistan issues and anti-poor and anti-farmer stand.

Addressing public rallies in Raigad and Latur districts, Gandhi lashed out at Modi for "sitting on swings" with Chinese President Xi Jinping when Chinese soldiers were invading the Indian borders.

"Not once did he ask the Chinese President during his tour why this had happened...Since the past few days, Pakistan has been attacking our borders...We have never seen anything like this in the country's history. During (Lok Sabha) campaign, he was claiming if voted to power, they would teach a lesson to China and Pakistan... Why are they quiet now?"Gandhi said.

Challenging Modi's claims that the Congress did nothing in 60 years in the country, Gandhi said by this, they (BJP) are questioning the works of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru, BR Ambedkar and Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, and the people of the country.

"If the country has reached these heights, it's not because of any one leader, but the people of this nation," he said, without naming, but referring to Modi's recent statements.

He criticised Modi's "one-man" style of functioning and the BJP's claims that only he could do everything for the country.

Gandhi wondered how Modi would make Maharashtra No.1 after Gujarat when this state (Maharashtra) was already on top in the country on all fronts.

"Prithviraj Chavan is a clean leader... He does not resort to marketing gimmicks," the Congress vice-president said adding that the Congress has given maximum help to the farmers, jobless youths and the poor of the state with various pro-poor policies. — IANS

Commits blooper, calls PM ‘Oppn leader'

Mahad: Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday committed a faux pas when he apparently referred to PM Narendra Modi as "Opposition leader". "An Opposition leader says nothing happened in the past 60 years. Their thinking is that only one man can take the country forward," he said referring to Modi's comments. — PTI

	BJP survey shows 28-30% vote share for party Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 8 An independent poll may have predicted hung Assemblies in Haryana and Maharashtra with the BJP as the single largest party, however, the party is confident of a favourable result based on internal surveys on some seats. Quoting a survey conducted on 46 seats in Maharashtra, party leaders say the BJP will get 28 to 30% vote share in the state. The Congress, they say, will get 22% votes, Shiv Sena 17%, NCP 15% and MNS 6%. They claim that the BJP tally will reach the 155 mark in the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly. "The shortfall, if any, can be compensated by the Shiv Sena," a top leader said, clearly indicating that the party was keeping its doors open for homecoming of its estranged Maharashtra ally. The BJP believes that the multi-cornered contests in Haryana and Maharashtra will benefit it just like a divided vote share in the LS polls benefitted the party in UP and Bihar. "The anti-BJP votes will get divided among many players whereas the pro-BJP votes will consolidate in one place," they say.
	Social media emerges parties’ poll tool Shiv Kumar Tribune News Service Mumbai, October 8 Ahead of the October 15 Assembly elections in Maharashtra, social media and smartphones have emerged as one of the biggest weapons for all political parties. Candidates have hired content creators to write jokes, catchy slogans and cartoons lampooning opponents which are then circulated via the social networking sites such Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp. Among those who have embraced mobile technology include Ajit Pawar and Nawab Malik of the NCP, Uddhav Thackeray’s son Aditya, several MNS and Congress leaders. The use of mobile technology has come as a boon for several small software companies that usually depend on corporate houses in normal times. “We disseminate information on candidates and provide updates on their meeting schedules,” says Abhijeet Shetty, who runs a small software unit in Mumbai. Shetty says three candidates contesting from different parts of Mumbai are my clients. Well before the Shiv Sena-BJP and the Congress-NCP alliances split, several hopefuls from the two outfits had already prepared mobile applications with details about voters in various constituencies and had kicked off online campaigns. A Shiv Sena leader, at Dahisar in North Mumbai, said several applications allow access to booth-level voters’ lists, which are invaluable in planning election campaigns. Local Shiv Sena MLA Vinod Ghosalkar, a few months ago, had started collecting mobile phone numbers of voters in his constituency so that he could send messages on WhatsApp and other instant messaging systems. Some companies in Maharashtra such as KTech Beans Software in Pune have come out with applications targetting only political parties. These are being sold for prices between Rs 25,000 and Rs 1 lakh. Social media is also being used to defame rival candidates. When MNS chief Raj Thackeray’s blundered and asked the people to vote for the Shiv Sena’s symbol – bow and arrow - before hastily correcting himself, the Sena made hay. Sena activists quickly forwarded the video footage embarrassing the MNS leader. On the other side, Mumbai’s mayor Snehal Ambekar, who belongs to the Shiv Sena, made a public appeal asking people to refrain from posting anti-Maharashtra jokes online.
	Haryana told to prosecute officials guilty of allowing illegal mining R Sedhuraman Legal Correspondent New Delhi, October 8 The Supreme Court today said it wanted the prosecution of Haryana officials who had turned a blind eye to rampant illegal mining in the state in violation of the court’s ban on mining in the Aravalli hills region. A Bench headed by Justice JS Khehar observed that it was evident from the photographs provided by the PIL petitioner — NGO Bandhua Mukti Morcha — and the report of the SC-appointed Central Empowered Committee that illegal mining was on in Haryana on a large scale. The Bench, which included Justices J Chelameswar and AK Sikri, asked Haryana’s Additional Advocate General (AAG) Narender Hooda to prepare a list of officers responsible for preventing illegal mining and hand it over to the petitioner. It asked the petitioner to pinpoint the officers who had failed to check such activities. The AAG said illegal mining was restricted to five months (January-May 2014) when the authorities were busy with the LS polls. Once the state government came to know about such activities, it convened a meeting and deputed nearly 1,000 policemen to crack down on such miners. The anti-mining drive resulted in the filing of eight FIRs, impounding of 110 vehicles and imposition and recovery of penalty amounting to about ~8 crore, the AAG said. Unconvinced, the Bench wanted to know as to why only eight FIRs were registered. The AAG said the miners got information about the government’s proposed action and wound up their operations. The Bench said it was not willing to believe the explanation and said it did not want to do the job of preventing illegal mining which was the duty of the authorities who were being paid for it. It said it wanted to change its strategy to check illegal mining by ordering the prosecution of erring officers. Nevertheless, Haryana pleaded for officially allowing some mining activity in the state to meet the requirement of the construction sector.
	Can’t fix cooling off period for judges: SC Legal Correspondent New Delhi, October 8 The Supreme Court today refused to entertain a PIL for restraining judges from taking up government assignments immediately after their retirement in order to ensure that the Judiciary remained free from possible interference from the Executive. A Bench headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu also refused to give reasons for dismissing the PIL by one Mohammed Ali who contended that the image of the Judiciary had been lowered in the wake of former CJI P Sathasivam becoming Kerala Governor shortly after his retirement. Appearing for the petitioner, advocate Deepak Prakash pleaded that the Constitution did not have a bar on this aspect as its framers had presumed that judges would stay away from post-retirement jobs which were at the mercy of the government or much lower than the position of judges. Now that judges had started accepting such positions, it was necessary that the SC laid down norms, stipulating a cooling off period of two-three years so that the common man did not lose his faith in the Judiciary, he contended. Both the CJI and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) took the same oath, but only the CAG had been barred from accepting any post after demitting office, he noted. The government should not appoint retired judges without taking the consent of the CJI or the concerned CJs of High Courts, he pleaded.
	Police hunt for villagers who attacked them Manas Dasgupta Ahmedabad, October 8 The police have launched a massive combing operation to nab those who yesterday attacked a police team gone in search of people allegedly slaughtering cows in Dabhel village of Navsari district in south Gujarat. A case has been registered against 26 persons but only four have been arrested so far while two others have surrendered. Fearing police reprisals, rest of the accused and other villagers have decamped from the village. “Most of the villagers have left the place but we will not stop till we apprehend all those guilty of attacking the police,” a senior police official said. A few police vehicles were smashed, two police rifles snatched away and four policemen were taken “prisoners” in the village yesterday. The police had gone to Dabhel after receiving a tip-off about illegal slaughtering of cows and its progeny. But as the police reached the village, nearly 2,000 villagers armed with stones and other weapons attacked the police convoy. The situation was brought under control by late evening and nearly 1,200 police personnel were deployed in the village to maintain law and order.
	Severe cyclonic storm likely to hit AP, Odisha coast by Oct 12 New Delhi/Bhubaneswar, Oct 8 A "very severe cyclonic storm" is likely to hit Andhra Pradesh and Odisha coast by October 12 and unleash heavy rain and gusty winds with speed up to 155 kmph, the Met Department said today. The Cyclone 'Hudhud' crossed the area betwee Port Blair and Long Island of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago on Wednesday, with winds gusting at 67 kmph. "It will cross east coast between Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh and Gopalpur in Odisha on the noon of October 12. The wind speed range is expected to be 130-140 kmph and may gust up to 155 kmph," Indian Meteorological Director General Laxman Singh Rathore said in Delhi. He, however, added that no landfall point of the cyclone has been zeroed in so far and it is likely to remain over sea. "The landfall will be in the range of 200 km (between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur) and the cyclone size is about 500 km," said M Mohapotra, scientist with IMD's Cyclonic Warning Division. Hudhud will be the second major cyclone after Phailin, which hit the eastern coast in October last year. While Phailin, which was also a "very severe cyclonic storm" saw winds gusting up to 210-220 kmph, Hudhud may not be as severe as Phailin. "It is not as severe as Phailin, but it is in the same category," Rathore said. The IMD chief said "heavy rainfall" to "very heavy rainfall" at few places would commence over Visakhapatnam, Vijayanagaram and Srikakulam districts of North coastal Andhra and Ganjam, Puri and Khurda districts of Odisha from October 11. Flanked by National Disaster Response Force chief O P Singh, Rathore said the two departments are in constant touch with each other. Singh said NDRF's one battalion each in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh are in total preparedness. Four teams of the force have left for Visakhapatnam and they would be further repositioned based on the request made by the two state governments. — PTI Cyclone 'Hudhud' * The Cyclone 'Hudhud' crossed the area between Port Blair and Long Island of the Andaman and Nicobar archipelago on Wednesday, with winds gusting at 67 kmph * The landfall will be in the range of 200 km (between Visakhapatnam and Gopalpur) and the cyclone size is about 500 km * Hudhud will be the second major cyclone after Phailin, which hit the eastern coast in October last year.