The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

Khattar’s appointment shows Sangh’s influence on BJP
New Delhi, October 21
With the announcement of full-time RSS pracharak Manohar Lal Khattar as the Chief Minister of Haryana, it is clear that the Sangh Parivar intends to keep a close grip and eye on politics and administration of the state the BJP has added to its kitty.

Cracker stalls gutted in F’bad
Faridabad, October 21
Around 200 stalls set up in a cracker market at Dusshera Ground of NIT here were gutted in a major fire today. At least four persons were injured and over hundred vehicles, including two wheelers parked nearby, were reduced to ashes. The injured were admitted to nearby hospitals.
A cracker market on fire in Faridabad on Tuesday. PTI

Make paid news poll offence: EC to Centre
New Delhi, October 21 The Election Commission has proposed making paid news an electoral offence. Seeking to provide a level-playing field for parties in elections, it also wants a ceiling on the campaign expenditure of political parties that is used as a ruse to pump in unlimited resources.

Coal blocks: President promulgates ordinance
New Delhi, October 21
The e-auction of coal blocks for private companies today got the nod from President Pranab Mukherjee who promulgated an ordinance cleared by the Union Cabinet in the backdrop of Supreme Court order quashing 214 coal blocks to companies since 1993.

Black money stashed abroad
Disclosure of names will embarrass Cong: Jaitley
New Delhi, October 21 On the back foot on black money, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today hit back at the Congress saying the party will be embarrassed once the names of people holding illicit foreign accounts are made public.

New route to Kailash by 2015: China
Beijing, October 21
China has assured India that all preparatory steps are being taken to open the new route for pilgrims of Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet through Sikkim in summer next year as promised by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Thermal scanners at airports soon to screen for Ebola
A health worker uses a thermal scanner at Lagos airport. New Delhi, October 21
Health Minister Harsh Vardhan today said thermal scanners and other detection equipment would soon be installed at all international airports and seaports to check incoming passengers for Ebola Virus Disease.

A health worker uses a thermal scanner at Lagos airport. file photo

substance abuse among kids
SC notice to Centre, Punjab, Haryana
New Delhi, October 21
The Supreme Court has sought the response of the Centre, Punjab, Haryana and other states within two weeks to a PIL by NGO “Bachpan Bachao Andolan” seeking a national action plan to prevent the abuse of tobacco, alcohol and drugs by children and de-addict those who had already got used to such substances.

Land case: HC nod to probe Yeddy’s role
Bangalore, October 21
Land denotification returned to haunt BJP national vice-president and former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa as the Karnataka High Court today allowed the Lokayukta police probe against Yeddyurappa and others on a petition challenging the Lokayukta court order dismissing complaints against them in a land de-notification case in Shimoga district.

BJP national vice-president BS Yeddyurappa

Women force police to raid liquor dens
Ahmedabad, October 21
The women folk of Kutch villages have forced the district police to act against illegal liquor dens and stop them from violating the prohibition. A women's voluntary organisation, Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan, drew inspiration from a Hindi film, "Gulaab Gang", starring Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla, that shows women taking upon themselves the task of fighting social evils.

LoC fire: Defence Minister warns Pakistan
New Delhi, October 21
Pakistan will “feel the pain” of “adventurism” if it persists with ceasefire violations, India warned today as it said the country now has “sword” along with “shield” which existed earlier.

	Can never back Shiv Sena: Cong New Delhi, October 21 The Congress today rejected former ally NCP’s charge that it offered to support the Shiv Sena for government formation in Maharashtra and said it had never in the past backed forces like the Shiv Sena and it could never in the future do so. On being asked about NCP leaders claiming that the Congress approached them to jointly support Shiv Sena to form a government in the state, Congress leader Ajay Maken said, “The Congress has never in the past supported parties like Shiv Sena and will never do so in future.” In a clear dig at the Sharad Pawar-led NCP, Makan said there were parties which had never remained out of power and they may still like to be in power. — TNS
	BJP preparing for minority govt in Maha? Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 21 Amid speculations that the BJP may go in for a minority government with the help of its new-found friend NCP’s “unconditional support” and some Independent MLAs, there is a new twist in the tale. Even as Maharashtra BJP president Devendra Fadnavis is said to be in the reckoning to lead the state as the first chief minister of the saffron party, Vidarbha MLAs led by former state BJP president Sudhir Mungantiwar today came out strongly in favour of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari for the coveted post. Mungantiwar is also said to be in the race for the top post. Many MLAs met Gadkari in Nagpur asking him to become the Chief Minister. Mungantiwar belongs to Chandrapur in the Vidarbha region and is believed to be close to Gadkari, who in turn is said to be pushing for Mugantiwar instead of Fadnavis. “State BJP leaders feel that Gadkari should come back to the state politics and take up the position of the Maharashtra CM. He has a lot of administrative experience behind him which makes him an ideal candidate,” said Mungantiwar. Gadkari, who is said to be close to the “top five of the RSS”, will discuss the issue with the Sangh leaders, sources said. Apparently, the RSS wants Gadkari to remain in Delhi. Meanwhile, the BJP continued to play close to chest, preferring to keep Shiv Sena guessing even though the latter is making conciliatory noises terming “Sena and BJP natural allies”. Sources said the BJP might decide to go it alone and form a minority government, most likely after Diwali. The aim is to wear Sena out so that if it joins the government, it is at the BJP’s terms and conditions. According to the Constitution, the Governor can invite the single-largest party in the House to form the government even if it does not enjoy a simple majority and then give that party time to prove majority on the floor. Sources say the BJP will be happy if Sena wants to support and also participate in the government. But they cannot put conditions before doing so. “The situation would have been different had the BJP managed 145 seats on its own. Now, we have to be extra careful,” they say. Gadkari meets Jaitley Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley at the latter's residence to discuss the party's strategy ahead. After the meeting, Gadkari left for Nagpur to hold discussions with the RSS top brass on its options ahead. Jaitley and Gadkari reportedly discussed the choices available for the government formation in the state. PTI We are the new big brother: BJP Mumbai: Amid continuing stand-off with the Shiv Sena, BJP's Maharashtra Assembly poll in charge Om Mathur on Tuesday said his party was the new "big brother" in the state and others should not think themselves as bigger when "the people's verdict is otherwise". "The people of Maharashtra have given us the mandate (to form the government). In the current situation, we are the big brother," he said. PTI
	Khattar’s appointment shows Sangh’s influence on BJP Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 21 With the announcement of full-time RSS pracharak Manohar Lal Khattar as the Chief Minister of Haryana, it is clear that the Sangh Parivar intends to keep a close grip and eye on politics and administration of the state the BJP has added to its kitty. Detractors may call it yet another blatant attempt by the Hindutva organisation to spread its thought and ideology, but BJP leaders see nothing wrong in the appointment of committed Sangh leaders as CMs. “Most of the BJP leaders have come from the RSS. Besides, all that the RSS wants is clean, committed and baggage-free leaders at the helm of affairs and there is nothing wrong in this,” they say. Incidentally, BJP’s other CMs, including Raman Singh (Chhattisgarh) and Shivraj Singh Chouhan (Madhya Pradesh), have deep RSS connections. Khattar, a low-profile RSS leader, is known for his quiet, but definitive work on the field - a quality that also earned him the reputation of a tough taskmaster with a no-nonsense approach. Many believe that the Haryana administration will be run the way Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Khattar’s friend and former colleague, runs the Centre. Another ‘jodi’ Notably, apart from the much-celebrated Prime Minister Narendra Modi-BJP president Amit Shah duo and their contribution in these elections, there is another “jodi” that should be credited for the convincing win in Haryana - Madhya Pradesh leader Kailash Vijaywarghia (election in charge of Haryana) and Shiv Prakash, who was recently deputed to the BJP by the RSS along with Ram Madhav. While Vijaywarghia worked in the forefront, Prakash is believed to have quietly worked behind the scene, mobilising voters and BJP and RSS cadres, sources say. Apparently, the BJP leadership drew Vijaywarghia, also a RSS man, out of Madhya Pradesh with a specific plan for him at the Centre. Sources say Haryana was his test and he may now be rewarded with a place in the party organisation as a general secretary, while Prakash may replace Ram Lal as the general secretary (organisation) in near future. Like Khattar, Prakash is a low-profile RSS leader who is believed to have done a good job in mobilising Jat voters in western UP in the Lok Sabha elections.
	Cracker stalls gutted in F’bad Tribune News Service Faridabad, October 21 Around 200 stalls set up in a cracker market at Dusshera Ground of NIT here were gutted in a major fire today. At least four persons were injured and over hundred vehicles, including two wheelers parked nearby, were reduced to ashes. The injured were admitted to nearby hospitals. Cops had to resort to lathicharge as the mob indulged in stone throwing and damaged cars after the incident. A magisterial-level inquiry has been initiated into the incident. The fire engulfed the makeshift market after someone reportedly lit a match stick to test a cracker at one of the shops. The fire that started around 6.40 pm could be brought under control around 7.45 pm after more than 15 fire tenders were rushed to the spot. The entire market and the vehicles parked there were reduced to ashes by the time the fire was doused. Haryana Chief Minister designate Manohar Lal Khattar expressed concern over the tragedy and asked the Faridabad administration to take effective measures for safety at such places. He said the affected would be compensated after assessing the loss.
	Make paid news poll offence: EC to Centre New Delhi, October 21 The Election Commission has proposed making paid news an electoral offence. Seeking to provide a level-playing field for parties in elections, it also wants a ceiling on the campaign expenditure of political parties that is used as a ruse to pump in unlimited resources. Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath says if paid news is made an electoral offence, then it will be a “deterrent” to those violating the law. “Paid news is really a matter of serious concern for the Commission...it is not an electoral offence. We have proposed to the Law Ministry that paid news should be made an electoral offence,” said Sampath. He said once paid news is made an electoral offence, then it can be a ground to take action against the guilty candidate under election petition. The EC’s proposal to the government is pending with the Centre for two years.— PTI
	Coal blocks: President promulgates ordinance New Delhi, October 21 The e-auction of coal blocks for private companies today got the nod from President Pranab Mukherjee who promulgated an ordinance cleared by the Union Cabinet in the backdrop of Supreme Court order quashing 214 coal blocks to companies since 1993. The move seen as a step towards energy sector reforms will allow private companies to bid for captive use and allot mines directly to state and central public sector undertakings. "The President has signed the ordinance," said his Press Secretary Venu Rajamony. The Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, last evening recommended to the President promulgation of ordinance in order to resolve the pending issues particularly the situation arising out of the SC judgment quashing the allocation of the coal blocks. — PTI
	Black money stashed abroad Disclosure of names will embarrass Cong: Jaitley New Delhi, October 21 On the back foot on black money, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today hit back at the Congress saying the party will be embarrassed once the names of people holding illicit foreign accounts are made public. “The names (of black money account holders) will be public shortly... I can assure you there is no embarrassment I (BJP) will have when all the names are disclosed. There is some embarrassment the Congress party will have because of those names,” he said. Talking to a television channel, Jaitley said the names of those black money accountholders against whom charges are filed by Indian authorities would be disclosed in the court shortly. On the Congress accusing the BJP of hypocrisy for its failure to disclose names, Jaitley said the Congress got it all wrong because media “completely misreported” the case. “Media said we are not going to disclose it. Our case was we will disclose it as per the due process of law,” the minister said. He further said India’s double taxation avoidance agreement with Germany only restrain disclosure of names in media and not in court. “No, it (tax avoidance treaty) did not prevent us from disclosing the names. It merely says disclose it to a court and don’t disclose it to the media. And when you disclose it to a court, it automatically gets carried into the media. That’s all we are saying,” Jaitley said. On the appointment of Arvind Subramanian as Chief Economic Adviser, the Finance Minister said “he is man of stature, he is internationally recognised, extremely competent, experienced and a person of ideas” like former CEA and present Reserve Bank Governor Raghuram Rajan. Jaitley said intellectual people are required to advise government though “we may not accept every suggestion” that they make. — PTI
	New route to Kailash by 2015: China Beijing, October 21 China has assured India that all preparatory steps are being taken to open the new route for pilgrims of Kailash Mansarovar in Tibet through Sikkim in summer next year as promised by Chinese President Xi Jinping to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The assurance was given by Jiang Jie, Vice Chairman of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), during his meeting with Indian Ambassador Ashok K Kantha, who is currently touring Tibet to make preparations for the yatris and to expand border trade through the Sikkim border. Jiang recalled the recent visit of Xi to India and the decision taken to open an additional route for pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar through Nathu La, an Indian Embassy release said today. Jiang assured the Ambassador that all preparatory steps were being taken to open the new route in the summer of 2015. — PTI
	Thermal scanners at airports soon to screen for Ebola Tribune News Service New Delhi, October 21 Health Minister Harsh Vardhan today said thermal scanners and other detection equipment would soon be installed at all international airports and seaports to check incoming passengers for Ebola Virus Disease. After chairing a meeting of officers from the ministries concerned to review Ebola preparedness, Vardhan said India had put in place the same detection mechanism which had helped Nigeria get WHO’s Ebola-free certification. Thermal scanner use is one such measure. Vardhan said a mock drill conducted at the Ebola prevention centre at Indira Gandhi International Airport today was successful. He called for similar drills in airports all over India. “We have removed all stops to constantly upgrade equipment and retrain staff and are in the process of further strengthening them,” he said after a meeting with officials of the Health Ministry, along with representatives of the Ministries of Defence, Civil Aviation, Home, Shipping, External Affairs, some state governments, the Indian Army, Navy and National Disaster Management Authority. All international airports and seaports will soon be fitted out with thermal scanners and other EVD detection equipment for 24x7 deployment, the minister said. These scanners, which resemble the radar guns used by police officers to catch speeding motorists, can detect high body temperature among people queued up before immigration counters. Fever is one of the commonest symptoms of EVD. The minister said India had prepared early. “We held our first meeting on Ebola in early June, whereas WHO declared an international emergency in the last week of August.”
	substance abuse among kids SC notice to Centre, Punjab, Haryana Legal Correspondent New Delhi, October 21 The Supreme Court has sought the response of the Centre, Punjab, Haryana and other states within two weeks to a PIL by NGO “Bachpan Bachao Andolan” seeking a national action plan to prevent the abuse of tobacco, alcohol and drugs by children and de-addict those who had already got used to such substances. A Bench headed by Chief Justice HL Dattu issued a notice to the Centre and all states after senior advocate HS Phoolka contended that the biggest challenge the country was facing today was the widespread and increased use of drugs and alcohol by children and adolescents who constituted about 40 per cent (440 million) of the population. The PIL quoted a news report in The Tribune which talked of a Gurdaspur school where about 30 students were first forced to become drug addicts and then used as drug peddlers. The PIL also gave details of children getting addicted to cannabis, inhalants, heroin and injection drugs across the country. Substance abuse among children was prevalent in smaller towns also and as such was not limited to the metros, it said and specified the extent of the problem particularly in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and various other states. “There is hardly any effort by the Centre and the state governments to take effective measures either for preventing the widespread use and abuse of such psychotropic substances by them or for rehabilitation of children who wish to come out of this quagmire,” the petition said. The PIL has sought creation of a module for school curriculum which would help in keeping children away from drugs and other addictive substances. Each state should set up district-level bodies for preventing addiction and ensuring de-addiction.
	Land case: HC nod to probe Yeddy’s role Tribune News Service Bangalore, October 21 Land denotification returned to haunt BJP national vice-president and former Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa as the Karnataka High Court today allowed the Lokayukta police probe against Yeddyurappa and others on a petition challenging the Lokayukta court order dismissing complaints against them in a land de-notification case in Shimoga district. Justice Anand Byrareddy set aside the Shimoga Lokayukta Court order which had dismissed complaints against Yeddyurappa and his son and MLA BY Raghavendra accusing them of purchasing land through illegal means. He ordered the Lokayukta police to initiate an inquiry into the matter. The Lokayukta court had dismissed the complaints against Yeddyurappa and others filed by B Vinod, a Shimoga-based advocate, on the grounds that he had not availed himself of sanction from the Governor for prosecution prior to filing the complaint. Challenging the Lokayukta Court order, Vinod filed a criminal revision petition in the High Court contending that Yeddyurappa is not in a similar position (Chief Minister) as he was at the time of the alleged commission of offence and hence there is no requirement for him to avail sanction from the Governor for prosecution prior to filing the complaint.
	Women force police to raid liquor dens Manas Dasgupta Ahmedabad, October 21 The women folk of Kutch villages have forced the district police to act against illegal liquor dens and stop them from violating the prohibition. A women's voluntary organisation, Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan, drew inspiration from a Hindi film, "Gulaab Gang", starring Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla, that shows women taking upon themselves the task of fighting social evils. The volunteers decided to liberate other women suffering from oppression by husbands under the influence of liquor. They formed groups of 10 to 15 women members and started raiding country-liquor making units. In the recent days, the women groups have raided 20 such illegal liquor manufacturing dens in Mundra, Nakhatrana, Bhuj and some other towns in the border district. This forced the police to wake up to the problem. They advise the women volunteers against raiding liquor dens because of the risk involved in dealing with anti-social elements. Kutch district Superintendent of Police DN Patel said they had arrested over 50 alleged bootleggers under the Prevention of Anti-Social Activities Act (PASA) of the state. Sangathan convener Meena Rajgor said the NGO had no intention of encouraging women to undertake raids against liquor dens when it took its volunteers to see the movie.
	LoC fire: Defence Minister warns Pakistan New Delhi, October 21 Pakistan will “feel the pain” of “adventurism” if it persists with ceasefire violations, India warned today as it said the country now has “sword” along with “shield” which existed earlier. Defence Minister Arun Jaitley, at the same time, said India was ready to have talks with Pakistan if it created the environment for that. He noted that for the last some days, there had been just sporadic incidents unlike the “huge number” of violations by Pakistan earlier. “...When Pakistan fires, either on International Border, the BSF responds, they fire in LoC, the Army responds. Our conventional strength is far more than theirs and, therefore, if they persist with this, the cost to them would be unaffordable. They will also feel the pain of this kind of adventurism,” Jaitley told a TV channel. On recent shelling by Pakistan on the border, he said the violations were high and the response had to be proportionate. — PTI