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saradha scam
Didi helping accused, alleges Naidu
Polling in 13 Maoist-hit Jharkhand seats today
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hit-and-run case
INS Vikrant lost war against own countrymen: Sena
winter session of parliament Govt to withdraw higher education regulator Bill from RS
Ebola shadow on C’wealth meet
In J’khand, Shah accuses Cong of graft
BJP president Amit Shah addresses an election meeting in Adityapur in Jharkhand on Monday. PTI
DRDO to develop early warning system for landslide prediction
I-T Dept seizes Rs 135 cr cash from Sahara group
MoD to change policy on blacklisting foreign firms
India must study Intellectual Property Rights: US
Modi’s wife files RTI on her security cover
Cong veteran Murli Deora dies of cancer in Mumbai
Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice-president Rahul Gandhi pay tribute to former Union Minister Murli Deora (inset) in Mumbai on Monday. PTI
Delhi-Kathmandu bus service from today
AAP to raise education row in House
MLA’s sting rocks U’khand Assembly
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Mamata threatens to take fight against BJP to Delhi
TMC takes out procession against saffron party in Kolkata Subhrangshu Gupta Tribune News Service
Kolkata, November 24 The procession concluded at Dorina Square in the Maidan area where TMC chief and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee warned the Prime Minister and the BJP leaders to either stop their “nasty political game” against the TMC forthwith or face dire consequences. She threatened to organise a massive dharna in Delhi and halt the normal lives and activities. She asked the writers, poets, actors, teachers and all other eminent people in the city to separately organise protests and rallies against the BJP. Terming the BJP as the most corrupt and communal party, the Chief Minister demanded that the Prime Minister should now answer where had the huge amount of black money gone that he had promised to bring back to the country from abroad. She alleged that a large portion of the black money had been pocketed by BJP leaders and the remaining amount was spent in organising the PM’s political meetings in the US and Australia. Mamata demanded that the Centre should arrest the real culprits in the Saradha scam and arrange returning of money to the defrauded depositors and the agents instead of harassing and arresting the innocent TMC leaders and workers. Meanwhile, the CBI today interrogated two former Assam ministers, Anjan Dutta and Hemanta Burman Biswas, at the Salt Lake office in connection with their alleged involvement in the Saradha scam. Another arrested leader and singer of Assam Sadananda Gogoi was also denied bail by the Calcutta High Court today. Meanwhile, the summoned TMC minister, Madan Mitra, who was admitted to the SSKM hospital, was declared fit today. The CBI may interrogate him tomorrow. Mamata ‘biggest beneficiary’ of Saradha scam: Kunal Kolkata: Suspended Trinamool Congress MP Kunal Ghosh on Monday alleged that West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was the “biggest beneficiary” in the Saradha ponzi scheme scam and termed her a “coward”. “Mamata Banerjee is the biggest beneficiary. She is holding party workers’ meetings to save herself,” Ghosh charged. Speaking outside Bankshall Court after being brought from Presidency Correctional Home, he said, “She is a coward. She should be made to sit in front of me and questioned.” — PTI
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Didi helping accused, alleges Naidu
New Delhi, November 24 “I have always respected Banerjee. She is a fighter. She has brought a big change in Bengal by ending the CPM rule. We have worked together. By making such allegations against the government of India, she is helping the accused. She should instead purge such people,” he said. Naidu insisted that the government had no role in the ongoing investigation into the Saradha chit fund scam, which was being handled by the CBI, and the NIA-led probe into the Burdwan blast. The remarks come on the heels of Banerjee’s blistering attack on the BJP-led NDA government which, she alleged, was misusing the CBI. Regarding the blast case, she has said Bangladeshis are our neighbours and “brothers” and that terrorists have no religion. Meanwhile, at a Congress briefing, party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi steered cleared of the issue, saying his party does not react on matters which are sub judice. “As far as sub judice matters are concerned, Saradha and other issues, as a political party we have nothing to say,” he said. — PTI
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Polling in 13 Maoist-hit Jharkhand seats today
Ranchi, November 24
Adequate security forces have been deployed as all the 13 constituencies are affected by Maoist activities and the personnel have been asked to follow the standard operating procedure. Altogether 33,61,938 voters, including 15,77,090 women, are eligible to exercise their franchise to elect their representatives from among 199 candidates in the fray. More than 3,900 polling booths have been set up and 35,425 polling personnel deployed to conduct free, fair and peaceful polling. Eighteen women and 72 independents are in the electoral race in this phase. While a maximum of 26 candidates are contesting from Daltonganj, Chatra has the lowest number of seven candidates. The BJP has fielded candidates in 12 of the 13 seats, while allotting one to AJSU party at Lohardaga as per the seat adjustment. The RJD which is contesting seven seats and is in alliance with the Congress and the JD(U), is engaged in a friendly contest with the JD(U) in Chhatarpur and Hussainabad constituencies. The Congress, which is contesting in seven of the 13 seats, is also locked in a friendly bout with the RJD in Manika. While the JMM is contesting at 12 seats, the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM-Prajatantric) has fielded candidates in 11 seats. The JVM is supporting Trinamool Congress candidates in Gumla and Manika. The other parties in the fray are CPI (six), CPI-M (two), NCP (five), Independents (72), besides candidates of 53 registered parties. There are five Assembly constituencies where more than 16 candidates are contesting. Prominent candidates trying their luck are Jharkhand PCC leader Sukhdeo Bhagat (Lohardaga), former state Minister Kamlesh Singh who is now on bail in connection with a disproportionate assets case (Hussainabad) and state Minister K N Tripathi of Congress (Daltonganj). RJD’s Jharkhand unit President and ex-Minister Girinath Singh is trying his luck from Garwha. The polling will begin at 7 AM and continue till 3 PM. — PTI In numbers 33,61,938 voters 199 candidates 3,900 polling booths 35,425 poll personnel
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Salman Khan exempted from appearance for a day
Mumbai, November 24 Salman’s lawyer Srikant Shivade filed an application seeking the exemption for today. Judge DW Deshpande granted the application, but said the actor must remain present for the next hearing on December 3. The court examined two prosecution witnesses today. One of them was manager of a laundry situated at the place where the actor’s Land Rover car rammed into a shop, killing one person and injuring four others sleeping on footpath on September 28, 2002. The laundry manager told prosecutor Pradeep Gharat that he knew Salman and he had seen the actor on a few occasions passing by in his car. However, the witness said he did not remember in which year he had seen Salman passing by. The second witness, an insurance agent, said the Land Rover was insured in the name of the person from whom the actor purchased it. — PTI
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INS Vikrant lost war against own countrymen: Sena
Mumbai, November 24 A ship-breaking company which bagged the country’s first aircraft carrier at an auction earlier this year began cutting Vikrant’s hull last weekend. “Everyone in the country was against the scrapping of this ship and wanted it to be converted into a museum. Could we not have collected Rs 100 crore to save the Vikrant from being reduced to scrap,” Saamna asked in its write-up. The Vikrant was towed away to the ship breaking yard at Mumbai port a few months ago even as some social activists began a last-ditch effort to save her. The scrap company even offered to give away the Vikrant to be converted into a museum provided it was reimbursed the money spent on buying the ship at the auction, but the state and Central governments expressed their inability to come up with funds.
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Black money: Opposition seeks suspension of question hour in RS
Vibha Sharma Tribune News Service
New Delhi, November 24 Both Houses of the Parliament were adjourned today after obituary references. According tp JD-U leader KC Tyagi, both him and Trinamool MP Derek O'Brien submitted the notice on the suspension of the Question Hour to the Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari. Tyagi said his party had given the notice "for discussion on this very important issue on the back of which the BJP had come to power in the Lok Sabha elections”. “The government has done nothing about it in the past six month and we want a discussion. I have given a notice on behalf of JD-U for a discussion after suspension of Question Hour tomorrow,” he said. “It is an extensive issue which should last for at least three to four hours. The discussion should begin as soon as the House meets in the morning in the Zero Hour,” Tyagi added. In the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of Rajya Sabha, the government today expressed its keenness to get the labour reform bills passed in the Upper House during the week. But the concentrated attempt to corner the BJP-led NDA government is expected to pose hurdles in the passage of key legislations, including the labour reform and insurance Bills. Tyagi said his party was against the Insurance Bill and it also had reservations on some provisions of the labour reform bills. Considering that JD-U and Trinamool are also opposing the hike in FDI in insurance sector, the motion to nominate two new members to the all-important Select Committee looking into the contentious Insurance Bill may also run in trouble. Tyagi said talks were on with various parties, including the Left, for raising key issues. With numbers by their side the Opposition parties have an upper hand in the Rajya Sabha. While the JD-U—the BJP’s friend-turned-foe—is in no mood to relent, the Trinamool Congress also wants to nail the saffron party, smarting under what it calls as "the BJP’s devious master game plan” to usurp power in West Bengal after “failing to make any political impact". Interestingly though, the BSP seems inclined to play ball with the BJP. BSP chief Mayawati appears to have indicated that her party may not "unnecessarily" oppose the Bill to hike FDI cap in insurance sector in the Rajya Sabha. The government has listed the Labour Laws (Exemption from Furnishing Returns and Maintaining Registers by certain Establishments) Amendment Bill, 2011, and the Apprentices (Amendment) Bill, 2014 for consideration and passage in the Upper House.
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Govt to withdraw higher education regulator Bill from RS
New Delhi, November 24 The withdrawal of “Higher Education and Research Bill 2011” is expected to come up in Rajya Sabha business tomorrow or at least within this week. Once taken back, this Bill will become the first among UPA legislations to be formally withdrawn from Parliament by the new BJP Government. The Bill, introduced in Rajya Sabha on December 28, 2011, sought to establish a new regulatory structure for higher education to promote autonomy and growth of the sector. The new regulatory structure was to comprise the National Commission for Higher Education and Research (NCHER), a General Council and a Collegium among others bodies for streamlining the running of the sector. The most significant aspect of this Bill was it would have replaced the existing academic regulators such as the University Grants Commission for general education; the All India Council of Technical Education for technical education and the National Council for Teacher Education for teacher education. The NCHER would have been the overarching regulator with the bill saying that every degree granting institution established after the enactment of the said law would need to take NCHER authorization to start its first academic operation. The Bill also gave powers to NCHER to revoke such authorization in certain conditions. Another landmark provision of the Bill was the Collegium of Scholars tasked with creating a central database of potential candidates who can be chosen as V-Cs of institutions. The idea was to de-politicize VC appointments and ensure these happened on merit. The provision was opposed by states which didn’t wish to give up their power to appoint V-Cs of state universities. Also, UGC and other academic regulators red flagged the Bill fearing being subsumed by NCHER. The Cabinet under PM Narendra Modi on September 25 took a decision to withdraw the Bill from the House citing reservations expressed to its draft by the HRD related Standing Committee of Parliament which submitted its report in December 2012, calling upon the Centre to consult states adequately. The HRD Ministry has in the meantime appointed a Committee to review the functioning of UGC and suggest ways of making the UGC more relevant to the times. Sources in the Ministry said, “The UGC Act of 1956 can be amended to make the necessary changes.”
UPA’s legislation * The Bill will be the first among UPA legislations to be formally withdrawn from Parliament by the new BJP Government *
It seeks to subsume UGC, AICTE and NCTE into a new regulator
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Ebola shadow on C’wealth meet
Bengaluru, November 24 Professor CNR Rao, Bharat Ratna awardee and a key organiser of the conference, told mediapersons today that all those countries affected by the disease were being kept out of the conference. Professor Anthony Cheetham, a Fellow of Royal Society (FRS) and treasurer and vice-president of the four-century-old British institution, said a scholar from Sierra Leone wanted to participate in the conference but had been denied permission due to the severe outbreak of Ebola there. Professor Rao said the government had already framed their guidelines on the Ebola threat and they were following these parameters. But all African member countries of the Commonwealth are not being treated as pariahs because of the outbreak of the epidemic in that continent. South Africa is among the African countries that will take part in the conference. Presentation by Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan from the University of Cape Town was being looked forward to by everyone, Prof Rao said. The four-day conference — to be inaugurated by President of India Pranab Mukherjee here tomorrow — is in fact the first of its kind in the history of Commonwealth and the Royal Society. Professor Cheetham said the last time a conference of commonwealth scientists was organised by the Royal Society was back in 1967. The conference, held at the Oxford University, was much smaller in scale, he said.
Affected nations kept out * The countries affected by Ebola are being kept out of the conference in compliance of the government guidelines *
A scholar from Sierra Leone has been denied permission due to severe outbreak of Ebola there *
South Africa is among the African nations that will take part in the four-day conference
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In J’khand, Shah accuses Cong of graft
Adityapur (Jharkhand), November 24 Referring to the Congress-RJD-JD(U) alliance, Shah said they had looted the state in the past and again ganged up with sole motive to grab power in the mineral-rich state and loot its minerals. People should take guard against such alliance,he said. Chhattisgarh, which was formed simultaneously with Jharkhand, prospered and was counted among the developed states of the country while Jharkhand lagged far behind, he said. Besides corruption, political instability was another major factor for the poor condition of the state and Congress was responsible for it. Congress destabilised the majority of the governments in the 14 years of its creation for its own interest, he said. Once the situation came to such a pass that Congress had installed an Independent candidate as Chief Minister, Shah said referring to former Chief Minister Madhu Koda in mid-2006. — PTI
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JD-U may oust Manjhi as CM
Patna, November 24 The speculation gained strength a day after Manjhi said his days in office were numbered as his detractors in the party were making efforts to remove him from the Chief Minister’s post. Manjhi said: “I know efforts are on to remove me, I may or may not continue till November end.” Manjhi, who belongs to the economically backward Mahadalit community, is known for his controversial remarks. Hours after Manjhi’s comment Sunday, former Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and Janata Dal-United president Sharad Yadav discussed for nearly two hours political heat generated by Manjhi’s controversial remarks in the past few days. Nitish, however, refused to comment on Manjhi’s likely removal. “I will speak about it only after my ongoing ‘Sampark Yatra’ concludes Nov 29,” Nitish Kumar told the media here. JD-U leaders close to Yadav said some Bihar ministers, considered loyal to Nitish Kumar, have complained to him about Manjhi’s controversial remarks and demanded his ouster. A powerful group of JD-U leaders has been lobbying to remove Manjhi and reinstate Nitish Kumar as the chief minister. “A decision might be taken by the end of this month,” a JD-U leader said. However, some JD-U leaders close to Nitish Kumar said he was not keen to become the chief minister by replacing Manjhi. Manjhi sparked a controversy within the JD-U when he said he would become a “supporter” of Narendra Modi if the Prime Minister granted special category status to Bihar. Besides, Manjhi said he could become the Prime Minister one day. The Bihar Chief Minister’s another recent remark that the upper caste people were foreigners and the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes people were indigenous also got him in trouble as several party legislators belonging to the upper castes demanded his removal. — IANS Controversial remarks * A group of JD-U leaders has been lobbying to remove Manjhi and reinstate Nitish Kumar as the chief minister * Manjhi had recently courted controversy saying he would become Modi’s supporter if he gives special status to Bihar and had called upper caste people ‘foreigners’ * The party leadership has warned Manjhi against making controversial remarks
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DRDO to develop early warning system for landslide prediction
Chandigarh, November 24 Under the project, DRDO’s Defence Terrain Research Laboratory (DTRL) would develop instrumentation and allied technology for the system, while the GSI would undertake ground-based geological works such as boring, ground survey and geo-technical analysis, DTRL director MR Bhutiyani said. The mountainous regions of the country, particularly lower and mid-Himalayas as well as hilly terrain in central and south India, are increasingly becoming prone to landslide due to massive deforestation, mining, unauthorised and unregulated constructions and encroachments along natural water channels. The DTRL is involved in assessment of terrain characteristics, developing terrain database management and creating thematic maps and terrain intelligence reports for the armed forces and certain other government agencies. It is also associated with disaster management studies. Another DRDO laboratory, Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment (SASE) is involved in terrain and snow cover analysis as well as forecast and mitigation of avalanches in upper Himalayas for facilitation of troops as well as civilians. The DTRL-GSI project is aimed at developing technology for an early warning system for landslides that is based on instrumentation and empirical relation between rainfall, ground saturation and displacement. Dr Bhutiyani said a joint pilot project was already underway in the field to develop a model for forecasting landslides and the data generated would be used as a base to develop standard operating procedures for instrument-based landslide monitoring.
Wreaking havoc * Landslides rank third in the list of natural disaster for causing death and destruction *
In the Himalayas, landslides kill one person per 100 km * According to the study, landslides affect about 15 per cent of the country’s area, with the average annual damage pegged at 200 lives and Rs 550 crore *
The most recent were in Uttarakhand last year, in which several thousand people were killed and hundreds of structures were destroyed *
Landslides also occurred in Sikkim in 2012 which killed scores of people. Several landslides in coastal regions and peninsular India have also wreaked havoc
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I-T Dept seizes Rs 135 cr cash from Sahara group
New Delhi, November 24 Sources said the department made one of its highest seizures which also includes jewellery worth Rs one crore. The entire cash, they said, has been remitted in a public sector bank branch in Delhi. Sahara group said, "Please note that the amount mentioned in your query is not correct. But whatever may be the figure, each and every penny is company's legitimate money." "Since last one year, we are facing complete embargo on our properties and for 20 months all our accounts were freezed and the entire amounts of freezed accounts have been paid to SEBI," a spokesperson for the Sahara group said, adding that the cash has been kept by the company at various locations to meet emergencies. "Under such circumstances we are tightly managing the affairs of our big organisation and hence some legitimate cash is kept at various points for various kinds of requirements and higher emergencies. As getting bigger amounts from bank account is extremely difficult and when, which account, SEBI will seize, we do not know," the Sahara spokesperson added. Officials said the I-T raided these premises on November 22 on suspicion and intelligence inputs that huge amounts of "unaccounted" cash is lying at these locations. Through the Central Board of Direct Taxes, the tax department is expected to inform the Enforcement Directorate about the cash for probe of any suspected hawala transactions under the Foreign Exchange Management Act. They added that a report in this regard has already been sent to the Special Investigation Team on black money. The department, they said, will now issue notices to the Sahara group to "explain the source of this cash". Recently, another central investigative agency Enforcement Directorate registered a money laundering case against the group in connection with non-payment of crores of rupees to depositors as probed by capital markets regulator SEBI. — PTI
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MoD to change policy on blacklisting foreign firms
New Delhi, November 24 This will be in line with the decision the MoD took in August when it did not blacklist Finmeccanica, which owns AgustaWestland but offered a solution of graded punishment which ensured that no ongoing project would suffer. The company was contracted to supply 12 AW 101 helicopters for VVIP travel in India which was mired in allegations of kickbacks. In August, the MoD took a decision that the company will go ahead with all contracts under execution; continue supply of spares and upgrades to India. However, all contracts in which the company had been declared lowest bidder after competition shall be put on hold till further orders. The MoD said in case of fresh tender or request for proposal, Finmeccanica will not be invited. The company is in contention for Indian military contracts worth over $6 billion (approx Rs 36,000 crore). Sources in the MoD said a new policy is being considered and ‘blacklisting’ a firm may not be good option as it just forecloses options for India. The challenge is from unscrupulous corrupt elements on one side and cutting down the delays in equipping the forces with the best equipment, weapons and aircraft, on the other. The question remains how to deal with foreign companies who, despite being the best in their class, offer bribes or are forced to offer bribe to bag contracts in India. “Blacklisting clearly has not deterred bribe-seekers in India, but may have contributed in slowing down acquisition. Punish the wrongdoer but why punish the forces by denying them technology and the equipment,” said a source. A “partial ban” — instead of what could have been a “complete” one – was the option for Finmeccanica in August. It also marks a shift from the term of Defence Minister AK Antony who used to order “blacklisting” of armament companies after allegations of corruption and bribery. On March 28, 2012, speaking in Parliament, Antony confessed: “If a written complaint, even if anonymous, was received, I used to forward it for inquiry”. The case in which the second such case after the Narendra Modi-led government ruled out blacklisting of global engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce, which too is under the CBI scanner for allegedly employing agents, on the grounds of “operational urgency and national security”. The engine maker had agents for its contract for supply of engines to the petroleum and natural gas ministry and had nothing to do with the Ministry of Defence. Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh, who has had served under Antony in UPA-I, before he shifted his loyalties to the BJP and handles the same portfolio, has publically spoken about how blanket blacklisting was causing harm.
What it means * The Ministry of Defence plans to do away with ‘uniform blacklisting’ of foreign companies and give graded punishment to wrongdoers *
This is in line with the ministry's decision in August to punish Finmeccanica, which owns AgustaWestland, but not blacklist it *
This will help keep unscrupulous elements at bay without affecting the supply of equipping and technology to the armed forces
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India must study Intellectual Property Rights: US
New Delhi, November 24 At a meeting with industry group, CII, Froman highlighted issues relating to Intellectual Property Rights protection, local sourcing norms, regulatory challenges and mobility of high skilled labour. He stressed the high standards for IPR being adopted by the Trans Pacific Partnership negotiations and suggested that as an innovative economy, India needs to look at IPR norms more closely. He suggested that collaborative and creative solutions need to be explored by both countries to resolve issues where there is no agreement. — TNS
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Doval is special envoy for China border talks
New Delhi, November 24 “Ajit Doval has been appointed as the Special Representative of India to conduct boundary negotiations and strategic consultations with China. This arrangement will be part of NSA’s overall assignment,” an official announcement said. Ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to India in September, Doval had visited Beijing and predicted an “orbital jump” in the bilateral relations. Though Doval, former Intelligence Bureau chief, was appointed the NSA by the Modi government soon after assuming office in May, he was not designated the SR, the pointsmen on either side who are expected to take forward the dialogue on the boundary issue. India and China had established the mechanism of Special Representatives in 2003 to thrash out a resolution to the vexed boundary question. The two sides have so far held 17 rounds of talks, making some progress. The arrangement came in force during the period of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who had appointed his NSA Brajesh Mishra for the task and in the previous governments of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh the job was handled by NSAs JN Dixit, MK Narayanan and Shiv Shankar Menon. The last round of talks was held in February in Delhi between the then NSA Shivshankar Menon and Chinese State Councillor Yang
Jiechi.
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Modi’s wife files RTI on her security cover
Mehsana, November 24
Mehsana Superintendent of Police JR Mothalia said Jashodaben wants to know what are her rights as PM’s wife as far as the security aspect is concerned. “Today, she came to our office and filed an RTI to know about her rights as PM’s wife with regard to security cover. We will give our written reply to her in stipulated time,” said Mothalia. Jashodaben lives with her brother Ashok Modi at Unjha town of Mehsana district. After Modi was sworn-in as PM, she has been given security by Mehsana police. “We have deployed 10 of our policemen, including armed guards, for her security. They work in two shifts, five each in one shift.” said Inspector of Mehsana Special Operations Group (SOG) JS Chavda. In her application, Jashodaben sought several documents from the police related to her security cover given as per the protocol, including the certified copy of actual order passed by government about providing security. She also wanted to know the laws and related provisions in Indian Constitution about security cover given to a PM’s wife. — PTI
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Cong veteran Murli Deora dies of cancer in Mumbai
Mumbai, November 24 Deora is survived by wife Hema and sons Mukund and former Union Minister Milind. According to his family, Deora had been in hospital and had returned home in south Mumbai only two days ago. Deora was in his third term as Rajya Sabha MP. Murli Deora cut his teeth in Mumbai politics when he was elected to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation as a Congress corporator in 1975. Within two years, he became the Mayor of Mumbai and an avid social networker long before the Internet came into vogue. By 1985 he had made it to Parliament, but the high office eluded him till the fag end of his career. Known for his proximity to the United States, Deora and his elder brother Ramu were among the early proponents of free trade at a time when India was still in thrall of the Soviet Union. Known for his good relations with media owners, photographs of nattily suited Deora in the company of American lawmakers, including sitting and former presidents, often made it to the news pages. Before he made it to Union Cabinet in the UPA-II government, Deora was known as the Congress party’s liaison man. Chief of the Mumbai unit of the Congress for 22 years, Murlibhai, as he was known, was indispensable to the party leadership. A loyalist of the Nehru-Gandhi family, Deora was one of the few Congress biggies in Maharashtra who did not jump into Sharad Pawar’s camp when the latter split the party in 1999. Little wonder that the entire top run of the party, including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul, Priyanka and her husband Robert Vadra, turned up to pay tributes to Deora. For a man who avoided controversy throughout his life, Deora’s entry into the Union Cabinet was remarkable. He was caught in the crossfire between Mukesh and Anil Ambani who were engaged in a protracted battle for the gas discoveries of Reliance Industries from the KG Basin. That he was a friend of Reliance founder Dhirubhai Ambani and was equally close to the feuding brothers only spiced up the controversy.
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Delhi-Kathmandu bus service from today
New Delhi, November 24 Minister of Road Transport, Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari will flag off the service from the DTC Bus Terminal at Ambedkar Stadium. The Union Cabinet had earlier last week approved the signing of Bilateral Agreement for the regulation of passenger traffic between India and Nepal on the sidelines of the forthcoming SAARC Summit in Kathmandu. The Cabinet has also authorised the Ministry of Road Transport & Highways to sign similar bilateral agreements and protocols with other SAARC members, while signing and ratifying the SAARC Motor Vehicles Agreement at the Summit. The SAARC Transport Ministers in July 2009 had approved the IGGT recommendations to set up an expert group to negotiate the text of the draft Regional Agreement on Motor Vehicles.
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AAP to raise education row in House
New Delhi, November 24
“The Aam Aadmi Party will raise the issue of unjustified and coercive interference by the BJP’s Central government in school education curriculum. The irresponsible statements and circulars by the Union Human Resource Development Ministry when the current academic session is in its final stages, is a clear attempt by the Central government to tamper with the education system for solely its political motives,” the party said in a statement.
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MLA’s sting rocks U’khand Assembly
Dehradun, November 24 The Speaker first denied the permission, but after several adjournments he allowed it. Bhatt said it was sad that an MLA of the ruling coalition had been shown making claims of toppling the government and names of four Cabinet ministers had cropped up in the conversation. He said the sting must be probed by a committee of the Assembly or any other agency. Bhatt said the MLA should resign from the post that he holds and if he does not do so, his Assembly membership be canceled. Ansari termed the allegations "baseless" and a "political conspiracy" against him. He also negated the sting operation in which he is reportedly shown claiming that he can "topple the government" if he gets Rs 50 crore. "I have not made any such claims as shown in the sting operation," he said. The MLA from Manglaur city of Haridwar district, who is also the chairman of the Uttarakhand Housing and Development Board, said the sting operation appeared to be quite old and had the mention of the month of Ramadan. He said he was ready to face any probe, including by the CBI. Later, the Speaker said matter is serious since is associated with a member of the Assembly. — PTI
Speaker orders probe
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BJP president Amit Shah today charged the Congress with promoting corruption in the Jharkhand and also in the country and urged voters to be cautious against the “unholy” alliance of
Congress-RJD-JD(U). “A scam of Rs 4000 crore, unearthed during the Madhu
Koda-led government, was not possible to happen without the support of the Congress,” Shah said while addressing an election rally here.
Senior Congress leader and former Union Petroleum Minister Murli Deora passed away after prolonged illness here today.
Deora (77), who was suffering from cancer, breathed his last at 3.25 am.
Deora is survived by wife Hema and sons Mukund and former Union Minister Milind. According to his family, Deora had been in hospital and had returned home in south Mumbai only two days ago.
