Mamata urges Maoists to give up violence, sit for talks

Mamata urges Maoists to give up violence, sit for talks

Lalgarh (West Bengal), Aug 9: Railway minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday urged the Maoists to eschew violence and come for talks, and appealed to social activists and thinkers like Swami Agnivesh, Medha Patkar and Mahashweta Devi to broker the discussions.

Addressing a huge rally in this Maoist-hit area of West Midnapore district, Banerjee also promised to shower development goodies like renovating schools, setting up hospitals, colleges and a railway factory for giving employment to the local people.

“I request everyone with folded hands, please eschew violence, stop killings. I am telling all those, including the Maoists who are indulging in violence, to help in restoring peace. Medhaji (Medha Patkar), Swami (Agnivesh) are here. They should talk to the Maoists and ensure restoration of peace”.

Banerjee said she was not in favour of establishing peace by using rifles, condemning the manner in which Maoist spokesman Cherukiri Rajkumar alias Azad was ‘killed’ last month.

“What happened is not right. Azad had reposed faith in the democratic process,” she said at the ‘apolitical’ rally organised under the banner of the Anti-Atrocities Democratic Forum.

The Moists and the pro-rebel tribal body People’s Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCAPA) had extended support to the rally also attended by social activists like Agnivesh and Patkar, and pro-rebel writer Mahasweta Devi, among other intellectuals.

“Let the peace process start from today. Let negotiations begin. Let Bengal show the way to India, wherever there is disturbance and misunderstanding,” Banerjee said.

“Tell us when and where you will sit. We all want to sit. However, if my presence poses problems in the peace process, I won’t mind if I am kept out of it,” she said.

“If a policeman dies, or a mediaperson, or a Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) activist or a Maoist, that’s equally sad. All are human beings. I don’t want anybody to die. I don’t want politics of death”.

She also appealed to the left ultras not to obstruct railway services as it adversely hit the daily life of the common man. Categorically saying she did not support the Maoists’ politics of violence and killings, Banerjee asked the CPI-M and Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee should think why the Lalgarh movement was on despite their 34-year rule. “There is a dearth of development, schools, colleges and hospitals. The government could ensure only 12 days’ work under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS),” she said.

Banerjee said Rs 20 lakh would be sanctioned for the Ramakrishna Vidyalaya here from Minister of State for Shipping Mukul Roy’s MPs Local Area Development fund. Apparently referring to the Maoists, she asked: “What do you want? Schools, college, rights over forests? I feel tribals should have rights over forests.”

The Trinamool chief, whose party is the second largest constituent of the ruling United Progressive Alliance at the centre, however, said her powers were limited. “We are in power. But our party has only 19 MPs. It’s not that they (Congress) listen to whatever we say”.

On land acquisition, she said she was against taking land by force. “In railways whenever we have to take land we provide employment to the landlosers and take minimum land with their consent”.

“Show me one area where I have deviated. If I have, I will publicly admit it and apologise,” she said, in an apparent reply to some questions made by the Maoists in an open letter to her on and acquisition and some other issues.

Banerjee told the ultras that their policy of violence was only benefiting the CPI-M. Accusing the CPI-M of misleading the people and committing atrocities by putting on police and military fatigues, she appealed to Patkar and Agnivesh to visit other violence-prone areas of the state. “If necessary, we can go to areas outside the state like Dantewada also to bring back peace”. Addressing a party rally at Tamluk of East Midnapore district, state Congress chief Manas Bhunia welcomed Banerjee’s rally at Lalgarh. However, Congress general secretary in charge of the state K Kesava Rao stayed away from the Trinamool Congress’ invitation to attend the Lalgarh rally citing the party’s meeting at Tamluk around the same time. (IANS)

Price rise dominates parliament

Price rise dominates parliament

New Delhi, Aug 4: Soaring food prices generated heat in parliament on Wednesday, with the Lok Sabha unanimously urging the government to act and come to the rescue of the common man.

While Sachin Tendulkar’s cricketing feat and the violence raging in the Kashmir Valley also figured in the house, members were mostly concerned over inflationary pressures. After vocal attacks on what the opposition said was the government’s failure to check food prices, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee put up a spirited defence of what the government was doing -- and would do.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned over the Babhali barrage row between Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) apologized after one of its members shouted at Mukherjee, the leader of the house. The debate on price rise ended in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday with the house adopting a resolution.

“This House, having considered the inflationary pressure on the economy, urges the government to take further action to contain its adverse impact on the common man,” said the resolution read out by Speaker Meira Kumar.

Teenaged girl, two others killed in police firing in Kashmir

Teenaged girl, two others killed in police firing in Kashmir

Srinagar, Aug 1: Two 17-year-olds, including a girl, and another young man were killed Sunday when security personnel fired on mobs attacking police stations in south Kashmir’s Pulwama district as escalating violence engulfed Kashmir Valley.

With the three deaths, the toll of protesters killed in police firing across the Valley since Friday has risen to nine. The law and order situation has deteriorated with violent protests rocking most cities and towns and mobs attacking police stations, police camps, vehicles on the highways and also beating up trapped security men.

“A violent mob attacked the Khrew police post in Pulwama district today (Sunday) afternoon forcing the policemen inside to fire in self-defence. A girl identified as Afroza Bano, 17, was among the three people critically wounded in this firing incident,” a senior police officer told IANS here.

Govt puts cap on berths allotted to cancer patients in trains

Govt puts cap on berths allotted to cancer patients in trains

New Delhi, July 29: The Government today said it has put a cap on the number of berths alloted to cancer patients under emergency quota to accommodate VIPs after receiving instances that the quota was being entirely used by the patients. “The limit was imposed after receiving references from zonal railways where they were unable to accommodate VIPs on self travel when the entire quota was being utilised by the cancer patients,” Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa informed the Lok Sabha.

In a written reply, he said such instances came especially during the rush season leaving Railways with no emergency quota. Railways provide 100 per cent concession to cancer patients in sleeper and 3-AC classes. In 2-AC and 1-AC they enjoy 50 per cent concession. A matching concession is also extended to their escorts. Muniyappa said instances of cancer patients utilising all quota have been reported mostly in trains bound for Mumbai. On April 17 and May 6, he said, all the 10 emergency berths in 3-AC in Lokmanya Tilak-Chhaptra Godaan Express were utilised by the cancer patients while all the 24 emergency berths in Howrah-bound Gitanjali express were utilised on April 9, 22, 23, 24, 28.

Instances of quotas being entirely utilised by cancer patients have also been reported in trains linking Mumbai to Guwahati and Hatia. The Minister said separate quota for cancer patients is also available in some trains. (PTI)

‘India very important for Britain’s future’

‘India very important for Britain’s future’

Bangalore, July 28: British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday declared that India was very important for his country’s future, especially on the economic front.

“India has become very important for our future, mainly for economic reasons as your country represents an enormous opportunity for our companies,” Cameron told about 2,000 techies and captains of India Inc in the Infosys Technologies Ltd campus on the outskirts of this tech hub. Cameron said he wanted to see thousands of more jobs in Britain and in India through partnerships and investments in the months and years ahead.

‘India very important for Britain’s future’

‘India very important for Britain’s future’

Bangalore, July 28: British Prime Minister David Cameron on Wednesday declared that India was very important for his country’s future, especially on the economic front.

“India has become very important for our future, mainly for economic reasons as your country represents an enormous opportunity for our companies,” Cameron told about 2,000 techies and captains of India Inc in the Infosys Technologies Ltd campus on the outskirts of this tech hub. Cameron said he wanted to see thousands of more jobs in Britain and in India through partnerships and investments in the months and years ahead.

Uproar over price rise stalls Parliament

Uproar over price rise stalls Parliament

New Delhi, July 27: Pandemonium reigned in parliament on Tuesday - the first working day of the monsoon session - as a united opposition vociferously demanded an immediate discussion on rising prices followed by a vote, leading to repeated disruptions and finally adjournments of both houses.

As the government ruled out the voting on the spiralling prices of essential commodities, opposition MPs refused to let the houses function.

As soon as members in the two houses assembled at 11 a.m., opposition MPs shouted slogans, stalling proceedings as they gave vent to their anger on the issue.

Members of the Samajwadi Party and the Rashtriya Janata Dal RJD, which support the government from the outside, joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in demanding a discussion on the hike in prices of kerosene and cooking gas.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj urged Speaker Meira Kumar to “set aside all the business and accept our adjournment motions and allow a discussion over rising prices, followed by a vote”.

Swaraj said the June 26 hike in kerosene and cooking gas prices had “disturbed the budget of the common man”.

The entire opposition, she said, had come together to demand a discussion on the issue and pointed out that some allies of the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) have joined them.

BJP MPs, joined by members of other parties like the Left, walked up to the speaker’s podium shouting anti-government slogans like “Jo sarkar nikammi hai, woh sarkar badalni hai (The government that is inefficient needs to be changed)”.

The house was first adjourned till 12 noon but the protests continued after the house resumed.

In the melee, the speaker ordered papers listed for the day to be laid and asked Petroleum Minister Murli Deora to make a statement on the prices of petroleum products.

Deora defended the increase in fuel prices, saying the rise was “minimal” and such a decision was needed to improve the financial health of the oil marketing companies.

As he was unable to read out the statement amid the noise, Meira Kumar adjourned the house at 12.10 till 2 p.m.

As the members refused to relent after the house resumed at 2 p.m., the speaker was forced to call it a day.

The scenes in the Rajya Sabha were no different. It was chaos as the BJP and Left MPs did not heed Chairman Hamid Ansari’s repeated pleas to let house function.

Soon after new members took oath, opposition MPs were up on their feet.

The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) was joined by the Samajwadi Party and AIADMK MPs in their protest. Ansari allowed Leader of the Opposition Arun Jaitley to speak but he could not as MPs protested noisily, forcing the chairman to adjourn the house till noon.

As the MPs reassembled, it was repetition of what had happened in the morning.

P.J. Kurien, who was in the chair, tried to pacify the members and asked ministers to lay the papers listed for the day. With the din continuing, Kurien adjourned the house for the day.

BJP leaders said the opposition was united over the price rise issue as the Left, the Samajwadi Party and other parties were with them.

“We are united. We want an adjournment motion and a vote on the issue,” BJP leader Gopinath Munde told IANS.

“We will bring the adjournment motion, we will not discuss anything else,” he said.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which in the past has come to the rescue of the government by voting for it on crucial matters, also demanded a discussion and voting on the price rise.

The government has already ruled out the demand, saying that as per rules only matters of immediate and urgent attention can be allowed under an adjournment motion.

“This is disruption motion, it is not discussion motion,” senior Congress leader and Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters.

Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Sharad Yadav said it was “strange” that government was not ready for a discussion.

He said the opposition was keen that Meira Kumar took an impartial view on its demand. “The entire country took part in the Bharat bandh against price rise,” he said, referring to the July 5 nationwide shutdown against the issue. “The fight will continue,” he vowed. (IANS)

Government misusing CBI: Nitin Gadkari

Government misusing CBI: Nitin Gadkari

Mumbai, July 26: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari on Monday reiterated his party’s stance by alleging that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was using the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as a ‘weapon of vendetta’.

Addressing mediapersons at the BJP state headquarters here, Gadkari said the government had declared ‘a hostile political war against Gujarat’, referring to the arrest of former Gujarat minister Amit Shah by the CBI in connection with the killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh.

“The Sohrabuddin encounter probe by CBI was to target BJP and to keep Congress out. This is evident from the fact that though the then Andhra Pradesh government of YS Rajasekhara Reddy was equally involved in the arrest and encounter (shootout) death of Sohrabuddin, the CBI completely left out his government from the radar,” Gadkari claimed.

BJP cancels lunch with PM after CBI summons Shah

BJP cancels lunch with PM after CBI summons Shah

New Delhi, July 23: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday cancelled a lunch with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh citing the ‘bitter atmosphere’ following the CBI’s summons to Gujarat minister Amit Shah in the 2005 killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh in a staged shootout.

“Four BJP leaders were invited for the PM’s luncheon meeting but we decided not to attend it over the bitter atmosphere following the CBI’s summons to Shah,” Sushma Swaraj, leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, told reporters. The prime minister had invited L.K. Advani, Arun Jaitley, Nitin Gadkari and Sushma Swaraj for a lunch meeting to discuss issues before the parliament’s monsoon session starting on Monday.

Sushma said they had accepted the invitation but met at Advani’s house on Thursday evening to discuss how the CBI was being misused in Gujarat to harass Shah, Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s close aide and the minister of state for home. “The government is misusing CBI to harass its opponents. The whole political environment is being polluted by it. So, it would have been very embarrassing if we went to the PM’s house for lunch,” she said.

“As far as the misuse of CBI is concerned, the government is saving their own people like Quattrocchi, Jagdish Tytler, Satish Sharma. They just trouble their opponents ... this is a show of sheer dominance by Congress to save its government,” she added. Her colleague Arun Jaitley, who heads the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, added that the CBI was behaving like an extended arm of the ruling party and the timing had been chosen for Congress’ political convenience. “When the Gujarat Police investigated the matter in Gujarat, nothing was found against Amit Shah. The investigations carried out by independent investigators appointed by the Supreme Court couldn’t find anything even in the second phase. Today, on the basis of baseless facts a political agenda is being fulfilled by the CBI and the government has a clear conspiracy in this,” said Jaitely. “This is the policy of the Congress to create such an environment so that limelight shifts away from issues like rising prices of fuel, misadventure of the Indo-Pakistan dialogue and Warren Anderson case,” he said.

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has been accused of killing Sohrabuddin Sheikh near Ahmedabad in a staged shootout in 2005. His wife Kauser-Bi has also been missing since then. Police claimed the dead man was a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative. (IANS)

Naidu, colleagues sent to Aurangabad jail

Naidu, colleagues sent to Aurangabad jail

Nanded/Hyderabad, July 20: Amid high drama, protests by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders and caning by the police, party chief Chandrababu Naidu and his supporters were Tuesday moved from Dharmabad in Maharashtra’s Nanded district to the Aurangabad Central Jail.

Naidu and his colleagues, who were remanded to judicial custody till July 26, will be lodged at the Aurangabad Central Jail, located in Harsul on the outskirts of the historic city, a police official said.

The leaders, including Naidu, had entered Dharmabad town, around eight kilometres from the Maharashtra-Andhra Pradesh border in Nanded district, to protest against the Babhali Barrage on the Godavari river Friday.

Train tragedy in West Bengal again - 61 dead, 157 injured

Train tragedy in West Bengal again - 61 dead, 157 injured

Sainthia (West Bengal), July 19: A speeding express train ploughed through a train standing at a station in West Bengal’s Birbhum district early on Monday, killing at least 61 people and injuring more than 150. It was the second train disaster in the Communist-ruled state in less than two months that have taken a toll of over 200 lives.

The Sealdah-bound Uttar Banga Express slammed into three coaches, one luggage van and two unreserved second class coaches, of the stationary Bhagalpur-Ranchi Vananchal Express at Sainthia station in Birbhum, about 190 km from Kolkata, at about 2.15 a.m., railway authorities said. All three coaches were badly mangled by the severity of the collision with one of the coaches shooting from the tracks and almost mounting the footbridge above. Gas cutters were used to cut open the coaches and bring out the dead and rescue the injured.

Sit-ins, protests amid separatist shutdown in Kashmir

Sit-ins, protests amid separatist shutdown in Kashmir

Srinagar, July 15: People came out in large numbers to stage sit-ins and protests at many places in this Jammu amd Kasmir summer capital Srinagar on Thursday on the second day of a separatist shutdown even as restrictions were removed throughout the Valley. People came out in Nowhatta, Rajouri Kadal, Naid Kadal, Safa Kadal, Bohri Kadal and Khanyar areas of the city early Thursday and staged sit-ins and protests in response to the call given by the separatist Hurriyat group headed by Syed Ali Geelani.

Similar protests were witnessed in Habba Kadal, Batmaloo, Bemina, Chanapora, Barzalla, Kani Kadal, Rambagh areas in the city. Groups of youth challenged private transport vehicles that plied in the city, forcing them to withdraw from the roads. The separatists had called for a complete Valley-wide shutdown. Markets, banks, public and private transport, educational institutions and other business establishments remained closed in Srinagar city and other major towns of the Kashmir Valley. Groups of youth also clashed with the security forces in Chattabal, Bemina, Habba Kadal and Barzulla areas of the city. Security forces used batons and tear smoke shells to disperse the protesters. Similar clashes were also reported from south Kashmir’s Pampore town in which six people suffered minor injuries. Lawyers took out a protest march in Srinagar against the arrest of Kashmir Bar Association president Mian Qayoom, who has been detained by the authorities under the Public Safety Act (PSA) for allegedly inciting the youth to violence.

“The overall law and order situation was tense, but under control throughout the Valley and no major untoward incident occurred anywhere,” a police officer said. People during the sit-ins also organized free roadside kitchens those served tehri (yellow rice prepared with tamarind and edible oil) to the participants of the day’s protests. At least 15 civilians were killed in the valley in firing by security forces since June 11 and the government has decided to hold an independent enquiry to establish the circumstances those led to the unfortunate deaths of the civilians. (IANS)

PC wants Unified Command for anti-Naxal operations

PC wants Unified Command for anti-Naxal operations

NEW DELHI, July 14: In a fresh strategy to combat the Naxal menace, the government today asked Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal to create a unified command for anti-Maoist operations and to appoint a retired Major General of the Army as its member.

The Centre will “request the state governments of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal to create a unified command for anti-Naxal operations and to appoint a retired Major General of the Army as a member of the command,” Home Minister P Chidambaram said addressing leaders of seven Naxal-affected states here. The meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is being attended by chief ministers of Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh. While Jharkhand is being represented by its governor, West Bengal has sent a senior minister for the meet.

Terrorism, humanitarian issues high on Krishna’s agenda

Terrorism, humanitarian issues high on Krishna’s agenda

New Delhi, July 13: Terrorism that continues to emanate from Pakistani soil will be high on the agenda of External Affairs Minister S M Krishna as he embarks on a mission to Pakistan tomorrow, in an effort to bridge the trust deficit that has bedeviled the ties between the two countries.

Krishna’s three-day visit to Islamabad to hold talks with his Pakistani counterpart Shah Mahmood Qureshi, will also focus on humanitarian issues such as people-to-people contact, exchange of prisoners and bilateral trade. But from New Delhi’s point of view terrorism will be the key issue.

Rear Admiral killed in ‘accidental firing’

Rear Admiral killed in ‘accidental firing’

Kochi/New Delhi, July 7: One of the seniormost commanders of the Indian Navy, Rear Admiral SS Jamwal, was killed in ‘accidental firing’ on Wednesday in a gunnery school close to the headquarters of the Southern Naval Command in Kerala’s Kochi city, an officer said.

“I regret to inform that Chief of Staff, Southern Naval Command, Rear Admiral SS Jamwal, died in accidental firing at INS Dronacharya today (Wednesday),” navy spokesman Commander PVS Satish told IANS in New Delhi.

Satish said the circumstances leading to the accidental firing during a small arms training session on a firing range and the death of the 51-year-old officer were being investigated. In Kochi, Commodore MR Ajaya Kumar, naval officer in charge Kerala, told reporters that a bullet from Jamwal’s pistol hit him at around 10.30 am when he was training a batch of 24 trainers.

NDA will return to power in 2014: Nitin Gadkari

NDA will return to power in 2014: Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi, July 4: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari is confident that his party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) will return to power in the Lok Sabha polls in 2014. He denies being remote-controlled by the RSS and claims the alliance crisis in Bihar is ‘almost over’.

Gadkari does not think that the multi-party NDA, which ruled India from 1998 to 2004, has been weakened because parties like the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) have left it.

“It is a to and fro process,” Gadkari told IANS in an exclusve interview at the BJP headquarters. “Some parties might have left, but some other parties are keen to come into the NDA.”

Can he name the parties keen to join the NDA? Gadkari: “We will disclose everything at the appropriate time.” The 53-year-old politican insists that BJP cadres have been activated all across the country since he took charge of the main opposition party over six months ago, succeeding Rajnath Singh.

“The mood is upbeat among party activists. The NDA will ride to power again at the centre,” Gadkari said. He cites the opposition’s decision to unite for Monday’s Bharat bandh to protest rising prices and the fuel price hike as a major achievement of his short tenure.

“We have been able to assemble all the parties on the burning issue of soaring prices of essential commodities.” But what about fissures with the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) and his disparaging remarks about Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president Lalu Prasad?

“It is a thing of the past. It is over,” he replied. The BJP president had called the two politicians ‘barking dogs’ for allegedly going soft on the government.

Gadkari is also upbeat about his immediate challenge - the Bihar assembly polls due in October.

“The crisis is almost over,” he said about the rift between the BJP and JD-U Chief Minister Nitish Kumar. What are the electoral chances of the alliance? “We will win. Hundred per cent,” he said.

Gadkari, who became the BJP president after the party was routed in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections, denied he had any problems with the party’s star leader, LK Advani. “I had absolutely no issues with Advaniji or any other leader, seniors or juniors.”

Is his lack of experience at the national level a problem? “I think most of these impressions are created by a section of the media, which has its own perceptions, rather than the reality,” he said.

He denied he was remote-controlled by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in decision making. “Of course, the Sangh is part of my conviction and the past. But the talk that I am directed by the RSS is far from true,” Gadkari said.

According to him, the party’s decision to take back former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh was his own decision. So is former Madhya Pradesh chief minster Uma Bharati also on the return path? Gadkari said the party will discuss the issue in detail at the appropriate time and take an appropriate decision.

Is Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Chouhan opposing Uma’s re-entry? Gadkari parried the question. Gadkari claimed that groupism or infighting in the BJP was on the wane. “A major example of dissidence was cited in Rajasthan. But we could achieve a comfortable win for Ram Jethmalani in the Rajya Sabha election.” As for Karnataka, dissidence was by and large over, he said. And there ‘is no dissidence in the Bihar unit’. (IANS)

Boundary, China-Pakistan deal on agenda in NSA’s Beijing trip

Boundary, China-Pakistan deal on agenda in NSA’s Beijing trip

New Delhi, July 1: Days before Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari goes to China to firm up a nuclear deal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is sending National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon on Saturday as his special envoy to Beijing on a four-day visit during which he is also expected to hold the next round of boundary talks.

Menon will meet senior Chinese leaders, including Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and State Councillor Dai Bingguo, and discuss a range of bilateral and regional issues. The two sides announced the visit in New Delhi and Beijing on Thursday.

Maoists kill Congress leader in Jharkhand

Maoists kill Congress leader in Jharkhand

RANCHI, June 30: In two separate incidents, Maoists have killed a Congress leader and a building contractor as their two-day strike began in Jharkhand on Wednesday, police said.

Maoists killed contractor Kedar Munda in Khuti district, around 65 Km from Ranchi, after abducting him from his Salehatu village Wednesday morning. His body was recovered from nearby jungle, police said.

In the other incident, rebels killed a local Congress leader, Bardhan Kachhu, in Garwah district. He was abducted from his Barkol village Tuesday night. His body was recovered Wednesday.

Maoists in many districts have asked Congress leaders to quit the party. They blame the Congress for the current security offensive against them.

Rail and road services were hit in Jharkhand today on the first day of a two-day strike in five states, officials said. The national highways wore a deserted look as trucks were stranded at many places and long-route buses did not ply.

This is the second two-day strike called by the Communist Party of India-Maoist in June. It covers Jharkhand, Bihar, Orissa, Chhattisgarh and West Bengal.

Mumbai airport: Runway closure, power cut affect flight ops

Flight operations at the city airport were severely affected today due to the closure of power cut.

There was a delay of one to one and a half hour across flights at Mumbai airport due to the closure of runway for over an hour, an airport source said.

At the top of it, there was power cut as well as water-logging of newly constructed terminal 1-C which further led to congestion at the airport, the source said.

The Mumbai International Airport Ltd (MIAL) said that the main runway 09x27 was closed for 50 minutes (0810 hours to 0900 hours) to clear glass pieces of runway edge light which were broken by a departing aircraft.

"Due to the closure, there was a long queue of aircraft at the runway awaiting clearance from the ATC," source said.

The source also said that following rains last night, there was water-logging at terminal 1-C leading to the closure of the area.

PTI Bharti Airtel jumps 7 pc on completion of Zain Africa buy

Mumbai, June 9 (PTI) Bharti Airtel share surged nearly 7 per cent in the morning trade on the BSE today, after completion of the USD 10.7-billion acquisition of Zain''s Africa operations.

Share of Bharti Airtel soared 6.65 per cent to a high of Rs 274.95, from the previous close on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

On March 30, 2010, Bharti had entered the deal to acquire Zain Telecom's operations in 15 nations, excluding Sudan and Morocco. With this acquisition, Bharti, now has a subscriber base of around 180 million.

"The completion of the deal has given a sigh of relief to Bharti's investors as they were awaiting the deal to go through smoothly. Investors are bullish on the future prospects of the company and its manageable debt position," SMC Capital vice-president Rajesh Jain said.

On the National Stock Exchange, the stock climbed to a high of Rs 274.90, up 6.40 per cent.

Yesterday, Bharti Airtel had said that its debt position following the USD 10.7-billion acquisition of Zain Africa is "manageable".

May’10 : Truck Sales up 74.23% - IFTRT

May 2010, Truck sales (5 ton - 49 ton category) shot up by 74.23% due to low base effect with sales touching 21013 units as against 12060 units in May'09 as well as excess billing done by vehicle manufacturers to the retail outlets, but for the second month in running the MoM sales continue to drop with March’10 Sales at 33619 units, April’10 sales at 22469 units and May’10 sales at 21013 units only, because vehicle manufacturers unable to offer Euro-IV trucks in 13 cities including NCR - IFTRT monthly Report in attachment is for your ready reference and use.

CBDT Amends Rules Relating to TDS

CBDT Amends Rules Relating to TDS

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) have amended the Rules relating to TDS provisions date and mode of payment of tax deducted at source (TDS), TDS certificate and filing of ‘statement of TDS’ (TDS return) vide Notification No.41/2010; SO No.1261(E) dated 31.05.2010. The amended rules will apply only in respect of tax deducted on or after 1st day of April 2010.

Forms for TDS certificate have been revised to include the receipt number of the TDS return filed by the deductor. Now the Tax-deduction Account Number (TAN) of the deductor, Permanent Account Number (PAN) of the deductee, and Receipt number of TDS return filed by the deductor will form the unique identification for allowing tax credit claimed by the taxpayer in his income-tax return.

Government Authorities (Pay and Accounts Officer or Treasury Officer or Cheque Drawing and Disbursing Officer) responsible for crediting tax deducted at source to the credit of the Central Government by book-entry are now required to electronically file a monthly statement in a new Form No. 24G containing details of credit of TDS to the agency authorised by the Director General of Income-tax (Systems).

Due date for furnishing TDS return for the last quarter of the financial year has been modified to 15th May (from earlier 15th June). The revised due dates for furnishing TDS return are

Sl. No.	Date of ending of the quarter of the financial year	Due date
1.	30th June	15th July of the financial year
2.	30th September	15th October of the financial year
3.	31st December	15th January of the financial year
4.	31st March	15th May of the financial year immediately following the financial year in which deduction is made

Due date for furnishing TDS certificate to the employee or deductee or payee is revised as under

Sl. No.	Category	Periodicity of furnishing TDS certificate	Due date
1.	Salary (Form No.16)	Annual	By 31st day of May of the financial year immediately following the financial year in which the income was paid and tax deducted
2.	Non-Salary (Form No.16A)	Quarterly	Within fifteen days from the due date for furnishing the ‘statement of TDS’

This is for information

Payment of Gratuity (Amendments) Act 2010

Payment of Gratuity (Amendments) Act 2010

The Government of India, Ministry of Law and Justice have vide Gazette Notification dated May 18, 2010, notified the enhancement in gratuity payment from Rs. 3,50,000/- to Rs. 10,00,000 w.e.f. 24 May 2010.

Arrest me for speaking for Naxals: Arundhati

Mumbai: Arundhati Roy probably gets lot of hate mail for her views on Naxalism but she certainly won't miss any opportunity to express them.

The Booker Prize-winning author and activist has once again said that she doesn’t support violence but believes the Naxals had no other option but to rebel against the state.

"The Naxal movement could be nothing but an armed struggle. I am not supporting violence. But I am also completely against contemptuous atrocities-based political analysis," she said while delivering a lecture on 'The War on People' organised by the Committee for Protection of Democratic Rights in Mumbai.

"It ought to be an armed movement. Gandhian way of opposition needs an audience, which is absent here. People have debated long before choosing this form of struggle," said Roy, 48.

"I am on this side of line. I do not care...pick me up put me in jail," she said.

Roy argued that Naxalite violence must be viewed in the context of the battle between tribals and corporate houses to gain control over natural resources like minerals, water and forests. "While 99 percent of Maoists are tribals, 99 percent of tribals are not Maoists."

"What the government calls Maoists corridor, is in fact MoU-ist corridor. You have an MoU (memorandum of understanding) on every mountain, river -- MoUs signed by biggest corporations in the world who are waiting to gain hold of the resources," Roy said.

The writer quoted a Lokayukta report to claim that the government earns Rs 24 per tonne from iron ore mining but the mining company gets Rs 5,000.

"Here we have the poorest, most malnourished waging a war against the corporates supported by all the institutions of world's biggest democracy. To a large extent, they have won in stopping the mighty corporates in their tracks," she said. "If we join them, we can make them win this war."

“They have a history of resistance which predates Mao. They were always armed; they are just using those bows and arrows against sophisticated weapons of security forces deployed by the government to crush their movement.”

Roy also clarified her reported remarks glorifying Maoists as "Gandhians with guns".

"I never called them Gandhians with guns. It was a blurb carried by a magazine. What I meant was that they (Naxals) are more Gandhian than any other Gandhian in their consumption”

Roy accused the media of lack of transparency and bias. "Earlier, politicians had to pay for good coverage. Now, they have to pay to ensure that they do not get bad coverage. Good coverage is extra fees."

Lt Gen charged with sexual misconduct, quits

New Delhi: In a major embarrassment for the Army, a Lieutenant General has been forced to resign following allegations of sexual misconduct against him by the wife of an officer during a visit abroad last month.

Army sources said that Lt Gen AK Nanda, the Engineer-in-Chief, was asked to put in his papers by Army Chief General VK Singh after a complaint that he molested the wife of his technical secretary during a visit to Israel.

Afzal Guru’s hanging won’t be expedited: Home Secretary

Afzal Guru’s hanging won’t be expedited: Home Secretary

New Delhi, May 23: The government has no plans to jump the queue on the clemency petition of parliament attack convict Afzal Guru or fast track the decision on his execution, says Home Secretary GK Pillai.

“Afzal Guru is in the queue (of mercy petitions in the president’s office). Nobody will be expedited,” Pillai told IANS in an interview, denying reports that the government may consider a fast-track decision on Guru’s fate.

Asked about the hectic activity on Guru’s clemency petition that has been moving back and forth between the home ministry and the Delhi government, Pillai said: “We have sent 20 reminders, but these are general reminders we keep sending to the State Governments. This is all a media hype.”

Shibu Soren’s flip-flop puts BJP in a spot

Shibu Soren’s flip-flop puts BJP in a spot

Ranchi, May 21: A day after Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren declared he would not quit as Jharkhand chief minister, its stunned coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said it would decide on May 25 on the future course of action. Shibu Soren, in a turnaround, said in Bokaro on Thursday that he would not quit from the chief minister’s post and the rotation of power agreement with the BJP was unacceptable to him.

Meanwhile, two dissenting JMM legislators, Teklal Mahto and Lobin Hembrom, were in New Delhi Thursday and reportedly are to hold talks with Congress leaders on formation of an alternative government. Soren had also said he will fight the assembly poll, but did not reveal the name of the seat from which he would fight the poll. Soren, a Lok Sabha MP, has to get elected to the state assembly by June 30 to retain his chief ministership.

“Shibu Soren is an unpredictable politician. We will wait till May 25 and decide the future course of action. Soren had assured us to quit on May 25 to transfer power. We cannot pass a statement on media reports,” a senior BJP leader told IANS declining to be named.

The BJP leader further said: “There are only two options before the party, either to form a government with support of JMM or withdraw support.” BJP sources revealed that the JMM does not want a strong BJP chief ministerial nominee. According to sources, the BJP has cleared the name of party national general secretary and former chief minister Arjun Munda to take over. Munda is seen by JMM leaders as a strong chief minister who would not be dictated to.

Government offers Maoists talks as terror shadows Chhattisgarh

Raipur/New Delhi, May 18: Fear stalked large parts of Chhattisgarh as police totted the toll of the Maoist massacre the day before and disheartened security forces stayed in their camps on Tuesday, when a shutdown called by the guerrillas hit four other states and the central government reiterated its offer of talks.

The shutdown called by the outlawed Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) began -- a day after 31 people were killed when the guerrillas blasted a bus in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district -- amid fears of fresh attacks and crippled life in Bastar region as well as parts of Rajnandgaon and the rural areas of Raipur and Dhamtari districts.

Panel to consider demands for HC benches: Moily

New Delhi, May 16: Amid growing clamour for setting up High Court benches in various states, the Government has decided to form a one-man committee to look into the issue. “We have decided to form a one-man committee to look into demands for setting up High Court benches,” Law Minister M Veerappa Moily told PTI here.

A former Chief Justice of India would be entrusted with the task and the Law Ministry would move the Union Cabinet shortly for its nod to set up the committee. Sources said former CJI Justice A M Ahmadi is a frontrunner for the post. But Moily said no name has been decided so far. “It is too early to comment,” he said.

BJP wants permission to Muivah withdrawn

BJP wants permission to Muivah withdrawn

NEW DELHI, May 14: The BJP on Friday attacked Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram over the Manipur crisis, alleging that his unilateral decision to allow NSCN (IM) leader T. Muivah to visit the State had created tension there and demanded that the permission to the Naga leader be withdrawn.

“The unilateralism of the Home Minister has once again created tension. Earlier, he had announced creation of a separate Telangana State without taking the Andhra Pradesh government into confidence. This time, he allowed Muivah to visit his village in Manipur without asking the State government for its view,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said here.

A four-member BJP delegation led by Javadekar also met Chidambaram and demanded that territorial integrity of Manipur be protected.

“We told him that government must ensure and give a promise that territorial integrity (of Manipur) would be maintained,” he told PTI.

Manipur is facing economic blockade by supporters of Muivah after he was unable to visit his ancestral village in the State due to objections by the State government.

Javadekar said the party demanded that National Highway No. 39 and 53 be opened immediately and adequate supplies of essential commodities be ensured so that prices come down.

“We also discussed issues about threat to non-Manipuris,” the BJP leader said, adding that the “Home Minister has assured us that appropriate actions will be taken on our demands”.

“If things don’t move further, we may also meet the Prime Minister,” Javadekar said.

The party demanded that permission to Muivah to visit Manipur be withdrawn to defuse the situation. (PTI)

Gadkari regrets ‘dog’ remark, Lalu and SP unforgiving

Gadkari regrets ‘dog’ remark, Lalu and SP unforgiving

CHANDIGARH/PATNA/NEW DELHI, May 13: BJP president Nitin Gadkari on Thursday expressed regret for his remarks likening Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and Rashtriya Janata Dal’s (RJD) Lalu Prasad to “dogs who lick the feet of the Congress and its president Sonia (Gandhi)”, but the outraged parties were unimpressed.

“I regret the comment made yesterday (Wednesday) and take back my words. I have a lot of respect for Mulayam Singh Yadav and Lalu Prasad,” Gadkari said at a press conference at the Chandigarh Press Club. “The comment created a wrong impression.”

“Meri baat ki bhavna alag thi (The essence of my comment was different). I did not want to hurt anyone,” the Bharatiya Janata Party chief added.

Jairam refuses to comment on China controversy

NEW DELHI, May 11: Environment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh on Tuesday declined to comment on his controversial remarks in Beijing criticising the Indian government’s policy towards Chinese companies.“I want to make it clear that I am not going to comment on China. I am here to talk about greenhouse gas emission only,” Ramesh told reporters who tried to make him speak on the row that earned him a rebuke from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Maoists have massively mined Chhattisgarh forests: Police

Maoists have massively mined Chhattisgarh forests: Police

RAIPUR, May 9: A day after eight paramilitary troopers were killed in a landmine blast by Maoists in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district, a top police official said the guerrillas have massively mined the State’s forested areas and it was difficult to de-mine the vast stretches without the technology required.

“The big problem is we have no technology and resources to de-mine the massive forested pockets. Without taking out landmines it’s literally impossible to go after them freely in thickly forested areas where Maoists are always ready with a booby trap,” Director General of Police (Chhattisgarh) Vishwa Ranjan said on Sunday.

Eight Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) troopers were killed on Saturday when Maoist guerrillas blew up their vehicle in Bijapur, nearly 480 km south of State capital Raipur. The bullet-proof vehicle was blown up in the Koretal forested stretch. A CRPF personnel and two civilians were injured in the blast.

Tension continues in Manipur

Tension continues in Manipur

Imphal, May 7: The situation in Manipur continued to be volatile for the second day today after three students were killed and about 70 injured in clashes between security forces and supporters of Naga separatist leader Thuingaleng Muivah.

More than 5,000 Nagas had gathered at Mao, the border town between the two adjoining States of Nagaland and Manipur, yesterday to welcome Muivah, the general secretary of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN).

Muivah deferred his visit to his birthplace in Ukhrul district, about 220 km from Mao, following mounting tension after security forces opened fire on his supporters, burst tear gas canisters, and baton charged the mob in an attempt to disperse them.

Verdict on Krishna-Godavari gas dispute likely on Friday

NEW DELHI, May 5: The Supreme Court is expected to deliver on Friday its much-awaited verdict on one of India’s most high-profile legal battles between companies led by the two Ambani brothers, Mukesh and Anil, over natural gas supplies from the Krishna-Godavari basin. A three-member bench of Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan, Justice B Sudershan Reddy and Justice P Sathasivam had reserved its judgement on December 18 after hearing the arguments that lasted 27 days, spread over nine weeks. The Chief Justice is set to retire on May 11 and has been disposing of as many cases as possible before that.

At the core of the Krishna-Godavari gas dispute is the validity of the agreement reached between the two brothers — and blessed by their mother Kokilabehn — at the time of the demerger of the erstwhile Reliance Group in June 2005, and concerns the price, quantity and tenure of gas supply by Reliance Industries Ltd to Reliance Natural Gas.

Heavy rain delays Northeast projects - some by 9 years!

Heavy rain delays Northeast projects - some by 9 years!

New Delhi, May 4: Heavy rain is one of the main reasons for delay in various development projects in the northeastern region of the country - some by as long as nine years, parliament was informed on Tuesday. “The completion of some ongoing projects is delayed beyond target date of completion. The main reason for their delay includes restricted working season due to heavy and prolonged rainy season and limitation of technical and professional expertise,” Minister of Development of Northeastern Region (DoNER) BK Handique informed the Lok Sabha.

“The projects are implemented by the State Governments,” he added. Among some of the delayed projects in the various northeastern states - as informed by the minister - is the upgradation of a hospital in Nagaland. The upgradation work of the Naga hospital in Kohima is running 110 months or around nine years behind schedule!

Similarly, a hostel building project in Arunachal Pradesh is far behind schedule. The work for hostels for 110 primary and middle schools is running 98 months or about eight years behind schedule. Implementation of the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan project, the government’s flagship programme to universalise elementary education, is nearly three years behind schedule in Mizoram.

In Meghalaya, the construction of an airport at Baljek in Tura is delayed by eight and half years. Work on the Guwahati University campus in Kokrajhar in Assam is delayed by six years. In all, 439 development projects are running behind schedule in the eight states of the northeast - Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim.

“In order to expedite implementation of the delayed projects, review meetings with the state government officers are held periodically. Training programmes are organised for the officers of the northeastern states in project management and implementation,” Handique said. (IANS)

Madhuri Gupta’s exploits

Madhuri Gupta’s exploits

JAMMU, May 2: Madhuri Gupta, the Indian diplomat arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan’s ISI, had picked up a packet for her Pakistani handler during her visit to Jammu on March 30, intelligence sources here say.

Gupta, who was sent to 14-days judicial remand by a Delhi court on Saturday, had picked up the packet in Raghunath Bazar area of Jammu city, the sources said. However, who handed over the packet to her could not be ascertained, the sources added.

Gupta, a second secretary at the Indian High Commission in Islamabad, had hired a local driver while doing shopping in Jammu city. She had travelled across the border in her official car with the diplomatic number plate of the Indian High Commission to the home of a doctor couple in Sunderbani, 120 km north of Jammu. However, when she visited Jammu she hired a different driver, the intelligence sources said.

Des Raj, a driver from Sunderbani, was hired by Gupta to drive her car from Sunderbani to Jammu and back on March 30. She did some shopping in the well-known Raghunath Bazar area of Jammu, where she is alleged to have picked up a packet for her Pakistani handler. The car was parked in the parking lot of Shri Maharja Gulab Singh (SMGS) Hospital. The driver was there all along till Gupta returned from shopping, which was almost 90 minutes, the sources said. From there, she asked the driver to take her to a popular sweet shop in Gandhi Nagar area, before returning to Sunderbani.

The driver had been hired for Gupta by Kham Raj Sharma, with whom she had stayed. Sunderbani is close to the Line of Control (LoC) that divides Jammu and Kashmir between India and Pakistan. Raghunath Bazar is a busy shopping area, a favourite with pilgrims visiting Vaishno Devi shrine. Pilgrim throng the market for shopping, where dry fruits, local and Kashmiri handicraft are the favourite items. (IANS)

Kathak on skates, girl dances to set record

Kathak on skates, girl dances to set record

VARANASI, April 18: A local dance performer has entered the Limca Book of Records by performing Kathak continuously for 24 hours on the roller-skates. The 25-year-old Soni Chaurasia started dancing at 6.30 pm on Wednesday at Arya Mahila Degree College and ended on Thursday evening. “She did it, If someone else does not break her record by May 31, 2010, her name will be registered in the Limca Book,” Smitha Joseph, Assistant Editor of Limca Book told PTI. The entire auditorium gave Soni a standing ovation as she completed her performance on the evergreen holi song chalo guyian aaj khele hori kanahiya ke sang. A PG degree holder in Sitar from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Soni started learning roller-skating in 2001 from Rajesh Dogera, the president of the organization while she took lessons of Kathak from Pt Omprakash Mishra. (PTI)

IPL row created to thwart Kerala franchise: Tharoor

NEW DELHI: Shashi Tharoor on Friday rejected Opposition demands for his resignation as minister of state for external affairs by asserting that the allegations against him on the IPL issue were "baseless, ill-founded and ill-motivated".

"The real motive behind the public controversy that has been created around me is to make the Kochi team unviable and to assign this IPL franchise to elsewhere than Kerala," he said in a statement tabled in the Lok Sabha amid opposition demand for his sacking.

The opposition members stormed the well and were in no mood to listen to the minister. They demanded his immediate removal which prompted Speaker Meira Kumar to order Tharoor to lay the statement he was reading out.

Seeking to mount an attack on IPL commissioner Lalit Modi, with whom he is involved in a spat over the ownership of the Kochi IPL team, Tharoor said "the game and the benefits accruing from it should not be retained only by an influential coterie with interests in a few privileged centres".

He said it was essential in democracy that institutions of interest to the general public are "run openly, rather than restricting their opportunities to a favoured few".

Tharoor rejected allegations that he had misused his official position.

"No misuse of my official position was involved. The issue has nothing to do with my ministry. As a minister, I was in no position to influence the bid process, let alone its outcome," he said.

"I had no role whatsoever in setting up the consortium led by Rendezvous Sports World itself or in any of the business decisions including its decision to bid for the franchise," he claimed.

The furore over the matter saw both the Houses being adjourned till Monday.

Earlier, the Lok Sabha witnessed two adjournments following opposition uproar on the issue while the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day after one adjournment in the morning.

"I have neither invested nor received a rupee for my mentorship of the team," Tharoor said.

Apparently referring to reports about his friendship with one of the Kochi stakeholders, marketing professional Sunanda Pushkar, he said, "Irrespective of my personal relationships with any of the consortium members, I have not benefitted, and do not intend to benefit, in any way financially from my association with the team now or at a later stage."

He said the "unethical efforts" that have been made to thwart the Kerala franchise were "disgraceful".

They were also "dangerous to the health and credibility of a sport that has captured the passions and the loyalty of a majority of Indians. Indeed, such behaviour brings the IPL itself into disrepute", he said.

Referring to suggestions that he had "indirectly received personal benefits from this enterprise", Tharoor asserted that this allegation was "particularly wounding because I have had a three-decade career in international public service that has never been sullied by the slightest taint of financial wrongdoing.

"Those who know me are aware that money has never been a motivating factor for me in any of my actions or decisions."

BJP seeks apology from German team on Modi remarks

BJP seeks apology from German team on Modi remarks

MUMBAI, April 13: Nearly 400 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists demonstrated outside the German consulate here on Tuesday to protest “provocative” statements by members of a German parliamentary delegation against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.“A team of delegates consisting German members of parliament belonging to Christian Democratic Union (CDU) visited Gujarat a few days back. Although this delegation was on an unofficial visit, a few members passed comments on the anti-conversion law passed by the Gujarat assembly,” said Atul Bhatkalkar, Mumbai unit general secretary of the BJP.

Bhatkalkar, with other members of the party, also met German Consul General Walter Spechel and submitted to him a memorandum demanding a retraction of the remarks and an unconditional apology from the delegation members.“They should not be commenting on the laws enacted by the sovereign republic of India,” he added.

The BJP activists raised slogans slamming the German delegates outside the consulate office at Nariman Point in south Mumbai. Bhatkalkar said Spechel assured them he would look into the matter.

The German delegation members, who visited Gujarat to study the status of minorities, reportedly justified the European Union’s earlier decision of not granting a visa to Modi.(IANS)

After the Meet

After the Meet

In the wake of the assurance given to Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh by US President Barack Obama during their recent meeting in Washington that India will get access to Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) operative David Coleman Headley, who has revealed to the US’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) the LeT’s Mumbai 26/11 plot, India should now prepare a very comprehensive road map to extract information from the US-based jihadi terrorist. According to reports, the US is working out the legal route to let Headley be questioned by India, and the details of access will be worked out between the national security advisors of the two countries — Shiv Shankar Menon and Gen Jim Jones. Those who would travel to the US to interrogate Headley must keep in mind the fact that he is a prized repository of jihad blueprints pertaining not just to the Mumbai savagery but also to the so-called Karachi Project involving serving and retired Pakistan Army officers with the sole intent to bleed India in as many ways as possible, and that a highly professional questioning of him can go a long way in comprehending the Pakistan-generated jihad story in totality. India must know that story, especially the infrastructure behind the Karachi Project that has come to light following Headley’s startling revelations to the FBI. The Karachi Project is purely India-specific, and going by our experience of the Pakistan-packaged terror brand all these years, there is every reason to believe that the project is a joint venture of the Pakistan Army’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and ‘good’ jihad fronts like LeT and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) for a protracted assault on India, especially to bleed its economy. And the grand project might as well entail cyber-terrorism — of course with help from China’s ‘‘vibrant hacker community that has been tied to targeted attacks in the past and has been linked through informal channels to elements of the Chinese state’’ as a University of Toronto research has enlightened us with. Therefore, the imperative and importance of interrogating Headley cannot be overemphasized.

Non-tribals’ strike hits life in parts of Jharkhand

Non-tribals’ strike hits life in parts of Jharkhand

RANCHI, April 13: The one-day strike called by non-tribals to protest the Jharkhand government’s move to hold panchayat polls by reserving the post of village council heads for tribal people affected normal life in some parts of the State on Tuesday.

Schools and shops were closed in Ranchi, roads were deserted and attendance in government offices was thin. Police used lathis to disperse strike supporters who forcefully tried to close shops. The strike also affected life in Jamshedpur, Hazaribagh and Giridih towns.

In January, the Supreme Court directed the State Government to hold panchayat elections at the earliest in accordance withthe Panchayat (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act (PESA) 1996, under which the posts of mukhiyas and sarpanch are reserved for tribals in scheduled areas as defined by the constitution.

PM asks ministers not to comment on internal security

NEW DELHI, April 12: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has asked all ministers to refrain from commenting in the media on matters of internal security, sources in the government said.

The ministers received on Sunday a circular sent by Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrashekhar on behalf of the prime minister. The Cabinet Secretary stated in his missive that the Prime Minister “desires” that ministers should not remark on the internal security of the country and should not voice “different opinions” on the matter. The home ministry is competent to react to such matters, it added. The Prime Minister’s direction comes after the April 6 massacre of 76 security personnel in the forests of Chhattisgarh, the largest Maoist attack in four decades.

It is learnt that the Prime Minister gave the direction for the circular after colleagues like Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee and Food Processing Minister Subodh Kant Sahay commented on the attack. The Prime Minister left on Saturday for a weeklong trip to the US and Brazil.(IANS)

Why Didi is afraid of Dada

Why Didi is afraid of Dada

NEW DELHI, April 11: It appears no Congress minister dares to talk with West Bengal’s Communist leaders in the formidable presence of Trinamool Congress chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee. But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is an exception.

Popularly called “Pranab da”, he even shared a car with West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee - archrival of Mamata Banerjee - after a meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence over price rise.

Mukherjee is not believed to be too happy about Banerjee meddling in the Central Government’s handling of problems in the Left-ruled State.

But Banerjee, often addressed as “Didi”, had to be silent on Pranab da’s open bonhomie with the Marxists because she fears he may lose his temper, which he often does. She also believes that he has the ability to broker a political alliance with the Communists in the State where she is making an all-out effort to end three decades of leftist rule, they say.

Why Didi is afraid of Dada

Why Didi is afraid of Dada

NEW DELHI, April 11: It appears no Congress minister dares to talk with West Bengal’s Communist leaders in the formidable presence of Trinamool Congress chief and Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee. But Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is an exception.

Popularly called “Pranab da”, he even shared a car with West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee - archrival of Mamata Banerjee - after a meeting at the Prime Minister’s residence over price rise.

Mukherjee is not believed to be too happy about Banerjee meddling in the Central Government’s handling of problems in the Left-ruled State.

But Banerjee, often addressed as “Didi”, had to be silent on Pranab da’s open bonhomie with the Marxists because she fears he may lose his temper, which he often does. She also believes that he has the ability to broker a political alliance with the Communists in the State where she is making an all-out effort to end three decades of leftist rule, they say.

HYDERABAD, Apr 8 (PTI): With the controversy over Shoaib Malik's past put to rest, both the families of the Pakistani cricketer and Indian tennis star Sania Mirza have started preparing for the April 15 marriage.

Seven of Shoaib's family members, including his mother, arrived at the Hyderabad airport for the high-profile, cross-border wedding.

Sania's mother and others welcomed the visitors from Pakistan with flowers.

The residence of the Mirzas in posh Film Nagar here was abuzz with activities.

Relatives and friends of the Mirzas have sent sweets and flowers to wish the family on the occasion of the wedding.

Shoaib's family members are also taking part in the preparations.

Sania's father Imran Mirza also got down to the task of preparing for the much awaited wedding. Shoaib's brother-in-law Imran Malik and the cricketer's younger brother were seen going out with Imran.

Maoists had ambushed CRPF in same spot before

Jagdalpur: The only reason Aman Singh is alive today is because Maoists shot him last month. On March 10, 2010, Maoists ambushed the 62nd battalion of the Central Reserve Police Force at the same spot as Tuesday’s massacre of 76 of Singh’s comrades in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district.

“That day there weren’t so many Maoists in the ambush,” said Singh, in an interview at the Maharani Hospital here on Thursday, “I was the only one injured when I took a bullet just above the knee.” He said the April 6 attack was the third time the company was ambushed in the same area in two months. “They [Maoists] also tried to attack on March 1 this year while we were patrolling the same stretch near Tarmetla village.” When they finally succeeded on April 6, they killed Singh’s entire platoon.

Two days after the tragedy, the broad outlines of the deadly attack are becoming clearer. The A-company and part of G-company of the 62nd Battalion left for a three-day Area Domination Exercise on April 4. The mission was also expected to reacquaint the A-company with the area and the terrain, as they had spent the last few months in training at Barsur in Dantewada district.

However, the exact nature of the three-day exercise still remains unclear. What was the force doing in the forest, and more importantly, how did the Maoists predict their path with such lethal accuracy?

Informed sources told TheHindu that the Area Domination Exercise was conducted as a precursor to a massive road-opening operation as the A-company was to replace the G-Company in the Chintalnar camp. “While the force can go on foot, we needed to open the road for supplies,” said the sources.

Accordingly, a patrol party of 81 men was mobilised to sanitise the area within a 5 kilometre radius of the Chintalnar camp. The sources said the Maoists probably anticipated the change of companies and so assembled a battalion strength (between 700 and 900 men) force to attack the road-opening operation.

“The Maoists had occupied a hill facing the Chintalnar-Chintagupha road,” said a senior source in the CRPF, who was not present at the site when the incident occurred. “We believe they were planning to attack the force on the main road that serves as our lifeline for all supplies.”

According to sources in the Intelligence apparatus, the patrolling party had also gained information that Maoists were moving along the Tongpalli-Tarmetla route. “They lay in wait for the Maoists till the early hours of the morning on April 6 and then headed back to base camp,” said the sources.

On their way back to camp, the ill-fated company from the 62nd Battalion appeared in an open field, about 600 metres from the main road, and right in the line of fire of a Maoist battalion that was anticipating a much bigger force. On seeing the CRPF company, it seems the Maoists simply swivelled 90 degrees to their left and opened fire on the unsuspecting men.

‘Gadkari a cheap politician’

‘Gadkari a cheap politician’

Our Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, April 7: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today dared BJP president Nitin Gadkari to substantiate with evidence the corruption allegations brought against him by the latter. Taking exception to charges of corruption levelled against him by Gadkari, Gogoi said: “If Gadkari levelled the corruption charges against me on being provoked by Assam BJP president Ranjit Dutta or others, it is certain that he is a cheap politician.”

Talking to newsmen here today, Gogoi said: “I have decided to write to Gadkari to furnish proof of his charges, because such criticism has never been levelled against me by any BJP leaders most of whom have cordial relationship with me at personnel level even though we have political rivalry. His allegations against me have no basis.”

BJP wins Bangalore civic polls

BANGALORE,April 5: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday captured power in the Bangalore civic agency for the first time and pledged not to allow new slums in the city and to fulfill all other promises made in its election manifesto.

“The people’s verdict has increased our responsibility. We will try to fulfill whatever promises made in the party manifesto,” a beaming B.S. Yeddyurappa, the BJP’s first chief minister in Karnataka and south India, said after the party won the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) or Greater Bangalore City Corporation election.Of the 198 seats in the BBMP, the BJP won 112 followed by the Congress (64), the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) (15) and seven Independents.

Voting took place on March 28 with about 46 percent of the 6.6 million eligible voters casting their ballots to choose their representatives from over 1,300 candidates, majority of them Independents.The BJP contested 197 seats, the Congress 196 and the JD-S 194.

After Uma, Govindacharya quits his organization

After Uma, Govindacharya quits his organization

BHOPAL, April 4: Close on the heels of Uma Bharti’s resignation from the president’s post of her party, Bharatiya Jan Shakti (BJS), her mentor and former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ideologue K.N. Govindacharya has quit as national convenor of his own organisation - Rashtriya Swabhiman Andolan (RSA).He left for Delhi shortly before the organisation’s two-day national executive meet was to begin here Saturday.

Govindacharya’s decision to quit the RSA post was announced at the organisation’s meet on Saturday and Rakesh Dubey was nominated as RSA’s national convener. Govindacharya was the convener of RSA since its founding May 15, 2004, and was devoting his time and energy in working for the Bharatiya Shodh Sansthan, Kautilya Shodh Sansthan and Bharat Vikas Parishad.

The former BJP general secretary and an RSS ideologue had severed ties with the BJP during the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government following his remarks calling the former prime minister a ‘mask’ and Advani the ‘real face’ of the party.Since then, Govindacharya, a patron of the RSS Swadeshi movement, restricted himself to academic activities even after Bharti roped him in 2009 and announced that the BJS would be the political wing of the RSA.