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New low in BJP as bickering grows
CPM Meet
PM leaves for Russia on Monday
Lalu to induct youth to rejuvenate RJD
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Tribal Violence
Missing N-power staffer not scientist
Widow poisons kids, self to death in Assam
Student files ragging complaint
Panel recommends IIT in Jodhpur, IIM in Udaipur
MEA issues advisory for students
going to Australia
Probe begins into security lapse at Chennai airport
K’taka minister gifts Rs 45 cr crown at Tirupati
Urdu academy secy titled Fakhr-e-Haryana
South Indian food lands tourist in hospital
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New low in BJP as bickering grows
New Delhi, June 12 While Advani camp hinted at possible action against Jaswant Singh and his being dropped from the party’s parliamentary board, spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy, a close confidant of Rajnath, ruled out any such action and instead questioned the propriety of Kulkarni to suddenly don the role of “an independent journalist” overnight when he was intimately involved in the party’s management in the general election. He, however, avoided criticising Arun Jaitley and drew a parallel between Jaitley’s analysis and Jaswant’s views. The polarisation in the BJP started the day Advani consented to lead the parliamentary party, with leaders like Murli Manohar Joshi and Pyare Lal Khandelwal opposing it. Then Advani appointed his confidant Arun Jaitley as Leader of Rajya Sabha and other confidant Sushma Swaraj as Deputy Leader in the Lok Sabha. This seems to have incensed Jaswant Singh, who won Lok Sabha elections in Darjeeling but felt demoted to a relative non-entity - losing the LoP position in the Rajya Sabha to Jaitley. Jaswant’s critics said: “He will have to surrender one of the two adjacent type VII bungalows he was retaining so far… He will also lose an IAS-level secretary, which the government was paying for.” But then sources said he was offered instead the position of the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Parliament, which traditionally goes to a prominent leader in the Opposition. In the 14th Lok Sabha, Vijay Kumar Malhotra was the PAC chairman. But till that comes, BJP insiders claim Jaswant has not vacated the Rajya Sabha LoP room. They said there was also a tussle over the seat Jaswant Singh wanted to occupy in the Lok Sabha. Critics said he wanted to occupy the seat next to Advani, citing the precedent that in the 14th Lok Sabha this was occupied by Atal Behari Vajpayee. In the meantime, Kulkarni’s piece appeared blaming BJP leadership, RSS and just about everyone for Advani’s defeat, providing ammo to the rival camp. While Advani and Sushma Swaraj distanced themselves, no one condemned him nor suggested any action against Kulkarni. Instead, Sushma dismissed it as “an analysis of an independent journalist”. This emboldened Jaswant, who attacked the BJP for humiliating victors and rewarding losers. In effect, he questioned the decision to crown Advani and Jaitely who led the party to its defeat. Singh also criticised the Sangh and its other Hindutva outfits like VHP, Bajrang Dal as an “embarrassment to a modern outlook”. On issues relating to the Parivar, there seemed to be an agreement between Jaswant and Kulkarni. But because Kulkarni is identified with Advani, the (Advani) camp was lenient towards him. Naturally then, the Rajnath camp rushed to the rescue of Jaswant Singh. Defending Jaswant, Rudy said, “Party discusses so many issues, party is discussing that as well.” “All I know is that no action is being considered against Jaswant Singh… He is a senior leader of the party, he has a right to express his views.” Mentioning Kulkarni in the same breath, Rudy said, “He did play an advisory role with Advani. He used to accompany him… Before the 16th (when poll results were out), he was part of the core team managing, strategising and planning the elections. But on 17th, I was told that he is an independent journalist… His criticism is unacceptable.”
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CPM Meet
Kolkata, June 12 He said while Karat was criticised for adopting a wrong policy at the national level, the Chief Minister was attacked for mishandling the Singur, Nandigram and several other important issues for which the party’s popularity and credibility among the people were lost to a large extent. Karat and Sitaram Yechuri were present as special invitees at two-day state committee’s meet which discussed the party’s over all position after the Lok Sabha polls at the national level vis-à-vis the strategy to be adopted towards other parties. The meeting also stressed that necessary steps be taken for regaining people’s faith and confidence towards the party. But at the concluding day of the meeting today, the party’s poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha in West Bengal was discussed threadbare. Following the defeats in several places, the CPM leaders and workers were now under constant attacks from the TMC which was forcing their workers and supporters to leave the areas. The party initially decided to launch massive drive throughout the state for regaining their positions in their lost areas. But in the view of persistent attack from the TMC and other anti-Left parties, the state committee today stressed that the workers should now rely more on the administration for restoring normalcy.
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PM leaves for Russia on Monday
New Delhi, June 12 Briefing reporters here today on the first overseas visit to be undertaken by Manmohan Singh after becoming the Prime Minister for a second term, Menon said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh would be meeting Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari there on June 16. “They (Manmohan Singh and Zardari) will be in the same room, same place and same time… I am sure they will meet, but it is hard to say at this stage whether it will be a hand shake or more than that,” Menon said. The meeting is being seen as an occasion that could break the ice between the two countries and lead to the revival of the dialogue process. Notably, this will also be the first top-level contact between India and Pakistan after New Delhi suspended the dialogue process with the neighbouring nation post the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. However, Menon was quite clear that it would not be a structured meeting between the two leaders and should in no way raise expectations of a dialogue between the two neighbours soon. There was no change in India’s position that a dialogue with Pakistan could be resumed only after Islamabad took sincere and credible action against the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks and dismantled the terrorist infrastructure. The PM, who will be accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising National Security Adviser MK Narayanan, his Principal Secretary TKA Nair and the Foreign Secretary, will attend both the SCO Summit and the Brazil-India-Russia-China (BRIC) Summit. The BRIC summit, also on June 16, will bring together the leaders of four fastest growing economies in the world to discuss global financial crisis, food and energy security, climate change and regional developments.
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Lalu to induct youth to rejuvenate RJD
Patna, June 12 Just a couple of days ago he had given a hard hitting speech in the Lok Sabha accusing the Congress of leaving its old allies in the lurch and trying to eliminate the regional parties. However, Lalu appeared quite impressed by Rahul Gandhi’s way of strengthening the Congress and stressed on the need to strengthen his own party on the same pattern. Lalu got the opportunity to vent his ire against the grand old party during his party’s state level workers meeting held here on Thursday. The meeting coincided with his 62nd birthday. With an obvious reference to the Congress, Lalu said that he and his party men were very well aware about those who are playing clever games in the garb of coalition politics. “But we are maintaining a restraint all this while”, he added. To describe the RJD’s dilemma and isolation in post Lok Sabha polls, Lalu narrated the allegory of ‘baaz’ (hawk) and the ‘small bird’ from the famous teachings of the last Sikh Guru, Govind Singhji, the which the Guru had referred the Mughal empire as ‘baaz’ and the Sikhs as ‘bird’. Equating the Congress to a ‘baaz’(Hawk), he said that the RJD being a ‘bird’ had not only successfully managed to tame the hawk for last two decades but also helped it to capture power at the Centre. It was only because the birds were together. Calling upon his party men to remain united in order to fight their next political battle, Lalu said that the weak birds can fight the Hawk only by remaining together. Lalu also admitted that the poor organisational structure of RJD accompanied with vaulting ambitions of its leaders was mainly responsible for the party’s debacle in the Lok Sabha polls and asked his party men to stop infighting. He also advised those having a ‘weak heart’ to leave the Party and vowed to start from ‘zero’. “I will induct new and youthful leaders from the age group of 18 to 35 into the party and constitute a task force”. The RJD Chief also announced to give 30 per cent seats to the youth in all elections. He also talked about pursuing the old agenda of his party - social justice and talked about continuing the struggle for the weaker sections and the minorities. Lalu also insisted that his alliance with Ram Vilas Paswan-led LJP will continue in future and said that the mass base of the RJD was still intact.
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Tribal Violence
Guwahati, June 12 Earlier on May 30, the Assam cabinet recommended appropriate action from the Governor against the elected North Cachar Hill Autonomous Hill District Council (NCHADC), which is under the ruler of Opposition Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC). The cabinet recommendation came following arrest of the chief executive member of the council and senior ASDC leader Mohit Hojai and deputy director of social welfare department RH Khan for diverting development funds to the coffer of Black Widow militant outfit. The case is now under investigation of the National Investigation Agency (NIA). A Raj Bhawan source informed that after consulting the state Chief Secretary, Hill Areas Development Commissioner and the State Advocate General, the Governor decided to take charge of the administration of the violence-affected hill district under the provision of Para 16 (2) of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, putting the elected ASDC-ruled council under suspended animation. The autonomous hill council is governed under the Sixth Scheduler of the Constitution that vests power with the state Governor to assume power of the council for a period not exceeding six months, provided he is satisfied that under some particular situation the administration of the autonomous council cannot be carried out by the elected body in accordance with the provision of this Schedule. The Governor may further extend the charge of the council by a period not exceeding six months. Meanwhile, Mathur today left for New Delhi to discuss the volatile situation in the North Cachar hill district with the Union Home Minister. The law and order situation in the insurgency-hit hill areas has remained precarious in view of continuing attacks and counter attacks on Naga and Dimasa tribe villages by Black Widow and Naga rebels. Meanwhile, the investigating team of NIA in coordination with the state police seized trunk loads of documents related to various department of the council during search operations carried out at residences of arrested Hojai and official Khan.
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Missing N-power staffer not scientist
Bangalore, June 12 “I am quoting the authorities of the Nuclear Power Corporation which run the atomic power plant. He is a mechanical engineer by training. His job was to impart simulation related training to the staff of the plant. There was no question of him being privy to any sensitive documents or having access to nuclear secrets of the country,” Gupta told this reporter over phone from Kaiga. Mahalingam, senior scientific officer in the atomic plant in Uttara Kannada, went missing on June 8 after he went out for a morning walk early in the morning. His wife lodged an FIR with the police on the same day at 3 pm. The SP said taking a morning walk was not a part of Mahalingam’s daily routine. “May be he would go out for a morning walk once in 15 days. It is unlikely that there was a plan to abduct him when he was taking his morning walk,” Gupta said. Gupta said there was thick forest in the neighbourhood of the atomic plant township. There were rivers, too, in the area, he said and added that either of the two “geographical factors” could claim Mahalingam’s life. “We have formed a few teams to search the area. A DSP has been permanently stationed in Kaiga to supervise the operations. We took the help of Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to comb the jungle in search of Mahalingam”, Gupta said. He said investigations carried out so far did not indicate any history of marital discord between Mahalingam and his wife.
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Widow poisons kids, self to death in Assam
Guwahati, June 12 The police said that 28-year-old Runumi Das whose husband Tuntun Das had died recently leaving her behind along with their two minor children, Avinash (4) and moon (8 months), was found seriously ill along with her children at the residence of her parents on Thursday morning. The police suspected that the widow administered poison to her unsuspecting children before consuming the same to cut short their agony when all other family members were out working at the paddy field. The widow and her children had been brought back to her ancestral home from her in-laws place at Amguri in Sivasagar district by her father Mukul Das about 15 days back. However, she was feeling unwanted in the family as her parents too were reeling under poverty.
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Student files ragging complaint
Kanpur/Chandigarh, June 12 Anand Mohan, a student of Guru Teg Bahadur Institute of Engineering in the Chapiyari area of Muktsar in Punjab, accused his seniors of physically assaulting him and making an attempt to set him ablaze. Anand, in his complaint here, further alleged that two more students — Tarun Shukla from Barielly in UP and Akhil Sharma from Himachal Pradesh — were also ragged by the seniors following which they fled the institute. However, the institute has dismissed these allegations and termed it as "blackmailing" by the trio. These students had faxed their complaint to the institute yesterday. Institute principal Sukhdev Singh told PTI over phone that these students were resorting to blackmailing in their bid to get back their fees as they had failed in their first semester examination. "It is their ploy to blame the institute to get back their fees as they failed in their examinations," he said. Muktsar police chief Gurpreet Singh Gill said it was surprising that students levelled allegations of ragging at Kanpur and said no complaint was lodged here. Meanwhile, DIG Hariram Sharma told PTI in Kanpur that the complaint filed by the student here has been transferred to their counterparts in Punjab. — PTI
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Panel recommends IIT in Jodhpur, IIM in Udaipur
Jaipur/Kota, June 12 While being a hub of coaching centres, Kota was a hot contender for bagging IIT, Jaipur’s disappointment stems from the fact that it didn’t get any of the prestigious institutions to be set up in the state. The panel has identified Bikaner and Ajmer as suitable locations for the proposed Central University and world-class varsity, respectively. The importance of having an IIT for Kota can be gauged from the fact that it featured among the key issues on the agenda of the political parties during the Assembly as well as the Lok Sabha elections. Both the Congress and the BJP promised the electorate to bring the IIT to Kota. The district administration had also earmarked a land at Shambupura village for the institute way back in 2007. The recommendation of the Vyas Committee to set up IIT in Jodhpur and the Institute of Food Technology in Kota has left the people disappointed. The town witnessed protests by local youths as soon as the word about Jodhpur getting IIT spread. Interestingly, the previous BJP government had recommended Kota’s name for establishing IIT. The reason - former CM Vasundhara Raje Scindia represents Hadoti region, which includes Kota. However, with the change in the government Jodhpur, which is hometurf of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, emerged as the first choice for setting up the IIT. The committee contended that Jodhpur is an ideal location as it is well-connected to major Indian cities through rail and air. It has given the same reason for choosing Udaipur for establishment of IIM. As far as Jaipur is concerned, it didn’t find favour with the committee probably due to the fact that the state capital already has a number of reputed educational institutions. Now, that his party is ruling at the state as well the Centre, Jaipur MP Mahesh Joshi, who had IIT and IIM for Jaipur in his poll agenda, is resorting to “politically correct” statements. “I’ll get in touch with the CM to find out what makes Jodhpur more suitable than Jaipur for IIT. I will try and get it for Jaipur,” he avers. Meanwhile, the politics too has hot up over the panel’s decision. The BJP’s youth wing, BJYM, has taken to the streets, voicing strong protest against the move and burning the CM’s effigy. The BJYM alleged that Jodhpur was chosen over other cities as Gehlot represents the constituency.
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MEA issues advisory for students going to Australia New Delhi, June 12 The Ministry of External Affairs issued these guidelines in the wake of continuing attacks on Indian students in Australia, particularly Melbourne. Talking to mediapersons, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon regretted that attacks were still continuing on Indian students. It was primarily the responsibility of the Australian government to ensure that these attacks stopped forthwith. He, however, hastened to add that the Australian authorities had been cooperative and helpful and were doing everything possible to stop these crimes. In the guidelines issued today, the government advised the students to seek details about the security situation in and around the university and their place of stay, as well as, local policing arrangements from the university authorities. The advisory said the students should not carry more cash than required, especially when travelling alone or late at night. They should always carry with them some identification and emergency contact numbers and, if in danger, dial 000 to get police help. Before leaving for Australia, the students must make sure that the institution offering the course has a good reputation, especially if it is a private one. They must also have adequate insurance covering accidents and medical needs from a reputed insurance company. The students must also make sure that they have enough funds to cover living and education costs. They might need at least 1,200 Australian Dollars a month for food, accommodation and transport. Meanwhile, a statement from the Australian High Commission here quoted Australian Education Minister Julia Gillard as saying that her government would not tolerate discrimination or the victimisation of international students, who were guests of the country. An international student taskforce has been established to develop strategies to support the well-being of overseas students.
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Probe begins into security lapse at Chennai airport
New Delhi, June 12 The BCAS, along with other investigating agencies, had started questioning the personnel responsible for the security of the airport complex after Sellmeyer, (58), was arrested when an Austrian-made ‘Calibre 40’ weapon was found from his baggage, they said. Sellmeyer told the CISF personnel during interrogation that he carried the same weapon when he flew into Chennai from New Delhi a fortnight back. “The BCAS officials have started questioning the CISF personnel as well as the airlines ground staff for their role in the incident,” they said. Sellmeyer was detained by the CISF personnel when they found the weapon while scanning his baggage as he arrived to board a Mumbai-bound flight. He was handed over to the airport authorities. He had come to Chennai last month from New Delhi to undergo treatment in a private hospital. Official sources said during a joint interrogation by the CISF and airport officials, Sellmeyer reportedly confessed that he had on May 27 travelled from Delhi to Chennai with the same gun on a domestic flight. The passenger had kept the gun in his baggage which was cleared by the security agencies when he reached Chennai last month, sources said. — PTI
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K’taka minister gifts Rs 45 cr crown at Tirupati
Bangalore, June 12 Janardhana Reddy, Karnataka’s Minister for Tourism and super-rich owner of a steel plant and an iron ore mine, yesterday presented a diamond-studded gold crown, worth around Rs 45 crore, to the Lord Venkateswara temple at Tirupati. The crown, weighing about 30 kg, is slated to adorn the presiding deity of the temple. Sources quoting an official of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD), the body which runs the affairs of the temple, said this was the largest-ever crown presented to the temple. Earlier, the minister had presented gold to the temple for the TTD’s project of gold plating the sanctum sanctorum of the temple. The temple, whose annual earnings reportedly amount to around Rs 2,000 crore, requires 195 kg of gold for the project. Recently, Karnataka Health Minister Sriramulu, who is also a close ally of the tourism minister, also figured in the news after he allegedly spent Rs 20 crore on his son’s wedding. While 500 air-conditioners were installed at the marriage hall for VIP guests, 200 hundred chefs were pressed into service for the feast held on the occasion.
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Urdu academy secy titled Fakhr-e-Haryana
New Delhi, June 12 This announcement was made at a function of reception to felicitate Kashmiri Lal Zakir at Ghalib Institute in New Delhi. The function was organised by Aalmi Urdu Adab, a Urdu magazine in coordination with the management of Ghalib Institute. The Urdu magazine has published special issue on the contribution of Zakir to Urdu literature that was released by Haryana Governor AR Kidwai. Zakir is associated with the Haryana Urdu Academy for the past 22 years and has penned down a number of short stories (Afsana), poems and novels highlighting social problems and others. Besides, he has so far authored 120 books in Urdu. Felicitating the 90-year-old author, the Haryana CM reminded the audience that Kashmiri Lal Zakir had been contributing to the Urdu literature for the past 70 years. He has been associated with the Urdu magazine of the Haryana government, Taamir-e-Haryna. Releasing the special issue of the Aalmi Urdu Adab, Kidwai named Kashmiri Lal Zakir a “young man” at the age of 90.
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South Indian food lands tourist in hospital
Chennai, June 12 The tourist, Vinay Kumar, (66), had ordered two idlies and a vadai in a famous hotel here. But, as soon as he started relishing the food, he noticed blood streaming out from his mouth. He immediately rushed to a nearby government hospital. The doctors who checked his mouth found a piece of blade between his teeth. The blade was removed and his wounds were treated. The tourist had lodged a complaint with the police and police is interrogating the hotel management and workers.
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CBI files case against HAL official New films hit theatres Youth held for matricide Cong worker shot dead
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