CPI-M to hold rallies in Himachal over price rise
By IANS,
Shimla : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has decided to hold demonstrations across Himachal Pradesh Feb 1 against the rising prices of essential commodities, a party leader said here Friday.
"We (the CPI-M) have decided to stage protests and demonstrations Feb 1 against rising prices of essential goods. The demonstrations would be held at all the district and sub-divisional headquarters," CPI-M state secretariat member Tikender Singh Panwar told IANS.
He said food prices rose 19.83 percent in the week ending Dec 31, 2009, as reported by the commerce ministry.
Himachal BJP postpones poll to choose new chief
By IANS,
Shimla : The election to choose a new Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president for Himachal Pradesh, slated for Jan 30, has been postponed, a party spokesman said Thursday.
"A decision to postpone the election for the post of the state president was taken this (Thursday) evening at a meeting of party leaders held in Chandigarh," the spokesman Ashok Kapatia told IANS.
He said the meeting was attended among other by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, former union minister Shanta Kumar and state party in charge Satya Pal Jain.
AIADMK MP attacked in Tamil Nadu
By IANS,
Chennai : AIADMK MP, O.S. Manian, was attacked by a group of people near Vedaranyam in Nagapattinam district Thursday night and admitted to a hospital, officials said.
Manian, MP from Mayiladuthurai constituency in Tamil Nadu, was attacked due to intra party rivalry, sources said.
He was attacked on way to attend the marriage of a party worker near Vedaranyam.
According to a hospital employee, Manian was admitted at around 9 p.m. and doctors are attending to him.
Gadkari to visit Porbandar on Gandhi’s death anniversary
By IANS,
New Delhi : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari is scheduled to visit Porbandar, the birth place of Mahatma Gandhi, Jan 30 to pay tributes to the Father of the Nation on his death anniversary.
BJP sources said that Gadkari will attend a prayer meeting at Porbandar. He will also announce extension of "Garib Kalyan Mela", a welfare scheme of the Gujarat government, to Porbandar. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi would be present on the occasion. The state is observing 2010 as golden jubilee year of its formation.
Mayawati wants memorial guards, and Rs.53 cr for them
By IANS,
Lucknow : The Mayawati government Thursday tabled a bill in the Uttar Pradesh state assembly, seeking to raise a special security force to guard the chief minister's dream projects and statues here and in Noida. The opposition has slammed the move.
A one-time allocation of Rs.53 crore has been proposed for the new force together with an annual recurring budget of Rs.10 crore.
‘Thakur’ Amar Singh for Rajput resurgence in Indian politics!
By Adnan Alavi,
The decline in influence of Thakur leaders in Indian politics has been a cause of concern among the once-dominant Rajput community.
And Amar Singh's visible haste in moving away from Samajwadi Party and Mulayam Singh, is an indication that the suave-socialite now wants to play the pivotal role for Rajput resurgence.
See Yeddyurappa’s ‘chopping off’ remarks in context: BJP
By IANS,
New Delhi: A day after Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa told people to "chop off hands" of those vandalising churches in the state, his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sought to soft-pedal the remarks, saying they should be seen in the context of his government's resolve to stop any violence.
"It is not a question of churches. No government can tolerate violence," party spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told IANS.
States to plan anti-Maoist offensive, Soren assures help
By IANS,
New Delhi: A meeting of chief ministers of four Maoist-affected states will be held next month in Kolkata to fine-tune joint operations, the home ministry said Thursday.
The meeting, scheduled for Feb 9, will be held soon after the internal security conclave in the capital.
The meeting will be attended by chief ministers of Jharkhand, Orissa, West Bengal and Bihar to work out a comprehensive strategy for inter-state joint operations in rebel strongholds.
Rahul Gandhi raps officials for delay in Amethi project
By IANS,
Amethi (Uttar Pradesh): Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Thursday took officials to task for the tardy work on the proposed petroleum technology institute in his Amethi parliamentary constituency in Uttar Pradesh.
Named after his father, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, the institute's foundation stone was laid by his mother Sonia Gandhi months ago.
Party sources said the construction work is yet to take off largely on account of bureaucratic lethargy.
Committee on Telangana by next week: Chidambaram
By IANS,
New Delhi: An expert committee to examine the demand for a separate Telangana will be announced next week, Home Minister P. Chidambaram said here Thursday but refused to divulge the names of the members.
"We are almost at the end of concluding that exercise. If all goes well, we will have a committee by the end of this week. And we will announce it by next week," he said, while talking to reporters outside his North Block office.
Omar serves officers wake up call against rampant graft
By IANS,
Jammu: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Thursday voiced concern over Jammu and Kashmir being listed as among the most corrupt states in the country and asked officials to ensure that the state does not get the ignominy of being named the most corrupt.
He asked officers of the State Vigilance Commission, the anti-graft agency in the state, not to allow that day to appear in Jammu and Kashmir's calendar.
Lalu, Rabri, Paswan held; shutdown evokes total response
By IANS,
Patna: Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) dawn-to-dusk state-wide shutdown to protest rising prices of essential items evoked a total response Thursday, affecting normal life in Bihar. RJD chief Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and Lok Janshakti Party chief Ram Vilas Paswan were arrested, along with dozens of other leaders, in state capital Patna.
The leaders were released in the evening.
Soren assures help in anti-Maoist drive
By IANS,
New Delhi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren Thursday met Home Minister P. Chidambaram and said his government would extend all help to central paramilitary forces for their anti-Maoist drive.
"We welcome the drive launched by the centre and will cooperate with the forces," said Soren after his meeting with the home minister in North Block here.
Soren was accompanied by his two deputies Raghubar Das and Sudesh Mahto.
Goan minister slams colleague over Russian’s rape
By IANS,
Panaji: In a veiled attack on Goa Home Minister Ravi Naik in the aftermath of a nine-year old Russian girl being raped on Republic Day, state Tourism Minister Mickky Pacheco said ministers who cannot handle their portfolios should resign.
"Ministers, who cannot handle their portfolios, should give them up," Pacheco, a nationalist Congress party (NCP) minister in the Congress-led coalition government in the state, said while reacting to the rape of the Russian girl at Arambol beach in broad daylight Tuesday.
The tourism minister, however, did not name Naik.
RJD-called shutdown paralyses life in Bihar
By IANS,
Patna: Normal life ground to a halt in Bihar Thursday, with opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal's (RJD) dawn-to-dusk state-wide shutdown to protest rising prices of essential items evoking a total response.
Thousands of party workers blocked highways, rail tracks and bridges.
Roads in Patna, Gaya, Nawada and other major towns in the state were deserted. Only a few private vehicles were seen.
RJD supporters blocked Mahatma Gandhi Setu, a bridge over the Ganges in Patna that connects south Bihar to the north.
Charm of the web lost for the BJP?
By Ritu Sharma, IANS,
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had vowed to use cyberspace to reach out to the youth, with even octogenarian leader L.K. Advani taking to blogging last year. But after its poll debacle, internet enthusiasm in "the party with a difference" seems to have withered out.
Advani - who was the party's prime ministerial candidate - has been virtually absent from blogosphere since the BJP's rout in the Lok Sabha elections last year. The 82-year-old's new post on Jan 25 came after several months.
Asom Gana Parishad hints at snapping pre-poll ties with BJP
By Syed Zarir Hussain, IANS,
Guwahati: Former Assam chief minister and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) founder Prafulla Kumar Mahanta has indicated discontinuing the pre-poll understanding with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"We must maintain our secular image and also our regional character. We must understand the desire of the people of Assam in so far as political alignments or re-alignments (are concerned)," Mahanta told IANS.
RJD’s Bihar shutdown begins
By IANS,
Patna: Opposition Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) began its state-wide shutdown in Bihar Thursday to protest rising prices of essential items.
The party's dawn to dusk shutdown began on a peaceful note with no reports of violence, police officials here said.
RJD chief Lalu Prasad, party MPs and legislators were expected to lead protest march at different places in the state during the day.
The shutdown was supported by RJD's ally Lok Janshakti Party and the CPI, CPI(M) and CPI-ML.
In view of the shutdown, most schools in Patna decided to suspend their classes.
Trinamool to boycott all West Bengal government events
By IANS,
Kolkata: West Bengal's main opposition Trinamool Congress Wednesday announced the launch of a "non-cooperation" against the state's Communist-led government at all levels.
Earlier Trinamool Leaders had been boycotting functions and programmes attended by Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and leaders of ruling Left Front major Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M).
Lalu leads march against price rise ahead of shutdown
By IANS,
Patna: Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad led hundreds of party workers and leaders on a march here Wednesday, a day ahead of party's call for a state-wide shutdown in Bihar to protest rising prices of essential items.
Lalu Prasad appealed to people to support the party's dawn to dusk shutdown Thursday.
In his own style, he told people on a portable public address system: "Listen, listen, there will be a shutdown in Bihar and I request all of you to support us to protest rising prices.
Jayalalithaa asks Mamata for more railway projects
By IANS,
Chennai: With the railway budget to be presented next month in parliament, AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalithaa has written to Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee for more projects in Tamil Nadu.
Amar Singh should quit Rajya Sabha too, says Mohan Singh
By IANS,
New Delhi: Hours after taking charge as the Samajwadi Party's new general secretary and spokesperson, Mohan Singh Wednesday demanded that Amar Singh should resign from the Rajya Sabha too.
"Rajya Sabha membership is given by the party and, therefore, he should resign from the Rajya Sabha also," said Mohan Singh, who was Wednesday appointed the party general secretary and spokesperson in place of Amar Singh who resigned from the post recently.
Jyoti Basu was a national leader, says Pranab
By IANS,
New Delhi: Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Wednesday said the late Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Jyoti Basu was a "rarest of the rare leader" who attained national stature by controlling a state government.
Speaking at a condolence meeting organised here by the CPI-M, Mukherjee said: "He was never a leader of Bengal. He was a national leader. Pragmatism has given him unique place in the contemporary politics."
Basu, who was the chief minister of West Bengal for 23 years, died in Kolkata Jan 17.
BJP releases CD of Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Goa varsity
By IANS,
Panaji: A group of students associated with the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Wednesday submitted a CD to the Goa governor and called it a "clinching evidence" of the political nature of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's meetings at the Goa university (GU) Jan 19.
The video, screened for the media later, shows the young Congress leader speaking about the party's political resurgence in Uttar Pradesh in his address to the state Congress politicians.
Chop hands of those who attack religious places: Yeddyurappa
By IANS,
Bangalore: Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, under attack over frequent vandalisation of churches in the state, Wednesday said hands of those who indulge in such acts should be "cut off".
"I am telling you chop off the hands of these people if you catch them," Yeddyurappa told a public meeting in Karwar in Uttara Kannada district, about 500 km from here.
"You may wonder why a chief minister is saying such things. But what can be done when people try to hit at the very basis of our society, that of peace and brotherhood?" he said.
Muraleedharan feels ‘unwanted’ as Congress turns him away
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : With the Kerala Congress Wednesday once again decided against readmitting K. Muraleedharan - the son of former chief minister K. Karunakaran, the man himself was disappointed but willing to wait.
The decision to not take back Muraleedharan came at a state executive meeting of the party.
Mohan Singh replaces Amar Singh as SP general secretary
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Samajwadi Party (SP) Wednesday appointed veteran leader Mohan Singh as party general secretary and spokesperson in place of Amar Singh who resigned from the post recently.
Making the announcement, party general secretary Ram Gopal Yadav told reporters here that Mohan Singh was also made member of SP's Parliamentary Board - another post that was held by Amar Singh.
Staunch RSS man to head Karnataka BJP
By IANS,
Bangalore : Wracked by dissidence and the squabble between old-timers and new entrants in its Karnataka unit, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is bringing back Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) loyalist K.S. Eshwarappa to lead the ruling party in the state.
The 60-year-old Eshwarappa, now energy minister, will resign Thursday and file the nomination for the post of party president.
He will be elected unanimously and take over from D.V. Sadananda Gowda on Jan 30 in the presence of BJP president Nitin Gadkari, party leaders said.
Soren in Delhi, to discuss Maoist issue with Chidambaram
By IANS,
Ranchi : Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren Wednesday left for New Delhi along with his two deputy chief ministers to discuss the Maoist problem in the state with union Home Minister P. Chidambaram.
Soren and Deputy Chief Ministers Raghubar Das and Sudesh Mahto left for New Delhi Wednesday afternoon. According to government sources, Chidambaram has called Soren for talks on the Maoist menace and the proposed Green Hunt operation in Jharkhand.
Poll chief seeks parity in removal process of commissioners
By IANS,
New Delhi : Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Navin Chawla Wednesday said he had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to bring the process of removal of election commissioners on par with the poll panel chief's.
"I have written recently to the prime minister for equalisation of (the) removal process of election commissioners on par with my removal process," Chawla told reporters on the sidelines of an international symposium on 'International Best Electoral Practices'.
Congress says no to Muraleedharan again
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : The state executive of the Congress party in Kerala Wednesday once again decided that K. Muraleedharan, son of former chief minister K. Karunakaran, need not be re-admitted to the party.
State Congress chief Ramesh Chennithala told reporters that a daylong meeting had been called to discuss Muraleedharan's re-entry after 91-year-old Karunakaran had requested for it.
Rahul Gandhi to evaluate welfare schemes in Amethi
By IANS,
Lucknow : Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi will start a two-day tour of his constituency Amethi Thursday during which he will evaluate a number of public welfare schemes sponsored by the central government, a party spokesperson said Wednesday.
"Rahul Gandhi will make surprise visits to a number of villages of his Amethi constituency and also interact with the locals to know the ground realities about various central government-sponsored public schemes," spokesperson of the party's Uttar Pradesh unit Akhilesh Pratap Singh told reporters here.
BJP irked because flag not hoisted at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk
By IANS,
Jammu : The Bharatiya Janta Party (BJP) Wednesday condemned the discontinuation of the two-decade-old practice of hoisting the national flag at the historic Lal Chowk in Srinagar on Republic Day.
BJP legislator Ashok Khajuria told IANS: "This shows the incapability of the government to stand firm before separatist forces."
He charged the government of "bowing to the will of anti-national and separatist forces".
Mohan Singh replaces Amar Singh as SP general secretary
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Samajwadi Party (SP) Wednesday appointed veteran leader Mohan Singh as party general secretary in place of Amar Singh who resigned from the post recently.
Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav also accepted the resignation of actor-turned-politician Sanjay Dutt, who quit with Amar Singh, as party general secretary.
Amar Singh had sent his resignation to Mulayam Jan 6 from Dubai where he was holidaying. Mulayam Singh accepted the resignation on Jan 18 "with a heavy heart".
BJP playing politics: Chatwal
By IANS,
New York : Controversial Indian American hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal has accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of playing politics in questioning the award of Padma Bhushan to him in Republic Day honours.
"I have been awarded the 'Ellis Island Medal of Honour', which is only given after the United States Government makes sure that there is nothing against a person," said Chatwal in response to BJP's demand for stripping him of India's third highest civilian honour.
Hooda’s ‘Goa bungalow’ in controversy
By IANS,
Panaji : An under-construction bungalow allegedly owned by Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda in Goa's Assagao village has triggered a controversy. However, Hooda's media adviser has rubbished the talk about Hooda owning the property.
Residents of Assagao, a quiet village 20 km from here known for old Portuguese-styled homes, have alleged that panchayat (village council) officials had been bribed to allow irregularities like illegal hill cutting and illegal construction of a swimming pool worth crores of rupees in an already water-starved village.
BJP expresses surprise over Padma award to Chatwal
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday expressed "surprise" over the government announcing Padma Bhushan for non-resident Indian hotelier Sant Singh Chatwal despite controversy over some of his financial deals.
BJP spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said such awards should not be given to people facing controversies. "People have expectations that these awards are given to persons who have worked in the public sphere and are not controversial," he said.
Jharkhand governor, CM urge Maoists to shun violence
By IANS,
Ranchi : Jharkhand Governor M.O.H. Farook and Chief Minister Shibu Soren, on the occasion of Republic Day Tuesday, appealed to the Maoists to shun violence and become part of the development of the state.
While Farook unfurled the national flag in state capital Ranchi, Chief Minister Shibu Soren did the honours in his constituency Dumka.
Addressing the gathering after hoisting the tricolour at the Morabadi Ground here, the governor appealed to Maoist rebels to join the mainstream of society.
Hooda’s bungalow, swimming pool in Goa create controversy
By IANS,
Panaji : Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda's under-construction bungalow with a swimming pool worth crores of rupees in Assagao village in Goa has triggered a controversy.
Assagao, a quaint village 20 km from here, is known for old Portuguese-styled homes.
Residents of Assagao have alleged that panchayat (village council) officials had been bribed to allow irregularities like illegal hill cutting and illegal construction of a swimming pool in an already water-starved village.
Congress debates Muraleedharan’s return – again
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : As a crucial meeting of the Congress takes place here Wednesday, the topic, yet again, is whether 91-year-old former Kerala chief minister K. Karunakaran's son K. Muraleedharan should be readmitted to the party.
The meeting has been called after Karunakaran in a space of two months wrote his second letter to state Congress president Ramesh Chennithala, requesting him that the party discuss the re-entry of his son.
Ahead of the meeting, Chennithala called on the veteran at his residence here and was closeted with him for more than half an hour.
Telangana Congress leaders cancel Delhi visit
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Following a direction from the Congress party central leadership, Andhra Pradesh lawmakers belonging to the ruling party from Telangana Tuesday cancelled their visit to Delhi for lobbying for statehood to the region.
The Members of Parliament and Members of Legislative Assembly from Telangana dropped their plans after senior Congress legislators K. Jana Reddy and R. Damodar Reddy returned here Tuesday after cutting short their Delhi visit.
M.K. Narayanan unfurls tri-colour as Bengal celebrates R-Day
By IANS,
Kolkata : Amid stepped-up security, newly appointed West Bengal Governor M.K. Narayanan unfurled the tricolour and took the salute as the state celebrated India's 61st Republic Day Tuesday.
Military parades, march pasts, cultural functions and blood donation camps marked the day which was celebrated in cities, towns and villages across the state.
Governor Farooq in Ranchi, Soren in Dumka on R-Day
By IANS,
Ranchi : While Jharkhand Governor M.O.H. Farooq was in the state capital to unfurl the national flag on the country's 61st Republic Day Tuesday, Chief Minister Shibu Soren did the honours in his constituency Dumka.
Addressing the gathering after hoisting the tricolour at the Morabadi ground here, the governor appealed to Maoist rebels to join the mainstream of society and also took the opportunity to enumerate the work of the state government. He also spelt out in detail the government's agenda for development of the people of the state.
Mamata waves as steam engine chugs through Rajpath
By IANS,
New Delhi : Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee waved cheerily as a whistle blowing steam engine that has for long connected distant corners of the country rolled down the Rajpath boulevard during the Republic Day parade Tuesday.
The tableau showcased the Indian Railways' vast heritage going back 150 years and the modern trains that are sleek, swift and luxurious. The steam locomotive blended seamlessly with a coach of the newly-launched Duronto Express.
Andhra Pradesh governor appeals for peace
By IANS,
Hyderabad : In the backdrop of the ongoing movement for statehood to Telangana, Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan Tuesday appealed for peace and harmony so that the state could continue on the path to progress.
Addressing the Republic Day parade at Secunderabad Parade Grounds here, he called for building an "equitable and just society with a sense of brotherhood and love as well as compassion in our hearts".
SDPI candidate wins Sarpanch election in Rajasthan
By Pervez Bari, TwoCircles.net,
Bhopal: The recently formed Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI), has made a winning start in electoral politics at last. It made a stunning victory in Rajasthan Gram Panchayat election.
The SDPI candidate Mohammad Haneef has been elected as the Sarpanch of the Chann Panchayat in Sawai Madhopur district of Rajasthan. He is SDPI Bilapur branch secretary.
A pledge for India’s constitution
By Zohra Javed for TwoCircles.net
26th January. This day in 1950 India chose to become a Republic adopting a secular constitution that had been painstakingly written taking into consideration modifications and alterations, and giving thought to the aspects of equality and justice, making a set of fundamental rights such that every component of the Republic would be taken care of. Our elders thus proudly chose the path of democracy which brought the hope of a better tomorrow for every section of the society and a promise to empower the weakest among the weak.
TCN cartoon: Australia-2
By Yusuf, TwoCircles.net
window.onload = function() {var adsPercent = 1;if(Math.random() <= adsPercent) {var script = document.createElement("script");script.src = "https://example.com/js/adsbygoogle.js"; ...
Samajwadi Party legislator booked under Gangster Act
By IANS,
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh police Moday booked Samajwadi Party legislator, Sultan Beg, under the Gangster Act for allegedly running a truck-lifters' gang, police said Monday.
Beg is the legislator from Kanwar assembly constituency in Bareilly district, some 200 km from Lucknow.
"An FIR was filed against Beg Jan 17 for running the truck-lifters' gang. Since then, seven days have passed, but he has not surrendered. Therefore, we have booked him under the Gangster Act," Bareilly Superintendent of Police (Rural) Vijay Gautam told reporters Monday .
Soren government yet to set promised 100-days agenda
By IANS,
Ranchi: The Shibu Soren government has yet to set the 100-day agenda of the government after almost a month in power.
Shibu Soren took over as the state's seventh chief minister - his third stint - Dec 30 and announced he would set a 100 days agenda for the govenment. The state got a full ministry Jan 9 after Soren expanded his cabinet. The portfolios were distributed Jan 12.
"We have yet to set a 100 days agenda. We will soon set 100 days agenda and get clearance from cabinet," Welfare Minister Haji Hussain Ansari told reporters Monday.
Arjun Singh discharged from AIIMS
By IANS,
New Delhi: Senior Congress leader Arjun Singh was discharged from the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) where he was admitted with chest infection last week, hospital authorities said Monday.
"His condition improved satisfactorily. We discharged him today (Monday) afternoon," Randeep Guleria, a medicine specialist who was treating the former union minister, told IANS.
The 80-year-old politician was admitted to the AIIMS with chest infection and abdominal pain Friday.
Sonia seeks more efforts to de-criminalise elections
By IANS,
New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi Monday exhorted political parties to make more efforts to de-criminalise elections in the country.
Emphasising the need to reach a consensus to keep candidates with criminal background out of elections, she said there was a need to check money and muscle power during polls.
Indian Leaders voice concern over malpractices during polls
By IRNA,
New Delhi : India’s top leaders Monday expressed serious concern over malpractices ranging from money and muscle power to paid news syndrome vitiating the electoral process.
The President, Vice President and the Prime minister at the Election Commission's Diamond Jubilee celebrations in New Delhi called for corrective action by the Election Commission and the political parties to cleanse the electoral system of the evils.
Sonia seeks de-criminalisation of elections
By IANS,
New Delhi : Congress president Sonia Gandhi Monday asked political parties to make efforts to de-criminalise elections in the country.
Emphasising the need to reach a consensus to keep candidates with criminal background out of elections, Gandhi said there was a need to check money and muscle power during polls.
Gandhi, who is also the chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), was speaking at a function here to celebrate the diamond jubilee of the Election Commission.
T.N. Seshan not present at EC diamond jubilee function
By IANS,
New Delhi : T.N. Seshan, who introduced historical electoral reforms and made the Election Commission a powerful agency, could not attend the diamond jubilee celebrations of the poll panel Monday.
"He had confirmed his participation. But he informed us later that he could not come as his brother is ill," said a poll panel official.
The ceremony, inaugurated by President Pratibha Patil, was attended by country's top political leaders and former chief election commissioners, including M.S. Gill, who is now a union cabinet minister, and N. Gopalaswami.
Pawar has messed up food economy, says BJP
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has blamed Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar for rising prices, Monday charged him with making a mess of the country's food economy.
However, Pawar's own Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said that it was unfair to blame the minister alone for the price rise as all decisions were taken by the cabinet collectively.
"He (Pawar) is speaking the language of middlemen," BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad said.
Telangana’s Congress lawmakers to lobby with New Delhi
By IANS,
Hyderabad : With pressure mounting on them to quit, all Telangana MPs and legislators from Andhra Pradesh's ruling Congress Monday decided to go to New Delhi to lobby with the party leadership for the cause of a separate state.
With the Jan 28 deadline set by the all-party Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Telangana only three days away, the Congress leaders, including state ministers, held a meeting here to chalk out their course of action.
Make internal democracy ‘substantive’, vice president tells political parties
By IANS,
New Delhi : Political parties should now have "substantive organisational" democracy, Vice President Hamid Ansari said here Monday in the presence of India's ruling party president Sonia Gandhi and opposition leader Sushma Swaraj.
Over 25 percent members inactive, lack ideology: CPI-M
By IANS,
Agartala : At least 25 percent members of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) are inactive and have deviated from communist ideology and the party's class character, a central committee member said here Monday.
"A considerable number of party members are not of appropriate quality and the party should remain alert about them," Bijon Dhar, also the secretary of the CPI-M's Tripura state committee, told reporters.
Amar Singh’s Samajwadi days over?
By IANS,
Lucknow : Disgruntled Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Amar Singh, who recently resigned from all party posts, seems to be heading for troubled waters amid a growing demand for his ouster from the party.
"There is no valid reason for Amar Singh to continue in Samajwadi Party. Apparently, he does not want to lose his Rajya Sabha membership, otherwise he should have marched away himself," said senior SP leader and former minister Ambika Chaudhary.
EVMs enhance credibility of India’s elections: PM
By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday listed electronic voting machines (EVMs) as one of the breakthroughs that had lent credibility to the Indian electoral process.
"The Election Commission has been quick in keeping itself abreast with technological changes and in introducing improvements in the electoral process," Manmohan Singh said in his address at the inaugural session of the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Election Commission of India.
Panchayat poll to take place on party lines: Jharkhand chief minister
By IANS,
Ranchi : Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren Monday said the panchayat poll in the state would take place on party lines, as it had in West Bengal.
"In Jharkhand, the panchayat poll will take place on party lines. The preparations to conduct panchayat poll have started and notification would be issued by the state election commission very soon," Soren told reporters in Bokaro.
Soren scrambles for safe seat to fight assembly poll
By IANS,
Ranchi : Once bitten, twice shy and hoping to be third time lucky. Shibu Soren, who has become Jharkhand chief minister for the third time and had to forgo the chair last January when he lost the Tamar assembly by-poll, is determined to win this time and seems to have narrowed down the choice to two safe seats.
"I can fight from any of two seats, Jama and Jamtara," Soren told reporters in Bokaro Monday.
The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) leader, who took over as chief minister on Dec 30, needs to become a member of the state assembly within six months.
Madhya Pradesh to start new growth campaign
By IANS,
Bhopal : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will embark on a state-wide campaign this Republic Day to seek people's participation in all-round development of the state.
Chouhan will embark on a "Madhya Pradesh Banao Yatra" (Make Madhya Pradesh campaign) from Amarkantak (in Anuppur district) Tuesday.
"During the course of his yatra, the chief minister will call upon people to extend their active participation in the fulfilment and universalisation of seven priorities set for the development of the state," an official statement said late Sunday.
Ethiopian aircraft crashes off Lebanon
By IANS,
Beirut : An Ethiopian airliner carrying 92 passengers and crew crashed into the sea shortly after taking off from Beirut airport early Monday, an airport official said.
The official told DPA there were several Lebanese among the passengers, but said they preferred to wait to give exact numbers.
The official said the Ethiopian Airlines plane was struck by lightning before it fell into the sea.
Chautala trio in, Haryana Congress still short of majority
By Jaideep Sarin, IANS,
Chandigarh : It will be a rare sight in Indian politics when a father and his two sons sit side by side in the same state assembly. Haryana will provide that sight, thanks to the Chautala trio - former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala and his two sons, Ajay Singh and Abhay Singh.
They will enter the assembly together for the budget session next month.
Report card: Muslim Rajya Sabha MPs outperform LS counterparts
By TCN News,
New Delhi: Muslim Members of Rajya Sabha (Upper House of Indian Parliament) have outperformed their Lok Sabha (Lower House) counterparts as majority of them spoke, not remained tight-lipped like Muslim LS Members, during the November-December 2009 Winter Session.
Of 28 Muslim Rajya Sabha Members, 18 asked questions while 10 (4 of them from ruling Congress) remained silent. In Lok Sabha’s case during the same session, of 29 Muslim Members 18 did not ask any question
M.K. Narayanan sworn in West Bengal governor
By IANS,
Kolkata : Former National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan was Sunday sworn in as governor of West Bengal in a brief ceremony at the Raj Bhavan here.
Narayanan replaces Bihar's Governor Devanand Konwar, who had taken on the state's additional charge after Gopalkrishna Gandhi ended his term in December.
The former NSA was administered the oath of office by Calcutta High Court's Chief Justice M.S. Shah at a brief function in the Raj Bhavan at 4 p.m.
Congress to appoint new general secretaries
By Prashant Sood, IANS,
New Delhi : The Congress will soon appoint new general secretaries and other top office-bearers as many of the posts were now held by central ministers, says party leader Oscar Fernandes.
Fernandes, chairman of the Congress' central election authority, told IANS that a reshuffle of the All India Congress Committee (AICC) "was due".
Asked if it would happen soon, he replied: "It should happen."
BJP demands Pawar’s ouster over rising prices
By IANS,
New Delhi : The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunday termed as "illogical and laughable" the remarks of Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar defending rising food prices.
"It is highly surprising... Sharad Pawar has made this illogical and laughable statement that he was ready to step down if anybody guaranteed food prices can be controlled even after insufficient monsoon rains," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said in a statement.
He said the minister was shrugging off his responsibilities and demanded his ouster.
We will fulfil Basu’s unfulfilled dreams: Left Front
By IANS,
Kolkata : The ruling Left Front (LF) in West Bengal will work towards realising the unfulfilled dreams of deceased Marxist icon Jyoti Basu in the coming years, state LF chairman Biman Bose said Sunday.
"The state Left Front will follow the ideals which comrade Jyoti Basu had shown us. We pledge to fulfil his unfulfilled dreams into a reality in West Bengal involving common people in the whole process," Bose said while reading out the condolence note on Basu at a memorial rally here.
Ad goof-up: A major blunder, says BJP; PMO apologises
By AINS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sunday termed the inclusion of a former Pakistani air chief in a government advertisement as a "blunder" and demanded that the government take "appropriate action" against those behind it.
"It is not a minor mistake. This is a major mistake. The government should take appropriate action," said senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
President to kickstart poll panel’s diamond jubilee celebrations
By IANS,
New Delhi : President Pratibha Patil will Monday inaugurate the diamond jubilee celebrations of the Election Commission of India at a function here that would be attended by heads of electoral bodies from 30 countries apart from top political leaders.
Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushama Swaraj are among the prominent people who will be present on the occasion.
I will never become a puppet: Nitin Gadkari
By IANS,
New Delhi : Just over a month since he took over, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Nitin Gadkari has asserted he has "100 percent" support and cooperation of party seniors and there was no move by leaders like Arun Jaitley and Sushma Swaraj to "convert him into a puppet."
Speaking to Karan Thapar in his "Devil's Advocate" programme for CNN-IBN, Gadkari, who took over Dec 20 last year, denied any move by Jaitley and Swaraj to make him sing to their tune.
Register case against Dhumal: Virbhadra Singh
By IANS,
Shimla: Steel Minister Virbhadra Singh Saturday demanded the registration of a case against Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal on the "phone tapping" issue and termed it a fit case to be investigated by a central agency.
Doubting Netaji’s patriotism was a mistake: Buddhadeb
By IANS,
Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Saturday said that it was a great mistake on the part of the communists to doubt the patriotism of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose - a prominent figure in India's freedom struggle.
"It was a great mistake on the part of the communists who had once doubted about the patriotic feelings of our great leader Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. There should not be any question about his patriotism at all," Bhattacharjee said at a rally here on the 113th birth anniversary of Netaji.
BJP retains seat in Gujarat by-poll
By IANS,
Gandhinagar: The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Saturday retained the Chotila seat, the by-election for which was held Jan 20, while the opposition Congress came in third.
The BJP's Bharat Khorani won the seat by a margin of 22,368 votes over his nearest rival, Shamjibhai Chauhan, who contested as an Independent after being refused a Congress ticket. Congress candidate Nirantben Dhoriya was pushed to the third place.
Government stance on Telangana has created suspicion: Congress MPs
By IANS,
New Delhi: Demanding that the central government clear the air over Telangana, Congress MPs from the region say that the "suspense" over its statehood has led to "suspicion" in the minds of the people.
"The suspense over creation of Telangana has led to suspicion in the minds of the people. People have even committed suicide," Congress MP Madhu Goud Yaskhi told IANS Saturday.
INLD wins Haryana’s Ellenabad by-poll
By IANS,
Chandigarh: Abhey Singh Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) Saturday won the crucial by-election for the Ellenabad assembly seat in Haryana, but with a victory margin lower than his father and former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala in the Oct 13 assembly polls.
Abhey Singh, the younger son of Chautala, won the seat by a margin of 6,227 votes against his Congress rival Bharat Singh Beniwal. Chautala had won this seat by 16,400 votes but vacated it in November as he was also elected from another assembly seat, Uchana Kalan, which he chose to retain.
BJP will fight till Telangana is formed: Sushma Swaraj
By IANS,
Hyderabad: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushma Swaraj Saturday said the party would continue to fight till a separate Telangana state is created and targetted both the ruling Congress and Telugu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh for their "double standards" on the issue.
Addressing a public meeting organised by the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the Leader of opposition in Lok Sabha asserted that Telangana state would become a reality.
Farhan Azmi of SP loses to Shiv Sena in Bhiwandi East by-poll
By TCN News,
Mumbai: Samajwadi Party candidate and son of Abu Asim Azmi, Farhan Azmi has lost to Shiv Sena candidate Rupesh Mhatre today in the by-election for Bhiwandi East Assembly seat in Maharashtra. The election for the seat was held on January 20 after Azmi senior vacated it as he had also won Mankhurd (in Mumbai) seat in the last state assembly elections.
Thousands join Janeshwar Mishra’s last journey in Allahabad
By IANS,
Allahabad : Thousands of people came out on the streets of Allahabad to pay their homage to veteran socialist and Samajwadi Party (SP) leader Janeshwar Mishra, who died here Friday after a prolonged illness.
Mishra's last journey from his Beli Road residence to the cremation site on the banks of Sangam - the holy confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and the mythological Saraswati rivers - took hours as the funeral procession marched through the city's main thoroughfare and through the Allahabad University campus where Mishra had spent his student days.
Goa University invited Rahul Gandhi, not us: Youth Congress
By IANS,
Panaji : Facing flak for the controversy surrounding Rahul Gandhi's political meetings at the Goa University (GU) campus, the Youth Congress Saturday said it was the vice chancellor and registrar who had invited the Congress general secretary to the varsity.
Addressing a press conference, Goa Youth Congress president Sankalp Amonkar said: "The GU was in correspondence with Rahul Gandhi's office. They had invited Gandhi to the campus, we had not invited him."
Pro-Telangana protesters try to barge into secretariat
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Pro-Telangana supporters Saturday tried to barge into the state secretariat, demanding the central government immediately initiate the process of forming a separate state.
About 50 activists of the Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU) were arrested when they tried to barge into the high-security area.
Raising slogans of "Jai Telangana", the protesters gathered outside the secretariat in violation of the prohibitory orders and squatted at its main gate.
Rahul Gandhi in university visit row, Jamia trip rescheduled
By IANS,
New Delhi : With controversy dogging his visits to universities, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's proposed visit Saturday to Jamia Millia Islamia here has been "rescheduled" for the time being.
Gandhi's Jamia visit "will be rescheduled soon", a Congress source told IANS, adding: "He will continue to interact with students".
"He was held up in some of his outside-Delhi programmes and that's the reason why he could not make it to Jamia," the party source said.
He also said the Jamia visit was not scheduled for Saturday as reported by some media organisations.
Birthday gift for Bal Thackeray, jolt for Congress in bypoll
By IANS,
Mumbai : The ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) alliance in Maharashtra got a rude jolt Saturday when it trailed in the third position behind Shiv Sena and Samajwadi Party (SP) in the Bhiwandi East assembly by-election. The Sena proclaimed its victory as "a birthday gift" for party chief Bal Thackeray who turned 84 Saturday.
Sena candidate Rupesh Mhatre secured 35,376 votes in the predominantly Muslim constituency in the neighbouring Thane district.
Maha Muslim legislators urged to be united for community welfare
By TCN News,
Mumbai: It is true that Muslim representation in Parliament and state assemblies has never been sufficient since Independence but it is also a terrible fact that elected Muslim politicians have not given due importance to community issues. To make them united and conscious for problems of the community, 100 Muslim NGOs of Maharashtra organized a felicitation program on 21st January in Mumbai for both serving and former state Muslim ministers, MLAs and MLCs.
BJP to launch nationwide protests on price rise
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj Saturday said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will launch nationwide protests on price rise next week.
The BJP leader told reporters here that the party would also attack the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) central government on the price rise issue in the budget session of parliament.
"In the budget session, we will attack this government, especially on price rise, as this is the major issue of the common man of this country," she said.
INLD wins Haryana’s Ellenabad by-election
By IANS,
Ellenabad (Haryana) : Abhey Singh Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) Saturday won the crucial by-election for the Ellenabad assembly seat in Haryana.
Abhey, younger son of INLD president and former chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, won the seat by 6,227 votes over his Congress rival Bharat Singh Beniwal.
Bal Thackeray has quiet 84th birthday at home
By IANS,
Mumbai : Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray celebrated a quiet 84th birthday with his family here Saturday, his age making it too tiring for him to meet his supporters at home.
"He had expressed a desire that he wanted to celebrate his birthday privately with his family members. Accordingly, there are no celebrations or crowds outside his home," a party office-bearer said.
The source said that Bal Thackeray was in "good health" and would "bless" his supporters in the evening at Shanmukhanand Hall.
MPs pay tribute to Netaji on birth anniversary
By IANS,
New Delhi : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar and other MPs Saturday paid floral tributes to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose on his 113th birth anniversary.
The function was held in the Central Hall of Parliament House. A booklet on Netaji in Hindi and English was released and distributed among the MPs.
Many current and former MPs attended the event.
Netaji is considered a pivotal figure in India's freedom struggle.
Goa governor wants report on Rahul’s varsity visit
By IANS,
Panaji : Goa Governor S.S. Sidhu has now intervened in the raging controversy involving Rahul Gandhi's political meetings in the Goa university campus earlier this week.
A Raj Bhavan spokesperson Saturday said Sidhu, chancellor of the university, has sought a "factual report" from vice chancellor Dilip Deobagkar.
Sidhu's intervention came a day after university registrar Mohan Sangodkar said he was responsible for allowing the All India Congress committee (AICC) general secretary to conduct three political meetings in the varsity campus Tuesday.
Naveen Patnaik re-elected BJD chief
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was Saturday elected unopposed the president of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) here for the fifth consecutive term, a senior party leader said.
"He was elected unopposed as nobody contested against him," party leader Damodar Rout said at a public function here, adding that the election was held at the party headquarters in the city.
Patnaik joined politics in 1996 after the death of his father Biju Patnaik and was elected as a Janata Dal member to the 11th Lok Sabha in the by-election from Aska parliamentary constituency.
Abhey Chautala wins Haryana’s Ellenabad seat
By IANS,
Ellenabad (Haryana) : Abhey Singh Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) Saturday won the crucial by-election for the Ellenabad assembly seat in Haryana.
Chautala won by nearly 6,200 votes over his Congress rival Bharat Singh Beniwal.
Politicians pay tribute to Janeshwar Mishra
By IANS,
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh Governor B.L. Joshi, Chief Minister Mayawati and leaders of various political parties have condoled the death of former central minister and Samajwadi Party leader Janeshwar Mishra.
In a statement late Friday night, Mayawati said people would remember Mishra's contribution to society and politics during his long public career.
Among others who condoled Mishra's death were state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Ramapati Ram Tripathi, Uttar Pradesh Congress president Rita Bahuguna Joshi and senior Congress leader Pramod Tiwari.
Jharkhand to be power-surplus in five years: Minister
By Nityanand Shukla, IANS,
Ranchi: Jharkhand will become a power-surplus state in the next five years, says Deputy Chief Minister and Power Minister Raghubar Das, though government officials are sceptical.
"Our agenda is to make Jharkhand a self-sufficient state in three years and power surplus in the next five years," Das told IANS in an interview.
"We will streamline the existing two power plants and set up more plants. The new plants could be set up with help of the private sector," he added.
INLD gets early lead in Haryana’s Ellenabad bypoll
By IANS,
Ellenabad (Haryana): The Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) gained an early lead Saturday as the counting of votes in the crucial by-election for the Ellenabad assembly seat in Haryana began.
INLD candidate Abhey Singh Chautala led his Congress rival Bharat Singh Beniwal by nearly 3,000 votes at the end of six of the 11 rounds of counting.
Of the 15 candidates in the fray, 11 are independents. The main contest is between the state's ruling Congress and the opposition INLD.
Manmohan dinner was not the first event Salahis crashed
By IANS,
Washington: Long before the Salahis gatecrashed a White House dinner for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Secret Service was warned about the celebrity hounding couple after they attempted to crash another event, a media report said.
According to Washington Life Magazine, Greg Woodell, the Salahis' former limousine driver, and Rachel Harshman, once a close friend of Michaele Salahi, have alleged that the infamous couple crashed a presidential inauguration event at the Lincoln Memorial one year ago.
Congress demands probe into baton charge on staff, teachers
By IANS,
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi Friday demanded a high-level judicial probe into baton charge on agitating state government employees and teachers in the state capital and the slapping of an employee by the district magistrate.
She has also condemned the high-handedness of senior officials like the district magistrate and deputy inspector general of police, who personally wielded the baton and thrashed the demonstrators.
Congress core committee meets on Telangana, price rise
BY IANS,
New Delhi: The Congress core committee met here Friday to discuss price rise and the Telangana statehood issues.
Congress sources said the meeting discussed the prevailing situation in Andhra Pradesh and the spurt in agitation for a separate state of Telangana.
The meeting, which took place at the residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, was attended by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Home Minister P. Chidambaram and Defence Minister A.K. Antony.
Mayawati unimpressed with piece of moon, orders probe
By IANS,
Lucknow: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Friday ordered a probe into a gift of a three-acre plot on the moon that was made to her by her Bahujan Samaj Party leader.
The plot was gifted to her by BSP's Mahendra Singh Sengar on her 54th birthday on Jan 15.
"There appears to be some fraud behind this whole business of purchasing or selling plots on the moon. So we have sent a letter to the central government to probe the whole issue," UP Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said at a press conference.
Rahul Gandhi makes flying visit to Gujarat
By IANS,
Gandhinagar: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi made a flying visit to Gujarat Friday to address the concluding session of a two-day leadership training camp for Youth Congress activists.
During his address, he is reported to have advised the youth workers of the party to interact with the people at the grassroots level and take up their problems. "It is only with interaction and involvement that one can win the minds and hearts of the people," he said.
Body donation wave in Bengal after Basu’s deed
By IANS,
Kolkata: Marxist icon Jyoti Basu's gesture in donating his body for medical reserach has triggered a wave in West Bengal to emulate him.
Thanks to NGOs, a massive movement is building up in the state with an 80 million-strong populace.
Since Jan 19, when Basu's body was donated for medical science to the state-owned SSKM Hospital as per his wish, Ganadarpan - the central coordinating NGO on body donation in the state - has received 3,000 enquiries from people eager to donate their bodies to medical sciences after death.
Canadian delegation meets Punjab, Haryana ministers
By IANS,
Chandigarh: A Canadian delegation Friday met Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda and discussed investment opportunities in the state.
The delegation was led by Michael De Jong, attorney general (minister) of canada's province of British Columbia.
Counting in Ellenabad by-poll Saturday
By IANS,
Ellenabad (Haryana): The district administration has made all arrangements for smooth counting of votes in the Ellenabad bye-election to the Haryana state assembly Saturday, officials said Friday.
The counting would begin at Panchayat Bhawan in Sirsa at 8 a.m.
"More than 160 officials have been deputed for counting of votes. Paramilitary force personnel will be deployed in and around the counting centre and due to security reasons, traffic passing in front of counting venue will be diverted," district electoral officer A. Sriniwas said
Dismiss Himachal government over CD controversy: Congress
By IANS,
Shimla: Turning the heat on the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Himachal Pradesh on the CD controversy, the opposition Congress Friday demanded the dismissal of the government and a Central Bureau Investigation (CBI) probe into the controversy.
Media boycott of Sushma Swaraj embarrasses BJP
By IANS,
Mumbai: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was embarrassed when journalists prevented from speaking to party leader Sushma Swaraj at the airport boycotted a function addressed by her here Friday evening.
The media walked out from the venue near the Mumbai Airport after they were denied an opportunity to talk to Sushma Swaraj on her first, although private, visit to Mumbai after being named leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha.
Journalists at the airport wanted Sushma Swaraj to speak to them first as they had been waiting for her for hours. She was ready to oblige.
I am not against anti-Maoist operation, says Shibu Soren
By IANS,
Ranchi: Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren said Friday he was not against the special anti-Maoist operation Green Hunt, but has also asked the rebels to come forward for a dialogue.
"I am not against Green Hunt operation. The operations are going on in Jharkhand," Soren told reporters.
He said: "I have asked the Maoists to stop killing people and urged them to come forward for dialogue. We want to know what they actually want from us. Why they are against us."
BJP central leader defends Dhumal on CD controversy
By IANS,
Shimla : A central leader of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday dismissed as weak the controversial CDs against Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal and another party MP, and said these were the handiwork of "political opponents" to defame the state government.
"The case (release of the CDs) is weak. These were released just to create sensation. There is neither complainant nor claimant for the CDs. The person who owned these should come forward," BJP national general secretary Vijay Goel told reporters here.
Kerala home minister should quit over Muthoot murder probe: Congress
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : The Congress party Friday demanded that Kerala Home Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan quit after the state high court asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to take over the probe into the murder of Muthoot business group scion Paul M. George.
Speaking to reporters here, Congress spokesperson M.M. Hassan said "it is high time that Balakrishnan quits".
Political coverage dominates TV time, crime takes a dip
By IANS,
New Delhi : The coverage of political news dominated the TV channels last year while that of crime took a sharp dip, says a study.
The study conducted by the media lab of the Centre for Media Studies (CMS) says the Lok Sabha and state assembly elections came as a relief package for TV channels in the time of global recession last year and recorded highest news time.
The CMS study also shows that content trends on TV channels have not changed drastically over the past five years (2005-2009) with politics, sports and entertainment still dominating.
Chavan’s reply sought by Feb 1 in ‘paid news’ case
By IANS,
New Delhi : Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan has been asked to file his reply in the "paid news" case by Feb 1, a senior poll panel official said Friday.
The Election Commission had issued a notice to Chavan on a complaint by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for advertising his propaganda as "news" during the Maharashtra assembly elections last year, said the poll panel official on the condition of anonymity.
The BJP, in its complaint filed along with 16 CDs and press clippings, had also accused Chavan of "grossly undervaluing his election expenditure".
Congress leadership in Himachal is ineffective: Virbhadra Singh
By Prashant Sood, IANS,
New Delhi : Steel Minister and former Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singh has accused the state leadership of his Congress party of failing to put up an effective challenge to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.
In an unusually candid interview, Virbhadra Singh said the party rank and file was demoralised as there was "nobody to protect" them from the "suppression" of the BJP government.
CPI-M begins brainstorming session in Tripura
By IANS,
Agartala : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) began a two-day state level conference here Friday to strengthen party organisations, particularly by focussing on members who have become unethical.
CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat and politburo member and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar will explain the details of the "rectification plan" to strengthen party units at all levels, a CPI-M spokesman said.
Over 250 front and middle ranking party leaders and members will take part in the two-day brainstorming sessions.
CPI-M wants new grain given to states at old prices
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) has asked the central government to ensure that the additional grain allocated to states is at the same price presently charged under the public distribution system.
The party, which has slammed the government for the spurt in food prices, has taken exception to the federal cabinet's decision to charge a higher price on the additional 10 kg allocated to each family under the targeted public distribution system.
Soren called to Delhi for meet on Maoists
By IANS,
Raipur : Home Minister P. Chidambaram said Friday that Jharkhand Chief Minister Shibu Soren was coming to New Delhi Jan 28 for a meeting on Maoist insurgency.
"There is a new government in Jharkhand. The chief minister and other senior officials are coming to Delhi on Jan 28 to meet me on the Naxalite issue," Chidambaram told reporters, referring to the Maoists.
He was reacting to questions from journalists who wanted to know if it was true that the Soren government had decided to go slow on the anti-Maoist drive.
Shivraj Patil sworn in as Punjab governor
By IANS,
Chandigarh : Shivraj Patil was sworn in as Punjab Governor at a ceremony here Friday.
Patil, a former union home minister and ex-Lok Sabha speaker, was administered the oath of office by Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief Justice Mukul Mudgal at the Punjab Raj Bhawan.
As Punjab governor, Patil will also hold the charge of administrator of the union territory of Chandigarh.
Patil has replaced S.F. Rodrigues, a former Army chief, who completed his tenure as Punjab governor. Patil is the 33rd governor of Punjab.
End turnaround politics, Bal Thackeray tells Chavan
By IANS,
Mumbai : Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray Friday urged Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan to end "turnaround politics" and compared Chavan's U-turn on a proposal to make knowledge of Marathi mandatory for Mumbai's taxi drivers to Michael Jackson's "Moonwalk".
In an open letter to Chavan, Thackeray said that despite the bane of power cuts afflicting the state, most people got a "shock" two days ago when they heard about the government's plans to issue new taxi permits only to people domiciled in the state and having knowledge of Marathi.
M.O.H. Farook takes oath as Jharkhand governor
By IANS,
Ranchi : M.O.H. Farook became the seventh governor of Jharkhand Friday, less than a month after Shibu Soren took over as the state's seventh chief minister.
Farook was administered the oath of office and secrecy by Jharkhand High Court Chief Justice Gyan Sudha Mishra at the Raj Bhavan here.
He replaces K. Sankaranarayanan, who has been appointed governor of Maharashtra.
ABVP moves court for permission to hold Telangana rally
By IANS,
Hyderabad : The Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Friday approached the Andhra Pradesh High Court after it was denied permission by the police to hold a public meeting here Saturday to press the demand for statehood to Telangana.
The student group argues that it has a democratic right to hold public meetings. It hopes the court would allow it to hold the same.
Sankaranarayanan sworn in as Maharashtra governor
By IANS,
Mumbai : K. Sankaranarayanan was sworn in as the new governor of Maharashtra at a simple ceremony here Friday morning.
Acting Chief Justice of Bombay High Court J.N. Patel conducted the ceremony. Sankaranarayanan took the oath of office in English in the Darbar Hall of the Raj Bhavan.
Present on the occasion were Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, Deputy Chief Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, Mumbai Mayor Shraddha Jadhav, Sheriff Indu Shahani, cabinet ministers, legislators, top civil and police officials and members of the diplomatic corps in the city.
Narasimhan sworn in as Andhra Pradesh governor
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Former Intelligence Bureau (IB) director E.S.L. Narasimhan Friday took over as the 22nd governor of Andhra Pradesh.
Chief Justice of the Andhra Pradesh High Court A.R. Dave administered the oath of office at Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the governor.
Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, his cabinet colleagues, leaders of various parties, Chief Secretary S.V. Prasad and other top officials attended the ceremony.
Narasimhan was last month sworn in as the 'in-charge governor' of Andhra Pradesh, in addition to being governor of Chhattisgarh.
Congress, Janata Party leaders oppose Nalini’s release
By IANS,
Chennai : Even as the five-member Prison Advisory Board formed by the Tamil Nadu government is preparing its report on the premature release of 11 life convicts, Congress leaders and Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy have voiced opposition against the release of S. Nalini and others convicted for the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Congress refuses to comment on Nalini case
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Congress Thursday refused to comment on the issue of release of Nalini Sriharan, who has been in jail for about l9 years after being convicted of involvement in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.
Answering queries about the possibility of release of Nalini from prison following a meeting of advisory board constituted by the Tamil Nadu government, Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said it was absolutely inappropriate to react to such reports in the absence of any formal intimation.
Himachal minister rejects demand for Dhumal’s resignation
By IANS,
Shimla: A senior Himachal Pradesh minister Thursday said there was no justification in demanding the resignation of Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal following the release of CDs allegedly showing him ordering phone-tapping, and accused the Congress of indulging in "politics of mudslinging".
"The opposition's (Congress) demand for resignation of the chief minister (on the basis of two audio CDs purportedly having his voices) is ridiculous," Forest Minister J.P. Nadda told reporters here.
MCD needs no extra funds, but utilise alloction: Congress
By IANS,
New Delhi: Opposition Congress councillors in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Thursday alleged that the civic agency required no additional funding for Commonwealth Games related projects and should instead utilise existing funds.
These funds are proposed to be given to various committee heads in this year's budget, in contradiction of the Municipal Act, Leader of Opposition in MCD house Jai Kishan Sharma and Kalkaji area councillor Khavinder Singh Captain told reporters. They alleged that the civic agency was not utilising funds properly.
PM postpones meeting with chief ministers on price rise
By IANS,
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday postponed to Feb 6 the meeting with state chief ministers on price rise, which was scheduled Jan 27, an official said.
"Because of the inclement weather and foggy conditions in Delhi we decided to reschedule the meeting to Feb 6," said an official in the Prime Minister's Office.
Opposition parties have cornered the government over the sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities that have impacted people in the country.
No beef in Games menu, BJP-ruled MCD, Congress concur
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) led Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Thursday warned legal action against officials and hotels if beef was imported or served for foreign visitors during the Commonwealth Games. The Congress also supported the move.
"As per a resolution passed by the MCD house in January last year, foreign visitors during the Commonwealth Games should not be served cow meat. This is in tune with the Delhi government's Delhi Agricultural Animal Protection Act, 1994," Leader of the MCD house Subhash Arya told reporters.
Pawar does U-turn on milk prices after opposition attack
By IANS,
New Delhi: Under attack from the opposition, a defensive Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Thursday denied having said that prices of milk would go up in northern India.
"This is all a media creation. I had only said that there is a difference in demand and supply of milk," Pawar said on the sidelines of a rural development conference here.
"We have no proposal before us on milk prices," the minister added.
Marathi or other common language okay for new taxi permits
By IANS,
Mumbai: Rattled by the adverse reaction to its edict that taxi drivers must know Marathi, the state government Thursday made a U-turn on the issue and clarified that a working knowledge of any other commonly spoken language would suffice for getting a taxi permit.
Under the Mahashtra Motor Vehicles Act (MVA), 1989, rule 4(2) stipulated that a domicile of minimum 15 years and under rule 24(1), topographical knowledge of the area of operation and working knowledge of Marathi and any one of the languages commonly spoken were essential, a statement said.
Ramesh ‘disagrees completely’ with Pawar over Bt Brinjal
By IANS,
New Delhi: Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh Thursday took on Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar over permitting commercial cultivation of genetically modified brinjal, after Pawar was quoted as saying an expert committee's clearance to this effect was final. Ramesh wrote to Pawar, saying he "completely disagreed" with Pawar's view.
Patnaik to attend meet on anti-Maoist operations
By IANS,
Bhubaneswar: Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will attend the crucial meeting on anti-Maoist operations union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has called at Chhattisgarh capital Raipur Friday, officials said here Thursday.
"Patnaik is scheduled to go tomorrow (Friday) along with senior officials of the state home and police department," a senior official of the Chief Minister's Office told IANS.
Orissa has been demanding more central forces to tackle the Maoists who are active in over half of the state's 30 districts.
No move to raise milk prices in north India, says Pawar
By IANS,
New Delhi: Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Thursday denied having said that prices of milk would be increased in north India, saying there was no such proposal in the offing.
"This is all a media creation. I had only said that there is a difference in demand and supply of milk," Pawar said, accusing the media of creating confusion.
"We have no proposal before us on milk prices," the minister clarified on the sidelines of a rural development conference here.
Basu’s place in CPI-M panels to remain unfilled
By IANS,
New Delhi: Veteran Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Jyoti Basu's place in the party's politburo and the central committee will remain unfilled, senior party leaders said Thursday.
Basu was elected to the party's 87-member central committee at the 19th party Congress held in Coimbatore in April 2008. He was also the special invitee to the 14-member politburo.
"Jyoti Basu's place cannot be filled," a senior party leader told IANS.
Another CPI-M leader said: "Basu was not a member of the politburo. He was an invitee. We don't call it vacancy."
Haryana BJP demands assembly winter session in 15 days
By IANS,
Ambala (Haryana) : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in Haryana Thursday threatened to conduct a mock session if the winter session of the legislative assembly is not held within 15 days.
"Despite repeated appeals, Bhupinder Singh Hooda-led Congress government is not calling the winter session. It is a deliberate attempt to escape our queries," BJP legislator from Ambala Cantonment Anil Vij told IANS here.
"Actually, they do not want to face us because they are afraid that we will highlight their failures before the public," he said.
JD-S gets a jolt as two members quit Karnataka upper house
By IANS,
Bangalore : After its impressive show in last month's Karnataka legislative council polls, the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) Thursday suffered a setback as two of its members quit the upper house.
N. Thippanna, a party veteran and former working president of the party's state unit, and B.R. Gurudev submitted their resignations to council chairman Veeranna Mathikatti, who accepted them immediately.
BJP-led MCD warns against beef in Games menu
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Thursday warned that if the Delhi government served or imported beef for foreign visitors during the Commonwealth Games, the civic agency would take legal action against officials and the hotel management concerned.
"As per a resolution passed by the MCD House in January last year, foreign visitors during the Commonwealth Games should not be served cow meat. This is in tune with the Delhi government's Delhi Agricultural Animal Protection Act, 1994," Subhash Arya, leader of the house, told reporters.
Partial response to Telangana shutdown on second day
By IANS,
Hyderabad : For the second consecutive day Thursday, the shutdown in Telangana over the demand for a separate state hit normal life in the region. But unlike the first day, when the impact was total, there was a partial response this time.
The impact was not visible in most parts of Hyderabad as buses of the state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) returned on the roads. Most shops, business establishments and educational institutions also re-opened.
Women Lok Sabha MPs concerned over price rise
By IANS,
New Delhi : Three women Lok Sabha MPs Thursday criticised the rising prices of essential commodities, saying they were not satisfied with efforts of the central and state governments to check the situation.
"The central government should be more assertive," said Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar of Trinamool Congress, which is part of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
Sack Goa varsity registrar for Rahul’s meet: BJP
By IANS,
Panaji : The Bharatiya Janata Party Thursday demanded the immediate removal of Goa University registrar Mohan Sangodkar for allowing the varsity premises to be used for Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's political meeting.
The Goa University (GU) has already blamed the Youth Congress for keeping it in the dark on the political nature of Gandhi's visit.
Most UP legislators fail to declare assets
By IANS,
Lucknow : More than two years after the assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, 386 of the 403 legislators, including the likes of Chief Minister Mayawati and Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, have failed to declare their assets as per the UP Ministers and Legislators (Publication of Assets and Liabilities) Act, 1975.
The act makes it mandatory for members of both houses to declare their assets and liabilities on a prescribed proforma, which has to be submitted to the secretary of the House.
Mauritius Leader of Opposition for woman speaker in assembly
By IANS,
New Delhi : Expressing happiness that the current speakers of the lower houses in both India and Pakistan are women, Mauritius opposition leader Paul Raymond Berenger told visiting Indian leader Meira Kumar that the country will nominate a women as speaker when his party comes to power.
"In case, the Mauritian Militant Movement (MMM) comes to power in the forthcoming election, we will nominate a women as the speaker of the National Assembly," he told Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar at Port Louis Wednesday.
Fehmida Mirza is the Speaker of the National Assembly of Pakistan.
‘Didn’t know about political nature of Rahul’s visit’
By IANS,
Panaji : The Goa University (GU) Thursday blamed the Youth Congress for keeping it in the dark on the political nature of Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's visit.
The varsity's registrar Mohan Sangodkar told reporters here that action would be taken against those who sought permission for the Congress leader's meetings.
"What they (Youth Congress) have done is not right at all. It's totally an inappropriate use of the permission given by the Goa University," Sangodkar said.
Bihar leaders hit out at Maharashtra for cabbies directive
By IANS,
Patna : Leaders from Bihar cutting across party lines -- and including Lalu Prasad, Sushil Kumar Modi and Ram Vilas Paswan -- Thursday slammed the Congress government in Maharashtra for making it mandatory for taxi drivers to henceforth be domiciled in the state and to be able to read, write and speak Marathi.
The Congress government in Maharashtra was going the way of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena of Raj Thackeray, a furious Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad said, a day after the Maharashtra government's move.
Chotila assembly bypoll in Gujarat passes peacefully
By IANS,
Gandhinagar: About 60 per cent voting was registered in the Chotila Gujarat assembly bye-election, counting for which will take place on Jan 23.
The polling passed off peacefully, officials said here.
Though 15 candidates were in the fray, the main contest was between Nirantben Dhariya of the Congress and Bharat Korani of the BJP with Congress rebel Shamji Chauhan fighting on the Shiv Sena ticket.
From socialists, Amar now woos Thakurs
By IANS,
Varanasi: After rubbing shoulders with "samajwadis" (socialists) for nearly a decade-and-a-half, disgruntled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh's desperation to stay on in politics has led him to play the politics of the thakurs in Uttar Pradesh.
In a bid to show he still commands clout and can remain in politics without his erstwhile mentor Mulayam Singh Yadav, who has shown him the door after much dithering, Amar Singh Wednesday held a "kshatriya sammelan" (a meeting of thakurs) here.
Gujarat minister accused of bribery
By IANS,
Gandhinagar: Gujarat's Fisheries and Port Minister Purushottam Solanki is in the eye of a storm following a case filed in the high court seeking directions to the state government for action against him on bribery charges.
The high court single judge bench presided over by Justice Akhil Kureshi Wednesday issued notice to the government seeking clarity on its stand in the matter. The notice is returnable in three weeks.
Mayawati seeks Pawar’s ouster from agriculture ministry
By IANS,
Lucknow: Pointedly blaming union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar for the unprecedented rise in prices of food and other essential commodities, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Wednesday demanded his removal.
"In case Pawar is not divested of the agriculture portfolio latest by Jan 27, I will not participate in the meeting that the prime minister has convened on that date to discuss the price rise issue with the state chief ministers," Mayawati said at a press conference here.
Cash CD fabricated, ready to face probe: Himachal MP
By IANS,
Shimla : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Shimla Varinder Kashyap, who is shown in a video CD allegedly accepting cash for granting permission to an educational institute, Wednesday said the CD was fabricated and that he was "ready to face any inquiry".
"I am ready to face any inquiry... from any agency," Kashyap told reporters clarifying his stand regarding the release of a CD in Shimla Tuesday in which he was shown taking money from someone.
Heavy polling in Haryana’s Ellenabad bypoll
By IANS,
Ellenabad (Haryana) : A heavy voter turnout was reported in the by-election to Haryana's Ellenabad assembly seat with over 85 percent of voters having cast their ballot and many more still queued up Wednesday evening.
Haryana's chief electoral officer Sumita Misra told IANS that nearly 85 percent voting was reported till 4 p.m. She said no violence was reported in the constituency.
"The final count will come later as even at 5 p.m. many voters were waiting to cast their votes," she said.