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Panchayat polls free JAIPUR, Feb 4: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot....more
5 ministers resigns CHANDIGARH, Feb 4: Five Haryana ministers have resigned from the Om Parkash....more
Sangh Parivar has VARANASI, Feb 4: Sangh Parivar outfits have a democratic.....more |
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Siropa honour for Jagir AMRITSAR, Feb 4: Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Puran Singh today took a serious view of the ‘Siropa’ (robe of honour) presented to SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur yesterday and assailed the act as violative of the Sikh tenets.....more CII’s 6-point strategy to NEW DELHI, Feb 4: Reacting to the mounting cases of disputes and litigation arising in Excise, the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in it’s pre-budget memorandum has suggested a six-fold strategy to reduce them.......more Tough Cong-BJP JAIPUR, Feb 4: Battle lines have been drawn for the six Assembly seats in......more Court identifying Jaya’s CHENNAI, Feb 4: A waist-band studded with hundreds of precious stones and valued.....more Uncertainty over shooting VARANASI, Feb 4: Uncertainty over the shooting here of Deepa Mehta’s controversial......more |
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Panchayat polls free and fair, says Gehlot JAIPUR, Feb 4: Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot today denied BJP’s allegations that the State Government was sponsoring the employees’ strike and described the recent panchayat polls in the state as free and fair. If the Government had sponsored strike, as per the BJP’s allegations, we would not have done elections in free and fair manner, Gehlot told repoters after an election assessment meeting with party leaders at the PCCI office. Gehlot said BJP’s allegation that the Government was postponing the panchayat elections in the pretext of employees’ strike had proved baseless and unwarranted. The BJP leaders have in fact approached the State Election Commission with hypothetical information and sought Commission’s intervention on the election duty matter of employees who were deputed from other services including the Central Government, he said. Gehlot said during the previous BJP’s regime there were 185 repolls in the panchayat elections in its first phase in 1995, whereas this time there were only 17 repolls in the first phase. He denied that there was any additional financial burden on the state exchequer for holding the elections, and denied misuse of Government machinery in the electioneering. (PTI) |
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5 ministers resigns from INLD Govt CHANDIGARH, Feb 4: Five Haryana ministers have resigned from the Om Parkash Chautala-led Indian National Lok Dal Government following denial of party ticket for the February 22 Assembly polls in the state, official sources said here today. Those who resigned were Health Minister O P Mahajan, Minister of State for Tourism O P Jain, Minister of State for Elections Narendra Sharma, Minister of State for Waqf Akram Khan and Minister of State for Cultural Affairs Ram Sarup Rama, the sources said. Chief Minister Om Parkash Chautala has forwarded their resignations to Governor Mahabir Prasad for acceptance. The sources said the ministers had resigned to contest the polls as independents in the wake of denial of party ticket. Barring Mr Rama, the remaining four ministers had contested the last Assembly polls as independents. Mr Rama was elected on the Haryana Vikas Party ticket during the 1996 Assembly elections in the state. Earlier, Minister of State for Public Health Jaswant Singh Bawal and Minister of State for Medical Education Vinod Marya had resigned from the Chautala Government last week following denial of party ticket for the Assembly polls. (UNI) |
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Sangh Parivar has right to non-violent protest: Shabana VARANASI, Feb 4: Sangh Parivar outfits have a democratic right to hold protests against controversial film ‘water’ but have no business to be violent, noted actress and Rajya Sabha member Shabana Azmi, who plays a key role in the film, said here today. Protest is a democratic right as long as it is peaceful. Afterall, I have participated in so many protests. The form of protest, however, should be non-violent, Azmi told PTI in an interview, when asked about the ongoing protests against the film directed by Deepa Mehta. Azmi, however, expressed concern over growing intolerance in the country, which she said went against the very tenets of Indian culture and civilisation. It is for a civil society to respond to this dangerous trend, Azmi said. Attributing the protests in the pilgrim city to fringe groups, Azmi said, a huge section of the people have been very supportive. In the last two days, several students, youth, and women groups have met me and supported the film. Even the mahant of the world famous Vishwanath Temple has backed us. She said the film unit should start working once the district administration grants permission and people, before whose houses the sets were damaged by the protesters, were assured of security. Defending director Deepa Mehta’s decision to make changes in the script, she said I do not think any other option was left. Shabana Azmi said it was for the Information and Broadcasting Ministry to answer why they had to re-clear a script, which they had cleared earlier. Dismissing the charge that Mehta thrived in controversies, Azmi, who played the role of a Lesbian in Mehta’s equally controversial ‘Fire’, said it is very painful to work when you are surrounded by controversies. The quality of work suffers. ‘Water’, she said, was about liberation and for that you have to show oppression. If there is no oppression what are you liberating. On her personal assessment of the film, Azmi said, it is a good dramatic human story. Azmi, who plays the role of a widow in the film set in the backdrop of the freedom struggle, alleged a concerted misinformation campaign had been launched by vested interests to whip up local passions against the film. Claims are being made that there has been an offensive muhurat shot, whereas the camera has not even been switched on so far. There was only a puja at the hotel lawns, she said. Stating she was not scared, Azmi said it was the first experience of facing a protest even before a film was made. During her stay in the city, Azmi, who has tonsured her head for the film, went out shopping with her dress designer and did not take along the police escort provided to her by the district administration. The shopkeepers got nervous about my security. The people here have so much of respect for my father (noted Urdu poet) Kaifi Azmi, who hails from nearby Azamgarh, Shabana Azmi said. The actress said she was looking forward to working in Shyam Benegal’s ‘Hari Bhari’ in which she along with Nandita Das play the role of sisters-in-law who hate each other. (PTI) |
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Siropa honour for Jagir Kaur incenses Jathedar AMRITSAR, Feb 4: Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Puran Singh today took a serious view of the ‘Siropa’ (robe of honour) presented to SGPC president Bibi Jagir Kaur yesterday and assailed the act as violative of the Sikh tenets. "An ex-communicated Sikh cannot be bestowed with such honours," he told newspersons at the Golden Temple complex here. The Jathedar indicated that the Takht was contemplating action against those who honoured Bibi Jagir Kaur or the organisers present at the function in Muktsar. "The matter has come to our notice and it (action) is under consideration," he said. The Jathedar reiterated that as per the Sikh ‘maryada’ (traditions) no Sikh could maintain any relations with an ex-communicated member of the community until the person was exonerated by the Akal Takht. "It is a matter of serious concern that Bibi Jagir Kaur is continuing to discharge her functions as SGPC president," he added. Earlier, Giani Puran Singh performed ‘ardas’ at the Akal Takht for the ten SGPC executive committee members who were declared ‘Tankhaiya’ (religious offenders) by him on Wednesday for disobeying his ‘hukamnama’ (edict) on the Nanakshahi calendar issue. The ten members completed their two-day ‘tankha’ (religious punishment) last evening and presented themselves before the Jathedar as directed. Meanwhile, three of the 15 executive members who do not belong to the ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) faction have accused Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal of being responsible for the ongoing conflict between the SGPC and the Akal Takht. "Being president of the party controlling the SGPC, Mr Badal is to be blamed for the present crisis," — Harbans Singh Manjpur and Gurbax Singh (both of the Sarb Hind Shiromani Akali Dal) along with Satnam Singh Khatro (the Akali Dal-Mann) — told a press conference. They appealed to Giani Puran Singh that all those who were sharing a common platform with the ex-communicated president or were honouring her should be summoned to the Akal Takht. "Even Mr Badal should be called to the Akal Takht as he has been meeting Bibi Jagir Kaur after her ex-communication," they claimed. Reiterating that their respective parties still considered Bhai Ranjit Singh as the legitimate head of the Akal Takht, they claimed that the manner in which he was replaced by Giani Puran Singh last year was violative of Sikh traditions. "We did not obey the orders of Giani Puran Singh but of the Akal Takht," they said when asked the reason for their appearance before the Takht on Wednesday alongwith 11 other executive members.(UNI) |
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Tough Cong-BJP contest on cards in Rajasthan by-polls JAIPUR, Feb 4: Battle lines have been drawn for the six Assembly seats in Rajasthan going to by-polls on February 17 with the fight likely to be restricted between Congress and BJP. There will virtually be straight contests between the two main political parties in the state for all the six seats -Sadulpur, Mundawar, Raisingh Nagar, Nimbhahera, Aasind and Aaspur — according to the picture emerged after the last day of withdrawal of nomination papers yesterday. In all, 27 candidates have been left in the fray for the elections, which will have a definite bearing on the state politics prompting both Congress and BJP not to leave any stone unturned to prove their supremacy. The by-elections are crucial for the ruling Congress which suffered electoral reverses in the last Lok Sabha elections after securing a brute majority in earlier Assembly elections winning 153 seats of the 200 seats. It could secure only nine of the 25 seats against BJP in the parliamentary polls. For BJP, the elections are crucial because five of the six seats for which by-polls are being held were won by its candidates in the 1998 Assembly polls. The polls are being held due to vacation of the seats by members who got elected to Lok Sabha. However, Congress is facing serious threat from a rebel candidate — Inder Singh Punia — from Sadulpur where its canididate Ram Singh Punia is taking on Satish Punia, a BJP youth leader. Congress sources said efforts were being made to make the rebel retire. There is a straight contest between Raia Meena of Congress and Kanak Mal Katara of BJP in Aaspur, while in Aasind Hangami Lal Mewara (Congress) is taking on Ram Lal Gurjar (BJP) with Samajwadi Party’s Rajendra Acharya also in the fray. In Nimbahera, Congress candidate Madhu Dadheech is contesting against Narayan Singh Jhala of BJP. CPI candidate Chand Mal and two independents are also in the fray. Congress candidate Sohan Lal and BJP nominee Isar Ram are battling in Raisinghnagar from where a Rajasthan Vikas Party man Hetram Meghwal and an independent are also contesting. Mundawar is witnessing contest between O P Yadav of Congress and Dharma Pal Chaudhary of BJP although BSP candidate Bakhtawar Singh, Rashtriya Janata Dal nominee Bahadur Singh and Samajwadi Party man Sheoraj Singh and two independents are also in the fray. (PTI) |
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Court identifying Jaya’s seized jewellery CHENNAI, Feb 4: A waist-band studded with hundreds of precious stones and valued at nearly Rs 47 lakh was the cynosure of all eyes in a special court today where the marathon exercise of identifying items of jewellery seized from the residence of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalitha in December 1996 is going on. The band, weighing over one kg and containing 2,389 diamonds, 18 emeralds and nine rubies embedded in nine peacocks, was part of the jewellery identified by Special Judge S Sambandam today in connection with a case relating to accumulation of unaccounted wealth by the AIADMK leader while she was Chief Minister between 1991 and 1996. A gold chain studded with 165 diamonds and valued at Rs 6.16 lakh was among other jewellery identified today. The process of identifying the ornaments, examined and valued at nearly Rs four crore by prosecution witness Vasudevan, a Customs Department Appraiser, between December 9, 1996 and December 12, 1996, had commenced yesterday. The ornaments being identified include bangles, chains and pendants made of plain gold or diamond studded and wrist watches. The process is likely to continue on Monday. Others arraigned in the case are Jayalalitha’s close associate Sasikala Natarajan, Sasikala’s sister-in-law Jilavarasi and the former Chief Minister’s disowned foster son V N Sudhakaran.(PTI) |
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Uncertainty over shooting of ‘Water’ continues VARANASI, Feb 4: Uncertainty over the shooting here of Deepa Mehta’s controversial film ‘Water’ continued today with Sangh Parivar outfits vowing to oppose it at Any cost And the district administration trying to thrash out a compromise between the film unit and agitators. Ruling out any compromise on the issue, Jitendra, organising secretary of Sanskar Bharti, the cultural wing of RSS, told PTI that Mehta would have to pack up and would not be allowed to shoot the film. Sangh Parivar Organisations, including the Bajrang Dal, would be organising street plays, demonstrations and a poster campaign against the film from today, he said, adding senior Vishwa Hindu Parishad leaders, including Ashok Singhal and Praveen Togaria, were expected to arrive here tomorrow. Union Information and Broadcasting Ministry had on Wednesday approved the revised script of the film and the Uttar Pradesh Government had yesterday asked the district administration to take a final decision on the issue, keeping in view the law and order situation in the pilgrim city. The district administration had last evening convened an informal meeting of opposing groups but very few people turned up for the same. Another meeting between the film unit and Sangh Parivar outfits to find a solution to the vexed issue has been called later today, administration sources said. The administration has beefed up security of the film crew and deployed provincial armed constabulary at the shooting venue, the sources said. A spokesman for the film unit said, we would like the film to be shot in a friendly atmosphere. However, Jitendra said none of the Sangh Parivar units had been formally invited for the meeting. Kashi Sanskrit Raksha Sangharsh Samiti, spearheading the agitation against the film, was also likely to send a high-level delegation to Lucknow to meet Chief Minister Ram Prakash Gupta and urged him not to allow the film’s shooting. Meanwhile, Kashi Vidwat Parishad, an apex body of religious leaders and scholars, said a script of the film was likely to be made available to them later today. Parishad spokesman Shivji Upadhyay termed the politicisation of the issue as unfortunate but said the film was highly objectionable and totally unacceptable to the people of Varanasi. Shankaracharya of Kashi Sumeru Peeth Swami Narendranand Saraswati along with several saints took a pledge at Assi Ghat this morning not to allow the film’s shooting at any cost. The pontiff had yesterday threatened to observe a fast at the shooting venue, if filming was allowed. Several left and students organisations had yesterday staged demonstrations in support of the film. Meanwhile, Mehta held closed-door meetings with her artistes, including Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das, and other members of the production unit. Several intellectuals, artistes, academicians and other prominent citizens met here last night under the aegis of Kashi Patrakar Sangh and condemned the damage inflicted on the film sets by Sangh Parivar outfits terming it as an attack on freedom of speech and expression. (PTI) |
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