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Badal denies having JALANDHAR, Nov 16: Opposition Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief and former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today denied having met late Mr .......more Naveen
expels three BHUBANESWAR, Nov 16: The crisis in the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Orissa deepened today with party president Naveen Patnaik expelling three .....more Sanjay
Dutt appears MUMBAI, Nov 16: In keeping with a judicial order, film actor Sanjay Dutt, an accused in the 1993 bomb blast case, today appeared before a special .....more Line
of Control or JAIPUR, Nov 16: An apolitical body representing those with roots in "Ghulam Kashmir" (PoK) today demanded that the 24 seats lying vacant in ..... ..more |
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Jaya writes to PM, NEW DELHI, Nov 16: Acting swiftly on the Supreme Court’s observations, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalitha today withdrew the critical remarks ........more No
decision yet on NEW DELHI, Nov 16: Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee today said no decision had yet been taken on his . ......more Paswan demands ban on RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal LUCKNOW, Nov 16: Lok Janshakti Party president and former Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today demanded....more RSS
chief appeals NEW DELHI, Nov 16: Striking a different note, RSS chief K S Sudarshan today urged the Congress to ......more |
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Tight security at VHP venue yatra ........ Tolerance yatras for preaching peace: Narayanan .......... Togadia prevented from entering Godhra .... Joshi, Satyam elected to UNI workers’ union ........
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Badal denies having met Rajiv Gandhi JALANDHAR, Nov 16: Opposition Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief and former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today denied having met late Mr Rajiv Gandhi during his tenure as Prime Minister to hold discussions on the Punjab waters issue, transfer of Chandigarh to Punjab and other demands of the then Akali leadership. "I never ever met Mr Gandhi, not even once," Mr Badal said reacting to reported claims of Punjab Pradesh Congress president H S Hanspal. Mr Hanspal had yesterday claimed at Gurdaspur that he had accompanied Mr Badal for discussions on the Punjab problem with late Mr Gandhi. Mr Hanspal stated before mediapersons that he was then a Congress member of the Rajya Sabha and on four or five occasions he had accompanied the SAD leader for the meetings with the then Prime Minister. Regarding the rushing of senior Congress leaders and even ministers to New Delhi for meeting Congress national president Sonia Gandhi on the happenings in and around the Golden Temple complex in the run-up to the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandik Committee (SGPC) polls and also on the day of the elections, Mr Badal said: "It only exposes the State Congress Government and their guilt." it was a damage control exercise being undertaken, he added. Mr Parkash Singh Badal said that had Mrs Sonia Gandhi not ‘reprimanded’ Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh a day before the SGPC office-bearer elections, his party workers and SGPC members would not have been allowed to enter the holy city. Admitting the presence of police forces in the Golden Temple complex during SGPC polls held during his tenure as Chief Minister, Mr Badal claimed that neither they were in uniform nor did they entered Teja Singh Samundri Hall, the election venue which also forms a part of the holy shrine. Prior to his re-election as SGPC president, Kirpal Singh Badungar had stated that during Mr Badal’s tenure only the personal security guards of the Chief Minister were allowed entry in Teja Singh Samundri Hall. Br badungar further defended this by stating that the former Chief Minister was in the Z-plus security category. When pointed out that on November 12, the day of the polling, police remained outside and did not enter Teja Singh Samundri Hall, he said that it was because of the intervention of the Congress high command. On the charge by the defeated Tohra group SGPC candidate Bir Singh Madhoke that his consent was not taken prior to the commencement of the polling process, Mr Badal said, "in fact they (Tohra faction) never had any candidate and most of them did not even want to contest." (UNI) |
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Naveen expels three BJD MPs from party BHUBANESWAR, Nov 16: The crisis in the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Orissa deepened today with party president Naveen Patnaik expelling three rebel Lok Sabha MPs from the primary membership of the outfit for a period of six years for their continued anti-party activities. The three MPs had been placed under suspension by Patnaik earlier on August nine on the same charges. The decision to expel them was taken by the party chief after due consultations with senior party leaders and office bearers, BJD secretary general and Panchayatiraj Minister, Damodar Rout told newspersons here. Patnaik, who left here for Delhi this afternoon, has also summoned a meeting of the BJD members in both Houses of Parliament there tomorrow to discuss the nomination or election of office bearers of the BJD Parliamentary Party, Rout said. Six members of the ten-member BJD group in Lok Sabha, including the three MPs expelled today, had staged a virtual coup on September 17 last when they decided to replace Union Water Resources Minister Arjun Charan Sethi as leader of the BJDPP and elected Prasanna Acharya in his place. This had taken the party leadership completely by surprise and it received a further jolt recently when the Lok Sabha Speaker recognised Acharya as the leader of the BJDPP in the Lower House. Rout said show cause notices had been served to the three suspended MPs and they were asked to reply to the notices within 15 days which they chose to ignore. On the contrary, they stepped up their anti-party activities and joined hands with opposition leaders and those expelled from the BJD, he said while alleging that they had been hatching a conspiracy to oust Naveen Patnaik from the post of president of BJD and leader of the BJD Legislature Party. Their activities were carefully observed for the last few months and the decision was taken to maintain discipline within the regional party, he said. Asked whether the party was contemplating any action against the other three MPs including the leader of the BJDPP Prasanna Acharya, Rout said their cases are under examination by the party leadership. These MPs would be asked about their activities at the meeting of the BJDPP called tomorrow, he said. On how many MPs were expected to attend the meeting convened by the party chief in Delhi tomorrow, the secretary general said the remaining seven Lok Sabha members and four Rajya Sabha MPs had been invited. (PTI) |
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Sanjay Dutt appears before court, exempted till Dec 2 MUMBAI, Nov 16: In keeping with a judicial order, film actor Sanjay Dutt, an accused in the 1993 bomb blast case, today appeared before a special court which exempted him till December two. On a plea by the actor’s lawyer Farhaha Shah, the designated judge P D Kode exempted Sanjay from appearing before the court for a fortnight on certain conditions. Sanjay was warned to refrain from contacting absconding accused or tampering with witnesses. He has been asked not to leave the country without the permission of the court and keep his lawyer present in the court during the exemption period. The actor appeared today after his return from Tanzania, Kenya, Mauritius and South Africa to promote Hindi film ‘Kaante’, produced by him. He had left India on October 28 with the permission of the court. Sanjay had urged the court that ‘Kaante’ was his first home production and therefore he was going abroad for publicity and distribution network. The film is slated for an all-India release on December 6. Outside the court, fans of Sanjay gathered in large numbers to have a glimpse of the star. The court is housed in the high security central prison at Arthur road in Central Mumbai. In a related development, 88 other accused have been exempted till December two . All of them are on bail and come to the court as and when they are summoned. (PTI) |
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Paswan demands ban on RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal LUCKNOW, Nov 16: Lok Janshakti Party president and former Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan today demanded a ban on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Vishwa Hindu Parishad and the Bajrang Dal alleging these organisations were bent upon "disturbing communal harmony in the country" "RSS, VHP and Bajrang Dal were engaged in activities that could break the country and should be banned forthwith," Paswan told reporters here. He also criticised the BJP saying that it provided "patronage" to these organisations in one way or the other. Paswan said while the Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee termed the Gujarat violence as "shameful and against the Rajdharma", the Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was "trying to incite communal passion in the State". "Modi’s outbursts could disturb communal harmony in the country but the Union Government has remained a mute spectator," he alleged. He also lashed out at the VHP for criticising the Election Commission. Paswan said if all the secular parties’, including the Congress, go to the Assembly elections in Gujarat together, the results there could also be similar to that of Jammu and Kashmir. He praised the Election Commission for adopting a "tough but impartial" attitude in the election process in Gujarat and expressed hope that the elections there would free and fair". (PTI) |
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RSS chief appeals to Cong for cow slaughter ban bill NEW DELHI, Nov 16: Striking a different note, RSS chief K S Sudarshan today urged the Congress to come out with a private member’s bill in Parliament providing for a ban on cow slaughter and asked BJP to support such a move. Recalling that the Goseva Commission vice-chairman Justice (Retd) G M Lodha in his report had recommended a ban on cow slaughter, Sudarshan said, "the Congress party should take the initiative for such a legislation and the BJP should endorse it. There is a need for a national consensus on it." The RSS chief, who is usually critical of the Congress, was speaking at a function at Gopal Gosadan - a cow shelter for abandoned cows at Harveli village on the outskirts of the capital. He urged Congress Rajya Sabha member M M Aggarwal, who was present on the occasion, to take up the matter with the party leadership and said renowned Jain saint Acharya Mahaprajna has also discussed the issue with senior party leader and former Lok Sabha Speaker Shivraj Patil. Sudarshan regretted that even 55 years after independence cow slaughter was prevalent in the country though leaders such as Mahatma Gandhi and Lokmanya Tilak have fought for the ban. He said if the by-products of cow including milk, butter, urine and cowdung were properly utilised, cow shelters need not depend on donations and can be self-sufficient. He also emphasised on the growing importance of organic fertilisers, insecticide and foodgrains. (PTI) Tight security at VHP venue yatra AHMEDABAD, Nov 16: All preventive measures, including deployment of Rapid Action Force (RAF), have been taken by Godhra district authorities at the venue of VHP’s proposed ‘Padshahi Yatra’ scheduled to be held tomorrow, a top police official said today. Some preventive arrests have been made and preparations for the yatra at the Science College ground have been stopped, District Superintendent of Police Narshimha Komar Panchmahals told PTI over phone. He did not rule out the possibility of more preventive arrests. "We are taking all possible measures to maintain peace, law and order in sensitive Godhra town." Police are keeping a strict vigil at the Railway station, bus stands and security personnel have been deployed in sensitive areas of the town and at entry points to the state. "We will not allow anyone to move individually or in groups towards the site of the proposed rally," the DSP said, adding that the permission earlier given to the science college has also been withdrawn. The police official said one company of RAF, eight companies of State Reserve Police (SRP), 700 local policemen and police reinforcement from adjoining district have been deployed at the science college ground and other areas. Meanwhile, posters, banners and other publicity material regarding the yatra (Dharam Sabha) displayed in the town have been withdrawn.(PTI) Tolerance yatras for preaching peace: Narayanan NEW DELHI, Nov 16: Former President K R Narayanan today said there is need to take out "tolerance yatras" to preach the age old values of peace rather than embarking on other yatras which spread intolerance. Referring to VHP’s controversial "Padashahi Yatra" in Gujarat, Narayanan said "today there is a need to organise tolerance yatras to spread values of peace and unity that India has been preaching since ages." Inaugurating the celebrations of UN International Day of Tolerance here, Narayanan said "intolerance was not known to India as there were no religious wars or crusades in the country. Leading musicians, dancers, singers and painters observed the day in the capital by displaying expressions of tolerance through various art forms.(PTI) Togadia prevented from entering Godhra AHMEDABAD, Nov 16: The authorities today banned the entry of VHP international general secretary Pravin Togadia in Godhra ahead of the proposed yatra from the town tomorrow. Panchmahals Collector Manoj Agrawal told PTI over phone that "Togadia has been prevented from entering the town to ensure maintenance of law and order situation". Agrawal said "though there is no palpable tension in Godhra, there is sufficient security force to meet any eventuality". A defiant Togadia said "we will continue with our yatra in a peaceful and democratic manner. "We will go to Godhra as per plans to pay tributes to Rambhakts who died (in the train carnage). It is our fundamental right to take out the yatra." The VHP leader alleged the Election Commission was putting pressure on the Gujarat administration to stop the yatra. "Decisions on law and order are taken by the district magistrate. But these are being taken by the Election Commission here," Togadia said adding the commission has no right to ban the yatra. Agrawal said all entry points into Godhra had been sealed and the district administration was in constant touch with the Gujarat Government in view of VHP’s threat to continue with its yatra from the science college ground in the town. "We have instructed college authorities to see that VHP workers abide by the instructions and discontinue their on-going preparations for taking out the yatra," he said. (PTI) Joshi, Satyam elected to UNI workers’ union NEW DELHI, Nov 16: Mr Mohan Lal Joshi was re-elected president and Mr Satyam Verma was elected general secretary of the UNI Workers’ Union in the elections held yesterday. According to the results of the union elections announced today, Mr Mahabir Singh Bisht was elected vice-president, Mr B B Tiwari and Ms Anupama Batura secretaries and Mr A K Banerjee treasurer. Besides, there were 13 executive members elected to the union for a one-year term. They were Ms Neena Joshi, Mr Sunil Jha, Mr Mohan Lal Choudhary, Ms Jayashree S Raja, Mr Mukesh Jagota, Mr Imran Khan, Mr Jamaluddin Akhtar, Mr Rajendra S Negi, Mr Jasbir Singh, Mr Manoranjan Das, Mr Gurdip Singh, Mr Arjun Singh Bisht and Mr Pankaj Doval. (UNI) |
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