Buses attacked, MCD office gheraoed as traders go on bandh

NEW DELHI, Nov 7: With the capital set to see the resumption of sealing of unauthorised business establishments, the traders today once again took to the streets during their 24-hour bandh, venting their anger on city buses, gheraoing an office of the MCD and clashing with the police.

The police used lathicharge and teargas at Vikas Marg in East Delhi after protestors went on a rampage and pelted stones at the security personnel.

Besides damaging over half-a-dozen city buses, angry crowds broke the windowpanes of a police vehicle which was transporting some protestors who were detained from Mayur Vihar in East Delhi.

The other areas that witnessed violence included Rohini, Paharganj and Green Park.

Around 1,000 people have so far been detained by police all over the city, a senior police official told PTI.

A huge demonstration by the traders at Vikas Marg in East Delhi saw the protestors going on the rampage, blocking the traffic, damaging the road divider and setting trash cans on fire.

Paramilitary forces such as ITBP and CRPF have been deployed at Vikas Marg, which is a major road connecting trans-Yamuna areas with Central Delhi.

Traders from South Delhi markets led by a number of political leaders, including Jitender Kochar of Congress, BJP’s Vijay Goel and former Chief Minister Madanlal Khurana, gheraoed the MCD office in Green Park.

The protestors, including the politicos, were later detained by police.

Around 2,000 armed paramilitary personnel and the entire Delhi Police were out on the streets of capital in view of the bandh that has been backed by both ruling Congress and opposition BJP.

All schools in the capital were closed in view of the bandh.

A similar strike on September 20 witnessed violence in Seelampur area of Northeast Delhi that resulted in the death of five persons. The last day of the three-day bandh called by traders from October 30 also saw large-scale violence.

While most of the markets in the capital were closed, shopping arcades in NDMC areas, such as Connaught Place, Khan Market remained open.

Essential services have been excluded from the bandh, said Praveen Khandelwal, General Secretary of Confederation of All India Traders.

He said private medical practitioners and chemists were supporting the bandh by sporting black bands on their arms, but added the health services were unaffected.

He also said autorickshaw associations had extended support to the strike and autos were off the roads.

Meanwhile, leading a traders’ protest, BJP’s state unit chief Harsh Vardhan charged both the Centre and Delhi Government with inaction on the issue.

"They are now shedding crocodile tears. If they are so keen to provide relief to the traders, why have they taken so long to implement the 2021 Master Plan," he said.

Meanwhile, Mayor Farhad Suri has called an all-party meet to discuss the sealing issue. (PTI)

Railways gets as notice after exam answer-books go missing

PATNA, Nov 7: The North Eastern Railway has come under a cloud with authorities of Bihar’s Magadh University serving a legal notice to it after a sealed packet of its engineering examination answer-books was lost in transit.

Magadh University Pro Vice-Chancellor R P Sharma told PTI today the packet of answerbooks went missing while being sent to examiners at Benaras Hindu University, compelling the administration to serve a legal notice on North Eastern Railway.

The incident has cast a shadow on the fate of about 500 examinees of its two engineering colleges, Sharma said.

A formal complaint about the matter was also lodged with the Chief Commercial Superintendent (Claim) and Divisional Railway Manager of the NER.

Sharma said the engineering part-III examination of 2004 was held at the College of Commerce here on May five and the answerbooks were sent to Varanasi through railway parcels for delivery to J P Dwivedi of the mechanical engineering department of the Institute of Technology of Benaras Hindu University.

The documents available suggested both packets were received at Varanasi junction on May six but only one was delivered to Dwivedi on May 10.

Sharma said when several reminders failed to yield any positive response from NER authorities, the university administration lodged a complaint with the Chief Commercial Superintendent in Varanasi on August 12 and subsequently served a legal notice about the missing packet.

He said the university’s examination board had on November four constituted a three-member committee to inquire into the matter and submit a report within five days so that an FIR could be lodged against NER in this connection.

The disappearance of answer-books has delayed results of about 500 examiness of the two engineering colleges. "Now the university administration is thinking of giving average marks to the examinees," Sharma said. (PTI)

Woman constable assaulted, rioting Dalit mob baton-charged

NAGPUR, Nov 7: A woman constable was allegedly bitten by a woman when she was arrested as police today used batons and teargas to disperse a mob on this city’s outskirts that was protesting the killing of a Dalit family.

Continuing violence protests for a second day, an angry group of Dalits burnt tyres to block traffic and indulged in heavy stone pelting at Jaitala locality in Hingana T-point area, prompting police to use force and fire teargas shells.

Four members of a family were allegedly killed by non- Dalits in Khairlanji (Bhandara) in the last week of September over a property dispute.

The constable, identified as Jyoti Temekar, suffered injuries on her hand and was taken to a government hospital.

Commissioner of Police S P S Yadav, who airdashed here from Mumbai last night, confirmed that Temekar had been bitten by a woman protestor.

He told PTI the situation was tense but under control in other parts of the city. Police have been deployed at all important places and vital points, he said.

Police later dispersed the mob at Hingana T-point and restored vehicular traffic.

They said 27 people were arrested in connection with yesterday’s arson and violence at Indora, a locality in the northern part of the city. (PTI)

Indira Gandhi favoured comprehensive teachers training: aide

SHILLONG, Nov 7: Former prime minister Indira Gandhi wanted to start a comprehensive training programme for teachers in the country but her colleagues were not in favour of the step as it involved a huge expenditure, a close aide of the late leader said today.

Kireet Joshi, an eminent philosopher who worked with Gandhi, reminisced how the former prime minister liked the idea of training all teachers for five years along with giving a stipend.

But the idea was not implemented as "some" (of Gandhi’s colleagues) were not in favour, as it involved substantial expenditure, Joshi told the concluding session of a two-week long workshop on education.

Joshi, a former IAS officer whom Gandhi brought from Pondicherry to work as a Special Officer in the Education Ministry in late 70s, said he even told the former prime minister that unless the nation was ready to pay "heavily" to train its teachers, the future of its children would not be "shining".

He also said Gandhi, a product of Rabindranath Tagore’s Vishva Bharati, wanted to bring back its "old and own spirit" with amendments to its legislation. "The amendment was done but not implemented," Joshi lamented.

Mooting a concept of preparing a curriculum for children, Joshi, who was instrumental in setting up the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education in Pondicherry, said schools should not have more than 800 students. He said a number of schools should exist in one campus with each imparting knowledge in one particular field and sharing facilities with the others.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof Surjeet Verma, who came from Canada, called for teachers taking a ‘pledge’ every day in their schools to give their best to the students.

Their focus should be on children and making them the ‘very best’ in the society.

The workshop, organised by Sri Aurobindo Institute of Indian Culture (SAIIC) here, was addressed by scholars from different religious sects including muslim, bahai, hindu, christian and academics.

SAIIC chairman and former MP, B B Dutta, announced its plan to establish a centre for educational research and teachers’ training during the next few months under the name Auro-Bharat International Centre of Education and Training.

He also announced the intention to build and develop a home for senior scholars and servants of mother india and provide them facilities for their studies, research and other activities.

Economic Advisor to Meghalaya Chief Minister, Charles Pyngrope, also an MLA, stressed the need for educating the politicians so that the society did not see them as ‘liability’.

+Please prepare a course and have the politicians together so that they realise the importance of education,+ Pyngrope told the SAIIC authorities.

The workshop was attended by delegates from Assam, West Bengal, Delhi, Pondicherry, Trichy, Bangladesh besides Meghalaya. (PTI)

Hooda Govt has failed on all fronts: Chautala

SONEPAT, Nov 7: Accusing the Bhupinder Singh Hooda government in Haryana of having "failed on all fronts", Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) president Om Prakash Chautala today alleged that the people were fed up with the present regime and wanted to overthrow it.

"Bhupinder Singh Hooda has failed on all fronts and has backed out from all the promises he made to the people of the state at the time of assembly elections," he told scribes at Gohana town here.

"People are now waiting for the next assembly polls so that they can overthrow the present Government," Chautala said, as he called upon his party workers to remain united and prepare themselves for fighting the assembly elections on their own.

The former chief minister also alleged that there was an "unprecedented power and water crisis" in the state and that the Hooda Government had done nothing to improve the situation.

"Haryana has never witnessed such a crisis of water and power. The sowing season had already begun and the farmers were neither getting canal water nor enough power to run the tubewells," he claimed.

Chautala also declared that his party will not allow the state government to acquire agricultural land on "cheaper rates" for SEZ and other development purposes. (PTI)

Jethmalani’s petition on transfer of Jessica case dismissed

NEW DELHI, Nov 7: Delhi High Court today dismissed an application by prime accused Manu Sharma seeking transfer of Jessica Lall murder case to another court saying that the hearing cannot be allowed to be derailed since a lot of argument had taken place.

In his application, Sharma’s counsel Ram Jethmalani sought that the bench of Justice R S Sodhi and Justice P K Bhasin, which is hearing the present appeal, to recuse from hearing the matter as one newspaper had carried a report saying that Justice Sodhi refused to hear Manu’s bail plea in 2002 as he (Justice Sodhi) had been approached by someone.

The Bench also observed that upto the High Court level, "we adopt an open court hearing of every case and they are open to public debate, discussion and criticism.

"Insulating ourselves will result in a great injustice to the parties involved in the matter," the Bench added.

The Bench will hear tomorrow an appeal filed by Delhi Police challenging Sharma’s acquittal by a trial court, after Jethmalani said he will consider his position and inform the court.

After the order, Jethmalani said he had not yet decided whether to challenge it in Supreme Court and whether to appear at all on behalf of Manu or not. (PTI)

Kalam inaugurates open-air museum

RAIPUR, Nov 7: President A P J Abdul Kalam today inaugurated an open-air museum here showcasing the art and culture of Chhatisgarh.

Inaugurating the museum-‘Purkhouti Muktangan’, Kalam said it will provide a unique opportunity to bring the history and the people of the state closer to bio-diversity and showcase the way they lived with nature in harmony and made use of traditional knowledge.

Spread over an area of over 200 acres of land, the museum is located in Abhanpur block of Raipur district.

On being informed that the museum will have a children’s park and a science park, the President made a suggestion to Chief Minister Raman Singh that both parks be planned in such a way that children could self-learn many aspects through interactive exhibits.

"Museums are the mirrors that reflect our heritage... The way our ancestors lived, what they cherished, and often what the people missed," he said.

Museums "also reminded people of the aspects that were erased from their life due to the advent of newer technologies, newer languages and newer ways of life," Kalam said, adding that they gave "people a great pleasure by satisfying their inner urge to see what they were missing in this modern world". (PTI)

AIADMK MPs question DVAC’S functioning

CHENNAI , Nov 7: Taking exception to the Tamil Nadu Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption registering cases against its activists, AIADMK Rajya Sabha members today wanted to know how many suo motu cases the DVAC had registered against the ruling DMK from May 13, 2006.

"How many suo motu cases have been registered against the ruling DMK from 13.5.2006 till date ? If none, why?," the MPs asked in identical Open letters to the State Director General of Police and the DVAC.

The members also sought to know how many corruption cases have been registered against DMK men and their relatives "closely connected with the top level leaders for having received bribes for postings, transfers, promotions, award of contracts, etc?."

They also sought know how many cases were registered against men including police officers who have "given bribes, to the power centres of Tamil Nadu?" and whether the DVAC ever identified persons "indulging in these activities who are very closely connected with the men who were sworn in as Ministers of the minority DMK Government?".

The signatories to the letter are : N Jothi, K Malaisamy, T T V Dinakaran, Gokula Indira, S P M Syed Khan, Thanga Tamil Selvan, N R Govindarajar, S Anabalagan, R Kamaraj and C Perumal.

The MPs said they were entitled to know about the proper functioning of the directorate "which is being run with funds from the coffers of the public exchequer."

The AIADMK MPs said they also intended to take up the issue with the Union Home Affairs Ministry and Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions apart from submitting a memorandum to President A P J Abdul Kalam.

"This letter is being sent to safeguard the interests of the public. Let there be a public debate on this," they said.

The MPs said the directorate might have complete power in the field of investigation, but "being a public body intended to curb corruption, it should focus on it in an unbiased manner."

"We are interested in knowing at what stage the investigations that were initiated against some of the present ministers stand? Will the completed investigation on such persons before entering office culminate into chargesheets or not? Why is there so much delay when the chargesheets are ready but were withheld on the eve of the elections?"

"Considering that the above information is of paramount interest to the public, that is, the partisan functioning of the DVAC with the sole aim of perpetuating the interests of the DMK party by taking revenge against the opposition parties and especially the AIADMK party, the above details are being sought," they said. (PTI)

Two Maoists arrested

SITAMARHI, BIHAR, Nov 7: Two CPI-Maoist cadres were today arrested at the railway station here with two grenades and a pistol as the outlawed group observed a Kranti Diwas.

Superintendent of Police M R Naik said as part of tight security arrangements in view of Kranti Diwas, Government Railway Police personnel stopped two youths behaving in a suspicious manner who tried to flee.

The forces chased and caught them and found the grenades and pistol in their possession.

Naik said the two men, identified as Satish Kumar Singh and Alok Kumar Sharma, were being interrogated. (PTI)

Haryana to come up with new policy for traders..........

NEW DELHI, Nov 7: Sealing is a nightmare for not just traders here. The word is enough to scare many a people in neighbouring Haryana too.

"People and traders in the state are really afraid of the word sealing. But the State Government has nothing to do with sealing," Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda told PTI here.

He clarified there would be no sealing of commercial shops in residential areas in the state on the pattern of the exercise being done in Delhi.

"We are, in fact, coming up with a new policy to ensure that the things go fine for traders and businessmen in Haryana," he said.

On Punjab and Haryana High Court’s directive asking the State Government to ensure that commercial establishments were removed from residential areas within one week, Hooda said a survey was being done to find out the number of shops in residential premises.

However, encroachment was not a very big issue in the state, he said. Before 1992, the operating of nursing homes and consultancies from residential areas was made legal and the new policy would have many new additions.

Would the sealing drive in Delhi attract more private companies to invest in Haryana?, Hooda was asked.

He replied the state has a horse-shoe shaped existence, enclosing Delhi from three sides and "we have benefitted from that."

"Definitely companies are interested in setting up shop here and I am going to market my state on this basis in a big way," he added. (PTI)

Shahabuddin arives at Siwan, HC declares his writ infructuous

PATNA/SIWAN, Nov 7: The Patna High Court today declared as infructuous controversial RJD MP Mohammed Shahabuddin’s petition seeking specialised medical care for his spinal problem as he had undergone treatment in Delhi.

After more than three-months of treatment at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Shahabuddin today reached Siwan by train and was sent to Siwan divisional jail under tight security.

When told by Additional Advocate General Ram Vilas Mahto that the MP had reached Siwan after undergoing treatment at AIIMS, Justice V N Sinha declared as infructuous, Shahabuddin’s petition.

Accompanied by a large contingent of Special Auxiliary Police (SAP) force and Bihar Police personnel, Shahabuddin arrived in Siwan from New Delhi by Vaishali Express.

Security forces had to use a mild baton charge to control the his supporters who raised slogans and threw garlands at him while he was escorted to a police vehicle to take him to the jail from the railway station.

With the MP now in Siwan, official sources said that his trial in several cases of kidnapping and murder would resume from November nine.

Two special courts had been set up inside Siwan jail for speedy trial of pending criminal cases against Shahabuddin. Hearings in different cases were affected all these days owing to his absence. (PTI)

HC continues its stay on AIIMS director’s dismissal

NEW DELHI, Nov 7: The Delhi High Court today continued its stay on the dismissal of AIIMS director P Venugopal.

Arguing before a Bench of Justice Anil Kumar, counsel for Vengugopal, Maninder Singh submitted that Valiathan committee report was being suppressed by the Government as it had recommended that the Union Health Minister should not be the ex-officio president of the institution.

The court directed the counsel for Venugopal to file his rejoinder to a Government submission on the issue by February 22 next year. (PTI)