School shooting; parents of accused child absconding

GURGAON, Dec 12: The parents of one of the two children, who allegedly shot and killed their classmate, were absconding, even as a case was registered against the father whose gun was used in the murder.

A day after 14-year-old Abhishek Tyagi was killed allegedly by two of his classmates, who pumped five bullets into him shortly after the school closed, the parents of one of the accused children were on the run.

Deputy Commissioner of Police Satish Balan said action would be taken against Azad Yadav, the father of one of the accused children, under the Arms Act for alleged negligence.

Azad’s son had brought his licensed revolver to school and allegedly fired four shots at Abhishek near the staircase and then handed the gun to his friend who fired another bullet.

The school situated in Sector 45, was, meanwhile, closed for two days. (PTI)

Tigers almost gone, Govt now
concentrates on saving leopards

NEW DELHI, Dec 12: With almost all the tigers vanishing from Sariska Tiger reserve, Rajasthan Government is leaving no stone unturned for protection of leopards in the sanctuary.

Tracking the movement of the highly-threatened species, strengthening the staff in the area spread over 800 sq km and enhancing night and day patrolling to keep a vigil on poachers are some of the steps taken to conserve the wildlife in the sanctuary.

According to the census 2004, Rajasthan has a total of 500 leopards of which around 39 are in Sarsika.

Sariska Forest Guard Ramparsad, who was in the capital recently, said that "every beat official has been entrusted with the task of following the pug mark of the leopard in his area and immediately inform to another beat guard in whose territory the animal enters."

The staff strength has been enhanced to around 500 and each beat official has been given given much smaller area of 15 km-20 km radius of area for better supervision, he said.

Dehradun-based Wildlife Institute of India (WII) has also started radio-collaring of some of the leopards and their cubs to monitor their movement in the state.

Ramprasad, who has been guarding the forest reserve since 1980s, pointed out that the reserve is rich with flora and animals like jackals, neelgai and hyena besides leopard but the human population inside and around the reserve was putting pressure on the animal habitat.

As many as 25 tigers disappeared from the buffer zone in the region, the last was seen in 2005.

The forest guard said at least 54 cases have been registered against the poachers and villagers in the last nine years while 32 poachers have been arrested.

Though the State Government has relocated one of the villages, Bhagani to Bhagod tehsil, it has onerous task ahead as around five villages still exist in the reserve and 15 villages adjacent to the tiger reserve are to be relocated, he said. (PTI)

No specific threat from LTTE: Army official

CHENNAI, Dec 12: Ruling out any "specific threat" from LTTE despite reports of its increasing activities in Tamil Nadu, a senior army official today said India will not allow any "unfriendly elements" and security forces have stepped up surveillance to prevent infiltration of militants.

"While the Navy and Coast Guard are doing round-the-clock patrolling, we have also strengthened off-coast patrolling," Lt Gen Noble Thamburaj, who recently took over as General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Command, told reporters.

Replying to questions about a spate of recent arrests of LTTE members in the state, thereby pointing to a rise in the activities of the banned outfit, the General said there is "no threat" from the group.

"Following the recent offensive by the Sri Lankan Army, the influx of refugees to Tamil Nadu has gone up which is being monitored by the agencies concerned," Thamburaj, who hails from Vellore in Tamil Nadu, said.

He said the State Government was also monitoring whether any such elements were entering India along with the refugees from Sri Lanka.

Though entrusted with the duty of guarding the country’s borders, the Army has a big role to play in the country’s internal security, he said.

"In the age of non-conventional warfare, where sleeper agents and mafia move among the people, there should be a multi-pronged approach among the intelligence agencies, local police and the Army to thwart any terror attempts by the organisations," he said.

In view of this, the Indian Army was upgrading itself to meet the future challenges.

"While our electronic surveillance systems are being upgraded, we are also going in for more Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) which could enter any territory and collect information without being noticed," Thamburaj said.

More modern weapons were also being inducted into the force’s arsenal, he said while recalling India’s successful test of the missile interceptor recently.

Responding to a query on shortage of officers in the Indian Army, he attributed it to the other lucrative options available for the youth. "However, we are firm on not compromising the standards of selection," he said.

The Army was reaching out to colleges for recruitment and have organised campus recruitment drives in some engineering colleges in the state, he said.

Hoping that the sixth Pay Commission would address the "anomalies" in the wage structure, he said "the Army is not just a career, but a way of life".

Thamburaj said he would meet Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi soon to seek the state’s help in setting up a school for the children of officers and ex-servicemen at Vellore. (PTI)

Taj Mahal vicinity to be revitalised: Tourism Ministry

NEW DELHI, Dec 12: The Union Tourism Ministry has decided to step up efforts for revitalisation and visitor management in and around the vicinity of the Taj Mahal, the majestic 17^{th century Mughal monument at Agra.}

^{Union Tourism Secretary S Banerjee made an onsite inspection of the ongoing works in Agra, followed by a meeting convened by the Centre to discuss a further action plan. The meeting was attended by senior officials of the district administration, Archaeological Survey of India, ITDC, CPWD and CISF.}

^{The meeting decided to complete the trekking route to the Taj Mahal by January 31 next year and complete works related to road improvement by December 31. Sufficient number of toilets would be provided at the Shilpgram Complex while the new shopping complex would be ready by January 31 next year.}

^{The work in Taj Khema, related to construction of eight cottages, would be completed by February next.}

^{The meeting also decided to work out a scheme for providing extra entry rows to avoid long queues for easy entry to the East Gate.}

^{Proper signages would be installed at prominent locations and would be prepared keeping international standards and uniformity in mind.}

^{The meeting also explored the possibility of shifting dairy owners from the East gate of the Taj Mahal.}

^{A drive would be launched for cleaning Agra city with special emphasis on areas near heritage sites, and to make clean and green the peripheral area of the Agra Fort. (UNI)}

MLA pushed out of Bihar assembly

PATNA, Dec 12: Some ruling NDA MLAs today pushed out their suspended JD(U) colleague Chhed Paswan of Bihar assembly for making uncharitable remarks against the Speaker for not allowing him to raise issues concerning his constituency when he desired.

As the Speaker Udai Narain Choudhary started taking up call-attention notices during zero-hour, Paswan wanted to know from the chair the fate of the one he had submitted.

He alleged that though his notice was at 14 in the list, the Speaker had not asked him to read it out.

Choudhary told Paswan that his notice figured at number 24 and therefore, it could not be taken up.

An angry Paswan charged the chair with being biased and arbitrary against him. "I am here to voice the problems facing the people in my constituency and not to see the face of speaker," he said amid protests from the treasury benches.

As he rushed to the aisle and made some uncharitable remarks against the speaker, it was vehemently protested by state Minister for Road Construction Nand Kishore Yadav who shouted at him, while opposition MLAs stood in support of Paswan asking the Speaker to allow him to read the notice.

Paswan then got engaged in heated exchanges with the minister. Some ruling NDA MLAs led by JD(U) chief whip Shrava Kumar then encircled Paswan before pushing him out of the house amid noisy protests by opposition MLAs.

Paswan later staged a sit-in before the speaker’s chamber charging Shravan Kumar and others with assaulting him and physically pushing him out of the house.

"It is a shame on parliamentary democracy as the custodian of the house (speaker) remained mute spectator," senior RJD MLA and former minister Jagdanand Singh alleged.

"The work of marshal has been executed by the ruling alliance MLAs. I have not not seen such incident in my political career spanning over 25 years," he said. (PTI)

Kalol witnesses a unique fight between
BJP and its dissidents

KALOL, GUJARAT, Dec 12: If BJP were to assess the damage party rebels could cause to it in the Assembly polls, it wouldn’t have to go very far: just 170 km from Ahmedabad in the Kalol constituency, son of a sitting party MLA is contesting as an Independent.

That’s not all-the one-time Hindutva icon of the party, Uma Bharti, too has fielded her candidate.

The Kalol constituency falls under Panchamahal district, which witnessed large-scale violence during post- Godhra 2002 riots. The sitting MLA, Prabhatsinh Chauhan, is Minister for Tribal Affairs and has been shifted to the neighbouring constituency Godhra. However, his son, Pravinsinh Chauhan has jumped into the fray as an Independent. The BJP’s nominee is Navinchandra Kantilal Patel, a confidant of Chauhan. Polling is due in the constituency on December 16.

Though Prabhatsinh Chauhan has publicly disowned his son many times, BJP sources admit that the ploy is to retain the Kalol seat within the family.

Party sources allege that Pravinsinh is a listed bootlegger and also an accused in several cases, including rioting and Arms Act violations. In previous elections, Pravinsinh headed his father’s poll campaigns. Today, Pravinsinh seems to have divided BJP party workers, many of whom are openly working for him.

It is not just Pravinsinh who is troubling the BJP. Shanta Parmar, wife of Eral rape and murder accused Chandrakant Parmar, is fighting the election as a candidate for Uma Bharti’s Bharatiya Janshakti Party.

Chandrakant Parmar, alias Kahabhai Dada, is serving life term for rioting, rape and murder. Not long ago he was BJP’s taluka panchayat president. Things changed after a court verdict on October 31 this year.

A close relative of Shanta Parmar said, "The Government did not do anything to save our family and our villagers. I have the entire community with me, and they have understood what the BJP is capable of."

BJP supporters do agree that Parmar would cut into the party votes, they are confident that the impact will be restricted to just the Eral village, from where she hails, and to few villages around it.

"She will not play a major role. Her impact is limited to just Eral and areas around it. Despite the party shifting the sitting MLA to Godhra, the voters in this constituency continue to back the party for the development work that we have done", says a senior district BJP leader. In the ensuing tussle within the saffron party, it’s the Congress that hopes to make the maximum profit.

"Riots hit the constituency very hard. The people have realised what the BJP stands for. Moreover, Pravinsinh and Parmar will upset BJP’s calculations, which will work in our favour. The BJP talk of development is hollow since none has taken place here", says Ajitsinh S Bhati, general secretary, Panchmahal district Congress committee.

The 2002 riots seem have emerged as a bigger issue in this constituency than development work, the BJP’s main plank.

"The riots changed everything. People who had supported the BJP have now been convicted. The party has let us down. Pravinsinh will certianly divide the BJP voters," says Harish Bhatt, a shopowner in Kalol city. (PTI)

Rajni turns 57

CHENNAI,Dec12: Basking in the glory of his latest boxoffice hit, ‘Sivaji-The Boss’, Tamil superstar Rajnikant celebrated his 57^{th birthday today in a quiet manner at an undisclosed place while his fans held various functions to mark the event.}

^{Calls to his house evoked no response as his personal staff said their thalaivar (leader) was out of station,}

^{Despite the absence of their leader, the actor’s fans celebrated his birthday by organising various events, including mass meals for school children in different parts of the state, reports reaching here said.}

^{Several fans also pulled golden chariots in different temples in the state, praying for a long life for their leader.}

^{Many of his fans consider 2007 a golden year for the aging star as the blockbuster ‘Sivaji-The Boss’ netted the largest collections at the box-office. The movie is still running to packed houses in parts of the state, though it was released few months ago.}

^{‘Sivaji’ as well as ‘Chandramukhi’, a successful movie that was released earlier, changed the fortunes of Rajnikant who suffered heavy losses after his mega movie ‘Bhaba’ flopped.}

^{Rajni, as he is known to his fans, has also dabbled in politics without starting his own party or joining any other. He shifted stands and supported different parties during the elections since 1996. (PTI)}

People of Gujarat will vote Modi back to power: Sidhu

AHMEDABAD, Dec 12: A day after the first phase of polling ended in Gujarat, cricketer-turned-politician Navjot Singh Sidhu exuded confidence that the people of Gujarat will vote BJP and Chief Minister Narendra Modi back to power.

Inspite of being in power for six years, people will vote for the good work done during Modi’s rule, Sidhu told media persons here.

"In Gujarat, people will not show their resentment against the BJP-ruled Government, as normally people do after a Government has completed its five-years of rule in a particular state," Sidhu remarked as the state gears up for the second phase of polls for 95 assembly seats to be held on December 16.

Sidhu also criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s remarks about the declaration of L K Advani as BJP’s Prime-Ministerial candidate.

"The Prime Minister has partly talked on facts and partly on fantasy," he said referring to the remark that PM made yesterday where he said that BJP had declared Advani’s name fearing an ambitious Modi.

"The fact is that the PM recognises the strength of Modi and his imminent victory," Sidhu said. "Modi is not a threat to the BJP, but is an asset," he added.

Stating that the Modi’s following has grown in Gujarat, Sidhu said, "Five years down the line, people in Gujarat will want their children to be like Modi."

He also criticised the PM’s remark about reopening post-Godhra riot cases if the Congress came to power. "If you want to re-open 2002 riot cases it’s fine. But, what about the 1984 Sikh riots in Delhi were more than 5,000 Sikhs were killed and not a single FIR has been registered," he asked.

Sidhu equated the opposition Congress party "as a rudderless ship". The Congress party is leaderless in Gujarat, he said.

Claiming that several factions existed within the Congress in Gujarat, he said: "if the Congress declares their Chief Ministerial candidate, at least seven different factions are sure to emerge." (PTI)