RSS Feed (xml)With UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Home Minister P Chidambaram listening, National Conference chief and Union Minister Farooq Abdullah on Thursday asked the government to re-look into his proposal to grant autonomy to Jammu and Kashmir.
Participating in the debate on the situation in Kashmir in the Lok Sabha, Abdullah made a strong pitch for autonomy, even appealing to Gandhi with folded hands. But neither Gandhi nor Chidambaram, who both sat in the front row — Abdullah was in the second — betrayed any emotion.
Abdullah took care not to embarrass the UPA government by making a direct demand for autonomy. He referred to a conversation he had with former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee after J&K Assembly had passed and sent the proposal to the Centre.
“Vajpayee told me it was not possible and that there was strong opposition but when I asked him if he had read it, he confessed he hadn’t. I pleaded with him to take a look at it and tell me the criticism in the proposal. I said I was willing to change anything which was objectionable,” Abdullah said, hinting that the UPA government should not adopt a similar approach.
He then went on to state his views on the country’s federal structure, saying that India will become a true federation only when states have their own powers and the Centre its own.
Playing to the gallery, Abdullah asked MPs to listen to the heartbeat of Kashmiris. “We want a solution within India. We don’t want to separate from India,” he said. He also appealed to media persons present in the House, forcing the chair, more than once, to ask him not to address anyone except the chair.
With folded hands, Farooq raises J-K autonomy demand
After tribals, Rahul to meet Haryana students
SC upholds quashing of criminal cases against Arun Gawli
Gangster-turned politician Arun Gawli on Friday got a reprieve with the Supreme Court upholding the quashing of MCOCA and other criminal cases registered against him by the Maharashtra government.
A bench of Justices P. Sathasivam and B. S. Chauhan dismissed the State government’s appeal challenging the Bombay High Court’s decision to quash the FIR registered against the former MLA in connection with an extortion case.
The apex court said it found no basis to interfere with the decision of the Bombay High Court.
Jnaneswari sabotage: Top Maoist leader killed in encounter
JHARGRAM ( WB): In a major success for security forces, Maoist-backed PCPA leader Umakanta Mahato, a prime suspect in the Jnaneswari train sabotage case, was killed by the joint forces during an encounter in West Midnapore district in the wee hours on Friday.
Acting on a specific tip-off from locals that Mahato, who was carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, was hiding with a squad at Mohanpur near Lodhasuli jungle, the joint forces comprising CRPF, CoBRA and police personnel closed in on the area at around 1:00 am, police sources said,
A cornered Mahto and his squad opened fire to which the joint forces led by Additional Joint Superintendent of Police Mukesh Kumar retaliated, with the encounter carrying on till around 5:00 am, the sources said.
When the firing ceased, the joint forces entered the forested area and found the body of Mahato. A motorcycle, a mobile phone and a 9 mm pistol were found near the body, the sources said.
Superintendent of Police, Jhargram, Pravin Tripathy said that the operation was a major success as Mahato had been absconding since the announcement of the Rs 1 lakh reward on his head by the CBI which is investigating the May 28 Jnaneswari Express disaster, which left 148 passengers dead.
PCPA spokesman Asit Mahto, who took over the leadership of the Maoist-backed outfit, People's Committee Against Police Atrocities (PCPA), after the arrest of its Convenor Chhatradhar Mahto and also carrying a reward of Rs 1 lakh on his head, was the only other wanted person in the case, still at large.
PCPA leader, Bapi Mahto, who also had the same reward against his head was arrested earlier from near Jamshedpur in Jharkhand.
Has government compromised too much on DTC Bill?
The Union Cabinet on Thursday okayed direct tax code bill, which is aimed at simplifying the country's archaic direct tax laws. CNBC-TV18 News Editor, Harsha Subramaniam quizzed M Lakshminarayanan (Tax Leader at Deloitte Haskins & Sells) about the compromises made by the government in the original direct tax code (DTC) proposed in 2009. He also spoke about possible implications on investors and corporates alike.
Here is the verbatim transcript of the interview. Also watch the accompanying video.
M Lakshminarayanan, Tax Leader , Deloitte Haskins & Sells
Excerpts from India Business Hour on CNBC-TV18 Watch the full show »
Q: Do you also believe that the minimum alternate tax (MAT) at 20% is a dampener and broadly will you look at the kind of changes that have been suggested today? Do you believe that these are just minor tweaking here and there and it has not been a dramatic overhaul?
A: To give credit to the finance minister, he has reduced the tax rates compared to the current rates, but if you look at the rates which were originally proposed in the DTC, we are far away from that. Considering the fact that they are going to levy 20% MAT, it is almost near the rate of 30% applicable to the corporate sector.
You should also consider that today although the tax rate is around 33%, some of the studies have revealed that the effective tax rates paid by various corporates is only in the region of 20-22% considering various exemptions and tax holidays available. To compare with that rate 30% is steep and 20% MAT would definitely be a dampener.
Q: Was there anything that you were expecting that has not happened in the announcements and do you think the government has taken the softer route?
A: It is actually a compromise between the original direct tax code which was released in August 2009 and the current one. They have gone on a softer note and we are probably seeing all those problems which are applicable in the income tax act today coming back in the DTC in one manner or other, including the rate of tax of 30% which is already there in the income tax act today for corporate.
It is actually a softer route which probably the finance minister has taken, because to the lot of objections he has received on the original direct tax code which was published.
China denies visa to J&K Gen, India hits back
India has suspended defence exchanges with China after Beijing refused a visa to an Indian army general from the Kashmir region, media reports said on Friday. Indian army's General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Area Command was denied visa because he was responsible for "disputed" region
A government source said the Indian government would issue a statement later on Friday over the issue.
The Chinese have been provokng India on Kashmir in recent times by refusing to paste visas on the passports of residents of J&K, instead stapling them instead.
India has strongly protestd this practice since the government refuses to recognize stapled visas as valid travel documents.
Five killed in clash over school poll
BEHRAMPORE: A victory rally brought out by a school managing committee sparked a CPM-Congress clash in Ghughupara village in Murshidabad's Islampur on Monday, leaving five persons dead and 15 injured, some of them critically.
There were fears that the toll might increase. The violence occurred barely a kilometre from a police outpost.
Tension began after CPM won all six seats of Paharpur High School's managing committee on Sunday and organised a victory rally. According to locals, some of the participants in the rally ridiculed Congress for failing to win a single seat.
Around 6.30 am on Monday, a group of around 30 armed men — allegedly Congress supporters — attacked Ghughupara and raided a number of houses. Within minutes, it snowballed into a full-fledged clash, which continued for around two hours.
Of the five dead, four were CPM supporters — the party's Islampur zonal committee member Ruhul Amin, 45, and party workers Lal Mohammed, 40, Anarul Sheikh, 34, and Rabiul Sheikh, 37. Congress supporter Barjahan Sheikh alias Dilar Sheikh, too, lost his life.
Policemen from the local outpost reached the spot during the clash but villagers said they were heavily outnumbered and failed to do anything. Murshidabad SP B L Meena rushed to the spot with a large police force around noon and "took control of the situation" by arresting 25 people. The violence had ended by then.
The tension is still palpable in the area and most male members of Hurshi, Paharpur and Lochanpur gram panchayat areas have fled home.
IG (law and order) Surajit Kar Purakayastha said the clash was apparently a fallout of the Paharpur High School managing committee election. "The election held on Sunday passed off peacefully. The IG (South Bengal) has gone to the spot," he added.
Both Congress and CPM leaders blamed the other for starting the violence, adding that police inaction allowed the violence to spiral out of control. MP Adhir Chowdhury, who is also the district Congress president, said: "Police reached three hours late. We had informed them, but they remained inactive. They helped the CPM-backed goons, who killed our party worker Dilar Sheikh and critically injured five party workers."
Chowdhury said villagers had simply tried to "avenge the attack on Dilar". "If CPM can launch violence over a school managing committee, just imagine what sort of violence it will unleash over the coming assembly polls. Congress will not yield an inch but will do everything in a democratic fashion."
Nripen Chowdhury, the district CPM secretary, said: "Our party workers organised a victory rally after winning the Paharpur school managing committee election. Congress goons attacked our party workers in the morning and there was nobody to stop it. Everybody knows how the goons broke into Ruhul Amin's home and dragged him out before killing him.
They even heckled the women in his household. Police could have easily controlled the situation had they been more active. We have called a 12-hour bandh in Islampur to protest against the planned attack."
Meena, however, said: "Police were overpowered. There is no question of inaction. Twenty-five people have been arrested and raids are on to nab others."
Karan is more than a brother: Kajol
Mumbai: Kajol doesn't believe in rakhi as she feels "bonds are made from the heart". And the actress says filmmaker Karan Johar is more than a brother to her.
"The definition of a friend is somebody you choose and not somebody you are born with really. I think Karan is my friend for centuries, generation and lifetime I feel. I always felt that connection with him. He is more than a brother. It's a unique fantastic friendship that I am very grateful to have in my life," Kajol told in an interview.
Kajol has played the lead actress in three of the four films Karan has directed - Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) and My Name Is Khan (2010).
The actress will be seen playing a key role in Karan's next production We Are Family as well.
While Kajol doesn't believe in rakhi, the festival that symbolises the affection and love between brothers and sisters, she encourages her seven-year-old daughter Nysa to tie rakhis (decorative threads) on her cousins' wrists.
"I don't believe in rakhi. Yes rakhi is a great way to reaffirm the bonds of the heart but I don't think that if you don't have a rakhi, it makes you any less of a friend... less of a relationship," said Kajol.
The actress, who is expecting her second child with actor husband Ajay Devgn in October, doesn't have a brother but will celebrate the festival of rakhi with a get-together at home.
"I don't have any brothers. Yes, my whole family is going to get together. My daughter has seven cousin brothers and they are all coming over and I think we are going to have a little bit of a party," said Kajol.
On The Occasion Of Raksha Bandhan
Raksha Bandhan, is a festival dedicated to celebrate the love between brothers and sisters. It is celebrated on a full moon day of the month of Shravana. On Raksha Bandhan, the sister binds her brother to her love by tying a sacred thread around his wrist. This thread assures good life to the brother and he promises to save his sister from all evils.
Buzz up!
The origin of Raskha Bandhan has still not been traced but there are many significant incidents which revolve around this auspicious day.
Draupadi And Lord Krishna
Krishna while fighting evil King Shishupal, had hurt his finger. When Draupadi saw this, she tore a strip of cloth from her saari and tied it on his finger. Krishna was overwhelmed by this gesture and accepted her as his sister.
King Bali And Goddess Lakhmi
King Mahabali was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu, had taken up the job of protecting Bali's kingdom. For this purpose he had to leave Vikundam. Goddess Lakhmi, however wanted to stay along with Vishnu. She disguised as a Bhramin and took refuge in Bali's kingdom.
On the day of Poornima, she tied the sacred thread on Bali's wrist and revealed her identity. Bali was touched by her devotion to her husband and prayed Vishnu to return to his abode.
Apart from these two significant incidents, there are many more incidents which mark the importance of Raksha Bandhan.
Since 6000 years, the festival of Raksha Bandhan is being celebrated across India and by Indians across the globe. No matter how much you fight and envy each other but at the end of the day brother and sister are the best of friends and partner of all crimes.
In this professional age, though the spirits of Rakhi is the same, the celebration is not. In this age of professionalism, occasions like Rakhi has become a mode of bringing the otherwise scattered family together. Brothers and sisters across the globe find it necessary to contact and meet each other. But with Rakhi being a working day, brothers living in the same city too find it difficult to meet theirs sisters. So, what do you think? Should Rakhi be a national holiday?
For brothers and sisters who are cannot meet this Rakha Bahndan, you can now send flowers, cakes and rakhi's online
Environment Ministry says no to Vedanta
The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has rejected permission for the Anil Agarwal promoted Vedanta mining project in Orissa. In a statement, the ministry has said that "the forest clearance for Vedanta stands rejected". Taking a stringent view on reports of violation of forest laws, the ministry has also decided to issue notice to the mining major for its alumina refinery. The Environment ministry has said that it is examining penal action against Vedanta for violating laws.
On Monday, the Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had met the PM in the wake of Environment Ministry appointed N C Saxena Committee's adverse remarks on Posco and Vedanta projects. The Saxena panel had found serious violations in the provisions of environmental clearance and the Environment Protection Act by Vedanta.
The NC Saxena Committee, appointed by the MoEF, had accused the Orissa government of violating at least two acts, Forest Conservation Act and Forest Rights Act, while recommending the name of Vedanta for forest diversion proposal and environmental clearance required for starting mining activities at ecologically fragile Niyamgiri hills in Orissa's Kalahandi-Rayagada districts.
The N C Saxena committee was set up to look at the implementation of forest legislation by Vedanta Aluminum and the committee found that the company has violated all forest act norms in active collusion with state officials.
For Vedanta, the denial of approval is seen as a major setback as it had already lined up investments of over Rs. 35,000 crore for its projects in Orissa.
Saira Banu, Jyothi arrested for prostitution
Telugu actress Saira Banu, Jyothi, an Uzbek girl along with six others were arrested for alleged involvement in a prostitution racket. On the early hours of Monday, the Hyderabad police busted the racket at Spring Heaven Apartments in Begumpet, Hyderabad.
Police have filed case against all the accuses and have released the two actresses on bail and others have been sent to judicial custody. However, the actresses have said that they were not aware of this racket and they have been victimised.
The news comes as a shocker to Telugu film industry after Ravi Teja's brothers Bharat and Raghu were red handedly caught recently for dealing drugs with a Nigerian national.
Saira Banu has acted in many films including Simha, Bommarillu,Inkosari and she has also done many item numbers. While, Jyothi has acted in Andaru Dongale, Hungama, Aranyam etc.
'Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows' Part I to Release on November 19
Official release dates are finally out for the much waited Hollywood movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, which will appear in two parts. Part I will be released on the 19th of November this year, and Part II on 15th July, 2011.
The 1st part of the Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows will be concluded around the 24th Chapter as Voldemort obtains one of the three Deathly Hallows ‘Elder Wand’, informed director David Yates. Part I of the series may conclude just after chasing the scene in the woods, where the Snatchers capture Harry, Hermoine and Ron. The second part will concentrate on the fight for Hogwarts, thus leading to the conclusion of the story.
Daniel Radcliffe, who plays the lead role of Harry Potter in all the eight movies, was quoted saying that all the cast was overwhelmed at the end of the shooting. The young actor said that the second part would be faster in pace than the first one. The first one will be exploring the relationship between the characters and their friendship will be tested for the very first time.
All Harry Potter related forums and websites are already abuzz with fans of all ages expressing their sadness at the end of the series. Like the actors, all the fans of Harry Potter series will also get emotional when the last part of the franchise ends!
6 injured in police action in Kashmir Valley
While curfew remained clamped in several areas of Srinagar district and Bijbehara, restrictions were lifted in Anantnag and Sopore.
Six people were injured, two of them seriously, on Sunday when police used force to quell a stone-pelting mob in Srinagar, many areas of which are under curfew in the wake of a shutdown call.
All the six received pellet injuries and were shifted to different hospitals for treatment, police said.
They said that the personnel were conducting a flag march in northern part of the city when it came across an “objectionable” flag at Chhana Mohalla locality of Chattabal.
While the flag was being removed, some protesters indulged in heavy stone-pelting on the police, prompting them to resort to cane charge. Thereafter, police lobbed teargas shells and used pump action ammunition to chase them away.
Hospital sources identified five of the injured as Tanvir Ahmad Najar, Javid Ahmad Sofi, Bashir Ahmad Bhat and Mukhtar Ahmad and Mohammad Maqbool Ganai. While Mr. Najar and Mr. Sofi received chest injury, Mr. Bhat, Mr. Ahmad and Mr. Ganai are being treated for leg wounds.
Meanwhile, police said curfew was clamped in Trehgam town of Kupwara district as a precautionary measure.
They said curfew remained clamped in areas under the jurisdiction of various police stations of Srinagar district — Batmaloo, Bemina, Qammerwari, Kralkhud, Nowhatta, Khanyar, M.R. Gunj, Safakadal, Rainawari, Maisuma and parts of Khotibagh — till further orders.
Police said curfew also remained in force in Bijbehara while the restrictions have been lifted in Anantnag and Sopore towns.
Markets remained closed and transport was off the roads in most parts of the Valley in response to the separatists’ call for strike.
The Valley was rocked by violence following the death of a teenager on June 11 after he was allegedly hit by a tear gas shell near Rajouri Kadal area. After that, street protests broke out in the Valley which has claimed 62 lives so far.
Meanwhile, police denied media reports that 42 youths were rounded up in Bemina locality of Srinagar on Saturday during a crackdown and said only six have been arrested.
“The report published in some newspapers that 42 youths were rounded up in Bemina is incorrect,” they said.
They said police had launched an operation against the stone-pelters in the area. “The police questioned some people out of which only six persons against whom there is enough evidence in form of videos and photographs have been arrested,” police said.
Chief Secretary S.S. Kapur on Sunday visited Kulgam and Anantnag to review law and order situation in the two districts of south Kashmir.
Sehwag remains second in ICC Test rankings
Dashing opener Virender Sehwag is the highest-ranked Indian batsman at the second spot in the latest ICC Test rankings issued on Sunday.
Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara leads the batting table with Michael Clarke of Australia on the third spot.
In the bowling list, Pakistan's fast bowler Mohammad Amir has rocketed to a career-best 17th after playing a leading role in his side's four-wicket victory over England in The Oval Test which concluded on Saturday.
ICC RANKINGS
Man of the match Amir took 1-49 and 5-52 in the Test and was awarded with a jump of 14 places in the rankings, which puts him just behind Paul Harris of South Africa and makes him the third Pakistan fast bowler in the top 20.
For England, off-spinner Graeme Swann has moved up one place to regain his second position on the bowling chart.
Swann, who had match figures of 7-118, had first climbed to second position in March this year after the first Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong.
In the Rankings for batsmen, Pakistan's Mohammad Yousuf, Umar Akmal and Azhar Ali, and England's Alastair Cook and Matt Prior all rose up the rankings.
Yousuf, who scored 56 and 33, has climbed two places to 14th position with India's Gautam Gambhir firmly within his sights. Umar has jumped six places to share 41st position with Australia's Phillip Hughes and Azhar has vaulted 28 places to 55th spot.
There is no change in the top five of the Reliance Mobile ICC Player rankings for Test all-rounders with Jacques Kallis of South Africa leading the field.
Meanwhile, England's four-wicket defeat has ended its chances of moving ahead of fourth-placed Australia in the ICC Test Championship.
Talks, talks, talks
Sameh Habeeb
Founder and Chief Editor, Palestine Telegraph Newspaper
I have experienced failure after failure after failure, so I expect another failure. We have two problems: first, the Israelis are not interested in peace, except according to their criteria, which means they still want to occupy part of the West Bank and pursue their settlement policy. As for the Palestinians, let’s be frank, Abbas is very weak and going to these talks under heavy pressure. He is not even universally accepted as the president anymore, so he has no mandate to be there, meaning even if there is a deal, he doesn’t represent the Palestinians.”
Avraham Burg
Former speaker of the Israeli parliament and former chairman of the Jewish Agency
Whenever people talk I’m happy but I do not really believe that there is a real willingness in the DNA of the Israeli prime minister and this government to pay the price for peace, which means territorial concessions. The only thing that has changed is that Netanyahu was persuaded that it’s impossible to continue with the situation as it is without the safety of a political process that he is engaged in. Previous prime ministers got a lot done while engaged in a peace process. Olmert, for example, went to war twice. But Netanyahu wanted to do a lot without a peace process, and these are the kind of acrobatics that you can’t get away with in international diplomacy. In other words, Netanyahu has been walking a tight rope without a safety net, and after falling a number of times, he realized that he can’t keep going without the safety net of a peace process.
Riyad
Palestinian street cleaner
What do the Americans care? They don’t live here with us. We have to use our common sense, Jews and Arabs... We are cousins, Isaac and Ishmael... Let us live as friends. God willing there will be peace between us and the Jews. God willing they will progress little by little. You can’t do this in one fell swoop. A man can only climb up stairs one step at a time. So slowly, slowly they’ll progress...
Gal Hochstein
Israeli social worker
I live in Jerusalem and we feel the conflict everyday. I also work in east Jerusalem with Arab youth groups. If we want to solve this conflict I think we have to take very big decisions for our country, like (a decision on) the Palestinians who want to return to their homes in Jerusalem. We need to pay a lot of money to solve this issue... I don’t think the governments are really ready to do any significant step about it... I am pretty pessimistic.
Suha Barghouti
Steering Committee Member, Palestinian Non-Governmental Organizations’ Network
We have been engaged in a peace process for 18 years, since 1992. All negotiations since then have led to nothing, and this too will lead to nothing, so I don’t see the difference this time and I don’t think it’s going to lead to anything except to give the Israelis more time. The Palestinians are even weaker than we used to be, because now we have this internal Palestinian conflict, and the weak side will always fold to pressure from the US or the international community because we can’t afford to say ‘no’. So the balance of power is totally uneven. The Palestinians are giving but gaining nothing from it.
Hillel Frisch
Professor in the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
There is a phrase in Arabic which means ‘In movement there is a blessing’. Moderate Arab states just want to see movement so that they can placate their streets, but they’re not sure that they or the Palestinian Authority really want substance beyond freezing the settlements. This is because the ‘Hamas swamp’ is still too big and it will take a few more years to fully dry it up. Any further progress in the peace talks would effectively end the security cooperation which takes place in which Israelis clean up this swamp by night through raids while the Palestinian Authority cleans it up during the day through civilian infrastructure. (Moderate Arab states) also want to see that Abbas is a true Arab leader, able to suppress his opposition and make sure that election results are more or less known ahead of time.
On the Israeli side, they absolutely don’t want any substance and there’s no doubt that from an Israeli point of view this is just movement meant to placate international opinion. The Palestinians are an issue for Netanyahu, but the real issue in terms of priority and timing is the Iranian threat. Whatever the Palestinians can do in the short term is nothing like the possibility of one or two atomic bombs.
Naveen to take up Pollavaram, Posco issues with PM
BHUBANESWAR: Annoyed over Saxena panel's adverse remarks against Vedanta and Posco projects in the state and Centre's clearance to Pollavaram project in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday rushed to Delhi for drawing attention of the Prime Minister.
Naveen who is scheduled to meet the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tomorrow at 11 am, would raise all the issues concerning the state, particularly on the Saxena panel's adverse remarks on Posco and Vedanta projects besides Pollavaram matter, official sources said.
"I shall be meeting the PM tomorrow and take up matters regarding the Polavaram issue and also about Posco and put forward the state's demands regarding these two matters," Patnaik told reporters before boarding a flight to the national capital.
Worried over the Centre "ignoring" the state's views on Pollavaram project set up over Godavari river in Andhra Pradesh, the chief minister had already written letter opposing the project while the state government moved the Supreme Court over the issue.
Despite Orissa's all out efforts, the Centre accorded clearance to Pollavaram project knowing it well that it would submerge tribal villages, a senior official at the Water Resource development department said.
People evacuated as Yamuna overflows
Delhi witnessed another day of rain on Sunday. As the Yamuna overflowed, the authorities shifted people living in low-level areas and near the riverbank to safer places.
The Delhi government issued a warning that the Yamuna, of which level has already crossed the danger mark of 204.83 metres to touch 205.1 metres, could rise further since Haryana has released 3,24,365 cusecs from the Tajiriwala barrage. “This water is likely reach the capital within 24 hours, and we are keeping a vigil,” an official said.
Around 500 people living close to the bank were evacuated and shifted to camps in safer areas.
Defiant Jagan to go ahead with 'Odarpu' yatra
HYDERABAD: Notwithstanding the Congress high command's warning of disciplinary action, a defiant Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has decided to go ahead with his controversial 'Odarpu' yatra in Andhra Pradesh's Prakasam district on September 3.
Jagan will embark on the third phase of his yatra, which has invited the wrath of the high command and Chief Minister K Rosaiah, on September 3, a day after the first death anniversary of his father and former Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.
"He is going to go ahead with the yatra on September 3 as decided," Ambatti Rambabu, suspended General Secretary of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee and Jagan's close aide, told PTI here.
Rambabu, who was suspended for his statements against Rosaiah, claimed that Jagan has not received any communication from the High command asking him to call off the yatra.
Jagan, a known critic of Rosaiah, had launched his Odarpu yatra in April to meet the families of those who either allegedly committed suicide or died of shock after hearing the death of his father in a chopper crash in the thick Nallamalai forests in Kurnool district on September 2, 2009.
Mining Minister Srinivas Reddy, who is a relative of Jagan, said the yatra would go ahead as planned and people in the area have been asking lawmakers to participate in the yatra "as they were elected to the assembly because of YSR."
The 38-year-old Jagan, first time MP from Kadapa, has been in the news ever since he defied the party High Command and went ahead with the yatra in the sensitive Telangana region on May 28.
However, he had to abandon the tour after violence erupted in Mahabubnagar railway station from where he was to begin his yatra.
Later, Jagan met Sonia Gandhi along with his mother Y S Vijayalaxmi, MLA from the family pocket borough of Pulivendula in Kadapa district, during which the Congress chief adviced him against the yatra. She had asked him to call all the victims to one place and console them.
But, a defiant Jagan launched the second phase of his yatra on July 8 on the 61th birth anniversary of his father from Srikakulam.
Jagan's camp maintains that this is his personal tour and has nothing to do with politics, but Congress refuses to subscribe to the version.
The Congress leadership sees Jagan's yatra as an attempt by the young MP to mobilize the support of legislators to topple the Rosaiah government.
Andhra Pradesh is one of the biggest states where Congress is in power on its own and the good showing there has helped the party to return to power at the Centre in 2004 and 2009.
Pankaj Vohra We’re not ready to play the game
The run-up to the Commonwealth Games has brought into focus both our inadequacies regarding the preparations and the enormous corruption involved. Both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi have finally intervened and seem determined to hold the Games and punish the guilty
after it is over. So, the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Central Bureau of Investigation and other agencies must start investigations now.
However, the damage to India’s image is done. The world has witnessed the shoddy manner in which we have gone about things. It is unfair to blame Suresh Kalmadi alone for the fiasco. The bigger scam is in the construction and the so-called beautification of Delhi by both the Centre and the Delhi government and its allied agencies. Thousands of crores have been reportedly spent on projects which seem to have missed their deadlines and were cleared at double or many times the cost of similar ones earlier.
In fact, the uglification of the city, as it should be termed, has left every Delhiite fuming. There can be no justification for digging up streets and undertaking substandard work. The roads are full of potholes and motorists pay the price daily. Every portion where sewage pipes have been laid has either sunk or is in a total mess. One wonders what kind of supervision went into creating this muddle. There is a question that every Indian needs to ask himself honestly. Are we really equipped to carry out world-class events given our propensity for corruption and shoddy work? Should we try to make Delhi look like London, Paris or Singapore or any other top city knowing that this cannot happen? Would we not have been better off had we allowed Delhi to remain Delhi and held the Games without creating this confusion? The arguments that one part has been developed by Delhi Development Authority or this by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi or some other by New Delhi Municipal Corporation or the Public Works Department are unconvincing. During elections, why do Congress leaders take credit for something like the Metro that is not within the ambit of its government in the city?
Another argument that we should allow the Games to be held is downright silly. Who is preventing them from being held? It is just that the preparations are not complete. While Suresh Kalmadi may have a lot of answering to do as far as the role of the Organising Committee is concerned, Manohar Singh Gill, Sheila Dikshit and Jaipal Reddy, besides a battery of bureaucrats, will also have a tough time answering queries if and when a probe is held into the major scams.
No one seems to be accountable as of now and even though the bureaucracy and some ministers have been entrusted with the task, there is no option left but to keep one’s fingers crossed. The comparison of the preparations to that of an Indian wedding are stupid. One can only hope that the stadiums built at a huge cost do not later become venues for film star nights and political conventions but are used by our sportspersons.
There are lessons to be learnt from this blunder. India, in its present indecisive phase, should not volunteer to host any international events. Instead there should be a more inward-looking policy where we must recognise our limitations and try to remove them first. India can become a world player only if the quality of what we do is of international standard. More important, the honesty with which we do it is paramount. Between us.
With no fresh contact on the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill between the government and the Bharatiya Janata Party — or for that matter any other Opposition party — it seems the issue may be resolved, if at all, during the discussion on of the bill when it is taken up for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha. The bill is now the property of the House. While the BJP said “it appears there is a deviation from the text that was agreed,” the Left made it clear that it would oppose the bill. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) did not agree with the text as approved by the BJP and other parties represented on the Standing Committee that considered the bill over the past three months. It had given a dissent note; and there was no question of it supporting the bill with further dilution of supplier liability. The changes in respect of supplier liability were “irrational and ridiculous,” D. Raja of the CPI said. The Left party leaders also said the government seemed to have learnt no lessons from what happened after the deadly Bhopal gas leak. S.S. Ahluwalia, a BJP member of the Standing Committee, was categorical that now whatever needed to be done had to be done on the floor of the House, not behind closed doors. “The bill is now the property of the House. Whatever changes are made now after the bill, with its proposed amendments, has been circulated to MPs, will have to be done during the course of the discussion on the bill. The government can move an amendment, the BJP may do so or any other party MP is free to move an amendment on the floor of the House…” Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chavan confirmed to The Hindu that there was no contact with the Opposition leaders on Sunday. “We will be contacting them,” he said. For, well before the bill is taken up, the government will again try to hammer out an agreement with the BJP on any fresh amendment that may be worked out. Since Monday and Tuesday are not working days in Parliament — there are no sittings on account of Onam and Rakshabandhan holidays — the earliest the fracas over the exact words to be used to pin supplier liability can only be Wednesday. At least two of the key players from the BJP — Yashwant Sinha and Sushma Swaraj — were both away in their constituencies, while Arun Jaitley told PTI: “We are examining all the papers. Prima facie, it appears there is a deviation from the text, which was agreed upon. The language as framed now substantially nullifies supplier liability.” He confirmed that there was no contact between the government and the BJP. This was on Sunday, a day after the text of the bill, as approved by the Cabinet, began to be circulated among MPs Immediately there were protests, the strongest from the Left parties, that by introducing “intent to cause nuclear damage” as a condition for suppliers' liability, the government was again trying to let nuclear suppliers get away with almost no liability. Open to concerns, says Congress PTI reports: The Congress said on Sunday that the government was open to take Opposition concerns onboard to build the widest possible consensus on the matter. Congress spokesman Manish Tewari termed the bill as “work in progress” and said the government had always been open to address the legitimate concerns on the draft legislation. “It (bill) is a work in progress and I think if at all there are any legitimate concerns, the government has always been open and would be open to taking those concerns onboard because that is what is the essence of any Parliamentary democracy.” However, he made a distinction between criminal and civil liability and said that the Bill in question dealt with “strict civil liability.”
One-day tri-series, Dambulla:
Sri Lanka 104-2 (15.1 ovs) beat India 103 (33.4 ovs) by eight wickets
Tillakaratne Dilshan (35) and Mahela Jayawardene (33) ensured the hosts reached their
The win confirms Sri Lanka's place in the final, while India must beat New Zealand on Wednesday to qualify.
The Black Caps thrashed India by 200 runs in the opening match of the tournament on 10 August, but have since lost to Sri Lanka while their second encounter against the hosts was abandoned because of rain.
However, Mahendra Dhoni's side will need to significantly improve on yet another abject display at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium.
Sri Lanka, who needed a victory to book their place in the tournament final on Saturday, dropped spinners Rangana Herath and Ajantha Mendis, and recalled seamer Perera.
 | Their bowlers bowled in the right channels and pushed us into making mistakes Mahendra Singh Dhoni |
After winning his first toss in Sri Lanka, India skipper Dhoni opted to bat but lost the enigmatic Sehwag lbw to Nuwan Kulasekara in the sixth over.
Opening partner Dinesh Karthik soon followed as the seam trio of Lasith Malinga (2-21), Kulasekara (2-31) and Angelo Mathews (1-20) put Sri Lanka in total control.
Perera ripped through the lower middle order, removing Ravindra Jadeja and Praveen Kumar for ducks before bowling last-man Ishant Sharma to dismiss India for a paltry 103, their third-lowest total against Sri Lanka in one-day internationals.
Ishant's wicket also gave the 21-year-old, playing in his 11th one-day international, his first limited overs five-wicket haul.
"We would also have batted first had we won the toss. But our bowlers bowled a great line and length right from the start. We have got a varied attack."
The returning Yuvraj, fully recovered after suffering dengue fever earlier in the tour, was the only India batsman to resist, hitting five boundaries and one maximum in his 64-ball innings before he was trapped lbw by Malinga.
India's deficiencies with the bat were ruthlessly exposed by Jayawardene and Dilshan, who smashed 14 boundaries in a blistering 79-run opening wicket partnership from just 50 deliveries.
Although both openers fell in successive deliveries to Ishant in the 10th over, Upal Tharanga and Sri Lanka captain Kumar Sangakkara ensured there were no further hiccups for the hosts.
"We didn't get the kind of start we needed," said Dhoni. "Their bowlers bowled in the right channels and pushed us into making mistakes."
Bill is now House property, says BJP
With no fresh contact on the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill between the government and the Bharatiya Janata Party — or for that matter any other Opposition party — it seems the issue may be resolved, if at all, during the discussion on of the bill when it is taken up for consideration and passing in the Lok Sabha. The bill is now the property of the House.
While the BJP said “it appears there is a deviation from the text that was agreed,” the Left made it clear that it would oppose the bill. The Communist Party of India (Marxist) did not agree with the text as approved by the BJP and other parties represented on the Standing Committee that considered the bill over the past three months. It had given a dissent note; and there was no question of it supporting the bill with further dilution of supplier liability. The changes in respect of supplier liability were “irrational and ridiculous,” D. Raja of the CPI said.
The Left party leaders also said the government seemed to have learnt no lessons from what happened after the deadly Bhopal gas leak.
S.S. Ahluwalia, a BJP member of the Standing Committee, was categorical that now whatever needed to be done had to be done on the floor of the House, not behind closed doors. “The bill is now the property of the House. Whatever changes are made now after the bill, with its proposed amendments, has been circulated to MPs, will have to be done during the course of the discussion on the bill. The government can move an amendment, the BJP may do so or any other party MP is free to move an amendment on the floor of the House…”
Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chavan confirmed to The Hindu that there was no contact with the Opposition leaders on Sunday. “We will be contacting them,” he said. For, well before the bill is taken up, the government will again try to hammer out an agreement with the BJP on any fresh amendment that may be worked out.
Since Monday and Tuesday are not working days in Parliament — there are no sittings on account of Onam and Rakshabandhan holidays — the earliest the fracas over the exact words to be used to pin supplier liability can only be Wednesday. At least two of the key players from the BJP — Yashwant Sinha and Sushma Swaraj — were both away in their constituencies, while Arun Jaitley told PTI: “We are examining all the papers. Prima facie, it appears there is a deviation from the text, which was agreed upon. The language as framed now substantially nullifies supplier liability.” He confirmed that there was no contact between the government and the BJP.
This was on Sunday, a day after the text of the bill, as approved by the Cabinet, began to be circulated among MPs Immediately there were protests, the strongest from the Left parties, that by introducing “intent to cause nuclear damage” as a condition for suppliers' liability, the government was again trying to let nuclear suppliers get away with almost no liability.
Open to concerns, says Congress
PTI reports:
The Congress said on Sunday that the government was open to take Opposition concerns onboard to build the widest possible consensus on the matter.
Congress spokesman Manish Tewari termed the bill as “work in progress” and said the government had always been open to address the legitimate concerns on the draft legislation.
“It (bill) is a work in progress and I think if at all there are any legitimate concerns, the government has always been open and would be open to taking those concerns onboard because that is what is the essence of any Parliamentary democracy.” However, he made a distinction between criminal and civil liability and said that the Bill in question dealt with “strict civil liability.”
