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Govt making efforts to ensure smooth proceedings of session

         New Delhi: Government on Saturday appeared cool to moves by the BJP-led opposition to continue its agitation in Parliament during the Budget session on the "tainted" ministers and governors isues saying it was making efforts to ensure smooth proceedings. Maintaining it was prepared to have discussion on any issue, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters that he had a talk with the Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha L K Advani about the peaceful conduct of the proceedings in Parliament beginning Monday. Asked about Advani's response, Azad said that he assured him that he would have talks with his party colleagues on the issue. "I appeal to NDA and seek their cooperation so that we have a smooth budget session," Azad said.

           When told that the BJP had already made its stand clear to disrupt the proceedings particularly presentation of the Railway budget, he said that the opposition and the ruling party might have differences but all the political parties would like to participate in the debate on the budget and find faults with it and point out shortcomings. "I don't think any opposition would boycott and not have discussions on the budget," he said, adding "today's NDA is quite different from what it was six years ago. They have been in the government and they know their responsibilties and also know how coalition Governments are run," he said. Meanwhile, NDA is all set to boycott the presentation of Railway Budget in Parliament on July six to register its opposition to presence of "tainted ministers" in the UPA government.

           The BJP-led opposition coalition will, however, decide by Monday morning whether to boycott subsequent discussions on the Rail Budget, coalition sources said here today. "The boycott of the speech of the Rail Minister is decided but the NDA partners will hold informal discussions tomorrow and possibly meet formally on Monday morning to decide whether to boycott the entire proceedings related to the Rail Budget," they said. As per the strategy, the NDA members may walk out of the House when Railway Minister Lalu Prasad gets up to speak, a move similar to the one adopted by then opposition against Fernandes over charges against him in the alleged defence deal scam. The NDA partners are also undecided on the strategy on the General Budget. BJP sources, however, asserted that they would not disrupt the proceedings of Parliament by rushing to the Well of the House or preventing any minister from addressing during Budget presentation.

One killed, 24 injured in blast near Dal Lake (Go To Top)

          Srinagar: A bomb hidden in a hand cart exploded in Srinagar on Saturday, killing one person and wounding 24 in continuing violence. No rebel group has claimed responsibility for the attack in a crowded area near Srinagar's main tourist attraction, the Dal Lake. K Rajendran, Inspector General of Jammu and Kashmir Police, said militants set off the bomb. "These blasts are hitting the normalcy which is returning to the valley. Eight people were injured and are undergoing treatment at a local hospital," he said. Shabbir Ahmed, an injured eyewitness, said: "I was going to take my exam and all of a sudden there was a blast and I got injured. Then we ran away from the site." It wasn't clear whether tourists were hurt in the blast.

Bihar village massacre toll rises to 10 (Go To Top)

          Patna: The death toll in Friday night's massacre at Chakwai village in Nawada district rose to ten on Saturday even as two more people succumbed to their injuries here Saturday. Eight backward caste people were shot dead and three others injured by suspected members of the notorious Akhilesh Singh gang at Chakwai village under Warsaliganj police station of the district around 10 pm on Friday night. While one of the wounded succumbed at Nawada Sadar hospital early on Saturday morning, another died on way to Patna Medical College Hospital. Meanwhile, agitated villagers have refused to allow the police to lift the bodies for post-mortem examination unless RJD president and Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav himself visited the spot. They are also demanding an ex gratia of Rs one lakh and government jobs to the next of kin of each of those killed in the incident. Friday's incident was suspected to be in retaliation for the killing of two persons earlier in the day at Kashichak village in the district allegedly by the Ashok Mahto gang, which is locked in a bloody feud with Akhilesh Singh gang for the last several years taking a heavy toll of lives on both sides. Akhilesh, is the husband of Warsaliganj MLA Aruna Devi, who recently joined Ramvilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party (LJP). At present he is lodged in jail.

Furore in Orissa over mysterious death of four school children (Go To Top)

          Kalikund (Orissa): The mysterious death of four school children in Orissa has caused a furore in region. The children aged eight to ten, went missing from their school in Kalikund village last week. After days of searching by police and locals their bodies were found floating in a water tank near the school. Police were yet to fix the motive though local leaders say the killing could be to settle political scores between rival village councils. Parents said external injuries of the dead children indicated foul play. The issue has stirred a political storm with opposition leaders stalling the state legislature demanding a probe into the deaths. The opposition has accused the Biju Janata Dal-led government of not checking the rising crime graph. "These allegations are same. There could be a political angle to it.. Justice should be done to the bereaved family. It should be not repeated anywhere in the state," main opposition Congress party leader J.B Patnaik said. State chief minister Naveen Patnaik said a high-level enquiry has been ordered. "The case has been given to the crime branch. Already one suspect has been apprehended and the police are taking very strict action of this terrible crime. Let us ascertain the the facts before coming to a conclusion. Let the police get all the facts then we will see what can be done. Of course everyone is the same in the eyes of the law," he said.

Five infiltrators killed in Valley (Go To Top)

          Srinagar: Indian army ambushed and killed five Islamic militants, 300 kilometres from the Line of Control with Pakistan, in the troubled Kashmir region. The encounter took place late on Friday in the Macchal sector. Dozens of Muslim religious books, scriptures and some arms and ammunition were recovered from them. "Late at night, our ambush, which had a handheld thermal imaging tracked these militants in an infiltration corridor. After tracking them we ambushed them on the way," Rohit Yadav, a Major with the Indian army said. Ten people were killed and more than 50 wounded in a string of attacks on Saturday. Police said a bomb hidden in a hand cart exploded in Srinagar, killing two people and wounding 29. A few hours later, militants threw a grenade at an army patrol in Anantnag town, wounding 24 people including four soldiers. In other violence, two policemen were killed and several wounded when militants attacked a police post in the border district of Poonch while three militants and three soldiers were killed in a fierce gunbattle in north Kashmir. No rebel group claimed responsibility for the latest attacks in 15 years of separatist violence.