Uma Bharati suspended from BJP 'until further notice'

       New Delhi: Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti was on Wednesday suspended from the primary membership of the BJP, "until further notice", which resulted in her also being removed from the post of general secretary. "At this morning's meet, on account of the conduct of Uma Bharati, all office-bearers recommended to the president that Uma Bharati no longer continue as general secretary and also be suspended from the party. Accordingly, this decision has been taken," senior party leader Jaswant Singh told reporters after Bharati walked out of the meeting in open defiance of the leadership and attacking some party leaders. Uma created a stir by walking out of the first meeting of the party's newly constituted office-bearers when party president L.K. Advani cautioned her, party vice-president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Secretary Shahnawaz Hussein for their recent "indiscipline" and infighting.

     Without naming, she interrupted and accused some of her party members of indulging in off the record briefings and planting news in the media. She demanded disciplinary action against them. But Advani rejected her demand, saying the issue was already closed by him. On hearing this, Uma Bharati got up and walked out, saying that she would be boycotting the meeting as there was no reason for her to attend when she was not even given a proper hearing. She also threw an open challenge to Advani saying he was free to take any action he felt like against her.

BJP is a `disciplined' party with a difference: Advani (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: BJP President L K Advani on Wednesday firmly said that he would not tolerate demonstrations of indiscipline by the party cadre, adding that it was time for the rank and file to show that ''this is a party with a difference'' and it should be shown through ''our actions and deeds''. ''One can have an opinion about a colleague but it should not be made through public statements. The differences should be sorted out among us, and if still problems persist, it should be brought before the President,'' Advani told the first meeting of the party's newly constituted office bearers here. The statement came shortly after Advani came down heavily on General Secretary Uma Bharati, Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Secretary Shahnawaz Hussein for their recent ''indiscipline'' and infighting. Uma was suspended from the primary membership of the party until further notice, and not for six years as had been mentioned earlier in the day. The high-profile former BJP General Secretary and Madhya Pradesh chief minister has also been slapped with a show-cause notice, that sought clarification on why she should not be expelled from the party for her act of indiscipline.

      Referring to the Uma episode, Advani said it was now a ''closed chapter'' and there was no need for anybody to speak on the issue. He said it was the party's inability to check the ''off the record briefings'' that had forced the leaders to go public. Former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was a mute witness to the whole drama of Bharti's walkout from the meeting after she irrepressibly said that the issue could not be construed as closed. She said disciplinary action should also be taken against four or five BJP Rajya Sabha leaders who were carrying on a campaign against her by their 'off-the-record' briefings.

India-EU summit was 'very successful': Manmohan (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returned home early today after attending the India-EU summit at The Hague. He was received by Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chauhan at the Palam Technical Area. Expressing his satisfaction over the outcome of the summit, he said that the international environment for India's development was highly favourable and there was tremendous goodwill for the country in the outside world.

       "I am satisfied with the outcome of the summit in The Hague. It has far exceeded the earlier meetings in Lisbon and other venues. This summit has shown that all the countries have a lot of respect and admiration for India. Now it is up to us take necessary decisions which will get our country moving again," Singh told reporters here. Describing the summit as "very successful", both politically and economically, the Prime Minister said that momentous decisions have been taken to give institutional shape to the mutli-faceted relationship between India and the EU. He said the stage has been set for next year`s summit, "Where we will devise a concrete action programme to implement what is contained in the `strategic partnership document`."

        Terming EU as India`s largest trading partner and the largest source of foreign investment, Singh said, "Wide-ranging decisions have been taken to give new momentum to our relations in the fields of cooperation in counter-terrorism, environment, energy security, science and technology, outsourcing and trade." A joint declaration was issued at the summit on Tuesday, in which two sides had pledged to expand trade and investment flows and bolster cooperation in combating terrorism.

       When asked to comment upon BJP President LK Advani's criticism over talks with Naxalites, the Prime Minister said that the decision on the dialogue was taken after discussions with Chief Ministers of states affected by left wing extremism. "I do not accept Advani's criticism. After all they are our people and the attempt is to bring them back to the mainstream," he said. Asked about apprehensions over Naxalites arming themselves, he said the Andhra Pradesh government has made it clear that they cannot go around with arms during the period of negotiations. The Prime Minister also refused to join issue with Left parties on their criticism of the last week's decision to increase prices of petroleum products.

Bengal bags first 100 pc FDI project in housing sector (Go To Top)

     Kolkata: Even as Left leaders across the country continue oppose the introduction of FDI in many sectors, the Government of West Bengal has bagged the first 100 percent Foreign Direct Investment in Housing Sector of the country. The world famous Salem-Ciputra group will invest Rs. 390 crores to make Calcutta a West Integrated Satellite Township on 390 acres of land. Tuesday was the D-Day for Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and Planning Commssion Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia, as this is the first 100 percent FDI in India in housing industry . There will be residential complex , hospitals , commercial complex entertainment zones , IT parks , clubs , playing zones in the integrated Satellite Township . 5-7% of the entireproject will be reserved for poor people of the area .

     "It's called Howrah-West Township Project. This is a Salem- CiputraGroup Project. They have floated a new company called "Beyond Limit International Limited" (BLIL) and this is called an integratedsatellite township. The whole area is 390 acres of land. The most important thing is that this project will be completed by FDI. This is first in the entire country. This is the first FDI project in our country in building a township. They'll start working soon. We have finalised the papers and money matters," the chief minister said. "We had very wide ranging discussions. Chief Minister is giving high priority to issues of how to expand employment. The whole issues of employment orientalises emphasis on agriculture and agro processing. He then raised a number of points, which involved development of infrastructure in this area," Alhuwalia said.

Coalition running smoothly, says Sonia (Go To Top)

      Shimla: Congress president Sonia Gandhi today said that there was no problem in running the UPA coalition government. "When the results of the Lok Sabha elections came, people thought that we would not be able to co-ordinate among our allies and we would not be able to come to power at the centre. But the motives of our opposition were proved wrong and we made the government under the leadership of Manmohan Singh," Sonia said while addressing a public gathering in Shimla. Sonia's comments came even as her party was at loggerheads with ally NCP over the issue of chief ministership in Maharashtra. The issue was subsequently resolved with the Congress retaining the top post and NCP being given the Deputy Chief's post. The Congress-led UPA government has also been facing flak from the Communists, who have been critical on issues relating to economy. Communists have openly expressed anguish over the recent hike in fuel, diesel and LPG prices, and have demanded a rollback. The Communists provide a crucial outside support to the government.

Bombay HC adjourns Teesta's petition to Nov 23 (Go To Top)

      Mumbai: Mumbai High Court today adjourned the petition filed by social activists Teesta Setalvad and Raeez Khan to November 23, apprehending arrest following accusations against them by key witness in the Best Bakery case, Zaheera Sheikh. Justice RS Mohite directed the Gujarat government to make its stand clear in an affidavit on November 22 and also restrained Zaheera and her family from making any statements against Teesta and Khan and allowed them to come to the court if they so desired. Gujarat government's lawyer appeared before the court and said that no FIR has been filed against Teesta and Khan so far. When the court asked the lawyer whether Gujarat government intended to file FIR against Teesta and Khan on Zaheera's allegations, he retorted he would seek instructions from the state and requested for an adjournment.

High Court bans Chinese toy globes in India (Go To Top)

      New Delhi: The Delhi High Court today put an interim ban on the import and marketing of Chinese-made toy globes in India, saying that they incorrectly represented the country's map by not showing Jammu and Kashmir as part of its territory. A Bench comprising Chief Justice B.C. Patel and Justice B.D. Ahmed directed the government not to permit the circulation of Chinese-made globes in the market. In a direction to the government the bench said that such toy globes could not be permitted to circulate in the Indian market.