Muslims divided over two-child norm
New
Delhi: Divisions arose within the All-India Muslim Personal
Law Board (AIMPLB) on Tuesday on the issue of population
control for the Muslim community. This comes a day after
AIMPLB vice-president Maulana Syed Kalbe Sadiq said that
the Board was ready to discuss the two-child norm and other
family planning methods for Muslims. Some members of the
AIMPLB today distanced themselves from the Kalbe Sadiq's
stand saying that Sadiq's views were his own and not the
official position of the Board. "I do not think there is
any question of the BJP taking advantage of this. It is
the Maulana Sahib's personal view and everyone is entitled
to their own view. The Board has not taken any stand on
the matter," said Dr S Q R Ilyas, Spokesperson, AIMPLB.
BJP
welcomes two-child norms for Muslims (Go
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Ranchi:
The BJP has welcomed a proposal by the Muslims to follow
a two-child norm to curb their disproportionate growth rate.
The Opposition party's statement came a day after the Muslim
Personal law Board called for more literacy and development
in the minority community. "We are happy that the secretary
of the Muslim Personal Law board has welcomed the two-child
norm proposed by us," BJP President Venkaiah Naidu told
reporters in Ranchi today. Naidu also expressed concerns
over the escalating Christian population saying the religious
conversions (from Hindus to Christians) were increasing.
"Why are you silent on this issue. If you have come here
for seva (service), then it's ok with us. Why are they relating
religion to seva? They ask people to convert. Is it good
to motivate poor and innocent people to convert?" said Naidu.
Earlier, the BJP had sharply reacted to the recently released
census data that indicated about 33 percent growth rate
in the Muslim population between 1991 and 2001. The BJP,
besides other other Hindu groups, has long warned that higher
Muslim birth rates could eventually threaten the Hindus'
headcount.
NDA
resents inclusion of foreign experts in Planning Commission
(Go
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Bangalore:
The NDA today slammed the Congress-led UPA government
for including foreign consultants in the Planning Commission.
"There is one thing which has been worrying me for the past
few days and that is the way our Planning Commission is
getting manipulative. Mckinsey is an agency which the World
Bank and IMF use to pursue their agendas and Mckinsey has
now entered our Planning Commission," NDA convenor George
Fernandes told reporters in Bangalore. Prime Minister Dr
Manmohan Singh had recently included representatives from
the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and the U.S.-based
Mckinsey in the Planning Commission's consultative groups.
Singh, who is also the chairman of the Planning Commission,
had defended and stood by the move despite serious reservations
from the Left parties, who are known for their anti-World
Bank and anti-IMF stand.
LeT
area commander among 3 militants killed in Kashmir (Go
To Top)
Baramulla
(J and K): Security forces today gunned down a top commander
of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-taiba (LeT) militant outfit
in Jammu and Kashmir. Army officials said the rebel leader
along with two of his accomplices was killed after a 16-hour
encounter that broke out during search operation at Unagam
in Baramulla district. "The three LeT militants were hiding
in this village. The village was cordoned off. One of the
militants was killed in the beginning of the encounter.
This operation went on for 16 hours because we did not want
to harm the civilians. They were killed at 7.30 am," Brigadier
Raghu Kapoor said while giving details.
Law
and order in UP appears to be bad: Sonia (Go
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Rae
Bareli: In a veiled criticism of the Uttar Pradesh government,
which her party supports from outside, Congress President
Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday said the law and order situation
in UP "appears to be bad". "From what I am hearing from
the people here and by going through newspaper reports it
appears that the law and order situation in the state is
bad," Sonia told reporters in Sudauli in her Lok Sabha constituency
on the opening day of her 3-day tour. "It is a problem,"
Sonia Gandhi said and added she would speak to the Centre
as well as the state government on this matter. She said
she had come here to speak to the people to know about their
problems. To a question, Sonia Gandhi said the area needed
development. The people complain of problems regarding power
shortage, water and roads, she added.
Punjab
to SC: It has no obligation to construct SYL canal (Go
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New
Delhi: The Punjab Government informed the Supreme Court
today that no illegality was committed by it in terminating
water sharing agreements with neighbouring States and that
it was under no obligation to build the Sutlej-Yamuna Link
(SYL) canal despite the earlier court orders. This was stated
by the State in reply to a notice from the Supreme Court
in the Presidential Reference by the Centre which had sought
the apex Court's opinion on the Constitutional validity
of the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act, 2004. During
the pendency of the Reference, the Supreme Court had dismissed
a petition filed by Punjab seeking review of a Court order
directing the Centre to implement the January 15, 2002 directive
for completing the Punjab portion of SYL canal. The Amrinder
Singh Government said the State Assembly was forced to enact
the law as since the creation of Punjab it has been discriminated
as far as its need for water was concerned and alleged that
its neighbour Haryana had been favoured. "The Act of 2004,
which terminates agreements on the ground of changed circumstances,
is consistent with the legal position on the water allocation
and is consistent with the provisions of the Constitution,"
the State affidavit, filed through advocate Rupinder Suri,
said. The Congress Government said that the Termination
of Water Agreements Act has removed the basis of the judgements
of the Supreme Court directing construction of the SYL canal.
"The State of Punjab has validly discharged itself from
the obligations arising from the agreements relating to
the Ravi and Beas waters including digging of the SYL canal,"
it said.
Three
killed, thousands homeless as floods wreak havoc in Tripura
(Go
To Top)
Agartala:
Thousands of families in the low-lying areas in Tripura
were evacuated following flash floods. The floods, due to
incessant rains for the last few days, have already claimed
three lives. The Mohari and Gomati rivers in Tripura are
flowing above the danger level after heavy rains lashed
the area for the last few days. A bridge was washed away
in Amarpur subdivision where thousands of people were evacuated
by rescue workers. Till now three deaths have been reported
from the southern and western parts of the state even as
people have taken shelter in government run relief camps.
The victims, however, are demanding financial assistance
from the state government. "This is the second time this
year that we had to evacuate our house due to flood. Many
had taken shelter in the relief camps and many staying by
the roadside shades," said Gopal Debnath. "Here we are facing
lot of problems with our little children, moreover, we did
not get any rehabilitation money like during the last flood.
We are in real problem," he added. Around 25000 families
have been affected by the flood and thousands of them are
still on the roadside with no shelter or assistance in sight.
Lack of food and continuing rains have made life miserable
for them.
CPM's
`damage control' exercise for pacifying the Congress (Go
To Top)
by Gautam Ghosh
Kolkata:
The Congress high command's discontent over the occasional
anti-Centre outbursts of the Marxists has apparently prompted
the CPM's central leadership to undertake a `damage control'
exercise. CPM general secretary H.S. Surjeet and politburo
member Sitaram Yechuri have reiterated the party's commitment
to ensure the UPA government's stability after the party's
Bengal leaders charged it with deviating from the common
minimum programme(CMP). The state CPM has consequently softened
its stand vis-a-vis the Centre, saying the party will not
revoke its support to the Congress-led government "under
any circumstances." Political observers feel this perceptible
change in the Marxists' attitude towards the Manmohan Singh
government may prompt the Congress to go ahead with its
economic agenda with renewed zeal. According to informed
sources, the CPM leaders are more concerned over the political
fallout of the party's current entente with the Congress
than over non-implementation of the CMP. The party wants
to maintain its traditional anti-Congress stand in view
of the Calcutta Municipal Corporation polls next year and
2006 Assembly elections. The Marxists' predicament over
the issue is quite understandable as mainline opposition
parties like Trinamul Congress and the BJP have already
launched a political campaign over the "Congress- CPI(M)
honey-moon." The CPM's climbdown frm its stringent anti-Congress
stand is evident from chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee's
statement yesterday denying his threat to withdraw the party's
support to the UPA government at a public meeting at Jhalda
in Purulia district on Saturday.
47
killed in Baghdad blast (Go
To Top)
Baghdad:
At least 47 people were killed and 114 wounded in Baghdad
today, when a bomb placed in a car exploded near a police-training
centre. The blast took place in the Haifa Street area, where
fierce clashes between US troops and insurgents on Sunday
killed 13 people. The explosion was so deadly that it echoed
across the city, leaving behind a ten-foot crater and death
and devastation all around. Nearby shops and buildings were
badly damaged and a dozen cars parked nearby were completely
wrecked. Meanwhile, a militant group led by Al-Qaeda ally
Abu Musab al- Zarqawi has said that one of its suicide bombers
carried out Tuesday's attack on a Baghdad police headquarters
in which some 47 people died, sources said.
US
links Pak's 3 billion dollar aid to peace with India (Go
To Top)
Islamabad:
Pakistan will have to take all possible steps to forge
peace in the subcontinent (read with India) if the phased
distribution of the three billion dollar aid package offered
by President Bush to President Musharraf in June 2003 is
to continue. Emphasizing this point, Alan P. Larson, the
US Under Secretary of State for Economic, Business and Agricultural
Affairs, said that 50 percent of the five-year package was
for economic support and the balance was for defence. "The
Congress would vote for this money considering that Pakistan
is a strong partner in the fight against terrorism, continue
to promote regional peace and stability and continue on
the path of democracy," The News quoted Larson as saying.
BCCI
faces contempt charges on Dalmiya's appointment (Go
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Bhopal:
A contempt petition was filed against Board of Control
for Cricket in India (BCCI) today after it appointed Jagmohan
Dalmiya as its first-ever Patron-in-Chief defying an interim
order of the court. The new post would enable Dalmiya to
retain control over the cash-rich BCCI even after his term
as president ends later this month.The petition says Dalmiya's
appointment is a violation of a stay granted by a court
in Bhopal on a petition. Dalmiya's new appointment came
even as the petition challenged a reported move of the BCCI
to amend its constitution to grant Dalmiya a third term
as the President. "We have filed a new petition today of
contempt in which we have requested the court to issue a
notice to Board of Control for Cricket in India, that the
decision taken by board is against the court's order," Ajay
Gupta, representing the Bhopal Cricket Association, which
filed the petition, said. The BCCI, meanwhile, has maintained
there was nothing extraordinary about the decision. The
court is yet to take a decision on the petition. "Right
now only a notice has been issued to the accused party.
Then after the hearings from their and our side a decision
will be taken whether this is contempt of court or not,"
Gupta said. The provision for appointment of a Patron-in-chief
was not used for the last 75 years but now Dalmiya has been
unanimously appointed for the next three years. Some experts
say the new post will not only ensure Dalmiya, a former
head of the world governing body International Cricket Council
(ICC), retains firm control over the BCCI but could also
undermine the position of the new president.
