ECs meet Kalam over Lalu-Saptarishi charge

     New Delhi: Chief Election Commissioner TS Krishnamurthy, accompanied by two Commissioners BB Tandon and N Gopalaswami, met President APJ Abdul Kalam today and reportedly discussed the controversy surrounding the charges levelled by IAS officer LV Saptarishi. Saptarishi had accused the Commission, particularly Tandon and Gopalaswamy of being biased towards the Yadav community and yielding to BJP pressure in countermanding the Chhapra Lok Sabha poll. This had prompted Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav to demand a repoll in the constituency. The Election Commission reacted strongly against the allegations, saying the charges were scurrilous and baseless. CEC Krishnamurthy even went to the extent of saying that he was present with the two other election commissioners and affirmed that no such "castiest" remarks had been made. Earlier in the day, Law Minister H R Bhardwaj said the Election Commission's credibility could be questioned, and that Saptarishi should not have made these allegations. Saptarishi, it may be recalled was the special observer for the Chhapra constituency and had submitted a report. He had also written a letter to Bharadwaj on the above issue, which minister said that he was yet to receive.

Left adopts middle path in Saptarishi-ECs case (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: The Left today adopted a middle path on the issue of IAS officer LN Saptarishis letter to Union Law Minister mentioning "casteist approach" adopted by the two ECs (election commissioners) while countermanding the Chhapra poll last year and ordering re-poll. CPI-M spokesman and Rajya Sabha member Nilotpal Basu said that proper attention should be paid towards ensuring the sanctity of all Constitutional bodies, including the EC, and all such bodies should also ensure that no such acts are done by them which might cast aspersions on its functioning. Not coming out in the support of Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, who had been vociferously raising the issue over the past few days, Basu said it is not the question of supporting or not supporting anybody. "We are saying that proper conduct should be followed by every Constitutional body in delivering its functions," he added. Meanwhile, the parent UPA ally, the Congress, also chose not to come out in open support of its junior partner - the RJD. This could be easily gauged from the fact that no Congress member stood up while RJD members agitatedly raised the issue inside the Lok Sabha several times. Moreover, Union Law Minister Hansraj Bhardwaj declined to have received Saptarishis letter. While talking to media persons inside the Parliament, he even failed to figure out who Saptarishi was!

Lalu, Raghuvansh have "quid pro quo" with Saptarishi: BJP (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: The BJP today came down heavily upon the UPA and its allies alleging that they were indulging in "concocting evidence to subvert constitutional bodies" and also "misusing" investigating agencies to their favour. Party spokesman Arun Jaitley said that the latest in series was attack on the EC orchestrated by Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his party man and Rural Development Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh by having a "quid pro quo" with IAS officer LN Saptarishi. He alleged that the two RJD leaders had indulged in "give and take policy " with Saptarishi in return for his disclosure regarding ECs casteist approach in countermanding the Chhapra poll last year. It may be recalled that Saptarishi is the Director General of CAPART (Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology, which functions under the aegis of Raghuvansh's ministry. Claiming that there was a close understanding between Raghuvansh and Saptarishi, Jaitley, a former union minister, demanded that all documents that were exchanged between Saptarishi and Raghuvansh in one week prior to May 6 (when Saptarishi had written letter to Union Law Minister) should be made public. According to him, on April 30 an idea was mooted in the Rural Development ministry to extend Saptarishis tenure and fix his term as CAPART DG to three years. A couple of says Ministry Secretary rejected the idea, but Raghuvanch approved it on May 5, and on the following day Saptarishi made the "disclosure", Jaitley added. On the other hand, Raghuvansh said that he had nothing to do with extending Saptarishis service as all matters pertaining to IAS officers are decided by the DoPT (Department of Personnel and Training). Earlier, referring to Lalus "concocted" allegation of being stoned at the Vadodhra hospital, the BJP general secretary stated that the Prime Minister has been acting as a mute spectator to all these events.

Bhardwaj denies receiving letter from Saptarishi (Go To Top)
by Pankaj Yadav

     New Delhi: Union Law Minister HR Bhardwaj has said that he has not received any letter from LV Saptarishi, Director-General, Council for Advancement of People's Action and Rural Technology (CAPART), in which he has cited his displeasure over the appointment of BB Tandon as the Chief Election Commissioner. In the letter referring many incidents during General Elections 2004 in Bihar, Saptharishi said the appointment of B. B. Tandon as the Chief Election Commissioner and continuation of N Gopalaswamy as an Election Commissioner would be extremely undesirable in the interest of justice and democracy. Giving the examples of Chapra election controversy between RJD leader Shri Lalu Prasad Yadav and BJP leader Shri Rajiv Pratab Ruddy, Mr. Saptarishi alleged that the two officers in the capacity of Election Commissioner made attempts to unreasonably exaggerate the issue. On the basis of caste they wanted to countermand the poll in the constituency, he added in the letter. Being a Special Observer for Bihar he was responsible for submitting the report on the conditions of law and order during the election. He mentioned in the letter that his report was not considered and he was asked to leave the meeting of Election Commissioners. In total disagreement with his report, Election Commissioners made the ground for the by-poll in Chapra constituency, he added. Today in Lok Sabha RJD MPs frequently disrupted the proceedings of House as they wanted to raise the issue of Saptrishi's letter in regard to the 'Castist' approach adopted by the two Election Commissioners which led to the adjournment of the House.

13 more cases of meningitis reported in Delhi (Go To Top)

     New Delhi: At least 13 more cases of the fatal meningitis have been reported in the national capital taking the number of infected people to 187. Alarmed by the rising number of cases, Delhi Lt. Governor B.L Joshi summoned the health officials to review the steps taken by the local administration in checking the disease. Delhi health minister Yoganand Shastri said all the fresh cases have been reported from neighbouring Gurgaon, Shahjahanpur, Sitapur and Sonepat areas. "At least 13 cases have been reported but there have been no deaths," Delhi health minister Yoganand Shastri told reporters after the meeting here. Till now 14 people have died in the capital due to this disease. Doctors say the bacterial Meningococcemia is in a state of impending epidemic but measures are being taken to control its further spread. Meanwhile, Director General Health Services S.P. Aggarwal said vaccine was required for people coming in contact with the infected people. "Vaccine is required for those medical personnel who are regularly coming in contact with the infected people. Providing vaccines is not even in the WHO guidelines nor in National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) guidelines. They are being given chemo-prophylaxis. We have the complete addresses of the patients who are in our hospitals. MCD officials have been provided with 5,000 capsules so that they should reach those contacted people and give them antibiotic," said Aggarwal. Aggarwal said steps were being taken to ensure that officials reach the family members of the infected people coming from outside the capital. Rajasthan has also reported the first case. An eight-year-old boy from the Alwar district was admitted to the hospital for treatment. The child's condition is stable. "The child's condition is under control. Parametres are all settled," said Doctor Narapat Singh, Superintendent of J.K. Loan hospital in Jaipur. Meningitis is an infection of the fluid in a person's spinal cord and of the fluid that surrounds the brain. It's a cyclical disease with symptoms ranging from high-grade fever, loss of consciousness and hemorrhage. Doctors say if not treated in time, it can lead to multi-organ failure.

Meningitis case reported in Jaipur (Go To Top)

     Jaipur: A child with suspected meningitis was admitted to a city hospital making it the first case of the disease in the state, which is spreading in New Delhi and adjoining region. An eight-year old boy with fever and rashes all over the body was admitted to J K Loan Hospital and doctors suspected it to be a case of Meningococcal Meningitis. He was shifted to a special ward and doctors say that his condition is stable. "We suspected Meningococcemia and admitted him. His clinical oictures suggested Meningitis but his bacteriological features were something else. So we treated him as a suspected case of Meningococcal Meningitis. It is not a certainty. The condition is under control. Looking at the situation in Delhi, we have formed a separate ward," said Dr. Narapat Singh, Superintendent, J K Loan Hospital, Jaipur. "He is alright now. He had fever after food in the night. we admitted him. Doctors say that it is brain fever," said Dinesh, mother of the patient. 15 people have already died of the disease in Delhi. Nearly 174 people mostly from the crowded old Delhi area have been reported with the disease. The government has however denied to declare an epidemic.

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