New Delhi, May 11, 2009
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Talks with Pak begun on imposition of Jazia on
minorities: PM
Amritsar:
The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, on Monday said his government has started
talks with Pakistan on the issue of imposition of the religious tax 'Jazia' on
minorities in that country's tribal areas. Addressing a rally here, Dr. Singh
said, "We have started talks with Pakistan. We will take appropriate and necessary
steps on the issue of imposition of Jazia in Pakistan on minorities." Last month,
the Ministry of External Affairs had summoned a Pakistan diplomat to express its
unhappiness over the issue. Indian High Commission in Islamabad also conveyed
similar views to Pakistan Foreign Office. Noting that the situation across the
border is not good, Dr. Singh said: "We will at no cost bear anything against
us. India wanted friendly and cordial relations with its neighbouring countries."
Thousands of people, including many from the Sikh community, have fled Pakistan's
Swat Valley while the government troops are engaged in a battle with Taliban fighters
after a February peace pact to end violence in the valley collapsed. Indian Sikhs
say the government in Pakistan was doing little to protect the lives of Sikhs.
Speaking on the issue of price rise, he said, "The Congress has got the experience
to handle such situations." "The Centre will find out new means for the benefit
of farmers, labourers and industry and stressed that during the period of economic
recession it is only the Congress which can show the right path to the country,"
he added. Underlining several programmes for employment, he said, "Our government
is capable of facing the problem of unemployment. The Centre had started many
new projects for the generation of employment." Further highlighting the UPA Government's
achievements, Dr Singh said the Government raised the budget allocation for education.
"An Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) was approved for Punjab in Ropar which
is linked with IIT Delhi. Two new universities have also been sanctioned for Amritsar
and Bathinda," he added. He said the Centre has disbursed a grant of Rs 100 crore
for the Punjab Agricultural University (PAU).
Protests
against killing of candidate in Gujarat firing Top
Dausa/Gotada (Rajasthan): Political activists
in Gujarat on Monday demanded action against an election officer after one person
was killed and four injured in police firing after a mob allegedly tried to capture
a polling booth during a re-poll. Jaikishan, an independent candidate was killed
during a re-poll in Gotada area in the Dausa district of the state on Sunday.
The activists have submitted their demand to the Divisional Commissioner and the
officials said they have filed a case against the election officer. "The election
officer inspecting the elections went to the polling booth and stopped the polling
and said they will organize a re-poll. People got agitated when they were told
that they could not vote. Police then had to open fire. We have filed a case,"
said Kiran Soni Gupta, a Divisional Commissioner. The agitated political candidates
said they would not sit quiet on it. "My supporters were detained without any
reason. Our vehicles were seized. There was no booth capturing and our worker
is killed. This is very wrong for the party, for me, for my electorate. I will
take revenge in a democratic way," Kirori Lal Meena. Further re-poll, for the
third time, has been announced in the area.
Trinamool
Congress accused of attacking CPM MLA Top
Kolkata:
The Communist Party has slammed the Trinamool Congress of West Bengal for allegedly
attacking a woman legislator during an election meeting. Chandana Ghoshdastidar,
a legislator of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) was seriously injured when
alleged supporters of the Trinamool Congress, attacked her at Falta, 30 km from
Kolkata during an election meeting. Communist Party workers said that some party
activists were also injured. Brinda Karat, senior CPI (M) leader who came to visit
Ghoshdastidar in the hospital, condemned the attack. "We have demanded the government
and the police to act immediately. What is the Trinamool Congress? What kind of
culture do they want bring into West Bengal that an elected woman MLA should become
a target like this? The administration and the police will take action," Karat
said. Meanwhile, Pranab Mukherjee, a senior leader of the Congress, which is in
pre-poll alliance with the Trinamool Congress, rapped the Communists for dreaming
to form a government at the Centre. He said it would take them another 250 years
to realize their dream. "In 1952, the CPI (M) got 15 seats and that after increasing
reached 60 in 2004. Now you can calculate how long they will take to reach 272.
After that they should think to form a government. After another 250 years, they
should think of that," Mukherjee said. The Congress has tied up with the Trinamool
Congress in West Bengal . The Communists are expected to face a tough fight after
they angered many of its traditional rural voters over a land acquisition drive
for industry.
Witness
identifies AK-47 rifle used by Kasab Top
Mumbai:
The first witness in the Mumbai terror attack case on Monday identified the AK-47
rifle that was used by Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, the lone surviving terrorist,
on November 26, 2008. Police Sub-Inspector Bhaskar Kadam had seen Kasab firing
from a AK-47 rifle at Assistant Sub-Inspector Tukaram Omble, who fell to the bullets.
Kadam also identified two pistols, made from a company named Nedi Frontier Arms
based in Pakistan . Besides, Kadam also identified Abu Ismail's clothes. Ismail
was with Kasab on the day of the terror attack. All these evidences were produced
in the special court here today. Earlier, the court had charged Kasab with waging
war against India . Eight-six charges, including common and individual were framed
against Kasab by the special court. He was also charged under the Explosives Act
and the Arms Act. Kasab pleaded not guilty to the charges framed against him by
the special court. "I do not accept the charges," he said. Charges were also framed
against him under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Custom Act, the
Foreigners Act, the Prevention of Damage to Public Properties Act, conspiracy,
murder, attempt to murder and causing grievous injury.
Commonwealth
Games delegation arrives in New Delhi Top
New
Delhi: A Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) security delegation arrived here
on Monday to inspect all the facilities and the stadiums before the games to be
held in 2010. A meeting took place at the Delhi Secretariat where Delhi gave its
presentation to the delegation members. Suresh Kalmadi, President of the Indian
Olympic Association (IOA) was also present. He later said that the Commonwealth
Games work is not getting delayed at all. "A delegation of Commonwealth Games
has arrived in Delhi , which was here six months back also. They are inspecting
all the facilities here and are having discussions with all the stakeholders.
Today was the presentation by the Delhi Government. Tomorrow and day after tomorrow,
they will see the presentation of the stadiums. Till now, all the presentation
work regarding the Commonwealth has proceeded on time," said Kalmadi. Preparations
for Commonwealth Games are on here for hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games at
an estimated cost of 70 billion rupees. Delhi had bagged the contract after beating
the Canadian city Hamilton in the bid for the games. The Games will be staged
in India for the first time and in Asia for the second time. Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia
, held the Commonwealth Games in 1998. With a population of more than 1.2 billion,
India is the largest country in the Commonwealth. The 2010 Commonwealth Games
will be India 's first big International sports event since the 1982 Asian Games.
New Delhi hosted the inaugural Asian Games in 1951 and again in 1982.
10
policemen go missing after Chhattisgarh Maoist attack Top
Raipur: At least ten policemen have gone missing
after a convoy escorted by 41-member police force was attacked by heavily armed
Maoists in Chhattisgarh in the late hours of Sunday. The Maoists first attacked
the convoy in Dhamtari, and then they ambushed the convoy near Risgaon village
the hilly district. According to the official report, 31 personnel out of the
41 who were escorting the convoy have come back while the whereabouts of the rest
is yet to be ascertained. Earlier reports had confirmed two casualties. "Ten people
are missing and 31 people have come back out of which many injured have been admitted
to Ramkrishna Care Hospital . As soon as I get in touch with the SP, then only
we can give you the exact figure of causalities," said D M Awasthi, Inspector
General of Police, Raipur Range . During the past few weeks, Maoists have targeted
several police personnel across the 'Red Belt', which includes Chhattisgarh, Bihar
, Jharkhand and Orissa. On Tesday, a senior BJPleader was shot dead in Rajnandgaon
district of Chhattisgarh. Dubbed as India's biggest internal security threat by
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Maoist violence has killed around 500 policemen
and civilians in 2008.
Nepal
president urges parliament to form majority Govt Top
Kathmandu:
Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav on Sunday wrote a letter to the country's parliament
to start the procedure for the formation of a majority government. Any party or
coalition will now have to show a majority in the House to form the government.
Any party or coalition needs 301 seats in the 601-seat Constituent Assembly to
form a majority government. As per the Article 38 (2) of the Interim Constitution,
if attempts to form a government of "national consensus" do not bear results,
then a call should be made to form a majority government. However, the Maoist
obstruction of Parliament over the President Yadav's decision to re-instate Army
chief General Rookmangud Katwal has made the possibility of government formation
dim. On Saturday, Maoist Politburo decided not to form a new government until
President Yadav corrects his "unconstitutional move" by reversing his step to
reinstate the army chief. Meanwhile, leaders of the Nepali Congress and the CPN
(UML) have decided on a joint effort to form a UML-led coalition government. The
two parties will hold an all-party meeting on Tuesday in this regard. Talking
to reporters after the meeting, NC vice-president Ram Chandra Poudel said, "Since
the UML has accepted NC's proposal to form new government under UML leadership,
we have decided to hold consultations with other parties to reach an understanding."
Only two, not
five iconic skyscrapers for New York’s WTC Top
New
York: The incredible shrinking World Trade Center will be cut back from five
iconic skyscrapers to just two signature towers under a new Port Authority plan,
the Daily News has learned. Bludgeoned by recession and a war with developer Larry
Silverstein, the Port Authority is proposing halving the office space it will
build at Ground Zero - from 10 million square feet to five million square feet,
sources familiar with the plan say. The sources say the agency's new vision for
the site calls for scrapping one tower that would have been taller than the Empire
State Building and nixing two others that would have dwarfed the nearby Woolworth
Building . In place of two Silverstein behemoths, each designed by a British lord
and soaring 79 stories, the PA would erect a pair of short, squat buildings no
taller than four or five floors - coined "stumps" - that could be used for retail
shops, according to the proposal. The vastly scaled-back site plan was disclosed
on Friday. Revamping the sacred spaces where nearly 3,000 people were killed on
9/11 marks a dramatic break from the original 2003 Daniel Libeskind master plan,
which called for a row of cascading office towers to replace the 10.4 million
square feet of office space destroyed by terrorists. Although the Freedom Tower
will still climb to its symbolic 1,776 feet, and the Memorial will occupy the
heart and soul of the site, the showcase buildings designed by world-class architects
- on which Silverstein has already spent hundreds of millions of dollars - will
be absent.
Putin
hints at presidential comeback in 2012 Top
Moscow:
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin has hinted that he wants to comeback
as president of the country in 2012. Putin said there was no decision as yet on
whether he or his close ally Dmitry Medevedev, the current president, would run
for office when Medvedev's four-year-stint in the job expires. “Depending on the
effectiveness of our work, President Medvedev and I will take decisions about
what to do in the future, he and I,” The Guardian quoted Putin, as saying. “I
have very good relations with President Medevedev. Each one of us does our work.
We each have our niches. But of course at this level, questions frequently arise
that cross over,” he added. Despite Medvedev being sworn-in as President last
May, analysts believe that Putin remains the most important figure in Russian
politics. Commentators say that Medvedev has been trying to nudge Russia in a
more liberal and less authoritarian direction. Skeptics, however, say the differences
between the two are stylistic. In 2008, Medvedev extended the presidential term
from four to six years – fuelling speculation that Putin was already plotting
a comeback. Putin served eight years as president from 2000-2008, before taking
up his current job. Putin said the economic crisis that has battered Russia would
decide which of the two men stood in 2012. “I have known him for a long time and
I know he will look at his political future based on the interests of the country,”
Putin said. The relationship between Medvedev and Putin remains something of a
mystery. They have known each other since the early 1990s, when they worked together
in St Petersburg 's mayor's office, with Putin naming Medvedev as his successor
in autumn 2007.
Zardari
stayed in a 4.1 lakh per night room in Washington Top
Washington:
President Asif Ali Zardari was put up in a 5,000 dollar per night (approximately
Rs 410,000) presidential suite at sixth floor of the Willard Intercontinental
Hotel in Washington and did not share the floor with other highly protected Pakistani
VVIPs. Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt General Ahmed Shuja Pasha, Intelligence
Bureau (IB) Director General Dr Shoaib Suddle and Interior Minister Rehman Malik,
who all needed top security in Washington, were not given a room on the ultra-protected
sixth floor of the hotel during Zardari's stay. But PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto
Zardari was given a separate suite, which cost 2,600 dollars per night on the
same floor. Three sepoys, two lance naiks, one Hawaldar and several other officers
below the rank of lieutenant general were lodged on the same floor, said a document
published by the Pakistan embassy. Responding to a journalist's question, a Pakistan
embassy official said Zardari's stay was the cheapest as compared with the past
rulers, who spent much more money while staying in hotels in Washington. Moreover,
he said, this was the requirement of the hotel that the president should stay
at the 6th floor because of security concerns. He said if other members of the
president's delegation would have been accommodated in another hotel that would
have been objected to by the critics as discrimination. He said the Zardari had
come to the sole super power of the world to improve bilateral ties. He said what
was spent on the stay of Zardari and his entourage at the hotel matters nothing
in view of the gains that this trip had made for the country. No one without an
official security badge (clearance pin) could enter the 6th floor, while entry
to other floors was open, The News reported. A total of 26 rooms were available
on the 6th floor while on the 5th floor, all ministers and the ISI and IB chiefs
were accommodated.
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