Cong-JDS dalliance worries state BJP govt

B D Narayankar

Bangalore: The Congress and the Janata Dal (S) have entered into a diabolical plot to get the BJP government in Karnataka dismissed following a non-BJP government coming to power at the Centre in the national elections. Leftists too are co-partners in this sinister design.

This is reflected in the statements made by Congress and JDS leaders. Recently, JDS supremo Deve Gowda at the rally to launch the third front at Dobbaspet said, "Give me maximum number of Lok Sabha seats. I will see that the BJP government in Karnataka is removed."

Then, AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka Ghulam Nabi Azad was categorical when he said that the BJP government in State ‘would be sent home’ if the people elect a large number of Congress MPs from State.

"What do these statements – which are explosive in content and malicious in intent – mean? It only means that there is a deep-rooted conspiracy to destabilize and oust the BJP government headed by BS Yeddyurappa on some pretext or the other," medical education minister and veteran BJP leader Ramchandra Gowda said.

In fact, getting the BJP government dismissed is one of the pre-condition for the Congress and the JDS to support each other, to enable the formation of a non-BJP government at the Centre. This explains why JDS state president H D Kumaraswamy has been camping at Delhi in a bid to secure a ministerial berth in the UPA government.

"I have informed the same to my party’s national president, Rajnath Singh and L K Advani about the deep-rooted conspiracy of this terrible troika – the Congress, the JDS and the Leftists – to dislodge the BJP government," medical education minister and veteran BJP leader Ramchandra Gowda said.

"The JDS-Congress dalliance has exposed the hollowness of the former by denying an inner pact with the Congress," said BJP leader L R Shivarame Gowda.

State party chief D V Sadanand Gowda said the Congress would ruin itself if it gave a ministerial berth to Kumaraswamy at the centre. "The inner pact between JDS and Congress was always there and people of the state have voted against their nefarious plot," he said.

Gowda also said that the Congress cannot destabilize the BJP government in the state by any means. "It would be just a dream for the Congress," he said.

Gowda also dismissed the possibility of Congress launching 'Operation Hand' to grab BJP MPs, just like 'Operation Lotus' in the state. "Most other party leaders who joined BJP have received people's mandate. I consider it as political polarization," he added.

Gowda also said the new government at the centre should not mete out step-motherly treatment to the state.

Transport minister R Ashok slammed the JDS-Congress meet. "Such alliances will not work. We too have enough tricks up our sleeve. The BJP government is solid like a rock and it will last its full term of five years," he said. The Congress, however, is unfazed by the BJP opinion.

Old Nehruvian policies clinched the deal for Congress in national elections

B D Narayankar

The Congress, which was written off by media after its debacle in 1998 national elections, has bounced back with astute political decisions. What were these decisions? What was the secret for people giving Congress and its allies reach close to the half-way point? Well it was an intelligent ploy of AICC chief Sonia Gandhi to find news ways of implementing old Nehruvian policies.

Sonia was quick to realize the mirage of 'Shining India' campaign launched by the BJP in last national elections. The campaign was based on the principles of market economy.

Sonia sensed rural India counts much more than booming Sensex for political parties in a democracy. She knew market-led economy was good for the Sensex, but not enough to garner rural votes. She not only worked hard on her vision to woo the rural voters, but also urban middle-class.

Sonia succeeded in attracting the rural electorate to the Congress by implementing the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA) with 100 days of employment for one member in every family and waiving loans for farmers. She succeeded in switching the loyalty of urban middle-class by giving government employees massive pay hikes.

India's PM Manmohan Singh has in the recent past favoured a slew of economic polices that were staunchly opposed by the Left when the Communists exercised their veto power on the UPA government for more than four years.

Such policies included moves to increase the cap on foreign shareholding in Indian insurance companies from 26 per cent to 49 per cent, removal of the 10 per cent limit on voting rights of foreign investors irrespective of their shareholding in private Indian banks, doing away with the ban on foreign direct investment in multi-brand retail outlets and allowing pension funds to be invested in stock markets.

Investors could not have wished for a better outcome of the elections. The Congress and its allies have the numbers to last its entire term. They have stability, which means the government will have freedom to follow prudent financial policies and reforms. They have hope, because of unchallenged Manmohan Singh's reformist credentials. Liberalizing foreign direct investment and disinvestment will now get a push. In fact, sources revealed that former home minister P Chidambaram is keen on disinvestment. These liberalizing efforts have the potential to bring in global money.

Simply put, the risk in the Indian market has been substantially lowered by the election outcome. So the market has plenty of reasons to celebrate. Infact, the Sensex recorded its fastest ever 2000 points surge in history, taking not more than a few minutes to jump from 12,173 to 14,284, as the bulls stormed the bourses on May 18. For Sensex, this was the first close past 14,000 since 21st September 2008. The Sensex had closed at 14,042.32 on that day. The Nifty recorded its best close since September 10, 2008.

Varun Gandhi: The unanswered questions

B D Narayankar

India: It is painful to see that the whole political establishment of India, the whole Indian press, and even a majority of the Internet world have pronounced their verdict on Varun Gandhi.

He was branded as a villain, based on a video-CD that may well be doctored. All the leading Indian TV channels, instead of reporting the news impartially from both sides, have condemned his so-called “hate speech”.

The election commission gave its decision on the complaint made against him in the form of a CD, but was saying that the onus of proving the CD as doctored was on Varun. Is a person not assumed to be innocent until “proven guilty” in legal systems of modern nations? Doesn’t the onus of proving the allegation fall on the accuser?

On Varun’s part, he was saying some of portions of the CD did not have his voice. He was the voice in the CD was heavy, whereas he has a soft voice. Why was nobody investigating that? Instead of running the same tapes over and over again, day and night, why were the news channels not doing some investigative journalism and coming out with some findings about the genuineness of the footage?

Why had no channel said, “it was our video, our correspondent was there, so Varun Gandhi’s denials were meaningless”? Why were all the channels rewinding and replaying footage from a single source, whose identity nobody was revealing?

Why did the news networks not send someone who was at the original speech to confront him and interview him? The controversial speech was supposed to have taken place on March 5. Why was it not reported on the evening of March 5 or on March 6? Why was there no sign of a forensic analysis of the video, more than one month after the alleged speech? Who is sleeping over it?

Why have the news channels not interviewed even one eyewitness from Pilibhit who would say he/she was there when Varun Gandhi made those statements?

It's surprising to see the likes of Javed Akhtar and others who on one issue are always visibly vocal in support of ‘freedom of expression’ but on another incident are strangely advocating to curb the freedom of speech.

For them, Varun Gandhi’s utterances qualify for being a hate speech, but not M F Hussain's hate-paintings. How can his paintings be considered ‘expressions of respect’ or ‘depiction of truth’ and not hate. Throwing shoes on George Bush creates hero out of a man but spitting on a Kashmiri separatist leader qualifies for being an unacceptable and thoroughly condemnable behaviour.

Sadhvi Pragya qualifies for being hanged without interrogation, but Afzal needs to be freed even after conviction.

Is this not justifying the blame that a hate expression against majority is justified, whereas a hate expression against minority is unacceptable?

UPA has disintegrated: Advani

BILASPUR (HP): Claiming that cracks in UPA were now in open, L K Advani on Saturday said that the ruling alliance had "disintegrated" while "new friends" will be joining hands with BJP-led NDA, a day after union ministers Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan skipped a cabinet meeting.

"Cracks in the UPA can be gauged from the fact that three of its cabinet minister including Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, who are miffed with the Congress, skipped the Cabinet meeting yesterday," the BJP prime ministerial candidate said at a rally in support of BJP candidate from Hamirpur Anurag Thakur.

"On the other hand NDA is standing firm and new friends will be appearing at a joint NDA rally in Punjab tomorrow," he said, apparently referring to TRS, a constituent of the Third Front, whose chief K Chandrashekhar Rao will attend the Ludhiana election meeting.

Claiming that the UPA had "disintegrated", Advani said, "The Congress has failed to run a coalition government but the previous NDA was successful experiment in coalition politics."

Accusing the Congress of "betraying" faith of freedom fighters by doing precious little to ameliorate the condition of 'aam admi' (common man), Advani promised that if the NDA came to power, the country will be placed among the developed nations of the world.

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PM pooh-poohs Jaya’s demand to send army to Lanka


CHENNAI: Dismissing the demand for sending Indian Army to carve out a separate 'Tamil Eelam' in Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on
Saturday categorically said it was not "easy to march armies" into a sovereign country, and those advocating it were themselves aware that these were only "tall promises."

"We are dealing with a sovereign state. You can't march the army into a sovereign state. There is something called international law. All these constraints are known to those who are making tall promises," Mr Singh said, answering a question on AIADMK general secretary J Jayalalithaa's often repeated declaration that any government in which she will have a say will despatch the Army to the island nation and establish 'Tamil Eelam'.

Replying to a volley of questions from the media here, the prime minister said "what is possible and not impossible is a matter of speculation."

"We have continuously been in contact with the highest levels of the Sri Lankan government on this matter. We have consistently maintained that there is no military solution to the Tamil question in Sri Lanka. We have stressed that the legitimate aspirations of the Tamil speaking minority must be fulfilled within the framework of a united and federal Sri Lanka, through a negotiated and peaceful settlement," he said.

Mr Singh said topmost priority and concern of the Indian government is to provide relief and succour to displaced people and wait till the fight comes to an end in the Island nation.

While conceding that the Tamils in the neighbouring country had not got a fair deal, he said the solemn duty is to find a dignified solution for the Tamil populace.

Recalling the UPA government’s position on the issue, Mr Singh said all efforts must be made to ensure that the Tamils in Sri Lanka got a place of honour so that they were treated as equal citizens in that country and were able to lead a life with dignity and self-respect. "Our stand has been that a solution has to be found under the framework of a unified Sri Lanka."

Asked for a categorical answer on a possibility of forging an alliance with the AIADMK in a post-poll scenario, Mr Singh said "we are fighting this elections in the company of DMK." It has stood the test of time and yielded solid results.

"We fervently hope to maintain the alliance as we form the government," he added. He exuded confidence that the Congress-led UPA alliance "will be able to form a new government."

Showering praises on TN CM M Karunanidhi, he said the achievements of the UPA government are nowhere as evident as in the state of TN. It is a model state that exemplifies the success of the country’s economic story.

Modernisation of airport and infrastructure improvement were all symbols of progress that the state has achieved.

On whether the Congress was likely to lose its vote bank on account of the Ealem issue, the prime minister said he recognised that there is a problem with reference to the island nation as regards the place for Tamil population. All Indians are united on the issue that the Tamils were able to lead a life of dignity and self-respect in Sri Lanka, he reiterated.

Hailing Tamil Nadu as an enlightened state of the union, Mr Singh said the government is doing and would continue to do all that it could to bring about this outcome. The chips are down, but Tamil people will recognise that there are limitations in dealing with another country.

On the disintegration of third front, the prime minister said he did not view it as a "viable arrangement." It is a matter of speculation and a clear picture would emerge only after May 16, when the poll results were out.

To a question on a "disconnect" between his statement and the one made by Rahul Gandhi on the role of regional parties, Mr Singh sought to clarify by saying that it was a casual remark made at the Editors’ Guild conference, given that there are too many parties. "We are passing through a phase where regional parties are a phase of life... they will exist and continue to exist," he said, pointing out that his party already had an alliance with DMK here.

The prime minister declared that Prabhakaran was "a proclaimed offender... he is wanted in our country," when asked about the efforts initiated by the Indian government to have a trial of LTTE supremo Prabhakaran in the sub-continent. But, those trapped in the no war zone must be brought to safety and according them the attention they deserve were the primary concerns.

Dwelling on the impact of outsourcing backlash on Indian IT, he said "governments take certain postures but they learn fast." Officials in the US administration also held the view that such a posture would hurt competence of the US corporation, Mr Singh sought to point out, while expressing confidence that the US government would recognise this reality not in the distant future.

To a question on how the prices continued to rise despite a dipping inflation, the prime minister said the wholesale price index had to be viewed from a global perspective. The buffer stock of foodgrains had triggered its price rise world-over but as the government wanted Indian farmers to get remunerative prices, the procurement cost had to be passed on somewhere.

Hence, though inflation had come down below 1%, the consumer prices had not come down. But with bumper crop this year, prices of essential commodities would dip, he assured.

Asked about the absence of UPA’s key constituents — Lalu Prasad and Ram Vilas Paswan — during the cabinet meeting, Mr Singh said the media tends to sensationalise even trivial issues. As meetings were convened on an urgent basis, it was not possible sometimes to re-schedule already planned ones, he said, going on to add that Congress leaders P Chidambaram and Mani Shanker Aiyer too were absent.

Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natrajan, AICC general secretary and TN incharge Ghulam Nabi Azad, former union telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran and power minister Arcot Veeraswamy were also present at the press conference.

Later, the prime minister met Tamil Nadu CM M Karunanidhi at Apollo hospital and enquired about his health, before taking the helicopter back to the capital.


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Manmohan Singh not PM candidate for entire UPA: Modi


Thiruvananthapuram (PTI) Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said Manmohan Singh was not the unanimous choice of UPA and also some Congress leaders for the post of Prime Minister.

"Senior leaders of the Congress like Arjun Singhji has not even mentioned the name of Manmohan Singh as Prime Minister. Only Soniaji has said that he is their PM candidate.

Leading partners in the UPA have also not said anything on Manmohan Singh becoming the Prime Minister," Mr. Modi said.

The Gujarat Chief Minister, who had a brief stop-over at the Airport here on his way to campaign in Kanayakumari Lok Sabha constituency, told reporters that this was in sharp contrast with the situation in the BJP, where L K Advani was the unanimous choice of the entire NDA for post of Prime Minister.

Asked about prospects of the 'third front", he mockingly replied, "one does not know who is the owner of the third front, which all parties are there and what their agenda."

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Thirteen injured in post-poll violence in Nandigram


Nandigram, May 9: In the continued post-poll violence, 13 political workers of both Trinamool Congress and CPI(M) suffered bullet wounds in different areas here today.

Nine Trinamool Congress workers were hurt in a clash at Jadubarichowk during a 12-hour bandh called by the party to protest against the arrest of three of its supporters following disturbances on polling day on Thursday.

The clash, which saw bombs and guns freely being used by both sides, broke out after a procession was taken out by TC in the area, police said.

In another clash in the afternoon four CPI(M) workers were injured.

All the injured were hospitalised. PTI


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Regional parties to play key role in Third Front govt formation: Karat


Kolkata (PTI): Regional parties would play an important role in formation of a Third Front government at the Centre after the Lok Sabha elections, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat claimed on Saturday.

He said these parties parties should not be underestimated as they "are support-based and they fulfil the aspirations of the people. We are talking to them. These parties have an important role to play in government formatation."

He also said that during the election it was not possible to work out common policies with regional parties."After the elections, we will formulate these policies."

Speaking about the prospects of a Third Front government coming to power, Mr. Karat said "I am 100 per cent confident. We are talking with different political parties.

"Many people were not believing that the Third Front will come into being before the Lok Sabha polls. Now, it is clear that the Third Front is a reality. The Third way is possible," he said.

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Cong afflicted with despondency, defeatism: BJP


DEHRADUN: Stating that Congress is afflicted with the feeling of despondency and defeatism, BJP on Saturday said that Congress has now started praising those parties which are arch-rivals of its own allies.

"Rahul Gandhi is praising the work of Nitish Kumar government in Bihar despite the fact that Lalu Prasad Yadav's RJD is an ally of Congress. Other Congress leaders are luring Left parties despite having Mamata Banerjee as their ally in West Bengal," BJP's national spokesman Ravishankar Prasad said at party headquarters here.

"In Tamil Nadu, they want to bring AIADMK with them despite DMK being the part of UPA," Prasad said.

This behaviour of Congress leaders clearly shows that the party is afflicted with the feeling of despondency, pessimism and defeatism, he said.

Prasad said the feeling is evident in the fact that the party has dismissed its media cell chief Veerappa Moily for making a statement that if Nitish Kumar wanted to waste his time with communal parties, then nobody can help him.

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TRS chief to attend NDA rally tomorrow, CPI opposes


Hyderabad (PTI): The Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) on Saturday appeared to have annoyed its partners in the "Grand Alliance" in Andhra Pradesh with its decision to attend the NDA rally being organised at Ludhiana in Punjab on Sunday.

"TRS cannot continue in the Grand Alliance if it supports BJP or NDA. How can he (TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao) attend a rally where L.K. Advani would be present. Opposition to Congress and BJP is the basis for formation of Third Front," CPI state secretary K. Narayana told PTI.

"TRS says formation of Telangana is their top priority and agenda. But they need not resort to such tricks like attending an NDA rally for the sake of Telangana. This is an insult to the people of Telangana," he said.

TDP leader K. Yerran Naidu, however, played down the TRS decision, saying it is too early to come to a conclusion over the matter.

"TRS said they are attending the rally on the invitation of Akali Dal. Let them attend it and I don't see anything wrong in it. A big issue need not made out the TRS decision when the political situation is still fluid," he said.

Senior TRS leader B. Vinod Kumar said in Delhi: "We got an invitation from SAD chief and Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to attend the rally to be organised tomorrow. Our party chief has accepted the invitation."

On whether Mr. Rao's attendance of the NDA rally meant he had joined the alliance, Mr. Kumar said as of now no official decision has been taken in this regard.

"An official decision will be taken by the Parliamentary Party meeting that will take place after results are announced on May 16," the TRS MP said.

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Jammu protests Taliban tax on Sikhs

Srinagar: Jammu is seething with anger over the atrocities on Sikhs and other minority communities by the Taliban in Pakistan.

A bandh was observed in the winter capital in protest against the Taliban's jazia demand. Jazia is a tax imposed on non-Muslims in a country under Sharia law.

Protesters marched to the UN military observers' group (UNMOGIP) office and submitted a memorandum seeking protection of minorities in Pakistan. They also burnt tyres and raised slogans against Taliban. Some tried to smash vehicles at Satwari.
Police had to resort to cane charge to disperse the mob. Inspector general of police, Jammu, K Rajendra Kumar said the situation was under control.

The bandh was called by the Jammu Bar Association and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) with the support of several social, religious and political organisations.

Life was hit in Jammu city with commercial establishments remaining closed. Traffic was sparse as matadors and autos, the main modes of public transport in the city, kept off the roads. Attendance in most government offices, public sector undertakings and banks was thin. There was no response to the bandh from elsewhere in Jammu region.

"The ghost of jazia has returned to haunt Hindus and Sikhs after 400 years. This is a serious issue because minorities are feeling unsafe in Pakistan. Taiban is demanding jazia from Sikhs and those who can't pay the tax are being targeted. The Indian government should take up the issue with Pakistan and ensure their safety," Dr Rama Kant Dubey, state president of the VHP, said.

The VHP has decided to hold a meeting with different organisations to chalk out a strategy.

Lawyers and members of civil society also led a protest march in Jammu and submitted a memorandum to the UNMOGIP. "Taliban's demands are in violation of the UN charter on human rights. The UN should step in and guarantee the safety of minorities in Pakistan," Sunil Sethi, president ofJammu Bar Association, said.

Mulayam flays Azam on Jaya Pradha

NEW DELHI (ANI): Samjawadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday came out in defence of party general secretary Amar Singh by saying that Azam Khan, the Muslim face of the Samajwadi Party, was indulging in acts of indiscipline.

Reacting to Azam Khan's comments on Amar Singh being a petty politician, Mulayam Singh said: "Azam Khan has betrayed the party. What he has done is anti-party."

Mulayam Singh's comments come after Amar Singh had threatened to quit the party over the Azam Khan issue.

Amar Singh was reportedly upset with Azam Khan opposing Jaya Prada's candidature from Rampur.

Moily no longer chief Cong spokesman

New Delhi, May 9 (PTI) Veerappa Moily today ceased to be Congress' chief spokesman amid speculation that his remarks against JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar did not go down well with Congress leadership but the party said he has not been "removed" and it was only an "interim" arrangement.
AICC said its General Secretary Janardhan Dwivedi has been given the charge in place of Moily as an "interim arrangement".

Moily, who found himself in a piquant situation, said that he had given the charge to Dwivedi as he would be away in Karnataka till May 17. The 69-year-old veteran Congressman has contested the Lok Sabha elections from Chikkaballapur in Karnataka and the results would be out on May 16.

Asked whether his remarks on Nitish Kumar had cost him his job, Moily said "it has nothing to do with Nitish Kumar. Nitish Kumar is not part of our party.

Dwivedi too said," Moily has not been removed. No such decision has been taken. Party has not issued any such notification nor any party leader has said any such thing." The Acting Chief of the Media department, however, did not say when Moily would resume his charge. "It may happen," he said when asked whether Moily will get back the charge of media deparment.

Dwivedi also dismissed speculation that party spokesman Ashwani Kumar has been removed. At the same time, he suggested that the line taken by Kumar on parties like JD-U, AIADMK and TDP was not correct. PTI

JMM-BJD alliance hangs in fire for LS poll

New Delhi (PTI): Even though it has pledged support to the BJD government for the trust vote in Orissa, the JMM on Tuesday remained non-committal about an alliance with the Naveen Patnaik-led party for the Lok Sabha elections.

"We have yet not decided with which party we would go. We may contest the next Lok Sabha election even alone as then we would be able to contest more seats," state President of the party Sudam Marandi said on asked whether he will go with BJD in the Lok Sabha elections.

With the JMM still to decide on its future relationship with the BJD, it remains uncertain whether the Shibu Soren-led party will forge an alliance with the latter for the assembly elections in the state which are not far off.

Mr. Marandi was speaking to reporters after the four JMM MLAs, who have pledged their support to the BJD government two days back, met Soren here. The party MLAs along with its state president came here last evening to discuss the matter with Mr. Soren.

The JMM has five MLAs and one MP in Orissa. With the Orissa unit of the JMM backing the BJD, speculation was rife that it could tie up with Naveen Patnaik-led party in the state under a third front arrangement for the coming elections. "There is difference between situations in Orissa and Jharkhand. We will think how to expand the party in Orissa," Mr. Marandi said when asked to comment on the decision of the state unit of the JMM to back the BJD in the backdrop of the party being a key ally of the UPA in Jharkhand.

Suicide car bombing kills 25 in Iraq

Baghdad (Xinhua): A suicide car bomb attack ripped through a tribal leaders' gathering in Iraq's Abu Ghraib area on Tuesday, killing at least 25 people and wounding 20, an interior ministry source said.

A suicide bomber rammed his explosive-laden car into a crowd of tribal leaders and senior army officers while they were leaving the town hall, 20 km west of Baghdad, the source said.

The commander of an Iraqi Army battalion was among the killed. Iraqi state-run television said that its reporter was seriously wounded in the attack.

Reply to Pak on Mumbai attacks this week

New Delhi (PTI): India is expected to reply to Pakistan's questions on Mumbai attacks this week, giving further information about the terror strikes with the hope that it would be used by Islamabad to bring perpetrators to justice.

The replies to the 30 questions asked by Pakistan are ready and are expected to be handed over to Islamabad this week, sources told PTI here today but did not give details. Pakistan, in response to the Indian dossier of evidence given on January 5, had posed 30 questions on February 12. In its questionnaire, Pakistan had sought fingerprints and DNA profiles of all the 10 terrorists who carried out the attacks.

Islamabad had also sought post-mortem reports of the nine killed terrorists and their detailed description and information as provided by Kasab.

Pakistan had requested for "authenticated copy" of the confessional statement of lone captured terrorist Ajmal Amir Kasab as recorded by judicial authorities and "other documentation/diaries recovered from his possession". It had also sought mobile numbers used by Kasab in the past, if he had disclosed these during interrogation.

BJP MLA quits to support BJD in trust vote

Bhubaneswar (PTI): BJP in Orissa on Tuesday suffered another jolt with one of its leading MLAs announcing resignation from the party, a day before Naveen Patnaik-led government was due to seek trust vote in Orissa Assembly.

"I have sent resignation letter to BJP president and Speaker of the Assembly. I will vote in support of the Naveen government," BJP MLA from Talcher, Mahesh Sahu said, adding that he resigned for alleged indiscpline in State BJP.

Mr. Sahu was elected to Assembly twice in a row in 2000 and 2004 on a BJP ticket. Though he was aspiring to get a berth in the cabinet, the party did not allow him, source said.

Mr. Sahu was the third BJP MLA to resign from BJP within 15 days. Earlier Brundaban Majhi and Dhaneswar Majhi had resigned from BJP.

However, Sananda Marandi, an MLA from Kualiana in Mayurbhanj district, had resigned from the party a few days ago and withdrew the letter later.

Mr. Sahu's resgination came a day after former minister Bed Prakash Agarwal resigned from BJP.

Both Mr. Sahu and Mr. Agarwal were likely to join

3-tier security for Kasab at Arthur Rd jail

IANS

Mumbai: The Arthur Road Jail here is being fortified with three security rings to keep Mohammed Ajmal Amir alias Kasab, the sole 26/11 terrorist captured alive, safe from potential attackers, Maharashtra Minister of State for Home Naseem Khan said on Tuesday.

"A crack team of the Mumbai Police will guard the outer periphery of the jail while the ITBP (Indo-Tibetan Border Police) will guard the precincts inside. The core area where Kasab is lodged will be guarded by the jail's own security set-up," Mr. Khan told IANS.

All parts of the jail will be monitored by cameras, some of which will be hidden. The images will be relayed to a central control room being manned by security officials, he added.

Barriers of different types, including reinforced steel-concrete walls that can resist bombs, grenades and rapid fire weapons, are being erected for the first time inside the 84-year-old jail, making it among the most secure prisons in the country, a police official said.

Kasab, along with nine other terrorists, embarked on a killing spree here on November 26, 2008 that lasted nearly 60 hours. Over 170 people lost their lives in the carnage.

He is lodged in the famous "anda cell" — called so because it is oval in shape — which is usually reserved for the most notorious criminals

LTTE Tigers lose more land: Sri Lanka

Agencies

Colombo: Government forces drove deeper into the Tamil Tigers' dwindling stronghold, confining the rebel group that once controlled a vast swath of northern Sri Lanka to an area smaller than Manhattan, the military said Friday.

The government has said it is on the verge of destroying the rebels and ending the Indian Ocean island nation's quarter-century civil war.

Army troops entered Puthukkudiyiruppu, the last town under rebel control, on Tuesday and the two sides continued to wage fierce house-to-house battles, the military said. If the town falls, the rebels will be confined to a small coastal strip, some villages and a patch of jungle.

The recent military gains have left the group in control of 22 square miles (58 square kilometers) of land, military spokesman Brig. Udaya Nanayakkara said. That is slightly smaller than the New York City borough.

Aid groups estimate 200,000 ethnic Tamil civilians are trapped in that area along with the rebels and have expressed increasing concerns about their safety. Human Rights Watch reported last week that an estimated 2,000 civilians have been killed in the recent fighting.

Five civilians who were wounded in air strikes and artillery fire Friday died, Dr. Thurairaja Varatharajah said from a makeshift hospital in the war zone. Forty-one others are being treated for their wounds, he said.

Meanwhile, the group Doctors Without Borders expressed outrage that so little has been done for the civilians trapped in rebel territory, calling their condition ``desperate and unacceptable.'' The voluntary organization for medical practitioners urged the government and rebels to ensure the safety of civilians and allow them access to humanitarian assistance.

It said 90 percent of the injured people who arrive at its hospital in northern Vavuniya town, just outside the war zone, have gunshot or shrapnel wounds from fleeing rebel territory.

The rebels once controlled a de facto state measuring about 5,600 square miles (15,000 square kilometers). A recent government offensive drove them into a broad retreat and left them on the brink of defeat.

Verification of the fighting is not available because independent journalists are barred from the war zone.

The Tamil Tigers, listed as a terror group by the U.S. and European Union, have been fighting since 1983 for a separate state for ethnic Tamils after decades of marginalization by governments controlled by the Sinhalese majority. More than 70,000 people have been killed in the fighting.

Hepatitis death toll rises to 53 in Gujarat

Agencies

Ahmedabad: The hepatitis outbreak in Sabarkantha district claimed four more lives on Friday, taking the toll to 53 since February 6, district health officials said.

"Four more deaths were reported today. With this the toll has gone up to 53. Also, six new patients have been admitted to the hospital in Modasa taluka," Sabarkantha Chief District Health Officer (CDHO) H S Patel told PTI.

"Of the 53 who died, 20 are females. Most of the deceased were in the age group of 13-45 years", he said.

With six fresh incidents of the liver disease coming to light, the total cases registered in Sabarkantha has reached 171 of which 53 have died.

Meanwhile, doctors in Sabarkantha were on a strike to protest filing of police cases against some medical practitioners who have been booked for unsafe practises and improper disposal of bio-medical waste.

Dinesh Patel of Modasa Medical Association said the medical fraternity was being harassed.

"The government is harassing the doctors. They are treating them as if they are criminals and raiding their clinics and homes in the middle of the night," Patel alleged.

Sugar output may dip to 16 million tonnes

Agencies

New Delhi: Sugar output in India, the largest producer in the world after Brazil, may dip further from the government estimate to 16 million tonnes this season, prompting the country to import projected 1.5 million tonnes.

"According to the latest estimate, sugar production is pegged at 16 million tonnes," Indian Sugar Mills Association Director General SL Jain told PTI after a meeting of the private sector mill owners here on Friday.

Earlier this week, Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar said the country might produce 16.5 million tonnes of the sweetener this season, starting October 2008, down from about 26.4 million tonnes in 2007-08.

The meeting, which took stock of the current sugar scenario in the country, attributed the 39 per cent slump in production to less cane crop and lower recovery. Recovery refers to the rate of sugar production out of cane.

According to the latest government estimate, sugarcane production may go down significantly to 290.45 million tonnes this season from 348.19 million tonnes last year. ISMA has projected a raw sugar import of up to 1.5 million tonnes to bridge the supply-demand mismatch in the country this year. India needs 22.5 million tonnes for its annual domestic consumption.

Flintoff's injury forces him to return home

Agencies

London: England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff, who is nursing a hip injury, was on Friday ruled out of the fifth and final cricket Test against the West Indies, starting at Port of Spain on March 6.

Flintoff, who is set to fly back home later today, will now undergo a rehabilitation programme and is scheduled to join the squad again on March 10, if the fitness permits. The England management sat together after the first day's play of the fourth Test at Kensington Oval on Thursday night and discussed the options to get Flintoff fit before the Twenty20 tie and ODI series that follow the ongoing Test series.

The medical staff recommended that the 31-year-old cricketer should temporarily quit tour so that he can receive better and more intensive rehab treatment, the official website of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) said on Friday.

England will play a warm-up game in Trinidad on March 14, a day before the Twenty20 International, while the five-match ODI series begins in Guyana on March 20.

Rahul is a rising sun: Ram Vilas Paswan

Agencies

Jagdishpur (Uttar Pradesh): Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Friday drew high praise from union Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan, who called him "India's future" and asked people to bless this "rising sun".

"This young man is India's hope and future," said Paswan, leader of the Lok Janshakti Party, while accompanying Rahul Gandhi to a steel plant here in the latter's Amethi constituency.

"Rahul Gandhi and his mother Sonia Gandhi fight for the poor and wipe away their tears. All of you bless your leader who is a rising sun," Paswan told a meeting of people.

Paswan said that the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had made determined efforts to raise steel production. "We hope to make India the second largest steel producer by 2015."

Sonia kickstarts poll campaign

Agencies

Kothagudem/Medak: Virtually kickstarting the Lok Sabha and state assembly poll campaign, Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Friday said her party is working towards its "dream" of providing education, health and security for all.

The Congress government in Andhra Pradesh has "kept its word" on working for welfare of poor in the last five and it "has emerged as an example for the development that has been achieved in the country," she said addressing a public meeting in Kothagudem in Khammam district in the state.

"The party is working towards achieving its dream of providing education, health and security to all", said Gandhi whose speech was devoid of any sharp attack on opposition parties. The Congress President said with elections round the corner, the opposition parties, who have nothing to boast of, would come to people again seeking votes but Congress is confident that people would repose their faith in it again.

On a two-day visit to the state, Gandhi earlier laid the foundation stone for the Rs 1000 crore IIT campus in Medak district where she said there is an urgent need to spread higher education among the deprived sections of the society.

Home min pulls up army for J&K killings

Agences

New Delhi: Virtually pulling up the army for the killing of two youth at Sopore in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Home Minister P Chidambaram on Friday said the security forces did not appear to have followed standard procedures.
"The killings in Sopore are extremely unfortunate. I express grave concern. Prima facie, it appears standard operating procedures were not followed by the security forces in that incident," Chidambaram told a press conference on Friday.

The Minister said he sympathised with the anguish of the people of Kashmir and the chief minister of the state. Two people were shot dead while another was critically injured in Sopore district on the night of February 21 when two men in combat uniform allegedly opened fire without any provocation. A magisterial inquiry has been ordered and an FIR lodged against the army after locals poured onto the streets.

"He (chief minister Omar Abdullah) met me. I have read his statement. His statement is a very qualified one. Let the investigation that is going on, on how it happened be completed and (then) I will certainly meet with the chief minister," Chidambaram said.

The Home Minister said he would discuss with Abdullah on how such incidents can be prevented in future. Chidambaram also said he was likely to visit Jammu or Kashmir in the first half of March to meet the chief minister. "We will find a way in which standard operating procedures are scrupulously observed by the security forces."

BSNL begins 3G services

Agencies

New Delhi: State-run BSNL on Friday set the ball rolling for 3G mobile services as the telecom major launched the next generation mobile services in 11 cities and announced a rate of Re 1 per minute for video call in the Rs 2,500-plan.

BSNL has launched 3G Mobile Services today on commercial basis simultaneously from 11 cities -- Agra, Ambala, Jalandhar, Jaipur, Dehradoon, Shimla, Lucknow, Ranchi, Durgapur, Haldia, Patna & a soft launch in Jammu.

BSNL, which claims a subscriber base of over 74 million, also announced tariff plans for 3G mobile services under pre-paid and post-paid voice, video and data plans. The voice call will be available for as low as 10 paise per minute under full value Rs-1,000 plan. In other words, the subscriber would have to shell out fixed amount of Rs 1,000 in a month and the local calls would cost just 10 paise a minute.

Similarly, video calls would cost Re 1 a minute under the unlimited Rs-2,500 plan and Rs 2 for STD video calls. The 3G services of BSNL were launched in Tamil Nadu last week. Commenting on the development, Kuldeep Goyal, CMD of BSNL said, "It is a historical ocasion for the country that India has come at par with most developed countries of the world by making 3G services available to the citizens of this country.

Delhi blasts: Police chargesheets LeT man

Agences

New Delhi: Delhi Police on Friday accused a Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operative, along with suspected Indian Mujahideen terrorists, of executing the September 13 serial blasts in the Capital which claimed 26 lives and left hundreds injured.

Abu Al-Kama, a Pakistan-based LeT commander, also alleged to be involved in the 2005 Sarojini Nagar and other blasts here, was termed as one of the conspirators in the two chargesheets filed in a court here in connection with last year's September 13 blasts.

The two chargesheets filed in connection with the cases registered at Connaught Place and Tilak Marg police stations named Mohd Saif, Zeeshan Ahmed, Zia-ur-Rehman, Saquib Nissar, Mohd Shakeel, Mohd Sadiq Sheikh, Quamuddin Kapadia and Mohd Hakim as the accused.

According to the police, the bombs at Central Park in Connaught Place, which claimed three lives and left 39 injured, were planted by accused Saif, Zia, Sajid and Khalid. Out of the four, Sajid and Khalid were still absconding. The police also claimed that the bombs found in a dustbin near India Gate were planted by Mirza Shadab Beg and Shahzad, who were still at large, since the fateful day.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Kaveri Baweja put the two chargesheets for consideration on March 4.

Left wooing secular UPA, NDA allies

Agencies

New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram: The Left is seriously working on plans to sew a third alternative ahead of the Lok Sabha polls wooing 'secular' parties in both UPA and NDA, as it indicated it may not support the Congress in the post-poll scenario.

Stating that the Left does not see a situation where it would be forced to support the Congress after the polls, CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat said it was trying to bring some UPA constituents to join a 'secular alternative' to join forces to take on both the Congress and the BJP.

"2009 is not going to be 2004," Karat said in an interview to CPI(M) organ 'Deshabhimani', a Malayalam daily while dismissing chances of the Left supporting the Congress after the polls.

The four Left parties--CPI (M), CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc--have agreed to come out with a joint appeal by mid-March asking secular parties in both UPA and NDA to join forces with a third alternative ahead of the General Elections. The decision was taken at a meeting of the top leaders of the four parties in New Delhi.

RSP General Secretary T J Chandrachudan said the appeal is likely to issue a call to secular forces in NDA which are "perturbed" by the BJP's Hindutva agenda and parties in UPA which are "unhappy" with Congress' "privatised and perished policy".

Claiming that the non-Congress secular alliance has already been forged in most major states, Karat said he was confident that this front would become broad-based and stronger to take on the Congress and BJP.

In Kolkata, CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu said the party had not taken any decision on extending support to the Congress after the elections.

"We cannot say it at this stage. No decision has been taken in the party in this regard," Basu said when asked if the CPI(M) would support to the Congress after poll. Besides Chandrachudan, the New Delhi meeting was attended by Karat, CPI's A B Bardhan, RSP's Abani Roy, and Forward Bloc's Debabrata Biswas and D Deverajan.

Signalling the Left's keenness to exploit the Congress reservation over a national level pre-poll tie-up with its alliance partners, Karat said CPI(M) was keenly watching the emerging scenario after the Congress indicated its stand. "The Congress has said there would not be a UPA in the elections. This signals that the constituents are free to move in tune with the circumstances prevailing in each state. The Left is keenly watching this scenario," Karat said.

After assessing the existing political equations in each state, the Left would take appropriate decisions on relations with the UPA partners, he said. "After the elections, we will come to know who is going to be compelled to support whom," he said.

The Left was trying to bring non-Congress secular parties on common platform centring three core political themes--pro-people economic policies, secularism and independent foreign policy, he added.

"If this strategy proves successful, the result will be a non-Congress, non-BJP government at the Centre," Karat said.

SC stops Mayawati's demolition drive

Agences

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday stopped the Uttar Pradesh government from demolishing scores of private and government buildings around Lucknow's sprawling park named after Dalit icon Babasaheb Ambedkar.

A bench of Justice B.N. Agrawal and Justice G.S. Singhvi put a halt to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati's demolition spree around the Ambedkar Park by suspending an apex court's order of May 1, 2008 issued by another bench.

Friday's order came on a lawsuit Lucknow resident Mithiliesh Kumar Singh, who had sought suspension of the order last year by an apex court bench of Justice H.K. Sema and Justice Markandey Katju that had given its nod to the demolition spree.

"In gross misuse and abuse of the stay order passed by this court on May 1 last year, the state government is demolishing prestigious buildings around the park and converting the green lungs of the city into concrete jungle with renewed vigour," said the petitioner, demanding recall of the apex court's previous order.

"The activities of the state government in the name of development are in fact anti-public interest," said the petitioner.

The petitioner had come to the court opposing the government's plan to undertake development activities in Lucknow by razing old and dilapidated buildings.

The Allahabad High Court had earlier prevented the Mayawati government from demolishing several buildings, including those belonging to the government, around Ambedkar Park. But the state government had been able to get the high court's order suspended last year from the apex court. It was this order that the apex court suspended Friday.

Ambedkar, who played a key role in drafting the Indian constitution, is an icon for Mayawati's Bahujan Samaj Party that espouses the cause of Dalits.

'Terrorists didn't come from Pak'

Agencies

New Delhi: India on Friday slammed Pakistan's Naval Chief for claiming that the terrorists involved in Mumbai attacks did not come by sea route from Karachi, saying it was part of Pakistan's "prevarications".

India reminded Naval Chief Admiral Noman Bashir that Pakistan had already made a formal acknowledgement about the fact that the 10 attackers came to Mumbai from Karachi by vessels.

"I am sure somebody (in Pakistan) will deny tomorrow what the Naval chief said. This is part of prevarication," Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters here when asked to comment on Bashir's comment.

Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma said Pakistan has been talking "in different voices". Noting that "there has been an acknowledgement by Pakistan itself" about the fact that Ajmal Amir Kasab and nine other terrorists came to Mumbai by sea, Sharma said this has been endorsed by various technical records like satellite phone records.

The Pakistani Navy Chief's contention contradicts Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik's admission two weeks back that the attackers of Mumbai had gone from Karachi by sea.

When pressed further, Sharma said Defence Minister A K Antony and Indian Navy Chief will reply to Pakistan Navy Chief's statement.

Now modern education in madrassas

Agencies

New Delhi: Islamic seminaries will now be able to provide vocational training and education in modern subjects like maths and science to students under a new government scheme for madrassas.

The Scheme for Providing Quality Education in Madarasa (SPQEM) was launched by HRD Minister Arjun Singh here on Thursday.

Under the scheme, madrassas will be provided linkage with the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) which will give certificates to students pursuing education at these centres.

Besides, the scheme will have provision for teachers' training and strengthening State Madrassa Boards.

The scheme will provide funds to madrassas and maktabs to introduce modern subjects like Science, Mathematics, Social Studies, Hindi and English in their curriculum. However, the process of modernisation of traditional madrassas and maktabs will be voluntary.

Maktabs, madrassas or Dar-ul-Ulooms can opt to become accredited study centres with the NIOS for primary and middle levels of education, officials said.

Singh said SPQEM will bring about a qualitative change in the education being imparted through madrassas and maktabs.

This will bring them into the mainstream of national education system.

The scheme was started after an expert committee of the National Commission for Minority Educational Institutions suggested that madrassas be provided a linkage with the NIOS to provide for certification of academic levels, officials said.

The scheme envisages an expenditure of about Rs 325 crore in the XIth Plan.

The scheme will also strengthen State Madrassa Board opting for assistance by enabling them to monitor the madrassa modernisation programme and enhance awareness about education among the Muslim community.

Madrassas which have been in existence at least for three years and registered under Central or State Government Acts or Madrassa Board or with Wakf Boards or NIOS shall be eligible to apply for assistance under this programme. The financial assistance will be given yearly under the scheme through the State Governments/Union Territory Administrations in whose jurisdiction the institution is situated.

UPA trying to send me to jail: Mulayam

Agencies

Etawah: Coming down heavily on the UPA government at the Centre which his party helped survive after the Left withdrew its support over the Indo-US nuclear deal, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav has charged it with using the CBI to try and put him behind bars.

"The government, which we have supported during the height of the Indo-US nuclear deal imbroglio, is now trying to send me to jail with CBI's help," the former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister told a function at Charan Singh P G College here on Thursday.

"The CBI is preparing fake documents to frame me (in the disproportionate assets case)," he said.

He said party General Secretary Amar Singh, however, came to know about this and found out how "the property of others was mentioned against my name".

Yadav also flayed the Centre's faulty foreign policy and said the country stood isolated at the global level because of that.

Turning to farmers, he said there was a move to stop the subsidy provided to them.

Sena chief Thackeray's condition stable

Agencies

Mumbai: The condition of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, who was admitted to a hospital here following complaints of fever, is stable, doctors attending on him said on Friday.

The fever has come down but he is very weak and feeling exhausted, they said, adding he needs complete rest. Doctors said results of all medical tests carried on the Sena patriarch are normal.

Thackeray has been kept in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and visitors are not allowed to see him, they said.

He may be discharged after two or three days, doctors attending on him said.

82-year-old Thackeray was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital in suburban Bandra yesterday after he complained of weakness and fever.

Indian workers stranded in Malaysia

Agences

Kuala Lumpur: Over 50 workers from India are stranded here, with 43 of them being detained for overstaying, after their Malaysian agent purportedly cheated them.

They were also prevented from lodging a complaint with the Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.

The workers said their employment agent failed to send them home after their work permits expired seven months ago, a media report said on Friday.

The agent also allegedly did not pay their last drawn salaries amounting to about $14,000.

After eight of the workers lodged a report with Malaysian Trade Union Congress (MTUC), its secretary-general G. Rajasekaran sent a letter Monday informing the immigration department of the plight of the workers.

He said the Indians worked in a factory in Johor Baru between July 2005 and July 2008. The employment agent was to have sent them home after their three-year contract came to an end.

Instead, they were asked to continue working until December last year, but their work permits were not renewed, The Star newspaper said.

"The salary due to them, amounting to RM43,350 ($11,790), has also not been paid and their passports were seized," Rajasekaran told reporters.

The workers decided to lodge a complaint with the Indian High Commission in Kuala Lumpur.

However, the bus they were travelling in was intercepted by the police in Muar Jan 17.

Forty-three of them were arrested and handed over to the immigration department that detained them.

While in detention, the workers were asked to hand over large sums, purportedly for airfare to send them home.

"Those without cash were forced to hand over their bank savings books," Rajasekaran said.

He added that MTUC was giving the immigration department one week to take action against the employment agent, failing which reports would be lodged with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the police.

US to focus more on non-military Pak aid

Agencies

Washington: Chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee Senator John Kerry has said that the United States would change the nature of its aid package being delivered to Pakistan from the existing military centric to one which is more focused on non-military.

"We're going to transform the aid package that we're delivering to Pakistan," Kerry told the popular National Public Radio in an interview.

Kerry is planning to introduce a legislation in the US Senate in the next few weeks, which would triple the non-military aid to Pakistan for the next one decade, amounting to USD 1.5 billion per annum.

However, this aid would be directly linked with the Islamabad's success in its war against terrorism, establishment of democracy and the fight against religious fundamentalism.

"There is no military solution to what is happening in either Pakistan or Afghanistan," he said.

The real solution, Kerry argued is going to be to help deliver real services and change and improvement of the quality of life for people in Pakistan.

"This I believe is the real center of our struggle against religious extremism and violence that we've witnessed these last years -- a place that actually has nuclear weapons today!" he said.

When asked why he, in a report released on Wednesday, recommended USD 1 billion new funds for the Pakistani security forces, despite knowing very well the past record of Islamabad in this regard, Kerry said: "We're going to be very directly involved in the oversight and accountability, which did not occur in the previous years."

Acknowledging that there has been "some resistance" Kerry said: "This is not some do-gooder policy. This is in our interest to try empower moderate secular governments to be able to take control of areas which for too long have been ceded to the bad guys."

Bus services to Dhaka suspended

Agencies

Agartala: The rebellion in Bangladesh Rifles has brought to a halt the bus services between Dhaka and the two Indian cities of Kolkata and Agartala for an indefinite period causing hardships to commuters.

The Agartala-Dhaka and Dhaka-Kolkata bus services have been suspended for an indefinite period, Bangladesh Road Transport Corporation (BRTC) sources said here on Thursday.

BRTC and its Indian counterparts in Tripura and West Bengal had been operating the bus services between the two countries.

The Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar said the situation was a cause for concern for his state.

"The rebellion that broke out in the headquarters of the border guards of neighbouring Bangladesh is a matter of concern for the people of Tripura. However, our BSF is keeping a close vigil," Sarkar told reporters here.

Together with vehicular movement, trade activities have also stopped at Petrapole in West Bengal and Akhaura check post here, Indian customs officials said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of outposts along the Indo-Bangla border are on maximum alert to ensure safety and security of people living in the border areas, BSF spokesman A K Singh said.

Yahoo! India R&D head quits

Agencies

New Delhi: Search engine major Yahoo! India on Friday said its research & development (R&D) unit Chief Executive Officer Sharad Sharma has decided to quit the company and Shoubick Mukherjee has been named as the company's new R&D head.

"Sharad Sharma, Yahoo! India R&D has decided to leave Yahoo! to pursue other opportunities," a Yahoo! India spokesperson said.

Muhkerjee will spearhead the R&D centre's strategic contribution to the unit that delivers global products and consumer experiences, he added.

BDR chief killed in Bangladesh mutiny

Agencies

Dhaka: Major General Shakil Ahmed, director general of Bangladesh Rifles (BDR), died in a hail of bullets within 10 minutes of the mutiny by the troopers that ended after two days of killing and chaos.

The general's killing was confirmed late Thursday evening by Lt. Col. Syed Kamruzzaman, who survived the killing-spree by troopers of the country's border guards, a media report said Friday.

Over 50 people, many of them officers of the Bangladesh Army, are reported to have been killed during the mutiny.

The shooting by mutinous troopers began at the Darbar Hall, which is the conference room, at BDR headquarters at Pilkhana in the national capital Wednesday morning, The Daily Star newspaper said.

Its web site Star Online Friday said that two bodies of an elderly couple was also found at the director general's residence.

They were identified as those of a retired colonel and his wife who had come for medical treatment and were guests of General Ahmed.

Qamaruzzaman told the media at the staff college officers' mess in Mirpur Cantonment that he was saved by "a few good jawans".

As a band of troopers wearing red bandanas opened fire inside the conference room at around 9.45 a.m., Kamruzzaman and 11 other officers, including the director general, took shelter in corners of the stage in the hall.

After around five minutes, some troopers ordered them to come out and walk in a line led by General Ahmed.

"As the DG (Shakil Ahmed) climbed down the stairs of darbar hall, one jawan sprayed him with bullets. Soon the other jawans there started firing on us," said Kamruzzaman.

"I dived on the ground after a bullet hit me in the stomach. Somehow I managed to crawl inside a washroom. A few minutes later, some jawans found that I was hiding in a toilet. They fired a volley of shots at me, but miraculously none hit me," he went on.

"As one jawan pointed his gun at my chest, in desperation I hugged him tightly and asked, `Why will you kill me? What harm did I do to you?'.

"I don't know what occurred to them. They said 'OK. We won't kill you'. They took me to another place and kept me hidden from others."

Lt. Col. Kamruzzaman, general staff officer 1 (communication), said when the troopers were taking him to safety he saw bodies of Major General Shakil Ahmed, Brig Bari, Col. Moshiur, Col. Zahid, Col. Anis, Col. Emdad and Lt. Col. Ershad.

He said over 160 officers were in the darbar hall when the killing spree began.

However, he could not say what happened to others.

He said as another group spotted him a few hours before the end of the mutiny, he told them that it was their men who hid him there.

"They told me, 'OK, we'll spare you, but you have to run as we order'. As I started zigzagging down the lawn, some armed jawans attempted to shoot at me. But the ones who saved me first came to my rescue again. They took me to the quarter guardroom from where I was finally rescued," Kamruzzaman said.

At the same briefing, Major Monir described how he cheated death hiding in a drain and then inside the false ceiling of the darbar hall for almost two days.

"I watched helpless as jawans killed other officers," he said.

Col. Asif, Lt. Col. Yasmin and her husband A.K.M. Arifur Rahman, a district judge of Dhaka, spoke in the briefing.

They claimed that the BDR men looted valuables from almost all households.

The mutiny by the BDR troopers broke out Wednesday morning when they took control of their headquarter in the capital city. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina offered general amnesty to them, but the troopers were defiant and refused to lay down arms.

The government held talks with a delegation of the mutineers Thursday and an agreement was reached but by that time, the mutiny spread to other BDR camps located all over the country.

The revolt ended in the face of an imminent attack by the Bangladesh Army which moved tanks into position outside the BDR headquarters. The mutineers then laid down their arms.

Pak deploys troops after violent protests

Agences

Islamabad: Paramilitary troops were deployed in eastern Pakistan on Friday after supporters of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif torched cars and stoned buildings to protest a court order that barred him from elected office.

The unrest and brewing political crisis risk distracting Pakistan's shaky government from the fight against al-Qaida and the Taliban and the country's perilous economic situation.

Wednesday's rulings upheld an existing ban on Sharif from contesting elections because of a criminal conviction related to the 1999 military coup by former President Pervez Musharraf that ousted Sharif as prime minister.

The rulings also removed his brother as head of the government in Punjab, Pakistan's richest and most populous province.

Thousands of his supporters took to the streets on Thursday in several towns and cites, waving his party's green flags and chanting anti-government slogans. Most were peaceful, but some set up barricades of burning tires and used rocks to smash the windows of stores and banks in Rawalpindi. Later, police and protesters clashed closed to the capital and four vehicles were set alight.

Interior Ministry spokesman Shahedullah Baig said paramilitary troops were deployed in the Punjab province on request from the provincial government. He provided no further details.

The court decisions prevent Sharif from challenging President Asif Ali Zardari in the 2013 general elections. Zardari compounded the blow by dismissing the government in Punjab and putting its governor — a Zardari loyalist — in charge.

Sharif, widely considered the country's most popular politician, has accused Zardari of orchestrating the court decisions and called for protests.

He also has urged his supporters to join mass rallies planned for mid-March by Pakistan's lawyers, whose protests for an independent judiciary undermined Musharraf's long rule.

Dozens of judges who were ousted when Musharraf imposed emergency rule in 2007 have returned to the courts under the year-old government led by Zardari's party.

But the government has blocked the return of Iftikhar Mohammed Chaudhry, the former chief justice who questioned a pact that quashed long-standing corruption charges against Zardari and his slain wife, former leader Benazir Bhutto.

Dismal 5.3 percent economic growth in Q3

Agencies

New Delhi: The Indian economy grew by 5.3 per cent in the third quarter, the slowest quarterly growth this fiscal, pulled down by contraction in manufacturing and farm production even as some services showed robust expansion.

The farm sector, believed to be de-coupled from the global financial meltdown, also succumbed to the pressure of the slowing economy and fell by 2.2 per cent in October-December, 2008-09 against the growth of 6.9 per cent a year ago.

In the third quarter, industrial production, led by manufacturing, contracted in the two months of October and December.

For the whole quarter, manufacturing declined by 0.2 per cent against a substantial expansion of 8.6 per cent a year back.

Bucking the trend, community, social and personal services grew by a strong 17.3 per cent against 5.5 per cent in the year-ago period, part of which may be contributed by revised the salary structure of government employees.

For the first nine months of this fiscal, the economy grew by 6.9 per cent against nine per cent in the same period of 2007-08.

For the whole of 2008-09, the Indian economy is projected to grow by 7.1 per cent. To achieve that, the economy must grow quite substantially by over seven per cent next quarter.

Hepatitis death toll rises to 49 in Gujarat

Agencies

Ahmedabad: The death toll in the hepatitis-hit Modasa taluka of Sabarkantha rose to 49 on Thursday with one more death being reported, district health officials said.

"One more death has been reported today and 11 new cases have registered in Modasa taking the toll to 49," Sabarkanth Collector M Thennarasan said. He said that the health officials are still on alert and doing surveys to find new cases in the Modasa town and nearby villages.

Meanwhile, the Patan district health officials conducted inspections in various parts of the district and collected samples from the private clinics, sources said.

Authorities in hepatitis-hit Sabarakantha district have filed cases against doctors and scrap dealers after investigations revealed that the physicians sold used syringes and medical waste, police said on Thursday.

Medical waste, including used syringes, have to be disposed of, according to the Bio-Medical Waste (management and handling) Rules 1998.

But when the Sabarkantha Food and Drugs department raided the premises of the scrap dealers on Wednesday, they found used syringes, needles and medical waste in large quantity, which according to the scrap dealers was sold to them by some doctors, police said.

Savjibhai Rabari and Gulam Rasul are the scrap dealers who have been booked, they said.

The doctors against whom FIRs have been registered include Dr Haresh Shah, Dr Suresh Shah, Dr Dilip, Dr Prakash and Dr Jayesh, police said, adding that a compounder, Kantibhai, has also been booked.

All have been booked under section 269 of the Negligent Act (likely to spread infection of disease dangerous to life) and 278 (making atmosphere noxious to health) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), they said.

Jus Srikrishna to probe Chennai HC clash

Agencies

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday appointed a committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge B N Srikrishna to hold inquiry into the clashes between lawyers and police in the Madras High Court on February 19 in which several advocates and a judge were injured.

It said that Justice Srikrishna, who had probed the 1993 Mumbai riots, will be assisted by two CBI officers from the agency's Chennai office to probe sequence of the events leading to the clash in which several lawyers and a judge were injured and properties of the High Court and vehicles of lawyers were damaged.

The bench made it clear that five senior police officers whose names have cropped up in connection with the incident will be transferred to facilitate the free and fair inquiry.

The Court was informed that Ramasubramanian, Jt Commissioner of Police, was already transferred and another police officer of his rank Sandeep Rai Rathore and three DCPs -- Sarangan, Prem Anand Sinha and Paneer Selvam -- will be immediately shifted.

The fate of Chennai Police Commissioner K Radhakrishnan along with that of T Rajendran (Additional DCP) and A K Vishwanathan (Additional CP) will be decided after the submission of the report of the Srikrishna Committee.

However, the apex court, which acceded to most of the demands of the Tamil Nadu lawyers, disapproved their conduct in holding meetings and raising of slogans inside the court complex and asked them to call off their strike at the earliest in the interest of the litigants who have been the worst sufferer.

"Large number of litigants are the worst sufferer of the strike. This is very sad," a bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices P Sathasivan and J M Panchal said, adding that "there should not be any disturbance in the court proceedings and there should not be any slogan shouting."

The bench, which posted the next hearing to March 3, expressed the hope that since the Committee has been constituted according to their wish, the lawyers will maintain the decorum and discipline and their associations would withdraw the strike which has paralysed the work of the courts since January 29.

However, the President of the Madras High Court Bar Association (MHCBA) Paul Kanakraj, expressed his constraint in assuring the apex court that the strike will be withdrawn immediately, saying it will be decided only after holding General Body Meeting of the MHCBA in Chennai.

UN owes $22 million to India: Pranab

Agencies

New Delhi: India is yet to get a total of 22 million US dollars from United Nations for the country's troop and police contributions to the world body in current and past peacekeeping operations, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.

In a written reply to a query, Minister for External Affairs Pranad Mukherjee said, "Till January 2009, approximately USD 22 million was outstanding from the UN in connection with India's troop and police contributions in current and past UN peacekeepingoperations."

He said the outstanding bills were caused by shortage of funds with the UN due to non-timely payment of contributions by member states. "Government has asked the UN to settle the pending amount," Mukherjee added.

UN owes $22 million to India: Pranab

Agencies

New Delhi: India is yet to get a total of 22 million US dollars from United Nations for the country's troop and police contributions to the world body in current and past peacekeeping operations, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Thursday.

In a written reply to a query, Minister for External Affairs Pranad Mukherjee said, "Till January 2009, approximately USD 22 million was outstanding from the UN in connection with India's troop and police contributions in current and past UN peacekeepingoperations."

He said the outstanding bills were caused by shortage of funds with the UN due to non-timely payment of contributions by member states. "Government has asked the UN to settle the pending amount," Mukherjee added.

Inflation at 15-month low of 3.36 per cent

Agencies

New Delhi: Inflation declined to about a 15-month low of 3.36 per cent mainly due to fall in the prices food articles like fruit and vegetables, pulses, and some manufactured items, raising hopes of cuts in the key policy rates by the RBI.

Wholesale price based inflation declined by 0.56 percentage points during the week ended February 14 against 3.92 per cent in the previous week.

On Wednesday, the government expressed confidence that the RBI may ease money supply further.

Replying to the debate on the interim Budget in the Rajya Sabha, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said, "I am fully concerned that increased public spending may put pressure on the government's borrowing programme and overall credit offtake in the economy."

Mukherjee said: "There is, however, scope for appropriate compensatory monetary policy options, (which) I am sure will be exercised by the RBI at the right time."

During the week, prices of food articles like maize fell by five per cent, barley by three per cent, and fruit and vegetables by two per cent while eggs and spices declined by one per cent each.

Among manufactured products, prices of mustard oil eased by two per cent, and sooji and coconut oil by one per cent each. At the same time aluminum ingots got cheaper by 6 per cent, and liquid chlorine by three per cent.