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BJP national
executive meeting on
Uma abolishes
district governments |
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Jamuna Devi Leader of Oppn in MP Vaiko moves HC to
attend Parliament NDA targeting
minorities, alleges Sonia Govt against
banning right to strike: PM
More parties join hands on Vidarbha RJD demands
special status for Bihar
Geelani’s acquittal challenged
Irish band 'Westlife' performs at the MTV-Indian music awards in
Mumbai on Friday. — Reuters
photo 433 cadets pass
out of IMA
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BJP national executive meeting on Jan 11, 12 New Delhi, December 13 While BJP President M. Venkaiah Naidu said in Hyderabad the party would discuss an action plan to fine-tune its strategy for securing 300 seats and two-third majority for the NDA in the Lok Sabha poll, sources said the BJP President was still open to TDP supremo Chandrababu Naidu’s suggestion to club the Andhra Assembly poll with the general elections. The Andhra Chief Minister is coming here next week to meet the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister to impress upon then the political advantages of clubbing the two elections around March next year. Though the BJP leader denied speculation that the party might opt for early Lok Sabha poll to capitalise on the “feel good” factor in the wake of its good performance in the recent elections, the sources said the early general elections cannot be ruled out in the light of the TDP line of argument. Though the BJP was totally committed to Hindutva, it would not be made a poll issue, Mr Naidu said. “Development and performance will continue to be our poll plank,” he said. Terming as ‘unfortunate’ media speculation over advancing of Lok Sabha poll, Mr Naidu said the BJP Central leadership had only asked its cadre to “prepare for poll from now onwards as only 250 days are left for the elections.” Ruling out making Hindutva its poll plank, the BJP chief said: “Hindutva is the soul of India and lifeline of the BJP. There is no question of compromise on our core ideology. But it cannot be a poll issue.” Hitting out at the Congress for its “negative and confrontationist politics”, he said the party had not learnt any lessons from its electoral drubbing in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh. The BJP President said his party was comfortable with all NDA partners and would like to continue the alliance in the next elections. Meanwhile, a meeting of BJP Central office-bearers will be held here on December 25 to take a stock of the political situation. Mr Advani is also expected to attend the meeting. |
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Uma abolishes district governments Bhopal, December 13 The decision was taken at the first Cabinet meeting held last evening. The district government system was introduced in April 1999 by amending the Madhya Pradesh District Planning Committee Act. While the ostensible object of the district government was to decentralise the decision-taking process and redress problems of the people at the district level, the system had come in for criticism for eroding authority of the elected representatives. The amended District Planning Committee Act had vested most of the powers of elected panchayats and municipal bodies in the district planning committees, which were to work under the directions from the state government. |
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Jamuna Devi Leader of Oppn in MP Bhopal, December 13 Ms Jamuna Devi’s election was far from smooth. As the Congress Legislature Party could not arrive at a consensus at its meeting in the forenoon, it passed a one-line resolution authorising party chief Sonia Gandhi to nominate the CLP leader. Ms Gandhi later conveyed her choice to the AICC General Secretary, Ms Ambika Soni, and the Lok Sabha Deputy Speaker, Mr P.M. Sayeed, who were deputed as observers for the CLP meeting. Ms Jamuna Devi is an outspoken tribal leader and had frequently criticised her own government for ignoring the interests of the tribesmen. Born on November 19, 1929, Ms Jamuna Devi represents the Kukshi (ST) constituency in Dhar district in the Assembly. |
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Vaiko moves HC to attend Parliament
Chennai, December 13 Mr Justice A. Kulasekaran, while posting Vaiko’s writ petition on Monday, said in case of any emergency the matter could be brought to his attention immediately. Doubts arose on the date of discussion and voting as the Advocate-General, Mr N.R. Chandran, told the court that according to his latest information, the Bill was not to be taken for discussion on Monday. A POTA court yesterday dismissed Vaiko’s application requesting permission for attending the House on the plea that it had no powers to do so and asked him to approach the high court. Directing the government to file its counter by tomorrow, Mr Justice Kulasekaran told the Advocate-General and Vaiko’s counsel K. Chandru “if there is any urgency, it is open for both the sides to mention the matter to me in advance.” The Judge also told both the advocates to make a mention before the Chief Justice on Monday, requesting that he (Mr Justice Kulasekaran) continue to hear the petition. Yesterday the Chief Justice B. Subashan Reddy had asked Mr Justice Kulasekaran to hold a special sitting to deal with Vaiko’s petition. When the court began to hear the petition, Mr Chandran told the court according to latest information, the debate and voting on the POTA Amendment Bill was unlikely to begin on Monday. “I am not saying that there will be no debate on the amendment. What I am saying is that it will not be held on December 15,” he said.
— PTI |
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NDA targeting minorities, alleges Sonia
Aligarh, December 13 Ms Gandhi, the first member of the Nehru-Gandhi family to visit the university in four decades, exhorted all secular groups and parties to join hands and wage “a struggle against those forces who wish to deliberately distort the essence of all religions by abandoning the path of Nehru and Gandhi.” “Let no one be misled by the mask of modernity and social justice frequently presented by communal forces. They remain wedded to their agenda of hatred and divisiveness. Standing today in this historic institution, I call on all secular and progressive forces to join hands. Let us together defeat those who subvert our constitutional values behind a reformist veneer,” she said inaugurating a national seminar on “Nehru and nationalism” organised by the Centre of Nehru Studies. In an apparent attack on the NDA regime, particularly Human Resources Development Minister Murli Manohar Joshi’s “saffronisation” policy, she alleged that secularism had come under assault in the past few years. “That assault continues unabated. It takes many forms. Textbooks are being rewritten, institutions of excellence are being subverted. Scholars are being hounded and minorities are being targeted,” she said. Quoting Jawaharlal Nehru profusely she said Indian nationalism must continue to be liberel, open minded, confident, rooted in the best of the country’s traditions of mutual acceptance and accommodation. “The battle against prejudice while instilling pride in our heritage must be launched in schools and educational institutions”. She said: “Let no one be misled by the mask of modernity and social justice frequently presented by the communal forces. They remain wedded to the agenda of hatred and divisiveness. I call on all secular and progressive forces to join hands. Let us together defeat those who subvert our constitutional values behind a reformist veneer”. She said Nehru’s conception of secularism meant separation of religion from the political, economic, cultural and social aspects of life, religion being treated as a purely personal matter. It meant dissociation of the state from religion and freedom and respect for all religions. Ms Gandhi said her visit to the university today had a special significance as Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi never had an opportunity to come here though they had desired to do so.
— PTI, UNI |
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Govt against banning right to strike: PM New Delhi, December 13 The assurance of Mr Vajpayee came when a sangh delegation submitted a memorandum regarding long-pending demands of Central Government employees, including immediate constitution of the sixth Pay Commission, merger of 50 per cent DA with basis pay and right to strike of employees. According to sangh deputy general secretary Girish Awasthi, the Prime Minister also told the delegation that the legal advice sought by him clarified that the Supreme Court judgement of August 6 in this regard was “merely an advice and not an order”. “In no case does the Government of India favour the ban on the right to strike with respect to government employees,” he said. |
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More parties join hands on Vidarbha Nagpur, December 13 Bharatiya Republican Party Bahujan Mahasangh leader Prakash
Ambedkar, Shetkari Sanghatana leader Sharad Joshi, Vidarbha Rajya Party founder president Banwarilal Purohit and senior NCP leader Datta Meghe decided to address public rallies in all 11 districts of Vidarbha during the campaign.
— UNI |
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RJD demands special status for Bihar New Delhi, December 13 Mr Raghuvansh Prasad Singh
(RJD), while initiating a debate on a calling attention motion, said Bihar was always reeling under the severe impact of drought, floods and land and soil erosion, causing a loss of between Rs 1,200 crore and Rs 1,500 crore per year. Ruling party members, however, chided him and accused RJD supremo Laloo Prasad Yadav of the sorry state of affairs in Bihar. Mr Prasad accused the Centre of discriminating against Bihar with regard to funds for rural development and said the Centre was neglecting Bihar in several key areas like power projects and development of national highways. He said repair work was not being undertaken due to paucity of funds even for the roads coming under the national highway, project. |
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Geelani’s acquittal challenged New Delhi, December 13 The police filed a special leave petition (SLP) in the apex court registry today against the High Court’s October 29 judgement, exonerating Geelani and Guru’s wife Navjot Sandhu, alias Afsan, who were given the benefit of doubt by a Division Bench of the court about their “involvement” in the criminal conspiracy to attack Parliament on 13, 2001. All five heavily armed Pakistani militants were killed in a gunbattle in the high-security Parliament premises with the security forces, which also lost seven of their men. The appeal filed by Delhi Police’s standing counsel in High Court, Ms Mukta Gupta, alleged that the Division Bench of the court had “erred” in marshalling the evidence
against Geelani and Afsan to give them the benefit of doubt about their involvement in the case. Geelani was awarded the death sentence along with Guru and another JeM militant Mohammed Afzal by a special court here on December 18 last and Afsan was sentenced to five year’s imprisonment. |
Mumbai, December 13 Sonu Nigam and Chitra were the best male and female playback singers for “Saathiya” and “Koi Mil Gaya”, respectively, and Adnan Sami got the best pop album award for “Tera Chehra” yesterday. The “MTV Immies” honoured artistes in 24 categories across all generations of music from film to spiritual music, Indipop to devotional, ghazal to international music, including one for piracy detection. Bollywood stars Preity Zinta, Jackie Shroff, Kajol, Abhishek Bachchan and music composer Anu Malik were prominent among those who attended the awards night. Shah Rukh Khan was the recipient of the "Best Performance’’ award in a song for "Chalte Chalte’’, while top model Yana Gupta bagged the award in the female category. Gulzar received the award for “Best Lyrics” in “Saathiya”. The “Best Album” award went to "Kal Ho Na Ho’’. Farah Khan bagged the "Best Choreographer’’ award for "Koi Mil Gaya’’. The "Best New Film Music’’ talent award went to Sonu Kakkar for "Dum’’. “Best Female Pop Singer” was Falguni Pathak for “Yeh Kya Jadoo Kiya”. “Tera Chehra” was the “Best Pop’’ album and Bela Sehgal got the award for “Best Video” for “Tehra Chehra”. Best new non-film talent went to playback singer Babul Supriyo for “Soochata Hun”. “Best Remix Video’’ award went to “Kaanta Laga”. Westlife and Norah Jones bagged the international awards for "Best Pop’’. Pankaj Uddhas (Yaaron Mujhe) for the “Best Ghazal” album, Jagjit Singh (Hari Om Tat Sat) for the “Best Devotional” album, Pandit Bhimsen Joshi (Tum Kaheko Neha Lagaye) for “Best Classical”, Rahul Sharma for “Best Classical Fusion”, Ram Kripal Singh and Bindeshwari Singh was honoured with for “Best IMI Detection Team” award to check piracy.
— UNI |
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Dehra Dun, December 13 Those passing out include 295 cadets of the regular Course and 37 of technical graduate course. Addressing the cadets, Lieut-General Shamsher Singh Mehta, goc-in-Chief Western Command, called upon them to keep Abreast of the latest technologies in warfare, including the Cyber war. “With transition from industrial to an information age, a New dimension has been added to warfare in the form of cyber Space war,” General Mehta said.
— PTI |
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