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New Delhi, July 31
Veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu today discussed with United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi the modalities for the constitution of a coordination committee for the smooth functioning of the Congress-led government. 
In video: Left
gives six names for the coordination committee.(28k, 56k) The Chairperson of the UPA, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, with veteran CPM leader Jyoti Basu at her residence in New Delhi after their meeting on Saturday.
Left to urge PM for better
coordination
Police records statement of Nafisa’s
fiance
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IIAS under HRD Ministry’s
scanner
PWG not to give up armed
struggle
CPI: lift armed forces Act from
Manipur
JD (U) threatens to snap ties
with BJP
No hospital for jailed cop, rules court
Himanshu
is DG, Seema Bal
RSS top brass to meet next week
17 die as bus falls into river
Minister lauds IA’s caring attitude
Saran to take charge tomorrow
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Basu meets Sonia on coordination
panel
New Delhi, July 31 A CPI(M) politburo member, Mr Sitaram Yechury, accompanied Mr Basu to the 10, Janpath Road residence of the Congress President. Ms Sonia Gandhi told mediapersons that the meeting was a courtesy call. “We also discussed the formation of the coordination committee.” Mr Yechury said the views exchanged between Mr Basu and Ms Gandhi during the 45-minute meeting would be placed before the members of the CPI(M) Central Committee. A member of the CPI(M) Central Committee told TNS here this evening that the 77-member Central Committee discussed the need for setting up the coordination committee. Sources said a decision on the formation of the Committee would be taken only on Sunday. Mr Yechury said the Left parties have proposed six names for the committee and the UPA Chairperson would decide on the names from the ruling side. Explaining the rationale for the setting up of the committee, Mr Yechury said, “We want this government to run smoothly and that too for five years. That is why we need a coordination committee between the Left, which is supporting the government from outside and the ruling alliance.” Replying to a question, Mr Yechury clarified that there were never any differences with the government on the formation of a coordination committee. He said the Left parties have no objection with regard to members proposed by the Congress-led alliance. “We have no objection if the UPA decides to have a broad spectrum coordination panel comprising the allies,” Mr Yechury said. On the Iraq crisis, Mr Yechury said, “We have already passed a resolution on Iraq that the government should respond to the demands of the abductors and announce that its citizens would not be allowed to engage in any activities to help the American forces.” |
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Left to urge PM for better
coordination
New Delhi, July 31 “May be on Monday we will meet Prime Minister when he comes back (from Thailand) and this is the suggestion (by the party’s Politbureau),” the veteran CPM leader Jyoti Basu told reporters after a two-day meeting of the Politbureau. Though the party had differences with the UPA government on many issues, the Left would want to see the government last for five years, Mr Basu stressed. “We have some differences (especially on FDI in three sectors) with the government. The relation with the Centre is good till now. But we have not come to an understanding on how to function together,” he said. “The mechanism (for coordination between the UPA and Left parties) has not been worked out. We will place the issue before the Central Committee, which will start its meeting in the evening,” Basu said. India had not sent troops to Iraq and the UPA government must make it clear that as per the Parliamentary resolution, it did not approve of a continued military occupation of Iraq by the US and British forces, the resolution said. “These steps are necessary if the safety of the Indian hostages is to be ensured,” the CPM statement added. |
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Police records statement of Nafisa’s
fiance
Mumbai, July 31 Khanduja appeared at the Versova police station accompanied by his lawyer Dipesh Mehta. His statement was still being recorded, the police said. Earlier Deputy Commissioner of Police Amitabh Gupta, who is investigating the case, told reporters that the police hasn’t been able to locate Khanduja at his residence or his factory in Panvel on the outskirts of Mumbai. Joseph’s mother, Usha, told police that the model was depressed after Khanduja could not give her adequate proof about his divorce status. Investigators were also told that Khanduja continued to hold a joint bank account with his former wife causing a lot of torment to Joseph. There have been several showdowns between Joseph, Khanduja and Usha and the latest quarrel between them was on Wednesday, a day before the suicide. Joseph had even slashed her wrists after one such episode, the police was told. Khanduja lives alone at his residence in Pali Hill in suburban Bandra and was to marry Joseph, 26, in August. |
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IIAS under HRD Ministry’s
scanner New Delhi, July 31 Steeped in controversy during former HRD Minister Murli Manohar Joshi’s regime, the institute has now come under the HRD Ministry’s scanner. A thorough probe has been ordered into the institute’s functioning
following a letter of complaint from Dr Prem Singh, a former IIAS Fellow. The letter maintains that the IIAS Chairman, Prof G.C. Pandey, has converted the institute into a place where “obscurants and trivial interests prosper.” It also points to the violation of institute’s laws, both in the award of fellowships and in administrative appointments. The ministry, it is said, has taken note of these complaints, hence the inquiry. This could eventually result in a change at the top, add ministry sources. Professor Pandey, according to the letter, is known for his revivalistic scholarship and has been ethusiastically propagating Dr Joshi’s agenda. The letter goes on to list the titles of the seminar to indicate the nature of research being done at
the institute. These include: Philosophy of Indian art and value-oriented education, Philosophy of Indian music and value-oriented education, Yoga and consciousness, Vedas as knowledge and Akhil Bharatiya Vedic sammelan. “There is a long list of other projects, which only serve obscurants
and divisive forces,” the letter adds. Professor Pandey’s tenure has been marked by controversy ever since he took charge as IIAS Chairman in 1998. Academic circles were up in arms when the then IIAS Director, Prof Mrinal Miri, was pressurised into stepping down. The Chairman has also become controversial for the manner in which he has been awarding fellowships, with most of them going to retired
persons. The letter maintains that Fellows have been given extension by neglecting or bypassing the evaluation reports of experts, adding that as many as 32 fellowships were awarded in May, leaving no room for fresh fellowships for
the next three years Refuting the allegations, Professor Pandey described these as “baseless and absurd,” adding that anybody could level such charges. According to him, there are so many people outside the institute who can make such false charges as “they would like to be inside the institute.” |
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PWG not to give up armed
struggle
Hyderabad, July 31 This was the clear message conveyed by the open public meeting, held on Wednesday for the first time in more than a decade, at Mogilicharla in Warangal district, some 150 km from here. The PWG had been a proscribed outfit since 1992, when the then Janardhan Reddy Government imposed a ban on it. The meeting was intended to serve as a show of strength by the PWG, the most dreaded among Naxalite organisations having a significant presence in neighbouring Orissa, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra. The Congress government’s decision to allow the ban on the PWG to expire last week has made it possible for the armed outfit to come out openly and organise the show, which was estimated to have been attended by around 2 lakh persons mostly from north Telangana districts. Contrary to earlier reports, top-rung underground leaders such as PWG state committee secretary A Harigopal, alias R.K. failed to make an appearance on the dias. Though the gathering was essentially to pay homage to the martyrs, including top leaders such as P. Sudarshan Reddy and Nalla Adireddy, the three emissaries named by the PWG to represent them in the talks with the government, poets Varavara Rao and Kalyana Rao and Balladeer Gaddar, used the occasion to attack the police and policies of the earlier Chandrababu Naidu-led government, which took a tough stance against Naxalites and allowed state repression against them. Mogilicherla is the village which sent many cadres to the organisation, including top leader P. Sudershan Reddy, who were killed in an alleged police encounter two years ago. RK, a teacher in the village, joined the guerrilla movement a decade ago and went on to become one
of its top leaders. Stating that 2000 Naxalites were killed during the “oppressive regime” of Mr Chandrababu Naidu, speakers at the meeting, which was keenly followed by the authorities, warned the Congress Government of meeting the same fate as the TDP if it failed to
check fake encounters. Reiterating that the PWG was sincere about the ongoing efforts at dialogue with the government, Mr Varavara Rao, however, said that they had an inalienable right to carry on the armed struggle in the interest of the downtrodden. “We will not accept any condition that stipulates the PWG to lay down arms, which is against our core beliefs,” he asserted. |
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CPI: lift armed forces Act from
Manipur
New Delhi, July 31 It has expressed disapproval over the government’s “refusal” to intervene in the “chaotic” situation in Manipur following the alleged killing of a woman by Assam Rifles personnel. The CPI has said the government refused to budge an inch despite several pleas by delegations which have met the Home Minister. The party has said the government should immediately lift the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act unless it wishes to create another Kashmir in the sensitive North-East region. The party has urged the authorities to take action against the “guilty” jawans allegedly responsible for the custodial killing of Manorama Devi on July 11. |
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JD (U) threatens to snap ties
with BJP
New Delhi, July 31 Sources in JD(U) told TNS here that a section of opinion in the party is opposed to continuing alliance with the BJP and believe that the party suffered at the hustings because of its alliance with the “communal” BJP. |
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No hospital for jailed cop, rules court
Mumbai, July 31 Wagal is now admitted to the Nanavati Hospital here after allegedly developing heart ailment. |
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Himanshu
is DG, Seema Bal
New Delhi, July 31 Mr Himanshu Kumar had been working as the Additional Director-General, SSB, since February 5, 2004. Prior to this he had held several important positions, including ADG, CRPF, ADG (Internal Security), Uttar Pradesh Police, and Joint Director, IB, (Patna and Delhi). |
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RSS top brass to meet next week
New Delhi, July 31 The meeting will be held soon after the three-day brainstorming session of the top BJP leadership in Goa to take stock of the party’s recent defeat in the Lok Sabha poll and chalking out of a strategy for the coming Assembly elections. With the BJP seriously considering reverting back to Hindutva in the wake of the electoral defeat, the RSS leadership is likely to discuss this with those who have been deputed to the party, the sources said. |
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17 die as bus falls into river
Dehra Dun, July 31 The three injured were shifted to the Base Hospital at Srinagar. District Magistrate, Pauri-Garhwal, Mr Harish Chand Joshi, visited the spot. The bodies and the bus could not be retrieved, officials said. |
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Minister lauds IA’s caring attitude
New Delhi, July 31 As the baby, Muhammed, who was born with a heart ailment, developed complications on board, the pilot, instead of carrying on with the flight to Bangalore, sought an emergency landing at Hyderabad, in the process saving the child’s life. |
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Saran to take charge tomorrow
New Delhi, July 31 A 1970-batch Indian Foreign Service officer, 57-year old Saran, succeeds Mr Shashank. Mr Saran’s tenure will be for a little over two years till September, 2006. Mr Shashank, who accompanied Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Thailand, retired today. Mr Saran, till recently India’s Ambassador to Nepal, will formally take charge of his new assignment on Monday. After his name was cleared by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet on June 10, Mr Saran was involved in the Indo-Pak Foreign Secretary-level talks held later that month. |
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